(Flashback to July) The Queen!

Turns out the Queen likes Canada, and she visits a lot. I suppose it makes sense. The rest of the Commonwealth is either dirty and dangerous or very far away, if not both. As a result, the Queen has been to Canada more than 20 times during her reign. There are probably parts of the UK that have seen less of her.

Anyway, when the Queen comes to visit she stays on the grounds of the Governor Generals, which are just a few blocks away from our place. Luckily, we are nowhere near the entry gates, so there were no security check points or even a noticeable increase in police around the neighborhood. On this particular visit, the Queen was due to a function at Parliament House, and we had been told when she would be leaving the GGs to get there. We even heard rumours that – being the Queen - she would make the trip in a horse drawn carriage. And so we took the kids and went to the gate. I am told that there were many 100’s of people waiting to greet her at Parliament Hill, as opposed to the 100ish that were waiting to farewell her over the block leading from the gate to the main road. So few people in fact that I, with Lillian upon my shoulders, was easily able to make my way right up to un-barricaded the curb. Sadly, there were no horses, just a short procession of non-descript back sedans with their (non-tinted) windows up.

Ah well. The Royal Couple did at least look out the windows, smiling and waving as they passed by. Given the lack of horses, I doubt the kids will remember the occasion for long.

(Flashback) Kip and Whitney say Hi.

The funny thing about being on posting is that we are basically borrowing a lifestyle. Sure, it is one we aspire to, but Jane and I have a lot of financial ground to cover before we can afford anything like our current lifestyle and neighborhood.

Part of this borrowed lifestyle is that the kids will be going to a nearby private school. Its lovely. To give you an idea, Tom's class has 20 children in it, and three full time teachers. The other night the school had a fundraiser. You pay your money and then spend a couple hours being ushered through drinks and nibbles at three very nice nearby homes owned by people with names like Kip and Whitney (seriously). It was a pleasant enough evening, I am just not sure what to talk about with guys that run their own – highly successful – business and their suburban trophy wives (or vice-versa, as the case may be). I mean sure, we can talk about our kids, but there is a timer on that conversation. Eventually you break through and find a new topic, or there is an awkward silence in which somebody suddenly remembers that they are needed at the buffet. Alternatively the conversation simply washes around the sides of you like water around a rock sticking out in the middle of a stream. Awkward…

Let me also make it very clear that these people have been nothing but kind and welcoming. There have been no pointed, or even veiled, looks nor remarks. If anything needs to be done, the onus is upon me. To be honest, I find the discomfort surprising. I grew up traveling between wealth with my mom and working class with my dad. I guess it’s pretty clear which of the two penetrated deeper.

Girly, Girly, Girly, BOO!

Jane and Lillian went out on Saturday for a bit of'Girl-time'. By which I mean they acquired one of the most girly things in all the world, a tiny pink ballet outfit. As you can see, it was very well received.














































Meanwhile, the men-folk stayed home and got started putting up Halloween decorations. I intend to add a bit here and there over the coming week. There is plenty of time and plenty more decorations to come.

Back with Buried Treasure

After two weeks on the old Wagoner family farm, I am returned to Ottawa. All four of us went down for the first week, but then Jane and Thomas returned for school and work while Lillian and I remained behind. In the first week we were joined on the farm by my 82 year old Grandpa (who still lives there), as well as my dad, aunt, uncle and cousins plus all the respective partners. That put us at 14 people staying and we hit 28 people (another 14 extended family) in total on the Sunday for dinner. It was, as always, huge fun. The second week was just Grandpa, Lillian and I. It too was brilliant. I’ll blog about all that later (honest). Right now I just want to revisit a previous visit.

As some of you may recall, Tom and I traveled from Canberra to Iowa when he was just 18 months old to attend grandpa and grandma’s 60th wedding anniversary (Jane was heavily pregnant with Lillian and unable to travel). Despite the many cameras at the event, I didn’t have any good shots of Thomas and my now deceased grandma. This bothered me enormously since it was the only time Thomas ever saw grandma.

On this most recent trip, while loading all my pics onto grandpa’s computer, I discovered his pics from that visit.










































There were more pics, but these are my favorites and I much happier now.

The 1st Day of School

And so it begins. Fern Hill has opened its doors to our children (Lillian actually starts tomorrow). As we walked from the building I am fairly sure that Jane stifled a little tear, and I know I held back a little dance.

When I collected Tom at 3pm he was very excited after a terrific day. It seems that he and the boy we went boating with are in the same class and are sitting at the same table. In addition to his new friend, he enjoyed music, reading, writing, maths and playing outside (twice). I have seen the curriculum and while there are some things he has yet to cover at home, there is nothing there to trouble him. As far as I am concerned, the best outcome is that he enjoy going while they tighten up the ground we have already covered. As I was putting him to bed this evening, I asked whether he wanted to go back to school in the morning, or stay home with me. He chose school :)

Thomas clearly has designs on a career as a male model. Check out the 'Blue Steel' as he sports the Fern Hill uniform (and gum boots - its raining).























His sister meanwhile is rather more animated about such things.























All smiles, no tears.

Outstanding Interview WRT Iran

I know I mostly use the blog to talk about the family adventure in Canada, but I did warn you all long ago that it may also be put to other ends. This is one of those times.

Spiegel (German media) interviewed the Iranian Foreign Minster, and its bloody amazing. Here is how the exchange opens...

SPIEGEL: Mr. Foreign Minister, you are the senior diplomat of the Islamic Republic of Iran. You represent a nation that prides itself on a cultural history stretching back more than 2,500 years. Don't you find it shameful that people are stoned to death in your country?

Manouchehr Mottaki: You come from a country that murdered millions of people during a tyrannical war, and you want to talk to me about human rights? OK, we can certainly discuss the laws in various countries and naturally we can, in a friendly atmosphere, debate the different legal principles.

SPIEGEL: It isn't a matter of legal subtleties. Stoning is a glaring violation of universal human rights. It's barbaric.

I don't know if these two are old friends, were drunk or being held back from actual biffo by their friends, but its a cracker of a read. Get the rest here...
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,714513,00.html

In the end, a rather excellent day

Although it started rough. Lillian rolled me out of bed at 6am after I had been up a touch too late the night before. Whatever. Coffee for me, porridge for her. Eventually Thomas joined us and then Jane not long after. Let the whinging begin.

To put it bluntly, Lillian has been a poo for the last week or so. A whinging, crying temperamental, argumentative poo. And yes, I know she is two years old, I mean all this relative to her typical whinging, crying temperamental, argumentative two year old behavior. Bring on the 1st day of school says I. Anyway, Lillian being painful is hard on Jane (Lillian is all about mummy these days), which puts her into a mood, which harshes my mellow and Thomas hates to be left out of anything. Thus the house becomes a big self-reinforcing cycle of grumpy.

At about 10:30am Thomas and I abandoned ship, getting some father/son time by walking down to the waterfalls. It was a nice day and a pleasant walk. On the way back we ran into some of our neighbors, an extraordinarily nice family with a little girl Lillian’s age and a boy that is a year older and bolder than Thomas. They were planning to take the boat (more than a tinny, less than a gin-palace) out onto the river today and asked if we would like to come along. Yes. Yes please.

It was a lovely summer day (tho clearly a fading summer) out on the water. They took us for a run up and down the river, showed us the waterfalls from a whole new angle and eventually we pulled up to a small island so they kids could have a drink and snack before splashing about like loons. The kids all had a wonderful time and the day’s previous grump was well and truly dispersed. The cherry on top was that the nearby space and aviation museum – located right on the edge of the river - was hosting an air show. While out on the water we were able to watch vintage WWI and WWII aircraft pooteling, or roaring depending on the vintage, directly overhead. Very cool.

We forgot the camera at home, of course. So no pictures :(