Five and a half

Yesterday was Eleanor's half-birthday (shut up, it's a thing) so we went to Go Bananas, as per her request ('I did say we could do whatever you wanted but you have swim lessons next week so I'm pre-emtively sick of the pool, what else do you want to do') and then she put on her fanciest dress and her fanciest jewels and did up her fanciest hair and I have been laughing at this picture for a full day because Eleanor is going to tea and Geneva is going TO DO A MISCHIEF.

Actual tea outfit:

Dainty af.

And then we went to the splash park and met the cousins there and just got pizza slices when we were hungry and STAYED AND STAYED

and around 6:30, Leah and I turn to each other and we're like, Ok, the next time someone comes to us in tears, we just wrap everyone up and go home.

And at 7:45 we were like....We gotta call this a day though, sorry bbs.

Schoooooool's out, etc

Eleanor is done preschool! Forever! It is a weirdness.

'I'll never see my teachers again?' 'I mean, it's a small city, so you'll probably see them around.' 'But I'll never see my school again.'

Gymnastics wrapped up yesterday as well, with Bring A Parent day, so I dropped Geneva off with grandma and spent a few hours alone with Eleanor, who has become really funny and kind and this gets missed a lot for me because Geneva's always over here being scampy and shit-disturby and distracting. E and I went to Starbucks to pick up some gift cards for her various teachers, and to make them cards

and then to gymnastics, where she got to be my coach, and laughed uproariously the entire time.

She's just so good-natured and game. Five is an enjoyable age. Every time she bikes the 3km+ to school

or hauls a 10lb bag of library books up the stairs by herself, I'm just SO PROUD. Get on with that strong, marvelous body.

Geneva, meanwhile, is a magnificent weirdo. She is literally always trailing a rag or a blanket or a towel from her head. 'Wook at my wong hairs.'

And she's always emptying her hamper out at naptime (she has to put everything back after, otherwise she loses having-a-hamper privileges for a day, which as only happened ONCE) and then just, like, being in it.

GENEVA YOU WEIRD DUDE

Now school is done, everything is done, and the summer stretches before us.

Campapalooza

A group of our friends goes camping in Oliver every year, and we always miss it because we're always living somewhere else. We went the year Eleanor was a baby, and that's the last time we've lived in BC in June.

UNTIL NOW.

The drive is so long. This car is packed to the teats!

Pit stop hand dryers are SO HILARIOUS.

Checking in to your campsite: also hilarious.

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of Tent City. Seven families! ELEVEN CHILDREN.

Eleanor is the oldest, and we're the only family with nobody under 3, so we can just be like, Go over there and color while we set up the tent.

(This beebee is the youngest. The girls could never go to bed or come eat breakfast or anything without first going to 'check on the baby.')

Why did I even cuff your pants.

It was Geneva's first time in a sleeping bag and man she is bad at it. You aren't even on the pillow, Scrappy-Doo.

That first morning came so early.

But the weather was reasonable good, warm enough for the kids to put on suits and clamber over Party Island.

We brought this dragon (later named Tippy, for his tippy qualities) but he turned out to be a terrible water toy.

RIOTOUS land toy, though.

I went to the thrift store and blew some six dollars on new books, and when the all the children got to be too much, Geneva would just wander into the tent for some quiet time.

Hey, get back in there, this is your actual Quiet Time.

The nice thing about universally young children is that they all go down for some sort of rest in the afternoon

(rest)

(resssssst)

so the ladies went out for lunch

and for a little winery-touring.

The second day was SUNNY and WARM and SANDY and best in every way. Rinse-y rinse!

Chompy chomp!

Diggy dig!

Fishy fish!

We made banana boats for the first time. What have I been doing until now. 

And s'mores, obviously. So dainty!

So many kids, but so many adults! Always someone willing to read to the kids!

Always!

So willing!

Ughhhhhhhh camping is The Best.

Three-year-olds have many responsibilities

Eleanor comes marching down from her quiet time the other day: Mom. I have homework. Me: Ok. Her: I need a marker and some pens and also help with spelling some words. Me: Ok.

She made a list of things Geneva needs to learn to do now that she's three.

The next day, she drags Geneva down: Mom. We have some homework to do. Me: Ok. Her: You can just keep doing your mom chores. Me: Ok. Her: Except I need some paper and scissors. TWO PAIRS. Me: Ok.

So she draws Geneva a circle and shows her how to hold the scissors and coaches her on cutting it out, but it was too hard, so she draws a square, 'because that's just lines,' but THAT was too hard, so she gets another paper and just draws some straight lines for Geneva to cut along.

And then she gets some more paper and coaches Geneva through drawing a self-portrait.

'On the top is all scribbles and that's how you make hair.'

And then: Mom! We need you for this part.

Baby's first painted fingernails, she feels so glamorous.