I swear officer, we are an honest family!!!

Anyone who knows our Keegan knows his LOVE for insects and animals.  After 14 years of his passion it can be overwhelming at times.  Take 4 months ago for instance ... All the Anderson kids and their cousins were on holidays, rounding up slugs, larva, dragon flies, and yes even large toads.  It was entertaining to say the least and it was something that even I did as a child.  Keegan however can never part with his "friends" and always wants to invite them home.  Even after explaining that they can't be let go in our eco system and on and on and on ... He still insisted that he could provide a nice home for his new toads.  Let the record stand right now that I plain out said NO!  I don't have a problem being the bad COP in the family, after all ... I know it will save me heart ache and frustration in the end.  Well, fast forward to this fall.  Keegan (the owner of two BC toads) started grade 9 in a new school with a teacher who was just as passionate about the eco system and the animals that it contained.  Unfortunately he is a little extreme and told Keegan that he can NEVER, EVER let the toads go.  Ever was a hard word for us.  Especially since with all the windows being shut now, those darn toads were really beginning to stink.  And, unfortunately Keegan's heart was taken by a new little lizard friend in the pet store.  So, like most moms out there I set forth a plan.  We would buy the lizard and hide him in our closet while PLAN A - We try to give our toads away or PLAN B - If no one takes them by Christmas we can send them back to their original home with Aunty Corey. Should have just gone with plan B.  So I (not Blaine but ME) put an ad on Kijji, explaining that they can not be let go.  It was a long shot anyways and no one responded so I (once again, just me) decided to go with PLAN B but forgot to delete the ad.  Well yesterday (the night before Christmas Eve) Here I was ... At work, working with gmail when I noticed on my gmail account a reply to my ad.  First thought ... Oh shoot, I forgot to delete that ad.  Then I notice my reply was from a Fish and Wildlife officer - Tammy, can you please call me?  Second thought ... Are you stinking kidding me?  I know they are from another province but seriously???? I reply ... " It's all good, they are going back to their original home the day after boxing day."  And I carry on with work.  10 minutes later ... a second email "Tammy, please call me."  Third thought .. Oh my goodness.  Am I in trouble?  I have five minutes left of work.  I will go home, explain this whole thing to Blaine and then get him to call.  :) So I packed up from work, shut everything down loaded my two work kids in the truck and we headed home.  Just as I rounded the bend into our cul de sac I noticed THE TRUCK!  A Fish and Wildlife truck to be exact.  "Just stay in the truck!" I tell the kids.  I walk inside and Blaine is cooking supper while Keegan is sitting at the table, glued to his lap top with his earphones on."  "Does no one notice the the Fish and Wildlife truck outside?" I ask.  "Yep", Blaine says.  "He came to the door and asked if we had toads from BC here.  I told him yes and he asked what species they were.  I told him I had no clue so he took them to his truck and is looking them up now."  Moments later the officer returns and proceeds to tell us that collecting ANY animals in ANY province is an offence.  Bringing them across to another province is another offence and since Keegan is under age we are responsible for his actions therefore held accountable for these offences.  I was honestly waiting for the handcuffs to come out.  And ... Apparently not knowing any better is not an excuse in the court of law.  Instead of giving us fines of up to $5,000.00 and charging both of us we were handed 2 warning tickets and our names were added "to the system."  So, the officer took with him two toads and gently closed the door.  The minute that door closed we had anger, we had embarrassment, we had sorrow, we had every kind of tear you can imagine.  Not just from one child either but from all of us.  The only way to salvage the evening was to take Keegan into our closet and unveil the hidden lizard Christmas present.  Lessons learned?  I think so.  1.  NEVER say yes to new friends, especially foreign ones.  and 2. Big Brother is the real deal.  All I had on that ad was my postal code and my name.
I still can't believe all of that over 2 toads.  Can you imagine if he would have asked to search the house and found a lizard in our closet.  We would have really looked suspicious.  Oh the joys you bring to our lives dear Keegan.  :)

Happy 15th Birthday

Hey Kiddo;

In just a few short hours you will be 15.  15!!! Can you believe that?  It is so hard to believe that in 3 years you will be an adult.  Wow how the time fly's by.  The other day I read something that someone had posted on Facebook about raising teenagers.  It talked about how us as parents should take the time to do all these great things with you so that you will turn out awesome.

There is no secret that you and I have had our differences this past year.  I think our biggest challenge is that we are so much alike that we tend to get on each others nerves.  We are both not morning people.  Ginny comes upstairs all bubbly and wants to know how we slept, dad comes downstairs whistling away, while you and I both need silence.  Sometimes their happy is too loud. :)  Just like me you love to tease but sometimes you tease to rough or someone takes your teasing the wrong way.  We have tender hearts but boy can we let others know when we are not impressed.

Anyways, after reading that article my heart ached a little.  I felt like for some reason I failed you but then no sooner did I think that when you came upstairs, laughing hystarically because you called some kid Salmon when his name was Solomon.  Lately you have been cracking these little harmless insults that show you are just trying to tease us.  Your freakishly passion for ants has finally turned into something interesting.  You have such a passion to become an enterpernour.  You are always looking to make something that will sell big.  :)  I am so proud of you.

I love how dating is not your number one concern.  I love how when family tempts you to try things that you shouldn't you stand firm and say no.  I love how have your own sense of style.  I especially love how I shared that exact same style when I was your age but you think of us as old. :) I love your crackling voice and your laughter.  I love how you always want your sister or brother by your side.  I love how as much as you hate our rules, you will still abide by them.

I guess what I am trying to say is although I sometimes feel like I am failing with you, all I have to do step away and look through the window at the man you are becoming.  You will struggle and I will have to let you fall but I will always be there to pick you up and pat you on back.  You are finding your own wings and learning to fly.  Always remember how important God is to our family.  Always remember that we are there for you no matter what.  Always know that we will be here every step of the way until you spread your wings and soar.  Happy Birthday son.

Love you buddy.
XOXOX

Mom

 

     

Good Newz

These last few weeks have been absolutely CRAZY!!! I have seriously stretched myself the farthest I have yet. It all started with offering to help build a float for VBS. I offered our help and our ideas, thinking we would only play a small part and not end up being the main designers. Later that week, I walked into a Tupperware party much to late and felt bad so I ended up booking a party. A few days after that I felt bad for my niece because she was graduating and they are broke as usual. I hated the fact that this was her big day and they couldn't afford to take her out so I offered to throw a graduation BBQ. Oh and at the same time we had to do a bottle drive for the Amazing Challenge and plant the garden. All of which were taking place in the same week. Somewhere during this hectic week I realized that I booked Malakai's appointment with the Homeopathic Doctor the same time as he was gone to summer camp. Thank goodness they got us in on a cancellation. But guess when the day was ..... Yep, the same week as the Tupperware party, the float prep, the bottle drive, the grad BBQ and the parade.

Somehow we survived and guess what .... Good News!!! To our surprise, Malakai has a severe Copper deficiency. Apparently this medicine he is now taking will bring his Copper level up, which will result in a much happier Malakai. I pray this works.

At the same time I laugh because with my last post I couldn't think of anything funny that Keegan had said lately but after a long week and weekend he finally had time on his zoo tycoon. As Blaine and I were watching a movie last night he comes running into the living room. "I got Good News" he exclaims. "What?" we ask. I thought maybe he had remembered to tell us something that he forgot. "The Zoo returned my camels that they took from me." When it comes to Keegan animals and insects are always good news.

Kids say the darndest things.

Here are some funny things the kids have said in the last few months.


Malakai ~

To the kindergarten teacher of all things - "Can I mate when I am 18"? I am hoping that he meant date.

"I didn't take my mouth guard out, it just crawled out of my mouth."

Keegan "hey dad, Buffalo are extinct aren't they"? Malakai "Oh yah, they sure do stink."

Ginny ~ As she is eating pop rock Candy eggs she leans real close to Blaine and says..." Hey dad, listen to my ear, you can hear the popping.

"Mommy, if you weren't married and you were a boy, or I was I boy, I would marry you .... cause your a great parent." :)

Keegan ~
Well, off the top of my head, I can't think of anything bizarre that he has said lately. Maybe he is just growing up too fast. I will keep my ears pealed though.

Kids will say the darndest things. Part ?

Let me begin by telling you that during the summer the kids planted star fruit seeds and some apple seeds from an apple out at my parents house. They started the seeds in the house and will be moving them out next spring. So, needless to say our kids have been trying many attempts to get seeds started in our house, all with the resounding "No, we are moving shortly, we do not need seeds in the house right now."

So, here I am laying on the couch when in comes Keegan through the front door.

Keegan ~ "Mom, when are going to have a baby?

I look at him with a very puzzled look

Me ~ "What?"

At that point I see a HUGE branch poking it's way into the door with Ginny right behind. Keegan proceeds to giggle and asks the question again.

It was then that I clued in and realized that Keegan was trying to distract me while Ginny brought in half of a tree to grow inside for the winter.

Out of the mouth of Keegan

Let me catch you up on a small detail of this story before I begin.

Last summer my nephew dared the kids to eat a worm. Of course Keegan being the bug expert he is absolutely objected. However he then dared A.J to eat one. A.J is smart and then proceeded to eat a worm (so they thought). On our way to Nanna and Opa's farm today this is the conversation that started from our bug expert himself.

Keegan ~ "Mom, when is Jesus going to come and get us and take us to heaven?"

Me ~ "I don't know Keegan, no one will ever really know the time."

Keegan ~ "Mom, do you think that when he comes and gets us to go to heaven he will let
me make a bug?

Me ~ "Well....if that were the case what kind of bug would you make?"

~~~

The thoughts and ideas were crazy ones, most all of them consisting of spiders.

~~~

Ginny ~ "You better not make a worm, remember? A.J eats worms."

Keegan ~ "I know! I will make a worm that has a big mouth and when he opens it, it is
like a vacuum that sucks up ants."

~~~

Keegan then breaks into his cute little uncontrollable laugh and says

~~~

Keegan ~ "Then, when A.J goes to eat him, the worm transforms into an ant and then bites him."

~~~

That is our Keegan...Ants and transformers mixed in with God and his creation. You gotta love it.