Bonjour Quebec! Bonjour Bathroom!

Last weekend we decided to vacation for a few days in nearby Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. Only a little over an hour, and like a whole new country! We ate well, walked, browsed, and learned about the interesting history of a community with such a monstrous copper mine right in town.
The night before we headed to Rouyn, Cadence & I headed to the laundromat for a couple of loads--reno means no shower, and no laundry. While there we decided to call Drew & tell him about our adventures in laundryland.

Valentine's Dinner, northern Quebec style: greasy diner, poutine, clubhouse, light beer. Good times.


Last weekend at bunny rabbits, I (finally) got the camera out, but the batteries died after one picture. Only two more weeks, so we'll be sure to get some better ones...


Finally, we're renovating--here's the latest:
View from back door in through newly widened opening to living room (the washer & dryer are only temporarily located there...)


New floor, new shower...bad lighting doesn't do them justice. Tomorrow: finishing painting, then next week all the cabinetry & trim & finishing will begin!

Today was Cadence's day out of daycare, and Drew was going to take the day with him, but then we decided (rather spontaneously, which I'm very proud of) to all head to North Bay for the day. We went to Leon's (and I think we found our new sofa!!), Home Depot, and the railroad museum. Cadence was rather sad to leave. It was a great little museum...we're so starved for that kind of thing around here!

Last weekend, we went to KL for Gramma's birthday.

Cadence helped me make a cake shaped (sort of) like a fortune cookie, to go with our chinese takeout. It took some prompting, but finally everyone figured out what it was. Here is Cadence helping add a few extra candles at the last minute.


Cadence was very pleased with his own trickster thinking...here is Gramma opening up the can of chicken noodle soup that Cadence has me help wrap for her as a joke.


Making the cake had been tricky, and the first one first overflowed onto a cookie sheet below in the oven, then caving in. So we had all this extra cake that happened to look like something very un-cake-like. Drew demonstrated his own trickster tendencies by setting this scene up for Gramma & grampa to find (actually it was Cadence who found it & quickly sought out gramma). Poor Tofu was an unwitting accomplice. Gramma was less than impressed; Grampa thought it was great.

I should add that as each of them came to discover the "treasure", Drew proceeded to pick up a piece and take a bite of it before letting them in on the joke.


At the railroad museum: there was a great train that drove on tracks along the ceiling all through the building.




This is Drew demonstrating the velocipede, originally invented by a farmer who wanted a quicker way to walk to work along the tracks.


Stay tuned...family vacation to la province de Quebec this weekend!

Today was my day off with Cadence--love Wednesdays, as they don't have that weekend pressure to do weekend things--Wednesdays always feel like a bonus day, and so are just incredibly relaxing. We went to music class at the Early Years Centre this morning, then out for lunch next door with friends, and this afternoon made some yummy muffins for tomorrow's breakfast & some cast iron skillet pizzas. They were loaded with kale & feta, and were sooo good. I LOVE that I can feed home made pizza with spelt & flax dough & kale & feta to my family & it gets gobbled up.

Drew & Cadence are having a bath (Cadence is the one in the tub) and I thought I'd catch up...but we don't seem to have many pictures. oh well.

Another Wednesday activity--making donuts. I can't describe how amazing they were straight out of the oven. But then at dinner when I proudly served them for dessert, Drew (accurately) described them: "well, they're not quite donuts...more like bagel meets donut." We should have eaten them all straight out of the oven, because the rest made it to the compost pile.



Breaking trail in the back yard. Cadence seems to prefer to be the one to break trail, the one to pull the toboggan (empty), the one to push the stroller. Works for me!





We're anticipating the beginning of our small reno project at home to start next week, so have declared the floor to be fair game to anyone and anything. I believe Cadence is working away here on the longest railroad system EVER.

A lion, a cow, and a cowboy walk into a bar...

A friend who we visited for Hallowe'en just emailed me this picture

Yes...we're still here :)

My apologies for the long time since last posting--life's been...busy. But, I think the new year might be bringing us back into "normal" life, or rather, life that moves forward. Drew's finished a tremendous milestone at work and we're all incredibly proud of all the hard work that's gone into it (stay tuned...it'll be live online in the next few months). We've taken ownership of a new building and the daydreaming can start now, as we figure out what exactly to do with it (other than work, for Drew). Cadence is chatting right now with Auntie Mere on the computer; our first video chat which is very exciting. This Saturday we start x-country skiing as a family--Cadence will be taking the "bunny rabbit" class with one of us, while the other one of us has a good ski. We go every Saturday for 8 weeks I think, and are looking forward to getting out on a regular basis skiing. And, we've initiated a weekly/one-in-a-while family jam night downtown at the building which is super fun.

We haven't taken all that many pictures when we consider how much time has passed...but here's what we have. Happy New Year!!!

The vehicles went on parade one night as I cooked dinner.


Making Christmas granola


Drew & Cadence on the wagon with friends, just before heading across the farm to look for trees.



"Let's look over here!!"


Once we cut the tree down, we realized that it was a tad larger than we had originally thought. Drew did great dragging it from the bush & mounting it on the car, then subsequently paring down the trunk to fit in the stand. Good thin we're renovating the entryway to the house because all the door frames are scratched up from pulling the tree through. But it sure was a beaut!


"No, I don't want to go yet."


Taking pictures with his new digital camera from Grampa & Gammie.


Yay! Santa brought 4 new trains, and a train hospital!!! Cadence had a great time with his auntie Mere & uncle Neil over Christmas; they played trains non-stop. Really. Every day, Cadence gets out of bed solely to play trains. Meals are a constant negotiation, because, well, they don't involve playing trains. Same goes for heading outside to play, going to daycare, to a friend's, and of course bedtime. When we're not at home, and you'd think not playing trains, we roleplay Thomas. Cadence is ALWAYS Spencer. I'm usually Thomas, and Drew's Gordon. Tofu is often Henry, but sometimes Edward.


Who says 3 is too young for the Wii? No really, he's only played this one time. I, on the other hand, am now a boxing pro (well, I feel like one, but it tells me my "fitness age" is 63. hm.) After sooo much deliberation, I caved & brought the game into the house, hoping for some good clean family fun. So far, so good :)


Helping me couch shop--looking for boxing day sales. We didn't really find any.

Fall...(and apparently we've now jumped straight into winter)

Although we currently have a foot of snow on the ground, and have already been sliding, it's still supposed to be fall (especially since we still haven't celebrated Hallowe'en!)

The crazy times continue, with the loss of dear Grampa Ron, but we've done our best to have smiles and fun times as a family amidst the toughness.

In Toronto a few weeks ago for the funeral, of course we had to ride the subway. As much as possible. Destinations are a side point.

(this is Cadence practising balancing on the train; he did quite well hands-free too. A true commuter-in-training.)



...and play at the playground on the way to the subway. As much as possible.


...and play with family, as much as possible :)

Family baseball game in KL at Thanksgiving. Tofu wouldn't heed the rules of the game (i.e. leave the ball alone especially when the bat was swinging) so he had to be fastened to the dymond. Not pleased.



Beginning preparations for Hallowe'en: making and then hanging two ghosts outside. (They are now completely buried by snow.) Stay tuned for pumpkins & our wee little lion...

September

All this feels like it was AGES ago, likely because we're wearing t-shirts & it's sunny out in these pictures, but now we're wearing winter boots, hats & mittens. Boy oh boy.

Cadence and Drew did a great job washing the car, then he did us the favour of taking a pic of mom & dad


Hike one nice afternoon in the backyard




On our way to the fall fair, we stumbled on a corn booth fundraiser. Three cheers for street food other than cheeseburgers & poutine!


Watching the fair parade

Drew & Cadence went on the big slide. Super fun...can't wait til winter sliding season!!


Cadence & I rode on the strawberries; we were in with two other kids who were making it spin as fast as they possibly could and Cadence absolutely loved it.

Summer's back!

We've been to Toronto/Burlington and back, and summer has returned.

Now that we live in the north, hockey is a guaranteed part of life. Just because it's summer doesn't mean we go without...
Deck hockey, northern style.


Air hockey, just home from a yard sale. It's now up in a spare room & ready for tournaments.


After thinking about it for the longest time, we finally got to staining our deck. No small feat during such a wet summer, and for such a large deck. Cadence was a big helper.


One hot day, Cadence & I got out some water balloons. Good times. They weren't actually very filled, so lasted a long time. Fun for playing catch.


Another yard sale find: a two-wheeler bike, with pink training wheels (his favourite colour!). Just the right size. And he's surprisingly good on the hill, too!


Drew & Cadence enjoying day 1 in the finished sandbox. It's great! Big bench all around for a grown-up to even lie down after a day at work, while driving a dumptruck with one hand (not that I've actually tried that or anything).

!

Last weekend, Cadence and I did what we could to take in the best of Toronto. Which of course included a veggie dog, on Queen St. West. Watching the streetcars go by.


Uncle Steve accompanied us to the zoo, which was lots of fun. We all posed for pics in a nice wooded spot.






...and one more pic from Cadence:
"Mom and Dad"