A Break In Tradition

Saturday mornings we always end up at McDonald’s for breakfast, but as the kids are getting older they seem to enjoy the playplace less & less.  Since it was pretty nice weather this last Saturday, we decided to head out to the Preserve Company for breakfast & a stroll through the gardens.

 

We were greeted by a few musicians near the parking lot

 

Followed by a brief game of ‘King of the Castle’

 

The hammock was put to good use

 

We spied some rare wildlife…

 

Took a run through the orchard…

 

And picked a few flowers (don’t tell!)

 

It was a great break from the normal routine, & the kids were sufficiently tired out after a morning of running around!

Springtime

After all the outdoor activities I partook in whilst in Montana, it felt like it was time to enjoy some nature at home.

Saturday after our weekly outing to McDonald’s for breakfast, we headed to a local park so the kids could run around for awhile.


The only downside to that idea, is that the park is right along the water, so it was pretty cold.

The kids didn’t seem to mind too much though.


I think we should have hit up Starbucks on our way to the park, but hey, there’s always next time.

Living In A Dream World

On Saturdays we have a tradition of going for breakfast at McDonald’s.  We let the kids play, sometimes some friends will join us there.  After that, we generally talk about what we’d like to do that day, sometimes going for a drive, but in the winter, we generally either run errands, or go home.

 

Asher had a request a few weeks back when we were discussing the day’s plan…

 

Asher: “I want to go to the mall with the escalators.”

 

Chad: “We don’t have a mall with escalators around here…”

 

Asher: “Well, I had a dream that there was a mall with escalators, & I want to go to it today.”

 

How, exactly does one counter that?

Asher’s Field Trip

Yesterday Asher’s Pre-K class went to the fire station.

Unfortunately we had an appointment at the US Consulate in Halifax, that we could not miss.  So we spent the day in the car…

…and 2 hours at the consulate waiting for them to tell us that we didn’t have the proper birth certificate for Chancery, so we have more work to do before she can get her proof of US citizenship.

 

After a full day of being cooped up, the natives started getting restless.  Here is an account of our day…

It all started as a yawn that was mistaken for a “roar”, it quickly became a roaring contest…

You Know You're Tired When..........

When I look back at my high school days, I am amazed at the energy I had.  My schedule looked something like this:

5:30 -Wake up & get ready.  Leave the house by 6:00.

6:30 - 9:30 -Work at Espresso Stand, do any homework that hadn't gotten finished yet.
9:30 - 2:15 -School
2:30 - 4:00 -Track practice
4:30 -9:00 -Work at McDonald's

Then I'd go home & be in bed around 9:30.  I also worked at McDonald's on Saturdays & some Sunday afternoons/evenings.

The early mornings weren't so bad, maybe b/c once I got to the coffee shop I loaded up on caffeine. But the thing that I really remember about that time was the dreams I would have.

I dreamed about sleeping on the couch that was in the back of my History class.  I dreamed about sleeping in my car.  I dreamed about sleeping in my bed at home, and I dreamed about sleeping on the couch at my friend's house.

Maybe because I knew that I wasn't ACTUALLY getting enough sleep, I tricked myself into believing I had, since I had dreamed about having naps all the time.  I don't remember being tired at all, but I still remember those dreams quite clearly.......

Etiquette Lessons

Saturday morning we took our traditional trip to McDonald's for breakfast. After the kids had finished eating, they went off to play on the playground, but it didn't take long for Asher to find someone to talk with.

There was a man at a nearby table with 2 boys who were a little older than Asher. Age makes no difference to Asher; he'll talk to anyone, but seems to prefer adults to children.

He started talking to the man, & we decided to listen in, just to make sure that if he became an annoyance, we could step in & remove him.

Asher: "Man, you need to get your elbows off the table. It's not good manners!"

The man looked a bit taken aback & looked around for this up-front child's parents.

PChad apologized to him from the safety of our table, & the gentleman shrugged it off. But Asher was determined to teach this man some manners, so he repeated his missive, "Man, take your elbows off the table!"

This time the man complied, & we told Asher to leave him alone. Sadly, the lesson didn't stick, for either the man, or Asher.

The man had just taken his elbows off the table, & Asher ran up to him & told him yet again, that he shouldn't have his elbows up on the table.

Some lessons are harder to learn than others.

How Do You Feed YOUR Pets?

When I was in highschool I worked at McDonald's. I loved the job b/c my position was "first booth". I was stationed in the first booth of the drive-thru, so all my job entailed was taking orders & money. I didn't have to worry about complaints or the grease from the grill that is all-pervasive & seems to cause an influx of acne in it's employees (though maybe that's just b/c the employees are pubescent).

After awhile I got to know the regulars, but there was one guy who came through daily & all he would say was, "I'll have the $10.56 special." I have to admit, that the first few times I had no idea what he was talking about & it took me awhile to memorize his order, but over 10 years later, here's what it was:

10 Cheeseburgers w/o Onions
10 Packets of Mustard
2 Cheeseburgers
1 Large Diet Coke w/o ice

And the total came to: $10.56 (of course it's probably more than that now... oy, I'm getting old!)

He had two Shar-Pei's that were always in the car w/ him trying to escape out of the window to get a good sniff of me, or a pat on the head. He also always had the exact change. As he would hand it over, I'd inevitably end up with a few furballs as well. He was a man you would characterize as a "sweaty old guy", but he was usually quite pleasant during our brief exchanges.

After a few months I finally worked up the courage to ask what the order was all about & this was his reply:

The 2 regular cheeseburgers were for himself & the 10 packets of mustard would go on those. The 10 cheeseburgers w/o onions were for his dogs & if he gave them onions, they'd stink him out. He figured that out fairly early on (lucky for him!).

I have no idea if these dogs were also fed normal dog food, or if they just each had 5 cheeseburgers everyday. I was to grossed out thinking about 5 packets of mustard on a cheeseburger to ask anymore questions at that point.

But at $10.56 every day, you'd think that not only would regular dog food be better for the dogs (was his vet not aware?), but also cheaper! He probably could have afforded the high end stuff at that price!

We're Home, & Getting On Schedule!

We made it to Alberta on Tuesday afternoon. Asher was a trooper (McDonald's really helped). We stopped at the Alberta border for a picnic lunch, but there were ants EVERYWHERE! They were the red & black kind that are pretty big & they didn't look like they were very happy. They were really truckin' it & they were all over the ground & the picnic tables & the playground, so we packed back up & went to McDonald's for lunch. It was too bad b/c we were looking forward to having a nice picnic lunch again, but it was nice to be in the air conditioning too.

Asher woke up at 6 yesterday, but we figured he was still adjusting to the time change, so it was ok. He was pretty tired yesterday morning, so we took him out to Costco & Walmart to get a few things & keep him awake 'til naptime. He does enjoy Walmart! Last night Chad & Grandma took him to a playground & he thoroughly enjoyed that. I enjoyed a leisurely bath while they were out.

This morning I heard Asher wake up around 6 & ask to watch Bob the Builder, but that was all he said, then I heard him around 6:30 say that his night-light had come on (it's on a timer & he can get out of bed when it comes on in the morning), but he went back to sleep until 7, so it was nice that we all got a bit more sleep last night.

We've got most of our things unpacked, but I haven't started on the new-baby gear yet, I just don't know where I'm going to put all that stuff & I don't really want to think about it either. Hopefully I'll get inspired in the next few days to find a good place for it. I think Chad's mum would like that.

Our Last Saturday

The day started as a typical Saturday. Asher woke up saying he wanted to go to McDonald's for Pancakes (he knows the routine). So, once were all ready, off we went. It was raining a bit when we left, but we were hoping that the showers would be over by afternoon b/c today was also our church picnic day.

After breakfast we decided to head to Sarnia b/c Chad has not been to the animal petting farm yet (& it's free), so off we went. I rained some more on our way, but we figured that Asher would be in the stroller, so as long as it wasn't actually raining when we got to there it would be ok.

Well, we kinda got sidetracked. First we went to Starbucks. Then we were right next to Goodwill, so I though we should just pop in & see if I could find some maternity shorts. I didn't find anything there, but I was still in the mood to look & since Value Village was just down the street, we figured we could have a look there too. Once again, no luck, but we were right next to Staples & we've been contemplating getting a GPS, so we thought we'd have a look.

We finally got on our way again & saw the CAA, so we stopped there to get maps for our trip from Ontario to Alberta since we don't have a Canadian atlas & maps are free. Then we went on our merry little way. But Janene had mentioned that she had found some maternity shorts at a consignment shop in Sarnia, so we had to go there.... On our way, Chad saw a sign that the pet shop had puppies, so we HAD to bring Asher in to see those (he was more interested in the fish).

I had no luck at the consignment shop either, but I did get a few longer maternity shirts since mine are starting to show a band of belly which I am not too crazy about. It was getting on 12 o'clock at this point, so we decided to stop for lunch.

After a delicious Subway sub (& cookies) we hightailed it for home since Asher tends to fall asleep in the car immediately after lunch & will not transfer to bed for the remainder of hios nap. So we drove home & kept bugging Asher to keep him awake until we got there so he could have a good nap.

Chad headed off to the chuch picnic shortly thereafter since council was planning a softball game against the youth. Asher & I joined him after naptime. The rain held off until just after the game was over & then it started thundering & pouring & FREEZING! Luckily I had decided against shorts for Asher & I, but Chad was wearing shorts & had no coat, so he was pretty cold.

We stayed just long enough for dinner & then came back home. I think most people were doing the same thing b/c it was pretty miserable & cold & most people were not really prepared for that kind of weather. We came home & gave Asher his bath & Chad & I both commented how nice it would be if we could have a bath as well, but there's just not enough room! (This is a picture of Asher a year ago in his tub. We only have a shower, so we had to improvise.)

I Might Be Scarring My Child, But It's For His Own Good!

While we were on our holidays, Asher got a SpongeBob Happy Meal toy. Now, I'm not a big fan of SpongeBob, mainly b/c he is aimed at small children, and his humour is more adult than kiddish. So, I'm not a fan. However, we were limited on the number of toys we had for Asher, so I decided that since this new toy wasn't a choking hazard, have could have it.

I may not have told him the truth though, when I told him the strange yellow creature's name. I actually told him it was a piece of cheese. I had many chuckles over hearing him sing from the backseat, "Oh where, oh where piece of cheese go? Oh where, oh where a be?" Chad told me I shouldn't rename famously known items such as SpongeBob, but by then it was too late.

Well, on Saturday when I took Asher for our traditional breakfast at McDonald's, who was on the TV? SpongeBob! It took most of the meal before Asher noticed, and when he did, I really got the chuckels. He called out in a loud voice, "Piece of cheese on TV!"

So, dear reader, do you think he'll be scarred for life, much like the children who find out past the age of 10 that Santa doesn't exist?

Traditions are Grand

Today we went into London to do some shopping. Chad had some Christmas money that has been burning a hole in his pocket. He wasn't really sure of what he wanted (other than a haircut), so in & out of shops we went. We had the stroller, so it wasn't too much of an issue w/ Asher.

We started out by going to Starbucks b/c that's the way one is supposed to begin shopping on Oxford street, obviously. There is literally a Starbucks every block, it can't be a coincidence. Up & down the street we went. We decided to appease Asher for lunch & eat at McDonald's. He'd been such a good shopper & he didn't even complain when we passed the first McDonald's, he just watched it slowly go by.

After lunch we stopped at a green space for Asher to run around for awhile. It was a bit wet, but we thought it more important for Asher to get a chance to expend some energy than to keep his shoes clean, so off Chad & Asher went chasing pigeons. Shortly thereafter I heard a wail that was distinctly familiar. Apparently Asher had been running to investigate a statue & found the only puddle in the park, slipped, fell & cracked his head on the cement base of said statue. Amazingly he was more concerned about being wet & dirty than the fact that he had a giant goose-egg forming right b/w his eyes. We cleaned him up as best we could & moved on. I figured it was about time for a nap & kids tend to sleep better after they bonk their heads!

On to more shops. Chad still had not bought anything & it was going on 2pm. We had circled all the way back to where we had started & the rain began to fall. We decided that since Asher was now either sleeping peacefully or passed out in the stroller, we'd go into Starbucks & read for awhile until the showers passed. At about 3pm we decided to head for Piccadilly Circus & Leicester Square since there are a few more shops along there.

Chad suddenly remembered there was a jacket that he really liked in one of the shops we had gone to earlier that morning, so we went to try & find it. We had no luck, BUT he did finally make his first purchase.... a pair of sunglasses! We decided since we were so close to Chinatown at this point we really should have dinner at Wong Kei's since it was where we went almost every week with our friends Jeffy & Meigan. It was all we remembered it to be & Chad really enjoyed the garlic hot sauce.

After a scrumptious dinner it was time for the traditional dessert.... Ben & Jerry's ice cream! I was sad to discover they were not serving "One Sweet Whirled" as it is my absolute favourite, but I made do with a scoop of "Coffee, Coffee, Buzz, Buzz, Buzz!" & a scoop of "Baked Alaska." They were the perfect compliment to each other. And off we went to try to find Chad's jacket once more.

After nearly an hour we managed to find the correct shop, but in the course of the day they had sold the last of the jackets he liked. Needless to say, he was disappointed, but hopefully he'll find something else to take his mind off the "jacket-that-wasn't-meant-to-be-Chad's."

Now we're back at G&M's & I'm doing yet another load of laundry. I thought I'd make it until we got back to Canada, but I didn't really want to haul a bag of wet muddy clothes back with me. Sounds like the washing's done, so I'd better get everything all laid out on the radiators! Yay!

Some interesting things

I found this on a blog I read & thought it looked fun, so here it goes:

What was I doing ten years ago (1998):
*Going to Dordt College
*Studying for Finals
*Worrying about my future
*Getting ready to go home for the summer
*Enjoying hanging out w/ my friends w/o much real responsibility

5 things on my to-do list today:
*laundry
*Get some groceries
*Bake a cake
*Figure something out for dinner
*Take a nap

5 snacks I enjoy:
*Sour Grape Candies
*Hot Tamales
*Ice Cream
*Hostess Suzy-Qs
*Soft Homemade cookies or brownies

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
*Hire a maid
*Go live in England
*give to my church
*Save for kids' college
*Invest

5 bad habits:
*staying up too late
*not cleaning the house
*not eating healthy
*not working out
*spending too much money on good deals

5 places I have lived:
*Poulsbo, Washington
*Claresholm, Alberta
*London, England
*Grand Rapids, Michigan
*Strathroy, Onatrio

5 jobs I have had:
*Espresso Barista in drive-thru espresso stand (great for someone who loves Lattes)
*Drive-Thru at McDonald's (great for someone who loves Grilled Chicken Sandwiches)
*Mail order Manager at Frontier Western Shop (great b/c I didn't have to deal w/ customers face to face)
*Switchboard Operator at Charles Russell Solicitors (great b/c I could check email all day)
*Medical Assistant at East Paris Internal Medicine (great b/c we had free lunches everyday)

Yesterday was a pretty good day

Yesterday Asher was sick. He had a pretty high fever, and whenever he finally got out of bed, he'd ask for a drink, some bread, followed by a return to bed. All in all he spent 5 hours out of bed. I had the most wonderful day! Of course I was housebound, so that put a bit of a kink in the day as I had things I was supposed to go out and do, but all in all, a day spent indoors while your child sleeps isn't a bad day! I read, I finished season 7 of Gilmore Girls, I mucked about on the computer for awhile.... Of course, today he seems to be making up for lost time. He just tipped over his toy basket and announced that he made a "mess."

Saturday mornings we usually go to McDonald's for breakfast. I'm not sure when this tradition started, but Asher has really gotten into it. This morning (after we made sure he wasn't sick anymore), we asked him if he'd like to go to McDonald's. His response was, "Eat, Pancakes." Funny how he knows that in the mornings he gets pancakes there, b/c at any other time of the day he merely says "eat" if we talk about McD's.