Goodbye Again

Today Oona tried to feed Foufou and Foufou took a swipe at her with his paw. He didn't actually nik  or harm her, just scared her. Oona cried and was devastated. After we reprimanded Foufou, Oona grabbed her blankey and marched off with her little arms pumping and said, "mommy I want to go home." She had had enough of trying to make friends with Foufou in vain. 

On our way to the airport on the highway, we realized that we did not have the blankey or flankey as Oona calls it. We did an about turn at the next exit, drove back and retreived it.

Here is Sonja in the airport check-in lineup updating Alex. Oona is asleep and Kiefer is asleep in the Baby Bjorn. A few minutes earlier everyone was wailing. 

Favouite Oonism for the day, "I play the flanio."

~I~

Oona Baiken

This morning I asked Oona what she would like for breakfast and she answered, "Bacon and eggs please." So Allan drove to our favourite deli for bacon but  forget the eggs. We finally ate breakfast at dinnertime and Oona had bacon, more bacon and fat puffy chocolate Christmas cookies - that's all. Well the weather is below zero so I figure the freezing cold justifies bacon. Here's Oona feeding bread to swans on Lake Ontario and playing catch with a snowball. In two more days she will jet back to London with Kiefer and her mommy.

Our favourite Oonaism so far, "Just a minute, I thinking 'bout things."

~I~

Teeth

We are a little bit fixated on teeth. Here is Oona checking out the teeth of the bear that welcomes people to a shop on the main drag in Oakville. And here is Oona using the rubber resistance band to do"excises" with Nana. Oona counts with me and as I do my repetitions. 

This morning, for a about a half an hour, Oona  quietly, carefully, with great concentration, pealed two hard boiled eggs and nibbled until she had eaten all the white and left the yolk. At Omi's house in Kent last summer, she took an egg from the larder, shook it to her ear and asked, "a chick in dere?"  Sonja and I tried desperately to explain that a mother hen sits on the eggs to warm them and then the yolks turns into baby chicks.

 Our  early morning, leisurely peeling hard boiled eggs in peaceful bliss, was disrupted. Everyone got up, the phone rang, the doorbell rang, Kiefer cried a most persistent very loud cry, Sonja was in the shower and Allan yelled, "Innnngriiiiid, dooooo something!"

~I~

Snow

And More Snow

Last night before bed, Oona sat on the window seat and watched giant snowflakes float down on our little pond. This morning woke up to a white ground, white roof-tops and a frozen white pond. Sonja had to buy winter boots before the day’s activities which included going to see great grandma Galberg for lunch. Here is grandma Galberg and Kiefer. By mid-day the sun shone and the roads were clear. Then off to Chris and Marianne’s for the evening where  Oona made chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles with Marianne, played with Uncle Chris in the snow, and enjoyed her favourite dinner. Pasta! Phuew! What a social schedule! Then home to sit with granddad on the comfy couch with milk and a huge bowl of fresh popcorn and “one more episode of Winnie –the –Pooh.” We have seen all the Winnie videos the library owns - maybe more than once.

~I~

No Swimming Today

Today we packed our swim bags and with great excitement arrived at Oona's favourite pool only to find classes in progress and no swimming for us. (better we should study the timetable brochures) So here we are at twilight with plan B.

We visited the nearby lakeside park where Oona ran around the bandstand, touched the moose and said to me, "Nana it's not real."  We did not last long as we left our mittens behind and the temperature approached zero.

Both Oona and Kiefer saw and chatted on ichat with their daddy in London. Kiefer tries very hard to communicate.

Oona's computer skills astound me. She plays on a kid's site and knows exactly where and how to point the mouse and click.

~I~

The Past Few Days

Most of Oona's outdoor activity around here consists of chasing Foufou, our cat, around the house, under the bushes and among the flower beds. Foufou trys to avoid Oona at all costs and Oona becomes very frustrated. Finally! here he sits with her as they both watch Winnie the Pooh bed time video. Oona leans away from Foufou because if she sits too close the cat leaps away. She did reach over to pet him but asked first, "he bite me?" She told us all on her own, "Button bites people, Jack Growls and Beano is a good dog."

We all went to the wedding of Kristi and Jon who came to Kent to Sonja and Alex's wedding.
Their most moving ceremony encorporated elements from two traditions - Jewish (Jon) and Lutheran (Kristi) .
During the speeches, the comment that made me chuckle the most ; Jon spoke of his Granny who " found time to not only knit hats for him but also balaklavas for the Israeli army."

Kiefer and Oona were in good care with Allan's brother and his wife who reported that Oona went to bed like a little angel.

Earlier in the week Chris had a how-to-change-a-nappie lesson by Sonja demonstrated on Kiefer. Marianne is expecting a baby girl in mid February.

~I~

Shopping Day

Well no one would believe the parsnip with the spaghetti roots at the Winter Fair, so here is the picture. And here is Oona grocery shopping at Whole Foods. The little car is attached to the buggy and Oona did not want to leave it. We also went kiddy shoe shopping and Sonja bought Oona and Kiefer running shoes. We had to estimate when Kiefer would be running.

Grandad took Oona swimming at a fantastic kids pool she loves -warm water, waterjets and a waterfall and all kinds of water toys.

Alex left  for a quick family visit to New York on a little airline that flies from the Toronto Island airport - which is situated at the bottom of down town Toronto just off shore - and will return tomorrow.

~I~

Royal Winter Fair

Today we all went to the huge Royal Winter Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto. The fair is the largest indoor fair and equestrian competition in the world and has been held every year since 1922. Growers, breeders, exhibitors from all over Canada and some international come to exhibit their animals and compete for the best cow, horse, goat, pig or vegetable.

Kiefer and Oona liked the billy goats. Oona fed a little goat that followed her around the whole fence periphery. She said, of the little goat, "He's my best friend."

We liked these two cozy piggies.

Some of the root vegetables looked very strange - parsnip roots with tendrils that looked like spaghetti, beet roots the size of small pumpkins, sunflowers that reached to the ceiling of the industrial building.

This pumpkin weighted 952 pounds. The first place prize pumpkin weighed in at 1,234 pounds!

We stayed too too long with so very much to see that Alex and Sonja had noisy and cranky ride home in the evening rush hour with both kids crying in the back seat of their car.

~I~

Buggy Bike and Sidewalk Art

Here we are again. This time in Canada. Sonja, Alex, Oona and Kiefer arrived safely and reported that no one cried on the flight. Yesterday Alex biked into town with the yellow bike buggy attached to Allan's bike. Both Alex and Oona had a dental checkup - Oona's first. Oona sat in the chair with one leg bent and crossed over the other at the knee and allowed me to check, polish and apply flouride to her teeth while she held mister thirsty (saliva ejector). She was sooooo relaxed. Easy, as if it were nothing. Then again she had watched her daddio and he is also very relaxed. She pushed all the buttons on the chair and gave him a ride up and down, backwards and forwards and laughed.

Then we went home and did a little bit of sidewalk art with sidewalk chalk which will wash off in the rain. Oona wanted to keep her bike helmet on!

Kiefer smiles and sleeps and eats and kicks.
All for now.

~I~

Bye Again. Posted from Canada

Good-bye again! I will continue this blog in November when S ans A and Oona and Kiefer will come to this side of the pond.

~I~

Last Blog Sun Sept 6th

Today is my last full day and evening with Alex, Sonja, Oona and Kiefer. I leave tomorrow for Canada. We stretched today and went shopping and for a long lunch at the Fish restaurant at an ancient market on the Thames called the Borough market. We needed elocution lessons from Alex on how to pronounce the word 'Borough'. Canucks. Can't do it.
We bought ducks eggs and shrimps and herbs and I could have spent hours at the mushroom stand there were so many different kinds. Food stands everywhere sold samples of international wares and the aromas were mouth watering.
Here's Oona in the top bunk of the 'Phil and Teds' pram in the rain. Kiefer is tucked underneath in a little sack-like carrier that swings gently from side to side. He slept for the entire trip in his cocoon.
Sadly packed my bags tonight.

Will miss everyone and writing about everyone. Allan is staying for one more week. I will try to get him to continue this blog. He says no at this time.

Farewell, Goodbye, Adieu, Uz Redeshanos ,

~I~

Biking in the Kitchen

Today Oona practiced biking in the kitchen because rain poured down for most of the day.
We did get out for a little while.

But mostly she climbs on and off and pedals backwards fast. I think she has to grow into her bike a bit.

She also checked out how all the bicycle parts move and got her fingers caught in the chain. We managed to untangle her fingers with no damage and lots of tears.

Kiefer practiced sleeping in the new pram. Bottom bunk for him and top for Oona.

~I~

Adverse Camber Thurs Sept 4th

Allan noticed this road sign as we crossed Baker St. leaving Regents Park after seeing Gigi at an open air theatre -wonderful acting, lighthearted and funny and the older main character was the lead in Fiddler On The Roof which we saw on our honeymoon first trip to England 37 yrs ago!

The meaning of the sign and what one should do behind the wheel generated much conversation on the way to dinner, during dinner and after dinner.

In Canada, you would have to pull over and consult a dictionary , in France you would have no sign and just spin off the road, but here they are nice enough to warn you, I'm not sure of what. Alex did try to clarify.

I thought that because the road curved to the outside, the centrifugal force would spin my car off the road and the sign was an actual warning to slow down. But Alex and Allan tried to explain to me that the pavement has a convexity on the outside edge rather than the inside edge where it would benefit the driver. But guys know all this. I figure my outside wheels would cause lift off and into orbit I would go.

Am trying to get a picture of Oona on her birthday two wheeler bike with training wheels. Will avoid adverse cambers.

~I~

'tember 2nd, 'tember 2nd

'tember 2nd, 'tember 2nd

Here's Oona on her long awaited 'tember 2nd, 'tember 2nd third birthday. Alex set up an easel with canvas on the roof terrace and all eight of Oona's party friends painted a swirl on the canvas. A great success to be repeated, and a keepsake. We also made hats. But most of the hat materials like pom poms and stickers, crayons and teeny specks of glitter decorated the floor.

We bought a plain chocolate cake which S and A decorated with smarties. One little friend leaned over his cake plate, squashed his slice and picked all the smarties one by one off the cake and popped them into his mouth. Hot dogs, ketchup and mustard were served as the main course. Most of the guest ate the dogs and left the buns.

A good time all in all.

~I~

Allan Arrived Mon Sept 1st

Allan arrived last night with a double decker 'Phil and Teds' stroller or pram in local lingo, Canadian gummy bears and presents from Chris and Marianne. Here's Allan with his introduction to grandson Kiefer. We set Allan to work immediately -jet lag and all - as Sonja and I had to shop for Oona's B-day party tomorrow.

Allan's work consisted of taking Oona to the park in the morning and then looking after Oona AND Kiefer for one and a half hours this afternoon.

He passed the test! Sonja and I came home to a quiet house. We found everyone zonked and snoring on the couch.

~I~

On My Own. Sat Aug 30th

Today I wandered down a street that had FOUR shops of shoe stores with size 10 and up!!! My big foot is size 11 and I had choices like never before. As I browsed from shoe store to shoe store, a person followed me. I don't think intentionally. But this person also was looking for very large size woman's shoes. At first when I heard the voice of this person, I thought, "What is a man doing in this ladies shoe shop". Then I looked. This person was about 70 yrs, over 6 feet tall and definately a man with size 15 shoes (I watched him/her trying a pair) dressed like a woman. We even commiserated on lack of selection for our big feet. I bought some funky shoes.

Oona was off with mummy and daddy and Kiefer choosing pink streamers and pink pom poms and pink sparkles to make hats at her B-day party. S and A say they have not taught her be 'pink.'

Tonight Sonja had her first night out for a couple of hours with friends and family. I watched a most delightful Penguin film with Oona and Kiefer.

~I~

Visiting and Zip Cars. Fri Aug 28th

Here's Kiefer visiting Wilfred or "Wilf'. Wilf is 4 months young. His Mummy impressed the heck out of me because she writes for the Economist. London seems full of creative, bright, energetic young people. Wilf has a younger sister named Catherine. Catherine and Oona have a lot in common as they both have to cope with the new interlopers in their lives. Here they are taking their agression out on a piano.

We drove to the visit in a Zip car. Zip cars are a truely brilliant innovation. You rent them by the hour (4 £ per hour), reserve and pay for them on the net, pick them up and drop them off without an attendant, use a membership card to lock, unlock and start the cars, AND this is a big AND you do not have to pay congestion penalty charges for taking a car into central London. The pick up spot is 2 minutes from S and A's house.

Planning for Sept 2nd - Oona's Birthday!!!! Gummy bears are a must.

~I~

Visiting Fri Aug28th

We Did It. Thurs Aug 28th

WooooHoooo we did it! Out the door by 10am, at the pilates studio by 10.45, workout done by 12 noon and then a light lunch.
Kiefer slept in the corner of the studio the entire time without a peep. So he can go for 3 hours now without feeding or burping!
Sonja is not really supposed to exert herself re her abs until 6 weeks postpartum. Today is 5 weeks. She did very well indeed.

The babysitter took Oona to her favourite place - The Ball Room where she says, "I did it!" every time she climbs.

Oona is such a climber. I never would have predicted that as she was a very cautious baby.

~I~

"Pack Pack"

Haircut. Wed Aug27th

Today we took Oona for a haircut. Her hair covered her eyes, looked pretty messy, tangled and green from the pool for a week. She would not let us comb her hair but was fine with the barber. Because he let her watch a music video.
Then met a friend of Sonja's for lunch in St Johns Wood at Carluccio's - a very Italian kiddy friendly place with puzzles and crayons and table toys and lots of other moms and babies making lots of noise and throwing food around. Well, we lasted an hour and a half with the friend who has no children.

Took Oona to a video store with her little pink "pack pack" that Alex's uncle Peter from Florida sent to her as a big-sister-present. Here she is studying the videos as if she can read. She actually picked a good one from looking at the cover pictures. She is so clever.

Tomorrow Sonja and I hope to go for a pilates workout with a friend who runs her own fitness studio.

~I~

By the Pool with Beano and Button Aug24/25

Beano and Button and Muzzles

Beano, and Button in the foreground who looks very guilty, behaved badly by the poolside. Week-end hikers use a marked public footpath that winds through forests, across fields, into quaint little towns and past castles, and right next to a hedge that borders the pool where we swam and lounged at Horns Lodge. Button and Beano heard people walking. They darted through the hedge. We heard a woman's voice.. "Oh look at the cute dogs." Then, "Oh sh..!" Then, "Your dog just bit me!" Then Alex, "I'm so sorry."
We think the culprit is Button but we are not sure.

Button, because she is a mummy dog, thinks her duty is to protect the baby or us or something like that. If enough people complain the town council can request that owners put their dogs down. Hence the muzzles.

Here's Sonja and babies AFTER babies have been bathed, read a story, tucked into bed and supposedly sound asleep. Both wailed at our dinner time - Oona with a nightmare and Kiefer for food. Dinner time seems always to be the most unsettling, especially when Sonja wants to sit down and eat.

We are all back in London. Oona did not want to leave Horns Lodge. She travelled nicely with me on the train and the tube. Caribbana-like festival is on this entire week-end in London. We could hear the parade music from S and A's place.

~I~

Walking and tree climbing

Walking in the Countryside Fri Aug22nd

Jack usually ignores Oona. But here he is on a lead pulling Oona up a hill in a vinyard. If Oona stopped. Jack stopped. He waited for whoever lagged behind, and came back to us as if to say, "come on then". He is an old dog yet leaped over footpath stiles and ran down a hill with Oona. I have never heard Oona laugh so much. `
We stopped to look at cows and Oona said, "I scared." We saw 'sheeps' and billy goats and more chickens, and thatched roof cottages and listened to a rustle in the forest and Oona said,"Oh, fairies."

Came back a bit tired and I had to carry Oona up a hill. Sonja stopped to feed Kiefer while Oona and I gathered blackberries.

At Grandad and Omi's home when I look after Oona and cannot see her, sometimes I call out "What are you doing?" She usually answers and tells me. But sometimes she says very sweetly, "nothing." Then I look. I have caught her poking a long stick at the chicks, or doing something else that she knows she ought not to. "I naughty," she says.

Am learning...or rather relearning.

~I~

Kiefer 4 weeks young

"I ready" Thurs Aug21st

Oona's favourite chores consist of feeding the fish, feeding the baby chicks and feeding the dogs with Grandad. Whenever he asks her to and come help, she quickly puts on her little pink wellies- on opposite feet sometimes - and says, "I ready." In London for her to get ready with me I have to bribe with gummy bears. I know, I know, but gummy bears have the least sugar and consist mainly of gelatin and flavouring.

Went to the Bottle House pub for a light lunch and a dark ale. The pub is a few centuries old. It has low ceilings and one old low beam over the bar has a bumper cover to prevent someone braining themselves. The pub made me think of the old English novels I have read- weary travellers on horseback stopping at the roadhouse in the rolling hills for a rest.

Supermarket eggs will never taste as good to me as Omi's eggs that Oona collects every morning. The egg yolks are so very yellow or "lellow" as Oona says . The taste and texture makes other eggs pale in comparison.

Kiefer sleeps in the fresh air among the rosemary bushes that grow all year long and do not freeze in the winter as ours do.

Oona's evening activity was to show her daddy how she could climb like a mountain climber, placing her hands and feet carefully on the shelf edges, to the top shelf of the floor to ceiling bookcase in the sitting room.

~I~

Rainy Monday Aug 18th

This morning Oona gathered one egg with Grandad and very very carefully brought the egg to Omi. Sigi drove Kiefer, Oona, Sonja and me to the Penshurst Castle gardens delightful children's playground where Oona bounced on little carved wooden bunnies on springs and walked balancing on planks a foot off the ground. Very different and innovative. Rained poured down from the skies and we returned home.

Had a long swim in the the warm pool under a misty drizzly sky. Oona had a little swim, warmed up in front of the Aga, and had a long nap. So we are ready to go the Bottle house pub down the lane for dinner tonight, I think.

When we passed the Bottle House pub in the car today Oona said, "That's the pub."