The Wishing Bowl

We've passed by this sign more than a few times on our way to get groceries and I love it's simple (and non-monetary) charm. Now let's fast forward to this past Friday when Gamma Rita and I dragged two reluctant boys in rain-boots and rain-jackets out in the rain for a walk. It was fairly clear that these days are long gone from the get-go. Seth was rather... surly and Nate wasn't too impressed either – he kept singing "Rain, Rain, Go Away" in a most despairing way all along the walk home.* 

And so, for the first time, we stopped at the sign and explained about wishes and how the Wishing Bowl worked. I was fully expecting both boys would wish it would stop raining or that we were back at home or some such (and so was Gamma Rita) but they went with more predictable choices (in retrospect).

Seth said "a car!" and Nate decided "a book!" was where it was at. Gamma Rita (who was the champion of all things magical when I was a child) let the boys know it might take "up to three days" for a wish to come true, but to be on the look-out and then kicked me out of the house the next day in search of a car and a book.

We hid them under the boys' pillows for them to find after their bath last night and I was still working out the logistics of how to get them to "accidentally" look under there when Seth helped me out by legitimately accidentally discovering Nate's surprise. After that it was game on:

Of course Nate had his book unwrapped in less than 5 seconds and was happily bouncing around before I managed to take more than 2 shots:

Seth took a little longer, but then again a car (specifically a prized new pick-up truck) is hard to wrap and thus harder to unwrap:

– I think I need a little help with this now.

My boys showing off their wished-for goods: 

Nate was a bit reluctant because what he really wanted to be doing was playing with the wrapping paper (which he promptly did), but I think it's pretty clear the Wishing Bowl actually delivering blew at least one 3-and-a-half year old's mind:

– My mind is officially blown everyone. 

 

- L.

*The weather did in fact clear up just after we got home at which point Nate concluded he was AWESOME and in possession of some magical anti-rain powers. And who knows? Maybe he is. I plan to put him on singing detail the next time it's raining just in case.

PS. My boys let me know today that they have more wishes in the works "when my book/car gets old". Oh dear. I had to explain that proper Wishing Bowls are hard to come by and it might be a very long time before we come across another one, but if and when we do we can all make another wish. And with that said, I will need to find another route to the grocery store tout suite (or at the very least walk on the opposite side of the street from now on).

Spare Oom

Our new home is still a work in progress, but we're getting there. We moved from a 2 bedroom to a 3 bedroom so I could once again have an office* which meant also moving to a more affordable part of the city. As an added bonus, there is an enclosed front porch with electric (which I'm hoping will see us through the winter months). Our new landlord suggested using it as a playroom and even though I wasn't entirely convinced before we moved in, it became clear a downstairs play-space that is not the living room** was actually a great suggestion.

The playroom was completed on Monday and by incredible coincidence, some cute new one-piece PJs showed up for the boys the next day. It would have been impossible not to pull my camera out this morning and take a few pics of both.

The boys love their new room, but trying to get a picture of either one of them looking at the camera was proving impossible: 

So I asked them if they could "make silly faces" and they were happy to oblige:

 

I might not be able to get smiles on cue, but I can always count on silly faces!

They were also happy to model their cute new baggy PJ bums: 

OK, not really. They were just sussing out the side window for possibilities.

- L.

*This was really not the reason we moved, but it was a strong consideration since we were moving anyway. Mostly anyone who reads this blog knows why we moved. If you don't already know and are curious, I would be happy to steer you in the direction of another blog that explains it all quite well. Most of it wasn't appropriate for this blog, but if you are wondering why I'd go to the trouble to move with twin boys twice in the span of 2 years, I can answer that question. Send us a message if you have our email or drop us a comment with an email address and I'll send you a link.

**Oh boy, is this ever a story for another day (but it's coming).

PS. No one was willing to pose by their play-kitchen which is also in Spare Oom, in case things look a tad austere. They were however, happy to show off their new "trumpets" (courtesy of Gamma Rita):

They are quite literally attempting to "blow down the walls of Jericho".
Jericho never would have stood a chance with these two,
but thanks all the same Gamma Rita.

 

PPS. We bought 2 bean-bag chairs for Spare Oom since a proper table and chairs seemed like too much of a recipe for disaster. I love the chairs and the boys think they're OK, but in terms of safety I'm not sure I did a better job of it in the end.

I took these pics right before my boys started using the bean-bags to commit a multitude of potentially life-ending scenarios (and I'm pretty sure you can see the gears turning loudly in both):

If not, I have a couple of junior product-testers I'd like to rent out. 

So As I Was Saying, We Moved...

And when I realized I was in over my head with getting the packing done alone I called in the big guns.

Packing. With boys. By myself.
This is either the best idea or the worst idea ever.

I guess it depends on your perspective.

The "big guns" by the way are AKA Gamma Rita in case you didn't know. And here she is in front of our new "little home" with a couple of very cute, but somewhat uncooperative grandsons:

- L. 

PS. In case my boys don't look especially thrilled, they are (except maybe in those pictures). We are happy to be here – big smiles and all. See?