Micaiah needs to eat more.

Micaiah's ribs are showing. Micaiah's not much of an eater. We are lucky if he eats 2 tablespoons of each item on the table in a 2 hour period. Wise people, including Micaiah's Doctor say that when Micaiah is hungry, Micaiah will eat. Wise people are wrong. Wise Mama needs new plans to make Micaiah eat.

My Dad's Book

It's been out for a few months but it just occurred to me that I've never put on my blog that my Dad's second Missionary book is now in print. This one is about his experiences in the Indian village in the heart of the Amazon.
The great photography is all his own. The creatures were all supplied by The Creator, the stories are all true. It might be a read aloud for younger kids since some of the cultural information might need some explanation and is hard for our minds to accept. I'd recommend parents give it a good look through before handing over to younger kids, just to check for yourselves. Endorsed by Elizabeth Elliot and the like, it's a great addition to your book collection if you're interested.

You can contact myself or my Dad (Dale Snyder) for a copy. Cost is $20.00 Cdn or USD
Advertisement finished... wink.

Smell Tag

Winona tagged me to do the Memories attached to Smells. I started all this so I'm already done.
I tag Marylynn to do it. She hasn't posted for awhile and I'd like to know this about her.

Canada's Foundation: The "Dominion" of Canada

Our Founding Fathers had trouble finding a name to call our country since it was not a free standing country at the time. After much debate they read the Bible together and agreed on a Bible verse which still is engraved on the Arch de Triumph on our Parliament grounds.
And from this we got the name "the Dominion of Canada"

Psa. 72:8
"And He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river to the
ends of the earth"

May we become a Nation deserving of Leadership that goes to God's Word for their guidance once again.

Happy Canada Day ... remember to Pray for our Nation and it's Leadership throughout the year ahead.

Baseball Vocabulary

Well, if I tell you all the vocabulary slip ups my boys do, you might think they don't know how to speak English. It really is their first language.

While the boys were out trying to play baseball (or something like it), Josiah decides he's going to assign jobs. "Micaiah you be the vampire!"

His sister corrected him at this point...
I'm not sure he knows what an Umpire does but I'm pretty sure he knew there were no vampires in baseball.

The Rush that makes you Blush.

I was rushing to get to the gym this morning....( little late since I didn't get to bed til a little later than I should have) ... throwing my stuff together. I pick up my friend Lisa and we're off.
After my workout I head for the showers...
I had to giggle.
There's more motivation to loose weight ...
I had thrown in a hand towel and two face clothes into my gym bag so...
I commented to Lisa that was a good reason to loose weight...
less surface area to dry when you don't bring a proper bath towel.
Life is good .. enjoy the laughs.

Prefectly Glum

Wednesday was the "Out and About" Gang's day at the Nickel farm... The weather was perfect. The kids did really well and it was a very relaxing, yet active day. I think all in all, it went well.
In contrast, today? Hmmm .. I can't seem to accomplish a thing. I'm desperately trying to get my school room re-organized. I'm trying to find a home for many things that seem homeless and therefore "free float" around the house. This must end.
The weather is .. there is no word but "glum" for it. It's not doing anything wrong .. but it's not helping matters any. The kids are inventing things to ask about. Everything I pull out to evaluate becomes something of interest and usually becomes some form of conversation. When I send them away .. they fight. I become judge at this point.
Slowly things are going back into the school room...
slowly things are getting cleaned ..
but not as I had hoped.
Can't I just have the perfect weather, a drink and a deck chair ... like yesterday?

The Quote of all time

While preparing for our once-in-a-lifetime vacation to the Caribbean, M asked:
"Why do some ladies wear zucchinis?"
It actually took several minutes of conversation for Bethany and I to figure out he meant bikinis!

Calling all creative thinkers...

The dilemma:
We're putting swings under our walkout deck...
We also have a stone patio.
Can you say "brain injury"?
What mother can enforce wearing a bike helmet every time you go on the swings or in the hammock?
I'm trying to find something outdoor, weather proof, won't grow mold, in "style" for the back yard that will act as a med-soft place to land.
Any suggestions?

One Hole of Golf

How great it is to have one hole of golf!
Grandma MJ bought Josiah a hole of golf for his birthday. Today we sunk it into our backyard grass. This motivated us to cut the grass and then weed eat it really close around the hole.
The boys took the putters and golf balls were flying around.
So far, no major injuries.
Praying for no broken windows.
My hopes are set on the idea that if we saturate them with healthy, active things to do in our yard .. they will:
a. be less inclined to ask for computer time
b. have less of a magnetic pull to neighbourhood yards
c. work out more wiggles before bedtime
d. find constructive was to be creative
e. find myself a life of quiet contemplation.
Maybe that's alot to expect from one hole in my back yard, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Of love and of Horses

What's a mom to do? You know your daughter loves horses. She's read almost every book in the library about them (including the ones intended for vets). She's decorated her room with bridles and crops. Her time on the Internet is spent investigating horse name trees, etc. She's had no formal training but she's doing well with the few chances she has every year to ride.
But horses are her fascination. There's no way we can give her that. No land, no space, no money, no way.
I guess this falls into the "be content with what you have" category and tell her to look elsewhere for a focus in life. Or do I say ... don't give up and keep trying .. just know it won't be us who provide these opportunities?
She's a good kid. She doesn't waste her time complaining about it. I know she'll always wonder if she doesn't pursue it more though. What do other parents do in these situations?

That's what little boys are made of...

I'm a boy, I'm a boy
and I'm proud to be me!
What wonderful creations boys are. SO different from girls, so essential to life. So wonderfully reflective of a very special part of the image of God.
Boys love justice! Boys love challenges. Boys conquer nature and advertisty and thrive. Boys of all different personalities have a built in nature, to protect.
These are our great discoverers and explorers. Our natural born lovers of nature and inquisitive minds. Thrilled by the chase, thrilled by the challenge and thrilled by the unknown.
As a mom....
I'm learning every year to appreciate the heart of God shown in the difference between men and women. In raising boys, I'm learning to be proud of the difference. In the protective nature. The in-born sense of justice (that's not fair) and the great unquenched thrist of learning new adventures everyday, creativity. I'm learning to let go, laugh, smile and record some of the things that just make them "boys". I hope they will always be free to explore their boysness.

Happy Birthday to Josiah

What a great day for a birthday.
It didn't start out that way... we just weren't sure what the weather was going to do.
It did co-operate after all.
Grandpa took Josiah to watch his big cousin, Blake, play baseball over the noon hour so we could get his party ready.

So out at the Grandpa's farm, the kids had a blast! Treasure hunts, games, and cake. Lots of just being little boys. Running, jumping, playing with sticks and doing what boys do.

It was a relaxing day. So nice to just let the kids enjoy themselves and low maintenance party for mom! Grandpa ended the day by starting the fire pit and letting them drag sticks to throw into the fire, they thought that was a treat.

Josiah had a great time with friends, gifts and his share of junk food. Best of all, he was the centre of attention!

Thanks to all who make my son's life better and keep blessing us with friendships. Josiah is now a 7 year old.

Beautiful Broccoli

Who knew???
I went to my fridge for some raw veggies for supper and a boquet of flowers greeted me. Who gave me these to me, I wonder?

Sweet, tiny flowers.
Cute and edible.








I had no idea
that BROCCOLI grew flowers.

You can eat them, they taste exactly the same. They make a lovely bouquet. So sad they are no more.

House

In a recent conversation about money, Josiah needed some guidance about what money was for. He thought that since he had more in his piggy bank than the neighbour boy that maybe he should just give him some. This and the Dollarama are the only thing that make sense when you've got paper money burning a hole in your piggy bank.

I assured him that it's better to save your money for something bigger and then you can buy when you need when you need it.
J: "But I don't need anything except what's at Dollarama"
Y: "I understand that you think that but really you will need a car and a house someday. So if you practice saving your money now, it will be easier for you when you need to buy those things later." (way over his head).
J: "But I don't want my own house. I want to live with you."
Y: "I'm glad you want to live with me. Someday when you grow up, though, you'll want to live with your own family and have your own house."
J: "Nope, my wife and I will want to live with you. I will get lonely, I don't want my own house."
Y: "I think you'll feel differently when you get older."
J: "Well maybe you could come live at my house?"

As you can see... over his head .. this conversation is not getting anywhere ..
but I know all too soon he'll be itching to get out on his own so ... for now..
I agree...
I don't want him to have his own house. I want him to live with me. I know I'll get lonely, I"ll miss my sonshine. So for now .. I'm saving up all the sonny memories I can for those days when he lives in his own house.

Any Questions?

Okay this is not news ... I knew better but old habits die hard and ... I asked.

I'm reading the boys the story of David and Saul, the part where Saul throws javelins at David for playing beautiful music because an evil spirit sent by God comes over Saul from time to time. Saul has jealously issues and the singing girls make up better songs about David.

After I do the questions to make sure you were paying attention routine...
That's when it slipped out. I thought something might be confusing in all that. There it was:
"Any questions?"

M: "What's a nozzle?"
J: "Oh that's easy. It's a book."
I decide to keep quiet and see where this conversation goes since Josiah's vast knowledge and great confidence in big brotherly wisdom is soaring to it's peak.
M: "Like a Search and Find book? or a Sticker book?"
J: "No, don't you know anything .. it's a chapter book with no pictures. It's a story."
M: "So? What's a nozzle?"
J: Rolls his eyes, slaps his forehead and mutters "Do not return evil with evil.". (big sigh)... "Oh, ask mom."

I'm still not sure if they were wanting the definition of a nozzle or a novel. I'm sure neither of those words were in the story and I know this has nothing to do with David and Saul ... but I did say ANY questions.

Marriage Partners

For some time my two boys have struggled with the fact that they don't know who they will marry. Being that they are 6 & 5, I can see their concern to solve this issue is very pressing. I've assured them that if they can't find anyone, arranged marriages can work and I'll be happy to pick for them.

Sometime back they both argued over which of them would get to marry me, mom! Their sister made sure they understood this wasn't going to happen. I told them that I already had a husband and they'd have to find their own wives. After they realized that would leave their dad without a wife they started to let go of that dream. We then went to arguing over which one would marry their sister, Bethany. This made us giggle and kind of grossed her out. We showed them in the Bible that you don't marry your sister. We told them it was the LAW, when the authority of that didn't stop the arguments. Next they moved to arguing over their two female cousins, we told them they couldn't marry them either .. same reasons.

This was exasperating. This was the extent of almost every female they thought would make a possible wife. In various conversations I got responses like:

Josiah: "Well you don't expect me to marry a stranger, do you?"
Micaiah: " How will I marry her if I never met her?"
not sure which one: "You only kiss your family people, so I can't marry anyone else."
"How will I know who she is?"

One night after listening to a Bible story about how Esau had chosen badly and picked a pagan wife so Issac sent Jacob to find a wife from his relatives (this totally confuses my sons theology about spouse choices), Josiah came to me with a very serious face.

J: "Mom? Can you just pick a wife for me?"
Y; "Honey, you don't need to worry about that. When you're old enough you'll want to pick your own wife."
J: "But I don't want to make a mistake and pick a pagan wife."
Y: "I'm glad you don't want to pick a pagan wife, I'm sure you'll use wisdom when you choose your wife and you can always talk to me about it when the time comes. "
J: "Are you sure I can't just marry you, it will be so much easier. This world has so many pagan wives." Totally serious face and he was very concerned.

He's SIX .... what are the teen years going to be like? I feel like a character from "Fiddler on the Roof" .
. "match maker, match maker make me a match. Find me a find. Catch me a Catch. "

Fortunately, things in the matchmaking department seem to have slowed down lately. Phew!! I'm going to need a little time to figure out what makes these boys tick.... the hormones haven't even kicked in yet.

Blog Napper

Well maybe it's not Kosher to take a story from someone else's blog but I was reading other's blogs and there was this cute story.. had to share it.

The author's son decided to paint his name using dots.
She thought he was being very creative and commented on it.
son: I did it that way so blondes could read it.
mom: blondes?
son: Yes, you know they have to read with their fingers.
mom: Oh, I think you mean blind people ... it's called braile.

Sounds like something that would happen at my house....
it's so good to know my kids are NORMAL!

Ten Smells

I'm challenging all who have blogs of their own or who wish to leave a comment to this affect to tell me of their 10 memory connected smells:

10 smells that bring back memories:

1. The smell of pipe tobacco reminds me of my Grandpa Scot, though I don't remember him really in many other ways, when ever I smell a good cigar or pipe tobacco I feel a twinge of sadness and miss him somehow.
2. Tomato plants, or green tomatoes .. remind me of a home we had outside of the Indian village where my dad built a stone wall around our home and planted tomato plants, cotton and some "11 o'clock" flowers. That smell always reminds me of that house.
3. Apple juice always reminds me of the first day we returned to Canada in 1979 and I was offered apple juice at my Grandma Snyder's house for breakfast. It was such a strange juice and it smelled so different from anything I'd ever tried. To this day, I remember that day when I smell apple juice.
4. Lavender will always remind me of my Mom. I'm not sure if it's her favorite or not. She doesn't always wear it or anything .. but somehow in my mind, I think it's her favorite, to me it's her special smell.
5. Buttermilk will always remind me of special attention from my Dad. He used to make a big deal of sitting down to a glass of buttermilk and crackers, he'd share it with me and try to tell me of what it was like to live on an Alberta farm, while we were surrounded by Brazilian grasslands or rain forest.
6. 'Ether" I'm not sure It's an alcohol smell ... we used in the mimeograph .. before photocopying. When we had to make multiple copies of things for the ministry and I got to turn the handle of the mimeograph machine. It was a "chore" but I liked the work. The smell isn't pleasant but the memories are.
7. Jasmine flowers .. always remind me of the Mission base. My friend Ruth and I used to play behind the Language school and make "perfume" by mixing water with the crushed flower pedals. At night if you walked by that place you'd smell the flowers.
8. Hot, steamy, wet air. I don't know how to tell you the smell ... rain forest air after a rain but it's drying up fast because it's a hot day on the equator. It makes me homesick.
9. Ginger ... I'm not sure what the memory is, but I have a good memory of it somewhere, I love the smell of ginger. It's a comforting smell, somewhere in my subconscious.
10. Coffee ... strong, hot and sweet... served in little cups with bright eyes and loving hospitality from the poorest of homes and the largest of hearts. Huge white toothed smiles behind tiny cups of the worlds sweetest strong coffee .. Brazil.

I challenge you to take a trip down memory lane with your nose.. you'll be surprised what you will remember too!
I'd love to hear about it. Tag: it's your turn.

Our Budding Photographer

Well, Bethany is showing the family talent and love for photography. Grandpa Snyder, Mommy, Daddy and now our girl all want to display their artistic side through photographic renditions of family history. Just thought I'd show off a bit of her work over the weekend.
Digital cameras are great! You can save a lot of time and headaches with seeing what you got on the spot.
I have noticed a love for the weird and wacky photos too but I'll spare my blog readers some of those for the time being. Maybe one day...
I like her eye for placement and her understanding of what makes a nice balanced photo. It's a nice healthy hobby that I'm going to encourage.

Father's Day at the Farm

Father's day ... time to honor our Dads. They work hard and are an important part of who we become. They shape and mold us as we grow.
Sometimes they don't get told often enough how important they are to us.
We went to Smitty's for Breakfast, then off to home depot and out to Greg's Dad's farm. The Dad's played a few games. The boys helped gather eggs.
There's always lots to do at the farm.
What do you think Josiah is thinking? He looks pretty leary of Micaiah's egg.
Mommy has to take lots of photos ... we still have a few blank spots in our frames above the fireplace.

Soccer .. or something like it. Bandit is getting old and has a hurt leg but she still can't pass up a game of soccer.
The boys love having Dad's attention ... no yard work, no lack of sleep, no running off to his job... this is glorious.

of course .. there's a gift or two. We always think of something we need that we can pawn off as a Dad's day gift. Greg pretends to be surprised everytime.
We're so blessed to have Dads in a world where so many families don't have Dads.

Kids say the craziest things.

We're sitting at the table one day for a meal, mealtimes can be dangerous conversations around here. Bethany comments that Josiah's putting too much in his mouth. I look over and sure enough, it's got his cheeks full of grapes.
Mom: Josiah, what are you doing? You are eating like a piggy.
Josiah (the best he can with a full mouth): I'm not a pig. I'm a squirrel and I'm trying not to drop my nuts.
He didn't know what he was saying .. but I thought you might get a smile out of it.

Do the Task in Front of You.

The sun rose early and I knew it was time to head off to the gym. More than grey was filtered into my room, so there was hope for a day without rain. This looked as if it might be a productive day. The weather affects me more than I'd like to admit.
There's no "park" today so I'm free to set some plans.
My first visitor was a sick son. My second visitor was a puking son.... no gym for me, I guess. Hmmm.
Productive expectation just fell several points.
Re-working my plan. I decide I better take this day to empty my school room into boxes so I can evaluate and organize for next year. This gives me the summer to tweak things and I have a better idea of what needs to get done.
Boxes are made, and the games come down off the shelf. That's as far as we got. Making a mess.
Get those sheets into the wash.
I remembered that the rocks that are sitting on the grass will be there for sometime since Greg will not have time to work on that this week. The weekend is filled with Father's day activites and rain seems to be listed for every other day. We head out to the yard to load them all onto the patio. One job done!
While doing so, our friendly neighbour asks if we'd like to use a carpet cleaner he's rented and is done with. You have no idea.. this is an answer to prayer for me. For reasons I won't bore you with.. I just couldn't bring myself to ask hubby if I could get my carpets cleaned, so I don't. Now I get to do it for free! Well, for a trade. He wants a load of rocks and needs us to drive our truck so he can bring it home.
Get those sheets into the dryer.
Day changes... now I'm moving furnature and washing carpets. The house looks a mess!!! The boys need attention from time to time ... and well... Bethany and I are getting a work out!
Steam clean the van... wow that's a big one. Never knew how many fries made it to the floor.
Steam clean the truck seats .. the kids really need to clean the window writers off his windows.
Return the machine.
Feed some kids....
That means getting kids through the bedtime routine while there are friends still playing outside (a summer drawback).
I think I've accomplished quite a bit today... though none of it was what I planned when I got up. It'll be so nice to have clean carpets!!
Make those beds and change the fans that are drying the carpets.
Time to re-load the furnature back into the rooms!

Drum Roll Please.... Decision Made!

Well, It's been a long time coming... but we've reached the decision. Our new willing Board for next fall .... so we'll have the support we need to be as "traditional" as we usually are anyways...
Drum roll .. please!!!
Yes, we went with Wisdom Homeschooling. We finally got the paperwork done, and I've sent it off. So we are officially registered with them now and ... phew... that is one thing off my list of summer projects.
I'm feeling good about this.

Making Mama Proud

My singer is maturing. She's getting to be more comfortable on stage. Her voice is getting richer. She's got more range than she used to. Everyone tells us what a wonderful voice she has .. so it was nice to go to her recital on Monday. She was one of many vocal preformers.
But Bethany was the only person there who also preformed a piano piece. That was a bit of a surprise to her also, but she carried it off just fine.

My little girl is developing her talents as she grows into a lady. She loves working with Lindsey, her piano and vocal teacher. We're blessed to have such a lovely lady. She's flexible and gracious with our many whims. We have lots of fun with her. It has helped Bethany to learn to enjoy her teaching times even more.

We're excited to see her growing list of talents and interests. Isn't that what this stage of life is all about? Finding out what life has to offer and how you want to fit into all that.

We're very proud.

Results of the Family Photo day

Hmmm... remember the fairly non successful approach to getting family photos done? Well, after several hours at the computer, cropping and chopping and adjusting. We've managed to come out with a few decent ones.
We'll probably still have to go and do at least one more round of photos. We have zero family pictures that worked out. Almost nothing of all the kids together where everyone looks alive.
But we did get a few fun ones. And Black and white is very forgiving.

Turns out Mr. Sick, ended up with a cute picture after all.
Got a handsome photo of my hubby. He's not a smiler .. much like Micaiah .. so the serious shots are what you're after. Still looking good after all those trials, misquitos and carrying the sick kid. wink.
Still trying to decide on what tone of black and whilte to use. The lighter version or the darker. All this is so we can have a family frame above our fireplace. It's fun but it's alot of work too. I actually am enjoying our digital camera way more than I imagined.

Proof of the adventure .. and I really like it .. even if the technical photography isn't perfect.
I struggle with getting photos of myself. I guess that will always be a struggle for me. So I'll probably head out and get Bethany or Greg to take more so I can get a few more choices.
Doesn't this look like an album cover? "The Swamp Rats" or something. I don't care that it's not all smiley... I think it's cute!!

What can I say? I'm their mother .. and I'm allowed to think I got cute kids.

Sometimes It's okay to Quit ~ especially while you're ahead.

Okay so sometimes you have to get something done. For us, we wanted to get some photos done before Father's day for a frame we're putting together of black and white photos. It's not going so well.
Saturday we rush around getting everyone ready. Open the door and a thunderstorm starts. That cancelled that plan.
Sunday afternoon, we tried again. Everyone gussied up and we get ready to leave. You'd never guess, Micaiah starts throwing up. Luckily he didn't get anyone's outfit .. so meanie that I am.. we made him go anyways. Dragged the poor soul through the ravine.
Mosquitoes were horrid~ monsters! So we trudged back to our pond and tried a few shots. Micaiah is not smiling in any of these photos. He's not given to smiling for photos but after puking, who can smile?
So ... photos were .. hmm??? Maybe we should have quit while we were ahead?
OY!

Four thing I want to Accomplish this Summer

1. Clean and organize my school room.
2. Spend time re-establishing relationships with friends for myself and for my kids, deeping friendships that are choosen, not just convenient.
3. Finish (or do as much as budget allows), on the side yard to bring the construction to an end.
4. Have more peaceful attitude towards my home and schooling before I start up this fall... (that may mean being more organized, that may mean working on my spirit, I think both.)

It's the Journey that Counts

Saturday! The Scene: Mom and Dad are reading on the deck chairs. Bethany is in some unknown parts of the house. Josiah and Micaiah decide to dig in the rough mason sand that is left over from some contruction we're doing in the yard.

They've decided to build a "moat". They soon discover that if you pour water into sand, it disappears into the sand and doesn't retain the water. This is very disappointing. They try pouring it from various containers, at differing speeds and at different angles. The results are very dishearting.

A discovery! When dad built the river bed, he lined it with rocks. Rocks do not absorb water. So they push rocks that are far too large for the small moat they have built into their creation. The water runs over them and seeps into the sand. They're baffled. Still they don't give up.

Bethany appears and suggests they use the left over rubber pond liner that Dad uses for the river bed. This gets everyone excited. Even Dad gets into the action now.

Soon they have a rubber lined moat, rock bridges and a muddy mess. I'm not sure it actually held water for long but ... the journey NOT the destination, right??

It's so sweet to see them work through their knowledge of what can work and what they know.
We're so blessed to have the time and place to watch our OWN children growing every day.

Brave the Elements, come to Park days... Castledowns.

Yes, you too can be tough enough to come out on a cold and windy day to have fun at the park with the great families that gathered at Castledowns for the Out and About Park day last Wednesday. It was scary at first, raining off and on. Pretty cold for the moms who don't exercise by running around. But soon we acclimatized to the Alberta conditions and everyone seemed to have fun.
(OH, I don't know why this one is sideways? )There seemed to be someone for almost everyone and it was easy to find ways to torture and entertain each other.
The older kids had to claim territory and alot space for the younger ones so they'd stay out of their way. As soon as that was worked out, no big problems.

The youngers got to play in the "pit" and really seemed to enjoy it. With the added bonus of the fact, that they needed help to get out. So less chance of escapees.
They loved rolling the tennis balls up the sides of the skateboard ramps and chasing them around the pit.
There were balloons, watermelon, cookies and blankets to share for the less adventurous ones. The fact that the water was turned on in the sprinkler park, proved interesting, as all the younger kids thought it would be great to get wet in their sweatshirts. I''m sure more than a few went home soggy. I know mine did.

It was a great way to spend the day. Building relationships is part of what we want to accomplish this summer. Thanks to all the families who are precious and have the quality of kids to build relationships with.

The Beer Umbrella's new Clothes

Maybe it's never happened to you, but it happened to me. Somewhere in the past, we acquired a beer umbrella. No one seems to remember the story of it joining our family but it's been the best sun shade we've ever had. I'd gladly have more of them. Still it is a beer advertisement and I've seen the sideways looks that come from some people who visit us when they see the words dangling above their heads. I see the questions dangling in their minds and I want to defend my dear beer umbrella. It keeps out the shade better than the other ones. It's a better made one. It's stronger. It's ... ummmm.... got ... words I can't really take off.

So for the third year in a row we've added to our fabric painting journey of our beloved beer umbrella. I think it's actually OVER done now. But ... the words do still show and well... now it looks like we tried TOO hard. Still,
It's my favorite. Not elegant or showy. It still works the best and I'm on the look out for more of the same kind, the kids have run out of umbrella to personalize.

Parenting Tests

Have you ever wondered? Stopped for a moment and thought, if there were some sort of test, assessment or say PAT for your parenting skills?
There is leave your child alone with the video or digital camera for ... oh a half hour ... and a peer of their choice. Leave no instructions. Then check what's on the camera.
It's an eye opening assessment of your children's mind.

What can I say? Canadian Idol, here we come? I hope not. Go Creative Writing!! At least they dress modest? Hmmm?

Seriously though... the movies they made that day were so funny. They obviously had a great time together (unnamed cousin to protect the innocent .. that's you who don't know).

Treasure the moments! Just had to use the picture.

Sprinkler Addiction

Summer seems to finally have arrived to Alberta.
After a few false starts, and a whole lot of grey skies. It seems that blue skies are finally here. This past weekend brought out the sprinkler addict in everyone.
NO one is safe. You can't water the plants, the grass, have a drink or even think about water without someone devising a plan to get you wet.

That's why sunscreen was invented, I mean you have to dry off afterwards, even if you are down to your undies.

Landscaping Lackies

Landscaping, it's been an on-going activity for 3 years now. We're working on the 3rd side of our house now. That'd be the east side. Greg and his "helpers" stop for lunch. Well, the "helpers", help with lunch and not much more.

Greg has this week off his Canada post job, so he's working at creating steps down the side of the yard, making a rock garden and a waterfall for our drainage from our house run off. We've had lots of trouble with the water that drains from our roof so we're going to try to make it into something beautiful. Lemons into Lemonade? It's a hot week, then rain is rumored so we're trying to get it done before we have a pool of mud.
It's hot, hard work but he's already accomplised alot. It's starting to come together. I'm excited to see it take shape.