Friday, July 28, 2006
Excellent Adventure
Yesterday my son, littlest daughter and I went on an adventure. We took the train (cool! air conditioning! three floors!) out to Ste. Anne de Bellevue and once there we watched boats going through the locks, walked along the boardwalk, walked along the cute main street and got an ice cream, went to a very fun store and looked around in air conditioned comfort (it was f---in' hot yesterday), then met my mom and her friend and went to the Ecomuseum, one of my favourite things to do with kids. It's a kind of zoo, but it doesn't make me too sad for the animals because they are rescued and probably wouldn't be alive otherwise. The bears, however, might choose not being alive over roasting in the sun and pacing back and forth endlessly. That wasn't a happy sight, to be sure. But the walkways through the woods and the otters and the wolves (sad too, but beautiful) and a very close-up look at the normally-shy lynx made the visit a good one.
After the Ecomuseum we went back to the waterfront to meet D., who showed up a mere 10 minutes after we got to our meeting-place. We then had supper in a restaurant (more air-conditioning!) and went home, tired and feeling like we'd just been on vacation. My son loved the day, especially the train, and thanked me spontaneously many times before he finally crashed for the night (in his big sister's bed. He misses her a lot.). The little one was incredibly well-behaved and was a joy to hang out with, laughing and running and talking all day long.
A good day!
Yesterday my son, littlest daughter and I went on an adventure. We took the train (cool! air conditioning! three floors!) out to Ste. Anne de Bellevue and once there we watched boats going through the locks, walked along the boardwalk, walked along the cute main street and got an ice cream, went to a very fun store and looked around in air conditioned comfort (it was f---in' hot yesterday), then met my mom and her friend and went to the Ecomuseum, one of my favourite things to do with kids. It's a kind of zoo, but it doesn't make me too sad for the animals because they are rescued and probably wouldn't be alive otherwise. The bears, however, might choose not being alive over roasting in the sun and pacing back and forth endlessly. That wasn't a happy sight, to be sure. But the walkways through the woods and the otters and the wolves (sad too, but beautiful) and a very close-up look at the normally-shy lynx made the visit a good one.
After the Ecomuseum we went back to the waterfront to meet D., who showed up a mere 10 minutes after we got to our meeting-place. We then had supper in a restaurant (more air-conditioning!) and went home, tired and feeling like we'd just been on vacation. My son loved the day, especially the train, and thanked me spontaneously many times before he finally crashed for the night (in his big sister's bed. He misses her a lot.). The little one was incredibly well-behaved and was a joy to hang out with, laughing and running and talking all day long.
A good day!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Summer Sunday
We went to Westmount on Sunday afternoon to drop off our oldest child at the bus for sleepaway camp. We said goodbye (for a whole week - sob!) and then, to console ourselves, bought food and went to spend some time in Westmount Park. It helped a little.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Let my pictures go!
I'm happy to say that Maggie came over yesterday and helped me to release the pictures from my camera and re-imprison them on my hard drive.
I'm embarrassed to say that it took her all of 2 minutes to complete what has to be the simplest operation ever executed on a computer. Actually I'm embarrassed to say that I couldn't figure it out, not that she did it so easily. I'm sure you understand what I'm trying to say.
Anyhoo! Here's one of said pictures. Just cuz I can.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
I put the pathetic in pathetic fallacy
The weather is cooler and so am I, thankyouverymuch. The clouds are puffy and full of water and so am I. The flowers are getting a little past their prime and so am I. The air conditioner is turned off and so am I, but not as turned off as when it was 1000 degrees outside.
My husband forgives me, my children still love me and I didn't make any new enemies during my 5-day rampage (none that I know about yet, anyway).
Oh, and one more thing that sounds like complaining but really isn't: All 3 children are sick (Hi Dina!), but they're holding up pretty well, all things considered.
My son was sitting thinking today about the poor people in Lebanon and Israel who are stuck in another war. He told me that he understands how, if someone drops a bomb on you, you might want to do the same to them. But you shouldn't, because that only makes more war.
I thought that was pretty astute. Maybe he'll be a world leader one day...over my dead body.
The weather is cooler and so am I, thankyouverymuch. The clouds are puffy and full of water and so am I. The flowers are getting a little past their prime and so am I. The air conditioner is turned off and so am I, but not as turned off as when it was 1000 degrees outside.
My husband forgives me, my children still love me and I didn't make any new enemies during my 5-day rampage (none that I know about yet, anyway).
Oh, and one more thing that sounds like complaining but really isn't: All 3 children are sick (Hi Dina!), but they're holding up pretty well, all things considered.
My son was sitting thinking today about the poor people in Lebanon and Israel who are stuck in another war. He told me that he understands how, if someone drops a bomb on you, you might want to do the same to them. But you shouldn't, because that only makes more war.
I thought that was pretty astute. Maybe he'll be a world leader one day...over my dead body.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Madness
I'm not a summer person. As I've mentioned before, I'm a winter person, and above all I think I'm an autumn person. Who cares, right? Well, nobody; but if I only wrote interesting stuff on this blog it wouldn't exist, and then, well, let's not get into that discussion... Anyway, the point is that I'm having a hard time with the hot weather. I was already having a hard time with summer in general, in that it really just seems to be one long slog, running around after other people, bringing kids here and there so that they Get The Most Out of Summer (a stupid concept; kids get a whole lot out of summer no matter what. They're not stitching together Persian rugs 12 hours a day, after all.) and just generally running and getting hot and tired when all I want to do is sit and read.
Well, up until two days ago I was able to look at the bright side and feel quite happy despite my fatigue. But man, have I ever been in a bad mood these last couple of days! Whooo! I hate everything: air conditioning, lack of air conditioning, the sun, the rain, the sky, the bugs, people in general -- you name it. I don't hate my kids, who are nice and cute and can't help being incredibly self-centred and seeing me as a servant. My husband? well, let's just say he's not the luckiest guy in the world to be married to me this weekend. I hope to shift my attitude, because I hate being a witch. I just need that fucking goddamn sun to stop trying to fry me. And the rain? Well, it had just better stay out of my fucking face and only come out while I'm sleeping. And don't get me started about the air conditioner. I don't even want to look at it. But it had better not even think about cutting out on me, or it's going out the window on its fat drippy arse.
I'm not a summer person. As I've mentioned before, I'm a winter person, and above all I think I'm an autumn person. Who cares, right? Well, nobody; but if I only wrote interesting stuff on this blog it wouldn't exist, and then, well, let's not get into that discussion... Anyway, the point is that I'm having a hard time with the hot weather. I was already having a hard time with summer in general, in that it really just seems to be one long slog, running around after other people, bringing kids here and there so that they Get The Most Out of Summer (a stupid concept; kids get a whole lot out of summer no matter what. They're not stitching together Persian rugs 12 hours a day, after all.) and just generally running and getting hot and tired when all I want to do is sit and read.
Well, up until two days ago I was able to look at the bright side and feel quite happy despite my fatigue. But man, have I ever been in a bad mood these last couple of days! Whooo! I hate everything: air conditioning, lack of air conditioning, the sun, the rain, the sky, the bugs, people in general -- you name it. I don't hate my kids, who are nice and cute and can't help being incredibly self-centred and seeing me as a servant. My husband? well, let's just say he's not the luckiest guy in the world to be married to me this weekend. I hope to shift my attitude, because I hate being a witch. I just need that fucking goddamn sun to stop trying to fry me. And the rain? Well, it had just better stay out of my fucking face and only come out while I'm sleeping. And don't get me started about the air conditioner. I don't even want to look at it. But it had better not even think about cutting out on me, or it's going out the window on its fat drippy arse.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
The Annals of Summer, part the second
It's wearin' me down, man.
It's wearin' me down, man.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Flogging that dead horse
Well, I wasn't exactly right, but I think I can claim to have come pretty close. Just in case anyone's interested, here's the Wikipedia entry on the pathetic fallacy.
In other news, my kids went to the zoo yesterday and had a wonderful time with their grandma and her "companion", for lack of a better word. They told me that it was sad to see the gorillas, though. It's heartbreaking to think of how they live in the wild and to think that we keep them in pens so we can gawk at them. Still, it's hard to resist the opportunity to look at them up close and see just how magnificent they are.
I'd put up pictures, but guess what? I still can't figure out how to get them on to the computer (Hi Maggie!). Heh heh. Maggie did it once, but we haven't been able to do it ourselves. I've been too embarrassed to say it but those brief, heady days of posting photos on my blog were fleeting and are now gone, at least for the moment.
Well, I wasn't exactly right, but I think I can claim to have come pretty close. Just in case anyone's interested, here's the Wikipedia entry on the pathetic fallacy.
In other news, my kids went to the zoo yesterday and had a wonderful time with their grandma and her "companion", for lack of a better word. They told me that it was sad to see the gorillas, though. It's heartbreaking to think of how they live in the wild and to think that we keep them in pens so we can gawk at them. Still, it's hard to resist the opportunity to look at them up close and see just how magnificent they are.
I'd put up pictures, but guess what? I still can't figure out how to get them on to the computer (Hi Maggie!). Heh heh. Maggie did it once, but we haven't been able to do it ourselves. I've been too embarrassed to say it but those brief, heady days of posting photos on my blog were fleeting and are now gone, at least for the moment.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
I think the term I was looking for in my previous post is the "pathetic fallacy", you know, when you think that the outer world corresponds to your own personal inner world? I'll have to look it up to be sure. It sounds very fitting anyway.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Whether
What unsettled weather we've been having... It's funny how the weather seems to reflect your inner life sometimes; there's a word for that delusion, but I can't think of it right now.
I'm feeling unsettled because I don't know what to do... Should I continue to look for work because we're poor, or should I concentrate on trying to start up my own (our own) business? I'm scared to start a business so I'm leaning towards the easier way, getting a job. But I want to start a business so that D. and I will be working for ourselves and our future and fulfilling a dream that we've had together since we first started dreaming together.
We have the idea (not a terribly original one, but that's okay), a location, the moral support of friends and family. All we need is to get up and do it, and of course get some financing. That's the scary part of course. Neither of us is really very good with money. And besides, what if we fail? Won't we look like fools?
Hmmm... It's raining and sunny and cloudy and bright and you never know what it's gonna do next.
What unsettled weather we've been having... It's funny how the weather seems to reflect your inner life sometimes; there's a word for that delusion, but I can't think of it right now.
I'm feeling unsettled because I don't know what to do... Should I continue to look for work because we're poor, or should I concentrate on trying to start up my own (our own) business? I'm scared to start a business so I'm leaning towards the easier way, getting a job. But I want to start a business so that D. and I will be working for ourselves and our future and fulfilling a dream that we've had together since we first started dreaming together.
We have the idea (not a terribly original one, but that's okay), a location, the moral support of friends and family. All we need is to get up and do it, and of course get some financing. That's the scary part of course. Neither of us is really very good with money. And besides, what if we fail? Won't we look like fools?
Hmmm... It's raining and sunny and cloudy and bright and you never know what it's gonna do next.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
What I Will Remember
Maybe knowing that it may be the last year we'll do it makes it sweeter, but whatever the reason, I really treasured last night when I woke my 2 older kids up to go out on the driveway and watch the fireworks. We'd been at the Canada Day party in our local park earlier in the day and everyone had had a good time: parade, bouncy castles, pony rides, hot dogs and cotton candy and a high school band all made for a day right out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
But watching the fireworks and giggling and oohing and aahing out in the dark with two sleepy, excited children in their pyjamas was the icing on the cake of a day that was so perfect it felt surreal somehow.
Maybe knowing that it may be the last year we'll do it makes it sweeter, but whatever the reason, I really treasured last night when I woke my 2 older kids up to go out on the driveway and watch the fireworks. We'd been at the Canada Day party in our local park earlier in the day and everyone had had a good time: parade, bouncy castles, pony rides, hot dogs and cotton candy and a high school band all made for a day right out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
But watching the fireworks and giggling and oohing and aahing out in the dark with two sleepy, excited children in their pyjamas was the icing on the cake of a day that was so perfect it felt surreal somehow.
