LUCK... sometimes you just have it.

When it comes to luck, Charlotte seems to have quite a bit of it. For instance she always wins at Candy Land. The game requires no skill, just the random luck of how the cards fall. And without any cheating or fixing of the cards she will always end up on top, often leaving me dumb founded that she won again. Being the competitive person that she is, this suits her fine. She has her happy dance down pact, and gets very intense when she slips behind. Infact she once drew a card that didn't propel her to the front, and promptly said out loud "That's not going to work!". Today was another example of her luck. We were at the Spring Fling at her daycare, which is a typical fundraising event that has a number of different games. Since these are preschoolers, every kid wins something at each game, except for at the cake walk game, where only one kid can win, and the prize is an entire cake. This got my 4 year olds eyes bulging. Basically the chairs are numbered (1 - 15) and you walk around until the music stops, when the music stops you sit down on a chair. The supervisor then pulls a number from a hat and if that is your chair you win. My neighbour once said to me that they played for years before they ever won. So since the only other time we played (at another fair) Charlotte happened to win, I was pretty sure luck was not in our favour. Well Charlotte played twice and guess what, she won both times... we now have two chocolate cakes sitting on the counter. Guess who is going to eat most of those cakes... I apologize now to my ever tightening blue jeans.

Charlotte loves her games, she wants to play them all the time memorymatch (which does requires skill) is her favorite. And she is pretty good to, beating many adults who are actually trying. However we have found one game that she's not so sure of... soccer.Yep that is right, she's not sold on soccer. She enjoyed it when she was in Regina, and she doesn't mind playing a little in the backyard, so we thought we'd try her here in Nova Scotia. She went to one practice and does not want to go back. I said that is fine, maybe we'll try again when she is 5. Her response was "Maybe when I'm 6". So her soccer career will have to wait, which is fine by me.

Robbie on the other hand wants to play soccer right now. He's finally starting to show a little interest in things that do not possess wheels. However motorized vechiles are still his favorite he likes to play with the soccer balls in the yard, and recently a little t-ball. Thank goodness, because I need a little break from cars. Robbie has also had a hair cut. Our hairdresser across the street fractured a bone in her arm and was unable to cut Robbie's hair. That night at supper I told Mike I'd have to take Robbie into town for a cut. He said "No way, he's two. I'll cut his hair". To that I gave him a big NO. Robbie cannot sit still, he is constantly moving and vibrating and gives a hair dresser trouble. I couldn't imagine the mess Mike would make of his hair. So Mike said he's use his razor and give him a buzz cut. Robbie was not on board with having "spikey" hair like Mike and he started to cry. Mike went ahead with it, and once the first pass of the razor when by we were past the point of no return. I started giving him lollipops, singing songs, pleading with him to sit still. But he wouldn't. After 10 minutes of screaming and hair flying I said "Enough, I can't watch anymore" and took Robbie out of his chair. You should have seen the state of him. Hair all over his back, his stomach, and his lollipop. He was so upset and so was everyone else in the house (except Charlotte who tought it was the most entertaining thing she'd seen all week). I didn't even bother with my shoes I ran across the street knocked on Lynda's door. She came to the door took one look at us and joked "Emergency cuts are double". Mercifully she took us in and managed to clean up Robbie with her one good arm. I'm not a fan of the buzz cut, and it took Robbie a day or two to get used to it. The first day he had it, he wore his winter hat everywhere. But I guess the cut has grown on us and he looks sort of cute.

I've not spoken much about Mary-Anne lately. Well she is getting close to rolling, but in all honestly she doesn't seem to bothered. I think when she is on the floor shes just happy if no one pokes her, lays on her, or screams right in her face. She is getting pretty good at using her hands and can grab things, which of course go strait into her mouth. When she isn't trying to shove a blanket or stuffed giraffe in her mouth she is often telling us a very animated story. There is no doubt hat she has something to say and we all love to listen too her. Her sleeping has been pretty sporadic, one or two nights a week she'll wake up twice though the night and the rest of the week she can be up as many as 5 times. I know I'm partially to blame because she always wants to nurse back to sleep and I really don't know how else to put her back to sleep. She's too little to make her cry, and nothing else comforts her. I know she's not hungry (because I've often fed her only an hour ago) and if you saw the chins and rolls on her neck you'd know she's not being starved so I continue to trudge out of bed nearly every hour between midnight and 6am and nurse her back to sleep. One of the other kids (they are all starting to blur together) was like this too and we got through it so I know I'll get sleep again. I just hope soon.

Here are the photos from this past week.

Yum Yum, at hot day at the beach and juicy watermelon.

More water and sand... summer is great

I have no idea what she is doing

Fathers Day. The kids made him a Pink Spiderman Cake with Marshmallows
And he got to drive Franks lawn mower and have a beer.

Mary-Anne in her Bumbo Chair. I Love the Bumbo Chair.

Telling me a story
Telling Pokey Puppy a story
My little army cadet
It was a tough job.
Robbie playing soccer
Charlotte at her first practice. She was very excited at first. There she goes
Another day at the beach, this time we brought Grandma for some extra hands.





Hanging out in the shade, telling more stories.

This has without a doubt been the longest I've gone without a post. Sorry about that. I don't like going this long, because there are so many little stories that I want to share but they all seem insignificant a week or two later. Mike's mom came for a very nice visit a week or two ago. Margaret and I are both happy to simply stay close to home and do things that bring out the best in the kids. This means lots of outdoor time. We mainly stayed close to home, and let the kids hang out in the backyard. The kids and I were spoiled having my mom, and Mike's mom around to help with everything from naps, to supper, to cleaning. The 3 days after Margaret left (and my mom and Mike were also away) we had rain, I quickly remembered WHY we go outside as much as possible. The kids as much as I adore and love them, could drive anyone crazy when trapped in a house. Either way I'm glad the kids were well behaved for Grandma and that she got to spend lots of time with them. And I know Mike and I enjoyed having her here for a visit too.

We have also made a trip out to Cape Breton for a friends wedding. We decided to make a mini family vacation out of it and travel to Ingonish where there are some beautiful beaches. The trip was going AMAZING, infact so good that Mike and I were both secretly not wanting to say anything in fear of jinxing the entire event. We set off on time, had few tears on the 4-5 hour drive, we saw the picturesque Cape Smokey wihtout a wisper of cloud (amazing!), we got our accommodation which was perfect then BAM! as fast a a door could shut so did our luck run out. Robbie, who has recently been a bit like a runaway train, slammed his sister's finger in a door. The screams were deafening. I admit that Charlotte can sometimes over dramatize things, but these screams were real, and so was the blood that was pulsating out of her finger. We were literally minutes from heading to the beach, I was just getting Mary-Anne changed, Mike was taking stuff out to the van and then this happened. Her finger had gotten caught on the medal plate (I know this because I needed to clean the blood and skin off of it). Once we could stop the bleeding I tried to assess if it was broken, and if the cut needed stitches. Since Charlotte would not let me touch or even really look at it, we chose to distract her for a while and got some popsicles then headed to the beach with her entire hand wrapped up. This was a good decision because by the time we returned form the beach the shock had warn off and she let me bandage it properly. It seems to be healing well, but the nail is most likely going to fall off. Despite this incident we still had a nice time at the beach, and the next day headed to Baddeck for the wedding. I have to tell you, I was more nervous thinking of taking 3 kids into someone else's wedding, than I was getting ready for my own. What if they fuss, or fit, what if Robbie cracks his head on the pew, what if, what if, what if. Well, it was pretty much what I expected, the 3 month old cried, the 2 year old couldn't sit still and I have no idea what Charlotte did as I was so busy with the other two outside the church. My mom, did us a huge favor and she drove up to Cape Breton with a friend visiting from SK, and they watched out 3 kids during the supper and dance part. Thank you Thank you, I had such a great time being able to sit back, enjoy the evening and not worry.

We are now home, well 4 of us are. Mike had to take off to Montreal as soon as we returned from Cape Breton. But bad news there... on his way to the airport he hit a deer with the van. I've not seen the van, but understand it is drivable since it is parked at the airport. When he gets back we will have start the insurance process. I was just relived that he wasn't hurt as deer accidents can be so dangerous.
Time with grandma

They can be the best of friends.

Robbie and his buddy John-Micheal

This is the star fish that Charlotte found.

She wanted to take it home so badly

Took the kids to the public gardens

Happy Girl!!!

When you are potty training, you pee anywhere.

Mike trying to catch some World Cup as the kids eat there popsicles.

She was still pretty shaken up at this point.

If you've ever wondered if Robbie likes the beach. Watch how these photos unfold.

Fully dressed running from the waves.

15 minutes later he was soaked from head to toe.

We then took off his shirt.

And he continued to soak himself.

So off came the pants. But hey, he was sooooo happy.

Time to haul water and make sand castles.

This kid does not slow down.

Mary-Anne taking in all the action.

The tide was coming in, and the kids were making me really nervous watching it from this rock.

Another day, another beach.

Family photo, just prior to the wedding

Kids had a great time, no need for entertainment. Rocks and water are all they need.

Cocktails on the beach

Robbie waving by to the sail boat. Time to leave the cocktail on the beach.

I LOVE this photo.

Mark and Jen... the newleyweds!

Towards the end of our trip the kids were getting a bit fed up with the car. Robbie decided that the box of books and toys that I had nicely placed between them for the drive should be thrown all over the van. Look at that face he gave me when I told him that was very naughty and he would be cleaning it up

He cleaned up the mess and got to join Charlotte at the playground. Everyone was happy again!