Way to go Bobcats!!

Sunday was Blake's last regular season hockey game.  This weekend they have a practice and next weekend is the Timbits Jamboree tournament at Terwillegar Rec Centre.  Blake's team had a great year, so many kids improved so much over the course of the hockey season and a ton of fun was had by all - kids and Coaches :)  Blake's made some good buddies.  According to Cal and the other Coaches, they are often overheard talking about Lego and joking around between shifts ... too cute!!!  Blake himself has improved immensely and is really enjoying the game.  He has a huge smile on his face every shift and after the game and still takes the time to skate by the stands and wave to anyone who is there watching him!  Love, love, love that :) :)  He's still looking for his first goal but doesn't seem too concerned about scoring!!  The Saturday that Cal and Blake went to the Oiler's game, the team had a full ice shinny game against the team they share practice ice with.  Blake overheard the Coaches telling Cal that they played a full ice game and changed on the fly.  During dinner a few nights later, Blake said to us, "I wish I would have been at practice on Saturday."  I said, "Why?" And he replied, "Because they played a full ice game against the Lions and even changed on the fly!"  Trying to hide the smile on my face and not giggle, I asked, "What is changing on the fly??"  Blake paused, got that goofy lopsided grin on his face, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Wellllll ... I don't really know!  Dad, what is changing on the fly?"  Maybe you had to be there but it was sooo darn cute!  He said, "Changed on the fly" just like an expert ;)  We're looking forward to the Timbits tourney next weekend and the wrap up party at the beginning of April!  Although it is Blake's hockey team, we've all had fun meeting new people and visiting every weekend!  And I think that is one of the best parts of being involved in minor hockey (and maybe any team sport!) - it's a team environment, right down to the siblings and parents who also form friendships and a 'team' :)

Sleepover at Grandma's :)

Blake and Em were very lucky to each spend at night at Grandma's this week!!

While Dad was working in Peace River this week, my Mom was home tying up loose ends before their two month vacation (Yes, I said 2 months!!  That's the life of the semi-retired ;)  And they earned every second of this vacation!!  Something to look forward to when it's our turn!!).  She asked if Emerson would like to sleep over on the 5th and Blake the next night!  The kids were super excited and started packing their bags right away!  You would have thought they were each going away for a month with everything they wanted to pack ;)

Em went home with Grandma on Tuesday afternoon and then met Blake, Reese and I at Beaner's on Wednesday afternoon.  She came home with Reese and I, while Blake went with Grandma for his sleepover!  They both had a great time and have already asked when the next sleepover is!

Thanks Grandma (and Grandpa who got home Wednesday afternoon!) for having Blake and Em over for sleepover's.  Cal and I both remember sleepovers at our Grandparents houses and how special they were.  And even though we live a short drive away our visits are often quick for that reason, so the extra time was very nice for the kids!  They really enjoyed themselves and it was a nice break for Cal and I ;)  It really made us realize how easy only having two is!!  lol!  All joking aside, we missed them even though it was only one night each and we were very happy to see how much they missed each other :)

Mom and Dad will soon be off on their vacation.  We will miss them tons but are happy for them and their time away to relax and unwind!  They've had a busy winter!  And we will keep in touch with them via FaceTime, Skype and their US cell phone - gotta love technology!!  Love you guys, safe travels!

xoxo
Cal, Tracy, Blake, Emerson and Reese (who will soon be wanting her own sleepover ;) )

1 down ...

Blake lost his 1st tooth on Monday!!  I was at an appointment with Emerson and came home to the big news ;)  It's been loose since January 20th!!  The tooth next to it is also loose.  I thought kids usually lost their top middle teeth first but I'm sure there's no real 'order', just like when they come in!!  He was wiggling it around and out it came!  No yanking or pulling, painless he says!  He was excited for a tooth fairy visit and took quite awhile to fall asleep that night!  We decided on $2.00 for the first tooth, which Blake was very happy with.  On Tuesday when we were waiting outside the school for the bell to ring, he said to every classmate that walked up to him, "Look, I lost a tooth!" as he pulled down his bottom lip ... too cute ;)  

Em had her 4 year pediatrician appointment on Monday afternoon.  She is healthy as a horse and growing!  She is 99 cm and 36 lbs - 35 %tile for height and 50th for weight.  She's grown 7 cm and 6 lbs in 1 year!  And she's rose on the charts for height, last year she was in the 25th %tile for height ;)  I have a feeling our girls have gotten a good dose of the short genes from their grandma's but I do admit, I hope they are at least 5'4" ;)  I know, it really doesn't matter but being 5'3 1/2" (yes I had to put that 1/2" in there!), I too wish I was a few inches taller (you know, distribute the weight over a bit more surface area!).  Anyways, Emerson had a good appointment, Dr. Radisic asked her some questions, said she sounded like a smart little girl (yes, thank you she is) and said he'll see us in another year (lets hope there is no need for a visit beforehand!)!

This week is meet week AGAIN.  Like I always say, it comes too fast and is a crazy few days!  And this Thursday and Friday are teacher's convention so no school and that means all 3 kids will be joining me at the meet on Friday.  But we are going to do something fun after the meet on Friday, so it will make up for making them sit in the van for 3 hours!!  

Have a great week everyone :)

xo Tracy

Weekend with Grandma Bev!

Emerson, Blake, Reese, Jenna and Colby giving Grandma big congratulatory hugs!!

Cal's Mom flew into Edmonton on Friday afternoon to spend the weekend with us and run in the Hypo 1/2 marathon on Sunday morning.  The kids were very excited to have Grandma Bev sleep over at our house :)  

We met the Stony Plain Cameron's for dinner on Friday night after Blake, Em and Reese's swimming lessons.  I picked Bev up at the airport around 4, so missed swimming lessons but my parents were able to help Cal out so none of the kids missed their last lesson of this session!  Thanks again Mom and Dad :)

Saturday afternoon Cal and Blake headed to the Oiler's game and Bev, the girls and I headed to Kingsway for some retail therapy!!  The boys had a great time at the game, Blake came home very excited, telling us all about overtime, the shootout and the Oiler's win!  We had fun at the mall, the girls were very good and Bev found some great deals at her favorite store.

Sunday morning Cal drove Bev to her race and later we all went back to see her cross the finish line!  It was a very nice day out, much warmer then in 2008 when Cal ran the Hypo 1/2.  She later told us that it was really nice to see Cal, Gerry, Lesley and I and all our kids waiting for her at the finish line :)  After the race, we came home for lunch and were then off to Blake's hockey game!  He had a great game, his 1st two shifts were the best we'd ever seen!!!  Bev flew home later Sunday evening.

We had a great weekend!  The kids were sad to see Grandma go, we will have to make a trip to G.P. soon :)

   

Visit's and fun!

It's been a great week.  Lindsay and Connor flew down for a visit, it was my Mom's birthday on Wednesday and I met one my best friends was in town for the week, so we met for dinner on Tuesday night :)

We had a great visit with Lindsay and Connor.  They came to Come Play With Me on Tuesday and hung out with us for the afternoon.  We're so grateful they make the trip down to see us as often as they do!  I can't believe Connor's 1st birthday is just around the corner!!!  Crazy, crazy!!  He's growing up so fast and changing every time we see him!  He's crawling all over the place now and loves climbing stairs :)

On Wednesday we took my Mom for a nice birthday lunch!  Reese and Connor were pretty funny in their high chairs, Reese did not want Connor to touch her, it was hilarious!  But of course Reese was okay with reaching over to Connor's space and grabbing some of his snacks ;)  lol!!!  Mom, Lindsay and I met up again that evening for a movie date!

Today was Emerson's birthday celebration day at preschool and it was also beach day ;)  She wanted to wear a swimsuit but I convinced her to wear a rash guard top and board shorts!!  Phew!  She may have been just a bit cold in a swimsuit.  I had a massage scheduled for 9:30 this morning, so Cal took Em to school, I took Blake and Reese to my friend Jodi's house and went for the massage (not the relaxing kind - a kick ass theraputic massage.  The kind you feel bruised from afterwards.  But the relief in the days to come is heavenly!!!).  After my massage I rushed over to Em's preschool to hand out her birthday treats to all the kids.  We picked up lunch for our family and Jodi and her 3 kids on the way back to her house.  I was almost to her house when what do I see ... a lovely looking man in a uniform waving me over to the side street :(  DANG!  Speeding ticket.  Boo hoo!!!!  We got to Jodi's, ate lunch and Jodi went for her massage while the kids played - I really can't say I babysat, as the 6 of them keep each other very occupied!!!  Her house looked like a bomb went off by the time we left but the kids had a blast :)

We're looking forward to this weekend and a visit from Cal's Mom!  We're picking her up at the airport tomorrow afternoon!  She's running in the Hypo-Half marathon on Sunday morning and is flying home on Sunday night.  Cal and Blake are going to the Oilers game on Saturday afternoon, so the girls and I are going shopping with Grandma Bev :)  Sunday afternoon we'll all be taking in Blake's hockey game!

Have a grrrrrrreat weekend!!!!

xo
Tracy

Happy 4th Birthday Emerson :)

Emerson was so excited to open her gifts from Blake, Reese, Cal and I!  She LOVED the Sophia book her brother and sister picked out for her at Chapter's and was also very excited to open up Lambie from Doc McStuffins!!  She is still all about the stuffies :)  With her birthday money from her Great Grandma's, she would like to buy a stuffed monkey.  I think that is the only animal she doesn't have yet!!! 

Emerson was treated to a super fun date with Grandma D on her birthday!  They went for tea/lunch/treats at the Duchess bakery and went shopping at Kingsway Mall.  Grandma let Em pick out a new outfit, Emerson had a great time, thank you so much Grandma D!!!  I have a feeling she won't be taking off this new top and tutu for quite a while ...

The rest of our day was somewhat crazy, most especially for Cal who played 2 hockey games and was on the ice for Blake's hockey practice!!  All in new skates ... needless to say they are broken in now!!  My Mom dropped Em off at our house, picked up Blake and took him to his hockey practice where he met Cal.  The girls and I got ready to go to a friend's 6th birthday party.  After hockey practice Cal dropped Blake off at the party and headed to his last game of the day.  The kids had a blast at the Angry Birds themed party and Emerson especially was very happy to see the face painter/entertainer Lady Dolphin!!!  She is quite enamored with her and I must say Lady Dolphin sure knows how to entertain ;)  Emerson had her face painted 2 times - the first time as Princess Leia and the second time as Ariel!!  

The kids and I headed home for bedtime and then my Mom came over to babysit for us (thank you sooo much for all your running around on the 16th Mom.  Without you we would not have been able to do even half of this! ).  A friend picked me up and we met our hubbies at the Oiler's game!!  It was a wicked game!!!  After the game we went to a pub for a few hours, great double date night :)

Emerson had a wonderful day and was appropriately spoiled :)

Sunday was bit slower paced with Blake's hockey game followed by a pizza dinner (as requested by Em) and 2 delicious birthday cakes (1 Emerson picked up from Duchess and the rainbow cake that fell over before her birthday party!  Both were DELICIOUS ;) )  And so Em's birthday celebrations wrapped up ... lucky little girl, there were many days of celebration :)

Emerson, we can not believe it has already been 4 years since we were blessed with our first baby girl.  I remember the surprise when the Dr. said, "It's a girl!"  I remember looking at my Mom and your Dad with what I'm sure was a shocked expression on my face!  When I checked into the hospital on what would be your birth day, 8 days post due date, the clerk joked (direct quote), "It's going to be a stubborn little girl!"  Then when you were born, as one of the nurses was assessing you, she said, "She's going to be saying her ABC's by the time she is one!"  And sure enough, by the age of 2 you were speaking full sentences and surprising everyone with your vocabulary!!  Thank you Emerson for all the joy, love, hugs, kisses, twirls, fashion shows, stories and excitement you bring to our every day!!  Don't ever lose your fierce independent streak, it will serve you well in years to come but also never lose your big heart and loving nature.  You are one of a kind Miss Em and we are so proud to be your Mom and Dad :)  Love you beyond words sweetheart!

xoxo

Where does the time go?!

My gosh, Emerson's 4th birthday will soon be upon us - unbelievable.

We've been busy the last few weeks.  On the 2nd we were invited to a friends surprise 40th birthday party.  We had a great time - my time was a little too great ... let's just say I was not feeling very well on Sunday and very thankful for an awesome husband who came home Saturday night at a decent time to pay the babysitter and let her get home at a decent time ;)  Oh and I should also give my awesome hubby props for allowing me to sleep off my self-induced illness on Sunday morning/early afternoon!!  This year is the year of 40th birthday's amongst a group of our friends, so we have quite a few of these parties coming up!!  Great to get together with friends who we don't see as often as the old days.  So anyways, Sunday for me was pretty low-key but it was Superbowl Sunday, so Cal headed to a friends house to take in the game while I got the kids to bed early and resumed my horizontal position on the couch ;)

We had our first Oilers tickets of this shortened NHL season on the 6th.  It was great to take in a game, we're happy to be season ticket holders again (1/4 of the games!) and look forward to these much needed date nights :)

On the 7th, the kids and I picked up Cal from a course he was on and we headed to the RV show.  We really had no need to go but we've been visiting the show every year for so many years, we really wanted to go!!  Plus we hoped to see our new trailer, which we did!  This link should take you to photos of a trailer nearly exactly like ours (http://www.coachworksrv.com/rv/new/Cherokee%20by%20Forest%20River/2013-Cherokee+by+Forest+River-Grey+Wolf+26+DBH-edmonton-b2bb8a4e0a0a00a40040f2f10cffa142.htm)!  Can't wait to tow it home and especially can't wait for our first camping trip!!

That brings us to the weekend and Emerson's 4th 'Rainbow Dash' birthday party!!!  Em requested a gymnastics birthday party for the 3rd year!  We tried to host the party on her actual birthday but due to a competition being held at the gym on the 16th, the gym was not open for parties on that day.  So we held the party on the 9th.  The 1 hour of floor time with the gymnastics coaches is always a big hit and a lot of fun :)  We had cake, played a few games and opened gifts during our 1 hour in the party room!  Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us, Emerson had a blast and we hope all the kidlets enjoyed themselves :)  After the birthday party, we went out for dinner with our good friends, the Streadwick family.  It was Julie's 40th birthday that day so a big celebration was in order!!  Although we had an 1 1/2 wait before we were seated and spent an 1 1/2 at the table (way past the kids bedtime!), we had a fabulous time and all the kids were so great!!  It was a nice end to the day :)

The next day we all went to Blake's hockey game to cheer on the Bobcats!!  After hockey, Mom and Dad came over as we had invited my cousin Aaron, his wife Daryl and their baby Brody over for supper.  It was great to visit with Aaron and Daryl and meet Brody!  He's such a cutie and reminded me of Blake as a baby ... I think maybe it was his cute head of hair :)

Which brings us to the 11th, Cal's 34th birthday!!  We had a great day, taking Blake to school and then hitting Tim Horton's for a breakfast date ;)  We had dinner and cake that night for Cal and as usual, the kids were super excited to give their Dad his birthday gift and sing Happy Birthday!!

This week is meet week ... again!!!  It always comes far to soon in my opinion :s  Such a crazy, hectic time leading up to meet week.  Cal is also playing Telus hockey on Thursday night and is in a corporate cup hockey tournament this weekend.  Saturday is Emerson's 4th birthday, we have a birthday party that afternoon and Cal and I are going to the Oilers game that night!!  Once again, super busy but FUN busy so we shouldn't complain ;)

Take care, have a great week!!

xo
Tracy