it's FINALLY monday

Well "it's finally Monday Dad!!" Significant being that today, Monday, THIS Monday is the day Ryan can board the school bus for playschool. He woke up a bit nervous. I was surprised about that, but his jitters quickly turned to elation as the time of bus boarding drew nearer.
Then Nadine's pep talks started
Nadine: Do you want to play with me at recess Ryan? You can meet my friend Molly. Mrs Tetreau is very nice Ryan, you'll really like her. You get to sit with ME on the bus! I'll show you where to hang your backpack and jacket. You'll have a hook I have one too but we'll be in different classes.
Ryan: um OK
Nadine: (puts hands on Ryan's shoulders and talks in her most serious tone) Ryan, it's your first day of school (hugs him) good luck at playschool buddy.
Me: (attempts not to laugh audibly)

Nadine didn't actually sleep well last night. She wanted to talk about things, life, her thoughts on growing up.
Nadine: Mom, why doesn't grandma have any kids.
Me: She does but we all grew up and got older
Nadine: (bursts into tears) I don't want to move out!
Me: You're welcome to live here forever.
Nadine: But I want to be a zookeeper (more tears)
Me: (in hopes of just getting the girl some sleep) Great we'll open a zoo. But we can't open one until you're 16 years old. (hoping she'll have changed her mind on growing up by then and for now...just go to sleep, but I thought the concept required some boundary's)
Nadine: OK great mom.

So while I make plans for where to put the giraffe barn, we'll hope Ryan has a first day at playschool. God be with his teacher, I'm not sure he'll be able to stop talking the whole time...so excited.

And low and behold I've figured out why I don't cry at my childrens milestones

Women who drink four cups of coffee a day are 20 per cent less likely to become depressed than women who rarely drink coffee, U.S. researchers said on last week.

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/health/Coffee+linked+with+lower+depression+women/5492931/story.html#ixzz1ZjL74MI2

If 4 cups leaves one "less likely to become depressed" perhaps the amount I drink leaves me unable to shed a tear at all...
Just a theory...that I'll carry on testing

 

 

School and things.

Well this month marked the start of a new era for us. Grade 1. Sheesh I'm not sure how the last (nearly) 6 years went by in a matter of weeks but they have and so we embark upon school. School is cool, especially Nadine's school.
These days of school have been very different for me and the boys. It's been really interesting to get to know Ryan separate from his older sister. Therein lays the bright side. That is I'd far rather have the kids home, but school does offer a few benefits as well, so when looking for the bright side...that's the one I found. I'm not actually mushy about the kids growing up, I didn't cry when Nadine started school like I've heard happens for so many moms. But lets not equate that to how much I love them because that love is immeasurably enormous.

Nadine made it 6 school days and today has powered out and taken the day off. It's apparently really hard to be a full time school girl when you're not quite 6. Truthfully I think it's remarkably hard to do when you're any age, but I keep thinking this would be so much easier if I could just get her to sleep.... But I can't so it is what it is. She's learned a lot already this year. She's reads well, she tells me all the trials and tribulations of math but in the end "I just tried my best and I got all my numbers right!" success :). She's also quite excited about the Terry Fox run coming up at the end of the month. Running, as far as athleticism goes, is really her thing. Which makes my heart happy.
As far as other things go Nadine's love of animals is really really her 'thing'. She and I taught Cleo to jump over an obstacle the other day. She was pretty darn proud of herself (Nadine that is) Cleo was just waiting for the cookie at the end of the project. There is a long list of animals that "we should get" according to Nadine. It's an exhausting list including zebra's, rabbits, horses, a giraffe, and includes any other animal we encounter. She was also going to try and hatch an egg under her pillow. She'd spend all her time in the chicken pen if given the opportunity and thought it would be fun to have a baby chick hatch in her room. "Why do you always know to look under my pillow at bedtime?" I was asked with exasperated tone. It's been challenging this summer to keep a menagerie of animals and critters out of our house. We seem to think inviting in all the frogs, grasshoppers, caterpillars etc is where it's at. Thereby when we walk in sideways with our hands in our pockets or behind our back it's always a good idea to ask.
Nadine: Why do you always know!?
Me: Same way my mom always knew.
Ryan is fascinating. He's got a memory like a steel trap, he's developed a love of coloring, drawing, writing letters (he's really good at all of them) and likes to learn some new words to read every day. He is going to start playschool. That is a bit nerve wracking for me. We've discussed the fact that he'll have to do what his teacher asks of him. When it's time to put away the toys and come for story time he'll have to do so. The funny thing about Ryan is he can be very politely disobedient.
"Ryan it's time to do ______"
"No thank you."
God bless his teacher.
Strangely I think playschool will probably be a great experience for him, and if he surprises me and doesn't like it he sure doesn't have to go.
Ryan: Mom I want to go to school. I want to go to school and I want to have a flying desk.
Me: I don't think they have flying desks Ryan.
Ryan: Yes mom, and I want one.
Me: We'll see.

It's challenging for Ryan to enjoy watching Nadine get on the bus and not be able to get on with her. Last year, when Nadine was in Kindergarten and boarding the bus just 2 days a week we did OK. We wanted to get on but it wasn't a huge deal. Now the darn thing comes every single day and he's not been on it even once. He was unsure why Nadine chose not to get on it today. Who wouldn't want to get on a bus? It's what he's been waiting years for.
But alas as she sweetly walked out to the bus with her dad, her dogs, her backpack, and her brother, the whole group, Nadine included, returned.
As we established earlier school is tiring when you're 5. This morning the first question from Nadine before any other utterance was...
Nadine: Is it a school day today
Me: Yes and good morning
Nadine: Again! Every single day! Every single day is a school day! When is it not going to be a school day? Good morning mom.

Usually if I can get Nadine through breakfast and a leisurely morning ritual she's happy to go to school. Today she was happy to go as far as the end of the driveway, then there were tears and "I can't do it" for today. :) What a girl.
Today while skipping school she outlined that "Ryan's going to go to playschool, he just has to play all day. Just play. I have to do ALL the work!!" It's evidently quite challenging to be the oldest...I wouldn't know. But it's interesting to observe the birth order fantasticness within my little test group here.

Braeden is a menace, I'm just going to come out and say I'm afraid for life as we know it as he gets older and only more independent. Right this moment I'm ignoring the fact that he's doing his level best to create a swamp in the kitchen. I'm ignoring it because right now I'd rather have an uninterrupted cup of coffee and a few minutes at the computer. Water is fairly easy to dry up so for now I will pretend I don't know about it and drink coffee and blog. Something I enjoy to do but the blog part I often neglect (I've started several but finish almost none of them). The coffee part I am far more diligent about finishing.
Anywho, I've seen far more of Braeden's blood in his 1.5 years of life than I have from my other 2 kids in the nearing 6 years of life I've been a parent for both the other kids combined. Statistically that makes me a bit leery about our future. I'm going to have to pick up some krazy glue... Split lips, bloody noses, scraped up limbs he tries so hard to keep up to his siblings and he has NO IDEA he's half their size.
He can show you where his hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, belly button, toes, and chub is. He's got words coming like crazy, each day is many many new ones and they're all fabulous. His little voice is darling if I do say so myself.

Tim's business is busy. Really busy but in a good way. He has hunting tags for us an elk and a deer this season and has high hopes of getting both. He found a herd of elk that he's been talking to for the last 2 evenings. We've butchered most of our chickens that we plan to butcher. We've 13 more roosters that I'll look forward to beheading this weekend. They've make me love the rooster we do have so much more, and they've made me better at football...I'll enjoy eating them.

I've been enjoying taking pictures. I really do love it. It's therapeutic and it's helped me like people again, or most of them. I spent the summer not very fond of the human race but somehow photography helps me with my new found poor attitude. Photography and running, running really does get the snot out of my brain as my children put it. I've made more time for it recently. That or biking. I finally after many years without, have a bike, and a trailer for up to 2 of the kids which often leaves the 3rd disgruntled, but if you bike away fast enough you don't really hear that much about it...kidding...sort of.

I was going to add some pictures but I've run out of time and the swamp is approaching the dining room so, there ya go. :)

Solid proof that white boys can't dance.

I hope this video works. Braeden's been practicing his version of the actions to the vacation bible school songs that Auntie Jolene was teaching them earlier this summer.
As a safety disclaimer, at one point he walks through a sunny patch with his lily white chub. You may want to divert your eyes for a moment or risk damage from the glare.
Braeden has become quite a dude. He sings, dances, and has taken up talking a bit which I'm thrilled about. I prefer words to the high pitched squealy noise he'd make when he was trying to ask for something. The unfortunate piece is that usually he's asking for something he can't have because if he could have it, it wouldn't be on the highest shelf in the first place. Then he'll squeal/shriek in frustration of my lack of willingness to accommodate his plans. But I do save myself a few squeals a day and that's progress.

While butchering chickens Nadine was telling explaining to me that she'll butcher her own chickens when she grows up. This being because I think she'd like to gut them this year. So one should plan ahead to how we'll meet our goals.
Nadine: Mom when I grow up I'm going to have my own chickens and butcher them. But I'm not going to have one of those....those...um...boy things.
Me: You mean a husband?
Nadine: Right, I'm not going to have a husband.
Me: Oh, ya, why is that.
Nadine: Because they always sneeze at cats.

Evidently the reasoning behind not being able to have an indoor cat has profoundly affected her. That being they make Tim sneeze...again, planning to meet our goals. Smart girl.

I've been working a fair bit lately. I'm looking forward to doing less of that. But dang it they seem to pay well.
I ate some fresh garden peas yesterday :) THAT was a happy moment :)
I plan to sign up for the Don't Get Lost in the Woods run in GP at the Nordic ski trails in September. Only problem being I'm scheduled to work that weekend, hmmmm. I'm trying to decide between the 13.1 miles, the 6 miles, or the 200m kids fun run ;)
Ryan's taken up running. He used to be the lolly gagging 1/4 mile behind guy and we'd constantly wait for him to catch up. This year he's found his speed and happy feet. He runs, and runs, and runs, and runs. Making family walks both fast and high intensity.

Well, Ryan told me I'd be a really useful engine if I got up and found his Thomas and Gordon trains. I'm not sure if I want to be that useful but my coffee is done so I at least have to get up to refill.

My sneaky kids.

Well, again the summer has left me not blogging much. Between getting the plans ready for the ark and trying to keep up with the chores that needed to be done between deluges as well as entertaining some fairly muddy, or on all out rain days cagey kids I left blogging to a day when I could get to it.
But every now and then I have a conversation with one of my kids that leaves me thinking...I really can't pass up putting that one online. Last night I had one such exchange.
Nadine can't help but tell on herself. It's like she's aching to tell me how tricky and sneaky she is but she's irritated when she then becomes busted. She doesn't see the correlation and for that I'm thankful.

Nadine (running in from outside): Hi mom
Me (working on dinner and not looking): Hi sweetie what are you guys up to? (in cheerful tone)
Nadine: Oh nothing. I'm just walking up the stairs sideways with my hands behind my back.
Me: What are you up to? (stern tone)
Nadine: oooooooh nothing. Not one thing.
Me: Bring whatever you have here.
Here I'm imagining her with frogs in one hand and mice in the other heading up to add them to her 'collection'. She likes to collect whatever she finds.
Nadine: Moooooom I just want to take it upstairs and I promise to throw it away.
Me (unable to leave my post that moment at the stove): WHAT! Bring whatever you have to me right now and show me.
Nadine: Can I just tell you what it is.
Me: Yes tell me while you're walking over here to show it to me.
Nadine (while making an audible huffing sigh): Ok fine, it's just a dead bug.

Ryan is also notorious for telling on himself.
Me: Ryan did you dump the dogs water?
Ryan: Yes mom I did
Me: Didn't I just ask you not to dump the dogs water
Ryan: Yes mom

Braeden has become BUSY. I've lost a lot of stuff to him in the last little while. Well not really lost it's more that I know where the stuff is but it's inaccessible to me. For example all of my container lids are now stored conveniently in the very small space under the dishwasher. I am totally aware of their location but am not able to access the services of those lids. Some things I'm fairly confident have headed down the toilet and a lot of stuff is inside the water jug that we water the dogs with. Those things are accessible it's just really really really hard to shake them out of the water jug. So he keeps me on my toes. I'm thinking of reorganizing the kitchen to leave nothing in the bottom cabinets at all...like nothing. His vocabulary is growing as is his charming and somewhat determined personality.

This summer all the rain has made the weeds and seemingly the kids grow. The kids have gained some height, and I've been successful at growing Canada thistle and hawksbeard that is as tall as I am. I'm hopeful that it will be dry enough to successfully weed the garden soon.
The kids have taken up eating more than Tim and I. I'm happy we're adding 12 more laying hens to our farm as the kids are each eating 2 eggs every morning, yes even sometimes Braeden...yeesh I don't know how I'm going to afford to feed them when they're teenagers.

Well we're now at the what I refer to as the relentless request portion of our morning so I should go try and seem maternal.

It's been really wet. A good year for mushrooms and frogs.

and mom's lilies

a happy lap full of peeps

this backhoe does a great 360' the rest of us are learning to stay out of the zone.

these two are evolving into very good buddies.

Braeden is often found sliding, and then climbing up and sliding again, sometimes head first sliding leading to a face full of grass or dirt. He's happy with any kind of dismount.

just fiddling

and more fiddling.

I seem to have no title for this.

Ya, so it's been a while. Between my lack of time and a vow of silence (sort of) I haven't been on here much. I realize though that there are a few things I really should update you on.

For example. In case any of you  have young boys who are obsessed with construction equipment and are having trouble potty training them, Ryan gave me a few things to think about with my extended (albeit long since successful) potty training extravaganza with him. Recently while he was working his magic he told me "Mom, I've dumped a big load into this pot and now my bum is empty."
Now there was an approach I'd never tried with him. Make it into a Bob the Builder "on site" episode. I'll be locking that away in the vault for the point that I have forgotten the scars of potty training and start in with Braeden. Unrelated to potty training. Ryans working on this move here.

Braeden continues to astound me with his leaps forward in development. He fancies himself quite a little big man. He is blissfully unaware of a size or ability difference between him and his siblings, playmates, parents, or any other person. His lack of size can sometimes frustrate him. He's at this point only able to clear the bottom cabinets and he'd really like to get at the higher ones. He can, and has, moved the chair to the counter to get on the chair, to get on the counter, to get in the upper cabinets. He's a problem solver that one.
We've lost a few toys to the toilet, and I'm sure some other things that I'm not aware of. We've also lost a lot of sleep. The mosquito's are very fond of Braeden's softy lily white chub. I have thereby spent many a night skritching his itchiness. He continues to work on a few new teeth, several new words, and his temper. He's pretty much got the temper one down pat but he likes to keep up the skill of expressing his frustration and discontent. You'd hate to get rusty at something.

Nadine came to me yesterday and declared "A very sad thing has happened!" Now as she carried her trough from her playmobile barn set she showed me Betty. I didn't know she had a pet fly named Betty but she did, and Betty had died, and it was very sad. A sad, sad day indeed. We've laid Betty to rest in with the hosta plant that is waiting to be moved outside.
Nadine: She was my very good friend and I loved her.
Me: Well aren't we glad we had the opportunity to have her as a friend.
Nadine:  *sniff* WAAAAHHHHH
Me: *tries not to smile* Awe honey I'm sorry about Betty.

Anywho, aside from all of that. I continue to take a idiotic amount of pictures. I'd like to say I was running regularly but between Tim's schedule, my schedule, and the kids schedule, I'm content to fit it in now and then and work toward that being a regular part of my life when all the other parts of my life become regular...we'll see.

I found this and it made me smile.
http://geniustypes.com/signs_of_insecurity/

now for a barrage of photos

Canada Day

One of my favorite Veterans :)

a bit of macro stuff

the kids sharing a 'comprello' (I wish I could figure out how to spell what he calls quinoa)

Ryan on his new digging delio

beginnings of a highway

pretty classic family picture, everyone has one. Boy on backhoe, girl with 4' high giraffe...

Nadine blissfully riding at a family bbq

Charming McCharmypants

Braeden likes to spray the water hose.

often at people

but when you take it away to go inside to get ready for bed...sadness

woeful despairing sadness.

Questions, answers, and who-ta-hoops.

I know I was just on here the other day but today's discussion on our walk was just too good not to share.
Since turning 5 and now finishing kindergarten my eldest child has become an absolute wealth of information. Wealth. This wealth of information has made my insights irrelevant, completely and utterly irrelevant. Interestingly enough though the questions haven't stopped. I find that curious but I'm happy for the questions and happy enough for the updated answers.
This evening on a walk our exchange about this phenomenon went like this.
Nadine: (insert a zillion questions here)
Me: (insert applicable answer, or so I thought)
Nadine: No it's not, it's (insert updated more accurate answer here)
After a few exchanges such as this.
Me: It's weird you know, last year when we would go for walks your dad and I would know the answers to these questions but this year we don't seem to be getting any of them right.
Nadine: That is weird. REALLY weird.
Tim and I smiled. :)

In other news...Braeden has taken up "who-ta-hooping", last year known as hula hooping but not this year (see above exchange with Nadine). Braeden's version of who-ta-hooping involves him standing inside the who-ta-hoop and spinning around clapping until he falls over. It's a great sport.

Thoughts, questions, and helpful hints from my peeps.

How is one to respond to the following?

Nadine (while watching the June blizzard through the window): See mom you never should have taken the snowsuits downstairs.
Me: Yes you make a very good point.

Nadine: Mom, I still want to be a vet
Me: That's really cool, when I was your size I really wanted to be a vet too.
Nadine: But instead you ended up being a mom.
Me: True
Nadine: Maybe someday we can be vet's together
Me: Maybe
Nadine: Where do you go to have vet lessons? Are there kids there?
Me: Why don't we just conquer grade one first

Nadine: Mom be careful standing on that chair?
Me: Why's that?
Nadine: Because you're SSSOOOOOO big you might break it.
Me: Thanks for being concerned about me sweet pea

Me (to Ryan): Good night buddy I love you
Ryan: Ya, you do but I don't
Me: huh?
Ryan: I just like Dad
Me: Well have a good sleep anyway.

Me: Ryan you can NOT dig up my garden
Ryan: Sure I can mom I'm a backhoe

Ryan (making a subtle protest about not wanting to watch Horten Hears a Who): Dad, Nadine likes puppy shows...THAT is an elephant.

Or what is one to do with a little boy (Braeden) who loves to stick his finger in his belly button and say "poke poke poke poke". Yes that part is cute but has unfortunately morphed into wanting to stick his finger in every one elses belly button to say "poke poke poke poke" WAY less cool.
He's also taken a header into the kids play pool and came up with a sputter, and a laugh. He can do a backwards, and quite graceful dismount off of the couch and really stick the somersault landing. At the moment he's standing on his wheeled ride on dinosaur thing.
Alas we are a charming work in progress on all fronts here.

Nadine's last day of school ensemble. The rubber boots left a very black line from the top of the boots to her toes on her tights.

Her graduation, or 'crasheration' as they're known to Ryan.

Looking ready for summer vacation and grade 1.

It's hard for me to find pictures of Ryan that don't have his face covered in either dirt, or ketchup...go figure.

Braeden would like to figure a few of these things out.

He really really really likes Tim's motorbike (who is blurrier than I'd hoped for this picture). Braeden is reliably disappointed to not be able to go along.