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!  

Saucy and bossy

It was a sunny day, 8 years ago...

Can someone come over and deal with this please?

Too much fun? NEIGH!

Ev did five days of Horsey Camp earlier this month.  It was fantastic.  She loved it desperately.  They swam, played, went on hikes, did crafts, and (of course) got lots of horsey time.  

Rob and I were greeted a few times by the woman who ran the camp.  Each time she'd inform us with a slight edge of hysteria to her voice that: "Your daughter is absolutely fearless.  No.  I mean she's FEAR-LESSSSS.  FEARLESS. She will ride any horse I put her on."

Rob and I would nod knowingly as we're quite aware of Miss Ev's 'small but mighty' and slightly crazy approach to the planet.  So, instead of riding tiny ponies as the other little kids did, Ev got to ride the bigger horses too.  (I have to laugh, imagining that the horse would look behind to see if there was actually anything in the saddle!).  Just 28 whole pounds of spitfire, that's all!

 

Ev (L) and two friends get busy grooming a pony

Her feet almost both reach the stirrups!

Ev on 'Bobby' a former unicorn (so she has informed me)

She had such a great time.  What a lucky kid, eh?  And I got to go to the end of week show, where the kids did a synchronized routine on horseback to the song 'Call Me Maybe' (mind you, we much prefer the Cookie Monster version in this household).  

She has already made me swear an oath that she can go again next year, so stay tuned for that.  What's next?  Show-jumping?  Dressage?  Actually, I think she has a bright future as a jockey, don't you?  

Just for Jim

Yes, yes, yes. I know the sporadic updates are irritating, but, c'mon. It's summer and my life just isn't that interesting. One reader in particular has been particularly verbose about their displeasure. So, for no particular reason (ahem) here is a post all about Jimmy! 

Now that it's almost September (GASP!)it seems like our N.B. adventure was about 7 years ago. That said, I have some very lovely memories of being there and hanging with the Higgys. 

Now, two of the things in this picture (below) rolled off the assembly line in 1946.  Can you guess which two?  And which one has aged better in your opinion??!

Ev, Poppa and an elderly yellow truck

Jimmy and Ev and I also had a jolly walk out to the lighthouse on one very windy day.  The waves were crazy and I thought we might just blow away.  Luckily, Poppa took action to ensure the lightest member of our party was safe.

Poppa and his G-D.  Is this an official fireman's hold?

Let's get a close-up of that glee!

And the lighthouse looking lovely, though it sorely needs a coat of paint.

So, there, finally is an update.  Poppa - we can't wait for you to get back to Ontario.  And we've heard through the grapevine how desperate and frantic you are to return too (insert heavy dose of sarcasm here)!  Let the countdown begin!

Splash!

Ahh, summer fun! 

We spent a lovely afternoon in PoHo with Lee and the boys.  Pizza, a visit with Great Granny B and watched some of the Olympic closing ceremonies (I REALLY want one of those lightbulb hats!).  Good times.  

It's always fun to visit, especially for Henry, because Auntie Peepee does super fun things like contorting herself into a pretzel to take her wee nephew down the playhouse slide. This is after noticing that he climbed up the ladder on his own while the grownups had their backs turned for 12 seconds! 

Correcting that scoliosis will only require 47 treatments, Auntie Peepee

But, today's visit was EXTRA fun because Lee & Chris's neighbours have an AMAZING pool and have, even more amazingly, given permission for the unruly folk next door to use it while they are away.

The kids took to the water like, um, fish taking to water, and a jolly splashy time was had by all. 

Synchronized splooshing

Little water babies!

Henry wanted to jump too, just like the big kids!

The little sea nymph

The kids are (fingers crossed) on the mend after a full week of sickness.  Evy still had a wee fever this morning but them seemed grand for the rest of the day.  Hopefully that's the end of this mystery virus that knocked us out for a week.  Surely a litre of chlorinated pool water up the nose is a cure for almost anything?

It's not even mid-August and I'm already mourning the end of summer.  We've just been SO busy and have crammed so much fun into the past 6 weeks, I have to say I don't really want it to end.  Or maybe I'm just dreading the ridiculous sobby mess that I'll be next month when we walk Madame E to school for the first time?  Sniff.  

In the meantime, we will continue to cram as much splashing, hilarity, and fun as we can into what remains of summer.