Love your sibling day

My best friend in the whole wide world is my sister. She's funny, helpful and supportive all rolled in one. I love hanging out with her. Flashback to when we were growing up - we weren't always so close. I remember many squabbles around who should clean up toys, what we should play and who's doll is the cutest. I also remember telling her made up stories to help her fall asleep, laughing with her till my stomach hurt and all the cool things she taught me. ( I am older but often more clueless when it comes to pop culture references). Anyway, my close relationship with my sister is what I wish for my children. This morning as I was coming out of the bathroom, this is what I found waiting for me by the door. I asked them what they were doing and they said they were having their morning hug. Guess what happened after I took this picture?

I got my morning hugs!!!!!

Brightening up a grey day

My workplace has a very funny rule that you can't wear BLUE jeans to work. You can, however, wear any OTHER color of jean so imagine my excitement when colored jeans became fashionable again. I've spent almost a year scouring the stores looking for the perfect pair colored jeans to wear to work. The only problem is colored jeans only come in one style - skinny and skinny jeans just don't work for my body type. Well this weekend I finally found some skinny colored jeans that I could squeeze myself into. I had to buy a green pair since my favorite color is green. I put them on this morning and was stumped as to what to wear with them. My sister who is a fashion maven, wore her mint green jeans fabulously with this striped top:

Isn't she gorgeous? I miss my sis! I took my inspiration from her. Here is my stripped top: 

Do you like my yellow and grey accessory? (My husband, who also has a great fashion sense, dressed her up)

How to spend a stormy saturday

1. Find spot stealers in your bed first thing in the morning (I was in the washroom for less than a minute when they stole my spot.)

2. Get shown up by a 5 year old on your morning run. (my son inherited a pair of puma running shoes and owning them has ignited a passion for  running in him so he joined me on my morning run today.) He can run faster than me!

3. Drive an hour to attend a Day with Thomas at the train museum in the rain!

4. Go to dinner with friends

5. Bond with friends over jean shopping. I now own mint green and stone grey color jeans!

6. Watch Turbo with friends!

7. Come home exhausted and fall fast asleep!

Secondhand stories

My son has started Karate. Hang on, before I get into the story, can you guys settle something for me and my husband. I say Ka Ra Tey, my husband says Ka ra ti. Who says it right? My husband always rolls his eyes when I say it and tells me I'm pronouncing it wrong. Ok now back to the story. My son has been taking lessons for about 3 weeks now but since the class schedule conflicts with my work, I haven't been able to go. Luckily my husband has been able to go and has taken some videos of what my son has been doing. I am amazed! My son is this sort of mild mannered child, but the instructor brings out something strong in him. Today my son earned his first belt, a white belt. When we got home he showed me one of the poses, dragon pose, wearing his new belt. Yay!

Sunday in the sun

I started my day with a cool beverage to prepare for the hours I spent in the sun today.

First on the docket was a visit to Storybook Gardens with some friends. Classic storybook garden shot - sitting with humpty dumpty. A visit to Storybook gardens wouldn't be complete without it.

Next was a stop at home of the old woman who lived in a shoe. Also a storybook garden classic.

 A new feature though was the miniature village built alongside the shoe. The boys gathered some groceries from the store.

The girls made me a meal in the homestead.

The kids spent a lot of time exploring the tiny bank, animal hospital and fire station too.

The boys found a caterpillar.

Then it was time to travel via wagon....

.....to mini london bridge.

We discovered another new attraction - the bouncy pillow, which was this giant rubber bouncy castle, but without the walls. The kids loved it!

It tired them out so they got back in the wagon. Someone napped?!!!

The enjoyed the climbers. Now that the boys are older they couldn't get enough of the big slides. The girls were not as brave. They wouldn't even go down the tamest of slides.

Everyone loved the ferris wheel. Luckily my husband took the kids. I personally hate ferris wheels. They take so long!

After all this activity the kids cooled down at the splash pad.


We left storybook garden to go to a friend's for a BBQ. We had yummy burgers sausages and gourmet pizza. Our contribution were these ice cream cone cupcakes that I forced my husband to make. They were so yummy - he's a better baker than I am!

I am several shades darker after having spent the better part of my Sunday in the sun.

Things I'm grateful for today

1. Starting something small- I am brown, I do not like "tanning" it will just make me browner. So today as I was walking to my daughter's daycare from work. I stopped 6 feet short of the intersection and stood under the shade of a tree to wait for the light to change. I felt a little awkward stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, but after a moment I felt the presence of a woman standing beside me and when I turned to look at her, she smiled. Two seconds later two men stopped behind us, one asked, "why is everyone standing here" the other one answered, "they're being smart waiting in the shade." Soon there were a whole collection of people standing with me under the tree.

2. Making silly silly faces with my daughter - they have dance drama at the daycare and as part of it the kids learn to make exaggerated faces. My daughter wanted us to take a picture of our "surprised" faces because she said we looked "more pretty" when we are surprised.

3. My son is a sweetheart! He helped my daughter eat her dinner by spoon feeding her! It was so sweet of him to do.

4. Holding a newborn!!! My friend and soon to be ex neighbor has a 6 week old. She came over for a visit and I got to hold her. I want another one! But no I can't!!!!! I have just enough energy to raise the two little monkeys I already have. My children were enamored. They love babies!




5. Fireflies and moonlight skies - I went for a night run after a long time and there were fireflies blinking everywhere. It was beautiful. We live up on a hill and as I was running back up the hill the trees where silhouetted against the moonlight, and the field in front of the trees was glimmering with fireflies and honestly, in that moment, I felt so grateful to be alive.

6. My husband - for taking over night duty so I could go for my run - love in our house isn't about grand gestures, but the small dignities and graces that make everyday worth it.

Water babies

The kiddies are attending swimming class with their friends. The girls are learning how to float and are having a blast!

The boys are a little more serious. They are learning how to kick, but the keep bending their knees. Especially my little guy, so he splashes around a lot but he's not moving anywhere. All the effort tires him out =).

My friend packed a scrumptious picnic for the kids to enjoy after their lessons. We found some shade under a tree and spread some towels for them to sit on.

My friend tried to take a picture of me in my summer outfit but I was photo bombed by my son.

When we got home my husband cooked us a yummy meal of potatoes, peppers and eggs...mmmmm....