Monopoly Obsession!

      

For the last six months Nolan has been obsessed with Monopoly.  I didn’t realize how many versions of Monopoly were out there!  Nolan however knew and they were all on his Christmas list this year.  He now has M. Deal, M. City, M. U-Build, M. for DS, M. Junior (which he refuses to play anymore)  and traditional M.  Guess what we did over Christmas break…HOURS of Monopoly.   And his attention span never wavered.

I don’t think I have met a 7 year old that is so addicted.  When we won’t play with him, he will set-up the game and play all the players.  Any free time he has these days that is what he is doing or he’s playing M. on his DS.

Maybe he will be in Real Estate!   He definitely has the lingo down.  A couple of days ago at dinner Jeff and I were talking about paying off our mortgage here and options if we buy another house.  He jumped right into the conversation and began talking numbers….it was hilarious.

Anyone want to come over and play Monopoly with my son!  Don’t worry if you don’t know how he’ll teach you!

Plans are under way for a Monopoly Birthday party in March. 

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, How Yummy Are Your Branches!

Here's a fruit tree that I made for Nolan's class Christmas Party. Our item to bring was fruit. It is bsaically

Two Pineapple - one for base ... Cut a thin slice off at the bottom and turn it upside down to form a trunk...attach with two kaboob sticks.  One cut for star and to deco.

Approx. 50 kabob's. of strawberries, mandrine oranges, pineapple chunks and grapes stuck in at a slight angle.

*You could also use star fruit for the top...but I couldn't find one here at this time of year.

4 Year Old Sings Where Are You Christmas

Wishing you all LOTS OF LOVE IN YOUR HEARTS THIS CHRISTMAS

the Blakely's

Teachers Nightmare and Teachers Dream!





 I have one of each...here's an example from the Christmas concert...I'll let you decide which is which! The concert despite all was absolutely amazing(Nolan was really only showing off at the beginning)...we are so blessed to have such a talented Music Teacher and Primary Teachers that support her program. (250 children on stage at once!...grades K-5. And I thought 80 preschoolers was a lot!)



"Mom, is it skating day?" In hopes that I will say, YES!

Malaya in her new skating outfit (Christmas Gift)

Those are words I was beginning to think I would never hear from my daughters lips.  A year ago, even six months ago it wouldn't have happened.  Participating in any group activities where i wasn't involved meant tears hours prior, before, during and after. It was so hard to know if I should push harder,  push just a little or not push at all.  I tried it all! In June I was already beginning to dread kindergarten, anticpating the months it would take Malaya to settle in. Then one day this summer she just seemed to suddenly overcome her fears. While she is still the shy one in the group, at least there are no tears. It is so comforting to walk away and know that she is going to have a good time and then later ask me - Mom is it skating day? In hopes that I will say yes.

SLICE - REAL LIFE!

I don't know about you...but we haven't entered the PVR or TiVo era. I often find it frustrating that I have missed a program that I enjoy...there are so few these days it seems.  Last week I made a discovery!  I can watch some of my favorite shows online.  Check out your favorite network online...you never know.  A series I have really enjoyed the past couple year or so I’m not sure if it's on in the USA...here it's on a network  - SLICE.  The particular show I started on is called - Til Debt Do Us Part. And now her new series called “PRINCESS”.  I started watching it after one of my staff at the time told me it was his aunt that hosted the show "Gail" .

I found many of her tips to her "protégés" very useful.  Even down to how I divide up our kids allowance.  The premise is she takes couple or a single person and looks at the finances and debt.  She makes recommendations and issues challenges in how to help them form new budgets that work for their income and will help pay off any outstanding debt.

http://www.slice.ca/   Go to Video's and then choose a series on the left bar.

8 Wins Again!

H3 is under way and Nolan claims "8" for the third year in a row. It's the little things in life that make you smile! Note the Alexander Ovechkin (WA Capital's Player "8"- for those non-hockey fans like me!) shirt tuck on Nolan (right side)

As a mom when you first hold your little baby boy in your arms and you think...what will he be like as he grows, will he be quiet, funny, smart, athletic, musically talented or artistic.

Well...I can definitely attest to the athletic gen! Thank goodness for sports to help channel all that energy that comes along with that athletic gen.

A Tourist in Your Own Town...

We enjoy compamy so much.  It's often the only time we take to tour our own beautiful area. This fall my Aunt and Uncle from Iowa came for a week visit. We took them to Vancouver Island(Butchart Gardens), Stanley Park, Granville Island just to give them a taste of some of our beautiful gardens here and the places unique to Vancouver.  On the ferry over to Vancouver Island it was fitting for the whales to make an appearance.

For me it was a treat to just get to spend some one on one time with them.  I have such a large family that that doesn't happen very often!

Pie Crust in a Food Processor-MAGIC!

Thanks to this video I now make a lot more pies!  It's so simple.  I have a couple different recipes I have tried and they all work great in the food processor. Try it!

This fall one Sunday afternoon we went to a local farm and picked BLUEBERRIES, BLACK BERRIES and GREEN BEANS.  Blueberries are so delicious here and are grown on a lot of farms.  The next day I made about 6 pies! Yummy to pull out of the freezer.

Our Princess Turns 5

This is a poem I wrote shortly after we brought Malaya home five years ago today...I dug it out after not reading it for a couple of years and was amazed how all the details are still etched in my memory.

THE MOMENT

It was a Sunday morning at church.

July thirtieth, two thousand-five.

An ordinary day for the Blakely's.

A friend, Julie, gave me an email to read.

As I read tiny goose bumps covered my arms.

A baby girl- could it be, she was meant for me!

During the service I passed the e-mail to Jeff.

You need to read this.

Don’t ask me any questions, just read it.

My heart was wondering, would he feel the same?

Intently he read it, every line.  His first response was.

You need to call them; I hope we still have time!

That night I answered with a reply.

Not knowing what tomorrow would bring.

Monday went by, Tuesday went by. 

On Wednesday we couldn’t wait any longer.

Please tell us about this baby girl so small.

We think of her constantly and listen for your call.

A response came the next day, Thursday.

We’ve found a home for her, but thanks for your reply.

There are a few loose ends to tie-up.

We’ll let you know if anything changes.

But please consider another wait.

It had already been five years to date!

It was so hard to let thoughts of a baby girl go.

A little girl would have made our family complete.

We had tried four more times for another IVF child.

One week more and we would be entering # five.

With the doctors saying, give it one last try.

We knew another chunk of money, it would take to buy.

On Monday morning to my great surprise - an e-mail!

Baby A is again looking for a home.

The first family said it was not meant to be.

Please look at her profile. Let us know.

Instantly we answered, YES! No questions asked.

Goose bumps were back! Could it be, a baby girl, at last!

That night came the first phone call from Hope Services.

The director Lorne said he really felt,

You were meant to be in our home.

We scheduled a meeting for Wednesday.

Meanwhile, we were running to complete paperwork galore.

Counting the hours – feeling our hearts soar.

That Wednesday we meet the team.

They asked us many questions on parenting, life and love.

We told them our story of the hope for a family.

Then they told us of another couple.

Anxiously waiting in the wings.

We felt our hearts drop - filled with our hopes and dreams.

That night I e-mailed again

Giving them our plea - that already

You had taken such a piece of our hearts.

The next day came an e-mail with a list of reasons why.

This baby girl – we feel is meant to be

A part of your wonderful family

Now, so many questions, so little sleep.

When?  Where?  How long?

Do we tell Nolan?  Who do we call?

So few answers and now our hearts

A little more guarded wanting all to be complete

WHEN - this baby girl - will we meet?

Updating our home study was the major wait.

The social worker was away.

Then out of the blue on Saturday at 1:00pm.

We were late leaving for the beach.

A call from Ann (Hope) – Do you want to meet your baby girl?

How fast can you be here? We were out the door in a whirl!

The drive to Abbotsford was so long.

Can you believe it is finally here?

Two weeks of waiting and not knowing for sure.

At last we were at the door.

Then the MOMENT we saw your face, we knew,

You were God’s gift to us – you‘d found your place!

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique -Disney World

I'm no CAKE BOSS!

I recently retired from child care after 20 years.  I am so grateful to now be at home working for my family. Which means as a mom we cook it seems 3 times a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!  For me I find trying to add a creative edge to it or at least attemping new things keeps it interesting

My favorite channels these days are FOOD Network and TLC.  For educational purposes of coarse which makes it acceptable practice at 1pm in the afternoon!

I try and make a cake for each of my kids birthday's.  Malaya this year was the Princess/Butterfly cake. Here are a few of my favorite attempts at cake decorating etc (at least the ones I remembered to take a picture of).,,,but I'n no CAKE BOSS!  Maybe I need a commercial kitchen and a team of artists...

Firecrackers, Campfires and Firefly's

Summer is when my kids get their country life education! To me it's an essential part of how I want them to grow-up.  However as a parent it's always hard to see your kids try new and dangerous things...taking a step back and realizing that they must play with fire to learn that it's HOT!

This summer’s lessons included...

SCIENCE
-> What burns quickly and what burns instantly in a camp FIRE.

ART
-> Creating rings that glow with FIRE fly’s (better known as lightening bugs)

MATH
-> How many seconds before the FIRE cracker explodes.

This summer the kids spent about 6 weeks learning these lessons among many other things with their cousins.

Mom's New Chapter

It continues to amaze me how quickly your future can change.  In an instant an eagle takes flight and just as quickly a life can be taken away. Three years ago this summer Dad's journey here on earth ended when his plane crashed into a cornfield, having just buzzzed the family farm on the morning of July 4th.

Time has passed for mom: grandchildren have been born, her career has changed, new relationships have formed and she has left her home of 20 years. And on June 26, 2010 she married Steve Pope.  As her daughter I am so happy to see her find happiness with Steve and to have a new chapter to look forward too.

Congratulations Mom and Steve!

Life's A Beach! (if only)

After a week at Disney it was perfect timing to rent a condo on the beach.  The kids enjoyed taking part in the craft times and kids programs in the complex club-house. Jeff's Mom joined us for this week also. We stayed near Fort Myer...Sanibel Island.  Sanibel is famous for it's shells. Tracking the tides was the key to successful collecting. We also kept close track of the alligator that lived about 30 feet from our back door in the lagoon...that housed the little island the clubhouse sat on.  About 2 wks before we arrived his older 6 ft friend was removed as he was venturing a little to close to the BBQ's.

DISNEY 2010

Scott Debbie Melinda Jeff Lindsey Jacob Malaya Nolan

After promising our kids a trip to Disney World when they were 5 and 7 several years ago, the time finally came!  April was a perfect time to go.  It was as magical as everyone claims it to be!

Top Ten Disney Tips...that worked for us - or we will do next time!.
1. Have your friends have a physical before they go with you! So they don't end up in the ICU for most of your 7 day visit. (Sorry Scott I had to add that!)
2. Visit the Mom's Panel for tons of advice. disneyworldforum.disney.go.com
3. Use the meal plan.  The value is well worth it. Make dinner reservations months in advance. Purchase only adult meals for your quick service and share.  As they don't specifically say child or adult for quick service...save the extras for when you want an extra meal. (For instance some sit-downs require two points.)
4. Be prepared to take another weeks vacation after to really relax...you'll need it.
5. Staying on sight was worth the extra cost. Have groceries delivered at the beginning of your visit.
6. Make time to enjoy your own resort. You'll need the down time.
7. Learn all about FAST PASSES!
8. Take advantage of extra magic hours.
9. Bring a cheap stroller...even if your child is barely able to fit in it.  It holds all the bags, cameras and water bottles.  And you don’t have to worry about when you leave it to get in line.
10. Keep watching their site for specials…as they will apply them after your purchase. This saved us about $500.

                                           



Red Mitts - Everywhere you look!!

Olympics -VANCOUVER 2010. After 7 years of anticipation the Olympics have finally arrived. Traffic is re-routed, streets are shut down and the entire city is excited!  What an honour to host this historic event.  After this, our little peace of paradise will have been discovered. 

Nolan's hockey team was invited to play in Robinson Square (right in the hub of all the happenings) EARLY one morning and appeared on the morning local news station.

And how appropiate for me...the final Men's Hockey came down to Canada vs USA.

Red mitts were everywhere along with lots of other CANADA gear cheering on the host team.  The mitts however were the thing to have....people would line up for hours just to get a pair.  Lucky for us Aunty Sue found them.