School is Out

 It has been a challenging 6 weeks, with school closures in most Quebec public schools. And so it was that the younger two were stuck at home since November 21. We just got word that the strike has ended, and school will start back on Jan 9. Here are some of the things that the girls did to pass the time:

Hold a ferret 

Decorate her face with chocolate and marshmallows 

Play with her stuffies

Hold a hedgehog 

Write another book

Bake some gingerbread cookies 

Visit a puppy open house

Bake cupcakes

Make snow-people cupcakes

Hang out with her adorable cousin

Make a snow bird

When Did They Learn to Crochet?

 I am not exactly sure who taught them. I think that about a year ago, they received a “beginner’s crochet kit”  from their aunt for their birthdays…And it took off from there. Here are a few of their new creations:

First Snow & Halloween

 Monday saw the first snow flakes come and go. The girls didn’t want to wear snow clothes, insisting that it was not yet winter…Thankfully things warmed up in time for Halloween. Here are a few photos:

Apples & Pumpkins

 We took advantage of a recent pedagogical day to pick both apples and pumpkins with the younger two; as a bonus, the girls ran into their cousin who was visiting the exact same farm with her preschool. Here are a few photos:

First Canoe Experience

 And so it was that over the Labour Day weekend we headed out to the water and rented a couple of canoes. Papa went with #1 and#3, and #2 rode with me. We stayed out on the water for a few hours, and enjoyed navigating the very calm water, and figuring out how to turn the canoes. We did almost run into each other a few times, but overall it was a fun first canoeing experience for the girls. We then biked home, stopping for some ice cream, making for a memorable last day before the first full week of school.

First Day of School

 Here are some photos from the girls first days of school:

Water Slides and Zip Lines

 After what seemed like an endless summer of water activities, including synchro, diving, swim team and waterpolo, we went on a quick getaway up north. Sleeping in, eating out, shopping, waterslides and zip lines made up our brief vacation. Here are a few photos:

The Little One Turns 10!

 And just like that, our little one reached  double digits this last week. Here are a few photos from her tenth birthday:

First Triathlon

 All three girls participated in their first triathlon a few days ago. It was held at the local pool; they started off with a 200m swim, followed by a 2km ride around the neighbourhood, and finally a few laps around the adjacent soccer field. Here are a few photos:

\

The Golden Scooter

 I had apparently promised her a scooter if she passed Gold, the highest swimming level on the Olympic Way swimming program. I suppose that I wasn’t expecting our 9-year old to pass the level, but last week, she did just that. Here she is, proud owner of her first scooter:

First Open Water Swim

 I was initially concerned when I found out that our 11 year old wanted to compete in a 1km open water race. In the end, the swimmers were well-monitored. They had 2 wrist bands each and several swim monitors and a boat close by. Here are a few photos: