Winnipeg Days

Erik and I just got back yesterday from 2 weeks in the Winnipeg area - technically in La Salle which is south-west-ish of the city and is the town where my sister Nichole and her family call home. Brad & Nichole had some work for Erik to do on their house, but despite Erik keeping pretty busy during the days, there was lots of time for visiting late into the evenings; the guys playing NHL on x-box while Nichole and I drank cherry coke zero and searched for travel deals online (seriously, she could make a business out of finding online deals!)

Anyway - a quick disclaimer - I realized as I wrote this post was that I'm pretty good at taking pictures of kids... but I'm awful at taking pictures of grown-ups. (I think I need to remedy that...)

Face-painting by Kailyn. I especially love Micah's french Robin-Hood impression...

There were some HOT days while we were there. So, out came the sprinkler.... and out came the plastic bags to cover Keziah's cast.

Bag Girl strikes again at the splash park in St. Norbert.

Kailyn

Then, almost overnight, the weather went from blistering hot to October-like cool. Which meant it was time for some inside activities. So, off we went to the Children's Museum.

The kids took turns stamping their pretend train tickets...

"Tickets, please, tickets!"

"Driving" the train was Micah's favourite part. He kept wanting to go back and do it over and over and over...

Operating the excavator...

Unfortunately, Silas hated almost every second of the museum. It is confirmed that he hates crowds and lots of noise. He's been this way ever since he was a tiny baby.

How do I know?

He screams.

At the top of his lungs.

For a really long time.

People were starting to look at me like something was seriously wrong. Finally Nichole and I took turns taking him outside in his stroller. There are some nice walking paths around the Forks and he was way more content outside.

Until it started to rain.

We stuck it out at the museum for as long as we could, since the other 4 kids were having such a blast, but I was glad when we finally started the drive home and Silas fell into a deep, scream-induced sleep.

Our time in Winnipeg was a chance to pack in some visiting with friends and family who live in the area, like my childhood best friend, Erin, and her 2 kids. I forgot to bring out the camera that day - I think that just means we were having a really good visit :)

We spent one evening in Rosenort visiting Amber and Erik and their 3 girls. I met Amber through blogging before Keziah was born. And now we both have 3 kids! We got to see the new house they're building and Micah got his very first ride in the back of a pick-up truck - a highlight of his summer! Funny how the simple things stand out the most for kids :)

We spent an evening catching up with our Bethany Bible School friends, Rod & Janelle, in their new house in Winnipeg. We commented how it feels like our friendship can just pick up where it left off despite the years that have passed. It's just that way with Bible school friends I think. And Kamryn and the kids had a great time playing together.

Hungry Hippo, anyone?

Another evening was spent with Erik's Uncle James & Aunt Glenda and their family. Erik enjoyed catching up with his younger cousins and our kids enjoyed the abundance of apples in the backyard (Glenda - we ate all the ones you sent home and the kids loved them. We should've taken more!)

Heading out on a family walk with Charlie, the dog.

La Salle is a really pretty little town - the river, walking trails, and nice trees...

Little girls + puppies = cute :)

Keziah transferred her pet-smothering to Charlie over the last couple of weeks. Her affection is well-intentioned - just lacking in the gentleness department :)

As for Silas, he really does like to scream when he's upset. Mostly to get our attention I think. My theory is that, being the 3rd child, he has decided that we will not tend to him unless he is screaming. And he's partially right :P I think there's been some teething factoring in as well. And while other teething kids would maybe cry or be whiny and cranky, Silas just flat-out screams. Well, first he screams, then he bangs his head on the floor (yes, on purpose) and then screams some more. I recognize the part I play in all of this - picking him up as soon as he screams or plugging him with a soother. Limiting soother and blankie time is something I'm going to commit some energy to in September.

Silas seems happiest when he's outside. So, after listening to him scream in the house for awhile, Erik and I were fully willing to let him walk/crawl, fully clothed, through dirty puddles on the driveway one afternoon. A messy kid who's happy is much preferred to a screaming clean one.

Getting some outside time (and, hey - free advertising for my brother-in-law :)

Silas finally took off walking during our time in La Salle. About time! Here he is at the zoo, trying to make an escape to the playground...

All that walking tuckered him out, I guess.

Now we're back in Boissevain for one last week. The plan is to leave here on Sunday and head to Saskatoon for a couple of days to visit the Toews relatives. Then we're off to West Ed for 2 nights - a little waterpark action, a little shopping... We hope to be back in Abbotsford on September 2nd. Unfortunately Erik is planning to come back on his own to Manitoba for a few weeks in September. There's just so much that needs to be done on my parents' cabin before winter. And I want to be back in Abby for Micah's first days of school. So, as we always say when things don't go as planned, "It is what it is!" We will make do. I think I will enjoy being back in my own space even if it does mean I have to single-parent it for awhile (though I will un-ashamedly welcome and accept any offers of babysitting that come my way! :)