Brain Vomit

Well good morning.


It's 3:40 in the blessed a.m. and I am awake . . . yet again.


But it's all good. I'm in the lobby of the Canad Inns Portage La Prairie. I am no longer in Thompson.


After a whirlwind month of selling the house in Thompson, travelling to Portage and buying a new house here, returning to Thompson and packing up, we're back here to stay. And so far it feels pretty good.


This is part of the RCMP lifestyle, I suppose. And it takes some getting used to. But we're getting there.


So, a theme for today . . . I don't know. So much has happened in the last six months and yeah, I know I haven't been writing. And I guess it's because I haven't really been at peace. Life had, and has, been turned if not upside down, at least a little off kilter.




I write best when I'm at peace, or when something really ticks me off. (I was gonna say p*sses me off, but the parental controls on this hotel computer are really touchy).


Anyhoo, leaving Thompson yesterday was bittersweet. It's nice to be leaving, but we had to say goodbye to the best neighbours, best friends, we've met since we began this little RCMP adventure. If you happen to be reading this, you know who you are. We miss you already.


But Thompson, MB, was not our favourite post, for a number of reasons. The isolation, the taxes, the generally depressing atmosphere . . . I could and probably will write more later. This post, my friends, is more about clearing my head. Which is why there really is no theme today. My brain needs to vomit and I just need to write.


So, with that in mind, let's talk about in-car DVD players.


I was always one of those dads that preached against them. "Kids don't need that. Stifles the imagination, kills creativity, teaches them to be entertained and not to seek their own entertaintment, blah, blah, blah."


Yeah, to an extent, I still believe that. But on an 8-hour drive from Thompson, to Portage La Prairie, the "I Spy" game goes something like this:

"I spy, with my little eye, something that is green."


"Is it a tree?"




"Yeah Daddy! Your turn."



"Um, okay, I spy with my little eye, something that is . . . um . . . green."



"A tree! Okay, my turn . . . I spy with my little eye, something that is green."



Gets a little tedious after the first hour or so. And yeah, we've made that drive five or six times in the last year and a half. So I broke down and bought the DVD player for the final drive. My sleep bank was depleted, my patience thin . . . it was a good decision.



Sonwun and Sontoo enjoyed Toy Story, Toy Story 2 and Cars. And Daddy enjoyed 8 hours without a single fight and only a tiny bit of whining. Nice!



And the brain vomit just keeps coming . . .



As we planned the move, sold and bought houses, we tried our best to get possession dates to match. And we did. Nov. 1 is possession for the new owners in Thompson and possession for us here in Portage. We planned to pack up the house Friday, drive Saturday, spend two nights in the hotel and meet our worldly goods at the new house Monday. The RCMP likes this, according to the IRP (Integrated Relocation Policy). And so did we. But . . .

The best laid plans . . . On Friday, after about 80 per cent of our stuff was packed on the moving truck, I was chatting with the driver. And he told me that our stuff would not be arriving until Monday, the following Monday, Nov. 8. News to me. And not good news.

We'd packed for a weekend. Not a week. Neomom's work clothes were packed away on the moving truck, and she was expected to start work Wednesday. Yeah, we'd have a house, but very little to put in it for a week.

But we're gonna make the best of it. It's so much easier to paint an empty house, do those minor repairs and maybe build that fence in the back yard. Good plan, if I had my tools. But I don't. They are, to the best of my understanding, somewhere between here and Churchhill, MB, on a truck, with everything else.

But hey, we're in a nice hotel, with a nice pool and waterslide for the boys and we'll probably get some painting done, as brushes and rollers are relatively inexpensive. The fence will just have to wait.

Oh, and did I mention that sister in law and her manfriend (are we getting too old for boyfriend?) will be arriving Wednesday? Yeah, we kinda figured on having a house set up for the arrival, you know, complete with a table and chairs for eating. Now? Well, we'll just play this one by ear. Be nice to see them regardless. Hope they don't mind camping out on the floor too much.

Well, Neomom's up and has joined me at the hotel computer in the lobby. So I must go now. Will write more later. So much stuffed into my head that needs to flow out through my fingers.

Later. And Happy Sunday!!

A Matter of Perspective

To me, it was the most craptacular, run-down, unsightly, depressing excuse for a carnival I've ever seen.

To Sonwun and Sontoo, it was "the bestest thing ever!!"

It's all a matter of perspective.

Last night, we loaded up the mini-van o' fun and headed to the parking lot at the big mall in Thompson. The carnival was in town! Rides, games and the most unhealthy food too much money can buy! Wahooooo!

But it's about the kids, right? They haven't seen too many carnivals (thank goodness) so the lights, the rides and the cotton candy all came together in a sugar-fuelled evening of spectacular fun.

The boats, at least, looked like boats!

We started off small, with the Boat Ride. You know, a dozen little boats on a track that the young-uns sit in and pretend to steer while going in circles. They enjoyed it, and it only cost me three tickets per child ($5.10 in total).

Roller coaster fun!

And then it was the mini roller-coaster. Bigger fun, more tickets. ($6.80 total). They really liked that one. Sure, it was depressing to me. I mean, the little cars looked like they were made in metal shop at the high school, about 50 years ago. Not kidding. I mean, the carnivals I've been to in the past at least try to make the mini-coaster look like something . . . a dragon, clown cars . . . SOMETHING.



But these things were little metal boxes, powered by a visible electric motor, tethered by an electric cord to a power source in the middle of the circuit.

Did the boys care? Hell no! It was a ride, it went up and down, it went "fast" and it lasted long enough for the carny to enjoy a full cigarette. It was awesomeness incarnate.

The Swing! Sonwun said it was the most fun!

The sights! The sounds! The smells! We wandered about for a while, carefully dodging the puke piles on the pavement, that no one seemed too concerned about cleaning up. We stopped to watch as a carny splashed several buckets of water into the "Salt and Pepper Shaker" ride, to wash out the puke left by a rather green rider.

We bought a couple of slushies, some candy apples, a dozen mini donuts and a bag of cotton candy. The supper of champions!

All in all, the boys had a blast! And the smiles were more than worth the roughly $60 I dropped for this entertainment.

But all good things must come to an end. And so, still vibrating on the sugar-filled festivities, we headed back to the mini van o' fun . . . only to discover someone (not mentioning any names Neomom) had locked the keys inside.

No big deal, the boys had enough sugar on board to walk to Winnipeg. Home is much closer.

So we walked home and discovered we'd locked it up tight, necessitating a little break-and-enter: a perfect end to a night of fun in Thompson!

"The bestest thing ever!"

Diaper-Free Days ahead . . .

Ah, potty training. I forgot just how interesting it can be.

But I must say, Sontoo is doing very, very well. And why wouldn't he? He wants to do what Sonwun does at all times. And that includes the potty action.

We've been following the same program we used for Sonwun. We introduced the concept with Alyssa Satin Capucilli's book, "The Potty Book for boys," about a week ago. Worked for Sonwun, why not Sontoo?

The first couple of days were a little slow. He peed freely in his new "big boy" undies and did not seem too concerned about it. But on Thursday, we had our first success. And we celebrated like he'd cured cancer. High fives all around, hugs, excited talk and a few M&Ms for the effort. He liked that.

And things have gone well ever since.

Yesterday we enjoyed our first accident-free day. This morning, he woke up with a dry diaper (yeah, we still put him in a diaper for sleeping) and made for the potty first thing.

And, after he'd had breakfast this morning, he dropped a deuce in the potty and was very excited to share the news. Gotta say it ain't easy to leave a nice warm plate of bacon and eggs to go and view his work. But he insisted, of course, and I put down the fork to go and appreciate his "gift," and join in the celebratory dance.

(I'll spare you a picture of this event. Although Sontoo would certainly want one posted. You're welcome.)

Wasn't easy to go back for breakfast after that, but it's the price you pay, for never having to buy diapers again.

Neomom is already re-arranging his room, in her mind, sans change table. That will be a good day.

Anyhoo, that's the excitement in Thompson this morning.

Have a great Tuesday!

Ospwagan

Sunday . . . weather looks good . . . Ospwagan Lake beckons.



But first, a few updates. Sonwun had his cast removed Friday. YAY! The bone appears to have healed properly and he can now fully enjoy the little pool in the back yard, his bicycle and the beach. These are a few of his favourite things.

I was proud of him. When we went to the hospital, we discovered the saw they use to cut the cast was old and extremely noisy. This can be a little terrifying for a four-year-old. I could see he was concerned with the process, but he did not pull away or protest. Makes a dad proud.

Sontoo is also making his dad proud. After a stuttering start to the whole potty training festival, he seems to be catching on to the game. He's letting us know when it's time and, last night, he had his first poop on the little chair. I see diaper-free days in the near future and I like it!

Anyhoo, don't know if I mentioned it, but we've discovered a new place to play up here. Ospwagan Lake is about 10 minutes outside of town. It's big, it's beautiful and it's not as populated as Paint Lake Provincial Park.

It seems everyone in town goes to Paint Lake on the weekends. And fair enough. It's got a nice beach, a marina, camping, fire pits, a proper boat ramp and plenty of fish. But EVERYONE goes there.

When I fish, or hike, I like a little wilderness feel; a little solitude. Ospwagan offers these things, along with decent fishing and the chance for our dog to enjoy the water.

I'd kill for a canoe so that I could load up the family and explore more of the relatively untouched shoreline. Right now, we're kinda limited to what we can navigate on foot. Which is still great. The boys love wandering the rocky shoreline, looking for cool rocks and crayfish. I like casting from shore, but would love to get out a little deeper in search of bigger fish.

In time . . .

Anyhoo, Sonwun will enjoy his first day of cast-free adventure at Ospwagan today. Sontoo will enjoy peeing free in the great outdoors.

So that's the plan.

Have a great Sunday!

First time at The Theatre

So . . . we went out to see a movie last night. It has been a long, long time.

Given our locations, and the age of our children over the last several years, a trip to the theatre has never been in the cards. Not that I'm complaining.

I lost my enthusiasm for the theatre right around the time tickets headed over the $8 mark and popcorn started selling for $5 a box. (And that was a while ago). It was around that time, as well, that it felt like movie theatres were bent on destroying my hearing. And movie makers, it seems, collectively decided that dialogue should be kept at the lowest decibel levels, setting you up for the sound of a, oh, I don't know, a door opening, at the highest decibel levels, right up there with car chases and gunfire. It just felt like an assault.

I much prefer the sharp screen on my TV, where I control the volume and eat much, much cheaper popcorn.

But, the theatre is an experience, and life is made up of experiences

So, when Toy Story 3 hit the Strand Theatre in Thompson, I felt it was time for the boys to expand their viewing resume.

Now, I should point out that The Strand is located in the worst part of Thompson, in what appears to be a run-down row of attached buildings that includes a homeless shelter, bar, restaurant and a few other places that I'd rather not take Sonwun and Sontoo.

But we asked around and we were told it wasn't all that bad. Hmmmm.

Sontoo, at 2.5 years of age, is a big fan of the Toy Story saga. On rainy days, when I need a little quiet, I can count on two hours of silence if I pop in Toy Story 2. He plays with his Woody and Buzz action figures regularly and, sometimes in the morning, the first sound I hear from his bedroom is a small voice proclaiming "There's a snake in my boot."

But show time was 7:30, about half an hour past his bedtime. Wasn't sure he'd make it through. Decided to risk it.

Sonwun, on the other hand, prefers his Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman, Flash movies. But he did enjoy the Toy Story movies for one or two viewings each. I was pretty sure he'd be up for number 3.

Anyhoo, The Strand was like stepping back in time, to the Lincoln Theatre in St. Catharines where I saw my first movies.

It is not a multiplex kinda place. There's one theatre, one movie, seats and screen circa 1979.

For myself, Neomom and the boys, we paid $26 for tickets. $9.50 for popcorn and drinks. The movie started about 10 minutes late, which is something to consider when you're trying to keep young 'uns occupied right around bed time.

But overall, I was pleasantly surprised. The theatre was relatively clean, the staff was efficient and the boys loved the movie . . . mostly.

I loved having Sontoo sit on my lap for much of the screening (no choice as the spring, that pops the seat up when not in use, was too much for his little legs and he got folded into the chair a couple of times.)

He stayed awake for the entire movie and was kind enough to crash immediately upon returning home.

Sonwun, while he enjoyed the whole popcorn, root beer and "biggest TV ever" movie experience, was a little put off just a little by the scary monkey in the movie. I won't say much beyond that, in case you haven't seen it.

But I will say that, given the age bracket of the fan base, I don't think it was necessary. We'll leave it there.

Anyhoo, that was my night last night. No major complaints, good experience and a good night's sleep.

Happy Thursday!

Another Day

Saturday . . .

Still feeling the post-family-visit blues. The house feels empty. Blah. On top of that, I checked my tickets and learned that I must once again put aside my plans for spending $50 million. Bummer.

Anyhoo, went in for the one-week check-up on Sonwun's broken wrist yesterday. All appears to be well and he got a nice new cast. He got to choose the colour and he went with blue.

Wow, times have changed. Didn't have all that many casts as a kid, but I never got to pick the colour. (There was only one - white) And it wasn't this fibreglass stuff either. Plaster as I recall. Probably easier to sign, but these ones today are just cool!

Not that it takes the all the sting out of being banned from deeper water during the summer months. But it helps a little.

The doctor, a nice enough guy, was very, very impressed with Neomom's home-made sling. She sewed it up shortly after Sonwun's return from the hospital last week. The sling provided was just a triangular piece of gauze, sorta tied together to form, at best, a crude sling. It didn't last long.

The original

But the doctor was so impressed with Neomom's creativity, that he showed everyone he could find the ER.

Neomom at Work

And he suggested she make a few more for them to have on hand for other kids who find themselves in Sonwun's shoes. Not gonna happen, but it was a nice compliment.

Much Better

So no big plans for the day. Probably do a little garage saling (saleing?), pulling 70 pounds of children in the bike trailer. We rarely actually make a purchase, but it's good exercise and the kids seem to like poking around in other people's stuff. So it's all good.

Happy weekend!

Hangover

Feeling like I have a big hangover this morning. No drinking last night, but it just feels bad.

Aunt Nizzie, Uncle Davey and Grampa left yesterday morning. Dang! I'm gonna miss them.

It was so nice to have family around, even for a week. It's been too long. Neomom and I actually got out for an hour and a half, ALONE! That was cool.

"I miss Auntie Nizzie"

We took advantage of the time to go bike riding. And I gotta say, pulling 70+ pounds of children around in the bike trailer all summer has improved my leg strength and stamina. Riding up and down the hills ALONE was a breeze!

And sure, Sonwun has an injured wing, but it didn't stop him from strapping on a plastic bag for a little beach time, and it didn't slow him down at the bowling alley. He earned the "Best One-Armed Hook Shot" award, while Sontoo picked up the "Best Victory Dance" trophy. Uncle Dave earned the "High Speed" award, clocking his best throw at just over 53 kph.

Best Victory Dance

I played board games and Wii with adults. We laughed, mocked each other's play and reminisced about the old days. Really, really, really gonna miss it.

Just hangin' out

Even the dog is a little down in the mouth today. She had Luna, my sister's dog, to play with for a whole week. They wrestled on the deck for hours, ran around the yard and "fought" over toys. Today, she's just kinda lying there, wondering where her new friend went.

Ah well, life goes on.

Today, Sonwun must head back to the hospital to check on the healing progress. Don't expect any issues, but it's nice that they follow up. Other than that, bit of cleaning up to do and then, well, no big plans. Which I guess is part of the hangover. When family's here, you try to find things to do every day. Go fishing, go bowling, go swimming, go for a walk, ride a bike . . .

A little beach time

So maybe that's the lesson I'm supposed to learn. Treat every day like a family visit. Get out and enjoy the day. You only get 24 hours each day. Might as well take advantage of them.

Have a great Friday!

A broken arm does nothing to slow him down

Float like a hummingbird . . .

So, this morning, Sonwun is sporting a cast, a lovely new sling thanks to Neomom and a black eye, courtesy of Sontoo.

It hasn't been a great weekend for him.

The cast on his arm is itchy. World class itchy. Stay-awake-half-the-night-tossing-and-turning-and-kicking-and-crying itchy.

Well, the first night it was anyway. Last night he got a better night's sleep and, thusly, so did I.

Yesterday, during a ride in the bicycle trailer, Sontoo delivered a headbutt that has left Sonwun's left eye swollen and bruised. No one saw exactly what happened but, according to Sonwun, it was a headbutt. The jury is still out on whether or not it was an intentional foul.

As for the broken arm, it has somewhat limited his normal activity. Bike riding is out. Swimming is out. Soccer is out. And that means he must find new ways to put his other arm in danger. While I am touting the benefits of Wii tennis and bowling, Sonwun is trying to figure out how to use the swing the back yard with one hand. He's trying to leap from the ottoman to the couch and land in such a way as to protect his wounded wing. And he's begging to go back to the playground: the scene of the crime. (I guess he really didn't want me to cut it down.)

I guess I wouldn't want it any other way. I mean, he's not letting this arm thing get the best of him or curtail his idea of what are permissible and prudent activities. Four-year-old's shouldn't be prudent. They should be pushing the limits at all times. Plenty of time left in life for playing it safe.

Anyhoo, plan today is to head off to Paint Lake and enjoy what is supposed to be a beautiful day. We will, of course be joined by Uncle Davey, Aunt Nizzie and Grampa, who arrived for their visit last Wednesday. Two days before my daredevil busted his wrist.

No, he won't be able to swim, but I'm sure he'll find plenty of rocks to climb on, places to run at full speed and plenty of playground equipment to swing, slide, leap and climb upon.

With a broken arm and a black eye, I am just hoping he doesn't add to his list of injuries today. I don't want to have to explain every bump, bruise and abrasion on the boy to a Child and Family Services employee. They're all legit mind you, 'cause he's a normal little boy. He's got the speed and energy of a hummingbird and the grace of a rhino. It's a recipe for disaster.

So, that's my weekend and my plan for the day.

Have yourselves a great week.

Another Milestone . . .

Well, so much for swimming lessons and soccer games.

A trip to the playground yesterday evening ended with a trip to the hospital for Sonwun. And, in addition to the tooth that fell out last week, Sonwun can now add "first broken bone" to his list of milestones.

He, Aunt Nizzie, Sontoo and Neomom walked over to the school playground after supper last night, while Grampa, Uncle Dave and I stayed home. It was a relatively short trip. I was looking out the front window when I saw Neomom hustling across the lawn with Sonwun in her arms. I could see he was crying. That had to be trouble. He generally only cries for short periods of time when he gets minor injuries. The fact that he was still going strong, and was being carried, well, I knew it was something a little more serious.

Turns out my little daredevil had been pushing the limits, as is his way. He was trying to jump up off a platform and grab a wheel thingy that's probably a little more than six feet off the ground. Well, he caught just enough of it to swing his feet out from under him before he lost his grip and fell. He tried to break his fall with his left arm and, well, broke his left arm.

Fortunately, Uncle Dave is a Nurse Practitioner. He had a quick look and said that, well, yeah, it might be broken. So we loaded the boy into the van and headed for the hospital. The ER was packed. But apparently 4.5-year-olds with possible fractures do get bumped up the list and we were in in no time.

And once we found a comfortable position for the arm, he began to calm down. And, in the process, found his way to anger. He told me through his tears that this particular piece of playground equipment was "naughty" and made me promise to go and cut it down "forever!"

And while it was kinda cute, it was the only part of this process that really surprised me. I wasn't expecting this level of anger, mostly because I'd never seen it from him before. But we talked our way through it and shifted the conversation away from the fall.

We talked about the "cool pictures" the doctor would take of his arm bone and how he might even get a cast. Uncle Dave and I explained the long and proud tradition of broken bones in the family and the nurse promised him a popsicle.

By the time we were ready to head to x-ray, he was so calm and cool that I began to believe it was just a sprain. Wrong!

It was a buckle fracture of the wrist. Certainly not the worst kind of fracture, but bad enough that he will be wearing a fibreglass splint/cast combo for the next several weeks.

All in all, it took about 2 hours at the ER, which is pretty good. Last night he slept fairly well. And, as I write this at 5:20 a.m., he is still sleeping.

As for me, I am gonna make a quick run to Tim Horton's, grab an extra large and then head over to the playground with my hacksaw before the world wakes up. After all, a promise is a promise.

Have a great weekend.

A little Catching Up

Well, happy Tuesday.

The family made it from Kelowna BC to Strathmore, Alberta yesterday. I think Saskatoon, Saskatchewan is the goal for today. My goal is to complete the deck, do some grocery shopping and then get some cleaning done. Wooohooo!

(I know I said the deck was done about a month ago, but that was just the deck part. The railings have been sitting quietly on my Honey-do List ever since.)

So, what has happened in the last few weeks, you ask? Well, Sonwun graduated from preschool, with entirely too much pomp and ceremony. But I guess that's what they do these days. Yeah, it's kinda cute and all with the little paper grad hats and stuff, but I mean, it's preschool.

Not only was there a ceremony, to which all parents were invited, but there was an end-of-school barbecue as well. I was away for that, but Neomom managed to get some pictures and video.

I was here, however, for another major milestone in Sonwun's existence. He lost his first tooth about a week and a half ago. He almost swallowed it during breakfast, so I had the distinct pleasure of searching through a handful of chewed Cheerios for the prize. Found it. I guess that beats going through a handful of "completely processed food" searching for a tooth. So I'm counting my blessings.

As you can see below . . . he was pretty excited.



Anyhoo, I got up late this morning (6 a.m.) and have much to do. But I didn't want to skip the blog. Must get back in shape, back in the habit of writing a little each day. I will try to get another picture or two of the deck progress today and, hopefully, post them tomorrow. Not making any promises, just expressing my hope.

So you all have yourselves a great day. Supposed to rain here today, but it's welcome. It's been dry for about a month. If it would just be so kind as to give me a window of about 4 hours, I can get my deck work done. Cross your fingers.

Cheers.

Kindergarten Prep

Well, Saturday was a busy day.

And it's setting us up for a busy summer. First stop was the sports store in town, to buy Sonwun the mandatory equipment for his journey through his first season with the Thompson Junior Soccer Association. Cleats, shin pads and soccer socks are all apparently necessary for a four-year-old. All righty then.

Next stop was the pool. Signed the boy up for more swimming lessons. He's still a Salamander but we are confident that he will be, at the very least, a Sunfish by the end of the season. Who knows, maybe he's even Crocodile material. Only time will tell.

Final stop was the school, where I picked up registration forms for Kindergarten. A few surprises here.

First off, at this school, Kindergarten is an all-day thing. When I attended, it was a half-day thing and, apparently, it's a half-day thing at most schools here in Thompson. But the school in our neighbourhood, is part of a "pilot project" that I assume is designed to see if teachers can squeeze another half-day's pay out of the system.

For Sonwun, I don't foresee any problems with this. He loves preschool and I'm sure he's gonna love the big K as well.

Now, the application form. Interesting piece of paper. Clearly, it's been designed to attempt to cover all of the parental/guardianship colours in the ever-growing rainbow of child rearing fun.

I'm not going to get into all of the questions, but I'm, I don't know, perplexed, saddened I guess, that this reality is so clearly reflected in a Kindergarten registration form. Not saying it shouldn't be. Just saying that things like:
"In care of Child and Family Services— Yes No" is sad to see. Sad because apparently it is sufficiently prevalent to warrant inclusion on the Kindergarten entry form.

Anyhoo, in addition to the paperwork for Neomom and me to fill out, there is The School District of Mystery Lake Readiness Package for Kindergarten. That's for Sonwun to fill out.

It includes counting exercises, colour recognition, letter recognition, social development suggestions and exercises designed to teach him to write letters and put them together while writing his name.

And while I think that's great and all, I kinda thought that was what Kindergarten was for. I mean, you're getting him every day, all day, for a school year. And it's Kindergarten. If I teach him all of these things, what are YOU going to teach him? Calculus?

I know, I know. Wait and see. Don't jump to conclusions. But I guess I worry about him being bored with school. I was and it was reflected in my grades and general attitude I suppose.

As he begins his educational career, I want him to have fun, I want him to be challenged and rise to that challenge. I want him to learn and enjoy learning. I want him to play sports, to win, to lose— all that good stuff.

Okay, getting ahead of myself. For now, we're gonna crack The School District of Mystery Lake Readiness Package for Kindergarten and we're gonna count teddy bears, help the bunny find the carrot and match the two gorillas.

Have a great day.

Dad . . . Grumpy Dad

Yesterday, I mentioned the neighbourhood in which I grew up. I fondly remembered the fact that all the kids played together, up and down the street, without fear. The moms were watching.

Well, be careful what you wish for.

It seems our backyard is becoming THE place to hang out in the 'hood. And I'm not that fond of it.

Last night, for example, there were five kids here. Sonwun (4), Sontoo (2), B.A. (7) and two girls, both 8. Don't know the girls' names. Around these parts, it seems, these kids wander the neighbourhood and have no fear of entering someone else's backyard and playing with the toys.

And you know, given the state of the public playgrounds, I guess I can understand. There are fewer broken whiskey bottles in my backyard, and less drug paraphernalia laying around. (I try to stay on top of these things).

But I guess it's the age of these kids that concerns me. I mean, I don't think they're here to play with a four-year-old. I think they're here for the toys. And, apparently, to open my garage door and go through the contents to see if there are any toys I forgot to put out in the yard. That makes me uncomfortable.

This began a few weeks ago when B.A. and his friend, C.K., showed up out of the blue, wanting to play with Sonwun. Now, C.K. is at least the same age as Sonwun, so that wasn't a factor. However, it really concerned me that a four-year-old was wandering the neighbourhood by himself.

I asked around and discovered that he's been doing that for more than a year. Yes, he was wandering the street, unaccompanied, at the age of three, in the violent crime capital of Canada. That really bothers me.

One of the eight-year-old girls that showed up yesterday told Neomom that her mom had gone to a birthday party and felt the need to share that there would be "drinking" at the party. The fact that she pointed this out really bothers me. Why did she?

I want to be happy that Sonwun has kids to play with. I want to be happy that they are coming to my house to do it. That way, after all, I can keep an eye on him.

But I'm not.

Seven-year-olds and eight-year-olds are really good at manipulating and dominating four-year-olds. I don't like that.

And I don't like baby sitting the children of people I don't know. Aside from the fact that I'm not getting paid, I am concerned about what could happen if one of them fell of the swing, or fell off my deck. The world is becoming more and more litigious and I don't want to be on the receiving end of a lawsuit.

This is a new phase in my dad development, and I'm just not sure how to handle it yet. Do I ban the older kids? Do I try to contact the parents? Not sure I want to do that. Not sure I want a relationship with them, because given what I have heard and seen, I don't want to have to deal with an invitation for Sonwun to go play in their yard. Not gonna happen.

And you know, the final thing that bothers me is that I'm feeling a little like the "grumpy dad" of the neighbourhood and, worse, like a bit of a snob. I really hate both titles.

But the bottom line is that I'm looking out for my boys. I don't want either one wandering anywhere out of my sight just yet. Yes, the time will come, but it just ain't here yet. And I'm fine with that. Especially considering where we live right now.

Still don't know exactly what to do about all this. But for now, I guess I'll just own the grumpy dad and snob titles. 'Cause grumpy dad, is first and foremost a dad. And, in spite of what others think about that title, and what it means, I've got to go with what I believe it means.

Have a great Sunday! And Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially my own.

Permission

Well, I started building the deck yesterday.

And by that, I mean I started to find out whose permission I needed. And, as expected, City Hall wants its pound of flesh; actually two pounds. And why not? I pay a ridiculous amount of property tax on a 60-year-old house, a couple of "special levies" for garbage, recycling and, soon, water. Why shouldn't they collect a small chunk of change because I want to build a small deck?

I spent yesterday sketching and mapping out my plan and will take it to town hall this morning in order to obtain my Development Permit. Um . . . yeah. I'll let you know what develops.

Basically, this permit requires my sketching of my property, including the house, garage and proposed deck, showing measurements of the structure as well as its proximity to the neighbours' yards on two sides, and my garage on the other. I will swap this piece of paper, along with a $90 cheque, for the right to apply for a building permit.

To obtain a building permit, I'm told, I need to prepare and submit and sketch of my deck, showing the basic foundation and framing elements. In other words, the good folks at city hall want to be sure it won't fall over. Fair enough. And, in exchange for that bit of artwork, and a cheque for $60, I may construct my deck.

I should point out here that "Chris," the building inspector here in Thompson, was very friendly and helpful on the phone. He will be coming out to check on my progress once the frame is in place, but before I start on the decking. Again, fair enough. Don't mind paying one extra tax for this deck, but I think two is a little outrageous.

For the development permit, I will spend all of two minutes as the development officer looks over the plan, trusts my measurements, and rubber stamps the permit. Can't say I'm happy that it costs $90.

Anyhoo, that's what's happening here in paradise.

Have a great Wednesday!

Sing With Me!

All righty then . . . it's 7:15 a.m., which means my body believes it to be 6:15 a.m. with the changing of the clocks.

Sonwun was up twice last night, each time to empty the contents of his stomach. First round required a change of bed linen. Second time I heard the whining tremors and managed to get him to the bathroom prior to eruption. Yay for me.

I stayed awake until . . . hell, I don't know . . . it was dark, I think one of the clocks said 3:30 but I don't know if it was one of the ones that we changed or not . . . doesn't matter, dark, no sleep, ugh. I was hoping to catch him before he filled the bed with round 3. Round 3 never came.

Anyhoo, bottom line, tired.

So yesterday we went to Paint Lake . . . it's where Thompsonites go to get out of Thompson. It's a provincial park about 20 minutes south of town. And we had a great time tobogganing and playing in the snow.

We collected about an hour of video of our adventure and I spent much of yesterday afternoon and evening putting together a five-minute video, complete with cool transitions and music, to share with all of you.

But I can't get the damn thing to upload. Maybe it's too big or something, I don't know. But trust me, it was really, really cool!

So, instead, I offer a few clips from the day.

Please do me a favour and sing "The Boys are Back in Town" by Bad Company as you watch, as that is the music I had in the five-minute movie. I also wanted to try Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" with it, so you can sing that one if you'd like. It probably works. It's a short clip, so just sing the chorus. Thank you.

In this clip, we hit a bump at the bottom of the hill and Sonwun goes flying out of the sled. You can't really see the exit, but you'll notice when we glide to a stop, he's no longer in the sled.





Okay, second clip. If you were singing The Boys are Back in Town on the first one, sing Celebration on this one. And vice versa. Neomom hits the same bump I did and, again, Sonwun gets the worst of it. But this time you can see it, AND, he managed to stay on the sled. Enjoy!

A Good Week

So let's start with a few updates:

1. Mom came through her surgery just fine Wednesday. I'm told they were able to get all of the tumour that had invaded her bowels. It was in fact cancerous and it had spread to her liver. There were two spots on the liver they were able to "zap" (still not sure what that means) and it's all looking pretty good.

Thanks all for the good vibes, prayers and positive energy.

2. Got the truck back. New engine installed, seems to be running great. No charge whatsoever, which I'm very happy to report. I know that the truck has a 3-year, 60,000K, bumper-to-bumper warranty and all that, but I guess the cynic in me just expects someone to tag on a fee, or a tax or something that's not covered by the warranty.

But nada. Not a dime. That's good. Almost, almost makes up for the fact that it took a little over a month to get done— and no loaner!

Anyhoo, it's Friday, playgroup day.

In the last couple of months, I was charged with changing Parents 'n' Tots playgroup to Thompson Parents 'n' Tots Inc.— a legally incorporated entity that could obtain insurance, accept donations and, hopefully, run with a little more organization.

That was accomplished this week.

The next step is to make it a legal, non-profit charity so that we can issue tax receipts to those kind enough to make donations.

It's a bit of a rough road, as I am finding it difficult to impress upon some of those running the show that we need to have regular meetings, keep minutes of those meetings, discuss EVERYTHING we intend to do and keep track of the money in a responsible and government approved way.

Hopefully, by the time I leave Thompson, everything will be in order and will continue to operate smoothly after I'm gone. But, as I said, long, rough road ahead.

Gotta admit, I had never even thought about incorporating anything and I enjoyed learning about the process, completing and filing the paperwork and having it all work out. As a stay-at-home parent, I haven't had too many opportunities to exercise my brain. Nice to know it still works.

So that's been my week. All in all, not too shabby.

Have a great weekend.

A Good Day

So . . . we didn't end up at Paint Lake yesterday. Instead, we headed to a toboggan hill in town, across from the Tim Horton's. Double bonus.

Went for a few runs, but the boys didn't seem too interested, as the hill was not very fast, due to the warm weather. Sonwun was also not terribly interested in the pull-your-own-toboggan-back-up-the-hill deal.

Neomom had pulled the boys to the hill in their little red wagon. I won it at the RCMP golf tournament a few years back and it has served us well. But the wheels are bent and the boys don't quite fit any more. Well, they fit, but they fight and whine over foot space, which makes our little walks more than annoying.

And so, armed with two Canadian Tire gift cards, we left the hill and headed for the store to replace said wagon. Too early. They had one type of wagon in stock and it was larger, but still plastic, with plastic wheels. And for the walks we intend to take come spring, we'll need something a little more sturdy. So the wagon will wait.

Instead, we used our gift cards to buy much needed dinnerware. The stuff we have, and have had for the last eight years, is badly chipped. Neomom's been searching for the right replacements for about six months now. And, believe it or not, we found something acceptable at Canadian Tire. (Not too many options up here— pretty much Canadian Tire or Walmart).

And, as we had the boys in tow, we got suckered into some Lightning McQueen dinnerware as well. Fair enough.

We followed that up with a trip to Quiznos for lunch, and the video store for some evening's entertainment.

All in all a good day. Neomom has a week "off" and will be working through it to catch up on her homework. But she took yesterday off off and spent it with us. Which was great!

But today, as I write this at 7 a.m., she's outside taking tire print measurements on the minivan. The weather cooperated last night and delivered a light snowfall, which makes getting the impressions and measurements possible. It's one more thing she can check off on the long list of assignments she must complete this year.

The boys and I will go grocery shopping this morning, Sonwun has preschool this afternoon. That's the plan.

Finally, please keep my mom in your thoughts and prayers. She is going in for surgery on the carcinoid (sp?) tumour tomorrow. No reason to think it won't go well, but all positive energy directed her way is appreciated.

Have a great Tuesday.

Video Rookie

I admit it. I'm behind the times.

Thought I could keep up, but it's moving just a bit too fast these days.

So let's talk Youtube, shall we? Interesting concept, interesting place. People post videos of every kind, that they've created or re-recorded, for the world to see. And I do mean every kind.

But that's not what I'm thinking about today. Youtube is also a hosting site for videos that you don't want the world to see. And that's what I'm trying to use it for.
Not that I'm posting nasty stuff, I'm just not sure I want the world to see Sonwun and Sontoo just yet. At least not on that forum. Don't know why, maybe I'm just paranoid.

But when I create a video of the boys, I have a hard time emailing it to their aunts, uncles and grandparents. They are generally too big to email. Enter Youtube.

As I type this, I've attempted to upload my second video. I tried one earlier today, but apparently due to copyright laws, the music (5,000 Miles by the Proclaimers) was disallowed and removed from the video.

The video was of Sontoo's early walking experiences and the song made it work. Without the music, it just isn't near as much fun. So I deleted it.

The second video is of the boys at a playground, shot today. And it's more of an experiment to find out if I can do this, keep it private but share it with those I'm comfortable with.

- - - - -

That was a break for supper, bedtime and all that.

- - - - -

Didn't figure it out yesterday. It's now 6 a.m. and I will keep trying today, as the boys permit. I did manage to post the video and several family members were able to view it. But I can't do it, yet, when the video is private. Hmm.

Anyhoo, yesterday was a good dad day. I made peanut butter cookies, walked the boys to a park to play and managed their favourite supper, chicken fingers (home made), tater tots (not so much home made) and corn.

Plans may have already changed for today, as we are looking at going to Paint Lake to take advantage of the 10C weather. Time will tell.

Anyhoo, have a great week and, if you have any Youtube suggestions, let me know.

A Note from Preschool

I am bringing fruit. Or so I've been told.

Last week when I went to pick up Sonwun from preschool, one of the teachers walked up and handed me a note. I was a little worried about opening it, as the previous week, a teacher came and told me Sonwun had earned his first "time out" at preschool. Proud moment.

So I opened the note:

"It is your turn to provide a snack for our upcoming party. Please be sure to read all labels and prepare food carefully as we have a number of children with severe allergies. Thank you in advance for your contribution. Each class has 20 children. You are asked to bring (and then hand-written) fruit."

Okay, he hasn't been expelled. Good.

After reading the note, I had a couple of quick questions. First one being, when is the party? Second: What are we celebrating? Superbowl? Louis Riel Day? (Don't get me started). Ground Hog Day? Our Fourth Freakin' Month of Winter? WinterFest in Thompson? A birthday? The really dumb kid got his driver's licence?

I was told the party is Thursday, but I forgot to ask what we're celebrating. But I guess with fruit, it really doesn't matter. I'm not cutting cantaloupe in the shape of a groundhog or a traitor.

I suspect, but am not sure, that they gave "daddy" fruit because it's easy. Which is fine with me. Sure, I could have baked a cake (oh, it's for Valentine's Day by the way) and it would have been great. But they gave me fruit. Kind of like when you're the only guy at the office pot luck and they ask you to bring "buns" or "chips." You're a man, you're incapable of cooking. Meh, whatever.

Anyhoo, rather than spend an afternoon cutting fruit, I'm probably just gonna pick up a fruit tray at Safeway. Maybe 2. How much fruit will 20 kids eat anyway?

I have set up my computer to send me an email on Wednesday afternoon to remind me, on Thursday morning to remind me again and an alarm will sound half an hour before preschool, to remind me one more time.

When you mess with my routine, I get confused. And with the truck out of commission, things are already a little messed up. But I think I've got it covered. I will bring fruit.

Have a great Tuesday.

A change in Routine

Monday. Hmmm.

Do you ever feel like you're only existing and not living? Just going through the motions each day, sticking to the schedule. 8 a.m. breakfast, lunch at noon, supper at 5? Lather, rinse, repeat. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Been feeling a little like that for the last week or so.

Today will be different, but not by my choosing.

The truck crapped out yesterday. So, today, the boys and I will have to take Neomom to work for 8 a.m. . . . and then pick her up 4. That means breakfast for the boys at 7 a.m.

I will also have to find a way to get the truck to the dealership and then figure out if I can trust them. That's one of the things about moving to a new town every now and again. Takes a while to figure out who's honest and who's gonna screw you. And no matter where you take your vehicle for service, you'll find three people in the following week who will cringe at the mention of the name and three others who'll say you did the right thing. Small towns are funny that way.

Must also return DVD rental Julie & Julia. Happy to return it. In spite of the hype and the fact that Meryl Streep stars, I found it pretty flat. Trying to tell two stories in an hour and a half just seems to mean you do a crappy job on both. Seriously lacking depth . . . things just seem to happen out of the blue and are resolved the same way. Don't recommend it.

Anyhoo, that's the plan for today. In spite of the problems, it's a least a variation in the routine. I'd prefer a variation that involves a plane flight to a tropical location, but you take what you can get.

Have a happy Monday and a great week.

Don't Wake Daddy

So . . . writer's block day 5. Welcome.

It's 5:15 a.m. The coffee's brewing. A mix of espresso beans and French vanilla beans have been through the burr mill. Water is currently soaking through the heavily laden filter. The black juice of the gods is on its way.

Much better.

So, yesterday I took a beating at the hands of Sonwun. He won four out of five games of Don't Wake Daddy. It's a board game. And, hopefully, a subliminal message for the future.

For SAHDs and SAHMs with kids in the 3-5 year age group, I recommend this game. It involves colour recognition, number-recognition, counting and a spring-loaded "daddy" in bed.

The premise is that the kids must make it from their beds to the refrigerator for a snack without waking daddy. Along the way are obstacles, such as squawking parrots, screaming kitties, a television set and other noise-making, potential daddy-waking stumbling blocks. (These things don't actually make noise, by the way, they are just spots on the board.)

16 cards are dealt at the beginning of the game, each representing one of the obstacles. When you land on an obstacle, and have the matching card, no big deal. But if you don't, you must push the alarm clock button a number of times matching the spot on the board. After X number of clicks on the alarm clock, spring-loaded "daddy" wakes up and his sleeping cap goes flying. Sonwun loves that.

Anyway, good game if you've got kids in the right age group. I also like Candy Land for the same colour-recognition, and counting reasons.

Oh, and neither one requires batteries. Super bonus!

And, as much as Sonwun loves to play Wii tennis or Mario Kart, he is always up for a board game. Right or wrong, I'd rather see him playing board games. Don't know why, but I'd guess it's because, having grown up in the video-games-are-the-devil era, I was a little brainwashed.

Everything in moderation, right?

Anyhoo, it's Friday. Garbage day. Playgroup day. Neomom's last shift for this cycle.

I'm actually looking forward to Playgroup more and more these days. I'm getting to know the moms, they seem to have accepted my hairy, unshaven presence and will even engage in conversation when we're not chasing our toddlers.

I also need to return my books to the library, our Batman videos to Blockbuster and pick up a few things at the grocery store.

Happy Friday all. Enjoy the weekend!