Highlights from the Family Vacation 2010

Hello friends,
I wanted to share some brief highlights from our trip so far. These photos are from the Internet as we don't have the right set up here from the UK. Some of the highlights include: A road trip to Chichester where Dad drove his first care ever on the roads nad motorways of London. We visited Darren, Miriam and their 9 month old daughter Audrey....  

An extended visit to the seaside tourist mecca of Brighton where I stayed for 4 days with my lovely Auntie Jules and my 4 yr old cousin Joe. From days spent in the park to different activities and hijinks, my time in Brighton without Mom and Dad was a huge step forward for me.It also marked the first time in years they have gone away without me for more than 24hrs. They decided to take advantage of the cheap flights to Europe from Heathrow and went off to...Amsterdam!

 

From interesting culture landmarks and musuems to districts and coffeshops, they said the best part of their adventure was renting bicycles and booting all over the cycle friendly city. They even saw one of the last remaining windmills. They stayed in a wonderful B&B with it's own private rooftop patio and little kitchenette. They may have only stayed 36 hrs or so but it was a nice opportunity for them to have quality time. I really enjoyed staying with Jules and joe. 

Now we are all together again in Edgware with my Sabba and Savta ( Ruth and Harry). We have been planning day trips to various parks and museums. Mom and Dad have visited various friends, eaten loads of curry and been shopping around town.  We have had an amazing time so far and everyone has been lovely but I personally am ready to head home. I miss my room and toys. But until then we continue to enjoy time wiht family and look forward to sharing our pics with you when we return!


See you soon,
J django xx

They've Arrived...

Quick update my loves....
Although I don't have any pictures to prove it, Lucy and Jonah landed successfully at Heathrow Airport in London, UK on July 25th and are now staying with Ruth and Harry in Edgeware. Apparently Jonah was in good form the entire flight, despite having only slept for 2 hours. As usual, he handles every situation like a champion.  I left them at the airport and although I was rather sad, I focused my thoughts on them having a great adventure and safe flight. I'm set to touch down on British soil on Saturday, July 31st.

I should mention that at one point, a slight drama did occur in Lucy and Jonah's travels. Towards the end of the flight, Lucy discovered that Jonah had lost or misplaced his Disney, Lightning McQueen TM 'Dinky' Car (pictured below with sinister grin) somewhere on the plane. This fact made him quite upset and he was inconsolable when the car was not recovered. I'm not sure if it is still M.I.A but I will likely be purchasing a replacement at Zellers and bringing it with me. So that of course explains the grin on that car, (I'm feeding the Disney Machine...LOL)


 " Damn right you are Daddy-o. Disney owns you!"

I'm also proud/misty eyed  to report that Jonah has been asking after me  and is clearly missing his Dad. At one point he said to Lucy, " He isn't coming is he?"


Tthe first thing he'll likely say to me at the airport is, "You were taking a very long time Dad." Jonah loves to mention that I take a long time with everything.The whole gang is meeting me at the airport so I'll send an update once I'm settled in. Ruth's computer is on the fritz so I wont post pics till our return.


Take care dear readers and have a safe and enjoyable August.
See you soon :)

Daddy D

Countdown to Family Vacation

Hey Everyone,

I really want to apologize for being so relaxed with the blog. Truth is, we are all getting ready for our big trip to the UK. Mama has been busy studying for exams and finishing all her course work, Dad is busy trying to clean up all the files at his office. We are all in need of a break and change of scenery.  I promise to actively blog while we are away, provided there is a computer we can use. So although I'm not one to post pics of me in the bath, I thought this one here was pretty cool. If you look closely I have a perfectly shaped Soap-goatee on my chin. Aside from beating the heat and trying to stay cool, we have mostly been staying in the house with the A/C pumping or playing at the local splash pool and playground. We've also been renting lots of DVD's ( my new Obsession is Yo Gabba, Gabba) and counting our pennies for the big trip.

As far as updates on me go, I'm getting very comfortable with my speech and making up all kinds of sentences and asking lots of questions. I've also started to really 'hear' and identify different music. I've always been a music fan (and you know I love to play my uke) but lately I am both discovering and remembering lyrics. My fave song right now is the original "Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokens. I especially love the chorus. My Dad also recently put on the soundtrack to the Rob Reiner classic movie "Stand By Me" and I went totally nuts. I love those golden oldies, especially, "Lollipop" by The Chordettes.

And finally, I am officially announcing that I am a grand puzzle master. Not only am I able to complete puzzles of varying levels on my own but I have also demonstrated my keen sense of focus. Also, my ability to play independently is growing and I can keep myself entertained. I think the parents were a bit worried there for awhile as I tend to flit about and demand attention. Either way, we have found a nice balance and all in all, life has been very chill and enjoyable. We are all in good spirits and looking forward to our first big vacation as a family.

I'll likely post one more time before we go away. Take care and stay cool wherever you are :)

Jonah

Centreville Trip, Part Two

So here we are again with part two of our trip to Centreville. This time, the gang and I got in the 'Barrel Of Monkeys' ride with Sammy's Mom, Liz. As you can see, all of us we're pretty excited.

Here's another shot of us on the big water ride (the official name escapes me) and I was actually quite surprised at how fast it went. But I am fearless, and with a little support from Sammy's Dad Ailey, went on my first big kid ride. What a rush!

And to round out the day, I went for a little spin on a old jalopy. I'm well on my way to getting my G1!

Well that is it for now. See you soon for pics and stories from Dad's 37th Birthday this coming weekend.

Love JD :)

Trip to Centreville

      

Hey Everyone,

Recently some friends and I took our parents to Centreville, located on Toronto Island. It's a magical spot with carnival rides, pastoral picnic grounds and luscious trees. A favourite destination for tourists, Toronto Island boosts access to little cafes, an outdoor frisbee golf course and there is even a nude beach!

The pic above was taken on the historic Centreville Merry-Go-Round. There are wonderful details to behold and the artistry, painting and attention to restoration is impressive. They have Jack Rabbits and Elephants and Ostriches. I chose to ride a Tiger, for obvious reasons. Below is my new 'cheese' face for mug shots, taken on the Ferry.                                                                                  

 

 This next pic is of me and some of my buddies waiting for and then getting on the Tea Cup ride. We were stirred but not shaken.

Here is me and Dad waiting to get on the Train ride. I was quite happy despite the look on my face. A second later we were growling at the camera but the pic didn't turn out so great. And speaking of turning out great, Dad has confessed that he has been having problems with the blogger program and apologizes for the layout of this post and the fact it's a week or so late. Look out for part two in a few days.
                                                                                 

Ok guys, let me show you something

Hey everybody,

Once again, my apologies for not posting on a more regular basis. As you can see from this photo and the others posted last month, I am going through another major growth spurt. Not only am I getting taller, I'm also going through emotional changes. I've been told that I'm more sensitive (IE:whiny) than usual but can also flip pretty quickly and become rambunctious, jolly and full of life. 

In other news, it should be noted that my speech is coming along nicely and I've been making proper sentences for months now. My favorite phrase is," Ok guys, let me show you something," or " I can do it by myself !" and when necessary, " Let's make a deal guys OK?" Clearly, I love to negotiate and be a diplomat. Right now, I refer to everyone as 'guys' and I'm not sure why.

I'm still obsessed with Franklin the Turtle books and DVD's,        the TV show 'Dinosaur Train' and most super heroes. I also have this fondness for the Jerry Sienfeld  'BEE Movie' and I have three little promo-characters that I like to play with and build block houses and 'Bee-vhicles'. I am getting really good at puzzles and my painting/drawing is developing quite nicely. I'm making lots of new friends at the park by my house and have been enjoying the birthday party season. Daycare is still going well although the novelty has worn off slightly. But when I ride my new Radio Flyer trike to the program,  I feel like a King.

Although I still try to fit into the baby swing seat at the park ( see photo) it is obvious that I am way too big now. This is sort of the theme for me lately. I'm still in many ways a 'babe' however, I appear much older and more developed than I sometimes act or behave.This my friends and family, is the joy of being a 3 year old and I look forward to the day when my developmental benchmarks match my size, stature and energy.

Love to you all  Jd :)

Darling don't you go and cut your hair...

   Here is Jonah at the local Barber Shop waiting to get his curly locks chopped off! 

 

And here is Petra working her magic...

 

And the results are in....

(Sorry the photo is a bit blurry but you get the idea)

Daddy D