It was a very good year...

2015 was a very good year. We used the word "fratricide" a lot less. We went on many adventures. We made decisions about our family and our house. Alice entered school and Isaac a swanky daycare. We bought a cargo bike. We traveled (of course). We laughed. We cried. We were silly and in times serious. I drank beer and Laura ate chocolate, and vice versa. The kids grew a bit and we were happy to meet the new versions of the people that we love so much, while being a bit sad about losing the versions that they were. It's cliché, but they grow up so damn fast - and Alice is barely four!

Professionally I feel I'm not the passionate person I was 10 years ago. As a person I feel I'm more relaxed and able to give people more slack for mistakes because honestly who knows what shit is going down in someone else's life.

I feel on average more tired than before, but I think that's just because Isaac isn't as good a sleeper as his sister naturally has been. But he's getting better. It's getting better.

As a couple I'm feeling that we're getting better at being a couple with kids. But like everything else, it's a work in progress. I don't ever want to get to a point of not trying, of thinking "meh, it's good enough".

Our social life... well, let's just say that it's neglected but one day we'll get back to working on it.

It's been a very good year. But I'm pretty excited about 2016. :-D

Star Wars ep 7

We did it. We made it out to see Star Wars for a 90% full 10 am showing. It was great. It met all my expectations: 1) it was a Star Wars movie 2) it had lightsabers in it 3) there were spaceships. Other than that, I'm was trying to not hope too much. I've been hurt before.

It was a pretty great day. The weather is abnormally warm. We saw Star Wars. Then a great lunch. Ran a bunch of errands and at the end of the night no child had bludgeoned another one. My favourite part was spending time with my Laura. It can't really get better than that.

Experiences Not Things

Experiences Not Things (ENT) is what I'm calling a goal for next year. Apparently it's science. It's going to be difficult to fight my natural tendency to hoard. We've been working on this for a while with our purges of stuff. We were looking at piles of the kids toys that they don't play with and were just aggressive with throwing out things. It felt good, but I know we've got a mountain of stuff still to move, which is funny being in a small house.

I've not actually read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, but what I did learn was that if something doesn't bring you joy, thank it and then get rid of it. I need to do this aggressively with my closet.

There are some things that I won't get rid of. Lego. Photos. Maybe some wooden boxes that I made. Almost everything else better keep working at bringing me joy or BAM.

Warmest December yet

In the past, as soon as the snow starts to fly I hang up the bike helmet. This year... well, it's Dec 14th and still no snow. None that has stayed anyways. And we keep on having highs in 6-11 range. That with how crappy all the construction has been has let to more biking than normal. I still have not biked in with Isaac for a while. I've regretted that. But I also don't want to be biking in the dark with him.

All that said, the other day Alice went to a kids birthday party at the Museum of Nature which has horrible parking. How do you get their in your party dress and looking like a million bucks? Why on the back of your chauffeured bike of course!

Don't be fooled. There's a party dress under those pink splash pants.

The converstations we have

[coughing coming from the 4yo's room who stayed home sick today from school]
[squeak of door opening]
4yo: Daddy? Guess what.
Me: What?
4yo: While you were at work today, I went to kiddy cob-a-ler and got new indoor shoes.
Me: Oh.
4yo: They are indoor shoes. So next time you come to after care, we need to bring those shoes home. So, keep that in mind.
Me: Okay. Goodnight.
[squeak of door closing. Muffled coughing]

Our princess and the little bear

It's been wonderful how well the kids are getting along (most of the time). Tonight Isaac was running around in his Nicholas Oldland bear jp's saying "roar!". Alice of course was a princess from Frozen or a generic Disney princess. Or villain. Who knows. But as pair, they are doing quite well. It's almost like the beginning of a story book. Maybe not the most interesting story book because the conclusion is teeth brushing and being tucked into bed. But I'm sure that you get the idea.

Tonight we had Alice's fourth fourth birthday party. I was a bit tired after the 3rd party, but... I'm hoping to go to work tomorrow and get some well earned rest. Without kids I spent the weekend recharging. With kids it's the opposite. Oie.

Post-haircut. Isaac was looking a bit blue. His hair of course.

Pirate Princess. Yaarrr!

A family day

Yesterday Alice was sick. Today we were going to send her to school, but her right eye looked a bit red and I figured they'd send her home anyways. So what did we do?

We went on an adventure.

We took the kids to get their haircuts - a first for Isaac. Isaac screamed which allowed me to find the family in the third hair cutting place in the strip mall. His hair ended up being blue. Alice sat very still and listened to the lady that did her hair.

Later we put up the outside Christmas lights. Who doesn't want to climb ladder and trees in the dark with two young children running around below?

Inside for stories, playtime, dinner, etc. We're now trying to get things cleaned up because of the family events we're hosting this weekend. Laura informed me while she was cleaning the bathroom she found something growing. You know, the usual stuff.

It was a good day.

Some of the family. Happy as children are with candy. :-D