My Summer 2013 Bucket List

Life has been extremely busy lately with my return to work. It's an adjustment, that's for sure. Not much time to sleep, have to plan meals ahead of time, cleaning is done after my son goes to sleep, and extra activities are on hold. We are slowly getting adjusted to our new schedule, but I have to organize my time better.

What are some of the things you want to do this summer?

There are so many things I want to do with my family this summer. Actually, there are always a lot of things I want to do, regardless of the season. The sad part is, if I don't write anything down, I seem to forget a lot of them. So this year, I decided to start documenting some of my hopes into bucket lists. Here is my list for the summer months.

1. Camp in my backyard Done!
Yup, in my backyard. I have every intention of going to a camping site as well, but there is just something about camping in my backyard that is very appealing; especially with a young child and having everything close at hand.

2. Dance in the rain Done!
When I say rain, I mean pouring down rain. This one is just for me, because I like to be crazy once in a while, it makes me feel free. I'll be jumping in water puddles too; just so you know.

3. Sleep under the stars Done!
I've always loved to look far into the sky and imagine infinity. Yes, I know it's not possible, but trying to understand something inexplicable amuses me and keeps my brain cells occupied for hours.

4. Roast marshmallows
Because it isn't really summer unless you eat burnt campfire smores.

5. Ride my bike Done!
I haven't been doing much exercise lately. I don't like going to the gym, and enjoying winter sports with a newborn is a bit difficult. So this summer, I bought a bike attachment for my son, sort of like a trolley, and I'm going to get back into shape.

6. Pick fresh berries Done!
We have lots of berries in our backyard including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and gooseberries. I want my son to grow up knowing where produce comes from other than "the grocery store."

7. Plant a garden Done!
I've been wanting to do this forever. Now that we own a house and a decent sized yard, I just can't wait to plant my own garden. I'll be starting with the basics this year and adding more things next year. There's something about eating my own fruits and vegetables that really appeals to me. Maybe it's the sense of accomplishment, or just the fact that I get to learn how things work. Either way, I want to learn so that I can teach my kids.

8. Fly a kite
My son is probably still too young for this, but I'd like to start a summer tradition. Go to the park, have a picnic, and fly a kite.

9. Make a flower crown
I know... so many flower crowns going around right now, but they are so cute! I want to walk around for an entire day wearing my flower crown.

10. Blow bubbles Done!
This one is more for my son. He doesn't understand the concept of blowing yet, but I'm hoping that before the end of the summer he'll learn. Because popping bubbles is a lot of fun.

11. Go for a picnic
I'm not quite sure why I enjoy picnics so much. Maybe it's the day away from daily responsibilities, or maybe it's just the slower speed of the meal. In any case, we'll be doing a few of these this summer, at home, and at the park.

12. Swim in our pool Done!
What's the point of having a swimming pool if you never swim in it? This summer, I'm making it a point to take a plunge every time the water is warm enough to not instantly freeze. Even if it ruins my hair.

13. Roller skate
For the same reason as biking, except if I roller skate, my husband will have to take care of our son. It would give me some alone time, which would be great. I could hear myself think again. Wouldn't that be nice?

14. Farmer's market Done!
I believe in supporting the local economy. Enough said. Oh, and I might stop by the local farms to pick fresh produce with my little family. Who knows, this might become another summer tradition. (:

15. Go to the zoo Done!
I heard of a few zoos around my area, and I'm really exited to take my son there. He absolutely loves animals. He gets all excited every time he sees a dog or a cat. Imagining his reaction to big animals makes me smile.

16. Walk a lot
I find I spend a lot of time planning and doing chores. So much, that sometimes I forget to sit down and spend quality time with my family. For me, taking walks removes all distractions, clears my mind, and allows me to appreciate my family. So walks... here we come!

17. Wear fancy hats Done!
I absolutely adore big hats; the really elegant ones from old movies. I don't know why we don't wear them anymore. It's good protection against the sun, and they look so pretty. I'm totally going to start an old trend back up.

18. Go to the beach Done!
I'm not quite sure where there are nice beaches around Montreal, but I'm going to find one, and we're going to make sand castles.

19. Movies at the park Done!
This one is more for my husband. Free hot dogs are cool. Especially when a movie comes with it.

Happy Mother's Day

What does your mom mean to you? What does being a mom mean to you?

A little late I know, but I hear late is better than never. So, happy Mother's Day! The lovely Nicole from Her and Nicole had the wonderful idea to ask a bunch of women what their mom, and being a mom, meant to them. This is what I answered.

My mom

...is the source of my inspiration. She made me who I am today and sets an extraordinary example for me. She always believes in me and gives me all the support I could ever wish for. Merci maman, je t'aime beaucoup!

Being a mom

...has put my entire existence back into perspective. It makes me understand what life is really all about; and I rediscover it through the innocent eyes of my child. As a mom, I learned what true happiness is and to love unconditionally. I also discovered my inner strength, and my ability to put another being's needs before my own. I am so fortunate to have an angel in my life.

Nature Untouched

Can you believe that there still exists places with no internet? Better yet, with no electricity? Well, believe it, my family's cabin is one of these places. Every opportunity we get, we go there. Speaking of which, this is where we spent Easter and in the summer, it's where we go berry picking.

You don't realize how much background noise there is in your home until it's not there anymore. Seriously. It's actually kind of scary when you hear complete silence. Did you know that your body creates anti wavelengths to cancel out the sound of background electricity and surrounding household/city noise? When it disappears your body feels so much lighter and less tense.

Going there in the winter is quite an adventure. Since there is no electricity, the water pipes are frozen... Which means, no warm water for showers (actually, that means no water, period) and don't get me started on going to the bathroom! What we do is we dig a big hole in the lake and fill up huge buckets (melting snow works too, ah!). We boil the water on our heavy-duty slow-combustion iron stove and wash ourselves with a hand towel. For drinking, we bring bottled water.

Winter days up here are very short; the sun sets at around 4pm. After dark we don't go outside much, because with no street lights, it's dark. Very dark. Like, really really really dark. We will usually have supper shortly after, around 5 or 6. Bed time is usually not long to follow. It's amazing how quickly you get tired when you don't have good lighting (propane lights as opposed to electric fixtures).

This is me pulling my son around on the frozen lake. He loves his sled. The weather was absolutely amazing and the sun was shining, we just had to spend some quality time outside. Breathing. Pure. Air. Is. So. Yum.

The cabin is actually quite old. It reached 100 years a while back (the chapel is a few years younger). There's a few other cabins around the lake, owned by old family friends or extended family members. In the summer, every Sunday, we go to the chapel and read texts out of the bible together as a community. Afterwards we gather around outside for a while and chat, just like old times. What is your favorite place to go to relax?