What busy weekend this has been ! This weekend is probably the most busy weekend of my off-season. Another 2011 booking, Birthdays, CNY, V-Day, Family day…
Ethan’s Birthday was on Feb 12. Since we celebrated with his friends and family the weekend before, we just went out to Boston Pizza for dinner. Boston Pizza is one of our favorite kid-friendly places to go to. They really have it together there and loved the kids. Ethan knew it was his birthday so he asked for cake. Jeanette picked up a Dufflet cake before she came home from work. The staff there were nice enough to dress it up a little with some candles and since Happy Birthday to him.
For Valentine’s Day, we celebrated it on Saturday, instead of Sunday. Mainly because the restaurant I booked was not open on Sunday haha Jeanette’s mom came over to watch the kids so we could enjoy a nice evening together…well a nice 2 hours together sans children. We jumped in my car and headed downtown for a nice dinner at Vertical Restaurant.
I had made arrangements with Vertical beforehand with our selection of food so that Jeanette didn’t have to think about anything. With the exception of her drink, everything was taken care of. Vertical was great in that they offered a Valentine’s Day menu and also an a-la-carte option. The itinerary was as follows:
First Course:
Hers: Roasted Vegetable Salad
His: Tagliatelle
Main:
Hers: Organic BC Black Cod
His: Branzino (Sea Bass)
Desert:
Hers: Ed’s Real Scoop Gelato & Sorbetto
His: Apple & Quince Costata
Like most dinners without the kids, we kept talking about the kids lol. Honestly, there are some people who enjoy time away from their kids, which is totally understandable. It’s tough raising kids and everyone needs a break here and there ! We, on the other hand, just can’t stand being away from them. Next year, we’re going to do Valentine’s Day together, now that Ethan actually understands it a little.
Dinner was fantastic ! Service was great ! And the overall experience was just perfect. I have to give a huge thanks to JOE, one of the managing partners at Vertical, for accommodating all my requests. He prepped Lindsay, our server, with my requests and she was awesome ! Timing is key when you are rolling out fresh plates. The pace was just perfect and the food was always hot. Yum !
Yesterday was Chinese New Year. We had dim sum with Jeanette’s family. It was a good time. The restaurant we went to even had a Lion Dance during lunch and the kids got a chance to pet and feed the Lions. Ethan’s hilarious. He always talks about the Lions and wants to get closer to touch it, but once it came down to feeding the Lion ‘food’, he chickened out and threw the lettuce on the floor for the Lion to eat haha He had seen the Lion Dances the day before at the mall and he keeps telling us he’s worried the Lion is going to bite his finger ! Here are some photos I took of the dances we saw this weekend.
Today is Family Day in Ontario, so we spent the day with family all day. Today is also President’s Day in the USA — Happy President’s Day to my friends in the US. Good to see you have a great leader since Clinton ! We had lunch with my side of the family to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Today is also my birthday. I am celebrating the X-th anniversary of my 25th birthday ! I’ve stopped counting ever since I was 25….*sigh* You’d think that with Ethan’s Birthday, Valentine’s Day and Family Day falling around the same time, my birthday celebration would be a thing of the past. I love Jeanette for never forgetting to celebrate my birthday.
Honestly, once Ethan was born, I just assumed we’d consolidate our parties to make it easier for our waistlines. But NO ! Jeanette always has something planned for me. Tonight, we did some more eating at one of my favorite joints…Guu-Izakaya. We’ve only tried the one in Vancouver, so when Jeanette heard that one opened in Toronto, she made plans for us to eat there tonight. It was supposed to be a surprise, but Ethan’s godmother kinda spoiled it haha It was sooooo Guuuuuuuuu’d. I’ll try to post some pics tomorrow when I’m more awake.
Of course, almost everyone asked how I felt to be another year older. And my reply is always the same. I feel great ! I think I age like a fine wine haha I have a fantastic life – loving family, beautiful kids, amazing friends and a rewarding career. Another important thing is that I am really healthy.
Thank you everyone for their well wishes.
Anyways, I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Year of the Tiger ! If you’re interesting in reading your horoscope based on your Chinese zodiac sign, check out this 2010 horoscope site:
Happy Monday !
-Joee
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