Her first time having FAIRY TEA. But mostly why we love (and sometimes dislike) AGE THREE.

I've had a love/dislike relationship with every age Nory's been through so far.  We're in the thick of the days where NOT throwing a rock means watching Nory roll it, then slide it, then do whatever else to it that she can defend as "not throwing".  It's the stage where NOT splashing water on sister means dripping water as close as possible to sister's toes, and then her arms, and then her ears and then delivering the line, "I'm NOT splashing her!" as she looks at us with a smirk.  'Tis the season of boundary pushing, the one where we learn the true, limitless, ever-changing potential of our dear friends, Exhaustion and Frustration. 

Thankfully, as with all ages and stages, the LOVE part conquers all and keeps us moving forward on the daily.  THREE is the period of conversation and curiosity and TELL ME MORE MOM AND DAD.  Nory is our little chatter box and she's using all sorts of new words to express her thoughts.  Her current rotation of new vocabulary terms include budge, strange, actually, horrible, and magnificent.  And then there are the sentences she forms.....out of the blue....that make us LAUGH UNTIL OUR STOMACHS HURT....

Some of the funniest things she's said lately:

While she was relaxing in the bath:  "So, Mom.  Are you excited to be having another baby?" (BTW, NOT PREGNANT!)

While laying in bed:  "Mom, when I came out of your tummy, did you ask the doctor if you could take me home in a jiffy?"

After getting in trouble:  "Well, are you going to put me in jail now?"

After Daddy made up a princess named Sindora:  "Really, Dad?  Who says that?"

When I thought she was sleeping and she exclaimed out of nowhere:  "MOM!  Why do people have eyebrows?!"

Oh, Age Three.  Just when we think we've figured you out, you'll likely change on us again.  Alas, as long as you keep the GOOD coming with the CHALLENGING, we'll make out just fine :)

P.S.  Fairy Tea, you guys!  FAIRY TEA!  One decaf tea bag in a wee bit of hot water (briefly steeped!), with lots of 2% milk and a spoonful of sugar.  We start this GLUE thing from an early age around here ;)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

It is so nice being home for Father's Day for a second year in a row!  And this year, it was a Saturday/Sunday affair because the Father's in our circle are just so DOUBLY AWESOME ;)

On Saturday afternoon, we went to Nana and Grampy's house to enjoy some time on the lake.  We didn't end up swimming, but we got to throw rocks, snuggle with Coco, pick Nana's beautiful flowers (gasp!), and watch a raccoon climb into a tree!  GG and Poppa, Aunt Aubrey and Uncle Graeme, and Aunt Dana were also there to play and chat with.  It was wonderful :)  

The following day, the girls got dressed into our best DADDY-RELATED shirts and went on a walk around town.  Of course, we made the obligatory Tim Hortons stop, where the girls wait outside with me and chat through the windows to all the seniors inside.  They are a big hit, I tell ya ;)

While Juliet napped in the afternoon, Nory and Phil went to Lang Pioneer Village for a Daddy/Daughter date.  They took some of the sweetest pictures and I take back everything I've ever said about Phil being a terrible photographer.  Honey, you DID GOOD :) 

Lastly, we had to have ice cream.  HAD TO.  So we met up with some of the family to enjoy a cold treat at the Marina :)  Thank you, Aubrey, for taking this picture!!! I love it!  xo

Unfortunately, we didn't get to spend any time over the weekend with our Grumps, but his visit to Lakefield in July is highly anticipated!  WE LOVE YOU GRUMPS!!!!!!!!!  Get ready to build puzzles and play Barbies and....HAVE ZERO TIME TO YOURSELF THE ENTIRE TIME ;)

A big thank you to all of the men who have helped to raise us and, now, our daughters!  It takes a village and we are so grateful you've been a loving member of ours :)

XOXO

Three Cheers for OVERNIGHTERS.....with CHILDREN ;)

Although most of our summer transitions have been welcome, it's been difficult going from our Kuwait community (where there are ALWAYS kids to play with!) to our summer home (where there are RARELY kids to play with).  This is why we were SO THRILLED last week when Joycie and Taylor decided to join Nanny and Bubby for their big, two-day trip to Lakefield!  COMPANY THAT IS NOT AN ADULT equates to one GIANT HIP, HIP HOORAY for the Parkinson Family!!!!!!!!!  The three girls stuck to each other like GLUE the entire time, despite the inevitable sibling/cousin quarrels.  (P.S. I plug my mug company wherever I can.  Follow us on Instagram @thegluekw....HA!)

We got up to a lot of fun stuff throughout their stay:  running through the sprinkler, jumping on the trampoline, arts and crafts, tag, hide and seek, blowing bubbles, throwing rocks, playing at the park, eating Timbits, and taking silly selfies.  It was everything a summer with your cousins should include and we can't wait for Joycie to return in August with the rest of the Cousin Crew!

As for the Boring Adults (ha!), Nan is as hip and hilarious as ever.  Bubby enjoyed all the grand-baby snuggles she misses out on year-round.  And Taylor is GLOWING with her baby bump and the REALLY, REALLY GOOD NEWS is that there is going to be ANOTHER BABY GIRL come November!  Poor Cousin Max.  But at this point, what's ONE MORE GIRL? ;)

One of the greatest things about their visit was watching Joyce interact with Juliet.  Joyce wanted to assist with everything baby-related and we know she's going to be an outstanding BIG SISTER to the newest Hoit gal.  We love you, Joyce!

Thank you Nan and Tayls for putting up with a long and uncomfortable car ride to come and visit us.  It means so much!  And Mom, we look forward to your return next week!

XOXO

NARRATING THE CAMERA ROLL...

 ^^^  Making Fairy Soup in the backyard.  It has become a favourite activity of ours :)

 ^^^  Fun at the park!  The girls love going here and we try to go every night before bed :)

 ^^^  Our pet chipmunk, "CHIPPY" (obviously).  Sometimes, when I need a moment of silence, I tell the girls that Chippy is on the deck.....(don't judge me).  It works like a charm.

 ^^^  I get a kick out of this cutie!

^^^  Trampoline / Fort.....same-same.

 ^^^  So proud of herself for doing "big girl things" at the park :)  Also, I love this dry-fit shirt and fancy hat combination.

^^^  Without Internet on my phone this summer, I spend more time using apps that don't need wifi.  Hence, the outburst of A BEAUTIFUL MESS collages on my Instagram feed :)  Nory and I have been workout buddies the last few nights.  

^^^  These two spend most of their days glued together.  Juliet is the biggest Daddy's girl around!

^^^  We persevered through the "GRASS TOTALLY FREAKS ME OUT" hump and look where we are now!!!!  Juliet - 1, Grass - 0!!!!!!

 ^^^  Left Side:  Check out the doll house we purchased off Kijiji on the weekend!  Kijiji is one of the best invention's of all time.  Right Side:  I can't help but see Juliet's cousin Max when I look at this picture of her.  I love all the blonde hair, blue-eyed cuties in our family :)

 ^^^  The thing about sunglasses for kids is that they are approximately NEVER used as intended.  But you can bet she screamed about the sun in her eyes during our morning walk ;) 

 ^^^  I want her hair.  Or, at the very least, I want my hair to not go grey and fall out from raising her...

We're BACK IN CANADA!!!!!!!!!!

It took us about 24 hours door to door, but we arrived home to our cozy Lakefield house on Friday!  The journey wasn't the smoothest one ever (with Juliet scream-crying for most of the first flight, Nory projectile vomiting during our Toronto descent, and Juliet vomiting on the car ride home), alas, WE SURVIVED and we've been on a fairly good sleep schedule ever since!  (KNOCK ON WOOD, and anything else that doesn't make me eat my words.)

Canada is SUPER!  FREEZING, but SUPER!

Some interesting facts about Juliet's transition to Canada:

1)  She was NOT HAVING anything to do with grass on day one.  Since then, we've graduated from being carried around in the grass, to walking in the grass with hand-holding and shoe-wearing, to walking in the grass with sock-wearing.  GO JULIET!

2)  She is obsessed with flowers.  "FLOWER!!!!" is her new word and this morning I parked her in front of the flower section at the grocery store so that Daddy and Nory could take care of check-out.  Juliet was IN HEAVEN and often requests to be flower-hunting throughout the day.

3)  She loves "SIDE!!!!!!"  Or "outside" as the rest of us call it :)  All the new colours and sounds intrigue her and - regardless of the lower temperatures - she wants to be in the backyard.  It's so cute.

4)  She stops every once in a while and says "kitty cat gone".  She definitely misses her kitties, Ben and Winka!!!

Some interesting facts about Nory's transition to Canada:

1)  "It's COLD HERE, Mama!" - a short-lived idea from our little furnace.  The girl was walking around in a tank top while the rest of us were bundled yesterday afternoon.

2)  Every so often, she asks to go back to her house.  So she can see Ben and Winka and Kari and Seton and Elsie.  And her toys.  And why didn't we bring her Orbeez to this place?

3)  Her "cozy one" is still very much in our outfit rotation.....

4)  She loves her Grampy.  Can we walk to his house today, Mama?  Is he coming back to play today, Mama?  Where's Grampy, Mama?  I want Grampy to come back to the park again, Mama.....  (We are anxiously awaiting a coffee date with him this afternoon!)

Other things we've been up to:

^^^  The 2nd Annual Fairy and Dragon Festival!

^^^  A visit to the pet store and the park with Nana, Grampy, and Coco!  Juliet can't stop talking about this "puppy!!!!!!!"

 ^^^  Phil has been raking leaves out of the garden and Nory discovered the JOY OF FALL in the process :)

 ^^^  Left Side:  A piece of fairy artwork for Uncle Graeme.  Right Side:  SNUGGLES with UNCLE GRAEME!!!! xo

Our first overnight visitors are coming on Thursday and we are SO, SO excited to see them!!!!!!  In the meantime, we will be in the garden, at the park, or on the trampoline!!!  We might even witness Juliet playing in the grass with bare hands and feet! ;)