Sorry for the short hiatus! Life is all hustle and bustle!
The month of August was tough! Nick was up island working for 3 out of the 5 weeks and the 2 weeks he was home he was working MAD overtime. It was tiring and lonely. Even the kids were showing signs of having enough.
My niece's 6th birthday was the last day of August. But with Nick gone the kids and I couldn't leave the dog home, so we did a day trip on the Wednesday down to Coombs and Parksville where my sister was staying at her time share. Nick came home the Thursday night, so I had my folks drive the hour north to come and get the kids and I for a couple of over night's at my sisters vacation spot.
We had fun, but Ruby was ATROCIOUS. And I mean SERIOUSLY so! SO misbehaved that she was putting everyone on edge. She woke up at 6 am two days in a row and started shrieking when anyone even looked at her. I'd had enough so I texted Nick to come and pick her up which he did Friday afternoon. We had words but at the end of the day the OT was wearing on everyone.
Ruby returned on Saturday with a better attitude and had fun with her cousins. That Sunday we did a bunch of yard work before the beginning of fall. The tomatoes are still ripening but there are buckets full. I've ripped out all that had gone to seed, the only things left are some carrots, onions and the tomatoes.
We've been discussing what type of cover crop we might want to put in the raised bed to ensure that nutrients doesn't leach out over the wet winter. We will also plant some garlic and onions shortly.
The italian plums on the tree are finally turning to a deep purple! And one of the raspberry plants has actually produced fruit! Super excited about this!
There was a wonderful garden at my sisters vacation spot which I took pictures of. I was SO inspired by the espaliered apple trees, the pergola kiwi vines and the latticed grape vines that it gave me a whole new perspective on our own garden! Looking at the house I can see a spot for 2 female kiwi vines, a spot for a nice long pergola with grapes and room for at least 5 espaliered fruit trees up against the house!
Nick and I canned 40 lbs of peaches and I was able to pry open one of the centres to get at the two seeds within, I've put them in a pot and we shall see what happens. I'm going to do the same with the prune plums, Nick has read that the prune plums will produce more with two trees in close proximity to one another. I'm hoping he is right!
Ruby has started preschool two mornings per week and gymnastics class one morning per week. The first day of preschool felt odd, I dropped her off, stayed only 20 minutes and then took Elias to the park across the street. It was eerie just he and I! I guess I'll have to get used to it! Gymnastics class was FUN! Elias is upstairs in the rec centre's child minding while I take Ruby to the parent involved class. ... We were back in the 'foam pit of death,' but we were all smiles at the end!
Elias turned 1! Both Nick and I are agast that the year is already come and gone! Didn't we just blink and he's walking? He can even say a few words now; Mummy, Daddy, dog, kitty, hi.....I'm teaching him the names of his body parts, he likes mouth and fingers.
He does NOT like cake! I made cupcakes on his actual birthday and iced them with chocolate icing ~ he just made a great big mess. Then on Saturday I spent hours, HOURS making his first birthday cake, with homemade fondant, kneading it by hand over and over. Only to have him totally NOT eat any of it! Oh well.
Grammie and Papa (my parents) came up for two nights to celebrate with us. Grammie brought Ruby a new 'Dora the Explorer' book and Ruby insisted Grammie read it to her in her new bed. .... Oh ya last week of August Nick picked up a queen sized bed from his bro that he no longer needed. So we've taken Ruby's old captain's bed out and put in the queen. She quite likes it!
Elias got some clothes from each of his Aunties, a tool chest from Grammie and Papa and a foam chair from Mum and Dad. Nana and Papa Rob brought up a stuffed Curious George and a giant Curious George book. I had to take the stuffy out of the crib because everytime he looks at it he laughs out loud!
Nick's mum Brenda and step dad Rob also brought up Nick's maternal Grandma Driedger's dining room suite. It is exquisite! Brenda generously purchased it out of her parents estate as a gift to us, they even have stored it for us for nearly 3 years while we waited to be moved here to the Valley and then tried to make the logistics of bringing it up work. But it is finally here in all it's beauty! Brenda even brought the original sales receipt! Bought in 1986 for $3000+ Grandma Annette had saved up using money she made babysitting the neighbourhood kids! It was the first and possibly only significant purchase she ever made with her own ends; a wonderful peace of familly history in our own dining room!
Nick and I had fun the other night cleaning up some of Grandma's crystal glasses and some of our own crystal we had received as wedding presents 6 years ago. Some of the pieces were still in their original boxes as we never had any place fitting for them! I added two champagne flutes given to use as a gift on our wedding night by Nick's dad and step mum. They are a very near match to the glasses of his maternal grandmother's! I also added the dark green (almost teal) pottery coffee pot and two cups/saucers from a set my mother gave me which she picked up 30+ years ago in England. Made by monks in a monestary I quite like them and have always wanted to put them up; the box they were in has moved with us 3 times from Victoria to Port McNeill and now to the Valley but hasn't even been opened in 7+ years!
We included a beautiful silver mirrored serving tray from Nick's paternal grandmother and the cake toppers from my paternal grandparents wedding in 1947 along with our own cake topper. The hutch lights up and when the house is dark with just the fire place on and the hutch lit up I feel like I am Queen of my very own fancy castle!
My own birthday was yesterday. I got the kids up, fed, dressed and in the bike trailer for 8:20am to take Ruby to preschool. Once back home Elias had trouble finding what to do with himself. I put dinner in the slow cooker and made a pumpkin pie ~ I loath cake but could eat a whole pie to myself! Both turned out great! Took the dog and Elias back up to the preschool on my bike. I was a bit nervous about taking the dog but she was fantastic and enjoyed the exercise! Riding 3+ times per week, nearly twice a day I'd better be freakin' SKINNY by Christmas! In truth I can already tell that my body shape has changed because my pants feel quite loose. I am excited by this!
Last night we took the kids to the theatre to watch the stage production of 'Toopy and Binoo' a Canadian kids show. Both the kids were simply mesmerized! It truly was the BEST birthday present I could have ever received! Their faces were beaming, smiling in awe of the show. I couldn't help but look over at Nick, I caught his eye and saw the twinkle in my own eye reflected in his.
I am blessed. I am living my dream. xoxox
Life is BIG. FAT. and FULL!
I'll post pictures later tonight!
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