So...

I know... three months is quite a wait since my last entry. Lots to report, so I’ll fill you in as much as I can, in as few words possible. If you’d like more details on any of the following events, just give us a call ;)

[ Previously, on TheLauzons.com... Andrew had just fallen and broken his right ankle. ]

February 22nd
Andrew was in to see the surgeon for a progress report on his ankle, and was hoping to be upgraded to a walking cast. He had been in a wheelchair at home and work for three weeks, and we had all had enough of that!

“Absolutely not. Your ankle is in perfect alignment, and I don’t want to risk it. I’ll put you in a lighter fiberglass cast, but you have to stay off of it for another three weeks.” So, filled with frustration, back to the wheelchair Andrew went.

February 23rd
While hopping from wheelchair to van, Andrew tripped on the footrest of the chair, lost his balance and fell down on his right side — again. I was due out in Orleans to do a Signature HomeStyles Idea Show (home party business selling home decor accessories I began in July ‘07), and was ready to leave the moment Andrew came in from work. His right elbow was a bit swollen, but of course was in no pain due to his paralysis (yah, it was his bad arm). Next day, Andrew was in emergency again, for another long visit. He came home with his right arm in a sling and half-cast. More of a nuisance, and injury to Andrew's self-esteem than anything else.

March 12th
The surgeon removed Andrew's fiberglass cast, and gave him the go-ahead to start walking on his foot again. He recommended using the walking cast, but weaning off of it over the next two weeks.

One of the first things we did was talk to a travel broker about booking a last minute trip to Cuba. By March 28th, we had booked a trip for two to Cuba. Five star, all-inclusive, seven days.

April 9-16th
Cuba. Amazing. Quinn and Jake stayed home with Nanny and Pépé, who moved in to our house to facilitate life for the boys. Our good friends Laurie and Laurence joined us for the trip, and we had an incredible time. It was our third time to Varadero, Cuba. We went for two weeks in November 1998 for our honeymoon, then again for a week in February 2000. Different resorts each time. Would recommend Melia Las Americas to anybody traveling to Cuba. Absolutely outstanding. We have pictures to prove it...

May 3rd
Quinn turned SEVEN! Hard to believe, isn’t it? Especially when I feel I can remember every detail of his birth like it was yesterday, although looking at the size of him, there’s absolutely no way it could have been! Quinn is a wonderful young man (okay, he is still just a little boy), who really is interested in everything. Of late, his career interests are: an illustrator, a doctor and a teacher. Oh, and maybe a firefighter as well. And he wants to plant trees all over the world. Nice.

Quinn had his birthday party at his Jiu-Jitsu dojo — something he is quite passionate about these days. As I type this, he is there now, testing for his red tip, which qualifies him to test for his promotion to Green belt next week. That will make three belt promotions in under two years. He often says he wants to be “the teacher for the Black Belts”. At this rate, he could have his Black Belt by the time he is ten.

May 15th
Since my parents returned home from Australia on April 26th, we have been down to one vehicle. Thought we were being ecologically-sound, but it was actually quite a challenge, trying to get the boys to their various activities and Andrew to work, though (miraculously) he has been riding his bicycle on nice days!

Yesterday, against every ‘green’ fiber in our beings, we picked up our gently-used 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT. She’s a beauty. The works, in terms of features and towing capacity, which was our primary concern so we can once again enjoy our tent trailer for the camping season. It’s been a couple of years since we camped, due to baby and the hardship the trailer caused to the Subaru, which was technically capable of towing, was just maxed and as a result requires some transmission work.

Our sweet little man Jake will be TWO in a few weeks. He has many words, but has yet to string any of them together to form any logical, English sentences. His big brother is his best friend, which is adorable. He seems passionate about drawing, colouring, hitting balls with sticks (we call it golf), and riding his tricycle.

Quinn spent the winter skiing on a racing team. Andrew stayed home with Jake, while I skiing during Quinn’s four hours of coaching every Saturday for ten weeks. We had an incredible year of snow, so the trails were fantastic, and a wonderful way to break in the new skis and boots I was able to buy on Boxing Day, thanks to monetary contributions for my birthday and Christmas.

I have been busy trying to find work. Completed a couple of small graphic design contracts in March, and have helped some clients with home colour and decor consultations — my favourite kind of work these days. Would like to do more of that, as interior design and decorating have been a passion of mine since I was a kid. I used to have a folder filled with house designs and floor plans I remember drawing when I was about 13. I wonder where that folder is now... Mom? I am now considering looking for a part-time job. A few days a week, maybe in a gift shop, or home decor store. Might even think about going for a Can-Fit-Pro certification to become a personal trainer... that would force me to get back into shape, allow me to help others achieve their goals, and make some money at the same time. But then, I am just thinking about it... ;)

Well, the big boys are home and pizza is ready. Ah, Friday night before a long weekend. Too bad it’s due to rain for four days straight... A good time to tackle our inside projects. We seem to have a never-ending list of them.

Ankle Accident...

At 7:04pm last night, Andrew's parents took him to the hospital for an ankle injury.

At 6pm, Andrew was taking Quinn to Jiu-Jitsu, and was backing out of the garage in the van. The snow was so blustery here, that it had piled up in front of the garage door sensor, and the door was not going down. Andrew stepped out of the van, and was walking up to the garage door when he slipped. Quinn bravely came inside to get me, and our neighbour Bill and I helped Andrew into the house. We elevated his ankle, and put ice in it, and called Jan. I had been on the phone with her when Quinn came in to get me, so she was likely very concerned. She and Dick came over immediately (or as quickly as they could in last night's weather). Jan called her brother (and Chief Orthopedic Surgeon at CHEO) JG who told her all the trauma guys are in BC for a conference, but that the Queensway Carleton hospital was a fine place to take an ankle injury. The ankle hadn't bruised, and had just started to swell minimally, but Andrew said the pain was increasing with time. Unfortunately, it is his right side, which has significantly less feeling than his left, due to his 1990 car accident.

Quinn was quite worried about his Dad, but felt proud for helping out. It was quite alarming to see Quinn rush in and hear him say “Dad has fallen on the ice”, only to get out to the driveway to see Andrew flat on the ground. My first thought was his head, then his arm... so we are thankful it is “only” his ankle...

Dick called just after 9pm to say Andrew definitely broke his ankle — a spiral fracture. They were waiting for an Orthopedic Technician to plaster it up. Six to eight weeks in a cast. No driving. Wheelchair at work. I thought “This is bad”. It will be very rough to manage. Andrew is feeling very disappointed, and a bit foolish for slipping. Ridiculous, as it could have happened to anyone.

We’re just looking at our schedule for the nest several weeks, trying to figure out how we are going to manage our various appointments and obligations. It will definitely be a time when we need to lean on family and friends for support and assistance, and we Thank You in advance for your help.

Overdue and Out of Date!

Holy Mackerel! My apologies for being away so long... you must be starved for new information, photos and videos! Well, today is your lucky day - I have just want you’re looking for!

The boys are growing like crazy. Quinn is now 6-and-a-half, and Jake is almost 1-and-a-half! Both are very busy with their respective activities and developments... Quinn has just been enrolled in the next level of Jiu-Jitsu, known as the Black Belt Club. This next level will last about 3 years as he works toward his Black Belt. With this new level, he trades in his original white gi (tunic and pants) and Yellow belt, for a dashing new red gi which comes embroidered with his name on the upper right chest and Orange belt! This will be Quinn's year-round activity, along with the less-physical and more-creative Beavers. Starting right after Christmas, Quinn will begin his fourth year of downhill skiing — this year in the racing program! He’ll be on the hill all day, one day a week, for 10 weeks. He is so excited to get started. We just received Quinn’s first report card of Grade One — superb! He received As and Bs throughout, sprinkled with many words of praise and pride from his teachers. Strengths to date seem to be math, art and science... alas, “the boy who is interested in everything!”

Jake is thriving, thanks I’m sure to his three days a week at daycare. He spends his time there with two other little ones who are 2 and 3 years of age. A nice collection of ages for Pattie. While he has been talking for months, he is finally starting to speak English. Words include Mama, Dida (Daddy), Bayyyyy (Bye!), Haaa (Hi!), dittee (dirty), Go! Go! Go!, mooo, and everybody’s favourite Co-ca?, which we can only interpret as meaning “Mommy, may I please have a snack?” Hilarious!

I am as busy as ever, with many things — not the least of which is housework, homework and general Momminess... For those of you who are unaware, I joined Signature HomeStyles in June, as an Independent Representative for their line of home décor accessories and storage solutions. Yes, home parties and catalogue sales. I never thought I would be in sales of any kind (except maybe Saturn cars or Macintosh computers), never mind being a home party rep. I used to cringe at those other party invitations, but I went anyway, with my fifty bucks in hand, scrambling to find something I thought was worth that fifty! So, why Signature HomeStyles? Simply, I am addicted to home décor... you know that. I’ve often thought about opening a store, but with two kids, I have neither the time or the money I would need to invest in something that ambitious. I had never heard of SHS before, but kept coming across the name while searching the web. I inquired, and the opportunity literally jumped up and bit me — a gorgeous catalogue, 70% of it priced below $35, 90-day money-back guarantee, new to Canada, but established in the US since 1971. My better business sense told me to jump now. Only 5 months and 20 shows later, I am heading a team of 12 reps in Ottawa (I was the only rep in Ottawa until October when these girls came to me!), have achieved Top Three sales in all of Ontario (150 reps), and hold the #3 show average for all of Canada! Needless to say, I am loving this new adventure. Lesson: You never know, until you try.

Andrew is very busy working for the Federal government in his role as Project Leader. He is expecting to be made indeterminate before Christmas. He’s in for the long haul, looking forward (wayyyy forward) to a nice pension and enjoying the long-term benefits that come with being a public servant. In November, we said goodbye to his beloved ‘94 Honda Accord. A great car, but it (she) deserved to be driven, not cooped up in the garage.

And as always this time of year, our thoughts turn to Christmas and the New Year ahead. As was our wish last year, we hope to see more of you in 2008 than we did in 2007, and we would rather you all spent a little more time on us, instead of your money.

As promised, here are some pictures and a brand new 7-minute video just crafted this morning, called “Mostly Jake”... Enjoy!

Captions, in order: Jake-in-a-pan | Jake the Lion | Captain Quinn

A is for Apple...

... and “Absolutely” wonderful!

Yesterday was the quintessential Autumn day. The sun was out in full force, with not a cloud in the sky. The air was crisp, the breeze gentle and warm. It was the perfect day to go apple-picking.

After some internet investigation, and a few phone calls, the operation of choice was Mountain Orchards, about 40 minutes from here. Superb operation. A quick wagon ride to the rows upon rows of Empire, Spartan, Honey Gold and Macintosh — our favourite. Being so late in the season, we worried there would be slim pickins, though were astounded by the abundance and quality of the fruit that remained. We filled a half-bushel bag (20lbs) for Nanny Lauzon in about 5 minutes, and a 10lb bag for ourselves in half that time! Could have filled a 20-pounder from just one tree alone! The Macs are huge, sweet and so much more colourful than those found in the supermarkets.

What a feel-good experience to harvest these fall treats ourselves! Jake toodled about, trying to contribute to the collection by picking up some of the fallen apples... Not so nice, Jake. Stay away from the squished ones, please!

After a brief demonstration, both he and Quinn quickly appreciated the fine art of picking the apple from the tree, and gently placing it in the bag.

Desperate for a taste (and wanting to lick every apple on the ground!), we found Jake a wee apple, and I started a bite off for him. He held on tight to that apple for the next 30 minutes or so, taking wee nibbles every few minutes. After our bags were filled and we were carried back to the main lot, we enjoyed (devoured) a dozen small made-to-order Apple Cider Donuts. Piping hot and melting in our mouths, we thought they were the highlight of our excursion! Jake discovered his passion for apples, and would not even let us suggest we take his away from him in exchange for a piece of donut! Funny man!

I don’t recall ever going apple-picking before — short of my Grandparent’s back yard — but after yesterday’s glorious adventure, I just might insist we make it a Thanksgiving Weekend family tradition.

Captions (in order): Quinn filling our 10lb bag | Jake picking his first apple | Wanna bite? | TJ enjoying the harvest | Three more apples on the tree

Something in the way he moves...

Jake has been very active the last few weeks...
Here are some videos featuring his recent developments!

1. Enjoying Nature... Wanting the seeds to fly up, up, up!
2. Learning to Stand... Tuesday Sept 18th
3. Learning to Walk... Thursday Sept 20th

These boys of mine keep me busy!
Enjoy!

Updated...

I’m not feeling particularly wordy at the moment, but do want to share some recent photos with you. Quinn has started Grade One this week, and TJ has started part-time at daycare too. This week was “Joanne” week, to rediscover the “me” inside the Mom. It felt reeaaallly good. Had my hair trimmed and highlighted on Wednesday, and a make-up consultation at MAC Cosmetics on Thursday. Spent way too much money for a gal who hasn’t officially started back at work yet, but it was due time I did a little something strictly for myself.

Quinn and Andrew had haircuts on Wednesday, and even Jake visited a stylist this morning for a trim— his first one ever.

Captions (in order): Quinn, moments away from Grade One | Dress rehearsal for his role as Ring Bearer in Nan Leesa’s wedding | My new hair | Jake, looking either guilty or gassy | Jake's new hair

The Mighty Quinn...

Last weekend was a big one for our little man. After over a year of very hard work, discipline and determination, Quinn was promoted at Jiu-Jitsu to Yellow Belt. What does this mean?

Quinn started in Little Dragons (ages 4-6), shortly after his 5th birthday. For the first 9 months, he practiced at the Dojo twice a week. Now that he has graduated to the Orange Belt Program he practices 3-4 times a week. Approximately every 10 classes, students are tested to receive a black stripe on their belts. After three black stripes they are tested to earn their Red Tip. This test may take three sessions to complete. Once the Red Tip is earned, the student is tested for their belt promotion. Belts go from White > Yellow > Orange > Green > Blue > Purple > Brown > Black.

Quinn has passed every test on the first attempt. He has learned 5 breakfall techniques, several kicks, punches and throws, and over half a dozen combative defense techniques to ward off “bad guys”. It is amazing to watch him on the mats. Our little lightweight can throw a kid 20lbs his senior, and can kick higher than any mother thinks their kid should!

I would have never thought I would encourage martial arts in my family, but after Quinn’s first class, I was hooked. It is an amazing environment for kids, and teaches them confidence, discipline and drive.

Quinn is determined to earn his Black Belt before he turns 16.

Camp Out...

Last night was Camp Out night here at our place.

It's been 6 sleeps since Andrew and Quinn planned it... After the sun went over the rooftops last evening, Andrew and Quinn built a small fire in our copper fire bowl. I prepared S'mores for Quinn and his friend Brennan. At about 11pm, Quinn and Andrew tucked themselves into the tree house for a sleepover. Earlier in the day, Andrew had inflated the double air mattress and hung a mosquito net from the ceiling. They carted out sleeping bags, pillows, headlamps and I believe Andrew took out Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows to read once Q fell asleep. I'll have to inquire with him to see if any reading was actually done!

I was mildly skeptical that the boys would be in the tree house come sunrise, but to my pleasant surprise, they made it until 6am, when Quinn declared he was frozen and wanted to come inside.

I would have loved to camp out too, but there isn't room for all four of us, and Jake is still so much better off in his crib. Some night, I'll be out there with my boys... Andrew just loved it, and Quinn told me this morning it was "great!". Adventure is just outside your back door – you just have to step outside and create it!

Captions (in order): By the fire | Tucked in | All is quiet...

Summer days...

Egad! A month has passed since my last note in here! We've already been away for our summer vacation, and are looking ahead at the August calendar wondering what to do with ourselves!

Q will be at day camp for a week in August, freeing up some time for me to get some business brewing again for the fall. Hard to believe Quinn will be in Grade One this year, and away all day. Jake has found daycare, just 5 houses away from us. He’ll be there three days a week, which will be just enough time for me to do a good amount of Graphic Design work.

I've also picked up a part-time business, as a sales rep for a home decor company called Signature HomeStyles. It’s a direct sales catalogue business, promoted primarily through home parties. I’m having a lot of fun, learning about what products are popular (great research for my own retail shop someday!) and earning some sweet income too. Check out my SHS website for a look through catalogue. Hostesses earn an average of $125 in FREE Product Dollars, and lots of other amazing rewards, so if you want to have a show, just drop me a line!

Our tent trailer won’t be used again this summer, for a couple of reasons:
— Not sure where Jake would sleep safely, as he is such a wiggler. He still naps twice a day, and I just don’t think he’d ever settle down in the camper.
— Subaru has chugged and choked a lot since our camping summer of 2005. We’ll be shopping for a minivan or similar after Christmas, hopefully to replace Andrew’s tired and ailing ‘94 Honda Accord. I can’t bear to part with the Subaru yet, although it would be the higher trade toward a new vehicle...

Andrew is settling into his new post at CRA, as Team Leader for the IS Group. This is his first managerial position, so he’s quickly discovering his own comfort zones (and trying to expand them) where dealing with staff is concerned. I know he’ll be great, and will be well liked. Hard not to be receptive to, and respectful of, such a fair, knowledgeable, even-keeled guy.

My parents, Sharon and Lincoln, are preparing for a minimum 6-month term in Australia. Lincoln will be working there, while Mom will be exploring a country she has always wanted to visit. What an amazing opportunity! They are scrambling to get everything done before they go but, in time, and once they are there, I know they will embrace this incredible adventure they have been handed. We’ll miss them terribly!

I’ll post some recent pictures for your enjoyment. Do keep in touch, and enjoy your summer — wherever you are!

Captions (in order): The Watson family, while visiting Ottawa | Q + TJ at Cabin 12 | Q + A in the crevice at Bonnechere Caves | Our annual Cabin 12 departure shot

Eight days past ONE...

June 22nd marked TJ's FIRST Birthday. It was a Friday, so Andrew had to leave early for work, and Quinn had school in the afternoon. The day was pretty routine until the evening, when we were all home together. Quinn and I had wrapped Jake's birthday present while he had his morning nap, and were keen to watch him open it before supper. Of course, Q had to help his little brother with the taped bits, but he did quite well on his own. The gift *was* a Radio Flyer Tricycle with attached Parent Control Handle and canopy. Andrew spent over 30 minutes assembling the trike that night, and we tried Jake on it early Saturday morning. What I didn't notice when I bought the thing was the minimum leg length requirement. Poor Jake is wayyy too little for it, so it was all shoved back into the box and returned to Toys R' Us. TJ is *still* without a replacement birthday gift. Please don't tell him of this when he's older. We promise to find something suitable soon...

On Saturday afternoon, the majority of the family came over for a BBQ and Birthday Cake. Without listing everybody in attendance, I will just say we had 27 adults, and 7 kids, from 5 branches of our assorted family tree. 10 of those adults were either Grandparents or Great Grandparents to Quinn and Jake, and 3 more weren't even able to make it! It is incredible how much family we have, now that I have reunited with both sides of my birth family. Love surrounds us.

Here are some pictures of the event. Jake devoured his cupcake in a much more barbaric manner than Quinn did six years ago. What a sweet face – literally!