The Wrigs

The One Dinar Bill

2012-02-02T13:12:00.000+02:00

Here is a scan of the Libyan one Dinar bill. The one on top is the original but these days it is pretty common to find his face scratched out on these things. I was just given this as change today from the butcher.

For the Grandmas

2012-02-01T20:20:00.001+02:00

Here are a few pics and a video for the Grandmas.

Libby is as cute as ever.

Plus she's starting to communicate better these days, and she loves getting people to put their hands up in the air.

Here are the kids making their own pizzas for dinner last night. Yummy.

A group shot, sans moi.

Finally a video of Libby in action tonight at the dinner table, with Oscar providing backup vocals.

In Sync At Last

2012-01-28T07:49:00.000+02:00

At last. Synchronicity.

Ever since I started driving at the age of 16, and maybe even before that while my big brother drove me around, I have been yearning for music and machine to be in sync. Maybe you've done the same - tapping away on your steering wheel to a song while your turn-signal ticks. Listening to the end of a great tune while the beeper goes off in the car reminding you to turn off the headlights. Or maybe - just maybe - you had your seatbelt off while you turned into the driveway and the 'ding-ding' warning tried to match the pulse of the track on the radio.I have never been able to get the beats of a song to match the various car-induced rhythms. One was always slightly faster or slower than the other, and the sync never happened. Sometimes you'd think it was close and for a few seconds all was right with the world, but then they start to separate and it felt like tone-deaf karaoke. Ugh.

But yesterday it happened. I was listening to one of my favourite tracks by The Shins. As I came around the corner to my house, I popped off my seatbelt and the dinging started. PERFECTLY in sync with the song. At first I thought they would deviate like all the others, but by Jove they stayed together for whole last minute of the song. Incredible.

"Phantom Limb" by The Shins and the seatbelt alarm on a 2008 Volkswagen Passat. A perfect match.

OK weird video, but the ending of the song is very addictive. I usually end up listening to it twice in a row.

Receipts from The Hacker

2012-01-22T17:45:00.000+02:00

I think it's hilarious that 'The Hacker' here in town gives receipts for pirated movies.

Juicy Strawberries

2012-01-21T21:54:00.002+02:00

It is strawberry season in these parts right now. Delicious. We bought 2kg of Egyptian strawberries today for 8 dinars. So about $6.63. Bargoon, and only 2 bad strawberries in the whole box.

Wadi Qattara Dam

2012-01-20T22:58:00.004+02:00

We had a great day today wandering the hills behind the airport. Officially the Benghazi airport is in the town of Benina, and we atually ended up wandering a huge 'wadi' (Arabic for valley) known as Wadi Qattara. There is a dam there that you can read about here. This is what it looks like.

The kids did fantastic, climbing up and down the valleys for a good four hours. We walked to an old settlement from 500 BC or so and then down along the wadi. A few pools of water had frog eggs beneath the surface.

Here's a map of where we were. Great spot - we will go again soon.

View Larger Map

Tiny toes in the green grass

2012-01-18T11:34:00.002+02:00

Horse farm in Benghazi

2012-01-17T09:49:00.008+02:00

I have always loved horses. I hope someday at our farm we might get to actually own one. A rule my Dad once said always sticks in my mind though "Never own something that eats while you sleep". I think that same rule could have applied to Robie and I as teenagers though!

Our good friends took us to this amazing horse facility just outside Benghazi. It had green grass, dogs, lots of horses and camels too. The kids and I had a great time wandering from barn to barn checking out all the new babies with their mamas and watching the baby move inside the pregnant camel's belly. So neat!

Libby and I enjoying the barns

The camels. The one closest to us is the one with the baby in her belly.

Getting to know the horse they were going to ride.

Before I could stop her she had her socks and shoes off and loved the grass on her toes!

Lucy going for a ride!

The barns and riding area.
Oscar checking out the baby horse

I think he is having a good time?

I'm back

2012-01-14T21:52:00.004+02:00

I haven't blogged since we left Canada and figured it was about time. As the saying goes "If you don't have anything positive to say, then don't say anything at all." I was in a bad place for awhile, but I'm out of it and have a new look at things here. It's not that it's bad here, it's just different. People are happier. Yes. It's just in transition right now. Everyone is just waiting it seems. I have only lived here 5 years I can't even begin to imagine what 42 years must have felt like. Change is starting. I have faith, I believe and I wait.

Even though the change is enormous here life still goes on. Our little family is sure lucky!

We love our new house and the outside kitchen.

I love baby feet. Especially sandy baby feet. Libby's first time at the Med.

Lucy all decked out for one of her class mate's birthday parties.

Libby along for the party.

Birthday parties are a BIG deal here. So fun. Parents go all out and it's a great time for the kids.
This one had loads of balloons, amazing food, that fun spray-stuff-in-a-can, exploding paper and candy contraptions, fun music and games.

Here is Lucy with a few of her class mates.

I love this sticker.
New school for Lucy, with homework and weekly spelling tests. It begins!

It's good to be back Benghazi!

Shoe Shine

2012-01-08T15:14:00.002+02:00

I love having my shoes shined. Part of it for me I suppose is that I hate doing it myself, so laziness comes into play. But there is also something that makes you feel. . . .distinguished (?) while sitting up in a throne-like chair watching the world go by while someone else shines your shoes. Five bucks well spent, and no question a professional (like this guy) does a finer job than me.

I also really respect these old dudes that shine shoes for a living, and anyone else who takes pride in their work for that matter. I have had my shoes shined at various airports around the world and I can't think of a single occasion when I wasn't thrilled with the result. Perhaps not the most glorious of professions, but certainly a trade that I hope sticks around.

Elitist? Maybe, but my shoes have never looked better!

Anybody Need Some Lemons?

2012-01-06T20:08:00.003+02:00

We've got a lemon tree in our garden. How fantastic is that? The thing is of course most of the year they aren't ready to be picked, but then BAM you've got a tree full of lemons to eat.

We harvested a walloping 191 lemons from our tree this afternoon. We'll give a bunch away and make lemon juice with the rest. Lucy wanted to make a lemonade stand but it isn't really the season and we don't have much traffic in front of our house. Any other ideas?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T03:36:00.002+02:00

We spent New Year's Eve in Istanbul. It's probably ranked as one of the best places around to party while bringing in the new year, and we stepped right up. After a long trip from Brisbane we all had a nice afternoon nap in the hotel then headed downtown.

First we bought some hats for the kids then we found a nice restaurant with a fireplace (quite a bit cooler here compared to Brisbane!). Had a great meal and a couple of drinks. . . .

. . . . then back on the train to the hotel. Looks like the kids had a couple too many!!!

Happy new year everyone!

Team MitoCanada

2011-12-27T22:42:00.004+02:00

Mel and Ryan went for a road bike ride Monday morning. She prefers mountain biking but enjoyed the 40km tour through downtown Brisbane early Boxing Day morning.

Note the cool outfit from Team MitoCanada. This is a great way to support the good folks at Mito Canada, a non-profit organization that provides support and awareness to Canadians affected by Mitochondrial Disease. Mito Canada was founded by our inspirational friends Blaine and Sarah Penny, who's son Evan was diagnosed with the disease a few years ago.

Read about them here.

On top of it all, these guys are incredible athletes, running ultra marathons and x-country skiing really far, frighteningly fast. I think they're nuts, but if you're into that sort of thing, check out their next event here.

Two Days in Brisbane

2011-12-27T12:10:00.010+02:00

Wow time flies when you're having fun with 5 kids around. . . .

Yesterday we hit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, a zoo-like facility with an obvious koala focus here in Brisbane. Did you know they aren't bears? Did you know they sleep 85% of the time? Of course you know they're cute.

Anyway a nice spot with lots to see, touch and do with the kids. Kangaroos and walaby's all over the place.

Here Lucy and a python make faces at each other. . . . .

Libby got a little close during the petting session and grabbed a handful of fur, much to the disapproval of the stay-happy-and-polite-no-matter-what handler (and probably the koala!). Lucky for Libby, she was probably the only thing around competing in the cute department with the koalas, so she got off easy.

Today we visited "South Bank", which is a bit like Toronto's Harbourfront, but along the river instead of a lake. Besides restaurants, theatre and what-not, they have this huge water park that costs nothing. Busy place today but still lots of fun.

And then the hair cut. I cut Ryan's hair last night and Oscar decided today that he wanted a matching one. Mom likes it long but the poor guy was really feeling the heat I think and wanted it cut short. Ryan did a fine job, calmly buzzing his hair while giving hazing suggestions to the children ("just shave their bangs first then they'll want to shave the rest"). Good fun.

Meanwhile the other kids bounced on the trampoline at dusk. Neat photo.

Beaut!

2011-12-27T07:22:00.002+02:00

Melanie and Libby. Christmas Day, 2011. Brisbane, Australia.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T13:12:00.006+02:00

We have had a warm, relaxing and fun Christmas here in Brisbane. Christmas Eve the kids watched "Charlie Brown's Christmas" for the first time. A classic, all the way from 1965. Here they are huddled around the screen after their baths.

This morning was of course pandemonium. Kids were up at 5:30 so a bit earlier than hoped but I suppose to be expected with all the excitement in the air. Good times had by all.

Libby looking ever so cute in her Santa outfit.

We are so lucky to have a healthy family and the ability to live such a good life. Really hard to imagine it much better.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays and all that to all our family and friends around the world!

Water Fun

2011-12-22T08:59:00.006+02:00

We have had a blast playing on the beach and in the pool this week. Having a waterproof camera has been great too. Here are a couple of videos from this afternoon's fun.

Libby loves the water. Flapping around all over the place, and she seems to enjoy being dunked.

And then the resort had this "Aqua Bubble" today. Good fun but really exhausting, especially for big guys like Ryan and I. Sort of like a hamster cage on water.

The kids had fun until someone's head hit someone's knee. Then it was Dad's turn solo:

Later Ryan and Jody did some sailing.

And the girls had a blast on the kayaks.

The boys just had fun swimming and playing in the sand.

And Libby. . . .well she had fun eating the sand.

Hanging Ten

2011-12-21T04:24:00.002+02:00

Ryan and Jody gave Mel and I surfing lessons for Christmas. Terrific fun and nothing to carry back in our luggage. The perfect gift!!

As usual, Mel was better than me and got up on her first wave. Pretty soon she was riding them all the way into the beach - clearly a natural.

I had more success this time than when I tried it a few years ago in Tofino, but the waves weren't quite strong enough to keep me moving. I'd get up but then would just sink after a couple of metres. Really fun though, a great to see Mel having so much success.

HMAS Brisbane

2011-12-19T11:52:00.007+02:00

Ryan and I went SCUBA diving today on/in/to the HMS Brisbane (as an aside, how do you say that? We dove the HMS Brisbane? We went to the HMS Brisbane? We responded to an ad that said "DIVE THE HMS BRISBANE"? Anyway, we did a wreck dive today) here and it was great.

Read here about the ship and how it was scuttled.

This is a picture of what it looked like while in service.

The good people at SCUBA WORLD took very good care of us. I'm stealing this picture from their webpage to show you what it was like diving in and around the ship. Very fun.

They had a digital camera today and I poached these from their Facebook page. Couple of me, couple of the fish/octopus/rays we saw and one of the toilets on the ship. We swam around the engine rooms, through stacks, hallways, control room and so on.

Water Babies

2011-12-18T05:31:00.003+02:00

These kids love the water. And the beach. Good times continue.

Brisbane Baby!

2011-12-16T17:20:00.001+02:00

We endured a very long trip but we are fully expecting it to be worth it. Christmas in Brisbane with the Stroms. . . . if the first day (today/yesterday) was any indication, it should be a great couple of weeks!

The Cycle of Life

2011-12-10T22:06:00.002+02:00

OK that's perhaps an overly dramatic title for this, but anyway.

Lucy lost her first tooth today. The very same day Libby's first is popping up. A nice coincidence.

And Oscar just wanted to have his picture taken.

Flexible Libby

2011-12-08T08:46:00.002+02:00

Libby is 9 months old now, and only today are we starting to feel her first tooth coming through. Plus zero interest in crawling or standing. The other two had teeth and were moving around a bit by now. Clearly Libby is destined for failure.

However, she may have a future in yoga or perhaps the circus. This kid is crazy flexible and her reach is impressive. Last night Mel and Vida were getting her to reach for a toy and she would contort herself and get it somehow, with her butt above her head and spread right out.

We couldn't get her to reproduce the feat on camera, but it's a cute look at the kid anyway.

Mmmmmm. . . . . . Shwarma

2011-12-01T19:25:00.002+02:00

Thursday night is shwarma night at our house. Yummy. There are a couple of good spots on Pepsi Street, one with a spicier version and another more kid-friendly.

I asked the guy tonight where these giant rotating meat sticks come from. The big chunk of chicken here is made from 60 large chickens or over 100 small ones. On the left is pre-cooked from the spicy place that opens a bit later (Moad). The one on the right is more plain but is open earlier, which is why it looks cooked.

They can sell 400-500 shwarmas per night from this thing. Impressive. And soooo good.

Binge Excercising

2011-11-28T22:22:00.003+02:00

I'm dripping with sweat as I type this and it's hard to lift my right wrist to the keyboard. That's right - I just exercised.

In the past I have stayed in shape by playing sports. Mind you it has been a while since I was really in shape, but every once in a while I get close. But admittedly I don't make time for exercising these days, what with kids, a career and watching the grass grow, I seem to be able to find something else to do.

I excel at binge exercising. You know, doing nothing for weeks and then doing way too much. A year or so ago I ran 10km one night after probably 3 months of zero. Lately I seem to go a few weeks of nothing then Mel convinces me to do a workout.

Mel's workouts are always interesting. And hard. At least on me. She's a pro and loves to be active and stay fit. Back in Canada she was doing these 'Boot Camp' workouts and she tried one on me tonight.

I feel like I'm going to barf.

You'll note that there are several repetitions of multiple exercises. The first round I was OK, but for the record 100 jumping jacks takes a really long time. We ran eight laps around the outside of our house, and then in for the fun stuff.

The leg/arm clean & press went OK, but my balance is brutal apparently. The 10 chin ups didn't go so well. And by that I mean I couldn't do a single one without having one leg on a chair. By the second rep of these, they were more like lunges using the chin-up bar as support. All leg. By the fourth set. . . .well it wasn't pretty. The jump squats were OK, but thank god there wasn't a camera running to see how little I got off the ground. Sweet hops Wrigs.

Then on to hell. The next set of fun included 'Bent Over Rows', 'Spider Man Push-Ups', Burpees, lunges and crunches. 8000 of each. The first rep was a struggle to say the least, and my burpees were brutal. I'm not a flexible or graceful man at the best of times, and some extra-tight boxers further complicated matters. I thought about going upstairs to get some more appropriate underwear but i couldn't bear the thought of climbing the stairs. So I elected to just fumble through them. Lunges OK, crunches OK.

Second rep was where the nausea set in. The burpees were abysmal. Pushups not pretty and I needed a mop for my sweat on the bench for my rows. I wanted my Mommy.

At this point by the way, Mel had already lapped me and was officially kicking my ass in every direction. Not a surprise really, but I thought I'd confirm everyone's (Uncle Pete) suspicions. . . .

Water break.

The third (of five) reps was fine except I only managed I think two burpees and I have rug burn from the pushups.

Water break. Take deep breaths of fresh air from open window. Try to avoid puking.

Fourth rep? Half-assed attempts at all of the above. I fold.

Fifth rep? Mel did hers while I was struggling with my fourth. That was enough for me.

On to the 21-15-9 section, with overhead squats, thrusters, bicep curls and DB swings. At this point Mel had enough of my whining and was probably afraid she'd have to stop me from collapsing on the marble floor so she took mercy and we only did some of this.

I still feel like I'm going to barf. Like I always say, exercise is bad for your health.

I think I'd better take a two week break.

Communications Are Getting Better

2011-11-27T13:28:00.004+02:00

Friday was a pretty big day here in Benghazi. Libyana (one of the two cell providers in the country) sorted our a few long-standing issues and shazam we appear to be back in action. My old Libyana number is now working (yay!), text-messaging is back and they even gave everyone 130 dinars credit to I suppose thank people for their support over the last few months.

The Wall Street Journal had an interesting piece back in April about how the 'rebels' in Libya basically took over the Libyana network in the east of the country. Read it here. To make it happen, an extra '9' was added to the exchange. This was also removed on Friday, and you can even easily call between Benghazi and Tripoli without having to basically call out of the country.

On top of that, our home phone line is working! Apparenly all calls anywhere are free until the end of the month.

Next up? The Madar network, while should be also getting similar upgrades next week. And I have heard that the WiMax internet network will be getting faster soon. . . . .oh baby.

Hopefully all the newly appointed Ministries will be as efficient!!!

Gorgeous!

2011-11-21T15:01:00.001+02:00

Zerbert the Cute Baby!

2011-11-10T08:23:00.002+02:00

That's My Bike!

2011-11-01T23:05:00.002+02:00

So as some of you know our house in Benghazi was looted in March. We lost a bunch of stuff but nothing critical. Mostly electronics plus our camping gear, jewelry and Mel's bike. All replaceable and in the grand scheme of things, no big deal.

But Mel really liked that bike. It was a Kona Dew, valued at about $450 when she bought it a couple of years ago. Nothing overly special but a good city bike and perfect for pulling the kids in the trailer.

Anyway, we are now living in a different neighbourhood, so imagine Mel's surprise yesterday morning when she drove past a Kona bike very close to our house. "That's my bike!" She slammed on the brakes and ran into the shop it was leaning against, heart pumping. In her broken Arabic, she quizzed the guy where and how he got that bike!?! Apparently about a month ago he paid 30 dinars for the thing in our old hood and has been riding it around ever since.

She called me and I went over with Munam for translation. It was pretty exciting! Of course this guy just bought the bike and wasn't the thief. He was fine with us paying him back for it, but in the end Mel just let him keep it. It was pretty dinged up anyway, was missing the front brake and the clipless pedals but still running fine. No sign of the "Chicks Rule" license plate either. . . .

Regardless, Mel figured that the guy was getting way more use out of it than she would these days, so away he went. And quickly! He took off fast, probably thinking that she might change her mind.

Good karma Mel, and I'm sure he'll remember your kindness. I still can't believe the thing showed up 100 metres from our new house. Further proof that Benghazi is a small town!

Here's a great shot of the old and new owner of probably the only Kona in Libya.

This photo was taken about 3 seconds after the last photo. Like I said - he took off quick!

No sign of the "Chicks Rule" license plate though.

Quieter is Good

2011-10-27T08:12:00.003+02:00

Last night was the quietest one since we arrived. Still the odd gunshot, but nothing close to what it was like on the weekend. Sure there wasn't the party atmosphere, but hopefully too people are paying attention to some of the campaigns to stop the celebratory gunfire.

Here is one such poster I saw downtown yesterday.

Cruising Up Jamal Abdul Nasser Street

2011-10-26T15:44:00.003+02:00

Lots of celebrations here all weekend long. Saturday night we headed downtown and cruised up one of the main drags in Benghazi, Jamal Abdul Nasser Street. It was packed. People dancing in the streets, horns honking, people cheering and yes guns shooting in the air. It's what I imagine Front Street in Toronto might be like WHEN the Leafs win their next Stanley Cup, but with guns (ok I know people are being skeptical but hey after the last few months here, even the seemingly impossible can happen!!).

We turned up the street just before the Tabisti Hotel and there was one pickup truck full of jubilant soldiers and then another pickup with a giant gun in the back. All amongst regular cars with families. Flags, high fives, BANG BANG, honk honk. . . .BANG. . . .wash rinse and repeat. Everybody happy.

Took us quite a while but eventually we made it up to Burka. More happy people. This quick clip (that took FOREVER to upload) is from there.

Baby vs. Jetlag

2011-10-25T21:58:00.003+02:00

Of course Libby didn't know it was jetlag, but man us parents sure felt it. Her little clock was all messed up for the first few days so we had some broken nights. Thankfully we actually had a good sleep last night so it looks like she's back on track.

She was up from midnight to 4:00am one night and about 2:30 to 5:00 another. Zzzzzzzz. . . . Here's a video of Libby at 4:20am Sunday night. So darn cute though - hard to be mad at her.

Back in Benghazi

2011-10-22T14:50:00.002+02:00

We arrived Wednesday morning to Benghazi and about 24 hours later the rumours started of Ghadaffi's capture. Good timing! Needless to say, Thursday night was quite the party in Benghazi, with non-stop celebratory gunfire in the streets. We wanted to get out there and participate, but a) we were still spent from the trip and b) what goes up must come down, and the plethora of bullets up in the air didn't exactly invite us to bring the kids outside.

Anyway we're settling in to the new house in a new neighbourhood. The kids have been having a blast playing with their old toys that we had left behind, and we're all getting our internal clocks adjusted.

The weather is awesome and we had a great day at the beach yesterday. Generally good to be back, and obviously an interesting time to be around.

Tomorrow (October 23) they are officially declaring the liberation of Libya here so we're expecting lots of celebration again then. Schools are closing and it should be quite the party.

Tomorrow's date will give our family yet another permanent tie to the country. Lucy's birthday is Febraury 17 (official date of the revolution earlier this year), Oscar was born here, Libby almost was and is named accordingly, and now it looks like my birthday (tomorrow) will share the Liberation Day holiday. Tough to plan all that. . . . .

Bikes and Firetrucks in Fernie

2011-10-14T05:50:00.004+02:00

Fun Thanksgiving weekend in Fernie. Marty and Nigel flew out from Toronto for some biking and some quality cousin time.

Saturday morning we went for a quick family-friendly tour. Check out the kids hit this huge downhill.

Then on the way downtown for lunch we passed the Fernie Fire Department, and the firemen were so good to the kids. They hoisted up the ladder truck and gave them all hats - good fun.

Here they are looking up - Lucy's sneezing not wailing. . . .

Cousins!

Checking out the gadgets.

Group photo on the front bumper.

Fireman hats getting handed out - awesome!

Ryan loving his hat.

Nigel loving it perhaps even more!

Nigel and Oscar driving the truck. Good fun!

More Photos from Pincher

2011-10-06T05:35:00.000+02:00

Julie just sent some new photos from our weekend in Pincher. These are my favourites from their bunch.

Great views on our walk down to the creek.

And then a neat shot of Lucy.

First time in fall

2011-10-05T06:09:00.002+02:00

When we first moved to Libya back in 2006, Lucy was too small to remember me raking leaves for her to sit in. Now Lucy (5) and Oscar (3) are amazed at the falling leaves from the trees, making piles out of them, jumping in them, throwing them and rolling in them. Experiencing fall for the first time. Makes it that much more enjoyable when seeing things through your kids eyes.

Here is a great video of the kids playing in some leaves.
Oh Canada, how I will miss you.

2008 Honda Pilot For Sale

2011-10-05T00:39:00.002+02:00

We're selling our Honda Pilot. We've been really happy with it and would recommend it to families. Especially if you have three kids - all three in the second row.

We bought it from the dealership in April and the warranty is transferable. Thule box/rack, trailer hitch and 'Parrot' bluetooth audio system all added since. Yes it is 4WD. It's a 2008 and has 80,000km on it.

Let us know if you're interested and we can talk details!

Look at this kid

2011-09-30T04:44:00.000+02:00

Bonne Fête Mélanie!

2011-09-28T22:33:00.006+02:00

We just had a fantastic weekend down in Pincher Creek to celebrate Mel's birthday. Hard to imagine a better time really, with more than 30 friends making the trek down from Calgary. The weather was amazing, so everyone had a a blast being outside and enjoying the hikes, the views, campfires, the games, the food and everything else.

The Topp's got there first, and these kids always pick up from where they left off. We all love spending time with these guys. Here they are exploring 'the farm'.

Lucy and I collected some hay and made a broom. Martha Stewart eat your heart out.

We hiked down to Mill Creek Saturday morning to skip some rocks and go for a swim in some REALLY cold water. Adam shows the only smart way of getting in - you have to commit!

Holy crap this is cold!

Libby was happy because she didn't go into the fridgid water.

Evan liked the idea of swimming in the water, but wow it was cold. At the end, he swam across but took some serious convincing to come back over. . . .

Vasilis enjoyed the views much more than the water. Hard to blame the guy - he's Greek so the cold doesn't really compute.

The crew of kids Saturday afternoon looking for bugs. Those poor grasshoppers. . . .Friday afternoon they had the place to themselves and them BAM a dozen kids show up with a sudden interest in bug 'collecting' (i.e. torturing).

Ah yes - car camping at its finest!

A nice fire Friday night. No pictures yet from Saturday, but Viv tells me they are coming. . . watch this space.

Life is good! What a great group of friends. Thanks to everyone for coming down!

We are moving again.

2011-09-26T18:43:00.003+02:00

That's right. Back to Benghazi we go and FAST!

So. . . . We have some stuff to sell/give away.

A couch-It's really long good for napping (ask Mike). It's sort of a light beige/green/brown. The colour on the tag says "summer meadow". It's all made in Canada not in China. It's nice, it's comfy and yours for $100.

We have a brand new pillow top queen bed from IKEA only 4.5 months old. Just the bed and feet no bed frame. Libby was sleeping in our room so no photo of that. But you can check out the mattress here. We paid $649 but will sell it for $500. Or bargain with me Libyan style!

Some lamps for free- because I got them for free. We have 2. I'll include the light bulbs even!

Kids bunk bed from IKEA. We have the star tent cover, 2 mattresses, sheets, pillows and duvets included for $800. Or just the bunk bed for $150.

Kids carpet from IKEA-LUSY BLOM will sell for $40.

We also have a double mattress with metal frame, again sheets, duvet and pillows included if you like (or not). $200.

Call or email us. Or leave a comment with your contact details in the comments.

Libby finally eats

2011-09-19T15:48:00.002+02:00

Well they say you need to wait 6 whole months before you feed a baby solid foods. So after nursing 1,344* times she finally had food and LIKED IT!
So far she loves brown rice cereal, oat cereal, barley cereal, sweet potatoes, peas and pears.
She DOES NOT like bananas or avocadoes. She actually gagged them back up. ICK. Hopefully that wears off because those are staples in our house.

Here are some photos of her having her first baby mum mum, yum.

* based on 8 feeds a day for 6 months- I should maybe count the missed sleep too. Nah. It's all worth it.

Fall has started!

2011-09-19T05:27:00.004+02:00

The weather was fantastic this past weekend! We had a great day on Saturday at Prince's Island Park (yes I thought it was Princess too, but turns out it's Prince's Island) with some friends and had a great picnic. On Sunday I really wanted to go hiking so we headed to Big Hill Springs Provincial Park just North of Calgary. Beautiful spot and very kid friendly.

Here are some shots. Fall has begun!

Libby loving the Deuter. I think she is waving at me??

Trying to get 4 kids to look at the camera is pretty much impossible. This one was the best of all 10 shots I took.

Everyone enjoying a snack and Lucy and I posing for a shot!

Missing a key member of the family. . .We miss you Mike! xo

Lucy trying to carry Noah before the start of the hike! Go Lucy!

Oscar is so proud

2011-09-13T15:06:00.002+02:00

I registered Lucy for a dance camp this summer at the Wildflower Arts Centre. It is a great facility and she had a blast. The best part about the camp was that they studied music from around the world and their were boys in the class, so not everyone was wearing pink. Phew.

Here is a short clip from her recital. Make sure to catch the end so you can see what Oscar does.

Lucy and Oscar's Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam

2011-09-13T05:17:00.003+02:00

Besides being a great all around ski town, Fernie is a biking mecca in the summer and fall. They also have a great dirt park behind the aquatic centre. The kids and I hit it a few times and we all had a great time. I am glad we went before they had the annual "Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam", that way the kids wouldn't do anything too crazy!

Enjoy!

I suck at blogging

2011-09-12T06:05:00.003+02:00

Sorry fans. Have not been blogging much these days. I could blame the fact that my SD card reader died, or that I have three kids, or that there is not enough time in the day. But well to tell the truth I have just been plain old lazy. I'll try to be better I promise.

Here are some recent photos of everyone.
Lucy started Grade 1 last week, Oscar started pre-school and Libby is eating solid foods! Yay!
We had a great summer and don't really want it to end. Hope you all had a great one as well!

Lucy waiting to take the bus for the first time.

The bus. We were all a little excited for the bus to come on that first day and forgot to give some people some hugs and kisses. So there was lots of crying. The next day we were organized and got our hugs and kisses in before the bus arrived. Much smoother.

Oscar on his first day of pre-school. We have a long commute to his school. 2 houses down from our house! Yahoo!

I don't have any pictures of Libby eating on my phone but here is one of her and Lucy at a recent picnic lunch day at school.
Lucy's first day of Grade 1!

Fernie

2011-08-10T05:32:00.003+02:00

Last week when we were down at the farm we headed to Fernie for the day to do some biking and to visit with Gaga and Papa. After our ride we took the kids down to the river to skip rocks and to cool off. Can you count how many times Mike skipped his rock?

Cute shot of Libby Lou!

The Elk River and the Ghost Rider in the background.

Yahoo!

Mike, Libby and I are off to Canadian Ultimate Nationals in Ottawa tomorrow. Lucy and Oscar are down in Fernie with Gaga and Papa having a grand ol' time! Thank you!

Ice Cream at the Zoo

2011-08-05T22:39:00.002+02:00

Long Weekend at "The Farm"

2011-08-04T06:51:00.006+02:00

We just spent five nights down at our trailer near Pincher Creek. Weather was perfect (which always helps) and we had a blast. Went by quick though - I guess our days were full!

I'm not a fan of trampolines, but the kids sure have fun on it, and they love it when Mom bounces them around. I just hold my breath and bite my tongue. . . . . On the upside, it makes for a great star-gazing platform.

Our neighbour was bailing the hay this weekend - perfect for the kids to get a ride in his tractor.

Beautiful evening views just steps from our front door.

The southern edge of our chunk of paradise.

We met up with Viv and Tony on Monday for some fishing. Tony was fantastic with the kids and showed them everything they needed to know about catching some trout. Lees Lake is just a few minutes away and we spent the afternoon in Tony's boat trolling along. The kids loved it.

Here's Tony getting them setup before leaving home.

Lucy's first catch! A little rainbow trout that was healthy enough to keep.

Oscar didn't have the attention span or patience to fish long enough to catch anything. But he loved playing with Lucy's catch. That was dead in the bucket.

Lucy lands a second! She had the touch - lots of nibbles and 'ones that got away', but no complaints on hauling in two monsters on your first day out!

Driving the boat was really more Oscar's thing.

Back to Viv and Tony's place to clean and eat the catch! Here's Libby with her Auntie Viv watching the cleaning.

Not much to eat of course, but what there was tasted great. Thanks Tony!

Tuesday was spent wandering through Beauvais Lake Provincial Park. There is a campground in there that has a park - kids love parks. Here's Libby along for the ride as usual.

Oscar is just tall enough now to navigate through the tall grass in the meadow.

One of the great things about the place are all the creatures! Oodles of butterflies, bugs, worms, grasshoppers and this cool cricket that we found on the way back. The kids love catching them.

Almost home. . . .Oscar is lagging back there but he made it all the way on his own two feet. Then straight to bed for the afternoon nap. I was right behind him!

A great shot of Mel (as usual) and Libby dozing away. Speaking of which, time for bed!

Our summer so far

2011-07-27T06:19:00.007+02:00

Although this was an unplanned amount of time in Canada we sure have made the best of it!
Trips to the farm,trips to Fernie zoo camp, gymnastic camp, swimming lessons, dance camp, frisbee, weddings, hiking, biking, splash parks, stampeding, street festivals. . .. we have done it. And there is still 1 month left until school starts! Yahoo!!

Here are some shots from summer so far. . .

Libby in her usual spot the bucket. She goes in this whether we are riding the bike or in the car.

Lucy and her Maternelle teacher. Mme Fisk on her last day of classes.

Oscar and his cousin Matteo at Surveyor's lake. Long day of playing in the sun.

Trying to find the trail at Lactic Ridge in Fernie. Too much snow!

Libby having a bounce!

Some cousin time in Edmonton at the wedding!

Grandma came with us to overnight at the farm.

Trampoline! Yahoo!

Hiking with Libby
Street Festival in Edmonton. These guys also had little bubble blowers as well so made it really feel like you were underwater.
Sisters!

Swimming lessons!

Silly time with Grandma on the trampoline

Good place to take a nap don't you think?

Libby!

Go Lucy go!
You get to eat candy when you have to watch Mom play frisbee.

Me playing frisbee!
Our happy girl

Blue Eyes

2011-07-21T15:31:00.002+02:00

Looks like Libby will be keeping her bright blue eyes. This photo is from May, so a bit old, but way too cute not to post for her Grandmas. And here is a video from just last week. She's figured out that she has arms and legs and they flail around like crazy now.

New Family Photo

2011-07-18T04:58:00.004+02:00

We were in Edmonton on the weekend for my cousin's wedding. Good times, and we had a chance to get a family photo while we were all dressed up.

The wedding was at the Art Gallery downtown. The Street Performer Festival was on and the weather was perfect, so Winston Churchill Square was packed with people watching the various buskers. I found the perfect spot for the photo - in front of the fountain at City Hall - but needed a photographer. Lots of people around but all occupied.

I asked a guy standing nearby and he was more than willing. Unfortunately he was totally wasted and didn't manage to take a single photo despite several tries. Oh well. Luckily this old Italian guy was watching the drunk's poor effort and came up to offer his services.

And we got lucky! The kids that were swimming in the fountain somehow dissapeared for the photo, and all five of us were smiling. Beauty.

Tribute FM

2011-07-12T16:07:00.003+02:00

One big surprise from my trip last week was finding English-language radio in Benghazi! Fantastic! I didn't find it until late in my trip so didn't listen too much, but what I heard was good. It was an interesting mix - lot of house music with a random Scorpion tune thrown in during the time I had it dialed in.

Check them out here http://tributefm.com/. I've got a Sonos system at home and it's on there too.

Yeehaw!

2011-07-11T20:00:00.001+02:00

Stampede!

2011-07-10T23:00:00.002+02:00

The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth is taking place this week in Calgary. I took Oscar and Lucy down for some fun on the Midway, check out the animals in the barns and blow some money on some games. Good fun.

Cotton Candy too, of course.

The New Flag

2011-07-09T10:23:00.004+02:00

I'm just returning from another visit to Benghazi. The single thing you notice most is that the new flag is EVERYWHERE there. Poles, barricades, walls, shacks, cars, round-abouts. . . . you name it, it has been painted.

Here is a shot of the kids from a few weeks ago wearing the new colours.

Fun in the Sun

2011-06-23T08:03:00.002+02:00

Thanks Doug for the great photos!

Two Unrelated Photos

2011-06-14T20:36:00.002+02:00

First one is Libby's first swing at one of the many parks near our house. I think she liked it, but maybe not as much as Mel did. . . .

And then this strange statue I passed today in Milan. Right in front of the stock exchange building.

Here's a story on it. Very strange choice.

My Kingdom for a Dock

2011-06-09T15:57:00.003+02:00

I woke up this morning with an urge to jump off a dock into a nice cool Ontario fresh water lake. Ahhhhhh.

There is nothing quite like it.

Our New Wheels

2011-06-07T05:43:00.003+02:00

We have been managing fine in Calgary with one car (we bought a used 2008 Honda Pilot and love it), but Melanie insisted we get a second set of wheels. So our anniversary present was a new Cargo Bike.

Popular in parts of Europe but not-so-much here, these things are funny to look at but very practical. Throw the kids in and pile in your stuff and pedal away. OK it's a bit of a squeeze with Libby still in her car seat, but you get the idea.

Mel got her inspiration from a dad at Lucy's school that rides his everywhere. The day we bought ours he 'happened' to go by the shop (I think it was arranged by Mel) with a kid and 100 lbs of mulch all strapped in!! A bit nutty, but clearly fun.

Here is the maiden voyage:

The kids have little seat belts and sit on a bench. It's great to have them so close while riding along - chatting is easy. Riding up steep hills is tough but the whole experience is generally super fun.

Libby sits in her car seat and is strapped in with ratcheted tie down straps. More often than not she falls asleep. Zzzzzzzz.

The Farm

2011-05-31T06:48:00.004+02:00

So after moving and setting up our new rented place we decided to head to the farm for the long weekend to do the same. Hitch installed on the back of the Pilot, trailer rented and loaded we headed off. It took a little longer to get down with our full load but got there in time to set up the kids new bunk bed and to inflate our bed.

Here are some shots from one of the most amazing locations in Canada.

Can't wait for our neighbours to get home so we can enjoy it together!

Our first family dinner at the farm.

The views.

The kids call this their play house.

Spring flowers
Mike and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary at the farm.

Heading off on a hike down to the river.

The Kids!

2011-05-13T18:47:00.002+02:00

Segway in Berlin

2011-05-03T23:43:00.003+02:00

First of all, I love Berlin. Great city full of history, culture and good beer! I have been here three times and always enjoy myself. Quick visit this week for a conference.

Anyway, I have always wanted to try one of those Segway things. Turns out the hotel here in Berlin rents them for 15 Euros/hour. Mark and I wanted to visit a couple of the sites after a day at the conference, and we had a blast on the Segways. One hour gave us enough time to cruise by the chunk of the wall still up, Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate.

Riding the Segway takes a little getting used to and it is a strange sensation, but the machine is very responsive, easy to control and good fun.

Yay Technology

2011-05-02T00:02:00.002+02:00

Great to have Skype and its video capability. I had a nice chat with Melanie tonight from Berlin - she had Lucy on her lap reading to me from Calgary. Of course it stinks to miss the development stuff in real time, but a quick video chat and at least I can get a sense of what's happening.

Aren't they beautiful?

Quick Copenhagen Visit

2011-05-01T18:26:00.008+02:00

So yes this is a little backwards but whatever - the roddelbahn video had to get up first. After a couple of days in London last week for work, I stopped in Copenhagen for a night to visit university/scuba diving/photography friend Heather and her husband Oliver. Nice city, and although apparently very expensive it has some neat features.

Like crazy good cycling infrastructure. And good transit. And possibly the best beer in the world, Carlsberg.

And Lego:

(Need any spart Lego pieces to complete that set? Here is the place!)

And this really neat idea to recycle cups. These cups are sold for drinks in 'Tivoli', an amusement park right downtown. Basically you pay a 5kr ($1) deposit on the cup, which you can get back at one of many return machines in the park. Just put the cup in and out pops the 5kr. Fantastic!

And yes drinking alcohol in the sunshine on the street. OK I know this is a recurring theme for me, but it really is terrific.

And nice tulips:

And nice parliament buildings:

And at least one building with neat steel bars on the window:

Do you live in Toronto or Copenhagen and have some kids you want photographed? Heather is crazy talented and runs her own company that can make anyone look good. Check out her company 'h2o photography' here.

Sommerrodelbahn in Chemnitz

2011-04-30T18:54:00.003+02:00

I am in Chemnitz, Germany tonight visiting our good friends from Benghazi - Mike, Claudia, Louis and Tony. I have to be in Berlin next week for work so couldn't miss the chance to squeeze in a visit. Tonight we are going to 'Hexenfeuer', which is basically a big spring festival held in most of Germany and elsewhere in Europe. Something to do with witches, spring and bonfires, but of course it's mostly about drinking beer! More on that later, but good fun was had earlier today just outside of town.

We went down one of the apparently many 'sommerrodelbahns' in the area. Like a luge, but in the summer. I remember there used to be one up at Sir Sam's in Halibrurton but it was concrete. This one is on a steel track, and is yet another example of something that would be regulated into extinction in Canada.

No helmets, no seatbelts, no waivers to sign and no workers standing on every corner making sure you aren't breaking rules. Just a guy at the top who takes your money. Great fun! And Claudia even brought Tony on with her - no questions asked.

Here's a video of me going down. Wahoo!

63 Years Young!

2011-04-30T02:09:00.000+02:00

I hope to be doing the same when I'm 63! Look at Grandma Wrig go on the trampoline at the Topps last weekend.

The Trip Back in February

2011-04-29T09:55:00.004+02:00

I was sifting through the pictures on my cell phone today and found a few from our trip back to Canada on February 20.

First is the only photo I have of the Benghazi airport that day. It was BUSY to say the least.

Melanie was VERY pregnant when we left. After a night in the Istanbul airport hotel, we checked in for the flight to Calgary via Frankfurt. Check-in was fine, but just before we got on the bus to the plane, the gate agent decided that she would be a stickler for the rules and insisted on Melanie having a letter from a doctor before she could fly. No explanation of our circumstances could change her mind, so we had to reverse the check-in and immigration process and go find a doctor.

This is a photo at the baggage carousel in Istanbul where we collected our bags that were pulled from the plane. Mel noticed that Lucy managed to carry some utensils through security. Oops!

And then we waited. Flights had to get rebooked and we caught an evening flight to Frankfurt. Needless to say, we were tired.

One of the best things about Turkey is the beer Gusta. Love it. And I admit to guiltily sipping one as I was chatting with the team still in Libya to coordinate their evacuation.

We make cute kids

2011-04-27T00:41:00.000+02:00

Smile!!!

2011-04-26T11:17:00.001+02:00

Enough said. . .

Grandma Wrigs is in the houses

2011-04-24T11:03:00.001+02:00

No I don't have a spelling mistake, we really do have houses these days.

Since getting back to Calgary, we have been renting a house. We then decided to move back into the house that we have owned and had rented out while we were in Libya. But last week, as we started to move back in, we realized that it was just way too small for our bigger family. So we're selling it (anybody want a nice house in Ramsey?). That means fixing it up a little before putting it on the market. We plan to just keep renting for the next few months until we know where we'll end up living!

Lots of work is getting done by Grandma of course, because when she is around stuff gets done! This past week she stripped all the wall paper off of our bathroom wall and it was not easy. Cleaning, cooking, ideas, folding, making, mending, holding, burping, bathing. . .the list goes on. It has been so great having her here to help out. Especially getting everyone out of the house in the morning for activities or to go and look at rental properties.

Always lots to do!

Here are some photos of Grandma with the kids!

Libby with some stickers from her brother.

Tummy Time

2011-04-23T03:47:00.002+02:00

Lucy always reminds me that Libby needs some tummy time. So here are some great shots of everyone having tummy time!

Oz man turns three!

2011-04-18T03:53:00.000+02:00

Wow time is going by way too fast! Our little boy has now turned three!! To celebrate his birthday we took him to the Model Train show here in Calgary. A bunch of friends also came to take in the event. So many trains and so many people! Glad we went early. After the show we headed back to our house for some BBQ Spolumbo's and cake!

Thanks everyone for the great time and the way too generous gifts!

Watching the trains whiz by.

I liked this sign
Oscar missing his nap but being a trooper.

How old are you Oz?

The gift opening chaos!

I think he was a little excited for this gift!

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

2011-04-17T05:19:00.000+02:00

Sloppy Nastiness

2011-04-14T16:43:00.004+02:00

Calgary woke up this morning to a winter wonderland. Except it's April 14. And while it may look pretty from afar, the actual fact is that we have a whole lot of sloppy nastiness going on in the city.

We got about 20cm of snow last night. But it isn't very cold, so the roads and sidewalks are a complete mess. And did I mention that the date is April 14? We're ready for spring.

Don't the trees look nice? How pretty.

But here we go. At the Brentwood C-Train station, you can see the slush already. Traffic crawling on Crowchild.

And downtown the place is a mess. Slush. Slop. Yuck.

Unfortunately it looks like we'll have wet snow for the next few days. Yay.

Pondering

2011-04-12T17:10:00.002+02:00

Hmmmmmm. . . . .

Snowbank Fun

2011-04-10T17:13:00.002+02:00

London - What a City!!

2011-04-09T10:10:00.006+02:00

London (Englnad, not Ontario) is a great city to visit. So much to do, and great fun to walk around and take it all in. I'm here on business, so I don't have all day to explore the city, but having been here for similar reasons a few times before, I'm beginning to figure the place out a little. Plus the weather has been outstanding since I arrived and that has happily meant warm evenings and no rain!

Plus, being in Europe, you can drink booze outside on the street. So refreshing compared to the restricting Canadian system full of "rules". In the early evening, pubs litteraly spill out into the street and nobody seems to get hurt. You just pop into the bar and get your beer, then wander out to the street to drink it. And why not?!

After dinner tonight we stopped at Gordon's Wine Bar near the Embankment tube station. Neat old (since 1890) wine bar that only sold wine. So you can go down into the basement, buy a glass or bottle of wine and then either stay downstairs or head upstairs and. . . . yes. . . .outside onto the street!

OK nobody is wandering around with pint glasses of beer or bottles of wine. People generally stay close to the source and enjoy the atmosphere.

Anyway, if you haven't been here I highly recommend it. I'm not saying that I'd want to live here, but it is a great tourist destination.

Leafs, Life and Libby

2011-04-07T06:05:00.005+02:00

Photos. That's what people are requesting that's what your getting.

All three kids have now worn this outfit. They really don't have a choice in the matter.

Chilling out watching the game.

After feeding.

Lucy being her silly self.

Oscar with a silly hat

Bubble feet

It seems like the only time I take photos of Libby is in the bath. . .

Lucy's mode of transportation while at the ski hill.

Oscar still manages to suck his thumb while riding the magic carpet.

Skiing with cousin Matteo!

Oscar riding the lift by himself. . .sort of.

Royal Weirdness

2011-04-04T09:39:00.004+02:00

This upcoming Royal Wedding thing is a bit weird for me. OK I get the royal family and their place in history, but why such a big deal is being made about Will and Kate is beyond me.

Not only are people spending loads of cash to travel over to the wedding, but other wingnuts are spending loads of cash on USELESS CRAP with the image of the happy couple. Check out this small sampling of souvenirs in Heathrow airport yesterday.

Yes that is some LOVELY 'tea candy'. It will probably taste much better with their faces on the box, and with that extra little surcharge.

OK maybe buy a tea cup to commemorate the occasion. I would allow that. But a pillow (bottom left)!!?? HONESTLY people. Who buys this stuff?

Another Election

2011-03-28T16:11:00.003+02:00

Yet another election will happen here in Canada in May. Such is life with a minority government in power.

Personally I'm not a fan of Stephen Harper but I really don't like the idea of another election. That being said, elections are exactly what the people in Libya are fighting for so make sure you get out and vote! I find it really shocking how low voter turnout is in this country. Check out this graph - and look at the 58% turnout in 2008!!! Almost HALF of the country not voting.

{Source}

So get yourself informed and get out there. Not sure who to vote for? CBC has this handy VoteCompass thing that breaks down the issues and allows you to see where your opinions lie compared to the major parties. Check it out here:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/votecompass/

Life with three

2011-03-24T06:44:00.004+02:00

I have had lots of comments over the last couple of weeks when we are out and about with Libby. "Wow you're brave!", "Isn't she a little bit small to be in that car seat?", "You are out of bed already?". My favourite comment though is from my friend Cat. "I guess with three you can't just hit the pause button with the other two". Exactly! You just keep going and keep doing what you always do. Libby just spends a little bit more time in her bucket seat then the first child ever did.

Lucy and Oscar still have their activities and school to attend. We even managed to go skiing with all three of them this weekend in Fernie. Mind you we needed my Dad to come and help but hey, we went! We also hiked into the farm on Sunday to check out our trailer and the Strom's farm. Everything looks great! Can't wait for summer so we can go and stay! Life is for sure busier but it sure is lots of fun!

Here are some photos from the past little bit.

Libby and Gaga getting to know each other.

Libby having a snooze in the bassinet. It was mine when I was a baby.

Lucy and Oscar having a grand ol' time.

Libby's first bath. I think she liked it.

Oscar helping out with bath time.

She's Perfect!

2011-03-16T06:16:00.001+02:00

We are really blessed to have another beautiful and healthy baby. I mean look at her - she's just perfect!

Look at her go!

2011-03-15T01:01:00.004+02:00

Seeing as we are back in Canada for an unknown amount of time at this point. . . we thought we should go out and enjoy my most favourite time in Canada. WINTER!!

Daddy showing Lucy how it's done

Oscar having fun in the sled.

Libby

2011-03-09T20:20:00.003+02:00

After much debate and procrastinating (I mean you'd think we didn't know it was coming!), we finally named our kid.

Libby Jyceline Wrigglesworth.

We just couldn't ignore the events happening in Libya and what has transpired there (for us personally and the whole country) over the last couple of weeks, and wanted a name that had some connection to the place that has been home for the last 4.5 years. We are still watching things very closely and hoping to get back as soon as things settle down.

And why Jyceline? Well she's Melanie's favourite Aunt and a super cool lady. A worthy namesake.

Anyway, here is a good shot of Libby with her eyes open. She's a healthy kid and eating well. We all had good sleeps last night.

Finally, here's a photo of Lucy being her usual helpful self. She has been great over the last couple of days looking after Mom and Libby.

Outnumbered

2011-03-07T22:16:00.005+02:00

Needless to say, it has been quite the couple of weeks. Yes, only two weeks ago we were still in Benghazi!

Now we’re thrilled to announce the arrival of another beautiful baby girl into the family! Born at ‘home’ in Calgary on March 6 at 23:20 and weighing in at a healthy 8lbs, 5 oz. We’ll decide on a name soon once we’ve had a good look at her.

She came out just in time. She now shares a birthday with Shaquille O’Neal (Basketball Player), Kiri Te Kanawa (Opera Singer) and Allan Greenspan (Economist). A good combo. Forty minutes later she would have shared it with Tammy Faye Bakker and Ivan Lendl. . . . .

Everything went great and of course Melanie was a superstar throughout. Lucy and Oscar were home and came in right when she popped out. Lucy even cut the umbilical cord – pretty neat.

Fun times ahead – we’re now officially outnumbered!

Here's a great shot of Oscar and Lucy listening to the midwives explain how the heck this thing just came out of Mommy's belly.

Yes of course she is CUTE!

Lucy the big sister. She has been a big help already.

Oscar has been a little slower to adjust to the new addition, but he's coming around. "What's that smell?"

And the first 'grin' caught on camera.

Respect

2011-03-06T07:36:00.002+02:00

We're of course still watching things closely in Libya. Truly amazing to see the progression of the opposition (by the way, the term 'rebels' drives me crazy - despite the fact that the literal definition may allow for its use, you can't deny the negative image it portrays) across the country.

It is also strange to hear news reports from foreign media from within Libya. Places that I know well - Benghazi, Ajdabiya, Brega, Ras Lanuf and even little Ben Jawad - have all been in the news this week. CBC, BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera and many others all have people on the ground and are reporting the good and the bad things happening in all these places.

As the fighting spreads to these familiar towns, the story becomes more personal for me. I have many friends there and as the death toll rises, I fear that it is only a matter of time before someone I know becomes a statistic. I called one friend of mine from Ajdabiya last week when the fighting was happening there. He sounded scared but motivated. "This man is crazy. He is trying to kill my family. My children. I am going to fight tomorrow - I will die to protect them."

You have to respect that.

Happily today he is still alive and well. If you are interested in following the story in Libya more closely, I can recommend the following blogs with regular updates.

BBC Blog
Libya February 17 blog
Al Jazeera Blog

Our Thoughts Still in Libya

2011-02-25T04:49:00.004+02:00

Reflecting back, it has been an amazing week. Things have moved so fast in Libya over the last few days, and man personally it has been a whirlwind too. While we are safe in Canada now, our thoughts have been with friends and colleagues who have been trying to get out or have decided to stay. Everyone we know is OK, but some have some crazy stories.

By all accounts, Benghazi is now very calm and secure. It's very encouraging to hear about how everyone there is working together to make changes and get things stable again. At the same time, Tripoli sounds like a crazy place and the next few days will be very interesting to watch.

I have always said that the best part about Libya is the people. Always friendly and so incredibly hospitable, and this week was no exception. We have several stories of goodness shown by many people who helped us, colleagues and others over the last week. We'll thank them all personally when we get back - hopefully soon.

In the meantime, baby #3 could come any day now! We have found temporary schools for Lucy and Oscar, midwives for the birth and we have a great place to stay for the next couple of months. We're exhausted, but happy to be safe and sorted in time for the impending arrival.

Out of Benghazi

2011-02-19T23:09:00.002+02:00

With the impending birth (due March 10) and increasing violence in the city we decided to pull out today. Too much uncertainty, and the atmosphere in Benghazi is not pretty at the moment. There was a definate increase in violence this afternoon/evening in some parts of the city.

We're in Istanbul at the moment and happily heading to Calgary tomorrow. Our thoughts are with those still in Benghazi. . . be safe.

We're OK

2011-02-18T09:57:00.002+02:00

Lots of action these days in Libya, especially in the eastern part of the country. Al Bayda and Tobruk seem to have had the most trouble, but there has been some unrest in Benghazi over the past few days as well.

That said, everything has been quiet where we live and things appear very normal. I came in from Lisbon last night through the Tripoli and Benghazi airports, and everything including my drive home was like any other trip back.

The international media reports haven't been accurate, but it's hard to get facts straight around here as the local reporting is restricted. We heard stories of protests downtown last night, but luckily we don't live downtown. . . .

Anyway, we're OK.

Feel free to call us, as it seems nobody can make any international calls from Benghazi at the moment.

Biking in Benghazi

2011-02-14T22:28:00.002+02:00

It has been pouring rain here all day and the kids and I were tired of being cooped up so when the sun decided to show it's face we headed out in the hood for a ride. It's not the easiest place to ride a bike of course, especially when you are just figuring it out. Lucy is a trooper! The roads are crap, and full of deep puddles, lots of random bumps and garbage and raw sewage to avoid. But hey, it's biking! Cars have no idea what to do with us and sometimes they will actually swerve at us to get a better look at what we are doing.

To all you folks living in Tabalino, get a bike, try it, you might actually like it. It's also way easier to avoid all the bad parts of the road on 2 wheels then four. . .

Bubbles!

2011-02-12T15:27:00.002+02:00

A sunny and warm 16°C here today in Benghazi, with a light breeze. Perfect for Sir Oscar and Princess Lucy to blow some bubbles in the sunshine!

Lucy turns 5!

2011-02-10T19:55:00.005+02:00

It's been asked about all week, the days have been counted and re-counted. The decorations, the games, the crafts and cake planned all by Lucy. She was so excited for her 5th birthday party! 15 kids in all (I was not going to torture myself like the crazy Halloween party I threw)

The atmosphere was as calm as could be to have a room filled with 5 year olds. It was so great to have my super star husband and father around to help out as well as my good friends Claudia, Deborah, Nurhan and Bridey.

The kids arrived to lunch, then a juggling act by Mike, some bowling, a memory game, some mask making, pass the parcel, gift opening and then yummy cake! There was also much screaming and chaos in between each event. . .but all in all a great time.

Thanks for all the wonderful gifts and good times had by all.

Rainbows, stars and butterflies was what was asked for.

My curtains aren't filled with flies. . those are butterflies.

The happy birthday girl!

The kids enthralled by Mike's juggling.

Bowling

Memory game
Mask making
By the end it was just the girls left. . .

Gift opening was a bit of madness. My goodness look at that belly!

Blowing out the candles

Rainbow cake!

35-Week Ultrasound

2011-02-06T09:37:00.000+02:00

We visited Dr. Lenghi at Marwa today for Mel's 35-week ultrasound. All is well, and happily there are no signs of the place closing in the next month. Other than the head and heartbeat that he pointed out, I can't tell what the heck is going on in there, but apparently everything is normal and on track.

And no we don't know what the sex of the baby is (Mel thinks it's a girl, I think it's a boy. . . . ). Yes we have thought about names, but no we haven't decided on it yet. Yes we're nervous about #3 coming along, but are equally excited.

Woza Woza

2011-02-05T16:22:00.004+02:00

As those who know me well can attest, I don't do well without food. It takes a lot of fuel to keep this body moving, and if I don't get fed, I get grumpy.

Last week I was in South Africa and near Johannesburg checking out a pipeline running through some rural areas. No facilities in sight, let alone restaurants or something that might have food. It was around 2:00pm and I hadn't eaten since an early (6:30am) breakfast so I was not doing well.

I asked the local guy with me about getting some food and he just laughed. "Not around here!". But no more than five minutes later, my prayers were answered and we came across this:

So if you are ever near Eikenhof in South Africa, I recommend a stop at the Woza Woza Tuck Shop & Take Away. Delicious grilled cheese sandwiches that TOTALLY hit the spot.

Wicked Snow Fort Action

2011-02-02T23:34:00.002+02:00

My ever-energetic brother and his kids goofing around in the snow. Fun! (Hint: not in Benghazi)

Farm Trip

2011-02-01T21:01:00.005+02:00

This past Friday we headed out to visit our new friend Tommy on his farm. He works for a joint-venture between the Libyan Government and a few other companies known together as "Farm Co." Was a really beautiful day and we are learned something about farming. The facility is massive and produces wheat and corn on a rotational basis. The amount they produce is only 1% of the total needs in Libya! Wow! The rest of it is all imported.

Lucy and Oscar in front of one of the many combines on site.

Oscar getting to sit in a combine.

Lucy and Oscar going for a ride on the tractor.

Woohoo!

Heading up the tower with Daddy. Not exactly kid friendly but the views were incredible.

15,000 hectares of production!

Tommy
The tower. Painted green of course for any official visits.

Lucy, Oscar and Tommy heading out into the field to check the water levels of the soil.
Lucy getting a lesson on soil moisture.

Not too sure what Lucy is doing here.

Thanks Tommy for a great day and a tour of the farm! We can't wait to come back again.

BSB Sings

2011-01-29T07:01:00.000+02:00

Here's a quick video of Lucy and her schoolmates singing 'We Are The World' yesterday at the British School of Benghazi. Good one for the kids.

Mmmmm. . .Chocolate Milk!

2011-01-28T02:31:00.000+02:00

All's Quiet Here

2011-01-26T13:28:00.004+02:00

Interesting times lately in Tunisia and now Egypt.

While we are bordered by both, nothing comparable happening here in Libya.

Everyone skiing except Dad!

2011-01-18T23:56:00.003+02:00

Here is a short video showing Oscar, Lucy and myself skiing! Enjoy!

Our snow family!

Riding the Elk Chair

Oscar and I on the Deer Chair

This is what happens after a long day of skiing. . .