Raabe Staycation

May brings the annual Science 10 "Edventure" to Orlando. Brent has taken Best students (where he works) for the past 5 years. I have been able to join him for 3 of those years, but this year with a new little one (plus 3, honestly who is going to want to look after 3 little rascals for a whole week!) I stayed home. With Daddy being away and knowing all the fun he was having, we attempted to have our own mini vacation right in our own home. We went on expeditions of our own on the sky train and sea bus, toured the Aquarium, went to parks, rode our bikes, played at various indoor/outdoor playgrounds, ate at the golden arches likely too often, and had an indoor campout. I didn't pack the camera on our outings. Kind of figured navigating the crowds with 3 little people was likely enough action for me (and likely for those around us). Setting up the tent in the basement was a lot of fun and a big hit. We slept in there one night after having a movie night too. Tried to make smores in the microwave. We made it through one and then the boys requested just to eat marshmallows plain. The microwave adds a significant "chew" factor to a marshmallow! We tucked in to bed and finally fell asleep around 8:30ish (significantly later than a normal night, but quite expected for a camping night!). Morning came early around 5:30 (again, quite an authentic camping experience). The boys had a great sleep and so did Mommy (shh, don't tell, but I snuck out of the tent at 8:32 until about 4ish). Talia stayed tucked away in her crib as I couldn't think of a safe way to keep her from being trampled. She still seemed to enjoy her moment in the tent.

The boys also had treasured sleepovers at Grama and Grampa Raabe's, plus a special visit from Grandma and Grandpa Penner to keep them very entertained (with the side benefit of Mommy retaining a wee bit of sanity).

At the end of the week as I was tucking in the boys before Brent returned, Nate commented that he wished he could have stayed at Grama's from when Daddy left until when Daddy came back. Hmmm. I'm choosing to believe that he just really feels special and loved with his grandparents and was reminiscing from last year. I'm certain he had a really great week with Mommy too. Right!

Happy Half Birthday Talia

Wow! 6 months old! Talia recently started rolling from her back to her front. We were able to capture some of her new abilities. The beautiful afghan was knit for her by Grama Raabe so is extra special. As you can see, Jadon just can't get enough of his sister. Both boys LOVE her, but Jadon just can not leave her alone. Mostly very cute. Sometimes a bit too enthusiastic!

Talia also had her very first taste of rice cereal. She didn't necessarily love it, but was wanting in on the action. She gave a few smiles for her first experience with food.

Talia turns 5 months old

Our delightful young daughter keeps us smiling. This month she started to giggle in response to the boy's goofyness. Too cute. Of course, the camera is never handy when everyone is giggling away. One day. Her hand-eye coordination has developed so we have to be careful about what is within her reach. Recently she found her toes which seem to her to be a tasty snack. This little one seems eager to try food. Can't believe that next month I will likely be documenting her progress in that department!

Easter

We enjoyed several Easter celebrations this year. We had brunch with the Penners (even if we don't have pictures to prove it). Good Friday has become a traditional time to spend with the extended Raabe clan (again no pictures to prove it). It was a great time to catch up with family and sample (OK, overindulge in) Aunt Cheryl's amazing food. Easter Monday was spent in Tsawwassen (this time WITH the camera) celebrating Easter, family, and even some egg finding, swimming pool and tree climbing fun.

Having a little girl adds another element to Easter (although completely unrelated to anything about Easter). Bonnets, frilly dresses and tights. This year, a little sweater and bonnet was knit for Talia which was too adorable not to use for Easter. (Thanks Marsalie for the rest of the outfit!).

4 months old

Talia has been part of our family for 4 months already. She continues to bring us so much joy. Her smiles and giggles come more easily and completely delight all of us.

Grama gave these adorable little crocs to Talia as she knows how much the rest of the family enjoy wearing them. Sadly, they are quickly becoming snug.

Talia "breezed" through her 4 month immunization and check up with few tears and mostly smiles. She keeps growing at a steady rate and now weighs 13lbs 4 oz and is 23 3/4" long.

She has discovered her voice and loves to "sing", "talk", basically make noise. Nate especially loves to talk to her with the hopes that she will answer him. We have a few cute little videos that I can't seem to load. Maybe next month!?!

Talia at 3 months

Our little girl has blessed us with her life for 3 months already. Where has the time gone? Likely you will hear that every month! She continues to grow & develop & charm us. Her eyes are so bright, taking in all around her. She speaks volumes with her eyes, but has started to coo with her voice as well. So sweet to watch Nate especially talk to her and for her to respond. When Jadon was asked what she was saying, his response was, "She's saying 'ho, ho, ho', I think she was talking about Santa Claus." OK, so maybe a bit more literal than what was expected. The boys just love spending time with her and of course fight over who is closest, etc.

Talia is stretching her wakeful periods during the day and has gained much more control over her limbs. Her hands are either clasped or in her mouth, still her favourite "thing" to play with. Her smiles are becoming much more plentiful and easy. So many delightful moments which shamefully have not been captured on camera.

Olympic Fever

We caught Olympic Fever this week. Go Canada Go!

On Wednesday night our family attended the dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremonies to the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Olympic Games. Wow! What a show! The boys loved riding the sky train to the event and taking in all the sights along the way. We were all so excited to "launch" the Olympics. Sorry, no pictures of what we saw as that was not allowed. By now the secret is out and you too were able to see the amazing show. All the headliners performed on Wednesday and we were in awe. The athletes were not in attendance, but the stand-ins did a great job of filling in. BC Place was electric. The kids did well thanks to earlier naps. Nate, unfortunately, was overstimulated and not feeling well (as we found out later that night and the next day). He tried to watch despite also wanting to fall asleep. He talks fondly about the show now and seems to have the same great positive memories we all share.

On Thursday, the torch ran past our street. We simply walked out the door to the end of the lane and cheered. The boys weren't feeling terrific, but had enough energy to watch the torch continue on its journey. Of course, as I pulled out the camera to document the event, I realized I was out of battery. A nice young neighbour took our picture and e-mailed it to us later that day.

On Friday, the following week, we attended the Ice Dance, Compulsory Skating event with our family. We enjoyed some time in the crowds on Robson street, spotted the Mascots from afar and climbed many, many stairs to our seats to watch our skating event. The kids were all troopers and seemed to enjoy the experience even though they walked likely many kilometres.

You can see just how high we climbed to get this view of the ice dancers!
Brent and I went to the Czech/Slovakia hockey game. It was fantastic to be part of the Olympic experience, even if we didn't make it into any pavilions. Brent also managed to get in another hockey game (Germany/Finland) with our brother-in-law Vince. Many, many good memories.