Phil's BIG WEEK! :)

Weeks LIKE THIS don't happen all the time.  But when they do, you need to write about them on the Internet so that they never, ever, ever have the chance to disappear ;)  #doingmypart

Here you go, Friends.  Relayed to you in chronological order.......

1)  PHIL BECAME A HERO. 

Have you ever been driving home from work, going 120 km/h on the highway, blaring the tunes and chatting away with the people included in your car pool?  Probably.  But have you ever been in the exact same situation, with the topic of cats being introduced into conversation, only to consequently HEAR A CAT MEOWING inside your car in real life?  Probably NOT.

Alas, this PROBABLY NOT happened to us.  During a discussion of cat-themed Halloween costumes, a spontaneous MEOW was heard and we all burst out laughing under the assumption that one car pool member was being really WEIRD (they thought it was me, you guys!).  Once it was discovered that no human passengers were responsible for the cat-like sounds, Phil insisted that it must be some other noise that happened to VERY CLOSELY RESEMBLE a cat meow.  The ladies on board disagreed with passion and, well, a little tug on the heart strings and we had Phil - in his work clothes! - searching absolutely everywhere for a meowing cat upon our arrival home.  Inside the car.  Outside the car.  Under the car.  The spectacle drew in a crowd of onlookers who contributed to the search by making their own unique cat noises and sounds, and using their expert listening skills to narrow down the exact location of the meowing cat.  Eventually, a tiny black cat paw was spotted, swatting at Phil's tie that was dangling back and forth over random car parts.  It was then that "I AM NOT A CAT PERSON" Parkinson retrieved the kitten from the most obscure place under the hood of the car, saving him from the mean streets of Hawally and transitioning him to a nice flat in Mahboula :)

Don't worry.  We already have ONE cat.  This little dare devil was adopted by a colleague who lives in our building.

2)  PHIL BECAME A WINNING VOLLEYBALL COACH. 

It's no secret that Phil is a BASKETBALL COACH.  I mean, he has coached many sports in the past, but his one true love is his Varsity Boys Basketball Team.  When it's not basketball season, he's dreaming of basketball season.  When it is basketball season, he's dreaming of the next basketball season.  If you know Phil, you're quite familiar with this obsession and so I don't feel the need to elaborate any further :)

Well.

This year, he is also coaching the JV Boys Volleyball Team.  And he's had a great time doing it - embracing the challenge of learning new coaching skills in this regard.  (That being said, we aren't up at 4:30 in the morning watching volleyball videos.......)

So the other day, when his team played in the league FINAL, we were gosh-darned BLOWN AWAY that his team WON FIRST PLACE!  It was such an exciting moment and it kinda makes me think that knowledge of the game is one thing, but some coaches just HAVE IT IN THEM.  No matter the sport, certain people are meant for the role and Phil is a perfect example of that.  WAY TO GO, COACH!  WAY TO GO, TEAM!  You made our school SO PROUD! :)

A little snuggle with one of his good luck charms during the semi-finals :)

3)  PHIL GOT HIS DREAMMMMMMM JOB.

Phil has been dreaming of becoming an Activities Director for some time now.  The position is an administrative one, but it's in the field that he is most passionate about - activities and athletics.  You can bet he was on CLOUD NINE this past Tuesday when he was offered HIS DREAM POSITION.

I'm still a little speechless, but I definitely want to say:

We are so proud of you, Phil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We can't wait to watch you shine in your new role next year!!!  WE LOVE YOU!

I feel as though we're one stop closer to opening up CAMP PARKINSON ;)

This weekend my main squeeze is in Jordan at an international volleyball tournament.  I feel like we haven't even had time to process all of this AMAZING-NESS and I am looking forward to his return on Sunday night!!!  Until then, Phil's BIG WEEK has tagged me in and LINDSAY'S BIG WEEKEND has been in full effect.  Here's a sneak peak at what my weekend has looked like:

You think you know, but you have NO IDEA.

Wishing you all a once-in-a-lifetime week! 

Love, The Parkinson Family XOXO

CONVERSATIONS WITH NORY.

Phil:  Nory, do you want to go and see Auntie Gem now?

Nory:  No.  I want to go to America!

Don't ask.  She's been obsessed with going to America for at least a week now.

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While playing with her toys...

Nory:  No Minnie!  You can't go there.  You don't have a passport!

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Me:  Hey Hun!  Do you want to help me make some rice krispie squares?

Nory:  No.  But we could make cupcakes, though.

Last night.

We had a discussion about how Canada got a new "MISTER" and his name is "JUSTIN" and she wanted to go and see him "NOW!".

She INSISTED on wearing a selection of winter hats and mitts to show off to various members of our building.

She changed her mind about the Halloween costume she's been describing for WEEKS; the one I had JUST RECENTLY found the right materials for.

Then she had a spontaneous craving for BEANS, which caused us to leave Auntie's house IMMEDIATELY so that she could "get the beans in her mouth".  Of course, upon arrival home, and after the preparation of said beans, she looked at me with the most serious look of disgust and said, "Oh, I'm not eating those.  THOSE BEANS ARE NOT PINK!"

OY!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!!!!!!! :)

IF YOU WERE HERE FOR TEA.

*  Some of us were not allowed to vote in yesterday's election.  So we decided to vote on dinner instead.  (And all ages were eligible!)

Jettie's personality held strong - happy as a clam to be offered a piece of paper ;)

*  Treasure chests are STILL A THING in my classroom.  You might be thinking that Grade 8's are a little too "grown-up" for that kind of stuff.  Ha!  If only you heard the squeals induced by frog erasers and Spiderman stickers!

*  Black beans are difficult to find here, but we managed to spot some at the grocery store yesterday evening.  Nory decided to eat them straight-up, claiming that they were so yummy because they taste just like CHEESE.  #whateverfloatsyourboat

*  Phil's volleyball team won their final regular season game this week.  Playoffs begin on Saturday and then he's off to Jordan for the international tournament on Halloween weekend.  And THEN, it's basketball season.  GO TEAM!

*  We went to bed at 7:30 last night and have been up drinking coffee and watching the Jays game since extra-early this morning.  GO JAYS GO!

*  We are balancing chemical equations in science class and one of my kids described the entire ordeal just perfectly, calling it "stressful, but really nice!"  HAHAHA.  The fun continues today!!!

*  Gem's decided to remove her earrings permanently because her ears continue to reject them.  In good news, guess who popped by with her jewelry box, giving me first dibs on the entire collection?  Eeeeee!!!!!!  THANK YOU GEM!!! xo

*  We are looking forward to Grandma's arrival at the end of November.  She is coming for Juliet's first birthday and we can't wait to have her here for part of the holiday season!  The weather will be great in Kuwait and we'll be able to do stuff OUTSIDE :) 

I'm so happy our matching agendas told us about National Cake Decorating Day.

Otherwise, we wouldn't have even THOUGHT to host a national cake decorating day party!!!  (It was on Thursday, by the way.  Perhaps you want to mark next year's calendar!)

Gem created the sweetest invitation for the party (fulfilling her role as the INVITATION QUEEN!) and we sent it out to all of the young kids (plus 23 year old Alex) in our complex.  Here it is, sweet as ever:

 
Lucky for us, Barb slept over following Thanksgiving dinner and was able to assist in the execution of the party details.  Because, AS IT WOULD HAPPEN, Nory woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning and I was focused on damage control in the minutes leading up to everyone's arrival.  (Nory's deal?  She wanted to wear a pink dress, but all of her pink dresses were dirty from the previous day.  Her wardrobe changes are a story for another post.)

Anyways.  Although both of my children were crying prior to the event (teething/pink dress depletion), they managed to snap out of it in time for our little guests and everyone had a wonderful time.  The cupcakes they decorated were both BEAUTIFUL and DELICIOUS :)

How vibrant are those colours?!  A fellow mom lent us her Wilton icing kit and that stuff is LEGIT!

Such concentration......with Sofia the First PURPLE!

Smiles and cupcakes go TOGETHER :)

Unless icing gets on your skin or your shirt....then a napkin is required IMMEDIATELY!

Love these two!  And speaking of love...Jet digs whipped cream :)

Kid parties = chaos.  BUT CHAOS makes MEMORIES.  (And leaves some icing stains on your chairs!)

In retrospect, hosting two events (Thanksgiving and this one) within the same 24 hours was a little ambitious, but Gem and I seem to have bounds of ambition in the CELEBRATION department.  Plus, we take our agendas seriously and aim to follow every event detailed inside.

Next up?

National Cat Day (October 29th).  OH, THE OPPORTUNITIES!!!!!!!

The "REAL" Thanksgiving, as we refer to it over here....

On Monday morning last week, as I was doing my daily newsfeed scroll on Facebook, I got REALLY, REALLY homesick.  All those pictures of fall colours and jumping in leaves and holding hands and family selfies?  GAHHHHH.  You guys!  SO ADORABLE! (A SERIOUS SHOUT-OUT to the ORSER CLAN for making my heart burst with each and every click!)

Sadly, adorable-ness is not all fun and games.  Sometimes, it issues side effects.  Like homesickness.  And this time, I fell victim!

And so.  After sharing my not-in-Canada blues with Phil, we decided TURKEY SCHMURKEY.  If we can't find a turkey, we can still celebrate the holiday with some people we love.  A courtyard potluck was born and Emily, Phil, Barb, Steve, Dana and I put on our superhero capes and moved furniture about to arrange a cozy gathering for friends we are grateful for :)  #maybeIdidnotliftanything  #extragrateful

A beautiful day for some courtyard camaraderie :)

Emily and I worked hard on that "GIVE THANKS" centerpiece.  The wind was a little too high to put it at the dining table, so it scored a place on the food table instead (where it was semi-shielded from the breeze!).

Thank you for taking this picture, Barb! xo

These people are AWESOME!  The kids had a fun time running/biking around throughout the event :)

Naturally, we had a photobooth.  Ha!  So thankful for these three turkeys :) xo

Although it wasn't the same as being at HOME-HOME, it was just what I needed to boost my spirits!  Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate "the real Thanksgiving" with our family.  We are so lucky to be apart of this loving community in Kuwait!

NARRATING THE CAMERA ROLL...

Nory and I made coloured rice for the first time this weekend.  It is SO MUCH FUN!  Especially because it is a "SMALL TOYS/NORY ONLY" activity, which makes it EXTRA SPECIAL for Big Sister "NOR". 

Nory decided we needed to practice trick-or-treating during the first week of October.  Thank goodness the rehearsal participants had "treats" in their fridge :)

My desktop is in a mortifying state of affairs.  Phil and Emily pointed it out to me and, I have to give it to them, they have a point.  My work computer is in much better condition :)

"If Beyonce played soccer, she would totally wear these shoes too!"  I'm happy to help you build relationships with your boy students too! HAAAAA!

I guess Ben is coming on our next trip to Disneyland :)

"Mommy, why aren't the leaves green?"  OY.  My attempt at autumn crafts with my desert babe.

Eid crafts :)  Nory is in a big GLUE phase.  Any craft that requires glue, she's in!  But if it gets anywhere on her skin or clothing, you're in (for it)!

Making Halloween sugar cookies with Aunt Coco!

Sometimes a one-pump, pumpkin spice latte isn't enough.  SOMETIMES, you need to wear plaid too.

Juliet getting into the Halloween spirit with her festive outfit from Grandma and some dinosaur cookie cutters ;)

We found MINI PUMPKINS!  That didn't cost us a fortune!!!!!!!  Check out that decorate job.  It required LOTS and LOTS of GLUE!!!!!!! Haha.

I think I'm her temporary favourite.

Even though I walked in from work the other day and heard her exclaim, "Mommy, there's no room for you here!"

Even though she's asked me to leave Auntie Gem's house because it turns out she wants "ONLY AUNTIE".

Even though she's run away with my shoes in order to prevent me from going to the courtyard too.

BECAUSE......

When she's tired and wants to be laying down in her bed with the princess light ON and EVERY SINGLE TOY that comes to her mind in a span of FIVE MINUTES, as well as her CAT BEN beside her....she asks for MAMA.

When she's hungry and needs some milk in her MINNIE MOUSE CUP with a peanut butter pizza in a PURPLE BOWL.....she asks for MAMA.

When she's frustrated because the playdoh is "broken" and we need to make some more RIGHT NOW and it HAS to be PINK.....she asks for MAMA.

When she is exhausted from walking the mall and is totally against using her stroller and (not so gently) requests for one of us to hold her.......she asks for MAMA.

So.

As I said.

CLEARLY THE TEMPORARY FAVOURITE.

And, funnily enough, Phil's a little bit jealous that I've become so popular in the Nory department.  HA!

Interesting Facts from TODAY:

1)  I got my first ever "WORLD ARTHRITIS DAY" present.  I was SUPER surprised :)

2)  It's Thanksgiving and there are ZERO TURKEYS in Kuwait.  Or so this is our theory.  Because we've looked EVERYWHERE, asked EVERYONE, and we've had zero luck.  So we didn't have turkey today.  We just came home to two of them ;)

Mission Impossible:  Getting a NICE FAMILY PICTURE of the four of us on Juliet's first Thanksgiving!

3)  Phil coached against his former assistant coach (and our former school) for the very first time.  It was a nerve-racking game, but Phil's volleyball team managed to secure a W.  WOOT, WOOT!

4)  The weather this morning was on the CHILLY SIDE of hot.  It's getting NICE OUTSIDE, you guys!  FINALLY! 

5)  GO JAYS GO!!!!!!!  This morning we had our coffee while watching the game and then continued to cheer them on from Phil's classroom.  We're pumped about the Toronto support we're receiving from #thehouseofnorules.  Too bad today's game isn't on until 11 p.m.  You'll have to cheer a little extra for us :)

On that note, GOODNIGHT ALL!!!!!!! xo

The Redneck Hilton! (In approximately 5 minutes, you'll be so proud to KNOW US!)

Several of our colleagues have memberships at the nearby Hilton Resort.  You might remember that we purchased a one week membership to this place last spring break and had a wonderful time playing on the beach.  There's a beautiful playground, too, and an outdoor swimming pool fit for little ones.  Throw in the Starbucks, Pizza Express, and luxurious spa and the members truly do have it made!

HOWEVER.

We just aren't into being year-round members of this club.  Here's why:  

1)  Phil and I are not "beach" people.  We can do the beach for an hour (or less...), but then we kinda look at each other and think, "now what?!"  It gets boring and neither of our minds can stop for long enough to embrace that much time doing "nothing".  HA!

2)  Who has the energy to pack up the car with two little kids after a full day's work?  (If you're one of the people that does, I'm really, really impressed!) 

3)  We'd rather spend our money on traveling :)  (Our Finland trip is coming up soon!)

And so........in accordance with our declaration of courtyard season, THE REDNECK HILTON was born.  We turned our water table into a mobile one, inspiring Emily to purchase a blow-up pool for the girls (#earlychristmasgift).  With all of the facilities a family of four could possibly desire, we set up our very first "REDNECK" camp right by the courtyard's water faucet - in a place where snacks, extra towels, new toys, and diaper changes are convenient and accessible!  IT IS IDEAL, my friends.  And the only traffic we encounter is in the lobby of the building - waiting for the elevator!

Obviously, the Redneck Hilton still has its challenges.  But the challenges that exist in this place travel with us everywhere we go ;)

You can tell that the R.H. is a huge hit with Nory and, although we've got some interesting looks from those walking by, we've also welcomed many other families to join in the fun!  It really is a COURTYARD EXTRAVAGANZA!!!! 

Jettie is also a fan of the pool and that last picture of her and her Daddy JUST KILLS ME.  Check out her face!  :)

This upcoming weekend we have FOUR DAYS OFF (hip, hip!) and I'm sure we'll be embracing our inner Redneck at least a couple of times.  It's good stuff, you guys.  EASY STUFF.  SIMPLE STUFF.  PRACTICALLY, FREE STUFF!!!!!

Wish you could come over and play with us too!  At our Hilton, guests are ALWAYS FREE :)

We hope all of you had a fun-filled Thanksgiving weekend.  Missing you and sending our love,

Your (embarrassing?) REDNECK FAMILY  :)