Postcards

A few weeks ago, friends of ours (we’re having them sainted later this week) offered us use of their cottage up North. We’re not idiots, so we jumped at the chance, and started organizing the family.  It took a lot of doing, but on Friday we caravaned up here in two cars, with Amanda, Sam, Meg (and her sidekick Elliot) and stuffed Penny the dog in for good measure.

We proceeded to have three glorious days with all three of our girls, and we had the best time. Swimming, sunning on the deck, canoeing, playing hours and hours of boardgames and stargazing at night.  (Sam and I saw a meteor that she called “life changing.”) They did each others hair like they were wee again, and took turns setting the table and serving.

It was nothing short of delicious and completely charming.  On Monday afternoon, Sam and Amanda had to go, but we’ve stayed on with Meg and Elliot, revelling in the luxury of being full time grandparents, and (hopefully) giving Meg a vacation of her own.

We’ve had friends to dinner, I accidentally dropped a ball of yarn in the lake (it dried, it was fine) and a huge thunderstorm missed us by an inch. We’ve eaten corn on the cob and we all saw a fox, and Amanda actually spontaneously uttered those epic Canadian words “hold my beer, and watch this.”

I couldn’t ask for anything more, except for longer days, and some extra of them before we need to go home. (Also, if Elliot wasn’t so obsessed with eating books, that would be cool too.)

PS. Happy Birthday, sweet Meggie.  We’ll do it all together when we’re home again.

76 thoughts on “Postcards

  1. That’s how the best memories are made. What a wonderful breather you’ve all had; sounds just like a vacation should be. And a real treat to be with all three daughters at the same time.

  2. Lovely! So wonderful you could all be together for a good time. Looks like fun for all! I am heading to a wedding this weekend and am looking forward to spending time with family.

  3. What a wonderful celebration of a birthday–thank you for inviting us, too, and thank you to your friends who gave such a great gift. Happy Birthday, Meg!

    • I agree, but my “most adorable” pic had to be the one where Elliot is sleeping in Grandma’s – what is that – baby sling?

  4. What a wonderful vacation for you.

    Treasure those books that Elliot munches on. I still have board books that my youngest son took bites out of when he was tiny (he’s 22 now).

  5. Sounds wonderful. Even Penny looks to be drinking in the relaxation buzz. Elliot is getting so big. When did he get so big?

  6. I should not be so totally invested in this but I am so pleased for you that I am teary at the thought of how lovely it was for all of you. To be with all your girls, and sweet Elliot, to be parents and grandparents, to relax, and love, and laugh, oh it is really too beautiful.

    Tipping points:
    crying: like they were wee again
    laughing: those epic Canadian words

  7. What a wonderful holiday!! I’m so glad you could all be together and have such a relaxing time. You all deserve it!!!
    And Elliot is mega-cute!!

  8. What a a glorious break – and such a treat to have all of your girls together with you. I treasure when I get to have my son and daughter and their families together. There’s just something special about that. Adding water to the occasion just makes it more special. Thank you for sharing. I’m glad your lake diving ball of yarn is alright!

  9. I have it on good authority (mine/my children’s) that the more they try to eat board books, as tots, the better readers they become. Might want to pick up an extra copy of your/his favourites for far-into-the-future purposes (gifting, great grandbabies, etc), as they go out of print remarkably often.

  10. That sounds absolutely glorious.

    On a side note, as a mother of six and a worker in the child care business, I’ll tell you that if you can figure out a sure fire way to get toddlers to stop gnawing on books, you’ll be rich. Also, librarians everywhere will laud your name unto the ages.

  11. There is nothing so wonderful as cottage time. Sadly, it always seems that the day you have to leave is the day with the very best weather when the lake is like bathwater.

  12. So lucky! and so well-deserved! I love that part of Ontario. We have family in Kawartha Lakes and we get to go there sometimes and our vacations are just like this, except we like to go to see the local attractions and visit fibre-bearing critters on all the farms we can find, as well as just go and look around, so not as much time just being. There’s such a lot to look at. I really miss it, it’s six years since we managed to get there. This was a bright spot in my day, thank you for letting me share your lovely family time.

  13. Glad the sock yarn was saved! I had a vision of it going down, down into the … well, I guess they’re not BRINY … deeps.

    (psst: When you’re back at work, it would be great if you updated your teaching appearances page!)

  14. Sounds like absolute perfection!
    In a few weeks, we will have some lake days with one of our Kidd’s and a friend. My heart leaps at the thought!

  15. All that fresh air can sure tucker a little guy out. How wonderful to have precious family time together (and knitting on the dock is the best.) My husband and I are fortunate to live right on a lake in Haliburton now that we are retired. Our evening entertainment is sitting on the dock watching the loons fishing. We’ve been here over a year and I still feel like I’m on a holiday every day. Oh yes, and what was Amanda about to do?

  16. Such a wonderful family time! There is just something so rejuvenating about spending time near the water. Great way to recover after the enormously successful bike rally. Hope you have more fun before winter arrives.

  17. Looks like you were having so much fun. It’s nice to be altogether as a family, especially with your busy life. Love your blog. I make a lot of socks too. they are fun to knit and simple to make. Your books are fun also!! Take care!

  18. In Australia, “hold my beer and watch this” only ever has one ending…and it’s always bad. I’m guessing that Canada, a fellow Commonwealth member, has the same yradition…?

  19. Is that board book “Each Peach Pear Plum”? I must have read that (and many many other books by the Ahlbergs–Baby’s Catalogue, anyone?) 47,551,372 times.

  20. So happy for you all! After the super stressful time you’ve had over the past year or two, what a lovely restorative. And Elliot’s standing upright so good! When did that happen?

    Thanks for sharing it with us! I feel refreshed too.

  21. Sweet! Thanks for sharing your family with us. I’m glad you had a nice vacation after all the hard work you did for the Rally. Oh, it’s so nice to have all the kids together at once, isn’t it? My oldest son is a 3 hour drive from me and the other two kids, and when he’s in the house, it’s so different. Complete, eh? And once January comes, I’ll have a grandbaby, too… knitting now!

  22. Last week we had almost 24 glorious hours with all three daughters and the three grands and Buddy the dog. These three span the country in habitat so every moment is precious and wonderful.

  23. I love the photo of Elliot in the chair looking back at ya! So flipping cute! And your family pic is wonderful. I’m so glad you all got to be together and get much needed R&R! You deserve it.

  24. Elliot in pink pajamas: heartstoppingly adorable. The Canadian words are also Texas words….you just add a “y’all” to the beginning and change “my” to “mah”. According to my fiancé, they’re usually uttered in a pickup truck and followed by something life changing (and not in a good way).

    Your vacation sounds just perfect. Thank you for sharing it with us.

  25. I am so glad you had such a wonderful time! And oh my word, Elliot in those unicorn jammies is ADORABLE! My boys would absolutely flip over those 🙂

  26. Glad you got such a wonderful time with your daughters and Elliott. I might be a bit jealous if I weren’t anticipating a Texas beach vacay with a niece who’s like a second duaghter and her family late next month. Her littlest is younger than Elliott, so I’ll get some baby-snuggling time, too.

    I second the suggestion of posting when/where you’ll be teaching, as I’d love to take a class with you.

  27. Oh, my. Wonderful pictures, it sounds heavenly, but I just have to say, that the picture of Eliot standing in his footie jammies, looking up at the camera– I melted. Can I have him?

  28. The friend who loaned you the cabin needs something hand knit, so next year she will get the same idea. Looks just lovely. Is Elliot running all over yet, or just starting the walking thing? Such a little cutie. Enjoy, you earned it.
    Julie in San Diego

  29. It makes me smile to see so much happy going on! You have a beautiful family. In my circle, we would call your past year “a year of crappening.” I think when you get close to 50 and beyond, it’s bound to happen at some point but you got quite a whammy. I’m glad to see so many smiles and obvious laughter. I think you probably all needed that. <3

  30. What the lovely pictures! I also like board games and active rest outside the city. Unfortunately,
    summer’s over, and I’ve got my college homework( Hope to save some time with WritingCheap academic service to prepare for New Year’s party with my friends in time

  31. The blog is good. The article takes a look at the gravel of a family. The images added along with the article are awesome. The images itself shows what is intending to narrate right through the article. The images are really good and it portrays the happy faces of the members of the family.

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