March Break

Friday 9
The girls had a P.A. day and Ken worked from home. He said they were pretty good, and he was able to do work. Kate cleaned up the family room for extra chore money so I came home to a tidier house than normal for a P.A. day. I got home and then sat in the car in the garage for 25 minutes listening to the end of my book! (And no one even noticed!) Ken made pizza for dinner which was awesome. It used to be a Friday ritual - every other week he'd make pizza with the girls, because when you work from home you can take 20 minutes in the afternoon to make dough.

Saturday 10
Ken went shopping in the morning, and then we all went to Grandma and Grandpa's for lunch. We picked up Harvey's on the way - one of Grandpa's favourites. Grandpa turned 78 today. We had lunch, went swimming and then had ice cream cake.

On the way home from the Grandparents we dropped Ken off at his toast masters event, went to Fabricland and bought fabric, and went to Blue Sky.  I went home and got ready to go meet Ken. Our babysitter Christie came, the girls ate subs for dinner, and  I left to go join Ken at the Toast Masters Celebration.

It was a gala celebration for the chapter for the year. Ken has had a really great year belonging to the club. He's learned so much and he's found a lovely community to be a part of. A group of people all committed to bettering themselves and supporting others in the process is just so lovely. There were a few speeches, and then they handed out some awards to some of the members. Ken was recognized for providing "energy, enthusiasm, and life" to the Ajax-Pickering Toastmasters Club - The Spark Plug Award.

Sunday 11
The clocks changed last night - springing forward. Kate had some sort of mental mix up about this and thought that she should wake up earlier. Kate was up before 6 a.m. We did survive the day. I'm going to post these pics of the Plasticine. Alice was given this by Lauren and Hazel for her birthday. She has created and created and created. Fiona has also been allowed to play and create. Alice's family creation is pretty awesome.

Monday 12
I feel kind of quiet and sad. Going into holiday times (breaks from school) I usually have lots and lots planned. Lots. This week is pretty wide open. All of my dear ones that I like to see during breaks are off having family adventures. I know in my head that I need a quiet week - I'm feeling very, very burned out by life - my job, but my heart, I'm having a hard time convincing my heart that a quiet week will be a good thing.

We headed to Michael's and Once Upon a Child this morning to get t-shirts to make dresses. The plan - the girls will play, and I will sew.

Oh and Ken thought it would be fun to go to Rochester for an overnight at the end of the week. I think so too, but we don't have any money. Enter Airmiles! I booked a hotel in Rochester on Friday night. We're going to surprise the girls and take them to the Children's Museum, so that is definitely something to look forward to.

I managed to finish two of the dresses, but I am not feeling good about Alice's dress. Not at all. The style of t-shirt shapes the whole dress. I bought Fiona and Kate shirts at Once Upon a Child - golf shirts, and now I'm really wishing that I'd bought one for Alice too. 

Tuesday 13
I decided that I just couldn't, so we went back to Once Upon a Child and bought a golf shirt for Alice. Today's plan includes: finishing the dresses, taking the girls swimming at my Mom and Dad's and then leaving them there. Mom has asked/offered several times in the last little while to have a sleep over with the girls. Originally it was supposed to be on Saturday night but Mom had forgotten about the time change. The girls are so very excited for their first (sort of - Kate and Alice slept over the night before we had Fiona) sleep over at Grandma's. I might be a little excited too!

I finished the dresses, the girls and I swam and showered, and now I'm on my way to meet Ken for dinner at KB in Whitby. (KB - the chef Kevin Brown - the place is so good. He changes the menu all the time and his food is excellent. Excellent.)

Oh and I'm so very happy that I redid Alice's dress. I think it looks great!

Wednesday 14
After having plans yesterday with Ruth Plumb, that didn't work out - she'd mixed up her appointment times, to re-scheduling today I was excited to have one friend Play-Date for the week. So when Ruth messaged this morning and let me know that David had taken the day so they could have a family day, I was happy for her, but sad for me. The plan had been that I'd pick up the girls and we'd head up to visit with Ruth and Ava. When that changed it turned into hang out at the Grandparents house for a long while!

The girls had a good time at their sleep-over, but Grandma had the most "fun" night. Kate went to sleep around 9. And according to Grandma, Fiona and Alice weren't really settled until 10:30/11:00. There was some crying, and Alice and Fiona ended up sleeping with Grandma, although I'm not so sure Grandma slept that much. I'm not sure when Grandma will want to have another sleepover!

Grandma taught Alice how to knit. She's very excited about it! It's cute. Oh and Fiona's weird peanut toothpick eating is well, funny weird! The girls also enjoyed icing cupcake/muffins.

Thursday 15
Today is GO fun day! First - go to the Mall and see the BUNNY! There's also a fun Easter Train at the mall and a new play area. FUN! The girls wore their homemade Easter Dresses. Fiona didn't smile... my funny little weirdo.

Between the Bunny and the Train was the Koodo mobile kiosk. I thought about getting a new phone - I've been thinking about it for a while... but I just couldn't. My phone is FINE!

After the mall we stopped in quickly at the lake - to say hello.

Next up was egg decorating. This, this is when I miss my sister and my annual March Break trips to visit her. It just no longer makes sense when Suzanne is working and all of the kids are in school. And right now, Suzanne having just sold her house, Matthew already living in Utah, with all of the pressures she's facing, I really, really wanted to go visit and help in any way that I could, but she said it was too much. The Easter Egg Tradition that I had with her kids, it is such a sweet memory. I just checked, the last March Break trip was actually back in 2008 before Kate and Anna were born. That's crazy to me - ten years ago. Time is such a funny thing!

Then the girls cleaned their rooms while I got dinner ready for the sister missionaries. We had bacon & cheese quiche, and cheese quiche and a really fun time with Sister Lindsey (from Colorado) and Sister Benoit (from Prince Edward Island).

Friday 16
Today is FAMILY GO fun day! Ken is taking the day - yay! We are starting with lunch at Purple Woods at the Maple Syrup festival. Then we'll drive to Laura and Joaquin's for his citizenship party. AND then we'll drive to Rochester. This morning as we were getting ready, the girls finally got wise - why were we packing all this stuff just to go to Auntie Laura's. We played a guessing game and they danced around screaming when we told them we were going to the Children's Museum in Rochester.

We made the not tough choice to take the 407 to Laura and Joaquin's, because saving two hours seemed like more fun! Joaquin has been in Canada since 2010. He and Laura were married in August 2011. I'm not sure when he applied for citizenship, but today was his swearing in ceremony. He's officially Canadian now - too cool! The girls all wore their Canada Day shirts and we went to the party. Laura did an awesome job. The party was so fun. Ken's parents were there so the girls got to visit with Nana and Papa. And of course the highlight for Alice and Fiona was playing with cousin Rachael. Ken bought Joaquin some maple syrup from the festival - and some maple syrup candies.

Saturday 17
Almost every year I bemoan the fact that we all have a serious lack of green in our wardrobes. Maybe next year will be the year I splurge and get everyone decked out in green. Then again, St. Patrick's Day will be on Sunday next year - so probably not! Everyone had at least one tiny speck of green in their clothing, so that was that. We had breakfast in the hotel - okay, stinkiest smoke smelling hotel ever, not our room but the hallways, but Alice still said she wanted to live there?! We got to the Children's Museum pretty much when it opened and the girls were super excited!

The last time we went to the Children's Museum was July of 2016. It's crazy that Fiona was only three and a bit and really she won't remember that. We need to keep doing fun kid stuff for as long as we can so Kate won't be the only one with memories!

We left the museum 4 ish - can't remember exactly what time. The girls had an amazing time. We all did! We decided to drive back over the border and then stop and eat dinner at the highway stop near Niagara-on-the-Lake. While we were eating we decided - or maybe it was before that, to go to the Outlet Stores afterward, Kate needed bigger shoes, and I decided to get a new pair too - my big toe was starting to work it's way out. (On the way home my phone really, really bugged out when the battery died - and that was when I decided I would get a new phone!) We got home just before 10, put the girls in their beds, then Ken started working on his import, and I went grocery shopping. When I got home from shopping Ken went to drive over to his office because he couldn't access his computer and figured someone must have turned it off. He got to his office to find out there was a power failure, hard drive in hand he came home and started working. 

Sunday 18
Today we headed out a little earlier to go to Sacrament Meeting at Don Valley Ward. Ken and I were in Don Valley ward from January 2004 - August 2007. One of my callings when I was there was working with the Young Women. Dianne and Julia were two of the cuties that turned 12 when I was there.

This picture is one of the temple trips we went on, from left to right it's Dianne, Caelan and Julia.

Just after we moved to Ajax Dianne had her farewell before leaving on her mission to Paris, France. I missed her farewell, it was just too crazy. I promised myself I wouldn't miss her homecoming. Dianne is such a beautiful human. She had an amazing time learning, growing and serving in France. It was so wonderful to take the girls and listen to her speak. It was also wonderful to return to Don Valley and see so many old familiar, friendly faces.

And just like that a wonderful week was over and it was time to go back to work/school. We had a wonderful week. It was quiet, but fun and it was just the rest and slow down that I needed and I'm very, very grateful to have had it!