Sunday, November 29, 2015

Festival of Trees

So, we went to the library yesterday morning for librarying, and because Saturday is the only story time we can make it to these days, and overheard one of the librarians saying, What? Surely that's wrong, surely today isn't the last day of the Festival of Trees. And I said, What? Surely. Let's check.


So we checked! And it was! And Joel was still gone! And our morning was already used up! We had to go after naps! Driving across town while the sun set, in the snow (which it will take me at least another week to get over being terrified driving in. It's so slippery!). I missed my turn in the part of the highway where it is death to miss one's turn, where you end up going 10 minutes out of your way and driving past the landfill.


But we made it. And we loved it. Eleanor is the exact right age to appreciate the horrifying animatronics, and Geneva loves any and all animals. 'MAMOLLS!'


We had to go back and check out the gingerbread house station like five times.


The Winterkins Playground is my favorite.


Geneva is SO HEAVY TO HOLD, but so little and unreliable, so you can't just let her wander around in a last-day-of-a-festival crowd. My one arm is so beefy. We drove home in the dark and I was so brave and it was all worth it.


Friday, November 27, 2015

We get more Christmasses this way.

Nothing makes you feel festive like walking into somebody's fully-decorated house. We did Early Pretend Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's again this year (Eleanor has been playing 'pretend early pretend Christmas' for like a month) and it was amazing.


We opened stockings basically the instant we walked through the door, to fend off an entire morning of the kids asking when we were going to open stockings.


Geneva was completely flummoxed. Like, this is a lot of people and now a lot of toys are happening. I think her brain shut off for a bit.


But then there was this wind-up nutcracker that sang Jingle Bells.

The brightest side of opening stockings first was that the girls all got matching jammies.


No one has ever cheesed so hard in their life. This one is the framer, obviously.


This one is probably the best, though.


Christmas morning makes you so tired.


And so hungry.


The weather in the afternoon was beautiful.


My sister-in-law brought her Bogey-dog


who Geneva spent like a third of her time an exact two feet away from.


Just checking him out.


Just watching him Bogey.

We were up the next morning, hideously early (as is our time-zoned custom)


but then the reinforcements came and I got to have a nap BEFORE 7AM it was amazing.

The weather was drearier


(Geneva your face is killing me these days)


so we went to the garden center to watch the train.


and thence to the library for...library things.


We had to scamper after naps because we had a dinner date. SUCCESSFUL EARLY PRETEND CHRISTMAS ALL ROUND.


Thursday, November 26, 2015

Home again, home again.

We went away! We came home! Traveling on two planes by myself with two children is a thing! TO BE FAIR, they spend a lot of time doing this:


And Eleanor is just, like, a plane-taking champion. She's so bookish! And can sit still for so long! Geneva is still a wild card, plane-wise. We had over an hour layover between flights this time, so we stopped for pizza (Eleanor tried to talk me into buying her a burger but the last TWO TIMES I have bought her a burger, she hasn't eaten even half of it, so I bought her a piece of pizza instead. She took a bite and was like, Oh yes, this is good. When I am hangry I don't know what I want, but I actually wanted pizza).


Geneva is still like, How do I pizza.


Izzis right?


Geneva didn't nap on either flight, but just ptfo while we were waiting for our bags.


Dammit, Geneva.

EASILY the hardest part of traveling alone with two kids is getting all your bags and your two car seats and then your two children into a taxi. I cranked Geneva's head on the door of the cab while I was trying to put Eleanor in her car seat, BUT WHATEVER SHE HAD TO WAKE UP ANYWAY BECAUSE YOU CANNOT JUST WEAR A BABY ON YOUR BACK WHILE IN A MOVING VEHICLE.


Then we got home and Eleanor re-read all her plane books and Geneva ran around the house carrying armloads of toys she'd forgotten she had, and I unpacked.

I say right now that I'm never making that trip again, that I'm staying put in Saskatoon until it's time to move, but talk to me again in March when I'm cold and depressed and BC has daffodils.

Friday, November 20, 2015

A brief holiday.

At my parents' house! Looking like little equestrians and peering out of mail slots!


Like you do. We are having the best of times. Everyone is festooned with jewels. 


The weather is amazing. 


The shoes are all very similar. 


We are EMBRACING THE MOMENT. 


Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Angry Bird: A Primer

Things that make Geneva just, like, so angry:


When she can hear a plane but can't see the plane.


When the mermaid on the coffee mug is facing away from her.


When you are using a coffee mug that doesn't have a mermaid on it.


When you won't help her with her fork.


When you try to help her with her fork.


In conclusion: she has feelings.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Busy bodies.

Busy day today. Remember when I didn't have a car and could only do, like, one thing per morning because walking to and fro took up half the time? Anyway. We had a couple of things to pick up at the farmer's market this morning, and a treat to eat


and then some library books to return, and obviously we stayed for story time. Eleanor is getting VERY GOOD at being picked to volunteer, because she hold her hand up so high and sits so still and looks so earnest. She was the middle Billy Goat Gruff, which gave me all kinds of feelings because she is my tiny baby, what is happening.


Geneva was hella stoked to see Eleanor up on stage.


And then we stopped by the mall real quick OH HEY LOOK SOME PRINCESSES.


Gonna hugggggg them, gonna chatttttt with them.


Gonna take a quick picccccture with them.


Dinovember is still going strong over here. Today the dinos were wearing dino puppets.


'Oh, hello Mr Triceratops, I am a meat eater with sharp teeth, but I cannot eat you because of all your horns and your bony frill.'


'BIIIIIIIIIITE.'


Never change, kidlets.