Birthday Dinner at the Four Seasons!

 The dynamic duo having fun

 

Happy 8th Birthday Bruno!!!!!We love you!

Disco Bowling Birthday Party

We went Disco Bowling for Bruno's Birthday....lots of fun at a small bowling alley in our neighbourhood.  An easy, fun birthday!

Happy Birthday Bruno!

 My dear Bruno turned 8 this past week...how could he have been born 8 years ago?  

I got this great idea from the girls at Babyccino Kids and adapted it a little bit.  In our kids school, we are encouraged to share a treat with classmates on a child's birthday.

 I put fruit on skewers, and handed out a ring pop to each student.  It was a great hit and a healthy snack for the kids.

Here's the lovely Boo after an art class at 4Cats Art Studio which is opening next week in our neighbourhood.  I am very excited that we don't have to drive across town to take art classes!

Cousin's Birthday Bash

 Cousin Steven celebrated his 50th birthday last weekend; somehow, that doesn't seem so far away any more!  I remember when my dad turned 50....I was 10 years old and I thought he was so old!!!

 Here's Maximilian, nearly 10

 Mom, Auntie Carol, Steven, and Uncle George

 Grandma (Mom) always talking....and Auntie Carol

  Steven and I,  and his niece and my second cousin, Georgia

The Robertson boys... Leith, Evan, Oliver, and Anne and Steven

Cake Walk at the Carnival

 The Saint Francis of Assisi Carnival; a great day; we loved the cake walk; look at all these lovely cakes!!!

 Here's the Canuck Cake Bruno won at the Carnival; isn't it lovely?

I've never experienced a cake walk before; I think it is my favourite carnival event!

Bruno's Readers Theatre

Here is Bruno's class doing a rendition of Cinderella called "Spiderella".  Bruno was a narrator.....so cute!

Sports Day

One of the few nice days in May; Sports Day; lots of fun!

Snow still around...

Hard to believe that it is nearly June and there is lots of snow on the mountains.  It has been the coldest and wettest spring in over many years.  Here we are up Grouse Mountain at our annual general meeting for the ski club; we could have brought our skis!

House Rules

We live in a small home, and I am constantly looking for a new one; ever since we moved here 10 years ago.  I thought it would be our "first home", and then we would magically move to another.  
Well, the "another" home never happened (at least not yet!!!).   Kids, school fees, pets, and family life has taken us over, and in the process, doubling our mortgage became less interesting to us.  In the process, we have made small updates to our place.  Now, we are venturing on a bit bigger of a process...are we going to do some bigger updates (new kitchen and bathrooms, moving things around) and stay here a lot longer, or are we going to move?

Yesterday, the first day in my life....I have to admit; I became sentimental about our home and our neighbourhood.  The boys were born here, all their milestones have occurred here, and most importantly, they love their home.  They feel great attachment to this small place.  

And, it has taken 10 years, but I admit, I really love my neighbourhood.  It is close to everything, has a great park at the end of the street, the school is nearby, and we have great neighbours.  So, it will be an interesting process for all of us to see what Hearth Architectural has to suggest for possible options.

The Hardest Lessons

I have found raising two sons really easy. Both boys have gone through various stages of development smoothly.  There were no terrible twos or fussy babies.  Both have been a dream to parent.

However, having a dog has been the exact opposite.  It has been a huge struggle for me.  Not to love the dog, but to be a good dog owner.   I have had to admit many things:    I am totally out of my league, and I do not know what I am doing.  I have read lots of articles that often seem to contradict one another.   I have been confused.  I haven't followed through.  I don't understand the dog's behaviour.  I am continually asking myself, "why is he doing this?".  I have had this nagging feeling under my skin about the dog... "why is it so hard?".  On and on.  


And, it has made me empathize with parents who struggle with understanding their children.  Now, I am not comparing being a dog owner to being a parent, but I am empathizing with parents who don't understand the "lay of the land" so to speak.  That is me with Boris.


So now, I am on a mission.  I like to do things well.  I am learning to be with my dog.  I am taking it right back to having him learn how to walk properly with me on the leash.  It will be a lot of work, but I need to do this for me.  Hopefully I will learn a great deal along the way!  Thank you Dog Smart

 

Happy Mother's Day

My guys...they make me happy.  Thanks for all the fun and laughter!