One Down

Yearbook was submitted for print at 10:49pm last night...1 hour and 11 minutes before our deadline!
We're down to the photography show opening this Thursday night and Shania's Fun Fair Saturday.
I think you will find me drinking a cold beer on Sunday afternoon (somewhere between the annual photographers' meeting at work and Mom's choir concert...don't worry Mom, I won't show up drunk for the concert!)

Legacy Run

Hannah and Jack signed up for the 5km Legacy Run/Walk through school - what I didn't realize though was that they actually decided to run the 5km! Nan & Grampa were also running in the race.

I drove the race route last night - just to let them know how long 5km actually is - they were still keen after that, so I told them to stick together and I would see them at the finish line!

They did great - finishing in 51 minutes!

Off to Ottawa she went...

So....while the cat's away the mouse buys a new tv!

Since Dana left this afternoon for a girls weekend in Ottawa with Ryerson friends...

• I forcefully removed 6 big stickers stuck (really stuck) to a 4-year olds skin, 4 on the arms, 2 on his face - ouch!
• Planted 3 big cedars to block out the remaining view of my pool-pump complaining neighbour
• reasoned with Hannah at the t.v. store after she told me that "Geez, don't you think Mom is going to be mad at you spending all this money" My answer - "she's not here is she!" 1 Point for Dad!
• Went to Jack's swimming lessons, Hannah did homework while waiting there, check. Henry sat and played gameboy (-1 point)
• Ready for tomorrow - swimming/hockey/swimming and that's all before 11am...
• Now i will watch my big t.v., with a big bag of chips (double points)

What to do...

So we are having some pool work done, last summer the return for the pool broke beneath the cement line. Thinking they would have to go through my pool house and break the cement underneath I was worried what they were going to do. They came yesterday and they were able to reconnect in a different spot alltogether, and while they are here I am getting them to move the big filter out of the shed as well.

I was going to get them to move the pump as well, but that's another story...

A little history;

The neighbour who lives right behind us has complained for the past two summers that our pool pump is too loud. He can't work in his office, and it drives him nuts, so being a good neighbour I would turn it off at night, even though I would rather leave it running. The pump is noisy in the pool house, but it's a pump, it sounds like a motor running, HMMMMMMMM... Anyway last night there was a knock on the front door, and it was the neighbour, which was unusual because in the past he lobbed his complaints by shoving his head through the cedars in the backyard. He said the following... "I see that you are having work done on your pool and I thought this would be a good time to discuss the noise of your pump, I will buy you a new pool pump, a new pool shed, whatever you need to keep my sanity, money is no object..." on and on he went. He said it doesn't bother his wife the same way, but he needs something to be done or he will have to move, and he cannot even go in the backyard during the summer due to the noise.. Oh come on.

I told him I was going to put some foam padding on the bottom, and I would look into. To make him feel guilty I handed him a few baby clothes we had - they are having a baby in a few weeks.

I went outside to tell the pool crew about my problem, they said he was being fussy, that a new one would be a little bit quieter, but it would certainly still bother him. I'm not sure what to do now, I might call the city and ask them about noise by-laws, maybe they can meter it to determine if it's too noisy.

He even replaced all his windows!! And still hears the humming... Ahhhh

Any thoughts??

Happy Birthday Kate!

Wow you are 7 !!

What's Up?

Here's what...

The weather has completely changed...we skipped spring! It's been 20-24 degrees for the past few days and just 2 weeks ago, we still had snow! It's bizarre. So it looks as though I'm posting really old photos, but this one is from Henry's field trip to the Maple Sugar Bush...just 2 weeks ago!

Then came Hannah's skating show which was great! The skating club had to create a story that involved about 100 kids at all different skill levels so it kind of jumped all over the place, but the main theme was "School Days". Hannah was a "Lady of the Court" who skated with knights in shining armour (the school was on a field trip to the museum). And her friends were fall leaves and snow flakes (both in different acts). It was a lot of hype and really fun to watch. Hannah did a great job! It was a little inconvenient that it happened to fall on my second bout of strep throat, but who can I blame for that?

Here is a photo of Henry at the park one day this week. The weather has changed and all projects are geared to outdoors now. We've been talking about getting a play structure for our backyard since last fall. We've priced them out and budgeted for buying and having someone build some sort of wooden aparatus for the backyard. We hadn't found exactly what we wanted yet and were still pretty shocked by the price of them, but we were within a few weeks of making our final decision. Well, as luck would have it, I was at my friend Margaret's house just yesterday and she said she was trying to figure out a way to throw out her kids' play structure. I said that was funny since I was looking to buy one. (I really wasn't hinting around for her to give me hers, really!) So, a few measurements later and suddenly, the plan was for Jason & Ludy (Margaret's husband) to dismantle the whole thing, transport it to our house and reassemble it in our backyard...today!! WOW! They worked tirelessly all day and we are so thrilled!! Oh yeah, the kids love it too! Thank you so much Margaret & Ludy, and Julia & Spencer for giving up your aparatus! Looking forward to many more warm days!

Strep Again?!

I don't have time for this!

Happy Birthday, Doug!

So I've taken on a bit too much, not unusual, but I really mean it this time! I guess I didn't notice that the deadlines for EVERYTHING I'm involved in all fall within the same week! Mind you, I couldn't choose one thing to give up if I had to.

1. The kids' school yearbook is due for submission in a couple of weeks...2 other Moms, me and the grade 7&8 yearbook club are working like crazy to get it done in time. We took on the task late in the year when the teacher who usually runs the yearbook club left on a leave of absence suddenly. Turns out no yearbook club had started yet when she left and the new company taking the class photos has an on-line yearbook design concept that is incredible...so we go for it! We're learning right along with the students and at a rushed rate which kind of spells trouble, but with a few more yearbook meetings and maybe some tweaking from home, hopefully we'll make our deadline!

2. The 2nd Annual Shania's Sunflower of Hope Fun Fair is coming up in under a month. Being the second year, the task of finding a couple of hundred volunteers is way less daunting than last year when they had to be pulled out of thin air. Scheduling everyone and letting them know their assignments however may prove to be time consuming!

3. Being on that darn preschool executive has proven to be a bit of a time sucker! I'm about to arrange the 5th fundraiser with all the major work having to be done in ...yup, a few weeks from now! Anyone want to buy some frozen muffin dough/cookie batter?!

4. Toronto in May hosts a huge photo exhibit called Contact. Every gallery, coffee shop, restaurant, you-name-it has someone's photography on display. I decided to be a part of a group show with some of the other photographers at the studio where I work. This year's theme for Contact is "Between Memory & History". I decided to shoot new work for the show. I am really excited about it, but again, the submission deadline is in a couple of weeks...that's printed, framed work! I've shot interesting still lifes of some glass-lantern slides belonging to my great-grandfather from his time spent in China & Japan in the early 1900's. My images are how I would represent a memory in 2-dimensions. The subject matter represents a piece of my family history and my great-grandfather's images are stunning, but I've used my own techniques to create original pieces of art that layer unrecognizable objects slightly obscuring his images, representing the layers that unfold in our minds as we remember. It's better to look at than to talk about it...I'll have to post a picture!

5. Ok, maybe I would give this one up if I had the choice, but for Hannah to be in the Ice Show, parents have to participate. Her show is next weekend and I've volunteered for dressing room duties which means I will spend 3 days helping girls into their costumes and skates. It's a HUGE production with a couple of famous skaters making appearances at the beginning and end. I think the whole show runs about 2 and a half hours!! Hannah's part is probably 15 minutes! She's a Lady of the Court and skates with some knights...should be fun!

So, I'm glad to be feeling better cuz I think I've got my work cut out for me!

Looks like we may be ordering pizza for dinner for a few nights in there!

Dana

How deep do your kids sleep?

Henry has always been a good sleeper, can sleep anywhere, anytime - not like the other two, they fight sleep.

Usually when Dana and I go to bed, Henry wakes up and goes to the bathroom by himself, then goes back to sleep, two nights ago I heard him get up - but he never came out of his room.

Yesterday when I looked in his bottom drawer dresser, all the clothes were wet! I asked him if he remembered doing it - he looked at me like I was crazy and said "No, why would i do that?"...not sure but me thinks you did. At least he closed the drawer when he was done....