Images of Summer, Part Two

 Not Mariana's first ice cream, but these photos definitely showcase her delight in the iconic summer treat.

 No words.

 She has become quite blonde this summer, but I imagine it will disappear just like it did for many of her older siblings.

 Sarah would gladly relinquish all food in order to live off of ice cream and chips.

 This was the summer that, when I cut Dave's hair, he suddenly became grey.  The inevitable march of time is unstoppable.

 Reading should not be species-specific.  Dog lives matter.

 We went for exactly one hike this summer at nearby Algonquin Park.  The trail we chose was the site of a tornado warning one week later!  This was Mariana's one happy moment on the trail.  She spent the rest of the time trying to launch herself out of the backpack carrier.  She was absolutely insistent that she could hike 3 km uphill and approach dangerous cliffs without the aid of adult hands.   And pick blueberries that weren't actually blueberries.  It was a happy time.

 My dear sister, Sr. Ilaria/Martha, was with us for three weeks this summer and she donned her sisterly athletic gear for many runs, hikes and games with the kids.  This was our ice cream stop on the way back from the Algonquin hike.  $1.50 a scoop - best place in the world.  Hannah had to hold the owner's baby while the owner scooped ice creams, but Hannah is emphatic that we got bigger scoops due to her babysitting skills.  This was also my first taste of ice cream in one year.  I have had to follow a crazy anti-candida diet for a year (no sugar and no carbohydrates) to rid myself of a nasty nursing infection.  Sad to say, the ice cream was disappointing.  And so was the weight gain.

Images of Summer, Part One

 I've procrastinated long enough in the blogging department.  I wanted to compose a beautiful post about the twins' graduation from grade eight, but I have still not loaded the photos from the iPhone onto the computer.  One day when I complete that task I will tell you all about that fateful eve when the reality of our life spent swimming against the current hit me smack dab in the face.  As a shout out to the twins, I will tell you that Hannah was the valedictorian and Jacob won highest average for the class.  And we got exactly one photo of the whole thing.  On to other things.

 Like Canada Day.  Summer was disappointing in the weather department.  Following on a spring of record rain and flooding, we were assaulted by an early summer of record black flies, followed by little reprieve brought by a summer of low temperatures and much rain.  It was depressing.  However, when the sun shone we tried to make the most of it.  We celebrated Canada's 150th with some free pony rides and watching the fireworks at a friends' house.  From our attire, you might also guess that we went swimming.

 Tallest five-year-old girl in town.

 One of the kids snapped this and I included it in a nod to the "make sure mommy is in the photos of family life" movement.

This summer was extraordinarily busy as Dave went from the busyness of June to teaching an accelerated gr. 11 summer course on-line while also finishing his Religion Specialist course.  The first course was to help ease the summer finances while the second was his last stop before taking his principal papers in the fall.  I somehow missed the memo that this was what July would look like, so he also faced the wrath of his wife, despite the fact that he was ably providing for our family and carving out a better path for the future.  Thus, when he could, he slept.  In a blur.

 Through it all Mariana remained very cute.  She is by far the most aggressive of any of our girls and resembles both Jacob and Joe as toddlers.  Euphemisms abound:  full of energy, advanced, assertive etc.etc.  Read between the lines.

 Sort of a trashy shot, both literally and figuratively.  This was the summer that I decided that I would hook up the Chariot stroller to the mountain bike and pull both girls around town.  80 pounds of girl.  My nagging plantar fasciitis has cut running completely out of my life, so this was also the season of the bike.  Dave finally convinced me to transfer to the road bike and I have spent many happy hours biking to Combermere and back.  I've also fallen off three times, almost breaking an elbow.  My lower legs are permanently bruised from pedals and falls.  One must somehow add spice to life.

Speaking of spice ... Jacob conquered cinnamon rolls this summer; several times and much to the delight of his siblings.  My one rule is that kitchen cannot be trashed when he is finished.  I choose to go for a long bike ride when he bakes.  Thus, when I arrive home, all is well and the dish rack is full.