School Feast and Family Motto

We decided to have a school feast and have a family motto.  So every September we will have a new motto which we will keep up on the table to remind of things during the year.  I'm also going to try and have some of our Family Home Evenings revolve around the theme as well.  It went well for our first one and for 5,4 and 2 year old attention span.  I also got them ornaments with the theme so that when they leave home and school they have 12 ornaments to hopefully inspire and remember. 

I made them super simple crowns and they were tinkled pink with them. Put fancy dishes on the table with a tablecloth and napkins. Menu was roast beef, roasted vegetables, salad, corn on the cob, sparkling apple cider which they loved...except for the loud pop that surprised them. It was nice and relaxing and we talked about our family motto which is "We can do hard things"

I took this picture and thought it would be perfect for the motto. Some of the meanings for our motto: The mountain above our name represents overcoming trials and obstacles, setting goals, spirituality. The ribbon stands for quality and achievement. The photos of the rocks symbolize stability, strength, steadfastness, and safety. The lighthouse and the ocean typically mean safety, knowledge, beaconing home, and peace/tranquility (harbor after a storm).  I thought this was perfect for so many aspects of our family right now. 

Mont Tremblant for the weekend Sept 11-13

Headed to Mont Tremblant on Friday, mostly because I just wanted our little family to be together without any distractions. It's been harder than I thought to have him go to school and I thought it was going to be hard. It was raining on and off the whole weekend which actually worked in our favour as there was no line ups for the luge.

We alternated with all the kids and they had a blast. We rode the gondola over and over and over and over...did I say over again. The workers laughed when they saw us coming. 

It was quiet and that part was great. The night were a little trying...a lot as Dani and Abbie took turns all night being up and crabby which in turn led to a worn out momma:)

Packing it in for a busy week Sept 1-5

Sept 1.  Calypso 1 parent 3 kids 
 Since we bought a pass and its good for the rest of the season, I felt we needed to get our money's worth.  So today started out looking cloudy but by 10 was hot so I packed the kids up and we headed to the water park.  I was a little nervous it would be so crowded but it turned out amazingly!!!!  No line ups and it was such a fun, dare I say relaxing (as relaxed as it gets at a water park with a 5,4, and 2 year old) we had so much fun and I was so glad I took them. 

Sept 2.  Mooneys Bay

Sept. 3 Pink Lake
We went with Elizabeth and her crew to pink lake

Museum of Nature and learned about owl pellets

AC/DC concert with Alin

Sept 4.   Mason meet the teacher day and practise drop off and pick up
Mooneys bay with McAteers picking up race packets adn going to Menchies

Sept 5 Alin's first triatholon

Sept 6 Church, pirate adventure and Nemeths bbq

Sept 7 Calypso with Azzis

Sept 8 Masons first official day of school
girls and I went ot cholcolate restaurant

Sept 11 We went to farm with amanda 

The Rest of August in a nutshell

We went shopping for school supplies for Mason (kindergarten) I really am not ready to send him and he's nervous about going.

  I just know I'll miss him on all our little excursions.  I feel like I'm somehow being demonted and my responsibility is being taken away from me.  So here's to learning and missing and growing. 

Mooney's bay excursions

Mason loses 2 teeth.

Mason and Dani finished their swimming sessions

Grama and Grampa Ivanita visit

Aug 31.  We went to Upper Canada Village and met Elizabeth and her crew there and later Amanda and her crew showed up.  The first thing my little's wanted to do was ride the train around.  It was fun and relaxing to just watch their faces and see how much they enjoyed things.  We saw a log being sawed by the force of water in a working sawmill.  I thought that part was really neat.  We took a barge ride pulled by a horse, played in the kids center, dressed up for the times.  The kids loved this part, they ground wheat, they washed clothes on a washboard, did some nailing and played some old fashioned games.  For the kids another highlight was pigs, 3 of them were running around and getting into mischief and the kids were helping round them up.  Then the pigs started sniffing and following my stroller trying to get our lunch out, which made the kids giggle.  We must have been asked about 3 or more times if we were a daycare to which the reply "no they are all ours" was often met with gasps and disbelief, and I only have 3.  Wagon ride, we bought lunch there which was  a small fortune and no one ate.  Then I took the kids on one more train ride, this time I took Temple and Ela with me, while Amanda fed the twins.  Then it was time for my crew to head home...a little too late because Daniela had a complete meltdown about a cookie.  On our way home they all fell asleep and all in all a great day.