November....

Say it isn't so......I haven't updated this blog since last year?! I better get to it then!! I did 10 months of the year of 2017, just two more to go.

November. Let me see. What did November bring us? Good thing I took pictures or else I would not remember much at all. Oh yes - here we are:

Lincoln has such a joy for all things reading. Every month they are given sight words. He is up to 60 words (well, he is actually reading now), but because the sight words come easy for him, he wanted to up the challenge by having us time him. I have never seen a kid get so excited for every single word he yells out. What a clown!

Looking over the pictures from November, many of them were of Lincoln and Keziah doing things together. They truly are never far from each other as you will see....

This is how they play so often, side by side. They have the whole downstairs but this is how I find them almost every day. And of course, I always take pictures when they don't notice. Love it.

Best of friends. Such a blessing.

This is an interesting way to sleep....

Apparently hanging onto your foot helps you to read...

Games, games and more games. That is one of his loves...

Brother reading to Sister.

Gorgeous sunrise one morning. Made the forest look like it was on fire.

Another interesting way to sleep....apparently she needed a stuffie or two to help her sleep. Make that 57.

Making a fort in the classroom while waiting for me to finish up my work - she's in there, can you find her hand?

A mom-son date, out for breakfast.

Again, what the kids do while they wait for me to finish up in the classroom.

Nathan sees a mess. I see creative play. What do YOU see?!

We heard the holiday train was coming very near to our home, so we quickly hopped in the car - no shoes, coats anything. Just run! We caught it....all 5 cars. Sigh. Oh well - the 5 cars were decorated nicely.

Keziah has been into building tee pees, and actually does them quite well without every being shown. Knowing her heritage and roots it must be an innate thing in her, and I honestly mean this as a compliment. I hope that comment isn't taken as racist as I don't intend that at all. I just think it is so cool!! Even at school, one time when I was on yard duty, I found a tee pee in the middle of the playground. Sure enough, Keziah had built it there.  Love it. 

 Puzzles - another favourite past time to Lincoln's.

Keziah and I also had a date - I took her to see Wonder. What a movie. Both her and I bawled our eyes out the whole time. So much of it hit close to home. She couldn't believe how mean kids can be and she left very thankful for never having been teased about her "differences" on her face by her peers. When we left the movie, she said she wished she never saw it, but then through talking about it - that it was tough to watch at times - it was a movie for everyone to learn so much. We had many discussions following this movie. About 5 days later, she asked if she could watch it again. That's totally her - needs some time to digest, chew, think and ponder on something.

 

First snowfall had this boy happily cleaning off the car. I was a grateful momma!

And that was November! Actually, something big, and I mean, BIG happened in November, too, but that will be the next post. This post is already long enough. :)

October

I can't think of a catchy title for October, like I've tried with all the other months.....trying to think of an "O" word to go with it. Maybe it'll come to me yet. Any ideas?! In the meantime, it'll just be plain ol' October.

Before we get to October, I was going through the pictures on my phone and realized there were a few from September that I never posted. Here they are - the kids did the Terry Fox Run with their school. Pretty proud of them for running/walking 5 km!!

 

So let's see, what was October? Oh yay!! You won't believe it but - camping!!!! :) :) Yup, our last camping trip of the year, our annual Thanksgiving camping trip with our most dearest friends, Jenn and Jay and clan. My sister and her family were there as well, so lots of kids to play with!!

Well, before we left for camping, we bought "new to them" bikes, get this, with GEARS!! So exciting if you are 5.5 and 8!! We wanted to get them before we went camping because where we go, there are amazing biking trails. The kids were so thrilled of their new bikes!!

Getting the ever-so-important badminton court ready....

The weather this year was so warm, we spent the day at the beach on Saturday!!

 

 

Food just tastes so much better outside!!

 

 

 

So many kms were put on these bikes..

 

 

 

Yes, he is crying....he was mad because his sister went first.....big deal, ya know!? Let's just say, this didn't end so well. After yelling at the kids for being selfish ('cause yelling at them isn't selfish at all....😐), I stormed off to the campsite. Lincoln followed, wailing away. Sigh. Just keeping it real here.

Anyway, other than that, it was a fantastic weekend of enjoying October. Jenn and I keep the weekend as "chore-free" as possible, cooking simple meals and using throw away dishes and cutlery. The men doing the few dishes certainly helps to allow us to keep our feet up :)

 

Other October moments.....the weather was just so warm and beautiful that lots of time was still spent outside. Playing "Blue Jays and Boston" was a regular occurrence after school/supper.

Big swing and a miss!!

 

 Although she wants to play, her attention span is, well, let's just say flowers, grass, and itty-bitty bugs capture her attention much more quickly than a fly ball.

Outside with two of his favourite things: food and books. Since school has started, this child is reading everything that he can. I find him often sounding out words, reading the ones he knows really well. I took this picture through the window of my back door - I didn't want to ruin the moment. :)

'member that large sandbox we built for him? Yeah, apparently the gardens are more fun....

As the weather turned cooler, the kids would spend any moment they could downstairs with the Lego. They go down here as soon as they get home and put their stuff away. And will stay down there until supper. I love it so much!! Have I mentioned yet how much I LOVE my finished basement?! This mess used to be upstairs!!

 

Lincoln had to get some x-rays done due to suspicions of scolliosis and/or one leg being longer than the other. Thankfully it all came back clear! Praising God for that!!

 

Our church had a small festival to meet the neighbours. The kids had a great time, with cotton candy being the hi-light.

 

All in all, it was a great month! The weather has turned considerably cooler now, with even a bit of snow already. Eek! Oh well - each day done is a day closer to spring!! 😉