Daddy-O

Exhilarated

Biking to Work … captured on July 10, 2009 - LX3

What a beautiful day to bike to work today. It's the beginning of an upcoming hot and humid day but the temperature is still cool and the breeze on a downhill is invigorating. I managed to pace myself today and coasted up to the office fully charged and energetic.

So far, I've had little trouble with my knees. I felt a twinge on Tuesday, but I did drive harder than I should have. I keep telling myself: if I want to lose weight, I've got to bike at a slower pace. So I'm thinking of upping the commute to three times a week and seeing how that goes. While I love reading on the streetcar, that's been more difficult lately with the construction on Roncesvalles. And biking, well, there will always be the feeling of freedom. 

Freedom

Frolicking … captured by Jennifer on July 5, 2009 - LX3

You might recall the time when we cruelly locked the cat down in the basement to get a decent night's sleep. Well, we've relaxed Cato's sentence and even let him spend some time in "the yard" with the other inmates. Yes, even though I said we'd never let him wander out back, there he is, thinking he owns the joint. Why the bid deal; why such the party pooper? Well, the last time we did this he got fleas. So Jennifer has agreed to get him flea medication in exchange for his freedom. Truth be told, he is much happier and he does stick around, in the yard. In fact, he'll usually go for a walk to check out the perimeter, then come back up to the deck and lie down while keeping an eye on everything. He doesn't seem all that comfortable down on the grass, particularly if the wind is blowing. Freaky cat. As for nighttime, he now stays awake during the evenings so by the time we turn in, he's ready to go to sleep too. For now. We'll keep you posted and let you know if he ever makes parole.

History Will Have to Wait

Lance Armstrong © Ecodiario

Busy night. First we all made our way to High Park to watch Matthew's team lose to the club he used to play for last year. Then, we settled down to watch the last hour of today's Tour de France stage. This route began and finished in Montpélier, featuring team time trials; each team must cover 39 kilometres as quickly as possible. Five members of each team are required to cross the finish line (they start with 9 riders) as the time is taken after the fifth cyclist passes the line. Today, Lance's team—Astana—pushed hard, moving within 40 seconds of team Saxo Bank where Fabian Cancellara currently holds the maillot jaune. With 5 kilometres to go, Phil Ligget—one of the excited British commentator—took a deep breath and stated: "They've done the technical bit, they have the wind at their tails and the yellow jersey is on the washing line."

In the end, Cancellara managed to keep the his jersey. Just. Lance Armstrong finished just one tenth of a second behind him. Very exciting stuff. This tour is shaping up to be quite entertaining and the mountain stages begin on Friday. Right now, it's off to catch Canada play El Salvador (and hopefully advance) in the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament. A sporty night indeed!

Of Two Minds

Loving the Waves … captured on June 26, 2009 - 5D

Here's a nice, happy picture to offset my recent grumpy mood. I wasn't going to talk about it but I've got nothing else, so why not? These last few days have just been off; you know the kind of days when things just don't gel properly? No rhyme. No reason. Like the new prescription sunglasses and the wrong choice I made on the colour of the lenses. Or the new undershirts which are too tight. Or the new shirts that are just a little too long. If I could just have a do-over for the last few days. Instead, it's just another expensive weekend filled with regretful choices. Ah well, moving on.

I'm not sure what the reason is for the funk. Could it be the fact that we're 3 and half weeks away from our holidays? If so, I hope I snap out of it soon; there's a lot to do between then and now. Still, it hasn't been all bad. This evening did show some positive signs. Despite having PVRed today's leg of the Tour de France and having it stop 30kms from the finish line (!!!!), I took it all in stride, resigning myself to watching the last hour of the re-broadcast later on tonight (commercials and all, sigh). I did start goofing around with Matthew which felt nice and lifted my spirits. We also shared an awkward moment on the way home from soccer practice, hearing a very loud argument on Dundas. 

"Daddy, she's being very loud."

"Yes, she's quite mad."

"I know. She was swearing too." Big pause. "She even used the F-word a lot of times."

"Ahem. Yes, sometimes when people get really mad, they use that word."

"It's best if we just don't listen to them."

"That's a good point."

Luckily, further on he spotted a school chum and promptly forgot the argument. And now, I've got to go tuck him into bed.

Hanging

Sunny Poppy … captured on July 4, 2009 - 5D

A sunshiny picture for a sun-filled weekend. Other than that, there's not much to report. I spent the morning on Saturday waiting to pick up new prescription sunglasses in Chinatown while the kids hung at home with Jennifer. Friday we decided to treat ourselves to dinner at East Side Mario's and now we know why people are overweight. Seriously; that's too much food. Throw in this morning's soccer practice, some freezies and gardening and that's pretty much the weekend. Funny, it seems like there was a lot more.

Timers

Timed … captured on July 2, 2009 - LX3

We've been putting this off for far too long. I remember using a timer with Matthew; it never went over very well but, it was necessary. And so it is for Marina who, as far as I can tell, is far worse than the Lad ever was. This girl can devote 5 minutes to a spec of dust on the dinner table and let me tell you, there's a lot of dust to go around in this house.

Breakfast is usually the longest because she's not much of a morning person. She's typically the first person at the breakfast table, and the last to leave. Dinner isn't usually much better, particularly if she doesn't like what's been served which, lately, is almost everything. And let's not forget how much of a chatterbox this girl is. Why, at dinnertime there's a WHOLE day that's just passed that we can talk about.

So tonight we started up Jennifer's jTouch (see what I did there? Instead of iTouch, jTouch. Clever, huh?) and I set the timer to 5 minutes and placed it down in front of the Wee-One. After a quick explanation that the time would count down to zero, she started eating her rice and chicken. Quickly, with a cocked eyebrow and a wary gaze toward the table. She's never been so focused on eating dinner. Of course, I don't know that this will work in the long run but hopefully, she won't be sitting at the dinner table 30 minutes after we've all left.

Howzit Goin', eh?

Setting Sun at Craigleith … captured on June 26, 2009 - 5D

Canada Day is so odd here, in Toronto. It's not like Ottawa, where there's this buzz going on all day. Don't get me wrong; people here are patriotic as well and they certainly appreciate the day off. There were celebrations peppered here and there although the larger ones were cancelled due to the City strike. Which reminds me, it's starting to get a little messy around here. In the end, we didn't really participate in any celebrations but enjoyed our day nonetheless.

We started our morning slowly and relaxed. By mid-morning, I took the van to the car wash to clean it out. Call me a weirdo, but it's something I enjoy doing tremendously, despite the humidity. By 12:30 we decided to walk down Roncesvalles and find a place for brunch. The street was abuzz with similar-minded folk, milling in and out of shops and enjoying the beautiful day. The weather office has been predicting rain and storms but today we saw none of it. On the other hand, the clouds over the past couple of days have been pretty spectacular.

After brunch we took our time walking home, picking up some fruits, veggies and other sundries. The lot of us then relaxed on the back deck for about an hour before I took the kids to see Pixar's Up at the 'big' cinema. Jennifer stayed home for some Mummy-Time which is a good thing because it cost me $39, just for admission! When I asked if she'd made a mistake, the teller told me the movie was in 3D and therefore, cost more. Yikes! Score another plus for The Revue. Having said that, Up was a very good movie, as most Disney/Pixar films are. The kids thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

And now, we've just finished dinner. Jennifer has taken the kids to the local park before bath time and I'm writing this so I can catch So You Think You Can Dance with my Sweetie in less than an hour. Unfortunately, it's back to work tomorrow. Although it was nice to break up the week, these mid-week holidays don't let you abandon yourself to the day because you know you've got work the next day. Oh well, it was nice nonetheless. And hey! A month today and we're on our way to PEI.

Late Nights

Ultra Silly … captured on June 27, 2009 - 5D

It's getting more and more difficult to find the time these days. It's not uncommon for Jennifer and I to finally sit down, after a day with work and the kids, just to find out it's 9:00 PM. If I'm blogging or working on pictures—like I am now—it's frequently after 9:30. Where exactly did all this time go? I know we're busy with soccer, but that's just two evenings a week. Of course, it doesn't help that Matthew is going to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 but still, you just feel so cheated sometimes (not to mention tired).

Tonight, the Lad had his weekly game, despite the ongoing City workers strike; the match was re-located to a school pitch so the kids could play. Matthew had a phenomenal first half, working hard, running backwards and fighting for the ball. Our team handily moved ahead, 2-nil. One of the other team's kids even drew a foul and a yellow card. A first! The game ended in a tie which normally, would have been fine. Tonight, however, it was a bit disappointing considering the first half our guys played. It was like a real soccer game out there. Regardless, Matthew had a great time, especially as they played in the rain. Of course, we didn't get home until a little past 8:00 but at least there's no work tomorrow! Happy Canada, everyone!

A Weekend at Craigleith

The Hues of Georgian Bay … captured on June 27, 2009 - 5D

I'm not sure why we're so tired, but we're all exhausted. Really, we are. So I'll try to keep this brief (FAIL). Jennifer and I hooked up on the King car shortly after noon on Friday. I'd picked up some Tim Hortons chicken clubs which we ate on the way home. Once there, we packed up the van and managed to swing by school shortly after 1:30. After a quick top up at Petro Canada we were off to Craigleith Provincial Park which is nestled on the shores of Georgian Bay. Pay attention to the word 'nestled'; this will come up again momentarily.

Not surprisingly, the traffic was already busy. Ah, life in the big city. We managed to get part way up the 400 but near Wonderland, everyone started slowing down. This lasted for a little while and the pace picked up again. We'd been listening to 680 News and were aware of an accident 20 or so kilometres ahead. We decided we'd take an alternate if this hadn't cleared up by the time we got there which, of course, is what happened. I tapped onto Julia's (the GPS) interface and hit Detour. She told us to take highway 9 toward Schomberg, so we did. We ignored one or two other suggestions, preferring a more scenic eventually making our way up to highway 26, heading toward Collingwood.

We arrived at our destination shortly after 5:00. The park, if it can be called that, is pretty small and nestled—wedged, actually—between the highway and the shores of Georgian Bay. The sites are pretty small but, as luck would have it, we had the last site in the park which meant we had complete privacy on one side. We unpacked the car, set up the tent then headed back into town to pick up some dinner. René and Danielle were bringing lunch and dinner preparations but wouldn't be arriving for another few hours. When we got back to the campsite, I built a fire and we walked down to the beach. It should be mentioned that the shoreline isn't sand, but shale. But the kids weren't disappointed and spent much of the weekend looking for fossils among the rocks.

 

Matt and the Girls … captured on June 26, 2009 - 5D

René, Danielle and Chloe did arrive sometime after 8:00 and while they set up their tent, we took Chloe down to the beach. By this time the wind was blowing quite strongly, churning up some lovely waves. Fortuitously, the waves were (mostly) drowning out the traffic behind us. Closer to 10:00, the kids went settled into their own tent. But it was so late and both Chloe and Matthew talked so much, Marina asked if she could go into our tent to get some sleep. As best as I can tell, the other two didn't fall asleep until AFTER midnight. We went to bed somewhere around one, not wanting to waste the gin and tonics we'd been nursing all night (!). 

At 5:45 a.m., I was awoken by a loud conversation both Matthew and Chloe were having. Irritated, I slipped on my sandals, zipped open the tent and made my way over to tell them to pipe down. By 6:17, Jennifer was out telling them to be quiet; I think she finally gave up around 7:00 and started preparing breakfast. We spent the day around camp, walking on the beach and enjoying the stunning weather. By mid-afternoon, we piled into our van and made our way to Blue Mountain, a ski resort in the area. We drove up the mountain, near a ski lift, to take in the expansive view below us. We then drove down to the resort town to see what was up. In addition to a Latin festival, many tourists were milling about, much like we were doing. Eventually, we made our way back to the Park to prepare dinner which, as it typically does over a campfire, took a couple of hours to cook. After the previous night's late hour, we decided to turn in early, sometime around 11:30.

I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to the sound of rain. Cursing myself for not having put away most of our gear, I rolled over and went back to sleep. Fortunately, it was a light sprinkling; I guess it sounds louder on a tent. When we did get up, the skies were dark and grey so I started packing up the van while the coffee brewed. As it turns out, the timing couldn't have been better because an hour later—as we were folding up our tent—it started spitting. By the time we had both vans packed, it was raining.

We drove back to Collingwood and with Julia's help found a Family restaurant for breakfast. Afterwards, we split up. Jennifer and I wanted to head home while they wanted to continue on, stopping elsewhere on their way home. We said our goodbyes, punched in Go Home and headed back through the rain.

Gone Fishing

Ball's Barn … captured on June 21, 2009 – 5D

Well, not really. I don't fish and we have quite left. Yet. But tomorrow's a half day and then we're off to Craigleith Provincial Park. And not a moment too soon.

Today was another heavy and humid scorcher. Although we had a masterful, cooling thunderstorm with six-foot wide rivers running along Queen St (not to mention flooding at Union Station), the muggy temperatures have since returned. As such, most everybody is cranky. I still don't see why people love this kind of weather. I was quite happy last week, thank you very much.

Finally, on a sad note, a fond farewell to both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. While I didn't follow the King of Pop, he was only 50. As for Ms Fawcett, well, I was one of those many young boys back in the 70s who had her famous poster up on his wall. After having struggled through their successes, I hope they both can now rest in peace.

Mina-Cap

Having a Drink … captured on June 21, 2009 - 5D

I thought it was probably time to talk a bit about the Wee-One. Looking over the recent posts, they've been mostly slanted toward the Lad. Or soccer. But I won't apologize for that. The truth of the matter is, there hasn't been all that much going on with our Wee-Mina. The only recent development has been the resurgence of our age old battle at breakfast and dinner. For some reason, she just doesn't want to eat. She's also taken to sighing during meals to show us her displeasure. She has been sleeping in past 6:15 though.

Close Call

Toofless … captured on June 22, 2009 - iPhone

Matthew lost his fifth tooth last night and he's looking a little gappy and not unlike a hillbilly. Luckily, he dresses pretty well and one tooth has already grown while two others are on their way. Getting ready for bed, Jennifer asked if she could play the role of tooth fairy. Grandpapa had had the honour with the last tooth and I'd donned the tutu for all previous performances. The trouble is, when the curtain called, she forgot to make the switch.

You know, it's no wonder kids think grownups are such liars. Santa Claus. The Easter Bunny. The Tooth Fairy. We can't seem to help ourselves. So it was no surprise that when Matthew pulled back his pillow—only to find his tooth—I (to quote Dr Seuss) thought up a lie and I thought it up quick!

"Huh. That's weird." I offered lamely.

"Um, yeah." he replied, looking at me both apprehensively and with questions.

"Hey, uh, Mummy! Check this out. The Tooth Fairy left Matthew's tooth and no money. Maybe she didn't come."

By this time, Jennifer was on her way, a toonie carefully palmed. "Are you sure you checked everywhere?" she asked.

"No." answered Matthew, a little confused.

We all converged on the bed, hands shifting under pillows and stuffed animals; this would be the one time when I'm happy he has so much crap on his bed. As I noticed Jennifer's hand pull away, I lifted his second pillow and there was a sparkling, shiny toonie. "Aha!" The Lad looked instantly relieved. "But why did she leave my tooth?" he asked.

And here I drew on all my creative skills because, after all, lying is a really just wrongful storytelling. "I'm not sure. Maybe she dropped it when she turned to leave or…oh, wait a minute. I think I know what happened. You probably started waking up and it startled her. She likely dropped the tooth as she tried to get away." He weighed the possibilites and figured this was a good enough explanation.

Phew! Another bullet dodged!

SmartyPantses

Mossy Roots … captured on June 21, 2009 - 5D

As the end of the school year approaches, so too does the paperwork. For the last week or so, both kids have been bringing home bagfuls of art projects, pictures and other such school work. While it would be great to keep it all, it's just not possible, so Jennifer sifts through each pile, keeping special pieces aside.

And today, we received their final report cards. Matthew did very well, bringing up most of his averages, and finished the year with a B-, 2 Bs, 4 B+s, 2 A-s, 3 As and 2 A+s (these latter two in Mathematics!). He still needs reminders to listen without interrupting and to put up his hand but he is able to solve most problems independently and usually perseveres to reach goals.

Marina's "progress report" was also very good including the following: "…has made terrific gains in her ability to take risks and solve problems when an activity does not turn out as expected." This is huge! There's also "Marina displays sensitivity towards her friends by telling other children when it is their turn during a game. When working at the sand table, she makes suggestions for explorations and is able to find the materials she needs for her ideas." "Marina has an avid interest in reading a variety of books." "Marina will choose the water table as she enjoys seeing how fast water will flow through tubes or how to stop water from flowing. She also enjoyed learning about and planting a sunflower." "She is aware of the importance of eating healthy foods." (if only we can get her to eat a full meal!) 

The report goes on, revealing more about our Wee-Mina, her character and her place in the classroom. These things can be quite fascinating as you learn about a side of your child that you're unfamiliar with. All in all, both are excited to move up to the next grade. I think some serious ice cream (read: the Film Buff) is in order!

Full Day

Upper Falls … captured on June 21, 2009 - 5D

Well, I was not disappointed. I started my day taking Matthew to soccer practice. The other Dads and I talked about Toronto FC and other such soccer nonsense before taking part a the Father's Day scrimmage. Believe it or not, this was my first ever soccer game. Until today, I've never actually played but watched from the sidelines. I assumed a right-back defensive position, fully in charge of…Matthew, the red team's left-footed striker. We played for probably half an hour and I have to say, it's pretty tiring. Unlike running or biking—which requires constant but steady effort—soccer requires frequent bursts of speed. I was pretty pooped by the end of it but did manage to hold my own, heading away the ball on a set piece and keeping tabs on the Lad. He did, however get around me a couple of times and would have scored had the ball been passed to him.

Behind the Barrel … captured on June 21, 2009 - 5D

Throughout our little match, I kept watching for Jennifer and Marina who had promised to pick us up after the game. I had hoped she'd get to share in this experience. She did arrive near the end of the scrimmage, catching the last five minutes. With her were René, Danielle and Chloe. Gathering our gear, we piled into the van—the two girls in the front and the kids in the back. It was a lovely, sunny day with a high near 31ºC. We headed South to Burlington, stopping by a Golden Griddle for brunch. The meal wasn't all that great, but we enjoyed the company although the kids were certainly antsy.

Marina's Slimy Friend … captured on June 21, 2009 - 5D

After brunch, we drove off along the QEW, rounding Hamilton. I still had no idea where we were going, guessing the Father's Day Hamilton Air Show and Niagara Falls. Waterfalls would play a role as 30 or so minutes later, we pulled into the Ball's Falls Conservancy area. We hiked along the Twenty Mile Creek and took in both the upper and lower falls. The ground cover was unbelievably green—almost too green—and the air was heavy and humid. We eventually walked through a restored village which included a flour mill, a lime kiln, church, family home, blacksmith shop, carriage shed, and more. We took the time to refresh ourselves with a walk across the creek barefoot before driving back to Toronto.

Traffic was pretty heavy but we made it back at our place (a change from the usual) and enjoyed BBQ burgers and perhaps one drink too many. The laughs came easily and the children kept themselves busy turning the house upside down. At least they had a good time; as did the adults. So, all in all, it was a wonderful Father's Day. Although truth be told, I might need another day to recover.

Daddy-O's Day

Wee-Marina's Father's Day Song … captured on June 20, 2009 - iPhone

I'm not quite sure what to expect tomorrow. I know something is up but everyone's been so secretive. I've already been told that both Matthew and I will be dropped off, then picked up from practice. From there, it's anyone's guess.

Perhaps a trip to Future Shop to pick up an Xbox? Not likely. Rest assured, I'll enlighten you tomorrow.

Until then, let me extend a warm Father's Day wish to all the other Dads out there; particularly to my own father who, for obvious reasons, holds a special place in my heart. May you all enjoy the day; and if walking around in pyjamas, belching and unshaven with a cold beer in your hand is your thing to do, well I hope you get to do it. As for myself, I'll appreciated whatever it is the family cooks up and will forever treasure Marina's little song.