End of August Already?!

No new puppy...
Yes, you read it right... we are no longer getting a puppy. We decided that right now is not the best time for our family. I am returning to work very soon and we don't have the time to commit to a puppy with having a very young family right now. Colby also didn't understand (or like the idea) that the puppy is going to grow up to be very big. He says he wants a "Teddy" puppy (Kristy and Kyle's small dog), not a big puppy. So, he's clearly not ready and I'm very happy with our decision to keep our family the way it is now. :) Maybe when our kids are a bit older we'll think about it again, but for right now, it's not the best thing for us.

Camping season is over for us...
After being away from home for 7 weekends in a row (from July to mid-August), we went on our last camping trip last weekend to Wabamun Lake Provincial Park. It was a good last weekend (other than the fact Jenna got a cold and Colby became ill too). We really love how close it is to Wabamun and it has great features like beautiful sites (we're partial to one loop in particular!), great playgrounds, and of course, our kids love the beach! We truly love camping and love going places as a family! However, 7 weekends away in a row might be a bit much for me! Mental note for next year! LOL! The kids have a great time outside and I love the activity, but it's a lot of work with little kids, especially with one being a baby!! All definitely worth it though... :)

End of maternity leave... already?!
I have been on maternity leave for 14 months, but still can't believe it's that time again! Sssshhhhh....... Back to School time! This year I am teaching grade three at Forest Green School. Part of me is looking forward to going back because I really do love my job. I just wish it wasn't so much work!! LOL! I have been going in several times working in my classroom and trying to get things set up again. It's a lot of work to "move in" again and set everything up from scratch. Hopefully I'll be in my room for many years and not have to do that again any time soon! It has made for some very busy evenings trying to go to school in addition to the normal evening housework and exercise stuff! The kids are going to a dayhome here in Stony Plain and I hope the transition from home to dayhome everyday goes okay. They've had a rocky start (with not going consistently as "trial runs"), so I think the first week back is going to be a bit of a shock. With numbers, they are unable to go until my first day of work, August 30th and I work 5 full days that first week. Hopefully once they are going everyday and we all get into a routine, they will be fine. It's just hard to have kids upset when you drop them off or aren't there with them... :(

September means birthday time!
Jenna is 11 months old today! I need to go weigh and measure her, so will update with that soon! With the arrival of September comes Jenna's 1st birthday! I keep asking myself, 'How is that even possible?!?' It seems like she's still our little baby, but everyday, I'm reminded of how she's too quickly becoming a little girl. She's changing so quickly and growing so much! Every milestone and new discovery is exciting, but reminds me of how she's growing up. She's not walking on her own yet, but is a very fast little crawler, cruises along furniture, and walks really well with her walkers. Maybe soon she'll be an independent walker. :) She absolutely LOVES playing with Colby! She chases after him and tries to keep up with what he's playing. I love it! We're looking forward to celebrating Jenna's first birthday with lots of family and close friends. She's a very happy little girl (unless she wants something or gets mad she can't have something... then you can hear her a mile away!) and is fun to play with! She loves Little People and playing with the kitchen downstairs. She's recently been playing at the train table too, which is really fun! How do they know to "drive" things so early?! Jenna is a very independent little girl. Perhaps she's just a wee bit stubborn like her mommy?! She hasn't been eating "baby food" for a couple of months now and enjoys feeding herself anything and everything we eat. But when she's hungry, she's hungry! She's a VERY good eater... often eats more than Colby does, which makes me continually wonder how she's now bigger than she is! Love you so much, baby girl!!

Mr. Colby
Colby has definitely hit a new stage... at least I hope it's just a "stage"!! He has been quite defiant and is quite enjoying the word "No" lately, or "No thanks" if he's feeling especially polite! LOL! Makes for some difficult days, but hopefully it won't last too long. I think Colby is quite enjoying having a very mobile (and quick) little sister! He laughs when she comes to play and calls her to come and check out some toys. I love that they get along well! He's doing well with potty training still, but we're having some pooping issues still. I hear this is difficult for a lot of kids, boys in particular, so hoping that gets better soon too! All in all, he's a very active little boy who loves playing outside or downstairs, and even just chilling on the couch with a movie or an episode of his favorite Diego. Oh, Diego, you don't know how much you're loved by one little boy!! :) He has already decided he wants a Diego happy birthday party when he turns 3! Colby is growing up too quickly too... our little man now rides his new bike SO well!! We got him a little two-wheeler with training wheels. At first, it was a bit difficult and takes some practice because it's so different from a tricycle. One day when we were camping last weekend, it just clicked! He is super fast and LOVES riding his bike. Makes me sad to see him growing up and learning new things so quickly, but at the same time, it's so wonderful to see kids do and discover new things. Good job, Colby!! Mommy and Daddy are very proud of you! Love you, little buddy!!

Yay... date night!
Yes, for the first time in a year, Gerry and I went on a date last night! :) So fun! We haven't been out since before Jenna was born, so it was definitely overdue! We went out for dinner at Original Joe's and then to Cirque de Soleil Alegria. It was a great show and a wonderful evening out! Thanks Ger... love you!! Thanks to Auntie Tracy who came to spend the evening with Colby and Jenna. They loved having her here!!

Well, I think summer is officially gone.... it's beginning to feel like fall WAY too early this year! :( Enjoy the last week of August, everyone. September is right around the corner.

Love and hugs,
Gerry, Lesley, Colby and Jenna