CANNOT COMPUTE

You need to picture me saying "cannot compute" with robot hands, looking oddly from side to side. Now that's out of the way, I must explain: I have not blogged in quite some time. Understatement of the year, I know. A lot has happened 'round these parts so I'll try to compute where I must begin.

At the begininning:

Max started kindy. He was super excited this year, unlike last year's debacle, to go and learn. I think having some of his cousins at the same school helped EXPONENTIALLY! So, go me, for braving my son going to a Francophone school when I barely know 'bonjour'. ps- while we were in France, I was trying to say to people, "I'm sorry I don't speak French" it came out as "The ears don't speak french." Ya, Dustin didn't catch that until about, oh...a month ago. We were in France six months ago. "That information would have been useful to me YESTERDAY!" Or six months ago. Tangent over. Max is having lots of fun with school. He comes home each day singing a new french song, and answering, "Oui?" when I call him for dinner.

(Bag Pants- Max's invention)

Sam has been coping not having his bestie at home. He has to put up with me making him listen to classical music and reading him stories out of "Uncle Wiggily and Friends" circa 1950. My Gram used to read me stories from there, and make me listen to classical music and I loved it. I have a sneaking suspicion that Sam would rather be slaying bad guys, or chasing cats or anything else.

Elle is just busy "doodling around" (I quote Max). She's getting more teeth and being a baby. When we ask her questions, she replies " eeee---YA!"

'Elle, would you like to get your flu shot today?'

"eee-YA!"

Alrighty!

She's always in the thick of it with her brothers. We did away with her high chair, and were lent a wonderful booster that ties to our chairs so she can sit with us at the table now. I would say she's over the moon about that.

October:

HALF MARATHON! Yep, we did it. My besties and me. All crossed the finish line. At about 13 km I thought to myself, "This is purgatory! It can't get any more boring than this!" I had run with Robin the first 12 km, she stopped to pee, so I was hoping she would catch me and keep pushing me. Unbeknownst to me, she peed TWICE. I was waiting and waiting, then Erin found me at 19 and pushed me the rest of the way. We sprinted the last few hundred meters and, man, it felt good to stop running. I finished at 2:10:xx. I had to walk a couple of times but other than that, I rocked it. We all did! Good job girls, love ya!

race to the finish!

HALLOWEEN! I feel like we had Halloween all month long. Sam wants to dress up as a Superhero everyday, Batman, Spiderman, He-Man, Thor, Pirates etc. You know, new clothes, different day? haha. Sam dressed up as Spider-Man, Max as Captain America, and Elle as a witch. Max hated that because she was a witch last year. I'm afraid he's inherited Dustin's passion for not wearing the same costume 2 years in a row. Remember Skeletor? I do. Most don't because we've lost any pictures we had. If you have any, can you email them to me? Thanks, Lauren.

Renovations:

We bought a house here in Brooks and moved in the first of July.

Living Room Before:

Upstairs Bathroom Before:

Boys' Bedroom Before:

Basement Bathroom Before:

Upstairs Bathroom Before:

Master Bedroom Before:

Kitchen Before:

AFTER:

Living Room:

Upstairs Bathroom:

Master Bedroom:

Boys' Room:

Kitchen and Dining Room:

So, guys, there ya have it. A TON OF BLOG POSTS PILED INTO ONE. In case you were wondering, I didn't add the AFTER pictures for the basement living room, and the basement bathroom because they are yet to be completed. Slow as molasses, I tell you.

I hope I didn't overload you, but to be fair, you have been asking me for it!

Wilde Family Reunion 2011

WFRIP2011. That's Bebe's acronym for this year's get together. IP= Island Park, Id.

I had a blast this year with all my siblings (I include their spouses as siblings, too. So no need to mention them separately.) The kids were mildly tolerable, too. JOKES, they were so cute! I loved watching them all play together, discovering porcupines, wood piles, elastic gun shooter things, obstacle courses and marshmallow guns. Thanks, Brandon and Shan.

We spent a lot of time catching up and riding quads. Dustin took the job of spilling him and Max off the quad, no helmets of course. They turned out alright after Max's 20 minute bout with amnesia and Dustin's grotesque bump on his shoulder. We also loved playing on the jet-skis, and trying to double on the tube. That was a one person tube, by the way. It made for a nice leisurely ride, no bumps and no throwing.

I love getting together with all of my family. We have some awesome childhood memories and great senses of humor. Thanks guys, love you.

You get what you pay for...

I had a busy day today. I ran my 12 k to train for my upcoming torture day. Or, race day, I mean. My cheering squad followed me in the van the last 2 kilometres. I couldn't believe how sweet they were with their GO MOM GO signs and chants. So cute! I came home, ate and showered then off to my friends' house to can a zillion cans of peaches. When I got home, this is what I found:

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, that's my little Elle, not Gene Simmons from KISS. I was pretty stoked to come home to not one, but two superheroes living in my home. Team Iron Man and Batman!

AND, also in case you were wondering, I didn't pay my babysitter. Because DUSTIN was the babysitter.

Baby Elle

There are many advantages to having a baby in the summer months. You don't have to be uncomfortably hot and pregnant in the hottest time of the year. You can look so hot in your swimming suit at the pool after the baby is born. Last but not least, you don't have to wear maternity sweaters in the last month of your pregnancy that actually make you look 25 months pregnant. Two truths and a lie. Which is which?

ANYWAY--the best part of last summer was our little Elle coming to join our the family! Can you believe she's a year old? (I know I'm almost two months late blogging this, cut me some slack!) She is the sweetest little sister. Her two biggest fans, Max and Sam, follow her around playing and yelling names to her like, "PINCUSHION", and "BEEBS" respectively. She's very calm and loving. Elle loves to give open mouth kisses, give loves and fly up the stairs. Seriously, you leave the baby gate open for a split second, she's up at the top of the stairs looking down. Dangerously, I might add. She's just learned to turn around at the top, by putting out her right foot straight and pivoting her body around it to get on her belly and go down. She never really gets all the way down before she starts climbing up again.

Elle really is our sweet little girl. I couldn't imagine our family without her. She's patient, but has a distinct SQUAWK when Sam double fist punches her in the face. She's no priss, that's for sure but lets you know when you're doing something she doesn't like. Ask Grandpa Wilde how nicely she holds still when you change her diaper.

Dear Elle: Happy Birthday! We love you. We're happy you're here. We love how you teeter along when you walk. Or how you smile so big when you see us or the boys. We love your little closet room you sleep in with the fan on and the window closed. You're our "baby" and always will be our baby Elle.

Thanks for picking us, baby.