u pick (some more)

July and August brought with it the best cherries we've picked (ever!) and the juiciest peaches.  The kids happily picked and ate fruit right from the trees.  Or in Avery's case, sometimes right off the ground.  We'd have to bring wet wipes with us to clean Avery off before paying at the fruit stand ;)

The orchards are so beautiful in the mornings.  Practically sparkling with sunlight.  Quiet and peaceful before the tour buses and mobs of pickers arrive.

  

 One of my favourite ways to spend a summer morning.  

u pick

A favourite summertime outing of ours is going to orchards and picking our own fruit.  There are a few big orchards down the road that we frequent but sometimes a sign will just pop up at the end of a driveway and when that happens it's usually a good idea to check it out.  

June picking -- strawberries and blueberries -- at Covert Farms
(followed by some tasting of their organic wines)

Obviously, Avery did more berry eating than berry picking.

Until next year, Covert

things my kids say: part one

This is the March edition. Meaning I wrote this at the beginning of March and somehow forgot about it.  Obviously A LOT has changed since then, and an update will be soon to follow

Avery is quite the little chatter-box-bossy-pants.  She identifies objects and demands objects around the clock.  But she almost always follows it up with a please; and if you aren't quick enough to grant her demand, then several pleases (and if you're still slow about it she may add in the hand signal for good measure).  She's started to say thank-you but no one else on this planet could decipher it.  It's still a really good start on manners though.  Many words are easily understandable (like when she said "ticker please" to the cashier at the grocery store yesterday and received a sticker) but here are a few that are not*:

Pasta = pa pa
Soother = ish
Avocado = cado
Snack = nack
Crouton = ton
Happy- appy

She's also been singing a lot lately which is funny because often she'll only know one work of the song but she can still carry the tune.  That's the best way to identify the song, listening to the tune not the words. Happy birthday is a favourite right now in which you can only identify the words happy and you.  The clean-up song is also a popular one right now.

Jake has some pretty charming moments.  And when he's not busy being too competitive, has some of the sweetest, out-of-the-blue compliments...

"Sweet mommy princess"

"You're an awesome cooker mom"

"Mom, I love your beautiful heart"

"I love you so much as big as the world"

"I love you Avery as big as the Eiffel Tower"

* speaking of mispronunciations, Jake has two that I just love.  He calls parkades, park-caves - because, duh, its a cave where you park your car - and he calls Parmesan cheese, farmesan cheese - just because.        

a cake in the making

What's better than eating cake?  Well when you're four, and you're Jacob, the answer is making the cake.  He was a supreme helper.  Helping measure.  Emptying the cracked eggs.  Braving the noise of the mixer...  

And here he is, helping with the clean-up*

*Note -- although Jake did a bang-up-job cleaning the beater, I was tasked to clean-up that chocolate face. 

birthday party

On the weekend, following Avery's actual birthday, we had a little family party; because what's a birthday without a birthday cake!?  When I asked her if she wanted chocolate or vanilla, she said she wanted chocolate AND vanilla.  Smart girl.  At that point I'm not certain she even knew the difference but she does now.

She was sweet, shy and excited about the whole thing.   

And decked out in her new purple cape, she happily blew out two candles.

  We did the wishing for her.  

May there be many, many happy and healthy birthdays to come and may she always know how deeply we love her.  

turning two

This sweet girl turned two!  And sleepless nights aside, these last two years have been an absolute dream.  Avery, we love your wild energy, sweet kisses and hugs, and all those loud sequels of delight.  You bring us so much joy and we feel grateful for you every single day.      

We had a little cupcake celebration on her actual birthday -- chocolate and red velvet.  The kids choices. 

They were thoroughly enjoyed.

I am sad to see one go; but excited to see what two brings. It's that happy-kind-of-sad that all parents feel when their kids get too big, too fast.  Time flies and kids really do grow like weeds ;)

Even though she will always be my baby, 

she's not a baby any more.    

Love this little munchkin.  Like crazy.

jake turns four

F O U R

Wow, did that ever happen fast.

Four was ultra exciting because it was the first year Jacob got to have a kids party.  We planned a picnic for his friends and their families, made invitations and Jacob hand-delivered them to each child, planned a scavenger hunt, made mini cupcakes and cupcakes for the kids to decorate, made a picnic feast, Jake filled goodybags, and then... May 10th arrived with rain in the forecast.

Luckily my Aunt offered her house up as plan b and we made a last-minute location change (THANKS aunty Brenda and uncle Mont!).  It turned out to be overcast with just a few drops of rain so we were able to play in the bouncy castle and do the nature scavenger hunt outside BUT picnic and decorate cupcakes in comfort inside.  Perfect. 

The guest list was definitely the hardest part.  I think the smaller the better but there were a lot of family friends to invite and a few of his good friends from preschool.  Plus their siblings!  We ended up with nine kids (four more were away on holiday, phew!), Jake and Avery too, and then everyones' parents. 

But everything went smooth... 

The bouncy castle was a huge hit 

(I can totally see why people buy those things now)

  

Time to picnic

And onto the nature hunt.  All of the kids got a red pail with a printout of pictures of things to find: rocks, flowers, twigs, leaves, pinecones, pine needles and acorns.  

Last but not least, cupcake decorating with a lot of sticky little fingers and happy kids

A party success!  And a four-year-old with a huge grin on his face.  

Kids were sent home happy with their loot-bags and we then popped forty balloons, vacuumed up about a million sprinkles, wiped-up after all those sticky fingers and were home in time for Avery's nap.

    

I had a hard time with Jake turning four, seems so fast and sounds so big.  But we love watching him grow, seeing his sharp little mind work and love that kind heart of his.  These four years have been a dream.  Love him so hard it hurts and always will.