Freezies Are The Worst

*** Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Mr. Freeze ;)

My most recent revelation in the summer treat department is that freezies are the worst. I don't know how they ever became a thing or how they continue to remain a thing in recent times. 

Here's why:

1) They are cold. And I know that other summer treats are cold, but freezies are the only ones that don't accommodate your temperature needs with a stick, cone, spoon, etc.

2) You need scissors to open them. Scissors and little people aren't super compatible. Neither are scissors and tired parents. 

3) They cut the sides of your mouth. Or, even worse, they cut the sides of your teething toddler's mouth.

4) They can't be consumed without a small child asking you to help them "push it up", which exposes yourself to the aforementioned cold temperatures and interrupts the five minutes of peace you hoped for.

For these reasons, it seems like a no-brainer to abolish the freezie phenomenon and stick to ice cream and popsicles. At the very least, freezies should be sold exclusively to those with more patience (so, grandparents). 

Sigh.

Good luck in the final weeks of freezie weather, Fellow Parents.

I get it. 

They are the worst. 

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! ;)

We like BIG BUBBLES and WE CANNOT LIE.

In addition to coveting a flash mob (potential 30th birthday gift, PLEASE?!), I have always wanted to try making big bubbles.  I remember seeing them at the beach the summer I was pregnant with Nory and I decided that THIS SUMMER we were finally going to make it happen.  Nory is fascinated by bubbles and I couldn't wait to WOW her with massive ones in our Canadian backyard. 

Phil was well aware of my intentions to create a Lakefield Disneyland out back, however I can't say he demonstrated much confidence in my abilities to do so.  If only he knew me in our university days (#modelstudent).  OBVIOUSLY I researched the HECK out of big bubbles (what do you want to know?!) and was WELL PREPARED to say TOLD YA SO in a couple of hours. 

Based on my research, I wrote down two different big bubble solution recipes and two potential sketches detailing how to create the big bubble wands.  After little hesitation (ha!), I decided to go for the elaborate recipe (more ingredients must lead to success, right?!) and I also decided to go for the elaborate wands because............GO BIG OR GO HOME, people.  With my list of materials and my bubble wand sketch, I began my walk through the town of Lakefield to secure all that I needed to make my BIG BUBBLE DREAMS come true.  Phil sent my Mom along with me for moral support.  I'm telling you, the man sensed DISASTER, foreshadowed by my high-pitched enthusiasm whilst reviewing my list.  "A washer, two eye hooks..........two 12' pieces of dowel......".  HAAA!!!!  Alas, off I went - head high and heart pumping. 

First stop was the good ole IDA.  This is where I picked up the glycerin, which seems to be the "magic ingredient" when it comes to bubbles of gigantic proportions.  I lucked out and found it in the first aisle I browsed (ah-hem, without having to ask any employee for assistance)!  I checked off the ingredient and grinned my way out the door.  THIS WAS REALLY HAPPENING!  I'm not sure I've ever felt this elated leaving the drug store. 

Then it was on to the hardware store.  This is where I met a very kind man named Curtis who walked me through the store and helped me select all the various pieces I needed for the wands.  I could sense he was skeptical of my end goal (#teamphil), unsure if I would be able to assemble the random pieces I purchased into anything that resembled the sketch I carried in my hands.  At one point, he double-checked that I had a saw to cut the dowels into smaller pieces, to which I replied, "I don't think so, but can't I use a steak knife?"  This is where he smiled politely and directed me to the exit with a sincere "GOOD LUCK".  Who knew those flimsy sticks were un-cuttable with kitchen equipment?  NOT I.  

Last stop was Foodland for the remaining solution ingredients.  I floated through the aisles on cloud nine, picking up such things as baking powder, cornstarch and dish soap.  It was all so joyful, right up until I was at the check-out and spotted plastic big bubble wands for $3.99.  That part was a little deflating - coming across as more convenient, time-consuming, and affordable.  BUT, I decided to laugh that one off and keep my eye on the prize.  I was going to have homemade big bubble wands that would be passed down through the generations with my special big bubble recipe.  The afternoon was destined to be AWESOME.

Impeccable placing of this consumer product, Foodland ;)

Upon arriving home, I got crackin' on the solution and then immediately into the wand-making.  Turns out we had to recruit other members of the neighbourhood in the process (#borrowedasaw #andadrill), but it eventually came together and I was ready to put my makings to the test.  I didn't expect to have an audience on trial #1, but when you involve the entire community (ha!), people flock to watch the big moment.  My heart was racing as I dipped the wand into the solution and then nervously drew the sticks towards my chest.  THIS WAS THE MOMENT I had been dreaming of for THREE YEARS....since the summer of 2012....

Here goes my first attempt....Phil's face totally says "all she's going to do is make a mess!"

Now Phil's face is saying, "OMG!  She ACTUALLY DID IT!"

 YES I DID!!!!!!!!

Academics are LEGIT, you guys.  Researching, diagramming, questioning, building......

I still cannot get over Phil's face in that second bubble picture.  He was so proud of me and IMPRESSED!  I felt ON TOP OF THE WORLD ;)

It wasn't long before Nory had to give it a try too:

That face tells me the process was ALL WORTH IT! :)

Here are some more pictures of our AMAZING BIG BUBBLES THAT WORKED!!!!!! 

The bubbles were just as amazing as I remember them being that Summer of 2012.  And turns out I AM JUST AS AMAZING as I was the day Phil married me in Summer of 2010 ;)  Big bubbles are sure to be a Parkinson Summer Tradition :)

TRUCK, YEAH!!!

Facebook messages that begin something like "so I know it's late notice....and you'll probably say no but...." are really exciting ones to receive.  My most recent one involved an invite to a Tim McGraw concert to which I responded "DUHHHHH I'm coming!!!"  (Okay, okay....I checked things over with my main man first).

Anyways, Sara and I enjoyed a beautiful soiree at the Molson Amphitheatre with two of her teaching friends and our good pal Tim.  We had grass seats (so no seats), but that made things seem all the more field-party-like and we were able to re-live our high school days while belting out tunes like "where the green grass grows" and "something like that".  The latter one there, ohhh it's a beauty.  When that song plays, all I can think of is "SUMMER!!!" and I hope and pray for a Country 105 dance A-S-A-P.  Speaking of BBQ stains on white t-shirts, check out this concert go-er we spotted and snagged for a picture:

Before this post concludes, I have a little conversation to share and remember forever.  We were driving down the 401 (en route to our musical evening) and it went something like this:

Lindsay:  Okay, entertainment topic #2 - Cory Monteith.

Sara:  Ugh, I don't even want to talk about it.

Lindsay:  Do you watch Glee?

Sara:  No....but that's because I feel very uncomfortable when I watch people sing.

Lindsay:  (bursts into unspeakable laughter)  SARA!  We are on our way to a concert!!!

What a great night.  Thanks Sara for the invite!  Similar Facebook messages are welcome anytime.  I'm wild.  Remember?  Ha!

You haven't gone swimming unless you've gone swimming with this gal!

And here are the many faces of said GAL....

(and HUNNY, I think we need a "warm tub" for the new house)....

HOME SWEET HOME!

I can't believe the day FINALLY came.  The one where my Daddy picked us up from the airport and took us back to our summer place in the Beaches!  But it DID.  And we are OH SO HAPPY!!!!

After bringing our bags into the studio and getting the low-down from the owners, the three of us went for a nice walk to grab a Timmy's-to-go on Queen Street.  (Yes, there is a Timmy's within walking distance of our house!  And a Starbuck's!  And a Shopper's!  And a Foodland!  And a Dollar Store!  And.......you get the picture!).  We headed to a park to enjoy our snack and then walked back to the house via the boardwalk.  It was LOVELY.  Especially since my Dad was with us!

A picture from my morning walk!

This morning I woke up much earlier than Phil (as usual), so I laced up and headed back to the water for a stroll.  The weather was PERFECT (provided you were bundled in a sweater, haha) and the area was BUSTLING!  There were people walking their dogs, running, playing tennis, swimming, paddle-boarding, working out, and so on.  Quite a different scene from the streets of Hawally!  I could breathe in without dust or a burning sensation (WIN!) and I wasn't the slightest bit afraid of a single dog along my journey (ANOTHER WIN!).

Ah - I like it here :)

Time to relax with my sleepyhead hubs.  He's awake!  Hallelujah!  

P.S.  Peanut butter on a a toasted English muffin is the BEST.  YUM!!!!!!!!