A Quiet Sunday???

I know that some people think that we are crazy trying to do all of the things that we do, but I do love it (don't tell Michelle that, I like to give her a hard time).  My dad often tells me that we need to stay home more and relax . . . which always makes me laugh because staying home is not always relaxing with three kids.  Yes, I like to pull out the 'nothing box' and watch some mindless T.V., but I usually reserve that for when the kids are in bed or Michelle has taken them out.

So, this past Sunday I was looking forward to a relatively quiet Sunday together when in reality, I don't think we were home for more than 30 minutes in total from 7:20 am until 8:30 pm.  Our day started off with a game at 8:00 am, which meant an early start to the day at the rink.  Josh played really well back checking, stick handling, scoring some goals, and most importantly trying to set up his teammates.  I love that about his game now.

We then headed off to our local recycling depot and spent about an hour and a half sorting bottles to help raise money for the Richmond Food Bank.  Lets just say that Josh's uncle, who helps coach his team, is a little crazy when it comes to these team competitions.  He does go a little overboard . . . his enthusiasm is contagious and his heart is definitely in the right place.  I love the fact that the kids are taking time out of their day to help out other families that could benefit from a little action on their part.

So what is next you ask?  Well, it was only 10:00 am . . . we still had the whole day ahead of us . . . so we went home changed into our Canucks' Jerseys, dropped Emma off at her grandma's house and hopped onto the Sky Train.  For the past few years we have taken the boys to the Canucks Super Skills Competition at Roger's Arena.  This year we went with my brother's family and Ji-chan and Ba-chan, which was a part of our Christmas gifts.  Josh love the fact that he could say that it was Christmas, even though it was the middle of January.  This year, it was even more interesting because the guest team that was on the ice with the Canucks was a Bantam Seafair team in which we new a couple of the players.  I asked the boys which two competitions they would participate in:
Josh - "The breakaway challenge of course dad, don't you think?"  and "The fastest skater".
Jamie - "I would win the fastest skater" and "The breakaway because I can do an up shot".

The mascots are always a big hit with the kids.  

I think this picture really captures our kids the best!

Believe it or not, Michelle did have a Canucks shirt on underneath all of her layers.  I guess the walk through the rain was a little chilly for her.

Gotta love the puck heads.  I couldn't believe that it was a sell out for the Super Skills . . . only in Vancouver!

Chill'n with the cousins.

Another entertaining year watching the Canucks show off their talents.  Even Ji-chan and Ba-chan made the festivities this year.

Snow Days

We initially had plans to head out to Science World after Josh's hockey game, but we were quickly met with a mini-protest as the boys wanted to take advantage of the snow and play outside.  So, the task of hunting down the snow gear began as gloves, boots, toques, snow pants and jackets were slowly discovered again in our house.  We bundled up the kids, got into the truck and headed over to our friend's house for some snowball fights and sled rides.

Although the snow was not very deep, the kids made the best of it giving sled rides, finding a base to hide in, and of course ambushing the parents with their snowballs.  Emma on the other hand, enjoyed the short sled ride that was given by Michelle and chasing after the big kids.  It was fun watching Emma play in the snow for the first time . . . a little cautious at first, but right in the mix of things within a few minutes.

The day ended off with a new favourite of ours . . . nachos with cheese and guacamole dip, pasta lunch, and of course some hot chocolate.

Bundled up and ready to take on the snow! 

I guess throwing snow in my own face was not such a good idea.

Jamie loved trying to ambush the parents . . . of course. 

Poor girl . . . two older brothers . . . no pink snow suit for the third child 

A sled?  A shield? A snow carrier?  It was everything . . . gotta love their imagination! 

Emma loved her first sled ride. 

Hanging Out

This weekend we were given the gift of time as the only thing we had was Josh's hockey which happened to be earlier in the morning and a birthday party for Jamie. The rest of the day was ours to enjoy putting around our house and getting outside. I must admit that I did not miss having soccer as we could do as we please and not be tied to being somewhere for the remainder of the day. So what did we decide to do you ask??? Well, the boys decided that they wanted to head over to the local elementary school and play some road hockey with their cousins and some of the boys' friends . . . yes I know . . . hockey? Really? You are probably asking youselves, "don't they get enough of the game during the week?" I am not a pushy parent who is trying to live out his dreams through his boys . . . I am simply fostering a love of sports and an active lifestyle . . . I wasn't the one who made them play hockey in sub zero temperatures for two hours, it was them . . . I was simply the poor parent huddled at the door trying to stay warm. Believe me, a nice warm game of indoor mini sticks hockey . . . I mean Lego would of been ideal for me.

RIC Tournament

Well, we managed to survive the craziness of the RIC tournament. This is a weekend that the boys always look forward to as everyone comes out to cheer the kids on. It is funny how the largest crowds are for the youngest players at the tournament as parents, aunts/uncles, grandparents and friends all come out to cheer on the Future Canucks!!! So how can I sum up the weekend? . . . well . . .
1. Skating hard, scoring goals, and superb passes.
2. Kids laughing, playing, and spending time with family and friends.
3. Packing and unpacking hockey bags, over and over and over again.
4. Meals out with teammates.
5. Coffee, coffee, coffee!
6. Cameras clicking and video cameras rolling.
7. Awarding of medals and trophies held onto with pride and excitement.
8. Two very proud parents and one little cheerleader . . . running a muck all around the rink. (love my daughter, but I am glad that I am behind the bench . . . believe me, it is much more relaxing . . . Thanks Mich!)

Jamie was very proud of his first trophy. 

Jamie played a great game back checking on defence, making some passes and scoring a goal.

Henrik over to Daniel . . . she shoots, she scooooorrrres!!!!!!  Josh and his cousin got a chance to play on the same line together which was a lot of fun to watch.

A New Year

Wow! 2012 . . . Life continues to move forward and I am becoming increasingly aware as to how precious these times are with my family. There will never be another today, which is a scary thought because it is a day that I will never get back . . . some opportunities may have been lost, but more importantly what opportunities did I take advantage of to connect with them. I have learned that my kids do not care what I do, how much I make, what clothes I wear, or what type of car I drive, the only thing that matters to them right now is that I am with them wholeheartedly . . . not distracted by work, not distracted by the craziness of life, but giving them my undivided love and attention . . . right now.

The Unofficial Christmas Traditions List

With some input from Michelle, we came up with a list of our own family traditions that we enjoy sharing with our kids during this time of year.  It is through our yearly traditions that connects our family, but also differentiates our family from everyone else.  It is all of our little idiosyncrasies and patterns to our life that make us . . . well us.  So now that our Christmas Break is almost over, I thought I would shed some light into our Unofficial Christmas Traditions List that usually only our family is privy to.

1.  Michelle begins her Christmas shopping in January, yes January.  It is great that Michelle does this because she is constantly looking for sales throughout the year and it minimizes our stress come December.  The only problem is that Michelle will often forget where she puts all of the gifts, which creates another stress on the family.  Often, I am looking for gifts that I have no idea what they look like or even an inkling as to where they could be . . . I always get this feeling that perhaps I moved it or threw it out one day during my carelessness.  Michelle can be frequently heard saying, "I hate when I do this".
2.  I must admit that Michelle is the wrapper in the family . . . no she is no Lil' Kim, but she does add a 'sick' bow to each gift.  One thing about wrapping is that I think that I do a pretty good job, yes it is Plain Jane and often times there is no name tag attached, but it is quite easy to tell the difference between the gifts I wrap and the Martha Stewart Wannabe gifts that Michelle wraps.  I know that wrapping gifts is a time consuming task, however in my defense, I do offer my services . . . but it is quickly declined.  I don't blame her, besides I know Michelle loves giving me a hard time about it every year.
3. Our kids always love driving around and looking at all of the colourful lights and festive decorations that can be found around our neighbourhood.  The only problem is that Michelle loves the look of her white lights . . . white lights on the banister, on the mantle, on the tree, and on the house.  I can remember coming home on many occasions where the kids would see our house with the "classy" white lights on and the boys would "boooooo" them and say, "boring" and give the thumbs down.  It became a bit of a joke every time we came home, so one year the boys and I went on a mission.  We called the mission, Operation White Lights, where we simply got into the truck and headed out to our local hardware store and secretly bought some colourful outdoor lights for our house.  When we got home we quickly strung them up and called Michelle out for the unveiling.  The boys still get a kick out of retelling this story with Michelle every year.
4.  I must admit that I am not a morning person and the kids have figured that out.  The other day, the kids came into our bed in the morning and squeezed onto Michelle's side . . .  I heard Michelle say to the boys, "How come you don't go to daddy's side?"  Jamie's response was, "because he is grumpy".  Personally I think I am just misunderstood because I just need a little time to wake up, clear my head, and orient myself as to where I am . . . this usually takes about 45 minutes or it will occur naturally after 9:00.  I must admit that I do love having the kids crawl into our bed and not be in a rush to be somewhere . . . a slow morning in a crowded bed . . . priceless.
5.  A hot vanilla latte is a must have . . . yes, a vanilla latte.  The most important one of the day is the first one and it needs to be made by the Barista, me, by the latest 9:00.  Michelle is a bit like the Incredible Hulk . . . she maintains her calm and caring demeanor until about 8:30, but then she slowly transforms into the Hulk.  The warning signs are very clear and easy to spot for a trained professional like me.  1) She gives subtle requests such as, "coffee, coffee???".  2)  Her requests become a little more direct, "Okay, lets get those coffees going".  3)  She recruits the kids to 'jokingly' ask daddy for a latte, "Daddy, make mommy a coffee".  4)  Skin begins to turn green . . . look out!  :)  One thing that I have learned is that once the first sip has been taken all of the symptoms will subside quickly and all will be forgotten.  We generally have a few lattes everyday during the break, but the key one is the morning one.  I have learned that this is non-negotiable and one that only the Barista can fulfill . . . sorry Starbucks, but you are not good enough for my Princess.

What can I say?  Another amazing Christmas holiday with friends and family with our Super Mom at the center of it all!!! 

Christmas Day

 We are all set . . . letters for Santa, cookies, milk and of course some carrots for the reindeers.

An exciting day that was spent with family opening gifts, eating food, sharing stories and most importantly reconnecting.

Thanks Santa for the goalie gear.

Another great day full of excitement, surprises and laughter.

I love this picture of Emma, Michelle, Grandma, and Great Grandma.

 

American Girl meets Dora the Explorer

The elusive Ba-Chan makes the blog.