A week in England with cousins

We've been back from England for a week now, but Liam is still saying:  "no lua!" on a regular basis.  It was a fun and hectic time altogether.  Mostly it's great to see the cousins grow together and know each other, but there were some moments when Liam and Lua really managed to get on each others nerves.  Perhaps it was a game that us adults didn't get.

We were so busy running errands for new baby stuff, and trying to keep the kids occupied and happy that we didn't get a whole lot of photos, but we managed to spend a morning at a soft play place in Banbury where all three were able to really let loose a little and run about.

Lua with the fish pillar at Rugrats

Liam tackles a big truck while Leo plays house

Having a bit of jumping around time before bath time

We also had a lovely visit with Char and Otto who came up for the day to hang out.  It was so nice chatting and catching up with Char and of course seeing her own belly swelling!

I love how Leo managed to squeeze into the photo!

We had one really nice afternoon of good weather so the kids could finally spend some time outside.  It seems it was much needed after a few days of being couped up indoors.  Liam tried Lua's wellies on for size, and they all spent a good hour shuffling about outside!

Liam wearing Lua's shoes, and Lua not so sure about it!

I thought Leo was so funny!  I don't know if he knew what he was doing when he put together this look, but it somehow looks like a funny downhill skier!

Lua as happy as can be pushing her shopping cart around

Liam chose to dig in the dirt with a stick

  Sonja managed to also come up and spend a full day and 2 nights, which was a real treat.  We got to sample some paleo desserts and put the pressure on her to start her own brood!

Lua getting some Sonja snuggles in pretty light

This bus/truck was Liam's favorite AGAIN

Video of Liam and Stirling Holding Hands

Friends, birthdays and other gatherings

It's been a busy fall so far for all of us but despite it all we have managed to continue to get together with other moms and tots on a regular basis each week. 

We were lucky to have some unusually warm weather for the beginning of October which did a world of good for the little ones.  They love being outside and playing, so it was always a good time getting together at various neighbourhood playgrounds.  I love that Liam and Stirling have remained buddies despite her starting asilo this fall.  These photos of the two of them holding hands and walking are just a snippet of the cutest moment. 

Kat, Leigh, Grayson, Stirling, Drake, Isla and Liam

Stirling and Liam hand in hand

Stirling and Liam dashing about

 Drake is still one of Liam's best friends, and this past October he turned 2!  We went to a great and very hectic soft play place near Como to celebrate with him and some of the other little friends and I think the kids all had a great time. 

At the soft play place Liam in heaven with a motorbike

At the food table - Drake's party

Drake and Liam playing in the bouncy castle

   We had a little birthday celebration and get together at our house for Leigh's birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Somehow we managed to get all the kids there to sit for a photo at the same time.  It was kind of miraculous, though I won't say the photos turned out perfectly!

The tots lined up for a photo shoot! - Grayson, Stirling, Cassidy, Liam, Isla, Drake

Video from Dinner in Barcelona

I feel like we have missed so many great talking advances for Liam, so here's at least a little video of him waiting on his "dessert" of raspberries after dinner. 

A Fall Long Weekend in Barcelona

Despite a wee bit of last minute scrambling we managed to get away from the long weekend break last weekend, and boy am I glad we did!  Knowing that our traveling days are numbered and limited, especially with a new one coming in just a few months, it felt good to take advantage of our relative freedom having just Liam to worry about. 

We were invited to spend the weekend with my clients and friends of ours who have a gorgeous, newly fixed up house in Sitges, just 40 mins train from downtown Barcelona.  The house sits on a cliff overlooking the gorgeous blue sea, and has an almost completely glass front to take advantage of the views.  There is also a lovely infinity pool in front looking over the same view.  We ended up coordinating travel with our friends so that we could travel to and from airports with them, which certainly made our lives easy.  Even with a 3 hour delay on the flight's departure (which meant that we arrived around 10:30pm instead of 7:30pm) we still weren't stressed out or tired out by the trip.  Liam somehow always rallies through those late nights.  In fact everyone on the plane was amazed by how cheerful and good-natured and chatty he remained throughout the delay and flight.  He only got a bit overtired and cried when we finally got to the house and tried to put him in a new bed, but even then he settled relatively quickly.

View of the main floor from 2nd floor

Living area

James and Liam watch an intense foosball game - Alessandra and Johannes against their friends (Mar and Lara)

Our ensuite bedroom came along with 3 giant bears - Liam called all of them "Mr Bear"

Despite it being October it was warm enough to take a dip - though not quite warm enough for me to go all the way in!

Liam being a ham

We were really spoiled rotten without having to lift a finger cleaning, cooking, planning meals, making beds, arranging cars etc.  It was so relaxing to just hang out at the house that we actually spent most of our time there, talking, playing ping pong and Foosball, hanging out by the pool and such, that we only went into Barcelona for part of Saturday.  The rest of the time was just at their house.  I managed to have a pedicure at the house as they have a lady come and do everyone, and we had some lovely dinner parties with a few family members and friends of theirs as well.  Liam was spoiled by the attention of so many people and all the fabulous car toys that the son Johannes had.  Not only that, but they also bought him a couple of matchbox cars and a larger remote controlled bull-dozer.  You can imagine his excitement. 

Our day trip into Barcelona

James and Liam watching the pigeons

Pigeon chasing in the main square

After a brief nap in the stroller Liam was eager to get out!

I indulged in a truly decadent waffle with gelato and chocolate sauce

Back at their house - Liam having fun by the pool

Sunset reflected in the front of the house

Liam getting ready for dinner, and a really great dinner being prepared in the background for the rest of us!

We arrived home after a painless travel experience, even though it was 10pm by the time we got in.  Everything was smooth and easy and made it possible to start the week off ok.

Kids say the Darndest things

Since we got back from Sweden I've been terrible about videoing and photographing Liam, which is particularly sad since he has taken this opportunity to really start to talk.  It started with a large increase in the words he'd say, and has quickly been progressing into an attempt at sentences or at least parts of one, really regularly.  Not only will he say just about anything you ask him to say (or at least the last word in the sentence you said), but he recalls things that might have been talked about the previous day or even earlier.  And sometimes it appears that he just knows a word without us having "taught" it to him.

A few weeks ago I started writing down a list of newer things I heard him say and here's some of it:
Ooshy - horsey
Fwog - frog
wed boon - red spoon
kayak, row boat, mota boat
wee walk - side walk
One morning he sat eating breakfast and pointed to the counter saying: "choffee maker"
When reading a book when he is finished with it he says: "ee end!"
He calls the bathroom the "bumroom" (quite appropriate) and the vacuum a "backhume".
When we are out walking he periodically says: "leee-dards!"  like he's calling the lizards!
When he's feeling cheerful in the morning he might be heard saying: "moh-ning!"
A favorite word that comes up way more than you can imagine is "weedwacker".  We hear alot of them around here so I guess he identifies the sound a lot
He asks for specific books now, like "Jambry" (Jamberry), "woom broom" (room on a broom), "been one" (richard scarry's word book), "Bunyad dance" (barnyard dance).
A t-shirt is a "dee showt" and a butter fly is a "buttfly".
"mumroom" is mushroom and we often have him help with the "wandree" (laundry)
He asks for "pen and papor" and has become much more interested in drawing than he's ever been. 
He also loves playing "cacatcheee" (can't catch me) with James in the evening, where you'll here him yelling cacacheeee! at the top of his lungs.  Also included in that game is the "weady!  Steady! GO!!!"
When you wants us to come he grabs a hand or finger and says: "tum!"
When someone sneezes we get "a Bless you!"  And if it's him, he'll say "Liam" at the end!
He also says " oh, Ducck!" when he's stuck somewhere. 

On one occasion about a month ago we were eating dinner and I went to feed Liam another spoonful only to have him shake his head and say: "no no, no more rice.  Bye bye dinum (dinner)".  At which point he pushed the whole bowl away from himself.

More recently he says phrases like these on a daily basis:
I get it
I got it
you do dis, or I do dis

Peekaboo mummy!
A new favorite is: "right der".  Just about any situation will find him pointing out something that's "right der"
He has also begun counting, forgetting to mention the lowly number 1 and heading right for two:
doo, three, (sometimes) four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine.  He never says 10 unless reminded of it, and very often we will hear him counting to himself and if he can't remember something he'll subsitute with "chicken".  Seven is a good candidate for a chicken substitution!
At bed time he asks for stories, and once even spontaneously asked for "pwayor" (prayer).  He will also demand that I sing once he's in the crib, and often specifies that it needs to be twinkle twinkle.
Last night at bath time I told him we don't have time for a story but I could sing to him instead and asked if he'd like me to sing a prayer.  Totally on his own he started with: oh God, guide me, protect (well the rest was a bit of a mumble), but I was totally shocked at his recollection of the prayer unguided!

Well I'll end this now as I could probably fill days trying to remember everything I've heard coming out of Liam's mouth.  This is really just so we have some memories of his early chatting!

Family Time in Sweden

Our week in the Swedish countryside outside of the town of Arvika was about as idyllic as one might imagine it to be.  Though again we arrived to rain and a very dreary day, the weather for the week ended up being much sunnier and warmer than the forecasts predicted.

The set-up of the main house with the little cottages surrounding it, allowed for 14 of us to all be together and still somehow not going insane with lack of privacy.  James, Liam and I shared an adorable little detached bedroom with a loft, Nassim, Erfan and the kids had a small 2 bedroom cottage for themselves, and Erica and her fiance Rafal (who were also visiting at that time) stayed in a third external room attached to the ping pong room.  Shirin, Sonja and Sham, Mims and Paul were all in the main house.  Somehow we managed to do many relay meals, spaced out shower times of 30 secs each! so that the one indoor shower would suffice, and mostly just spending a lot of time outside.

In true Swedish fashion that meant daily berry picking walks which were of course major highlights in the kids world.  How fun for them to be able to pick and eat blueberries from the bushes, grab a raspberry here and there and maybe find a few wild strawberries!  And it wasn't just berries that were found and eaten.  Some of the most delicious Chanterelle mushrooms happened to be in season during our time, which added a little bit of deliciousness to a salad, pasta or even sandwich.

Shirin shows off her berry loot!  She was certainly the most enthusiastic of berry pickers!

I love this sassy little pose from Lua, hanging out under the tree

Paul and Mims on the lake shore after a walk

Shirin insisted on reaching some unripe apples any way she could, including catching a lift on James' shoulders

Soaking up a little sun and fresh air - Shirin, Nass, Rafal, Erica, Erfan and Leo

The wee ones up to mischief.  Hey isn't that the knife drawer?

 Our first full day was the rainiest and so we picked it to be the day we made a trek into the town of Arvika.  It's a small town so a little lunch and a wander around filled a few hours of the day nicely.  Liam was pleased to see a train coming into town!

Liam waiting for the train to leave

There were a couple of bigger events during the week to bring our Swedish family together and to celebrate Mims' 60th Birthday.  On Wednesday we had a beautiful later afternoon party with probably about 30 of us including many of the swedish cousins on my mom's side.  We made a big chili dinner and of course had some fabulous desserts using the fresh berries picked that day.  Erica and Rafal were pretty amazing during the whole week, but especially on this day, helping in really big ways to get food made and everything set up.  

Preparations (and some tastings!) for a berry pie

This was Erica's dream child and boy was it tasty!  Add the vanilla cream on top of the crust and pile the berries it's all done!

A merry table of extended family enjoying the afternoon

The youngest group of extended cousins (4th cousins?)

We had another Swedish family event on Friday at Voula's house, and this time they prepared a spread of food and we ate the afternoon away.  

Besides those bigger events our days were wiled away enjoying nature and each other.  The guys became obsessed with the game of croquet, which many of us had to snicker about.  There were boat rides in the row boat and kayak, as well as a rather grand excursion in Paul's brother's motorboat to visit his house across the lake.  There we also had an afternoon of swimming and for the guys, more croquet playing.  Despite the moments of mayhem around meal times, and the odd cold shower, I think we all found it to be a relaxing, fun-filled week.

The boys showing off their croquet skills on Albert's fine pitch (Paul's brother's place) 

Here Liam shows everyone how it's really done

The two wee ones had such a fun time swimming and whooping in the lake with James.  Who cares how cold it was!

I even made it out on the row boat once.  In fact we had a lovely outing with the 4 our us sisters in the row boat with Leo, and Mims in the Kayak.  Shirin and Sonja were the designated rowers, but after discovering Shirin's unnaturally strong left arm, I had to sit in with Sonja just to compensate so we didn't end up going in circles!

Leo, Nass, Shirin and Mims

Sonja and I rowing us back safely!

The vacation ended perfectly with me breaking my pinky toe yet again.  Just half an hour before departure to the airport I walked into a chair in true Nura fashion and it's been a literal pain ever since!  Still, it didn't dampen our time there at least, and we are so grateful to have had so much family time with my side of the family this summer!