Now how do you start a Monday the right way? Well… walk your mother’s dog with two happy little boys. There was even some treasure found! Zander found a penny and a marble! Very exciting, and on our walk we practiced spelling random words… Zander absolutely LOVED the one on one time and is determined that we need to do it much more often. 

Found treasure

I have to admit that as much as I do not want our own family dog… grandma’s is our dog now lock stock and barrow and we love her. I think she rather loves us as well! I was a mean Mommy on Monday and forced the boys to get all educational… outside… in the front… with… GASP… CHALK! Yup, I gave them a list of names of everyone in our family and Grandma and Grandpa Mike and Gypsy and told them to go create. I think they did a great job!

Our family courtesy of Gavin... I especially love the hair

We did our usual school stuff… and made our way through our day with baby and dog in perfect alignment for entertaining themselves. I do love how well they have bonded together!

Buddies

We had surprise visitors, a friend of mine and mom’s came by slurpee in hand (seriously EVERYONE knows my addiction)… Tammy and 2 of her kids (Veronica and Russel). VISITING TIME! You never realize how much a supportive friend is helpful when you are feeling a little down. We chatted about life, frustrations, silly things… and watched our babies enjoy each other’s company. Russel is MUCH younger than Echo but almost the same size. She kept petting him like she does the dog and following him as he crawled. I love it when she plays with other kids. She is so happy! 

Toys!

Travel buddies

I have a new goal – I am going to take the two patterned rolls of duct tape Tammie got me and make a lunchbox for her daughter. I have some ideas I just need to go to Michaels in the city next weekend (church again) and get some purple to tie it all together (none in town here at Walmart boo). A new challenge is always welcome, I just need to finish up the purses I have for sale on the 9th first… and the headbands… and a few more stacked bows… oops! Oh and I think there are a few featureless owls STILL!

After we saw off our friends it was time to make a family trip to Walmart for food and a few craft supplies… oh and a stop off at Dollarama for more RC Cola… I had had a really rough morning with tears and all first thing so I did take a walk before lunch SOLO to get some perk me up items! So yes, it was a TWO slurpee day… and I emotionally need it. Sometime being a woman SUCKS! And as Ken says… it HAS TO BE at the end of the month when right now that is an instant high stress time…

So we had to make it up with Tuesday… I decided to be one on one with the dog and speed walk my way to happiness… when Mommy is the one out of sorts sometimes SHE needs a time out. So I took one, with Gypsy. I have to say I love that feeling where we both just focused on the walk and what we could find out and about. The rest of the world, for that period of time, did not matter. Just Gypsy, me and whatever we saw as we wandered around the neighbourhood. I came back much more stable and ready to work with the boys on their books. And wow are we creating wonderful adventure books! 

A little crafting too

Oh and of course the cake mix I had picked up the day before (chocolate) made wonderful cupcakes for everyone to have a bit of chocolate therapy!

Note the missing one that Ken stole before I could take a picture

With more time in the backyard enjoying the sunshine and rather nice weather we are really enjoying our opportunities to see fresh air and play without electronics and book work. Sandboxes are a great medium for creative play! As is being in charge of your baby sister on a sunny day! 

Fun in the sun

Though Echo did spend some time playing dollhouse…

Dolly time

And we had to bust out Echo’s toy from Dollarama… a no name brand version of the AquaDoodle. If she and Trinity keep on enjoying this one as much as they have I may even have to invest in the brand version… we had one back when and the boys love it but it wore out and it looks like they have improved it over the years!

Doodle time

Now we could not let another day go by without crossing something off our list! This time it was TWO somethings – the fountain on one side of the lake and the swan which apparently felt like being on the other! Add in a bridge, some green grass (and some trees) and a nice drive and I think everyone had a good  time. 

The girls

With Daddy

The fountain

The swan

Now with TWO items crossed off I think we were ALL ready to head back to the house… Supper, baths and BED… and then, come midnight, Grandma and Grandpa Mike home from their Nebraska vacation! WOW has it really been almost 2 weeks??? So I am no longer dog mommy but I still get to spend lots of time with her – apparently I am loved at this point and she enjoys being at my feet when I take my quiet time in the kitchen to craft. And I really must get crafting more… time is ticking! If you are going to be in the neighbourhood remember – JUNE 9th… ELKS LODGE… 10 am to 4pm!! We will have a table (It’s a Hoot and Friends)…

Finding our stride AND our balance

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!!