Readying for McGill

Happy to find her Mum's McGill diploma before setting out to get her own

Earning some cash for university with some gardening work

Wedge in hat & Desigual top 2.0

 

Celebrate good times, c'mon!!

 Sophie & some of her fan / fun club

@ her Champagne Toast

These youngsters got her through COVID & more. And are off

 on great adventures

And where will our dearheart go?!!

Our graduate - here's to 4 years!!

Our UFA graduate & recipient of community of learners and leadership awards

 

Grace & grit

 It's been a delight to see Sophie progress in her form over the years, while retaining her love of dance.

As parents, we have put in countless hours volunteering for the Nutcracker and other shows; waiting in the car park for rehearsals that overrun; guiding her home alone by bus; exploring the various ballet stores of the GTA; watching year-end recitals (recalling how cramped and sweaty those June afternoons were in the old studio); and so much more. 

Thank you, Ms Bouman and all the instructors who brought her from year 1 to year 9 - through modern dance, movement and classical ballet (and "dance from home" pandemic style!)

The two dance school leavers with their farewell balloons

A hug from the indomitable Pia Bouman

Hugs from the teachers 

Twas a family affair

Despite the risk of COVID and a rather small cast of dancers (and thus, parents to volunteer) the show must go on. After 10+ weeks of rehearsal (and some late choreography), Sophie and her fellow ballerinas pulled off a terrific Nutcracker. And if we had 4 people in the audience (over 4 shows), we must have 16 or so! Mum was on props and Dad did the set. Both baked and Sophie just danced and danced (5 roles?)

With all the final year dancers and Ms Bouman

 

Hallowe'en & an annual tradition

When you ask 2 teens to put up the spiderwebby stuff, you seem to get a snowstorm effect. 🤣🤣🤣

Seb's posse of looks

Pals convened for some fun and dinner!

Soph decided to be a buccaneer for Hallowe'en

Always fun to check out our neighbours' much more creative and better executed carvings!

 

What a busy summer: Part 1

The summer kicked off with a trip to see a recuperating Grandma in Montreal.

a visit to Atwater Market

grabbed some bagels - at a different location. Quel sacrilege!

and then the annual multi-family, long weekend camp out

Streetwide Yard Sale 101

About a month ago - no doubt inspired when visiting a certain octogenarian who for the last 40 years spear-heads a streetwide sale in her neighbourhood - I offered to organise a yard sale for all Fern ave families - and then a street supper to boot. So I started culling and prepping and sorting and pricing and printing posters and organizing postering sorties ... When cajoling the teens, two things worked: clear (yup, bossy) instructions and the declaration that proceeds would be our summer fun money - Jays games, concerts, dinners on patios, green vacation hair!! And the day came and many of the things went

Of course, it was a working Saturday for the eldest and a ballet recital for the other... But they helped me set up and moved our neighbour's items outside. Sophie even agreed to make me scrambled eggs and a cup of tea. It was fun and I loved chatting with neighbours and prospective buyers. We made about $450 and I swear, we will sell another $100 of things over this week as I turn to the internet. We do have a lot left over - including the two boxes that never made it outside (oops!) - and sadly, no communal dinner was had.

All things Nutcracker

December 1-19 truly turned into all things Nutcracker! But what a glorious show it was, bringing joy to so many people. 

Mum was on ironing and mouse/lotus supervision. Dad was heading up the front of house volunteers. And Sophie rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed (all in a mask)!

Between watching in the performance space to a virtual watch party to people watching other performances online, we had almost 30 audience members: Gramps & Nana, Grandma, Mum, Dad, Bro, Auntie R, Dorothy & Peter, the Eardleys, Kevin & Arthur, Jane, Sydney & Deb, Mark & Mary, Wendy, Mona & David, Jeannie, Diana, neighbours Christina & Christine. I may have missed some but thank you all! You will no doubt agree that it's not a standard community production and the camera work this year was fantastic.

The all important foam roller for backs and legs

A supportive cast

Teens!

Ballet makes you strong



She had 6 roles and thus 6 multi-piece costumes and two sets of shoes (plus dancing barefoot)
Can you name her roles??
Young adult girl in party scene
Wind up toy soldier (solo and trio)
Battle soldier (same costume)
Snow
Amira, desert princess
Flower (one of the blue duo)
-- and back to Amira for the finale --

Ms Bouman and her leads

The glam squad

Pre-show warm up

always led by some of the senior dancers

Notes from the ballet mistress

Not very glamourous backstage...

Amira, princess of the desert

Battle soldier

The mice transfixed by the party scene (Sophie is far right)

The gorgeous and gregarious lotuses

And the beautiful, beautiful costumes