January round-up

Or, at least, a round-up so far.  Strange January, just like last year.  No snow, weird temperatures... I figure, if it's going to be cold, we might as well have snow to play in!  Right?!

We've been busy, as always.  Chris has been away all week, so it's been the usual scurry here and there.  Life sure is easy with both of them at school though!  I get a lot more done these days, that's for sure.

Here's a few shots of the month so far.

Click "read more" to see all the other January photos.

Nooby fun!

Just returned from the land of nooby fun.  (nooby = New B., aka New Brunswick, for all you folk not hip enough to be a part of our family's cutting edge lingo).

It was a week of sun and bliss and marveling and relaxation.  Al and Jim have a pretty sweet set-up down there and we all enjoyed ourselves very, very much.

I took 836 photos of the trip, but here are just a few favourites:

Planning next year's trip already.  But who wants to drive the kids down this time!?  I think I'll fly...

Sun time

Just back from an amazing week in the Florida sun.  We (Sarah's family and mine) went to Little Gasparilla Island and rented houses on the beach.  It's a barrier island and you have to take a boat to get there.  There are no roads, stores, cars, or many people.  Perfect!  The weather cooperated and we had head and sun and great deals of fun. 

A true vacation on a small piece of undeveloped Florida.  Sigh.  When can we go back??

Happy naked kids, sandpipers, sandcastles, swimming, sunsets and glowsticks on the beach at night.  Perfecto!

Back to reality now.  Will enjoy this Family Day before real life hits tomorrow.

Mom-cation

My mom and I have just returned from a couple of days in the south.  Well, the south of Ontario anyway.

Last November, Sarah and I went for a weekend to visit David (my uncle) at his lovely home in Port Burwell.  I took my mom along this year, for a return trip, as she didn't have a pesky baby in tow.   Haha... sorry Sarah! Maybe next year!

If you've never been to that part of the world, you are surely missing something.   There are windmills and charming towns and millions of acres of farmland and miles of beach and Mennonites!

Yep, the ol' Lake Erie area has it all.  We had a great time and my three boys seemed to have fared okay without me.  (Although Chris looked like hell when I got home and wanted me to promise that I'd never leave again.  As if!)

Here are a couple of pictures from this year's adventure:

 Some Mennonites enjoying the low-tech fun of the lake.

Thanks!

I loooove Thanksgiving.  Great weather, great food and no pesky presents.  This year was an all-time weather, in terms of the summer-like conditions.

My insane children even went swimming.  Yes, it was warm out but believe me when I say that when I went into the water up to my ankles, it made my teeth hurt.  Freezing!

Lots of fun at the cottage, as usual.  Granny Barb, now 93, seems to be improving with age and made 5 glorious pies for dessert.  She's amazing.

Here are a few pictures.

 Kismet's joy was visible, audible and all-encompassing.  Also, she looks like a gargoyle.

 Not sure what Sam's thinking here.  Suggestions?

 Charley enjoys pumpkin pie with Great Granny B.  He ate 3 pieces.

 Sun spotted, 4 generation shot...

 ...with silliness.

Perfecto

Really, my American friends, you should consider joining us in our fabulous October tradition of thanks.  Spread out the joy between Thanksgiving and Christmas, would ya?

Lake O, woah!

This picture, taken on the Blackberry, doesn't even come close to capturing the beauty of the lake today.  The wind was up, it was a (seemingly) cool 25 degrees and the water was 7 shades of blue.  That makes me very, very happy.

Lake bonus

When you live next to a large body of water you get the benefit of shoreline.  The beach is the ultimate parent tool:  Kids frolic, while adults sit very, very still.  Beautiful.

Beach bound

Hit the beach today because:

1.  The weather was great.
2.  The early season dunes were still intact.  (Has something to do with dredging the harbour...)
3.  Beaches tire out children.

It was a California flash-back because it was a sunny, warm day, but there was a rolling, low-lying mist moving in from the water.  It made for some atmospheric shots.

Sam and seagulls. (He calls them 'eagles'.  Insult!)

The dunes, which are not properly represented in these shots, make for great climbing and sliding.

Christine escorts kids up the steep incline.  Or do they escort her??

And no day at the beach is complete without someone being buried in the sand.  Today's victim?  This wee doggy.

 Little help here?

No, we didn't know these people, but when Charley discovered that they left a hole for the tail, he almost bust a valve.  'Cuz, you know, that's funny, funny stuff.  That's him above, repeating "it's like a little palm tree" 500 times.  Nice way to meet new people.  

All in all, a good Sun-day.