First days in Belgium.

OK. So it has been a long, long time since we wrote. I'm missing it and I think I need to get back on top of it :) Blogging seems to be our alternative to photo albums (there are a few unfinished ones lying around in a box somewhere), it helps me remember to take photos to record special moments and days, keeps me motivated to do interesting things with the boys and anyway, some of you guys out there reading keep badgering me to write so this will get you off my back!

Not sure where to start so here are a few photos taken over the last couple of months since we arrived.
We missed our connection in Montreal due to a thunderstorm delay. It meant we got to fly through a spectacularly beautiful sky but more importantly we were able to spend some time with Steve's family before we headed across the Atlantic. Nana and Papa saw us off in Montreal.

We spent a week in a hotel before getting the keys to our new house. Here's Tadhg checking it out. It was a further three days before our container arrived and three more days after that before we could go out the back doors onto the lovely newly laid patio.

An early outside supper. It will be a while before everything finds its place in the house or garden. It's coming along slowly.

We've acquired a caravan! It was for sale by a family living round the corner from us and the price was too good to pass on the chance to try it out. We spent a weekend on the Belgian coast at a weird but interesting seaside resort that obviously had its heyday around 100 years ago and has lost any charm it might have had. We still had a good time though, despite the stormy weather, and the big sandy beach was fun for the boys (all three of them).

For our first and only day trip so far we went to the Grotes de Haan, about an hour south east of here. Fairly unspectacular but it had a couple of cool bits, including one fairly large cavern and some scary evidence of how dirty the air is today, although the guide was speaking in very fast Walloon french so I only caught bits here and there.

And we also went to the UK for a week. Here's the Hubbards' garden all ready for a party and below is the caravan from the outside.


More on our house and garden, our neighbourhood and Brendan starting "school" soon.

Grand Manan

Lindsey and I decided to take the kids to Grand Manan for a couple of days. We are not quite sure what we were thinking... it wasn't exactly the most relaxing of holidays given the unfavourable ratio of adults to children combined with the miserable rainy weather. Nevermind though, you soon forget the tough bits and only remember the fun and friends :)

Five kids on a big boat. The kids are aged 1,2,3,4 and 6.

Funny photo of Tadhg taken by Brendan. We spent some of the boat time inside eating fish and chips- it kept them contained in one spot for a while!

Five in the van.

When we woke up the first morning it was pouring with rain. So we headed to a cafe for breakfast.

Then we stopped in to the island's used clothing shop to find rain coats for Lindsey's kids (they had come straight to Grand Manan from somewhere else without going home and didn't have rain gear). We ended up spending a long time in there and coming out with a costume for each of them.

We also went to the library for a bit and then Lindsey took Ira, Hannah and Brendan to the museum while I got Esme and Tadhg to sleep in the car.

We then stopped at a beach and soon the older three were naked and paddling in the water.



We wanted to stay out as long as possible so that we could tire them out and get them to bed early but it was one of those days where time passes very very slowly. So the afternoon was spent watching a kids movie from the library and dressing up to be dragons, a turtle, a princess and a bear. Tadhg was banished to eat his spaghetti supper outside to minimise the mess.

Here's the cabin we stayed in. On three floors with extra loft bedrooms and a fish pond in the floor of the living room. The owner has built a few cabins dotted around in a patch of woods by a salt marsh and he has chickens and ponds and an organic garden. He also has a big gravel pile intended for some future project that was Brendan's favourite spot. Ira tried fishing for goldfish with a net and Tadhg and I gathered some wild strawberries by the driveway.


On both nights they did all go to bed early so Lindsey and I got some valuable time by ourselves. Next time we'll go somewhere without the kids- can't wait :)

And here we all are.

More goodbyes

On our way to Grand Manan we stopped in to visit our friends in Quispamsis one last time. I lived and worked with a good friend from New Brunswick in Cairo 10 years ago and her parents have been very welcoming and special to us during our time here. On several occasions over the last few years we've enjoyed spending time with them, playing in their garden, sharing lobster, being fed lots of other lovely food and meeting Ali there. And of course this is where our canoe came from.

This time we went for a little nature hike...

...which ended in swimming in the river. Lots of fun. Except the part where Brendan got a leech between his toes. I've never liked leeches much but am grateful that I experienced many a leech in Sri Lanka so that I was able to get it off without Brendan really knowing what was going on.

Strawberry picking

Here are a few pictures from our strawberry picking outing last week. This is the first organic strawberry U-pick in this area and it belongs to relatives of a friend of ours. We went along with a group of our friends and picked (and ate) lots and lots of berries before having a picnic together. Every special day like this is all the more important because we're going so soon now.

Balance Bikes Rock

This is the coolest bike in the world! We found it in a wonderful little toy shop in Mons and couldn't resist. He absolutely loves it. I took a couple of video clips on the first day and will take another this week sometime to show the difference. But here he is showing off his skills today after only a couple of weeks' riding.

Balancing

Ending with a flourish.
As he started to experiment with lifting his feet he would ride up onto the verge to slow down. He is now getting to grips with slowing down and stopping- although going downhill is still a scary affair (for me watching that is!)

It was a perfect evening today. There had been a thunder storm earlier in the afternoon so it was a lovely fresh post-storm evening with incredible lighting and a recent rain smell. Steve worked on the picnic table he's building for the boys while we watched and played in the front garden. Look at him go! I think he could really get into woodworking.

Can't wait till this is finished. Should be light enough for Brendan to move it around on his own and put it where he wants in the new garden. Or at least with a friend, once we find some. After watching a few episodes of the Green Balloon Club (a British TV show we watch online) he now wants to have his own club to sing songs and play in the garden.

He still goes to playschool once a week for a couple of hours and the teacher says he may not be that interested in drawing and colouring (or anything that involves sitting at a table and concentrating) but he certainly loves to perform and to build and take things apart. Just thought I'd record that here- who knows how he'll change and grow and what he'll be interested in at any point in the future. It is such a privilege to be a part of this whole thing. Wow I love my boys so much.

special places and pals

I'm keen to get a few more words and pictures in about some of our favourite, regular spots and our favourite people in Fredericton before we leave. Here's Brendan with Maddie clambering up a dirt pile, obviously.

We'll miss these guys. Sophia has been a great listener and source of good, chilled out, oh-well-what-the-hell kind of vibes whenever I needed them. Here we are walking past the beaver pond on the farm near our house. Baby Mac on her back and I must have had Tadhg with me.

Here's the other wee beaver dam just outside our back fence. We've spent many hours hanging out on this small patch of muddy land. Never did see a beaver though. Maybe I'll take Brendan out there one dawn or dusk before we leave.

And this is not in Fredericton but down in Fundy National Park. We camped out in Lindsey and Matt's back garden and then spent a night in the park itself with Cheyanne and Grace. Was too busy enjoying everyone's company and only managed to get this one photo. Must remember to take more next time we see them.

Three Generations On The Beach

With our time remaining in Canada becoming very short, we were able to sneak in a quick beach holiday with the family. After work on a Friday, Siobhan, the kids and I made good time south to Old Orchard Beach, Maine. The boys really did well on the trip down until we actually tried to get settled in the motel room. At one point I took Brendan out for a walk while Siobhan got Tadhg to bed. We went for a quick walk down to the centre and lets just say Siobhan wasn't too impressed when Brendan ratted me out, "Mommy, I had pizza and french fries for bedtime snack". Well I guess 10:00pm was kind of late.

My parents where the first to arrive and they helped us get the beach warmed up for the arrival of Dustin & Duncan. In good Riff tradition my Dad brought down a load of beach toys. Before we knew it, we had a dam which rivaled the Hoover Dam and the boys loved swimming in the deep pool behind it. This is Tadhg leading Nana & Papa through the waves.

Once Scott, Shannon and the boys arrived, it was a pizza & fries for all then more construction on the beach and swimming in the ocean. It was really awesome watching the 6 boys interact. Yup, even Scott and I. Although it looks like he has the advantage, he quickly gave up once I threatened to take him into the surf.

Brendan having fun on the beach.....

And in the water.

This is Brendan leading Duncan down the beach. Brendan loved running back and forth along the water. I swear he could have done that all day.
We're looking forward to seeing the rest of Shannon's photos- we didn't get many, the trip was a bit short. Lots of fun though. Can't wait till next time.

Forest Fridays

I am so grateful for chance meetings! How different our time in Fredericton would have been had we not been in the right place at the right time and struck up conversations on a number of occasions. And through one person we would meet another and then another until we found ourselves surrounded by wonderful, interesting, supportive people. We have felt quite at home here and now that our time here is coming to an end we are realising how much we're going to miss everyone.

One such group of people is our Wednesday playgroup. I used to call them my greeny group. We had been here a year already and I was excited and relieved to finally meet a bunch of people who shared many of our own ideas about parenting within this crazy culture of ours. Anyway, through that group we have met some of our dearest friends here and we will miss them all.

Here are a few photos of our latest Forest Friday walk. It's a waldorf/steiner inspired group and is such a lovely part of our week that we are determined to start one of our own once we are settled in Mons. We go for a short circular hike in the woods in Fredericton's wonderful O'dell Park. Tadhg is the youngest and Brendan is one of the oldest. We go along a trail, over some bridges, scramble up a rocky path, past a waterfall, a pond, a cave, a mud patch and, of course, lots and lots of trees. Half way round we stop and gather in a circle and share a home baked healthy(ish) snack and sometimes sing a song or listen to a story.

Here we go... The beginning of the hike.

"Water" is one of the few words Tadhg pronounces very clearly.

Tadhg having a closer look at a fern.

Regular stop to investigate the "cave".


Brothers in mischief. (I shouldn't say that, should I? Self-fulfilling prophecies and all that :)

All in all a special time. And we've met even more wonderful people in the last couple of months and feel sad to be leaving before we've got to know them better.