Florida - March 2011

As I stated before - some blogs are better late than never!! I've been wanting to do this blog for so long but there are just so many pictures and exciting parts of this trip I just really haven't had the time to sit down and sort through all the pictures. This trip was our last as a family of 3 (I was about 5 mons pregnant) and probably our most favorite that the 3 of us have taken together.

We headed to Florida (again!) but we quickly found out that March is a terrible time to go due to spring break so with the exception of one (terrible!) day in a Disney Park we really got creative and found many other fun things to do while we were there. There is just SO much to do with kids in the Orlando area we had much more fun getting away from the Disney crowds and taking in some different activities - I think it will be a long while before we venture back to a Disney park!

The pictures tell the story best - one of the highlights was a farm we visited, so much so that these pic's will come in their own blog shortly to follow:)

First stop - Character Breakfast at Lake Bueana Vista. Minnie was the first character Kailie saw and we knew this was going to 'make or break' our trip - fortunately Kailie was very quick to give out big hugs and we knew then she was past her fear of the characters and we were in for some good times!

Pluto was next and got the same friendly reception from Kailie:)

Daddy did some research and found Monkey Joe's - it was this massive warehouse filled with bouncy castles and inflatable slides. Kailie LOVED it!!

We got here pretty early and pretty much had the place to ourselves . . . no lines, super cheap ($8/day!), and tons of fun - who needs Disney?!

This was our one day at Disney - it was hot, overcrowded and other than the characters, Kailie (and her prego Mummy) just weren't all that into it - but we tried to make the best of it!

We spent the day scouting out the various characters as we couldn't be bothered to wait in ride line-ups!

After waiting in one MAJOR line up - Kailie got to visit with 3 of her favorite princesses . . . . Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora)

Cinderella - I would say Kailie's favorite:)

Princess Belle

Wilderness Lodge - always one of our favorite stops:)

We were hoping to dodge some of the crowds by heading to Tampa Busch Gardens - we got there when the park opened and headed straight for Sesame Park - this was a hit for Kailie!

Kailie just loved the live shows - we were only a couple rows back!

Lots of photo ops with the Sesame Gang:)

Splashin' in Oscar's Swamp!

This was Kailie's very first solo ride - she did great and wanted to go again and again! The Sesame Park is really just perfect for her and we all had lots of fun here!

Another solo ride!

We spent a bit of time at SeaWorld but the heat and crowds kept our day there pretty short.

When it came to feeding the stingray's Kailie was much more brave than Mummy & Daddy!

This was one of Kailie's favorite stops! We just stumbled upon this fountain while walking around the neighbourhood of Celebration. It was such a hot day and this was the perfect cool down for her. The fountain would radomly start and stop and spray at various intervals - I think it's some of the most fun I've ever seen her have:)

We really didn't have to go much further than our back yard for lots of fun with Daddy in the pool:)

Character Breakfast at one of the Disney Hotels - lots of fun here:)

Kailie loved our 'holiday house' and all the fun stuff that came with it!

Last Stop - 'roadside potty' at the Bermuda airport while Mum & Dad load up the car ;)

August 2011

This is the first of a few catch-up blogs. My babies are growing up so fast I can hardly keep up and find a few moments to get it all done and I think I will forever be working under the better-late-than-never policy!

After a busy July we were very ready for some family vacation time in August and our first stop was Alberta. As Kolton was still quite a newbie we stayed pretty close to Grama & Papa’s so unfortunately we didn’t make it to Calgary to see some friends there but hopefully we’ll make up for that on our next trip. We were so happy that most of the family was able to make it out for some period of time to Grama & Papa’s and we had such a great visit. Since our trip last August the number of Grandbabies has doubled - and just to be clear, we will have no part in helping to double up the numbers again by next August!! We had a great mix of older cousins and new babies for everyone to ohhh and awww over. The pictures really tell it best:)

Note that Kolton and I had a lovely visit with Grammie Kim too, but Mummy did not have her camera . . . I think Grammie has some pic's that she should send me!

Auntie Keli & Sweet Little Maya - the oldest of the new babes!

All 6 Grandbabies!

Not the greatest of all of us - but the best of what we got!

4 Generations - love this one!

Papa & Kailie (and one of Grama's Bears?!) working hard in the garden.

Little Diva's :)

Mummy & Kolton headed out a bit ahead of Kailie & Daddy - so we were able to steal some quiet cuddles before everyone else arrived:)

Papa was a great sitter for Kolton while I would go for runs / walks, they had some great bonding time!

Papa made this amazing swing for the kids - I have no doubt it will be well used over the years. Joel & Stefan were 'contracted' to make it all happen, it was all very impressive!

This may look like Dad has put Joel to work - but in reality Joel probably wrestled Dad off so he could have a turn!!

Our last night in Alberta we finally had a wiener roast. It was such a beautiful night, perfect for a camp fire.

Kolton even got to enjoy the fire as well:)

Next we hit the road headed East for Manitoba. We weren't sure if we were incredibly brilliant or incredibly crazy taking on a 2-day road trip with a newborn and a 2 year old. As it turns out I don’t think it was our brilliance that saved us but the brilliance of whoever put the DVD player into the van we rented! The kids were really amazing, Kailie was either asleep or watching Dora / Veggie Tales/ Cookie Monster (all of which I’d be quite happy to never see again!) and Kolton slept and slept and slept – he only ever woke up at our scheduled stops (one per day for lunch). With one exception at the US border where we ended up in a long line, there was no whining, crying or fussing (the exception was on a little side trip into the US where we ended up in a long line border where Kolton screamed so much I'm surprised we weren't hauled out of line and locked away - however as soon as we were on the move again he went right back to sleep!!) We were so impressed and amazed and really enjoyed our trip including an overnight stop in Saskatoon – which always takes us down memory lane a bit as this is where it all started for Joel & I:)

New York Is Big, But This Is Biggar ! This pic was just for you Dad ;-)

A picture on the Saskatoon River trail . . . how times have changed since last time Joel and I spent time here!! Who knew that 8 years later we'd be back with our two angels:)

Our first stop in Manitoba was Birtle to stay with the Fultons for a few days. Kailie just loved her time with Mae & Evan and we had the added bonus of seeing Henry & Anna for a couple days as well - so much fun! Kailie got to experience a few farm adventures including riding a Cutter with Uncle Tyler and riding a horse - kind of! Part way through our stay with the Fultons we decided to head south for a couple of days in Minot. Here we got to enjoy some great shopping and swimming as well as just more family visiting time. After Minot we then made our way to Winnipeg to see some more family and friends. From there is was back to Bermuda - it was just a fantastic trip that left us very much looking forward to our next trip home. Here are our Manitoba pics . . .

The pictures we missed here were our visit with Grampa John - again we were not carrying our camera with us but still had a great visit and really enjoyed a new park in Winnipeg!

Mae & Evan taught Kailie lots of fun stuff on the Trampoline.

Hanging out with Gram:)

Baking cookies with Auntie Dorelle . . . I think I see some chocolate on those faces;-)

Little Farm Girl . . . ?!

This was the best pic we got of the 3 kids on Sweat-Pea because Kailie rode her for about 5 seconds . . . maybe next time!

Joel however would have let Uncle Tyler lead him around all day ;-)

Auntie Dorelle was such a great help with Kolton - she was always looking for her cuddles:)

The Grandbabies from the Matthews side of the family:)

Bedtime in Minot:)

Great Buds!

The kids spent a lot of time in the pool, while Kolton and I spent a lot of time shopping - everyone was happy!

Our Grown Up Little Princess!

We are now well into our 2nd month of preschool and since my last post when Kailie had just started school both Joel and I cannot believe the changes in her. So far (aside from Mummy's separation issues!) preschool has proven to be all we hoped for and more. Kailie LOVES going every morning, she hurries me out of the house as she is worried that Mrs. Nelms will be "missing her Cahow Kailie"!! The kids are grouped into classes and named after birds, Kailie is in the Cahow class.

When she gets there I only get a hug and a kiss because I demand it - she just can't put her lunch away quick enough to dash off to her friends! She's still excited to see me at pick-up (thank goodness!) but that's usually because she wants me to see and talk to all her friends - it really is just the cutest thing:)

In addition to starting preschool Kailie has also moved out of the 'Parent & Tot' phase of her extra-circular activities. This again leaves me watching from a distance trying not to shed any tears . . . . although I'm sad to be a little less needed I couldn't be more proud of my big girl. I now get to watch from the sidelines as she learns things like swimming and ballet - but what really intrigues me most is how she is learning to listen to her teachers, follows instructions, and socialize with the other kids, and I really couldn't be more proud of how well she is doing!!

Joel and I have also seen such an increase in her independence at home - we have both certainly been guilty of enabling her a bit more than we should but she is quickly putting an end to all of that. Every day we see her figuring out more and more basics of how to do things for herself . . . . now I just need to press pause for another 20 years or so! I suppose that's not going to happen so in the meantime I can't wait to see what the next 20+ years brings from both of our little blessings:)

Just a few pic's this time . . .

Preschool has meant the beginning of homework - and if preschool is any indication of the amount of homework kids get these days we're in trouble!! The above red collage was her first assignment and since then a few other of our more major homework projects have included: yellow collage, family tree, farm collage with baby animals, drawn picture of favorite farm animal, (and my favorite) provide lunch for your entire class!!!!!! Seriously - who do they think is doing this stuff??????!!!

It's a lot of work but fun to do with Kailie, I have no idea where I'm going to fit it all in when I go back to work but for now it's kind of fun:) The next couple of weeks they are studying various countries - Kailie is one of two Canadians in her school so today 'she' provided a Canadian lunch, flags, pins, and facts to her entire class - and 'she' did a great job ;-)

This year we've given up gymnastics for a try of ballet - and so far so good! She is in a very small class of 5 girls and usually only 3 or 4 show up and there are 3 teachers so she gets tons of attention which she loves. Their ballet outfits are mandatory or they sit out the class (pretty serious start if you ask me!) but she loves it. It's a fun afternoon that I take her out of school for and she loves to get all dressed up for - who knows maybe we'll have a little dancer on our hands (despite her not-so-dance like physique)!


Towards the end of the summer Kailie's swim teacher arranged for a semi-private lesson for Kailie and another girl about Kailie's age as they had both outgrown the group lessons for their age group. It was amazing to watch how fast she learned with the one-on-one attention. I wish I could figure out how to upload video because by the end of the class she was swimming all on her own and doing some pretty incredible jumps off the diving board! I would say swimming is one of her most favorite activities. There are no in-door pools here in Bermuda but hopefully we'll still have a few more months warm enough to get her out most weeks so she can keep it up:)

Two "Smiley" Months!

On Sept 5th we celebrated Two wonderful months of having Kolton as part of our family. It was so great that he was able to meet most of our family in Alberta and Manitoba (posting still to come) so that they could see what a little joy has been added to our life:)

The highlight of the last few weeks has without a doubt been watching our 'smiley' boy:) You'll see from most of the pictures below, including the side bar 2-month picture with "Mr Bear", it is not difficult at all to get Kolton to show us his sweet sweet gummy smile. Often when babies begin to smile it can be tricky to catch it on camera but Kolton most certainly has not fallen into this - as long as our boy has eaten he's happy - do not try for a smile when he just has just woke up and hasn't eaten, it just won't happen ;-)

He has good reason to be such a happy kid as he sure is healthy. At our 2 month dr. appt Kolton weighed in at 14.75 lbs and a height of 23.5 inches. We just can't believe he's so big and thought for sure he had to be bigger than Kailie was at that age, however upon review of Kailie's 2-month dr. appt it turns out that these two are on a very similar course - Kailie weighed exactly the same at her 2-month appt!! Kailie did have a bit more height on Kolton though so I suppose you could argue that Kolton is a bit chubbier:)

My big babies have both blessed me with being pretty good sleepers. While we were on holiday Kolton was a real star and at just 7 weeks he was going to bed with ease and sleeping for 8 or 9 hour stretches. We did get a bit over excited though as we seemed to take a few steps back when we got home and reverted to the 5ish hour stretches, but we're blaming this on jet lag and hope to get back to these long stretches sooner than later . . . we hope!

I don't even need to talk about eating - I'll just refer you to the chunky-monkey in the pic's below!!

Kailie continues to be an amazing big sister who is always ready to offer a helping hand to her baby brother. She loves to tell everyone all about him and is always reminding us that where-ever we go we also have to bring Kolton! I look forward to many years of these two looking out for each other:)

Here are some pic's of our littlest joy.

He just can't stop smiling!

Some Sunday morning cuddle time:) Pretty easy to see which one of my babies is a 'bit' more of a morning person . . . . !

My handsome easy-going kid!

Kolton LOVES this swing and has most of his naps here - I sometimes wonder if we didn't make it stop moving would he ever wake up on is own????!

Soooooo peaceful . . .

I love this picture SO much - GG and her littlest Great Grandbaby:)

We Love You GG!

This was my favorite way to snuggle with Kailie when she was a baby, but this is a rare moment with Kolton that I was sure happy to have!

The very best time to get Kolton to smile is when he is being changed - he just loves to be naked!

Bath Time!

I'll always be in awe at how much love can be evoked by two little people . . .

Ciao!

Kailie's First Day of Pre-School

I'm not sure how I'm ever going to send my baby girl to Kindergarten / Grade 1 and so on as Preschool has turned out to be a bit more traumatic than I anticipated. Yesterday (Wednesday) was Kailie's first day at Preschool and although she had a play-date there earlier in the summer that went really well, things didn't go quite so smoothly when we arrived. I think the biggest problem was that there were many other kids upset and crying, especially one little boy who she knows from church - when she saw him crying it was all over. So one of the teachers peeled my screaming baby out of my arms (could there be a harder moment for any Mum?) while I tried to keep it together (at least until I got out to the car). About an hour later I went back to make sure she was ok and sure enough I could still hear that she was really upset:( They convinced me to let her try a bit longer as no one wanted her first day to end on a negative note so I let her stay for a 1/2 day. When I went to pick her up she was a happy kid but still very ready to come home with Mummy:) Upon leaving I told her teacher that I was just going to leave her for 1/2 days for the first week so that Kailie could slowly transition - and she just nodded, smiled and said "maybe it will also help Mummy to slowly transition" . . . . this lady is on to me!

In retrospect we didn't do Kailie any favors by returning from a very busy holiday the day before her first day. She was just so tired and after coming off of 2+ weeks of being with Mum & Dad every moment it was pretty tough for her to try something so new all on her own. So after we got her back home for a good long nap and an early bed time yesterday she did much better today - no tears at all!! We still only ended up doing a 1/2 day as when I went in to drop off "Lamby" for her nap I thought I would let her try at school, she happened to be in the entry way just when I opened the door - once she saw me it was all over and she wanted to come home (which I wasn't going to say no to)! Maybe tomorrow will be a full day . . . . or maybe not . . . . I don't think we really need to push it.

It has been a much more emotional time for me than I was expecting - and trust me I knew I would be emotional!! It really made me realize that our babies are babies for such a short time and before we know what's happening they are going out into this big world without Mummy & Daddy. It certainly makes me question a lot of my work decisions - I just love my job and I really enjoy working and I believe that a balance of work and my kids makes me a better Mum - but I'm slowly learning that I just can't have it all. All of this has sure made me appreciate my little Kolton as I know that in just another heartbeat it will be his turn and that I need to treasure this baby time while I can.

Having said all that - watching my baby girl grow into a 'big girl' just fills me with pride and awe. As I watch her develop and grow up I know this is just the very beginning of some exciting times. I know she will do so great in not only preschool, but in all her years of school to come. She has such a sweet spirit and so much love to give I believe she will be a treasure in any classroom, on the playground and to her friends. My prayer for her is that her sweet spirit is never dampened and that she will learn to be strong while still staying sweet; loud when she needs to be heard but quiet when it's time to listen; fast when she needs to keep up but slow enough so she doesn't miss anything; and that she will learn and desire to grow into the beautiful girl inside and out that we have been so blessed to be given.