At Meech Lake A long drive through forests of green Searching for frogs in a chilly stream Soft mud oozing through my toes Loon underwater, away it goes
Dancing over rocks and grass Drinking iced tea from a glass Daddy tosses me up in the air We while away the hours without a care
It has become a tradition to celebrate Nico & Marcia's birthday with dinner at Les Fougeres in Chelsea, Quebec. The restaurant is in an old wooden house with a wraparound porch that overlooks a huge vegetable & flower garden on the edge of a maple forest. We share wine and several courses on a screened porch as the sun goes down and shades the area below where nasturtiums scent the air and ring the edges of corn, beans, tomatoes, squash and bouquet flowers. Lawn paths run between the sections, leading around corners of hollyhock and sunflowers. The setting sun glistens patches of gold at the tops of the maple trees, that rustle in the wind. We cheer to the birthday duo, then set Zoe free to frolic through the garden.
All Nico could think about these last few weeks, was getting up to Meech Lake in Le Gatineau- the "mountains" 20 minutes outside of downtown Ottawa. (California Girl thinks these are mere mole hills, but I'm not here to split hairs.) The Gatineau area is beautifully green with forests of birch and other trees, wildflowers and cool, still lakes. Zoe jumped in and swam until her lips were blue and chattery. Julian on the other hand was a bit cranky this afternoon, and not interested in putting his bare buns in the water. Soon, my pet, soon.
We're finally big enough to get our own row on the plane. This is Mr. Man's first flight, and he did just great! No crying, no fussing. Just eating and napping. That's about all I could handle after 2 Dramamines anyway, thank God. We had to get a couple of last-minute passports issued for the journey- one to replace Nico's which just expired, and one for Julian. Good thing we figured out that he needed one BEFORE we reached the airport. His passport picture is so cute- his chubby face smiling from ear to ear with a huge drool spot on his shirt. Zoe too, did a fine job, thanks to our new Finding Nemo DVD. About 8 hours in the air with a minor stopover in Toronto and we landed safely in Ottawa for a visit with Grammy & Grandpa Ted. After a few Advils (does it sound like a string of commercials yet? I'm waiting for those checks to start rolling in from the sponsors) we finally stretched our legs and poured a glass of wine. Last year at this time, we came with the news of a new baby. This time we came with baby. I hope this is the beginning of a lifetime of adventure and travel for them both.
Who is the biggest abuser of toddlers? The Coffeetable. How many poor 1-2 year olds have been whacked on the head or chin by this insensitive brute? Zoe too has fallen victim to it's cold, hard edge. One wrong move and down she went, smack against her eyesocket (that's why we're built with eyesockets, precisely) and we were off to the E.R. at 9 PM on a Saturday. After waiting for 2.5 hours, the Dr. told us what we already knew- it's not serious, but if we want to avoid the possibility of a larger scar, we should get two stitches. So, Zoe cowgirled up, and took it like a man. No tears, no cries, just one black eye.
I've been looking through pictures of Zoe lately, and found this little gem from way back- about two summers ago. at the time, we thought this was hilarious. Now, with new millennium technology, I can bring it to you today.
I am so excited to present my first You Tube video upload, starring who else, but my family. I am such a techno dork, I hadn't yet figured out what millions of 11 year olds around the globe have figured out (along with all the people brandishing their cell phones in the air in front of me at shows- anyone remember lighters?) But this blog is not about techno dorking, my most recent night out (Death Cab @ The Greek) or just any 11 year old kid; this blog is about my kids. One of whom tosses in her sleep when my computer keys clatter in the middle of the night. Now I can finally share their grins, accomplishments and all around cuteness- in action. Thanks for checking in! BTW- feel free to leave a comment... I love to hear them... and this way, i know you've been visiting. Besides, I'm beginning to think only our moms read this!
Mmmmmm. Pinkberry yogurt sure hits the spot after a long day at the beach. This place on 2nd st. has seen a lot of us lately. Here, mommy catches Zoe at a particularly sassy moment- happy sassy.
Date night turns into dinner with the kids. Family date. Zoe loves to go to the Belmont Brewing Co.- no, it's not for the Strawberry Blonde, but for the Nemo looking fish in the tank. Nemo Nemo Nemo. It's all about Nemo right now. After dinner, we take a nice walk along the boardwalk to take in the sunset over the oil islands.
I backed the car down Dana Place to load up after a long day on the beach. We put the kids in- first Zoe, then Julian. Zoe protested "no baby no". She did not want her innocently sleeping brother to come home with us, AGAIN. Then, after he was strapped in, I caught Zoe tipping the arm of the carrier, trying to eject her brother from the car. I gave her the "we LOVE julian, we want him to be with us! Don't try to push him out of the car". I went at it hard, trying to make her feel bad about wanting to get rid of him. I went back to loading the trunk with beach chairs and sandy towels. A woman who had walked by looked into the car. "Oh how cute!! Your children are so cute. She really loves the baby doesn't she?" Who? I wondered... She told me that I should grab my camera and take pictures of how cute Zoe was, holding her brother's hand. If only she had seen Zoe trying to launch Julian onto the pavement minutes before...
