Odds and Ends

Gpa retired this summer so we celebrated with a luau...warming up for our spring trip to Hawaii!

RKA has another year under his belt - now totalling 35! 

 This brought me back to my childhood and kept the kids busy for an entire afternoon :)

Love this kid!

RKA completed his first triathalon last weekend and surprised everyone including himself with how well he did!  I found out that triathalons are definitely better spectator sports than marathons so I hope he continues.

It has been a busy season for our family and now with back to school and all that entails we are ready for some serious cozy fall time.  Bring on the sweaters, pumpkins and apple cider!

The Big Leagues

R had her first day of Kindergarten today and as you can see she is pumped about being called up to the big leagues.  She is such a fun five year old.  She is now missing two teeth, she can count to 100, and she tells a few decent jokes too.  She hates mosquitoes, and she is learning to cope with having her hair brushed.  She is quite patient with her three year old brother.  She is creative, confident and bright.  Her hobbies are art, swinging on the swings and recently riding her scooter.  She has never met a noodle that she didn't like.  The smell of oranges insults her senses and can incite a lot of drama.  She has an entrepreneurial spirit and has run hot chocolate stands, lemonade stands and is most recently begging me to have an art stand.  She would also really like a snow cone maker and an easy bake oven  She is definitely an idea person. 

On her way to her first day of school...

.... Little B is left behind for one more year while R heads off to Kindergarten....

..... But when R returned home she indulged her little brother and played baseball and rode scooters with him. 

Lakeside!

We spent bookend weekends at the lake.  The first weekend we spent with friends who have kids similar in age to ours.  It was awesome to have playmates for the kids and it was a fantastic weekend of dock-jumping, net-fishing, and marshmallow-roasting.

 The second weekend we joined Gma and Gpa for some lakeside R&R.  G&G also proved to be good playmates for R&B!

 Gma is getting salon treatment - including the classic blue eye shadow, and a cuticle soak!

R fished off the dock for most of the weekend from sun up until sun down.  

RKA did his best fish impression and swam many lengths to train for his upcoming triathalon in the same lake.

 

Meanwhile, I was doing my best impression of a buoy!

Best Ever.

 

This card is the definitely the best ever card I have ever received.  It has been gracing the shelf in our entry way since the day I got it.  The bows, the blonde hair and the big smiles are cute enough but I love the backwards letters labeling each child (just in case you couldn't guess who is who).  Yes this one is a keeper.  There have been a lot of "best evers" already this summer.  The thing about a best ever is that it is like a challenge.  When you proclaim "best ever" you know deep down that some day there might be something that actually beats it...but for now you are happy to live in the moment and boldly stake the "best ever" claim.

  

R was in a gallery show, and her pieces were definitely the best ever.

 We spent Canada Day with our close family friends at neighbouring cottages.  It was dreary and rainy but we barely noticed because of the hot spring pools, pancakes, parades and fireworks.  Best ever.

Next we were off to sunny skies and sandy beaches with Gma.  We hit the beach, the pool, and the waterpark.  Gma was a good sport and wasn't afraid to get wet.  She's the best ever. 

 Then it was back to our neighbourhood.

 
Gpa has been raising painted lady butterflies on his sundeck.  B got to release one....Best ever!

The weather has been warm and sunny.  We have been cooling off every day with swimming, water balloons, and water parks.  B demonstrates what to do if your sister is chasing you with a water squirter...just stick your head in the water! Best ever.

 So that's our list of best evers but it is only July so I'm sure August will bring even more bests!