Our new home

I've had a few requests for pics of our new home (for the next 3 1/2 weeks, that it! Looking forward to the big trip & to sharing pics when we get back. All that's really missing is a name! Any suggestions?

The outside...there's also an awning that covers a large area here and the table from inside hooks onto the exterior as an outside counter.

Inside, are two double beds, some counter space, and a pump sink. Also two benches with a table for late night/rainy night card games. This also collapses into a third double bed. The previous owner lovingly sewed pink & blue curtains for the whole camper.


This one's for my dad: new wheels, new bearings :)

summer vacation part a

Dinner & a visit with Gramma & Grampa on the deck before we all went drumming a few weeks ago. Showing off cowboy hats.


The first big chapter of summer this year was the trip to visit Aunt Tracey & Uncle Brian, & cousins Hallie & Emillie. Cadence had a BlAST living on the beach from morning til night every day. We took our time on the way there, stopping at the Railway Museum & here we are at the Port Severn locks. We even got to see a boat go through!




When we finally arrived on day 2 of the trip, a week before Cadence's birthday, everyone had organized a surprise train-themed birthday party! We played pin (stick) the tail on the donkey, and I, not being clued in on the fact that I'm supposed to let a) the kids, and/or b) the birthday boy win, did my best to win the game. Oops.


Best cake ever...thankfully I don't think I'm expected to match this :)


Really, Cadence was sooo happy on the beach--playing boats, digging in the sand, trenches...the highlight I think was when his cousins' giant moat/fort started to wash away and so they decided to build a new one further inland, and offered C. their old one. He happily moved in.




Other highlights of the trip included: trip to the dinosaur mini-putt (totally run down & ratty, yet totally fun. Also the should-be-illegal zoo, that happened to have the best ever playground field full of every kids' amusement equipment you could possibly imagine (including a giant sandbox filled with nothing but toy construction vehicles). Here is Cadence on his way out the door with his packed lunch (we've been practising for school).

While there we celebrated Canada Day, with a full day on the beach & then good ol' games (full belly laugh hysterics with the 3-legged & pillowsack races....), dinner on the beach, then of course sparklers & my (and cadence's) first ever DIY fireworks! It was all really amazing. Happy Canada Day!!!

Weather's turned cold again, but that's ok...as long as it warms up & dries up in time for our several camping trips!

This boy is fierce for freezies.


Last weekend Drew took Cadence to Toronto for a family visit...I sadly stayed home, bored and lonely.

Three cheers for boys' weekend in Toronto! (and for poor, sad Amanda who was left all alone at home for the weekend)


Yep, he's a fan. Heck, now I'm a fan. Drew brought Cadence to the Eaton Centre (they went on FOUR subways!!) to check out the iPad.

Hangin' out with Uncle Steve at the Eaton Centre :)



Today was preschool graduation. I was completely skeptical before hand, but have to admit that it was pretty darn cute. I was even a little teary. Drew splurged on the photographer sitting too, so we're looking forward to seeing how those turn out.



Yet another self-portrait

Summer's here, and it's only MAY!!!

The weather has been incredible. Vegetables are already sprouting in the garden, the kiddie pool's already been well used. I've just finished mowing the lawn; it's incredible how hard it is to get it all (reminder: it's ALL on a hill). I'm pooped. So, to rest up before I head over & put a second coat of paint on a wall in the living room, I thought I'd post a few pictures. Today's my day off for the week, and C. is in daycare, so I've got a good chunk of time to get some stuff done!

It was so hot over the May long weekend...the best ever that any of us can remember. On Monday we brought dinner over to a friend's; they have a pool at their farm which we really enjoyed. We also enjoyed the sprinkler. I thought Cadence had never been through one (I'm too uptight with water usage to indulge in a sprinkler). But he knew all about them from daycare.


That morning, we had gotten the kiddie pool out (for the first time, because of previously mentioned uptightness re. water usage). I justified it in two ways: 1. saves on bath water later in the day/another day, and 2. saves my having to use the hose for garden watering during this heat wave. Cadence did have one bath in the pool outside the next day, but now it's full of dirt & grass so he kind of needs a bath after playing in it.

Here is Drew working to strip paint off an old chair (make you think of anyone?) while naked Cadence watches (he was waiting for the pool to warm up; water straight out of the hose was ridiculously cold.)


Last Saturday, Cadence got to go to a friend's birthday party, at McDonald's. It was his first time there and Drew was good enough to go with him so I could, well, avoid going to McDonald's, and also so I could get the vegetable garden planted. This is the first year that I planted it without Cadence's help, and I'm pretty excited to have some straight rows, properly spaced seeds, etc. Our McDonald's seems to have a big slide/tunnel thing inside, as well as a bunch of video games.




We borrowed Gramma & Grampa's telescope to try and do some stargazing. Drew & Cadence tried to set it up the other day, but got stuck. We still haven't figured it out...

Tofu & Jake: wanna go for a walk?

Summer!?!? well, it's still only May...

It's been a beautiful summer day...and Cadence fell asleep early enough, and I stayed awake! So, pictures!!

Two weeks ago, we finally found ourselves an old tent trailer, which we'll live out of for our 3-week vacation later this summer. One snowy day last weekend, Drew & Cadence went to open it up & check things out. Needs a little work, but we're all pretty excited about it.

Cadence's bed.

We're taking care of a friend's dog for a while, and he fits in nicely. It's like having 2 Tofus. I think Tofu's going to be sad when Jake goes home (I think Drew's going to be even sadder...he & Jake have gotten pretty tight).



Last Sunday, Mother's Day. We spent much of it outside; Drew built a bat box to amend for the poor creature we had to kill when we woke to it flying around our bedrooms last year (tested negative for rabies). We did a bunch of yard work, and enjoyed the sunshine.


Cadence enjoys bringing toys to daycare with him every day, usually stuffing his pockets full and telling me not to look. (I have told him that it's his choice what he brings, but that he's risking things breaking/getting lost, etc....so he really doesn't need to be hiding them...) Here he is with grampa's mail truck in his pocket. Unfortunately this one should have been better concealed, because the one rule is that he can only bring his own toys to daycare, in the even they break or get lost...and this mail truck is one of the vehicles he's taking care of for his grampa while he away in Texas. So no mail truck to daycare that day!


This week Cadence & Drew replaced the felts on the bottom of the chairs. I just learned going through the camera that Cadence did all the pre-sanding. Nice.


Weekend snuggles with Beavers the beaver.



We bought our fist canoe yesterday morning at a big sale, and tried it out for the first time this afternoon. We drove it downtown & launched from there, paddling up river for a while, then exploring a cow field (carefully dodging the electrified fence) only to discover the biggest beaver dam any of us has ever seen. Now the boat's at Drew's office, right by the river, so we can just carry it whenever we want to go for a paddle!

Note all the downed trees...I get why the farmers don't like them! (a bunch had fallen on top of the electric fence as well.)


Apres-paddle.

Still here... :)

Geepers, I can't believe how long i've left this! The snow is going away, and maybe this is it, but who knows...home reno coming to a close, and things going well. Watching a bit of the Cars movie as I catch up on the pictures from the camera....and realize that we haven't actually taken that many lately! Here's what I've found. Note to self to take more pictures!

We got our bikes out early, in between snowfalls. This picture's from a while ago, now. I call it "Tofu, mommie, and Cadence enjoying the exposed deck"


Auntie Mer came to visit over Easter; we all had a great time (the Easter bunny found us all here!!!) We trekked to Quebec one day, first to a cabane a sucre, then to a restaurant in notre dame. Of course, despite the ridiculous 25 degree weather, they were able to scrape together some snow or the maple syrup.

And of course, Cadence got it on himself...


and of course, he licked it off. :)




The last hut of the year

TNSC fun olympics