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!