A Cuppa Coffee On Gum-Smack Day - Sixth of Seven

The kids have settled into the routine of school this week and I, adjusting quickly as always, am sure to have mornings running smoothly by early November. Friday's on the bus are a special day. Christopher, our bus driver, has christened it Gum-Smack Day - the one day of the week when the kids can chew gum. They've got it made.

One day last spring, I took a sip of my much-needed morning coffee as the kids boarded the bus. Christopher jokingly asked, "Where's mine?"

I replied, "I didn't know how you take it."

"With milk," he answered with a sly grin.

"Alright."

On the next Gum-Smack Day, the kids and I announced that, from that day forth, Friday's would also be known as Coffee-Smack Day and we handed him a hot cup of coffee. A big smile spread across his face...very much like the one that spread across mine. He thanked us very much and off they went. That day, a tradition was born that continued until the end of school in June.

Today was the first Gum-Smack Day of the new school year and with it came the first coffee delivery of the 2010 season. A wide grin crept across Christopher's face. Mine was bigger.

Skipper - Five of Seven

A couple weeks back, the kids and I made the morning trip to Julie's before I continued on into work. With the van parked, we hopped out and headed up the driveway. Cammy and Ri ran on ahead leaving the two stragglers in their dust. As Nolan approached the turn, from driveway to pathway, he started to skip. I started to grin.

Last summer, I was walking into Loblaws (a grocery store in these parts) when I spotted a little girl of about five or six. She was holding the hand of a gentleman I imagined to be her grandpa. She was skipping and with every step she pulled on her grandpa's arm, swinging it back and forth. I grinned then as I do now just thinking about it.

There's something almost perfect about skipping. At that moment, in that place, the child doesn't have a care in the world and everything is a-okay. Which is, afterall, the way it should be.

Nolan skipping for this unabashedly staged photo

Pickin' and a Grinnin' - First of Seven

The gauntlet has been dropped. Well, alright, it's not quite that serious. Philip, one of my backward buddies, has written a series of posts about seven things that are guaranteed to make him smile. Now he has passed the torch on to seven others. And lucky for you, I'm one of them. Oh-ho, you can sense your day getting better, can't you. I know. Here goes.

The boys and I headed down to Orono this morning and met up with Dorito at Wilmot Orchards. The blueberries have been ready for picking for a good week now so it's time to stock up for winter. We checked in and were sent out to row 23. After wandering about half way down, we set our stuff in the grass and got to work. Nolan's a pretty good co-picker - he tends to dive right in there and get the berries closer to the ground, saving his ole ma's back in the process. Cammy picked and ate. He may have even set a record for shortest time lapse before whining. We kept picking.

Mmmm, blueberries

The weather's been quite nice lately - mid-20s with lower humidity - but you could feel it climbing out there today. By noon, Dorito had a bucket full, and, with help from Dorito and Nolan, I had just shy of two full buckets of dark blue, perfectly rounded blueberries. Judging by Cameron's blueberry intake, they were awfully tasty. Dorito assured me they were very sweet. I can't really say 'cause, quite honestly, I can't stand blueberries. I sure do love picking them, though. Can't really say why, either. For years now, I've made my way to the pick-your-owns and loaded up on strawberries and raspberries, blueberries and apples - sometimes turning the fresh fruit into jars of summer goodness or, like the blueberries, freezing them so we have the local tastes of the season all winter long. I know I do it partly because I want to eat locally and support our neighbours but there's more to it than that. I think it's the love of all things pioneer (except for outhouses) and growing up watching Laura Ingalls and wanting to be like her - living in a simpler time, doing for ourselves and, I'll go out on a limb here, being happier. Picking does that for me. 

Cammy next to his hockey hero, Mike Cammalleri's, number 13

After we had our fill of blueberries, we paid and dropped our bounty in the cars. Then we headed back to the café and cooled down with a Muskoka Dry ginger ale. Dorito took some goofy pictures - 'cause that's what she does - we said our goodbyes and off we went towards home. Tonight, there's two trays of blueberries sitting in the freezer and a bucket in the fridge. This winter, when the kids are diving into the frozen blueberries, I'll think back on today with a grin. And I'll dream about next summer, walking through a berry field with a basket in each hand.      

Cheers

Easter Morning, Take II

We cheated this morning and, after all the chocolate was collected, those of us over twelve went back to bed.

Greeting the day a second time with coffee on the porch.

Welcome

Mother Nature's Gifts

Mornings like this are good for the soul. The sky is clear and blue. The trees glisten with hoar frost. And fresh cold air greets us as we make our way to meet the bus. Now, as I look out the window, br'er rabbit, with his thick winter coat, hops by. And on the front porch, our friend Po makes his first appearance of the winter. Po, so named by the kids, is a cardinal. For the past several winters, we've had a lovely pair of cardinals visit our feeder. This year, though, only the female (that would be Mrs. Po) has been spotted. I smile at his return.


Earlier, after waving good bye to the kids, I wandered out back. As I trudged through the snow, I chatted with a chickadee. He flew away. At the salt lick there is no sign of deer but what appear to be coyote tracks abound. Here and there, rabbits make their presence known as well.


Today, brother Enos and I head out to Guelph. He's hurt his foot and can't drive that far so I volunteered my services. It's a grand day for a roadtrip.

Winter Sunrise

As I headed out to work, I took a look southward. The sky was breathtaking. I tossed my stuff in the truck and started it up. It was 7:30 and the air about me was already a balmy -15. While the juices in the truck began to warm, I wandered back out to take in the morn. Stunning.

Wash Day

Blue skies, warm temps and sheets drying out on the line. Tonight, we'll snuggle into our beds and breathe in the freshest scents of the day.

I Love You Two

As we headed up the road to daycare this morning, Nolie said, "Mum, I want to tell you that I love you." (I know - awww)

I said, "Well, I want to tell you that I love you too."

"I love you three," he said with a big grin. He got me.

"I love you four," I replied with an equally sized grin. And so it went. This is how the kids all learned to count.

After I stepped onto the driveway at Julie's, opened his door and helped him unbuckle, he stood and said, "I love you nine."

He opened up his arms and, as I swung him around, we declared together, "I love you ten!"

Tell me that's not the best way to start your day.

Tuckered

After a long weekend full of fun fairs, dinners and hanging out with favourite cousins, there's not much left for this four year old, other than to dream about it, all over again...

With Love From Oma

The song of the crickets seems louder each night. Here and there a crimson leaf hangs in a tree. And you can feel it in the air. Autumn's coming. The last few nights sure have been cooler - down to a balmy 12 last night. Not quite time to bring out winter duvets, but cool enough to require an extra blankey or two. Last night the boys wore long sleeve jammies to bed and snuggled down under their quilts and knitted blankets. Riley too. All of them, lovingly made, by Oma.

He's My Brother

Cammy was playing Spiderman this morning and Nolie squeezed in behind him, grabbed him around the waist and sang, "Oh cute baby," while rocking him back and forth. These two brothers are also best friends. Makes me proud.

My Favourite Things

Ah, daisies. They're my absolute favourite flower and they grow in wild abundance around here. And there's nothing like a lovingly picked bouquet hand delivered by my boys.

Looking at this picture reminded me of a song I heard a lot as a kid. I think it was sung by Max Bygraves. Brother Enos and I weren't big fans...you could say we hated those albums. But Mum was British and a big fan. Looking back, I guess it's kind of catchy...

Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your answer do!
I'm half crazy,
All for the love of you!
It won't be a stylish marriage,
I can't afford a carriage.
But you'll look sweet upon the seat,
Of a bicycle built for two.

I have no plans to quit my day job.

Perfection

Doctor's Orders

We're home again today. Ri's feeling much better but, as she hadn't eaten yesterday, I decided we'd take another day to slowly bring food back into her life. So far so good. There was a quick trip to the General Store for crackers and ginger ale this morning and she's now progressed from that to half a bagel with some homemade applesauce. I see formal learning in a school environment in her very near future.

It's such a beautiful day out there with a good strong breeze. I hung the boys' sheets out and I think they were dry within an hour. Riley was inside all day yesterday and this morning so I thought the best medicine would be some fresh air and a walk. So we walked across the road and headed west along the unassumed road. Riley and her cousins Laura and Becca had found raspberries growing there a couple of years ago and she wanted to show me where they were. Well, we walked a good bit and came out at the maintained road on the other side. We've no idea where those berry canes might be but we'll take another look in July.

There's an old tree in there with a huge branch growing out near the bottom of the trunk. It has a fabulous shape to it - the great arm reaches out, then forks and stretches to the sky...


Further along, Riley found an old wooden door. I've never understood why people have so little respect and think it's okay to dump their garbage - I guess that's a story for another day. Anyway, she thinks Paul should go in and bring it back and build a fort with it. Wow. This could actually be something that her brothers would agree with her on. Not so sure that they'll win Paul's vote, though.

And then we followed a wee creek to this...


I wish I could have brought you the sound of that little waterfall too.

We arrived back at the house and Riley wanted to take a quick look at the bog where they skated. We found two ducks out for a swim...



Nature. There's no better medicine.

Early Morning, Every Morning

Somewhere between six and 6:15 every morning, Nolan slips out of his room, manoeuvers over and around the sleeping obstacles in the hallway (that would be Kokanee and Waylon, for the uninitiated) and lands beside my bed. Every morning.

And he whispers, "Mummy. Is Dad in bed?"

"No," I answer, "he's at work."

"Can I come in bed with you?"

"Of course; come on."

I help him up onto the old iron bed. He crawls over me and then snuggles down under the mountain of warm covers. And we share the pillow. Every morning.

I ask him how he slept. He answers, "good." We snuggle awhile longer and then he gives me a big hug and a kiss. He hears his brother stirring, so he crawls out from under the covers, back across me, slides down from the old iron bed and disappears into the darkness. Every morning.

I wouldn't change my mornings for anything in the world.

A Warm Winters Day

Warm is a relative word. Right now, it's a glorious -3 outside and snowing ever so lightly. Compared to last week's temps in the -20s and -30s, it's downright balmy out there. The snow has been falling since yesterday afternoon and we've had a fair dumping. Didn't realize just how much 'til I trudged through the snow to get a picture and found myself up to my knees in the white stuff (that would be up to your waist, Dorito). But you won't hear a complaint here. I'm happy to see the clouds move in, the temperature warm up and the snow resting in the trees. There are days when winter seems too much. Today isn't one of them. As my dad would say - it's a great day to be alive.

Now I'm off to change my wet socks and do a little cleaning. Might even whistle while I work.

~Liz