Time seems to fly by...

This weekend seemed to take about 15 minutes from start to finish! I guess that is a good thing. We had a super great weekend, happy, healthy kids. It was productive and enjoyable. All the good things. We even carved a pumpkin yesterday, or a Jangoliner, as Gavin calls it (a confused Jack-o-lantern).

I'm tired tonight, I had so many things I wanted to blog about, but unfortunately now that I have the time my grey matter has fallen short and is offering up squat!

So here we go into a new week and all the surprises that it holds.

Big bad birthday bash

So we celebrated Mari's birthday yesterday. It was a fun affair. Things got a bit out of hand in the back yard. Some how, Jon and Scott ended up supervising all the kids. Not what I'd recommend. Good news is no one got hurt!

Mari was so excited. She seemed to get that all the presents were for her.

She loved her cake. Bronwyn decided she wanted Mari to have a monkey cake. I thought it was because we call her a little monkey and even Monkeydoodle. But when I asked her why a monkey cake she responded, "Because she looks like a monkey." She'll make a fine big sister. Right Aunt Mary?

The pictures aren't very good, and there weren't many as the battery died mid party. Oh well, she's the third child her expectations can't be too high.

Mari is two

The little monkey is two. She is a joy and a surprise everyday!

Bronwyn's first field trip

Bronwyn's preschool went on a field trip today to Butterfield acres. Its a little petting zoo/hobby farm (ish) place. We met at her school and took a big yellow bus all together. She was so excited about the bus she barely cared where we were going. She had to bring a lunch, which she proudly held for most of the trip. What a big girl!

They did a pumpkin search and decorated the pumpkins. A hay ride was included as well. She enjoyed her day so much.

It was a pretty special time.

In other news. Today is our anniversary. Nine happy years! I love my husband, he turned out to be a pretty good catch.

Thanksgiving has come and gone

We had a very busy thanksgiving weekend. We managed to get in yard work, house work, church, a turkey dinner with friends at our house, a turkey dinner at my folks house, and a movie night.

Whoosh! A lot for one weekend.

We have a busy week ahead of us now. Bronwyn is going on a flield trip tomorrow for preschool. She is SO excited to ride a school bus! So excited! I'll have to remember my camera. Mari can't come, there is limited space, so Mom will come babysit. I think they will have fun together.

Hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving. It seems that when we stop to really count our blessings and be thankful it is overwhelming.

Side tracked

I was on the way to having my most productive day ever. I was at Walmart by 10 am, with the girls. Which is huge, considering I dislike shopping and I dislike Walmart shopping even more. I had things that needed doing and I was going to do them. I had a plan to come home and do some really ugly jobs, like filing.

I told Bronwyn we could stop at the Tim's just passed the checkout counter and get a Timbit and coffee (coffee was for me). My cell phone rang, something my cell phone never does.

It was the school, Gavin was sick, could you come and get him, after talking to him. He cried when he told me he was sick. So there I was crying in the line as the teller asked if my sick child was in grade one. How did he know that? He told me he had a younger brother in grade one. I questioned whether that was physically possible, but it is a new world we live in.

Anyhow, I had to race home and get the boy, and then go by a Tim's as promised, so Bronwyn wouldn't have a fit. Home we arrived. I managed to do some pretty basic cleaning chores, but other than that NOTHING! So much for my ambition. Ahhh. Gavin was much perkier this morning, but I'll still keep him home tomorrow as he wasn't perky enough.

Wonderful day

The weather has been exceptional. I had intended that we would do a bunch of yard work and clean up, but we decided to go for a walk instead. After our beautiful walk we took the kids to McDonald's. They wanted to go there, for the toy of course. I had a thought, isn't it a bit ironic that McDonald's uses toys to get kids in to eat there food. And IKEA uses food (we love their cheap breakfast), to get adult in to buy their furniture. A pattern here!

I downloaded a bunch of pictures again tonight. And I found a ton on my little camera.

We have a lot going on, visiting etc again, too much to mention. But we are enjoying fall.

I love October

It is a great month. Leaves are falling, the city is beautiful. Fall is my bestest time of year!

October is always a busy month around here. I'm looking forward to it. I'm all for enjoying the last days before winter sets in.

No pictures again

I know I have pictures, I just don't have the time to go and download them. And I can't blame Peggle this week. It has been just crazy around here. I mean busy crazy, add that to the usual craziness of this house and it makes for an AGGGHHHHH!

Mari removed her pajamas and diaper this evening and proceeded to pee on the carpet. I caught her in the act. Now, with a dog I would rub its nose in the pee to make the point that it shouldn't do it again. I'm aware that one shouldn't do this with a child, but then what does one actually do? Does one just hope the kid figures out that the toilet is the bowl in the bathroom and not the flat indoor/outdoor in the basement or do you do something more "proactive?" Like yell in a frantic voice, "No, no not there. Not there. That is not a toilet, no pee, not there." Will that work? I guess time will tell.

Tuesdays are our BUSY days. Gavin has piano after school, Bronwyn has ballet just before supper. Gavin is loving his piano lessons, he is doing really well. We do his practice in the morning before school and he is super good about it.

Bronwyn loves her ballet classes too. Its pretty sweet. She is really loving preschool. Yesterday, they took advantage of the beautiful fall weather and took the kids to a park. She thought that was pretty spectacular. She got tired, the younger teacher carried her home. They spoil her there too!!

I went to the dentist today, but if I talk about it I'll launch into a diatribe on why I distrust dentists and could dental hygienists be any more condescending, which might offend some readers, so I'll just keep my mouth shut.

So life plugs along.

Every now and then I go back in time and reread blog entries. I particularly like to go back and see what we were doing at this time last year, or in 2007 etc. It seems impossible that this time last year we were in Edmonton for Bronwyn's surgery. Seems a million years ago. Just a memory that I have pushed so far back it seems like I just imagined it.

But it was real and she did do it and she is now amazing! We are truly so thankful.

Wasting time

We are still here. I am sorry for not blogging more. I like to think its because I find my deeper thoughts to hard to bottle, or we are all so busy adjusting to our new life as school attendees, but...

I have been spending my spare time playing Peggle. Really its shameful but true. I LOVE IT!!

At some point it will grow old and I'll get back to blogging. Is it to much to ask you to patiently wait for me?

Maybe I'll throw some pictures on today, to sweeten the deal! We'll see, it is Saturday and I will technically have more time to play peggle...

Big preschool girl

So Bronwyn is officially a preschooler. She had her first, slightly shortened time, on Friday and her first full class today. She LOVES it. She comes home, chattering, excited and pretending to be the teacher. She is quite a bossy teacher to be frank!

Bronwyn is so proud of herself, it really is priceless. These pictures were taken on her first day, last Friday. She loves to "pose" for the camera - so its a bit hard to get a decent photo of her.

Today Mari and I, thanks to an early nap, filled the time while the other two were at school by going and getting groceries. She was a very good companion. She has a great sense of humor talks far to much to strangers and demands I sing silly songs in the store. Altogether a pretty good buddy.

Other stuff

The girls and I are adjusting to having Gavin gone all day, and the early mornings.

Bronwyn had her first ballet class of the year. She was so excited and she listened so well. She wasn't nearly as shy as last year. Over the summer she has really come out of her shell. This Friday she starts her preschool. Exciting times.

Mari is working hard on developing her skills too. She is training to be a monkey. Yup. I am thinking gymnastics might be a good place for her, at least she'd fall on a mat.

I had my mom colour my hair, and she did a very good job of it. I, unfortunately, made a bad choice in hair colour. I look like I've been placed in witness protection. Oh, well it will go back to its natural graying shade soon. Sigh!

Life carries on in the Davis house. A bit of drama here, a bit there. But mostly its happy. And for that we are thankful.

Gavin's first day of school

Yup, our boy is a first grader. Crazy. I look at him now, and I just can't believe how big he is! Hard to believe that we just brought him home... yesterday.

He is also a totally different boy this year. He is going to school without big drama and when I ask him how his day was, he responds, "Just great!" He has even said, "I just loved today." WOW!!!

He also started piano lessons today. He is very excited about that too.

I'm still holding my breath waiting for the difficult times to reemerge, but who knows, maybe he's on a new path altogether?

Regardless of what happens, I am so proud of him.

Visit with Uncle Gerrie and Aunt Elaine

I, in an effort to help Uncle Gerrie get group photos (his camera had run low on batteries), I somehow managed to get very few photos myself. Here are just a couple.

I'll get to the pictures

Sorry no pictures today. But I have news. So here we are!

We saw Uncle Gerrie & Aunt Elaine off at the airport on Monday morning, the kids and I that is. We were thankful they could come see us. It was a lovely visit.

Yesterday we went out to Mom and Dad's to meet the newest edition of the family. Dad has got himself a new little tractor. Yesterday, Gavin spent a good part of the day, on his Grandpa's lap running the tractor, helping move dirt, and dig holes (yes, it has a backhoe, Dad has always wanted a backhoe). I guess there is no changing an old equipment guy!

It was quite a sight watching one little boy and one bigger big boy playing on the tractor. Like a giant tonka tractor. Gavin has decided he is ready to have a tractor. He'll be saving for a loooonnngg time!

I have a head cold, just in time for school. Gavin starts tomorrow, and Bronwyn starts next Friday. I was going to acquire and see if they would take Mari into Gavin's school, you know just a couple of year early! Actually, it will be nice to have some alone time with Mari. I'll get lots of exercise.

Wish us luck tomorrow!

Enjoying a visit

From Wes' Aunt Elaine and Uncle Gerrie. It has been lovely so far. We are busy busy.

I hope to have pictures by the end of the weekend and more time to catch up. I have not been blogging much lately. It was a tough couple of weeks for me and I didn't much feel like writing. But, fairer days are in the offing and I'll be back blogging about all our nonsense very soon.

Best run, stores to go visit!

Big big girl

Wow, Bronwyn turned four today. I can tell you honestly, that as I stood by her little crib in the NICU the first evening after her birth, I couldn't even imagine beyond the next day, let alone four years later.

She is a vibrant, amazing, chatty, stubborn little girl. And we just love her to bits. We thank God for her, half a heart and all.

A little video clip

I wanted to post this little clip of the kids singing one of the songs they learned at VBS. Mari is so funny! They are all pretty cute, if I do say so.

I have been busy today getting ready for Bronwyn's party. Gavin and I went to the Dollar Store, which happens to now charge 1.25 for everything, to get party decorations. We came home and I spent the remainder of the day trying to decorate a cake. I decided I'd do a Castle cake for her. I had great plans. I am calling my creation, "If Salvador Dali owned a bakery."

I hope it is still standing in the morning!

Wes took Gavin and Bronwyn to the Saddledome for a show called "Walking with Dinosaurs." The kids loved it.

There was a short period of time, where they were all gone and Mari was sleeping. I am SHOCKED at how much I can get done when I'm basically alone. It amazed me. I'm not inefficient and confused, I'm just distracted.

I am hoping to get a good night sleep so we can be all ready for the festivities tomorrow. The wee girl is turning four. Crazy business eh?

Oh my goodness time flies

I just realized this evening that it has been over a week since I last posted an entry. Oops.

We have been busy but not THAT busy. I just forget things. Blogging, laundry, children - you know the basics.

Earlier tonight I was doing the dishes after supper. Everyone else was downstairs, Uncle Jon stopped by to eat and play Wii with Gavin (his wife and kids left him - knew if would happen eventually - no fear they will return). I thought Mari was with them. I heard a clunk or two from the general area of the bathrooms and bedrooms. I made my way down, thinking, Mari must be playing in the bedroom. I never dreamt she'd be in the bathroom, we always leave that door shut (unless of course we forget).

The bathroom door was wide open. Mari was standing by the vanity, all sorts of goodies that belong in the vanity drawers scattered around her feet. She looked at me and smiled. She continued to smear, what appeared to be toothpaste, all over her face. I turned around and walked down the hall calling, "Wes, come take care of your daughter."

Ahhh. Mari can make more use of unsupervised time than any other child I have met.

A couple more picts

We are enjoying a pretty quiet couple days around the house. Doing a few jobs here and there. Mari and I have been engaged in what I like to call "Adventures in potty training." She is very eager and strips her diaper off whenever possible. I just run around cleaning up the mess behind her. Ahhh, good times!

Thought I'd post a couple more pictures from our trip.