Ultrasound, Take 2

Now thirty-eight weeks along in my pregnancy (but who's counting?) this past weekend my doctor squeezed us in for one last ultrasound to verify my due date. Much to my relief, I'm still due early September, and not mid-September!
Baby seems to be doing fine-and big. Yet despite the best attempts of the technician, we were unable to get a full shot at Liam's head. He stubbornly kept his arms up over his face, complete with little scowl identical to his older brothers'. Enjoy the pictures we did manage to get of him.

One is Never Enough...

Let it be known that I have at least one squirrel-like tendency. But while a squirrel hoards nuts, I hoard books. Lately I've been horading so many that I suspect that I will be so well stocked with such literary treasures that they will tide me over into next summer, let alone through the winter.
Coming home from work at the library last night-with yet another armload of books-I couldn't help but smile. This summer job of mine is much more fun than I'd anticipated when I realized that a summer job would be necessary. Not only do I get to work with awesome people, but I am literally surrounded by books. Or in my case, surrounded by temptation.
For me, books are like chocolate: extremely addictive and impossible to stop at just one. Regardless of the many books I'll already have at home to read, not a shift goes by when I don't invariably find just one more that I have to take home with me. As such, no matter how big of an armload of books I waddle over there with, I always waddle home with a few more. Mind you, with my due date fast approaching I don't seem to have energy for much else besides reading, so this works at present!

A Jolly Holiday

Building sandcastles with Nana and Grandpa.



Brigham with what he called "girl ears".



Playing on the hammock.



The birthday boy and Auntie Janine at the Pirate Party. "ARRRRRRRR!"



Blowing out the candles. Who's more excited: Brigham or Ivy?



Off for an explore on the lake.



Together: our favourite place to be.



"Look Mom! Fish!"



Outside the aquarium.

We just got back from B.C yesterday after a grueling eighteen hours in the car (hooray for Jason who drove all the way!). Favourite moments include:

1. Ben and Brigham's giddy excitement to see EVERYTHING at the Vancouver Aquarium.
2. Watching Jason play with the boys at the spray park at Stanley Park.
3. Shooting pirate cannons at the Science Center.
4. Celebrating Brigham's third birthday with the family in Osoyoos.
5. Watching all the kids whack the heck out of the pinata.
6. Going for a canoe ride with Dad, Ben, Brigham and Isaac.
7. Reading in the hammock.
8. Laughing over Jason, Neen, Elena, and Pete's swan dives off the dock.
9. The fresh cherries and peaches.
10.Catching up with our friends the Harris', particularly my old classmate Brooke.
11.Grandpa teaching Ben to swim in the lake.
12.Enjoying time both as a nuclear and extended family.

Tomorrow is a big day: we venture out on our very first, official family vacation! As sad as this might sound, especially after nearly six years of marriage, we are all pretty excited (although not for the fourteen hour drive it will take for us to get there). Usually when we have time off these days, living up in the isolated North we take the opportunity to go visit friends and family*. Also, during past summers Jason has worked slavish hours in landscaping, so that any vacations were usually taken by just me and the kids.
The fact that we all get to go on a vacation together is thrilling. I think that Ben and Brigham are starting to grasp the idea; yesterday they played "Going on Vacation" several times. After meticulously packing my old recorder case full of essentials (aka toys) they would embark for such exotic locales as San Francisco, or even to a different library!
Our trip to B.C should be an adventure. Stayed tuned.

*Please note that you are all welcome to make the trip in the opposite direction and pay us a visit as well.

Belated Tribute to Dads

To all the Dads in my life, you rock!

Stumped

The intent of this blog is to actually pick your brains. You are all such creative people, I am sure you can help me come up with some interesting results should you tickle a dragon who has a bad case of the flu.
Let me explain: the story I'm currently working on, my fairy Abby runs a bakery with her pet dragon. When he gets sick and he can't blow fire anymore all these specialists come up with ways to ignite it again. One way I thought of was to tickle him, but I just can't seem to think of a really good disasterous result of such an action. I'd like to hear your ideas on this one.
So...what could happen when you tickle a sick dragon?

Hunting for that Perfect Summer Job

In my continuing quest to gain those 600 hours of employment to qualify for EI benefits come September I have had to search farther afield. With the school year quickly coming to a close, and still over a hundred hours short, my subbing will not-as I'd originally hoped-meet the mark. Thus I began the depressing ordeal of hunting for a summer job. I hated doing this when I was in school, but it was doubly daunting this time around.
When you live in a small town you know jobs will be scarce, nor will employers be in a rush to hire a six month pregnant woman. I just tried to remind myself it didn't matter what the job was as long as it got me to my goal-although it was hard to summon up any enthusiasm for something that might include flipping burgers.
Hurrah for the library! After going there every week for two years, they know me pretty well by now, and I was upfront saying I just needed the work for the hours, not the money. I was pretty thrilled when they said yes, they would hire me. I am now faced with the wonderful prospect of working there four days a week! My first day was Thursday, and so far I love it. Advantages of the job include:
-getting to sit down lots as I'm at the circulation desk a great deal of the time
-not worrying about a babysitter as I work evenings and Saturdays, so the boys stay home with Jason
-librarians are some of the nicest, and coolest people on the planet
-I walk to work
-I can talk books obsessively and no one thinks I'm weird
-air conditioning
-being surrounded, everywhere you look, by BOOKS!

This just might be my best summer job ever.