50 months old! What a milestone! I can’t believe I didn’t even write this blog entry until August 19 which is nearly a month after I should. I should have properly reflected on this milestone. 50 months, wow!
Someone can’t handle the tickle monster!
On the hunt for the hidden birdhouse which mysteriously changes position each time we visit this trail in Russell
Sierra loves running up and down this hill! It’s nearly July and she is still wearing long sleeved dresses. It took awhile to convince her that she would find short sleeved ones a little more comfortable.
Trying on a mask that Grandma sent up
A rare moment hanging out in the front yard
What’s the term where you’re an easy going dad until your kid does something dumb? Hard love? Here’s Sierra wiping away the crayon marks on the door. I wasn’t going to help her one bit! She definitely cries a lot after ten seconds of hard work!
Showing off the PERFECT strawberry at Rochon Gardens
Showing off her strawberries
Sierra and Maman have been working hard on the garden this year
Our swimming pool sometimes becomes a whirlpool!
Sierra instructing me how to use chalk
Look who found the birdhouse!
A typical sight after our morning excursion…snack time on that back patio!
I took this photo to show the irony of how she loved putting her footprints on the cement pad AFTER it’s done, but the day that we asked her to do it when the cement was drying, she didn’t want to have anything to do with it!
Smelling the flowers
Have I mentioned how I struggle with figuring out lunch each day? I am perfectly fine with a sandwich each day, but I know my family deserves better! This is clearly one of those days where I ran out of ideas so I said “Nachos it is!”
Admiring the Ottawa River
I’m not sure why we took this photo but perhaps it was to document our Summer of 2020
The first time we went to Barnett Park I forgot our water shoes and I noticed glass on the shore. I didn’t make that mistake the second time around and Sierra enjoyed walking in the water.
Sierra found a cardboard unicorn that we built one morning. She was very excited.
I was super impressed that Uncle Greg built this rocking chair and it just happened to fit the exact width of my vacuum cleaner! Genius.
Date nights are definitely different with two kids at home during a pandemic. But we paid $20 to watch a livestream of Adam Baldwin down in Nova Scotia so date night was on within the confines of home (or the back deck). Adam Baldwin had been providing free live streams during the past four months so $20 was quite a steal to pass along to a musician I’ve been following most Friday nights. I have to say that I’m a fan of livestreams. Sure, it’s a different experience but I kind of like the beer lines and the lineups to go to the washroom.
Big girl Sierra was nice enough to offer up her bedroom so Nanny Sybil could have a spot to sleep while she visited. In order to move downstairs we needed to fill up Sierra’s suitcase with some clothes and books!
The Pied Piper?
Quite the dance routine!
Sierra going onto a dock for the first time at the park in Rockland
I’m pretty sure the first thing Sierra asked Grandma when she walked in the door was “Can we make some jell-o?!” It was really great to see my parents and Nanny Sybil for a few days. It was a strange yet great feeling to have people in the house after many months of just being ourselves. However, that meant we had to clean up the house after four months of surviving!
Video proof that Grandma can still run! It was great to have her along for our morning walk in the woods as I usually have to keep Sierra close by with me and the stroller.
Mom needed a footstool so I improvised
It was still a few weeks away from my birthday but considering everyone was here, it was a good time to celebrate. Here is Sierra and Grandma making an orange cake.
“The best part of baking with Grandma is she lets me lick the spoon!” – Sierra
The Mighty Tarzini Brothers porketta made it to Ottawa!
Sierra instructed to do scary faces for this photo
Sierra was very happy to help me unwrap some gifts. Considering my birthday wasn’t for a few more weeks we decided to wrap up a few existing things around the house.
Grandma teaching Sierra how to fly a kite. She was proud to say that she taught her 41 year old son a thing or two as well!
Grandma and Sierra decided to make some bread because she had learned about it a few weeks ago. She lasted a few minutes until she had to put her fingers into the bread to knead it and she asked to wash her hands immediately after. I stepped in and learned how to make bread. Here’s a neat timelapse.
Hanging out
Sierra taking a photo of Poppa before leaving
It was a very hot and dry summer for a long time so when it did rain, it was always fun to hunt out some puddles!
I had a good laugh at this
Not sure how far this rock moved, but I’m sure it moved a little
The dam at the Castor River is always a nice spot to have a snack
It’s nice when Maman comes out for an adventure with us because we get more photos of Sierra and Dad fooling around
Trying on her new mask! We found that her ears were too small for the other masks so Grandma made one with ties on the back. In order for Sierra to get used to it, we implemented a ‘you can use the iPad every day during quiet time if you wear your mask at the same time’. I would say it wasn’t a great success at the beginning but it’s been getting better after a few weeks.
Out on the Castor River, our new favourite spot
Pretty impressive skills!
Having a snack
Sierra is getting pretty good at taking photos!
lovely!
A common sight on our back deck
It hasn’t been often that I leave my house during the evening but I should do it more if it means I’ll end up seeing a nice sunset like this
Prepared to go bird watching
We checked out a conservation area in Casselman. It was a nice enough spot for a picnic but there wasn’t much else to it. It had a boat launch, some picnic tables and a dude who looked like he lived there permanently.
Hanging (literally) with Maman
Probably the 674th time we danced this summer
This must have been after a run (or twelve) down the hill
What kid doesn’t love climbing rocks?
I’m really enjoying how Sierra is taking some decent photos where she doesn’t cut off our heads. It allows me to be captured in some adventures we go on. Here I am enjoying a wavy morning in the Ottawa River.
Splash!