My Korean Julie

We have been lucky enough to meet a family that have traveled to Canada from Korea to stay here purely for the experience and opportunity that it offers their children.
David and Cooper became friends last year at school when he was here alone, living with a relative. The rest of his family was still in Korea.

He enjoyed his year here so much that he wanted to spend another year. His Mom decided to come as well and bring both his younger brother, Tom and his younger sister, Jenny.
Last night we had them all over for a BBQ to say goodbye. They are leaving to go back home in a few days.
Cooper will miss David very much. I can't imagine how much David will miss all the friends that he has made here over the past two years.
Even though the visits that I have with my Korean Julie (I have a Canadian Julie too, so I have to distinguish between them) are not always easy because of the language issue, I have enjoyed them.
And I have also learned something from her.
She has taught me to do as much as you can with your kids - for the experience of it alone. We often don't do things because it is too much work or it is easier not to but she has packed more into her one year here than I have done with my kids in their whole lifetimes.
I do realize that money is a factor. But that aside, I so admire her courage to come to a foreign country with all her kids and no husband (he stayed in Korea - someone has to pay the bill). I can't say that I could do it.
So we won't be heading overseas to learn a new language anytime soon, but I will try to give my kids all the opportunities that I can - purely for the experience... and the joy.
Because, inevitably, we will all benefit.
Goodbye, my Korean Julie, we'll miss you.

If I didn't have a girl...

....I probably wouldn't get excited about finding a little loop of plastic at the mall called a Topsy Tail.

....I wouldn't be able to use that Topsy Tail to try out some fun new hairstyles.

....I wouldn't spend an hour on the couch painting flowers and butterflies on little fingernails.

....I would have no one to buy pretty little shoes for, because as everyone knows, a girl can't have too many shoes.
NO PHOTO OF THE SHOES, BUT TRUST ME, SHE HAS FLIP-FLOPS IN ALMOST EVERY COLOR
....I wouldn't have anyone to go out to dinner with and to share sweet, fruity, virgin Margaritas with.

....I wouldn't have anyone to go to Chapters with and pick out a handful of new chapter books.


Last week Reagan and I had a nice little girls day. We went to the movies to see "Beezus and Ramona" (we loved it), went to Chapters to spend a gift card still from her birthday, and then out for dinner. We had such a great time together. And I know that some of these things I also could have done with the boys. They like buying books at Chapters, the love going out for dinner, I'm sure they would drink a fruity drink, and Taggart would even let me paint his nails. But there really is something about 'Mom-daughter' time that makes me so thankful for my sweet girl.

Braun gathering

We were all together on Sunday at my brother's place for a BBQ. Well, not all of us, but as many of us as could be. Still a good group and always good to see those that we don't see often enough.
Especially for the kids - they love to see everyone and are never ready to leave when the evening is over.
Lots of general hanging out, chatting, catching up...



Reagan and Hudson laughing it up with Evie.


Cooper and Wesley got along great and Cooper was able to get lots of smiles.



Bocci ball for the boys. Cooper and Hudson always enjoy playing with their 'big cousins'.

Reagan then took my camera for a while and I had to post this one - my favorite. Not perfectly in focus but look at those beautiful green eyes.

Together again

Waiting in line at the canteen at Camp Squeah. A little treat for the ride home - a camp tradition.
Everyone is back from wherever they were and everyone is again sleeping in their own beds.
Feels good.

Cooper had a great time at camp, like usual. Picked him up tonight, looking more tired than I've seen him in quite some time.

Is that some serious hair or what? The funny thing is that's what it looks like without him doing a thing to it. I know some teen idols from the 70's who would have killed for that do. David Cassidy anyone?

An eye adventure

We have recently discovered (through a kindergarten eye screening) that Taggart has some vision concerns.

After a couple trips to the optometrist what we now know is:
His left eye has perfect vision.
His right eye has considerably less than perfect vision.
He has probably been this way his whole life.
He has adapted nicely, considering he is quite coordinated, can hit a baseball just fine, and really doesn't walk into too many objects.
The optometrist seems confident that this situation can be improved.
He will need glasses.

What we don't know is:
How long he will have to wear the glasses. (maybe always)
If he will have to wear a patch to strengthen his poor eye. (optometrist hinted at this)
How he will adapt to this new adventure.

If today is any indication, I think he will do okay.
The optometrist had to put drops in his eyes to dilate them. He didn't like it but he was a trooper.
His pupils were huge for hours. He kept calling them his pimples.

He couldn't even open his eyes outside in the sunlight so all afternoon he wore either my sunglasses or these red safety glasses that Tony gave him a while back which he thinks are sunglasses. Both are very big on his little face.

We will see a child eye specialist in a couple of weeks and he will prescribe the glasses.
Just in time for Grade One.
For someone who, as a Mom, in over 12 years has never taken a trip to the emergency room with any of my kids, I am finding this a little tough to swallow. Which I keep telling myself is silly because there are so many worse things that could happen.
But something else I know - he will look adorable in his little specs. We can all look forward to a lot of photos of that. :)

These two

They are either driving each other crazy or having the time of their lives. Sometimes back and forth between the two within a few minutes. But at this moment in the pool yesterday they were having a ball.
They had some time this week with just the two of them. Cooper is still at camp and Reagan was in Whistler with some friends of ours for a few days.
She returned tonight though and had a great time.
Our friend, Rich, was kind enough to download all his photos of the trip onto our computer so I can already blog a little of her memories here.
Snow in July.

A little inukshuk building. (Sophie and Reagan)

And the summer adventures continue.

I want to remember

I want to remember that most nights lately, this is the sight that greets me as I walk up the stairs late at night after you are all in bed.
Taggart, you want your door to stay open just a crack and decided that this little guy would do just the trick. You never ask me to put him there though, so I just tuck you in and say Goodnight. You must get up after I leave and place him there.
Something about you, at almost 6 years old, that I really want to remember.