I'm home!

What a great weekend! I sure missed Jason and the kids, but had a wonderful time with wonderful friends at a wonderful cottage! We were tobogganning on the back stairs of the cottage by day and night & built a bonfire & had great conversations and food & kept crazy hours that wouldn't have been possible with kids. It sure is great to be able to talk to other Moms in a place other than the school yard. And it sure makes you appreciate your family even more to leave them just for a short while! - Dana

My Wife Is M.I.A.

So Dana left for a Mom's Weekend with 5 other Mom's from Hannah and Jack's school. They went to a cottage for the weekend, to rest their weary selves and sit around and discuss their feelings and connect through shared experiences of motherhood.....really they are probably just drinking wine and eating fine cheeses and laughing at their husbands. I am glad she went, she deserves it.

I, on the other hand am trying to keep up the fort here with 3 children, sometimes only 2 when I can't find the other one - Henry did close himself into the closet for awhile, but was found after only a few minutes, no harm done. Swimming lessons went well this morning, all survived, and all were given a passing grade to move onto the next level. Hannah was off to a 'beach birthday party' today and that made me think that we have to get started on planning three birthday parties very soon. Hannah is having a flower party, not sure what's involved with that...Jack wants a Hot Wheels party - should be okay, and Henry isn't sure if he wants a Dora theme or a Barney theme...

Instead of making dinner, we went to Burger King, mainly because they have a playland and the kids had fun getting lost in the maze. It was harder for Henry because it was hard to climb up, so Hannah had to hike him up a few times. It was at this same BK that Jack got stuck, when he was 2, at the top of this 10 foot climber for kids, I had to make my way up there...my 6ft4 body trying to climb up through this tube made for kids under 8 years of age... I was able to reach him but I got stuck and had these kids at my ankles shouting "move, move"...I wasn't about to let Henry get too far this time as I didn't want a repeat situation.

Home safe and sound now...ready to put one to bed in a few minutes - Henry missed his nap today so hopefully they will sleep in until at least 8...maybe if I forget to turn the monitor on....hmmm what would Dana do?...oh well she isn't here....

Happy Birthday Memu (aka Mary)!!!

E-I-E-I-Oops...

Thanks Eri & Mike and Mom & Dad for coming tonight, it made it even more special (if that's possible)! Tonight was the performance of the much-anticipated musical "E-I-E-I-Oops" presented by the grade ones. Hannah spent the hour leading up to the play screaming (of excitement) and has spent the past four weeks eagerly awaiting tonight. We all had a great time. It was a really cute musical about a cow who wouldn't moo. Hannah got a speaking part and did great! I can't believe she wasn't nervous, just excited! Hannah had to bring her costume in to school a week before the actual show for a bunch of dress rehearsals and I guess she's left a trail of cotton balls wherever she went. The joke was that she was a half sheared sheep. We got a sitter for Henry so that he wouldn't shout "Nannie" (that's Hannah) through the whole show, but Jack came and was pretty good. The gym was really hot and he only called out once that he would rather be watching tv. In the end, Jack presented Hannah with flowers on the way home in the van. A lovely end to a fantastic evening! - Dana

a couple of pics

Jack checking himself out in the mirror.

Amy the cat. Usually when anyone comes over you don't see her, as she hides away until company leaves.

Weekend Wrap-Up

I really have nothing interesting to report, the weekend was spent with mostly sick kids. Jack and Henry have had bad colds and just were not themselves this weekend. Henry's response to any question this weekend was "nope"...do you want some juice? "nope", do you want your bubi (his blankey) "nope". Even when he is feeling terrible his mood is still pretty good. Poor Jack, he wasn't feeling great on Saturday, and he fell asleep on his bed in his Superman costume at 4:00pm and did't wake up until after 7:30. He was surprised he missed dinner, he had hard time falling asleep after that. Hopefully he can return to school today.

I was out yesterday and twisted my ankle, I fell off a curb which was missing a huge chunk of concrete, I stepped right into it...and fell over, and onto the hood of someone's car...it was quite graceful actually. An older woman gasped and pointed, which made me feel much better, I went home quickly after that and promptly twisted it two more times. Idiot. The last time being the worst, Dana was on the phone and heard this guttural cry and I shouted a few choice words that I am sure the kids have never heard before... It feels a little better today but it is taking awhile to get around, I just hope I don't turn over on it again.

Tough going...

I was very glad Jason did come home a little early today...I was exhausted & sick & the kids are needier than ever when they're sick (understandably, but it's tough when I'm also sick). I had all 3 of them home sick yesterday, but Hannah seems to have recovered. There was a point when my head was pounding and I was in the bathroom and all 3 of them were banging on the 2 doors crying. I couldn't escape! 2 had to go to the bathroom and 1 just wanted me. We do have 2 bathrooms! Why do they wait until I'm on the toilet to decide that they need to use it?! Needless to say, I took an hour to myself to rest as soon as Jason got home and I am feeling a little better. Just in time too, I've got a wedding tomorrow and a brand new camera to figure out. Here are some photos from a little shoot Eri & I had with Bennett earlier this week with the new camera. - Dana

Work Ramblings...

I am at work, working...copying files on my system so I will blog until I am done.

Dana is at home sick with two sick kids with fevers. Jack and Henry both have fevers, Henry acts a little delirious when he is sick, talks in his sleep but is very cuddly. Hopefully I will get out of work a little early today, as Dana is struggling to keep up. Not sure if I can leave because my workflow is about to triple. I have been working on the same computer system (character generator - the font you see on sports broadcasts, scores, stats...etc) for almost 10 years...not that it hasn't changed but now I have added to my office, another system that is completely different which is on my left, and on my right is a third system. I have been trying to get up to speed to learn these systems and support them, but it's difficult to keep up and do everything else I do. I was supposed to give a demo of both these systems to the producers and directors at TSN and showcase both systems. Yeah okay...how do I turn it on... it wasn't looking good, but my boss just told me that, whew...it doesn't look like a good plan because the software it uses is beyond anyone's knowledge here and he is going to get the company's representative to display it's functions. I told him I was a little leary of doing it, but I would give it a shot, he said he didn't want to hang me out to dry, which I admit it felt like that was about to happen.

Anyway, now I can relax this weekend and not think about that and focus on everything else that needs to get done around here - like Curling....the Scott Tournament of Hearts starts next weekend. - J

What Valentines Day...

Dana and I spoke to eachother for about 5 minutes yesterday....in that time we decided to have valentines day on another day, it was just one of those days - no time. I think I went to bed at 9:30 yesterday...everyone is feeling tired and a little under the weather.

The kids had a good Valentine's Day, they came home with their bag of Valentine's. I hope everyone had a good Valentine's Day and enjoyed it more than we did.

Can I be lazier?

Well I don't think it's possible (the lazier part) This weekend we were supposed to go to Barrie for a visit but it was called off due to too-many-kids-sick-per-healthy-adult-ratio ... Hannah and Henry both have colds, and Hannah has had a fever on and off this weekend, it's hard to get a handle on if she is actually well, because a few hours later she is not feeling well again. I feel like I didn't really do anything this weekend, I managed to skip swimming for the past week and I can feel it. My gut feels like it's growing as I type this. I am going to pay severely the next time I get in the pool, you miss a few swims and it's hard to get up to that speed again. I did leave the house once today....to get a large - double cream only Tim Horton's coffee...and they raised the price too... 4 cents.

Jack had a friend over today. His buddy James from pre-school, it's too bad they aren't at the same school, they play really nicely together. It worked out that James and Jack will be on the same soccer team this summer, I am again coaching...and James' Dad will be coaching also. Jack is also joining blastball - which is some kind of introduction to baseball. Hannah has decided she wants to join t-ball, so we have to sign her up for that very soon as registration has already begun. These kids are busy, but we found last summer they were very bored by mid-July and it's good exercise so as long as they are interested...

Well I have no pictures to put with this post. Wait, maybe there is an oldie but a goodie around here somewhere....



Henry almost 2 years ago!!! with Jack...

Let The Games Begin!

The Winter Olympics are about to begin. I love the Olympics. I love watching Canada win the tin medal.... this time though there will be no 4th place finishes - Canada is hoping to be in the top 3 of the overall medal count at the end of these games (4th in 2002 with 17 medals). I wish I was there working these games, but it didn't work out this time. I went to Salt Lake City to work at the games there in 2002 and it was a lot of work but fantastic, I was there to watch Canada win a gold in Speed Skating and listen to the Canadian anthem being played. There is nothing like it.

The opening ceremonies start today at 2pm et. It should be exicting - but just wait until the winter games are back here in Canada in 2010. (The kids will be perfect ages to bring them out with me when I am working out there - 11, 9, 6 or so...) - J

100th School Day

Boy, that last entry will be hard to beat...seems everyone had fun looking up what they did.


Jack celebrated his 100th day of school yesterday with 100 jumping jacks and cake!

Henry & I were in most of the day with visits from Mom & Eri & Bennett. (sorry, no Bennett pictures). Didn't get a lot done, in fact. But we had a visit from Jason's dad the night before & a busy evening with me at work so it was nice just to get some of the house work done & spend a cold day inside.

- Dana

Canada's Top 100

Check out the Top 100 Things To Do In Canada Before You Die list, I have done a few of them...here they are;

#4 Drive the Trans-Canada Highway across the Rockies from Calgary to Vancouver. The drive is approximately 1,000 kms and will take between 10 and 12 hours.
(I did this when I moved out to Vancouver for a short time - breathtaking, also a little scary driving in the mountains, especially when you pretended that you knew how to drive standard to get a ride to BC....I learned fast)

#6. Rent a bike and ride the Stanley Park seawall in Vancouver.
(okay I didn't rent a bike - I had no money, but I did walk around Stanley Park for hours when I should of been looking for a job - what a great park)

#24. Go to the top of the CN Tower in Toronto. If you're fit, take the stairs. The less sporty can take the tower's glass elevator.
(My Uncle Bill first took me there back in the early eighties, I haven't been since, but have promised the kids that we could go, now I just have to convince Dana to come...)

#46. Go down a gold mine in Timmins
(Went down the ol'mine with my Mom & Dad when they came for a visit when I lived in Timmins - 1 of the 2 things you can do in Timmins - the other is the Shania Twain Centre, which thankfully didn't exist yet...)

#51. Visit Parliament Hill, take the tour, then go for a walk around the little-visited back of the Centre Block.
(Dana and I went on a tour back in 1998 PK (pre-kids)

#63. Visit Point Pelee National Park in Ontario.
(We had a few Murphy family reunions there - great spot)

#69. Go to a hockey game in a small town.
(ummm. I lived in Timmins, that was Friday night - every friday night)

#71. Walk the two blocks from Vancouver's Downtown East Side to Gastown, and witness how two very different worlds can co-exist so close together.
(Not a place to get lost, which I did with an ex-girlfriend - the differences are extreme)

I still have a lot to do... What have you done? - J

"Re - Re?"

Instead of putting the kids to bed at the usual time, we decided to go skating. There is a family skate at the arena on Unionville Main Street on Saturday nights, Crosby Arena I think it's called. Henry didn't skate, I think he's a little young - but he sure wanted to try, he ran for the ice a few times only to be caught just in time. We do have some bob-skates that I could try I guess. Instead Dana and I took turns on the ice with kids. It was a good time, but the kids sure were tired after swimming this morning, and they both played with a friend today too. Jack moaned "I didn't watch t.v. for two days!" he's going through withdrawl. Oh and...."Re-Re" is how Henry says his name, when we said we were going skating, Henry looked up and asked "Re-Re?"...."No Henry, not this time, when you are older" Henry's response? ... "Aww Man"

Friday

I really wish I had photos to go with today's blog, but I chose to enjoy the day with my eyes instead of my camera. It was a PA Day and I took the kids to a place called "Amazon Indoor Playground". We went with Eri & Bennett & none of us had ever been before. It was perfect for all our kids' ages (which is a hard range to find suitable activities for)! It included a stage with really great dress-up clothes and back-drops, a play gym with a giant monkey head that was suspended from the ceiling that you climbed right inside, a puppet theatre, all the cars you could want to ride in and a huge ball tent (where Henry spent most of his time). They also allowed outside food (which most of these types of places don't)...yeah, I go to lots of giant monkey head places...so we were able to bring a lunch and stay for the afternoon! But the whole place was much smaller than a school gymnasium and had comfy couches for parents to sit on and was surprisingly clean. Needless to say, I was very impressed.
Once we got home, Jason suggested a night out to dinner and we invited Eri, Mike & Bennett and Nan & Grampa...we all met up at East Side Marios for a late dinner where they sat us in a semi-private room. It was great for us and for all other diners since we could make a lot of noise without disturbing anyone else. It was the perfect end to a perfect day! - Dana

A&E Movie Flight 93

I watched the A&E movie called Flight 93, which is about the 4th highjacked plane on September 11th. I wasn't expecting it to be very good - and the reviews I read were not that good, but I actually found it interesting. Actually terrifying - based only on the phone conversations the passengers had with family members. I watched it and still cannot believe that happened, and how frightened those people must have been. It's worth seeing and it's playing on A&E all month.

Bedtime gets easier and easier

Well this is getting easier and easier - now I just have to show
her how to make breakfast and drive.

Grey Wednesday

Hannah has had a lot of homework lately...I don't remember having ANY when I was in grade one. She had to write a fairy tale with an edited rough copy using at least 6 elements of a fairy tale. That was due today and she did a pretty great job. For having to fit in 3 events, she sure was able to compress it...4 pages with one or two sentences on each page! She tried to write "and they lived happily ever after" about 3 other times right in the middle of something happening just so that she could say she was done. But she finished it off nicely with cute fairy pictures. It's called "The Enchanted Fairy Dust". She also has a whole math booklet with graphing due tomorrow and a spelling test today. Luckily they're spending the day at the Science Centre tomorrow for a field trip and Friday is a PA Day.
Jack's home sick today...watching tv in my bed with Henry. I was supposed to go to the gym for a class I really enjoy this morning but am now house-bound. It's a grey day out though, maybe I'll just go join them. - Dana