the Girls Get Haircuts

After a summer spent swimming almost daily, I thought it would be a good idea to trim the girls' hair. So it was that we ventured into a kid-centered hairdresser. I wasn't sure how the girls would react. Our #2 and #3 had never had their hair cut...

It would appear that many parents thought it would be a good idea to get back-to-school haircut for their kids, for although it was a weekday, the place was hopping.

There was a slide, plenty of toys, a few books, an aquarium, and car-shaped seats for the actual haircutting. The girls enjoyed themselves thoroughly. They were sad to hear we would only be returning in 6 months...(how to explain to the girls that one must have significant hair to cut?)

S1's third haircut in 5 years!

before

after: no more mullet!

S2's first hair cut

Three haircuts for three girls

the Whirlwind Week-end

For many (but not our) kids in our community, this was the last week-end before the start of a new school year. Perhaps that is why so many activities were jam-packed into two days:

Saturday:
-second to last soccer match
-cousin's second birthday party
-last soccer match

Sunday:
-karate
-tennis
-end of season soccer party
-end of season swimming party

I will have to make a mental note to take this week-end off work in the future. Or perhaps plan a family trip...

I was able to catch the tail end of the birthday party which included face painting, balloon animals, and live reptiles (one of which apparently peed on the rug).

After the party, and unbeknownst to its owner, our girls jumped into a bright red convertible which our two-year old referred to as a "baby car."

Not so Terrible Being Two

Our #3 has a long list of achievements. Including swimming with her face in the water (over a very short distance), and speaking in full sentences (which she has been doing for over 6 months). Here is a sampling of her phrases:

-I go swimming with a noodle and a flutter board
-I jump in the water
-I want go downstairs
-I want a popsicle
-I want a red firetruck
-I go to school, I want my school bag
-I did a poop

and my very favourite:
-I am not a baby!

But most recently, we have added a very unexpected achievement: giving up her nap! Lately, it had become a struggle to put her to sleep for both daytime naps and at night. So this Tuesday, we thought we would skip her nap. She was not particularly cranky in the afternoon, and she fell asleep quite easily at around 19:30 as opposed to 22h! Success!

As a result, the daytime routine has changed drastically. No longer does the day revolve around her nap time. All three girls enjoy the same activities during the day, and most importantly, I don't have to keep the older two quiet while their little sister sleeps. It's not so terrible being two after all!

Baby turns 2!

For a little over 6 months, our baby answers "two" when asked how old she is. On August 9, this finally becomes a reality.

Two days before her actual birthday, in the presence of a few friends and her family, our #3 blew out the candle on her red fire-truck cake (as per her request, and carefully baked and decorated by her aunt).

# 1 gets her own room

With Kindergarten beginning in one short month, our first born has been very excited.  So far, we have:

-purchased some navy blue, white and red clothing as per the school's dress code
-bought a new school bag even though she already has three
-looked far and wide for an art smock "not made of plastic"...I was surprised to find out that there are very few cotton art smocks out there...
-And most importantly, #1 moved to her very own room.

While her new room is lacking in finishing touches, our daughter is very excited about her very own room. Her baby sister, finally deemed old enough to be out of her crib (and her room), joins #2 in their shared room. The new bed was a gift from our next-door neighbour, a teenager who finally grew out of her "childish" bed (if you look closely, you may notice the butterflies, chicks, watering cans and flowers on the upholstery). I had explained to #1 that once she had her own room, and since she will soon begin Kindergarten, she must now fall asleep on her own...This didn't work out as planned, as she insists she cannot fall asleep without either her Mama or Papa next to her. But on a positive note, the Baby is now sleeping better than ever. While it takes longer for her to fall asleep, she sleeps until about 5h, and then can often be convinced to go back to sleep.