Secret Santa

So, I have learned that Brooke is absolutely the worst secret-keeper ever. I should never have trusted her with any kind of insider information, but as she was standing beside me when I made the discovery, it was hard not to include her and take her into my confidence.

Set scenario? Okay. Yesterday, I'm flipping around online while Avie is taking her nap, looking at the Jean Coutu website as Jax had mentioned to me the night before that enlargements were 40% off this week and I was thinking of printing some photos in time for the holidays.

Out of curiosity, I decided to check out photo gifts and found some thermal coffee travel mugs that you can personalize with a photo or drawing. I thought that for $19.99, Hubby might like one with a photo of the girls on it or some of Brooke's artwork. Would make a great Christmas gift for a proud papa who drinks coffee like it is going out of style. And, he never seems to have enough of those mugs!

So, my ''aha!'' moment arrived and as Brooke was beside me, I asked her wouldn't it be a great gift idea for Daddy? She jumped and clapped her hands. ''That's me!'' she exclaimed, as I tooled around with some design samples, "It's perfect!''

I then explained to her that it would be a surprise for Christmas and that she couldn't tell him about it. I figured she'd be good at keeping the secret as she herself had already 'purchased' him some gifts at the dollar store and hadn't mentioned them to him. (Now, I realize it's either because she's forgotten them or simply had no idea what she got him in the first place.)

About 20 minutes later, I hear her knock on the garage door to talk to her daddy (where he was busily working on his own Christmas surprise for us). She was going around with a little notepad and a pen, asking everyone what they wanted for Christmas, so she could send Santa 'our lists' and she didn't want to leave Daddy out of the game.

Hubby responds to her question with ''Clamps. Ask Mommy about them. She'll know the ones I mean.''

Yes, I do. The ones that were on sale in the Canadian Tire flyer this week. (Already bought two of them. No worries. A) He rarely reads my blog. B) He was with me and picked them out.)Naturally, Brooke comes back to me and says:

''Daddy says he wants clams...and seashells.''

Having overheard their conversation, I thought this was pretty funny and had to share it with him. So, I went back to the garage door and said:

''So you want clams and seashells, eh?''

Just then, Brooke pops out from behind me and says to Hubby, clapping excitedly ''Daddy, we just found a special cuppy to give to you for Christmas, but I can't talk to you about it because it's a secret.''

Hubby burst out laughing. ''Oh really?'' He looked up at me, his eyes twinkling merrily. She danced around, clapping.

''Yup! Mommy says it's a surprise.''

Geez, thanks Brooke.

Girl's got wheels

Since the chemo has pretty much scratched our plans for summer vacation (we had rented a cottage in Wasaga Beach for August, but what's the point of going to the beach if she shouldn't be in lake water?), Hubby and I are pretty adamant that we do 'things' this summer. If it means attending bbqs or going fishing at the cottage, or packing up picnic lunches and heading out to local tourist attractions, we are going to try and make this summer as pleasant as possible for her. Especially now, while she still has her energy to go out and enjoy the summer.

So, we wanted to keep to our usual Canada Day plans: the annual bbq and pool party at Permanent Waves (a friends' home) and then fireworks and bonfire at a cousins' house on the water. Brooke had a blast at both places--she was the only one who went swimming at Permanent Waves, and then spent a good portion of the day in the bounce house with the other kids, followed by a ''shooting star show that went pop, pop, pop!'' (She was so enthralled with the fireworks that Hubby went out and bought some more to set off at another time. Why are fireworks typically reserved for national holidays? We'll just save 'em for another day this summer, when there's nothing to celebrate but life itself.) and marshmallows roasted over an open fire. A great day for sure.

The highlight of the holiday by far, however, was the gift. Our crazy, wonderful friends (you know who you are) all got together to gift Brooke with her very own pink princess jeep! What a surprise!

Seeing everyone that day and knowing that they are supportive and sympathetic to our situation was love enough, but this....well, to say the least, the kid was delighted. She thought time had somehow shifted forward and that it was her birthday, even asking me why it was her birthday when the pumpkins weren't even here yet. (Thanks again, you guys!!! We oxox you.)

Anyways, she wanted to open the box right then and there, but C had wisely hidden the box in the garage to be placed into our Aztek immediately before any of the other 20 kids spotted it. We told her it would have to wait until tomorrow.

Well, morning came and she had not forgotten: ''G'morning Mommy. Where's my driver?'' she said, her hands gripping and spinning an invisible steering wheel.


We had planned to go to the cottage the next day for some R&R, so we brought the pink jeep with us. Treadwell has an impressive and impeccably kept green lawn, perfect for a first driving lesson. We even had to open the trunk and show B to prove to her that Daddy had not ''forgotten my truck.'' She then proceeded to talk about how she would drive it for the whole 20-minute car trip to the cottage.

We arrived in Treadwell and the first thing she did was tell her grandparents that she was going to drive the jeep. Of course, some assembly was required. Like he does every Christmas, Hubby wished he had had the forethought to open the box the night before so that the toy was ready to go the next day. Ooops.

Well, he and B put it together within a half-hour (B is pretty good with a wratchet), but it was the fact that the instruction manual said to charge the battery 18 hours prior to first use that stumped us. B was not going to wait another 18 hours! She was already sitting in the jeep, waiting for her Daddy to fill it up with "gas.''

So, we gave it a shot anyways. Miraculously, the battery still had enough juice to scoot her around the cottage lawn for a good hour. She was in pink princess jeep heaven--running things over, braking at the last moment, forcing pedestrians out of the way, refusing to allow other children to get in with her (''that's sister's seat, you can't sit there''), parking it sideways by the deck so she could get a snack. Just like a real Hollywood princess. (The only things missing from the scene were a pink crystal-emblazoned cell phone and a froufrou-wearing chihuahua sitting in a purse.)

The next day, we were set to babysit B's cousin, Diva Grace, for a sleepover while J&D attended a high school reunion. The Grant boys were staying with my dad for the night, so it would be just the girls (and babies) that day. Hubby had learned his lesson. He charged the battery for its full 18 hours.

The two little divas had a blast with their Girls Only day. They spent almost the entire afternoon riding around on the jeep, completely depleting the battery. It was a riot to watch them.

The little Thelma and Louise took off their shoes and hats, threw them into the trunk (and added the essentials of all good road trips--golf clubs and a Go Diego Go Halloween sticker book) and drove off into the sunshine. They stopped only to pick up the odd hitchhiker (bunnies are surprisingly good driving companions), refuel the jeep (and themselves with water bottles and popsicles), and push the car out of jams. (The Diva really is a great driver, but she occasionally got the jeep stuck at the bottom of a hill, in spite of B's insistent Go Diego Go navigations. Luckily, as diva as she is, Grace doesn't mind getting dirty when the going gets tough and B refuses to get going. Eventually, B gave up shouting orders from the passenger seat and climbed out to help her cousin push the jeep out of the sinkhole.)

Watching the two of them having fun on the jeep was like catching a glimpse of the future. I can only imagine the scrapes those two will get into when the girls morph into teenagers. It brings me great joy to know that B will beat this thing and one day, she and Grace will pack just as haphazardly for a real road trip as they did for this one.

I only hope that the girls wear their shoes next time, avoid driving on the sidewalk and remember to pack some clean underwear.

(That, and I keep my fingers crossed that B doesn't expect a real jeep when she turns 16! If she does--it's up to you guys to pitch in for it. ;)