Kate and the Sliding Door

Where ever we go Kate wants to know what things are.  She has been very curious about the world around her from the beginning of her existence.  A few visits ago to Walmart she noticed the door through which the carts are pushed and then stored.  She wanted to know what it was.  I called it a sliding door.  Now she asks to go see the sliding door and she stands in the entrance and points to the door and repeats over and over again "I see the sliding door".

This is Kate and the sliding door.

A play date, a waterfall and lunch.

I don't normally invite myself to others homes but I did and not just myself, Kate and Alice too of course.  Play dates are really hit and miss these days and this one was a bit of a miss.  Kate screamed... lots.  One of the boys remarked that she must be having a grumpy day... oh if only!  I enjoyed visiting, not really sure what Kate thought, she didn't scream the whole time, just most of the time.   The Mom was really great about it, but I felt badly!

On the way home we drove down the main street of Orangeville. Kate saw the waterfall from the van and wanted to get out and see it and I thought, why not.  So we parked the van and all got out and walked to the waterfall.  It was fun and I thought we need to eat something so Kate can go to sleep on the way home.  I wanted to check out a bakery that I had spied a few times and so we walked up the street.  I ordered a sandwich for myself and a muffin for Kate.  I assumed we'd share the muffin and the sandwich.

We walked back to the fountain for our impromptu picnic.  We sat down and I tried to give a piece of the muffin to Kate, she wouldn't have it and she said no to the sandwich too.  I ate a bit of the sandwich and decided we needed to find food and get on with it.  We went to another bakery and this time picked up a cheese tea biscuit.  I thought for sure Kate would eat it, but she would have none of it.  By now we were in the car and it was getting later and I was concerned.  I wanted Kate to fall asleep but I wanted her to eat.

At Broadway and Highway 10 there is a McDonald's.  As we were driving past Kate started begging to go and I thought FINE, you can eat McDonald's.  So we pulled into the drive-through, it took forever and Alice started fussing and I was losing it a little but we got the food.  As I was pulling away out of the parking lot Kate started freaking out again.  It was at this point that I realized that she wanted to go in the McDonald's as this one has a playland.  I told her another day, which thankfully pacified her and then tried to give her the nuggets and fries.  I think she ate two french fries before falling asleep.  And guess what, she slept just fine and woke up just fine.  Stupid me for thinking that she needed to eat!  YEESH!

So here is Lady Screams Alot and the Waterfall.

Not a typical Sunday.

Kate has developed an interest in money - coins really.  Mostly she just likes spinning them on the floor but she's also starting to understand that you need money to buy things at the store.

Yesterday after saying goodbye to the house on McKelvey I was supposed to have given the keys to the house to my Mom... guess what I forgot to do?!  So we made another trip down to Richmond Hill.  I ran into the hospital with Kate to see the fish and returned the keys.  Then we had a little outing at the Mill Pond, for the second time this week.  It's a nice little park.

The zoo, the house, the fish.

Saturday was a full day.  We were up bright and early and out of the house to the zoo.  We had a lovely time as always.  Kate is now obsessed with the carousel.  It's beautiful.  Kate did well today.  She had one ride on the frog and while close to tears Mom managed to distract her so she didn't lose it...yay!  The butterflies in the Malaysian Pavilion were amazing.  Kate was a little startled by all of the butterflies flying around but captivated too. Two other note worthy zoo things - Kate wanted to sit on the hippo while a woman was having her picture taken.  As I was telling her no she had to wait, the woman motioned to Kate and pulled her up on the hippo and had her picture taken with Kate, and Ken wore Alice in the bjorn.  Alice loves being forward facing in the bjorn and Ken likes sporting the baby = win win!

After the zoo we went to say goodbye to the house on McKelvey Drive.  What to say.  Mom and Dad didn't want to move but they had to move.  Dad couldn't come home to this house.  I don't suppose moving because you have to move is the most fun thing ever but everything has been working out so well.  The blessings have come which has made a difficult situation bearable.  Will I miss the house... not totally sure.  It does feel a little weird that Mom and Dad won't have a house anymore.  Weird in that it feels slightly unsettling, but I can't put my finger on why.  Here are a few of the goodbye pictures.

After saying goodbye to the house we went up to the hospital to say hi to Dad and to help feed the fish.  Dad was very excited for his chance to feed the fish - patients take turns, because Kate just loves the fish.

It was a busy, fun, full day.  And just because here's one last picture.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this little person!

Canada Day 2011

For as ridiculous as it might sound I feel like we failed in celebrating Canada Day because we weren't all decked out in red and white.  Alice was the only one in red and white and her version of red and white was kinda sad (a white onesie with red and white striped bloomers).  I was a little sad that we weren't going out of town for the long weekend - we missed going to Konrad's baptism up in Val-de-Bois, Quebec - but the thought of travelling far with Alice is not something anyone in this family wanted to experience.  So we decided to go up to Alliston to check out the festivities. 

Back to the red and white, practically everyone in Alliston was in red and white and I felt so conspicuous not following the dress code; I felt somehow unpatriotic.  Ridiculous, yes, but that was how I felt.  Now back to the festivities.  When we got to Alliston we drove past the Canada Day festivities and then had to find somewhere to park.  The parking spot was beside the park and we could have walked down the street and across the field to the festivities, but once Kate saw the park that was all the fun she needed.  So to celebrate Canada Day we went to the park and the Museum on the Boyne in Alliston.

Alice, about to be loaded into the van.

 Kate enjoying the swings.

 Kate enjoying the fire truck.

 Kate calls this the "sun park" because of the sign.  Every time we come to the park she runs to the sign and we sing Mr. Sun and she does the actions.  It's pretty cute.

 Just a cute pic that I like.

 Kate playing in the museum.

 Checking out the house on the site of the museum...

 ...but it was locked.

 So she decided to play with a pile of leaves instead.

 Ken and Alice.

 Alice.

We ended the day enjoying some fireworks.  We drove to the top of a hill a few kms from the site of the fireworks and sat in the van and watched.  It was perfect for several reasons: no bugs, no loud noise, Kate didn't cry because there was no loud noise, Kate enjoyed the fireworks because there was no loud noise!  Yay for a lovely day!

Grade Eight Grad

Teaching.  I am a teacher.  This has always been a role/job/identity that has been very important to me.  I want to be a full time teacher at home to my girls and we'll see... maybe someday.  It has been my privilege to teach some wonderful kids - young people really!  I went to Grade 8 Graduation tonight.  Kate and Ken hung out at the toy store and Alice and I went to grad.  The kids looked amazing as always.  It's amazing to see the award winners light up and enjoy the fruits of their labours.  And of course there are always those that are saddened that they came up a little short.  I enjoyed congratulating them and remembering the grade three faces of five years ago when I taught a class of them.
This is Corrina - the music award winner.

 Natasha - an honourable mention in music.

 Suzanne, also an honourable mention in music.

 Sofia - the Valedictorian and all around amazing young woman. 

 Sally - sweet heart!

I have so many special memories of so many special people that I've taught!

Alice is 4 Months Old

Curious

 Curioser

 Just plain happy!

Alice Rolls Over

A Father's Day present for Ken perhaps?  She rolled over not once but five or six times this evening!  Go Alice go!