Rockin' Ice Blockin' Birthday Party

Hayley and Ashley got ripped off this year I completely failed them in the birthday party department and occasionally had nagging pangs of guilt. Their birthdays are five years and five days apart, only that just accounts for their age difference. Every year for the last eight years they have been having their birthdays five days apart. This year April and early May were completely slammed because of the temple open house, Temple Youth Celebration, temple dedication and dance competitions. We were blessed to have family visit us to see the temple and we billeted six girls from other parts of BC. Once the temple was dedicated then there were more dance competitions and by that time I needed to start writing report cards. Just the words IEP report card evokes panic in my chest but that's another story. After report cards it was time to start planning to go away. Once the summer started, friends went away on vacation. In the end we decided to hold a party for Hayley right after Summer's birthday. Summer and Hayley both agreed that it would be super fun to have an ice-blocking party together. Ashley still gets to wait a little while longer.

If you have no idea what ice blocking is, that's okay, you're not alone. The invitation left all of their friends curious as well as some of the parents. Most mormon kids who have attended mutual activities know about this works. Our girls went to a church activity a couple of summers ago where they learned about it.

First you take a block of ice to the top of a gentle hill, then you place a towel on top and sit on the ice block.

Next you make sure you keep your feet off the ground (or wear really slippery shoes) and go as far down the hill as possible.

While you are riding down the hill, remember to scream A LOT!

The kids had a great time having races, making trains and just challenging eachother to see how far they could go. When you are done you have to carry the block back up the hill again, they got pretty winded.





Getting ready for the pizza that we had delivered to the park. Awesome!




 

Cupcakes with sprinkly fairy dust 





Birthday Girl with sprinkly fairy dust



the birthday gang





party favors



The only boy at her party, "wrapping" her present (origami folding a $10 bill).





The girls said they wanted to share a cake.




 

Hayley's turn

This is the typical ending pose. That is to say the picture above, not the one below.

Ashley can't resist a photo op!

I think he's tired.

Overall the party was a great success. Nobody got injured, nobody cried, the pizza arrived at the park on time and hot, the sunshine was glorious and there was enough ice left over for some other kids at the park to get really wet and muddy. "Can I please do this for my party?" asked Spencer. I think that was his stamp of approval!

My Canadian Daughter and My American Son

holding hands across the border

We like to go and watch the Fourth of July fireworks each year from Peace Arch Park. The park straddles the border between the US and Canada. Paul took this cute picture of Spencer standing in the States and Ashley standing in Canada. For the record, she is the only native Canadian in the family.

This just in from the Cariboo...

I'm not sure if my parents are safe living out in the bush toodling around on quads, looking for trouble...

From an email to Paul:

Forgot to mention when we were out on our trails Sat the dogs went bolting off barking, then we heard crashing and banging in the bush.We went over to look and the dogs had treed a big black bear. Angie rushed back on the quad to get her camera and I stayed by the tree. The bear started growling and banging the tree with his paws, he sounded very angry, so I backed off. I had the chainsaw with me so I felt a bit secure. Then all of a sudden he did the same again and then came down the tree and bolted off the other
way.

I could not believe how fast he came down the tree and ran. If he had come my way I don't think I would have had time to start the saw as he was sooooo fast. Angie came back with the camera seconds after he bolted.

I now have a new respect for bears!!!!
Syd

This is an internet bear, not the real bear in question

I'm a big cheater pants...

I've figured out how to back date posts... so I'm going to try to catch up on the year and they will actually show up chronologically rather than when I actually wrote them! Just like the way I (used to) scrapbook. I love it!

Off to Grandma's

Spencer got to go on his 10 year old trip to Grandma's. Can you see his little head sticking out of the cockpit window? He had a fabulous time

Dance 2009/2010

Hayley and Ashley are in their heaviest year of dance yet. Not as busy as some dance families, but busy for us! Hayley continued in Lyrical, Jazz and Ballet and added a twice a week conditioning class. Ashley participated in Jazz, Tap and Ballet. We found ourselves running back and forth to the dance studio just about every day in the week. It's a good thing that we live so close. These pictures are of Hayley's jazz routine, Space Mountain.

Originally, the silver mask was painted on with a make-up brush but that was a bit tricky as the makeup did not spread very well. They then switched to an air brush technique which was less work for me.

 

After the teased hair, french braids and silver spray paint, I had to wisk her home, let her shower, dry her hair and put her hair in ringlets. Almost mission impossible considering that her hair does not curl easily. It's hard to see, but her hair is now in ringlets.

This little red costume is Ashley's jazz routine called "Where's the Fire".



Ashley's tap number was called "Rock n' Roll Cuties".

Cute little sailor ballerina.





You're Fired!!

Okay, well I wasn't really fired, but Paul thinks it's funny to say that I was fired and that's what he tells the children. I happen to be a part time Resource Teacher with very little seniority. When schools hire an extra part time Resource Teacher it's usually because they've squeezed some extra money or have a few extra special needs kids. They can't be considered long term positions and when you have the least seniority, you're the first out the door. Anyway in April 2008 I was given notice that I had been "surplussed" which means "there's no work at this school but we think there is elsewhere in the district". Within a week my school had figured something out and picked me back up. In April 2009 they let me go again with the promise that "things could change". They didn't change, but I found a nice position at another school and I was promised by the district that I had three years protection against being surplussed. Paul said I won the "immunity idol". We don't watch Survivor, but he thought it was funny anyway. In May 2010 I received notice that my position had been eliminated. "But what about my protection?" apparently this situation didn't qualify, but they did offer me a part time classroom position instead teaching grade one/two. So, I decided not to look for Resource elsewhere but to stay put at my school... okay so that's the background.

Shortly thereafter during dinner, Spencer and Hayley had their heads in their hands and were shaking their heads. "What will we do?" they said. "How can we show our faces in public?". "Our mother only works ten months out of the year and she only works half of the week and every year she gets FIRED!!" They are so naughty, but they were so funny!