Linaloo

Once in a lifetime

Yesterday's advent treat was a most likely once in a lifetime event.  The olympic torch has been making it's way through Montreal this week in preparation for the winter games in Vancouver next year, finally reaching our neck of the woods last night.   What a thrill to see it.  The children were very excited and proud to know that the torch bearer was someone who they had a connection to (the son of someone in our community).

Tommy, holding his own olympic torch:   
The children cracked open their money banks to buy some special red mittens to support the Canadian athletes.  Good job too. There's a snowstorm outside today.

Leaf peeping

In our local arboretum.  Our first visit since arrriving here more than three years ago.  We took a long afternoon stroll there with some friends today and tried out geocaching for the first time too. We found the hidden cache pretty easily and it added bit of extra drama to our adventure!

 

We've had a lovely long weekend (Thanksgiving here in Canada) which means a short week at work and school - yay!

Still here

Hello. Thanks for listening.  I'm back.  I've decided to stick around a bit longer as looking through my archives made me realise how many moments I've captured in the past two years that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.  So blogging without obligation continues! It's a beautiful sunny day in Montreal and I've been playing with some macro filters on my camera that my husband dug out from his university days.  There are lots of spiders about at the moment - perfect for macro photography.

    In other news, both my children are now at school. A kindy and a first grader.  I can't quite believe it.  The beginning of a new chapter in all of our lives.  These transitions always take a while I know so I'm letting myself adjust slowly and trying to enjoy the hour or so I'll have free between finsihing work and picking them up from school.

Enjoy your week!

Scorching

It's suddenly very hot here.  Feels like 38C with the humidity factor.  We're spending most of our spare time here: 

 

It's a hard life I know.  Be back soon.

Almost summer

 

I can feel it. The weather's hotting up, the pool opens tomorrow and school finishes next week.  We're planning a bit of camping and a whole lot of relaxing this summer.  After dinner tonight we compiled a family wish list for the holidays, here's what we came up with:

• Make lemonade and popsicles to sell in our own stand to passers by
• Learn to play tennis
• Eat s'mores around a campfire
• Go to the beach
• Have 13 picnics
• Swim every day
• Stay up late until midnight
• Go camping
• Learn to read
• Look at the night sky with one of Daddy's telescopes (um, he has 3)
• Have a pedicure
• Eat Boston cream pie in Boston on my birthday
• Play with my invisible pet roadrunner (of course!)
• Canoe
• Take lots of long bike rides
• Pick strawberries 

What's on your list?

Summer sewing - made by mama

 

My girlhood memories of summers in the seventies often feature homemade clothing. My mum was a good sewist who made my sister and I dresses, partly out of economic necessity but also because of the enjoyment and satisfaction gleaned from making something for a loved one from scratch. Perhaps this is why I have felt compelled to make a simple summer dress or skirt of some description every year for Ruby. (Tommy however is sadly neglected in the made by mama department for which I have yet to make amends).

As each summer passes I am acutely aware that this may be the last year she accepts my offerings, before casting them aside with embarrassment. I remember when I made my mum knit a sweater for me aged 13 and snubbing the final result, it must have broken her heart. But I accept that making our own choices about clothing is an inevitable part of growing up.

 

I'm usually ruthless when it comes to decluttering but I will treasure these little outfits, despite their amateur construction (several of them have required more than one mending session!).  This year's effort is a shirred sundress made using Erin’s tutorial. From a thrifted pillowcase (I think this kind of goes without saying) which could be best described as "Pacman meets apple circa 1982" I'm thinking.

A message to Daddy on his birthday

 

So fast

Seriously. Where is the time going? I'm soaking up my little family right now and all things crafty are on the backburner for the moment. We've suddenly hit a big period of growth, exactly the same time as last year, where I feel I need to stay focused on what's really important.  

Parenthood is full of suprises isn't it? Today, my up-until-very-recently-terrified-of-water son (yes, the one who cried his way through the last two courses of swimming lessons) swam.

Let go of the teacher and swam.

I couldn't believe it. He was so proud of himself. I cried.

Later on this evening, I found the two of them snuggled up in bed with Ruby reading a story to Tommy.  A chapter book that I thought was way beyond her reading ability. She was so excited "I can read it Mummy!".

Amazing how things suddenly click into place.

How can they be growing up so fast?

PS In case you're wondering, the picture is part of a human alphabet project we're working on - inspired by this and this.

I need a holiday!

What I miss about England.

Family and friends.
Long muddy walks in the country.
A proper Sunday roast made by my Mum.
Pubs.
Fish and chips.
Good telly.

We had a great trip back home, not relaxing in the slightest as we were way too busy trying to cram in visits to all our family and friends. Didn't manage to see everyone on the list, but had fun trying.

The downside is we're all exhausted but thankfully have a few more days left to recover before routine reigns once more!

Happy new year to you all!

Blah blah blah

We're all sick.