All about Peyton

Peyton is enrolled in hockey again this year - she was in the Learn-to-Skake program last year; this year she's in fundamentals.

Season's already begun; on a hot summer night, here we were trying on her hockey gear from last year (still fits!)



AND THEN, she started SCHOOL! Well, actually - school really starts tomorrow, but she's been twice. First last Friday for the "meet the teacher"/orientation (with mom & dad along for the meeting) :



Madame Natalie is her teacher - a very sweet, warm woman. We chatted, she had Peyton write her name; outline her hand on some paper which we then in turn kissed - the hand is hanging in her cubby, and if she ever misses us she can stroke it. Like, how cute??


And then a week later, she started her "stagered entry" - this was an emotional day for me, as we put her on a school bus and off she went - she didn't even glance back!




I'm so happy for her - anyone who knows us well knows that she SHOULD have been in school a year ago - so this day has been a long time coming.
She loves it.
We received a calendar of (learning) events for the month - she'll be learning about the letters "A" and "S" - the number "1", and they'll be reading the book "Chicka chicka boom boom." Ya, you know the one that Peyton reads to her sisters almost every night? She's going to kick kindergarten's ass!

In other news...we're stepping up efforts to toilet train Leah & Paige. Ugh, so much harder than training a singleton! We've put together a sticker/reward system. Not working too well (yet) but they do like their boards:






'Tis it for now!

Kari
xoxoxoxo

The rest of our summer

Paul & I had an additional week of holidays once we returned from out east, with which we worked around the house - (basement is thisclose to being finished!) and on the last Sunday, we went to my company barbeque at the Lone Star Ranch (few pics of Leah, as she was shy and attached to my hip!)






Bea looks on :(





One Saturday morning, horsing around:





Off to Brewer Park with Erin, Peter & Nolan:





Future accountants. Ha. That's a joke.

More Cape Breton (last day)

Our last day in Cape Breton (Saturday) was the much anticipated town parade.

Paul & I have always chosen the week of "chestico days" to go to Port Hood. It's their annual celebration, that includes:
-daily parking lot ceilidhs
-lobster dinners
-dances
-horse races
-boat parade
-sand sculpting contests
-triathalons
-fireworks AND
a parade.

The parade is a cheesy little affair where (it seems) anyone and everyone can enter their "float" or vehicle or horse or dirt bike or whatever, and they parade down the main street to the arena, throwing candies at the kids (big and small.) Cheesy, but we've always loved it. Paul particularly loved the years when he and whoever was out (Rich, Colin & Chantal, one year Peter) would AMBUSH the Jr. Life Guard float - with powerful water weapons that were carefully chosen prior to leaving Ottawa. BUT, the Junior lifeguards of the "fun" era are no more - they've all grown up and we didn't see any of them this year. (just missed Allie by a couple of hours!)

So that Saturday morning we woke up to not-so-nice weather. Rich & De took the kids down to the park while Paul & I hit the local gift shop.





We hooked up with the crew around 11AM and grabbed our spot by the arena. As always, the parade was late, and we spent the better part of 30 minutes trying to keep the kids entertained. But finally, the parade came by. And because there were moving vehicles in close proximity, we had our hands/eyes on the kids, and there are no photos.

Rich, De, thing one & two walking to our spot:


When the parade was over, we went to the arena for a barbeque, and the Mitch MacDonald rally (who, btw did not win CDN idol last week.)

Peyton sat on a horse...


...that bit Paul's foot (he's okay. ha.)



Peyton looking WAY grown up:


After having a bite to eat, we went back to the cottage and captured some photos on the deck:

(I think this is my fave!)


With Rich & De:


OK, and one with us too:



Then we decided to hit the beach one last time. It definitely was not warm enough to put on the swim suits (if I recall, it was actually spitting rain at times) but regardless, the girls were ripping to go.

The final walk down :(





Bea making her way through the sand dunes, with Paige coming up the rear:


Paigers skipping through the dunes:




And Missy Peyton with her beloved JD (Joc/Dave):



So yucky skies, but great for photos, and here's what we did:















And that concludes our wonderful trip. Saturday night was uneventful - we packed and organized, and Rich & De managed to slip out to go to the dance (and got in oh-so-late!)

The ride back was equally horrible to the ride there - that little sweet angel face Paige made sure that everyone knew she wasn't happy, and at times I wasn't sure we'd make it! But we did, and the memories are (mostly) fond now.