As promised, I have much to report, despite the glitch that seems to require I type with center justify. Despite that, I am pleased to report that we are all well, although we are all adjusting. Work is keeping me very busy, as all new jobs do, while Shelley is adjusting to be with the girls all day, and as she reminds me, it is ALL DAY LONG. The dogs seem to like the house, despite a yard that is much, much, much smaller than their old yard.
Moving to Canada has also been a good experience for the family. While it is obviously very similar to the US - many of the same brands, etc., it is the little things that have made it a good experience. First, there is much more diversity in Canada, with immigration coming from throughout the world. We have already found a great Vietnamese restaurant, Caribbean place (with oxtail stew), two Greek restaurants, and an all you can eat sushi spot that is our new Tacos el Norte (how we miss you so!!!). The grocery stores are different - smaller with fewer, less familiar choices, which has been a struggle sometimes. Shelley will only go to Whole Foods and Wal-Mart, which means that it's almost like she never left Chicago, except she wouldn't have been so desperate to go to Wal-Mart back home.
So, the pictures below are through about mid-August. In my next post, I will get you all caught up, but here is what you've missed during the time I was too lazy to post. I have provided a couple of videos, one from today, to hold you over until next time.
Happy Birthday, Grandma Susie (and Uncle Steve, too). This is from Harper's baptism, which we never posted pictures from in June.
The Hoschek's all came in out in force.
Posted just because it is a pretty good picture of me . . . and Nana Pat and Harper, too.
Finley was NOT happy at all of the attention Harper was getting at the church. Poor Nana Pat was forced to go outside the chapel to let Finley get her energy out . . . and not ruin the ceremony for Harper. At one point, I think she was going to dive into the baptismal font if that was what it was going to take!
The godparents - and a new record - 3 pretty good pictures of me in a row!!!
So, as you saw before, there go our goods onto the truck. Ontario, here we come.
Finley was pretty good with it all, and seem to really understand what was going on. But she still wanted to know, after the truck left, where was her couch?
So, we got to the house in Oakville, a Toronto suburb, on Friday and had to wait until Monday until the truck would arrive to deliver our things. This is the view from the front door into the house.
Our new kitchen.
Monty leading the nickle tour - what's up there?
Finley's Pepto Bismal colored bedroom. She loves it.
It didn't take Finley long to turn the kitchen into the playroom. I have no idea why she felt the need to go topless, either.
"Oh, Finley, you're so smart. F for Finley." Harper is already try to play to her sister's vanity.
Cousin Kelsey came to the house the week after we moved in to drive back with Nana Pat. Finley LOVED Kelsey and wouldn't leave her side.
We went to downtown Toronto one of the days she was here, and Harper is resting up on the train ride down.
Kelsey, who has started her sophomore year in college took advantage of the 19 year-old drinking age in Ontario to have her first beer EVER (just in case her mother or father see this). She tackled a Guinness, too, but over course she didn't like the taste of beer and just ordered a milk like her parents would have wanted (you're welcome, Kelsey).
Harper has been tackling real food for the last couple of months. Here she is eating a baby biscuit, but she is already up to almost all types of real, soft foods. She's even eaten her mother's homemade pizza and green tea ice cream.
The day downtown left Finley exhausted.
One thing Shelley does like about Canadian grocery stores, perhaps the only thing, is the double seat carts all the store have. Finley likes to sit next to Harper, too.
I know the video was not very clear from last month, but here is proof that Finley was on the roller coaster at the Lake County Fair. I know this is out of order, but this stupid blog program won't let me move it up in the right order.
This video makes me laugh. It is about 3 weeks old, but the only difference is that Harper just goes faster. She is doing great developmentally - she is on the move, she will pull herself up onto things, etc. The only thing -- she refuses to crawl on her knees. As you'll see here, she army crawls everywhere. She can shimmy all the way across the house, but only on her belly. Even today, three weeks later, she will crawl with her hands full of things, so she is quite good, but still as though she is in boot camp.
Finley's favorite song is California Girls by Katy Perry. As you will kind of hear, she loves to dance to it. Sadly, she dances as though she is the love child of Elaine from Seinfeld and Shae, but at least she loves the arts. This is from about two weeks ago.
So, as I close out, a tease for the next posting and a link to the video above. This is from this afternoon while we were driving to the store. I was trying to sing along, when she told me I should just listen to Katy. Then she started singing and it just made me laugh. Enjoy.
Next week I will post pictures from Finley's first dance class, Harper and Dixie, and more. Sorry for the delay in posts, but as I get into a routine, I hope to return to my weekly or biweekly posts. I hope you all are well.
