Family Ties

We just had a wonderful visit with my Dad. He was here for a few days, and went on a bit of an emotional roller coaster ride while he was here.

You see my Dad was a Mountie for many years. Not just a Mountie, but a real tried and true, loved the red serge, never broke a law in his whole entire life kind of Mountie. (As a side note, it does come in handy having a Dad who is a police officer when you find yourself in sticky situations when growing up....that is a post for another day though)

Something happened very early in my Dad's career that I have heard about over the years. I have always known that this event had an impact on Dad, but it wasn't until this week that I realized how much it must have affected him.

You see, my Dad's boss and mentor drowned while he was doing a routine patrol on a rugged coast not far from here. From everything I have heard, this man was an exceptional police officer. He also had a wife, and three small daughters at the time of the accident.

Despite the fact that Dad was a rookie at the time, and only 24 years old, it fell on his shoulders to help his boss' family through this difficult time. Even though he had been through intensive training, there is no way to prepare for something like this. Dad, I do not know how you got through it, and I am awed by your strength.

Through the past 39 years my father has always kept in touch with the family. I remember receiving their newsy letters a few times each year, and hearing about how these three girls were growing up.

This winter the widow of this RCMP officer passed away, and her daughters felt that it was only fitting that her final resting place be here, where her husband drowned so many years ago.

So, once again my Dad was there for the family. He made an emotional trek with the daughters and a small service was held, complete with a Mountie in red serge, and the official police boat. I know that it brought back so many memories for Dad, and once again he was strong enough to do this for the family.

I had the opportunity to meet these three young ladies while they were here, and I was touched by how deeply they care for my father, and how much they genuinely appreciate everything he has done for their family.

There was one moment when we were all together that was particularly touching. Dad had been sharing stories of the "old days" and some of the escapades he and Terry had over the years. You could see how the daughters were hungrily soaking up every single word that Dad was able to share with them.

The final story was about Dad going into the detachment after Terry died and seeing his RCMP hat sitting on the counter....that must have been such a blow. Dad asked Terry's wife if he could have the badge from Terry's hat which was a special older version of the RCMP badge. She gave it to him willingly, and for the rest of my father's career he wore that proudly.

The other night, 39 years after their father died, my father returned this badge and hat to the family. There was not a dry eye at the table. As I saw each of them hold the hat, and stroke the badge lovingly, I was struck by what a gift my father had given them. They just held it, cried, and touched it like the priceless heirloom it is for them.

The oldest was 8 when he passed away, so their memories are all very vague. My father had helped them to know their own father, and the hat and badge he gave them were a priceless gift for them to receive.

In some ways this also made me realize how lucky I am .... if it would have been Dad out on that boat all of those years ago, I would not be here today.

At dinner the other evening, the three girls expressed deep gratitude to my father and said they have always thought of him as a father figure.

I can not think of three women who I would rather share him with.

The Graduate

Well, it is official. Julia has graduated from pre-school. We manged to get through it with only a few tears. (hers and mine)

She was a little apprehensive of the whole process. As those of you who know my girl are aware, she is not a big fan of change in her life. To a five year old, finishing at the school she has enjoyed for the last two years is a big change.

She has come a long way from that September day in 2006 when her loving teacher had to take her outside as she was disturbing the class so much. You see, my doll did not want to stop playing and have circle time. She figured if she didn't want to do circle time, than nobody else should either. Makes sense right?

Her very sweet teacher at the time used these exact words when speaking to Ken, "I have been teaching for a long time, and I have never seen the like."

She since came to love pre-school and the special friends she made there.

You will notice in the picture below that she still will assert her independence....look at all 18 children wearing their graduation hats, but not my girl. Also, not sure if you can see the choice of outfit...a tye-died purple shirt with gingham pink and black skirt. Poor Monique would have passed out on the spot if she witnessed this fashion faux pas!



She eventually relented and wore her hat....when she was ready! Here she is with one of her best buds, Dyllie. LOVE that look on his face!


Just in case you couldn't get a good close up of the outfit, here it is.....


Here she is with her wonderful teacher. A truly amazing lady, and someone who really loves her job. Mrs. M, thank you so much for everything you have done for Julia this year. You have touched our lives in a very special way.






This sign in the window was the kicker for me...sigh.


So, there you have it....the completion of yet another chapter in our lives. It is hard to believe that in just two short months she will be joining her big brother at Elementary school. She still seems so little to me.

One thing is certain, I will always look back fondly on Julia's time at this lovely school, on the days when I picked her up, and was greeted by her running across the room to give me a big bear hug, and hearing every single thing that happened that day. We have been truly blessed to have the wonderful teachers at this school in our lives.

Dads I Love

There are fathers out there, and then there are Dads. There is a difference, isn't there?

A Dad is someone who is there for his children, I mean really there for them...at early morning figure skating practices (my Dad), at early morning hockey games (Ken), taking the family on fun filled camping excursions (both of these Dads), and being there for the last tuck in at bed time.

A Dad is someone whose child knows they can count on him....no matter what, through the good times and the bad.

I consider myself very fortunate to know not one, but two great Dads. The first one, of course of my very own Dad who has always taught me the difference between right and wrong, and has encouraged me to be the best that I can be at everything I do in life. My Dad is always there with sound advice, and a helping hand. For these things, and so much more, "Thank you Dad!"


Look at him with my favorite girl when she was just a baby, and my favorite brother when they were here visiting.

The other Dad who I love, respect, and am thankful for every single day is Ken. I am still amazed by how Ken marched right into fatherhood without ever having held a baby before Matthew was born. he instinctively knew just what to do when the children were crying, or sick. He is doing an incredible job with both of them.

Matthew and Julia both adore their Dad....they run to the door when they hear his key turning in the lock each evening, and they were both thrilled to share their special presents with Ken for Father's day. Matthew even conned me into spending $150.00 on a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey jersey as it is "the only thing he has wanted to get for Daddy in his whole life." (said looking at me with his big earnest blue eyes...I caved like a house of cards.)

So, I consider myself to be one lucky person....to have my own A1 first class Dad, and for my children to have a super Dad like Ken.

Ken and Dad, I hope you both had a wonderful Father's Day, and always know that to me you are both so much more than fathers....you are Dads. I love you very much.



Here are Matthew and Julia getting a rock skipping lesson from Ken where we stopped from our canoe ride.


Daddy catching a few moments of peace, but alas, not catching any fish!


Mommy and Julia having a snack and a snuggle.


You have heard of crocs, but have you heard of alligators?


It really is all about the snacks!







Daddy and son.



Goofing around in Barbados.


Whaddya think of this one Poppa?

For Uncle Paul and Auntie Lise

Julia received a gift certificate from Uncle Paul and Auntie Lise for her # 5 (also known as her "whole hand") birthday from Build a Bear!

What a time she had....I thought I would put this short post together so they could see all of the excitement, play by play.



We arrive at the store....a lovely young lady was working there. She was totally suited for the role, and showed us the ropes. Julia immediately chose the purple hippopotamus. She cracks me up because she makes decisions so quickly. If I was there with Matthew, he would meticulously examine each and every one there, and think very hard before making his decision. She literally chose this little hippo in 30 seconds flat!

By the way....look closely at who else she has with her....yes, that is good ole lambie along for the ride. She felt that lambie would enjoy watching the proceedings. Love the Build a Bear Uncle Paul and Auntie Lise, but I do not think that any gift you ever sent her will top the lambie you sent to her when she was born!



Step 2...choose a "heart" for the Bear....about 25 different options. Another quick decision, as she chose Brahms lullaby...sweet.



Step 3....stuff the bear....she really enjoyed this part as she did it all by herself. She stepped on the magic button that filled her hippo up and made her nice and cuddly.



Step 4 ... give her a bath and get her nice and clean.



Step 5 ...choose some clothes for her. (This is where I explain that she will only be coming here when she gets gifts from lovely Aunts and Uncles...highway robbery for these tiny clothes I tell you!) The hippo has a very fashionable sundress to wear.



Introducing Olivia the Hippo! (Named in honor of her friend from school and Laura's big sister....hope they do not mind having a hippo named after them)




Taking Olivia home in her new house.....what a great spot. Julia had a ball!

Thank you so much Uncle Paul and Auntie Lise....Julia really enjoyed it, and she has been snuggling up with Olivia the hippo each night at bed time!








I leave you with a couple of pictures of my favorite bikers. We decided to bike down for ice cream this evening. The wind was a bit strong but they did not want to wear sweaters....choose your battles, right? We were less than half way there when they decided they wanted to come home for sweaters and then drive down in the van. The chocolate ice cream was worth all of the effort to get there though!

Finally, send some prayers our way for rain....some of our friends have been evacuated from their homes not that far from us due to a raging forest fire nearby.

Freeze Frame

Do you ever have a moment that you wish you could freeze?

I had one last week. We were getting ready for the first night of soccer, and Matthew was the dream brother. He was so excited that Julia was going to be playing this year. You will remember her soccer debut was delayed last year due to the broken leg.


Awww.....my sweetie. (Would you believe she asked me to go on a trampoline today? Then actually got upset when I said no....I digress though)

Matthew decided to help his sister the soccer star get ready for the evening.....




"Here Jules, I'll show you....this is how you do it." Then he took her outside for some practice drills.




Look, they have their arms around each other and everything.

These are the moments that I will try to hang on to as we are traipsing through Home Depot with our two orangutans, er, children bouncing off the walls and fighting with each other.

It is hard to imagine how they go from one extreme to the other, usually in the blink of an eye.

Guess I have to think back only as far as my own childhood to realize, that yes this is normal. I can remember Trevor and I playing some type of game (usually resulting in me winning) one minute and the next, I would have happily turfed him off the closest roof. Sibling love...sigh.


A quick shot stolen from Trev's facebook account of his all time favorite eatery (donairs excluded).



Back to soccer though....the children thoroughly enjoyed their first week at soccer. Julia really surprised us considering this was her first time. In my opinion, she was a super star, and should get MVP. A little biased, perhaps though.




Having a turn at goalie....


Then, her favorite part of the evening....post game play and snacks with Dylan and his harem!



Here's Matthew paying close attention and running with all his might....it's all about scoring a goal for this boy!


So, the moral of the story is....when they are being so sweet and kind to each other, soak it up...every second because you never know just when you will witness such sweetness again.

A Whole Hand, and other Milestones

Check out the pretty girl and the fancy steps behind her .... Daddy is pretty talented!


Our darling girl recently celebrated the big # 5 birthday. She has been telling me repeatedly, "Now I am a whole hand Mommy." She woke up the day of her birthday, jumped out of bed and immediately asked if she could start opening presents. Ah, yes....it is all about the presents!

Then she started dancing around, which involves shaking her little bottom and bending over. It was very cute I have to admit.

A Belle doll and a dragon webkinz....life does not get better than this!


Welllllll.......maybe when the ice cream cake comes!


On her birthday it was Primary orientation. She did so well.....no tears at all, other than Mommy's. Thank goodness Auntie Linda was here to keep me distracted. The hardest part was walking away from the school without her. She really did enjoy it, and knew quite a few little friends there from our street and pre-school.

We then celebrated her birthday with an "almost sleep over" where her friends came in their jammies, played some games, had breakfast for supper, and watched a movie, with popcorn of course.
Waiting very patiently for the guests to arrive.




Party games and then time to relax and watch a movie....look at Dyllie in the back gorund having no part of snuggling up with the women!

Matthew "looking after" Dylan....they enjoyed the party in their own way!

At the end of the birthday celebration, she gave me a big smile, and said "Thank you for the birthday parties Momma." Even though I am pretty sure it was prompted by Daddy, it was very sweet.

As if all of this excitement were not enough, this week-end was Julia's dance recital. You want to talk about cute cute cute. More tears from Mommy as she saw her big little girl on stage performing her heart out.

Dancing Queen!

With her bestest buds! (and fellow Princesses)

So, on top of a huge kitchen renovation (can you say chaos?) we have had some pretty exciting times around here.

I always find the children's birthdays bittersweet. It is so exciting to see them growing and learning, but it is an ever present reminder of how very quickly these years are flying by. I know that someday I will yearn for the day when everything could be fixed with a hug from Mommy or Daddy.

For now though, I am going to enjoy my best girl who happens to be a whole hand don't ya know?

The best kind of perks

You know, this whole Mommy thing? Well, it has the best kind of benefits.

I read in the newspaper this week-end that if a stay at home Mom were to earn a salary, they estimate it would be $117,000.00 per year. Personally, I would trade the $117,000.00 if I could have a couple of days like today every month.

The day started with Matthew jumping on top of me to wish me a Happy Mother's Day. The second I had my eyes opened, he insisted that I open his presents. He was so excited and very proud to give them to me. It brought tears to my eyes (shocking). He worked very hard on these. They are to put in my plants to make them look nice. (his words)




He also gave me this lovely card, along with a print out from the computer saying that he loved me for taking him out for lunch. We hardly ever do that, but it is nice to know that when we do it is special to him.

Not to be out done, Julia sprung from my bed and ran to get this....read it, won't you? It says I am the best Mom because I play games with her. The things you don't realize how much they love....of all of the things, she chose that.



Then I was treated to breakfast ... an orange and juice in bed, and I got to stay in bed until the pancakes were on the table (AND read my book in peace...Heaven)

Daddy also did some shopping and I received a wonderful new purse and a great basket o goodies...gardening stuff, body wash, and much more.

Then, Miss Julia and I got ready for our Princess tea. Here we are in all our glory....




We went to pick Grandma Sandy up who was sporting a lovely Barbados tan....

We got to watch the Princess show, and enjoy some treats. Here is Julia with a magic wand....



With her great friends and other Princesses in training...


Here is the Fairy Godmother....

The tea was put on by the Children's Wish Foundation, and the Godmother granted two wishes to children today. It was lovely, and as Kate's Mom said made us all stop and think for a moment about how very lucky we are.

When we came home, a scrumptious supper of scallops and fajitas was in order. The fact that Ken despises all seafood, and was sweet enough to cook scallops for me speaks volumes.

It was a truly wonderful day. As I told Julia tonight, being a Mommy is really the best thing in the world. This was followed by her telling me she wants to be Mommy some day too, and she is going to marry Matthew. I think I will leave that one alone for now.

So, Ken, Matthew and Julia, thank you all for a wonderful day. Grandma Sandy, thanks for spending the day with us....we enjoyed having you there.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you fabulous Mommy's out there. I hope your day was extra special.

I leave you with a shot of some great Tinkerbell shoes (thanks Laura for loaning them to Julia) and my super duper favorite hockey player of all time.

Tick Tock

Warning - this is another post about Julia starting school this fall. I know I know, this topic will be written to death. But as I read here today, blogging is like a form of therapy so here goes. (Trev, if you are already yawning, you can read a more exciting blog I am sure!)

Today....I take little Miss to school and there are two things in her cubby. One is the monthly notice and the other is her assessment. We do the good-bye hug (for the record, I am still walking her into the building, and hoping she will want to go by herself sometime before grade 12) and as I am walking to the van, I scan the notice. I read, "the last day of pre-school will be June 20th" and I can feel the tears starting to well up. Seriously, that is just over a month away and she is DONE pre-school, and heading to big school in September.


No more half days where she and I can spend time together in the afternoon. No more glorious Tuesdays where we get the WHOLE day to do what we want, except when we have to be home for Matthew at lunch time and after school.

I remember when Matthew started school, and I thought with relief, "at least I still have two more years with Julia." It feels like that was just last week.

I was trying to explain it to Angela tonight, and I remember Andrea telling me about it when Grant started school.

When they are at "big school" it is a whole different world, and there is so much of their day that you are just not privy to. Right now, even though I work part time, Julia is totally connected to me, and I know everything that is happening in her life.

With Matthew, I find now that he is in his second year at big school, he is much more independent, and not so reliant on Mommy. In fact, the other day his friends were not going to be walking to school, and he wanted to walk up all by himself. I almost fell over. This is the same boy who Julia and I walked to school every day in Primary, and he stood by my leg until the bell rang. Times they have a changed.

Now that my youngest is heading to school, it makes me think about how we decided not to have a third baby, and wonder if that was the right decision. I suppose they all do grow up eventually though.

It is just hard to fathom that my "baby" will be walking the halls all by herself in just a few months time.

Her pre-school teacher assures me that she is more than ready and that she will be fine, but still. She is my baby, and I will miss her.

The trick is I can not let her pick up on any of this anxiety....she has already said that she does not want to go, so I am going to be up for an Academy award for how positive I have been with her about it...seriously.

So, just wondering....Michelle, when do we start those group therapy sessions? Michelle's baby started last year, so we are hoping our wisest Queen Diva will counsel the rest of this through this transition.