Nick and Knight

Sue and I had made plans to go to a couple of concerts this year.  And this one was coming up, neither of us were really up to going and we asked everyone we knew if they wanted the tickets, but alas no one could go.  So we decided to go ourselves. 

Firstly, a concert on a Sunday night is not a good idea when we both have to get up early the next morning.

Secondly, Nick Carter dances like my brother with the same facial expressions so it was difficult to watch him grind his hips at the ladies and not burst out laughing.

We had a blast though, had conversations with strangers, and met some pretty cool people from all over Southern Ontario.  I am glad we went, think we are both suffering for it today, but it was worth it.

That is our plan, we are tired of sitting home all the time while the boys enjoy themselves...we will be having a monthly girls night and leaving the daddy's in charge. Sorry boys....but one night out of the month won't kill ya.

Just a few, Kiya's camera didn't like taking pictures so have to go through all my phone pics to fix them!

Jeoff and Ramie's Wedding

Yep another one bites the dust......

It was a beautiful weekend.  We stayed in a hotel for the wedding, sans children, and got to be a couple again; something that is hard to do with Darryl's work schedule and our two wonderful girls. 

Darryl was part of the wedding party, and looked dapper as always.  And he did an awesome job as emcee for the evening.  He just has that kind of voice that can command a crowd. 

I got to relax this weekend and have some me time.  I went shopping, didn't buy anything but liked to look.  I was able to be free to change when I needed to and just not have to be on the ball all the time.

I am also one of those people who can't wear the same dress to the church as to the reception, I don't know why but something in me forces me to change.  I find the dress for church should be more conservative, and considering it was a Roman Catholic wedding with the kneeling and all, you needed to be decently dressed.  And then you can have your "adult" dress afterwards for the reception, that is where the single ladies pick up their future husbands right?

Anyway...here are my choices:

Church Dress

Reception Dress

 

 

Note: Anyone willing to give me selfie lessons...they would be gratefully accepted lol.



WTG Mylee

Mylee has been ready for grade one since around last March, and we knew she would love the extra work because sometimes in kindergarten she wasn't challenged enough.  So when she brought home her agenda the other night and her teacher had left a little message for us, we were so proud of her. 

Way to go baby girl!!!! We knew you could do it!!!!

Classes

We are bored.  Yep I said it.  B-O-R-E-D. 

So to solve that problem I have decided to enroll the kids in programs for the fall session.  We decided on one sport, one creative thing, and swimming.  So out came the rec centre program list and a highlighter, yep armed with all the goodies I was. 

Mylee chose ballet for her sport, and Science fun for her creative side.  Yes it is a little off but she wasn't into painting or art or anything like that. 

Kiya decided on Badminton for her sport and musical theatre for her creative side.  This was a surprise because I really thought she would go for the hip hop dancing.

Swimming was a pain but we decided to forgo it until mid October when we can get them in to the bigger pool up the road and the badge programming.  I really think they do a better job and have smaller class sizes. 

So if you don't see us around much, please don't mind because we are out experiencing all there is to life instead of sitting around the tv with the supercilious shows that make me crazy.

First Day of School 2014

My two big girls headed off to school this morning, Kiya in grade 6 and Mylee in grade 1.  It was hard to see my babies go, but armed with my camera and lots of hellos for all the kids greeting me with "Hi Mrs. R" or "Hi Mrs. Rampersad", even the teacher gave me hugs.  But today was all about my kids, they are growing up way too fast for my liking and I hope this year brings them all the successes they deserve.

Labour Day

Well summer vacation is officially over and it is back to school, so why not kick off the weekend by having a bbq and inviting some friends.  With a couple of friends, some good food and a trip to the park we sure did send a goodbye salute to summer. 

My girls were excited because they knew a new school year and seeing their friends again was coming.  But first we had to bounce around the park and have some fun!!!

Goodbye Summer Vacation of 2014!!!

Big Ticket Summer Concert

Yep we did it again this year, but this time in seats.  Last section, close to last row, and still not close enough for some, for me it was great.  I don't mind the kiddie music, and I knew a lot of it this year as the girls have been on youtube quite often this summer on their tablets.

Maggie and Molly and Sue joined us for this adventure and I think we all agreed that the lawn seats are much better.  There are places to dance and jump, the seats are quite restrictive.

And we were so close to meeting the Calum Worthy, he is the same in person as he is on tv, and he is Canadian.  We also saw the next step dancers, not my favourite show but there were kids screeching for them.

And finally Cody Simpson.  He was an interesting act, he does not perform like the pop star that you see on family channel.  He does his own thing, his music live is quite different and he is very down to earth.  I think a bunch of people were disappointed with his performance as many left after 2 songs.  I personally liked it, but I like live music better than the radio most times. 

Will we do it again next year?  Well I think that depends on who is coming and if we can get lawn seats.

Canada's Wonderland

Our annual trip to Wonderland was this week too, 2 weeks before school starts and we seem to cram as much as we can into it.  This year we took Jason and the girls and met up with Paul and Sue and their girls, I balanced out the riding partners so I didn't have to go on rides.  I am getting too old to have that ride hangover the next day and each time it just keeps getting worse.

Mylee went on her first big girl roller coaster, banged her head a bit and then decided she wasn't ready for the big roller coasters yet.  She is only 6 so I thought that was an impressive incite on how comfortable she was.  Although she did go on quite a few of the rides herself.  I think her favourite was the bumper cars though.

After a busy day, and a whole lot of walking I can say that the kids crashed hard.  And boy were my feet killing me.  40,000 steps in two days is not my idea of fun and I had to take the Friday to recover, I could barely walk. 

Hedley

For Sue's birthday this year I bought her tickets to Hedley but told her that I had to go with her.  We would meet up close to her work and take the subway down.  And what better than taking the subway down to the CNE during the busiest time down there. 

Lawn tickets are so much fun, I prefer the lawn because all the cool kids sit up there.  Plus the music just seems so much better sitting in the open air.  Before we got in to the Amphitheatre we stopped off for some nail polish purchases and some food.  And then they made me check my camera into security. 

So here is a piece of info that might be prevalent to you one day: any camera that has interchangeable lenses is considered professional and it is up to the band whether it is permitted into the event.  And this is no where listed on the amphitheatre website, it is totally up to the artist performing.

Once that little hiccup/heartattack was finished I could somewhat relax and have a good time.  A couple drinks later and a good dose of Kardinal Offishall, Magic and then finally Hedley the place was rockin'.

I don't know about Sue but I had a great time, and would do it again in a second....but leave my camera at home this time.

Munch at Play

As mom was going through her activities for the kids she had found on Toronto4kids a really cool adventure to do.  It was down in mid city, at Bathurst and Bloor at Palmerston Library.  A theatre group was acting out a couple of Robert Munch stories for minimal cost. 

So I decided to take the girls, mom came too with some of her bunch and it was quite and interesting time.  We got to see The Mud Puddle, 50 degrees Below Zero, Millicent and the Wind, Mortimer and of course my favourite The Paper Bag Princess. 

I would highly recommend this for kids in grades 1-3, kindergarten might get a little scared of the mud puddle (but he was awesome) and over 3 they develop this attitude of "I'm too old for this".  Jason had a couple good laughs too though.

Sorry the picture is blurry, had to take it on the fly, but check it out...it is great to introduce your kids to theatre and what else could be more fun than adults acting like kids. 

Argos Vs. Lions

Yep 2 games in one week, how spoiled am I.  This game was significant though, a friend from college helps manage her son's football team and she was looking to sell 200 tickets in order for the kids to scrimmage on the field.  Well I was able to support them with 13 tickets sold, and I thank all of you who came with us.  I had a great time, and end zone seats aren't too bad either.

 

 

Now I am not too much of a fan of losing, but when your team doesn't have the umfph to play then they deserve to get beat...and boy did we ever.  You win some, you lose some.  And I feel bad for the people sitting next to me, the tension coming off me must have been killer, I couldn't sit still.  However, we were in amongst a bunch of kids so my temper and my cursing had to be kept at bay.  I did have a great time though, I love enjoying these games with Kiya and the Clarington Tigercats sure did give us a good time. 

 

 



                                                          Another Argosselfie!!!

Argos Vs. Jets

I love the Argos, they are the only Toronto team that I root for, so when given the opportunity for tickets of course I would say yes.  We picked up some cheap tickets at Taste of the Danforth for the kids and myself, got an amazing deal on them too.  Seats were awesome, but I truly think that anywhere I sit in the Skydome.....whoops I mean Rogers Centre, I would be happy with.

I prefer somewhere in the middle though, that way you can see everything that is happening in the game.

So when we got lower bowl seats, well you can imagine how excited we were.  The girls got new t-shirts and we were ready to cheer on the Argos. 

On a side note: Mylee is not allowed anywhere near me during an Argo game, she is not a fan of football and drives me crazy with the "when can we go home", so she will be sticking with Rugby.  Kiya on the other hand will scream as loud as I do, and actually follow most of the game.  Not to mention borrow mommy's phone for some tweeting.

Argosselfies!!!! And she is better at it than I am.  If anyone is looking to spend an oodle amount of money on me this year, season tickets would be awesome!!!!

Random Pics Using Darryl's lens

Just some random pictures from trying out Darryl's new lens.  It was sitting in the box and what can I say....I wanted to play with it.  I am constantly learning how to fix/finish/adjust pictures so these are just the straight up shots, no photoshop here. Let me know what you think!

You have to love just how cheeky she can be sometimes.  15 photos later and she smiled normally.

 Was playing with settings on my camera and this occurred during an episode with the sports feature on. The boys hit hard, and you can see it in the Canadian players face.

 Our new friends. I picked up hotdogs at the game and of course they attracted some unwanted guests, however, it made for perfect photo op. 

I love this picture only because you can actually see the bee's wings as it is flying.  And I got the blur in the background perfect.  Problem is: can't remember how I did it exactly.

Another Rugby game

I think this might be something to look into for next year as well.  I don't know all the rules, I don't have a clue of who the players are, but I do know that watching a live game is super fun.

This game the Canadian Wolverines played against the American Tomahawks, and it was a physical game.  Both teams were engaged and came to play, my favourite type of sporting event.  I am not a fan of athletes who get paid to play the game and don't show up to play, this bothers me when I know there are so many kids in lower leagues just waiting for a chance to prove themselves, but some pro doesn't feel the need to have to be a team player or decides to not play on his A game, end rant.

So back to the game...

Darryl also let me play with his new lens, I have no idea what it is but it is fun, unbalances my camera, but I can also see up people's noses if they are close enough.  Okay now clean off the coffee you just spit on your computer screen and take a look.

Note to self:  Next year learn at least a couple of the player's names.

Canada won this game, and it was the first time ever that they won this championship so we were quite proud!  Canada's Ball Baby!!!!!

Taste of the Danforth

5 rowdy girls off on the bus to the Danforth to eat and have some fun! I love Greek food, but no one else does, however, when you take 4 other girls to eat you always end up with different tastes. 

After getting some free sunglasses from Indie 88 and listening to some great music, we were all a little thirsty.  So I went off in search of something really different, not your typical pop or water, but something that would make some memories.

And I think maybe that I had found it.  And when you are on Danforth you cannot forget to stop and have the most delicious treat ever: Gelato.  I must tell you that everyone ate theirs except Mylee, she got a strange combination that probably wasn't to her liking but the others loved it.

 

And who could resist a picture with the best mascot ever, and tickets to the best game ever.  Yep, tickets to the Argo game!!!!

 

 

It was an amazing afternoon filled with laughs, crowds, good food and good friends.  To top it all off the day wasn't over as we stopped off at a park for some jungle gym fun and we met Paul and Sue for the rugby game afterwards, hence why we are all dressed in red Canada shirts. 



 

Not a baby anymore

This post makes me sad, but at the same time it makes me celebrate.  While at the ROM looking at a display of armor and weapons Mylee was standing behind her sister and when Kiya stood up, well that was when it happened.  Mylee had a loose tooth while on the cruise and was dying for it to come out.  I knew it wasn't ready for me to pull it yet so I tried my best to keep patience and have her try to have some too.   NOT SO EASY.

So yep, as Kiya stood up, she caught Mylee's mouth with the back of her head and there it was....the tooth on her shoulder and Mylee with a bloody smile.  I was sitting on the bench waiting for everyone and they strode over at a quick pace with Mylee in tears.  Of course my mommy radar kicks in and I am in attack mode, until she holds up her tooth and somewhat laughs.  What can I say....don't irk the momma bear. 

She was so happy but she needed to get rid of the blood in her mouth, a) it was grossing me out and b) I could just imagine how awful the taste in her mouth was.  So off to the bathroom to rinse with some cold water to stop the flow. 
So yep total excitement at the ROM, every second a new beginning, a new wonder or a bloody mess.

So many big developments for my baby this summer, I just wish sometimes they would slow down on the growing, it is all way too fast for this momma to process. 

The ROM

You would think after the 800 trips to the ROM in high school that I would be completely bored of it.  Very much the opposite in all honesty.  There is something about history and constant learning that I find so enticing.  I love reading the plaques and finding out just what that weird object was used for.  Plus things in the ROM are always changing, displays are on loan or they have enhanced some sections.  The last time we were there Mylee was just a baby in a stroller, I didn't get a good chance to look around but this time I did. 

We all had different objectives.  Kiya had been to the ROM 2 years ago and could still recite some of the things that she learned while she was there studying medieval life; Mylee was all about the dinosaurs and seeing what and where they were; Darryl had his new camera and wanted to delve a little deeper into lighting and photography; Me, well I was there to look and discover and take pictures of things that might keep the girls busy over the next couple weeks. 

One thing I found incredibly interesting was the Axolotl, the girls thought it looked like Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, and I must admit, they are pretty bang on.

 

 

I have also vowed to take the girls to Drumheller, AB at some point in our lives to see where the dinosaurs were dug up and to see the awesome museum they have there.  I keep telling them that I visited there, but being kids they always look at me like I am telling fibs. 

 





And I could have sworn something like this flew into my face when we visited Margarita Island.  The grasshopper things down there look the size of birds...and I don't mean finches...they were huge.

 

We all had a great time.  The girls learning something new, Darryl taking over 200 pictures and me, well I got the Greek and Egyptian alphabets to bother the girls with, as well as some pretty cool info on some art projects for Kiya.  Overall it was a great day, lots of walking and some sleep time in the car.

 

And another amazing thing happened but that will be in the next post.



No More Connecting Flights Ever

17 hours, 3 airports in 3 different countries and 8 suitcases lost in transit.  Yep that was our nightmare on Saturday.  Tropical Storm Bertha sent us on a crazy whirlwind adventure that I don't care to go on again. 

It all started Friday night when the captain told us that Puerto Rico's port was closed but he had managed to get clearance to go in.  Bertha decided to throw an intense amount of rain on the island and there were "puddles" at least 3 feet deep all over the place.  So getting to the airport was an adventure to say the least.  The tidal wave splashes that our taxi drove through made us all nervous. 

Then the 3 hour delay our flight had was going to be interesting as we would have missed our connection in Philadelphia.  So a flight leaving at 2:35pm was delayed until 5:30pm guaranteeing we miss our connection.  Hello airport lady....help us....

Rerouted to Chicago and a 3pm take off time...YAY airport lady!!! however our luggage was still on runway awaiting Philly flight.  So as we wait 2 hours in Chicago, our luggage is somewhere.  Then we board my biggest fear, granted I am not a good flyer as is, but put me in a small plane and have it be bouncy....yeah.....my panic button kicks in pretty good.  It was under an hour flight and most of the time I was trying to concentrate on the 2 games of hangman I was playing with the girls, but geeze I HATE SMALL PLANES.

And then our adventure through customs.  I think the guy was laughing hysterically at us when we told him all 8 suitcases were missing, the look of unbelief was one thing but then when we explained the chaos I think after we walked away all he did was giggle. 

Arriving home, I almost killed Dad with the garage door.  Yep batting a thousand on this adventure. 

The good news:  Our luggage came at 10pm the following day and we had all our goodies and clothes back.

The bad news: I am still doing laundry. 

Would I do it again...yep....but I would make sure I had a direct flight.

Our Last Day

The last day was a sailing day; on the ocean all day sailing back to Puerto Rico.  The kids spent the morning in Kid's Club and I went out to suntan and read my book.  3 hours later I collected them for lunch and then we went to play mini golf and swim. At some point I knew I had to pack, ugh, and I went in to do that as I thought Mylee could have used a nap.  It was our last day before we had to fly back and we were all a little sad.  Plus I had too much stuff to put in the suitcases and knew they were heavy. 

Barbados

Barbados is gorgeous.  The beaches are stunning (still think Cuba is better though) and the life there is quite interesting.  We arrived just as their carnival was starting so all the tents and display areas were being set up.  We did a quick tour of the island seeing where Rhianna grew up, Tiger Woods got married and so on.  I am not a star gazer in that sense, I would rather see life in Barbados but our taxi driver wanted to show us the best. 

We also visited Harrison Caves, and I must advise to put this on your bucket list.  This place is a marvel beyond belief and to describe it to you would be no where close to experiencing its beauty.  This was the 2nd place that I took oodles of picture because I wanted to remember it just how it was.  Darryl had gone in 1984 and they have updated it quite a bit since then. 

As we were leaving the caves we also got a small visitor.

He was almost close enough to touch.  But yeah we didn't even try.

Then it was time to hit the beach.  And the white sand and turquoise water was nice and refreshing.  We all played in the water, and watched a lady pull a star fish up for everyone to see. 

 

Later that night the kids went to the Ocean Adventure Club to play with some kids their own age and we were treated to a pirate show just before the comedy act that was going on that night.  We all had a good laugh at the display of fun and then we went to sit under the stars and enjoy the night.