Signs of a Dinosaur OBSESSION

My little man loves Dinosaurs, this is how I know...

* Watches the same movie - Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaur over and over... multiple times a day if I'd let him. He asks so nice too... " Can I watch my friend Rudy on the Dinosaur movie"

* Knows the names of all the dinosaurs

* Growls like a dinosaur, and fights with his dad. He always asks permission to growl though, so that is nice.

* Prefers not to wear socks so you can see his "claws"- toenails. Then the other day refused to let me cut his fingernails because he prefers his claws sharp.

* He'll eat better if you tell him that T-Rex's love chicken, or that a certain meat is "Carrion" (spelling) -raw meat.

* Favorite T.V show- Dinosaur train, knows the species of dinosaur as well as their show name. Example- Buddy the T-Rex.

* Loves Drumheller and the Royal Tyrell Museum.

*Can find ANY dinosaur book available in the public library.

*Dinosaur Jammies, and sleeps with his dino figurines.

*Love anything that looks like it has a mouth- chip bag clips, tongs, bobby pins etc.

*Has dino puzzles that he can do all by himself. BJ bought him a 300 piece puzzle that he wants to try all the time. We've only made it once, and it took mom all afternoon.

* Dino magnets all over the fridge, a dinosaur lunchbox, dinosaur socks, dino underwear and a bunch of figurines.

* Was a dinosaur for halloween, and had a dinosaur themed birthday party. Next year he wants a Red T-Rex birthday party.

*Draws scary dinosaurs all the time with big sharp teeth.

We love him for his love of dinosaurs, I just wonder if this is a permanent phase, or if he'll move on this year. Maybe I have a future paleontologist in my house. However, yesterday at a doctors visit he wanted to try out some of the things in the doctors room, I told him he'd have to wait till he was a doctor to try them out... he seemed to think that was a good idea.

Teaching.

These last couple months I've had the opportunity to substitute teach a couple days. It has been so much fun being in the classroom again.

It took forever to get hired onto the Edmonton Public School Board, and I lucked out getting onto with the Blackgold School District (all about connections). Seriously from when I applied with EPSB to my first day in school had to be over a year. They didn't seem to be in the same hurry that I was to get me working.

It continues to be a frustrating experience hunting for available jobs... BJ and I spend out evenings on their website as well as on their phone system trying to find an opening... but it has all been a great/learning experience so far!

I definitely have to give a BIG THANKS to SH for being my best teaching buddy, and showing me the ropes, and even getting me my first big break. She has been so supportive, and has ALWAYS had my back no matter what. You are the best!!!

BJ has also been amazing, he's always thrilled for me to get out in the schools, and is just so amazing with WW when they spend the day together. He even gets up early to help search for last minute positions that are listed in the morning. He has always been my biggest fan though, encouraging my finishing school in the first place, helping me get all my applications together, interview prep (SH was a HUGE help with that too), and now helping me find work.

It's nice to now be an official teacher, and no longer have to go through the "what do you do?" questions with which I would reply " I have an education degree, but I work casually as a receptionist." I've always been happy to have finished my degree, and was proud of myself... but it feels great to be using my degree and LOVING it!!!

Christmas Craziness

We has such a wonderful Christmas this year. We are so lucky to have good families to spend time with.

Christmas Eve Eve, we started our day shoveling our mailbox sites. It is a struggle to get ourselves out there, and I'm pretty grumpy before we start, but it's a fun time BJ and I spend together. WW lucks out and gets to stay home with a sitter. This is our third year, and we love to spend the money we make each season a few times, but it's always nice to have some mad money! But it's always a gamble every year to see how much snow falls :)

Later that day we went out to Spruce Grove to watch their presentation of the nativity live. It was amazing to watch, and freezing cold but the spirit was so strong. It was great to do it with family too. BJ's brothers, their wives and the kids braved the cold with us, and then we all went back to H&M's for Thai food. I wish I had taken a picture of the meal. It was incredible!!!
The next day- Christmas Eve, we met up with BJ's siblings for tobogganing on a little hill in Ottewell. It was a chilly day, but we all started with happy faces, but the boy did not like the actual tobogganing part. He was a wreck!

Going down the hill with his auntie. She was having fun, WW not so much. I love these next couple pictures though. When we did finally take him home when he'd had enough, his poor little hands and feet were freezing... so maybe if we had gone on a warmer day he would have enjoyed himself a little more. The cousins and their parents had a great time though.

That night (Christmas Eve) was turkey dinner with the Fixsen's. It was delicious!

Christmas Day breakfast, stockings, presents and turkey dinner with the Mabey's

Boxing day turkey dinner with the Drever's. BJ's mom's family in Camrose.

It was a busy holiday with LOTS of food and late nights, but it was a wonderful Christmas with lots to be thankful for. We are definitely looking forward to the new year and the things it has in store for our little family.

Winter Fun

After that huge dump of snow last month, my boys found themselves outside for hours of snow fun. I was cleaning the house preparing to have some friends over the next day, but it was so sweet to just watch the two of them interact together outside. We can really notice a difference in WW when he has been cooped up for a while.. he says things like "where did your good listener go? " something I have to ask him sometimes. BJ is such an amazing hands on dad that WW and I are so lucky to have him around for days of fun like this was.

Throwing snowballs at momma.
This was our main Christmas tree, I was so excited to go and buy all new decorations this year for a nice grown up tree, but couldn't make up my mind. I decided I'd put on the stuff that I already had that I liked and go from there... I never ended up buying anything new because I thought it turned our pretty cute with the stuff we owned. Maybe I'll try again next year :)
We put this little tree up in WW room. It helped to get him to sleep in his own bed for the month because the lights were like a nightlight for him. He felt pretty special having his own tree.

Push ups

This is our buddy doing push ups with his daddy. He insists on not wearing clothes to do it, and he'll ask BJ to "count for him", and then WW will count for BJ. It is a cute little thing they do together. WW has really become quite specific on what he will wear and what he won't. He wants to wear pajamas all the time, and will specify a particular pair as well. I can get him into normal clothes when we leave the house, but as soon as he gets home the PJ's go right back on. I'm hoping it's a short lived phase.

December 1st!

It seems like I've been away from blogging for a few weeks, and sadly I really don't have much to update on.

Last month I started watching my sister's little guy for her a couple days a week. She had to go back to work part time after her maternity leave, and I couldn't imagine having my little nephew in the home of someone we didn't know. It has been fun to have him, and WW loves to have him here to play but I've had to keep one close eye on him and his new dinosaur tendensies... (biting and growling) JJ is the sweetest little guy and doesn't put up any fuss when he's dropped off. He eats like no other baby I've seen, and just goes down for a nap without any problem. He's nothing like my baby! :)

I also finally heard back from Edmonton Public schools... I can't even begin to tell you have slow that process was, but I should have my subbing package to me this week, and I'll be all set to be in the school this December! I am just so excited to be back in the classroom. I'm also so grateful to friends who are already employees of EPSB who are going to put my name on their school lists so I get some work. My sister is also going to be available on the days she is home to watch WW for me. It will hopefully be a good situation for us both!

I have a cousin from Ontario that I haven't seen in maybe 20ish years that just made the big move to Alberta. He is staying with my parents looking to start over and begin a career in Heavy Equipment Operation. We are praying hard for him to find something perfect that will make his move worth his while. I guess the work in Ontario is pretty sad, and the pay even worse, so hopefully he'll get on his feet here with the help of my parents. It's been neat to get to know him again, he looks so much like my dad it's funny. When I listen to his past situations it just makes me feel so blessed that my parents found the gospel and for the life I've had because of them.

A quick note about my sweet husband as well. I am so blessed to have him too! He is incredibly supportive and has always given me that push I needed to do bigger things with my life. He encouraged applying to the school boards, and we are so excited where that has taken us. He is also wonderful with my cousin, he's allowing him to use the truck when we aren't using it to help with the job hunt, and he just works so hard for our family. Last night as I went to go to bed I noticed he had made our bed and turned down the one corner on my side so it was all ready for me to get in... (he had to work last night) it was just the sweetest little gesture! I love him!

Our October!

We have had a great month this October, trying to keep busy and enjoy the end of the warm weather. We also had lots to look forward to with birthday parties and Halloween too.

We enrolled WW in a class at the library where we went for half an hour a week and heard stories and poems, sang songs and watched movies based on a particular theme for the week. It was fun to have a friend in the class too, GG, a friend from nursery was there too. These two loved to sit beside each other and when the movie started they would always share a cushion. One week GG put her arm around WW. It was very sweet.

We also enrolled WW in swimming lessons before the weather got too bad. It was an evening class so that BJ would be able to take him too. WW ended up enjoying his pool time with his dad much more than his mom. I would try to get him to do the actions stated in the song- which included a little water on his face and he would scramble up me crying trying to get out of the water. When BJ went WW was very happy to swim like a shark for him, and float like a starfish. I was happy to cheer from the sidelines and take pictures. Much less frustrating. I was happy when he passed the class even though he wouldn't do any of the necessary skills (blowing bubbles etc.) I just hope the next classes we put him in cure him of his big fear of the water on his face.

This one day WW missed a nap and fell alseep at my parents house mid-popcorn. He was chatting with my dad literally a second before he fell asleep. You could see him chewing to finish his mouth full. It was too cute a picture to leave out.
I worked a few shifts this month at the optometry clinic. We got BJ a new pair and while he was picking some out, WW picked some out too. He really wanted pink and purple ones but I convinced him that they were more for girls than boys. I just love how glasses look on little kids, but would never want that for my babies, unless necessary of course.
My little nephew JJ turned 1 this month, and we had a party for him at his Grandma J's house. It was great fun with a cute monkey theme. Anyone who knows my sister knows what a big camera/picture person she is. But as the party was starting she realized she had left the memory card at home for her one camera, the battery was dying on her second back up. So I took some pictures, but my battery died. Her father in law and my dad took pictures too, but the quality was brutal, my mom's camera ran out of card space. It was sad it turned out that way. At least we have some record of his big day!
The birthday boy.
We bought WW Halloween costume at least a month ago, and he's been wearing it since. So when Halloween finally came we were all ready and practiced with the "trick or treat". He had been pretty sick with the flu for the week and a half prior to Halloween, but his dad still made sure he got to carve a pumpkin etc. A shark if you can't tell.
We ended up taking WW into the UofA when he woke up one morning with a croup-like cough. He was forced to wear this mask, which didn't go well. I think he impressed all the doctors later when he was allowed to remove the mask, he was completely pleasant and answered all their questions. It was a long 10 days of staying in, and being germ paranoid so he didn't get any worse, but we were glad we did because he was able to enjoy Halloween with his cousins.
BJ and my dad brought all this styrofoam home in order to insulate our crawl space under our house a little better. there was quite a few larger pieces that wouldn't fit down the hole so while BJ was under the house putting up the little pieces WW and I were making a fort with the bigger ones. It is still in the middle of my living room.
WW dressed in his T-Rex costume, cousin JJ in his tigger costume.
SF, AH, CF and WW all dressed and ready for trick-or treating. Together at the annual Fixsen family Halloween get together.
Heading out to trick-or-treating with dad.
Scary face. I just love these boys so much!!!
I hope everyone had a happy Halloween, and a great October.