Visiting in Canada

For the first part of our trip, we are based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada at my Grandparents house (on my mum’s side). This is about 1 hour away from Toronto and Niagara Falls. I can’t get used to how green everything is here compared to back home in Perth! When we arrived it was raining and about 18 degrees celcius – which was a bit of a shock to me since I was expecting summer weather, not more of the same winter weather that I had just left behind! It has warmed up now though and is much nicer.

(Jeffrey and Matthew with their Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa)

Since our home base is at my grandparents, people have been coming here to visit us. I must say this is a lot easier than going here, there and everywhere with two little children in tow. Mostly in our family, visiting seem to take place around the kitchen while we prepare food. Jeffrey has very much enjoyed being a big helper while this is happening.

(Jeffrey being Great-Grandma's big helper)

(Jeffrey being Great-Grandma's big helper)

While we are here I have had to learn to drive on the wrong (right-hand) side of the road and get used to the way the Canadians drive. I find it a little crazy the way that everyone speeds! If I go the speed limit, I find myself holding up traffic. I have been informed by my family that at a minimum, it is best to drive 10km over the signed speed limit, and on the highways, to follow the flow of traffic – which meant I was going about 30km over the speed limit! This would never happen in Perth! It turns out, the only way to receive a speeding fine here, is if you are pulled over. There are no speed cameras – I guess that is reason enough for everyone to do whatever they want.

Yesterday we took the kids out to see a truck show and Jeffrey got to see some big trucks, and even climb in some of them. He had a fabulous time. One of the things he loved best about being at the truck show was that they had a pit of corn (of all things) set up for kids to play and dig in. He was quite happy to sit and play in it without moving, as anytime he moved, he would sink!

(Jeffrey in the corn pit)

(Enjoying a big truck)

(Matthew enjoying the truck show his way...)

Another thing that Jeffrey has loved so far while we have been here is meeting some of my younger cousins who have played with him. They set up their old Thomas the Tank Engine trains and track and played with him in the basement. Jeffrey loved having bigger kids who he could drag around to do what he want while they were visiting.

 (Playing with the trains is serious business!)

In the coming week we have more family arriving in the area in the lead up to our big reunion here so things are only going to get busier and busier!

Exhaustion - Thy Name is International Travel...With Kids!

Well, we have arrived in Canada! And boy, what a journey! I was travelling with my mum as Chris is away for work and joining us later. She was a godsend as she looked after Jeffrey and I looked after Matthew.

(Jeffrey ready to leave in the morning)

Since we live in Perth it is quite a long way to get to Toronto in Canada. First, we flew to Sydney (3.5 hour flight), then we had a quick change over onto a flight to Los Angeles, USA (12.5 hour flight). Once we were in LA, we stayed overnight to help us all get some rest, then on the next day to Toronto (4.5 hour flight). To say the least, the trip was interesting. Our flight out of Perth was leaving at 0555, which meant we had to be at the airport at no later that 0500, which meant we had to leave home by 0430 – which meant we had to get poor Jeffrey out of bed at 0420. He was pretty good about it though.

(Jeffrey watching some tv)

Overall, the kids were very well behaved whilst we were in transit – Matthew being very easy, and Jeffrey not too bad, just overtired. The hardest thing was getting Jeffrey to sleep on the long haul flight from Sydney. We had the seats behind the bulkhead of the plane so that we had use of the sky-cot for Matthew. The airline had blocked out the middle seat between my mum and myself so that we had an extra seat for Jeffrey. This was all very well and good, except on these seats the armrests are fixed, so Jeffrey had to sleep on top of my mum and he had difficulty going to sleep as it wasn’t the most comfortable of positions. It was great to have a tablet with us that we had loaded some of Jeffrey's favourite videos onto - it was the only way we could get him to go to sleep.

 (Matthew having play time in the sky-cot)

 (Jeffrey sleeping on Grandma)

(Matthew sleeping in the sky-cot)

We have now been here at my Grandparents for a couple of days and are slowly turning our clocks around. Mum and I are taking longer to adjust than the kids as we are the ones having to get up and assist them during the night. Which is why this picture was taken of me unawares!

(Me, crashed out accidentally whilst gazing at Matthew!)