Equal loving grandparent

Just in case you were worried that Nana plays favourites

To-do list for George

The lovely George has headed to Toronto to pick up the slack that inevitably happens when I am away more than a week (Seb's false alarm broken arm, for example!)

Anyway, my wonderful father-in-law needs to stay busy when he visits, So today, as I wandered around an Ottoman palace (more to come), I came up with a few ideas:

1. source one of these and replace Sophie's back of the closet door Ikea version

2. We need cabinets for the refreshed family room. These would make a statement and take our attention off the tv

3. I fear my office is going to be chilly again; could you build me one of these?

4. The new family room needs a door. This will do nicely.

5. Everyone needs to store stuff under the stairs - even Sultans. Your son did a great job of organizing ours, but he didn't tile it with 16th century Iznik tiles... Can you get on it?

6. And to be honest, I need a fountain. I feel like I just can't come home unless there is a 3 tier marble fountain waiting - and functioning. Sophie agreed with me.

Thanks, George. Home Hardware DIY is right where you left it last visit. You can run a tab on us. xo

Who loves ya, Sebbie?

A taste of things to come - black leather(ette) jacket and drinking from the (ginger) beer bottle when he took his Nana on a National Trust outing this summer.

What the Wedge gals have been up to

hanging out with Adele

Learning about fine Moldovan wine

There was another birthday last week

To cheer her grandma, Sophie wore her momma's old skirt and new shoes

Grandma opening one of her presents

before heading out to eat mussels in one of Montreal's finest establishments

How to spend a weekend

Last day of dry-land biathlon training - time for the snow to fly

Horse-opoly while listening to your sister's new Adele album

reading your birthday book until you zonk out

This gal is 9!

First came the party

7 friends over for dinner, singing, dancing and crafts

oh and presents

They lit their own sparklers

before devouring the delicious lemon cake

and then 3 stayed on for the night (a movie and truth & dare till 1 in the morning...)

Waking up on her birthday morning

to open some presents

before heading off to school

inspiration

Van Gogh's? Definitely ours. Notre petit village in its glory this past summer.

Almost 9...

Absorbed in her big girl mag

Short cuts in the name of science

Our jack o'lantern after 8 days

It was a cool science experiment - until the new cleaner started and I felt that it might scare her away!

A special someone turned 12!

Opening his robotics kit

fielding calls from well-wishers

a special afternoon tea

One of his friends came over to play their newest passion 

Family dinner at one of his fave local restaurants

playing surgeon because his sister had overeaten!

Candy apple delight

Enjoying her candy apple 

a lot

Like mother, like daughter

Me and my gal pal in Desigual

All Hallows Eve

The house was readied (including a spooky thunder and lightning machine).

as was the candy

Ms Granger was raring to go (even though her hair wouldn't stay "bushy" no matter how much hair spray)

Hermione casting a spell on her brother to make his costume preparation go faster

The cast assembled off to look for Harry Potter himself (from L to R: Dobby the house elf; Professor McGonagall; Hermione Granger; Professor Dumbledore - who was occasionally mistaken for a rabbi)

looking more like the wicked witch of the west here...

and here!

The neighbourhood outdid itself, as we had expected. Amazing - just amazing - jack o'lanterns. Neighbours that obviously motivated others to pull out the stops - some great lighting and silhouettes in windows. Get this, one block had a fire eater!! Good - though not great - costumes and treats.

By the end of the evening Hermione was 19 and hitting the night clubs. (In reality, we gorged on junk food and watched the amazing Coraline)

Delish

Making peanut free, dairy free DELICIOUS cookies with the one and only Jacqui Pegg