All things topsy turvy

I might have been struggling with the 5 hour shift in my body clock but Oisin was wide awake and kicking at 5.30 this morning (not far off his normal wake up time) and asking if Chloe (his cousin) was awake yet. Somehow, he has tapped into a previously unknown source of energy and verve and good humour and today earned the prize for “most humour whilst dealing with jet-lag”. (Although I will award myself 2nd prize!)

It was also a day of many firsts for the wee man. First trip on a Canadian bus (the doors open and shut and how do you get wheelchairs on there?), first trip on an underground train (trip up to the Danforth for Chloe’s singing class…..as my sister pointed out we use the term ‘singing’ advisedly!), first sight of a tram (joy of joys! 6 streetcars all backed up at the intersection – heaven for Osh) and first chance to play with snow (huge pile of snow by the local ice-rink).

It was also a day of endless topsy turvy things: why are the stop lights different? Why do the pedestrian lights flash yellow? Why do they have a red flashing hand and not a red man at the intersections? Why do they drive on the other side of the road? And Why do they call buggies strollers and trams streetcars?

Other things, apparently, he was totally familiar with: he spotted the yellow school bus, he heard the sound of a GO-train and thought the Polar Express was about to come down the street, he pointed out every single no smoking sign and parking sign we went past and Thomas the Tank engine appeared on the TV.