Double Digits

Last week, Mr. Man turned 10. 10! I think he will make a very good 10 year old.

He already has the video thing down. Including a must-needed-gotta-try-the-brand-new-game-before-bed session.

He celebrated turning 10 by playing lacrosse - his new found love. Who knew? This quiet, gentle boy loves lacrosse. His grandparents, aunt and cousin came out to cheer him on. It must have worked - his team tied the game - the first non-loss of the season. Go #12!

Fast forward a few days and one long list later to the ninja invasion.

Seriously. I wasn't joking. Ninjas. Five of them. Ready for some serious ninja training.

Foam swords=hours of fun. Hours.

In the land of ninjas, innocent balloons turn into water snakes.

That need to be taken out with ninja stars.

 And when the snakes are all gone. There is always another threat that comes along.

And when swords just won't do -  more weapons.

Tired ninjas taking a rest. On the roof of course.

Cake to eat.

Sushi to go.

Twelve!

Little Miss turned 12 on Valentines' Day. So hard to believe. She is growing up fast, but still ever so silly. Thank goodness!

Christmas 2012

We started by counting down the days. One day at a time.

Teeny-tiny boxes lined the window sill, marking off the days one at a time. For me the days rushed by, but I know the days moved slower for kidlywinks as they opened one box at a time, waiting and waiting.

The days rushed by until late one evening, past bedtime in fact, the tree went up. Chosen from the tree lot and lugged home in the van. Transformed with lights and ornaments new and old.

And always a reminder. A reminder of why we count the days - the anticipation of hope and peace wrapped up in a little baby. 

And come Christmas morning did at last. Christmas pyjamas opened on Christmas Eve and worn on Christmas morn. Pausing, much to Mr. Man's chagrin to take a photo by the tree.  

Gifts carefully chosen and wrapped were given to those we love. Unwrapped...

 ...and some enjoyed right away.

Two family Christmas dinners enjoyed by candlelight. 

The last of the sparkly decorations are now all packed away. 

November

November came and went. And so did my best intentions to post more regularly. This is it. A few blurry shots snapped with my phone to capture the everyday moments.

Days filled with basketball, homework, leaves and We Day. Days full of joy and some full of tears. 

Autumn

I love autumn. What a glorious time of year.






Yesterday morning bundled in a scarf and mitts, (but still no winter coat - hooray for that!) I walked over to pick up Little Miss from a friend's house.

The morning was bright with all it's glorious sunshine, the air crisp and the leaves. Oh, the leaves! Beautifully coloured. And falling, falling. All at once. The beauty of creation everywhere.

Today we went to the pumpkin patch. It's nothing fancy. Just pumpkins in a field. Simple. Real. Muddy. The kidlywinks pick out pumpkins for them to carve and one for Sneakers too. So fun choosing just the right ones.

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving!

Over the last couple of weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, my little family has been talking about being thankful. I love the changing seasons. And although I am sad to see summer go with all it's sweet, wonderful sunshine, it was time for a change. Time to focus on giving thanks.

That bright orange refuses to be ignored. Reminding me to give thanks. Insisting, really.  And I do have a lot to be thankful for. The paler repetition of give thanks over and over and over again in the background, whispers and urges me to be thankful for the little things, the day-to-day life, even for the things that aren't so welcomed. 

Inspired by this and above all, this.

Technically

Technically. It's a word Mr. Man uses. A lot. These days, most of his sentences begin with, "Well, technically...." And today I'm borrowing his favourite word. Technically, it's still summer. Even though the lazy days are gone, the kidlywinks are back to school and I've started a new job, it is still technically summer. For a few more days at least. So I can still say that I posted the summer snapshots  in summer. 

And what a fun summer it was! I didn't take an intentional break from blogging - it just happened. We were busy soaking up the sunshine and spending time with family and friends. It was a great summer. And when I look at these itty-bitty pictures, all the memories come flooding back: the cottage, NYC, hiking, making summer treats and the beach.