Our Saturday night

Seb was at his usual sleepover, games night with his buddy Devin.

I opted to go to Nuit Blanche 2016 with my friend Ros (unfortunately we saw all the "wrong" installations and were rather under-impressed)

Meanwhile my love stayed home on the couch and this was his view :-)

Word on the Street 2016

It was just me this year - parties, sleepovers, pneumonia recovery.

Beautiful autumnal day by Lake Ontario, loads of books and authors and book lovers!

Next year, I am bringing a wheelie bag too.

Yes, I left with an empty wallet...

Some September moments

Apologise but this doesn't seem a very photogenic, bloggable autumn; 
here is a little of what we have been up to

Doesn't show any other interest in being a Scout

We watched the first debate...

We've been watching some home stretch base ball

and enjoying bretzels (not as good as France, for some reason)

Polish Festival 2016

It was a rainy Saturday to celebrate Polish Fest but the pierogies were as good as ever. Sophie and her dad recommended the pulled pork variety.

What the kids get up to

Annual Inspiration

We ran for so many loved ones. But more than that, we ran because Terry remains such an inspiration.

It was back to school on Tuesday

Grade 5!

Grade 8!

Traditional end of summer dinner was Greek salad and dessert pizza (Sophie), whilst the back to school dinner was nacho bean dip (chosen and made by Seb), green salad (suggested by mum) and ice cream sundaes (assembled by Sophie).

Nursing this lovely fellow back to health

First day home

His favourite crab cakes

Napping whenever / wherever

Summer holiday 2016 - part 4

Way back in history, my dear school friend Emma "married into" part of a field in Wiltshire. Ever after I have heard of the "field" or caravan; this year was THE year to discover it for ourselves. 

And what a gem it is. A field with a view to Salisbury cathedral. A poky little caravan, but 2 large huts - one for dining and relaxing (i.e, staying dry if need be) and the other to cook and wash and even use a flush toilet! There is a big gas stove and running water, which really do take the edge off camping. It was a divine few days and such a pleasure to share this treasured place with some of our favourite people.

There was lots of this sort of thing

Typical breakfast scene in front of the 2 huts

What every parent wants to see - books and fruit being consumed 

Doesn't show but Ava and Sophie got on great

As did Seb & Ava - who together doted on this toddler for ages

The gang on one of our walks

Doing what they love to do

hammocking around

My love had some helpers to make pancakes

Seb was happy to tuck into them

solo time was important too, given that we were 10

As you can imagine, he was in his element

as was Soph

as was I!

Love these kids to bits!!

and their terrific parents. I got so lucky when I met Emma

We did a few cultural things - a National Trust house where this horse was made from reclaimed wire from a NT cottage 

On the one actually rainy day, we went to see the BFG (amazing!!) at an unusual cinema in Salisbury

The foyer is a converted Tudor great hall!

Summer holiday 2016 - Part 3

The last Saturday in France we managed to squeeze in a visit to Arc-en-ciel / acrobranche /
zip lining!Very fun and so rewarding to see our brave and capable kids doing their monkeying 30' up a tree or between them!

Active family = happy family

My original mountain goat

Yes, I did some of it. I had the middle-age indignity of having to give up when it became stranded between two trees... clearly my upper body strength wasn't up to it...

It was a fantastic day out. Memorable in many ways and showed that family pulling together is key.