The Royal Winter Fair

Trip to the Royal. Visit with Santa (asked for a car and a tow truck). Drove a tractor. "Perked up like a llama" and rode a fake horse. What more could you want?

Blowing up!

What do you do when it's cold and rainy? Why blow up your ball tent with all your extra hot air!

Funny little boy

Finn and I were discussing the pregnancy our friend Amanda. Finn said she was going to pull the baby out of her tummy. I reminded him of a book we have where a dog gives birth to puppies - the Mummy dog uses all her muscles to push the puppies out - that's what our friend Amanda would do too. Finn said "push the baby out and use a boot jack too!" I don't think Finn has the idea just yet.

Mighty Machines

Finn and I went to the local ski hill (Chicopee) to see the mighty machines. Sights included yard cranes, concrete mixers, garbage trucks, fork lifts (boom lift), excavators, front loaders, asphalt resurfacers,... I could go on. But the most common sight was small children with their hands clamped over their ears as other kids lay on the horns of the mighty machines. Yes, the kids were allowed to climb into the vehicles and imagine away... also had some demonstrations and a sand pit full of toys. Lots of fun. Got Finn home in time for a late nap - awake thanks to Raffi and lots of singing in the car.

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

My birthday

Not to sure about decorating the cake


The decorating done! Can you tell who added which jelly beans?


Lovely meal made by Andrew (lamb, mash and super squash)


The cake on fire!

Our garden bounty

Lots of potatoes, cucumber and zucchini, some tomatoes (black, yellow pear and brandywine) and 3 carrots (two red, one white). Lots of produce to move, dirt to eat.....

Rib Fest

A fun hot day! Fire trucks, rides, ribs and ice cream - what could be better? Finn enjoyed his first taste of soft serve and pulled pork. He jumped out of our arms to dance to some cajun beats.

Camping

Our second annual Presqu'île camping trip. Last year we thought that Finn would be so much cleaner this time, now that he's walking... now we know better. Eating dirt builds the immune system right?

Picking rocks to skip on the lake. We both need some more practice.

One of many face-offs in the Soccer-Hockey matches. They both look pretty ready here, but they looked much the same long after the ball was dropped.

Huddling up to plan our strategy. "Adriana: you get your mom to take you to the bathroom. Oliver: put a poop in those pants to distract your dad. Finn: face-plant off the stump and cry for Mum. I'll grab the cookies. Meet me behind the tent in 10 minutes."

Class is in session with mistress Adriana. No talking, no chewing gum, no spitting.

Not sure if the photo captures it. Look at the tree across the road - it continues up over the grey car onto the red one. Yes, we gawked at other's misfortune - and took photos. Also watched the forestry guys cut it up - and got free campfire stool. Best free entertainment I've ever had camping.

Digging on the beach. Karl and I got frustrated - those kids kept ruining our castles.
What's more fun than a muddy hole? If you ask Adriana, a bloated dead fish is. Personal victory - I neither barfed nor screamed (out loud).

Lunch at the world famous big apple. Crappy restaurant open. Gigantic apple closed.

Happy 2nd Birthday - A story in pictures:

The Birthday Boy:

The Hors D'Oeuvres:

The Main Course:

The Weird Guests:

Uncle Tom

Auntie Neer & Poppa

Uncle Stephen

Auntie Neer & Nana

The Sprinkler O'Fun:



The Cake:

Before

After

And the Presents... and presents.... and presents:

Canada Day

We had a pretty quiet Canada day. Took Finn to the splash park where he lay in the puddles and avoided the sprinklers' spray. And then just played in the yard and after bed time hoped the fireworks didn't wake Finn up. Are these our Carlsburg years?

Motorcycle Maniac

We went to the Sacred Heart Church Bazaar.  They have rides and stuff for kids.  We were trying to convince Finn to try the bouncy inflated castle thing when he spied this mini-motorcycle track.  Quickly he evaded us and marched over to the cycles, climbed the curb, ducked the chain and hopped on a cycle.  Thinking that the bikes were probably turned off, we let him do as he wish.  Then... the bike started moving.  Thanks to Finn's persistence, someone eventually came over to open the ride.

Best ride ever as far as Finn's concerned.  He was enthusiastic, but wasn't great at steering, looking where he was going, or even pushing the pedal to make the thing go... but he was enthusiastic.

St Jacob's Market

We decided to take a trip up to St Jacob's Market this weekend. Bought some niagara cherries, local strawberries and grapes from mexico. Had a lunch of perogies and most importantly visited the petting zoo.



Finn enjoyed feeding the goats and sheep and resisted trying the pellets himself. Do these photos look familiar? I guess Finn and the goats are growing up together.