The Last Hurrah!

What could be better for the final weekend before school starts than doing a million things?!?! Let's count Friday too, because, why not!

Friday
The girls came with me up to my school. They relabeled all of my student's duotangs and Alice taped the basket labels on the baskets. I photocopies all of the things I need for I think the first two weeks, so that's awesome. We spent a lot longer than I thought we would, so I ended up buying the girls lunch at Wendy's. I wish I'd taken a pic at school, but I didn't. 

On the way home we stopped in at Old Navy and got more new clothes. After that I walked the dog and eventually found Ken, Alice and Fiona at Paradise Beach Taco Bar. Again, I'm sad I didn't take a pic but I had walked really far with the dog, and the mosquitos were really bad!

After that we went to the zoo for Glow in the Wild. It was so awesome. SO AWESOME! The lantern displays - like Chinese Silk Lanterns, but not made of silk, were beautiful. The music, the dark, the displays were all so beautiful. We walked through/around for almost an hour and a half. My friend Taunia who started working at the zoo this summer got us a 30% discount on the tickets so that was spectacular!

Saturday
This was originally supposed to be our ROM day, but Stiven invited Ken and I to come to the temple when he was receiving his endowment, so we had to go! It was a beautiful session and I was so glad that we were there.

After that we went home, I walked the dog, Ken did grocery shopping and then we were off to Riz and an escape room. Oh my goodness we LOVE Riz. We loved our food, we all ate lots, except Ken who didn't quite get enough. 

We had a little bit of time to kill after Riz, first we went to a gaming store and bought cute squishmallows for the girls.

Then we drove to the Danforth, the sky was amazing. 

We went into the escape room place, but they weren't ready for us, so we walked down the street and got some gelato. I had to take a pic with this pig!

The escape room place was called Daydream Adventures. It was in the basement of a storefront. It was a little warm, and a little musty, but the rooms were so cool. Unlike the escape room place we've been to in Whitby, this place lets you take pics of everything. 

Our rooms were a forest and a witch's house. The witch had stolen all of the good magic from the forest. Our job was to find things to release the good magic back into the forest.

I don't know if we "won" or not, because it was a little rushed at the end, and a little more loosey goosey. We didn't really need hints until the end, and with two, maybe three hints we were able to finish solving it. 

Sunday
Today was Stiven's last Sunday at church. It was also Fast and Testimony Sunday. I bore my testimony. Something I've been wanting to do for a few months, but there just wasn't time. Stiven bore his testimony too, and it was beautiful. He and Alice have become really good friends. He's off to BYUI for the year, and will serve a mission at some point thereafter. 

Ken and I had a beautiful walk with the dog this morning. I didn't have as many morning walks with Ken this summer as usual, but I did have lots the last few weeks.

Alice gave Stiven the friendship bracelet she made for him.

Group shot of such a wonderful group of friends.

We had the missionaries over for dinner tonight. They are such sweet and good servants of the Lord. I'm so grateful to have them come and share their spirit with us. Ken made rice and peas and jerk chicken. It was so good!

Here's Elder Frishnecht and Elder Blandamer when they came over two weeks ago - because why not!

Monday
This morning Ken and I were going to walk the dog at Greenwood, but I forgot! That meant we didn't have time, so we walked over to Fiona's school instead. The construction around the school is still crazy! The parking lot is still a mess, the area around the school is a mess, I feel badly for the principal! Hopefully everyone will do their part to not make drop off and pick up unbearable. You can see scaffolding on one side where they were rebricking and didn't quite finish. What you can't see in this pic is the torn up field where they're replacing the water main.

Next up it was the ROM. We haven't been in ages. 

We saw the special exhibit about bees. I don't know what I was expecting, but the art/music aspect of the exhibit wasn't it. It was cool.

Ken was in a silly mood!

We explored Egypt, Rome, Psychedelics, Japanese Art - and how important touch is to the experience, the live bees, and the kids area a little bit and dinosaurs. Then we grabbed some McDonald's on the way home.

When we got home I ate lunch (I didn't want fries) and Ken fixed Fiona's bike - yay Ken. After that we took Milo for a walk at Greenwood. It was so beautiful out. 

I don't know if this was the summer I imagined it would be. I don't know I was intentional enough about how I spent my time, but I took care of my family and that's important. 

 

Grade 12, 10, and 8 this year. We will have two graduations in June! Here's to another amazing school year. 

Edward's Gardens

Today's Grandma outing was for me a trip down memory lane. I cannot remember if I've ever taken the girls here, I think I have, but since we got home I'm unable to produce any photographic evidence to support this thought. I really have no idea when I was last there. When Kate and I were in Toronto for some appointments in June we drove past it, and I thought, it's time to go again. 

Today was the perfect day to visit. We walked around for about an hour. We enjoyed the flowers, the ravine, the weather. We purchased a magnet from the gift shop, and then we had lunch at Chick-fil-a. Grandma loved her frozen lemonade, which I thought she would. Other than Kate getting a headache and feeling a bit off, the day was pretty much perfect.

On the way home we drove past Elkhorn Public School, and 50 Citation Drive. The school hasn't been remodeled, and neither has the house, but so many of the houses in the neighbourhood have been torn down and rebuilt. 

Fiona's Epic 13th Birthday

I can't remember exactly when Fiona decided that she didn't want a birthday party, but she did. What she did want to do was go rock climbing at the indoor climbing place in Whitby. All of that changed of course when she broke her wrist a week ago. It was back to the drawing board and re-imaging her birthday in a different way.

She woke up to the birthday decorations and presents on the table.

She actually liked the purse that we picked out, hurrah!

And watching her face when she opened the purple bunny was so awesome.

After waffles, bacon and sausage for breakfast, Fiona eventually had one of the cakepops my friend and colleague Cindi made.

FIona suggested we go do an escape room, and everyone thought that was a fun idea.

We were all so happy when we were able to solve the room and get out, with 22 minutes to spare even!

Then we met Grandma and CJ at Jack Astor's for Fiona's birthday dinner.

CJs table art was the best, no surprise there.

Fiona wanted to play a game, so a board game was played. (I worked on report cards and Kate was somewhere else). And then we sang happy birthday and Fiona ate another cake pop and blew out a candle.

Happy birthday my beautiful girl. I'm so proud of you and how brave you've been during the craziness of breaking your wrist! I hope you know how much joy you bring to our family. I'm ever so grateful that you are the light that completed our family. Happy 13th Birthday! Welcome to the teenage years!

The Birthday Questions - Fiona - Age 13

1. What is your favourite color? Pink

2. What is your favourite toy? The gorilla or playdough. (She got a purse for her birthday and it came with a pink gorilla keychain.)

3. What is your favourite fruit? Strawberries and Raspberries

4. What is your favourite tv show? Modern Family

5. What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch? Pasta

6. What is your favourite outfit? Yellow gap sweatshirt and jean shorts

7. What is your favourite game? Happy City

8. What is your favourite snack? Fruit

9. What is your favourite animal? Bunny

10. What is your favourite song? The Cure, Olivia Rodrigo

11. What is your favourite book? To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

12. Who is your best friend? Hazel

13. What is your favourite cereal? Rice Krispies with strawberries

14. What is your favourite thing to do outside? Go to the park

15. What is your favourite drink? Lemonade or water

16. What is your favourite holiday? My birthday and Christmas

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Jellycat bunnies

18. What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast? A smoothie

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Jack Astor’s – chicken strips and fries

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher or an architect or an interior designer

 

A New Cast

Who would have thought that going to the fracture clinic would be such an emotional ordeal?!?!

This morning Fiona went with her Dad to Crave to pick up donuts. The only bummer, she didn't get a free donut because tomorrow is her birthday. Next year they'll know. Fiona and I had a P.A. day today, I was supposed to work on my report cards all day...

Her appointment at the clinic was at 12:45. We didn't wait that long to be seen by someone, but the first person that we saw was an assistant. He informed us that she might get her cast off today, or she might have to come back next week. This was instantly upsetting because Fiona was counting on getting the ugly, heavy cast removed. Then the actual doctor came in and told Fiona that her cast could indeed come off today and that if she wanted, she could have a splint instead of a cast. Cue more tears and much confusion. Fiona did not know what to do. We asked lots of questions. We hummed and hawed, we asked more questions, Fiona cried a little more. 

We went to see the guy who does the casts, he talked to Fiona and instantly put her at ease. He showed her the amazing material he had to make a purple cast, her eyes lit up. The appointment that I thought would take half an hour ended up taking almost two hours.

The casting dude was the best.

However, we left with a happy girl. She still has her moments - being casted for the month, and on her 13th birthday, was not part of any plan, but she's looking for the good and trying to be optimistic. Cool thing, this cast is waterproof, so she doesn't have to cover it up in the shower.

We went to pick up her free Sephora gift, and that was a happy thing.

A fresh coat of nail polish helped make things feel better too.

All of this on the eve of her 13th birthday. Good night my twelve year old.

I hope that even though this isn't the birthday you were expecting, that this is a good birthday.