I am so far behind it isn’t funny! Well, actually… maybe it is a little! Anyway, mid week on my week long vacation from boys and spouse… we all woke up on the wrong side of the bed on Wednesday… but not completely. After all, there was so much still to NOT do, and two adorable (when they weren’t pouting, whining or pitching a fit) girls to enjoy it with. 

Sitting back

We started our morning with quiet time in the livingroom… thank goodness I got my iTouch back from its temporary home at Kathy’s cracked screen and all. I downloaded a couple new apps for Trinity (free versions of course) and let her go at it. A certain Dora and a friendly kitty topped the choices. 

Playing quietly

Breakfast is always entertaining when there is a deck being built! Gotta get in that sunshine. The activity going on right outside the window was an added bonus. 

Breaky

BANANA

They actually made some awesome progress over the early portion of the day. With country music to boot!

Men at work

Progress!

When watching the workers paled and Echo needed a nap TRINITY watered the flowers she and Kathy had planted before Kathy left for Ontario. She was adamant that it was HER job and I was only allowed to watch and take pictures. 

Water the flowers

After lunch it was time to relax and wait for Kathy to get in from her flight. I think her kitties were VERY happy to get their mommy back and Trinity was excited to have someone new to explain what all we had been up to lately! We had further plans for the evening though. A cross stitching friend from yahoogroups and Facebook came by to finally meet in person! With her came some treats for the kids and some things for myself! It was a great visit. I hope we can do so again. 

Neko

After we saw off our friend Terri it was time to prepare for our next visitor… and use one of the gifts – CHALK!!! Trinity was so excited to have a brand new box with a whole variety of colours. Echo had to get in some lines herself and the cats took the chance to explore the immediate front yard and check out the grass. 

CHALK

Supervising

After dinner for the girls and bedtime it was  GAMING time! With Bianca (a friend from my university years), nachos and a good boardgame. Seriously this has been one of the best weekends for visiting time!! So many friends and family! 

Bianca and the boardgame

So Wednesday was not all that busy BUT we had fun… and got lots of sleep so that we could face the next day which also was… wait… check back in the next entry for all the excitement!!!

Bye! Check back tomorrow!

Since we decided NOT to take in the 3rd day of Comic Con that freed us up for a leisurely Sunday morning. Once everyone was fed and dressed and ready to go it was time to head back to pick up the boys! Trinity AND Ken were less than enthused about the notion. 

Impromptu nap before going to get her brothers... but she wasn't tired!

I wish we had gotten this artist's name... I still need to see if I can figure it out. BUT this is another of our Comic-con gems from Saturday.

We managed to get there in good time after stopping to get chocolate for Aunty Holly to go with her Little Vampire swag. And then it was time for an abbreviated visit. 

Aunty Holly and Jimmie... they had way belated birthday presents for the boys to open before we left

Trinity was completely burned out so had snuggle and quiet time. It was nice to have a relatively stress free visit with Holly while the boys cleaned up all their messes. 

Emanuel and one of the kitties

After hugs good bye it was time to head back to Kathy’s house for ANOTHER special Trinity birthday celebration! We had original My Little Pony to enjoy (the boys were exposed to the new version at my brother’s… I never did SEE my brother by the way! schedules just did not match up), and the kitties to admire. 

Kathy had ran out to IKEA and picked up meatballs to cook at her house so we had meatballs for supper again. The boys were in heaven! Sadly Trinity was just off all day. It really came down to her brothers returning. Both she and Ken walked into the situation cranky… had to have a couple chats with them about being GLAD we are all together again. She did sit up and perk up a bit for ice cream cake (Dairy Queen ice cream cake… SPOILED!). 

Ice cream cake

The belated birthday girl

Echo had to have some too!

There were MORE presents… Kathy had a pinkie pie bitty pony and an adorable kitty necklace. We finally gave Trinity her Hello Kitty txting machines. We still need to read through the instructions but she was very pleased. According to our resident 4 year old it has been an amazing birthday!

Opening presents

After tucking Trinity in in our room (aka the library) and the boys in the livingroom with even MORE classic pony it was time for boardgames. We played Fullhouse and this time only Ken was the one who had never played before… and guess who won? You got it, KEN! Kathy said it was one of the best games of that she had played in AGES. 

Boardgame

The next day it was time to face reality and head back to Chris and Chris’… but not until AFTER breakfast with Kathy and the collecting of all of our stuff. Of course I still managed to forget something… though that could be blamed on Echo who seemed to have hidden my iTouch in the couch! Of course I did not notice until well after we had left and gotten back to our home base! 

It was our first time driving the shorter drive to and from the city. It felt like a skip hop and a jump! We did stop at Superstore first and get bread, meat and cheese for an on the go lunch that was super affordable. And once again heading back with much MORE than we left with! Not that I am complaining, though Ken is… just a little! It was not easy to settle back in, the kids are just as impatient as I am to get on with the next step of our move! 

Such a pretty 4 year old!

Friday did not end with us coming home. For myself, Trinity and Echo there was a girls only weekend with Cousin Veronika to begin. Ken and I decided it was best for Echo to go to Veronika’s where there is more space and a quieter atmosphere while she got back to 100% again. Yours truly was in GREAT need of a break from the stress that has become our end of the month. Of course I will share THAT adventure after I catch this blog up on our medical saga.

I was home a little over an hour, called my mom, started sorting through a few things to continue on for use during the weekend before Veronika made it to our place.  I had prepacked most of what we needed anyway so it was rather easy to gather everything up and head out… with a stroller and playpen of course. 

Our first stop was the grocery store to pick up Echo’s baby aspirin and run through our instructions with the pharmacist. Apparently the way we are using the aspirin is really the only way you use it now a days.  Then it was on to Veronika’s for supper and hanging out. RELAXATION (once we drug all our stuff in) was just what we all needed… time with Trinity, watching Echo get used to walking around again… sitting around NOT worrying… it was so nice! We really didn’t have much planned for the weekend but lots of fun and time without the stresses that are present in my home right now. 

The only plastic cup in the house!

Stretching those legs!

That night Kathy came to visit with a new old boardgame for us to try. She lives 10 min or so from Veronika’s so the drive was very short for her. We hung out and watched the new Muppets movie with Trinity first and then it was time for games and snacks. Good company, positive company was a balm for the soul really. We stayed up late visiting and hanging out after Kathy left. 

I think it was called Fullhouse. It was made in 1979 and was a hotel based game, great fun and not too hard to learn!

Of course that meant ECHO was up SUPER early… and now that she is completely mobile no sleeping on the floor for Mommy. But that was ok, as we made sure to make time for a nap in the afternoon.  Saturday we went out to the grocery store for free cookies from the bakery and a ride in the car shaped shopping cart (oh and groceries). It was so much fun watching the girls turn the little steering wheels and Echo cover herself in cookie. 

The awesome cart

The amazing cookies

The reason for the outfit change (and this was BEFORE she finished the cookie, it got worse!)

The rest of Saturday was relaxing… of course the nap mentioned above, snacking, bad tv… all the wonderful things in life. Lots of girly time!

Wandering pre grocery trip

Learning the iPad from big sister

Post cookie yoga?

Followed by serious colouring with the favourite cousin

And passing out on the couch late at night

Sunday morning we headed over to Kathy’s to visit with her, her brother and her kitties. Well the kitties were a little nervous but we will win them over. I am supposed to pet sit at her house in June so we are visiting when we can to work on getting to know them better. 

More colouring at Kathy's

As an added bonus Trinity got to make cookies with Veronika, the premade dough in a tube kind. We tried no name brand – total yum!

Baking of the cookies

NOMS

The weather went a little icky Sunday with more snow… so we came back to the house and had naps and tv and and and… repeat process.

Baby in the house

Then onto Monday and a slight change in plans – story time at the Indigo Veronika works at. Well we didn’t make it much through story time but Trinity had fun playing with the toys. We decided to shop the next day as the weather was even worse… snow and rain and in the morning fog. Of course a quick stop off at the grocery for cookies first! 

Screw the books... they had TOYS

And trains

But Dinah was more fun!

We spent another quiet evening in the home. Trinity got spoiled with a chocolate cake in a mug. 

Spoiled little girl!

TUESDAY was shopping day… Trinity opted NOT to go to storytime but we wandered enough that when we came around to the bookstore to shop there was CRAFT time! So of course Trinity sat down and partook. It was a Scardey Squirrel themed event (we have some of those books thanks to Karyn) and we even got a poster to take home!  We had lunch in the foodcourt… Trinity had KFC that she shared with Echo and I went for A&W (I do so love their rootbeer). It was fun to just sit and chat and people watch (one of Echo’s favourite activities). Then back to shopping.

Enjoying the mall

Which had some cool decor

With the best of cousins

Stopping only for lunch

We found a cute dolly for Trinity at the Buck or Two for 3.00, I got a pair of pjs on sale for around 5.00. We checked out the Sanrio store that was Hello Kitty heaven but decided against purchasing. Instead we stopped at a Dollarama where we bought some bits and bobs. It was fun to get out and do a little guilt free shopping, though I wish I had been able to find a book or two! 

With dolly - 3.00!

The plan WAS to head home Tuesday night but after calling Ken and finding out that there really was nothing for me to do back home to help with month end’s drama and the calmness that was right where I was… and a cousin willing to drive me home the next day the plan changed to Wednesday. Sometimes the vacation doesn’t have to end… well for one more night at least. 

Darling Dinah

Wednesday actually showed a slight change in pattern – Echo let us sleep in until 8! Veronika was long gone for work for the day so that left us some time to get working on her laundry and boxing up some items (she is moving by the 15th of April). A last half day or so of relaxation and avoidance before returning to the chaos. 

My yellow girls

And a little more iPad

Trinity (and myself really) did NOT want to go home… she was in tears when we pulled up to the house! BUT once she saw Daddy it was a little better. The rest of the evening she had to tell me how much she missed Veronika. (I think she actually missed her more than the iPad!) It was so surreal to walk back into the chaos and noise after so long away. 

Zander had lots his two front (top) teeth while I was gone! (and Echo grew in her bottom left from center tooth!) They had watched a TON of tv, played games with Daddy (Zander asked the tooth fairy for nothing more than more time with Daddy! He wrote her a letter and everything I am told!) and got utterly spoiled. So we all had a bit of fun that week! 

So very glad she is up and walking again!