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:

Holiday Wednesday

This last Wednesday was a holiday for Quebecers. And although Mama went to work, Papa got to spend a lovely day with his girls. Grandma watched Baby in the afternoon, allowing her to nap while Papa took the older two to attend the local festivities. They had their faces painted, ran around a lot, and even strolled along a small beach by a playground!

The Pool Opens

Finally, our local community pool has opened, albeit with limited hours as the majority of the lifeguards are still in school. We ventured there a few days ago on a warm afternoon. With Papa still at work we decided to limit ourselves to the wading pool. After about a half an hour, and a few poolside snacks, the older girls insisted we head over to the big pool. I got in first with the baby, while the other two took turns jumping in and swimming to us. The pool got crowded quickly, and I decided that we should head home before there was an accident. The girls agreed with the promise of a snack from the canteen...and I made a mental note not to return alone this season with all three...

Last Week of Preschool

This week was the last week of preschool, and it really crept up on us.

The girls had a fantastic week:

On Monday, some reptiles and amphibians visited the class.
Wednesday was graduation day for our eldest.
And Friday was a pool party that Mama attended with her girls.

They had so much fun, that when I announced it was the last day of school, they asked when school would start again...