Wizard Lake

We have been determined to go camping this summer but I'm not exactly in the best "camping" physical situation right now.  Some amazing and awesome friends of ours invited us to camp by their family's lake house.  They even said I could sleep in a bed inside the house.  How could we refuse?
When we got there, Greg was talking about how we were still going to "act" like we were camping.  We were going to spend as much time as possible outside, we were going to cook outside and of course the kids were going to sleep outside with him in the tent.  I agreed but also thought it sounded like so much work.  We sat outside for a bit on our camping chairs and proceeded to be thoroughly attacked by mosquitos--even with our bug spray on--then the kids started to get hungry.  I walked inside the house to get our food ready and thought, "This is stupid.  We should just eat inside this house at this 'real' table."  I mentioned it to Greg and he reluctantly agreed.  It was such a relief.

Still, we made a fire outside and did smores.  Gavin was more interested in the flames and the ax than the actual eating of the smore.  I opted for a new and elevated version of the smores.  Graham+Nutella+Banana+Roasted Marshmallow.  It was so yummy but you had to eat it open faced or it would fall all over the floor.

We spent one day at a lake beach where the kids had fun making things with sticks and rocks and we got in the water and stayed nice and cooled off.

And we also spent some time running around on a boat--until the boat broke down.  But it was still super fun.

And of course, the kids slept in the tent with Greg.  They seemed to "all" really sleep well and enjoy themselves.

I was pretty swollen and pretty hot and a bit miserable but it was still fun to watch the kids having so much fun.  I'm glad we went and I'm glad I went even if I can't believe how I look in some of these pictures.  If we're lucky, maybe we can try and go one more time this summer with our new baby--or maybe that is crazy talk.  We'll see.

River Flood

We've had a very hot and rainy summer so far.  Apparently there has been a TON of melting of the snow on the mountains at a VERY rapid pace because not only here in town, but rivers all over Alberta have been flooding like crazy.  Our river, actually didn't overflow too much at all but we still wanted to go and look at it.  It was so crazy to see how big the water was.

This is normally a walking trail.  You can see all the water behind the kids. That is the trail all covered up.

There was another big added bonus (for the kids) to see and that was the silk worms.  All the trees next to river just overflow with small, green silk worms this time of year.  It is usually the time of year that I most avoid walking in the river valley.  They literally repel down on their silk strings right in front of your face and all around you.  They are so fast that sometimes they are hard to avoid and they'll end up on your head or on your shirt or whatever.  It gives me a shiver just talking about it but Gavin and Tati thought the worms were both hilarious and intriguing.  Tati wanted to touch and hold them but at the same time she was a little apprehensive about actually doing it.  So she did the next best thing:  she got Gavin to touch and hold them.  She vicariously enjoyed it this way as much as Gavin did.  I've been trying to be easy going about worms because I don't want them to have my same fears but it is hard for me to see him holding this worm and talking to it.

"Hello wormy!"
"Hi."
"Hi."
"Hi wormy!"
"Awww, he's so cute!"
"Hi."

There was one part of the river that was overflowing the curb onto the real street.  We stood there with a bunch of people from the neighborhood watching the city water peeps taking measurements and pretty much just looking worried.  It was pretty interesting.  Every so often, a boat would drive by on the river and create big waves that sent the water cascading over the previous water lines so that was a thrill too.

The saddest part was the cement overflow was right in front of this house that had a "Sold" sign still up in their front yard.  I bet they were feeling pretty unsure of their decision to purchase a home right there.

I caught this cute picture of the girls being buddies while they were watching the water flooding.  Too bad their heads aren't opposite sizes b/c each of their hats matches the other's dress.

Guess who was floating in all the flood waters? Yup, the silk wormies. The kids could've stayed and watched for much longer but I was starting to get overwhelmed at all the worms dropping around me and getting itchy and dry heavey.

RIP Spot--Part II

UPDATE:
AFter lunch I got Gavin down for nap and Tati busied herself with a coloring project at the table. Meanwhile, I cleaned and watched some t.v. and tried to put my swollen feet up into the air. Then after an hour or so I went upstairs to pee and lo and behold but what do I find on the sink?

Yup, it is Spot Redvine Melton. Not only is she not down the drain anymore but she is alive and moving around. So now we have a concrete answer: Yes, ladybugs can swim. You go girl!

RIP Spot

The Circle of Life made an appearance to our house today.  Tati had found a ladybug in the front yard of our friend's house.  Unbeknowst to me, this ladybug (named Spot Redvine Melton), hitched a ride home with us in Tati's fist.  As soon as we arrived home, both she and Gavin were holding her and trying to make her a house in a small tupperware container.  I busied myself getting some food prepared for lunch and just left them to play with Spot.  When we sat down to eat lunch, Tati informed me that Spot had peed on her hand.  Now I don't consider myself a ladybug expert at all but I figured either Spot had peed on her hand or she had been squished in her hand and either way, she needed to wash her hands before she ate the lunch I had made.  So she headed upstairs.  Just as she got off her chair at the table though, Spot disappeared.  I said, "Oh I'm sure she just flew to find some ladybug lunch.  You can look for her later."

So Tati went upstairs and washed her hands and returned.  Then I heard this sad tale:

"Mom, you know how I thought Spot was lost when I went upstairs to wash my hands?"

"Yes."

"Well, she was actually hiding on my hand and when I was washing my hands, I saw her GO DOWN THE DRAIN!"  (tears start rolling)  "Oh I loved her and now she is gone!!!!!  Where does the water go after it goes down the drain?"

"Um, under the city to a water treatment facility and they clean it up and then we get it from our sink."

"Do ladybugs swim?"

"I don't know but I don't think so.  She is probably a goner sweetie."

"But I think they do swim because when she was going down the drain, her little legs were kicking all over the place and she was trying to swim out.  I bet she'll climb out of the pipe outside and I can find her later."

Yeah, well a girl can hope.  RIP Spot Redvine Melton.  You were a great pet for those 7 min. you were our pet until you were drowned and killed by your owner.

Dragonfly Lunch

Greg has been spending so much time at school working on getting the stinky thesis done that we hardly ever see him.  He often comes home after the kids are in bed.  I decided we were going to make a greater effort to meet him for lunch so the kids could still get in some "Daddy Time".  This day, we even got Chloe out of school to go have lunch together.  We ate at a beautiful park and even took a little family stroll down the river trail.

One of the biggest thrills of the day was this dragonfly perched on a branch.  The kids were enthralled.  It even got a bit more exciting when Tati tried to touch it and it started to move and fly.  They laughed and ran and screamed.



It was a lot of work for me to prepare a picnic and all the rest, but it was definitely worth it.  It is so fun to see them have fun outside and especially with Greg.  Besides, how can you resist this coo-koo bird and his outfit?  Those boots.

Father's Day

Today was Greg's special day.

I was proud of myself because I made him a candy bar bouquet in a vase for him (and I didn't even get the idea off of pinterest which is really saying something for this day and age).  Greg is such a big sucker for chocolate any way he can get it.

The kids all made him cards and drew him pictures.  Chloe's was the best.  It said:

"Happy Father's Day! A Geologist can't be happy without love!"

Dear Dad,

Some igneous rocks are red

Some metamorphics are blue

You are my Dad...

Happy Father's Day to you!

Love, Chloe

It totally cracked us up that she did it all Geology themed.

Greg wanted to have a relaxing day so after church he took a big, long nap with Gavin.

They were so cute sleeping there together.  While they slept, the girls colored and worked on crafts and I worked on our blog and whittling down our photos in iphoto.

After dinner it rained and Greg loves it when it rains so that was a nice treat for him.  The kids were enthralled with the rain and looked so cute sitting there together.

Overall, it was a great and relaxing day.  A perfect day to celebrate the best father my kids could ever ask for.

Father/Son Bonding

It has been so fun to have a boy in our family.  Not that girls aren't fun, they are and we totally love our girls.  I've actually been lamenting to Greg about how I won't be able to do any more baby girl hair-dos or dress them in cute little outfits and shoes.  But having a boy is fun in other ways.  Like how anytime Gavin hears Greg go outside, he wants to join him, or if Greg is working in the basement, he wants to join him there.  Basically any tool or power tool or yard tool is interesting and must be touched at all costs--except sometimes if the power tools are too loud, he wants to run and cry.

Here they are aerating our grass.

And here they are mowing the grass.

Greg has really enjoyed it too--even if it does make the jobs take longer.

Best Day Ever!

We had a pretty exciting morning this week.  They FINALLY decided to regrade our parking lot since it has been so full of bumps and holes.  It was a pretty rainy day so the results didn't last as well as they would have if it had been dry  but we still weren't going to complain.  Tati and Gavin were thrilled to watch this guy in action.  Honestly I was super impressed at how well and how fast he could maneuver the skid steer.  Tati watched through the fence and then sat on the fence. We tried to get Gavin to sit on the fence but he was afraid he was going to fall.  It was funny because although he was super excited to watch, there was a part of him that was afraid because it was so big and noisy.

We were especially happy because the guy was nice enough to put some gravel on our spot (we had to ask him) so now, hopefully we won't have a swamp every time it rains.

The kids were talking about it the rest of the day.  Chloe lucked out to see him fixing another part of the parking lot after school so she didn't miss out on all the action either.

Week 31

Week 31 is here. It is crazy to think that I've been pregnant so long and then again I still have almost 2 months to go. This pregnancy, although a total blessing for our family, has been so difficult for me physically. If it isn't one thing, it is another.

Recently it has been my swelling. None of my shoes fit. I had to go and buy some new big shoes. And it used to be that my body would deflate at night and now they are pretty much just swollen all the time. They tingle, and hurt, and feel like my skin is going to break. They are tight and hurt to walk on. My feel are normally a size 5.5 for dress shoes and 6 for normal shoes. I'm currently wearing a size 7 tennis shoe with the laces all loose and they still have to be squoze on. Then for church I bought some 7.5's b/c anything smaller was too narrow. Usually swollen feet are a danger sign for high blood pressure but my blood pressure is fine and low. I actually have been going every few days to the pharmacy and using the blood pressure machine. It is funny because the other people checking their blood pressure are old people and they, without fail, will cut in front of me in line because they don't think I'm in line. I hope my blood pressure will stay safe until the end.

My legs, arms and hands are swollen too.  I'm pretty sure my face is swollen too, or else that is what I like to tell myself.  :-)

On this particular day, my feet weren't even at their worst. I've been trying anything I hear can help with edema. I try and drink a buttload of water and cranberry juice, eat bananas, put my feet up, walk a lot and also super limit my salt to try and help. Some days are worse than others but it is hard to trace exactly what is making the difference. I figure any effort is good effort. Anyway, here they are in their glory.

And speaking of glory, here I am in my glory.  My dress was a little poofy so I tried to emphasize the bump like I see other girls do in their pictures but I'm afraid I just look like I'm holding myself because I have to pee.  Or maybe I have too much potty training on the brain.  ;-)  If you look closely, you can see the empty shoe at the back of my heel.

I know horizontal stripes are like taboo for "large" ladies but I figured that since I am pregnant, I can just break that rule.  I feel very nautical in this dress and I really like it because it isn't jersey fabric, which if you don't know, is like the official fabric every body uses to make maternity clothes and I find it to be quite unflattering.

Things are getting very real now.  My friend just had a c-section and going to visit her in the hospital kind of freaked me out.  So Greg has invited me to enjoy these last few weeks.  Enjoy my ever expanding body and not get down at all the extra fat I have in places that aren't baby essential, like my upper arm.  Try and do more with the kids and be more active around the house even though I'm tried and sore.  Try and not be cranky but grateful.  So those are my goals for myself.  Hopefully I'll be successful.

Saturday isn't always a Special Day

I think I put too much pressure on Saturdays.  I always have too many ideas in my mind of what I want to accomplish and what fun places we want to go to.  Plus, since Greg is so busy during the week, I have all these idyllic plans of family fun and harmony and of course no fighting.

We started with yard work.  Since I'm pretty useless anywhere too low to the ground these days, I tackled cleaning and vacuuming the car.  I kind of over-estimated myself because vacuuming the car  proved to be a lot more bending and reaching than I bargained for.  It ended up that Greg had to split his time between helping the girls know what to pull out as weeds and helping me reach different hard to reach places in the car.  Gavin mostly just played in the car.  It was hard work and when we were done, we were all hot and sweaty and hungry and tired.  Greg and I looked at each other and both said we'd rather just go back to bed instead of all the festivities that were planned ahead of us, but we were determined to make a fun day for the kids.  So, I packed a giant and fancy picnic and then we headed over to a children's festival.

We've been to petting zoos before but Gavin has always been too young to really appreciate it before.  We were excited to see what he would do with the animals.

Tati was a lot braver.  I didn't get pictures of it all with her but she actually touched a chicken this time.  They are quite pecky so she usually avoids them.  She also ventured to pick up a few animals on her own.  The old lady who runs the place is a bit strict with the animal rules and if you pick up an animal, you can only carry it a short distance to sit on a chair. and hold it there.  Her favorite is always the baby goats.

Chloe really enjoyed the goats as well and she was also a really good helper with the little kids.  She would pick up animals for them and carefully carry them to the chairs.  She did quite well with a chicken.  I was impressed because as I mentioned before, we've never had good luck with the chickens.

Then there was Gavin.  He wanted to touch and hold the animals but if they'd wiggle or make a noise, he'd throw them to the ground.  I was the glad the old lady wasn't watching us too carefully because I'm pretty sure we would've been kicked out of the zoo.  He REALLY wanted to hold the pig.  I did not want to touch the piglet.  He was so squealy.  It was so loud and weird.  The lady told us to calm him, we needed to pet him furiously and make him feel comfortable.  Yeah, right.  So he squealed and squealed and then Gavin threw him.  Poor piglet.  He did enjoy the baby goat too but was unsure of holding him.  Gavin preferred to just touch the animals that walked by him.

It was super hot outside and I was wearing flip flops with sweaty feet.  We were walking on weird straw and my feet were getting all dirty and powdery from all the wood and hay bits on the floor.  Some friends of ours were there and I was trying to help them with the animals too because the catching and holding is quite a difficult job, afterall.  Anyway, at one point as I was helping the squealy piglet, it bit me.  It scared me and it REALLY hurt.  It was gross.  When we finally left the zoo, I felt even more gross and sweaty.

We tried to corral the kids over to the big helicopter that was there and along the way stopped for balloon animals and a free slushie.  It seemed like things were getting better until we headed over to the helicopter and Gavin lost it because he wasn't allowed to sit inside of it.  He was so mad. 

On our way to the car, Tati and I both had to go to the bathroom so we stopped by a porta potty.  Having both of us fit inside was a bit of a joke.  And having the balloon sword with us in the bathroom was a mother's nightmare.  Somehow we both managed to pee and wipe and not fall into the pit or have the balloon sword fall into the pit.  It was a feat that I don't want to repeat ever in my life.  As we walked to the car I realized that my undies and shorts were all crooked and uncomfortable because there wasn't enough room for me to properly pull everything up.  Then I had to try and find somewhere where I could straighten myself up.  It was lovely.

By now we were all starving and thirsty and hot.  We needed to eat--especially Mommy.  We were close to home but since we had packed an elaborate lunch, we were determined to go and have a picnic somewhere.  So we drove to one of our favorite parks excited to relax and eat but it was over-run with people.  They were having a big running race there and every nook and cranny was already full of racers, bikers, and picnickers.  So we went to another park but suddenly we hit some crazy traffic and couldn't get there very fast.  It too was super crowded but we finally found a spot and unloaded our stuff.  Just as we were about to set up our blanket, we heard the worst karaoke booming from speakers across the park.  It just wasn't the atmosphere that we were hoping for.  Even though we were right next to the river, in a wooded area, all we heard was some horrible voice singing a horrible song from the 80's.  So we packed up our stuff and jumped back in the car.  We were all cranky by this point and we didn't know where to go and we also knew that everybody's fuses were very short.  I was sick of driving and so hungry that I said we should just give up and go home.  It just felt like too much work to try and make us have a "fun" time.  Greg was sick of it too and agreed that we should just go home.  Just then Chloe said, "Guys, let's not give up.  Let's not go home.  Let's try one more park."  Then she suggested another one for us to go to where we often enjoy picnicking.  We agreed to try one more but if it was too crowded, we were going home and giving up.  The clouds were rolling in and we were just sure it was going to storm.  It seemed like everything was against us.

We once again hit TONS of traffic.  It seemed like everywhere we went there was a festival or a market or a race or dumb drivers.  Somehow, miraculously, the kids all started to be in super good moods.  They were talking to each other and laughing and Gavin didn't complain once that he was hungry.

When we arrived at the park, Greg ran down the road to see ahead and tell if anybody else was there.  He ran back and told us that IT WAS EMPTY!

So we unloaded our stuff and RAN (well I sorta ran) over to our favorite tree and threw out our picnic blanket and got some food in our bodies as fast as we could.  Once we had all eaten, the day didn't seem like it was so dark and horrible anymore.  The sun came out, we could hear the robins singing and the kids ran around and climbed trees.  We even enjoyed some American Double Stuff Oreos.

The moral of the story is this:  don't over plan your day, be flexible, be positive, and don't think that the world is against you because even though there are trials and hard things that happen like twisted undies and a piglet biting you, the sun will eventually come out and you can smile, relax and eat an Oreo.