Train and Ferry rides

We have been watching "Daddy's green and white train" for a couple weeks now. The station is right across the street, but I haven't mustered up the courage to take the boys until today. Dan had to go in a round, so we met him later in the morning downtown. The boys were in heaven! Here they are at the station. Jack was very concerned about the yellow line. He wanted to police the people who were stepping on it since it is Sooooo dangerous. Calvin just decided that we should all stand in the middle of the sidewalk, far from the yellow line to be super safe. Sounds about right.

To get to this point we had to go up and down many stairs. I took Luke out of the stroller to carry both, and before I knew it, Luke was tumbling down the concrete stairs! Thankfully he was more shaken up than hurt, but man, that was scary.

The ride was worth every dollar for these guys. Luke was a little more tentative...not sure he likes the motion from his sweet whimpers.

Calvin listened to every word from the loud speaker, informing Jack all about it. "Jack, after Mimico is Long Branch." "Next is Exhibition." Jack just liked determining if the train was going faster or slowing down.

We then took an impromptu ferry ride from downtown to an island in the Lake. 

The view from the ferry was amazing. 

Here was the view from the island! I couldn't believe how many people came for the day....ferry after packed ferry....thousands of people! 

Later tonight we had a picnic near the lake and went on a walk/bike ride. We passed this little park along the way.

Hello Canada

We are settled in Toronto and adjusting to being Canadian now. It sure is different from North Carolina...though is it is about as familiar as you can get for being outside the US, it still feels foreign.  I wasn't really expecting that. The money is different, the temperature is in Celsius, and I have to try to convert my recipes to the metric system.  Not to mention, foods that have become staples for us cost an arm and a leg here. So, I'm learning to live apart from lots of cheese, chocolate, and dried fruit. On the other hand, Oreos and ice cream and potato chips are super cheap. Not quite a fair nutritional trade! The hardest thing so far is that so many people speak languages I don't know....makes it hard to meet new people at the park. Now they need to have kids my kids ages and speak English!! It is shaping up to be a tall order!

The boys have been so patient with the move and have been mostly happy. However, I can tell they are ready for some good sleep (all 3 in one room makes for later nights and earlier mornings) and friends. They have bee pretty whiny and bickering the last few days. Dan got the boys some new Duke gear and gave it to the when we got here....they are loving it!

As for our days, they have have been pretty similiar to life in the states...lots of walks/bikes rides and finding construction wherever we can watch. There is a park right across the street with an amazing play structure and spash park....so thankful!

We rode our bikes to this little beach the other day before Dan started work. Lake Ontario is so beautiful!

My favorite part of being here so far is this view from our apartment. I kind of feel like we are getting away with something, it is so good! Jack especially loves looking out at all the sailboats,  motorboats, and barges in the water.

I think Calvin would say that driving this tractor with Doctor Irish (Dan's new boss) is his favorite. I am so thankful that Dan gets to work with such a great man! He was a great teacher to the boys. He let the steer their way in and out of tree branches as they learned to drive. I loved watching him laugh while ducking out of the way of branches and smile as Jack went around and around in the same little circle.

In honor of Canada Day we went to a Rib festival yesterday and had some Kentucky ribs. Man were they good! At night everyone sets off fireworks, and from our balcony we could see 4 or 5 professional displays in the distance as well as lots of people setting off fireworks in the park across the street. Amazing!!! Like our own private display! 

Good bye Durham

Durham we miss you! We miss you friends. We still talk about you around the table and refer to you in our daily activities. Yesterday we were watching the fireworks, and Jack said "Lauren would love this!" Calvin was telling me about how Emma calls him "Cal" and how he likes it.  We miss our little habits of life in Durham. I turned on the dryer this morning. It sounds a little like our old garage door opening, so Luke said "daddy home!" even though we are on the 9th floor with no semblance of a garage door here! The list goes on...

Here are some pictures from strawberry picking, girls night, maple view farms, and just hanging out on the driveway from our last few weeks in Durham!

Kim's visit

There are so many sweet memories from my time with Kim and her family. This one might take the cake…. At the museum, Teddy and Luke pushing the stools around together while the big kids played with blocks.

Here are the rest!

Halloween

We had a very eventful day yesterday for Halloween. At co-op in the morning, a team of firefighters came to talk with the kids about safety. One of them got all suited up in front of the kids and then crawled around the room so the

Calvin was brave to walk through the firetruck on his own…

We went to Ihop for some free "scary face pancakes." Pancakes with candy on top. Oh, man. They loved them. What was I thinking?

Then we went to our good neighborhood friends' house to play, eat dinner, and go trick or treating. Last year was sweet going around the neighborhood with just our little family, but this was so much better even. This little team on 4 was on a mission to go to each door yelling "trick or treat" before the door was even opened. I loved seeing them all so confident together! The boy in the football outfit is Sam….Cal's good, good buddy. And his sister Lauren (being as dog as she always pretends to be!) Jack calls his best friend. So sweet to have such good friends so close to us!

Luke was only a half step behind all the big kids. Dan and I would hold him, but he would squirm down to waddle with his little bucket up to each house. I had to dump his bucket out after each house because he enjoyed putting all his candy into each house's bucket…sweet buddy!

Follow the Addie

If our time with Kim, Jason, Addie, and Teddy were a movie, it would have been called Follow the Addie. I don't think I talked to Calvin directly more than a handful of times over the week. Even breakfast conversations between he and I went something like this:

Me: Calvin, what would you like to eat this morning?
Calvin: Addie, what are you going to have?
Addie: (whatever she said that day)
Calvin: I want what Addie is having.

Calvin made his drawings to match Addie's exactly, he repeated what she said, and he was always a half step behind her right shoulder eager to do whatever she decided to do.

Walking around the museum...

Waiting for the balls to drop on their heads at Marbles.

Going on bike/scooter rides...

Hanging out a Duke Gardens...

Flying a kite...

And having a sleep over each night...

It is so sweet to me that the boys love being with their big cousin. She is very good to them, so I can see why they love her!  I so loved being with Addie, too. What a great oldest role model for our extended family!

The one prayer I have after this week is for Calvin's little heart as he grows up (and my heart, too). I see this tendency in him to latch onto other people, disregarding what he usually would say or do to follow them. While I love that he likes to be with friends, I pray that his heart would pursue and follow Jesus alone. He is the only one worthy. 

Psalm 62:5-8

"Find rest, O my soul, in God alone:

my hope comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;

He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

My salvation and my honor depend on God;

he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

Trust in him at all times, O people;

pour out your hearts to him,

for God is our refuge"