I love it when my dad and little sister, Tillie, visit us. Quin is old enough now that she knows who they are and she gets very excited to see them. She won't let them out of her sight while they are staying with us. It is so heart warming.
One of the things I love most about having Dad and Tillie around is that we have about 3 days to just hang out and enjoy each other. They request that I make crepes for breakfast, which I love to make and eat. We had banana and pecan crepes the first morning, strawberry and raspberry crepes the second, and old fashioned thick buttermilk pancakes on the last morning, which Andre made. We are kind of the king and queen of breakfast foods. We rarely eat cereal or toast for breakfast, we tend to make the kind of foods that most people reserve for the weekends. It almost always involves cooking, except for our fresh fruit smoothies.
Dad and Tillie like to go for walks, to watch cartoons with Quin, to read books, oooohhhh books! My Aunt Helen, my dad's sis, introduced me to wonderful books as a child and thus began my love of books. Especially old vintage books with amazing illustrations. Naturally as a photographer, I loves spend time looking at photographs, but I most love books that have illustrations. Tillie, also has a love of books, thanks in part to Helen, and I am sure my Dad and her Mom. She is much more scientific than I am, so when her books are not fiction they are how things work and joke books, where as I being naturally curious about most things, also like the how things work titles and, of course, art books.
Dad, Tillie, Quin, and I all love to hunt for treasures. This means, we like the antique store, the thrift store, and any other sort of opportunity to rummage. The day they arrive was the last day of the very large and awesome annual church rummage sale at a church on Banff Avenue. Before teaching an art course at the library that day (see next post) I had gone and scored TONS of old books no one wants for like $10. The weekend turned out to be a lot about books...
On Friday, after I taught my morning ballet class, we went to Canmore to the thrift store, where I found an amazing beaded antique purse, and I bumped into Maureen, who went in the back to Wendy's station and came back with gifts for me! A French book for Quin, an old Polaroid camera, and an old movie camera. Thank you, thank you!! Then, we went to the antique store, which was basically a bust. The last three times we went there, a very kind and generous old gentleman was working. He loved the fact that my dad, myself, Tillie, and Quin, were all enjoying going out to look at historic things together. Dad would keep Quin on his shoulders, and look around with her, while Tillie, who is very outgoing, would ask the man about each and every little item that struck her fancy. He would tell her about it, then offer her deals on everything. It was so much fun, we could stay for well over an hour with no crabbiness or damage. Well, this time, a woman was working, and the minute she saw Tillie and Quin she just about freaked out. Quin was safe on Dad's shoulder's, but every time Tillie looked like she might touch something the woman would fly towards her and speak down to her in a screeching voice. She would look over to Dad and I like we should tell her to stop whatever she was doing but we pretended not to notice. Tillie is 10 years old, very conscientious, and respectful. She did nothing to make this woman become so suspicious and rude. And mind you this is not a high end antique shop with expenses items. I know when a child should be somewhere and when they should not. Anyway, we left, and had much more fun buying little birds on sticks that you put in plant pots from the florist next door.
On Saturday, Dad wanted to help us out with picking up a pillow top mattress for Quin and a double jogger stroller from Keleigh, who is moving. Dad bought the mattress for Quin's Christmas gift, and it is awesome! She still sleeps with us a lot but she is starting to enjoy her room and bed. Afterward, we went to the Canmore Friends of the Library Used Book Sale (just to continue our book theme). It was soooooo great that we had to leave after a half an hour or I would have brought home tons of books. Quin and Tillie picked some items, and I was thrilled to find tons of French books and some French videos for Quin. After a treat at Beamer's Coffee Shop we headed home with our spoils.
Andre was busy at work during their visit, he manages a ski area that opened for the season the same weekend, but he was able to join us for dinner out every night, which is also a nice luxury we enjoy with Dad. Thanks so much Dad for coming to see us! See you next month in Minnesota...
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