The Lynch Mob

First Birthday!

2009-09-10T00:07:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of what Reed did with the smash cake we bought him for his birthday. As you can see...he didn't eat much of it himself!

Walking!

2009-09-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of videos of Wonderbaby taking his first truly unaided steps.

Sick, Sick, Sick!

2009-06-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

That's about the size of it. This was our first experience with all three of us suffering with a very, very bad cold or a mild flu. We're wavering more towards the flu only because colds don't usually cause fever and body ache and chills. However, it's likely it was just an exceptionally bad cold. Poor little Wonderbaby is still blocked up in his little nose. If it doesn't improve next week, we'll be off to the doctor to make sure this wasn't a bout of that dreaded swine flu that has turned out to not be all that dreadful. It's all over Canada now so we wouldn't be surprised if it was. But hopefully it was just a cold.

Meanwhile, here's an overload of videos of Wonderbaby that we've just not had a chance to post until now. The latest one is of Reed pushing his walker. He's cruising all along furniture and now, with the walker, he's really quite mobile.

Reed pushing his walker.

He really does love his new walker!

Matt reading a Beatrix Potter story to Reed before bed. Who knew Beatrix Potter could be so funny. (and violent!)

Reed at the petting zoo.

Reed and Smudge. Smudge didn't like Reed when she first met him, but they're quite good buddies now.

The Great Outdoors

2009-05-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Well, the weather has finally warmed up in chilly Canada. The last few days we've been happily enjoying temperature in the twenties. One day even reached the thirties! While it might not stay consistently this warm until June/July, it's sure been a nice change.

This warmer weather has meant Wonderbaby's been able to spend quite a few hours exploring the great outdoors. From wading in his pool, to chasing the dog, to eating grass, he's discovering the joy of life without four walls.

One of his favourite new pastimes is swinging. We took him to the local playground and introduced him to swings and slides. He wasn't too impressed with the slide. He frowned most of the way down. But the swing squeaked a smile from his worried little face. Which in Wonderbaby world means he LOVED it!

Here's a very short clip of Reed on one of the swings. You can hear the wind roaring around his little body. This just happened to be one of the colder days where the sun was out but the cool breeze lowered the temperature. Not that this dampened Reed's spirits. He was swinging!

That's all that really matters. :)

We've Been Very Neglectful...

2009-05-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

...neglecting our blog, neglecting our health and neglecting our friends and family. Yep, sleep deprivation has swallowed The Lynch Mob whole and then very rudely spat us all back out!

It's all because our Wonderbaby is up to his old tricks again. He NEVER sleeps! Only this time he's out-doing even himself. He's waking every thirty minutes through-out the night and barely napping during the day. How he survives on so little sleep is actually quite amazing. The rest of us, dogs included, aren't doing quite as well.

Even our friendly pediatrician confirms he's in perfect health despite the lack of sleep. A bit skinnier than we would like but overall he's healthy. It seems teething is not just putting him off his sleep cycles but his food too. So we're attempting to fatten him up by feeding him as frequently as he will let us.

But, we're still alive and kicking. We're just a bit sleepier than usual and it turns out typing while tired is alot harder than expected. However we promise to update our blogs more regularly from now on.

In the meantime, if anyone has any sleeping tips (other than valium!) we're all ears.

Goofing Around

2009-05-07T07:19:00.001-07:00

Here's a little clip guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Blogs, Boo Boos and Burns

2009-04-29T14:14:00.000-07:00

It's been one of those days.

First, we're suffering from Blog Design Indecision. An affliction that causes sufferers to have serious commitment issues towards any one blog design. This means whenever we view our blog we feel the need to change it but as soon as we change it we feel the need to put it back!

Thankfully we also suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder so this affliction is almost ov....oooh....what's that shiny thing?

Next, Wonderbaby is in boo boo mode. He's hurting himself everywhere he turns. Now that he's mastered the art of pulling up he's testing out this new skill on anything and everything. If we don't reach him fast enough he pulls on top of himself whatever prop he's using to stand. His poor little head is covered in small red bumps.

We either need to bolt all our furniture to the floor or find Wonderbaby a crash helmet! You can see him try out this new trick in the clip below.

And lastly, our little guy had a more serious boo boo today - he burned his little hand. After a trip to the store for supplies it was time to wash hands with soap and warm water. (The swine flu has put us all in a pickle about picking up germs.) So the tap water was running and the soap was frothing but before the temperature was tested Wonderbaby flung his little pink hand underneath and yelped.

The water was boiling! In a panic his hand was retrieved and submerged quickly in a cup of cold water. The skin was red and puffy and his bottom lip pouted and quivered.

Our poor little Wonderbaby!

Thankfully, after cooling for half an hour, the pain disappeared. His little hand was wrapped in a bandage, he was given a dose of painkiller and he drifted off to sleep for a good two hours.

Of course he woke as though it never happened. The same can't be said for his mummy!

Does anyone know if its illegal to bubble-wrap a baby?

The Towelhead Terrors!

2009-04-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

And no, we don't mean the offensive term used to describe persons of arab descent. We'll leave that version for Prince Harry to throw around.

We mean the state of disarray Alana (aka: Mummy) finds herself in when she emerges from a shower and wraps a bath towel around her sopping wet hair.

This Towelhead fills Wonderbaby with terror!

Now, we'll be the first to admit that viewing either of us bare-bottomed and dripping from a shower is not for the faint of heart. However, seeing your baby's bottom lip quiver when you do is hardly an ego-boost.

But that's exactly what Wonderbaby did today when he spotted his mummy smiling at him from the steamy bathroom wearing nothing but said towel. He stared, then pouted...then SCREAMED!

Needless to say, both sets of nerves were rattled! Only immediate removal of the evil bath towel and a cuddle could calm Wonderbaby's nerves.

It looks like there are some bad hair days ahead.

Belly Laughs

2009-04-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

Here's Wonderbaby having a great hearty belly laugh with Daddy who is playing with one of his toys.

If we could, we'd bottle this sound!

Finger Food and Freaky Weather

2009-04-26T08:24:00.000-07:00

Wonderbaby is slowly being introduced to the joys of finger food.

This weekend we let him gnaw on some fresh fruit, starting with blueberries and strawberries. A little pile of the blue and red fruit was positioned on his high-chair tray - his blue eyes bright with excitement at the sight of the sticky berries.

Until he popped a piece in his mouth.

The photo says it all! Wonderbaby was NOT impressed! He promptly pulled the blueberry out of his mouth and threw it to the floor. The strawberries didn't fare any better. What didn't end up on the kitchen tile was tossed either down his high-chair or directly at Mummy.

Up next? Some broccoli florets. We're thinking of buying hazmat suits for protection!

As for this weekends weather, well it was positively freaky. It started out a hot and humid twenty six degrees, we had all the windows open and Wonderbaby sat and played for hours in his little wading pool.

Then the thunder came.

We watched with amusement as neighbour after neighbour abandoned their barbecues and dashed inside to shelter from the downpour. Thankfully we were already there. We knew better than to attempt a barbecue, even on a twenty six degree day. Having lived here for almost five years we know better than to annoy the weather Gods like that. This time last year it snowed!

The one good thing to come from these rainy days is the green green grass. Everything was brown and dry and dead but now life is literally teeming around us.

Sadly with life comes death. Our feral cat is slaughtering baby bunnies and dragging them down to his lair (aka - our basement) to chew and chomp their poor bunny heads off. We are mortified! He's been dangling from a very thin thread for a while now. What with shredding furniture, attacking our legs, eating everything that moves (who knows what diseases he now has) and fighting every cat he sees, we've had it up to HERE with our white feral cat. The bunny eating is the last straw. Its like living with Hannibal Lector.

We are now relocating Feral Cat. Matt is furiously searching for a cat friendly farm, one where bunny killing is appreciated.

So stay tuned for the new and improved Lynch Mob - just a Guy, a Girl, a Wonderbaby and Two Fat Spaniels.

The Crib Stand-Off

2009-04-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

We use a groovy little gadget to monitor Wonderbaby while he is sleeping. A camera is positioned in his room and pointed directly at his sweet sleeping head, while downstairs we watch a video monitor tuned into Wonderbaby's channel.

Well today the monitor caught our little guy red-handed. He was trying to escape!

The cameras beady eye captured him as he woke from his nap, hammered on the crib like a confined inmate and then pulled his little body up into a standing position.

Which is fine and dandy if the mattress is on the lowest level. Of course it wasn't! Thankfully he stayed put long enough for adult supervision to arrive.

You can catch these cheeky antics on the video clips below.

Iggle Piggle

2009-04-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Meet Iggle Piggle.

This funny blue fellow is Wonderbaby's latest love. On a recent shopping trip to purchase groceries he was sitting contently in a cart watching the produce roll by when all of a sudden he let out an almighty squeal.

Row upon row of Iggle Piggles' lined the isle before us! Reed's little pink face was flush with excitement as he giggled and squeaked at the fuzzy blue toys.

Of course we left the store with a brand new Iggle Piggle in tow. We had no idea who or what he was but we knew Wonderbaby liked him. A quick Google revealed he's a cute but clumsy character in a very popular BBC childrens show - 'In the Night Garden'.

We're guessing we won't whip out the Visa quite so quickly when he's seventeen and squealing at a big blue motorbike!

At Last....SUCCESS!!

2009-04-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

Sitting bootcamp has finally worked!

We admit we were worried. Despite our efforts Wonderbaby was still wobbling forward whenever we placed him tush-side down.

But we worry no more. Today marks the official day he sat unaided by us or any other prop to cushion a fall.

Wonderbaby is officially sitting on his own!

When the Stars Align

2009-04-20T07:03:00.001-07:00

We both believe that things happen for a reason.

During the decade we've spent together we've always listened to that little gut reaction that follows any event or decision. The few times we've ignored it regret has soon followed.

So when time and time again we had Los Angeles in our grasp only to watch it slip away, we kept reminding ourselves there must be a good reason.

Well today is Matt's first day at his new position with Spin but it is also karmically the first day that SAG (Screen Actors Guild) have finally come to a temporary agreement with the studios. An agreement that has taken over one year to reach and stifled the industry in the interim.

So the fact these two events occured within mere hours of each other once again confirms our belief that nothing ever happens without a jolly good reason.

Back to Cuba...

2009-04-19T07:49:00.000-07:00

...well not exactly. Sadly its only a virtual trip. We have some short video clips we thought you all might enjoy.

This first video is Matt looking very pretty wearing the traditional hibiscus flower in his ear.

This video is a clip of Matt and Wonderbaby acting up on the resort beach.

And this last video was filmed outside our little bungalow on a warm breezy day when Matt wandered to the open bar to bring us each a very tasty Pina Colada.

Aaaaaah....laaaaaazy lazy days.

Ba Ba, Bubbles and the Big White Doorstop

2009-04-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

Its been an interesting few days.

Firstly, Wonderbaby has started babbling his first baby word. We're not sure exactly what it means. He says "ba ba ba" all day long, especially when he sees something that intrigues him. He wakes up saying it. He goes to sleep saying it. He says it while jumping in the activity gym. We love hearing him babble but we'll also confess we look forward to the day he says something coherent - like ma ma or da da!

Secondly, the weather here has been lovely. For two days straight it has been twenty degrees and sunny. So we've spent some time reuniting Reed with the great outdoors. This time we introduced him to bubbles. Matt purchased an enormous bottle of bubble-maker, dunked in the circular stick and blew a billion bubbles around the yard. Wonderbaby found this very exciting. He squealed as the the shiny spheres blew over his head and floated away. He even popped a few with his sticky little fingers. Bubbles it seems are a baby favourite.

Lastly, we had an extremely funny clothing mishap. It was early evening and bedtime for Wonderbaby. We were both getting him ready by bathing and changing and dressing him in his nightwear. As we sat in his room - Matt fighting to dress our wriggly wee baby - Reed fidgeted and rolled his little body towards a white rubber doorstop plugging the door. Clutching it in his hands he chowed down on it like a teether. At this point we didn't mind and in fact took advantage of the distraction and continued dressing him. One of us pinned him down while the other pulled on the sleeper. Reed grizzled and whined and tried to escape but we persevered and finally he was dressed. We sat feeling smug. We had outsmarted our acrobatic baby.

Until Matt mentioned that he thought something was wrong. Wonderbaby was still very grizzly. Puzzled we studied him a little closer. Then Matt started laughing. It soon became apparent what the problem was. A triangular shape was poking out from beneath his little blue sleeper. It was the doorstop! At some point during the dressing commotion Reed dropped it down his back and we unknowingly covered it up. The poor thing had been trying to tell us! While we tried very hard to act upset and comfort our unhappy little boy we will also admit we laughed until we cried. It was very very funny.

Thankfully Reed has a good sense of humour and eventually forgave us. We had hoped he might learn from this incident and realize there are consequences to 'crying wolf'. If Wonderbaby didn't cry every single time we dressed him the doorstop incident might never have happened. However judging from the wailing coming from the living room where Matt is changing Wonderbaby's diaper its looking doubtful.

So it has been an interesting and fun few days. Even our spaniels are enjoying themselves, the sun appears to be lifting their spirits too. The poor things have been sick so its nice to see the wag back in their tails.

In fact, if we had tails we'd wag them.

Perhaps spring is finally here.

Little Squeaky Chatterbox!

2009-04-16T11:17:00.001-07:00

Check out our cheeky squeaky little fellow. :)

A Quiet Easter

2009-04-12T08:59:00.000-07:00

Spring is slowly coming to Canada. The air is cool but there is warmth in the sun and the days are bright and long. Its not the thunderous roar towards summer we would have liked - we had visions (or delusions) about stepping off the plane from Cuba into balmy summer days. But its getting better.

Its been tough though, being back in Canada. Cuba was just so pleasant. With LA on its way we feel positive but impatient. Its like a sweet treat dangling in front of a hungry baby. We want it NOW! Thankfully there is alot to organize so we will keep ourselves distracted with packing and re-packing and perhaps a spot of househunting. Redfin has become the website of choice.

Meanwhile, Easter has been nice and quiet - just a relaxing lunch with friends on Friday. Jill and Stu are from Capetown so feel our pain about the Canadian weather. Reed of course put on the schmooze. He flirted and giggled and attempted to crawl down a flight of stairs (Daddy put a very fast stop to this!) while the rest of us discussed life in Canada.

So its been a very pleasant few days. Matt has five days left at his old job before he embarks on a new journey with Spin. Reed is growing like a weed - weekly shopping trips are required to keep him dressed in clothes that fit. Alana has five months before the official toddler years begin.

Life after Cuba carries on.

He Came...He Saw...He Conquered Cuba!!

2009-04-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, Cuba was completely amazing. The weather was spectacular (the temperature never dropped below a balmy 30 degrees), the resort had stunning grounds brimming with palm trees and hibiscus plants, the sky was every shade of blue and the entire area was surrounded by hills.

Our room at the resort was a quaint little bungalow that was comfortable rather than luxurious but one that had the best view in town - the beach. Luxury would have been wasted on us anyway as we tipped the room upside down and filled it with sand and toys in a matter of minutes! For one whole week we did nothing but relax, swim and play. The Cuban people were friendly and kind.

But the real star of the show was Wonderbaby. He managed to wow everyone! He wowed the people travelling on the plane and bus as he never made so much as a peep, he wowed the resort staff and guests who fell completely in love with his cheeky smile and chubby cheeks while the Cuban locals were just plain wowed at how gorgeous he was. He even drew a smile from the ultra serious Cuban customs department by giggling at a very inappropriate moment.

Everyone was in awe! Along the way he earned himself some surrogate grandparents as many of the guests were sun-seeking retirees. The lovely gentleman in the photo below said he had a granddaughter due in July and if she was even half as wonderful as Reed he would be an extremely happy man. It was very very sweet.

Our lovely little Wonderbaby now has a rosy glow to his cheeks (so too does his very tanned Daddy!) and he has fallen in love with the great outdoors. Having spent his entire seven months inside it was very nice to show him that sun and fun really do exist. After all, his mummy is a self-confessed beach bum! The smiles and squeals that came from Reed as he stood in the ocean were truly priceless.

So thank you Cuba - we will treasure these wonderful memories forever.

Buen Viaje!

2009-03-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

Thats Bon Voyage in Spanish for anyone who cares. Throw in 'hola' and you have our entire Spanish vocabulary. Hopefully its all we will need!

Anyway, we will be back in a week, most likely well rested with some color to our skin. You wouldn't know we lived in Australia only 5 years ago. Poor Reed must think his parents are severely anaemic we are so pale. Cuba is the perfect cure for pastyfaceitis!

Meanwhile, to keep everyone happy without their regular Reed updates, here are a couple of videos of Wonderbaby from this week. The first is him having a chuckle at mummy blowing raspberries on his belly. The second is Reed showing off his new sippy cup holding skills.

Now if only we could get him to drink from it!

See you all soon. :)

Uh Oh!

2009-03-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

So we're off on our sunny vacation to Cuba in two days and we are starting to suspect we might have the sniffles. Which is always the way with holidays, you feel healthy for months but the moment you touch-down on foreign soil the flu hits. Hopefully this is only a mild cold that won't stop our sun-baking endeavours. Although after years of miserable weather in Canada its doubtful even ebola could stop us!

Speaking of miserable - its back to freezing here again. Which would normally result in much tantrum throwing (and not from Reed) yet this week we actually feel quite smug. Smmmuuuuuug. What a great word - one we don't get to use very often. Hopefully we will soon be throwing this word around like we throw garbage. With spring and summer on its way our spirits are definately high. Getting back to the life philosophies that brought us together in the first place is helping too. We lost them somewhere here in Canada - along with our confidence and courage. But we remember them again.

The philosophies we both agree on are that tomorrow doesn't always come so quit thinking about it. That fear is the only difference between successful people and the rest of us. That good advice comes from experienced people. That worry is a useless activity. That security is nice but adventure is amazing. But most importantly...never quit the dream and NEVER give up on being truly, madly happy. Not that we ever would!

They really do make sense.

But back to Cuba, for the endless people who honestly envision us holidaying during the missile crisis - its 2009 not the 1960's! Cuba is a very safe Canadian and European holiday hotspot thats exceptionally warm and beautiful (did we mention warm?!!), the Cuban people are meant to be some of the friendliest around and besides all that we plan on raising Reed to be open-minded towards all countries and cultures. Including those that don't fit into Westernizations neat little box.

Because really - who are we to judge?

Playdate

2009-03-23T15:30:00.000-07:00

Reed had a playdate today with his regular buddy Ethan who is quite a bit younger at 7 weeks and mostly likes to watch from his mummy's arms (we'll be honest here, these playdates are mostly for the mummies!), however he was also joined today by Emily who is born on the same day as Wonderbaby only 8 hours earlier. He always did love the older ladies!

Aside from an eye poking incident in which Reed, mesmorized by Emily's big blues decided to investigate with his finger (this resulted in the obvious pout and crying from poor Emily who didn't appreciate Reed's curiousity) - the two of them played and grizzled and stole each other teethers for a couple of hours. Until the inevitable meltdown sent the two of them their separate ways.

Hopefully next time Wonderbaby will realize that beating up the girls is not always the best way to make them like you!

The Great Elmo Addiction

2009-03-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

Reed is most definately an Elmo addict. His favourite toy is his singing and dancing Elmo and his favourite pair of shoes have a bright red Elmo on the top. Whenever Wonderbaby is in a less than happy mood we just plonk him in front of his fuzzy red friend and watch the smile light up his face.

Sadly this addiction has resulted in the untimely demise of our dancing Elmo. Reed over-hugged the poor thing and now Elmo's dance is more of a wobble while his song is slowly fading away. But Reed's face still lights up when he sees him.

So this little YouTube ditty has become our new weapon against Wonderbaby wobblies. Its really quite cute. So cute we are now proud members of the EAA. (Elmo Addicts Anonymous!)

(you can view Wonderbaby watching this YouTube video below)

Cuba - HERE WE COME!!

2009-03-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

So finally some good news has come our way. Matts work has done something right and is letting him off the leash for an entire week (commencing March 26th) so we can go on a much needed family vacation. We've had savings put away for just this moment but never really had the chance to use it. We've either been moving (again!), working, studying, visiting family or just been plain broke. The good news is it turns out we won't have to use much of our holiday savings at all.

We are absolutely astounded at the price. For two and a half people to stay for seven nights at an All Inclusive secluded little resort right on the beach we thought we'd have to start working the streets. But nope - Cuba is so cheap we could have been flying there a couple of times a year. We're not even going to tell you how much as you'll just be insanely jealous! if you absolutely must torture yourselves you can visit a great little Canadian website called selloffvacations.com that specializes in cheap trips. Although there is a catch to having the opportunity for such a bargain - the economy needs to have collapsed and you need to live in Toronto all year round.

But that aside, we're very excited about getting some sun and sand after a horribly long winter and it will be nice to show Reed that the outside world really does exist. So Cuba - HERE WE COME!!

(This picture and the one above is the resort, Villas Jibacoa, where we are staying. Its not the Ritz but it sure looks like heaven to us)

The Crawling Chronicles

2009-03-15T05:42:00.000-07:00

Reed is definately becoming more skilled at crawling. While we still think it resembles a belly flop more than an actual crawl, the little tyke is getting faster at it. We'll post a video of Wonderbaby crawling to one of his favourite toys - the phone. While this is not an ideal situation as he has managed to dial complete strangers, it always gets his little body moving. In fact, since this video was taken he has added speed to the belly flop so now he gets around (and gets into trouble) extremely fast.

The second video is what happens when we won't let him have the phone or in this case the laptop and he temporarily forgets how to crawl. (forgets or refuses out of sheer laziness - we haven't figured out which yet!) So yes, our little Wonderbaby is already quite opinionated.

Weird Weird Weather

2009-03-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Canadians love to talk about the weather. They even have a television channel dedicated to talking about nothing but the weather for 24 hours a day. Thats how much they like to discuss it.

Well, having lived here for 4 1/2 years we understand why. The weather here is WEIRD!! Take the past two weeks. In this short space of time we have experienced both minus 31 degrees and a balmy 16 degrees. We've woken up to sun, sleet, snow and rain. We've had days where the air was completely still and days like today where it blows at hurricane speed.

In fact the only predictable thing about the weather here is that its completely unpredictable! We've often wondered what the original settlers of Toronto were thinking when they chose this spot. Our guess is they arrived during the three good months of summer and got quite a shock when winter hit!

It does make for good conversation though.

But back to OUR favourite topic, heres a short clip of Wonderbaby having a chuckle while his Daddy tries to eat him alive.

Video Overload!

2009-03-10T18:47:00.000-07:00

Here are a few recent videos of Wonderbaby. Sorry about the quality but we need to compress them in order to get them to load onto YouTube. But at least everyone can see how big our little guy is getting.

The first is a video of Reeds last photo session with Baaabara. You can see why we have had to give this tradition up!

This video is of Reed trying bananas for the first time. We get the feeling he wasn't that impressed!

Here is wonderbaby practicing his crawling skills. Hes getting better everyday.

Reed Crowe??

2009-03-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

While we were happily snapping photos of Wonderbaby in his preppy little summer outfit, he suddenly started doing a Russell Crowe impersonation for us. This is the 'Russell Crowe stumbling drunk out of a bar and yelling at the papparazzi while his minders try to hold him back' impersonation.

We think hes pretty good at it - in fact we might send them into Hello magazine.

The Little Jolly Jumper

2009-03-05T20:43:00.001-08:00

And to put a smile on everyones face, heres Wonderbaby enjoying one of his all time favourite activities - bouncing in the Jolly Jumper. He could jump in it for hours. We could watch him jump forever! Its really the cutest thing.

Enjoy. :)

Sitting Pretty

2009-03-05T18:28:00.000-08:00

Reed had a visit to his friendly pediatrician yesterday so we could have a doctor reassure us that yes, our baby is indeed teething. Which seemed a bit silly considering you can see the small pointy tooth poking out from his bottom gums AND he has bitten us with it numerous times. Still, with the constant crying and ear pulling we thought it best we confirm it wasn't something more sinister.

The verdict? He is teething. The doctor felt along his gums with her finger and reassured his very concerned mother that he was indeed sprouting new teeth. That the fussiness, sleep disturbances and constant night crying is all just part of the process. Lucky us!!

Aside from teething adventures we also have instructions from the doctor to help teach our superboy to sit. He is so obsessed with standing and trying to crawl that somewhere along the way hes missed a few steps. So now we have daily sitting boot camp where he is propped up against support pillows and forced to enjoy the view from his backside. We're guessing it won't take long before this is his favourite position. He is male after all.

And on another note, its going to be 14 degrees tomorrow. Which is much better than the minus 31 we endured only 3 days ago. In fact, its been another long miserable winter in Toronto and we are very glad we have made the decision not to endure another one. When it was just the two of us, digging ourselves out of the driveway and staying indoors 24/7 was annoying but bearable. At least we could down a glass of wine (or ten) to numb the boredom. Add a small, lively baby into the mix and it quickly moves from boring to very irritating.

We would love to be able to take him for daily walks and show him the world. Currently the poor boy thinks the world consists of Elmo, trips to the mall and Baby Einstein DVD's. The few times he has been out in his stroller he was either too tiny to enjoy it or bundled up like the Abominable Snowman. To live through another winter like this with a toddler in tow doesn't bare thinking about. So while we still have some snowy days left it keeps us sane realizing they will be our last.

In the meantime, Mummy and Reed have regular coffee and playdates with other Milton mommies (Milton is the suburb where we live) to help pass the time and Reed thoroughly enjoys making friends with anyone and everyone who'll throw a glance his way. He'd make a great politician.

We're Back!!!

2009-03-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

Now that The Lynch Mob has a new addition, Reed Alexander Lynch (aka Wonderbaby) born September, 7th 2008, it seemed appropriate to resurrect our old blog.

This now means we can keep everyone up to date on the daily events in all of our lives while still keeping up with the Reed photo addiction through his totsite. For anyone who has forgotten, the web address is www.totsites.com/tot/lynchmob.

And just to start the blog ball rolling again here is a short youtube video of wonderbaby in his exersaucer. You will notice the drooling at the end, he has his first tooth coming through which is causing loads of saliva and even more loads of laundry. (we apologize for the low quality video as sadly we are still youtube novices)

So heres a big WELCOME BACK from The Lynch Mob!

This Is Great!

2007-05-07T12:10:00.004-07:00

Check out this short video on youtube. Its made by a guy called Matt whos from San Francisco who travels around doing this funny little jig everywhere he goes. Now hes famous! We love it because its such an interesting way of showing all the places hes been (which is everywhere) and it really inspires us to go there too.

Its good for a smile too. Enjoy.

The Disappearing Act!!

2007-05-06T19:19:00.000-07:00

Well, the reason we have been completely neglectful of our blogspot has been the hopeful sale (once again) of our house on Alton. Thanks to over 130 people viewing it in the short space of five days we have not had much time to think let alone email. (we've been getting the place ready for sale the past month while juggling work and school so its been tough).

Anyway, here is the link to our listing, it won't be on for long as they delete them after two weeks...but at least you will know what we've been doing! We promise to post again soon.

http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?vd=&SearchURL=%3fPage%3d2%26Mode%3d0%26vs%3d1%26rlt%3d%26cp%3d%26pt%3d0%26mp%3d375000-0-0%26mrt%3d-1-0-0%26Beds%3d0-0%26Baths%3d0-0%26f%3d%26ft%3dall%26o%3dA%26of%3d1%26ps%3d10%26ptgid%3d1%26aid%3d3347%26MapURL%3d%253fAreaID%253d6368&Mode=0&PropertyID=5704098

The Lodger

2007-04-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Meet our new lodger. Actually, he's been staying with us for awhile now, despite us having asked him nicely many many times to leave (plus a few not so nice times involving shoes and large sticks) yet here he is again, lying about in our chimney which he now thinks he owns. He also seems to believe the top roof-deck is his, which has posed many a problem when we have unknowingly opened the door only to walk straight into him throwing one of his hissing and growling fits.

In fact, if he weren't so damn cute he'd have been launched off the roof long ago! Currently however we have managed to jam something into the chimney to hopefully encourage him to pack up and relocate...but he's one stubborn raccoon and we would not be surprised if we found him lounging about in our bed one day. Annoying little critter!! :)

Makes You Think....

2007-04-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

Here is another movie tip. This is one that will leave you wondering why you ever ate that last McDonald's burger. In fact, since we have been living here in North America it has become more and more apparent to us that something is just not quite right. This movie, along with the Michael Moore movies (if you've never seen one of his flicks then make sure you do....starting with 'Bowling for Columbine') shows just how greedy our planet has become, and the revolting lengths we will go to for a quick fix. Such as torturing animals and amputating workers for a measly 99 cent burger. Completely ridiculous.

Anyway, as budding environmentalists (we are working our way up to 'actual' environmentalists) we are trying to change our lifestyle every chance we get, including watching our eating habits and the products we buy everyday. So we urge all of you, even though it might seem tedious, to watch these movies, read up on this info and if you can to do the same. Because when you really get down to it, all any of us has, regardless of wealth or status, is this teeny, tiny planet protecting us from an endless, oxygenless void ....and currently we are completely screwing it up. Which hardly seems fair...especially if you stop to think about the future generations that are going to be left with this mess!!

Memories!!

2007-03-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

Thought we'd post this pic of Matt and Pa Lynch enjoying a wonderful sunny day in Surfers Paradise three years ago. We found it in a long lost pile of photos that we thought were gone forever. After a very long, slumpy winter in cold Canada it was nice to find this pic and think back to the warm days in Australia, so we thought we'd torture all of you living in the U.K. with it too. Enjoy! :)

Urban Cottage

2007-03-04T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here, as promised, is some of the work Alana is currently doing in school. This is an example of fast renderings (done on the spot) we did for a hotel design that Alana named "The Urban Cottage' The concept was 'Canadiana', hence the bear skin rug (which would be fake of course!), but the point of the assignment was to practice a more loose style of rendering that could be done in front of a client. (Which is why you can still see the perspective line work.).
So here are some examples.

A Small Hiatus

2007-02-26T08:28:00.000-08:00

Just posting to say that we will be temporarily postponing any further posts for a few weeks. But rest assured...we are not cancelling this blog!! We are just very, very, VERY busy at the moment so won't be getting any chances to write. But as soon as we do we will make sure to email everyone an alert. :)

Help Fund the Double D's Walk to End Breast Cancer!

2007-02-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

September is the Toronto 'Walk to End Breast Cancer' weekend. Alana, along with some fellow design students who have aptly named themselves the 'Double D's' (Design Divas), will be trekking the 60 miles over three days to help raise money for breast cancer research. Each person is to raise $2000 each, and while it sounds alot, if everybody pitches in just $25 each we think it can be done. If you can help with this worthy cause the Double D's will be certain to cross the finish line!

See the link below to find out more about this walk. If you would like to help Alana out, we'll let you know in future posts how you can. Otherwise, just pray she can walk the distance without collapsing!!

http://to07.endcancer.ca/site/PageServer?pagename=to07_homepage

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

2007-02-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

Click on the below link to send someone a groovy little ecard. It will definately make you chuckle.

http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ecard|10001|10051|144323|-2;22553;-102001;11441;-102250;69053||P2R5S|null

Yes...We Are Still Alive!!

2007-02-07T12:21:00.000-08:00

Just thought we'd post a quick note to let you all know we are still alive and kicking.

Alana is in the final half of her second to last semester and will post some pics of the work shes doing later in the month.

Matt is hard at work at Soho, he is off to New York next week to scout for some possible VFX so he is looking forward to that.

The weather here has been below zero almost everyday so we are very much looking forward to spring thaw. All of you currently enjoying the warm days of summer....spare a thought for two frozen ex-pats!

We'll post some pics soon. :)

Matt's 'Pick of the Month'

2007-01-30T20:16:00.000-08:00

Matt insisted that we tell everyone about this movie. Its extremely funny, the actors are fantastic and the ending is priceless.

If you are up to viewing something a bit different and don't mind humouring the American cliches...'Little Miss Sunshine' is well worth watching.

The White Stuff

2007-01-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

Yep, thats snow on our backyard. After we smugly declared that global-warming was turning Toronto into a tropical retreat it has been steadily dumping on us ever since. Guess thats what you get for provoking the weather gods!

Oh well, it won't be long before summer is here and we can go back to gasping for air in 42 degree smog. Ain't Canadian weather fun?!

The Island

2007-01-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

Who Knew?!
Right here in Toronto, only ten minutes by ferry, there are some little islands that have all the rustic charm of tiny villages and hold views Trump Tower would envy. In fact, if it weren't for Alana's school mansion project we still wouldn't know they existed!

This particular school assignment involves designing a mansion on an imaginary plot positioned on Toronto Island (which is actually an airport) and so because there are no residential properties at this location students are required to visit neighbouring islands, Wards and Algonquin. The purpose of the trip is to give students a more personal feeling for what life on these islands might be like, and from what we experienced it would be positively divine!

As soon as we stepped off the boat it was like the city no longer existed, although all you needed to do was turn-around and you were instantly reacquainted. The birds didn't chirp on Ward Island, they warbled, almost like they knew they were living on the best kept real estate secret in Toronto. The houses, mostly small bungalows, weren't owned, only leased (a Toronto legal nightmare we won't go into) and most were run-down and neglected. The residents of course were your expected tortured artists.

Amazingly none of this altered the islands charm. After experiencing this zen-like place, an over-sized mansion (which Alana is now thinking of boycotting) seems very out of place. These tiny bungalows fit the environment perfectly and for the both of us, two very jaded city people, it was inspirational. In fact, the most memorable moment was when we realized there was a complete lack of traffic. On these islands there are no cars, trucks or vans and all you see is the occasional emergency vehicle. The residents, using bikes and carts, make their way to the ferry, load up with supplies in the city and then push and roll their way back home. Amazing!

Anyway, it was a nice surprise for us to find that Toronto can still make us smile. It can be smoggy, busy, rude and down-right annoying living here, but on days like this we are reminded that it's not all that bad. So here are some pics of our short visit to Wards and Algonquin Islands.

View from Wards Island

Very Napier-esque (for Alana anyway)

A typical Wards Island street - no traffic!

Wards Island boardwalk

Wards Island beach

Algonquin Island - can you believe downtown Toronto is just 10 minutes away?!

Algonquin Island canal - some of the residents still live on house boats

A renovated bungalow - one of the lucky ones!

A rare larger house - traditional style

The Ward Island wow-factor home (this is as modern as it gets) - it is situated on the corner and has 270 degree views.

Aaaahh.....peaceful

Global Yawning

2007-01-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

The weather here in Toronto has been eerily warm. Two years ago we were up to our knees in snow with below 20 wind whipping at our ears. Now we're waking up each morning to a balmy 11 degrees and we're still wearing our autumn gear. In fact its so strange the raccoons have forgotten to hibernate and the birds haven't flown south yet. Trust us, these are not good things!

All of this is a result of, you guessed it, global warming. Here in Toronto global warming is everywhere. Its on the news, in magazines, on the internet and the television. You can't even escape it on the toilet. The recycled bog-roll will cheerfully remind you that we are all going to drown. In fact, its getting to be a right royal bore!

That said, we do believe global warming is an enormous problem and so we try our best wherever possible to live responsibly. Alana is currently learning sustainable design at school and is very interested in specializing in this area. Still, this doesn't make it any less depressing.

So, if like us you are feeling a little bit down about it all, especially if the weather where you live has become positively schizophrenic, then rent out the DVD shown above and you can educate yourself further about the facts. For, as the saying goes, 'knowledge is power' and we could all use a little more of that! Besides, its actually quite an interesting DVD. Happy viewing everyone. :)

Quick Pic

2006-12-30T12:48:00.000-08:00

Heres a quick photo of Alana and Auntie Robyn sitting in front of the xmas tree. Shes here to visit her granddaughter Hadley (who is a little cutie) and it was lovely to see her. Take note of how pale Alana's Canadian tan is compared to Robyn's NZ one. Very jealous!

Doctor Schmoctor!

2006-12-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Doctors......where do we begin!

'Greys Anatomy', 'House' and 'ER' are religious experiences for us. We watch these shows every week without fail. However the truth is, we watch them while feeling like big fat frauds. We watch them with the shame dripping from our big fat fraudulent bodies. Because the truth is....we absolutely despise doctors!

We hate the way they walk, we hate the way they talk and we hate the way they tell you that they know whats up when all along you were coming down. Yes, we hate doctors. Yet every week we stupidly turn on the TV and watch our favourite white-coat fight to save a life.

Admittedly it helps that all the doctors are good-looking. (The patients aren't too bad either!) Yet these doctors intrigue us. They captivate and hypnotise us. They give us hope. Why? Because they care.

So we watch these shows and we dream. We dream of a world where the doctors know your name, where they know your ailment, where they want to save your life. We dream of a world where they don't put the bottom-line before treatment, where everyone receives immediate medical care, where there are no waiting lines. We realize these are crazy dreams....yet this is the world we would like to live in.

So we watch 'Greys Anatomy' and 'House' with sour tastes in our mouths. These are brilliant shows with brilliant story-lines. But they lie. Because health care just ain't this pretty!!

Twas The Weekend Before Xmas...

2006-12-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

Matt gave Alana a lovely Valentines Day gift all the way back in February that we have been too busy to use. So, feeling exhausted after a very long year, we decided to use it this weekend.

His gift was a two night stay at the secluded Millcroft spa retreat in a little town called Alton (one hour from Toronto) and it was just what the doctor ordered. We slept, we watched movies, we drank wine and we strolled around the beautiful grounds. There was a stunning lake and waterfall and the food was exquisite!

Our accommodation was a little 'Crofts' cottage that came complete with fireplace and hot-tub...everything two weary people could want...and it was very very peaceful! So we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, and because it was so lovely we will definately go again. Only next time we'll try out the spa treatments.

Here are some more pics of Millcroft.(This is our favourite....its the cutest little warning sign you ever did see!!)

Run Obama, Run!

2006-12-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

Think Hilary is destined to be next in the Whitehouse? Think again!

I'm not sure how much the UK & down under know about Barack Obama, but in the last 2 months this guy has gone from zero to rock star!!

What better response to a stupid southern white man than an intelligent black one from Chicago.

Keep an eye on this guy, if he runs for President, we're running right along with him!!
http://obama.senate.gov/

Can't We All Just Get Along??

2006-12-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2006/12/14/2787953-sun.html

If you're reading the above news story you will have experienced a mere smidgen of the hypocrisy that political correctness has created in North America. These events are constantly happening in the name of 'equality'. However we think they are just trying to p*** us off!

When they're not banning Christmas trees to avoid favoring christians, they're holding votes to stop gay's marrying to protect...you guessed it.... christians! While they won't allow you to wear a cross because religious symbols are banned....they will allow you to tell Muslims that Islam is 'going down'. And although they will suggest that you reuse, recycle and bicycle, they will also tell you that global warming is a secular farce and God will prevail. Confused? So are we!

Right now we go about our day in a dazed and confused state, wondering hopelessly what we are supposed to believe this week. In fact, this stupid war of beliefs is only getting worse, and what is ultimately suffering is our poor little planet...oh...and our poor little heads! Of course, the majority of people just want everyone to live their lives in peace and to not bother each other too much (except of course when you're driving in Toronto and then its every man for himself!) But as always you never hear from the ordinary people. Its only the nutcases that speak out.

Consequently this has led us to the conclusion that if it ever does get worse here we will just have to move again. Although at this rate we will have eliminated the entire Western world and we will be forced to think more seriously about emigrating to Russia!

Or perhaps, as we've not really lived anywhere we're that enamoured with yet, except maybe Sydney (we're stupidly hoping California will be an island from all this North American nonsense... wishful thinking we know!), we'll just stamp 'Currently Without Country' on our passports and be done with it.

Hey...it works for us! Happy Holidays everyone! :)

Bad Mojo??

2006-12-14T10:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2006/09/13/murder-suicide-chelsea.html
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20061214/sassafraz_cleanup_061214/20061214?hub=TorontoHome

If you click on the above links you can read up on what we consider to be suspicious events that have occured following our visit from Dad and Diana Crombie.

First we find out that a few days after they left Toronto three people were murdered at the hotel they stayed in, and now the restaurant we all went to, Sassafraz, has burnt to the ground.
(see previous post under 'Family')

Coincidence you ask? Maybe. Voodoo curse? Very well could be. Either way we will continue with our investigation and we'll keep you posted with our findings.
:)

Work Do!

2006-12-10T13:31:00.000-08:00

Matt's work held their annual Christmas party this Saturday night at his boss Alan's favourite fancy steakhouse. It was a fun filled night involving bottomless glasses of wine (all free of course) and the best steak ever tasted. There were also some hilarious moments involving film footage of all the staff on their Survivor trip a couple of weekends ago.

Matt was the champion of chugging down the most disgusting concoction known to man (it involved seafood, citrus and some other revolting ingredients), while others searched through animal dung for hidden items. Charming stuff!!

Everyone at his work was very friendly and it was all in all a fantastic night. We are looking forward to a re-run next Christmas!

Gift List

2006-12-08T10:51:00.000-08:00

It has been requested that we post a list of christmas gifts that we want. Asides from the obvious 'BMW' request from Matt, this year we would prefer not to swap the usual items....instead we think that swapping gifts that help others might be a nice change instead.

If you click on the links below you will be taken to websites that have interesting gifts that help a needy animal or person. On one of the links you can send money that cleans one oiled penguin, helps a dog or even feeds a hungry bear. On the Oxfam link you can send a needy family a goat, chicken and even an education. Its a fantastic way to turn what is essentially a consumer filled nightmare into something that means so much to someone else. Some of these gifts even help the environment!

We think its kinda cool...plus you avoid sending each other items you know are just going to end up in the storage cupboard. To these families that goat is the difference between life and death. And really, haven't we all got enough scarves and socks by now??!!

Anyway, let us know what you think. Otherwise, in reply to the gift list request...you really don't have to send us anything this year. All we really want from everyone is a phonecall and maybe a smile over the webcam...thats plenty enough!

Here are the website links.....there are many many more out there. These are just some of our favorites.

http://www.kintera.org/site/c.adKCIPNyEqG/b.1160005/k.8F75/Rescue_Animals.htm
http://www.oxfamunwrapped.ca/
http://wwf.ca/HowYouCanHelp/PandaStore/PandaStore.asp?product=DR630&IGNOREcart=
http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/
http://www.charitygifts.com/

Happy Festivus!!

2006-12-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

Jaded.... the perfect word to describe how we are currently feeling about this Christmas season. Not because we don't enjoy Christmas, but because here in North America you eat, breathe, smell and live Christmas for more than four loooooooong weeks! So Matt came up with a novel idea to help get us through....we celebrate 'Festivus' this year instead.

What is Festivus you ask? Festivus is a make-believe holiday from the show 'Seinfeld'. On 'Seinfeld' the character George and his wacky family celebrate Festivus every year. However, in what could be considered a most unusual turn of events, this make-believe holiday is now celebrated by families everywhere.

A few key points to Festivus are;

Drinking is encouraged with hearty beer, rum, bourbon, or wine.
Seeing as how one of the Latin derivatives of Festivus means feast, some celebrations have indulged this by celebrating with a 'Turducken'. (see picture below)

A 'Turducken' - a de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken, covered with bacon!! (Matt's note: Surely they could stuff the chicken with beef first?)

An aluminium pole is generally used in lieu of a Christmas tree or other holiday decoration, shedding holiday materialism.
The celebration of Festivus begins with the Airing of Grievances, which takes place immediately after the Festivus dinner has been served.
In the Airing of Grievances, each person present at the celebration tells friends and family of all the instances where they have disappointed him or her that year.
The head of the family tests his or her strength against one participant of the head's choosing. Festivus is not considered over until the head of the family has been pinned to the floor.
A participant is allowed to decline to attempt to pin the head of the family only if they have something better to do instead.

The Airing of Grievances will pose some obvious long distance problems for us....however Skype could resolve this. The other issue will be the pinning of the head of the family. Not because it can't be done...but because there is some considerable disagreement from Alana as to who the head of our household is.

Nevertheless, the part that has swayed us both is the drinking and the aluminum pole. While we do like our pop-up tree, the pole just has that edginess you will never get from standard Christmas decorations. (see previous post) Plus the added bonus is that if you didn't want to part with the pole at the end of Festivus, there is no reason it couldn't remain as a permanent decor feature. You can't do that with a Christmas tree now can you?!!

So that's Matt's interesting idea . If anyone else is feeling overwhelmed with Christmas (aka 'the consumer season') we would love to hear your comments on celebrating something different. Perhaps the best compromise will be to celebrate both. Festivus on the 23rd, Christmas on the 25th. Either way, we will definately not be eating Turducken!!

Happy Festivus everyone!!

A Bitter Taste in the Mouth

2006-12-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

We didn't want to post these sad pictures but we felt an obligation to spread the word.

A student at Alana's school shared these images of 'food dogs' on a Chinese farm. ('food dogs' are dogs bred solely for human consumption). Currently millions of dogs in China are living in these tiny crates 24 hours a day, without food or water, until they are finally slaughtered (skinned alive) or they die of stress and dehydration.

There really is no further explanation needed. The pictures speak for themselves. All we ask is this....the next time you buy something thats 'Made in China'.....think twice won't you?!!

Rental Property

2006-12-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

This post is mostly for the benefit of Dad Crombie who has some 'before' photos that he took of Curzon Street. As he will be able to see we have stained the floors (they aren't in the best condition but they will be fine for renting), we have painted the horrible old 70's kitchen white (it is still horrible but it was the most cost effective way). There is new kitchen floor tile, new front and back doors and new inexpensive fixtures like door-knobs etc. The bathroom has had to be replaced as it was completely rotten, but that is the unfortunate condition many of these 100 year old Toronto houses are left in.

So here are the pics of our little (temporary) rental house. Temporary until we move into it ourselves!

Under a Blood-Red Sky

2006-12-02T14:51:00.001-08:00

The leaves have finally fallen from the trees and a long, cold winter is waiting around the corner. Yet, just when we were feeling positively depressed, Toronto surprised us.

On this particularly dark Saturday night it put on a light show that cheered us right up. The sky turned blood-red and thanks to the bare trees we were able to see through the branches to the city beyond. It was stunning. Not even the enormous clouds carrying freezing rain above could dampen the view.

So Matt, standing in a flimsy t-shirt and big smile, braved the cold and posed on the roof-deck for your viewing pleasure. Hope you enjoy!

Dog TV

2006-12-02T14:51:00.000-08:00

This is how our two fat couch potatoes spend their day while we are out....watching reality television. Their current favourite show is "Dog Walking with Owner", however "Strange Cat in Garden" and Squirrell up a Tree" are also big hits.

For anyone living with a bored dog this really does work. Just remember to turn the tv off at night (close the blinds) or you will be kept awake with the barking. Happy dog days everyone!

Down the Toilet

2006-11-30T18:30:00.000-08:00

Well its official....we are living in a toilet. A scientific study (Sierra Legal) has just declared that the Great Lakes (Toronto is situated on them and so is Chicago and Detroit) is a sewage dumping ground. Its so bad that according to these reports the equivalent of 100 olympic sized swimming pools of raw sewage is seeping into the lakes everyday. EVERYDAY!!

Needless to say this makes our small attempts at recycling and using the car less seem pretty pointless. But thats not the worst thing...the worst thing is that these lakes are supplying our faucets with our drinking water. We are actually ingesting this stuff daily! In fact we think we feel a law suit coming on!

The craziest part though (aside from the EPA declaring that pesticides are not a pollutant) is that every summer, despite the smell and warning signs...Torontonians jump into this water by the hundreds. They duck, they dive, they gulp and gag on the stuff...they even let their kids swim in it. Two years ago we thought this was good crazy fun. Now we just think its crazy.

Does anyone know a good lawyer??

For a Quick Smile

2006-11-28T15:29:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnapzB-4tAk

Click on the above link for a chuckle. This has helped us to feel better when the long busy day is stretched out ahead...its too cute not to smile.

The Hanging of the Bauble

2006-11-27T11:26:00.000-08:00

Well, after much harrassment and hype from the media we caved in and the tree was reluctantly retrieved from the dark depths or our basement (aka 'the junk room'). Brushing off its dusty branches we attached its three bushy levels together and presto....our pop-up tree was back in all its glory. No messy pine needles, no itchy noses, no sad little tree chopped down from its happy forest dwelling, just a shiny fake one with the lights already attached. Instant christmas!!

Anyway, that part went along fine...the tree decorations however were another story. For some reason the sight of a shiny red bauble can make the blood pressure rise. All those gold and silver globes, red and white candy canes, blue and yellow angels....its torture! Suddenly even the most stylish of residence look like they belong in the eighties, while all across the world innocent furniture is cruely and viciously attacked with brightly colored trinkets.

Sleek white sofas are smothered beneath fuzzy red Santa throws. Trendy coffee tables disappear under oversized candles and singing snowmen. What was once a happy minimilist dining table is now a display area for poinsettias, glittery table-runners, more candles, more singing snowmen and the enormous bowl of nuts that nobody eats. And don't even mention the hallway table....for where there just wasn't enough room in the lounge for the singing santa, singing reindeer and singing partridge....this table has just the spot. Pity the furniture over christmas....their beige world is turned upside down!

So consequently we ended up hanging only silver baubles, a compromise that worked out well. While our house is not exactly the sleek, neutral world that Alana would love to have, (Matt weirdly insists on adding comfort and color) it is our sanctuary in the midst of this crazy Canadian city and it works for us. So the tree has its spot back for another four weeks, the poinsettia is back on the dining table and the politically correct 'holiday' season has begun again. (Its supposedly only christmas here if you attend church....guess that makes Santa a big fat pagan!)

Anyway, we'll leave you all with a couple of cheesy pics of us in front of our 'holiday tree'.

Hollywood!!

2006-11-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

While Alana was left stranded in Toronto fending for herself amongst the prematurely hung christmas decorations and endless TV jingles (its only November for crying out loud!) Matt ventured off to LA on business.

So while it rained, rained, and just for a change rained in Toronto, Matt basked in the warm Hollywood glow, wining and dining some big VFX producers along the way. After his week of sun and fun (and work of course...or so he says) he emerged this Monday morning, bleary-eyed, to face a wonderful day of...you guessed it...rain, rain, and more rain in Toronto.

So he is now hoping (pleading might be a better word) for us to win the US Green Card lottery so we can move permanently to Hollywood and live our own 'American Dream'. So we've got our fingers crossed!
(Since arriving back he has also assured Alana that he doesn't want to move to Hollywood because all the producers look like Carmen Electra... but we'll save that topic for another post). :)

So here are a couple of pics of LA LA land he took while away. (Matt is not in any of them but the Hollywood sign is...you can see it in the first pic WAY in the distance).

You might notice that there literally are only two pics. This is because Matt was born with an unfortunate affliction we like to call 'terrible-photographeritis'. It is in fact hereditary, as both his parents also suffer from this condition, and the poor soul is left taking endless shots of hands, feet, occasional trees and many many unidentified objects. We are however taking steps to overcome this terrible disease and as you can see from these rather nice pictures, we are gaining ground. Think positive thoughts for him won't you all?

Burning Down the House!

2006-10-31T06:57:00.000-08:00

Because we felt we had fallen away from our Kiwi and English roots we decided to attempt a good old fashioned roast on the Sunday just been. Well, things couldn't have gone worse!

Firstly, Jamie Oliver has a lot to answer for. We took his advice and put the spare piece of granite we had left over from our kitchen renovation inside the oven to act as a cooking tray (as he does on his show) and let it heat up. Jamie does this all the time when cooking meat and he never has any problems so how on earth were we to know it would turn into the towering inferno!

Not only did the oven catch on fire from the heat of the granite (it was contained inside thankfully), Alana managed to burn two of her fingers, the spuds were dropped to the floor, the pork was accidentally cooked (not defrosted) in the microwave, hot oil dripped everywhere, red wine was splashed over the walls and the white feral cat dropped a live mouse into the mix.

The lesson we have learned from all this? Don't try to go back to your roots, embrace your new ones and order good old fashioned Canadian pizza!!

Picture of Alana standing outside in the freezing cold (in her PJ's) hosing down the smoldering granite.

There is now a lovely big hole in the lawn. Funnily enough, the mouse made out completely unscathed!

A Quick Catch Up

2006-10-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

Because we have been here in Toronto for two years we thought we should post a couple of extra pictures showing a snippet of what we have been up to during that time. We seem to have lost most of our pics thanks to a major computer crash, but we do have a couple that survived. Anyway, here they are.

Here is the house we bought and renovated as soon as we arrived. Most of the 'pre-renovation' pics are lost, which is fine with us as they were too awful to view anyway. As you can see, houses in Toronto are strange looking things, especially when compared to the large spralling homes in NZ . This is a fairly common style throughout east North America though.

Mum and Dad Lynch visited in the first summer we were here (2005) so we had quite a few barbecues and consumed many many glasses of wine......aaaaah the good times! (we also thought Ma Lynch would love having her photo on here...hehe)

For Alana, moving to Toronto has been about going back to school fulltime to study Interior Design (school pics below) which, when you are in your thirties and all your school friends are in their early twenties....things can get interesting........

.....take the picture below for example, lets just say it becomes a little too easy to get corrupted into partying like you did ten years earlier! Its fun and you get to be a big kid again, although you also very quickly realise that the stamina you once had is long gone...and even worse...the next day these young friends of yours will be wide eyed and bushy-tailed absorbing everything the teacher says, while you will be happily snoring away on top of your school computer keyboard!

This is just a quick example for those of you who are interested (we definately aren't anymore!) of some of the work Alana does in the design program. This is a pic of one of the small models that get built for each new assignment and act as design aids. In this case the assignment was a retail space selling tea, so the model was helpful in observing how the layout would work in 3D. It doesn't make much sense when looking at the photo, but in reality it helped to see whether or not the large atrium in the centre would add light to the basement level. Anyway, thats the kind of torture the school puts you through!!

Mum and Dad Lynch (Anne and Terry) joined us again for christmas in 2005 and we had some more laughs. The red wine flowed freely and so did our hangovers. There were even a few squabbles over monopoly. Here are some pics of us all feeling merry.

And finally, just for interests sake (and because we have lost most of our photos) for those of you curious about what a raccoon looks like (we get asked this all the time) here is the raccoon that lives (uninvited) in our chimney. Don't let his cute looks deceive you though, when they walk black tar all over your deck and eat out of your garbage can you realize looks really don't mean anything!

So obviously alot more has happened in the past two years than what we have shown here. For a start, we have no pics of Matts work and we have lost most of the ones of our renovation and our first white winter. So this is really just a tiny snippet. But still, we had fun looking back!

Fall is here in Toronto

2006-10-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

We decided to start posting some pics and info about what we are up to here in Toronto so our poor neglected family and friends can keep up to date with our ever-changing lives.

So to start things off, here are some pics of us and the zoo out enjoying the stunning colors of fall at a park by Lake Ontario. Its about 5 minutes from where we live and is really beautiful at this time of year. It is also the first day in many where it wasn't raining...so we ran out of the house as fast as we could!

By the way....

2006-08-26T10:42:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of Diana and Dad Crombie's trip to Toronto in late August. As you can see we drove to Niagara Falls and went on the Maid of the Mist which takes you under the actual falls. If you are on the wrong side of the boat (like we were) you don't just get wet...you drown!! There were also some very funny moments involving Diana and a big blue raincoat.

On the last day of their stay here they kindly shouted us, including cousin Tony and Jen, out to lunch at a trendy Toronto cafe called 'Sassafraz'. (Its where all the stars are meant to go) . There we made sure to take advantage of this kindness and much food and champagne was consumed. Thank you Father Crombie!!