January in Montreal

January 4 - Calli turned 4....and what a great party! I think between the balloons and the pinata, nothing else was needed, well maybe the cake! This picture shows the scramble as one of the 10 party-goers pulled the right cord to open the pinata. They tried hitting it but it just wouldn't break. (it wasn't supposed to, this pinata had strings to pull instead, to open it.) - but all the kids wanted a swing at the pinata, so Adam just hung onto it at the end of a broom handle and let them try....such a brave man!.



Marin put on her beautiful party dress, she liked wearing it, but it was a bit long for coming down stairs which she tackles backwards. Poor girl kept stepping on the dress, she got frustrated at first but worked it out finally. She pulled the skirt up and into her face and then slid down. Such a smart girl! And, of course, like all children she liked the box the party things had been stashed in!



I love this picture of Calli, we were playing with some of her old blocks in the office (my temporary digs) and she had decided to wear this princess dress over her clothes for that morning.
It is such a neat dress, Adam found it in Winners when we were trying to pick up a couple of things for the party, as he was wheeling both kids up and down the aisles.

Consumer Report had just completed a study on children from the ages of 1 - 5 and came up with the top five toys that children loved to play with and were their favourites. It was a surprise.......wooden blocks, a train set, small cars, (dinky toys), a tea set (boys and girls),and I can't remember the 5th item. It all relates to imagination, social skills, building community and sense of accomplishment. I would have to say, it was spot on.

The blocks are always brought out, no matter what else the girls play with.



Here is the birthday girl with the twins, Gemma and Hayley from next door on each side of her and Lauren from her school, clapping. She just loved everyone singing to her, of course Calli likes singing anytime, her full rendition of "Strangers in the Night" will be one that I will remember forever, her singing into the microphone and dancing. However, watching her delight as the 9 children, 7 adults sang Happy Birthday to her was just priceless.



Now it was time to clean up, pack up my suitcase and head for home. Jennilyn flew home to Vancouver with me, stayed overnight at the Delta Hotel and she flew back early the following morning. I stayed in Vancouver a day longer before flying up to Williams Lake and home. I immediately went down town to pick up groceries and wash the truck when it started snowing, and snowing, and snowing!!!! I have seen more of winter in the week I have been home than I did for the month in Montreal! Snow, more snow, Minus 37 with the windchill, blowing snow, drifting snow. Wow what a Welcome Home!!! I had been spoiled in Montreal....in more ways than one!!!

MONTREAL MOMENTS

MONTREAL is a very vibrant city and there is so much to see, however the best part is just relaxing and enjoying family and taking a few side trips.





Well one of the above pictures is of Colins' "Swiffer" and the other of a very large Lynx at the BioDome we visited, I hope you can figure out which is which.

In the next photo you can see how tired Marin was of all the calls she was receiving after the exhausting task of opening presents, eating Christmas brunch and waiting for Uncle Kevin and Auntie Chelsea, she managed to revive after a short one hour nap.



Christmas week was fun. We took a few drives, viewing all the beautiful homes on the Ottawa River etc, quaint villages and such different architecture, it was so nice to see houses with land around them as well. We took one afternoon and toured the city, as Colin had only been as far as St Lazare before. The different architecture, winding streets are so unique. Tenement buildings, condos all mixed together, Some with twisting wrought iron stairs outside, other with two front doors or maybe even four. There is an amazing abundance of churches in every shape, form and religions, busy shopping centres, some very ethnic areas, cobbled streets, sidewalk cafes', also the stores were so well decorated as was the city itself, it really was an amazing sight. After the sightseeing day, we decided that the very next day we would visit the BioDome as Colin had not been and Calli was so excited when we mentioned it. Although this would be her third visit (or was it fourth?). We also decided we should then enjoy a nice supper out somewhere as Adam was not working that evening.

This church is very famous in the old part of the city leading onto the water. A friend was married there in the summer and Adam said it is beautiful inside as well, seating about 150. There has been a church on this site for over a hundred years apparently. On Christmas Eve, one had to have a ticket to enjoy the evening mass there!



We went back to a restaurant that we had tried to get into last time I was in Montreal called Baton Rouge. Today we were lucky, due to the fact we were there early as half an hour later, the line up started. We ordered a red wine which was delicious, and between steaks, tuna, chicken fingers and succulent ribs, a great dinner was enjoyed by all.



As you can see in the following photo, Marin was being the usual "Ham" enjoying some water and fun, once she was released from the bonds of her booster seat.



Calli had decided to wear one of her new headbands Santa brought her for the day and coordinated her outfit accordingly, she told us that the fries were the best she had ever, ever tasted and the chicken was "pretty good". Colin enjoyed his steak and wine and Calli and him were singing a few songs, and playing rock, paper,scissors. Due to some very "Calli" moves, Colin didn't do so well with that one!



After all this we braved the highway traffic and it was then we realised this was Friday before New Year and sure enough it was a bit slow as there was one stalled vehicle, which created quite the traffic jam. We finally made it home to a very relieved "Nellie" who had been in her cage all day, well five hours anyway. She quickly made a patch of brilliant snow, very yellow in no time, what a good puppy. I am sure I could see steam coming out of her ears, she had held it in so long!

One lunchtime we decided to try and duplicate the incredible Brotzeit lunch we had in Munich at our friend Evelyns. We think we did very well, right down to the beer, Calli loved the salami, but not the cheeses, whereas Marin ate just about everything we offered her.



Colin left for home on the 30th, Adam worked two evenings, and today was home early. Aftera relaxing morning, we had some lunch and then Adam decided to go outside with Calli and Nellie to build an igloo with Adams new snow brick plastic cast. Sorry I mean Calli's snowbrick plastic cast. Suffice it to say, Calli was back in the house after an hour, while the other big kid was still building his igloo as dusk set in! We did ask if he wanted his sleeping bag and toothbrush, and if we should give him a chunk of moose to eatas well. To which he replied "yeah, I don't need to come inside anymore tonight" and to which, Calli immediately got upset and said she didn't like her Dad staying outside in that "eggloo".



This is the igloo, ready for habitation. I think we have to print up a " For Rent" sign tonight. The following photo is a riot, how three people can get in there is amazing.



Please be warned the following two photos are not for sensitive or claustrophobic people....this is not a pretty sight. After getting Marin out and Calli, it was time to get the "big kid"out......



I want to know how he ever got IN??????



Yes, it was a struggle, a great deal of huffing, puffing, pulling was involved, but we finally extracted the third kid! Much to Marin and Calli's relief.

Marin decided she wanted her toque off and I obliged, she then wanted her mitts off and then was unzipping her coat, so I took that off too (it was not cold out at all and no wind.....this was not a neglected child moment!).....she then happily posed for a few pictures in her little dress that Calli wore for her first birthday in the snow, before deciding it was time to go inside!



HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.