lately

Clearly I've gone a little overboard with instagram. 

We've been ejoying play-dates in the park and taken a couple walks along the lake.  Hello ducks! 

Avery has started to stand on her own!  Little by little.  Yesterday, for about 15 seconds followed by a terrific wobble and a save-your-life-catch by mom.  And this new trick is making everything else a little frustrating.  Like crawling and sitting is such a major waste of time now ;)

And, as you can see, she's also eating yogurt.  Big hit.    

And we hit the jackpot with last weeks library books.  No major duds, which doesn't often happen.  The favourites were: Miss Rumphius, Anatole (which Jake has completely memorized) and Library Lion. 

I just started I Am Half-Sick of Shadows which is practically my first book since Christmas!  Way too long.    

one year ago

Last year, at around this exact same time, we were enjoying strolling the streets of Paris.  I was awfully pregnant at the time.  I forced Billy to buy me an insanely expensive hot chocolate at Angilina's on a hot, hot day, we walked through Jardin des Tullieries and we saw Monets water-lillies.   

And you would almost think that were enough for a day in Paris, but there was more... (and I just forgot to post it)

We crossed the Seine,

walked towards the Eiffel Tower.  (And along the way, had take a little rest on a park bench.  Thanks pregnancy).

Arrived at Hôtel des Invalides - Once a hospital and home for retired veterans and now museums and monuments pertaining to France's war history.  

Here's a little glimpse of the armour exhibit at the Musée de l'Armée.  So intricate with such amazing detail. 

And here's where Billy continued on (and said the upper-floors of the museum were fantastic) while Jake ran around amongst the cannons and I, once again, rested.  

This is what the Hôtel des Invalides chapel dome looks like from the outside.  From Paris's most famous heights - Eiffel Tower, Centre Georges Pompidou, Sacre Coure... - you can see it's golden spire glowing among the grey slate rooftops. 

It's equally as beautiful on the inside.  And beneath it, lies the sarcophagus of Napoleon Bonaparte.  The tomb lies in the centre of the church and is humongous.  If I had to guess, I would say close to two-stories high (!).     

Then we cross another bridge for one more walk through les Tulleries 

and hop onto the Metro to take us to Gare du Nord and back home again.

And after recounting all of that... 

I'm just dying to go back all over again.

sprouts

We've had five sunny days in a row and there has been lots of talk about Spring around here.  I thought it would be fun to sprout some sprouts.  To watch something grow.  It's crazy to think that all these hard, pebble-like beans need is a little water and light and they practically grow before your eyes.

We bought some mung beans (number 7 above) and used an old canning jar.  

Click here for more options.  

  

Soaked them overnight in cold water and in the morning 

they doubled in size

  Drained them in the morning and place the jar in the windowsill.  Rinse and drain a couple of times during the day and by evening they look like this.  (We thought this was the tastiest stage.  We added a few to our salad and Jake kept stealing them from the jar and eating them plain).  

Next day, rinse and drain again.  And again, later.  Now they look like this

And the next day, rinse and drain.  Repeat.  Now they start to loose their shells.

        

Stay posted, we're also growing a bean which is much slower but great when their leaves begin to unfold.  Hello spring! 

firsts

March 9, 2013

Avery got her first real introduction to grass.

She was quite cautions and not too impressed, really.  She didn't know what to do with herself and, for the first time IN AGES, she just sat still.  Every-time she touched the grass she would grimace.  Ha!

Too bad I cannot install grass in out living room
to curb her fast-moving-ways ;)

snuggles

These pictures don't need any explanation...

Too darn cute!

winter wine tasting

We decided to go to a couple of wineries last Saturday.  The weather was cool and grey so it was the perfect excuse to get us out.  

Our first stop was Quail's Gate.  The adults tasted while Jake coloured and sipped apple juice.  We came home with 2012 Merlot and a 2012 Rose.  We walked along the edge of the newly pruned vineyard. The sommelier told us that each individual plant will be tended to by hand at least fourteen times during the growing season! 

The we continued up to Mission Hill.  We enjoyed the wine, the view, the bell-tower chiming and Jake sipped on some local sparkling peach juice.  Billy's favourite was the 2009 Compendium but at fifty dollars a bottle we took a pass.  Misson Hill has been awarded Best Canadian Winery twice but funnily enough, I left thinking of that peach juice -- so, so good.        

a happy week

I haven't had a chance to post anything lately because we had great-grandparents in town visiting!  We were too busy playing, wine tasting, baking cinnamon buns, watching curling and playing some more.  We feel so lucky they came all this way and had the very nicest time!     

They had so much energy to play with Jake, he was constantly beaming (even with a rotten cold) and they were so generous and helpful.  When we talked about their leaving Jake said, "I'm gonna be so sad".  We're all feeling that way.