Leaving the Country

We're getting ready for our big day tomorrow. Early tomorrow morning we will be flying to Canada to visit Nanny and Uncle Joe. Tyler helped me put some Cars and ladybug stickers on our suitcase to make it easier for us to identify it at the airport, and so that no one else mistakes ours as theirs. We also put some ribbon on the handle. It's been 2 years since our last flight. Hopefully everything will go smoothly. Looking forward to seeing our family and friends back home!!!

Sushi Farewell

Tonight our friends held a Goodbye Dinner for Tyler and I, which was really sweet of them especially considering that we will only be gone for a month to visit my mom in Cape Breton. My friends and I basically look for any excuse to get together and eat food, which is alright with me. LOL We made our favourite, sushi! As always it was soooo very delish!!! I have made some terrific friends in my life and the ones that I have made here I know will last a lifetime. They are my kindred spirits, as Anne of Green Gables would say. I'll miss you guys!!!

Scoop Up The Goodwill

Tonight while browsing FaceBook, I noticed my sister-in-law had on her status that Baskin Robbins was having 31 cent scoop night tonight. Tyler and I had just finished eating our dinner and the thought of getting ice cream just sounded so good, that we hopped in the car and headed down to our nearest Baskin Robbins store. On the way there, Tyler said that he would like green ice cream. So I told him, if they had some he could definitely have that kind. He ended up getting a scoop of mint chocolate chip and a scoop of this kind that had green and purple ice cream mixed together. I had a scoop of chocolate. The ice cream was no doubt very delish and the perfect way to end our night. The 31 Cent Scoop night was to help raise money for American Firefighters. I am all for raising money for a good cause, especially if it involves ice cream. LOL Thanks, Chellee, for filling us in and getting our tummies full of ice cream. :)

Tyler Does the Darndest Things

He gave up using the butter knife, so he got out his saw to make his "famous" cracker sammiches.

What's In A Name?

Yasuko translated mine, Steve's and Tyler's names today into Japanese. Because we don't have the same alphabet as Japan and because our names aren't traditionally Japanese, she did the best she could. The first line is the Japanese translation and the second line is how it is pronounced.

For Daddy

Always in our hearts. We miss you so very much, Dad.

Car Choir

Tyler said that the cars are on their 'singing stage'. LOL

Danny Turns 2

Today's fun included a birthday party for our good buddy, Danny. Our little friend turned 2 years old today and to celebrate the occasion we were invited to a children's gym. This was the perfect spot to have a toddler's party. There was lots of things for them to climb on, up, and through, a trampoline, gymnastic poles to swing on, and throughout the party the kids participated in some great games and activities; one of which was a ride on the zipper. See the photo below. We had a fantastic time helping Danny celebrate his very special day. Thank you so much for inviting us!!! Happy 2nd Birthday, sweetie pie!!! :)

Art Gallery

A caterpillar and her babies.

3 Circus Videos...Enjoy!

The Greatest Show on Earth

My friend, Rhia, invited Yasuko and I, and the boys, to see the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus with her and her family. They go every year when it comes to town. I thought it would be a neat thing for Tyler to see, but after today I've become a huge fan of the show. First of all, because we got there early we got to see the pre-show, which was the coolest thing. During the pre-show you basically get to walk around on the show floor and witness everything up close. We got to try on their costumes, met clowns, saw clown acts, saw guys walking around on stilts, and best of all, witnessed an elephant do some art work. Once the main show started, the entertainment was just non-stop. It is a perfect show for to take a child, Tyler's age because there is always something for them to watch. We saw elephants, acrobats, tigers, ponies, tight rope walkers, motorcycle stuntmen, the list goes on and on. When I asked Tyler what his favourite part of the show was, he just was so concerned with how the huge elephants got into the building. LOL All I can say is that the show was absolutely awesome. We loved every minute of it! These people are incredibly talented and if ever the show comes to your town, go see it. It's so worth the money. I sooo can't wait for next year!!! It's REALLY is the "greatest show on Earth".

It's All Greek To Me

My friend, Sandra, asked me if I would like to check out the Greek restaurant that opened near her house. A friend of ours had been there and she said the food there was awesome. Both Sandra and I love Greek food, we've eaten the real thing in Greece. Tyler ordered his all time favourite, Greek salad. I ordered the special, which was spanakopita and moussaka. Both were super delish!!! Tyler ate all his salad and Sandra and I were highly impressed with our food. The whole experience with the food and music in the restaurant brought back happy memories for us as we recalled our vacations. We're definitely coming back to the restaurant with our husbands when they return from their deployments. Afterwards, we took Tyler and Danny to the park. We stayed for about 2 hours while we let them run around. Then Sandra showed me some beaches in the area. Overall, it was a fantastic day spent with a terrific friend.

His new ride.

Bouncing Off the Walls

From the first moment I mentioned to Tyler about taking him to an indoor inflatable play center, he had been eagerly anticipating our visit. Today was the big day. We met Rhia and Georgie this morning to start off our fun filled visit. When we first arrived, there was only one other boy and his grandmother in the building. We practically had the whole place to ourselves which was awesome because we had no lines to wait in or older kids to worry about. The rest of our time there was basically the same way. Tyler and Georgie had so much fun bouncing around. There were a lot of inflatables to choose from. They tried them all out, including the bigger ones. Rhia and I were commenting on how much fun the boys were having. Then one of the moms suggested that we go in and join our kids just for the fun of it. I talked Rhia into joining me and we had a blast! They never had inflatables when I was growing up and so this was the first time I've been on them. They are even more fun than they look. I felt like a kid again. Tyler loved it that I was joining him on everything. We had races going down the slides and we would see who could jump the highest. It was definitely a fantastic mother and son time together. We can't wait until our next visit! As you can see from the photo below, Tyler's tongue says it all. When it comes to happiness, Tyler's tongue always sticks out. LOL That's our silly boy!

Feeding our Canadian friends while wearing a shirt made by our other Canadian friends. Can't wait to see you guys soon! :)

Boot Scootin' Boogie

My friend, Rhia, brought some scooters to the park today for the kids to use. This was the first time Tyler tried one out. His "brother"(Georgie calls Tyler his brother), showed him how to ride one. Tyler did pretty good. All the kids around here have them. Steve and I have talked about getting him one and now that we know that he likes them and is able to use one, we may have to get him one. Rhia was very kind to let us take one home to borrow for a couple of days. Should be lots of fun!

Let's Play Ball

At today's wood workshop, we made a baseball game. This was pretty easy to put together and so we had it done in no time. When we got it home, Tyler had lots of fun with it.

Tyler Says the Darndest Things

Mommy: I have a headache. Tyler: Maybe you have to go to the doctor to get it out.

Cinema Cafe

Today we went to the movies with our friends. The movie theatre was a cinema cafe and it was the first time we've been in one. I totally loved it. You sit at a table and instead of waiting in a long lineup for popcorn, you place your order with the server who brings you your food to your table. So there's no having to hold the popcorn on your lap or putting it down on the dirty floor. Because today was our first visit, we got a free popcorn. Oh, and the admission was super cheap because they play older movies. We saw 'Alvin and the Chipmunks'. Very cute movie and now Tyler and I are wanting to see the "squeakquel".

Tyler and Winnie are watching how honey is made on"'How It's Made". He grabbed Winnie from his bedroom to watch since they are making honey. He thought Winnie would like this episode. This show has been a favourite of his for a couple of years now. He is also a huge fan of "Scooby Doo" and "Ed, Edd, & Eddy".

95 degrees

The past few weeks the temperatures have been steadily on the increase where we live. We've been having a lot of "t-shirt and shorts" days. Today it was 95 degrees. We played for a little at the playground, but it wasn't long before Tyler wanted to go back inside out of the hot sun. With weather like this, we're just counting the days until they open the pool. Until then, we'll just coat the sunscreen on and enjoy as much as we can.

On A Roll

My friends and I, we love to eat. So, we'll take any excuse to get together with food. Today's excuse had been in the making for awhile now. We had an egg roll/sushi rolling party. Rhia showed up with lumpia and Vietnamese spring rolls already made. Meanwhile, we cut up the ingredients for the sushi. Yasuko showed us the traditional family way to wrap instead of the way the restaurants do. The end result was absolute divine!!! It was the best sushi I have EVER tasted. We ate a lot. Next was dessert, which I was in charge of making. It was basically fried rolled up banana which was also heavenly, especially when you add vanilla ice cream. Overall, it was a mmm mmm good day. :)

Happy Easter

This morning Tyler awoke coming out of his bedroom saying that the Easter Bunny left him a plastic egg all filled with chocolates. He then noticed the Spider-Man balloon he left him and thus the Easter hunt started. Tyler found other plastic eggs all filled with chocolates, lots of bath toys, including a Thomas and his tugboat friend, a Thumper book, and some Matchbox cars. Unfortunately, the big chocolate Easter Bunny the Easter Bunny had planned to leave Tyler all melted before he could hide it, so in its' place, he gave Tyler a Wonka Golden Ticket chocolate bar with a chance to win a trip around the world. Tyler was very satisfied with this instead, however we didn't win the trip. LOL After Tyler tested out all his new bath toys and we got dressed, we got in the car and met our friends Yasuko and Yuki at a really nice inn where they were hosting an Easter brunch. However, before the brunch started they held an egg hunt for the kids in tje English garden. This was our first visit to the inn and it was definitely a treat. The grounds were absolutely beautiful! After the egg hunt, we walked around and took a few photos while we waited for Sandra and Danny to arrive. The three of us moms were going to be alone this Easter so we decided to join together in our Easter celebration and treat ourselves to a nice Easter brunch. The food was absolutely delish. And to top off our incredible dining experience, they had a live jazz band playing right in the middle of the buffet tables. It was definitely an Easter we will never forget. It is only too bad our husbands couldn't be there to join us. After our meal, the children were beginning to feel the full effects of the sugar kicking in so we thought a trip to the playground to burn off this energy was definitely in order. After about an running around in the hot sun, they were good and ready to return back home. From our family to yours, wishing you a very beautiful Easter.

Easter Hunt

Eggstravaganza

There was no shortage of fun today. We attended the city's Easter celebrations with our our friends, Yasuko, Rhia, Sarah, Georgie, and Yuki. The celebration fun included an egg hunt, crafts, petting zoo, bouncy tents, miniature train rides, pony rides, and of course, the Easter Bunny. After making an Easter bag, we hit the bouncy tents where the kids had a jumpin' good time. Then before we knew it, it was time for the egg hunt. This was no small egg hunt either. The place was packed full of kids and their parents waiting for the signal from the Easter Bunny to start collecting the eggs he hid. Tyler managed to pick up about 6-8 eggs, which he was satisfied with. Next was Tyler's favourite, the train ride! After waiting and waiting and waiting, it was finally our turn to ride on the choo choo. Tyler was all smiles throughout the entire ride. However, when we got off the train, we noticed the people were starting to leave and things were getting packed up for the day. Unfortunately, we didn't get to do Mommy's favourite, the pony rides; however, we did find a pony we could get a photo with. Afterwards, Tyler and I, along with Yasuko and Yuki had lunch at the playground and let the kids play for awhile. Today's celebrations was definitely a great way to start our Easter weekend!

Friday Fun with Friends

As usual on Fridays, today we had our weekly playdate. And as usual, there was lots of yummy food to eat for our picnic. Rhia made Vietnamese spring rolls and bought shrimp Pan Thai to share. Yasuko brought some freshly cut fruit and I brought some cupcakes for dessert that Tyler and I made. All the food was delish and while we let it settle in our tummies we watched the boys play and had a great chat. Later on in the afternoon, Yasuko brought out her kite. It was the perfect day for kite flying. The boys had a fun time taking turns flying the kite. Later on when we came home and got cleaned up, Larissa and Sandra called and we all went out for dinner and milkshakes. What a fantastic day spent with my wonderful friends. :)

Under Water

This afternoon we were invited over to Sandra and Danny's house. After Sandra and I enjoyed a nice cup of tea and the boys played for a bit, we decided to get in the car and check out the aquarium. Most of the fish there are native to our area, however there were a few from other parts of the world. We all had a terrific time exploring the aquarium viewing and learning about the exhibits. It is always wonderful getting together with Sandra and Danny and today we had such a great time at the aquarium. Thank you Sandra and Danny for taking us there. :)