Sort-of-birthday weekend

Just to clarify, that's a 3-8, not an 8-3!

This past week, we continued the fall birthday extravaganza that happens every year in our family: on Thursday, both Clark and my sister Andrea officially became one year older.  Though there was not a whole lot we could do about Andrea's birthday (waaaaayyyyyy over on the west coast) the kids and I were all over Clark's "festivities".  Seeing as the birthday fell on a school/work night, this really meant that there was a lot of deep discussion about the intricacies of the cake.  Flavour, colour, theme, shape, candy embellishments... there were many ideas thrown around, and heavy contemplation in the bulk candy aisle.  

The end result was "ocean"-themed (in that the icing was blue, and Linden created a lego boat for the top), 3-tiered (because that is the kind of cake that Linden likes to draw, and therefore wanted a real-life one), had chocolate caramels and mini-peanut butter cups on top (I don't know the reasoning there), and had both chocolate AND vanilla layers (because no one could agree on one flavour).  It was huge, and a little lopsided, but everyone happily ate the results.  And may I add that I created the blue icing by using a home-made red cabbage dye, and that it WORKED? Here is a close-up:

I think that technically the candies are supposed to be animals and rocks sticking out of the water.

The other exciting mid-week event involved picture days at school.  I of course do not have the official pictures yet, but I did snap a shot of Linden before he went off. (Juniper's was the next day, and I didn't have time between doing her hair and solving pantyhose emergencies to capture her outfit before she bolted out the door).  That tucked shirt didn't even last until he got on the bus, and I'm sure his slicked-back hair was wild by the time he sat for the photographer, but look at this little guy!

Mr. Slick.

Now, in any reasonable scenario, this past weekend should have been an excuse to really celebrate Clark's birthday.  This was doubly true this year, as both my parents and my sister Faye arrived on Friday and Saturday, respectively (Faye because she had been at a wedding in Newfoundland, and my parents because this was the only opportunity they'd get to see Faye before she takes off again for Freetown next week):

Games in the front yard

Shenanigans in the living room

 Despite all the very good reasons to party and relax, however, Clark spent the weekend... working. As luck would have it, Clark's birthday just happened to coincide with the BIO expo - a huge event that only happens every five years.  Clark had not one, but TWO booths to prepare and tend to, and the turnout on both days was huge.  He was completely knackered by the end of it all.

The event, however, was amazing, and I doubt anyone would argue that it wasn't worth all the hard work that everyone put into it.  On Saturday, for instance, I texted Clark at around 3pm, to ask if he was done yet, and he replied: "It is insane. Technically the doors are supposed to be closing now, but there are still thousands of people here.  It's amazing!" Total nerd.

Clark and the kids at his "Arctic" booth

Of course, we all went to check it out.  On Clark's suggestion, we arrived just as the doors were opening on Sunday morning, which meant we got to check out the most popular exhibits before the queues became unmanageably long. (Except for Juniper, who went in with Clark a bit earlier to "help out" for awhile).  We also managed to time our arrival with Ruth and kids, so it was an especially fun adventure.  Here are some pics:

Young scientist in training

I told Linden to go pose with this guy, and had to reassure him 5 times that he wasn't real.  He was still trepidatious. 

Boats and exhibits everywhere!

Touch tank

Linden and Liam, contemplating life from the Coast Guard ship, the "Earl Grey"...

... and then posing by the anchor

"hmmmm... can I launch myself out of this hole?"

Group shot!  (Clark and Juniper found us just as we were getting off the ship)

One of the most popular (and smelly) exhibits - the dead, frozen sharks!

Some very posed drama in front of the shark.  Apparently this one fought for over 4 hours before it was finally captured.

Melany shows the kids one of gliders (this was Clark's other booth)

Linden, Liam and Zoë squeeze the pressure bottles...

... and then are amazed to see Clark, the celebrity, on the video being shown on the TV.

We had to go through a special parking lot to get to our car at the end (because Clark had parked in the staff lot), and Linden was thrilled to find this "ginormous" digger.

Being a goof-ball with Faye

 And that's it for this week! There are already some plans afoot for an adventure with Faye next weekend, so stay tuned.  See you next week!

Visiting and BioBlitzing

Part showboat, part eager naturalist.  Not sure of the split, percentage-wise.

I offer a wee little post today, with two main events.  The first was a short but sweet visit with our friend Simon, who was in Halifax oh-so-briefly for work.  We managed to hang out with him twice, which isn't bad!  Other than just being a super-fun guest, Simon came bearing gifts, such as an early birthday present for Linden: a "slime alien", that sticks momentarily to surfaces when thrown with enough force.  Naturally, this inspired more hilarity and hi-jinx than you'd ever think possible.

Simon films the slime alien in slo-mo...

... then the boys watch the results with rapt attention and enjoyment...

... then everyone eats popsicles to celebrate! Life is never dull when visiting with Simon.

The second group of photos comes from the BioBlitz events that were happening this past weekend. As the website states: "Immerse yourself in the wonders of nature and the joy of scientific discovery... become a “citizen scientist” and work alongside conservationists and specialists in a national inventory of Canadian species".  Sounds right up our alley, don't you think? This was a simultaneous country-wide event, though we (of course) took part in the Halifax-based activities.  If you follow that link I provided, you can find the four of us in a group shot from a Blue Mountain Birch Cove event!

Juniper, bio-blitzing hardcore. 

Though there was tonnes going on, we signed up for two guided walks:  a "trees" walk at Point Pleasant Park, and a "Fungus" walk at Blue Mountain Birch Cove.  I was too busy listening and learning to take pictures on the tree walk, and basically just spent the entire fungus walk wandering around with Juniper and taking pictures of... you guessed it... fungus.  We barely even listened to the guide, which was kind of the whole point.  It's just... it's such a fun treasure hunt to find mushrooms hidden in the forest, and then try to capture them!  I now have a mighty fine collection, let me assure you, which I'm certain you'll be subjected to very soon.  For instance, just look at this cute little specimen!

There are so many more to come. 

Anyway, besides the walks, there were also interactive/information booths set up, where we came away with a bunch of swag, mostly in the form of informative nature posters.  These are now displayed prominently throughout the house.  Come visit, and learn all about various different plant and animal species! 

Juniper poses with an owl (meant to pretend it is there in real life, of course!)...

... and Linden with a little fox.  Tell me you don't see the similarities!

Learning about scat.  Enthralling, as you can see.

Clark and Linden went on their own adventure while Juniper and I immersed ourselves in fungus.

Finally, two random shots to close: 

Juniper has decided she wants to properly learn how to type.  Why?  She is going to revive juniperandlinden.org into her own personal blog space.  Watch out, world! We'll keep you posted.

Blue jay in the back yard.

See you next week!

The post-summer catch-up

Family photo, in the magical Windhorse forest

Ahhhhhh, fall. Technically, of course, it is still summer. But with the crisp, cool air, the first day of school now passed, and the delicious fresh apples being sold at the market, I doubt that there are many people still trying to fool themselves into believing that fall has not firmly landed.  I, for one, welcome it with the same open arms that I do every year.  I LOVE this season, above all others. Not the entirety of fall, perhaps, but this shoulder season -- the small window that lands between the heat of summer and the dark cold of impending winter. It is a glorious time of year, which lends itself to adventures and inspiration and new beginnings.

Hiking (with a clip-on camera and a handbag, of all things)

Now that we have fully documented the various acts of our summer shenanigans, I offer up glimpses into the ways in which we have been filling our days since then.  This may be the first Monday of a fall new routine, but there was much goodness that happened in the lead up to this inevitable day. Take a peek, why don't you?

Uniacke Estate

When I called Kerry the other day to see if she and the boys would be up for an adventure, she suggested meeting up at Uniacke Estate Museum Park.  As the website boasts: "Uniacke Estate Museum Park is part of what was the expansive country estate of Attorney-General Richard John Uniacke (1753-1830). Built between 1813 and 1815, the grand country house is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in Canada. The estate offers visitors a vivid glimpse of life in the early 1800s among Nova Scotia's gentry."  Pretty cool, right?   The appeal on this particular day, however, was not actually the country house, but rather the lovely forest trails that surrounded the property -- a place where the kids could run around and explore, while Kerry and I got a chance to catch up.  It was a SUPER idea. 

All five kids, so grown up! 

"Hey boys - can you smile nicely for me?" 

Yup.  They got along famously.  Meanwhile, Juniper stayed back to chat with the girls. Of course.

A less shadowy picture of the four big kids.  Juniper and Patrick were born mere days apart, as were Linden and Ewan.   

 After a thorough hike and some lunch, Kerry and crew headed out, while the kids and I decided to explore the actual museum.  Juniper was especially keen, as she was the only one who had been there before (on a school field trip), and was therefore the expert.  She LOVES being the expert.  Plus, we are one of those families that just all really enjoy a good museum (especially when there are treasure hunts and prizes thrown into the mix)

One of the big, beautiful bedrooms.  I would totally live here, chamber pots and all!

I just thought this little astronomy display was cool.

Ross Farm

Really, this caption should read "Eva and Sylvie's 7th Birthday", but I sadly have no photos to back up that heading.  You see, the weekend before last, we were invited to the twins' big birthday bash in Lunenburg, to the general excitement of all. Seeing as the party didn't start until 4pm, however, we decided to make a day of it, hitting up the always enjoyable Ross Farm Museum along the way. Again, according to the website: "At Ross Farm Museum step back in time and experience life as it once was in rural Nova Scotia. Using heritage skills, animals and tools we continue to operate the farm of Captain William Ross who settled in New Ross in 1816 with his family, and 172 disbanded soldiers." We've all been before, and will happily go many times more - it is a thoroughly enjoyable way to put in a day.

Anyway, the day before the party, I started to get a pretty terrible sore throat.  By the time Saturday actually hit, I was not fit for an adventure of any kind (other than sitting on the couch and feeling sorry for myself).  The result?  Clark and the kids had a rocking good time at both Ross Farm AND at Sylvie and Eva's party, but Clark came away with only two photos:

Practicing letters with a quill, which was THRILLING to Juniper

Linden was into it as well, but not with the same enthusiasm as our little Harry Potter devotee

Ah well.  I suppose you'll just have to imagine the rest. Such is the reality of a day without the family photographer tagging along.

Hikes, hikes and more hikes

If there's one thing we like even more than a good museum, it is some time in the woods.  Luckily for us, Nova Scotia has a seemingly never-ending supply of amazing trails and outdoor adventures. Though we often return to our favourites, we are (somewhat miraculously) also able to continuously find and explore new places.  It is truly one of the best parts of living here.

Stopping for a snack on a new-to-us trail in Bedford.  Notice the brand new patches on Linden's jeans, already full of grass stains, with a new hole poking out over the top.

Oh!  Perhaps this is why he wears through his clothes at lightening speed.

But... when you're this cute, you get away with WAY more than you should.

The day before school started, we journeyed to the spectacular Windhorse Farm trails, for some soul replenishment/nourishment

Though that might sound over-the-top, this is truly one of the most magical spots I know.

We even did some semi-successful family meditation for a few minutes! (this is the pre-sitting set-up and explanation)

I honestly mostly took photos of the GLORIOUS fungus , but did snap a few other shots...

... and got us posed for some family photos as well (including the title photo of this post)

And of course, we visited beautiful Cody

Close-up of my fabulous 8-year-old (8!?) and her missing front teeth

Another new trail to us - this one by Bayer's Lake.  The kids fought and fought about who got to be the leader....

... until the path got wider, and then they happily joined hands, and went on their merry way. Such a puzzle, these two.

First day of school!

This year marked the beginning of grade 3 for Juniper, and grade 1 for Linden.  Both kids felt like pretty big stuff, heading to their respective first days -- Linden is no longer in the youngest grade, and Juniper is now able to choose which playground she wants to go to at recess and lunch.  Big milestones, to be sure :) For me, it is just thrilling that they are returning to the same school they went to last year.  With all our ridiculous amount of moving, this is the first time that has happened, if you can believe it.

Trying (not super successfully), to get an "outdoorsy" shot without actually going outdoors (it was WILD wind and rain that morning)

The excitement was palpable!

Waiting for the bus, undeterred by the weather

Hodgepodge:

Finally, a few random shots from here and there that I thought deserved to be thrown in:

This is Juniper, composing her blog post from a couple of weeks ago.  She's actually super pumped, and wants to continue. Stay tuned!

A close-up of the two missing front teeth, which both came out on the same day!  This resulted in pay-dirt from the tooth fairy.

Though I look pathetic (wrapped in blankets, with a whole box of tissue beside me and a throat lozenge in my mouth), I still love this photo.  Juniper and I reading the final chapters of the 7th Harry Potter, while Linden, not wanting to be excluded, plays with an inchworm in the foreground.

To close, here is the result of some careful time and effort Clark and Linden put into a domino course at the Alderney Library this past weekend.  See you next week!