Duguays in Ohio

Gymnastics show - Erin

2010-08-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

Preschool Graduation - Erin

2010-08-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

Day out with Thomas

2010-08-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

Canada Day in the USA

2010-08-22T20:10:00.001-07:00

Our neighbors at our celebration.

A terrible blogger

2010-06-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here is an update from over two months of activity...I am sorry to my followers that I have been so neglectful.

Erin and Peyton are done school now and Brooklyn will be done next Friday. We are looking forward to the summer. We have joined the neighborhood swim team and the girls will hopefully be great swimmers by the end of summer. The girls gymnastics and dance is over in the next week or so.

Erin is excited about going to Kindergarten in August (yes, our Canadian friends, August) - we start the 25th. She will go on the bus and be there all day!

Peyton is loving his time at Little Gym. We go weekly for an hour and we get to watch from the window.

Brooklyn is going to do some more cheerleading here in August too.

I promise to get some more pictures on here. Lots of love to all of you!!

Spring break in Canada

2010-04-05T10:52:00.001-07:00

The kids and I came to Canada for their Spring Break. We left Monday to arrive in St. Thomas on Monday night. Tuesday, the girls went with Grandma to get their nails done - how pretty.
We also had a 'congratulations on your retirement' lunch with Grandma Diane.

Wednesday was jam packed with visits to Aunt Erma and Uncle Wendell as well as Jen, Trent and Kyle. There were very tired kids on Thursday morning when we left for Tavistock.

We spent the morning at the Tavistock Preschool and the Tavistock Public School - visiting with friends and our favourite teachers.

Thursday lunch was McDonalds at Mommy's old work. It was wonderful to see so many friends join us.

Thursday afternoon we dropped by Cambridge to see the Semplonius' and then back to Tavistock to visit with the Danens.

Thursday night we had a sleep over with our cousins Logan and Ainslie. The kids can't wait to do it again.

Happy Easter from Erin!

2010-04-05T10:51:00.001-07:00

Here is an Easter craft that Erin made before the Spring Break at her school.

Peyton's class

2010-03-19T07:30:00.001-07:00

Here is a picture of Peyton's class at school. He is one of the oldest in the class.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here is some artwork from Peyton and Brooklyn. Peyton was painting with a Green Pepper - how creative. Brooklyn painted a leprechaun.

Ready for the Rain

2010-03-16T12:31:00.001-07:00

Spring is coming quickly and we already had some rainy days. Peyton is all ready for them with his bright yellow rubber boots and raincoat.

More Maple Syrup running today...

2010-03-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

The Maple Syrup Man

2010-03-16T07:41:00.000-07:00

Recently, we had friends here from Canada who have made maple syrup from trees on their farm. Brad picked up some 'taps' when we were in Canada at the beginning of March as we have 4 maple trees in the backyard. Last Monday, Brad 'tapped' the trees. He used the bright orange Home Depot buckets to catch it. It was a very cold night but the next day was beautiful - great for collecting sap. Brad flew to Minnesota on Tuesday so I was on 'sap' duty. He left me a 2L Tupperware container to put the sap in and then I was to put it in the fridge. On Tuesday after school, I checked on the sap buckets. OH MY!! We had almost 10 gallons of sap in less than 24 hours. I found more buckets and buried these full buckets with the lids on in the snow to keep them cold.

Our experience intrigued the neighbors. A couple doors down, the family also tapped their trees.
You know you live near Canadians when.....

Brad arrived home on Friday and proceeded to boil the sap in a propane powered turkey cooker in the driveway. Almost 3 days of boiling and we have about 2L of maple syrup in the fridge.

I am very proud of Brad's work and it was a great experience for our kids too!

Peyton's Spring School picture

2010-03-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

When did he get to be such a big boy?

Formally five...

2010-03-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

We had pictures taken for her fifth birthday and here is one of them.

Happy Birthday Erin!

2010-03-11T19:35:00.000-08:00

This week, Erin turned five!! We had cake and she got this cool shirt from her brother. She also got a DS from Mom and Dad, a Wizards of Waverly Place DS game from Brooklyn and a camera, lots of clothes and games from the rest of the extended family.

Ohio Driver's License for Laura

2010-03-10T08:06:00.000-08:00

I put off this task since August when we moved here. In February, I finally went to the Dept of Motor Vehicles and wrote my written driver's test. This is something I had not done since I was 16 years old. I studied more this time because I had to keep converting the speed limits and measurements into miles and feet.

You are able to get 11 wrong and still pass - I got 5 wrong so I passed. One of the questions was about how long a suspension would be for not taking a breathalizer..24, 36, 72 or 96 hours. I still have no idea and don't plan to find out.

After the written test, I had to do a driving test with the state trooper. I passed the road test with only 2 sharp left turns. You are allowed to get 26 marks against you. I had 6. I was proud of my extra careful driving. Then, the maneuverability test ( I can hardly spell that!). I had to pull the card into a lane with pylons on each side and then pull to one side. The trooper then asked me to back up through the lane I just came through. I drove Brad's Toyota as I can see much easier in it for backing up. I thought I was clear and WHACK!!! I hit the pylon - therefore, I failed! I couldn't believe it. Twenty years after doing parallel parking, I failed my driving test. The really funny thing is - I was still able to drive home. I have a valid Ontario driver's license which is good here for at least one year. The following week, I went back and passed the test. Thank Goodness! It was one of the most embarrassing things to happen to me. Brad called me Crash for a day or so. All I promise everyone is that I won't park their car or at least not close to anything. I don' t mind the walk.

Fighting Unicorns pictures

2010-03-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

Here is the team photo and Brooklyn's trading card for basketball. The team has four coaches and there is some significant height differences. Brad is the second shortest at 6'2".

Cheerio O's

2010-03-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

Erin is working on her letter O. Here is some art she did at school. It is a close second to my favorite macaroni art. In class, they had oranges, black olives, and green olives for the kids to try.

Canadian cuties

2010-03-08T08:22:00.001-08:00

Before the Olympic hockey game, we dressed up to support our Canadian athletes. We also put Canadian flags on the front of the house to celebrate the win - probably the only house in Ohio.

Peyton loving the snow...

2010-03-08T08:20:00.001-08:00

Peyton always wants to go out in the snow when all the kids are outside. He keeps up with all of them.

Canadian snowman

2010-03-08T08:18:00.001-08:00

Daddy made a snowman who is Canadian and HUGE!

Snowmen

2010-03-08T08:13:00.001-08:00

We made some snowmen.

The kids enjoyed the sunshine outside and worked hard with friends.

Dr. Seuss' Birthday

2010-03-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

At Erin and Peyton's school, they celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday. The library here also had a celebration. Here is some art Peyton made with his foot to honor Dr. Seuss.

Visitors on the weekend

2010-03-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

More Tavistock friends came to visit and the girls had a blast. They played lots of dress up and did some colouring on the new whiteboard to show the Moms and Dads. Pictures to come.

Basketball - Fighting Unicorns

2010-03-01T09:01:00.003-08:00

Here are a couple pictures from the game on the weekend. The girls played much better than the first week and are learning new skills all the time.

Dodging the snow...

2010-02-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we visited Canada for less than 24 hours. We came to Cambridge to celebrate our nephew Logan's third birthday. The kids loved being with their cousins. We didn't have any weather issues on our drive which made for a happy drive! The kids got a new movie 'Bedtime Stories' (with Adam Sandler) for the ride.

This week we had a PA day on Monday and now today Friday is a snow day. I am just thankful the Olympics are on. We have been cheering for Canada the whole Games and are so proud to wear our red Canada mittens. Erin left hers at school and the teacher knew they were hers even though there was no name in them.

I saw this on someone's facebook status and loved it so I thought I would share.

Our Father, who art in GM Place, hockey be thy name, thy will be done, GOLD to be WON on ice as well as in the stands, give us this day, our hockey sticks, and forgive us our penalties, as we forgive those who crosscheck against us. Lead us not into elimination but deliver us to victory, in the name of the fans, CANADA, and the holy puck. AMEN... █♥█GO CANADA GO!█♥█

We will be watching the hockey tonight.

Erin's craft for Valentines

2010-02-18T07:44:00.003-08:00

I saw this as an example in a magazine and then she did it at school.

Valentine Crafts

2010-02-18T07:42:00.001-08:00

Peyton made two crafts at school for Valentine's Day.

Visit from friends

2010-02-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn's best friend Clara came for a visit with her family. Here are the kids playing downstairs. They had a blast and can't wait for them to come again.

Tubing

2010-02-18T06:58:00.001-08:00

We went tubing at Alpine Valley. Here is a picture of Brad and the girls. Peyton was too small to go - maybe next year.

Brooklyn singing in the Choir

2010-02-18T06:27:00.000-08:00

Here is the video of Brooklyn practising before church on Jan 30. She is singing I am a Promise.

Ready for her Valentine party

2010-02-12T07:30:00.001-08:00

Brooklyn has her valentine party today Friday Feb 12th at school. She got a new shirt and socks to celebrate the day.

Peyton and his Baby Jaguar

2010-02-12T07:28:00.000-08:00

Diego, the Nickelodeon cartoon, has a friend Baby Jaguar. Peyton has a friend which he has named Baby Jaguar just like Diego.

Sledding

2010-02-12T07:27:00.000-08:00

There is lots of snow here in Ohio. We went sledding and had a great time.

Peyton at the computer

2010-02-12T07:19:00.000-08:00

Peyton LOVES the computer. Here he is playing Webkinz. An addiction given to him from Aunt Bev.

Peyton at Little Gym

2010-02-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

Here is some video of Peyton at the Little Gym.

Super Bowl Family photo

2010-02-12T06:29:00.000-08:00

We came back to Canada on the Superbowl weekend to visit with Aunt Erma, Marg and Uncle Wendell. We had short visits but it was great to see them doing so well after surgery.

On Sunday, we went to Brad's sister Kim's house for a superbowl party. They really know how to throw a party! Here is a picture of the Colts Family ready for the game. Unfortunately the game didn't end quite as we had hoped.

Happy Early Valentines' Day

2010-02-12T06:26:00.000-08:00

Erin and Peyton had their Valentine's parties on Thursday at school. Many valentines to write and hand out. Peyton chose Madagascar Valentines, Erin chose Ariel Valentines and Brooklyn chose High School Musical valentines. We mailed some out to friends when we were in Canada on the weekend and are mailing some more today. Sorry if yours is late.

Sorry I haven't been updating!!

2010-02-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

I didn't realize how many people actually read the blog. I knew my great aunts Erma and Marg were reading it daily but didn't know there were so many others. THANK YOU! I am really glad others are enjoying the stories we are sharing. Please feel free to email me your story as my kids love getting mail.

My Great Aunt Erma recently had surgery so I didn't update the blog quite as much. She is doing fabulous and I can't wait for her to come home from the hospital so we can plan a visit.

Also, my Uncle Wendell also had surgery and is also doing well. He too will be home from the hospital. Luckily they all live in the same city so we can visit during the same trip North.

I had recently asked for some prayers from extended family and it seemed to have worked. Another thank you!

Basketball Brooklyn...

2010-02-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

Look out she is coming down the court!

Yes, Brooklyn has started playing in a recreational basketball league with some of her friends.
Her team is the Fighting Unicorns and she was excited the shirts were purple!

We will update more as games pass.

Visit from Grandma and Grandpa

2010-02-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

Grandma and Grandpa were here for about 4 days to celebrate our anniversary and their 20th anniversary. We went to the Brown Derby for dinner. It was fabulous - we had steak, ribs, bread, salad and brought enough home for an entire meal here. The kids loved staying with Lindsay, the babysitter, and we got to enjoy an adult night with my parents.

Report cards for the kids...

2010-02-03T19:56:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn received her report card last Friday. She did a great job again and we are really proud of her progress in Grade One. Just wish she liked homework just a little bit.

Erin also received her report card. She got excellent marks as well with a comment that she had not yet mastered her address and phone number. Well, when I told Erin, she immediately learned her phone number and then when Brooklyn got home she prompted her and explained to me that Brooklyn doesn't know it either. I have to admit sometimes, I hesitate when someone asked my number.

Happy Husband - Go Colts!

2010-02-03T19:51:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, the Pro Bowl was on TV. We are anxiously awaiting the Super Bowl this coming Sunday. Our favorite team the Indianapolis Colts are playing the New Orleans Saints. Go Colts!

Brad already ordered Division Championship hats and shirts and has worn them too! The Colts flag is flying proudly out in front of the house.

On Sunday, we will all be wearing our Colts jerseys - we do all have one!

Happy Anniversary weekend!

2010-02-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

Friday night, we took the kids ice skating at The Pond. It was the girls' first time on skates since April. Peyton even tried it. He actually stood up by himself - I was so proud. Brooklyn hadn't lost many of her skating skills but Erin had grown so much, her skates were hurting her feet. Peyton said he wanted to skate like Mickey Mouse (because he loved Disney on Ice so much).

On Saturday Jan 30th, Brad and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. The day started with Brad off to the gym. I then took Peyton and Erin to the Step2 Store in Streetsboro for some playtime. Brooklyn sang at church and then we took the girls to Alpine Valley tubing. The neighbors invited us to come along as they organized a group to go.

Looking forward to enjoying more winter activities here.

Super Handyman

2010-01-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

With a "new to us" home, there are many projects to do in the house. Brad has been moving throughout the house to update and repair many things. Here is a list of a few of our "improvements":

microwave over the stove
light fixture in the master bathroom
towel rack in the main floor bathroom
put stuff in the attic above the garage (with his new huge ladder)
light fixtures in the front hall
humidifier on the furnace

We also hired someone to paint in the kids bedroom, the kids bathrooms and the hallway. We have a new sofa, new washer and dryer, new BBQ and 8 dining room chairs.

The house feels like it is coming together.

Snow, Snow, Snow

2010-01-18T08:06:00.001-08:00

I can not believe I remember when it has snowed so much! For ten days, snow fell lightly from the sky leaving mounds and mounds of it. The kids ended up not having school on their first day back. We have had to find a lot of things to do in the house but we also found a GREAT hill to go sledding. The nearby golf course has a fabulous hill. We took the kids there for about a hour and they had a blast. The next day we went back with a friend but it was quite windy. Peyton finally went down the hill on the tube by himself. Again, Again, he said.

More fun with friends

2010-01-18T08:02:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has taken so long to get updating the blog...

The kids and I headed back to Ohio on the 28th of December. Before we left we visited with our friends Hannah and Samantha. The kids did some dancing to High School Musical on the Wii. It was adorable and there were a few costume changes as well. While they were busy, I had a chance to catch up with my friend Barb.

We left there and headed to Grandma's house. We had some running around time and climbing on Grandpa to get the sillies out before getting in the van for our 5+ hour trek.

The drive was good with no weather issues. We arrived here after 9:30pm.

Visit with Grandma and Papa, "Aunt" Connie and the Roths

2010-01-04T08:46:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, we visited with LOTS of friends and family. We visited Grandma and Papa in the morning and then met Connie for a Swiss Chalet lunch. The kids played with the magnets and were in negotiations with Oscar the Cat. They are still not sure if they love him or not.

That evening, we ventured to Tavistock for a visit with our friends, the Roths, and Brooklyn's best friend, Clara. The kids played and we went to watch Clara skate at the Arena. There we ran into more friends and our Preschool teacher and friend, Mrs. Lichti. We had a good visit and congratulated Clara on getting her Badge #4!!! What a skater.

Gifts of Time

2010-01-04T08:45:00.001-08:00

One of the best gifts my kids can receive is the gift of time. The girls spent Monday with their cousins Stefanie and Julie along with Aunt Bev and Uncle Randy going to see the Princess and the Frog. Peyton had a play date with his best buddy (and cousin) Logan. Thanks to all of you for this precious gift.

Ashton Family Christmas

2010-01-04T08:39:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, we drove to St. Thomas to celebrate with my family. We were there early to open gifts from Grandma and Grandpa. Another day of spoiling! The kids got games to play with but mostly climbing on Grandpa and eating pie are their favourite things to do there!

Boxing Day Football

2010-01-04T08:37:00.001-08:00

Every year Brad and his friends play football on Boxing Day. A few of our nephews joined in this year. The guys are feeling older each year but enjoy some food and cheer back at the Oberle's afterward. The weather was okay but the ground was frozen and VERY hard when you hit it. There were scratches and welts to prove it.

So many Christmases...

2010-01-03T12:44:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas we had a wonderful visit from the Suljaks and the Walkers. We celebrated with both families and hope they will plan another visit very soon.

The kids were spoiled and really were able to enjoy the time with friends and family as it wasn't quite the blur that the holidays turned into...

First Christmas for Ainslie

2010-01-03T12:42:00.001-08:00

Our new niece Ainslie and her first Christmas.

Late night Nintendo DS time

2010-01-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

Aunt Kim and Brooklyn were working hard on the DS late into the night.

Night time on Christmas Day

2010-01-03T12:36:00.001-08:00

Brooklyn LOVED holding her cousin Lily while she had her bottle. Erin bought Lily matching Tinker Bell pajamas for Christmas which she is wearing in this picture.

Christmas Dinner at the Bekes

2010-01-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

Most of the Duguay family sat down for a wonderful turkey and ham dinner at the Bekes. This year's Christmas with the Duguay family is split because some of the family is celebrating with their in laws. We had crackers with lovely hats for everyone to wear.

Christmas Day

2010-01-03T12:23:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning the kids made sure Santa had arrived! They did sleep in until about 8am which we were thankful for... Brooklyn got her Nintendo DS Lite, Erin got her Tinker Bell alarm clock and Peyton got his Leapster and Elmo Cookies. Santa did a fine job! The kids also got new toothbrushes and toothpaste which seem to be the only thing they could remember when asked what Santa brought them. Peyton got a new puzzle and had to open the box right away.

Brooklyn bought each of our family something as well and Erin made us a Calendar for 2010.

On Christmas Day, our family set out on our drive to Canada to celebrate with family there. We took two cars this time so we could come back at different times. Brad had to come back to work. The weather was pouring rain and the drive was not a nice one. We left the driveway at 11am and arrived in Cambridge around 4:30pm. The kids didn't sleep much but enjoyed their new toys.

Opening a gift on Christmas Eve

2010-01-03T12:19:00.001-08:00

It was a tradition in my family growing up that one present could be opened on Christmas Eve. Each year I prayed it was a toy but it always turned out to be pajamas. We have started this tradition with our kids and they have not yet figured out that it will always be pajamas.

Christmas Eve dressed up and ready to go

2010-01-03T12:14:00.000-08:00

We dressed up the kids for Christmas Eve Mass (at 4pm) and then we were invited to our neighbors, the Boyles, for some food and Christmas Cheer. We felt very blessed to be invited on our first Christmas here in Ohio.

Praise Him with Cymbals

2009-12-24T19:37:00.001-08:00

Here is one of the songs from Mass tonight. Merry Christmas.

Christmas Mass

2009-12-24T19:27:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn and her friends sang in the church choir today at Mass. Here is a picture of two of them before Mass began.

Brooklyn's Class Reader's Theatre

2009-12-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

She was a narrator and a reindeer. Here is a link to the blog. She is in the second and third video on this blog.

http://misswilliamsclass.blogspot.com

Daddy went on his lunch to see it and Peyton, Erin andI went at 9:30am to watch them. The students finished their day with a Winter Party of treats and a craft. They still have 3 days of school left but Friday was their celebration day.

Peyton's Merry Christmas

2009-12-17T06:56:00.000-08:00

A hug and kiss to friends and family from Peyton too!

Merry Christmas from Erin

2009-12-17T06:54:00.000-08:00

Erin would like to wish her friends and family a very Merry Christmas and Happy new year - be safe! Lots of hugs to you.

Brooklyn's Merry Christmas

2009-12-17T06:53:00.001-08:00

Brooklyn would like to wish all her friends and family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Hugs to Everyone.

Christmas craft from Peyton

2009-12-17T06:50:00.001-08:00

Peyton made a Christmas Tree at school with the ornaments being his finger prints. The art barely made it home as he had to carry it. A bit scrumpled but here it is.

Santa Claus is coming to town...

2009-12-16T10:40:00.001-08:00

The kids had a friend over to watch a movie and they kept singing this song. Enjoy.

Christmas Photos

2009-12-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

Watch your mail for a Christmas card. Here are some pictures as well.

Brooklyn's school picture

2009-12-10T04:37:00.000-08:00

The first one didn't have a smile and you couldn't see her eyes for her glasses. This picture is much better but still a school photo is only as good as the five seconds they take to take it. Our Christmas photos were much better overall. Here's to Grade one!

Parent's Night out

2009-12-09T08:17:00.000-08:00

Peyton's school and The Little Gym where he goes have a Parent's Night Out. For a small price, the kids can stay and eat pizza, play, hear stories and have fun without Mom and Dad. Since we don't know many people here and don't have a babysitter, Brad and I have used one of these nights in November and are going to go out again in December. The kids have a great time.

More Thanksgiving crafts - Peyton's turkey

2009-12-09T08:15:00.001-08:00

Peyton has begun to make some Christmas crafts so the turkey just came home from school.

Decorations in front and back yard

2009-12-09T08:10:00.001-08:00

Here are the inflatables and icicle lights in the back yard. Our neighbors have decorated their back yards too and it all looks very festive.

Peyton ate Santa's cookies

2009-12-07T06:55:00.000-08:00

In case you couldn't see what Peyton's shirt said while he is sitting on Santa's lap.

Meeting with Santa

2009-12-07T06:50:00.000-08:00

The Hawthorn neighbourhood Christmas party was on Saturday. The kids got a chance to meet Santa. They told him what they wanted him to bring them.

Erin wants a Tinker Bell Alarm Clock, Peyton wants an Elmo cookie and Brooklyn wants a DS or a Baby Alive. Hopefully Santa still has some of these toys and they will be good and not get coal in their stocking!

Erin's School Holiday Program

2009-12-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Here is Erin all dressed up for her Christmas Concert.

The first Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T13:46:00.000-08:00

Erin learned at school about the first Thanksgiving. The kids made their own costumes (from pillow cases). Here is a photo of Erin with three of her friends from school.

Giving Tree for Christmas

2009-11-30T10:29:00.001-08:00

Brooklyn's school is doing a giving tree where a student chooses a leaf off the tree which includes a request for an item for a child who needs it. Brooklyn chose to give a leaf requesting a hat and mitts set. We bought a pair of gloves, a pair of mitts and a hat.

At Peyton's school, they have a similar program.
We chose a boy who is 2 and a girl who is 4 to match Erin and Peyton's ages.
We bought the boy a noisy tow truck, a pair of pants, 3 tops, underwear and socks.
We bought the girl a Furreal Purse Pup, a pair of jeans, a pair of pants, a t shirt and a fleece reversible jacket along with some socks.

We are very fortunate so we thought we could help someone who may not be so fortunate this Christmas.

Black Friday

2009-11-29T15:41:00.000-08:00

Some of our Canadian company wanted to participate in a US tradition called Black Friday. It is the day after American Thanksgiving where all the retailers promote great bargains to get shoppers attention. Many of the sales started at midnight and some started around 4am. The Semplonius' and Todoroffs' were up for 3:30am to shop at Kohls and Walmart. They arrived back around 6:30 and 9am with GREAT deals in their minivans.

Bargains included:
Cricut Expressions system for $188.00 (scrapbooking tool) regularly $399 in Canada
Roomba - vaccuum for $100
Griddles - $10
Mini appliances - $4 & $10
Leapfrog activity table - $20
Ladies Winter Coats - $17
Children's Winter Coats - $10
Bath & Body Works - $15 for a $100 VIP bag

We are hoping this will become a yearly tradition and family will visit us around US Thanksgiving every year.

More feathered friends...

2009-11-29T15:37:00.000-08:00

We have a bird feeder with sunflower seeds in it. We have many guests visiting each day. The feeder is empty before lunch time.

Thanksgiving Dinner

2009-11-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

We had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner (in Canada or the USA). We had turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, buns, and stuffing/dressing along with pumpkin and apple pie. It was great to celebrate with everyone.

Thanksgiving guests - new cousin

2009-11-29T15:11:00.001-08:00

The kids' new cousin Ainslie was here to celebrate Thanksgiving. She got a lot of love over the weekend.

Merry Madagascar!

2009-11-25T11:00:00.001-08:00

One of the kids favorite movies is Madagascar. A new Christmas version (Merry Madagascar) came out so we invited 5 of our friends over to watch it.

More info on Brooklyn's school celebrations

2009-11-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

In the last week, Brooklyn has celebrated the 50th day at school and Thanksgiving.
For 50's day, she had to dress up like they do in the 50's.
For Thanksgiving, they read an acrostic poem. Both videos are on her classroom blog.

www.misswilliamsclass.blogspot.com

Thanksgiving crafts

2009-11-25T10:39:00.001-08:00

The girls completed turkey crafts as well using their handprints. The same verse is on each of them.

This isn't just a turkey as anyone can see

I made it with my hand which is a part of me!

It comes with lots of love especially to say,

I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving Day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T10:37:00.001-08:00

Peyton made a turkey at school to wear. How cute!

SUPER Grover!!

2009-11-24T06:45:00.001-08:00

Peyton LOVES Sesame Street and we watch it daily. Last week, Super Grover was on and the kids laughed the entire show. Afterward, they tried to be Super Grover. Remember he is quite clumsy when he lands.

Enjoying the Birds

2009-11-24T06:41:00.001-08:00

We have put out some sunflower seeds for the birds and have seen many feathered friends. Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red headed something and chickadees. The kids are enjoying watching the birds come and go.

Singing in the Choir

2009-11-23T10:46:00.001-08:00

Brooklyn has joined the Church Choir and sang for Saturday's 5pm Mass. I am sorry I missed it but look forward to the December performance. Papa, Daddy and Erin were able to enjoy the singing. They said it was great.

Mom's weekend away

2009-11-23T10:38:00.000-08:00

On Friday, I left for Erie Pennsylvania with some friends and family - well, there were 50 of us. My mom and I have organized a bus trip for about 10 years from Canada. I met the bus at the hotel. Brad brought the kids and I so they could visit with their aunts and all their Grandmas. Papa Duguay came and stayed at our house in Ohio while we were in Erie.

Friday night we shopped at Kohls and Walmart. Saturday morning we went to Kmart and Cracker Barrel. Saturday afternoon, we went to the Millcreek Mall. We went out for dinner on Saturday night at the Quaker Steak and Lube. Sunday morning, we went to Target and Babies R Us. Brad met us there and we headed home to Ohio, only after buying a new washer and dryer at Best Buy.

We got some amazing deals on clothes and fun stuff for the kids. Christmas Countdown is on.

Practice makes almost Perfect!

2009-11-19T14:24:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn has been working hard on her sight word list from school. The teacher gives the children a list of words to memorize and then they are quizzed on them monthly. Brooklyn made HUGE improvements this last month going from 28 out of 50 to 67 out of 75. Great job!! Our goal was 80 out of 100 by the end of the calendar year and now we know that won't be hard to do!

Erin's School Pictures

2009-11-18T10:39:00.001-08:00

Her school pictures arrived.

Things you can't get here...

2009-11-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of Canadians come to the United States to buy things you can't get in Canada. Well, the same is true, as there are things you can not get here (that I know of) that I enjoyed in Canada. Here is a start of a list.

Ketchup Chips
Tim Hortons (none in Ohio yet)
Diana Sauce for sweet and sour meatballs
Kraft Dinner (they have Kraft Macaroni and Cheese - it is not the same)
Skor Bits (for baking)

We do have many other benefits like 1 gallon of milk for $1.99 and turkeys for as low as $0.40 a pound. Can you imagine that in Canada?

Getting ready for the Colts game today

2009-11-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

Since Daddy is at the game in Indy, I thought I should get the kids ready for cheering on the Colts.

Family Portraits

2009-11-14T10:15:00.001-08:00

We finally had our family portraits taken today. We haven't had it done since Peyton was 6 months old.

Brooklyn's First Grade Report Card

2009-11-13T11:25:00.001-08:00

We met with Brooklyn's first grade teacher as the first grading period is complete. The teacher had very kind words for Brooklyn and mentioned that she is always willing to cheer up her friends when they seem down or unhappy. She will go to the person who is alone and offer them a friend or a smile. We were the most proud of these characteristics.

Her report also indicated she is outstanding at the following:

respects the rights of others
respects authority

She is doing well in Math and Language and is working hard on her reading and writing. She is really enjoying Art and Music as well.

We are very proud of her transition to Ohio and a new school. She still misses her friends in Tavistock and talks of them frequently.

She has been selected for school picture retakes so let's hope for a great smile!

Peyton's Progress Report from Young Explorers

2009-11-13T11:21:00.001-08:00

On Thursday, Peyton brought home his progress report. Here are the highlights.

"Peyton is a bright, happy and unbelieveably sweet child. It is a true pleasure to have him in our class."

The teacher is very kind.

"He is inquisitive, capable and eager to learn...Peyton is doing a great job sharing and getting along with the other children in the class."

So glad to hear he behaves at school.

He knows all of the letters of the alphabet and 7 of 11 of the colours. He knows most of his shapes and the most important of the body parts. He has mastered puzzles - this is his favourite/favorite thing to do right now.

Peyton's school picture

2009-11-12T06:49:00.000-08:00

His school picture has arrived. A typical smile for our little man.

Our new niece - Ainslie Marg Todoroff

2009-11-11T11:42:00.001-08:00

Brad drove to Canada on Sunday to surprise his family and see our beautiful new niece. Baby Todoroff has arrived. She was born on Friday November 6th and weighed 6 lbs 7 oz. I can't wait to meet her! Congratulation Denise, Darrell and big brother Logan.

Raking Leaves

2009-11-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

Raking leaves is like Chinese food - you could do it again in three hours. Brad has worked really hard to try and keep up with the leaves. I think we are done raking for this season.

Canadian Company

2009-11-11T11:33:00.001-08:00

My friends Stacy and Patty came for the weekend and we had a great time. They arrived in time to meet Brooklyn off the school bus. We had a family dinner and then we headed out for some later night shopping at Target and Walmart. On Saturday, we went shopping some more and then hit Steak N Shake for a late lunch. Brooklyn and Erin went with us. We shopped some more and then came home for dinner. Stacy and Patty brought some colouring books and a painting project (a piggy bank) for all the kids. We also played outside on the play centre. It was really great to have them come - the kids loved it. I hope they will come again.