The Things Sisters Do.....

So, over my holiday time I babysat Nora and Levi for three days. I had a blast each day, and so did they!

Now, Selena has this dry-erase board on the side of her fridge that she "uses" for notes for herself. Disclaimer: There was nothing on the board before any of these drawings were made!

So, to be a little bit of an imp, I and her kids drew on her dry-erase board each day, leaving her something to see when she got home! For the first one, I just thought how cute it would be to leave her the "udderly" note, so I asked the kids to each draw a cow. For the second one, I did it because I had about two minutes before leaving for soccer with the kids. The third one we drew after getting back from the Steinbach Family Fun Festival where the last thing we did for the afternoon was go on a horse ride - it was a Heritage tour, but the Nora really wanted to go on a horse ride, and Levi said he would go if he could sit in my lap, and the kids both did really well when the horses stopped so the tour guide could tell us more about Steinbach. So, the kids then wanted to draw horses on Mommy's board because they had gone on the horse ride. Well, I just couldn't say no to that, but I also couldn't come up with anything more clever to write in addition to the drawings!

Avast There Matey!!

So, yesterday was our annual Church Picnic, hosted by a couple who live out in Gross Isle. They have a wonderful yard and do very well with hosting the picnic for all who make a point of being there! Well, this year it was more like Pirate Island rather than a yard!

Everyone got to wear bandannas, or pirate hats, and (temporary) tattoos, and eye patches! All the sports like games were pirate themed, and many were tough to do!

After games were done, we feasted on hamburgers, hot dogs, salads and fruit, as well as some sweet desserts!

Then, after a bit of time to let supper settle, out came the 'slip and slide' mat, water, and bubble soap! All the kids had a blast with the slip and slide, especially considering that we had perfect weather for it - hot and sunny!

After the kids changed into warm clothes, we all settled in for the fireworks show, which Levi declared to be too loud, but clapped after each one anyways!

It was a long day, but a very good day!

For more pictures, check out my Facebook page as it allows for more pictures to upload, faster!

A Different Kind of Park Time

Yesterday when we went to the park for outside play time, we had a very new experience occur. I had checked the ground for anything unusual and found nothing, so I was very surprised when the children started to run up to me to tell me that there was "a baby mouse on the ground.....and he's dead!"

Well, I got right over there, really unsure what I was going to find since I had seen the area not even 5 minutes earlier and there was nothing! Well, lo and behold, there was this tiny creature laying on the ground, all curled up with it's eyes closed. Not a baby mouse though. It was a baby squirrel! Then, as I am calling to another staff member to bring me a vinyl glove, the squirrel started to move! Okay, definitely NOT dead! Now what?

See, I am used to finding expired creatures in the park and using a glove and a plastic bag to dispose of them. But not having the poor little thing survive the 20 to 25 foot drop from where the nest could be in the tree directly above where it landed. I almost felt like saying something like, "I don't work with live animals!", but didn't.

Well, another staff member procured a shoebox and a towel for the poor thing, and we spent most of the rest of our time outside trying to protect the poor baby squirrel from the 28 or so children who just wanted to look really closely at it, and possibly also touch it! I was glad that they were so interested in the squirrel (since they keep an eye out to be able to chase the adult squirrels around the park - kids on the ground, squirrel in the trees or along our fence!) but was worried for the life span of the squirrel if the children got too close.

As far as I understand the staff that got the shoebox for the "beast" also took it to see a vet and then to their place because the mother did not come and get her baby even after all the children (and staff) left the park.

But now I can say that I have also handled a live baby squirrel!