August 26, 2008

This I came across while on MySpace; It's a little crude but funny all the same; kiddies may want to stay away for this one.

Why Girls Don't Fart

August 17, 2008

It was David and I's six year anniversary on the 14th, but D was stuck on a business trip in Calgary/Winnipeg for the week. We went out to celebrate last night. Wow two years in a row and the weather has been absolutely beautiful (our wedding day it almost snowed). Technically we've been together for nine years; at the same time, I can't believe it has been this long. Flies by when you are having fun....or too busy to notice some days, lol. Ahhhh, I got to enjoy some wine with my dinner this year. We had reservations for a Thai restaurant down in the river valley by Connor's hill. We get there and we drove around the block twenty times to finally call them to find out they have to moved to Whitemud Crossing! So much for 6:30 dinner; we drove around for a while; I'm not familiar with the eateries around the city anymore, especially downtown. We weren't quite dressed up enough for the Hotel McDonald so I suggested The Sutton Place Hotel; they have a lounge and there is a pub in the same building that we could use as a backup. Well, the lounge has couches and winged back chairs with end and coffee tables to enjoy your beverage or tiny "tapas" style buffet, that fit into one little buffet warmer or the menu. Ummm, a little hard to cut a steak with a plate that is at your knees in a dress....so we decide to check out the restaurant upstairs. Hmmmm, recollections of bad chicken at a trade show in March that I attended as D's guest. We decided not to eat there either. The pub downstairs turned out to be closed for a private function so that eliminated our backup. We headed down 104 Street to see what was there.
Wow, I didn't realize how much north of 104 street was developed. Some of it is quite nice and very well landscaped. Minus some weirdos; not a bad place I'm sure. We ended up at the Sawmill; which in the end was almost fitting; we had our wedding and reception at the Moosefactory on Calgary Trail (which is owned my Tom Goodchild as well). However, they offered us a salad bar that reminded both of us of Bonanza; everything funky smelling and the good old jello. We did decline. Our dinner was really good (my steak was a little undercooked, but I was full, so I didn't care) and we walked over to the Starbucks for coffee afterwards and then strolled back to the truck. David decided to take us for a stroll on Victoria Trail which was nice; a few new lofts going up along the edge of the hill and what a view. It was a beautiful night. I wasn't exactly wearing shoes for walking, but I braved it and hoofed it back barefooted, and quite enjoyed the quite and relaxed atmosphere.

August 13, 2008

Well, it's been a busy few weeks for us here.
Stirling and I have been taking Parent and Tot 2 swimming classes these past couple of weeks (last summer while I was pregnant, Stirling and I did Parent and Tot 1). My mom came out and watched us and Madison at Bonniedoon twice a week, which was really nice. It reminded me of my childhood and how my mom taught me to swim; it was nice to be able to share Stirling's growth in this with her. Thank goodness my babysitter is out of school for the summer; I had her watch Madison on the other days at the house. Stirling is great a doing his back floats and he's getting better at his front floats. He officially likes having his head under the water, but he won't put his face in the water for his front float, which is the only thing holding him back on that one. He passed and gets to continue on in Parent and Tot 3 or Preschool 3. I was originally trying to get him into the Preschool 2, but it was full and took P&T2 instead. I figure I can get him into Preschool 3 in September; but it's only on the weekends so it will take a while to finish it. At least I can watch Madison while Stirling swims and won't have to pay babysitters. Even though in the end, I think swimming for eight classes cost much more than it needed to - $20 a day for babysitting plus another $20 roughly depending on what we decided on for lunch before I took him back to daycare after 1pm. It was still worth it.
It was a whirl wind couple of weeks. We missed the first class as we already had a birthday party to go to at Let's Play for Lorelei's 5th birthday. The next day we arrive to find out we are the only people in P&T2! Oops; I feel bad now because the instructor must have thought she wasn't going to be teaching anyone. Oops. Anyhow, it was great and Stirling got better quickly at everything as the week went on. Holiday Monday there wasn't any class, which was good, because Stirling came down with the stomach flu Saturday night and we ended up stuck in the house for the entire weekend. The beginning of the second week after the holiday, another boy joined us; being demoted from the Preschool 2 class to learn more in the P&T2 class. Unfortunately, this boy didn't speak any English and his father wasn't really paying attention to instruct his son on what to do. Needless to say he and his son didn't show up for the last two classes and he needs some vast training to catch up :o( All the while daycare is fitting into this schedule - Tuesday thru Thursday; drop him off before nine, come back here to let Madison nap, pick him up at daycare at 11:00 to be at Bonniedoon for 11:30; swim for a half an hour, grab lunch from some place convenient to bring home or come home to make something to eat and get him back to daycare for 1pm. I had to pay for daycare whether he was there or not, so I took him.
I did manage to get out on Monday and went to Salisbury to buy some flowers; I know its late in the season to be planting, but I love the cheap "leftovers" I've been broke for six months what else can I do to get rid of a gardening fix?
Stirling's last day at daycare is the 21st; giving him a couple weeks off before he starts preschool in September. He'll be going Monday, Wednesday, Friday, in the afternoon starting after the long weekend. Which will be perfect for Madison's afternoon naps.
Madison has been teething; bottom two on either side of the front teeth have been slowly making an appearance since before we started the swim classes. She started to sleep better through the night on the long weekend; of course it was the night Stirling was sick and he was up every hour. We had an entire week of less interrupted sleep. By the end of that week the top two on either side of the front started to come. So it's been up and down emotionally and restfully for everyone. She has managed to almost make it past 7am; although I still have to get her resettled around 4:30. Monday night she went down without even wanting her bottle. She didn't have any the entire night! Yahoo, you say. She did wake up at 2:25 I think it was for her soother and that was it. She seems to be getting better at not relying on her soother or bottle to get her back to sleep. She is also starting to get herself back to sleep without me having to get up. I hope it lasts - but does it ever, really? She won't stop saying dada and daddy; and we swore she said kitty when we were at Smitty's on Sunday. Speaking of words; we thought Stirling shouted s**t in the restaurant everyone turned and I was mortified; both of us were "what did you say?!" and he repeated himself and it still sounded wrong, on the third try we figured out he was saying sit! A couple of days ago she started to see mum but she doesn't say it often - not as easy to say I suppose. She is trying desperately to walk, and has mastered the stairs after two attempts over a month ago. She's already taller than Stirling. We swear that when we moved in here (Stirling then 16 months old)Stirling fit under the fridge door (we have one with the freezer on the bottom) while standing. Madison bangs her head already! Watch out!
Anyhow; David is out of town this week, so I am trying to keep myself busy to keep my sanity. I need to run, Madison is waking from her nap, and I need to be at Millwood's Town Centre for 11:30 to pick up a friend at the bus terminal. TTFN