This summer we signed up for less activities/ camps for the kids. They work so hard during the school year that it is nice to have some unscheduled play. Free-range kids 🙂
One of the few things we did sign up for was swimming lessons- 30 minutes per day for two weeks. Perfect! We ended up with a very nice instructor who was strict but made it fun for the kids. Claire & Rhys did really well this time around. They are like fish in the water although Rhys sinks so easily!
Canada turned 150 years old this year. We had to celebrate with a nice BBQ with our extended family. We try to do this annually as we ♥ our family traditions 😉
The weather was gorgeous and our yard was looking pretty good as Jimmy & I put so much work into the overgrown and neglected back yard. It was so nice to sit with friends and family and catch up with some good fun.
Debbie always brings the party with her:
We had a really great hot summer this year! Some days were unbearable especially for sun sensitive Claire & Jimmy. Early on in the summer Jimmy ventured out to get a slip’n’slide for us to have some fun and to cool us down on those crazy hot days. It was so fun! and provided us with some good laughs.
Click on videos to play:
So bitter sweet the passing of time especially when you mark it with your kids growing like weeds! I cannot believe Claire & Rhys are now finished grade 2. They were in a split class this year and they did so awesome both socially and academically. There were some hiccups along the way and they both handled themselves so well. We are so proud of these twinadoes 🙂
Our annual last day of school tradition is to go out for dinner somewhere fun. They love these ice cream volcanoes at Milestones!
Every year in early June the municipality of Oak Bay hosts a fun parade, community party and fireworks- The Oak Bay Tea Party. They bring in a mini amusement park which is always fun except it will bankrupt you!
We normally avoid this event because Claire & Rhys don’t do too well with rides. Actually, let’s clarify that… Rhys does not do well with rides. He is always eager to get on but then he gets scared and sick feeling when it starts to run. We thought we would test the waters this year and give it a whirl. It went okay until the end when Rhys sat in a bumper car with Claire. She is a crazy race car driver in those things and Rhys was super bummed. Made for some funny photos though! Post-amusement park cuddles with Dad made it all better ♥.
.
Happy times before the rise started:
Once the ride started- poor Rhys! He has to ride it out until it was over:
Cuddles with Dad ♥:
This was one of the best May long weekends ever. The sun finally shone a whole four days and the temperature was hot. Yay!
We did a lot of gardening, we re-organized the kids room so it was more ‘big-kid’. Claire is very much like me…she loves organizing! We had a sweet moment when she sat on her bed and said ‘this feels SO good!’. It was a success. Jimmy bought a slip-and-slide and we all had some fun in the yard. We even set-up the kids giant pool for them to splash around in. We also had a nice picnic and play with some friends. Jimmy got in a few skate morning sessions with his friends which he always enjoys!
One of the high-lights was going mini-golfing. We went to Mattick’s Farm mini-golf which was perfect as it is in the woods so nicely shaded. Rhys would hit the balls like he was playing hockey so that was pretty funny and Claire would sweep the balls into the hole. Jimmy won in the end..no surprise there as he is pretty good at golfing compared to the rest of us ;). it was a great way to spend sometime outside on a hot sunny day.
.
Claire’s new reading spot in her updated room:
Twinsies:
Mini-golf:
Jimmy skate fun:
Easter was a bit more special this year with my Mom visiting for two weeks.
The weather was improving slowly to warmer days so she came at a perfect time when there was still snow in Alberta where she came from. My Mom and Dad love to garden so having her with us sure helped our wild garden. She weeded and prepped many plant pots and garden beds. I took several days off to spend with my Mom to organize for Easter and to just get out and wonder around Victoria. Claire & Rhys loved having a visitor as well. Nana is always up for reading, playing board games and having light sabre battles outside in pajamas!
We even headed out to Sooke where Wendy, Chris and Senna hosted a lovely lunch that brought all the Millers together. We got to play with some not-so-baby chicks, we ran outside in the sun watching Claire & Rhys have an epic easter-egg hunt. The Easter bunny went a little overboard this year! Our family got a hilarious board game from Wendy, Chris and Senna that was at the end of a very cool scavenger hunt that Senna organized.
We loved having Nana visit us and we had a wonderful Easter.
Beacon Hill:
.
Saxe Point:
Easter morning:
Easter scavenger hunt for Nana:
Easter hunt at Aunt Wendy & Uncle Chris’:
Hilarious poopy head game:
Claire received her very first 18″ doll for Christmas 2016. She has since acquired two more dolls. Her American Girl doll was from Nana & Papa for her 7th birthday. Rhys has a doll too and it is really quite fun to set up a play area for the dolls and to watch as their imaginations unfold.
Her dolls: Claire (blonde hair), Clarabel (brown hair), Deanna (black hair) and Rhys’ doll is named Jim 😉
Claire ♥’s to set her dolls up in a scene. Here is the dolls having a dance party:
