over the hills we go, laughing all the way (ish)

I blame Elf on the Shelf. I truly think he has sucked all the creative juice from my body leaving me tired and uninspired to write. However it has finally hit me that we depart for our Christmas in Ontario Monday morning so I best do an update before this blog gets even more out of date.

It has been a whirlwind of a Christmas season. So much has happened with our little family that I scarcely know where to start. The biggest change being that Cody has started another company - Reset - which opened its doors in November and has been pretty much booming since then. I'm super proud of him but it has meant that Cody has been on the road a pile with his Dad and very busy again when home. The bonus this go around is that I'm learning to be his admin assistant/bookkeeper. It hasn't all been smooth sailing but I must say I love working again and this time with numbers.

So let's take a look:

Cody in action.

Christmas baking and decorating with the Bests.

I love the way Josie frosts cookies.

Best, most dense decorating of the day - Roman Best!

Elliott was so proud.

 Our workshop - we made some cookies!

Kate started gymnastics. Yahoo! She's the youngest/tiniest in her group but I think she'll learn fast.

Speaking of learning - she seems to have made major gains this month in reading and writing. Half of it is confidence and she has renewed confidence in herself.

Unfortunately Cody's flight got grounded in Toronto and Kate came down with a G.I. so it was just Elliott and me on Christmas Concert night. Without a doubt Elliott with his class stole the show!

Earlier this week it was our annual gingerbread house decorating evening.

Cooperation was the name of the game - they were awesome.

And this weekend we're preparing for a couple more family get togethers with friends. Sunday its an ugly Christmas sweater disco party with the kids. Can't wait! This creation will be Kate's.

Today marks the last day of school for the kids - they had a great week. I can't believe the effort some teachers go to. Unreal. They're thrilled all around, but tired. Perhaps they'll sleep a bit on our 17 hour trip West.

Happy week before Christmas to all. CAKE

a sixty year spread

Tomorrow is our Grammie Donna's birthday. How old is she turning? Well I thought I would turn the question over to the kids to answer. And perhaps their answers will be funnier to me than Grammie, but likely not, I'm pretty sure she has a great sense of humour.

So first the good news...

And the not so good...

Whatever the truth may be we hope you have a lovely day and we hope our card arrives on time and we hope you have cake and we're there in spirit.

Happy 20th old lady! Love - CAKE

thumpity thump thump - over the hills of snow

It's December eve and Christmas has officially arrived in our home. It's been a day of relative merriment  as we got the tree up and the kids got busy decorating. There has been egg nog, hot chocolate, crafts, activities and playing in our fast melting snow. 

Speaking of snow, this past Thursday the Maritimes received our first snow storm and the kids their first stay at home snow day. In the past five years I have been watching our neighbours with admitted jealousy as they snow blew the heaps of white stuff from their sidewalks and driveways. We have always chosen a tractor service. Though convenient, it has never been entirely gratifying.  For years I have always imagined snow blowing to be the winter equivalent of mowing your lawn and I sincerely love mowing the lawn. Since Cody is officially done at Terra Nova we have finally purchased our own  blower and Thursday marked its inaugural job, and in typical Jorgensen style, Cody was MIA. So, the honour fell to me. I fired it up and went to work on the 21cm of very wet snow that covered everything. Well, not really.  It turns out I had it on the lowest throttle setting and moved very little snow. Oops. My neighbour sensed I was a little out of my comfort zone and he came over and pretty much cleared our whole driveway in the time I managed to do our sidewalk. Two hours later and two passes of the neighbourhood grater I had a cleanish work area, a sore body, cramped gripping muscles and one very bad attitude. Poor Cody. I wish for his sake we could record the crazy calls I have made to him over the years so that I could later listen to them, apologize for them and just possibly learn from them. Alas, we have not and thus I have not.

For the record, when Cody flew home yesterday, before he even set foot in the home he had been away from for five days he fired up that snowblower and got it going beautifully in order to prove to me that it wasn't a piece of poop like I had alleged!

 Cleaning off the 4 Runner was almost as difficult as the blowing.

 My famous sidewalk cleanup.

 At least the kids are loving the great snowman making wet stuff.

Our snowbabies.

My Christmas dunces. 

Their handiwork.

So tomorrow the official countdown begins for us all... concerts, cookies, cards, crafts, carols, parties, gingerbread houses and a little bit of shopping. I wish you and us all good luck! 

Lots of cheer! CAKE

in loving memory - shirley eva mary rau

Monday evening I returned from a quickly planned trip to Calgary - home. This trip I was reminded that Alberta was and always will be my home. It's where most of my memories were born and all of my family reside.

Last month, my Aunty Shirley suffered a brain aneurysm at home with my Uncle Mike. Over the days that followed she showed signs of real hope but then suffered a massive stroke that essentially killed her. She was 60 years old. A year younger than my Dad and one older than my Mom.

She was a good woman - hard working, loyal, active in all her kids' and grandchildren's lives and a fine host. She, my Uncle and my cousins hosted Rhonda and me over weeks at their farm during our childhood summers and holidays.  Some of my fondest, most acute memories are from those times: swimming in the rivers, berry picking, collecting eggs from terrifying chickens, marshmallow roasts, sledding down their back hill, dirt biking through their woods, taunting cattle, helping to birth pigs, butchering chickens, eating fresh garden peas, wrestling and exploring. In looking back I remember my aunt led most of those outings and was eternally patient with a house bursting with children and noise.

I do not consider myself a sentimental person but in this case I have to admit that I can hear her voice clearly and see her bright smile. I feel very sad for my cousins and Uncle. Ten years ago they lost our cousin Michael and now their matriarch. I wish them all peace, comfort and love.

I wish I had taken photos at the gathering that followed the funeral. It evolved into quite a happy one. I spoke to cousins and in laws that I hadn't had the chance to in years, decades and some ever. I got to see my cousins' children run around like we used to. As my Mom and I walked to the car I had a final hug from my dear cousin Elizabeth and remarked that it felt like Christmas. Like we were leaving a joyful family gathering from our childhood. So for that I thank you Aunty Shirley. I thank you for bringing me home and for the reminder of what a big family feels like.

This was taken that day by my Dad's cousin Geraldine. My mom unfortunately was chatting across the hall so we missed including her.

All my love, Aimee

still waiting for the treat

Aimee, this is your conscience calling... I'm worried about you. About your health. About your will power or lack there of. The candy cup will over floweth today and for the next days. The chocolate is not for you. It is for the children. Let the children have the chocolate. The children, they burn it off, they can deal with it, you do not and cannot. A moment of high will certainly lead to misery as your sugar levels climb and plummet. Be strong Aimee, I'm counting on you.

'Tis Halloween again. A joyous day that to be honest has started less than joyously.  As I sit here typing, enjoying my morning coffee the pain has lessened but I'm still going to record it so that I can read back on the highlights of this morning in years to come and maybe I'll be consoled that our kids are grown and off having their own adventures (mommy-less).

Elliott was over the moon this morning as he woke to the carved pumpkin and bags of candy for this evening's trick or treaters and his classmates. Though sweet, his energy can get a little grating with the endless requests: can you light the pumpkin? can I have gum? where is Kate's witch nose? can you spray my hair black right now? how about now? where are Octopus' mouths? are these my treats for my class? did you pack me swiss cheese for lunch? are you done yet? can we now?

When we finally finished arguing over what clothes he would wear under his costume, I got to spraying his hair black. Upon the grand reveal - the tears erupted. "Can you get it out of my hair? I don't want it." Great, no worries let's get undressed and get showered. More tears erupted when I said we had to actually use shampoo. What is with this kid? This was not his first hair wash. Then I started to cry when he put on his costume and it was revealed to me that the dog had played tug of war with it. Hey no worries. Let's adapt and get sewing. I may not have had pants on yet but I am a mom of action.

Not to be outdone by her brother, Kate hated her first pair of tights - they just didn't feel good on her toes. No she didn't want black hair spray (I couldn't blame her after her brother's hysterics). She wanted green freckles - no not on her nose!!! Oh, ok. Yeah she liked them. And yeah, she wanted black hair now. Ahhhh! It got in her eye a bit. No she's ok. In the car, down the street - "Oh Mommy I didn't bring my broom. Yeah I really want it."

No problem. No issue.

So, I'm going to admit it, it was gum in the car instead of a toothbrush kind of morning.

Bless them. They were full of light and life when we finally made it in to the school. Things of beauty.

Happy Halloween eveyone! Can't wait to see everyone's Trick or Treaters' costumes.
I'm off to eat chocolate. AJ

the week's end

Given the Thanksgiving break Monday, it was a fast, quiet week. Tuesday, Cody and I had a special day with Elliott; I think he was worn out from the weekend and requested to stay home. Thursday, we pulled Kate out of school for her own special day. They were both lovely. Kate was so quiet and agreeable. Elliott in contrast was sort of bossy and never stopped his chatter.

This week also marked 2015 Kindergarten registration. It's official Elliott and Kate will be making the move to our local elementary school September 2015.  In a month's time Elliott will go for his pre-K assessment. There's nothing like that first visit to the school that will be home to them for their formative years!

Today is cool and overcast. The kids have been outside for hours, busy as only small children can be.  As always, they have explored every inch of our yard, destroyed Cody's garage, squished this morning's crop of mushrooms and invented new devices and worlds. What a magical time in their lives.

 Kate's zipline for her teddy.

 A friend of ours built his kids a zip in their side yard - Kate was certainly inspired.

Ninja and his prey.

 The softer side of Ninja - the worm was spared.

Wishing all our friends and family a pleasant weekend raking and taking in the fresh air.
Love, CAKE

i would prefer cider

Apple orchard with the Best family - take two. It seems apple picking is the thing to do if you're a family in New Brunswick. It took me five years to discover this, but discover it I have.  A couple weeks ago we gave it a go only to face a three hour wait to even buy a bag to fill, then a second line to access a tractor to take you to the sanctioned area of the orchard that was ripe for picking. Being the patient people that we are, we quickly broke our childrens' hearts, hit the gift shop for maple sugar suckers and a few boozey apple cider. Today we gave it another go and wouldn't you know it, a couple short lines then an uneventful wagon ride and we were in the orchard picking Macintoshes to our hearts content. Well...  until the first child's tears, then the second and then the third. You can imagine. I found great solace in the incredible feeling of crushing fallen apples (or skulls if you will) under me boots. Cheap therapy, but effective.

It wasn't all bad. In fact it was pretty great. Take a peek.

 Our five kids running with abandon up and down a series of circular bales.

 Action shot two.

 Action shot three.

 Our tough guys hand in hand boarding the wagon.

 Alex updating his FB status. to be fair, we were now "in" the orchard.

 Papa and E.

 Up a ladder feeling the love.

 All the fallen children.

 My baby swingin with soulful abandon.

 JB (did you pay for that?)

A smug mug.

 A chipmunk storing her nuts.

Look at these five. What a shot. What love.

I may complain about those five a little or perhaps a lot but I do love them and bearing witness to the friendships they are forging. Happy apple day. Wish Julie and I luck as we try our hand at transforming these Macs into some pie.

CAKE or pie

who the heck?

For a good year we have admired and carefully watched how Kate has developed as an artist and consummate crafter. Elliott on the other hand, what can we say? Hmm - less interested, less talented, certainly less patient. And then like the changing of the leaves Elliott also changed. Evolved perhaps? Now, he sits literally for hours pouring over colouring books and bringing those pictures to life.  I spoke to his teacher yesterday and she says that she too noticed a huge change in the last two weeks. He's now diligent with his colouring and drawing and stays working until completion. Monday he came home from school painted four pictures and then spent the rest of the night colouring and drawing. What the heck? It's a thing of beauty. On top of it all, did I humbly mention? He's pretty awesome.

Check it out...

Autumn colours.

 Monday night hard at work.

Not to be outdone by her brother, Kate's busy perfecting her use of the hot glue gun while making a hairband for a friend.

Winter is a comin' and we're ready to hunker down and do some serious creating. The only issue - what to do with it all!

CAKE

absolutely autumn

The kids had no school Friday so it was a great chance to enjoy the hot autumn weather and beautiful colours at the Green Pig Market. We spent hours racing, climbing and rearranging pumpkin displays. Like their Mama, the kids love pumpkins and spent many careful moments picking their favourite gourds to bring home.

 

 While I picked and loaded pumpkins, the kids made themselves at home.

 Marching off to the corn mazes.

What a novelty, picking corn right from the stalks.

 Getting busy through the mazes.

 Kate was completely enamored with the dried out corn of cobs that she picked.

 Mustache man.

What a sister. Here she is trying to boost Elliott up the final bale moments before she reconsidered her helpful disposition and nearly pushed him off the tower. She certainly got his attention.

Autumn enjoyment will continue today with a hike and then tomorrow picking apples. Maybe I'll even try my hand at cider making. Mmm
CAKE