Insert interesting title HERE

So another childhood dream (for me) was fulfilled this week. My mom and I brought Claire and Madeline to a Charlotte Diamond concert. I listened to her music when I was growing up and recently have introduced it to the girls. When I saw on her website that she was coming to Edmonton, we made sure to get tickets. I was totally geeking out about the whole situation. Who would have thought that I would be in my twenties before seeing the likes of Sharon (no Lois) and Bram, Fred Penner and now Charlotte Diamond. Is Raffi still doing concerts? If so I should probably see him too.

10 Carrot Diamond Poster


Eagerly awaiting the concert.


I wanted a picture with Miss Claire and it only took about 15 attempts!


Front row seats. Thanks Claire! But honestly, wheelchair seating is always a gamble. You're either right in the front or way in the back. There doesn't seem to be much in between.


Yay for Charlotte!


Some anticipatory news to share. SONIC BOOM. We're going. We're going to have fun. WEEZER!

We (and when I say "we" I mean Ryan) have begun the Battle of the Lawn. So far, so good. Power raked (Thanks Trevor!), mowed, fertilized, watered and now a couple days of rain. It's all very promising. Updates to follow.

Also, we are hoping to build a small (but epic) deck off the dining room and are excited about the prospect. Again, updates to follow.

Maybe I should only blog about things that have actually happened instead of what will happen. Otherwise I won't have anything to write about in the future.

Claire's new wheelchair is in the works. The frame will be expanded, a new seat insert, lowered footrests, bigger wheels, etc. They're going to situate the seat so she'll be able to start pushing her wheels (a.k.a. self propulsion) someday. Luckily we have pretty good programs to help cover the costs. It's just a lot of paperwork.

We've had a few other comings and goings this past little while. We had our last CNIB music therapy class and are looking forward to the fun Spring/Summer activities that the CNIB always provides for the kids. I attended an Inclusion For Life workshop at GRIT which was quite encouraging. Two parents of older children who have taken the inclusion route spoke about their experiences and challenges and triumphs with their children who have disabilities. It's always good to hear that other people have done it and survived and been successful overall. Ryan just took part in an Etiquette Night with the youth at church where they had a fancy dinner and lessons on manners. He and his "boys" (as Maddie calls them) made a video of how NOT to act on dates, at dinner, etc. to show at the gala. It was quite funny. Also, another Parents Association Meeting for me. It's fun to be on a board like that.

Also, as a side note, you know you're getting old when your university calls you to ask for donations as an alumni. That happened to both Ryan and I this week.

It is lovely weather we are having. I certainly hope it stays zis mild.*

*I don't think I'll make it a habit to title all my blog posts using quotes from the media. But this one works. From The (ridiculous) Pink Panther

Since I'm not feeling very verbose, I think I'll let the picture speak for themselves on this post.

Claire's Birthday

The happy birthday girl!


Claire getting birthday bear hugs.


I can't believe she's 5 already!


Claire got a lovely new swing from the Laytons. We love it!


Ryan (a.k.a. Mr. Transitions Lenses) and I.


Claire blowing out her candle with the help of the wind.


Justin, Broc and Maddie on the trampoline while Natalie dutifully monitors the chaos.


Mom & Dad & the birthday girl.


Greg & Steph


Steph & Brandon


Val, Claire, Jacky & Angela chatting inside.


Dad, Rob and Mel enjoying the yummy food.


Maddie, Steph and Natalie


Three guys relaxing on the couch, in the style of Claire. For those of you who know her, she will often end up in this position. We call it her "laying on the beach" pose.



Little Bits

The only picture I could snap since Claire was in the middle of the pack for the whole ride. She looks a little uncomfortable here, but was doing quite well. Her and Babe make a good team.


Madeline and her friend Haldon at riding. They are so cute!



Miscellaneous

Claire likes to roll around on our big mat in the living room. I left her there for a few minutes and came back to find her stuck under the couch. So I had a good laugh, ran to grab the camera and then rescued her. I'm such a good parent.



Maddie got her first bike! Here's Daddy helping her get used to pushing the pedals.


Madeline's first ride!


This was Maddie at about 8am this morning. She couldn't wait to try out her bike again. She has been wearing her helmet nearly 24/7 since she got it.


Claire relaxing on the tramp while Maddie was on her bike.


In other non-picture-related news, Ryan and I had a fun date night, had yummy food, saw "Date Night" (hilarious by the way), and on the way home Ryan gave me a quick lesson on how to drive his motorbike. I drove it around the block, in first gear. I think I might be close to getting hooked. It was very, very fun and not as tippy as I had originally suspected it would be. However, he has now taken this to mean he has full license to purchase a new bike for himself, generously allowing me to use the white bike. We shall see.

A belated wish for Claire

Things Claire has taught our family:

Little things can produce big smiles.


Belly laughs are the best kind.


Road trips rock.


A fuzzy animal can be very therapeutic.


Sisters are the best.


Discovery is good.


Brushing tangled hair is the worst kind of torture.


Good music can solve any problem.


Patience is a virtue.


Doing things in a different way can be extra fun.


You should sleep whenever you feel like it, if you can.


Screaming will get you a lot of attention, especially in church.


Friendship can be found anywhere.


Being in the hot tub is the best part of going swimming.


A smile can fix everything.


You can have a lot of fun with simple things: spray parks on a hot day, bubbles, swings, etc.


Thanks Claire, for having patience with us as we learn, for bearing with us as we advocate for you and for bringing such love into our family.

Happy 5th Birthday Big Girl!

*I am a belated blogger since her birthday was yesterday April 14th*

You couldn't handle my undivided attention.*

*Just one of my recent favourite quotes by Dwight Schrute.

This has got to be some kind of record. I only blogged about a week ago. The only problem with doing entries often is that some weeks are less interesting than others. I will intersperse the real happenings of the week with false ones and see if you can tell the difference!

We had a few things of note happen lately. We had a lovely Easter Sunday out in Wetaskiwin with the Laytons. The girls love visiting and love being with Amigo and Leo, the resident pets. The weather was nice enough that they spent some time making chalk masterpieces on the front sidewalk, swinging on the swings and enjoying the rail-less deck that everyone loves so much. Good job Travis and Ryan! Ryan also found 8 boxes of memorabilia from his childhood/teenagehood and had fun sorting through all of his old treasures.

Also, Janet Jackson came over to our house to use the bathroom.

This is what holidays are really for, right?


We spent Easter Monday doing things together, playing outside, swimming (Madeline finally could show Daddy the new pool we love to go to - Millenium Place) and just relaxing before the week started again.

Here is the aftermath of swimming:


Drool...


Ryan taught me how to drive his motorbike.

We also had a visit from a special holiday character, although it was a little late. The "easter bunny" forgot to put the baskets out the night before so some sleight of hand was required to insert them in an inconspicuous place before anyone noticed.

Maddie discovering the baskets in the hall.


Madeline and her chocolate goodies.


I didn't eat any Easter candy!

Claire and her Easter basket.


We were able to go to a friend's baptism in which I was lucky enough to accompany the music (and an impromptu musical number!) and say a talk. I think I've said enough talks lately to last for several years.

I finished a book that had taken me almost a month to read. That's one of the longest stretches ever. It was a Stephen King book that someone recommended to me. I'm not a fan but thought I'd try it. Meh. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Probably since the cover is a big pool of blood I should have steered clear, but you never know. The only reason I finished it was because it became a personal challenge for myself to slog through it. I started a new one yesterday called The Mysterious Benedict Society. Although I'm only part-way through, I'd heartily recommend it to anyone. It's very fun.

Wednesday was garbage day! (I said this week had its highs and lows). Ryan also had a little accident while playing soccer at youth activities and sprained his ankle. He's slowly been recuperating and had to get it x-rayed - nothing was serious. His students made a big "Get well" poster for him and he's glad to finally be able to put weight on it and get back to work today. One of things he was most upset about? It's his shifting foot for the bike.

Claire got back into the swing of things today with horseback riding. You can tell that we're veterans at this now because I wasn't clicking pictures every 5 seconds. I didn't even bring the camera. But it was great to see old friends, to see how all the girls had grown and to see Claire's horse Babe again. What a steady old friend she is. :) Claire did well and had fun. Madeline spent the time getting as dirty and dusty as possible and playing make believe games with another rider's brother. One class last year they spent the entire time pretending to be garbage cans. It's quite fun to eavesdrop on their conversations.

I caught up on the episodes of The Office while cleaning our computer room. That's not really exciting, but it's fulfilling. I love sorting and organizing and rarely have the time to sit down and devote myself to a project of that magnitude.

The girls are having more fun playing together lately. Madeline loves to climb all over Claire's equipment so she can be a part of things.


Okay - did you catch all the false information? Here's a recap:
Janet Jackson using our bathroom. (I wish! Also, a small homage to The Goonies)
Ryan taught me how to drive his motorbike. (This isn't true, yet. But he is determined to try.)
I didn't eat any Easter candy! (Unfortunately, this is not true, but I was pretty good)

A catch-up, ketchup, catsup post

Gob: I believe I told you I was going to be off for the holidays. It's Spring Break.

From one of my favourite shows.

Ah Spring Break. You are almost over. Although I'm grateful for Ryan's holiday schedule as a teacher, it often feels like you're just settling into holiday mode and then you are thrust back into your regular schedule. I know you're probably thinking "Stop whining." So I will.

Here's what we've been up to lately:

We had a lovely visit from my cousin (technically my dad's cousin, so I don't know what that makes us officially) Dave and his wife Marla and their great kids. They stayed the night before Grandpa's funeral and although it was for a sad occasion, it was great to get to know them better. The funny thing is, growing up and attending family reunions, I always imagined that Dave was much older than me. Now that gap in age, whatever it may actually be, seems smaller. It's funny how that changes as you grow. It was nice to watch the kids play together and Ryan even gave rides on his motorbike for those who were willing and big enough to wear the helmet.

This was the best we could do for a group photo of the kids at the funeral. At least all of their bodies are in the same picture. You can't really ask for more with a group like that!


The funeral service for Grandpa was as good as a funeral can be. There were lots of touching, funny and poignant stories shared about his life and it gave us all a chance to say goodbye and to be with friends and family. I was fortunate to be able to accompany Reed's musical number and was glad to offer that as a way to honour Grandpa. I appreciate the tenor of LDS funerals. The focus on the eternities doesn't belittle the grief and pain of separation, but they are not overly despondent.

Moving on to the regular spin of our lives...

Ryan and I got out for two big events at Rexall - a hockey game and a Muse/Silversun Pickups concert. First, the hockey game we were able to attend because a parent of one of Ryan's students couldn't use his tickets and offered them to us. Thanks to ever-ready babysitters (Aunt Nat & Uncle Trav), we were able to go and had a blast. Neither of us had sat that close before and although the Oilers lost, it was an exciting and pretty close game with the Ducks. The best part of the night? Us on the Jumbotron! Yeah that's right. We cheered and smiled and waved like all the other crazy people on there.



Then the Muse concert with Rob. We got him tickets (and used it as an excuse for us to go too) for his birthday. The opening band was so-so, but Muse was great. Of course they put on a huge light/laser show, but they played all our favourite songs and sounded great. Despite 8 drunk men in front of us who all took turns going to the bathroom every 2 minutes, a crazy dancing lady in the aisle and a Nazi usher, the night was super fun. Even being crowded into a stuffed LRT car on the way home was fun.

Here are links to two of my favourite Muse songs in case you don't know them:

Supermassive Black Hole

Starlight


Rob and I waiting for Muse to start.


Ryan and I doing our classic self-portrait with the stage in the background.


Frickin laser beams.


I think I'm addicted to group fitness classes at Spa Lady. It's good to get that off my chest. Well, to be more specific, step classes and more recently, free weights/barbell classes. Ryan now teases me that I'm a bodybuilder in training. Yeah - I think I lifted 30 pounds at the heaviest so don't get the wrong idea. I also had a great brunch/shopping trip with Kathy, spoke in Church, did our taxes and have gotten to know a great lady that's working with the missionaries in our ward.

The girls have loved having Dad home everyday and he's taken them out to the park, to play in the backyard, invited their friends over to play, conducted dance parties and is probably ready to get back to work now. :)

Madeline got a fun present from Aunt Nat & Uncle Travis. Magic powder to have a princess gelly bath. If you click on the picture you can see the texture of the water after we added the powder. She stayed in there for such a long time. It was definitely a hit.


We had a lovely afternoon at Aunt Sheila's house today for her annual Easter party. Pictures were taken by others so I don't have any to share but both girls have a pile of Easter loot to show for their efforts and it is always good to spend time with family.

Madeline taking after her dad. It's finally biking weather again!