Matt & Sam are at a morning soccer camp this week & loving it. This isn't the high-powered kind of "make your child a professional" kind of camp ... it is the city recreation "we assume your kids knows nothing & really we aren't going to play that much soccer anyway" kind of camp. The boys are loving it. And it is a total score for me because it has rained 3 days running ... & I don't have to keep them busy. (They play in the gym when it is raining). When I pick them up their faces are totally red from exertion.
Wednesday they played soccer outside for the first time. This was the conversation in the van on the way home.
Sam: I got a penalty shot & scored for my team.
Matt: That wasn't a penalty shot. It was a bad call from the ref.
Sam: You tripped me & the coach called it a penalty shot. And then I scored for my team.
Matt: But you hit me in the eye with your hand.
Sam: No I didn't.
Matt: Then why does my eye hurt.
When we got home they were kind enough to do a slow-motion re-enactment of the entire play.
The boys have been quite mellow & easygoing after 3.5 hours of physical exercise. We've realized this is the level of exercise they need per day - I'll be trying that next week!
Meanwhile, Dan has been making films with one of the families that Katelyn babysits - we've known these kids since birth & both Dan & Kate ENJOY hanging out with them. If you ask nicely he will probably post the films - or you can go on YouTube & look up four youngest productions. He also is spending a week in August translating a slide-show type movie with music that Ron made into Spanish (he is doing the film work- someone who SPEAKS Spanish are doing the translation work). Our friends who have commissioned him will use it in Latin America.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Marsha's attempt at publishing pictures in blogger.
A favourite sign at Dollar Lake. The sign behind says, "walking trail". I was looking forward to doing some hiking with the kids. The sign in front says, "Trail closed. Bridge out. Trees Down". I love the economy of words - you get the message but no ink was wasted.
Matt & Sarah in the tent during the downpour. I am pretty sure Matt is reading from his latest purchase from Value Village: 15 volumes of "Weapons & Warfare of the 20th Century".
Sarah in a silly hat ... in front of our house (the yellow one you can't really see). Those are my huge hostas ... one of the few plants that willingly grow in Halifax.
Sarah becoming one with the Sand at Chocolate Lake. She is in high demand with all the little children at Chocolate - she'll patiently play with them. The moms love it - gives them a chance to relax or go swimming.
Sarah & Sam being hams at the July 1st fireworks. Notice how they are both patriotically wearing red ... total fluke ... I never have it together enough to think about such things.
Sarah at the July 1st fireworks ... sitting on top of Citadel Hill & looking beautiful as always. This is her new cropped hair since she cut off her long tresses to make wigs for kids with cancer. 
Sam playing a game of eye spy. You can see his incredible tan in this picture ... a genetic gift from Ron's mom who is a Sephardic Jew (from the Mediterranean). Sam is so brown in the summer and Matt is so white that people often ask if they have the same father. I always look contemplative & say, "I THINK Ron is the father".
Sam, Matt & a bit of Dan in the tent at Dollar Lake.
I dunno ... Kate & I just loved this picture. We just don't get signs like this in the city. It says: "Report a Poacher" with a 1-800 hotline.
Sam doing his beaver imitation. We have warned him repeatedly that is he continues to do this he will look like our 84 year old neighbour Cranky Franky FOREVER.
Matt & Sam ham. They are probably waiting for me to lock up the house & get in the van!
This isn't at camping ... it is at the Canada Day fireworks. I didn't get the memo about making a funny face for Katelyn's camera ... although this isn't a bad image of me ... that upward angle doesn't make my non-existent chin so obvious. Does my bum look big in this picture?
These posters are all over the camp. They say, "do not give a hitchhiker a ride ... leave your firewood at the campsite." This refers to the Spruce Longhorn Beetle which does bad things to trees in Nova Scotia. I can't remember what bad things it does but it is bad enough that they put posters up everywhere & thousands of dollars have been spent to try to stop them from doing bad things. 
The sign says, "Do Not Climb. Steep Bank." Of course, with this sign, the kids HAD to climb the steep bank.
Dan & Sam hamming it up. I am pretty sure Dan said, "Sam loves Dora" right before this pic was taken ... Sam hates being teased about Dora.
Dan doing his teenager routine - ipod on, looking sour. Really the camera just caught him at a bad angle. He doesn't have teenage angst.
Dan brushing his teeth while Matt watches in utter fascination. I am thinking about e-mailing this to our dental hygienist as evidence.
Dan reading "Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha" - a book for Katelyn's Advance Placement English course ... it won the Pulitzer Prize. This looks idyllic ... but the mosquitoes were AWFUL. 
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sam is OK
I took Sam to the doctor this morning & he is OK - doesn't have diabetes & doesn't have a bladder infection. She agreed that it was probably the junk food. And here is a confession: I bought the kids those el-cheapo no-name popsicles & Sam ate a bunch of them. (Rather than playing sherriff I just say yes every time they want one - but when they are gone, they are gone). Point is: that is a lot of popsicles. It could very well be coloring in the popsicles that is causing an irritated bladder.
I overheard Sam tell Matt, "my bladder is annoyed & that is why I have to go pee so much."
Matt also saw the doctor for a comfirmation of what I thought was Molluska (spelling?) - basically warts. She kept asking him questions but he couldn't answer - he was engrossed in a poster on her wall of the inside of the ear - literally so zoned out he couldn't hear her. Once she explained that it was an enlargement of the inside of the ear, the symptoms of swimmer's itch & a hearty discussion about cochlear implants, Matt was glad to answer her questions.
Then she asked if we swam alot, asked where, etc. Then she said, "boys, do me a favour. Don't swim in Chocolate Lake anymore - people get swimmer's itch from there." I laughed derisively. I didn't mean to laugh derisively - it just slipped out. Chocolate Lake? I told her we had swum there for 10 years & never had swimmers itch. (I didn't dare tell her we swim there every sunny day!) I have the deepest respect for my doctor but she is a typically careful Jewish mother - a few years ago she told Matt not to do somersaults anymore - too dangerous.
Sam is OBSESSED with Crazy 8's. Really, truly obsessed. He asks me to play as soon as he wakes up & the last thing before bed, etc. On the way to the doctor's office he said, "so we are 10 minutes early so we can play Crazy 8's in the waiting room, right?" We played 6 hands. And I beat him 5 times - though normally he wins. I looked in the crowded waiting room to see many humoured waiting room patients.
I overheard Sam tell Matt, "my bladder is annoyed & that is why I have to go pee so much."
Matt also saw the doctor for a comfirmation of what I thought was Molluska (spelling?) - basically warts. She kept asking him questions but he couldn't answer - he was engrossed in a poster on her wall of the inside of the ear - literally so zoned out he couldn't hear her. Once she explained that it was an enlargement of the inside of the ear, the symptoms of swimmer's itch & a hearty discussion about cochlear implants, Matt was glad to answer her questions.
Then she asked if we swam alot, asked where, etc. Then she said, "boys, do me a favour. Don't swim in Chocolate Lake anymore - people get swimmer's itch from there." I laughed derisively. I didn't mean to laugh derisively - it just slipped out. Chocolate Lake? I told her we had swum there for 10 years & never had swimmers itch. (I didn't dare tell her we swim there every sunny day!) I have the deepest respect for my doctor but she is a typically careful Jewish mother - a few years ago she told Matt not to do somersaults anymore - too dangerous.
Sam is OBSESSED with Crazy 8's. Really, truly obsessed. He asks me to play as soon as he wakes up & the last thing before bed, etc. On the way to the doctor's office he said, "so we are 10 minutes early so we can play Crazy 8's in the waiting room, right?" We played 6 hands. And I beat him 5 times - though normally he wins. I looked in the crowded waiting room to see many humoured waiting room patients.
The Big Camping Trip to Dollar Lake
We just got back from a camping trip to Dollar Lake - just 45 minutes away from our house. Some highlights:
1. The Lake! It is a long, gorgeous, sandy beach that is very shallow for a long way out. Sam said, "If I was at Chocowate Wake wight now I would be dwowning!". We managed to pick the only day in the last 2 weeks when it rained - though we got our tents up before the rain. We hiked over to the beach & there was NO ONE there. It was about 6 p.m. & the clouds were low & it was very windy. The lake was like bathwater temperature & there were waves. We swam, we bodysurfed, we screamed our heads off & Dan tried to drown me a couple of times. I use my sternest voice & say, "do not touch your mother while in water". But he just doesn't listen.
2. The isolation. On Thursday night there were no campers anywhere near us. When it was raining we did a child-friendly Bible Study in our giant tent. After the rain stopped we had dinner, made S'mores & sang worship songs. There was no computer, no one knocking at our door & no cell-phones.
3. Ramona! We sat around in the early mornings reading Ramona - Sam's first time but all the older ones re-living the glory of the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. Dan said he thought they got better as you got older - you got some of the inside jokes. We read 1.5 books--including the wonderful story of Howie's Uncle Hobart's visit - which ends with him marrying Ramona's Aunt Bea. Good times.
4. The Serendipitous. The lifeguards were very nice & very talky. We saw some friends we haven't seen in 8 years. The glossy brochure did not do the park justice- they must have been taken in the 70's & never updated - the park was worse for the wear. A trail near us was closed with a sign that said, "Trail closed. Trees down. Bridge out." When I asked which trails were open the staff said, "we've had a lot of bad wind storms this year. All the trails are closed. Clearing them isn't a priority." I met the maintenance man & asked if he was employed year round. He said cheerily, "Nope. May to October." I said, "so then do you have other work in the winter. He said cheerily, "Nope. Unemployment." I guess as long as he is cheerful ...
The Ugly:
1. The rubber mattress was very hard on Ron's back & he ended up sleeping in the van. Somehow the rubber mattress irriates my post 5 baby bladder & makes for light sleeping. I resist going pee for fear that some wild animal will bite my bum (things are so much scarier at night, aren't they?)
2. Just before we left Sam developed a frequent urination problem - like every 10 minutes. Camping was a great place to have such a problem! I had to help him pee in the night & with my 7 year old beside me the monsters didn't seem nearly so scary! My bum didn't get bit even once. I am taking Sam to the doctor this morning to rule out Juvenile Diabetes. I suspect that his bladder is irriated from food coloring - since we are on holidays Ron has been buying these little puddings in packages which contain lots of artificial color.
1. The Lake! It is a long, gorgeous, sandy beach that is very shallow for a long way out. Sam said, "If I was at Chocowate Wake wight now I would be dwowning!". We managed to pick the only day in the last 2 weeks when it rained - though we got our tents up before the rain. We hiked over to the beach & there was NO ONE there. It was about 6 p.m. & the clouds were low & it was very windy. The lake was like bathwater temperature & there were waves. We swam, we bodysurfed, we screamed our heads off & Dan tried to drown me a couple of times. I use my sternest voice & say, "do not touch your mother while in water". But he just doesn't listen.
2. The isolation. On Thursday night there were no campers anywhere near us. When it was raining we did a child-friendly Bible Study in our giant tent. After the rain stopped we had dinner, made S'mores & sang worship songs. There was no computer, no one knocking at our door & no cell-phones.
3. Ramona! We sat around in the early mornings reading Ramona - Sam's first time but all the older ones re-living the glory of the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. Dan said he thought they got better as you got older - you got some of the inside jokes. We read 1.5 books--including the wonderful story of Howie's Uncle Hobart's visit - which ends with him marrying Ramona's Aunt Bea. Good times.
4. The Serendipitous. The lifeguards were very nice & very talky. We saw some friends we haven't seen in 8 years. The glossy brochure did not do the park justice- they must have been taken in the 70's & never updated - the park was worse for the wear. A trail near us was closed with a sign that said, "Trail closed. Trees down. Bridge out." When I asked which trails were open the staff said, "we've had a lot of bad wind storms this year. All the trails are closed. Clearing them isn't a priority." I met the maintenance man & asked if he was employed year round. He said cheerily, "Nope. May to October." I said, "so then do you have other work in the winter. He said cheerily, "Nope. Unemployment." I guess as long as he is cheerful ...
The Ugly:
1. The rubber mattress was very hard on Ron's back & he ended up sleeping in the van. Somehow the rubber mattress irriates my post 5 baby bladder & makes for light sleeping. I resist going pee for fear that some wild animal will bite my bum (things are so much scarier at night, aren't they?)
2. Just before we left Sam developed a frequent urination problem - like every 10 minutes. Camping was a great place to have such a problem! I had to help him pee in the night & with my 7 year old beside me the monsters didn't seem nearly so scary! My bum didn't get bit even once. I am taking Sam to the doctor this morning to rule out Juvenile Diabetes. I suspect that his bladder is irriated from food coloring - since we are on holidays Ron has been buying these little puddings in packages which contain lots of artificial color.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
The Sex talk
Sam climbed into our bed this morning and asked the "where do babies come from" question. Sam is turning eight. I tried Marsha's early childhood education method, which seems to continue to be enough for Matt who is ten. It went like this ....
Me: The mommy has a special pocket.
Sam: I know Dad
Me: The dad has little seeds that he carries around
Sam: I know
Me: When the dad and mom want a baby, the dad puts one of his seeds in the mommy's special pocket.
Sam: Yes ... I KNOW!
Me: So what's the problem, has one of the older kids been telling you stuff?
Sam: No. Where is the special pocket? Where do you keep the seeds? How does the baby get out?
There was no escaping it. I had to explain the whole thing. Sam buried his head under the blankets when I started using words like penis, vagina, scrotum and testicles - not to mention how the seeds get "planted". He asked if I could used the Luganda word for vagina (which is "Casino") instead of the more embarrassing English. Then he insisted that I tell the truth and could not believe what I was telling him was in fact true. Every one of our kids had a similar reaction to the truth about sex (except Matt who for now continues to remain uninterested but has an insatiable appetite for more important things like WWII and blowing stuff up). Katelyn and Dan not only questioned whether we were telling the truth but added, "GROSS!"
Here is another funny bit of the conversation:
Marsha: (Trying to rescue me) Sam, it's true! I had the same reaction when I was a kid and my parents told me.
Me: (Thinking, "What was up with my parents?") No one ever told me when I was a kid.
Sam: So, did mom explain it to you?
Burn ... without even knowing it.
Me: The mommy has a special pocket.
Sam: I know Dad
Me: The dad has little seeds that he carries around
Sam: I know
Me: When the dad and mom want a baby, the dad puts one of his seeds in the mommy's special pocket.
Sam: Yes ... I KNOW!
Me: So what's the problem, has one of the older kids been telling you stuff?
Sam: No. Where is the special pocket? Where do you keep the seeds? How does the baby get out?
There was no escaping it. I had to explain the whole thing. Sam buried his head under the blankets when I started using words like penis, vagina, scrotum and testicles - not to mention how the seeds get "planted". He asked if I could used the Luganda word for vagina (which is "Casino") instead of the more embarrassing English. Then he insisted that I tell the truth and could not believe what I was telling him was in fact true. Every one of our kids had a similar reaction to the truth about sex (except Matt who for now continues to remain uninterested but has an insatiable appetite for more important things like WWII and blowing stuff up). Katelyn and Dan not only questioned whether we were telling the truth but added, "GROSS!"
Here is another funny bit of the conversation:
Marsha: (Trying to rescue me) Sam, it's true! I had the same reaction when I was a kid and my parents told me.
Me: (Thinking, "What was up with my parents?") No one ever told me when I was a kid.
Sam: So, did mom explain it to you?
Burn ... without even knowing it.
Friday, July 04, 2008
The Bear
Here is a new video from the Four Youngest. Hope you enjoy it!
Remember, feedback is always appreciated.
<><
Remember, feedback is always appreciated.
<><
The Bear
Katelyn is being a Nanny for the summer. She brought her 2 kids over for a visit, much to the delight of all. We couldn't just sit around! We took them hiking & decided to make a film in the woods about a Bear Attack. Katelyn's charges loved this & told me on the phone this morning, "we watched it 3 times! We loved it!"
Ron was up to his tricks with young kids ... he pulled a loonie, a piece of toast, a pineapple & a toaster out of the 5 year old's ear. Then he showed him that in our house you could turn on the lights just by blowing at them. Jamie said, "this house is magical!"
Ron was up to his tricks with young kids ... he pulled a loonie, a piece of toast, a pineapple & a toaster out of the 5 year old's ear. Then he showed him that in our house you could turn on the lights just by blowing at them. Jamie said, "this house is magical!"
Crazy Canada Day Celebrations
After our solemn early-morning celebration of the Battle of Somme, we kicked things into a festive mood for Canada Day. Our first stop was Chocolate Lake. It was packed of course with people enjoying a day off in the middle of the week. Matt got everyone into the mood by walking around the beach with Sam tempting everyone to be patriotic by flapping their Canadian flag towel for all to see.
I made a patriotic Canada Day supper - barbequed turkey burgers, Kettle chips, bean salad & ice cream for dessert. Sarah managed to transform our ratty, half-rotten picnic table into something that looked good using many pieces of scrap cloth from her vast collection. This was our first meal of the season outside. Ron & I sat on lawnchairs that were too short - I went & got a telephone book to sit on & thought it had been awhile (38 years?) since I ate sitting on a telephone book. Then we hurried out the door to go to opening night of "Cinderelly" - part of an outdoor season of plays held at Point Pleasant Park by a company called Shaekespeare by the Sea. It was a Western-style take on Cinderella & was hilarious. They encouraged audience participation - Matt got to apply makeup to the ugly stepsister going to the ball (called the MidSummer's Night hoedown). He did an excellent job - there was blush not only on his cheeks, also on his forehead, chin & neck. Then when it was time to hide the glass slipper (a spray painted golden cowboy boot), our kids offered the blanket they were sitting on. This play is a must see if you are in Halifax this summer. Later on in the summer some of the "olders" will go to see Midsummer's Night Dream & Othello - after we read the plays to refresh our memory.
Then the kids begged us to let them watch the fireworks. We tried to think of excuses why we should just go home. Matt started asking everyone he met where the fireworks were being held. We drove around downtown & could not find a parking spot. "Please" they begged, "park near the Citadel & we'll watch them from Citadel Hill." We DID find a spot near Citadel & walked up the long, steep hill. We enjoyed the pre-game show- pleasant conversations with fellow celebrants with a good smattering of drunk men also enjoying the festiviites. The kids LOVED the show - lots of oohs and ahs which made me smile.
Then, under cover of darkness, we walked down Citadel Hill & drove off into the night.
I made a patriotic Canada Day supper - barbequed turkey burgers, Kettle chips, bean salad & ice cream for dessert. Sarah managed to transform our ratty, half-rotten picnic table into something that looked good using many pieces of scrap cloth from her vast collection. This was our first meal of the season outside. Ron & I sat on lawnchairs that were too short - I went & got a telephone book to sit on & thought it had been awhile (38 years?) since I ate sitting on a telephone book. Then we hurried out the door to go to opening night of "Cinderelly" - part of an outdoor season of plays held at Point Pleasant Park by a company called Shaekespeare by the Sea. It was a Western-style take on Cinderella & was hilarious. They encouraged audience participation - Matt got to apply makeup to the ugly stepsister going to the ball (called the MidSummer's Night hoedown). He did an excellent job - there was blush not only on his cheeks, also on his forehead, chin & neck. Then when it was time to hide the glass slipper (a spray painted golden cowboy boot), our kids offered the blanket they were sitting on. This play is a must see if you are in Halifax this summer. Later on in the summer some of the "olders" will go to see Midsummer's Night Dream & Othello - after we read the plays to refresh our memory.
Then the kids begged us to let them watch the fireworks. We tried to think of excuses why we should just go home. Matt started asking everyone he met where the fireworks were being held. We drove around downtown & could not find a parking spot. "Please" they begged, "park near the Citadel & we'll watch them from Citadel Hill." We DID find a spot near Citadel & walked up the long, steep hill. We enjoyed the pre-game show- pleasant conversations with fellow celebrants with a good smattering of drunk men also enjoying the festiviites. The kids LOVED the show - lots of oohs and ahs which made me smile.
Then, under cover of darkness, we walked down Citadel Hill & drove off into the night.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Battle of Somme - July 1st, 1915
What Matt didn't say in his blog was that he convinced Katelyn to wake up at 7:30 am to commemorate the Battle of Somme - because that is when the offensive started. They made some tea, discussed it a little & then held a moment of silence.
In other news, Sam & I went over to Donna's house & she was wearing a white t-shirt with sparkly silver letters that said, "BOTOX". I said, "Donna! What's with the t-shirt?" She explained that it was a freebie from a drug company - she works as an esthetician & they use BOTOX in what they call non-surgical plastic surgery. She said, "I was spending the day cleaning up so I threw it on. But don't worry - I won't be walking into Sobey's grocery store wearing this."
Sam came home & told Ron, "Donna was wearing a shirt that said Buttocks on it." An easy mistake for a beginning reader.
In other news, Sam & I went over to Donna's house & she was wearing a white t-shirt with sparkly silver letters that said, "BOTOX". I said, "Donna! What's with the t-shirt?" She explained that it was a freebie from a drug company - she works as an esthetician & they use BOTOX in what they call non-surgical plastic surgery. She said, "I was spending the day cleaning up so I threw it on. But don't worry - I won't be walking into Sobey's grocery store wearing this."
Sam came home & told Ron, "Donna was wearing a shirt that said Buttocks on it." An easy mistake for a beginning reader.
Canada Day: The Somme Memorial
Matt here.
Today is the day that the barrage at Somme stopped. When the British generals decided to break the German lines just north of the Somme River in France, they did an artillery bombardment. It should have been a creeping barrage because the Germans just went into their reinforced bunkers when the barrage stopped. The British infantry were ordered to charge. (A creeping barrage is when there is a barrage: the troops charge covered from artillary fire.) The Germans just grabbed their machine guns, walked up the bunker steps, and BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!! The plan backfired; the Germans broke through. There were 620,000 allied casualties - 58,000 of which were British. A bad day.
Today is the day that the barrage at Somme stopped. When the British generals decided to break the German lines just north of the Somme River in France, they did an artillery bombardment. It should have been a creeping barrage because the Germans just went into their reinforced bunkers when the barrage stopped. The British infantry were ordered to charge. (A creeping barrage is when there is a barrage: the troops charge covered from artillary fire.) The Germans just grabbed their machine guns, walked up the bunker steps, and BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!! The plan backfired; the Germans broke through. There were 620,000 allied casualties - 58,000 of which were British. A bad day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)