just percolating...
We have a beautiful addition to our neighbourhood gang -- a new baby! In trying to explain to Max, who is 4, that his friend has a new baby sister, some questions arose. Yes, *those* kind of questions. Stella, our 10-year-old daughter, immediately jumped right into this and offered that he could borrow her book It's NOT the Stork. "Um, I'm not sure Max is ready for that book," I blurted out. You see, Stella is like a walking encyclopedia. … [Read more...]
Sometimes it feels like one should just throw in the towel when it comes to blogging. There is always someone funnier, more poignant, cooler, or quirkier. I've seen bloggers lament this before, and admit to their own feelings of inadequacies. But really, I can't be bothered with that. I spent most of my youth feeling insecure. So I'm totally over it (or drank it out of my system in university years. Whatever). I don't see my blog as … [Read more...]
This time last year, I had already completed two whirlwind trips to Toronto as well as a more lengthy stay in New York City, followed by a huge family dinner and celebration. Yep, remember Month of Me? I really lived it up, and enjoyed every minute of it. Last night, Hubby asked what I was going to do for my birthday this year. The answer? Not much. I've booked a vacation day off at work and I think I will sit around and blog and drink coffee … [Read more...]
No, I'm not talking about the Christmas decor slowly seeping into the malls ... I'm talking NOW. Autumn. Fall. And more specifically, October. It is THE most wonderful time of the year. I've always loved the Fall. As a child, this was easy to explain -- it is my birthday after all. As I got older, there was a birthday plus the family gathering of Canadian Thanksgiving. But there's also the crispness that comes in the air. That feeling of … [Read more...]
Today, Hubby is 40. Unlike moi, he does not seem to be suffering any kind of middle aged crisis requiring a month-long celebration nor any angst about aging. I think that means that he's perfectly content ... he's happy. And that makes me happy. Because I love him more than anything. So for this Friday's music video inspiration, I've picked The Cure's "Lovesong." The lyrics seem just right for the occasion, even if the video makes me wonder … [Read more...]
It's been a busy summer at our house. And it will culminate this weekend with a massive family gathering. Among the guests will be my father's two brothers -- all three boys, all in one spot! It doesn't happen often because one is in Ottawa, one is in Toronto, and one is overseas in Germany. Photo taken by my grandmother of her three boys. 1961. In fact, the last time I recall seeing all three brothers together was at my grandmother's … [Read more...]
We enjoyed our family vacation to the East Coast of Canada. The people were friendly, the seafood was amazing, and the coast line was beautiful. But my most fave thing of all was enjoying a glass of red on the dock and breathing in the fresh, salty sea air. If you're interested in visiting this area for your next vacation, I've shared our week's itinerary up over at Road Trips for Families. The Cottage at Hubbards Cove The Shore … [Read more...]
Stella is 10. Double digits. I don't know how I went from limping around with stitches in my va-jayjay a brand-new mother to one hosting a bunch of tree-climbing kids. It just happened with the blink of an eye. This year, she did not want a themed birthday party. She did not want decorations. She did not want cake (and opted by Pavlova instead). She did not want parent-led games or activities. But she still wanted a homemade … [Read more...]
My sister is leaving on a jet plane tomorrow. She and her husband are off overseas for a new international teaching gig. Two years. I'm sad. She's my little bottle of sunshine. But I'll smile for her. Love you, Megs. Live it up! Soak it all in. And Skype your sister lots. xox … [Read more...]
I don't want to shock you or anything, but I've expanded my cooking repertoire beyond Bananaberry Bomb muffins to now include a quinoa salad. That keen-noa, people. Don't make the same mistake as me and go around called it key-no-ah for at least a year before figuring out that you're pronouncing it all wrong! For a while, I've been trying to sway the household into eating quinoa instead of pasta and rice, but with only limited success. … [Read more...]
So in Part 1 of this post, I had just left you at when we'd crashed into a deep sleep in Truro. The big attraction for us in coming to this town in central Nova Scotia was to see the tidal bore -- a natural phenomenon that happens twice a day, where the tide sweeps in from the Bay of Fundy and forces the Salmon River to flow in the opposite direction. Apparently Truro is one of the only places in the world to witness this and Hubby was keen to … [Read more...]
So, my first attempt at creating a mountain slide of traffic to my blog by piggy-backing on the popularity of 50 Shades of Grey has been a total failure. But I'm not going to give up. No, siree! I'm no quitter. Today, I present you a photograph sent to me by one of my girlfriends. For Canada Day, her family had gathered up at the cottage to celebrate and hang out. Here, you can see a heart-warming image of cousin-ly love and children who are … [Read more...]
The weekend that was ... was all paint, all the time. We chose our new home specifically to avoid having to do any kind of renovations. We were tired of spending our time on them, and wanted to spend our free time on travelling. Or pretty much anything else really. Hubby loves to work with his hands, but the tedious work of painting and drywall -- not so much. But ... (you knew there was a "but" coming, right?) the peachy undertone of … [Read more...]
Stella has been growing her hair for about two years now. She has gorgeous hair -- capital G, gorgeous! It is really thick, with a nice wave in it. And you can see it's grown quite long now ... well past her shoulders. (If I could transplant some of it straight onto my head, trust me, I would!) But she hasn't been growing it long to enjoy it long; she's been growing it so that she can donate it for cancer patients who would prefer to wear … [Read more...]
Since we moved into our new home last summer, Hubby and I have been sleeping on a mattress on the floor. That's right, just like college kids. What happened was that when we moved in, my mother-in-law and step-father-in-law were visiting from Australia and we wanted to be sure they had a comfortable bed. So we moved our existing bed right into the guest room of our new home and it's been there ever since. That bed was actually created by hand … [Read more...]
Okay, so where were we? Ah, yes, I had rudely let the season three finale of Glee interrupt my story about my (lack of) bicycle. And since then I also let two children with fevers, a work project, and countless other errands get in the way too. Geez - where are my priorities?? Let's get back at this, shall we? I had walked away from the oh-so-cute retro bike with custom painting so that I could choose something more practical that fit … [Read more...]
Stella, who is almost 10 years old, and I have just returned from Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica, where we were invited to experience the resort. If you’re a parent and you travel to the Carribean during winter, then you’ve likely heard of Beaches Resorts. This chain of resorts is known for providing an above-and-beyond experience to families and their young children. But what about the “tween”? When your child is not a “little kid” nor are they a … [Read more...]
Stella, who is almost 10 years old, and I have just returned from Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica, where we were invited to experience the resort. This resort is all about providing a full family experience, so I am sharing Stella's journal -- spelling mistakes and all -- with you so that you can get an older child's perspective, not just an adult's. On Day 3, we had a really special experience because we left the resort and had a visit to a … [Read more...]
Stella, who is almost 10 years old, and I have just returned from Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica, where we were invited to experience the resort. If you’re a parent and you travel to the Carribean during winter, then you’ve likely heard of Beaches Resorts. This chain of resorts is known for providing an above-and-beyond experience to families and their young children. But what about the “tween”? When your child is not a “little kid” nor are they a … [Read more...]
Stella, who is almost 10 years old, and I have just returned from Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica, where we were invited to experience the resort. If you're a parent and you travel to the Carribean during winter, then you've likely heard of Beaches Resorts. This chain of resorts is known for providing an above-and-beyond experience to families and their young children. But what about the "tween"? When your child is not a "little kid" nor are they a … [Read more...]
Hello my lovely bloggy friends, Stella and I are now in Jamaica (my Jamaica 101 post)! We were invited to come and visit the Beaches Boscobel resort in Jamaica and it's actually our first "girls' trip" together. Beaches Resorts cater specifically to families, so we are here to experience the resort and its activities to the fullest. I will be telling you all about it ... but first, I want to tell you about the trip to get here. To fully … [Read more...]
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