Leap Day!

And it's also Elena's 13th month birthday.  I didn't do a photo shoot today because I knew that if I kept doing the month birthday thing, I would still be posting all my kids' 65th month birthday.  And though it would be terribly cute to do that, I realize everything good in moderation is a good thing.  So I'm sharing one of my favourite pictures that my friend Amber took for a Valentine's shoot.  Remind me to share some of the other hilarious pictures....

I will say that Elena is definitely leaping and spring around here.  She's gone from the wobbly swagger to the skipping canter when the gate is left open.  It's so adorable seeing her diaper bum skip around here.

Another thing that she has learned this month is to blow raspberries.  Her and I were having an evening snuggle on the bed and she took me by surprise by leaning over and giving me a huge raspberry.  Then she chuckled and then did it again.  She is pretty hilarious.

Well, with leap day, wishing you a splendid end of the month as we hop, frisk and spring towards Spring....

Problem Solving 101

"There's like NO room on the counter for me to make my lunch!"

"Well, clear off the clean dishes and that'll make more room".

"Hmpf".

"If you encounter a problem, then you need to figure out the best way to solve it instead of getting into a huff".

*the quiet voice of the little one sitting at the table listening to the older two*

"....Or just read your Bible".

When I Miss Them

I miss Bolivia most when I'm in church.  Especially during the singing.  Maybe because when a group of people sing together, it's so collective and unifying.  And while we're doing it, I'm reminded how connected I am to these people and then I remember the people that I am connected to, but not with.  Then my heart aches and I'm moved because of where I am and saddened because of where I'm not.

Birthday Boy - Last year of Single Digits

I remember being pregnant with him.  I remember the day we brought him home from the hospital.   I remember when his hair started to grow in curly.  I remember that he called lotion, "Oonar".  I remember when he lost his first tooth.  The time has flown quickly with our guy.

This year has been a pretty big year for Joel.  He started off the year welcoming a new baby sister, bringing the count to three and being hopeless outnumbered.  He started grade 2 and then within a few months was finished and moved across the world back to Canada.  Then a few weeks later started grade 3, which he has done remarkably well in.  Joel hasn't lost any teeth this year, if I remember correctly, but has grown a lot!  He continues to be such a helpful kid at home and it's amazing what kind of conversations we have with him.  Remember this one?

He loves to dress up and be goofy and he loves Math.  He can make change at 7-11 before the clerk can ring it in.  He doesn't like icing that is super sweet, nor fat on his pork chops.  Joel will eat an entire cucumber or broccoli before he eats iceberg lettuce and is learning that 5 pieces of pizza is probably just about too much for a kid his size, but 4 still leaves him a bit hungry.  He's constantly tucking away his outgrown clothes and shoes for his sisters and answers the phone with "last name", speaking.

This year was the very first year that he could celebrate his birthday with my Mom, who has the same birthday.  That was a special thing.

Joel told me about what he was thinking about as he was making up his birthday list.  "I'm not going to announce who is getting an invitation from my class because I don't want people to feel left out.  But I can't invite everyone, that would just be too much work".  And in regards to a boy who has a hard time behaving in class, "I'll see how his attitude is this week and how he's interacting with the other kids.  If he's just being mean to people I won't be able to invite him but if he has a good attitude, then I think he can come and we'll all have fun".

So more pictures to follow of a gaggle of boys, a whole lot of snow and fire and some cake with not too sweet icing.....

Baby is 1 - Part II

From her awesome birthday shoot.  Thanks Amber for capturing her so amazingly....

I'm Still Here....

Have you been wondering where I've been?  I haven't written much lately, not because there isn't life happening, it's just that I haven't sat down and written.  It's like me and flossing my teeth.  I love doing it, but some days I just go, meh, why bother.  But I know if I would just go and crack open that case and see the gleaming thread, my heart would skip a beat and a smile would come across my face.  Like my writing.  If I were to just sit down and start writing, it would warm my heart.  Blogging and flossing, oh how I love you both.

Okay, uh, so where to start.

Did I mention that Carl was away for 10 days a few weeks ago for work?  Well, that was quite the time.  I was pleasantly surprised how the time flew, how amazingly helpful the kids were and how much I respect single moms out there.  Seriously, whether it's because the hubby works out of town or that you are doing this parenting thing solo, I commend you.  I had to be uber organized and tried to make sure I had time for myself, even just a few moments at the end of the day or else I would have gone bonkers.  One thing I noticed that I didn't do was snack in the evening.  By the time I was done with the dishes and straightening up the apartment, I sat for about 15 minutes watching t.v. before heading to bed.  Maybe I was tired....or maybe I'm a social eater and don't enjoy eating without a friend.  I guess it's better than being a solo eater right?

And then after he came home we were in full party mode.  I love parties and even the chaos right before hosting is all worth it.  I think I need to have more parties, that's what I've concluded.  Since I hadn't snacked for quite some time, I certainly made up for it days before the party (eating the first cake), during the party (eating more cake) and then after the party (finishing up the leftover cake, ugh).

During that time we also went to the bank to see if we could borrow money for a mortgage.  Now that we both have pay stubs we were hoping to start house shopping.  Well, of course the bank will give us money, that's what they do.  In fact, they'd love if we took more than we should because everyone loves the interest gained on that HUGE principle.

We started house hunting and boy that was tiring.  From open house to open house.  We left our kids one weekend with family on Saturday afternoon (three different places), then Saturday evening, then Sunday afternoon with more family.  I was tired.  And since we're still in the thick of it, I can't breath a sigh of relief.  We don't have a house yet, and the whole bidding war makes me nauseous.  But we will plug through because we know God has the home just for us.

Sometimes I feel a bit at loose ends still.  Wondering how long a job will last, what will September hold, where will we live, what will life look like.  Are we just in a temporary state, one that will just last longer?

Well, is that so bad?  Aren't we all living in a temporary state?  How long will the job last?  How long will we live where we live?  How long will life be how it is now?  Maybe that's okay.....

Alright.  I think that's all I have.

I'll blog about some of my sewing projects, about some books that have me thinking and raging and of course more pictures.  Because aren't pictures worth a thousand words?

Birthday Party Pics

It's been a busy time for us in the last while, hence the lateness of the birthday party pictures.  It was a good party with our family and a few friends from Winnipeg.  We had a number of pictures of Elena from her first year displayed on each table and people got to guess how old she was in each picture.  Plus, we ate and visited too.

Carl and Joel made the sandwiches.
Mom and I cut up all the vegetables.
I set up at our church.
PS Cake Design made the amazing Oreo cake.
Family and friends made the party.

And One made the Girl.

Butchering 101

We've always had the notion that our kids should have the knowledge of where their food comes from.  We haven't taken our kids to a killing plant or anything like that, but we have been straightforward with our kids that meat comes from animals that have been killed and butchered.

When we were in Santiago, we had gone to a home that was selling beef.  As we were walking up the path, right in our view was the head of the cow perched on the stump, tongue lolled out.  Kezia hardly even noticed, but Asha had some questions.  And of course the carcass was hanging under the porch, while the butcher cut off pieces of meat that people were ordering.  Okay, I'm getting side tracked and you are probably getting grossed out....Well, then stop reading because this was my graphic conversation with Asha in the van yesterday.

A: So where does sausage come from?
Me: Well, they grind up the meat, either from a cow or a pig and stuff it into a tube called a casing
A: No, where exactly does that meat come from
Me: They killed a cow or  pig for it
A: Uh....no (she says with authority).  It's more like this.....(and this is where she is in her carseat dictating the whole process)
A: First they quietly take their gun, and then quietly sneak up on the cow, or maybe it's a pig, I don't know.  Maybe if you like pig sausage or cow sausage.  Anyways, then they quietly point the gun to his head and the there's a big bang and he's dead.  Then they hang up his body so the blood drips out and cut off his head and put it on the stump.  Then they cut off the feet and the skin and the part where he poos, because that part no one wants to eat that.  Then when all the blood is out, they cut off big chunks and stick it in a machine that grinds it all up and then they put it in that tube stuff.  Then they put it on the trays and put the plastic on it, load it in the van and drive it to the Canada store.  And that's where we are going to go and get it, right Mom?

Me: (shuddering at the details she has recounted) Yes, Asha that's exactly how it is.

I probably should have told that she doesn't need to tell this story to anybody else, especially the other kids at daycare.....