Halloween 2009, also know as the year Clara dumped us to go off trick or treating with her friends! As a result, not a single picture of Clara the ballerina was captured :(

Luke Skywalker at school

Luke and a tough Cincinnati Bengal football player

Clara's cat pumpkin and Leo's Jack O'Lantern

Clara watched Marc distribute some caramel popcorn for our viewing of Superman 2.

Clara: Hey, you are not counting them!
Marc: What???
Clara: to keep it even.
Marc: (laughing) that goes on the blog!
Clara: ok, whatever, put it on the blog... that bowl has more!

Lets just recap for a moment...

• 3 weeks ago Leo had roseola. He was off school for a week.
• 1 week ago Leo had scarlet fever. He was off school for 3 days, it would have been 4 but Thanksgiving Monday was a vacation day - not that he got to really enjoy it :(
• Today Leo's "cold" has turned nasty. I'm even wondering if it might be "flu" He's got a fever, a terrible, wet cough, headache, and not much energy. It could be just another random virus but the cough and sound in his chest make me wonder. I guess I'll wait to see what tomorrow brings before I decide how to deal.
  

Poor guy, he really just can't catch a break. Send him some strong immune system wishes - please?

This blog is usually reserved for Clara and Leo and our life as it revolves around them but I can't not post about Marc's most recent accomplishment. Last Sunday he ran his first 10km race! He's been working towards this particular race all Summer and Clara, Leo and I were so proud and excited to watch him cross the finish line with a final sprint.

With another loop of Parc Lafontine to go...

Sprinting to the finish line

Next year Clara is very serious about running the 1km or even the 2km race. Now that she's seen what a running race is all about (and the loot you bring home) she's planning on following in her Papa's footsteps. Leo, on the other hand seems pretty happy to cheer people on from the side lines. Maybe he'll feel differently in a year or two!

Leo's 5th birthday!

The Death Star cake

Leo wanted a Star Wars birthday cake, this is what I came up with!

Cupcakes at school

Dancing with his classmates

After 3 weeks of walking back and forth to school Leo asked to take the school bus home. We'd always discussed taking the school bus later in the year but I did not think he'd be the one to initiate the change in plan. After just one day on the bus he was sold. I haven't picked him up after school since. He tells me he likes waiting for the bus at the end of the day, apparently a teacher waits with them and they sing songs together and he likes riding with his new friend Fahim and his new girlfriend Maielie. The school bus drops him off right in front of Clara's school about 5 minutes before the final bell, the timing couldn't be more perfect. All around, the bus is a big, fat WIN!

First day taking the school bus

If you'd have asked me yesterday I would have told you we could stand to get rid of about 50% of our toys. Board games and books we use, but toys not so much. Of course, there are a few things that get played with regularly like the animals and the Star Wars figurines. Things like Clara's collection of Littlest Petshop and Polly Pockets don't see much action anymore.

Today, at 3pm on the first ped day of the school year I can report that every toy has been touched at some point over the last 6 hours. Clara and Leo have been playing non-stop all day with just about everything we own! The train set is out, the mini Barbie castle is set up, there are princess and fairy figurines carefully placed (in a Little People garage), and the Littlest Petshop animals are lined up. I can't follow the game even a little bit but it is clearly fun and imaginative and has taken them both to another place.

By all accounts school is going very well for both kids, they've settled into their new routines beautifully. However, what has become very obvious to me over the course of the day is just how wonderful it feels to stay home (wearing pyjamas in Leo's case) and loose yourself in pure, imaginative, unstructured play. I'm forever thankful that we can provide this luxury for our kids. They are thriving.