November 2015

A random cold day up at the lake

Happy 7th Birthday Alannah-girl!

A sparkly ice cream cake

Wrestling 2015

Caeden and Colm got to wrestle for the first time this year. They had a blast learning moves and enjoyed every minute of the season....... {and they did quite well for their first year too!}

Caeden is on the right in the orange and black

Caeden is in the center of the picture in the orange and black

Colm is on the right in the orange and black

This is a fun picture, both boys happen to be wrestling at the same time - the large mat is divided into 4 squares and there are often 4 matches going on at the same time on each mat - Colm is in the front left corner and Caeden is in the upper right corner, both in orange and black

This is a panorama of one of the gyms.... it's pretty much a madhouse, super loud and crowded ;-) Plus there is usually at least 6-8 matches happening at any given time

October 2015

the end of an era....

I know, it might look like an odd photo. 

It is however, the end of the diapers...2 pull-ups and 1 diaper to be exact. 

I realized in late August that my plan of "training Torin next spring/summer" was gonna have to happen soon if it was gonna happen, 'cause my spring was gone and summer was going quick! Honestly, I wasn't sure I wanted to mess with it yet but knew it was easier to deal with when less clothes were an option with warmer weather and I'd have to do sometime ;-) So, I pulled out the bag with the underwear in it and realized underwear are only made to go through 3 kids cause I apparently got rid of all the 2T sized underwear after Tadhg. So, we went and got a new 10 pack of fun boys underwear at Walmart and a pack of pull-ups. After doing this more than once, I have realized pull-ups are a great option for days out of the house and that transition period. Felt like we started pretty slow and I am sure the "mama consistency" factor played into that - I kept forgetting that I needed to keep asking and taking him ;-)
But by about mid September he was getting the hang of it. During days anyhow. Nights were another story. He seemed to still be waking wet every morning. I figured it might be awhile before we got night trained.

However, Torin being the the brilliant child he is, told me one night, 'no pull up, I'm wearing underwear like a big boy".  Being the fine mother I am, I was rather doubtful, though the fact that he'd wake up with a soaked crib might have played into my reluctance. But, not one to squash his joy, I agreed to let him wear his undies to bed. He stayed dry. And the next night. And the next. It's now been a couple weeks and he has stayed dry days and nights. Tells me when he needs to go. Stays dry when we are out. (Though he has asked me several times "Costco has a toilet, right?" or "do they have a bathroom there?" - rather cute I must say) I realized he was done. My baby is a big boy. Or so he tells me when I call him my baby. "Not baby no more, I have underwear on".

I have successfully toilet trained 6 kids. 

There must be an award for this somewhere. 

Now, what to do with the remaining diaper?

Spectacular September

Stopping and "smelling the roses" along the path ;-)

Round Lake

She found a dragon fly

Fun bridge

Sunrise from front yard

Sunset from the backyard

Ailish's 4th birthday

The girl and all her babies ;-)

Ailish's birthday rainbow

More sunset pictures

Panorama photo off back deck - blessed to have a pretty view, even living in the "city"

 These next few are just from around town, showing some views of our town!

Tadhg, Alannah, Caeden, Colm, Ailish and Torin