Getting old

I am getting old. 

Its true. 

It started about 54 or 55 years ago and has been happening ever since, but recently it feels like its getting faster. Days meld and seep into weeks and what was new and exciting a minute ago is now a distant memory, replace by something newer and crazier, but a little more blurry in the vision department, more painful and stiff in the muscle department and infinitely louder in the hearing bit!

Take for example 'Tinkertown', the local kids theme park that it feels like we visited with the kids just a few weeks ago (it was actually a year ago) and compare that visit to the recent visit we actually really did do just a few days ago. The kids, in my minds eye at least, are just the same annoying, loveable, feral, idiot children that they were last year.... but last year we had to ride the rides with them, or they were just too little to go onto most rides. But now, Hannah is running round like a teenager, riding the biggest, swingiest, puke inducing spinning rides in a way I couldn't even do when I was a kid and loving it. Ollie is still just a little too short for these big rides, but he too is running round, in control of himself and everyne around him, and knowing exactly where he is going and what he is doing. We only rode a couple of the smaller rides with them all day, like the Ferris wheel and mini coaster this yyear before they wanted to do their own thing!

This year we were also lucky enough to go with Alena and her two kids, Jack and Norah, who are almost exactly the same height as our two. So they paired off and did most everything together, with us watching on - It was so much more relaxing for us adults to do it this way and no one was even close to a vomit! A great day had by all and a little reminder in my ever blurrier brain that pretty soon these kiddles won't need us anymore and that will be OK and sad -  and amazing  - and surprising  - and normal all very quickly.   

A few days later and we were off out for another pile of fun - this time to the Rainbow Theatre for Frozen - the musical. 

Rainbow theatre is a cool, shaded outdoor theatre in Kildonan Park and seats a couple of thousand people underneath a pretty spectacular domed roof! 

Our kids have been through and left behind the 'Frozen' phase, but still know and like all the songs and the characters, especially Olaf and Kristof. Hannah was acting a little 'teenage cool' on the way there, saying she wasn't interested, but spent the entire show sitting with a huge smile on her face and didn't miss a second! It was lovely to go along with Susan (Grandma) too. Everyone had a great afternoon - apart from when Hannah lost her stick (literally a stick, from a tree - like there aren't any MORE sticks!. Kids are insane!!) 

                                       

Yes, you are right, that is NOT Ollie in the photo above. It's our little nephew, Austin. Ollie didn't want to be in the pic haha . I forgot to mention tha before the show, while we were in the park, we also had our annual visit to the Witches cottage and got to feed the ducks!

The very next day was yet another trip out. This time to see the Bison up close at Fort Whyte. 

Fort Whyte is advertised as an 'urban nature oasis', with lakes, trails, and lots of outdoor activities such as boating, canoeing, hiking, skiing and the animals! The main draw on the animal front is the herd of huge bison, that you can watch from afar or get on the bison bus and drive out into the herd to get a closer look. We had wanted to take the kids for ages and finally got around to it. 

It was a fascinating hour learning about the bison and watching them play and eat from inside the bus and occasionally from the bottom step of the bus entrance. The weather was perfect, and the kids enjoyed playing with and touching a real bison horn - Hannah pretended to be a unicorn, of course, which Ollie was very keen to copy! 

Last weekend was our 2nd trip to Rubber Ducky Resort - The kids had loved it last year, and we all hoped for a repeat of the great time we had 12 months ago - it didn't disappoint!

We arrived late on Thursday, and after I had a quick fight with a big rock (I reversed the car into it! Yes, I am a cock) We set up the tent and were in the pool an hour after arriving! The weather on the first afternoon was perfect - about 24/25c and sun with clouds. The kids are now really happy to be in the water and loved the slides and just jumping in and out of the pool.

We got a huge dinner of pizza, chips and chicken from the little food place there, played some fussball and then returned to the tent where we sat up with a good fire going and watched the stars appear. The kids spent ages taking daft photos with glow sticks - finally getting them to bed well after dark. 

The following 2 days were supposed to be cool and drab, with some rain. But we got lucky - It WAS a bit like that, but we had plenty of sun, and it wasn't even close to how cold it was supposed to be, so we spent more time in the pool, visited the little farm where we saw the pot-belly pigs, goats, chickens and short horses. The goats were by far the favourite with the kids, as they ran to greet them when the kids rang the special goat bell! 

Late on day two, Adam, Alena and their two kids Jack and Norah arrived and helped to make a good weekend even better as the kids all enjoyed playing and being daft together. We played on the park, the kids danced at the Saturday night concert, and we even saw an old Fire engine that the owner pulled out of storage specially to show us!

 Here's Hannah bombing into the pool!

Feeding the duckies at Rubber ducky!

All in all, it was a fantastic little holiday! 

On the way home, we even managed to spot the Prairie Dog steam train and stopped to watch it pass by - what a great way to end a fun holiday!

Its now September 2nd and the first day back at school for the kids. Hannah is now in Grade 2 and breezed through her first day with her friends. Ollie actually start Kindergarden/Nursery again on Monday so got to meet his teacher today and then spent the afternoon at hos new daycare  - both of which he loved after a nervous start!  

I will probably write a bit more about all this and Ollie birthday which was yesterday (He is 5 now can you believe it?)_ with his party being set for this coming Saturday! Summer is drawing to a sasd close, but its been a pretty great on all around!