eight years ago...

I can't believe that this was eight years, two beautiful children, four homes, a cross-country move, thousands of miles travelled and countless wonderful memories ago...

{no wonder we look so much older now...!}

i'm batman...

How cute is that? R is enjoying the {bribe} reward I gave him for staying on the soccer field 'all by himself' {K gets to watch from the sidelines now}. I was a proud mommy at soccer this week, watching my big boy listen to his coach, play with his team and have fun out there 'all by himself'. Even the amount of times he looked over to make sure we are watching, and to give us his thumbs up sign, is decreasing. He is getting over his fears and having fun.

{If R is still into Batman this fall, I think this could work as his Halloween costume too - it looks like there is enough room to fit a snowsuit under there,doesn't it?}

This...

is what Miss S does at her big brother's soccer games. So, she got a reward too... Oh come on - I have to be fair, right???

clearly creative...

I had a great time today at the Scrapbox taking an acrylic album class with Renee. If you would like to see what my album will look like, you will have to go to Renee's blog and check out the photos she posted of her album {and then pretend it has photos of my kiddies in it, instead of her daughter}! Sadly I have no photos of my album to post yet because I was a slacker and did not get any photos printed in time. So I have a beautiful album...that is empty. As soon as I do get photos in my album I will post it here, just so Stephanie knows I finished! Stephanie was our very talented instructor - love her work {hope you found the link to my blog and you are reading this Stephanie - it was great to meet you}!

I have been wanting to make an acrylic album for a while now - I've had the theme in mind and have been picking up product here and there as I see it, but haven't actually gotten around to starting it. Now that I have learned some of the techniques, I think I am ready to start the next album. Oh, there is never enough time in the day for all that I want to get done...!

full of spunk

You know I am talking about Miss S! We are still trying to figure this little one out - she makes us laugh, she's full of spunk, she talks a lot and has so much personality. Grandma has requested a cute photo of Miss S, but that is a harder task than you would think. She never sits still, she is a girl constantly on the go.

This may be the best recent photo I have...

This is what she looks like when we ask her to stand still for a photo {so sad}...

This is what happens if we ask her to smile and say "cheese" {OK don't hurt yourself!}...

She is really only happy when I put the camera down and let her free...

Had to get a shot of the shoes {would have liked a close up of the hat - it is the sweetest thing, a gift from Grandma & Grandpa}...

Now, this, is when Miss S is happiest. When we let her free to run and play. Here she is, travelling in style, as all 2-year-old princesses should...

So I will keep working on the photos...if I can catch her!

look who's here again

He just can't stay away from his adorable grandchildren! I scrapbooked this page yesterday in anticipation of Grandpa's visit {it is a photo from Miss S's first birthday - someday I will actually finish scrapbooking her first birthday, and her second - I don't scrap in any type of order as you can see}...

are we civilized...?

Well, judging from this photo...

I'd have to say "no", but I took the kiddies to the Canadian Museum of Civilization anyway, just for fun. {That, by the way, is Miss S trying to look in the fountain in front of the Museum}. The view from the Museum,

and the building itself are breathtaking, and all that is housed inside is amazing. The Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian Postal Museum and the Canadian Children's Museum, as well as an Imax theatre, are all located together on the Quebec side of the Ottawa River, directly across from Parliament Hill. You can read more about this amazing Museum here.

The kiddies and I went with Renee and C to explore the Canadian Children's Museum, and we had a great time. R loved getting his passport book stamped at each stop, and he got very involved in all the interactive hands-on exhibits. Check out all the different stops in "The Great Adventure" here. This was our second time exploring the temporary Bob the Builder: Project Build-It exhibit {R and I saw it in Calgary at The Telus World of Science} but it was still a favorite part of the day.

I was also very proud of both my kiddies when they got up on stage in the Theatre exhibition and put on a little show with C in masks and costume - R is really working through his shyness and trying new things, and it is so cool to see!

Have a fun day!

girlie road trip

That's what it was! This past weekend, Renee and I headed south to Watertown, New York for a little cross-border shopping trip {without kiddies or husbands}! It was so much fun to be able to try on clothes without simultaneously entertaining kiddies in the fitting room, handing out snacks, toting a diaper bag and steering clear of tantrums... We stopped at so many places even I was tired of shopping by the end of the day! But I came home happy, and with many great new things to wear {it's not fair that the kiddies dress better than me all the time, is it?}.


While I was gone, I was happy to hear that K and the kids were having too much fun to miss me at all - they were playing with Renee's husband and daughter - so a great day was had by all!

random happiness

Miss S has some sweet new shoes that make me smile...

and I had a "good mail day" as R calls it, yesterday. I found the latest issue of Creating Keepsakes, and these...

pretty earrings from eliwill's etsy shop {Elizabeth A. William's jewelry - love it!} in my mailbox.

Good mail day!

{and, if you're reading this...Happy Birthday Tiana!}

naptime scrappin'

No, not that kind of scrappin'...my kiddies never fight {OK, even I couldn't type that without laughing}! But I'm talking about paper scrappin'...

While the kiddies rested this afternoon, I finally got around to doing the scrapbooking I have been wanting to do for days now...

Last night, on a trip to the Scrapbox with Renee, I picked up the Prima crystal frames that I used in the layouts above, as well as a cuppy-cake album that Jenn special ordered in for me {to make a mini album of Miss S's birthday}, and some of the Making Memories "Passport" line. If shopping gets me scrapbooking, maybe I should be shopping more often...

sleep is for the weak

I think I need this book - it is going on my next Amazon order. I have never had so little sleep in my life since having children. Seriously, it is amazing that I am still functioning...

"Sleep is for the Weak" is an anthology of blogging by parents that I have seen advertised on the BlogHer site, you can read more about it here.

off he goes...

to pre-school, my big boy. This has been a monumental time in our home. It has never been easy for me to leave R - we have gone through some serious separation anxiety {he and I both, I think}. Since the move I have been trying to get R ready for starting Junior Kindergarten in the fall. Recently he started pre-school and it was not without some drama. R was very nervous about the idea, {as was I}, and made the tour of the pre-school an emotional day for me, bringing out his worst behavior in front of the director {seriously I was surprised they accepted him after the show he put on}!

Anyway, after a bit of crying at drop-off on the first day...R discovered that he loves pre-school. "It is fun". No kidding. What was I so worried about - he is thriving there. Now he walks in the door, waves good-bye and doesn't look back. He is making new friends and communicating well without me around {this is a big step for my shy boy}. Each time he goes, he comes home with stories and crafts that he has made, and now he even asks if he can go more often...hmmmmm. I am seeing my baby grow up, and it is wonderful.

buddies

One of the highlights of this past weekend, for me, was seeing R and Q becoming buddies...

Good times!

the art of being green

We spent this past weekend camping with new friends, Kelly and Patrick and their adorable children. We wanted to spend most of our time at the Art of Being Green Festival in Lanark... {did you know that Lanark County is the Maple Syrup capital of Ontario?}...

so we camped at Mal's Camping nearby. The kids had a blast playing baseball and swimming at the campground...

and the festival was informative and fun. Lots of things to think about - what kind of environment do I want my children to grow up in; what are we leaving behind for them??? The kids loved the parade...

puppet show, the train ride, feeding the alpacas and of course, Ray's Reptiles...

We had a great time and can't wait for our next trip!

I'm going to silver bella!!!

I am over the moon excited to be going to Silver Bella!

Seriously, you have no idea how thrilled I am. I have been following Teresa McFayden's blog and the Silver Bella blog, and getting more and more excited each time she announced a new instructor - these women are SO super talented and inspiring. I wanted to go last year, and after seeing photos and blogs after the event I really regretted not going. So it has been an idea - a dream - in my head for a while now...and then, I found out Mary Engelbreit is going to be at Silver Bella.

That was when I knew I really had to go. I have been a fan of hers forever - I have all the Home Companion magazine's and her books, and drool over the homes and artist's studios, etc. Anyway, I called K at work and said... {OK, I kinda screamed...} "I really want to go to Silver Bella. It's in Omaha. Mary Engelbreit is going to be there. And Sally Jean. And Pam Garrison. And Jenni Bowlin. And Rebecca Sower, etc. I need to go". And K said "OK, go". {He's a tough one, right}? Even though I'm not sure he really understands my obsession with making things, and following these women's artistic careers, he always supports me and encourages me to do whatever I want.

So I've registered and chosen classes - I am even taking a soldering/charm making class with Sally Jean - so cool. I have some of her vintage art collage charms that I just love, and now I can learn from the best and make my own! I am also taking mixed media classes, fabric and collage art, and more - so exciting to be learning new techniques and trying new things that I have been wanting to get in to, but have been a little intimidated to try.

And so here I am, SO excited to go and wondering how I am going to make it until November. And what makes it even more fun is that I have a friend going with me! It will be SO much fun to enjoy this glittery, art filled weekend together! Now all we have to do is find us some prom dresses...

More about Silver Bella to come {you know you're going to hear more, and more, and more 'cause that's how excited I am}...

scrapbook mondays

Here are some layouts I've been working on at Kelly's 'Scrapbook Mondays'. I have been putting together a mini book about a trip to New Orleans that K and I took last year without the kiddies. It is rare for me to scrapbook photos that don't involve the kids, but I loved the architecture and history of New Orleans and wanted to document it in a little book all done in black & cream {well, mostly - it seems I have trouble avoiding color altogether}...

Wow...lots of photos.