The Three Forde Granddaughters

Pic One: Examining Aunt Nancy's tag-covered cloth. "Hey, I'm CRAZY about tags. It's the first thing I play with on every toy!"


Two: So many tags to choose from, so little time.


Three: "What light through yonder window breaks?" For the first time, Maeve notices the dawn's arrival at Gatestone ...


Four: What she isn't aware of yet is just how cold a place we've brought her to from her sub-tropical Jiangxi birthplace. This icicle hangs just outside my office, was just beyond Maeve's view.


Five: Dressed for her first trip to our church---and also for the first day of her first Chinese New Year. Gong Xi Fa Choi! ,,, Grandma Poh-Poh, happy to be holding Maeve, as always.

Six: After church, a brief farewell visit to Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa's sporting the PRC Army winter hat we picked up for him in Tiananmen Square; Baba's wearing his Soviet hammer-and-sickle cap (found in Notting Hill market, of all places); Maeve, well her passport is still PRC, it'll take a while before she becomes a Canadian Citizen.

So xiao communist she remains!

The only two other Forde granddaughters show up, bearing a beautiful gift bear they built themselves for Maeve ... As Kiera examines some of our souvenir postcards, Maeve casts a dubious eye on Dad's defunct Soviet Empire cap.

Proposition: The best way to sneak in an embrace of Maeve is to have someone else feed her bananas. Kiera tests out this theory ...

Three Forde Granddaughters, proud of their Irish, Scottish and Chinese descent---and banana spooning abilities!

Maeve: I can't get no satisfaction ... Ah, thanks Kiera!

Okay, for that, maybe you can hold me.

Whatcha mean, no more bananas? I'm unimpressed, Sarah ...

Just kidding. Go ahead, cuddle me!

Maeve's oldest cousin Christopher (who wrote the most wonderful reference letter for Maeve's parents) arrives to bear Grandma and Grandpa off to Pearson for their trip to Spain. He tries to introduce himself to Maeve.

But she knows a Cuban sympathizer when she sees one ... 'Che' means 'food' to Maeve, not Guevara!