Thomas at 2 years old
September '08
We spent a pleasant autumn day at one of the local playgrounds. Thomas still loves his giant teddy.
A last couple of Canada pictures, found on Cindy's phone: monarch butterfly on the purple coneflowers in Mormor's garden, and Thomas in a Montreal grocery store where a display of margarine with pictures of corn on it caught his fancy.
More super pictures from Canada, from Granny Lynda
Southampton: Joe's cottage #5, Jonathan tending the BBQ, Mormor preparing the yearly feast (Vietnamese theme this year), and Thomas' friend the CHIPMUNK!
Road trip... Thomas enjoyed driving in the car, dictating activities, singing, snacking and snoozing. Jonathan was amused by the GPS' instructions: "Drive 540 km and take the next left..."
Thomas enjoyed the water in many forms, not least his baths which Auntie Lisa made very entertaining!
Montreal, downtown, and on the beach at Grandpa Ken's campsite on Lac Paré
Bird Song Chalet at Niagara On the Lake, where the welcome wagon is led by Scruffy and Muffy the Shih Tzu terriers, and breakfast includes very fresh eggs. And Niagara Falls (see more under Travels).
July-August 2008: Summer Holidays in Canada
This year Thomas' Granny Lynda and Auntie Lisa joined us for our yearly trek to Canada. We started our journey in Southampton, Ontario at Mormor's (Cindy's mum's). Thanks to regular video calls on Skype, Thomas recognised his Canadian grandmother immediately and quickly made himself at home. He did just fine on the long flights and drives, and delighted in giving orders to everyone who would listen. Over the course of the journey he also got much closer to Lynda and Lisa, especially at bath time when he delighted in Lisa's games and even allowed her to wash his hair, eventually immersing himself and trying to swim in the tub.
Besides the usual fabulously fresh berries and produce which Thomas always loves, a new appreciation for corn on the cob was discovered on this visit!
We visited Keady market a couple of times, checked out some livestock (and kittens!) but stopped just short of attempting a pony ride.
During the trip Thomas developed his tricycle skills, motivated in part by competition with Steve on his recumbent bike! He also tried out a kid carrier backpack which we rented for a day, but he seems to prefer riding on his parents' shoulders.
Thomas got to see quite a bit of wildlife during this period, especially bunnies and squirrels, and the occasional chipmunk. In the mornings he joined his Granny on the back deck to look for animals, occasionally calling out "CHIIIPMUUNK!!!" (without much success for some reason).
As usual we also spent lots of time at the beach. The waves in Southampton were quite rough, but Thomas quickly got used to splashing in the surf. We also went to Big Bay (on the Georgian Bay side of the peninsula), which was quite a bit colder but calmer. Thomas loved throwing stones in the water, and enjoyed the famous homemade ice cream once again.
After a week and a half in Southampton, we drove to Montreal (with a quick stop in Ottawa). Despite so-so weather predictions, we had quite a sunny day visiting Grandpa (Cindy's dad) at his campsite in the Lanaudière region. Thomas got yet another splash at the beach, reunited with the giant inflatable ball, and discovered yet more very interesting new toys.
We also saw some other friends in Montreal, including Cindi and Diana who recently visited us in Copenhagen. Cindi joined us for a little shopping excursion downtown, sharing more ice cream and bonding some more at Place Ville Marie.
The last phase of our journey took us to Niagara Falls, where Lynda and Lisa experienced the Falls up close in the Maid of the Mist while Thomas enjoyed a peaceful nap. When he woke up, he was treated to a tour of a real fire engine!
On the way back we visited the Butterfly Conservatory, situated in a greenhouse in the Niagara Botanical Gardens. Thomas enjoyed it very much, and even had a butterfly land on his shoulder (unfortunately we weren't quick enough to capture it). He did come home with a souvenir, Blossom the toy butterfly, and he regularly sings the butterfly song from the day care to it.
We stayed the last couple of nights in beautiful Niagara on the Lake, in a picturesque B&B with lots of nature: gardens, frogs, chickens, cats, and especially Muffy and Stuffy, the Shih Tzu dogs whom Thomas eventually befriended once he got over his excitement and nervousness. (www.birdsongchaletniagara.com)
Thomas' communication skills flourished througout the trip. When he approved of a decision, he would exclaim "Good choice!" He occasionally switched to Danish, calling us mor, far, and farmor rather than the usual mummy, daddy, granny. He also began to get very good at advising us when a diaper change was due, calling out "Change the bum?" without regard for the circumstances, much to the amusement of any eavesdroppers. He also began to sing much more, especially in the car - some songs we recognised, and some we didn't (anybody know "Jens Petersen's Cow?)
July 10: Happy Birthday Thomas...
Thomas woke up early on July 10th, and was a bit surprised when both Mom and Dad came in to greet him. He was even more surprised at the discovery of a new slide in the living room!
He had a busy day at the day care, starting with an outing to a local nature center, picnic lunch in the park, and his first nap sleeping in the big kids' room on a mattress instead of in a pram. In the afternoon he shared his birthday cake (banana and raisin) with the rest of the kids at snack time, and was then picked up early for a cosy afternoon at home opening the rest of his presents with Mom and Dad.
It was a pretty good haul: slide, soft soccer ball, and Geo-Trax railroad set. He also enjoyed all his cards and messages from friends and family, and the pizza dinner to finish the day off. There were even a couple of cards in the post for him from the bank and from the local library, both advising of little presents to be picked up at the respective locations.
But the favourite item was, surprise surprise, the yellow soccer ball.
By seven o'clock he was knocked out, having had a wonderful day with lots of fun and attention. Happy Birthday T-bug, enjoy your 3rd year!
Updated 24.09.08