Thanks, Columbus

Running secrets

This is that funny day of the year, where we are celebrating a long weekend both here and in Canada - one in honour of Christopher Columbus; the other in honour of giving thanks.  In the last couple of years we have quietly celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving over here on the Cape with a roast chicken dinner, but this weekend we didn't quite get around to it. This is not to say that we don't have mountains of things to be thankful for (which we do, of course!), but rather that there has been much afoot. Not least of which, there have been some preparations for one special little boy's 3rd birthday, which just happens to be tomorrow!  

We went all out for picture day - a woven New Brunswick-made tie and a tuxedo shirt!

LINDEN

Speaking of Linden, I have really been enjoying our Monday Mama-Linden days (and he loves them as well!) His preference is always to go for a bike-ride while I run behind him, and I am (usually) more than happy to acquiesce. He is still on his Strider, and he has mastered it to the point where he is completely comfortable bombing down hills, feet up on the foot rest, and he often rushes far ahead of me with no compunction.  Like everything else he does, I must simply try and keep him as safe as possible while holding back the urge to remove him and place him gingerly in a padded room.

On the go, complete with a self-packed snack in a mini-backpack

For anyone who hasn't seen him recently, I feel like Linden is truly a little kid now, rather than a toddler. He is (clearly), a human tornado, with more energy than his little body is able to contain. He is incredibly sweet and charming (especially to "older" ladies), super expressive (both verbally and physically), and hilarious. He also knows exactly how to be a little s*@#  when he feels like it.  He is marvellously talented at pushing buttons, and is able to shut down any ultimatums or warnings we throw at him.  For instance - "Linden, I've asked you four times nicely to stop doing that.  Do you want me to get mad at you?" To which Linden will smile smugly, and say "Yes. Get mad.  I want to see you get mad. Yell!" Sigh.

Stopping to "fix" his bike with a pretend wrench

Linden is able to fully express himself (at least to those of us who know exactly what he is saying), but has the rather adorable habit of adding and extra "es" to things in order to make them plural. "Trucks" becomes "trucks-es"; "treats" becomes "treats-es", and so on.  He also can not seem to master feminine and masculine pronouns - he/she or his/hers.  For instance, he is just as likely to ask "where is he?" when referring to Juniper as "where is she?"  I don't remember Juniper getting consistently confused like that, but perhaps she did.

Mini-dinosaur enjoys a snack at Spohr Gardens

Apart from his bike and his various trucks and trains, another of Linden's interests seems to be music. He has an incredibly strong sense of rhythm, and a remarkably good ear (at least for a three-year-old).  Besides successfully being able to carry a tune when singing, the other day, I found him playing "Twinkle Twinkle" on the piano, after having watched Juniper do it. I was floored.

Helping Clark with a project

JUNIPER
This week, Juniper had the day off on Friday, but Linden still had preschool.  This meant that we got to have a Mama-Juniper morning, which does not happen very often these days.  It was such fun! Much like her little brother, Juniper was keen to hop on her bike.  Being on a pedal bike, however, (and being two years older, of course), Juniper is able to go much farther distance-wise.  So we biked all the way to the village, with lots of fun stops in between.

Check out the size of this horseshoe crab molt!

I notice a big difference in Juniper since she turned 5, and started kindergarten. She just seems... older, I guess. Funny how that happens. So far, she LOVES school.  She seems to be thriving in that environment, which is wonderful. She is still suffering from cumulative exhaustion, however, which manifests itself in some extra-intense whininess. Whining is my kryptonite.  I just CAN NOT HANDLE IT.  So this is something we are "working" on. There is currently a button system in effect, which involves getting buttons as positive reinforcement.  Once she fills a little jar, she gets a prize.  We'll see how that works.

Apple break before the seal show in the Village

 Juniper is keen on any number of different things these days, but she especially interested in making books and trying to teach herself how to read. For instance, the other day, she tried spelling "going" by sounding it out, and came up with "gown".  When I told her what "gown" actually spelled, she decided to run with it, and has now produced about 4 different books about gowns, complete with drawings of people wearing different fancy dresses. How cute is that?

Improving wheel technique!

Juniper found a nice, fat caterpillar, named "Phoebe".  We're going to see if she builds a cocoon.

 And - that's about it! We have been enjoying the autumn, and all the awesomeness that comes with it. Yesterday we went on a gorgeous hike with some friends in Beebe woods, and I was reminded (once again), of how completely amazing it is to walk through the woods in the fall.  Even the kids recognize this, I think - on Saturday evening, for instance, after weathering a very rainy day, Clark suggested a movie night post-supper.  Juniper thought about this for a few moments, and then suggested: "how about instead, we go for a rainy nature walk?" Ummmm - OK! The magic of fall, for sure :)

One of the swans that hangs out in the pond by our house

Miguel, Linden and Juniper holding hands on the trail...

... and then stoping to do some "dirt writing"