It's in the air. I can feel it somewhere around the corner. Spring! I am SO ready for it to arrive. And things are looking up, generally. DH will be home in less than a week. It is March break and there is no school to stress about. No one is sick or having a migraine or anything right now. And the upside to buckets of rain lately is that I see bare pavement and blades of grass under the snow forts outside. I am .... happy.
The big mood lifter was that happy commercial mouse. We scored FREE tickets to "Disney on Ice" for today. (This is thanks to the Sens Foundation who are tremendously supportive to community groups. Yet another reason to love our NHL team, rock bottom or not.) Not just any tickets - box suite tickets - complete with our own bathroom for goodness sake. I was as happy as the kids. Something about sinking into fantasy, childhood stuff that has nothing to do with the day to day.
Meet Tina and Crystal. Laura is the one in the middle. The new friends are chillin' in our backyard. All very sweet except now I feel like I'm being watched through the kitchen window. One of the best and cheapest travel amusements we have 
My parents were visiting this week and it became apparent where all this hand talk silliness came from. Papa has two talking hands that resemble alligators named “Alli” and “Gate”. They are always teaching the unsuspecting child something science-y and have a habit of finishing each other’s sentences. Much giggles and accidental learning occurs. I remember myself at Laura’s age drinking it all in and talking away with these hand-things.
Mine have been named Critter 1 & 2. They get into mischief, tell bad jokes and often get mixed up. (I’ll do anything for a cheap laugh.) Laura is quite patient with them and tries to teach them things. She squeezes them and washes them in the bath too.
My husbands hands are gators and they are always wanting to snack on things. Laura is trying to get them to eat food not everything in the room. Sports are challenging for these gators as they are always eating the balls.
The most interesting pair for me are my son’s hands. He doesn’t pull them ou
Laura’s hand characters are an adorable reflection of her. Small and sweet, they love to cuddle, chatter about nothing in particular and sing off-key. I love every minute of it, at least until my hands cramp up.
I can’t really call this a Wordless Wednesday post ‘cause I’m feeling to word-full. It sort of fits in with the Things That Amuse Me theme as happy, sugar-filled kids are forever amusing, even if that is a stretch. Anyway…
So it was a great Halloween weekend here in chilly Ottawa. All things Halloween were on for three nights in a row. (Now I’m in a great post-chaos sugar-low crash reaching for yet another java.)
On the Friday, the school hosts a family Halloween dance. Wouldn’t you know it, our DD, the lucky devil, won a prize yet again– a giant spider spinning his web around a bowl of candy. She’s happy and I have one more Halloween decoration for next year.
On the Saturday we went to the National Arts Centre, “Trick Or Treat to a Wicked Beat” family concert. This concert series is wonderful for everyone in the family for music appreciation and live orchestra fun. Cool to see and hear “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” while dressed up in costume. (Laura was a princess and Owen was a proud Ottawa Senator, delightfully coordinated in red.) Then it was off to a surprise birthday/Halloween family party. A good feast and fun for the gang.
Sunday was the much anticipated Trick or Treat day! Not anticipated was the great layer of snow on the ground! That just added to the kids happiness. Snow shovelling and playing in October. They were highly bundled and eager trick or treaters with too-cool-to-bundle–up-icicle-dad.
I found other things to amuse me - pumpkin ale and way too much candy. Traditions are good, even for grown-ups.
Photos from last year but still make me smile. 'Tis my favourite time of year. 
