Random Thoughts

I have so much to say about our summer, but I am afraid that I have left it so long that it will likely be a collection of photos telling the story rather than me. It has been a while since a wrote (a month!) and I think I am going to start off with something easy today.

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I made my first pumpkin spice latte today. So yummy. The recipe is HERE and I followed it to tee, minus the whipped cream on top - I added some cream in with my milk instead.  I also used frozen pumpkin rather than canned that I got from Deena last fall (we traded - I can't remember what I gave her, but this is my last bag of pumpkin and I think she got the raw end of the deal). Oh and I guess it wasn't a latte. It was a steamer. Because of my reflux I didn't add the expresso. So I guess I didn't follow the recipe quite to a tee, but it was absolutely delicious. And on this cool fall day, a yummy treat.

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With Calder I often play an "I love you" game. We alternate turns telling each other items we love each other more than. Today, for example, I would have told him "I love you more than pumpkin spice steamers" or "I love you more than chocolate chip cookies" I may have enjoyed two while downing my steamer. Last week at Costco, I decided to start playing this game with Boone. I told him that I loved him more than candy and he responded, "I lub candy". . . I guess we have some work to do!

While having a quiet moment with Boone last week I told him I loved him. He looked up at me and then to the ceiling while he contemplated this. A moment later he responded, "I love Dad."  Sigh. I couldn't win last week with him!. . . Although, I will say that he isn't the Daddy's boy that Calder was (and is). Boone would pick Hugh first the majority of the time, but lately has been requesting me to put him to bed. Boone gives the best hugs, so this is quite an enjoyable end of day routine.

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Calder will be starting hockey in a few weeks. He told Hugh excitedly last week that he would be playing Tier 1 this year. Oy. Hugh explained that he doesn't get tiered until next year, but Calder is so excited about it that while I was talking with his cousin about starting hockey this year, Calder chirped in "I'll be doing Tier 1 next year."  I don't actually think Calder knows exactly what tiering is, but he knows that Tier 1 is the best and it is what he would choose to play. I tried to explain that only a few kids get to play Tier 1, but I'm not sure he completely understood. I get why. He is SIX. It is just crazy to me that 7 and 8 year olds get tiered in novice. Hugh and I honestly don't care what tier he plays. Since we have no choice in novices getting tiered, we would just like to see Calder play with like-ability players. If that is Tier 1, so be it, but any other tier would suit us just as well. I want Calder to have fun and have so much fun that he plays hockey all the way up through midget and into his adulthood. I feel for the parents who have the tiering weekend coming up at the start of October. I will hate for Calder to be disappointed if he doesn't make Tier 1 (but if he isn't good enough to play Tier 1, I certainly won't be upset when he doesn't make it - just sad, because Calder might be sad). We are going to have to do a good job over the next year at explaining to Calder why hockey is great - and among those reasons will not be "Playing on the best team", because hockey is a great game at any level.

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We have taken Calder and Boone public skating. I can not believe how much Calder has improved over the summer and he hasn't had his skates on since March. Our neighbour told me I would be shocked. This isn't a "Calder" thing, this is a kid thing. It is pretty darn cool. I will say, that I had a euphoric moment watching him on Sunday. One of my favourite parts of raising kids is getting to be watch them learn new things and make giant strides improving. Just awesome.

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Lawson can not figure out how to roll from her tummy onto her back. I will definitely be doing a happy dance when she figures this one out. It is LONG overdue. Lawson has done it, but it is always an accident - She will turn her head too much one way and she tips herself over (likely the cheeks weighing her down. . . . I might as well say it, I know you are thinking it :-)). Because she can't purposefully do it, she has become a tummy sleeper. I have tried to help her roll over onto her back when I hear her cry, but after one exhausting nap for both of us where I turned her over 10 different times, she now quite easily goes down on her tummy (I start her on her back, but she immediately flips).  Lawson is also now crawling. She has only taken a few "steps", but she is up on all fours doing it. That being said, she only can do it going backwards. . . She cracks me up!

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I have been seriously busy the past two weeks. I got WAY behind on my stuff (baby books, photos, videos, etc.). I have now gotten the baby books and kids photo books updated and it is now time to get my photos edited from the summer forward and start making videos from December onward. Yes, you read that right. I am almost a year behind. I know exactly how it happened. In January I was just finishing up treatments and packing my classroom as the semester wound down. Lawson came. My boob exploded and I had surgery. Then, when I finally started feeling normal again we bought the cabin and I was busy filling it with donations and cheap finds on Kijiji. Oh and then summer. . . Needless to say, I was actually okay with summer being over. It feels good to get stuff accomplished.

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I am off to do movies and maybe catch a nap. I have a killer cold and can't seem to shake it. Have a great short week!