Even though we have a few days to go until it is officially Spring, we’re half way through Spring break AND there were robins on our front lawn this morning - !! There are still snow piles here and there, but it got up to 16 degrees today and is supposed to be even warmer tomorrow, yay! Everyone was looking forward to a break from school and the regular routine, and so far it has been so good. We drove to Toronto on Sunday morning and checked in to our hotel (which was amazing - the Intercontinental) before heading over to the CN Tower. It was a first for the kids and the younger two had their fill after one lap, but the three oldest in the group were keen to stay longer… and so we did. It wasn’t the clearest of days, but it wasn’t busy and we didn’t have to wait in any lines and we did have some great views of the city (everyone enjoyed the elevator ride too). Back at the hotel we went for a swim and then out to one of our favourite pizzeria places, Pizzeria Libretto. Monday morning we braved the crowds at Ripley’s Aquarium and the kids loved it. We were there when it opened, and the busy levels for first hour or so were tolerable - but it got SO crowded it was almost impossible to walk in there let alone see anything. Anyways! It was a success and everyone liked the idea of returning on a school day to have more peace and space and quiet.
Steve’s mom and dad very kindly offered to take the kids for a few nights so we could get some reno stuff done, so we met them in Union Station and they took the kids back home on the train. We hit up Simon’s (my favourite store) and had dinner before heading home to a very quiet house. We were able to make several stops - and those stops were peaceful, free from nagging, and there was no lugging of snacks or asking when we can leave (!) - to look at flooring, fireplaces, fixtures and countertops. We also went out to dinner a few times, slept in (ish) and enjoyed the quiet. Steve is coaching at McMaster tonight so we’ll spend a few hours here and then drive to Bowmanville to pick up the kids before heading home tomorrow.
We are definitely narrowing the gap between idea and reality with our house renovation, though the budget is way higher than what we thought it would be (eek). We’ve ordered the kitchen (from Lowe’s), have our top two countertop choices and are getting there with the million other things we need to do and figure out before it’s go-time. And we have to decide whether we want to start in May and go through the first part of the summer or commit to a September start. We’re thinking we don’t want to miss a season with the pool, but are also feeling ready to get it going. Here are a handful of photos from the past month or so… yay for warmer weather and time together as a family!
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We went skiing! It was so fun. First time in 20 years for me...
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| Alana sewed a shirt for Jordan - they were both so into it! |
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Jordan with his bookmark shop - I love it! Have bought more than a few.
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