A fortnight of family fun and fêtes (June 6-20)

My apologies this post is so late and so very long!!  Two weeks together and lots of pictures to choose from . . . :)

I had thought of titling this post, "The Intrusion of the In-laws," just to tease my mother and father-in-law.  But that would be an entry written about someone else's in-laws, not mine.  I count myself very fortunate to really like and enjoy the ones I ended up with.

Our time together started off with excitement mostly for Ai, as Friday was a 5th birthday celebration for him with his school buddies.  Mom made me look great by aesthetically preparing/arranging food for my guests, then topped it off by taking Iz out to the Forks Market (with Dad).  I actually got to enjoy a good hang-out time with the other moms.  Super nice.

Ai was a lucky boy to get another party with church friends on Sunday

And still another birthday with friends later in the week so that Daddy, who'd been away in Toronto until Sunday, could be part of the celebration (along with Ai's good buddy).  He felt very celebrated and it was a treat to have Omi & Opa here for his big day.

Our first Saturday together was a lovely day (my favourite, I think).  We drove out to Assiniboine Camp's Family Day - the camp A later attended as a day camper in mid-July.  It was the perfect way to get her excited about it, as the counsellors enthusiastically greeted the kids and took us on a tour.  We didn't expect to stay five hours, but it was easily done.  We started off with a visit to the barn where we got to visit the cute kitties and learn about horses.

 . . .  followed by a complimentary camp fire lunch.  Iz loved hugging the kind of cat that we should have adopted (ie. very tolerant of being toted around)!

After a fun chapel time, A took off with her school friend, Sara, while Omi, Opa and Iz went for a wagon ride around the camp.

Ai made a smart move and refused to go - turns out it was rather dull. :) 

Instead we enjoyed watching kids over at the rope course and my instinct, that Iz would want to try it the moment she saw it, was correct.  Despite the wide railing rungs, she hauled herself up the post quite quickly and climbed on to the swinging bridge.   Down below, we suddenly saw an expression I'd not really seen on Iz's face before:  utter fear!  I didn't have to be upset very long by my crying four year old far above where I could help her, as she thankfully listened to staff and made it to the middle of the bridge where they could then rappel her down.  As much as I love her, I wouldn't have been climbing up there to rescue her!  She's far more brave than I.  Phew! 

It was a while before her smile came back again, but she was very pleased on hindsight that she did it.  She inspired big sister to give it a try. A managed to stand on the bridge but not make it across before trying the climb on the other side of the structure.

Even Ai was inspired to give it a try - just to be pulled up and let down again.  But it was a start!

All around, it was a beautiful green grass, blue sky day - even if it meant our first exposure to wood ticks . ("The good kind of ticks" if there are any, as in no Lyme Disease.  Something we forgot to check for before coming home and had the joy of discovering throughout the week, mostly around 2 a.m.).  Our lovely day was topped perfectly for the kids by their first drive-through car wash.  

Our next outing, to the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre wasn't quite so exhilarating, aside from me inadvertently driving on country highways with a very empty gas tank.  (The positive upshot is that Ai now asks me, as soon as we leave Winnipeg's perimeter, whether I have enough gas in the tank.  It's saved me a similar adventure at least once!).

I'd been told Oak Hammock was a must-see place and it didn't quite feel so "must-see" once we got there, not helped by the weather being chillier than expected.  It has a centre with some hands-on things for the kids and is run by Ducks Unlimited, so all for a good cause.  Fortunately, there were computers to help Ai get more excited than he'd been.  He was pretty grumpy for the first while . . .

Our only other excursion outside the city was to Steinbach, to visit the Mennonite Heritage Village.  I'd heard good things about it and wasn't disappointed (although I couldn't really read the information signs as I herded the kids through "the boring stuff").  Meant to replicate a typical Southern Manitoban Mennonite village around the turn of the century, it had enough to engage the kids and was a lovely spot for us to enjoy old farm homes, gardens, barns and such.  The restaurant's fare of vereniki and schmauntfatt, foarma worscht and borscht were pretty tasty, too.  So glad we got to go with Mom and Dad who could fill in some stories with ones from their own parents.

Mom & Dad posing old Mennonite style

That's more like it :)

Playing in the old school room on chalk slates

A cute pig slurping up water - made us smile

Most of our time together was spent doing more ordinary things around the house and the neighbourhood.  We visited a few local parks . . .

We enjoyed heading out for treats and ice cream, some of us enjoying it a little too much . . .

We had nice hang-out times on the veranda, whether it was eating

 dancing,

reading,

doing hair,

watching the kids catch cankerworms and other bugs,

Unfortunately, the photo doesn't show that the zebra suit ends at the waist and all that was below
was pink underwear.  Pretty cute, I'd say (if not super appropriate for the front sidewalk)!

giving/receiving pedicures,

playing,

or bike-riding.  It was pretty super to have Opa take the training wheels off the little bikes Ai and Iz had had since May.  He gave Iz a few runs down the sidewalk and off she went with Omi right behind her:

We all rejoiced, even more so when Ai decided to give it a try later that evening.  It took a little more work from Opa running along beside, but he soon had it, too.

What a relief to have them both pick it up the same evening . . . the way one hopes it goes with pseudo-twins!  With mastering how to ride a bike, Ai just needed some coaching afterward on how to sign 'thumbs-up.'  Was pretty cute. :)

Before they left, Mom and Dad also celebrated A's 8th birthday a little early and gave her a kick scooter.  Dad got to show her the ropes on that, too!

Another milestone we were happy to have Mom and Dad celebrate was receiving the first edition copies of "Buffalo Shout, Salmon Cry."  S has spent such a long time envisioning, putting together and editing the book.  Mom and Dad were a special part of the project - sometimes receiving ideas and giving feedback, often reading and editing articles, always encouraging.  It was special to go to "our" local Chinese restaurant and have S surprise his first supporters with his first copy.  It felt right to celebrate S alongside the other two people most proud of what he's managed to accomplish.

The following week, we were able to have another celebration at our house with S's co-workers and a few others popping by.  It was wonderful to have Mom's help to put together the goodies (and once again, lay out a beautiful spread).  We were both too busy hosting to take photos - only a handful, but it was a nice evening to acknowledge the completion of a pretty special project.

All in all, it was a lovely time spent together.   Compared to some of the beautiful places Mom and Dad have been to, boat touring the Red River . . .  

. . . isn't quite as thrilling as the canals of Venice nor the Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG) quite as amazing at the Louvre.


But I'm so thankful they condescended to come to Winnipeg for two weeks instead of going somewhere more exciting.  It was wonderful to have them and we look forward to their next trip out here, whenever that might be.  Thanks for coming, Mom and Dad!