I am really excited about my trip to Toronto this weekend with Mommy while Daddy goes for training.

He said

Hard to believe the trip that we planned what seems like five years ago is finally here! This post is our last one on this side of the cruise which means this time next Sunday, there won’t be a post (unless we find useable and free wifi) and we will be in the middle of the ocean, approaching the equator enjoying the temperatures that accompany such latitude. And, the ocean views from our balcony.

Just like last time this trip for the longest time, seemed forever away and then when we got to the two month point is blazed up to us at a breakneck pace. And the entire time, the part I am most excited about is the prospect of surprising Emelia and her reaction when she finally finds out what is happening. It is the magic of that moment, and what I know will become a lifelong memory for her — something we will all reflect back on happily for years to come. We have the way will tell her all sorted out, as well as how she gets to first find our her cousins Riley & Ruby are coming and then how she gets to surprise them with the same news she found out earlier in the day when we meet in Florida at the hotel.

We have told Emelia that I have to go to Toronto for a week of training and that I am being put up in a hotel for the night. Mommy & Emelia decided since I was going to be there that they would come join me for the week and putz around Toronto. That gets us all to Toronto Thursday evening. Friday morning we have told her that one of the managers flying in from the Victoria store needs to a ride to the training, so we’re picking him up at the airport. That gets us to Pearson for the flight. And then, when we’re at the airport and we park the car, that is when we will lay the surprise on her. And I cannot wait for that moment!

This week Danielle and I made the t-shirts for the three girls to wear on the cruise with some inkjet iron-on paper, cheap white Old Navy t-shirts and dusting off some of my graphic designs skills. And, they will be a large part of the surprise. I will lay out Emelia’s shirt in the car on top of our suitcases such that when we get to the airport and park, we’ll have her get out the luggage and find the shirt and see how she absorbs that surprise. Then, when we will arrive in Florida and the hotel for Friday, we will let Emelia know that there is something we need to deliver there which will be Riley & Ruby’s shirts and that will be when and how they all find out they’re going together. It’s going to be a couple of back-to-back amazing moments for Emelia. And us, for that matter!

All that we really have to do now is pack and make sure we have everything ready. I have three days to work this week, starting tomorrow, giving me Thursday to get my haircut, help Dad get Mom to and from her second eye surgery and then any last minute things that need to be taken care of. Once the daycare kids clear out Thursday night, it is time to load up the car and as Poppa says “let’s went”!

There are so many reasons I am looking forward to this trip, but easily the biggest is the same thing we found with the last one — the lasting memories that we’re going to create and that will live with each of us. But, also for the surprise of a lifetime we’re going to give her, and the reaction she’s going to have.

She said

Last week was filled lots of last minute planning. It was the week of lists, and a week of last minute shopping for the little things. Emelia is getting more and more excited about this ‘trip to Toronto‘ so much so that the night after we brought our luggage out of storage at Helen and Doug’s she had dragged it in her bedroom and started packing. She has fully bought into this story about going to Toronto and even our story about why we are going to the airport Friday morning. Honestly I keep waiting for her to figure out we have been telling her big stories but so far she is believing us fully.

As I said this week was all about making sure the last minute details were in order, printing off confirmation forms for hotels, flights, car rentals, cruise documents and getting them all in order before we leave. The other big list item this week was all the essentials that you hope you don’t ever need but need to have just in case. This week I ticked off my longish list of over the counter needs. It seems like a bit of overkill but when you are on a ship in the middle of the ocean you need to be prepared. I think my being prepared for camping miles away from the nearest town has really made me an over-packer that way.

Either way at the beginning of the week the to-do list was quite long and now it is very manageable and we are in great shape. I have ticked off 90% of the to pack list, 100% of the to buy before we leave list and with Emelia’s insistence we have packed our bags as well. This was a good practice as it was then when John and I realized we needed a couple more things and did a quick last minute order on Old Navy.

But with the to-do list under control we could re-focus on the weekend, and it was a busy one. With the trip coming up John had to work again this weekend so I took care of the normal weekly errands, got the last minute trip shopping done and got Emelia to her activities. The big activity for her this weekend was her gymnastics tryouts for the elite team. Her development for gymnastics has been amazing this year and she did amazing. It will be a few weeks before we know where she will be for training and which team she will be on for the next season.

Today was another busy but great day, I had morning interview for an upcoming daycare space and then after that we spent the afternoon with Maria and Emma. The girls get along so amazing so it gave lots of time for Maria and I to catch up. After we caught up we went over to Fleetway to do a round of glow-golf. We had an amazing time with lots of laughs. The afternoon flew by in a flash, we dashed home to meet up with John and went over for visit with Helen and Doug.

This week has flown by and we hope that next week flies by just as fast so we can make our way to Florida and then to our dream family vacation. Our next post will be post cruise with all our memories!