This absolutely loveable girl is three today!!
Couldn't imagine our Engel clan without her!!

C is for....

We made it!

We made it through the two weeks of Spring Break!! It always starts out pretty rough as the kids and I get out of our usual routine and have to figure out a new one! The boys aren't used to being together all day every day, and I'm not used to never getting breaks to buy groceries/clean/think!! so it takes some adjusting.
Greg didn't get any time off, so we didn't go anywhere, but we still found lots to do. There were parties galore, swimming lessons, sleepovers, skiing, biking, knitting, movies, skateparks and playgrounds to visit.
And here we are at the last week of March already! I'm so glad that spring is on it's way. January to April is not my favorite.

Cuteness

When you come to auntie Sarah's house...be ready for a photoshoot!


Make sure you're looking cute!

Donation time!

We took the money raised from Liam's party down to Askews today!
I had called the Second Harvest ahead of time to check what they were in need of.
The amount of toonies Liam got from his birthday (he kept half), was enough to buy
2 huge bricks of cheese
2 boxes of margarine blocks
6 bags of pasta and
4 cans of pasta sauce!
I told him that would be enough to feed 6 families supper! (plus the margarine)

He helped me shop and personally deliver the goods. They gave him a tour of the food bank and what each family would be able to take home. We were happy to see they were completely out of margarine and we were able to help that need right away!
I hope this is an event that Liam will remember for a long time. I don't think he had even realized that people in Salmon Arm might not have enough to eat!

Happy St. Patty's!

...and I get to go out a whole two nights in a row!!
Party!!!

Daddy's day!

Today is G's birthday, and we already had our cake for lunch since he and I will be going out tonight.







(There's no hiding that they like the cake, and G was getting quite a bang out of it!)


This was our little card from Shea and I.
Happy birthday Greg! I love you!

Liam's pirate pool party pics!

We had 16 kidlets, and a really fun time.
We made it a "toonie" party, which has become a popular type of party in our neck of the woods. The idea is that you ask in the invite that instead of bringing a gift, you give toonies in the card. Half of the money raised will go to the birthday boy, and the other half will go to the charity of his choice. I am thinking of taking him to the food bank and asking what they are short of and buying it with him. I think it will be great for him to deliver it back to them and really "get" the idea of charity and that he can make a difference.
We didn't do many planned things at the pool, as the swimming keeps them busy enough! I did make up 3 sets of cards with numbers 5-10 on them and as they jumped off the rope swing and diving board, my mom, friend and I would give them a score on how we felt they did! The competitive boys sure loved that!
I had planned a pirate adventure game where they would have to accomplish certain tasks (ie. push the girls on a raft across the pool, do 5 cannonballs, walk the plank, etc.) and then find the treasure...but we ran out of time.
I made the cupcakes rather than cake, which made it so much easy to hand out and not need to bring forks and knives. Each cupcake had a quarter slid inside so that once found, they could run to the candy machines in the pool lobby! They loved that! I also brought a huge cooler of water, veggies and chips.
Liam had made the cute pirate guy sign.
It was an evening party, so we didn't leave til almost 9pm and were all quite ready for bed!
Liam had a super time and all the kids were so wonderful. We all enjoyed our time together and would encourage you to try a pool party! We'd do it again for sure!

Kidlets

This month is full-on entertaining of the kids. As you know, and I've said before, life isn't the same as when I grew up. Kids aren't roaming the streets on their bikes and playing on their own together until I whistle them in for meals. Oh no...it requires a lot of organization on my part. I am getting tired of this job, to be honest, as it is usually more hard work and exhausting than enjoyable. Then I battle with feeling guilty that I don't enjoy it more, and it can be a depressing vicious cycle. I just hope that the kids don't feel that I don't want to be with them. I chose to stay home with them, and I am doing the best that I can. It is just hard. Plain and simple. With the teachers on strike, we have a lot more time to fill than usual.
We have had our good moments, and I hope that somehow these are the moments they will remember in the end!