Double Dosed!

Finally, Keva was able to get her covid vaccine - the first and the second dose somewhat close together too! Yay, everyone is dosed up in this family now. Three for the parents and two for each kid!

Dose 1: December 2021

Dose 2: January 2022

Winter in Fort Frances

 This is the first time we've been in Fort Frances in the winter in 12 years and it lived up to my memory of winter in Fort Frances - COLD. Though cold, it was also beautiful. The snow was crisp and white, covering the trees and everything in a blanket and beauty. The days were bright and sunny, just also cold. Didn't stop us though from getting out there and enjoying the snow the best we could, leaving Grandma and Auntie Colleen nestled warmly inside awaiting our return. We even extended our trip by TEN days because school "went virtual" yet again (thanks Covid - omicron specifically) to play some more ... while we worked and learned.

Frosty

Winter Ready

Bundled Up

Conquering

Logan!

Happy Trails

Brighton Laces Up Too

Warming Up

Will Work Anywhere

Horizontal Learning

MOMENT: The Winter is Cold it's Cold

The song I chose is apt as it repeats the obvious: the winter is cold it's cold. We managed to lace up our skates, sled down a few slopes, snowshoe around, build a quinzhee, and play at a park anyway. We also nestled in with a puzzle and some good time board games. Turns out, it doesn't matter where we go or what the weather is like, we make the most of it when we're with family.

Happy New Year! Welcome 2022!

What a great way to ring in the new year - a three generation party with food, games, dancing, and cold with a REALLY cold backdrop!

MOMENT: A Toast to the New Year!

Fondue is always a great way to celebrate. We didn't get to all of the games Mommy planned, but don't worry - she is committed to getting Pictionary into the memory banks at the next one! Thanks to Keva for her awesome dance show and to the two teenagers for abiding Grandma for a NYE dance for making these memories happy ones. Bring on 2022!

Christmas 2021

'Tis the Christmas season and it wouldn't be complete without decking the halls of our home, having a celebration with Grandpa Mike, and making a voyage to somewhere. This year - it was back to Fort Frances! This is Tavish's second Christmas there (he was 9 months old the last time) and a first for Keva. It was lovely...despite the near-covid crisis as Mommy's Teacher Candidate tested positive for covid less than a week before we left! Ack! All were negative ... a Christmas miracle!

Urban Tree "farm"

Dear Santa...

Covid Tried to Cancel Christmas - NEGATIVE!

Journey Begins

Keva trims the tree with Grandma

Ready for Santa

Hope Santa and the Reindeer are Hungry!

Good books and a first CELLPHONE?!?

Family Christmas

Wintery Wonderland

Christmas Cheer

MOMENTS: Looking Like Christmas and Feeling Festive

Getting the tree from an urban walk is a tradition that continues! Even covid couldn't wreck the journey to Fort Frances, though it tried. (sigh) It was snowy and cold-cold-cold but that just made it feel oh-so-Christmasy! Auntie Colleen and Grandma greeted us and we got lots of time with Uncle Kevin and Logan, a frigid (but, again, fun) Christmas day outing in the snow with Logan, some connected time with the Bedfords in Ottawa, lots of memories, and a few new gifts. Some gift highlights this year included: homemade wooden boxes from Uncle Kevin; matching white glowing hearts for the window for Grandma, Colleen, and us; google home mini for Keva, a first cellphone for Tavish; and Santa's gifts awaiting our return in Toronto for the kids (hockey net for Tav and a Barbie campervan for Keevs). Memories. Memories. Memories.

Uncle Kevin's Birthday

Celebrating Uncle Kevin turning 51 together in Fort Frances is fun and brought out a few memorable zingers too...

Background story:
Grandma has been known to offer food that is... well... it's beyond being expired. It's well intentioned and entertaining, if not a little, um... icky.

Grandma: They tease me a lot about all of my old things
Mom: Mostly about you, Kevin

ZING!

Tavish and Logan sharing a game on Logan's phone. Each wore one wireless ear bud and took turns trying to beat the score of the other. Meanwhile, Uncle Kevin, Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Auntie Colleen were trying out a new game called Ticket to Ride. While Tavish was on his turn, Logan came to the kitchen for some soda, still wearing one ear bud to hear Tavish playing....

Meanwhile, at the table, the board game shenannigans are heating up as someone explains to Grandma what she can do to secure more points on her train route.

Grandma: I like the sound of that...
(without missing a beat, from the other side of the room)
Logan: Know what else sounds nice? The sound of Tavish failing.

ZING!

Casual Cousin Competition

Friendly Family Fun

Green or Blue Braces

Traveling through the snow to Fort Frances after our flight to Thunder Bay, kids are working to find ways to cohesively pass the time. "Eye Spy" - a classic.

Tavish: I spy something that is green

(a few incorrect guesses later)

Keva: Are your braces green?

Tavish: No, they're blue.

Keva; Oh, they look green to me.

Tavish asks for my phone to look at them in selfie mode and declares they are, in fact - blue

(a few minutes later)

Keva: I spy something that is green

(a few incorrect guesses later)

Tom: Tavish's braces?

Keva: YES!

Halloween 2021

 This year we added a witch and stick-person to our costume history and kept the creepiness up on our haunted home!

MOMENTS: Witch, Stick-Person, Pumpkins, and Sugar

Even on-going Covid cannot quash Halloween traditions! Our house looked spook-tacular, with a special nod going to Keva's creative touches of homemade signs and creepy notes! Our pumpkins were unique and fantastically carved once their guts were gutted - a pumpkin witch and a pumpkin jail! Cookie decorating is always a sweet perk and much looked forward to. An outdoor alley party with our peeps - even the rain couldn't stop us! Trick-or-Treating with our local friends was, as always a blast. Witch Keva made a side stop at her teacher's and to Isabel's candy chute, then hit up Coady to trick-or-treat with Adele. Tavish loaded up the candy with his motely crew of Coady costume-ers Charlie, James and Riley. Oh, and there was sugar. Ample yummy sugar gathered, sorted, enjoyed and some was swapped out with the Switch Witch too. Halloween and happiness do go together as a repeat-worthy tradition!

Thanksgiving 2021

We made the trek up to Ottawa for the long weekend. It was lovely family time with some football tossing, dog walking, and general chit chat. As always, thanks to Michele and the boys for hosting this Toronto-based clan! Nice looking crew, if I do say so myself!

Jays Game

It's not often we splurge and send us all to the big league ball game, but when we do, we really love it!

MOMENT: Take Us Out to the Ball Game

Tom and Tavish went early to watch warm up and batting practice. Keva and Kath took the TTC, the first is a long, long while. It added to the adventure. Add a hot dog, some ice cream, some quality baseball, and cheery fans - you've got yourself some great memories... <3

Part of the Fun - Getting There

Baseball from Warm-Up & A Ballpark Hot Dog

"...take me out with the crowd"

Official Umpire

 It's official, at the age of 12 - we have a baseball umpire in the house!

MOMENT: Safe! Out!

Tavish took the required first course to be able to umpire baseball. With all of our travels this summer, and a delay in finishing the course, he was only able to umpire one game - but game on - this kid is a natural! SAFE! OUT! TIME! He is already looking forward to the 2022 baseball season to get back out there and call the game as he sees it.

I've Played!

In our family, children have chores to do. After a meal, they need to clear dishes and load the dishwasher.  When we dine outside, the chore can seem somehow a touch more daunting and the distractions are ample with all that distance to travel...

Mommy: if there aren't any dishes brought to the kitchen yet, I'm going to be furious

Daddy: Keva, Tavish cleared everything from the porch AND emptied the whole dishwasher

Mommy: Keva, you haven't done anything tonight!

Keva: No! That's not true! I've played!

She is a truth teller. Though our place fails frequently to be spic and span, there is a lot of playing ... which won't buy you visually appealing spaces, but does bring joy and happiness ... or something. So ... yay?

First Day - Different Schools

 This fall marks the first first-day-of-school not at Morse since September 2014. Also marks the first time our children aren't attending the same school!

Keva - Grade 4, Tavish - Grade 7

MOMENT: New Grade, New Schools

Tavish is joining the masses, continuing with the french immersion stream, for grade 7 at Duke of Connaught. He and a few of his Morse chums adventured over on their own a few days ahead of school starting to check out the walk time and the school. Covid interfered with the option of tours and also with the ability to have rotary subjects, access to the school pool, sports, and the use of lockers. They made the most of their adventure by responsibly taking in a movie - making sure not to eat or drink inside, donned their masks, and kept their distance from one another. Tavish and his Coady Crew (Charlie and Riley) have plans to meet in the morning to walk / TTC to school. A whole new adventure begins for him on day one with an extended crew for the inaugural voyage...

Grade 7

First day walking brigade
(Cooper, Zach, Riley, Charlie, Tav)

Keva is also off to a new school that's not too far away, but in the complete opposite direction as her brother. This will be her first year at school without Tavish and his buddies. She is starting grade 4 at Montcrest in a class of 13 students! This new school comes with the added responsibility of dressing in uniform too. With all of the covid limitations, Keva was only able to have an outdoor tour in the summer and bravely biked up the hill on her first day to see the inside for the first time!

Montcrest - Summer Outdoor Tour

Dressed & Ready: Day 1

The Commuting Crew

Two-Wheel Travels

Stay-cation Summer 2021

 Summer is not simply super-duper big scale adventures ... well, it is a pretty big part of summer, but we managed to squeeze in even more summer fun in the sun closer to home. 

Rollerblader!

Alpacas!

Ferrying to the Toronto Island

My Favourite Son

Patio!

Adele - Keva's Bestie

Let's Play Ball

MOMENTS: A Little Bit of Everything

The home-highlights of this summer included, but weren't limited to the following categories:
- Baseball: another season of watching our favourite player and his pals play ball
- Babies: our friendly neighbourhood Casey and some time with Torie's Dawson at the cottage
- Swimming: at Laura & Quinn's with Maggie & the girls, the new pool at Agapi & George's
                      (Foti, Hali, Maria), Mississauga at cousin Kerry's, Lake Ontario with Riley & Melissa at
                      the Island, and Kingston with Jen & Julian ... swim! swim! swim!
- Sweets: bountiful fresh fruit and vegetables, ice cream, and some other treats thrown in
- Friends: friends fun for all... Adele, Lucy, Pippa & Cleo; Adina, Jana, Maggie, Alyssa, Laura and more!
- Fun: so much fun everywhere
- Adventures: Kingston, Niagara, Torie's Cottage, Toronto Island, Mississauga & everywhere in between
- Animals: alpacas, dogs, and cats, oh my!