Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Happy 5th Birthday Q!

Q is 5 years old today!! What fun!  He asked to go to a Blue Jays game so we are heading there tonight for a pretty important game (we booked these tickets weeks ago before we knew how important this game would be).  Q is excited to see the game and eat popcorn. 

Q is really growing up and is a fun guy.  He loves to play toys, go outside, ride his bike, and keep up with his older brother. There have been many times where we are surprised that he has done certain things on par with his 9 year old brother,  like going on a 5K bike ride, or playing complicated video games. He is often smiling and telling us things about his day.  He is developing a sense of humour and will say some pretty cute things.  

I have been very proud of how he handled online school last year.  It was difficult for many students but especially for kids his age (Junior Kindergarten, ages 4-5).  For the most part he sat at the iPad for the morning, participated in many of the activities, and made progress with his letters and numbers, as well as general language skills.  He is happy and comfortable to be back in the real classroom this year with his buddies.

He loves to help out and set the table, help with food preparation, and tidy his room. There is a bit of a competitive nature in him where if we are getting after E for something, Q will pipe in to remind us that he is doing whatever is being asked of him, and will also scramble to tidy something up before E does. 

There are times when he gets frustrated with not being able to do something or being unable to explain what the problem is, but he is definitely growing up and often says "okay fine" to give in when we need him to.

Scroll to the bottom for the annual birthday quiz.





















(my comments in italics)

Favourite Colour
Yellow

Favourite Stuffed Animal
Guy

Favourite Thing to Sleep With
Guy

Favourite Fruit
Blueberries

Favourite Thing to Eat for Breakfast
Muffin

Favourite Thing to Eat for Lunch
Big Pita

Favourite Thing to Eat with Supper
Tacos
 
Favourite Dessert
..hmm, remember those things you taught me to make in the cones? Campfire cones?  Yes!
(these are what we do camping - waffle cones stuffed with chocolate, marshmallows, and other goodies, and then wrapped in tin foil and melted over the fire.)

Favourite Drink
Lemonade

Favourite Animal
Cheetah

Favourite Book
Ryder and the Paw Patrol.  Is that a book? Yes.
(He was playing with a Ryder toy when I asked him these questions.)

Favourite Song
Raindrops on Roses 
(My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music)

Favourite Sport
Hockey.  You don't play hockey, are you sure?  Yes, one time at my camp I played hockey. 
(Summer camp, street hockey, one day)

Favourite TV Show
Paw Patrol

Favourite Movie
Paw Patrol

Favourite Thing to do Outside
Going on the swing, that's a new one! Swinging is new?  No, I didn't say watching Paw Patrol outside!!

Best Friend
Wes. You mean Wesley, from school? No, Wes! 
(This is our neighbour who is E's age but he likes Q too!)

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Fireman

Anything else to share?
No




Tuesday, September 28, 2021

What's up Wednesday (on Tuesday)

I'm doing this post today because it is Q's birthday tomorrow so I'll be posting about that.

 What we're eating this week...

Sunday - Chinese Food Delivery
Monday - Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, Vegetables
Tuesday - Sausage, Kale, Bean and Crouton Skillet
Wednesday - Blue Jays Game 
Thursday - Tacos
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Q's birthday party snacks

What I'm reminiscing about...

As it seems that vaccines for children 5 and over will soon be available, I am thinking back to last September when we still weren't sure when (or even if) we would be getting vaccines and how far we have come since last year.  Now with the fourth wave upon us, to have the option of vaccines for children on the horizon, it feels very promising. 

What I'm loving...

September weather.  It's so pleasant with no humidity and only occasional rain.  Hoping for more of the same this weekend for Q's outdoor birthday party.

What we've been up to...
Travelling! Dave went to PEI for a golf trip and then we all went to Nova Scotia last week.  So fun to be going places again, and of course, seeing our family and friends. 

What I'm dreading...
Now that we do feel better about travelling, I am worried that we won't be allowed to visit certain places (ahem, the United States) because Dave and I both have mixed vaccines.  I assumed the CDC would have this figured out by now, but they seem to be dragging their heels.  Hopefully we won't have an issue when we are ready to visit the US. [Edit: I looked into this more and it seems you can still travel with mixed vaccines, but the applicable exemption from quarantine will be testing, not the vaccine exemption, so that's fine.]

What I'm working on...

Lots of things going on at work - new contracts, dealing with our clients' vaccine requirements, and the other regular things that come with in house counsel work.  I go into the office two to three days a week (currently we have a two day minimum for office staff). 

What I'm excited about...

We stayed at an AirBnB while we were in Halifax last week and our bed had the best pillows.  We actually ordered our own while we were there and they should arrive this week.  The kids also were sleeping on an Endy mattress and E said it was comfy so we may get him a new mattress, and also think about updating our own mattress.

What I'm wearing...

I've gradually been buying some new work clothes, mostly things from Banana Republic and a few things from a boutique in Bloor West Village.  I need some more shoe options but I don't really know what is in style anymore!

What I'm watching/reading...

Watching Dancing with the Stars (Cody!), Ted Lasso, and we are going to start The Morning Show soon. 

I'm back to reading Barack Obama's book.  It seems this will be my Everest and we'll see if I can finish it by the end of the year!

What I'm listening to...

Jerry Cans radio on Spotify, some great Canadian tunes. And also inspired by the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation happening on Thursday.

What I'm doing this weekend...

Cleaning the house, having some people over for Q's birthday party (outside so fingers crossed for good weather), and Q's last soccer event of the season.

What I'm looking forward to next month...
Thanksgiving, E's birthday, Halloween, and the changing leaves.  I still love summer the best, but fall is a close second.


What else is new...

Big series for the Blue Jays this week versus the Yankees and we have tickets for tomorrow night!  Q wanted to go for his birthday so we purchased them a few weeks ago, not knowing how important these games would be.  It should be an exciting time in the Skydome, almost like old times. 

Linking up with Shay.



Monday, September 27, 2021

Nova Scotia Recap Part 1

We got back from our East Coast trip last night and today I am sharing part one of our travels.  Check back later this week for part two. 

Last Saturday I headed to the airport with the boys to catch our flight to Halifax (Dave would be joining us later in the week).  We had plenty of time to get some breakfast and coffee before boarding our plane.  The kids were excited to be going somewhere. 


Spiderman.


No problems to wear masks on the plane, these kids are pros at wearing masks.  We all watched our respective movies and the time went quickly. 


My mom picked us up and we took a quick stop to visit the newest member of our family, baby L.  The boys loved their new little cousin.



My mom and me with my cousin Emma (L's mama).

Then we drove the two hours to my hometown Shelburne.  When we first told E we were going to visit Nana and Papa, his only thought was of the Wii that they have, he was so excited to play it again. 

Meanwhile we had some sangria and chips on the deck.


Cheers!



After supper we went for a walk on the trail.  They rec department had set up a story book along the way with each page on a different post.  The kids loved running ahead to find and read the next page.

This rock looked like a couch.



Roseway River


The next day was Sunday and we went downtown to see the whirligig festival which was great fun, and it was quite windy, so we got a good display of the whirligigs.



Then we did some exploring, stopped in at some gift shops, and picked up some goodies at the market. 




I used to work at the Shelburne County Museum, the turquoise building in the middle.



After lunch we played around outside.  



Then we went to Boxing Rock Brewing Co. to meet up with one of my friends who just happened to be in town that weekend.  During the pandemic I participated in some virtual trivia nights with Boxing Rock but had never been inside the actual taproom.  


The old IGA for those who know.  Haha.


On Monday afternoon we took a drive up to Ohio to visit a farm.  The farm belongs to friends of my parents, they have cows, chickens, and a dog.  They also have apple trees where we got to pick apples to take home and a big garden when we got to take some kale, tomatoes, a zucchini and a squash.  The kids had great fun.  I joked that we would have to pay $25 a person to do something like this in Toronto and would not have had as many opportunities. 

Feeding the cows with apples stuck on the end of a stick.







Then we stopped at someone else's house where they have sheep and other critters. 

Including a new puppy!

Bringing in our goodies from the farm.

I made kale chips to go with our supper and they were tasty!

On Tuesday afternoon we drove out to the Sandy Point Lighthouse.  The tide was going out so we got to walk on the emerging beach.  








It was my mom's birthday that day so we dressed up and went out for supper at Charlotte Lane.




As usual the food was delicious.



On Wednesday my mom had a hair appointment out in Barrington so we tagged along and went to a little beach off the causeway over to Cape Island. 






They had some baskets and pickers so you could pick up garbage on the beach while you were there.  The kids loved doing this and we found a few things to throw away.

Then we went to Captain Kat's Lobster Shack for lunch.  
Checking out the blue lobster in the tank.


I had the lobster roll and it was some good!  Not only was the lobster delicious, the bun it was served on was fresh, soft, and buttery.  Delicious!

I was working on these days as I did not take holidays so I needed to get some work done and attend meetings, but I was lucky to get away to do these little activities, while my parents kept the boys entertained at other times.  In the evenings we also got to watch the Emmys, the election results and the new season of Dancing with the Stars.  It was a great time to be home in Shelburne, the first time there since 2017!!

The second part of our trip takes us to Halifax for a wedding.  Stay tuned.