August - WEEK SIX

Sunday - Went to church in Richmond Hill, but without Mom and Dad, but went there after church and we all had dinner, Andrew came too.  Suzanne and Anna stayed at Mom and Dad's again.

Pinterest - I wonder how long this website will exist.  It is a virtual bulletin board.  You see something cute on the internet that you want to remember and you pin it to your board.  Then other people think the same thing is cute and repin it to their board and on and on and round and round. I saw a cute idea for a dress - take an old t-shirt, cut off the bottom and then attach a gathered piece of fabric to form the skirt and voila you've made a dress.  The idea I found was a little different from what I ended up doing, mostly because of the type of fabric I bought, but I think the three dresses I've made so far are too cute.  I plan to make one more for Lucy - it was going to be a birthday present, and I still intend for it to be a birthday present, it's just going to be late.

Other than the cute dresses, things of note, going to church Richmond Hill is always lovely.  There are just so many good people there.  There are good people everywhere, but the people of RH hold a special place in my heart, and why wouldn't they, that's where I grew up.  And lastly, Mom is not doing well at all.  She's in a ridiculous amount of pain.  I'm so glad that Suzanne is here to help out Mom and Dad. 

Monday - Quiet morning - Alice napped early, the boys played a roller coaster building game, then we joined Suzanne and Anna at Mom and Dad's and went swimming, had dinner, then came home.

It is not good that Mom isn't feeling any better.  It is good that we can still visit with her.  The grandchildren were in and out of her room, playing on her tablet and talking to her.  We had a nice time swimming and truth be told it's probably good that Mom didn't accompany us to the pool... not that we did anything wrong, but the boys were boisterous (big surprise there).  I think it is also good that no other residents from the building were swimming either!  Ken came down to the pool with us - he being off because of Simcoe Day.  He took some fun shots of the boys jumping/diving into the pool.

Isaac stayed the night with Grandma and Grandpa to help out.  He is such a sweet boy.

Tuesday - Kate's first swimming lesson of the August session.  Suzanne went to Riverdale farm and met up with her friend Neesa.  The girls and I were going to go, but didn't.
The swimming lesson was good.  Suzanne and her kids left about the same time we did to go do some errands and stop in at Mom's to pick up Isaac.  Our plan was to do the swimming lesson, come home eat lunch and then go downtown to meet up with Suzanne and Neesa.  I waited for Suzanne to call, and waited some more and then it just got so late that the thought of driving downtown was just not going to happen.  That being said, I'm sad I didn't get to see Neesa and give baby Caelum a squeeze.

And for that matter, I've never even met cutie Sienna.  I suppose there's always next year?!

Wednesday - Kirsty, Lucio and Michelle came to visit.  We had a lovely visit. (I stink and forgot to take pictures) Ken and Kate made pizza for dinner.  Ken took Isaac down to Mom and Dad's.  Alice barfed.
What to say. 

The picture above doesn't really say anything, unless you know some part of the story.  This is my grandmother and she is holding Lucio on her right and Harry on her left - they are her great-grandchildren.  I used to babysit Lucio and Harry when they were little - lots.  I babysat them during the week when their mom Kirsty (my cousin) and Pretz (her husband) had baseball.  I went to Jamaica with them, twice.  I was their nanny one summer.  And there was a summer that they went to the day camp I worked at. To say that those two little boys were a big part of my life is to not say enough.  I can't honestly remember the last time I saw Luc.  I saw Kirsty at her Mom's memorial service, and there was the one time I saw Harry when I was in Collingwood and he was the only one home... it's ridiculous how the busy-ness of life and a little bit of distance interfere with relationships. It was so nice to get to sit down and talk to Luc.  He is such a lovely young man with such a sensitive heart - just the thing every 22 going on 23 year old wants said about them I'm sure, but he is, so there!

I was reminded again today how much I love my family - my whole big crazy extended family.  Family is so important to me. 

I had fun looking at old photos with Luc, Michelle and Kirsty, which you'd think would have reminded me to take some pictures, but it didn't.  So here is another oldie!  This photo is my Dad's cousin Lenny Solomon, Kirsty and my Mom.  It was taken at Grandma's 70th birthday party in 1979.  We really did have such a lovely visit.  I need to make sure that it isn't too long until the next visit.

There are no pictures - you'll be happy to know -  of Alice being sick in the night - she barfed all over the bed.  Ken stopped at a Walmart (after dropping off Isaac) and bought some new sheets - now we have two fitted sheets and two mattress pads for the King bed.  This is a very good thing considering that Alice barfs at least every other month (or so it seems) and her barfing location of preference is the bed!  

Thursday - Alice barfed more.  Suzanne and the kiddies got the heck out of Dodge and went to Mom and Dad's.  Isaac went with Andrew and Rayna to Wonderland.  It rained, lots.  Alice seems to be better. Mom went to the doctor.
(Don't really have anything to add)

Friday - Suzanne did some packing.  Drove to Mom and Dads.  Andrew took the boys to see The Avengers - Ken and I almost went too.  Suzanne, Ken, the girls and I went to Vaughan Mills.  We all came home and Suzanne did more packing.  Then Kate barfed.

Alice, who was running around smiling and happy yesterday, continued to be absolutely fine, so we all went down to Mom's so Suzanne and the kids could say goodbye.  We hung out for a bit and I snapped a bunch of pictures of Anna and Kate.  What to say about Anna and Kate, the relationship that will someday be AMAZING is well, pretty bumpy.  There have been many ups and downs during the visit.  They have had sweet tender moments of play and fun and they've had moments where they have been absolutely awful to each other.  Suzanne thinks it's getting better, and I suppose it is.

We had fun at the mall with the girls and I'm glad in the end that the movie didn't work out. 

Saturday - Bye bye cousins.  I picked up my new glasses and engaged in some retail therapy.
Suzanne who is part brave and part crazy left at about 8:45 Saturday morning.  She and the kiddies set off for South Dakota.  They are going to meet up with Suzanne's very good friend Jill and her four kiddies and do all the fun stuff there is to do in and around Mt Rushmore.  I really hope that the illness that started with Alice and has now spread to Kate will give them a pass.  Kate was obviously not awake to say goodbye.  Anna was barely awake to say goodbye.

(Yes this is me and my sister, but notice the glasses...)

Alice said goodbye.  She called Anna Nana.  I'm not sure where else to fit in the detail and I don't want to forget it.

After a mostly quiet morning I put Alice down for her nap and went out to do some errands.  My glasses were ready to be picked up in Newmarket and I wanted to go to a few other places too.  Most, if not all of the fights that Kate and Anna had were about toys.  Anna had two Lalaloopsy dolls and they were a source of contention.  I should have just bought one for Kate when they were here, but I suppose they would have just fought about something else instead.  In any case, after I picked up my glasses I went and found a Lalaloopsy doll for Kate.  She was so excited.  

I took a few self-portraits with my new glasses but they all look funny and you can't really see the glasses.  I'll have to get Ken to take a picture later so the new glasses will just have to wait until week seven.  Week six is pretty darn full anyway.

One final note, I love it when my sister comes, but I hate it when she leaves.  We sing the same refrain every time we visit... if only we lived closer.

July ends, August begins - WEEK FIVE

Sunday - Went to church in Barrie for 9 a.m. - got there before church started - WOOHOO!! 
Today was mostly about waiting.  Kate kept telling me that her cousins were coming any minute.  The later it got in the day the more vehemently she would tell me that they were coming.  I was scolded when I tried to explain that they would be coming tomorrow. 

Monday - Went to Bolton to pick up a new (to us) baby monitor, went to play/hang out with the Kondrats, Tried to prepare for the Bateses.
Today was about an errand, a visit and more waiting.  The drive to Bolton and back was fine and Kate had lots of fun playing with Ciera and Summer (at the Kondrats).  I tried to clean/organize/tidy and I felt like I did a whole lot of nothing.  I suppose I started a bunch of things.  Suzanne and the kiddies arrived at 8 p.m.  YAY!!  We're all so excited that they're here.

Tuesday - THUNDER STORM, me - groceries, went to see Grandma and Grandpa - swimming!
Today was supposed to be about sticking close to home and not doing too much.  We were going to go to Orangeville and hang out with some friends at a park out there but the sky was scary.  The sky got scarier and scarier until the heavens opened and it poured.  There was thunder and lightening and it went on for a while.  When it eventually cleared up we made our way to Grandma and Grandpa's and had a fun time swimming, playing with toys, and just hanging out.  And brave Grandma and Grandpa decided to keep ALL the boys for the night!

Wednesday - Barrie - Tyndale Beach
This is the same beach that we went to with Grandma and Grandpa in week three, when I forgot my camera.  I didn't forget my camera today.  One exciting note about today's trip is that it was made in Grandma and Grandpa's new van - not a wheel chair van.  Dad can now get in and out of a regular van.  They'll still keep the wheel chair van and still use it, but this is an exciting step for Dad.  He used his walker to get around and as a chair.

The kids had fun.  Isaac and Joey played catch.  Anna, Kate, and Alice played in the sand.  Thomas played at the park.  They splashed in the water.  The weather was perfect.  It was just a lovely day at the beach.  

After the beach everyone came back to our abode and we had subs from subway.  Grandpa sat in a chair on the porch - also a first since the surgery.  It's crazy that Dad hasn't been in our house since before his surgery.

Thursday - Centre Island - Me, my girls, Suzanne, the cousins, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Andrew and Rayna

Today was an epic adventure with an epic cast of characters.  Three mini-vans filled with crazy people actually found parking.  We all found each other and we all rode the ferry.  We did eventually figure out some food, and had a walk around with Grandma and Grandpa before they called it a day.

Then the rides.  All the kids loved the rides.  I loved watching the kids love the rides.  Kate and Anna's first ride was the bumble bee ride.  They were so cute.  Their little faces were just lit up. 

The one thing about being a large group with so many different ages is that we obviously didn't stay together.  Andrew and Rayna (that's right, Andrew has a girlfriend and he actually let us meet her) took the boys, and Suzanne and I had the girls.  And consequently, I have NO pictures of the boys enjoying their rides and sadder still didn't snap a pic of Rayna.  Rayna was so cute and sweet with all of the nephews and nieces.  She made quite the impression on everyone.

After we returned to the mainland we again split up - boys with Andrew and Rayna, Suzanne and I with all the girls.  We eventually found food, and we all eventually made it back to Tottenham safe and sound.

Friday - A quiet around the house day - put Kate and Alice to bed and left them with Auntie Suzanne and went to see a movie with Ken!! (Hunger Games)

Alice loves water.  She loves the bath, she loves swimming, she loves the sand/water table in the backyard, she just loves water.  She was bored today so I stuck her in the kitchen sink.  She was in heaven.

And thank you Suzanne for watching our girls so we could go on our first date of this calendar year 2012.  Someday Ken and I will go out again on a regular basis.  For now we cherish (don't stick your tongue out Ken) our few dates. 

Saturday - A weird do nothing, but something, trip to the mall, car troubles, Newmarket then home again day, then Suzanne and Anna went to Mom's because Mom's back is NOT good.

Ugh.  Today was one of those weird nothing goes the way you plan it kind of days.  Suzanne went to Newmarket without us because Alice fell asleep and the poor thing hasn't had a normal nap all week.  Then Suzanne phoned to say she was having car trouble.

Eventually Ken, Kate, Alice and I all went to Newmarket, but in two separate cars.  We picked up the Bateses at the mall and went to Once Upon a Child.  We spent a VERY long time in the store.  Ken then took Isaac and Joey and left to go home.  Suzanne and I and the rest of the kids went to Canadian Tire to inquire about the fate of the van and thankfully it was fixed.

That's when attention was turned to Mom.  I remember saying that I didn't think it was a good idea for Mom and Dad to come to Centre Island.  I thought it would be way too much for Mom, and clearly it was because she's now in bed in massive amounts of pain and she can't move.  Thank goodness Suzanne is here to save the day.  She and Anna drove down to Mom and Dad's to check in and stay with them over night.  Ken and I kept the three boys.  I hope Mom is feeling better soon.