Life's Whirlwind Adventures

Here is my back to school post for this year. All my boys are back in school this year! Chandler is doing his first year of college, mostly upgrading but hoping to get into a engineering program. Leigham is in grade 4 at Camille and very excited because his best friend is in his class with him! Teddy is starting Pre K!!! I can't believe all my boys are in school!! Handsome devils they are!

There is a meme that is making it's way around the internet it goes something like this" I carried you for nine months was in labour for hours couldn't sleep properly for almost a year and your first word is Dada. I completely laugh cried when I saw this, because it's so true, and as those children get older it seems they are always asking for Daddy. Especially, my baby.  I will admit though that my middle and oldest are momma's boys, just not in the bad can't function without me way, but they prefer mom, so why can't the little one just give me a little of that wanting? Yesterday's blog mentioned how I was writing more and building my writing skills as well as my photography skills, so that's where this blog comes from. Teddy and I were home alone, husband and Lil Man had gone out for the morning to husband's work and that left Teddy and I to hang out together. Oh the tantrum he threw when he had to stay home and have qualit...

Teddy has what the Physical Therapists called drop foot. When you google drop foot the three main causes are cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and diabetes. I was certain that cerebral palsy was not his condition, I was pretty certain diabetes wasn't either, but not 100% certain and most muscular dystrophies, the most common ones anyway, don't present until age 4 and Teddy had been like this since he was walking at 18 months. But it was still terrifying. We received a letter from the Glenrose Rehabilitation hospital in Edmonton just after Valentine's day, they stated it would be approximately 4 month waiting period before Teddy would be seen by the neurologist there.  My only concern was 4 months away was June or July and I wanted to make sure he was seen before the doctors took their summer holidays.  My phone rang with an Edmonton Number on February 21st.  It was the Glenrose and they wanted to book Teddy's appointment, they had February 28 or March 13th availabl...

While we were in Nova Scotia, we told people we had to leave by a certain day because of this upcoming appointment, which was true, we did need to make it back.  There was a doctor there and he kept telling me nothing was wrong he seemed fine with his walking, but I felt he'd say whatever he needed to have us stay another day or two. The trip to Nova Scotia was wonderful, my boys were great and they played and frolicked and made so many memories! But then we came home and it was back to reality. While waiting to see Dr B, Leigham and Teddy brought me all the children's books in the waiting area to read.  Some of those books are super old and you can tell from their content that they were written in the seventies. I almost felt scandalized reading one book. I wish I could remember it better to put the title in this blog. Finally, they led us back to the patient room. "Ah, how is everyone today," Dr. B greeted as he came in. "I'm bored," moaned Lei...

I loaded the boys into my white Dodge Caravan, buckling Teddy into his seat and telling Leigham to buckle up in his booster seat.  It's a fight most days, because Leigham goes in the door that Teddy's seat is beside and Teddy gets upset but today they know they are going to see the Chiropractor, so today they are happy to comply.  Usually, the chiropractor is just a mommy thing so for them it's a treat. Driving through Red Deer is quick, the Chiropractor is downtown by the Safeway and takes about ten minutes.  Traffic is light this July morning since it's one, summer and two, after  nine.  We arrive at the Chiropractor and I take the boys in, holding Teddy's little hand tightly and we walk and he stumbles over the air. "Come on Teddy, get up," I chide as he stumbles again, his walking has always been this way, it's like he doesn't know how to lift his toes over the cracks.  One day I fear I am going to wrench his arm out of his socket when he...

A new strategy we are employing as a family this year is to buy our children less stuff and spend more of doing things with them!! BEST! IDEA! EVER! So for Christmas we told all our family to only buy them activities or passes to things we could do, like movies, Jump 360, Treehouse, the zoo, Royal Tyrell Museum, things we could do make a day or evening out of that the kids would build memories and maybe stop wanting so many things. Adrian took Lil Man to his Rebel's Game and I got to take Prince T!  It was such a fun night! He had so much fun and it was nice to get out with just him!  Here are some of our pictures from that night!  Waiting for Dad to get home so he could take mom out on a date!  Pre Date Selfie!! Date Selfie, mom was also getting a massage!! Best date Night!!

I'm trying to think of my proudest moment, I've had a few proud moments that I take a lot of pride in but my proudest moment really has to do with my children. I am proudest of the strong working young man Chandler has become, he never gives up and he always does what he needs to do.  He's kind, grateful and has a great sense of humour. I am proudest of the compassionate, loving, space invading young man Leigham is, he loves everyone and is always first for a hug and quickly goes to those who look down. He's a genuinely kind soul who isn't afraid to show his emotions. I am proudest of the determined, outspoken little boy in Theodore.  He knows what he wants and he will go for it and don't you stand in his way, he is not a push over and will not let anyone be the boss except mommy and daddy.  He's a go getter, he just needs to learn to pull in his temper with his brothers. I am proudest of all the moments I get to be a mother and friend to my ...

When we began planning this road trip, we were initially going to zip into the states and take the shortest way there.  I then started looking at a map and suggested that maybe we could do a little detour and stop in Pittsburgh so Lil Man could see where his favourite hockey team plays.  Estelle was agreeable to this so we began plotting out our journey. Once we crossed into North Dakota it was a long journey through prairie lands.  North Dakota was pretty, and some of the places were well named.  Devil's lake seems like it had a very appropriate name. Some how we crossed the Minnesota border without seeing a sign.  This became a trend and a reason why we did not have pictures of the group in each state we drove through.  When you are on the Interstate it's pretty much impossible to see the state signs, next time I do this road trip I may not worry about staying on the Interstate and just take some of the smaller high ways. It would take longer but I ...

 My littlest turned three just a little while ago, and I am at a loss for words to describe how I feel about this.  I can't believe my last baby is three, and he's becoming a threenager for sure.  But he's still super sweet at times but is definitely figuring out where he fits in this world.  Prince T and spend the day together, just the two of us. After getting his brother off to school Prince T and I went for a play date then we hit up the library to get some books. Prince T is in the challenge to read 1000 books by the time he's five, so we have some reading to do ahead. He loves to read and insists on reading the book we just read to us after each reading.  Sometimes Prince T will even indulge me in a selfie, sometimes he's even willing to smile! After a lunch at Macdonald's (his choice) we headed to pick up his big brother from school.  Then we headed to the park to play for a little while.  His big brother loves Prince T, and 50% ...

I am a firm believer that everyone should know how to swim so I make my boys take swimming lessons. Chandler was a bit of fish and he did so well growing up.  At one point I thought he might be a life guard but then we got behind on lessons and that never happened.  He did finish up to level 10 just didn't got for his Bronze Cross and stuff. I don't worry about him and water. Leigham and Teddy, though, well that's a different story.  I take them swimming and Teddy loves the water, Leigham was more like my brother and would wear a life jacket to play on the beach in case someone splashed him. So for three years Leigham has been in swimming lessons and he's finally coming along, he's still scared to put his face in sometime but since he's had goggles he's improved immensely.  He struggles with his back float and back glide, my brother did too, and if you ask my brother it's because they are too dense with muscle mass.  Leigham is now taking Level...

We had a great time in Jasper! Here are some more pictures from our trip there.