Soccer Stars

Yesterday was David's soccer championship game. He has been participating in a co-ed rec league throughout the fall, and his team made it all the way to the finals. They lost badly yesterday, but #2 isn't so bad. :-) Some of the teams were fun to play, but the ones that were really aggressive (like the winners of yesterday's game) are not as much fun to play, and for me, it is not fun to watch, because you have to watch as the players go flying across the field. Always good for a laugh was Sean, the (really good) goalie, whose colourful vocabulary peppered the game. The whole team is coming back after Christmas, so "the Kickers" will strike again!

Goalkeeper Extraordinaire... Sean waits for action

Blurry Kickers: back row (l to r): Matt, Sal, Sean, Dave, Grant
front row: (l to r) Thomas, Mandy, Jo, Joni (sorry about spelling, guys)

Snow, snow, and more snow

So today we enjoyed our first "major" snow storm. I don't know why I put that in quotation marks because it infers the opposite. Let me try again.
So today we enjoyed our first major snow storm. Okay...better.
In the morning when I left for work there was no sign of impending doom but once I left work two hours later the snow had started to fall. Also, it wasn't falling in the "oh it looks so pretty and magical, like unicorns playing with rainbows" it was falling in the "my eyeballs are hurting from the ice daggers that are falling in every possible direction."

All of the kids had their faces pressed against any and every possible window in order to get a look. I'm sure in the morning before school the thoughts of "perhaps they will cancel school today," danced in their heads. But...like many a school day and division before it, these dancing thoughts and hopes were dashed. Now dash away, dash away, dash away all, thought the school division deciders.

However, all hope was not lost. At noon, begrudgingly admitting defeat, the school decided to close. Fortunately, and by fortunately I mean unfortunately, I drove all the way back to school for lunch hour supervision only to find out that the school was closing. I guess in the craziness of calling every single parent they forgot to call the staff. Whoops! I did manage to squeeze in an hour of work supervising the main lunch room about a quarter full with the remaining kids. All was not lost. Yes David, there is a Santa Claus.

Now we have about 20 cm of snow on the ground with another 20 on the way for Sunday and more perhaps Tuesday. Since we leave for Winnipeg on Wednesday we are hoping that things will be clear and ready to go by then. If not, I have always wanted to spend Christmas at the airport. I mean, look at how much fun people have in the movies.

Albrecht/Robinson/Baker/Kampen Robinson Christmas at Dave & Christine's

So yesterday was Christmas at our house. We finally got some decorations up, baked some Christmas cookies, and had family over. We had invited David's brother Jason, his fiancee Michelle and their children Lorisa, Britney and Lucas, David's other brother Gordon, and David's mom and step-dad. Unfortunately Gord had the flu (we missed you Gord), but everyone else came. It was nice to spend time with David's family. We didn't have a table for everyone to sit at, so we did a lap meal, but it worked out pretty well. David and I made soup and baked chicken, Ellen brought a casserole, Michelle brought mashed potatos, and everyone brought delicious goodies to share for dessert. It was fun to host a "Christmas party" for the first time.

Ellen, Gordon and Lucas wait for lunch to be served...

My two favourite nieces, Lorisa & Britney


Grandma Ellen


Ellen & her boys: from left to right Lucas, Jason, Gordon, Ellen & David

The Robinson/Baker Family: Jason, Lucas, Michelle, Lorisa & Britney

Christmas Tyme in Wellesley

On Friday, David and I went to spend the evening in the small town of Wellesley, Ontario, where our midwife and dear friend Cindy lives. It was Christmas Tyme (that's actually what it's called, not a typo.) It's a real small town Christmas parade, and is followed by a real life nativity (with a camel!!) and a tree-lighting ceremony. It's so cute. All the businesses & churches in town have a float, and all the fire trucks and snow ploughs are decorated festively with their horns blaring. I think our favourite part were the Shriners in their mini-cars... a mini police car, fire engine, taxi, etc. It was hilarious because there were these old men in funny sparkly hats whizzing around in these tiny ridiculous cars. Afterwards we went to Cindy's for dinner & hot tea. Since I was sick for the Kitchener Christmas market last weekend, it was nice to do something to get into the Christmas spirit.

David & Cindy brave the cold (it wasn't THAT cold, but David was freezing as soon as we walked out the door.)

Looks kind of like the scene of an accident, but really, it's the fire trucks roaring along the road honking at everyone.

How small town is this?!

This was the funniest truck. Jumbo hotdogs.

I told you there was a camel. We felt kind of sorry for him because he was covered in snow.

Baby Belly

You have knit me together in my mother's womb...

Setting up the nursery or Adventures in the 100 acre wood

We found this amazing deal from a couple in Cambridge who was selling the exact nursery furniture we wanted from IKEA, plus Winnie the Pooh bedding & nursery paraphernalia. David managed to transport it all in our little Echo, and with a few minor scrapes & bruises, got it into the upstairs bedroom, which is now officially a nursery. Toben, perplexed as always by the presence of new stuff in the house, was ever so helpful in the set up. This morning, it appeared that he had had a fight with the mobile, the bumper and the toys I placed in the crib. Hmm... that's what he thinks of that. There is different advice about how to keep your curious feline out of baby's things: double sided tape, pop cans filled with coins... we'll keep you posted about our progress.

Papa David getting ready to set up the nursery


Toben being helpful

Toben testing out "baby jail"

Classic Pooh

The finished product...
except we couldn't figure out how to hang the dust rufflle... what is that for, anyway?