Oh What a Night

Trust me when I say that the title of this post has nothing to do with the song by the Four Seasons. It was just one of those nights when nothing went right for Rianne. 
I stayed up late watching "Deadliest Catch" and then "Ghost Rider" came on and I was chatting with Jon at the same time .. having a relaxing night that went into the wee hours of the morning. After midnight Rianne woke up in a bad mood claiming to be hot. Well there have been hotter nights that didn't bother so I don't know what bee got into her bonnet last night. I opened her bedroom window but Gilbert clawed it and made a hole so I had to shut it again. Who wants June Bugs in their room right? My next option was putting a fan in her room. Problem, the fans were in the basement and filthy rotten dirty. I cleaned up one of the less dirty ones and took it to her room. She settled for a little while and then I heard her up and coming down the stairs again. That's when I offered her a Mr.Freeze so she sat on the couch in the silence and ate it. At that point I was after turning off the television so she didn't have any distractions or excuses to stay up. 
When she finished her ice treat she went back upstairs and I followed her shortly. I just got myself tucked into bed and she started having another hissy fit. Why? Because she no longer wanted the fan on. I turned the fan off and went back to bed but it was mere moments later I heard the pitter patter of her feet coming into my room. I was too tired to argue with her so I told her to go get her pillow and get into my bed. I think that was the only way either one of us was going to get anything resembling sleep last night. 
After it was all said and done, she slept until 8:30 this morning and for that I am very thankful for. 

Lesson learned: DO NOT let her stay awake late enough to see the flickering solar butterflies in the tree because it just screws up her routine completely!! 

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Earlier in the evening yesterday we went to the street corner and watched the Children's Parade. It was cute but it would have been a lot better if they weren't all in one big gaggle. I only took 3 pictures because that's how long it was. There was no spacing so you couldn't get a good look at the children individually in their costumes. It gave us something to go out and watch though so kudos to Westville for having it on a different day instead of cramming them in with the big parade that's coming up on July 1st.  I also got to meet some people who have been living on my street for the last 40 years so little by little I am meeting the neighbours. Horray for Summer!

Cat strollers

I must be out of my ever loving mind to be even considering this contraption. Have you seen those strollers for cats? 
Before having cats I saw them at a pet store in Edmonton and thought it was a great idea and very functional for getting your cat out of doors for fresh air while keeping them safe at the same time but could never imagine pushing one through the street. 
Maybe I'm getting a tad senile but I think I want one for Tabatha and Gilbert. You see, Rianne loves pushing the cats in the stroller. I unpacked her Quinny Zapp stroller a couple of weeks ago in order to transport the little man I was babysitting and she was zooming around the house with either one cat or the other so she may very well enjoy taking them outside for walks in a stroller of their very own.
Here's where it gets questionable ... people will think it's adorable that a child is pushing her kittens in a special stroller. I have visions however of her giving up on the chore half way through the walk, leaving ME to push the cats back home and the town folk will think I'm a complete nut. 
It's funny how things are just darling when a child does them but as soon as you reach adulthood that same task seems ridiculous and straight jacket worthy. Life would be way more fun if we could just throw caution to the wind and keep living as carefree and a child.

If you have one of these cat strollers ... have you been reported to the mental hospital as a possible candidate yet? or .. if you have seen such a site in your town .. have YOU been the one to call the authorities to report a possible escapee?

Friends, family and festivities

Rianne and I are heading to CBI in a couple of weeks and I'm sitting here wondering how many street parades I can cram into our time there. She loves watching parades and frankly it's free entertainment so why not take in what you can since the price is right. 
Mabou Ceilidh days end just prior to Inverness Gathering days so there's 2 parades right there. I haven't been to a Mabou parade since I was a kid. The month of July is packed full of festivals from one end of the County to the other so it should be a good time. 
Friends, family and festivities ... what could possibly make a Summer any better? 

Adventures in Westville

Yes .. we had adventures or what I like to call adventures because frankly, just getting out of the house is an adventure lately and since we are trapped in Westville we have to make the best of it. 

Yesterday we went to the playground and then to Foodland. After supper I put Rianne in the tub while I folded clothes. When I went to get her out of the tub .. lawwwwdyyyyyyy there was water everywhere .. even out in the hallway. I gave her a big lecture and then she told me it was Tabatha's fault. I didn't believe her ... until .... I saw the wet paw prints leading to my bedroom. Yes, my 4 year old told the truth and the only thing yet to be determined is if Tabatha fell in or if she was pulled into the tub against her will. I had to tell Rianne to towel herself off while I caught Tabatha in a towel and dried her. What a fiasco!

Today we went to the local thrift store where I discovered it was sale day and we filled a grocery bag for $5 and Rianne got a little Disney Princess suitcase that she pulled all the way home. We stopped at the post office where the only mail was junk but she insisted I put the stuff in her suitcase so she could take it home. Too cute to argue with her so we brought the junk mail home and it now sits in the recycle pile. 
We stopped in Lawton's Drugs and she was still pulling her suitcase telling everyone she was taking the mail home. We walked by the display of Kinder eggs by the cash register and I told her she could get ONE egg and she responded "no thank you mommy. Chocolate makes me crazy" ... SAY WHAT??? I thought the cashier was going to fall over laughing.I was rather stunned to say the least. We left the store and she didn't have a chocolate egg. Shocking!
We walked home and dropped off our "loot" and then we went to the playground for a bit before walking to Foodland for some fresh fruit and a few other things. On our way home we stopped at the corner store where Rianne got a slush. It looked sooo cool and refreshing but I restrained from buying one for myself. I cooked supper and after we ate I mowed the yard, worked up a good sweat and burned approximately 488 calories in the process. Yay me! Now if my arthritic ankle stops aching I could be more active and burn even more calories in order to keep up with the weight loss. 

Soooo now Rianne is in bed and I'm sitting here watching television, relaxing. Busy day today .. we should both sleep good tonight. There's a little kiddie parade in town tomorrow evening at 6 PM so we will have an early supper in order to get out and watch it.

Here's the little diva as she looked this morning .. adorable in her braids:

Busy Summer

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Okay ... Summer is officially here according to the calendar. Mother Nature didn't get that memo but in spite of that we are going to make the best of it.
On Saturday the 26th there's a childrens parade at 6 PM so we will watch. We may possibly participate next year if Rianne wants to but for right now she prefers to watch parades. There is something going on on the 27th but it's only a fashion show and the Little Miss pageant and I'm pretty sure she that wouldn't interest her. ON the 28th there's a classic antique car show and cruise night on the main street. We may wake a walk over town to see the old cars for a bit. The 29th of this month there is one of those traveling carnivals in town for a few days. I know Rianne will have ZERO interest in going on the rides but we will probably take a walk up the street to have a look at the excitement and possibly buy a candy apple or two :) .. That leads up to Canada Day celebrations on the 30th with entertainment before the big street parade on July 1st. I am looking forward to that event because it's supposed to be the largest Canada Day parade in the Province. Pretty impressive for a small town! 
So that kicks off the month of July and it will come in with a bang ... literally ... with a fireworks display that night. I think Rianne and I will head to Cape Breton on the 4th for a couple of weeks. If the weather permits, we will go to the beach and enjoy the sun, sea and salt air. Old Home Week in my hometown is from the 17th - 24th so we will probably stay for that and then come home. Yes, we will be taking the cats with us which should prove interesting since my mom has an old cat. I can predict some hissing happening.
That will pretty much bring us into August and there's never anything going on that month other than our wedding anniversary. This year it will be 12 years!! Nothing planned at all as Jon will be still in Alberta until the Fall. 
So if everything goes as planned it should be a fun and eventful Summer. I will have to take pictures of everything and document it for Jon. He will me home next year for everything and that will mean more quality family time.
 

Gone wild @ the wildlife park!

Yesterday was fantastic!
We went to the local wildlife park and along the way we drove through a town that is exactly half way between the North Pole and the Equator.
It started out as a rainy dull day but the closer we got to the park the rain let up. It stayed overcast but that was optimal because it kept the temperatures cooler. Nothing worse than being all hot and sweaty walking through the woods.
There were peafowl everywhere through the park. On the walking trails, in with the ducks, in with the horses, on top of buildings, jumping over fences .... everywhere!!
I was thrilled to get pictures of one with the tail fanned out. His name is Periwinkle. What a masculine name huh? He's probably embarrassed but the name certainly doesn't take away from his beauty. What I wouldn't do to find one of those feathers laying on the ground.

We saw moose, bears, lynx, bobcats, arctic wolves, grey wolves, bald eagles, owls, emus, horses, ducks, swans, raccoons, porcupine, deer, reindeer and a whole collection of various pheasants.

When we finished up at the wildlife park we went to the picnic/playground area for lunch and then back to the park where we walked through the wetlands before departing for home. I can't wait to return again when Jon gets home from out West.

The case of the missing coins

A few days ago I noticed the coins for Rianne's Fisher Price cash register were missing. I questioned her and she told me she hid the coins so the little guy I've been babysitting this month couldn't play with it. I was NOT happy at all. I have spent days looking everywhere for the coins. This morning when I was getting a diaper out of the package to change little man's diaper I heard a clinking sound, reached my hand into the package and there, at the bottom were the 6 missing coins. It wasn't Rianne's doing at all so I don't know why she said she did it. Then again maybe she DID do it and framed the little man by putting them in his belongings. Very sneaky on her part if that's the case. I told her if she didn't do it, then she shouldn't be taking the blame because that will potentially get her into trouble in later years.
Now, why didn't I find the coins yesterday or the day before since I've been changing diapers?? Maybe I live in a haunted house and the spook is playing mind games, or there are pixies about and they are hiding things, making me crazy .. LOL.
Either way .. the coins have been located and I can cancel the APB I have out on them.