Beyond busy times!

Hey dolls! It's been such a busy last few weeks that unfortunately my posting has been mighty sparse, however I thought I'd share a few pics of some of the stuff we've been up to (though if I'd remember to bring my camera even half of the time, I'd have mountains more worthwhile pictures to share.) 

We've been to baptisms, soccer tournaments, end of year school plays, trips to the water park, had busy days playing outside and even celebrated Canada Day on July 1st... Happy B-day Canada!

FACT: Summer is finally here and it's about damn time.

{Cheers to good friends and lot's of Vino}

{Kid #1 at our friends daughters baptism}

{Husband inhaling some tasty Greek food at the after-party}

{Kids # 1 and 2 busting a move with their "girlfriend". Opa!}

{A star is born! Kid #1's Kindergarten end of the year class "rainforest" play}

{Mama's favorite "anteater" posing with his teacher}

{Receiving his kindergarten graduation diploma. They celebrate everything these days?!}

{Future David Beckham?}

{Feeling like a number one}

{Kid #2 wanted his brother's medal BADLY}

{5 busy (and LOUD) boys in the backyard...}

{ Slip sliding away...}

{It's Canada day, so don't all goats wear bandanas?}

{Petting Zoo at the Canada Day celebration}

{Pigs and sheep and kids. It's wild in there...}

{"Mom can we take these pigs home?"...  "Not unless you live in a barn little buddy."...."So is that a no Mom?"
"You could say that..."}


 I have to admit that I've been loving our fabulous warm weather and having the kids home on summer holidays. What what?!...I can't believe I just said that.

We're done classes and after-school activities so no more pencils, no more books, no more teachers dirty looks....cuz it's summer time and the living is easy peasy! 

H and M comes thru again...

H&M is proving to be my go-to spring/summer store. While I'll admit that sometimes it can be a bit too

Euro-23-year-old-ish, most of the time their styles are totally doable for just about anybody. I'm loving their bright colour-blocking pieces (though I didn't buy any this time) and their summery pastels and whites. Even better, the prices are ridiculous- they're practically giving their stuff away.

However,

Dear H&M, please start steaming your merchandise before you hang it on the racks. This was a seriously wrinkled haul and Mama hates ironing!

{I'll get my Chloe inspired bag on the cheap, only 10 bucks! }

{ Roar for more animal prints}

 {This top is black not grey but my Nikon disagrees}

 {Ughhhh,  ironing blazers suckssss -why do you do this to me H&M?}

 {pretty in (peachy)pink}

 {White pants are the epitome of summer. But since I practically live at the North Pole I almost never wear them here. These ones are heading to Greece with me}

I'm finally wrapping my mind around the idea of warmer weather clothing. The farmers almanac says it's supposed to be a "super hot year" but I'll believe it when I see it.  Right now I'm still hoping my garden/flowers don't get killed by our cold nights, we're still having frost warnings. Even in June there's no guarantee that we won't get a bit of snow...

But today the sun is shining and its 23 degrees Celsius out. I'm off to the greenhouse to buy more plants for my flower beds- I might wear my white pants.

Another night out at Bouzoukia please

 In Greece every summer, Husband and I have always made a point of herding together our friends and heading into Athens for a night out at Bouzoukia (Greek music/cabaret/show with a big name star of the moment). This year we went with 5 other couples and checked out Panos Kiamos... Mr.Hotstuff this summer!
It's always a crazy night out (the show doesn't start until 11:00pm, the main act starts at 1:00am and the show ends at 6:00am (home by 7:30am!!!)  With table bottle service and good friends together it takes about 10 minutes to get tipsy. Never mind that I don't understand all of what's being sung, my Greek is far from perfect, but a party is a party in any language. They don't call it Booze-oukia for nothing!

The women are sexy, the men are hot and entertainment is amazing...

{Apparently the shorter the skirt the better!}

{1:00am, Panos was ready to rock}

{Kid #1's Godmother, our "Koubara" Maria}

{Mama's new boyfriend, Panos Kaimos}

{That waitress is holding trays of Carnation flowers to be thrown at the singer (20 Euros per tray). People buy dozens of trays to throw flowers at their friends and at the performers. Safer than throwing plates?!  Only in Greece!}

{Panos and me go wayyy back}

{Husband and his brother enjoying just a bit of Grey Goose}

{Mama dancing on the stage...}

{My bro-in-law always adds something special to pics...}

The show was crazy and was even better because we were there with amazing friends. It's so much more than just going to a club, great food, service, drinks and dancing on tables. The Greeks know how to party like it's 1999, even on a Tuesday! 
Economic crisis?..what economic crisis?!! Bouzoukia makes them forget all their troubles...for one night only.

Mother Nature, let's chat a while....

Yesterday while driving home with the kids, the skies above were looking mighty foreboding with dark clouds and huge swirling wind gusts. 30 seconds later I thought maybe the car was being pelted by a golfball but I was, of course, no where near a golf course. It was these little buggers. 

{not suitable for cocktails...}

I picked these up off my front lawn about an hour after the hail storm of the century. 

I know I've bitched complained repeatedly about our craptastic winter summer weather this year but I have finally had enough.

Screw you Mother Nature. I'm OUT. If these means I need to fly to the other side of the world to see the blazing hot summer sun then so be it. 

Mother Nature, no let's call you "M.N",.... (I can call you that right?) Allow me to review why we're friends OFF for now and where I'm heading to.

 You and your piss-poor summer weather can suck it whilst I'm on the beach elsewhere.

In case you've forgotten what summer actually is M.N., let's review some holiday pics from a place where the sun actually shines, the Mediterranean. 

{oh what's this? Sun and sand and people not shivering while outside?}

{Obviously HOT conditions because of desert-like plant life seen here?}

{Golden brown tan on already handsome husband. Note curly hair due to humidity. You remember what hot humidity is, right M.N?}

{Straw-style umbrellas on sandy, hot beaches for coverage from the sun}

{Oh, what's this? A palm tree growing in my yard. That requires sunlight right?}

{And finally a pic of Mama in the market on a hot, sunny evening, Not wearing a jacket. Note the lack of snow, rain or ice-cubes falling from the heavens trying to wreck my car}

So Mother Nature, maybe call me in about a months time or so. We'll talk then and I'll see if you've decided to smarten-up and play nice. Bring your friend "the sun" with you.....hmmkay?

Summer's a comin'!

Summer is coming and that means that soon we'll be off to Greece for our yearly summer holiday. Husband is from Athens originally but we have a place just outside of the city on the sea.  I've got tones to do to prepare for the trip and apparently now we're only "allowed" by the airline to take 1 bag/person.  Have they gone crazy? How am I supposed to travel to the other side of the world with ONE suitcase for myself? Do they not know that we're going to Europe, where people actually dress really well like ALL the time?   I guess Kid #1 and #2 will be sharing a suitcase this year to free up another bag for Mama. Obviously.

{Only 1 bag. Say whaaat?}

We're heading to our summer home for a little over a month. That's right, I'm going to our home, which means I need to bring STUFF for the home. Like lots of stuff.
One suitcase only Air Canada? REALLY?
So somehow I'm supposed to defy the laws of physics and stuff three suitcases worth of things into one.  Already this trip is stressing me.

I've got lots to do to get ready and one of the main things I need to do is brush up on my Greek.  I've talked about the mission impossible challenges of learning this language before here.
I've taken classes but I finally broke down and bought  the Rosetta Stone Language Program (you know, the language CD's they're selling by late-nite infomercial.) So basically I'm trying to teach myself Greek. I had a good base of understanding and I'm not a complete Muppet but dang is it hard...

{Box should read: Contains mind bending-ly difficult language lessons. Morons need not attempt}

{Learn Greek you say?}

So now, instead of reading blogs all day I'll be trying to spend my time practicing Greek. Why is nothing ever easy?