EYE MAX

Regular popcorn and jumbo glasses.

Special blanket and a water bottle.

Should be able to make it through this 45 minute film about the fish of the sea.

"My chair is malfunctioning..  It appears to be folding up with me inside."  

This is the life!

Until the giant jellyfish and the shark and the octopus... Oh MY!!

Bubble philosophy

When you sigh about a trouble

 it grows double every day.  

When you laugh about a trouble

it's a bubble, blown away.

Bonne Chance ~ Futball

What to do when a certain young 8 year old attending a week long daily soccer camp needs to do a short presentation on a World Cup team????


Why, choose France of course!  Because we already had the flag.  And his soccer ball sported the countries colours already and there were some great little facts to share about both the country and their soccer (futball) team....

Ohh... and because we can make some delicious and simple croissants to share with the team!

It is just a little bit possible that he was only assigned to come up with 3 interesting facts about a World Cup team.  It is also a little bit possible that he was the star of camp for the day!  And it is entirely possible that we had ham and cheese croissants and nutella filled croissants for breakfast... just to feel a little more French... and it is entirely possible that I only spoke french for the morning.


And it is more than possible that 6 out of 7 children rolled their eyes at me all morning long!  But they did eat their croissants.

What were our great facts???

France:
-It is legal to marry a dead person
-There is only one stop sign in all of Paris
-It is illegal to name a pet pig, Napoleon
-It is the most visited country in the world with 83 million visitors per year
-The French government gives medals to citizens who "successfully raised several children with dignity"
-Tour de France is a famous international bike race in France

L'equipe de France:
-known as L'equipe Bleu or L'equipe tricoloues
-won the World cup in 1998
-formed a league in 1904
-Lost to Germany in 2014 in the quarter finals

The Cushy Life

 One man's junk is another's treasure.  A double take as we drove home noticed a large amount of foam being carried to the garbage by a neighbour.  Wheels turned very quickly.  We changed the destination for the foam and kids carried it home.  The rest as they say ... is history...  So was the rest of our day!

We transformed this.....

Dingy, boring, dirty and rather uncomfortable seating option into....

THESE!!!

Bright, Cheerful, Unique, Easy to clean up, and Oh so much nicer for the tush with the cushiness that was added!

Oh... and personalised!  from left to right we have Duncan, Cooper, Whittaker. 

Mackenzie, Emerson and ?? Sarah??  (we had to choose for her since she isn't here) 

Derek and Miles.

They look fun in the dining room... glad the kids talked me into the individualized look.  I had chosen one fabric for all of them.  

Manners at Mealtime

Now that I'm two, I'm trying to decide if I'm going to be left or right dominant.

Or hand or foot dominant.

Or ambidextrous.

Or prehensile.

(you know the ability for the foot to grasp like a hand.)

Truth be told, I think the only reason you keep telling me to put my feet down is because you're not this flexible.

It's alright that you're jealous.

OH... that's not the reason?!  

It's unsanitary??

Now I know you're just joking with me.

Look how clean these feet are.

I even gnaw on my toes now and then, just for kicks.

I shouldn't put my feet on the counter because I don't know where I've stepped?

Again you're reasoning is not sound.

I have only been walking for 1 year, give or take a few days.

My mind is still growing and completely in tact.

So once again, your theory is flawed.

Just because you're losing your mind and have been walking for so long that you can't remember where you've stepped is no reason for me to put my feet down!

Oh, and one more thing.

I am often carried still!

I know a solution to this problem.

Let me out of my chair.

I've completed my meal.

Thanks.

Class of 2014

It was a nail biting, hair pulling, head banging, finish... and pretty much all of that for 10 months, BUT Whittaker finally completed his grueling online Preschool program known as "Rusty and Rosy".

He absolutely loved doing it, the first day.   After that, ... not so much.

 
It was a graduation ceremony as they all should be.  Arrive and take a final exam.  It took 20 minutes.  Then parade in front of the group of parents so you can be identified and handed a bag with a new book, a certificate of completion, a coupon for a free ice cream cone, an awesome party style graduation hat, and a bottle of water.

We were then free to take photos with his mentors and classmates, Rusty and Rosy.   

Then just as quickly as it came into our lives, it was over ... and we were free to go home... without a daily expectation of 45 minutes of torture in the name of computer preschool.  (Granted, other children participate and enjoy it .... Whittaker handles things quite differently)

Inconceivable

A last minute invitation came for Miles to attend the Fantasy Convention in town.  With the invitation came the comment... we're all dressing up, you can also, if you want.

So, the fastest costume he could pull off.... the man in black from The Princess Bride.  

With more time, he'd have chosen a costume without long sleeves, a mask, hot fabric over his head, and long pants for a convention in 100* heat.  Maybe Peter Pan?

Have you ever wondered???

Have you?

Have you ever wondered what you might look like if you were a chicken?

Whittaker explained in great detail for us how he would act and look like, if he were a chicken.

"This is how I fly off of fences and out of trees.  My wings are open really wide and I go through the sky."

"When I peck the compost, I have to flap my wings like this to keep the flies off."

"This is how I look around for more compost.  Sometimes I have to fight the other chickens to get the biggest bites so I have to look around a lot."

We have been so enlightened.

One more thing...

To add to the week of sickness and accomplishing absolutely nothing, Cooper managed to accidentally drop the lid of the chicken house on his two fingers.  They turned incredibly lovely shades of purple and blue.

Luckily it didn't scar him for life, deter him from being a chicken lover or change him in any way physically.  As you can see he is still the same... completely bizarre boy viking? we all know and love.

End of the Weak..

A week presented itself  with Patrick and Duncan out of town. 

Grandma and Sarah gone, Miles at a camp, and of course Caleb still on his mission. 

Connolly's were at their home and I was left to enjoy a peaceful week with hardly (just 2) any kidlets.  

I was eagerly anticipating a productive and tranquil week.

Such a rare occurrence.

I should have checked the stars.

They were all out of whack.

First morning; 3 hours in... the vomiting and diarrhea began. 

First Whittaker, then Emerson.

Miles returned from camp.

Within 24 hours Whittaker had found his youthful energy again, but Miles had taken over his sick bed.

Emerson was lingering with low energy and nasty diapers.

After 3 days, the Connolly's returned.

The next morning, I succumbed.  

Four miserable days of crawling from place to place in the house.  Of letting the kids scrounge for sustenance.  Of being COMPLETELY unproductive... in fact... counter productive.  Now the house was a shambles and it may have stunk... a little.

Derek joined the illness.

Miles recovered.

Emerson regained a little too much energy.

I languished.

By Friday we were all feeling.... okay.

Not top of the morning.. but okay.

So... since it was a holiday and the Connolly's were gone again, I had promised Whittaker an evening of fireworks.

Miles cheerfully offered to stay home... in bed... so that Emerson could go to bed on time.

So at 10pm, Whittaker and I ventured out to find a place to watch the fireworks.  The perfect locale was happened upon.  An empty field.  We spread our blanket and began to watch the skies all around us as they exploded with colour.

I captured the colour and grandeur SOO much better in my mind.

Just take my word for it.  There were fireworks going off in every direction and we were alone.  Whittaker could dance and squeal with every explosion and turn and look and run about with abandon.

Until about 7 minutes after 10pm.

Miles texted.

"I'm throwing up again."

"Don't come home early for me though."

I seriously considered running away and never returning.

A fleeting thought.

Another 7 minutes passed.

Three more texts from Miles regarding further runs to the restroom.

Then...

Whittaker, "I need to go to the bathroom and these are getting boring now."

I shook my head, rolled my eyes, took a deep breath, gathered up the blanket and we returned home.

Miles spent the next 3 days in bed.

I did endless laundry, dishes and general cleaning scouring to be rid of any lingering flu germs.

The end of the weak week.

Patrick and Duncan returned.

The Connolly's returned.

Good health, vigor and energy returned.

Productivity was forever lost.

The next morning...

We should probably set some ground rules for the pool.  

First rule ought to be:  No bedtime blankets, pj's and diapers allowed before 7am in the rain.

Time for TWO

Good Morning Emerson.

It's your birthday.

All these balloons showed up in the night.

(hanging from your bed, your door, the stair well, the hallway, the kitchen)

Oh, and this AWESOME hat has your name on it!

Stop looking like you're 5.  

Glad you like your hat.

Let's go out for breakfast!

The post office is an especially fun place to visit on your birthday!

Even better if there's a long line.

The orthodontist office is another of those fun places to visit on your birthday.

Especially if there happens to be a movie playing.... "Let it go"

A picnic in the park.

Climb the hill to see the view.

Run back down the hill.

Let's go play.

I called you all here today....

Partner up.  Stay together. Have fun.

We have three hours.

Some spent their time together in one spot.

Others were constantly on the move.

No one wanted to leave.

I title this piece, "Satisfied Smirk"

Home for a change of clothes.

Pack the bag with snacks.

Hurry.

Off to watch Mackenzie's Soccer game.

(forgot camera)

As the game ended it began to rain.

We protected the birthday hat.

Apparently a little rain did not deter.

Daddy had this set up when we returned home.

It's like bringing a little bit of the water park home.

Chef Cooper was hired for the evening meal.

He served Emerson's favourites.

Tomato soup

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

Watermelon

Birthday boys turning two eat in their birthday suits.

He was also the chief baker and cake decorator.

Carrot cake with butter cream filling and cream cheese icing.

Make a wish.

Blow out the candles.

Blow them both out.

Keep blowing.

Blow out the other one.

Try from the side.

Or the other side.

Keep blowing.

whew.

If you're not too tired, you may eat some cake.

Happy Birthday Emerson!

(Tomorrow you can sleep in.  We're not doing ANYTHING!)