No blogging tonight, instead a special video featuring Miss Trinity…

In the general business that is a weekend totally full of stuff I forgot to mention a VERY important event that occurred this weekend… on the 23rd to be exact! As of October 23rd my husband is 33 years old! We didn’t really do anything to celebrate this weekend – the baptism meant no time for a LAN party or anything, but come middle of November he is having his traditional LAN party – friends, computers and beer.

Our birthday boy

We woke up today to our first substantial snow fall. With how busy the weekend was and it being a Monday (Ken’s busiest work day of course) we have yet to go out and try it out. The twins are without snow pants currently though I have had a few emails stating interest in some of my items on Kijiji which will offset the cost of their new pieces. I found last year’s costumes and posted those tonight. Who knows maybe some last minute shopper? The plan is to box them up after Halloween and post them next year again. After all they are perfectly usable.

Snow!

I brought out one of their new items we bought with our funding – rubbing plates – leaves and dinosaurs. It didn’t take them long to catch on to how to rub “naked” crayons on their papers to get the imprints. So while we did not get right back into dinosaurs and Canada we did get some more math sheets done and art projects.

Zander and Emanuel making a dinosaur rubbing

Actually Ken and the boys went out this evening to the Michaels free craft event. There are actually quite a few coming up on Halloween. Without the van he could only take the 3 boys so Trinity and I stayed home with Echo and watched the newest Scooby Doo animation.

At Michaels (Zander blue)

Emanuel checking the glow in the dark

I have a few other gifts and purchases to share! Since the maker of these lovely hair bands has her parents living in the same town as my mom we were able to co-ordinate a drop off of this lovely item. I have yet to dress Echo up and take pictures but that is going to happen REALLY soon!!!

I don't know if you can see it but the band itself is a lovely purple

And then there were the two gifts Echo received for her baptism. From the den Otters – a Christmas ornament and from her local godparents (Nathan and Ada) – a 2011 calendar made up of some of their favourite pictures of her. Such lovely gifts!!

Such a lovely set of presents

Little Miss Echo has spent a lot of today sleeping, she wore herself out being sociable at the church and then during our dinner. She actually let herself be passed around and held for quite a large portion of the day! That means today she is a bit clingy and sleepy. She forced me to head to bed rather early last night – not to sleep, just the bedroom. She just couldn’t settle with the noise of the tv and Ted and Ken and snuggling in my lap. So we went to the bedroom early iTouch in hand and she settled right down!

We made a final decision on what our announcement photo is! The image of Echo in her sister’s faerie wings won out. So if anyone is wanting one… I printed off some this past weekend and can mail out to whoever wants them! Let me know!

Lovely

The rest of our week is pretty well centred here at home, unless we get the van back that is! BUT Ken is going to take the boys out to the Telus Science Centre to get our pass and MAYBE the fort as the weather is starting to become true winter and they are not open in December. Next week is my post delivery follow up (that is going to be a neat trick to get to if we don’t have the van by the weekend) and Wednesday is Echo’s first round of shots. I HATE that but I understand why we need to do it.

Ken got some money for his birthday from his folks so while out at Michaels the boys stopped by at Best Buy. He got himself a new game and the kids a video… which they will watch AFTER tomorrow’s tv ban. The twins decided to whine about doing chores before watching a show the little ones were watching already that I have on the pvr. Word World is back on the request list! Gavin especially has started REALLY getting interested in the idea of reading.

Presents!

I am already planning on making more flowers and barrettes, and if I can get Ken to stop in at Dollarama I will make some more nylon headbands. After all Halloween is in our sights and then there is Christmas and the gifts we want to give our friends and family. Where has the time gone??

Almost caught her smiling! She smiled her first real smile at Mommy today!

Today I have a legitimate reason to have waited a full two days to update – this was Echo’s baptism weekend coupled with pumpkin carving for the 4 other kids.

100% Adorable right?

Saturday started off slow with all of us sleeping in some. Then cleaning, prepping, sorting and the like. Ken had to run out to get groceries and run errands and then the people started arriving. We didn’t get visitors until late into dinner time. Chris and Chris got here just as Ken and Ted arrived with the shopping and pumpkins.

First we towed all the pumpkins into the basement where Ken had set up an area for us to take pictures.

Pumpkin babies (Zander red)

Just us girls (note the Kai Lan doll from Chris and Chris)

Then they had to be brought BACK upstairs for carving. Ted, Ken and (he)Chris did  the majority, but the kids got the opportunity to dig out the guts.

Mucking in (Gavin front)

Finished pumpkins

Sean showed up later as did Karyn and Esther. Karyn came with the bits and bobs to have chocolate fondue, (she)Chris and I did a slurpee run earlier… and we settled in for a lovely late evening. Stayed up way later than I should of and had quite the battle getting the kids in bed with all the company here. The twins and Emanuel shared Emanuel’s room so that Karyn could sleep in theirs. Esther lucked out and got the couch and Chris and Chris the quiet room. Full house with Ted and Sean heading back to their respective homes around 2 or 3 am.

Our morning was hectic as to be expected. 5 children to dress and 6 adults to ready themselves to get out the door by 10:40. Zander had to have his arm redressed, Trinity her ponies put in along with the clips I had made for her out of ribbon flowers. Echo had to have her gown put on (a task in and of itself) and of course all the kids fed. And then being the crazy people we are – photos!

All 5 dressed for Church (Zander white shirt)

Whole family (Gavin left)

Me and My Man

We then had to play musical cars to get our whole family to the church. Ken and I took our loaner from mom with the girls and the boys all crammed in Esther’s rental with Karyn leaving Chris and Chris in their own vehicle. One stop to gas up and we all made it in time (though Karyn and Esther over shot and were the last in right as service started).

Trinity and her God-Mommies

The baptism was early in the service and went so well! Ted used our camera to video tape the whole thing. The twins were asked to fill the basin and Emanuel got to light the candle from the Christ candle. Nathan held Echo and was the one to introduce her to the congregation. It was not until the minister took her and poured/splashed the water on her head that she started complaining.

At the front

With the water

There was also a “Baptism Rap” written by the minister where the kids were asked up to play the percussion – loudly and out of beat but they had a BLAST. And communion where all 5 children got a blessing. The service was a little chaotic as the minister’s wife broke her leg BADLY on Thursday and had surgery Friday night and she was a big part of the planning and didn’t have the time to finish her portion.

The box they give all the baptized kids

We met up with Mom, Mike, Sean, Ted, Nathan, Anna and Ada met us at the church. Of course the kids wanted to sit with Grandma and Mike (Gavin chose Aunty Esther). Trinity demanded Mike’s TOTAL attention!

Trinity and her Mike

Grandma and Mike with the girls

We stopped off to pick up the cake at Safeway as well as ice and other odds and ends then back to the house for lunch.

Cake!

The night before Ken had made up our potato soup so all that was left was the dumplings and frying up sausages. A different meal from our usual party fair but yum! Alan and Xinny and their two kids met up at our home (they had a prior commitment during church). Which made the kids happy.

Playing in the livingroom (Alex is to the left there)

Lots of playing and visiting and eating of course. And Echo actually was willing to be passed around. She spent a nice chunk of the afternoon snuggled up with Aunty Esther in fact. Baby Anna also go in on the snuggle round.

Miss Anna

So this evening we were down to Ted, Ken, Echo and myself. Watching tv, eating left overs and resting. The kids were sent to bed early. What a weekend! Now the week is rather tame BUT we have high hopes on our van getting repaired. The mechanic is sourcing out a used transmission… new is rather beyond our means. The plan is to be at my mom’s for Halloween regardless. There is a safe Halloween at the local mall including a haunted house and then trick or treating in the neighbourhood. The kids are so looking forward to it. Oh and I have to take pictures of Miss Echo in her baptism splendour.

Echo and her godparents!