The Elliotts in Va

halloween 2011

2011-11-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

Halloween was great fun this year. As always our neighbourhood gets very involved in all the fun. Dads are out with the kids trick or treating and many mums are at home handing out the candy. Finlay helped for a while then fell asleep. He was wearing two costumes! First a green dragon then a tiger.

Cameron was Boba Fett from Star Wars.

Jamie was a rather disturbing skeleton who he said is called Skellie.

jenni and finlay

2011-08-13T11:17:00.002-04:00

big cousins rock!

friends at the park

2011-08-13T10:53:00.001-04:00

Finlay chilling out

2011-08-09T09:33:00.000-04:00

he loves his play mat

Finlay Michael Elliott

2011-06-29T19:54:00.002-04:00

Grant keeps reminding me that I should post to this blog as well as facebook. I really don't remember to post very often. So here is our update...

Finlay Michael Elliott was born on Sunday 5th June at 1.42pm. He was 8lbs and 20.75 inches. Everyone thinks he looks like Jamie as a baby. He has sandy coloured hair and blue eyes. He's very good natured. It was a fast delivery - only an hour and half in the hospital before Finlay arrived. He was 12 days early but we were happy that he arrived early!

Here is a photo of Cameron and Jamie showing Finlay the best moves on Angry Birds - using Granny's phone.

This is me in the hospital a few minutes after Finlay was born.

Grant has his first cuddle with little Finlay.

And now Finlay is at home..a champion napper. He's in a lovely chair that Leigh sent for him..a rocking chair and buzzing chair all in one..perfect!
We've had a professional photographer take some photos of Finlay and now we're just waiting to see the pictures - can't wait!

Today was a big day for our family. My brother, John, and his wife Stefanie had a baby girl called Alice. Cameron and Jamie are so excited to be big cousins. They love being big brothers and now they are excited to to have another younger member of the family in Canada too.

Jamie's birthday

2011-04-27T09:42:00.003-04:00

First a party at home with all his school friends and a few of our helpful neighbours....plus a huge chocolate cake!

Then a visit to the Bahamas to see Mark, Lisa and Emily. The boys love Emily!

Another chocolate cake in the Bahamas and more candles...lucky boy!

A fantastic day at the beach!

Boys skate during Caps game at Verizon center

2011-02-27T20:07:00.001-05:00

ski boys

2011-02-01T20:25:00.001-05:00

A moment Grant has been waiting for....his first trip down the mountain with both boys skiing on their own. Cameron and Jamie complete their first green run with their dad before going again, and again...and again!

cameron and bear

2011-01-18T21:39:00.003-05:00

Bear has taken up a new spot on the sofa...and he likes watching Cameron too!

a day in DC

2011-01-03T21:28:00.002-05:00

We took the boys to the National Botanic Gardens just beside the Capitol building. We also went to the Museum of the American Indian. Cameron and Jamie loved both places and we'll have to go back to the museum when we have more time. After studying Native Americans during Thanksgiving they were really interested in seeing more about the way people used to live....so educational!

This is Granny Tina and the boys.

merry christmas

2010-12-25T21:18:00.001-05:00

what a wonderful christmas! this is 7am and we just got downstairs to see the tree and the presents...boys were so happy!

checking out the police station

2010-10-17T08:30:00.002-04:00

Reston police station has a wonderful open house every year. Yesterday we went to check out all their cool cars and bikes. Cameron also met a police dog who sniffs out explosives.

The boys loved climbing on the police boat.
Cameron got to climb into the fire truck then hold the hose at the front of the truck.
Jamie in prisoner transport!
Jamie and Cameron loved the police dirt bikes.

fun run for halloween

2010-10-11T21:45:00.000-04:00

We took the boys to Reston Town Centre for a fun run this past weekend. Because it is almost halloween the kids had to wear their halloween costumes for the run. So I ended up with a Clone Trooper and Wolverine in my car! The boys had a great time.

And Cameron met his friend from school and they ran together.

the first tooth is out!

2010-09-13T21:15:00.002-04:00

Cameron has had two wobbly front teeth for weeks. This morning at breakfast I suggested to him that one of them was so wobbly he could just pull it out - so he did and got quite a surprise when it popped out! He rushed to the mirror to check out his gap.

He's very excited today about the tooth fairy coming this evening.

Mind the gap!
Jamie is feeling a bit left out. He doesn't get a visit from the tooth fairy and he doesn't have a wobbly tooth. Sometimes it's not easy being the little brother.

back to school

2010-09-07T21:04:00.002-04:00

The first day of school today for Cameron and Jamie. We had to keep them busy this morning because they were so excited but when we left for school Cameron was ready to see his classroom and get started as a Kindergarten student.

Jamie is disappointed they are at separate schools but he said he had a great day and made a new friend.

This is Cameron walking into his school.

And this is Cameron joining the line of kids walking to the classroom. So grown up!

And this is Jamie, the night before school started....fast asleep at dinnertime!

ready for Mini-MItes

2010-09-06T21:14:00.003-04:00

Cameron and Jamie are all ready for Mini-Mites which starts on Thursday. Last week, Granny Tina and I took them to practice skating. This is the first time Jamie has been in full hockey kit and he loved it. He especially loved his new compression shorts with cup (!) commonly known as his willy protector.

This is Jamie in his hockey gear.
And this is Cameron in hockey gear with Granny.

star wars boys

2010-08-28T14:07:00.001-04:00

Cameron and Jamie have been taking care of our neighbour's house while they were on vacation. They brought back light sabres for Cameron and Jamie and they love them!

Star Wars is their favourite pretend game at the moment.

jamie faces

2010-08-23T09:46:00.002-04:00

another classic Jamie face, this time with my sunglasses.

....yesterday we went to the pool in the afternoon, weather was lovely and pool was quiet. Cameron did a proper dive from the springboard for the first time. Jamie is able to swim to the bottom of the deep end to pick up toys from the bottom of the pool...the summer at the pool has really improved their swimming.

lego store on a rainy day

2010-08-19T10:01:00.001-04:00

what better way to spend a very rainy day than a trip to the Lego store? especially when you are 4 and 5 years old. Star Wars is their latest favourite. Cameron is watching the old movies and the new cartoons while Jamie is just happy to help build the lego and play with it.

and for some reason Cameron's legs look incredibly thin in this photo...do they always look this thin and I've never noticed?

friends

2010-08-12T15:36:00.002-04:00

Cameron and Devon became friends at preschool and now Devon is going to Abu Dhabi with his family for 2 years. Cameron is going to miss his friend but we hope they will come back to this area when they return to the US.

ice hockey

2010-08-12T15:30:00.002-04:00

Cameron spent a week at Ice Hockey camp at Ashburn Icehouse. He *loved* it. I was really impressed with the organisation and coaching at the camp. Cameron's skating really improved during the week and he had a lot of fun. He said the best part was playing the small games at the end of every day. We'll be back in the fall for Mini-mites and Jamie will be back for ice hockey skating class.

swimming pool achievements

2010-07-24T22:22:00.002-04:00

Cameron and Jamie are so happy to be at the pool in this very hot weather. They seem to have reached an age when most of the time they are happy doing their own thing at the pool. Sometimes we swim together and play together but other times they just want to do their own thing....like the diving board. A major discovery for them both this year.

Here is Cameron doing his signature "cannonball"!

And Jamie is stepping off the diving board now too!
And in another major achievement, Cameron swam a whole length. Then he said he wanted to do it again and again. So he swam 8 lengths of the pool today. I'm amazed. Most of it was underwater....he'd seen a lifeguard swim under water in the lap lanes so he thought it was cool. But I'm so proud of them both today. They are growing up so fast!

florida

2010-07-20T21:23:00.003-04:00

Our trip to Florida was a crazy road trip but well worth it.

Here is Cameron outside Cinderella's castle. We saw a great show outside the castle. Cameron loved seeing Peter Pan.

We played Pirate mini golf with Auntie Donna, George and Michael.
Arrrgghhhh mateys.....

Jamie got to be a real pirate at Magic Kingdom. He volunteered to go up on stage and sign up to join Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew!

Then Jamie got a kiss from Minnie Mouse! He really liked meeting Mickey and Minnie.

Thanks to Auntie Donna and boys for putting us up and putting up with us for a week in Florida. We had a great time!

obx 2010

2010-06-28T08:03:00.004-04:00

Cameron with one of the fish that Dave caught.

The kids enjoy a game of football on the beach after dinner.

The sunset that evening was wonderful.

Icecream for dessert on the beach.

Jamie was a surfer dude (plus swim goggles!) and loved his boogie board.

Jamie the shell finder.

cameron wants to be a hockey player

2010-06-08T21:50:00.003-04:00

Cameron really wants to play ice hockey. Now he has all the gear and he's ready to go. I've signed him up for summer camp "mini-mites" hockey in July. He's very excited.

jamie can sleep anywhere

2010-06-08T21:31:00.002-04:00

Here is my little boy fast asleep on a hard wooden bench at the ice rink. Cameron is speeding around the rink practicing for class but Jamie is taking his nap. It is a gift to be able to sleep so well in any location. As his Auntie Donna says, when he is a teenager he will be half boy - half mattress.

my preschool graduate

2010-06-02T22:00:00.002-04:00

Cameron officially "graduated" preschool last week and his school had a big end of year graduation ceremony. Cameron is always happy to be on stage singing (takes after his father?) and was right up front singing loud and clear. He really enjoyed the show and even got to use the microphone to introduce the director of the school.

Here is Cameron looking very proud in his graduation gown and hat.

The graduating class of 2010. (girls in yellow, boys in blue)

Cameron and his friend Christian with their diplomas.

The after party with his friend Chase - more cookies and punch please!

Although it was just the end of preschool it was also the end of a chapter in Cameron's life and it felt a little sad but also exciting. His Kindergarten and elementary years will be so much fun but he also loved his preschool and his friends.

As his mum I am extremely proud of him. I'm amazed as I watch him grow and change.

another frying pan farm visit

2010-05-24T08:44:00.003-04:00

We love visiting Frying Pan Farm.

This time we had ice creams from the farm store.

Saw the peacock fan out his feathers.

Practice our tractor driving.

and spend some fun time together.

The boys also got to milk a cow!

fun weekend with Granny

2010-05-18T22:19:00.001-04:00

Cameron in a painters smock at the festival community mural.

Reston Arts Festival took place this weekend and they had a great Children's art tent where Cameron did some magnetic art.

Several of our trees lost branches this winter. The upside is that this one is now perfect for climbing.

Cameron was disappointed that there was no face painting at the arts festival so we did some face painting at home. He's a tiger!

Here is another of tiger Cameron....

ice hockey stars

2010-05-18T22:12:00.001-04:00

Cameron and Jamie are both still learning to ice skate and they love it. I wish I knew a little more about ice hockey but it doesn't seem to matter because they are both so enthusiastic. Cameron is on ice hockey skates already and Jamie is still on regular skates but I'm sure it won't be long until he's also scooting around on ice hockey skates. (I think Jamie looks a little bow-legged in this picture but I think he's just posing for his photo!)

space shuttle enterprise

2010-05-03T21:14:00.000-04:00

Here are the boys with the space shuttle.

clare and raymond visit

2010-05-03T21:11:00.002-04:00

We had a great time this past weekend with a visit from Clare and Raymond. We went to the air and space museum and to see DC United play. The best part was just catching up with friends. Cameron and Jamie loved Raymond and were very impressed with his Super Mario skills.

swingball

2010-04-24T17:04:00.001-04:00

another classic garden game...boys love it!

thank you Auntie Donna xxx

3D sidewalk chalk

2010-04-20T21:42:00.002-04:00

Jamie got 3D sidewalk chalk for his birthday. Yesterday and today the boys have been outside playing with the chalk, all the tools and of course, the 3D glasses. It's been great. They are quite the artists.

Here is Jamie with his chalk in hand pose.

Bear came out to make sure we were doing a good job.

two parties in one day

2010-04-18T15:52:00.000-04:00

It was a busy day for us yesterday as we celebrated Jamie's birthday. First we had a party for his school friends followed by a big neighbourhood party with all our neighbours. It was such a great day.

Here's the moonbounce in the garden before the kids arrived.

Jamie and Cameron get the first bounce and love it!

Jamie and his chocolate, chocolate cake. His friend Maximus is helping sing. The kids did an egg hunt, egg and spoon race and a sack race.

Later that evening, after we'd bbqed with the neighbours we sang happy birthday again. it was a big party in our back garden. We put on the chimnea in the evening to keep everyone warm.

Jamie thinks he is 4 already but his real birthday is on Wednesday.

easter

2010-04-07T21:45:00.000-04:00

Easter egg hunt. What a beautiful day and a lot of fun!

candy necklace

2010-04-01T20:33:00.000-04:00

Jamie went to a birthday party today for his friend Maximus. On the way home Jamie and Cameron tucked into their treat bags. Jamie was busy eating his candy necklace when he fell asleep in the car.

out like a lamb

2010-03-31T20:27:00.000-04:00

March is in like a lion and out like a lamb...at least it was today! The end of the month and a beautiful day. We went to Meadowlark. Here are a few photos of the spring flowers and the cherry blossoms starting to bloom.

Here is Jamie looking like a college student already.

And Cameron who is growing like a weed and loves his Wolverine hoodie.

Just to prove that they can be nice to each other here they are having a cuddle.

Cameron with the cherry blossoms.

Jamie is sleepy after our walk.

March moments

2010-03-30T21:58:00.000-04:00

A cup of tea for me and a kids hot chocolate, no whip, at 110 for Cameron. Add a slice of lemon pound cake for good measure. A seat at the counter, a chat about our day, a cherished moment.

My scooter boys. Out in the neighbourhood.

The cherry blossoms have started to appear in Shaker Woods.

The outside of our house needs repainted. It is our major project at the moment. Colour suggestions?

Cameron loves wearing his belt with jeans...thanks to Laura for the big boy belt.

goodbye Phil & Ted

2010-02-21T10:47:00.000-05:00

This morning we sold Phil & Ted. The best stroller. Jamie loved sleeping in it when he was a baby.

It is the end of an era at the Elliott household as we finally go stroller-less.

sleepy boy

2010-02-19T21:35:00.000-05:00

Jamie fell asleep in his room, at the door. How tired?

boys at skiing lessons

2010-02-18T12:14:00.001-05:00

It has taken a while to get these photos on the blog but here you go...Olympic hopefuls...Cameron and Jamie!

Comments from Cameron's teachers included "he likes the ski lift" and "he needs to learn how to stop". That about sums it up! Cameron's teacher on the Monday said that Cameron might just go straight to parallel skiing and skip the whole snow plough business because he obviously gets the downhill part of skiing...but he needs to learn to link his turns and not just throw himself over to stop!

scotland rugby tops

2010-02-15T10:21:00.000-05:00

Even though Scotland is on a disappointing run in the rugby Grant still got the boys dressed up in their Scotland strips. They looked lovely on Valentine's day!

Thanks to Gail and Jean-Marc for Cameron's new rugby shirt.

Jamie in his rugby shirt from Auntie Donna.

Later in the day Grant dug out the mailbox.

of course he had some help from Jamie and his yellow shovel...

Cameron and the other kids have built tunnels in the snow banks. After Grant dug out the mailbox they were able to build another tunnel in the snow.

No grass hills to roll down so they're just rolling down the snow banks.

More snow photos

2010-02-15T10:11:00.000-05:00

Reston town center in the snow....

The boys after a little lunch in Reston...

another day of digging out

2010-02-11T12:22:00.001-05:00

This time Cameron and Jamie are wearing their Dubai shirts sent from Cathi and family. Of course they are wearing them on top of thermals and thick ski socks...stylish!

Cameron had to dig out the front steps again today.

Our house with a clear driveway thanks to our neighbour and his snowblower.

Jamie cleans up the driveway with his snow shovel.

digging out today

2010-02-09T21:21:00.000-05:00

We were digging out from the snow today but of course there's more on the way tonight!

Here is Cameron who helped me dig out our front steps and Jamie who played outside today. (Jamie is standing up in the snow!)

ski wisp vacation 2

2010-02-09T18:37:00.002-05:00

Cameron tried snow boarding one day and enjoyed it but went back to skis for his lessons.

Some of the fresh snow...
Cameron and Ruby on a green run...
At the top and ready to start again....let's ski!

ski wisp vacation 1

2010-02-09T08:34:00.004-05:00

Here is the house we rented. So much snow!

Jamie helps to shovel the snow.

Dave, Ruby and Cameron playing in the snow on Saturday.

A soak in the hot tub gave Jamie a big smile.

cookies

2010-02-03T20:27:00.000-05:00

2010-02-03T20:25:00.001-05:00

happy birthday to me!

2010-01-22T21:45:00.003-05:00

Looks like Jamie is digging the marker into Cameron's ear!

Cameron really wanted a photo in his Batman tshirt.
A sweet moment before things fell apart!

thanks for the shoes granny

2010-01-19T21:55:00.001-05:00

These are the new Slimer shoes -thanks Granny!

tech support required

2010-01-13T15:14:00.001-05:00

Miranda would like to upload some cute photos of her boys but needs tech support. For some reason the upload function is no longer working!

new year

2010-01-01T21:17:00.003-05:00

A happy new year!

This is Cameron with a mouthful of chocolate...

Jamie with his happy new year hat at Jean and Dave's house...

Jamie this morning showing his super powers .. and still wearing his hat!

Some days, when I find time to pause to think about it, I realise the boys are growing up so fast. Everyone says that about their children but it feels so true. It feels like Jamie grew overnight! Cameron is leaving behind any traces of being a little kid and some days talks like he is 15 already! 2010 will be a good year and I can't wait to see how they both grow and change.

building museum

2009-12-30T21:00:00.001-05:00

Lots of fun today at the building museum.

Cameron dresses up as a builder...

Granny, me and the boys...

Smiles with our friends at the end of a busy morning...

Batman Jamie and the workman goggles...nice squished face!

Cameron with a tall tower of bricks....standing tall...

christmas morning

2009-12-28T20:53:00.001-05:00

Yeah! Cameron is just waking up and getting into his presents.

Santa brings Jamie a fun robot arm.

A new Ben10 lunch box brings a big smile.

Cameron loves Ben10 as well!

HAPPY BOYS!

christmas photos

2009-12-28T20:49:00.001-05:00

Jamie ready for Christmas in front of our tree.

Cameron and Jamie with the cookies and milk that we left for Santa. Jamie even made chocolate brownies for Santa.

The boys following the web site that tracks Santa's progress on Christmas eve.

jamie with santa

2009-12-28T20:45:00.000-05:00

Here is Jamie with Santa. He had a really nice visit with Santa on Christmas eve. For some reason Cameron would not visit with Santa this year. We think he was worried about being on the naughty list!

this afternoon in the snow

2009-12-19T22:45:00.000-05:00

here are more photos from our snow storm...there is so much snow outside that Jamie almost gets lost!

Jamie digging his Granny a path in the snow.

The boys digging in the driveway.

Cameron with his new snow shovel.

Grant getting lost in the snow.

Jamie falling over.

snow storm

2009-12-19T10:58:00.000-05:00

Expecting 14-20 inches by the time it all stops today...

cookies

2009-12-13T16:59:00.001-05:00

The chef eats the first cookie.

The chief taster makes an appearance!

school christmas program #2

2009-12-11T12:56:00.000-05:00

Cameron's class is the oldest in preschool so they did the full nativity. Turns out that Mr. Cameroni Macaroni was the only one with a speaking part! He introduced the play to the audience and then went back to the choir where he was singing with his friends. They all did a great job!

school christmas program

2009-12-11T12:52:00.000-05:00

Jamie's class sang "does the baby need a blanket?" and it was just so sweet.

I've uploaded the video to my facebook page if you'd like to see it. Meanwhile here are some sweet photos of Jamie and friends.

snow!

2009-12-05T19:44:00.003-05:00

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Andrew and James show Jamie how to use the snowball shooter...

Cameron and Natalie mess around and build a snowman...

our house on its snow hill...

Cameron using the snowball maker...
and now a nice warm fire and boys exhausted in bed.

tennis on a warm november day

2009-11-29T13:37:00.000-05:00

We had such a great weekend with Jackie and Farid. Cameron and Jamie took them outside to play tennis this morning. They were also showing them their bikes and scooters (hence the bike helmets!) Jackie and Farid are very popular visitors with Cameron and Jamie and we hope they'll be back soon - thanks for coming to visit!

jackie and farid come to visit

2009-11-29T08:31:00.000-05:00

Jackie and Farid came down from Hoboken to visit. We've had fun with them this weekend including a visit to Meadowlark, lunch at Clydes and Jamie's first turn on the ice in Reston. Jamie loved ice skating and after a few minutes did not want a hand to hold and was happy on his own. Grant had Cameron and Jamie pulling him along!

The boys take Grant for a spin around the ice at Reston town center ice rink.

Cameron and Jackie in Meadowlark...stopping for a break

Cameron and Jamie get a little help with our walk from Grant and Farid.

back garden tree

2009-11-16T14:14:00.000-05:00

There are two maples in our back garden and one normally looks better than the other in the fall. This year it is the turn of the tree near the playset. It has beautiful fall colours this year and I had to take a photo. I remember the years I was in Hong Kong and I missed the autumn and the leaves changing colour and the change in temperature. This tree is a beauty!

bike boys - look no wheels!

2009-11-16T07:31:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a lovely fall day. It was 70 degrees and sunny. In the morning I took the boys to the National Zoo. It was a busy day because everyone was out enjoying the sunshine. Just as we arrived they were feeding the Giant Sloth Bears so we went to listen to the zookeepers talk about what they eat. At the end of the talk they asked for volunteers to feed the bear called Callie. Cameron volunteered and later so did Jamie. They both got to feed the bear though a tube, like a giant straw. They were both really pleased.

The afternoon was full of excitement. Grant took their training wheels off and both boys were cycling with no training wheels. Jamie got the hang of it so quickly and he was off. They both fell off a couple of times but no injuries so they were right back on their bikes and off again. Their friend Dariya also came out on her bike and learnt to cycle with no training wheels either - a big day for our street!

Here is Cameron concentrating...

And Jamie the speed demon....

Cameron's party

2009-11-07T20:16:00.000-05:00

Cameron had his 5th birthday party today at Sport Bounce. He had a great time with all his friends and is absolutely wiped out this evening. Both boys feel asleep in the car on the way home.

This is Cameron and his friend Devon enjoying birthday cake...

Here are all the kids before the party started....

This is Cameron blowing out the candles....

exhausting day at fall festival

2009-11-03T21:56:00.004-05:00

Today we took the boys to Temple Hall Fall Festival for the first time. They had a great time and Cameron already wants to go back so he can walk in the 23 acre maze (or corn maize) all the way to the middle and back.

There are two giant jumping pillows, a cow train and a place where you can shoot corn on the cob out of air guns at targets - a favourite activity for us all!

Here is the cow train....

Cool passenger #1 Cameron...

Happy passenger #2 Jamie...

Cameron the cowboy on "Socks"...Jamie the cowboy on "Tony the Pony"..

The jumping pillows were a big hit with Cameron and Jamie and they did lots of bouncing and running around.

On the way home both boys fell asleep in the car. That's a good sign that we had a busy, fun day out.

halloween

2009-11-03T18:45:00.003-05:00

That's me getting Jamie Bumblebee all ready to go.
Cameron and Jamie are all ready to trick or treat...Granny Tina outside our house waiting for the kids to arrive...candy at the ready!

photo day

2009-10-30T18:47:00.003-04:00

Cameron and Jamie got all dressed up this morning for school photo day. I hope they turned out well. I'll post them when they arrive.

pumpkinville with Cameron's class

2009-10-27T14:49:00.001-04:00

Jamie loves his new big kid bunkbed

2009-10-20T21:02:00.002-04:00

Cameron says "it is OUR new bed" ... I'm not so sure!
Jamie climbs the ladder to check out his new digs.
This is brilliant!Practice sleep before bedtime...happiness is a little boy in his new bed.

smithsonian museum of natural history

2009-10-19T09:32:00.002-04:00

We loved the dinosaurs and the insect zoo...but althought the 3D glasses were fun the actual show frightened Cameron before it even started! The first trailer was so noisy he wanted to leave and I had to take him outside. Jamie was the opposite. The dark room made him fall asleep and he slept through the whole show. The best part for them both was trying on the glasses...oh dear. Let's try again when they are a bit older.

fireman Jamie

2009-10-14T22:31:00.003-04:00

Not only did the fire truck visit Cameron and Jamie's preschool but the local fire house had an open house and the boys got to climb in trucks, talk to the fire fighters and use the hose (note Jamie is wearing his own fire fighter jacket - admired by all!)

boys in the park

2009-10-14T22:27:00.003-04:00

Meadowlark is one of our favourite places for a run around. The weather is suddenly colder and it might be our last picnic until spring. Cameron and Jamie had fun with their friends Oliver, Archie and Harvey.

boys weekend

2009-10-05T15:41:00.003-04:00

Dulles Plane Pull Day meant the boys got close to lots of airplanes and even got to sit up front in a few...all on the ground!

Spot the football kits - the plane pull event was after football on Saturday.

Then on Sunday they went to Pumpkinville in Leesburg. Cameron loved the pony ride.
Good job fun-daddy. The boys want to know when I'm going away again...hmmmm....

girls weekend

2009-10-05T15:38:00.002-04:00

Thank you to Mara for looking after us this weekend. We loved Bradley Beach, time with friends, good chat and some great restaurants. When is our next weekend together!?

carousel

2009-09-29T21:25:00.001-04:00

Jamie is on Hony Pony (always his horse) and Cameron is on Superspeed (also his favourite horse name).

spiderman

2009-09-28T21:49:00.001-04:00

Here comes spiderman.

pumpkins and fall festivals

2009-09-22T12:16:00.004-04:00

The boys love the fall festivals and pumpkin farms around here. Yesterday it was in the 80s, unexpectedly to me, and we went to Cox Farms to check out the slides, animals and pumpkins.

The boys LOVED the day and we stayed until 3pm...no naps for Jamie who says he doesn't need them any more...oh dear!

Jamie coming down one of the big slides.

Jamie uses his Spiderman strength to pick up a massive pumpkin.Cameron wonders why he can only take the small ones home.Cameron being the farmer at Cox farms...and the cow farmer let the boys milk Dolly the cow this morning.

What a fun day!

how much wood can Uncle John chop?

2009-09-22T12:13:00.004-04:00

The boys had a great time stacking wood with their Uncle John in Canada and this photo that Granny Tina just sent me reminded me how beautiful it is on Vancouver Island.

Yesterday Cameron said he wanted to go back to Canada because it is not too hot there and it doesn't rain - oh yeah? - and he had a great time there in the summer.

canned salmon

2009-09-14T21:01:00.002-04:00

Grant's canned salmon arrived today. The boys were so excited that Jamie told the FedEx lady that Uncle John kissed the salmon that was in the box in tins. She thought it was funny.

So here are the tins...

and here are the boys lining up the tins on the kitchen counter...

and here is Bear smelling the scent of an open can of fresh salmon....

and here is Bear after eating the salmon....think he likes it?? :-)

I'm sure it tastes amazing.....right Grant?

haircuts

2009-09-09T20:36:00.003-04:00

Today was haircut day for Cameron and Jamie....fresh new cuts for a new year at school.

Here's the before photo - complete with silly faces...

and here is the after - so smart!

first day back at school

2009-09-08T16:08:00.004-04:00

back to school today for the boys...and off to work for Grant!

US Open

2009-09-04T22:13:00.003-04:00

Cameron is now Roger Federer. Granny Tina is the tennis coach. Jamie sometimes gets to be the ball boy or Roger Federer but has to wait his turn.

Here is Roger getting ready to practice.

Roger has been practicing every day because he knows he'll get better. Today it was hot so he asked his coach to bring a chair outside so he could take regular breaks like the real players. The US Open is all we are watching on tv - can you tell that Granny Tina, I mean coach, is having an influence here?

fruit picking with granny tina

2009-09-03T15:16:00.003-04:00

What a great morning we had at a local u-pick farm. Apples and raspberries are ready for picking and they are delicious!

Jamie with his heavy bucket full of berries.

Here is Granny Tina with the raspberries.

Cameron and Granny showing off their bucket of raspberries.

The dynamic duo ready for action!

Reaching into those apple trees.

And we finished off the great morning with a picnic by a little pond. Perfect! Both boys slept in the car on the way home....zzzzz....the great outdoors! This afternoon we'll be making apple crumble - delicious!

Nanaimo #4

2009-08-25T21:23:00.003-04:00

not sure when to stop with the photos but we did a lot in 3 weeks!

Jamie laughing at Grant at the water park...

Granny checking out the big fountain at the water park...
The lovely Long Beach in Tofino. Lots of logs at the back of the beach make for great climbing..
Cameron admires Long Beach....

Here's looking at you Crystal Cove...we love the log cabins and pretty beach.

Nanaimo #3

2009-08-25T21:13:00.002-04:00

and a few more....

Granny and Cameron on Crystal Cove beach.

Jamie does the "I just stacked lots of wood" dance.

Hello over there...the boys walk around Colliery Dam with Granny.

After a swim in Westwood lake what better thing than a nice warm hug with a log.

Cameron looks passed out on this log...perhaps because it is nice and warm too.

Nanaimo #2

2009-08-25T19:43:00.003-04:00

and more from our trip....

For Grant, no holiday is complete without a boat trip...this time he went fishing with John and they caught three big salmon.

Callie loves fish heads....

John and his big catch....

Auntie Stef went gleaning and brought home buckets of apples. Cameron discovered that he loves peeling apples - eat one, peel one, eat one, peel one...and then make apple pie...yum!

A trip to Canada wouldn't be complete without s'mores....Cameron has his mouth full and loves them!

Jamie licks his fingers clean.

Nanaimo #1

2009-08-25T18:22:00.005-04:00

Just back from 3 weeks of fun in Canada.

It was a busy time, with lots of new things to see and do. It has also been 3 years since I last saw my brother John so it was good to catch up and spend some time together.

Here are a few photos from our travels....

Cameron learnt so much about starfish and other sea creatures from Auntie Stef. This one looks like it is about to swallow him whole!

The weather wasn't the best in Tofino but we just put on our rain coats and had lots of walks on the beach. It didn't keep the boys out of the water and by our third day it was sunny!

Waving goodbye to our train...the last train to Parksville!

Granny and the boys check the map at the train station.

Granny and John on the beach at Parksville.

The last day...a timer photo so we are all together....even Callie.

florida part 2

2009-07-27T08:22:00.004-04:00

The boys in Scotland strips - thanks Auntie Donna.

Shamu the whale!

Jamie with another "Shamu".
All the cousins together (except Jenni of course).

florida and theme parks

2009-07-27T08:11:00.003-04:00

Just a few photos from our adventures. We went to Busch Gardens, Seaworld and Aquatica.

Cameron splashing in Busch Gardens.

Jamie enjoying a little water break too.

Cameron and Jamie on a kids ride.

Cameron and Jamie with their cousin Logan.

The splash zone of one of the major roller coasters. All the boys (apart from Jamie who was napping) are in the splash zone getting soaked.

troublesome threes

2009-07-17T21:34:00.003-04:00

Jamie has been really cheeky recently. He is using slightly naughty words and he thinks he is very funny. He wants to be the joker and likes it when he can make people laugh.

For example, Laura was playing with the boys yesterday and she said, "you can call me Princess Laura the Beautiful". Cameron said, "You can call me Prince Cameron the Strong". And Jamie chimed in, "You can call me Prince Jamie of Bottom-burp". And burst out into side-splitting laughter.

He's trouble. I rest my case.

great country farms

2009-07-17T07:55:00.004-04:00

What a great day out we had yesterday. We met up with Dorothy and Carys to go to Great Country Farms and pick peaches. Jean and the McMahons were there too and we all had fun together. The farm had pick your own peaches and other fun places for kids to play. We got to the peach orchard on a tractor ride - that Cameron and Jamie love - and they had a great time seeing Carys.

The boys with Carys waiting for the tractor.

On the tractor ride to the peach orchard...

The giant jumping pillow....

Treats before we go home...all squeezed on one chair together.

It was such a hot day and both boys were fast asleep in the car before we left the farm gate!

pirate ship

2009-07-13T07:52:00.002-04:00

Laura took the boys to the Reston festival and they got to go on some of the rides. Looks like they had a great time!

weekend away

2009-07-12T21:26:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Laura, who looked after the boys, Grant and I had a night away from home at a lovely hotel in Maryland. Grant booked us into the The Inn at Perry Cabin in St.Michaels and we had a lovely, relaxing weekend. Grant sat by the pool and read "Renegade" a book about the Obama campaign. I went for a massage and loved it.

This is Grant relaxing at the hotel reading his book...he can't put it down.

Meanwhile back in Reston, Laura took the boys to the Reston Festival and to see Ice Age 3D - which they loved. Thanks Laura!

clemyjontri

2009-07-10T09:39:00.003-04:00

The park with the unusual name is one of our favourite places to play. Cameron and Jamie like the ground because it is soft and doesn't hurt so much when they fall. Plus there is the carousel in the middle of the park and all the great climbing equipment.

At the moment Cameron and Jamie love being on the tire (tyre) swing.

Faster! Higher!

tractor ride

2009-07-10T09:36:00.002-04:00

Cameron and Jamie love going on the tractor ride at Frying Pan Farm. It is always the highlight of our visit, unless one of the animals does something surprising to them...like a big moo from a cow that frightens the life out of the boys!

Here is Cameron on the wagon pulled by the tractor....