another set of three

Michael and a bear, Exploration Place


Kyle posing for me at Heritage Garden, he is such a good sport


Kyle and my mom with the golden retriever puppies - my mom is getting two puppies next week


Kyle in the mouth of a t-rex, Exploration Place... very cool

more pics

Fuzzy purple flower from Heritage Garden in West Fraser Timber Park


Derrel, Jenni, Rolo, Kyle and Michael at the Heritage Park a couple weekends ago



Kyle and the bears at Exploration Place, PG

quiz

What is this?

more pics

Ok - I have a tonne more photos but blogger isn't letting me load tonight - ARG! I will try and load more photos tomorrow. Watch for a new photo quiz... I think I have a stumper!

If you can't wait to see the photos that I was going to load - click on the flickr photos that are always changing and you can see them there. At least flickr is working tonight. :)

pics

A beautiful bloom from the heritage garden in West Fraser Timber Park


Michael and Kyle on their first bike ride together (Michael's first ride ever)


just a creepy train photo... taken at exploration place

compliments

I know blogs are more about complaining than compliments but I have to pay one. We went on our monthly adventure to Prince George and I talked Andy into going to Exploration Place to try something new with Kyle. It is like a mini-Science world for the northerns. It was a hoot. They have a small dinosaur display, a kids play area and then an older kids discovery area. We spent two hours there and ended up buying a membership. Then we found out that by purchasing the membership we gained membership access to Science World, HR McMillian Science Centre and loads of other cool places across BC and Alberta! HOORAY! So for you northerns or visitors to the north, don't miss the great opportunity to give yourself and kids a place to go and have a little bit of fun. It is all attached to Ft George Park, which is home to a water park and lots of other fun outdoor kid stuff. So there.. I've tooted my horn for something good in Prince George. Not that there aren't other things to do in Prince George but this was a stand out thing for us.

Michael had a big week - his wounded soldier crawl is improving by the day - the last few days we see him crawling with both legs more often, he said his first word - dad... the first time we thought it was just a fluke but we had said it a couple of times since and does it while looking or trying to blab with Andy, his first tooth is just poking through and he is waving. Andy waved at him the other day and he waved back - of course, we thought it was a fluke but now he is waving at Andy and Kyle any chance he gets. He is communicating... I know this is a highly parental thing but it just makes me so happy to see him trying these things. It seems a little early for waving but Kyle was late on all the communication stuff so I just don't know.

I've decided to start tracking our enormous veggies and fruit - if you post your record you will be able to find it in the margin (left) on the main page.

perseid

Aug 12 - 13 is the peak of the perseid meteor shower. If you have some time and clear place to view the sky, take time tomorrow night to view the heavens. The moon is still kind of full so that might take away from the number of meteors you will see, but I read that they are forecasting 15-30 an hour, which is still pretty good in my books.

I've viewed it for a number of years and some years it is exceptional! You will see a few that you just catch the tail end of, but there are some that you see and hear, as it burns the sky. If you are an astronomy nut like me, this is the best time of year. This is definitely the best of meteor showers for the year and it happens every year at roughly the same time. (day)

Face the opposite direction of the moon, to lessen the light and gaze awhile. Count 'em up and share your experience. If you want to get a little technical - look for cassiopeia (the big 'w' in the sky) and the perseus constellation will be found south - the meteors are suppose to come from this direction - but to be honest, these meteors come from all over the sky. I say get a hot beverage, a blanket, a nice place to sit, someone to talk to between flashes and enjoy!

Have a great weekend!

too easy is it...

what am I?

This might be too easy to. I will work on getting something more difficult - although I question where the fun is in stumping you... my treasured guests :)

So how did my weekend go? Well I managed to get everything except two things done. One of the things I am completing tonight before I go to bed. The other - well, it will simply have to wait. This was the task of cleaning the scrapbook room. I've nearly got it all put away. I've organized nearly all my paper by color or theme but I've got a bit of a stack going that needs some tending.

I need to scrapbook. I need at least an hour a day for the rest of the year to try and catch up - not to mention the books I need to work on for family (three).

growth update

I forgot that it was immunization week around here. Michael took them very well this time. It was weird when he got the shots because... well Kyle just sat there and took it - they gave him a shot and he just kind of looked around, or cried a little but didn't put together that if the nice lady was cleaning his leg it meant another was on the way... well Michael got the first shot and then he immediately figured out the course of action ahead. He tensed all his little muscles up and that meant that he bled... great. He was a trooper though - got through it better than I would have. I hate getting immunization shots.

So my little beefcake is seven months today and he weighed 20 lbs and 1 oz, and was 27 and 1/2 inches tall. He has been crawling forward since July 14 and now has it pretty much in check. He is dragging one leg behind him but we are hoping it is just him still trying to figure it all out. He may not though because no sooner had he figured out forward he started to lift himself up. We had to lower the crib because he was climbing up and could have easily fallen out. He now stands up beside any toy that will let him. It is madness. Kyle just lounged around... Michael is the child that never stops. I'm excited about him learning all these new things but I also miss that cuddly stage that Kyle gave me... something Michael skipped. Kyle is doing really well - he is into puzzles big time right now. He can do 24 and 48 piece ones without much thought, he is working on a 100 piece one but it is pretty hard. He tries to work at for a little while every other day - it is coming together though. He is learning new songs and starting to read along with books, which is nice but.. I'll be honest - annoying. He usually gives up after while because he can't hear the story. This whole situation reminds me of my poor parents and the movie nights they went through with us. My brother, sister and I use to memorize Disney movies and then take roles. Then we would be that character through the entire film, singing, talking... you name it, we did it... I've always wondered if we were the only crazies doing this kind of thing and well I haven't met anyone yet that said... april, I did that too. So if you did - share, and if you don't want to admit it... I completely understand.

Michael is rumbling... I better get going. Update complete. I'm signing off.

long weekend

Aunti Jenni came and stayed with us last night and we had a great little visit! It is always nice to have visitors staying with us. It usually gets us out of the house and doing something other than stealing air conditioning from Wally World...

So right now I'm holding down the fort on a friends business while she is away, while also trying to work on one contract plus my regular work. I'm tired and not getting enough accomplished... plus I see all this other stuff that I want to work on just sitting around me... waiting... hoping... so I can't be as earth friendly and budget friendly as Sarah (Wyatt in the Dell - go read about her challenge) I am willing to make a commitment to get my stuff in order. It is the long weekend and I'm going to clean up and pull it together. I can't live like this any longer. I won't bore you with a list but I will say that I will share my success with you at the end of the weekend.

Alright - fun and games... april... how is it that I can get points tonight? Well here you go - what is this?



I'm hoping to make a purchase in the next few weeks that will enable me to offer much better photos... we will see if the stars align.