just like christmas, there's one big gift

Friday morning, Henry's 3rd Birthday, was the beginning of a whole weekend of celebrations! Once we put the boys to bed on Thursday night, 8pm would find Mum in the kitchen baking number '2' and '3' cookies and Dad putting together their vintage toy kitchen. And 2 hours and 15 minutes later ... it was assembled! What a labour of love. And what a surprise for the boys - they loved it! A joint favorite was the half carton of eggs I found on Granville Island and so there was an immediate cooking up of eggs in the pan, in the oven, and in the hopes of actually being able to crack it open! Our playroom is looking alot more fun and inviting these days and I'm thankful for the new diversion of fresh toys to help with the impending indoor wintery days.

Yet 'nough of this fooling around ... tomorrow is Party Day so this Mumma had better get back to work!

happy 3rd birthday henry! we love you so much.

a sneak peek

Just a little peek into a few of the colorful and long overdue changes to our play room. The room which has basically been my desk and whatever toys were randomly being played with on the floor. The room that originally started out as our master bedroom, then our joint offices and craft room, to just my corner desk with an Ikea play tent, toys, toys, toys, and two mini armchairs for before-bed-movie-watching. Ugh ... so boring, so messy, so scattered, so just not pretty. Of course it was the motivation of the boys' birthdays this coming weekend to get me going on my long thought-of plans. Bringing in the big gift that Sam and I have for them plus all the other gifts from family and friends ... I needed this playroom to start to resemble the happy and colorful space I had envisioned. So step 1 ... first BIG step ... the photo collage is finally done. And I l-o-v-e it. Really, really love it.

Yay for me ... I still haven't done much to prepare for the party but it feels so, so good to get this project done!

the whole chambers family

To celebrate and commemorate my parents 40th wedding anniversary this July we decided to gift them with a professional photoshoot while we were all together in Osoyoos. No running back and forth with tripods this time, what a treat! Erika from Element Photography did a great job working with the hot evening sun and the 4 unwilling grandkids. Here are some of my favorites ... you may want to click on some of them to enlarge and view in greater detail. And I'm pretty sure these fabulous photos deserve some comments ... summer has been quiet for plum and posy comments so let's hear from some of you!

into the thirties now

a desert getaway

I can't forget to write about the last stage of our BC holidays last month, as it certainly was an important one! My parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in July and so we thought it was high time we planned a reunion as the four of us kids are scattered throughout Kelowna, Vancouver, Swift Current, and San Diego. An everyone visit has become somewhat of a rare event and my Mum is quick to tell us that all she ever wants as a gift is to have all of her babies home. Well "home" to their small townhouse in Kelowna has become rather tight quarters whenever a few of us visit at the same time so my Dad came up with the brilliant idea of really taking advantage of this summer reunion and staying at a resort instead. Thank you Dad!! So we were treated to 3 nights at the Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort in Osoyoos, with parents and the single brothers taking over one villa and the sisters, husbands and the 4 toddlers taking over the other. Perfect. We had meals together out on the terrace, golf, late night swims, watersliding for the kids, rattlesnake demonstrations, desert nature walks, lots of rock-throwing and chalk-drawing and bike-riding in our common courtyard, babysitting Grandparents, wine tasting, waterskiing, and, to top it all off, a professional family photoshoot on our last night to capture our family as it is now. It was a great way to end our holidays and an even better way to see my whole family instead of squished up together at Mum and Dad's. Pictures coming soon as well from our photoshoot ... they turned out beautifully!

thirty-eight

the very first of his first days

Today was a big day. Today Henry started school. Pre-Kindergarten for 4 afternoons a week, along with four of his friends in that class of 16 kids. We've been prepping for this since spring, tackling potty training in one weekend's fell swoop, learning to drink from a real cup and lately he's been practicing how to get his underwear and shorts back on. All those big things in life a 2 year old should learn. 'Cause if you master those, well, you just might be able to head off to school by yourself when you're not quite 3, wearing a new robot backpack. You know, all those little things in life a 2 year old finds exciting! And when I look back on his first day I'll want to remember that it was his backpack that made him the most happy in the beginning and then seeing the line of school buses at the end. He really loved it.

I was sure I wouldn't cry as it honestly hasn't bothered me a bit to have him head off to school ... I'm not worried about this transition ... and I'm happy to have a change in our routine, more activity for Henry and more alone time with Walter. So I was honestly surprised that as I drove away, to traverse those 7 blocks home, I burst into tears. It felt really wrong to drive away with only Walter in the back. And though I didn't miss Henry or worry about him I instead saw clearly what this stay-at-home gig was all about. Preparing my children for all these first days, where they are on their own and out of my protection. To realize that already at almost-3 we've reached this big milestone. I'm happy for that and yet I'm also a little bit sad and nostalgic. I was still a little weepy as I pulled into the garage and as I went behind to help Walter out of his seat he noticed my red, wet eyes. I kissed him happily and that sweet boy pulled me in for a real, pat-on-the-back comforting hug, pushing me away to look at my face and then hugged me tight again twice more. Chalk that up to one of my favorite motherhood moments to date, some much needed love and comfort from my tenderhearted boy.

Henry was unfazed by our separation when I picked him up, chirping out a quick hello as he climbed up and down the playground set. His teacher said he was so good and so very polite. Henry said he saw his friend Olivia, he liked his snack, and he wanted to come back again. Walter threw rocks on the slide and I stood there feeling happy with absolutely everything about this very first, First Day.

holidays = lots of friends and family