Happy Birthday Josh!

Happy big 4-0 to Josh! We had a great family dinner the weekend before the 26th to celebrate Josh's bday. It was great because Oma and Opa were also in town and could celebrate with us! It's widely known within our circle of friends, the story of Josh's 30th birthday. I won't go into details here, but what I mean to say is that I can hardly believe how much has changed in just 10 years. First of all, the 10 years have gone by in a flash and second how different our lives are. Anyway, so many awesome memories. I love you so much and I can't wait to go through the next, 10, 20, 30...years with you. Happy birthday babe!!! xoxo

Us, lately

Time is just flying by and though we've just been busy doing regular things around the house, I don't want there to be huge gaps in our blog and look back a few years from now and wonder what we were doing. So my apologies again for a mish-mash blog of random things. Here's what we've been up to lately.

We finally got around to painting the paper mache that we started back in the summer.

Oma showed the kids how to do her nails. Manicures for mama from the kids? Sign me up!!

Oma built some birdhouses with the kids and they had a great time painting them.

I found these chopsticks at Winner and Maddy was very excited to go home and have dinner "the chinese way".

 I know, almost 6 years later and this is the first time. I'm a bad Chinese mom!

This is how Ethan eats "the chinese way". Notice the fork on his plate.

Other things that have been filling up our days: 

• with the nicer weather, we've been going to the park more. We've even started walking to pick Ethan up from preschool and then walking home.
• birthday parties. Lots of birthday parties.
• swimming lesson. The kids still enjoy going and are doing well.
• playdates and going to the library   
• lots of cleaning and organizing around the house. I'm bringing home a lot of things from my classroom in preparation for leaving. There is so much stuff, that every week it seems like there's more to organize.
• getting ready for a few more furniture projects. I'm getting antsy and want to start soon. Will post later. Can't wait!

Some Milestones

This past weekend I was busy with reports so Josh took the kids to the park to enjoy the nice weather. The kids wanted to ride their bikes and so we decided that perhaps Maddy was ready to put the pedals on the bike. She's been much better at balancing and going down a slight incline with the balance bike, so on they went. When they got back, Maddy was just beaming because she figured it out. At first Josh needed to help her get started with a little push and she was able to pedal. Then when she got tired of waiting for Josh to help her (he was busy with Ethan) she managed start sometimes on her own. I was so excited for her that we went right back out and got some video. It was pretty amazing to know that the whole 'balance bike' thing really does work!

2013 so far

For some reason, I've been  putting off writing a new blog. Each time I pass by our site I'm reminded that I should update with a new post, but then remember how far behind I am, I put it off even more. Well I guess I've put it off for as long as I can, well that and it's time to start thinking about writing report cards again. Funny how procrastination from other undesirable activities can making another activity you once thought was 'undesirable' not so bad anymore.

Skating lessons: Part of the reason for our lack of time recently was that the kids have been enrolled in skating lessons. They run two times a week on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. During this time I get 30 mins. of bliss as both kids are in the same class. In the beginning I'd sit in the stands and just laugh to myself the whole time. It was so fun to watch them slipping and sliding all over the place. Now that they are more stable, I truly enjoy my 30 mins. of peace to read my book. The kids love the classes and I'm really pleased that Ethan is enjoying the classes so much. I think having his sister in the same class really helps a lot.

Visits from Oma and Opa: Shortly after we got back from Revelstoke, Oma and Opa came down to visit while on their way to Portland, OR. It was a great way to end the tears as we drove home from Revelstoke with the promise that we'd see Oma and Opa again in just a week's time. Josh and I even got a chance to go out for a date night on the second weekend they were in town.

Po Po's Birthday: 

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HA! I started writing the beginning of this post back in February some time. Even then it was hard to get into it because I felt so behind. Even the "I'm procrastinating from doing my report cards" wasn't enough of a pull to get me out of my blogger's writing block. Anyway, it's now or never so here's a recap just to get us up to date and back to where I can feel caught up.

Like I was saying, it was my mom's birthday in the beginning on February and then Josh's mom's birthday at the end of February. It really did feel like the month of February just zoomed by. The kids took another session of skating lessons and that kept us pretty busy because they are two days per week. They both loved it, but when I ask Ethan if he'd go without his sister, he says no. We are taking a break from skating for now. Just to slow down for a bit and hopefully get outside more since Spring is just around the corner.

We had quite a few birthday parties, the celebration of Chinese New Year, and Valentine's day in there too. We had to miss a few events here and there because of minor illnesses and 3 of us are just getting over some coughs/colds. We were spared the REALLY bad flus that were going around this season, so we were pretty lucky.

Ok, I'm done. Here are some pictures. I know this post is all over the place. I really just needed to get it done in order to move on. Everyone kept telling just to start a post and it didn't matter if there was a gap, but I couldn't do it.  My apologies for this horrible post.

 This picture is for Uncle Pascal. Thank you.

 

 At their first skating lesson.

 Year of the Snake Expo at BC Place. It was a bit of a dud. Lucky thing they had the rides.

 

 

Oma made so many toques that weekend. Ethan was putting orders in for all his stuffed animals.

 

 

 On the rides at the CNY celebration. The rides made up for everything. The kids LOVED going on them. Especially since the adult couldn't go on. 

This was Ethan's first rollercoaster. He was so happy.

 

 Happy Birthday Po Po. Always get big smiles right before cake.

 Making Valentines. Love the concentration.