this and that

some of our latest library hauls include these... faves have been little owl lost, louise loves art, little elliot in the big city, if i built a house, katy and the big snow and building our house. (and chalk box story and the tiny king) ;) 

It was only a matter of time before Hendrik's glasses turned up in two pieces, right? Good thing the guy isn't desperate to wear them, because we have no backup plan/pair, and these almost 8-month old specs are un-wearable - with the frame broken and a lens all out and about in the world. They'd been missing for almost a day, and when we asked him if he remembered where they were he'd say, "They aren't in Alana's room", (read: they ARE in Alana's room) and we'd look and look and look with no luck. Steve finally came up with the idea to give a special treat (!!) to the first person who found them, and guess who zipped upstairs and pulled them out of the basket of stuffed doggies in Alana's room... Hendrik! I'm calling BonOptics tomorrow, to see if the warranty will get us a new pair; if not, that $250 is as good as gone.

In brief:

SLEEP: is WAY better. The last two nights Alana was only up once, and the night before last I didn't even have to get out of bed - ! I woke up multiple times to ignore the calls ("mommy. mommy. mooommy!"), so it wasn't one of those through the night sleeps (what does that feel like?), but I'm hopeful that we're heading in the right direction. Of course the kids have been sick sick sick, and now that they're getting better their sleep wounds are also healing - maybe? Yes? Say yes! I hope so. (That being said, she's still up - at 9:03, and was still up last night at 10:00. Naps in the afternoon (due to sickness and late nights) lead to more late nights, lead to naps in the afternoon - and so on.

SCHOOL: Is fine. This afternoon's class, I have to admit, was boring. Research methods. Lecture. Non-stop lecturing. All I wanted to do was pull a Costanza and curl up under the desk and go to sleep - or catch up on the multiple tabs open in the multiple browsers that are cluttering my screen. I'm taking an HTML class, and so much of it is flying right over my head, but with practice and trial and error, I think I can figure it out (right?). I'm also taking Managing and Working in Information Organizations (it's alright) and Children's Materials, 0-7 years - and that one I'm loving. I'll blog more about what we are doing / covering etc. another time - for now, I should get to some homework, and get this kid to bed.

Family update coming soon (and a 15-minute post) - for real!

alana right now - at least she's keeping herself occupied!

last night - at 9:30, before a massive "i don't want to go to bed!" meltdown. CUTE!

we had more than a few rough patches around here yesterday, and after i told hendrik i was feeling a little sad and frustrated with how he and alana were acting, he wrote this out and brought it to me - to help me feel better. :) i did!

i support you, you support me = the best!

It was pretty much the best thing ever, having the kids at last weekend's home game; they cheered - for the Mustangs, for Western and for mommy - and everyone heard them. And then when we got home, they got in their jammies when we asked them to and we all cuddled up under a blanket in Alana's room to "talk about the game" - as requested by Hendrik. It wasn't easy to get anyone off the floor, because we had to, just had to keep talking about who did what, why, what everyone's favourite part was (easy for me - the win), and so on and so on and so on. You'd think the late bedtime called for a late morning, but it did not. The last week (did I complain about this in my last post?) has been awful (really awful) on the sleep front; on Wednesday night I fell asleep at 6:00. AM. For the first time that night. Actually. Hendrik has been home sick with a nasty cough, so he took the first shift from 11:00 - 4:00, and then passed the buck to Alana. Last night was better, but I was still up five or six times... bah! And even though I want to hope that it'll get better, when I do that I feel even more frustrated when it isn't; and so I think that in an effort to maintain what little sleep-sanity/confidence I have (close to zero), I'll just expect that every night is going to be a bad one. Yes? You get me? Whatever, we'll see.

It's been a bit of a challenge getting school work done, as has the ever-present challenge of staying patient with les enfants - but the kids have been so well-behaved this week, and school... I feel like should have more work, more deadlines, etc etc, but I don't. I may be missing something, and will just keep my fingers crossed that I'm not, and keep studying when I can which will not be tonight. Sleep deprivation is at max! Friday night couch-blob coming up, followed after by some sleep, at least... I hope.

Hendrik in hoopswear - I'm playing in the Ontario Master's tourney in March... better hit the gym!

glasses twins!

happy belated birthday to....

happy birthday! with the cake creation...

Two big birthdays have recently come and gone - my most fabulous partner in crime (and sleep deprivation) turned ... should I say? Yes - 37 years young... I can't believe it! (And I can't believe that I'm not too far behind - 37 sounds very much like a grown-up-age.) Our niece Lennon had her first birthday yesterday, and the kids had a great time sending her happy birthday vids. For Steve's birthday there was cake (lots of it), engineered and designed by Hendrik (it tasted good but it wasn't the most attractive thing I've ever put on a table), there were cupcakes (made by our most amazing neighbour Liz), and there was... what else was there? The lack of sleep is putting holes in my brain, I swear! No okay, I remember: Liz - best neighbour ever - came over to babysit at 7:45, and Steve and I walked to the neighbourhood pub (The Bungalow) for food and brew. We had a great time, a frosty walk, and a late and long night, just like all of the others these days, driven by the darn kids and their interrupted sleeps. Good thing they're so cute and loveable during the day, and here's an example that just about melted my heart: a few days ago Alana told me that when she's big like me, she wants to "do coaching too" - in her sweet little voice, those words were hers! Of course I know that she's not entirely sure what that means, but to hear her say that - and of course to say that about coaching, was the nines! Adorable. And now please, sleep through the night for once and make me love you more.

Other updates, in brief: Hendrik did two full days of school this week and somehow, in gaining the extra hours at school managed to lose some of the terribleness and terrible-tireds that accompanied the full days earlier in the school year. We're thinking we'll try two full days a week and keep the other three at half-days, since we know these times together - which we're lucky enough to have - aren't ones we'll see again. I also started full days at school, and I round out week one of classes tomorrow. So far so good - but I now that life is about to get crrrrrrazy busy.... but that's okay. I'll do my best, and hope that it's enough.

On a final note, I took Anita Silvey's Children's Book-a-Day Almanac out of the library a few days ago, a serendipitous find that is grrrrreat - if there were such a calendar (maybe there is!), I would buy it. For each day of the year there's a list of birthdays, significant events, etc, and suggested readings that tie in. Just in case you didn't know, today is National Hat Day (read Caps for Sale), the anniversary of the Boston Molasses Disaster (read The Great Molasses Flood), and the day that James Naismith published the rules of basketball 133 years ago. It's also Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday (read Martin's Big Words), and that of Ernest J. Gaines (The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman). Last but not least, Elizabeth I was crowned Queen of England on this day in 1559 - read Good Queen Bess by Diane Stanley. There aren't enough hours in the day.... to read! (Or exercise. Or sleep!)

the almanac is online HERE | january, in the calendar i did buy... so good and so bad at the same time!

extraordinary ordinary

I was hoping that I could finish off this month-plus long break from school feeling rested, rejuvenated and ready for another round of classes, but on the contrary, my friend. These kids are keeping us (mostly me) up at night (I got out of bed SIX times for Alana last night), and days are both wonderful and awful. Hendrik has these moments where he's sweet and thoughtful and does what we ask of him (no not right away) and then there are moments where he's awful and stubborn and so so so so so (times a zillion billion) frustrating - and his parents try their best to remain calm and patient (on the outside at least) and ready to try (and ask) again. We're wondering how much it has to do with school - he tends to be better on non-school days, but then again who knows.... I can tell you this though: getting him to school on time every morning - which is 9:00 which means leaving our house at 8:50 - is stressful and nearly impossible, no matter what time we wake up. The more I talk to new friends about junior kindergarten, the less enthused I am about it. However... the señor says that he likes going to school and he says that he wants to stay all day (I'm not sure I believe him), so we'll just see how it all goes and take it one week at a time. Or one day at a time. Sometimes, there's no doubt that we're going hour by hour with sights set on bedtime (which just happened for Alana, because of last night's interrupted sleep and an early afternoon nap; it's 9:46), and that's fine too.

There are many things to write about, some catch up from our time in Bowmanville, and some catch-up from this past week, and I will get to them in no particular order. Hendrik had his first swimming lesson on Wednesday, and it was wonderful - for all. It was one of those everyday moments that is so ordinary and so extraordinary at the same time; Alana fell asleep in the car, so was sleeping on my chest in the lobby, in perfect view of the pool. Steve brought Hendrik in, and until the instructor arrived it was just the two of them on the pool deck - barefoot father with rolled up jeans and a tall four-year old in his bathing suit, waiting. And then Laurel the instructor arrived and then there were two in the pool (the two other kids in his 3:00 class were no shows - the weather was horrible!). Seeing Hendrik branch out on his own (no parents allowed!) and be himself and be confident and laugh and listen to someone else - to really be himself without us around to ask or remind or contribute - was a bit magical. Okay, not magical, but ... something. It was something. With the late afternoon light pouring in and a sleeping babe on my body, and with the other two that I love just there - one watching, one laughing and splashing and listening to his teacher - it was a perfect, everyday moment.

Onwards. We took the kids to the bowling alley for the first time whilst in Bowmanville, and it was great. Everyone old and young took advantage of the bumpers, and only Alana got her ball stuck halfway down the lane - she pulled the plunk move, missing the momentum and rolling part of the deal (you know what I'm talking about right?).

the best family shot we could get

I'm back at work in the gym (coaching), and I'm loving it. Am I forever destined to feel pulled between two things? For much of my junior life it was volleyball and basketball, and now it's between library and gym - though since Steve and I started playing 1 on 1 a few weeks ago, maybe I'll reignite that basketball flame and add another something something into the mix. I'm sure there's more to write about but I need to call it a night - at least until Alana says otherwise. Buenas noches!

home sweet dino home

We are home, and life is more or less back to normal - dino hunting activities have resumed:


More another day - I need to catch up on sleep!

2015 - so far so good!

What will this year bring? At this time last year we had no idea we'd be living in London or that I'd be going to school; so what, for this time next year? I have no idea! To add to the topic of The New Year, I'll make a few resolutions, but nothing writ in stone or drastically new and different - more intentions than resolutions, they'll be. We rang in 2015 in Brinkmanville with Bob and Marg and Erin and Fred, playing cards (Kanasta) until quarter to the big hour; then we sat in front of the telly flipping back and forth between the show at Niagara Falls and the Times Square mob, trying to stay with the least painful of the two selections. And then, seeing as how the kids weren't going to give us any extra shut-eye, we were all in bed and sleeping 20 minutes later.

Today we ate and ate and ate some more (which is incredible because it's just what we did yesterday and the day before that and the day before that too) - mostly appelflappen and ollibolen, a New Years day tradition in many Dutch households. The appelflappen (see here) might just be my most favourite thing to eat - they're half donut half fruit, with cinnamon and sugar - not too big, not too small (just right).... I love them! I may have posted these exact same words last year at this very time (and / or just after Thanksgiving) - I still love them. On the menu for tomorrow are Good Night Waffles (the best ever) and then birthday goodies at the Crocker's (Bob's Big Bday Bash - sure!), so it's one more day of serious eating... and then back to normal. Right?

I really should do something about all of the tabs open in too many browsers (like make a list of them?); here they are:

• Volleyball Canada job posting
• 9 Truths "Moms of Boys Only" Need to Know 
• American Libraries Magazine "Latest Library Links"
• American Library Association JobList
• New York Public Library: The Books We Loved in 2014
• Spritz: "Reading Reimagined"(Check this one out!)
• npr: "Before the Internet Librarians Would "Answer Everything" - and Still Do
• The Guardian: Top 10 Dinosaur Facts (I've been meaning to show this to Hendrik)
• Bloglines (I've been meaning to sign up)
• American Libraries Magazine: "Who Will Shape the Future?"
• "I wish I'd asked about my family's past while the older generation were here" - article
• "The books that cracked our brains open in 2014"
• Authors' favourite books: The ultimate literary guide to 2014
• USOC Report: The Formula for Developing Elite Athletes
• EWG Skin Deep Database
• Murad Skincare
• Water quality - City of London
• FIMS Financial Assistance
• Ludwig Bemelmans (short bio) - on Penguin
• American Library Association (ALA) - Great early elementary reads
• "Can Students 'Go Deep' with Digital Reading?"
• Best Picture Books of 2014
• The Little Gym: Class Schedule (something we're thinking of for Alana)

The Good Night Waffles are in progress (report coming tomorrow) - and all I can think of is the tune from Octonauts, a new favourite show of the kiddies that I just watched (know it? feel like getting a silly song stuck in your head? see HERE); waffle report! waffle report! Maybe I just need to go to bed - wait, I know I need to go to bed. Adios amigos, until next time!

christmas roundup

cousins!

Christmas! What a day. The days before and after the big 2-5 were fabulous, and even though the season is going going gone, we're still feeling pretty festive, I'd say. The kids had a great time doing the Santa thing - leaving cookies, wondering whether the he'd come or not - and then on Christmas morning when they spotted the cleaned out cookie plate and a nibbled carrot they were beyond excited. "This is getting crazier and crazier!" said Hendrik. More than once (thrice maybe), he expressed amazement that his stocking was actually filled, and it made Steve and I wonder whether our warnings ("Santa is watching!") got under his skin and bore small doubts as to whether or not he was good enough to expect a visit from the big man himself. Both kids would have been happy with a stocking full of balloons and Smarties, but things like stickers, a hairbrush, toothbrush, dinosaur, etc., somehow buoyed the glee. They were also gifted a matchbox mouse and a hand knit sweater (for Alana, from G&G O), dinosaur pjs for Hendrik, the best slippers ever (ponies for Alana and dinosaur claws for Hendrik, both from Pam and Bob), a thwack of amazing books, kinetic sand (from Auntie E & F), some great clothes, a giant Mr. Potato Head (Alana played with this for over 2 hours, by herself), and more. The adults (that's us, right?) are going home with a new waffle maker (YES!), a subscription to Macleans, some good books, a new bag, a scarf and more - we were spoiled once again. We were also spoiled with dinner and good company on the 25th (and on all other days) as we joined forces with the Tukkers and Crockers for afternoon snacks and the annual Gift Grab Game, and then the full dinner spread (with sticky toffee pudding cake for dessert - a major hit with the kids). Steve and I walked away from the GGG with an Ottlite and an olive oil + balsamic vinegar + wooden bowls set handcrafted by Gramps himself. 

christmas dinner, the kids being carnivorous dinosaurs and attacking the meat platters

In other news, Hendrik has become a fish. Three weeks ago this guy was barely putting his face or head in the water (at the pool or in the bath) but after buying into the goggles thing, he's a convert. At the pool on the 24th he spent more time under the water than above it, and was diving for rings and sunken treasure, kicking and splashing and propelling. We were thinking we'd get to the rec centre today, but checked out the closest YMCA instead; they had a bouncy castle, and not much competes with that. We fine dined at Costco after, picked up a few things, and then spent the rest of the day chilling out at home. Alana has become the worst little monster at bedtime - she refuses to be put down, stay in her bed, or have anyone but me stay with her until she's fallen asleep and woken up again and come screeching out of her room like a deranged mutant (repeat repeat repeat). Here are a few pics from the last week here in B-ville - the screeches from downstairs need some attention... (sigh).....

our cuties!

the night before followed by morning and stockings!

steve's party and a few from around the house - + GGG gift-wrap finalists

allllmost christmas!

enjoying christmas lollipops from liz

It happened again! Another week has flown by, leaving a stream of events in its wake. The Friday night surprise retirement-from-Team-Canada party for Steve was the biggest, the most monumental, the most significant of these events, as Steve played for a total of 17 years for our national team, and there's no denying that that's a pretty big deal. The par-tay had been in the works for a month (at least), and Steve had no idea. His cousin Pam hosted, and together with Marg and Erin, the three of them got food and drink organized, and Marg and I took care of the invites. Seeing as how we're in the midst of the holiday season, we were thinking we'd keep it small and invite family and a few of Steve's coaches from the early days - and then do something bigger with the team and friends in the new year. Steve and I arrived with the kids shortly after 7:15, and coming down the stairs to a basement full of people Steve was so surprised he didn't even realize that it was for him until he saw his buddy Dan-o and a few of his former coaches - it was a success! There was a ton of food, an amazing cake, wine and bevies, a few speeches (Bob and Ralph) and a video I put together on my way to and from Palm Springs, with contributions from my sisters and Steve's cousins. I'll try to upload it, but no guarantees - this computer is fussy with vids and youtube.

team canada cake and steve with dan-o and hugh pops

Steve and I were up early early (5:45) on Saturday and spent the weekend in Hamilton on the court with a few good groups of eager kids and a great crew of coaches (LP, Paul D., Cooper, Heather Bansley). We made up for Friday's late night and Saturday's early morning by being in bed at 7:30 on Saturday night, and it was ah-mazing. Amazing. Sunday was another full day of coaching followed by some Strongbow (on tap = the best), nachos and ideas (with LP) and an awesome night in Toronto with Dan and Milka. We ate at Terroni (salad, pizza, wine + panettone), breakfasted at Sud Forno (great coffee and fresh donuts - yes please), wandered, walked, shopped a bit, and then made for home. After a solid two and a half days away from the kids, heartstrings were getting tight, and it was so so good to get back to them and hear their sweet little voices and feel their arms around our bodies.

This weekend - time spent on the court and with Dan and Milka - gave me some food for thought, and here are a few things I want to / need to think about in the next little bit here:

1. What's the difference between panettone and pandoro? I need to make both (and eat both) and blog about it. Panetone project, coming up....

2. Do I stay in school through the summer? I was planning on it, but the summer is the time I can really be in the gym and develop as a coach, learn and be involved, and make some cash. There are so many opportunities with camps and teams (provincial, national), and I'm wondering if I'm crazy to pass up some chances to get better, and use my skills. I need to look at my school schedule and see if there's any way to do both and graduate in two years....

TWO days til Christmas! Shopping is done, there is food and bounty all around, and I'm with family. I sure am missing mine, but I'm thankful we're in Canada for the holidays - and for all the days!

family and good food - the best!

briefly...

What a low-show blog month for me, yayikes! Even though school has been over for almost two weeks now (for me), life seems busier than ever - Hendrik and school, Alana and who-knows-what, Christmas happenings, the trip to Palm Springs, life with two little kids... it's all just a whirlwind. The kids have been overtired, whiney, and demanding, and then polite and sweet and adorable - though it sure does seem like the undesirables have been in play more often than not. They're super into the Christmas thing, and are pretty excited that we! are! going! to Bowmanville tomorrow! We have some people looking after the house while we're gone, and our tree will stay up and happy, so our new home won't be a lonely one while we're gone. We were hoping to be packed and organized for an on-time departure tomorrow morning, so it's go time now - even though I just want to GO to bed. (Is this a recurring theme? Maybe I just need to blog in the morning and stop commenting on fatigue levels.) So, here are some pics, and next time I write we'll be closer to Christmas and closer to family!

alana's first appointment at the salon 

sugar cookies!

opening presents from shanti - the kids obviously loved their new shirts ")

wearing sunnies and reading stories to a dinosaur, of course

from hendrik's first school christmas concert: it was cute, a little long, and ended with cookies

from last week's trip to palm springs

Palm Springs!

yesterday's breakfast view... not bad!

Palm Springs! Was amazing. I'm not going to do a day by day breakdown of activities, but instead deliver the general goods on the what where when how why (mostly) of a fabulous few days of wedding venue shopping and spending time with one of my most favourite friends.

I flew down there on an Aeroplan ticket, so it was a four-airport three-flight kind of deal (something I'd get falsely excited about if I were flying with the kids), and it lasted all day (literally); I was up at 5:00, in the cab at 5:20, and flying at 6:30. Arrival time in Palmy was close to 6pm (9pm Eastern time), and this gave me plenty of time to finish a Flavia book (The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag), read a few magazines, and catch up on some emails and school stuff. Shanti met me at the airport, and a fun filled two days plus an evening began.... So, what'd we do?

We looked at wedding venues, wedding venues galore! We ate In N Out Burger (SO GOOD), went to an outlet mall - where I purchased new leggings and a new wallet (I'd had my old tatters one since 2008 - 'twas a gift from my good friend Tammy, and I just couldn't part with it!), we wined and we dined, and we made it to My Little Bridal Boutique for an hour of dress try-ons. Shanti's future mother-in-law Maggie was there as well, and it was great to see her too; the two of them were off yesterday to LA for full day of dress shopping while I partook in another epic trip from Palm Springs to LA to Chicago to London. The kids were up and at us early (as always), and for once I admit that despite being just a little bit tired / jet-lagged, I was happy to see them... there's no place like home!

eeeeeeeee!!

Eeeeeek! I have multiple reasons to squeal or squeak like an overly excited pre-teen... or like the giggly happy happy mamacita that I am, and here's why:

1. The semester is over! Classes just finished and all assignments are handed in and I have no exams. No exams! I finished the semester feeling way more confident than when I started, and I hope I can hang on to the studying/writing/school skills (that were somehow revived) over this upcoming break. Break starts NOW! and school starts again on January 12. I have lists of things to do, books to read, mini-projects to get to - so will stay busy... more on that later.

2. Palm-Spring-it-on-me! One of my very favourite people got engaged a month (or two?) ago, and is whittling down her wedding venue search next week in Palm Springs; come with! come with! she said, but airline tickets were (/are) expensive, and getting away from the kids and life here might be (/is) tricky. On a whim, I decided to look at Aeroplan, and availability didn't work. And then... and then! I'm sitting in class on Wednesday and get a text from Steve: check your email. So I do, and what's there? An itinerary to go to Palm Springs on Tuesday, returning Friday. I almost squealed! In class! I'm so excited! To see Shanti, to have a little vacay, enjoy some warm weather, free time, and step out of my mom shoes for four days. Yikes! I'll miss my little chickens (and my big chicken), but might enjoy the trip more. I have the best husband ever!!

3. Christmas! Is here. We have a fully decorated and eclectic, wonderful-smelling tree (decorated by the our famille and Liz, with new-from-neighbor ornaments), lights up on our house, stockings hung by the fire, Christmas goodies in the freezer, a beautiful advent calendar (made by my maman, a replica of the calendar we had when we were little - which brings back many a memory!), chilly weather and Christmas music. Watch out, it's getting festive!

Last night there was a program social - at a campus pub - and even though all I really wanted to do was sit on the couch and go to bed early (really!), I went, and it was fun (3 beers + late night + extremely whining (maybe teething) 2-year old + extremely recalcitrant 4-year old = me in my pyjamas at 6:36 and ready to go to bed now (8:08)). Plans for this evening include finishing this blog, reading a few magazines, blobbing in front of the TV and then finishing my book and going to bed. That sounds like a lot - maybe I should just see how it goes? First step, finish blog = done!

happy 4th!

happy birthday! a morning breakfast with balloons, cards, stuffed animals and smiles

Hendrik turned four a few days ago, and we had an amazing day - with breakfast balloons, cards, presents, dinosaur cookies at school, Grandparents B arriving, more presents, a pizza party (complete with friends!), a dinosaur cake, more presents (dinosaurs dinosaurs dinosaurs) and lots and lots of love. It was great! Great. I'll let the photos tell the story - after staying up way too late reading The Rosie Effect, I need an early night. More soon!

some of many presents he enjoyed, most of which were dino-themed :)

dinosaur tails and toothbrushes - hot ticked items both!

family shot aver cake - made by Grandma B... a masterpiece!

it was the best!!! having kiddies around for a kiddy party - a first for all of us

books and babes

Books! Everywhere!. There is quite the library-pile - some from Hendrik's school (five Magic Schoolbus books - his obsession du jour), some from the London Public Library (including two Angus books, a nice little pile of John Goodall's wordless flap-books, a few Nancy Carlson books (Harriet and the Garden - a gem!) and a few Toon books (A Trip to the Bottom of the World). Oh, and then there are the for-school books (which I should return), and the books on hold at the library. AK! But really - why not use the library? It's amaze! And the kids love it too - we could hardly pry them away from the kiddie section yesterday afternoon; there are trains and pop-up books, toys and more toys and books and more books (and stickers)... pa-ra-dise!

Que mas? I am trying out an overnight breakfast slow-cooker meal that involves oats, apples, cinnamon and brown sugar - and lovely aromas sweeping us out of bed in the morning (yes?). Life is good, busy - with coaching, school, family, food, errands... you know, the usual. I have less than two weeks of school left and just TWO assignments, both of which I have yet to begin in earnest. Hendrik turns FOUR (!!) on Friday, and we're planning on a little pizza party complete with lots of yummy food and a few friends. We're loving belonging to the Y-M-C-A up at Stoney Creek, and swimming is a hit with both kidlets, and both of them are making big progress (Hendrik puts his face in the water now which is a big deal for him, and Alana loves pool noodles and kicking herself around the shallow pool). Not much else to say a le moment, except that I need to get some work done and get to bed... some time.

making faces (this was the "funny" face)

the butterfly face (!?)

snuggles with maman

winter

Winter is here! A week ago we had a balmy 16-degree day - but not today my friends, not today. It was blustery and awful this morning, and lows were -10ish (I believe)... not nice. The kids were fairly unphased, and Hendrik dragged me out to play for at least 45 minutes. Alana joined, took of her mitts, and then cried her eyes out because I told her it was mitts or inside - cruel! How cruel of me, right? I'm not too sure what else to write about - school is keeping me up late at night, and the kids pile in our bed earlier than we'd like, though when it's to snuggle and read Burnt Toast on Davenport Street (and other new-from-the-library books by Tim Egan) I accept morning less begrudgingly. Here are a few pictures (from le camera) taken over the course of the past week.

playing school - with crowns 

someone is pumped about wearing hand-me-down dino jammies :)

playing in the backyard with our neighbour - i love it here! (and so do the kids)

daddy build, we paint!

love these two

zero degrees feels better - first snow day! (a few days ago)