Happy New Year From Lake Louise!

Ski day

Marianne is skiing!! Here she is in class and on the magic carpet. And Kiefer did a few runs with Fabian, though Kiefer points to the gondola and wants to go right up there. Sophie had no trouble on the baby hill and can shuffle along on her own at the base without falling. Temperatures are going down.

Lake Louise

After a four hour flight and two hour car trip we are here in beautiful Lake Louise where the temperature is not too far below zero, the lake is frozen with an ice palace for skating-Oona immediately set to it- and there is lots of snow for our skiing activities. And we just happened to run into Fabian and Annette.

More Food

The oyster schuckers did well doing this dangerous job.











My birds do look leathery but were very tasty. Alex made very delicious goose terrine from the left overs the next day.













And here is great grandma on Santa's knee - a picture from our party one week ago.

24th and 25th

Great grand-mother still looks forward to the Danish Xmas day lunch that lasts for three hours with plenty of Akvavit and Tubourg beer.At 92 she had a shot or two and engaged us in sane conversation about the old days in Denmark. Here's Oona striking a pose. Kiefer and Sophie made lots of noise. Alex and Chris shucked oysters and carved two geese. More pictures to come.

Christmas Activities

Santa came to visit our party on Digby Road with 12 second cousins gathered to say hello. A 13th was born one week ago and a 14th (S and A's) to come in Feb. We attended Sophie's school concert. Sophie is in the front row- green sweater, pink skirt, long blonde hair. She clapped and sang all her songs. Lake Ontario is not frozen yet but we will have ice soon, as temperatures are below zero.

~I~

Museum

We are at the Natural History Museum but camera battery ran out so this is the only picture I have of our outing. Oona and Kiefer are street wise and watch out for each other and me. Oona lost sight of me at the museum and just yelled, NANA!. She also keeps her eye on Kiefer. Amazing! Thank goodness for black cabs in London. I wouldn't have gone any where otherwise. This is a dance party to 'Splish Splash' -Kiefer's favourite that he played morning noon and night. Oona's favourite is 'Purple People Eaters.' S and A come home in the morning.
~I~

museum

museum

museum

museum

Happy Feet

This morning we scooted to a different park for a change. Here is Oona spinning. Then went for Orangina and hot "koklate" as Kiefer says. At 3.30pm we took the bus to Odeon to see Happy Feet 2 in 3D. I had to hold the 3D glasses on Kiefer's nose the whole show as they did not have kids glasses, only very large adult ones. Movie was very dis-
appointing- too violent, earsplitting noise, lousy music, but good ending as Oona said. Kiefer was scared for most of it. I don't know what kids movie makers are thinking.

~I~

Playdates

Kiefer had a playdate today. Lucas, his friend from nursery school came home with us. We spent a long time reaching home because they had to climb fences, look into other peoples mailboxes and lie on the sidewalk. But we made it! Short on pictures because Oona did not go to ballet.
~I~

Dec 1st

The Nisse are back and the Christmas calendars are out with smarties in the window pockets. The countdown for Xmas has begun. S and A left today and the rest of us managed just fine. Very tight schedule with a run in the park after school pickups. The second picture is of Oona practicing a forward step in her fencing class.

Winter London 2011

Picked up Oona from school today and sat in on her fencing class. This is Oona, in perfect form, behind the mask! Oona then showed me,in a street savy way, how to wave down a cab. Kiefer enjoys his after school treat and we met up with Anna, her mom from Rome and grand-
mother from Sardinia. Busy.
~I~

Here's Oona diving at the end of our point. Watching is her best cottage friend Owen. Oona came down alone every day to do partial early morning laps with me. Sophie is every ready for mischief as Kiefer tells her, "No no no we're not allowed." Baby Erik slept a lot and was the biggest angel of all. Oona was very interested in bugs and caterpillars and watched with great wonder as 2 Monarch butterfly caterpillars unfolded and hatched from their chrysalis, dried their wings and flew into the pine trees to ready for their flight to Mexico.

Rainy Day

We have had very few rainy days, but on this one we poured hot water from the sauna into the little pool for an out door bath. We visited cousins up the channel for fishing in their back bay and then a crazy ride on the 'Jumbo Dog.'

Regatta

Oona and her best friend Owen are in the 6 person canoe (white one) race and their boat won! Then tubing with Owen, cool swim and finally a quiet game of chess with grandad.

New Toys

This little sailboat is called a Mirror - English designed but assembled in Canada. Alex found it on the net and Chris hauled it to our cottage. Perfect for kids learning to sail . Rob is a musician freind of Sonja's that came for a visit and formed a little band and sang songs to the kids. Kiefer's favourite Bithday present is the ukele his daddy gave him. Kiefer sleeps with the ukele right next to him.