Spring is here - goodbye Winter

 

New wheels: getting around the neighbourhood in record time.  This is almost home after a 5 km ride to the library and back.  We had to stop at the playground at the school for a bit.  2 hours.

 

Getting better balance!

Chance with face paint for 100th day of school.  They were to dress as if they were 100 years old.  He is a Grumpy Old Man.  This is pretty good.....by the time we got to school the makeup was starting to run....he looks like a castmember for The Walking Dead later on in the day!

 

 

Have been enjoying spring time weather for last few days.  We did a fair amount of skiing this winter and usually got out most weekends for a day.  Got into a nice little routine of packing the night before, waking up early, stopping at Tim Horton's on the way out of town for coffee and bagels (and TimBits).  Only forgot our packed lunch on the kitchen counter once.  We had good luck putting Karin into the daycare for the morning and then picking her up at lunch time.  After eating, we'd go out to use the tube park either as a family or while Chance got in a few more runs with either Cam or myself.  She'd be good for about 6-10 tube runs and then it would be 3:00, time to go home.  Towards the end of the winter with weather improving, we tried her on skis.  First time was an epic FAILURE, with tears and tantrums after 2 runs down the bunny hill.  Next time around, she was much better, a little more patient, and able to do the green runs on the Bronze chairlift (with assistance).  Everyone under the age of 30 would be asleep before we hit the first roadcut on Hwy 40.



2013 Wrap Up

Well....that weekly posting thing worked out to 3 or 4 posts...

This year was busy.  I remember being told "oh when the kids get older your life will be really busy" but I think I laughed it off.

I'm not laughing now.

We'll start skiing in January with Chance for sure and Karin may get up on a pair of skis this year too.  I'm sure that will provide us with lots of stories (hopefully happy stories and not stories of broken bones).

Oh well -- I hope next year I'll be better at this.  I'll have to figure out some sort of strategy to stay on top of it.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Slow news week......menu planning and Tuppergeek moment

A trick my mom taught me was to write down your menu for a year and then when you can't think of what to have for supper, just turn back to the date 1 year ago & let the decision be made for you.

This week is for the week of Sept. 21-27

Saturday: falafels
Sunday: honey-mustard curry chicken
Monday:turkey chicken
Tuesday: pulled pork sandwiches (slow cooker)
Wednesday:  Tuscan white bean and bacon soup
Thursday: pulled pork leftovers - flatbread on BBQ perhaps
Friday: "TGIF" I never plan Friday meals as we are usually too tired to do much more than scrounge for leftovers, have an easy meal out of the freezer, etc. 

Also I am super excited as I found these Tupperware containers online (I know this is extremely lame) -- I have an old one from the 1980's that my mom gave me and I use it nearly every day and get cranky when Chance tries to take it in his school lunch.  Love these little guys, they are the perfect size, never leak.  Can't wait to order them!

Two 10K races this week

This week Cam and I both ran our first 10K races.  I ran mine at the Calgary Corporate Challenge with my work colleagues.  We took the silver medal for the event, I can't believe it!  The first kilometer was equal parts terrifying and eerie: I was scared that I would get left in the dust immediately and it was so strange to have a perfectly quiet run with nearly 1000 people.  Very intense!  It was about 500 m into the run when I realized that I was breathing up in my throat and had to refocus on getting air down through my lungs.  Nerves!  The day was foggy and overcast when the race started but it quickly got sunny & humid!  I was WAY too hot in my long sleeved shirt - learnings for next time.  Which is funny, because when I crossed the finish line my only thought was "NEVER again!"  I think next year I'll give it a go again, and hopefully beat my time of 55 min 37 seconds!

 



 My colleague Jeff, who stayed back with me and made sure I didn't over-pace myself out of the race and talked me through the tough spots.  What a great team member!  He also offered me a nasty tasting sport gel pack that nearly made me lose my breakfast at the 8km mark!  Things to learn for next time! This is 9.5 km into the race and I am DYING!

 

Team TAQA, pre-race: Sean, Phil, me, Jody

 

 Cam's 10K route in Eau Claire.  Gorgeous day for a race.  200 runners in the CSPG race.  The kids and I grabbed a sandwich and ate in the park while we waited for Cam to come past.

 Go Cam, go!  The kids were so proud to see their dad running at his top speed.  Cam finished the course in 44 minutes!

 

Picking up after leaving off...

I guess that last bit of the 2012 school year was a doozy.  I didn't get much time to write, and the year just flew by.  I got better at packing lunches, finding library books (& remembering to get Chance to actually bring them to school), teaching Chance how to read and write, planning meals and even at taking the odd breather for myself.  I'm sure the job switch helped out a great deal, I moved away from my old company in June 2012 and started at a new place.  The energy level is different and the people are great. 

OK -- will try to sit down and write 1x a week from now on.  Really, really try. 

Recap photos from this spring: April - I love this photo -- Karin was caught colouring herself with a semi-permanent marker (thank goodness only her hands, not face, furniture or walls).  Chance FINALLY got to play T-ball, he was on the Yellow Leopards team. Cam signed up as a parent coach, so that was pretty cool for Chance.

 "I won't do this again.....for a little while!"

Very excited to go play ball.

Kindergarten Class

Kindergarten Afternoon Class -- my that was a fast year!!

Soccer Photos!

This year we got in on the Marda Loop Community Association's Peanuts Soccer League.  Chance was on Team Navy (teams were named for the colours of their shirts, other options were Team Light Blue, Team Green, Team Yellow, Team Orange, Team Red, and Team Chocolate (brown)).  Chance's team really gelled and their coaches were awesome, too bad he will be too old for this league next year!  The photos are a bit washed out, the scanner settings I think, will mess with it another time.