November - December!

I can't believe I used to post 12 times a month! We were looking at Beiijing posts last night (which was super fun to do - I rarely look back at blog posts) and that's how many posts we scrolled through whilst searching for Hendrik's "Little Robin" song. We found it (here!) and it's the cutest. We were inspired to look for it after Jordan sang Five Green and Speckled Frogs (Raffi, I think) at the kitchen table - he was the cutest, but there was no video. So we watched some videos, reminisced about Beiijing and how little Alana and Hendrik were, and then I felt sort of guilty for the lack of video evidence of Jordan and his cuteness... so we took this video:

We had quite the sing-songy evening last night and almost drove Hendrik crazy. We went out to see the Magic of Lights show, a drive-through holiday light display that the kids LOVED. It was mild and there was no snow, but the lights were still magical and everyone loved riding through the park without their seatbelts on. On our way home we sang The 12 Days of Christmas oh maybe 3 times and that was definitely enough for Hendrik (me too). 

And it is officially winter break! After such a long time with school at home and then what feels like such a long time of regular school over the past few months, everyone is looking forward to some time away from the daily grind. Not that it's so bad, but the days are definitely very full and purpose- / outcome- driven, and it will be nice to ease off the gas a little bit. Having said that, there's a nice long list of things to do around here, but I'll let that list simmer and get to it when I feel like it.

Hendrik celebrated his 11th birthday last month, and we took him and a group of his friends to a new retro arcade place which they absolutely LOVED. It's actually a bar, but we went early enough on a Sunday afternoon and had the place to ourselves for an hour or so before a few other groups rolled in. We ordered some food, had cake, and the kids played and played and played! He was gifted some amazing presents from family and friends; favourites included a weighted blanket, hockey cards, passes to the Rec Room, nerf guns, and candy! 

Christmas is coming up soon here and there are presents under the tree. We are planning to be in Bowmanville for a few days over the holiday, and hopefully that can still happen - things are changing quickly with COVID numbers and Omicron and we want to make sure we do the right thing to keep everyone we love healthy. It's a beautiful day here, mild and sunny, so I'm going to get out for a walk before I get pulled back to the demands of motherhood and work and domestic life. Happy holidays everyone!

reading new Archie comics while we look at appliances

last current and next read

November is here!

Halloween has come and gone, and we have enormous piles of candy in our house. Enormous! Thinking about someone eating ALL of the chocolate and candy and gum is actually a little bit disgusting, though it might happen and I might help - we'll see what happens. The kids have dentist appointments soon so we can't let them go too bananas - or maybe we should just get it all over with! Bah. Anyways, everyone had a great night - it was mild! No snow and no flurries meant we had a sometimes fast-paced sometimes leisurely trip around the neighbourhood to collect the goods. Steve stayed home and handed out candy (a first) while I went with Jordan and Alana. Hendrik prowled around with a few friends and their parents, so it all worked out. The candy belt has begun!

Dream (a Youtuber), Hermione and a bat 

With kids and their activities moving and a few things for me (I'm playing basketball once a week and coaching the girl's volleyball team at the school) and Steve (he's coaching part-time at McMaster again and playing hockey once a week) things feel busy. We are trying to enjoy a few days of no hustle and bustle, but work and life in general keep us occupied on those days too. It has been super fun to get back in the gym and play some basketball, and I'm amazed at how in shape I once was (ha!)... 'tis my reality no longer! I'm hoping to exercise more than once or twice a week so that Tuesday nights feel easier (fingers crossed). Coaching at the school has been fun too, and the girls are really eager and excited to play and learn and get better. We won our first set today, and they were SO excited. There was a lot of jumping, shrieking and screaming. 

The big kids are still into ball hockey, and Hendrik was awarded the star of the week a few weeks ago for his outstanding play. He's been loving soccer at school and made next year's select baseball team (did I share that already?)... yay. Alana is into the ball hockey too, and loves soccer with her awesome coach (me - ha!) on Thursday nights. Jordan was signed up for ball hockey, but after a few rough mornings (there were tears) and some major reluctance, I threw in the towel. We might try soccer in January!

We ALSO had a short but very sweet visit with my cousin from Vancouver who I almost never get to see.  Since my parents moved to the island, making it to Vancouver has become less of a priority (unfortunately). Eric and his daughter Finny were here for a few days over the weekend but we didn't take any pictures! It was great to catch up and talk about sports and the kids and our families and Europe and traveling. I'm sure there's something I'm missing with this post but it's getting late and I'll get this up before it doesn't happen for another month (ha!). Happy November!

The annual make-a-face-like-your-pumpkin pics:

Long overdue September-October post

This is one overdue blog post! And I can't believe it's October. We've survived the first four weeks of school and life sure does look different this year compared to last. While the pandemic (or a version of it) is still disrupting life, things feel more normal than they have in a while - the kids are doing sports and school is a more regular version of itself compared to last year. There is so much to say that I'll go through the fam one by one... here goes!

Jordan
Jordan is in school full time this year, and it is so far so good! He talks to us about what he does during the day and who he plays with at recess, and we get info on the bathroom sinks, who cuts in line, and how snack time works. He was a little hesitant on day one, but plucked up the courage to go inside with the rest of his class - this made Steve very proud, of course. He's made a few neighbourhood friends, a few of whom live very close by: Ever lives across the street (he brought her flowers a few days ago - melt!), Cy lives around the corner, and Thomas lives about a block away. I love seeing him make some friends and figure things out on his own. He started playing ball hockey a few weeks ago and is right into it, inspiring his big sister to don a jersey too! Hendrik has been playing for quite a few seasons, so Jordan was happy to finally be able to play too. He loves playing living room volleyball, he likes throwing things, playing with Alana and her friends, and he is looking forward to baseball next summer ("I'm going to play Little Sluggers t-ball," he tells people). He likes doing crafts and colouring, visiting Liz, and collecting sticks. I'm sure there's more to write about but....

Alana
Can you believe she is in grade 4? I feel like the best measure of time passing is how your children age and grow, and she's no exception. School started out smoothly this year despite being in a separate class from her close friends, but she was put with the same group as last year, so there are definitely some connections already. She also seems very happy with her teacher and classmates, and comes home from school in a good mood. Motivated by her brothers' involvement in ball hockey, she took it up too and is LOVING it. Soccer starts in a few weeks and she's expressed some interest in volleyball, but we might wait for next year... we'll see. She loves crafting (she's making bookmarks right now), beading, reading Archie comics, requesting books from the library, and is getting quite good at making pancakes all by herself. She is kind, sensitive, funny, athletic and beautiful. And she's proud to be learning French at school, so has been coming home to teach Jordan a few words and expressions which is, of course, adorable. 

with his chip refill ID card

Hendrik
Hendrik and his long flowing locks! He very reluctantly went for a trim before school started and got things cleaned up a bit, but he's keeping the long hair, even with the barber shop open for business. This one is in a straight grade 6 class with a bunch of his buddies (which makes him very happy), and his new-to-the-school teacher seems great (lots of communication). He's playing ball hockey and trying out for a baseball team, and is signed up to start soccer in January... yay for sports being back on! We were sort of encouraging him to try out for a volleyball team / play volleyball, but the season is pretty long and it seems like quite the commitment, so we aren't too disappointed that it's not happening. He is still a big reader (Archies are the current fave) and is loving following the Jays. Steve took him to a game in Toronto a few weeks ago and they had the best time - baseball and a Beast Burger (which has something to do with Mr. Beast, a famous youtuber). I'm sure there's more to write about here too, but I best be moving on...

Steve
Steve has been relishing his newfound freedom from caring for children all day by watching soap operas and eating bonbons on the couch. Ha! Just kidding. I think he's loving the mobility and freedom to choose what to do (TV or bonbons, or both). He's been keeping busy by doing maintenance jobs for a few people in our neighbourhood, and has had a few days at the range or on the course with friends too, so I think there is some balance. He's also putting in the time here at home, finishing the porch and keeping the pool maintained, among other things. He'll try to help out with McMaster again this year, so we'll have to juggle some pick-ups and childcare there, but it's do-able. I'm sure there's more here too but I'm running out of steam!

Me
I started teaching at a new-to-me school at the beginning of September, and I feel like I'm just hitting my stride. I like the school, the kids, the staff and the job - core French for grades 4-8 and Visual Arts for a grade 6 class. I leave for work around 8 every day and am home by 4-ish; with 40-minute classes, the days go by pretty quickly. It has a bit up and down getting used to the new routine of making lunches, being ready and on time for school, ready for dinners etc etc., you get it. Anyways, we're getting into a groove and the kids have been great with making their own lunches right after dinner (yay). I've started reading The Seven Sisters series (a reco from Sandra) which is good, but not as good as the book I'm currently reading - American Dirt... I can barely put it down! What else is new... I might be playing in a women's basketball league and I've been trying to get a bit of exercise in here and there, biking to work a few days a week (yay times two). I'm not helping at Western any more and will coach Alana's soccer and some teams at the school too, if they run. It's time to get this posted before it's too late... hope everyone is doing well! 

Cottage time - so good!

We LOVED the first trip to the cottage this summer - no one wanted to leave! It is just so so great being up there; all day long the kids are occupied and find things to do up at the cottage or down by the river. The kids spent a lot of time fishing (with Steve or Gramps), and, as usual, there was lots of boating, SUPing (a new thing! so fun...), swimming, frog catching, games, volleyball, hammock time (with Archie comics) and eating (YUM). We feel very spoiled when we are there, as Grandma comes with meals planned and goodies galore, and it is just so nice to feel like we're on vacation. I'll let the pictures do the talking here, as I'm short on time - we had an early dinner so that Hendrik and Steve could leave on time for baseball, and I'll take Alana to soccer here shortly (Jordan gets to tag along). I'm coaching, so I can't be late! We are soaking up every minute of summer vacation here, but starting to think about back to school which means making sure everyone has shoes that fit, lunch boxes that will work etc. We're planning on making it back up to the Crowe (cottage) one more time before the reality of September and school and work hit. Yay for summer!!

Our trip to beautiful BC!

Well, after what feels like years of not travelling, we went somewhere! Encouraged by Steve's sister's family's trip out here (more on that later), we took a trip to BC! We found some great deals on flights (Flair Airlines out of Kitchener) and flew direct to Victoria, landing early enough to spend a good part of day one on Thetis Island. The kids were such good travellers (there were some very early mornings involved) and we had the BEST time on the island... what a little piece of paradise. We spent mornings  exploring the rocks and beaches, discovering many low-tide creatures and treasures, and also took a few boat trips - out in the rowboat or in the tin boat to Seal Island to say hi to the sunbathing seals. Afternoon activities included walks and explores around the island, swimming, and Archie time; my parents kept the massive collection of Archie comics we had at the cottage when we were kids (Sakinaw Lake), and they loved putting a dent in the collection. Of course we also had some amazing meals and the best company - after over two years, it was so good to see my parents in person and for the kids to spend some time with them. 

After four nights on Thetis we made our way to Ucluelet and Tofino for some camping, beach time and surfing, and there were definitely some memorable moments. Because we booked our trip with just a few weeks notice, it was next to impossible to find accommodations in Tofino, and so with an opening at a campground in Ucluelet (20kms south of Long Beach) we decided to borrow a six-person tent from my parents and camp! (We also figured it might be our only camping experience of the summer - provincial parks / campgrounds are booked solid here in Ontario.) Anyways, our site was teeny tiny and there was hardly any privacy at all (the website was definitely misleading), but we figured there was enough space to camp and really, we were only going to be there to sleep (and there were no other options)! We set up and went to Wikaninnish Beach where everyone had fun running the wide open spaces and playing in the chilly water. We had some incredible pizza in Ucluelet (Abbondanza Pizza - so good!) before settling in for the night, and what a night it was. There were noisy generators running all night, loud neighbours, barking dogs and people honking their horns and yelling at a BEAR that ran through the campsite in the middle of the night. A bear! The kids slept well but Steve and I didn't - we were both looking for hotel rooms at 5:00am, but no luck. The good news is that despite the sleepless night, we had an amazing day at Long Beach (and a good sleep the next night). We rented wetsuits, boogie boards and one surfboard and most of the crew was in the water for five or six hours (!!). Hendrik and Alana got up on the big surfboard, and could not get enough... they had so much fun! Steve was with them in the water, poaching some tips from the lessons that were happening just next to them; the kids did such a good job and had so much fun - this was definitely a highlight of the trip! Jordan was in the water for a while too, playing on the boogie board and in the shallow surf, but the two of us spent most of the day wandering the beach, collecting little jellyfish blobs, and drawing in the sand. We ate dinner in Tofino and after a short wander around the town (and a stop at the playground) we drove back down to Ucluelet for another night 'o' camping. I think everyone was beached out, so we spent the morning en route to my parents' place in Comox, stopping in Coombs (referred to as "goats of the rooftown" by Jordan) to see my friend Hanno from high school (it was great to see him!!). 

See here for this map and beach descriptions (this is a good post too!)

We spent two nights / a day and a half in Comox, and here are some of the things we did: my mom and Alana and I explored downtown Courtenay, the boys had some beach time (finding crabs, throwing rocks), we spent an afternoon at Nymph Falls, had dinner at the park (food trucks!) and played at the playground, watched some Olympics, ate sushi, and visited with my Aunt Zella and her partner Chris. 

Apart from the time we spent on Thetis, it feels like we did a lot on this trip, and if we could do it again we'd definitely spend another day (at least) in Tofino, we'd stay on the beach somewhere, and do more in the National Park. There are just so many places to stop and see, that you could spend months exploring the island and its lesser known hotspots. (We stopped in Cathedral Grove - not lesser known - for a short walk and there were SO many people... after four days on Thetis we were sort of shocked to see so many people in one place!) I'm already planning our next trip out West - fingers crossed it can happen next summer! 

Just in time June!

Oh hi there! Writing a blog has been on my list of things to do for a few weeks now, so here's hoping I can get this started, finished and posted in one shot. So many things happen (EVERY DAY) so I'll probably miss some updates, but hopefully I hit the main menu items. Everyone is giddy with anticipation for the school year to be officially over (Monday afternoon), but we do have one more day to go. I should say that I have one more day to go as the kids, with asynchronous learning, have checked out. I have my last day at Clara Brenton as the grade 6-8 French teacher, and while I'll miss the kids, it will be so nice to have a break! I can apply for permanent jobs in the next week or two, so fingers crossed that I get a gig I feel good about.

I celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago and it was so special! The kids made beautiful cards, there was cake and lemon meringue pie (from Sandra and Bruce), some great gifts (a homemade tortilla press, martini shaker, gardening gloves, and more), and a fantastic birthday dinner (lasagna - yum). I also enjoyed a dinner on a patio with some friends which was such a treat; draft beer, fresh air, friends, good food, it was awesome and I can't wait for the next get-together. 

Things have started to open up a little bit here which is great for so many reasons! Hendrik tried out for and made the Tecumseh's select baseball team - he's had several practices and is working hard and enjoying himself... yay! The other kids start activities within the next few weeks, with Alana playing soccer and Jordan starting Little Sluggers. With the restrictions easing, we're trying to think about how to travel and what we can do to fill our days at home (thank goodness for the pool!). Hopefully we can find time to plan and get ideas figured out SOON... 

Our house renos are on hold for now, due to the cost and delay of materials. We will solidify ideas, order materials, and do a few fix-ups before next spring's to-do. The front stairs is the latest DIY project, and they look amazing - we just need to figure out what goes on top (unicorns? gargoyles? troll heads?). We are getting the glass in the front door replaced as it was accidentally smashed on Friday in a door slam (yikes). The slam explosion resulted in a few cuts on Hendrik's hand - which resulted in a trip to the hospital and eight stitches in his left hand. He was a total trooper about it all, with enough self-inflicted guilt and understanding of why slamming doors isn't a good idea (among other things) - talk about natural consequences! In other house news, as of September, we are getting new neighbours! Our neighbours listed their house on Thursday morning and sold it on Friday evening - fast! We don't know anything about who is moving in, but don't think there will be little kids (the newbies are paying to move the play structure)... but we'll see. 

Crafts! Sharks and ocean creatures are still popular with everyone

I'm sure there's more to write about but I should get this posted before I hit another road block (kids! work! jobs!). Happy happy summer to everyone!