It's Raining, It's Pouring

It has been raining a whole lot this summer in Montreal. I would say, on average, 3 days per week. So much so that we have adapted. This week, we went out for a walk in our rain gear:

And just yesterday, we threw an impromptu birthday party for Teddy, and invited some friends over. And oh what fun we had! Our oldest prepared the gift bags, while the other two helped set the table and ice the cupcakes.

The Girls Get a Swing Set

We finally replaced the dilapidated swing set that came with the house with a new cedar set. I had considered the purchase for over a year, but the prospect of putting it together (10-12 hours for two people), coupled with the nearby park had dissuaded me.

In the end, a sale at Costco, and my frustration while barbecuing dinner (the baby wanted to be held while I manned the grill, while the older two waited impatiently on the patio) convinced me to make the purchase...

And so it was that a few weeks ago, I headed out to Costco with an SUV minus the child car seats, and picked up a swing set. It remained in our garage for a week before the work started in earnest. The final tally was 20 hours, including five hours of assistance from a second party. Papa finally finished on Sunday July 12th at 15:30, an the girls were ecstatic!

S1 helping Papa with the last few pieces

Playtime!

Playing with neighbours

Three Princesses: annual studio photo

a Rainy Canada Day

Despite a rainy Canada Day, the girls enjoyed themselves thoroughly. To start off the day, the girls donned their Canada Day attire, including some very exciting hair accessories. Before Mama left for work, she was able to prepare some waffles, which they drenched with maple syrup.

Swimming lessons that morning finished a little early, as thunder lead to the premature closure of the pool. However, some pool-side Canada Day arts and crafts (under a canopy) made for a pleasant morning. While the Baby spent the afternoon with Grandma so that she could nap, Papa, S1, and S2 headed to the local recreational centre. The Canada Day festivities took place a smaller scale, but much fun was had, inducing some awesome face painting: