Santa Claus - 18 Dec. 2010

Last year Santa Claus was scary, this year he was tolerable for William.

Dreaming - 13 Dec. 2010

Is it just me or does it look like she's working out the fingering for a complex violin solo...

All is well that ends well - 4 Dec. - 6 Dec.

Angelic


William loves "his bébé" already.


She is born into a family of remarkable matriarchs.
The meddlesome middle and the urgent, climactic delivery were culminated in a "song of joy" - Caroline. She measures 20" (51cm) and weighs 7.67 lbs (3,365 kg)


Grandma Jean is here! (The subtext on the sign says 3-neuf (39) is e-neuf.) Her entry (and the concurrent start of labour) couldn't have been better timed!

38 Weeks - 27 Nov. 2010

Full-term, baby!

The Seals on the Bus - 25 Nov. 2010

What am I grateful for on Thanksgiving? Ultimately not turkey on the table but "Seals on the Bus." This book has long been a favorite of William's. He has started to sing along - there is no cuter honk, roar, baa, town or end than uttered by him.

36 Weeks - 13 Nov. 2010

36 Weeks seemed unimaginable in August. We feel like we are the benefactors of many prayers and are exceptionally grateful. On Friday, 12 Nov. we had the final sonogram. The baby proved to have the flexibility of a gymnast and the energy of a...toddler! She kicked until she caught her foot and nearly kissed her toes. If I had taken live action video, it would have been worth more than $10,000! She continues to grow well. We can wait to see her, although not much longer. (After months of anxiety over "keeping her in," a few weeks waiting for her to "get out" shouldn't be too excruciating!)

Pink Elephant Baby Shower - 6 Nov. 2010

Joanna Dussault and I collaborated to create a pink elephant themed baby shower. White (also known as pink) elephants are presented exclusively to royalty in Thailand. (This was one of 16 facts shared at the shower on elephants - another favorite was that elephants, like humans whom are typically right or left-handed, are right or left-tusked!) Our "royalty," a soon-to-be-princess, was regally spoiled. The greatest enjoyment was celebrating with family and friends.

All Hallows Eve-Eve - 30 Oct. 2010

All Hallows Eve-Eve was a day for celebration. My incredi-boy and his incredi-papa attended the Branch Halloween Activity. Giant orange balloons that didn't pop were the perfect treat sans trick.
We were thrilled to commemorate 34 weeks. My naturally rounded belly was already pumpkin-esque - a few pieces of black felt basted to an orange t-shirt completed the effect.

William's 2nd Birthday - 3 Oct. 2010

William was Spoiled (note the capital "S") for his 2nd birthday. We celebrated with Maman, Papa, Eve, & Anne - joyful. He was far more fascinated by the musical candle than the homemade mini-cake.

28 weeks!

I am reading one of William's favorite books, "Biz L'abeille," It's about a bee who is asked to rest, but all he really wants to do is "make honey day and night." I empathize with Biz as my 'schedule' has shifted too. We are thrilled to be at 28 weeks - we marked the occasion with photos.

1/2 Pint / (1/4Liter?) - 6 Sept. 2010

Some propose the theory that at age 2, boys have reached half their height. William's not waiting for the "other half" before hitting the courts. In the background is the original Marché Maissonneuve built in 1918.

Granby Zoo - 10 Aug. 2010

We visited the Granby Zoo with Nelly and Hubert. The park issued a passport for the simulated "African Jungle" we wove through. My feelings softened towards these animals in penthouse prisons after having read the thoroughly and thoughtfully prepared guidebook. (Thorough and thoughtful always get me right in the frontal lobe!)
Perhaps some of the most unexpected sightings were of "free range" bats and wallabies. William, who met the Australian exports at eye-level, spoke Wallaby with Dr. Doolittle-like fluency! Fun!

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory - 7 Aug. 2010

The flavor graveyard and park were as entertaining as the tour - The "dairy-air" joke made me laugh like a 12-year-old boy. Writing this creates an immediate "Chunky Monkey" craving. (I'm easily enticed lately...)

Could cookie dough be any sweeter?

Boston, 6 Aug. 2010

Philippe indulged me and we spent the majority of the day visiting The Freedom Trail. Seeing the gravestones of the Hancock and Franklin families was an Americana pilgramage.

Boston was an exceptional study of historic co-existing with incrementally modern.

Family Portrait - more-than-worthy to be in my wallet.

Salem, Mass. - 5 Aug. 2010

Lest you think it's a warlock, it's the rare non-witch-related attraction in the city's center. The statue is of Roger Conant who was the area's first govenor in 1629. The witch trials held here in 1692 are part of Americana mythology - highlighted by the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Arthur Miller. When we read the actual facts at the polished National Park Headquarters, we were surprised to learn that while 100's had been accused, only 19 had been hung. Philippe commented, "19 false witches have given rise to an entire industry of people who claim to be real ones." I remember reading in my teens in the Larousse French Encyclopedia an entry on Reno, "Quick Divorce." Neither city could be so single-faceted.


A few unexpected highlights:
While there we happened upon an Edsel convention. The luxury Ford was made for fewer than two years - a blue collar tuxedo couldn't ever be the beau of the ball. We spoke with an enthusiast who was more than willing to offer details on his beloved like "8 cylinders, push button steering wheel transmission..." I wouldn't tense at seeing the Sheriff's Edsel in my rear-view mirror.

A rain storm forced us inside a swanky hotel lobby. William slept while Philippe and I exchanged sections of the Wall Street Journal. Ultimate leisure!

Ye Olde Pepper Companie dates from 1806. The on-site factory is located across from the House of Seven Gables. Their dark chocolate turtles are life-changing. Oprah agrees. The chatty clerk told me this as well as her birthdate, her son's interests and Bewitched history.

Rockport, Cape Ann, Massachussets - 4 Aug 2010

We had intended to go on a Harbour Tour. We literally missed the boat. The salty sea-captain said we couldn't miss the port parallel to the "big tree." For a girl raised in the desert "big tree" is highly relative ;-). We consoled ourselves by taking a tour of town (There was an abundance of art galleries - an absence of convenience stores.) The tide on "Front Beach" made for increasingly less beach front - enough still for a studio sand castle.

New Hampton Beach - 3 Aug 2010

For William, the beach was a lesser-thrill than captaining a fire-truck on the boardwalk. The park included a flag pole. On the same mast are strung the New Hampshire and Quebec flags. The parking lots had as many US plates as Quebec.


Wavy hair, wavy arms, wavy ocean...

Ogunquit, Maine - 2 Aug 2010

This was the first beach we visited. It is amazing to me that we started from Quebec in the morning and by evening had travelled through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. (The 13 original colonies collectively seem smaller than California. "Amazing" wouldn't be the adjective I'd express for a Truckee to San Francisco day-trip...)

White Mountains, New Hampshire 2 Aug 2010

Our first stop on our New England "Holiday" was in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Here is one of a series of scenic shots.

It's a girl - C'est une fille!

We had the sonogram Monday morning. The doctor said it is a girl! William is learning to say "sister/soeur" We are perfectly happy. Look closely at the sonogram image to see her face... Philippe jokes, "Can the child look like me this time..."

Philippe's 40th

I love my older man! What lungs (heart, mind, might, etc!) The fire-works are on top of a French-style cake I made. Philippe supervised and pronounced me a worthy sous-chef. The easy part was separating 6 egg whites...


William is the consumate host. Here he shakes Grandpa's hand and says,"Bonjour!"

Young at heart - 24 June 2010

Philippe swings away his youth.

William is more of the slide persuasion. Tati Eve helped him up, Papa caught him. I acted as the Mama-razzi.

Rachel Anne visits Montreal - June 2010

Rachel Anne visited for a week. She took 300+ photos making me appreciate all that is Montreal.

Architects

With his mega-blocks and his Papa, William executes exceptional towers.

Storytime with Grandma Jean - 1 June

William thrilled at having an extra storyteller at his immediate disposal. When he was dissatisfied with my end-of-the-day-lack-luster performance, he snatched "Seals on the Bus" from my hands and gave it to a fresh performer.

Palmyra - 28-29 May

Mom came for a delightful, magnificent, all together lovely (select any other number of superlatives) visit the last week of May. A highlight was a trip to Palmyra. Here are some favorite photos:

William in front of the Book of Mormon monument at the Hill Cumorah

The Angel Moroni Monument on the Hill Cumorah


The Grandin Press where the Book of Mormon was first published

The Palmyra Temple overlooking the Sacred Grove


A replica of the Smith Family Log Home

The Sacred Grove

Family Portrait