Rainy Week Fun

Last week was my first official week on my own with all 3 kids since my mom is now back up in Toronto :(  I think we had a really good week - despite the weather the second half of the week.  It poured pretty much from Wednesday through to Saturday evening so we were stuck inside for most of that time.  Finding things to keep 3 kids (at totally different ages) busy was challenging.  Wednesday I got brave and ventured out with the 2 little ones to story time at our local library.  We met up with my friend Natalie and her daughter Blakelyn (same age as Brookie).  Yeah that was an adventure I'm not sure we will be doing again anytime soon!  I thought we were going to get kicked out within the first 5 mins of getting there.  They girls would NOT sit down and actually got called out by the librarian who stopped reading the story to ask them to sit down!  We both wanted to just run and hide under a table!  Then since the story was about a little rattlesnake, they handed out sealed envelopes with rice inside so the kids can rattle them throughout the story to sound like the rattlesnake.  Of course they were only supposed to rattle them at designated times..try telling that to 2 year olds....seriously?  Why give them out to the kids when you know they (or maybe it was just ours again) are going to go crazy with them.  Then at the end they got to color a paper snake which they loved.  Afterwards, we ventured into the kids section of the library to read some books.  Again - BAD IDEA!  They were like wild animals in there.  At one point we were sitting around a little table surrounded my wooden bookshelves looking at books.  Brookie went to the other side of the bookcase to get another book and when she wouldn't answer me when I called her, I got up to check on her - she was climbing up the bookcase!!!!!  What in the world was this little girl thinking???  She is just crazy!  So anyway as you can imagine we didn't stay too long and headed to McDonalds to eat lunch and let them burn off energy in the playplace.  Here's a few pics we managed to catch at the library with the wild ones

The next day we stayed home and I caught up on some major laundry - that stuff seems to multiply hourly!  Again - another rainy day so I broke out the finger paints and they had so much (messy) fun.  I am so thankful I haven't bought my new kitchen table yet.  As much as I dislike the one I have - its so nice b/c I don't have to worry what happens with it - I can just windex it clean.  I think its safe to say I will be hanging onto it for a few more years until the kids are older.

We also had a really fun long weekend - even though it was pretty non stop.  Saturday we were all over town visiting family & friends.  We didn't end up getting home Saturday night until almost midnight....so the kids got to bed really late.  But for once - they actually slept in the next day too - almost to 11am!  It was wonderful!  Sunday - 4th of July we went to Andy's aunt & uncle's house for a bbq and swimming.  We had a blast just enjoying the weather - it was finally sunny out again - yay!  I snagged some pics from my sis in law & her mother in law to post on here - I of course forgot my camera again.  Brookie & Andrew are complete water babies - they were in the water the entire time and having a blast. 

Cannon on the other hand decided that he didn't want any part of the water that day - it was pretty cold in the pool b/c of all the rain we had been having the last several days. So he only lasted maybe 5 mins if that. Andy got out with him and got him calmed down and took a little snooze.

Later that night we popped fireworks with a bunch of our neighbors outside.  Its definitely hard with the loud noises with a baby.  Brookie loved them and was outside for most of it but Cannon wasn't too much of a fan - way too loud outside and inside he was woken up by them.  Luckily I was able to get him to sleep at his usual bedtime and he slept through the rest of it.

Today we just ran errands and stayed around the house and the kids played on the waterslide outside.  And once again, I did a bunch of laundry - see what I mean that stuff just multiplies?  I can't even tell you how many loads I did again today.  Its a never ending battle!

Here's a cute pic I took the other day of Brookie & Cannon playing.  Cannon was in his jumperoo playing and he really can't touch the floor too well right now so Brookie gave him a helping hand (or body).  What a thoughtful big sister :)

And finally - just for Uncle Michael...lol.  He is a University of Michigan fan (not really sure where that came from but oh well) and I just so happened to pick up a tshirt a while back for Cannon just b/c I thought it was cute and just a simple shirt to throw on with his diaper when we are just hanging out at home.  And as an added bonus it is a great way to annoy uncle Michael as it is a Michigan State shirt lol  Needless to say Uncle Michael was NOT impressed when he saw his nephew sporting this tshirt earlier this evening...lol.

I'm not so sure Cannon was too sure about his wardrobe choice either....

Looking up at Uncle Michael trying to figure out what the big deal is.....

And then he decided that he didn't want anything to do with Michigan State either - he puked all over it and threw a fit!  Either that, or Uncle Michael willed his nephew to behave like that..lol!  I guess we will never know!

This & That

Well we made it back home safely late Friday afternoon - always nice to get back home again.  It was a loooooong day in the airport.  Our flight didn't leave until 3pm, but we got to the airport around 8:45am for 2 reasons.  1st the G20 Summit was going on in Toronto this same weekend so security around Toronto and at the airport was insane - the whole downtown area was pretty much on lockdown and they were saying to expect a lot of delays getting around the city as several major highways were shut down and delays at the airport.  As I learned on the way up there - getting through the airport with 2 small kids is no easy task and it takes time to get checked in, go through security and then go through customs...so we knew we needed a LITTLE extra time at least.  2nd reason is b/c that is the time we could get one of my brother's friends to give us a ride to the airport with a big enough vehicle for all our suitcases.  So we pretty much just did what we had to do - and spent the entire day in the airport.  The airport part wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be with 2 little kids.  Cannon pretty much slept the whole time other than when it was time for a bottle.  A few times I just went for a walk with him and that always does the trick.  Brookie was loving the moving sidewalk so that kept her busy for a while with Uncle Michael.  Then we got completely lucky and another family came and sat down right behind us with 2 small little girls.  Within minutes they were all playing together and had pretty much taken over a couple of rows in the waiting area with all their toys.  It worked out wonderfully b/c their flight wasn't until after 2pm also so we were all there for the long haul.  So that kept Brookie entertained pretty much the entire time - whew!  Here is a pic I took of them watching some movies on my laptop at one point...lol - so cute! 

Anyway...I thought we got off pretty lucky with how good the kids were behaving. We got on the plane and I could tell Brookie was worn out - we all were....but still it wasn't anything too bad...just a little whining about wanting to lay down right away - even when we were just taxiing down the runway.  Just told her to hang on 5 more mins and then when we took off she could lay down.  So as soon as we were in the air, she was out.  Actually we all pretty much were....sooooo peaceful :)  Here's a pic that my brother apparently took while we were all fast asleep.

Little did I know this wouldn't last - ha!  We slept for maybe an hour and then I woke up and then shortly after Brookie & Cannon woke up.  Well Cannon was hungry so I made him a bottle and he was happy.  Then Brookie did a complete turn around and just started flipping out about EVERYTHING.  She was not happy - didn't want to sit in her seat, didn't want to play with any of her toys, read any of her books, didn't want to lay down, didn't want to do anything except scream.  Yep - we were one of THOSE families.  I was so embarrassed....and there was nothing I could do - we were trapped for another 2 hours.  She did calm down here and there and play a little, but it would all start up again and pretty much did the same thing for the rest of the flight.  Even when we were about to land - she was throwing such a huge fit not wanting to sit down - and obviously at that point there was no choice but to sit....so I have never been so happy to be back on the ground and out of the airplane.  No one was rude to us and actually my brother said everyone around us seemed to not even notice the commotion in our row....and I remember way back when reading something or being told that it always seems worse than it really is.   The funniest thing was that after we were at the gate and people were getting off (since we had to wait until the end to get off the plane b/c of all the extra things we had to pick up) - Brookie was standing up on her seat and saying bye and waving to each person as they got off. Seriously?????  Is this not the same kid who only 5 mins earlier was screaming like someone was torturing her??  Honestly I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.....but I think I may be done with airplanes for a little while with these two....hahaha!  Needless to say I was exhausted when I got home and crashed a lot earlier than usual.  Spent the whole next day just relaxing at home and unpacking - that was pretty much the only thing I could handle at that point.

Anyway....the rest of the weekend was nice spending time at home and with Andy's family swimming.  It is so hot here....you pretty much have to be in the water if you want to be outside.

Today was my 1st day on my own with all three kids.  Everyone is alive and well (including me).  It went better than I expected.  I actually got a lot done too - 2 loads of laundry, a load of dishes cleaned and put away, bed made, straightened up the kitchen, clipped coupons and went through my coupon wallet and got rid of all the expired ones and reorganized it, played outside with the kids on the waterslide, made lunch, got 2 younger kids down for a nap, made dinner, went for evening walk, bathed 2 younger kids, got them to bed for the night.  I am worn out..but I actually enjoyed today.  Hopefully every day will be this productive and the kids will have a good time too.  Here are some pics from today outside playing.  My friend Natalie came over with her daughter Blakelyn and they all played on the waterslide and had a blast.

And finally....look who is a big boy now!!!  Everytime you hold him, he wants to stand up and jump....he is so active.  So I got out Brookie's old Rainforest Jumperoo and he loves it!  He is still a little small for it so I just put some blankets down behind him to prop him up some and he just smiles non stop.  He doesn't last too long in there yet...but I have a feeling this thing will get some great use again.  Brookie used to go crazy in this thing.....too funny!

He loves the blue frog that hangs in front of him - he will just stare at it forever!

Like Father, Like Son - there's no doubt who his Daddy is....he was GLUED to the tv when he was in him jumperoo - he wouldn't look at me for nothing!  :)

Celebrating Summer

Today is the 1st day of summer - yay!  Of course in Houston it has felt like summer for several months, but at least now its officially the heat season ;)

We've had some beautiful days up here in Toronto - getting depressed that we are actually having to return to that brutal heat in Houston.....oh how I don't miss that heat!  Well to celebrate the first official day of summer today, we took a nice walk to a park that is down the street from Grandma's house and let Brookie play on the playground.  To say she had a blast was an understatement - she was having so much fun sliding on all the slides, swinging, climbing, hanging on bars and just running around.  She was so funny - everytime she would do something new, she would turn around and yell "Mommy....look at meeeee!!!! Cheeeeeese!!!!"  Of course when it was time to go she threw an epic 2 year old temper tantrum....what fun!  What can I say...being 2 is a tough job.  Should have taken some pics of her during her meltdown just to make the outing complete ;)

Anyway....here is Brookie's fun playground trip in pictures.....I'm tired just looking at them!

This is the funniest thing - Brooklynn is OBSESSED with the grass here in Toronto.  The first day she went with Grandma for a walk, she said as soon as they got to the sidewalk, she bent down and kept touching the grass and kept saying how soft it was...lol.  She loves to just lay down and roll around on it...too funny!  At least here she doesn't have to worry about all those nasty fire ants biting her :)

And this is how Cannon felt after the trip to the park - I guess watching his big sister doing all that running around tired him out too!