Bounce

Just after Sarah's first birthday, we bought a Bouncy Thing for the children. The twinnies enjoyed the Bouncy Thing, but Sarah loved it. In fact, it rapidly became one of her favourite outdoor activities.

Sarah is constantly asking me or Dan to inflate the Bouncy Thing. When the weather is lovely, we will haul the Bouncy Thing out, inflate it, let her bounce, and then haul it back in. However, she wants to bounce during the winter, she wants to bounce when it's raining. She wants to bounce just about all the time. Not for a long time, but at least once a day.

Recently, I had a brilliant idea.

I suggested to Dan that we (and by "we", I meant he) set up the Bouncy Thing in our unfinished basement. That way Sarah can bounce whenever she would like. And it would be great fun during the winter.

Dan didn't think this was a great idea.

Turns out, he was wrong.

He just needed to put things in perspective. Really, Dan should be happy. It could have been worse...

In July, my father had asked me what Dan wanted for his birthday. I told Dad that Dan really wanted Dad to buy my brother's old Bouncy Thing With An Attached Water Slide. So Dad bought us the massive new Bouncy Thing, and I reassured Dan that he did, in fact, want this for his birthday.

The twinnies love the water slide.

And Sarah like the attached Bouncy Thing.

Dan should be happy that this is not going into our basement...yet.

Also, my brother has upgraded to a Bouncy Thing with two water slides.

I have my eye on this one, too. But, as of right now, there are no plans to erect this in my basement.

My (comparatively) small Bouncy Thing becomes a reasonable compromise, right???

The Great Debate

Both Katie and Bethie got to make super big splatter canvases during their birthday party. Originally, Dan and I had planned to hang the paintings in their bedroom. However, once we got the canvases home, I realised that they matched my decor perfectly (yes, Mum, there is a theme to my decorating: chaos!). I wanted them more prominently displayed.

I decided to hang the two canvases over the couch.

This did not go over well.

You see, years ago, Dan's brother gave us a black and white photograph that he had taken himself, enlarged, and framed.  It's quite a good photo. Love the photo. However, Dan hung the photo over the couch. Small photo, big couch. It looked stupid. And I've had to look at it for years.

Dan wanted his brother's photo to remain above the couch:

I want the canvases above the couch:

Guess who won?!

Note: Yes, I know, the photograph and paintings were all hung too high (and off center). But Dan is the one in charge of getting things to stick to the walls. I've learned that he does not appreciate constructive criticism, like "Holy cow! When is the flood expected to hit?!". You win some, you lose some.

Fairies and Lanterns

In August, Mum and I took the children to a lantern making workshop. We thought it would be fun. It was. It was also very hot!

Sarah took great care in decorating her lantern. She really enjoyed herself.

Bethie enjoyed having Granny help her.

Katie initially enjoyed making her own lantern. Then she delegated the rest. Sigh.

On August 20th, Dan and I took the children downtown to the Lumiere Festival. It was fun. The girls really like everyone commenting on how cute they looked.

Katie, Sarah, and Bethie all dressed up and ready for the Lumiere Festival.

Katie was a bit disappointed. She had envisioned everyone dressing up as fairies and then parading through the streets with lanterns in hand. When she realised that she wouldn't be a star of the parade (and that there wouldn't be a parade at all!), she was inconsolable. I felt badly.

At one point, massive lanterns were sent off into the night sky. There were huge crowds around them, and the children couldn't get too close. After the last lantern had been set off, the crowds dispersed. Dan and I sat down and gave the children some juice. After about 5 minutes, another lantern was produced. My children got an excellent view of the entire operation. In fact, we kept having to tell them to take a step back!

This lantern, we told the twins, was especially for them. They had to make a Birthday Wish, and the lantern would carry their wish into the sky. This pleased them to no end!



When we were leaving, the International Fireworks Festival was just beginning. It was perfect timing! I left Dan and the children on the side of the road to watch the fireworks while I went to find the car. By the time I returned, the children were begging for bed. YAY! We'll definitely go again next year.

The Unloved

When I was growing up, my brother had a friend named Francois. He wore glasses. He always seem to have them held together with tape. At the time, I wondered what was wrong with his mother. How could she send her child to school with his glasses held together by sticky tape? Didn't she love him?

Fast forward twenty-five years.

I have two daughters who need to wear glasses. These glasses cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars each. I wanted to get them glasses that were less expensive, but they all look...cheap. So, I splurged. Because the more expensive glasses flatter their little faces. And it's important to me that my daughters feel beautiful.

My dainty little daughters have managed to strain, break, and damages their glasses. Over and over again. Once, Bethie left her glasses on the floor by the front door. I didn't notice. Neither did Dan when he came home from work and flattened them. And it embarrasses me every time I have to take their glasses, which have been twisted in to the shape of a pretzel, in to be repaired.

Katie recently ripped Bethie's glasses off her face. More accurately, Katie ripped one arm of Bethie's glasses off her face. Bethie's glasses were presented to me in two pieces. I didn't yell. I got out the sticky tape.

I found that medical tape works better though.

I've learned that Francois was, in fact, loved by his mother. She was just at the end of her rope...or the end of her money! Or both!

Splatter Party

I decided to have a Splatter Party for the twins 6th birthday. I booked the party for the day before their actual birthday. Because their birthday fell on a Monday. Because it's easier to have a party on the weekend. Because it was no big deal.

Wrong!

The twins were rather insistent that they have their party on their birthday, not the day before. So, I lied to them. I told them that their birthday was on the Sunday and that everyone else was confused about the date. They bought it. Thank God.

Anyway, they had a lovely time with their friends, covering canvases (and themselves!) in paint.



The children had to fling the paint on to their canvases.



It was a very messy procedure.

Everyone was covered in paint.

Only one person cared.

OK, two people cared...but Katie was "painted" intentionally by a little darling she had invited to the party.

Bethie is soooo animated. Sarah kept going to the basin to wash her hands, but she always came back for more fun.

These balloons were filled with paint, and the children had to pop them over the canvases.

Blowing out the candles on the Splatter Cake.

All the children gasped when they saw all the colours inside the cake. It totally made all the work worth it!

Everyone had a great time!

The Splatter Cake

I decided that the twinnies would really like to have a Splatter Paint Party for their 6th birthday. It sounded like lots of fun, and I wouldn't have to clean up. Win, win.

But I needed a cake to match.

I mentioned this to my friend, Ali. We spent an unreasonable amount of time researching how we could make a Splatter Cake. And then we made it happen.

I delegated the icing of the cake to Ali because holy cow I hate doing it. Ali later delegated icing the sides of the cake to me. Ummm...that's the HARD part!

6 layers...because they were turning six years old. Katie asked if it was going to be 7 layers next year. Ummm...NO!

Ali delegated the rolling of the fondant to Dan. (Ali misunderstood why we invited her over. Her role was NOT to keep us in line. Instead, she was supposed to do the work FOR us. Sigh)

We let the children colour and muck about with the left over fondant. Yup, it was pretty disgusting. They insisted on saving it and eating it the next day.

Ali, Bethie, and Sarah

This photo cracks me up. I had asked the children to not eat the fondant. Katie thought that I wasn't looking!

This was the best we could do. Ali and I reassured ourselves that the SIX YEAR OLDS were not going to notice our "imperfections". (No one did)

We had to use forks to splash the "paint" onto the cake. I wanted Dan to steal some syringes, but he told me that he doesn't "steal" medical equipment. He's very particular in what he will, and will not, steal.

This was lots of fun...but messy. Thankfully, we had put the children to bed before we started this part.

Ta da!!!

Day One

Katie and Bethie got off the bus after their first day of school, and came racing up the driveway shouting "Grade One is awesome!".

I was pleased.

Their new teacher sent home a "First Day Kit" of goodies with a little note that read:

A Starburst: You will be a shining star in school if you always do your best.
A Penny: To remind you that you are a valuable member of our class.
A Sticker: We will always stick together and help one another.
Smarties: You are going to learn SO much in First Grade this year!
A Pencil and Eraser: You are going to learn how to write its okay to make mistakes.
A Bookmark: For all the books you are going to learn to read this year.
A Hersey hug: We all need hugs now and then.
Lifesaver: I am here to help you. Don't be afraid to come to me if you need anything.

I thought that was really nice. So lovely, that I ignored the basic mistakes in sentence structure. I'm sweet like that.

I never saw the Hersey hug. Guess those got eaten on the way home.

I made the twinnies share their Smarties equally with Sarah because Sarah adores Smarties. Then I rushed out to the gas station and bought another box (regular size), and let all three share the box. Because I'm a sucker.

All in all, a good day.