This week Emerson is in a Jitterbugs camp at the YMCA and Blake is in a hockey camp at the Castledowns arena, ran by Edges. I've also signed Reese up for some time in the child minding room at the YMCA. So I've been dropping Em and Reese off and going to work out! After I pick Reese up, we head over to the arena (which is attached to the Y), watch some hockey and then we all pick Em up at noon. It's been really nice!
Reese is loving the childminding room, she doesn't want to leave when I go to pick her up ... At first I had her booked in for 1 hr but I've changed it to an hour and a half since she loves it so much! That also gives me time to shower ;) In September I'll be taking her to the child minding room and working out every Monday and Wednesday morning, I'm looking forward to it!
Emerson is enjoying Jitterbugs! They've gone swimming once now and will go again on Thursday. And there's a dance party on Friday that she is excited about. Blake's having fun at hockey camp although he's been a bit under the weather this week, poor guy. I think he's just really tired from all our travels and the late nights that have come with visiting and camping. We ran in to a friend of ours at the arena, her son is older and is in a camp on the other ice surface. It was really nice to visit with her and her handsome sons! They are such nice boys.
In the afternoons we've been playing in our yard and at the park. We had a nice park picnic this afternoon!
We're getting ready to head to Jasper on Monday morning. We can't wait!! We love Jasper and are excited to spend the week with my Mom, Dad, sister and nephew :) I can't wait to breathe in the fresh mountain air :)
~Tracy
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Monday, August 12, 2013
Road Trip to SK!!
Thursday morning the kids and I loaded up the van and hit the road!!! Our destination - Tisdale, SK and most importantly, Grandma Marg and Grandpa Art's condo :)
I wasn't too nervous about the trip with the kids all by myself but I have a tendency to not worry or think things through and then when the day comes realize I may just be in over my head ;) But that was not the case this time around!! They were so good, I was very impressed! 8 1/2 hours in a vehicle is tough on anyone, never mind a 6, 4 and 2 yr old! I have what I guess you could call a 'road trip strategy' ... as far as watching DVD's, playing on the iPad's, playing road trip games, taking breaks, etc!! It worked really well this trip and I think the kids knew (thanks to my warnings ;)) that they'd better behave ;)
We had a fabulous time in Tisdale. I was SO glad we went. The only thing that would have been better, would have been if Cal could have joined us but with all the holiday time we had planned this year and him covering for his manager, he stayed behind.
My Aunt took us to visit our old Smith family cabin at Marean lake on Friday morning. It was great to visit there, I have so many great memories from spending time at Marean during summer holidays but it was a little bit sad to think that, that chapter is over. I am thankful for all those wonderful years in which we were blessed with that little piece of heaven on earth!! It truly is a gem and hard to describe unless you've been there yourself. I only wish we could find something similar, close to us but the cost of something like that near Edmonton would be extremely expensive!! On our way home from the cabin we stopped in a tiny town for lunch and to browse their new gift shop. It was fun, the kids each found a little toy :)
Friday night we had a BBQ at my Aunt's house. A few of my cousin's and another Aunt came, it was great to visit with everyone and the kids had a blast playing with the Labelle's (my cousins kids)!
The kids loved spending time with the Labelle's, they were pretty upset when I had to drag them back to the condo after spending the afternoon playing at their house! We took Grandma and Grandpa for supper on Saturday night, in the condo dining room. Their condo is so nice and the amenities are fantastic. They can go downstairs for coffee, snacks, meals, card games, etc almost any time of day. It's wonderful! And the fact that we can rent a room there is even better! We've rented the same 2 bedroom suite for November when we return for my cousin's wedding.
We spent lots of time with my Grandma and Grandpa, which was the main goal of our visit. Their suite is small but spacious at the same time if that makes sense?! Their furniture fits well and it works with the space! We loved having breakfast their and visiting each morning. The kids played cards with Great Grandma, which brought back a ton of memories of my sister, cousins and I playing cards with Grandma when we were young :) One of my favorite memories of all time is playing golf and nickles with Grandma Marg and Grandpa Art :) We're looking forward to visiting again. It's nice it won't be too long between visits, I miss everyone so much but have found it really difficult to make the drive these past few years. I'm also glad the kids will remember everyone, with the 2 visits closer together.
It was a tiring few days with the long drives and solo bedtimes but I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Thanks to everyone in Tisdale for your help and hospitality, we will see you in November!!!!
xo
Tracy
I wasn't too nervous about the trip with the kids all by myself but I have a tendency to not worry or think things through and then when the day comes realize I may just be in over my head ;) But that was not the case this time around!! They were so good, I was very impressed! 8 1/2 hours in a vehicle is tough on anyone, never mind a 6, 4 and 2 yr old! I have what I guess you could call a 'road trip strategy' ... as far as watching DVD's, playing on the iPad's, playing road trip games, taking breaks, etc!! It worked really well this trip and I think the kids knew (thanks to my warnings ;)) that they'd better behave ;)
We had a fabulous time in Tisdale. I was SO glad we went. The only thing that would have been better, would have been if Cal could have joined us but with all the holiday time we had planned this year and him covering for his manager, he stayed behind.
My Aunt took us to visit our old Smith family cabin at Marean lake on Friday morning. It was great to visit there, I have so many great memories from spending time at Marean during summer holidays but it was a little bit sad to think that, that chapter is over. I am thankful for all those wonderful years in which we were blessed with that little piece of heaven on earth!! It truly is a gem and hard to describe unless you've been there yourself. I only wish we could find something similar, close to us but the cost of something like that near Edmonton would be extremely expensive!! On our way home from the cabin we stopped in a tiny town for lunch and to browse their new gift shop. It was fun, the kids each found a little toy :)
Friday night we had a BBQ at my Aunt's house. A few of my cousin's and another Aunt came, it was great to visit with everyone and the kids had a blast playing with the Labelle's (my cousins kids)!
The kids loved spending time with the Labelle's, they were pretty upset when I had to drag them back to the condo after spending the afternoon playing at their house! We took Grandma and Grandpa for supper on Saturday night, in the condo dining room. Their condo is so nice and the amenities are fantastic. They can go downstairs for coffee, snacks, meals, card games, etc almost any time of day. It's wonderful! And the fact that we can rent a room there is even better! We've rented the same 2 bedroom suite for November when we return for my cousin's wedding.
We spent lots of time with my Grandma and Grandpa, which was the main goal of our visit. Their suite is small but spacious at the same time if that makes sense?! Their furniture fits well and it works with the space! We loved having breakfast their and visiting each morning. The kids played cards with Great Grandma, which brought back a ton of memories of my sister, cousins and I playing cards with Grandma when we were young :) One of my favorite memories of all time is playing golf and nickles with Grandma Marg and Grandpa Art :) We're looking forward to visiting again. It's nice it won't be too long between visits, I miss everyone so much but have found it really difficult to make the drive these past few years. I'm also glad the kids will remember everyone, with the 2 visits closer together.
It was a tiring few days with the long drives and solo bedtimes but I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Thanks to everyone in Tisdale for your help and hospitality, we will see you in November!!!!
xo
Tracy
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Camping, camping and more camping :)
We are making good use of our new 'house' on wheels ... and loving every minute!!!
From the 26th to the 29th we were at Carson Pegasus Provincial Park. The Hrdlicka's joined us on the 27th and despite the rain and chilly weather we had the best time!! Candace is one of my oldest and dearest friends but with college and then her career taking her away from the Edmonton area, we rarely get to spend more then a few hours together. Before marriage and children, one of my favorite weekends away was to her house!! But since then, we only get the odd visit in. So, I was super excited to spend the weekend with her and her fam!! Our kids get a long so, so well, they are so much alike it is almost scary!! Nicholas and Blake are best buds and Presley and Emerson are becoming fast friends. Carson and Reese are a little young yet, but Reese played awesome with all the kids and Carson was the best baby I've ever seen :) Brandon and Cal get along great too, which makes their wives very happy ;) We've started planning next years trip!
We got home on the Monday and had two days to unpack, do laundry, buy more groceries and re-pack for our August long weekend trip to Cross Lake Provincial Park! We were at Cross Lake from August 1st to the 5th. We spent the weekend with my sister and her family, my parents, the Streakwick's and two other families whom I know through Jer and Linds! We had another fantastic weekend! The weather was great, the kids had a blast playing with all the other kids (12 total) and the adults had a great time too!! Blake was very excited when he found out Uncle Jeremy was bringing his boat. Blake loves fishing and got to spend some time on the lake, which made him very happy! Emerson found a new passion for picking wild berries!! She found wild strawberries and blueberries ;) We continued our group camping trip tradition of appetizer night - no one starves on these trips!! lol! It was a great long weekend and hopefully we'll all get out together again next year - we might add a few more sites to our May long weekend reservations ;)
We are so happy with our new trailer! I can't even say how much I love it!!! I just love it ;) Definitely don't regret this purchase!! We have two more camping trips planned - 4 days in Jasper at the end of August and 2 days at my parents lake lot on September long weekend. And we may get out 1 more time in September! I love camping with my family so much and it is so good for the kids. Can't wait to make many more memories in our new trailer :)
In between camping trips, we've been enjoying fun play dates and some downtime at home. On the 24th of July the kids and I had a blast at K-Days with my Mom! Blake and Em love playing all the carnival games but don't enjoy the rides (other then the ponies)! Grandma made sure everyone won a stuffie and in fact, they each came home with an armful ;) Blake started off the day feeling under the weather. It came on suddenly but thankfully we found a lady who had some Advil in her purse and he perked up after a dose. Although he is still not quite feeling like himself :s Poor guy.
On the 25th we enjoyed a visit from Cal's Mom and Grandparents. We are so grateful Bev was able to bring Grandma and Grandpa Alstad down to visit us! It was great to see them and Bev! It's been about a year since we were in Grande Prairie but we're looking forward to heading up there in December for Cal's cousin's wedding!
Today we went to the Parenteau's for another pool party!! The kids LOVE splashing around and swimming in Berlyn's pool! It's a great time!
On Thursday the kids and I are headed to Tisdale, SK for a visit with my grandparents, aunt's, uncles and cousins. I can't wait to see everyone!! We haven't been there for a very long time, too long and this visit is wayyyy overdue!!
Talk to you soon, please send me positive travelling vibes and prayers for our long 8(ish) hour drive to SK!!! I just may be crazy for taking on this long drive by myself with 3 kids ... ;)
xo
Tracy
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Vacay!!
We had a great two weeks, with Cal off for the majority of the time! He went into work a few mornings and afternoons and of course, answered emails all day long and put out 'fires' ... one of these days we're going on a vacation where he can't access his email or Blackberry ;)
The first week was bike camp in the a.m. and time together in the p.m. - playing outside, a movie, library, fun in the backyard, etc.
The second week we headed to Ol' MacDonald's Resort. We had a fabulous week! My parents joined us and we were all very thankful for the wonderful weather! We had a few beach days, visited the animals many times, did some geocaching/hiking, Blake and Em rode the train and we rented karts twice. A few stops at the park, lots of bike riding, some ice cream and a great time together :) Loving my tan, I don't think I've had this great of a tan since I was a kid!! We love this campground and plan to go back year after year! It's great for kids of all ages, there are activities for all ages, including movie nights and tie-dying t-shirts, which I thought we'd save for future trips!
In between these two weeks, we attended a friends 40th birthday party (yes, another one!)! We had a blast, thanks Mom and Dad for babysitting :) And tonight Cal is at another friends 40th birthday party!!
This morning we headed to Camrose for Cal's 3rd run in the 5 Peaks Trail Running Series. He found this course quite difficult and perhaps more so due to missing his own runners and some of his running gear, which was left behind in the trailer. (*the trailer is at CoachWorks for some warranty work). Cal's brother Gerry also ran and the kids and I had a nice visit with Lesley, Colby and Jenna while the guys were running! Afterwards we all went for lunch, it was nice to catch up with the Stony Plain Cameron's :)
Cal's back to work on Monday but we are off on another camping adventure on Friday! This time to Carson Pegasus with the Hrdlicka's. I can't wait to camp with my BFF!!!
Have a great week!!
xo
Tracy
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| Ol' MacDonald's Resort - July 2013 :) |
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
School's out for the summer!
Blake's last day of school was June 27th and we wasted no time kick-starting our summer camping season!! On the 28th we headed to Miquelon Lake Provincial Park for the July long weekend.
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| Cooling off - the kids spent a lot of time in these dingy's!! And thanks to Sharla for the virgin pina colada's and margarita's ;) |
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| Checking our GPS during geocaching :) |
We had a fabulous time, camping in a group site with 6 other families/couples. This is the second time we've been to Miquelon and we really need to go back more often. It is quite close to the city, not a far drive for us, and the park is beautiful with many nice trails, ponds and parks. The beach is also quite nice but the water is touch and go! We stayed in a group site this time, which was awesome, with a large enclosed shelter where we had our Saturday night pot luck meal and stayed dry on Saturday night during a short thunder storm! Heidi didn't have to wear a leash and was free to roam around, just like the kids ;)
One of the group sites even has flush toilets and your very own showers - we're booking that site next time!! The parks centre at Miquelon often host's events and activities and the weekend we were there, we attended a geocaching event. We've been wanting to try geocaching for quite some time and we all had a great time! Blake and Em really enjoyed themselves and we look forward to more geocaching this summer.
One of the group sites even has flush toilets and your very own showers - we're booking that site next time!! The parks centre at Miquelon often host's events and activities and the weekend we were there, we attended a geocaching event. We've been wanting to try geocaching for quite some time and we all had a great time! Blake and Em really enjoyed themselves and we look forward to more geocaching this summer.
We're hoping to try it out in Jasper in August. We can't wait for our next camping trip, just next week, at Ol' MacDonalds Resort!! A family favorite :)
This week Blake and Emerson are in a bike camp, ran by Atlantis Programs and Pedalheads. We enrolled Blake in the camp last year, as he loved to ride his bike but after an incident where he nearly got hit by a car (backing out of a drive way, not Blake's fault at all), he felt quite nervous when biking and a bit hesitant. He loved the camp last year and even tried riding a 2 wheeler! Emerson just started riding her bike this year, after 2 years of running alongside Blake!! lol! She had no interest in riding her bike last year but this year she hopped right on and off she went. She loves riding her bike and wanted to go to bike camp with Blake. The camp incorporates riding their bikes with fun and games and bike and road safety. So far they're loving the camp, it runs Monday to Friday from 9:30 to noon. Blake's training wheels were off his bike for a while last summer but he never really felt confident in riding a 2 wheeler so we put them back on and now they are off again! We'll see what he decides at the end of the week - keep them off or put them back on?! The camp leader took Em's training wheels off on Monday, much to our surprise and so far she's insistent that they will not go back on!! We'll see at the end of the week ;) They were excited to see a friend from Sunday school in their camp! Emerson actually made her a card last night, it was really cute. Cal and I have been enjoying 1 on 1 time with Reese while Blake and Em are at camp. She keeps us on our toes and talks enough for all 3 of them!!! The things she says and her facial expressions are the best entertainment around! She's so funny, I love it! For the first hour or so of bike camp, she's been riding her plasma car. I think she feels like she's part of the bike camp, as she wears her bike helmet and cruises around!! I have a feeling she will be asking to go to bike camp next year ;)
We hope your summer is off to a great start!! Talk to you soon :)
This week Blake and Emerson are in a bike camp, ran by Atlantis Programs and Pedalheads. We enrolled Blake in the camp last year, as he loved to ride his bike but after an incident where he nearly got hit by a car (backing out of a drive way, not Blake's fault at all), he felt quite nervous when biking and a bit hesitant. He loved the camp last year and even tried riding a 2 wheeler! Emerson just started riding her bike this year, after 2 years of running alongside Blake!! lol! She had no interest in riding her bike last year but this year she hopped right on and off she went. She loves riding her bike and wanted to go to bike camp with Blake. The camp incorporates riding their bikes with fun and games and bike and road safety. So far they're loving the camp, it runs Monday to Friday from 9:30 to noon. Blake's training wheels were off his bike for a while last summer but he never really felt confident in riding a 2 wheeler so we put them back on and now they are off again! We'll see what he decides at the end of the week - keep them off or put them back on?! The camp leader took Em's training wheels off on Monday, much to our surprise and so far she's insistent that they will not go back on!! We'll see at the end of the week ;) They were excited to see a friend from Sunday school in their camp! Emerson actually made her a card last night, it was really cute. Cal and I have been enjoying 1 on 1 time with Reese while Blake and Em are at camp. She keeps us on our toes and talks enough for all 3 of them!!! The things she says and her facial expressions are the best entertainment around! She's so funny, I love it! For the first hour or so of bike camp, she's been riding her plasma car. I think she feels like she's part of the bike camp, as she wears her bike helmet and cruises around!! I have a feeling she will be asking to go to bike camp next year ;)
We hope your summer is off to a great start!! Talk to you soon :)
~Tracy
Monday, July 8, 2013
A Kindergarten Graduate!
Blake has had a fantastic first year of 'formal' schooling :) He thoroughly enjoyed Kindergarten and all the new experiences that came with it! Blake had a great little class and made many new friends. I really enjoyed meeting the other parents and Blake's classmates and found that we were all pretty close, seeing each other quite often at birthday parties on the weekends and sometimes at hockey or the local park! I like how all the kids were friends and played together and included everyone. I'm happy to hear that everyone is returning to the school for Grade 1.
Blake's last month of Kindergarten was a very fun and busy month!! He had an in school field trip (The Number Farm), a field trip to Genesis Early Learning Centre, an ice cream sundae party, a water fun day, a classroom pot luck and a school-wide Games Day! I volunteered for Games Day and was lucky (ahem) enough to be stationed at the face painting table ;) It was a great day, I enjoyed myself and I think the children were okay with my limited face-painting skills!!! Next year I will suggest I am stationed elsewhere!! Blake's school doesn't do kindergarten graduation pictures or a ceremony although his teacher did put together a nice binder of all his work, a DVD of pictures from through out the year and gave him a kindergarten graduation certificate ;)
Both Blake and I were a little bit sad on his last day of Kindergarten :( Blake kept asking, "Will I see Mme. Emilie again? Will I see Max again? Can I still play with Gavin?" etc, etc, etc. It was hard for him to grasp that 2 months of summer vacation flies by and before he knows it, he will be seeing all of his friends again, but this time all day, 5 days a week!! The day after his last day of school, he said to me, "Mom, can I go to school today?" I giggled a little and told him he was on summer vacation. He said, "I know, I just thought maybe." So cute and nice to hear that he enjoys school that much!! He will enjoy Grade 1, I am sure. I'm hoping their enrollment numbers don't change too much because as it stands right now there are two grade one FI classes, one with fourteen students and one with fifteen students. I like those numbers! I knew Mme. Emilie was moving to another school next year but didn't tell Blake, in hopes that she would pass on the news and she did do that on the last day of school. Blake came home and said, "Mme. Emilie is going to another school to teach Grade 1. But she said we could come visit her! Can we go visit?" I said, "Of course we can!!" Although I'm not sure when, as her school calendar will be the exact same as ours! I'm glad he had a great year and will miss his teacher!
The year flew by so fast and it makes me sad because my baby is growing up. I think I will be an absolute mess when Reese's kindergarten year comes to an end :s I am also sad because he will now be in school 5 days a week, all day :( I will miss him!! But it is great to see him grow and learn and take on new challenges. I am excited for him to start reading in French and in a few short years, he'll be bilingual, reading, writing and speaking both French and English! I'm finding that it is a bit difficult for some people grasp that he is not reading yet when other children who are in English kindergarten have begun reading but it is nice that quite a few of our friends and some of my closest friends, also have children in FI and so we can chat and discuss the program and what not! And hopefully this will benefit all our kids in the long run. For quite some time now we have noticed that Blake has a love for numbers and 'figuring things out' but he is now really in to long addition, subtraction and even some simple multiplication! Last week he said to me, "Mom, is eight plus eight, sixteen?" I said, "Yes it is!" Then he said, "Oh, so four times four is sixteen!" I was pretty proud!
I saw this post on Pinterest and decided to do this for all my kids but instead of using the Dr. Seuss book (because I have a feeling a lot of kids are going to be getting that book when they graduate Grade 12!), I chose to find a different book. I bought the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein for Blake and will buy a different book for each of the girls when they start kindergarten. I absolutely loved this idea and hope that this is a gift they will treasure forever. I got teary-eyed when I read Mme. Emilie's note, as I'm sure will happen every year when I read their teacher's messages :)
So as we say goodbye to a great Kindergarten year, we have a tear in our eye, but we also look forward to all the amazing things that Grade 1 will have to offer!
Blake, we are so proud of you and what you have learned during Kindergarten. We are proud of how friendly and helpful you were in your classroom and proud of how hard you have worked to learn new concepts, ideas and tools. We can't wait to see you flourish in Grade 1!
Blake's last month of Kindergarten was a very fun and busy month!! He had an in school field trip (The Number Farm), a field trip to Genesis Early Learning Centre, an ice cream sundae party, a water fun day, a classroom pot luck and a school-wide Games Day! I volunteered for Games Day and was lucky (ahem) enough to be stationed at the face painting table ;) It was a great day, I enjoyed myself and I think the children were okay with my limited face-painting skills!!! Next year I will suggest I am stationed elsewhere!! Blake's school doesn't do kindergarten graduation pictures or a ceremony although his teacher did put together a nice binder of all his work, a DVD of pictures from through out the year and gave him a kindergarten graduation certificate ;)
Both Blake and I were a little bit sad on his last day of Kindergarten :( Blake kept asking, "Will I see Mme. Emilie again? Will I see Max again? Can I still play with Gavin?" etc, etc, etc. It was hard for him to grasp that 2 months of summer vacation flies by and before he knows it, he will be seeing all of his friends again, but this time all day, 5 days a week!! The day after his last day of school, he said to me, "Mom, can I go to school today?" I giggled a little and told him he was on summer vacation. He said, "I know, I just thought maybe." So cute and nice to hear that he enjoys school that much!! He will enjoy Grade 1, I am sure. I'm hoping their enrollment numbers don't change too much because as it stands right now there are two grade one FI classes, one with fourteen students and one with fifteen students. I like those numbers! I knew Mme. Emilie was moving to another school next year but didn't tell Blake, in hopes that she would pass on the news and she did do that on the last day of school. Blake came home and said, "Mme. Emilie is going to another school to teach Grade 1. But she said we could come visit her! Can we go visit?" I said, "Of course we can!!" Although I'm not sure when, as her school calendar will be the exact same as ours! I'm glad he had a great year and will miss his teacher!
The year flew by so fast and it makes me sad because my baby is growing up. I think I will be an absolute mess when Reese's kindergarten year comes to an end :s I am also sad because he will now be in school 5 days a week, all day :( I will miss him!! But it is great to see him grow and learn and take on new challenges. I am excited for him to start reading in French and in a few short years, he'll be bilingual, reading, writing and speaking both French and English! I'm finding that it is a bit difficult for some people grasp that he is not reading yet when other children who are in English kindergarten have begun reading but it is nice that quite a few of our friends and some of my closest friends, also have children in FI and so we can chat and discuss the program and what not! And hopefully this will benefit all our kids in the long run. For quite some time now we have noticed that Blake has a love for numbers and 'figuring things out' but he is now really in to long addition, subtraction and even some simple multiplication! Last week he said to me, "Mom, is eight plus eight, sixteen?" I said, "Yes it is!" Then he said, "Oh, so four times four is sixteen!" I was pretty proud!
I saw this post on Pinterest and decided to do this for all my kids but instead of using the Dr. Seuss book (because I have a feeling a lot of kids are going to be getting that book when they graduate Grade 12!), I chose to find a different book. I bought the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein for Blake and will buy a different book for each of the girls when they start kindergarten. I absolutely loved this idea and hope that this is a gift they will treasure forever. I got teary-eyed when I read Mme. Emilie's note, as I'm sure will happen every year when I read their teacher's messages :)
So as we say goodbye to a great Kindergarten year, we have a tear in our eye, but we also look forward to all the amazing things that Grade 1 will have to offer!
Blake, we are so proud of you and what you have learned during Kindergarten. We are proud of how friendly and helpful you were in your classroom and proud of how hard you have worked to learn new concepts, ideas and tools. We can't wait to see you flourish in Grade 1!
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| First day of Kindergarten - September 4, 2012 |
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| Last day of Kindergarten - June 27, 2013 |
Saturday, July 6, 2013
June?!
Another busy month gone by far too fast!! Good thing I write most everything down on our family calendar, otherwise I would never remember everything I wanted to write about on this online 'diary' a.k.a. blog ;)
The beginning of June (the 1st) brought Emerson's dance recital. We were all very excited (Emerson and I most especially!)!! The week before the recital, Emerson had a class on Wednesday to learn the grande finale dance. After 20 minutes or so I went to peek in the class, only to find her crying and in the arms of one of the instructors. She came and sat with me for awhile and then got up and learned the steps. I was confused as to why she was crying, as she has always had the best time in dance class and never shown any signs of being scared or upset. Em didn't really tell me what was upsetting her and after class I spoke to the instructor who also didn't have any idea. The class was with all the 4 yr old dancers from every class and Emerson's instructor was sick that day and couldn't be there, so I think she was just overwhelmed and missing Miss Jessica! After this incident I was worried that at the recital, dancing on the big stage at the Myer Horowitz Theatre, she would be totally overwhelmed and either freeze or start crying!!! She did neither, she rocked that stage! She had THE biggest smile on her face the entire time! It was absolutely adorable, I got tears in my eyes :) I couldn't believe how big she was smiling! She even remembered (almost) all her steps! It was great, we really enjoyed the show and all the other performances as well! Emerson and Reese are both signed up at Variations for next years dance season! After the recital we had a birthday party to attend at a local spray park. It was a fun day with very tired kids at the end of the day ;)
Since the end of May brought Emerson's last days of preschool and Blake did not have
Kindergarten on Thursdays, the kids and I headed out to my Mom and Dad's lake lot on the 8th of June for a day of campfires, quadding and fun :) We had a great time! Reese enjoyed quadding last summer but did not want to go for a ride this year!! Blake and Em love quadding and would ride all day if they could! They also enjoy taking turns driving! We played Bocce ball and my Mom blew up a gigantic bowling set they had bought on their last trip to the States! The day was complete with a hot dog roast and smores!!
The next day, we were invited to a fundraiser at my girlfriends son's school. Since it was later in the evening, I took Blake and Emerson so Cal could put Reese to bed. The kids had a blast! It was a very well organized and planned event!! The theme was 'Small Town Carnival'. There was a cookie decorating tent, old fashioned games tent, you could tye-dye a t-shirt at another tent, pony rides, a ball toss, entertainment provided by the student of the school, a bbq, etc, etc, etc!
On the 9th Cal and a few of his buddies participated in a golf tournament for the Alberta Handball Association, of which his friend is the vice-president. Cal had a great time, he loves to golf but doesn't get out as often as he did prior to 3 munchkins ;) The kids and I had a nice dinner with my Mom and Dad that evening.
On the 13th the kids and I went out to Stony Plain for a playdate with Erica, Danielle and Grandma D! We had a nice visit!
On the 14th we took the kids out for a nice dinner, thanks to TELUS! It was Cal's 15 yr anniversary this year and he was told to take the family out for dinner in celebration. We asked the kids where they would like to go ... Emerson wanted to go to BP's and Blake and Reese wanted to go to McDonald's!! I told them we should go to a fancier restaurant and was hoping for the Keg but they wanted to go to Red Lobster, which we all love. They were so well-behaved, it was very nice dinner out :)
The 16th was Father's Day, we had a nice day at home, playing outside and enjoying the day! That evening we had a delicious bbq at our house with my Mom and Dad.
On the 19th Blake had a follow-up appointment with his E.N.T. at the Stollery. I thought I'd make the day a little more exciting by taking the kids on the L.R.T.! Of course, they thought it was pretty cool and were excited!! It's the small things ;) The appointment went well and at this time, as has been in the past, there is no reason to remove the extra sinus in Blake's ear. That is good news!
On the 20th my Dad picked Cal up for their 2nd annual guys quadding/fishing trip. They were originally going to leave on the 19th but due to the flooding north of Fort McMurray and a bridge washed out, they had to move the trip to the Lac la Biche area and therefore did not need to leave as early. They had a few location changes but settled in for a few days of fishing and quadding in the great outdoors!! By all accounts, they had a good time. Caught a few fish, did some quadding, drank some beers and stayed up too late ;)
The 22nd brought Blake's last ball hockey game of the season and a birthday party for Emerson. Blake's last game was great, although he was a bit disappointed that they were playing the Oilers as the Oilers are his favorite hockey team and he didn't want to have to beat them ... lol!!! We really noticed a lot of improvement in the team from game to game and all the players always had big smiles on their faces!! Blake really enjoyed ball hockey and wants to play again next year. After the game I took the kids to Ikea and then we dropped Em off at her party! She had a great time, I am so grateful for her preschool friends and our little preschool 'family'. Many of Em's classmates will be returning this year and all returning students are moving from the Tu/Th a.m. class to the M/W/F a.m. class!
Cal came home from his trip on the 23rd, surrounded by hugs, kisses and "We missed you Daddy"!!
Cal had an afternoon of golf with his work team on the 27th and that night we got ready for our July long weekend camping trip!
And that was our June :) Blake's last month of Kindergarten was busy and emotional (for me), so I will post another blog on that!!
ttyl
Tracy
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| Proud of Em :) |
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| Thank you G&G :) |
Since the end of May brought Emerson's last days of preschool and Blake did not have
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| In their glory!! |
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| Bocce with Grandma :) |
The next day, we were invited to a fundraiser at my girlfriends son's school. Since it was later in the evening, I took Blake and Emerson so Cal could put Reese to bed. The kids had a blast! It was a very well organized and planned event!! The theme was 'Small Town Carnival'. There was a cookie decorating tent, old fashioned games tent, you could tye-dye a t-shirt at another tent, pony rides, a ball toss, entertainment provided by the student of the school, a bbq, etc, etc, etc!
On the 9th Cal and a few of his buddies participated in a golf tournament for the Alberta Handball Association, of which his friend is the vice-president. Cal had a great time, he loves to golf but doesn't get out as often as he did prior to 3 munchkins ;) The kids and I had a nice dinner with my Mom and Dad that evening.
On the 13th the kids and I went out to Stony Plain for a playdate with Erica, Danielle and Grandma D! We had a nice visit!
On the 14th we took the kids out for a nice dinner, thanks to TELUS! It was Cal's 15 yr anniversary this year and he was told to take the family out for dinner in celebration. We asked the kids where they would like to go ... Emerson wanted to go to BP's and Blake and Reese wanted to go to McDonald's!! I told them we should go to a fancier restaurant and was hoping for the Keg but they wanted to go to Red Lobster, which we all love. They were so well-behaved, it was very nice dinner out :)
The 16th was Father's Day, we had a nice day at home, playing outside and enjoying the day! That evening we had a delicious bbq at our house with my Mom and Dad.
On the 19th Blake had a follow-up appointment with his E.N.T. at the Stollery. I thought I'd make the day a little more exciting by taking the kids on the L.R.T.! Of course, they thought it was pretty cool and were excited!! It's the small things ;) The appointment went well and at this time, as has been in the past, there is no reason to remove the extra sinus in Blake's ear. That is good news!
On the 20th my Dad picked Cal up for their 2nd annual guys quadding/fishing trip. They were originally going to leave on the 19th but due to the flooding north of Fort McMurray and a bridge washed out, they had to move the trip to the Lac la Biche area and therefore did not need to leave as early. They had a few location changes but settled in for a few days of fishing and quadding in the great outdoors!! By all accounts, they had a good time. Caught a few fish, did some quadding, drank some beers and stayed up too late ;)
The 22nd brought Blake's last ball hockey game of the season and a birthday party for Emerson. Blake's last game was great, although he was a bit disappointed that they were playing the Oilers as the Oilers are his favorite hockey team and he didn't want to have to beat them ... lol!!! We really noticed a lot of improvement in the team from game to game and all the players always had big smiles on their faces!! Blake really enjoyed ball hockey and wants to play again next year. After the game I took the kids to Ikea and then we dropped Em off at her party! She had a great time, I am so grateful for her preschool friends and our little preschool 'family'. Many of Em's classmates will be returning this year and all returning students are moving from the Tu/Th a.m. class to the M/W/F a.m. class!
Cal came home from his trip on the 23rd, surrounded by hugs, kisses and "We missed you Daddy"!!
Cal had an afternoon of golf with his work team on the 27th and that night we got ready for our July long weekend camping trip!
And that was our June :) Blake's last month of Kindergarten was busy and emotional (for me), so I will post another blog on that!!
ttyl
Tracy
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