My Nook

Today is Friday! Hip Hip Hurray!  I love Friday's...I used to not enjoy them so much because during the peak of my swimming career, we had swim practice every Saturday morning, so it wasn't fun to stay up late to wake up early the next morning.  They are great now.  I still schedule a few activities though to happen so we DO have to get out of bed. 

 

I picked Evan up at K4K today, it was their Hallowe'en party tonight, but I chose to keep Evan home this year out of a lack of enthusiasm for a zillion kids with their parents vying for candy and being crammed into tight quarters.  We went last year.  I didn't give Evan the option of going, I didn't say we weren't going either, I just wasn't up to it this year.

 

Anyway, as we walked outside, Evan saw the bus that picked him up from the big school and mentioned to me, "Mommy, the bus had an accident today!" I was a bit floored by that.  Evan told me that the bus hit a grey car and that the side of the car was a bit squashed.  He said the bus was okay though.  I asked him how he was.  He said he was fine.  I asked if he fell out of his seat, and he said he slipped a little, but never fell to the ground.  He said that the bus driver came around to make sure all of the kids were okay, but they had to wait for awhile.  He then told me his Taekwondo class today was shorter.  He had a small bruise coming up on his cheek when I saw him, so asked how he got that, he pointed toward the inside of the school on our drive out and said it happened when he fell in class...so I was happy to hear that no injuries were sustained on the bus.  I suppose I'll always be nervous about him riding in a bus without me driving him, anytime anybody else takes him anywhere, even if it's Matt, I get a bit paranoid. 

 

So things will be back to normal tomorrow when Matt flies in, he's done his course, and he said it was really tough getting all that information thrown at you and having tests to take all the time.

 

CYA

 

 

So, Matt and I went out for a movie and dinner last Friday night, and we were in the car on the way to a restaurant that was picked out by a co-worker of mine.  She said it was Vietnemese, and I was a bit worried when she started talking about raw food.  Matt thought it would be funny to make a comment that I will never live down.  All I said was, "Is there anything other then raw food there?" and Matthew quipped, "Suck it up Princess." To which a laughter erupted in the back seat of the car.  Needless to say, all last week I was known as "Princess" to my co-workers.

 

I think this week will be better though as far as the "Princess" thing goes.  I now have a renewed reason to love the address.  Tonight while getting Evan to get some food into his belly (he puked this morning, then claimed he has a sore stomach all day, then said he didn't want supper when I told him what it was, but he'd skip to the dessert).  Anyway, I was hugging on him, and whispered into his ear that he was such a handsome boy.  He turned his head to look at me, with those eyes that melt steel and proclaimed, "Mommy, you're a beautiful Princess." 

 

I made chicken stew for supper tonight.  We haven't done grocery shopping in awhile, so we're slowly whittling away at our pantry, and today I decided to thaw out the chicken bones that have been in the freezer for awhile.  I wish we had more vegetables, but it was good nonetheless. 

 

This weekend was spent getting the car serviced (new front brake pads, plus fluid top-ups and such), watching Evan at skating lessons (he is getting really good...they've already moved him up one group, and he's never been on the ice before last week's first lesson), getting a Christmas present exchanged, hanging out at the bookstore, taking Evan to Family Swim (I managed to get him to do his back float for me for a total of 2 seconds without holding onto him...he's a fish when it comes to swimming on his front and under water, but as soon as you put him on his back he's a blubbering baby), watching him at his swimming lessons, doting on him due to the puking this morning, making stew, watching movies, folding all of our laundry, cleaning the kitchen, and putting away all the groceries.  I hope I get some sleep in there too.  I always thought weekends were for relaxing, but when it's the only time you can get things done, it seems more like un-paid work.

 

Matt leaves for Connecticut tomorrow morning...My mom is flying out to Chicago around the same time tomorrow as well.  My Dad has offered to come over on the nights I want to go swimming to be with Evan, so hopefully my illness won't get worse.  Oh, I didn't mention that did I!  I'm not puking or anything, I just am very run down now with a sinus cold that is making me sneeze uncontrollably, congested, and post-nasal drip.  Great stuff.

 

Evan's off to the big school tomorrow to be picked up by the K4K bus for after-school Taekwondo.  I don't resent the fact I had to change my hours to spend less money on daycare, but I miss my earlier hours because I could relax a bit more and not feel so rushed in the evening trying to get supper on the table for everybody.  I mean, I'm home before 6pm, which is amazing for so many people, but, I miss being home at 4:30 and relaxing a bit before I started having to cook anything. 

 

The mornings aren't too bad though...it's nice to be able to sleep in a bit (if you can call 8:00am sleeping in).  For the days that he is to be at the big school, I need to leave the apartment at 8:50 if I want to get a good parking spot and let Evan play with the other kids on the climber before the bell rings.  The other days he is at the church, so get an extra 20 minutes before I need to rush him off. 

 

Nothing new here, just taking everything one day at a time. 

On Saturday October 14th, 2006 we welcomed a new member to our family.  We have never had a pet before as a family (other then a dog while living with my parents).  Now, we share our lives with a young Hampster named Cookie.  He is about 6 weeks old, and is very frisky when he's awake...'when' being the operative word.  He sleeps a lot. 

 

Not sure what posessed us to bring a pet home with us, but we hope it will instill a bit of responsibility and empathy in our son.  So far, we've seen him fall backwards from his loft, down the hole, into his main cage while sleeping...tear apart a toilet paper rolll, stuff food pellets so far back in his cheek pouches that we wonder if they'll get stuck back there, and semi-ride his space disk. 

 

We haven't bought any attachments for his cage yet, as we're hoping to do it in installments to keep Evan interested in the Hamster. 

 

We had a great Thanksgiving up at my Aunt's cabin...poor Nicole has contracted the kissing disease ("Mono" for those who don't know what I mean), but it was a good time had by all.  We helped drag the docks onto the cinder blocks, and had a great turkey meal afterward. 

 

Evan has started at Tom Thomson Public School, which means he is doing the alternate day and every other Friday program.  The day's he's not at Tom Thomson he is at the satellite centre of the daycare he was at previously.  It's in the basement of a church.  Evan really likes going to the Church because he has special time at the end of the day with one of his teachers from the other school.  He's usually the last one to be picked up because I changed my work hours to be able to drop him off later so I didn't need before-school care as well for him.  When he's finished at Tom Thomson, however, he gets picked up by the Kicks for Kids schoolbus and has Taekwondo instruction and a snack and then I pick him up when I'm finished work.  I'm not sure how much he enjoys the days that he goes to Tom Thomson...I think it's a lot of change for him so soon, but I think he'll get used to it soon enough. 

 

Evan is doing swimming lessons on Sunday's (10-10:30) and just started ice skating lessons yesterday (12:40-1:30).  He has a very full schedule, and we're swimming nicely along with it. 

 

Nothing else is new here, we are gearing up for Hallowe'en...no costumes picked out yet, though Evan thinks he'd like to be a Ghost because he wants to scare some of the kids at school.  Hope all is well in your neck of the woods!

When I was younger, I honestly dreaded family reunions.  I was to be gathered with a whole bunch of people I didn't know, and expected to behave myself even if I was bored out of my skull.  Times have changed, and I LOVE getting together with my family.  It's amazing to hear the stories about their lives, to see the new children entering the family, and to share in their triumphs. 

 

Today was a great day, after Evan's swimming lessons (which I might add I am not sure how he is progressing in the evening ones because I don't see him being challenged, though I think the ones through the daycare are taking him leaps and bounds above where he was even two weeks ago), we went back to the house and had a barbecue with my Aunt MaryBell, Uncle Phil, Jeffery, and Angela & Christian with their two kids Nathalie and Kirstin.  We had a great time with them, and are they ever cute kids!  I got some pics up already.  They were so well behaved too for staying up really late. 

 

Anyway, like I said, I love getting together with my family now more then I ever did as a child.  I never saw the point, but now I do.  I hope I can pass that on to my own children, because I believe family is the most important thing you can have in your life.  They are the ones that will support you no matter what, and they will always be there to fall back on if you need them. 

 

 

Well, he's done it.  My son has finally put his entire face into the water and moved his arms and legs in a semi-dog paddle motion with NO feet on the ground.  On Wednesday he didn't want to put his face in the water to swim, but today he did.  He also jumped into the shallow end unassisted about 5 times.  If MSN spaces had video uploads, I'd show you his progress.  It was amazing!!  I am so proud of him!!

 

Have Nicole (cousin) staying with my parents for a week, so have taken it upon ourselves to entertain her a bit more then just sitting around the pool tanning.  She brought her dog too.  Yippee.  Good thing she's not staying at our apartment, hahahaha. 

 

Ugh, anyway, enough...I'm tired, ready for bed.

 

CYA

 

PS...here are some videos of it.

 

It's finally happened!  On Wednesday after supper, I got Evan to swim a few metres unassisted by himself in the deep end of the pool.  It was amazing!  He did it about 5 times...he swam from me to the ladder.  I was so proud of him!!  So he has progressed this summer from not even wanting to spider-man across the wall to dunking his head and actually swimming dog paddle by himself.  I am amazed at his courage right now...I knew he had it in him (he's been able to float on his back since he was 2, he just hated doing it because he was so afraid).  So, now my son joins the ranks of the swimmers.  He is no longer a non-swimmer.  He started swimming lessons again at the beginning of the summer through the daycare, every Thursday morning.  He didn't seem to make much progress, but then those kids came, and he was wowing me with things.  He started more swimming lessons last night as well, which he'll do twice a week until the end of August.  He looked so happy in his class...he was actually trying his best.  He was jumping to his teacher, and he was actually eager to do so, which I hadn't seen in him before when we did swimming lessons...he was hesitant, and just wanted to splash, but now he was happy to show off putting his whole face in the water, happy to show off his jumping, and happy showing off his back floats. 

 

We'll see what the weekend has to offer us! 

Just finished a great two weeks with my sister and her family.  It was great to have them visiting, and I hope they had a good time as well.  Evan had a great time with Ellie and Ryan, and enjoyed the swimming so much.  I was amazed at how brave he got with the two of them around.  I managed to even get him to put his entire head under the water!  Way to go!

 

Had a good weekend at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin, we went fishing, tubing, boating, swimming, into town for ice cream, and even had some time to have a bonfire.  It was great, relaxing, and everybody pitched in to help out with keeping things running. 

 

I think I may have been bitten by a spider, but not sure.  I had a huge horrible red mark with penetration marks to one side of it.  I woke up with horrible cramps in that leg, and then it was extremely itchy for a few days.  It's fine now, just red, but kind of scary to think of what it could have been, or what could have happened.

 

Anyway, time for bed.

 

Check out the new pictures...I put up stuff from June and July.