medieval times

with the teacher's strike still polluting the air,
poor bosco has been worried that his class won't get to do the traditional grade 4 field trip to medieval times

well, so what?

rob took bosco there on his own private 'field trip'

they had a blast.

science and space festival

yes, that's a dalek behind them

there wasn't a huge showing for this first-time event, but the handful of vendors were thrilled to see fierce in costume - one even rushed out to hug him!

scout camp

rob and fierce travel to buffalo with scouts for a weekend trip - sleeping on a ship
(did i mention rob is now a scouts leader?)

the zoo

we hit all our favorites: the sumerian tigers, the orangutans, the golden tamarinds, the polar bears, the flamingos, the beavers, the gorillas. even the stinky rhinos to say "you're too stinky - we're not going in there!"
and since we're rich now, we did something we've never done at the zoo: paid for food! no packed sandwiches for us - 3 hotdogs, 2 beavertails, fries and gravy... so this is how the rest of the world lives. wastefully! at least my children were as shocked as i was over the prices.



how is it that i never noticed this waterfall before?



it's nice to know that even my older children still know how to play :)


some animal encounters don't translate well to film, but filled our hearts nonetheless. we were so close to a young orangutan cuddling with his mother that we could see how thin their fur really is, and their skin underneath: freckled just like us. no wonder they are a must-stop for our family.

another adult orangutan grabbed a bedspread off the line, crawled under it, lifted his arms and walked around like a halloween ghost - seemingly to entertain the other adult

at the gorilla enclosure, we were surprised at the young males who took delight in shocking us: if you banged on the glass, they banged back!
we also watched one give a pretty heavy punch - you could feel the weight of it - i wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that.
so, those didn't translate well to photos, but our patience here paid off:

stingrays

you have to pay extra, but you get admitted to the touch tank, and these stingrays seem to like being petted!





at first it's scary to put your hand in the water; daring yourself for that first feel. to me, they felt like firm jello. but don't press too hard: they splash!

osc

off to the crazy-expensive-is-this-how-all-the-other-families-live harry potter exhibit and the science centre. since we're rich now, i don't hardly blink an eye

no cameras allowed inside, but the kids pulled up their own mandrakes, sat in hagrid's chair and wore the sorting hat. ep & sb were declared the house of slytherin, while fierce was the house of ravenclaw
and it's nice how each child has a character to mimic here:

india @ the ROM

our last trip to the ROM before our pass runs out. enough time for a 'field trip' to india, and a chance to see the terra cotta warriors from China. No pictures allowed inside the exhibit, so don't expect to see any (although i saw many-a-folk breaking the rules!!! arggg!)

siddhartha and the gang

hey - a telling of the Ramayana... and thanks to Sita Sings the Blues, we can easily follow this epic poem

this isn't india anymore, but cool! real cuneiform!
it's Ashurbanipal - why haven't we noticed him before?

back to the ROM

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

when in Rome...

i usually avoid march break activities because i figure they will be overcrowded and we can always go on another day. well, today - on a friend's reccommendation - we went to the ROM.
wow.
it was so amazing. there was a medieval fair to attend, a samurai to talk to, animal shows and scavenger hunts. a falconry show let us see a peregrine falcon, turkey vulture, red tailed hawk and great horned owl up close, as well as learn how the birds were caught, trained, and used in medieval times. there was an exhibit that invited visitors to spot the counterfeit in archeological artifacts, canadian money, sportswear and toys. i never looked so closely at a $20 bill - but you should do it: there's two hidden 20s, plus the queen's ghostly portrait if you hold it up to the light.
the kids joined in a beading activity, saw the new-and-improved bave cave, and still had time to try on armour and be grossed out by their fingernails - magnified.
my only disappointment? waiting 'till today to go. if i'd gone earlier in the week, there would be time to go again