So no splash park yesterday – there is a computer issue with the one in town near my mom’s place and if they DID run it right now it would cost them thousands a day in water costs! (apparently it is something to do with the sensors and timers that is wrong and there is ONE person in the province whose job it is to deal with that!) We made up for it in spades though with GARDENING WITH GRANDMA! AKA… make a mess with dirt and water and end up with (hopefully) little plants for later!

Gardening with Grandma Anna (Zander left)

Even Trinity got in on the fun (especially Trinity maybe!) taking ownership of a shovel and some of the pots that marigolds came in… she moved dirt from one place to another and was quite content grinding a nice layer of dirt into her previously clean clothing.

Watering the new plants with Grandma Anna

Of course HARLEY was included by the fun thanks to a leash and the handy railing which kept her in the front yard and a part of the action. I love watching how Trinity just deals with her, she squeaks at her if Harley attempts to steal her toys and is not the least bit concerned about getting up close and playful. Just how I wanted these two to interact.

Harley in the sunshine

After gardening was sprinkler fun. The lack of a spash park was a minor upset due to Grandma’s luck out shopping – she found THREE pairs of swim shoes (they will be broken in here at home for a while and then taken out to the cabin for fun in the lake). Apparently that was an acceptable replacement – new shoes that are SUPPOSED to get wet. The cabin is over by a lake that is pebble and rock bottomed and we don’t want to ruin the sandals they got for Easter if we can avoid it.

Running in the sprinkler (Zander front)

Of course we also had to have supper at Grandma and Mike’s which meant firing up the bbq for hotdogs. I am not sure who has more fun bbqing – the kids or Mike. Trinity absolutely loves the attention she gets when Mike is in the backyard.

Enjoying the BBQing (Gavin left)

A surprise set of visitors stopped by after supper – a friend of mom’s (Tammy) and her two daughters (Charlotte and Veronica). So we all had a nice visit until Ken was able to wrap up what he was working on in the basement on his netbook and we could head home (much later than I thought I would – we left around 10 pm when I thought we would be leaving before 9!). We made it home in one piece, garden in tow and put the kids right to bed and myself soon after!

Charlotte and Gavin colouring

I did do some shopping in town as well… sadly no diaper pail (they were sold out at the local baby goods store), but I found a little Canadian top for Trinity, picked up our planting supplies and meandered around Liquidation world. I was really hoping to get in some more baby supply shopping but it was not to be!

My dr’s appointment yesterday morning went pretty well… my weight is up again this time to 129lbs right one schedule for once, bloodpressure a “good low” and my stomach measuring right. I was given my paperwork for my glucose test with an added check into iron levels (I am still wondering if the PREVIOUS cupping… I mean BLOODWORK was two vials due to a check on my iron that no one thought to mention to me…), right now I am 27+ weeks so next week for that. My regular doctor was on a week’s vacation so I saw one of his partners and her intern. Basically she reinforced that the placenta SHOULD move, things are ok and not to worry. Though I am now to schedule my appointments every 2 weeks apart. Seems like the time has just zipped by! What was doubly frustrating was the fact that TWO of the doctor’s were on holiday for the week so two others were picking up the slack. So the doctor I saw was seeing double her normal number of patients in the same amount of time… my 9:45 appointment had us in well after 10 after waiting in a waiting room that has NO toys since the virus last year… not so fun!

Pregnant in the shade

Today was a bit on the cool side but due to Ada being due in around 2 weeks we decided to meet at a park and have a little picnic anyway! After all time IS running out before she and baby will be getting to know each other and the heat here… We all got a taste of her mother’s cooking in the form of what the boys call duckings (dumplings) and some chicken. Talk about delicious, and of course we brought banana bread – Nathan’s favourite.

Ada's Mom and Trinity

I am hoping we can get in at least one more get together in more favourable weather BEFORE god-baby #3 comes (that’s right my little family will officially swell to 8 kids when we have our baby… 3 god-children to call our own as well!). I have to admit I feel VERY honoured to have had 3 sets of parents consider us for god-parents. Anthony, Isabella and Baby Perrin the 1st all have a very special place in our hearts!

I have to admit I am feeling a lot more exhausted then I thought I would today… after a day of gardening and running after kids, then today more of the same (the running party)… I am about ready for a rest. Without my newest batch of pictures I have no excuse but to work on the cross stitch for the June wedding… which is probably a GOOD thing. I am trying to map out the next week or so with a balance of fun and rest… so I think we will have a couple of trips out courtesy of our Leisure pass… I have my bloodwork on Tuesday (ick), another doctor’s appointment the week AFTER that, a Michaels free craft on the 5th and of course a trip to the mountains with Karyn to schedule… Was it really ME who thought THIS summer would be a quiet one??

Note the SHAVED face!!

With sun returning but the weather still a wee bit on the cool side we amended our picnic plans to include a trip to H&W for fruits and veggies, and then a stop over at a park we had found through a homeschooling community weekly parkdate last summer. This one is a combined splashpark pad AND play area with two sets of play equipment – one for little guys and another for bigger. Carrots and broccoli with veggie dip, apple juice and of course our weekly fruit snack treat.

Snack and a bit of work (Zander)

What I like about this park is that the sand is not so thick as the one more local to us AND the older child area much more challenging than many of the other parks we frequent. Even Ken had a blast climbing on everything – though mainly chasing after Trinity who has shown nearly NO fear on the equipment.

Monkey Trinity

Emanuel

It amazes me how that almost 2 hours out and about feels like nearly 4 to me right now. Though the little two easily passed out for their naptime which freed me up some more time to stitch. My goal is to complete this larger piece in record time to give me the freedom to find the perfect frame and mat to finish it off… now if I can actually pull that off is a whole other thing.

I am having a bit of a battle with Zander and the concept of TAKING  YOUR TIME… we have had to redo a couple of worksheets due to his rushing everything to get done and making a mess of it. I love creativity and I love it when they want to learn but to rush to be first done is not working for us. It is funny how the personality figures in, Gavin is a definite slow worker and Emanuel hit or miss but Zander is consistently rush rush rush.

So June is nearly here as is the laundry list of June events: my birthday, our 9th anniversary, Father’s Day, my step-mom’s birthday, our god-daughter’s birthday, Yoyo and Jon’s wedding (I am REALLY excited about that one!), summer programs with the library, an ultra sound, doctor’s appointments for the boys… the list goes on and on. I was alerted today that there seems to be a mechanical problem at the splash park near my mom so our plans are being shifted… but gardening WILL go on!

Ready and waiting for fun! (yelling CHEEEESSSEEE of course - Zander left)

So on that note time to get off the computer to sew and take some more maternity photos!

Earlier today!

The weather has FINALLY turned back in our favour, something that is a huge relief to both Ken and myself. Close quarters after the freedom of the sunny weather is hard to take with 4 very active children.

The ground is almost dried out so tomorrow looks good for maybe a mini picnic if nothing else. After all we are about out of ALL our produce already and have a busy Wednesday in store for us which is our usual shopping day. I figure some fruits and veggies, a knife, plates, napkins, dip and drinks and we are set for an hour or more of fun before naps and Ken gets down to work for the day.

Today we made a trip out to Babies R Us to do some scoping out of things for Baby #5. I only actually bought a container of Lansinoh lanolin cream for breastfeeding and some children’s sunscreen for Trinity’s sensitive skin. There are so many things I WANT for the baby… but NEEDs are not always the same.

Babies R Us purchases

We managed to also make it to Walmart where we FINALLY were able to get some nice (and super affordable) booster seats for the twins. After waiting for months for a backorder that never came, Ken got his deposit back and purchased two different ones for the price of ONE of the ones we originally looked at. Apple juice was on sale (4 for 5.00 plus deposit), and so were my prentatal vitamins so it really was a lucrative trip! Top it off with ANOTHER Baby #5 purchase – the VERY necessary soft blanket for coming home. Trinity’s was blue, this one is a lovely white/off white and as Emanuel said – very “softy,” and under 15.00!

Baby blanket

Karyn stopped by on her way home from visiting her parents in Saskatchewan and we took the chance to head to The Mall for crepes (mmm), a little shopping (ie. Body Shop face wash for me) and of course a quick stop off at Michaels and in my weak moment I purchased a package of blue shades of 8 1/2X11 cardstock.

I do love blue

After Karyn left Ken headed out to empty out the pool so we can move it to mow our now well watered (thank you rain) lawn and refill for hours of water induced fun. Still no new water toys in the house but I am keeping an eye peeled!

Supervisor Trinity

I got a rather LARGE amount of scrapbooking done last night (coupled with a phone call from one of Ken’s cousins in the states! I love talking to her!), I am pretty much two pages away from having all our CURRENT activities scrapbooked for Trinity’s book. (Just don’t ask me about the Minnesota batch from 2009… that is a bit of a headache with the needing to weed out excess pictures and events) My goal is to complete her book and then get started on the ultra sounds (after June) and pregnancy favourites before Baby #5 meets the family in person.

1st Slurpee

Mother's Day 2010

Local Zoo

Como Zoo 2009

So back to ordering MORE pictures… there IS a deal at Superstore – 10 cents a print (4×6) IF you order 100 or more… sadly  my focus is scrapbooking and not the way far behind photo albums that are hiding in our bedroom… the goal is to work on those with the next sale.

We also managed to get in some quality art time today and all 3 boys drew pictures for the southern branch of the Reinsch family to be mailed later this week. The year of events envelope now! Oops!

Art by the boys

We do have the week SORT of planned out – tomorrow is going to be a mini picnic – by that I mean, veggies and fruits and the kids outside LOTS to wear them out and maybe cut down on the nasty behaviour. Wednesday is my dr’s appointment, then we are heading straight to my mom’s for some gardening, hopefully splash park enjoyment and of course restful visiting with Grandma, Mike and Harley. Thursday I am HOPING to get out with friends and then a quick peek at a couple animals at the zoo leaving Friday our at home day. And then the weekend and the great unknown ending May and leading us in to SUPER busy June! BUT the sunshine is back and with it the smiles on our faces!

Start the day off fresh (Gavin left)

... and then wear them out!