Canadian, Please

Remember Mr. Mugs?

(Pam, help me out here...you may be the only other person on earth who remembers...)

This costume is still way too big so it isn't actually her outfit this year. I'm hoping to get some pictures of her tomorrow for everyone. On Friday she was Minnie Mouse (see the red dress with black polka dots in the upper right corner). I think for Trick or Treating she is going to be a Parrot again. B/c it's really warm and also b/c she thinks that's what you do.

Trick or Treating = dressing up like a parrot and getting candy from the neighbors.

Happy Health Region Halloween!

Thursday is Dress Up day at our centre. That's b/c the preschool kiddos come trick or treating that day.

Let me just say that I love Halloween and I LOVE working with these people. There are a lot of great people at my office and I'm so glad to be a part of that.

This display is created by one of our psychologists. Janna's costume (you'll see later) is "caught" in the web here. My office is just down the hall so I kept a fly swatter handy just in case one of those TWO GIANT SPIDERS got out of hand.

I wore a poodle skirt ($5 garage sale find!)

Lennae as "Jessie"

Emily is a Stop Light

Our SLP Team!
Back:  Emily, Lennae, Janna (Madame Butterfly), Me
Front: Chelsea, Morgan (livestock), Carol (Pirate)

Morgan and Chelsea discovering their Sock Swap treats. 

Do you want cream in your coffee? 

Emily's Green Light flashed!  So high tech!

Emily is my newest office-mate.  Turns out we worked together in Calgary very briefly at STA.  I'm really enjoying her, she's funny, a great SLP, and puts up with me!

Janna (JMo) as Madame Butterfly (or Wade kept saying Dame Edna).  Janna, I feel this should be your profile pic. I think I'm emailing it to you right now. 

Carol gives Maddie clothes once in a while.  When I showed her this she said:
"but she has a beard".  

Chelsey's Birthday "Hike"

For Chels birthday we thought we'd head out to Beaver Creek and then follow that up with a nice slice of cake at Calories. Just a couple of glitches:
1. We brought Maddie's stroller, so we couldn't actually go very far. Really need to get that kid a ricshaw.
2. Calories closes at 5 on sundays. We arrived at 4:15 and some of you may be familiar with my phobia of being in a closing store/restaurant. So we wolfed down the cake.

But, despite all that - I had a lot of fun and I think Chels and Madge did too!

Tongue Talk

This makes me so proud to be a Speechie! These are U of A students (go RANDA!)

Bunk Beds.

Jason and I seem to have an ongoing relationship with bunk beds. They follow us wherever we go. We've been sleeping on bunk beds at least since 2000. Maybe earlier. Never at home, but often on a holiday.  To Ken and Marion's, to the cabin, ski trips, my grandma's funeral.  I have learned a few things about BBs over the years:

1. They always squeak.

2. If you are sharing with Jason it is MUCH better to take the top bunk. (It's harder for him to throw smelly socks on you)

3. The ladder is always stronger than it feels.

4. The ladder is also ALWAYS in the most inconvenient location.

5. You don't have to pee until you up ON the bunk bed. If you are sleeping in the bottom bunk you won't have to pee all night.

These next few shots are from the teeny tiny but VERY cute guest house in Birtle. Both Mom and I feel in love with the little place. I learned about #6 during that trip.

6. Three people in a bunk bed is A Bad Idea.

Setting:  Car ride home, end of the day.

Maddie:  Mommy, I just picked my nose and I didn't eat the booger!


Me:  Great.

Pause.

Me:  But...what did you do with it?

Wait for it.

Maddie:  I just flicked it away!

When talking about Maddie swimming, Jason once said:

"She swims like a cat."

But she's getting more and more confident. She seems to really enjoy her lessons this time around and is quite enamoured with her teachers.

Watching her lessons makes me want to say:

Steph, remember when we were those cute little teachers in our swim suits? I wish now that I would have appreciated my cute little self just a little bit more. On the bright side: there's more of me to appreciate now!

This is Maddie's special spot whenever Grandpa B is around.

Grandpa B after one week of Goose Hunting. Next stop: THE SHOWER!

My dad has gone to some place (I choose to not know the exact location) near Hannah, AB for at least the past 35 years. They go each and every October and as far as I know he hasn't missed one yet. I'm not exactly sure, but I think the week is an interesting (?) mix of goose hunting, beer drinking, pickled egg eating, and a liberal topping of B.S.

Can't believe I haven't gone...yet.

Maddie may look like her Daddy, but that girl is also a little bit of me.

Exhibit A:

Found a calender from 1978.  My mom used it to write down everyday things and milestones.

November 1978 (I would have been 3 1/2, just a bit younger than Maddie now)

(this is right off the calendar, I swear)

Jenny put hand lotion on her face.
"I feel so young and I can see the difference already"

Driving home:

Maddie:  Mommy, sing the Whistle Man song.
Me:  I don't know that song, you need to teach me.
Maddie:  YES you do!  Sing it!
Me:  Nope, really don't know.  You sing it and I'll join in.

PAUSE

Maddie:
Whistle Man, he played one
He played knick knack on my thumb....

(well, I think you know the rest)



oh, and before I forget:
skawash-ahh-duh = cash register
payer = cashier

elle markosky photography




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Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today I showed a mom how to get her son to use a two word phrase.  And it worked.  And I caught it all on video.  

That's what makes my job good.