Back To School 2021: The Return of the Mask

All three kiddos have officially had their first days of school! Grade 5, 3, and kindergarten. I can't believe how big they are!

Getting Craig to be serious for any pictures can be difficult...

Calista and Craig had their first day on September 1, which is the same day the Hogwarts Express always leaves King's Cross. It must be a sign.

Calista, Grade 5, 4’8”

Calista wants to be a marine biologist when she grows up, and maybe do rehabilitation for animals. Asking which is her favorite subject proved difficult, as she just really likes all of them. But maybe math is her favorite? 

Her favorite book is Harry Potter (all of them), and her favorite hobby is reading them. Calista’s favorite school lunch is a ham sandwich with mustard, her favorite color is cerulean, and she’s looking forward to being in a split class this year because she gets to meet new people. Her goal for the school year is to learn as much as she can.

Craig, Grade 3, 4’3”

Craig wants to be a geologist when he grows up. His favorite subject in school is science, and his favorite book is maybe Poseidon and the Sea of Fury. He loves to play video games and says he doesn’t have a favorite school lunch because they’re all the same. 

Craig’s favorite color is orange, he’s looking forward to science this year – his first unit will be rocks and minerals!, and he has no goals for the school year.

Caleb didn't have his first day until 2 days later, since kindergarten has a staggered start. So he and I got a little bit more time together, which I am not complaining about. 

Caleb, kindergarten, 3’10”

When Caleb grows up, he wants to be someone that finds dinosaur bones. A paleontologist. He’s just gonna find some bones and try to put them in the museum. If they're too heavy, he will use his pick ax. His favorite school subject is crafts, and he doesn’t really have a favorite book because he loves all of them. Caleb loves the color yellow, eating goldfish, and playing games. He is looking forward to making so much (sic) friends that he is a “friend-maker.”

He was chattering away to the boy next to him in line before school started, so I'm hoping he's well on his way.

School is tiring, y'all.

Here's to hoping they have a successful school year: that they get to have activities and field trips, that there is singing in music class and assemblies in the gym, and that they learn and grow tremendous amounts. I love them.

Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer

In between the trips to Waterton, Jasper, birthdays, and my trip to Italy, we did other fun summer things around Edmonton.  

Lots of playing in the water, either at parks or in the yard.

Gold Medal Hikes

It may or may not have been wise, especially since I still had shingles, but the weekend after I got back from Italy, our family headed to Jasper for a couple of nights.

After having spent two weeks away from my kiddos, it was a lot of fun to be with them again and hear their thoughts. 

I loved Craig telling me all the different things he saw in the clouds as we drove. 

I adored Calista telling creepy ghost stories:

Once upon a time, a man was visiting a museum. He saw a mammoth on display, but it was actually alive! The mammoth said to the man, "I want cheese from this future! Bring me cheese within a week, or else!"

The man didn't really care, but he went to get some cheese in a town a week's walk away. 

A week later, the mammoth came and demanded to know where its cheese was. When the man didn't have any, the mammoth said, "well, since you didn't bring me cheese, I will curdle your blood to make cheese, and eat you!"

And the mammoth ate the man's curdled blood cheese.

The end

It was nice to be with my family.

Not everything was nice, necessarily. Overnight was cold - I think it got down to 3C. Thankfully I'd checked the weather ahead of time and we brought extra blankets. Caleb woke up cold around 2 AM... But he wasn't even in his sleeping bag. Otherwise the night went fine.

The morning, though, meant getting out of the sleeping bags and blankets. 

Which also meant grumpy, cold children. Until Craig threw up on the hiking trail (!?!), then everyone got happier. 

In spite of the grumpiness, Saturday was as beautiful morning for a beautiful hike. 

We did Valley of the Five Lakes, which we had never done before. 

Calista and Craig said the hike earns a gold medal: it's their favorite ever. 

It wasn't easy: when we were nearly back to the trailhead, a group of hikers setting out asked if it was mostly level for the rest of the hike. I answered with a firm, no. It was uphill and downhill and difficult at times - especially when I was wearing the backpack (and it was irritating my shingles rash). Once Kyler took it from me, I could handle it all much better. I'm glad we tried it out.

We also went to Athabasca Falls, 

because we can't not go when we're in Jasper.
We hiked Edith Cavell again.

Apparently it's also in the kiddos' top 5 hikes. Maybe even top 2.

While we were sitting overlooking the pond and glacier, we saw and heard a couple of small avalanches.

And that, my friends, is why we don't go past the trail down to the pond...

Our second night in Jasper was a bit warmer, but much wetter.

Wet wood does not catch fire easily...

Maybe next trip we'll try again.

It was another cool morning, but beautiful, as we packed up our tent and prepared to head home.

But not before first checking out Annette Lake.

It has a nice paved trail, 

So thankfully we didn't get caught in any quicksand.

I love going to Jasper, but it can be pretty exhausting.

Good thing these boys aren't driving home!

Italy 2021, Part Four: Napoli

My trip to Italy is nearly complete: this is the last post. Finally, we left Roma and headed to Napoli with Mom and Dad. Mom was so anxious to call the Uber that we were at the train station 45 minutes early. It's fine.

Our first stop was Pompeii. 

It is huge and impressive and overwhelming. 

Plus, of course, hot. We were in Southern Italy in August, after all. I think the best thing I saw all day was the spigot in the street with water - nectar of the gods. 

Italy 2021, Part Three: Roma

I know I've posted already about Firenze and Milano, but now we're going back to our first day in Italy for a moment, before fast-forwarding ahead to our post-northern-Italy Roma adventures.

Our first stop, while incredibly jet lagged, was The Vatican. 

Together for the first time in 2 years!