AND NOW HE'S OFF!!!!!

We had an awesome week camping. Food cooked over the fire always tastes WAY better. MMM mmm.

The racoons thought our food was really good too. We woke up one night to what we thought was a stray dog stealing our cookware. It turns out it was racoons raiding our garbage!!! It freaked the pants off me, but all was good.

The REALLY exciting news of the week was....

When Jason started riding a two-wheeler!!!!!

We spent the week next to two different families, both with bigger boys who could ride with two wheels. On the second last day there Jason came to me while I was washing dishes, and said, "Mom, I think I want to try and ride my bike without the training wheels." This made me very excited, as I had been trying to convince him for a couple of weeks. So, I thought Chris might be better at teaching him than I was, and asked him to give it a try. He removed the training wheels, took him to the top of a little hill, and Jason took off the FIRST try!!! We were all super excited. The people next to us, their kids, all of us were laughing and practically cheering for him. He kept saying over and over, "I found my balance today!!!"

So now he tells everyone that he sees that he can ride on two wheels. All he does is ride his bike now. Another milestone reached.

And we're off!

We're packed and ready to go! I have to go to work, then mass, then come home and pack the frozen foods, and we'll be hitting the road.

We're camping at Buffalo Pound this week, and we're very excited. There's a specific campground that we REALLY want, so we've got our fingers crossed that it will work out accordingly!

Talk to you all next week!!!

I found this idea on another blog, and thought it was a good idea. Besides Gillian informed me that she checks my blog everyday, and I thought I should make a more valiant effort to keep it updated. This was something I could do without attempting to be entertaining.

1. One book that changed your life:
As cheesy as this sounds I would have to say the Bible. Specifically, the Gospels, which showed me about Christ, his life, and how I should be living mine.

2. One book that you’ve read more than once:
I've read a few Maeve Binchy books more than once. The Janette Oke Love Comes Softly series. There are a number of novels, really.

3. One book you’d want on a desert island:
Christ is My Life by Fr. Marciel Maciel. Or the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

4. One book that made you laugh:
I used to have Answers, Now I have Kids by Phil Callaway.

5. One book that made you cry:
I remember crying uncontrollably when I read Where the Red Fern Grows in Grade 7.

My Sergei: A Love Story made me cry just as hard in Grade 10.

6. One book that you wish had been written:
The user/training manual for my kids. (and my husband--tee hee)

7. One book that you wish had never been written:
There are a lot of damaging books out there. Off the top of my head I can't think of any that have negatively affected me in a direct way. There were a lot of wacky "Christian" books that I read in University that could have done damage, had I not been under the guidance of a good spiritual director.

8. One book you’re currently reading:
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read:
Kimberly Hahn's book on Homeschooling. I think part of the reason I didn't, is because I'm afraid of being convicted to the point of actually carrying through with my already nagging ideas.

10. Book that you bought but haven’t read:
The Dolorous Passion of Christ. I just couldn't get into it.

It's been a rough few days in mommy-land. The kids and I are at each other's throats constantly. We're all hot and tired. Jonah is cutting FIVE teeth, and I'm feeling pretty much as close to worn out as it gets. It's one of those weeks where I wonder what I've gotten myself into, and seriously doubt my vocation to marriage and motherhood. Therefore, I thought I would devote this blog to my family. I'll share a little bit about why I love each of them, and why they ARE so worth it. Hopefully this will recharge my battery a little bit, and give me the push to see things the way I would usually see them.

1. CHRIS:
I am so thankful for the devotion that he has to physically taking care of his family. I know that our needs and even just some of our wants are taken care of, and that is very comforting. It makes me so happy that I've been given the opportunity to stay home with my kids, and that I'm the one here to experience it all, the good and the bad. I also love his sense of humour. There are few people that can make me laugh the way he can, and I can't wait to spend our week at the lake!!!!!!!

2. JASON
I love Jason's ability to play. He spends hours flying action toys around the house, building lego, playing Spy Kids or Shark Boy and Lava girl. He can make a toy out of anything. When he was three his favourite toy for months was a peice of rope left over from building his swings. He used it to pull things, climb on things, swing around, and tie things together for hours and hours.
I'm also VERY proud of his devotion to his brother and sister. Although he and Mary have newly discovered a different side to their relationship, which mostly consists of screaming at each other several times an hour, they have been best friends since Mary was old enough to know who he was. The two of them are inseparable. He adores Jonah, and even when he is being sat on (or beat on) by his baby brother Jason just says, "Nice hugs, Jo Jo. Nice hugs." It's very cute.

3. MARY
Mary is incredibly artistic. Six monthsago, whenever she disappeared I was worried, because she was usually smearing lipstick on the carept, or something equally destructive. Now, I'll get worried, and start searching for her, and I'll find her quietly colouring at her desk. She spends hours colouring in colouring books, or drawing pictures freehand. She's actually quite talented for a three-year-old.
She is so devoted to Jason that it amazes me. I truly think she would give him the shirt off her back if he asked her for it. I think that we're going to have a pretty sad girl on the days that Jason goes to school. Hopefully, this will be her chance to build a better relationship with Jonah.
She has also recently started riding a "big girl bike" with training wheels, and caught on the FIRST time she tried! It's so crazy to see her out there riding up and down the street. She's incredibly athletic. One day early in the summer, Chris took them to the park and she ran two times around the track bare foot. Which is about 1.5 km.

4. JONAH
Jonah is my sweetheart. He is such a mama's boy, which can be at times trying (like when I'm trying to leave him with a sitter or his dad), but generally he is the fuel that keeps me going. He showers me with such love that I remember that it is always worth it.
I always love his sense of adventure. Usually he runs for the backstairs the minute he hears the door opening, so he can be outside exploring. Driving his Little Tikes car, or pushing his lawn mower, or playing in the sand box. He just LOVES to be outside, which is nice, because we get a lot of one on one time during our early morning walks. Jonah is an early riser (which has been a huge adjustment, because the other two aren't.) So, for the sake of allowing the rest of the family to sleep, Jo and I go on a big walk every morning, which we both love.
He's also 100% boy. I always joke that his guardian angels must sink down in exhaustion at the end of the day and say "Thank God he's asleep." At any given time in the day he can be found climbing, jumping, wrestling, or falling. Life is only peaceful while he's asleep!