Tribute to a Friend

3

November 28, 2010

You were not one to mince words.

Your laugh was contagious.

You had the coolest back tattoo ever.

You knew how to give a good, solid hug.

I can still picture you with the mohawk you had fifteen years ago.

I was afraid of you as a kid

- you were all metal studs and teenage rage -

and somehow, you grew up to be

a person of incredible warmth, kindness, and energy.

I loved thinking of you amongst forested mountains and white water -

your natural habitat, to be sure.

I never knew anyone who lived larger than you.

Everything you did was one step from mortal danger,

which was just as you liked it.

You and your dog saved each other more than once,

you taught survival skills to children,

you helped remind people of what matters in life,

but none of these things could keep you with us.

I felt the breath knocked out of my chest

when I read the nonsensical words – that you were gone.

It’s awful that we won’t ever speak again,

that we won’t watch our kids play together.

My heart breaks that your pain was so mighty.

We all miss you.

Can you feel how much love is here for you on Earth?

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Toddler Tracks V – Quotables

4

November 24, 2010

I’ve realized I’m neglecting too many cool anecdotes because I don’t have time for long blog posts. Better to do short ones than none at all, right?

Favourite toddler quotes this week:

  • Any time he ends up on the floor, accidentally or on purpose: “I fell down.”
  • Upon finding his (defunct) remote in the toy box: “Whoa. Exciting.”
  • When asked by one of my co-workers what colour his block was: “Teal.” (He has a discerning eye. What else can you say when it’s not green but not blue either?)
  • While examining minute remnants of vegetables on his tray: “Pea… gross.” (He actually does like peas most of the time – I’m not sure he fully understands the meaning of gross.)
  • Upon waking in the morning, looking up at the light fixture: “Switch – turned on.” Then when you let him flip the switch: “Fan blowing. Happy,” with a beamy smile.
  • Dozens of times every day, with a book in hand: “Read it.” (Right now especially with In The Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak, as well as The Wheels on the Bus.)
  • Randomly, when he’s thinking about that bus: “Move on back, move on back.” (Or sometimes, “Clink clink clink.” You all know the song.)
  • Following his first taste of cold peppermint tea last night, with a slurp and a huge grin: “Excellent.” (BTW, these words are all said with his baby accent, so when he says “Ezlint”, we know what it means.)
  • The best was today, as he and I watched, together, some video footage of him from the past few weeks – things like him playing with blocks, looking at his books, etc. He started coaching his video-self: someone on screen would ask, “What colour is that block?” and as his video-self hesitated, he would call out, “Green!!” Or as his video-self read his number book and hesitated on certain pages, the toddler standing beside me would say, “Five!” and look at me as if to say, What’s wrong with that kid? He should know that one!

***


 

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BANG Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I

7

November 19, 2010

Today I went with Skye and Skye’s friend to see HP7i at the VIP cinema in Oakville. I’d like to say we got into the VIP place (which is age 19+, has big crazy chairs, alcoholic drinks, and reserved seating) on the sheer awesomeness of our persons, but actually entry is achieved by the purchase of a more expensive ticket. (Of course, we got ours with Scene points, which is a much better deal, so you could say there was awesomeness involved.)

Anyway! Back to the movie. (This review may be scattered and badly written, since it’s my bedtime and the last two weeks have fried me. Je m’excuse and tant pis.)

We thoroughly enjoyed it. We weren’t sure where it was going to end, since there’s a whole Part II coming in July, but it definitely went further than we expected in the plot. I was glad, because I didn’t want it to end. Honestly, I think I could have watched the whole thing twice in a row, there was so much in it.

I don’t want to say too much, because you should really go see it, if you haven’t already. In fact, you’re welcome to stop here if you want, and just take away the idea that it’s worth seeing.

I will state my one complaint first, which applies to both the Half-Blood Prince movie and this one: they really don’t convey the connection and passion between Harry and Ginny. To me, this lack of chemistry is disappointing, because J.K.R. does such a great job of it in the book. Any other little inconsistencies didn’t bother me: I was enjoying things too much. Continued…

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Seventeen Months Old (and four days)

2

November 12, 2010

My baby is seventeen months old! One more month and I will stop entitling his blog posts using months! (Although I’m sure I’ll still count them in my head.)

I’m running late with this blog post, and it’s almost my bedtime… so I’ll have to create an addendum one of these days, with more details, and lots more videos. Our darling boy is so full of new entertaining things to do and say that I can barely keep up.

For now, let’s look at this li’l clip of him helping read Ten Little Ladybugs. The kid just blows my mind, every day. I guess that’s what kids are like – learning so fast that the word “sponge” doesn’t even cover it.

***


 

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Wishing to Remember You

3

November 11, 2010

This is my grandpa.

phpja8z8FPM 227x300 Wishing to Remember You

His picture was one of dozens included in a slide show as part of the Remembrance Day assembly at school today – all relatives of people in our school community.

My grandpa was part of the 101st Airborne division for the American Allies during World War II, and parachuted into Normandy on D-Day. He also did art and learned exotic languages for fun and read a lot and collected interesting items. By all accounts, he was an extraordinary person.

He survived the war, but died when I was two. I wish he had had more years to spend with his wife and children – and grandchildren. I wish I could talk to him, or at least remember him. I’m glad some of you do.

***


 

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My Bloggiversary

4

November 7, 2010

How silly that the first week of November (which some call National Blog Posting Month) 2010, I was so busy and harried and generally off my rocker that I did not manage to blog AT ALL. I missed my very own Bloggiversary, November 2nd!

This time last year, I barely knew what a blog was, barely anyone knew I had a blog, and I didn’t fully know what to do with my blog. What I did know was that it felt good and right to be writing things, whether anyone read them or not. The diarist in me, which had lain mostly dormant for almost a decade, was like, “Um, THANK YOU… Why have you neglected me so horribly all these years??”

Here is my list of excuses. In the past week I managed to

  • teach for two days (normally three, but one day was for report-writing);
  • write my progress reports;
  • rehearse for the school play, having just found out that my co-choreographer will be on bedrest from now on (for her pregnancy), so I’m doing the whole thing myself;
  • fulfill my Treat Day responsibilities at work (if you’re on Thursday treats and you forget to bring anything… it’s a sad, bitter day in the staffroom);
  • half-choreograph 2 pieces for the Mish Mash Belly Bash coming up in less than two weeks;
  • go to my 2.5 hour dance rehearsal;
  • meet for an extra practice with my co-dancer in the duet for the show;
  • keep an evening date with friends I don’t see often enough;
  • have a mom date;
  • do a Pampered Chef party;
  • read the 841-page The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (MOTL);
  • host book club at my house (which included more treats and significant tidying – of course Sean is always extremely helpful on the housecleaning front);
  • parent my kid, including trimming his nails (which he is loath to let me do);
  • donate blood;

and a few other things that don’t lend themselves to being listed.

I’m not telling you this so you’ll be in awe of my abilities. I was not very punctual to many of these things; I didn’t eat too healthfully; I didn’t get whip myself into rock-hard shape like I’d planned; and my treats for school were all store-bought (although I have to say, if you use really cool serving dishes, people are more impressed).

And yet, a hectic week like that proves to me that I actually can get more done when I have less free time and more structure. It’s just that certain things fall by the wayside… like my blog. Which won’t do.

I think this week will be a lot easier. And once the show’s done… life will be a bowl of cherries!

Cherries My Bloggiversary

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Jack-o’-Lanterns… still punkins at heart.

2

November 1, 2010

These are the Jack-’o'-Lanterns we carved for Halloween last night. Can you guess which one was carved by Dilovely and which by my hubbibi?

1 Jack o Lanterns... still punkins at heart.

E was not happy to see this face on his beloved vegetable. He said, “Punkin… face… face.” He went to touch it and then started to look teary – so Skye (who traditionally spends Halloween with us, helps us with the trick-or-treaters, and leaves unprotected candy on her own porch) whipped it around to face the other way while his back was turned.

This one went over a lot better.

2 Jack o Lanterns... still punkins at heart.

We discovered that Skye can hold her own with the repetitive nature of E’s conversational skills: she can say “Jack-o’-lantern” as many times as he can say “Punkin”. But, strangely (considering what a parrot he’s become), he did not pick up the new word.

Here’s a flashback, just for fun: E one year ago. Awww.

11165 198508135069 531300069 4401215 2761946 n 200x300 Jack o Lanterns... still punkins at heart.***


 

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