Life on Abram Lake

Our porch on April 28th! So much snow!

Patio life in Northern Ontario 🙂

Thankfully it all melted into many, many puddles that the kids loved to splash in!

Since the days have warmed up, we have spent all of our spare time outside. It’s so much easier to entertain the kids just in our own back yard. We spend endless hours biking, playing on the beach, gardening and just puttering around the yard. Thankfully, we have the best neighbours so the kids always have playmates to keep them occupied!

Henry enjoying an early Spring swing

The three musketeers – Alice, Henry & Sailor

Henry trying to pass along his love for biking to Sailor

These two on their machines 🙂

Trampoline fun!

Finally we’re able to hit the beach!

Alice and Ada. Alice LOVES Ada so much. As soon as she wakes, she’ll yell from her crib, “Baba! Baba!” (Baba = Ada) She will pick up a ball or stick and yell, “Baba!” and throw it to her. It’s so cute. She also likes to snuggle with Ada on her bed. Thank goodness Ada is so patient with her.

Alice trying to keep up with her brother

Taking time to smell the dandelions!

Up early, waiting at Sailor’s door, ready to play trucks!

Safety first! Helmets at the beach is a standard for my kids. They always seem to frequently transition back and forth from biking to the beach, so we just leave their helmets on all the time!

Alice, forever trying to catch up to Henry!

No more snow and ice on the beach!

Alice helping me to prep our veggie garden

Quiet days on the water

Alice has been changing so much over the past few months. She’s very independent and much like Henry, likes to do things on her own. For example, she will refuse to eat unless you let her fend for herself with her fork. She loves to be on the go and, like Henry, hardly ever sits still. Just like Henry at this age, she will not cuddle or sit very long for a story. Over the past month or so, she has picked up a number of ‘words’, like ‘ball’, ‘Baba’ (Ada), ‘Da-Da’ (Dad), ‘bup’ (boat), etc. She still hasn’t figured out who I am, but I’m trying not to take that personally 🙂 She also will identify her nose, toes, eyes, belly button, etc.

Since Alice is still working out her language skills, her communication is mostly in the intonation of her noises accompanied with LOTS of gestures. When she wants to do something, she will pat her belly and point at whatever she wants. Or she has specific gestures for different things, like raising her right arm up in the air for ‘airplane’ whenever a floatplane roars over the house. It’s really interesting watching her develop. It’s the best part of being a parent.

Her day, like Henry’s starts at 7am when she wakes. She’s happy to chat and call out for Ada until I come and get her. For breakfast, we let Blake snooze while Henry, Alice and I eat our oatmeal, PB on toast, eggs and fruit. She ADORES blueberries (like Henry) and will go crazy when you open the freezer for them!

I’m usually out the door by 8:30am with Henry (to take him to daycare). During the day, she spends her time with Blake. They go for boat-rides, hang out in the yard or garage, putter around the house or do errands in town. She also still naps twice a day from 9-11am and from 2:30-4pm usually. I tried to cut her back to one nap so that Henry and Alice would be on the same schedule, but alas, that was a fail. This kid loves her sleep!

At the end of the day, I try to get home by dinner and often can sneak in a little play time in before bed. I always try to be the once to give the kids a bath (usually with wine for me if I’m off-call), then we read on the couch with Alice’s bottle before we do our teeth then it’s in bed by 6:30-7pm. I often try to rock her or snuggle her, but she really is not one for cuddles and literally reaches from my arms to her fleece. So putting her down for the night actually takes 20seconds. You just put her down. That’s it! Then she snuggles her fleece and babbles a bit before snoozing all night.

Thankfully, ever since 3 months, she has been the BEST sleeper. I can count on one hand the number of times she’s woken up in the night since 3 months. It’s pretty amazing!

My sweet girl

With her favourite uncle Johnny. She goes crazy when she sees him.

Chilling out in the hammock

On a mommy-daughter date. We biked to the farmers market for pizza!

Getting dirty in the garden

Contemplating life in the woods

More gardening in her jammies!

With her bestie, Ada

Trying to climb out of her crib – already!!!

From back in the Spring when there was still snow – she loves to ‘snuggle’ up to objects  like trees or leaves or flowers to feel their texture on her face. It’s so funny!

With my colleague, Lianne’s daughter Natalie at our physician retreat

At the library with Sailor. This picture is so cute and hilarious because it really captures their personalities. Here is Sailor, reading quietly, while Alice dumps the toys all over the place!

With Simon at a library date

As for Henry, he’s becoming more and more expressive as the months go on. I’ve started writing down his sayings because they are hilarious! Of course he has his toddler moments, but overall, he’s pretty good and gets along with Alice surprisingly well. Not shockingly, he is quite particular about most things and likes his toys ‘just so’ and does NOT like it when his hand are dirty!

These days, he goes to daycare pretty much full time at an awesome day home in town which he loves. I usually drop him off when I go to work and he always sends me off with a big hug and kiss. His naps haven’t changed in over a year and he still has a giant nap from 1-3:30/4pm in the afternoons. Bedtime for awhile was super stressful as the days were longer and lighter just at the time he learnt how to break out of his crib. Thankfully the three hour bedtimes and 5am wake-ups have disappeared although he now goes to bed later (8-830pm) which means our kid-free evenings are getting shorter and shorter!

Putting Henry to bed these days is the best. Tonight he even asked to go to bed and will say, ‘Mom, want to sleep with me? I have a spot for you!’ Of course I lay down and snuggle in his crib to sing to him and it’s all I can do to stay awake!

Henry, the most extreme toddler ever. Not sure if any other kid would think that playing hockey while ON a skateboard was a good idea!

After the bath, he always requests to ‘be dress’ meaning, he likes it when you make a towel dress 🙂

You know summer has officially arrived when Henry is now fully outfitted in his lifejacket AND biking helmet!

Having pizza dinner with Cat and Caleb

Reading with Auntie Bacon before bed

Megan biking like a boss on our women’s trail ride up Sioux Mountain

The view was worth it!

Our recent clothing swap where we all came together with bags of clothes and much wine and ended up with each other’s wardrobes!

Henry and Blake – watching endless Jays games together

Back in May, Blake and I went on an amazing kid-free weekend to Kenora while Meghan and John took care of the kids. It was the first time we’d been away from them over night since Alice was born. It was a much need break to reconnect, drink and eat some delicious food!

The boys heading out for their first fishing evening of the season!

Henry LOVES fishing. At first he wasn’t too sure, but he loves casting and ‘catching’ fish which is accomanied by dramatic running commentary that usually goes like this: Henry casts… “Mom! I got one! I got a big one! I got a walleye! Mom! It’s a big one! It’s an eater!” (as he’s reeling) When he realizes that his lure is empty, he’ll say EVERY TIME: “Aw, it got away!” And then he’ll try again!

The boys coming in from an evening of fishing. Because I’m on-call so much, and because Alice goes to bed at 6:30pm, we usually stay home. Of course, I love getting out on the water, but there is also something quite nice about being left behind on a quiet evening watching the sun set over the lake.

Like last summer, Blake and I have revived our weekly tradition of dates where we go fishing or go for a paddle. Here we are on a night for fishing with Ada!

Fishing at the Chutes at sunset

Mis Alice riding Sailor’s bike

Just a regular evening at our house! Here is Keith multi-tasking like a pro – cutting the grass while entertaining three kids 🙂

Summer is finally here! I love days like this!

Our first outdoor meal on our deck

Blake and Henry having a ‘Cheers’

Henry’s pre-dinner snack while awaiting the BBQ fare

On the beach, with his helmet, as usual!

Doing some lake-side yoga with Ada

Alice throwing sticks for Ada.

Alice and I trying to stay in the shade

Henry catching a ride with Sailor

Alice being her goofy self

Like Henry, she’s a climber and always wants to climb up on the coffee table and jump off!

Shopping with Mom

More toddler yoga in their jammies

Celebrating the Jewish holiday of Shavuot at Benji & Tal’s

Here’s to more sunny days ahead!

With desperation, I clutch my travel mug of wine while Alice clings to me, wailing away. Henry is running back and forth across the floor of the six-man tent, staggering like a drunken sailor, screeching at random and occasionally jumping on Ada who is hopelessly trying to save herself by curling up in the corner of the tent. She looks at me with anguished eyes.

The unravelling

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I get it. Spending time outdoors away from the comforts of home is not everyone’s cup of tea. There is the weather, the bugs, the dirt, the hassle, etc. But when you’re a kid, its about skinny dipping, catching that big fish, fighting your siblings for the cherry in the can of fruit cocktail, living in your bathing suit, playing games of Risk on your sleeping mat and eating endless summer sausage with cheese.  I am lucky enough to have parents who fostered a love for the outdoors and always gave us opportunities to go on canoe trips as a family. As I said, my most vivid and treasured memories are from those days in the wilderness. 

Of course, things didn’t always go smoothly. Like that time when I was about 7 and was waist-deep in mud on a ‘portage trail’ that ended up just being a swamp with no trail at all. Or the time that my Dad found me happily playing, naked of course, in a thick patch of poison ivy.

But what I remember most was sitting around the campfire being entertained by my little brother’s stand-up comedy routines, not having to brush my hair, feeling accomplished when I could finally portage a canoe on my own at 12 and snuggling in the tent at the end of a full day of fun. 

I wouldn’t have changed a thing about those family canoe trips. They were the best. 

Mom, Johnny, me and Leah one a family canoe trip

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I was optimistic in the week leading up to our first camping trip as a family.  I spent two days prepping food, planning meals, organizing equipment, packing the bags and loading everything into the car. I should have realized that our outdoor excursion might have be doomed from the start when, on Saturday morning, there was a weather advisory in place due to high winds, hail and rain. Nevertheless, after the worst of the storm was over, at my insistence, we pressed on to nearby Objiway Provincial Park, a mere 20 minutes down the road.

Riding on the coat tails of my dear friend Lianne and her family, we piggy-backed onto a pre-organized group camping affair comprised of a number of local families with young children. I have never camped so closely with so many people, but it ended up being a blast.

The kids were entertained and all played well together on the beach, in the water, on their bikes and along the zipline that a few of the dads rigged up. We had a great afternoon and feasted on campfire veggie dogs for dinner. The kids were loving it up and everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Slack-lining, biking, ziplining!

The zipline

Henry kept saying, “Let’s go on a little adventure!” Which meant hiking a little trail in the woods near our campsite that went to a bridge connecting to a tiny island. He loved it!

However, the situation changed after dinner as the wind picked up. Blake had to leave us to tend to our boats at home that were blowing off their moorings. That left me, alone, with the kids to do bedtime. Yes, you know where this is going…

Because the kids hadn’t napped in the afternoon, they were both over-tired, hot messes and despite my efforts along with Lianne’s generous help, it all fell to pieces.

By 10:30pm, I called Blake to come rescue us and braced for his “I told you so” while I packed up the tent in the dark with two screaming children. My disappointment surged through my hot tears. How could we be the adventuring family that I envisioned if we couldn’t even get through one single night of car camping?!

When Blake pulled into the campsite, Henry was holding his bike in one hand and had his camp chair flung over his opposite shoulder. “Let’s go home!” Henry exclaimed. I had to laugh. What an epic disaster!

That night, after the kids were finally settled in their beds, Blake pulled me close. “I’m so sorry that it didn’t work out. Thank you for all of your work in trying.” His words soothed my battered pride. “We’ll try again another time, ” he assured me.

At that moment, I didn’t have the heart to tell him that in less than a month, we had a four-day camping trip booked to take the kids to the Winnipeg Folk Festival! Oh dear…  I think I’m going to secretly have to book a hotel!

On this Father’s Day, this blog post wouldn’t be complete without a special shout-out to Blake. Thank you for all that you do for our family. Without you, I wouldn’t be able to do the job that I love so dearly, to live in this gorgeous place and to be able to raise two bright, happy and active little ones. Thank you for your bending your good sense to my lofty plans, for not saying “I told you so” and for promising to try again.

Here’s to the many happy and not so happy camping adventures to come for our family with you by my side. We love you, Dad-Dad!

Alice’s birthday cake! An amazing creation made by a local woman in Sioux Lookout.

Alice’s birthday outfit 🙂 it was the sweetest, but she wasn’t a huge fan of the headband!

Gearing up for the arrival of Alice’s friends. Both of my kids just love their lambskins so much!

Alice and Natalie

Uncle Johnny! Alice’s favourite

Jesse and Henry playing Lego

Simon having a turn on Alice’s bike

Uncle Johnny had just walked in the door at this moment. Look at her face! She loves him so much!

Happy Birthday Alice!

Henry got right in there and decapitated the fox 🙂

Yum!

Alice’s birthday party!

Yum! Cake!

While in Terrace, Henry learnt how to climb out of his crib and so he has been getting up SO so early these days, usually between 5-6am. I have to leap out of bed when I hear him stirring because he will often go into Alice’s room and say good morning to her. He loves ‘getting her up’ and will often want to get into the crib with her when we get her up in the morning.

Two cuties in the crib!

These goobers keeping me on my toes while Blake was away in Thunder Bay for work.

After arriving home from Terrace, I jumped back into work and worked heavily until our next adventure – a ski trip to Lutsen Mountain with Ava and Uncle Darren over Ava’s March Break. We spent just under a week at Lutsen, which is in Northern Minnesota. It was a low-key break. I loved watching Ava helping with Alice and getting along so well with Henry. The kids adore Uncle Darren, especially Alice who reaches for him and laughs every time she sees him. 

After a 6hour drive on my own with Alice and Henry, we arrived in Lutsen, Minnesota which is about 1.5hrs away from Thunder Bay. It’s a great spot with a ton of outdoor winter activities. There is a ski hill and endless kilometers of cross-country skiing. We were joined by Ava & Uncle Darren for a week-long family ski vacation on the slopes.

Cousin snuggles on the top bunk in our condo.

Hanging out in the morning before we hit the hill

Getting on the gondola.

Away they go!

Blake doing some tricks off a jump (on the left) with beautiful Lake Superior in the background

Alice and I taking the gondola up to see the ski crew at the lodge

A break with a gorgeous view!

Alice and I went cross-country skiing at one of the nearby trails. It was beautiful! Unfortunately, half-way around my loop, Alice started fussing and cried and cried for the whole way back to the car! It was good motivation to ski faster 🙂

Going for a walk in the sun

One afternoon, while the kids were napping, I took off for a massage at a nearby spa at this resort right on the edge of Lake Superior. It was amazing and so needed!

Alice’s first turns on skis!

Every morning and before bed, the kids were constantly playing with their ski gear – practicing taking it off and on and ‘skiing’ around the carpeted condo.

Cuties all in their jammies before bed.

Watching ski ‘bloopers’ before bed.

Another go at skiing for Alice 🙂

Sort of getting it!

Alice and I hanging out in the day lodge waiting for the rest of the crew to meet up with us.

The whole gang!

Henry and Ava skiing away with their capes. They were famous on the hill and people would cheer for them from the lift 🙂

Back at home, yet again, I jumped right back into work, but did get a few days of sunny play outside before heading out West for our next ski trip!

Alice is a regular at patient handover rounds and sometimes obstetrical rounds. Thankfully, my colleagues are very supportive and never seem to mind having her at the table 🙂

Alice & Henry snuggled up for a walk in the Chariot.

Finally! Some sun!

Excited for all the snow to melt away.

Getting so big.

Our first picnic on the front steps in the sun.

So many puddles!

Henry’s wild driving with Alice

Endless afternoons playing outside

Hanging out with the Abram Lake Rd crew (Hunter, Brooks and Sailor)

At the beginning of April, we headed out West to Calgary so that I could attend an annual conference for rural physicians. We spent three days in Calgary. We had the chance to catch up with friends, I had the luxury of reuniting with colleagues from across Canada while Alice attended the conference daycare and Blake took Henry to the zoo and skiing. It was a pretty packed few days!

On our way to Calgary

We had SEVEN checked bags (including two car seats, two cribs, the ski bag, the boot bag), as well as two carry-ons. It was a lot to haul around! Here is Henry catching a lift on the rolling ski bag!

Henry and Blake watching the Jays game at a pub in Calgary

Here we are taking advantage of city life. We ate at this awesome Moroccan restaurant. So delicious.

The conference was so family/kid-friendly. Alice was able to go to daycare where she could play and nap and allow me to actually listen to the speakers. I would pick her up for lunch and she would hang out with my rural MD colleagues 🙂 She was so good and easy-going! After our few days in Calgary, we headed off to Kelowna, BC, our former stomping ground from residency. Before driving up to Big White for our annual week-long ski vacation, we stopped for an overnight in Salmon Arm to see friends who have known Blake since he was a 21-year old ski bum that didn’t even know how to make scrambled eggs! He’s come a long way since then 🙂

Watching the world go by on our plan ride to Kelowna

Getting some cuddles from Ever in Salmon Arm

Henry watching the groomers at our condo at Big White. “Thanks for grooming the mountain for me!”

Breakfast-time! Fuelling up for the slopes

Watching Pingu and eating banana muffins = the life!

Getting their gear on

Playing cards with Ava while the little ones sleep and Darren and Blake make the most out of the daily dumps of powder snow..

Spring skiing apres-ski

Darren & Alice

Skiing family!

I love this pic of Blake and Alice, deep conversation on the gondola!

Blake took a turn to hang out with Alice so that I could ski with Henry, Ava and Darren. It was so much fun!

Skiing with a two-year old means lots of breaks for hot chocolate and cookies!

Taking a rest

All together on the gondola!

It’s crazy to think of how much has changed in just one year. These are a few pics from this time last year to compare to:

Sweet Alice – look how big she is now!

Alice and I hanging out in the Village

Taking Alice for a run on the baby hill

These three!

So much snow. Every day!

Apres-ski pizza at the pub

Alice and I going for a walk in the blizzard. Even though it was the end of the season, it snowed so much and the conditions were fantastic.

Now that we are home again, we were so hoping for Spring to stay so that we could start our garden, but alas, after some blissfully sunny days, we are back to snow again!

On the beach!

Out for a bike ride!

The ice is finally breaking up

Henry is obsessed with the 1950’s books about Dick, Jane and Sally. I learnt how to read with these books, but it’s funny to read them now. I don’t know how women ever got their kids to dress with bows in their hair and with white ankle socks every day!

Having a giggle with Auntie before bed

Henry and I drinking our tea and opening our cards from Grandma and Grampie

So many bath toys!

Henry giving Alice a bubble beard 🙂

At Alice’s one-year check-up. She’s doing great!

Henry had an epic meltdown after daycare yesterday. A combination of too many early mornings (he still is getting up at 6am despite our Gro Clock training) and late bedtimes (I put him to bed at 7pm but he never seems to actually STAY in bed until about 8:30pm). After screaming hysterically for 30min, he put himself ‘to sleep’ on the floor to recover.

What I woke up to this morning!

Hopefully the snow will melt again soon and we can all get back out into the sunshine and the long days of summer!

I startle awake by the sound of Henry’s bedroom door closing, followed by little feet padding through the bathroom. I squint one eye open and clumsily paw at my iPhone to check the time. 6:28am. I flip the phone over onto my bedside table and flop back onto my pillow. Forcing both eyes open, I find myself face to face with Henry, standing silently at my bedside. With his thumb in his mouth, he holds his fleece up to his cheek and peers at me wordlessly. I smile and pull him up into the bed. Without a sound, he snuggles into the covers and I wrap my arms around him. In the early light of the morning, we watch the snow fall on the pine trees outside the French doors of our bedroom. I listen to his breathing and burry my face into the back of his neck. I know that I should be trying to resettle him into his crib, as up to this point, we have had a fairly strict rule of keeping our kids sleeping in their own rooms, but ‘what the hell’, I think to myself, ‘he’s already 2 and a half and the snuggles won’t last forever’. I squeeze him tighter and he flips over to face me. Out of the blue, he starts stroking my hair and I smile. I freeze-frame this moment into my brain. To hold it close to counter the chaos that is about to start in a few minutes as the business of the day unfolds. Life with two toddlers. It makes me feel tired just writing about it 🙂

Our month of January was spent mostly at home in Sioux Lookout. Blake, to make up for being forced to live in Ontario, had bargained for 2.5 weeks to go out to BC and ski with his buddies. I thankfully had a lot of help from John and Meghan, as well as my Mom and Dad who came to Sioux Lookout for a large chunk of the time Blake was away. I am so thankful for family as I had to work part of the time Blake was away and couldn’t have done it without help. It was so fun for Henry and Alice to spend time with my parents and I can’t thank my Mom and Dad for grocery shopping, making meals, cleaning, doing laundry and basically letting me put my feet up for once!

Alice, unlike Henry, is quite particular about eating these days. She mostly eats avocado, cheese and fruit. I cannot for the life of me get any meat into her. When Henry was this age, he would eat all kids of curries, but Alice refuses anything that you try to spoon-feed her. So, I put a whole array of yummy foods on her tray, which inevitably end up on the floor! *Sigh*

Grampie and his guitar!

Henry was so stoked because my dad brought a Hot Wheels track for him. I provided ENDLESS entertainment which was a blessing since January is a hard month to entertain kids… it’s just too cold to go outside

Uncle Johnny being crazy with the kids…

I love how Alice has her hand resting on Henry’s back, and you can tell she’s not so sure about what’s happening as she sucks her fingers to self-soothe. Henry, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to concerned that Uncle Johnny wants to push them down the slide in a laundry basket…!

Endless train-track building with Grandma (while Alice plays with the dirty laundry haha)!

Cozy babies after the bath 🙂

I finally got a pair of skates for Henry to try out. The outdoor rink is pretty chilly in January, but he didn’t seem to mind!

Not quite getting the fact that he has to stand up! hahah

Playing with Uncle Johnny

Hanging out with Grandma & Grampie

Making cookies with Grandma

Helping with the dishes

Grampie making his famous pizza pie!

Things are getting a little wild… too many wobblies from Blake’s keg!

Oh dear!

At the grocery store

Getting his hair cut

Just helping himself to some snacks from the fridge

My sweet boy

Alice and I out for a chilly, late afternoon walk

The sunset was gorgeous!

Months ago, we had planned to spend the month of February in a place called Terrace in Northern BC. We had been looking at moving to Terrace for quite some time and we had thought we had better give it a go living and working there before moving across the country. Since Blake was already in BC, I was faced with traveling with the two kids on my own out West. Terrified to make the six-hour drive to Winnipeg and the overnight before the flight by myself, I begged Blythe, our amazing babysitter, to come with us. 

Even with Blythe’s help getting to Winnipeg, I was still nervous as hell about flying with the two kids alone. I couldn’t sleep the night before our flight, so thankfully, I saw a message on my phone at 3am saying that our 7am flight out of Winnipeg was cancelled and was rebooked for three days later! It was a bit of a nightmare as I had strategically packed only for an overnight and entertaining and napping two kids in a hotel room isn’t the most fun. Thankfully, Blythe stayed with us for an extra two days to help (seriously WHAT would I do without her!?!?). 

When we finally started our journey, we had been rescheduled to fly from Winnipeg –> Edmonton –> Vancouver –> Terrace. All in one day. Ugh. I was seriously dreading it, but it went smoother than I had anticipated. Henry was a breeze since he now can be entertained with an iPad while Alice isn’t the best on flights (she won’t sleep!) and needs lots of attention and energy. Thankfully, the flight attendents and other passengers helped me out with carrying Henry on and off the flights, keeping him company when I had to change Alice, holding Alice while I struggled with folding/unfolding the stroller, etc. It was a long, long day.

Once we arrived, met up with Blake and Ada and settled into our new digs, things greatly improved. 

Alice spent the month in an awesome daycare near the clinic. She loved it and didn’t cry at all when being dropped off. In fact, she would reach for the daycare teachers when I brought her in! In the beginning, I would run over to the daycare from the clinic to nurse Alice at lunch. She would nurse for all of 5minutes then would just want to play. Over the four weeks that we were in Terrace, Alice eventually stopped nursing all together during the day (she still got bottles at daycare) and then gradually only would nurse from one side at night, then eventually not at all. She also started walking (!), playing peek-a-boo and said her first word (‘Mama’). Although she didn’t hit the slopes while we were in Terrace, she had a great month and was so easy-going with all of the changes to her routine. 

While Alice was in daycare and I was at work, the boys took advantage of their freedom and went skiing nearly every day! Henry became (locally) famous and I even had patients come in and ask if I was Henry’s Mom 🙂 Interestingly, Henry was quite timid on the big slopes but eventually picked up his speed and confidence as the month went on. I even got a few runs in with him which was lots of fun. 

For me, working in Terrace was great. The community is awesome, although the practice structure and fee-for-service pay scheme might not be right for us at this point in our lives while I am trying to pay off student debt and see the kids once in awhile. We will keep you posted as to what our final decision is regarding our potential move to northern BC!

At the Winnipeg IKEA

Testing out the toddler beds

Having Swedish meatballs for dinner at IKEA – they were a hit!

With Blythe at the hotel pool

Going down to the pool for a swim

Trying out the new double stroller

Trying to entertain two kids in a hotel room by myself haha

At the airport

Checking in at 6am! Yay!

Henry has never really watched any TV shows before, so this was the first time that he sat still and watched Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol and Thomas the Train. It was a God-send because, I hate to say it, I plugged him in and he was so good! I wouldn’t have been able to manage them both on my own without it.

On our second flight from Edmonton to Vancouver

Hurray! Alice is asleep!

Waiting for our third flight from Vancouver to Terrace

Waiting to board our Terrace flight

Henry finally passes out!

Yay! Reunited with Dad-Dad!

We made it to Terrace!!! At the park in Terrace with the medical clinic in the background (the tall, brown building) Henry in his ski helmet, riding his bike… typical!

On our way up the mountain to go skiing (sorry it’s so blurry!)

Having a snack break at the ski hill

So much snow!

At the local Terrace coffee shop called the Elephant’s Ear. Blake and Henry went there daily for Americanos and cookies 🙂

Moms and babies take over one of the Terrace coffee shops for a play date!

At the All Native Basketball Tournament in Prince Rupert, where there was a huge art sale. We bid on a lot of jewellery, but sadly didn’t win 😦

In Prince Rupert

We went out for fish and chips (yum!) in Prince Rupert, but you know how eating out with kids goes… hahah Henry dumped ALL of the pepper on the table and managed to destroy everything in sight, while Alice threw her food all over the place. Blake and I chugged our beers, left a big tip and high-tailed it out of there!

We then went to a cute little coffeeshop in Prince Rupert where there is a gated play area for kids where the parents can sit on comfy couches and drink coffee while the kids go nuts with all of the toys. It was awesome!

Going for a walk along the harbour in Prince Rupert

Henry pumping some ‘Mommy milk’! hahah

Trying on his Batman costume which he insists on wearing while skiing

Having a quiet breakfast with his stuffies before I have to head off for work

Henry visiting me at work – playing in the waiting room

Beautiful Terrace!

The Skeena River and the bridge that I had to drive over on my way to work

We spent a weekend in a town called Smithers which was just two hours away

It was a super cute town with lots of bike and ski shops – Henry’s paradise!

Alice hanging out with me, as usual 🙂

Having a snack at a coffeeshop in Smithers

Eating a cookie!

Alice having a nap back at the hotel, while the boys go swimming at the local pool

At the Smithers ski hill

Being goofy at the ski lodge

Nice duck face Alice 🙂

Henry skiing with Dad-Dad

A beauty day!

Blake and Henry’s orange Rossi skis

Alice having a snooze while the boys ski

Henry at Hudson Bay Mountain in Smithers

Having a beer and a bottle at the lodge

Henry and Blake getting ready to go back out after lunch

Hitting the slopes again!

Passed right out. He slept the ENTIRE car ride home back to Terrace (2.5hrs)

Our long, long travel day home from Terrace

Poor Alice. She had a terrible cough and big fever for a few days, including on the way home from Terrace. So, our first day back at home (and on her 1st birthday), I took Henry to Uncle Johnny and Auntie Meghan’s and Alice and I went to the ER.

Alice did great and after a chest x-ray, we were good to go. No pneumonia!

While we were in Terrace, Henry started to climb out of his crib more and more. At dawn, he would get up, climb out of the crib and come to my room to get me. I am supposed to try to get him back to sleep in his crib, but here he is in my bed because sometimes, at 6am when you have two sick babies, that’s all you can do!

Our journey home was an all-day blitz of flying from Terrace –> Vancouver –> Winnipeg then driving all the way back to Sioux Lookout. It was brutally long, but we survived only because Blythe met us in Winnipeg and drove back home with us (thank God). Once at home, I immediately went to work (ER and OBS) which ended up being a bit stressful as Blake was caught in an epic snowstorm in the prairies and couldn’t get home. Thankfully, Meghan and John, Blythe and Andrea (Henry’s daycare teacher) all pitched in to help care for Alice and Henry so that I could work. It truly takes a village!! Blake finally made it home after 5 days of driving/being stranded in Manitoba. I was so happy to have him home. Being a single parent is HARD!!!

Bathtime fun, with wine for me!

Bedtime doesn’t always go smoothly, especially when you’re on your own. Here is Henry screaming, naked after the bath because he doesn’t want to get his jammies on, while Alice screams in the background because she needs her bottle! Ahhhh! I literally was sweating by the time I got them both in bed. Thankfully, I always have a my wine cupboard stocked for nights like these 🙂

An aspiring drummer like her Uncle Johnny

Henry and Alice playing together

Giving a hug to her stuffie

Playing ‘peek-a-boo’, except most of the time, she covers her ears or her mouth, instead of her eyes 🙂 Auntie Meghan and Uncle Johnny taking Henry for a bike ride

Poor Henry wasn’t feeling well after we got home. Just as Alice was improving from her fever & cough, Henry had a few days of fever and persistent coughing. Ugh.

You know he’s truly sick when he just lays on the couch not moving…

I kept him home from daycare and after some Advil & Tylenol, he was up and at ’em again. Here we are making cookies!

Alice eating yoghurt

So I’m way behind on taking pictures with the milestone cards, but seriously, at this point, she isn’t very good at sitting still!

My two munchkins

Sharing a snack

Playing with the Fisher Price barn – a toy from when I was a little kid!

Alice snuggling her dolls

Alice’s new bike for her first birthday! Thanks Nana & Poppa!

Blake and Caleb out ice boating on the ice

The ice boat

Pretty chilly with the wind!

Having a little rest on the couch

Alice and I checking out the arts market at the Friendship Centre

Alice opening her birthday gift from Grandma & Grandpa

After Blake got home from his drive from BC, he unfortunately had to turn around and go to Thunder Bay for work. Thank goodness I hadn’t booked myself to work while he was away. I spent an awesome week on my own with the kids. Of course, there were MANY moments where I wanted to lose my mind. Dinnertime and bedtime is like torture when you’re on your own with two toddlers. Tonight, Henry took 2.5hrs to get to sleep! Now that he just climbs out of his crib and comes out of his room, he just does NOT want to stay in his room to sleep. Henry is also really going through a tough developmental phase where he is happy in one second, then losing it the next. Like yelling for eggs, but in the same breath, screaming that he doesn’t want eggs!!!! You can’t win. I just have been drinking lots of wine to cope 🙂

Overall, it has been a great week. I thought that I would get way more done, but alas, there never seem to be enough hours. Thanks to Meghan, I did get a few breaks here and there to go to yoga, go for a run outside and to go hot tubing! It’s amazing what an hour or two can do for your mental health.

Saturday morning

Getting outside in the sun!

Of course Henry wanted to go biking, even if it was still pretty cold out!

Cat, Meghan and I out on the ice with the dogs

Walking out on the ice

Alice napping… so sweet!

All snuggly and ready for bed

At the library

Getting into everything while I cook dinner

Auntie Meghan reading to Henry as the sun goes down

Not much entertainment in Sioux Lookout, so sometimes, we go to the grocery store to say hi to the lobsters 🙂

Having lunch with Lianne & baby Natalie

Out for a walk in the gorgeous sun

Henry, biking, despite the deep snow!

My chubby-cheeked love. Alice is such a ham these days. She is so happy usually and loves to make ‘conversation’ with anyone. She will laugh, wave, play peek-a-boo, etc. with anyone who will pay attention 🙂

Henry up to his usual antics. *sigh* There have been so many crazy moments this week as a single parent. You seriously cannot watch them both all of the time. It’s impossible. There have been many mom-fails, including catching Henry literrally squeezing his toddler toothpaste into his mouth and the time that Alice somehow go the front door opened (!!!!!) and was making a get-away out the door! Ahhhhh! No wonder I am always looking frazzled!

Here we are at bathtime as Henry is actively not listening to me and trying to escape my pleas to wash while Alice is just loving life! Hahah

Next up, we are off to Lutsen, Minnesota for a few days of skiing with Uncle Darren & Ava. I am driving 4.5hrs on my own with the kids to meet Blake in Thunder Bay before carrying on to Lutsen. Wish me luck!!!!

Yesterday, as I wrapped Henry up in a towel after his bath, he flopped his arms around my neck and started patting my back. We embraced in silence for a few seconds, cheek to cheek before he let go and zoomed out the bathroom at his usual full-tilt speed. I smiled and thought, how luck am I to experience these heart-melting moments? Of course, that was after I had cleaned the floor of his pee no fewer than five times that day (thanks potty training), had already cooked two slow-cooker meals and had tackled the mounds of laundry that never seem to disappear…! Such is motherhood 🙂

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas (I know I’m SO SO behind!) and winter fun in Sioux Lookout!

Henry and I reading on Christmas Morning, waiting for everyone to get up!

Blake and his awesome new goggles from his mom!

Opening gifts around the tree!

Our attempt at a family picture 🙂

Blake and his t-shirt from his brother, Darren

Uncle Johnny opening his sweet mocs from Meghan

The babies and I on Christmas morning

Opening more gifts!

Henry loved opening gifts. He kept yelling ‘RIP IT!!!’, as he tore into the presents.

Just chilling out by the tree

Our sweet family!

Tuckered out after opening presents all morning!

Out for a winter walk!

Henry has graduated from his ski run beside our house, to our neighbour’s longer and bigger hill that goes right out to the lake. Blake runs him up and down the hill over and over. Henry just loves it and never wants to go inside!

A gorgeous Sioux Lookout late afternoon!

After a huge dump of snow over the Christmas break, our neighbour ploughed this MASSIVE hill beside his house, which Henry, of course, wanted to ski off of…!

I snapped this picture because I thought it was so hilarious – Henry found his ski pass from his Big White ski adventure last year, and subsequently carried around everywhere and even fed ‘Henry’ his peas! HAhaha what a funny kid

Henry and Ada. Ada is such a great dog. Here is Henry sharing his cars with Ada. He often climbs into her bed saying, “Henry sit near Ada?”. So cute.

Snuggling with his fleece by the fire after a long day of fun 🙂

Heading on the road for a week-long trip to Southern Ontario over New Years to see our families. We drove 4.5hrs to Thunder Bay, then flew 2hrs to Toronto. My parents picked us up at the airport and drove us to Blake’s parent’s condo. It was so generous and helpful and we are thankful that we have two sets of awesome grandparents for Henry & Alice!

Henry waiting for our baggage at Porter with his fleece.

After a long day of travel. Everyone was tuckered out.

The next morning, we left Toronto and drove 3 hrs to Kingston to see Blake’s family.

The kids did great. Much better than Blake and I as we kept complaining about Southern Ontario traffic hahah

Guess who this is!? We watched some pretty hilarious footage of Blake’s family when he was a little one. Henry certainly looks a lot like Blake did when he was small. Complete with the thumb sucking!

Henry and Ava colouring. Henry had such a great time with his cousin at Blake’s parents house. We were so happy to be able to catch up with everyone.

Henry, Alice & Ava having breakfast together.

Aw! These cuties all in the bath together!

Henry took quite a liking to Ava’s doll. He really was keen to take care of her, change her diaper and carry her around.

Opening all of the generous Christmas presents at Blake’s parents house in Kingston

Alice & Ava

So many presents!

Alice in her Christmas dress from her Nana!

New Year’s Eve dinner!

Alice in the highchair that her great-grandfather used as a baby. Very special!

Having breakfast with our friends, Liza & Chris and their two kids. It actually went really well considering we had four kids under four!

Henry in heaven at the local ski shop in Kingston.

Snuggling with Dad-Dad, watching the Juniors Hockey game

After our visit in Kingston, we went to Toronto for a day. Here we are at the Rogers Centre. Henry was SO amazed that this was where the Blue Jays played. We also took the kids to the Aquarium which was a big hit ( I didn’t have my phone with me so I don’t have any pictures). Blake and I enjoyed it just as much as the kids. It was an awesome place to visit. We also got to spend the evening with our dear friends Emily and Nick, as well as their newborn George. I didn’t take any pictures because our visit was awesome and VERY CHAOTIC! Hahah our kids were all over the place lol.

After our ‘layover’ in Toronto, we carried onto Dundas for a few days to see my side of the family. We had a large family gathering at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington which was lovely. My sister, her kids, Meghan and my uncle Harry, my parents and my nana were all there!

Rosie entertaining Henry so well while we waited for our meals.

The main attraction at the Royal Botanical Gardens was this amazing model train exhibit which was made all from various plants. The kids were crazy for all of the trains. It was really neat.

Henry and my Nana at her condo in Dundas

Alice and Grandpa

Poor Nana -we took over her condo. She was so gracious about the kid take-over of her space. Here are Blake and my Dad setting up this crazy Hotwheels jump for Henry that literally shot the cars across the living room!!

After our visit in Dundas, we flew home to Thunder Bay and stayed over for the night there. We had packed the car ahead of time to go skiing before we hit the road home to Sioux Lookout, but the temperatures were fridgid (-35deg) and so we unfortunately couldn’t hit the slopes. Instead, Blake and Henry chilled out in the hot tub while Alice napped, then we ran errands in Thunder Bay, and of course, went to the Ski Haus (the best ski shop in Thunder Bay).

Henry at the Ski Haus where he did interviews and autograph signings (hahah kidding).

On the plane ride from Toronto to Thunder Bay

Back at home in Sioux Lookout, we had had SO much snow! Henry was loving it!

A happy camper just playing around and eating snow 🙂

Alice hanging out, as usual!

I crept in to take this picture because Henry and Alice were being so sweet and were playing together!

My sweet Henry after the bath in his toga 🙂

Blurry, but here is Henry and Blake skiing at our neighbour’s house. I was trying to capture how Blake pulls Henry up the hill (with a flat rake!).

Helping Dad-Dad built a jump

These two!

I was actually off call for once on a Saturday and got to go for a blissful ski all by myself!!

Alice and I enjoying a bright sunny winter day!

At the Dryden ski hill where we spent one Saturday morning skiing with Henry

I love this picture. So cute!

Henry ready to shred on the Dryden ski hill!

A Rossi family. The very kind woman at the concession booth at the ski hill took Alice for awhile so that I could go for a few runs with Henry and Blake. It was awesome! So fun!

Fuelling up between runs 🙂

Sweet Alice. Always so happy. Hanging out at the ski hill lodge while Henry and Blake did a few runs.

At the grocery store in Dryden before heading home

A beauty Sioux Lookout sunset from our property

Henry and his daycare friends and teacher at the local outdoor rink. I think I’m going to have to get Henry some skates pretty soon!

The usual bedtime routine. Henry told me to “drink my juice”! haha

Party time when Blake is away!! Here we are having fun in the bath. Blake is off skiing with friends in BC. We will be joining him in February. He will be away for 2.5weeks until we see him again!

Alice and I in her new jacket – an early birthday present from Auntie Karla and baby Sailor.

Poor Henry. His skis are with Blake as he had to drive out with all of our gear. So instead of skiing, he decided he would just be content with running up and down the hill! Hahah so easily entertained!

Happy Alice in the stroller!

I was trying to get a ’10 months’ photo, but it is increasingly difficult to get Alice to sit still and to hold the card upright!

Haha Mom! I’m not going to cooperate for your ridiculous photoshoot!

The best I could do for this 10 month-old cutie

Henry is getting so big! He’s such a great kid. I love him to bits (obviously). Here he is, quietly playing by himself in his room.

Day #1 of potty training (in earnest)! It took a lot to convince him to wear underwear, but we’ve got to start somewhere!

Struggling to maneuver the double stroller between the tightly placed tables, I feel the sweat trickle down my back. My face is hot and flushed and I fight the tears that threaten to spill. I can feel the eyes of the well-heeled Thursday night crowd upon me. Alice wails in full force, strapped into the stroller’s five-point harness. The diaper bag, my work bag and Henry’s backpack spill over the sides of the stroller and bump into the chairs and into the stylish patrons as we try to make our quick exit. I am half-way out of the epicurian Italian eatery when a young man touches my shoulder. I look up to realize that the take-out meal I had hastily ordered for Henry had been left behind. Internally, I curse myself, as usual for being such a mess. With eyes trained on the door ahead, I push forward, desperate to escape the judgement that follows us. The waitress, who I had tipped extravagantly to excuse our disastrous presence, holds open the door and I burst onto the rainy Vancouver street and immediately erupt into tears. 

So, maybe it’s time for me to start loving Today Celia too. Despite the faults, the struggles, the messy hair and tired creases. It’s about time that I cut some slack to Today Celia and just enjoy the beautiful chaos that is my life. Peanut butter smears, sweaty backs and all.

The immense sun hangs low, dropping slowly and heavily towards the horizon, casting pink and orange hues over the lush rainforest. From our perch, volcanic giants rise up along the skyline, bathed in blue and purple complimenting the cobalt waters of Salinas Bay as it arcs gracefully towards the Pacific.

Tonight, we are dining al fresco at a local restaurant in the rural community of La Cruz, Costa Rica. Beside us, two young, blond-haired women chat in Scottish and Australian-accented English about their volunteer work in Nicarugua. For a moment, I am brought back to the many hours I spent drinking mango smoothies, lounging in hammocks while journalling and chatting in hostels and cafes across South-East Asia while backpacking in my twenties. It feels good to be traveling again, but this time, I am not alone.

In Indonesia ten years ago…

Across the table, Henry shovels spoonfuls of deep-fried calamari into his mouth, his face smeared with butter. Beside me, Alice laughs as the geckos flash across the walls, clicking their noisy calls. I sneak in bits of black beans and rice into her open mouth in between her gleeful chatter. It is our first family trip outside of Canada and we have ventured to the rural, northwestern Guanacastan province of Costa Rica in search of wind.

Henry on the sailboat when he was about ten months

Our answer came in the mutual yearning to learn how to kite board. As we searched the internet for international locales to take lessons, we came across a small kiteboarding school located on the beaches of Bahia Salinas, Costa Rica.

Here, abutted next to the Nicaraguan border, Salinas Bay is a world-class kite boarding destination owing to its consistent winds, blowing from November straight through to April. We checked the calendar and booked ourselves into four days of private lessons. There was only one problem. What would we do with Henry and Alice while we were out in the ocean for four hours a day!? We approached our amazing babysitter, Blythe with our proposition – come to Costa Rica for a week! Thankfully, she agreed and away we went. 

On our 5 hour flight from Toronto to Liberia, Costa Rica. We had gotten up at 5am to take a flight from Tbay to Toronto. Alice slept maybe 20 min the ENTIRE DAY. It was the longest that she has ever been awake. Thankfully she was happy but so squirmy! Henry, thankfully, did pass out. I guess one out of two isn’t bad!

In Toronto

After we landed in Liberia, we were hit with a WALL of humidity and heat. It was like you couldn’t breath or move. I immediately undressed Henry down to his diaper (we were all dressed for Fall Canadian weather) for the drive to the hotel – thankfully the van was air conditioned!

5 hours of driving, 5 hours of flying and another 2 hours of driving later and we finally pitched our three suitcases, stroller, two car seats and crib into our teak-wood villa – our home for the next few days at the Ecoplaya Hotel. Being somewhat budget conscious, we had booked at Ecoplaya due to it’s convenience (the kitsurfing lessons were right on their beach!) and the very low nightly rate. The reviews on Trip Advisor had been abysmal and I was slightly worried at what we would find. Don’t get me wrong, I have done my share of roughing it while traveling many developing parts of our globe, however, with two young kids and Blythe, I wanted at least to be comfortable.

Arriving at Eco Playa

At the beach that was literally steps from our cabana

Our first impression of the hotel was it’s eery emptiness. Except for the handful of staff milling about, we were the only souls to be found. Hmmm. Maybe not the greatest sign. Our villa, however was just steps from the beach and had unparalleled view of Salinas Bay and Isla Bolanos, a national wildlife refuge and bird sanctuary. We were blown away by the expanse of the bay, the seclusion of the beach and the untouched nature that surrounded us. After unpacking our bags in the dingy, fluorescent-lit rooms, we headed to the vacant pool to cool off from the oppressive 30degree heat. As Blake and I sipped on local beer, we took stock of the crumbling and run-down appearance of the resort. You could almost see how, 25 years ago, the hotel would have been a five-star vacation destination. However with the wear of constant rain and wind, everything looked a touch weary. Thankfully, where there is roughness, there is almost always character and we weren’t disappointed.

Being virtually the only guests in the forty-something rooms of the hotel, we came to know the staff quite well. Chito, the server at the restaurant became Henry’s best buddy. Henry quickly picked up some Spanish phrases and soon he was greeting Chito with: “Hola Chito! Pura Vida!”, which was followed by, “Heuvos, por favor!”. Due to the time change, both Henry and Alice greeted the day at 4:30-5:00am and so we were up and about by 6am. As soon as Chito saw Henry, he would say good morning and then go scramble up some eggs for his breakfast. It was like our new family 🙂 Henry also became well-versed in ’80s and ’90s music as Chito constantly had one-hit wonders from that era blasting on the TV.  Two weeks later, Henry still wakes up signing “Karma Chameleon” !

Alice and I up at 5am for a morning walk on the beach

At least one of us is happy to be up so early!

Salinas Bay

Inspecting the shells and rocks that Henry collected on the beach

What a cool dude!

Wild horses on our beach

The pool

Henry and I hanging out and exploring the beach

Taking a break from swimming with Dad-Dad

Swimming with Blythe

Henry at the pool at Eco Playa

Blythe has it all under control!

The pretty run-down pool

Henry jumping to Blythe, which he did a million times over

Alice hanging out in the restaurant

Happy baby!

Our villa

Hanging out at the beach in the early morning

How can you be upset at this face even if you get woken up before 5am?!

For the next four days at Ecoplaya, Blake and I would leave the kids in Blythe’s capable hands and head to the beach for our kitesurfing lessons. We were the first kiters of the season and we lucked out with four days of wind that allowed us to pick up this new sport. Starting out first at the beach, Blake and I learned how to control the power of the kite before eventually jumping into the ocean to be dragged about in the salty water. Oddly enough, despite constantly feeling like I was partially drowning or being terrified about stepping on a stingray, I quickly became addicted to this sport. It was like nothing I had ever done before and required mostly brains and very little braun. I loved the challenge of learning the technique of kite control and was desperate to keep up with Blake. By day four, both Blake and I could launch our kites, get out into the water and get up onto the boards. We were super stoked and our instructors were impressed 🙂

Thanks to Blythe, for four hours a day, my brain wasn’t focused on the million things I had to do that day or the needs of others, but was fixed blissfully on something completely new and challenging. It was the first time since Henry was born that I had spent so much time away from the kids (other than for work) doing something purely for fun. Best of all, it was a joy to watch Blake succeed and enjoy himself, share in each other’s successes and big bails and to do something completely new together. It wasn’t Blake’s sport, nor mine, it was ours. It is now our hope that we continue to share in our mutual new-found passion for kitesurfing at home in Sioux Lookout and eventually in Terrace, B.C.

Finally getting out of the water on our fourth day

Blake looking like a pro already!

What a beautiful, secluded place to learn!

After our mornings of kitesurfing, both Blake and I were pretty exhausted and spent the afternoons hanging out by the pool as the kids napped. In the later afternoons, we took the rental car down the rough dirt “road” (more like a track) to nearby beaches, small towns and villages. Stalled by unhurried cattle, chickens and children, our 13-km trip to the nearest town of La Cruz took well over 45minutes. The drive was well worth the breathtaking sunsets over the Bay as we dined on local Costa Rican fare of plantain, fish, beans and rice. It was neat to visit such a non-touristy destination and get a feel for local culture.

Exploring the nearby beaches. Unfortunately, it was so so hot, that even Henry ran back to the car and tried to get in (it had A/C!)

In La Cruz

At a local restaurant, enjoying the view

Salinas Bay

Sunsets!

Having dinner at a super neat hostel/restaurant

A few days before our trip, I had been a bit concerned about the awful reviews at Ecoplaya and had booked a last minute 50% off deal at a five-star resort just down the road. We kept it a secret from Blythe, who, at four days into our stay at Ecoplaya was definitely getting bored. After our last kitesurfing lesson, we packed up and told Blythe we had decided to give another place a try. When we pulled into the reception area at Dreams Las Mareas, we excitedly spilled the beans that we were going to round out the last four days of our vacation at an all-inclusive resort!

Dreams Las Mareas did not disappoint. With side-by-side suites next to the family pool complete with a kids wading pool and water slide, we spent each morning and afternoon sipping cocktails while the kids swam and played in the water. In the evenings, we’d have an early family dinner, then after the kids went down to sleep, Blake and I went out to one of the numerous fine dining restaurants within the resort. Coming from Sioux Lookout where we only have one restaurant, we definitely felt spoiled! It was like a week date nights where we gorged on amazing food and Blake got his fill of 25 year-old local rum 🙂

Checking into our side-by-side suites at the Dreams Las Mareas – a BIG step up from the previous hotel!

Fancy dining!

Chilling out at th pool

Loving the shallow kids pool

Splash!!!

We often had the kids pool all to ourselves!

Henry never got tired of jumping in and out of the pool!

Playing with Blythe and the kids

Blythe enjoying the ocean

The stunning beach at the resort

Blake, Henry and I went on a fishing excursion one afternoon while Blythe and Alice hung out back at the resort. Of course, Henry wanted to drive the boat…!

Henry’s selfie 🙂

Henry and Blake snorkelling. I was surprised that Henry had no problem jumping into the salt water with Blake!

Henry trying on the flippers for size

Gearing up to go snorkeling

We unfortunately didn’t catch one fish to Blake’s disappointment A beautiful sunset Lots of pelicans along the shore

Poor Blake – he lost his sunglasses while kiting, so for the rest of the trip he had to wear Henry’s spare ones! Hahah

Loving the water

Just chilling out with a good book – just like Mom!

The life! Cocktails, a book, a pool… what more can you ask for?

Blythe and Henry in front of the main part of the resort

Swimming all day, every day

The best babysitter ever!!!

Henry the daredevil. He just wanted to jump and jump and jump. He eventually got bored of just jumping off the side, then pulled over a side table, climbed up and then jumped into the pool off the table! But then that wasn’t even enough, so he decided he wanted to jump off this ledge (see below) in the pool. What a crazy kid!

SO MANY SMOOTHIES (Blake and mine were alcoholic!)!

Cuties!

Going down the amazing water slide. Over, and over, and over…!

The view from our balcony (which, incidentally had a massive jet/soaker tub on it!)

The resort and waterslide from our room

Henry and Alice were insitent on waking up at dawn regardless of when they went to bed. Here is Henry and I having our morning coffee, watching the sunrise.

Off we go for a stroll in our jammies while everyone still sleeps!

One afternoon, the activity coordinator convinced us to try some acrobatics…

…not very graceful! haha

Henry’s turn 🙂

Breakfast al fresco

Henry’s tired out from all of that swimming!

Family photo

Alice & Blythe

We took Henry out for a special dinner to celebrate his birthday – it was a Japanese tappenyaki

Henry was pretty captivated

Blake and Henry hanging out at the ‘Preferred Club’ where Blake spent a lot of time drinking very expensive rum!

A 6am walk on the beach

Pretty beautiful!

Alice chilling out

At a super neat little cafe for our last meal in Costa Rica

At the airport

Getting ready to board our plane for Toronto. Poor Alice is already tired! Despite being exhausted, she refused to sleep the entire way (AGAIN!).

At least Henry passed out eventually (on Dad’s lap).

Thank you Gravol! 🙂

Arriving in Thunder Bay! Now for the 5 hour drive home 😦

All in all, our week-long family retreat to Costa Rica was a success. Of course there were moments where things did not go well (i.e. on our car-ride home from the Thunder Bay airport, when Henry SHRIEKED constantly for over an hour causing Alice to wail uncontrollably!), but it has opened up the possibility of future sun-soaked adventures for our family.

Can’t wait for our next trip!

Here are a few pictures of our snowy season here in Sioux Lookout so far!

Our neighbour’s blow up Christmas display!

Meeting Santa. No tears, but no smiles either

Out for lunch at our favourite sandwhich shop in town. Babies are always welcome and you’re bound to run into everyone you know, including your brother!

Henry and his ‘Scary’ book. He loves Richard Scary’s ‘Cars & Trucks and things that Go’ book. Every night, after his bath, he sits on the couch carefully inspecting the pages for ‘Goldbug’ 🙂

Our two babies!

Reading with Auntie before bed

With the snow here, ski season is upon us which means every day, Henry goes skiing. He even wears his boots inside!

Alice & Sailor in their sleighs for our snowy walk

Happy girl!

Auntie giving the kids a bath. This is usually what bathtime looks like! Alice is always just chilling out while Henry splashes, yells and generally jumps about!

Blake was away in Thunder Bay and I had a work meeting to attend (with Alice), so Auntie was babysitting Henry. I came home and everyone was dressed up in their jerseys and playing baseball in the house!! Auntie is so fun!

Since the sun sets so early now, our new evening routine goes something like this: – pick up from daycare @ 4pm – skiing – dinner @ 5:30pm –  night skiing (with the help of flood lamps) – bathtime – reading – bed @ 7pm

Alice is always so happy!

The jackets at the doctor’s lounge. I took this as the hallway was full of parkas, big Sorel boots and leather mitts from the North. Two cuties in the bath

Alice & Henry on the wall

What a cutie. Everyone loves a baby after the bath.

Babies in the bath

Alice has grown to share Henry’s love for blueberries. Between them, they eat their weight in blueberries daily. Thank goodness we have 10 freezer bags full of local, wild blueberries in our deep freezer!

Saturday mornings

Henry is so good at playing independently these days. He’s so grown up!

Picking Henry up at daycare. Our amazing daycare teacher, Andrea with her little charges.

Thankfully they don’t seem to mind being smushed together on the sled!

In early December, I took a whole weekend off and went out of town to Thunder Bay with my girlfriends. It was the first time I had left Alice. For 48hrs, I was sans bebes. It was AMAZING! haha Truly though, it was a wonderful little break to eat good food, laugh, cry, vent and share with my friends. I don’t have many pictures of the weekend, but here I am trying to pack while Alice destroys my dresser!

What do ladies do in hotel rooms? Drink wine and dance of course!

Pretending like we are 22 again…!

As Alice grows, Henry and Alice are starting to interact more and more. Henry still isn’t a huge fan of Alice touching his things but generally he is very good with her.

Bundled up to enjoy a beautiful, blue sunny day

On the frozen Abram Lake Nine months!

I don’t think this card is going to last to 12 months!

Happy smiles!

Very interested in everything. And those cheeks!!!

At Auntie Bacon (Megan’s) house to make Christmas cookies with my friends Lianne and Stu’s boys

CHAOS!!!

Pretty artistic icing 🙂

Alice has started standing alone without holding onto anything. We were hoping that she would start walking on Christmas Day like her brother last year…!

Blake calls my friends and I a bunch of nerds because we get together in the evenings, share snacks, wine and discuss medical journals! This journal club was during a power outage so it was done by candlelight!

Early mornings with Alice after nights of deliveries. Thanks goodness for coffee!

Reading to his giraffe

Alice and I finally able to hike out on the ice

With the ‘Little People’ school bus – a toy that I had as a child

Our Christmas dinner for the medical students and their families at a local restaurant in Sioux Lookout

At Jazz Night at the local Legion – my brother is the drummer! He’s a pretty big deal 🙂

Alice, Ada & I on the ice as the sun goes down

Blake building a rink

Alice & I, not really helping!

No baby in my belly this year!

Trying to get read for a work – Henry is climbing all over the sink while Alice is trying to get into the toilet. UGH. Being a working Mom…

Henry now only skis with his poles. He INSISTS on being just like Dad-Dad.

Being a working Mom also means dragging Alice to meetings and OB rounds. She’s thankfully so good as long as I bring lots and lots of snacks!

Henry keeps insisting that he needs ALL of his toys in his crib to sleep…

Hanging out in Henry’s room

Henry has reverted back to being a baby. He uses the Jolly Jumper to work on his ski tricks and jumps!

Alice waiting for the chickadees at our feeder

I love morning cuddles with these two!

Walking to the corner store to get the mail

Our tree!

Going for a walk in the snow

Alice & I on a chilly winter outing

At the library

Alice is at that stage where she just LOVES to pull things out of drawers. It’s impossible to try to stop her so basically she pulls everything out and then I put everything back which is then repeated ten times over 🙂

The appropriate gear to wear on the potty – obviously! Ski helmet & books and biking hoodie 🙂 Henry and Alice, side-by-side, ready for family dinner A beautiful snowy morning Our Christmukah (Christmas/Chuanukah) party was set to start at 4pm on Christmas Eve. This was our house at 3:56pm with both babies sleeping! Win!!! Alice all dressed up and ready to party 🙂 Henry and his buddy Eytan playing at the party Ripping the room apart! Happy Christmukah! Henry doing backflips off the couch at the party! Sunset over Abram Lake