Two big events in our house-hold

Yesterday was a big day in our household. Two big milestones were achieved.
The first was that our youngest turned 10. Lily is such a mild mannered, pleasant and happy child that everyone seems to want to be her best friend. So, she has tonnes of friends and to keep them all happy, even the ones that dont get on I have agreed to have a birthday weekend (not just a birthday day). That way she can spend two days celebrating and see all her friends and everyone gets to hang with her. I am getting in copious amounts of wine to handle a house of grade 4s all weekend.
Shes also the original glitter child, loving all things from the Justice store. I love watching the way her life is unfolding for my little artist, photographer, ocean loving, purple and aqua fan, reader, young "crazy cat lady".

The second big event was that Paul and I took our Canadian citizenship tests. We had been studying and taking online tests for weeks in the lead-up to this and I fell a whole ton of trepidation on entering the exam room. It was just fine and we both passed with 100% marks (my first ever). We felt so incredibly relieved that we headed straight to Montanas for a celebratory lunch.

Next step is our ceremony and we will be Canadian - how wild is that?!!!!!

Chloe turns 13

Today my first born child, my beautiful, thoughtful, kind, considerate and funny child turns 13.
She has so much integrity in her life that it often blows me away. She also sometimes battles anxiety and the desire to hang out in her bedroom rather than get outside enough.
Shes an A student, has strong core values and often is bossy has strong leadership skills.

She loves animals, riding, reading and re-arranging her already tidy room. Shes suddenly discovered Hollister and Garage and sweaters with big price tags. She wants to be a marine biologist or a meterologist (something ologist anyway) and is already studying with her future in mind. Shes definately a planner like her mama.
Shes into horror flicks and likes the new Poltergeist (terrible compared to the original) and wants to scare herself, it takes me back to being this age when it was, for us, Nighmare on Elmstreet and Friday the 13th.
Shes adored by the whole family, including her little sister (long may the sisterly love last)

I feel fortunate to have her and every day thank my stars for my little family.

cold again

Its cold again today, with a windchill of minus 7. Small amounts of snowfall are forecast this week. I changed my tires to summer ones on Thursday and enjoyed those couple of 22C days.
Did I mention how much I hate this time of year?!!!

special needs pets

I don't mention our pets special needs much on here (ever?) but they do exist and cost us in vets bills.

Ace horse has COPD. Basically to the non horsey person he has asthma bought on by allergies in the Spring and Fall. Sometimes he just coughs, other times he stands there wheezing with his sides heaving as he tries to get in enough air. That's not that often but its often enough to be distressful to us both. Out comes the vet.
Right now, as its Spring and of course he's suffering he's on a dose of something new that seems to be working well (fingers crossed). Hes also on strict instructions to lose some weight so diets abound, for us both.
Winter hes perfectly fine... naturally.

Alpine dog also suffers from allergies that cause him to lick and scratch his skin on his belly. Now at 5 years old we have finally (it seems) found the winning formula of food and meds. The meds have to live in the freezer to ensure they don't smell of skunk. The new food is a win win for all of us as its actually cheaper and Duke adores it too, so hes happy with the outcome.
Through the whole time Alpines maintained a loving friendly and cheerful demeanor. I wish I could be that nice when greatly uncomfortable.

Oreo cat - she has upper respiratory infection and for the first 6 weeks of her time with us suffered greatly with cold and sinus issues as we tried to find the winning treatment. Shes been fine for a while now.

As you can imagine we are great advocates of pet insurance, and we have a close relationship with the vet.

This morning I went out to give Ace his meds and we played around a bit.
Neither of us are fans of the duck pout but gave it our best shot:

I just adore his goofy ears.

a weekend with Danique

Last weekend we indulged in an entire Danique Henderson weekend at the barn. I say indulged because it truly is indulging. Danique is both a kick ass photographer and a natural horsemanship trainer. This weekend was for the latter. Hanging out with Danique is truly motivational.

Ace was spending the time with his other mama, Nikki who leases him 3 days a week from me and I got to spend my time with the lovely Emmy, who is now also known as Strawberry Shortcake.

Despite promising weather forecasts it remained way too chilly for my liking but it didnt dampen our spirits too much. Coupled with the coffee machine in the barn, baileys for the coffee and snacks, followed by Lobster sandwiches at lunch and chocolate it was a dreamy time.

Danique taught us to teach our horses that right next to us was the best place in the world, the only place they wated to be. They were engaged, thoughtful and listening fully. There were three groups and our group were in at 8.30am - 10am and then at 4pm to 6pm. In between the horses were flat out asleep as they were so very tired from all the thinking they did.

Even the kids got their ponies cantering beside them without halters or ropes of any kind. When we stopped they stopped, when we trotted they trotted and when we cantered so did they. ( My legs were sore from all the cantering I did on foot)

 Ace and Nikki - photos by Leslie King

Nikki, Ace and Danique

 

 Leslie and the wonderful Elmo

 me and the lovely Strawberry Shortcake, photos by Leslie King

 

 

 

 

 Jenna, owned by and photographed by Leslie King

 Teaghan and Holly

 Looking forward to another go at this in November.

Spring has finally sprung

A couple of days ago it was verging on zero in the morning and little hope of anything more than 5C in the day. With the windchill it was minus something or other...

Today its plus 20C
The air is gentle and sweet, the sky is blue and the sun is shining with all its might (its more often than not blue and sunny but I want to set the scene)
I have just wondered the streets of Truro on my lunch break and been to Subway. I like Subway since we stopped in one just outside of Gloucester, MA and my kids finally decided that they would try it. All Subways now take me back to that sweet little memory.

Happy Tuesday

cranky and wishing we were back on vacation

Today I want to be on holiday with my family again. Last night whilst walking the dogs I felt cross. Cross with the cold, cross with the wind. Wheres the damn heat? I hate this time of year. I wanted, badly, to  be back in Florida with my family in that holiday frame of mind, with the heat, with the tranquility, without the snow banks (they are low, they are not really even banks but they are still there)

I want to book our next trip but cant afford to until we pay the last one off - ugh! I wish I was rich. I know that once summer returns I will be happy again:

I hanker for this:

 

 and this:

 and this:

 And hell yes, this:

And absolutely not this, anymore:

Ants

There are ants out, as per my friends text to me today. Despite the snow on the ground shes seen two. Shes a little fearful and obsessed with ants frankly (as are most people here, it seems)

I can almost picture them, intrepid little explorers making their way through snowbanks with their own little sherpas.

more snow

According to the news its "below seasonal temperatures", ya think?!!!
Saturday turned into a fairly nice day that allowed me to take the first run of the year in our subdivision with the dogs, surrounded by slowly melting snow - big hurrah to the weather and the fact I am running again.
Sunday found snow falling most of the day.

Tomorrow more snow is forecast for our Atlantic Provinces but heres the thing... right now I am flat out grateful we didnt move to Newfoundland. They were hit at the weekend with 40cm on top of the snow already on the ground and they are due another 70cm tonight! Thats a tonne of snow! Thank God we dont live there.

This time of year typically sees me acutely fed up of winter and really badly wanting summer back. I am hoping its going to suddenly turn up over night given the rate the horse is shedding and the presence of the crocuses in our garden near the house where the snow has gone. Nature knows right??

I bloody hope it does.