2011!!!

I remember when I was 20 and when I thought about 2011 I KNEW it was light years away and I would NEVER be 30.  Well I checked the calendar yesterday and sure as stripes it is 2011!  I will be 30 in 4 short months!  My youngest will be 1 in 1 short month, and my biggest big girl will be going to kindergarten in less than 9 months!  It wasn't light years away, it was just around the corner and I know that to a twenty year old I am OLD!!!  But I vowed to make the best out of 2011 and embrace my maturing years! 

My first great moment of 2011 will be of course Joe's first birthday!  I know I've said it before but holy hannah this year has gone by FAST!!  Joe is a walking, talking, screaming bundle of energy.  The boy is always on the move now and his preferred mode of transport these days is his feet.  Crawling is reserved for getting to something to pull himself up to walk.  He has become an expert at walking and is now attempting to walk very fast!  He finds such joy in getting around.  His hands are always up in the air and his mouth is ALWAYS open, either emitting a scream, giggle, laugh or these two very weird noises that he seems to favor.  The first is a scream of uuu-a-uuu-a-uuu-a, and the other is a low, deep in his chest growls/words that really sounds like an Ewok (from Star Wars).  It sends us all into fits of laughter and that is Joe's main objective.  He delights in laughter and spends much of his day trying to get someone to laugh.  He is still obsessed with Bruce.  Joe screams and yells at him to try and get his attention.  Poor Bruce loves both of the kids but really would rather eat dropped food off the floor and sleep.  But he does give Joe the occasional kiss through the gate.  And he will lay very patiently with his head under the gate while Joe pats, pets, hits and steps on his head. 
Mr. Joe is finally gaining weight!!!  We started to give him 3% cows milk in December and he LOVED it.  Now a month later he is 3 pounds, yep 3 POUNDS, heavier and is almost weaned off of mom.  I took him in last week and he is 19p 7oz!!  A month ago he was 16p 9oz.  He has almost caught up to his chunky cousin Keiran who is 19p 15.5 oz.

On Wednesday Pat and I have appointments at 2 different school for interviews.  The first school is a catholic one just down the road from us.  It is our second choice but our first one, Gateway Christan, is all full for the kindergarten class and we have to go on a waiting list, and hope that either some people move or they open another K class.  But on the plus side the people I talked to at both school sounded very nice and we more than accommodating.  Alex is getting very excited about going to school.  She talks a lot about all her friends and all the things she will do with those friends.  I'm looking forward to her going to school too lol.  There will be 3 days a week that Alex and I won't be together so maybe the other 4 we will get along a little better hehe ;)

Pat and I are having so much fun planning a trip to Las Vegas.  We will be going there for my 30th birthday!  I've only been out of the country twice and the last time was 18 years ago!  Pat and I have been together almost 8 years but we've really only been on two vacations and they were both to Vancouver.  So this trip is kinda special.  I've never been to Las Vegas and have wanted to go there for YEARS!!!  I'm so excited to go but am feeling very apprehensive about leaving the kids.  Ally hasn't spent longer than 2 nights away from us, and Joe has only been away from us for 1 night, EVER!!  But I know we are leaving them in good hands.  If anyone has any advice about Las Vegas, places to see, eat or other cool things please let me know!!

I still have to put up more pictures from Christmas and I will work on that very soon!