Snow Day

The snow has arrived here in Markham. Although it will be short lived, as it's supposed to be 12 degrees tomorrow!! Rain though, but I will take the warm weather. The kids had a great time in the snow. Jack is really enjoying it this year compared to last. Henry isn't sure about it and keeps pointing to it outside saying "uh oh" as if there is something wrong with the ground now that it's covered in this funny white stuff. - j













I know what to give the kids for Christmas this year, another cardboard box. I let the kids use this box outside and they had a blast, it was a sled, then a spaceship, a princess bedroom then it blew up into little cardboard pieces...

Santa Claus Parade!

I have a bunch of pictures to post, so this may take awhile...not for you I guess, but for me posting them....

On Saturday morning we all went to the Markham Santa Claus Parade, it was a lot of fun. Hannah was in the parade this year as a Spark. Our family, Dad, Penny & Rick and the MacDonald's all gathered on the side of the street waiting for the parade to start, it was actually a perfect day, cool and a nice light snowfall. We were dressed very warm, Henry was squirming a little, but these girls in the parade kept giving him candy canes every 5 minutes so he was happy - and 'thanks' to Erika for getting that one from him before he ate the plastic, I am sure we missed one or two though...













As you can see Hannah was very excited to be in the parade with her Sparks friends, she made a big mitten to wave to the crowd.

Jack's day was made when a Star Wars float drove by, it had everyone - Luke, Chewbacca, Yoda and of course Darth Vader - Jack is a big Star Wars nut, a lot of his friends are. In fact there is a little boy in Jack's class who plays Star Wars with Jack, but this friend insists on being called R2 for short and he beeps when you talk to him. It's pretty funny, we saw him at skating today and he was beeping to Jack as they skated around the rink.

That's baby Bennett smiling through layers.

The parade was a big hit and we all went home for hot chocolate to warm up.

Friday Night

On Friday Dad came up and we went to the Festival of Lights on Main Street, it was a lot of fun. We watched the fireworks, the street was full of people. The kids really enjoyed the petting zoo they had. Jack was knocked over by a donkey and Hannah was chased around by a black sheep! Henry wouldn't let me put him down because he was frightened of the animals. It was very cold out though so we didn't stay too long. We went home and had some hot chocolate to warm everyone up.

Happy Birthday Andrew and Chase!

Been a busy day...straight from dropping off kids at school to the gym so that I could fit in groceries & Henry's shots before picking up Jack...Henry cried and looked so confused at the nurse who gave him the needles. Then home with the 2 boys to pack a quick lunch to take with us to the "indoor playground". Wore them out completely. Home for Henry's nap and put away breakfast then heading over to pick up Hannah. Quick home because I have to be at work early for a meeting tonight and Jason will have to do kids' homework with them & get a quick dinner ready before Hannah's Sparks meeting. I may get to talk to him tonight, but it depends how late I work.
Hope your birthday's a little less hectic, And.
And happy 4th birthday to Chase today, too! - d

Nice to be home!

Now that wedding season has slowed down, it's nice to have weekends home with Jason & the kids. I went to a craft show with Mom & Eri & won a door prize!! I've never won anything in my life! Kids had their last bike ride of the year. Jason got the lawn mowed and then tried, unsuccessfully, to take Hannah & Jack skating. Jack was tired and cranky and thought he wouldn't go with them but changed his mind as they were about to pull out of the driveway. Then once his snowpants were on and skates & snack packed, he decided that he did in fact want to stay home. So Jason left with Hannah only to return 5 minutes later. It seems there were hockey tournements on at all the arenas today! Watched some of the Santa Claus parade on tv. It was Libby Nellie's birthday today (Hannah's Cabbage Patch Kid) so that was celebrated. She was the guest of honour at dinner tonight. We tried to have a candlelight dinner (because it's Sunday, not for Libby's birthday) but Henry's become afraid of the dark since Halloween and kept looking in the corners saying, "rawr". So the lights came on and everyone was happy!

Hello Saturday

Coffee has kicked into high gear. I have to get Jack to a gymnastics birthday party, but first I actually had to point out which girl it was who was having the party in a picture...after seeing it Jack replied "oh yeah, i think she's at my table" There are only 4 kids at his table, how does he not remember!!! ahhh Have to run home for Henry's nap and Hannah is having a friend over, which will free me up to finish painting the trim in the bedroom. Dana is at work today, and we are going out tonight, movie maybe? not sure.

I had to just put these 2 strange pictures that are in the current Wal-Mart flyer up, sorry if anyone has these things, but they are the oddest gifts I can think of, first up shoe-boots with built in socks? Not sure, Dana sure didn't like these, so whoever has her name - you know what to buy.


And then this....have you ever seen a dog stroller? It has a built in dog house in it?

Ambushed!

This is how I found Henry this morning when I went down to the family room....courtesy of Hannah - I'd better call a friend over for her - quick.

Mid November?! When did that happen?

Mom told me that when we (And, Eri & I) started going to school all day every day we seemed to suddenly grow up faster since we spent so much less time with her. It's just crazy how quickly the time is going by and how much I miss wee Hannah! She stays for lunch almost every day now to be with her friends so on evenings that I work, I only see her in the morning rushing her around to get to school! I think the weather being so warm has also fooled me into believing that winter is NOT on it's way and Christmas shopping CAN be put off. - d

Googled

I love the internet, although it is a little scary sometimes. Not scary really just addictive and compelling. Have you ever goggled yourself? I googled the highschool I went to and found this picture...



...not of me, but that's my sister Ann (don't kill me Ann) bottom row 3rd from left. The title of the picture is something like "Ancient picture from past" or something, found on a basketball website somewhere... I remember everyone on that team, I used to go to every game. What ever happened to Kathy? And what's with Joan's look? (bot. right)

Then I googled my grade school I went to....H.J. Lassaline. And I found this!!!!


This is the principal who gave me the Strap! Mr. Plante. Yes I got the strap in grade 3 for throwing snowballs, it only hit Charles Koury's foot, but his hit my eye, and we both got the strap. It was very unfair! I cried in class for an hour afterwards.
My mom volunteered in the school but she didn't find out until I confessed over Thanksgiving dinner when I was around 22

Anyway have fun google-ing...

Santa in November

What a great day, the rain held off and it was so mild out today. I didn't spend too much time outside though, I finished painting the bedroom and I must say that it looks darn good...'that's the beat!' Jack and Hannah were both at a friends house this afternoon so Dana and I were able to get a lot done with Henry napping.

Tonight was the CTV children's Christmas Party at Woodbine Centre, they have it early so that they can rent the facilities before extended Christmas shopping hours. If you haven't been to Woodbine it's a great place, Ferris wheel, train rides, bumper cars, on and on. CTV rents the entire facility, provide dinner, visit with Santa and gifts, it's a great time and the kids really look forward to it. They had a blast this year, Hannah really liked the crazy ride she went on with Dana and Jack.

Henry loved the Merry-go-round, the "neigh's" as he calls it, and Jack enjoyed the playground, with ball-guns, a 40ft tube slide and lots of climbing walls.
The downside, if there is one, is that the kids just got to bed and they are going to be hard to wake up tomorrow for school.

"That's the BEAT!"

Dana made it to the gym this morning, it was open and she is now limping along after a good workout session. I am glad she joined this gym, I think it is exactly what she needed.

Last night we had Eri, Mike and Dana's Dad over for a game of cards, it was a good time and we haven't played cards in a long long time. Dana started my day off right, she came home bearing gifts.... a large, double cream only Tim Horton's coffee this morning, after that we were able to get tons of stuff done, leaves raked, outdoor stuff put away for the winter, Christmas lights up on the house, the kids played outside with their friends. Dana did a ton of laundry while Henry slept and I took Hannah and Jack to the arena for public skating, Hannah hasn't been since last year and she picked it up quick again. After we got home, the kids went back outside to play and were very tired by dinner, Jack could barely eat his dinner.

Now it's getting on and we are painting our bedroom, I was able to do 2 1/2 walls and I am tired, I am going to watch the rest of this movie Dana and I started, it's pretty silly, but funny - Old School.

Oh yeah - "that's the beat" This is Jack's new saying when something is great or exciting, I might say " Jack we are going to the park today!" and he will say "Yeahhh - That's the Beat!!" I have no idea what he means, where it came from, or why he says it. I like it though... - J

New Gym Member!

Despite my many frustrations (already) with joining a gym, I'm hooked! I took my first class this morning "BodyPump". I expected it to be a bit more aerobic but it was (as I guess the name suggested) all weight lifting. It was exhilirating! I'm trying to find out about a "BodyStep" class first thing tomorrow morning 'cuz I'm so pumped up about how good it felt, but all the literature I was given says the gym opens at 8am on Saturdays and that the class is at 7:30am Saturdays. Very frustrating. And don't even get me started on how awful it was buying the membership. I do remember gyms really ripping you off when I used to belong to one more than 7 years ago. I guess the only time they can get money from you is when you're first joining, but it's very frustrating that they try to add a whole bunch of hidden fees! Well, I guess I'll arrive at 7:30 and hope for the best! - d

Yesterday

Of course I forgot to mention, that yesterday we had our first snowfall in Markham... Nothing stayed but the kids were happy to see it snow. It begins.

Hannah & Jack were learning about Remembrance Day all week at school and are very proud to wear a poppy today, every year I keep saying I am going to take the kids to a Remembrance Day ceremony. Next year, I promise.

I heard an interesting fact about the World War 1 veterans in Canada, this is the first time there won't be one in the celebration in Ottawa, and their average age is 103! I think there are only 5 World War 1 veterans alive in Canada, out of some 619,000 that served.


And here is John McCrae's famous poem;

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep,
though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Henry's 1st Haircut

Off to this place call Melonheads for Henry's first ever haircut at 20 months old! Our kids hair never grows quickly and this seems to be around the age of all of our kids first haircut. This place is great because it has ride-type seats, children's TV shows on and they try to keep the kids occupied the whole time with bubbles or toys. We don't usually go to this place but it's fun for their first time. Hannah and Jack were both pretty easy going about getting their haircut, but Henry wasn't too sure and cried a bit, he wanted that bib off and he wanted out of that chair, he cheered up once we were out of the place. Jack had a quick haircut too and was excited that he was wearing his Spiderman shirt because he picked the Spiderman car to sit in. I must say when I was a kid...my Dad used to take me and my brother John to this guy named Vito, who was a character, from what I remember he never really talked to us as we got our haircut, and my Mom would ask my Dad "didn't you see what he was cutting?" when we arrived back home with these awful haircuts.







We went outside to do a little yard work too, but it sure was windy - crazy windy! The barbecue was knocked over and the charcoal spilled everywhere, the kids were even blowing about. I was sure the barbecue wasn't going to work, but we managed to put some ribs on and Eri, Mike & Bennett stayed for a nice Sunday dinner. Penny & Rick came over for a short time, we didn't get to see all of their pictures from their trip, but it sure looked like a nice time.

The weekend's over, Dana is done her weddings for this year so it will be nice to have her home on the weekends. Hope everyone had a good weekend! - J

Late Night Post

Got home from a wedding about an hour ago and am just finished counting film & putting digital files to CD. It was a later wedding so I feel like I got a whole day in before I even went to work. Got lots done including raking leaves, but it must have been windy while I was at the wedding because the lawn doesn't look any different than before I raked it. I wish I had taken a picture this afternoon...Henry was sliding down the slide into the leaf pile. Hannah & Jack got bored with the game long before him. In fact, when I told him it was time to go in the house, he said, "NO" and ran away from me! What a little monkey! I think I'll go peek at the kids now...it's weird coming home with everyone asleep. - d

Poisonous Caterpillars !!!!

At 3:43 am, we were all fast asleep. I didn't even fall asleep until 1am last night because I was at swimming so I was just in that first stage of sleep when I hear crying and whimpering next to our bed, it was Hannah she had a bad dream. I got out of bed and took her back to her room, and tried to put her in her bed, she wouldn't have anything to do with that though. Through tears she told me about her dream that there were two stripped poisonous caterpillars in her bed. I told her it sounded like an awful dream, showed her that her bed was empty of poisonous caterpillars, she wouldn't go near it. I explained that there were no such thing as poisonous caterpillars, she said "but in J.K. I had read a book about insects and there was a page about poisonous caterpillars in it" I was surprised but really didn't believe it and I just took her back to our bed and she fell fast asleep.

This morning I did a search on the internet and what do you know....here is an excerpt from BBC.com....

Poisonous caterpillars force schools to close
15 June 2005
BRAUNSCHWEIG - Tabloid newspapers across Germany on Wednesday warned of "a plague of poisonous caterpillars" that has prompted schools and kindergarten to close.

She is already smarter than me, I thought that happens when they are teenagers.... - J

Dentist Time!

I have never known two kids so excited to go to the dentist, don't they know what a horrible place it can be for kids? What's wrong with them. Hannah and Jack were both bouncing all over the place excited about going to the dentist all week. Hannah was excited because she was planning a trick on the dentist, when she sat in the chair she smiled and she had these plastic fake teeth that were all rotted and bloody. Jack brought this dirty old penny he found and showed the dentist.

Luckily we have a really nice dentist, not like the dentist I had growing up. Dr. Gallagher was his name, now I had a lot of cavities when I was younger, he never used freezing, gas or anything and just started drilling, I didn't even know freezing was an option until we switched dentist's when I was a teenager.

The dentist we go to here in Markham is good with the kids and told us today that we better start saving for the Orthodontist for both kids. Hannah has a very large overbite, and Jack has, I forget the term for it, but it's like a sideways overbite and to fix that they insert this cement type piece in the roof of your both and it has a key of sorts, and everyday you twist it a little to expand the mouth, sounds pretty awful to me. So just wait kids, and you will see that this nice little dentist isn't all happy times.

Martha, Martha, Martha

I like that show. The Martha Stewart Apprentice. I am getting tired of Donald's routine, and I like how she is a little mean and cold all the time and her nervous laugh or whatever that is. I think she would be horrible to work for, but it's fun to watch other people trying to get a job that will probably go nowhere. She fired 2 people tonight, she is trying to compete with Donald's 4 he fired last week - I missed it originally but Prime had it again on Sunday night so I saw the slaughter. I love reality t.v. and can't get enough of it, and when they start to program some original dramas or comedy's I will watch them - I just can't get into 'king of queen's'.. total title ripoff of king of Kensington... - J

One more funny one

Hannah was at another house and held out her bag, the lady at the door put something in her bag, Hannah said 'thanks' and then turned and said 'hmmm', I asked her why she has hmmm-ing and she told me "that woman must be a doctor." I said "Why do you think that?", Hannah replied "Because she gave me raisins..."

Candy Rush

It was great taking the kids out trick or treating. When I took Henry home after going to a few houses, I put Henry inside with his bag full of candy (which I wasn't allowed to touch!), Dana came outside to see the kids off again, and she went inside to discover Henry eating his candy out of his bag, wrapper and all. We aren't sure how many pieces he ate, hopefully nothing with foil! Also when I was out with Hannah and Jack, they were waiting at this one house after knocking at the door with a few other kids. This woman walked very slowly to the screen door (which was opened) and it took a long time for this elderly woman to open the door, so Hannah blurted out "oh this woman is very very old", I'm sure she heard Hannah. Dana and I had a good laugh about that one last night.