There's another Chabot 5!!
Congratulations to the other Chabot 5 - Ryan, Sarah, Lucas, Cole, and Jacob!
Jacob Ryan Chabot was born at just before 6:00 pm on Wednesday, July 23.
8 lbs, 11 oz
22 inches
Friday, July 25, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
My second week of UPSTAGE!
HIYAfolks! I am in GOOD MORING BALTIMORE, MAMA I'M A BIG GIRL NOW, WELCOME TO THE SIXTIES, and YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT so far. I'm a business man in GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE. I poke my head out of the curtains and say "hey mama, say mama" in MAMA I'M A BIG GIRL NOW. I'm a little girl playing on the streets in WELCOME TO THE SIXTIES. I'm a reguler person in YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT. Don't forget my performance is next week!
I'M HAVING A GREAT TIME AT UPSTAGE!
I'M HAVING A GREAT TIME AT UPSTAGE!
Where have you BEAN?
Why, hello there. Helloooooo? Hello? It sounds very echo-y in here. No one around for miles. Well, then no one will mind if I just talk to myself a bit.
So, self, whatcha been up to this summer?
Well, self, I went on a trip to Quebec with my husband, and since then I've been home with the kids doing not much at all. Except, doing so much that I've been too busy to visit this here blogger homepage.
We are ALL OVER this summer thing, yo. We are doin' it up right!...
...
Julianna lost her second tooth! It was really wiggly for a pretty long time, and when it finally came out we saw that the big tooth didn't come in directly underneath. It came in behind the baby tooth. So, a)no wonder it had trouble pushing the baby tooth out, and b)oh dear; this girl's going to need some dental work someday...
We've been doing lots of swimming! With kids ages 3, 5, and 8, that definitely means I'm in the pool with them, hence the difficulty finding time to sit at the computer. Julianna and Nick are coming along with their swimming. Julianna started out the summer by staying on the big step, then started swimming around wearing a floaty vest, and now is working on her dog paddle with no flotation device! Nick started out the summer by staying on the big step, and now he's using the Turtle Floaty to JUMP IN and motor all over the pool! He extends his legs behind him and kicks those little-boy feet, kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick, and looks like a little motorboat! It is so adorable. Katie's goal right now is to figure out how to retrieve toys off the bottom of the pool. She's still working on it!
Along with all the swimming, we've had lots of friends over to play and swim with us! I've been providing lunch for lots of our buddies, and sometimes dinner as well. We even had a visit from Kim, Stuart, and Quinn from Sydney!
We also have been playing with the kids next door. If both families are at home, the kids are probably playing. It's great living next to them!
We went over to the beach to visit Darell & Kathryn and our friends the O'Learys and had a really fun day. The kids loved playing in the sand and running from the waves! We have not done this with them before, but I think we will try to do it more often now that we have people to visit over there.
Katie has been going to her theater camp. It is 5 days a week, 9 am - 3 pm, and they have finished the second of the three weeks. They are putting together a review of scenes and songs from "Hairspray," and we'll go see the production next Saturday night. She is thoroughly enjoying it, although she had a few days of frustration last week over the assignments of solos. But we had a good talk about it, and things are looking up. At the end of the first week, she was given the part of "businessman" in one of the numbers. Breathlessly, she told us "I get to wear a suit and a hat and carry an old-fashioned briefcase! I'm so excited I get to be a businessman because it's really playing a different person from who I am!" She told everyone we saw that weekend or talked to on the phone. It was SO CUTE! It's fun for her to be able to do this with her best friend Emma, since they don't go to the same school and don't usually get to spend this much time together.
Julianna and Nick are still attending their preschool's summer school, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. This is Nick's first session of preschool, and he is so proud of himself! He tells people, "I go to school now." An extra bonus is that his favorite friend Sean is in the class with him and they have a ball together. (Literally.)
You may wonder what I'm doing with my time now that I actually have a few hours when all three kids are at their summer activities. Well, I'll tell you: it's very exciting. I got some fillings at the dentist and went to Home Depot for some errands. Wah. Hoo.
I'm also trying to finally work on the basement and have made some progress. But like most projects of this nature, it gets more messy before it starts looking good. It's quite messy right now.
Julianna, Nick and I have also been busy during the time when Katie's at camp. In addition to the playdates, we've gone to the zoo, the aquarium, and the Hollywood Bowl. The aquarium was strange for me... Many things are the same, several things are new, and the people I used to work with have moved on to other institutions. It's weird to go back to your old stomping grounds and feel like the place doesn't know you anymore. OH! and there was this one volunteer who was making me a bit crazy with his misinformation. He told Julianna that "blue whales eat little fish named krill." "That's right, honey," I said, "they eat tiny shrimp called krill." Then later, that same volunteer was at the bat ray touch tank speaking on the microphone and said "Do you know what we call animals that breathe air? We call them mammals." (Cough) (Hack) (Cough) Oh, brother. So birds, reptiles, insects, etc. are all mammals, then, genius?
Summer Sounds at the Hollywood Bowl is probably our favorite activity each summer. This is my eighth year in a row! It's a musical performance for kids, and you can also buy a ticket to do an art project related to the theme for that day. Unsurprisingly, since it is the Hollywood Bowl after all, the talent is top-notch. Back when I started attending with just Katie, you could show up and buy tickets for that day's performance. Each year, it became more and more popular, and for the past few years it has sold out in April a day or two after tickets went on sale. This year, they changed it so that weeks 1-2 are the same, 3-4 are the same, and 5-6 are the same. Good News, there are lots more tickets available; Bad News, only three shows to go see instead of six. Oh well. Julianna, Nick and I had a lot of fun at the first show, which featured Incan musicians and dancers from Peru, and at the art workshop we made small mosaics after looking at Peruvian examples for inspiration. Next week, Zimbabwe!
One night, the kids went over to Tall Katie's house for a sleepover! Eric and I got to enjoy dinner out together, then we went to pick up Nick and bring him home to sleep in his own bed. I think that night was a treat for everyone!
In addition to all of the summer-special activities, the girls have continued their gymnastics class and Katie has been taking private violin lessons. She is progressing nicely! She is working on rhythms that mix eighth notes with quarter notes.
...
So what's coming up?
Katie finishes her theatre camp and we'll all attend the performance, and Julianna and Nick have their last week of Camp Calvary (a full T & Th, with Water Day and BBQ Party).
I have rehearsals for my August 3 Music in the Park gig (the wedding that hired me as a soloist for Mass was today, so that's over).
We're going to the zoo for dinner and World Music Night next week.
More friends coming over!
And then, at the end of this next week, we leave for Oregon. We'll see lots of family, including the new baby cousin/nephew who will be born on Wednesday! The main item on the Oregon agenda is Quality Time with Family. I'll wait until we get there to figure out specific activities...
But I've got one week to get us all packed for the visit and the car trip up there (and figure out what to sell to earn some gas $$$?)!
I've already done most of the Back-to-School shopping - there are only a couple errands left, so we'll be ready to get home and start school one week later!
...
And now, the reason for the title of this post:
We have beans! Nick's bean plant made beans!
So, self, whatcha been up to this summer?
Well, self, I went on a trip to Quebec with my husband, and since then I've been home with the kids doing not much at all. Except, doing so much that I've been too busy to visit this here blogger homepage.
We are ALL OVER this summer thing, yo. We are doin' it up right!...
...
Julianna lost her second tooth! It was really wiggly for a pretty long time, and when it finally came out we saw that the big tooth didn't come in directly underneath. It came in behind the baby tooth. So, a)no wonder it had trouble pushing the baby tooth out, and b)oh dear; this girl's going to need some dental work someday...
We've been doing lots of swimming! With kids ages 3, 5, and 8, that definitely means I'm in the pool with them, hence the difficulty finding time to sit at the computer. Julianna and Nick are coming along with their swimming. Julianna started out the summer by staying on the big step, then started swimming around wearing a floaty vest, and now is working on her dog paddle with no flotation device! Nick started out the summer by staying on the big step, and now he's using the Turtle Floaty to JUMP IN and motor all over the pool! He extends his legs behind him and kicks those little-boy feet, kick kick kick kick kick kick kick kick, and looks like a little motorboat! It is so adorable. Katie's goal right now is to figure out how to retrieve toys off the bottom of the pool. She's still working on it!
Along with all the swimming, we've had lots of friends over to play and swim with us! I've been providing lunch for lots of our buddies, and sometimes dinner as well. We even had a visit from Kim, Stuart, and Quinn from Sydney!
We also have been playing with the kids next door. If both families are at home, the kids are probably playing. It's great living next to them!
We went over to the beach to visit Darell & Kathryn and our friends the O'Learys and had a really fun day. The kids loved playing in the sand and running from the waves! We have not done this with them before, but I think we will try to do it more often now that we have people to visit over there.
Katie has been going to her theater camp. It is 5 days a week, 9 am - 3 pm, and they have finished the second of the three weeks. They are putting together a review of scenes and songs from "Hairspray," and we'll go see the production next Saturday night. She is thoroughly enjoying it, although she had a few days of frustration last week over the assignments of solos. But we had a good talk about it, and things are looking up. At the end of the first week, she was given the part of "businessman" in one of the numbers. Breathlessly, she told us "I get to wear a suit and a hat and carry an old-fashioned briefcase! I'm so excited I get to be a businessman because it's really playing a different person from who I am!" She told everyone we saw that weekend or talked to on the phone. It was SO CUTE! It's fun for her to be able to do this with her best friend Emma, since they don't go to the same school and don't usually get to spend this much time together.
Julianna and Nick are still attending their preschool's summer school, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. This is Nick's first session of preschool, and he is so proud of himself! He tells people, "I go to school now." An extra bonus is that his favorite friend Sean is in the class with him and they have a ball together. (Literally.)
You may wonder what I'm doing with my time now that I actually have a few hours when all three kids are at their summer activities. Well, I'll tell you: it's very exciting. I got some fillings at the dentist and went to Home Depot for some errands. Wah. Hoo.
I'm also trying to finally work on the basement and have made some progress. But like most projects of this nature, it gets more messy before it starts looking good. It's quite messy right now.
Julianna, Nick and I have also been busy during the time when Katie's at camp. In addition to the playdates, we've gone to the zoo, the aquarium, and the Hollywood Bowl. The aquarium was strange for me... Many things are the same, several things are new, and the people I used to work with have moved on to other institutions. It's weird to go back to your old stomping grounds and feel like the place doesn't know you anymore. OH! and there was this one volunteer who was making me a bit crazy with his misinformation. He told Julianna that "blue whales eat little fish named krill." "That's right, honey," I said, "they eat tiny shrimp called krill." Then later, that same volunteer was at the bat ray touch tank speaking on the microphone and said "Do you know what we call animals that breathe air? We call them mammals." (Cough) (Hack) (Cough) Oh, brother. So birds, reptiles, insects, etc. are all mammals, then, genius?
Summer Sounds at the Hollywood Bowl is probably our favorite activity each summer. This is my eighth year in a row! It's a musical performance for kids, and you can also buy a ticket to do an art project related to the theme for that day. Unsurprisingly, since it is the Hollywood Bowl after all, the talent is top-notch. Back when I started attending with just Katie, you could show up and buy tickets for that day's performance. Each year, it became more and more popular, and for the past few years it has sold out in April a day or two after tickets went on sale. This year, they changed it so that weeks 1-2 are the same, 3-4 are the same, and 5-6 are the same. Good News, there are lots more tickets available; Bad News, only three shows to go see instead of six. Oh well. Julianna, Nick and I had a lot of fun at the first show, which featured Incan musicians and dancers from Peru, and at the art workshop we made small mosaics after looking at Peruvian examples for inspiration. Next week, Zimbabwe!
One night, the kids went over to Tall Katie's house for a sleepover! Eric and I got to enjoy dinner out together, then we went to pick up Nick and bring him home to sleep in his own bed. I think that night was a treat for everyone!
In addition to all of the summer-special activities, the girls have continued their gymnastics class and Katie has been taking private violin lessons. She is progressing nicely! She is working on rhythms that mix eighth notes with quarter notes.
...
So what's coming up?
Katie finishes her theatre camp and we'll all attend the performance, and Julianna and Nick have their last week of Camp Calvary (a full T & Th, with Water Day and BBQ Party).
I have rehearsals for my August 3 Music in the Park gig (the wedding that hired me as a soloist for Mass was today, so that's over).
We're going to the zoo for dinner and World Music Night next week.
More friends coming over!
And then, at the end of this next week, we leave for Oregon. We'll see lots of family, including the new baby cousin/nephew who will be born on Wednesday! The main item on the Oregon agenda is Quality Time with Family. I'll wait until we get there to figure out specific activities...
But I've got one week to get us all packed for the visit and the car trip up there (and figure out what to sell to earn some gas $$$?)!
I've already done most of the Back-to-School shopping - there are only a couple errands left, so we'll be ready to get home and start school one week later!
...
And now, the reason for the title of this post:
We have beans! Nick's bean plant made beans!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Katie's day at UPSTAGE!
My day at Upstage was absoulutly FABULOUS! First Kate (one of my friends) showed me around. Second of all we stretched before we got started. Then, we learned some of the dances for one of the songs. We learned the catseye, jerk, swim, dive, mashed patato, twist. Then, we had snack. Then, we learned the pony, the grape vine, Chennae Turns (Mom looked it up: it's spelled Chaînés). Then, we had lunch. Then we auditioned.
Then, we learned the whole chorus for YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT! in 40 minutes. Then, we stretched before our parents picked us up.
I've had a wonderful day at UPSTAGE!
Then, we learned the whole chorus for YOU CAN'T STOP THE BEAT! in 40 minutes. Then, we stretched before our parents picked us up.
I've had a wonderful day at UPSTAGE!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Scenes from a Fourth
We had a very nice Fourth of July in these parts, with both community and family celebrations.
On Thursday, Julianna and Nick had a little parade and sang a few songs for us at their summer school.
On the Fourth of July, our little town has a nice celebration, which includes a Pancake Breakfast in the Fire Station, a parade down our main street, food, games and music in the park, and a fireworks show at night.
This is our second year living here. Last year, we left town on the Fourth but did the Pancake Breakfast before we left.
This year, the girls and I went to watch the parade. They were hot and were not shy to let me know about it (again and again), but we all enjoyed it. It's a small and ragtag little parade, but it fits our town well.
Katie dressed up as Betsy Ross for the occasion, but quickly became too hot and lost the outer layer.
We saw musicians from the high school,
AYSO families and the YMCA girls' basketball league,
the local chapter of Neighbors for Peace and Justice reminded us of our rights,
the volunteers who help the city put on the Clean Air Car Show & Film Festival reminded us to B! Y! O! B! (Bring Your Own Bag!)
The Chamber of Commerce said, "Save Gas, Shop Local!"
The neighborhood preservation group dressed up as historic homes and trees,
town officials got to ride in vintage cars, and residents drove their own interesting vehicles,
The high school spirit squad performed for us,
as did the local square dance club,
and my favorite? The Scottish Pipe & Drum corps!
After the parade, we decided to forego the park and go home for some time in the pool!
We felt so lucky to have family in our home! It's new for us, but we loved it! We all enjoyed a hearty meal of baby back ribs, corn on the cob, and fruit salad.
After dinner, we headed over to the high school stadium, where my band played as the opening act for the fireworks!
It was the kids' first fireworks show, and they loved it! It was a great show, with musical accompaniment that really added to the spirit. I had trouble looking away from the kids' awe-struck faces to watch the fireworks!
Happy Birthday, America! We are so lucky to live here. I have several hopes and wishes for this country as we celebrate our 232nd birthday!
On Thursday, Julianna and Nick had a little parade and sang a few songs for us at their summer school.
On the Fourth of July, our little town has a nice celebration, which includes a Pancake Breakfast in the Fire Station, a parade down our main street, food, games and music in the park, and a fireworks show at night.
This is our second year living here. Last year, we left town on the Fourth but did the Pancake Breakfast before we left.
This year, the girls and I went to watch the parade. They were hot and were not shy to let me know about it (again and again), but we all enjoyed it. It's a small and ragtag little parade, but it fits our town well.
Katie dressed up as Betsy Ross for the occasion, but quickly became too hot and lost the outer layer.
We saw musicians from the high school,
AYSO families and the YMCA girls' basketball league,
the local chapter of Neighbors for Peace and Justice reminded us of our rights,
the volunteers who help the city put on the Clean Air Car Show & Film Festival reminded us to B! Y! O! B! (Bring Your Own Bag!)
The Chamber of Commerce said, "Save Gas, Shop Local!"
The neighborhood preservation group dressed up as historic homes and trees,
town officials got to ride in vintage cars, and residents drove their own interesting vehicles,
The high school spirit squad performed for us,
as did the local square dance club,
and my favorite? The Scottish Pipe & Drum corps!
After the parade, we decided to forego the park and go home for some time in the pool!
We felt so lucky to have family in our home! It's new for us, but we loved it! We all enjoyed a hearty meal of baby back ribs, corn on the cob, and fruit salad.
After dinner, we headed over to the high school stadium, where my band played as the opening act for the fireworks!
It was the kids' first fireworks show, and they loved it! It was a great show, with musical accompaniment that really added to the spirit. I had trouble looking away from the kids' awe-struck faces to watch the fireworks!
Happy Birthday, America! We are so lucky to live here. I have several hopes and wishes for this country as we celebrate our 232nd birthday!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Canada Days (Pt. 3) (The Final Chapter)
We set out on a road trip to Tadoussac, to see if we could get a spot on a whale watch boat.
It was another trip with nervous butterflies in my stomach, because now we were going to go out on the water and look for whales, which is what I did every day for two weeks when I was last here fifteen years ago. This time, I was not so much worried that the trip would live up to my memory, because one 3-hour trip couldn't compare to two weeks of being on the water all day. This time, I was worried about making a fool of myself. Fifteen years ago, I was planning to become a whale researcher. I learned many skills that I thought were just the beginning. But not long after, I made some decisions to go a different direction. I went into education, and then having a family, and now here I was, fifteen years later: a tourist instead of a scientist.
I don't regret the direction I ended up choosing (too much), but I really wanted to still be good at the whale stuff! So I was worried that day about whether I would look like I knew what I was doing as I got in the zodiac, rode the rough waters, and watched for the whales surfacing. I'm a person who chose not to go into whale science (at least so far), but who really could have, not someone who was never cut out for it in the first place; that self-image is important to me.
Despite my anxiety, the drive was pretty. We took in the scenery along the way, and although the morning was cloudy (even on the ferry across the Saguenay fjord into Tadoussac), when we made our way down to the dock the sun was shining. We got spots on a 12-passenger zodiac for a 3-hour whale watch trip and decided to find some lunch before we had to be back at the dock.
The sun was out and it was lovely, and we sat on an outdoor patio and ordered some lunch. I had no appetite, but knew that I needed to eat something and drink some water before I went out on the water for three hours. As I shoo-ed bug after bug away from my face, I made myself eat and drink a little.
I visited the rest room at the end of our lunch time, since my nervous stomach had moved southward a little (that's me trying to talk about it delicately), and since I also wanted to tie my hair back before going out on the boat. As I looked in the mirror to do my hair, I noticed three drops of blood on my neck. Great, I'm not feeling that great due to nerves, and now I'm bleeding too. Apparently some bug(s) had bitten me during lunch. Super.
We walked down to the dock and suited up in gear similar to what we all wore fifteen years ago:
Looks a little big on me! It felt alright, though.
Our guide told us that the morning's cruise had been very cloudy, and now that the sun was out the visibility should be better. However, the ride would be rougher (very bumpy, like lift you off your seat bumpy). This took me back! We sure bounced around fifteen years ago!
I stepped into the zodiac just fine, and found my seat at the front. Soon we were on our way out of the harbor, and then kicking up to a higher speed to bounce along the waves toward the open river. It only took me a minute to remember how to ride with the boat, and oh, it felt good to be back. I love being on boats; my body quickly relaxed and I felt better than I had all day. Really, it just felt RIGHT.
As soon as we got out of the harbor, we hit the cloud bank (and never saw the sun again that day). The temperature dropped and we were cold! But we did see some minke whales and a small pod of beluga (I estimated 3 adults and 2 juveniles). We had decided to focus on experiencing it rather than photographing it, but we did get a couple of shots.
That last one was in the Saguenay fjord. This whale was circling under the surface, rounding up fish into a clump and then surfacing through them to feed on them. A few times, he came up sideways (minkes like to do that) and we saw his belly and pectoral fin. Fantastic!
We also took in some scenery in the fjord, which I never did fifteen years ago, since our camp and dock was 15 miles away from Tadoussac in Grandes Bergeronnes.
The last portion of our ride was ridiculously cold, with a light rain pelting us in the face. Nonetheless, I faced into the wind and enjoyed the ride. (I am something like a dog hanging his head out a car window when I'm on a boat, I guess, since The Hubby had long ago turned his back to the wind out of sheer discomfort and couldn't believe I was still riding that way!) Also, I really had to pee. When we got off the boat, and got out of our gear, I could hardly walk up the hill to find a restroom. Luckily, we did find one in the Interpretation Center. Seriously, it was painful. Nice.
But soon, I felt much better and we warmed up a little while finding souvenirs for the kids. As an example, the girls got cute T-shirts with drawings of beluga behaviors labeled in French!
It was a good day (except for the bladder issue)! I felt so good out on the water, and was so glad that I still enjoyed it after all these years, and had even retained some of my knowledge of whale behavior. I was happy.
We drove back to Quebec City and had a nice evening walk, and then the next morning headed out of the city, stopping by Ile d'Orleans. The island has been settled since 1535, and is an agricultural center but has retained many of the older farming techniques.
We then went back to Montreal, and hiked up to Parc du Mont-Royal to see the view at Kondiaronk Belvedere and the Chalet du Mont Royal. Eric and I travel well together, but neither of us knew where we were going as we were hiking, hiking, hiking up, up, up through the trees on a trail in the park, and we sure did bicker at each other. I let off some travel-fatigue steam at him, I'm not proud to say.
We eventually found the Chalet, and saw this sight, which cheered us up fast!
During the rest of our final evening, we walked around a bit in the Underground City, but my body was so tired that it wouldn't let me go on any further. Shower and bed were all it would allow, and then we woke up in the morning to the quiet of St-Jean day. Eric went out to that yummy bakery and got me a last cinnamon roll, and then it was off to the airport.
It was a full day of plane travel (which I really don't mind when we're without kids - sitting and reading or doing crosswords for a few hours is actually kind of a gift!), and then we walked in our front door and were greeted by our children running at us and tackling us with hugs. Julianna cried with joy ("I'm so happy I'm crying!") and wouldn't let go of me, so I carried her around for a while. Katie and Nick were full of smiles and giggles at seeing their long-lost parents! It was great to see their sweet faces again!
It was another trip with nervous butterflies in my stomach, because now we were going to go out on the water and look for whales, which is what I did every day for two weeks when I was last here fifteen years ago. This time, I was not so much worried that the trip would live up to my memory, because one 3-hour trip couldn't compare to two weeks of being on the water all day. This time, I was worried about making a fool of myself. Fifteen years ago, I was planning to become a whale researcher. I learned many skills that I thought were just the beginning. But not long after, I made some decisions to go a different direction. I went into education, and then having a family, and now here I was, fifteen years later: a tourist instead of a scientist.
I don't regret the direction I ended up choosing (too much), but I really wanted to still be good at the whale stuff! So I was worried that day about whether I would look like I knew what I was doing as I got in the zodiac, rode the rough waters, and watched for the whales surfacing. I'm a person who chose not to go into whale science (at least so far), but who really could have, not someone who was never cut out for it in the first place; that self-image is important to me.
Despite my anxiety, the drive was pretty. We took in the scenery along the way, and although the morning was cloudy (even on the ferry across the Saguenay fjord into Tadoussac), when we made our way down to the dock the sun was shining. We got spots on a 12-passenger zodiac for a 3-hour whale watch trip and decided to find some lunch before we had to be back at the dock.
The sun was out and it was lovely, and we sat on an outdoor patio and ordered some lunch. I had no appetite, but knew that I needed to eat something and drink some water before I went out on the water for three hours. As I shoo-ed bug after bug away from my face, I made myself eat and drink a little.
I visited the rest room at the end of our lunch time, since my nervous stomach had moved southward a little (that's me trying to talk about it delicately), and since I also wanted to tie my hair back before going out on the boat. As I looked in the mirror to do my hair, I noticed three drops of blood on my neck. Great, I'm not feeling that great due to nerves, and now I'm bleeding too. Apparently some bug(s) had bitten me during lunch. Super.
We walked down to the dock and suited up in gear similar to what we all wore fifteen years ago:
Looks a little big on me! It felt alright, though.
Our guide told us that the morning's cruise had been very cloudy, and now that the sun was out the visibility should be better. However, the ride would be rougher (very bumpy, like lift you off your seat bumpy). This took me back! We sure bounced around fifteen years ago!
I stepped into the zodiac just fine, and found my seat at the front. Soon we were on our way out of the harbor, and then kicking up to a higher speed to bounce along the waves toward the open river. It only took me a minute to remember how to ride with the boat, and oh, it felt good to be back. I love being on boats; my body quickly relaxed and I felt better than I had all day. Really, it just felt RIGHT.
As soon as we got out of the harbor, we hit the cloud bank (and never saw the sun again that day). The temperature dropped and we were cold! But we did see some minke whales and a small pod of beluga (I estimated 3 adults and 2 juveniles). We had decided to focus on experiencing it rather than photographing it, but we did get a couple of shots.
That last one was in the Saguenay fjord. This whale was circling under the surface, rounding up fish into a clump and then surfacing through them to feed on them. A few times, he came up sideways (minkes like to do that) and we saw his belly and pectoral fin. Fantastic!
We also took in some scenery in the fjord, which I never did fifteen years ago, since our camp and dock was 15 miles away from Tadoussac in Grandes Bergeronnes.
The last portion of our ride was ridiculously cold, with a light rain pelting us in the face. Nonetheless, I faced into the wind and enjoyed the ride. (I am something like a dog hanging his head out a car window when I'm on a boat, I guess, since The Hubby had long ago turned his back to the wind out of sheer discomfort and couldn't believe I was still riding that way!) Also, I really had to pee. When we got off the boat, and got out of our gear, I could hardly walk up the hill to find a restroom. Luckily, we did find one in the Interpretation Center. Seriously, it was painful. Nice.
But soon, I felt much better and we warmed up a little while finding souvenirs for the kids. As an example, the girls got cute T-shirts with drawings of beluga behaviors labeled in French!
It was a good day (except for the bladder issue)! I felt so good out on the water, and was so glad that I still enjoyed it after all these years, and had even retained some of my knowledge of whale behavior. I was happy.
We drove back to Quebec City and had a nice evening walk, and then the next morning headed out of the city, stopping by Ile d'Orleans. The island has been settled since 1535, and is an agricultural center but has retained many of the older farming techniques.
We then went back to Montreal, and hiked up to Parc du Mont-Royal to see the view at Kondiaronk Belvedere and the Chalet du Mont Royal. Eric and I travel well together, but neither of us knew where we were going as we were hiking, hiking, hiking up, up, up through the trees on a trail in the park, and we sure did bicker at each other. I let off some travel-fatigue steam at him, I'm not proud to say.
We eventually found the Chalet, and saw this sight, which cheered us up fast!
During the rest of our final evening, we walked around a bit in the Underground City, but my body was so tired that it wouldn't let me go on any further. Shower and bed were all it would allow, and then we woke up in the morning to the quiet of St-Jean day. Eric went out to that yummy bakery and got me a last cinnamon roll, and then it was off to the airport. It was a full day of plane travel (which I really don't mind when we're without kids - sitting and reading or doing crosswords for a few hours is actually kind of a gift!), and then we walked in our front door and were greeted by our children running at us and tackling us with hugs. Julianna cried with joy ("I'm so happy I'm crying!") and wouldn't let go of me, so I carried her around for a while. Katie and Nick were full of smiles and giggles at seeing their long-lost parents! It was great to see their sweet faces again!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Canada Days (Pt. 2)
As we drove into Québec City, I was strangely quiet, since some part of me was worried that the city wouldn't live up to my cherished memory of it. I had only spent one evening there, fifteen years ago, but I spent it with the new friends with whom I had spent two weeks studying whales in the St. Lawrence river. The whole experience had been mind-blowing, and life-defining, for li'l 20-year-old Barbra, so it would not be a surprise if the City had been viewed through rose-colored glasses that evening. Still, I did cherish that rose-colored memory. Would reality get in the way and muck it up?
...
...
The uneasy feeling in my stomach disappeared when we walked through the door of our room at L'Auberge Saint-Pierre and I saw that we would be spending three days here:
And this was the view out our windows:
I opened the windows and leaned my head out over the street, looking at the river, at the town of Levis on the other side, and at the buildings on our street, these lovely streets of Lower Town in Old Quebec. Breathing in deeply, I felt a relaxation, and then an energy flow through me. I was feeling so revitalized, so exhilarated!
Hand in hand, we headed out for a walk. Down the stony streets of Rue St-Pierre, turning onto Côte de la Montagne and then across at Rue Notre-Dame, which immediately greeted us with this mural:
I snapped photo after photo as we walked on, through Place Royal, up Rue Sous-Le-Fort, and wound our way through Quartier Petit-Champlain.
I ran down toward the waterfront, Eric laughing from behind me at my exuberance, and shot more photos looking back toward the old city, gasping at the sight of Upper Town perched atop the hill above Lower Town.
Even the public bathrooms are beautiful.
I needn't have worried; not only was the city as beautiful as I had remembered, it was more beautiful. I love to visit places where I feel transported - to another culture or to another time. Québec City does both! I can imagine what life was like in the 1700's as take in the scenery, and the town has 400 years of culture - descended from the French, but long ago transformed into something unique to this region alone.
That first evening of our arrival in Québec City, we stayed in Lower Town. We ate at Lapin Sauté on Rue du Petit-Champlain, and enjoyed our French fare of white sausage with apples, potatoes, and fennel and perfectly cooked duck confit. For dessert, can you believe this: maple syrup crème brûlée. Unbelievable...I can still taste it if I close my eyes and remember.
After dinner, we explored Place 400e at Vieux Port, the headquarters of the celebration for Québec City's 400th Anniversary (1608-2008), which is taking place all this summer. We talked with one of the young people handing out pins in honor of opening night of "The Image Mill" (Le Moulin à images). It is an enormous projection of images related to the city and its history, projected onto a row of grain silos across the water.
The next day, we walked all over. Up the hill and all over Upper Town, through the city wall at Porte St-Louis, past the Assemblée nationale and down Grande Allée (where we passed the most beautiful McDonald's I've ever seen), by the Armory that burned and collapsed this April, up the hill overlooking the Plains of Abraham, down the Terrasse Dufferin and through the shops of the Château Frontenac.
That afternoon, we were back at Quartier Petit-Champlain sharing a maple cone (maple-vanilla soft serve with maple-caramel swirl and maple sugar candy perched on top!). The evening saw us enjoying another French dinner, this time near our hotel in the Rue St-Paul area, after which we took the Funiculaire up the hill and enjoyed nighttime walks down the Terrasse Dufferin (watching the lightning upriver) and through the Rue de Buade area. There are street performances all over town, and we saw several large and small performances organized by museums and the 400e celebration. We don't know French, but we enjoyed the spirit!
I'll save the details of our next day for next time, but our last evening in Quebec found us on the Funiculaire to Upper Town once again, exploring the Rue St-Jean area, enjoying a street-side drink in a pub, spying on another (large) street performance at Place d'Youville, admiring the theatre (Le Capitole de Québec) where Les Misérables would be opening (shortly after we left - yes again), and saying goodbye to this town again, this place that I now loved even more than I had before! In my eyes, its beauty is unmatched, and this time I got to share it with my Eric!
...
...
In the final chapter, we embark on some road trips (will bickering ensue?), and the old nervous worrying returns. How will Barbra handle it? Will there be bloodshed?
...
...
The uneasy feeling in my stomach disappeared when we walked through the door of our room at L'Auberge Saint-Pierre and I saw that we would be spending three days here:
And this was the view out our windows:
I opened the windows and leaned my head out over the street, looking at the river, at the town of Levis on the other side, and at the buildings on our street, these lovely streets of Lower Town in Old Quebec. Breathing in deeply, I felt a relaxation, and then an energy flow through me. I was feeling so revitalized, so exhilarated!
Hand in hand, we headed out for a walk. Down the stony streets of Rue St-Pierre, turning onto Côte de la Montagne and then across at Rue Notre-Dame, which immediately greeted us with this mural:
I snapped photo after photo as we walked on, through Place Royal, up Rue Sous-Le-Fort, and wound our way through Quartier Petit-Champlain.
I ran down toward the waterfront, Eric laughing from behind me at my exuberance, and shot more photos looking back toward the old city, gasping at the sight of Upper Town perched atop the hill above Lower Town.
Even the public bathrooms are beautiful.
I needn't have worried; not only was the city as beautiful as I had remembered, it was more beautiful. I love to visit places where I feel transported - to another culture or to another time. Québec City does both! I can imagine what life was like in the 1700's as take in the scenery, and the town has 400 years of culture - descended from the French, but long ago transformed into something unique to this region alone.
That first evening of our arrival in Québec City, we stayed in Lower Town. We ate at Lapin Sauté on Rue du Petit-Champlain, and enjoyed our French fare of white sausage with apples, potatoes, and fennel and perfectly cooked duck confit. For dessert, can you believe this: maple syrup crème brûlée. Unbelievable...I can still taste it if I close my eyes and remember.
After dinner, we explored Place 400e at Vieux Port, the headquarters of the celebration for Québec City's 400th Anniversary (1608-2008), which is taking place all this summer. We talked with one of the young people handing out pins in honor of opening night of "The Image Mill" (Le Moulin à images). It is an enormous projection of images related to the city and its history, projected onto a row of grain silos across the water.
The next day, we walked all over. Up the hill and all over Upper Town, through the city wall at Porte St-Louis, past the Assemblée nationale and down Grande Allée (where we passed the most beautiful McDonald's I've ever seen), by the Armory that burned and collapsed this April, up the hill overlooking the Plains of Abraham, down the Terrasse Dufferin and through the shops of the Château Frontenac.
That afternoon, we were back at Quartier Petit-Champlain sharing a maple cone (maple-vanilla soft serve with maple-caramel swirl and maple sugar candy perched on top!). The evening saw us enjoying another French dinner, this time near our hotel in the Rue St-Paul area, after which we took the Funiculaire up the hill and enjoyed nighttime walks down the Terrasse Dufferin (watching the lightning upriver) and through the Rue de Buade area. There are street performances all over town, and we saw several large and small performances organized by museums and the 400e celebration. We don't know French, but we enjoyed the spirit!
I'll save the details of our next day for next time, but our last evening in Quebec found us on the Funiculaire to Upper Town once again, exploring the Rue St-Jean area, enjoying a street-side drink in a pub, spying on another (large) street performance at Place d'Youville, admiring the theatre (Le Capitole de Québec) where Les Misérables would be opening (shortly after we left - yes again), and saying goodbye to this town again, this place that I now loved even more than I had before! In my eyes, its beauty is unmatched, and this time I got to share it with my Eric!
...
...
In the final chapter, we embark on some road trips (will bickering ensue?), and the old nervous worrying returns. How will Barbra handle it? Will there be bloodshed?
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