Spring comes slowly this year...

The transition from winter to spring always feels like an epic battle of sorts. Warm days arrive and winter fights back with a vengeance. We know, of course, that spring will win out in the end, but why does it have to take so long?!
And this year the winter has been particularly cold and steadfast, and the inevitability of spring feels rather doubtful. Will it ever really come? I usually try to stay optimistic, but I have had it. I AM SICK OF THE COLD!

Of course, it is much milder than before. The temperature fluctuates between minus 10 and zero degrees these days… which is much, much better than minus 35… But still, I don't know many people who would equate those kinds of temperatures with a lovely spring day!
It does, however, make for perfect cross-country skiing weather, but I would trade all that in an instant for yellow raincoats and daffodils.

So I've been spending the weekends compulsively baking and drinking hot cups of coffee. (And if you are so inclined, these madeleines are such a treat. Everyone always falls madly in love with them. They are unassuming and wickedly addictive, and I highly recommend them).

It is customary in Quebec to celebrate the maple syrup harvest by visiting a sugar shack every spring. But since sugar shacks (and maple trees) are non-existent in the north, we decided to recreate a proper sugaring-off party with some friends. We had all the classic fixings: pea soup, omelet, bacon, fèves au lard, cretons, pancakes, baked spiced ham, homemade bread… all with a generous slather of maple syrup of course!

We even made our own tire d'érable (aka sugar-on-snow or maple taffy), and we dipped strawberries in it for an exotic twist ;)

In other news, this little boy of mine is now 17-months old and it is such a fun age! He still keeps us on our toes with his bottomless well of energy, but oh how he melts our hearts and makes us laugh out loud. And it honestly just keeps getting better and better!

^^ 1. hanging out in the public baby pool - this place is awesome. 2. feeling cuddly. 3. We are trying to toilet train these days, and Zac loves to escape from the bathroom and run through the house completely naked. It's liberating. 4. Loving the bath - refusing to get out. 5. He's such a boy - hammer in one hand, truck in the other. This boy LOVES trucks! 6. He has no interest in watching TV but

this twinkle-twinkle video is like baby crack. I think 1 million of the 3 million views are from us.^^

I hope you're having a lovely week, and I hope your weather is warmer than mine ;) oxo Vanessa.