Babysitters

This seems to have been a fairly hectic week.  I am in the process of trying to empty our spare room so that carpet can go in there next week.  If it was just a spare room, it wouldn't be bad, but it is kind of a catch-all storage room as well.  I think I'm done for tonight - I'll finish tomorrow.  Yes, carpet is coming.  If all goes according to plan, the basement should be painted Monday, carpet Tuesday and then repainted Wednesday.  That could be a long three days without any access to this level of the house.  On the upside, the girls will be at daycare all day and there isn't that much evening time that they're awake during the week.

We ended up getting a sitter twice last week.  Sunday night we had our Bible study group and we got one of our two regular teenage sitters to come.  For whatever reason, Ginny cried when we left, Jorja cried at bed time, and CeCe just cried whenever she felt the need.  Then they were all sensitive and crying easily at Dee's house on Monday.  And because we're suckers for punishment, we got a sitter again on Wednesday.  This time we got Julie's cousin (who the girls all adore) so we thought things would be a little better.  Before she came over, Jorja said to me, "I just cry when S. and L. come over to babysit us.  I don't cry when Auntie comes.  Isn't that weird?"  Yes Jorja, that is weird.  It was the same thing at Dee's house on Thursday - Ginny was crying at the drop of a hat.  Either we need to go out more so they're used to it or less, so we don't traumatize them.  If we had the money, I'd go with more, but since we don't, I guess we'll just deal with it.

The reason we went out on Wednesday was that my company is putting out a new beer and there was a launch party to kick it off.  It was a really nice time and quite a big to-do.  The mayor spoke, an MLA spoke, there was a live band.  Quite impressive.  The new beer will be available next week from Manitoba to BC, so that's pretty cool.  It's the first time we've launched something across all western provinces at once.  Check it out here: www.original16.com

Every Saturday is piano lesson day in our house.  Julie takes Ginny and I take Jorja.  For the most part I enjoy it.  When I was young, I took some piano lessons, but never kept it up, so it's kind of nice to learn things along side her.  (We do Yamaha lessons which are group lessons where the parents stay.  So far anyway - next year Jorja is on her own.)  This morning I was sitting at the piano and playing one of her songs.  It was the first time I had tried it hands together, and it was a bit rough.  Jorja pokes her head up from the colouring table and says to me, "You should practice that more Dad."  Thanks Jorja, I guess I should.

Jorja goes to the Catholic school in our neighbourhood, so they celebrate lent.  One of the things they are doing is bringing in pennies to show that if everyone does a little, it can make a big difference.  We were talking about pennies for lent this morning and Jorja wanted to bring some in.  I asked her where we should get them from.  I've had a whole container in the spare room closet (see what I mean about the catch-all) for years I figured that I would give her, but I wanted to see what she would say.  She said that we could get them off my dresser.  Interesting.  Anywhere else I asked.  "We could give some from my piggy bank," she said.  There we go.  And she did - I opened it up and dumped a bunch of coins out and she sorted through them and took the pennies out.  I was quite proud of her.  Ginny was there wanting to help, so I asked her if she wanted to give some of her pennies as well.  "No, I'll just give Jorja's.  I guess we still have time to work on her.  I'm not sure how many three year olds have a real sense of charity anyway.  Later.