Home from Vancouver....

We finished "Our Common Purpose" training over at headquarters yesturday at 3pm.  I was happy to head home....

Feeling pretty thankful for a job this morning as we got a bill for our car (again), but now its for wheel bearings.  I understand why people lease......you throw money into your car whether its new or used.....

I dropped the kids off at the bus......i am back in pj's and puttering around the house.  Turns out the Hunger Games are now on netflix....so thats on....sick movie....seriously sick.  But its wrapped up in such a pretty 'film' that you can't really absorb what they are actually doing.

The other day, Elliot came into the kitchen and he had his wallet.  In it, was $5 from grandma and grandpa.....he wanted to spend it.  We informed him that he needs to share it with his brother.

He proceeds to the cutlery drawer and takes out scissors....he is going to cut it in half to give one half to his brother.

I love it!  So literal.

Nice to be home.....

back to school.....

It was with a bit of sadness that i prepped the boys for their first day back to school.  After a hot bath, they got dressed and crawled under the table to eat breakfast in front of the new heater.

And since we were ahead of schedule since somebody decided they wanted to take a drive...we read a little more from the hobbit.

They had a great day at school.....

You really want to pee? you sure?

Its a new and too much fun for mommy, tactic.  He never pees before we leave...so he waits til we are going at a good clip, you know...on our way?! And he pipes up "GOT TO PEE!! PULL OVER!!"

So now, we lock the doors and make him dance to get in.....he doesn't always oblige, but then he gets cold and does a dance, or attacks my window.....its pretty awesome making memories for him to talk about in therapy. 

a few tidbits minus pics from sunday aft....

My pictures are taking awhile to load...but i thought i would write about the day since it was quite fun.  We started off by heading to warmland church. My sweet friend Ashley is off to Africa this week!  A dream she has had for 13 years!!  I have known her that long...since she was a kid!!  So, it was pretty sureal to see her up there today singing and talking about the adventure she is about to embark on!  I was super proud!

And then i left church (bypassing all the chit chat), to run over to see my bed-ridden friend Nicole really quick.  She has this little baby girl in her tummy who is facing the wrong way and with limited fluid....so bedrest for at least a few more weeks!  I love that she is using our midwives.....it was funny as I approached the house this morning, i felt a sort of honor to knock on her door.  Something very important is happening with this little baby....it was just a feeling I had, that it was a sacred space I was coming into. The words Grace and Blessings keep coming to my mind......its an important time.

Chris knocked on the door not long after I arrived to take me to Mike and Lauras for lunch.  We had all been at Warmland this morning, so all the cousins got to play together again.  (THIS is a record.....its been wonderful!--- they stayed over last weekend as a family (a first!!)...and then this weekend we saw the plane with chris's family and grandpa, and then today it was church and lunch after.....)  We have never seen this much of them!  Today Laura and I joked that we have hit the quota and we won't see eachother now til next year!! 

Funny things that happened today:
Got into the car from Nics and said without looking back at the kids:
"Hey Punks"
From the back seat:
Elliot answers: "Hey...."
and then i hear:
? : "TICKLE FINGER!!!!"

Ummm...that doesn't sound like isaac, and thats kindof a weird response.....and  i turn around to see Oscar......he was quite proud of himself to have fooled auntie into thinking he was Isaac.  I guess isaac had gone with Laura from church and we got Oscar.....oh man, we laughed.  i told him i thought something looked different, did your hair get darker isaac?  He thought that was hilarious.

And when my pictures finally start to work, i will post a shot of oscar in his Knight garb.....at one point Oscar comes careening into the livingroom, screaming and crying....once asked what the matter is, this is his answer "ELLIOT is trying to turn me into HIM!!!" {pointing accusingly at Elliot, who is standing in a darker corner with a smirk and a harry potter wand in his hand....}

At this point, Mike calls him over, and gives him a pen to put into his pocket and tells him that its a character protector...so he can't be turned into anybody but himself!  Oscar turns around victoriously to face Elliot, the enemy and pretty much says 'try again ELLIOT!!!'....and the duel continued, and everyone stayed who they were.

On the walk this aft, Laura and i were walking, and we turn around to see Oscar had fallen down a bit of a birm and was trying to get up....he is so young and agile, he gets up without putting his hands down for stability.....had he put his hand down he would have placed it in a huge pile of dog poo!!  My eyes got huge as i see this play out....i look over at Laura, and you would have thought nothing was wrong...she just shrugs as though this happens all the time, and we kept walking!! cool as a cucumber...he seriously missed it by MILIMETERS!!!

Tonight we read the first chapter of The Hobbit (thanks auntie jenny!!) to the boys before bed, and then Elliot brings me a photo book and says he is going to tell ME a story now.  The photobook was of Isaacs first birthday, where i guess Wren was 3?  Since isaac didn't know any better,  and it never happened again, she got to lick the icing off his 1 year old candle!  The story that went along with these pictures was pretty funny.....including 'why is nona facing away from the camera in the group picture?'  Seriously funny...everyone is facing forward, and my mom has her back to the camera and is doing something backwards with her brown cord jacket....but elliot continues to tell me a story about 1 year old isaac in this voice that he feels represents his brother well.....man, those boys crack me up...i will post pics tommorow when blogger is working again....but we've laughed alot today...its been good.

After both boys were tucked in, elliot comes out to see me as i was sitting in front of the fire and says quietly 'mom, will you pray for me?'.  And I was happy to do so tonight..especially tonight because in church this morning, Brian spoke on parents, whether your parents were authoritative, permissive, or uninvolved and how that would affect you as an adult, as well as a parent. It got me thinking of what kind of parent I am.  But part of his talk was, to pray for your kids.....to pray blessings on them.....to pray blessings on your own parents.....it was a good reminder for me, that I won't have these 'kids' forever...soon they will be sitting, as adults, in their own church, or therapy group, deciphering what kind of parent i was to them.....so after I was done praying for him, i look at him and he adds "can you also pray that there won't be any earthquakes or fires tommorow?".  So we had a chat about what would happen in an emergency and that he would need to know that he would be taken care of by all the teachers at school, but that mom and dad would be on their way....and nothing would stop us until we got to him.  Life is scary hey Elliot?.....bottom line is family.....and love.....and that we are looked after by a God who is bigger than us who knows our path already.....just breath and keep walking.

Sunday Night.....haircuts and silk screens...

This guy threw me a bone around Christmas time and said he has always wanted to try out silk screening.....so....guess what he got for Christmas?!  This was his first attempt!!!

First attempt looks like what would have probably been my 50th attempt!!  The boy can do anything....and make it amazing hey??  Just designed a new logo, did a little reading, and voila!!  A thing of beauty!!!
Since the boys are heading back to school tommorow, it was time to clean them both up a bit!! 

 

Helpful little Elliot!!!
 

Snapshots of Sunday (and a couple from Saturday!)

We all went to the hanger to see grandpa's plane on saturday!! We have been asked not to publish or say too much about the event based on a confidentiality contract he signed regarding his missions...but we all had a nice time, took some pictures and listened to a few stories...(but not many!!) Below is a shot of the warmest place in the hanger.....many of us congregated in the tube for warmth!!!


Best place for conversation.....right?
She actually had many people take a picture of her here!!

 

Here is the little firecracker...remember the story I wrote yesturday about him? Well...here he is in full knight garb ready for battle!!!! 

Time for a walk along the new extended seawall after lunch!!!
Hats ON!!!

Ava was quite determined to get a picture in the tree!!!!
"Is NOBODY going to take a picture of me??!!"....
and then all the cousins jumped in....

Brothers.....from the same mother!!!

I loved watching the kids spend some good time together outside, laughing and running....i hope this becomes a tradition.....more time spent together. It was great.

 

Just a young eagle and his 3 buddies.....and a dead deer.

Saw this site on our way home from Crofton last week....we had to pull over!  This was a dead deer carcass, with a very immature eagle on it.  There was also 3 other eagles....1 in a treetop and one on the small birm, both not too far from the kill....as well as this last eagle standing a few feet from his buddy who is on the deer.  It was like the lookout crew.....and we got a little peak inside a bit of a secret society!
 

New Years Eve.....with my 3 most favorite people..

No where else I would rather be tonight....fire is on.....we had a good dinner of brussel sprouts and homemade mac and cheese....Part I of Downton Abbey done.....Part II on pause until i finish this quick blog.

We have company tonight.....

Elliot and I played his new video game for awhile this afternoon.....he is better than me....which is scary, cause i can be pretty good...and he is only 6!!!  And then it was time for a little wrestling.....

A late night trip to their favorite place;

And then home again for a game they made up on the way home called 'Hide and go Tickle'...you know, once you got found, you got TICKLED!!!  Elliot had a sweet spot as the pillows under the comforter, i ripped out all the pillows and replaced them with him, so he looked pretty realistic....but he giggled...and then got found....and tickled.

 

Lots of laughs around these parts today.....Happy New Year!!  It's been amazing!!!

 

 

New Years Eve eve......Cousins spend the night!

Ending this year with some wonderful memories.....Christmas eve eve was full of birthday fun for sweet Jaxons 4th birthday!  It was a gingerbread man party!  And oh, did we eat gingerbread men!!!!

Very exciting times!!! 

Couldn't you just gobble him up?   

And then the in-laws joined us for dinner and for some after supper entertainment, we did this!

 

 After the fun fire festivities were over....we gave each kid a flashlight and we all went for a walk.  I loved watching them take off like firecrackers when they saw the Zalinko boys playing over by the beach and took part in a spontaneous game of hide and go seek with out the lights!!  8 little kids -- making fun memories....warmed my heart.  I especially laughed when we heard Oscar start shrieking, and once a flashlight hit him, we had seen he had been knocked over, and with his huge puffy coat, he was turtled and couldn't get up.....sort of like Ralphie's brother....you know the one!!

The kids finally fell asleep and in the morning, we woke up with no mike and laura to be found!  I figured they took off in the middle of the night: FREEDOM!!  Turns out, they just left to get coffee, a box of oranges, and an iced capp for chris......here we are: french toast for breakfast, oh, and whip cream, thanks laura....sheesh!  airhorns, whip cream...its on eh?

Tucker was our walking companion today.....made me miss Caleb....it's

nice to walk with a dog, even if its not mine......he is a sweet pup.

 My walker partner today.....human variety......

 Got home to see kids ziplining......love it!  Please note Elliot on his Bike....hard core that young one!

Oscar with his happy face on!  About to head outside!!

 Elliot with HIS happy face on...just coming IN from outside to sit by the fire.....

 Go Fish.....

Little coke for the road..... 

It was a nice last day of 2012......

Mama's Day Out......

We met up at 10.....walked for a good hour.....and then we left for town.  Amanda bought a sweet computer, we shopped around a few other stores and before we knew it, it was time to see 'This is 40'.  It was funny when we walked in....we laughed at the TOTAL empty theatre.....

 And in all honesty, it probably should have been a tip off......this was the first time I have gone to a show withOUT reading a review....mainly cause Amanda wanted to go, and the preview looked super funny.  Umm....it was an awful movie....NOT a light comedy as the preview would make it out to be...a few sweet scenes, but mainly just a raunchy, awful movie.....and LONG!  Holy cow - NO movie has to be 2.5 hours unless we are going on an adventure!!  If this is 40, I will stay 38 forever thank you....bleh.

 After the show we.will.never.talk.about.again....we were hungry, so we headed to Wendy's.....and as we drove by, I saw this guy looking out the window at us...."PULL OVER AMANDA"....she racer-style parked and I hopped out to grab Elliots new puppy....I knew it was supposed to be his.  I counted my money, went to the til and asked if it was enough, and the woman said yes......

 Come on home buddy.....Your new owner is going to LOVE you!!

 But first....a little chilie at Wendy's....

 And a little love from Donna....the Wendy's employee who couldn't keep her hands off you.....

You are currently taking a little spin in the dryer to get all clean for when

Elliot gets home in a few minutes......you are going to love him.

 

We put you in the backseat while A and I did a bit more shopping (hello 50% off at Reitmans!! Good bye $50!!)....and then it was time to come home....good day out!!

 

Oh....and while I was out today....this is what Chris built for the boys!!!

A ZIPLINE!!!

 

Kings in the Corner.....Isaac up late.....

This boy doesn't really need sleep....he never has.....remember this?

 

I mean, this is nothing new!  The boy has always been a night owl! 

 

The new thing is that he is staying up til midnight reading his Pokeman books that he purchased with Christmas money given to him from grandma and grandpa!!  He is averaging one book a night (it was an 8 pack!)

 

Around 11, i asked if he wanted to come and play a game with me .... so we played Kings in the Corner....a few rounds.....and then he went back to bed.  Around 11:30, I checked it he was still awake, and he was.....so he came and helped unload the cutlery from the dishwasher and then he headed back to bed.  Its midnight now, and he just came out to cuddle with Chris on the couch to watch show ABC news with Chris called 'Back to the beginning'.

 

The only saving grace the boy has is that he still gets up between 8/9am and is in great spirits...no meltdowns, etc......thus we both sort of enjoy his company on his own in the evening....