Geerthana Uthayakumar My daughter just finished her first year of school last week. For those of you who read my blog, you know that my daughter has struggled with asthma especially since having started kindergarten. In total she has missed 40 something days of school due to being sick, unable to control her asthmatic symptoms, and spending nights at the hospital. She has had a rough year to say the least but despite having asthma and being the youngest in the class, my daughter is very independent and quite determined. My daughter has earned two reading achievement awards in that one year and has learned so much. I admire her strength and her will to persevere. I remember many days of watching my daughter push herself to read even as she struggled to breathe . She is one determined child and I promised her several times throughout the year that all her hard work will pay off.
To celebrate the end of my daughter’s first year or school, we had a small BBQ party with close family. Since starting kindergarten my daughter has been watching Peppa Pig afterschool with her brother. They both enjoy the cartoon so I knew I would make a Peppa Pig themed cake. I incorporated summer elements such as a picnic tablecloth, sunflowers (my daughter’s favourite flower, as well as mine), watermelon, and lemons. The cake table looked vibrant and refreshing, which my daughter loved!
For lunch my dad and husband grilled beef, chicken, and veggie burgers as well as lamb kebabs, sausages, and corn on the cob. There were salads, coleslaw, fresh veggies and fresh fruits and ice cream for dessert. We also had lemonade and iced tea.
It was the kids’ first BBQ (my family doesn’t really BBQ) and they were really excited. After lunch the kids blew bubbles and played with their water guns. Everyone had a great time and there will definitely be more BBQ’s to come this summer!
Notable Purchases:
- The fabric tablecloth was purchased at Giant Tiger for just $8 CND.
- The metal two-tiered stand was purchased from Ikea for $15 CND.
- The vases holding the sunflowers are actually plastic water pitchers I bought on sale for $5 CND at the Real Canadian Superstore.
- These plastic drink bottles with a cover and straw are great for kids to use outdoors. The lid prevents big spills and flies landing in the drink. I bought them from the Real Canadian Superstore for $5 CND each.
- The Peppa Pig family plush dolls (Peppa, George, Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, and Grandpa Pig) was purchased as a set through Amazon. It is the perfect gift for any Peppa-loving child! The plush dolls are of high quality, incredibly soft, and hold up well to washing in the washing machine (I have already washed them twice). The best part is that I only paid $29.77 USD plus shipping for all six dolls. I received my shipment from China, a lot earlier than expected and wasn’t required to pay COD, which was a bonus!
- No BBQ is complete without burgers. I chose to buy Life Choices Grass-fed Beef Burgers and Free-Range Chicken Burgers. I am a vegetarian and although I choose not to enforce my beliefs on the rest of my family who eat meat, I do however, buy meat that has been responsibly and ethically raised.
- We had Santa Cruz lemonade, mango-lemonade, and ice tea. The Santa Cruz line of beverages are simply amazing!
Needless to say we are all looking forward for the next BBQ!
If you have a child that just finished his or her first year of school or is graduating from kindergarten, I urge you to have a celebration in your child’s honour. It is a great way of encouraging your child and to show your child how proud you are. After all full-time kindergarten is a big deal for little ones!
