Umbrellas Just Because

Duty Day

The last duty day was today.  Alice has looked forward to each duty day, and I have looked forward to them as well.  The child of the duty Mom gets to do several extremely important jobs.  They get to: turn off the lights and say "tidy up time", be the leader of the line, count everyone in the bathroom, carry the emergency bag and phone, they also bring snack, (in Alice's case choose the snack as well) and of course they get to bring their Mom (or Dad) to school.

Alice has had a great year at preschool.  I was hesitant to send her, but Ken really wanted her to go.  I did miss her when I sent her, but I'm glad for her that she went.  Today, knowing it was my last duty day of the school year, I made sure to bring my camera and take pics of Alice with her teachers.

Mrs. Brenda Apps and Alice

Mrs. Catherine Jandl and Alice

Alice's Words

I want Alice to read.  I want her to want to read, and she does a little.  But what Alice really loves to do is write.  She can already write the names of all her family members.

Graduation Pictures

I just went to look on the calendar and I can't find it... checked again... still no.  Now I am bothered that I can't figure it out!  Oh well.  I'm going to say March, some time in March.  In any case, the pictures!! I'm not sure when Kindergarten Graduation became a thing, but at some point someone decided that it would be a good little money maker, and if I'm any indication, then it is!  I loved each of Kate's pictures - all four poses.  The cheapest way to buy them, on a CD.  But I didn't just get four pictures... I got 60!  What the heck am I going to do with 60 graduation poses?  I don't know.  I will put four up here, for the enjoyment of future generations!

This is my favourite:

I love the rest too.  The last one is the background that I think wins the prize for being the most goofy, but somehow it is one of the most popular?!

Come June, Kate will be an SK grad.  Then she's off to French Immersion in Alliston - unless we have a change of heart between now and then - or a change in work stuff.  Our baby is on her way!  I am excited for her and the endless possibilities in front of her!

The Seedling

Kate brought home a note from school about Earth Day.  It had a permission form on the bottom.  That should have been my first clue?!

Seedling.  I don't suppose I knew what a seedling was.  I assumed seed that has sprouted.  I knew it was for a tree, but I figured we'd plant it in the backyard and it would die, so who cares.  (I'm mostly only good at killing plants.)

Kate came home from school on Earth Day with a tree.  Seriously, a tree!  The note attached said: Hello!  I am a one year old Norway spruce seedling grown at Somerville Nurseries.  I will be about 50 feet tall at full height and about 8 feet across so you need to find a place that will give me the space that I need to grow!

I didn't want to kill the seedling, and there definitely wasn't anywhere to plant it around our house...

I'm not sure if you're allowed to plant trees on county land.  We'll have to go and visit our seedling this next year and see how it fairs!

Oh and on a related note, Kate brought home a picture of what she can do to help the Earth for Earth Day.  Kate will start a band.  (Start a band?  I was confused too.)  A band using recycled instruments.  (Ah, recycled instruments.  Just what the earth needs!)  I feel like we need to work on that - the saving the earth bit. 

All Things Connecticut!

Saturday - The Drive
We left around 9 a.m.  Not great, but not bad.  We decided to go the Kingston way - it is about a half an hour longer, but so pretty, and possibly shorter factoring in the border wait times in Niagara.

We didn't get too far - Belleville and the girls were ready for a break.  We found the park that wasn't open last summer, and it was open and awesome.  A little chilly, but we had fun running around.

The drive was good.  The girls were pretty great, Ken and I got to start reading Unsouled by Neal Shusterman, and we got to Suzanne and Matthew's around 8.  (Funny side note... no one was home!)  Matthew had gone to pick someone up, Suzanne was at a sort of baby shower, and well, we made better time than they anticipated! It was all good, and all hugs as Matthew and the kids arrived about 5 minutes after we did, and Suzanne another 15 or 20 after that.

Sunday - My birthday!
This day was deserving of its own post, and so it got one!

Monday - Barf and Lemonade!
Anna barfed.  I'm not sure exactly what time it was, but barf-o.  Anna slept a little more, Suzanne decided to work from home, and I felt calm.  I'm not sure why, perhaps because there has been so much barf in our house this past winter, what's a little more?  As the day progressed, Anna seemed to be fine, and she was fine, really.  Suzanne even went in to work for a bit.  The girls played. 

At some point Joey, Thomas and Nate (the neighbour two doors down) wanted to make a Lemonade Stand.  I wasn't sure what Suzanne would say, and generally, I thought it was a bad idea - their neighbourhood is so quiet, and they needed set up stuff.  We went through everything they needed, and they got it all - table, plastic cups, cardboard to make a sign, lemonade, money to make change.  They even had a plan, sell on the corner.  They came in a few times for more water, and snacks and they were so excited - they were making money!

I went outside to check out the operation and I was quite impressed with their entrepreneurial spirit.  They had attracted some more friends to help by the time I went out.  Watching them in action was awesome.  Every time a car drove past they screamed their heads off and shook the sign.  Every time a person walked anywhere near them they would run up to them with the sign.  All totaled they made about $40, that combined with some money they already had was enough to go to Flight - a trampoline place, which was their goal in the first place.

Tuesday - Movie Day
The plan - Suzanne works a half day, and then we would go to the movies.  The kids played in the morning, we had lunch, and then we waited.  Suzanne was a little later than she wanted to be, so after dropping off Isaac at a friend's I drove all the kids to the theatre to meet Suzanne.   We got there only to find out the show was sold out.  So quick change of plans - first play at the mall, then shop, then take the kids home, eat subway sandwich for dinner, go to the movies.  And that is what we did.

The kids had fun playing.  Well Thomas and Joey sort of had fun, they're a bit big for the play area.

Next a quick shopping trip to H & M, Kate now has some summer dresses, and a few new t-shirts, and I couldn't resist getting cute yellow dresses in triplicate!  Kate picked out a headband - oh my.  Alice too, but no "oh my" factor.

And I should mention, that Joey and Thomas, were originally going to come, but then I think they had cubs, so they couldn't.  And Fiona and Ken were going to trade places with them, but then Fiona went to sleep.  So it was a girl trip to the movies.  We saw Home, a movie about an alien named Oh and a little girl named Tip.  It was such a sweet film - I think we'll buy it when it comes out.  I was sad Ken missed it.

Wednesday - Home day
Suzanne worked all day, so we played all day.  The boys were here and there.  The girls were here and there too.  We had lunch, tried to start working on the princess/superhero book, and then when Fiona finally went down for a nap, we went to the park.

Oh and I forgot, Fiona woke up drenched in sweat.  She didn't have a fever but she was a little fussy, otherwise she didn't have any issues.  I hate it when my kids are sick - who doesn't, but I always go to the worst case scenario in my head.  Oh and she was freezing cold unless I was carrying her and holding her, it was like she couldn't regulate her own body temperature.

Thursday - Aquarium Day!
Two vans, then one van, then two vans!  The boys weren't sure they were going to come, but then they did.  Ken came too.  We had fun.  It's a fun aquarium.  It was a beautiful day, and the kiddies all had fun - the boys were a little bit over it, but I think they had fun.

Fiona was a little better - she wasn't as hot and cold as yesterday, and still no fever... so bizarre!  But she seems to have a bit of a rash?  Hopefully it's nothing?

Friday - Book Day
I can't remember which day it was this week that Kate and Anna sat down together and made the princess rules - or the royal rules.  And I can't remember at what point it was that that became the idea for the book, but there it is.  The rules Kate and Anna made were so cute.  I couldn't not use the capes that I sewed for all the girls, so The Princess Rules vs. The Superhero Code was born.

Kate's Version

Anna's Version

I love making books with the kids.  Today's photo shoot was interesting, as it usually always is with young children.  Begging and cajoling, and then sometimes settling for the picture I can get, instead of the picture I want.  I think/hope it turned it well.  I'll include a few of my favourite pictures from today.

 

After the book was done, Ken took Joey, Thomas and Nate to FLIGHT!  The boys had a great time!  I'm still so absolutely impressed that they made enough money to go. Ken tried his best to take a few pics with his phone.  These two were the only ones that sort of turned out.

And now that Fiona is back to her self, Suzanne is sick.  She came home feeling terribly.  Plans for shopping and or dinner out, were gone, and poor Suzanne was "sick" for the first time since being pregnant - bummer.

Saturday - Baseball, Yogurt and Parks
Isaac had a game, then Joey and Thomas had practice, in between and during we played at the park, then later, when Suzanne felt she could, we went into Hartford for frozen yogurt and another park.

I didn't sit and watch the whole game, I didn't even watch a whole inning, but I did get to see Isaac at bat, get on base, and pitch!

I saw a few parents really upset about how the game was going.  Nothing news worthy, but since I have such limited experience, it was still kind of weird.  Isaac's team was winning, and did win, and some parents seemed devastated - there was some "interesting" language and physical outbursts.  I can't relate to that at all. 

I took a little video of Thomas on the ramp with his scooter, and a few pics.  And after watching Isaac leave the mound to applause, I went over to find Ken and the girls at the park. 

Then it was home for lunch and naps. 

Suzanne was feeling better - slightly, and so we decided to venture out for Frozen Yogurt and fun in a park.  Before we left I had to capture some cuteness on the front lawn.

On the way I snapped a pic of this sign that we'd passed a few times.  Kate lamented "I wish Grandpa could come to Connecticut".  Upon further investigation, I determined that Kate had seen this sign, and wanted her Grandpa to get his shot, so sweet of her to put that together.  (According to Mom, Dad was doing much better!  Poor Dad getting shingles!)

Sweet Frog.  It's a cute place, and now that I've done it once and figured it out, I think a second visit would be MUCH more successful... I hurried through the self-serve line because of all the people and instead of looking to see if they had any ice cream, I assumed they didn't, and got regular vanilla frozen yogurt in all of it's tart glory for Kate and Alice.  Sadly, not even Alice would eat hers... Ken and I went through and got more for Kate and Alice and one to share, it all worked out in the end.  There's some sort of bigger life lesson here - taking time, looking at all the choices, not rushing a decision... anyway. I love the expressions on Kate and Alice's faces.  So not good advertising for frozen yogurt!

Then we were off to Elizabeth Park which is mainly in West Hartford, and about 1/5 in Hartford.  We drove around a little, looking for both a playground and a field.  We didn't find the playground, but instead settled on an unused baseball diamond where the boys batted the ball around and the girls mostly fought over who was going to play what, and with which equipment.  It was still fun, if filled with a little drama.  The part we stopped in was on a bit of a hill, so that you could kind of overlook downtown Hartford. 

Sunday- Goodbye
Sunday morning selfies.  I think the good camera was already all packed away, so I used my cell phone and took pics with Isaac, Joey, Thomas, and Anna. 

And then, we were off.  The ride home was good.  We went the Kingston way again, because it's just so beautiful.  The girls were pretty good.  Alice enjoyed her new markers I bought her... perhaps a little too much!

What a beautiful, fun, full week of family it was.  I am so grateful to have so much family, and to have a husband who was willing to work in less than ideal circumstances so that I could have time with my sister and her amazing kids! Sister, I love you so much, and am so grateful for you and our relationship!  See you soon!  August can't come soon enough!