Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

Happy Holidays to all of Henry's fan club. We are off to Michigan for the Christmas holiday where Henry will experience his first "Luzod Family Christmas Eve!" Hope all of you have a safe and happy holiday!

Here is the complete photo gallery from Henry's 18 Month Photo Shoot. While there was no cake to smash during this shoot, we still had fun and Henry got to play with his favourite toys (including Jake), read his favourite books and his best friend, Alex, made it over for a few minutes of fun in front of the camera. Click here to see the gallery.

Snow Day and Santa

The first snow this winter was just what we ordered. Enough fluffy white stuff to get excited and set the mood for Christmas, but it melted as soon as it hit the semi-warm ground. Being a somewhat planful and "must-document-everything" mother, I knew it was coming and I had a plan. The video recorder was in my pocket, my coat was buttoned and Henry's was waiting at the door for the moment he woke from his nap. His reaction to the first snow would be amazing (like everything else he does) and I was going to capture it! As usual, he had a different plan. I scooped him up from his crib, practically flew down the stairs and headed for the door. Before we even reached the kitchen his eyes widened, he pointed his tiny finger, and said...."Whoa!" And the recorder was safely tucked in my back pocket. Such is life. Click here to watch the video taken moments later.

The whirlwind of holiday parties is in full swing and Henry's first encounter with Saint Nick was this past Saturday at his friend Theo's house. The picture says it all...

...needless to say, Henry was less than thrilled to sit on Santa's lap.

Thanksgiving 2011

November was another busy month as we got in gear for the holidays, traveled to Michigan for an MSU Football game, traveled to Atlanta for Thanksgiving and enjoyed plenty of visitors including two of Mark's friends from college, Ben and Toby. Henry also had his 18 Month Birthday and our wonderful photographer, Heather, was in town from Copenhagen to capture him with some of his favourite friends, books and toys. Click here to see a preview of the photo shoot.

October - Halloween! (Part 4 of 4)

We arrived home from Grand Cayman just in time to prepare the house (and Henry) for Halloween! Typically Halloween would mean setting a pumpkin or two on your front porch, preparing a few treats for the neighbourhood kiddies and waiting for the ghosts and goblins to shout "Trick or Treat" at your door. Not so on our street. Halloween "Joseph Duggan" style is a production, in every sense of the word. A custom-built haunted house is erected, an elaborate dinner party is prepared for all to share, spooky sponsors line the sidewalks with hot coco, snacks and photo booths and the local TV reporters are vying for the best camera angles early on. Drawn in by the special effects screaming from the haunted house, an estimated 1200 people walked through our street on Halloween night. Last year Henry was only 6 months old and barely crawling, therefore he could not partake in the extravaganza. This year....it's a whole new ball game! Dressed up as his favourite character, ELMO, Henry ran up and down the street for nearly 3 hours. Passers-by would say "Hi Elmo!" and he would wave and reply "Hi!" To our surprise he was not frightened by the zombies and skeletons, instead he seemed intrigued and would often point at them with a curious "Ohhh!" Click here to watch.

More fun Halloween videos:

Video of Henry as Elmo.

Video of Frankenstein's lab rat in haunted house.

Video of people on our street and parts of the haunted house.

G & G with Elmo.

More photos of the Halloween production here.

Just for kicks, here is Henry's 2010 Halloween picture....

...our baby is now a little boy.

October - Vacation! (Part 3 of 4)

With the two week tour in the USA complete we made our way back to Toronto exhausted and in need of a vacation. Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long. Grandpa and Grandma Kaasa arrived in town just a couple of days after we did and were admitted to Henry's Boot Camp. It only took 24 hours for them to become immersed in everything Henry. From diced avocado and cubed tofu to a snotty nose and a stinky diaper, they jumped right in and took over. After 4 days of Boot Camp they had mastered everything and were ready for the solo run. Mark and I left them with a condensed instruction manual (yes, I'm a tad compulsive about his schedule....just spend one day with him off-routine and you'll see why) and a GPS loaded with Henry friendly places around town and we jumped on a plane for Grand Cayman. Here are a few pictures from Henry's time with "Gaga" (no, not as in Lady, but as in Grandma OR Grandpa Kaasa...it's interchangeable).

Showing off his cutlery skills.

This means I'm done eating....

Grandma and Grandpa took Henry out to eat at Rainforest Cafe, one of his favourite places to dine.

They also went to the Ontario Science Centre which has a fantastic play area for children. Henry played in the mini-market and fell in love with a deer.

As for our trip to Grand Cayman, we'll share just a couple of photos....

.....that pretty much sums up the week! We snorkeled, swam with stingrays, relaxed a ton and had an amazing week, more photos if you click here. BIG BIG Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for taking such great care of Henry and Jake!

October (Part 2 of 4)

After our wonderful trip to Atlanta it was time to say our goodbye's and head back to Michigan. Mark celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving (Oct 10) alone as he rode the train from Windsor to Toronto; Henry and I rounded up Jake and settled in for a week in The Great Lake state. We drove out to St. Joseph (3 hours West) and stayed with the Hurdle's for a couple of days. Thanks to Auntie Aimee for a super-fun visit complete with warm chocolate chip cookies, homemade pizzas and our favourite...egg salad! Henry and Courtney played nonstop and danced their little behinds off(watch the video)while the big boys were at school.

Back in Detroit we made a quick trip to the market and Henry had his first ride in a grocery 'car', which he thoroughly enjoyed.

We had celebrating to do as Auntie Kristin's wedding was on the horizon. Henry had a great time at the rehearsal dinner playing with all of the kids and running around in the wooded backyard.

Another jam-packed week in Michigan was capped off with Kristin & Kevin's wedding AND a very important MSU victory over UofM!

We're home! (Part 1 of 4)

This post is WAY over-due so let me start by apologizing to all of Henry's fans who have been needing a "fix" for the past 6 weeks. October was a whirlwind of travel meaning lots of pictures and stories to share. We'll start with the first week of October and catch up from there... The 4 of us drove to Michigan in early October and checked Jake into 'Hotel Nana' for the week. The very next morning, sans our trusty body guard, we flew South to Atlanta, GA for the week. Grandma and Grandpa treated Henry like the little king that he is moving around furniture, installing special black-out curtains, and equipping his nursery with all of the comforts of home. Every morning Grandpa took Henry for a walk through their beautiful backyard (something in our home in Toronto lacks) and they chattted about acorns, golden leaves and that pesky woodpecker. Mark spent most of the week in meetings which left Henry and I to take in the city with Grandma Kaasa. First stop....Atlanta Botanical Gardens! Although I lived in Atlanta for two years prior to moving to Toronto I had never visited the gardens so it was a special treat for me too. Grandma found out there was a special Scarecrow Exhibit on display which Henry loved.

Next on the list of top attractions was the Georgia Aquarium, the largest in the world. Henry was mesmerized the moment we set foot in the door. Grandpa and Henry really enjoyed the massive Ocean Voyager saltwater tank which is home to four giant manta rays, four whale sharks and thousands of other fish. If you ever have the opportunity, it's definitely worth visiting.

The aquarium tuckered Henry out, he needed a little snack and a cuddle from Dada to make it through.

The Taylor's (Mark's sister, Kathy, her husband, Bill, and their four children...Zach, John, Owen and Caitlin) visited and we had time for a crazy family photo shoot. Mark and I made it to a Georgia Tech football game, caught up with friends and had a couple of very nice evenings out on the town. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for taking such great care of Henry (and US!) during our visit. We had a wonderful week!

Jake had his own fun hanging out with Max at Uncle Nate's pad.

Swings, Slides, Farms and Football!

Toronto is a city jam-packed with high-rise buildings and glass skyscrapers, but there are also beautiful parks and green spaces carved out in every neighbourhood including downtown. The past couple of weeks we have explored High Park, Kew Park, Tommy Thompson Park and Riverdale Farm, all of which are within walking or biking distance to our house. (Also very green.) Mark and I are loving the toddler stage...watching Henry run around the playgrounds, laugh and play with other children and discover new things is so amazing. The smallest things we take for granted, such as a pretty golden leaf or a colourful bird, he finds so interesting. It makes us stop and appreciate things more when you see them through his eyes.

View of downtown Toronto from Tommy Thompson Park.

Henry and Mark meeting the sheep at Riverdale Farm.

Click here to watch Henry and his friend, Alex, swinging at Kew Park.

Going down the slide with Mom after a day hike in High Park.

Click here to listen to Henry quacking at the ducks at High Park Zoo.

High Park has a beautiful 'off leash' area for dogs. Jake was thrilled to run around and took a quick dip in the river.

Henry sporting his Calvin Johnson jersey watching the Lions victory over Tampa Bay.

Cape Breton, Nova Scotia

As we continue to explore Canada and its beautiful landscapes, we ventured to Nova Scotia at the end of August. We flew to Halifax and met up with Nana Myra, Nate & Mae and then drove 4 hours North to the pristine, hidden gem of Cape Breton Island. When my brother and I were kids we went to Cape Breton several times. It's the birthplace of our maternal grandfather and we have lots of relatives scattered around. It's been about 8 years since my last trip and this was by far the best one yet. As kids visiting the island we didn't fully appreciate the beauty of the rolling hills, the sandy beaches, the small town hospitality and the heritage of our family. This time we took nothing for granted. We explored our grandfather's old farm house and felt humbled by what life must have been like there 100 years ago. We spent time with our cousins and got to know them and their families. We played on the beautiful beaches and took deep breaths of the clean, fresh air. We drove along the world famous Cabot Trail in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park...and saw a moose. We sat on the balcony every night and watched the sunset over the ocean. We turned our cell phones off. It was an amazing week and I hope to return before another 8 years passes by. A few highlights from the trip are below, for the full photo gallery click here. And another gallery here courtesy of Nate. (This one has the moose!)

Henry playing at Port Hood Public Beach...happy boy!

A better view of the ocean atop Uncle Nate's shoulders.

Birthday party for Mom hosted by Donalda and Ken (cousins)...a HUGE thank you for a wonderful party!

Playing with Dada on the tractor at grandpa's farmhouse.

Gearing up for our day hike along the Ceilidh Trail.

Lauren & Theresa's Run

This post is a bit late due to our recent vacation, however I wanted to share a story with you that I hope you will find as touching and inspiring as we did. Diane Frechette is my best friend from childhood, we grew up next door to each other in Michigan. Ten years ago she and her husband, Darren, experienced what no parents should ever to have to go through...they lost a child. Last weekend Diane and Darren organized a run to both honor Theresa and help raise money so that other parents will not have to experience what they did.

Excerpt from Diane's story: "As we approached the girls' tenth birthdays, we wanted a way to celebrate and honor them. A plan for the run began to formulate and we are now preparing for what we hope becomes an annual event. We have found that we are on another journey. As we share our experiences, we discover so many others who have their own similar, heartbreaking story. We are so touched by the many people working behind the scenes in helping us prepare for this special event. The love, support, and generosity we have received is overwhelming. We hope that our story will reach out and touch the hearts of many. Our hope in raising the money from this event is that we will be able to assist another family in helping their baby to survive. We hope to keep one more family from having "a story" like ours.

The Frechette's have since had three beautiful children (Mel, Ty and Emilie) and live in Northern Michigan, close to where Mark and I were married. If you would like to read their story and help their cause please click on the link below.
Lauren & Theresa's Story.

15 Months!

Henry is 15 months and has definitely moved into the toddler stage. He is walking (almost running!) all over, climbing on everything and chatting up a storm. He is keeping us very busy with play dates, swim class, StrollerFit class and regular visits to the neighbourhood splash pads and parks. He already has a "chore" to earn his keep...feeding Jake breakfast and dinner. Click here to see the video.

Click here to see Henry climbing on the couch...just in time for college football season!

Water park during a visit with Nana in Michigan.

Top of the slide at Kew Gardens playground in Toronto.

Henry's 12 month photos

In May we had Henry's 12 month photos taken. We started at home, then walked to Lake Ontario and didn't let the rain spoil our fun. Henry finished off the photo session with a fantastic cake smashing performance. Enjoy!
Click here to see Henry's 12 month Photo Shoot

Dog Days of Summer

July has been a very busy month at "The Kaasa Inn". Mark's Mom, Rosemary (aka Grandma K), came for a week and helped us chase Henry around. We finally got to show her around Toronto without snow! Henry took her for walks around the neighbourhood, picnics at the lake and strolled up and down Queen Street. Rosemary's long time friend, Patty, also came for a few days to join the fun. Next we had a visit from Aimee and Jeff, who drove all the way from Southwest Michigan to see Henry and discover Toronto. We went up the CN Tower, strolled around the beach, shopped in Yorkville and celebrated Aim's birthday!




Henry and Grandma K at the splash pad...getting soaked by the sprayers. Grandma was a trooper getting right in the middle of the jets.













From the CN Tower you can see all of downtown (a mere 351 metres or 1,151 ft below) and on a very clear day straight across Lake Ontario.
















Tippy toed to see all of the passers by making their way down our street to the beach.


























Henry and Jake have forged a true friendship. Jake doesn't seem to care that Henry uses him as a jungle gym, walker and form of entertainment. Henry returns the favour by sharing scraps from each meal, giving Jake extra dog food in between meals and making sure that we go to the park twice a day.

Summer Fun with Friends

We are taking full advantage of the warm summer days. Henry has been busy with friends around Toronto and in the U.S.A. Here are a few highlights from the past few weeks...neighbourhood splash pad, Toronto Zoo, Centre Island and a very fun visit with the Hurdle family in SW Michigan.

The Toronto Islands are just a short ferry ride from downtown and have beaches, kiddie pools, an amusement park and bike paths. We took Auntie Liza and Nana out to explore the islands.








Henry is definitely a water baby. Warm or cold, inside or outside, he just loves being in the water. This is our neighbourhood splash pad and park - we visit at least once a day.


















Alexander, Henry and Cole hanging out (and chewing stuff) at Kew Park while the Mommies stretch after a tough StrollerFit class.












Alexander and Henry at the Toronto Zoo. We took a break from the animals for a picnic lunch and the boys took advantage of the grassy area to crawl, walk and roll around. Click here to see Henry's first pony ride!










Our visit with the Hurdle's was fun-filled. Henry went for his first carousel ride, played at the Silver Beach park (on Lake Michigan) and ran around all day trying to keep up with Vaughn, Cohen and Courtney.