Happy Anniversary

It is hard to believe that 6 years ago was our wedding!  It was a beautiful late September day and everything turned out just perfect.  I am so lucky to have Jay and we have a pretty good life together.  Now, everything is not always perfect but we have managed through some pretty big ups and downs in our marriage - we have survived 2 moves, including one out of the United States to Canada (Yikes!!  That was a tough one!!), a few home renovation projects, job issues, and a NICU stay (totally not prepared for that one, but don't think I could have made it through that without Jay).  We have a beautiful little girl who brightens our life everyday and another little one on the way.  I am so thankful for the family and life that we continue to build together.  Thank you for everything you have done for me and our family Jay.  I love you. 

Lobster!!!

A while back, Jay was in Nova Scotia visiting the dealer and on the way back he decided to pick up a lobster in the airport.  Yes, they sell fresh lobsters in the airport for you to buy!  And they are pretty reasonable - they will even steam it for you if you want.  But Jay brought home a live one and ever since then, Arabella has been asking him to bring home a lobster every time he visits Nova Scotia.  A few weeks ago her went and she reminded him to bring one home...I'm not sure why she wants him too since she really won't try more than 1 bite and I don't eat it either.  But he did and she was so excited!  They opened the box and took him right out.  She even held him.  And for the next 24 hours he hung out in our fridge waiting to be boiled alive!  Arabella tried it at dinner and Jay ate most of it.  He enjoyed it!

And speaking of lobster, in February of this year, Jay had to travel to Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick for a site visit.  The site was a a lobster farm.  It was interesting to see how the lobsters are kept before going to market. 

And look how big this one is!  Can't imagine how much he would cost...I actually think they should let him go.

Needless to say, we miss Jay when he travels, but he gets to visit some pretty cool places!

Autumn

There is something bittersweet about Autumn for me.  I'm not sure what it is, but I have this feeling of nostalgia.  I love Autumn and what it represents, including back-to-school.  But as I was cleaning my desk this weekend, I came across an article that I printed out last year.  It is from 2010 by Beverly Beckham entitled "Bittersweet song of September".  There is something about this article that continues to strike a chord within me...makes me want to stop and slow down time.  It reminds me to cherish the everyday and my time spent with Arabella.  Maybe it will do the same for you.


"I'm glad I'm not a young mother shopping for school clothes and new backpacks, studying the bus schedule, filling in the calendar with "No school day" and "Early release," scheduling gymnastics and dance lessons, switching gears and mindset, getting ready to give my children back to the world, bidding this long, hot summer goodbye.

I never liked September when my children were young.  It meant the end of something, not the beginning.  Every year, when they walked out the front door and down the walk to wait for the school bus, a little taller and a little wiser than they were just 12 weeks before, my heart ached because I knew that when I got them back again in June, they wouldn't be who they were now.

Children grow in the summer, too, I know, but it's different when school starts.  They seem to grow faster then.  Everything seems faster.

There is a song from " Big: The Musical" that sums up the bittersweetness of raising children.  It's called "Stop Time," and the first time you hear it, it stops your heart.  "Nobody warns you of this parent's paradox.  You want your kid to change and grow," the song says/  "But when he does, another child you've just begun to know, leaves forever."

Even when you win, you lose.  That's the truth of the song.  And that's the truth about kids.  You love your children at every stage exactly as they are.  You love the way your baby fits snugly in your arms, the way he opens and closes his tiny hands, the way he sighs and leans into you when he's sleepy.  And you want to stop time.  But you love it when he's bigger, too, when he sits up all by himself.  And you want to stop time, then.  And when he learns to crawl.  And when he learns to walk and talk.  And look.  He's starting kindergarten.  And he's learning to read.  Can it get any better?

It does.  It gets better and better.  Parenting is filled with bests and a million happy tears.  But it's filled with lumps in your throat, too, and yearning for what was because even as you're snapping pictures and head over heels in love with the moment that is, a part of you misses the moments that are not anymore.  The infant your child was.  The 2-year-old you pushed in her carriage all over town.  The 5-year-old who said "pinuter" not computer.  The 6-year-old who raced in from school every day eager to show you what he'd colored and learned and made.

September whisks kids away and entertains them and beguiles them, but returns them not as they were but changed and in a different size.  That's why parents cry as they stand and wave goodbye.  Because first grade becomes fifth grade becomes high school becomes college even as you watch.

How is this, I wonder, that a day alone with a colicky baby and an I-don't-take-a-nap-anymore 2-year-old can feel like a year?  But 18 years can go by in a blink of an eye?  How is it that both my daughters, who just yesterday were upstairs trying on their new school clothes, are this year dressing their own children ready for first grade?

They've bought new clothes and a lunch box and a backpack.  Just as I bought new clothes and a lunch box and a backpack for them, just as my mother bought new clothes and a lunch box and a green cloth book bag for me.

It's a big step, first grade, the first journey that will take their children physically, emotionally, and spiritually to places they cannot begin to imagine.  And not only with their children change, but the world will change, too.

The kids are excited.  We're all excited.  A top-time moment is on its way.

But time won't stop.  It won't even slow down.  That's why we'll pay attention and take pictures.  So we'll never forget the day.  So that even when it's passed, it will remain."

Copied from The Boston Globe/Boston.com - by Beverly Beckham, Globe Columnist, August 22, 2010

First Day of Preschool

Yesterday was Arabella's 1st day of preschool.  This year she will be going every day for 2 1/2 hours and most of her instruction will be in FRENCH  so there will be some adjustments that we will have to make.  She was so excited and couldn't wait to start school.  It seems like she has been asking every day for the past 2 weeks is she would be going to school the next day.  I felt so horrible telling her that she was going to have to wait!  I just hope that her love of school continues.   We walked to school yesterday and we left much earlier than we needed to since she could barely contain her excitement.  She took Teddy along for the walk, but he went back home with me.  We even stopped to pick up a few leaves that had changed colors and fallen to the ground.  She was very excited to see her friends again and couldn't wait to get into the classroom.  She barely said goodbye to me and there were no tears at all!  I can't believe how big she is getting - time needs to slow down.  When I picked her up - she was so excited to tell me about her day and circle time!  It was adorable.  We went to Starbucks for a special treat - she had a yummy chocolate raspberry cake pop and apple juice and I enjoyed my first pumpkin spice latter of Autumn. 

I am so proud of you Arabella!  I love that you love school and am so happy you had a great first day!  I can't wait to see what you are going to learn this year!

June & Mike's Annual Labour Day Corn Roast

On Sunday, we attended June & Mike's Annual Labour Day Corn Roast!  It is one of the best parties of the Summer and a great way to end Summer.  The weather was great and it was fun to hang out with friends that we had not seen all Summer.  It is hard to believe that the Summer went by so fast and now it is over.  We had fun playing in the pool, playing volleyball, watching the kids run around and just being with great friends.  The food and drink (although I couldn't partake) were excellent and the corn was by far the best I've ever had!  Thanks again for a great time June & Mike, once again it was the bash of the Summer!

 June with my drunk gummy bears - gummy bears soaked in vodka = YUMMY!

 The tradition of being thrown in the pool continues!

 Me and my girls...a few were missing!

 We brought along the ice luge for shots!

Me and my favorite girl!

End of Summer Campfire

Over the weekend, we had some friends over for an end of Summer campfire with smores.  It was a perfect evening for the fire pit - not too cool and not many bugs - although being pregnant, I am a magnet for them!  Arabella and her friends, Micki and Ronald, had a great time playing in the backyard and roasting marshmallows for smores.  Jay and Ronald made the perfect fire, too!  A fun time was had by all and we are looking forward to doing it again this Autumn!

Happy Labour Day

Happy Labour Day!  We had a very relaxed day enjoyed the beautiful weather.  It was the perfect end to a great weekend.  We went to the pool for the last time tonight as it is now closed for the season.  Just another reminder that Autumn is right around the corner.  Arabella and Jay enjoyed the warm water and had a fun time.  It was nice to relax in the sunshine by the pool before the sun went down.  We sure are going to miss Summer and the pool.   

After dinner Arabella and Jay enjoyed the perfect evening weather.  It was a great day.  We hope that everyone enjoyed their day as much as we did.

My Monkey Bar Gym Kid

On Saturday, my gym had an open house and one of the classes was a kids class.  Arabella has come to the gym with me before and she always wants to do what we are doing, so I thought it would be a great idea to take her to the free class.  She was so excited and couldn't wait to go.  When we got there, she was the youngest one in the class, but she totally held her own.  My trainer couldn't believe how great she was and how she kept up with the older kids...at one point, they asked me "What do you feed her?"  because she was totally kicking butt!  There is another class next Saturday and depending on how she does, I may actually enroll her in the class once a week.  Our head trainer thinks it would be great for her since Arabella has asked for a break from gymnastics this Fall (it makes me upset since she is so good, and I'm hoping the break and absence from it will make her heart grow fonder for gymnastics) and because I want to keep her in the "working out mindset".  Arabella loved the class and was amazing!  She can totally do chin-ups by herself (I'm jealous) and she is a burpee machine - grinding out burpees like it was nothing.  Way to go my Little Bean!  You constantly amaze me and blow me away with what you can do!

                                                                 Burpees!!

                                                       Push, push, push!

                                                   More Burpees!

                                   Totally jealous that she can do unassisted chin-ups and I can't!

Summer is Fading Fast

It is funny how quickly you can tell a change is coming.  I notice it more so here in Canada, especially when Summer turns to Autumn.  The days are beautifully sunny without a cloud in the sky, the evenings are warm with just a chill when the sun is going down and the mornings are crisp and clear.  I love Summer, but am truly an Autumn girl, so I welcome the change. 

This past week, you could tell that Summer was out of reach.  But that didn't stop us for enjoying some truly spectacular weather and outside fun.  Arabella played on her swing, dressed up like a hula dancer, we had a fun lunch play date at a park, and took in the once in a Blue Moon.