Fun for four

Melissa brought the boy-cousins down for a rowdy 24 hour visit yesterday/today.  Nothing like have a 3, 4, 5 and 6 year old boy here at the same time!  The kids were over the moon to see each other and we packed in a great deal of fun despite the short timeline.

Took them down to the beach, which they seemed to enjoy and grabbed a few, chaotic group shots.  I honestly don't know if it's possible for 8 busy eyes to all look my way for a single photo.  They sure are cute though!

One of my favourite moments of the visit is when Hayden (see cool-dude-glasses-guy above) fashioned a super-hero cape for Kismet.  As you do.

I'm not sure what prompted this activity, other than the fact that the Ottawa boys were quite amused by here gargoyle-y face and silliness.

The pictures I got of Hayden attempting to adhere the super-cape to Kismet's back made me laugh out loud.  I love the shots were it looks as though she's screaming "what's happening to meeeeee??!?!".  Also, the creative spelling pleases me greatly. 

 It's official that she is the best-humoured dog in the world.

Can't you just hear her 'woo woo woo-ing'?

I won't lie.  I was asleep on the couch 15 minutes after they'd gone.  Thankfully, Sam held down the fort.  (And Kismet the Super-Dog, of course!)

My quick Vic trip

Chris and I went to Victoria for 2 days (crazy I know!) a few weekends ago.  Chris was speaking at a conference and I tagged along to see the western branch of the family.  Outside of the fact that a plague beset the hotel, I had a lovely time having a quick tour of a new city.  Thanks to Julie, Rik, Charles and Pat for being such great hosts.

A few snaps:

 Julie and Rik's perfect View Royal house.

The family and some rare Victoria snowflakes. 

Mom-cation

My mom and I have just returned from a couple of days in the south.  Well, the south of Ontario anyway.

Last November, Sarah and I went for a weekend to visit David (my uncle) at his lovely home in Port Burwell.  I took my mom along this year, for a return trip, as she didn't have a pesky baby in tow.   Haha... sorry Sarah! Maybe next year!

If you've never been to that part of the world, you are surely missing something.   There are windmills and charming towns and millions of acres of farmland and miles of beach and Mennonites!

Yep, the ol' Lake Erie area has it all.  We had a great time and my three boys seemed to have fared okay without me.  (Although Chris looked like hell when I got home and wanted me to promise that I'd never leave again.  As if!)

Here are a couple of pictures from this year's adventure:

 Some Mennonites enjoying the low-tech fun of the lake.

Fall fever?

If there's an equivalent of spring fever in autumn, I'd say we're experiencing it.  It's been a beautiful weekend and everyone seems to have been out, soaking in the vitamin D before the dark days ahead.

The family gang headed to Millbrook today for some food and frolic.  Much of both was had.

 Dog frolic, with bonus points if you noticed Charley

 Cute brother Ben realizes he's grown since his prime swinging days.

 Of course, that doesn't stop him from rocking an epic Superman swing!

Sam and Evy created a vortex of crazy on the slide.  As usual:

 Ah, the face-mashed-in-the-butt shot.  A classic!

Kismet, having endured a bath last night, managed to dirt-roll enough to remove any of that nasty 'clean feeling'.  Good for her.

We know how to take over a skate park.  Watch out, young punks.

Boys in flight

I think, dear friends, that this is my favourite shot of Charley.  Ever.  Sun, joy, levitating and singing all at once?  That a blissed out kid.

And I am feeling blissed out too, with a pinch of sleepy to boot.  Hope you had sun and fun this weekend too.

Do your weekends look like this?

To the parents of boys (and some girls), I'm with you in Lego-spirit.  The chant "I am a robot" was prevalent in the household yesterday a.m.  Love the Lego, until I step on a piece... ow.