{Snapshots of Saturday} - Vaisakhi Parade

It's been a great long weekend so far and thankfully the rain held off today for the Vaisakhi Parade that celebrates the birth of Sikhism. Of course, this area has a large Sikh community and they were out in full force for this celebration today! One guy that we were talking to said that there would probably be over 100,000 people out today for the Surrey parade and more than that again downtown for another parade.

It was an amazing celebration of religion and culture. There were people offering you unbelievable food every time you turned around. The very first plate I got I enjoyed the most and it was a chickpea curry and a flatbread to go with it. Delicious! The colours were amazing and orange seems to be the predominant colour though I'm honestly not sure of the reason. At one point during the parade someone came around with orange pieces of fabric and asked us to cover out heads and I think it was because of the religious aspect of the parade. The sights and sounds were fabulous!

At one point someone came up with a TV camera from the multicultural station to interview me. They just asked what we thought about the parade and how important it was for cultures to celebrate together. They asked if I thought the Indo-Canadian community participated enough in other types of celebrations as well. I think I said "It's great" about 4 times during the short interview, but it really was! A few people also filmed the boys, particularly Kyle, in the stroller watching the parade. It was great to be able to share in a different type of cultural celebration and people were very friendly stopping to explain things to us periodically and to give us food!



On our way home, I was really happy when George asked if I wanted to stop and get my new cell phone! We have been talking about it for a while and just haven't done it. We managed to get that in this afternoon ad I stopped for my Vanilla Latte at the Starbucks that was next door to the cell place!

The only thing I didn't get in today was a trip to the scrapbook store. I had a coupon and they have a scratch sale on today. Oh well, not the end of the world as I don't really need anything anyway.

We've got the boys sleeping for a bit and I'm making candied sweet potatoes for dinner at Tracy and Brian's tonight with mum and dad. We're making things easy and just getting a couple of bbq chickens and doing the extras. No turkey and that's fine by me! Too much work! Who am I kidding, we'll be doing turkey on Monday with George's family anyway! Better go do my sweet potatoes!

Colleen

It's a great day to be alive!

Funny, I was on my way back from the hospital visiting Tracy, Sophia and Brian when I heard this on the radio...

Feelin' pretty good and that's the truth
It's neither drink nor drug induced
No I'm just doin' alright
And it's a great day to be alive
I know the suns still shinin' when I close my eyes
There's some hard times in the neigborhood
But why can't every day be just this good?

Today just seemed like one of those days to be thankful for everything you have in your life. Kyle and George got up before Nathan and I. Thankfully Nathan slept a little longer after I nursed him about 5:30am and we got up before 8am. Mum and dad popped over this morning to pick up the vase for the flowers for Tracy and they were here when we had Nathan in the jolly jumper for the first time. Kyle was funny trying to get in the way when we were taking pictures and then showing Nathan how to jump.

It was time to get everyone ready so that Kyle could go to Kindermusik. George took him to class, but I dropped them off so that I could go pick up something pink for Sophia! I went up to Winners since Tracy told me that was where she got the blue Calvin Klein onesies for Nathan. I sure enough found then in pink as well and got another diaper shirt (mostly for Brian) that says "Hazard - Dirty Diaper". Nathan was sleeping, but woke up while I was shopping. He was good as gold as usual. I popped into Starbucks and got myself a latte and headed off to pick up the boys.

Then, we headed off to the hospital. Unfortunately, of course, we found out that we had just missed Sophia because they had taken her down to the nursery to keep an eye on her and get some antibiotics into her. We had a nice little visit with Tracy and Brian though.

We picked up lunch on the way home. We got everyone fed and then I think we all managed to sneak in a nap of some kind. By that time, it seemed like we were thinking about dinner already. I called Trace after dinner to see if she wanted me to pop up there and she said that was fine.

I stopped in at the drugstore to get her a little treat and I was on my way. I, unfortunately forgot I had taken the camera out of my purse to download pics earlier, but Tracy had her camera anyway. I was lucky enough to get to go down to the nursery with Tracy and see Sophia while I was there. We had to totally scrub up before we went in. She was so cute all bundled up in there though one of the first things you see is the IV in her hand. It looks so big compared to her. She was sleeping away when we got there, but I got to hold her anyway. Didn't hear a peep, but what a little doll! So precious... So much to be thankful for...

I said my goodbyes because Trace and Brian were getting a little more company at the hospital. On my way home, I dropped of Kyle's movie at the video store and it was after that when I heard that Travis Tritt song on the radio and I was just thinking about how lucky we all are. So much family and so much love.

Came home and cuddled Nathan when he woke up and spent a few extra minutes with Kyle tonight at bedtime reading and singing. It's a great day to be alive...

Colleen

{Snapshots of Saturday}

Well, my pictures for today aren't what I thought they were going to be! With Tracy having baby Sophia at 12:41am this morning, I figured I would take pics when we all went up to the hospital this morning after Kyle went to Kindermusik. We got there only to find out that they had taken Sophia to the nursery shortly before and that she would be staying there for 2-4 days. Her white blood cell count is up for some strange reason that they can't figure out, so they want to give her some antibiotics. The pediatrician said that everything is probably completely fine and that she's the picture of health, but they simply want to make sure she stays that way. The hard thing, of course, is that Trace will have to go home before Sophia does.


Now, the funny thing is that Tracy had Sophia in the same room that I had Nathan in about 3 months ago! We told Kyle that when Tracy had the baby that we would go to the hospital and all he was thinking about was washing his hands in the big sink like he did when he was there after Nathan was born!


My other funny pictures are also indirectly related to Sophia being born! When I had Kyle, my mum and dad brought me flowers in this little pink lamb vase that my dad bought flowers for my mum in when I was born. They dressed that vase up with blue ribbon and some blue flowers, but it is pink after all! My mum wanted to be able to give it to Tracy as well, so I went digging in the closet this morning to get it. In doing so, we also found the jolly jumper, so George put Nathan in it for the first time. Well, he quite liked it and happily bounced bounced away to our surprise! The funny thing was that when we went to take pictures, Kyle kept standing in front of the camera for his picture to be taken! Then, Kyle got into the bouncing act on his own and ended up all red in the face and sweaty "showing" Nathan how to jump!



Anyway, I'm waiting for Tracy to call me after her nap so that I can go back up to the hospital for a visit to see her and keep her company for a while. I actually had a little nap this afternoon myself after not getting much sleep last night with being at the hospital! Mum was up there for a while this afternoon while Brian slept since he's been up for ages! It sounds like I'll be able to go see Sophia in the nursery with Tracy too and I'm hoping I can take some pictures then!

Colleen

{Snapshots of Saturday} First Concert

Well, it's been far too long since I posted anything and I do have a million things to write about too! This challenge that Shirley is doing to post a little something about your Saturday every week has thankfully gotten me on here today!

It has been a crazy, hectic, but really fun day. We started off the morning with a bit of confusion. George rushed off to get his hair cut this morning and we had talked about him taking Kyle to Kindermusik as well (though the conversation was last night). The barber was busy and when I called him at 10am, he was next to get his hair cut and had forgotten about music class. I wasn't anywhere near ready to go, but I jumped in the shower and had myself ready and Kyle, Nathan and I in the car in about 23 minutes, so I thought I had done pretty well.

It was off to Kindermusik and we had fun there as usual. George actually showed up about halfway through the class because I think he was wondering how I was doing with both boys there. Nathan was actually being quite good thought he didn't sleep which I expected considering I had woken him up to bring him. After class, we rushed off home and made a quick lunch - half of which George put in a baggie for Kyle to take with him.

Then, it was off to pick up mum/Nana for Kyle's first concert - the Doodlebops! Yes, he's 2 and has been to his first concert! They are a group of 3 people that sing and dance for kids. It was funny when we went to park because you could certainly tell we were in the right place what with the tons and tons of parents and kids. Kyle was excited just by all the kids! We went in (in the rain) and Nana bought Kyle a Doodlebops flag that lights up with blinking lights (for a frightening $20 I might add!!). Then, we went upstairs to our seats and we were in the second row of the dress circle (on the second level) and the seats were quite good!


When the music first started, it was quite loud and being that Kyle doesn't exactly like loud noises, he covered his ears. I had this sudden fear that he was going to spend the whole show like that, but thankfully after I sat him in my lap and he realized it was just going to be music (and Doodlebops music no less), then he was fine. They did about 40 minutes and then had a 20 minute intermission. Kyle was quite upset at the intermission when he thought it was over! We went out into the hall and had a snack that I had packed. It was funny to see all the other mums digging in their bags for snacks too! We went back in for about another half hour. Kyle was getting into it waving his flag, clapping, doing a little dancing, and waving his arms when they asked. The Doodlebops waved goodbye after singing the song they sing on every show and Kyle waved goodbye.

We headed back to the car with the tons of other families. Kyle got in and seemed reasonably awake considering he had been up late last night (my plan was to have him up late and sleep late) and then got up at 5:30am again this morning! I have to say though that he started eating what was left of his grilled cheese sandwich and then about 15 minutes later, I heard snoring from the back seat - he was out! He managed to get a little more sleep when we got home too thankfully.

Nathan had stayed home with Daddy and it was the first time for just the two of them together, so that was good too. Nathan slept some and then even manages to take a bottle from George and then catnapped again before I got home.

Just got Kyle off to bed. Funny the little things we do every night that I think are so cute and that I know will someday stop and I'll miss. I always lean against the wall when we;re singing our songs, so Kyle has to sit up and do the same. We always have to sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and then the alphabet song. He barely stops inbetween now!

We're also finally going through the process of getting rid of his binkie (or soother). He has only had it for bedtime for ages, but it's time to get rid of it completely and the opportunity presented itself a few nights ago when we couldn't find it. I did find it under the bed the next morning, but he doesn't know that. I won't say it's been easy and there have been some tears, but he's getting better. I keep telling him that I know it's hard, but that he's doing a good job. Tonight he said to me in his shortened sentence version with a very serious look "Binkie hard". All I could do was smile and tell him I knew it was.

I guess I'll stop there for now because I could go on for ages! I just need to get back here and write more often! Everyone had a good if not busy day! I guess this will end up being just another crazy day with 2 kids!

Colleen