Spontaneous Day out to Parksville.....

Chris and I like to learn about timeshares...who knows, perhaps one day we will purchase one, but for now, we are in the learning stages!  We also like what people give us for listening to their timeshare talk!  Today we were up at Pacific Shores resort.....our friend Rachel came along too!  She ended up swimming with the boys while we 'learned'.....we mainly learn how to skirt answering direct questions on why we don't currently want to buy a timeshare, without hurting their feelings, but still being direct....its an art, not gonna lie....these people are good!!

No shots of swimming or skirting questions, but we headed to Coombs after....here are a few fun shots....here is Crazy Elliot....chris refused to put a nasty wig on....sheesh.

 Hard to believe this girl was a lifeguard this summer?  Where did HER tan go??

 Ummm, yeah.....pose of choice....nice one Isaac.....

 He's just kidding everyone....but did you see how scared the dogs look in that above shot??

 Owling shot....just for you Steve and Nicole....

 Loves puppies.....

Now we are home.....it was a good day.  Currently i am on the couch writing this as chris works on splicing a net for a future retreat.  Isaac worked on getting Elliot to sleep....he gets into bed, is real quiet and when elliot finally falls asleep, he comes out and hangs out....that boy never seems to get tired.

Our evening in the forest and visiting with Ross and Evie.....

It was one of those days....you know, the long ones, but good because you don't have anything pressing that has to be done, you so can sortof just 'be' where ever you are.  Today, as you see from the last post, i was sad....i cried alot today, so by tonight i just felt a little spent and beat up, but everything is so good and the boys both had a great day at school....so all good.

After a dinner, mainly made by Isaac, of Kraft spirals....we all took to the forest to do a little hiking and foraging for mushrooms {since it is that season again!}...... so tell me...do you see them??

 How about now??  {thanks auntie jenny and uncle trent!!}

 And thank you dad for a new can of bear spray!!

 Showing the boys a lobster mushroom....

 My beautiful boys......

 My best friend and my best boys.....

 Photo credit to Isaac Burdge

 Scary tree trunk.....

 Ross and Evie came to visit tonight on their way to Honeymoon Bay this evening.....they played with the boys, had a cup of tea....we got caught up.

 Very special people to us.....we both have always felt so supported and loved by both Ross and Evie....and after a bit of a rough day, it was so nice to have people who are like family, come and give out lots of hugs and we laughed and it was just so good.....

 OK, i am writing and laughing at the same time at these next 2 pictures.....

Such a good sport to wear the bird head!! 

 Birdie pecks not getting too much success....Evie didn't want to put the head on.....

so i beat her at air hockey....maybe next time she will think twice about putting the head on!

Ross beat Chris when he played....so i guess her honor was restored.....love you both...hope you have a relaxing time at the retreat with our other favorite camp family......

You've had a good run Sharon.

That is what my lovely husband says to me as i walked away sobbing over the loss of my sidekick of 5 years this morning to kindergarten.

Elliot cried as i dropped him off this morning.....i think it may have been for show because i checked back in on him a few times through the morning, and he was fine.  But the damage was done.....that first domino got knocked over and from that point on, i have been a mess. 

I miss him.  I love him.  And I am so sad. 

I have lost something that went by too quick....and that was time with him.

Transitions are hard....aren't they?  I always knew it was harder for the person left behind than the person heading away for an adventure......and that's where I am at.....left behind, watching him move forward.

Bus Ride, Anyone?

It is still wednesday??  really?  Cause i could swear that its already been a week!!  Longest day ever....lots of emotions {again!}.....ok, so ..... little guy...first full day of school ... taking the bus with his big brother..... yes....yes...i met the bus at the school and hid out with Rachel and took pictures as my little guy got off the bus....yup - i am THAT mom.....who knew?

 Following big brother to the kindergarten classroom......

 Oops.....caught behind the lens! 

That kid is so perceptive....Elliot, on the other hand, had no idea I was there!

This is me taking a picture from the outside.....

i played the role of stalker helicopter mom really well today..... 

he is just SO little....and i miss him....and i want him to be ok.

 These are 2 boys who go to their school and actually live down the road from us!  So, we had a spontaneous playdate with them after school, after they all got off the bus.

For all my fellow mom friends who are looking for healthy snacks that the kids will gobble; here is one that was super popular today - sold to them as a 'chocolate cupcake'

1 can black beans rinsed

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup agave

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

4 eggs

blend in blender,

bake at 350 for 20 min

YUM!!!!  Thanks Amanda!

Our afternoon after Kindergarten!

Feeling like a mess today....house is a mess....car is a mess....why not continue to ignore it all and have a friend over to hang on the beach? 

Enter: Amanda and the boys!

Elliot is a bit of a lone wolf sometimes......

Amanda cartwheeling.....

 Pretttttttty proud of herself!!!!  I would be too...she kinda rocked it.

Isaac {aka water taxi}......

Now its 8:30 and i am done my posts for the day.....i should go clean, but i don't want to!!  Kevin and I swam across the lake tonight after dinner.....while Chris took the boys and played a little crocket {Adult fall adventure is here this week, hence the crocket}.....and he took them for a little boat ride.....but my nightmare came true as kevin and i swam.....a boat with a skier drove towards us.  Always had a fear of this!! And at 6:30, when the sun is going down and there are blind spots on the lake....i was sure i would have to do the 'dive down as far as you can go' trick!  The driver ended up seeing us, and we were spared, but its always been a fear of mine.....sheesh, who skies on a monday after dinner on choppier waters??

Elliot goes to Kindergarten!

It was the first 1/2 day of gradual entry....and I wonder if its that way more for the parents, than the kids!

 Such a big guy.....didn't really even watch me leave after he was settled next to his little friend A.J. from preschool.  I don't think that i was ready....all summer people would cautiously ask "aw....are you ready for Elliot to go to school?"  I honestly put it out of my mind so that I could really just enjoy our time together.....so this morning it all came to a head.

 I walked out and into the sunshine.....saw my friend Tanya....and lost it just a little bit as she hugged me.  Sheesh, i was a mess, and sort of have been all day and was really not expecting it.  I love Elliot so much, and we have had such fun the last few years together on our own.....it really hit me how much i am going to MISS HIM!!!!!

He did this craft that he handed me when he reached me....and, yup, you guess it....i lost it again. 

It's my first day of school

And "the kissing hand" is what we read

It's about a raccoon

Who did just as his parents said.

Like the raccoons first day at school

I was scared and a little shy

But because of what you said

I was brave and I got by.

All through the year

I'll make more things for you.

So as I change and as I learn

You can see my growth too!

A piece of my I give to you,

This special heart because

'i love you'

The heart is you, the hand is me

It shows that we are

A Family.

Oh man.....so sweet right?  I guess it made it even more poignant because as i dropped him off, i was crouched down next to him as we scoped out all the kids already on the carpet, and i whispered in his ear "are you nervous?" and he nods yes....so i say 'well, that's normal....but you are going to have such fun'.

And he really did.....I think that i had the harder day!! ;-)

Sunday Fun at the lake.....

It was to be the last real hot day -- so i wanted to make sure we made full use of where we live before it gets all socked in grey and rainy!!!

 Isaac is such a monkey.....

 So is Elliot actually!!

 Chris gets the boys windsurfing....it was a good day with a little wind out there!

 Chris and Kevin.....

 Steve and his 'smoulder'.....

 They windsurf, we sun bathe.....its a good trade.

 When I am 55, I want to look back at my 35 year old body.

 Salmon dinner with friends.....thanks Jinny!! 

Not many more shots were taken, but it was a good day soaking in the sun with friends and family.....

Saturday in the Sun.....

It was a great day.....Elliot limped in early in the morning and just crawled into bed with us...no worse for wear!!  I was worried......we had plans to play with Nic and Steve and I was unsure if we could still go ahead with it with Elliots foot.  From the screams the night before when we got home and the freezing wore off...i was unsure.  But all is well......our friends arrived with coffee's in hand for us and we got going on the day:

 Hard to see, but they caught crayfish for dinner appies!!!

 Again, hard to see, but Adessa is showing me the crayfish head...no fear this girl!!!