Trick or Treat

I don't know who is more excited about Halloween, the kids or Paul! Either way, there was a lot of excitement in the house today. The weather started warm and sunny then turned rainy, then when it came time to head out, it cleared to reveal the full moon. We went with two other families and had a great time. Jude made it for almost an hour, but the girl's hit up the houses at the top of the hill and scored huge. I feel almost sick about all the candy they brought home, they for sure won't eat all of it, most of it will be heading to Paul's tummy. But they love to look through it all! Here are some pictures of our adventures today. Our firegirl, our photographer and our tiny football player loved their adventures!

playing dress up

Your ready for another game?? It is Halloween after all! Can you guess what the kids are going to dress up like for Halloween? Below are some clues. You may leave a comment, but you will have to wait till tomorrow's Halloween edition for the answers!

Frosty the Snowman had a......

Is it finally here? Is this finally it? Only time will tell if winter has come for good but the way the snow fell today it feels like it is gonna be a long winter. We are hoping that it melts away before the weekend so we don't have to trick or treat in the snow! Plus, there are still many fall jobs that need to be done. But, a quick dump of snow means lots of fun for the kids! We now have the biggest snowman on the block thanks to my sweetie and we also have a roast in the oven filling our house with delicious fragrances (also thanks to my sweetie). Ahhh, some good red wine, some roast, some pumpkin cheese cake, rosey cold cheeks after snowman making, it all spells winter!

and the answer is......

Many of you were right! It was horseback riding.. although learning to rope calfs would have been fun too!

Paul meet a new pastor in Sparwood which is about and hour and a half from here. They are taking care of some property for a friend. So, they invited us to come and hang out with them, have dinner, soak in the hot tub and of course ride some horses! The girl's, especially Cici was soooo excited. The day was very cold and very windy but we braved the elements and headed out on some horses, well, when I say we, it was me and the girls a top and Paul walking! There wasn't room for J Man to join us so he stayed behind and watched his whole family leave on horseback. We think he will have some irrational fears of horses because of this! He was in good hands though, the family has 2 teenage girls and then a 3 and 2 year old. Beaner wanted to "go fast" so I began to trot the horse and her giggles were so contagious and she couldn't stop. She was bouncing around like a ragdoll in front of me and I tested my riding skills keeping the horse in control and her from falling off! Cici rode on her own at first will Paul holding the lead, then she took a turn doubling with me and we had great fun. Even J Man got in on some horse action and him and I did a few circles, I don't know if he liked it, by that time he had been crying for quite sometime, so I think he was just happy to be with me, even if it was on a horse!

It was a great time, riding, hot tubing, making new friends. The girl's are eager to go back and I really miss riding, so perhaps another ride will be in our future soon!

Cat Buddies

I took the kids to the SPCA today. We have been a few times and have thought that it would be a good idea for the girl's to volunteer there once a week. So, today was the day that we went and got some hands on experience. I had never been to an SPCA before, but I am highly impressed with our branch. There is a kitten room where the kittens are all loose with food, water and lots of toys. The girls just loved it in there. They were very gentle and played great with them. J Man joined us today and he even is learning to be gentle, except for one stepped on tail, he did great! Next we headed to the adult cats who were in their cages. We were shown which ones to take out and how to brush them. Then we were able to take out some younger ones to play with. They chased balls and played with toys that the girl's had for them. Next we headed outside to the dogs and were able to go and play and cuddle them. Some just wanted lovin's (which was right up Beaner's alley), and there was one dog in particular that just wanted to play! As soon as Cici saw her and saw the mini tire and ball, the game was on! It was a great match, a dog with tons of energy who just wanted to chase balls and be chased, and a 7 year old with endless energy!

Cici- to the the SPCA worker "if we ever get a dog we need to get one that can keep up with me!!"

After we tired the dogs out we headed back inside to see more cats. They have a large room with tons of toys, climbing things and even a kitty door to the outside, where many more cats can do their kitty thing. So, in we went and this is where we found some cat buddies. Beaner sat on the floor and one young kitten came over to her, curled up beside her and played with her skirt. Beaner loved it so much! Cici found a kitten that became her buddy and she continued to "save" all the kittens and other cats from one very grumpy feline who was bullying all the other cats!

All in all a great day at the SPCA. I look forward to going with the girls every week. I know it will be a great experience for them. Already they are learning that they are there for the animals, and not for their own enjoyment, although that comes along with it too. They were learning today to see what the animal needed and respond the right way. Some dogs wanted to be petted and loved on, some wanted to play and run like crazy. It was a joy to see them bond with the animals and learn the bigger picture that they have a job to do to help these animals know that humans and kids are safe. It was a bit of a lesson today when I told the girls we needed to go, and perhaps when we come next week some of their cat buddies won't be there because they would be in a home. The looks on their faces we of disappointment that they might not see their special buddies again, but they know that they will make new ones next week. I think this experience will be great for them, and hey, I kinda like going to play with the animals too!!

pondering

Well, as I sit, I am wrestling with an issue. I was ready to start typing about potty training and other health related issues but with my older child but then I thought.... should I make these details public? With 3 kids, 7, 5 and 17 months, I have had lots of freedom in my blog with details about them and what we are up to. But as my oldest one gets older and older is it right for me to publicly reveal details of her life that she has not had a say in whether or not they are blogged about. Is it time for me to begin to ask her before I reveal details and stories of her life? Where is the line drawn? Am I just blogging about MY experiences which include my kids or am I blogging about my KIDS and their experiences. Where is their say in what others know about them. When do they begin to have a say if any at all? Hummm, where is the line? Well with that all said.......... I shall ponder some more.

Sometimes it is just worth it....

We drive Beaner to school everyday just before noon, and everyday J Man falls asleep on the way or the way home. We try everything to keep him awake till we get home, so he can take his real nap in his bed. We roll the windows down, grab his feet, sing songs, turn music up and even yesterday I resorted to giving him a full package of baby wipes so he could take them out one by one, all in the name of keeping a normal naptime! Well, the other day, all our efforts failed and he fell asleep, really asleep and when we got home he was happy that he was done his nap. We tried for more than an hour to get him to go back to sleep in his bed but again, failure. So, around 5 pm he was cuddling with Dada, and couldn't fight it anymore......

This is how he started, just slumped over on his Dada...

Then, it got contagious.....

And then others wanted a turn...

That night going to bed was a bit of a challenge..... guess who wasn't tired?? Well, looking at these pictures, and knowing how a sleeping child feels on you, his chest rising and falling and his warm breath on your neck.... sometimes it is just worth it!

a bit of colour

Here is a bit of colour for you today.....

Why??

This is why.........

The next 6 months are gonna be fun!!

She is 5

Yesterday was so much fun for us, especially for our little B who is now 5! I can hardly believe it!

She was so excited all day and loved the balloons that Nana and Papa sent her at school.

This is her best friend Makalya, B went over to her house after school to play while we got the house ready for the party, then the girl's showed up ready to party!

This is J Man's best friend Nathan... well, at least a good friend! J Man loves him, and even went running past Beaner at the bus yesterday to get to Nathan to say hi! Nathan was invited to the party because him and B have bonded playing computer games together while his sister and Cici play at our house. Nathan showed up wearing a hat and within seconds Jude disappeared and returned looking like this!

Did I mention it was a dog party??

Not only was the cake yummy, so were the "muddy" paws!