The Wonders of the Season

Lights

Snowflakes

Live Nativity Animals

Hot Cocoa and Cookies

Olives eaten off your fingers is a delight...

A personal can of olives from your Christmas stocking shared with others off your fingers is gross bliss!

Reconnecting with Cousins

Frigid outdoor adventures with speed!

Receiving a photo from the distant son. 

Slowing the pace to allow nature to seep into our souls.

Christmas Morning Mayhem

Making new friends

Decorating highlights

Whilst decorating, I told Emerson to turn around so I could take a picture of him with the sparkling lights of the Christmas tree.

This is what he did.

I asked him to not have such a grumpy face.

This is what he did.

How about a smile?

This is what he did.

A big smile?

This is what he did.

Then he began to flap his arms and flew off.

He returned to direct the rest of the decorating.

Happy ThanksBirth Day?

Every so often (I'm sure there is a systematic equation of exact frequency but..) my birthday and US Thanksgiving are the same day.  It's okay.  I happen to prefer pumpkin pie over cake anyway.

However... My poor family have learned that the prospect of a long weekend, my birthday and the beginning of the Christmas holiday season being spent cooking for almost two whole days is NOT my idea of a celebration of anything.  I cook 365 days a year already...  I don't relish a two day marathon of extra cooking that will be eaten in one meal.  I am the grinch of Thanksgiving... or so I'm told.  I think I'm really the enlightened one.  A long weekend should be a wonderfully relaxed affair.  Fun filled game playing with no mess or dishes... okay a little unrealistic.  It's not as though I expect everyone to starve... just to not have a gluttonous feast that costs as much as a weeks worth of groceries and takes two days instead of 2 hours to prepare.  The closest I've come to winning this debate is the year I agreed to make macaroni and cheese... I think we somehow still ended up with a turkey... and pies... hmmm.

Anyhoo... this year I received a true gift.  I didn't lift a finger to help and they still had their feast.  Sarah who has been turned off meat ever since I danced with the raw turkey a few years ago.  The desire, craving, longing for a BLT fortunately cured her of disdaining all meat forever, but it took well over a year!

She, with Patrick's assistance made the entire meal... from scratch also!
I did advise from the couch where I was curled up with a warm blanket, a cup of hot cocoa and a good book on the cleaning and care of the turkey.  I also took photos.

The meal was scrumptious.  It was all we ate for 4 days and we still had enough turkey leftover for soups well into the next week.

And the dessert.. the best part... la piece de la resistance!!!  I didn't even have to dread the mountain of dishes.  They cleaned those also.  (Because the other name for Thanksgiving is try-to-use-every-pot-bowl-dish-in-in-the-house-in-one-day!)

Happy with what they have.

The first snow of the season.... maybe an inch.  It melted quickly, but it clung tenaciously to the deck for an extra few hours.  The boys didn't miss a minute.  As I sat in the house searching for mittens and other winter gear to fit each boy, they went out to enjoy.  They all claimed they weren't cold.  Rolling snowballs and creating a snowman to commemorate the first snow. 

Emerson was appalled that Whittaker would eat their newly formed friend.  He checked on the cold fellow over the afternoon and was dismayed that the next day found him shrinking until, by the next afternoon, he informed us that their snowman was 'invisible'.

It's his new favourite word.  Can't find your shoes?  They're 'invisible'.  No veggies on your plate... no worries.. 'they're invisible'.  No pants... don't be daft!  'they're invisible'.  Make your bed.  Can't.  It's 'invisible'.  I think I'll try being invisible, see if I get a day off that way.

Quarantine Lifted - Hooray!

After 7 weeks of keeping still, away from as many germs as possible, keeping his ear dry, staying indoors, avoid sneezing, blowing his nose and generally attempting to entertain a old recovering from surgery.  

Follow up appointment gave us a clean bill of health.  The hearing test said his ears now work equally.. not at 100% but we didn't expect them to.  They are now both in the normal hearing range and we're pleased with that.  Now we just hope the surgery stays fixed this time.  Hopefully two times can be the charm.

His audiologist and ENT's office is near Ikea so we planned to celebrate with a quick shopping trip, and some supper in his favourite restaurant!  Oddly enough while we all enjoyed the signature meatballs, he was a chicken strips and fries guy, but the cold temperatures necessitated hot cocoa all around.  It sure is nice not to be under quarantine any longer... For everyone's sake!

5 Kilometers/Miles

Miles was given the option to either take a written final exam for his physical skills and health class or he could run a 5k race.

Miles opted for the race.  So oddly enough Miles ran 5 Kilometers.  He trained for 2 weeks, running in the neighbourhood every afternoon.

Race day dawned 25 degrees at 8am.  By race time it was in the mid-30's.  Warming up before the race never had such deep meaning.  I was even trying to do warm ups before his race.  Of course once the race began, I sat in the van to wait.

He learned a few valuable lessons.  Dress for the weather.  Training on only flat neighbourhood sidewalks didn't prepare him for the hills in the race course.  Stopping at the water station part way made him cough and sputter.  He wishes he'd been wearing gloves.

He also learned that he enjoyed running and would love to participate in more 5K's... maybe in the spring and summer though.

Out of 103 runners he placed 30th.  In his age division he placed 4th. His time was slower than his training time by 2 minutes.

Now if only could do a cycling race instead of his English exam...

All Hallow's Eve

Some costumes were thought of, planned out, and prepared well in advance.

Some were requested an hour before.  They had to choose from previously available.

Due to neighbours requests, the boys decided to dress up and trick or treat after all.  They had planned to stay home in boring clothes.

For  some choosing just one costume was out of the question.

Option #1:  Spanish Bandit Monk Pirate Dalmation Dr. Spider

Option #2: Super Pumpkin Chicken Dog

Practicing is always encouraged.  Not that receiving candy is difficult, but the new phrase 'Trick or Treat' and remembering to say Thank you, knocking (not just opening stranger's doors) are all important skills to master before you embark on All Hallow's Eve. 

Whittaker took it upon himself to train Emerson.  Whittaker had been given the all clear for the first day in 6 weeks to go outside on Halloween but he opted to hand out at the door instead, so he claimed he would practice that part.  In fact after practicing a few times Whittaker inquired of the older siblings who was planning to take Emerson out for the real thing.  He didn't think he was ready to go unaccompanied.  Oddly, he didn't ask me.

I think practicing paid off.

Emerson certainly didn't complain about practicing.

After all the preparation and a final costume change we were ready to embark on the adventure.

Option#3: Super monster puppy pirate... in tap shoes. 

At the last minute, Whittaker decided he would like to go.  He said he only needed a minute to become a ninja.  Apparently it came with skills.

As soon as a ninja was going, the Super monster puppy pirate picked up a few ninja moves as well... in tap shoes.

All that work for four houses.

We practiced more times than that.

Emerson was thrilled after only one house.

Whittaker encouraged three more and then he announced that it had been fun but it was time to return home.  He still wanted to do the handing out at the door after all.

The simplicity of not planning to go and going at the last minute for only a few minutes has definite benefits.  Less stress beforehand, less complaining about cold, sore and tired feet and less candy also.

Cucumber Chatter

The following chatter was heard.... in the garden.

Harvesting Memories

Old Mother Hubbard

went to the cupboard

to feed her starved children some food.

When she got there, 

the cupboard was bare

and so they all went to work!

They picked the trees clean

The garden they gleaned.

They washed, chopped, peeled, boiled and canned.

The beets were pickled.

The salsa ole,

The apples; sliced, sauced and cold pressed.

Now the cupboard is bursting

And no one is thirsting

but Old Mother Hubbard is dead!. 

(tired that is!)

Beets are messy work... but so rewarding!

Bittersweet.

We've been canning apples for many, many years... Sauce and slices mostly.  A few years ago I decided to do juice as well, for cold winter days with hot apple cider were calling to me.  Two years ago, a neighbour and Caleb reminded me of the BEST use of apples ever.  Cold pressed apple juice... a.k.a. 'brown apple juice' from my memories of going to work with Dad at Triumph at UVIC.  After mentioning the memory with fondness, Dad sent us a kit to build an apple press and said he'd come Fall of 2015 to chop apples with us.  

We built the press and we pressed the best brown apple juice but Dad was only with us in spirit.  We listened to music of the 50's, read a book aloud as we worked and processed our apples.  We dedicate this batch to Dad.

The Eagle Flies

This was one of three presentations Miles gave to promote the Blood Drive for his Eagle Project.

He spoke to the District Cub Scout Leaders and the BSA Round Table Commissioners as well as the High School Seminary Students.  

There was a great deal of behind the scenes work.

Hours of telephone calls to schedule appointments, including setting up and running a call center evening with the youth in the neighbourhood.  Learning telephone scheduling skills and appointment scheduling.  He had to meet with the representatives from the Red Cross to arrange dates, building and write up a short bio of his reasons for choosing a blood drive to use as flyers.  He had to hand out the hundreds of flyers and create posters to advertise the blood drive.  He approached Little Caesars Pizza for a donation of pizza to thank all the hard workers at the blood drive for their support in volunteering.  He also arranged mints and lifesaver donations as thank you's for all the individuals who willingly came to donate. 

The day of the drive finally arrived and all the hard work paid off..... until the equipment failed.  The red cross remote location drives require an internet connection to run their drives these day and the equipment they had to receive the connection failed.  Our 8 hour drive came to a grinding halt after only 2 hours.  We were down for a full hour before we could continue.  We learned flexibility and the importance of being prepared.  We had to make calls to reschedule and cancel some appointments.  

With the technical difficulties our numbers were down but we still met the minimum donation goal.(barely)  I like to think that I am the reason.  Towards the end of the drive, there was an opening so I bravely took it.  I had clear expectations.  After witnessing the procedure I insisted on a book holder to distract me.  Someone else to answer my questions so I wouldn't have to look towards the arm at all and plenty of juice!  I proudly wore my "I donated today" sticker!  I may even do it again.  

Sarah vacillated too long but she'll do it one of these days.  Miles is eager to donate and is counting down the months until he can!  Only 13 more months!

6.1 Richter Scale Morning

Duncan -- "I was still asleep.  Suddenly my bed shook and there was a crashing noise all at once.  I could hear Emerson and Whittaker crying.  Miles was talking to them.  Then a thundering sound just outside my bedroom and Mummy was yelling for Daddy.  I climbed off my bed and grabbed for Whittaker's arm and pulled him out and got him on the bunk bed.  The girls were at the door of my room and everyone was helping to rescue us."

Miles -- "I had been upstairs with Emerson looking for his blanket.  We were trying to stay very quiet so we didn't wake everyone else.  Whittaker woke though and climbed out of his bed and sat on a chair next to my hammock.  Emerson and I climbed back into my hammock and he was almost asleep while I read my book.  I saw the screws behind the bookshelf pop out of the wall.  My firsts thoughts were to put up my arms and catch it, but I was stuck with Emerson next to me.  Instead I put my arms over Emerson's face to lessen the blows of the books that were flying at us.  Whittaker rolled over and landed on my pillow.  Duncan jumped off his bunk and pulled him out from under the debris.  Emerson was crying and Whittaker was whining mostly, I kept telling them, don't whine, it's okay, don't be sad.  Mummy came first and I heard Daddy running down the stairs.  The girls stood at the door and asked, 'WHAT. WAS. THAT?'"

Sarah -- "My alarm had been going off for a while.  I'd snoozed it two or three times.  Then I heard the crash and I turned to Kenzie and asked if she heard it.  She was like, YEAH.  So, I frantically looked for my bathrobe.  I thought it was the huge beet pot from yesterday's canning and I was thinking about what a mess it would be to clean it up off the floor.  We went to check out the crash.  Before we got there we heard Mum scream for Dad.  We hurried then.  I tried to lift the shelf but it was so close to the wall so every time I tried to lift it, it would just put a hole in the wall.  After I realized that everyone was okay, I went back to bed.  After a few minutes Emerson came to tell us that the boys needed us.  I was too tired to put books on the shelf, so I pulled Emerson into bed with me and Kenzie and started to drill him with questions.  What happened?  I asked if a large hippo was in the hammock.   He answered emphatically.. YES!  Then Kenzie asked if a giraffe was pooping in the hammock.. He answered... YES!  Then I realized he wasn't a good source of information and Mum had probably sent him for us.  We went so we didn't get in trouble.  Everyone was holding the shelf but a lamp had fallen behind so I squeezed behind to get it out before it could be put back.  After that I laid on the couch and went back to sleep."

Kenzie -- "Sarah's alarm had gone off but we turned it off.  We were too tired to get up.  Emerson got up and left.  I think we'd both fallen asleep again when we heard the crash.  I sat up fast and asked Sarah if she heard it.  She did and we both got up.  Then we heard a blood curdling scream.  Nova was yelling for Pat.  I thought maybe their bed had broken and crashed.  I was running up the stairs but behind me I heard Sarah.  "OH MY GOSH!"  I turned around and looked in the boys room.   Nova was holding the book shelf up so it wasn't on Miles and Emerson.  Whittaker was sitting on his bed ranting about all his things being gone!  There were still books and boxes flying off the shelves.  Patrick came and held the bookshelf up and we tried to reach the legs and arms of Emerson and Miles to  help them out but Miles pushed Emerson out a hole he could see towards the bed, then he crawled out behind him.  Nova took a picture once we knew no one was hurt.  I still didn't know what caused the disaster but it sure was a scary mess.  Sarah and I went back to our room.  I put on a bathrobe and then Emerson told us we had to come help.  It took the five of us to lift the shelf back up and there were still some books falling off as we put it back in place."

Patrick -- "Nova's scream from somewhere woke me with such a start that I got up in a flash forgetting completely about my cracked ribs and pulled muscles.  She was downstairs and the girls just ran into the boys room.  I came around the corner and saw the mess.  They boys were trying to climb out as Nova held up the bookshelf.  I took over holding the shelf and they boys climbed out unharmed.  Whittaker was pouting about his room being destroyed and Emerson was laughing now as the girls talked to him about what had happened.  We righted the bookshelf.  There's a gouge in the wall where a corner went through the wall and also where all the screws that were supposed to be securing it to the wall had pulled out.  I sent Duncan for my drill and some new longer screws.  The kids helped hold it in place as I screwed it back into studs.  What a way to wake up.  I think I wrenched my back."

Whittaker -- "Miles and Emerson talking woke me up and I got up and was sitting on my little chair.  Then I started to climb in the hammock with Miles and snuggle in with Emerson but then the hammock fell and I was on the ground and Duncan grabbed me and yanked me out onto the bed.  Some boxes and clothes fell on us.  Mummy told me to climb up onto the top bunk and stay there.  My room was destroyed!  All my clothes were buried and gone and my Lego too."

Emerson -- "I snuggling in hammock.  There three boys in hammock.  It fall and fall and CRASH!  The books keep hit me and I punch them and crying.  Lots of them.. lots and lots, books.  Miles get me out with Duncan and Kenzie.  Sarah take me to the stairs.  BIG MESS!  The hammock fall and CRASH and BIG MESS.    Daddy fix it.  Mummy clean up."

Nova -- "I had heard Miles and Emerson upstairs looking for a blanket.  I told them it was too early to be up.  Then it was quiet, but now I was awake.  I lay for a few minutes and then grabbed my phone to check my messages.  I was making a mental to do list for the day when I heard an enormous crash.  My first thought was to the mixing bowls that I had precariously stacked the night before to dry and wondered if the cats had caused an avalanche but by the time I was out of bed and scurrying down the hall I could hear Emerson crying and Miles talking to him.  It wasn't the mixing bowls.  What could have made such a crash downstairs.  Slight panic was setting in as I raced down the stairs.  I don't think anything could have prepared me for the sight of the enormous shelving unit fallen over in the boys room with arms and legs pinned underneath.  I dropped my phone and yelled for Patrick.  I grabbed the shelf while talking to Miles.  Duncan was reaching under from the side of the bed and had Whittaker out and was helping him up onto the bunk bed.  Miles assured me that he was okay and he thinks Emerson is fine also.  How could they be?  The entire shelving unit had landed on them.  Books and boxes were still falling on them with every twist and turn they made to try to extricate themselves.  The girls were suddenly behind me asking, "WHAT WAS THAT?"  Then Sarah and Kenzie were helping to reach limbs for extrication. Patrick appeared next to me and took over lifting the bookshelf so I backed away and went with Sarah to make sure that Emerson wasn't hurt.  Whittaker was whining from the top bunk as he looked down on the disaster that was his bedroom.  He was lamenting his clothes, his books, his toys, convinced that they were destroyed and irretrievable.  The girls left and I sent Emerson for them when we were ready to lift the shelf back up.  They returned in bathrobes and the shelf was re secured to the wall.  We spent the next hour making some semblance of order out of the chaos.  Unbelievably, no one was injured although Miles got a small scratch on his arm as we cleaned up.  Damage was minimal.  A few holes in the wall, and the table that I credit with keeping the boys unharmed that had been set up to do Lego in the center of the room had taken the brunt of the shelf's fall.  One leg bent but was fixable.  Without the table it would have landed right on the boys.  Little boys who hang hammocks from bookshelves in bedrooms have guardian angels working overtime!"
 

Some items that flew off the shelf were amazingly unbroken.  Especially this box labeled Super Fragile.. Will break if dropped!  But apparently not if flung from a falling bookshelf in the wee hours of the morning.  Grandma's stained glass window panes were either extremely well packed, not meant to break or Grandma's labels about breaking if dropped were grossly exaggerated. 

Just a Party

A much anticipated birthday.

He'd been talking about it since Christmastime.

He had many ideas and suggestions for celebrating his birthday... many outlandishly, magically impossible ideas.  What it all boiled down to however was he wanted a party.  He couldn't come up with a single item he wanted as a gift.. 'Just a Party'.

The guest list he gave was... 

'All my friends'

When he started naming friends they ranged from 2 yrs to 20 yrs.

So a party was arranged.

Invitations were sent.

The day dawned bright and beautiful.  We had worried about rain all week.  Success of our party hinged on some outdoor time.

48 Children invited.

37 Children attended.

Party invitation said 9am until 4pm.  Please bring a picnic lunch.

I hired the teenagers, (who were also party guests) to work the different party venues in exchange for goodies and my undying gratitude.

We had different activities set up in 9 different areas.  The youngster were free to roam from area to area as they wished.  The teens were to remain in an area and assist as needed.  They often traded areas.  Some areas were more sought after than others.

We had a room of Lego.  Some one was in there all day.  (Many teens sought out this area.  It was quiet and required very little assistance)

Water color painting.  This was a HUGE hit by many and a very busy station.  We also had origami, strings for cats cradle and cootie catchers made here throughout the day.  

In the dining room there was pin the tail on the minecraft ocelot and board games at the table.

The hair and nail salon was open for the entire party and our beautician was exhausted.   She only had a 10 minute picnic break the entire day.  She even had to have someone hold her ice cream for her to lick while she continued to style hair.  She was working in a stuffy bathroom with very little air movement, with hot rollers and curling irons.  She painted  300 fingernails and coiffed 20 of the ladies hair.  

We were amazed they weren't kicked out more often for people to use the facilities with as many children as we had.

Whittaker LOVES picnics.  Knowing that it would be too hot and hectic to prepare food I had everyone bring their own lunch.  It was fun.  A few ran home for lunch but came back quickly so they didn't miss any fun.  

After lunch, in an effort to combat the rising temperatures and possibly keep the house calm so Emerson could be enticed to nap (HA HA HA HA HA), we watched a movie.  Only about half were interested, so there were still a few activities ongoing.

A mini bounce house, Chinese skipping, bubble blowing, stomp rocket launching, and wiggle cars all happened out on the deck.

The Birthday boy stood on the counter while everyone sang to him.

We served almost 80 mini ice cream cones!

In the backyard, there was Frisbee, sandbox play and parachute games. 

After our long day of partying, we headed out to grab his birthday supper.  These two weren't even tired.  They could have stayed for hours longer at the play place.   I would have been curled up asleep on the play mats.  After an hour I insisted on going home.

On the ride home, a certain newly 6 yr old boy asked, "Tomorrow can I have a friend over?"

I thought about making him walk home.

Things that were not or could not be photographed:

The HEAT.  Oh and our cooler was broken.  As the day went on and the temperatures rose outside to just over 100 degrees the house became increasingly uncomfortable.  We had fans running and we offered ice cold cloths to guests to wear around their necks.  There were surprisingly few complaints.

Clean up.  The simplicity of the party.. odd to consider a close to 40 guest party as simple, but.. the activities were just what we had hanging around and the mess was mindbogglingly minimal.  Honestly the biggest mess was the lego.. and we didn't clean that up for the rest of the  month!  I must remember when my children tell me that they are bored that all these activities surround them every day... they must be the boring part of the bored.