I have GOT to take more pictures...

Halloween came and went, and I've been planning to write a post about it someday.  Then I was reminded that some people are waiting to see pictures of the kids in their costumes, and I realized that I hadn't taken any!  OMG!  Not only that, but I haven't really had the camera out much at all lately and we are sorely lacking photo mementos of our last few months.  Gack! 

So I am starting NOW to make a conscious effort to digitally chronicle our family's cute moments more regularly.  Sorry.  And hopefully someone caught a snap of us dressed up this halloween - I'll post if they did.  

That Darned Dog!

Revy the Goldendoodle is now 7 months.  He has a busy daily schedule of causing trouble, mischief making, and refusing to be trained.  I understand from other dog owners that dogs' brains don't function properly until they are well over a year, and in some cases as long as five years.  Greeeaaaaat. 

Revy has explored as many methods as possible to drive me crazy on a daily basis.  He has stolen all manner of shoes and items of laundry.  He has chewed slippers, underwear, toys, and more.  He has eaten food that was not his on many occasions.  He has destroyed papers of all kinds; from magazines to homework to important documents.  He even ate almost an entire batch of muffins he pilfered while they were cooling on the counter.

If I have a treat in my hand, however, he is the best behaved dog ever documented.  He has incredible self control when commanded, and he is very smart when learning new commands.  I guess I'll have to have a pocket full of treats for training every minute of our day! 

A lot of my time and energy is spent on Revy-related things.  I have to take him on two or more walks per day or he whips into a frenzy.  Feeding and snacking is very important to him.  I brush him almost daily, bathe  him monthly, and have committed to grooming him (haircuts) regularly.  Also, I have to spend a certain amount of time training him per day.  Whew!  Who knew a dog would be so much work?  And let's not forget cleaning up messes  he makes - both from things destroyed, and things previously digested by him. 

Slurping up remnants of our first experience with Bannock

Out for a walk at the Japanese gardens after the beach

Looking so dapper after his professional grooming

Enjoying the spray park

Playing with Caylie

Demonstrating a spectacular "sit" and cheering for Kent on his race

The children are enjoying having a dog, and he does show his affection for us through slobbering on us and licking us.  And we still cling to the hope that someday he will be a well trained, well behaved, loving member of our family.  Fingers crossed. 

Soup Galore

Our October Farm Bag arrived on Wednesday - a cornucopia of autumn bounty from local farms.  Lots of veggies and fruits to keep us going in the crisper temps.  So I started making soups for supper:  Borscht, Squash & Carrot, Leek & Potato, Turkey, Beef & Barley.  All on the agenda for the next week or so!   I love the warm, soothing feel of a hearty soup meal - and extra for the freezer. 

Now, what to do with all the pears in the farm bag?  Pear cake?  Muffins?  Preserves? 

Kai gave Caylie a "shoulder-back ride" at Peachfest this summer

Happy Belated Birthday to Kai and Keigan!

 Kai's birthday was last month, but we put off the party until the end of September so that he could get settled into his new school and maybe make some friends in his new class before we decided whom to invite to the festivities.  However, I discovered that September is a full, overscheduled, barely-keeping-our-heads-above-water kind of month and adding birthday party planning to the mix wasn't as welcome as it would have been in August.  So the "theme" for this year's birthday was the Quick and Easy Low Effort Party.  Even better, Kai's buddy Keigan was in the same birthday party boat, so they had a double birthday together!

Kai doing a shy shine

We decided to host the party at Springer's Gymnastics this time.  The gymnastics coach leads all the guests in a super fun time of games, trampoline, climbing wall, foam pit, rope swinging, trapeze rings, parallel bars, and more! 

Caylie bouncing on the trampoline

Kai and Daddy enjoying the foam pit

Madison:  Shine!

After they'd worked up an appetite in the gym, they sat down for some snacks and drinks at the table.  Lots of yummy munchies to sample, and then cupcakes - of course! 

The guys all set for some serious snacking

Blue and green "mosaic" cupcakes

Each of our guests left with a helium balloon weighted with a candy bag from Sweets 4 My Sweetie, and a smile!  Kai had lots of fun, enjoyed playing with his friends, and collected loads of great food and donations for the Penticton Food Bank!  Thanks to Keigan and his awesome parents (co-party planners) for the great time! 

A wild game of foam block tag

Madison and Chaydyn giggling at the rope

Chaydyn and her Daddy stick a parallel landing on the parallel bars

Keigan swinging on the trapeze rings - He's flying!

Birthday candles in birthday cupcakes.  Boys waiting for the singing to be over so they can dig in!

First Day of School

Madison is starting grade four, Kai is in grade two, and Caylie is making her elementary school debut in Kindergarten. Fortunately they all are going to the same school where Kent works, and are so excited!

With some new clothes, new supplies, and lunch bags in hand, they all made a splash on the first "real" day of classes. Happy September!

Update Sept 2011

I know I haven't posted very frequently this summer. But that doesn't mean we haven't done anything. We've been doing the ordinary things, and I haven't posted about them yet. So here's a quick-and-dirty summary of some recent events:

The dog got a haircut. I took him to the doggie salon and he was washed, blowed, trimmed, clipped, spritzed and shined. He came out looking very handsome, but it cost an arm and a leg! I stayed to watch what they did to him the whole time so now I know what to do at home.
IronMan Canada took over our town once again. We enjoyed celebrating the festivities with the locals and athletes for this amazing event. Friday night there was a street dance where we were treated to music, dancing, crafts, and crowds. Saturday was the fun run when Kent participated in the 5k race - and achieved a new PR! And Kai participated in his first race ever, the 1k kids' race - go, Kai, go!The next day was the actual Ironman race, and Craig, Eleana, and the cousins joined us to cheer for the athletes. What an awe inspiring event!

Kai turned 7 and we celebrated his birthday with surprises and treats. He chose an Ogo cake this year (a cake made from globs of ice cream, sauce, and crushed candy). We had just a small affair with Grandma and Ken joining us because we are saving the big party until after school starts so he can invited some kids from his new class. Caylie's first soccer lesson was this week. Kai had played soccer in the spring, and the season resumes for a month in the fall. Caylie thought she'd like to try it out this fall too for the rest of the season, so we geared up this Saturday for both of them. They had fun chasing the ball around the field while we cheered!





We have also done lots of trips to the beaches, playgrounds, dog parks, and ice cream shops. We have collected and stocked up on produce, including 48lbs of blueberries, 16lbs of peaches, and several meals worth of corn. We've visited the farmers' market, ridden bikes, had swimming lessons, and began this season of Tae Kwon Do. Whew! Thanks to all our people for a great summer, looking forward to a busy and fun fall season.