Birthday supper 36!

Just came home from a fabulous meal at the in-laws. Prime rib that they made to celebrate my 36 birthday! It was excellent and loads of fun as always. I feel very lucky to have an extended family that is so kind and accepting.

Friday

There are days that are great, and today is one of them! I feel very happy and lucky to be where I am in my life. I started the day today with a walk in the woods with my neighbour Gaby. I love the way she sees the world and I really like talking with her. Perfect way to start the day.

When I picked Nate up today his preschool teacher had rave reviews about his behaviour. What a great way for him to end the rocky school week...on a good note. Well done Nate. (He was so exhausted from being good that he came home and fell asleep on his floor even before he ate lunch).

Lunch today was Rangoli's with Darren. A celebration for another week complete..

I had my first volunteer session with "Children at Risk". It is a charity that works with the Autism spectrum. The time was well worth it and I got to meet some interesting people. One couple really stood out as being amazing. I would say that they are both probably in their late 70's and FULL of life. They joked around together and you could tell that they were very much in love. As I got to know about them a little more I heard that they spend lot's of time volunteering wherever they see need. Amazing couple!

The volunteer opportunity taught me more about autism. Lena was there and I learned more about her experience with her son Cameron. He is 7 years old and just learning to sign "I Love my Mom". I can't imagine the joy it must bring to Lena to see him learn that...7 years waiting for her.

One quote that stood out today about autism is "Not being able to speak is NOT the same as having nothing to say!"

After nap Nate and Grandpa had some play time at Grandpa's house. Garry was originally planning on coming over to care for Nate in the afternoon but it worked out that Darren was able to stay with him. Nate was so disappointed about missing time with Grandpa Garry that we arranged for them to have a little time together later in the day. Nate was thrilled.

I spend the Nate free time getting a little work done and decorating outside with Jade for Halloween. Fun!

Nordic Spa

Darren and I spent the evening at the Nordic Spa. One of my favourite places to be. Very relaxing! Food was incredible and the view was amazing. The moon was almost full and it was a clear bright sky. On the way home from the spa we ran out of gas in the truck. Luckily we were very close to a service station so Darren was able to fix the problem fast. Unfortunately a splash of gas spilled out of the gas container into the back of our truck. The smell was very strong so we drove home with the windows down, hoodies up and heat on. Very funny! Good times.

Victory

Life is full of small victories. Sitting up, crawling, walking...
Today Nathan added to his victory list. He took his shirt off for the first time. I know that is such a small thing but really to a parent it is a stepping stone to other victories. Nate had a huge smile on his face and said "See Mom, I did it!"
Well done my little man, I am proud of ya!

I have amazing friends!
I sent an email requesting volunteer help for an organization called "Children at Risk". My super busy neighbour Gaby replied right away and is ready to help. I am amazed by her giving attitude. What an incredible woman! I feel lucky to be her neighbour and even luckier to call her friend.

The kids

Rough day for Nate today. According to his teachers, He appears to be feeding off negative attention and he has been acting rough at school. The teachers are trying to redirect and I am crossing my finger this is just a quick stage. Nathan is a child full of energy and is often very mischievous. It is not unusual to see a twinkle in his eye and wonder what he is up to. I want to curb the rough behaviour but keep the twinkle. I love the little guy like crazy and hope that I can do a good job and raise him right.

Jade and I spent some time shopping this evening. She is growing up SO fast and faster than I think her and I both want. Her life is full of changes. Jade is a thinking, caring child. I am hoping her mind will keep working in a positive way and keep her out of trouble and harms way. My thoughts are often with her and I love her tons.

Perfect weather

What a great day! The weather was amazing! I started the day with the usual hike in the woods but even better. I was joined by a friend that I have not seen since high school. So great to catch up and learn about her life. Lena is a strong positive woman and I am glad that good old FB has given us a chance to get reacquainted.
I picked up Nate and took him to Subway (as promised). We had a quick lunch and headed out for a hike with Joy, Jacob, Steph and Cassie ( I don't think I am spelling that right, sorry). The kids had fun. The boys were full off energy but that seemed to sizzle out of them by the end of the walk. Cassie was her gorgeous, cute self. She watched the boys with interest and probably a little caution. Crazy boys!
It was good to see Steph and catch up as well. We live so close to each other but the days fly by and we don't always connect.
When Jade returned home from school and Darren was finished work, we headed into the ravine for the third walk of the day. Fabulous! I am feeling tired now from all the fresh air but wow, I loved every minute of it. I am feeling very lucky that we have such a beautiful nature area so close by.