DECEMBER

I hope everyone is enjoying this month of Christmas. We started off with our second annual "new Christmas book tradition", given on December 1st. This year it was Thomas Saves Christmas and it's been read a ton so far. The boys do their advent calendars each night together, one usually ends up with both chocolates though. They each also received a new Christmas tree ornament on December 1st, possibly another new tradition.

Last Saturday night was the Boy's and Girl's Club telethon. The daycare kids did a couple of little songs. It was recorded and will air on Bell on the community channel at some point throughout the month. I don't have any dates or times. I guess we just have to try to catch it.

Lights are going up around the island and its fun to go for drives at night to see them. We went last night after the Santa Claus parade.  There was a cement mixer all lit up in the parade so you can guess which float was the favorite.
Today was a good snow day. Besides plowing and playing in the snow, we made a tent in the kitchen which was really cozy and Brady was a good sport about.

I had lots of "help" making two kinds of gluten-free Christmas cookies today. Our family always has gingerbread boys and shortbreads at Christmas so I found two recipes I thought might work and gave them a try. Brady says they're actually pretty good so that was good news. Gluten-free baking isn't always the best. We saved three big gingerbread boys, decorated with Smarties, for Christmas Eve - one for each boy and one for Santa.

 

A couple of notes of excitement for our family from this month: Brady was accepted into the Police Foundations course in the Miramichi for next fall (which is actually happy/sad - happy for him, sad for me), and, I have a new niece. Her name is Caisie Lynn, and she was born 11/12/13. We're hoping to go to Moncton sometime this coming week to see her beautiful little baby-ness. Merry Christmas to our family!

November

So, let's see. What's happened since my last post? Well...
The men finally got their traps in the water. Sherman's gone nonstop of course, but Brady's been out a few times too, missing a little school here and there to earn some extra money. We got up and left the house at 6:30 on setting day (and then again on the day they actually did set) to see Brady and Sherman off. One of us was a lot more chipper than the other at being out in the cold at 6:30. I was better after my coffee :)

We went to the dentist for the first time last week. He sat on my lap and was very good and let Dr. Van count his teeth. The prize was a new toothbrush. It was all good. Next comes his flu shot - I'm not looking forward to that :(

Brady helps coach an Atom hockey team, so he's been away a few weekends lately. He always comes home with Timbits for a certain someone. "Donits - yeah!"

It's cute, he has this little suitcase that has a handle and wheels. He plays with it a lot. Sometimes it's a golf bag, sometimes it's a hockey bag. It just depends on the season around here, I guess. He also has Sherman's old cell phone. We've had to work on imaginative play quite a bit, it hasn't come easy for him. But now he'll take his phone and "call" Keely on it. It goes something like this, "Hawoe Keeyee. A doe in da woader? Sure, sure, sure. Otay, bye."
He went to a birthday party on Saturday for his twin friends Austin and Ryan and that was fun.
We've had visits with a speech-language pathologist the last two months, and she's really pleased with his progress from one month to the next. He had his hearing checked and that was perfect. We continue to see Early Intervention twice a month. His 3&1/2 year assessment will be coming up shortly, I presume.

I've been trimming for Christmas. Brady asked last Sunday if we could put up our tree. We have an artificial one so up it went. We did our annual tradition of trimming while watching The Polar Express and having cocoa and snacks. It was a good evening and our tree is loaded and beautiful. Plus, there was a chance to help Sherman fix the "lopsidedness" of the tree, and a chance to crawl around on Brady. FUN!

 We also have a tradtion of a new Christmas book on December 1st, so that will be coming right up, along with the advent calendar. We have our church concert to look forward to, and a little someone is going to be in the Boy's and Girl's Club annual telethon with his daycare friends (that's the plan anyway). I will try to do two posts next month because of all the action.
Christmas here we come!!!

HALLOWEEN 2013

HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone.
We carved our pumpkin last night...

Then tonight we packed up our lion and hit the road to go trick-or-treating (there was no tricking, we were totally in it for the treats).

 

 It was a good night and he really got into it once we got started, asking Sherman to stop at random houses along the way. But we stuck to family and close friends, and believe me, he got PLENTY!
Bring on Christmas!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Twenty-three years ago today, I was twenty, Sherman was twenty-two and our lives together began.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Here's to you...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS

So, we're settling back into our old routine. There's been an adjustment period, for sure, but things seem to be rolling along now. He's happy to see his friends again at the B&G Club, and ready to leave when I pick him up. We've got new art work on our fridge and paint-stained clothes and things are good.

I took Brady's "in front of the fireplace first day of school picture" for the last time. This will be a big year for him and for us. He had his first Class of 2014 fundraiser this weekend, and his grad pictures are scheduled for October 7. Am I ready for this? No.

I chose the week school started to paint our kitchen cupboards. Everything had to be done in the evenings after little fingers were in bed, or during naptime on the weekends. Sherman's started a second bathroom and rec room in the basement so he's in the same boat I am. Never a dull moment. I'm so happy to say that after 40 + hours of work, I'm finally done. So for my friend Colleen, "Look what I did..."

THE OLD

(I'D ALREADY STARTED REMOVING THE HANDLES WHEN I REMEMBERED TO TAKE A PICTURE)

THE NEW

(SUCH A BIG HELP PUTTING THINGS BACK TOGETHER!)

We went whale-watching with our "Thomas" friends and a few other friends before we went back to school. We saw lots of whales and several breaches. It was a beautiful day and the little ones had fun - especially with the trucks we brought along. We don't go anywhere without one (or many) trucks in tow.

 

 

 

It's the season for putting in wood. Sherman and Brady were hard at it. Not to be outdone, look who wanted to help...

 

 

 He put on his splash pants and boots himself, needed a little help with his sweatshirt, and off he went to help. Sherman's hoping it's not just a fleeting fancy :)
With our wood nearly in, we've now got our pumpkins and are ready for this next season.