birthday poems

You're sweet
You're loving
You're kind and
you're a hugger.
Who
Are
You?

I am Cole
the birthday boy


Your birthday is here
and you are 6 years old.
You are not young anymore
but you're still younger than me.



You're the best brother in the world.
And I love you very much.
You're sweet and kind and strong too.

I love Cole
From Ryan


(Couldn't have said it better myself my darling girl.)
Happy Happy Birthday Cole...our 6 year old boy.

celebrating our sweet boy

Cole is turning 6 this week on the 23rd. I cannot believe my baby is 6! I have started to realize that when it's Ryan birthday I get very excited for the newness of the next adventure... but when it's Cole's birthday I am saying goodbye to an age I will not be able to snuggle again. I am quietly letting go of 5. It was a wonderful age, especially for my boy.




Cole has changed so much from 5 to 6. He runs just a little bit faster now and is definitely stronger...for sure. Everything is a race or competition and if he looses, it's a tie. He continues to be kind hearted and thinks of others often. He is reading and writing stories at home and at school. He sets personal goals for school ("I will focus just a little more this week in school.") and strives to make him mum, dad and teachers proud. Cole is a puzzle/Lego kid and can stay on task for hours if it means he is following directions to put something together. He still struggles to eat vegetables and some fruits but I think is finally realizing (after 6long years) that his mom will continue "wait" him out at the dinner table until he eats them all. (Most nights the kitchen is cleaned, lunches are made for the next day and Ryan is finishing homework while Cole is still at the dinner table working on that last carrot!) He is silly and funny and makes us all laugh daily.

For the big birthday celebration we told Cole he could invite two friends to go and do something special. He chose his friends and our good family friends Zach and Ezra to go bowling...








go have pizza at his favorite place ("because they give us dough to play with!")


and finish the night with a sleepover.

Happy Happy birthday my dear, sweet, loving boy.
We love you.

winter...

has finally arrived.








It is so beautiful and peaceful to be blanketed with snow...we welcome the season.

snow days and crafting

I am finding the most delicious ways to spent a few snowy and very cold days indoors. I have taken full advantage of lots of time and a wonderful Christmas gift my mum gave me as well as a wonderful group of friends that have taught me how to embroider.





It feels so wonderful to create...cheers to making things and finding happiness.

january

Here are just a few pictures from the past few weeks.
We took the kids to a rodeo at the stock show a few weeks ago...very fun and kept the kids fully entertained.


We have also been enjoying some cozy,mellow evenings playing family games. It's so fun that both kids are now able to play apples to apples for kids...a good time had by all.





And the finale of it all... Cole's first wiggly and lost tooth! He was so excited to have the tooth fairy come around for him this time. I must admit that I was a bit sad...not quite ready for my youngest to grow up any faster, but so tickled to see how proud my little boy was.

3rd annual knit for paris

After an amazing 1st and 2nd annual knit for Paris it was a success once again!




This week the students that were not in my class last year or students that got mittens last year got their long awaited hats! It took a little longer this year to accumulate enough for my class so I think I am going to start knitting for next year already. I am so pleased to see the smiles of these kids faces. It is really one of my favorite moments every year...so thank you so much for your support. And if you feel inclined knit a hat and send it my way!

Special thank you to
my mom (in Michigan)
and
Kelly (in New York)

my dear boy

This week Cole came home from school telling me all of the facts he is learning about Japan in school. We were sitting at the dinner table and he was informing us that the people who live in Japan think that rice is very important. So I asked him if they would be eating dinner just like us...with forks? Cole's reply: "Oh, no mom, they use pork chops."

Happy happy long weekend!