VandenDool Cottaging 2011

 Mom and Dad VandenDool invited their kids up to a cottage North of Sturgeon Falls in the middle of July.  Here are some of the (many, many) pictures that were taken!

Above, David and I were out in the canoe.

Above, Anneke was learning to eat cheerios.  Which took some practice. 

Below, the VandenDool siblings.

Above, Anneke's favourite thing to do in the water?  SPLASH, SPLASH, SPLASH!!!

Below, Anneke really getting used to crawling...  She was still struggling with it a little, until David got down on hands and knees and said, "Alright Anneke, I'll race you!" At which point, Anneke took off!

Below, Anneke's first bike ride.  Which grandpa kept saying made her look too grown up!

Above, Anneke showing her curiosity about anything and everything.

Below, Anneke being held by Aunt Rachel (who she shares a birthday with)

Above, Anneke learned to eat ice cream.  But only likes it if it's between two layers of chocolate cookie...  She didn't like it on an ice cream cone.

Below, we learned that Anneke LOVES being in the Baby Bjorn thingamajig.  She also LOVED watching Daddy and others throw around the dangle-balls, or, Lasso Golf.  Which we played a lot!

I'm Learning!

Anneke has learned where the guitar is located, and how to play it!  She'll often crawl from one end of the room, around the coach, up to the guitar, and start banging away.  Fun stuff!

Tunnels

So I think we need to make some sort of tunnel for this child.  I took this picture last week and she is presently climbing through the bottom of my chair....

And I don't have a picture of her latest trick yet, but standing up in bed is becoming quite popular.  It is also creating a significant amount of crying (from Anneke) and frustration (for mommy and daddy).  At least she's cute!! :)

Swinging, Swinging, in my Swinging Tree!

We still find her 'wiggles' to be pretty cute.

Swimming, Swimming, in my swimming Pool!

Here's a short video of Anneke learning to swim!

July 1st - Wasaga Beach

On July 1st, we took Anneke up to Wasaga Beach for an afternoon of sunshine.  The weather was fantastic, as it was hot, but not so hot as to butcher your skin.  Which the sun did anyways... to Steph and I.  The water was cool, but once you were in you could stay in fairly easily. 
Accompanying us, were our good friends Tom and Sarah Smith. 
We had loaded up the Graco stroller with our coolers and chairs and umbrellas and blankets and toys and travelled across miles and miles of sand.  At least, that's what it feels like when you are pushing a stroller across sand.  The actual distance was about 150 ft.  If anyone wants to create some portable, detachable ski blades for strollers, let me know...  I'll buy them off you.  Sand is difficult terrain.
Anyway, we spent the day in the sun.
Here are some pictures, of course.

Anneke settling in on the beach, sand is a new thing for her, so she enjoyed putting her hands into it.

After playing in the sand a little while.

It was time to learn how to swim.

The old fashioned way of getting thrown into the water by your Dad....!

(In the picture, above, you can see the panic in Anneke's eyes...)

And, of course, you have to go really, really deep.  So you can't cheat by walking on the bottom...

And, getting thrown in to the water!

The water was a little cold for learning how to swim.

It took her a minute to adjust to the temperature, but after a few minutes, first with Dad, and then with Mom, Anneke began to enjoy splashing the water, and getting pushed around by the monster waves.

And, finally came back out to enjoy some more time in the sun.

And then went back in later!



This is probably the cutest picture of the day.  (below)

And, at the end of the day,
Dad and Mom loaded all the stuff onto Anneke's stroller, and tediously pushed it through the sand, working up a sweat, and got into a vehicle without air conditioning and travelled back home.
Happy Canada Day!