manners and fibs

One of the goals I have for my kids is to be polite. It's not the top priority but it is something I strive for them to adopt as a first instinct and way of life. It seems to involve constant reminders at this stage. Maybe because we're all unbelievably sleep deprived, or it may just be an age and stage thing. Either way I'm not worried about it, it just seems that I do a lot of reminding.
What do you say? what's missing? or just the look of 'really lets re-think how we're asking for that' is almost always followed by the appropriate and correct addition tack on token 'please, thank you or whatever is appropriate'...usually.
Other times it plays out a bit differently.
Ryan: Mom get me some juice.
Me: 'get me some juice???' (with a blank left for him to add the most obvious...)
Ryan: ...Today.
Me: Ya today was definitely what I was waiting for
Ryan: Ok great.

Sometimes my sarcasm seems to backfire, but it keeps my mood light in the face of constantly repeating myself.

I also have been striving to teach the kids to clean up after themselves. THIS is a work in progress and truthfully 99% of people I talk to tell me the same thing. It's a work in progress until the children leave home and then eventually it's their work in progress with their own children. Well there you have it. I've been assured by 1% that it is possible to get them to clean up after themselves, however I spend a great deal of time cleaning up after him too so...maybe I'll cut us all a bit of slack and just go with the majority rules on this one (kidding honey and luv you) :)

Another thing that reliably backfires for me is the times that I choose to fib to my kids to prevent a question bomb. I normally don't mind playing 20 questions, even if it is more like 200 questions, but every now and then I find myself in a scenario where I realize we're about to embark on a question bomb and I'm probably loading kids and groceries into the suburban in the -40' cold, having been mildly frazzled by the grocery shopping with the peeps experience in the first place and at THAT point if I sense we're on the helms of a question bomb I probably fib to the kids in order to wrap that up as quickly as possible.
For example when loading post groceries in the above outlined scenario
Nadine (noting a car alarm going off): Mom why is that car beeping over and over
Me (not wanting to discuss alarms, security, and all the other places that would go): They're just trying to tell us to have a good day.
Nadine (thinks then bellars): YOU TOO!! (horn keeps honking) Why is she still beeping I said you too!?!
Me: I dunno.

I dunno can often wrap up a question bomb but not often enough. Therein lies the foundation for a quick fib. But now when we've heard car alarms of beeping since then, we smile and say "Mom they want us to have a nice day too" and I think, 'ya I should really remember to explain that sometime'.

I have have have to figure out how to get some photos of Braeden doing yoga. I just have to. It's really something to see. Fact is other than the number of times he falls over he's actually pretty darn good at it. I've tried adding yoga to the strength and stretching portion of the 1/2 marathon training plan I started at the beginning of the month. The idea I've always had about yoga is that it's really hard work but somehow also kind of peaceful. Well not at my house. I enjoy the workout part and ultimately I also enjoy the cars being driven on my back, the kids army crawling under whatever pose is "woohoo mom you're making a tunnel". I'm not sure I can say I enjoyed  having the remote control fire truck lurch past my face but oh well no harm no foul. The kids and I like doing "extrasizes" together and even if they are literally underfoot it's awesome to have them participate with me and they continue to be a great encouragement.

People often ask if I've photoshopped these, I don't actually own photoshop so, well, no I didn't But they were sure fun to take. People often also ask 'what is it?' It's oil and water on a colored background.

chicken sick

or so that's what Ryan told me he was,
"I guess I'm chicken sick mom" after I picked him up from playschool. It made me smile for a couple reasons. I know that it's probably classified as bad parenting to smile at your child being called a name at school but first off how can one not smile a little bit at "chicken sick" hahaha actually later I laughed audibly about it, and did again just now. BUT another thing I love about Ryan, to add to the crazy long list of things I love about him is, he didn't really care if one of the other kids thought he was 'chicken sick'. His self image isn't made up of such nonsense caring about others thoughts about him. As he grows up I hope he retains that..."that guy thinks I'm chicken sick, I think that guys wrong". Know what I mean?
It's pretty significant to me that the kids understand that what others think of them bears absolutely zero on what I think of them, God thinks of them, or what they should be thinking about themselves. It's irrelevant, and I really want them to be aware of that.
"You wouldn't care what people thought of you if you realized how seldom they do!" I heard more than once growing up. Really even if they are thinking of me and thinking poorly of me...oh well, it's just not worth the time wasted in thinking about it. It's really not. Moving through life letting what other people think, or say about you affect you is exhausting, unnecessary and pretty ridiculous in my humble opinion. Why not let that go at age 4. It's brilliant!
((To add/clarify his group of playschool kids is awesomely lovely and so is his teacher, I'm thrilled with it!))

I was going to try and write a post Christmas, Christmas letter but I'm really struggling to come up with the organizational skills to do it. So here's a few highlights
Nadine turned 6 in November
       -she's in grade one
       -loves school, reading, math (most days)
       -is in ballet class and loves that
       -plans to become a veterinarian or a zookeeper depending on which day you ask, a plan she made after a trip to the Calgary zoo.
       -she's an absolutely great kid, just great

Ryan will be 5 in February
       -he started playschool this year, hallelujah for the opportunity to ride the bus
       -he still loves loves loves machines and has memorized most of the episodes of mighty machines...he's stopped quizzing me about them though (I think I frustrated him out of that)
       -highlights of the year for him included harvest with Grandpa, hauling grain with Uncle Doug or any time he gets to hang out with his farmer circle and immerse himself in what he loves
       -at the moment he and his brother are running around the house being airplanes yelling "mom check out my fuselage"
       -he's terrific, absolutely terrific

Braeden will be 2 in February
       -oh boy
       -he's a busy little man who will NOT be left behind in any way shape or form to his older siblings.
       -he is thereby often sporting a series of bruises or scrapes
       -he loves sports, machines, and picking at his siblings
       -he's randomly taken up peeing in the toilet.
       -he likes to play the live version of angry birds which involves roaring and 'flying' through the air barrelling head first into the couch.

Tim and I are good. As if I didn't know it before, 2011 made me only more confident that he is in fact completely perfect for me. Each of the 7 year we've been married (as of September) has made me more aware of that and this year was no exception.
He's self employed now which is going really well for us. He has enough requests for his time to fill up the time of many people. I guess it's hard to be really really ridiculously competent and sought after ;) He's still playing hockey every Sunday night and I'm planting the idea of him taking up running again with me and maybe just maybe working toward a local adventure race including kayaking, mountain biking and running :).
We somehow function with very little sleep and an incredible amount of coffee. God bless our children.

I'm still working casual at the hospital and have to work enough to support my camera habit. I'm now back to running thankfully, it really does seem to keep me sane.

Anyway, there's not much else to tell, I am hoping to try and be better at blogging in 2012. I do think of it as a great way to keep some documentation of the great things my kids say, do, achieve, etc...but I seem to say that every month and have never really followed through with that...We'll see.



 

Milestones

Well we've had quite a week, it was one of those run around a lot and not accomplish much kind of weeks. We had a some great milestones though.
Nadine turned 6! Watching the kids personalities and interests develop fascinates me. I really do love the way their minds learn and how they explain and reteach what they've learned. Six seems to be a great age. It's full of information...full. I am apparetly a little less thick in the head than when she was five, so that's encouraging. It seems, somehow I ended up with one of the sweetest little girls on the planet, and for that I am truly thankful.
Nadine is in school swimming lessons this week, she's also practicing her munchkin-ness to be a munchkin in the Wizard-of-Oz play for the Christmas concert at the school.
We had 6 girls here yesterday for a 6th birthday extravaganza. Nadine had a great time. We painted Christmas ornaments, decorated cupcakes, and there was intermittent episodes of shrieking leaving Ryan and Braeden pondering the complications of having so many girls in one place...

Ryan had one of his own great milestones this week. Deflating an apparently self righteous police officer on a playschool field trip. Being known as a person that lacks in a lot of sentiment I will tell you this story brought a tear to my eye, if only I could have been there to see it myself. Wednesday was a busy school day. First day of swimming lessons for Nadine (which I went to help and watch) and a playschool field trip for Ryan (which Tim went to help supervise). I thoroughly enjoyed swimming lessons, and Tim was thoroughly entertained by the field trip. He found out a lot of interesting information about the families that Ryan goes to school with :)
The tour started at the fire hall. To see the fire truck was a highlight, and I do mean highlight of Ryan's day. Fire trucks are cool I'll admit, and it impressed Ryan to see one. Far more impressive, evidently than the police car. A police car can't shoot water, there's no extra gauges or connections...fire trucks are just cool.
Now for all the police officers I've known who are great, the next part of this story is irrelevant. However, I'm sure we've all met (after all these people are in every field of life and work...anesthetist leap to mind but in this case the example was RCMP) the pompous, arrogant, self important guy who for some reason is left to tour the playschool through the police station. So the playschool got a tour of the Sargent's desk and a political lecture about how there was no Sargent there right now and the implications of that (as though the 4-5 year olds cared or were going to write their MLA?). "Does anyone know anyone who's been in jail?" huh?! "Ya my mom's from here" one child piped up...incidentally inaccurately but sometimes it's nice to have something to add during an interrogation. I think it's odd he decided to tell the kids all about the drunk tank...but whatever, we each have a different approach to our job.
So while they all sat together in a holding cell Ryan asked the officer
Ryan: Do you have a fire truck?
Cop: No but I have a police car and I could show you that!
Ryan: No I wanna see the fire truck
Cop: (deflated realizing he's less interesting than the fire hall)
and Tim's heart sang :) and mine smiled when he texted me at swimming lessons to tell me about it.

Braeden has had the milestone of sitting on the toilet, backwards, with a Richard Scary "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go" book propped up against the tank.

What doesn't "Go" is Braeden, but that's OK. Secretly I really really don't want him to get partial to that before we travel for Christmas. Potty training through the mountain passes in December is a lousy idea in my opinion. Really limited dangling or squatting spots off the side of the road if there's a need for that.

I've finally finished the 2011 Christmas calendar, which every year as I fight with the Costco uploading photos function I say something to the effect of "I'm never doing this blankety blanking thing again" while drinking rum and egg nog...that part helps. Every year I do another calendar though. That calendar and I have a love hate relationship...but I suppose some day I'll enjoy having those to look at again.
What I'm really looking forward to is wrapping up 2011 but with 4 weeks to go...woot woot bring on 2012!

Can you hear me now?

This morning I started being interrogated about my hearing. I was trying to sit and have a cup of coffee and egg nog when it started.
Nadine (with a book that makes sheep sounds standing right beside me): Mom can you hear this?
Me: Yes
Nadine (muffles the sound making part): Can you hear it now?
Me: Yes I can.
Nadine (moves a few feet away and muffles the book): What about now?
Me: Yep
Nadine (moves yet again further away by a few feet at a time and asks again...repeat procedure...become a bit frustrated that I can still hear it...finally heads upstairs and asks from there): OK can you hear it NOW?
Me: Yes
Nadine (exasperated groan stomps a little further): WHAT ABOUT NOW!?
Me: Nope can't hear it now.
Nadine (to Ryan who's playing upstairs): OK Ryan mom can't hear us if we are here.

Hmmmm, I wondered for a moment if they were trying to find the best place to discuss my Christmas gift? Probably not. But I appreciate her tenacity to finish her experiment.
"Don't give up! If at first you don't succeed...try again!!
She'll be 6 on Wednesday!! Yay for 6!

Ryan continues to try and convince or confuse me into letting him drive. Earlier I think I mentioned him coming into the house while I was busy working on something and tried
Ryan: Hey mom can you throw me the keys to the quad?
Me: What? um, no not right now buddy
Ryan (shrugs as though it was worth a try)

Lately
Ryan: Mom I'm older (as I'd told him he needed to be) and I'm ready to be Uncle Doug's driver. I'm really ready for the open road.
Me: I guess I meant a little older still. Big like your cousins.
Ryan (shrugs as though it was worth a try)

Sometimes I wish I could bring myself to buy him a power wheels thing.

Braeden is becoming ridiculously conversational. He loves to sing. He spent most of the other day singing the Hallelujah Chorus, and has spent most of today singing "Yucky yucky me" a song from TV that in fact is "Lucky lucky me" but either way makes me smile.

Coffee, eggnog and painted socks.

I find it incredibly hard to blog sometimes. I would love to go on and on about why but that would not likely be very productive. At the moment I need to jam in as much productivity as I can it seems like. I guess I should say, I should be trying to jam in as much productivity as I can, but well...egg nog came out in stores so coffee and egg nog is often make that always a lot more compelling than cleaning the bathroom but it makes a great blogging buddy. I should keep that in mind.

So since I last wrote to you we've done a few minor repairs. The most relevant to me and the kids being a minor krazy glue repair to Ryan's very split chin. Bob the builder makes building a ramp look really really easy, and ultimately it can be, unless you want the flimsy strip of OSB to hold your 35lb self up while propped onto the second step of the porch. Then you're probably going to get a lesson in how not to build a ramp. Followed by a second lesson in impromptu tool box medicine.
Ryan is, as always very keenly interested in machines. We spent a glorious harvest tucked into the back window of Grandpa's combine or riding along hauling grain with Uncle Doug. I'm fairly confident those will be some long lasting happy memories for my second born.
He spent a bit of time drying grain with Uncle Doug too. Now he will re-enact that in our kitchen. To re-enact drying grain all you need is a chair, a cup of coffee and some patience.
Ryan: Mom I'm drying grain
Me: Oh
Ryan: Ya mom I'll need a cup of coffee (as he moves a chair into the kitchen). And noooooowww we sit.
My job at that point is to provide snacks and not to laugh audibly.

He still enjoys to teach me about machines. I had a lesson in "seven pointy seven" aircraft a while ago. I can't say I really followed a lot of the material but I always enjoy a good chat with my boy.

Braeden also had his first combine ride. I wasn't sure what he'd think of the combine, it's big and loud but when I climbed up the ladder with him and he found his Grandpa he leaped into his lap and turned to me with a huge grin and waved offering me a "bye bye mom", he had found paradise. Braeden has a way of being quite a challenge when there's a lot of buttons and levers to pull. Ryan is pretty respectful of those things, seemingly aware that alterations made by him might not increase the effectiveness of the operations. Braeden doesn't at this point care. He just wants to pull levers, press buttons, and yank on the steering wheel. How great.

Nadine also had a lot to tell me about airplanes and the theory of flight. Her theory didn't quite line up with the currently held theory of flight but given that the currently held theory of flight doesn't allow for bumblebee's to fly...well perhaps she's onto something. I really wish I'd have taken notes when she was telling me about it. It was a bit too complex for me to retain, evidently. It involved naps, bright rainbows and a few other things.
Nadine seems to be doing well at school. She really likes to go. She got her report card the other day. A couple A's and a couple B's...well and an unsatisfactory in German but really my German isn't exactly satisfactory either.
She was telling me recently
Nadine: Mom school can sure be awkward
Me: Oh, what part
Nadine: The falling asleep in math part
Me: well yes that can be awkward.
I'm really curious to see if that comes up at parent teacher interviews tomorrow.

She is growing like a weed, well all the kids are but I really notice her looking like a school kid now as opposed to like a little kid. She's a real charming girl. Hard to believe she'll be 6 in just over a week.

While Nadine is at school Braeden and Ryan are often left to help me workout in the morning. They're great at helping me. They offer some advice on form and jump up and down encouragingly.
Ryan: She JUST said not to stop mom. KEEP MOVING.
or another one of my favorites
Ryan: Mom that's not really how she's doing it on the TV. Swing your leg higher mom.
So I tried to take that "that's not how she's doing it" concept and turn it into a lesson in being yourself. Don't buckle to peer pressure. We're all different...I'm not sure if that worked but it was something to fill the void as regained the ability to breath. I'm pretty sure it fell on kind of deaf ears as "She JUST said not to stop mom" followed my insightful lecture.
In the mean time Braeden leaps up and down and tries to do his best to participate in the workout. All the kids are now proficient at "flap jacks" (or jumping jacks in most other houses) and even skaters. Brilliant little workout prodigies

If left unattended the boys can produce a heck of a mess when Nadine is at school. Well they can do it when she's home too but for some reason I've deluded myself into thinking it should be less busy with one child out and occupied but, well, it's not.
You know the sound of water being poured out of a bucket? it makes a certain splashing, and depending on how much water is in the bucket it can continue to splash on for what seems like a while as you process what exactly you're hearing and why. Well that's the sound of my boys building a car wash in the upstairs playroom. Interestingly with the 'short shag' carpet, it takes quite an amount of water to be poured to even get to the splashing sound. Interesting hey? The things you learn.
I'm glad they chose to do that on laundry day.

All the kids really love art. To derail a bad day I'll often break out the paint, or give them the little indestructible digital camera, or playdough...although I detest playdough. It works though. They really get into their art, and their art gets all over them. I've become completely disconnected from the clean up that will be required after an art extravaganza. It takes away from the amount of stuff I can get done while the art is in progress. They all are aware it needs to stay at the table, and other than that...well whatever. I do often sit with them while they do it. Mostly because it's really interesting and they come up with a lot of great, and original thoughts while they are creating their masterpieces. Having said that I realize that while I've been blogging and egg nogging Braeden has painted my sock...I didn't even know he had paint. Also greatly timed with laundry day.
I swear there is only coffee in the eggnog.
sigh. :)

well that's all for now the next load of laundry is patiently awaiting its turn.

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. :)