Grandma is Sixty-Nine

Sixties.  When I think of the 1960's I still think, oh that's thirty years ago.  Oops, more like 50.  When I think of someone in their sixties, I don't really think of them as being old.  Seventies... borderline.  So Mom, you are still a spring chicken!! 

The plan was dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's.  Pizza, gluten free cupcakes, and family fun!  Dad broke out in a rash last week, and after being diagnosed with shingles, things were up in the air.  Reading about the spread of shingles online made me a little calmer, but I still felt a little nervous.

Ken ended up having to go to London (Ontario) for work, and Rayna was not feeling well - boo.  They were both missed.  It isn't a party without them - at least Andrew and I were not quite all there or something?!

We made lots of cards for Grandma, and she had three lovely bouquets of flowers.  Dinner was fine, the cupcakes were good.  I hope Mom/Grandma felt special.  I think she did!  I hope she did.

 ALICE!! Got into Grandma's lipstick... again.

 ALICE!!!  She says it was Fiona... sorry Suzanne. 

Happy Birthday young lady!  We love you!

Easter

Easter and General Conference in the same weekend... I don't always appreciate when General Conference overlaps with a long weekend, but this year without any travel plans, it was nice.

All week we've been reading about Holy Week.  A few weeks ago when we started talking about Easter I asked Kate about the real meaning of Easter - this was after she had been talking about "The Bunny".  She didn't know.  I thought oh dear.  I know we've talked about Jesus suffering in Gethsemane, dying on the cross and getting resurrected, but she didn't know that this was Easter.  Not long ago - a week maybe, a friend shared a link of a blog about Holy Week activities.  I thought this would be a wonderful thing do, and it has been, perhaps for me more than Kate and Alice.

On Friday morning Kate and I read several chapters out of the New Testament Stories.  We talked about the pictures and the scriptures a little every day.  We kept talking about "two thousand years ago", it was a really great experience.

Friday - not long before lunch, we decided to head up to Alliston to the "sun" park.  We had lots of fun.  It was really beautiful out.  Ken decided to take a break from working and came with us.  After the park we went to lunch at Harvey's.

When we got back after the park, Fiona was asleep.  This in my mind made it the perfect time to decorate eggs.  And it was.  Kate, Alice and I had fun decorating!

We've typically done our Easter Egg hunt on Saturday.  Saturday is kind of the nothing day, so I figure it's a good day to do the hunt.  We talked about going to a farm, as we have done a few times, but we didn't.  The girls had fun hunting for eggs in the basement, and of course much fun was had by all, eating way too much chocolate!

Then before you know it, it's noon and it's time for conference.  We had lunch in the basement and the girls - bingo cards in hand, settled in to watch conference.  I had activity booklets for them and we set up the table.  This session's bingo incentive was LPS toys.  I bought a bunch second hand and thought I'd use them as rewards.  Man oh man, did Kate and Alice (mostly Kate) ever love that!  Kate wanted to watch every single session because she wanted to keep getting more LPS.  I'm not sure exactly how I feel about bribery?

We went out between session on Saturday.  The girls went to the park with Ken, I went to pick up a loaf of bread.  By the time I came back from the grocery store the girls were done. We heard the train, so we decided to chase the bunny express.  We managed to find it and took some fun pics.  I've always wanted to take two trains at the same time, and success!  So fun!

Saturday night Ken went to the priesthood session.  The girls and I had frozen pizza - Fiona hadn't napped so she went to bed just before eight.  It was a semi-crazy night, but good.

Today was very laid back.  We didn't go out.  We watched conference.  We ate more chocolate.  I really enjoyed conference.  I always do.  I am disappointed with myself that I didn't ever make my conference reminder page last time.  I want to finish that this week, or maybe next week, seeing that this week is busy!  Tomorrow is Mom's birthday, Fiona is 22 months, and another day off school for Kate.  Let the fun continue!

Oh, and here's our basket of eggs.

And here's the picture of the Holy Week wall.

The Ballet

I really don't know when I last went to the ballet.  I have happy memories, such happy memories of going to the ballet with my Grandma when I was a girl. 

I suppose it was almost a month ago, Mom and I were talking and she mentioned wanting to take Kate to the Ballet at the Markham Theatre.  The Russian National Ballet was performing Cinderella in a matinee performance and Mom thought it would be fun.  When I looked at the website and realized that they were also performing Sleeping Beauty, I told Mom that I thought they should go to that instead. 

The plan was to bring Kate down to Mom and Dad's, we'd have dinner, Kate would have napped on the way, then Mom and Kate would go to the theatre and Kate would have a sleep over with Grandma.  Then Grandma got a cough.  This was not part of the plan.  Mom was worried she'd have a coughing fit in the middle of the performance.  Yesterday she and Dad drove up and dropped off the tickets.  I felt a little sad that Mom wouldn't be taking Kate, but also a little excited that I would go instead.

Tonight went pretty much according to plan.  Kate had a nap - in her room after school.  I had envisioned her falling asleep in the van on the way down, but I didn't envision her having a melt down because she didn't get a balloon, and she needed a balloon.  (I also didn't envision her putting her coat and shoes on and walking off down the road.  Good thing Alice saw her go towards the road.  Kate running away definitely wasn't in the plan for tonight.  It never ceases to amaze me just how crazy kids can become when they're over tired!)

We drove down, arrived with time to spare.  Secured our seats and then we waited.  Kate kept checking my phone to see the time.  The lights went down a few minutes past eight and the music started.  Kate was so excited. 

Kate knowing the story and knowing the music - some of it anyway, really helped.  She could anticipate things.  During the opening scene when all of the good fairies are bestowing their gifts, she started to ask when the bad fairy would come - and then was delighted when she made her arrival. 

She only asked once when it would be over, during the first half, but she was mostly captivated.  During intermission we bought smarties and a cookie and we watched the bad fairy taking pictures with fans.  I asked Kate if she would get her picture taken and she said no saying she was scared, but she really just wanted to go eat her smarties. 

The second half moved quite quickly.  The dancing was so lovely as were the costumes.  Mom had gotten tickets in the front row.  I was nervous that it would be too close, but it wasn't.  The seats were amazing, so amazing.  I enjoyed the two female principals, the Lilac Fairy, and Aurora, but when the Prince made his debut in the second half, I was really impressed.  His jumps and leaps were amazing.  Kate audibly gasped a couple of times.  When the Prince and Aurora were dancing and he lifted her in the air above his head she said "How'd he do that?!" 

Kate's favourite part was during the wedding scene.  The wedding scene was complete with entertainment.  Princess Florine and the Bluebird did a pas de deux, as did Puss 'n' Boots and White Cat, and Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.  All three were very entertaining, but Kate's favourite part - and her favourite part of the whole ballet "I liked it when Puss 'n' Boots and the mouse had a fight and hit each other on the head."  (I don't know where she gets her appreciation of physical comedy?!)

When the ballet was over she was just gushing and so happy.  "That was the most beautifullest thing I've ever seen."  I had a gushing moment during the ballet myself.  I thought about my own Grandma and how grateful I was to her for instilling a love of the arts in me, then I thought of my Mom who provided me with this opportunity to take Kate, and I thought of sweet Kate and how proud I was of her for being an angel during the performance, and I got a little misty. 

After the show was over ("Mom, do I have to keep clapping?") I bought Kate a fan and myself a magnet.  And I was able to convince Kate not to be shy and go take a picture with the bad fairy.  The bad fairy - he was so entertaining.  Not sure if Kate realized he was a guy.  He and the prince were my two favourite dancers in the ensemble. 

What a magical night.  What a blessed woman I am!

My First Art Model

Kate was very excited today.  She had a presentation in school this morning.  The "Scientists in the Schools" came today and did a presentation about bugs - insects in fact.  They each made a model of a house fly.  She proclaimed this a very exciting day as it was her very first art model.  (He he, she's so cute!)