Okay, so it's been awhile again, but I've been far too busy to get near a computer.

First, Bri finished her summer camp. She had a good time, but I don't think the play they chose was as good as last years'. There wasn't really a story line, mostly singing and the few lines were just set up for the songs. Bri's not so great at the musical part, it's like she can't sing and dance at the same time. This year she didn't get any practice time either, which was a bummer. But it was still amusing and cute. :)

Then we moved. The move went well, just with Bri's play being in the middle of it, it was kind of difficult. The kids went to grandpas for the weekend, thank god, because I don't really know where we'd have put them for two days while we unpacked.

Then we started the addition work immediately. Within two weeks we had the foundation finished. Pictures are on Facebook, and I sent an e-mail with the link. If I missed you, e-mail me and let me know. I'm not going to post a link here, since Facebook has my full name and all.

Then we went to Newfoundland for two weeks. We just got back. Here's the run down of that, it's really long. I don't know when I'll get to pics, I'm pooped, and the kids start swim lessons on Tuesday and I have to make a pile of phonecalls and the lumber also gets delivered on Tues. Wah. :(

July 29
Got up at 3am, picked up by transport people at 4:10. The van was full, which kind of sucked. 2 people were on a different flight to Newf and the other guy was going home to the Barbados. Bastard. Kids were good in the car, thank god. They didn't go back to sleep, but they were quiet.
When we got to the horror that is Pearson, things started sucking slightly. Mike for some reason didn't want to get a second luggage cart and instead wanted me to carry Katie, two pieces of luggage and a carseat. He didn't relent until I dropped the luggage and broke all the nails off my hand. It's not like I wasn't already pissy from lack of sleep or anything. Then the luggage checking chick was new or something. She took half an hour to check our luggage. I don't know WTF she was doing. Seriously. Then Serena turned and whacked her head off a shelf and got a huge purple bruise on her ear. :(

Then the plane was slightly delayed, which wasn't really that big of a deal. We got on, and the kids were really good. Bri and Serena screamed when the plane went up, which made for laughing. Katie was good, she only slept for the descent though, which sort of sucked. She didn't have a seat, so it was hard to keep her occupied on my lap. The flight was about 3 hours, but due to time difference, we got there about noon. Katie somehow managed to pee out her diaper on me while we were waiting for Fred to pick up the van.

We made a quick trip out to the ocean after dinner, just to go see it. Bri jumped in and we had a hard time keeping her out, even though it's like -15 degrees. The ocean is COLD up there.

July 30
Mike and I went to Dildo. Ha. I had to go take pics of the sign and get some postcards. We had lunch there and it was probably the best food we ate while there. It was just an assortment of seafoods, but whatever they breaded the cod in was amazing. You just can't get fish that tastes that good here in Ontario. Everything is farm raised and bleh.

July 31
We went up to Signal Hill. That's where the first transatlantic telegraph signal was sent from. The view is amazing, but it's windy as all get out.

Aug 1
The first Wed in August is a holiday in St John's called Regatta Day. EXCEPT when it's raining. Then Regatta Day is held off until it stops. Could be one day, could be a week. You get up in the morning and watch the news to find out if you have to go to work or not. Strangest thing ever, and it screwed up a bunch of my plans. The local lumber yard has a big Regatta Day sale that the MIL needed to go to, so she couldn't watch the kids in the morning. That was fine, we were going to go for dinner and check into our hotel that day. Then Regatta Day was held over, and I had no idea what was going to happen to my sea kayaking that I had booked for Thurs. Took me awhile to get ahold of them, but sea kayaking was a go, so we worked that out and changed the hotel dates around.

Since everything was goofy, we took the kids to the Fluvarium. Basically it's a place where they have observation windows under a river. Since it was raining, it was really cloudy. But we got there in time for feeding time, and they fed their frogs and such, which the kids liked.

Aug 2
Went sea kayaking. This was something I was really looking forward to. I booked up a 4 hour tour. There was us, two guides, a random guy who I think was friends with the owner (he was neither tourist or guide) and another older couple. The other couple were from Toronto and obviously had kayaked recently. The first two hours were great. Then I got sea sick. :( I actually hurfed a few times in the ocean there, and Mike had to paddle (we were in double kayaks) the last 15 minutes or so by himself. Still, it was worth it, the scenery was awesome and we never would have seen everything so close up otherwise. Next time, I'd book the 2 1/2 hour tour, since that's about the time I started barfing. heh. Then we went to a little pub for dinner as while I was hungry, I was still a little green and didn't want to get some expensive gourmet thing I wouldn't eat. I had mushroom soup and garden salad. Mike had crab cakes and a lobster. Then we checked into the hotel and made use of the hot tub in the pool area.

Aug 3
We went shopping at the touristy stores. I bought a zip up hoodie thing and got Katie a lobster. We were looking for a nice piece of art, but didn't find anything we really liked. We went for fancy dinner that night. Mike had a fish soup for a starter that was HUGE and a rack of lamb for dinner. I just had the salmon, and I swear it was like half a fish. Then we decided to go see Transformers. It was really good, actually.

Aug 4
For check out day at the hotel, we were supposed to go for a gourmet picnic. However, that was an hour away and because of the Regatta Day BS I had something else planned for the kids that afternoon that I thought was time sensitive, and we had to be there at 2. I'm sorry I missed that, it was one of three things we didn't get to do that I would have liked to. I also would have liked to do the bus tour (such a tourist) and the Bird Santuary (but we saw lots of birds with the whales). But hey. Instead we went back to Signal Hill and did the trail there. The first half was great, all downhill and with nice scenery. But on the way back you go through the city and then climb back up the hill. I thought I was going to have to crawl up. Seriously.

We went to the Botanical Gardens that afternoon with the kids. They were supposed to have a program running, but they didn't. We bought duck feed and the kids made the ducks fat. The dragonflies in Newfoundland are as big as Katie's head. I've never seen dragonflies so big.

Aug 5
Mike went golfing in the morning with Fred. Said the course was really nice, but he played crappily. He doesn't like his mom's clubs, but tough shit.

For dinner we went out to an internet bud's for a BBQ. She had a bunch of people over, but it was really nice. She makes a good slice of pork. The kids all took to each other quick (she has one 4 year old daughter). I was afraid it would be awkward, since I didn't know her all that well, but it was good. We actually delayed leaving for too long and Katie was super crank on the way home because she wanted her bottle.

Aug 6
We took the kids for a picnic at the beach. This time we brought bathing suits for the older two, even though the water wasn't getting any warmer.

Aug 7
We went whale watching that day. This was the best part of the trip for me and the kids. Mike thought it was kind of meh, and expensive. But we saw LOTS of whale parts. Tails and backs mostly. The kids got t-shirts and Bri picked a stuffed puffin and Serena got a puzzle. It was one of the nicest days of the trip, it's a lot colder in Newf than it is in Ontario. We thought our sweaters would be ok, but we could have used toques and gloves. Extra windy on a boat in the middle of the ocean. I took gravol before we left this time, heh.

Aug 8
We took the kids to the Science Center which was neat. I think it would have been better for slightly older kids, and unfortunately we came at the same time as a day camp, so it was ca-razy in there. But they let Serena hold a stick bug and Katie poked a giant snail (she immediately put her fingers in her mouth after, num).

Aug 9
We went to a fish n chips place for dinner, and while I thought it wouldn't be that good, but again, tasty ocean fish.

Aug 10
We finished off the trip with a stop at Cape Spear, which is the most Easternly point in North America. The views were again really great. This was Mike's birthday, so we had cupcakes. :)

Aug 11
Again, we flew out at a stupid time in the morning, 5:20am. We got up at three and made it to the airport in lots of time, IMO. The baggage chick was all "you'd better hurry up, there's a line in security and the flight is already boarding!" but then continued with her slow ass pace of bag checking. And there was no line in security and the flight wasn't boarding. *eye roll* The flight back was ok, Katie was really fussy for the first half hour, but then conked out for the rest of the flight. I watched Shrek Three on the seat TV. :) We got a van to ourselves on the way home, which was good. Everyone was cranky yesterday, but we made it.

The day after we got there, Serena decided to potty train, following in the tradition of her sister with potty training at the weirdest time ever. She has only had one accident and seems to be dry at night too (which would be cool, Bri only mastered that last summer).

Bri lost two teeth while we were there, and is about to lose another.

Katie started walking while holding your fingers and will probably start taking steps within the next month, if not sooner.