Family date night #3

 We had hoped to go to the free temporary curling rink at Nathan Phillips Square but the warm weather meant it had been cancelled. So we headed to Ontario Place for their free winter programming

We brought smores for their campfire - and Darwin for extra fun

We went skating on the outdoor ice rink

Showed off our moves to some great 70s disco tracks

All with TO's lights as our backdrop

Sophie made some new friends

4 in the frame (one of us always had to be off ice with the dawg)

It was a very very weird surface - plastic "artificial ice" - look at the "shavings" 

Then it was time to explore the abandoned amusement park decked out in fairy lights

Before heading home as some very happy Torontonians (who seem to be caught in a music video shoot) 

Les amies!

And that's it. 3+weeks later, our dear friends headed back to France. In a blink of an eye, it will be a hot summer's afternoon and we will be together again in le petit village  re-living the highlights of their trip. They had the best of this Canadian winter. Only a day's rain and lots of snow and sub-zero temperatures!

We have been busy hosts...

Our friends from le petit village arrived January 30 for the trip of a lifetime - a Canadian winter holiday!

Day 1 was sledding at Christie Pits with Sebastian

Alice gives it her best try

Day 2 was Niagara Falls

Day 3 was exploring Toronto - including China town

Day 5 was skiing with us at Horseshoe and then stopping for a Tim's experience

Joao approved

Eva appreciated it too

Thomas was less convinced by a double-double 

After 10 days of travel, the friends returned and bravely tried Ethiopian cuisine with us

Let's just say that Joao has a limited palette 

Followed by Ed's ice cream - which Joao did approve of

Alice insisted on returning on their last day in the city (it is only a block away from home!)

The final weekend was Family Day and we rented a cottage and even took the dog! Mr M managed to disconnect from all his craziness and enjoy the great winterlude with us. There are no photos of the excellent toboggan run that Seb and the other kids created. Sadly Darwin was leashed or banished because he just wouldn't let them zoom down the track without chasing after and grabbing the sled or worse - them!

We headed to Arrowhead provincial park one day - where the ace skater (Joao) and his dad did the skate loop over and over and over again! The rest of us skied and tobogganed; it was gorgeous day!

Clearing a skating rink on the lake beside the cottage

in his Canadiens gear

a little shinny

Taken from my snowshoe trek onto the lake (that's the cottage behind)

A few days later, the girls had an hour alone in Dufferin Mall - where they ate popcorn and discussed how they are not allowed to wear makeup or leggings without a tunic top, etc.

It's a wonderful square

Gramps and Nana came for a visit. And of course we found a fabulous teapot for the latter

We headed to the (mini) theatre

with Uncle Mark who was also in town

To see It's a wonderful square

with a certain Sebastian in the cast
(It was the Grade 9 class performance)

A family that skis together - 2018

A certain fanatical skier noticed that I not added this traditional snap to our blog. So I am sneaking back in 11 months later...

Lad searching for a look

Attempt at 80s goth (for his MainStage costume)

tons of hair product + a night in bed = vertical lift!

Bounce and twist and pike

Seb was at his first trampoline tournament this weekend. Dad and sis trekked out to a gym in the commuter belt. And they waited and waited a little more and then in a blink of an eye, he was done. 

And got 2nd place in his (small) division. Hope that you are fully appreciating his sleek black and purple uniform with T Dot Tumblers

Two more tournaments later this Spring. I think I will have to study the judging guide that the coach shared because I can't really tell what to look for. That's if I can even keep my eyes open, as I am just hoping he doesn't hurt himself.

our gal...

She is so happy to tackle things.

She made this plate

and this one with a friend's mum, a potter 

Loves her skiing

and her long locks

and stylin' a look (she has taken to preparing her outfits for the week on Sundays)

And her dance, and her rock-climbing, and her child-care job, and taking the TTC solo, and her swimming and her acting class!