Anne turns 4 years old and other events

Things that happened:

• We tapped two maple trees in the backyard and collected sap from them for a few weeks in the early spring.  The sap produced some excellent homemade maple syrup and a $200 bill for fixing the microwave over the stove, which shorted out from all of the condensation from boiling down the sap.  
• Anne turned 4 years old.  She had a Ladybug Girl-themed birthday party.  Ladybug Girl is an excellent children's book by David Soman and Jacky Davis.  Guests optionally dressed up as bugs.  The kids coloured pictures, painted rocks, played pin-the-tail-on-Bingo, and got to take home one of the Ladybug Girl books.  See photos below.
• Anne had her first appointment with the dentist.  She was very well behaved and not nervous at all, possibly because she was staring at the television the whole time (we don't have cable at home).  No cavities.
• Charlie and Anne got a new kid-sized trampoline for the backyard.  They enjoy jumping on it almost every day.
• The kids both had significant haircuts.  
• Anne had her last day of gymnastics class.  They put on a "show", which just means we were invited into the gym to see their usual circuit up close.  It was pretty cute.  Anne loves gymnastics.  
• On Earth Day we went on a tour of the landfill.  It was actually really interesting.  We got to meet the hawk that keeps the seagulls at bay, ride on a school bus, tour the recycling plant, see the landfill, and climb all over some really large trucks.  See photos below.
• Anne and Charlie have a new baby cousin named Ada.  They love her to pieces. 
• Our whole family went camping with Gramma and Grampa B at Killbear Provincial park in June.  We slept in a tent (though Gramma and Grampa slept in their trailer), went canoeing, went swimming, roasted marshmallows, etc.  We saw quite a few deer in the campground, but no bears.  
• Anne finished preschool.  She really loved preschool and we were sad to leave it.  I can't wait until Charlie is old enough to attend.  Anne will be going to kindergarten five days a week in the fall.
• Charlie can now talk in full sentences whenever he likes.  He repeats almost everything.  He is quite the goofball.  He loves to "do working", go outside all the time, and push his toy lawn mower or stroller around everywhere.  He is very attached to his bunny and his soother (despite my efforts to wean him off of the soother).
• Anne is getting so big and I can hardly believe she will be starting kindergarten in the fall.  She can do basic math on her fingers and can sound out simple words.  She loves to play Playmobil, princesses, and build Lego models from the instructions.  She also enjoys reading books and doing puzzles.

Things Anne says:

• "I like this house.  It's neat.  Except I was thinking of getting rid of the family room and putting in a castle."
• Sitting on the steps and tapping her lips with her finger: "I was thinking of going to a ball and meeting a prince."  
• Anne's teacher: "Anne, tell Mommy the poem you shared with us today."
  Anne says: "If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie, wipe the seatie."
  Anne's teacher: "We have also heard the one about the beans."
  Anne: "Beans, beans, the musical fruit.  The more you eat, the more you toot.  The more you toot, the better you feel, so beans, beans at every meal."

Things Charlie says:

• Counts to ten, then says, "Ready or not, here I come!" or "Ready or not, here I come soother!"
• Sings the ABC's
• Randomly starts singing songs, for example:
• "Let it go!  Let it go!" 
• "The cold never bothered me anyway!" 
• "Fee fi fiddlie i o!" 
• "Add a sound, add a doodle, then you've got a name that's brand noodle!"
• Charlie: "Chocolate chips!"
  Mommy: "No, Charlie.  No chocolate chips before bedtime."
  Charlie: "Maybe a cookie?"
• Aunt Greta: "Charlie, would you like a push on the swing?"
  Charlie: "No, I don't need a push.  I'm good."

Photos from Florida that didn't make it onto the last blog post.  This is Anne and Gramma with an alligator in Shark Valley.

Anne disappeared into Gramma's closet and emerged like this. 

Anne's beautiful painting.

Charlie looks like a star fish when we put his snowsuit on.

Winter Charlie.

Step one of tapping trees: Get out the power tools.

Step two: Drill hole in tree.

Step 3: Tap in the spigot.

Step 4: Hang the bucket.

Step 5: Watch the sap flow!

Charlie fell into the puddle at the end of the driveway.

Anne and Mommy went on a sugar bush tour with Anne's best friend, Maddie, and her mom, Joy.

Anne and Mommy drill a hole into a stump.

Charlie at Darwyn's birthday party, with face paint.

Darwyn turns 3 years old.

Anne got a Playmobil airport for her birthday.

Anne dressed in her Ladybug Girl costume all ready for her birthday party.

Anne made black spots and taped them to Charlie's back so he could be a ladybug.

Rare photo of both kids looking at the camera.

Painting stones at the birthday party.

Maddie and Anne painting at the party.

Max dressed as Bumblebee Boy.

Daddy preparing the cupcakes for the kids.

Anne blows out her candle.

Charlie loves to ride on his tricycle.

Anne is extremely fast while riding on her scooter.

Charlie loves the "baby swing" and often refuses to do anything else when we go to the park.

Anne on the baby swing.

Anne at her first trip to the dentist.

Anne on the school bus during the landfill tour.

Daddy, Anne, and Charlie standing in a giant articulated front-end loader.

Climbing on the big dump truck.

Anne and Charlie driving a garbage truck.

Anne driving a garbage truck.

Anne and Charlie play hockey with the neighbourhood kids.

Michael from across the street playing with Charlie.

Charlie, pre-haircut.

Charlie, post-haircut.

Anne, pre-haircut.

Anne, mid-haircut.

Anne, post-haircut.

Anne and Charlie attending Children's Day activities at Anne's preschool.

Charlie eating yogurt on Gramma's deck.

Charlie meets cows at Mapleton's. He brings up "cows milking" at random.

Charlie loves to "do working" with Grampa G.

"I do working."

Charlie got tired and decided to lie down in our front foyer.  Anne decided he needed a pillow, blanket, and a story.

Anne and Mom on the beach at Killbear.

Charlie on a mission to throw all driftwood back into the water.

First family canoe ride.  Charlie calls it "newing"

Anne's awesome writing on her thank-you/goodbye card for her preschool teachers.

Anne at gymnastics.

Anne doing a table.

Charlie at the Land with his most precious possession.

Anne reading.

I think these binos are backwards.

Darwyn on the tractor.

Charlie the diva

Grampa reads Charlie a book

Pensive Anne with her new haircut.

I like these three photos of Grampa with the kids.

Annie riding the tractor with Grampa

Swimming weather!

Charlie loves swimming

Anne loves swimming

Charlie's version of the photo taken last year of Anne high in the air.  Charlie loves it just as much.

Anne eventually got  up the courage to jump off of the diving board.

Throw me up, Daddy!

Gramma pushing Anne on the swing.

Charlie, Mommy, and Anne at the party on Anne's last day of preschool.

One of the special poems Anne shared with her preschool teachers is now posted in the bathroom.

Anne holding new cousin, baby Ada

Anne and her best friend Maddie at the Canada Day celebration.

Charlie picking strawberries.

A lovely family photo with all five Gutoski/James' strawberry picking.

Charlie enjoying the fruits of his labour.

Max, Darwyn, and Annie enjoying the covered wagon at the strawberry farm.

Darwyn, Max, Mommy, Anne, and Charlie.

Anne and Maddie enjoying some ice cream at Mapleton's Farm.

Anne's birthday party

Charlie holds a stick and says, "Batman!"  He often does the same thing with "Spiderman".

Jumping on the new trampoline

Easter egg hunt

Anne's last day at gymnastics