Proud Mama

Brag Alert!!

We recently celebrated two graduations!

Here is Ellie all dolled up for Carson's playschool grad.

Playschool Grad. His Dragon's Den outfit came in handy!
The parent of the year again goes to me as I took Carson to the wrong time for his grad. When I was video taping their cute little songs I realized I didn't recognize anyone on stage. I brought him to the wrong class.


This is my work experience student who drove to Swift to work with me. She is a great girl and will be studying photography in the Fall. She received a prestigious scholarship where they flew her to Toronto to interview her and chose her from a number of candidates!
Patrick celebrated the re-opening of the newly renovated Cabri branch. It was a lot of work but it was worth it for how great it all turned out. I was very proud of him as he made his speech!






The kids love the cake!
Have to dress Ellie in Innovation green. Her shirt even had a butterfly on it!

Another proud member.
Ellie and I attended Levi's grade 8 graduation. If the next four years go by as fast as the 3 he was in Irwin then High School will be a blur.
I made him cry the first day of Irwin when I wanted the traditional first day of school picture. He was more accommodating for this "grad shot"
There I'm smiling take the picture already you're embarassing me!

I lost my mind at Tim Hortons- Or just my purse

The next time I visit our local Tim Hortons I will just pay and then simply hand my purse across the counter and say, "I'll be back for this later!" In the past week I have left my purse hanging on the back of my chair at Tim Hortons three times! This leads my to realise two things. One that I am unbelievably lucky to live in a community where someone handed my purse in and nothing was touched and two that I am lucky that when I was pregnant that my kids were attached to me with an umbilical cord or I am pretty sure I may have accidentally misplaced them.
Can you imagine if humans were like Kangaroos.
When ready to give birth, the female leaves her mob, (OK I can relate to that. When I had Ellie, Pat and I snuck out in the middle of the night. We left the 13 year old sleeping and in charge. They woke up in the morning to Timbits and a new baby!) finds somewhere quiet and licks her pouch and birth canal clean. (No thanks after giving birth I couldn't even see my birth canal. In fact I know many women have to ask their hubby to help clean up the neighborhood before giving birth or go for a bikini wax! Thank goodness for nurses!) The tiny joey, pink and naked, measuring only 2.5cm in length and weighing 1g, is born headfirst and grasps its mother's fur with the claws on its forefeet.(No need for Ultrasounds you could just peek in whenever the mood strikes parents debating whether or not to find out the sex of the baby you would have to have a lot of trust that the mom wasn't going to peek. Reminds me of when I was pregnant with my fourth baby and we were always against ruining the suprise and findind out the baby's sex ahead of time. We were against finding out until I was at a Doctor's appointment without my husband and the Doctor informed me that he knew the sex of the baby I was carrying. When he asked me if I wanted to know, I was weak! He put the information in an envelope and sent it home with me. I made it to the driveway where I tore open the envelope. I read the words " Male Genitalia present" and felt like a little kid who had just opened all their Christmas presents and didn't tell my husband that I had known the sex of the baby for another three years! Take it from someone who has experience a suprise four times and gone in knowing and not telling anyone once I can tell you the suprise is much better! )The mother offers no help at all. In about 3 minutes, it has dragged itself up to the pouch, entered it and clamped tightly to one of the four teats, which swells in the mouth.(That is my kind of labour. This situation seems ideal, however I imagine myself coming home from coffee with the girls and my husband saying, "Where's the fetus?" To which I would frantically reply, "Oh my gosh I must have left the fetus on the counter at Tim Hortons when I was digging through my pouch for my car keys. I hope he is staying warm by the coffee maker.")

Anyone else out there suffering with Mommy brain and just randomly losing things or is it just me?

The Griswolds Great Canadian Adventure.

It has been a month since we got back from our trip of a lifetime to the Dragon's Den in Toronto. We all had to sign a legal agreement to not tell what happened in the den until the show airs. All I can say is that Toronto, the show, the staff, and the Dragons all far exceeded my expectations. I will share some pictures from the Den next time. But for now here is the highlights of our fabulous family adventure.

Morning before the big airplane ride. This was 5 am.

First family plane ride the kids were pumped!

Wouldn't you love to see us waiting for a plane. I'm sure people were thinking I hope they are right behind me!


Here's a great idea give kids balloons.



Hair twirling means Ellie is tired!

Two hours of squirming, crying and general unhappiness. The captain announced, "we are just making our descent into Toronto. " That's when Ellie decided to fall asleep.

Fancy hotel. The kids just wanted to swim!


When the kids eat too much sugar and freak out we call it a shark attack! This boat made us chuckle.
Future Model
Cute


Didn't want to do this.
Last time I saw this headband. Some bird probably ate it.

Man power
He gets a strange eye twitch when he sees the camera.









Carson said, "Hi Birdies. I'm Carson and I'm from Saskatchewan!"

Tim bits for everyone.
Run they are after you.


The birds didn't get them all!
The kids found this treasure in the fountain. Maybe its a lucky charm.
Public transporation

Double decker bus






In the ST Lawerence Market. One of three times we lost Carson on the trip.



This is for Lyris. Bacon. One of Pat's food groups.
For cousin Biff
Tired.



The morning of taping. Up at 3 am Saskatchewan time.

THe aftermath.






Room Service!



The Great One. Yes I mean Pat

Most expensive nap in history.