Thursday, September 29, 2005
Puppies Are Annoying
OSCAR...
In case you have forgotten, we have a puppy who is about 4 months old. Sure, he is totally adorable, and sweet, and friendly.
BUT... he likes chewing soft things like pillows and stuffed animals, something that Suki never did before, but she seems to have rediscovered her "puppihood" and has joined in with him whole heartedly in these pursuits.
As well, it has been raining quite a lot so our back yard is muddy, which means that our kitchen is totally muddy. And I am not up to cleaning it several times a day so it is pretty bad.
Finally, this little guy does not understand that poop belongs outside. He is blythely pooping wherever he happens to be when the urge comes upon him. He has been pretty good about pee, but poop... its driving me nuts. I have to have a chat with him.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Canada Gets New Governor General
Although I was sad to see Adrienne Clarkson leave the post of Governor General for Canada, I was thrilled to find out who her replacement would be. I don't know Madam Jean well, but she represents a symbol to the people in this country who value equality and freedom.Her inauguration took place today in Ottawa...
"TORONTO (AP) - Queen Elizabeth II's new representative in Canada, a refugee from Haiti, was sworn in Tuesday as the nation's 27th governor general in a ceremony steeped in British tradition and Canadian color.
Michaelle Jean is the first black person and only the third woman to hold the largely ceremonial post as head of state, designed to defend Canada's sovereignty and promote its national identity.
The 48-year-old journalist and documentary filmmaker, whose family fled dictatorship in Haiti when she was 11, is among the youngest to hold the office."
For those of you who are not Canadian, I think the Governor General's job is to represent Canada internationally - in a non political way... as well as to promote unity and Canadian identity within Canada.
If you haven't seen Rideau Hall, the residence for the Governor General, it's pretty cool. It is a huge mansion (aka palace) located on dozens of acres of property in the richest neighbourhood in town. They even have cermonial guards there, like the ones at Buckingham palace. There are riding stables, an ice rink, a huge park and much more. The new governor general has a 7 year old daughter... imagine what her new life is going to be like. I think we will have a new little princess in Ottawa!
Monday, September 26, 2005
Friends, Fun and Values
We had our second session of JR OWL yesterday... We had 12 kids (so there were 3 new ones) and it went really well. Our theme was "values"... and we had an auction so that everyone was given $300 and they could bid on whatever value was most important to them.
Oliver bid on (and won) "being good looking and popular" while his friend Eric bid on (and won) "being a good friend". It was interesting to see what different kids would bid on. Then we had a good talk about where we get our values and how one might transmit our own values to our children. It was a lot of fun.
There was also a training going on all weekend for new teachers for OWL and I got to meet quite a few of the visiting people. Some were here from Fredericton (New Brunswick), Toronto, Kingston and Durham region.
Yesterday afternoon I took Owen, Zoe, Oliver and Oliver's friend Eric to see the Corpse Bride. It was pretty cool - not as dark and scary as Nightmare Before Christmas. I really loved the music. We also saw the trailer for the new Harry Potter movie which looks amazing.
Oliver bid on (and won) "being good looking and popular" while his friend Eric bid on (and won) "being a good friend". It was interesting to see what different kids would bid on. Then we had a good talk about where we get our values and how one might transmit our own values to our children. It was a lot of fun.
There was also a training going on all weekend for new teachers for OWL and I got to meet quite a few of the visiting people. Some were here from Fredericton (New Brunswick), Toronto, Kingston and Durham region.
Yesterday afternoon I took Owen, Zoe, Oliver and Oliver's friend Eric to see the Corpse Bride. It was pretty cool - not as dark and scary as Nightmare Before Christmas. I really loved the music. We also saw the trailer for the new Harry Potter movie which looks amazing.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
A (Late) Happy Equinox to All!
It has been a busy week... and I wanted to mention the Fall Equinox... even though I am a few days late.
The Autumnal Equinox
As with the Vernal Equinox, the Autumnal or Fall Equinox, also known as Mabon to those who follow the Olde Way, is the time when day and night are equal. Here the land is full of the gifts of nature and the effort of humankind.
The night air has a tang about it, the darkness of winter is coming and it's time for the earth to sleep until the sun is again brought forth from the dark.
The Second Harvest
In the ancient cycle of the year, this was actually the second harvest; the first harvest festival occurs on August 1st and is known as Lammas.
As methods of agriculture became more uniform and sophisticated, the autumn harvest was moved back until the last possible growing time was completed to maximize its size.
As such, the Autumnal Equinox became synonymous with not only the completion of the harvest, but also the end of summer.
If you are interested in more information, go here.
Friday, September 23, 2005
Teen Murdered, Police Searching Homes
When local teen Jennifer Teague went missing last week, the police mounted a huge search which included a door to door search of every home that was on the path she took on her way home from work late that night.
Meanwhile, ten days later, her body was found on a nearby trail, so now they are focusing on a murder investigation instead of a "missing person" investigation.
Many issues have come up in the community including whether a curfew would have prevented this tragedy (I don't think so, she was 18)... and whether it could have been prevented by her employer (Wendy's) if they had a "drive home" policy for staff going home after midnight. (I doubt it, especially if the person who did it was known to her).
On a related issue, today I was talking to some friends about the issue of police searches without warrants (either of your person or your house). My friend, who is a mom, said she would definitely aid the police and let them in her house if they asked. Her husband said that he would never let the police into his house without a warrant, or at least without a lawyer present. The basis for the argument was that you can't trust police officers who are under a huge amount of pressure to solve these crimes.
As a person who has witnessed huge violations of people's rights by the police, I tend to agree that you would want to have a neutral witness to any search of your house. On the other hand, as a mom, if a teen girl or child in my neighbourhood was missing, I certainly would want to help the police in eliminating suspects and finding the guilty party.
What do you think? If the police came to your door asking to search your home because of a missing child on your block, would you let them in without a warrant?
Meanwhile, ten days later, her body was found on a nearby trail, so now they are focusing on a murder investigation instead of a "missing person" investigation.
Many issues have come up in the community including whether a curfew would have prevented this tragedy (I don't think so, she was 18)... and whether it could have been prevented by her employer (Wendy's) if they had a "drive home" policy for staff going home after midnight. (I doubt it, especially if the person who did it was known to her).
On a related issue, today I was talking to some friends about the issue of police searches without warrants (either of your person or your house). My friend, who is a mom, said she would definitely aid the police and let them in her house if they asked. Her husband said that he would never let the police into his house without a warrant, or at least without a lawyer present. The basis for the argument was that you can't trust police officers who are under a huge amount of pressure to solve these crimes.
As a person who has witnessed huge violations of people's rights by the police, I tend to agree that you would want to have a neutral witness to any search of your house. On the other hand, as a mom, if a teen girl or child in my neighbourhood was missing, I certainly would want to help the police in eliminating suspects and finding the guilty party.
What do you think? If the police came to your door asking to search your home because of a missing child on your block, would you let them in without a warrant?
Meet the Teacher Night
Thursday was the meet the teacher night at our kids' high school. The way it works is that you are supposed to go to an assembly and then "experience" your child's day by attending each of their 4 classes for about 15 min. each. The only problem is that we have three kids attending this school, in grades 9, 10 and 12.
There was no way we could visit each teacher so we agreed to split ourselves between the two younger kids' classes. I was able to catch one of Zoe's teachers before the event began so during that class time I snuck into Oliver's art class where I found Eric and his ex, Deb.
The art teacher asked me as I entered "And who do you belong to?". I hesitated, and started saying something like "It's a bit complicated... I am Oliver's..." At that moment, Deb interrupted me and said... "She isn't a parent. She's just a guardian."
The poor teacher looked confused and there were lots of other parents looking on, so I didn't say anything. Later that night when we were home, the teacher emailed Eric and it seemed like maybe she had misunderstood who was with who, as she addressed the message to Eric and Deb. He responded, and clarified that Oliver was living with him and his partner (me).
I told Oliver what his mom had said about me, and he thought it was cool that I am his "Guardian"... we agreed that it sounds like some kind of character in a video game and that I probably needed some kind of cool weapon so I could do a good job in protecting him. (Remember, this kid is 14!!)
I do feel sorry for the teachers having to try to keep it all straight, what with half of the kids coming from "blended families" these days. But hey, I think its great that kids have more adults in their lives. The more the better is what I say.
Meanwhile, after meeting Zoe's teachers, I came home and reported back to her. She said "What did you think?" And I replied... "Boy you sure have some hot teachers!" She looked at me like I was nuts. Then I said, "...and if I weren't heterosexual, I would say that your civics teacher (a woman) is pretty hot too."
In other news... Oliver told me today that he has applied to be on the student council (in grade 9 you apply by getting 5 teachers and 5 students to sign your nomination sheet). I was very proud as I casually had mentioned the idea to him about two weeks ago. I think I am having a subtle influence on this kid. :)
There was no way we could visit each teacher so we agreed to split ourselves between the two younger kids' classes. I was able to catch one of Zoe's teachers before the event began so during that class time I snuck into Oliver's art class where I found Eric and his ex, Deb.
The art teacher asked me as I entered "And who do you belong to?". I hesitated, and started saying something like "It's a bit complicated... I am Oliver's..." At that moment, Deb interrupted me and said... "She isn't a parent. She's just a guardian."
The poor teacher looked confused and there were lots of other parents looking on, so I didn't say anything. Later that night when we were home, the teacher emailed Eric and it seemed like maybe she had misunderstood who was with who, as she addressed the message to Eric and Deb. He responded, and clarified that Oliver was living with him and his partner (me).
I told Oliver what his mom had said about me, and he thought it was cool that I am his "Guardian"... we agreed that it sounds like some kind of character in a video game and that I probably needed some kind of cool weapon so I could do a good job in protecting him. (Remember, this kid is 14!!)
I do feel sorry for the teachers having to try to keep it all straight, what with half of the kids coming from "blended families" these days. But hey, I think its great that kids have more adults in their lives. The more the better is what I say.
Meanwhile, after meeting Zoe's teachers, I came home and reported back to her. She said "What did you think?" And I replied... "Boy you sure have some hot teachers!" She looked at me like I was nuts. Then I said, "...and if I weren't heterosexual, I would say that your civics teacher (a woman) is pretty hot too."
In other news... Oliver told me today that he has applied to be on the student council (in grade 9 you apply by getting 5 teachers and 5 students to sign your nomination sheet). I was very proud as I casually had mentioned the idea to him about two weeks ago. I think I am having a subtle influence on this kid. :)
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Owen's School Project
Owen had to do a project on urban and rural settings and find a picture to represent each one. This is the picture he picked for rural. He has such a sense of humour!
Monday, September 19, 2005
Learning in your own back yard!
Now this is an amazing picture! Kim over at Relaxed Homeskool took it on her deck. Kim regularly posts really cool pictures on her blog plus lots of great blogging about her adventures with her children. She is also involved in many other projects including a homeschooling zine and a regular podcast. Go visit!
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Another Sunday
Another Sunday has come and gone. I can't believe how fast the weekends are going. On Saturday it was a rainy day... I spent some time with Dad in the morning.... then I got groceries and then met with a client in the afternoon. In the evening we played a game of Catan (Eric, Dad, Oliver and I), then we watched Blade Trinity, which I would describe as something half way between the Maitrix and Buffy the Vampire Slayer! We did enjoy it.
Today we went to church (my JR OWL program started today and we had 9 youth participate). This afternoon Dorothy and I took the dogs for a long walk -- and then I went off to talk to someone about a refugee case. This evening we have just been hanging around watching a rerun of Pearl Harbour.
Today we went to church (my JR OWL program started today and we had 9 youth participate). This afternoon Dorothy and I took the dogs for a long walk -- and then I went off to talk to someone about a refugee case. This evening we have just been hanging around watching a rerun of Pearl Harbour.
Friday, September 16, 2005
What's Up?
Yesterday I went to Owen's "meet the teacher" evening... it was pretty nice visiting his class - he is feeling fairly positive about it all, after a few rough first days. His teacher says he is doing fairly well but she is concerned about his "writing disability". I am concerned that Owen has conned her into thinking he can't write things. So we will be working on that at home for the next little while!
On the bright side, Owen informed me that he has joined the cross country team and loves running the course several times a week. I want to find out when the meet is so hopefully I can go.
Dorothy has started working regularly three days a week, so I was worried about the dogs being left alone too often, so I came home during the day to check on them a few times this week. I found out that dad has been letting them out, so that helps some. The darn puppy is still not trained and its getting pretty old.
Zoe started guitar lessons this week and has to be at school at 7:30 am twice a week for the lessons. I thought she was nuts to attempt this, as she is NOT a morning person (and neither am I so there is no way I can get her there). Apparently the teacher is really cool and she is enjoying it - even though she has to get up a lot earlier. And she will get an extra credit this way which is great.
This morning I got a message from a client of mine (a teen girl) who has gone into labour so I am hoping to go to visit her this weekend some time to see her. She is pretty isolated and a real sweet heart, so I hope it goes ok for her.
Today we spent the afternoon and evening at a friends house. We visited, had dinner and watched King Arthur, which I have seen several times before, but I love that movie so it was great seeing it again.
Amelia has taken off for Toronto for the weekend to go to a concert with friends, so it's pretty quiet around here.
On the bright side, Owen informed me that he has joined the cross country team and loves running the course several times a week. I want to find out when the meet is so hopefully I can go.
Dorothy has started working regularly three days a week, so I was worried about the dogs being left alone too often, so I came home during the day to check on them a few times this week. I found out that dad has been letting them out, so that helps some. The darn puppy is still not trained and its getting pretty old.
Zoe started guitar lessons this week and has to be at school at 7:30 am twice a week for the lessons. I thought she was nuts to attempt this, as she is NOT a morning person (and neither am I so there is no way I can get her there). Apparently the teacher is really cool and she is enjoying it - even though she has to get up a lot earlier. And she will get an extra credit this way which is great.
This morning I got a message from a client of mine (a teen girl) who has gone into labour so I am hoping to go to visit her this weekend some time to see her. She is pretty isolated and a real sweet heart, so I hope it goes ok for her.
Today we spent the afternoon and evening at a friends house. We visited, had dinner and watched King Arthur, which I have seen several times before, but I love that movie so it was great seeing it again.
Amelia has taken off for Toronto for the weekend to go to a concert with friends, so it's pretty quiet around here.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Homework Update
So apparently, Owen's class (grade 3) is being assigned homework on Mondays which is due by Friday of each week. So we decided that every Monday night we would have a homework club (along with Oliver who seems to need the company and moral support to get his homework done). On Monday night we did this for the first time and the three of us sat at the dining room table and did French (Oliver), Math & Reading (Owen).
Oliver has been really anxious about French, as he was out of province for two years and had no French in BC. Apparently there, Spanish was offered??? But on Monday he said that he was thinking about continuing in French after grade 9. (In Ontario, grade 9 is the last mandatory year of French). Why this sudden change of heart?
He got 3/3 on his first French assignment. (I didn't take the opportunity to remind him that I helped him out with that first assignment!) My boost of help has boosted his self confidence and he is starting to realize that he actually does remember quite a bit of the French he learned up until grade 6.
Oliver has been really anxious about French, as he was out of province for two years and had no French in BC. Apparently there, Spanish was offered??? But on Monday he said that he was thinking about continuing in French after grade 9. (In Ontario, grade 9 is the last mandatory year of French). Why this sudden change of heart?
He got 3/3 on his first French assignment. (I didn't take the opportunity to remind him that I helped him out with that first assignment!) My boost of help has boosted his self confidence and he is starting to realize that he actually does remember quite a bit of the French he learned up until grade 6.
No - No - Notary Public
Yesterday was a whirlwind of fun at the office. I had about 5 requests for Notary services and they were all different types of requests so I learned alot. The other countries or jurisdictions involved included: England, India, Singapore, Quebec and Nunavut.
The funniest moment was when one woman asked me if we could change the date on the notarial certificate. I asked her why... she said, "It's the 13th - it's bad luck!"
I told her that unfortunately we weren't allowed to do that - but that she could come back tomorrow if she wanted to! (she decided to stick with the 13th)
The funniest moment was when one woman asked me if we could change the date on the notarial certificate. I asked her why... she said, "It's the 13th - it's bad luck!"
I told her that unfortunately we weren't allowed to do that - but that she could come back tomorrow if she wanted to! (she decided to stick with the 13th)
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
no sharia law for ontario
The Premier of our Province has been under huge pressure, both locally and internationally, to close the door on Sharia law being part of our legal system in Ontario. Thank goodness he made the right decision. This article was published in today's Toronto Star....
Editorial: McGuinty's sharia call
Premier Dalton McGuinty may have rid himself of a nasty political controversy by deciding to ban faith-based arbitration in Ontario, rather than introduce Islamic traditions into a process already used by Christians, Jews and others. But by signalling his move in a hurried weekend phone call to the Canadian Press news service, without consulting those affected, McGuinty looks more like a firefighter than a crafter of coherent public policy.
This abrupt rollback of Christian and Jewish rights will strike some as unfair, even as some Muslims complain of being denied rights in the first place. It leaves foes of faith-based panels, including some Muslims, crying victory in a debate that shed more heat than light.
While Canadians are a tolerant people, the uproar over introducing Islamic sharia law in divorce, child custody and inheritance exposed a huge fault line in Ontario, where many feared, rightly or not, that religion might trump human rights.
Supporters of voluntary faith-based arbitration complain McGuinty has chosen the expedient option, over the forward-looking, multicultural one.
But whatever one's view, McGuinty deserves credit for opting to treat Christians, Muslims, Jews and other faith communities equitably. It would have been intolerable to permit Christians and others to continue to have faith-based panels, but to deny them to Muslims. It would also probably have been unlawful.
The Star has supported expanding the arbitration rules to include sharia, for two reasons. This newspaper believes the Ontario courts are fully capable of supervising voluntary, faith-based arbitration — providing strong safeguards are in place to protect the rights of women and children of all faiths. The 1991 Arbitration Act requires panels to treat parties "equally and fairly." The Star also felt Muslims should not be denied services open to other faiths.
However, McGuinty failed to persuade passionate opponents, including Muslim women critics, that the government would find a regulatory way to ensure Islamic panels would not favour men's rights over those of women and children. That failure to persuade sealed the panels' fate.
While McGuinty should have been more creative in reconciling Ontario law with the needs of a modern multicultural society, he cannot be faulted for insisting that the law reign supreme in disputes that affect the family, society's bedrock institution. Or that the law must apply equitably to all faiths, even if it means denying them all recourse to an alternative dispute-settlement mechanism.
By affirming these principles, his decision at least salvages something positive from a nasty controversy.
Of course, Ontarians remain free to seek religious advice in family matters, and to settle their differences amicably, within their own cultures.
But when disputes do end up before a judge, it will be Ontario law alone that resolves them, preserving what McGuinty calls "our common ground." That common ground is worth rediscovering, after this fractious debate.
Editorial: McGuinty's sharia call
Premier Dalton McGuinty may have rid himself of a nasty political controversy by deciding to ban faith-based arbitration in Ontario, rather than introduce Islamic traditions into a process already used by Christians, Jews and others. But by signalling his move in a hurried weekend phone call to the Canadian Press news service, without consulting those affected, McGuinty looks more like a firefighter than a crafter of coherent public policy.
This abrupt rollback of Christian and Jewish rights will strike some as unfair, even as some Muslims complain of being denied rights in the first place. It leaves foes of faith-based panels, including some Muslims, crying victory in a debate that shed more heat than light.
While Canadians are a tolerant people, the uproar over introducing Islamic sharia law in divorce, child custody and inheritance exposed a huge fault line in Ontario, where many feared, rightly or not, that religion might trump human rights.
Supporters of voluntary faith-based arbitration complain McGuinty has chosen the expedient option, over the forward-looking, multicultural one.
But whatever one's view, McGuinty deserves credit for opting to treat Christians, Muslims, Jews and other faith communities equitably. It would have been intolerable to permit Christians and others to continue to have faith-based panels, but to deny them to Muslims. It would also probably have been unlawful.
The Star has supported expanding the arbitration rules to include sharia, for two reasons. This newspaper believes the Ontario courts are fully capable of supervising voluntary, faith-based arbitration — providing strong safeguards are in place to protect the rights of women and children of all faiths. The 1991 Arbitration Act requires panels to treat parties "equally and fairly." The Star also felt Muslims should not be denied services open to other faiths.
However, McGuinty failed to persuade passionate opponents, including Muslim women critics, that the government would find a regulatory way to ensure Islamic panels would not favour men's rights over those of women and children. That failure to persuade sealed the panels' fate.
While McGuinty should have been more creative in reconciling Ontario law with the needs of a modern multicultural society, he cannot be faulted for insisting that the law reign supreme in disputes that affect the family, society's bedrock institution. Or that the law must apply equitably to all faiths, even if it means denying them all recourse to an alternative dispute-settlement mechanism.
By affirming these principles, his decision at least salvages something positive from a nasty controversy.
Of course, Ontarians remain free to seek religious advice in family matters, and to settle their differences amicably, within their own cultures.
But when disputes do end up before a judge, it will be Ontario law alone that resolves them, preserving what McGuinty calls "our common ground." That common ground is worth rediscovering, after this fractious debate.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
youth advisor -- at church and at home!
I agreed to be a youth advisor at our church this year (on top of my sex ed teaching commitments) but am trying not to agree to do to much other than attend a maximum of once a month.
So today was the first day - - we had about 12 youth show up, which seemed pretty good for the first week. One of the items discussed was the potential re-painting of the youth room. In the past (about 5 years ago), the youth room was painted by enthusiastic, dynamic youth, who have now grown up and moved on. At the time, some of the things they wrote (very graffitti like) upset some of the older members of the church.
Meanwhile a new younger group is here now and we are discussing whether we should re-do the whole room. Two of the current youth are younger siblings of the group who did the room in the past so they have some distant "ownership" on some of the artwork. So we ended up examining piece by piece - and putting a piece of masking tape over any parts that we didn't like or seems to have no current meaning to the group. It looks like we will be redoing sections of the walls and keeping some of the better parts for "history" sake.
Otherwise it went ok. I like most of the kids -- I was not as impressed with some of the other youth advisors. They are a bit bizarre - but maybe once I get to know them better it will feel ok. Anyway, I didn't volunteer to do anything so I am HAPPY.
Meanwhile - at home early this morning, Amelia started yelling and screaming in the kitchen. Eric went out to see what the problem was. It seems that Amelia had started some artistic project (for school or otherwise?) -- basically she had cut out some letters in a magazine and glued them to the cover of a journal with white glue. She had left it out to dry in the rec room downstairs (where SHE KNOWS that the boys hang out). On top of this she left a pile of other stuff (i.e books) on top of the big freezer down there.
I know for a fact that we bought groceries twice over the weekend which would require someone to put the food in the freezer. This person must have moved her stuff onto the sofa, where her "precious" art work was. It landed on top of it and the glue was still wet, so it wrecked it.
Of course, this is all OUR FAULT. And we are all EVIL. When I came out to the kitchen and she was hysterical -- I looked at her and said - well, for this much noise there had better be blood. She looked at me and told me what the problem was. I said -- "look you have the biggest bedroom in the house and you can't keep your stuff in there??? Whose fault was it? Yes, youhave the right to be angry and frustrated - AT YOURSELF. Please don't take it out on us."
Sometimes kids are such inconsiderate jerks. I really do like Amelia, but she is over 18 now and should be beyond such emotional tantrums. As well, I have decided if she yells at me I will yell right back to see if she likes it.
So today was the first day - - we had about 12 youth show up, which seemed pretty good for the first week. One of the items discussed was the potential re-painting of the youth room. In the past (about 5 years ago), the youth room was painted by enthusiastic, dynamic youth, who have now grown up and moved on. At the time, some of the things they wrote (very graffitti like) upset some of the older members of the church.
Meanwhile a new younger group is here now and we are discussing whether we should re-do the whole room. Two of the current youth are younger siblings of the group who did the room in the past so they have some distant "ownership" on some of the artwork. So we ended up examining piece by piece - and putting a piece of masking tape over any parts that we didn't like or seems to have no current meaning to the group. It looks like we will be redoing sections of the walls and keeping some of the better parts for "history" sake.
Otherwise it went ok. I like most of the kids -- I was not as impressed with some of the other youth advisors. They are a bit bizarre - but maybe once I get to know them better it will feel ok. Anyway, I didn't volunteer to do anything so I am HAPPY.
Meanwhile - at home early this morning, Amelia started yelling and screaming in the kitchen. Eric went out to see what the problem was. It seems that Amelia had started some artistic project (for school or otherwise?) -- basically she had cut out some letters in a magazine and glued them to the cover of a journal with white glue. She had left it out to dry in the rec room downstairs (where SHE KNOWS that the boys hang out). On top of this she left a pile of other stuff (i.e books) on top of the big freezer down there.
I know for a fact that we bought groceries twice over the weekend which would require someone to put the food in the freezer. This person must have moved her stuff onto the sofa, where her "precious" art work was. It landed on top of it and the glue was still wet, so it wrecked it.
Of course, this is all OUR FAULT. And we are all EVIL. When I came out to the kitchen and she was hysterical -- I looked at her and said - well, for this much noise there had better be blood. She looked at me and told me what the problem was. I said -- "look you have the biggest bedroom in the house and you can't keep your stuff in there??? Whose fault was it? Yes, youhave the right to be angry and frustrated - AT YOURSELF. Please don't take it out on us."
Sometimes kids are such inconsiderate jerks. I really do like Amelia, but she is over 18 now and should be beyond such emotional tantrums. As well, I have decided if she yells at me I will yell right back to see if she likes it.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
letting our hair down
ok... so yesterday certain friends of mine invited me out for "lunch"... so we met at noon at a local pub and, yes, we had lunch, I had a roast beef club...
but we also had lots of beer... and well... none of us went back to work... I did not make it home until almost 7 pm... and then I just went to bed and slept pretty much for over 12 hours.
sometimes it is nice to just get out and "relax". it was fun though. (now don't start thinking that this is a regular occurence for me... maybe once or twice a year)
but we also had lots of beer... and well... none of us went back to work... I did not make it home until almost 7 pm... and then I just went to bed and slept pretty much for over 12 hours.
sometimes it is nice to just get out and "relax". it was fun though. (now don't start thinking that this is a regular occurence for me... maybe once or twice a year)
Friday, September 09, 2005
owen getting his fishing stuff ready
Thursday, September 08, 2005
I Love David Suzuki
We were just watching the late news and saw a great report on the Unitarian Service Council's special evening held here in Ottawa tonight. Their guests were Bruce Cockburn, an incredible Canadian performer and David Suzuki.
Bruce Cockburn is one of my long time favorite artists and I have seen him perform live twice in my life about twenty years apart. He is famous for his "If I Had a Rocket Launcher Song" and several others.
They showed a clip of David Suzuki talking about the disaster in New Orleans. Part of what he said included a comment something like this... "it is clear there will be long term ramifications and repercussions about this crisis, I just hope that somewhere along the way, someone beats the shit out of George Bush!"
I have to say that was quite funny -- shocking yes -- but funny.
Bruce Cockburn is one of my long time favorite artists and I have seen him perform live twice in my life about twenty years apart. He is famous for his "If I Had a Rocket Launcher Song" and several others.
They showed a clip of David Suzuki talking about the disaster in New Orleans. Part of what he said included a comment something like this... "it is clear there will be long term ramifications and repercussions about this crisis, I just hope that somewhere along the way, someone beats the shit out of George Bush!"
I have to say that was quite funny -- shocking yes -- but funny.
Overeaction? What me?
So yesterday after I had talked to Sarah, I emailed the Canadian consulate in Shanghai and asked them to check in on her. Within a few hours, they had done so. Today when I talked to her, she said... "MOMMMMM! Why did you do that???"
I guess she thinks I was being overprotective and trying to "rescue" her. But I told her that I just wanted her to know that she has an option if she is still sick in a few days.
The good news is that she is marginally better today and starting to feel like eating a bit. She also sounded a bit more optimistic about her situation. I will check in with her on the weekend to see how it is going.
Sometimes it is very hard to just stay uninvolved. Especially when you know your kid is miserable.
I guess she thinks I was being overprotective and trying to "rescue" her. But I told her that I just wanted her to know that she has an option if she is still sick in a few days.
The good news is that she is marginally better today and starting to feel like eating a bit. She also sounded a bit more optimistic about her situation. I will check in with her on the weekend to see how it is going.
Sometimes it is very hard to just stay uninvolved. Especially when you know your kid is miserable.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Update from China
I was afraid to post about this as I didn't have enough information yesterday. I received a short email from Sarah (who is in China) saying that she had been hospitalized. I talked to her this morning and apparently she has some kind of bacterial infection in her stomach.
She is really discouraged and depressed -- she hasn't been able to eat much for the past 5 days and isn't sleeping much. She feels very alone and a bit scared about it all. We had a long talk and I said I would call her back tomorrow to see if she feels any better yet. She was prescribed a ton of antibiotics, so they will need time to be effective.
We discussed the possibility of her coming back home for the first time. I was afraid to bring it up as I don't want her to think that I don't have faith in her ability to do well out there. But it's pretty hard to be sick when you are alone. I basically said that she should take some time to think about her options and we can figure it out in the next few days. She actually enjoyed her first week teaching, but then she got sick.
I am hoping that her meds do the trick and she is ok. Then she can make a decision with a clear mind. I also sent an email to the Canadian embassy in Shanghai, in an attempt to find someone who can contact her and check on her medical situation. Foreign Affairs helps Canadians who have problems in other countries, so I hope they can at least call her there and provide her with some moral support on site, so to speak.
She is really discouraged and depressed -- she hasn't been able to eat much for the past 5 days and isn't sleeping much. She feels very alone and a bit scared about it all. We had a long talk and I said I would call her back tomorrow to see if she feels any better yet. She was prescribed a ton of antibiotics, so they will need time to be effective.
We discussed the possibility of her coming back home for the first time. I was afraid to bring it up as I don't want her to think that I don't have faith in her ability to do well out there. But it's pretty hard to be sick when you are alone. I basically said that she should take some time to think about her options and we can figure it out in the next few days. She actually enjoyed her first week teaching, but then she got sick.
I am hoping that her meds do the trick and she is ok. Then she can make a decision with a clear mind. I also sent an email to the Canadian embassy in Shanghai, in an attempt to find someone who can contact her and check on her medical situation. Foreign Affairs helps Canadians who have problems in other countries, so I hope they can at least call her there and provide her with some moral support on site, so to speak.
Love and Family
There have been so many horrendous stories coming to us every night on the news from down south...I am almost afraid to watch the news any more, my heart is just about broken... thanks so much to Todd for finding and linking to this story:
BATON ROUGE, La. — In the chaos that was Causeway Boulevard, this group of refugees stood out: a 6-year-old boy walking down the road, holding a 5-month-old, surrounded by five toddlers who followed him around as if he were their leader.
They were holding hands. Three of the children were about 2 years old. A 3-year-old girl, who wore colorful barrettes on the ends of her braids, had her 14-month-old brother in tow. The 6-year-old spoke for all of them, and he told rescuers his name was Deamonte Love.
To read the rest of this story... check here.
BATON ROUGE, La. — In the chaos that was Causeway Boulevard, this group of refugees stood out: a 6-year-old boy walking down the road, holding a 5-month-old, surrounded by five toddlers who followed him around as if he were their leader.
They were holding hands. Three of the children were about 2 years old. A 3-year-old girl, who wore colorful barrettes on the ends of her braids, had her 14-month-old brother in tow. The 6-year-old spoke for all of them, and he told rescuers his name was Deamonte Love.
To read the rest of this story... check here.
Gone Fishing
Monday was a holiday here in Canada. Pretty much everyone is off work and most stores are closed. It was a beautiful day so I wanted to try to do something outside. Owen and I decided to go fishing at Hog's Back Falls.
After about 30 minutes, we had gotten set up and we got a huge bite! We learned later on that it must have been a "muskie"... which are over a foot long. Of course, it got away... it was so big that it broke our fishing line.
A little while later, Owen decided to fill up the small cooler with water so that if we caught a fish it would have a place to go. While leaning over the river to do this, he fell in and it was up to his armpits! He was pretty upset and totally soaked and he wanted to go home.
I talked to him for a while... after all it was a beautiful hot summer day... it didn't really matter that he was wet. I told him that all serious fishermen fall into the river or lake several times -- they aren't afraid to get wet. So he decided to stay a bit longer... at least until we used up our worms.
We ended up staying about 4 hours -- and we had a great time. We caught 4 more fish... one was so small we decided to let it go. Owen insisted on bringing home the other three... we later identified them as a sunfish (or bluegill), a smallmouth bass and a rock bass. They were pretty small but Owen wanted to prove to everyone that he had caught them... I warned him that if we brought them home we had to eat them. He agreed.
A little while later we had three fish alive in our kitchen sink. The other kids were freaking out. I didn't particularly want to cut their heads off, and when Amelia's boyfriend offered to help, I said "great!" and stepped aside. He knocked them out with a beer bottle and then cut off their heads. I then tried to cut them into little filets to fry -- it didn't go very well but I did end up with a bowlful of cooked fish... which everyone tried a bit of.
I think it was a good lesson on where we get our food from - I think our society is too desensitized and separated from where meat and fish actually come from. It was also a good lesson to me on how it would have been much cheaper to just go buy some fish at the market!
After about 30 minutes, we had gotten set up and we got a huge bite! We learned later on that it must have been a "muskie"... which are over a foot long. Of course, it got away... it was so big that it broke our fishing line.
A little while later, Owen decided to fill up the small cooler with water so that if we caught a fish it would have a place to go. While leaning over the river to do this, he fell in and it was up to his armpits! He was pretty upset and totally soaked and he wanted to go home.
I talked to him for a while... after all it was a beautiful hot summer day... it didn't really matter that he was wet. I told him that all serious fishermen fall into the river or lake several times -- they aren't afraid to get wet. So he decided to stay a bit longer... at least until we used up our worms.
We ended up staying about 4 hours -- and we had a great time. We caught 4 more fish... one was so small we decided to let it go. Owen insisted on bringing home the other three... we later identified them as a sunfish (or bluegill), a smallmouth bass and a rock bass. They were pretty small but Owen wanted to prove to everyone that he had caught them... I warned him that if we brought them home we had to eat them. He agreed.
A little while later we had three fish alive in our kitchen sink. The other kids were freaking out. I didn't particularly want to cut their heads off, and when Amelia's boyfriend offered to help, I said "great!" and stepped aside. He knocked them out with a beer bottle and then cut off their heads. I then tried to cut them into little filets to fry -- it didn't go very well but I did end up with a bowlful of cooked fish... which everyone tried a bit of.
I think it was a good lesson on where we get our food from - I think our society is too desensitized and separated from where meat and fish actually come from. It was also a good lesson to me on how it would have been much cheaper to just go buy some fish at the market!
Monday, September 05, 2005
Memories from the Beach...
Sunny Days...
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Your Favorite Songs?
Todd at Quirky Outtakes linked to this meme. You are supposed to go here (bottom of page), find the top 100 songs from the year you graduated high school. Cut and paste the list, then hilight the ones you loved, cross off the ones you hated and leave the ones you have no opinion about. My year was 1981. (grade 12 graduation) ** I don't know how to cross off things... so I will put the ones I hated in red.
1. Bette Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes
2. Endless Love, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
3. Lady, Kenny Rogers
4. (Just Like) Starting Over, John Lennon
5. Jessie's Girl, Rick Springfield
6. Celebration, Kool and The Gang
7. Kiss On My List, Daryl Hall and John Oates
8. I Love A Rainy Night, Eddie Rabbitt
9. 9 To 5, Dolly Parton
10. Keep On Loving You, REO Speedwagon
11. Theme From "Greatest American Hero", Joey Scarbury
12. Morning Train (Nine To Five), Sheena Easton
13. Being With You, Smokey Robinson
14. Queen Of Hearts, Juice Newton
15. Rapture, Blondie
16. A Woman Needs Love, Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio
17. The Tide Is High, Blondie
18. Just The Two Of Us, Grover Washington Jr.
19. Slow Hand, Pointer Sisters
20. I Love You, Climax Blues Band
21. Woman, John Lennon
22. Sukiyaki, A Taste Of Honey
23. The Winner Takes It All, Abba
24. Medley, Stars On 45
25. Angel Of The Morning, Juice Newton
26. Love On The Rocks, Neil Diamond
27. Every Woman In The World, Air Supply
28. The One That You Love, Air Supply
29. Guilty, Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb
30. The Best Of Times, Styx
31. Elvira, Oak Ridge Boys
32. Take It On The Run, REO Speedwagon
33. No Gettin' Over Me, Ronnie Milsap
34. Living Outside Myself, Gino Vannelli
35. Woman In Love, Barbra Streisand
36. Boy From New York City, Manhattan Transfer
37. Urgent, Foreigner
38. Passion, Rod Stewart
39. Lady (You Bring Me Up), Commodores
40. Crying, Don Mclean
41. Hearts, Marty Balin
42. It's My Turn, Diana Ross
43. You Make My Dreams, Daryl Hall and John Oates
44. I Don't Need You, Kenny Rogers
45. How 'Bout Us, Champaign
46. Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Pat Benatar
47. The Breakup Song, Greg Kihn Band
48. Time, Alan Parsons Project
49. Hungry Heart, Bruce Springsteen
50. Sweetheart, Franke and The Knockouts
51. Someone's Knockin', Terri Gibbs
52. More Than I Can Say, Leo Sayer
53. Together, Tierra
54. Too Much Time On My Hands, Styx
55. What Are We Doin' In Love, Dottie West
56. Who's Crying Now, Journey
57. De Do Do Do, De Da Da, Police
58. This Little Girl, Gary U.S. Bonds
59. Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, Stevie Nicks With Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
60. Giving It Up For Your Love, Delbert McClinton
61. A Little In Love, Cliff Richard
62. America, Neil Diamond
63. Ain't Even Done With The Night, John Cougar
64. Arthur's Theme, Christopher Cross
65. Another One Bites The Dust, Queen
66. Games People Play, Alan Parsons Project
67. I Can't Stand It, Eric Clapton
68. While You See A Chance, Steve Winwood
69. Master Blaster, Stevie Wonder
70. Hello Again, Neil Diamond
71. Don't Stand So Close To Me, Police
72. Hey Nineteen, Steely Dan
73. I Ain't Gonna Stand For It, Stevie Wonder
74. All Those Years Ago, George Harrison
75. Step By Step, Eddie Rabbitt 7
6. The Stroke, Billy Squier
77. Feels So Right, Alabama
78. Sweet Baby, Stanley Clarke and George Duke
79. Same Old Lang Syne, Dan Fogelberg
80. Cool Love, Pablo Cruise
81. Hold On Tight, ELO
82. It's Now Or Never, John Schneider
83. Treat Me Right, Pat Benatar
84. Winning, Santana
85. What Kind Of Fool, Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb
86. Watching The Wheels, John Lennon
87. Tell It Like It Is, Heart
88. Smoky Mountain Rain, Ronnie Milsap
89. I Made It Through The Rain, Barry Manilow
90. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Daryl Hall and John Oates
91. Suddenly, Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard
92. For Your Eyes Only, Sheena Easton
93. The Beach Boys Medley, Beach Boys
94. Whip It, Devo
95. Modern Girl, Sheena Easton
96. Really Wanna Know You, Gary Wright
97. Seven Year Ache, Rosanne Cash
98. I'm Coming Out, Diana Ross
99. Miss Sun, Boz Scaggs
100. Time Is Time, Andy Gibb
1. Bette Davis Eyes, Kim Carnes
2. Endless Love, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
3. Lady, Kenny Rogers
4. (Just Like) Starting Over, John Lennon
5. Jessie's Girl, Rick Springfield
6. Celebration, Kool and The Gang
7. Kiss On My List, Daryl Hall and John Oates
8. I Love A Rainy Night, Eddie Rabbitt
9. 9 To 5, Dolly Parton
10. Keep On Loving You, REO Speedwagon
11. Theme From "Greatest American Hero", Joey Scarbury
12. Morning Train (Nine To Five), Sheena Easton
13. Being With You, Smokey Robinson
14. Queen Of Hearts, Juice Newton
15. Rapture, Blondie
16. A Woman Needs Love, Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio
17. The Tide Is High, Blondie
18. Just The Two Of Us, Grover Washington Jr.
19. Slow Hand, Pointer Sisters
20. I Love You, Climax Blues Band
21. Woman, John Lennon
22. Sukiyaki, A Taste Of Honey
23. The Winner Takes It All, Abba
24. Medley, Stars On 45
25. Angel Of The Morning, Juice Newton
26. Love On The Rocks, Neil Diamond
27. Every Woman In The World, Air Supply
28. The One That You Love, Air Supply
29. Guilty, Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb
30. The Best Of Times, Styx
31. Elvira, Oak Ridge Boys
32. Take It On The Run, REO Speedwagon
33. No Gettin' Over Me, Ronnie Milsap
34. Living Outside Myself, Gino Vannelli
35. Woman In Love, Barbra Streisand
36. Boy From New York City, Manhattan Transfer
37. Urgent, Foreigner
38. Passion, Rod Stewart
39. Lady (You Bring Me Up), Commodores
40. Crying, Don Mclean
41. Hearts, Marty Balin
42. It's My Turn, Diana Ross
43. You Make My Dreams, Daryl Hall and John Oates
44. I Don't Need You, Kenny Rogers
45. How 'Bout Us, Champaign
46. Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Pat Benatar
47. The Breakup Song, Greg Kihn Band
48. Time, Alan Parsons Project
49. Hungry Heart, Bruce Springsteen
50. Sweetheart, Franke and The Knockouts
51. Someone's Knockin', Terri Gibbs
52. More Than I Can Say, Leo Sayer
53. Together, Tierra
54. Too Much Time On My Hands, Styx
55. What Are We Doin' In Love, Dottie West
56. Who's Crying Now, Journey
57. De Do Do Do, De Da Da, Police
58. This Little Girl, Gary U.S. Bonds
59. Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, Stevie Nicks With Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
60. Giving It Up For Your Love, Delbert McClinton
61. A Little In Love, Cliff Richard
62. America, Neil Diamond
63. Ain't Even Done With The Night, John Cougar
64. Arthur's Theme, Christopher Cross
65. Another One Bites The Dust, Queen
66. Games People Play, Alan Parsons Project
67. I Can't Stand It, Eric Clapton
68. While You See A Chance, Steve Winwood
69. Master Blaster, Stevie Wonder
70. Hello Again, Neil Diamond
71. Don't Stand So Close To Me, Police
72. Hey Nineteen, Steely Dan
73. I Ain't Gonna Stand For It, Stevie Wonder
74. All Those Years Ago, George Harrison
75. Step By Step, Eddie Rabbitt 7
6. The Stroke, Billy Squier
77. Feels So Right, Alabama
78. Sweet Baby, Stanley Clarke and George Duke
79. Same Old Lang Syne, Dan Fogelberg
80. Cool Love, Pablo Cruise
81. Hold On Tight, ELO
82. It's Now Or Never, John Schneider
83. Treat Me Right, Pat Benatar
84. Winning, Santana
85. What Kind Of Fool, Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb
86. Watching The Wheels, John Lennon
87. Tell It Like It Is, Heart
88. Smoky Mountain Rain, Ronnie Milsap
89. I Made It Through The Rain, Barry Manilow
90. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin', Daryl Hall and John Oates
91. Suddenly, Olivia Newton-John and Cliff Richard
92. For Your Eyes Only, Sheena Easton
93. The Beach Boys Medley, Beach Boys
94. Whip It, Devo
95. Modern Girl, Sheena Easton
96. Really Wanna Know You, Gary Wright
97. Seven Year Ache, Rosanne Cash
98. I'm Coming Out, Diana Ross
99. Miss Sun, Boz Scaggs
100. Time Is Time, Andy Gibb
Sarah over at Poppins Classical Academy posted about some of the commentary on the recent debate over whether to allow the addition of "Intelligent Design" to the science curriculum in several states, specifically Kansas. Apparently thousands of scientists around the world have responded, one of them at this site.
Another religious group the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, has developed a theory that global warming is linked to the decline of pirates. According to the the chart on their site, there is a direct correlation between these two issues.
For another interesting perspective, see this site, where the Invisible Pink Unicorn is gathering followers.
Don't you just love the diversity in our world? And now it is all online.
Weekend Update
It is Saturday and I feel like we lost a few days this week... I guess mostly because our sleep was messed up and then we had to catch up.
Last night, Owen and I watched Schoolhouse Rock which I got recently. It was really neat seeing all the old songs that I watched in the 1970's. Even though I am Canadian, the American history ones were cool too. Eric and I did notice that there were some "politically incorrect" songs - for example, they didn't mention native Americans at all or women too much. Oh well, the grammar and math sections were excellent.
Later on, Eric and I watched Flatliners. I think I saw this years ago but had forgotten most of it. It is a very bizarre but intriguing story with younger versions of Kiefer Sutherland (Canadian), Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon. (Plus the youngest of the Baldwin brothers... Stephen?) Anyway we got caught up in it and then I forgot to call Sarah. OOPS!
So this morning we called her -- Owen, Dorothy and I talked to her for about an hour. I got a "calling card" online so that instead of $2.50 per minute it costs about 4cents a minute. (MUCH better deal) Sarah was telling us about teaching her first classes which started on Thursday and her recent shopping trip where she bought peanut butter, jam and bread (which is not easily found where she is). During one of her classes, she was telling the students about herself and Canada and found herself explaining "beaver tails" (a flat round pastry that is deep fried and served with different types of toppings). When the students didn't know what beavers were, she drew a picture of a beaver on the board. Apparently they laughed at her drawing ability.
We finally remembered to set up the tents on the front lawn to dry out, and sweep. We just got them taken down again as black clouds are threatening a downpour any minute now.
Today I have to remember to go pick up my computer from Dan's - hopefully it is working better now. I was supposed to go last night but I forgot to do that too. My mind is mush... I guess from being in vacation mode.
As well, we have to pick up Zoe at some point from her sleepover and swing by her dad's place to get what she needs for school, which starts this Tuesday. We may see Ruth tonight and watch a movie. I bought Beyond Borders recently, starring Angelina Jolie which I saw at the theater last year and really enjoyed.
Have to figure out what to do for dinner tonight. Am still really tired.
Last night, Owen and I watched Schoolhouse Rock which I got recently. It was really neat seeing all the old songs that I watched in the 1970's. Even though I am Canadian, the American history ones were cool too. Eric and I did notice that there were some "politically incorrect" songs - for example, they didn't mention native Americans at all or women too much. Oh well, the grammar and math sections were excellent.
Later on, Eric and I watched Flatliners. I think I saw this years ago but had forgotten most of it. It is a very bizarre but intriguing story with younger versions of Kiefer Sutherland (Canadian), Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon. (Plus the youngest of the Baldwin brothers... Stephen?) Anyway we got caught up in it and then I forgot to call Sarah. OOPS!
So this morning we called her -- Owen, Dorothy and I talked to her for about an hour. I got a "calling card" online so that instead of $2.50 per minute it costs about 4cents a minute. (MUCH better deal) Sarah was telling us about teaching her first classes which started on Thursday and her recent shopping trip where she bought peanut butter, jam and bread (which is not easily found where she is). During one of her classes, she was telling the students about herself and Canada and found herself explaining "beaver tails" (a flat round pastry that is deep fried and served with different types of toppings). When the students didn't know what beavers were, she drew a picture of a beaver on the board. Apparently they laughed at her drawing ability.
We finally remembered to set up the tents on the front lawn to dry out, and sweep. We just got them taken down again as black clouds are threatening a downpour any minute now.
Today I have to remember to go pick up my computer from Dan's - hopefully it is working better now. I was supposed to go last night but I forgot to do that too. My mind is mush... I guess from being in vacation mode.
As well, we have to pick up Zoe at some point from her sleepover and swing by her dad's place to get what she needs for school, which starts this Tuesday. We may see Ruth tonight and watch a movie. I bought Beyond Borders recently, starring Angelina Jolie which I saw at the theater last year and really enjoyed.
Have to figure out what to do for dinner tonight. Am still really tired.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Back Early...
Day 1
We were on the road by 10 am... because we had two vehicles, we had room to spare. Dorothy and I drove the van, with the dogs in their new crate and we listened to music on the way.
Eric and Dad went in the car with Owen and Oliver. We decided they could all have their "boy fun" (ie. burping and farting) without us present. Three hours of solid fun. We stopped at a gas station / restaurant after about 1 1/2 hours, and arrived at Sandbanks by 2:30 pm.
We spent about two hours setting up a fantastic camp, including two tarps and three tents. We got to go swimming, made subs for dinner and after dinner took the dogs to the beach for their first time. They were both a bit nervous about swimming, but soon enjoyed it.
After watching the sun go down, we went back to our site and had our first fire. It was great and we played euchre for quite a while after Owen had gone to bed.
Day 2
We had simple breakfasts (went and got ice/coffee), and then washed the dishes and packed a picnic lunch to go to the beach. Eric took Owen to the beach while we were packing things up, later Dorothy, Oliver and I joined them. We spent most of the afternoon at the beach and had a wonderful day. Dad spent most of the afternoon at the site with the dogs as he wasn't as interested in the beach.
For dinner, we had homemade spaghetti sauce with pasta which Dad made. Owen loves his cooking, so he ate tons of dinner. In the evening we took the dogs down again for a great romp at the beach and a swim. This time they loved it and we met lots of other dogs there.
That night, we put the boys to bed earlier as they were both really tired and crabby. We stayed up quite late playing cards, and later Eric and I went for a shower. While we were gone, apparently Oliver and Owen were talking to each other in their sleep (saying bizarre things to each other). Dorothy and Dad heard them and reported it back to us when we came back. The stars were breathtaking... and we talked about going down to the beach the next night with the boys.
Day 3
The boys told us they wanted to go to the giant Dunes Beach, so Eric and I packed them up and we went for the afternoon. It wasn't that great - the boys got to swim, play at the park and had lunch at the restaurant, but it was kind of hot and the water wasn't great there so I didn't swim.
We headed back and had hot dogs for dinner. The plan was that later we would head out to look at the stars at the beach. Meanwhile, after dinner we did our usual dog walk to the beach and enjoyed it.
Then we headed back to the camp site to enjoy our fire and warm up. We stopped at the washroom at this point, and overheard a woman saying that a hurricane was heading up into Canada (right over where we were). We could still see the stars at this point so we found it hard to believe. We did put up our third tarp and moved dad's and Dorothy's tents closer into the site so that they were under the tarps.
We built a huge fire and had a great singalong, roasting marshmallows. By about 9 pm it had started raining a bit, but not enough to stop us from having our fire. The boys went to bed by about 11 - by then it was pouring, but still not too bad. We actually stayed up very late, drinking and playing euchre. By then the water was coming down in huge sheets and the wind was getting stronger. We dumped as much water as we could off of the tarps and decided to go to bed and hope for the best.
None of us got much sleep - the storm was so noisy - and at about 4 am, my dad's tent collapsed due to the weight of the water on the tarp. (We found out later that about 6 inches of rain had fallen that night, with 60 mph winds). As well, the other two tarps were billowing up, being stretched far above our site. My dad came to our tent and said he thought we should consider leaving. He thought it wasn't safe to stay. When I looked out side the tent, there was a huge lake (about 3-4 inches deep) covering our entire site. Our tent was leaking on two sides, and Dorothy's was soaked as well. Dad's tent was down. The wind was so strong it was hard to hear each other. It was pretty scary... and the flooding was a continual problem as our site was in a gully. I talked to Eric and we agreed that our best option was to pack up and get out.
It took us about two hours to pack up. Owen stayed in our tent most of the time as he was afraid of the storm. We finally headed out and stopped at the bathroom where we met lots of other campers struggling to stay dry. Trees were falling, tents were flooding... what a mess.
When we got back to Ottawa, it was still raining. Who knows if we made the right decision to leave, but it wasn't fun anymore and every single thing we owened was soaked.
Oh well, we did have a couple of really nice days. I am pretty happy to be back home.
We were on the road by 10 am... because we had two vehicles, we had room to spare. Dorothy and I drove the van, with the dogs in their new crate and we listened to music on the way.
Eric and Dad went in the car with Owen and Oliver. We decided they could all have their "boy fun" (ie. burping and farting) without us present. Three hours of solid fun. We stopped at a gas station / restaurant after about 1 1/2 hours, and arrived at Sandbanks by 2:30 pm.
We spent about two hours setting up a fantastic camp, including two tarps and three tents. We got to go swimming, made subs for dinner and after dinner took the dogs to the beach for their first time. They were both a bit nervous about swimming, but soon enjoyed it.
After watching the sun go down, we went back to our site and had our first fire. It was great and we played euchre for quite a while after Owen had gone to bed.
Day 2
We had simple breakfasts (went and got ice/coffee), and then washed the dishes and packed a picnic lunch to go to the beach. Eric took Owen to the beach while we were packing things up, later Dorothy, Oliver and I joined them. We spent most of the afternoon at the beach and had a wonderful day. Dad spent most of the afternoon at the site with the dogs as he wasn't as interested in the beach.
For dinner, we had homemade spaghetti sauce with pasta which Dad made. Owen loves his cooking, so he ate tons of dinner. In the evening we took the dogs down again for a great romp at the beach and a swim. This time they loved it and we met lots of other dogs there.
That night, we put the boys to bed earlier as they were both really tired and crabby. We stayed up quite late playing cards, and later Eric and I went for a shower. While we were gone, apparently Oliver and Owen were talking to each other in their sleep (saying bizarre things to each other). Dorothy and Dad heard them and reported it back to us when we came back. The stars were breathtaking... and we talked about going down to the beach the next night with the boys.
Day 3
The boys told us they wanted to go to the giant Dunes Beach, so Eric and I packed them up and we went for the afternoon. It wasn't that great - the boys got to swim, play at the park and had lunch at the restaurant, but it was kind of hot and the water wasn't great there so I didn't swim.
We headed back and had hot dogs for dinner. The plan was that later we would head out to look at the stars at the beach. Meanwhile, after dinner we did our usual dog walk to the beach and enjoyed it.
Then we headed back to the camp site to enjoy our fire and warm up. We stopped at the washroom at this point, and overheard a woman saying that a hurricane was heading up into Canada (right over where we were). We could still see the stars at this point so we found it hard to believe. We did put up our third tarp and moved dad's and Dorothy's tents closer into the site so that they were under the tarps.
We built a huge fire and had a great singalong, roasting marshmallows. By about 9 pm it had started raining a bit, but not enough to stop us from having our fire. The boys went to bed by about 11 - by then it was pouring, but still not too bad. We actually stayed up very late, drinking and playing euchre. By then the water was coming down in huge sheets and the wind was getting stronger. We dumped as much water as we could off of the tarps and decided to go to bed and hope for the best.
None of us got much sleep - the storm was so noisy - and at about 4 am, my dad's tent collapsed due to the weight of the water on the tarp. (We found out later that about 6 inches of rain had fallen that night, with 60 mph winds). As well, the other two tarps were billowing up, being stretched far above our site. My dad came to our tent and said he thought we should consider leaving. He thought it wasn't safe to stay. When I looked out side the tent, there was a huge lake (about 3-4 inches deep) covering our entire site. Our tent was leaking on two sides, and Dorothy's was soaked as well. Dad's tent was down. The wind was so strong it was hard to hear each other. It was pretty scary... and the flooding was a continual problem as our site was in a gully. I talked to Eric and we agreed that our best option was to pack up and get out.
It took us about two hours to pack up. Owen stayed in our tent most of the time as he was afraid of the storm. We finally headed out and stopped at the bathroom where we met lots of other campers struggling to stay dry. Trees were falling, tents were flooding... what a mess.
When we got back to Ottawa, it was still raining. Who knows if we made the right decision to leave, but it wasn't fun anymore and every single thing we owened was soaked.
Oh well, we did have a couple of really nice days. I am pretty happy to be back home.
