Early Spring Offerings

A short but sweet visit with my brother Michael!

It may be overcast as I write this, but the birds are chirping and flying about in the our backyard, Linden's garlic is poking out of his garden box, daffodils and tulips are just about bursting forth, and the forsythia buds have popped. All this is enough to finally celebrate the fact that we have well and truly been offered a taste of spring these last two weeks.  Of course, there are some places that have been given a bit of a spring overload -- for anyone curious, google my home town of Fredericton, NB, and you're sure to find countless videos and pictures of the crazy flooding that's happening there right now.

The after school vibe has clearly shifted

Despite this past rainy weekend, however, we remain dry over here in Halifax (or Dartmouth, as the case may be), and grateful for the chance to enjoy some outdoor time with sun hats and long-sleeved shirts (and whenever Linden can get away with it, shorts and t-shirts).  So far, there has been a massive amount of bike-riding and yard-clearing and garden-prep, and it's all still such a novelty that everyone is still very enthusiastic and willing to chip in.  For instance:

My two volunteer branch-breakers. There were seemingly endless fallen branches around the yard, which needed to be broken into manageable pieces and then neatly bundled.  

Linden, taking his yard duties seriously.  He actually exclaimed more than once how much he LOVED yard work.  No joke.

Helping turn over the grass compost

The other event of note from the past two weeks was a visit from my brother Michael! He is currently here for a conference, and was able to sneak out last night for a couple of hours to come hang with us and see the house.  The kids, of course, were thrilled.

Nice picture...

... silly picture!

Juniper took this one.

 And finally, I leave you with Linden's most recent Lego movie spectacular.  It is a classic cop and robber stop-motion animation, and he was pretty pleased with himself when he saw the results.  We still didn't manage to add a soundtrack, but perhaps that should be the goal for next time.

Behind the scenes: Clark and Linden set up for the big shoot

See you next time!

Two hikes

Chickadee joy

It may not be all warmth and sun and flowers, but we have decided to embrace whatever hints of spring we're given around here these days. Mostly, that has meant layering on a few more clothes than one would hope for in mid-April, and hitting up some trails.  Today I have pictures from two outings: one spontaneous afternoon hike around Shubie Park (which is very close to our house), and then a much more ambitious outing to Crowbar Lake.

Shubie Park

The Shubie Park outing happened on a relativy random Thursday afternoon - the kids came home from school as usual, and did their usual things (got a snack, buried their nose in a book or got out some lego, respectively):

Sporting a sweater that I bought from the WOMEN'S section at Winners.  She's getting old! 

And then who shows up a few minutes later, but Clark!  BIO had closed down due to a water pipe incident or some such, so I just looked at everybody, and said "it's a gorgeous day, let's go for  walk in the woods!"  I would love to paint a picture of the kids jumping up exuberantly, giving each other high-fives, and rushing to get on their outdoor gear, but sadly this was not the case.  They had both, it would seem, become a little too invested in their post-school relaxation routines. After some whining and bad attitudes and literally strong-arming them out the door, however, we were off.  The compromise - they were both allowed to bring ninja forest training gear with them.  For Linden, this was his precious wooden sword and the sheath I made for him, for Juniper it was the sword and shield from last Hallowe'en, paired with a makeshift sheath.

Forest Ninjas!

Despite the initial reluctance to go, they had a WHALE of a time.  They would run ahead, dart off the trail and through the forest whenever they had the chance, and took advantage of whatever nature-ready obstacle courses or training grounds presented themselves.

Log balancing

Guard duty

 Whenever we caught up with them or crossed paths, I would catch snippets of the make-believe world they were currently inhabiting.  It involved monsters and portals and warriors, and all sorts of magnificent other things that made me a *little* bit jealous that I wasn't a part of it (or at the very least sad that I hadn't been able to catch more of it and use it as fodder for a kick-ass YA Fantasy book!).  AND, as the title picture reveals, they even both managed to get a chickadee to feed out of their hand.  A magical impromptu outing, indeed! 

These poor, cold fluffed up cedar waxwings are also trying to make the best of the uninspiring April weather

Crowbar Lake

The second hike we undertook was a much more carefully planned (and ambitious) outing.  Linden showed up last week with Simon the Sock Monkey (or, more accurately, Simon Le Singe -  Linden is very quick to correct you if you don't pronounce "Simon" with a heavy French inflection). Each child in Linden's class gets Simon for a week, and crafts a story (complete with photographs), to bring back and present to the class.  It is pretty much exactly the same exercise as Linden had in Junior Preschool, back in Kanata, with Ziggy the Zebra (Ziggy Blog Post).  Naturally, Linden wanted Simon's adventure to be a hike.

Dressed in a doll jacket of Juniper's and a very quickly sewn backpack, Ziggy prepares for his adventure

After much consultation, it was agreed that Crowbar Lake was the destination of choice.  We dressed Simon in appropriate hiking attire (as the picture above reveals), and made sure to prepare for a full-day adventure. This included the proper gear (obviously), trail lunch and snacks, and even the camp stove so as to make hot-chocolate at some mid-way point. 

At the trailhead. Simon is perched on top of the sign.

I almost, ALMOST stayed behind. Besides knowing that Crowbar is a little bit steep and technical for this increasingly large belly and reduced lung capacity, I am also currently battling a super aggressive, deep-lung hacking cough.  But... I missed Crowbar the last time Clark and the kids went (that was in the fall when when I was newly pregnant and oh-so-very miserable), and figured I could always just lumber slowly behind everyone if need be.  So off we went!  Here are some shots from the adventure:

Linden faithfully carried Simon the whole way there and back...

... even though he also needed to be carried over some particularly deep water!

Simon, super chill despite some patches of snow still scattered here and there

It was all smiles, all the time.  Linden kept exclaiming what a good time Simon was having.

Simon takes a rest by a tiny picturesque waterfall

Group shot!

Most of the time, the kids were far enough ahead that I could only catch glimpses.  They really are an adventure-loving duo.

Simon valiantly scales a boulder. Check out his backpack.  He carried a toy mushroom, a tiny pencil, and a hand-made field book with him at all times 

Lunch break...

... for everyone!

Due to Clark's super-keen eyesight, we stumbled across a Geo Cache! The kids were pretty pumped.

There was a whole lot of this kind of thing that needed to be forded.  Though Clark carried the kids over that first obstacle, after that, everyone just got wet and muddy. I suppose you could argue that is the mark of a proper hike!

I just thought they looked super cute sitting like this.  This was our turn-around point.

Simon was in charge of the hot chocolate

Family photo!  I almost didn't include this, as I feel very strongly that I look like a fat man (rather than a pregnant woman), but it's' important to get over one's self, non? 

Nestled with the Caribou Moss (or what I assume to be Caribou Moss)

A boy and his monkey 

And that's it! In the end, the kids were super champs - not one word of complaint the whole time we were gone (which was a round trip of a little over 5 hours, over VERY steep, rocky, muddy terrain).  I cannot claim the same.  My initial intuition was correct - it was just a little too much for me in my current state.  In particular, I thought my lungs would surely collapse, and my pelvis would crack in two by the end.  But on a trail that beautiful, the trade-off is that you come home with a replenished soul.  Really and truly.  So I'm glad, the end, that I weathered through it.  Maybe next time I'll just turn around a bit sooner!

Long Weekend Shenanigans

We found a "new" spot in Point Pleasant Park!

Seeing as the past weekend was our four-day Easter Break, this post is almost entirely a mini-chronicle of our long weekend adventures.  We stayed put (having just had a big "away" adventure over March break), and I think everyone would whole-heartedly agree that it was a lot of fun.

Before I get into that, however, let my post these three relatively random shots from the week leading up to Easter Break.  The first is from last Saturday, when Clark and the kids went to down to meet Melany and the Coat Guard Ship, who had just returned from rescuing a stranded glider.  Naturally, the kids were keen to help.

Towing the glider to safety.  Linden even managed to score a hard hat for the exercise.

These second and third shots are from a day of school last week when Juniper decided to loan Linden one of her frilly, lacy fashion vests so that they could be twins.  He readily agreed, and happily rocked that vest all day long. He smugly confided when he got home that he had been stopped more than once by teachers who complimented him on his fashion sense.

Fashion forward, in matching vests

After school that day, Juniper hosted a tea party on the front stoop. Mint tea with options of milk and sugar, with mini rice cakes to snack on. Liam was the only one truly interested in partaking.

And now, to the main event.  Clark and I had not hammered out any specific plans for the weekend, other than trying to get outside as much as possible, and carrying out all the regular Easter morning traditions.  It was just as well, as Juniper had (naturally) created an agenda for the whole family.  Friday was to be - wait for it - health and fitness day.  Other than eating healthily (ie, limiting sugar and having a nice array of vegetables throughout the day), Juniper had detailed an entire morning agenda, down to timed breaks, that included a workout routine for her and Linden.  

First up?  Calesthetics, of course.

Here, they take turns coaching each other through sit-ups.

Second (after a 10-minute water break), was the stretching/yoga portion of the morning.  They each got to lead the other person in their own poses, and then had free-time to individually work out whatever kinks they wanted.

Mutli-tasking stretch

Boat pose

Some otherwise unknown pose I shall dub the Linden Special

Third up (after water break #2): meditation! How cool is that? For the record, neither clark nor I had any input or intervention during this whole thing.  Now, to be fair, most of the "meditation" time was spent with Juniper telling Linden, in a super-annoyed tone, to sit still and be quiet.  But there were moments, such as the one below, where there was at least a little bit of sustained stillness.

 

Ohmmmmm

After indoor fitness, the next activity on the agenda was a romp in the park.  Linden was especially keen for this portion, as it involved biking there, and then undertaking a number of monkey-bar related "training" exercises, combined with using the "adult" work-out equipment that they have at the park closest to our house.  

Ready to go!

Though it was with big smiles and eager spirits that Clark and the kids set off for the park, they returned post-haste, due to miserable weather.  It was very chilly and windy, which, when combined with a steady, persistent nasty misty rain, made everyone cold and crabby.  Clark spent the first 10 minutes of their return home just trying to warm up his frozen fingers, and Juniper decided the  day-long sugar ban would have to be lifted for hot chocolate.  Then... fitness day devolved into trying-to-stave-off-cabin-fever day.  But it was pretty golden while it lasted!

The kids spent the rest of the day playing and reading (and annoying each other), I think I had a bit of a nap (as I am wont to do more and more these days as I get bigger and more exhausted), and Clark took the opportunity to continue working on Linden's soon-to-be new bedroom.  We are changing the tiny little downstairs office space into a bedroom (so as to use Linden's current room as a nursery), which means: 

a) getting a Captain's Bed to maximize space efficiency - a project that took awhile to assemble, but is currently in place and ready to go.

b) Putting up a new wall and door, as the room was previously just open to the hall.  This, of course, is a much more involved project, which Clark has rather heroically been teaching himself how to do and then tackling on his own. Though this is a relatively uninspired picture, here you can see the progress he has made so far: the wall has been framed and dry-walled, and the pocket door has been put in place.  Pretty impressive, eh?  It is now in the process of being spackled, and then everything will get a fresh coat of paint, and then we can move Linden in!

Putting in the door jams

The next day (Saturday) was sunny and dry, so we headed out nice and early for a day of adventuring.  First up was a trip to the Halifax Library for a community video and talk about the Water Protectors working to stop Alton Gas from damaging waterways in Nova Scotia.  We had a lovely few hours there, learning about this important issue, then enjoying the library itself for awhile (if you have never been, the new Main Halifax Library is truly a sight to behold), which included extended lego play, a super-yummy lunch at the cafe, and Juniper finding a book she's been trying to take out for months.

Then, after some time at the Halifax Farmer's Market, we made our way to Point Pleasant Park for a hike.  This was especially enjoyable, as we stumbled across a tucked-away portion of the park we'd never been to before (?!), which was full of big erratic boulders and mini-cliffs, which, if you were not aware, is perfect training ground for would-be "forest ninjas".  Linden is in charge of this specialized ninja program, and he and Juniper had unlimited access to a pretty sweet training ground. 

It was all very fun while it lasted, but was cut short when both kids realized they needed to poop RIGHT AWAY.  So... it was back to the market (with its nice washrooms), and then home to relax before supper. Even this was exciting, though, as we were ordering Subway (the kids' choice) and watching a movie and then having ice cream for dessert, all in celebration of good report cards. Linden loudly proclaimed multiple times throughout the day that the whole day was SO MUCH FUN.  As he exclaimed, "I LOVE Easter Break!"

Linden way off in the distance: follow the (ninja training) leader!

Resting on one of the many rocks, no doubt talking strategy and technique

Many may not be aware, but forest ninjas must also work on their nature sketching/journalling skills

The fierce ninja trainer

The next day (Sunday) was, of course, Easter proper. The morning got off to a surprisingly slow start, as Juniper slept in until 8:00 am! This might sound relaxing, but rest assured that Clark and I had a mighty challenging hour or so wherein we tried desperately to keep Linden occupied (ie, "snuggling" in bed with us) while we waited for Juniper to wake up.  Anyway, when she finally arose, the adventures began.  First up? Checking out their new Easter swag, searching for eggs, and enjoying some breakfast waffles.

New stuff!

Spoils of the Easter Egg hunt

I believe this is truly the most enjoyable part of the Easter morning for Juniper: sorting the eggs by type and colour, and then distributing them into four equal piles.  This says something about her personality, I reckon.

I almost didn't include this super stellar shot, but it shows waffle breakfast, complete with our lovely neighbour Liam, who happened to ring the doorbell just in time to get in on some waffle action.

The rest of the day was also filled with various fun activities, which included painting on some brand-new Easter canvasses (Linden: "Whoa, these canvases are huge!  Way bigger and nicer than anything you'd get us!"), followed by yet ANOTHER Easter egg hunt, this one hosted by Ruth and crew across the street, and involved outdoor hunting. 

Creating some works of art

There's something so pretty and satisfying about an outdoor egg hunt!

The whole crew: Linden, Juniper, Zoë, Liam, and little Ruby. Is it possible to have everyone look at the camera at the same time?  Clearly not.

Finally, after all was said and done, we finally cracked open a game we have been wanting to try out ever since my sister Faye gave it to us for Christmas: Ticket to Ride. Oh my goodness, it was SO MUCH FUN.  Everyone LOVED it, even the very first time playing (I won that first game, in case anyone was wondering).  Though Linden was on Clark's team that first time around, we played again the next day, and he was on his own, and did wonderfully. In fact, neither kid could stop talking about it - I think it has already become a family favourite. 

Mid-game

And finally, we rounded off the weekend with yet another hiking adventure, on the kids' request, actually. On Sunday evening, Juniper said "Hey, can we go on a hike tomorrow?" Ummmm, yes please!  They got to choose where to go, so we ended up doing the nice long loop around Heritage Trail (in Cole Harbour).  Naturally, there was more ninja training, which kept spirits high through basically the whole adventure. 

Bundled up and posing on a stump

Running through the "rock and root course". Speeds were high, agility was tested, and though there were a few falls, there were no injuries or tears. Phew!

And here we are, back to the regular routine. But it is officially April, and I am officially in my third trimester, and the week is beginning with some lovely, crisp sunshiny spring weather.  And, most importantly, I think everyone feels refreshed and ready to take on the season with gusto.  

See you next time!