Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas

From our family to yours, best wishes for a happy, healthy, and wonderful Christmas, and a fantastic New Year.

Christmas Card 2008

Jake Tree

Fresh Eyes

Monday, December 15, 2008

This kid loves hockey like nothing I've ever seen.

Jake loves hockey. He's loved hockey ever since he was old enough to hold a stick. I am firmly convinced that hockey is at least partially responsible for teaching him reading and math, among many other things. He learned all the team names so he could read the paper to see who won. If you put a mathmatical question into hockey terms, he can answer it without a problem.

He is having a few issues now that he is in an organized team. He gets very frustrated because he feels that he isn't the best player on the team. Perfectionist much? During their last game, there was a kid on the opposing team who was taking every opportunity (and sometimes not even waiting for an opportunity) to cheap shot or goon players on our team. Somehow I didn't notice this. What I did notice was Jake skating up behind him and cross checking him after the game was over. It wasn't hard enough to knock the kid down, but a cross check is a cross check. Jake heard about it from his coach, and from us. So on the way home he unloads about how he is feeling about his playing (mainly the complaints about not being the best) and so we asked if he wanted to keep playing. He told us "I want to play a lot more than I want to not play".

So he's decided that the way to be the best player on his team is to practice. Jake and Dad spent the time between dinner and bedtime on the rink in the backyard. It is freakin' cold out there. Like -30 cold.

Slapshot

The cold didn't stop him. He busted his five year old behind out there. He conquered cross overs and backward skating. He is determined to give it his all.

All about the B

Is it wrong that I am a little concerned about his determination? He loves this sport with everything that he is. I just want him to have fun.

Lunatic

Thursday, December 11, 2008

My birthday present came!!

I used my birthday moola to buy a new lens. I have this nasty guilty feeling in my tummy over it (sheesh, can you tell I have kids? Tummy? Seriously?) because there are a hundred other things crying out for money right now. I am a firm believer that if you are given money for a birthday, you should spend it on a gift for yourself. That is what I would want done if I was on the giving end of things, so that is what I did. /End justification.

So anyway, it came in the mail yesterday, and I pulled it out for a few test shots. For once, Danny obliged! In his own way, as you can see...
I Scary!
Helpy Helperton

I feel bad that I don't have many pictures of Jake to share. I am pretty much anti flash, and by the time he gets home from school and gets his video games in (he has to wear a patch to help strengthen his eye, and this is the way to get it done with the least amount of whining) it is dark outside. This new lens might work a little better in the hockey arena, so we'll see if we can get some action shots out of it. He is really kicking butt in hockey right now, he has come a long way since September. And he really loves it soooooo much.

This new lens has a really close focus, so I can take almost macro shots. I took it outside to try, but really everything is just sad and dead at this time of the year.
Too many nights not enough days
Letting go

It is supposed to hit -30 this weekend, which should make getting up at 6:30 to go to hockey practice even funner. Wish us luck!

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Danny, the pilferer

Danny has an obsession with all things kitchen. He is always in the drawers or cupboards, pulling out pots and pans or anything else he can find. Which is fine unless I am trying to cook in the kitchen and almost break my neck on a pan lid. Normally he is pretty good about putting things back where he found them. There was one incident with a can opener that resurfaced months later in Jake's golf bag, and there is currently an issue with two whisks that are mia. So maybe he isn't so good about clean up after all.

So last week he was making rice.

My Garlic Press

Why yes, that is my garlic press. And yes, that is play dough he is pumping through it. For the record, I am not a big play dough fan. I'm not even sure where he is finding it, but weekly he comes up to me with a little tub of it begging for it to be opened. And I am not man enough to weather the tantrum that will ensue if I don't comply, so I do. Then I wait for all the little bits and pieces to dry up, and I vacuum it up and hope that was the last little container of play dough kicking around.

Danny Kitchen

Here he is spreading the mess throughout his kitchen. Apparently good food can't be made without making a mess.

What--

I swear I can almost hear him saying "What? What Mom?" in this picture. "What do you mean, my play dough isn't supposed to be going through your garlic press? But look how good it works!"

Note the rolling pin in the background. I guess I should just be thankful that he didn't steamroll that play dough right into his Ikea carpet.