I received a phone call yesterday from my mom, informing me that my grandfather had passed away. I had heard a few weeks ago that his health was failing. I think he was 97 years old, although I am not certain at this point. I will clarified on this point in the days to come.
I am saddened by his passing only in the way that I didn't really know him. I can't remember the last time I saw him. I know that I haven't seen him since I've been in Ottawa, so at least 16 years ago. For that matter, I would only recognize a few of my my aunts and uncles on my mom's side and fewer of my cousins. Needless to say that my mom's family wasn't close. Which is very different from my dad's family.
I am saddened that I didn't know my grandfather. I have vague memories of him from when I was my kid's age.
I will be driving 8 hours (more like 9 or 10 hours when you have kids) to pay my final respects. I know that my mom wasn't very close to her father herself, but she did go visit him a few times in the last year. My mom is remarkably strong and she would hide her pain very well. I am going, to be there for her.
There is going to be a big family meeting after the funeral. I will get to meet alot of my family. I'm not sure how that will go, but I feel like I should be there.
My grandmother (mom's mom) passed when I was 3 or 4. I have no memory of her outside of what my parent's have told me. She apparently was an amazing woman. She died at the age of 54 of an aneurysm
My grandfather (dad's dad) passed when I was 16. he was 76 and we believe it was cardiac arrest, although he did not want an autopsy perfomed so the actual cause was never know. His health had been failing and he did not want medical treatment. It was a sad time for the family. I have many memories of him. I used to help him with his yard work and his garden. He always had wonderful stories to tell us.
My grandmother ( dad's mom) passed a couple years ago. She was 96 I think, she had a stroke a few years before and I believe she had reoccuring strokes. I remember her condition deteriating quickly over the last year. She was a prayer warrior, she was a barrel of laughes. and she loved to entertain people and make them laugh. My grandfather use to call her "tête heurese" which is Happy Head.
And now my last grandfather. I hope to get some memories from the stories that people will tell this coming weekend.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Busy Since the New Year
Things have been pretty hectic from December until Now.
Decemeber is December, with all the family get togethers, friends getogethers and so on. It hardly leaves any time to breath.
We spent a week at my parents, which proved to be relaxing, but as soon as we got back we needed to rush. We had Michelle's grandmother's Christmas getogether for the whole family. Then we also needed to get ready for our New Year's eve bash.
There was a little bit of rest in between that and the new contract at Environment Canada. But january was spent getting ready for Caroline & Bob's wedding. Caroline had been living with us since June of '07. We had anticipated a summer wedding, but they decided to step things up and make their Jamaica trip at the end of January their Honeymoon. Michelle was helping our in all the ways that she could. She helped out with decorations which meant the basement was in total disarray.
Things are back to normal in the house now and life is settling into a nice groove. On my new contract I am unable to access my blog which makes making entries a little more difficult. I have the time to do it today since I am land locked with a sick child. David was up from 2:30 this morning throwing up anything we tried to give. It was sad to see him heaving up a mouthful of ginger ale. Now we are focussing on getting him the rest and hydration that the needs. the worst seems to be over and he's taken many sips of water and all appears to be ok.
The new contract is going well. .NET C# is all good. The product is a smart client and the code is extremely clean. It is a dynamic work environemnt and they are continuously improving their product. The next release they are looking at converting everyting to CAB. It should be a fun couple of months.
Decemeber is December, with all the family get togethers, friends getogethers and so on. It hardly leaves any time to breath.
We spent a week at my parents, which proved to be relaxing, but as soon as we got back we needed to rush. We had Michelle's grandmother's Christmas getogether for the whole family. Then we also needed to get ready for our New Year's eve bash.
There was a little bit of rest in between that and the new contract at Environment Canada. But january was spent getting ready for Caroline & Bob's wedding. Caroline had been living with us since June of '07. We had anticipated a summer wedding, but they decided to step things up and make their Jamaica trip at the end of January their Honeymoon. Michelle was helping our in all the ways that she could. She helped out with decorations which meant the basement was in total disarray.
Things are back to normal in the house now and life is settling into a nice groove. On my new contract I am unable to access my blog which makes making entries a little more difficult. I have the time to do it today since I am land locked with a sick child. David was up from 2:30 this morning throwing up anything we tried to give. It was sad to see him heaving up a mouthful of ginger ale. Now we are focussing on getting him the rest and hydration that the needs. the worst seems to be over and he's taken many sips of water and all appears to be ok.
The new contract is going well. .NET C# is all good. The product is a smart client and the code is extremely clean. It is a dynamic work environemnt and they are continuously improving their product. The next release they are looking at converting everyting to CAB. It should be a fun couple of months.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Weekend of Cakes
We had a full weekend. My sister came down to celebrate my kids birthdays. Sam was on the 18th and David is today (27). We had a dinner with a bunch of the family on Saturday. Got a cake for David since Sam already had a cake for herself the weekend before. David was quite happy to open his gifts. He loved the Crane set, the Jeep, trailer and quad set. He has a Scramble game (2 player perfection)that was a joint gift for him and Sam. Both Kids loved the gifts that Michelle and I got for them. They each got a watch and they were quite happy about that. Then they opened their second gifts. Ottawa Senators Jerseys. David has an "Alfredson" Jersey and Sam has a "Meszaros" Jersey, their favorite players. It warmed my heart to see the joy on their face when they opened it. The shrieks of joy was beautiful music. David threw his arms around Michelle's neck after she read "Alfredson" for him. He was quite happy.
Well that was on Saturday. Sunday we had a little breakfast with Nat, Dan and Jon. They left early wanting to be in Timmins for the evening. Michelle spent a good part of the day putting plastic window covering on all the windows upstairs. We are hoping that it will help with the heating this winter.
Sunday afternoon was dedicated to round 2 and 3 of the cakes that we had to celebrate. Michelle's mom, Janice, made 2 cakes. The first was a family recipe carrot cake (The best I've ever had) and the second was a chocolate with chocolate chips with no icing as per the instruction. These cakes were for Bobby(30th) and Christine (24th). Now we are caked out. I didn't actually have a piece of the chocolate cake opting for the best in the world Carrot cake. But I did have a few crums of it. I was afraid that it would have been dry but it was very mosit and quite good.
Yesterday, my Christmas present arrived. I got 2 Car seats and Floor mats and a steering wheel cover, all with the new Senators Logo. I put them in my car and it looks really sharp.
Today, I will leave work early to take David to a movie this afternoon. Then we are bringing him to the restaurant of his choice, Lone Star. It hope he has a special birthday.
Well that was on Saturday. Sunday we had a little breakfast with Nat, Dan and Jon. They left early wanting to be in Timmins for the evening. Michelle spent a good part of the day putting plastic window covering on all the windows upstairs. We are hoping that it will help with the heating this winter.
Sunday afternoon was dedicated to round 2 and 3 of the cakes that we had to celebrate. Michelle's mom, Janice, made 2 cakes. The first was a family recipe carrot cake (The best I've ever had) and the second was a chocolate with chocolate chips with no icing as per the instruction. These cakes were for Bobby(30th) and Christine (24th). Now we are caked out. I didn't actually have a piece of the chocolate cake opting for the best in the world Carrot cake. But I did have a few crums of it. I was afraid that it would have been dry but it was very mosit and quite good.
Yesterday, my Christmas present arrived. I got 2 Car seats and Floor mats and a steering wheel cover, all with the new Senators Logo. I put them in my car and it looks really sharp.
Today, I will leave work early to take David to a movie this afternoon. Then we are bringing him to the restaurant of his choice, Lone Star. It hope he has a special birthday.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Winter Tires
I got my winter tires onto my car last night. When I bought the car it came with 2 sets of tires. So I didn't have to go out and buy winter tires. However, I hadn't gotten the winter tires on. I drove for 2 days with my "all season" tires. They got me around fine. I'd spin when I started moving and stopping, well.. that required a little more skill. With the "all season" tires, breaking quickly would send the car in a tailspin. I was amazed at the difference in traction that the winter tires made.
I read a few articles about tires. Basically, the concept of an "all season" tire is bogus. All season tires were created to appease the car manufacturers in order to appeal to consumers. But in the end, they ended up being summer tires with a little more thread, that really don't work well in the winter.
If you don't have winter tires, I recommend that you get some. They do not exagerate when they say that you get 30% more traction. If you find buying winter tires a little price, you can always get some used ones. My father-in-law got 4 winter tires on steele rims for only $300.00 and they were practically brand new. The previous owner said that he only put about 8-900 Km on them.
Don't skimp out on this one, it is for your safety and your family's safety.
I read a few articles about tires. Basically, the concept of an "all season" tire is bogus. All season tires were created to appease the car manufacturers in order to appeal to consumers. But in the end, they ended up being summer tires with a little more thread, that really don't work well in the winter.
If you don't have winter tires, I recommend that you get some. They do not exagerate when they say that you get 30% more traction. If you find buying winter tires a little price, you can always get some used ones. My father-in-law got 4 winter tires on steele rims for only $300.00 and they were practically brand new. The previous owner said that he only put about 8-900 Km on them.
Don't skimp out on this one, it is for your safety and your family's safety.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
First Snow.
Today was the first (real) snow fall of the year. The drive in this morning was interesting. I was lucky enough to not be delayed by any accidents. Mind you a plow had broken down in the middle lane of Innes Rd just in front of Rona. That cause a slight delay but nothing to be too concerned about. I found that the Queensway moved along fairly well.
I've been in Ottawa for 15 years now. I know what to expect. Keeping yourself relaxed and not rushing is key on this dreaded first snow day. Actually, this applies for any day that snow is accumulating. There is a lot of wisdom in taking it easy.
I am still riding on my summer tires. I meant to change to my winter tires, but life has been getting in the way. This morning, the drive was ok, where the raod was salted I had plenty of traction, but the last mile into work was on an unplowed road,
I drove slowly, knowing that the traction wasn't that great. All was well, until I got to my turn off, I slowed down a little too quickly and I went for a tailspin. It was quite fun actually. I knew that there was no danger of hitting anything, the person following me was quite far and no one was coming in the opposite direction. It would have been more of a risk to try to stop it. I wasn't going fast so I wasn't worried.
On the weekend, while I was busy helping out for my daughter's b-day party, my father-in-law changed the tires on his car. When he was done he put his summer tires in the back shed. I guess to make more room in the garage, he thought that he would put my tires back there too. I just bought my commuter car and it came with a set of winter tires. I had just left them in the garage so that they would be convenient for when I wanted to take them to my mechanic to sawp them out. Well, now I guess, I'll have to dig them out of the shed.
I've been in Ottawa for 15 years now. I know what to expect. Keeping yourself relaxed and not rushing is key on this dreaded first snow day. Actually, this applies for any day that snow is accumulating. There is a lot of wisdom in taking it easy.
I am still riding on my summer tires. I meant to change to my winter tires, but life has been getting in the way. This morning, the drive was ok, where the raod was salted I had plenty of traction, but the last mile into work was on an unplowed road,
I drove slowly, knowing that the traction wasn't that great. All was well, until I got to my turn off, I slowed down a little too quickly and I went for a tailspin. It was quite fun actually. I knew that there was no danger of hitting anything, the person following me was quite far and no one was coming in the opposite direction. It would have been more of a risk to try to stop it. I wasn't going fast so I wasn't worried.
On the weekend, while I was busy helping out for my daughter's b-day party, my father-in-law changed the tires on his car. When he was done he put his summer tires in the back shed. I guess to make more room in the garage, he thought that he would put my tires back there too. I just bought my commuter car and it came with a set of winter tires. I had just left them in the garage so that they would be convenient for when I wanted to take them to my mechanic to sawp them out. Well, now I guess, I'll have to dig them out of the shed.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
A Date
Last night Michelle and I went out, just the 2 of us. It had been a long time. It was nice to have a quiet dinner in a fancy restaurant without having to get up to bring one of the kids to the bathroom halfway through the meal. We don't get much of a chance to go out like this. Even if we have live-in babysitters, we don't like to abuse that priviledge. We already tap into taht twice a week to go to the gym, after the kids go to bed mind you, but we still appreciate them being there for us to be able to do that.
After dinner, we went to a movie. Must be the worst movie I have seen in years. The Heartbreak Kid had the usual crude scenes that you would see in a movie of it's gendre, the usual occasional swear words, I was however surprised by the brief nudity. In the end none of those things would have mattered had the plot been different. The story goes, single guy who just turn 40, finds a girl, who he convinces himself that she is a great girl. after 6 weeks they get married. On their honeymoon, he realizes that she is "OFF". So off course that gives him the right to pursue another woman. As far as I was concerned, it was a bad decision followed by another bad decision all through the movie. Kinda reminds me of some projects that I have worked on ;-)
We were going to walk out of the movie at some point, but I opted in staying hoping that they would end the movie on a positive note. With maybe a lesson about all the things that were done wrong and a way find peace with all the people involved. But instead the film ends on the same low moral note that it played all along. Silly me!!
My recommendation is to stay away from it.
After dinner, we went to a movie. Must be the worst movie I have seen in years. The Heartbreak Kid had the usual crude scenes that you would see in a movie of it's gendre, the usual occasional swear words, I was however surprised by the brief nudity. In the end none of those things would have mattered had the plot been different. The story goes, single guy who just turn 40, finds a girl, who he convinces himself that she is a great girl. after 6 weeks they get married. On their honeymoon, he realizes that she is "OFF". So off course that gives him the right to pursue another woman. As far as I was concerned, it was a bad decision followed by another bad decision all through the movie. Kinda reminds me of some projects that I have worked on ;-)
We were going to walk out of the movie at some point, but I opted in staying hoping that they would end the movie on a positive note. With maybe a lesson about all the things that were done wrong and a way find peace with all the people involved. But instead the film ends on the same low moral note that it played all along. Silly me!!
My recommendation is to stay away from it.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Movement
There is a lot happenning in my professional life.
There may be big changes coming and the status quo may remain.
All is good, many people are contacting me, so that is good.
The right one will come eventually.
There may be big changes coming and the status quo may remain.
All is good, many people are contacting me, so that is good.
The right one will come eventually.
Monday, November 05, 2007
What a weekend
Friday after work, I picked up my commuter car. A 1996 Mazda MX-3 Precidia. It was fun to zip aound in it all weekend. I dropped it back off on Sunday cause I'm getting the bottom repainted to address a bit of the rust and som minor dings here and there. I feel like I got a good deal on that and since my father in law is away this week. there is no better time to get it done.
I took it a little earlier than my mechanic wanted me to since he hadn't had a chance to clean it. I didn't mind driving it for a couple of days while it was still dirty. He going to make sure that it is good and clean when I pick it up after the paint job.
I had planned to do some outside work this weekend. Well, mostly on Saturday. But, alas, I laid in bed all day with no energy. I got hit with a chest cold that sapped the energy right out of me. I slept through most of Saturday. Getting up briefly to find myself drawn back to my bed. It has been a long time since I had a day like that. I was discouraged by this, since it was a beautiful Saturday, not sure how many more we are going to get, plus I have a pile of things to do outside before the snow comes.
Sunday I was expelled from the house with the kids while Michelle hosted a Signature HomeStyles party. I was more than happy to oblige. I wouldn't have wanted to be there at any cost. So, off to Mike's I went and the kids played with his kids while we hung out. After the party was over, we headed back to my place to have supper. The kids got to play some more in a home and home series. It was the first time that the 4 kids both got to play at their friends house and at their own house.
I took it a little earlier than my mechanic wanted me to since he hadn't had a chance to clean it. I didn't mind driving it for a couple of days while it was still dirty. He going to make sure that it is good and clean when I pick it up after the paint job.
I had planned to do some outside work this weekend. Well, mostly on Saturday. But, alas, I laid in bed all day with no energy. I got hit with a chest cold that sapped the energy right out of me. I slept through most of Saturday. Getting up briefly to find myself drawn back to my bed. It has been a long time since I had a day like that. I was discouraged by this, since it was a beautiful Saturday, not sure how many more we are going to get, plus I have a pile of things to do outside before the snow comes.
Sunday I was expelled from the house with the kids while Michelle hosted a Signature HomeStyles party. I was more than happy to oblige. I wouldn't have wanted to be there at any cost. So, off to Mike's I went and the kids played with his kids while we hung out. After the party was over, we headed back to my place to have supper. The kids got to play some more in a home and home series. It was the first time that the 4 kids both got to play at their friends house and at their own house.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Trick or Treat
What a blast we had last night.
We met up with our friends, Mike and Louise.
We had supper with them before going out, trick or treating with our 4 kids both family combined. The children got their fill of candy and they were happy to spend time with each other.
I was cute to see the little ones running from door to door. They all amassed a good bag full and were happy to head back before the parents were ready (weird switch).
We hung out with Mike and Louise for a little bit afterwards, had a bit of dessert. Mmmm those were good Rasberry cheesecake/cookies thingies that Louis made. I could have eaten them all.
I think we found a new tradition that we will be able to share for a few years to come.
We met up with our friends, Mike and Louise.
We had supper with them before going out, trick or treating with our 4 kids both family combined. The children got their fill of candy and they were happy to spend time with each other.
I was cute to see the little ones running from door to door. They all amassed a good bag full and were happy to head back before the parents were ready (weird switch).
We hung out with Mike and Louise for a little bit afterwards, had a bit of dessert. Mmmm those were good Rasberry cheesecake/cookies thingies that Louis made. I could have eaten them all.
I think we found a new tradition that we will be able to share for a few years to come.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sore Back
I find very little to be more frustrating than a sore back. On Sunday, I moved dirt, from a big pile into a flat area that we are going to call our garden next year. Everything went well. I had Michelle's help for the most of it and when I was done, I was tired but not to worst off for wear.
For supper that night we went out to Local Heroes on Bank to celebrate my brother-in-law's(Chris) birthday. With a large group you are usually there for a long time. With the low back wooden chair I found myself unable to get comfortable. After we had eaten, it had been 2 hours I go no longer stay there. So we went home. Popped back a couple of Advil, Michelle put A535 on my back and a hour or so later I felt loose enough to walk around again. Yesterday morning I was a bit stiff, but was alright to move around. After a day of work, by the time I got home, I could barely stand straight. I find it extremely frustrating to be in this place. I find myself unable to pick up my kids and play with them. They love to jump on me and rough around. When I am in this place I am unable to do that. I was very grateful that they understood and were compassionate, sometimes I needed to remind them, but they know that it is a time of being gentle with daddy.
Today is a new day, my back is getting looser, I am hopeful that I'll be able to play with the kids when I get home. I miss it.
For supper that night we went out to Local Heroes on Bank to celebrate my brother-in-law's(Chris) birthday. With a large group you are usually there for a long time. With the low back wooden chair I found myself unable to get comfortable. After we had eaten, it had been 2 hours I go no longer stay there. So we went home. Popped back a couple of Advil, Michelle put A535 on my back and a hour or so later I felt loose enough to walk around again. Yesterday morning I was a bit stiff, but was alright to move around. After a day of work, by the time I got home, I could barely stand straight. I find it extremely frustrating to be in this place. I find myself unable to pick up my kids and play with them. They love to jump on me and rough around. When I am in this place I am unable to do that. I was very grateful that they understood and were compassionate, sometimes I needed to remind them, but they know that it is a time of being gentle with daddy.
Today is a new day, my back is getting looser, I am hopeful that I'll be able to play with the kids when I get home. I miss it.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Fun Week
This week looks like it will be a fun one.
I am going to make some progress at work with the stuff that I am working on. So that is exciting. I know that there is a lot to do here so I don't expect to be anywhere done in the next couple of weeks. But being able to carve out a chunk is exciting on it's own.
Halloween, is on Wednesday. Our kids are excited about partnering up with some friends kids to go trick or treating together. It should be a good time to hang out with friends and see the bunch of kids enjoying themselves together.
Thursday evening, I have a wine tasting event with a consulting company that I really want to work with. It will be an excellent time to network and connect with some old friends that I don't get to see very often. I look forward to connecting with people and possibly expanding my contracting network a little bit. Who knows, from this event my next contract may be launched.
All in all it is looking very good for this week.
I am going to make some progress at work with the stuff that I am working on. So that is exciting. I know that there is a lot to do here so I don't expect to be anywhere done in the next couple of weeks. But being able to carve out a chunk is exciting on it's own.
Halloween, is on Wednesday. Our kids are excited about partnering up with some friends kids to go trick or treating together. It should be a good time to hang out with friends and see the bunch of kids enjoying themselves together.
Thursday evening, I have a wine tasting event with a consulting company that I really want to work with. It will be an excellent time to network and connect with some old friends that I don't get to see very often. I look forward to connecting with people and possibly expanding my contracting network a little bit. Who knows, from this event my next contract may be launched.
All in all it is looking very good for this week.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Heading into the weekend
It seems like it has been a long week. Then again, it may just be because I've been particularly tired this week. We joined a gym last Thursday night. This week we started going. Our routine will be every Monday and Thursdays after the kids go to bed, we are going to go. It is an hour and a half twice a week that will hopefully help return to a more fit shape. Fridays we take the kids to the wavepool, all a part of our membership.
So Monday, after we got home and got showered, I was wired until 1:30 and I didn't get to sleep until about 2:00 AM. 6:00 came very quickly and mercilessly. Last night it wasn't as bad, I actually felt tired at 12:00. But now, I'm dragging myself.
This weekend is full to the rim. We have a lot a bunch of things that we need to finish around the yard. We have a messy garage, that I would like to clean up. We have to finish a bunch of miscellanous itmes in the pool area. Set ourselves up for winter.
We also have 2 birthday parties to go to. Combine that with the lousy forcast and it deson't fare too well to getting everything done. We will do what we can. Afterall, that is our mission, to do what we can ;-)
So Monday, after we got home and got showered, I was wired until 1:30 and I didn't get to sleep until about 2:00 AM. 6:00 came very quickly and mercilessly. Last night it wasn't as bad, I actually felt tired at 12:00. But now, I'm dragging myself.
This weekend is full to the rim. We have a lot a bunch of things that we need to finish around the yard. We have a messy garage, that I would like to clean up. We have to finish a bunch of miscellanous itmes in the pool area. Set ourselves up for winter.
We also have 2 birthday parties to go to. Combine that with the lousy forcast and it deson't fare too well to getting everything done. We will do what we can. Afterall, that is our mission, to do what we can ;-)
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Crazy Times
It's been a while since I have blogged.
At the end of August I returned to normal work days. It has help with the home budget but I do miss spending the afternoon with the kids. It was easier for my father-in-law who car pools with me. That is until a few weeks ago when his hours got changed from 8-4 to 9-5. Generally, I like to work 7-3, but I accomodated my hours so that we could save gas and did more of a 7:45-3:45. I'd drop my father-in-law half an hour early and it was good all around. Picking him up at 4:00 meant we didn't get home until 5:00 (or slightly before) with the heavy traffic and having to drive through the core.
Now, I leave at 3:00 and I'm home at 3:30. Avoid the whole traffic thing, that is very nice.
Life has been busy...as usual. We found 1 free weekend in our schedule in the last 3 months and we used it to go visit my parents in New Liskeard and my sister in Timmins. So a free weekend became a busy weekend.
Last weekend we had a Fall Comedy Classic ( the first annual) at Mike and Louise. Given the time of year, they made it into a Halloween party at the same time. It was a great time.
On Sunday the only thing that Michelle and I did was work on our budget. It wasn't as painful as we thought it would be. It felt good to get that done. Then we spent the rest of the day vegging. Something that we hadn't done in a while. I watched a few movies with the kids. Michelle did a lot of reading. Truly a day of rest.
This coming weekend we have 2 b-day parties. Leigh-anne and Chris. One on Saturday and one on Sunday. That fills out the schedule quickly. Plus we want to do alot of work around the yard, the garage, finish in the pool area and look at the car. I'm going to petition to be given a third day on the weekend.
At the end of August I returned to normal work days. It has help with the home budget but I do miss spending the afternoon with the kids. It was easier for my father-in-law who car pools with me. That is until a few weeks ago when his hours got changed from 8-4 to 9-5. Generally, I like to work 7-3, but I accomodated my hours so that we could save gas and did more of a 7:45-3:45. I'd drop my father-in-law half an hour early and it was good all around. Picking him up at 4:00 meant we didn't get home until 5:00 (or slightly before) with the heavy traffic and having to drive through the core.
Now, I leave at 3:00 and I'm home at 3:30. Avoid the whole traffic thing, that is very nice.
Life has been busy...as usual. We found 1 free weekend in our schedule in the last 3 months and we used it to go visit my parents in New Liskeard and my sister in Timmins. So a free weekend became a busy weekend.
Last weekend we had a Fall Comedy Classic ( the first annual) at Mike and Louise. Given the time of year, they made it into a Halloween party at the same time. It was a great time.
On Sunday the only thing that Michelle and I did was work on our budget. It wasn't as painful as we thought it would be. It felt good to get that done. Then we spent the rest of the day vegging. Something that we hadn't done in a while. I watched a few movies with the kids. Michelle did a lot of reading. Truly a day of rest.
This coming weekend we have 2 b-day parties. Leigh-anne and Chris. One on Saturday and one on Sunday. That fills out the schedule quickly. Plus we want to do alot of work around the yard, the garage, finish in the pool area and look at the car. I'm going to petition to be given a third day on the weekend.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
A nice treat
I've been getting up really early this week. My goal is to be at work at 6:00 AM. Work a short day and spend the afternoon with my kids. When it's nice we spend time in and around the pool, when it's not so nice we play games inside. So far I'm loving it.
Often when I wake up and get ready for work Samantha wakes up as well and she sees me off before I leave. She is an awesome presence in the morning and it is nice to see her in the morning. David is usually sound asleep and sometimes he'll sleep till 9:00 or later.
This morning as I was getting ready, he came down to see me off. It was a very nice change since I usually don't see him until I get home. He is very affectionate and likes to snuggle with me. This morning he sat on my lap giving me a big hug. It was a very nice treat, one that I know I will not get very often at 5:30 in the morning. He went back to bed after I left, hopefully he got enough sleep to be well rested.
Often when I wake up and get ready for work Samantha wakes up as well and she sees me off before I leave. She is an awesome presence in the morning and it is nice to see her in the morning. David is usually sound asleep and sometimes he'll sleep till 9:00 or later.
This morning as I was getting ready, he came down to see me off. It was a very nice change since I usually don't see him until I get home. He is very affectionate and likes to snuggle with me. This morning he sat on my lap giving me a big hug. It was a very nice treat, one that I know I will not get very often at 5:30 in the morning. He went back to bed after I left, hopefully he got enough sleep to be well rested.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Canada Day Weekend
We had a great time as a family this weekend. We started Saturday with some friends, Mike, Louise, Jolene and William. We drove down together to Morrisburg to visit Prehistoric World. The kids had a great time looking at all the life size dinosaur. They had their pictures taken with each of them. It was amazing to see the amount of work that has gone into the creation of these over the last many years. Mike was there over 20 years ago and he remembers many of the dinosaurs that were there then but he also noticed that there were many more. It was a great outing that really targetted the age group of our combined families (2-6 years old)
We drove back to Ottawa, stopping to pick up some cheese, honey butter and fresh pick strawberries. It was nice to be invited back to Mike and Louise's to let the kids play together. We very much enjoy Mike and Louise's company. They seem to be a good fit for us, we are at a similar place in our lives, so everything gels when we are together.
Sunday, Canada Day Pool Party!!! It was a good time. We had about 30 friends come and go. A little less than anticipated, but then again, the temperature wasn't what we were hoping for. A few degrees warmer would have been nice. A few people bravely went into the water. I found it a little chilly outside for my taste. We had a great time as a household. We got to hang out with friends and family.
Off on Monday, what a day it was to have very little to do. Spend the day entertaining the kids, again too bad the weather wasn't warm enough to jump in the pool, but we had fun nonetheless. I spent a good part of the afternoon playing Lego Star Wars on the Game Cube with Sam and David. Samantha is actually pretty good.
I had my sister and family come over for supper. They came down to camp in Cumberland to spend some time with us. It will be nice to visit with them for the next little while.
This morning reality came crashing, I had to get back to work...drag.
We drove back to Ottawa, stopping to pick up some cheese, honey butter and fresh pick strawberries. It was nice to be invited back to Mike and Louise's to let the kids play together. We very much enjoy Mike and Louise's company. They seem to be a good fit for us, we are at a similar place in our lives, so everything gels when we are together.
Sunday, Canada Day Pool Party!!! It was a good time. We had about 30 friends come and go. A little less than anticipated, but then again, the temperature wasn't what we were hoping for. A few degrees warmer would have been nice. A few people bravely went into the water. I found it a little chilly outside for my taste. We had a great time as a household. We got to hang out with friends and family.
Off on Monday, what a day it was to have very little to do. Spend the day entertaining the kids, again too bad the weather wasn't warm enough to jump in the pool, but we had fun nonetheless. I spent a good part of the afternoon playing Lego Star Wars on the Game Cube with Sam and David. Samantha is actually pretty good.
I had my sister and family come over for supper. They came down to camp in Cumberland to spend some time with us. It will be nice to visit with them for the next little while.
This morning reality came crashing, I had to get back to work...drag.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
The move is done.
It's been over a week since we moved my in-laws in with us. It was a bit of a dsiaster area for a while. But room by room we are starting to win the battle of getting the house back to normal. Last weekend we had a yard sale to get rid of the surplus. It was amazing to see the stuff go. There was alot of nice stuff and it was nice to make a few dollars in the process. It atleast paid for the pizza Saturday evening and breakfast on Sunday morning. I figured that we deserved the break. It had been a hectic couple of months.
On the horizon,
Next weekend is our Canada Day Party on Sunday. That should be a blast. On Saturday we are going to a Dinosaur park with some friends of our. The kids are looking forward to that.
When things settle down a little, it will be time to start building my wall in the basement. When that is done, my office will be closed in and I will have a TV area. Now if I could only get rid of all my inventory that I have sitting around in the basement it would be all the better.
I look forward to spending lots of time with the kids this summer. I have a 4 day weekend every weekend starting in July ending at the end of August. It will be nice to spend extra time in the pool.
On the horizon,
Next weekend is our Canada Day Party on Sunday. That should be a blast. On Saturday we are going to a Dinosaur park with some friends of our. The kids are looking forward to that.
When things settle down a little, it will be time to start building my wall in the basement. When that is done, my office will be closed in and I will have a TV area. Now if I could only get rid of all my inventory that I have sitting around in the basement it would be all the better.
I look forward to spending lots of time with the kids this summer. I have a 4 day weekend every weekend starting in July ending at the end of August. It will be nice to spend extra time in the pool.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Finally, the move
Tomorrow is the day that we have been waiting for. For the last couple of months, we have been getting ready; finding a place for everything, painting, moving furniture. Tomorrow, is when it all happens. Michelle's parents are moving in, Caroline too. There will bealot of people in the house, but that's ok, there is still alot of space. It will be an intersting change to all of our lives, we will need to adjust and adapt to the new situation. We are all going to have our own little havens. My in-laws will have a sitting area in their room with a TV, so when they need to get away they'll be able to close their door and be left alone. Caroline will have her room, with her computer, she'll be able to retreat there when she needs to. She spends alot of time out. So she should be good. The main family room will be the kids tv area and where Michelle can record and watch her shows. We are also making a TV room in the basement where we can watch TV later at night and not disturb people that are trying to sleep. It has been an exciting and tiring time getting ready for this. Tomorrow, we get it done.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
First Swim
I spent the better part of Saturday cleaning the pool. It was a hot day. Along with cleaning the pool I helped Michelle with a bit of yard work. I cleaned a bunch of things from the pool area.
All of this while I kept my eyes on the seemingly refreshing water so close to me. When we were done, we were hot, the kids had been bugging us about going swimming. We couldn't resist. Unfortunately, by this time the temperature had started dropping and it looked like rain was on the horizon.
That didn't matter, the kids and I were undeterred. We were going in that pool no matter what. I was the first to go in, then Samantha, then Michelle and finally David. The water felt cold, we had been working out side for a long time, it was about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. David got out pretty much right away. Michelle stayed in for a few minutes but when her feet started getting cold she got out. I stayed with Sam, she was having a blast. splashing in there. Every time the water hit me, it was cold, but I knew she was having fun. After a while, seeing how much fun his sister was having, David came back in. He played for a while and then the time came for all of us to get out.
So Saturday June 2nd was the first day of swimming at our house. Hopefully, we will have a nice summer and we will be able to get some good use out of the pool.
All of this while I kept my eyes on the seemingly refreshing water so close to me. When we were done, we were hot, the kids had been bugging us about going swimming. We couldn't resist. Unfortunately, by this time the temperature had started dropping and it looked like rain was on the horizon.
That didn't matter, the kids and I were undeterred. We were going in that pool no matter what. I was the first to go in, then Samantha, then Michelle and finally David. The water felt cold, we had been working out side for a long time, it was about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. David got out pretty much right away. Michelle stayed in for a few minutes but when her feet started getting cold she got out. I stayed with Sam, she was having a blast. splashing in there. Every time the water hit me, it was cold, but I knew she was having fun. After a while, seeing how much fun his sister was having, David came back in. He played for a while and then the time came for all of us to get out.
So Saturday June 2nd was the first day of swimming at our house. Hopefully, we will have a nice summer and we will be able to get some good use out of the pool.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
To Vince, A big THANK YOU.
After a weekend of getting stuff done around the house. It was a treat to have Vince help us out. He was a bigger help than he could have imagined. With out him this weekend, not nearly as much would have gotten done. I just wanted to take this time and blog space to give him a sincere thank you. He's the best.
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