Bonus week, and some bonus pictures

Because I'm on mat leave and didn't need to count holidays, I decided to stay an extra week in Canada, in Ontario, after Jeremi flew back. It gave me a bit more time to visit with friends and family, just me and Béla. Jer, Béla and I flew back to Toronto together, and he went straight to Frankfurt from there, while I was met by my dad and uncle Jon. In fact the whole Bazar crew visited that weekend, including Jon and Joan, Jenn and Tim, and Josh and Milaine. It was a great chance for Baba to get to spend time with both of her kids, all four of her grandchildren and all three great-grandchildren at the same time, which was pretty magical. I didn't manage to take any pictures, but my mom emailed me a few (thus the mention of bonus pictures in the title).

Unfortunately, Béla didn't take well to Jeremi's departure, and decided that he couldn't be more than a meter away from me, and preferred to be touching me at all times. Flattering, yes, but it grew tiresome after a few short minutes. All of these people were there to visit with us (and him, of course), and I'd hand off my normally very friendly son, only to have him start screaming. I'd take him back, calm him down, and then repeat. It got better after a couple of days, but that first couple days was exhausting!!!

One of the reasons I wanted to spend more time in Ontario was to visit friends in Belleville, so my parents and I drove there for a night, from Tuesday to Wednesday. I was able to go to my friend Jen's birthday party, where I saw some friends, and then stayed at the house where my friend Pam was housesitting. The next morning I went to see our old neighbours, the Gariepys, where my parents were staying, and we had a nice brunch and a visit before heading back to Newmarket. Of course, I neglected to take any pictures of that as well.

One of the reasons I wanted to stay longer in Ontario was to get a chance to visit with Chris and Karen and Owen and Gavin. Karen was on mat leave, and Chris was still on holidays of some description while I was there, so we were able to go out to a local park one day for some tobogganing. The idea was that Owen would be excited about it - he'd done it for the first time recently, and loved it, but on this particular day he only wanted to go on the swings and playground equipment. This didn't stop Karen and me from going down the hill mind you. (Chris wasn't able to, as he had Gavin in a carrier.) Here I am...

And here's Béla, enjoying (?) his first trip in a stroller, in Chris and Karen's new SUV double stroller. By the end of our trip to the park, Béla was more than ready to get out of there, but it went okay. (Yes, he's more than six months old, and he's now been in a stroller twice. I guess on that front we're pretty crunchy. And god knows it's not because he's always in our non-existent car. To each his own!)

Here's Owen, surveying the scene, deciding what to play with next.

My brother and I also managed to sneak out Friday afternoon for a 3D showing of Avatar (in English!!!), while my parents looked after Béla and Karen looked after the boys. It was pretty fun, and the first time I'd left Béla with anyone besides Jeremi for long enough to need a bottle. (We did leave him with Paul and Betty Ann while we went to the liquor store in NB, but it was only about half an hour or so.)

Later in the week, here are my parents sitting on the couch together, with their two newest grandsons. I think this was on the night when Casey and Joanna, and Melanie, Ruthanne and Ezra came over to visit. I really wanted to get to visit with them, as well as with Dave and Joe and Selom, all of whom are in the Toronto area, but I hadn't gotten my act together with planning things, and I was so worn out from Béla's clinginess that I didn't want to run all over to meet up with people. And so everyone was invited up to see us!

My mom was great, and managed to cook up two massive feasts on the Thursday and Friday nights that I was there, so there was plenty of food for all, and the guys came up on the Thursday (pictured after), and Casey & Joanna and Melanie, Ruthanne & Ezra on the Friday night.

Here's a scene of the madhouse on the Friday night, as Chris and Karen were over with the boys as well.

And then, at the end of the evening, Béla fell asleep in my dad's arms, and the two sat on the couch for a quiet time for Béla's last night in Canada. My dad was pretty lucky, I'd say.

The next morning my parents drove up to Casinorama for a curling event they had tickets for, while I packed up my things, getting ready to go to the airport in the afternoon with my brother. Of course Béla didn't make it easy to pack up, so Baba entertained him while I worked.

For a 90 year-old, she's doing pretty well, I'd say!

Jenn and Tim came over too, and we had a nice lunch together, drinking a couple of the beers for Jeremi that I wasn't able to fit into my luggage, before my brother and Owen came to take me to the airport. The flight back was miraculously good - it was half-empty, so I had 3 bulkhead seats to myself, with a bassinet I didn't even use, because Béla slept well in my arms. He also nursed incredibly well on the plane, in contrast to the trip there, and the crew was incredibly friendly and helpful. One flight attendant had a pregnant wife, and kept borrowing Béla to walk around and play with the flight attendants in the galley to give me a break. How's that for a positive story about Air Canada for a change?

Finally, because I was missing pictures of so many things from the holidays, my mom emailed me a few. She sent them with these frames on them, so that's how I'm posting them. Here are a few from Christmas day - the two babies in their two cocoons:



A sad-looking Owen with Jeremi and Béla...
Owen helping my mom cook breakfast Christmas morning in his pyjamas.
Yet another picture of the four generations.
Some pictures from when the Kitchener-Waterloo Marshalls were visiting, and my dad and Uncle Bernie happened to wear the same outfit without planning it.

At supper that night, at the kids' table, which had a median age of about 30, including the babies.And the adult table, which included Owen, as he decided he'd rather sit there.

Me, still wearing my crown from supper, with baby Gavin.

And here Aunt Joan and Gloria get to meet Béla for the first time. He charmed them, of course.
I'm not sure when this one is from, but it's a cute picture of me and Béla all the same.
And one of Béla making his little turle-beak-face, which he doesn't really do anymore - maybe his new teeth make it impossible? Here he's sitting next to my Uncle Jon, when they were visiting.
Another picture from when the Bazars were visiting, where he's hanging out with Josh and Milaine. It was the first time I got to meet Milaine, and she's lovely! (Béla was also quite taken with her, despite his general clinginess at this point in the visit.) Béla looks like such a little baby in this picture...
I'm thinking my mom included this picture because she looked nice maybe? Béla looks cute of course, but I look like I'm hammered, and I'm holding a pint of beer. I hope the Jugendamt (German equivalent of Childrens' Aid) isn't reading this blog.
And then, one final pic from Thursday night, when it was like a McGill reunion, with Dave and Joe (who I hadn't seen forever) and Selom (who I actually was better friends with at Dal, but we met while at McGill). It was great to see these guys while I was in town.
And finally, one last picture of Béla being incredibly cute, and flaunting his ET fingers (as they're called by a friend of mine here in Jena).