Dots of Life

overwhelmed but merry

so here it is in the middle of january that i finally get a chance to share some of our christmas festivities.  to be honest, we are very overwhelmed... so much hockey in our house, that we are rarely home.  it is go go go.  Most weekends you will find us at the rink x2 on friday night, x2 or 3 on saturday and x2 on sunday... and if we have a tournament in there too, well... it is busy.

i wanted to be sure to document some of the fun times we had over the christmas season. 

first up was the foxboro santa claus parade... one of my favourite days of the year.  this is one of the reasons i love living in the village... such a sense of community and pride and old fashion cheer.

i love this first pic of adi... this is about an hour before the parade was set to begin... she was so excited that she decided to wait outside for everyone to show up...

but it didn't take long for people to show up and gather in anticipation of the jolly old elf!

our little part of the village was lined with friends and family!

the parade did not disappoint and i always look forward to seeing the tractors, horses and old cars.

the foxboro school marching band rocked it once again!

and i think foxboro has the best santa... the real one of course!

my most favourite part of the day was the surprise visit from the dunlops who came all the way from parry sound to surprise us... totally love this family!

next up in the christmas festivities was the kids choir performance and christmas play at the church.  i love our church and it warms my heart each time i watch the kids perform. 

anna played the part of an angel and a narrator in the play.  she did such a good job... and is so comfortable on the microphone.

adi was mary and she loved being in the spotlight!

she totally commanded the microphone and she sang so loud that I am sure you could hear her at the co-op!

daddy and ben even came to church to watch our girls!  we laughed so hard we almost cried... they were THAT cute!

we received a wonderful christmas surprise from our sweet friends from england.... who knew that a few play dates at oak lake would make for such a special friendship!

anna had erika over to do some christmas baking...

and the kids gathered with their cousins at nanny sharons to do their annual gingerbread house making.  they also strung some cranberries and popcorn... one of nanny sharons favourite christmas traditions!

we travelled to uncle scott and aunt liseannes for some snow punch...

actually, we travelled for theeir annual christmas mixer but the kids are always excited for aunt liseannes famous snow punch!

we attended the foxboro public school festive concert... bittersweet as it was bens 10th and final festive concert (as a student).

adi's class sang a few christmas carols, including i saw mommy kissing santa claus and the 12 days of christmas!

anna played in the samba band!

tyke select

congratulations to miss adi!  first off, she was moved up from the tyke house league division to the novice division.  it seems that the coaches/instructors noticed that her skating/hockey skills proved her good enough to play with kids that are 2 years older than her. 

she admits that during her first game in the novice division, she was quite intimidated by all of the "big kids", but since then she has done very well and is doing a great job on defence... so much so that her coach referred to her as his "top defenceman" errr... girl!

and after 7 tryouts and alot of hardwork and effort, adi was chosen as a member of the tyke select team!  the coaches decided to post the names of the roster on the stirling website, so this is a pic of adi and our crew, checking to see if she made the team.  this was at 11 pm on a friday night... no one could sleep as they were overflowing with anticipation!

can you say "happy girl"?!!!!!

she is also the only girl that was chosen for the team so she will be "representing the ladies" as well as the stirling blues!  this also means that she is on the ice 6-7 times a week.  she is in her skates an awful lot and last week she was diagnosed with athletes foot... i guess it's official... we have another little athlete on our hands!  we couldn't be prouder of you adi! roll blues roll!

back to october

october was a very busy month.  lots of birthdays, a return to hockey, thanksgiving... here are a few memories of one of my favourite months of the year!

thanksgiving weekend was so wonderful... the weather was amazing and we were able to spend lots of time outside. my mom hosted her side of the family... we spent the enitre afternoon outside... in the canoe, on the tractor, riding bikes and eating :)

we hosted the macdonalds at our house this year.  we started the day off with a family skate at the stirling arena, then headed back our house for a turkey feast!

we also celebrated a very special little ladies 4th birthday... georgia peach was 4 on october 19th and she celebrated with her besties and lots of family. 

the kids (and mam-ma) had lots of fun bobbing for apples...

but leave it to anna pearl to show them how to get r done...

the great october weather continued for halloween festivities... it was a great night!  we hosted a village haunt... the guys/dads hung out at our house to hand out candy and eat chili... while the moms and kids ventured out for some trick or treating.

my crew went out as little red riding hood, sandra dee (from grease) and some hockey dude from the movie slapshot?  nanny jen treated the kids to some supersized treat bags complete with homemade popcorn balls and candy apples!

the aubertins, lightfoots, broughs, bridges, trevertons, tapps and craigs helped to make the night a spooktacular one...

this year was the first year that ben was aloud to go around the village with his friends... no adult supervision.  but, he surprised us by coming home early to hang out with the rest of us :)

another couple of things to mention about october... anna pearl was invited to a soccer skills session with the belleville u13 girls team.  she is super excited to be spending friday nights with her good friend erika for the next 8 weeks!  she was also asked to play for a belleville/kingston team, but with all the travel that we already do for hockey throughout the winter, we thought that this would be a good compromise. 

and after a bumpy start to the school year, adi made a classroom switch and couldn't be happier.  this is a picture and a letter that adi created for her new teacher...

and as she says in her letter... she "loves the class so much". 

13!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it is true... ben is thirteen... as in a teenager!  yes, we have a teenager in the house.  it was discovered just today that he is also officially taller than his mama!  oy!  that big bouncing baby boy, that we waited so impatiently for 13 years ago.  the same boy that was "in position and ready to be born" 6 weeks before his due date, but ended up staying put 'til he was 10 days overdue.   This resulted in me being induced, suffering through over 20 hours of intense labour, which resulted in only 4 cm of dilation.  I remember when the doctor told me that he was going to have to perform a c-section... i started crying... the nurse said, "don't be scared"... and i said, "i am not, i am happy... i just can't wait to meet our baby"!  we did not know if ben was a boy or girl but i desperately wanted a boy for my dad. 

i remember crying like crazy when they told us "it" was a he!  matt and i both cried actually and we named him ben in the operating room.  the name wasn't even on our list... he was almost a casey (eek), but as soon as we laid our eyes on that bouncing baby boy... he was ben!  i also remember thinking omg... his head is huge!  lol... and apparently he filled my torso from top to bottom... a 10 pound baby will do that!

some other things i remember about ben's birth day are the many friends and family that we had in the hospital to visit us.  so many gifts and stuffed animals too.  we took lots of pics and it is fun to look through them now with him and the girls.  i don't think that my mom and dad left the hospital at all the whole 3 days we were in there!  in all of my pics, there is my dad... holding or staring at his boy...:)

ben was a very easy and happy baby.  and this has pretty much summed up his first 13 years.  yes, he can be moody and grumpy and spoiled but for the most part he is easy and loving and just fun to be around. 

some things i love most about him right now...

1. he still loves to sleep with me at night and sometimes sleeps on the floor next to my bed
2. he is learning to cook and can make a mean grilled cheese or kraft dinner
3. he has great friends who keep him busy outside
4. he is gentle and kind and sticks up for others
5. he has a wicked sense of humour and we often laugh alot when we hang out
6. he still holds my hand in public
7. we love to walk together at night

the girls were super excited about celebrating ben's 13th birthday and we wanted to do something that he would remember.  the girls made cupcakes for his class (as we always do) and i made sure to deliver them with his traditional birthday balloon delivery.  i led his class in a happy birthday singalong, to which he blushed, but i knew that he secretly loved the attention!

mackenzie stopped by after school to see her boy and bought him a very cool under armour hoodie with her own money... awww she loves her benny boy (and the feeling is quite mutual)!

 we also planned a surprise 13th birthday dinner at the chinese food buffet in belleville.  ben had absolutiely no idea and was VERY surprised!  we were thrilled that over 30 family and friends could join us!  ben felt very honoured!

 

 we finished off the celebration with a sleepover so that ben could enjoy his new xbox 360 kinect with his friends...

they stayed up most of the night playing nhl 2012 but they made it up in time for pancakes, compliments of daddy.

happy 13th birthday to our sweet, sweet boy... we love you very, very much!

 

 

 

pumpkin' pickin'

the kids couldn't wait to get their pumpkins this year as we were excited to set up our autumn porch display.  instead of heading to the pumpkin patch we took a drive out to one of daddy's friends in centre hastings.  it was a cool and drizzly afternoon but that didn't dampen our spirits.

the kerby's had a haywagon full of pumpkins.  all shapes and sizes. 

adi had a hard time choosing one, so she got 3 instead...

anna pearl picked a classic round pumpkin...

ben decided on a tall pumpkin... perfect for a jack-o-lantern...

this was my pick... the bigger the better!

tilly was quite happy to come along with us and kept a close eye on us from inside the warm, dry van...

i loved this sign... another reminder of why i love living in the country!  the honour system... but we made sure to leave them a tip!

september summary

looking back to september, i have to say that we were very busy.  i wanted to make sure that i documented some fun and important events so i thought i would recap with a quick september summary...

we hosted anna pearls year end soccer party at our house.  we had a fantastic potluck and ended the evening with a bonfire.  the girls are really starting to mesh as a team and they had such a fun night!

sunday school started back up and cc and adi couldn't wait to don their sunday best...

it was spirit day at school... adi is on the blue team and anna pearl made sure that she rocked as much blue as possible.  I think she could pass for a doodlebop!

hockey started again for little miss adi... and after only a few days of assessments, she was the only tyke girl moved up with the novice team.. whoot whoot!

we also celebrated 2 very special birthdays.  riley turned 11!  yes 11!

and harper turned 2!

2 is such a fun age.  she was really in to opening her presents...

i love that her favourite gift seemed to be her big girl underwear... she couldn't wait to get them on...

some other pics from the day...

love this one of aunt sam and anna pearl...

 

campbells orchard 2011

it was only early september, but the girls and i decided it was close enough to fall that it was time to head to campbells orchard for some yummy autumn apples.  there was hardly anybody else at the orchard... kinda weird as it is always packed when we go on a weekend.  we didn't mind one bit though...

the girls were eager to pick some apples... and oh, did we pick apples!

 
 

 
 
 
 

after our bags were filled to the brim with mac's we headed off to enjoy all of the other fun things that the orchard has to offer...

 like the tractor ride.  we were the only ones on the ride so the farmer gave us an extra long ride... this never gets old!

 

 

 

 

and the bunnies...

 

and the sign...

 

we finished off our trip with a caramel apple for each of us... no pictures though... my hands were too full!

our little gymnast

anna pearl decided to hang up her soccer shoes for the fall and head back to the quinte bay gymnastics club.  and low and behold when she did her testing for which level she should be placed in, anna placed at the top.  i admire how she is a natural athlete and excels in all she does.  she really does enjoy sports and it shows.  this is something she has definitely inherited from her daddy.

here's to a fun season at the gym!

 

back to school... 2011 style!

after enjoying a beautiful summer, filled with lots of beach time and vacationing... the kids and i were ready for "back to school".  i love the easiness of summer... no strict timelines or routines, but adi had a really rough summer with her diabetes and for this reason... i was welcoming back the school routine with open arms.

on the other hand... i was very melancholy about this school year.  this is bens grade 8 year!  this is bens last year at foxboro school!  my little boy is growing up!  i really am having a hard time with this... it is like the end of an era is fast approaching so i am really going to savour every day of his grade 8 year.  wasn't it just yesterday that we stood in line with ben at the bus stop to put him on the bus for the first time?  i can still remember his little mushroom haircut and golden blonde hair and big smiles. 

 

ben too, is feeling a little apprehensive... like me, he is wishing there was a "foxboro highschool"... life is just so much more simple out here!  but on the plus side... ben is looking forward to his senior year... lots of fun things planned; ski trips, school dances, school sports and a quebec trip. 

my handsome grade 8...

 

 

 

anna pearl is definitely excited to get back to school. she loves everything about school... the routine, the school work, the social time.  she is looking forward to playing lots of school sports and is really looking forward to having mrs. mcgrath for a teacher.

my beautiful grade 5...

 

 

adison is a little more apprehensive about back to school.  it is no secret that she would rather spend all day, everyday at home with me or daddy.  this year will be a transition year for her as her beloved EA mrs. mitchell has been transferred to another school and therefore, this will be adi's first year without her.  mrs. mitchell has been a godsend to our family.  her loving care and attention to adison and her diabetic needs have allowed adi to do very well at school.  she trusted mrs. mitchell and always knew she was in good hands.  we haven't met her new EA yet, but we are assured that she will be in good hands.  on the flip side, this may be a great chance for adi to become a little more independent with her diabetes management.  fingers crossed... this will be a great year for her.

my super sweet grade 2...

 

 

my boss was kind enough to let me come in late again on the first day... allowing me to get the kids ready for school and have a nice relaxed morning.  as always nanny jen came down to see the kids on the bus and daddy stayed home for the morning to see them off as well.  nanny sharon surprised us and came out for the first time... the kids were thrilled!

 

our traditional first day of school family photo...

 

bittersweet as abracadabra is not here, but our crazy matilda mae is!

 
 

Diabetes Camp 2011

to say that adison was excited about our first trip to camp huronda would be an understatement.  she had been anticipating this getaway for the entire summer.  she and anna had kept a countdown on the fridge for weeks.

adi and i set out monday morning, bound for huntsville.  from the moment we set out, adi was full of smiles and giggles.  the 4 hour drive was full of lots of conversation and some good tunes on the radio.  when we finally arrived... adi could barely contain herself. 

once we pulled into the camp, we were greeted by our camp counsellors who accompanied us to our very rustic cabin, then brought us to the main lodge to meet the other campers.  within minutes, adison had befriended some of the other kids and just like that... she was off.

 

the first little girl that adi made friends with was a little girl named cassandra.  cassie and adi have lots in common.  aside from being t1d they are both 7 years old, play hockey, love sports and singing and dancing and they are both the babies of their families.  once these 2 connected... there was no separating them... they were two peas in a pod for the next 4 days!

 
some of her other friends included emma, abby and anna.

the campgrounds are beautiful and rustic with a very muskoka feel.  the kids (and parents) were kept busy from morning til night.  the activities that were available to the kids were endless. adi especially enjoyed kayaking, canoeing, tetherball, rock wall climbing and visiting the arts and crafts cabin. 

 

 

 

she also tried out archery and agility ropes and she proved to be a master hoolahooper!

 

 

in the evenings after dinner, we also had special events... one night was casino night and one night was a cook off, where the counsellors had to eat what the kids prepared for them.  boy were those counsellors brave!  the kids loved it!  also, every night before bed,  we gathered with the other campers and the counsellors for a campfire and singalong.  the kids and parents loved this as well.  the counsellors brought out their guitars and some fun diabetes inspired songs.  all of the counsellors also have t1d and they were so wonderful with the kids.  they really surpassed all of my expectations.  i really can't say enough good things about them.

 

cassie and adi with some of their counsellors..

 

the food that they served was awesome... i don't think i have ever been fed so well!  meal time was also a nice social time, where the parents could relax and mingle and share their experiences and expertise.

 

at the end of our stay, campers were asked to fill out a survey and this is what adi had to offer...

did you have fun?  "yes, i did"

did you make friends?  "yes i did"

what was the best thing you did?  "playing tetherball with my mom"

what did you not like?  "no horse back riding"

adi was also asked to draw a picture of her favourite activity at camp... in the photo below you can see the picture of her and i playing tether ball (note to self... set up the tetherball set that has been sitting in the garage for the last 4 years)

 

personally, i think the best part of our camping experience were the connections and friendships that adi made with other kids.  other kids that were just like her.  spoke her language.  shared her experiences.  the second best, was the freedom that she experienced.  she felt safe at camp huronda.  she was often off with her friends, supervised by people who knew what to do. 

after we said our goodbye's, exchanged emails and made plans for the kids to meet up again next year (yes, adi wants to go for 2 weeks next year ON HER OWN (gulp), we set off for the long drive home.  i must admit that there were a few tears, from both adison and i. it was a great, uplifting and totally embracing experience.  but it didn't take long for my baby girl to get over it... just 20 minutes down the road, and this is what i saw when i looked back at her...

 

thanks so much camp huronda... for EVERYTHING!  we definitely made memories that will last a lifetime!