The performing bug

Within minutes of arriving at our friends' home for the weekend, Seb had squeezed himself into a very small lion costume and was pounding the keys. He only stopped to slip into the dino costume and play the drums.

As is now usual, the lad has trouble falling asleep last night and thus wanted to stay up and watch the Oscar coverage. Since he wouldn't sleep anyway, I let him watch the red carpet before bed. This morning he asked me: " Who won best dressed?"

He voted for Jennifer Hudson's plunging cleavage dress. I voted for Gwyneth's metallic sheath (could have done with out her singing though). But we all drooled over Halle.

How to spend a Family Day long weekend

Some bright spark at the Toronto District School Board decided that the relatively new 3 day weekend in February should actually be 4 days; however, it turns out that M`s employer think 2 is just fine, thanks.

Too bad, because we had fun!!!

Friday -
I was busy with appointments and then meeting a dear, long-unseen friend who may be moving back to Toronto in 6 weeks!!!!

Sophie hung out with Carrie at the library and then went to have a playdate with a dear, long un-seen friend who moved too many blocks away 6 months ago.

After-school, Seb had Zachary over to watch the dvd Billy Elliott (to prepare for their trip to see the musical on March 1st) - hadn`t remembered all the swearing and had to explain the art of the theatrical sucker punch and fake blood to 4 and 7 year olds.

And then uncle Trefor arrived for the weekend - yet another dear but long un-seen friend!!

Saturday
After indulging in raspberry-chocolate chip pancakes, we met up with friends to skate and market at the Don Valley Brickworks. Tiny outdoor rink but beautiful spot. We ate delicious food and sipped on Mexican hot chocolate and then had a terrific tour of the site as more and more of it opens up to the public. While there, we bumped into two sisters who are Sophie`s ski-mates on Sunday.

Seb was invited to play shinny with Jack when we got home. So out he zoomed to Dufferin Grove, while I made gingered leek and parsnip soup. Then the whole lot of them stumbled in, cheeks rosy from the cold to sip the homemade soup, munch on fab bread and Ontario cheeses, and eat some farm sausages too. Meanwhile, I nipped out and borrowed a guitar for Trefor. And he played for us. We danced, sung and some of us even held a medieval dress-up jam session! Later that evening, the lads went out for a beer. And I crashed!

Sunday was ski day.
Trefor serenaded us for breakfast which was lovely and mellow but it seemed to take a gargantuan effort (read, Jo gets stressed and short with everyone) to leave the house - 5 people, 2 sets of skis, snack bags, winter wear, and luggage in our car! But we did it and had a wonderful time skiing at Horseshoe, where we saw not only the two little girls in Sophie's class but the very friends we had skated with the day before! Small city.


Monday had to have a plan. I am not good at a day with nothing to do and two kids with their engines running on 'full-speed ahead'. The Toronto International Film Festival(TIFF) has a children's programme through the year (as well as a fab kids festival in April) and was pulling out all the stops for the first Family Day in its new digs - the Lightbox. The Tim Burton exhibit had a constant line-up round the block. But we had a great day watching a Mary Pickford silent movie (Suds) with live piano accompaniment, eating at the cafe,


going in a green room where Sebastian and Jack were beamed onto the big screen(check out the video footage).


And made all the merrier by the company we kept - Jenny and Jack from down the road and their neighbour Sami (8) and his mom (who as a singer seems to know everyone at the Lightbox).

The day ended with some play time with Sami and some cookie making - using some new cutters.

This weekend is shaping up to be almost as busy: pizza/movie night for Seb on Friday; play date on Saturday morning; the first session in the young readers' society a friend has started; then off to Orillia for friends and snow and skating and skiing and the Oscars!

Making music

Still no ear for music or self-discipline to practice but Seb loves to make music.

The fondue five

We have an annual tradition to fondue with five fine friends every winter. No shot of the pot - or of the extended table. But the cheese was gooey, the company lovely and the children performed for us all.

Why parents' beds rule

1. They are bigger
2. You might find a parent in one
3. That parent has been keeping the bed warm
4. That parent might have been secretly nibbling on something and you caught him/her, so you get to claim some of it
5. Your sibling might be told to go away because he / she is making too much noise

Victory on the carpet front

We hadn't planned to make a purchase. It just came to us slowly. I was wandering the alleys of Essaouira and stopped in a carpet shop.

22 carpets later, I saw a lovely one. But with a starting price of close to $700 and no mood to bargain, I walked away. The next day, I took the family back. Mr M played it cool and took a "I could take it or leave" attitude. Turns out we had to leave it.

But a couple of days later, we spotted a gorgeous (and overly large) piece in Marrakech. Some hard negotiations ensued. But still, it was not to be. Perhaps it was because we had declined the offer of tea.

Finally, on our last full day, I sourced a goodie. By now, I knew that we liked mono-patterned kilims from the High Atlas mountain range: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilim As usual, this one reminded me of a Kaffe Fassett knitting project: http://www.kaffefassett.com/Home.html We set our limit and Mr Mr was pumped up to haggle. And haggle he did. Despite not drinking any tea, he walked out the proud owner of a lovely carpet.

A knowledgeable neighbour instructed us to put in the shed for 72 hours to freeze out any critters. Well, it took us a few weeks to retrieve and a few months to find the right moment to unfurl it. But this weekend, we threw a belated birthday dinner for our neighbour Jenny and decided the moment was nigh.


The colours are spectacular. The room is ablaze as if we have fire roaring in a grate in the front room on a snowy day (and we are getting daily snowfalls here).

baby Moni'ka

That's pronounced Moe - knee- ka, in case you are wondering. She is very well loved.

She did however have very sparse clothing on arrival and since it was winter, we were all rather concerned for her well-being. At $25 + tax for each silly outfit, we weren't going back to the toy shop.

Finally, Jeet and I decided to take matters into our own hands and spent a hilarious 30 mins at Value Village finding doll clothes.

Moni'ka now has a her original layette, a summery 'baby doll" outfit, and a wool two piece.

Rumour has it that ever so energetic 93 year old mom of Carrie is wanting to sew her some clothes. Like daughter, like mother!

Meet Sophie's geckos

If you aren't already avid readers of Sophie's school's blog (...), then you may have missed the fact that last term the "kinders" started to care for a pair of geckos - who bred and bred and bred. There are now 2 babies and 6 eggs waiting to hatch.
http://blog.thegrovecommunityschool.ca/

Sprinklefairy. Now, that is a good name.

Snow day 2011

Last Wednesday, the Toronto District School Board canceled school amidst reports of imminent climate collapse or 10 cms of snow - same thing here. So having no backup childcare, I did what every other parent in the same situation was doing, called for a playmate to come over and ensure that a day-long struggle between 2 siblings did not ensue. Young Jack was glad for the company and lots of indoor and outdoor play was had, including this lovely train route. Jack's dad returned to scoop up Seb for a few hours - after being pummeled by Sophie.

Meanwhile Sophie & I proceeded to bake and then go visiting more friends.

Snow days are monkey wrenches but lots of fun too!

Busy busy Friday

It included dropping & picking Sophie, loads of "French at the Grove" tasks, traipsing to the Police HQ to get cleared for literacy volunteering, phone calls to set up XYZ it seemed, a micro-shop, taking Sophie to Dufferin Grove to participate in the school's skating party (where she painted snow with coloured water - fun!), back to meet Seb off the bus, play time with long-away friends, movie selection, pizza dinner, Planet 51 (least said the better) and bed!

Parental Portraits

I don't think we come off looking too badly. I mean we are cuddling and not haranguing the kids!

Moments that make you melt

I am not a Scrabble player - too slow and finicky for my taste. However, I bought a used version of junior Scrabble at Value Village last week. We played all together the first evening.

The next afternoon, I descended the stairs to find brother and sister had decided to set up the game and were contentedly immersed. Big sibling helping little one, who was so proud to know her letters.

Photo dump - Part 2

Sophie to the rescue















Seb as puppetmaster

More mask-making

Lovely shots of Eric the instructor - both in role and out - as well as one of an engrossed lad.

Cyclone season

Hmm, about this time last year I was in Cairns and expected my in-laws to make it there a month later. I arrived the day after a small cyclone hit not far from the town. Looks like it will be much worse this year : http://www.trust.org/alertnet/multimedia/pictures/detail.dot?mediaInode=c4489896-5be7-4481-b244-4823cfd6c51a

And G&L never made it there after all.

Whereas here in T.O. 15+ cm of snow gets the city and citizens in a tizzy. I had to turn off the radio b/c I couldn't stand the constant snow references... Montreal girl that I am.

Betcha never

Things you never thought you would see...

1 - Jo vacuuming.
2 - Jo vacuuming a painting. (Borrowed vacuum, folks)
3 - scalp tinglers - a family that scalp tingles together...

January visitors

Big hugs for January visitors - keeps them warm through Toronto pit stops.

Photo dump - Part 1

Wikileaks dumps files (o.k., it has now started to clue into the grave human security issues that this can cause); I will dump photos of the last 2 weeks.

Mid-January, a tired set of grandparents passed through and so we shared an Ethiopian supper with George & Lorraine. Yum, yum, yum. AND we managed to fight them off at the cash register.