Ill, trips out, climbing, fire trucks and Halloween!

 Whenever I start a new post I take a look at the previous couple and see when they were posted. This leads me to begin with - 'It's been a while, or something similar as it always takes me longer nowadays to write anything than it used to. This is actually a good thing though because mostly it means I haven't had time because we have been busy with work - earning cash, or busy with the kids - having fun and watching them grow.  That is mostly the case on this occasion.  I took a long while to recover from my bout of pneumonia - After first feeling ill a week into September I eventually felt recovered enough to go for a slow run on November 8th -2 months after it all started, I tell you what -If it was a choice between Covid and Pneumonia, I will take Covid every time - Pneumonia is a bastard!

Hopefully, that's all behind me now - I just came back in from my 3rd run in just over a week. It's a really pleasant -4c outside and with very little wind it's really nice running weather. There has been plenty going on to talk about since my last entry here.....

At the end of September Buffy and I completed our Therapy sessions which we started after the dog bite. We talk a lot to each other about the incident and our feelings and reactions to it and although we still have flashbacks and our thoughts around dogs we don't know might be considered extreme, we felt the current therapy had taken us as far as we needed. In the last couple of sessions the Therapist suggested a night out for us, with friends, so we arranged to go to a Blue Bomber game before it got too cold. I was still low on energy because of the Pneumonia at this point, but it was a really nice night out with Lisa and Dylan, friends we made when doing the pre-birth training course before Hannah was born. For me a night of live sport is really good fun, so we really enjoyed the Bombers smashing Saskatchewan at the stadium at Uof M. Incidentally the Bombers play in the Grey Cup this coming weekend as they go for their 3rd Championship in a row!

October was really pleasant - The weather was lovely for most of the month, so it gave us the opportunity to take a few trips out to local parks and spend some extra time outside with the kids. They got the chance to wear their new cool Sweaters a lot too as well as try out some of their winter gear like hats and gloves before it started to get too cold. One of our trips out was to Kildonan park and the Witches Cottage they have there...the kids loved the curly staircase and the spiders!

We also had a trip to the little Airplane park, which they both love so much!

We got to spend a lot of time in eth back garden playing in the Autumn leaves before the snow came and Hannah also has a new Hobby - we have started to take her indoor climbing, which she seems to like and we plan to continue ot over the winter, along with the dance lessons that Grandma takes her to and the swimming lessons with mum, Hannah is a busy little girl!!

We had another fun day out later in the month when all the local fire stations had an open day. We took Ollie and Hannah along to the Station on Portage avenue and had a great time. Clambering over the fire trucks, getting told off after bibbing the horn and Ollie and I were actually on top of a Fire Truck (where we were not allowed to go) when a real call came in and the FireFighters started to load up into the truck as the door opened. We managed to climb back down just before they sped off to the call. It was pretty funny, but also highly dangerous - I blame Ollie and I blamed him again later when I go told off for trying to get Hannah up there when the Truck had returned. These kids are a bad influence! 

This is the roof f the Fore Truck just before the call out!

 Halloween was a blast this year. Honestly, for anyone from the UK, Halloween here is unbelievable. For weeks before the actual night, people have huge Halloween displays in their gardens and on the night itself it's like being in a Hollywood movie. Hundreds of families and kids wander around the neighbourhood in and out of gardens where nearly every house gives away tonnes of candy to the kids. People sit in their yards with fires blazing away and all kinds of ghosts, ghouls and monsters everywhere. It's really crazy and with kids it is actually unreal and kind of fantastic. There is far too much candy for the kids to ever eat, so it gets put in eth basement and given out as treats for the next few months! Also, there is a huge Halloween party every night at the Zoo for most of the month. Its called Boo at the zoo and as well as monsters graveyards and entertainment there is a free fun fair and rides for the kids, plus a dance stage which Ollie love love loved this year!. October is a big month over here and the kids (and parents love it). This year Hannah dressed as a bug (a dragonfly we think) and Ollie was a spider!

We also managed a quick weekend away at the start of November - Just an hour's drive away to Portage and the same Airbnb we stayed in back in March. Hannah and Ollie loved playing games on the old arcade machine, watching movies from their bed before sleep and enjoying swimming at the indoor fun pool. It was a nice weekend away and Buffy and I also managed a couple of relaxing nights in eth hot tub while the kids slept and the first real snow of winter fell around us!

Waiting for the pool to open!

Sunrise!

Movie time!

The kids are absolutely crazy at the moment. Hannah changes her name every day - From Elsa to Sky or Bob the builder or whatever - She renames Ollie and me and Buffy too sometimes so we have no clue who we are or what we are doing. They are playing together a lot more now and are able to have their own little conversations too. Ollie is learning to say 'NO' to Hannah which is great so she doesn't always get her own way. One of their wonderful little weird things is bringing their kid's soft chairs into the bathroom to brush their teeth -No idea why, but it is fun!

It's been a hell of a last few weeks as you can see and it doesn't stop..... 

Ollie is now ill (again) and coughing so is off Daycare for a few days. 

We are trying our best to keep the two of them apart as much as we can because we really don't want Hannah to get ill as she is going int Hospital on Wednesday this week for her first plastic surgery. 

There is a lump in the corner of her mouth where she got bit due to where what was left of that side of her mouth was sewn back together. This is misshaping that side of her mouth, so the Doctor is going to try and cut it out. We are hoping it all goes well, but are worried, tense and nervous for her even though she is being so fucking brave about it. We have a book called 'Franklin goes to Hospital' which is so fantastic. Franklin is a turtle who breaks his shell and has to go get surgery to pin it. It has been a huge help in letting Hannah know what is going to happen. She has admitted she is scared but is being so open and brave about it, she is inspiring! We are probably more nervous than she is! Shei s looking forward to 'vegging out' for a couple of days while she recovers at home!

Hopefully, it all goes well. Keep your fingers crossed!

Anyway, I will leave it there for this post. Here are a couple of last pics of the kids from the last week - including, Ollie sitting in a chair on a chair, Hannah on the bus and in our England shirts to wear for the world cup!.