Nate Recovering from Wild Holiday Bashes!

Our man has been partying so hard for the past week that tonight he waved goodbye at bedtime and went out cold without so much as a peep. It's been several nights in a row of holiday bashes that have seen Nate indulge in his love of bubbly (Perrier for the under-ager) and toast fellow revellers with his new plastic champagne glass.

The Christmas festivities began on the 24th with the Durkacz celebration in T.O. where Nathaniel Andrew got so hot and heated from dancing that he had to remove his shirt. When Nate wasn't bonding with his cousins, Evan, Pia and Nicholas, he was cleaning house with the new mini broom set and inspecting his new doctor kit and building blocks.



On Christmas morning, our man headed north to his Grammy and Grandpa's in snowy Owen Sound. Little did he know that a stunning Little Tykes kitchen awaited him, thanks to a very tuned-in and generous Santa! Our little chef-in-training didn't waste any time looking over the elaborate contraption, instead, he got right to work putting food in the microwave, turning on the oven and drinking back a Yop before putting it back in the fridge.


Nate was forced to part with his stunning kitchen for long enough to visit the Northern Lights with his family visiting from sunny Florida and to open his slew of gifts, including more Maple Leaf memorabilia from Great-Grandma Glenora and Uncle Sam. And of course we can't forget the Christmas dinner fit for a King where Nate polished off his turkey dinner like a champ before running back to play in his own kitchen (hence why he isn't in the family photo.)




Nate spent the rest of the week up north learning to toboggan, playing with his O.S. buddies, helping Grammie open her bday presents and lounging around in his new housecoat. Stay tuned for a NYE update - Nate-dog plans to get hot and heavy and ring in '09 with his on-again squeeze Sophia. (We hope Gracey isn't reading!)

Nate Loves Firetrucks, Really He Does!

Our little firetruck-lover took a field trip to the station on Front Street this morning with his buddy Sean from playgroup. He waited patiently in the sub-zero temps for an invitation inside and was positively overflowing with excitement until the alarm went off as the nice fireman lifted Nate into the Big Seat. Tears of panic ensued and we were forced to vacate while the men with hoses darted off to save the day!

Nate Back With Ex-Wife?

After she fled to the North Country (Yonge and Lawrence) in the summer, Nate's visits with his former wife, Sophia, had been few and far between. But on a recent dinner date with the stunner, it didn't take long for the old fires to start burning once again. It started off innocently enough, but then after sharing a romantic dinner with their parents, the two just couldn't take it anymore and sprawled out together on the floor with their blankies.

Nate Does Daycare

Nate D. will be starting daycare for two days a week in January so we decided to spend the morning there today to get the little man oriented. Mommy was pretty sure that he would be happy to attend since playgroups are totally his speed, but she had no idea just how quickly he would take to the new school routine. He waltzed into toddler classroom, not a shy bone to be found in his body, and made a B-line for the kitchen appliances. When it came time to play outside, Nate tore after his new friends, leaving mommy in his dust. You'd think an hour outside with all the new exciting toys would be enough to wear him out, but not our Nate, he gladly headed back into the classroom and proceeded to explore the play dough and munch on the Cheerios at the table. Even when mommy experimented by leaving him alone to go speak to the centre's director, fully expecting he would burst into tears, she returned instead to find him oblivious to her departure, happily exploring the blocks. The only awkward moment was when our little horn-dog began humping a little girl's back - Nate - you only just met! The adventure (chin-chin as Nate calls it) tired the schoolboy out and mommy is hoping his nap will be nice and long!

Nate Wants "More Juice!"

Mark this day on your calendars folks. Nate has graduated to a whole new level in Vocab 101 - he put his first two words together - "More juice!" We must give Daddy some credit for making the over-the-top fruit shakes that our little man just can't go without. After a full serving this morning - he was so desperate for more that he flat out told his mommy. We're afraid "Give me money!" won't be far off. Other words our man can proudly belt are: door, down, dog, duck, goose, wall, balloon, testa (head in Italian), banana, dangerous (da-da-da) and adventure (chin-chin). Of course he's also been calling out for his loved ones for a while now too. MAMA!

Nate's a Market Man

There's not much in his young life that gives our Nate as much pleasure as his daily trips to the St. Lawrence Market. Whether he's visiting his pet lobsters at the seafood market or chatting up a storm with all of his favourite vendors, our man in truly at home among the stalls. His favourite culinary delights include potato and cheddar perogies, omelette sandwiches that he shares with his daddy on Saturday mornings and the crepes and chocolate croissants that he helps his mommy devour all too often. And let's not forget that summer meatball obsession that sent profits at the Ukrainian deli through the roof. While Nate has free reign of the market during the week (see photos taken on a quiet Thursday morning) things get quite a bit wilder on Saturdays when our music man takes in the buskers and magicians. P.S. A warm online welcome to Great-Grandma Glenora, the newest follower of the Nate the Great blog!

Nate Snags Box Seats for Santa Claus Parade

Our little growing boy (see belly shot) didn't even have to put on his winter coat to catch the city's Santa Claus parade today. Jolly 'ol St. Nick himself paraded right past the window so Sir Nathaniel was able to catch all the action without taking any time away from his important pots and pans inventory. Nate also kept busy entertaining his special guests including cousin Evan, Auntie Tania and Uncle Jessie, Grandpa Jerr and Auntie Beth. Daddy prepared his world-famous homemade pizza while mommy prepared her world-famous/Duncan Hines cake.

Nate Hits Royal Winter Fair

Our city boy put the cool back in country this week after hitting the Exhibition Grounds for a taste of the Royal. His parents felt a visit to the farmer's stomping grounds was the least they could do to encourage Nathaniel's affection towards animals. But while we always knew he had a soft spot for his furry friends (a visit to the dog park is a must on his daily agenda) after visiting the fair we're convinced he may atually have been a cow during a past life. Surrounded by Bessies as far as the eye could see, Sir Nate's mouth was hanging as low as the hundreds of udders stretched out before him. Like a kid in a candy store, it was almost too much for our cow-lover to take in. "Moooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!" he belted for all to hear. Nate also clapped and cheered with hundreds of school children during the Super Dogs extravaganza and was especially impressed with the World Champion Dog Jumper. Our boy may have to wait until Christmas for his next bovine encounter on the drive up to Owen Sound.

Lock Your Doors - Nate's in Heat!

Our little pantless horn dog was at it again last night with his latest squeeze, Gracey Girl. While it's not the first older woman he's set his sights upon, it is however the first time he's managed to 'seal the deal' (sorry Nan!) and get her into his bed. The night started off innocently enough, a few knowing glances back and forth, some mild flirting and playing hard to get from Gracey, but then the floodgates opened and the two lovebirds started kissing passionately throughout the condo. They even took to the floor for a full-on groping session before Gracey's father was forced to untangle the sweaty twosome. It was only a temporary interruption though because Gracey then asked Nate if she could see his bed, to which he quickly obliged. All we have to say is, thank God that crib is solid! When it was all over and Gracey was forced to say goodbye, Nate let out a thunderous cry as the door closed behind her. But we're convinced Gracey is also desperate for another hot date because she left behind her pink hat. Coincidence? We think not.

Nate Solidifies Party Animal Status

Nathaniel 'Tigger' Durkacz attended his cousin Nicholas' 3rd Halloween-themed birthday party yesterday at Ms. Miriam's Nursery School on the Danforth. We really shouldn't be surprised that wee Nate likes to party (he comes by it honestly) but the amount of pure stamina sustained during his 2.5-hour play session surpassed even his parent's highest party standards. Nate covered the toy-filled terrain in both playrooms like a real pro, pushing various models of shopping carts and strollers (preferably pink), organizing his appliances in the Betty Crocker Kitchen and like a true marathoner, stopping only to re-fuel on pizza and cupcakes. Other highlights of the bday bash included learned to drink from a straw for the first time, seeing Chaucha Mary again and almost clogging the pint-sized toilet after mommy thought she'd avoid leaving contents of a poopie diaper for some poor sod to find on Monday morning. We hope we're still invited back next year! Special thanks to Auntie Gwynda for supplying the Tigger ensemble and stay tuned for reports of Nate's first Trick-or-Treating session in the west-end on Friday night at Baba and Nonno's.

Nate Takes Europe by Storm!

Our Canadian boy left a trail of broken hearts during his transatlantic voyage. Not a day went by on his 11-day trip that he didn't have one cousin or another doting over him, showering him with gifts or feeding him treats. The devotion was so over the top that had Nathaniel found a baby crown he could have bumped Charles off as the next in line to the throne. Here are a collection of Nate's little groupies/cousins from both England and Ireland.





While Nate spent the majority of his vacation in England, he also jetted off on Ryan Air for a rainy weekend in Kiltimagh, Ireland. While there, he spent his time tearing up Park Road outside Auntie Eileen's house, saying "Moo!" to the cows down the road and avoiding, much to Mommy's dismay, the local pubs. (Something about her being banned from those wild days in the 90s with Beth.)





It would be safe to say that our growing boy (now 27 pounds) ate his way through Europe. He fell in love with English Muffins, caused a bit of a scene with a bowl of rosee pasta at John Lewis and proved mommy wrong by tearing through plenty of green vegetables. Nothing was off limits, including many chocolate treats slipped to Sir Nate by his Grandpa Jerr. He even co-operated (thanks mainly to our beloved portable DVD player ) during various pub lunches.




While in England, Nate was treated to the Finest Italian Dinner Ever courtesy of Emilio & Frances. Since they live near Heathrow aiport, Nate became obsessed with pointing at the passing aircraft yelling something similiar to "zoom!" as they flew by. Our man marked his parents 3rd wedding anniversary and David Sherman's birthay on Oct. 15 at cousin Michelle and David's house in London. Nate also took in the world-famous Richmond Park, where he took a classic photo with Grandpa Jerr and yelled 'Moo!' while the deers were rutting! But the most hours were definitely spent enjoying Auntie Maureen's beautiful garden.





And last, but certainly not least, there was the shopping. If you thought Nate was a dapper dude before, wait until you see him in his new Euro duds. Mommy went a little overboard, ignoring the Credit Crunch and outfitting her wee boy in John Lewis and Marks & Spencers ensembles. She even passed on buying up threads for herself in her favourite shops, River Island, Next and Jigsaw. Now that's love! Here's a shot of Auntie Maureen pushing our shopoholic through Kingston and then afterwards by the River Thames.


Our frequent flyer was an amazing traveller (despite the 1.25 hours of blood-curtling screams on the flight over) and has settled back into EST with ease. Although he was so wiped out from the journey that he passed out in Gatwick airport on the way home before we even boarded the flight. Nathaniel, his mommy and Grandpa Jerr wish to thank our family SO MUCH for their warm and generous hospitality during our time overseas!