Monster Truck Cake

Yesterday was my sons birthday, and he is currently obsessed with cars and trucks.  If he is watching his favorite movie "Cars" and you try to stop it, you better watch out.  Due to this current enthusiasm, we decided that he needed a Truck Cake but not just any truck. A Monster Truck Cake.  Making my children a cake is one the top things I enjoy doing for their birthdays.  This was my first attempt using Homemade Marshmallow Fondant and it turned out fairly well.  I learned a lot about 3D Cake making.  Any questions in regards to making this cake please feel free to ask.

"Run. Run. As fast as you can. You can't catch me. I'm the Gingerbread Man"

So my daughter started school a few almost a month ago and during the first week the teachers had an activity that they use to help familiarize the children with the school and the places that they will visit throughout the year.  This particular activity involved the story book character "The Gingerbread Boy". According to the teacher the Gingerbread Boy left clues around the school starting in the classroom which should lead his capture.  Apparently the Gingerbread Boy called out over the classroom intercom "Run. Run. As fast as you can. You can not catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Boy. I am. I am."  The kids followed his clues to the Library, Gym, Etc. around the school then back to the room.  But the could not catch the Gingerbread Boy.

Since that day, my daughter has developed a fear of Gingerbread Men or "Boys".  In her mind the Gingerbread Boy is real.  So I try to explain to her that it is just a story and he is only a storybook character. And that there is nothing to be afraid of.  The answer I get is, "but dad he is real.  At school he left us clues around the school and there were only crumbs left on the pan, we couldn't find him anywhere." She is frightened that he will get get out of the school and for whatever reason he is going to come into her bedroom.  Now I know this is a fear of hers and she gets really upset about it at certain times, specifically bedtime, but I can not help but giggle about it.

I am trying my best to find a way to help her get over her fear.  I talk to her about it and try to find out exactly what scares her about the Gingerbread Boy.  Explain to her that he is not real and just a storybook character.  "We eat gingerbread men and that they are delicious", I try to explain.  Today I spoke with her teacher to find out a little more about the activity and exactly what might of frightened her.  Of course her teacher is try not to laugh as I am informing her of my situation.  I am doing this while all the time trying to keep a straight face.  After I finished my story and she explained the activity, she tells me that she will send the book home with her so that we can read it at home. I hope that this help her overcome this fear of Gingerbread Men.

First Week with Baby C

The past week as not only been very busy but also very stressful.  I have not only be completely exhausted but also did something to my back the other day, which does not help when having to care for two little ones under that age of 2.

Chey is a beautiful little girl but she is also very demanding.  Compared to my other children she is in constant need of someone holding, carrying, or playing with her.  I don't know how people can get anything done around the house while having to hold or carry a child.  My children have never been this way, they have always been very independent, and to have a baby who is clingy is something out of the ordinary for me.  When you do not pick her up she tends to be very whiny and follows while crying and whining.  This tends to get very annoying but I have to remind myself that she is in a new environment with new people and that through time she will learn that someone does not always have to be by her side.  I try to provider her with the appropriate attention she needs, but also trying to give her space so she can play and grow on her own to break this behavior.

Not only is this hard on her, I also see changes in my son.  He has become very possesive of his toys, specifically his cars.  And it is almost like Chey knows this because she always tries to take his cars when he is playing with them.  I have been working hard at helping them both learn to share and I know this will take some time for both of them. 

Everyone is finally starting to get better from the cold that had everyone in the house under the weather.  This I hope will start to help us get a more routine schedule that works for everyone, as with the kids all sick no one was really having good sleeps, which makes for long and more often cranky days.  Overall I think the transition is going  well but again it has only been a week and through time things will slowly fall into place.  I just have to keep my patience in check and keep telling myself that everything will get better in time.

First day as a Stay-at-Home Dad of Three

Will today was my first day alone and caring for three children as my wife has returned to work.  It is a big change not only for myself but also for my other children.  Over all I feel it was a good day other than the fact that everyone has been sick for more than a week.  I am anxious for everyone to settle into the new family dynamics and start a routine that works for everyone.  I think the hardest thing is the fact that before obtaining custody of my niece we had our way of doing things as a family of four.  And you think that adding one more to the mix would be easy to incorporate into the routine we already had.  But we are just learning my nieces way of doing things for herself, along with the way my other children do things.  The fact that she was been in foster care for her whole life makes it hard as she is opposite of my children and the way be have raised them.  My children are very independent and outgoing, while my niece is very clingy and attached to things, like a pacifier, which my children never really took too.  Adjusting has also been a challenge as we just spent a week in Ontario and prior to that had a two week vacation in Newfoundlands.  So over the past month we have been traveling which throws the kids schedules out of whack.  The two little ones have been getting up at 430 AM since we have been back, which has been a hard adjustment for me.  But over the past couple of days they have slowly been sleeping  longer.  I just keep telling myself that things will get better and that we have only been home for a week as I feel very burnout, although being sick does not help.  Life tests you everyday and whenever you over come a challenge or obstacle you only become stronger.  Thanks for reading.

Journey's End and A New Beginning

Well here I am again writing a post after being away for awhile.  This past summer has not only been filled with adventures of our family but also a change in the dynamics of our home.  There is a new addition to our family and she goes by the name of Cheyanna.  She joined our family last week after a long journey to obtain custody of my 16 month old niece, Chey.  My wife has  created a blog, Our Journey to C, with details of the struggles and challenges we over came in our fight to get her in our care.  So after 16 months, she has finally been placed in our lives and we could not be more happy that she is finally here.  Now prior to this I was looking at maybe going back to work but with this addition, I now plan on staying home for the time being to take care of the kids.  Life with three kids is busy and a big change for all of us, but in time we will all develop and routine that will work and make things easier for everyone.  W are just glad that Chey no longer has to be moved from foster home to foster home and that we can provide a loving, safe, and stable environment where she can learn and grow.  Although one Journey has ended, another is just beginning in the lives of the Jacob Family and we are willing to share our story with anyone who is going through what we went through or any similar situation.

Been a Busy Busy Summer

Well here I am again writing my first post in over a month.  Things have been crazy busy for my family.  My wife has been hard at work and I have been very busy trying to keep up with the kids, as they keep me going all day long.  The weather has been great this summer and the kids and I have everyday been up to the park and out in the back yard enjoying the outdoors as much as possible.

During the past month we have gone out the mountains for an over night camping trip and also day trips to enjoy a BBQ, also to get away from the busy city and to escape the busy life we have at this point in time. The overnight trip was fun other than the fact that Isaiah did not want to sleep at all that night.  We think he was scared as this was his first camping trip and night in the tent.  I ended up getting up a 5am with him and taking a drive into the town of Canmore for some Tim's for the wife and I, also timbits for the kids.  But other than that, the kids had a great time.  There was also a show at the campground outdoor amphitheater that Paxton enjoyed very much.  This trip Justus came along, but the old man is not as young as he use to be and when the cool night air came in, he was having problems with his joints.  Then the day we were leaving, when we started packing I could of swore he was saying "home" and had the biggest smile on his face. 

There were many more adventures that have occurred since my last post and just decided to start with this quick post before heading to bed.   As tomorrow is another day with the wife working days, and I am sure will bring more excitement with the kids.  Thanks for reading.

Trip to Bow Valley Provincial Park

A few days ago, the family and I all ventured out the mountains for the day to Bow Valley Provincial Park.
It was nice to escape the  big city and the regular day-to-day routine to enjoy the great outdoors.  We rented a camp site for the day, set up the tent and enjoyed the beautiful day. 

All my daughter wanted to do was explore all the trails and play at the playground that wasn't to far from our site.

For dinner we roasted hot dogs for the kids.  Our day ended around 8:00 and we packed up and headed home as we had an early appointment to attend in the next morning.

It was a great day and nice to get back to nature with a trip out to the mountains.  Although it was just for the day, it was fun for the whole family, which had its up and downs, as all the sun and fresh air wore the kids out.

The mountains are beautiful and camping there is something we enjoy very much, and in the near future we will plan a trip to spend at least one night when my wife has some time off.