September round-up

Where has September gone? Fall is  definitely here.  The ground was a crispy frosty white this morning and it's a refreshing 17.5 degrees in the house right now.  Maybe it's time I break down and put the furnace on?

I can't say for sure where this month has gone.  I guess it's the whole back-to-school/ snotty-nose-germfest/ change-of-seasons/ days-getting-shorter/ general-busyness-and-chaos thing.  

Well, no matter how quickly this month has gone by, it's been a good one.  Busy, snotty, occasionally feverish, but fun and rowdy.  Gymnastics and swimming lessons are in full swing, and Henry is loving having  a few days a week where it's just him and Momma.  (Momma, on the other hand, realizes it's a whole new task to occupy a toddler while big sis is in school!)

Here's a photo-round-up of our month so far:

A last blast of colour in the garden

As always, the Millbrook Zucchini Festival is one of our favourite days of the year.  The kids had a blast, the boat races were a hoot.  Evy and I represented the clan as we both brought home bronze medals (me for the baking contents and Ev for the zucchhini boat decorating contest).  

Some serious fun at the Zucchini Fest on Sept 9

Saucy creek-dwellers

Evelyn is loving school, and dare I say, is thriving there.  She loves her teacher, loves recess, loves playing with the other kids, and has embraced the new routine with much enthusiasm.  Now, if only I could get her to actually eat ANY of her lunch, we'd be in great shape.  Here she is after her first day, proclaiming her future career aspirations:

At home after her first day of school

Look at that professional demeanor!  A future MD for sure!

I actually managed to go away one weekend and rendezvous'd with the gals for a fabulous weekend on Georgian Bay.  We had a great time, filled with an inordinate amount of laughter, margaritas, death-defying boat rides, dance-moves, excellent canoeing and even perhaps a midnight swim in the frigid waters of the 'Bay. 

Girls Weekend '12 - Georgian Bay sunset

The Girls (can we still call ourselves 'girls'?!)

Other highlights were the Port Hope Fall Fair (thanks to Auntie PeePee for making Ev's first PoHo sleepover such a success!), lots of sibling playing and destroying the living room, lots of walks in the autumnal splendor.  

So, here's to a whirlwind month!  And, we're very much looking forward to October (Thanksgiving, the wedding of the youngest Higginson, and of course Halloween!).  Happy last few days of Sept to one and all!  

Girls just wanna have fun

Had a very fun girl's weekend get-away a few weeks ago. The gang travelled to Niagara on the Lake, which is a beautiful spot. We rented a lovely house around the corner from the main street and had a great time getting caught up and laughing ourselves silly.

Henry was the only man allowed, and he quite enjoyed having six mommies to tend to his every need and whim. He was a good boy and behaved himself and didn't cramp our style too much as we stayed close to the house mostly, for banner games of 'Drinking Operation' (much more challenging than the original), Bananagrams (and awesome game that I'd highly recommend for you word-nerds) and some top-quality dancing, complete with lampshades on heads.

A great time was had by all, and I can't wait for our next weekend. Dare I say, next time there may be no babies joining us? Bring on the fun, ladies! And we're already planning our 2015 NYC extravaganza to celebrate our 40th birthdays in a few years. Woot woot! The big apple won't know what hit it! BYOL (Bring your own lampshade!)

The lovely house we rented
With 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms would be great for
a family or New Years Eve party

Out for a stroll with Henry
(and a statue of George Bernard Shaw)

It's all fun and games until the lampshades come out

Posing for a group shot mid-boogie

Henry checks the living room for damages

after a night of partying

I can't recommend the property managers enough. Here's the house we rented: http://www.governorswalk.ca. We ate lunch at this pub and it was fantastic, and had a great time strolling the streets, having coffee, gelato, and doing some shopping. A great weekend indeed. Now the sad work of waiting another year before our next getaway!

Fun with friends

We had a lovely day in the big city (tee-yo) on Wednesday and got caught up with the girls and their offspring. It's always lovely to have a day in Toronto, to remind myself of why I love it, and also to get my fix of traffic and smog and remind myself why we live in Millbrook. Henry was a good boy, and aside from a painful episode of 'both kids screaming bloody murder on the 401' while driving home, we had an uneventful journey.

Here are a few snaps of the crazy kids. I can't believe how fast they are growing up.