March Break Trip

 We rented a condo...here's our living room...

 and our kitchen and dining area...my one complaint, only 3 chairs!...

 bathroom....

 bedroom...a king sized bed.  Good thing, there was me and 3 boys to sleep in it!

 The view outside our patio door.

 The other way from our patio door.

 Little Dude trying on my sunglasses.  He still has his breakfast mustache!

 Being silly.

 Sprout following suit.

 "Watch me, look what I can do!"

 At the lake....the very frozen lake!

 Cousins at the lake.

 We weren't the only visitors, but there weren't any crowds really.  I was kinda surprised...after all, it was March break!

 We went on a hike up into the mountain.  This was the main path and then we took a smaller path that had a MUCH steeper incline.

 Penguin sliding!

 Beautiful.

 They had built a little ice castle on the lake.  There was family skating all around it.  They'd cleared a different part of the lake for hockey.

The lick test!

Proof I was there!  We had lots of fun.  I'll post our end of the trip pictures later.  Wish all of you could have been there!

Swimming Lessons

I took the boys to a new swimming school in town.  I was impressed that this particular school didn't put children in classes according to age, they grouped them according to skills.  I took the boys in for an assessment to see what class they'd be in...if we could swing the fees.  Munchkin did well and achieved a blue Swordy certificate.  The Swordy certificates are generally their pre-kindergarten/kindergarten groups.  They were surprised by Little Dude who they assumed would be in one of the Swordy groups.  He achieved a regular pink certificate.  Which is one up from their bottom regular certificate.  He LOVES swimming and obviously all that practicing last summer at Grandma and Poppa B's has certainly paid off.  The fees were more than they are at the Y, but I really got a good feeling there and appreciate this program which is new here in Canada.  It's from Australia, and they've just opened their first school here.  Students are assessed on an ongoing basis and awarded certificates as soon as they have achieved the requirements.  They celebrate small successes.  The boys left that day with the certificates of the levels they achieved during their assessment, a sucker each and a little tattoo each.  While Munchkin had fun, Little Dude was over the moon and has talked about swimming lessons nonstop since.

 Sprout is walking well enough to be in little (and I do mean LITTLE) boots and he loved walking on the snow all by himself.  He's also recently decided communication is worth the effort and he is paying close attention to signing and perfecting the head nod and shake.  :)

 These were taken at an indoor playground nearby.  Boys had a blast.

 Being big brothers.

 Munchkin's serious look.

 Big E in his gear.  He is LOVING his new position and the opportunity to work with trains.  He said he is excited to go to work each day.

2 boys zoned out by television.  I'm taking Munchkin and Little Dude to a new swim school to be assessed.  Hoping to take some pictures there as well.  Little Dude is especially excited about swimming lessons.  Depending on the cost...we'll start in the summer or in the fall.

THOMAS

 We took the train to see Thomas the Tank Engine.  Boys LOVED it, kept telling me how super fast we were going.  Even Sprout enjoyed the ride there.

 The Mom and Dad and Tots Fair was CRAZY busy.  I won't tell you all of my complaints, but it was really crowded.  Little E wouldn't get into the picture with Sparky and when I asked if he wanted a picture to remember the day by he told me that he'd just look at Munchkin's picture and that would be enough.  :)

 Boys loved watching the Thomas show.  HOWEVER, there was a large crowd of adults standing in front of us who wouldn't sit down for the longest time....I actually jabbed someone to get them to move back to their slightly less intrusive position.  Yes, jabbed, not tapped, no gentle poke.  I took my finger tips and pointedly jabbed them into her back....because I'd already tried tapping and this lady was an expert at ignoring.  Even my kids know not to ignore me!  Now she does too.  We didn't stay too long after the show because then it got ultra crowded. 

 This was Sprout on the way home...slept through it completely.

 The other boys eagerly awaited the return of our train.

 Then we came home and had some time to romp with Big E.

And see all his cool new work stuff.  :) 

TRAINS!

Munchkin got his heart's desire.  Big E will be working with trains.  Munchkin thinks everyone should want to work with trains!  Big E started training this week, it takes 7 weeks and at the end (so long as he passes all of his exams) he'll be qualified as a conductor.  I'll have to take a picture of him in all his 'gear', but not yet.  In the mean time the exciting news around our house is that Saturday we get to go and see Thomas.  Our city is hosting a family expo and their special guest is Thomas the Tank Engine.  So we're going to take the train to the Expo and see Thomas there and then take the train home.  Me thinks Munchkin is going to be over the moon!  This Expo is super affordable and I'm so thankful for the work that's gone into it so that it would be great for young families.  Kids 8 and under are free and the adults are only about $6!  FABULOUS!  :)

10 year project

SO....I started this quilt 10 years ago while I was in university.  I lived each summer with a friend's mother while I worked at a local brewery.  (No, I didn't brew...I drove a forklift truck around the warehouse taking skids off the line with 84 cases of beer on them and stacking them 3 high in long rows.  Occasionally I got to load trucks, and that was kind of fun.  It was actually the most fun, and best paying summer job I ever had.  I kept it for the rest of the time I was in university.)  My friend's sister was home for the summer and she was quilting, and my friend's mom subscribed to a quilting magazine and I felt inspired.  So I picked a pattern for a lap quilt and thought I'd make one for my Mom.  I bought fabric, washed, ironed, and painstakingly cut out little squares only to cut them again into little tiny triangles.  I got some sewed together and was happy.  Then I got some more sewed together and I wasn't quite as happy-I hadn't read the instructions clearly and I'd put it together wrong.  Then the summer was over.  I packed it up and went back to school, figuring I'd finish it at Christmas.  That didn't happy.  Then one year I took all the pieces and pinned them in place on top of a blanket, desperate to see what the finished product SHOULD look like.  Then I rolled up the blanket and put it away for a future day.  Then I decided to stop carrying the quilt around in a blanket and I took all the pieces off again and packed them away.  I got married, had 3 children, moved a couple of times.  AT last this year I finished it.  10 years in the making - and it was late for Christmas!  *tsk, tsk*  But it was done!

 Ahhh those tiny triangles...the bane of my existence...but they look good now!

 Sprout thought it looked pretty good....and he's coordinated....country coloured quilt, country baby outfit!

 Loved the orange and yellowy triangles.