Happiness is...

...sharing your iPod with someone you love. 

Childhood just isn't what it used to be.

Katya broke her leg jumping on the trampoline on Friday. She was just jumping when someone else bounced close to her, and it sort of jerked her body, then she fell down and the leg was broken. I didn't figure out until the next day that she had anything more than a sprained knee. But when we took her into the ER, she has a break close to the knee right across the tibia. The cast goes up past her knee, and she most likely won't be able to walk on it for about 6 weeks. She's a smart little cookie though, and as quickly figured out that we'll bring most anything she asks for. So she's gone from asking for milk and blankie to asking for cake, chocolate, iPod, and earrings. (She doesn't have pierced ears....yet.) She has also quickly learned to crawl with one knee and drag her other leg behind her. So yesterday she was determined to go to the neighbour's to play. Since we leave our doors open all the time at this time of year, she snuck out quickly, and I found her nearly to the edge of our yard, on her way over. I can only imagine what it looks like to the neighbours to see a crippled little girl on her hands and knee dragging her cast through the dirt and grass so she can go play with friends. Needless to say, I saved her from herself pretty quickly. She's a determined little thing!

Father's Day with loads of photos

I don't write much about Vlad. The kids usually trump him in antics and blogging material. But this is Father's Day, and he so greatly deserves his own post. Vlad is the backbone of our family. Our stability, our voice of reason, our quiet in the storm. I am so blessed to be able to call him "husband" to me and "father" to my children. He is the man that our children adore, and want to emulate. It's Daddy's lap that is the coveted real estate at the dinner table, and the chairs next to Daddy that are taken first. I think Vlad is the only man in the neighborhood that occasionally has a child running behind his car as he leaves for work, shouting and waving "goodbye" and yelling for just one more hug and kiss before he heads off. His understanding of our children, of parenting, and instruction through example and experience exceeds my own. Every day he lets us know we are loved through word and deed. In all, he's an extraordinary human being, and so it's only fitting that we had a great day of celebration on Father's Day. 

The kids and I had a great surprise planned. We were going to steal Daddy away and take him for a day at the beach. (Lake Winnipeg is north of here, as well as Bird's Hill Provincial Park). We all know how much Daddy loves the beach! Mommy loves the beach too, as long as there is grass and not too much sand. The kids haven't had a chance to swim outside yet this year, so it was an all-around winning idea! Vlad started making other plans in the meantime, so we sort of had to adjust the "surprise" part of our plan, but other than that, it was a go! 

In general, Vlad likes steak. You could give him ONLY steak for a meal, and he'd be happy. (Well, he might want to gnaw on a lettuce leaf too). So steaks were on the menu! We spent the morning working on a new mosaic countertop for our bathroom, getting some good interactive project time together, and then headed off mid-afternoon for some time at the nearby provincial park. Half of Winnipeg had the same idea, but we did manage to find a picnic area that was open. The previous fire was still smoking, and the embers were so hot that our own wood caught fire within about 30 seconds of putting it on! How about that?! I can now say that I once made a fire without matches! 

   

Since Vlad has a penchant for grilling and steak, it was only fitting that I make a Father's Day cake that reflect his preferences. (I get no credit for this idea - it was on the cover of a magazine at the checkout stand). The kids were SO excited about this cake, it was an effort to keep little hands away. I pacified them by giving them leftovers. Then we finally ate it last night before bed. :) 

 Anyway, back to the cookout. You can see the kids were so excited to swim, that they wore their lifejackets the whole time. I'm not even sure why Collin had a lifejacket on, because he could swim last summer already, and has been in swimming lessons all year. I think he was just so excited he forgot it wasn't needed anymore. :) And, yes, I do realize that my kids are without shirts in about half the photos that I take. I don't know why, but evidently it's not something that bothers anyone around here, because we never notice until someone else mentions it.
This is a sight I always love to see: Vlad with his boys, playing with fire....and raw meat.

 Our cookout location was overlooking my favorite meadow in Bird's Hill. Spencer decided to go running "through the prairie."

 Claire, at the edge of the prairie, evidently scared off by Collin's warning that she'd get eaten by a bear in the prairie.

 Spencer, playing cheetah. Still, I think it's a cool photo.

 This is how we roll.... Swagger Wagon and all. We're the only people that drove through the ditch and parked next to our tables. Not sure it was legal, but very convenient.

 Spencer ate quickly and then got bored, so he decided to start a water bottle. fight.

Collin got wet, and then decided to "arrest" Spencer with the cowboy rope they've been carrying around lately.

Life is good, especially when you're getting away with stealing your brother's cowboy hat. :) 

Next we went over to the beach. 

Always the life of the party!

Little Princess

Katya was very unsure about the water for a while, until she realized that it was fun, warm, and shallow. Then she stopped clinging, and I eventually had to wade out to about a foot of water and get my jeans all wet to save her from herself. :)  

I'd say she was having fun, wouldn't you? 

Little toes, first dip in the wild waters of a man-made lake. 

 The girlies having fun together. I turned around for a second, then turned back and realized that Katya had decided to sit in the waist-deep water and enjoy the waves. :)

I think this is such a funny shot! Katya grew two more legs! Actually, it's Claire who rolled backward at just the right moment, and Katya is blocking the view of her body. :) Never a dull moment!  

Collin playing with the volleyball. 

Ahh....refreshing! 

Nice perch!

Vlad, with all his kiddos, enjoying the water. 

Katya adoring her Daddy. 

Daddy adoring his Katya. 

 These two dudes are always having a good time together, despite the occasional bickering. 

A super-crop of Vlad at the back of the lake, throwing Spencer and Collin through the air, with spectators. This is their favorite thing to do in the water with Daddy. 

Daddy with his kids, Father's Day 2011. 

We love you always, Honey! Thanks for being such a great dad, friend, teacher, husband, and example. XOXO

Perfect Moment

Katya comes into the kitchen, carrying toys from her trek outside in the yard. "Mommy, I miwt."
"You want milk?"
"Yep."
I give her milk in a sippy cup.
"Mommy, I seepy."
"You're sleepy?"
"Yep."
"Okay, let's go to bed!" She takes off her shoes and climbs the stairs. I put her in bed and cover her with a blanket. "Good night!"
"'Night."
I walk out and close the door behind me.

Score!

Field Trips in June

Well, school this year is winding down to a close. We have only a few weeks to go. The boys have both finished their penmanship books, Spencer is feverishly working through his Grammar workbook which he started mid-year, and counting the pages (12 more!) until he is finished with his math workbook. I am incredibly proud of both of them. They have both come such a long way this year. Collin went from having me convinced that he had a learning disability and would never learn his numbers and letters, to being able to do some simple dictation (me telling him the word, and him sounding it out and writing it in his notebook) and doing early addition. Spencer has moved on to multiplying three and four-digit numbers, and is astoundingly meticulous and analytical at times. There is no doubt about it: we've  had some really rough days in this schoolyear, but we've also had a lot of fun. We've watched more documentaries than most people watch in their lifetime, and both of my boys will now sit through an educational video/DVD with as much rapt attention as they will a cartoon - if nothing else, that is a fantastic feat! We continue in our regular curriculum, and have 1.5 more units to finish before we call it summer break. Our current unit is on money. What better field trip to take than to the mint that is only 20 minutes from our house? That's where we went on Tuesday. We took a tour, saw the machines and the coining process, and in general had an interesting time, despite Spencer running up the down escalator and bruising his knee bone on the escalator stair pokes. 

This is the mint.

These are the flags of all the countries that they have made coins for.

This is some sort of cool token machine that stamps blank coins in the same way they are stamped to make money. 

This is a cool balance. 

 But what's the most fun thing in the mint? Running around the super-cool lobby, of course!

 Oh, and hanging off the handrails in the courtyard outside! Claire is going all California-bleached-blonde on me, and I think she's drop dead gorgeous this summer!

The home school group was taking a big field trip to MorningSound Farm today. We signed up ages ago when we were doing a unit on animal life. It was a long-awaited day, especially for one little animal lover whose name starts with a "C' and ends with an "ollin". 

 The girls enjoying themselves in the petting barn. I love how Katya is holding on to her stuffed kitty, and Claire is petting the real kitty. They are becoming such little buddies. I love to see their relationship unfold.

What can you say? These little pigs are....well....pigs. 

Collin in the height of his glory holding the most adorable kitties.

 Claire wasn't too sure she liked it. They had claws.

 Collin holding a perfect yellow fluffy baby chick. This kid has no fear of animals.

 This kid has no fear of people. The cowboy hat was purchased yesterday, with no connection to the upcoming Farm Day. He just likes it. Everywhere he goes, he has a faithful following of other boys within about 10 minutes. Today was no different.

 Katya trying to figure out if she likes the goat. She didn't.

 Hay rack rides to the cow pasture.

 Pony rides for my little cowgirl.

 Such a thrill!!