Canada Recap

One of my favorite memories of our family life is the trip we took early summer to visit the Hoden family in Canada.  We had a totally awesome time.  We started off the trip flying into Edmonton.  Then, we drove to Banff and spent a few nights there taking in the mountains before heading back to Edmonton for the last part of the trip.  

Here's a list of my favorite parts of this awesome vacation:

1.  Seeing the girls' and Grady's awe/excitement at the airport (and having everyone take naps on the plane).

2.  Watching Olivia, Grace, Max, and Mya all run to each other when we picked up Max and May from school.

3.  Experiencing the later sunshine and staying up playing cards, talking, and watching the NBA.  The kids stayed up later too because it was so easy to lose track of time, but we didn't mind.  They were so good despite random sleep schedules!

4.  Having the kids totally entertain each other as long as they were periodically offered food and drink.  The kids were amazing on this trip - they played together so well - seriously, I don't think we ever had to deal with even a minor argument.  It was neat to see how they would pair up sometimes but then also all play together.

5.  The mountains - wow!  I had never seen mountains before, and I'm not sure anything I'll ever see will top the Canadian Rockies.  Seriously, I could have just stared forever.  I want to go back!

6.  Hiking - my enjoyment of this definitely probably had to do with the views.  Brian wasn't as big of a fan of hiking with the kids - he was much more nervous than me when it came to the kids' safety!  

7.  Swimming at the hotel - good thing we decided to stay outside of Banff to save a little money because I'm pretty sure the kids enjoyed our hotel more than anything!  They had a blast in the pool, managed to create a game out of going on the slide, didn't mind sleeping four in a bed and one on the floor, and would have happily stayed for a week.

8.  Hearing the kids ask right when we got home:  When can we go to Canada again?  Even though they were sad to leave and sad that I couldn't really answer their question, it made me happy they asked because it shows what an awesome time they had.

Enjoy all the pictures to follow.  If you'd like to see my sister-in-law's post (which includes more details - and thank you Beth for so many of these pictures) on our time in Canada (written much more appropriately right after we were there), click here:   So Much to Blog About.

These pictures are all from the town of Banff and then Bow Falls by which an amazing hotel called Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is located.  You can see the hotel in the pictures of us as a family.

This next set of pictures is from Johnston Canyon.  On our way there, a bunch of cars were stopped alongside the road - we soon realized why:  a bear just munching away on some tasty flowers! So cool to see for both kids and adults!  We had a really nice hike on the trail although it got crazy crowded on the way out.  As you can see from our clothes, the weather we had was totally amazing and unseasonably warm.  In fact, Beth's friend visited the next week, and they had to wear winter wear while hiking and it even snowed a bit.   Eighty degree temps was a definite bonus to the trip!

  

Another favorite place of mine was Lake Louise.  If we ever go there in the future, I would love to take the canoes out and paddle around.  The color of the water in the lake and all the rivers is indescribable - so amazing.  Beth said it has something to do with the granite.  I would like to paint a room this color sometime!

After visiting Lake Louise, we went to the Lake Louise Ski Resort.  We rode the gondola to the top and took in some amazing views and saw some of the mountain animals (stuffed) at the little museum of sorts at the top.  The kids thought it was pretty cool that they got to stand on snow while wearing shorts!

Before heading back to Edmonton, we went to Mount Norquay.  We ate lunch at the top of the viewpoint and took some pictures.  We were hoping to see the wild goats that sometimes are in the area but contented ourselves with the prairie dogs.  The kids were pretty beat at this point, so our stay wasn't long, but it was memorable.

I was sad to leave the mountains behind on our trip home.  I still have hope that we can take another trip in the future!  Now that Beth and Chris know their way around so well, it'd be awesome to have an adults-only tripwith them and Tara and Tony if we can ever arrange it!  Thanks for an awesome trip Hoden Family - I enjoyed writing this post and reliving the experience!  

Gracie Girl

Time for a little post on our Gracie Girl.  Spunky - that's pretty much the best word to describe her...along with wild, sassy, whiny, goofy, loving, and smart.  I've tried to include pictures in this post, that show these sides of her.

Grace has, by far, the most personality of all our kids so far - I probably say this mostly because I find her so hard to predict.  She and I either get along amazingly well, or we really butt heads.  She is our strong-willed and stubborn one, and, even though this is maybe an over-used phrase, she is definitely a "second-child."  Grace has grown up a lot in the last six months - she's gotten so much more independent with getting ready in the morning, is overall more eager to help, has developed more patience, and is a better listener.  However, she is still loses a ridiculous amount of stuff (not because it's lost but because she's the most non-observant person ever), is extremely demanding, gets her feelings hurt really easily, and likes to use a baby voice.  Grace is pretty predictable in one sense:  if she has a meltdown or is getting out-of-control sassy - she needs a break and possibly a nap.  If she spends some time along or just conks out - all will shortly be well.  Grace loves to laugh and to entertain.  She's a crazy dancer and has an expression-filled face!  She is a fantastic sister, eager to please, a total entertainment, and an overall great girl.

Grace's best pals continue to be her sister and brother and Maggie and Elsey.  She talks about a few kids from school a lot, and was absolutely thrilled to get her first official invite to a birthday party (to which Olivia was not also invited).  She loves having sleepovers with Mags and Els, and it's nice because they're together so much, sleepovers aren't really a stressful or (too) crazy experience.  Grace's super excited for her own birthday in a couple months and wants nothing more than to have her birthday party at the gymnastics place in town and to start jazz with Olivia.  Also, apparently she's learning because when we got so fed up with hearing the phrase "I'm not inviting you to my birthday party" every time she'd get mad, we threatened her with no birthday party - she hasn't said it since!  Whew!

Grace loves school!  She's doing really well; reading is going to be much easier for her than it was for Olivia.  Once again, probably a bit of the product of being the second, but she has really strong phonics skills.  She loves doing her daily "Reading Eggs" on the computer, and we usually have to tell her it's time to be done with it.  The teachers had nothing but good things to say about Grace at conferences - she's a good friend, does quality (but fast) work, cooperates/plays well with others, has really solid handwriting, and is learning what she should be.  However, she's also the first kid we've gotten a email home about - a little silliness in the bathroom with her gal pals coupled with denial (aka - lying) about what happened to her teachers.  This was both a humorous and serious situation - the bathroom stuff made me laugh, but the lying was not cool...especially when she told me that she had had a "great" day at school when I asked.  :)  We hashed it out, and overall, it was a good learning experience for us as parents and for her.  I'm glad school has been so positive for Grace - both she and Olivia enjoy seeing each other there and sometimes play together, but it's great to see how they are also independent and have their own friends/activities.

Speaking of activities - Grace loves to be busy.  She likes playing with her doll house a lot, reading books on her own, coloring, playing babies, playing kitchen, playing basketball, and just being active.    She's a pretty imaginative little girls.  She also likes to relax though - her favorite is a good movie with her blanket and her same two fingers stuck in her mouth...although this habit is lessening much more quickly than Olivia's thumb sucking!  Grace enjoys her dance (ballet/tap) but really wants to "be big" and start jazz, as I said earlier.  Grace has mentioned learning to play piano, but as she hasn't been pushing for this, I think we'll hold off.  Grace is relatively competitive, likes to blame her mistakes on others, can be really supportive or totally not, as has the makings of a great athlete - she's really fast and looks like a runner to me!

I'm sure there is plenty more to say, but as it's only a couple months away, her birthday post should cover the rest.  Grace Elizabeth:  undoubtedly, one-of-a-kind (except for the fact that her little brother is showing some distinctly Grace-like traits as of late!).  PS - This is a totally fake frown...can't you see the sparkle in her eye?

Happy 2nd Birthday Grady!

This weekend we had a great time celebrating our little buddy.  My family came down on Friday night, and then Pat and Roger came over Saturday evening for dinner and presents.  We also got a chance to FaceTime with both Beth and Tara and all the kids which was really great.  Grady enjoyed all the extra attention, would have been very happy with just one gift (we even saved a few till Sunday because he just wanted to play with what he had opened), sang Happy Birthday to himself, blew out his candles on the first try, and was so tired from it all he took a 3.5 hour nap on Sunday!

What can I tell you about Grady:

At his well-child check yesterday, he weighed in at 25 pounds (16th percentile), was 33 inches tall (16th percentile), and had a head circumference of 20.5 inches (95 percentile).  Dr. Menke, whom he was super shy with, said he was looking good and doing great.  Poor little guy had to get two shots and his finger pricked.  It was all a bit emotional for Buster/Buddy (as we like to call him these days).  A few other size facts:  Grady wears size 7 shoes, 18 month-2T jeans with the bigger ones rolled over the waist and up at the bottoms, and 24 month-2T shirts.

I'm pretty sure (although I am obvioulsy bias) we have one of the happiest two year olds out there!  He loves being tickled and giggling, throwing balls of any kind (football, basketball, baseball), shooting hoops, jumping and dancing, playing cars, and going to the park and hanging off whatever possible.  He's clearly a pretty physical kid, but he's also so darn sweet.  He voluntarily tells me his "woves" me, gives the best fishy-face kisses, and gives great hugs - all this just about melts my heart. He gets so excited when Brian gets home and runs and kisses me when I pick him up from daycare.  He says "thank you" or wait, it's "hank you" often without even being asked these days, though we're still working on please.

Currently, Grady's also obsessed with my phone or the iPad and knows how to use them disturbingly well.  His favorite movie is Brave because of the bears, and he also likes to watch Diego, Sherriff Callie, and whatever else his sisters convince him is a good choice.  We try really hard to not watch too much television, but it's inevitable that its on a little bit every day.  Grady also really likes his books - we often read the same ones...anything about trucks, the fish book, Dinasaurompus, Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, Are You a Cow?, and Five Little Monkeys.

Grady has also started to show interest in puzzles and coloring, and I need to remember to get these things out for him more often.  He really likes helping me start the washer and dryer and is a great helper at the grocery store.  Overall, Grady's a pretty independent player - it works out well because if I need to get something done, he'll come along and do his own thing while I do mine.

I feel like Grady has been trying to be big for a long time - in fact my sister-in-law commented on this even back in summer.  Maybe this is because he's so vocal and so determined to do whatever it is the big kids are doing.  It's definitely not because he's a big kid as his percentiles show!  In terms of talking - Grady has a large vocabulary and says a lot of 2-4 word sentences - if I can call them that.  I understand him really well, and Olivia and Grace usually know what he wants if I can't understand him which is quite convenient!  Overall, he's really good at expressing himself, and while he occasionally gets frustrated because we can't figure out what he wants, he's decent at showing us and not having a total meltdown.  He's definitely "2" though, and I've seen more of the opinionated, occasionally stubborn, and sometimes naughty Grady come out as of the past month or so.

Speaking of naughty, one of my least favorite things right now is Grady's biting.  I know this won't last for too long and is totally related to his teeth.  Overall he's been our kid who bites, but usually this is related to teething.  He went through a spurt a few months ago - got his bottom 2-year molars.  He's been doing it on and off lately, and I spied his top molars last week.  Sometimes Grady hits, but mostly he likes to tattle - "Wivia (Olivia) hit Gady (Grady) head" or "Gace (Grace) push Gady."  Despite what those sentences imply, Grady loves his sisters big time, and the feeling is mutual!  They all play together really well, like wrestling, and Grady certainly seeks comfort from them.  He never really gets upset when we have a babysitter because he's just excited to play and knows the girls are there to mommy him - in fact, a few times we've come home to reports that Olivia put Grady to bed!

In terms of a schedule, Grady wakes up between 6:30 and 7, takes a nap around 1 (usually 2-2.5 hours), and heads to bed around 7:30-8.  He likes books before nap and bedtime, still loves his wabi (his paci) and blankets, and requests to sit and cuddle in the chair.  We put up his big boy bed this weekend, and he did sleep well in it for that one crazy long nap, but he's otherwise requested to sleep in his crib - so glad I didn't take it down.  He keeps biting holes in his pacifiers, so we're down to two, and I've told myself I'm not buying any more (we'll see if I have the self-discipline)!

I'm sure I could go on and on about this little guy, but I think I've got all the main stuff covered and then some.  Can't express how very shocked I am that Grady is two already.  How does time fly so fast? Brian asked Olivia the other day if she remembers when Grady wasn't a part of our family, and she said not really.  I love that.  So happy our little buddy is here with us.

Here are a few birthday party pictures:

An Update on Miss Olivia

For some crazy reason, I thought that once I wasn't working (and once the kids were back in school) I would become a super blogger...pretty sure that hasn't happened.  Anyways, I've been feeling rather nostalgic lately with Grady's second birthday (what!) coming up so have decided to make it a goal to write an update on Olivia and Grace before his birthday post - which will be on time!  I'll make other blogging goals after these, and be bought up by the new year!  Oh, the best laid plans...

Olivia deserves attention first because the poor girl never even got a birthday post - plus she's the oldest!

What can I tell you about Miss Olivia:  Well, to start, she's got a super personality.  Olivia is, for the most part, extremely helpful and very sweet.  She's generally pretty upbeat, but she can be really hard on herself too when it comes to making mistakes - we're working on this bad habit a lot!  Every once in awhile, Liv likes to try on some sassiness, but most of the time, she's a good listener, does what we ask, and is kind.  Olivia can be pretty adventurous which never ceases to amaze me - you should have seen her at the fair this year!  Olivia, like most seven year olds I think, likes to see what is socially appropriate and what drives her parents nuts - for example, she'll sing in an obnoxious voice as loudly as possible on purpose while following me around the house.  Testing?  Yes!

It's been fun being in her classroom as a volunteer - I get to see both the shy and the social side of her.  I hope she continues to grow in self-confidence...we've seen tons of this over the past couple of years.   Based on my observations, Olivia is really helpful at school, loves her teacher, is a good friend who is friends with everyone, is proud of her work, listens to directions, and is hesitant to participate - although she was super excited to show her American Girl Doll as show-and-tell last week (a privilege she earned through their behavior system at school).  She spent a solid 45 minutes dressing and getting her doll all fancy - pretty cute.  She said she let everyone hold her doll and told them they had to be gentle so that it didn't break.   :)  Overall, it seems like Olivia is starting to enjoy reading a lot more (though I definitely cannot put this in her "favorites" list).  She loves writing her "Weekend News," doesn't complain too badly about practicing math (though she insists that she's terrible at this), and likes doing her spelling homework or whatever else. I look forward to talking with her teacher more at conferences next week.

If I had to pick Olivia's favorite things to do they would be:  playing with Grady and Grace, watching TV (boo), creating / crafting of any kind, and playing sports (specifically basketball and baseball with Brian).  She's also pretty interested in helping with projects around the house - the other day she helped me wash all the floors, and she's been all about yard work this fall, helping pick up hundreds of walnuts, cut down plants, and rake leaves.  Olivia enjoys her jazz class a lot, likes her piano lessons and is getting much better at reading music, loves to have friends over, and likes to have activities scheduled!

Something I have really learned to embrace these last few years with Olivia is that she will do something when she is ready.  Reading...struggled, now is doing better.  Riding her bike without training wheels....refused, only to, six months later, master it in one day.  Talk to people...insanely quiet, now is much more social.  Math...we're getting there.  Clothes...when she gets cold, she'll transition over to pants and eventually snow pants too by herself.  I used to battle her to do what I wanted, but I've realized now, it'll happen in due time.  Better to not create stress for either of us - I can encourage and encourage but not force.  When Olivia's ready, she'll do it.

A few random facts:  At her well-child check this summer, Olivia weighed 49 pounds (39th percentile) and was 47 1/2 inches tall (41st percentile).  She wears size 7-8 shirts, size 6-7 pants (pants are a major struggle right now as she's so in-between sizes and so incredibly picky), and size 12-13 shoes.  She has yet to wear pants to school but did finally give in to wearing tennis shoes as its getting colder.  She's still obsessed with her blanket and thumb (despite our encouragement to stop that already!), doesn't have a very good voice but likes to sing, is really looking forward to seeing her cousins over Christmas, is Grady's second mom, is very nervous about her First Reconciliation but is excited about her First Communion, has a major sweet tooth, is extremely honest, and is very loving.

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Back in July, Olivia had a birthday party with all the girls in her class (minus one) and our neighbor pal Maggie.  We made a cool craft using old crayons, which we melted onto canvases that said their name in funky writing, played yard games, and enjoyed some tasty cupcakes that were specially decorated by Aunt Tara and me!  On her actual birthday, we celebrated by having pizza with Grandma and Grandpa Huinker and then heading to the fair.  I think it's safe to say that Olivia had a totally awesome time!  She was a wild woman on the rides (especially one called the Genesis that eventually made me sick) and had a blast racing around like she owned the place!  Here are some pictures from her party and the fair.

One Month In...

Last week I had one sister-in-law request a blog post "asap" and the other request that I write about myself...who am I to disappoint - so, here ya go sisters...

Today marks me being officially one-month and one day as a "stay-at-home mom."  Well, technically, if you include when teacher inservice started, I suppose it's been even a little longer, but whatever.  The most important thing is that - I love it.

This month has taught me both a greater appreciation for working and stay-at-home moms.  As a working mom, I used to give myself such a hard time for not being able to do it all.  But now I realize there was good reason for that; I was busy and trying to cram a lot of home and school stuff in during the evening hours when I was already pretty whipped from the day - why did I always give myself such a hard time?

However, at the same time, I also realize that there is still not time to do it all even being home.  Grady keeps me busy, and my/our time has gotten quickly filled with play dates, taking walks/runs, volunteering at school, playing with the little guy, doing a bit more of our finances, keeping the house clean while someone follows me around, making meals, starting to sub, and doing other volunteering for church/school/other committees.  The difference is, that for the most part, I've stopped giving myself such a hard time.  Sure, I still wish the house was perfectly clean and organized all the time, but when it isn't, I don't stress so much because I just feel like I have time tomorrow to get it done...I don't have to stay up late (unless I choose too), I don't have to choose between school and family, I don't have to not read my book or not get some exercise, and I can sit down, relax, and talk with Brian in the evenings after the kids have gone to bed.

Busy is a word that describes everyone's life - no matter who you are or what you're doing...everyone feels busy.  But stressed doesn't describe everyone's life, and I'm so thankful that it doesn't describe mine any longer.  I still feel it every now and again, but it's a totally different feeling than it used to be.

This is getting a bit too philosophical...back to some day-to-day details:  Today marks my fourth day subbing.  I subbed one day for 8th grade science and now three days for a special education teacher at the high school.  I've enjoyed subbing a lot.  It's a nice taste of what I now can confirm is the right career for me, but it's so great to walk away at the end of the day - I feel rejuvenated by my work with the kids and excited that I can go home and just be with mine.  I've loved working with the new English teacher (the special ed teacher is in her room for one hour of the day), and it's been awesome to have former students smile at, hug, and stop to talk to me.  Maybe teaching will be in my future again, but I'm also totally content with the fact that it's on hold right now, and this feeling is another one I'm thankful for - it makes me feel like I made the right decision.

I would say that Brian and the kids agree that having me home is ideal too.  Brian and I talked the other day about it, and he said that me being home has made his job not seem as stressful.  It's not really that his job is truly less stressful but that it doesn't seem that way because the entire atmosphere of home-life is not so crazy.  I'm glad for this.  It's healthy for all of us.  Last year, Olivia was telling people that "Mom, didn't sign up for school next year."  I've asked her if she's glad that I'm home, and she's always said yes.  I know from her shy, sideways smile that she loves it when I come into her classroom, and the girls love riding the bus home from school.  Grady has become a pretty solid momma's boy, so I'm going to assume he likes having me home.  He's doing great, and we've come to a nice balance of play time and "work" time for mom where he entertains himself for a bit.  Overall, it's been really good.

I'm a bit nervous about when winter hits...I hope I don't start to feel cooped up.  I have noticed that I've done more dates out at night with my friends and on the weekends with friends/couples.  I think this is both because I have time and am not so tired and because I feel a need to get dressed up a bit and have some time away from the house more too.

Mostly, I just don't ever want to stop appreciating this opportunity...I never knew if I really wanted to be a stay-at-home mom or not, but now I know I do want that, at least for this point in our lives, and I am so glad for it all.

A Day of Firsts...

Today was a day of firsts for four of us in the family...

1) Olivia's first day of 2nd Grade!!!  Highlights:  Being old enough to be the designated "bus buddy" of her sister and their great friend from down the street, Maggie; getting two new people in the class (14 total - 7 boys, 7 girls); chicken tacos at lunch; and, her 2nd grade binder and planner!

2) Grace's first day of Kindergarten!!!  Highlights:  Riding the bus; wearing a uniform; and, I quote, "My favorite part of the day was all of it!"

3) Grady's first day with me as an official stay-at-home-mom.  Highlights:  Wrestling in the basement; watching the neighbors new driveway get done; eating way too many snacks; taking a three-hour nap; and, welcoming his sisters home!

This was his reaction when he realized he didn't get to go on the bus.

4) My first day (sort of) as a stay-at-home-mom.  Highlights:  The most relaxed school morning we've ever had; going to Walmart and having the place basically to ourselves; playing a lot with Grady one-on-one; having my house stay clean for more than 15 minutes; making dinner in advance; watching the kids run to each other as they got off the bus; and, sitting and typing this entry without worrying about tomorrow.

A few more pictures of the girls and their best buds Maggie (in kindergarten with Grace) and Elsey (Maggie's younger sister).

I don't have a picture of the entire neighborhood crew, but I think there were 12 kids getting on the bus this morning, and it would have been more if they let kids older than 6th grade ride the bus too.  We live in such a great neighborhood for kids!

Grace (mid-step) followed by Maggie (red sweater), and Olivia (pink folder because she chose to leave her backpack at school on "back to school night").

 

The girls (which includes Maggie) running to greet Grady when they got home...so, so, so incredibly sweet.