Outdoors – Our Everydays

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Our Everydays — Leave a comment

Bike Rides and Yellow Leaves [just storytelling]

Trying to make the best out of the nicer days we have left this season, the kids and I went for a bike ride this week.

It’s been 6 months since I went back to work full time, and after being a stay at home parent for 3 years, a part of me, a big part of me, still grieves for my stay-at-home mom days. Days where spontaneous possibility of what we could do with our days seemed limitless.

While wearing Oliver on my back, and Penelope seated on the attached bike seat, bike rides became our thing. We explored our neighborhood, visited the farmer’s market, got ice cream, went to have picnics or to the playground. My children and I riding a bike, and together feeling the wind in our hair and faces – it was special… still is.

2017 Summer

Today, my Oliver sits on the seat Penelope once did, and my beautiful girl rides beside me on her big girl bike. Though arrangements are different, the joy of the experience is the same.

As a full time working mom, these spontaneous adventures are now more few and far between, which at the same time, make them that little bit more special when we are able to go. I am so very lucky and grateful to have found a job that allows the flexibility to balance work and personal life, especially when being a parent. And so this week, I left work early to take the kids out for the afternoon.

While the sun was still shining, we rode our bikes together. I heard squeals of joy from both of them, laughter at the bumps on the road that made their voices skip, their singing, which is really the most beautiful expression of happiness in a kid; them just singing away.

In our adventures, we came across this park, and wearing their bike helmets, they ran , rolled and played in the most wonderful blanket of yellow fall leaves.

Part of me will always miss the years I spent at home with them. They were after all, some of the most beautiful years of my life. But then, there are also days like yesterday, and one day, I will miss those days too.

The things I want to remember xo

Gabriela Tellier

Flower Crowns and Smoky Days

It’s been a smoky couple of days in the city. The smoke from the forest fires in the province that neighbors us has blown over, and I’m sad for the circumstances, but trying to find the silver lining.

At a new moon circle I attended last week, the ceremony started off with the burning of sage. I’m learning that smoke, or smudging, has been used by many cultures throughout history to cleanse one’s aura and clear one’s space.

Ironically, our city has been filled with smoke for the past couple of days, and I’m trying to view it as a cleanse. A cleanse of our souls and our aura, and when the smoke passes, everything will be clearer and we’ll appreciate more just how beautiful the air is when it’s clean, and how lucky we are to be able to enjoy it. A beautiful and important lesson that life is giving us.

Yesterday afternoon, the smoke was not as intense, and we spent it in our backyard.

Our little backyard oasis; how much I love it. It’s not very big. We have a pergola in the middle of it that takes up quite a bit of the footprint, there is a mixture of grass and stone surfaces, and a deck that needs to be redone; still, there is something special about that space. From the color of the grass in the afternoons, to the angle of the sun as it sets, to the way it feels like it’s in the middle of the country in it’s privacy.

I picked flowers, and roughly braided a flower crown that we all took turns to wear. The flowers were yellow, my favorite color, and they very much complimented the sun that we were finally been able to enjoy after a few days.

Later in the day, our day was very different, it was hard.

My Penelope, overtired from an active day in which she skipped her nap – a transition she’s going through right now – had a long and tearful (from my side too) meltdown. She cried and screamed for things she wanted, and when she had them, screamed because she didn’t. I sat by her side when she needed me, and left when she asked me to. After what felt like a really long time, she calmed down, and while still whimpering, asked for her milk and colcha (blankie in spanish).

We were laying on her bed, her little body cuddled into mine, and after a few minutes of silence, she turned her face towards mine and whispered in my ear- “I love you so much”.

It was her way of saying “I’m sorry”, and I was sorry too. My eyes teared up, I told her I loved her so much, and then she told me about bears and caves, and how dinosaurs lay eggs that hatch into giant T-Rexes.

The smoke had passed.

And still, at one point that day, while sitting on my lap, with my arms wrapped around each of them, they shared a bowl of raisins. We cuddled, we laughed, and did nothing more than sit there with each other. If you know me, you know that moments like those fill my heart in ways I cannot explain.

Happy Friday xo

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Our Everydays — 1 Comment

DIY Backyard Bouquets [ simple and beautiful kids activity]

It’s been raining a lot the past couple of weeks, and you can tell the plants are happy for it.

Every year around this time, our backyard flowers begin to bloom, and making backyard bouquets is something I have fallen in love with. I am so grateful for the previous owners of our home – a couple who you could tell loved their yard – who laid down such a great foundation for our little backyard oasis.

As a lover of the simple things, making backyard bouquets is something that makes me so happy, and the kids have learnt to love it too.

Materials:

Pruners
Glass Jar – I collect old jam/pickle/tomato jars for this exact reason 🙂
Water
Plants from your backyard, or area near your house like a field/park.
*Make sure you’re allowed to prune plants from public areas before you do*

Wearing their diapers and underwear, the perfect attire for a summer night in the backyard, we spend about 10 minutes creating our little piece of nature art.

I prune the flowers, and cut as many leaves from the stems as possible. If the leaves get stuck to each other when they are trying to put the flowers in the jar, the activity quickly becomes very frustrating for them and it will be over very soon – I’ve done it before haha.

Watching the process is wonderful.

Penelope is very proud of her arrangements, and in a very endearing way, is almost too protective of “her” project, which sometimes leads to her not wanting Oliver to even come close to her flowers. I love her sense of ownership in her craft though.

My Oliver is happy to watch and learn, and slowly learns to be gentle with the flowers as he caresses them while simultaneously saying “niiiiiceeee, niiiicceee”. He follows me and pretends to prune branches that he can reach, and whenever he gets close, tries to steal the pruners from me, ha.

If you don’t have flowers in your backyard, pruning different types of green leaf branches can create a wonderful bouquet. We are lucky to live in Alberta where there are so many different types plants; a quick walk around your neighborhood let’s you see so many different shapes, textures and shades of green. A “green” bouquet can be just as colorful and beautiful.

The most beautiful part of these bouquets is, of course, seeing Penelope and Oliver continue to love and find wonder in doing the simplest of things.

And at the end, a beautiful bouquet to keep brightening our days.

Gabriela

Similar nature inspired DIYS:

Posted on July 29, 2017October 25, 2021 by Our Everydays — 2 Comments

CottonTail Corner ; A spontaneous Evening Adventure

Did you know there is a nude beach in Edmonton? Yep, neither did I.

OK, technically, this beach is just outside of Edmonton, but it’s close enough haha. You gotta love this city though! There are so many little hidden spots and adventures, and every time we decide to go explore, we find something new. I love it!

Yesterday, we decided to go to our favorite river beach spot after dinner. We didn’t have much time before the kids’ bedtime, but it’s the summer, the kids were in a great mood, so bedtime can wait. Off to explore!

Near the beach spot we usually go to, there is a trail we had been meaning to hike, but had just never gotten around to it. As we were in an adventurous spirit, we gave it a go. About 10/15 minutes in, we came across the first sign. “Nude Hikers beyond this Point”. Now, if that doesn’t catch your attention, I don’t know what would. We had heard rumors that there was a nude beach around this area, but we’ve been to the spot in the river a lot, and had always seen people clothed, ha. Determined to see where this hike would lead us to, we kept going. Penelope was having a blast running around picking up sticks, Oliver entertained by all the scenery, we walked past a canola field on the way; the hike itself is quite beautiful. There were a few mosquitoes, and since we didn’t come prepared, that was a little annoying, but then where’s the fun in being spontaneous, right? We continued, following little orange tags along the way, so we knew we were going the right way. The next sign, “Clothing Optional On Trail & Beach”. Good. We didn’t bring a swimsuit for Penelope, and we know she’s going to want to go in the water. Another 10 minutes after that, we had arrived.

CottonTail Corner

It was a very private and quiet spot next to the river, and well, when in Rome…

We had a blast! I can’t remember the last time I swam in a river wearing my birthday suit, but if you can, why not? You only live once. It was awesome. Perhaps because of the time of the day, we were the only ones there, and that definitely helped in my comfort with being nude, but honestly, after a while, I didn’t even think of it. An experience that, had we not discovered accidentally, I probably would have never tried, and it’s good to try new things.

A balmy summer night, spontaneous adventures, canola fields, birthday suits, and my little family. A pretty good night.

Happy Weekend! xo

Posted on July 7, 2017July 8, 2017 by Our Everydays — 1 Comment

Bubbles and Baby Bums

A lot of our summer days so far, have been spent simply in our backyard. The kids splash and play in their little pool, we sit in the shade of our tree. I enjoy my pergola, we have snacks. Penelope points out the airplanes that fly by, Oliver tries to eat grass, and Una supervises. Very simple, but lovely afternoons.

Yesterday, we had one of those simple, but perfect afternoons. Nothing fancy. We were in our backyard, the kids were in their birthday suits, I bought bubbles from the dollar store (dollar store for the w i n!) and we had fun for hours. The simplicity and frequency of these afternoons would have a tendency to become monotonous, one would think, but they are far from that. It’s in the simplicity of these afternoons that I am able to enjoy them both so much. I notice the daily subtleties in their ever developing personalities, the change and growth in their interactions. I notice the things I would probably miss in an environment that was louder and busier… and we have those days too, of course.

In the act of doing nothing special, the most special memories are created. Isn’t that lovely? The simple afternoons that I spend with my children, in my backyard, the memories I treasure. Memories like the lovely contrast in the color of Oliver’s skin next to mine. The wonderful sound of his laughs as I tickle his belly. The pure expression of happiness Penelope has any time she sees bubbles. The memory of my little babies sitting side by side sharing snacks. Their adorable baby bums. The memories I will treasure forever.

Posted on June 1, 2017June 1, 2017 by Our Everydays — Leave a comment

A lot of firsts for the first of the month

Happy new month! The year is going by so quickly, my little family of four feels like the normal I’ve had my entire life, and my little guy is already half way to a year. It’s moving faster than I can keep up with; so many firsts, so many moments, so many memories. We just got back from a short vacation we took to visit my husband’s family who live two provinces away. It was lovely to travel, I missed it and definitely want to do more of it this summer. We got to spend time with family and friends, time outside exploring. We laughed, we ate lots, we didn’t sleep much (sleep when travelling with young kids is always interesting, right mamas? ha!). We felt loved, and we’re back home with a happy and full heart.

In honor of the first of the month, a few firsts from this trip that I want to remember.

First successful 14 hour road trip with 2 young kids #majorwin, haha!
First time both my babies traveled on a plane.
First time my little Oliver met two new provinces in Canada.
The first trip with Penelope after potty training…and no regressions and very few accidents!
Penelope slept on a floor bed for the first time this trip, and it was also the first time she got out of bed and tried to stall before bed time, ha!
A lot of family meeting my Oliver for the first time, and he was such a flirt and stealing everyone’s hearts with his smile.

I am back home feeling super inspired, full of ideas, and with so many projects I want to complete and explore. It’s a happy, happy time!

Happy New Month! xo

Posted on May 23, 2017May 23, 2017 by Our Everydays — Leave a comment

Looking for corny in my life.

One of my favorite romantic comedies of all time is “The Holiday”. I’ve watched is so many times, and I just loooovvve it! Anyone else? One of my favorite lines in the movie is when Iris receives a corsage from Arthur Abbott (who is just the most charming character by the way), and she says “I like corny. I’m looking for corny in my life”.

I feel like that is the motto and description of my life lately. I like corny AND I am looking for corny in my life.

We’re just coming to the end of our May long weekend. The kids are asleep, my husband is winding down watching TV, Una asleep at our feet, and I’m writing. I am feeling recharged and inspired. In the most simple activities and simple days, the weekend was wonderful. We took a spontaneous day trip to the lake, spent time with friends and family, had our first fire of the season, went to the pool, worked on the yard, laughed hard and took lots of naps.

The things I want to remember from the weekend…

My husband called me after work on Friday and said “Let’s go to the lake today” and we did; I love spontaneous adventures.
Penelope and Oliver’s relationship is blooming, and they laugh and joke with each other in their little baby language all the time, and it warms my heart.
I picked up some sticks at the lake for a future DIY I’m thinking of making, can’t wait to share.
When the sprinkler is on, beautiful light reflects from the water drops.
My pergola is magical in the summer, and I am dreaming of ideas of how I want to decorate it this year.
I am almost 6 months postpartum, my body is different and not where I want it to be yet, but I feel so beautiful in my skin lately.
My husband has the most beautiful blue eyes, and they stand out so much in the warm sunset light.
I love nursing outdoors.
My husband and I went out for date night. We watched a teenybopper movie unintentionally because it was the only one showing at 7:40pm, and that worked well to leave just after the kids’ bedtime.
Oliver was spinning on his tummy and moved away from his toy. Penelope stopped doing what she was doing, got up, got a toy, and put it in front of him. Her heart is beautiful.
Oliver went to the lake and pool for the first time, all within a couple of days.

I’m paying attention, and I’m looking for corny, and it’s so, so beautiful. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! xo

Posted on March 31, 2017May 19, 2017 by Our Everydays — Leave a comment

We’ve Been Walking…

I haven’t written much lately. A little bit is me over thinking about what I want to write about (I have a lot of half written posts, ha!), but mainly it’s because I’ve been outside…

Spring is officially here, and we’re taking full advantage of it. The days are longer and warmer, and it’s feels like I’m out for walks whenever the kids aren’t napping. It’s been lovely, and a glimpse at what a wonderful summer this is going to be, with my little family of four ( and Una).

Penelope’s personality is flourishing. She is c-r-a-z-y, full of energy, but so. much. fun. She’s a comedian like her father, and always finds ways to make us laugh. Sometimes she’s running away from us full speed (and jumping on every puddle), and sometimes she needs both Mommy and Daddy to hold her hands while she’s walking. I, of course, favor the latter. Her shoes are on a constant rotation of drying in the sun, because she doesn’t care what shoes she’s wearing…she’s jumping on puddles!

Oliver, oh my sweet boy. He’s such a pleasure. I’ve said this before, either it’s a second baby thing, or just his personality, but he really is the most patient, content, adaptable and happy baby. I didn’t even know he was teething, for crying out loud, he’s that chill! ha! He is happy either being worn or in the stroller for his walks, but always actively observing. Sometimes he naps during our walks, and those are my favorite moments, just looking down to see my sweet boy sweetly resting on my chest.

The fresh spring air, the wonderful sun, the walks with my family, it really is food for my soul. It motivates me and gives me so much energy to do things. I don’t even know what these things are, but I just want to do things! haha! Even writing this post just came so much more organically and quickly than the posts I’ve been working on for a few weeks (and I will finish those too, haha), but for now, just a few thoughts and some pictures of my family, and what we’ve been doing lately.

Happy Spring xo

Posted on March 1, 2017May 19, 2017 by Our Everydays — 1 Comment

Time through Walks on a Trail

We live 6 houses away from a walking trail. When we bought our house, we didn’t know the trail was there, but it quickly became one of my favorite things about living where we do. The trail is a few kilometers long, and extends to a large open field before the highway.

Over the years, that trail and field have become special to me.

In that trail…

… I’ve held my husband’s hand before it had a wedding band on it. We talked about our dreams and aspirations underneath a sky of northern lights . We said how many kids we wanted and argued about their potential names. We spoke of the places we’d like to travel to, and the renovations we wanted to complete.

… We taught Una how to “heel” as a puppy. We yelled and ran after her when she chased a coyote through the snow.

… I walked through the early stages of my labor with Penelope. I walked with Oliver in my womb, and in my arms as he met snow for the first time.

The trail becomes a metaphor of the passing of time. Each new season, the experience of our walks change, we grow, and we create memories.

This season, I carry Oliver on my chest, I hold my husband’s hand, and we watch Penelope run in front of us with Una. In another season, Oliver will be walking alongside his sister, but in the end… it’s still just us, on a trail, creating memories, one season at a time.

Happy New Month xo