Halloween 2008

Today we are still feeling the effects of Halloween. The kids want to eat nothing but candy and are bugging for it all day long. I enjoy Halloween, but will be glad when the candy is gone! I hate to be a scredge about the holiday I just hate to see the kids eating soo much crap! All that artifical colour and flavour is making me cringe... (sorry, venting a little!)

Anyway, Friday the kids were very excited about the day. Off to school they went with their costumes. I met them there later to see the students in the school dress up then meet in the gym to show off their costumes. It's always very cute and funny. Travis dressed up the same as last year, a guy dressed in black, Kaitlin was a ballerina, Dawson was a turtle and Kortney a monkey. They were into the candy before we even started trick or treating. They each had a small bag full from school. Then out to the neighbours we went to collect some more. Travis was determined to go out with friends this year and experience trick or treating in a town. Dan wasn't thrilled since Halloween night for us is going to neighbours, friends and family and having a small visit with each one. Not going to strangers houses. I explained to Travis that in town people only give a couple treats since there are so many kids. Where in the country people give out little bag fulls of stuff. Travis ended up going out to Clinton and didn't end up with much more then the other kids. He did have fun though experiencing some freedom. All the kids got too much candy though! They did have tons of fun. Dawson was thrilled and loved the whole night. The highlight for Kortney was the dogs at each house we went to. She had to know what there name was and wanted to pet each one. She had to hold the odd cat too. Kaitlin was just thrilled to get lots of candy.

This is Kaitlin and her best friend Ashlyn at school. Ashly is a witch dressed in black so it's really hard to see.

The three of them before we left.

This is Nick, Travis and Wes at the school. Travis is under the hood!

This is Dawson's class before the parade.

Now, onto the next holiday...Christmas. I'm always glad to see Halloween done and over with so I can get started decorating and planning for Christmas. Yes it is a little ways away, but once that first true snow fall comes I'm in the mood for the season to start! Can't wait!!

More pics from the weekend!

The boys in trees.
Kaitlin
The snake...it's a little hard to see, look close!
Another snake picture.
Kortney looking at the snake.

This weekend

This weekend has just flown by.
Friday after school, Travis had Wes and Nick come for a sleepover. Nick brought his Wii so that entertained the kids all night. Sat morning I dropped off the three boys at a babysitters course in Goderich. Yes, how weird is it that Travis will soon be able to babysit. The boys have been planning who they want to babysit for and the money they can make.....For now I'm just wanting Travis to eventually be able to look after his siblings.
After the course the boys came back here again. Wes went home this morning and Nick stayed until later this afternoon. Today we wanted to take the kids to the Wawanosh Centre. Every year the centre opens on a Sunday for a colour tour. We walked some of the paths in the woods, then took the wagon ride back. After we had apple cider and the kids did some crafts in the building. It was a beautiful fall day for a walk in the woods. The kids were really hoping to find a salamander during our walk, but instead we found a baby snake. Surprisingly none of my kids were scared at all! Leave it to my kids to love it and want to bring it home for a pet! (we left it there!) So anyway, here are some pics from today. I know there's been afew of you wondering where my pictures have been!

Travis Nick and Dawson playing in the leaves.
A group shot by the river.
The girls and me.
The boys....they had fun turning over stumps and branches. It started out looking for salamanders, but turned into seeing how much wood they could knock and move around.
Dan and the girls taking a break waiting for the boys to catch up.

Swimming lessons - Kaitlin

This year Kaitlin was very excited for swimming lessons. She's been swimming with friends who can swim good so I think she was ready to learn more too. She is very comfortable in the water and loves that she is strong enough to go in the deep end now without a noodle or flutter board. Her hardest thing for her has been to change her kick. She has been kicking with her knees and she needs to kick from her hip. She got lots of practice these past two weeks. She did many laps of the pool everyday and was always eager to do whatever MJ asked. She passed level 4 and is now ready for level 5!! This week she got to go to East Side Park (a water park) and I knew she would have fun knowing she can swim. It's so wonderful to see her exceling at something she loves!

Kaitlin jumping in the deep end!
Trying to swim on her back!
More swimming

Learning to dive!

Swimming lessons - Travis

Well this has been a hard decision again this year...Do we force Travis to do swimming lessons. He is not a water lover at all and has no desire to learn how to swim. When we made the decision to sign him up he has been dreading summer ever since. He had made it clear that he did not want to have anything to do with swimming and insisted he wouldn't go in the pool when he had to. Last year and this year the kids took lessons at a family friends pool who have taught lessons for years. I signed up Travis and Kaitlin together in private lessons hoping to make the experience as best I could for him. When the time came for lessons to start he was not happy. He will put his head under the water and try to swim in the shallow end but panics if he's in the deep end. MJ talked him into using a floating belt which he ended up not mining. By the second week though she started to really push him. Most days we went to swimming him crying all the way and begging not to go. He was sure MJ would let him drown. By the last two days he was crying in the pool or holding the fence and not letting go. This was not a tantrum but him in shear panic. I've never seen him so fearful. You'd swear she was going to beat him the way he reacted to going in the water. (MJ was very good with him. She encouraged him, praised him and pushed him to show him he could do it) By the end of the last day he was done, and I'm really not sure if I can do it too him again. He did get better, but really she put him in the middle of the pool and he had to swim to the side and tread water. He did not do this very well, but she wanted him to know how to get to the side and tread water if he ever had to. I am very proud of him for how hard he did try. I'm hoping that we made the right decision. I think he did get stronger in the water and learned a little. Hopefully our monthly family swim will help him learn to like the water a little more before next year.

Travis floating!
Swimming with his belt.

Swimming with no belt.

Swimming lessons - Dawson

Dawson was very excited to be taking swimming lessons this summer. He had two of his best friends in his class Chloe and Sara so he was happy to be in the pool playing with them. He loved blowing bubbles and kicking, but when it came time to jump in or bob under the water he got scared and tried to talk his way out of it. Here he is debating with MJ on how exactly he had to jump in the pool. All week he's insisted on doing it slow motion while holding both her hands. She made him do it holding one hand. The picture of his jump is the last of this series for some reason! Dawson doing "his bob" by himself! MJ had dunked him before this week, so by today he insisted on doing it himself without her touching him. The only problem was he would only put his face in.
MJ eventually took him and under he went!
Dawson doing what he liked...kicking and making big splashes!
The jump in the pool!
Dawson finished everything to be a "duck" and the only thing he needs to do to pass sea turtle is dunk his head for 3 seconds.

Afternoon fun with friends!

Today we met our friends Tammy and kids, Kim and kids and Janice and kids at the Wingham splash pad. Everyone always loves coming here for a play. Us moms can sit and visit while the kids can run and play on the park equipment or run through the water. Between the four moms we had 16 kids!! 3 of those were extras we were babysitting. Lots of fun.....we seem to always have our own "playgroup" whenever we get together!

Kortney running from water!
Not sure why this is on it's side!
Sara, Shayna, Chloe, Sydney, Dawson and Avery.
Tammy, Kim and Janice.
Turning the water on again!