A little breather

I know that I have written about this before but, sometimes, our family goes up north to a place called Mont Tremblant for an evening away. We love to stay in the cosy village and just hang out together. Even though it is only for a night or two tops, it really helps to give a little breather. This whole semester at work has been very busy for both Andreas and me so these little breaks are much appreciated. So appreciated that I can now use another ;)

Wishing you all a great rest of the week xox

Hope you make it through the photo spam ;)

La Famille Hibou

Oliver has a class project. He brought home the Owl Family (Stella, Lola, Manolo, Alfie, Frida and Charlie) from kindergarten. All the children get to bring the owls home for a night and they learn how to take care of them (they come with bottles, toothbrushes, blankets and tents). Oliver was over the moon when it was finally his turn! It also worked out well for the Owl Family (La Famille Hibou) because they got to come to Mt. Tremblant with us! How cosy!

First, after arriving at our hotel room, Oliver took the owls out of their safe traveling place (ie: our suitcase) and made sure that they were comfortable. They were not allowed to come to the Aqua Club with us (they don't like water) so they got to rest in the hotel room. When we got back after swimming, Oliver took care of them again (he offered them a bottle). They sat on the bed with him and watched some TV while I made them dinner... seriously, I did ;) Baked mouse and veggies... it was pretend but I am sure that they liked it ;) After dinner, we played a bit before getting ready for bed. By 8:30 both owls and boys were tired so it was toothbrush time and BED! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

We woke up this morning and slowly got ready to leave. The owls got some breakfast (not sure what it was because Oliver made it) and then they were packed in my bag because the view was better than in the suitcase. We put the owls in the car while we walked around a bit. Oliver said that they didn't like to walk around anyway.

The owls are now back at our house, getting ready to go back to school tomorrow. We had a great time with La Famille Hibou... hoped they enjoyed it too! Our little trip to Tremblant was a cosy way to spend the weekend. Stella, Lola, Manolo, Alfie and Frida said that they wanted to go back again and try skiing next time.... Have fun with the next family xox

Oliver posing with the owls

All cosy!

La Famille Hibou at Mt. Tremblant

Ready for the trip home!

Photo spam Friday

I am SO happy that it is Friday! We have decided to spend a bit of time getting a change of scene this weekend so we will be taking a drive up north to enjoy the leaves changing colour. This year, we have been lucky and it has stayed warm up until maybe last week so the leaves have just started turning gold and red. I am really looking forward to it!

I promise to share some of the photos of autumn splendour but, in the mean time, here is a photo spam from the last week. Wishing you all a happy Friday and great weekend xox

Montreal colours

Back alleyways

Autumn showers

Oliver's new favourite book ;)

Contrasts

Local produce delivered to our house by the man who grew them

More colour contrasts

 

The last of the action shots for the season....

Great place to get rid of extra energy

We'll be sorry to say bye to the trampoline for the winter

Evening out

Last night, Andreas and I went to a friend's wedding. It was a lovely evening... obviously lots of love for the newly weds. The food was awesome (thanks to the bride's Italian background) and the dancing was a real workout (thanks to the groom and his friends). It was nice to sit down and use a knife and fork to eat ;) The wine was good too ;)
It is funny with weddings... it makes you really think on your own marriage. Andreas and I will be celebrating our own 11 year anniversary this year and, despite the ups and downs, I am very thankful for the love that we share and the family that we have made. I consider myself very lucky... although Andreas does have selective hearing at times... hint, hint to my husband... He makes up for it by his awesome choice for a wife ;)

Wishing you all a great remainder of the weekend! xox

PS: Yes, sometimes Andreas actually reads my posts ;)

The not-so-baby baby :)

Oliver is a very typical third child: he lives by his own rules. He sees things in ways that constantly frustrate amaze me ;) Even when Oli was a very little baby, his personality was a mix between stubbornness (step 1) and charm (step 2). Trust me, when his eyes shine and he gives you that look, all is forgiven... The charm part has been very important lately as he tells me that, in kindergarten, he only gets 2 small time-outs during the day ;)

I always dreamed about having  3 children and I am blessed to have my dream come true!

Happy weekend to all xox

In the middle....

Sometimes, it is tough to be the child in the middle. When we decided to have a third child, putting little Nicklas in the middle was definitely on my mind. I was worried about having a middle child and whether we would be hurting him in any way. The thing that confirmed our choice in having a third.... more mine, maybe, because Andreas would have been happy stopping at 1 ;).... was that Nicklas had a very strong character. He said what was on his mind and marched to his own beat. Even now, Nicklas never shies away from his opinion.. no matter what ;) In a way, he benefits from the bonuses that Alexander has been given as the eldest, as well as cashing in on the flexibility that I give Oliver for being the youngest. Nicklas is probably the most like me, in his stubbornness as well as his attention for having things "just right" ;) As this weekend is Thanksgiving here in Canada, I am thankful for all my boys. I am definitely blessed....

Growing up

Friday morning, Alexander asked if he could go to get his hair cut. He had decided that it was getting too long and wanted to do something about it. So, in a very logical way, he explained the situation to me and asked for help.

It sounds like not much of a big deal, right? For me, though, it was one of many steps in Alexander growing up. He has a definite character, sense of humour, sense of priorities, sense of fun, sense of himself that might just differ from mine.... and that is fine. Alexander will be turning 11 in a few weeks. He is in his last year of elementary school. He is on the verge of puberty. He is on the edge of becoming a man. Sometimes I can still see the baby that he once was... but lately, that image is less clear. In turn, though, I am enjoying the person that he is developing into. The one that I am very proud of....

In a way, because he is my first born, I feel that we are on a bit of an adventure together. He was my early experiences as a parent- the ones that are the most intense. Alexander welcomed 2 brothers into the family, and lived the change in our dynamics from a family of 3 to 5... and, thankfully, survived relatively unscathed ;) Don't get me wrong: I love my 3 boys equally but there is a special place in a mother's heart for her first.

Happy growing up, buddy xox

Before the haircut

The "after" shot ;)

Just, because, sometimes I like to remember :)

New in the family

Our recent sleep over guest has become a permanent fixture in our home. Meet Zoey! She is an 8 year old German Shepherd/Lab/Husky mix and we had the luck of adopting her from a great foster mom. Fanny, who is also 8, is happy because she gets a partner in crime. The boys are excited because our house just got a little bit more chaotic. Hmmm... maybe I didn't think this one through ;)

Happy Friday xox

Lost tooth

Alexander, who has probably lost all of his baby teeth, has been able to make a mint off the toothfairy (trust me)! While he has been filling up his piggy bank, poor Nicklas has been anxiously pulling at his own teeth, trying to make them loose. Unfortunately for him, his teeth have been stubborn... and his piggy bank remains kind of empty.
Yesterday, there was a turn of events and Nicklas lost another tooth! The tooth fairy was sympathetic and left a little extra money, to make up for his frustrations ;) With his piggy bank a little bit fuller, and his mouth a little emptier, Nicka was excited to start the week!

Wishing you all a happy Monday! xox

I love autumn... warning: photo spam ;)

I have said it before and I will say it again: autumn is my favourite season. I know that it is strange because I simply hate winter but there is something about the sunshine, the light and cosy sweaters that just does it for me ;)

I am wholeheartedly apologizing to my blog... and whoever actually reads it ;)... for my recent lack of anything interesting to say. My work life (and the boys' homework) is a bit overwhelming lately. On a positive note, I see the light at the end of the tunnel... no matter how short the break may be ;)

I warned you.... here is the photo spam (including photos that Andreas took during the boys' fishing trip today).... :)

Wishing you all a great week xox

OMG! Someone still drives this kind of car! Nothing says safety like wood paneling ;)