Readers

Yes, we are trying to grow readers.

Grandmama came for a visit and enjoyed reading a bedtime story to Smudge.
Amma was asked for a mid afternoon story...
And of course Buppa is always called on for stories each time we visit. Now Jboy is getting into the act too.
How neat!

Fireman Bob

Fireman Bob came to nursery school the other day to talk to the kids about Trick-or-Treat night safety. Smudge had to check out the cool hat in the mirror...
before she let little brother try it on too.
I think they would both be very cute firemen!

Typical day at the Grands

Just like Amma, Smudge does enjoy a good cuppa tea. First thing in the morning, even before she helps Buppa with his crossword puzzle, she goes straight to the tea cart and gets her tea set out. You can see a late-in-the-afternoon tea party here.
After breakfast and her refreshing cup of tea, she likes to help Buppa with his music lessons.
Then it is out to the porch (or as she would say, morch) to take care of a few things out there. I have a bear that belonged to Auntie Ally and it sits out on the porch dressed in different outfits for each season. This time of year it wears the outfit that Smudge wore for her first Halloween. You can see her modeling the outfit here.
Oh my, how she has grown. In this pic, Smudge has already removed the bear's hat, and would like to get the pumpkin outfit off too.
When she realizes that she can't get the pumpkin outfit off the bear, she tries to get the turkey outfit off the pumpkin.
That sounds strange doesn't it, but when you see the pics it makes perfect sense right? Right?
She couldn't get either outfit off, so it was time to go back inside the house and read a story with Amma.
Then off to the park for a swing...
watch the geese fly by overhead...
then return home for some lunch, a bit of quiet time and a nap.
Amma needed a nap too. Puff, pant, gasp, she does keep us busy!

Busy Weekend

Yes we have had a busy few days babysitting the munchkins while Mommy visits The A Team in Vancouver, but lots of fun was had by all. The Smudgster wanted to tend to her colouring as soon as she got home from her Music Together class with Daddy on Saturday morning, and Amma just had to get into the act too.
Smudge's hair is now long enough to put in Poodle Ears. Some people call them pig tails, or pony tails, but I always think of pig tails as braids, and pony tails as one "tail" at the back of the head. My mom always called this hair style Poodle Ears and so...the trend continues.
Smudge thought they were just grand thank you very much, but they gave Daddy fits at music class. They kept coming loose and he had a bit of a time getting them fastened again. She came home looking a bit frazzled, but Amma soon had her looking like a cute little Poodle again.

Morning with Smudge

Buppa was trying to enjoy his coffee and do the morning crossword puzzle, but Smudge had other ideas. First she absconded with the pencil...
then moved right in on the puzzle.
She then took said paper and pencil to the kitchen to see if her animals would help her with some of the answers.
They did help her get a better view of things,..
but she soon tired of that task and decided to take a time out in the hallway to study a sparkly decoration she removed from Amma's Happy Wall.
She is a rascal, but a very cute one!

Bye Mommy

Jboy stood at the window to wave bye-bye to Mommy this morning when she left for the airport. Yes, she is jetting off to Vancouver for the weekend. So Buppa and I moved in to help Daddy with the munchkins for a couple of days, then Grandmama will arrive on Saturday to take over for awhile.

This morning Smudge enjoyed working on the crossword puzzle with Buppa.
Then both munchkins helped Buppa with his back exercises.
Jboy says "Don't worry about me Mommy. I am doing just fine. Have fun on your vacation."
The Smudgster is doing just fine too. Keeping Buppa busy reading lots of stories...
and helping him in the kitchen too.

Good morning angels

We had Smudge for a sleepover the other night, and on her way down to the kitchen for breakfast in the morning she stopped at this little table in the hallway and said "Good morning angels!" I thought it was so cute I ran for the camera. Of course she wouldn't say good morning angels again, but she did have quite the visit with the angels.
I don't know what material the angels are made of, but I don't think they are breakable. Just in case though, I tell Smudge to look but don't touch. It is just too hard for her to resist though and she touches them every so gently.



She is quite taken with the picture frame above the angels too. My sister gave this to me one year for my birthday. It is a piece of Smudge's Great-great Grandmother's crocheting, and her Great Grandmother's smocking. I treasure it!

Working

Smudge is quite taken with pen and paper these days. Here she is diligently working away at her tasks.
Jboy is into music. He spends lots of time at this little piano, and here he looks like he is singing into a microphone with great enthusiasm.
Cute, cute, cute!

This and That

Projects continue to sit and collect dust, and I did take a coffee to the park and enjoyed it while I watched geese play in the sunshine. Smudge is here for a sleepover tonight, and AC and I plan on taking her to the park tomorrow if the rain stays away.

On a sunny day this past weekend Thesha and I took the kids on a shopping trip. Jboy and Smudge look less than enthused to be on this shopping trip with Mommy and Amma, but Mommy was ready for some fun.
It was a bit of a challenge to take the two little ones on this excursion, but we managed to get all our errands done without too much hassle and both kids fell asleep on the way home. Actually, I was ready for a nap when I got home too.

Gettin' into it again...the groove that is.

Groovin'...or trying to get back into it again! Sure isn't easy after all the gallivanting we have been doing. The suitcases are all unpacked and laundry done, but I just can't quite find my groove back here at home. I have lots of things I could tackle, but don't feel like starting any of them. Sigh!

I'm having trouble working out the problems with the antique button bracelets. I have made a few attempts, but they are not quite right yet...
so I will put them aside for a while, and let the process simmer on the back burner of my mind for now. Hopefully the solution will come to me in my sleep.

My art supplies are all set out and ready for me pick up at the slightest whim, but the whim isn't happenin'.
My drum is patiently waiting for me to give it a good thumping, but...silence is golden right now.
I can't quite set my hand to any of these activities right now. Maybe I'll take a coffee to the park and ponder life for another day, and try to get back into the groove tomorrow.

Wish me luck!

Thanksgiving Weekend - The trip home!

Oh my, look what we woke up to on the day we were due to travel home. SNOW! It was just a dusting, but it was snow nonetheless and I was NOT ready for it.
It sure made for a pretty drive home though.
The sky was full of clouds, so we didn't get the distant vistas like we did on the ride to the farm, but...
I found lots of trees in frosty dresses to take pictures of.
By noon we were nearing home and there wasn't a speck of snow on the trees there. We did find this surprise waiting by the side of the road for us though. Can you see what we saw? She is right in the centre of the pic.
Yes, it was Bambi!

ThanksgivingTrip - Around the farm

On our third day at the farm I woke up and was greeted by sunshine and blue skies. Oh joy! While my morning coffee dripped into the pot, I stood at the kitchen door and took this shot of the back yard...
and this shot of the side yard. Looks like a glorious morning huh?
I couldn't resist a few more shots...
of the back yard. What a vista right outside my kitchen window.

After breakfast we set off on a hike around the property. First stop was the New Bridge to take a pic of the river reflecting the beauty of the day.
Then another shot of the river taken from deeper in the woods. The Riverside Ramble Trail takes us right along the shoreline, and we made many stops along the way to enjoy the view of the river at each lookout spot.
I took lots of pictures at each spot.
When we left the Riverside Ramble Trail, we walked along on a thick carpet of leaves covering the North Boundary Line. Crunch, scrunch, skrinch. I do love the sound of crispy leaves crackling underfoot.
We soon came to the junction of the North Boundary Line Trail and The Old Logging Road. We took this path back to the farmhouse, and underfoot was a mixture of crispy leaves and mossy carpet. What an awesome walk.
After lunch we got in the car and drove along country roads to see what else Mother Nature had decorated for us. Winter's Bay Road was all decked out in its autumn finery...
and was positively aglow.
Our spirits were also aglow after our very colourful day. Hope you had a weekend full of colour and warm family times too.