Apple Picking

For Matt, Fall starts the first week of college football.  For Me, fall is defined and in full swing once we take our annual apple picking trip.  I have done this since I was a child and Matt has agreed reluctantly...I actually think he loves it.

We have grown a lot since last year, you can read about our trip last year here.

Chudleigh's is the local farm that we love to visit.  When you look at it from an accounting perspective it is a total rip, who pays $7 a person to pick their own fruit.  It must be the experience that's worth it.

They have a petting zoo which Elle loved...see how much she loved the pony?  Keep that image in your mind.

We rode the tractor out to pick apples.  We handed on to Elle and she went right at it.  I thought she might hold it or carry it around with her but she knew it was edible and dug right in.

She also wanted to show just how big she was by carrying our apples.  Matt eventually got her a bag of her own with only two apples in it.  She was so proud of herself.

Remember when I said to remember how much she loved the pony?  Apparently that did not translate into riding a pony.  My in-laws will remember how excited I was to take Elle on the carousel when we were in Toronto.  Taking her on the pony ride was much like that.  Last year when we were apple picking I saw the pony rides and thought next year I will take her on that, she will love it...or will she?  You tell me.  

We made it about five steps before she had successfully climbed back into my arms.  I wrestled her on for a few more steps but really what kind of Mother forces her crying baby to go on a pony ride.  We paid $3 to walk beside the pony.  

Maybe next year?

A Busy Mommy...

Elle loves all of her babies and is such a good Mommy.  

These two generally live in the car and she cuddles them all the way to where we are going.

She's got her hands full.

She's Here..

Baby Hazel Grace Clark was born last Friday a full week early!  I was at the cottage when Mik's water broke and headed for the hospital.  My phone didn't get service so Matt kept me up to date via my Dad's phone.  Hazel was born at 12:58 pm so I was able to talk to the new Mom on my drive home from the cottage that night. Mommy and Baby are doing great.  Andrew and Mikaela could not be more thrilled with their sweet girl!  We took them dinner on Sunday night to meet their sweet girl and spoil her with love.  She is named after Mikaela's Grammy who passed away earlier this year.  What a special little girl.

 Hazel Grace Clark 

Born August 19, 2011 

7 lbs, 12 oz

Elle was very unsure of what she thought.  She has a number of dolls and we practice all the time holding her "babies nice".  She knows she has to be gentle.  We were there for about 15 minutes when Mik handed me her sweet girl.  Elle instantly ran over and grabbed my leg.  So I bent down to show her Baby Hazel and she tried to sit in my lap.  Matt came over and grabbed Elle and gave her some attention.  She is so used to being the youngest and getting all the attention.  Apparently she is way too spoiled.  This is right before we left.  We put Elle in her jammies so she could fall a sleep in the car.  What a difference 15 months makes.

Congratulations Mikaela and Andrew.  We are so excited to grow our families together!

At the Beach

Matt and I took Elle up to the cottage to see my parents and her cousins.  Each year my parents rent a cottage up in Southampton and we absolutely love it!  The weather is unpredictable but it is the time spent together that means the most.  This year was more fun than last...Elle just loves being with her cousins.  She was wild the entire time we were there and slept so well from all the fresh air and exercise.

Looking at Popa and Caleb at the water.

Elle and Abby just love each other so much!

Elle was "Little Miss Independent" she refused to hold my hand, but gladly held Caleb's as we walked down the street.  He is SO cool!

Nana bought some new sand toys which the kids LOVED!

The days were hot and the nights cool.  She played all day, then had a bath to clean out all the sand.  Once she was clean we would put her in a track suit and let her walk.

We spent time around the fire and making s'mores.

We would sit by the fire and cuddle before going to bed.

The Girls also loved swinging with their Popa!

We had a very nice time.  Elle and I are heading back up to the cottage tomorrow night to spend the day with them on Friday.  We love sunshine, the beach, and fresh air!  Thank you Lord for relaxing time with our family.

We Avoided this for 14 months...

AMOXICILLIN!

Oh Goodness, just when you think you have this parenting thing figured out...

Baby comes home with a rash.

Elle spent the weekend with my parents while Matt and I attended a wedding for some friends at our church.  She had a fever but I was pretty sure that she was probably just teething...

do I blame all fevers on teething? 

When the girl started acting strange I blamed it on a thousand different things.

She's teething, she just had shots, she's teething, maybe she's just becoming a brat.  

Yes, I did actually say that.  When the girl turned her head and refused food, I thought she was showing me attitude.  

(In fairness to me, she said "NO!" in her squeaky I'm the Queen of the world voice 

and threw her head to the side) 

She even started to throw her head back and scream for no reason at all....

it looked a lot like a temper-tantrum to me, 

but not to to the medical profession.

A few of her symptoms did worry me but she wasn't screaming (thank-goodness) so it didn't seem like sickness.  

Her fever came and went, 

her appetite came and went, 

she slept one night through the night and then not the next, 

she even stumbled and tripped over her own feet, but again she does this on occasion...she's one!

While throwing one of these "temper-tantrums" I was referring to earlier,  I noticed her stomach was covered in a rash.  I flipped her over and sure enough her back was covered too.  

Oh no!

I did what ever good mother does and called my own mom, and then my sister (also a Mom). 

My Mom lives right around the corner so I threw the Girl into the car to get a "professional" opinion.  

We decided that I would take her to the clinic and get it checked.  All I could think of was what if I don't get this checked and it gets worse, then I will have a screaming one year old and a decision to wait it out or brave emerg...ugh!  Matt works right beside a clinic so we told him where we were and he met us there when he was done. 

The doctor at the clinic asked lots of questions then checked The Girl out. 

It turns out she has an ear infection of some sort.  

When you say it out loud it all makes sense...

fever, loss of appetite, loss of balance, grabbing her cheek/ear...yup!  

How did I miss this? 

Sorry Baby Girl...next time you just might need to scream.  

Your brave, easy going temperament leaves clear symptoms unnoticed.

So, until seven o'clock Tuesday night we were amoxicillin free.  

It was a good run Girl!  

I gave her her meds and put her in the tub...there were clearly no hard feelings.  She splashed away and then cuddled with Mommy before going to bed like an angel.

Luckily, I have today off to nurse my Baby back to health. 

We went to the Zoo!

Gigi is here and we LOVE having her here.  Elle could not be more excited to see her Gigi and have someone to love on her 24 hours a day.

The weather was nice and we had a long weekend here in Canada so we took advantage of the nice weather and took the Girl to the Toronto Zoo.

While not everyone was as excited as everyone else (notice Matt ready to move on)...

Others in our group LOVED it, and cheered with excitement, waving to each of the animals when we looked through our pictures at home.

She picked out the animals in their cages and could've stood in front of the same animal all day long.

We enjoyed a popsicle to cool off.  The weather was so so hot...but we aren't complaining.

The Gorilla's were so cute!  The Mommy was carrying a baby on her back, they were so sweet.

We posed for a picture near the elephants since they might not be here for too much longer.  Apparently the elephants don't like the cold weather.

This lion was so big!

Thank you Gigi for our trip to the Zoo.  I loved watching the Girl and seeing the Zoo through a one year olds eyes.  It is days like today I fall more in love with my Girl.  She is so smart and so much fun!

It's So Hot Here...finally!

The weather is getting hot here so Matt and I are finding ways to keep the girl cool.  Her latest love is popsicles.  She is so cute with them.  I really try to limit her sweets but look how happy she gets.

Sharing with Daddy...he was also making sure her lips wouldn't get stuck to it.

We recently bought her this Ariel pool (40% off b/c the summer is over?) because after swimming at Pops and Gigi's pool Elle no longer wants to be touched in the pool.  She loved the zero entry pools and as Gigi will confirm she spent a better part of the week walking in and out, and from the pool to the kids play area.  When I got her home and put her on the top step of my parents pool she tried pushing me away and crying because she wanted to do it herself!  Since it will likely be about 7 years before she can touch in their pool I think she is a few years shy of doing it herself.  

We spent Saturday at my parents house celebrating Caleb's birthday so we brought this pool over for the kids to play in so the adults could relax.  They had so much fun!  It was kinda funny that we had a $15 kids pool sitting next to a beautifully landscaped pool.

Don't you love Abby's bathing cap?  My Mom picked up her suit and hat while we were in Florida in March this year.

The girls just love each other so much! Our daycare provider is on holidays right now so Lindsay is watching Elle for me.  Everyday when I drop her off Abby hugs her about a thousand times.  Elle is a huggy girl so she just soaks it up!

Popa also picked up a snake sprinkler for the kids to play in.

Today I am off.  Tomorrow I have training on the other side of Toronto and have to leave the house at 6 am and don't expect to be back until at least 6 pm so I am taking it easy.  It is HOT HOT HOT today so I set the pool up on the deck for the girl and let her splash around.

The sun was bright in the Girl's eyes.

She is no longer a baby, she is a full blown toddler now, and the funniest little person alive!