Tartan scones

Sunday morning Smallest made us pancakes for breakfast.  After some games, table tennis and jigsaw, Grandma, Small amd I went into Port Perry for the Tartan parade.  We weren’t sure what to expect or how much of a parade it would be.

It wasn’t much.  Lots of bagpipers, a marching Scottish band, lots of people in tartan and they all walked up the main road, then dispersed.  We later found out it was a whole day of things, including church service, dinne, dance etc.  We grabbed a Gelato, watched the parade and followed them and then perused a few shops, bought sausages and had a nice little lunch before walking by the lake and buying a few essentials for dinner,
.

Chocolate. Salted caramel and sorbetto

Smallest had a football practice which Huffle and Grandad went to and we all met back at home later.  Grandma and I put dinner together and Grandma made scones which we had afterwards.  Yum yum.  Smallest ate his in the bath!

All of us played Rumoli (card game) and watched TV before bed.

Compo, Aunt Sally and a case of marmalade

Grandma and Grandad arrived on Tuesday just as the snow was disappearing.  Since they have been here we have had several snow flurries and blizzards but nothing too bad!  They came carrying their usual haul of goodies and very little clothes for themselves.

On their first full day, we went and collected my new car (new to me, not new new but a terribly good deal despite it being six years old with just 7,000 km on the clock, heated leather seats, blue tooth and rust proof paint (as used on submarines).  On their second day here, my car wouldn't start and the
garage had to collect it and fix it.  All good now!

Photo credit Peter Hall and his new camera phone

On their third day the Boys had a day off school (PA Day) and we took them for haircuts while Grandma and Huffle swept and mopped the floors and Grandad and Smallest built Smallest's new desk chair.  We ended the day going out for dinner.

Saturday we watched our respective football games.  Stoke fans in the loft and Leicester fans in the living room.  In the afternoon we packed a lunch and went off to the Scouts for Smallests 18 wheeler race.  He was doing okay but both him and Ew lost out to faster and better trucks.  Smallest was a bit upset but a quick trip home and then off to the Maple Syrup Festival and he forgot all about it,

We learned all about how the Syrup was collected and boiled in Settlers times and then how it was done on modern times.  We got to try some, wandered the Maple Trail and went and had dinner out.

In the evening we all went off to watch Small’s final football match.  He got a medal but we’re not sure where he came due to some scullduggery.

Catch-up of 2019

Well I often write this blog in my head on a day by day basis, but actually sitting down to write it is another matter.    So I haven’t written since Jan and now it is already April.  What have we done?

I continued with pottery and made some lovely things, some terrible things and some good friends.  I should have started a new course ast Friday but injury postponed it.  More about that later. 

The boys also had a go at pottery and both got to go on the wheel.  Smallest prefers to handbuild but Small was happy on the wheel and they both made some lovely pots.  

Smallest has been accepted again for his football team which makes him very happy.  He has scored a couple of goals and sometimes played in his favourite position (midfield) but mainly he’s the force on defence, chopping everyone down who goes near him.   

Small too has been continuing with his football and is now in the playoffs.  So far he has played three and won two with five goals on each game and a draw on the last one so they must be at or near the top.  He has also scored a couple of goals but like his brother, is firmly at the back stopping anyone getting near him.  He growled as he ran the other day and got told off by the referee and the opposition coach.  Big babies!

Smallest has played in Dodgeball and Cricket Tournaments for school and took part in the Battle of the Books this week.  It was very geeky and exciting.  They didn’t get through to the next stage but he said he enjoyed it.  He’s been a busy boy.  Both are in their school bands and we have a Bandextravaganza in April where they will both perform for the first time.  Should be good.

 

We have had plenty of snow and ice and weird weather but I think maybe now it truly is Spring.  Last week at the greenhouse, I saw snowdrops emerging.  There are some leafs emerging in our garden, daffs I think. It’s been a really long hard winter and I can’t say I’ve really enjoyed it. Smallest went snowboardong with school and passed all his classes and is now a fabulous little boarder.  Small has been a few times with Huffle where they met up with Smallest too.  One day on the slopes, Small was
told his ‘son’ was an excellent snowboarder.  Small is very very tall and probably does look like a man with all his paraphernalia on but to call Smallest his son, that was funny.  Huffle took me
boarding one day in the week when it was quiet.  We practically had the slopes to ourselves.  I still
hate the chair lifts though.   We all went sledging one day which was fun.  No injuries but
lots of laughs.

Because of the snow, we had lots of ‘snow days’ where the school buses were cancelled.  In this case, Small can’t go to school because if a big bus can’t drive, then neither can I.  All of his work is on his laptop so he can continue.  Smallest always wants to go so we walk and although it’s only 1.5km, it’s a hard walk and means it’s 6km of tough snow walking for me backwards and forwards.  Good for my thighs though ha!  On one of the days where he decided he didn’t want to go to school after numerous snow days and walking, everyone in his class went except for him and everyone was really worried about him because it is so out of character.  I felt a bit guilty but once in a while isn’t bad.

During February we went into Toronto and visited Graffitti alley.  We have been before but it does change quite a lot.  We also went to the Light Festival at the Distillery District which is always entertaining.

 Our Hamlet has a winter Carnival which also happened in February.  A parade, food and things to do kept us busy for half a day.  

Huffle had a birthday.  The old man is now 44 and he had his usual request of Victoria Sponge.  We went out at the weekend and had a meal for his birthday and got the waitress to bring us a decadent dessert.  

I’m still teaching my little girl to knit and she has made a bobbly mat and a tumbling bunny.  Next we are making a teddy bear.  

I was asked to make a ‘toothless’ from How to train your dragon and I sold that plus six little dish scrubbies.  Unfortunately I am now not allowed to knit or pot due to a batting cage injury about three years ago.  Something happened to my shoulder and I thought it had healed but it has been causing me a lot of pain.  Then my elbow started hurting so I finally gave in and went to the docs.  Ultra sound, x-ray (still waiting for results), five physio sessions later and now I’m not allowed to do anything.   Grandma and Grandad arrived a few days ago and have taken over food preparing, cooking, cleaning and anything physical I’m not allowed to do.  Thank goodness they arrived when they did.

I did manage to make a cake for Smallest’s twelfth birthday before being given strict instructions to cease all things except clean my teeth and brush my hair!!

Now I've got all that out of the way, I can start writing about the adventures of Grandma and Grandad..........