February 3

And so my babies are growing up! The 3rd marks Emanuel’s 7th birth-DATE… the  twins turn 9 on the 5th. What with Nana and Baba leaving for Mexico on the 6th we had to do the party before they left. Sunday (Superbowl Sunday!) was the only day that worked for both Ken’s folks AND Ken’s aunt Judy. The theme for the party? Perry the Platypus! Everything from the tablecloth to the cake… the  boys were over the moon. Though Trinity was quite disgusted with the lack of Candace (the big sister character).

We figured out afterwards that if you pulled down the left branch Perry peeked out the side of the tree!

It was doubly special to not only have Gavin’s god-daddy Cory there with his girlfriend Karen (no y) and other friends and family but to have TED there as well! 

We had quite the family filled guest list with Ken’s Aunty Judy and Uncle Jim, the kids’ cousins and their parents and of course Nana and Baba. Add in Gavin’s god father Cory and his girlfriend Karen and Ken’s good friend Christopher and his wife Renee and their two kids (Nathan and Evan) to the people already in the house and we had a nice crowd.

Echo and Evan

There was Skylanders to play afterwards and Lego to assemble. I think the day was a total success…

Lego with Cory

And to round out the evening – Uncle Sean made it into town! Of course he and Ken had to say hello in their own special way. Three friends together again!

Just like old times

So familiar

 Now for some more pictures of the kids!!

Our party girls

One of the birthday boys

Happy Birthday Boys! (Zander left)

Present time!

October 5-6

Can you believe it, we got ANOTHER set of instructions to draw!! The kids are so excited every time I start the printer and are starting to expect it to be new instructions almost every day… our newest addition – ZOMBIES!!! Both of the twins were immediately dropping everything to draw their own! The results are terrific as usual!

ZOMBIES!!!

I have to admit, I paid for the extended version of an app as well! We got the full our 80 level Perry the Platypus game for our iPad. It was only 99cents and Gavin especially LOVES it. There is a little more to it than Where’s My Water and of course it has the added bonus of characters and voice overs from Phineas and Ferb the show. (a favourite for our family off Disney Channel) I have become VERY strict on the gaming with the kids and removed the computer time from our daily schedule and put the iPad use down to every other week. I am hoping to put it back into our schedule but it is hard to let them get very much time before they start bickering or making it the be all and end all of everything. Our time without electronics has fostered so much creativity in all of the kids…

We just really try to push those books!!!

We did, however, do one of our all time favourite time consuming craft – paper chain making, in the wonderful Halloween colours of orange and black. All of the bigger kids worked on them but in the end I think Emanuel and Trinity were the proudest! 

Working CAREFULLY with the stapler

So very very proud

Saturday our plans did not go off perfectly. Well half did, half didn’t. Our evening plans with the Schwartz family were cancelled when Christopher had a run in with a power tool. Thankfully nothing was destroyed in his hand but with a trip to emergency and the necessary seeing of a hand surgeon, well that was that on those. It actually turned out for the best as even though the weather warmed up half way through the day, our morning into early afternoon of shopping for winter gear wore EVERYONE out. There was really no energy left TO go out by 2pm and everyone (except myself) went for a nap!!

The result of industrious shopping… thank you so much again Nana and Baba

This left me free to crochet. I am actually getting quite the stack of finished pieces, adding to the two scarves is a hat, fingerless gloves, two dishcloths (Christmas themed) and most recent – a mesh hat. I am very thankful to my friend Caroline who emailed me the hat pattern. I plan on making it again with a larger mesh area, and in a different colour. Though the one I just made matches the Canada mittens I bought LAST winter.

Sorry about the fuzzy pictures… used the iPad

One of the fingerless gloves

Worn more like a snood than a hat really but I love it!!!

Not the most exciting of Saturdays but a good family together time at least and allowed us to rest up for a VERY active Sunday!!

Bedtime popcorn and movie after a busy busy day!