NAUGHTY AND NICE.... can you guess?




Dear Santa,

I was a good boy for most of the year and have only really been bad the last month. So, for Christmas I would like a ladder - that way I can get into whatever I want. My mom took away the step stool I was using. I would also like some more make-up. My moms didn't last all that long and plus, I don't like sharing. I especially like lipstick, but don't worry, I only wear it on my cheeks and put it on the limestone fireplace. Bronzer is also good - it really makes the tile floor shine. Sharpe also makes a good marker - they really stay on anything and don't fade very well. I also like to use them on my cheeks. Mom and I could really use some more hot pads, these are way more interesting than my farm animal hand puppets. Also, I recently discovered scissors and wow - they have changed my life. I know there is a lot more to discover on that front. If it's not too much to ask, I would like my own fridge. Ours seems to be closed all the time - I run as fast as I can whenever it's opened but I never get to spend enough time in there. It's not just for food, those shelves are like a rock wall for me. I know I'm asking for a lot but, in return I will gladly give up all my toys (I never play with them anyway) My highchair (I hate being confined when I have food) and my carseat. (I hardly ever use it anyway, since I can get out of it)

Thanks big guy,

Connor Darren Taylor

Nov. Review

We had a busy month. There's a 5 year old in the house! CC had a lengthy b-day bash... a family party, friend party and a date with dad and mom. Best comment; "Sweet, a $20 bill!" after opening her b-day card from G & G Taylor. She wanted to go to Build-a-Bear for her date night and for sushi. Guess which was more expensive. She chose a lovely sparkling blue bear and named her Violet Colleen Taylor. For her friend party we had lunch and rode horses and CC loved the week long b-day celebrating.

Then it was my turn - 35 year old and my parents "surprised" me by coming to Canada. We went out to eat, shopping and somehow one week went by in like one hour.

Another highlight of the month - the Steve Nash Youth Basketball program. The girls have been doing this since mid October and it has been a blast for me. I LOVE watching them play. Cala is actually good and had more steals than I could count. She doesn't like to shoot but, when everyone yells "Shoot it Cala!" She will. It's great watching the look on her face when the ball actually goes in. I hope we have a long bball watching career over these next few years. It's a blast.

Then Chelsea. She brought the program to it's knees. We had to alter her jersey so it would not drag on the floor or fall off her shoulders. She's the smallest one there and the most entertaining. My favorite comment... she said to her coach/ref during the game, "Um, can we play something else? Just for a few minutes." Awesome. She would also come home at night telling us random facts about Steve Nash. "Mom, do you know Steve Nash had a dream? Do you know what that dream was? He wanted to be the best basketball player ever and do you know how he chieved that? He practiced." (Obviously taken word for word from her coach... who I hope will return after his most challenging 8 weeks on the court ever... I can't believe they didn't make me pay more money. CC would also go up to the girl coaches and asked to be carried and would yell "SUB" whenever she was on the court and didn't feel like playing anymore. She also spent lots of time spinning around in circles, rolling on the floor, balancing on one foot and running with her arms in the jersey... all during games. Whenever she wanted the ball, she would just run up to whoever had it and yell - "Pass" She would follow them around until they gave it to her. The coach also made a few special rules for her that the rest of the team knew. If Chelsea had the ball, no one was allowed to steal it from her. They all just had to let her dribble up and down the court for a few seconds before she either got tired or it bounced away. She would then run over to me and ask, "How many points did I score." The day the coach talked about defense, I knew it. I walked into the gym and there was CC running the court with her arms stretched right out in front of her. She didn't put them down - ever. But, she can actually dribble, knows a few different types of passes, knows all about Steve Nash, knows what an assist is, and never wants to play basketball again. Don't worry - she's going to... I can't miss out on the humor.

Also, we found out something about Chelsea this month. She's basically blind in one eye. When they say you should take your kid to the eye doctor at about age 3 - it really is a good thing. Because when you wait until they are five, they have to have really strong prescription and wear a patch to try and correct it. We'll keep you posted on that front... the glasses aren't in yet but hopefully they'll work. We feel really bad about all the times we said, "Chelsea, pick that up - what are you blind?" We also feel bad for laughing when she would just randomly fall off chairs, down the stairs or trip for no reason... turns out she's really not clumsy. Our "Parents of the Year Award" has now been postponed another year.

And - Connor is really growing up. This month, he started to really chat it up... "No, daddy, mamma, MINE, ni-nite, Daz (Daisy, the dog) all added to his growing vocab. Also, he's in this phase where he want to wear the girls hair elastic on his wrists. I had to get rid of all the really small ones and do "hand checks" every time I pick him up to make sure he hasn't found a stray. In this pic. Darren got him up from a nap to find he put one of his socks on his hands. He still loves to organize things and this month we lost, a set of keys, one of his friends shoes, and CC's basketball. They've all turned up except the keys. Also, he stashes random snacks everywhere. The other day I opened the jar where I store cotton balls... what do you know, a rice cake. He now refuses to eat in his high chair and it's been great fun cleaning up food from everywhere. He loves Darren and being outside. Today he got to ride the quad. He insisted Darren put his coat on... I had to take him out in the cold to see his dad before he would allow his coat to be put on... he was sure I was just going to put him in the car.

And speaking of cars. We will no longer be running a rodent hotel in the Honda Pilot. The mouse mobile has been turned in and traded for this baby. I have given up the extra seating and have come to terms with the fact that I like speed. Darren is so proud. We're hoping mice don't like German imports like the love the Japanese imports. Fingers crossed.

The Cunninghams also came for Thanksgiving. We shopped, cooked and Darren and Scott went camping. (crazy) But a great time! KC keeps me laughing.

Everything is just racing by and I'm continuing to get more and more behind. But, I think this is just how it's going to be for a while. Whenever I feel like this, I just start throwing things away. So we've gotten rid of a lot of stuff. This probably has some meaning to it but I have no time to look into it. And.... there was our November! Whew.

The very latest

This is will likely be the only photo of Connor in his Halloween costume. He is not impressed with pirates. Maybe if it had a headband instead of a hat - he loves wearing his sisters.


CC is still trying to convince me to find her a blonde wig because Alice in Wonderland has longer hair than she does. Not gonna happen but she can keep on wishing.


And this is the kind of costume you end up with when your mother waits until the last minute. It's Hannah Montana - but not a very cute one... so hence the head shot of the only cute part of the costume.



Go Cougars! We made a trip to Utah for Darren's law school reunion and the big Homecoming game. We took Cala along to show her all the beauties of BYU and to go school shopping. We had a great time! Darren got to see some of his best friends from law school and we got to feel really old walking around campus - it's changed so much. We stayed with Kristen and Scott and my mom and dad even dashed to Utah to see us.

The Buzz

Chelsea also started school. Here she is with her teacher Mrs. Thibadeau. The pre-school is in a small community center about 5 minutes away from our house and I am really, really enjoying the commute. Plus, school is the same time as Connor's nap. Talk about peace and quiet. CC was so excited for school, and thrilled about the fact that she had to have indoor shoes.



What a difference a month can make. Connor is really walking now and has totally give up on crawling - even if he falls. He's all over the place and climbs on everything. Seriously, he's a monkey. He ruined my keyboard by climbing up on my desk and dumping a can of Coke on it. He can't stay off the table and here he is on his little table in his room. Plus, note the hair - it was getting so long and I thought we would just keep the shaggy look for a while. But then....



Can you say BUZZ! My friend was here the other day and told me he can no longer pull off the shaggy look. It simply doesn't work on babies. So, right then and there - she took the clippers to him and he lost it all. I still feel like I have a different baby. I'm sure he's acting more grown up and he doesn't look the same at all. He does keep patting his head to try and find his hair. I really like not worrying about what his hair looks like. He looks so much older and I know I'm his mom, but I have to say - the new cut makes his face look thinner as well. What happened to our baby?!!



And... I like to call this photo: "When bad things happen to good people." A simple fall in the mudroom on a locker is to blame for this bash. CC and Connor were playing and I head screaming. There was blood running down his face, I picked him up and headed to the laundry room for clean up. And seriously one of my first thoughts was, "I hope he doesn't get blood on my sweater. It's new and from Nordstroms." What is wrong with me. But that's another post. I knew he would be okay but, also knew he would need stitches. (we have a modeling career to worry about) I wiped him off, gave him a sucker and if you were to have timed it, he probably only cried for 4 minutes. The sucker ended the tears. Which started again at the Urgent Care Center when the Dr. numbed his head and sewed him up. They made me leave the room because the tied him down while they did all this. They were more worried about me - but, for some reason, it didn't really bother me. I don't like to see him in pain, but seriously, what can I do and in a matter of minutes, it will all be over. Plus, he screams every time I put him in the car seat. But, it's gotta be done. End of the day - he's fine. (Except for being fussy because we're giving up the morning nap and the transition is no fun. I forgot about this.)

Back to School

Here's Cala on her first day of Grade 2. She's so grown up. We had a hard time with the early wake up but managed to get there. Her teacher is Mrs. Beaty and she seems like she will be a good one. Cala is excited about her locker and was thrilled to hit the monkey bars again! Good Luck Cala - we love you.

11 years - and still counting.

Happy Anniversary to us. It was a memorable one... 08/08/08. It was nice of the world to begin the olympics that day in our honor. We actually chose to skip this celebration... just like we did last year. Is that bad or what. We took the girls to a movie and decided we would mark the day in October - a month that's usually boring. I gave Darren a card and he said - "Oh, we were doing cards?" I love it when I'm NOT the thoughtless one. Also, happy anniversary to Jessica and Ryan and Laurie and Dan. My two friends who also got married in August but I didn't get to go to their weddings because of my own. Good timing girls.

The grass is always greener....

Before :


After



Darren and I devoted and entire Sat. to sod. And I mean and entire Saturday. It was hard work, we were sooo sore but very happy to at least make a dent in all the landscaping that needs to be done. We worked 10 hours and went through 11 pallets of the green stuff. Sometimes I really miss the city.

July rundown

The kids had a great time in Idaho playing. Grandpa and Grandma Byram were great hosts and even made a lake for the kids to play in one day. It covered the entire South lawn and provided hours of fun.



Cala with Grandpa Jesse at Palasades Lake in Idaho.




The Canadians weren't quite sure what fireworks entailed - so Grandpa, Grandma, Kristen and Scott put on a show.



After 10 days apart -I rented a car and drove 4 hours and 15 minutes to Missoula, MT where we met Darren! Yeah, dad.



Then after seriously contemplating heading to Spokane - to visit Jessica, but then realizing she already had company we headed to Tie Lake - where Cala jumped off the dock too many times to count.



Where Chelsea learned to swim with only a life jacket....



And where Connor ate sand.



We also roasted marshmellows. Nice clothes for girls right. I told the girls to go put on some dirty clothes so clean ones didn't smell like the campfire. They put on Connors clothes.... it was scarry how well they actually fit. Connor is 13 months old... come on.

Blast from the past

I'm in between two sisters that I have a crazy connection to.  Sister #1 (darker hair) is Kristi Prior.  I knew her my first year of college, we were roommates.   One weekend,  Kristi's little sister Alison (in the black) - came to visit.  School ended and we all lost touch.  6 years later when I moved to Canada -  I ran into someone who looked familiar.  It was Alison.  Jon Lee, one of Darren's good friends married her and immigrated her to the North as well.  She's reigns supreme on the throne of my "Tier One" friends here.  This weekend, Kristi came to visit with her husband and adorable kids and we all got to catch up over brunch at the Banff Springs.  It was great catching up!  And yes, Kristi looks exactly the same - still beautiful.  And it's been.... wait for it... 16 years.

June in review

Yeah - school is finally out.  June 26th was the last day of school and we celebrated.  We took the girls out for sushi and to Kung Foo Panda.  We had a fun night and the girls were very excited about their date.  They love sushi and spending time with dad.  Both girls did well in school but, we are happy it's finally summer.  School year is painfully long and the summer break is painfully short here.  We go back in only 6 more weeks.




This is the best first grade teacher in Canada.  Ms. Campbell (now a married Mrs. Frye) was Cala's teacher this year and she couldn't have been better.  She was one of those fantastic teachers you hope your children get.  We're crossing our fingers she sticks around for the other two Taylors to hit Grade One. Thanks Mrs. Frye.

The mistro plays on.   The end of the school year also brought the end of the piano lessons.  Cala had a recital and wow - did she ever rock on those ivorys.  She played 4 songs and was only a little bit nervous.  We got there in plenty of time for her to warm up and relax a little.  She was great!  I loved actually attending a recital I didn't have to play in.  








Happy Father's day. Here is a 3 generation family photo. Darren, his dad and our Connor. We had a great Father's day. Darren got lots of attention... probably too much. Both girls said the most fun thing about dad is wrestling with him. They all love a good beating.

family photo

Seriously, this is as good as it gets. For some reason - we all have a hard time looking at the camera - smiling, getting along during picture time, getting the dog out of the way and generally paying attention. Maybe we'll have to spring for a photographer instead of using the timer. But, I have a great camera and I ask myself - why would I pay someone to come take a picture and use the same camera I have. Now I know why. I think we'll have to enlist some help and wait for Connor to turn 10.

One-Year old in the house - and some company too.

You're looking at the greatest friends in the world. Ben and Janell came from Costa Rica and crashed at our house for a week. They are great - long time Canadian friends. We've known them since we moved here and they can't shake us. The kids adore them and we can talk with them for hours... and we did. Ben took Cala to school and listened to her practice the piano... both of which were major weekly highlights for her. Janell organized a fun party and we got to see old friends from our Douglasdale days.


Happy Birthday Connor! The baby is one and his mom can't believe it. Connor had a great time downing sugar for the day. He had a cupcake for lunch at a small party with his cousins. And cake that night. Okay, mostly he just made a mess but I'm sure he's a fan of the white stuff now. Please note the muscles in his upper body... they're slowly replacing the fat rolls.

Catch Up

Okay so, we're a little behind on the blogging front. But, you'll be caught up in just one post. Read on. The first weekend of May Darren and I took a trip to Chicago. All the Gowlings partners across Canada had meetings and the wives got to tag along. We decided to go an extra day early and we had a great time together. I'm amazed at the wealth of history that is Chicago, it was one of the most interesting places I've ever been. I loved learning about the different districts, why is was built and then re-built and seeing all the beautiful places. It's now on my list of favorite cities and we both want to go again. We loved deep dish pizza, shopping, Michigan Ave. walking around, the ride in the Fairmount Hotel's Bently, and the tulips bloomed just before we got there. The kids stayed home for this one. Maybe next time. This pic. was taken at the Field Museum where we had a big party the last night we were there. 800 people in the museum - having dinner - walking around looking at exhibits - it was remarkable. Darren let me shop my brains out and it was a frenzy. We had such a blast - literally running to make the plane because we couldn't tear ourselves away from all that shopping. We were both amazed at how beautiful the East is and wonder what in the heck was the draw to move out West. Seriously, you can drive for 3 hours in the East and end up in a different amazing city. Drive for 3 hours here and you're in the middle of a field. Drive 7 hours for that matter and you're still in the middle of a field. Why do we live here?




Ah - Mother's Day. This year MD took a back seat to our nephew tyler Mysyk's missionary farewell. But I did get pics of all the kids with me on the big day. I got to open presents on Saturday night because Sunday was just too busy. Krista (D's sister) and I spent the week baking for Tyler's open house so the best present was getting all those goodies out of my house. I got a self-grown plant from both girls, perfume, and a pile of dried fruit.... which was very thoughtful considering the time spent in the hospital. All systems go. Thanks kids.



Saying good-bye to Tyler. We took him over some cookies and the kids each said good-bye. He'll be serving in England and we can't wait to hear about his many adventures. On the way home I was telling each of the kids how old they'll be when Ty returns. A few min. later Cala said, "Hey Mom, you'll be 36 when Ty comes home." Thanks for that.



And finally... Chelsea Colleen cuts all that hair off! Sometimes a girl just has to make a change. 8 inches fell to the floor and now, our 4 1/2 year old can pass for at least 5. She was so cute and even though the cutting took place 2 weeks ago, she still says "You know who's going to be surprised about my hair?" and then names some random person. She is so adorable and we made her month by telling her she is 4 and a 1/2.

We also took another trip to Idaho to pick up a horse. We left Connor at home with Uncle John and Aunt Krista and the girls, Darren and I left on a Friday and came home on a Monday. We brought back a new horse, freezer, groceries, furniture for the den, summer clothes and shoes for the kids, and a oven, cooking top and fridge for another Gowlings lawyer. Our trailer was full. Thank goodness for all the savings South of the Border.

Connor's other mom

This is Rachel. She is my new best friend and Connor's buddy. She came to live with us last month because I couldn't lift the big boy after my surgery. It took about 5 minutes and we both adored her. She is one of those rare people you meet that just make everything fun. She has a contagious smile and as you can see she's beautiful! It was a blessing to have her in our home and I really miss her company. It was great having another adult to chat with during the day, great leaving Connor behind while taking CC to school, great having the freedom to leave the other kids behind while I ran errands/played. Connor didn't even care that his mother wasn't taking care of him. Rachel did a lot of work and was a perfect nanny. I'm currently working on the adoption papers to make her last name taylor. If that doesn't work she can hook up with Connor in 22 years. Thanks Rach! We all miss you!

Singing & Short

Chelsea had her Spring concert last Thursday. Darren took the morning off to listen to her amazing singing. She is the smallest one so, we always know she'll be in the fron row - right in the middle. The concert lasted 20 minutes and it was very cute. She had been asking me about her brain - saying that it controlled everything. I couldn't figure out why this topic was relevant to a 4 year-old... but they sang a song about it - so it clicked for me. It's glad to know your kids learn something from preschool. that's worth the $165 a month... (hopefully) After the concert we took her to lunch. It was great just spending time with CC.




And Cala got her hair cut! We love it. A total of 7 inches fell to the floor and we were thrilled with the results. Cala has been wanting her hair cut for a few months now but, we had to wait until Kristen's wedding was finished. She looks so much older and we can fix it in record time. After the hair cut we went to the mall where Cala got a new outfit, we split a cinnamon bun and had frozen yogurt. It was a very fun mommy/daughter date!

Connor 10 months

The "little" baby is growing up! I hate saying this b/c it's so predictable but, I can't believe how fast time has past since we had Connor. He's 10 months old! I have spent the last 4 weeks not holding him. It's hard but, I just keep telling myself I'm not in the hospital. We now have Rachel (photo to be added later) living with us and she is now Connor's new mom. He's polite to me, smiles at me, tolerates me kissing his cheeks, let's me feed him (okay, let's anyone feed him) and still seems his happy self. It's a good thing he is not fussy about who is holding him. He won't even crawl to me when he wants to be picked up - it's kind of sad but again, not in the hospital. I'm trying to take advantage of not having to tote a baby around everywhere but, I have discovered you can't take the home out of homebody. I am getting better though - a haircut, VT and swimming lessons for Cala planned tomorrow. We really have been blessed since Connor came to our family. He's such a happy little man and we all adore him. He has a great personality and much to my shock/disappointment now walks pushing a little stroller... am I wrong to hate this. His size still amazes us - and the general public. 27 pounds and 10 months old. Isn't that just amazing. He wears a size 2T, 4 diaper and size 5 1/2 shoe. We love you Connor - and there is a lot to love!

Best Easter Weekend ever

We had a horrible week. I was in the hospital for 5 days with an intestinal blockage, had surgery and am now home recovering. It was horrible. The darkest days of my life and needless to say, I am happy to be home. I'll end with the details and move on to happier things... like Easter. I was at home. My parents came to Calgary last week, Darren's parents moved into our house to watch the kids while my mom and Darren rotated hospital shifts. Friday was my first day home and Darren decided we should make suishi... the girls love this and we're probably going to go broke because of it. It's a costly meal for 5. Our at home version was more fun and just as yummy.



Grandpa and Grandma Byram were here for Easter weekend and the egg colouring/Easter Bunny festivities. Grandma Debbie is still here because I can't lift Connor for 6 weeks.





Holding Connor - but no lifting for 6 weeks. We are now on the hunt for a live-in nanny.




The girls in their Easter dresses - fun fun fun.