Mystic Connecticut

Today was a great day!  Suzanne, Anna, Kate, Alice and I went to Mystic Connecticut.  Our first stop was the Mystic Aquarium.  It is a great aquarium.  We would have liked slightly warmer weather, but it definitely didn't ruin our trip. 

When we arrived we went  directly to the sea lion show which was great.

From the show we went downstairs to the main building and enjoyed all of the different tanks of fish.  I love when aquariums have glass that goes down almost to the floor.  I loved standing Alice up by the tanks to enjoy the fish.  She seemed somewhat interested, but not super excited.  Kate and Anna loved the fish.

Next was a stop to see the Sting-Rays.

Then the whales.  There is a new male beluga whale at the aquarium and he is very playful.  He loves to tease the kids that come to watch him!

Seriously, the whales were awesome!  From there it was off to see the penguins.  This was the part of the visit that made me wish it was warmer.  After the hike...

...we found the penguins and said hello!

Then it was time for lunch.  We went to Mystic Pizza.  I'm not recommending the movie and I'm not not recommending the movie, but the pizza was delicious.

Thanks for a fun day sister!  I love you!

Stomach Flu (Don't read it if you don't want to)

When Kate barfed again on Monday I googled stomach flu.  I was concerned that perhaps I should take her to see someone because this was four days and it was just too long.  This is what I read:

Stomach flu actually refers to gastroenteritis or irritation and inflammation of the stomach and intestines (the gastrointestinal tract). Gastroenteritis may be caused by a virus, bacteria, parasites in spoiled food or unclean water, or another trigger such as lactose intolerance, which causes a reaction to dairy products.Influenza (flu), on the other hand, is a viral infection that mimics a cold except that it starts forcefully with symptoms of fatigue, fever, and respiratory congestion. While more than 100 different virus types can cause a common cold, only influenza virus types A, B, and C cause flu. More severe cases of influenza can lead to life-threatening illnesses such as pneumonia.  In addition, while antibiotics can treat a bacterial infection, antibiotics cannot treat influenza because flu is caused by a virus.

And I thought, seriously, my child is sick and you're telling me that calling it stomach flu is wrong... Oh and the answer by the way to how long gastroenteritis lasts is 1-10 days in children.  I'm thankful that Kate is better!

Suzanne's prayer was that they'd make it through the baptism without illness, and they did.  After the baptismal service was over and the refreshments we're being enjoyed Matthew informed Suzanne that Anna was sick.  First Anna, the next morning Thomas, then Isaac and although he never actually barfed, Joey wasn't feeling well either.  Talk about a crazy visit! 

I'm leaving tomorrow and I feel in many ways that I was cheated out of my visit.  I did spend lots of time with my sister and her kiddies, but so much of it was blurred by sickness.  I should be thankful that everyone has recovered, that Suzanne took such good care of us, that she wasn't mad at all, that we did have some fun moments.

Now, let's have no more talk of sickness thank you very much!  (And no, there aren't any pictures to accompany this post!)

Beauty

The Spirit is Willing

We wanted to come visit the Bates family in Connecticut this fall - we being me and of course where I go, the girls go!  Joseph turned eight on the 24th of October and so the baptism was planned for today, November 12th so that we could stay home for Halloween with Ken and then enjoy some fall fun and of course the baptism.

On Saturday, October 29th, the day of Joey's birthday party Connecticut, and really the north east was hit by an unusually early but devastating snow storm.  The trees were so weighed down by leaves and snow that limbs and trees where coming down everywhere.  By the evening of the 29th the Bates family had lost power as had one million other people in Connecticut.  We were thankful that they were safe and warm with friends and also so thankful that the 29th wasn't the baptism.  Storm Alfred is now gone and the community is returning to normal even though clean up will take weeks.  It's crazy driving through the neighbourhood and seeing piles and piles of tree limbs, uprooted trees and branches.  It took a week to get their power back and the boys missed a week and a half of school.  Suzanne and I were so glad that everything was getting back to normal in time for Joey's baptism and for our arrival. 

Wednesday was travel day.  Alice's first trip to the US and Alice's first trip on an airplane.  I was anxious... very anxious.  The drive to Buffalo was great.  Kate slept all the way to the border and Alice slept all the way to the airport.  The border guard was friendly and when I asked for a stamp for Alice's passport, to mark her first trip, he said that I would have to fly over the border or go inside and wait for an hour.  He laughed and said to take a picture... we didn't take a picture.

We got to the airport and spent some time exploring and hanging out with Ken before it was time to go through security.  Kate was fine saying goodbye to Daddy but melted down when I put her jacket in a bin to go through the x-ray machine.  We calmed down and waited at the gate with some other cute kids.  Everything was going really well.  The first half of the flight was great.  Thankfully the flight was just over an hour so that the last half of the flight wasn't great really only meant 20 minutes or so of yuck.  Alice screamed then Kate screamed, then Alice screamed then Kate screamed; fun times.  Suzanne and Anna met us at baggage claim and then we set off from Boston for the two hour trip to South Windsor, Connecticut.  The car ride was fine, a few tears but fine, we got to the Bates home, had snacks and then went to bed.

Thursday was a rainy day and a quiet day.  Anna and Kate mostly played well together and we just hung out.  We did go to the library in the evening and that was fun.  Thursday night I put the girls to bed and was excited about actually going out on Friday. 

Sometime around 1 a.m. Kate started barfing.  She barfed on the bed.  I took the sheets off the bed, changed Kate and Matthew came to stay with Alice and Kate and I went downstairs.  Poor little Kate watched some tv and barfed several more times.  When I heard Alice waking up we went back upstairs and tried to get settled and go back to sleep.  It was a rough night to say the least. 

Friday Kate slept until noon.  She was hungry and chipper when she woke up and I took this as a good sign.  We had a quiet book reading, movie filled afternoon and Suzanne did LOTS of laundry.  I was really hopeful that this was going to be a 24 hour thing and we could still go to the baptism. 

It's noon Saturday.  The last minute cleaning and preparing is going on and both of my little ladies are asleep.  Kate barfed again last night and again this morning and I'm calling it.  We're not going to go to the baptism.  I'm sad.  Being so far away from family we miss out on so many special occasions.   I was excited for Kate to see Joey get baptized and for us to be part of his special day. 

Okay, so now for good stuff.  I love spending time with my nephews and nieces and sister and brother-in-law, even in less than ideal circumstances.  Alice decided that she is now an official cross-crawler as of last night - November 11th.   Alice also started saying ma ma ma ma last night, not totally calling it her first word yet, but she's getting closer.  (She also says ne ne ne ne when she wants to nurse) 

I'm looking forward to a really fun week.  Here's to no more barfing and fun with family!

Anna loves to play dress-up and she and Kate dressed up as princesses on Thursday.

 They also had some fun colouring.

Thomas originally stuck the bucket on Alice's head.  (Notice Anna and Kate are both passed out in the background.

 Cutie Thomas and Alice.

Sweet Joey on his baptism day.

Joey and Wendy

Pretty Anna all dressed up and ready to go to the baptism.

Anna and Tony ready to go to the baptism.  Tony is the younger brother of a good friend of Joey.  Their family came down from Nashua for Joey's special day.

 Alice finding and eating paper.



Wendy

I remember once telling someone that I was named after my aunt and that her name was Wendy.  When they looked at me funny and laughed I didn't get it, I didn't realize what I had said.  (Sadly I think I was in high school...)  Even though I live in Canada and my Aunt lives in England we have been able to develop a relationship. 

Today is Wendy's birthday.  My Mom suggested I send a card and lately I've been making cards and I thought I would and then I didn't.  And when I ran out of time to send a card to England I thought about the blog and doing a post and I knew exactly which pictures I was going to use for this post but I didn't ever scan the photos and I am currently in Connecticut which is a little far away from my photo albums.

So imagine: On the front of the card is a photograph of me in a white t-shirt with a very badly drawn blue wind-surfer silk-screened on it and my Auntie Wendy beside me.  We're at Ontario Place and I'm probably 12 or maybe 13?  Underneath the picture is this: A good aunt is an aunt that loves you even though you dress badly.

Inside the card is a picture of me with long hair wearing a t-shirt with a BIG maple leaf on it and written underneath is the word Canada and my Auntie Wendy is beside me and we're just about to get in a boat on the River Seine.  I'm 23 years old.  Underneath the picture is this:  A great aunt is one that doesn't comment at all on the fact that every single shirt that you brought with you to Europe has the word Canada on it and even takes you to Paris and on a boat cruise and everything.

I love my auntie Wendy.  I will never forget going to Vimy Ridge with her.  We were on a coach tour from London to Paris and we stopped in Vimy Ridge on the way.  I was the only Canadian in the group and I knew that Vimy Ridge was the place that Canada became Canada; that young men sacrificed their lives thousands of miles away from home so that other people could be free.  I was over powered by the spirit of the place and the tears flowed freely.  I wasn't prepared for how strongly I would be affected.  I looked at Wendy and she wrinkled her nose like she does and she was crying too.

Thank you Wendy for being a wonderful aunt.  I love that when I spend time with you I learn more about myself and more about my family.  Thank you for honouring our name and for being an example of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. 

I love you.

Happy Birthday!

A trip to the zoo with Grandma and Grandpa

When I phoned Mom and asked her if she and Dad wanted to come to the zoo I meant it, but I didn't think she'd say yes.  I was so happy that she said they would come, happy and surprised.

When we first got to the zoo both the girls were asleep so we waited.  We slowly got organized and went in.  Kate had a ride on the carousel on an orange parrot.  I think this is the first time we didn't take any pictures of Kate on the carousel.

When Grandma and Grandpa arrived we asked Kate what she wanted to see and she said penguins.  Penguins are of course on the opposite side of the zoo and up a VERY large hill.  I volunteered to push Dad up the hill, Ken had Alice strapped on and Mom pushed Kate in her stroller.  I was completely breathless but I made it to the top of the hill only having to pause once and no one got run over!

We got there just in time for the penguin feeding.  It was awesome.  The penguins are so cute and the new penguin enclosure which opened this year is incredible.

After the penguins it was time to warm up so we made our way to the African Pavilion, with a stop to see the giraffes on the way.

We got to the African Pavilion in time to listen to the gorilla keeper talk.  And (Auntie Wendy you'll get a kick out of this), Mom found an opportunity to tell a breastfeeding story.  After the gorillas Kate and I went to the masks.  On our zoo trip with Uncle Andrew and the Bacon cousins, in September, Kate looked at masks with her Uncle Andrew and cousin Lucy and has been talking about the masks ever since.  I made sure I took lots of pictures so we could add some to her photo book and the blog too of course!

 Alice is now big enough to pose in the canoe with Kate.

 I think this is my favourite fish tank in the zoo.

The lemurs were really cute today.

After the African Pavilion we walked down to the Indomalaya Pavilion.  We enjoyed the beautiful fall colours as we walked. I held on to Dad's wheel chair down the big hill and again no one was run over!

Kate said goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma (which turned into see you soon) at the Indomalaya Pavilion while saying hello to the Orangutan.

The Orangutans were so cute today and they were right up at the glass.

After the pavilion it was time to go but we paused to watch the Lion-tailed Macaque.  Kate giggled and giggled as she watched one of them playing with a toy.

Yay Grandma and Grandpa for coming to the zoo!  We had a lovely time!  (And thanks for the Swiss Chalet and swim afterward, what a fun day!)

Kate's Nursery Rhymes, installment #3

Little Miss Kate sat in a chair having a bit of a nap.

















When she woke up what did she see?  A spider curled up in her lap.

She looked at the spider and said “oh my goodness, what are you doing here, it’s November first, Halloween won’t happen again for another whole year!”

The spider was sad which made Kate feel bad,

…so they went to the driveway to play with some chalk.