Greetings from Ottawa

Our friends, the Klassens, came from Ottawa for the weekend. They had high hopes to take advantage of Centre Island and the CN Tower and other outdoor activities. Unfortunately, the weather was not co-operative and this dinner on our upper deck was the extent of their outdoor adventures.


Family Klassen sitting on the upper deck

Dylan and William chowing down on corn on the cob

So, plan B was to visit the Science Centre with the children where they were able to learn about the cohesiveness of bubbles, centrifuge and many other fun scientific principles.

Dylan makes a "three" bubble bubble

Sarah and William at the water table learning about the mechanism of water wheels

Dylan and William fighting the laws of centrifugal forces



Andrew's face left quite an "impression" with me

The Mega Garage Sale

Every spring our neighbourhood hosts a Saturday garage sale. I have been planning for this all year by storing up my unwanted clutter. My sister joined us with some of her items and together, we presented a pretty attractive haul.

Our tables of treasure (another man's junk)

My #1 salesman (Dylan) was out of commission this year as he and his cousin Sarah spent the majority of time browsing through other neighbour's treasure .

The Tripone/Cleghorn Sales Team

My father had come early to drop off several long tables for us to use. He had the good fortune to bump into my aunt Greta (my mother's youngest sister) and her daughter Anita with baby Nathan. It was an emotional moment for everyone and it went very well. Later, my sister Sandra also got to meet my Dutch side of the family.

Sandra and Baby Nathan

And the winner is......

It is Police Week in Toronto. Our local police precinct hosted a community picnic on Wednesday at the park beside our house. Dylan and I went to meet several of his friends.

They played a rousing game of chess....

......and jumped off some energy

......And ended up in some trouble (kidding).

However the highlight of the event was a raffle draw in support of the police. My $5 investment paid off when we won an adult mountain bike. Yippee!!!! Another bike to add to our growing collection in the garage. So, sing with me now (to the beat of The Clash, "I fought the law and I won, I fought the law and I won".

Happy Victoria Day!

This was a special Victoria Day holiday. Andrew was back from his business trip and we spent the early morning (yes EARLY since Andrew was still on European time) walking a nature walk in our neighbourhood.



Dylan and Livia watching fish

Dylan and a friend spent an hour catching frogs and trying to catch any remaining tadpoles. We watched ducks and red-winged back birds.

A green frog in the pond


Later that morning Andrew and Dylan went on a 2-hour recumbent bike ride around the lake.

A view of Toronto

However, the real celebration was at night time when the children came out on the street to begin the firework display. One of our neighbours hosted the fireworks/sparklers ceremony and we all contributed to his efforts. We started early in the evening so that the wee children could participate too. The children had so much fun and when our street fireworks were over they spent time playing hide-and-seek in the dark.

The lighting of the sparklers!

Oooh! That was a good one!

Later, the real firework celebration started at The Beach off Ashbridges Bay. We were fortunate to have a bird's eye view sitting on our porch at home! Afterwards we just rolled Dylan into bed and he was asleep in a minute. What a great day!
The view from our balcony of the fireworks over Ashbridge's Bay

Norway and Amsterdam

Andrew was away for one week on business in Norway and Amsterdam. He was fortunate to arrive in Norway on their national holiday. The majority of people were dressed in traditional costume as they spent their day watching torch parades and having family outings.

Traditional Norwegian Costume

Andrew stayed in a beautiful city on a harbour surrounded by hills.

He ate smoked whale and reindeer (don't tell Dylan) and went up a funicular to see the top of the city.

Later they were back in Amsterdam...where the bicycle rules!

A typical Dutch parking lot for bicycles

Andrew's disappointment with this trip was that he did not have time to return to his beloved recumbent bicycle shops (this trip was, after all, only for business).

A recumbent TAXI!

Houseboats along one of the many canals in Amsterdam

The Best Mother's Day Present

I must admit I was disappointed with Dylan's effort this Mother's Day. I was handed a plastic baggie with a string, macaroni and a bead. "What's this" I asked him. "Oh, we were supposed to make our mom a necklace at school but I ran out of time. So, here it is!" he replied. Needless to say I sat him down and made him finish my present. Along with the necklace he handed me a homemade card. "Finally something personal and from the heart," I thought. It was blank on the outside and I opened it up to reveal it was blank on the inside except for a flap. I opened the flap and....nothing. "What's this", I asked him. Oh, we were supposed to press a flower inside the card and write a Mother's Day message, but I ran out of time". I held my tongue but I was secretly hurt at the lack of effort put out by my child.

Exactly one week after Mother's Day I am in the kitchen trying to made a special family dinner by recreating my mother-in-law's wonderful recipe for creme brulee. It wasn't going to good. I had ran out of maple syrup during the process and I had bought almond extract instead of vanilla extract. Out of exasperation I flung up my hands and muttered to myself, "Why do I bother!" Dylan, who had been reading his book beside me, looked up and said point blank, "Because you are a kind person and you like to make other people happy" (end quote). I stared at him with my mouth open and thought, "It may be one week too late but this is the Best Mother's Day Present Ever!"

School on Saturday

What makes a little boy beg to go to school on Saturday? Well it is school Fair Day of course. For three hours there were all sorts of activities for the children such as cookie decorating, tug-of-war, treasure chest, fake tattoos etc.... Parents were asked to help out at various stations throughout the afternoon. I had originally signed up for the Freezie/Popsicle station but because the day was freezing I was not needed (however the Starbuck Coffee station was doing a booming business). The children (and parents) had a great time.

Finger painting station- Goose hand

Tennis Anyone?

We have a lovely tennis club within walking distance beside the beach. So, in the spirit of family fitness, I signed us all up for tennis lessons. Dylan takes lessons with children on one court and Andrew and I take lessons on the adult side.

I went to tennis camp when I was slightly older than Dylan so confidently I dusted off my old wooden BILLIE JEAN KING racquet (complete with wooden screw frame). Our instructor laughed his head off when he say my "antique" racquet (his words) and loaned me a more modern version. It was suggested that I auction it off on Ebay. I guess it is the equivalent of me showing up for ski lessons wearing wooden skiis with the leather bindings.

Oh well, now I have a Canadian Tire special. Tennis anyone!

Ryan's Well

Dylan's school has been raising money to buy a well for an Ugandan village. They were inspired by the story of "Ryan's Well" which is about an 8-year old boy from Kempville ON who began a fundraising campaign to bring a well to a children's school in Uganda. Ryan is now 15 years old and has raised over 1.5 million dollars. His family adopted his penpal from the village school and his story has been made into a book (featured on Oprah).

As part of the fundraising campaign the children created various crafts which were available for sale. I purchased an $8 macaroni necklace made by my son.

Dylan wore his pyjamas to school for "Pyjama Day" when, for a twoonie you could roll out of bed in the morning and come to school without having to worry about your usual morning chores (like getting dressed).

But the highlight of the campaign was a dance-a-thon in the school gym with strobe lights and black lights. Overall, the school raised a total of $9060. Well done Kew Beach Public School!

HAMMY the hamster escapes!

For his birthday, we had decided to allow Dylan to have a pet hamster. To his credit he read several books on hamster care and carefully researched the appropriate cages and equipment needed to house the animal. When the time came to choose a hamster we visited 4 different stores and spent two days sleeping over our decision.

Finally, we decided on a short-haired Syerian hamster, such as the one who starred in the very old show, Hammy the Hamster. Of course I am dating myself and perhaps some of you will remember the adorable children's show about real hamsters living in a little village especially built for them. They drove remote cars and carried out occupations such as the mailman, etc...

Hammy exploring the great outdoor in his pen
Anyhow, after just 3 days in our care, Hammy escaped from his elaborate cage and hid in our unfinished basement. Hammy's extensive cage

For one week we would lay out food and water at night time and by morning it would be gone without any trace of Hammy. First, Hammy was living in our fiberglass insulation in the walls. Then one night, Andrew could hear him scurrying over the bathroom ceiling on the second floor. Finally, he heard Hammy scurrying overhead and then a big drop as he fell one floor. There was that moment of sickening silence and then the hopeful sound of movement again. I slept in the basement one night with a carrot right beside my face only to awaken and discovered it was gone. We rented a squirrel cage from a rent-all company for two nights to no avail. I called several rodent removal companies and humane societies for ideas until someone suggested buying a mouse trap from Canadian Tire. And, voila! We had Hammy back.

Hammy is a little stressed and we are approaching him with kid gloves (literally we wear gloves when handling him in case he bites us from fear). But, we are glad to have him back.

And as the old classic Mastercard commercial says:
Buying a hamster: $8.00
Travel cage: $9.99
Habitat cage: $39.99
Extra tubing: $29.99
Bedding/Food: $19.99
Squirrel Trap rental: $22.15
Mouse Trap: $16.99
Finally catching your hamster after one week of unsuccessful attempts....PRICELESS!

Saturday Sleepover at the Science Centre

On Saturday night my sister, niece, Dylan and I slept over at the Ontario Science Centre. What a blast! After the Science Centre closes to the public, we all arrive with our sleeping bags and overnight cases. There were approximately 300 children and adults participating in this event and the excitement was palpable. The evening begins with a 2-hour demonstration of various science experiments in a fun format. Then, we have the run of the museum. Wow! No crowds, no worries about children running away. You can just explore. At 2200h we were treated to an IMAX film on bugs.
Dylan and Sarah making smoke signals
After further exploration we were then assigned to an exhibit hall for our campsite. We set up our sleeping bags near the "make your own shoes exhibit". Lights-out occurred at midnight after the distribution of glow sticks to help us find our way to the bathroom, if needed.
Setting up Camp
In the morning, after a 0645h wake up call we were treated to breakfast and then we had the run of the museum again until 0900h. We had explored for hours and yet we had only seen 1/10 of what was available. We had the option of staying the entire day again but by then us mommies had had enough and we left. Overall it was a great experience. I have already email the centre asking when the next sleepover will be available and it is not until February 2008.
Exploring the Rainforest Exhibit
Making a new friend. No...we can't keep him

Dylan's Witticisms

When I started this blog I had promised myself that I would start recording the unique and entertaining expressions that Dylan creates which I refer to as "Dylan's Witticisms". I must admit sometimes he reminds me of a young Oscar Wilde (minus the buggery charges).

• Dylan, age 3, watching sparkling sunlight reflections bouncing off a lake and stating, "Look at the sunshine drops".
• Age 3, looking at me sternly and saying, "I'm giving you the eagle eye" (he had not yet learned the concept of EVIL eye).
• Pointing to the large screen TV which has his Pokemon show on pause and exclaiming, "Ahhhh, my Mona Lisa".
• Dylan tries to interest me in his massively complex Bionicle characters when I say I am not that interested and he replies, "Maybe we can participate in the TV show WIFESWAP and I can swap you for a mommy who likes Bionicles".
• While looking at a kid doing skateboarding tricks Dylan noted, "That kid knows how to put the "A" in "Awesome!"
• After viewing all the wonderful ice sculptures in Ottawa during Winterlude Dylan exclaims, "Man this place is ICE-TOPIA"
• I explained to Dylan the meaning of abbreviated titles such as "mommy is an R.N. which mean Registered Nurse". Dylan said, "You mean Registered Nag."
• I have refused to purchase any form of video games for Dylan. Recently, he has become more insistent on his right to own a video game unit. For this birthday, Dylan turned to be and said, "Mommy you have two choices, either you can buy a Nintendo DS or a Playstation." When I declined either option, without missing a beat he stated, "Then Mommy, you two choices, either you can get me a VISA card or a credit card."
• Around Easter time Dylan was discussing the characters in his Bionicle book. He stated, "Mommy, I don't like how one of the Bionicles had to give up his life to save all of the other Bionicles." I thought this was a good segway into the discussion of Easter and noted the REAL sacrifice that Jesus made with his life to save all of mankind. Dylan looked at me and said, "You know, there has never been any evidence to support that." Boy did I send him packing back to Sunday School that weekend!

What will the neighbours think?

When I was growing up my mother had few discipline methods available. I think I was hit by her hand twice in my lifetime. My mother's favourite admonishment would be to exclaim "What will the neighbours think?!"

Appearance was very very important to mom. She prided herself for always wearing stockings, even in the middle of August. She was the only woman on our street who never wore her hair in curlers out in public. And, she would always wear her lipstick. Mom believed in buying quality. She was thrifty with her money and would buy very little for herself...but when she did buy something it was always the best quality.

Good manners, nice appearance, respectable behaviour were tandamount to mom. So, if I was out of line on any of the above I would here her plea, "What will the neighbours think?'

At age 13, if I wanted to wear nail polish I would hear, "What will the neighbours think? (i.e. do you want to look like a slut). If I wanted to spend my allowance on many cheap quality clothing items instead of one good-quality I would hear "what will the neighbours think? Sunbathing in the backyard in a bikini? (you know the rest).

All of this was quite amusing to me because in all honesty we didn't know most of our neighbours...or a least we didn't know them well. And yet they, and all of society, held this pull over my mother that ensured a sense of decorum in all that she did and said in public.

Of course as a teenager I soon began to rebel against my mother's restrictions and yelled back "I don't care what anyone thinks" and I would prance around to show my disdane temporarily.

However, I must admit mom's carjoling had an effect on me and I think I was a pretty trouble-free adolescent. I know that I still try to keep my behaviour in check in public and I am constantly admonishing teenagers around me for a) swearing in public b) littering c) loudness.

But, the other day I couldn't help but laugh at myself. Dylan was enjoying the brief day of sunshine and in pleasure he tilted his head back and sang at the top of his voice. Without thinking I stopped him by saying, "Dylan, what will the neighbours think?" Yikes....the next generation.

Chicks Road Trip to Calgary!!

Every so often it is great to get away with just "the girls". This is becoming harder to do as several have moved out of the city. So, we decided to have a weekend together in Calgary to see Kelly's new home and to spend some time skiing in Banff. Kelly has given up her fast-paced downtown Toronto lifestyle for the scenic, relaxed atmosphere in Calgary. She and her man Shawn have have recently added a Laborador puppy to their household (along with 6-year old Dooley). They live beside a provincial park and are in a wonderful location for hiking, bike trails, skiing etc... I must admit I was quite envious of their new lifestyle.Kelly with Dooley and Darby

We spent one day touring Canmore and Banff. These towns are sooooo beautiful with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop and friendly shops in their downtown. Everyone is so fit! They were all dressed in their dry-wick clothing and bike shoes etc.... It was inspiring to be in this atmosphere.

Along the way we saw elk grazing, prairie dogs (gophers) popping from their holes to look around and beautiful birds.

We saw the mountain peaks called "The Three Sisters" and we saw a mountain that looks like a sleeping woman (believed by the original native indians to embody the female spirit). Although I couldn't take a picture of it you can trust me that it truly looked like a woman in a reclining position with her face pointing towards the sky and her nipple and abdomen on display. We stopped at Johnson Lake for a rest.

The Three Sisters Mountain Peaks

Our visit was way too short as I would have loved to spend
more time touring around Banff and Canmore and go onwards to Jasper and the Columbia Ice Fields. However, we are planning a family visit in the summer time so it won't be long before I am back in beautiful Alberta.

The next day we went skiing at Sunshine Village. The day started out sunny, we had an ice pellet storm mid-day and we ended the last 15 minutes in rain. A very all-round climatic day. What a nice start to the day with my Starbucks in hand and a lovely 20-min gondola ride to the start of the mountain!

The gondola ride to the start of the mountain

What's neat about Sunshine Village is that part of the mountain lies in the province of Alberta and part lies in the province of British Columbia. It was surprising to see a "Welcome to British Columbia" sign halfway up a chair lift. Overall it was a great day skiing. Only Krista and I opted to do the 20min ski-out while the others downloaded with the gondola. In the end they were the ones laughing as we skied in the rain.

Unfortunately, Heather strained her knee on the third run and missed most of the day (but it made for a great photo-op!)

That night, and every night, Kelly cooked us amazing gourmet meals with Thai chicken curry, maple syrup infused chicken, Korean beef roll-ups, etc...Kelly certainly knows how to entertain and what is so impressive is that she does it seamlessly for such a large group! We had an opportunity to visit her Farmers Market where we all indulged in purchases to bring home for souvenirs such as Rocky Mountain salt soap, Agate mineral set in glass, Geode jewellry etc...

The final highlight of the trip was to meet her coolest neighbours in the world. Terry is a collector and distributer of fossils. In his garage he stores his treasures including a $250,000 fossilized icthyosaurus and multiple ammonites and mammoth tusks. Indeed, he currently holds one of the worlds most beautiful mammoth tusks (which has been sold to a New York museum). This tusk has many blue striations which is unusual and valuable.

Woolly mammoth tusk with blue striations

It was interesting to see the many tusk pieces in his collection which had not yet been restored. Indeed, they looked like dried out driftwood. Terry purchases his pieces from Russian and German farmers who find them buried in their fields.

Unrestored mammoth tusks

The restoration of the icthyosaurus took him 4 months of 10-hour days of painstaking sanding. I can't wait for Dylan to see his collection when we return in the summer!

Ammonite fossil

We can't wait to plan our chicks trip to out west next year. Kelly.....maybe will it be for a wedding???????