Blue skies and red apples

A gorgeous day, started a bit rough with our van crapping out (why? - who knows) but an afternoon with the bits spent picking apples at a nearby orchard, then a dip in our friend's pool, ahhhh, Saturday bliss.

Diggin'

Always something to do around this place - today it was digging a trench to run a new "sump pump discharge pipe" (in my head I'm hearing blah blah blah, handy I'm not). Our (super helpful) neighbour borrowed this cute little digger to save a HUGE amount of hard labour digging the trench by hand.

Morning Glory

Incredible sunrise this morning, as seen from our bedroom windows. Reminds me why we bought this place...

Cheapskates

Large French Vanilla cappuccino from Tim Horton's. Given what I pay for these ($1.86) and the frequency with which I purchase them (nearly every working day) is it too much to expect a full cup? EVERY cup I get is only this full (they use a calibrated machine to fill the cup). I think I'm going to write a letter...

La première journée du jardin

First day of kindergarten (he started a day later than his sister because they stagger the entry in JK and SK... but alphabetically, and he's early in the alphabet :) ) He wasn't so keen on posing, he was a little bit nervous...

La première journée de la deuxième année

My baby girl's first day of second grade. How time flies, this is the start of her fourth year of school already!

Back to reality

Our summer off is over, and we're all settling back into our 'normal' routines. Back to school for the kids (tomorrow and Wednesday, today they spent in the daycare), back to work for me. It's bittersweet, I'm sad summer is over, I'm sad that I won't be spending all day with the bits, but I'm looking forward to seeing my coworkers and even a bit to opening my files (though there's some dread there too!) and I'm excited for the little ones to begin new adventures in kindergarten and grade 2.

Visitor

I was trying to take pictures of the echinacea... I didn't count on seeing this little visitor.

Midnight snack

Yummers - Belgian waffle crisps with butterscotch ripple ice cream, sure beats a traditional ice cream sandwich!

Hula girl

She saw it at the Gymboree store... how could I say no? She's been practicing hula dancing a la Lilo and Stitch all afternoon :)

Neighbour

Country living has its share of interesting neighbours. This fella (and many of his brethren) seem to think our pool is their pool. This fella was lucky, C scooped him out before the filter (or chlorine) could do him any lasting damage. Others have not been so fortunate :(

Clematis

Stunning clematis that grows just outside of my home office window. The flowers are a deep purply-blue where they're shaded by the big leaves, and this amazing reddish-pink where they receive full sun. I had no idea one plant could produce two different colours of flowers?

sunset

Out for a late evening walk, we saw this strange and powerful sunset over the village.

Windows

Getting set up

Slowly getting my office/scraproom set up, finding places for all of my crap, figuring what's going to work for me...

patience

Waiting not so patiently for papa to finish vacuuming the pool so they can SPLASH to their hearts content!

it's me

Soaking up some rays post-swim. Deceptive though, looks sunny but it was COLD - air temperature in the low 20's and enough of a breeze that being wet was being uncomfortable. The bits weren't ready to go inside though, they're little penguins.

Hockey night in Canada!

Bought ourselves a little toy - an air hockey table! Second hand, but still awesome. The boys are breaking it in :)

(Excuse the poor picture, the light in the basement is terrible and I had dust or something on my lens)

Cool sky

OK I know what a red sky at night means, but what does a weird orange and purple sky signal is coming?

Today, among many other things, my parents recovered my dining room chairs in a fabulous navy and floral fabric. Man do I wish they lived closer.

A visit

My parents came up for a visit and to check out the new house. Never content to sit still, here is my dad ripping a dead cedar from beside the pool (while my mom, just out of camera range, was pruning). All of the landscaping looks a heck of a lot better now (and my mom was able to tell me what almost everything growing here is, weeds included!)

A beautiful view

Montreal, from St Joseph's Oratory, the highest point in the city. So beautiful up there, and so tranquil (or it would be if I hadn't been chasing and shushing a certain 5 year old). I'd really like to go back sometime without the bits and spend some time walking through the gardens, with their statues depicting the passion of Christ, and areas for contemplation. In the quick run-through I had, it seemed so peaceful.

Montreal

Cool Chinese street performers in old Montreal, where we're spending the weekend. The bits were absolutely enraptured, scarcely blinking through the entire dance and acrobatics performance. Amazing.

Unsettled

Strange weather we're having, switching from blue skies and sun to menacing clouds, thunder and lightning in the blink of an eye. This has been the wettest summer I can remember!

Solved!

A trip to Ikea and the solution to my office needs - this adorable little Mammut table and chairs tucks nicely into the corner right beside my desk and is roomy enough for both artists to work together. Now to solve my ugly paint colour dilemma....

Shootin' hoops

The boys play water basketball on a gorgeous sunny day (little J is holding the hoop)

(Not quite) a space of my own

In the new house I finally have my own office/scraproom, a long held dream of mine. I'm gradually getting it set up the way I want it, however it's become abundantly clear that it's not going to be a space of my own. The sunny main floor space is just too tempting for the other little artists in the family (as are my markers!) Guess I'll be searching for a second, smaller desk for my helpers...

Sad

A fire back in July tore through this old farmhouse on the grounds of the Cloverdale Links golf course. It was empty, but still so sad to see it torn in half. We drove by on our way to a farmer's market and just had to stop.

Puzzled

Wicked fun Esphera 3D puzzle that big J and I assembled. Can't wait to find more of these babies!

All sweetness and light

I love this picture, my two little darlings, snuggled up together sharing a towel. Be still my heart...