First Day of Kindergarden

As much as I prayed this day wouldn't come, I woke up this morning and here it was. Since Harrison was a tiny newborn, I've agonized over the dreaded day I'd have to send him away to school. Sounds silly doesn't it? Five years ago, five years sounded like a long time. It is not. It is far too short for a mother of only one baby. That, I am finding out, is the worst part of parenting an only child. Every milestone is an exciting new beginning and the sad end, all at once. It's awful really. It's anti-climactic and a bit of a rollercoaster of emotion. You're happy for him and sad for you. You want to let go, but you want to hang on tight. I've been crying for a week and I still can't get all the tears and sadness out!

It's a hard thing, being a Mom and letting go. I just wasn't prepared to have to do it this soon. I remember being in tears last year too, and learning to love Preschool as my son did! However, this is not 3 days/week for 2 hrs, this is big kid school, for 3 hrs/day, 5 days/week. What do they need him so much for? Don't they know I need him more than they do? Who will I play with when he's at school? I missed him desperately today and felt sick leaving him there, and came home to cry. It was horrible...for me. He loved it!!!

His teacher's name is Mme Sarah and she is amazing. She sent him a personal letter in the mail last week, welcoming him to Kindergarden and to her class. How sweet is that!? She is young, kind and patient...everything he needs

in a teacher to have a successful year in Kindergarden. The name of his school is Ecole Elizabeth Barrett Elementary, here in Cochrane. There are 20 kids in his class and he goes in the afternoons, from 12pm-2:48pm. He will be taking the school bus home (not mine unfortunately) with the neighbourhood kids and will be going to the neighbours house everyday after school for 30-45 mins until I get home from my bus route. He is thrilled about this, since that is where his best bud Jonathan lives, and they can hang out every single day! Who needs Mommy when you've got best buds in the cul-de-sac?!

He is so grown up now, and there is nothing I can do to stop it, unfortunately. I know Kindergarden will be good for him and he'll make many lasting friendships, as will I with the other Moms. I spent most of Monday bawling my eyes out, and when Harrison found me on the bed, he crawled up beside me and wiped my tears away and told me that my brain was just turned upside-down! He counted to 3 and told me I just had to turn it right-side up to get rid of the frown and make myself happy again! I love the way kids see the world. How perceptive and true it was...not only my brain, but my whole heart has been turned upside-down this week.

Here he is, in front of the school and in the classroom. Such a big boy now. I want this moment to last forever....but like all the other milestones we've passed, they come and go too quickly, and all you can do is take lots of pictures, write it all down so you don't forget, and tuck it away in your heart forever. That's why Moms have such big hearts....we need room to keep all those special moments, that only come around once in a lifetime, but that leave memories that last forever.

Good luck in Kindergarden my Little Man. I love you. You'll always be my baby, no matter how big you get.

Block Party

I thought I'd include a seperate post with pictures of our block party, that was held Sat Aug 18/07. We moved to Cochrane, population 13,000 and about 20 mins west of Calgary, to escape big city life, and to raise our son in a small community, where everyone knows eachother. Not only did we choose a fabulous community, we got extremely lucky ending up on this cul-de-sac! It is full of families with small children where we all look out for eachother. It is life the way we lived it growing up and the way every childhood should be lived. Here are the pictures of the party held on Quigley Close that started out as a potluck supper and ended up wrapping up in the wee hours of the morning, several drinks later!

Here are only half of the 14 children who call the 200 block of Quigley Close home. They are a pretty cute bunch!

And the cutest Quigley kid of all! Well maybe not according to you, but I think he's pretty special!

Adults and kids enjoying time around the fire pit that we set up on the neighbour's driveway, so the kids could roast marshmellows. It also came in handy for the adults as the night went on....stay tuned!!!

Always practise safe snacks! And that means wearing the right protective gear! Here is Harrison, roasting marshmellows with his bike helmet on. The neighbours couldn't stop laughing about it! I didn't think it was that funny....safety first I kept saying! Too much wine perhaps!?

Remember I said something about the fire and the roasted marshmellows coming in handy for the adults later in the evening!? This is where things get a little crazy! We attempted marshmellow shooters, where you roast a marshmellow just so, pull the outside off the stick, use it as a cup and pour your favorite liqueur into it and shoot it back! Yummy....especially with Bailey's or Creme de Cacao! As you can see from my neighbours' expressions....it's really hardly any fun at all!!!

There's a group of party animals, raising our little cups up and getting ready for yet another round of shooters! Bottoms up!!!

Appearantly total chaos ensues once parents have consumed a certain amount of alcohol and become more slack with the rules about bedtime! Here are the kids up way too late, running around with glow sticks one of the neighbours bought for all the kids! They had a blast! Notice Harrison still wearing his bike helmet!? What a goof! I had no idea he had it on for so long, until I looked through the pictures the next day! Oops!

Harrison and the neighbour girl, under an umbrella, even though it's not raining! I dunno...don't ask! There wasn't a lot of parental supervision going on at this point. For all I know, Harrison could be drinking beer out of that cup!!! Although, in my own weak defense, I really don't think that was the case! However, I can't be sure!

I guess at some point he finally took off his bike helmet, only to replace it with his cowboy hat! Here he is, trying to break some world record I'm sure, for most amount of marshmellows consumed by one child in one night!

I know it's late and way past my bedtime Mom, but I'm not tired. Really, I'm not! I'm going to fight sleep for as long as I can, so I can stay up even later so I don't miss any of the fun at this great party!
Just because I'm yawning, that doesn't mean I'm tired! I know it's 1 o'clock in the morning, but I'm NOT tired!
OK...maybe I'll just close my eyes for one minute....but I'm NOT going to sleep!

Last Lazy Days of Summer

I promised I'd keep up and I haven't! We've been very busy this last month, and here it is, the beginning of Sept, fall is in the air, school is around the corner and summer is gone for another year and I haven't even posted any good stories or pictures! So here they are, our whole summer wrapped up in one entry!

Here is Harrison, no...not in drag! but dressed up in my Stampede Parade costume, as a Hippie! He makes a far cuter Hippie than I did!


Harrison riding his first camel at the Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail, AB. He loved it!




My little Hurricane's first time on rollerblades! He promptly fell over right after I snapped the picture!




My little cutie coming through the doggie door at my parents' house! Funny Puppy!
Thumbs up! Riding the kiddie roller coaster at our local amusement park called Calaway Park. He is my little adrenaline junkie and loves the rides!
Hangin out with the big dinos at the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, AB. He loves that place!


My boys showing off their muscles for the camera! Lookin good boys! They are pretty handsome if I do say so myself! And such good form!

I hope you had a good summer, that will leave you with wonderful memories as you leave those lazy days of summer behind you and trade them in for the hustle and bustle that the fall brings.