Summer Update - Edition 1

By -
Wow, it's been so long since my last post that I almost forgot my blogger log in!!

So what's up?

Well, first off, a visa update. 
A huge weight has been lifted and another prayer answered!

Colin qualifies for Canadian permanent residence.

YAY - but he can't get the visa yet because we don't have a clear FBI Clearance Certificate. 
We have applied for it and praying that we get it within the six weeks Immigration Canada says it takes
and not the "up to" 12 weeks the FBI website says it could take. 
A bit of stress again as we have to provide it by October to IC and Colin couldn't get his fingerprints done in Brazil which we needed done before we could apply. 
Worst case scenario is that we provide a letter explaining the situation
but I trust everything will work out in perfect time and we can be a (normal) family unit again by the fall.

Isla is doing well. 
A month ago she was still 28 lbs but she is getting taller all the time.
I was at the mall today and I mesaured her feet and they've grown to a size 7. 
Perhaps she'll be tall and thin?!?!!? 
Who knows? 
She's getting so tall I've started looking at carseats for her
as she's reaching the height maximum of her current seat which is more
critical than the weight maximum (at least in my opinion).


I have my eye on a last and final carseat, one that will take her to the backless booster when she is eight years old (unless the law changes again by that time). 
More on that around Christmas time, hopefully, and not much before then.

Since Colin came home last week she's been attached to him as can be expected but she is definately showing signs of growing independence and opinions. 
Can I just say she's been a "challenge"? 
Bedtime is a nightmare. 
How many 2 year olds are still up at 10:00 p.m.?
I'm so glad Colin is home to share in the "fun" with me.

At almost 2.5 years old, we're working on understanding the meanings of sharing, taking turns and learning that life does not always go the way she wants. 
Hey, the last one is a tough lesson to learn - it can be hard for me to understand too!

She loves playing outside and is overall a very happy child. 
She recently met her first cousin-once-removed or as I say for simplicity, her cousin, my great-neice.

(Great) Oma and her youngest girls - aren't they cute?!
She's very much into babies, the real ones, not dolls.

She's sweet most of the time, cheeky alot of the time and quite charming when she wants to be!


While Colin was away we made a few trips just the two of us.
We drove to London which proved a bit further than I thought to visit the childrens museum
and although she had fun, I don't see us making the drive again anytime soon.




She really doesn't need the hat - we already knew!

Training for her first job?!

We also visited Andrews Scenic Acres to pet the animals and smell the flowers.

Much of the local fruit and vege is ripening ahead of schedule due to the warm and wet summer
so I hope we'll go back as a family and do some picking next week.

What else have we been up to?

We've taken her to the beach for the first time ...

I didn't want to do it on my own as I need to have my eyes on her at all times.

We tried to get her to make a sandcastle but she only had eyes for the water.
With the scary number of drownings in ON this summer we were prepared with her life vest.
She loved the beach but we learned our lesson and will not
be taking her in a canoe for a few more years.
Aggghhh, not a good experience.


Last weekend we went south to Niagara and visited the Welland Canal. 
I haven't been there in years but it's not the type of place that changes much.

One of the lakers we watched going through the locks was called the
Catherine Desgagnes - a Quebec vessel.


We continued driving (sometimes in circles) to Niagara-on-the-lake to visit
Chocolate FX and the town itself.

Once we got there we soon came across the park and the most amazing "pool".
I never thought of bringing her bathing suit but there was no way she was not going to go for a splash so we stripped her down to her diaper (no, she's not toilet trained yet - a work in progress).


I can't help but laugh at my country bumpkin child in the diaper!

Colin is working this week from home and next week he's off on holiday.
We plan on making a few day trips before he heads out to the UK for a few weeks so
don't be surprised if you bump into him on Larne Main Street folks!