I'm a sellout

Those of you who were readers this time last year will remember how excited Peter and I were to finally pay off our line of credit. We paid off $13,000 (thousand!!) in less than five months. That was no small feat and it definitely didn't come without major sacrifice.

The crazy thing was that we didn't really have anything to show for that debt. It's not like we'd been on vacations or had a house full of clothes and toys and electronics. It was debt that had slowly grown over the course of a few moves and times when I wasn't working, unexpected costs associated with buying our first house, etc. We're not big spenders. We never had been. Thirteen thousand dollars worth of debt notwithstanding, we're really very careful with our money. 

We're practical.

We haven't taken a family vacation in the last eight years (so none since even before we had kids), we buy used or second hand when possible, we never just "go shopping". When we get money for Christmas or birthdays, we have to fight against the urge to just put it in the bank. When we get our tax return or other lump sums of money, we always do the sensible thing.

The problem is that "the sensible thing" is never much fun...

This years tax return will once again be spent wisely (savings, extra van payments, our portion of my dad's funeral marker), used sensibly (some needed home renos), or put towards otherwise worthy causes (donated to charity, a new World Vision sponsor child -our fourth!!). But... BUT... Peter will once again be getting some retro pay for something-or-other, and he has decreed it fun -or blow- money. NOT A PENNY OF WHICH IS TO BE SPENT SENSIBLY!

So last weekend we bought two wine kits that we've started*, the first of which should be ready in about three weeks. 

We also decided to buy the boys brand new bikes**. 

Anther idea we had was to start a list of fun family things we can do this summer in the Ottawa area that we'll set money aside for. Things we wouldn't normally do, or wouldn't do as often. BECAUSE WE'RE SENSIBLE WITH OUR MONEY. Things like bowling (which the boys LOVE), Upper Canada Village, the Diefenbunker, maybe Park Omega again (last year's trip is here and here), taking the boys to Toy Story 3 in 3D, possibly renting paddle boats on Lansdowne Lake. We'll put all the ideas in a jar, then pick one whenever we have a free day together, knowing we have the money to do anything (and everything) in the jar. I'm super excited about this idea and can't wait to have a ton of fun with the boys this summer. Not everything in the jar will have a price tag, but there will be some activities that we just wouldn't normally be able to justify. So, Ottawa peeps, fire your best ideas at me!

More to the point of this post, however, is that some of that blow money has been ear-marked for a purchase that was previously considered absolutely UN-necessary, ILL-advised, and pretty much the antithesis of frugality and sensible money management... a Nintendo Wii (had to throw the "Nintendo" in there just incase you've been living under a rock and didn't know what a plain "Wii" was *rolls eyes at self*).

Liam has, for the last year, been bearing the full brunt of the unfairness of the fact that WE DO NOT OWN A GAME SYSTEM. Even though ALL OF HIS FRIENDS OWN A GAME SYSTEM. And, in his mind, every (other) living being on the planet MUST OWN A GAME SYSTEM. His insistence that we, too, must own a game system was enough to make me swear one would never enter our home. That sense of entitlement is one of the very reasons that we hope to move our family to Africa in the next few years... to shock it out of them! And yet last night I found myself frantically calling all the Best Buys and Future Shops in a 50km radius in a desperate attempt to track down a store that has them in stock so I can buy one in time for Easter.

Let me assure you that it was not Liam's heavy pout that finally broke us down. Rather, Peter and Liam (and Simon to a lesser degree) have started playing a couple of computer games together -only on the weekends- and they really enjoy it. I will keep claiming that I don't know how to play for as long as possible, which not only gets me out of ever having to play, but also ensure that it's a special father-son activity. Truth be told, Peter's been drooling over a Wii since they came out and is secretly giddy that I've finally relented on my strict no-game-system attitude (no, my iMac doesn't count thankyouverymuch), cause, you know... it's for the kids.

So there you have it. We're getting a Wii. Four words I swore I'd never write/say. (sigh)

Don't be silly enough to think that we're just going to hand it over though. No siree. Even though we'd already made the decision to buy a Wii, we told Liam that we would get one once he learned how to ride a two-wheeler. Not in a negative-consequence-for-if-you-don't-let-go-of-your-training-wheels kind of way, but as a reward/encouragement/motivator for learned to ride on two wheels. This might seem shocking to some of you who don't parent by way of rewards, but you have to understand that Liam only got a bike near the end of last summer and, up until now, has been very, VERY nervous about even riding up and down our driveway. He lacked confidence, feared falling (ie, failing... what can I say? he's MY SON), and had zero motivation to learn to ride. Even WITH training wheels.

So about a week and a half ago, we sat him down and explained that we knew that riding his bike made him nervous and that he wasn't very excited about practicing. We also explained that, with summer coming, all of his friends would be wanting to ride bikes and we knew he wouldn't want to be left behind. We told him that we knew he'd love it once he figured out how to ride a two-wheeler. We told him we knew he'd do great if he'd just commit to practicing every day. And we told him that, once he'd mastered riding on two wheels, we'd celebrate his effort and determination... by buying a Wii.

Folks, 10 days out and he can speed up, ride, right himself, slow down, and stop. He needs to practice starting and turning, but a few more days and he'll be golden. Ergo my frantic calls to track down an available Wii.

Our plan is to have a scavenger hunt in place of/in addition to an easter egg hunt with the Wii as the treasure.

Liam doesn't know that we were going to buy the Wii regardless. 

I guess he'll find out when he reads this post! *hi grown up Liam*

*Okay, that's a bit sensible since we'll be paying less than $5/bottle for the exact same wine that would cost $28/bottle at the wine store, but this is not something we would have been able to fit into the budget and, hey, it's wine! wine + summer = sangria 'round these parts! yummo!)

**Okay, we initially had decided to get the boys brand new bikes, but then I googled "ottawa used bikes" and found myself dragging the boys down to Bike Dump and spending $30 for a bike for each of the boys... but cmon! Thirty bucks! For two bikes! (*hangs head* I'm such a tightwad) 

P.S. A post without pictures! *shock*

dramatic b&w

This week's theme at iheartfaces is "dramatic B&W". I had a hard time settling on a picture to use, but finally decided on this shot from our trip back to Regina over Christmas. The boys and I went outside to play and they loved running and sliding on the ice in the frozen storm drain that runs under the street my mom's house is on. This is Simon, by the way.

There are some really great entries this week over at iheartfaces. I don't know how Amy and Angie do it!

sugarbush 2010

Last week, after seeing Dani's pictures on flickr of her trip to the Log Farm Sugarbush, I made a last minute decision to head out with the boys. I decided around 8:30am and hoped to be out there by 9:30ish to beat the rush. We didn't actually get there til almost 11am, because we were waiting on some friends who we invited (also last minute) but it was so much more fun to have this pile of kids along (their moms are pretty good company too!). Since we have so many friends who do school at home, there's always a good chance of finding someone to share our extra-curricular activities with.

Notice whose kids are NOT smiling nicely for the picture? Yeah. They're mine.

After a yummy breakfast of pancakes (I'd thought ahead a brought a couple GF ones for Simon and Andrew), sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, juice, coffee, hot chocolate and loads of fresh fruit (that I'd cut up and brought cause I'm super mom), we headed out in search of the farm and the sugar maples. It was a bit of a hike through a wooded area (around puddles, through mud and over a little bridge) and then across a big field, but it gave the kids the chance to burn off the gallons of pure maple syrup they'd consumed at breakfast. And run they did.

See?

Notice the grey sky in the picture above? That'll change.

The Log Farm was built in the 1850s and several of the original buildings remain. The main house/cabin is set up with period furniture, tools and "appliances". Apparently the parents had nine children, however I believe several of them died very young. There was also a neat "summer kitchen" which I think is a FABULOUS idea.

I think I could possibly photograph old buildings all day long. So full of texture and depth. LOVE. IT. And see what I meant about the sky? It was such an amazing day to be out. Just beautiful.

The farm is also residence to a couple completely oblivious to children friendly potbellied pigs, a goat, sheep and cows, a pony and some nimble chickens and roosters.

See the rooster? See those kids chasing the rooster? Yeah. They're mine.

For the record, they never did catch the rooster, who was obviously used to being chased and was more than able to evade his pursuers. He had a major advantage over all the little chicken-hunters in their squelchy, mud-covered rubber boots.

The pigs stayed much more stationary and all the kids enjoyed getting right up close to them.

See the pot belly??

Did I mention the mud yet? Cause letmetellyou THERE. WAS. MUD. It was quite a while before we even found enough dry ground to let the babies out to walk a bit. Poor guys. Kids running everywhere, screaming, laughing, chasing chickens, and them strapped in their strollers.

Do I see a new header image??

More old buildings. More blue sky. (le sigh) Did a little faux HDR on this image? Thoughts? Too much?

All of the kids went nuts over the pony and their ability to feed him hay (after a brief discussion over the difference between hay and straw and what a pony will and will not find appetizing). We might've even snuck him a few apple slices that were left over from breakfast. Shhhhh. I even managed to get a picture with all eight kids in it! No easy feat.

Andrew was particularly amazed. I have some cute video of him trying to feed the pony... but -let's face it- I'm not likely to get it uploaded any time soon. If I ever do, I'll post it here. Don't hold your breath.

Simon and Liam checking out the calf, who eventually came around to be fawned over.

Can I take a moment here to ask other moms-of-boys... WHAT IS IT ABOUT BOYS AND STICKS? I know you can poke stuff and hit stuff, pretend that they're swords, use them as walking sticks... I get it. I do. I guess I've just never been quite so passionately enamoured with a skinny piece of wood as this child. Of mine.

(Even as I'm writing this, he's standing over my shoulder saying, "That was a great stick. (heavy sigh) If we ever go back, I'm going to find it and bring it home with me.")

On our trek out to the sugar maples, we waded through more mud, around more puddles, and over another bridge. And we met the goat. But don't let this picture of Alexis and the goat fool you. That was THE ONLY PATCH OF DRY GROUND in the whole place. Promise. This is NOT INDICATIVE of   what we walked and pushed/pulled/dragged/carried the strollers through all day.

But it was all worth it to arrive at the end of the trail and be greeted by this...

mmmmm, maple taffy!

After collecting the sap, boiling it down into maple syrup and then boiling it down to that thick, golden, sludgy-looking deliciousness pictured above, they pour it onto snow to chill, sticking in popsicle sticks and rolling the taffy before it's completely set. 

Guess who was first in line?

licking his stick clean 

Does Liam sort of look like an albino in the picture to the left? 

Obviously I'm still adjusting to the shaved head...

I love the two pictures in the middle row taken just after Andrew's first taste 

when he's realizing how super good this weird brown stuff on a stick really is.

Remi, sitting with his beautiful ma tante Kim, was as equally pleased with his taffy.

After eating two or three sticks each, the kids picked up aluminum buckets and headed out to collect sap from collector buckets hung on the maple trees scattered throughout the forest. The fellow manning the sap station warned us that the kids wouldn't find full buckets, but the quantity they collect DID. NOT. MATTER. They had an absolute blast running through the trees from tree to tree and finding an ounce here and an ounce there. 

These are what they were after...

I like this picture...

and this one too.

See how much fun they had? I even let Andrew out of the stroller to toddle through the trees. There was such a thick carpet of leaves on the ground that, even with his many falls and trips over tree roots, he still loved it. LOVED. IT.

Simon spilled more sap than the actually collected (it's tricky trying to keep up with older kids while carrying a bucket that's almost half your size through a forest full of hidden tree roots), but that didn't seem to affect his enthusiasm.

My kids have cute friends, eh?

La belle Jade with her bucket of sap, and then with her 

mom (my friend Kim) and brother, Timothy.

After sufficiently filling their buckets with sap, each child got to empty theirs into a large tub where it was filtered and then boiled down into pure maple syrup. Aunt Jemima's got nothin' on this stuff. We've been using maple syrup as our primary sweetener for the better part of a year now, and I can hardly stomach table syrup anymore. Yes it's more expensive BUT IT'S AMAZING.

Look! I even managed to get into a picture!

After once again braving the boot-sucking, mud-filled trail back to the farm, the kids humoured me and let me take a picture of them and their muddy boots (and knees, in Simon's case... bum too, but it's not pictured).

If you're going to visit a sugarbush, this is the way to do it. Tasty maple-syrup-smothered food, gorgeous weather, amazing friends, lots of running around and fresh air, and actually getting to be part of the sap collection process. A huge thank you to Dani for the heads up on this one. My boys will never forget it.

(If I counted right, there are 89 pictures in this post?! Too much?? It is a bit of overkill, eh... Sorry. I couldn't help myself.)