I'm getting excited

about this. On my to-do list:

pack two kids for one week of overnight camp
pack two other kids for ten days with grandparents
pack two grown ups for Italian adventure
pack acceptable clothing and footwear for normally scrappy looking children to wear to family wedding
wash many loads of laundry
brush up on conversational Italian

Almost there!

Ottawa!

This past week-end, we had a long overdue visit to Ottawa/Quebec, home to my little brother and step-brother. It was hot, but it was fun, and a perfect mix of family time and cool sightseeing around town. 

Day 1: a stroll through town with the Parliament buildings in the background. Requisite dorky siblings shot.

 The museum of civilisation in Gatineau is impressive, especially the children's museum. After taking it all in, we saw an Imax 3-D movie. Chuckles was keen at first, but then was utterly terrified by the sights and sounds and fell asleep for most of the movie. Thank goodness you don't have to pay for 3 year olds, this kid's movie experiences to date have mostly resulted in naps.

 The kids were doting on their cousin Jujube, who was sweet and always willing to submit to more cousin play. Here the M-cat has a turn:

 There was also some music lessons to be had, courtesy of Uncle Woog.

 And cookies! This sweet delight was from the bakery in Byward market recently made famous by the visit of Barack Obama, who ate a sugar cookie there during his winter visit. Now there are HUGE signs everywhere (is that really necessary?) hawking "Obama" cookies. M-cat went for the flower cookie, though. Way to resist the trend, kid.

 L-man was keen on one thing: touring the mint. Here they inspect their souvenirs, coin collecting books.  I must admit that the mint was pretty fascinating - they make all the collector coins in Ottawa, and also the Vancouver Winter Olympic medals, which were on display. While a certain child was disappointed that there was no coin giveaway, the tour made us all kind of geekily excited about how coins are made. We've started scavenging our loose change for rare coins now.

 And here, just minutes before a slightly bad parenting decision by dad. Hey! Let's prop the 3 year old way up high on this statue in front of parliament hill! What a great photo op! What was NOT captured on film, of course, was how Chuckles got stranded up there, refusing to be lowered down even by a friendly off duty firefighter (for the record, if you ain't wearing big boots and a big red hat, you can't really convince a 3 year old that you're a firefighter, but thanks for trying, Keith) Uncle Woog saved the day by scrambling up the back of the monument and coming to the rescue.

 And it was Busker fest in Ottawa too. This group from Australia was the biggest hit. Paul even took the bigger kids back later that night for the evening show, complete with lots of dangerous acrobatics involving flames. They're still talking about it.

 We had the good fortune of spending lots of time time with the two cutest toddlers in the family! After a hot afternoon of busker watching, we found a haven in the local wading pool and park.

 Our visit ended with a tour of parliament. It was cool, but there was lots of crankiness since it took half an hour to pass though the metal detectors, which put our tour just around lunch time. So we bailed after the House of Lords. At this point, Chuckles had already cashed out of the tour and I got to lug him around town until a restaurant was found. But everyone perked up after that, and we said our good-byes and headed home. We'll be back, Ottawa.

This is why we love grandma and grandpa's house

The backyard pool is heaven on a sweltering summer day:

 There are beautiful, precious new nephews  to welcome into the family:

 Grandpa can always be convinced to make a campfire and Grandma always has a pantry filled with fixings for S'mores:

 And there are even butterflies who come and pose for head-shots:

And that's some of the many reasons why we love it!

Our new art gallery

The end of eternity leave

I have been, for the better part of this past decade, on "eternity leave" from my job, (the one I used to be paid to do) as a teacher. I don't think I ever intended to stay at home with my kids for such a long time, but as babies came, and time went on, and as my job allowed, it just felt like the right thing to do. This was a choice and a privilege too - we were able to survive on one salary alone, for a while.

 As I became more firmly entrenched in my time at home, probably after my oldest daughter was born, I initially struggled with the question: "so what do you do?".  Hmmm.  Do I say "stay at home mom"? Do I say "well, I'm a teacher, really, but I"m just on leave, a really long leave." Why did I have such a hard time initially with this admission that I was a SAHM? I'm a feminist, I love my job, and I love my kids, and I didnt' know how they would all fit together.  I realize that often we are valued for the thing we do for pay, the "prize" of many years of education. But being a mom at home is equally hard, relentless, challenging, motivating, tiring, and rewarding. It has been a gift to be home with my children. And part of me mourns the end of my time at home.

But I feel energized too, by the looking forward: I will only be teaching in the mornings, at a school close by, teaching the subject that I love. I'll be home in time to pick up my littlest from morning preschool, get a little supper prep done, and then be there when the older kids come home from school. I don't romanticize it, this fall will require us reworking the way we function around here (lunches! homework done! bags packed! extra curriculars! making supper! dad coming home later because he's now the morning man while mama slips out early with her work satchel that has been in the closet for the last 8 years...)

 Change is hard, but rewarding too. This week I've farmed out my kids so I can start thinking about school. And today, while reacquainting myself with my school's photocopier, I felt stirrings of excitement. And that's a good thing.

Owen (In Memory)

Judging from the lineup

outside the church,

one might have thought

we came in memory

of some great man, much

lived.

But you were a very little man

for just three days,

brushing feather light,

across these many hearts.

Lament and celebration flutter up by turns.

Harp and flute entwine

in harmony and counterpoint.

The clear, haunting notes 

of the solo flute

make tangible in our midst

your bright spirit,

soaring free.

Your life,

what a perfect tiny circle;

your silken body cradled

by those most dear,

while your watchful eyes

assessed them gravely.

All the time your wounded heart

beat bravely, urgently

against its borrowed minutes,

hours.

One voice, more compelling,

called at the bright window.

You didn't look back.

Our song falters.

All's not well with the world,

but in the end we rest

in God with us.

A shaft of light banks and

glides

against the wall, sweeping

through the giving and the taking.

We sense your unfettered 

flight.

(by. E. Regehr, written for Owen Paul, July 18-21, 2000)

What happened to June?

We are firmly into summer now. School is over. End of year festivities are done. Granny has flown in from BC and now just returned home. And my biggest boy just turned ten. June (like September and December) is a fully loaded month around here.

Some highlights:
A company picnic at Marineland where we got close with this orca whale.

 The hands down highlight was meeting our big cousin Brianne, a beluga trainer. Each kid got to feed and touch the whale. The consensus was that the belugas felt like inner tubes and hard boiled eggs. Who'd have thought?

The next day was spent at "Marleneland", aka my in-laws' house in Niagara. That too, was a super fun day loaded with cousins, swimming, and trampolining. Bliss.

Then there was a Canada Day picnic to say good-bye to our playgroup friends who are returning to Germany after 3 years in Canada. We'll miss them!

And L-man, just last week, hit the double digits. We haven't completely finished celebrating yet, since he turned ten at camp, but he did get his ceremonial birthday breakfast in bed, a family birthday shared with his 16 year old cousin, and a very fun, crazy, boy-filled sleepover party too. Let's just say we've had a lot of ice cream cake this past week.

And now I'm off to spend two days at a cottage with one other fearless mama and our collective seven kids. Yee ha!