We have a home base

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Sherry

I believe I neglected to write about this, though I did sob about it on Facebook. About a month, maybe a month and a half ago, we found a place to live. It was cute! It was the end unit in a row of three townhouses in a little townhouse community. It had a shared backyard but a private deck, a community swimming pool (heated even! With lifeguards and lessons!), nice space, and a cool kitchen. I spoke a few times to the owner and she and I really hit it off immediately. She really liked me and the way I described how our family is moving out to Halifax, and she also liked George’s cousin a lot when he went to check it out.

On the Friday she told me it was ours if we wanted it and when I said an emphatic yes she sent me the application and told me that she’d get the lease to me in a day or so. We paid the security deposit and I was so motivated to pack, picturing where all our stuff would go in our new home.

On the Saturday I found out that she actually co-owned the place with a family member who had given it over to new tenants on the Thursday; the lease was signed, they had the keys, and they had scheduled a set-up with all the utilities. We were once again without a home. (Yes, we got the deposit back immediately.) I was really down. I mean REALLY down. I don’t take elation followed by instant disappointment well.

Anyway. A couple of weeks ago we did actually sign a lease on a new place. George’s cousin saw it and said it was great and that we’d be very happy with it. I liked what I saw of the pictures on the Kijiji listing, though they weren’t great shots, leaving me wondering just how big or small each room was, and there were no exterior shots nor were there any pictures of the kitchen, dining area, or the two bathrooms. Still, we trusted his judgment and grabbed it.

It’s in a great location with a bus I can take downtown for work, and there are several conveniences nearby in the form of grocery stores, Tim Hortons, and the NSLC (it will take time for me to get used to the fact that you can’t buy beer at the corner store but must instead go to the liquor store!).

Then his cousin went last night to pay the security deposit and next month’s rent. That was one thing I immediately liked about our new landlord – that should have been paid upon signing the lease but he wanted to repaint the place first and refused to accept any money until he had completed that job satisfactorily. That’s a huge step up from this place where they don’t give a crap about things like missing screens, leaky taps, or “minor inconveniences” like mold.

While he was there he was able to get pictures of all the rooms and suffice it to say I am ecstatic after seeing them. I had also gotten some great exterior shots earlier in the week from a friend who lives out that way (hi Patricia!), and I’m just in love with this house.

Unlike the townhouse it’s a semi-detached house and we have our own private yard. The yard isn’t big but it’s quite nice with a deck off the dining room, a patio down on the ground with a gazebo, a big shed, some nice plants, a fence, and even a spot for a wee garden. The kitchen is the only unfortunate part in that it’s still a galley kitchen like what we have in the current apartment BUT it’s bigger than this one with more counter space. The counters, tiles, and cupboards are much nicer, there’s a double sink which is something I’ve always wanted, and we have an actual pantry. For years we had to sacrifice two kitchen cupboards as a makeshift pantry, so that makes me happy. All that’s missing is a window over the sink (and, well, a dishwasher, but I’ve never had one anyway so it’s not a huge deal), but I’ll just hand a nice ocean picture there and use that as my “window” instead!

It’s such a relief to have a home. The kids are excited to each have their own room and I’m excited about that too since I’m tired of hearing them bicker in one room together! George has space for a music room and we will be able to have both a living room AND a family room. I’m thrilled!

If you’re my friend on Facebook you’ve already seen the pictures but if not, I also have them uploaded here. (In the close-up of the front those aren’t graffiti marks, that’s just me using Photoshop to hide our street number!)

I’m very happy and can’t wait to get set up!

What’s going on

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Sherry

Whew. I can’t believe I haven’t updated since May 20th. Honestly. I had really kind of wanted to document the whole process of preparing to move to Halifax a little more clearly because I like being able to look back on things and read about stuff I might have forgotten with time. The truth is, I’ve just been so busy, especially the past couple of weeks. By the time I get done with my day the only thing I can do at my computer is read everyone else’s blog posts. I have been updating on Facebook but although it has an ease that beats out blogging, there’s no archive system; I can’t think to myself, “hmm, what was I doing on June 10th?” and easily find it six months from now.

Thus, although I haven’t posted about moving regularly, let me catch you up on the chaos.

Oh yes, chaos. This blog isn’t called “Chaos Theory” for nothing! These pictures demonstrate exactly what it’s like to live in our apartment right now. We’re surrounded by towers of cardboard boxes (still color coded and numbered with an accompanying spreadsheet detailing what’s in each one, I’m amazed I’ve stuck with being organized this long). Getting through our living room is getting more and more difficult but at least it’s not for much longer.

And yes, I *love* that the kids keep putting their stuff randomly on top of boxes as though they’re tables. Sheesh. Anyway, it’s just nuts in here and with all the boxes piling up around me I’m thinking that despite the fact that I’ve read about the Zombie Apocalypse and am now currently reading about the Robot Uprising, the truth is the cardboard boxes are going to gain intelligence and kill us all in our sleep.

Man, I need to get this move over with. Only 17 more days as of today.

However it hasn’t all been super serious. I went to the school one day to hang out while the kids all did a Jump Rope For Heart Health event. Everyone was outside in the school yard skipping and running around and it was just a blast on a nice sunny day. I even managed to jump in, skip ten times, and jump out without falling down or losing bladder control, so go me. Like my friend said though, skipping was easier when we were younger and didn’t have any boobs yet.

You’re welcome.

I also went on a field trip. I wasn’t needed for Hayley’s class trip to a museum (too bad, since I had never been there), but I went with the grade four classes when they went to a different museum and then went on a walking tour of Old Montreal. It was really cold especially being so close to the Old Port but I’d rather walk in the cold than the humidity so it was fine. I loved it and took some pictures though I haven’t had a chance to process them yet. I’ll post them eventually. I was gone all day and had such a great time, and learned things too. I also learned that girls in grade four are now very emotionally dramatic and hormonal in ways we weren’t back when I was that age and it kind of scared me. Yikes!

Last weekend we had an impromptu BBQ with friends and that’s really my favorite kind of weekend day and evening – the one where you had no plans and suddenly you were packing your bathing suit and heading over to eat BBQ pork tenderloin with people you love, especially when they’re the people you’re going to miss very soon. The kids swam pretty much all day because they are insane and had no understanding that the water was COLD.

Meanwhile the three moms cleared away the dishes after supper, parked the kids inside to play, left the dads on supervision, and we took our wine across the street to the hot tub. I thought I would set up my camera for a timer shot of the three of us but my gorillapod was too low and in our rush to get into place before it snapped we kind of slipped and slid all over the place, ending with the most hilarious photo I’ve taken in ages.

And no, we didn’t spill our wine.

Finally, even though it was a weeknight, on Wednesday I went out to supper at my favorite local restaurant, Table 51, with the members of the PPO. They’re another group of people I will miss tremendously after we move, they’re all amazing.

(Why yes, we are a bunch of really hot moms, and bless the poor lone dad who is brave enough to come to meetings and deal with all the estrogen.)

I ate way too much. We split appetizers so I ate a “croquette” (potato, cheese, and bacon rolled into a ball and deep fried, then dipped in jalapeno mayo sauce), a bunch of homemade chips and crackers with hummus and guacamole (my favorite), a “mini mac” which is an itty bitty facsimile of a Big Mac (it tastes just like it, minus the accompanying nausea you get at Mickey D’s), and a bit of braised beef poutine (made with fingerling potatoes instead of fries, lots of curd cheese, and a rich wine gravy, oh mah GOD). That was really more than enough but I still ordered a veggie burger (made with lentils, oatmeal, and brown rice and served on a bun with tomatoes, red onion, dressing, cheese, and arugula, delicious!) with fries. I only managed half the burger before I nearly died so I ate the rest for lunch. The two glasses of Pinot Noir were wonderful too.

Mini Mac:

Veggie Burger:

Other than that it’s been all about packing, taking breaks to read voraciously on my Kindle (more about that in another entry as this one is long enough now!), and occasionally doing strange things with my body all in the name of yoga.

There is so much I’m going to miss but part of me is just really eager to get to Halifax so I can decompress just a wee bit!

Why I can’t take part in the rapture

Posted on May 20, 2011 by Sherry

So according to a bunch of lunatics, er, I mean people who have used intense mathematical skills in conjunction with the Bible, the world is going to hit the start of the End Days on May 21st (conveniently at 6 pm for each time zone as opposed to just all at once at a surprise time). Those who are saved will enjoy The Rapture, floating up to Heaven…

… while the rest of us are forced to stay behind like badly behaved children. Yes, I am assuming that I will not be “raptured”. I looked at the flow chart. Far too many strikes against me.

(click for full size to see where you stand)

Anyway, that’s fine. I have little to fear as I have seen many zombie movies, disaster films, and post-apocalyptic movies so I’m sure I’ll fare reasonably well once everything gets going. And really, I don’t want to be raptured anyway. Here are some of the reasons why in no particular order:

I still haven’t see the season finale of Criminal Minds. I need to know how they end this season.
And speaking of zombies, what about The Walking Dead? I’m pretty obsessed with that show and need to know what’s going to happen next season.
I’m in the middle of reading Divergent which is not quite as good as the whole The Hunger Games trilogy but it’s still highly entertaining and I’d hate to get pulled away from it when I’m only about halfway through it.
The final Harry Potter movie doesn’t come out until July. If I can make to a theater with a good generator I’ll be able to see if they did the last book justice.
I just did my French telephone interview for my Halifax job and I passed it; I have to stick around for the English telephone interview, no time for rapturing!
And hello? Halifax! I mean, sure I could still go but if the roads are all shot to hell we’re going to have to try to get our hands on a tank to make it there and I’m not sure if those are compatible with Breanna’s booster seat.
I have firm plans to do a bit of post-rapture looting. I’ve got my eye on a few nice camera lenses, a flat screen television, the Kinect system, and a new laptop that doesn’t blue-screen on me once a day.
I’ve been progressing so nicely with my yoga, it would be a shame to stop now. I mean look at the crazy stuff I can do! (And ignore my voice and the Canadian accent that goes with it)
I have a lot of crap to take care of on my to-do list on Saturday and frankly I’m just not going to feel like going all the way up to the sky by 6 pm.
I’d hate to think all the mountains of laundry I’ve done in the past week or so have been a waste.

So clearly I just can’t be raptured on Saturday even if I was eligible. I’m a very busy person you know.

Are you going or staying?

The best laid plans of mice and men…

Posted on April 23, 2011 by Sherry

… often go awry. But sometimes there’s a happy ending nonetheless.

On Friday we hopped in the minivan and headed out to visit my parents for the day. Part of our visit was also to get my dad back online with a new-to-him computer. You could tell it was a holiday because there was traffic everywhere. On top of that, this idiotic province figured it was a good idea to close down tons of streets for construction on a long holiday weekend where people frequently travel about the city. Brilliant.

With all the stop and go and stop and go our van ended up overheating when we were 3/4 of the way there which was just effin’ perfect. Luckily we have a CAA membership and it proved to be worth every penny when George was able to call and ask for help. Unfortunately the trucks can really only accommodate two passengers so George had to call his dad to come pick up me and the two kids.

On the other hand it was the middle of the day, sunny, and quite warm so it wasn’t the end of the world. We had pulled in to the parking lot of a Petro Canada gas station which backed onto a McDonalds so I sat on the Mickey D’s terrace with the kids once the CAA truck showed up. George drove the van up onto the ramp, hopped in the truck, and left; ten minutes later his dad arrived and we headed for home, deciding to save our visit for another day.

When we were almost home George called and said his dad should just drop me off and take the kids over for supper because his sister was on her way for the weekend. That left just the two of us at home.

Back at Christmas my sister and her husband gave us a gift certificate for Boston Pizza to enjoy a night out together. We decided to call our friends and see if they’d care to join us (the restaurant isn’t too far so we could have gotten there anyway, we just wanted good company!) and indeed they did. We had a great time.

George had Jambalaya Linguine:

Meanwhile I tried their famous Spicy Perogie pizza which was delicious:

I love having a planned event or get-together to look forward to but honestly some of the best times have all been the spontaneous sort. There’s just something really fun about suddenly saying, “hey why don’t we…?” and then doing it.

So it wasn’t the Friday we had planned on, but at least it had a good save in the end!

Busy short week

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Sherry

This is going to be one of those fly-by weeks I think. First of all, Monday went by quickly even though I don’t really know why. I didn’t do anything in particular to move it along. I didn’t even pack anything since I’m running low on boxes. Still, I can’t believe that it’s almost time for bed.

On Tuesday I have a Governing Board meeting and I have no idea how long it will be; we missed our last meeting because it ended up canceled so we may have to catch up on a few extra items. Then I have a PPO meeting on Wednesday which is probably going to be short and sweet. Still, two meetings in a row this month!

As if I won’t spend enough time up at the school with those meetings, I then have Breakfast Club bright (dark) and early on Thursday morning. Whew!

I’m quite happy that at least Hayley’s off for Good Friday and Easter Monday so it’s just a four-day week, a nice four-day weekend, and another four-day week. I like that.

The weekend may be a blur too; on Friday we’re going to visit my parents to hook my dad up with a new-to-him computer since he’s been without a functioning PC for almost a year now. While we’re there I’m going to give him a lesson in how to use gmail, how to find both my blog and my sister’s blog, and remind him of how to use Facebook so he can get back into things online.

Then of course there’s Easter dinner at George’s parents’ house on Sunday and I don’t know if the kids will maybe be over there on Saturday as well, so it seems like it just might be busy busy. We’re picking up some boxes from a friend on the way home from seeing my parents so I’ll be able to get some more packing done at least!

*******

The good thing about getting my dad back online is that he and my mom will be able to go “ooh” and “ahh” over their newest granddaughter. My sister had her baby on April 9th and you can go read her birth story and see how beautiful my niece Claire is. I can’t wait to get out there and hold her for the first time! I wish I could see her in person now but she’ll only be about three months when I get there. That’s one of my favorite baby ages, really. At three months they’re still non-mobile so you can put them down in the middle of your living room floor, go get a drink of water, come back, and they’re still exactly where you left them. Meanwhile, they also becoming more and more interactive with the laughing and seeking out your face and it just a wonderful age. Auntie Sherry might need an intervention to put her down!

*******

On that note I should probably think about getting myself to bed since it’s almost 11 and I’m pretty tired.

Catching up

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Sherry

I remember once upon a time I updated regularly. Now I just don’t seem to find the time. It’s not that I’m so terribly busy that I can’t possibly sit down and type something, I just never seem to get around to it. I love to be able to read back and remember things that might have otherwise slipped out of my memory though, so I really need to commit to doing this more often.

This weekend has been a fairly soggy one, tons of rain yesterday and showers on and off today. It’s also been very cold compared to last week, and the dampness is hard to shake off. It’s definitely warm socks and sweaters weather. It was also apparently a weekend of rage-inducing moments.

First off there was yesterday. I was all out of contact solution, to the point that each lens was soaking in all of 2-3 drops of solution each. George was kind enough to offer to go out early to get me some since my glasses are so old that it’s uncomfortable to wear them for very long. When he came back he was beyond pissed off and at first I thought he had had a bad encounter with someone at the store but it turned out it was someone in this building, someone who lives in one of the six apartments on the third floor. Let’s put it this way; I had to actually go out into the stairwell and post this note:

Yes, really. Someone actually had their garbage bag of dirty cat litter break as they were coming through the door to the stairs, and it fell all the way down the stairwell to the second floor. And then they left it! At first I gave them the benefit of the doubt, saying that maybe it had just happened and they had returned to their apartment to get a broom and new bag. Hours later it was evident that this was not the case. By the time George returned home from working last night he said both the note and the disgusting litter were gone so I guess my outrage worked.

In related news I am so glad that we are moving out of here in 71 more days. God. How sad is it that you need an annoyed neighbor to point out you should clean up your mess in the stairs?! The cleaning people only come once a month, it would have sat there for ages otherwise!

The other moment of rage was something I witnessed this morning. I was coming up the back stairs from the parking lot with the dog and I brought her over to the grassy courtyard when I saw some people exiting the building so she wouldn’t jump on them. Much to my disbelief I saw a father carrying a large car seat while his son who looked to be about five or six years old carrying his baby sister who is approximately eight or nine months old, give or take, based on the last time I saw his mother still pregnant. Not 20 seconds later I saw the mother come out behind them and she had nothing in her hands other than a set of keys, so it’s not like there was no adult around to carry a baby.

I stood by the door, all tense with nerves as I watched that little boy descend the seven cement steps to the parking lot and sure enough as he made it to the second to last step he suddenly disappeared from sight; he had fallen forward into the parking lot, baby in his arms. The mother screamed in horror and ran down to pick the baby up. THEN, as if it wasn’t all bad enough anyway, she started YELLING at her son as though he was some terrible child for losing his balance and falling. Hey lady, if you hadn’t expected your young kid to carry a baby this never would have happened. The baby was wailing and the father ran over to see if she was okay, and I’m hoping she’s fine since she was quite bundled up with a hat and the hood of a very puffy snowsuit, but I don’t know.

I just… I don’t know, sometimes all you can do is clench your fists and walk away.

*******

Last weekend was much better. It was sunny and warm, and although the wind was a tad chilly we spent quite a bit of time outdoors on Saturday. Our friends invited us over for the first BBQ of the season – and with our upcoming move we have to enjoy those as much as possible – and we took the kids down to the river for a bit, then followed that up with some snacks out on the back deck in the sun.

It makes up for the fact that this weekend has been primarily spent indoors. The sun is actually out now but it’s still cold and damp, and the wind is really going to town out there. Ah well, the grass is turning green pretty quickly so I guess it’s a decent trade-off. Here’s hoping that the long Easter weekend will be nice though!

*******

In unrelated news, last night George and I were watching Rush Hour 2 on YTV or Teletoon, or one of those kids’ channels that plays more PG + movies later at night. During one of the commercial breaks they had one of the channel regulars talking about… something to do with the movie I think. I didn’t listen at all because I nearly choked on my chips in my geeky excitement when I saw he was wearing that said, “There are four lights.”

I hacked and coughed over my food and waved my hand wildly at the TV and choked out that I LOVED his shirt. Confused, George looked at me and asked why and what did it mean. Aghast, I told him it was from the 2-part episode of Star Trek:TNG when the Cardassians kidnap Picard and torture him, trying to make him admit there were three lights on the wall when in reality there were four. Anyone who was a fan of that show (hi, like me apparently) has always loved the moment at the end when the crew rescues Picard who had been very close to breaking and confirming the three lights; as he’s being helped out of the room he turns and snarls, “There. Are. FOUR. Lights!”

I just shook my head in sorrow that George had no recollection of this episode and didn’t realize the magnitude of such a shirt or why I would have a sudden burning need to find one of my own. Meanwhile I think George also shook his head in sorrow while wondering how on earth he had ever managed to get stuck with such an insufferable Trek geek.

We all have our cross to bear.

Pretty daughters

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Sherry

It took me years to like the way I looked. Growing up I was a teenager with thick glasses, out-of-control hair (thick hair is wonderful but only if you know what to do with it; as a teen I most certainly had no clue how to manage it), zero fashion sense, and worst of all absolutely no self-confidence in the way I looked. Any time I imagined myself in some situation, the first thing I would think is to pretend I was pretty. I pretended to be pretty, I never felt pretty.

My parents told me I was but parents are supposed to do that. Parents aren’t supposed to say, “yes dear, you’re ugly but you have many other charming qualities” so I didn’t buy it when they said that.

Sad as it is to admit, it took something physical to change my perceptions of myself. I wish I could say that I transcended the need to be pretty, a need that is ingrained into not only our society but society around the world; what is deemed attractive depends on culture and history but whether you’re talking about the 18th century or today you’ll always find a woman who wanted to look good. But it was indeed something physical that finally made me like what looked back out of the mirror. It was my first pair of contact lenses at the age of 17.

Over the years I guess that I’ve found a combination of acceptance and approval within myself. I don’t stare in the mirror all day long sighing with joy but I don’t avert my eyes either. It’s a balance. But even at the age of 36, even with a year’s worth of yoga under my belt – where acceptance of who and what and where you are is a strong theme – the word “pretty” still echoes over and over from time to time. It’s amazing how deep a neurosis over physical appearance can run.

I hadn’t planned on writing all of that, I guess it’s like the typing version of vomiting all over the internet (which is a pretty good description of blogging in general). All I really meant to do was share this amazing video that Caitlin from Operation Beautiful posted on Twitter this morning. I don’t put my feminist hat on too often but this video speaks volumes and it brought me to tears. Not only is it important to watch for yourself, if you have daughters or ever might have them then I think you need to see this.

(There is one moment of swearing so you might want to view it first before watching it WITH your daughters.)

Every once in awhile I post something deeply personal and I get ready to cringe in hindsight so I reserve the right to edit this post later if I suddenly get all embarrassed. Meanwhile, I’d love to hear your thoughts on the clip.

Another year older

Posted on July 8, 2010 by Sherry

Yesterday, July 7th, I celebrated my birthday and turned 36 years old. I remember when I was 29 I spent the weeks leading up to my 30th birthday wringing my hands and feeling strangely unsettled. I don’t really know why other than I had some vague idea that I was not whatever I had expected to be by age 30. What I was supposed to be, I do not know, but whatever. In the end, I was fretting over the big day and then when the 7th finally rolled around it was so far from a big deal that it was practically a non-event.

That’s the last time that I stressed over my birthday and the number associated with it. I reserve the right to freak out when I’m about to turn 40 and every decade after that, but in general it wasn’t an issue at all yesterday. The only thing I didn’t like about it is that I just like the number 35 so I was sad to let it go, but 36 will be good too.

I’m in better shape at 36 than I have been in the past ten years and feel great (more often than not). The last time I was so fit was when I was doing kung fu for two hours a day six days a week. As of now, I do yoga (almost) daily and it’s done so much good for me, not only physically (man is yoga great for toning your muscles without turning into a female Arnold) but mentally and spiritually as well. On top of that I’ve discovered a cardio workout that I love (hello Zumba!) and I find myself wanting to try more and more new things because of this fitness addiction. When I find myself feeling in shape, feeling strong, and feeling healthy (not to mention the bonus of helping me through panic attacks), it’s hard to be down on something like age, you know?

Anyway, the day was a good one. It was brutally, disgustingly HOT so it was very low-key but it was good nonetheless. I got some of my favorite things as presents – books! I ordered one for myself with Amazon gift certificates, and nearly missed the delivery. It wasn’t supposed to get here until the 9th but I saw the postal truck as we were leaving the parking lot and sure enough I saw the familiar Amazon box as the mailman approached our front door. I jumped out and ran over asking if it was for me and I think he was thrilled that he didn’t have to climb up four flights of stairs in that heat. (I got Going in Circles and blasted through 100 pages last night; I loved her other two books but this may be my favorite!)

George and the kids dropped me off at Indigo so I could browse the books for the one I wanted; turns out they didn’t have it in stock but I always have a backup choice so I got the 4th Sookie Stackhouse novel, Dead to the World. I am woefully addicted to this series and determined to read them all as soon as possible. I was skeptical at first but I’m a fan now.

After they picked me up, we went out to the West Island and stopped at the secondhand bookstore. I ended up picking up Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood since I really enjoyed the first two books.

I love books.

Since we were out there we went down to the water but it was so disgusting outside. Even with a slight (and I do mean SLIGHT) breeze coming off the water it was just uncomfortable, there’s no shade, and everything was just a big nasty haze. I managed some pictures but less than five minutes later we were on our way back home.

The kids had also picked out a little extra gift for me when I had been in Indigo, and I love seeing what they feel will be good for me. George doesn’t usually give them any input so it’s all their idea. Breanna knows I like candles so she got me a pink pillar candle and Hayley chose a little pink bear that lights up.

With everyone having new reading material and the thermometer reaching record breaking levels, we stayed as quiet as possible until supper. Breanna did make a tea party for me though, since she was distraught that I wasn’t having a party for my special day.

There was no way I was turning on an oven or even standing over a pot on the stove so we had cold chicken, potato salad, and macaroni salad for supper. It was the perfect meal on a day like that. I also elected to have Birthday Pie instead of cake. So much better!

I have absolutely no complaints (other than the weather, but I AM Canadian, eh?) about my birthday or my age.

If next year is like this, I’ll be very happy.

Signs of summer

Posted on July 4, 2010 by Sherry

Everyone has signs they recognize as the arrival of spring. Up here, in particular, I start looking for them after a long and obnoxious winter. It might be the first robin of the season, or the first buds that pop out on a tree. Maybe a dandelion sprouts up all of a sudden or, my favorite, people start driving their motorcycles. This isn’t just limited to spring though; there are also some sure signs of summer, all of which I saw this weekend.

Inviting blue water beckoning.

Homemade sangria on the deck.

Swimming in the pool (even if it took forever for my wimpy self to get in).

Deep thoughts, poolside.

Seasoning dinner (which was eaten outside on the deck while the birds sang) with fresh basil.

Beautiful flowers.

Setting aside old fears and learning to submerge all the way under water (doing so in a hot tub is apparently less scary than in the pool).

Beautiful dusk skies.

Watermelon and red wine on the deck.

Evening snacks outdoors.

And of course, as much as these are all sure signs that summer is here, there’s also the undeniable factor which is never as easy to photograph – the joys of spending and afternoon and evening with friends (kids and adults alike) with tons of laughing and chatting and reveling.

Yup. Must be summer.

End of year, beginning of summer

Posted on June 24, 2010 by Sherry

This week Hayley only had three days of school but they were pretty action-packed. In fact, the past week was pretty busy. We spent our Saturday swimming (well, okay, all the kids swam, I just hung out on my friends’ deck and hopped in the hot tub at their neighbor’s house) and then enjoyed dinner and an evening full of laughter among adults while the kids played downstairs.

On Sunday there was a slight flurry of activity in the kitchen as the kids prepared breakfast in bed for George for father’s day; Hayley scrambled the eggs, Breanna made and (peanut)buttered the toast, and I handled the coffee. That was followed by visiting my dad and then having Chinese food over at George’s parents’ house for supper.

On Monday I was up bright and early because the school was having their annual Play Day. The kids were outside all day other than snack time and lunch time. The PPO rented bouncies (I was in charge of that and the two I chose were so much fun!), a dunk tank (a lot of grade six kids had a blast volunteering to be dunked), and a DJ for the gym. There was also a watermelon and freezies station, face painting, soccer, tug of war, hurdles, and other fun activities.

I was stationed at the face painting table and it ended up being perfect because due to the makeup we had to be in the shade to keep it from melting so I didn’t get overheated by the bright sun. At lunch we served hot dogs and that was a big hit.

I channeled my inner child by playing on the bouncies whenever the kids went inside. I can not lie, they were ridiculously awesome and I had fun.

Tuesday found me putting on (gasp!) a little black dress and heading out with some of the ladies from the PPO for dinner at a great restaurant for some end-of-year relaxation. The food was delicious (lobster tacos and homemade chips & sesame sticks with guacamole and hummus for appetizers, a glass of Pinot Noir, and I ordered salmon roasted in Pinot Noir and sea salt for my main meal, yummy), the atmosphere was very nice, and the company was outstanding. I’ll miss them over the summer and will especially miss the two who will not be returning next year since their kids are off to high school. Sniff.

Damn, we’re a bunch of good looking women. We were joined by the owner and of course I offered up my food-snapping photo services if he needs any, ahem. I’ll work for reasonable rates and more salmon.

Finally, Wednesday rolled around and lo and behold it was the last day of school. The last day is always emotional. The bus drivers honk as they leave, the kids wave out the windows, and the teachers all line up on the sidewalk to wave them off. Last year was a tear-fest because our principal was leaving, and this year wasn’t much better because Hayley’s math teacher was retiring. I took a photo of her with Hayley and I warned her that if she cried I’d cry; she dabbed her eyes and informed me she’d been crying for at least half an hour so I was out of luck. I’ll miss her, because she was a tough teacher but she was a great match for Hayley last year for homeroom (she was a big help in the adjustment from Kindergarten to grade one) and Hayley learned a lot about math from her this year.

Alas, my photos are all still on my camera right now.

Hayley’s report card was very good and most of her marks went up from last term, so that’s great. Her teachers had wonderful remarks for each subject and I was especially pleased to see her French grades since Hayley was so worried about it at the beginning of the year.

I can’t believe that in a couple of months she’ll be getting ready for her first day of grade THREE. In the meantime though, there is sun and fun to enjoy over the summer and I’m very happy to get a break from 6:30 wake-ups (and 5:30 wake-ups on breakfast club days). Summer is a good thing!

Whew. There you go, we’re all caught up now! What have YOU been up to?