Rachel

Things (and hair! and clothes!) are changing fast around here.

Shannon

This boy is growing away in the most secure manner. Enjoying more time on his own. So when he comes, to sit and draw by my side I truly know how precious and fleeting the moments are. He is so perfectly him and I never want to forget this.

Tabitha

It's the little moments, like when your thirteen year old picks you a bouquet, that really matter.  Love, learning, and daisies.

Kelly

 Here's a Taylor Swift fan. She knows the lyrics to her every song and the details of her life. She happily got out of bed at 7:30am to spend seven hours travelling by car, boat, bus and skytrain and another 61/2 hours in the stadium to see her live in concert. She was still happy at midnight as we made our way through downtown streets searching for the skytrain station, our feet like lead and eyes burning with fatigue. And I am now on a high from the adventure, from pushing myself outside my comfort zone and realizing how capable I am and from the unforgettable memory we created.

Helen 

Summer arrived. Whahooooo!

I'm so grateful:

for my body that executes all these hair-brained hot-weather-schemes

for a boy who will sweep sand at 11pm because he thinks it looks like fun

for girls who indulge their mother's predilection for accessories and go out to play with me

for summer festivities

for big boys who are eager to huddle and learn new games around a table  

for tenants who feel like part of the furniture 

for hanging with my main man late at night after his work is done

and seeing the sunrise with my daughter

for being here, now.

Helen

Inaugural swim!

Pool open for fummer. (fun summer)

A shout-out to the man who runs this operation!

And I've been spoonerizing all week.

Rachel

This week was largely focused on Otto, who turned nine on Tuesday. We spent hours planning and executing his Minecraft Party, which was just for the four of us, but included enough food and candy for at least a dozen kids. Otto had such specific ideas for the celebration of his day, and it was so fun to make them a reality. And when things didn't work out as we planned, he was amazingly able to just let them go and find the good in what happened instead. He is such a kind and sweet and happy little guy. And lately, he's quite a talker! I have to remind myself how lucky I am that he wants to tell me stories (so many detailed stories!), and be as present in the moment and the stories as I can be. I hope he'll want to tell me his thoughts for a long long time, but I am aware that there's a lovely window here that I need to cherish, just in case it closes a bit. Happy Birthday, sweet little Otto!

Shannon

This journey is much easier with a partner who loves just as deeply.

Tabitha

Learning empathy, responsibility, patience, trust, worthiness,
calming, caring, loving, soothing, rocking, balance, coordination,
calm, strength, gentleness, compassion, oh yeah, and hold to hold a
baby.

Kelly 

Heading into the Tardis. Epic dance party going on inside. Thank you to Matt Knight for being our friend... and for being so damn cool. Highlight of the week!

Kelly

The kids and I didn't get around to planning much for Father's Day this year. But as the day got underway the idea of baking for him resulted in Cooper baking cookies almost single handedly. And while the boys are out at a movie this evening, Frankie and I are preparing a surprise celebration of Daddy awesomeness including his (and hers) favourite homemade carrot cake.
Note the man himself in the background completing his business taxes at the final hour.

 Helen

 

i'll 'fess up that it's been an interesting week.

i can't think of a better way to spend the weekend but celebrating adrian .

this is the spontaneous merry making amongst the more carefully laid plans.

and in case you needed any art translation, that's a chicken there, above the heart:)

Rachel

We held a memorial service and burial for our pet chicken Junior, who was with us for almost three years before she died of peritonitis. Otto helped Martin dig the hole, and he picked flowers to throw in her grave. Max played music for the ceremony, figuring out Amazing Grace sometime mid-ceremony (somehow it seemed more appropriate than the bluegrass classics he was previously playing). We said some parting words before we said our final goodbye to a good chicken, then ceremoniously covered her with dirt and a nice little pile of rocks.

 

 

 

 

Shannon 

 

 

The end of our road trips from Cali to Vancouver Island regularly find us with these awesome people. Where we feel always at home and leave with new things to explore and our hearts filled up. It's all about the relationships and how very well they accept us.

 

 

 

Tabitha

 

 

 I can't think of a man I would rather my children follow.  

Happy Father's Day Ryan.

Tabitha

Friends have been the theme of the week around here.  Recently many
families have moved into our neighbourhood.  The boys have both made
friends, and our yard (and home) has become a sort of gathering place.
 As well as this, we have had more opportunities to get together with
old friends. Never before have we had so much access to friends on
such a regular basis.  It's become the feast from what has been a bit
of a famine.  I'm watching my kids negotiate these new relationships,
and seeing them grow socially through them.  It's an exciting time.

Kelly

Frankie and I didn't get around to making artist trading cards during Crafternoon (our twice monthly gathering of unschoolers) on Friday. We were too busy enjoying our friends to be creative. But today, with all boys in the house happily occupied, we snuck away to the quiet of the craft room where we learned the lyrics to a Hot Chelle Rae song, ate olives and salami and produced a few ATCs. Bliss.

Helen

It was time for a refill!

(Metaphor alert:))

Rachel

The first s'more of the season. Here's hoping the summer ahead will have lots more of these and other such lovely ways to combine messes and marvels. (And more of those expressions of delight on Max's face.)

 

 

 

Shannon

Together again. These three are such good friends. This beach has seen the boys grow up, from babies who put sand in their mouths to young boys learning the art of skipping rocks. There is nothing sweeter than coming home again to the places that have known you for a lifetime.

Shannon

This guy turned 11 and we celebrated in ways that were unique to the person he continues to be. No cake, no candles instead handmade almond roca from a treasured Uncle who's a pastry chef. Food of choice was Thai food, Gram's famous breakfast and a week of poutine. The party was getting to his cousin an 8 month old who he has deep connections with. He knows himself well and I love this journey were he states his dreams and we all work to make them come true. It's a good life indeed.

Tabitha

I'm a bookworm, and I LOVE the library.  My first son loved books both
for information and stories.  So when my second was born, I had
visions of snuggling my newborn while reading to my eldest.  It never
really happened, because for some reason the baby would fuss!  And, he
didn't grow out of it.  As he got older, he still just didn't enjoy
books, although he loved clearing shelves.  Thankfully I had found
unschooling, so I trusted.  I trusted that if I didn't force it, he
would either one day like books, or not (and be just fine.)  Here we
are six years later, and this is SOME of Baelin's haul from the
library.  He brings books to his father and I at any time of the day
to read to him, and he's loving going to the library for more.  Maybe
this will grow into a life long love of books, maybe it will fizzle
out, maybe something other than those two options.  Anyway, it's all
good :)

Kelly

Frankie declined the opportunity to go to the beach on this weather perfect day. After reminding me just how much she hates the beach, she put on her swimsuit and spent the afternoon lying on her towel on the lawn, stating, "This is where I like to be."

Helen

This guy is always there to pick up the slack,

And when I'm sad and under the weather, as I was this week,

He's good for hugs and a dose of understanding,

He's great at cracking a joke and making me laugh

And he reminds me so often, how we are in this together.
(And this is not even on a gushy day)

Rachel

At our homeschool park day on Wednesday, the boys ran off with a couple of friends, exploring the woods, the paths, the park. I sat happily on a blanket with Lilli and chatted with other moms. This may sound pretty ordinary, but for us, it was a first. The boys have hardly ever left my sight during a park day (not by my request, but because Max has always had a strong need to frequently check in with me). But they ran off for almost the entire two hours, and when they came back, they were discussing their plans for a "band meeting" that night, via Facebook message chat. I didn't even know Max knew how to do that. They had apparently formed a band in the last couple of hours, taken this photo of themselves as their album cover, and discussed their mission statement as a band: playing hand made instruments, mostly percussion based. They call themselves "The Handmade." Sure enough, at 8 that night on the dot, all four boys were excitedly messaging each other, and they set up a rehearsal for Friday afternoon. On Friday, they met and recorded their first single and now have big plans to make a video for it at their next rehearsal (already in the calendar). Watching this all unfold was so surprising and breathtaking and delightful. It is cliche to say they grow up so fast, but this didn't feel that way, it felt like they grew up suddenly, in almost one afternoon, without much warning. But I suppose that is exactly what growing up is like.