New Addition to the Neighbourhood

Our field has had some interesting activity lately.  Lots of trucks and cars parked on it driving everyone in the neighbourhood crazy with curiosity.  Well I walked out today and found that there was an interesting development over there.  And of course I had to call Mylee over and go and investigate. 

 

Looks like plans are a little early than expected for the park we were supposed to get next year.  Yep a new park, complete with swings, in the middle of the 2 schools.  I am excited.  Although, I must admit, I am curious how next year's lunch hour is going to go.  I know it will be hard to stay off that park.  Can't wait for it to be done though, it looks awesome!!! 

Honour Guard

We need red Canada shirts for next Saturday, I informed Darryl on our Niagara trip.  Saturday was the Caribbean Cup Rugby game at Lamport Stadium and we were going to support our Canadian Wolverines.  International Rugby is played a little different than "regular" rugby so I am slowly learning the rules.  Being our 2nd game, I knew more this time than the last.  But back to the red shirts. 

You see, I always like to be in team spirit being whatever team you root for.  So what better than a red shirt that reads Canada.  And I am so glad I did.  As we walk in, a very nice young man asks if he could borrow my kids.  Um....yeah this sent up a whole bunch of different red flags.  So I guess the look on my face said it all.  I need them for our Honour Guard, the people who lead the team onto the field (yes I needed this explained to me too) and of course knowing how many were in our party I asked how many he needed.  So Kiya, Mylee, Maggie and Molly as well as one of their friends from school lead the teams onto the field.  Kiya, Maggie, and the friend represented Jamaica and Mylee and Molly and another girl represented Canada.  Sue and I were proud mommas and as the security was looking at us funny as we crowded the stairs, I just said, one picture please....and they smiled and said no problem. 

I highly recommend these games for the kids, however, there is a degree of violence like any other sport.  But when the team comes by the bleachers and high fives each and every person on that first row, you gotta know they are decent people.  And even in the rainy day that Saturday was, our Canadians pulled out the win!!! What an amazing experience for our kids and a great night of fun for everyone.  Next game is on the 9th of August....and guess who has tickets!!!!

Favourite Plaques

This doesn't live in my house, it is in a house in the Niagara Area but I love this saying and try to live up to it.

ISO

So after having my camera for 7 months and not really having a chance to read up about anything that it does, I decided to take some time and play with it.  Especially when I downloaded the pictures from Niagara and everything is pretty much white, or the background is white.  I learned from my mistakes though.  I needed to figure out the ISO.  Now I don't know what that stands for, or how it actually works, but I have learned that I have to change it depending on my environment. 

I took some pictures of mom's garden outside her house and I was getting so much white "interference" (for lack of a better word) that I started to get frustrated.  When Jeoff set up my camera for me he gave me a wealth of information and I have a feeling I have lost most of it.  However, through trial and error I am learning.  Bright sunlight requires a lower ISO, whereas a dim interior requires a higher ISO. 

After fixing my mistake, I went to play in the garden and these are the shots I got.

Now the picture of Millie (the dog) was a challenge.  Millie has quite a bit of grey that you can see in this picture and before I switched my ISO all it focused on was the grey hair, so you didn't get the details in her nose, or the lines in her teeth.  Once changed there is a lot more detail to the picture and she is just so happy and smiley for me now.  I have to admit, my camera intimidates me because of all the settings but slowly and surely I am learning.

Camp Day 2014

The 2nd annual Camp Day took place this Friday and what a fun day.  Camp Day represents an evening over at Grandma and Grandpa's with a night of fun and adventure and the attempt to sleep in a tent.  Last year it was raining so they camped out on the floor.  This year we got the tent up!!

Mylee was so excited that she put her pjs on right after the water fight and was ready to go.

  The kids made necklaces this year, last year was bracelets that read camp day 2013. 

And later in the evening they roasted marshmallows and wieners.  And both also chickened out sleeping in the tent.  I guess next year I might have to show them how it is done so that they aren't so afraid.  This day always reminds me of overnight camp at Bolton and I wish my kids could experience the adventures that I had there.

Finally!! A Nice Day

Being cooped up for 3 days straight can drive anyone batty.  And yep, the kids were pushing every button they could.  They are also not "dancers in the rain" type people so having fun outside wasn't an option. 

Finally the sun came out and though the clouds started to roll in again I got them outside with their kites.  I had fun laughing and trying to keep them up for them.  They were content in just running with the kites.  We had just got them flying pretty good when the raindrops started landing and we had to go in.  But at least we got an hour outside that day!



Kiya is in there somewhere. 

Tired of clutter

We all say this everyday and wish there was enough time in the day to deal with it.  I have made it my mission to keep things under control, convinced Darryl to spend money and we have turned the basement into a livable, clutter free place.  I repainted, got rid of old cupboards that I couldn't do anything with, and moved furniture into places it needed to be.  I also bought some new items that house all our "crap" and trust me when I say that word. 

Between the craft cupboard, our cds, my candles, and now where to put anything, something needed to be done.  And I got more pictures of Mylee up on the wall, which I know was bugging her just a little bit. 

It feels like a home now, not a jungle gym, or a play centre or a man's cave, but a home.  A place where we can spend some family time and be together in a positive way.

I still have work to do on it, some extras that I want to get done but have run out of time for right now, but in the end it will be right where I want it to be.  Then of course fate will step in and it will be time to move.  However, with the girls being older and more respectful (hopefully) of the stuff around them, I think we can keep this place clutter free and totally awesome!

Our new fixtures, and that picture frame is being changed.

My Girls

This summer has been a tough summer to get through so far.  Even though we have done quite a bit of stuff, the kids are still bored.  They miss the daily routine of school and finding them activities is difficult in the rainy weather, which we have had quite a bit of. 

Then there are the days where they are total sisters and at each other's throats. I understand this completely, my brother used to make me nuts too.  But I try desperately hard to be even and fair.  Yes, Mylee is a bundle of energy and Kiya is a bundle of hormones but they are sisters and they need to know to get along.  And when I get the days where I wake up before them, go and make my coffee and sit on my bed reading while they wake up, and then hear them playing a game or singing a song together, I know that everything might be okay (for a couple hours anyway).

I know they love each other, and I also know they make each other nuts, but I am so glad they are the human beings they are.

The Bird

Well my mom is now even.  Yep after years of laughing about the kitten story, I now have an animal story of my own.  And please feel free to put the coffee down and swallow because if you know the real me, you know just how funny this is.

"There sounds like there is a bird in the fire place" Ryan says as he comes out on the back porch.

All I could think is "Oh Goodie", so of course I go to find the flashlight because I don't want the thing dying in there.  Live I can try to trap but dead....yeah that is someone else's job and my kids will be leaving the house because they will be in hysterics.  Sure enough, under the fireplace grate is a little sparrow type thing.  Never a good thing when a bird is in the house, does this qualify, I am not sure but either way it had to get out and it couldn't get enough room in the chimney so here I come to the rescue.

STUPID ME is all I am going to say.

Armed with a box and a towel, I needed to have someone hold the blanket over the fireplace so if the bird did manage to escape it would fly into the blanket, and then we could trap it, pick the bird up in the blanket and not freak it out.  It would have worked if the blanket was big enough, but there were gaps and I moved the grate and the bird came flying at my face, um...well yeah I panicked.  The bird escaped and flew around the bottom level, then at my head again, and then to the back door where we were able to let them out.  So score one for mom, she got the bird out, didn't pee her pants in fear and somehow amongst the major giggles from both her kids became a hero again. 

Did I mention that birds freak me out?  Yeah, that little girl terror scream is me.

Pizza Hut?

So on our way home from Niagara we all decided we wanted pizza.  Pizza Hut pizza to be exact.  And yep, guess who was in charge of finding one.  I decided to use my phone for one of its blessed capabilities and try to MAPS for a pizza hut. 

Yes there was one in Burlington on our way home.  Turn here, turn there, okay now pull in to this parking lot.....Pizza Hut Express.  Well that wouldn't work considering we needed a sit down place.  Okay try again, there is one about 5km away.  Lets go there.....yep not there anymore.  Okay, keep going and we hit Mississauga, and there are 5 in that city.  Great!!!

As we drive, I give directions and we pull up to the closest one....and yep you guessed it, its an express.  Okay what about this one another 5km away.  Pull up, yep....and now the not so nice words are coming out of my mouth.  One more shot, try here.....nope not a chance.  So lets go for Chinese instead, find a sit down Chinese restaurant in West end of the city.  And can you believe we couldn't find one open on a Sunday about 7pm. 

Okay well screw it, lets go to Big Slice at Yonge.  We park and we go in, thank goodness it is open, but they then Mylee had to pee so badly that she was dancing.  And don't you know it, the women's washroom was out of order.  The poor kid had serious issues with going in the men's, like anxiety about that even though she wasn't alone.  Eventually she caved, but holy Hannah, what an adventure.  The good thing was we were all in good spirits and it made for a family memory. 

And this was the best part.  Watching Mylee eat a slice of pizza that was bigger than her head.

Visiting Family

Every year we have someone special come to visit or we go and visit someone special.  This year we were lucky to entertain Dad's older brother and his son and daughter in law.  I never got a chance to meet the son as they weren't in Trinidad the last time we were there.  It was a great week.  We had Dad's party, visited Niagara and well got lost on the way home looking for a Pizza Hut.  Each day brought something interesting and it was nice to sit down and listen to old stories, philosophical debates, political discussions and well yep we threw religion into the mix as well. 

Here are some pics from our wonderful adventures.

A few years later!

Have to send thanks to Sue, she found the picture I was talking about. 

 

And a couple of years (well many years) later!!!

 

 

Zoo Trip 2014

Lets get up and go to the zoo tomorrow and spend the day together!!! Well that sealed the deal for me =)

Sunday we got up and decided to go to the zoo.  It was a great day to go, it wasn't packed, the sun was shining and everyone was smiling.  Then after lunch and a trip to the splash pad we met up with Paul and Sue, Maggie and Molly.  It was Sue's birthday and thought what a great way to spend the day.

Somewhere in our archives is the same picture with Paul and Darryl, Kiya and Maggie.  But they are just little bumkins.

 One of the coolest things I have ever witnessed.  At peacock standoff, a show of dominance and there was no fighting involved just a whole bunch of dancing.

 You have to appreciate a bird of prey when you see one.  This bald eagle is a permanent member of the zoo due to a wing injury.  And when he flapped his wings to regain his balance on his keepers hand, the breeze that followed was quite refreshing.  Such a gorgeous bird!!

Did you know a falcon can travel up to 140kph? Totally different bird but I learned that little tidbit from another keeper along our route.

After taking Sue to dinner and having a great laugh, this is what we came home to.  I thought it was a pretty special day and with the rainbow over the neighbours roof it became just that much better.

Kiya's Harbourfront Trip

This year the grade 5's went to harbourfront to experience artistry at its finest.  Harbourfront offers many different things to school aged children and one of their programs involves using different mediums for expressing what is considered art. 

I find art very subjective, you either like it or you don't.  It is not longer just drawing, painting or sculpture, there are so many dimensions to it and the process and the outcome can me amazing. 

On this field trip Kiya worked with clay and created a pot.  She used her hands as her tools and molded the clay into what she wanted.  Then she imprinted a design on the sides to make it a little more decorative.  It was beautiful as is, however when she got home she had a vision.  She wanted to add colour to her pot and make it a little more her style. 

Using Perler beads she pressed the beads into her already imprinted design and created a whole new project. 

They also worked on stamping, but I didn't get to see the end project.  They carved their own stamps, rolled them with ink and then stamped them.  Kiya loves to be creative and I know she had a lot of fun on this school trip. 

Graduation

This year I was asked to fill in for our Chair at graduation and say a few words to the graduating class.  I have worked with quite a few of them this year on projects around the school and found them to be a mature, fun loving, respectful group of students.  That is one thing I love about our school, we have some of the most respectful students. 

Being on main stage I wanted to look my best and show these kids that this is a big deal.  It is the end of one adventure, and it is the start of something new.  So I dressed up.

 

 

As I sat through the ceremony I couldn't help but be proud of these kids.  32 students out of 56 graduates were on the honour roll.  To me that is an incredible tribute to the teachers. 

 

After grad, a great friend and I went to dinner and had a great chat.  It is nice to have some girl time once and a while.  Onwards and upwards always, lets see what next year brings.



Perseverance

It was the 2nd last day of school, my brain and heart were so emotional after all the yearbooks and goodbyes I have said, and I vowed I wouldn't cry.   If you know me, you know just how difficult this is for me.  So after my shift at the school I decided to stay and try to keep cleaning up the archives and moving furniture for one of my favourite teachers.  Plus, I had to get things ready for next years parent council stuff. 

So when it came time for the goodbye assembly I decided to step in and see the presentation for one of the teachers who was retiring this year.  I got through the slideshow and her speech unscathed.  Then it was awards time, each teacher presents an award to a chosen student.  I had thought all the awards were finished so I wasn't aware when this assembly was happening. 

As the teachers went through the names they had chosen, I knew every single child who received the perseverance award, especially this one

 

 

Mylee has been so disappointed each assembly that her friends had gotten the award, but like the good sportsman that she is, she congratulated each one and always said she was glad that they received it.  Then came the words "I will never get one", "I never get picked" and we would have a long discussion about how it is important to be all those character traits and to keep trying, never give up and you never know what will happen.  As her teacher called her name, well that is when the floodgates opened; and in all truth it didn't stop.  I am so proud of Mylee, not only did she persevere this year, but she also remained a great friend and a wonderful spirit, can't wait to see what grade 1 brings. 

Family Time

With Darryl's work schedule and where he is located half the time we don't get to spend a lot of family time together.  Yes, this irks me beyond belief and every once in a while I rant about it.  I just don't want to miss out on all the cool things while the kids want to do them with us. 

One of our favourite things to do is to go for ice cream.  In this case we went for ice cream before we even had dinner :).

Mylee had her first ice cream sundae, hot fudge of course, and Kiya had a fruit smoothie drink.  I had a snack size skor blizzard (too many calories) and Darryl enjoyed his waffle cone.  On the way home we blasted the music and sang along to the songs.  Sometimes something as simple as a short drive is so cherished.  So if you feel we are forgetting about you, leaving you out, or just plain you never see us anymore, please know you are always in our hearts and our own family time is so limited. 

Rugby

On June 21st, Kiya and I decided to take Paul and Maggie to a Rugby game at Lamport Stadium.  The Canadian Wolverines were playing against the Royal Air Force for the Billy Bishop Cup and I thought well this would be something new. 

Not knowing a thing about rugby except that it is a very intensive sport to play and there are lots of moments of painful looking plays I sat right beside Paul and drove him crazy with questions.  Being International Rugby the rules were different but at about the half I started to understand a lot more of the game play. 

Kiya and Maggie had a blast with a bunch of kids up in the bleachers and if asked we would do it again in a heartbeat. 

Okay for the record, I truly thought I was holding Kiya's hand in this picture.  Upon closer inspection.....oops.  The kids had a blast on the pitch after the game and we ran into some friends, we are hoping to make the Caribbean cup later in July, when Canada plays Jamaica. 

New Project

As soon as I get the house in order and things put exactly where I need them (hey stop laughing I am just about there), I have a new project to start.

The only clue I will give you is that I will probably be ripping stitches out and using the material to wipe away tears of frustration, but I said what the hell, lets give it a shot.

Plus, I also love this colour on me this year.

Cakes

I was asked to do a couple of cakes for some great people.  One is a 60th birthday cake and the other is for a 16th birthday.  Just wanted to share the pictures with you guys.

the flowers on this cake are real and organic

gotta love Tiffany Blue!