He clearly owns this beach, baby.
Bon Bonbon September 1, 2007
“It was a major award. I won it.”
I blog, I bake, people from Europe send me chocolate.
This time it was from Paris, and it was a big box.
Baz loved it.
N’est pas?
Bug Watching August 30, 2007
You’ve got summer. You’ve got kids. You’ll find bugs.
They’re everywhere so you might as well find the ones you can enjoy. That’s what we did and as luck would have it we found a cecada too!
A little lesson for both me and the kids but these fascinating bugs that we usually refer to as “electricity bugs” buzz in the heat of the hottest summer days reaching up to 100db just in order to find a girlfriend.
Yes, that’s my thumb. I was the brave one to pick up the giant, gentle and amazing insect. How amazing to think that this thing on my thumb is older than my toddler. With a little investigation, we realised that some cicadas live underground for years, only emerging in 13 or 17 YEAR cycles.
I kept the bug as long as it took to find a tree and for it to get comfortable to start moving. By then we were right beside our neighbours beautiful garden.
Spot the Monarch Butterfly, Baz did.
There have been a ton of monarchs this summer. The kids have loved watching them, occasionally up to six at a time fluttering over the same plant.
Onward and up, the sunflower’s at Ben’s house. I don’t think this bee moved from this perfect one the whole time we were there.
Did I mention I was very happy they discovered the flying variety of insects? Perhaps they inherited my dislike for the creepy crawly variety. All in all it was so fun and they really enjoy being outside.
Believe It! August 14, 2007
Yes folks, for those who know my boy, that IS cauliflower he is shoveling inward.
Hard to comprehend, I know.
Summer’s Almost Gone August 6, 2007
It’s half over and what a whirlwind this summer has been. A lot of time’s been spent keeping busy and keeping cool. All of that has made me realise how it’s zipped by it almost a blink of an eye.
Madeleine will be off to school again in a few weeks. It’ll be her last year of half days, Boy she’s grown up so fast! Contrary to past summers, I’m starting to get clingy. I don’t want her to go back, I really do miss her already! There are so many things to do this summer and I want to be sure to cram them all in – without hogging her all to myself.
We went camping last weekend. Crazy as it seems, it was our first trip in a tent as a family. The kids absolutely loved it and we’ve already planned on another adventure before the season turns too chilly. Sure we had help. Loaners of good gear and friends who really know how to rough it, was almost as good of an aid as their kids. I’ve never seen the five and under crowd so vibrant. These kids were on the go, running laps around the tents until the sun went down only to sit by lantern light to draw up a craft on firewood.
Just as they sucked every minute of the day that weekend, I’m planning on doing the same this summer. My kids are FUN! They want to do great things and they see it with such excitement I can’t help but enjoy and thank them for transporting me a bit of my long lost childhood again.
August here we come!
It’s In the Bag. July 12, 2007
A couple of summers back, I noticed the coolest contraption. Geographically challenged enough not to justify the shipping costs, I thought I had a great idea to make up for it.
After about two clicks worth of investigation, my ego may have been popped but I was still able to learn a thing or two about making some back yard ice cream in a bag.
Two sealable bags or a coffee tin with a lid along with some rock salt sprinkled ice is all that is needed. Add to that the essential cream and you’ve got a fun back yard treat!
Opting for the double bag option, 1 medium and 1 large Ziploc, I went low fat and combined 1 Cup of 2% milk, 3 Tablespoons of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla. I poured everything into the medium bag and zipped it up tight. Packing it into the large bag, I surrounded it with ice and about 4 Tablespoons of salt. Easy.
I though I’d show off my crafty skills as Mad hosted an outdoor play date. The girls helped to measure and pour but, as expected it was me shaking the bag maniacally as the girls grazed by the Mr. Turtle pool forgetting about the treat ahead of them.
Being my first time, I didn’t dare build up the expectation but I did end up with the great pay off with the response to my “who wants ice cream?” call.
I wasn’t like store bought, but it was still a cold, creamy and sweet success.
Globing Hearts July 3, 2007
We spent some of our Canada Day long weekend out at Grandma and Grandpa’s.
Of course, Mad spent more, she’s the resident resident, we are the chauffeurs:)
Mad was pretty excited to be there and about Canada Day. After receiving her first end of year report card I may know why since hearing how much she enjoys singing our national anthem in both English and French.
“…we stand on cars for thee.
With globing hearts, we seething rise,
the True North strong and free…”
How thrilled she was to get to belt it out at the local fireworks display.
Island Living June 27, 2007
We couldn’t have been more thrilled to be heading back out to the Island.
Mad Spent two years commuting the daily ferry to get to school. There was something about being removed from the city. It was almost like traveling back in time of our own childhoods of exploring and walking to school without the persistence of the city’s hustle and bustle.
The island is quiet and calm. The only sounds come from the nature that surrounds the school and a trip on the summer solstice is a perfect example.
We headed out for the summer celebrations and year end graduation. It was utterly amazing to see Mad and her friends so grown up. Mad was the size of Baz when she started and now she and her friends are real kids.
Surprisingly, only a fraction of the children that attend the school actually live on the island but the entire group is family all the same. Next year most of the kids of Mad’s group will disperse throughout the city with the promise of staying in touch. I’m sure we will all try our best.
God, they grow up fast.
Sticky June 25, 2007
Coming back from the local fair, Baz had his first taste of cotton candy. Probably being hereditary, as I LOVE the stuff, Baz began to look like a baby bird as his tongue began to match the colour of his blue eyes.
Once he was done, he kept his hands up for the remainder of the walk home. I knew they were sticky but I’m guessing he was pretty clear about it too since the first thing out of his mouth when we opened the door was:
“No touch the CAT.”
