I'm backtracking here, but our trip to Montreal was fabulous. We were busy busy busy catching up with friends and family, hanging around our favorite city and playing tourist. We went to the coolest Cabane-a-Sucre, where Anissa and Mariella did some jigging with their grandmas to traditional Quebecois folk music, saw the animals at the Biodome and checked out the paintings at the Musee des Beaux-Arts. Anissa was obviously having the time of her life too because when I looked out Mama Jo's window one morning to the view of the "mountain" and sighed, "Ah, Montreal!", she said, "Maybe we can move here someday?" She made the same comment when we later drove by our old condo. She assured me that she also loves our little house in Dover New Hampshire. But, I have to agree, Montreal still feels like home in so many ways.


Loving up Mariella between songs on the dance floor at the Sugar Shack.













Anissa asked Mehdi several times that week, "Papa, are you excited to see your Mommy?"

I knew it had been an especially long time since I had blogged when I got a worried phone call from Annick last night, asking if we were all right. I have to admit, after frustrating internet trouble and a (fabulous) one week visit to Montreal, it feels good to be back online again. Anissa must have also really appreciated the work of the internet technician that visited our house today, because she kept showing off by kicking the soccer ball around him and yelling, "I'm a really good soccer player! I am a good shooter! Look at my goal!" He was so busy concentrating on his internet-measuring-thingy that he didn't even give her a glance, so she only cranked it up a notch by kicking the ball and raising it in the air just by his head. (At which point I, of course, had to put a stop to her little show.)

So, everyone, if you're at all concerned that we've been kidnapped by aliens, no need to call. If you want to call to say hi, though, we'd love to hear from you. I will try to post some photos of our trip up north in the next few days.

A few of Anissa's quirks these days:

She has a Peter Pan complex. She's decided that if growing up means going to school without me by her side, then she wants no part of it. She's always telling us that she wants to stay little. I even caught her staring down at a carrot, trying to decide whether to eat it, muttering "I don't want to grow up, I don't want to grow up." I hope she gets over this soon, since I have her signed up for preschool in September!

She's discovered the perfect excuse for any behaviour. Whenever she does or says something she knows isn't acceptable and Mehdi or I reprimand her, she replies, "Oh, I was just joking." It's not easy to think of a good come-back to that!