Lots of kids + party + McDonald's = loud [101/145]

So, yeah, I'm writing this article while at a McDonald's. Dean was invited to a birthday party and kits the one with the playground equipment... So it's quite loud.  Hardly the place I'd expect to get caught up in my personal blog.

But here I am.  And in some way, it's fine.  I'm testing out the new blogger app.  It's good practice for the new project in the new year.

So, what have I been up to? But much.  Business as usual really.  Work should quiet down soon, I'll get a little reprieve during December.

Speaking of work, it looks like I'm done biking to work now. I now have a spot... it's in the parkade, but at least it's a spot, plus it just snowed.  A lot.

With the snow I got to practice the whole snowblowing of the the back lane.  Brutal.  And it went from 0 to 20cm over night. No in between.

And like that... I blink and the weekend's over (I'm now writing as of Monday).

Sucky thing about the snow is that it looks like that means that's it as for the biking.  Lots of snow on the ground.  Oh, well.

What else happened?  Well I was feeling pretty under the weather on Sunday.  Mandy's house sitting as of last night (her parents are going to Minni).  Dean's getting used to our new Christmas tradition with the "Elf on the Shelf".  I'll put a post up about that soon.

Oh... and tell me what you think... what colour is this?

Dean is 4

Wow... 4.  That I can barely believe.


For the past few weeks we have been trying to ready him for this birthday.  It's going to mean getting him a new bed (meaning he'll have to give up his old bed... something he's reluctant to do:  give up old things).


We also readied him for the party.  What kind of cake, who should come, etc...


It wasn't until his actual birthday morning that we woke him up and said "Happy Birthday" that we didn't realize what the prepping was doing.


His response:  "It's not my birthday... where's the girls?"


We had to think for a second... who was coming to his birthday?  "Alexis, Anna, Emily, Kaitlyn..."  heh... you remember that line of yours Dean... it'll pay off in a dozen or so years.


So we had to convince him that the party wasn't actually on his birthday.


Well, that day came and went, and then it was time for his party.


Crazy time -- called for some crazy amounts of cleaning.


It was worth it as there was lots of fun.  We had balloons, a ton of candy/snacks, played musical pillows (because, after all, it was a pyjama party), some Wii, and Dean handed out trophies (part of their loot bags) because "we all won".



[Dean wanted this "cake"]


After the kids all finished most of the games, it was pretty much 'open play' time and they did whatever, while the parents just kinda hung out.  It was fun.



[this is when the home games became inclusive -- before this shot the boys were playing video games and the girls were making food, baking and sweeping in Dean's room]


Eventually they all headed home and we had a little bit of time to recover before the family portion was upon us.


If it's one thing the family brings it's food.  Holy smokes we had food.  Dean enjoyed more presents and another cake.





Just as we thought he was starting to fall asleep he got into some of the presents again and was good for a few more hours.


Don't know how he stayed awake, I was pretty much done.


I'm glad he had a great time.  He deserves it.  Often I make fun of my 'technology' that is more than a year old... but Dean continues to bring smiles and joy int our lives... wonder if there's a software upgrade for some of his behaviour tho' (anybody know any tricks to get him to like one set of grandparents?).

Hallowe'en 2011 [101/132]

The First year Dean goes out and really trick-or-treats by himself.


He got to wear the costume first in the Mall of America [look at Mandy's facebook to see photos and video of the proud boy].


Then we tested him out by going to the Conmee Costume Party [where we got to see my friend Crystal wince in pain during contractions the entire time she was there -- Congrats on the birth of Thomas!].


Then it was a family gathering where he showed off to the Knauff side all his costume glory and raked in a large haul by the generous family.


It still wasn't Hallowe'en yet.


On Hallowe'en he got dressed and we went over to my parents.  He fell asleep on the way there, so needed some coercion to get into the spirit.  Then we went to a couple houses to warm up... still not really into it.  We went home and then I tried taking him to a couple of the nearby houses... still not having any of it.


Mandy tried it with him and they did a few blocks.  Dean came home, emptied his bags and wanted to go back out.  So he and I went and tried a few different blocks.  Or so I thought -- there might be some overlap (sorry Broadmore residents).


He really got into it by the end - though some were still too spooky to go visit.  But he enjoyed getting to say "trick-or-treat" and did a few of the houses all by himself.

Next year's going to be crazy I think.

Hallowe'en 2011