The Anker Fam·i·ly

I wasn’t entirely thrilled to “camp”, since the first 32 years of my life was “Up North” but I was pleasantly surprized to enjoy a weekend with a few school moms and their daughers!  It was a beautiful weekend with lots to do.  Lots of sun, food, canoeing, but not alot of sleep!  We’ll do it again next year!

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

This year Elina and her classmates celebrated the Sacrament of the Eucharist – It turned out to be a beautiful day with friends and Hillary!

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

I had already decided to wake up early to watch the Royal wedding.  I did the same in 1981 when Charles and Diana got married.  I’ll wake up Elina around 5 AM.  Her school has invited the kids to dress up today and they will have special treats.

Good Morning everyone!!

Yawn (snuggled with a blanket and a pillow on the couch)

Toronto Beaches Easter Parade … In Photos

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

12►

We are allowed to complain about two things here in Toronto: 1) The Weather and 2) Traffic (Includes traffic construction).  This past Sunday we had almost every weather condition in a span of 6 hours (sun, rain, hail, snow, blizzard, cloudy – it was warm inside with the heat blazing).

While it continues to be seasonal weather, the grees are beginning their blooming into spring.  The spring flowers are making their way through the thawing ground.  I did put away the winter jackets several times already and decided that we would make do with what spring jackets we owned (Herman will be using his winter jacket at least until the July 1 Canada Day weekend).

Hillary (Elina’s birth sister) is staying with us until the end of May.  She’s finished her first year at Carleton University.  I suggested that perhaps she could work in Switzerland for the summer, learn some french, live a different culture, etc, so with the help of my friend Didier (whom I met while I worked as an “au-pair” in 1987/88), she connected with a family in a small village northeast of Geneva.  She’s starting her summer by visiting my sister Donna in England.  I’m so proud of my niece Hillary and know she’ll love living in Europe for a few months.

I did work in Switzerland when I finished school and loved my time there.  I met so many people and had so much fun and even managed to learn some french.  I think that any young person – should experience a different culture and learn another language.  The best way is to be immersed in a cutlure.  Switzerland is very beautiful, it was surreal to walk around in Lausanne and look at the beautiful mountains and the view takes your breath away.  I know she’ll enjoy the time.

Elina on the other hand is enjoying Grade 2 – she’s receiving the Sacrament of the Eucharist – her first Communion on May 1.  She’s joined the Girl Guides of Canada – as a Brownie (no pun intended).  She’s almost finished her hip hop classes and her recital is in a few weeks.  She’s finally loosing teeth – her 6th just this past weekend – so she’s finally caught up to her classmates.

Elina just finished watching a Harry Potter movie and came to me with her wiggly tooth saying “nearly toothless, how can you be nearly toothless” (in a slight British accent) and she shows me how wiggly her tooth was. I take a tissue to feel how wiggly it was and when I wiggled it popped off. I sit back in a bit of a shock, she then asks how much blood there was and look into the tissue and, behold, her tooth.

Tooth fairy, please visit the Anker family home tonight, her mom yanked out a tooth!

Lost tooth count – 5

(Its 6 actually if you count the extraction – with the orthopedic “figure 8″ appliance to keep the space from shifting her teeth!)

Elina has finally lost a 3rd tooth and has a 4th tooth hanging on by a few strings.  I just love her little toothless smile!

Elina

• Has been growing some sea monkeys
• Has 3 very loose teeth (two top middle and bottom left) – the bottom left adult tooth is already pushing through
• Is trying out for the school’s cross country running team
• Is finished with gymnastics after this session (it was a good 3 year run), the next step would have been competition and it wasn’t her thing
• Is going with her mommy on a Mom/Daughter weekend with a few of her classmates and their friends in May (pray it doesn’t snow like last year – same weekend)
• Her hair is back to its normal straight – slightly wavy hair

Dina

• Is back at the gym and loving it
• Is finishing a contract position this month and I’m contemplating my next career move
• Has straight hair – its not the Japanese straightening treatment (where the roots come out curly and the rest is poker straight), its a keratin treatment. My hair is relatively short (the shortest its been for a while) and I simply needed a change.  The treatment is pretty low maintenance – which I am to a “T”, nothing worst than not being able to leave the house without an hours notice!
• Is moderately excited for the Mom/Daughter camping weekend in May.  I have done my “bush-time” and am quite an urban-ite – I’m doing this for Elina
• I booked my flight for my yearly trip to Salt Lake City in July for the Stampin’ Up Convention

Herman

• Working hard
• Is installing heated leather seats to our car
• Has monthly “man” dates with the local guys at a local pub

I just wanted to congratulate our daughter on her tremendous report card so far.  She’s exceeding all Grade 2 provincial standards with flying colors with 9 – “A’s and 9 “B”s in all subjects!  We’ll find a way to celebrate her accomplishments!

On a non-related note, here’s a photo of Elina after her Mexican hair braids – Part 2 (Took 20 minutes to braid in Mexico, took 45 minutes to take apart here at home). The last photo is of Elina in Mexico!

Update – February 28, 2011:  Its been a few weeks since my body has re-adjusted itself to cat dander: looks like its not as eminent as previously thought but we are still open to anyone wanting to take the two of them.

I found out a few years after getting our cat (Peps) that I was allergic to them.  This coincided with our move to Toronto.  The allergy was confirmed by a doctor and rather than getting rid of them (they are family after all), I opted for a daily dose Singulair.  This seemed to work until now.  We spent two glorious weeks in Mexico (the longest I had ever been away from the cats and it was pure heaven to breath again, no sniffles or itchy eyes.

We have decided to try to find a loving home – with someone who will love them both (we cannot separate them).

• Peps is a blue point Siamese cat and turned 13 on Feb 4.
• Her kitten Daisy is 10 (will be 11 on September 11). Daisy is a mix of Blue point and lilac point Siamese.
• They have never been apart.
• They are both very social indoor cats – unlike some cats – when visitors come to the door, rather than scurry under furniture or hide, they meet your visitor at the door with their nose practically in your face.
• They are have been indoor cats
• They are both spayed and have had their front paws de-clawed.
• They are accustomed to dry catfood and small feedings. Daisy tends to “hairball” on occasion.
• They have been members of our family since our daughters arrival, although they seem to thrive in a home without younger children.