CHRISTMAS STUFF 2015

WARNING - Since lots of family and friends near and far read this blog, it's a lengthy one. Just figured I'd take this opportunity to fill everybody in at once...
Another Christmas has come and gone, this being our 4th as a family of four. I can't believe it. Where does time go? Even this Christmas - we looked forward to it and prepared for it for ages, and then it was over. Just like that. But special memories were made and that's the main thing.
I guess things started in November with a trip to Moncton to visit my brother and his family. We took all the kids to see Santa. They wrote letters and put them in Santa's mailbox and then sat on Santa's lap for a chat. It was the start of our Christmas season.

The house decorations went up, and we trimmed the tree the next weekend that Brady came home for a visit. There was the Ross family traditional movie, The Polar Express and lots of snacks and treats for the occasion. We put lights in the boys' rooms so they'd be nice and cozy and festive. Our house felt very Christmas-y.

We went to the library's gingerbread house decorating night with Keely and Keyaunnah. We also did two trips to Saint John with them to see Bubble Guppies at Imperial Theatre. The first trip ended up including a movie since the show was cancelled. We're very fortunate to have these two wonderful friends.

December first saw the return of JoJo the Elf, the advent calendar and a special new Christmas book, a tradition started on Kellan's first Christmas with us. Its a lot of fun to find JoJo each morning, (on this morning he was hanging from the light) and eat a chocolate, and so the early riser started rising even earlier. "I just so 'cited!"

He was in the Santa Claus Parade again this year, on a float put in by the church. It was a beautiful evening and he had a lot of fun, except that it was hard for him to see Bev and Allan in the big equipment (also in the parade). He got to sit beside a little friend in his class, Pacey. We went for a drive afterward to see the lights but he was asleep before we got to North Head so we tried again another night.

The school concert was really cute, although he yawned continuously through both songs. It started at 6:30 on a school night and he was a tired boy. We could see him looking for us while he was on the stage and heard him when he finally found us in the crowd. He did a great job and looked super cute!

Brady was done exams on the 14th, but he had three doctors appointments that kept him away until the 18th. At his last one the post for his tooth was implanted in his jaw, but once they started the procedure they realized they hadn't grafted enough bone the last time and so they had to graft more. He was in a lot of pain for a while and swelled really badly. After a few days though it went down, and he went lobster fishing a few times before and after Christmas to make some extra money. 

There was a nice family Christmas dinner at Maxine's on the Sunday before Christmas. As always the food was great and it was good to see everybody. The kids had fun running around and riding the elevator, and Vonnie gave them all toonies for coming in to see her tree.

Once school was out we set to work baking. We made peanut butter balls, shortbread cookies and gingerbread boys. One of those mornings the power truck came to fix our dusk-to-dawn light, which was like an early Christmas gift to the boy who ran outside in his jammies and got to pull levers and sit inside the truck.

My sister-in-law sent us the Jelly Belly game, and Brady, Lex and I tried it out one night. It was so much fun! We had a blast and we were stoic, not spitting out the gross ones or taking a drink after. Yes, I might have gagged a few times. Yes, my eyes might have watered from the disgustingness of rotten egg and vomit, but we did it the right way. We saved most of them to share Christmas Eve, and it was a fun time watching those we love suffer. We'll definitely be doing it again!

We had lots of things to do to keep us busy and before we knew it, it was Christmas Eve. The boys opened new pjs, and they, plus Alexis, got new ornaments with their names engraved on them (two were hockey pucks, Lex's a basketball). Brady had supper with his girlfriend's family but we had Grammy Ross, Robert and Nancy, and Neenie and Pa in for lobster chowder, homemade rolls and cheesecake. After that came the Christmas Eve church service. Brady and Lex came to that with us. Then it was home to put out the cookies and milk for Santa. Since he'd been up since 3:00am that day without a nap (believe me, I tried because I needed one but again was met with, "I just so 'cited!") he went to sleep really quickly. Mum and Dad stayed home for Christmas this year and my aunt and uncle and their two girls from Fredericton came to Nana's. My other aunt and uncle and their three kids plus son-in-law live here on Grand Manan and everyone came to our house for the evening. Brady and Lex were here too, of course. It was a house full of family and laughter and good food and Christmas spirit. We were only missing my brother and sister-in-law and my three nieces. It's pretty hard to travel at Christmas with three little kids, but we all wished they could have been here in the middle of everything.

The evening wound down, things were cleaned up and we "had just settled down for a long winter's nap"...

...when at 3:30am, guess who arrived at my bedside? I did get him to lay down with us and at around 4:30ish he went back to sleep until 7:00, so that was good.

And then, the fun began ...

On the list this year were a Bruder crane, tools, and a barbecue. Check. Check. And check. For tools he got some battery powered ones, but Santa also left a real tool bag just like daddy's with real tools inside. They've already been put to good use. Of course other things magically appeared too.

Thank-you to all who sent gifts and cards. We appreciate every one!

We had Keyaunnah's brother make him two small lobster traps with buoys just like the real ones on daddy's boat (minus the weight). There were even lobsters and crabs in them. Good thing Santa put new work gloves in the stocking again this year!

Christmas night was a family turkey supper at Nana's with the same gang that was here Christmas Eve. Lots of good food and family. Can't beat it...

...Until the next night when it was time for the annual String Game. When Brady, Nathan and Caroline were small we started the tradition of hiding a stocking-type gift somewhere in Nana's house with a piece of yarn tied to it. The yarn was unravelled around the house, the difficulty depended on the age of the child. This year we had 8 balls of yarn strung around Nana's house for the kids to chase. Once they tracked down their gift they sat on the floor in the living room and opened them, youngest to oldest. Brady's almost 20 and he says it wouldn't be Christmas without the String Game. Homemade ice cream always comes afterward. It's all just fun!

We've had such a wonderful Christmas, I feel sad that it's over. It sort of wrapped up today with our first real snow and I baked our turkey. The house smelled so good and the lights looked beautiful in the snow. Brady will go lobster fishing tomorrow and again on Saturday, and then he'll head back to the Miramichi. Things will go back to the way they were and it will be fine, but it's a bit sad to say goodbye to all the Christmas fellowship. On the bright side, we've made special memories and they will last a lifetime.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

HALLOWEEN

So, last night was fun. There was lots of trick-or-treating to be done, and since Brady had come home from the Miramichi just for the event, I gave up my roll as chauffeur after the first few houses and he took over. It was special brother time and they had lots of fun and got lots of treats.

He's back in hockey with his friends and he enjoys that quite a bit. Besides hockey two days a week for an hour each time, he's going a kids night at our church on Tuesday evenings and he's been staying for drama on Thursdays after school. The little guys get out an hour before the older ones so drama is held in this in-between time. Days are full but he's a very social guy so he likes being with people. Bedtime is still around 7:00 and I very rarely have to get him up in the mornings. He's been "helping" Sherman with wood and repairs on an old building on the weekends lately. We seem to be able to keep pretty busy.
School is going well. He's learning his sounds and likes going over them. He enjoys going to school, and loves that its now "our" school. He always referred to it before as "Mama's" school. Each morning he decides what kind of vehicle we're going to pretend our car is and then he has to check on the fire extinguishers and hoses if we're taking the fire truck, or make sure the stabilizers are up if we're in the boom truck etc. I try to get him to go out the door a couple of minutes before we need to leave because these procedures can be kind of lengthy. If we're "in" something to do with construction then I'm usually Allan and he's usually Bev and we have to talk to each other using our names until we get to school. No lack of imagination in him.
Here's some first day of school pics that I had trouble loading last time:

So excited to do this!

Mrs. Jones, his kindergarten teacher.

In the summer we went to PEI with the two couples we always do stuff with. So Keely, Keyaunnah and Kellan were all together on PPI (as he calls it). We had a great time, and I thought I'd add a few pics from that little adventure. A definite hi-light though was the wood pile for the fire pit. We hadn't been at our cottages very long and he had the whole thing moved and piled neatly beside the fire. Unfortunately the owner felt it was too near the fire and moved it all back the next day.

 

We had a really good time with our friends. Unfortunately Brady had to work and couldn't get the time off, but the other big boys from the other two families were there.

Anyway, probably the post I do will have something to do with Christmas. It's getting to be that time of year...



 

OFF TO KINDERGARTEN...

I started this post on the first day of school. I had trouble loading pics, (and still am) and now here we are three weeks in. I decided to just finish the post even without pics.

What a happy/sad day today has been. Our littlest started kindergarten. He was happy to go, and had a good day. Last night he had a haircut. He likes to have "bald" hair so we got that done. I actually had to wake him up this morning (figures) and he chose bacon and eggs for his first-day-of-school breakfast. He picked out his outfit (thankfully he chose shorts because I think he'd have roasted in pants). Neenie and Pa came up to get some pics and see him off.
He was pretty excited to go. He's called the Boys and Girls Club , "My Club" all along, and now the school is, "My school". He found his hook, unloaded, learned about the question of the day and where to put his agenda and homework each morning and learned about the Smartboard and that he would given a chance to play on it each morning, since he's the first one there. We hugged and kissed and he didn't mind me leaving him there too much. I told him I'd be down to check on him as soon as I could, and that was that.
I saw him in the hall later with his class. He ran out of the line and asked if it was ok to hug. I assured him it was, but that I'd come to him so he didn't have to leave his line. I met up with him again at lunch. We actually have the same lunch break so I can go in while he eats. He had asked for a homemade roll with Wow butter so we got that out, along with the thousand other things I'd packed. He liked eating in the cafeteria with all the kids.
After school, he rode the bus to the Club. He has to go there for a couple hours each day until I can pick him up. He didn't mind a bit. The bus was pretty exciting for him, and I am actually riding that bus with a student for a few weeks so it worked out really great.
When the day was done and we were quizzing him about his first day, he informed us that he guessed he'd go back again tomorrow. Good. Only 13 years left to go...

He's been very happy to go to school each day. He's been learning a letter sound a day for the past two weeks. He doesn't have the homework Brady did (thankfully!!!) and that's so great for all of us. He loves music and gym. They're playing soccer and he likes to kick. He likes to check his lunch kit each morning to see what is in it. He's tired each night and I've had to wake him up a few mornings. Plus, he's had a runny nose since day one. Its been a good start though, for sure!

Brady came home this weekend and they were pretty excited to see each other. It had been over three weeks. They put in wood Friday after school, and you'd have thought they were in Disney. "That was so much fun. When can me and Brade do some more?" Hopefully he enjoys working this much as he gets older too.

Anyway, all is well. we're so glad that he likes school. Next on the agenda - hockey. It starts again in a week or so. Our relaxing summer is gone. Now for the busy!

HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY

August 7th we celebrated a very special boy's birthday. It worked better to have his party that day and so we did...
There were a few friends that couldn't make it (five actually) but the seven who could had a really fun time. We had blue-frosted (request) ice cream cone cupcakes that the kids decorated. There were gifts and playground equipment and trucks to play with and a water fight and a candy toss. It was a beautiful, sunny day and there was lots of laughter and squealing and wet clothes.

"It was the best party in the world". Success!

 



 

 

 

On his real birthday, we went swimming, out for supper, and Sherman and Brady (with some help) finished putting together his present.

 

 

Brady's friend Kyle arrived with a special gift - four bags of doughnuts. One happy boy!

 

 

This summer has consisted of

Canada Day fun...

 

 

beach with friends...

 

 

 

pool with friends...

 

 

 

T-ball...

 

 

and hikes and picnics to Swallowtail light, the boardwalk and more. Its been busy and fun and its flying past but summer's not over yet. There's still more for us to do.

But, the book bag and lunch box came in the mail last week. That will be our next big adventure. Until then...

 

 







THREE YEARS AGO TODAY :)

Three years ago today I met the 11:30 boat in North Head. A blue van with a driver named ? (I called him Kevin but I found out later that wasn't his name, he did look like one though) brought a little boy and his belongings to me. We put him and his things in my vehicle and drove home, ready to become a family of four. THREE YEARS AGO TODAY. Wow. I can't believe it.

He's a very happy little boy. He's an early riser. He's a great sleeper. He's a lover of sweets, especially donuts. He loves trucks and diggers and riding his gator. He loves playing with Easton and Bryce, the two little boys who live near us. He loves to be read to. He likes to be in control. He enjoys going to the pool (or anywhere, actually) with Brady and Sherman, working to get it ready for swimming. He loves spending time with Neenie and Pa and Brynn. He's pretty sure he wants to go to school in September. He can buckle his own carseat now. He can also peddle his bike better now. He can be a tad stubborn. He tried hockey in the winter and is trying T-ball now. He loves going to the beach. He loves putting in wood and is always asking if we need more wood yet. He has an amazing memory for details. He holds a pencil perfectly and cuts like nobody's business. He knows his numbers and letters and the sounds some letters say. He sometimes likes to argue. He wants to work at Tim Hortons or drive heavy equipment or both. He loves to help cook. He plays well and has a good imagination. He's a good mess-maker, but he's also pretty good about cleaning up when he's told he has to. His speech and gross motor are still below age-appropriate. He knows how to get to favorites on the computer and find his YouTube construction videos. He loves to be picked up, all 49 lbs of him, and snuggled. He's really good at saying "excuse me" when he walks in front of people or burps. When he's sick, he's the best patient ever! He worries about fire. He loves dogs. He's good at zippering. He needs constant reasurrance about things. He's getting good at climbing. His fear of water is lessening. He's busy and likes to be on the go. He still sleeps with a soother and his blanket, he LOVES them! He knows most of the Dutchman Construction and road crew by name. He's learning how to rhyme.

He will have the same kindergarten teacher that Brady did. He's learning left and right. He loves sitting on Sherman's lap and playing "The Spin Game" (Trivia Crack) with him. He loves to kiss our booboos, and for us to kiss his. He's very curious about how things work. And there's so much more, of course.

He's so special, and we love him very much.

 

THEN

 

NOW