A First Hospital Visit...

So I had my first experience with a bleeding child. Not that the kids have never injured themselves before, but never anything major that made me think "HMMM, maybe we'd better take you in." So Brody was playing with my hand weights. Don't ask me why. If you ask him, he says he's working out. And he put them on the Futon. Then he and Gracie were arguing over a Leapster game and Gracie wouldn't share so he had himself a little fit and smacked his head on the weight. I heard him screaming and I was about to get mad because Cooper was sleeping and he took his hand away from his face and there was blood. He must have hit it just right because it cut him but it didn't bruise. I phoned Daddy, not knowing if he would need stitches or not. It wasn't too bad, but it was gaping a bit. So we went to visit Dad at the Hospital and he glued the sucker together! So now Brody has a war wound...probably the first of many to come!

Top o' the mornin' to ya!

It's St. Patty's Day, may all the Luck o' the Irish be wi' ya! I love St. Patrick's Day. I think its fun to wear green and pinch those who don't! I also believe in Leprechauns, those sneaky little devils! Gracie had to build a Leprechaun trap for school, so Brody made one too. We thought we could catch one...but to no avail! The little pranksters got away and turned the milk GREEN! But they did leave us with some "Treasure" and a note to say try again next year! 

Gracie's First Ballgame!

It's Game Day! We signed Gracie up for Bobbysox Softball, which is an All Girl Softball league for ages 4 to 17. Its fast pitch, which I always thought would be cool to play but we didn't have it when I was a youngster. So, she's playing and she's so excited! The mini division (4-7years) plays coach pitch rules, everyone hits, everyone plays. Which is great. And they only play 3 innings or 1 hour, which ever comes first, which is even better because she doesn't have time to get bored. But she is so excited. Her Dad bought her cleats and a new glove and bat. And they have the cutest uniforms and even have to wear the helmets with the face guard which looks so funny on their tiny heads! But she seems to be enjoying it. I love to watch, but Brody is none too impressed that he can't play. Gracie keeps telling him that "Softball is for girls, not boys!" But he starts t-ball next month so hopefully that helps. Check out the video of her hitting:

Cooper's First Haircut!

We had to cut Cooper's hair last night. Its not long, but he has curly hair and he had these crazy little wings behind his ears and this crop of hair on the top that wouldn't stay put! Dustin wanted to cut it way back in December, but I told him he had to wait until the Grammas got to see the wings! So last night we cut it. He didn't like it, until Daddy gave him a cookie, but it looked much better after. Not soo fuzzy and crazy! And Grammas, don't worry, those curls are still there and he still has wings, but they are wings that Daddy can handle now! Such a handsome little boy!

Popcorn Popping...It's almost Spring!

I love Spring! Growing up in Southern Alberta, I did enjoy a good snow day in the winter. I love tobogganing and Christmas. I loved the huge drifts that would build up in the backyard that we would tunnel through and it does make me a little sad that my kids aren't enjoying that. But, even loving the snow fun, every time that Chinook ran through and the temperature warmed up and ever thing melted, it made you like "OOOH.....its almost Spring..."Even if Spring doesn't really hit until the middle of April, and the warmth the middle of May. But you still thought about it. Heck, I remember wearing shorts and a heavy sweater in March just because it hit 15 degrees outside. (I think it stormed that night!) But by Easter time every year, even with snow on the ground, you would still find traces of Spring popping up! I love Spring for that fact...it reminds you of a new start, that even though the Winter is long and cold, warmth is on the way!

I remember finding crocuses growing through the snow in the yard, or Mom's tulips starting to bloom by Easter, or finding the little fuzzy branches of the Pussy Willow tree. I remember feeling excited to see the robins, because they didn't show up until it got warm, so if they were there, Spring must be! So I love Spring, because it tells me that warmth and good times of Summer are almost here.

Now living in California, we don't really have Winter. Some native Californians would probably beg to differ, but I think of it more like a long Autumn. It does get cold, and yes it does snow in the mountains, but its not crazy 20 degrees below 0 cold, and the snow doesn't stay. 

And signs of Spring come extra early. In fact, alot of the trees that just finished losing their leaves are getting new buds again. Within a month it will be full blown green again! ( And I can wear shorts on a regular basis, no heavy sweater needed!) But there are still the signs of Spring that only come once a year that remind me...

Now I got a new camera as the old one went ca put. Its nothing fancy, but its fun, and I've been playing with it a bit, taking some weird shots of plants etc. because they don't move and they do as they are told! And Here are my takes on the Arrival of Spring. Including the Popcorn Tree! We have alot of tees that flower around us, and I love my neighbors Pink Tree, the blossoms are gorgeous and the leaves are purple after! I really liked the pics of the rose bush. It had just rained the night before and the drops just hung around the edges, it looked really neat. The picture of the leaf is yes, frost. We do get a little frost in the 'Winter'!