Kate!

I haven't blogged about just Kate in such a long time.  There have been several things in the last little while that I want to write down about my sweet Kate.

Reading:  She just loves to read and she does it so well. 

 

Public Speaking: I was worried about moving back to Orangeville.  In Cookstown Kate didn't have to fight for attention in primary.  It was lavished upon her.  I was worried that she was going to get lost in the crowd.  She loves being the centre of attention, and while I don't feel this is healthy, I figured it would be a very hard adjustment.  There was no adjustment.  None.  She captivated their hearts, just as she had in Cookstown.  Today was the primary presentation.  She was awesome.  She gave her talk and impressed not only her primary leaders but the whole congregation.  She is not only a great reader, she's an expressive public speaker.  And because of her, I was asked to be a narrator for Christmas Sunday.  Oh and she was also asked to be the narrator of the nativity play at the church Christmas party.

School:  She goes almost every day this year.  She doesn't ask to stay home very much.  Two weeks ago I went into school to talk to her teachers about her report card (parent teacher interviews).  They had such lovely things to say about Kate.  She's a leader, she is a good role model and she's exceeding all scholastic expectations.  She still needs to work on independently solving problems with her peers, but she is doing much better than last year.

Home: Everyone has their moments, there are things that are challenges for everyone. Kate doesn't love noise, or crying - who likes crying?  But she really is becoming a great big sister.  I love it when she reads to Alice, or helps Alice with something.  She and Fiona are starting to develop a sweet relationship as well.  She doesn't like babies (and will tell you it's because they barf and that's gross), but she is really maturing.

I love my sweet Kate.  I can't believe she's going to big six soon! 

An Action Packed Saturday

First up, pancake breakfast at Kate's school.  It was a meet Santa Claus, buy Christmas presents with pancakes served by the local hockey team.  It was actually really great.  I was worried it would be too crowded and crazy, but it really was great.

After that we hung out at the house for a few hours waiting for Marisol's party.  The girls had to choose between being in the Tottenham Santa Claus parade and a party at Bizzy Bees. (Kate could have been on the float with the choir, and Alice could have been on the bus with her Pre-School.)  They went back and forth a few times, but in the end, Bizzy Bees and Marisol won out!  Ken stayed home to get some work done, and I took the girls.

Then it was back home, drop off the girls and off I went to Woodbridge.  A teacher friend was having a jewellery party in her home.  I wanted to go, I was thinking that I wanted to get Kate and Alice lockets for Christmas.  I had fun with my teacher friends, and I had a wrestle about money and age appropriate gifts on the way home - after buying lockets, that I then decided not too.  It is always weird to spend time with work friends when I'm off.  I enjoy seeing them, but it makes me feel slightly crazy.  I want to pretend I'm never going back to work. 

Today was a fun day.

Ballet

Another session is over.  We love Miss Andrea, and the girls love ballet.  I had fun taking some pictures.  I finally remembered to make a thank you card for her - which she very much apprecicated.  (Who doesn't love being appreciated?!)  I think in January I'm going to put Alice in the same class as Kate.  I hope it works out well for Alice, she has improved so much and I think she's ready to move up from the toddler class.  It will be fun for me because it will only be a half an hour that we go up to the community centre for!  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Here are a few fun pics of ballet class tonight, complete with a few of Fiona, enjoying herself.
Alice's class

Kate's Class

 

Thank you Miss Andrea!

Happy Birthday Moustache Man!

It is Andrew's birthday on Friday, but tonight was the night we got together to celebrate.  Andrew participated in the movember campaign at work.  He came to Mom and Dad's with the stache so we could see it and enjoy it in person.  So, we did!  It was pretty awesome and awful all at once.  We took some fun pics and then he went to shave - thank goodness!

And then it was time to come clean!

Rayna had some training at work and showed up a little late.  Andrew had already shaved by the time Rayna got there.  It was really cute when an hour or so after she got there she noticed that Andrew had shaved! 

The girls love playing with Andrew and Rayna so much.  There are always lots of giggles when we get together.  Happy Birthday Andrew!  You're into your thirties and it's looking good on you!  Happy 33rd!

The ROM

Teacher day at the ROM, what could be better?  Sharing teacher day with the Lim-Andersons that's what!  (And getting to meet sweet Hazel!) When I checked in at the desk and I was asked about the last time I brought a class on a trip to the ROM, I must say, I felt a little guilty... I have gone on field trips to the ROM, but ten years ago?!  Heck, I'm still on leave, but I have the all important OCT card, so I'm in.  We only had to pay for Kate, and we had $4 off her admission, which meant we paid a total of $11 for all of us to go to the ROM - AWESOME!

Once we got our tickets and went in we had a fun surprise - Discovery Corners.  These are theme days geared at entertaining families.  There were costumes, art activities, live birds, snakes - it was great.  All of this was in the area on the main floor just beyond the entrance in Samuel Hall.

Then we were off to the bat cave - I think this is Holden's favourite.  It is not however Alice's favourite!  Poor thing ran screaming from the bat cave at least once, maybe twice.  The kids all had lots of fun playing, touching, exploring, reading... the kids area at the ROM is awesome.

Then it was dinosaur time.  Alice has been doing dinosaur themed stuff at pre-school, so she was pretty excited to see the dinosaurs today.  Fiona thought the rope barriers were a joke, and Kate loved talking to the museum staff.

Emily wanted to go to Egypt and see some Mummies.  So we did.  I must say, I've never been all that keen on ancient Egypt, but listening to Emily explain things to the kids, I was intrigued. 

By this point we were all done, so we made our ways to our cars and we drove to Emily and Jinx's place.  We had hot dogs and hamburgers and the kids played.  Emily took some pictures, we laughed and generally enjoyed ourselves.  Good friends are such a blessing in life.  Such a blessing.