Runnin' back to Saskatoon

To be honest, I'm feeling a little bummed out today.  We were supposed to go to Tofield and visit my parents this weekend.  The added bonus to that was my brother and sister-in-law had a baby girl a couple of days ago and we would have been able to see them too.  Why are we still in Saskatoon then?  It started early Friday morning with some retching.  It appears Jorja has a stomach flu.  She threw up a bit Friday morning and didn't feel very good at all.  Given her history with throwing up, we weren't sure if it would just be the once and then she would feel fine, or if she was actually sick.  She had a nap (should have been our first clue she was sick) and then seemed a little perkier after that.  We decided we would still set out, a little later than planned.  We got to Borden and decided to turn around.  She was getting greener and greener and then she ended up with a fever last night and more throwing up during the night.  Not exactly what you want when travelling.  She seems a little better this morning - actually asked to eat something, so we'll see if that sits all right.

I wrote that first paragraph this morning, and it is now evening and since then Julie has succumbed to the same bug Jorja had.  I feel I may not be far behind either.  That's unfortunate.  I really hate throwing up.  Like really hate it.  Kids always seem so resilient - puke one minute, smile the next.  I don't know how they do it.  I guess the long and short of it is that it's a good thing we stayed home this weekend.

We had our first parent-teacher-student three way conference on Thursday.  I guess they don't just have parent-teacher interviews anymore.  It turns our our child is brilliant.  Well, maybe I'm bragging a bit, but she is doing great.  She showed us how to use the 'smart board' (apparently blackboards are out now to) and all the other stuff she can do.  There were several stations that we went through before we got to the teacher where she had little activities to do.  Pretty basic stuff - letters, numbers, shapes, colours.  Just the basic shapes and colours though - it's a wonder she doesn't get bored with some of that stuff.  She wasn't even three yet and she could tell you what a turquoise parallelogram was.  The teacher had no concerns with Jorja either, so that was good.  She was impressed by how much Jorja can read already.  Jorja loves her teacher too.  I think Kindergarten teachers are a special breed of people - how you can be that kind and loving and patient day after day is beyond me.  I had a great Kindergarten teacher and it looks like Jorja will have similar fond memories to look back onto.

I took the youngest two kids to Walmart this afternoon to get a few things.  What was I thinking on Saturday afternoon?  It was a zoo in there.  Ginny was remarkably well behaved though and we survived relatively unscathed.  I left Jorja home to look after Julie, a task which she took to heart.  Jorja was on the upswing this afternoon, so she felt confident in that role.  She is quite the little mother hen that one.  It breaks her heart when someone else in the family isn't feeling well.  She really mother Ginny when she doesn't feel well.

I guess we will be home for the Rider game tomorrow, instead of on the road like the last game.  I can get the girls to watch it on TV, but listening to it on the radio is a bit of a stretch.  Jorja and Ginny are taking quite the interest in the Roughriders this year, well as much interest as they can manage for something that isn't animated with catchy music.  At least they don't ask to turn it off.   

Work is going good, but I'm back to the day shift this week, so we'll see how everyone else fares.  Hopefully alright.  Later.

Chester bear

I'm not sure if it's a practise with a lot of schools, but Jorja's class has a bit of a mascot - Chester bear.  Maybe mascot is giving him a bit too much credit - he's just a black teddy bear, nothing special.  Chester spent the first month of school, but now he is taking turns going home with all the kids for a night.  He has a journal for you to write what he did and a change of clothes for night all neatly contained in his own backpack.  Jorja was 'lucky' enough to get Chester for the Thanksgiving long weekend - well, she thought she was lucky, I thought it was rather the opposite.  School is kind of a breeding ground for coughs, colds, flues.  Isn't it enough that we send our kids there and allow them back into the house to spread their new-found germs?  Do we really need to bring a little disease-spreader into our home?  I'm not saying we're innocent either.  Ginny and her snotty little nose had to kiss the thing goodbye.  The only upside to the situation is that Jorja was the second kid to bring it home.  Better that than the eighteenth.  Later.

Let's talk turkey

Yesterday when I picked Jorja up from Kindergarten, she was proudly holding a few popcorn kernels.  I asked what they were for and she replied that they were to feed to the ladybug.  What ladybug is that I asked.  She said that she and her friend found a ladybug at recess, and her friend put the ladybug in a bag to keep it safe until the next day.  That is when they would return with the popcorn and feed the ladybug.  I didn't have the heart to tell her how this was going to turn out.  So today, we set out, popcorn in pocket, ready to feed the ladybug at recess.  When I asked her if they fed the ladybug today, she said, "Nah, somebody stepped on it."  I guess at least that fate was quick.

The Kindergarten class has also been learning about Thanksgiving.  One of their projects was to tell the teacher how to cook a turkey.  Today, all the responses were transcribed and posted on the walls outside the classroom.  Let me tell you, there were some interesting ones.  One of the most popular places to get a turkey from is Walmart.  Quite a few started off that way.  One girl was just going to have the turkey as a guest and eat roast beef.  One said you didn't even have to cook it.  Here is what Jorja had to say:  "First you have to go down to the pond to see if you can find a turkey.  Then catch him with some sticky tape.  Tape his mouth shut so he doesn't gobble.  Then cook him on the BBQ for 69 hours.  Cut his wings off so that he doesn't fly away."  Kind of a sadistic little thing.  Later.

True story

We're sitting at the breakfast table this morning and Jorja proceeds to tell a story about what happened in Kindergarten yesterday. Let me set the stage: every Wednesday, they have music class with another teacher in another room. They also have their own bathroom in the Kindergarten room. So yesterday Jorja had to go to the bathroom during music class. "I told Mrs. P. that I had to go to the bathroom, so she would know. Then I went back to the Kindergarten room to go pee and walked back to the music room... True story." Yes, she finished by saying true story. It's like she was telling the story of some crazy adventure that seemed unbelievable. Maybe in her mind it was, I don't know.

The weather is finally starting to get a little nicer. Yesterday afternoon I got out the hedge trimmer and carved down the cedars out front. I'd like to get rid of them completely, but we're not in a spot to do anything else with the area yet. The first two years we lived here, we kind of let them get out of control, but now they are all shorter than the house again. I had my trusty helper Ginny out there with me. She really wanted to climb the ladder with me - I could tell it was killing her. So between that and keeping her off the street, it kept me on my toes.

Jorja came home yesterday and said that fall was starting tonight at 9:00. I guess they're learning something.

The reality of the end of my parental leave is starting to set in. I've only got a bit over a month left now, and the end seems to be coming quickly. There have been days when I have been ready to go back, but now that it's happening, it's sad. This has been such a great experience and I am going to miss it. Later.

Quiet

Do you hear that? Quiet...ahh, it's a great sound. CeCe is napping and the two future Canadian Olympic Women's hockey stars are practising in the basement. They've been down there for a while now, and there hasn't been any tears, blood, screaming or fighting. Perhaps I shouldn't jinx myself.

Yesterday was Teddybear Olympics at Kindergarten. I guess the main focus in Kindergarten is fun - every teddybear came home with a gold medal.

I think the time of child-proofing the floor is upon us. CeCe likes to sit on the floor, and then after a few minutes she falls over and then rolls everywhere rather quickly. At least she's not crawling yet. Soon the gates will be back out.

Oh, I spoke too soon. There seems to be the need for a referee. Later.

Meatloaf

It's taken a few days, but Jorja finally seems to be relaxing and enjoying Kindergarten. She talked non-stop the whole way home today, stopping only long enough to give her little sister the hugs she wanted. Jorja seems to be coming out of her shell a bit more now too - she said goodbye to some girls in passing, they said goodbye to her - this was unheard of in preschool. Then it was like once you were out of the room, you didn't know anyone. She said she made two new friends (girls that she didn't go to preschool with) and generally had a good time I think.

Ginny had a nap today while Jorja was at Kindergarten. When she woke up, she came out to the garage to see me where I was doing some cleaning. When I was done, I had to move the car from the street back into the garage. I asked her if she wanted to come with me and sit in the front seat for the few feet that it was to drive. She was quite excited by this turn of events. Maybe Jorja being gone isn't such a bad thing after all. I buckled her in, rolled down her window, turned up some Meatloaf and she put on her shades. She looked at me through her tinted lenses and asked, "What do you call this look?" I don't know, I replied. "Rockstar!" she said. I cranked up 'Bat out of Hell' and we were off.

CeCe still isn't sleeping - the poor thing just can't shake this cold. She is so tired, but just can't sleep. We rock her for a while, till all the snuffling stops and you know that the snot has now drained to the one nostril. They we lay her down on that side, so that she has one clear nostril to breathe through. Then she's good for a while until she rolls over. Then everything plugs up and she is up again. It gets to be a long night. Later.

Long weekend

Our long weekend was filled with Kleenex, cough drops, Vicks, and a whole lot of snot. It all started Thursday night already. Now I was fully expecting rounds of sicknesses to come through the house after Kindergarten started, but not on the first day. I don't really think that it came from school that fast, but it is a pretty good coincidence. Poor CeCe has been doing the worst I think. It's so hard when they're that age, they lay there in bed and choke on their mucous, cough and sputter, and don't sleep well at all. She wants to suck on her soother, but then she can't breathe. It's a no win situation. She has spent a fair bit of time sleeping while being held just to keep her somewhat upright so she can breathe. Yes, it's been a restful long weekend. I think the girls are all on the upswing now (hopefully), but Julie and I are getting it now. Ah, the circle of life.

Jorja's second day of Kindergarten went better than the first. She still isn't super bubbly after, but you could tell that things went better. Hopefully she's not too sick and has to miss on the first whole week.

By Saturday afternoon, we were all getting sick of being sick and needed an outing. Jorja had a Toys 'R' Us gift certificate to use from her birthday, so we thought we would go there. Julie's brother and his wife have started doing that for the girls and they love it. It's such a thrill to go into the toy store with your own money and buy what you want. At one point, Jorja was looking at the princess dress-up dresses. They were all hanging on a circular rack, and she was standing there with one hand on her hip, head cocked to the side, and flipping through them. She could have been a teenager the way she looked. "Jorja, what are you doing?" "Just looking at dresses Dad." We are so doomed.

By the time we were done shopping, it was getting late, so we decided to go out for supper. We ended up at Boston Pizza, after a failed attempt to try Chili's. We went there, were seated, and then apparently forgotten about. Over 15 minutes we sat there without anyone coming by. So Julie wrote a note for the manger, gave it to the hostess on the way out and we went to BP's. (On a side note, the manager e-mailed, and said how sorry she was and that if we wanted to give them another try, let her know when, she would reserve a table and the meal would be on her. That was pretty cool.) So now we're at BP's, where we get drinks almost immediately. Sometimes now, we let the girls get pop for a treat, and we did on this occasion. Ginny got her drink, took a good pull on the straw, looked up with watery eyes and said, "Sprite makes me happy!" Then back for another drink.

There were several TVs visible from our table, all showing sports. There was a tennis match on one, which Jorja took an interest in. "I'm cheering for that boy," she says. Julie asks her why. "I like his outfit better." Have I mentioned yet that we are in trouble?

So yesterday and today have been pretty low-key days. We watched the Riders win yesterday (I made the girls endure it, and tried having a chat about some of the rules and player with Jorja, but to no avail. She does know who the Roughriders are though.) Here's hoping to getting some sleep tonight. Hope you all had a good weekend. Later.

Kindergarten

So today was the first official day of kindergarten. Jorja seemed pretty excited all morning right up until she went. Julie took her and then we all went to pick her up when she was done. The 'drop off' went well - everyone kept it together. Julie had a few tears when she got home, but all in all, pretty good.

We kind of thought Jorja would be beside herself when she was done, talking nonstop the whole way home, but she was surprisingly subdued. She was quiet and almost a bit sad it seemed. We got home and she and Julie had a chat. After much coaxing, Jorja said that she had been quite nervous and scared beforehand. We never would have guessed, she just seemed excited. She definitely is hard to read and a worrier sometimes. Here's hoping everything is better tomorrow.

Ginny was quite out of sorts for the afternoon. She wasn't quite sure what to do without her boss around. We played snakes and ladders, read some books, listened to some music, but she just seemed kind of sad too. Hopefully she comes to see this as some special time alone with Mom and Dad (CeCe sleeps during most of this time).

So all in all, not exactly the way we saw this day playing out, but at least we didn't peak too soon. Later.

Crash

Last night around 11:00, Julie and I were still downstairs when we heard a thunderous crash from upstairs. Jorja had fallen out of bed. I hurried upstairs as soon as I heard it, and saw her walking out of her room, holding her head and doing the 'silent scream.' I brought her into our bedroom to assess the damage, and then the screaming started. Much to my surprise, no one else woke up. I couldn't see any scrapes or feel any bumps, so after she was calmed down, I put her back to bed. This morning, she had a bit of a scrape and a bruise on her knee which 'made her leg stiff and hard to walk'. That is, whenever she thought about it. It didn't seem too stiff when she pedalled around the block this afternoon, but it was again at bath time.

Today turned out to be quite a nice day. I spent some time this afternoon in the backyard trying to tame the thistle patch beside the house. There's about a four foot wide section between the backside of the house and the fence that had had landscape fabric and crushed rock laid on it, but now the thistles are starting to grow. And it's in an area that you never really see, so when I looked the other day, it was like whoa! I've got to get a handle on that. So hopefully it is under control for now...until all the seeds grow.

Even though it has been fairly nice here, I have officially given up on getting back into the pool. I started draining it this afternoon. It will probably take a couple of days - I've got a hose strung out to the street so that I don't flood the neighbours out. It's kind of depressing because we never did get back into it after the algae incident got cleared up. I guess we'll see what next year brings.

Jorja is pretty excited to start Kindergarten tomorrow. We got the final thing she needed ready today. They are supposed to bring one of Mom or Dad's old T-shirts to wear for painting. So I found one today, and she and Julie wrote her name across the front in big block letters. She was pretty thrilled by the whole thing. When she was going to bed tonight, she gave me a big hug and said, "Thanks for the shirt. You're the best Dad." Almost made me a little teary. Later.

Metashlope

Today we hit a milestone. Julie and I were both able to have a nap upstairs together at the same time. We got home after lunch and felt the need for a Sunday afternoon snooze. When I was growing up, Mom and Dad used to call it a 'metashlope'. I have no idea how to spell the word (it's German), so I just went with how it sounds. Most Sunday afternoons, after church, after lunch, Mom and Dad would have a metashlope. Up until now, the kids haven't been old enough for this to happen. Sometimes one of us can have a nap while the other dozes on the couch - being in sight seemed to be good enough. But today was different. We put CeCe down in her crib, put 'Sleeping Beauty' on, and told the girls we were going to have a nap. They did awesome. It was so nice, and we were so impressed with them. The house was still standing too.

Here's one for the category, 'you know you're a princess when...': We were getting ready for church this morning, and the girls noticed Julie putting on lipstick, and had to have some too. I like to tease them a bit, so I asked Jorja if I could have a kiss. "No Dad, not until bed time, I have lipstick on." All right then. As we were leaving, Ginny wanted a drink of water. "I'm thirsty!" Then Jorja chimed in. "Me too! I'm thirsty too!" As Ginny was having her drink, Jorja started to think about this. She asked, "Will my lipstick come off?" Julie replied that some if it would. "I'm not thirsty anymore."

Tomorrow morning is Kindergarten registration. So it begins. I believe there will only be one more half-day this week, with a small group of kids, and then it gets into full swing next week. Should be interesting. It's still kind of hard to believe. Later.