Category: Family

Another busy weekend

Friday saw us dancing in the rain.  The girls simply had to take out their umbrellas and break them in.

Yesterday we were busy balancing getting the house ready for Katrine’s party and enjoying the outdoors.  Glenn and Katrine whipped up the cupcakes and then she and I got down to icing them while Elspeth practised her flourishing (she is getting much better).  The girls also went about creating the decorations and loot bags for the candy movie extraveganza.  Then it was time to get outside for some much needed fresh air and exercise.

I love Katrine’s cloud raining down meatballs.

Her smiling bathroom sign got a few comments from the girls.

Doesn’t it look like red Easter eggs hangining in mid-air?

This morning while Elspeth played with Baba, I put Katrine to work on prepping some of the healthier snack options and organizing things.

Craft zone in case guests got bored with the movie.

Yup, had to put some veggies into the mix.  They even got eaten.

AND….CANDY

After all of the guests headed home, we headed outside (for Elspeth it was back outside because she and Glenn had biked over to the park and Tims during the party to escape the squeels and chatter).  It was a beautiful afternoon.

She really doesn’t jump quite as well as it appears.


Getting ready for Easter

It is that time of year again to dye some eggs.  Today was the perfect day to do it given that there was no way I was going to stand outside in the cold watching the girls ride bikes and then complain about being cold.  So, instead we boiled and coloured eggs.  The bonus is that tomorrow’s lunches are already started.

Homework…an excuse to get outside

Yup.  Today’s homework forced us to get outside in the fresh spring air.  You see, Katrine needed to find rocks and I wouldn’t allow her to just nick a few from our neighbour’s nicely landscaped from yard.  As a result, we had a lovely after dinner walk through the local wetlands.  Katrine got her walk, we all got some exercise and we had the perfect excuse to take a look at the spring changes.

Okay, homework is done!

Plus, we saw our first mushroom of the year.

The Easter Fun Begins

We had our first Easter egg hunt of the season this morning and the weather co-operated wonderfully.  Sun, warmth, dry what more could we ask for – a perfect egg hunting day.  The kids and some friends ran around our small backyard (whose snow has thankfully mostly melted).  We topped it off by trading in the plastic eggs for just one gift instead of a slew of candies. All the kids were happy and it was less junk to kick off the season of eggs.  We also had the kids make personal pizza.  The girls had a fabulous time and it was a morning full of smiles and giggles.  The stuff that memories are made of.

After our full morning, we took the girls out for a ride.  Katrine was thrilled because she got to break in her new bike.

 

 

Elspeth’s first ice show

Okay, just so that you can all get your Katrine fix too.  Here is a photo of her taken last night at the airport while waiting to meet friends bringing their newest daughter home from China.

Now onto Elspeth’s ice show.  To sum it up – CUTE!  A whole row of littles giving it their best.  Of course she was the smallest by far but she kept up and had a great time doing it.

I think the funniest part was waiting with her in the change room for her turn.  She decided to do some off ice work.

“See, I can stretch my leg up behind my head like Katrine.” (Hmmm, more like we can start having you take your own skate guards off!)

“Look mom!  I’m doing a Y stand!” ( Hmm, not quite but adorable nonetheless.)

Spring…sort of

Okay, so it is officially spring…even though it doesn’t really feel that way yet.  Elspeth however, is chock full of excitement over it being “almost summer”. As a result, on Friday night we broke out the sidewalk chalk.  If only it could get just a wee bit warmer.  I mean Aleigh didn’t seem to mind watching Elspeth draw from the comfort of the car but it was a bit chilly for me.  Then again, maybe I am just getting older. 🙂

(No, we did not leave Katrine out of the fun.  She was visiting with a friend down the street.)

 

 

March Break – The Finale

We finished up the Break with a trip to Bass Pro Shop for some indoor catch and release fishing.  The line up was long but the girls had fun – they looked a lures with Baba, checked out the fishing poles, did a craft, watched the fish swim, climbed on boats, all while waiting for their turn.  Once we got up there they were happy, happy.  Both got some nibbles but no takers.  That said, they left with smiles on their faces as well as new tackle boxes (which have since been turned into an eraser holder and “pretty stuff” holder).

And then it was back to school on St Paddy’s Day.  Elspeth wore this green dress again to school so she could be in green like mommy’s earrings.  For dinner the girls were thrilled with their green milkshakes (little food colouring never hurt anyone but my fingers turned a nice shade of green opening up the bottle, oops).  Now there is a bit of a lull where we can catch our breathes and get back into the swing of things.

 

Stuffed Animal Day at Skating

Yup, it was stuffy day for Elspeth this past weekend at skating.  She decided to take her two My Little Ponies.  Pinkie Pie had to sit with me and watch, under strict instructions that she was also to cheer.  Rainbow Dash was the braver of the pair and she ventured out on the ice with Elspeth.  Considering that she was working with four feet and no brain, Rainbow Dash did great.  Her first time on the ice and she only fell once!  (Okay, Elspeth dropped her but isn’t the other version cuter?)

Oh!  Elspeth was also named one of the CanSkaters of the Month for February!  Here she is in mid jump…

Sorry, bit blurry.


Club Comp, Starskate Championships and Family Day Weekend

Elspeth acutally made it to Club comp this year – no concussions, and she had a great time.  Here is her experience in pictures.  Oh, and the headband was in her loot bag.

 

While we were at Club Comp, Glenn and Katrine were at the COS StarSkate championships.  Katrine popped out a jumbo double salchow at the start of her program and couldn’t hold the landing.  That threw her off for the rest of the program.  Nevertheless, we are proud of her 10th place finish in her flight.

http://youtu.be/4YNlovO7Cdg

When she and Glenn got home, we all climbed into the car and headed up to my parents.  We spent yesterday introducing the cousins to the joys of cross country skiing.  Elspeth did much better but became frustrated that she still couln’t keep up.  We may need to look into another option that will allow us to ski as a family.

The kids also enjoyed the huge mounds of snow at my parents.  They had a blast on their tobboggans and the weather was mild enough that the grown ups weren’t freezing.

Elspeth really wanted to climb this snowbank.

Elspeth thought this was a great lark.  Kept asking her uncle to dump her.  Good thing that the snow was nice and soft.