Exploring The York Regional Forest

 This weekend we took the kids on a hiking trail in the York Regional Forest. A new area to explore!

 Caitlin found a rock while she was looking for a walking stick

 It was like walking in a puzzle! The pathway lined by the towering trees! It was beautiful, but I bet it was much more spectacular when the trees where changing colors!

 Even Kaiser enjoyed himself!

 Caitlin running ahead to catch up to Connor, daddy and Kaiser!

 Connor just found him a walking stick!

 Deciding which pathway to follow...

 We packed a lunch, so we found a nice sunny spot to sit and have a picnic. Here Connor is eating his sandwich!

 Caitlin sitting and eating her sandwich.

 Trying to play hid and seek in the trees. But with that bright coat on, the game was short!

 I wanted to get a picture of the two of them together. I guess I should have specified them looking at me at the same time and smiling!

 The puzzle picture!

Me and the kids towards the ed of our walk

 

This pond is at the beginning of our trail. Connor wanted to go fishing, but I didn't see any fish, it was pretty clear and pretty shallow.

A good time was had by all, and we are thinking of taking the kids on the Jingle Bell walk in a couple of weeks!

Boo at the Zoo

I had this brilliant idea. I would take the kids to the Boo at the Zoo, we'd march in their parade, and go Trick or Treating and have a very enjoyable day at the zoo. Well, it didn't go as planned. Caitlin, who has been wearing her costume daily has decided she doesn't want to wear it anywhere. Connor, I don't think he cares one way or another. He just wanted to see some animals.

Here the kids are watching the peacocks. I would have thought that the 45 degrees would have been a little too cold for them, but I guess I was wrong.

 Caitlin took this picture of the peacock. She loves them and tries to give them hugs.

 Here they are watching the other little kids walk pass in their costumes.

 The trees are still changing colors up here. Toronto Zoo is located in the Rogue River park. It is gorgeous!

 Looking at the pumpkins. I tried to get them to sit and let me take their picture, but I was informed they didn't want to smile anymore!

 Yeah, still not cooperating with the whole picture thing.

 Inside a teepee. This is the first time we had actually went in. I think they enjoyed running around inside.

 Because it was a little chilly out today, the Artic Wolves were out and very active today. I think they have become one of my favorite animals. Connor likes them too, and was telling everyone that passed by what they were! Smart Boy!

 The kids love the movie Tangled. So every time we visit the zoo, they want to see Pascal. He doesn't look like he likes being called Pascal.

 Another favorite animal of ours is the elephants. I think the kids just like sitting on the cement elephants.

The secret to keeping one of the kids from running wild? Make them hold hands.

The American Eagle has a maimed wing and wouldn't survive in the wild. He is a beautiful animal and as we were walking away from admiring him, he was talking up a storm!
So although we weren't in any costumes, we still were able to trick or treat. The kids came home with a pencil, an Addams family tattoo, a yo-yo and stickers! Score!
Maybe next year they will actually want to wear their costumes!

When In Rome....

The midgets have started skating lessons! Hurray! 

Here they are in their gear. I'm not one to brag, but it only took me about 10 minutes to get them both dressed! High Five!

 

 Their instructor Miss Catherine is teaching them how to get up when they fall down. At least I think that is what she is doing.

 Well, they are standing up by themselves. That has got to be a good sign right?

 Teaching Caitlin how to take steps holding onto her cone. By the end of her lesson, she was already trying to take steps on her own!

 Connor, looks like he just slipped and needs Miss Catherine to help him up.

 Caitlin with Miss Catherine

 Coming off the ice.
Flash forward to today. Today was their 2nd lesson. Still really really enjoying themselves!

 Caitlin isn't waiting for nobody!

 Miss Catherine trying to help her, but she likes to do things "ALL BY MYSELF!"

 And off she goes!

 Talking something over with Miss Catherine

And there she goes again! I swear she has taken to the ice like a reincarnated figure skater! Connor, well, not so much. But if this is anything like swimming, he should be warming up to it here in a week or two, then watch out!
Connor had seen a picture of his cousin Henry Banks in his hockey gear, and for a while that is all he talked about, wanting to play hockey too! So we'll see if he is still interested in it.

Getting Ready For Halloween

I am a bad mother. This is the first year we have carved pumpkins for the kids. I know, just because I really don't care for the holiday, there should be no reason they shouldn't.  So off to the store we went to get their first pumpkins. And honestly, I think Jayson enjoyed this much more than the kids. Yeah, they were excited with the whole "let's make a happy pumpkin" idea, but not so much the deed. They split after the faces were drawn on and so Jayson carved (not that I wanted them near a sharp knife!) and I cleaned. And all I kept hearing was how icky it was.

 Here are the finished pumpkins.  As happy as we could make them. But really, who wants to see a happy face on Halloween? This is the one day you try to scare yourself!

 After we left our friends Ken and Heather's house with all of Kallee's wonderful and glorious (Caitlin's words, not mine!) dress up clothes, all I have heard was I need a costume mom! So as you could guess, we were toast when a catalog showed up in the mail advertising the local costume shop. Of course, she wanted every princess costume. Connor, I don't think cared too much.

 So daddy went by the costume store on his way home from taking my car and ordering snow tires (yes, I said snow tires) and bought them these costumes. We tried to hide the bag, but they found them anyway. Of course they had to wear them!

 So Connor will be dressed as Lightening McQueen. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that has met the kid. And Caitlin will be Belle. I am thinking we got her name wrong.

 And poor Caitlin! Wanting to dance and the only one that she could find that would was her Rapunzel barbie doll! They danced and danced!

 And on a side story, Caitlin has decided she really really likes taking pictures with my camera! She gotta hold of it this morning while I was making breakfast and took a lot of pictures of the house. I am seeing and understanding how they see things. Never mind the finger!

 Of course, I have a lot of pictures of her feet. This midget sure likes her toes.

If you are not careful, you will get a foot in the face with her yelling "tickle my feet please!"  I hope she develops a phobia of people touching her feet!