Holy Moly. I traveled alone with my children.

:: Warm Toronto walk in the Don Valley::

Hi friends! Hi my little blog! I’ve started many posts but mostly haven’t finished them due to sheer lack of time. I’m telling you people, I had no idea what would happen to my personal time when I decided to keep the kidlets both home with me (as opposed to continuing to send Flora to daycare). Some nights I have to choose between flossing my teeth or spending 5 minutes talking to my man.

Where have I been?

I took the kids to Toronto for 2 weeks and just got back yesterday. The idea was to get some serious face to face quality time with good friends and family. I have my two besties there, and I wanted to watch some Golden Girls with them while talking non stop and laughing hysterically. I also wanted to meet with retailers there and do some restocking.

Well. I sure learned a lot about myself in those 2 weeks. One being, that what I was really craving is not something I can actually have. And I knew that. I wanted to have time. All the time I needed to stay out late printing at Erin’s gallery. I wanted to talk ALL DAY to my friend Ciara while her 6 month old twins rolled around on the floor with Lenny and Flora did crafts quietly in the corner. But that is RIDICULOUS AND IMPOSSIBLE. I had even brought my sketch book (yeah right!) and, in what the husband man calls an amateur move, I even brought a novel. One day I will be able to do these things again, every now and then, but definitely not now.

:: Me and Len, by Flo ::

For now, my life needs to be SIMPLE. I have to remember to live in the present, and that’s a really hard thing to do. We adults always make plans, we always try to “figure things out” and map out how our days, weeks, will go. But you just can’t do that with small children. While I had planned to “relax” while back, the transit system in Toronto is TERRIBLE for parents. We all got the flu. Lenny got it twice. The kids wouldn’t go to bed at night. What are you gonna do, you know? Screw it. You end up walking around the ravine out back poking mud with a stick and riding on a bus all day. For fun. You just have to let go. It’s a good thing.

But as much as I’m complaining, it really was an awesome trip. We have such an amazing gang of friends and family in Toronto and I feel like the special moments I had with the people I did see filled me up good.

Here are the highlights of the trip for me:

• Discovering Smock Cafe and Wonder Workshop, on Roncesvalles! I took the kids twice (Flo did the crafts and Lennon enjoyed crawling around the floor and chewing on chair legs.) (see photo of Flo in apron)
• January Thaw. It was 15 degrees out one day, and we had a few days of around 6 degrees. That really, really felt good. My mom lives on the Don Valley so I got to enjoy some amazing walks with Mom and the Kids. (see pics below)
• Once the kids finally went to bed, watching Chopped with my mom, while drinking tea, in the familiarity of her home.
• Hanging with my family! My brother and sister-in-law are expecting their second baby in March and it was great to have some good time together eating Tibetan food before, um, shit hits the fan
• Tibetan Food. And Jamaican Patties. And fresh Samosas, 3 for a dollar. AAAAHHHH!
• A spontaneous trip to Barrie, to meet a cyber bloggy world buddy. It was great to be able to meet her family, whom I’ve read about so much and eat some serious delicious food. Apparently I love Elk. Who knew. (Thank you again Selena for your crazy awesome hospitality) It was such a crazy gong show with all the kids, but so much fun.
• The husband man DRIVING ME THERE AND PICKING ME UP! It’s 600km, people! I am a lucky and sort of spoiled girl.

:: Smock Café and Wonder Workshop photo Toronto Life :: 

:: Flo, using big girl scissors at Smock ::

:: Lakeshore walk in Barrie ::

:: Tantie Erin and Flo on Greyhound ::

Once again, I am pretty sure that this post may not even make sense. I’m so tired. To my friends I didn’t see or talk to in Toronto (most) — next time? Sorry.

xo
Sandy

ps – look at my Len! He’s almost 8 months now. Jeez.