One month to go

"I like to move it, move it!" That's Talia's theme song for the month. Just in case, you need help embedding those lyrics, Nate will help you in the following video clip from this spring.

Talia is just one month away from turning 1. She will walk with whomever or whatever will take her. She is starting to stand by herself very briefly and thinks it’s a hoot to squat down to pick things up or put things down.

She is LOVED by her brothers and squeals in delight when they walk in the room (or screams in self-defence depending on the moment).

Talia’s mischievous self has also grown this month! She is enamoured by phones (please, let this not be foreshadowing!), remotes, Buddy’s leash, and basically anything that seems important to someone in this family. She has also learned to climb and gives quite a cheeky, satisfied look whenever she masters a new height.

Talia loves Buddy too! He has a special gentleness for her and lets her "pet" him and show her affection. It's really sweet to hear her say "Uh-Dee" in trying to get his attention. She also seems to say "Daddy" and make an approximation of "Mama". It is clear she understands all of our names and likely it will only be a matter of time until she is calling each one of us. Much to the delight of her “mama” it looks like she will have a head full of curly hair (once it grows a bit of course). The little curl that is present doesn’t like to be photographed quite yet!

Pumpkin Patch

We visited Laity Pumpkin Patch on the weekend. The day was gloriously sunny and a perfect fall day. The kids loved the pumpkins, animals, tractor ride and corn maze. The fields of pumpkins were carefully scoured for 3 perfect ones for our steps.

Nate found an unruly large one that had to be left on the field for the next unsuspecting “gatherer”!

Jump the Sillies Out

This spring we picked up Brent's cousin's trampoline. The boys have not stopped bouncing since!

It was tricky to find a level spot on our property to put it, so Brent ended up building a few retaining walls with a nice level spot. We also invested in a safety net to keep our wild animals caged! We love the addition of a fun, enjoyable way to burn some extra energy. Mommy and Daddy let the secret out that they actually can jump too and are often highly requested as jumping partners. Maybe the family that jumps together stays together?!?

First Party Day

Jadon had his first 3 year old party day. The class marched in a little hesitant and coy, but they bravely stood there, smiled and even sang. So sweet. It will be interesting to see how the class grows over then next two years. We are enjoying Jadon’s opportunity to make his own friends and be his own person without the influence of big bro. It is also kind of fun listening to Nate recount his 3 year old class memories.

Talia is 10 months

Talia has accelerated the pace over this past month. She is much more content to be left on the floor as she can scoot wherever she needs to go, pull to stand and cruise along. Her brothers have "compassion" on her every now and then, escorting her where they think she might want to go (usually straight to mommy!). She has a new tooth, loves to eat most anything (that is not mushy), and babbles on as if she were talking to you. She copies our sounds and has us laughing daily.

Meadows Maze

We spent a lovely afternoon at Meadows Maze with our great friends "Aunty Lynda, Joelley and the Great Suzinni". The day started with rain which kept other visitors from the Maze. By the time we arrived, the rain had passed and the sun even made an appearance. The attraction has two highly complicated mazes (let's just say, we were thrilled to make it out without an escort or call for help, even if it was through the "entrance" versus the "exit"!). There were also several "rides" which the kids ensured we went on. One was a hayride pulled by a tractor. Another was a tractor disguised as a train pulling many "train" cars. The highlight for the children, (horror to the mothers although it did bring squealing laughter) was a "barrel" ride pulled by a quad (ATV). Oh my! The driver sped through the course over many, many bumps. The said "barrels" were not equipped with shocks and therefore the older bodies absorbed each jarred movement. Regardless of the upcoming chiropractic appointments and massages, this older body would still do it again. The children's laughter and frightened expressions made it completely worth it. There was also a long slide made extra slippery with grain sacks. Our little people enthusiastically climbed the hill repeatedly for the thrill of the ride. Another highlight was the petting zoo/farm where we could interact with the animals (if that is what you call wrestling goats to keep them in their pens!) We will not hesitate to make this an annual event. Thank you for the pleasant memories Lewis family! (And, for all the fabulous photos!)

We're in School!

The beginning of September brought new school experiences for both Nate and Jadon. Slowly they are sliding into their new schedules.

Nate entered afternoon Kindergarten at Rochester Elementary (roughly 1 km from our house - we know this

thanks to my sportband, Nike+!) He is in a French

Immersion class and so far loves it. Not that it didn't take some adjustment. Check-in day brought some anxiety and he did not want to join the

kids on the tapis, but eventually he did. The next day, we had a private interview with the teacher which was well recieved. As we were waiting to meet our teacher, we could hear other classes in session. Nate heard some children and adults speaking English. He said, "Hey Mom, those people are speaking English." I responded, without thinking, "Yes, they have both English and French classes here." Nate did not hesit

ate to tell me, "I want to be in the English class". Hmm, maybe shouldn't have broadened his horizons and left him thinking that all school was only taught in French. So far, however, he hasn't minded French one bit. We are starting to meet some new friends in the neighbourhood and also looking forward to the start of soccer season.

Jadon also started 3 year old preschool at Wind and Tide. He is very familiar with the routine from accompanying Nate to preschool over the past 2 years. He was a little unsure on his first day, choosing not to leave Mommy, Nate & Talia. During his next class, he donned some "brave" underwear and managed to march into class, wave good-bye to Mommy and stay the entire one hour class. We are now up to 2 hours with the whole class and still enjoying our independence. Jadon still likes to be escorted by Mommy into class, but is agreeable to being left. Can't believe how big & grownup these boys are getting!

Good thing Talia keeps reminding us just how little they started. She was exhausted with all the running back and forth between schools.

(After fighting with formatting for the past hour, I am just posting this with pictures out of order and text in all sorts of weird configurations. Any advice, fellow blogspot users? I know all of you are smart cookies though and can piece it all together!!!)