Northern Mom

I think that more than any other summer, this one seems to have gone by the quickest. It feels like just yesterday that we set the pool up for Jo. She got quite comfortable in the pool this year and was even "diving" and swimming a few strokes here and there. I wanted to take video, but the cold nights set in far too quickly even by Northern Ontario standards and the pool sat unused for more than a week and then was drained and put away earlier this week.

It was a busy summer, one where we got a lot accomplished:

-New siding and windows-Done
-Paved Driveway-Done
-Sod in the front yard-Done
-Interior Reno's started-Done
-New Furnace-Soon
-Camping in the new trailer-Done
-2 trips to Manitoulin Island-Done
-One trip to the 'Bogie-Done
-One more trip next weekend-working on it
-Camping with my mom-Done twice
-Worked on great tan-Done (best one in years)
-Learned to ride a 2 wheel bike with training wheels-Done
-A week long visit with Grampa F-Done
-Had a teenager in the house all summer-Done

That last one was one of the best parts of the summer. K was here for almost the entire summer and babysat Jo and her 2 friends from across the street. It was great to have her here for most of the summer and we are looking forward to one last hurrah next weekend when she comes with us our final camping trip this year. She is amazing with the kids. They swam, walked, baked, rode bikes, painted, played and played and played. She admitted that it was hard work, but work that comes with great rewards. Having Jo wake her first thing in the morning and kissing her good night before bed. She is more like a big sister to Jo than anything else. She helped with everything around the house too! I'm really gonna miss her.

I've ordered this doll for Jo for her birthday which is one month from today. She came down stairs a few weeks ago with a clean pair of pajama's in her hands and looked at me and told me that I had to change her clothes because her baby pukeded(not a typo, she adds the "ed" to most words that end that way) all over her. Her imagination is way too much. This doll makes all kinds of sounds and apparantly even burps so it should be a hit. She has the little high pitched voice too when she talks to her dolls. I think she will make a great little mother someday. In some ways I think it's a good thing that I won't be able to give her a sibling. She would smother the poor baby to death I'm sure and would no doubt tell me that I'm doing something wrong. She gets irate if you don't hold the doll the right way. The funny thing is that she isn't around babies all that much and she has picked up on so many "mothering" skills.

For her third birthday she wants a Swiper party. I have no idea where I am going to find the stuff to do a theme party. I may not even be up to having a party at all. I will only be 2 weeks post-op on her birthday. I've even scoured eBay for ideas too. Daddy might have his work cut out for him! I would love to get her one of these for Halloween, but it is far too much money and she has her heart set on being Spiderman. I have no idea where that one came from.

I'm off for the night.....the pic below screams "Summer" to me. My favourite pic this week!