The HMS
Madeleine Jane Hovercraft

All systems go and ready for lift off.

No seriously. Totally ready to get going here.
Grandpa Kenco, can you check the motor?


Hello? Is anyone out there?

Kelly:
Here are the mountains you are coming home to - they are your "then". One exam down, seven to go - you can do it, we're all rooting for you.
Now get back to work!

"45, 46, 47...47? oh, damn...
(sigh) 1, 2, 3..."

A weekend in Kananaskis Country
(5 points for correct spelling!)

Maddie's first 'hike'!

Same hike, take two.
Ok, really it was just a paved walkway (not some Irish barefoot mountain trek) - but we liked it just the same.

Spring is really here!
I dedicate this shot to all my Manitoba pals (I was going to say "peeps" but let's be realistic here, I am not the kind of person who says "peeps" and gets away with it)

Three Months Old!

CUTE AS A...

YAWN!

This is what Maddie looks like when she first wakes up from a nap - big stretches. Definitely one of my most favorite sights.
Oh - she's waking up right now, I better hurry!


After another story that began with "Bosco ate my..." Jenn H asked me why the heck I keep him around. Here are two of my favorite pictures that show exactly why Jason and I could never part with our Bosco. He is truly part of our family and we'd be lost without him. Even though he does eat everything in sight. (To be honest, his tastes have recently become refined to only items covered in baby barf. Unfortunately that covers the majority of items in our home at the moment...)

Bosco with his "monkey" - his most favorite dolly of all time.

Seriously. This is as sweet as the White Sweater pics and Maddie in her party dress.

A Moment of Silence

Let's all just take a few moments and think sympathetic thoughts for Kelly in Ireland and Maddie's Grandma M. These two fine people are currently suffering from DUIC (Dial Up Internet Connection). Despite the challenges associated with this condition, they remain faithful Blog Fans.

From all of us in the land of High Speed, we salute your patience and commitment.

oh, and you'll all be relived to hear that I have a new hair cut. No more nasty ponytails. Well, actually the ponytails may be much worse now, but the difference is that now when I take the time I look sassy!


And before you complain about the lack of Maddie pics - I'm out of batteries and frankly those things are expensive and are not currently fitting into my Cheesecake Cafe/Indian Food Buffet/New Pant Budget. So please be patient.

Happy Birthday to
ME!

Spring Clean up?

My parents are putting new siding on their house and it looks like today was the day to get crack-a-lackin' after a winter with 80 inches of snow.

When they took the siding off my Dad found these old stubby beer bottles. Mom said that the siding has been on for about 30 years.
My question is: did nobody peel labels 30 years ago?

Future Scrapbooker!

Maddie has been coming with me on Wednesdays (and now Thursdays) to scrapbook with the girls. The last few times she hasn't been as thrilled to sit in her car seat on the floor so I decided to quit pretending to scrapbook, which is all I do anyway, and just bring a coffee and visit. Well last time Maddie needed a diaper change. Thank goodness we were the only ones in the workshop that night b/c I'm pretty sure diaper changes on the Grommet Table are not in the "waiver" I signed. ("You will remove your non mobile infant from workshop if you cannot calm said child within minutes" I have found a loop hole for that one though: they're not really clear on if it's OK to just put her outside the workshop area while I stay inside and visit...)

ANYWAY, I changed her diaper but couldn't find the stash of poop bags (do mothers who don't have dogs call them that?) that I usually keep in my purse. It's bad to leave a diaper in a common garbage can. It's considered Rude, Inappropriate, and Gross. Especially if you're going to stay in that room for another hour and a half. Every mother knows that if you're going to Change and Dump you better get the heck out of Dodge. So I needed a bag or something to put the diaper in my purse. (what would Aggie and Kim say about that?) I searched a nearby garbage can and found an empty embellishment container shaped like a teeny tiny paint can. The perfect size for one diaper. So we stuffed the diaper in The Pail and with Jolleen's help it was attractively embellished with a lovely paper flower and secured with the Adhesive of Champions (i.e., scotch tape). And the rest is history...

you can see the "Grommet Table" just behind my coffee cup - it's really a TV tray and let me tell you it was dirty enough before Maddie's diaper ever found it.

The Diaper Pail!

Jolleen: Diaper Pail Embellisher to the Stars

I seriously hope no one from Scrapbooker's Paradise ever sees this!

It has recently been brought to my attention via some rather persistent, if not bizarre, fan mail that my blog posts are too few and far between. Tough crowd. So here is an installment that I've been working on a bit. Wanted to wait before posting it but due to the growing impatience within the blog's fan base I've decided to hell with it and I'm just going to post it.

The Baby Burrito Series

Baby Burrito, comes with a side of spit up and mexi fries

Spicy Burrito (aka Bean Burrito)
pe-eww!

Veggie Burrito, a Healthy Alternative

A message to The Blog Fan Club Founders: just remember, you asked for it! :o)

Our little Easter Bunny!

Seriously, who needs chocolate?

Jason's first
SOLO FLIGHT!

Notice the red bucket above Jason's head:
Sky Wings has a tradition of dumping COLD water on pilots after their first solo flight.

I'm going to ask Jason to edit this post so that he can tell the story of his first solo. Very exciting day today in our house!!!

Happy Easter!

Bosco Buries a Bone

Our dear little Bosco, as bad as he is sometimes, is so sweet. Whenever we give him a bone he always hides it in a safe place. The first time (and one of my most favorite places) was behind the toilet. He often hides bones in Jason's laundry pile, which is usually big enough for several bones. He has hidden a bone in Marion's (Jason's mom's) suitcase before - charming as you can imagine. He doesn't like it when we watch him hide the bone and will usually find a new place if he knows we're watching. He has several stuffed toys hidden under the stairs outside b/c he knows that Sammy won't go there.

"Is the coffee on yet?" - Sammy

by the way, Shel - it's been THREE days since my last post. Sheesh.

FREE
to a Good Home:
One glue dot eating Beagle

The evidence.

Caught in the act.
It's really too bad that there aren't THREE toys right there that Sammy could be playing with.
Jeez.Guess I know what I'll be buying on dbl stamp day on Thursday...

Snow Day!

If this doesn't make you glad it's cold and snowy out, I don't know what will!

Tummy Time!

Two really great things happened this past weekend:

1. Jason got his Student Pilot licence. Now he is ready for his first solo flight! He won't know the day that he solos - it will be a surprise to all of us. Last weekend he took us out to the airport where he is flying and it's pretty neat b/c there are houses right along the runway. The whole "neighborhood" is built for pilots or people who don't mind the constant buzz of planes taking off and landing.
2. Yesterday morning, Maddie let out her very first belly laugh. Up until now she has made this wonderful little noise when she smiles, but yesterday morning she actually laughed - twice! I know that yesterday morning was a time for April Fools jokes, so maybe we won't hear this laugh again for awhile, but it was still exciting.