Simon is always thinking. He says some funny things as well as profound statements. Today, I was vacuuming & out of the blue, he asked me who would look after him if we died before he got big. It brought me tears to eyes. I told him to ask Jesus to not let Mommy or Daddy die before he grows up.

What a precious boy!!

Soccer

Micah had a soccer tournament on Saturday & he really enjoyed his day. He has really improved in the last year and he gets right in there. He got 2 out of the 3 goals scored that day. He tried hard but didn't get any goals in the last 3 games & neither did anyone else. He was just as happy when they lost as when they won.

Micah, one of the smallest on the team but one of the oldest.
Good job Micah!!!

It's That Time of Year

It is spring but you would not not it if you stepped outside our door. I think we got more snow last night then we have had all in one snowfall all winter. I have to admit that the trees do look nice but I am ready for some spring weather. With spring comes spring cleaning. My goal is to do one room a week. I am working on the kitchen today. I have cleaned out all the cupboards & drawers and now I'll "Murphy" the cabinets. When I was cleaning, I found this little clipping that I had on my fridge for a while & thought I would share it:

"When I'm busy around the house, I'll stop for my children to share a discovery, thought, or art. I will look at them in the eye and listen. Tasks will get accomplished, my family will be happier, and so will I"

I have to admit that I don't always do this(that is why I had it on my fridge to remind me). I have to remind myself that when my children grow up, they won't say, "I'm glad Mom always cleaned the house" but they will say "I am glad Mom spent time with us"

Back to cleaning after I stop and give my children a hug.

Lots of Snuggle Time

Poor Calleigh has had a rough week. It started one week ago. She had a fever for 5 days and was having tylenol every 4 hours to keep it down. Other than the fever she had no other symptoms so I thought she could be teething. Then on Wednesday she had cold symptoms and still does. She has wanted to be held all week & not set down. I finally took her to emerg yesterday morning. While we were in the waiting room, I kept thinking, 'this is a waste of time. She is fine'. She was acting more like herself until---------the Dr came to check her or shortly before. She was screaming her head off, literally. She was pulling my hair, scratching & slapping my face & saying, "ou-ee, ou-ee". The Dr checked her ears, chest, throat, and tummy then did a urine sample. Everything seems fine except a bit of a reddened throat. By the time we were done with the Dr, I was bawling. I went over to work & told them I wouldn't be at work. Today I was able to get the 1st 4 hours off to stay home with Calleigh. I am going to keep the kids away from Tina's until April - that way both our kids & their's can get healthy again, I hope. I think they keep passing it back & forth.

It had been awhile since we saw little Jaken. He is 5 months today and weighs approx 14 lbs. Calleigh loved him to pieces & kept saying, "Hi Jaken", "What you doing Jaken?" "I love you Jaken". He had big smiles for her. I didn't capture his smile on camera though. Simon sat so patiently on the couch waiting to hold Jake.(with roller skates on) He wore those skates the whole time we were there.

Siblings

Simon & Calleigh wanted to try the wig on too.

I love this picture of her.

Do they look alike?

Wild Hair Night

It was wild hair night at Awana so here is Micah's wild hair. It is pretty hard to do anything with his short hair so we borrowed someobne else's.

Here is Micah after Awana with his bucks from that night. He didn't wear this one but just put it on for a picture.

Bowling With Friends

We rarely ever go bowling and we promised the boys that we would take them sometime.

Simon put on his bowling shoe and said "this shoe folds my foot up", that was his way of saying it was too small. He really enjoyed bowling and would stand like he is in the picture and watch the ball, even if it was in the gutter.

Mommy, Calleigh, Marie.

Calleigh lost interest about half way through but still had fun watching everyone else.

Micah's action shot:

Edmund, Richard, Bryan,

Simon, Beatrice

Bryan was proud of this action shot he took so I thought I'd add it too. The picture of Sharon was a behind shot so I didn't post it.

Healthy Meals

Week 6 of Fitness Spree Challenge - I have to say that I am really struggling right now but here it what the challenge says:

By week 6 you are well on your way to a healthier lifestyle. This week's challenge is to eat 3 healthy meals that meet the Canada Food Guide.

Look for wholesome, low fat recipes for breakfast, lunch & supper.

It is important to control the portions of food you eat.

Browse for your belly - Mix up your meals & have fun cooking them. Look for recipes with low fat & heart healthy dishes.

Calleigh at 21 Months

Calleigh really likes to watch shows especially "Dora the Explorer" & "The Wiggles" and now when she watches downstairs she has to have Kenny sitting beside her. Kenny was my cabbage patch doll when I was a child.

Calleigh is a little sweetheart & now likes to say, "I love you Mommy"(or Daddy, Micah, Simon) She is a socail bug & is so friendly to everyone. She likes going to "Tina's" when I go to work & she says all of the K's first names & the newest one is "Dougie"

She has started to count to 20 but misses a few in between.

She tells us when she fills her diaper & has been doing this alomost a year but has absolutely no interest in the potty. When we mention the potty, she says, "no way potty" I might have to buy her a new Dora one & see if that will work.

I love you, Calleigh.

Cut The Fat

I am far behind on this. It is actually week 6 & I am just posting week 5.(I didn't have Jen keeping me up to date)

Week 5 of the Fitness Spree Challenge is "Cut The Fat"

It says, on week 5 it is time to watch what you eat. Plan ways to cut down on the amount of fat in your diet. Develop a list of 5 ways to cut down fat consumption.

It's All About Choices!!

This is an excellent time to start reading labels on the food you buy & judging which ones you can live without.

The Treat Test

Ask yourself 3 questions before reaching for a tempting treat:

1. Is this choice in keeping with my personal goals? (will a 2nd piece help me attain a healthier, fitter lifestyle?)

2. Will I feel good about this particular choice tomorrow?

3. Can I satisfy a strong craving with a smaller portion?

Remember to continue exercising, drinking water, taking me time and eating fruits & veggies.

I have not done so well this past week so tomorrow is a new day.

Motivational Magic

We attended a special assembly at the school the other day. There was a presentation by Steve Harmer & Motivational Magic. Steve is a former teacher and school principal. He is a member of Fellowship of Christian Magicians & has directed summer bible camps. He put on a great show with a great message. We are so glad we went.

The title of the show is "Don't Laugh At Me" respect Show.

He did numerous tricks & each one had a message to learn. Look at the picture below to see all the road signs of respect.

Are You a Follower?

If you are reading this right now, please sign up to be a follower. Click on the sidebar. Don't be shy, I know that some of you like to be blog-stalkers but please drop a comment once in awhile to let me know you are there.

A Healthier Me

It all started with "Fit for 30", an email from Jen. She encouraged us(Laurie, Jen & I) to all work together at eating healthier and exercising.

For last couple of months I have been trying to make healthier choices for my life as well as my family's. A couple changes that I made were to eat veggies or fruit at every meal. We are still working on this(I should say they are, I have been doing it) The other is juice. We used to always have juice in our fridge & at meals. I only offer water or milk now. And when they do have juice it is 100% fruit juice or fruit/veggie blend.

As for me, how am I doing with the Fitness Spree Challenge?

1. Exercise - I have been going to Mom's aerobics class(G'masizes, as Calleigh calls it) 3x a week. I thought i would try one class and see how it went & I felt so good after that I have continued. It really is a workout. There are times when I feel like staying home or when I feel like "what is the use?"(especially when I don't seem to be losing weight) But i keep telling myself that "exercise is medicine" and even if I am not seeing the results on the scale yet, I know that it is making a healthier me & my heart thanks me.

2. Water - this is a tough one for me. I have never liked the taste of water & I would go days without even drinking any(except in juice). I have really been trying to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day. Some days I do better than others. It is easy at work because I can fill my water bottle with ice. I love ice water.

3. Me Time - as a Mom it is hard to have me time but I consider the computer my me time as well as sitting down to watch the Doctors or reading, even if I have my kids right there with me. (I am planning a whole day of me time this Saturday - scrapbooking)

4. Fruits & Veggies - I really try ot eat fruits & veggies at every meal & for snacks. Baby carrots are just like candy to me. So I'd say that I am doing the best on this one.

I just wanted to share my challenges, goals, and successions with you so you can keep me accountable. Join me in living healthy in 2009.

Week 4

This is the week to clear your plate. make sure you eat your fruits & veggies! Canada Food Guide recommends you eat 5 - 10 serving of fruit & vegetables every day.

Five Reasons for Five Servings:
- May help prevent up tp 20% of all cancers
- Low calories and high fibre helps keep you trim
- Vitamin C protects your eyes against disease
- their effect on blood sugar may help you dodge diabetes
- they are often enough to satisfy your sweet tooth

Are you continuing with:
-exercise?
-drinking your water?
- me time?