Murray's Wet Pants

This morning we got up and it was grey. It started raining and carried on for most of the day. We all sat in front of the TV eating our St Lawrence Market pastries watching Murray beat Djokovic. It was a fabulous game and all the adults enjoyed it. The boys payed on the computer in between watching as it was a bit boring for them. We were very pleased Murray won, he deserved it. 77 years since anyone for Britain won. Amazing.

Our resident monkey (Gunkey) watching Murray

Silly me had a wonderful idea of going out to Peterborough to look at the lift lock there. It was an hour and a quarter drive and we all said we didn't mind getting wet. We arrived well after lunchtime and the rain had stopped. We walked around until we found a place claiming to make gourmet burgers. We checked if they did veggie stuff and they did. It was a good choice. Our drinks came in varying sized glass jugs.

Glassy Classy

It took a while for our food to arrive but it was obvious it was freshly made. Meanwhile it started to rain again outside and we were glad we were inside eating.

The boys had a small ice cream served in a jug too, then we braced ourselves for going outside, of course, the rain had got heavier and heavier and we didn't have umbrellas or raincoats. I heard Moo ask "it is July isn't it?". Whoops!

We got well and truly soaked. Right down to our pants (and that's our underpants not our American Pants!)

As we were already wetter than we could ever get, we carried on to the locks to see if we could see anything. The visitor centre was open so we made a run for it. Once through the other side, we could see the lift from the shelter of the roof but still be outside. The kids of course ran off and jumped in all the puddles so we followed them.

On the way, we noticed a boat was in the lift so went a bit closer to see the lift working. It is hydraulic and as one side goes up the other comes down. Very big and very clever. It was built in 1904.

We watched from a window in a tunnel, barely missing the cars splashing us driving fast through the huge puddles. The boys thought it was great. Because we were already so wet, we decided to climb the steps to the other side of the canal and see the lift from the top. There were no more boats unfortunately.

We came away very wet and drove home. I'm glad we went. Moo was happy to have gone. The boys were happy to be messing around in the rain. Huffle was glad he saw the lift working but wasn't too happy about being wet! Oh dear.

 

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Girls shop while Boys play

Moo and I decided to leave the boys at home today and trekked off on our own to Downtown Toronto. We drove to our local town, got on the GO Bus and arrived in time for elevenses. We wandered around the outside craft market first, bought ourselves a couple of bracelets and tested a strawberry dipped in chocolate. Ummmmmmmm. I always say that if I lived closer I would buy my fruit from the market as it looks so much fresher than the supermarkets. We then moved into the market, bought pastries for tomorrow, bought Red Leicester cheese for the boys, tried a couple of different cheeses and headed to the kitchen stall we love. Next we bought some freshly made pasta with Tomato, Alfredo and Pesto sauce for dinner later. After wandering around we left and walked to the Distillary District. Experts now at finding our way, we made it there without a map.

It was a very hot and humid day today and our first stop in the distillary district was a coffee and a cake, basking in the sunshine. We perused the shops, not buying anything and then stopped for a freshly squeezed lemonade with basil, mint, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries which we supped sitting in the sun listening to a blues guitarist. He didn't stay long enough and as we were melting we moved too towards the shopping centre.

We walked for thirty minutes in the sweltering heat, past the Oldtown, past the less salubrious part of Toronto and into the busy Downtown part. We didn't stay in the shopping centre long as we spied a market going on. Little did we know it was an expensive art market. More money than we had to spend so we had a little look around, took photos and then moved on.

Some very strange animal head sculptures in the water

We walked back towards the bus station and then changed our mind and walked to the harbour instead. There we walked (so much walking today) to the ice cream shop, bought one and sat outside watching the boats and the people. We thought we could have sat there all day. We were particularly interested in the boats taking people home to the Islands.

Eventually we moved and walked back to the bus station with minutes to spare before it left. The Blue Jays played today so there were a few supporters on our bus. They lost to Minnosota Twins 6-0.

When we got off the bus, the heat hit us again. Huffle and the boys waited for us to bring dinner back. They had had a fabulous day. Crazy (Mini) Golf, Batting Cages, Ice Creams and then back home for lunch and a swim in the pool and games inside. Huffle said the boys were very good, helpful and polite. Super.

We all had dinner and the boys watched TV before bed while Moo, Huffle and I checked out the vegetable garden. Everything is coming along beautifully. The courgettes are growing, the peas are podding, carrots and parsnips are getting bigger. Lettuces are succulent, beetroots beeting, all beans are yet to produce anything but are flowering. Wahoooooo. Hopefully this year we will be able to eat them before we go on holiday and not leave them for the raccoons to eat. Funnily enough, the rabbits we keep getting in the garden are not bothering with the veg, too much clover in the grass this year. The grass is getting longer and longer but it just doesn't dry out and the mower won't cut it properly. Of course, the longer it gets, the more mosquitoes hide in it! Damn things!

 

 

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No Chips, 2 Chips, Fish and Chips

It rained when I woke up. It stopped briefly. It started again mid morning and stopped. We changed our plans of going to the beachy splash pad and played UPSET instead. We went off to swimming and it was raining again.

Smallest got to sail a boat, very slowly, across the pool. Smallest has one arm and one leg that is stronger than the other, both the same side, which means when he swims he doesn't swim in a straight line.

He looks cute but he's not a natural sailor

Small did his endurance swim and did 16 lengths. It rained some more and we went home, had lunch and the boys had their showers. Moo did her emails and I blogged. It carried on raining. I had a message from Everett back home who said it was a lovely 21* with a great weekend forecast. She was thanking us for sending the sun but I never asked for the rain to swapped!!

We played UPSET again until Smalls friend rang to see if he wanted to go round and play, so I dropped him off and Moo, Smallest and I played Mousetrap instead. Moo jigsawed, Smallest played on the computer and I knitted.

Huffle came home early and we picked Small up and went off for fish and chips. While the boys watched TV, we played table tennis. The aircon is back on as it is sticky humid again! The storm never came though AGAIN!

I have a sore throat which probably means I am getting a cold. Arrrggghhhh. Who gave me that?

 

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No Monkies in Ikea

Everyday, for I don't know how long, we have had storms of 30% forecast. We have laughed in the face of the weather forecasters as each day goes past and still no storms. We did say though, that we thought we would probably get an almighty-send-us-in-the-basement-type storm soon. Last night/ early morning a small one came. Lashings of rain, a couple of loud rumbles and a few strikes of lightning and that was it!

Still it was piddling a bit when we got up, enough to think it wasn't a beach or a pool day. The boys suggested, (yes the boys suggested) that we went to Ikea. So after a morning of showers and writing up of library stuff, we went off in the car to swimming lessons.

After swimming we went to the library and from there drove to Ikea. The boys were troublesome, at first just being silly trying all the chairs and sitting on the fake toilets, and then they got sillier and sillier until we had to keep them apart. Silly to take them there I suppose.

Small standing in front of a huge photo - I thought it looked quite real!

Everyone decided we wanted this sofa - very comfy!

Moo and I used to love walking round Ikea, dreaming of rooms and picking up a multitude of things for the house. This time all we bought was a cup of coffee. Huffle couldn't believe it! We have decided we will only go there in the future if we have something specific we are looking for.

We drove home. It was hot, humid and sticky and the boys decided to go straight into the pool. I went to the Royals to get Mr Royal to countersign Smallest's photo for his passport and then came home and sat around the pool with Moo. Smallest sat in his room chilling out as he was too tired and sensitive to do anything. Small went in the pool.

Moo doesn't need lessons anymore (she wasn't crying just cleaning her glasses)

I made dinner and when Huffle came home we had a roast/BBQ outside. Once finished we all went back in the pool again. It ended in a massive water fight. The boys went to bed very tired. We played table tennis and I beat Huffle. YAY!

We watched the Apprentice.

 

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The Beaches Beach

Smallest came in to us at 4:30am having had a nightmare about a programme that Small and he watched. He wanted to sleep between us and so he stayed with us for a while. It was a hot night and he was very warm and took up a lot of room. Eventually he asked to go back to his room and I escorted him there gratefully, climbed back into my roomy side of bed and fell asleep.

This morning after breakfast, which the boys made,

.........and a getting together of all things beachy plus a picnic, we drove to swimming lessons. I caught Smallest on camera doing some dives.

After a hour of lessons we drove to Toronto to The Beach/Beaches. Apparently if you don't come from there you call it The Beaches and if you do, you call it The Beach. So whatever, despite numerous construction barriers and a detour which sent us in a circle, we made it to a free car park (only because the car park attendant was AWOL and a passing policeman (well I say passing, he was actually riding round in circles on a bicycle) said it was probably free as there was no-one to pay. He also told us how to get to where we wanted to go to and told us to have a nice day.

We only crossed a road and we were on the boardwalk, next to the huge beach. There was a lot of room even though there were many people there. We headed straight for the water and set ourselves down on our picnic rugs.

As soon as we had eaten, Smallest was straight into the water, not swimming but one shoulder went in. Moo paddled. Small went in to his knees. I watched. We read for a bit. The boys built a castle and a hole. Small used his cap as a bucket.

Then we walked along the boardwalk to the park where Moo and I sat and watched the boys play while we drank our coffee out of mugs (no plastic or polystyrene for us!).

We walked up to the main road and got ourselves an ice cream from Marble Slab Creamery. We had only had one of these once a while back. One cone, two scoops of ice cream and a mix-in, all mixed together. Phew we only had a small one and it was huge.

We walked through Kew Gardens and the boys scooted along the paths. We noticed at swimming today that whenever the swimming lady asks Smallest which hand is left he always looks at his hand and then tells her. He has two freckles on his left hand which he says looks like Potato Man therefore he knows this is his left and the other has one freckle which he calls pirate potato man, he knows this is his right! Strange boy. Anyway, we were calling directions to him:- pirate, potato and belly button for straight on, god knows what people must have thought!

We saw some kites flying and decided to check it out and flopped onto the beach near them. We were also near the life guard station where we watched them doing their exercises. The boys were throwing stones at the bank trying to make it fall and Smallest ended up in the water again - he just can't keep away.

It started to get a little cool so we walked and scooted along the boardwalk back to the car with the intention of going home but by the time we got to the other end of the beach, the sun was out and it was lovely. So I searched for food and the others went on the beach near the water. The only thing I could find was hot dogs, so the boys had them while Moo and I ate some biscuits and people-watched. Boy were there people to watch too!

Coffee? HobNob?

Left: Small built a 'SandMan' but Smallest wouldn't get out of it.

Right: Moo being 'raccooned'

Many many many games of volleyball all at the same time.

We stayed there until 7:30pm, walked to the car and drove home. The traffic wasn't too bad and we got home in good time. The boys went straight to bed (9pm by then!).

Huffle was out playing golf and didn't get back in till 9:45. Dirty stop out.

 

We walked a lot today. It was a great day and as I tucked Small up he thanked me for a lovely day out. Ahhh nice.

 

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Fireworks, Cycling, Swimming, Cricket and Badminton

Last night we travelled to Port Perry to see NoCustard and Umbrella who were putting on a dinner before the Canada Day fireworks at the lake. We were greeted by flags and music, the boys were given a frisbee, little windmills and stickers to stick on all the guests. Mr and Mrs Royal came with Drew and Tealady and MrTeaLady came too. Everyone was dressed in red or in Canada tops.

The boys played frisbee and rolling down the hill whilst eating nibbles outside. It was breezy but not cold.

Then we went inside and had a wonderful dinner and dessert and plenty of wine. It was just lovely.

We drove half way to the Lake and then walked the other half. We set up our seats and sat down to watch the fireworks over the lake. They were brilliant.

Not too many oooohs and ahhhhs but we weren't with the main crowds down on the lake front which was probably a good idea as there were many mosquitoes about. The boys loved it and said it was the best.

We walked back to the car, said our thanks and goodbyes and drove home. It was gone 11pm by the time we got home and everyone was tired and went to bed. It was a good night.

TUESDAY

Today the boys got up later (they were warned not to get up too early). After breakfast and a hoover, dust and sweep by Moo and I, we all cycled to the boys Swimming Lesson. Today Smallest had his lesson by himself and he did some diving and some lovely front crawl and back crawl. He was asked to do a forward somersault but he did a backwards one instead. Small swam with two girls, one 12 and the other 13. He had to do many lengths of backstroke, front crawl and breast stroke with a few dives.

We cycled home, Smallest had a couple of bad tumbles and we ended up cycling along the road with Moo and I cycling along their side to help keep them at the side of the road. They did brilliantly.

After lunch we went up to the pool. The temperature in there is down to 22*. Too cold for Smallest who only dipped in and then came out again. Small stayed in for a while.

They both wrote their journals, got bored of the pool and so we decided to cycle to the library. Again we went on the road. I explained the rules of the road to Smallest as we went along and Moo did the same with Small.

At the library we joined the Summer Reading Challenge, got our books, chatted to a lady from the Hamlet, cycled to the park, played, chatted and cycled home on the road. Both very good (oh and Moo was too). The boys sat outside reading their books, Moo emailed and I made dinner which we ate outside when Huffle came home.

Huffle cycled with Small to Cubs - tonight they are at someone's pool. Smallest and Huffle played football and cricket and Moo and I played badminton. Then we all played cricket till we were sent inside by the hungry mossies.

Then Moo and I finished off with a couple of games of Table Tennis after she finished clearing it after our Harry Potter film. Don't tell anyone but she beat me!!!!

 

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Potter!

HAPPY CANADA DAY

Small has a new helmet which he put on back to front by mistake!

Today was the start of the boy's summer swimming lessons. After breakfast and the finish of UPSET, we cycled and walked to the other end of the Hamlet.

We watched Smallest first. He was very good and confident. Small went next, again very good - in fact they both swim like little fishes (well Small is a long fish!).

The Swimming Lady's dog stole Small's croc.

We walked and cycled back, had lunch outside and then the boys journaled and played on the IPad.

I made two lots of flapjacks (the first one was left in too long and we have to eat it, the second one is for NoCustard later).

As the weather wasn't great today (warm but threatening to to rain) we came in and watched Harry Potter 4 (goblet of fire). We all sat in the basement. Moo and I nearly fell asleep. We got ourselves ready and went off to NoCustard's for an evening of food and fireworks over the Lake.

Will report on the festivities tomorrow.

 

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