Playing with Jasper & Jayden

I looked after Piper, Jasper and Jayden for a bit this evening so Gord could go out for dinner with Dar. I just spent the afternoon with her, kid-free, in St Pierre-Jolys - lovely space - so it's been Our Day With Dar. Really sorry I haven't been posting more. It's certainly not for want of thinking of Australia and all my friends and family. Have been very homesick the last two weeks, but this week feels better. I know part of it is hormonal, but what can you do about that?? I rang my grandma last week and had a very timely conversation- thanks heaps Ma!

We're going pretty well. Kids are good - Piper's learning how to ride a bike, still wants a puppy. Somehow we came home from the thrift store on Tuesday with a Barbie doll whose torso and thighs glow red and blue when you press a button near her neck - bizarre! Maybe it made more sense when she came with clothes?! They were long gone by the time she got to the thrift store! Really not sure how she came to be at our house - I think Piper just wore me down! But we only discovered Barbie glowed once we'd gotten home! Jasper is good, still teething, lots of standing and walking in a wobbly fashion. He negotiates stairs very well, he knows to turn backwards when he's going down them. He has also worked out how to climb onto the couch - very agile child!

We're just starting to plan our summer weekends - want to make sure we get to do the stuff we're thinking of, and not find that we've run out of time. May 8th marks the halfway point of our time here - I feel schizophrenic about that fact, happy and sombre both. Even sooner than that, on May 5th Jasper turns one! Can't believe that one whole year ago I had one of the best ever experiences of my life... feels like longer ago... Gord and I have agreed to crack a bottle of champagne and drink to our success and joy one evening next week. Other than that, we'll have his parents over for tea on the day and that's about it! Haven't even bought or made Jazzy anything! But it's not like he'll care. Hence the champagne for us!

May 5th is also International Day of Midwives. I rang someone this week who heads up the Manitoba Midwifery Action Group, and it felt really good to tap into the local community and birthing issues here. I'm still passionate about this stuff - choice in birth.

This weekend we're hoping to head to the Snake Pits near Narcisse (2 and a half hours north of Steinbach) with Rick and Charlotte - Gord and Rick are friends from way back. Rick and Charlotte both teach at the local high school. Cos of a cold snap last weekend, seems like there's not as much activity as usual, so we'll see if we have to reschedule... but yeah, think writing masses of snakes! Pretty cool! And not poisonous! Can't wait to see Piper's reaction!

And on Sunday, we'll head to Sandilands, a local provincial park, to help out with a bike race that Pat and his team of fellow bikers are putting on. It's supposed to be cold, so not sure if that'll work out either, with two young kids, but oh well!

In exciting news, just found out my brother Dan wants to go and live in Amsterdam next year, so I'm already wondering how I can wangle visiting him in that most beautiful city!

I made a little video while I was playing with Jasper and Jayden, just for fun. It's just playing, nothing more than that, so watch it if you're bored or something. But at least it gives you a taste of where those two kiddos are at...

Love to all...