Yates-Laberge Family Site

IMG_4864, originally uploaded by YatesLaberge.com.

Andrew looked outside our hotel window today and said “THE MOUNTAINS GREW!!” The view was so spectacular.

our family, originally uploaded by YatesLaberge.com.

What a fun day! I am officially in love with biking!

IMG_4497, originally uploaded by YatesLaberge.com.

OH MY GOODNESS!!! I love these little men!

IMG_4827, originally uploaded by YatesLaberge.com.

Oh my little men in training!

WOW….September is the month of birthdays in our house. It seems that the birthday thing is my duty of sorts…Claire’s birthday on the 2nd and Andrews on the 19th. School always starts during September and it is one of Claire’s busiest times of the year with her filing date of September 15th. September is a BIT stressful for me to say the least. …but, nonetheless, I look forward to it….and it all worked out beautifully this year.

Andrew’s birthday seemed like a bit of a turning point for him. I don’t know what it is about turning 8, but for me, it seemed like Andrew turned into a “big boy” somehow. I was able to give him a later bedtime (he finally made it to a 8pm bedtime!!) and I made his boundaries that he can ride on his bike one telephone longer. Sort of letting him go a bit further without me….sort of bitter sweet. He deserves it and at SOME point, I have to start letting go a little bit! Claire is better at this letting go stuff than me….I just want to put them in my pocket and never let them out.

Tonight we went over to Jennifer’s house ( Claire’s friend from work). She has 3 little girls. Two of them are the boys’ ages and then there is little Emily. She is almost 2 years old. OH MY GOODNESS!!  She took my heart and just squeezed it until it hurt! She was the sweetest, cutest, most adorable little human! CAN YOU SAY BABY ACHE!!! I wanted another baby in an instant!!! Claire asked me a few weeks ago if I thought we were “done”…and I said was not sure………this little girl made me almost sure we were not! but,…then reality sets in………..maybe I can have her for a day or so…..and get the baby ache out all together………..maybe a poopy diaper or two will take care of it! LOL!

Andrew was so excited about turning 8 years old!! SO SO SO excited. He begged and begged for a “gear bike”. Many of his friends were moving up to mountain bikes because they are all growing out of their smaller ones. Andrew has not officially grown out of his bike, but, he wanted a mountain bike SO BADLY. He rides his bike every single day that there is not snow on the ground or it is raining….EVERY SINGLE day! Now that we live so close to school, he rides back and forth to school.  soooo….after months of discussion, we decided…the DAY BEFORE his birthday………..that we would get him a mountain bike!

Claire was really sweet and took his birthday off from work. It was sort of good luck that Andrew’s school scheduled a professional day ON his birthday! SOOO>…everyone was home for his special day. We started the day off with breakfast out. Tanya from across the street came and met us which made it even more special. After breakfast we told Andrew that we really needed some cleaning supplies and headed out to get them…..when we arrived at the biggest bike store in Calgary, his eyes just lit up….he was still unsure of what we were doing fully, ….but, he was hoping with every inch of his body that his dream was coming true! We walked into the store and he simply said “WHOA!!!!”….there were two stories of bikes and bikes….and BIKES! He smiles from ear to ear! It was so sweet! I told him….”go and find your favorite gear bike”…he said…”and you will buy it??????”………..I said……….”yep, just make sure that you love it”………….he said, “this is the best birthday ever”…………so cool! I love surprising him! So, we go to the section that has the 20 inch “gear bikes”…..and he picks out a $600 dollar bike! ummmm…..nope! I tell him that he needs to pick something that is no so much. We find a few within a “8 year old appropriate” budget…..and he chose one from those. He found the one he LOVED ……and has been smiling since then. He rode away from the store a the proudest boy in Calgary. I think he is still shocked! Anyway,it was really cool …………and I am so happy that we got to do it all together.

I am off to bed ……what a great few days………tomorrow is Church and I am sure some bike time!

WestJet dropped it’s fuel surcharge so I am sure that others will follow suit. A NH homecoming is in the works without a doubt. We are looking at late November. The thought of it just make my heart smile.

Thank you all for your sweet birthday message for Claire and Andrew. I read them to both of them and they just love them!

Anne

birthday fairies for Andrew’s 8th birthday, originally uploaded by YatesLaberge.com.

The fairies showed up last night and decorated our house while Andrew slept! He was simply tickled pink about the whole thing!! It was so sweet!

I have been waiting for his smile

Hoping for a glimmer of hope any day.

Andrew has been mourning our move….grieving over his losses ….feeling every one of them, day by day…and his sadness and pain just breaks my heart.

I asked him what would make him the happiest…what was he longing for the VERY most…..something that I could let him have in Calgary….his IMMEDIATE answer was GYMNASTICS. Again and again, he said Gymnastics.

In NH he was on the Men’s team and had just started competing. His  coach was gentle, of few words, and Andrew LOVED him. Right before we left, we took him out….he was just not settling enough to go on any further…..I did not realize how much he longed for it…..I had NO idea. Andrew usually can not say his feelings in words…only show them in behavior…..

Well, today….after a LONG search for a private coach…….THE HAPPINESS RETURNED!!! 100% FULLY……100% JOY…….100% BLISS!!! From the time he put on his gym clothes….until his head hit the pillow……….he smile, glowed………and his world seemed full again. MY GOD!! GYMNASTICS! How can it have such a deep impact on this little boy of mine!??? I am not going to try to figure it out, but, ……….it is SIMPLY the answer to what he was longing for! He flipped, he jumped, he played, he laughed, he was PROUD….very PROUD for the first time in such a long time…..my eyes well up with tears when I think of his evening………I sat at the gym and he RAN over to me ……..right into my arms……..and said “THANK YOU SO MUCH MAMA! I LOVE GYMNASTICS”….he hugged so very hard! “I needed that hug”, I told him……he turned away, smiled …….and said “well, I needed this huge gymnastics place!” !!! I had to SERIOUSLY hold it back…………

ANYWAY, that is my story for today…..and here is the video….