Packing up and Moving Forward

Last night was the closing ceremonies for yet another successful season at Kingston Soccer Club. It felt surreal to me because in my mind, since I am all healed from my surgery and finally getting into a semi-sensible groove with the two-under-two crew, summer has just begun! This was the first time Harriet had even been on the Kingston soccer field and here they are closing it up. Madness! I swear it can't really be the end of August yet. Right? This is just some cruel joke. Oh,well . . .I think it is safe to say that Harriet has many summers to look forward to kicking a ball around on that field.

Anyhoo . . .

KSC does it right when it comes to closing ceremonies. There was a BBQ, lots of soccer games played, awards distributed, candy and fireworks, which terrified little Leif. He loved the quiet ones, but the loud,, squealy, popping ones frightened him, forcing him to bury his face in Mr. Level-Headed's chest and wave bye over and over again in an attempt to make them stop. In spite of the firework-fail for Leif, it was a beautiful night. It was so nice to chat with friends and introduce them to Miss Harriet, while allowing Leif to run free in a large open space with minimal mess-making opportunities.

While strolling along the field, with Harriet strapped to my chest in her sling and Leif running amok, I spied a group of mamas with three newborn babies. Being a mama of a newborn myself, I walked over to this exclusive club to introduce myself and to meet Miss Harriet's future classmates at MCS. To my surprise all the babies were cousins, born to three sisters and ranging in ages from 1 week to 11 weeks. They were beautiful, and I could not help but remark on how lucky these babies are to grow up with cousins so close in age and in proximity. Hearing the sisters talk about how much fun it was to be pregnant within weeks of one another made me miss my own sister, Emily, who was pregnant with Ava while I was pregnant with Leif. Sadly, they moved away last month to Fredericton so that Emily can get her MA. I am super happy for them both and recognize how important this is for both of their futures, but selfishly, it puts a damper on my life and so I am a little sad, mourning our weekly playdates, trips to the Aquatic Center, and playground adventures. 

Being only a month apart, Leif and Ava have grown very close. In fact, they act like brother and sister; she bosses him around like a little sister and he torments the life out of her like a big brother. And they both gang up on poor little Harriet! She is squeezed, kissed and hugged to the brink of death by those two toddlers and she does not like it! Two weeks ago we visited Emily and Ave in their new apartment and it was touching to see how excited Leif and Ava were to be reunited. Hearing Ava squeal Leify! Leify! Leify! from her screen door as she saw us get out of the car, made me even more determined to ensure that these three little people will grow up together no matter the distance.

                                      

Ava meeting Harriet for the first time - she looks thrilled!

So much has changed this summer. Harriet has joined our family, Leif has become a monster (kidding! Or am I?), Elliot has become a high-schooler, Avery has become a middle-schooler, Zoe has become an all-knowing soon-to-be high school graduate (did that sound snarky? It sounded snarky to me) and Emily and Ava have moved away so that Emily can become a master of writing. This year is really going to be different for me, and although I am a little anxious about how it is all going to turn out, I am excited for the new adventures it will bring. Sure, the circumstances and the settings may have changed, but ultimately, all the characters are still the same and I am eager to see where our story will go from here.

Week 30 Check-In

This week is flying by! I nearly died when I woke up this  morning and realized it was already Thursday. Our week has been filled with appointments, homeschooling, meetings, and some really fun outings. In fact, tonight is the first night all week that I get to stay home, and I envision curling up in my bed with my comfy, cozy jammies on and reading "The Maze Runner" . . . heaven!  On Tuesday night, I went out with a bunch of my girlfriends to see The Immortal Cup. There is nothing better than being surrounded by a bunch of friends, munching on some popcorn, drinking copious amounts of carbonated, caffeinated beverages, while being frightened by werewolves, demons, and vampires and drooling over "creepy hot guys", who, honestly, are young enough to be one of my own kids. Yep, I have officially become a dirty, old woman . . . tee hee!

In spite of how busy I have been with keeping on top of the household chores, teaching the boys and being a mom, my mind is currently preoccupied with Thing 4. I open his or her drawers at least three times a day to take a peek at the jammies. I daydream about the moment the doctor lifts him or her from my belly and announces: "It's a  . . . .!", and I imagine going about my hectic life with him or her strapped to my chest, while I periodically pause to kiss the top of his or her head and stroke all that black hair I imagine Thing 4 to have. This week marks my 30th week, which means in 9 short weeks, I will finally get to meet my little darling, and  I can't wait! 

This week I also visited my doctor and everything went great! I have been a little worried lately because everyone who sees my belly comments on how small it is. I was at the bank the other day and the teller exclaimed: "Where are you storing that baby!". I understand that I should be regarding these comments as compliments, but they frazzle me. I have always had a ginormous baby belly, but for some reason, this time around, it is much more compact. I also think that losing two babies prior to this one has also made me super sensitive and in all honesty, I will not be able to relax until I have Thing 4 cradled in my arms and I am smothering him or her in kisses. Anyhoo . . . according to my doctor, everything is absolutely perfect, and she even jokingly told my sister, whose appointment was only fifteen minutes after mine (how funny is that!), that she wants to clone the two of us because our bodies just seem equipped for this whole baby-building business. So, with her assurance that everything is going great, I am going to try to relax. Seriously. I can do this. I hope. 

Speaking of Thing 4, he or she did the CUTEST thing ever the other day! On Sundays I spend the afternoon teaching our primary group, which is comprised of children from ages four to eleven. We have quite a large group and they can get quite loud and rambunctious at times. While the kids were waiting for their parents to pick them up from the classroom, a bunch of the kids were circled around me, touching my belly, and squealing: 'Come on baby, move!". Poor Thing 4 must have been terrified because he or she was being super quiet. Then, out of the blue, Avery showed up, placed his hand on my belly and said: "Thing 4, it's Avery. You need to move for the kids!". As soon as Avery spoke, Thing 4 jumped and started acting foolish. I was shocked that amongst all those voices and all that chaos, Thing 4 was able to distinguish Avery's voice and was clearly excited to hear him. What a cutie!

Thing 4 continues to go quiet when Mr. Level-Headed talks to him or her at night, and this is starting to worry Mr. Level-Headed. He doesn't want the baby to be fearful of him so this week he has started kissing Thing 4 goodnight and assuring him or her that he really isn't that scary. The good news is that this seems to be working, and last night, as Mr. Level-Headed was whispering to my belly, Thing 4 began moving closer to his voice. Again, how cute is that? 

But not so cute, is how strong Thing 4 is becoming. In fact, on Sunday night, Thing 4 kicked me so hard I screamed and doubled over in pain. Then, because once is never enough, he or she did it again. I scared everyone in the house, but thankfully, my future rugby player settled down and since then, I have stopped asking Heavenly Father, in my prayers, to make Thing 4 strong. Instead, I simply ask for Him to ensure Thing 4 is healthy and safe . . . tee hee!

Yep, that pretty much sums up my week and if you are a regular visitor of my blog then you know that now comes the slew of crappy Iphone pictures I have taken to document all of our shenanigans. Enjoy!

The boys modelling their Ancient Chinese peasant hats. They were a little on the small side, but the boys had fun making them.

The imposter is finally gone, and Elliot has returned. Even though Monday was a rough day for him, he still managed to pull it together and get all of his work done. 

This dog is so spoiled!

Thing 4's new sandbox! Exactly what every baby needs when they are 30 weeks old in utero.

Fall soccer started and EVERYONE needed new cleats. Thank heavens for 50% off clearance sales!

The boys excavated some rocks and minerals,

and made some very yummy moon cakes (a Chinese tradition).

And here is my 30 week, kind of tiny but very uncomfortable, baby bump:

Awwwwww . . . .

Eleven Days Worth of Nonsense

You are going to have to forgive me, but I am about to cram a whole lot of nonsense into today's post because this will be the last one for awhile. We are taking a quick jaunt up to Halifax tomorrow for Baby Girl's appointment at the IWK, then we are rushing home to begin our whirlwind weekend of soccer, soccer and more soccer. Go Hampton U16AA girls!  On Sunday, we are going to church (as long as a certain someone's head remains lice-free . . . keep praying for us), and then we are having our annual Back to School Feast 

Our theme this year is "Seek Learning", and we will be reading this article to inspire and encourage the Wee Websters and Mr. Level-Headed in their upcoming year of studies. I know . . . I am such a geek! I don't even know when I am going to have a chance to make all the food we have planned.

Then, it is showtime: Monday morning the boys and I will be waking up bright and early to kick off our first day of school . . . eeeeek! Where did the summer go? I am taking the first week of school off from the blog because I foresee having to channel all of my energy into motivating, consoling, and prodding my boys of summer back into a routine. Ugh! This is not going to be easy.  . . . again, keep me in your prayers.

Anyhoo . . . 

11 days worth of Shenanigans Inc. is about to commence in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .

This week marks my 27th week of being pregnant. I am really enjoying this pregnancy, but I am reaching the point now where all I want to do is to meet my baby. People always ask me what I think I am having, and in all honesty, I don't have a clue. Sure, some books say that mom's have a keen intuition about the gender of their baby, but that has never been the case with me. For Zoe, I thought I was having a boy. For both Elliot and Avery, I thought I was having girls. Clearly, I am not a reliable source, and since I have never had success with my past guesses, I haven't even tried to make a prediction for this little one. Some days, Thing 4 is a Leif and some days, Thing 4 is a Harriet. Even my dreams seem to be confused!

Last week I had a very vivid dream, where I was taking Thing 4 to the doctor because he or she had a diaper rash. When the doctor took off Thing 4's diaper to see the rash, this little penis popped up. I was shocked and exclaimed:

You're a boy?! I thought you were a girl.

Then I picked up my baby and held him close to my face. I whispered:

Really? You are my Leif and not my Harriet.

I could not get over the shock, but I was pleased nonetheless. When I awoke from that dream, I was convinced that Thing 4 is a boy.

Then . . .

A couple of nights ago, I had another dream. I do not remember the premise of this dream, but I do remember Mr. Level-Headed sitting in a big, comfy chair, talking to our baby girl, Harriet, who at this point was a toddler. She had a head full of curly, brown hair and was asking him a million and one questions. When I awoke from this dream, I started thinking that perhaps we are having a girl . . . tee hee!

Ultimately, I guess we will have to wait another 12 weeks before we know for certain, but I am having a lot of fun speculating on who this little person I am carrying actually is.

27 week bump

 But there is one thing I know for certain, and that is that this craving for poutine has got to stop. I am not even going to tell you how many poutines I have had since Friday night, but know this, it is more than two and less than four . . . tee hee! Oh, and for the record, Costco makes a ridiculously good poutine and it is super huge and it is super cheap. Costco, you just keep getting better and better in my eyes . . . 

Look at those cheese curds! Some of them were as big as the french fries . . .  Heaven!

Yesterday, was a big day here at Shenanigans Inc. Not only did I discover Costco poutine, but Elliot finished a honk'n huge novel that he actually started during the school year. It took him 30 minutes a day/ five days a week for about three months, but he got through it and more importantly, he enjoyed it! In fact, he has already picked up the second book in the series and asked if he could read it just for fun.

Ummmmmm. . . YES!

How long have I waited to hear those words being uttered from one of my children's mouths? Far too long if you ask me.

The book is called the Beyonders and the third one just came out.

Funny, Elliot. Very funny!

Oh, and since we are talking about books, Baby Girl ACTUALLY read a book this summer. A big kid's book, nonetheless, and it was fiction . . . gasp! This may come as a shock to you, but as smart as that girl is, she is not a reader. Sure, she has a stack of non-fiction books, fact books, and Baby Mouse graphic novels by her bed at all times, but she is not one to sit and read a novel. Well, that all changed this summer and I am giddy about it. Perhaps we need to start up our very own mother-daughter book club . . . only kidding Baby Girl. I promise to take it slow . . . tee hee!

And that is all, folks. I hope you had your fill of us. See you in September!

The 2013 Soccer Champs

Last night's soccer game was probably one of the best games I have ever watched. It was so intense! Our U12AA Kingston boys' team definitely went into this game as the underdog, and who doesn't love to see the underdog come out on top, for at least a bit, or give the Alpha Male a really good scare. By the time I arrived at the game, Fundy was winning 2 - 1, and having seen our boys play against them before, I kind of thought I knew how this game was going to go down. 

The back story:

Kingston Soccer is a small club. We are situated in a small, rural area, with just a handful of kids to choose from each year to make up our teams. I say choose, but honestly, I don't think we have ever cut anyone from a team because we need all the bodies we can get. Every year it is a struggle to field the AA teams, and sadly, this year we were only able to put together a boys U12 and a boys U16 team, which is why Baby Girl had to jump ship last year and join a neighbouring soccer club, Hampton.  Most years, our teams are comprised of kids with varying levels of skills and experience and with a wide range in age; for instance, this was the first year our goalie had ever played on a AA soccer team. In fact, I believe he just started to play soccer this past winter during Kingston's indoor program. We also have a handful of kids who technically should be playing on a U10 team, but we needed them to join us in order to put a team together, which is why Avery, who is only 9, plays alongside his big brother who is 12. Not to mention, our young players, since they have always played with the older kids, are very, very, strong soccer players. 

Fundy Soccer Club, on the other hand, is situated in an affluent suburb, only fifteen minutes (and a ferry ride) away from Kingston. Their club is comprised of literally hundreds, if not a thousand, kids, and they are able to field teams of all kinds: house, AA and premier. The kids who are on their competitive teams have been playing soccer since they were little and have gone through all the various training camps, workshops and winter programs the club has to offer. 

So, I think it is fair to say that we, Kingston, were definitely going into this game as the underdog. In fact, we ranked fifth in the league and they ranked first, and we only secured a spot in the play-offs after we beat the fourth place team on Saturday in St. Stephen. I also think it is fair to say that Fundy went into this game pretty confident that they were going to win it hands down, and why wouldn't they? The first time we played them, they beat our team 10 - 2! In fact, one of our parents overheard one of the Fundy kids exclaim: "Why are WE playing this team, the fifth place team?!" . . . tee hee!

Anyhoo . . . 

When I arrived and heard we were losing by one goal in the middle of the first half, I really did think the game was over. I expected to see an onslaught of Fundy goals heading our way because that is what typically has happened in the past, and although our team has beaten teams that have beaten Fundy, we can not seem to get it into their heads, that they are just as good, if not better, than them. Our players seem to have a mental block when it comes to Fundy: "Oh, they are the best and we can not possibly beat them!". Nonetheless, I quickly sat on the bench, and started yelling words of encouragement to our players. Then out of nowhere, Elliot, who has become an insane goal scorer this season, blasted out from the pack of Fundy players on top of  him, with the ball at his feet and sent it clear into the upper left-hand corner of the net. It was beautiful! Our bench erupted in cheers and applause!  Then he scored another one to bring the score up to 3 - 2 for Kingston. This really made everyone sit and take notice. Judging from the look on their faces, you could tell that the Fundy players were feeling a little shaken up. Their world was being rocked and they did not know what to do about it. 

By the second half, Fundy had Elliot's number and they shut him down before he could even touch the ball. Then they scored two goals to bring it up to 4 - 3 Kingston. By this time, the game was uber intense. I was clutching my seat and whispering: "please, please, please! Just let them score another goal!" And then it came. Cameron, one of our defensive players, with an amazing kick on him, sent the ball flying into the net and tied up the game. We lost it! Our bench was in full celebration mode. Kingston maintained the tie for the remainder of the half, which meant we were going into overtime. The only thing worse than overtime is a shoot-out. Ugh! They are so painful to watch because, in my mind, at this point, everyone is a winner, but heading into provincials, there could only be one winning team.

I should mention that poor Mr. Level-Headed, who has coached this team for the past two years, could not be at the game because he had to be in class, and was getting all the play by play from me via text. Finally, I texted him that the score was 4 - 4 and that we were heading into overtime, and his reply was:

I am enroute!

ha, ha! 

It was killing him to not be there, and during his break, he went up to the professor to apologize for spending so much time checking his phone during class. After he explained why he was doing this, the professor exclaimed:

Why are you even here? Get going! Your team needs you. I will email you the notes.

And so in record time, Mr. Level-Headed showed up at the field and was able to see the second half of overtime. Unfortunately, by then Fundy had scored a goal, Elliot was being completely shut out of any scoring opportunities, and we just could not catch any breaks. 

The game ended 5 - 4. Fundy celebrated their victory, and in true Kingston fashion, our boys congratulated them. In fact, many of our players, my boys included, told Fundy they would show up to cheer them on during the finals on Wednesday night. After seeing this, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that we, the U12AA Kingston boys team are indeed the true winners of the 2013 soccer season. We may not have a gold medal, but instead, we have thirteen boys (two were absent from this game) who grew over the course of the summer. Not only did they learn how to play soccer, but they learnt how to work as a team, how to support one another in their weaknesses, how to face difficult situations and to still give 100%, and how to smile and encourage others even when things are not going their way. And so, may I present the best all-round soccer team in the Southern Region Soccer League of New Brunswick:

The Kingston U12AA Boys:

Woohoo!

Okay . . . so if you look closely, Elliot is definitely not smiling, but everyone else is . . . tee hee!

Elliot taking a corner kick!

You can try all you want, but my boy is getting there first!

Cameron - the other goal scorer of the night

Oh, and you know you played a good season of soccer when your cleat falls apart in the last few minutes of your last game:

For further explanation as to how Avery's cleat fell apart, read what Coach Blee had to say:

And another thing... down 5-4, with about no seconds left in overtime, after playing nearly the entire 70 minute game because we were short on subs, 9 year old Avery wins the ball on the touchline and beats two 12 year old players by doing a Maradonna that leaves them standing there looking at their feet and wondering what just happened. No wonder Avery's cleats fell apart by the end of the game. Imagine how the older boys felt trying to keep up with him...

 . . . tee hee! Way to go, Avery!

I am so sad to see the soccer season come to a close. It's been a great one, and I love nothing more than to watch my little munchkins play the game they love so much.  Luckily, Baby Girl's team came second in their division and are playing in the Provincials this weekend. She plays Friday night and three games on Saturday . .. eeek! Wish her luck!

Phew . . . Does anyone else need a kleenex after this one? Or is it just me and those darn pregnancy hormornes?

Have a great day!

My Weekend Full of Unexpected Events

Every Sunday afternoon, I sit down and plan for the upcoming week. My schedule is very detailed and includes meals, chores, a budget, who is going where and who is taking them. It may sound over-the-top, but it is the only way I can keep this ship afloat. Sure, there are always a few tweaks and changes, but for the most part, everything flows nicely once the schedule is in place. Then sometimes, for some unknown reason, the cosmos decides to throw me a couple of curve balls just to keep me on my toes and just to keep life interesting. And, oh, what an interesting weekend it turned out to be . . . tee hee!

On Friday, those of you who regularly read my blog will know, that I was giddy about spending an entire Friday evening and Saturday alone at home with just my hubby. I envisioned a relaxing and rejuvenating weekend, one that I desperately needed since craziness in the form of homeschooling and the arrival of Thing 4 is just around the corner for us (eeeek! Just 7 days till school starts). We had plans to bring supper in and to curl up on the couch to watch Anna Karenina. We were going to wake up early on Saturday morning, eat breakfast together and then peruse a local baby yard sale with my sister. We would then go in town, have lunch together and do a few errands before we returned home to wait for the return of our beloved munchkins. It was going to be heavenly, but . . . it never happened. Instead, this is what our weekend had in store for us:

It started Friday morning when I received an email from a friend that our boys' soccer team had secured a position in the play-offs. This was completely unexpected since the only way that could happen was if one particular team, who besides one tie this season had lost all their other games, beat a pretty tough team in the league. Well, as fate would have it they did beat them, which meant our soccer season was not finished. Although I knew this meant my Saturday plans would be changing, I could not help but feel happy for the boys. They worked very hard this season and an opportunity to play in the play-offs was a huge deal for them. As it just so happened, my boys had two of their friends from soccer spend the night at our house the evening before, which made for four times the celebration!

At 3pm, when their friends had been picked up by their mom, the boys and I began to pack for their next adventure, a night at another friend's camp. They were a little disappointed that since they were in the play-offs we would have to pick them up in the morning to make what we expected to be an afternoon game, but they quickly shook it off. We then jumped in the van and headed to the Superstore to meet the two brave dads who were going to chaperon this much anticipated "boys night" with six hooligan friends. As soon as I pulled up into the parking lot, Mr. Level-Headed called to tell me that our game was scheduled for 10 am in St. Stephen (an hour and a half away from our house).

WHAT?!?!?

This really threw a wrench in our plans. After lots of negotiating between parents and kids, we decided to pick the boys up at 10 pm that night. The boys and I were very disappointed to see our "plans" change, but that is life. I kissed them goodbye, warned them they better behave or else, and then I headed home to meet up with Mr. Level-Headed. Well, it turns out that Mr. Level-Headed had lots of unexpected appointments pop up that day and it looked like he would not be home until later. So, refusing to get down over something as stupid as a date night gone south, I decided to pick up some poutine at Reid's Point Pub and dine not alone, but with my favourite pooch, Scout.

By the way, Scout thinks Reid's Point Pub makes the best poutine ever! 

Since we had to pick the boys up at 10pm, Mr. Level-Headed and I decided to go out to the movies instead because if we stayed home we would probably end up falling asleep on the couch and miss the pick up. As soon as he got home from his appointments, we dashed to the the theatre and made it just in time to see Elysium. What was I thinking with this movie? It was far too intense for me. I spent most of the time plugging my ears, holding my belly (to protect Thing 4) and closing my eyes tightly. Ugh! When it finally finished, I felt like I was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Note to self: do not watch sci-fi thrillers when I am suffering from pregnancy anxiety. The two do not mix! 

Then we rushed out to pick up our boys. For the first time ever, we had a quiet drive home. The boys were exhausted and I was still suffering from shell-shock. When we arrived home, we all went straight to bed. Okay, one of us could not wait until we got home to fall sleep . . . awwwww!

The next morning I woke up early to pack for the soccer game. As I was packing, it occurred to me that we had an entire afternoon off and since we were going to be in the same neck of the woods as New River Beach and since Saturday was their annual sand sculpture contest, I wheeled and dealed with Mr. Level-Headed, who is not a fan of the beach, and came out the victor. 

After a 5-2 win over St. Stephen (4 of which were scored by Elliot . . . the league's second top goal scorer . . .  woohoo!), we headed to the beach for a couple of hours. Mr. Level-Headed and Elliot spent most of the time resting on the blanket, while Avery and I  made several trips around to see the sculptures and dove in the frigid Bay of Fundy waters to collect sand dollars. At one point, we had 17 sand dollars in our hands, but since they were all still alive, we put them back. I have said it a thousand times before, but New River Beach is my favourite spot in the entire world!

At this point, I was really enjoying our spur-of-the-moment weekend, and so when we were discussing with the other parents of the youth who attended the conference in Quebec about who would pick the girls up later that day, I jumped on the opportunity. We were already out and about, our evening was clear, and I really wanted to hear all about Baby Girl's trip while she was still hopped up on the conference buzz.

So after New River Beach, we headed to Fredericton. Sure, we were all tired, sure my weekend budget had been, at this point, obliterated, but we were enjoying a carefree, beautiful summer Saturday all together. What more could we ask for?

Well, as much as I did not expect it, the afternoon got even better! As soon as we saw the bus pull into the chapel parking lot, I got out of the car and began walking towards it. Mr. Level-Headed warned me that Baby Girl would not think it was cool if the first person everyone saw as they walked down the stairs was her mom, but I just laughed him off and kept making a beeline for the bus. I missed my Baby Girl and I needed to see her. Much to my complete and utter shock, Baby Girl was just as excited to see me as I was her and she threw herself into my arms and squealed: "Mom!" as I squealed: "Girlie!". It was the best reunion ever! She had an awesome time in Quebec, and she even introduced me to a young a man that she may or may not have a little crush on, who just so happens to be a supreme cutie . . . tee hee!

The whole way home, Zoe, Hannah, and Min Ju laughed and shared stories about their trip (You can learn lots from listening to three teenage girls chat). There is nothing better for a mama than to see one of her children so happy and so excited. It really warmed my heart, and as we were driving home, I thought to myself: 

Man, this has been one amazing summer!

On Sunday morning, I awoke feeling refreshed and eager to start our day. Although our weekend had completely derailed from the schedule, it turned out awesome and I could not have asked for a better weekend. Mr. Level-Headed was up and out early that morning because he had a church meeting to attend in Moncton. The kids and I got dressed, ate breakfast and still had a half an hour to spare before we had to leave for church. With the sun shining and an entire afternoon home with nothing but rest and relaxation with all my kiddos planned, I thought to myself:

This is the perfect end to a perfect weekend.

Then . . . .

Elliot started scratching his head. Not a little scratch, but a deep, long scratch. I froze. The last time he scratched like that was last fall when he had lice for the first time. 

Elliot, why are you scratching?

My head is super itchy!

Ugh! Come here. Let me check your head in the sunlight.

And sure enough, I found one. Then two, and then some eggs.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

So, my relaxing Sunday turned into a day of vacuuming, laundry, changing bedding, checking heads, treating one head, and shaving two boys' heads. 

Okay, so sometimes straying from the schedule can really suck . . . tee hee! 

Wish me luck this week!

A Quick Trip to PEI

On Friday morning, we packed up the Loser Cruiser, picked up Zoe's friend Jill and headed to Prince Edward Island for the weekend because the girls had a soccer tournament there. It was a fantastic weekend! The weather was perfect, our cottage was adorable, and the U16 girls played some awesome soccer games. In fact, they won 2 games out of three, which won them a spot in the finals, and in the end, they came home with the gold! 

Baby Girl even won Player of the Game for the second game they played! Zoe's game is not about glory. She plays the middle field, and rather than getting goals or saving goals, she sets up the plays. She looks for openings and passes the ball. She stops the opposing team from heading down the center of the field, and she keeps the ball in her half. I imagine it to be a hard position to play. Rarely, are you ever cheered from the sidelines, and rarely, are you ever the star of the game. So, on Saturday afternoon, after Zoe played probably the best game of her life in the baking PEI sun, we were thrilled to learn that the opposing team's coach took notice of Zoe's efforts and skills. He saw what a valuable player she is, he noticed how influential she was in the game even though she never scored a goal, and in the end, he awarded her MVP. I am such a proud mama!

Since the soccer games were in Charlotttetown, we found a tiny cottage twenty minutes outside of town in Stanhope, PEI, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that that we were only a ten minute walk away from Brackley Beach. With Zoe's games being played on Saturday, we were able to spend Friday afternoon at the beach. While the girls jumped in the surf and attracted the attention of a young man visiting from Ontario (tee hee!), Mr. Level-Headed built sandcastles with the boys and I fell asleep on the beach blanket. Sun and pregnancy do not mix well! 

 Later that evening, we met up with some of Zoe's teammates and their families for dinner. Afterwards, we headed back to our cottage, where the boys (Mr.Level-Headed included) became enthralled in a documentary about King Tut on the History Channel. The girls headed back to the beach in the guise of wanting to play beach volleyball, but we knew they were really hoping to bump into the blond cutie from Ontario once again . . . wink, wink. Unfortunately, they had no luck and ended up watching the tail end of the documentary with us. 

The next morning, we woke up early for the girls' first game. Mr. Level-Headed in all his wisdom, offered to take them so that I could take the boys back to the beach. Elliot was entirely off his rocker this trip. He needs time to get comfortable in his new surroundings and to adjust to the schedule of vacation. Unfortunately, a three day trip does not provide enough time for him to do this, and so to help us all cope with his nervousness, his negativity, and his inability to remain in the same place for more than thirty minutes (sounds fun, right?), we gave him plenty of down time. We took many mini trips to the pool (again, never longer than thirty minutes), we took him to the beach, we allowed him a lot of screen time (the only thing that settles him at these times), and we fed him pizza (his favourite food!). When he did have to watch a soccer game, only one I might add, we let him sit in the shade behind my lawn chair and play on his Ipod. It breaks my heart to see him so disengaged from what is going on around him, but, Mr. Level-Headed comforted me by pointing out that our first priority was to help Elliot feel at ease, and if that meant we spent lots of time in the cottage letting him watch TV or allowing him to play on his Ipod during dinner with people he did not know or while watching a soccer game in a place he was unfamiliar with, then that's what we needed to do. Gosh darn it, I love that man!

Apart from one epic poutine binge (more details tomorrow), that was pretty much our trip. On Sunday morning, we woke up and went to church in Charlottetown, where we got to see some good friends we have not seen in a long time. Mr. Level-Headed was not impressed with how many Young Men there are in the Charlottetown church, but Zoe did not seem bothered by it at all . . . tee hee! The boys immediately made new friends and Zoe added lots of new names to her list of Facebook friends. She is very eager to catch up with them all again on a youth trip they are taking to New York state later this week. Poor, Mr. Level-Headed!

On the drive home, as we crossed over the bridge, we all turned and bid farewell to Prince Edward Island. We have so many fond memories of the family vacations we have taken here. Some short, some long, and some really long (thanks to car trouble), but all of them fun. I was a little sad to see this family vacation come to an end, especially since we rarely ever get to spend three whole days with Mr. Level-Headed lately, but I quickly consoled myself with the thought that next time we cross over that terrifyingly long bridge, we will have Thing 4 in tow and will be able to create a whole new set of Island memories. Yippee!

And now here come the dreaded vacay photos:

Movies in the car

Heading over the Confederation Bridge

First Stop: Cows!

For the record, I love Jill! She gave me the okay to share this photo. :)

Let's go to the beach!

 

On Saturday morning, we had the entire beach to ourselves.

Elliot's ideal vacation!

PEI, you will always be my favourite summer vacation spot!