Alessia's busy week

My beautiful little girl has been busy this week, on a daily basis she amazes me with her strength of character yet loving and sensitive soul, she really is an amazing kid who I have no doubt will do great things with her life!!!!!

She lost 3 teeth this week, the Tooth Fairy has been very busy at our house!!!!

She mastered the art of riding her bike

She was so proud of herself, her smile was so big

perfecting her cartwheels 

Time for crazy stick on nails

She has gone up a level in swimming, she just loves being in the water!!

Ohio

This weekend Luca had a soccer tournament in Cleveland, Ohio, and due to the passport office not processing Franco and Alessias renewals in time I only had to take Luca and Lorenzo and wow what a difference it is to only have two kids!!!! It was actually nice having time with just the two of them, being able to talk to Luca and not being interrupted and Lorenzo loves having me all to himself. Franco ended up having a great time going to work with his Dad and Alessia had a great couple of girly days with my sister, so it all worked out in the end.

It was a great trip, it was a 6 hour drive but we had Luca's friend and team mate hitch a ride with us {and he ended up sleeping in our room for two nights) so there was lots laughing coming from the backseat which was cute!!!

The boys ended up winning the tournament after playing four games in 30 degree heat , I disappeared off to Target to escape the heat with Lorenzo and who am I to complain about a visit to Target!!!!!!

Luca loved his first cross the border tournament and seeing how much fun he had made the drive worthwhile, after the win the boys decided to have a big party that ended with them getting chased by security at 1 in the morning!!!!!

Champions

arriving in Cleveland

At the gas station this car had a metal Alien in his passenger seat!!!!

team photo

crashed after a whole day of running around

team and families

Things happen for a reason...

Source: tumblr.com via Claire on Pinterest

I really do believe things happen for a reason, it's just that sometimes it really is impossible to find a reason.... Two years ago (this weekend) a friend of mine died from complications due to what was supposed to be an easy liposuction op she had years before, unfortunately Denise got a surgeon who really messed up and left her fighting for her life and then fighting for years afterwards to get better. I met Denise through a wonderful friend, Lisa, when we lived in Lytham and Luca and her son Callum became best friends, we only knew each other for a few years but her zest for life and her love for her four kids always inspired me, i only had three kids at the time and looked up to her with her four. She was a very private woman and we never really talked about the past but we understood each others lives as her Hubby played football too. Our friendship was more about the kids but her death really touched me in ways i never thought it would and I have never been able to find a reason for her having to die and leave her four beautiful children behind and I don't think I ever will.......

Source: instagr.am via Claire on Pinterest

I flew back for her funeral and stayed with Lisa and even though it was an extremely sad time it was lovely to see her and her beautiful kids. Denises Hubby let us see Denise the night before the funeral and I must admit that I was quite scared to do so but it was, and this might sound strange, beautiful, we stood there and cried with her Hubby and two youngest kids and even managed a laugh that she was up there dancing in her Jimmy Choos. I really hope you are dancing Denise with a Vodka in your hand and confetti in your hair!! xxx

Niagara

Yesterday we had a day trip to Niagara, we walked along the Falls, had ice creams, and took a fun trip on the Maid of the Mist, it was a lovely day.

Jello for the bath

Yesterday we had a day trip to St Jacobs to see the Menomites and while there we took Alessia and Lorenzo into the toy shop, which i must say is one of the nicest toy stores i have been into! As the kids were looking around i spotted these boxes that promised to turn water into jelly and thought it would be cool for the kids to do. So today i filled the little pool outside and we added the sachet and sat back to see what would happen and slowly the water started to thicken to the kids delight. It was such a funny thing to see them sitting in this pool of goop but they had such fun covering each other and us(much to Danieles horror!) in it, so if you ever see this in a toy store grab a box, it really is cool!!!!!

so true!!!

This made me laugh....

Source: jamaicabobsled.tumblr.com via Claire on Pinterest

Happy Canada Day

picnic in the park

our flag

On the glass floor in the CN Tower

I am so grateful that after so many moves we ended up in Canada four years ago, it has always from the first moment we arrived felt like we were meant to be here, we have made so many wonderful friends, we live in a fantastic neighbourhood and Daniele was welcomed with open arms by the TFC fans, the fact that he scored the first home goal and then got sent off in the first game helped seal his fate and he hasn't looked back since. So thank you to all of our wonderful friends and everyone we have met in our four years here for making us feel so welcome!!!

I had to laugh when I came home yesterday (I really shouldn't ever leave Daniele on his own for too long!!!!) to find Daniele putting up a Canadian flag out side of our house in honour of Canada day. We have our own fully fledged Canadian in Lorenzo so we put the flag up for him, it can go with our white picket fence that we put in as soon as we moved here, you can tell we watched too many movies set in North America growing up, we are so cliched but it is fun!!!!!!

Today I took Mum, Cas and Alessia up the CN Tower while all the boys went and caught the end of the Blue Jays and yesterday we had a lovely day down at the beach, as usual here are some pics....