Claire Visits Oma and Grampa Mac

We were graced today with a lovely visit from Claire with her mom and dad. After lunch we took a walk to the local playground where we took some photos.

Look, Dad - no hands

The high point (low point?) was stomping around in some mud. See the video. 

Chilling out with Oma

When we arrived back at our house Claire wanted Oma to take her down to our workshop/toolshed which has taken Claire's fancy. She simply wanted to chill out with Oma sitting in a "big" chair.

Thank you, Geoff and Miriam, for a lovely day with your daughter. Well try to arrange for some more mud next time.

March fun in Peterborough with Jonty!

We received this email from Luisa today:


Hello everyone!  We hope this email finds you well.  We were blessed with a week of summer this month, it was fantastic!  Jonty adored being outside--the poor kid can only remember outside involving a snowsuit, boots, scarf, hat, and mitts...and now to be able to go with no coat and barefoot?!?!  he is going to love it when summer arrives for a longer stretch!

He is doing really well, climbing on everything, picking up speed when he runs, and LOVES going down the slide by himself, whether on his bum, his side or head first!  Tonight we had a campfire in our backyard and Jonty loved watching the fire and swayed in time with our songs...so cute.

Our house renovation starts next week--Mark and his friends will be demolishing the garage next weekend, and then the contractor starts building in May.  We are very excited!

In these photos you will notice many shots of a very retro jacket--yes, that is the one Mark wore when he was in Holland when he was just a bit older than Jonty is now.  Its so cute!

And yes, that is our son putting a worm in his mouth...

the photo in the wagon is him tickling his cousin Claire, 

watching some rugby with Daddy and Grampa Mac,








and to finish, he is giving you all a kiss.

Keep well!

Luisa, Jonty and Mark

    

Jonty in hand-me-downs - from his dad

Mark sent us these two shots of Jonathan Tiago wearing a jacket that Mark had worn around the same age. We bought it for Mark on a trip to Holland in 1980 in the same week of March as Jonty is wearing it now - around the feast of Sint Joep (St Joseph, March 19). We remember because a nearby village celebrated the holiday with a village fair and market that we went to. Miriam managed to lose three helium balloons - crying pathetic, copious tears each time. The last one we lost just before getting to the front door. She has forgotten. I am still traumatized.

Conservative Utopia: At-will employment.

This has to be an extreme of labour deregulation - conservative nirvana?
http://www.thestar.com/mobile/business/article/1149641--why-wearing-orange-shirts-can-get-you-fired-in-florida?bn=1
Sent from my BlackBerry

When facts get in the way of ideology, get rid of the facts

I truly fear for my grandchildren. Seeing a choice between the "Canadian" economy and the environment is based on a false premise that should be immediately obvious to anyone who stops to think. Can you have a sustainable, global economy without an adequate and sustained environment globally?

This is another excellent example of "when facts get in the way of ideology, get rid of the facts." It goes right along with muzzling or axing government employed scientists whose research results do not support the ideology flavour of the day.

Read the following links and be very afraid for the next generations. I challenge you to ask yourself, what is the legacy that we are going to leave our grandchildren? Will it be red or green?

The Globe and Mail - Tories rigged environment committee to gut review process: opposition
Harper Conservatives target environmental reviews - Green Party

Jonty giving Grampa Mac a workout

I really love this. I proudly take personal responsibility for teaching Jonathan to sign "again" as you see him doing in this video. It was very difficult to refuse him but eventually I had to tell him, "All done."

This was taken on February 5, 2012