family created

at the science museum

2011-10-14T13:43:00.001-04:00

Gavin and daddy day

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autumn

2011-10-03T08:52:00.001-04:00

This says happiness is family. Awesome.

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The decade since

2011-09-08T17:51:00.000-04:00

It has been ten years since 9.11.

Back to 9.11.

The ten years after 9.11 have not been the best ten years for my new country. They have been besieged by fear, a little craziness and a lot of money. A. Lot. Of. Money.

William Goldman wrote these wise words for Vizzini in the Princess Bride:

"Never get in a land war in Asia."

Right before he drops dead.

I think there are a lot of people in America who don't connect the dot from the battle of wits, and the battle's being waged by America. To many people in America, Afghanistan and Iraq aren't in Asia, they're in the Middle East. I've learned that by quoting Vizzini to blank stares.

The stated goal of Al Queda was to draw the US into a lengthly battle in the desserts of Asia in an effort to bankrupt the world's only remaining superpower.

As the wars continue to escalate, America continues to amass a staggering debt. This doesn't mean the terrorists are winning. They aren't. America is a strong country that will find its way. Eventually they will get out of the middle east and begin to spend money at home. It will take time, but on the tenth anniversary of the thing that started it all, real change can't happen fast enough.

BTW, this last ten years saw me:

Meet a girl.

Get married.

Move to a new country.

Buy a house.

Get a dog.

Have some kids.

The first day of school

2011-08-31T19:53:00.000-04:00

I've gone on record as saying that it drives me nuts when people say "you should really enjoy it, time really flies."

Time crawls. Slowly.

Then one day, it is the first day of school. And not some sort of a pre-school. This is really, really school. With teachers and lunch and recess and all that.

So I made a movie about it. Not because I think time has flown by. More because I think it is worth capturing these moments. I'm still working on it, but this is version #1.

Enjoy.

Likes, Autumn and Gavin

2011-08-20T20:05:00.000-04:00

For the record, here are some likes:

Autumn:
Color = Blue. (Of note: when asked for favorite color, she actually answered; pink, black, yellow and blue. when pressed, she picked blue. I didn't see that one coming.)

Song = Firework

Person = "My family", followed by a hug

Food = Long, skinny noodles

Animal = Horse

Gavin:
Color = blue

Song = Ghostbusters

Food = Pizza n mac n cheese

Person = Ray Parker Jr. (Of note, he doesn't know the guy's name, but when asked for his favorite person he said "guy who sings ghostbusters").

The beach house.

2011-08-02T20:30:00.001-04:00

We were so lucky to spend a week at Waverly Beach for the last week of July. We had visitors almost everyday.... Uncle Simon and Turner, Grandpa, Grandad and Nanny and loads of friends including Rachel and Erdene, the whole Testa family, Ms. Janet and six kids, Pam and Jessica and Lucas and Jody. It was great fun and allowed Matt and I to relax and not ponder the worries of the day... we just had fun and enjoyed the days. Here are a few images to reflect our time on Edgemere Street in Fort Erie, Canada.

rainy day activity- playdough making... or some facsimile thereof ?@!!

The boy likes his squirt guns...this pump style gun was great for getting Daddy, Mommy and of course, Autumn.

This next shot is the shot of the week in my humble opinion.
The girl has PAZZAZZ!!!

No wait... this shot is the shot of the week...

No.. .THIS is the shot of the week, seriously.

A Dad gets thirsty battling all day :)

Again with the gun, one did break after day two (thankfully)

The queen city from a different vantage point.

another view of the city.

A boy on the run.

A shaky start for our dog Lucy... but she warmed up to the whole concept of beach running.

Oh Yes we did...on that rainy day.

every good beach house has a good bathtub. These guys spent a ton of time in and out of the tub.

What the heck can I say about this lady?

The ol' self-timer family portraits. If you pay close attention, I always look a little winded in these family images, because I am the one who literally RUNS into the shot.

He loves trucks... he is at that stage where he just plays by himself quite happily.

Random Images, part deux.

2011-07-12T08:45:00.002-04:00

ps- keep in mind I have more images of Gavin as Autumn is at school during the week... hopefully this summer I will catch up on capturing her pure loveliness and amazing spirit.

Birthday Girl

2011-06-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

She ate at her favorite noodle place.With her favorite mom and dad, brother and grandpa.

Happy Birthday Autumn

2011-06-20T11:31:00.001-04:00

As soon as I saw autumn on Father's Day morning, she threw open her hands and wished me a happy father's day.

Okay, that's not true. She cried at 6:00 AM on Sunday morning, so I went in and snuggled until we both went back to sleep. When she woke me up, she asked if we could go downstairs and have cereal.

Then she threw open the arms and wished me happy father's day.

She's now 5.

This is the part where I wrote that time has flown by. Where I say, I can't believe my little girl is 5. But honestly, I can't really remember a time when she wasn't part of our lives. Her laughs, he faces, her smiles, even her angry faces.

These are all the things that life is about. When she came downstairs on her birthday, she had the biggest smile on her face.

Happy Birthday Autumn. Your mom and I think you're an amazing young lady and we have loved every minute of the last 5 years.

Random images from the past couple months...

2011-04-25T20:05:00.000-04:00

Autumn loves to swing .

Walking at Tift Nature Park

Face Painting at Turner's birthday party.

More Playground fun.

Florida shots, just a couple.

the animals in our lives- Ms. Lucy Von Juicejuice and introducting Ms. Scarlet.

Gavin loves Gino

2011-04-05T11:08:00.000-04:00

Gavin likes Gino. There's no doubt. This morning, I asked him who his favorite Superhero was. The answer is Spiderman (pronounced Piderman, or Pidey).

But he also said Buzz Lightyear. I asked him why he also said buzz Lightyear.

He said that because Gino likes Bizz Lightyear.

Ah, Gino.

Then I said, hey, wasn't Gino superman on Friday? Friday was pajama day at school, and Gavin wore his Superman pajamas, and so did Gino. That actually made both of their days.

Because, deep down, I think Gavin matters to Gino as well. They are buds.

Dear Autumn (2011)

2011-03-14T13:01:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure when you'll read this, but I've been thinking about it for a long time. I want to talk to the future you about the current you. I'm not writing this for any other reason than I can. These ones and zeros that make up the Internet will be here for a long time. You can delete this, read it. Save it.

Whatever you want.

So, here it goes.

Dear Autumn,

Right now, you are a kind, funny, caring girl. Your imagination inspires me, and you laugh warms me.

I can't remember a time without you, without your smile, your laugh, your wit (yes, wit), your sarcasm. It's all wrapped up into one little package that is too good for words.

I know, this isn't sounding like I want to to sound.

You're almost 5, and yet you're so much older. Here's an example: if I'm looking for a hug from Gavin, and he ignores me, you'll come over and give me a hug. You tell people things like:

"I like your shirt" and "I like your hair". In Florida, you told a waitress you liked her makeup. This isn't about the future, but now. Your mom and I think you're a wonderful girl, and we look forward to seeing you grow up.

I love you.

Dad.

pirate Gavin

2011-03-08T12:42:00.001-05:00

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autumn shot the pirate

2011-03-08T12:41:00.001-05:00

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happy 70th granddad

2011-03-07T20:45:00.001-05:00

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family

2011-03-06T16:53:00.001-05:00

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autumn and scarlet

2011-03-06T12:57:00.001-05:00

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random autumn

2011-03-06T12:51:00.001-05:00

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You get to quit in curling

2011-02-13T16:15:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia
One thing you never hear the commentators say in curling is this:

"Well Jim, you have to give them credit. They hung in there to end and played hard."

Can you think of another game where it's okay to quit? There isn't one. In curling, it's not only okay, it's sort of required.

Until that is, the final is on TV. The Dominion Ontario Curling Championships where basically over after the first end. Howard's team got three, but more than that, they got into the heads of the Balston team. You could see it in their body language that they knew they'd lost. Down 8-2 after 5 ends, the only requirement from then on in was to finish eight ends.

Since everyone knows it's over, then it's easy to phone it in. Fast shots, zero conversations, get in the hack fast and throw the rock to make it to the 8th end. Howard is already at the other end to shoot, Balston stands at the other end ready to throw. It's not an exhibition of curling, it's an exhibition of speed.

Glenn Howard is one of the best players to ever play the game. He holds the record for the most Ontario Championships, and his team of Richard Hart, Brent Laing and Craig Saville are arguably the best team in the world. They are definitely the most fun to watch.

That they are going back to the Brier is excellent news for the London organizing committee. And it's excellent news for fans of curling.

The Ontario Men's final

2011-02-13T15:17:00.000-05:00

Body language is a good indicator in Curling how things are going. At the end of the second end, the body language on team Balston is noticeably not good. In the first end, Balston hit thrid shot rock to give Howard a draw for three.

And it was really all he had. In the second end, one miss meant the end was a long way from a deuce, and I think Balston pushed it too far, resulting in a force of one.

At this point in the game, one would hope that Balston's team just makes a few more draw shots. They still look in bad shape. At the fifth end break, they've yet to manufacture anything approximating a deuce, and every end they are running.

This game isn't over. Unless you happen to look at body language.

Glenn Howard versus Greg Balston

2011-02-13T13:43:00.000-05:00

You would have to be an idiot to bet on Greg Balston's team in this final. That said, there's a reason they play the games. Just because it seems pretty obvious that Howard's team will win, curling can be a funny game.

It's not that funny. If he wins today, this will be Glenn Howard's 13th Ontario Championship. To win, the Balston rink needs to put away who they are playing, what game this is, and jsut go out and do what they can do.

Easier said than done. Finals have their own level of adrenaline. Hack weight easily becomes board, board weight easily becomes normal.

For Balston's team, and for anyone in a final, it is best to think about the game one end at a time. Think one shot at a time if possible. Don't focus on who you're playing, focus on the shot you're playing. Because if you're thinking of the face that it is a final, you're thinking about outcomes.

Think about a curling shot. A 20-foot straight back run back on a guard is exactly the same thing as a nose hit. A hit and roll to the center is no different from a 20-foot angle run back triple. In both instances, it's important to hit the rock in the right spot. The difference is the story we give the shot. One is 'hard' and the other one relatively 'easy.' That's because outcomes add degrees of difficulty to shots.

There's no difference in a final. A final adds degrees of difficulty because of the story we attach to it. For Glenn Howard, who has been in more finals than every player on Balston's team combined, thinking about this as just another game comes naturally.

Greg Balston's team needs to think about this game like it's any other game. They need to think about it like it's a nose hit. Nothing more, nothing less.

Again, easier said then done. But staying loose and staying focused will help.

Grimbsy Tankard, Semi Final

2011-02-13T12:19:00.000-05:00

It's official, Balston beats Corner in the semi final to face Glenn Howard in the final.

Youth versus experience. Even better, Balston lifts on hits. He doesn't just lift the rock, he lifts everything as he's taking back the stone.

If you want my opinion, Corner's team looked rusty.

I understand rustiness. Even though you might have watched thousands more rocks come down the sheet than the team you're playing, if you haven't watched a lot of rocks this year, rustiness can set it.

That isn't to say that Corner's team was rusty. Or that they lost for any reason other than the other team made more shots. But they were just missing hit and rolls, and some of it was sweeping. A couple of moments here and there, and they could have really put some pressure on Balston.

They didn't, and he's on his way to the finals against a team that is as experienced as Corner, but not even remotely rusty.

The final score is 9-4. The game was close to the blowout that it ended up being. Outside of the 4th end when Corner stole one, Balston's team wasn't too bothered. His two deuces were open draws to the rings.

That will change in the final. He's going to have a lot more pressure thrown at him, both from the weight of the game and the team he's playing. Howard comes after teams. And they don't make mistakes.

It should be fun.

Grimsby Tankard, half way

2011-02-13T10:51:00.000-05:00

They said it would be cold here in Grimsby for the 2011 Ontario Championships, otherwise known as the “Can anyone beat the Howard rink” Championships.

The semi final is Greg Balston’s team playing Peter Corner.

An interesting stat: Team Corner is the oldest team at the competition. They have the two oldest players on the team, and their team average age is older than all but 4 players.

I talked to Phile "the Head" Loovenmark before the game, and he agreed that his team was old. Phil still looks exactly like he's always looked, maybe it's that large head.

It is tempting to call this game the experienced old veterans versus the youngsters, but I don’t think that’s fair. So far, Balston hasn't make any 'rookie' like mistakes. Even more, they are executing really well. Or they were, until the 4th end. If this was a boxing match, I would give the first three rounds to Balston rather convincingly.

But in the 4th, the corner team counter-punched, and they were always stealing one. Balston made a draw down to shot rock to concede the steal. But Balston came back strong in the fifth. And even though a curling game ebbs and flows, I'm putting my money on the kids.

scarlet and lucy

2011-02-06T10:28:00.001-05:00

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Scarlet

2011-01-29T18:13:00.000-05:00

Fun with the camera

2011-01-17T10:13:00.000-05:00

2011-01-13T17:19:00.001-05:00

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christmas

2011-01-13T17:07:00.001-05:00

All kids

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canada scores

2011-01-04T09:12:00.001-05:00

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watching hockey

2011-01-03T19:31:00.001-05:00

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Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T20:16:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas

autumn Christmas 2010

2010-12-24T16:02:00.001-05:00

A wish from Autumn

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Gavin has been good

2010-12-24T15:55:00.001-05:00

So he says

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gingerbread house

2010-12-24T15:05:00.001-05:00

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dude

2010-12-13T13:59:00.001-05:00

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christmas tree 2010

2010-12-12T19:50:00.001-05:00

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in the leaves

2010-11-14T11:00:00.001-05:00

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warm day in Nov

2010-11-13T12:59:00.001-05:00

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Playing in the leaves

2010-11-10T13:36:00.000-05:00

This was taken with my phone.

kids

2010-11-02T19:03:00.000-04:00

kitty

2010-10-31T18:35:00.001-04:00

Happy and warm

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batman

2010-10-31T18:32:00.001-04:00

First Halloween that matters.

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Some more gems

2010-10-29T16:38:00.000-04:00

This one below might be one of my all-time favorites.

He's posing.

Still posing.

Pumkin rides

2010-10-29T16:31:00.000-04:00

gavin.

2010-10-18T10:52:00.001-04:00

He's the King of the stump

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mommy's boy

2010-09-29T09:24:00.001-04:00

Gavin loves his mom. He wants "mommy read me books" and mommy to do this or that. Last night he wanted mommy to carry a train. He got really upset when I did.

This is a phase. It's lasted about 3 months. We'll see how long it keeps on.

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Gavin's underwear

2010-09-22T09:02:00.001-04:00

Potty training is hard. it just is. That said we'd like to be out of diapers. Yesterday.

Oh and the other reason is that when he goes poppy in his diaper, he takes it off and throws it around.

Diapers can contain a lot. nut they can't contain free poppy.

So, it's full on potty training.

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gavin and his granddad

2010-09-08T09:50:00.001-04:00

Gavin loves granddad. so on Sunday when he woke up a bit cranky, he went in for a snuggle.

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Summer Images

2010-09-03T11:07:00.000-04:00

It has been a heck of a summer... long, hot and filled with fun trips and memories. Both kids spent a good part of the summer in the pool learning how to swim with bubbles on.... At the tail end of August Autumn had begun jumping in by herself and going underwater as much as she could... Gavin even got caught up in the excitement and told me he wanted to jump in... but afterwards came up with a frightened face and said "I'm scary!" (one of my favorite gavisms). Each day was filled with something fun and the easiest way to share is via photos.

a boy and a worm- so sorry worm.

Dad, Gavin and Lucy while Autumn had a girl's weekend with Aunt Tracey :)

Gavin LOVES cars.

Audrey (our neighbor) has mice.... truthfully this makes me cringe.. but in the spirit of memories I keep quiet :)

Gavin had a birthday (#2) party at Ms. Janet's house. She runs a great daycare out of her home and Gavin has been spending a couple days there each week and the boy with the dino cupcakes (mom worked hard on those) is Gino- Gavin's first little friend :)

Autumn had her first gymnastics show and both grandpas were able to attend... she led the entire show out (based on height)... and she did great!!!

Mom had a weekend away with friends from college in June... it was welcomed and great to see old friends. Looking forward to another trip coming soon.

Love Ithaca for it's waterfalls and cows :)

June was filled with birthdays- a party for school friends, a party for family, Gavin's birthday party at school.... phew! Autumn's party was at our favorite playground and she asked for butterfly cupcakes- not bad if I do say so myself :)

Lilah and Gavin (his current girlfriend)

24 butterfly cupcakes

"Mom, is it time to eat cupcakes yet?!"

It's time for birthday #4.

this baby bird was a source of great entertainment ( and an unbelievable noise) for the day (and night) he parked himself in our new garden. Big thanks to Grandad for guidance, muscle and sweat.

Sometimes it is fun to just go to a friend's house and look for frogs :) Thanks to Don and Jen for lots of fun in their MASSIVE back yard.

Whatcho lookin' at?

Rainy Day fun.

Little Miss Pinky Rain

Family birthday brought great gifts- thanks for all of them. The lamp was coveted for months :)

must wear my new costume- IMMEDIATELY!

I love my new bike :)


Pretty girl


jody and mike joined us and gave us a great phone :)

Various Playground moment

Don't get me started on how much I love these shots of Autumn during our daily quiet time.


We spent a weekend away in Watkins Glen on Seneca Lake in the Fingerlakes. We stayed at a place called Farm Sanctuary where we were afforded amazing views, a get close and personal tour and visit with the animals and space to just breath... .amazing place. Already planning for our next visit . Our cabin was the last one on the right.

Great stop at the Catharine Valley winery. Two sleeping kids in the car (windows rolled down), live band, great wine tasting and beautiful views.... a highlight of the weekend.

Token shot of our gorgeous dog LUCY :)

We found a new dog park to take Lucy- running, creeks, free open space- everything you (and your dog) looks for in a great fun space. We go there frequently and have even brought Grandpa there to enjoy the space.

Our latest family portrait (if you look carefully at ALL our family shots, I am a bit out of breath from setting up the camera and then running into the image to beat the self-timer)

Gavin is always checking on Grandpa.

Splash.

check out the face here.... he knows.

Our buds- the Testa's.

OMG... love this photo.


Lucy and Miles spent ALL day playing catch at the beach :)

Shaggy Boy went all summer without a haircut.

Thank Goodness Vito returned from his summer vacation in Italy. Gavin likes to get his haircut- he almost always comes close to falling asleep.

Add caption


Too bad Vito doesn't do girl cuts... tried it once- not so great.


Stay tuned for the next adventure... POTTY training.

There is no doubt - this summer kicked my butt. Two kids home each day requires a level of energy, patience and creativity I never knew I had (emphasis on patience). I am grateful for good friends and family who played with us or gave us the occasional break. Next summer- there will be some type of activity for a week or two- maybe a camp or vacation rental. But - as we approach the start of school- I am glad I was home with these guys to watch the amazing things they do and say each and every day. They are terrific kids who are filled with love and excitement for all life has to offer.

2010-08-28T15:54:00.001-04:00

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The inevitable question about zombies

2010-08-27T09:03:00.000-04:00

Image via WikipediaThis morning Autumn asked me what Zombies eat.

The correct answer is brains. Everyone knows Zombies prefer brains, but they'll eat the rest of you as an appetizer.

But for a 4-year old who is scared of monsters, the actual answer is there are no real zombies.

Each summer, Buffalo has a zombie walk. A whole bunch of people, old and young, dress up like zombies. I honestly don't know why, but I plan to find out.

Anyway, we were riding bikes when we saw some of them walking in to get pizza. Keep in mind, this was June.

So, when I tell Autumn that zombies aren't real, she recognizes that I haven't answered the question.

"But dad, do they eat Zombie Pizza?"

Autumn remembered the Zombies from the summer. Remembered that they were going for pizza. Connect the dots and came to her own conclusions.

I call him chuckles

2010-08-25T22:04:00.000-04:00

I call him chuckles. And he responds. Not sure why. I just started calling him chuckles. Never chuck.

But if you say, "is your name chuckles?", he nods.

The fam

2010-08-25T21:56:00.000-04:00

The fam at the park.

Why we eat what we eat

2010-08-25T13:11:00.000-04:00

This should be 'Nuff said.

Gavin being funny

2010-08-25T11:21:00.000-04:00

It was late on a car ride home. Autumn was asleep, and Gavin was delirious. I actually got about 20 minutes of this. These might be the best parts.

Gavin having a good time

2010-08-20T14:36:00.000-04:00

Check out his grin.

Summer day

2010-08-12T18:52:00.000-04:00

So, dad had a summer day. Here are some shots of it.


Throw the ball

a fun day

2010-08-12T18:42:00.001-04:00

part one: MerryGoRound

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ice cream

2010-07-29T21:52:00.001-04:00

at the ice cream shop. next up - bath

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at a birthday party

2010-07-27T11:27:00.001-04:00

we were bowling. it went this well

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at the farm sanctuary

2010-07-18T21:57:00.001-04:00

autumn loved the cows. more details to come. but yes, this is a female cow, destined to always be pregnant so we can drink her milk.

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Some ramblings on America

2010-07-16T11:17:00.003-04:00

I've lived here in the US for 8 years now. I'm one of them even, getting to say US Citizen when I cross the border, and I still don't get this country.

Especially taxes. To me, taxes are fees.

We can debate where fees should go, but they are fees to pay for things. The fees that come of my paycheck each check for health insurance is no different from the fees that came off my Canadian paycheck to pay for health care.

One was a tax, one is a fee. I guess the difference is choice. In Canada, I didn't get to choose to get access to a doctor, it was part of the deal. In the US, one can choose to pay as they go, but it's rather expensive.

But the big difference is that in the US, there are fees we don't see because people don't have access to 'health insurance", so they go to the ER for headaches, and sore throats, and create a cog in the system that increases fees.

In the US, I pay a garbage fee. It comes out of my pocket and not my paycheck, so it's not a "tax".

I pay school taxes, but they are only for my area.

So I pay a fee because the school on the east side is a 'bad school' with 'no money', and thus doesn't generally graduate students who go onto college and contribute more to the system. That fee doesn't exist in the system in Ontario, because of the manner of collecting taxes. It's Province wide, and money is paid out based on the kid.

In the US, we perversely hold kids responsible for the income of their parents. And we USAers don't consider this fee associated with that policy decision.

We just argue about school taxes, and how they have to be cut. I'll concede, when I moved to this country, I was amazed at how little taxes I paid. I still am. But I'm not amazed at my fees, both real and societal.

This is a strange country. With strange people. (note: Canada is strange, with strangely polite and insecure people).

And the anger from the tea parties is equally strange to me, so I refrain from getting in political arguments and prefer to talk about why Arsenal will win a trophy this year.

at the doctors

2010-07-16T09:14:00.002-04:00

this is the 2 and 4 dr visit. autumn got four shots while gavin got two. seems about right.

Autumn looked at the nurse with serious hate. It's the first time I've really sen that

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best friends

2010-06-19T08:28:00.001-04:00

Autumn using Lucy as a pillow

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Why the world cup matters

2010-06-11T12:32:00.004-04:00

In just about any sport there is, a rooting interest makes the sport more interesting.A rooting interests makes just about any play more interesting.

Of the four major sports in the US, Hockey is the most agonizing when there's a rooting interest. The reason is the game goes with the foot on the gas for most of the time.

If you've ever watched playoff hockey with a rooting interest, you know what I mean. When the Sabres are in the playoffs, the whole game is spent on the edge of the seat, in anticipation of a goal. Indeed, goals come out of the nowhere in hockey, and that makes it even more interesting. In basketball, baskets come all the time. So the anticipation isn't there. In Football and Baseball, the anticipation is made for TV: full count with the bases loaded. 4th and inches. Those are edge of the seat moments, but when they end, the fan can go back to the whole seat.

In the sport mentioned above, we're often fans of the city. But the players on the team aren't us. The players on the Buffalo Sabres aren't from Buffalo (with rare exceptions). And while they represent Buffalo, they aren't Buffalo.

So now, if you're still with me, start with a rooting interest. If you're from the US, then you can root for your country. A rooting interest in the people from your country is what is cool about the Olympics.

Image via Wikipedia

Now, add in some real-world, built in rivalries. England v France. Spain v Mexico. England v Germany. US v Mexico. Argentina v Brazil. Algeria v France. North Korea v US. Many of these games won't happen, but could. Geopolitical tensions are present at Football matches. And this just adds to the rooting interest of fans.

England vs US, the colony that got away has a historical arc that puts Yankees Red Sox in an entirely different bracket.

So, you have rooting interest in countries with additional geo-political back drops that make the result that much more critical.

So here's where the edge of your seat comes back. Football doesn't stop for commercial. It doesn't offer the fan with a rooting interest a moment's rest. There aren't time outs (or TV time outs). Leave for a pee, and you might miss a goal.

And while people in the US point to the lack of goals as an indictment of the game, it's the potential of a goal that makes the game great. Not the goal. The goal is the release of tension. The build up to a scoring chance is a built up to tension. That goals are rarely scored underscores how much tension gets built.

That's why people love it.

autumn at gymnastics

2010-06-10T12:40:00.001-04:00

she was the smallest. more pictures to come

Published with Blogger-droid

Me and running

2010-06-04T11:32:00.002-04:00

My first ever competitive race that I paid to enter was a marathon.

Let me repeat that.

The first race I ever paid to enter was 26.2 miles of pure hell. It's not hyperbole to say that the marathon ate me up and spit out my carcass sometime around mile 23.

Back in October 2001, at mile 13, I was on top of the world. I felt strong. I had just looked at the clock and saw 1:53.12.

And that was the official time clock, I didn't get the starting line at 00:00:00, there was a good 00:30 between me at the start line, so I was more than likely at mile 13 at 1:52:00.

That's almost two hours, but again, I was feeling free. Strong.

Here's the thing about the wall. It's in your head. But your head is pretty good at making you think it's in your legs.

At mile 20 of the marathon, my head noticed something about the next step. It noticed that each step was the longest my legs had ever gone at one time. In training for my first ever "I paid for this" race, I'd run many long runs. It was normal to bang off 12, 14, and 16 miles on a Tuesday night.

But the longest of those long runs was a 20 miler. So at the 20 mile mark, as my legs began to get annoyed at all the work they were putting in, my head pointed out the fact that this was the longest they'd ever been asked to run.

They didn't reply until mile 23. At mile 23, they said "no mas".

Before you think this has a sad ending, my brain convinced my legs to go a little further and I finished. I think because Rhona and my parents were at the finish line.

Since then, I’ve ran the fun corporate challenge/turkey trot, St. Patrick’s get drunk races. These are the kinds of races where there's a party at the end of each race.

I'm telling you all of this because I'm in the process of talking my dad into running a half marathon with me. If he agrees, this will be only the second race I’ve paid for that didn’t have a party attached to it.

But we'll keep you posted. Because we'll require a party at the end.

Cross eyed.

2010-05-05T10:56:00.001-04:00

Cross eyed., originally uploaded by MRHames.

Autumn, circa 2006.

In the hottub

2010-04-30T09:58:00.004-04:00

Last night, Rhona went to get her hair done, so it was just me and the kids. After dinner, we had ice cream, which makes both kids extraordinarily happy. Then, I told Autumn we could watch TV.

"But you NEVER let us watch TV!" She said.

I guess I'm the guy who never lets them watch TV. It's not true, they watch TV with me all the time, but Autumn's perception is still being worked out. If someone is mean to her at school 3 months ago, then they were mean to her yesterday. Or, the other day.

For her, the idea of time isn't that well established. Today, tomorrow, last week -- these are concepts as alien to her as the theory of relativity.

so we watched TV. Then, after TV, me, Gavin and Autumn took a dip in the hot tub. Autumn again:

"Dad! TV and now the HOTTUB?"

Last night, I was dad of the year.

Autumn says

2010-04-19T09:40:00.002-04:00

This morning, Autumn came down the stairs in her outfit for school. She was really loving it, and said this:

"JT is going to eat me up when he sees this"

JT is her friend in school.

Here it starts.

A walk in the woods

2010-04-11T11:36:00.006-04:00

So yesterday, the Hames family took a walk in the woods. We even took Lucy, if you can believe it. And if you wonder why someone would even need to believe it, you haven't met Lucy.

Anyway, off we went.

Now, I'm a city slicker. From the moment I moved to Toronto, I neer wanted to be anything but a city guy. I love cities. I like old buildings, and I love to people watch. You don't get people in the woods. Not in the number necessary for some good old fashioned people watching.

Plus, there's mud in the woods.

Still, fresh air, nature, yada, yada. It's not the worst idea in the world to get out there and puddle through mud, look at trees, and follow the pink path. So we did.

And the kids, as you can guess, loved it.

I wonder, when I look at them, if they'll get a moment like I got when I moved to a big city. A moment of awe at the magnitude of everything. The crowds at the subway in rush our -- so big sometimes that I had to stand back and watch a few trains go by before jumping on. I like cities.

But that walk in the woods was fun. And I can't wait to go off again with Rhona and the kids. Here are a couple of shots of the experience:

Autumn, checking things out.

Gavin walking on a log. "Stick, daddy. Daddy, stick." The lad likes him a stick.

Lucy, loving the water.

Gavin and the potty

2010-04-03T19:05:00.003-04:00

Big news tonight.

While we were finishing dinner, laughing, and taking food to our mouths like we were machines, Gavin looked at me and said "Poopy"

Poopy? Now? Have you gone? Are you going? Hold it!

I think all those questions came out in one continuous sentence. Gavin, still getting his feet wet with this whole talking thing, just stared.

I simplified.

Do you have to go poopy?

He nodded.

So we rushed to the potty, I put him down, he held on and voila.

Poop there it is.

He'll be 2 in June. And he pretty consistently goes on the potty when we place him on there at the right time. Tonight was the first time he let us know the right time.

Boo-yaa.

Autumn's new clothes

2010-03-23T20:04:00.001-04:00

Kinda speaks for itself.

Some things about Gavin

2010-03-17T08:22:00.002-04:00

On Gavin's first birthday, I sat him on the potty and he went. It was a shock, it was interesting, and it was almost a year ago.

He still wears a diaper all the time. And he still has some moments: in the last two weeks, he's pooped in the tub twice. Once while I was there, and once while I was away, which led to this call:

Ring, Ring:

Me: Hello.
Autumn: Dad. Gavin pooped in the tub!
Me: Um, what?
Autumn: Gavin pooped in the tub. (Laughing). OH MY, HE'S POOPING AGAIN (Screams)
Me: What...?
Autumn: NOW HE'S PEEING IN THE BATHROOM!

And it sort of went on from there.

The point if this isn't to tell you about Gavin's bad potty habits. It's to tell you that when we stick him on the potty, he goes. And he's saying potty more and more in a way that really means he wants to go.

He'll be two in June. And there's a real good chance that before this summer is out, we'll be out of diapers. Sure, there's lots to do. Last night for instance, I stuck him on the potty, making sure to point down his gun. He said book, and pointed to the book, which I dutifully looked at, only to see pee on my pants. He was peeing, and it was coming out so fast that it went over the little boy guard on the potty seat.

But he loves it. Stick him on the seat, and I think it makes him feel like a big boy. Which means, I guess, that he's a big boy.

Turner Walks

2010-02-16T14:11:00.004-05:00

I read the news yesterday on Facebook that little cousin Turner had walked. And now, the proof. Little Turner goes for a walk.

Meeting Asher on SuperBowl Sunday

2010-02-08T11:19:00.003-05:00

Last night I held a two-day old. Little Asher, the new addition to the French household. Cute beyod words, little Asher was a delight. Here's some video I shot of Asher and Julia.

Get Lost

2010-02-03T12:01:00.006-05:00

Okay. I watched Lost last night.

If you haven't watched it, or don't care, stop reading. If you have, here's my take:

The bomb went off in 1977, and that changed things. The biggest thing is that the bomb and the release of energy from it sank the island. On a smaller level, since there was no island, and no button to push, Desmond is on the flight that won't crash because he didn't push the button.

Image via Wikipedia

(If there was no Island, then why would Jacob 'save' Locke when he was pushed out the window? Why would he interact with Sawyer and Kate?)

A bomb exploding the island brings up a paradoxical riddle akin to the grandfather thing. If I go back in time and kill my grandfather, could I really have killed my grandfather since without him, I wouldn't have been born?

This is worked out on the theory that time isn't linear but has multiple waves. It's like the multiverse theory, whereby there are a million alternate universes and any action one could take is taken in an alternate universe. Think Sliders. (But this is getting too geeky already).

And therein lies the greatness of Lost. It's not just a TV show, it's 60 minutes of messing with our minds.

In Lost, since they blew up a bomb in 1977, it must have destroyed that time line. So the plane lands, drama ensues (and the drama will be like the Oceanic Six Drama, happening in real time)

The strange thing is the alternate reality that takes place in the island, an alternate time line in what might be an alternate universe where 'things' can take any shape and magic is real. See Sayid, coming back to life.

(In the 'real' world, the magic might be Jack helping Locke walk again.)

So, to recap: the bomb did two things. First, it blew one timeline to the present, and skipped 30 years, meaning the "present" can be totally different from the non-nuclear-bomb present that the passengers crashed into.

Second, it created an alternate non-Jacob interfering timeline wherein the Losties are just people who took a flight and landed. They all have some serious shit, so this timeline will explore their serious shitness -- though Hurley's "I'm the luckiest person in the world" leads one to believe this new non-Jacob timeline is also much different.

Regardless, both times are impacted by the bomb. It will be fun to see how.

Gavin slept till 7:00AM

2010-01-27T10:32:00.002-05:00

I have many conversations about sleep. One might even say that I'm obsessed with it. On Facebook I wrote: "Anyone who sleeps like a baby doesn't have one", and it got a lot of likes and comments. Those are like the "atta boys" of Facebook.

At our house, we have a system. We eat dinner in the early 6:00's. Bathtime is around 6:30, and the bedtime routine has started. By 7:00PM, both kids are in bed and either in the process of getting thoroughly read to, or they are done with the books.

Aside: Gavin is really into this book about Farms. It has animals, meaning he gets to make all the animal sounds. It has tractors, meaning he gets to go "Vroom". Which he loves doing. He's at the point now where he wants a book over and over. Maybe it's just his desire to stay up longer, maybe it's the fun of reading books. Who knows?

Now, we do this whole "they are in bed by 7:00PM" with the very real understanding that they are out of bed at 6:00AM. But the thing is, even on the nights when they are in bed at 8:00PM, they are up at 6:00AM. Regardless of the time they go to bed, they are up at 6:00AM.

Meaning, the more time we can get at night, the better.

Which brings us to this morning. Last night was gymnastics. Autumn goes every Tuesday, and last night I had a think on Corporate Blogging, so mom took them both. I got home and mom took off for an appointment with a Yoga mat.

I read them both books, put them both down, and looked at the clock. 8:15PM. Then I went downstairs and cleaned up a bit and listened to the monitor. Gavin just played in his crib till at least 8:45PM. He wasn't crying, he was doing that chat to himself thing that little ones who are learning to talk do. It's almost a cooing, but it's more because random words get thrown in.

So you hear: Coo. Coo. Baby. Coo. Coo. More. No, no, no. Lulu! (That's Lucy, the dog, barking at a dog walking past our house, Gavin hears it and yells Lulu.)

So now you understand the reason he slept until 7:00. Which is late for him.

Bonus video: I'm going to end all my posts with a bonus video. Here's Autumn, January 2010.

On sleep

2010-01-20T15:58:00.000-05:00

So here's the deal. Last night the wee lad exercised the pipes at 3:00AM. This after a week of not going to sleep in what some people would refer to as "smoothly".

Oh, and Autumn was already in our bed. At 1:00AM, I rolled over to see her staring at me from the floor.

"I'm scared", she whispered, presumably so she didn't wake up mommy.

"Of what?"

"A witch just ate me, spat me out, and might eat me again." She said. "In my dream" she added, helpfully, because maybe I wasn't sure.

And really, who is sure at 1:00AM.

So there we are, with the princess in the bed, when the wee lad Gavin decided to start the mommy chant.

"Muuuuuuoooommmy"

"mommy"

"Mom?"

"Maaaammmmmaaaa"

It sort of goes on like that for a bit. It's not really him crying, it's him yelling for mommy. Unlike Autumn, who takes pains to not wake her up, but wakes me up, Gavin just lets 'er rip.

"Mama. Mommy. Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaaaa!"

We really shouldn't be here. We're not new at this. And yet, somehow, we're back to Gavin being up every night. He's doing this when we put him to bed, and doing it to the point where he cries so much he ends up doing that little toddler coughing fit-thing that is heart breaking.

It sounds like he's choking, which is hard to ignore. So one of us goes in, hugs him to calm him down, and implants the cause and effect of coughing equals hug.

This has been a tough week. And will get tougher since I'm out late tonight.

Facebook images

2010-01-14T10:54:00.000-05:00

All the uses for a pig

2009-12-23T08:44:00.002-05:00

A designer looked into a pig to see all of the uses that Holland gets out of a pig. And you thought it was just bacon.

TEDxAmsterdam: Christien Meindertsma from TEDxAmsterdam on Vimeo.

The kids

2009-12-21T15:36:00.000-05:00

End of the year summary to come.

An update on Gavin

2009-12-03T20:52:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since we updated. So here's where we are:

Gavin:

He says real words now. Tonight, while eating a little veggie curry for dinner, Gavin said the following words:

1. Uh-oh.
2. No.
3. More.
4. Dada.
5. Mama.
6. Lulu (Lucy's new name)
7. Go.

He fully understands everything that we say. For example, if he's climbing on the chair to get on the dining room table, and you say "no", he immediately crawls as fast as he can onto the table. He knows that no means you're coming for him.

We tried him at the dinner table this week. Autumn and Gavin sitting across from each other while mom and dad take a seat at the ends of the tables. It worked on Monday, but not so much on Tuesday. So, we sent him back to his chair.

It's messy.

What else? He loves to give kisses. Ask him for a kiss and he puckers up like mad and throws it down. Last week, he was cutting 3 molars, which seriously impacted his sleep, and ours.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T08:10:00.003-05:00

"What do you want to be for Halloween?" We'd ask Autumn.

A Butterfly.

Pause.

"No, a Princess."

And it would go back and forth like that, with her witching from a Butterfly to a Princess. So mommy got the idea to combine them. Why not be a Butterfly Princess?

Autumn loved it. She couldn't wait to tell everyone about it.

This is her at school, singing her Halloween songs. Her favorite is:

"Halloween Candy
Tastes just dandy
Bubble gum too
I like to chew
I went trick or treating
Then I started eating
Oh my tummy
I feel sick"

We think there might be a line about calling the doctor quick, but we're not sure.

Now Gavin is at the age where he doesn't get to pick his costume. So we made him be Oliver Hardy, of the Laurel and Hardy fame. Dad was Laurel. Here's the proof.

Look how happy he is. I bet he'll love this picture when he's older.

Much older.

Happy Halloween.

Me and Gavin.

2009-10-22T07:12:00.003-04:00

we are having fun together. sometimes the days are sooooo long and exhausting- but the truth of the matter is that i am grateful for this time at home. I quit my job a couple years ago now and it was definitely the right choice- NOT the easy choice, but the right choice.

2009-10-15T11:27:00.000-04:00

Remember when she was so tiny? I know, she's only three, and still tiny, but still. Remember?

Autumn's first crush

2009-10-07T20:13:00.001-04:00

A couple of night's ago, just before bed, Autumn just all of a sudden blurted the following:

"Dad, I love JT."

I paused, letting the moment sink in. This is a big moment. This is her first crush.

"You do?" was all I could muster, I didn't want to pause too long.

"Yes".

I asked her why.

"He's funny."

"Do you want to give him a hug?" I prodded.

No, she said, but her smile was saying something else.

So we have JT. A boy from her school. She sees him every day, and each day we learn something new about him. Today we learned that JT lives far away.

We knew it was coming. I for one think the giggles and smiles are cute. But then, this is the harmless crush time of her life.

Talk to me in ten years.

First Gymnastics class

2009-09-16T11:28:00.002-04:00

If you've met Autumn, you know she's not shy.

Last night, she really wanted to go to gymnastics, so we ended up getting there 15 minutes early, which actually turned out ot be a mistake since she wanted to go in.

Still, I managed to sit her down and get this:

And of course, I had to peek. She spend the 45 minutes with a huge smile on her face. And if she saw me, she smiled and waved yelling "Hi Daddy", I wanted to watch more, but I was clearly distracting. But, I managed to watch her roll around, walk on a balance beam ("My teacher helped me"), run through an obstacle course, and then walk, in single file, out of the class.

She loved it. Just loved it.

Mommy is home today.

Yaa.

More gifts from Mom

2009-09-15T15:04:00.002-04:00

This is Autumn saying thanks.

Saturday

2009-09-12T11:18:00.003-04:00

Every day, mom left Autumn a card and a present. This is today's thank you.

The second day of school

2009-09-10T09:07:00.002-04:00

"See that tower daddy?"

"Yes"

"That's my school"

And so we pulled into the parking lot at the same time as one of her teachers.

"Daddy, that's my teacher"

"Hiiiii", she said, waving her hand.

Dropping your little girl off to school isn't easy. But mommy picked a place that is warm, fun, and inviting. Autumn loves it, you can tell.

Yes, she loves hanging out with us, but she loves other kids, and she loves trying new things that aren't food.

We did another video this morning. The lighting isn't the best, but the sound works: enjoy.

The first day of school, part II

2009-09-09T17:54:00.003-04:00

"They're all on the playground", a mom told me. The mom is actually someone I know professionally, so it was interesting to see her.

I went to get her, and as soon as she saw me, she gave me the biggest, tightest hug I think she's ever given me. At first, I thought it was because she was upset, but then she turned to all the little girls and said:

"By everyone. My daddy's here and I'm going home".

"Dad, can I have a sucker when I get home?"

Her favorite part was making the party in the play kitchen, although lunch was fun with her new lunchbox that mommy bought her.

This is her full report:

First Day of School

2009-09-09T13:50:00.002-04:00

I had to wake up Autumn for her first day of school. I woke her up at 7:45AM. She's often up at 6:00, but this morning she wasn't.

We had breakfast, got dressed, and opened on of the many presents and cards her mom left her. Then we taped this:

We'll tape another one tonight.

Gavin Loves Autumn

2009-09-03T09:17:00.002-04:00

"Daddy, daddy, watch this. Watch"

Autumn says when I walk in the store. She grabs my hand and leads me to Gavin, who is sitting in the other room.

"Gavy, again" she commands to Gavin.

Gavin smiles and hits himself on the head.

"Gavy again."

Hit.

"Again"

Hit.

This can go on for hours. What Gavin is really responding to is Autumn's laugh. Making Autumn laugh makes his day.

He just loves her. Often, in the car, he'll just stare at her while we're driving. If she permits a little hand holding, then he's even happier.

As a guy with a big sister, I know the feeling. Growing up, my big sister was always the coolest person in the room. I'm glad that Gavin gets to experience it. I'm not sure if a doting brother is something that eventually gets on a big sister's nerves, but Autumn handles it relatively well. It will be fun watching her figure it all out over the years.

summer shots.

2009-08-28T17:05:00.004-04:00

making cookies
the girls at the beach
the boys.
roar!
after haircut (excuse the grain)
pre-cut.

Autumn and Gavin connect on something

2009-08-11T10:38:00.003-04:00

Some things to think about:

Gavin is currently in the nodding his head mode. Ask him if he's doing okay, and he'll nod.

Autumn thinks the word poopy is insanely funny. For example:

"What would you like for dinner Autumn?"

Smiles, "Poopy!"

That kind of thing. So, it was a stroke of genius, in my opinion, to combine the two things. Thus, Autumn will turn to Gavin and ask:

"Do you like to eat poopy?"

And Gavin will nod his head. Hilarity ensues.

"Does mommy like to eat poopy?"

Nod. Laugh. Repeat.

"Does Lucy like to eat poopy?"

Etc.

It's funny enough that anyone would laugh.

Haircuts and second children

2009-08-10T15:59:00.004-04:00

The first haircut is one of those water shed moments. Gavin will never again have a first haircut.

Now, let me explain why we don't have a picture of it.

Autn Tracey took Autumn for a girls a girl's weekend. When I went to pick up Autumn halfway, the first thing she said to me after she woke up was "Dad, when I can visit Aunt Tracey again?".

So she had a good time. She came back with painted toes that she shows to everyone (random strangers beware, if you come near us, she's showing off her toes.).

But this isn't about that.

It's about Gavin. On Saturday morning, we were walking with only one kid. One kid is a breeze. We can go back to the zone defense, and not having incorporate the man on man defense.

So there we were, heading to the market. When we walked past Vito, the barber. Vito is not like you imagine a Vito to be. He's Italian, and outside of the Danforth in Toronto, where the barbers are greek and argue with each other in greek while cutting hair, most barbers are Italian. It seems.

Vito is no different. And he's excellent. He's only $12, and he knows what he's doing. So much so that there's often a line up of 6 guys waiting to get a cut. A visit to Vito is a time investment. So, you can imagine our surprise when there was no wait. One guy getting a cut, and then us. And this is the Do Gavin was sporting:

As you can see, he needed a cut.

No line up. His first barber experience from Vito, something that's authentic.

So we went for it. Without a camera. And Vito came through. Here's one more shot.

Grandparent's and Autumn

2009-07-27T14:07:00.002-04:00

Last night, Grandpa came over for dinner. After dinner, I took Gavin up to read him some books and put him to bed. When I came downstairs, Autumn was on Grandpa's lap watching home videos with mom.

At around 7:30PM, Grandpa and Autumn went upstairs to begin to the bedtime routine. We sat downstairs and listened to Autumn's uncontrollable laughter. She was losing it. At 8:30, Rhona went up to check on them. I could hear Autumn screaming with laughter.

At around 9:15, Grandpa finally called it. Almost two-hours of book reading, laughing, and carrying on. Autumn was still talking about it this morning.

Grandpa is going to be a hard act to follow tonight when it's just me (Rhona has an appointment).

But aside from that, I'm thrilled that Grandpa and Rhona get to hang out together. And it's not just grandpa. On friday, Granddad came into town and took both kids to Niagara Falls.

"Dad. It was a huge water fall. This big." (Autumn holds her hands out as far as they'll go).

"And I had strawberry ice-cream for lunch".

Two hour book readings and strawberry ice cream for lunch. That's what Grandparents are all about.

He's walking

2009-07-19T20:47:00.002-04:00

Call it. He's a walker.

On the camping trip, he took his first real steps. But thjey had to sneak up on him. Like the story about riding a bike, when you are holding Gavin's (Autumn calls him gabby-gab) hand, he walks. Let go, and he'll walk until he realizes you've let go.

Standing is the same thing. He could stand in line at the DMV, but the problem is, he notices that he's on his onesie, and drops.

It's funny. One time today, he dropped with a pretty solid thud, and I think it hurt his butt. But here's the real reason it hurt: because something inside him knows he doesn't have drop. Something is telling him to be annoyed by the sudden drop and thus cry. Because he's been dropping for months. He's been able to stand with the help of a chair, a table, a random leg for a long time. And so, he's been dropping for a long time.

But this is different.

We have video. We'll get around to it. Second child always gets shafted.

Autumn's observations

2009-07-17T11:45:00.003-04:00

She's three. Remember that detail when you hear this tale.

On Sunday, Autumn and Gavin went to their grandparent's house in Brampton so we could deal with things at home. When Autumn left, this was the hairstyle I was sporting.

I needed a haircut, which I got the day she went to Brampton.

Mom went to pick them up yesterday morning, and spent the day there, swimming, and hanging out. They left later in the evening last night, so when Autumn got home, she was basically asleep. thus, this morning when she woke up, it was the first time she'd seen me since Sunday.

The first thing she says is:

"Dad, you got a haircut. When did you get it cut? Can I touch it?"

She's a smart girl that one.

Oh, and thanks to Nanny and Granddad for taking them for a bit. We appreciate it.

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in the leaves

warm day in Nov

Playing in the leaves

kids

kitty

batman

Some more gems

Pumkin rides

gavin.

mommy's boy

Gavin's underwear

gavin and his granddad

Summer Images

The inevitable question about zombies

I call him chuckles

The fam

Why we eat what we eat

Gavin being funny

Gavin having a good time

Summer day

a fun day

ice cream

at a birthday party

at the farm sanctuary

Some ramblings on America

at the doctors

best friends

Why the world cup matters

autumn at gymnastics

Me and running

Cross eyed.

In the hottub

Autumn says

A walk in the woods

Gavin and the potty

Autumn's new clothes

Some things about Gavin

Turner Walks

Meeting Asher on SuperBowl Sunday

Get Lost

Gavin slept till 7:00AM

On sleep