Next steps

Yep. That's where we are headed next. (And I have bought this Zara t-shirt for my son for the occasion).

Going hands free in Vancouver

Hello everyone and greetings from Vancouver!

Yesterday I spent four hours at Vancouver Science Centre, watching my baby play with water and my older son improvise games with other kids visiting. Today I spent three hours at Vancouver Aquarium, enjoying every show and exhibit with my two little ones. I have used my phone only for directions (although we did get lost at least a few times), and I have disregarded all emails (it helped that I unsubscribed from at least 10 mailing lists before I left).

I decided to drop the half-an-hour cab ride that it takes to reach Vancouver Museum of Anthropology -- because, after all, the kids did see the big totems in Stanley Park. And I am not overly sad to miss Emily Carr's collection at Vancouver Museum of Fine Arts.

Thank you, summer holidays for allowing me to go Hands Free.

What says summer...

Hello everyone and happy summer!

Last year I read a lot of blog posts about what summer means to you. I was struggling to figure out what summer meant to me, and (believe or not) a draft of this post has been sitting on my virtual desk for a year.

When I was young, we had a summer formula that included a month at the seaside (this place where I went back with my son as well) followed by a couple of weeks of European travel (which I hated at the time, but came to appreciate later in life). Summer meant sun kissed cheeks. Going to bed smelling of sunscreen. Your clothes smelling is sunscreen. Playing cards after lunch. Drinking ice tea. Waiting for pizza fresh from the oven at 4 pm. Being bored in the car (because, you know, there were no iPad of sorts back then). My mom checking the Michelin guide for a nice restaurant to eat at while on the road (Italians and food...)

Once I moved away from Italy, summer became a different kind of travel. There was first my fieldwork research in Africa, then there were travels back to Italy to see my family and friends. Now our summers are completely about traveling with kids. Summer means major packing exercises. Messed up sleeping schedules. Surrendering parenting schemes when visiting relatives (and, more often than not, getting upset about it).

This year is no exception, and if you follow me on Instagram you know that we arrived yesterday in Vancouver. With that, and the fact that summer arrived so late, this is why I treasured the few days of staycation that we spent in Montreal in the past weeks. This is what our Canadian summer means. Eating al fresco on our deck. Attending my son's soccer games. Playing in the sprinklers in the garden. BBQ-ing. Hanging around our local park.

This year I cannot complain though. I always want to come to Vancouver, and my husband's conference has given us a unique opportunity. Plus afterwards we are off to... well, let me keep the surprise until Friday.

Today it was the day

Hello everyone! Are your kids on holidays already?

Today my baby now seven-and-a-half years old finished primary school. It is a cliche, but where has the past year gone? He has learnt how to read and write in French, and yesterday morning he helped me to pick the right phrase for my own business presentation. (My heart exploded with pride, obviously).

After the party at his school, I took him and two of his friends to watch How to train your dragon 2. It meant I had to stay up until midnight to finish the aforementioned presentation (due tomorrow), but it was my end-of-the-year gift to myself. They were the only three hours of mommy-and-me time I am going to get to spend with him this summer.

Why? Because we will leave on Monday for two months of almost uninterrupted travel with different family members. On Monday, we are off to Vancouver. After five days, we continue to Hawaii (I know!). We will spend about three weeks there, and then make our way back to Montreal before continuing to Italy to visit my parents.

I just need to get through tomorrow.

Let's call it blogger's block

Hello everyone! Are you ready for summer?

Next week I'll be packing the last lunches, and I am already gearing up for something special to do on my son's last day of school (going to see How to train your dragon 2 will be heavily involved). I am writing this post as I am watching my son's weekly soccer game, with my feet bare and the baby napping in the stroller.

It may seem an odd place to write a blog post, but. I have come to terms with the fact that I need to do more blogging in the spur of the moment, or embrace the reality that months will go by without an actual entry (while tens get written and rewritten in my head every day).

Let's call it blogger's block, the unwanted consequence of my perfectionist personality. As Emma Freedman says in this excellent interview (and she is 15 years old!), "Perfectionism is a real burden. It can keep you from trying new things or expanding yourself."

If I was more forgiving towards myself, however, I would blame it on inadequate technology. Take this picture. Isn't it awesome? It is a dinosaur being delivered to the Boston Museum of Science in 1984 by Arthur Pollock. I discovered it via A Cup of Jo, while I was catching up with my favorite blogs on Bloglovin.

"Wow, it's a great picture" I thought to myself. "It redefines the concept of 'if pigs could fly'. Of incredible things actually happening." Obviously I wanted to save it, to keep it to show my son, or for future reference. 

Tech overload ensued. How to do so? Blogloving for iPhone lets you tweet, post on FB, or email posts. But I would have liked to pin the image to this board (as I eventually did). Or maybe post it on my Tumblr feed. I could not do either one of these things, so I did nothing. 

How do you handle blogging on the go? (Which seems to be my constant state of life?) I'd really love to hear.

APC for Eastpak

Hello everyone! Have you started thinking about summer travel?

We are gearing up for major traveling this year -- something that compares closely to our departure for sabbatical. This time though I will be traveling mainly by myself, and with two kids rather than one.

As I did last year, I am planning on traveling with a backpack and a large tote. This time I need to be able to carry my laptop as well, so I have been looking for a stylish backpack with a padded laptop insert. Let me tell you, they do not come easy.

This is why I fell in love with the grey version of the APC for Eastpak collaboration when I came across it online. It has all the features I was looking for, plus it is by two of my favorite brands, and it's grey.

Last week, still hunting for Filippa K knits, I went to check out the Ibiki store on the Plateau. There it was: the object of my obsession, on SALE! Fortunately I tried it on before I whipped out my credit card. The problem is that the inside of the straps is lined with the same vegetable tanned leather that adorns the rest of the backpack, making the aforementioned straps impossibly stiff. The backpack sat on my back so awkwardly because of this feature, that I did not buy it. I am back to square one.

The forgotten blogiversay

Hello everyone! Have you ever forgotten something that means a lot to you?

This year, I have forgotten our blogiversay. In my defense, I have been sick every.single.weekend in April except for Easter. This includes a major episode of strep throat on the eve of my departure for the US, which sent our entire family for screening. (Thanks daycare bacteria! You really worked overtime this year. How about you go on an early vacation then? I surely won't mind).

The ensuing conference felt more like rehab, due to a stoned-like-feeling induced by the antibiotics and the two-year long sleep deprivation. I was so glad I left anyway though because I would have never been able to stop breastfeeding otherwise. 

Yes, the baby weaned.

Yes, it turns out it was a bit of weaning-related depression the way I felt in April -- sicknesses aside.

All in all, I came back from the US refreshed and completely appreciative of how my husband had kept the house running while I was gone.

But. A few days after I got through the pile of laundry that was waiting for me upon arrival, I realized I had forgotten our blogiversary. I felt so sad because the past year has been great for this blog. I have been able to push it forward even with a one-year old and a job and a house to take care of. I added a new platform and started a trend.

Thank you readers for always being there. Even when I forget.


Photo: Oh Joy.