Another Birthday

 

Today is my 34th birthday. Yes, I just told you my age. Although I don't have and issues with turning 34, I realized that in 2 years I will be closer to 40 than 30. YUCK. I foresee having more issues turning 40 than I did 30.

We have a slough of birthdays in the summer to celebrate and although I don't get as excited for my birthday as I do for the kids, there is still some mild version of adult excitement buried in there somewhere! Tonight I am looking forward to eating pizza and cake with my family, which includes Blaire and Joel. Then heading our for drinks with my BFF who just happens to be in town today. Birthdays are a great reason to drink beer mid week. As if I needed a reason.

Well I did feel a strong urge to drink when I saw this on my newly painted walls last night.

Just another thing to add on to the list of the things to do around the house.... let me tell you - the list isn't getting any shorter! I plan to spend the day doing what I do every Tuesday. Working, going to the gym, and let's be honest, I should be able to squeeze a trip to the mall in :)

Happy Birthday to me.!

PS - Dee is doing a series on woman in their 30s and yours truly is featured on the blog today in honor of my birthday. I can't wait to see what all the other woman have to say! Check it out!

Kelowna 2013 Part 2

And onto the second half of our trip....

We also made a trip into Vernon to go to the water slides. 

The above slide was awesome!  It is actually a really fast slide and it is deep at the bottom.  I wanted to go down but I was 'stuck' with Cooper.  The older kids would go down backwards, in groups, and do crazy things going down.  I was actually surprised Grady went down.

My one complaint of the water park is there is no pool.  Only water slides and a hot tub.  Cooper wasn't terribly interested in the water slides, but as usual he loved the hot tub!  We watched Grady and James go down many slides and Cooper finally wanted to try.  We took him down 2 of the mini slides and he seemed to enjoy it for a few runs and then wanted to go back to the hot tub.  I can't wait until we can all go on the slides together.  Especially the tube run.  I think that will be a few years yet.

After the water slides we made a slight detour to Davisons Orchard.  It was about 10 minutes off the main highway but well worth it.  The kids loved it here to.  We went through the orchard part first.  They are well known for the homemade apple juice, and I must admit it was pretty yummy.  They even have it in a slush form with James enjoyed while the kids played.  My only problem with the market area is there were to many toys.  The kids wanted everything. 

They have a little play area outside that is tractor/farm based.  It was a great view for us adults and a fun play area for kids.  Cooper was so excited to see the green tractor and to touch it.  He was squealing and yelling so loud that everyone was watching him with a smile on their face.  I love how kids get excited about such everyday things to us.  We will be back to the is orchard again!  The prices here were much better given that it wasn't right on the highway.

The next morning, we woke up and got ready to go the spray park, I opened the door to grab the swimsuits hanging outside and it looked like it was about to pour.  We quickly aborted that plan and I started googling a place to go.  We quickly found the Energy Plex, an indoor play center with a side for gymnastics and a play structure with multiple levels. 

On the gym side they had a huge bouncy castle.  This is the best picture I have of the kids there as I literally couldn't get them to stand still.  I swear we lost them in the play structure for 30 minutes.  They go in and you can't see them.  All the parents sit at the entrance/exit and hope their kids come out. Eventually.  Ours did come out all sweaty with big smiles. 

Grady loved the place and asked to go back every day for the rest of the vacation.  James told him it was closed because it was too nice out.  It seemed to work.

After the Energy Plex we decided to go to Monsters University.  Let me start by saying that this was Cooper's 3rd day with no nap and that the movie started at 1pm.  This should give you a good idea of how Cooper's mood was.

Everything started out great, and then the lights went out.  I think it was actually the sound that scared cooper and he ripped his glasses off and didn't put them back on.  Before the previews were through, Cooper asked to go home.  The fact that we made it through the movie is nothing short of a miracle!  Cooper snuggled up with me without his glasses and we watched the whole thing without much problem. 

Oddly enough, the rainy days was one of my favorites.  I loved Monsters University.  LOVED.  I also probably haven't been to a movie at the theater since Cars 2 so it was long overdue.  After the movie we went to the pool as it wasn't raining. It started to down pour while we were swimming and we all rushed out to get to the condo.  It was very memorable and so much fun!

This green space was right in front of our unit.  One of the big benefits of staying on the mail level.  I actually took this picture from our deck.  Surprisingly the kids played pretty good together on this trip.   Here, Grady is showing Cooper how to play soccer.  Thankfully Cooper cooperates while Grady is teaching as he can get quite bossy!

Towards the end of the trip we went out for supper. Other than that we ate all our meals in.  For us, it is just easier with the kids.  It also gave us enough time to go for an evening bike ride or swim if we wanted to.  We decided on Earls downtown that is on the 2nd and 3rd level with a direct view of the lake.  Here are Cooper and I.  Proof that I was in fact on the vacation!

Before we knew it, it was time to pack up and head back.  The week was so much fun but went so so fast.  The trip back didn't go much better than the trip there and required frequent stops.  One of the stops we made on the way home was at the Revelstoke Railway Museum.  On our way to eat lunch we happen to see a sign and decided that the kids needed a break from driving so we stopped.  It turned out to be a great stop.

They had a passenger train that you could walk through. I even enjoyed it as i had never been in one.  They also had a craft table set up inside so you could make your own train. While Grady was doing his craft he looked up and shouts 'I can't believe we are in a real train'!  It was one of my favorite moments of the trip.

After a 10 hour trip , again, we made it home.  We were happy to see our new paint, see all our toys left behind, and most of all sleep in our own beds.  Isn't that always the best part of coming home?  James and I had to sleep in a queen bed all week so coming home to our king was very exciting!

We loved our week in Kelowna!  Hard to believe that all that natural beauty is so close to home.  Sometimes make me wonder why we have to go so far away when there are great vacation places right here in Canada.  I love Kelowna and I hope that as the boys get older they will have fond memories of Kelowna like I have of Emma Lake.

I'll leave you with one last picture from our vacation of the boys that I love. Just because.

Kelowna 2013

After writing this post I realized no one would make it to the end.  Just too much to share!  So I've broken it into 2 posts.  Stay tuned for Monday's post for the remainder.

This is the second year we have spent our summer vacation in Kelowna and I see it becoming a yearly tradition as we all love it there!  We started talking about going back next year on the LONG drive home, so I would say that is the sign of a darn good vacation!

We started our trek to Kelowna on Saturday morning.  We planned to be on the road by 8am but the kids treated us to a 7:30am sleep in so we got on the road by 9am.  Still not to shabby.   I believe it is about a 7 hour drive if you drive without stopping.  It took us 10 hours.  We made many stops. Many, many many stops.  Some to pee, some to eat, some for sanity, and some to sight see.  It was an adventure as Grandma would say.

I wouldn't say the kids travelled well.   I remember them being much better this year.  I went back to last year's blog post  but I didn't talk much about how the kids did.  There was lots of fighting, throwing, yelling very little quiet time.  There were times where I thought James may lose his mind while driving.  At the lowest point, Grady took his shoe off and threw it at me and it hit me in the face.  I was so mad I couldn't talk to him until I felt he made a heart felt apology and it took some time.  This, thankfully, was about an hour from home. Knowing the end was in sight was helpful in getting us through that rough patch.

Back to the better parts of the trip.  We stopped in field based on advice from a friend who blogs.  It was great.  Who would have known that inside the information center was a model train, dinosaur statues, a gift store, and best of all clean bathrooms!

The park was right bedside a little lake where the kids threw stones in and ran around in the water.  I think they would have gone in if we let them on the way home.  Yes... we went back on the way home by request from the children.  Thanks for great tip Joanne!

The first part of the drive is long and there really isn't much to see. Then you hit Revelstoke and you could stop at something to see every 10 minutes.  Last year we stopped at the enchanted forest and this year we did the same.

The kids just loved it here!   Grady especially as he is starting to know and enjoy all the nursery rhyme stories that go with the little houses.  The kids both enjoy the 3 Little Pigs and we have been known to play a game around this story.  (Remember that fun night Aunty Blaire and Kolby?).  We literally dragged them out of there after about an hour trying to get to Kelowna before it got dark.

So we set of merrily on our way and passed D Dutchmen Dairy (which is right outside of Sicamous I think) where they make there own ice cream.  James wanted to stop but didn't m make the decision on time and we drove by.  (Stacey maybe you should try it out for us on your trip!)  When we were approaching the Log Barn James asked if we should stop. I told him yes since we drove by his last choice.  It was another great choice.

The place had a goat run (bottom left corner), a petting zoo, a play area, and a very large produce and other misc items.  We bought lots of fresh fruit and veggies, some sausages, pepperoni sticks, and some BBQ sauce.  It was pricey.  I asked James how much it was and he guessed and it was double his guess. I'll let you imagine how much it was....

Finally we arrived at our unit at Barona Beach, the same resort we stayed in last year, but this year we got a ground level unit right in front of the pool.

We spent a lot of time at the pool.  At least once a day.   Both kids improved a lot in the water, in particular, they both would willingly put there heads in the water.  Might I add that when we got home they were also putting their heads in the sand/water table which I promptly had to put an end to.

Cooper, by far, preferred the hot tub.  He spent lots of time sitting on the stairs of the hot tub playing with the bathtub fish we brought.  He also only wanted to be with me which meant I also spent a lot of time sitting on the edge of the hot tub.  Way too hot if you ask me!

While we were in Kelowna I suggested that we get a beach ball for the pool.  James grabbed this one.  Neither of us realized how big it was when we bought it and it was BIG.  The kids loved playing with it on the grass and chasing it on the grass.  It didn't exactly work for the pool....

Our resort is right on the lake, but honestly, we didn't use it much.  The kids much preferred the pool.  One day while Cooper napped, I took Grady down to the beach and he built a sand castle and I read my book.  Now that was nice.

I read Still Alice in less then 3 days.  I loved it.  Such a sad story but very touching.  If you haven't read it I highly recommend.  As long as you have a box of Kleenex.

Rock throwing was a big hit this trip.  James loved to skip rocks and the kids seem to have a passion for it as well.  You have to watch them closely as they don't look to see if anyone is in front of them - they just throw!

Last year, this green water slide at City Park was a hit.  It was the first water slide G ever went down and he went on it over and over.  And then some more. It was interesting this year that he wasn't interested in the slide, he preferred the stray park portion.  He actually ran through the water and {{gasp}} let it get in his face!

You'll see in the top right picture that James went down the green slide with Coop. Coop would not go down on his own and had no interest to go down after either.  Wasn't his thing.  James did NOT have his swimsuit on that day.  He emptied the contents of his pockets in my purse and then just went down in his shorts.  What a trooper!

This park is great for the kids.  They have a playground right on the beach, a skateboard park where we road our bikes, the spray park and water slide, and a great path running right along the water.  You already saw the video of Cooper riding there!

Being at the park with the kids were the best mornings. James got his coffee, the kids got wet, and I just soaked up the sun. 

Find the rest of this post first thing Monday morning!

The New Prince

I am finding myself very fascinated by everything surrounding the birth of the new prince.  I waited along with all the other people around the world to hear whether William and Kate had a new baby boy or girl and now anxiously wait to hear what they name the future king.  There is just something about the royal baby that makes me want to know everything.

I think I am mostly fascinated with Kate Middleton.  Let's face it, she was an every day girl until the moment that she got engaged to Prince William.  Over night, she became a celebrity, a princess.  People obsessed over what she would wear and what kind of bride she would be.  She didn't dissapoint.

Then she got pregnant. The media became even more obsessed with Kate and watching her blossom into a beautiful mom to be.  I can't say I blame them.  She is gorgeous.  She has great fashion and wonderful hair I only wish I could have.  She is sweet and kind and has such a genuine smile.

In some ways I feel somewhat bad for her.  I look back at my birthing and new mom experience and it was tough.  And I didn't have the whole world watching me.  It was announced the moment she went into labor and people were literally camped outside the hospital for weeks waiting for the baby to be born. 

Then after Kate goes through labor and birth, I'm not sure she really even has much say on what she names the baby. 

While I was at the gym yesterday I happened to be watching TV when the breaking news emerged that Will, Kate, and the baby were leaving the hospital.  I was really happy to see it. She looked great, of course.  He was all smiles and cracking jokes with the press about the baby having more hair than him. It was really nice to see.  Would I have wanted to be on TV less than 24 hours after I gave birth... not a chance, but they handled it great.  Not like they had a choice either.  It was expected.

I just hope that the media gives them some privacy while they adjust to life as a little family of 3.  I feel for her, she will be watched and critiqued while she raises her kids.  Every time she takes the kid out she will be watched and you better believe the whole world will hear about it if the kid misbehaves.

I do feel bad for her, but not that bad.  She is a princess after all :)

Updated - They named him George!  Can't say I'm a big fan but I could get used to little prince Georgie.  HA!

Strider Bike

Grady got this strider bike for his 3rd birthday and I hoped that he would love it. He didn't touch the thing for over 2 years. Only recently has he started fighting Cooper for it so he could practice his balance.  This video was taken on March 2nd when Cooper tried it for one of the first times.

Password:  strider

  

Watching it now is actually kind of painful he is so slow.  I remember that Grady and James would lap us as we were going at a slower than walking pace.

The next video was taken while we were on vacation last week.  Same password.

 

If you watch closely, you'll see Cooper raise his feet and balance on two wheels while he speeds along.  I could watch him all day - it is so amazing what these little people are capable of.  

I'm not the only person watching him though.  He gets lots of attention from other people passing by.  The bikes are relatively new and to most people it looks odd to see such a little person cruising along on such a little bike.

I've very much enjoyed watching Cooper learn to ride on the strider, keeping up with his big brother is big motivation!

New Paint!

We've been in our house for almost 10 years.  We ripped down oodles of wall paper when we moved in and painted within the year.  Which means it has been well over 8 years and 2 kids since the house was painted.

With the kids being at home during the day, getting the house painted was proving to be problematic.  So.... we arranged to have the main level painted while we were on vacation last week.

In the end we decided to add a little color from our overall neutral color scheme.  I was going for the look where it is grey in some lights and brown in others.

Here is the before and after of our living/dining area.  I LOVE how it turned out.

We are a family of blue lovers, me included.  So we spiced one entire wall with a dark blue/grey.  I love how it turned out.

This is our entrance.   I took the before pictures after he had patched, hence all the white spots.  I am happy with the after, however I had hoped for it to be a little more grey.  It still has quite a brown undertone, which I like, but I just hoped that it would be a little more of a drastic difference.  You can see the difference in the picture but not so much with out the before.  

When I asked Grady what he thought of the new color he told me it looked the same as before.  Ha!

The wall in the kitchen is a continuation of the wall in dining area.  I am so glad we took a risk on that wall especially since the rest wasn't as drastic.

I can't decide what I think of the family room.  The bottom is the same color as the big wall in the above picture.  Where the blue in the dining room looks darker and grey, the blue in this room looks very blue.

I also noticed that the colors in this room change the most.  They look grey one moment and blue and brown the next.  I think it will grow on me but I think it would look better if the top was more grey than blue.

Overall I am really happy with the change.  James thinks it has really brightened the place up.  Considering I was a little nervous with the color selection, in the end it all worked out.  It was also nice to have something to look forward to when we got home.  No one likes to come home from vacation but having the paint to look forward to made it just a little bit easier!

Cooper-ism

I am a creature of routine and habit.  It turns out so is my youngest son.

It came to our attention recently that every time we play hide and seek, Cooper hides in the exact same spot.  For a while, Cooper wanted to hide in his crib, the only problem is that he needed help into the crib before you left to count.  Every time we played hide and seek, he would ask you to put him in the crib and then go count.  I guess he expected you to forget where he was by the time you counted to 20!

Each time we played he would pick a different spot and hide there each and every time we played during that session.

Most recently, he has started doing the same thing with Eye Spy.  On road trips especially we like to play this game to pass time.  Cooper only just started playing with Grady and I.  Our last road trip, every time it was his turn he picked brown, and it was always 'mommy's hair'.

Grady started to get annoyed and told him he couldn't pick brown anymore.  Cooper didn't care and kept picking brown.  It led to a fight and the game was over.  

I personally think it was super cute that he likes to choose the same hiding spot and brown item.  He'll outgrow this trait all too soon and I'll miss it terribly.

Grady the Artist

It has come to our attention that Grady is quite the little artist. I always knew he liked to draw and showed on interest in it, but each of Grady's teachers has told us that he is very good. And they should know, they see enough 5 year olds after all! After his teacher told me I should "foster his ability' I was happy that I had already registered him for an art class.

Lucky for us, there is an art studio that opened not to far from our place that we have tried out a few times. The first time was for the parented painting class. I loved the outcome and hung the stretched painting on our main level. The next was for the father's day class and they made their Dad and themselves out of clay which was then put in a snow globe. The most recent one we did was on the clay wheel. This class was parented and I expected to get my hands dirty helping. Not the case.

 

The little man was all over it. I helped him just a little on the first and he did the second bowl all on his own.

 

The great thing about kids is they have no fear. They get right down to business where adults hesitate a little.

 

After 3 successful classes we decided to go through with the art class in the fall. I hesitated for a long time not knowing if he would enjoy it. At his age it is a 'mixed media' class where they do all sorts of art. Not just the painting or drawing that he loves so much. In the end I just decided to go for it and if he hates it, we won't do it again. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the kid is going to love it!

What I am a little unsure about is how Cooper and I will burn an hour. It is a drop off class and they have no waiting area. If I were by myself, I would grab a coffee at the cafe next store and read a book. Realistically I will have young Cooper with me and will spend lots of time at the children's consignment store just up the street. What else do you do with an hour with a toddler? If I figure it out I'll let you know!

What I Wore this Week - Stampede Style!

So I thought some of you out of towners might want a glimpse in what it is like to live and work in Calgary during Stampede week. It is quite different then your typical week in working in the downtown core.

First, people dress like it is Halloween. For some (like me!) that means that a regularly dressed person who usually wears heels or a suit to work trades in their formal attire to dress like a cowboy/girl. For many others, it means that you dress in the most revealing shirt and skirt you own even though it hasn't fit you in over 5 years.... Yes, there are many of those! 

It also becomes appropriate to leave work at any time to attend a 'work' event that usually involves alcohol at as early as 8am. I am NOT kidding. Thankfully, I do not go to these events, but my husband, oh my stampede attending husband, attends many. 

It is also not uncommon to see a free breakfast or lunch outside a building with many MANY people in line waiting to eat. Beef on a bun is a fan favorite. 

I feel like Stampede is full of a sense of community. I remember in my bus-taking days the week of Stampede, you talked to the person who you had rode the bus with all year for the first time. Stampede really can bring out the best of people. Or the worst. You often hear that many of the popular bars find many wedding bands the week of Stampede. I am an optimist at heart and really think that it brings a sense of pride to the city. For 101 years, the Stampede has been putting a little country in the city and I am sure it will be doing the same for 101 more! 

So onto the cowgirl attire! 

Tuesday 

My first day back to the office puts me in my most cowgirl outfit ever!


I got the boots about 6 years ago. I only know this because I didn't have kids. It could even be longer. Some people say their boots are not comfortable- but I love mine! Luck of the draw I guess. You can't tell from the photo but the stitching on the boots is 'Christy' blue. My favorite.

The belt buckle is new this year. I think it totally makes the outfit 100% cowgirl. Let's be honest, I would be caught dead in this outfit outside of stampede. The buckles screams cowgirl. James got it from work at the end of last season so a few weeks back I had to buy a belt where the buckle is removable. I paid $25 for it pre-stampede and found one on the grounds for $10. Who would have thought it would be cheaper to get it there??

I think this outfit gets an A for effort as it seems more authentic cowgirl. The rest of my outfits for the week are more urban style and I am totally OK with that!

Wednesday

Today warrants a full denim outfit with boots AND hat since I headed to the stampede grounds after work.  We had dinner at Ranahan's with James work.  I had Friday's outfit picked out originally, but in the end decided on this more traditional outfit. I was told there was a dress code at the restaurant.  During Stampede?  I couldn't find exactly what it was on their website so decided to play it safe.

I like this outfit, but I often wear in on Friday's with a colored belt and heels, so I don't feel all that stampede-y.  However, when I look at the above picture with the hat, it actually is pretty western after all!

Thursday

Thursday was my work party day.  This year we went for a nice sit down lunch and headed to a stampede tent.  These tents are very large and found in random parking lots.  The one we attended was beyond busy and hot and I don't know about you, but I'm not that into using porto-potties!

The skirt is new this year and next to denim, I think white skirts/dresses are the next best thing.  I was somewhat out of my comfort zone throwing the belt buckle on, but during stampede you just have to take those kids of risks!

Friday


This morning when I woke up, I decided I was done with stampede.  Too many late nights and too many drinks.  I decided it was a great day to sport a pony tail.  My co-workers always think something is wrong when I wear a pony since it usually means I am tired and/or sick.  Not the case today - today I feel great, as if I didn't have more than my fair share of vodka and water last night.  Yes Gina, you read that right, I consumed vodka and water last night!

This is probably my favorite outfit of the week.  I held the camera down lower to show my blue necklace, but it turns out you still can't see it. 

So there you have it, Stampede Style 2013.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to pack away my cowboy boots next week and pull out all my hells and regular attire.  Stampede is a great time but there is a reason it is only 10 days!

Stampede......Out!

Biking

I wanted nothing else then for my boys to love riding their bikes. Back in my day, it was my mode of transportation. I biked to school, I biked to the store, I biked to my friends house, it gave me the independence that I craved so much in my pre and early teen years.

At first, my kids wanted nothing to do with it. We bought Grady his first strider (balance) bike when he turned 3 and the thing didn't get touched until this summer when Cooper decided to give it a try. Another post for another day.

If I remember right, sometime in late fall, or maybe even at Christmas, we went to Heritage Park and they have an indoor biking area. It was the very first time I saw Grady peddle on a bike. I was so excited. He was excited because he could actually do it. After that, his interest in bikes increased 10 fold! I offered him the strider bike which he less then politely turned down but he showed interest in the tricycle so we pulled it out. In January.

From that day on when ever the weather was nice enough, we were outside biking around the block. Over and over and over. It was a little tedious to do on my own as Cooper went at a snails pace while Grady was getting faster and faster every day.

More recently, the kids started biking in the garage with the neighbor kids while we were at work. It was a great place for them as it was flat and paved, something you don't see much of in our neighborhood. Most days when I come home, the 4 kids are biking in our garage circling each other. Some on bikes and some on the red cars.

About 2 weeks ago, the almost 7 year old next door took her training wheels off and now bikes on 2 wheels. Since that moment, Grady became obsessed with getting rid of his training wheels. He points out the kids without them at the park and insists on practicing his balance on Cooper's bike.

Over the past week, they fight over Coopers strider bike constantly. Wednesday night when I came home and I hadn't even put my purse down and they were fighting I told them it was time for the training wheels to come off so they would stop fighting.

And that is exactly what we did.

It was almost a good thing it was unplanned as this was not the way I imagined it happening and I didn't have time to stress about it. After supper we took the training wheels off and walked our bike to the field behind our house.

To be honest, I think I was more scared then Grady. I never imagined that I would be the one teaching him to ride on 2 wheels. I just somehow imagined that James would be the one doing it. James was held up with something at the house and was going to come down when he was done.

I got him on his bike and started by holding the handle and the seat and running beside him. I could tell that his balance was off and wasn't sure if it was actually going to work. Then I just held the seat and let go but stayed right there and he didn't fall! He was super pumped and determined to do it. So we tried again. I ran behind him holding the seat and he started yelling to let the seat go. He had to yell a few times before I finally let it go and he went. He actually went!

I was jumping up and down and squealing. The passerby'ers must have thought I was crazy but my baby just rode on 2 wheels!

He was so proud of himself. So proud. James and Devon arrived and then we could get a video. This was probably the 5th time that he went on his own.

Password is bike.

IMG 3339 from Christy R on Vimeo.

We got back home and we put the training wheels back on so he could ride in the garage with his friends the next day. I think we both know that we have a long way to go before he will only be on 2 wheels, but what a confidence boost to know that he could do it.

Ironically, a few weeks back we registered him in a bike camp. The camp has a great track record of getting kids of their training wheels and on to 2 wheels. Rumor has it they take the training wheels off on the first day. I think this made me less nervous about sending him that first day. We'll see how he does and hopefully we'll ditch those training wheels for good this summer!

Hell or High Water

This was the theme of the Stampede this year, Hell or High Water.  Very fitting after the flooding that the Stampede ground endured only 2 weeks before the festivities started.  So many people worked hard and long hours to make sure that Stampede 101 went on.  And it did.

This year my Dad and Sheila came up to go to the Stampede with us.  My Dad loves the rodeo.  He loves it so much that he watches it every year on TV from his favorite chair at home.  Every year I ask him why he doesn't come visit during he stampede and he never has, until this year.

We snagged some rodeo tickets for the first day.  We had a bit of an adventure getting there since they were advising not to park close to the grounds as the residents of those communities were flooded and needed to park on the streets.  We decided to park downtown ad take the train, completely forgetting that the parade wasn't done.  Traffic was a nightmare and so man roads were closed. In the end we grabbed the first spot we saw and jumped the train to the grounds.

Within 5 minutes of arriving, Dad was eating a bratwurst sausage.

Like any exhibition, nothing beats the food. Everything is deep fried and full of calories.  There are 2 things that I must have at the grounds, a bag of mini donuts and a pineapple cone.  I also like to grab a hot dog - this year i was disappointed with mine.  But the warm, fresh out of the deep fryer were to. die. for.

Our seats for the rodeo were pretty good.  We were covered in case it rained on in case it was too hot, it provided some shade.  Unfortunately, we were fighting rain for a good portion of the afternoon.   It didn't rain until we were 2 minutes from the car, but when it did, it poured.  We got wet!

Here are Dad and Sheila at their first Rodeo in over 30 years!  I think they enjoyed it!

The next morning, we got up and headed to a stampede breakfast in our area.  There were 3 in the area, and those were only the ones we heard about. They are everywhere! Most of them are free or for charity. The one we went to was put on by the stampeded and they have 2 free breakfasts a day for the entire 10 days of stampede.

This is the first year that the boys wanted to wear their cowboy hats (that actually look like sombreros!).  Grady even wanted cowboy boots. Not sure I am ready to spend that kind of money for boots he'll wear once or twice a year.  Maybe that is why James said I can't get new boots this year....

The first thing we saw when we arrived was the pony rides. I remembered from years past that by one hour in, the line up for the pony's was HUGE.  So I asked the kids if they wanted to go first thing. Grady wanted nothing to do with it but Cooper said he did.  So off we went to wait in the very short line.  I wasn't sure that Cooper would get on the pony, but he did!

And he enjoyed it!

Here are Dad and Sheila enjoying another first - free breakfast!  It was VERY helpful to have an extra set of hands as we went through the line up as James pushed the stroller and I usually try to man all 4 plates.  Thanks for the help!

After breakfast we headed to the petting zoo which we thought would be a hit with both kids  While Cooper was busy petting all the animals....

Grady preferred to be held by Dad and didn't go near any animals.

He much preferred riding on Grandpa's shoulders!  I don't blame him really!

After breakfast we rushed to the mall for a bowling party.  The mall was a zoo!  Their annual stampede breakfast (the biggest in the city) was that morning and made the parking situation unbearable.  I had parked in the back and didn't even notice, but Dad and Sheila nearly left the mall because they couldn't find parking.  Once inside, it was better, but very very busy!

Grady got the highest on his team with a score of 104 (with bumpers)- that is pretty impressive!

After supper, we even had time for a trip to the park since the sun finally peaked out after a very overcast day.

All in all it was a great weekend!  Usually Blaire and Kolby come with them to visit and sometimes they bring along Devon and Joel.  But this year it was just Dad and Sheila.  The girls are working woman now and had to work all weekend.  Although they were missed and thought of often, it was nice to just spend the weekend with just 'Grandpa Lorne and Grandma Sheila'.  The kids really warmed up quickly and didn't seem to be as shy as they usually would be.  The boys jumped all over Grandpa and were constantly asking if Grandma or Grandpa wanted to do puzzles, color, play games etc etc.  It was a nice break for me. HA!

We had such a great time and are already looking forward to thanksgiving when the entire crew will be back for a visit!

How a pair of shorts saved my basement

My Dad and Sheila are coming to visit this weekend and in anticipation of their arrival I headed out shopping this week to buy him his birthday gift. I bought him a pair of shorts and a shirt.  These are the exact shorts.

I can only post the exact picture because I know that my Dad does not read my blog!

I loved the shorts but when I took them out at home I became a little less confident in my decision and wondering if I should have bought the less 'out there' color, like black or grey. So I bring them out to show the rest of the gang at supper. James said he wouldn't wear them. Grady on the other hand wanted a pair for himself. He loved them!   I even texted my sisters to get their opinions but the color didn't come through right.

After much debate, I decide to keep them. If you don't know my Dad, he is the type to wear board shorts and a neon shirt. All the time. He loves his bright colors. Maybe he wears the bright colors so we don't lose him at the mall while he is carrying all our bags :)

We are going shopping on the weekend and I decide I would leave the decision up to him and he can decide if he wants to exchange them.

With the decision made, I headed down to the furnace room to get the wrapping paper and I can hear gushing water. Oh no!   I didn't even take the time to look and see where the water was coming from, I immediately ran upstairs yelling for James to come down. 

James, followed by both kids, hurried down.  The water on the ground was hot so he immediately turned off the hot water tank.   I don't know how he knew to do that. If he hadn't been home, I'm not sure what I would have done.

The kids wanted to be right in there where the action was.  They had so many questions about why there was water on the floor, where it came from, who was going to clean it, and could they go look closer.  Full of curiosity, that is for sure!

We were lucky.  There was minimal water on the floor and most items in the basement are either in bins or raised off the ground. No damage incurred.

Result = new water tank needed.

The fact that we decided to keep the shorts and that I needed wrapping paper from the basement saved us from having a lot more water in the basement and perhaps even into the developed portion.  So thank you shorts for saving my basement. 

The questions remains if the shorts will be returned or not.

As a side note, while this little bit of water was sitting on my basement floor, I was stressed.  Stressed about the cause, stressed about whether it would continue to leak, and stressed about when it could get fixed, who to call, and how much it would cost.  This made me think of all the people who were directly affected by the floods and how they must feel.  My little furnace room had a little bit of water and I felt stressed.  How must those who had 2 floors full of water damage feel?  Those who lost their entire home?  Stressed does not even begin to describe what they must feel.  Again, my thoughts were brought back to all the flooding in our city.  It really puts things into perspective.

With Summer Holidays upon us....

This article called Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning is a great read for anyone heading to the water this summer.   It talks about how drowning shown on TV is not how it actually happens and give signs to look for that identify that someone could be in trouble. 

Happy summer holidays to all!

Canada Day in Canmore 2013

We spent the long weekend in Canmore last year with the P family and had an absolute blast.  So a few months back we went ahead and booked this years Canada Day long weekend in Canmore with them again.

Then the flood happened.

The highway to Canmore was closed for 1 week.  Our hotel didn't have AC, the elevator was down, the pool was closed, and there was a boil water advisory for the entire town.  To go or not to go?  That was the question.

James drove the highway when it opened the Wednesday before and said it was pretty good and then they were busy paving, he expected it to be back to 2 lanes be the weekend.  It wasn't.  He also said that the side of the highway with the hotels and main street were back to normal.  So the decision was to go anyway and support the community of Canmore while they work to rebuild.

I'm so glad we did.  We had a great time in the mountains with our city kids and enjoyed all the extra time we got to spend with our good friends.

We left the city around noon on Saturday and our first stop was the park.  The kids ran wild.

Nothing beats a park nestled in the middle of the mountains.  Nothing.  I love how the kids are older this year and are more self sufficient.  We got to stand on the side lines for the most part and watch the kids rather than following them around and making sure then didn't hurt themselves.

This was the view from our balcony.

 

If you look closely you can see the highway - which usually wouldn't have been a big deal.  However... this weekend with no AC we had to sleep with our windows open and it was SO loud. I am usually not one to notice things like this but every time a big truck went by it woke me up.  It was that loud. 

 Speaking of sleeping - look who slept in a big boy bed for the first time this weekend!

 

I hate to admit that it is time to get our 'baby' a big boy bed.  It is on the agenda for this weekend.

Saturday after a trip to the park we headed out on a hike.  Well, we did as much of a hike that we could with strollers and 2 woman in flip flops.  It wasn't your typical hike - it was like an urban hike.    At one point we ditched the strollers and all of us walked down a trail.  In typical boy fashion, they quickly grabbed sticks that they held on to for the entire hike.

 

Eventually at the bottom of a hill we reached this stream that you can see behind the boys.

 

I was sure Cooper was going to fall in as his bottom was almost dragging on the ground. I am sure the boys (and John) could have stayed at the stream all day. The littles both had soaking wet shoes by the time we left.  It was nice to do something that we couldn't do in the city.

The rest of Saturday was spent eating lunch at the Mexican place with all the kids in tow, a walk down main street to shop for the ladies, a trip the toy store for the big boys and dads, and finally a trip to the pool.

We stopped to look at the pool at Elevation Place (since our pool was still closed) on Friday night and Grady couldn't wait to get there.  Since the first round of public swim was during nap time, we had to wait until 6:30 for the evening public swim.  He was so excited to go down the water slide.  We arrived and I went down first to preview it while G waited at the bottom.  It was fast.  Like I was kind of scared it was so fast, and I was sitting!  I told Grady I would take him down if he wanted but that it was fast.  He was unsure.  In the end, it turned out that you had to ride on your own AND that he was not quite tall enough.

I though he would be disappointed but he was pretty OK with it.  He had a blast at the pool with N&N. We rarely go to the pool with friends so it was a nice change for him.  He also got the watch Nicholas jump in the pool without an adult and I think it motivated him. Not enough to try while we were there, but maybe soon???

Cooper was a little under the weather Saturday after nap so he went back to the hotel with James while we swam. He woke up from his nap and cried on and off for about 2 hours.  He wouldn't eat and just wanted to cuddle with me.  He felt quite warm as well.  He figure he just got too much sun.  His white little body wasn't used to so much heat! 

Sunday morning we woke up to sunshine and the hottest day of the weekend!

I can't say Cooper was fully recovered.

He was still a little warm in the morning and not exactly the happiest camper.  We tried to keep him out of the sun as much as we could.  He did get rid of the tears for parts of the morning.

We snapped our family shot.

And our group shot.  You can't tell in the picture, but all the boys have the same shirt on.  A fun tradition we started last year.

Here is Cooper just before the parade started.

 

I usually roll my eyes when I see people walking down the street with an umbrella to shield the sun, but at the parade, we were oneof them!  Cooper just couldn't sit in the direct heat so I held the umbrella over him for the entire parade.

I love the Canada day festivities in Canmore.  They start with a pancake breakfast, then a fun run (which maybe we'll do one year), then the parade, and finally a birthday celebration in the park.  Our goal was to make it to the parade as it was such a highlight this year.    There were many moments in the hour before the parade started that I didn't think we were going to make it. Cooper kept asking to home. Grady was tired and cranky.  About 10 minutes before the parade started both kids were sitting in their chairs screaming their little heads off.  I just ignored them praying that once the parade stared they would stop.  And they did.

We enjoyed the full parade with the candy grabbing being the highlight. That and being sprayed by water by some of the floats.

I love spending the weekend in Canmore and hope we will do it again next year!  I hope you enjoyed your Canada Day weekend as much as we did!