Welcome Juliet & Joe

Well what can I say? The wait is over. My lovely Auntie Jules and Cousin Jo Jo arrived from England yesterday.

I was a bit funny at first and my usual 'spirited' self at the Airport but it hasn't taken very long to get used to having family around. Despite the busy day we had getting back from the Airport and all that, Joe and I are already tearing around the house playing, laughing and carrying on.

The picture above is of us with our Scooters! Thank you Savta and Sabba for the lovely gift. I've been scooting and gliding around the garden patio all morning.

And below is a pic of me with Jules on the couch. I feel so comfortable with her that I'm regressing back to being a little baby with my Nuk.



More hilarity, pictures and adventures to come.

See you soon :)

Summer Fun

Hello everyone,

Despite the municipal strike and weird up and down weather, I've been doing my best to make the most out of Summer. The other day we went to Ashbridges Bay and hung out on the beach. We've also gone down to the Harbourfront area to take advantage of the free summer art festivals.  The thing we all love to do best is going out for long bikes riding on the trails of the Don Valley.Here I am on a playground made to look like a train. I was likely screaming something like, "Toot-Toot" when Mom took this shot

.

Here I am by Lake Ontario with Toronto in the background. Too bad the ferry is not running :(
Hope your having fun in the sun wherever you may be.

Take care everyone!

Jonah

Happy Canada Day Everyone!

Since we don't have recent patriotic picture, this one from last year should do just fine.

Hope your having a fantastic time in this great country of ours and wherever else you may be!

Jonah :)

So you wanna be a Rock 'n' Roll star

Music is in my blood. I am an heir to a rock and or roll throne of sorts. My Dad's extended family boasts several talented folks including my Baba Ken and Uncle Kirk. Even my Auntie Cherise is picking up her axe again. Two of my teen cousins have started or play in rock bands. Then on my Nana's side is well, my Nana who can play Dulcimer and Violin and my cousin Jesse is considered a child prodigy on the Bass guitar. Recently, My Dad and his old buddy Uncle Ryan have started meeting on a regular basis and jamming with their acoustics. With all this music around, is it any wonder that I'm posing for photo's like this:



I know these shots are not the best quality and my Dad had to crop them slightly but I'm clearly demonstrating an interest in guitar, seen here 'playing' my Sesame Street Elmo Electric complete with Wah-Wah pedal (the glasses were Dad's idea). So watch out world, The J to the D is in the house. Maybe I will aspire to the level greatness that my middle namesake conjures!



Keep on a rockin' me baby!

Jonah Django :)

Old MacDonald had a....strike, E I E I Ohhh!

Greetings one and all,

Well thank your lucky stars that you don't live in my city. For over a week now we have been in the throws of a municipal strike which has halted all garbage, recycling and compost collection and impacted city services including certain daycare facilities and other social support offices. My daycare is privately run but I feel for those families scrambling to adjust having already paid their fees through July.

My Dad was saying that he's noticing the impact it's having on his clients who are on social welfare, and those kids who get jobs with the city each summer. it's also making it impossible for families and children to enjoy the public pools and parks that are plentiful throughout Toronto. Worst of all, the streets ( and parks with playgrounds) are slowly filling up with garbage of all sorts as people can't help but litter instead of taking their trash home. At home, we are scratching our heads wondering what to do with our refuse too, what a mess!

The greatest loss for me is that I can't go to my beloved Riverdale Farm. It too has been shut down till the strike ends. Below is a pic of Mom and I by the farm's Duck Pond. I'm really missing my weekly trip to see the animals and I hope someone is keeping them fed and giving them fresh water.

Another unfortunate result of this stupid strike is that the City Ferry service to Toronto Island is not running. As many of you know, Toronto Island is a fave spot of our family and a welcome solace from the hot, gritty urban landscape. We often take our bikes and have lunch by the lake.

Let's hope this strike is settled before all of our family gets here. I don't think our first set of visitors Jules and Joe, will appreciate playing in the backyard for three weeks. It should all be resolved by late July, finger's crossed!

Jonah :)

Music for the young at heart

As you all know by now, my Dad has a true love and affinity for music in all it's genres and forms. To celebrate his passion for both music appreciation and criticism, Dad has put together a new blog called ZZZOOOPPP, dedicated to discussing and recommending music and other media specifically for parents and children of all ages.

If you have a free moment or two, why not go over to his new site and take a peek. I know he has been working to get it up and running and hopes to post a new review every week or two.

Please visit and become a follower too!
http://zzzoooppp.blogspot.com/

No Nuk is good Nuk

Hi folks,

Daddy D here with this recent update. Jonah was not available to post so he asked me to write to you about a recent development he is quite proud of.

Most of you have seen photos of Jonah with his Nuk and opinions vary amongst our friends and family on it's practical use and often misuse. Sometimes referred to as a Soother, Dummy or Pacifier, our Jonah has been quite the fan of this little comfort contraption since he stopped breastfeeding. Our code word for it has been 'Rutabaga' but Jonah calls it Nuk based on the brand name. See pic below:



So the truth is, we both believe that use of the Nuk has been a good thing. It has kept him calm during naps and long care rides and is a great bargaining tool during a tantrum. But Lucy and I got to a point where we felt it was undermining his ability to express himself and limiting his desire to talk. It has also become a source of empowerment for him, resulting in a loss of 'power' for us.

The funny thing too is that he hasn't really been using it at the new Daycare. In the past, we have battled with him to give it up. We'd ask him to simply throw it away which he would do (sometimes ending up in the compost) but then he'd freak out, run and find it and insert it back in his mouth, clean of course. So this song and dance has gone on for months and last week we started operation 'No Nuk is good Nuk' and decided on a strategy to rid him of the habit and quit cold turkey.

And we are very pleased to announce it is going great. So far, Jonah has risen to the occasion and gone almost an entire week without extensive use of his Nuk. We still give him the option at bed time, which he normally refuses. The only challenge is first thing in the morning when he gets up where he is naturally seeking comfort so we are using a blanket instead. We have stood our ground and despite the tears and minor tantrums, kept up the operation. We also have plans to reward him for this feat with a trip to an ice cream shop that has just opened up near our house.

I can hear people now, from one bad habit(Nuk) to a new one(Sugar) but come on, he's a kid after all. BTW- fans of iced milk products should come check out this new local business and give them your support.

Carter's Ice Cream, 3 Woodmount Avenue, Toronto, ON M4C 3X4 (416)429-1550‎

And the other really exciting news is that Jonah's talking has really progressed this week. He is chatting up a storm and without his Nuk, making 3-5 word sentences, naming objects, animals and things and repeating words you say to him. He is also saying funny things like ' Okay" and " I do that!"

It is an amazing time to be around him as he transforms before our eyes.

Thanks for reading,

Daddy : D