sad

Sad day. We have a couple of boys here playing today. Their mom and dad are getting divorced. It was an absolute shock to mom and it has moved very quickly. The boys are sweethearts but very scared. There is so much upheaval in their lives right now and mom is understandably a train wreck. We were having lunch and the eldest said to me, out of the blue (we were actually talking about other things), "my mom and dad are divorced". I just wanted to hug him. He is very boisterous today and is invincible. He loves Sterling and just wants to be right with him every moment. The little one has attached himself to Kaedo and they are hanging out together.

The tragedy of divorce has really hit home. I think it is worse when children are involved. Craig and I have talked a lot about this situation the last few days and it just re-instills (?) in us the value of our marriage and open communication. I don't know how something so tragic can bring us closer but it seems to have done that.

We will be married 12 years on Sunday and I can honestly say I love him more now than I did then.

s

ALL HAIL # 16

Can you say PROUD? PROUD PROUD PROUD PROUD!
What a night! Sterling played his heart out! He was AMAZING! After 5 years he is still a little scared of the ball and doesn't want to get hurt (who does?). In saying that, you never would have known by his performance last night. He was in the play, and I mean ALL the time. He was taking the ball and giving just enough bump and rub to let the other team know he meant business. He was passing to his teammates and setting up plays. He even got a goal. Which is no big surprise this year as he has gotten a goal in almost every game he has played so far. I know I am biased, but I think he is a crowd favorite because the cheering really is amazing when he is into it. He is always a good player but last night he was unbelievable. I really wish you could have all been there to see it. Last night was the last regular season game and playoffs start on Sept 10. Craig and I took the pictures and the close-ups of him are from the end of the game, but posted lasted so it is kind of in reverse order. I find it very hard to put pictures on here so sorry about that. It isn't very user friendly.

On another note - Sterling has decided to give up soccer for now, and with next summer already planned (I know, that's insane) he will not have the opportunity to play for another year. It was his choice and even with his phenomenal game last night he still wants to take a break. We have some new activities lined up for him and I think he will be happy with those.

talk soon,

s

hmmm

What a DAY!

Let me just say that today was the most exciting day for me as a parent. I know that probably sounds melodramatic, but I really can't express the pride I feel. Kaedo has grown into himself in the past year. He is confident, strong and still as wonderful as ever.

Let's start at the beginning:

I dreamt(?) last night that he was going to drown - we figured swimming was his weakest sport and I didn't know how he would fair. Let me just say HE KICKED IT!!!!!!! He had to swim 100m - 4 lengths of the pool and he was just so amazing. He went up and back for his first two lengths then took a 5 second break, then he started up for his third lap and stopped at the end for 10 seconds, and then was right back at it. He finished 9 out of 12!!!! He is 5th from the left with the blue cap.

He then got into the transition area where he had to towel off, take off his swim cap, and get his shoes, socks and shirt on. He had some trouble finding his bike - there were 60 in his age group - but found it and got going. He had to bike for 5km and the picture above shows him coming through the end of the bike portion. He then had to get his bike parked in the same place, take off his helmet and get onto the running leg. That was 1.5km. It seemed like he had just started and there he was coming up to the finish line. I rushed to the end of the line so I could get pictures of him coming in. He received his medal and was so damn proud of himself. He was over the moon.

One of the cool things is that they draw your number on both arms and your age on your left calf. So cool. OK - on to some of the others things that happened. When he started swimming I was so shaky that we didn't get any usable footage. By the time I asked a guy to tape while I took pictures of him coming out of the pool he had blown past me. SO, I was petrified that I wouldn't get out there on time to take pics of him starting the bike leg that I picked up my considerable bulk and RAN through the course to get the pictures. Now the only problem with that, is that I peed my pants. Got there and got the pictures and then got him coming back and he was out like White Lightning running his face off. Seeing him come in was breathtaking. I'm sure everyone has a moment like that when they think of their own children, but this was a first for me. I am proud of everything they do, but I was overwhelmed. I was crying when I talked to Jessica - and yes, I am that pathetic.

This of course was followed up by lunch at McDonald's, which included a kids nugget meal and a McFlurry.

Then he said something that was so cool - "mom, I'm going to do it again".

buskerfest

What a day we had! How about you? Went to Markham in the morning and got back around 1-1:30pm. The kids were great, as always and were spoiled by the staff with chocolate bars and cool "stuff". It's no wonder they love going so much. Never have to ask them twice. One of their favorite people has left Sandylion, so Kaed was a little disappointed but was easily cheered up when someone stuffed a Coffee Crisp in his mouth.

Got on the GO at 3:30pm to head into T.O. and meet Craig for Buskerfest. What a lot of fun. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. The boys had a pretty good idea as the went last year with S & S. There were tons of people and lots of great acts. The whole festival is a fundraiser for Epilepsy Toronto and people seemed to be very generous. I know the boys' were - with our money! The buskers really work for their money, let me tell you. The first guy we saw was by far our favorite. He was hilarious - I was laughing so hard I barely remembered to get pictures. I only have a few to show you. He jumped through a flaming star on his skateboard and it was awesome. Another thing that he did which was disgusting yet oddly cool was blow up one of those skinny long balloons about 3". Then he took the flat end and stuck it up his nose. Then he swallowed a bunch of times. Then he pulled the skinny end out of his mouth. THEN he kept tugging on both ends back and forth to show that it was real. THEN he called up a woman from the audience to take it out of his nose. She was absolutely disgusted. It was great. We loved it. He was also a fire eater. He was worth every sent he made.

We also went to a YoYo show. They were great. Like the guy said - it's only taken 15 years of his life! It was a husband and wife team and he had such a dry sense of humor. Just my style - you would have loved him, mom. They did just fantastic tricks - I even asked Craig if they were using GOballs (remember them?) as I just couldn't believe they were doing the tricks. They were from Boston and this is what they do for a living. The wife (Rebecca) was this amazing hula hooper(?) and she spun a whole pile of hula hoops at once. He said there were 20 but I don't think it was quite that many. Boy was she bendy - the life of the party, I'm sure.

Kaed was called up from the audience during one of the performances and did really well. He isn't as shy as he was even a year ago. I didn't really like this guy. He kept repeating himself and saying people's names to often. Like Craig said - he has a certain amount of time he has to perform for, so he was probably having to drag it out a bit. He did a lot of slight of hand magic, and I have to tell you - I was impressed. No, I don't know how he did it. No, I don't want to know how he did it.

We finished up the festival with a Fire show and it was amazing. It really goes to show though, that fire is a very dangerous thing. Craig might see this differently, but one of the first acts the performer threw this thing (you throw it up in the air then you catch it on a string that you are holding between with your hands) and it was just a fireball. I think it got away from him a bit and came too close to the audience for my liking. I was almost ready to go then. The same guy also took a fire torch and fed it down inside his clothes from the collar of his shirt to the bottom of his pant leg. It was cool. There were also fire circles and this really cool guy at the end who spun these "belts" and wands around that were on fire and they made these totally cool images.

We finished just in time to catch the 11:13pm train, only to be held up at the station for 35 minutes because there was a medical emergency on one of the trains and the EMS needed to use a defibrillator. SO, we finally got home at about 1:10am and I crawled into bed close to 2am. It is now 11:45am and my better half has just decided to grace us with his presence. hmmmm.

Big day tomorrow! Kaed is "walking" the race course today with his hero (and his dad). He is excited and we are so thrilled to see that look on his face.

OK - must be time for bed for you as I have written a 1000 page novel here. Sorry for any typos - don't point them out to me, I'm just tired of looking at this thing!

Talk soon,

s

Happy Happy Happy...

birthday, that is!
To my favorite mother in law, and my very good friend, Laura! Happy day to both of you - you don't look a day over 70. And I really mean that!

Enough of that tomfoolery - cool word, who invented that, I wonder? It's cool, so probably a woman. OK - enough of that! A very good day today. Got a lot of work done. Had some projects and instructions for our kid site that needed to be done. Got them completed and sent to the office and I am ready for my meeting tomorrow morning. Can you say "road trip?" The boys don't know that they have to come yet. I wonder what the bribe will be this time. Spent some time visiting with the Backyardigans, had supper with the fam and now Craig is out gallivanting and the posse (read boys and backyardigans) are out to the dollar store getting sour slushies and junk food (well, Noah is probably getting water and a tomato). Can a day get any better than that?

Something interesting in the last couple of days...
a woman who is known as a "scrapbooking celebrity" (like myself - just joking!) has been caught up in some Internet controversy. Oooh - I love me some controversy. It seems that some people were unhappy with a class her company was providing and one of her partners sent out an email to the participants re-assuring them that the matter would be looked into. Upon receiving the email herself, said celebrity proceeded to insert her own comments - which were not too nice - as well as end it with a "so there" (a bit like sticking your tongue out, dontcha think?). Needless to say, instead of replying to her partner and a few other "important celeb-like people" she replied to EVERYONE on the damn list. Can you say damage control? OOOh - it has just been so juicy and gossipy - delicious. Not that I'm into that sort of thing or anything. I'm just saying, if you were into it, it would be juicy.

I guess the moral of this story is:
karma's a bitch (or is that beeyotch?)
s

going home

Hello - this is an excerpt from an email I sen to Jessica yesterday - sorry Jessica.
This is what we did yesterday:
I spent the afternoon working in the kitchen getting the birthday supper together. Which I actually enjoyed - mom) We had hot dogs (their idea), potatoes and corn on the cob. It was delicious. I also made a choc sc cake for dessert. The seven of us bought them a digital frame for their joint birthdays and they love it. Craig even put music on it for them. Country Western - there is no accounting for taste.
The boys spent the afternoon building scooter ramps with Gpa. They are great. They both got to screw in the screws and use the sander and were in heaven. They went for a short bike ride and Shirley did the laundry. (yeah Shirley) We have had a fantastic visit. Probably the best yet. They look and sound great and we have had a lot of time to spend together - well, not Craig, but the rest of us. The boys have had a wonderful time with them and I will have to de-program them from getting their backs scratched at bedtime! I love how they have wonderful relationships with both sets of grandparents - both in different ways. We are truly blessed. We can't wait until next year.
later,
s

Survey Information from a National Study on allergy awaredness and preparedness. Interesting information, I think.

- 75 percent of Canadians think peanuts can cause a more serious allergic reaction than milk, when in fact they both can cause a serious reaction.
- 60 percent of Canadians support a peanut ban in schools and child care centres, but only 27 percent support a peanut ban in all public places.
- Peanut allergy is the most common cause of death from food allergy, in addition to shellfish, fish and tree nuts.
- Half of Canadians think the food industry is doing a good job of declaring dangerous allergens on package label.
- Half of Canadians agree that child care centres should be held responsible if they don't carry an epinephrine auto-injector and a child on their premises has a severe allergic reaction.
- One in four survey respondents think public places should be held responsible if they don't carry EpiPen and someone on their premises has a severe allergic reaction.
- 7 out of 10 Canadians agree that restaurants and cafeterias should be required to list all ingredients on their menu products, even if it costs diners more.

I am not saying I agree with all this, but as a parent in this situation I think I am more easily able to see both sides of this debate. Makes me think.

Thinking about the safety of our son a lot these days. Sterling was just turned away from an activity as the facility was not trained in basic first aid. A facility which is running a myriad of classes for children. I am alarmed by this and my heart hurts for Sterling's disappointment. First time in 7 years we have been turned away.

guess what...

Kaeden is participating in his first ever triathlon next Sunday. 100m swim, 5km bike and 1.5km run.
Go Kaeden!

Friday Already???

How can that be? It seems like it was just Monday, yesterday. Then again, I remember saying to Craig last night that yesterday seemed like Friday. I think I just need to get a grip! All is well here. The boys are having a great time with gramma and grampa. They have been busy doing all sorts of fun things - mini golf, mcdonalds, buskerfest, dollar store, pool, bike riding... They are having a great time. I actually cooked last night. I know, I know, it's hard to believe, but I did. And just for the record - it was good. Craig even went so far as to ask his parents how long they could stay. A bit sassy, don't you think??? Don't know what we have going on this weekend. We are really playing it by ear and seeing what the others are doing. Because I have nothing to say, I am just rambling about things that are coming to mind. Did you know Kaed woke up at 11:30 this morning. Yeegad - you'd think he was 15. Did you know that Craig woke up at 5:50? Yeegad, you'd think he was a grown up. Did you know that right now Emma is lying on the ground in the middle of an aisle at an IGA? Yeegad - I'm glad I'm not her mother!

happy friday,
s

today is the day

Gramma and grampa arrive tonight. We are looking forward to having them here. The boys have a list of their chores on the fridge and they are slowly working through them. All their stuff on the stairs needs to go, their forts have to be taken down, they both have to do a bathroom, and their rooms need to be tidied. They had started this yesterday, but the backyardigan came to call and that was it. No more chores. How do you stop them from going out and having their grand adventures? I can't. That's why I punish them into having to clean a bathroom. OK, so they don't really clean it - they just tidied it up, etc.

We got a late start this morning. Very late. It was nice. This afternoon Sterling is going to a friends house to swim and have pizza. He is really looking forward to that. Kaedo is stuck with dear old mom, poor bugger. They have to leave about 9:30pm to pick up gramma and grampa, so they still have a lot of time to get into trouble.

As you read from my previous post, Emma - AKA mini monster, is giving her mother a run for her money (what goes around comes around???). Boy, you should hear her on the phone. I can be talking to Jessica and she is yelling trying to get her mother's attention. So funny. I think the funniest thing about her is her aversion to clothes. She goes to bed, all seems well, and when it is time to get up she is buck naked, with pee everywhere. That is the cleanest room in the house! So I thought I would just a picture of the cutie in one of her more calm moments.

Cheers,

s

Got this email from Jessica tonight. Been there, got the t-shirt.

Emma is in the tub and refuses to get out. I know what you are thinking, 'What the f@#% are you doing emailing while Emma is in the bath???' I took some precautions, mostly to get her out of the tub, like draining the water. She is now wet and freezing but everytime I ask to take her out she says 'No, I'm still sitting!' It's quite hilarious the way she says it. Kind of Sandra Dee meets Mr. T. Kind of like today when she kept complaining the sun was in her eyes in the car. After awhile I just ignored her so she yelled 'LOOK AT ME'. I immediately looked back and she said very softly and nicely 'sun in eyes'. I am being lead by the tail by a two year old dictator. She sure is cute though!

s

the things they say

Samuel is here today, hanging out. They are having a great time, throwing themselves into the pool. Not each other - themselves. I guess the bonuses of having a small pool. When he got here this morning and asked how his summer has been, he replied, "it's been lonely". Poor kid. I think that is one of the downfalls of being an only child. JESSICA - PETRICA (no pressure).
Yesterday was a big day for me. For the last year or so I have been talking with mom and dad, Craig and backyardigan mom about our kids' freedom. I can say for myself, it has been hard to grasp that they are actually old enough and mature enough to not have to always be within yelling range. So, yesterday backyardigan jr. came to call on the boys and like a shot, they were outta here. This was about 1pm. At 6:30 I had to call to ask for them to be sent home. They were on the street, a his house, building their fort, walking to the dollar store. All over the place. They even (Kaed) walked to the Dollar Store the scary way. eeek.
I wasn't quite sure where to put myself. I wanted to keep checking on them, but came to the realization that when they need me, they will come. I kept them fully stocked with water, and I'm sure they were supplied with whatever else from over the fence. It was quite a day. Cool, but scary. Thankfully they have such great friends in the neighborhood that are always up for some fun. It's what I always wanted for them. Thanks, friend - for always being so great - with them and with me. You ROCK!!

As I said, today Sam is here and they are playing in the pool. God, it is noisy! Thank god there are no babies around! I think they may be trying to drown each other - must go to make sure they do the job right! (just joking!)

Talk later or tomorrow,
s

gotta teach you something

10 New Uses for Velcro
Velcro, whose name is a combination of the French words velour and crochet, was developed in the early 1940s, after Swiss inventor George de Mestral returned home from a walk with his dog and noticed that pesky cockleburs had stuck to his pants and his dog’s coat. Examining the burrs under a microscope, de Mestral found the basis for a unique two-sided fastener — one side with stiff hooks (like the burrs) and the other with soft loops (like the fabric of his pants).

Use Velcro to:
1. Hang pieces of art or photos on a wall. Stick several strips of Velcro to the wall and to the back of a lightweight frame.
2. Prevent a jacket or a blouse from gaping open. Sew small pieces of Velcro between the buttons to create a smooth surface.
3. Keep a rug in place. Stick pieces of Velcro to the floor and to the bottom of the rug.
4. Stop seat cushions from sliding off kitchen chairs. Place strips of Velcro on the chair and on the cushion.
5. Organize toys. Affix a Velcro strip to the wall and Velcro pieces to stuffed animals to make cleanup fun for toddlers.
6. Keep track of the remote. Use Velcro to attach the remote to the side of the TV when it’s not in use.
7. Remove pills from sweaters. Use the hook side of Velcro to pull off pesky balls.
8. Restrain wayward cords. Keep them in one place with a strip of Velcro.
9. Keep a pen or paper handy. Place a small piece of Velcro next to a desk calendar and on a pen so you can jot down to-dos ASAP. In the car, stick a notepad to the dashboard or the door of the glove compartment and you’ll always have paper for a brilliant thought or a last-minute errand. 10. Picnic in peace. Keep a tablecloth from flying away by applying Velcro to the underside of the cloth and to the picnic table.

out of the mouths of babes

Me: Some Thalidomide babies were born with flippers, not arms...
Kaed: So they were born to swim?

Jessica sent me a flash presentation and one of the images was a Thalidomide baby. When he asked me about it I tried to explain. You really only hear what you want to, don't you?
To be that innocent. It's hard to believe that we ever were.

s

correction

Sorry everyone - it was the Centre Block at Parliament Hill that we visited, not the east Block. Don't know if anyone cares, but I thought I would clear that up.

View from the Clock Tower - you can see Gatineau, Quebec on the right

The Library of Congress - isn't it beautiful

Have screwed up the pictures and am frustrated now. That's it until later. I know you can't wait to see more. Hee Hee

s

been there...done that

So, where have I been? OTTAWA! Man, it was great. Here's the lowdown on what I saw:
Parliament Hill light and sound show
Rideau Hall - beautiful
Museum of Civilization totem poles - WOW
Gatineau (twice!)
24 Sussex Drive (well, the outside, anyway)
Byword Market - not bad
Chateau Laurier - amazing
Lac - Leamy Casino (outside)
Lac-Leamy Hilton - gorgeous
Parliament Hill East Block - breathtaking

Got to Ottawa on Monday afternoon and after all the welcomes and a quick Malibu, the boys and I headed off to the pool so they could show me their AMAZING swimming skills. It is unbelievable how good they have gotten over the summer. A terrific supper - anyone who knows my mom knows she is an amazing cook, and a campfire complete with marshmallows.
Tuesday it was gorgeous out and we got to visit Rideau Hall - the Governor Generals House. The grounds are spectacular - 79 acres. The house was beautiful and the history and information the guide gave us was great. Beyond great. Did you know that the Governor Generals (Michaelle Jean - Me-Kay-Elle) daughter goes to public school? That says alot for the kind of person she is, don't you think. There was also this amazing painting by Jean Paul Lemieux called Charlottetown Revisited, that I absolutely fell in love with. I have searched for a place where I can get a print and haven't had any success. Mom and dad - you are going to be in PEI, will you check for me?? I beg of you.
Tuesday also gave me the chance to see the East Block of Parliament Hill. If you have never been, it is a must go. We were so lucky to be there when we were as because they were not in session we were able to actually walk onto the floor of the House of Commons as well as the Senate. We also saw the Library of Congress that has just had a four year renovation and I have never seen anything more beautiful. The second floor "lofts" - can't think of another word, have glass floors to allow the light to shine through and keep the library bright. The woodworking is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Did you know that the oldest book they have at the library is from the 1530s? Also, the library doesn't only have legal texts, it also has fiction and other popular literature. It even has the Harry Potter series as that is what Canada is reading right now and they want to keep their pulse on what is currently important to Canadians. Very cool.
We also drove past 24 Sussex Drive - the Prime Minister's residence. It was beautiful from what I could see. The boys were very interested in the security gate. Oh boy - what else? We went to the Museum of Civilization and looked through the lobby and saw the beautiful totem poles. Have you ever seen a totem pole up close? There are a sight to see. I was amazed. We drove over to Gatineau, Quebec to see the view of the Parliament from the Quebec side. Sigh...
I think that is it for Tuesday. I will leave Wednesday for tomorrow as I am sure you are sick of hearing about this. I will also post some pictures tonight or tomorrow.
In this post you have received:
5 beautifuls
1 awesome
5 amazings
2 gorgeous
1 terrific
1 unbelievable
1 spectacular
Effusive enough for you?
GO GO GO to Ottawa - tell them Shannon sent you
s

I have re-read this 3 times - if their are typos - too bad

back to normal

You can tell everything is back to normal when:
it's 8:00pm and your kids have already been sent to bed (read grounded).

Have lots to tell about my "vacation" and will do so tomorrow. Have to go and soothe some wounded hearts now.

s

Countdown to Kids

Well, Shannon is gone again and the blog duties fall to me. We had a good long weekend, our last before the kids return. It seems to have gone fast which is good, although it doesn't feel like we actually spent as much time together as we actually have, if that makes any sense. We did catch up on our movies and got a few things done around the house. Painted the fridge in chalkboard paint, to cover the rust that was starting to show through, though Shannon would have probably done it anyway even if it wasn't rusting since she saw it in a Scrapbooking magazine and thought it looked cool. We also decided that since the basement no longer had any toys, it was time to make it look more inviting. As such, we moved all of our Coke stuff downstairs and put it on display. It looks good and we are actually able to display everything we have for once. Here is a look at our handiwork. (p.s. Dad, the shelves are completely level, it took me about three hours, a laser level and measuring more times than I can count, you must be sooo proud :)

Looking forward to having the munchkins home again.

Craig

hmmmm

Saw this written into the dirt on the back window of a minivan:



'I wish my girlfriend was this dirty'



Off to see the munchkins. Maybe Craig will guest post???



s

I told you so...

Hi All - Happy Sunday??? It is for me! One more sleep and I will be seeing my boys (no more sleeps, really - I plan not to sleep tonight - just count down the hours). By Wednesday I will be asking mom and dad if they want to take the boys to New Brunswick. Just joking - it will probably be Friday.

I promised and I have delivered! I woke up thinking about my office and wondering if I could just twitch my nose and it would be clean. Tried the twitching thing - about 30 times and then came down and checked. No such luck. Nose twitching must be on the fritz. So, I literally dove in and here are the pictures to prove it. Doesn't it look great? There are no pictures of the computer area as Craig was sitting there and asked me not to take his picture. Hmmm, who else does that sound like?

So here they are:

How are you liking them shoes, mom?? Peachy keen, eh?

I also thought I would post my resume here. What do you think?

Pretty cool, don't you think? These are all ads that I have done. Awesome, if I do say so myself!

Hope everyone has a great day. We are thinking of taking Ketchup to an off-leash area. Should be worth a few laughs. Nothing like a bunch of dogs sniffing each other's butts.

Sometimes I just feel that way. Today is one of those days ( I think yesterday was, too). Oh well. Long weekend ahead of us. When I say long, I mean LOOOONNNNGGGG. We have no plans - I should clean my office - so I am dreading the prospect of staying close to home for the next 2.5 days. On a brighter note - I am going to see my boys on Monday! YAH! Spend a couple of days with them and mom and dad, and then back home to finish off the summer. Boy do I miss them. That's about it. I'd love some pictures of my cutie niece and her baby Mike so I can add that story to the blog. Jessica - this means you!!

Love to all - s

PS. Cheryl S. - are you there?????

Fun had by All

Have I been MIA? Seems like it. For those of you who read this on a regular basis - sorry. We were lucky to have Kelly, Tica and Jacob come and visit us for 2 days and went off to Kingston with them to see the boys and to introduce them to their new cousin. We had a wonderful picnic and I even made potato salad (gross). Apparently it was good. It was super hot and we went through a ton of water but it was great. The park that we went to had a big playground and a sandy beach and picnic tables. It was very nice. Kaed was busy building a very cool sandcastle while others pitched in here and there. Sterling learned how to push himself on the swing (you know what I mean), and Jacob ate sand. KPJ left this morning and we got a message from them telling us that they arrived but their car seat hadn't. So they are just waiting in the airport for it to come. How much does that suck after being away for three weeks? Craig was off today and had fun with Ketch as well as did some drawing and TV watching. He is back to work tomorrow and I am in Markham. Quiet weekend ahead and then Monday I am off to Ottawa TO PICK UP THE BOYS!!!!! They miss us but will be sick of us and bored within two days of coming home. Here are some pictures from yesterday. Hope you have a good rest of the day,

S