Sunday, November 29, 2009

Kamloops Santa Claus Parade


Santa Claus Parade. Downtown Kamloops. Should have put them in snow pants and put my liner in my jacket. Was a little nippy watching in the wind and cold for an hour. But it was a good morning out. Kids got lots of Candy Canes thrown at them. Free McD's coupons for french fries. Owen was thrilled with the trucks. Kamloops is train, transport truck, big construction equipment, and bus heaven for little boys.










All Happy, sugared up, and toasty warm again in the house. Also helps with Tim Horton's Hot chocolate!!
It's all good!
Tomorrow: More finishing up of crafts from me and hopefully a run around in the park somewhere for the kids.

Just Day to Day and some Xmas Shopping

Sorry for the lack of postings this week. It has been very mundane just going to school. Pizza orders, swimming after school, and lots and lots of Christmas shopping as I realized it was coming up very fast. Our first trip home for Christmas in 7 years. So I have felt much like this above photo. Quickly getting things off my list while running after Owen. Who has become a huge feral kid out in public!!! Anyway I have my list done except for the crafts I am trying to accomplish this weekend along with Christmas cards, and two gift certificates I can't get online because I don't live in the States and they won't mail it to my parents when I call the store. I have to physical go into the store!!!
Oh well there has been excitement we bought a house!!! Paperwork isn't all in and we don't get to move in until February. The kids will have to change school next year. We have a mortgage again. And after spending lots on Christmas, air tickets home, I am starting to panic!!! Can we do this again??? I'll post photos later on the house. It is huge. 3600 plus square feet. I don't know how I'm going to keep it clean.
It's all good!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Do you miss it, do you???

Do I miss cold toes, wet mittens, snow down your boots causing freezing ankles and wet socks, wet pants making red cold thighs, slipping on ice........... well yes and no. I love the look of it at this time of year, as Christmas approaches. I love the huge grin on Owen's face as he tries to figure out all this for the first time. I love that the kids get exposed to all these memories as well as walking out into 47 degree weather that feels like you put your head in a oven, red dirt, lizards in the yard, tree frogs in the house (I saw geckos, tree frogs, and frilled neck lizards in the pet shop from 100-200 dollars!!! - seems so unnatural after having seen them in their natural environment for the last 4 years) So I don't miss all of this sometimes and then I miss it at other times. We tried to attempt a Christmas photo. Well I think we need another run at it when we get dressed in snow pants!!!







And whats with Kookaburra Lodge and watch out for Wallabies???? In snow I don't think so mate!!!!
It's all good!

Happy Birthday Daddy




It is so nice to buy birthday presents and get to surprise Eric. Usually we have to order things on line and of course he knows what it is before the day. So totally amazing to go to a store and get something to surprise him. 18 year old single malt scotch!!! Camping gear, and an ice cream cake.
It's all good!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Clean House

Well we have been far from boring if this is the case. Today both girls at school all day and I have 6 hours to get this house clean. Boy is it nice to have a nice clean floor!!!! It feels so nice on bare feet. With the past two weeks of running around to pick them up I have been neglecting the chores. Today though it finally feels nice to get that sorted. Eric's birthday today so we are off to dinner out and a cake. I'll post tomorrow.
It's all good!

Mood Swings

That would be me in a nutshell. I notice myself starting to get misty in the shops listening to Christmas music. That was me last year wanting to be home for a white Christmas now that I am here I am getting upset for a Christmas at the pool in Cobar!!!!!
I want some stability a house to call home. A yard.
Things are looking better Hannah is in grade one now!!!! All day so excited no more driving all day. I can stay home tomorrow and clean and do laundry and bake a cake for Eric's birthday. So there are the smiles.
Then the kids fight and punch and the evil looking mother comes out and I feel guilty about not having patience for them when they are adjusting too.
But the best is the laughing with Owen and his vampire smile and his running to me and giving me hugs and kisses. The new words and the "Mummy" done in that tone that sounds like mommy why are you being so silly!!!
Mood swings. Don't like them at all, especially when most of them are the misty ones and I am just missing the life of the past four years.
Stay clear it's not all good!!

Remembrance Day and Exploring

Remembrance Day in British Columbia and it is a public holiday. So Eric and the girls had the day off normal activities. The girls had a Remembrance Day Assembly the day before. We didn't go down town to see the ceremonies. We watched the Toronto events on TV and talked about my grandfather the girls great grandfather and how he was in WWII. It had me remembering my mom's great uncle that died in WWI. How his body is still in France. How some day I would like to go visit grave and think about that young 17 year old with a pocket book of photos of girl admirers that came back to Ontario to his family. We may not have braved the day to watch but I remembered in a different way.
So we went out some bush roads to Duffy Lake and explored camping sites and new snow falls. A snow ball fight took place while I had a 10 minute nap in the warm sun.



Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Mug & a Muffin at the school

Monday was Mug & a Muffin at the school. This is where the parents get to spend a half an hour in the class room with their children and see where they are doing, while have a cup of hot chocolate and a muffin. Ciara is all caught up with the kids in grade 3. Hannah is still going through the paperwork to get her into grade 1.

They have one of these days every month. So I'll try to take some better photos of the girls in the class room. By the time I got the camera lighting right I had to leave!!!

The school. It has the same on the other side with a gym added on. So they can have sports inside.

And after school a big leaf pile play!!!
Owen and I are off to gym class, swim lessons, and physio appointments. Eric and the girls have Wednesday off for Remembrance Day. The girls went to the War Memorial to pay respects "Lest we Forget" just above the school. I have my first coaching assistant trial, I don't think I have the coaching instinct! We'll see.
Tomorrow: A big 4WD adventure. Hope there are some mud photos to post and some other photos to take to do my assignment in photo shop!!

Monday, November 9, 2009

3 seasons in one day

6am start to a rugby game. 4 hours to Vancouver to watch the Kamloops girls play. Started out a beautiful fall day. Then we hit full blown snow storm. Beautiful but man I forgot cold toes, tense driving, sliding on the road etc etc. Didn't stop anywhere to take photos. Then we hit Chilliwack and it was just a down pour of rain right to where the field was. Still didn't take any photos. Raining too hard to want to take camera out. But man Cobar Women's rugby team are whimps compared to Canadian. Mud, mud, cold and lots of rain!!!! They lost but not by much only a try 22-17. Still not sure I want to be an assistant coach. They only have two more games until there season is done. So next week I will do some back drills thanks to a pow wow of ideas with my brother. Can't make their next game as I have plans at the girls school. So we'll see what plays out.
Eric went 4WDing with the kids and they loved it. Mud Mud and more mud.
Today was a quiet day. Looking at some house areas just to check out new ideas of where to live, naps, games, and a long swim at the YMCA.
It's all good!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Weekend Rugby

Well nothing too exciting to report for the rest of the week. Back and forth to school dropping girls off. No housework done. Missing Tess!!! Girls loving school still. I went out Tuesday and Thursday night. Froze my ass off watching the Kamloops women's rugby team. Going to their game this weekend in Vancouver area and next week will help run a few drills. Maybe assistant coach? Eric isn't sure about being a full time weekend dad!! No luck finding a house of our dreams. Thought there was going to be one but then got inside and became very disappointed. Can you cry in front of a real estate agent?!?! Getting down about that.
Some mouth dropping gossip from Cobar!!!! Still puzzling that over in my mind.
So for the weekend, some rugby, some 4WDing, and some photo taking for my next assignment.
It's all good!

ps: that isn't my photo

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

New Car, New School and Leaf Kicking!

Here's the new ride. A Toyota ???? Sorry to the males reading this. This is your excuse to email Eric!!! It is so nice to have a car to get around in. Until hopefully we can get a house close to walk to school and stores. Or we bite the bullet and get another car.

The girls new school!! Ciara is in grade 3 and Hannah is in Kindergarten until we can get all the testing and BC school board to cross their t's and dot their i's. Hopefully she can go into grade 1. She only goes from 8:30am until 11am and is very upset that she isn't learning like in Cobar as well as can't go the whole day. Teacher tested her a little today and told Hannah that she was the first girl to get a 5 out of 5 on her test. So maybe that is a good sign. Purely selfish on my part running back to school to get them 3 times a day doesn't leave much time to get laundry and anything else done. I go shopping instead. Bad on the bank account. Owen and I signed up for swimming lessons and gym memberships so that we can do that after dropping girls off to school. Play care while I do a class which is awesome!!!! Owen's first class swimming was today and with the Australian water babies that you all are he is above what he should be. Unfortunately because he isn't 2 we can't go up a level. Bummer but still going to go he needs to work off some energy.
Like the below photos of him kicking up the leaves in the playground at the school.


Rest of Today: We are off to get another cheap chair for the dinner table. We rented a table chair set and they only gave us 4 seats. 2 weeks of standing for dinner is driving me nuts so off to the Salvation Army to find something. Wish us luck.
Hopefully I can get my energy up and head to Rugby tonight. Knee gave way when getting out of the truck so won't be running around. Good thing is I have my first physio appointment booked so here's to getting it strong again.
It's all good!