The 5YO and Moving to Canada

In one of my other blogs I referred to my son as 5YO, as in "five year old." I didn't like using his name so publicly, especially since it is somewhat unique, so I came up with that. While I may have slipped somewhere, that's how I tend to refer to him in the blogosphere.

In a comment here Tom asked what 5YO thought about moving. Well, mostly he thinks it's pretty cool. Every now and again he's not so thrilled about leaving the only house he's known. But, he knows he gets a fish tank whenever we do move. We like to refer to parenting as a series of bribes and threats...

I thought I'd write a little more about 5YO's travels. First, we're waiting for his second passport to come back. Since kids' passports are only good for five years and he's had his since 2003, we're trying to time it right for his passport to have more than two years on it when we get visas. Since it should arrive any day it would be good until 2011. I think we're set.

He got his passport in 2003 because we were going to spend three weeks in Amsterdam. That was a wonderful trip! He was just over 2 and had a blast in Vondelpark. This time, 2006, he enjoyed a place called Tun Fun. I didn't get to go, but I guess they made an indoor playground out of what had been an underpass!

5YO's first trip was a road trip to Saint Louis when he was about 8 weeks old. Of course he doesn't remember it (tongue in cheek), but he did go up in the Arch. From there, due to a family emergency, we drove to Branson. Yes, it's true. Notice that I've not linked to info about Branson... When he was 3 months old we flew to Arizona for a family reunion - prompted by his arrival - in Sedona.

As of today he's taken 40 flights - legs, not round trip. He's done road trips in several directions. So far, by plane or car, he's been to Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and California. Wow, I've never written it down before. In Europe he's been to the Netherlands twice, Germany, Belgium, France, and Austria for a quick swing just south of Neuschwanstein. He's also joined us in the border town of Nogales to make a vanilla and tequila run.

But, Canada, oh, Canada. After a harrowing drive on a post-blizzard highway, we welcomed 2005 by spending New Year's Eve at The Forks in Winnipeg. We spent New Year's Day snowshoeing at Fort Whyte. It was wonderful, even at 1 degree.

In March we visited Thunder Bay and got married. 5YO isn't so sure that he likes "weddings" because you have to be quiet, but at least the Deputy City Clerk bribed him with a bag of candy. See, bribe and threaten.

That June we flew into Vancouver and spent the night up in Whistler. The next day he was able to take his first horseback ride in the beautiful setting of Pemberton. Then we spent about five days in Vancouver, staying in Davie Village, hanging out in Stanley Park. Fab!

Then, in November, we took a long weekend in Toronto, also making a quick trip to Niagara Falls. One of the cool kids things in Toronto was Riverdale Farm.

So, in terms of regions, 5YO has been in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Toronto. Not bad. If all goes well he'll/we'll visit Halifax and environs next summer.

All in all, he's a great traveler and he has enjoyed Canada as a tourist. I do wish that we had been able to relocate before he started primary school, but, we're doing our best to convey excitement and all the kid things that should make it appealing.

That's it for now. A nice trip down memory lane!