Cottage Living

Our family spent a night up at Torie's cottage. It was lovely. The weather was incredible! We had our first paddle of the season where Tavish tried out the bow of the boat with Torie in the stern. Tavish also caught his first fish! These highlights were enhanced by his proximity to Terry because, as usual, Tavish was Terry's little shadow...

MOMENT: Season Opener

Keva trying her paddle grip

Powerful bow paddler

Team Tavish and Torie

First Fish

Teamwork with Terry

Some great memories were made despite every outdoor moment being accompanied by blackflies ... (sigh).

11 Months

At 11 months, Keva is cutting her 10th and 11th tooth! After a short teething break from cutting her first 8 teeth (4 top, 4 bottom), she cut her first molar on her bottom right and now her two top canines are coming in - such a trooper... She still army crawls everywhere (and quickly) and is really starting to show her smiley personality. Only one more month until our baby is ONE!

MOMENT: 11 Months and Growing

Her 11 month birthday was a sunny spring day (finally) and we were off galavanting with friends and enjoying the sunshine. It was time to bust out some sun protection and it became apparent that Keva needs some serious hat training, but we did manage to capture a moment where the hat was resting on her head and not tossed to the ground...

Two Wheels

Exactly three weeks after his fourth birthday and following his third spin on his new bike, the training wheels were removed and he was off on two wheels. This sentiment surrounded him...

I want to ride my bicycle

I want to ride my bike

I want to ride my bicycle

I want to ride it where I like.

- Queen

MOMENT: Biking Bliss

Tavish helped Daddy remove the training wheels after taking a spin with Mommy where they seldom touched the ground. It was time for them to go and Tavish was up for the challenge. He walked his bike to a nearby parking lot, rode around, and literally skipped home after full of excitement and beaming with pride. His parents celebrated this big moment right along with him...

Our boy braving the bike

"Melancholy is incompatible with bicycling."
- James E. Starrs

Barber in the House

Tavish has the best priced barber in town. She's free but she doesn't have a clue what she's doing (shhh). I'd like to think that, all things considered, the cuts aren't at all "Mom" cuts. Sure, it's not always perfectly even and there may be the odd hair that is overlooked, but when his hair gets long he can quickly be trimmed up in the comfort of his home.

MOMENT: A Little Off the Top

before

after

He's a good sport about getting a hair cut. We chat. He squirms. I cut. In the end, no one is upset nor injured and he comes out clean cut without emptying our pocket. Not too sure how much longer this can continue before he needs a 'real' cut, but for now, it works and it's kinda fun too...

Swinging

The weather is starting to change. A little. So we hit the local park with some good friends. This led to some swinging among siblings...

MOMENT: Swinging Smiles

Tavish and his good buddy Sofie, were keen to help their baby sisters enjoy their first time in the swing. I also captured a perfect example of how when I'm concerned that Tavish is starting down the road toward being too aggressive or unsafe with Keva, she supports it by laughing and enjoying it. (sigh) After the babies had their turn, Sofie and Tavish enjoyed a swing of their own together. Indeed, good friends are great to swing with at any age.

FLASHBACK: Son Swinging Solo

Tavish's first time in a swing was also in this nearby park. He was about a month older than Keva was. He didn't have the perk of having an older sibling to give him some creative pushes, just sterile (but very safe) Mommy...

Spring Hasn't Sprung

April is off to a snowy start, but the snow can't keep us down! It's mostly off of the sidewalks, so we bundle and we bike in spite of our yet-to-appear cycling season...

MOMENT: Snow Cycling

Strider + Snow = Smiles

Smiles from the stroller

With the slightly warming weather, Mommy and Keva have been walking to get Tavish from school with his Strider bike. Nothing stops him from enjoying his ride it seems. What's a little snow to an adventurous soul anyway?

Precious Cart-go

Most often, I've been getting groceries when Tavish is at school which he doesn't seem to mind. Now and then though, he asks me to wait so he can come with us. He likes holding the list, helping me find things, and, of course he loves loading and unloading the cart. Usually he prefers to catch a ride at the front of the cart or walk around, but earlier this month, he opted to be co-Captain with his sister, so we wedged them both in. There were less things tossed onto the floor because Keva was under close-range sibling supervision, but more Mommy supervision was required at times as a result of that close range. Good times in the grocery cart...