What We've Been Up To

Tap, tap, tap...blows off dust. So, a month has gone by again. Remember when I used to blog every day? Yeah me too. *shudders involuntarily*

We've been busy here at the Lahti house.

My camera has been in overdrive with some fall photo shoots.  I even forced my own two men to pose.

 

Mostly they were happy to.  You will see what I mean later.

 

 

Jack is having a good year in grade 6.  He's also continuing in piano and enjoying private lessons much more than the class he attended up until last year.  Who doesn't love one on one instruction?

 

However, the one downside is that we discovered there is a situation that has been ongoing since sometime last year at school.  It's helped us to understand where his behaviour at home has been coming from. Naturally I feel like an arse because our approach was so, so wrong.  I am so glad it's come out and we can deal with it in a more appropriate manner.

 

I love this kid more than words can say.  He has so many many amazing qualities and I think one of his classmates put it best in their nomination of Jack to win the award for Respect this month at school:

 

"I nominate Jack because he never makes fun of other people."

 

Hmmm.  So what you are confirming is that other kids in the class do.  Duly noted.  And to all you kids who make fun of other kids, just wait until you are an adult and your peers finally figure out that the reason you did that was because you didn't like yourself all that much and it was the only way to make yourself feel better.  Uh huh.  See how far that gets you in the real world.

 

Meanwhile Jack will be travelling through time in the machine he invented because he spent his time learning in school instead of being a complete butt head.

 



 

Then there is Kamden.  I love this photo because is shows his crazy, fun, make us laugh regularly side.  This year he is continuing his love of all things sports.  He played touch football earlier in the fall and is now fully entrenched in the indoor soccer season.

 

He moved up an age category this fall and had to go through assessments for the first time, though we were told that all kids in their first year would be in Division 2.  We took him to the assessments anyway because he will never pass up the opportunity to play.  Turns out he was selected for Division 1.  Talk about a moment of pride.  Long story short, his coach and the parents of the other boys selected for Division 1 decided to hold them back into Division 2 so the team could stay together with the coach.  This coach is half the reason Kamden is so good so it was an easy decision.

 

Kamden is also doing well in school.  And another moment of pride.  One of Kamden's soccer buddies is also in the other grade 3 class at school.  His mother informed me Monday that this child is being bullied by another child.  Hence where the "situation" came out with Jack. Another reason I do not believe in avoiding the discussion of difficult situations in front of the kids.  You just never know when something will spark a conversation that is important.  Anyway, I asked Kamden to seek out his buddy at recess and invite him and the bully to join him.  The bully "plays" with the buddy and tries to keep everyone away.  It seems to be working.  Crossing fingers.  This little guy is a bully for a reason and I just hope the school can work with the family to get to the root of the problem.  His behaviour makes me (an accountant!) think he is screaming out for help.

 

Long winded today, aren't I?

 

 

Okay, less yammering on about my wonderful kids (sorry but they are, can I help it?) and more pictures.  I told you my camera was busy.  This family is on their third year with me and I couldn't be happier to do photos for them.  Kamden is very successful in making this adorable guy laugh which is so helpful.

 

 

And guess what?  He is also very effective at getting Pop to smile too!  Score.  Now if we could just figure out how to have him in the same picture as Pop and also be behind the camera making Pop smile. 

 

 

Can't have everything, now can we?  At least all 11 of us are in the picture and looking at the camera.  About all we can ask for I think.  And it only took 120 shots to get this one good one.  I wish I were kidding.  A professional I am not.

 

 

My niece, Anna, was up for posing for many a shot and this is by far my favourite.  I told her to sit in the grass and instead she did this.  I think she may take over the family photographer gig in the very near future and in the meantime she can be my assistant.

 

 

The next day, we tried for a shot of the four of us. This one was one of the test shots I took before I forced the boys out to join us. It's not bad.

 

 

Minus the wind blown look I am sporting, I like this one too.  It will have to do as there is no way we'll get another session out of those two.

 

Christmas card photo done and calendar is nearly complete.   Two things off the list.

 

This past weekend, I did some maternity shots of my massage therapist/yoga instructor.  Personally, I think she is the hottest pregnant lady in the history of all pregnant ladies.  37.5 weeks and she looks that good?  If I had looked half as good at 5 months. By this point, I looked like I might explode if you poked my belly button.

 



 

I was encouraging her to get professional photos done but she wasn't sure. I offered because this had to be captured permanently.  I would have forced her if I had to.

 

 

I love my hobby.

 

 

*end monthly long winded blog post about nothing in particular*

 

PS I can point out 100 things wrong with each of my photos, so whatever you are thinking about them, yes, I know.  I am not a professional nor do I profess to be. 

High Note

Every summer, I sign myself up for a few races because if I don't, I do not run.  I do not love running, or really even like it.   What I do like is that it a challenge and allows me to set goals to strive for. I find this very motivating and when I meet the goal, I am pretty damn happy.

Since I started running in 2008, I have steadily improved and this year was kind of break through year for me.

Somewhere in April I discovered that if I warmed up before heading out on a run, I could run so much faster and it was easier.  As in I didn't feel like dying after 2 km.  Any fitness expert is saying well duh, but me, well I was of the idea that the warm up was wasting valuable energy that I could have been using for running.

For me, that is not true.  When my heart has time to get used to the increased oxygen requirements, it adapts and keeps up with much less pain and agony.  I can run faster and feel good, instead of like I am having a coronary?  Sign me up.

In April, a team of three of us ran the Regina Police Service Half marathon in relay style.  I had a really great run coming in at 36:36 for my 6.4km leg.  I was pumped and ready for my next race, The Royal Road Race 10k on Mother's weekend in May. 

I set the goal of running it in less than 60 min which would be about the same pace as the previous race but a longer distance. That wouldn't be a personal best (in May 2011 I did a 10k in 58:37 and just about lost my lunch and another 10k last fall in 59:47) but it was early in the season so I wanted an attainable goal

The day dawned sunny and hotter than it yet had been in Saskatchewan in early May.  I started out without really warming up because I was a bit late.  I also started at a pace much faster than my goal pace.

And by 3km the f word was frequently running through my head.  As in, why the beep beep beep do you think signing up for these beep beep beep races is a good idea? The heat is my cryptonite and I was sloooooow.  I felt like I was dying a slow, painful death.  When I met Terry-Lyn as she passed me on her way back around, I may or may not have assaulted her with curses.  That's what friends are for right?

I finished in 1:01:42 and was angry even though I knew I could not have done better that day.  That was my best that day.

But it solidified that I need to train for these races if I want to attain my goals.  So all summer I ran a 10k a week not really worrying about my pace.  Just running how I felt that day and doing a proper warm up before each and every run.  Some days were fabulous and some were horrid.  A 10k in well over an hour one Sunday morning on a grid road out and back from my parent's acreage comes to mind.

But I pushed and trained and when the Queen City Marathon rolled around early this month, I was ready for my 10.5k leg.  I wore shorts and a tank despite the cool fall morning and that was a good choice because I was perfectly comfortable.  I checked my pace frequently and when I was slower than my goal, I had the energy to speed up.
I finished in 1:01:43, coincidentally the same time as the previous 10k and I ran further - yay me). And I felt great, the entire time. 

Also, in 2009, I ran the exact same leg in 1:05:23.  That's progress I would say.

THAT is why I sign up for these races.  That right there, is really rewarding and worth every drop of sweat.

As a team, we had a personal best time, thanks to the rabbits who let me, the hare, join them.

So as I prepared for today's Flatlander's 10k, I was pessimistically optimistic (ha!).  I was thinking there wasn't too much of a chance that I could do it again because having two amazing back to back races is rare, I am after all not a machine but a human.  I was still kind of hoping so though you know.  If I could, I would meet my 10k personal best time of 58:37 of over a year and half ago.  But this time, without the losing lunch part.

I warmed up good and the day was looking warmish for this time of year so I dressed in my skimpiest tank and shorts.  The more skin exposed, the more heat can escape and keep me from overheating.  Ever had goose bumps when you are hot?  It happens to me a lot when I am running in the heat and it's not a good thing.

The race started slow with a narrow path and too many racers so when I had the chance to pick it up, I did.  I was feeling great.  Every time I checked my pace I was well below my goal pace.

And then I hit about the 7 km mark and then I was way over my goal pace.  Laying down in the middle of the path and resting was really appealing. But this is where I pulled up my panties and dug deep.  I pep talked myself through and reminded myself that I was almost done and the pain of another 12 min or so was worth it for the feeling of accomplishment of meeting my goal. I wasn't going to lose all that time I had made up in the first part of the race. I was being stubborn.

As I ran through the last water station, I grabbed a cup of water without slowing (sorry to the volunteer that probably got wet!) and chugged and poured it over myself and kept going.

And I was able to finish in 58:44.  Can I get a hell ya?  Only 7 seconds off my best time and no hurling or walk breaks.  I call that a win!

(Me, with Terry-Lyn and her friend Joline, who naturally both finished before me, but because I like to justify it, I am probably at least 5 years older than both of them.  We will not speak of the grey haired lady that passed me mid-way, she is not relevant here.)

So next year, when I am cursing myself for signing up for yet another hour of torture, I will remember the satisfaction that I feel right now.

After the race.  During the race, cursing (aka pep talks) is fair game.

It's Almost September, WHAT?

I started this post two days ago but I guess I better finish it today or the title won't really make sense.

August brought a lovely car accident after which our van looked like this.

Thank goodness the van took the worst of it.  All four of us were in the van when it happened and it was at 50 km/hr that we crunched into a truck whose driver thought the stop sign meant slow down slightly and pray.  Well that prayer was not answered unless he wanted to have us hit him and push him head on into another stopped vehicle.  Thank goodness no one was hurt.  A hard lesson for him to learn - he was quite young.

  

This occurred two days before our planned departure to Jan Lake to spend a few days at my parent's cabin.  The Civic, which is our second car, was not going to cut it.  We do not travel light.  So we rented the only thing we could find.  Apparently a lot of people rent cars in Regina on an August summer weekend.  Who knew.

The Ford Flex is awesome on the inside.  The outside just doesn't do it for me.  It's part station wagon, part box.  I liked to call it the Cragon.  You know those car/trucks from the 70's that were called Crucks.  Yeah, like that only it's car and wagon and yeah, it makes no sense to anyone except to me. 

It had satellite radio which is awesome because we lose radio about half way - Jan Lake is north.  Like far north.  Like no cell service or radio north.  But satellite is everywhere, you know on account of them being in space and all.  Lucky me because Jay found an 80's station that played Debbie Gibson.

I  survived.  Barely. 

Views like these are worth even suffering through Debbie Gibson.  Or what might be worse, Jay singing along to DB.  I kid, I kid.

Kind of. 

And this view makes me laugh, Kamden  of the refusing to ever be without a funny face in a picture.  I need lots of pictures to remember this stage by. 

I love relaxing in the boat and throwing a line out.  If I catch something, great, if not, whatevs.  The scenery and peace more than makes up for the lack of fish.

We made supper on an island over the camp fire, an annual tradition. I love that my dad is in the background.  Photobomb! 

After a morning of tubing, we got back to the cabin only to realize I left my camera in the boat. Jay went back to get it.  On his way back to the cabin after retrieving the camera, he ran into this dude.  Yes, that is a bear.  Did I mention we had all walked from the boat to the cabin and Jay was still on foot.  The reason the bear is so small is because Jay backed the hell up from that bad boy. I had forgotten the telephoto lens too.  If he had that lens, man would he have gotten a nice shot.  

Have I mentioned that I have a phobia of bears.  And spiders but that's not important right now.

Needless to say, I am super glad I wasn't with him.  Oh and the kids too.  The drama, I can only imagine.  Jack takes after me with bears and spiders. 

But that was the only "excitement" and we even managed to see that bear's footprints in the sand on the beach the next day.  Pretty neat.

From a distance and days after the fact says Kami.

We spent as much time as the gas tank on the boat would allow pulling the kids in the tube. I am official boat driver and enjoy watching the big smiles and hearing the screams of glee.

However, I did almost drown my sister in law.  Somehow one of the bumps launched her out of the tube. Her life jacket was too big and all I could see for what seemed like an eternity was the life jacket.  No Nicole. Then her head popped up and we breathed a sigh of relief.  We, um, I, slowed down and took some smaller bumps after that.

Here we are going much slower and over much smaller bumps.  That is the only reason we have three on a two man tube. We do think about safety. Sort of.

And these two loved it fast and as bumpy as possible.  Within reason, flipping the boat to get them massive air is NOT an option.

My mom even wanted to try.  She did not witness the Nicole almost drowning incident which is pretty obvious given the fact that she wanted to give it a go now, 3 years after we started the tubing with the kids.

The best part was when we got out there and I asked if she still wanted to do it, she asked her grand kids if she should and they all yelled "YES!".  Kind of forced her into it, didn't they? 

We went nice and slow even hitting a few bumps. We got some smiles all around. And I didn't almost drown her. Oh no, I save that for the in laws. *smacks forehead*

It has been a fabulous summer of great weather and fun  times.  We are blessed indeed.

And today, after much research and discussion, we picked up this baby.



A brand new shiny Honda Pilot.  The van was due to be replaced any way so the accident just did us a nice favour since the damage was more than the value of it.  I try not to think of what we paid for it a mere 7 years ago because well I have a small pain tolerance.  This time we went Honda because they seem to hold their value much better.  We now own two Honda's so hopefully that continues to be true.

If you need me, I'll be out shining our new truck.

And if you know me well, you just snorted coffee through your nose because hell will likely freeze over before that happens. Cleaning and washing vehicles is a twice a year kind of thing, whether it needs it or not around here.

I will admire it through the window though so there's that.

San Diego - the Colossal Photo Post

We just got home from 6 days in San Diego, California. What follows is a whole lotta photos from the trip. Believe it or not, there are more on Flickr. You have to be a Flickr friend to see them so if you are not, just let me know.

Somewhere between Regina and Denver we had a beautiful view up above the clouds.

We arrived late Thursday night so in the morning we scouted out a place for breakfast and found some cool photo ops around the resort.  We stayed at The Lawrence Welk Resort in a beautiful condo (bigger and nicer than our house, I never wanted to leave).

There are these rocky hills on all sides.  They make for stunning views and backdrops for photos of brothers who like to annoy the snot out of each other.  As you can see, Kamden is not amused.

A note fountain.  Ha.  Neat and good for tourists to take photos of.

Day 1 we took in Lego Land and true to form, these guys did not go on one single ride.  They do not take after me.

They did enjoy the Star Wars exhibit however.

Over 10,000 pieces went into this Millennium Falcon.   It was about 3 feet long.  That's a lot of Lego.  And also, how do I get a job playing with Lego?

Captain Rex is a favourite of these two. They are Star Wars fans but they really love Star Wars The Clone Wars best.  What the difference?  I haven't a clue but they sure seem to know.

There was a mini San Fransisco and I enjoyed Lombard St without having to actually walk it.  Boot camp on the hill anyone?

We got a kick out of the nerd glasses.  Or 3D glasses whatever.  Also note Kamden.  Always with the poses, that one.  You will see a theme.

For Granddaddy.  He's even doing the hand thingy.

Day 2 we hung out at the resort because um, they had this, beside a beautiful pool surrounded by hills and it was a beautiful day.  Oh yes.  It was lovely.  The boys loved the spray apparatus above.  It had 6 pails up in the air that would fill with water and randomly dump it over their heads. Personally, that sounds like hell but what do I know?

9am.  We had the place to ourselves so I relaxed on a lounge chair whilst they frolicked in the pool.  (I may be channeling my inner British side)

They only got out to eat.  And when their eyes were bloodshot.  Even the salt water pools irritate the eyes.  And it dries the tar out of our skin. We have to shower and slather on the  moisturizer. Is it just us?  I thought these salt water pools were supposed to be so much better.

Later that night, we took a drive to the coast to see the ocean.  It was not swimming weather, rather what I would call chilly.  I see why people wear wet suits to surf in California.  We kept chuckling that it was hotter back home in Canada than in California. 

I love how sometimes pictures do not tell the real story.  We probably only spent 15 min at the beach and I have the most pictures from there.  It's was cold so we went off in search of ice cream and for me?  Fish tacos.  Oh yes.  I am currently obsessed with fish tacos and where better to get them than a California beach town.  They were good and I even shared them with Jay.

Apparently waves are exciting.  If that doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what will.

It wasn't much of a beach, more of a jetty.  High tide I think?

Can you guess who was less than thrilled about posing for a family photo?  So using this one on his wedding day.

Day 3 we had to bid our glorious condo goodbye.  The conference I was attending was downtown, more than an hour's drive away so we moved to that hotel.  It cost the same and we had one room, two queen beds vs. two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room and kitchen.  I guess you pay for location?

The zoo happened to be on the way so we spent the day touring around and saw about 1/3 of it.  It's huge!

Our favourites were the elephants and the giraffes. So neat to see them up close and personal like that.

I was in awe of the plants or in this case the cactus.  That is the size of a tree.  Honest to goodness a first for me.  The ones that grow on my parents land are the size of a small ball.  I love experiencing the differences in landscape when we travel.  California is really beautiful in so many ways.

These were in the lot as we waked to the car at the zoo.  The flowers look like daisies but the plant is not like the daisies we have.  So pretty regardless.

This was on a tree and the bloom is the size of my hand.  So neat.

A view of our hotel downtown.  It was located adjacent to the San Diego Convention Center which was hosting Comicon.  We saw some, um, interesting people that night.

And about 5 Batmobiles.  There was one for each Batman movie ever made.  I think they were the real thing, but really who cares, so  neat to see.  I couldn't care less about Batman movies but even I thought this was cool.

I swear that guy is the Penguin.  Jay didn't think so but now that I see the picture, I think it even more.

Snapped this one on my phone while lounging in my hoodie by the pool.  Too cold to swim for me!  The breeze off the water was chilly.

The boys however, had no trouble swimming at any time.

This is already Day 6.  I was in the conference on Day 4 and 5 and apparently I am the only one who takes pictures.  The boys hit SeaWorld, the Science Center and the Museum of Space and Aviation without me.

The last night we headed over to Petco Park to watch some MLB - the boys first game ever. 

The Padres won and it was a pretty exciting game.  We all enjoyed it.

It was our first time in California and we enjoyed it.  I have to say that travelling is so much fun with these three.