The week...

Reagan and I headed to Victoria for a weekend of skipping at the Provincials.

Here she is waiting to go on the floor. I think she was a little nervous, but she didn't show it.In that big sea of french-braided heads it was sometimes hard to find the right girl. So she flashed me a smile.Checking out her ribbons. Always the best part.After the first day of competition we had some time to do a little sight-seeing.

Sunday - skipping again. More bleacher sitting for me. Then on the ferry home. She was meant to hold my hair back for the photo - she did a great job, don't you think?!

Definitley having typical spring weather around here. Everyday we get a mix of clouds, sun and rain, sometimes even a little hail.

They weren't going to let the rain spoil their fun though.

This one cracks me up. What is he telling her? (Deja from next door - they are practically brother and sister)

More rain.He's really into peeling carrots right now.This morning we were actually ready to go in the morning a whole 30 minutes before we needed to go. That never happens. So we had a little time for playing.

Happy Friday!!

This confirms it...

All the photo-taking, editing, printing, all the scrapbooking, memory-keeping, blogging. It brings me enjoyment, but most of all, I do it so my kids will have a record of their lives. Hopefully, even their kids, and their kids' kids.

Yesterday, Oma and Opa came for dinner and Opa shared a memory he had of taking Cooper to the park when he was just a little guy and how he still takes walks in that park now and often thinks of the times he spent there with Cooper. So I pulled out the album that had some photos of that time. That led to all the albums being pulled out and the kids were spread out all over the living room floor 'remembering' stuff.

This sweet quote from Reagan confirms the reasons why I spend the time doing what I do:

"It's really fun remembering all the happy times in my life."

phot0 taken Oct. 2009

Yes, I'm still a blogger

I told myself

"today I will post a blog entry"

...whether I have something to say or not.

Sometimes you have to look deep for the story,

sometimes it isn't just staring at you.

That's how it's been lately and I haven't taken the time to dig deep.

It's time.

Here's the story.

Sunday morning...sun is shining.

Tony's at work and we've got nothing planned for the day.

Breakfast....? I don't feel like making breakfast.

"Who wants to go to Tim Horton's?"

I throw in a load of laundry, the kids all run to get dressed and for some reason the bickering starts.

Taggart is whining, Cooper is teasing Taggart, Hudson is trying too hard to be nice to Taggart and it's making Taggart whine louder. Reagan is being her lovely self.

So as we drive away I threaten that if anyone bickers or whines or is generally annoying before we arrive does not, I repeat, not get a donut.

We were soooooooo close, and then Cooper saw a punch buggy. Anyone within his reach got a punch which Taggart didn't enjoy (he only likes being the puncher, not the punchee). We were still okay, until second later, Cooper spotted a second punch buggy.

So I am now hearing very loud warning bells going off in my head, but I am trusting my children to stay in control. Therein lied my mistake.

Cooper gives Tag a second punch despite his very loud and whiny protests.

We are now almost in the Tim Horton's parking lot. I'm sure you can all guess my dilemna as you remember my clear warning at the start of our trip.

Hudson and Reagan clearly deserve a donut, Cooper and Tag clearly don't.

I sit in the car for a minute or two, pondering about what kind of mother I want to be. The kind that follows through with her warnings or the kind that likes to see her children enjoy a donut.

I even went so far to step out of the vehicle and call Tony and explain the situation. Now I know that some of you might be calling me pathetic right now for not being able to handle this on my own, but I remind you that today I couldn't even handle making breakfast. He agreed that the two guilty children shall remain donut-less. He was quite sure of this decision even though I question whether or not he would have made that same choice if he was the one standing at the donut case.

So, the question remains. What kind of mother am I going to be today?

I know that for some mothers, this is a no-brainer. The children were clearly warned, they disobeyed, no donut!

But I also know that some mothers would share my feelings of uncertainty. Tough love is much easier to preach than it is to practice.

You can draw your own conclusions to this story as l leave you with this photo and a small apology to Tony and those who have more of a spine than me. I will assure you though, that they both promised to be good for the rest of the day. I'll let you know how that goes.

Birthdays, Easter, Birthdays, and a little more Easter

I finally got around to downloading and editing all my photos from the whirlwind of a weekend we just had.

Lots of chocolate Easter eggs and birthday candles.

Cooper turned 12 on Saturday and my Dad turned 80. (again) Dad's birthday was actually in February but we through him a party this weekend to celebrate it with all those who came from farther away and couldn't be here then.

Friday and Sunday we had a little bit of Easter, complete with a hunt for eggs in the backyard. We thought we might have to do the hunt indoors this year but the rain and wind let up for a while and we all bundled up in our winter woolies, well some of us did. Spring...where are you??

Monday, we celebrated a bit more birthday for Cooper because his day was a little overshadowed by Opa.

Here's the whole thing in photos:This is Jake giving Cooper a hard time becuase we all knew where his last egg was hidden but he couldn't find it.Opa's party at Mt. Lehman Hall. Anita, Leni and Cooper.

Micah, Mark, baby Wesley, and Tag

Lots of baby time with Wesley.

A little foosball.

Evie had a secret for Tag.

More baby time - Leni and Naomi

Oma

The kids table

Happy Birthday Dad!

Jordan and Tag - head to head.

Back to the yard on Sunday for another hunt. Tag couldn't find his basket so he thought he might rub the buddha's belly for luck. It's hidden right behind the little statue.

Smiles! Off now to go spend some quality time with my dear sister who seems to have just gotten here, but is now already leaving tomorrow.

The taste of Easter

Every year since I was a kid my Mom would bake Paska (Easter bread). Now that she can no longer do it, the question is: "do we let that tradition die or do we continue it?" Realizing how much a part of Easter it is there was no choice but to continue it. I want to pass this one on to my kids making it a part of their memories, like it was a part of mine.

I didn't knead it by hand, like my Mom did. I let the bread machine take care of that. But I did make 12 pretty perfect mini loaves complete with icing and sprinkles. And I made the spread (gloms ?sp?). Anyone out there who knows Paska, but doesn't know the spread is completely missing out, as far as I'm concerned.

Happy Easter!