Here is a brief look at our first week in Penetang, Ontario. I am on my mother’s computer and don’t want to take too much time on it so a lot of this post will be terse to the point of being cryptic. I am writing this post more for my memory than for international scrutiny.
Just before coming to Canada, I had one last hike on a small, local mountain and finished the hike in my T-shirt. The day before leaving, The Little Guy (TLG) and I rode our bikes to Eulsookdo.
Jan 31: Long slow drive home – often terrible visibility. Went to sleep early, up at 3:30 for the day
Sat Feb 1: Midland winter Carnival. Candy cannon and dog-sled ride
Here, re-enactors fire the Candy cannon, much as the originals would have done to fight the Americans in 1812. Britain had access to sugar cane and so worked to rot the American’s teeth.
Sun Feb 2. Visited the Wye Marsh where my mother volunteers.
Mon, Feb 3: First day of school, chose a cat
Tues, Feb 4: picked up cat “Colino7” from the SPCA. Colino7 is a four-year-old neutered cat that apparently lived outside for a month or two before being brought in to the SPCA. I say apparently because the volunteer at the pound pointed out that she only had the drop-off person’s word to go by and that wasn’t always trustworthy. The cat is amazingly laid-back and has quickly adjusted to living in our home. TLG, who loves the number seven, named the cat.
Wed, Feb 5: I drove to Toronto to Korean Consulate, and Barrie Drive Test for Ontario drivers licence
Thurs, Feb 6: Vet checkup for cat. All good
All this week, TLG watched a whole lot of TV – Treehouse channel
Fri, Feb 7: Big snow, buses cancelled but TLG went to school -only 20 students total. Lots of fun. We met Alex’s teacher, Mrs D. She called TLG “Brilliant” regarding math. She repeated that he helped his classmates on the math problems. She had started him on Grade one spelling, which he is motoring through. I thought it strange that he learn those words at a slow rate -I considered pushing him in that regard -but they are the basics of letter sounds and phonics. I guess she knows what she is doing. He has a good friend in class, Tyson, but is quiet in speaking to the full class.
Saturday, Feb 9: Big tobogganing day at Midland’s little lake park hill.
TLG dressed in his hanbok and we recorded a bow and new years greeting in korean for YN and family.
Made a snow fort and played inside.
Sunday, Feb 10, played in snow fort. We shopped for Valentine’s Day card stock and a ‘ministick’. This is a tiny hockey stick that the kids use at recess at his school. Full size sticks should not be brought to the school but similar sticks are available for gym class. TLG was surprisingly quiet and cranky at the time.
He is still watching a lot of TV -no friends to visit or evening activities organized yet. Perhaps due to the move and the changes, Alex needs me to hold him and sing lullabies to put him to sleep.
TLG has been uncomfortably interested in death and pets. His questions have put my and Nana’s faulty memories on display. We have told him about the cats Little Man, Blackjack, Tailor and Mums and the dogs Midnight, Misty, Buddy, Kingkong, Mr Mugs and Snoopy and I am happy to relive the good memories of these pets. Still, he has asked how long these pets lived and how they died. As I noted in our last visit to Canada, he asks similar questions many times possibly to ensure he knows all the details and understands them clearly.
Now that he has a pet of his own, he seems to be preparing for that time, probably when he enters university, when his cat will pass away.
