Ahhh....Summer!

Another hot and hazy summer is upon us, and I find myself longing for the crisp, cool days of autumn...my favourite time of year!

Afternoons spent with the little love of my life involve doing anything to keep cool, from splash pads to wading pools; swimming pools to his first love, the beach.  Many days are spent there throwing rocks into the lake, and watching sailboats and seagulls...

An abundance of rocks...

...to throw in the lake!

Today...I thought we'd do something different!  When not thinking about garbage trucks and airplanes, Aidan loves to talk about riding on trains.  And so off we went, Aidan, Nana, Papa and Momma, for a ride on the GO train to Toronto...

Aidan and Papa on the train.

Train rides...

...are such fun!

Since we got off to a late morning start, we decided to visit the 'Old Spaghetti Factory' for lunch.  It's such a great, fun place to eat.  Not too far from the train station, so easy enough for little legs to walk to.  This restaurant opened up in Toronto in 1971.  I had just started my career, fresh out of high school, working at a downtown bank, just a few minutes walk from the restaurant.  Back then the restaurant was quite a novelty, and my co-workers and myself had many lunches there.  So long ago, my daughter wasn't even a 'twinkle in my eye' never mind my little grandson! 

Alas, those days are long gone.  Back in the 70's, maternity leave was extended to six weeks only, and so I made the choice to give up my budding career and be a stay-at-home mum to my little daughter.  Nevertheless, today brought back many memories, and it was a lot of fun to show my beautiful daughter and dear little grandson where Nana used to 'hang out'...

Great spaghetti, Nana!

Yummm!

Love the ice cream too!

The spaghetti was as good as I remember.  The spumoni ice cream, too!  After filling our bellies, we headed back to the train station for our return journey home.  But not before pretending we were tourists...

Downtown Toronto

Once on the train, the events and excitement of the day caught up with one tired little boy...

One tired little boy!

...who is already asking 'when can he go on the train again'!

The 'art' of throwing a party!

Now that Aidan's fifth birthday celebrations are over, (and all the highlights thereof are posted on the blog!) I can breathe a little, and relax in the knowledge that I don't have to do THAT again until next year!

It was indeed quite the undertaking, and though it sounds like it, I'm really not complaining. I'm just enjoying the lack of birthday frenzy in my life these past few days!  Every day I give thanks and know that I am blessed to have such an amazing little boy for a grandson, and I would whip up another party for him in a heartbeat.  After all, it's all about creating little memories for them to hold onto, isn't it?

I wish I could say I was so creative that I conjoured up all of the ideas for the decorations, food and games all by myself.  Alas I did not, and I want to give a shout out to all the wonderful blogs and websites I found in my travels through cyberspace in my search for 'anything garbage truck.' 

For the 'garbage pick-up game' and the 'garbage truck T-shirt' ideas, as well at the bunting, 'worms in dirt' and of course the 'garbage truck cake' ideas, they all came from the great blog at Pink Peppermint Paper

For the table decorations, garbage pick-up game and 'worms in dirt' ideas, I thank Hostess with the Mostess 

The instructions for the newspaper party hats, T-shirt,and the amazing garbage truck cake idea were found at Create Studio Thanks, Sarah!

Table decorations, garbage pick-up and 'worms in dirt' ideas also came from Cakes Likes a Party

Pizza box art and garbage pick-up ideas from Invite & Delight and an amazing garbage truck cake from Cakes Central

I decided to try my hand at making marshmallow fondant for the birthday cake.  Not sure if I'd be brave enough to attempt it again, but a great tutorial for it was found at  Clockwork Lemon with more instructions also found at What's Cooking America?   It looked pretty easy to do, but was quite a challenge, and had I not laughed hysterically throughout the process, I may have cried!

Green Marshmallow Fondant...Mmmm!

I almost threw it in the garbage, but chose to wrap it up and leave it in the fridge overnight.  Much to my surprise, when I rolled it out the next morning it acted just like fondant!  Who knew?  Aside from getting carried away with the green colour gel, it actually tasted not too bad (for fondant!)

Aidan's actual birthday is today, and we will celebrate once again.  Just family this time.  Pizza and chocolate cake.  And not a garbage truck to be found!

Happy 5th Birthday, my beautiful boy!

  

The 'Big 5' - Oh! What a day!

For nearly the whole month of June, the anticipation has been steadily growing, 'aided and abbetted' by the 'garbage truck tree'.  A little Christmas tree in a former life, now decorated with miniature 'garbage bags' filled with chocolate treats, and labelled for each day to count down to the big birthday...

The 'garbage truck' tree!

The invitations were sent...

Birthday Invitations

The big day arrived sunny and warm.  The balloons tied to a garbage can, and the bunting decorated the yard...

Five-star balloons for the Birthday Boy!

Newpaper Bunting

The little guests arrived and donned their newspaper party hats...

Newspaper Party Hats

After feasting on 'dumpyard chow' 'sanitation subs' 'mud and banana rollups' and 'worms in dirt'...

Dumpyard Chow

Sanitation Subs

Mud & Banana Roll-ups

Worms in Dirt

...a fun time was had picking up 'garbage' with special little grabbers, and creating 'pizza box' art, for each guest to take home...

'Pick up the Garbage' game

Garbage Grabbers for little people!

The 'Pizza Art' table

Time for Birthday Cake!!  THE 'one and only' garbage truck birthday cake!  Wearing his special garbage truck T-shirt and newspaper party hat, Aidan delighted in the singing of 'Happy Birthday' as well as blowing out his candles...

The one and only...

...garbage truck birthday cake!

Chocolate cake & green frosting!

The Birthday Boy

After some water-play time, Aidan's guests each received a special garbage theme loot bag to take home, hopefully with happy memories of a fun party and a special birthday boy!



Loot Bags

 What to do for the next birthday party?  I have a whole year to think about that (and hopefully, the little love of my life will find something other than garbage trucks to obsess about)!!!!

I Feel a Birthday Coming On!

Just a few more days until the big party!  Aidan is turning 5 years old!  Where did the past five years go?  Our 'little baby' is just a wonderful memory, and our 'little boy' now graces our lives every day.
I am so grateful to have been blessed these past five years with such a wonderful little grandson.  He is truly the light of my life.  He brings laughter to my big grown-up world.

And so, the big number five!  What to do to celebrate that will leave lasting memories with a special little boy? Hmmm!
After scouring the Internet for ideas, the obvious presented itself.  This child is obsessed (and I use the term lightly!) with garbage trucks!  His little life revolves around seeing all the garbage trucks on garbage day!  He owns three garbage trucks!  He has garbage truck videos and books!

And so the search was on.  There isn't much out there on 'garbage truck birthday parties.'  But, much to my delight, I did find some blogs with some wonderful ideas.  And what a relief to discover my little Aidan wasn't the only child obsessed with garbage trucks!
So plans for the big day are in the works, and so far so good.  My dilemma now is making a birthday cake that looks reasonably like a garbage truck!  Oh, the stress of it all!

Stay tuned for all the photos and links to the blogs with all the wonderful 'garbage truck party' ideas!

Hoppy, Hoppy Easter!

Hoppy Easter, everyone!  It's been bunnies galore around here the past few days.  Just before school let out for the long Easter weekend, Aidan and Nana got together and created some fun bunny stuff for the kids in Aidan's kindergarten class...and decorated the 'Easter tree!

Working on 'bunny treats' for the kids...and the Easter tree!

 Bunnies, bunnies, everywhere!  Click here for the instructions on how to make the bunny juice boxes...

Bunny Juice Boxes

'Bunny treat' basket all ready to go!

Aidan's Easter tree, with bunnies hiding in the branches...

Aidan's Easter Tree



And Nana's very own cuddly bunny....

Nana's cute Bunny Boy!

A glorious Easter Sunday morning greeted us...happy chickadees singing in the trees, squirrels running around the garden, the earth coming alive with buds bursting out on the trees, and little blades of green grass popping up through the soil.  A perfect day for an egg hunt...

I smell chocolate!

Mmmmm...chocolate!

Eating the 'stash'!

After collecting all the eggs left by the Easter bunny, it was back indoors for breakfast...

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Aidan's breakfast table

And after eggs and toast, what else but more chocolate...

Sharing with the Easter Bunny!

While browsing through Pinterest recently, Nana found a really cool idea for an Easter treat, that wasn't chocolate!  A icing bag filled with 'cheddar bunny crackers', dressed up to look like a big carrot!  Find the 'how to' here

A 'bunny' and his 'carrot'!

After a busy afternoon playing in the park with Papa, and biking with momma and daddy, it was time for us all to get together for Easter dinner.  For dessert (the best part of the meal!) Aidan helped Nana make a yummy cake and cookies.

Yummy Coconut Cake

The coconut bundt cake was a 'Nana original', while the idea for the cookies, once again, was found on Pinterest and came from a great recipes site called Pennies on a platter

Yummy Easter Cookies!

Hope everyone had a 'hip, hoppity' Easter!

My Little Leprechaun!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  My own little Leprechaun arrived on my doorstep today...

...complete with cute little 'shamrock' socks...



Nana got busy in the kitchen making Irish Stew and Aidan helped prepare the Irish Soda Bread for supper.  For dessert we had Jameson Irish Whisky Chocolate cake with shamrock sprinkles.  Nana just HAD to have a Guinness...or two!

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post!  It's not that we haven't been busy with crafts and activities...I just don't know where the days have gone!

When February arrived I decorated the house for Valentine's Day.  Aidan wanted to know "Where's the Valentine Tree, Nana?"  Hmmm...out came his little Christmas tree, and on went the Valentine decorations.  I made fourteen felt heart 'pockets' each filled with a treat...chocolate of course!

We have had no winter to speak of her in Canada! A few days of snow here and there, followed by sunny weather warm enough to melt it all away.  The toboggan hasn't had much use this year, but we have spent many afternoons at the park...

...and some days were even warm enough for a trip to the beach, or just to fly a plane...

...or maybe make some peanut butter and bird seed rolls, and feed the birds...

...or just hang out in the sunshine and let Nana take some photos...

It really doesn't matter what we do...so long as we're together and having fun!