August overview

There are so many things to write about! Have I started every post this way? Possibly. I'll just cut to the chase while I can (the kids are occupied) and start with the most fabulous day we had yesterday. Well, actually, I won't. About a month ago, we spent a night in a very rustic log cabin on a massive property called Otter River Farms. I think I'd searched for unusual accommodations or something and found this place; there are five or six bare bones cabins (no plumbing, no electricity) and a few campsites, and guests have the run (ish) of the property. We went fishing in a small pond, swam at the fishing hole, and battled bugs around the campfire - all before turning in in the one-room abode. I only booked one night because I was afraid the sleeping situation would be atrocious, but it was fine! And that's thanks to the several hours we spent at the beach. Longer story short, since the kids had so much fun in the surf at Port Burwell, Steve found a wave tracker app and we went back for more yesterday morning... and then were chased away by hurricane warnings and torrential rain. Ha! It was so much fun - the beach and surfing part. The kids slept well after the first body surfing session, and then slept well again last night.

We are enjoying our last days of summer vacation as a family - I have to (/get to) go to work on Tuesday! I found myself a temporary job teaching French at a school in the south end, and, well, I'm back and forth between excited and ... hm... nervous? I'm not sure what it is BUT - I like to be prepared and right now there is SO much up in the air that I might not be as prepared as I'd like to be. However! School has been pushed back one week, so with students starting on the 14th and teachers starting on the 1st, there might be enough time to feel somewhat prepared (I'm hoping). 

We spent another week at the cottage (the week before last) and it was the best week of the summer for me. On multiple occasions the kids played together - and solved their own problems - for hours. This never happens! It was glorious. We were in good company, had great food, and enjoyed a rare day trip to a gem of a spot called Callaghan's Rapids (pics below). 

We are having our front porch replaced, and to cut down on costs Steve is doing some of the work. He will spend many an hour up in the attic where wood is piled up in the painted or to-be-painted pile. We found a contractor that we really like and with his help are trying to figure out the best way to tackle the many things that need to done around here. We'd love to start with the top floor, but the dilapidated porch took priority. Some masonry work needs to be done too, but we are still hoping to get the ball rolling with the master suit upstairs. Jordan and Alana are still sharing a very large bedroom, but we want them to have their own spaces - and sooner rather than later. All in good time I suppose! The housing market here is just crazy right now, and while we're confident that we're making a great investment in our home, the list is somewhat intimidating. One step at a time! I hear Dory: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."

(Marlin looks how I often feel...)

I'll leave it at that. Until next time!

some July!

Who can believe it's the middle of JULY already!? Sheesh. We've had such an incredible summer weather-wise; hot days, warm nights, long days by the pool... it's been amazing. We spent the hottest week of the summer (so far) at the cottage, where Grandma and Gramps had the cooling system down pat; window-unit AC on in the morning with blinds and curtains shut all day, and windows and fans on in the evening when the temperature started to drop. Steve slept out in the tent trailer with Hendrik, and it was cooler in the night (thought sometimes a bit loud thanks to the neighbours - but it was fine!). I think the hottest day read 37.5 C (99.5 F), but that doesn't take into account the humidity. It was HOT! We did our best to stay cool (pffffffff) with lots of time in the river and lake, cold afternoon beverages, and a balance of time spent indoors and out. Jordan was beyond excited to make the trip, and some highlights for him include fishing (he caught many a fish), skinny dipping (he proudly and loudly proclaimed "I'm skinny dipping!!!!" as he barrelled down the dock and off into the water), playing cards - War, with Grandma (Jordan rules), and lots of swimming. I imagine that highlights for Hendrik included the box of vintage Archie comics I brought up (thanks Marketplace), a trip to our favourite river island - and swimming there, and "doing nothing." (He forgot his backpack at home, so missed his eye cover, water bottle and a stack of books, but did not forget his new nerf gun.) Alana also was big into the fishing, loved swimming at the sand bar (they all did), and spent a lot of time making rainbow loom bracelets - everyone was decked out!

during the Crowe Cup awards ceremony - 3rd place (me and H) and champs! (A and Steve)

On our way home we stopped in Toronto to take in the Van Gogh immersive show, and it was impressive! Loud, but very beautiful. We wore masks, kept to our circles (illuminated on the floor) and stayed for almost 2 rounds of the show. It was a warm day, but the kids begrudgingly accompanied us to the CN tower. It was fairly empty in and around the plaza there, but with the tower closed and the aquarium open to mask-wearers only, I suppose it made sense. After the kids touched the tower, we grabbed some Italian ice cream treats from Longo's and had a curbside snack before hitting the road again. We've spent the last week or so staying close to home, spending lots of time in the pool! We met with an architect and with our contractor again, and it looks like - out of necessity - we're going to tackle a front porch reno first. Hopefully we'll be able to get the ball rolling on other jobs soon too; though Alana and Jordan have been great about sharing the largest of bedrooms, they would definitely prefer their own room (I think). 

I have more to write about but if I don't post this now who knows when it will happen! More cottage pics coming soon...

this afternoon, poolside

at the splashpad post blueberry pick... such a great cool down!

blueberry picking!

LOVE this photo. Alana and I went for a trail ride a few weeks ago and she loved it!

J with his new big boy bed. It was a bit of a saga figuring it all but he's out of the Ikea toddler bed... finally!

Another birthday...

 From one birthday post to the next! I think this is a first - a new low (but likely not as low and it can go) in terms of blogging frequency. Oh well! Life is pretty saturated around here, and while I'm usually hopeful about having some time in the evenings to get something done (other than laundry, clean-up etc.), time and energy are in short supply after we finally get the kids to bed (and sleep). Lots has happened in the last few weeks: the kids finished school (Hendrik moves on to grade 5, Alana moves on to grade 3, and Jordan will likely start kindergarten in the fall - !), I had a birthday, my teacher certification was processed and granted (I'm officially a teacher - yay!), and... I'm sure there's more. The kids are happy to be done with the online learning, though they were pretty good about buying in and doing most of their work every day. I'm so curious about the fall - what will school look like? We're considering sending Jordan back to Grosvenor Nursery School for the JK program; it wouldn't be too different from what he was doing before schools closed in March. The class will be much smaller, it's mornings-only, and it's familiar - lots of appeal. What will not be familiar at all (or might it?) is my work situation for the fall. I'm applying to some jobs and will hopefully have some interviews lined up for next week. Fingers crossed I get the job I want! There are a few that are close to home and fairly ideal for a first teaching job, but there is so much that is out of my control. What I do know is that I need to prep for interviews; I have notes and ideas, but the immersion conversations will be pretty different from the core french conversations. We'll see what happens!

I had a great birthday, though it's a bit of a blur. Bob and Marg came down for the weekend and the kids were beyond excited to see them - we should have taken a vid of the arrival scene! Jordan was jumping up and down with excitement, squealing through an ear-to-ear smile. Here in Ontario we're being encouraged to "bubble" in groups of 10, with physical contact and indoor shared spaced limited to that group. Grandma and Gramps and Liz are in our bubble, and we're doing our best to stick to it! Anyways, back to my birthday; I got together for some physically distanced drinks with friends the Sunday and then the Thursday before my birthday, and was spoiled with gifts - flowers, champagne, wine... and then there was more. It was a bit of a boozy birthday, because Steve followed through on my one request - materials for gin and tonics (he doesn't like them!). I have yet to make one, but today might be the day. It's beautiful out and the kids - while calm and quiet right now (thanks TV) - definitely got on my nerves this morning. My one birthday request from the kids was that they did their best to get along and limit the whining/complaining, and if my memory serves me right they followed through too! I went for an early run (on my birthday - and this morning too!) and enjoyed an early morning swim before being treated with homemade donuts... yum. Marg and I went to my favourite thrift store, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool (with sangria). Dinner was family-favourite burgers, and Sandra and Bruce and Liz came over for cake. Sandra put on quite the performance of a happy birthday song that was so heartfelt and hilarious at the same time (someone filmed it - who!?) that it brought tears to my eyes. I am so so thankful that we were able to stay in the neighbourhood and still see our amazing Grosvenor family.

The pool has been incredible! We are using it so so much, and we're also able to have the kids' friends over to swim, so they're getting a bit more social time than they otherwise would have had. And even though things have opened up a bit (some summer camps are running), we still haven't planned much. We'll go to the cottage and try for some day trips from here, but for the most part, we'll spend summer at home. It's a slower pace of life that won't last forever, so I'm hoping we can enjoy it to the max - we're so thankful for all that we have here!

climbing the walls :)

I'm still sewing - headbands and facemasks :)

birthday cake and company

no haircuts for this guy!

we fulfilled a dream of playing tennis and then eating deep fried pickles (takeout)... so good! 

early morning shuteye

this one LOVES staying in his jammies (love!)

celebrating sunshine and a birthday!

enjoying the pool today

our outdoor setup... Steve has been working hard!

We are in the middle of a heat wave! After a drawn out dreary spring (after a long enough winter) we are enjoying warm weather. The pool has been very well used over the past few days, and we are so thankful to be here in this amazing house, using all of its spaces.

Even though it seems like the Coronavirus hype has died down a bit, we're living the same routines; we leave the property once a week for groceries, and once a week (or so) for other errands (garden centre, hardware store). Alana has just started having physically distanced playtime with our neighbour, and Hendrik had a friend over this afternoon for a physically distanced swim. They miss their friends, and we miss our friends! We celebrated Jordan's 4th birthday last Sunday with some cake on the front lawn with our neighbours from Grosvenor (Sandra and Bruce and Liz), but the weather wasn't great so it didn't last long. We had a great day though! He woke up nice and early and after presents and some time at home, we went for a nature walk in Arva and... what else did we do?! I'm sure there was some Paw Patrol. He's still loving that show, and has also latched onto a trains DVD we have from the library (which hasn't opened yet). I tried asking him the usual birthday questions (what is your favourite toy, food, etc.) but he wasn't interested. So, I'll answer them for him! His favourite foods are salami, mozzarella cheese, yogurt, toast with butter (or butter with toast), and guacamole. His best friend is probably Jack, but since school has been out we haven't been able to see him! He likes construction vehicles (toy diggers etc.), and helping around the house (yes, really). He has also just started swimming in the shallow end on his own without his puddle jumper, and he's doing so well! Yay. Fingers crossed that he's swimming confidently in the deep end by the end of the summer. For his birthday the big hit was a Paw Patrol watch (from Liz); other loot includes a Tippy Toe board (used by all), a baseball pitching thing (also used by all), new PJs (trucks), gardening tools and gloves, and books. It was a great day!

I'm still sewing items for Canada Sews, and have been working on a set of headbands for what feels like forever! It's tricky to find the time. I usually try to sit down when the kids are doing their schoolwork, but that's hit and miss; sometimes they constantly need my help and other times they let me work away. This morning I went for a run instead, and that felt great. The fact that I've found time to exercise during the pandemic is a positive, but since I only go every three days (or so), I never actually feel any better or more physically capable. Maybe one day? Anyways, I'll get some pictures up and get this posted while I can!

The latest!

With everyone home all day every day, some days are better than others, and yesterday afternoon was a first. The kids each found something different to do on their own, and everyone was playing quietly without bugging anyone else... it was amazing! It was a first. Steve and I were each busy doing something, and we didn't have to stop and stop and stop again to help solve problems or tear someone off of a sibling. Fingers crossed it happens again!

We woke up to snow the other day (May 11). I do not like seeing snow in May.

On the heels of the snow post I can add that our pool is open! Steve worked hard to get it all ship shape and the kids have been in a few times. After we wrangled the gargantuan tarp off of the pool and attempted to clean and fold it, first in the back yard and then in the driveway and then on the front lawn (to the amusement of neighbours and passersby), the pool was cleaned and prepped. But unheated, it sat at 52 degrees. Who jumped in? Hendrik (7 times) and Jordan (once). We heated it for the one warm day we've had, just to be sure everything was working as it should - and to give the kids something to do that day. We are going to be extra grateful to have a pool this summer...

I learned to sew! I have made several masks for our family and some friends, and made 20 for the London chapter of Canada Sews. The output of some of the people in this group is incredible, but even though my numbers are paltry compared to others, I'm proud that I was able to put these things together. Next up on the project list is sewing some headbands...

School is going well for the kids, but handling the distractions of technology has been the biggest challenge. They want to play with the font size and send their friends (or each other) silly messages, insert enormous emoji faces into assignments and so on. They are working fairly independently, and all things considered, I feel good about our routines and what they're able to do every day (most days).

I had a great Mother's Day on Sunday. Highlights include homemade donuts (so good!), being sent to my room (I was there by myself for at least 5 minutes), and a walk with Jordan and Alana. It was a slow and easy day, and the kids gave me lovely cards and spoiled me with treats (donuts, dinner, coffee). I did reflect on how it is a difficult day for some, especially those that have lost a mother or daughter. I'm thankful for my time with my family and for my health, and I hope to enjoy Mother's Day Sundays for many, many years!

It's our first Spring in this house, and it's been fun seeing what comes up in the garden. There are some beautiful flowers and lots of weeds and I wonder how Gladys kept her garden going.

We have a piano/keyboard! My mom and dad very generously researched and purchased a keyboard for us and we have been enjoying it in different ways. Hendrik and Alana both play around on it, I've played a few songs from the book that came with the piano, and Jordan loves pushing the automatic play button and leaving the room. I think Steve has been on there too, playing hockey songs. I'm debating lessons (online or in-person) and have to figure that one out, but would love to get them some Frozen and Harry Potter music.

It's been sort of confusing, what we're allowed to and not allowed to do, with the COVID restrictions in place. For quite a while I was under the impression that we weren't really supposed to drive anywhere to go for walks, that we were only to leave the house for necessities and really limit travel. With parks open again (and after some looking/reading), we've decided to venture out for a few nature walks. Last Monday we went to the Elsie Perrin Estate, and this week we went out to Riverbend. The kids sometimes complain about going but then LOVE being out there, and I love seeing them explore and clamber and build. It really does make a difference, being out in the woods. Hopefully we can spend some time in BC (next summer?) doing the same... it's a different kind of beauty, but it's beauty nonetheless.

I LOVE this photo!

That's all for now folks, I hope everyone is staying happy and healthy! :)