A week of firsts.....

First night in our new apartment, first day at school, first Mandarin class, first mum and baby group (though Sofia fell asleep just before the start and couldn't be woken - so down to the computers for a reconnect with the world it was!).  And on Sunday I go for my first day at my new job.  Yup, I have me a potential job (if Sunday goes well) cooking for an eccentric older lady.  I would be cooking to strict macrobiotic, gluten-free, dairy and wheat-free guidelines (is there anything left to cook???), but the pay is not bad and it's only 4-5 hours a week on the sunday.  I am actually quite looking forward to it as, not only does she have some fantastic gadgets that appeal to the 'chef' in me, but she lives in 'The Beaches' area of Toronto, which is quite beautiful.  Oh, and I get some time on my own on the journey there and back.  Yes, as a full time mum, my time alone has been reduced to going to the toilet, snatching a quick shower and travelling on the subway and streetcar to a small part-time job.  But I'm not complaining too much.  I am living in a fantastic city and get to stay at home and raise my baby.  I get to be there each day to drop the kids at school and meet them afterwards.  But it is also nice to remember who I am and indulge myself in the things that make me, Tanya the person (not Tanya the mum), happy.  So, there will be many more firsts as I discover more of the city and find a few more hobbies and friends - I'm really looking forward to it all :-)

A New School

On Thursday I went to register the kids with the Toronto District School Board's international students' office.  To say it was a loooong journey there and back would be an understatement.  It is quite a feat getting used to navigating the GTA on the subway system with 2 children and a baby in a pushchair.  Most stations have no lifts, and the escalators tend to mostly run in one direction - up.  Not handy when you need to go down to get to the trains.

Anyway, I digress.  On Friday we actually went to the school that Benjamin and Jasmine will attend.  Keele Street Junior Public School.  I naively approached the school situation as I did in England.  I expected to be able to choose from a couple of nearby schools, by visiting each one and comparing them.  And then eventually picking the one that most accurately reflected my hopes for the kids' education.  Not so.  Here you have no choice.  You go to the school which is assigned to your address.  In some cases, whether your house number is odd or even will mean a different school!

But I am so thankful that the school we are assigned to seems, at first visit, to be a lovely one.  It is much smaller than many in the city, with only 350 students (as opposed to over a thousand in the one we thought we may be attending!).  This is not such a big jump then from North Leigh, where there was only just over 100 students.  Keele street also has it's own pool!  I am soooo excited for them!  I want to go to school too! The lessons are FREE (which is always a good thing when you feel a walking, talking ATM), so they will both be able to catch up on their swimming ability (or lack of *ahem*)

But you know what the best thing for me is right now?  I get to get back some semblance of PEACE!  I will be able to spend a number of hours each day minus 2 of my children, who, as much as I love, after approx. 11 weeks of constant 'togetherness', I want some time apart from!  Yes, I've admitted it.  I want some time to myself.  Well, as much time to myself as still having a 10 month old baby will allow.  When I mentioned this to Nick, Jasmine overheard and asked "that means you don't love us"  Of course I reassured her, and pointed out that even she herself will enjoy some time away from me, Ben and Sofia.  But she still loves us anyway.

OK, so here are a couple photo's I found of the school, I chose not to take any of my own - don't know how they would react to my walking around shooting pics in the school grounds:

*pics courtesy of google images.

So, Monday is their first day back at school after the loooongest summer ever!  HOORAY! Grade 3 for Ben with Mr Gadsden (first ever male teacher) and Grade 2 for Jasmine with Miss Theo (shortened from a long, Greek sounding name that her class find hard to pronounce).  We can't wait :-)

We have lift off!

We woke up at 5:30, had breakfast, then went to check in for our flight

All our worldly possessions, reduced to 4 large suitcases, hand luggage and car seats/pushchair. If Nick could have had his way, we would have brought nothing other than ourselves.  And then we would be telling our grandchildren those infamous immigrant stories about how we came to the country "with nothing but a $5 note in our back pocket".  Yes, my dad told me a similar thing - though he added that he also slept in a wheelbarrow on the docks, whilst waiting for the ship to bring him over.  We were much more well off in that we spent the night in a very comfortable hotel, just minutes from the check-in desk :-)

off to the departure gate

last shot on English soil

the rather small plane taking us to our new life...

DS' at the ready...!

first flight, out of utero

first shot on Canadian soil!

Sofia gained us entrance into the fast track lane through security, so earning herself some brownie points. Jasmine, on the other hand, lost any she might have gained, when, whilst listening to really loud music through her headphones, she shouted to Ben that the man sitting next to her was 'A FATTY!".  Ben, to his credit told her that she can't say things like that about people. She shouted back, "WELL, HE IS!"  Needless to say, we were highly embarrassed and not surprised at the frosty reception.

Approx. 7hrs 40mins later, we landed.  And so begins our Canadian adventure.......

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen adieu......

goes the famous line from that famous song from my favourite musical... and as August drew to an end, we had our fair share of goodbyes.  Here they are, captured in digital form:

Theme park fun

in the rain.  Because it wouldn't be a proper British summer without the rain.  SO I guess it was a fitting farewell tribute to us, as we enjoyed our last few days on UK soil.

Olympic torch tour

Oblivion

Jas being Jas!

can you spot 3 of us?

The kids had a blast, despite getting absolutely soaked.  Ben is a right little adrenaline junkie, rushing from one fast ride to another - his head and shoulders almost hit the floor, he was that disappointed over not being tall enough to go on Oblivion , Nemesis or Rita.  Personally, I really wanted to go on Oblivion - the sound of the screaming just before the train whooshed down into a black hole, barely wider than the carts themselves, and then under the ground and up hundred meters or so away - was soooo....thrilling.  But as there was only us two adults and I was too chicken to go on alone, I had to miss out.

Nerves got a little frayed after a long, wet day, whe we walked all the way back (30 mins) to where we thought we'd parked the car only to errr, not find it.  When we eventually did locate it in another car park, the relief was palpable - and Jasmine was able to pour the water out of her shoes and warm her toes finally!

Overall our inbred British resolve won out and despite the grey, we had a really fun day :-)