Chilly Swimming

The warm weather may have arrived, but the lake's still pretty cold. In anticipation of a summery weekend we got the water trampoline inflated and out on the lake. I needed a wetsuit to brave the water, but the kids seemed fine.

- Here's Kate doing her best Amelia Earhart impression

- The kids on the trampoline. I'm just holding Zoë's noodle for her. It's not like I needed it in addition to my wetsuit, in 6 feet of water.

- I missed a photo of an enormous stork on our dock this morning. But how about some love for this mother duck - 14 chicks in tow!! Kate (a mother of multiples herself, after all) says the duck's cheating as its babies are all grown up after a few months.

Soccer Starts

First week of soccer. Much excitement in our household.

- First here's Zoë, whose first game was in the cold drizzle of Tuesday night, hence the hoodie. I think the soccer itself was secondary, as the highlights were the cool uniform and the people-watching. Coaching a team of four year olds game me an even deeper appreciation for kindergarten teachers.

- And here are the twins in their Houston Dynamo (??!!) uniforms, flanking little Yoda. Jacob scored twice and his goal celebrations could become legendary, if only for their excitement level. And Molly was speedy and awesome.

Ottawa long weekend

We spent the long weekend with Kate's family in Ottawa, celebrating her mom's (and twin brother's) 70th birthday. I'm clearly out of blogging practice, as I have no pictures of any of the festivities, and none of our old friend Claudie, whose house we stayed at for the weekend.

But, the hit of the weekend was the Star Wars Identities show at the Aviation Museum. I don't think Jacob has stopped talking about it since. And I have photos of that!

- The kids with Anakin's pod racer

- Anakin all grown up

- Here's my Star Wars identity - a bounty hunter Wookie, with a bit of a crush on Queen Amidala

- Zoë at the Museum of Nature, trying not to get eaten

- Jacob, with a backyard hockey injury

- Zoë getting into the Ottawa spirit. Embracing the tulip experience, and the Senators

Big night tonight, as Zoë has her first ever soccer game and the twins have a piano recital...

January Photo Catch-Up

Checking out the Owl Howl in Toronto

- Who would know these two are mother-daughter?

- Twins reading in bed

- Sometimes the whole lake is our skating rink

Photo Catch-Up from February

We'll start with Zoë's 4th birthday, back in February. This video is awesome. Zoë trying the hula hoop at her birthday party.

- More birthday shots

- For the sake of my future, failing memory, at Zoë's 'nastics party, clockwise from Zoë it's Jacob, Daniel, Ayden, Jacob, Savannah, Rhys, Oliver, Carmen, Anna, Ella, and Molly

 - Our February trip to Niagara Falls

- A very rare photo of yours truly

- Tobogganing at the golf course

- CNY at Chinese school with the twins' Tina LaoShi

- Zoë rocking my old cub scout hat

"Spring" Photo Catch-Up

Here are a few of my favourite photos from the past couple of months...

- A visit from the big twins in March

- Superhero dressup day at school. Of course, Jacob was that well known superhero, "Dragon Robin Hood"

- Zoë chilling with her castle

- Who goes to Thunder Bay for Spring Break. We do!

- Sugar shack with cousins Sam and Maeve

- Jacob's other recent superhero. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Scooper Man!!

- And to put this week's swimming video in context, a month ago the lake looked like this!