Happy New Year from Toronto

Happy Christmas! I hope you've all had a great holiday.


This is Chil and I and friends at the work Christmas party at the posh restaurant at the top of the Royal Ontario Museum. As it was an event for the department from the hospital I left in July most of the people hadn't seen Chil for some time and were very surprised to see her so pregnant. This made a change as most of the time people have been saying how tiny Chil looks and how the bump can't possibly be twins. Personally, I think it's a pretty impressive bump!

We had a great Christmas, much busier than expected. We went to Vern's for Christmas Eve Eve for dinner.

This is our friend Vern and his 6 month old girl Laurel: we seem to be increasingly surrounded by small children these days and I think that it's only the start!

On Christmas Eve itself we had a party at our condo and invited all the other lonely expatriate fellows we know: British, Australian, Swiss, French and Belorussian. However, the stars of the show were definately Joshua and Nathan, the twin baby boys of Chil's friend Deborah who also lives in our building. One or other of them skillfully exposed Chil's inexperience in nappy changing by howling like a car alarm until his mother (and everyone else) came to see who was causing such a commotion. Chil had to be rescued mid-nappy change. I'm sure we'll both be experts before long, however.




On Christmas day one of my colleagues from my old job at St Mikes kindly invited us round for dinner with his parents. I actually had a week off work but after all that we were just happy to sleep.

Thanks to everyone for their Christmas cards and gifts. We were especially inefficient this year and didn't send out any cards at all. I know you can forgive Chil under the circumstances but I'm afraid I don't have much of an excuse. Especial thanks to Mum and Dad in Zambia who bought the twins these beautiful cribs, here being put together by myself...

...and to Mrs and Mr Bill Bould Snr who bought us the most amazing all terrain pram, essential for getting around in ice and snowstorms while -20c outside.

I was very impressed to see that Nandad is now fully operational with Skype, including webcam in glorious technicolor. I think there's definately no excuses now for Skypeophobia, it will be the best way to see the twins, when they come.

Happy New Year from Toronto,

Dylan