Changing of the Guard

This is tough. Our beloved caregiver of 2.5 years, Caeli, has decided that for various personal reasons, she needs to move on from childcare with our family, and childcare in general. Our family will look a little different when 2017 starts and she will be missed but held forever in our hearts...

Caeli's last day with the kids

MOMENT: Unfond Farewell

December was a hard month overall. Tom was out of town for work and Caeli appreciated any recpite she could get, so I missed a lot of work. Alysse, a former student teacher from my work, had been pinch-hitting one afternoon a week with Keva since the fall because Caeli had requested working four days instead of five. She was also stepping up to help fill the blanks where she could. Turns out, she will also need to move on in the new year as well. Things are a bit upside down, but we will surely surface at some point, but will no-doubt miss these two wonderful women in our family. A genuine thank you for all they did to enhance the fun, character, and crazy of our family...

Keva & Alysse playing doctor in the backseat

Fort building with Alysse

Cooking with Alysse...

...and playing with her dog, Fritz!

A play at Allan Gardens inside...

...and outside... 

...whee!

Guest? No, Grandpa!

Sometimes we hang with Grandpa at his apartment. Sometimes he hangs with us at our place. No one is ever really a guest, but it is still so much more fun than not hanging out at all...

MOMENT: Grandpa Guest

The kids really benefit from having a grandparent nearby, even if it is only part time. They clearly enjoy it... and I think he does too!

Swimming in the Swimming Pool

We tried a different approach to swimming lessons this year, skipped out of City lessons and opted into Jack of Sports...

Swimming Siblings

Warm up & rest stop with Mommy

MOMENT: Double Lessons

There's no doubt that the water in that pool was cold. The kids braved the temperature and kept warm by moving. They do love swimming, swimming in the swimming pool...

Know What?

This sometimes just comes out of nowhere and, it's the best...

Keva: "Know what Mom/Dad?"
Mom/Dad: "What Keva?"
Keva: "I love you"

Mom/Dad: "Know what Keva?"
Keva: "What?"
Mom/Dad: "I love you"

Such a sweet soul with a loving heart...

Book lover 

Adventurer

Baby Carer

Scooter Seeker 

Bat Swinger

All-around Great Kid

Pit and Cherry

It's a lovely family tradition we started a number of years ago around the dinner table. Everyone shares the "pit" - the unfortunate part or bummer of their day, and their "cherry" - the fortunate or awesome part of their day. Keva can now participate with us too...



MOMENT: Pits of all and pits of baths

Awhile back, we had a family dinner that included both Auntie Colleen and Grandpa Mike. Keva had become interested in Pit and Cherry, so encouraged us all to do it. All of the adults included enjoying the meal together as their cherry for the day. For a solid month or two after, even amid moments of tension with Tavish that would certainly have qualified as a "pit", Keva would report...

Pit: "ummm, I don't think I had a pit today"
Cherry: "my cherry is this lovely dinner with my family"

Not original, but genuine - or at least we would like to believe...

For the past 2-3 Wednesdays (swimming lesson night), Keva's reply has been this ...

Pit: "I don't think I had a pit today"  (pause) "can I have a bath tonight?"
Parents: "not tonight, we just had a shower after swimming"
Keva: "aw! that's my pit!"

Partying with the Fellas

Keva received her first birthday party invitation from someone we don't know as a family. A boy from her class, Haris, also in JK, invited Keva to his birthday party at his house. I went along and was tickled to see that she was the only girl invited... Aw.

Crafting with the Crew 

Crowding around the Cake

Yum, Cake.

Keva and the boys celebrate Haris.

Bedtime Games

This is Tom's story, it's a chuckle and worth a share...

MOMENT: Lengthening Bedtime

Every now and then, Keva tries to extend bedtime with needing to go the washroom or, most commonly by calling out "I need to tell you something!" or "I just need to tell you one more thing!" Tom's favourite so far (the sucker fell for it too):

Keva: "Dadddddyyyy!"
Tom: "what is it Keva?"
Keva: "ummmm"
Tom: (waiting impatiently)
Keva: "ummmm"
Tom: (shifting his weight, dreaming of putting his feet up)
Keva: "what's 1+1?"
Tom: "2"
Keva: "That's right!! Good night, Daddy"