Tower vs Butterfly

Boys vs Girls

Boys went for the classic tower (laaaaame....even if there was a motorcycle hidden inside). Girls went for a butterfly (awwwwesoooome). The best bit came from Sav:

"Wait Mommy, the competition isn't over yet. First let me spray our butterfly with perfume for the finishing touch!"

Biased, or is that girl a creative genius!?

ps - Great Grandma, Nonno, Uncle Chris, Uncle Rick- this is the game we purchased with your amazing amazon vouchers, an idea stolen from the Vancouver Science World. Yes, we paid a fortune for 400 simple wooden blocks. But they are worth every penny! Thank you!

Some use a sleeping mask, and others...

This is what I found one night when I came into to sing Mac a song before bed.

Sardines

Not a great pic but does show full commitment from the troops in a game of hide and seek, sardine style. 5 in a tub!

MegaDob Goes Canuck

Thank you Uncle Fatty for welcoming Mega to the great white ice of your beautiful cabin. He came home from a weekend of pond hockey, bruised and broken, but, "not quire the worst player on the ice".

Monkey Business at Queen Elizabeth Park

The national geographic photographer who so beautifully captured the monkeys in their natural habitat. Right before they went to Starbucks...

Mac Turns Three!

There were chocolate pancakes at Nana's, followed by yummy presents (thank you all!). Then a party chez nous with best friend Sophia being the key feature. Those two play so nicely together-- they share and exchange ideas so well for wee three year olds and it's pure joy to be around.  

A few things to know about Mac, now that he is the big 3:

• He's as smiley and charming as he's always been. (He often spontaneously stops the activity to ask for a hug and/or to tell you how much he loves you.)
• He loves cars, dinosaurs and zambonis.
• He loves his nursery across the street. 
• He copies his big sister all the time.
• He guzzles his hot chocolate.
• He's quite into his arts and crafts and he can kind of colour in shapes.
• He thinks he can swim. He's nowhere close, but he does love the water.
• He eats raw veg like there's no tomorrow.
• He's going through a major mama's boy phase. 

"Will Dad put you to bed tonight?"

"Dad puts me to bed tomorrow."

Tomorrow never comes.

• He gets away with murder. All the time. Examples:
• Eating chocolate chips from the baking drawer without asking.
• Wiping his painting hands on the walls.
• Kicking things over.
• He's big into the N word. He shouts NO all the time, to most questions.

The hilarious part is that as Mac's getting into trouble, in the very moment when we are leaning over him asking him to stop, instructing him to stop, threatening consequences, Mac continues his poor behaviour (calmly) and smiles sweetly at us all the while.

Mac tucks in nicely in his new dinosaur duvet.

Winter Beach Play

A certain kind of fever, of the Rexy variety, has hit our home. Hard.

The Christmas and Birthday combo for Mac has compounded the opportunity for the obsession to grow (lovely gifts from all - Thank you, says Mac!)

Team Kendal - You are too good to us!!!

 The kids loved their santa bag parcels and have been taking the hot water bottles to bed all holiday. We loved our goodies too. Thank you!!!

Sledging...kind of...

The snow this year has been laaaaaame. But we did our best with Team Nielsen on new year's day at Mount Seymour.

What's a Date Night Without your Niece?

Savvy kindly treated Lynnie & Kevin to a night on the town (or something like that). 

It was off to Frozen and then a four star local haunt (or something like that).  

Sav was buzzing from the whole thing. There were presents too! 

(Kids are demo-ing the make-your-own-masks the next day)

Who is the Fanciest Person of the Night (Hint - it's not Aunt Lynnie)

Aunt Lynnie is still dusting herself off after a brutal blow. Wee Sav was in charge of ranking us in order of fanciness on Christmas night. Aunt Lynnie is usually a shoe in, the main contender, a sure bet.

Either Sav had a moment of weakness (slash pity) for her Dad, or the red shirt and saucy belt genuinely won her over - who knows- but as you can see from his championship pose - MEGADOB took first prize!


If you're not first, you're last. Sorry Aunt Lynnie.

To add to the staple-through-finger trauma, here's Savvy recovering from my having singed her thumb with a curling iron. (Sorry Savvy...not a great lesson for a young one about the cost of silly beauty...or is it!?)

For the record, I was fourth.