New Years Party Part 2

First of all

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

I hope that your New Year Eve was wonderful!  We had fun.  So to add to my photos from before here's kinda how it went:

We started at 5pm with the boys (see the balloon).  Q got to pop it (we used a fondue fork) and then we got started on our hunt!  Arnold delivered the gifts beforehand and we went on our walk to check them all out!

First was mag lights.  But somehow I didn't get a picture uploaded..

Second was airplanes:

After that was glowing glasses for us to see a bit better!

Then we had bubbles.  When it's freezing out you can get the bubbles to freeze!  So we did try but no luck:

We got home and Arnold had some time to read a book with the boys.  They are so cute.  Each of them began reading parts they remembered (for Q) or actually read some pages (for K)

Kyler popped 6 o'clock's balloon and we began our fondue:

And I just couldn't resist sharing this photo:

Quinton popped the 7 o'clock one and we began some Wii Games.  Everyone one a trophy:

Quinton didn't want to play wii but instead he won for the best hair!  Seriously it was GREAT :)

Kyler popped 8 o'clock and we had our meat fondue.  It was so good.  We also got to put on our "fat pants" AKA PJ's and we put on our new socks:

We had dinner and it went a bit longer than expected, and Q wasn't up for 9 o'clock (which was going for a walk) so we hung out at home.  But Uncle Jack did get to pop and K read it upside down for us:

Kyler popped our next balloon and we had dessert!  The chocolate was SOOO good!

After our dessert we ended up getting 11pm a bit earlier.  We got the bed ready for the boys (the couch) and we hung out until midnight:

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Little Blessings

This week, along with our whole summer, we have learned to watch for little blessings.  They can be anything from Quinton learning to snap his fingers (yeah!!!) or my grandfather coming home from the hospital (double yeah!!)

Sometimes little blessings are hard to find.  Other times they are so easy.  If I looked hard enough I could find a little blessing every day. 

For example, today's little blessing include:

Ian being able to play on his own
Uncle Jack playing with the boys so I could get some things done
Me BBQ'ing and not burning anything (it's a first)
Arnold being able to stay home a bit longer this morning to help me out
Q learning to snap his fingers, and
K learning to whistle more (much to some of our dismays!)

I know this isn't all of them but it's just a "smattering" of them. 

God grants us with little blessings.  It's just a matter of looking for them every day.  I believe I may challenge myself to do that for a while.  Find those little blessing and be grateful for them.

So, for now God, please keep sending them my way.  And please remind me to look for them!

*knock knock* Are you there?

and the answer is yes! I'm here! It seems life has caught up with me.. again.

Just this week was our week from crazytown. With my daycare boy for 3 days, the boys having school for only 4 days, and with things happening each day I was out and about and all over! Thankfully my Aqua fit, husband's help and brother's help have kept me sane for a while now.

I'll give you an "update" from Thursday.

In the morning my daycare boy showed up at 7am (normal) and by 7:30am he was in his high chair and Kyler and I were out the door. **For those of you who think I just left the daycare boy in his high chair alone ^My Mother^ I didn't. My brother is living with us and watched the daycare boy and Quinton** This is after quickly packing lunches, doing homework and getting bags ready to go to school. K and I were off to see the dentist. This was K's last polishing down and we managed to do a great job with it. No tears! Instead we used headphones. Kyler was allowed to listen to his music as loud as he wanted while sitting in the dentist chair.

We went home and I ran in the house and Jack took Kyler and Quinton to school. By the time he got home I had load #2 in the laundry, the boys suitcase upstairs, daycare boy changed and ready for the day, and my suitcase upstairs and ready to go. I started my "don't forget this" bag of things to take home and began packing the boys for our weekend.

Jack went and picked up Quinton for me while I fed the little boy. Quinton and the daycare boy watched a movie while I got some more laundry, packing and organizing done. I put the little boy down for a nap and Quinton on the couch to "rest". I got the rest of our packing done and ready by the door and then it was time to get the daycare boy up. He was changed and his laundry from our house was in the washer before his dad got there. We packed him up and headed him out the door.

Quinton got his swimming stuff on and Jack, Q and I headed out the door. We drove to school and I went in quick and got Kyler. I ended up giving some "free Doula advice" to the secretary who is expecting in the spring but is sick right now. Then off we went to swimming lessons. I got the boys inside, and talked to Simon about swimming lessons. Then on my way out talked to all the parents of the people we do our swimming sessions with.

I got home and picked up my phone I realized I had forgotten and responded to Jack's questions about some swimming lessons stuff. Then I walked down to school.

I talked to Mr. Brown about how Q was doing. We went over his sheet, talked about how he was doing (great), what he has improved on (his picture drawing skills), and what he can work on in the future (printing his name without help from a name card).

But really... after a while with doing these interviews (this is the 6th time I've done interviews with Mr. Brown) the conversation is quick and easy and we are done before my time is up. This time Mr. Brown and I went over different apps on our phone and different games we have, how they work and what is fun for the kids. Eventually I realized I was into another students time block but I guess they didn't show! I went down to K's classroom and talked to Mrs. B. (no they are not related) I was able to find a time with her at 4:30pm instead of 6:15pm I had on my forms with her. So I trekked back down to Mr. Browns room and visited with them (being Mr. Brown and Mrs. F - the EA) for a while. Mrs. B came down about 5 minutes later and said her next person didn't show up and asked if I wanted to start now! HECK YES!

We talked about how K's report card was (great! alot of B+'s 2 A+s and 1 C in writing), what he can improve on (his writing), what he need help on (reading and understanding what the story was about) and a few more things. It was a good visit and I got a quick preview of what is happening in their class for the next little while. That I am very excited about! Kyler will be learning about money, time and adding and subtracting. I am very excited for this and we already have our "money bag" ready to go at home.

I went home from the interviews and my brother had already started the wash (thank you Jack!). I got the boys fed and ready to go to my parents house. I began to load the car and hubby came home. He fixed a few things quickly at our house for the websites we host and helped load the car and off we went!

We drove out of Toronto around 6:30/7pm. The drive was nice and easy and fast! We made a stop at Jack's old house for some mail and then back on the road to Sarnia. We got the car unloaded and the kids in the house. They were sugared up and off to bed by 11:30pm. Then all of us went to bed.

What a day hey?

Friday morning Q woke Papa up by walking into his room and saying "Papa, I can't sleep a whole night, I can only sleep a half a night". So downstairs went Papa and Quinton around 5am or so. Papa stayed with Q until he had to go to work and then Nana was up. I got up shortly after and planned on doing "nothing" all day. Which turned into.. driving to Strathroy and dropping off K's Columbia winter coat. Thank goodness for lifetime warranties. They are going to replace the zipper on the coat and ship it to me in Toronto! I got back into Sarnia around 10:30am and picked up Nana, Jack and Kyler and we headed to TRU (Toys R Us). Nana was doing her pick up for the weekend. Kyler got a HUGE Star Wars Lego ship and Quinton put in his order for a Batman Lego. Which he got as well. We then went and found a new polo for Kyler so he can wear more ties to school (his new thing) and then to another kids clothing store to find him a new hoodie and a few long sleeve shirts to keep him warmer at school.

We got home in time for Nana to have a nap. That sounded like SUCH a good idea so I went off as well. I got up shortly after 3:30pm and got ready for scrapbooking. I went to the store and did their Friday Night Crop. It was so nice to see everyone again. I made 2 great layouts and then headed home.

Saturday morning we went out for breakfast with Papa and his friends. That was great. I love seeing them all and it was perfect timing as one of the couples is heading to the USA for a few weeks of warmth! So it was good to see them before they were out for a while. We visited for about 2 hours. The boys did great for that long. I'm so proud of them. We then went out to run around a bit. We stopped at Staples, and another store then were back at the house. Just in time to drop off Arnold and the boys, get something to snack on and head out to follow Papa.

He had to drop his car off somewhere to get fixed so I followed him out and then came home with Dad. When he got out of the car Arnold got in. We had a meeting at LI about some website stuff and advertising ideas. Then back home and turn around again and go out with Mom and Jack to get Jack some new clothes for his new job :)

Mom had also found a few gift cards in a purse in the basement before she threw it away and one GC was for Chapters for 30.00 (I got a new cover for my Kindle) and for Carol Baker Vasage(sp) for 50.00 (I got some cover-up). What fun shopping with someone else's money!!

We went home and Nana had a nap while we waited for our dinner guests. My childhood friend Jess and her husband Mike came to have supper and visit. After they left we watched a movie then off to bed.

Our "fun" Sunday....

We woke up to Quinton at my parents door to their bedroom going "Papa! We have a big emergency" and since Q says this alot for random things, no one really thought anything of it. Then we hear mom yell up the stairs, "Get your dad, the basement is flooded!" Oh yeah.. 4 sleepy adults jumped out of bed. Arnold was down the stairs before he had his glasses on (someone grabbed them for him) and we were all in the basement in no time flat. The hot water heater pressure release valve was leaking... and it looked like all night long! It was all over the laundry/work room, the main hallway and into the main area there. It was alot of clean up. We called Grandma and Grandpa and asked for their shop vac that works for water as well and while Jack was heading over in his PJ's to get that I was on my hands and knees using our little spot bot on the manual setting to get as much out of the carpet as I could. Dad, Arnold and Mom were emptying the work room of everything in the way and trying to stop the water as soon as possible. With a few hours of getting the water out of the carpet, the water shut off and things moved around to dry we finally had a few moments to catch our breaths! Dad and Arnold went off to the store to get/find a new water heater, Jack was off working on his training for his new job and the boys ended up outside to play. Mom and I worked on a few things for the big parties we have coming up in our lives in the next little while.

What a crazy crazy day! Needless to say at 9:30pm, to sit down and write this blog post was kinda relaxing :)

So Am I here? Yes! Just crazy busy!

Happy National Tinfoil Day!!

Happy National Tinfoil Day! Well, a late Tinfoil day! However I am 1 day earlier than last years post!

On Jan 1st it is National Tinfoil Day in our house, and my parents. Here's the link to last year's National Tinfoil Day if you want to read more about it:

2011's National Tinfoil Day

This year we didn't quite get it on Jan 1st. We had to get the kids back into a routine of going to bed EARLY. So instead we did it last night at supper time. The kids were very excited. Check out the photos:

The Count Down is ON!

Things are changing at our house. Not only is it the Christmas season and the kids are buzzing with excitement but we are having a new house guest in January.

We are so excited to have my brother "Uncle Jack" move in for a few months while he finds a job. The kids can't wait to have someone "younger" to play with! AH I can't believe they said that but they did.

Today we worked on cleaning out the closet for the green room so he has a place to put all his incredible suits! I'm very excited to have him close to use while he searches for a job!

Not only that but the official count down is on (and ALMOST in hours....) until the NUTCRACKER!!! Quinton is over the moon excited as it is his first year to go. He wants to bring his nutcracker from home but I told him we should leave it here. We don't want it to get broken.

Today, while we clean, we are listening to the Nutcracker CD that Kyler picked last year. I'm so impressed with him picking it and now are preparing ourselves by listening to it. What wonderful music!

The boys are also having a PJ day today. It's a PA day from school and we are chilling out at home. We did a quick run to the grocery store to get a few things and now are home for the rest of the day. It's snowing (while not staying on the ground) and the boys are excited when their friends "the girls" come over and they can go and play in the back yard. We did pick up some gingerbread families to decorate. My plan, which who knows if this will work, is to send the kids outside to play in the back yard, then inside for hot chocolate and popcorn and a movie, then decorate our gingerbread family and the cat and dog that came with it, and then let the kids play trains again. IT should be fun!!

Here's to a productive day! Hey I already got in a blog post so we must be doing well!!