Camping

This past weekend was our annual camping trip with our crew from church. I made the decision to leave Matty with Grammie for the weekend and Dave, Levi and I headed out for our adventure.

We started by buying all our gear (we had no tent, matress or chairs) and then headed for the camp ground. We were the first to arrive and here is Dave by our fabulous tent all set up (its a Roots tent that sleeps 8-Its huge and great!).

Levi really enjoyed the tent box. He actually stayed inside the tent for several minutes but by the time I got the camera he had had enough and was on his way out and into the tent.


It was a weekend of relaxation and fellowship and fun. We chatted, swam and played games. Ate yummy food and enjoyed camp fires. Levi found a new food he LOVED!

Dirt!

He is working on building his little immune system.

I learned how to play a new game called Pandemic. It is a cooperative game where the players are trying to stop the world from being over run by disease. We played 3 times and lost every time. Its on my wishlist. Great game.

Then after a morning devotion we began packing up and getting ready to go home.

Here is our little car weighed down and only half full of its cargo.

It was nice to get back to our little Matty, who had a FANTASTIC time at Grammies. It was sad not to have him with us but it was a more enjoyable time for me since Matty is such a handful. Dads are planning a daddy-sons camping trip where Matty can go with Dave and have a good time.

I always look forward to camping and this was a very enjoyable weekend. Thanks to all who planned it.

New Canvases

And what tool did he use? A permanent marker. Oy!

Heat Wave

I dont think I can recall a time here in Ottawa where I have felt as uncomfortable as I have the past week. It has been so hot and humid that sitting in my house with all the lights off and fans on still had me sitting in puddles of sweat and freaking out that I just might go insane if I didnt fine somewhere to go that would be cooler. Can you tell that I am a northerner?

Please notice they are not wearing much in the way of clothes. I just cant bare to do that to them.

One day this week the kids and I fled to Karin's air conditioned haven to cool off and visit. We stayed right until their bed time and then came home and put them to bed in the air conditioned bedroom. Another day we went to Ness and Cory's and spent some time in the pool and in the shade. Another we went to a beautiful beach in Quebec on Lac Phillipe. Today, we are chilling in the fan breezed livingroom (because I am so tired of the bedroom) and the boys are nappying in the air conditioning.

The heat has been made worse by both Matty and I getting some sort of bug or minor poisoning. I went for a doctors appointment for Matty because he was complaining of a sore tummy and in one day dirtied 9 diapers and they said it seemed like nothing serious and to just make sure he drank a lot. (I foudn out that he is only 24 lbs-Levi was 16 lbs overa month and a half ago!) Then later he had a fever of 101 and then still later he wanted to run around and play in his little pool. Thankfully he slept well because then I came down with a touch of it and was called to the washroom a few times. We both seem to be doing better today (somewhat) and the heat is nothing like what it has been. As I type this I am hearing thunder rumbling. Are you coming to remove most of this wretched humidity???

Anyways, we've been hot and cranky and sick but I have a few sweet pictures from the beach for you to enjoy.

Matthew has cream cheese all over his face and I am wodering if it is the culprit for the dirty diapers.

Levi and Norah enjoying each other.

Could life be any better? Chips and a Grammie to sit on?

I hope everyone is finding ways to survive this heat and maintain sanity.

Crawling?

Does this count?

Frumpzilla

Here is a description of me since... well a very long time.

Im the lady who:
*is excited about jogging pants
*showers every other day but usually only sometime on the third day since I cant seem to find time
* has gained all her breastfeeding weight loss back and then some
*fears the scale
*has long hair and throws is back in a messy lump somwhere on her head EVERYDAY
*rarely wears makeup because whats the point?
*has two pairs of summer capris that fit and they happen to be excersize pants (terribly unflattering)
* has few t-shirts that actually fit and look any good
* is sneezing to death - I swear it will kill me. I think I might sneeze away all my brian cells and then forget how to feed and take care of myself - oh wait, Im already there.
* has huge black bags under her eyes no matter how much sleep I get.

I have become, as I titled above, a frumpzilla. I have let myself fall apart. Its the downward spiral that I always thought I would be able to pull myself out of. I feel icky so I eat badly and I eat badly because I feel wretched and fixing the diet wont help unless my body feels better so I have to excersize but I am so tired that getting out of bed is a trial and a half. I cant work out any other time of the day because there is always a little one needing me or sleeping and since the wall for the shower shares a wall with the sleeping child I cant shower when asleep or trust said child when awake... delema.

I finally gave up feeling sorry for myself, however. I have decided to start turning a new leaf ( I say start turning it because I know it will take time and LOTS of effort). I have set my phone alarm to 6 am every morning so that I can wake up, do my work out, devotions and shower all before the boys wake up. This is tricky. The first day I woke up, Levi woke up at the same time so I fed him, he promptly projectiled everything back at me ( I was soaked) I put him back to bed and was so frustrated that I was about to go back to sleep. Dave, however, told me to get out and excersize (way more gently than that though) and so I did.

My delema is that when I wake up the boys normally wake up and that means they will need to eat and need new diapers and some attention. I am the one who tends to do that for them (with Levi I am the only one who can do that at the moment- the feeding part) and so I feel a little stressed that they might wake up and what if... So I told Dave my plan and he said he was on board. I will wake up in good time, excersize, shower and get ready for the day and he will be on duty. So, I have one hour. From 6 until 7 Dave will be on kid duty. If Levi wakes up he will prepare him a bottle of formula. If Matty wakes up, he will get him breakfast and keep him away from Mommy while she is sweaty and busy. If they sleep, Daddy sleeps too. Then, by 7 I should be ready for the day and even have my makeup somewhat done and Daddy is free to go to work.

I am excited. It isnt the excitement the makes getting out of bed any easier but knowing that I am working at pulling myself out of the black hole of self pity and away from the road of obeasity will eventually just be my lifestyle. Waking up by an alarm instead of one of my sons wont have to be a depressing sound but rather one of excitement (my alone time). I no longer have the excuse of not being able to find time to make myself a better person. I have an hour every morning which is plenty. And with these physical improvements comes the mental ones and that is the part in which I find the most joy and excitement.

So everyone, hold me accountable. Give me an ear full if in a week/month/half a year I am whining and telling you all I just dont have time to be human. If I am disciplined, there is time.

Works of Art

I call it: Our Floor with Green Crayon

This one: Blue Coffee Table with Crayon Wrapper Residue

Apparently Matthew has learned to love art.

Now we must learn where to find appropriate canvasses!

Canada Day

For as long as I can remember, Canada day has been a big deal for me. When I was a little girl my mom would take us downtown, in the flow of thousands, to see the parade and the excitement and then we would later go somewhere a little quieter (usually the river) to enjoy the fireworks.

Later in my life I would be spending the majority of my Canada day singing and performing in various lacations downtown as part of the celebrations (people actually came to see my choir on Canada day). We did various works that were Canadian and even some african dancing a few years in a row.

Then I was an older teen and adult and it became normal to head down into the throngs of people and spend the evening guarding a spot in a park with a good view of where we were guessing the fireworks would be and then watching the fireworks right above me. This all took place after a bbq dinner at someones place (and my own when I was older) surrounded by fantastic friends.

This year we tried something new all together. Since our little family has grown and our friends are various places around the area, we ALL decided to head to Ness and Cory's house to celebrate Canada day. Lots of food and good friends and a whole new environment. We chatted, ate, went to the local hub of action and continued to have a great time.

Levi and his new friend Maggie hanging out on the blanket. Maggie has a twin brother, Isaac, but when Levi tried chewing on his foot he called it quits from the blanket.

Yes, its a donkey back there! There was a petting zoo for the kids.

Matty would get so excited when an animal came near him that he would squeal so loudly they would then leave him as fast as they could. Ear Piercing!

A short ride on the swings was a must and Levi enjoyed it... you just can't tell.

We didnt, however, see any fireworks ( I think this is the first year in ... a LONG time that I have missed them). I havent been home since Tuesday morning and the boys (mostly Levi) was really out of it. So we chose to come home so we could get the boys to bed. We sat in bed and watched Gilmore Girls and as I was forgetting it was Canada day, our windows began to rattle and I could hear the explosions. I was sad to have missed out on fireworks with my friends but I know for certain my boys dont have a clue what they missed. What would I rather have, some fireworks and a late night thus making very cranky boys the next day or an earlie night giving us a day with rested boys the next day? You know what we chose and I dont regret it too much. I will admit that it was a very hard decision to make though.

Next year, however, I hope to make seeing the fireworks a must since it really felt much less like a party when I had to miss the finishing celebrations.

Happy Birthday Canada!
Thanks Ness and Cory for inviting us to celebrate in your new nieghbourhood!