Photo shoot

My Mom wanted pics of the kids...so I tried...some were harder to choose from the selection, and some were obvious winners. And I figures I should show up on my blog too, just for a change. ;)

Just a dusting, and that was all

We still feel like fall here in our part of Ontario. Foggy weather. Occasional drizzles. It'll come...and we are ready and waiting!

We enjoyed the little that we got. It melted quickly on the stone, but if you went to the picnic tables and the sandbox edges, you could scrape together a ball!

 My mitten is falling off! My thumb is not in!

 Nathan managed to get quite the snowball!

Matthew scraped together some too, it kept okay on the wood.

 Daniel is all set to go out!

Jennifer enjoyed the snow too...and thought it looked very tasty!

On the subject of tasty...I found someone munching ice from the puddle on the driveway one freezing day, and I tried to calmly explain that that was not okay. YUCK!

Talent evening

 After a talent evening at church where all we did was watch, the kids put on their own show.

 Some of it was serious and well done. Some of it was made up on the spot.

 And some of it was silly.

Including the audience!

Waiting for Breakfast

 Once upon a Saturday morning, after all the kiddoes were showered and clean...we had to wait for breakfast to be ready before we could eat. This is a very regular Saturday morning occurrence, as Daddy makes fried eggs for the family. What to do while Mom sets the table and that heavy cast iron pan takes "forever" to get hot?

 Nathan hangs around asking questions while helping set the table, or lend a hand in any other way he sees is needed.

 Matthew checks on breakfast. Is it ready yet? We're hungry.

 Melanie pays no attention to how much time passes, for she is in a different land in a different time, and has forgotten all about us and any hunger she may have had.

 Anything else we need on the table? Napkins....ok...

 Jennifer has finished hanging up her picture on the billboard

 while Matthew wonders if he can see a goofy face of his on the camera if I catch one by accident.

 Daniel and Evelyn are playing house together, Daniel being the owner, Evelyn the dog.

Evelyn pauses to be annoyed that I don't let her see what pictures I am taking

 but since she is just ignored, she goes off trotting with Daniel, as that's what he orders.

 Jennifer pauses to tell me about what she has hung and where and how she made it and why she made it that why and what colours she used...and I try to listen a while, but unfortuntately, get distracted.

 Is my breakfast ready yet?

Wise and not so wise comments from the youth.

Jennifer:
"If it is then it is, and if it's not then it's not. If it'd medium, then it's medium."

Daniel, quoting AA Milne:
"Roo-dear"
"ruder."
"ha haha" (evilly)

Evelyn:
"You're my mommy, I'm your daughter. And Daddy is my daddy. And I am yours."

Birthday Leaves and Wild Animals

 My camera, as I think I mentioned earlier, acted up on Melanie's birthday. So I dug up my old one and gave it a shot. ;)  The lens casing is cracked, so I think it can't do anything other than very low resolution pictures. Either that or it has a setting messed up that I can't find and fix. But poor quality pictures are better than nothing!

 Melanie got a science-like gift to go with the science trip. She can follow the instructions, but the science part of it is over her head. Her father is working hard at helping out there. ;)

The kids raked up a big pile of leaves.
"We made a nest of leaves" says Daniel.
"Not a NEST a cave!" corrects Nathan.

Jennifer and I had to flee from the ferocious beasts...where they lions? Where they bears?

 "Quick, run before the get you!" warns Mom.

 

The game got a little to scary for Evelyn at the climax. Good thing Mom was close at hand!

Melanie's birthday!

 Melanie is in her last year as one digit! As usual, she wanted to decorate her cake-she helped me make it too, and good thing too, or I might have missed the dry ingredients and left them on the counter!  "It looks weird Mom, I think we need more flour. It's too soupy."

 Evelyn was very interested in the cake too, or the candy on top at least!

 Melanie is really growing up. When she wants to (we aren't always what we should be!) she is a great help, and especially has a heart for "mothering" little girls. Visitor girls we've had lately have been watched and cared for by her...but diapers...that's too much to ask from Melanie. ;) She can also be a hard worker, and good company. :)

My camera decided to act up on Melanie's big day, so I will have to put up lots of "opening" pictures, but none of our outing to the Science Center. We did have a good outing-better yet because Daddy joined in, and it's his forte!

 Melanie's gift matched the outing, which we will repeat on account of getting a membership. Once you've gone twice, it's cheaper to just get it, so we'll try maximize it. 

Just like last year, Jennifer was a bit of nuisance during this time. I guess it's hard if you've only just had your birthday, to let your big sister get all the attention! 

The kids really got a kick out of Daddy's story of using the "burglar buzzer" and having a guest set it off late at night.