Diggers

A final day at the beach at the end of the summer.... it looks like we were the only people there but actually it was quite crowded.

Sibbald Point Provincial Park on the south shore of Lake Simcoe is less than an hour's drive away from home, which means the beach is usually pretty busy in the summer. We take a picnic, stake a claim on one of the shaded picnic tables under the trees, unload all the plastic buckets and shovels, and they start to dig.

4 + 4 = 8

Yep, another year (or should that be two?) has gone by in the life of the twinnies.

Mummy planned a chocolate layer cake, but before she had a chance to put it together, the twins came into the kitchen asking "which one is mine?" so they had a cake each. 

Happy, happy, happy.

Back to Europe trip pics in next post!

Open Wide!

A visit to the dentist is never scary when Doctor Bob's in charge.

Attack of the Towheads!

3 + 3 = 6

Pictures are self-explanatory, I think?

It's been a Hard Day's Night....

The twinnies after a hard day playing at Nana's house.....

.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Hell's Angels Biker Gang

One in the front, two in the back! Speed demons tearing up the sidewalk.... so watch out!

High Fliers

What goes up must eventually come down.......

.... and Daddy's there to catch them.

Just noticed.... this is post number 600!

365 Days

Last year about this time two tiny people arrived in my life. They made their blog debut here.

One year old today!

And now they are celebrating their first birthdays! Almost walking, and definitely talking. Happy Birthday Max and Emma! And congratulations to mum and dad and big brother Isaac for surviving the first year of the Double Trouble Terror Twosome.

Warning! Slippery When Wet

Double the trouble, double the fun (and double the diapers!)

Birthday Boy

Combine a sunny Saturday, a back yard, some cousins, uncles, aunts and grandparents, good food, a jug of sangria, a barbecue and a Big Birthday Boy, and what do you get?

A Back Yard Party, that's what!    


YoungerSon and the Bride invited the family to celebrate Isaac's third birthday.

What kind of birthday cake would you like, Isaac? With no hesitation he said   A BLUE CAR!

So that's what Auntie J made for him, with a green one thrown in for good measure. Mmmm... Oreo cookie wheels. And candy tail lights. But the icing didn't like the heat.... we should have left it in the fridge....  and suffered a partial meltdown, but it tasted good anyway.

Isaac had no complaints.

He blew all three candles out with some timely help from his cousin Callum. There's something very enticing about blowing candles out, no matter whose birthday it is.  
Isaac pronounced the cake "very yummy".

Callum was in complete agreement.
After all, these boys are experienced cakeologists.... they know a good birthday cake when they taste one.
The cake soon disappeared, leaving a couple of cute faces smeared with blue icing.

Then they started on the chocolate chip cookies.

Good cake work, Auntie J!

The twins weren't allowed to eat any birthday cake this time, but only a couple of months to go and they will be celebrating their own birthdays. Now that they've had a taste of Back Yard Partying, I bet they can't wait for their turn to come.
And what do you think they would like for their birthdays? I'll give you three guesses. That's right.... Hair!

Wot I Bin Up To

I seem to have been missing from Blogland for the past couple of weeks. Did you miss me? No? oh, well....

I haven't been anywhere exciting, or done anything really blogworthy, just living life as it comes along I suppose. Which is what most people do.

I've been baking bread....

... and last week my former clock repairing neighbour paid me a visit to have a look at William's movement.... William refuses to tick. He got William started, but the clock won't run for more than 20 minutes, and now he won't tick at all. I'm hoping for a return visit from my neighbour. He told me his father was a clockmaker and he grew up in a house with 60 clocks!

Rehearsals are in full swing for the annual Christmas Variety Show. This is the third Christmas we've put on this kind of event at our local theatre.

 I've been making props for the Blacklite version of The Nutcracker.... here's my Sugar Plum Fairy.

 And of course I've been spending plenty of time looking after these naughty little people.....

 ... and tickling these.

 Aren't I lucky?

If You Go Out In The Woods Today....

... You're sure of a big surprise....

Back in June, I hosted a party for The Bride to welcome the twins. Of course, the babies still had a while to go before making their grand entrance into the world, but they were very much in evidence if you looked at The Bride in profile! I invited friends, family, neighbours, and we enjoyed an afternoon filled with laughter, friendship, gifts and of course, party food.

Just look at this amazing cake!

Remember that children's song, The Teddy Bear's Picnic?

All created by hand by a wonderful friend. The picnic quilt was made of fondant icing. The grass and flowers were butter icing. The leaves even had sparkle on them. The baby bears were created from rice krispie squares moulded into a bear shape and covered in chocolate. There were baby boots and baby toys for the bears to play with. All completely edible.

The little boy bear cub brought his baby bottle.

And the little girl bear cub was in charge of the teapot and the cookies.
"Shall I be Mother?"

Who was the domestic goddess that created this work of edible art?

My good friend Glitterfly, that's who. She has just started her own blog, so please, go and pay her a visit. And don't forget to tell her how gorgeous the cake was!

Double Trouble!

They're here!

I've known they were coming for a long time, and finally they have arrived.

One of the blue variety, and one of the pink variety, a baby brother and sister for Isaac and new baby cousins for Callum.

Introducing Max. He arrived on Saturday at 11:40 in the morning, weighing 6lb 14 oz, and measuring 52cm.

His sister Emma arrived ten minutes later, at 11:50 in the morning, weighing in at 6lb 9oz, and measuring 49cm.

Max and Emma were at home with mummy and daddy (YoungerSon and The Bride) by 3:30 the same afternoon.

There was quite a reception there to greet them.... Nana (that's me), big brother Isaac, OlderSon and The Equestrienne and big cousin Callum, and The Bride's mom (Grandma), dad (Poppa) and sister (Auntie J).

These pictures were taken when Emma and Max were only 6 hours old.

The other grandies are here... see any similarity?