Monday, September 17, 2007

Little Miss M and her Big Day

 


Here is Little Miss Margaret all ready for her first day of school.
She goes to an amazing preschool called Montessori World. If anyone is looking for a great preschool in Vancouver, I highly recommend it!

It is a very interesting thing to watch her embark on this new experience; it is the first time she is doing something without the buffer of at least on of her siblings. This school is all her own and no one else in the family is sharing her experience. She loves painting with pink paint and she told me today that there is a boy in her class named "Handsome". I am not sure whether that is his given name or how Margaret is describing him!

I now have all four children in school. It is quite a milestone in the RB household. It is also why I have time to blog today. I actually have a day off work and 2 hours without children...this has never happened before :)
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Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Zirkus




This is where everyone should be Friday night! If there is any possible way to get to Vancouver on Friday...DO IT!
It is going to be an amazing concert.
So whose in?

Monday, August 06, 2007

Vancouver

Beach Service Collage

Thought for the Day

Never confuse the person, formed in the image of God, with the evil that is in him: because evil is but a chance misfortune, an illness, a devilish reverie. But the very essence of the person is the image of God, and this remains in him despite every disfigurement.
~St. John of Kronstadt

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Doing it Right the First Time Everytime
















Do you know CPR?
You are much more likely to be called on to perform CPR on a family member than a stranger. This life saving technique should be learned by everyone in you home--even the kids!
Wonderful things can happen when CPR performed. Always dial 9-1-1 as soon as someone collapses and then start CPR. If you forget what to do or don't know your friendly neighbourhood Emergency Dispatcher will guide you through it.
What story do you think this picture tells? Think about it for a moment.....
Now check it out.

I'm Back

I have been very neglectful of this blog. My life has gotten in the way.
Family and work are great--and I think they may have melded into one...
I have been reading a lot of "7 Habits", "How to get to Yes" "Fierce Conversations" type liturature at the moment--that and "Statistics for Dummies"--in an effort to make some positive changes at work. Well I think someone is getting the message.
This morning my 3 year old came up to me with a blanket framing her face and said,
"Mom, I am sure you will agree that I look like Red Riding Hood"?!?!?!
Now if only the employees would pick it up that quick!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

“We don’t see things as they are;
We see things as we are.”

Anais Nin

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

St Mary's Coptic Orthodox Church

Please pray for St Mary's in Lynnwood, Washington. This fire has caused a substantial amount of damage to their church--much of it in the altar.
The copper on the dome caused a great deal of trouble for the firefighters and they had to pry it off before they could reach the blaze.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Transcending borders and religions and families and life experiences....

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

--Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

43 Things

My wonderful friend in South Carolina introduced me to this website. It really go me thinking about life, the universe and everything--which makes me wonder why this website is 43 and not 42--anyway, I find it fascinating.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Ancient Waters

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Pictures




Liturgical Pictures


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The Great Blessing of the Waters January 2007



Lamps at Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver, BC


Liturgy at St Nina's


Oh Gladsome Light


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Just another Wednesday Afternoon

This is what happens when you spend 5 hours in a minivan. These two are celebrating their freedom after making the trek down from Penticton. They had a lovely time running like crazed chickens all over their grandparent's house for the last 3 days. Please note that even though the TV is on in the background, there is also a wonderful ABC poster above the fire place that Esme had the little ones colour and glue onto cardboard. I may not be teaching my kids anything, but Esme was a born educator!
I managed to survived spending 3 days with my four children at my in-law's home sans husband. I got to see him for one whole hour today before he went off to work. I will get to see him for a whole 1/2 an hour tomorrow when he comes home from work and before I go to work. That is not my favourite part of the day.
Elijah played some of the best hockey of this year at the Penticton Atom division Invitational Hockey Tournament. His team lost terribly, but Eli made some spectacular plays; I am more pleased with the fact that he played hard despite his team's performance than I would have been if they had won the tourney.
Go Venom!

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Celtic Celebration


This Saturday evening Esmé's Choir, The Vancouver Children's Choir is performing at Christ Church Cathedral. They are going to be performing with Pandora's Vox

It is sure to be a magical evening of beautifully lilting Celtic songs.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door.

Come out and support this amazing choir and let the music make your heart soar.


Monday, March 05, 2007

Keys

Does anybody remember the original Twilight Zone episode where people were Set Painters? It addressed how you can lose something and then find it later in the exact same place you had already looked for it....the explanation was that the set painters had forgotten to paint it in and later remembered; that is why it was EXACTLY where you had already looked a dozen times.

I had this experience today. I have somehow managed to lose BOTH sets of my car keys. Now this wouldn't be so tragic except for the fact that they are the new fangled kind of keys

that have a bunch of security features that adds up to a whole lotta cash for a replacement key. Did I mention that I have lost both sets and we have been running on emergency key mode (not auto lock--ugh) for about 2 weeks? Well today I went to get something out of my purse and there they were in the pocket that I had already check a dozen times! Rejoicing and praises shouted through out the house! What a relief.
I does make me think of how NOT in control of our circumstances we are; I did check that pocket and we have turned the house upside down looking for the keys. What was it about today or this time looking that made the difference?
What lesson am I to learn? I still need to find the other set. Then the crazy key exchange at the front door can end. Being a one mini-van family the possession of your own set of keys tends to take on a heightened significance. My husband was just given the keys to the building of his new job today--this caused undue excitement and the searching about for a key chain to attach these new key to--why? Is it the granting of responsibility? The acknowledgement that you can be trusted with such important items--he can now enter or exit as he chooses.
My key for work is a swipe card. This has a different kind of significance: my employers knows what time I use the gym, what time I enter my office, what (and how many) times I use the bathroom. Very Orwellian. My employer could recreate my whole day and restrict or allow me access to whatever areas it deems fit. Plus I have the added bonus of having a driver-license-like picture hanging from a fob on my belt all day long.
How does this affect my psyche and my work ethic? I prefer not to think about it and carry on as normal, but p'hap that is because I am an honest Joe and actually have a tendency to work more and not less than my required time. For me this "big brother" tactic just proves that I am a good employee...I wonder how it makes others feel? I do know that one supervisor has been caught taking extended night shift naps in the first aid room!

Friday, February 16, 2007

Happy Birthday Margaret and Nikolai!!!

This is Niko and Margaret about 3 hours after she was born. Niko climbed into bed with us and found Margaret there! Quite the birthday present. They were both born on February 16th, two years apart. They were also both three weeks early. How weird is that? I have tallied it up: 10.5 total hours in labour from Feb 15-16 2002/2004. Not bad for two such gorgeous kids!


Here they are this morning. How big they are: 3 and 5. How did that happen?
We are having the family over for a spaghetti dinner tonight and tomorrow they are having a "King and Princess" party with 12 little friends and Cupcake the Party Clown!!! She is the best clown ever! Fun, fun, fun. Alas, I must go and bake a cake and cook some spaghetti sauce and make 12 party crowns and 12 loot bags....

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Introducing.....

King Nikolai and Cinderella (Also knows and Princess Margaret)


Niko and Margaret wanted "King" and "Princess" costumes for their birthday presents this year. I just finished them!


I really like sewing. I don't get much change to do it, but it is very satisfying. These silly kids wanted me to make them costumes for their birthday presents. They had to take them off once I made sure they fit and took their pictures. Now I am going to wrap them and they will have to wait until Friday to see them again!