Sunday, September 27, 2009
Celebrities at Word on the Street
Alt. cartoonist Chester Brown signing a copy of his Louis Riel
Margaret Atwood, taken from just outside a packed tent with me using full zoom on my telephoto
One of the TVO Kids TV Hosts On Stage
Jian Ghomeshi and a Literary Panel on Stage
My own little celebrity, Annie, at the Where the Wild Things Are promo cutout
Labels: Annie, Chester Brown, Jian Ghomeshi, Margaret Atwood, TVO Kids
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Annie's Piano Recital and Mega-Hopscotch
This afternoon Annie had her piano recital. She goes to Beach Music Studio where she takes piano and song.
I was wondering why she wanted to go dressed in one of her dress-like dressing gowns, but as her teacher explained at the start of the show, Annie was a "double-threat".
Annie Playing her Piano Tune
Turns out she had arranged to do a song-and-dance routine with her music teacher, singing "Barbie Girl" with her.
Annie and Her Music Teacher Singing "Barbie Girl"
Despite a few duff notes here and it was a good show, and it was interesting to see other students showing improvement over previous performances.
Annie Posing for a Shot by the Piano
I walked the kids home and got them lunch at the local Licks restaurant while Erika went off for another trumpet performance downtown.
The kids started playing with the neighbours, and after a while Vanessa came in and asked me what the world-record was for hopscotch length. She and Devin from a couple of doors over had made a hopscotch path that led all the way up the block, and went up to 550 (which unfortunately is a fraction of the world's largest). Still, they had fun with it, as did I in taking pics of Vanessa hopscotching up the sidewalk.
Vanessa Making Her Way Up the Mega-Hopscotch on the Sidewalk
Labels: Annie, hopscotch, piano, recital, Vanessa
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Annie's 8th Birthday Party
We held Annie's birthday party today -- well over a month before her actual birthday since we've discovered that it is hard to get ahold of her friends for anything outside of the school year. It was a relatively small affair this year: a sleepover with three young friends invited (only one of whom ended up staying the night).
Cake was courtesy of Dufflet Pastry, from a gift certificate Annie won in a contest earlier in the year. Vanilla cake with chocolate icing - yum!
It was a rainy day all day, and having promised the kids attending that they could expect to go in Annie's jumping castle, we actually managed to set the thing up in the living room. All possible breakables were moved away, and everything worked as expected, Annie's friends working off their sugar intake a bit in the process.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Victoria Day at Ashbridges Bay, 2009
Good show this year.
I took the girls down to the beach, walking straight down from our house. (Unfortunately Erika had an important practice to go to, so wasn't there for it. This time last year, I was away in China, so I missed out on last year's show).
Everything started at about 9:45pm and lasted for maybe 15-20 minutes. Lots of very noisy fun!
The following pics are a small selection of favorites I took during the show.
Annie illuminated by the light of a sparkler
Labels: Annie, Ashbridge's Bay, fireworks, Victoria Day
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Adding further to our menagerie we went to the local pet store by Queen and Coxwell today in order to get a small aquarium and goldfish for Annie. She's been wanting her own pet for a while now, and since Vanessa has been cleaning up after my Aunt Jane's cat Nick (who we have been "cat sitting" while she is away on her regular holiday season trip to visit with friends in Seattle) in order to prove she can handle a cat of her own, it only seems fair to get Annie something she can look after.
I picked out a small Hagan-made aquarium kit. Small (less than 8 litres) and wholly made of molded plastic (so no seals between glass and metal that could fail), it also came with colourful orange gravel (which matches the trim and the plastic cover) a filter, plus some goldfish food and some water conditioner.
We picked out three fish. Annie chose the smallest goldfish available from a "feeder" tank and named it "Goldie" (of course). I also let her choose one from a tank of small fancy goldfish above it, whose mottled white and gold colouring she called "Snowgold". The pet shop owner then let Vanessa pick one out and she picked a somewhat larger goldfish from the feeder tank she named "Clicker".
Assembly took next to no time, especially since both girls were keen to help out, and so all three fish we in their new home within half an hour of us bringing them home.
Annie was beaming with happiness at the end of it all.
Next, a new kitten for Vanessa.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Tonight was Annie's performance at her school's "Talent Show", which really just gives kids a chance to get up on stage and have some fun, and acts as a fund-raiser for the school, with a percentage going to an overseas charity.
Annie had rehearsed "The Chicken Song", which her mother had taught her. She was second in the line-up, right after a boy who played "Oh Canada" on an ocarina.
The movie was shot by Vanessa, who was sitting in the front. Annie was nervous enough to want me to accompany her backstage prior to going on. Unfortunately Erika couldn't make it, as she was working on a TV shoot down in Hamilton for the month of March, but of course she wanted to see the performance, so we brought the camera along.
The kids wanted to see the other kid's performances, so we ended up staying for the whole thing. Oi! To be fair there were one or two truly good/interesting acts that didn't rely wholly on cuteness, the one that most sticks in my mind being a small rock and roll group of four boys, one of whom could really play lead guitar well and an unabashed singer who managed to wake up everyone in the audience, and got a rousing round of applause.
Labels: Annie, Talent Show, The Chicken Song
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
After work I was asked by Erika to go and pick up Vanessa from Art Garage. While I was waiting I decided to head to the local Starbucks and have a Tazo Chai tea to kill some time.
I picked up a local paper called Snap, on page 30, I saw this:
Annie and Vanessa in Snap!
I remember the girls told me that a photographer had taken their pictures and asked them what the favourite thing about having a sister was. I've edited what's shown above, but the other kids that were depicted were all of those who gather at the school bus stop, so they are all friends of Annie and Vanessa.
Will have to get in contact with the photographer and get copies of the originals from her.
Labels: Annie, Art Garage, Snap, Starbucks, Tazo Chai, Vanessa
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Completely unlike the day before, it was a clear and sunny day. Though it is probably the single most tourist-y thing to do in Toronto, I had promised the girls that I would take them up the CN Tower on a suitably appropriate day. This was that day.
I ordered the tickets to simply head up to the main observation deck for myself and the two girls. The total cost including service charges: about $60. Ow. But it's a treat.
If you go to the CN Tower, you have to bring a camera, so here are the shots:
Metal Salmon at Waterfall Pond at the South Base of the Tower
The CN Tower from its Base
One of Mel Lastman’s Moose Painted as a Mountie
Panorama of Toronto Looking North
The CBC Building as Seen from the CN Tower
Shadow of the CN Tower Pointing Past Roy Thompson Hall
The Royal York Hotel from Above
Exhibition Place the CN Tower
'I Was Here' Graffiti Etched into the Base of the Window
Vanessa and Annie on the Glass Floor
Looking Straight Down from the Glass Floor
Labels: Annie, CN Tower, Mel's Moose, Vanessa
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