apple harvesting

It's hard to believe that it was only last week when we picked apples. Hard to believe because of all the work it took to harvest, then freeze them in all their various forms. I've now got applesauce, apple puree and apple crisp in the freezer and a big bucket of apples yet in a fridge for eating and impromptu apple muffins or apple crisp. I figured out some short cuts for those last minute sweetness cravings.


Also hard to believe because it was so hot and this was just last week and this morning I had to scrape frost off the windows because I didn't think to park in the garage. We thought of it for tonight. Who wants to be scraping windows at 6:30am?


Then there has been all the fun to be had. Treaty 4 celebrations are now underway in the Fort and I took the girls Tues. Ivan went with his class today and the girls and I will go again tomorrow. It was awesome. There are a dozen or more teepees set up and in them are facilitators telling stories, doing activities, explaining and sharing the First Nation culture. We enjoyed it a lot and got to cook bannock over a fire, eat fried bannock, have wild mint tea, wild cranberry juice and a mixture of elk pemmican, lard, berries and sugar with wild herbs- all harvested in the area. Although we'd been to a pow wow before, we were mostly clueless because we didn't know all the background meanings of things, but this time, the announcer explained the history of the dances, what they were telling in the dance and information regarding the costumes, traditions...


It was also especially fun to hear some of the older audience beside me singing the songs the drummers sang along with them. Not knowing the language, I had no idea what they were saying, but apparently the songs change with time and the announcer kept saying that these drummers were singing the old songs.










The kids are going to have their first round of after school art/music lessons, so we'll see how that goes. We are looking forward to it. Emora and I are LOVING our time together. So far we haven't done a lot of anything special- like quality time. It seems like once we run an errand and have lunch it's already time for her nap and running back up to the school. But I feel like we are still in recovery/transition mode.





Are there signs of fall where you live?

your time is running short

It's still hot enough here, but I'm not sure how long it will last. The mornings and evenings are cool enough for a light jacket and pants, but the day gets real hot. Today I was in a t-shirt instead of a tank top and was so hot walking down the street. I went to the town beach and the water has gone down quite a bit. The grass has dried out and there is a little bit of beach after the retaining wall now. Several parents were out with their young kids and I got to watch canadian geese diving into the water for food. I've gotten the geese mixed up some with the pelicans, as they fly overhead but I think I'm realizing the differences now that someone said the geese have black wings and fly faster. You have to learn to look for these things when you're just a city girl!




Like these morning glories... I will miss them when they stop greeting me in the mornings, they have made me a glorious welcome as I drive up in the wee hours of the day. I think they come back, but do I cut them down to the ground? I think so. And what about the rest of the plants? I hope to bring the herbs in and keep them alive through the winter, not sure if that's possible, but I'll give it a try.

Our first week of school was a blur of activity. Running the kids back and forth, waking Emora up from naps, figuring out where to pick up the kids, not having near as much of the day as I thought I would, and the most exciting part: APPLE HARVEST!!








Dominique's kindergarten teacher has a farm and 3 apple trees that she invited Janet and I to harvest. We took our kids out there Wednesday and picked a ton of apples. So since then, I've been making applesauce, apple crisp, apple puree and even a little apple juice. I also kept some for eating and gave a ton away. It was fun, but I'm also glad that I'm done with them and that I have such wonderful food to pull out during the long winters here. I decided that I would love to have this as a yearly ritual, but I'm also glad we don't depend on it. Mrs MacPherson's mom came out to be our hostess, helping with the kids and giving us all snacks and a good visit after the picking was done. She was telling us about making 900 preserves one year. I would not have liked that!

So it's all well that ends well. Here I had been so sad that we didn't get a garden this year, but I have been the recipient of lots of garden produce from my parents, my neighbor, cousin and most likely my uncle will be bringing more our way. Then I was sad about not planting an apple tree, and yet here I was elbow deep in apples all week. It was really fun too because the kids and I have read lots of books about harvesting apples and this was the first time we got to really feel a part of it.

I'm really loving how lots of people garden here and how lots of people share garden stuff. So yummy and fun!!

1st day of school pics

Tomorrow is Dominique's first full day of school. She went for a half day on Tuesday (they call it a staggered start and invite half the class to come for half a day so that they can have a first day in smaller groups). She was so exhausted after that first half day, so I'm wondering what a full day will do to her. We are trying to get them to bed earlier, but it's still hard getting up in the morning- especially for the beauty sleep queen Emora who unfortunately now has to be woken up in the morning and from naps due to the school schedule.





The way the angle came out in this pic makes Dominique look gigantic compared to Emora, doesn't it? Kind of funny and maybe a bit symbolic, if I wanted to get deep and philosophical, which I don't.




Ivan had so many materials to bring, they didn't all fit in his huge backpack.




Dominique requested a princess backpack for her birthday in the summer. I thought that was a win/win since she needed a backpack for school anyways and I could tick something off that school supply list in July!

Ivan thinks he's all grown up now that he's in grade 2. He wants to walk home from school by himself (which I'm not letting him do). He doesn't want me to wait for him in the hall anymore. He's changed his favorite color that he loved since birth (from green to blue) and he decided he LOVES writing (I'm hoping that will stick beyond today). I still haven't really had a chance to meet his teacher much, since I'm not waiting for him in the hallway. I keep thinking I need to get in there to at least say "hi, I'm Ivan's mom"- even if that will be SO EMBARRASSING for him!

I asked him if he was now too big to give me a kiss at school and he looked around the playground to make sure no one was there and gave me a quick peck ;) Glad he's not totally grown up yet!

Mr Sandman

Last week we went to the beach for what we thought was a last beach day, but that was before we knew we would have a gorgeous-extra long weekend! We got to go canoeing yesterday and again today and swam a little bit, but the kids didn't get very adventurous today without their cousins at the beach. All they had was mom and dad!


These pics are all from last week's beach adventures.
This is one of our friends with the mermaid a couple of ladies built with the kid's help. I didn't talk much with the ladies, but they must have had some artistic abilities because this was one of the most elaborate sand creations I've seen there this summer- and they had lots of little helpers, which can help or hinder the process!


After the mermaid, the kids decided to bury Arwen, then Ivan in the sand.






He got a bit dirty.



We are LOVING playing at the beach and getting out to the parks to enjoy the amazing weather and nature around us. It was so great getting to see the pelicans so close and fly just 10 feet or so over our heads while we canoed. Emora was pretty terrified of the canoe yesterday and today, but once we are out on the water about 20 minutes, she finally stops crying and settles in for the ride. I'm hoping she will come to love boating, but it may take her some more times out to fully appreciate it! I have to admit, it can get a bit scary since we are not very experienced canoers and when some of those waves come up or a motor boat zips by, I was telling the kids "wee, look at the fun waves" all the while paddling my best and hoping we don't capsize- which we didn't! I wish they rented water equipment here. I would love to try out kayaking and these stand up paddle boards I've seen and see how much fun it would be to know what we may want to invest in.

beach day

Here are more pics from the beach day. I have enough pics to post a good 3 times on it, so I split them up by kids. Yesterday was Emora and today our other little princess on the water.








OK, I know these pics are very similar, but I just couldn't decide on my favorite! Which one do you like best? I'm needing to make prints some time in the near future and I can't print them all!


Out of all my kids, so far Dominique likes the water the best, and Emora the least, but we'll see if that will change with time.

Last week's beach day

I was thinking we were having our last beach day last week so I took a ton of pictures. Enough to last us all winter maybe? It's been cold the last few days and fall has arrived suddenly, a few rain storms and even hail, but then I was told it's supposed to get in the 30s (90s farenheit) this week, so maybe we're not through with the beach yet!! ;) I do love being able to drop everything and head out if the temps are right. Of course the big kids will be in school, but that doesn't mean Emora and I can't go have some fun, maybe scrounge up a friend or two ;)



I got to go on a lovely bike ride the other day. I just love how walking or riding a bike lets me slow down and really notice my environment and nature.


I went down a road that is now closed due to flooding. It's now a perfectly charming bike trail and led to my favorite cliff overlooking the valley. I got to spy on some pelicans and spotted a blue herron again, so that was great fun!





I'm hoping we will get out in a canoe in the next day or too. Long weekends are so awesome!

Mr Smartypants business entrepreneur

Ivan informed me this morning that he was going to buy his own ipod. "I just have to sell 5 rocks for $10". I asked if he really thought he could sell rocks for $10. He said "well, painted ones". Dominique suggested that he sell pictures instead. Before an hour had gone by, he had quite the operation. He'd made a sign that said "pictures for $10", then he had half a dozen neighborhood kids making pictures while he rode his bike. I heard Fiorella come from her house saying that her mom would not give her $10 and Ivan told her "well, you can't buy a picture then". I told him $10 may be a little steep. Brian offered some change to the girls who were drawing and they said the money was for Ivan! Later he changed his price to 6 cents. By that time there was a huge pile of paper and markers all over my steps, and papers flying off into the driveway, one paper airplane in our pine tree, caps and uncapped markers strewn about and Ivan still biking. He was quite sad that he hadn't sold a single picture after all his organizing. I reassured him that he would probably get some money for his birthday. He lamented that it was AGES away and I told him we are already Sept. and that Oct. really isn't that far from now!



We didn't get into a discussion about paying his laborers. I think they were creatives that worked for the love of art!






The boy hates to pick up a pen, pencil, marker or crayon, but apparently he can get a product if need be. I'll have to watch that he doesn't hire his sisters to do his homework in the future!


We got a surprise of a super long weekend off. Brian got Fri. and Mon. and is playing a gig Sat. night. Sheena is playing tonight and to support her we are going to go and eat super there too, which means I don't have to cook ;) And after being grand central child care this morning (maybe mayhem sorter is a better designation), it is now calm on the street, Emora's sleeping, the big kids are playing with their best friend Fiorella and when Brian gets back from an errand, I am going to snag a bike and go for a bit of a ride- see how my knee does ;)

Happy Birthday MOM!

Told you fall is coming! These pictures were taken at the bike park. It's full of trees, ravines, neat nooks and crannies and at least one garden snake. We saw it. Thankfully snakes aren't poisonous here, but I still don't like them.


The leaves here become so pretty when they are getting ready for winter. Can't believe it's coming again. I'm not sure if I really want to say bye to summer yet, but I don't think I have much of a choice.










At the same time, the kids are so very excited about school and we are excited for them too. I put Dominique's calendar up. The teacher is focusing on colors the first month and suggested that they could where the color they are studying each day. I'm pretty sure Dominique has all the colors in her wardrobe, but she did request for me to sew her a green shirt with a fairy on it- which I'm totally not going to do! I can tell she's going to get right into all the activities with gusto and great imagination!

Ivan still hates writing, but he's read a lot this summer and I'm hoping the teacher will have all sorts of great tricks that will help him focus and not hate writing quite so much. Ivan wrote a comic (since his dad has been creating a comic). It was very imaginative about a 5 headed alien, but there were no words, just pictures. We told him that if he wrote what was happening others could understand it better and he said they just had to figure it out.

Happy Birthday mom! Hope you have a good day.

Stollen photos of stollen moments

I have to give credit to Janet Muirhead, my cousin's wife for these pictures of our lake side picnic and canoe lesson evening. It was an amazing night, just way too short! I do think it gave us the confidence to take a canoe out on our own, so I'm hoping we can squeeze that in some day. Maybe on the long weekend. There was a note on the bank I clean saying that they are closed Monday, which means that I don't have to go in the next morning to clean since I'll have done it on the weekend, which means I don't have to go in for early morning cleaning on the first day of school!! Another yipee! The day will already be a bit crazy. I take Ivan and his huge load of school supplies at 9am, then Dominique at 1pm- with her huge load of supplies, then pick up her and Ivan at 3:30.
















It'll be nice to have some built in exercise again, but I don't really like the running back and forth schedule wise.

Our front flower beds with all the extra plants I was given are about to have a taste of fall. It's rained the last day or so and is already so much cooler. I don't know if we'll get some more hot days, but I was noticing at the lake a couple of days ago, that there were some yellowed leaves in the water and some trees are already changing color. This is the season when we moved in and were just starting to really call this place "home", so fall will always have that connotation for me now.