2019

Luca
Still my little guy with occasional glimpses of a petulant tween. Struggling with the loss of his friends at school and thoughtful and stoic about his solitude, but doesn't realise friendship isn't only what he had with Kenny. A voracious reader and researcher, his key interests are Minecraft and world est 2.
Nicknames: Luca Banana, binou, ti-gars, little guy, mini guy
Favourite books : minecraft books, minecraft zombie books, information books, treehouse books, ninja kid, Asterix
Favourite TV: minecraft shows if allowed, will watch ABC Me with Annick
Favourite music: nothing in particular, but still likes something a bit loud and with a beat
Favourite food: still penne pesto, but also mac and cheese, burgers, tacos and 'enchilatatas'. Cereal
Favourite things to do: write books (chapter books and epics, often war-related), Lego, pokemon, board games, reading reading reading

How Luca decided what he wanted for lunch, even with the options of sushi train and McDonalds, was "ooh, some olives on a plate, with some bread and oil, and maybe some salami". And after he'd changed his mind and we went to Brunetti for pizza a taglio and pasta instead, when the pizza arrived he said, "delizioso!" He did not know where he had learned the word from.

Annick
My hilarious, emotional, sensitive and smart as anything little lady. Learning how to deal with her feelings, but generally of a cheerful and witty nature, a performer and joker and chatter. A natural and prolific artist and composer of ridiculous songs and jokes.
Nicknames: bibi, ladybaby, mini bug, minou, squish
Favourite books: Asterix, Real Pigeons, Princess in Black, Agent Jean
Favourite TV: ABC Me, Bluey, Miraculous
Favourite music: Junior Eurovision, girl pop (Katy Perry etc.), the Duck Song, soundtrack to the Greatest Showman
Favourite food: chicken, sausages, polenta, mac and cheese, dumplings
Favourite things to do: draw pictures, make books, Lego, crafty stuff, make up jokes and tell them

How Annick has taken to Bluey so much she sings 'Go to sleep' like Bingo, wanders around the house going "Polly wants a cracker" and announces stuff that is randomly happening to her during the day by saying, "this episode of Annick is called 'going to the park'".

Spring Summer 2018

How Luca was upset that we didn't have a stall at the market because then we couldn't employ him informally and pay him a wage

How Annick explained a new game she learned at school where you have to decide whether you want to kiss, kill or marry someone or something and it is definitely called 'Kiss Calamari'.

How Annick wants to be a teacher when she grows up so she can be the one who writes on the board and Luca wants to have a shop where he sells things, "a toy warehouse, no a toy land!" With an extra big lego section

How happy I feel when I think about coming home to them

Winter 2018

Luca, on learning that the first course might be called the 'starter', decides that the next two must be called the 'middler' and the 'ender'.  Annick, meanwhile, thoughtfully wonders whether it is called an entree because it is served on a tray.

Annick: If you marry a boy, you can't have a baby. If you marry a girl, you can't have a baby.
Mama: How do you have a baby then?
Annick: Well mama, womens and mens have different parts inside their bodies.

Annick making her first French play on words, talking about a cereal called 'Puffin' - "Apres on mange des puffins, on aura pas faim!"

Luca, explaining he had eaten "hot dogs a la creme", and papa having to explain quietly that he means chocolate eclairs.

How they have been watching Masterchef and go to bed and pretend they are contestants, describing what they are about to cook to each other. "Well Luca, I'm going to cook a, um, raspberry ice cream with chocolate and caramel."  And how it evolved the next night into the toutous being on Masterchef:
- Carey Ours: Well Annick, I'm going to cook..."
- Annick: No, in Carey Ours language.
- Carey Ours: Carey Ours Carey Ours Carey Ours.
- Annick: What does that mean?
- Carey Ours: It means, I'm going to cook, um, tuna, um, tuna cream pie.

Luca 8yo and Annick 6yo

Luca at 8
Nicknames - binou, bibi, little guy, ti-gars, bugarug
Personality - cheeky and stolid, occasionally inescapably emotional, a bright and curious outlook on life and his favourite place is reading in his chair by the window. Still a little one, still full of careful affection and gentle observation, but growing up bit by bit.  A sweetheart to the stars.
Favourite music - things with drums, something to throw himself around to, a good solid beat is always welcome
Favourite books - Ninjago books, Pokemon books, still with all the information books, can occupy himself with a Lego catalogue for HOURS.  Treehouse books (just pre-ordered 104 today!), the Bad Guys, Dogman.
Favourite shows - c'est pas sorcier, Dangermouse, NHL hockey highlights with papa, Ninjago
Favourite things to do - build Lego and has branched out into his own inventions rather than sticking to the models, particularly vehicles with special features; reading in his chair; setting up worlds for Stephen Harper and Orange Bear

Annick at 6
Nicknames - mini, bebe, squish, ladybaby, my lovely one, boubou
Personality - increasingly dramatic, effervescently imaginative, caring and soft-hearted, a bundle of giggles and wit and pouts and writing signs that say "don't come in this means you mama and papa" spelled really badly.  My delightful, helpful, hilarious little squish.
Favourite music - modern pop, especially Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith.  Also girl power.
Favourite books - Barbie books, princess books, but also Treehouse, the Bad Guys, Dogman and her monthly Pomme d'Api
Favourite shows - My Little Pony, Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse, Octonauts, Dangermouse, Samsam and Toc Toc Toc.
Favourite things to do - arts and crafts with her "arty-crafty things", making music, tumbling, dancing, going to the park, wearing her wheels to the supermarket, cuddling up for stories and chat, making tea for the toutous, making clothes for the toutous.

Autumn 2018

How Luca will go to get a funky new haircut at Just Cutz and will still choose from the array of videos to keep him entertained, "Peppa and George please mama"

Annick, observing an overstimulated Luca running about after breakfast, musing, "perhaps we should have a calming exercise as part of our morning routine mama."

How Annick writes Mama and Papa as 'MAMA PBPB' or sometimes, 'BPBP'.

How Annick wrote an invitation to Doudou Mouton to come to her school picnic, and addressed it to 'DDOOO MTOOO'.

How Luca will have long, querying discussions with you about "what is technology?  Is it like electricity?  Are they the same?  What can we do with technology?  Is a jet plane technology?"

How after listening to a great Fierce Girls podcast about Nancy Wake, the WW1 spy, Luca sat himself at the table and drew a 'WANTED' sign for her, the White Mouse.

Luca, looking at his calendar: What is Palm Sunday?
Me: Er... I'll tell you the story of Easter next week.
Annick: I know the story of Easter already.  It is about bunnies.
Me: Well, yes, there are two main stories of Easter, and one is about bunnies, the other is about Jesus.
Annick: What is a Jesus?

Luca: You know Captain Cook, Annick?  He's already dead.  He was a pirate who killed lots and lots of people.  He found land but he was greedy and wanted it all for himself.

Annick, passing a vase sale at the kitchen shop: Mama, look at all those wine jars!

How Annick still writes everything in mirror writing, and when showing us how she can tell her left hand from her right by making an 'L' with her fingers, gets mixed up because she can't tell which L is the right way round.

How Annick's immediate response upon regarding an immense whole salmon brought home from the fishmonger is to ask "can I touch the eyeball?"

Mama: if you had a dog, what would you name it?
Annick: I would call it Snowpea!
Luca: I would call it Michael.

Mama: if you had a car, what colour would it be?
Annick: ooh!  Golden rainbow sparkle PINK!

Mama: How was school photos today?
Annick: Good!
Mama: Did you take a photo together?
Luca: Yes.  I tried dabbing but they wouldn't let me.

Annick, getting up mid-breakfast to go to the toilet as usual: "I need to go wee wee before my next CHOMP!"

Mama: What is the difference between being seven and being eight?
Luca: Well, the bad thing about being eight is you can't wear Hot Wheels t-shirts any more.

Summer 2017/18

Luca: What is infinity time infinity?
Annick (triumphantly): BINFINITY!

How they read Tintin or Agent Jean in the morning before school and show each other the funny sequences, bursting into shared giggles.

How Luca can read enough now to actually read Andy Griffiths' The Bad Book to her, and how they both love this.

How they both excel at lo-tech entertainment - drawing, reading, dolls, Lego.  How Luca will animate a drawing and draw a battle as it happens, with sound effects and explosions and everything.

Annick: I already have a plan for school!  Number 1: I made friends already, number 2: I know everything, number 3: the puppets are funny! Number 4: (long pause) er, go outside to play.  Number 5: Go home.

Annick: a bug! Ewwwww!
Mama: Annick  a bug is just a creature on earth  just like you.
Annick: yes, but I've got underpants on. Bugs don't wear underpants.

How Annick has just blossomed at school and after not even three weeks can sing three songs in Mandarin, count to "nearly 100", sing a close enough approximation to the national anthem and has picked up phonics so fast I can't quite believe it.  Just two weeks ago she was 'writing' random strings of letters, but today wrote 'My book from home by Annick' as 'Mi B Fo Hom BiAnnick' and made a paper caterpillar labelled 'KATPLA'

How Annick talks blithely about her new friends of barely a fortnight, and talks of Tilly and Nhu and Elodie and Safa.

Mama: What did you learn at school today darling?
Annick: Well, I learned the mathematics.  And I learned to read and how to write using sounds!
Luca: I love maths mama.  I really love it.

How Luca takes the Abbotsford restaurant 'Pizza vs Burger' very seriously and considers who would actually win if they had a fight.

Spring 2017

Luca, on the way to school: Mama, my plan today is - one, get to school, two, find Kenny and play, three, go to class, four, learn things, five, have a snack, six, do some activities, seven, have lunch, eight, work some more, nine, finish school and come home!

Annick: Mama, there is an Annick shop around here and it is a shop where I sell things.
Mama: What things do you sell?
Annick: Well, ice cream, chocolate, lasagne, meat, flowers, princess dresses... and wigs!

How Annick calls her bear "Peddington"

Luca, playing some sort of boat rescue game on the sofa with his sister: Annick, don't do that!  Would you like it if someone threw you off a boat and then you got eaten by sharks?  Is that a kind thing to do?  Would you like it if it happened to you??  Annick, indignant: YES, I WOULD LIKE IT.

Luca: Oh no, my bandaid fell off!  It came off my tinkly finger!

How Luca is learning to play chess at after-care and talks about his "prawns"

Annick: You know, before you are born, you are in space and you are nudie!  You are from a planet called Nudie Holes.