We Did It!

We did it!  We made it through our 2 week start of pump and can flex our eating amounts and times as well as run around as much as we want!  Phew...it was getting a little hard there in the end.  

Funnily...I now feel awkward about flexing the eating...we did have a later lunch at Gram and Papa's after class, but not by choice, just because we were running late.  It was nice not to panic about it.  We kept our meal carb targets the same for lunch, dinner and bedtime snack, but did add back in a 10 carb afternoon snack.  I am so used to aiming for a specific number...After 6 months or so, I'm not sure I remember how to let her eat whatever she wants.  We do still have to carb count accurately whenever we can, but it's permitted to estimate a carb number and adjust the insulin later.  Wow.  So much freedom that I don't know what to do with it!!  

So go ahead, invite us for dinner...we don't care if your meal is on time or if you serve any carbs at all!  (basic healthy eating rules apply, but we will make exceptions for dinners out).

We celebrated by going to the park after dinner.  We started by flying kites (after a quick cookie snack for play energy!).

Katie and Sam had a nice hug (I did ask them to hug for the photo...I should do that more often).  It was a gorgeous evening...just breezy enough for kites.  Jackets came off pretty quick once we all started running.  And can I mention how wonderful it is that the mosquitos are dying off?  SO GREAT.

 Katie flying the butterfly kite from Costco...this kite is amazing...it flies so easily and we've had it for at least 2 summers and it's in great shape.  (though obviously, it's not used every day...still)

 It was such a relief to go to a playground...a great time killer and such good exercise for the girls.

 A few days ago, I went to yoga and came back to see the kids and Ben had been hanging out on the front step playing with chalk.  Ben took some great photos on his iPhone.

 Eventually, and I'm not sure how this happened, they started getting chalk all over their clothes and faces.  I will say I wasn't terribly pleased about it, but these lovely smiles and photos might make up for it.  Just as long as they know it's a Dad game.

 Also, earlier this week, Katie got in the mood for some cleaning/organizing (she might not get that from me) and made her bed and laid out hers and Sam's pyjamas.  Cute.

In other exciting news for this week, we all attended Katie's Bus School (First Riders) event put on by the school board's bus organizers to get kids familiar with taking the bus and bus safety.  It Was Great!!

They showed a video on a greyhound type bus, we learned about the "Danger Zone" around a school bus and how to take 5 GIANT steps away from the bus when you get off.  AND then the girls (yes, both Katie and Sam) rode a school bus...without Ben or I.  Just other kids and a strange bus driver.  They only went in a loop around the block (mind you, a big block, I could not always see the bus) for about 3-5 minutes, but Oh My Goodness was it ever a heavy moment for me.  My little ones are growing up...I'm so thrilled at the steps Katie has taken recently towards independence but I'm fully aware that I'm going to be holding back buckets of tears the first time I walk her to that bus stop and letting her go on her own.

Also, I should mention, fun things we have been listening to...Laura Ingalls book on tape "On the banks of Plum Creek".  Both girls, like it and Katie especially loves the scenes where Laura is in danger, specifically, drowning (almost) in the creek.  This happens twice in the first 2 disks.  Pioneer days eh?  It's written very intensely and read with just enough drama that you really get absorbed in it.  The set is from the library so has some scratches...the girls love when it skips.  =)

We have also been totally in LOVE with the 2 CD's of Elizabeth Mitchell that we got from the library...You Are My Flower and Sunny Day.  Some nice little folky sounding tunes...a slower pace than some of our other CD's we own. The girls know so many of the words and love to sing along in the car.  Even the tune sung in Japanese (noni to ka no sit shata de?...something like that, means under the Chestnut Tree or something...google the liner notes if interested)  Also, she has a nice version of Jingle Bells, which we totally freaked Sam right out (it's her favourite song in particular) by singing (all 4 of us) at the top of our lungs in the car.  We all laughed ourselves silly that time.  And, can I mention one more?  Freight Train...how we love this one...the singers talk between verses and decide to go different places..."Brooklyn, ok lets go.  California...that's far we have to go faster...Visit Jojo in Africa?...that's really far, we have to go super fast..." and as they go faster, the tempo of the song picks up a bit.  And all of us listening move our arms like we are trains, faster and faster into Silliness.  Once at a red light, as we were doing this, I saw the guy in the car next to us laughing curiously, and so I rolled down my window and explained that it was a train song.  He laughed and said he thought we were running.

So much fun going on here...Just don't remind me that Ben starts school full time tomorrow...how will I ever manage without him!?  Good thing I have a full day planned...playdate in the morning at a playground, meeting with Sam's preschool teachers, home for lunch, Pediatrition appt in the afternoon.  Maybe I won't notice that Ben is not around?  (doubt it.)  Wish us all luck with that!