Nana in Nova Scotia

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We returned from Keji on Thursday, happy but tired, to a house that hadn’t been lived in in weeks and was full of laundry. Thank god for wonderful neighbours who notice you’re away and take out your garbage, otherwise we’d have been in really bad shape. Matt was back to work the following Monday, so we were busy getting back to base before that. 

I got to experience what August would be like from Monday-Wednesday, while Matt resumed work after a joyously long paternity leave, and my mom arrived to help fill the gap on Wednesday. It was a bit rough as everyone adjusted to our “new normal”. 

Thankfully, Nana arrived to save the day, and helped us transition to life back home and one parent back to work. 

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Camping in Kejimkujik

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Don’t ask me how to pronounce it. I don’t know. I just say Keji but even that I pronounce differently each time. I may not know how to say it, but we went there, and it was beautiful!

Now let’s go back. Back to FEBRUARY, which is when we had to line up (virtually) to get these reservations for the middle of the week in July. Wow, how camping has certainly changed in the last few years. The days of rocking up day of, and getting a site, are long gone.

View from the deck of the oTENTik at Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia, Canada
The view from our porch

My friends and I agreed that renting the oTENTik’s there would be a good camping compromise (we aren’t all campers, and we all have young kids) but they are quite popular, so the second the website opened for bookings we were all in que to reserve our spot. Despite refreshing the page the second the bookings opened up, we were all still 3,000-something in line. But we managed! And 5 months later, and only a few days after our Cape Breton Summer, we were off…

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Cape Breton Summer

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Hello dear blog that I have neglected for over a month. Oh the things that I wanted to share here, but haven’t found the time. Even if I can find the time to sit down to write, my mind is instantly blank – amazing what four years of no sleep will do, isn’t it? But alas, here I am now, in my prime parenting capabilities (ie one child watching Paw Patrol on the iPad while one kid watches the new Spongebob movie on the TV and bless the baby for still being asleep). So, let’s start at the beginning shall we – back to the end of June and beginning of July. Where we start our “summer vacation” – as we live by the eldest’s school schedule – and begin our summer in Cape Breton.

a baby sleeps on an ourdoor swing as a family prepares for dinner in the background while camping in the summer on cape breton island

(I must note here, in the spirit of *realness*, that I made a classic mom mistake – acknowledged that the baby was in fact asleep. Veteran moms know this is an absolute faux pas that will immediately cause the baby to awaken. I will return later today… hopefully.)

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The Red Harbour House

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Well, it certainly feels like we are full swing into summer mode already! With another month behind us, May blessed us with some beautiful weather and lovely adventures. In terms of outside time, our goal (as always) was to beat last years numbers. Last May we racked up 93.5 hours and this May we did almost 96… So close to 100!

We were treated to a lovely vacation at an AirBNB called Red Harbour House in Lower Ship Harbour by my father in law who was visiting for a week. It was nice to get out of our house and enjoy the water and just experience a change of pace. We all know the end of winter seems to drag on…

red harbour house vacation home airbnb in nova scotia

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Mother’s Day 2024

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Continuing with our tradition (which we started last year haha) we spent Mother’s Day weekend visiting some local nurseries in the Annapolis Valley so I could get all my plants for the season. I actually really enjoy this, despite the boys being a bit more rambunctious this year, which made for a slightly less relaxing, browsing, chilling type experience and more of a “slow down!” and “No running!” type of experience. Maybe because it was Mother’s Day, or maybe it is because we live amongst such lovely east coast personalities, but everyone is always so kind and forgiving to us, whenever we go with our wild children. 

The three nurseries we went to this year were: Summerland Nursery in Wilmont, Briar Patch Farm & Nursery in South Berwick, and Glad Gardens Family Farm Market & Greenhouses in Waterville. (The last two are only minutes apart on Hwy 1.) 

Two young kids run through the path in the gardens at Summerland nursery in Wilmont, Nova Scotia
the gardens at Summerland Nursery

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On Becoming a Mother: A First Birth Story

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Mother’s Day is approaching which has me reminiscing on all of my births. If you know me, you know I’m low key obsessed with birth and LOVE a birth story. I’ve already written down the story of my third birth, but now I want to share the story that made me a mother, the birth of my first. 

mother and father gaze at their newborn baby

My eldest was born at 38 weeks and 3 days, which is to say that he surprised me by arriving “early”. I knew my mom had me late, and my sister on her due date, and since this was my first baby, I just assumed I would go past my due date. Well we know what they say about assuming … 

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A Stop in Paradise

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Springtime in the Annapolis Valley! Is there anything better than seeing the sun shinning warmly after all these winter months? Spring is definitely in the air these last few days, and we have been taking full advantage. It’s been an absolute delight to be able to be outside more (we’ve done between 3-5 hours a day every day this week) and the kids are certainly reaping the benefits. Slightly later bedtimes have led to better sleeps and sleep ins, which I hesitate to even write lest I jinx it. Sure, we had (what I hope to be) one last illness take over the household – but it’s behind us, lingering coughs aside, now, and we are only looking ahead! Onward!

With the warmer weather comes one of the great East Coast Living Perks: the opening of the fish stands.

Pearle’s in Paradise roadside food stand

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Chocolate Highs and No Naps: A Holiday Tale

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Let’s talk Easter with a baby, toddler, and pre-schooler. Listen, I don’t want to re-enforce gender stereotypes – maybe my daughter will be the same way when she’s old enough to participate – but my sons could literally not find an Easter egg that’s in plain view right in front of them if their life depended on it. Don’t get me wrong, the egg hunt was cute. They had their litte baskets, emptied of their play dough, bubbles, and fossil excavation kit, and ready to search. Now maybe it’s because they’re 2 & 4, maybe it’s because it was 4 in the f*%$ing morning and they refused to go to bed at a decent hour the night before, or maybe… it’s cause they’re boys.

“IT’S RIGHT THERE BUDDY, right on the chair!” My son’s looking, but where exactly his eyes are falling I can’t be sure. But obviously not on the chair? How can he miss the Easter egg sitting right there? My bet is our daughter is going to CLEAN UP when she’s able to participate. We watch our eldest run his hands along the chair, inches away from the egg, and he still cannot see it. We just sit with our coffee and laugh, but truly, without help, this egg hunt would still be going on.

Easter baskets for boys aged 2 and 4, including bubbles, play doh, and a fossil excavation kit
boys easter baskets, 2024

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Bad Backs and Double Strollers

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Well, I finally (on Feb 26) caved and saw someone about the pain in my back. Turns out it’s a herniated disc at s1, so an unfortunate injury for sure. And done by just doing my daily mom-ing tasks, so a tricky recovery. For those women who are striving for two under two, I say to you, “DO NOT DO IT.” Haha. Kidding. Kind of. 

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