The Happiest and Saddest Day of the Year

 The Happiest and Saddest Day of the Year

I have not been feeling well lately - that's always the way when you finally get some time off, and I have been too busy to post recently, so my wonderful husband is writing this post for me as I narrate - that's why it is written so well... Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!!

Last week A Gym Tale's Nursery School Program hosted its fifth annual graduation ceremony for all of our students. It was the largest turnout EVER! Moms, Dad, Grandparents and sibling filled the centre to watch a memorable performance and to see the happy graduates be presented with their graduation certificates.

It's so cute to see how seriously they all take themselves when I call their names. They peek up at the crowd, stand up quietly and cross the floor to where I am waiting with the certificate. They beam with pride as they shake my hand (just the way we've practiced).

Lindsey, Katie, Chrissy and I have watched these kids grow for ten months. We've formed attachments to them. We pride ourselves of the work we do with them. Therefore, while this was such a wonderful experience to see our students demonstrate what they had learned for their families, it is always the saddest day of the year. We will miss all of our friends dearly over the summer.

Likewise, a wonderful year has also come to an end for our Before- and After-School Program. The program was re-vamped this year by Lindsey and Katie and was a resounding success. My mornings were earlier this year with my friends from Barrhaven Public, but they were also very relaxied and entertaining with such a wonderful group of students all year.

Meanwhile, Sleeping Beauty has also been making house calls recently. Over literacy week, she visited Jockvale Public School's library and met lots of new friends. Spider-Man, Batman and Wolverine have also been very busy at schools, parties and outdoor events. I wonder if Ewan will grow up thinking his parents are a real Princess and Superhero???

I am looking forward this summer to some extra time off with the Boy. Speaking of whom, in my next post, I will be listing some of the awesome fun super duper activities that I have planned for the two of us while my husband slaves away in the office and while my incredible staff run the most fantastic and entertaining camps for our friends in the community. Should be a Blast!!!!!!!!

Ice cream and watermelon days...

The last few weeks have brought beautiful weather and I have been trying to take advantage of every free moment and spend my time outside. Although if is doesn't rain soon - and a lot - my backyard paradise is going to be dried up and brown!

Ewan is absolutely loving spending so much time outdoors - especially with the abundance of watermelon and mini ice cream cones that I continually bring out to him! But how can you not with such an adorable little face!

This is the last week of play classes and although it is hard saying goodbye to everyone over the summer holidays, I am very much looking forward to spending more ice cream and watermelon days together with my little man!

Happy Long Weekend!

So it has been awhile since my last post, the time seems to be flying by! Ewan and I have also been sick with a cold, which has given me some much needed rest and a few early nights. With Ewan's birthday 2 weeks ago and 5 parties later, I think we finally have it behind us and can begin to look forward to the upcoming season. Now we just have to stop Ewan thinking that everyday is his birthday!

Also, with Ewan's birthday finally over, it has kind of occurred to me how little time is left in the school year and Spring session. Myself and Lindsey (yes, there are 2 Lindsey's) have been busy planning some special events for the end of the nursery school year, writing report cards, prepping the graduation and organizing themes and events for the summer camp program. It is kind of crazy how quickly summer can creep up on you! It is both exciting, because I take more time off in the summer, but also sad because many of the families we have come to know and see weekly, or even up to three times a week, we will miss over the summer.

But I am excited and confident that this summer will be our best camp program yet! We will have the themed obstacle courses and playground play that everyone has come to love, but we also have some new themes lined up, a more structured gymnastics skill building component as well as a focus on various sports skills, a themed character visit at some point each week, themed arts and crafts and an outdoor play time once a week which will include rocket experiments, parachute play and even bouncy castle fun throughout the summer.

Currently, I still have spaces in each of the themed weeks and I do have both part time and full time care available. Visit www.agymtale.com for more details.

2nd Birthday Celebrations!

Today, we celebrated Ewan's 2nd Birthday with a friend party in the early afternoon and then a family party over dinner. It really was such a wonderful day - myself, Alan and Ewan really enjoyed every moment of it. I had so much fun planning for the party and I was organized enough that I also got to enjoy the parties! It was so wonderful seeing Ewan playing and laughing with all his little friends. He was so excited and happy all day - the little guy partied from 1pm to 8pm before crashing in his bed! Thank you to Kids Crooked Playhouse for getting us Ewan's new Play house in time for his Birthday (it's the super cute blue wooden playhouse in the 1st pic below), Run a Mok for the bouncy castle, to Crash the clown (www.dance4dreams.com) for a great performance and to Piece of Cake (http://pieceofcakeottawa.ca/Piece_of_Cake_Ottawa/Welcome.html) for a beautiful and delicious cake. 

Here are some highlights from the day -

Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us, Ewan is so lucky to have such wonderful friends in his life. AND I forgot to give out the loot bags - isn't that terrible, that is one of the best parts of the party!!! I will deliver them this week!

Happy Birthday Sidekick!

Happy 1st Birthday Sidekick - although some days (ok many days) you drive me crazy - we are so glad to have you as part of the family!

My baby boy...

My baby boy will turn 2 years old in 15 days! For his 1st birthday, I was so excited to celebrate with him but also still so anxious to experience all sorts of firsts with him (words, walking, crawling - Ewan was a late bloomer with many things!). Now, for Ewan's 2nd birthday I just want everything to slow down - I feel like he has turned into a boy overnight! He never stops talking and singing in both French AND English now, his pretend play skills are expanding every day and he wants to help with everything and simply learn about everything around him and he also just learned how to climb up onto the couch for the first time (still a late bloomer with some things, lol!) I simply cannot believe my little man will no longer be my little helpless baby boy.

I also have a confession to make... next Saturday was supposed to be my first overnight away from Ewan - and I cannot do it!!! Isn't that crazy! I should be able to leave him for an overnight, right?! Now if I did leave him, it would be an absolutely awful night for anyone who stayed with him. But I think it would still be worse for me. At first I thought it would be my first full night sleep in TWO years, but I don't think that I would sleep at all that night for being worried. Do you know that this past week, Ewan has slept straight through until 3am several times - and I was awake from 1-3am until he awoke worried that something was wrong - that is craziness!

I am still going to Toronto to visit some University friends for the night - I am not cancelling my visit - Ewan will just come with me. It has actually turned into a family trip - Alan had to leave for Houston on the Sunday morning (which meant I would have to have flown back super early on Sunday) so now we are going to drive down together after the Saturday morning play classes and Alan and Ewan will visit family in TO and meet up with me later that night. Ewan and I will spend Sunday slowly making our way home with lots of stops along the way.

I will aim for mine and Alan's wedding anniversary in August for a first night away from Ewan - lots of time to psych myself up for it:)

Did anyone else just see that snow storm?!

Really snow?! I am trying so hard to get into spring, the last thing I wanted to see after the crazy weather day we had today was a blizzard and my yard covered in snow!

I have not kept up with blogging lately as I have been preoccupied with planning and planting my gardens. I was a little late starting, so it has been taking up more time than it really should be. But I am seeing results! From the seeds that I planted last week - I now have 'seedlings' for broccoli, green beans, zucchini, tomatoes and all sorts of herbs. They are quickly taking over the only south facing windows I have in my bathroom! The peppers are the only seeds that are not producing yet.

Throughout the week, I have been using my afternoons to prep my veggie garden. After weeding, adding more soil, and compost I then used string and little kabob sticks to make my 16 x 5 square foot gardening grid. I have also planted the peas, spinach and tomatoes directly into the garden. Still to come in the next week are the onions, carrots, cabbage, swiss chard, and lettuce.


And unfortunately, I have also been dealing with a little boy who has just been 'off' the past week or so. I am thinking he is having an allergic reaction to something in his diet. I am taking him off his soy milk and any dairy this week to see if there are any changes. Poor little guy just hasn't been himself. Here is a pic of him peacefully having a late afternoon nap on the couch while I make dinner.

I am hopeful this week will bring some warm weather or at least a beautiful long weekend. I hope everyone has a wonderful week!