halloween and november beginnings

the kidlets with our neighbour Liz

Man oh man these days are flying by! The work day is over so quickly, and then it's go go go when I get home and then eventually it's bedtime and then morning comes and we do it all again... But it's all good! Work is going well and a once very disorganized place (the library) with a laundry list of needs has become a somewhat organized place with just a regular (I think?) list of needs. One of the biggest jobs on the horizon is dealing with the boxes and boxes of books I purchased a few weeks ago at the one and only book buying day, though this is a slowly but surely kind of a thing, where I'll process and shelve handful of books at a time. For books that I purchased that are a bit older, there's no need to wait for the cataloguer to create records; but for the newer books, I have to wait, and I purchased a mix of old and new. It was so fun! The companies that were there were TinLids, Saunders, Permabound, Whitehots, Another Story, Bound to Learn, and a few more, and my favourites were definitely Another Story and TinLids. They had a good mix of titles and it really was difficult choosing when and where to spend my $$ - which expired quickly. Anyways, I digress... I'm loving work, the kids are excited about reading and talking to me about books etc., and I'm on Instagram and trying to create a presence online for kids (and maybe teachers) to get involved in the process of finding new reads and research materials.

the annual make a face like your pumpkin photo

looooooot

It's already been a week since Halloween, and our people are pretty much over it. Alana was over it before she even went trick or treating (she was up the night before with some super weird thing - in the middle of the night, "my armpit hurts!!" + tears tears tears (??!!?), and then up early that day plus she had a full day of Halloween festivities at school), and Hendrik lasted for maybe 45 minutes before calling it quits. So there are only remnants of the candy (Hendrik's - some of which is in wrappers on my desk right now), and that's okay. And here's a question - does Christmas come earlier every year? I was at Canadian Tire at lunch today and the amount of decorations candy paraphernalia etc is a bit much. Instead of advent calendars, Smarties does an advent tower; and the Star Wars inflatable in the entranceway was ENORMOUS. I mean really and truly enormous - ridiculous. And Sunday afternoon at Chapters? I met a friend there for coffee and it was Christmas shopping parking lot mayhem.... the first weekend in November! We don't rev up for Christmas until after Hendrik's birthday which is at the end of the month, so maybe since it's not on my radar at all, I'm just out to lunch. When really maybe I should be starting my Christmas baking.. ha! Yeah right. When? Shopping for the bigs is done already though, but I did that in September because they've had one item on their wish list since forever, and books... I bought books at the book fair I hosted in early October.

What else to say about the kidlets... Jordan is in full on run mode, and is saying a few more words. Regulars are mama, dada, car, done, and lana/nana (for Alana and banana); he loves making pig sounds and can make somewhat recognizable horse and cow sounds ("mmmmm"). He still LOVES diggers and any construction equipment, and doing whatever his big bro and big sis do is pretty attractive. He also loves books and the water (and eating cheese). Hendrik's 7th birthday party is all booked for later this month, so hopefully some of his friends can make it. He is still a voracious reader, and I'm finding that one of the perks of my job is an ear to the ground as to what the kids are reading and interested in. I've brought home a few new series that he's really liking including And then it happened, Nnewts (graphic novel) and Plants vs Zombies books. Math is also a strong suit of Hendrik's, and he still asks us to ask him math questions at night - and sometimes he'll even ask Alana (who isn't too interested / has no idea what 100/2 is). Alana likes pushing Hendrik's buttons, and is good at it, but he's pretty tolerant with one of her new games which involves her chasing and then hugging Hendrik and calling him her stuffy. She LOVES helping with Jordan, and is great (albeit physical) with him. She calls him "Jordie boy" or just "boy", which is very very sweet. She loves the monkey bars, is picky with what she'll eat especially at dinner time, and is quick to tears when something doesn't go her way. And Steve is doing well - he is honing some of his culinary talents, and really outdid himself today by making a ham in the slow cooker, the best mashed yams I have ever tasted, and green beans (YUM). The kids weren't too enthused about the mash but ate the rest of the meal which was rounded out with toast and cinnamon apples, a dessert we ate frequently in Greece (cut up apples and lay them on a plate, then drizzle with honey and sprinkle cinnamon on top - delish). I think he's enjoying his time with Jordie boy, and the days go by quickly for him too. Time to wrap this up - I need to do laundry and go to bed before the clock strikes 10:30....

from a while ago - warmer climes!

blurry beyblade faces

sneaky fox finding his way to the cereal...

scarecrow ZOMBIE!

sofia the first, curled up and asleep after school

fall, finally here...

It's fall! This morning was a bit of the usual rush-rush to get out of the house, and we were finally on our way when the kids pleaded with me to turn around and grab some mittens / gloves; it was cold enough for toques too, but no one made me go back a second time for les chapeaux. Anyways, it was a chilly six degrees, and I have winter and gear on my mind (there's a to-get list). And this is after an absolutely beautiful weekend - we spent Sunday morning at a pumpkin patch (Ferguson's - we'll go back next year for sure!), and the kids came home and changed into summer clothes... it was that warm. However, it's time to put that away (I think), and get out the cold weather gear.

this is the best i could do!

I'm home from work today so that Steve could go to the funeral of the father of a friend of his, so the occasion isn't a pleasant one but it was nice to take the kids to school and spend the morning with J-bubs. With the chilly weather coming I thought we'd make one of the last runs for strawberries from Heeman's and they are GOOD. They are still so so good. Then it was to the grocery store for dinner stuff and now I am sort of deciding between a push to get things done around here (clean, make dinner for tomorrow night) and just chilling on the couch with my book - I think I'll try to do a bit of both, the jobs and the relaxing.

Tomorrow it's back to work but it's a special work day, one that should be one of the most welcome days of the year: I'm getting paid to shop for books - it's book buying day! I'll join librarians from both school boards (public and Catholic) at the Western Fair where we have one day to do all purchasing with central funds for the entire year. I've been told that this is more or less an all day process, and it will definitely be a day of learning for me. I've talked to teachers and staff about what they want and need, and the greatest demand from staff is quality french resources which are, apparently, hard to come by. I also have a suggestions box that kids have filled up with all sorts of stuff, from books about alpacas to Captain Underpants to manga and more. So we'll see what I can do - and how many boxes of books I'll walk away with.

Aaaaand what else is new let me see... The kids are all doing well - Hendrik is still super into math (he asks us to ask him math questions before he goes to sleep) and reading; he likes Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and I'm bringing home books from school that are popular with students (Nnewts, And then it happened). Alana is in a bit of a cry-cry phase where she'll go straight to full blown bawling if something isn't to her fancy, and she's definitely becoming more opinionated. She's social and loves seeing friends, and still LOVES wearing dresses. The two bigs have been getting along fairly well as of late, and it's so so nice to see them having fun together (and to not have to police). Despite a cold that just won't let go, Jordan is happy and so easy-going. He's SUPER into trucks, and loves walking down the street to see diggers and dump trucks doing roadwork. He also loves books, making pig noises (he can do some seriously loud piggy snorts), running around, and copying his big bro and big sis. Steve and I are doing well too - I can't wait to figure out when and what I'll do to fit some physical activity into this busy schedule that is working life, and Steve is loving hockey (once/week) and enjoying his time at home with the little. That's it for now - on to some jobs before I try to finish my book (I read The Kingmaker's Daughter last week and am now halfway through Auggie and Me... it's good!)... Happy autumn!

pumpkin heads

in the corn in the corn maze

October shortsy

grandparents and their gaggle

It's mid-October and time is flying. My week alone certainly flew by - I packed it full with work and errands and jobs around the house. I had some fun too - I hung out with my friend Caroline and her hubby, worked out a few times, and made an ornate-ish hot-air balloon out of a paper lantern and scalloped cut-out circles. But I think the kids had way more fun than I did, spending most of their Florida vacation in the pool at the house. There were other excursions too (to a manatee rescue place, the beach, some restaurants), but it sounds like if they'd had it their way they never would have left the pool/house. I picked them up in Toronto on Monday afternoon and I was SO happy to see them! We had a smooth and traffic-free ride home which was also nice. Everyone was able to make it back into their routines pretty easily (school, activities: swimming and floor hockey), and we're working on getting Jordan back to sleeping through the night. He has a pretty nasty cold/cough/snot-nose, so that's not helping much... those darn germs! And we're trying to get ready-ish for Halloween; the books are out, we need more decorations, and costumes seem to be lined up, at least for the bigs. Alana is going to be Anna from Frozen (we already have the costume) - even though she decided yesterday that she might be Pinkie Pie (ugh) instead (it's a My Little Pony) - and Hendrik is going to be a scarecrow, which is easy enough I think.

I'm hoping to work out today and I need to finish laundry so I'll keep this short. I finally found our camera, so hopefully I'll fire it up and get more pics up - good ones, not the shabbies my ancient 4S phone takes. For now, that is all!

poolside!

the cave was a popular place :)

our three

apparently J loved the sand

a hot beach day!

my hot air balloon craft - it needs a new basket...

at work - i survived my first book fair, and it wasn't too bad (and we raised $$ for the library :))

so much to write about!

Alana and her bestie at Clovermead

Since I only blogged TWICE last month (I can't believe it) I have much to write about but unfortunately not many pictures to go with the words. There are a few good ones, but the phone photos don't measure up to the ones the camera takes... I just can't find the camera (darn)! And I don't want to spend the money on a new phone either. SO! Hm. I'll work on it (looking for the lost camera). Anyways, we spent last weekend at the Pinery and had an amazing time, though I still struggle with calling southern Ontario car-camping camping. But the kids loved it and we had incredible weather and some great times around the campfire (telling funny stories, armpit farting etc.). We will definitely go for the same campsite next summer, or look to go again in September when it's not quite so busy. School is going well for both kids - Alana is super social and loves it, and enjoyed a first field trip out to Clovermead last week. Hendrik is liking school too, and we loved seeing his classroom and meeting his teacher at Thursday night's school BBQ. His teacher was very positive about how he's doing in terms of schoolwork and all the other stuff too, so our wonders and worries (slight ones) about how things are going in his 2-3 split as the youngest (by far) grade 2-er were put to rest. And Jordan is as happy as a clam at home with Steve. He waves goodbye in the morning and welcomes me home in the afternoon with a big smile and wrap-around hug (melt!). Work is going well for me, even though the ideas and to-dos far outweigh the time available. I'll have to write about what I actually do every day at one point though this task definitely needs an entire, dedicated post in itself. This week I'm hosting my first book fair, so that should be interesting. And of even more interest is that I'm alone - ALL ALONE - for nine days. After work on Friday we drove to Toronto where we spent the night at the airport Hilton; it was SO MUCH FUN for the kids - exploring, playing squash and basketball, "working out" (really - their idea), and watching TV in bed. Steve and the kids flew out Saturday morning to join his family just outside of Tampa for 10 days of pool, beach, and family time. I stayed behind with the job thing and I'm hoping to exercise this week and tackle a long list of things that need doing around here. Aaaaand I'll try to put my feet up sometimes too. I'm just back from the Run for the Cure, which I did with a new friend and we had a great time. It was a first (for participation) but definitely not the last. I miss the kids (and Steve too) but I'll make the most of the time I have... carpe diem friends! :)

When I asked Alana what she wanted to be for Halloween she said she MAY want to be a ghost fairy, and drew this so I'd know just what she was talking about ...

self-portrait, gr 2 (LOVE)

I got the phone out to take a pic of the quote (which is great) and had to capture the gung-ho workout kids in the background

camping! with a 1-year old is challenging...

little takes big for a stroll

camping breaky

we were a team of two... yay us!

september in swing!

There is just way much to write about and seriously SO LITTLE TIME! By the time we get the kids in bed and all of the jobs done we're just about ready to crash ourselves, so this post will likely be constructed over a few days - but I'll get started tonight (Monday). Here's what's been happening in the lives of the London Brinkmans this past week (plus):

Alana

Alana turned five! We hosted a birthday in our back yard a few weeks ago, and thank goodness it was sunny. There were six kids in total (including a friend for Hendrik) and everyone enjoyed playing, searching for diamonds in the backyard, eating cake, and watching the bday girl open presents. She received some good ones, and miraculously, we didn't feel too overwhelmed by new plastic toys... most gifts are and continue to be used, played with and worn (yay!). Here are some questions I asked her soon after the big day:

Who is your best friend? Camila

What is your favourite food? Cheese

What's your favourite toy / thing to play with? Robin doggie

What's your favourite TV show? Dora

Favourite movie? "Elsa and Anna"

Favourite book? "Elsa and Anna"

Favourite animal? Cheetah (!?)

Favourite colour? Pink

What's something you don't like? Broccoli. Hot dogs.

Favourite song? "Over the castle" (Ed Sheeran)

School is so far so good with her, and she's with the same teacher and some of the same classmates as last year. She's growing like a weed, cries when she doesn't get her way (she's been pretty tired this week), and does a pretty good job keeping up with her big brother. She's still pretty hands on with Jordan, and is consistently thinking of others.

showing off their diamonds (from michaels, floral arrangement fillers... amazing!)

bday party fun

Hendrik
This one is in full swing with the new school year and is much happier in his 2/3 split than we thought he'd be. Day one was was questionable as it appeared that he was the only boy (and the youngest) in his class; he was visibly disappointed to be in a different room than each and every one of his friends. HOWEVER, he came home happy and helpful - more helpful than we've ever seen him before. I mean he was asking if he could do dishes and when I offered to dry them he said that HE would do it. And when he was finished he asked what else he could do and we were wondering what on earth was going on... it was amazing. The gusto has died down somewhat, but he's been very helpful since school started, so hurray for that. He brought in a few items yesterday for his first school assignment - "The Me Project"; these items are meant to show others what Hendrik is like and what things he likes doing, and he opted to bring in a book (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), a picture of him fishing (I printed the one of the huge pike he caught) and a pic of our family (at the cottage). We'll get to see the completed project at the school BBQ later this month. We signed up for Jordan's Run the Runway again this year, and both kids ran the kiddie trot and Hendrik was pretty close to the front of the pack. A few pics...

with the olders

Steve
This one is keeping himself busy with kid-stuff; he takes the bigs to school, picks them up, and takes care of Jordan all day. I think he's doing well (that's what he says) and the time he's spent with the older ones has already visibly strengthened his relationship with Alana (she cried this afternoon because she couldn't go to the bathroom with Steve and Hendrik and said it was because she just wanted to be with Dad). Once more of his own things get going (hockey, coaching) I think he'll feel more balanced but so far so good with the stay at home dad thing.

Moi
This is the library! There has been SO much work to do in this place as it wasn't terribly organized and collections were a bit all over the place so it's a work in progress, but hopefully it will be less bébé and more cool and inviting once I figure out when and how I'll improve the decor. There was a lot of dusty and dated decor (I took it down), but I have yet to put anything in place. And I'm liking the job and the library and the school and the staff  - and I like speaking French (it's coming back to me and I'm learning new words like écureuil from Frisson l'écureuil). I don't have to get up too early (7:00) or leave too early (7:45) and I'm usually home around 4:30. I can ride my bike there (it's a bit of a trek though) and hm what else... there is no shortage of things to do once I'm there. I'll have to blog more about this another time  - this post has been in the works for almost a week so it's going up... SOON. Like, tonight. Other new with me things are: I did a 2nd triathlon a few weeks ago (Lakeside) and it was fun but super freezing, and as one of the few people swimming without a wetsuit I was sort of wishing I could have put one on for the ride and run. I could write more but I won't. Onwards...

Jordan

The latest news with this one isn't really anything new but it has intensified (I think): he is into everything. Any and all food in lower cupboards that is off limits has been moved to what has become a Monica-esque jam-packed don't-go-there cupboard (who knows what I'm talking about?) of food and sundries and it is ready to explode if and when anything in it is touched. I'll find something new in a downstairs cupboard (like shortening) just as he's about to dig into it and then stuff it in the upstairs cupboard and while I'm doing that he's opened up a box of pasta and he's bound and determined to dump it all over the kitchen floor etc etc.  He's also bumping into things and hurting himself on an hourly basis (it seems) and has no fear when it comes to stairs or heights (like falling off beds). Sleeping is sometimes good and something not as good, but generally he's up once or twice a night - but back to sleep quickly after we've found his soother for him. Favourite foods are still cheese and Rice Krispies, and he also loves buttered toast (who doesn't), but vegetables? Not so much. He is super into trucks and cars, and wants to head straight outside when he gets up in morning (which was fine during the summer but now it's a bit tricky). He's growing quickly too, and there are days that I get back from work and it seems as if he's changed since I saw him earlier that day. Before we know it he'll be going to school too (no!) - Steve and I are so so conscious to enjoy all the time we get with this - and our other - growing beauties. 💞

alana at the finish!

summer - almost over :(

How fitting that I'm posting this on the eve of the first day of school... summer is over! Well no it's not. Hopefully we'll have good (better) weather through September and maybe even October, and we can all enjoy the outdoors and warmer weather before the cold sets in (noooooo!). I have so much to write about but not enough time or space to get to it all in one post, so watch for another end of summer post coming soon (hopefully). What's here? Our second (last?) stint at the cottage which included the annual washers tournament, some swimming, fishing, lots of outside play, and amazing sleeps for everyone. Highlights for me were canoe rides with Hendrik which involved exploring islands (that were perhaps never explored before, wink wink), navigating rapids and eating Oreos. There were so many adorable quotables on our few rides - he'd say stuff like, "I wonder if everyone is wondering where we are. Maybe they're having lunch already and wondering Where are Hendrik and Mommy? Maybe we've been out here for an hour or longer, like an hour and five minutes. Because you know, time flies when you're having fun, and I am having FUN." I love it. I also loved watching Alana get serious in the washers tournament, in which she was one of two players to get a five-point cupper (!) - and boy oh boy was she excited and proud of herself for it. I had to come home early for a morning of training (which was totally overwhelming) and Steve and the kids stayed in B-ville for a few days and enjoyed daily trips to Watson's and a trip to Cedar Park (just the bigs). Jordan's latest and greatest thing is making pig noises, and he often chooses to do the full body move and shake (with a seriously scrunched up face) - and so the pigs at Watson's were a big hit. I'll write more next time about Alana's birthday (she's FIVE!) and the first day of school AND my first day of work (!). I'll leave it at that - enjoy the pics!

look at the concentration - and that follow through!

the two youngest competitors | the top two teams | trophy liftoff

our boys

canoeing with hendrik

boys in the boat

our sleepy babe

after a few days away from dad, everyone was happy to see him!

there were several incredible moments of cooperation and play, and this was one of them. love....

construction site!

one of many fish A caught - her casting skills are top notch!

H caught a pike and he was SO happy and proud. and so, pike alley was named!