Canada Trip -- Day 10

Day 10 (Eden, Sadie, Ava, Willows Beach AGAIN!, sleepovers, 67 photos)

We were exhausted as we began our next stage of our visit.  We lazily began our week.   Miles began a puzzle in the library of the condo, Patrick, Caleb and Sarah took a swim.

Eden called to invite us for breakfast and we accepted!  Eden never under entertains!  We were over well-fed.

We left the afternoon plans up to Ava and she chose Willows Beach.  So we went, again!  It was just as fun the second time.  Eden had a yoga class to teach that evening so she left early but we stayed just a few more minutes... hours!!  We lost a hat.

Back at Grandmas for the night... worn out in a happy way... bellies filled again .. this time quesadillas.  Eden swung by and took three big kiddos to her place and we all crashed until the next morning.

Winter Wonderland

Jill once told me, "It hurts to be beautiful."

I never truly understood what that meant.... but I think I could change it to,

"It takes great pains on the part of subject and photographer to sometimes get a useable shot."

For example,

After church I suggested mentioned told everyone I needed them outside for just a minute.  I sent Patrick to grab the camera.  It was a perfect winter wonderland type of day and everyone looked their best. 

We I chose a spot at the local school between some trees laden with snow.  I insisted they walk the long way through the snow and come from the back of the trees so there weren't any footsteps in the forefront of the scene.  There was great concern regarding the laden with snow branches.  "Just don't bump them and the snow shouldn't fall on you." 

It should have been delightful, I remembered to have a blanket to lay on instead of directly on the snow. 

The boys were in place.  I attempted to take a few shots.  There weren't any batteries in the camera.  I sent Patrick home to fetch some.  He took FOREVER!  He returned empty handed.  He couldn't find them.  I sent him home with specific instructions where to find them.  He FINALLY returned with batteries in the camera.  (It wasn't until weeks later when I didn't recognize the batteries that I removed from the camera that he remembered to tell me that he had finally gone to a neighbour to borrow some!  (I owe you Ellen!)

Since we'd been waiting so long in the snow, we had piled back into the van to wait for Patrick.  Mackenzie had her phone and we snapped a photo in the van. 

We may have been squished but we were no longer frozen. 

I took 4 shots of just the big boys while waiting for the others to get in place.   At the beginning of photo taking it wasn't encouraging to have this much uncooperativeness silliness... although I must admit I love the candids better than the final product of 'all looking at the lens happy'. 

 Next up, the girls brought the two little boys for an all 9 kidlet photo.  Emerson stayed cooperative for all of 10 seconds, and Whittaker insisted on wearing his hat and sitting in the back. 

 Over 25 photos to find one where they were all sort of looking at the camera.

 "Okay Patrick, this is how it will work next.  You go get in place and then I'll set the timer and run into my spot.  It will work.  Don't give me that 'You are out of your mind look!"

"The rules are!!!  Don't look at me running..  Just keep smiling at the camera!"

"Okay.... Go!"

 It apparently took longer, to run all the way around and approach from the back of the shot, not bump the branches causing the snow to fall, and get into place than I thought. 

 This time I slid into the spot like a it was home plate at a baseball game.  Hardly graceful or ladylike.  It blew their looking at the camera pose.  We couldn't stop laughing. 

Last try.  I promise!

Three strikes, you're out!  I was a torturer mother of my word.  We didn't try again.  Even though the camera slid of it's perch on the pair of mittens and the photo was on an angle and my hand is swiping my hair out of my face after landing hard on my tailbone into place. 

However....

There were a few other shots I wanted before we could go home for the promised hot apple cider and pajamma's for the rest of the day. 

 A perfect photo if I ever saw one!

Cooper ~ "Who's brilliant idea was it to take photos in frigid temperatures without proper winter gear on?"

Me ~ "Ahh.. so you agree that I had a brilliant idea!!"

Cooper ~ "ERRR... You never even ask our opinion."

Me ~ "So, Cooper do you have an opinion on a great outdoor winter wonderland backdrop location for today's photo?"

Cooper ~ "Are we done?  I know I am."

 Just girls. 

~"We're freezing you know."

"Try to stand there like you aren't freezing though... oh.. and be happy also.  Okay?  Thanks.  Oh and one more thing... QUIT GROWING UP SO FAST!"

 Kenzie ~ "I'll share my body heat.  What little I have left."

 Sarah ~ "I need more heat!"

The girls became particularly goofy the colder they became.  This was their attempt to have mustaches. 

All in all I think everyone enjoyed their time in the winter wonderland.  I'm sure they're all wondering when the next time we can have this much fun taking photos together will be. 

(I intend to keep them in suspense... but I have a few ideas.)

Christmas 2013

It came without packages, (some were shipped late)

It came without sweets, (due to a restricted diet for allergy testing, it really did come without any traditional sweets.

It came without warning.   Ok.. so it came the correct day and that really should be warning enough... but it seemed to sneak up on me.

It came very simply... and it was perfect!

We had a great Christmas ... once we convinced the kids to go back to sleep until at least 6:30.

Caleb and Patrick both worked Christmas eve and we watched It's a Wonderful Life in it's entirety.  I don't remember ever seeing it entirely before.  It's much longer than I remember, but I like it.  We toyed with the idea of attending a Christmas Mass, but we were outvoted this year by sleeping kids.  I can't remember carrying sleeping children to bed on Christmas Eve before... usually we're waiting for them to fall asleep.

Memorable moments from our Christmas season:

*Whittaker opening his stocking and nonchalantly taking each thing out, looking at it with a smile and setting it aside to pull out something else until... The flat rubik's cube he had asked Santa for... "he bringed it.. FINALLY.  I been waiting and waiting."  Then he reached in and pulled out a can of olives.  He tossed the rubik's cube and did a victory dance and asked if he could open it and put them on his fingers and eat now!?  (next year... a stocking full of canned goods)

*Emerson finally realizing that the stuffed stocking at the foot of his bed wasn't just another stuffed animal, but had snacks and toys inside.  He devoured his orange and his fruit snacks and began begging others for theirs, although the light up bouncy ball and the toy iphone were definite distractions.

*(not all memorable moments bring back fond memories)  As we went upstairs to continue Christmas morning we were greeted by cat vomit at the top of the stairs.  The kids waited on the stairs as daddy cleaned it up and I changed Emerson's diaper.  As I changed the diaper, Figaro (cat), hopped into the box of clean diapers and proceeded to act like he was in a litter box... pooping in a diaper... ewww.. gross!  Not a Christmas tradition hopefully.  Apparently the kitty door was locked!

*Whittaker noticed as we came into the living room the plate we had set 'out for Santa'.  The cookies were all gone except one and the carrots were gone and the milk was mostly gone.  He began ranting. "I not like Christmas.  I HATE Santa.  He ate my cookies!"  Even the gnawed carrot on the front porch didn't ease the loss of the cookies he had set out in the living room the night before.

*Miles trying not to let it show that Christmas at age 12 was turning out to be blah (clothes, shoes, gloves, back pack, ... until I managed to 'find' one last gift hiding....    oh... just a box of new rubik's cubes... he was busy for the next week.

*Duncan exclaiming.."I got everything I wanted and more... (He had asked for a new winter coat, and a watch)  he received 2 coats and a watch as well as a few fun items he was genuinely surprised and pleased with, including fun new socks for his sock collection.

*Sarah, giving me quizzical looks each time she opened a pair of boots.  (She had helped me order the pair she wanted.  (She didn't know that I had finally asked her to do that because I had been looking all month and picked up a few pair and each time I would drop hints, it would be evident that they weren't what she was asking for.  So she ended up with 4 pair of boots she didn't ask for and the pair that she did.

*Caleb preparing his first turkey dinner.  He had received one from work so we called it Caleb's turkey and told him to prepare it.  He did a fine job, remembering to massage and dance with the bird as is the tradition.

*Making the gingerbread house with the kids the next day after we'd started coming down with the flu.  By boxing day there were 4 down.  Whittaker was burning up and still had some residual croup coughing, but he kept telling daddy where to put frosting and candies.... until.. he coughed and he coughed and he blew the barn down!  The darn thing collapsed.  He burst into tears and was crying and begging... "Please, don't give it to the chickens!"

*Learning to play the new game Settlers of Cataan... and then not stopping for a week straight.

*Jim's gifts to the kids. priceless... "One of those new fangled dialing phones you put on a desk and it's attached with a cord for the talking and listening part.  and a box of packing poppers.

*adorable matching shirts from Paige... Emerson loves his... Whittaker loves his new socks Paige!  Everyone who sees them comments on socks with capes.. Awesome!

*Visiting with Santa.  I often wonder what Santa's think after listening to children come up to him all evening telling him what they want.  From detailed long lists, to needful requests like a winter coat to telling him something vague like, 'a toy'.


*Attending Christmas concerts.  Handels' Messiah sing along.  (Whittaker and Emerson, slept on the floor), also the Sterling singers concert that Patrick and Caleb perform in.

*Christmas bowling.  I have discovered that bowling is not my forte.  I think I'll remain a spectator from now on.  Cooper insists that I bowl 'nova's'... that would be when you only knock one pin down with each roll.  I regularly knocked only one down so when anyone else bowled that way, they would come back to the seats shaking their heads and saying, "I bowled a 'nova'".

*The church nativity.  Cooper rocked his part as narrator.  Whittaker acquiesced to wearing a shepherd costume and finally agreed not to skewer his sheep on his staff.  Duncan was the tallest wise man and was pleased to carry in a gift of gold coins.  We had been to the bank and picked up the golden dollar coins because 'authentic' props make everything perfect.  The most work was the stable, which I decided needed to be painted the night before.  We forgot to turn out the main lights and plug in the star but the nativity went well anyway.

*Boys and cats disappearing under the Christmas tree

*Exercises by the light of the Christmas tree

A Whitty Cooperism Remark

Whittakanese:  it's an easier language to understand than say Jawa which is loosely based on the smell of the speaker at the time. ~'Cooper'

Whittaker was asking to have a piece of yarn tied around his waist and kept repeating,
"I be like a penguin.  Tie it like a penguin."

I had no clue what he was referring to.  I tried to tie the yarn so that it held down his arms 'like a penguin... then tried tying his legs together, 'like a penguin'.  However, both those were incorrect.  Cooper offered to help saying, "I think I can understand 'Whittakanese' better than you."

He managed to discuss with Whittaker the finer points of tying like a penguin and determined that he wanted a karate belt like the penguins on Club Penguin.  It was at this point that he announced the ease of understanding Whittakanese over Jawa.

I apparently don't speak either very well.

Brace yourself

 After almost 3 years of brackets, wires and elastics, restrictions from crunchy and chewy foods, we now have....

STRAIGHT TEETH!

Cooperism: Clean up

Cooper is on the chore rotation here.  Currently his jobs include, feeding the cats, collecting the eggs and sweeping the kitchen. 

This morning after Emerson had breakfast, Cooper walked in and began shaking his head.  He reached for the broom and dustpan and began sweeping up the cereal that was now all over the kitchen. 

Muttering, "Youngster's these days.  Good thing they're adorable, but they sure can make a mess."

Leaving our mark

The oven had a glitch this evening and needed to have the reset button pushed to reboot the electrical in the display panel.  To do this the oven had to be slid out of it's spot.  It revealed a forgotten moment in our history. 

We decided that an updating was necessary while it was available.  Besides Cooper was quite taken with the idea of approved wall writing!  (He wrote, "Anonny'mouse' was here.  Coop ate with him.  Cheese was yummy.")

Fort Noble

Channa brought over a bag of old fitted sheets.  Apparently she knew we would need them.  Perhaps not what she thought we needed them for....

Fort Noble withstood repeated attacks from Emerson.  A rip roaring Othello tournament.  And multiple 'big people' invasions. (It was just so inviting) 

.............However it could not withstand cleaning day. 

Cooperisms : Papparazzi

"I think I can relate to famous people dealing with the Papparazzi now.  It's like standing with a piece of bread, surrounded by hungry, angry geese!"

Brown Apple Juice

Growing up, we would sometimes spend the day at work with my dad.  He worked in a research lab on the campus of the University.  I never completely knew what he did, nor ever understood it.  I think I ended up telling everyone he was inventing a nuclear physics bomb or something. 

None of that really mattered. 

What mattered was 



.................. lunch time. 

More specifically a drink.  We probably had a packed lunch from home but Dad would take us to get some brown apple juice.  We always called it that.  "Brown Apple Juice".  And there was just something incredible about it. 

It's been close to three decades since then. 

They say the sense of smell and taste invoke memories better than any other sense.  I have 7 apple trees in my back yard.  I have made close to 1000 quarts of apple sauce and 600 quarts of pie slices and 100 quarts of juice since moving to this home 7 years ago.  We've taken advantage of the bounteous harvests.  This year, Caleb took a bucket of our apples to a gentleman's home in the neighbourhood.  This older gentleman had been telling Caleb about a press that he had made. 

We typically steam our apples in a juicer to extract the juice.  We also drink hot cider for about a month.  Can't get enough.  It's delicious. 

Caleb was gone an hour and a half.  He returned with 7 jars of brown liquid. 

One sip. 

I was transported. 

I was about 10 years old, on the university campus, drinking 'brown apple juice.'

It was even better than I could have imagined and definitely surpassed what I had remembered.  In looking back on the last 7 years I've missed out.  I should have been cold pressing.  Our cider pales... quite literally... in comparison. 

TEN on 11/12/13

A momentous occasion!  Cooper turned TEN!!  on 11/12/13.  We should have been on top of it.  We could have made him open his gifts at 2:15... in military time he could have celebrated his 10 on 11/12/13 at 14:15... but that might have been taking things a little too far.

We had a fun day. They boys completed the first Harry Potter book the night before so much of our day took on a Harry theme. 

I had made a rice pudding as our breakfast treat the night before, however...  I went to bed before I took it out of the oven and forgot about it.  When I finally remembered around midnight it was a bit crisp.  They did not complain. 

 

The boys played outside while we set up the platform 9 3/4 station and decorated a birthday chair. 

We were sorted by the sorting hat.  Duncan and Caleb were assigned to Hufflepuff.  Cooper did everything in his power to rig the game so that he could be assigned to Slytherin.  He was successful.  He claims that the shield with a snake is just too awesome not to be a part of.

The spontaneous afternoon activity was a definite hit!  Bowling was especially fun with pseudonyms.  Except Whittaker, because when we were typing in "Long in the Tooth Walrus", he corrected us emphatically that his name isn't spelled like that.   It was a close game at the end, but somehow I miraculously pulled ahead at the last minute.  (I'm in complete earnestness here.  I bowled every frame my best from beginning to end.  How the end was so much better than my beginning I have NO idea!)

The birthday was not complete.  We returned home to find Sarah's magic.  A scrumptious Spaghetti dinner followed by a movie.  Not just any movie.... Yes.. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. 

We enjoyed popcorn of course and a fabulous DARK chocolate cake with Tapioca pudding.  We even had the chocolatey smiles to prove it!

As cooper put it earlier in the day. 
 ~"A successful decade has been completed... Soo, how do you  like me now?"

We like you enough to keep you around for another decade Coopster. 

(I'm very proud of you also.  This has been a week of difficult adjustments for you and MANY restrictions and you were very mature about it all.  It will all be worth it!)

Cooperism: Dental upgrade

Dental appointment for Duncan, Whittaker and Emerson.  Cooper had to tag along. 

The appointment went as well as can be expected with Duncan getting two fillings, Whittaker who was glued to the TV in the ceiling and Emerson who doesn't like to let anyone in his mouth since he's cutting three molars. 

After everyone was assessed, cleaned and given the ok to go, the Dentist turned and handed Cooper a toothbrush saying, "Here you go buddy.  You can always use another toothbrush!"

Once we were in the car, Cooper commented, "It's a good thing the dentist offered me a new toothbrush.  How did he know that it was time for my old one to take retirement, hit the road, it had seen it's best days?  It's time for a fresh youngster to take its' place.  They both came from the same dentist office so I expect great things from this new brush."

Sometimes I wonder if I should drive while he is speaking... I just never know what he'll say and it typically leaves me perplexed. 

I did respond with, "You won't know if it's any good as a brush unless you use it every day until you return to the dentist.  I'm sure he'd LOVE to hear your report on the toothbrushes abilities."

Costume Sensations

I had a tough time caring too much about Halloween this year.  I just didn't have the usual excitement for costume ideas nor the making of any ideas that the kidlets came up with.

Sarah had an idea back in August and she began early and made her own costume.  But the boys weren't narrowed down to anything until just before the first of the costume events occurred.  

The only one that we had come up with any advance thought was the Curious George and hte man in the yellow hat.  I even went out and paid $2.00 for that great yellow shirt!  Whittaker as a monkey I knew had to be really simple.  He wouldn't keep it on and that had to be considered.  He wore his winter monkey hat and my brown fleece.  He refused to wear the brown pants.  He removed his costume within 5 minutes of the party starting.

About an hour before the party, I was panicing for some costume ideas.  With anything we could find around the house we made a shoulder angel costume for Emerson and Patrick.  Oddly enough, unless Emerson stayed on Patrick's shoulder all evening he simply looked like we dressed him in a sweet little angel costume.  And with a skirt no less! He even had wings which caused him to spin in circles as he tried desperately to see them over his shoulder.  

This costume was inevitable.  I knew someday my scar skulled boy would eventually turn it into some form of Halloween costume.  His version of Frankenstein was fabulous.  He even read the cliff notes version of Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein', just to get into character.  Other than the neck buttons, we found everything around the house... yes in that last hour while I was also creating a shoulder angel.

Cooper had insisted for the month that he would be handing out treats on Halloween and therefore did NOT require a costume.  However, he didn't take into account, Halloween costume parties.  So once again, with only minutes to spare before our second costume party of the season, we put together, Indianna "Cooper" Jones.  The best part was creating his facial hair.  It changed his entire look.

Caleb had to work the evening of the second costume party, so Patrick stepped in to play the part of the man in the yellow hat.  However, Whittaker had moved on.  In searching for costumes for the other boys, he discovered that we had.... 

a SUPERMAN outfit in his size.  He was willing to wear this costume for the entire evening.  Actually he was willing to wear this costume every day and sometimes nights for over a week!  It made the man in the yellow hat costume a little out of place so I insisted that he at least arrive as a monkey and then in true Clark Kent fashion he could remove his outer clothing and be Superman!

I didn't feel like I could walk around with a shoulder angel all evening, so Emerson needed a new plan.  With about 15 minutes until it was time to leave I decided to go with an idea that I saw a friend post about.  I must admit... the chippendales costume was the simplest, but when I suggested all the boys wear it, I received dagger like stares.  

I really need my head examined or a shoulder angel to hop up and sit on my shoulder, but.... if you think the photo above was a bit odd for me to pull off....

... In my moments of insanity before leaving, I decided that every chippendales dancer needed a showgirl.  So I dug deep and found an inner showgirl in me.

Now what was wrong with this costume for EITHER of the parties.   I hadn't taken the time to pull out our actual costume bins until the morning of Halloween.  It would have been so much simpler and adorable to have dressed him as a clown!  He spent Halloween as a clown, running around town doing errands and even going to a Dr. appt for Caleb's thumb (which is healing nicely).  He didn't even balk at the wig.  I didn't press my luck and try the red nose!

After eating in the clown suit, Trick or Treating required a change of outfit once again.  He made a sweet little frog.  He was cozy also. 

My Trick or Treating crew!  Caleb had to work and Sarah stayed home to hand out treats.  (She says it was boring because not many kids ventured down to the end of the dead end circle)

Duncan???   only pictured in the Trick or Treat photo.  I know.  He opted to wear the Superman costume each time we went out all season.  Each time he declared, 

"I'll think about what I want to be later, for now I'll just wear this."  

Proof you shouldn't procrastinate halloween costume decisions.  He was Superman.  Of course, so was Whittaker, and with only one cape, Duncan graciously allowed Whittaker to wear it.

You might think since Sarah spent 2 months working on her Lady Guinevere costume and made it herself and she wore it to two events that I would have a much more stunning photo of her.   But alas, I only have one of her in the background of Emerson's photos, where she is judging the musical chairs game with the music guy.  

Next year I vow to be more on top of the costume situation.  In fact I suddenly have lots of ideas... I better send myself a dated reminder so I don't have to panic and think of them again.