Decorating for Halloween

And tomorrow the pumpkin carving will begin!!!!   Then Candy Candy and more Candy.   Bring it on.

Party time Friday

                  The kids with their pumpkins they carved to go in the school pumpkin contest.

                This is Owen's little pumpkin

   Hannah's pirate pumpkin in the scary pumpkin class.   She didn't place and was most upset about that.

    This is Ciara's pumpkin in the green ribbon.  She placed it in the cute pumpkin class and won third.

     Finally Owen all dressed up for his under 6 program's Halloween party.    I was dressed up too but didn't get a photo.  Sorry everyone!!

It's starting to look a lot like Halloween around here!!!

This house is right next door to the school and everyday the kids remind me that we should go here to trick or treat.   Owen asks me everyone morning to drive and look at it from the car.   One morning there was a real orange cat sitting on the front porch that sent Owen into ooh's and aah's.

Lots of Leaves!!!

There is no feeling like jumping into a huge pile of leaves as a kid.   

My front door

I think it is seasonally confused.   The flowers by the front door are still blooming like crazy and the frosts don't seem to effect it.   But then with the cold weather I had to put out a fall wreath!!!     Shouldn't complain before we know it the snow will fly and then my front door will be a little different looking. 

Moon

There was a great full moon with the clouds surrounding it.  Unfortunately by the time I ran outside the clouds had moved and I need to read up more on taking a photo of a full moon.   It turned out a little different.    But I'm still taking photos right!

2 out of 3

The girls were jumping in the leaf pile yet again.   So convinced them that the camera outside in their turf was okay.    Owen on the other hand wasn't having anything to do with going outside or with anyone yesterday.   Major crab apple Mr. Man.    So today it is drizzling and my chances of getting a photo with the third child are slim.   And Mr crab apple man is still showing his head.   There is some unfortunate liquid dripping from said Mr. Man's nose so maybe he isn't feeling 100%

Leaf Fun

The kids have been busy raking and carrying buckets back and forth to make a good sized leaf pile.    Finally the other night they got to have some friends over to jump and throw the leaves around and have some good fun.    

Raking

Getting the leaf pile ready for jumping in.   When work is for fun they all pitch in and do some work. 

24 hour period

These photos were all taken within a 24 hours period on my weekend getaway.   Crazy how things change so fast.   Autumn, Winter,  Summer looking and then just then end of the day.   Enjoy.

Exhausted

We had told everyone to go upstairs and get into their jammies and brush teeth.    The girls came back a little while later saying Owen was asleep on the chair.   So we went up to see and sure enough Owen was asleep in a chair.  Poor little chap must have been a busy day!

Late

Bad day.  Late for school.  Late for a playdate.   Late to pick them up from school.   Headache hitting hard today.  

Look What we woke up to.......

yes snow up at SunPeaks where I was scrapbooking all weekend.  Didn't snow in Kamloops.   SunPeaks in one of the ski resorts here so it is about an hour north of Kamloops.   Didn't last long the snow was all melted by the evening.   But it was a little bit of a shock at first.    Had a great time.   Didn't take much photos of us scrapbooking but some of the scenery.

Good Friend

The girls are finally getting a friend or two that they like to phone to come for a play.  It's only taken almost a year.    They talk about all their friends back in Australia a lot still.   I just can't get them to go on skype for the life of me.  I wonder if it isn't the same as playing Barbies and giggling live time.   Which it isn't I would much rather do that too.   I just take what I can.

Toadstools

We have lots of toadstools around the yard.  I wonder if that bear poo is helping them grown so good this year.   Don't have a clue what type they are so maybe I should look them up.    Though I doubt you can eat these.  

Dreamy

Some dreamy light coming through the trees as Hannah twirls around.  I'm hoping to find some more dreamy light and some slow time to take photos while on my scrapbooking retreat.   Yes and scrapbook too.

Field Trip to Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park Adams River Sockeye Run

The school had a field trip to see the biggest salmon run that BC has had in 97 years.   The Fisheries Department has predicted 10 to 20 million salmon coming through this year.     The Roderick Haig- Brown park was started in 1977 to protect the sockeye spawning beds.  It was named for the conservationist Roderick Haig-Brown for all his work in the province.

What's different about this kid?

Can you guess?   Look close.   They are pink and sparkly and hanging off her ears!!!!   

Sunny Autumn Days

Hopefully I'll have some more photos in my stash by the beginning of next week.   I'm a little short and I haven't tried to do any of the projects I was thinking.   Plus I'm over thinking how to do a business and really needing some help with a website.   Today I'm  totally gettting ready for Thursday evening when I can escaped and go scrapbooking for 3 days without kids!!!  But before then I have a Wednesday jammed with school field trip to watch the salmon run again.  

Thanksgiving

I didn't get my camera out at all yesterday.   Maybe because I was cooking up a feast and didn't have time.   But I should have took a quick snap of the food at least or our guests.   6 Australians and 2 American's.   But I didn't.    So instead you have a quick snap of the after pumpkin pies.   It was a great meal if I do say so myself and everyone left stuffed and smiling from good talks and some nice wine. 
I will write a little of the history of Thanksgiving in Canada.   Because the Australians ask what's with the holiday and the American's ask why in October instead of November.    Everyone gets a different answer.   So I googled and here goes.   Canadian's celebrate Thanksgiving to give thanks to a successful harvest which our season is earlier then the American's thus October instead of November.   The American's celebrate the piligrams arriving into the New World.   Canadian's seem to took on the celebration like the Natives did when they arrived here.   Natives celebrated their harvest success sharing food.   Thus the holiday was born. 

Birthday Girl

Ciara turned 9 yesterday.    My Thanksgiving baby.    8 screaming little girls for 3 hours and a very shell shocked 3 year old boy!!    She had a great time and spoiled rotten.    So must finish cleaning up and start making pumpkin pies for Sunday's Thanksgiving feast here in Canada.  

Motherhood

So I was reading a blog that a girl from high school I knew is co writer with another writer, for Chatelaine.   www.chatelaine.com/en/blog/happiness_plan
One of the blog posts was Childless by Choice.    Now what struck me in the article.  (because this isn't me going off about how could people not choose to have children)   A part in the article hit with me personally in how I am dealing with motherhood.    "Having children might even make you less happy then remaining childless"
Until about a month ago I was not loving parenting.   I was angry and upset with hubby and kids quite a bit.    I could relate to that saying.  But then something happened a month ago , maybe it was the fact that I'm going deeper into what I need out of life and discovering that side of me,  working out at the gym and taking control of that body that went a little south after kids,  or  just having a day totally doing photography at a slow pace which I was craving but not getting the chance to.  I can't put my finger on it  I woke up not angry with the hubby and kids daily.   I started taking time to take photos when I wanted to not when someone could mind them.    I was seeing changes in the gym.   I was looking at mothers running all over the place and not just smelling the roses so to speak and was happy with the choices I had made.   Don't get me wrong I do freak out with the kids still when there is ice cream left all over the floors and cabinets.   It's just that occasionally all three of them with go off and play together for hours and not need parenting .     So for me.   That article was mind opening because "Choice"  we all get to choice how to live, love and just be.   Why do we judge and not be content with the choices we made.   I don't know but right now I am content and happy with the choice I made and it has been a long time coming.

Are these little boys plotting?

I would so like my little redheaded Aidan to join this group.   The trouble they would all get into.  I do think they plot against me when they get together to play.   Though sometimes the plotting is for food!

Sunlight

I've been looking at other peoples photos with this lovely sun in the late afternoon.   So I was trying to get some of that same feel.   The girls were my models.   Though Ciara more of a forced model only if I showed her my jewelery after. 

More Fall

Owen's Adventures at School

Some more sneak peaks at Owen's morning preschool adventures.    It's only 2 hours but he has a lot of fun and mommy has great fun going for a walk with some really neat other mom's.    (yes and I know it's suppose to be 5 little turkey's but I think he ran out of room.   He's only 3!!!)

I spy with my little eye.... cows, cows everywhere.

Seems that all the ranchers are letting their cows out to pasture in the areas I'm exploring lately.    Owen would much rather be at their height.   So he tends to stay in the car with the windows down while they come up to look at him.