2km Race

Recently, Silas ran in his first mini marathon. He paced out at 9km an hour and finished the 2km in just under 12 mins. The only time he showed any anxiety was when a strange woman moved to place his medal over his head. We are very proud of our active boy and hope we he stays interested in fitness for life. After his nap later this day he told me, "Mom, this was the best day ever." I asked him why and he answered, "because everything that happened today was awesome!" 

Pre-run breakfast (blueberry pancakes and bacon!)

Watching and waiting! 

Runners are coming in! 

We are proud of our boy! Showing us his medal and his two thumbs up! 

A new bike!

*the clouds on the photo are to disable those who seek our identity, as this is a public blog 

Playing and reading.

Pip playing outside!

Building a Zamboni. 

Painting with Dali

Reading together. 

Waiting at the doctors office. 

Frenectomy

Silas had his tongue clipped! I don't have a "before" of him sticking out his tongue but it didn't really stick out past his bottom teeth. The ENT suggested it may not help his speech (which is fine) but it would help mechanical things, such as licking and kissing. He went to the dentist recently and she was glad to see he had it clipped because people with short frenulums often have more cavities because they can't clean their teeth with their tongue. All in all, a good decision. 

It was traumatizing for him though. He freaked on the table and tried to run away so we ended up wrapping him in a blanket and holding him down. It bled for a few hours but he was fine the next day, except hesitant to talk about it. The days after, someone said to him, "Silas you must have been SO BRAVE!" He replied, "No, I wasn't. I cried and lot and tried to run away." 

He is over it now, and shows everyone we know his longer tongue and talks about how much nicer it is now that it's clipped. 

Frenulum, before and after! 

Sticking out! 

Easter Hunt 2015 (on April 6)

Chocolate bunnies are VERY exciting. 

Philip was uber cranky and did not participate in the hunt. 

Construction Legos? Awesome. 

NYC

Rob went to a conference in March for a few days and then he had an important appointment in NYC. I was fortunate enough to be able to meet him in NYC and we had a whirlwind few days exploring the worlds most famous place. 

Here is our trip through selfies (and one skyline). 

You mean NYC isn't fictional?

On a boat tour!

Walking the Highline! 

Waiting at the hospital for the meeting. 

Having lunch at Guy Fieri's restaurant. 

At M&M's world. 

Les Mis on Broadway! 

Lunch at the Boathouse. 

Walking on the street in Harlem. 

Natural history museum. 

Metropolitan Museum of Art 

More NHM 

Penguins!!!

We went here for dessert, not breakfast. 

Central Park! 

Conservatory Garden! 

Come back soon

Apparently I've been negligent in the blog department. This happens every so often and I usually apologize but I'm not going to this time. It's been crazy around here and it's okay if I miss a month or so on the blog. 

I will be writing a few updates to publish in the next few days so check back soon for a new post! But you probably know everything anyway ;). 

Oi Vey

It has been a harrowing week in our part of the world. 

Three sick kids, plus one sick Mama. Plus March break. Plus trauma. Times two. 

Yesterday, the boys were having fruit for snack. Philip coughed while he was chewing on a piece of apple and choked on it. 

I mean CHOKED. Turned purple. Not making any sound. Looking at me with terrified eyes. 

I threw the tray off his high chair, picked him up and flipped him over, whacking him over and over and over as hard as I could. 

Seriously glad I've taken CPR so many times. I've used the knowledge learned from my first aid courses twice now to save someone's life. And I don't say that lightly. This is my kid we are talking about. 

Ezra and Silas just sat quietly and didn't say anything. 

Finally, Philip puked all over the place, dislodging the apple from his trachea. 

He was shook up. So was I. It was worse than the time he fell down our entire flight of stairs recently. (Did I tell you that story already?) 

He snuggled me and didn't cry. He just sat in my lap and held me. 

Today, Rob was snowed in. We received over two feet of snowfall and it's blowing all over the place out there. Rob shovelled but learned he didn't need to go in to work, so he joked that we could at least get out if there was an emergency. Little did we know there would be one. 

Because of his illness, Philip has been having two naps a day this week. Normally he sleeps from 12-1:30, but recently he's been napping at 9:30 for an hour and 1:30 or 2 for another hour. During Silas's nap (12-1:30) and Ezra's concurrent quiet time, I was reading and Rob was taking care of some work emails at the table, while Philip roamed around and amused himself. Philip climbed a dining chair (as he often does) and somehow tipped it over and landed on his face. 

Enter the gore and the screaming. Rob grabs him, I run to relieve Rob and Philip will not calm down. Five minutes later, he's still screaming into my shoulder and I move him to see the damage. His face is a bloody mess (and now so is my shirt) and I can't tell what is bleeding- it seems to be coming from both inside his mouth and outside. Then I realize, it IS coming from both spots. It looks like he bit right through his face. One continuous hole. I hollar at Rob that I think he needs stitches. Rob jumps into boots and a coat and runs outsider to "dust" snow off the van. 

As Rob pulls out of the driveway, he gets stuck. Of course that would happen. Thankfully, as he runs toward the house to grab a shovel, some nice people (with shovels) jump out of their SUV and start helping. Five minutes later, he's back on the road and headed toward the children's emergency room. 

Once he is registered, they take him to triage. Triage nurse gives him Tylenol and weighs him. Then they go to an exam room and have a zero minute wait before two doctors come in to examine him. It's like are real emergency!  No waiting at the ER?!?! That happens?!?! 

After a thorough exam of his mouth, ruling out a concussion, and a debate about stitches, Rob and Philip are sent home with Tylenol and a syringe for cleaning the wound with water. He did not actually bite through his lip, but instead bit both the outside and the inside at the same spot. 

Crazy drive time included they were gone from home only 90 minutes. 

Let's hope tomorrow fairs (fares?) better. 

Wounded. 

Him and I at the end of a crazy day. Still being silly. 

Lock Chop

Most of you know I've been growing out my hair to donate it. The time to cut had come so I made the chop. I went somewhere I've never been before, and while I liked the hairstylist I saw as a person, she did not listen to what I wanted. She also styled my hair crazy so I left looking like little orphan Annie. I don't think I'll go back there! Too bad I can't just come to saskatoon every time I need a good haircut, eh Helen? 

13" going to Wigs for Kids

10-11" going to Cancer society 

Silly boy

Philip has discovered his reflection. And he loves to play with his tongue. Watch what happens when he combines the two. (Please excuse the messy room and the awkward parents in pyjamas).

Recent Happenings

Some recent goings on with each of us:

Rob- 

Rob has been very busy at work lately. He has been doing tests on mice in the lab and this takes a lot of extra time. He is preparing for a conference at the end of March and a business trip to Manhattan at the beginning of April. He has also recently finished his term on our church council so it will be nice to have one less commitment. 

Kim- 

My paintings went up in a local coffee shop last night! They will be on display and for sale for approximately one month. It is quite nerve-racking and also very exciting for me.  I have also been babysitting a friends newborn for the last month. Most days it goes very well the baby is quite easy however there are moments as I'm sure you can imagine where it is a bit stressful. I will be looking after him until the end of March. 

Ezra- 

Ezra has begun a pull out program during the regular reading time at school. He has recently been assessed at great two English and great one French levels. He was quite bored at school but things have improved since this new program. Him and I have begun painting on a regular basis. I have been teaching him different art skills, and then he is painting different landscapes. So far it has been a very fun time just him and I. He has not lost any of his baby teeth yet, much to his disappointment. 

Silas-

Rob has been taking Silas running on Saturday mornings. They are using it as a time to expend extra energy for Silas and as intentional bonding time for the two of them. Silas has been really enjoying it. He has also been learning to embrace and enjoy his independence. We noticed that Silas has a lot of anxieties and it is difficult to manage this at times, however as long as we are patient and reminding everybody to use nice voices and words it usually works out okay. 

Philip-

Philip is a rascal. He is a very very busy 13-month-old boy. He has recently climbed onto the top of the piano without me noticing. He loves to make a mess, he loves to climb, and he is learning so much every day. One of his new favorite things is to bring me his shoes and sit down put his foot up and indicate he would like his shoe put on his foot. It reminds me of Ezra when he was a baby, but he is busy like Silas was so I see both of them in him. Philip says, no, up, mama, dada, bye, hi and woof. He is also very good at giving kisses.