Lala

Around the time I turned one, my parents bought me a wooden rocking horse, which I immediately adored.  I would seesaw back and forth on him singing, "la la la la," hence Mom and Dad christened him Lala.  We introduced Eliot to Lala at grandma's yesterday; as evidenced by the photos, I'd say they hit it off.

Giddy up!

La la la la

Fast friends

Family Reunion

With much joy, Holly and I welcomed Jean and Eliot home from Whitehorse yesterday. Sounds like they had an exciting second week of holiday filled with another trip to the cabin (and a dip in Marsh Lake!), walks along the Millennium Trail and lots of socializing.

Helping with the housework

At the Cabin with Nana

The Picturesque Marsh Lake

Pooped after so much fun!

More Bookish Thoughts...

As much as I enjoyed Elizabeth Hay's Giller-winning "Late Nights on Air," I didn't find it captivating or engrossing. Thus, I began "Alone in the Classroom" with some trepidation, not confident it would sustain my interest. Turns out I had nothing to worry about. 

From the first chapter of this exquisitely-written book, the story had me hooked. In 1937, a girl picks chokecherries on an Ontario hillside but in the next paragraph is found dead. Perspective shifts to the present as the narrator reads a newspaper article on the mysterious tragedy written by the young Connie Flood, whose perspective then takes over, transporting the reader to small-town Saskatchewan a decade before the murder. 

And so the novel progresses, shifting seamlessly between voices and generations as the plot unfolds. Connie takes center stage, a first-time teacher confronting her fear of rejection and moulding an undiagnosed dyslexic student. Her principle, Parley Burns, appears as a stoic, dedicated but hollow man who casts a shadow of sexual menace over the school. Hay's characters are so rich and rounded that they truly come alive as the author builds narrative tension. Daily incidents emerge like revelations thanks to acute, simply beautiful prose. 

Time accelerates in the final third of the novel as the network of stories grows. Connie slowly moves into the background and her niece, the narrator, takes over. Here, the book loses some momentum and becomes less engaging, though certainly not to the point of boredom. Ultimately, the novel focuses on family; the narrator admits that she has learned about her mother's life sideways through stories of feuds, loves and mistakes. "A hidden symmetry is often at work as we stumble our way through life," she finds as she luminously works her way through history. "You touch a place and thousands of miles away another place quivers. You touch a person and down the line the ghosts of relatives move in the wind."

Happy 3/4 Birthday!

It's exciting, it's shocking and it's true: Eliot is 9 months old today.  Some vital stats for the memory book:

Weight - 18 lbs
Number of teeth - 8
Favourite foods - banana, prunes, pears, oat cereal, carrots, broccoli, peas, sweet potato, tofu, chicken and anything else Mama K can think of to grind up.
Favourite past times - Jolly Jumping, reading (and eating) books, relaxing in the garden, playing with stacking cups, furniture walking, crawling towards Holly's dishes, socializing with Mama J
Vocabulary - "dadadad," "bababa," "blah blah" and much unrepresentable vocalic experimentation
New tricks - picking a toy up off the floor while holding onto something with the other hand, taking assisted steps, scarily competent commando crawling, sitting down from standing with minimal plunkage, baby downward dog.

Larger Than Life

Whoever came up with Yukon Tourism's slogan certainly captured the essence of the territory.  I had a wonderful time last week exploring a tiny fraction of the wilderness near Whitehorse: a day hike up Mt. Lorne, near the junction of the Alaska and Klondike highways, and another up White Mountain, 6km down the road to Atlin.  Mostly perfect weather, astonishing scenery and a steadfast, adventurous companion made for an unforgettable few days.

One of many ridges on Mt. Lorne

An unwelcome reminder of the Chilkoot's scales!

Starting our descent

Little Atlin Lake through the clouds on White Mountain

Limestone cliffs

Exploring a cave after some "off-roading!"

Rest assured, Eliot is having his own northern adventure.  What with playing at neighbourhood parks, reuniting with old friends and experiencing summer at the cabin, can he be anything other than a sourdough?

Through the tunnel  

At the cabin with Grandpa

Playing with Peregrine

Refueling for more fun!

Ganbare Nippon!

Congratulations to the japanese soccer stars on an incredible World Cup victory over the powerful USA.  The team played with talent, grace and composure, coming from behind twice to finally win in a shoot-out.  A historic, well-deserved win for a nation I hold in the highest esteem.  

More Outdoor Fun

The social engagements of summer continue!  Yesterday, Jean took Eliot to his buddy, Gabe's, first birthday party and today we all went to Tom's and Cheryl's for a lovely lunch.  They have a Quebecoise exchange student, Celia, staying with them, who joined us and made fast friends with the babe.

The Baby Talk Gang

Enjoying the party favours

Fun with Celia

Splish Splash

Another busy and beautiful day!  Big sister Sarah came over in the afternoon and joined Eliot in his first backyard swim.  The two of them also played the drums, sang songs and enjoyed story time.  Huge thanks to Andy for the paddling pool and to Sarah and Joanne - Eliot had a blast today!

Fun in the pool

Ahhh...refreshing!

Story time

Summer Time

We haven't enjoyed much summer weather yet but we did take advantage of the glorious sun yesterday.  Jean and Eliot sat out in our garden with books and toys in the early afternoon; then, we went to Grandma and Grandad's for an al fresco visit complete with singing and guitar playing.

Finally some sun!

Singing some old favourites

Clap clap for Grandad

O Canada

Happy 144th Birthday to our incredibly vast and inspiringly beautiful country!  I feel so fortunate for a citizenship that grants me the promise of freedom, the right to marry and a safe environment in which to raise my son.

Standing on guard for Thee