short and sweet: weekend trip and feb photos

pizza lunch in the car

Homework (as in schoolwork) is finally winding down for me because... I'm finished classes! There are several week of practicum remaining (I start with a 5 / 6 French immersion class on Tuesday) so I can't celebrate finishing the program quite yet, but I'm getting there. There is always so much to blog about - and maybe I should make the time to write more often even if the content is minimal - because I forget about all of the things I want to share! While it's fresh (ish) I'll tell you about our great weekend up to Kincardine and McGregor Point. We did the same trip two years ago - though this time it was more of a last minute decision (thanks to more strike days). We stayed in the same hotel which the kids LOVED (again) - the pool was a big hit, as was the breakfast buffet, as was the workout room (they kept asking to go "workout" - something neither Steve or I do much of these days so who knows where that motivation was coming from). Anyways, the park day was amazing - I'll let the pictures do the talking.

skating the trail

Everyone here is happy and healthy (knock on wood), and the kids are into their extracurriculars. For once there is no complaining! (Not to say there wasn't - Alana loved karate for a week, and then decided she didn't want to go.) Hendrik is doing ball hockey, swimming and basketball (with coach MOM), and Alana and Jordan are doing swimming and gymnastics. Because Jordan does a great job of keeping up with his big sibs all day, this means that sometimes he falls asleep in the car on the way to swimming - he won't nap unless it's a forced drive around in the car event, something we'll incorporate into plans if we know he'll really need it. Anyways, we're starting to think about summer plans but everything just seems so busy that it's challenging to find the time to think about it all. Plus, we're still trying to figure out house renos and when and how we'll get to work on the attic. We have a much better idea of what we want to do up there but aren't at the gates yet... so hopefully soon! Volleyball season will be over for me and Steve in the next month, so that should free up some time. I know there's more to write about but I want to get photos up and get to bed - the days are long but the years are short! :)

a before bed art bonanza

artiste at work

skating in Victoria Park - a first for Jordan (solo standing on skates)

working on a water recipe (I should share it!)

this dress still fits! still loving Frozen :)

this just makes me laugh!

holiday recap

a family of superheros :)

We are back from almost two weeks with Steve's family and our house seems enormous! It's the longest we've been away from our house since our August move-in date, and despite an incredible visit (I called it a vacation) it is nice to be home - there's no place like it! It was like most of our B-ville getaways - the perfect mix of chill time at the house and activities like skating (we went twice), swimming (twice), a rare trip to the movies (to see Frozen 2, loved it!), a nature walk (loved that too - at Long Sault Conservation Area), a trip to the Science Centre, and family festivities (cousins night, Christmas). The kids loved hanging out with their cousins from Calgary and it was great for us to spend time with everyone, as visits don't come around as often as any of us would like. We opened presents at home the night before we left, and between Santa and and mom and dad and two sets of grandparents and generous aunts and uncles I feel that there are too many gifts to list! I'll mention some favourites - Alana LOVES her Lego sets (loves), Jordan loves his new dino jammies (a Hot Wheels toy, stomp rocket and tackle box are also highlights), and Hendrik's favourite gift has to be a small drone. There are quite a few new books in the house, and I can't wait to read and re-read them. We also have a few new games (Dutch Blitz, Yahtzee and Shadows in the Forest), the kids went on a scavenger hunt to find new fishing rods, and the set of eight Superhero capes + masks + snap bracelets continue to be a serious hit. Steve and I bought each other very pragmatic gifts - a dishwasher and a second-hand refrigerator - from our neighbours. "It's dual bag," Steve says, in defence of his dishwasher gift. (Watch this vid if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

cousins!

opening presents on Christmas Day

We brought in the new decade in Steve's parent's basement, and it was great. Grandma and Gramps, Steve and I, and Hendrik enjoyed good drinks, yummy snacks, and a few good rounds of Apples to Apples - in which there were some hilarious comments from Hendrik (about parenting; there was admission that dealing with kids can be difficult) - and everyone made it to midnight. I'll save a recap of the year (2019) for another post as this blog is a few days in the works and it really would be great to get it posted! It's back to reality tomorrow... wahhhhh! The kids have been sleeping in until almost 8:00 every morning and it's been amaaaaazing... but it's back to school tomorrow!

taking a seat on our nature walk

running to catch up :)

new gear - slippers and coat

check it! 

getting started on Lego right away

Happy new year and all the best in 2020!

catching up - December

I'm way too ambitious when it comes to thinking about writing more often - I'm already thinking about what I'll write next time, so maybe... maybe I should just post it all at once. Sometimes I might be semi-organized with what I want to write about but the photos are all over the place, so it's too challenging to get something posted. Blah! Anyways, since it's been about a month since Hendrik's birthday (and since Jordan is sleeping post-nature walk while the others play nicely) I thought I'd seize the moment and stop looking at flights and get something started. Here are some photos from a super fun 9th birthday party that involved a visit to SkyZone (no photos of the trampoline park), a guys only trip to A&W (I took Alana and Jordan to Five Guys), and a movie marathon and sleepover at our place:

cake at our place - a full house!

camera shy party-goers

dinner at A&W

December has been busy, but guess what? It's almost over! Unbelievable. I did a three-week practicum at a French Immersion School in a grade two classroom and loved it - and I think the kids and teacher loved having me there. I promised I'd go back and visit so I'll drop in and say hi sometime in early January when classes are on again for me. I'll be back to the classroom for six weeks and then out on practicum for the rest of the term, and then I'm finished! I'll take part in some interviews in January and keep my fingers crossed that I can figure out what my ideal teaching job is (core or immersion?) at some point before I get into the swing of things and can't get out! The kids finished school and activities are all wrapped up - with news ones booked for the winter session. Hendrik started ball hockey and will do swimming and basketball (with coach mom), Alana is doing swimming, gymnastics, and karate (her request - we'll see how that goes), and Jordan is doing swimming and gymnastics. Steve and I are both coaching, so it will be busy busy busy. I'm trying to plan ahead to spring break and summer, and need to take some time to think and look at some ideas. We're planning to go to BC this summer so I'm looking at flights and options there too. Lots to do! I'll write about Christmas soon - I need photos (and have NONE)... here are a few other pics from the last few weeks. Hopefully everyone had a great Christmas!

annual tree decorating (with Liz!)

morning snuggles

Anna and Elsa doing crafts of some sort

rotary phone training headquarters :)

mid-December nature walk (after skating plans went bust)

reading Harry Potter

the gingerbread house!

Orlando, Disney and Universal (Harry Potter heaven!!)

poolside and courtside - so fun!

What a trip! We just spent 10 days in Orlando and I could have written a blog every day - even for those nice down time days we planned for in between theme parks and excursions. We had so many questions before we left, specifically about Disney and Universal; was it as busy as they say? Did we have to have every moment of our day and all of the rides planned out? Was the Express pass at Universal worth it? Did we need two days or one? And as with most things, we learned best by doing - and now I have answers! It was my first trip to Florida (I grew up in BC), and my first impressions were more about the culture and just how different it is in the USA (it's been a while since I've been stateside). We stayed at a villa - a giant new-build house (that made me appreciate the solidity of our 130-year old home, doors and all) - in Kissimmee in a community called Westside at Windsor. It seemed a bit out there, not being close to downtown Orlando at all, but it actually wasn’t too far from theme parks, and with a pool (complete with lazy river and hot tub), a basketball/tennis court, and an arcade room, the amenities were great for families. 

first butterbeer!! and walking in diagon alley.. love love love

talking portraits in the forbidden journey

it was like being in the movies... incredible!

hanging in the three broomsticks & the knight bus

self-knitting needles - magic!

more magic... all! day! magic!

We arrived late on Wednesday night and spent Thursday hanging out with family and getting settled before a full day on Friday. With his sister’s family and his parents, Steve took Alana and Jordan to Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Hendrik and I made for Universal Studios with a two-day park-to-park ticket with the intention of getting our fill of all things Harry Potter. The drive there and parking were a breeze, and after we picked up our tickets at Universal Studios (not Islands of Adventure) and unlimited Express Passes (we splurged!), we walked into the park early! We thought we’d have to wait until 9:00 but were in the park around 8:15 and on Escape from Gringott’s at 8:30 - !! It was an amazing ride and everything is recreated in such detail… it was fantastic. And so is the rest of Diagon Alley. We spent most of our morning wandering, exploring the shops, drinking butterbeer (we sampled hot - too sweet, and cold - delicious), selecting a wand (after much deliberation Hendrik chose Sirius Black’s - I thought he was going to go for Harry’s) and practicing magic. Eager to visit Hogsmeade we took the Hogwart’s Express - another incredible adventure - and after more spells settled down for lunch at the Three Broomsticks. We rode the Forbidden Journey and after a rounds on the Flight of the Hippogriff (a very short ride) we decided to venture further afield and explored the rest of IOA. We both had fun running around the Jurassic Park playground thing, but Hendrik passed on the River Adventure ride; we also passed on Skull Island and Toon Lagoon but you better believe that we sat in the front seat on the Incredible Hulk coaster… it was intense. We rode twice in a row and I needed a break, so we did a few other rides (I think one of them was Spider Man which wasn’t that great) before heading back to the Hogwart’s Express and Diagon Alley. There may have been a few more trips back and forth, but we didn’t double up on many more rides after that (I don’t think) - day two was a different story though! There were some great areas for younger kids (younger than Hendrik, who is 9 as of Thursday) - like the Dr Seuss area. The park did seem geared towards older kids and adults, and Hendrik and I kept commenting on how the attractions weren’t really right for Alana and/or Jordan. (The Forbidden Journey was intense! A warning to younger riders is in order - a friend gave me this good advice, so we were both somewhat prepared.)

we had a few great meals at the three broomsticks - with butterbeer, of course!

fun behind the wheel :)

SO fun, so magical

It sounds like the Disney crew had a great time too, and even Jordan enjoyed some of the more intense rides like Splash Mountain and Space Mountain. Alana and her cousin Lennon met Ariel, and I think the themed rides were a hit… yay. Hendrik and I missed the light show on Hogwart’s (we were both cold - and tired after a full day of walking and rides) and the other crew didn’t stay for fireworks, so we met up at home around 8:00 and shared stories about the day before an early bedtime for everyone.

cousin crew

mini-golf FUN

and more mini-golf fun - there were alligators there!

Saturday and Sunday were low-key pool days, and we only left to go mini-golfing (followed by a delicious Mexican lunch and a trip to Target), so we were ready for a full day trip to the Kennedy Space Centre on Monday. And it was amazing! We did the bus tour first which took us to several different launch pads and an outbuilding that houses the Saturn V rocket (the largest rocket ever flown... it was HUGE). The many buildings and exhibits are fantastic, and the kids were engaged and the adults were engaged - there were fun and interesting things for all. (My favourite part was the Apollo building - but I didn’t watch the 3D IMAX stars show, which the kids really enjoyed!) We spent the whole day there, and could have taken more time and done more, so it is a good idea to get there on the early side. Traffic was slow on our way home, so we stopped for dinner at a Cracker Barrel - a first for me and a nostalgic stop for the Brinkmans (who would stop here on road trips on Florida road trips when Steve and his sister were kids… I think). 

you better believe I got my hands on this donut! I shared.

Tuesday was another recovery day - we hung out by the pool and at the park and at the beach volleyball court - and Wednesday Hendrik, Steve and I went back to Universal and IOA for day two. I think we could have done what we wanted in one day, but it was great to come back and experience Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade again, and we really enjoyed the rides on day two. I think we rode Escape from Gringotts five times in a row and we were definitely more able with the wand and spells. We didn’t make it onto the new ride (we beelined for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures coaster as soon as we got there, but the park didn’t open early (we went to IOA first) and the ride was delayed, so after waiting in line for 45 minutes we bailed - and wait times were almost three hours later in the day) but did Jurassic Park River Adventure twice (fun) and the Incredible Hulk coaster (always in the front seat) at least three times. SO MUCH fun! We drank lots of butter beer (frozen was the best - it lasted the longest) and enjoyed another fish and chips lunch at the Three Broomsticks. Our only other purchases were sherbet lemons and some candy at Honeydukes. And guess what? Steve is now reading the first Harry Potter - yay! The books are so good, and I wish we’d binge watched the movies before we visited the parks. (There were lots of people dressed up in capes and full Hogwarts apparel which was amazing - families, older couples, kids… so fun!)

It was a rainy start but a great day at Disney!

Disney cousins (H and I were drinking butterbeer)

As always, there is more to write about and I need to get started on another blog (Hendrik turned 9!) so I’ll get this one up and hopefully get started on another. Happy December!