Father's Day 2014

If I were to make a list of all the ways that Winslow is an amazing father, that list could go on and on and on. I'd fill this page with endless notes, memories, and stories. And still, I wouldn't be able to sum up, just how amazing and just how much he means to us. Just how wonderful he truly is.
Words fall short when I try to explain the kind of father that Winslow is. What he does on a daily basis for his family, his steadfast love for us, the energy and work he puts out, never with a complaint.
Whether working hard at his job, or working hard at making something with his hands, whether playing with Noah and Katia or teaching them something new... I know that we are so very blessed to call this man Daddy.
Happy Father's Day to our amazing Dada. We love you so much.
xox

lately

ladies and gentlemen, the cat ears have returned 

A little bit of this and that.
Only a week away till we get ourselves on the road towards Anchorage. From Anchorage we'll be flying down to Seattle, then San Diego and then finally Maui. It will be a long trip, but we are all excited for it. This trip couldn't be coming at a better time. We woke up to -40 degrees today and I was instantly cheered up with the thought of Maui. Yipee!
Last Friday night we had our traditional homemade pizza and a family movie. But this time we did things a little bit differently.  We ate our pizza while watching the movie, picnic style. Such a simple idea, but we all enjoyed it, and I know it made the event feel more special for the kids. All week long I hear, "when is family movie night mama?". I love how this little tradition has become something that the kids look forward to. To note: this is the one night a week where TV is allowed after dinner. Usually it's off limits in the week.
Over the weekend we celebrated Winslow's birthday. Like most men, Winslow doesn't like a big deal made of his birthday, but that doesn't stop me from at least making a bit of a fuss over him. Eggs Benny for breakfast, decorations went up, a favourite meal for dinner and a big birthday cake (yes there is a gun and handcuffs on the cake- at Noah's request). One of the most adorable things from this year's birthday was the care and love that Noah put into Winslow's card and birthday present. Noah "made" (okay, I made it mostly), Winslow a flashlight. It was all his idea and he painted the cardboard tube himself. On the card, Noah drew Daddy and him holding hands. It was really adorable.
And finally, a few photos of the kids playing around. As some of you may or may not know, I collect vintage Fisher Price toys. I love the classic toys, the ones that offer open ended play and that don't have all kinds of gizmos that make noise and light up. Over the years, I have collected different sets, and have had friends be on the look out for me when they go thrifting. My doll house was picked up by my friend Margaret. It was in great condition and had all the furniture and people. I love it! My friend Sarah remembered that her mom had the old vintage garage stored away somewhere. Sarah's mother kindly pulled it out and sent it all the way to the Yukon for me. It was such a lovely gift! As you can see, my kids love these toys. I don't pull them out all the time, so when we do bring them out, the kids think of them as special.
Hope you are having a lovely week! I'm excited to celebrate Valentine's Day with the family. I have plans to set up the table the night before with little tin mailboxes that I picked up a few weeks ago. We'll have a few treats and cards for the kids.
xoxo

This picture cracks me up. Zen/meditating Batman. Don't ask. 

farewell for now Whitehorse

 Happy Papa's Day to the man that we are so lucky to call Daddy!

It's our last night in the house. I'm sitting in Noah's room as it is all packed up and I'm feeling a range of emotions. I'm feeling sad to be leaving our home, our town, our friends, our life here. After our summer vacation, when we come back to the Yukon, we will be officially living in Beaver Creek. It's hard to imagine that Whitehorse won't be "home" for us anymore, although I will always feel at home here.
Then there is some excitement. In just days, the kids and I will be flying back to Ottawa for the first time in a year to see family and friends and attend some very important weddings. I'm feeling excited to go home to Ottawa, yet sad that I will be away from Winslow and our new home for such a long period of time ( 7 weeks ). It's bittersweet, because all of the fun things that I want to do in my mind should include Winslow, but they won't. Tonight I tried to tell Noah that we wouldn't see Daddy for a very long time when we go to Ottawa, and then he said, "but he will still be my Daddy right?" Break my heart! Speaking of Daddies....
Last weekend I insisted that we take Sunday (Father's Day) to do family things only. Despite the fact that we had a long to-do list for getting ready for the move, I knew that it was important for us to spend that time together and I'm so glad that we did. It was just what we needed. A day to reconnect and make happy memories at one of my most favourite places in the world, Bennet Lake Beach (Carcross, Yukon). I will leave with pictures to tell you the story of Father's Day. It included a picnic lunch, wading in the chilly Yukon water, icecream and chai lattes at the General Store and Caribou Coffee Shop and lots and smiles. I'm really going to miss Winslow while we are away. I really do love that guy... best husband and dad ever.
Hope you are enjoying your summer days. Summer Solstice is tomorrow. I'll be sure to post a picture of what our midnight sun looks like.
 xox

this is life

With Winslow home, everything is so much better. We mesh well, have our Duyan family vibe going on and all is well with the world. When Winslow is at work, well it's a whole different picture.  Our moods are a mix of being tired, emotional and needy, and it's not just the kids I'm talking about.
Winslow has gone back to work after being off for nine months and so far the transition has been hard for all of us. First off I must say, I did expect this to a degree, but not to this extent. I knew it would be hard on the kids and so in preparation I started to reduce my commitments for a while, made out meal plans and started to think about our daily and weekly rhythm. I did this all in anticipation that this period would be difficult but my efforts just don't seem to be making that much of a difference.
Last night was a hard night for us. I was tired and emotionally drained. I was at the point where I couldn't take the crying and constant neediness of my little ones anymore. As soon as Winslow went out the door to work, the kids started to cry right on cue and there was nothing that I could do  to help them. The dinner I had made wasn't eaten by anyone and I felt so overwhelmed and done.
The night went on, more crying, more frustration on my part...and finally at 10:30 pm (way past Noah's normal bedtime) he went to sleep.
Today is Winslow's first day off and just like that, we are back to our happy family vibe. Oh my...where do we go from here?
I know that this is going to take some time, but I wish there was something I could do to make it easier on the kids and more importantly myself, because I need to be a good mama to them. Winslow's shifts last long (12 hrs) and so I need to find ways where I can get a break in there, something that's hard, because we co-sleep and do a lot of attachment parenting practices.
Anyways, that's where we are at right now. We're transitioning and it's a bit rough. I know time will help and for now I just have to keep on trying to be understanding of the situation. Highs and lows, ups and downs, this is life and I know we will be just fine.
xox

my birthday boy

Today will be all about waking up to a decorated kitchen, balloons, and presents, pancakes (with sprinkles) and the celebration of a little boy who turns 2 years old. My sweet little guy is a big boy now. He loves trains and trucks, says all kinds of words and is starting to ask questions about the world around him. He loves to go for walks in the woods and play at the park. He adores his Daddy oh so very much and cuddles with his Mama everyday. He is the light of our lives and I know both Winslow and I feel extremely blessed to have him as our little boy.

I'll be back soon with more details on how we spent his birthday. His party is in Sunday.

Happy birthday Noah! We love you so much.

xox

happy father's day to all the daddios!

Happy Father's day to all the wonderful dads, soon-to-be dads, step-dads, grand-dads, and men who step up to the plate and act like dads. Hope you have a very special day. Thank you for being our everyday heros.
Here is a photo of myself (aged 3 or 4) with my dad. Yes, I had a "soo soo" for a very long time. Too long in fact. And here are some favourite recent photos of Winslow and Noah together. I'm so thankful to have my dad and Winslow in my life. Both guys are such exceptional examples of what a strong man should be.
Hope you have a great day!

ps. to read a few of my favourite "papa" posts see here and here

feb 8th i love...

Today I am loving my sweet and wonderful husband Winslow, whose birthday it is today.

Oh where do I even begin?

My love, my one true love...he is so wonderful and my life is better because of him.

Winslow is such a great person. Everyone who talks of him says he is an all around good guy, the kind of person you can depend on and it's true.

Winslow is a quiet simple guy and isn't a fan of attention or fuss. He didn't want me to do anything for his birthday, but I couldn't let his day go unnoticed so I sent cherry chocolate cupcakes to his work (he didn't know) and I made one in particular very special for him (see the pic above). It may have been a tad embarrassing...a cupcake with sprinkles and a monkey but I just had to.

At home, I have decorated the house with our birthday bunting, streamers and balloons and am making a dinner of homemade butter chicken, samosas, naan bread and chocolate cheesecake for dinner. For his gift I'm giving him a 1/2 day dog sled trip and a cd. I also made him the card pictured above because he loves the movie Up!

Even though he isn't big on birthdays, I want him to know how much Noah and I love and appreciate him and isn't that what birthdays are all about?

For a little walk down memory lane, here are some of my favourite posts about my favourite man. See here and here.

xox

20 things we love about you Dada!

(a picture I took of Winslow and Noah when Noah was 2 weeks old)

To mark June 20th, Father's Day, Noah and I have come up with a little list of 20 things that we love about Dada.

01. You let Mama sleep in on weekends, which is really thoughtful.

02. You play all kinds of fun games with Noah.

03. You take Noah fun places like to the car wash or to Home Depot.

04. You help Noah fall asleep at naptime...and sometimes take a nap yourself.

05. You do all the laundry everyday for Mama....we don't know many guys who would do that.

06. You work so hard at your job so that we can have the life that we have.

07. You give great hugs and kisses to both Mama and Noah.

08. You do the dishes every night after dinner....again, not many men would be so helpful as you.

09. You keep our car looking fresh and clean. Making sure it is safe to drive. Making sure we are safe inside of it.

10. You mow the lawn with Noah in the backpack which allows for him to get outside and for Mama to have some time on her own.

11. You have a certain way of chillen' out with Noah....you can always get him to calm down.

12. You put Noah high up on your shoulders which makes him the happiest lil boy around.

13. You are great at barbecuing....something Mama still needs to work on.

14. You call Mama everyday from work. Just to see how we are doing.

15. You are our Super Man. We are proud of what you do for your job.

16. You care so much about family....you are a family man.

17. You make Noah laugh, squeal, and shriek with excitement when you tickle him.

18. You are generous and giving with everything that you do.

19. You look at life as an adventure....an admirable quality

20. You are a man of your word and of integrity. You keep your promises and take such good care of us.

We love you Dada. Happy Father's Day!

xox

a pretend Father's day

( I love Noah's expression while he stuffs his face in this one)

Yesterday my sweetie pie of a husband had the day off and came home to be with us. I knew that this might be the last time we see him for another two weeks and so I planned a little bit of a family day for us, a little bit of a pretend Father's Day celebration.

We started off with a little gift and card for Wins. The gift was something semi handmade, something that recognizes his first year of fatherhood. I'll be sure to show it in an upcoming post. And then because of being tired from being on my own for the last few days I opted on doing a takeout picnic lunch for us, which worked just fine, and we went to one of our favourite parks in Dundas.

We had so much fun eating lunch in the park, letting Noah eat watermelon in nothing but his diaper, taking Noah into the wading pool, hanging out and just being together. It was perfect.

We then went home, I made cookies for him to take back to his hotel, hung out, played, Wins took a short "Father's Day" nap and then we had his favourite dinner (bqqed ribs, Greek salad and fancy rice).

It may not have been the most elaborate day in terms of events, but it was perfect for us...a little opportunity to spend quality time together and to have fun as a family. And the best part was that Winslow kept telling me over and over again that he really enjoyed his day and that he had such a good time. And that to me was everything that I wanted to hear.

dear daddy

Dear Daddy, we miss you so. We are so proud of you for the important work that you do and are so thankful for all that you do for us. Stay safe while you are out on your assignment for the next week. We will be counting down the days till you get back.
We miss you....oh we miss you so.
xox

ps. This is our new carrier. We splurged and bought it because we wanted something that would work well when we do hiking on trails up in the Yukon. Our city stroller won't cut it in the dead of winter. So far we love it. But what's most important is that Noah loves it.