New things

You know it's bad when your mom tells you that you haven't posted since March!  And I don't have any excuses besides a wee bit of apathy towards writing at the moment.  Nothing major, just an "I don't feel like it" attitude that has been getting in the way and blogger being a pain.  I'm thinking of switching hosts, but want to be sure before I change everything.  Anyhow...

Guess what I've gone and done.  Go on, guess!  If you said something to do with fabric or yarn or books or music, you're wrong.  It is something sporty.  Something outdoorsy.  Something it would be hard imagining a woman with an extra fifty pounds doing.  Can't guess?  I've started training to run a half marathon.  Yup.  I can hardly believe it myself!  Not that I'm anti-running or anything, just that it's been 15 years or more since I last laced up my sneakers.  And I've never done it for twelve miles.  That's over twenty km!  The worst part about it is that I managed to hurt my foot after the first training run.  So now I'm laid up for a bit while I heal and everyone else in the course (yes, it's a college course) goes on with training.  I have to say that I loved it and am more than a little frustrated at this setback.

And just in case you think I haven't been sewing or knitting, I have.  In fact, I knitted most of a sweater and then had to unravel the front because my tension changed somewhere and the front was a good six inches longer than the back.  Things to remember the next time I take on a project!  I also have a quilt on the go and a dress that is waiting for me to do a few adjustments to it.  I'll get pictures when I can find my camera again  (I really have no idea how it gets lost so often!).

Before I go, I'll leave you with some child humour.  The setting: the supper table.

Me:  So what did you boys do at recess today?

Caleb:  I played soccer.

Ethan:  I chased girls.

Me:  You chased girls?

Ethan (smiling shyly now):  Yeah.

Me:  What did you do when you caught them?

Ethan:  I let them chase me!

Thanks a lot, Dan and Joce!

I hadn't laughed this much for a long time.  Nothing like a little game of "Twister" to get the giggles started!  I can't even believe I'm showing a picture of my behind.  Oh well, nothing like a little humiliation to jump-start a New Year's resolution!  By the way, Luke called me a dork for blogging this.  I just thought it was too funny to keep to ourselves!  And yes, there are four of us on the mat.  You can just see an extra leg.  Apparently, Caleb is reeeally flexible! (Thanks for the great Christmas present Dan and Joce!)

Wrapping things up

I'm getting a little bored regaling you with holiday stories, so I'm going to end off with a quick recap. After Revelstoke we ended up in Salmon Arm for some water skiing and sitting by the lake. We then travelled down to Kelowna for a family reunion that was a lot of fun. So nice to see my cousins and uncles and aunts and my grandma! Also very hot there - we sure used that air conditioner in the trailer. As per family rules, we did the required go-cart racing. I was second over all the cousins, and quite proud of that. Luke didn't count as a cousin, he competed in the highly professional uncle division and came so close to the top! After Kelowna we drove to Calgary/Okotoks for some visiting of friends and family. We then went to Edmonton for a day of West Edmonton Mall fun (the kids all agreed that this was the best part of vacation!). Rides, waterslides - can life get better than this? We then wound our way home a few days early because I was starting to get a little homesick.

The next week, Caleb went to camp for the very first time. So scary for me! Luckily our church was in charge of the cooking for that week, so I spent a day out there in the kitchen and made sure he was doing OK. After that week, the days have been spent in summer-like pasttimes. Swimming lessons, pickle making, drag race watching, etc. Now I'm all caught up! Hopefully I'll have something current to share with you next time.

In the summertime ...

It has been a good couple of weeks here in the Willms' household. Grandma came from Manitoba to visit her grandsons. It was heaven on earth for Titus. Someone who would play with him while the boys were at school and Mommy was busy doing Mommy things. All day there were dinky car races, Uno games, colouring, reading ... oh, the bliss! Grace left early Monday morning before the kids got up. Titus was OK until he decided to go wake Grandma up. When I explained that she had gone home, he was inconsolable for a good while. Poor little guy!

Now we are into the heady days of summer when all we have to do is go camping, eat s'mores (it took a hands-on lesson from Jim and Heather for me to figure out all the logistics), and do crafts. One thing to get used to are the boys home from school. As I write, Ethan is reading over my shoulder and correcting my grammar! Not bad for a grade one graduate, I say. Other things we plan to do - watch some car races, play more golf, ride the bikes, have a water fight, and go on some boyish adventures. Our vacation is less than a week away and everyone is looking forward to it. It ought to be a blast of laughs going with these three goofy guys!

Sickness

Remember when I spouted the drivel that my cold was the "best bad cold ever"? I'm sure you could see the writing on the wall. Well, "best bad cold" turned into "most miserable long cold" that I've had to deal with in quite a long time. It was sooo bad that I stood up in the middle of movie night with Luke and went to bed, groaning and holding my head and being generally the biggest baby ever. Of course, now I'm all better and the memories are fading fast, but at the time it was not good. I couldn't even knit! Or read!!! Thank goodness no one else in the house seems to have caught it. Which, in and of itself, is rather remarkable since I touched most everything they ate, wore, and slept in.

Well, this weekend was good since Luke was home and I was feeling exponentially better every day after Friday. We had a campfire behind the house and roasted weiners and marshmallows (does anyone know how to make s'mores?). We flew a new dragon kite that I picked up in Costco and managed to get it caught in some power lines (very embarrassing for us adults). We went out after church to a brunch buffet and stuffed ourselves silly. We went swimming. And then, on Monday, we painted the kitchen. It was a beautiful (to me) orange, but Luke was not liking it. Apparantly it reminded him of A&W. So now it is a kind of yellow called Sahara. It is really nice. I wish I had pictures for all the fun stuff we did, but I managed to forget the camera, or forgot to take pictures. Sorry! Next time, I promise!

spring has sprung

The grass is green.The jackets have been put away.
Bikes and balls have come out to play.

Isn't spring marvelous?

Getting older, wiser, and more mature

OK, maybe not the wiser and more mature part, but I am getting older. In fact, I had a birthday last Sunday and turned 31 years of age. Or, as my Uncle Bob would say, I am now in my 32nd year. It was a good day - no cooking for me! After church we went to Uncle Jack and Auntie Cheryl's house for some yummy BBQ fish (with burgers on the side for the boys) and raspberry shortcake. Mmmm. And then we were off to my parents for faspa and chocolate cake. Luke (the brother, not the husband) was up from the endless prairie of Saskatchewan, unfortunately without his bride (we missed you Lindy!). Eric came after work with a beautifully pregnant Jana. Even my cuz, Keri, showed up. Of course, we couldn't stay too long since we had two children who came down with fevers during the course of the day. Yep, the neverending merry-go-round of illness struck again. Last week was Ethan, and he managed to pass it on to Caleb and Titus this week. Sorry, no pics!

On Monday, Heather picked me up for a little birthday shopping without the kids. Do you know how long it's been since I tried something on in a dressing room without a small child trying to open the door whilst I am in a state of undress? We then went out to Earl's for supper.

Of course, a birthday isn't a birthday without a present. Let me just say, my life is now complete.

A February Birthday

Today is Caleb's birthday. Already eight years old. Where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday that he had turned one and refused to let me feed him - had to do it all himself. At one! And the word no sent him into a torrent of tears. He felt so sorry, or so guilty, or so sad to disappoint. Always sensitive to those around him, trying to make them feel happy or good about themselves (well, maybe not always, brothers can be fairly annoying). He could swing a golf club like a seasoned pro at one and a half, and his first word was ball. Not mom, not dad, but ball.

We aren't having the party today, but Thursday due to a lack of planning on my part. What with two hockey tournaments and quilts to get ready for each of them, plus trophies to organize and a demanding three-year-old to accommodate, the invitations didn't get done. Then I tried phoning everyone, but most people had their numbers unlisted. Caleb seems OK with it, though. When Luke gets home tonight, we'll give him his present - a road hockey net and two games for his Nintendo 64.

One other thing, Caleb doesn't want a cake for his birthday party. He wants apple pie. Don't know how that'll go over with his friends, but I love it for being so unique! He is definitely his own little person.

Another snow day

It's not actually snowing outside and the wind has calmed down, but buses were shut down again so my cuties got to stay home for the second day in a row. They are outside playing in the fritzing cold - nothing I could say would dissuade them. They were bound and determined to shovel something. I don't know what it is about shovels, but my boys love, love, love them. We had to buy new ones for them this year because their old ones broke from hard usage.

Here are the boys inside their quinsey (??) that Luke helped them build on his days off. You make a big pile of snow and let it sit overnight, then shovel out the inside the next day. Voila, a quinsey. I was all for making an igloo, but due to his vastly superior snow building knowledge and the fact that he would do most of the work, Luke's plans won out. I have to admit, it was a lot less work than piling big blocks of snow, and seems sturdier. By the way, that girl is the daughter of the people who bought our Tahoe, and she was just beautiful. Those kids played together for a good hour and Caleb and Ethan were entranced.

Winter wonderland

Yes, this is another tobogganing hill. Only this time, Luke and I refrained and let the kids have their fun. Titus has been going down the hill by himself and tends to get more than the usual amount of snow in his face, which makes for a lot of drama. Of course, Caleb and Ethan are consumed with hitting all the jumps and getting the most air. The strategies they come up with! Christmas holidays combined with loads of snow have made sledding a part of our daily lives. If it isn't at the hill, it is on the piles of snow in front of our house. The boys are sure making up for last year when conditions weren't quite as perfect! I even drove a snowmobile for the first time since before I got married.

Christmas was a lot of fun! The two older boys got remote control trucks that are still only when the batteries need recharging. Titus seems thrilled with his semi and loader. I got Luke a Home Theater subscription and I got (drum roll, everybody) ... an Ipod! I've spent the last four days fooling around with it, loading on my music and podcasts and sermons (don't laugh). It's the perfect gift. I am not one who likes housework, as my husband can attest to, but a distraction sure makes the work go fast. This is probably a gift for both of us, come to think of it. What a sneaky man!

You know you're old when ...

Remember standing at the top of a snowy hill as a kid? Picking just the right place to launch your sled, waiting for the path to clear, feeling that rush of adrenaline just before pushing off. Eyelashes frozen together, snow down your pants, and the knowledge that you had absolutely no control over where you were going made it one of the most exhilarating experiences of your young life. I remember the feeling all too well, as my antics today can attest too.

It really wasn't all my fault. My husband seemed to remember it the same way I did. And with three young boys clearly thrilled at the prospect of going sledding on a REAL hill and not just the snow pile in the front yard, my fate was sealed.

It's called Suicide Hill. But we looked out at the people on the hill and thought it was looked appropriate for our family. The first few runs were quite tame, in fact. Besides the fact I had to pull a three-year-old on a sled up the hill, it was just perfect. The two older boys were enjoying themselves on their GT Snowracers and Titus was having a blast going down first with me, then with Luke, and then by himself. Then Caleb decided to switch things up and took one of the plastic sleds Titus had been using. Our runs were shifting slightly left of where we had been and we were finding ourselves in teenager territory. And then Luke saw The Run.

Caleb didn't need much encouragement. Taking one of the plastic sleds he ran the gauntlet of four jumps with only minimal difficulty. Ethan needed a bit more prodding but he made it down- if not stylishly, then at least in one piece. Luke was next in line, since Titus and I were prudently sledding down beside The Run but not on it. Taking one of the GTs, he placed his feet on the skids and crouched over it, standing but with his hands on the steering wheel. After the first jump he made the realization that he was going too fast and bailed. It was quite a sight - the Abominable Snowman slowly got up as the snow settled around him. I might have even giggled a little.

After that it was all about The Run. Different strategy, point of entry, and technique came into play. I watched many a person attempt The Run with varying results of success and failure. Finally, the sledding time was coming to a close. We sent Titus down the hill on the GT by himself for the first time and watched as he barely missed the jumps and came this close to running into a crowd of kids gathered at the bottom. Realizing he wouldn't be able to climb the hill with the GT himself I looked around and saw the second GT just waiting for me. I walked towards it and saw that my dear hubby had the same idea.

"You get on the front and steer, I'll climb on behind you," he said.
"Are you sure? It looks, well, I just don't want to get hurt," I replied.
"We're not going to go over any jumps, we're not even that close to The Run. Don't wuss out on me," he countered.
"Well, OK."

It went great. We flew by the jumps on The Run but didn't hit any and I was starting to think we were home free until..

"Oh, no!" I screamed. "Watch out!"

Luke jumped off just before we hit it, but managed a spectacular wipe out nonetheless. I was not quite as quick and as I soared through the air I remember thinking "I knew this wasn't a good idea!" Then I hit snow and tumbled head over heels for an impressive distance before sliding to a very cold and wet stop face down beside the GT.

I am now at home, sitting on my couch and nursing a swollen knee. My husband is beside me with a tailbone so sore that sitting isn't necessarily an option. The moral of this little story? Remembering sledding is one thing, reliving it is another.

"Have you received my e-mail yet?"

"Um, yeah, thanks!" I grimace on the phone. "Sorry I haven't written back."

"That's OK."

Awkward silence.

"Well, um, next time I'm on the computer I'll make sure to send you something."

"Great! I'd love that! I sure love to hear about my grandkids."

Phone conversation ends.

Next week...

"Have you received my e-mail this week?"

"Um, yeah, thanks!" I grimace on the phone. "Sorry I haven't written back."

Repeat ad nauseum.

That is the reason I am starting this blog. This is for you, Grandma! And the rest of the clan who live far, far away, but mainly for Grandma.

Anyway...

Here's a picture of the whole family on a day trip to Dinosaur Lake in BC. Was it ever cool. My uncle has a riverboat and we, along with Mom and Dad, went the length of the lake from the dam on the lower end up to the Hudson Hope dam. There were eagles, rocks crumbling from the cliffs into the water, and the occasional deer on the rock face. The boys were in outdoorsy heaven. Uncle B took us to a neat little island in the middle of the lake that we roamed for a bit. That's where we took this picture, on this cool dead tree that was perfect for climbing all over. We even woke little T up for the picture (apparently a riverboat is very lulling to an almost three-year-old) which is always an iffy deal. You never know what you're going to get, sunshine or rain.

Well, I'll be back. Maybe with some stories. Maybe some pictures. Maybe stories + pictures. With the occasional thing that I may have made, just because I'm always astounded when I finish something (I'm a big procrastinator, hence the whole telephone conversation thing). So, later!