November Weather

Usually we're already freezing with snow on the ground but this week has been so nice and the boys and I have been taking advantage of it. On Monday I met my friends at this great Pirate park that we've never been to and we had so much fun. It would be nice if it lasted but we know better! (the pic is of my friend Annette's son Ethan)

Halloween

It seemed funny putting Carson's costume on so early in the morning since he wore it to school. He looked so cute and he was excited. I even dressed up Caleb when I picked Carson up. After school I surprised my mom and went to her work. It was tough to squeeze it in but it was well worth it to see the residents smile when they saw the boys in their costumes. They were thrilled and they even got some treats. The boys are always good when we go there and smile, shake hands and say lots of hellos and goodbyes. Caleb is so sweet and not shy at all. It ended up being a beautiful day which was nice and we enjoyed visiting the neighbors and taking pics outside before Daddy got home. When Chris came home we went to the mall. It seemed like fewer stores gave away candy this year, not that we needed it! The boys had fun and it's a great warm and safe environment. After trick or treating we went out for supper which was a treat for mommy! Caleb was so cute and said "trick or treat" so perfectly. He also said "thank you" a million times and everyone understood him and oohed and aaahed. He even roared. Chris said it was Caleb's year to be the cute one!

Celine Dion

Well, after waiting a whole year the big day had finally arrived and I was so excited. It was neat that Celine's new album and her appearance on Oprah were on the same day so that helped get me even more pumped. And the reviews for the show the night before were great. We had a great dinner beforehand and then headed to the show. We were very pleased with the seats and hatched a texting plan to switch halfway through. Mom and I sat on the floor to start and we really enjoyed the opening act, an impressionist singer who was extremely talented and funny. When the show started I did not cry like I thought I would but instead sat at the edge of my seat swaying and singing every single word to every single song, new and old. I probably looked ridiculous since I was the only one there who seemed at all excited. There were lots of older people and nobody stood or anything. The sold out show did not have a good vibe so that sucked but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The stage show was amazing with huge screens and great dancers and moving sidewalk things. Celine changed many times, was flawless and looked and sounded amazing. It was fun to switch seats as these were a totally different view and her stage jutted out with a catwalk into our section. Mom and I were the only ones standing and cheering around us and mom looked great in her 1999 tour Celine shirt. (Ha, Stacey)The show was over way too fast and I mourned for days that the show was over. See you again, Celine.

October Update

Don't you feel like Christmas is just around the corner? Only 2 months away already! Maybe it's because we're doing so much shopping around on line these days. I guess for me that's good since it's nearly impossible taking my guys to the store lately. Caleb has been a handful lately with a lot of screaming going on and a lot of headaches for me. Changing, dressing, eating and everything in between ends in a temper tantrum. That was earlier in the week and now yesterday and today he's been great. Strange. Maybe he's getting his molars. It's tough at this age, hopefully it's just a stage because it's not fun being a mom when you're surrounded by screams all day.
Last week my sister came along with us and helped me take the kids to the Manitoba Children's museum. We had tons of fun and the kids enjoyed it. This week we've had 3 playdates which is probably what will get us through the winter this year. Carson has a great friend in preschool and now so do I and I am really grateful to meet new people. Not too much going on right now but next week I look forward to the Celine Dion concert and dressing up the boys for Halloween. I will update next week with those cute pics and in the meantime here's a pic of thanksgiving with my family in Steinbach and a few sample shots of a photo shoot in our neighbor's yard.

Movie Night

I guess the one good thing about winter is holing ourselves up in our basement and watching movies. Our movie room was finished by Chris a while ago but you feel guilty watching movies in the summer so we haven't used it much. But we've finally figured out how to use the PVR so Survivor in HD 7.1 is a whole lot more exciting! I've just been waiting to have some friends over to watch Sex in the City. I'm not a huge fan but it seems like fun. And no babysitters are needed cuz all the action is right here! It looks great-Chris did an amazing job start to finish. One movie I would recommend is Nim's Island. The kids loved it and even Caleb is going around the house saying "Nim Nim" He's so hilarious right now and is putting 2 words together like crazy. "Hi bud" he kept saying yesterday to Chris and he's finally saying Mommy and Daddy and Carson instead of Connie. It sounds so cute when he says Carson (although Carson's little English friend Harvey is a close second)Last week was the nail polish incident where he dumped an entire bottle in my bathroom. He came up to me saying "mess mess" with the guiltiest look on his face. At the time I was so stressed otherwise I would have taken a picture to prove how awful it was and put it on here. Then this week he decided to carry his and Carson's cereal bowls from the kitchen to the living room, of course dumping them both as he went along. Oh my gosh, he keeps me busy...As my small escape I've been dreaming of our winter holiday and pouring over trip advisor.com trying to find the best place to go. Prices are really good already although we'll still book last minute and hope they get better. Also you can check the weather when you go last minute and be sure no one is sick. So if you have any questions (or want to join us-must help with kids) ask me cuz I know everything there is to know about the resorts in mexico and dominican. I'm really leaning towards Punta Cana right now. The beach looks amazing and there are a lot of really nice 5 star resorts there. This dreaming is a strange hobby I suppose, and kind of a waste of time but it does help me cope as the days get shorter and the screams louder! Here's some pics of the movie room and memories from last winter.

Autotown

I was parking at Autotown last weekend when I went to the Sheryl Crow concert (good, by the way) and when I returned it was dark and the shop looked so different all lit up so I thought I would take a few pictures. We sort of take for granted that Chris owns it because it's "work" to him but they have worked so hard and it looks good and I'm very proud of him. They have bought the lot next door to them and cleared it out to put cars on it. Even more space and exposure right on "Confusion Corner" so that's really good. Stop by and buy a new car today!! Or a quad or a snowmobile...

Christie Road

Well, most people do not know that we bought a building lot. It was kind of a surprise to us too! But if you know my husband you know what a crazy guy he is! Luckily the lot is on our street which is why we bought it although it was never for sale! That's what you get for knocking on your neighbors door and asking them if they want to sell! At first she said no but a week later came over to say yes she would sell to us-oh oh! It was not something we planned but the more we thought about building our dream house the more we were excited so we bought it. It is 2 acres on our street and a stone's throw from our house. Still not on the river but on the other side of the street from us now. It's all nicely treed and leaves all sorts of room for imagination. Of course Chris and I have different opinions so luckily we have quite a few years before we build so it gives us time to think! It should be interesting. In the meantime we are keeping busy with runny noses and endless bedtime routines. Actually I should say me-Chris is busy trying to get things outside organized before winter here and at our rental properties. Looking forward to seeing family this weekend for thanksgiving and doing something fun with the kids on Monday. There is a new Imax playing that Carson will love about African wildlife! Oh my gosh is he an animal lover. It's hilarious. I've been reading him these little encyclopedia books about animals and he's just soaking up the info like a sponge and spouting it off to his preschool teacher. He's thrilled to go there now because she bought some new animals for him to play with. Whatever works! Here's some pics of the lot and of the kids in our backyard last weekend when it was still nice out.