8.31.2011

busy busy! - 08/31

We've been busy around here! Got out school supply shopping - everyone has everything and they're all excited for school to start. Ruthie's been counting down the days! One week from today, in case you're wondering - for the kids. Josh goes back on the 6th.
We were able to get out camping once more last week (Thursday, Friday, Saturday - and would have stayed longer but they'd called for rain and storms that night and Sunday... which still haven't arrived), to William Lake again. As much as they don't have (electricity, the big nice playground), it really just is a wonderful place and we like it best! We've got a couple more camp sites we'd like to try out - eventually we'll figure out which ones we like best and want to pick when we go.
On Sunday we went to church, out for lunch with friends, then over to our friends' farm for swimming and a weenie roast for supper. Fun day, but long! The kids sleep well after playing, visiting, swimming, and just being out in the fresh air for that long!
And now another week - our last before school - and it'll go by quickly, I'm sure. Karate starts for the boys on the 6th, that's it for a few weeks, then Levi starts swimming lessons on the 24th (although he'll miss his first class being in Ottawa with me) (and the older 3 will be in swimming too, but with the school every Friday), and Ruthie will start gymnastics nearing the end of the month as well. Then we'll really be busy and time will fly!
Some pictures to end the post (because now they're done uploading!)...

Aug. 20th
Levi, his suckers, and his new seat

Aug. 27th - William Lake
cooler morning, we went fishing instead of swimming. levi threw rocks in the water while we tried to skip them.

ruthie fishing

Isaac fishing

Isaac laid on the dock for a bit, watching a boy fishing off the end of the dock

and watching little fish in the lake

Silly me. I got Levi out of the stroller, wanting a picture of him with some driftwood on the beach.
didn't happen.
instead he made straight for the water. clothes and all.

he didn't seem bothered in the least to be soaking wet!

Aug. 31st
the new addition to the house - runt!
we brought him home from the farm on Sunday. the kids have been wanting him all summer. he was the smallest kitten on the farm, very tiny little guy. hence his name!
he's very playful, doesn't like the dog much. he reminds me of my old cat tigger. surprisingly, caspian doesn't seem to mind him - no fights, no hissing (from the old cat), just watching the kitten and steering clear.

8.14.2011

still here, more pictures! - 08/14

We are all still here, and all is still well. Just busy. Josh's parents left on the 3rd, we had a great time with them and were sad to see them go. We bummed around the rest of the week, spent some time with friends at splash parks in town and at their house swimming in their pool.
We even got some kite flying in last weekend - we'd gone outside (Levi loves "side") and Josh must have thought it was perfect for the kite. He disappeared in the house and came out a few minutes later with the kite. A hit with the boys!

and I do mean all the boys - of course Levi got a turn!


Zech caught a little frog in the back yard - everyone loved watching it hop around. Levi tried to be gentle... pretty sure he hurt a leg, but he really tried hard!


On Monday (the 8th) we got up and checked the weather - it was supposed to be sunny and decently warm until Thursday. So, we packed up and set off for Winnipeg. The weather was not so right - it clouded over and got dark as we got closer to the city, and just after we checked in and registered at Bird's Hill Provincial Park campground it poured. We sat and waited until it let up (half an hour or so), then jumped out to set the trailer up. Another downpour hit just as Josh was putting the rain-fly on the kids' tent. It continued to rain off and on (mostly on) for the evening, overnight, and there was one last good pour first thing when we woke up in the morning. We (mostly me!) were worried - I thought for sure we'd be all wet - but nothing got wet at all, save for our clothes from being outside in it. We'd taken the portable movie player for in the van, just in case, and after supper we just got jammies on and had a "movie night" inside the trailer, then bedtime. Worked out very well, all in all.
On Tuesday, after the big shower we woke up to, we got breakfast ready and eaten and set out for the zoo. Isaac unfortunately wasn't feeling good at all - he didn't say anything until we started off, but hadn't eaten much breakfast. On the drive he complained of a sore stomach, said he felt sick and like he might throw up (he didn't, thank goodness!). When we arrived at the zoo he was very hot to touch, so we ended up with him in our big stroller and rented a small one (only $3) from the zoo for little Levi! Even with feeling sick and sitting or laying in the stroller the whole day, Isaac still liked looking at the animals and if you ask him now he didn't have a bad day. So that's good! The favorites all around were the monkies and the snow leopard!
There are a few play areas in the zoo, we stopped at each one!

Levi loves slides (whee's, he calls them).

They have a new exhibit - the butterfly house - at the zoo. There's only monarchs in there right now (lots of them!) but they'll have more in coming years. It's still very cool to see them all! These are taken in the garden outside the house.

Wednesday we went to the Museum/Planetarium/Science Gallery. The kids all loved it there, Isaac was feeling much better, running all over the place as usual for him. Even Levi loved seeing all the different animals and skeletons! (apologies for the blurriness of these ones, my camera doesn't like indoor pictures)

although he looks grumpy, Isaac asked me to take this picture.

in a foam igloo!

Levi - he really did like it there!

everyone on the tall ship - the "nonsuch" is rebuilt inside the museum!

the boys made race cars at the science gallery



On Thursday we got a chance to see a puppet show (interpretive programs at the provincial parks) and go to the beach before we packed up again and headed home! Good to sleep in our own beds again.
We got the kids' school supplies on Friday - busy and oh how I don't want to think about school starting again all ready! - but it's done now. I can ignore that for another few weeks!
Yesterday we packed some snacks and headed to the beach (William Lake, where we camped the first time, our favorite!) and spent the afternoon playing in the water and sand. Unfortunately, Levi also fell off the ladder of a slide (approx 7-8ft high). He has a bruised and scraped up elbow, bumps on his head, and a chipped front tooth, but he seems to feel fine otherwise.
Today we've lazed around and done not much of anything! If it gets sunny again we may head back to the beach for swimming and supper (bbq'ed hotdogs) after Levi wakes from his nap. I guess I shouldn't say we've done nothing - Levi found some bits of paper on the floor... and discovered that putting them between his toes was funny!

And a video got put on this time too, on the other site, July 12th - video of Levi splashing in the lake!