getting ready

we are finishing the preparations for some cute little girls to come party with Kiara!




tutus and banners are hung.....



tiara's are waiting for their princesses.....



the invitations have gone out!



hopefully the sky stays blue. (and we get some real fall weather....without the wind and frost!)



because we want to celebrate in style.



this has been fun planning it with Kiara. she wanted friends, a craft, balloons, streamers and an ice cream cake. we're off to a good start!

oh, and she requested that all the streamers and tulle get moved to her room after the party. how sweet is that?! :)

ancient

....had to start with a photo of Kris....only because he just celebrated his birthday! wink!




doesn't it look like this dinosaur is about to nibble on Kris' ear?

a brand new dinosaur exhibit just opened north of the city this summer. we finally made it out! maybe one of the last "nice" summer days?

it was worth the trip. the only drawback to the day is that hundreds of other Albertans had the same idea. it definitely became quieter as the afternoon went on.



long necks?



there is no exaggeration when i say that the kids spent HOURS trying to dig up this artifact. they plan to bring shovels next time. ha!



the dinosaurs are attached to motion sensors. with the crowds, it was impossible to know when or where you have to be to start them. however, they are on set cycles. you could visit every day and see different movements each time.



the dinosaurs inspired the kids to act like dinosaurs themselves. complete with roaring and claws.

there was no tricking the kids that the dinosaurs would eat them! they assured us that it was impossible for them to be alive, and that it was just a fun park.



we did find some live creatures. i was too slow, but a little wood mouse ran out from under this bench when the kids took a break. it came out....stopped.....took a look...and ran back to it's hiding place. no chance that it took a second look! not that the roaring and yelling helped either.



baby dinosaurs!



clever. Kiara enjoyed this the most.



this was entertaining for all the ages of kids!



the only moment for a group shot. at least all the faces are visible.


it was a fabulous afternoon. everyone slept well that night! with happy thoughts. love nights like that.


i had read that it was intended to stay open throughout the winter as well. i am very curious as to what their hours will be and what their exhibits will do. i could see us heading back out in the spring for a fun day outside. however i think the summer months will be amazing. it isn't limited to just dinosaurs....they have combined the trail to also include fabulous information about the Boreal Forest. a good surprise.

i had heard good and bad reviews of the park. when it came to the negative comments, i had to wonder what it was being compared to. i simply could not agree. in fact i wonder if they went to the same place. anyone remember what the Tyrrell museum in Drumheller started out like? exactly. besides, this park allows the kids to interact at a level that they are at. we did not do it that day, but there is even a dinosaur the kids could ride! our only complaint...and this may be in the works...it would have been awesome to have a cafe with 'dinosaur bones' or 'terradactyl eggs' or 'long neck fries'.


too bad our city playgrounds and parks could be more creative in including interesting sculptures to climb, i think it would be very inspiring to many kids.

another first day of school

for Kiara.



she started the year with a haircut. this time with braids as the finishing touch. it made her seem so much older.


when she first woke up that morning, it was not a great start to her day. no one was more thankful than myself that she cheered up. she looked so cute.




she is still outgoing and adjusted to her new classroom with total ease. even hugged her new teachers, which pleased them. in the back of my mind....i was thinking...."yup, the really friendly kid on the first day...just means trouble later on." lets hope that will not be the instance this time!

the difference for her this year is that she knows one other child in the class - a neighbour. there are 2 other girls who have known each other and our neighbour for many years...having had older siblings in the same preschool classes. there is a big possibility that 3 of the group will end up as classmates in elementary. i like that.



it was cute to see the 4 of them host a tea party in their new class. no photos of them until i learn if it is okay!



i have a bit of a suspicion that this one may become a teacher. although i think she would also be interested in medicine. then again, she could do very well as a lawyer. ha! this will definitely be the year where we see her grow again from a little girl to a big girl. i am still taken off guard when she surprises me with requests for food or how we will spend time together. in the same breath, i think she is also surprised that we respect her opinions and listen to her ideas. there is a bit of "my voice matters" question behind her requests. no longer the baby.


as for the newest grade one student. just today he told me that he didn't realize grade one would be quite as much work as he had thought. his exact words. too funny! he continued on to explain that he still enjoyed school. i have a suspicion that there may have been a class discussion on the topic. once again he is so fortunate to have a teacher who is a good match for his personality. we enjoyed a 'meet the teacher' and bbq last night. the heaviest enrolment is in the lower grades, and slowly decreases in the upper grades. pretty standard for new schools. did i mention there are 4 full grade one classes? about 20 students per class? a very busy place indeed.


as for the mother...she is still adjusting to the new schedule. no lack of items for me to do. i can't wait until we get into a more stable routine.