Moving day to the new bigger house is the day after tomorrow.  I am so not ready.  SO. NOT. READY.  However in my defence, every time I attempt to start packing I usually hear, “What’s THIS?” which would require me to stop what I was doing and go and see what article “THIS” was.  And then of course I would have to make a decision about it’s stay of execution or it’s demise.

This is a long process.  And contrary to popular belief I have been purging.  Four people gather a lot of things over time.  Even with selective keepsakes.  Add in what Nana brought when she moved in, that’s a lot of stuff!

BUT! the new house is bigger, has a larger back yard, and best of all … a bedroom for each with no ensuite laundry!

Okay.  Back to packing.

this has been circulating Facebook as a status update and it stood out to me because I find it very appropriate not only my life, but in many of those around me!

I have no idea who the original author is and I’m not purporting to claim as my own in any other way than a motto for my life.

An old man once said,”There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and the people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Forget the bad, and focus on the good. Love the people who treat you right, pray for the one’s who don’t. Life is too short to be anything but happy. Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living.”…

we went for a bike ride on the Little Elbow Trail in Kananaskis Country.  It was epic!  I can’t recall why OLC wasn’t with us.  This was HWWM and WBC first try at anything close to real mountain biking.  They both did quite well going for 5k in and the same 5k out over rocky ground, up and down hills and of course through puddles!  Wee Blonde Child took one heck of an A over T after hitting a large rock in the middle of a big mud puddle while trying to avoid colliding with me.  It was actually really funny to see, and as wipe outs go, it was really spectacular! Too bad the only audience to be had was Winsome01, me and her brother.  It was one of those times I wished I had a camera mounted on my helmet.

Here are some picrtures during one of our water/rest breaks.

The girls came home from camp today and while one might think, “well there goes the peace and quiet!”  Actually I’m pretty sure that peace and quiet descended upon the house with their return!  I am really certain that Healthy Weighty Wee Man made enough noise for all three children all week long. 

Would you believe that at one time I was concerned that he would never talk?  When HWWM started talking his voice was very soft and very VERY quiet! And all too often Wee Blonde Child would speak for him.  Even when she was not in the same room!  I didn’t seek any professional help, I did wait to see how things would progress as each child grew and started doing things separate from each other would Healthy Weighty Wee Man find a voice? 

Yep.  He found it alright!  Now there are times I can’t get him to stop talking!  Like this past week!  If he wasn’t talking non stop, HWWM was underfoot and in to everything.  The latter I am going to relate to the fact that HWWM is the youngest of three, very active, very vocal children.  Even before he was born there was always someone there, making noise, talking to him and at times even hugging him as best a nearly four year old can to a baby still in utero!

Now all three are home and quiet has descended up on the house … finally!

everytime I have something to do downtown and I have to take a child or children I plot to go splash in Olympic Plaza … and each time it’s … EMPTY!

While I’m sure not to be confused with Ernest goes to Camp, this year both Oldest Large Child and Wee Blonde Child go to camp for a week!  Nana and Healthy Weighty Wee Man were planning to go to Edmonton, but now we are moving, they are staying home to pack the house …. well Nana is HWWM will no doubt get in the way …

It’s bittersweet taking them out to camp, in so many ways they are still my babies, but both are growing in to beautiful young women.  Too soon for my liking!

the sunset view from our hotel room

our hotel from the plane … because I forgot to get a picture out front … Oldest Large Child asked for this picture!

the clowns at the begining of “O”.  If you ever go to Vegas go see “O” simply amazing and breath taking! 

In the Bellagio Hotel where we saw Cirque du Soleil “O” … this place was simply awesome! I really was nervous the murano glass light fixtures would fall on my head when we walked under them!

Now the ironically funny part of the trip.  When arriving in Calgary on our way home, I wrote on my customs card that I spent $200 US dollars.  I was in the US for four days and while that’s not an unrealistic amount, it was pretty much my whole amount.  It included food, taxi’s, shoes, gifts, etc.  As I am about 10 feet away from the doors at the last check point, I think it’s all good and I am not going to be stopped on my way out. Winsome01 was the person ahead of me and he isn’t  being stopped, so it’s all good right?  As Winsome01 is about to enter the airport proper, I get pulled aside.  Before I can get his attention to say I have to go get searched, W01 is through the doors!  I go over to the area where I am instructed and an officer comes out and asks me about the money I spent.  I tell him I declared all the money I spent, in an effort to be very honest and it wasn’t only spent on gifts or things, but consumables.  Then I’m asked about my camera … my “good” camera.  With the very nice camera bag.  And two lenses.

Now about my “good” camera … this is the last gift I ever received from my exhusband.  My marriage may have ended in disaster, but this last gift has been well cared for and put to good use.  I could not have gotten the pictures I have of the monsters playing soccer with out this camera.  And if there is anything I can do most for my exhusband is make sure I get great pictures of his children for him.  There are times I am afraid to take it out and more often I think I should get a different strap for it.  One that wraps around wrist so I’m less likely to drop it (which I’m deathly afraid of!) if such a thing exists.  Anyhow.  I happen to know that the camera and all it came with was very expensive.  More than I could ever afford or justify paying for a camera, a zoom lens, a tripod (which wasn’t with me this time) and a Lowepro camera bag.  And because of this, it still looks brand new!  Which is what caught the atention of the Customs officer when I declared only spending $200 in Las Vegas.  However, what saved my tookas … I had pictures still on the memory card of my kids playing soccer … in the rain.  So after having my luggage rummaged through … the officer seemed accepting of the fact that I wasn’t trying to smuggle something or get out of paying duty on the camera. Within 20 minutes I was on my way out in to the airport proper to find the waiting Winsome01 so we could head home! 

Now I have a customs declaration card for the camera tucked in the camera bag … just in case I feel the need to cross the border again!

Bits of the Strip by day …

and by night …

We went looking for a bust of Elvis for a friend of Winsome01′s … we did find this.  Although we left that in Vegas.  Somehow I think clearing customs would be a bit difficult with that in our luggage!

You know what “they say” …. what happens in Vegas …. well I’m not the wild type so I can tell you about it!  Thanks to the generosity of Winsome01, I’m in Vegas!  It is … over stimulating and overwhelming!  Last night we went to see Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles tribute Love.  It was excellent and awe inspiring and … and … thought inducing … how does someone have that in his head and how do you make it come out and happen!

Just the place I want to get married … between a tchotchke gift shop and a Pizza Hut!

Anyhow, today also meant I got to hang out for a few hours with a long lost friend from school.  Lisa now lives in Las Vegas and knowing the area we grew up in, I’m sure the webbing in her toes is receeding as Vegas is so lovely hot and DRY!   It was wonderful to sit and have a good chin wag.  I just wished we had more time and can’t wait to go back again and have another visit!  I’ve seen it said and now have truly experienced it, 20 seconds or 20 years, friendship knows no time boundries!

Today marks the start of the 73rd year of my father’s life.  And I’m sure I should get him to write a post about his life and the changes he has witnessed happen in the world about him.  I stop and marvel at times what the worls was like when my dad arrived.  How simple it was.  My dad was raised in a rural village in south central British Columbia on the family farm.  And to my knowledge the family farm still exists, one of my grandfathers brothers was the last owner and as far as I know, it has been handed down that branch of the famly tree.  However I digress.

Life was admittedly much much simpler 73 years ago, and yet society still evolved.  My dad has lived a great life, he lived all over Canada, in Europe, helped raise five children and served his country by joining the military during a time of relative peace in the world.  Dad taught me to use my hands, to build things, create, to cut wood, drive a tractor, to enjoy the serenity of the world around me.

Happy Birthday Dad. 

Here’s to another well lived 73 years.

Tee Pee tenting ….

Okay, so the Monsters and I went to family camp for the weekend and the most amazing part is that I didn’t kill anyone!  Yep we all came back alive and in one piece.

Now down side of the weekend was that I will not be asking a particular babysitter back.  This weekend was a busy one for everyone in our house.  Nana went to Wilkie, Saskatchewan for the weekend and the Monsters and I went to family camp at Our Lady Queen of Peace Ranch just outside of Bragg Creek, AB. Nana left on Thursday afternoon, which required me to get a babysitter for Thursday evening and as I took a shift at another store to help out the manager, whom I knew, I needed a babysitter for first thing Friday morning too.  Sadly when arriving home mid Friday afternoon, I was greeted with, “Mummy, (Healthy Weighty Wee Man) threw up!”  Apparently he happened to vomit all over the living room floor Friday morning.  Not only did the Babysitter NOT call me at work to let me know this, she also made a sick, FIVE YEAR OLD BOY clean it up.  It’s not an easy thing to have to say that I will not be asking her to come again ~ EVER.  I can’t convey the amount of disappointment I feel in finding out what was happening in my home while I was at work.  I wasn’t even given the courtesy of a phone call to ask if I could or would come home.

So Friday mid afternoon, I arrive home and still have to get ready for a weekend of camping.  While not all that hard, I was fighting exhaustion.  Remember, I forgot I am not Wonder Woman, and committed to working an extra shift? An eight hour shift.  Starting at 6am.  After working a five hour closing shift.  That means I had to be up by 5am to be awake enough to drive safely to a store that was not mine and therefore not close to me.  So pardon me if I said I was just a bit tired.  I still had to pack our clothes, gather up everything we needed, everything the dog needed to spend the weekend at Winsome01’s, load it all in the van and get on the road.  Oh did I mention it was Friday?  OH! And it was also the first day of Stampede?  Yeah … traffic sucked.  As I was getting ready to leave, W01 texted me inquiring about an ETA …. I wanted to tell him not so nicely where to go.  Did I say I was tired?  Sleep deprived even?   One of those can make me … irritable.  Both together equals down right cranky!  Okay so we get on the road.  About an hour later than I wanted.  But all things considering, I think even that is a feat!

Now the one thing I haven’t mentioned … the weather.  In the city ofCalgaryduring the day and while we were in the city limits, it was a pretty good day!  The sun was shining, gloriously dry and very warm, and it was breezy.  Not windy, but a very present breeze.  It was nice.  As I leave the city and head west to our destination, the breeze picks up and is a light wind, at times gusting to a heavy wind.  I really didn’t think much of this I was focused on trying to get to camp … an hour late.  While trying to get the dog to Winsome01’s, and us to camp, I’m also trying to ascertain whether Healthy Weighty Wee Man is going to vomit again.  He was saying he wasn’t, and would then follow that with, “Mummy, my tummy hurts.”  About 10 minutes out from camp came the dreaded words ….  “Mmmmmuummmmeeeeeeee …. I’m gonna be sick!”  And me without a plastic bag in the car … good thing I had stopped at Wendy’s for supper, and we had at least a paper bag in the car.  I get pulled over and am really in a quandary about what to do.  Do I go on to camp and stay the weekend potentially making all the staff and other families sick, or do I turn around and go home.  After sitting for a few minutes, and HWWM does not get sick, we go on to camp.  In hindsight I think Healthy Weighty Wee Man was trying so very hard not to be sick at that point because he wanted to go camping so very much. 

Once we were at camp, we get parked and I get the Monsters out of the van and head in to the dining hall to check in (Praise God for all mercies big and small! We were not the only family late!), on the way down the path to the dining hall ….. Healthy Weighty Wee Man tossed his cookies.  The area beside the path was tall with wild grasses, and HWWM was pushed/told to run in to them so he could be sick. (and therefore I did not have to worry about cleaning it up!)  Thankfully I was up wind from HWWM as I don’t do vomit well.

After Healthy Weighty Wee Man finished being sick, we went in to the check in and I said that HWWM had just been sick so we would not stay.  The director of the camp, a lovely plump, matronly type woman said to stay and if Healthy Weighty Wee Man didn’t come around and was sick again, we could go home in the morning.  So we stayed.

While the night was uneventful with Healthy Weighty Wee Man, or either Oldest Large Child or Wee Blonde Child not getting sick no one in camp got much sleep.  Remember that wind I mentioned earlier? It was so strong and gusted so hard at times I thought the teepee was going to come down on us in the night.  Even with the sun rise, the wind was still very strong, although not as strong as the entire night before.  Because of the strong winds, there was no boating of any kind for the day, which the monsters were not really impressed about, but seeing as they don’t know how to swim yet … I wasn’t too concerned about not getting in a canoe or on the pontoon boat for a spin about the lake.

the first morning at camp good thing the wind lept me awake so I kept the fire stoked all night! Look at how Wee Blonde Child slept!

One thing that did make the weekend memorable for me was Healthy Weighty Wee Man’s reaction to his first trail ride on a horse.  If you recall last year, HWWM was put up on a horse and walked around the paddock for a few minutes, as he was too young to go on a lead trail ride.  This year, all three were on the trail ride although the horse was lead by a wrangler or parent and the monsters had no control over the horses they were on.  All three of my monsters were one of the first to be mounted on their horses and had to wait for the rest of the group to ready themselves.  While waiting, Healthy Weighty Wee Man started to get nervous about being up to high.  I knew that once he was moving he would enjoy the ride so in my trying to convince him, I asked him to be patient.  One of the wranglers heard us talking and helped distract HWWM from his nervousness.  They pinky swore (which holds really huge meaning with HWWM!) that he would stay on the horse and of he still didn’t like it once we got moving, he could come back to the paddock and get off the horse.  Yeah that didn’t happen.

the trail ride.  really the is a smile on Healthy Weighty Wee Man’s face!

HE LOVED IT!  Once we got moving, Healthy Weighty Wee Man loved the horse back ride!  In fact he wanted to keep going when the ride was done.  However, as sharp as a tack just out of the package, HWWM figured out how to get more horse time in by helping the wranglers feed and water the horses that were still tethered.  Of course not to be bested, his sisters got in on  the action!

helping the wranglers feed and water the tethered horses!

The rest of the day was filled with a tractor trailer ride, hanging about camp, snack times and the Saturday evening BBQ and finally the marshmallow roast all followed by an impromptu game of kick the can for the Monsters with the on hand camp counsellors.  Even with the wind calming down, it was still quite cool and the lack of sleep the night before didn’t help the excitability of the Monsters although once we were back in the tee pee for the evening, with jammies on and a fire started, they all miraculously fell asleep rather quickly!

don’t let the pictures fool you … they were back to killing each other a few minutes later!

Sunday morning was wake up, pack up, breakfast and home time.  Sadly it was an excellent morning, with no wind, warm sun and blue skies stretching for miles!  All the more reason to head home and to our beloved Lake Sundance!  After collecting the dog from Winsome01’s