Skunk

I've got a really wonderful brother. He has always been wonderful, but he's like wine. He gets better and better with the years. (he's only 29, but I've known him since day 1... and trust me, these are the good years!) He lives and breathes creativity and music. Always has something clever to say, or at least a Simpson's quote that matches the current situation perfectly. Sometimes he's just quiet. I like those times too. I can't really think of a time when my brother has really been mean to me. He was always on the receiving end of my emotional and hormonal wrath, and would just have something reasonable to say, or just shout "you are crazy" and walk away. Another neat snip-it about my brother...that will forever be etched into my memory...

My brother, Stephen was always a tiny kid, flaming red hair, and very sharp. Witty. Loved being active. As kids, we had a basketball net attached to our garage. (its actually still there, I drove by this past Christmas and saw it). My brother loved the sport (still does) and would spend HOURS practicing his shot. We would play "around the world" together, and he would NOT move onto the next "spot" until he got it in 3 times. He would let me get it in once (like the game is to be played), but he would not advance himself until he "perfected" his shot 3 times.... and get this... 95% of the time... he still won (trying to let me win). 

A real gentleman, at the age of 8. I blame my dad. 

More to come about him. He's kinda my hero/first love/still is.

My brother is also an EXCELLENT uncle. He plays so well with our son (also named Stephen to honour his unc). Together they have a CRAZY imagination, and I am 100% ok with them getting into all kinds of trouble, because I know its important to do that kind of thing as a boy). M son worships his treasured Unc, and leans into every word he says, waiting for the right moment to laugh. If you watch them together, rarely are they sit still and idol. Its all music playing, floor playin', car crashing, story making, and paper-drawin' . Just the way SK likes it. For our son's 5th birthday, my brother gave him a really cool flip book, where you drag your thumb across the end of the pages. (a youtube video that my husband and brother made of the same concept: Circles of Life

Anyways...We weren't sure if Stephen (little one) would be "into it" at this age... but it gets looked at quite often, and then quickly stored back in his wooden cigar box. He calls it a treasure box. I think f he could, he would jam unk into that box too.

Unc had a birthday this past week, so I asked him if he wanted to spend the weekend in Niagara. YES! We planned a trip to White Meadow's Farm and arrived to find that the "tours" in the bush start in February... oops. We stayed and had a maple-based lunch, and then set-off to find another place to get into trouble.

St. John's - in the heart of the Niagara Peninsula - we took the Sassafras Stroll. (say that 5 times fast). A good length for a frisky 5 year old, and his not-so-frisky preggo mamma. My two men (hubby and bro) were just fine (although their footwear left little to be desired...) 

St. John Conservation Park - Pelham

The Happy Hikers

Happy Hiker

Boys

These trees were etched with somebody lovin' somebody 4 evr
Wonder if KF and SD are still together?

My brother noticed this tree, it grew right up weaving between the
fence. The only way to 'fix it', would be to a) kill it (bending it's towering
branches back through the fence)  b) cutting the fence c) letting it grow, into the fence.

Another view of the betwixt tree.

We did the red trail - 20 minutes of mud and exploring