Zoo Fun

I grew up in a small town and I loved it. Our friends lived close, we walked to school and knew most everyone in the town. We could ride our bikes from one end of the town to the other. But things for Lucas will be different, which I hope he loves too. One of the great things about living in a big city is the attractions. Last week was Heritage Park, this week we took Alexis to the zoo. Here our some of the highlights:

The new elephant enclosure is almost open. Here we are watching the so smart elephants.

My personal favorite, the giraffes. Which were quite close.

Enjoying a snack in the shade.

Watching the grizzly bears.

Till tomorrow

Jenn

Investment Dude

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A cool quiz for all you other bloggers.

So tonight we had an investment "dude" come over and present us with some ideas for how to "catch up" with our investing. Darryl and I are in our late 20's and don't have very much invested. Less then 10,000. We need to start doing it again, so when investment dude called a bit ago, we decided to get together and look into it. I call him investment dude, because he's a young guy, pretty fresh out of school, with a girlfriend and a car with a big spoiler on the back. Not a shopping cart, but a noticeable spoiler. He is very nice and very knowledgeable, but still a dude. He gave us some "plane reading" for our plane ride this weekend with our toddler. He obviously doesn't have a toddler. He presented us with some very interesting ideas. It's amazing how much information is out there on how to get tax savings that common people don't really know about. For example, if you borrow money to invest there are tax savings on the interest. You can borrow enough money to decrease us into the next tax bracket, and save us more money. I guess that's why people have investment "dudes". They keep up to date on that kind of stuff. What about you guys, do you have an investment person, or do you keep up to date on it yourself, or do you not invest at all? Also is it crazy to increase our mortgage to invest money. Of course investment dude made it look like it made total sense, it just seems unnatural....., but on paper it makes total sense......

Hope you are enjoying your week

Jenn

Random Stories: See Rock City

I don't really have anything to blog about today. I'm just getting over sickness and starting to get ready for our trip. Alexis and I went to get Crave cupcakes this morning on the train with Lucas this morning, but I've blogged about cupcakes before, so here's a random story instead....

When we were kids we use to drive to Florida once a year. The drive from Ontario to Florida is too long. Our parents use to take the middle seat out of the mini van and my sister and I would sit on the floor and play barbies. Or once when Dad flew to.....Kentucky or something for work, I got the whole back seat to sleep in while Mom and Alexis sat in the front. Part of the fun was the road trip. We use to eat at the Cracker Barrel and always wonder what Waffle House's were like (at least until a couple of years ago when we actually went in one). One time we were at a Cracker Barrel waiting in the little gift shop near a town called Rock City. On the side of a little bird house it was painted on the roof, SEE ROCK CITY. I was about 8 when I saw this little house, so I looked in the chimney, expecting to See (a picture) Rock City. Well my mom and dad thought it was hilarous that I didn't get it was just propagnda and a real picture.

Random story of the day

Till tomorrow

Jenn

Rolling Eyes

One of Lucas's new tricks is that he has learned that he has muscles in the back of his eyes and can roll his eyes. It's so cute. He's not doing it to be saucy but just becuase he learned how. Here are a couple of pictures of him.



We are are having to watch what we say around Lucas. Friday morning Lucas and I were hanging out on the couch in the morning while Darryl was getting ready. Darryl says something which I can't recall, so I say: My God!!. Then Lucas says "Mommy said: My God!!" and he did it with the same inflection in his voice. It has Darryl and I in stitches (which made him say it 3 more times).

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

French Boy

I've been trying to teach Lucas some French words. Chien, chat, chaud and froid, are the words I'm starting with. Some days are more difficult then others.

Mommy: Lucas, how do you say dog in French
Lucas: *looks up and to the right, thinking about it*
Lucas: Dog in french

What a funny kid. He's going to have humor like his father.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Sisters

Today I had a super fun sister day. My sister is in town for the week between semesters and I also happened to have they day off, so we went on a shopping bonanza day. We shopped from 10am to 4pm. We got great deals (Old Navy is having a big sale) and it's great because we are very similar shoppers. It's amazing how two kids can come from the same parents and be so different in some ways and so similar in others. I'm an extrovert, she's an introvert. She's so funny and I'm more serious. I had sushi for lunch, she had Arbys. I love to drive, she hates it. But when we shop we both love to look for purses and hate it when people are walking so slow in front of us. We both love a good bargain, but don't mind paying for something if we know we are going to use it a lot. Neither of us are big fans or skirts or dresses, even though sometimes we want to be. We both love to sing along to the music in stores. We both like to buy accesorises. We were both disapointted in H&M today, becuase they didn't really have anything we wanted.

It's great to have such a good shopping partner.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Here's a cool image, that has nothing to do with my sister

Backwards Compliment

The other night Darryl and I are laying in bed. I'm wearing one of Darryl's shirts to sleep in:

Jenn: If you are ever killed suddenly, I hope it's on a Thursday or Friday
Darryl: Huh
Jenn: Well then there are lots of dirty clothes that smell like you
Darryl: Well thanks, I think

Till tomorrow

Jenn

Monthly Newsletter- Month Twenty Two

Dear Lucas,

Today you turn 22 months old. Now when people ask me how old you are I usually say, almost 2. On your monthly birthday you decided to wake up at 5 in the morning. Which made you quite fussy for the rest of the morning. I'm sure the reason you got up so early is because we put you to bed late last night. All those books are right. =) Sleep negates more sleep. Let your kid get over tired and they won't sleep as much. Today is also Father's Day. This morning we made blueberry pancakes for your dad. We took them up to him and you said "Happy Father's Day". It was great. You have such a great dad. But more on that another day.



You are still smart kid. You language is quite advanced for where you should be. You can say mostly anything, today you even said orangatan. Somethings you don't want to say, but more so because we want you to say them rather then you now wanting to say them. The other day your dad and I were talking about how when I was pregnant with you we climbed a "hill" in Tuscany and sat in the same spot that Leonardo Davinci and Michealango and took deep breaths of the air. I think we'll use it as an excuse to go back when we get pregnant again. It's cool becuase you also understand that things will come in the future. So I can rationalize with you more when you are upset and say, well we have to do this thing you don't really want to do, like go to bed, becuase tomorrow we get to go to the pool. You've have also start to "sing" songs. You are more so just speaking them. Like the other day it was "row, row row boat" or "rum, sum". But it's cool that at least you are starting.




This month we went on our first "little family" vacation. It was the greatest. Not that I don't love the vacations with dad's or my family, but it was fun to bond just the three of us. We got to spend tons of time with your dad as well. Plus you were so well behaved throughout. Your dad and I did things on that vacation we wouldn't have normally done. Be went to a bug muesum, and I held all the bugs you didn't want to. It's amazing how I want you to experience everything. I'll even do things I don't normally do just so that you can experience them. The other day we were at Heritage Park and they had a ferris wheel there. Although I'm not a big fan of rides, I wanted you to experience it, so we went on. You did your little not crying, not laughing noise. =)



Going on that trip also made you love airplanes even more. You love it when they fly over and can often tell if it's a WestJet or an Air Canada.



The weather has been quite good this month. We've played in the pool in the yard and spent almost everyday outside. You do love to be outside. You love us pushing you on your tricycle, or going for a walk around the pond. If you want to go for a walk, you'll gladly crawl up into your stroller and say "walk". We've also been biking riding lots lately, you also quite enjoy it.




I have been quite stressed this month. Work has been utterly crazy. Plus we are selling the house so there has been tons of cleaning. With all the craziness I recognize that you are the most important thing to me and I haven't been spending any less time with you. You are the greatest thing in my life. You make me happy when skies are grey. Especially with one of the new phrases you started to say this month "love mommy".



love mommy

Scorpia

Enjoy the video

Till tomorrow

Jenn

Fun Times

After a cleaning bonzana weekend I thought it was only right to do some fun things today, and this weekend with Lucas. After reading Allies post about Heritage Park I though Lucas and I should try it and we invited friends of ours to come with us. It was such a fun morning. Not too hot, not too cold. Free breakfast. They have lots of "things that good". We went on a old steam train, a big river boat and an old fashioned wagon ride. Lucas loved it, plus he loved playing with his friend. It's funny to see him emulate his older friend. THey also have lots of little "fun rides". We went on the ferris wheel and merry go round. It's fun to get out and have fun and to be around lots of other people who are having fun as well.





Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Jenn

4 Year Meme

Allie from Life at the Whittinghams tagged me for this deep thinking meme. Four years ago was June 14th 2003. I had just started my job at SAIT. We lived in this house.

Four new things I have learned or experienced in the past four years:

1. The biggest thing, of course, is being a mom. My god that has taught me more about love, life and laughing then any other experience. It has also taught me how to survive on very little sleep.=) It taught me to not be so judgmental over mothering. There are so many right ways to do things.
2. My job as a teacher has been a big learning experience. I can't believe how much information is in my brain some days. There are days I feel like an expert at my job and other days I feel like I still have a thousand things to learn.
3. I think, although this could be an answer for everyone, with more life experience I've opened my mind more. Traveling to Europe and realizing there are different ways of living, traveling to Jamaica and seeing people live so poorly. No matter where 1. you go in the world the same things make us happy. Food, family and friends......
4. Becoming more aware of what's is important in life. Lucas is a happy healthy kid. I've become solid and confident in my marriage. I have a great best friend. And my relationship with my family has become even better then it was. I'm much more relaxed about life as long as those things are in place. I'll always work to keep them there. But I don't freak out about drivers, or changes at work. They are not really important.

Four things that I want to try to do in the next four years:

In four years it will be 2011..... Lucas will be 5 and 1/2 n school.....

1. Have another baby.
2. Work less and spend more time with my babies while they are not in school
3. Go south
4. Develop a great backyard!

I tag the four following people:

1. Lesley at Life at the Becks
2. Kristine at Kristine's Baby Adventures
3. Haley at the Cheaty Monkey
4. Sari at The Geek Inside


Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Jenn

Two Great Videos

Here is Lucas's favorite commercial of the moment. Did I mention he liked cars?



I really like Opera music and this is defintly one of the best peices of opera. Here Joe Blo sing it on Britan Has Talent. Just try not to cry it's so beautiful.



Met with financial advisor this evening, I'll post about it tomorrow

Jenn

My Worries as a Parent

Today Lucas and I had our last day of swim and gym. It has been a great class for us and there has only been 3 kids who go so it's a nice small class. We lingered around the pool and the building for a while. The building is kind of cool because there is a YMCA, library and a highschool. While lingering around we saw some of the high school students. Lucas and I watched a scene happen and it made me worried about Lucas becoming a teenager. So it's 10:45 in the morning and there are about 8 kids who get out of a Mercedes Benz. Another kid runs up to the car and asks if they all got high. No, says one of the girls. But really what was going on in that car??? The kids are swearing and then the driver pulls away. One of the kids runs after the car and then hops on the back for a ride. It just seemed so immature and I was worried about what those kids were doing in the car.

I definitely worry about Lucas becoming a teenager. I think a lot of what kids do depends on their friends, and I can't really pick there friends. The other thing is what do you let your kids do and what you give them. Can they have a computer in their room? TV? Do they get a car? Am i going to spoil him, or is it just keeping up with the time. I love him so much at the age he is now. He's sweet, he's innocent. He says "love mommy" and gives me a hug. Teenagers are so hormonal. I didn't do anything really bad as a teenager, how am I going to deal with it if Lucas does bad things? How do you balance wanting your kids to talk to you about anything but still being their parent? I just don't want Lucas to lose his innocence, which I know he will but I just want him to keep it as long as possible. I also want to be a good parent to him when he is a teenager. I want to teach him good values now and help to guide him when he gets older.

Does anyone else worry about this? Anyone who has teenagers have any advice??

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Smiling Down on A Future Gambler

Tonight I made my Grandma (my dad's mom) smile down from heaven on Lucas and I. Mom and Dad often talk about Pop smiling down on Lucas when he eats a really good meal, but tonight it was Grandma. ( I hope this isn't too confusing, as we now call my parents Grandma and Pop, which was my dad's parents names). Anyway my grandma loved to play cards. She lived with us for about 4 years while I was a teenager and I would come home from school a many a days and she would be playing solitaire at the table. She taught me how to play all the classic card games, schools, canasta, bridge, euchre (or cats if there was only 3). Sometimes when she was teaching my sister and I a new game she'd only tell us half the rules and then make up, I mean, tell us the rest of the rules as we went along. Tonight Lucas found a deck of cards in the drawer of our coffee table. I shuffled them for him a couple of times and wondered what else I could do to entertain him, although he is smart, he is not smart enough to play any cards games yet. So instead I taught him all the symbols for the cards. At first we were calling them, but what they actually look like. Kites instead of diamonds, leaves instead of clubs. But quickly we moved to calling them their proper names. Now Lucas can identify hearts, spades and diamonds. He still has a bit of trouble with the "leaves", but I could see Grandma smiling down on us, as Lucas would proudly shout: "Hearts" "Diamonds".

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

PS The old house is up for sale.

Airline Stories

The other day at work we were talking about funny flying stories. I have been on lots of flights and generally it goes well. I have had a couple of bad incidence on flights. None have them have been becuase of Lucas.

The most recently on my last flight we had a child that cried the whole time. A mother was flying with her three children. Part way through the flight the dad came back and helped but he was sitting in first class. They had a child that was maybe a year older and they had bought a seat for him. I don't know if they thought they couldn't take the kid out of the seat, but he cried the whole time he was in that seat. At one point they did take him out and he stopped, but then they put him back in and he cried again.

Darryl has a bad story as well. But I'll allow him to tell that. Tell me what is your worst flying story?

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Makes It All Worth It

Today was quite possibly the worst day at work. Well it ties with another day when I had done so much work to prepare a great lab for the students and then they did it as fast as possible and wanted to leave. I left the lab crying that the students were so ungrateful. Today was as bad as that day.

But then I came home and Lucas was here. His smile was the best. Then Darryl was changing his diaper and when he came downstairs, he came up to me sitting on the couch and said "love mommy". It was the best. I love you too Lucas.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Too Bad

Although I always feel a sense of happiness when the Stanley Cup is given out, I also feel a sense of sadness. Anaheim has won the Stanley Cup. I am not a competitive person so not very into sports. I don't like it that there is only one winner. I once heard a quote, something like the best thing about sport is that there is only one winner, but that is the worst thing about sport, there can only be one winner.

Things have been going great with Lucas, he has become so agreeable. Maybe becuase he says yeah all the time, or maybe becuase of the age that he's at but it's just been the best month. Here's a cute video of him:



Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Some Of My New Favorite Songs

This is my new favorite Canadian song. The video is a little boring, but the sound is good.



A great love song. Plus the real video for it.



A happy go lucky song with a funny video.



See I told you I'd post something happy this afternoon, although Emma still stinks!


Jenn

Stinky Mood

Emma rolled in a dead fish!!!! I tried to give her a bath in Lucas's little pool in the backyard and used Lucas's gentle shampoo, but it did make it any better, and now I smell like a dead fish too.

If anyone has any good rememdies for this I'd love to hear it.

grrr..... I'll post a happier message later.

Jenn

Parenting

On Friday Lucas and I went to the zoo. It was a crazy day to go to the zoo as there were hundreds of kids there for their year end trips. I'm sure there were lots of other mothers and their babies there as well as the weather was EXCELLENT. Usually we spend a couple of hours there, but our trip was short of Friday. While there we tried to hit all the hot spots that Lucas loves.

While heading over the the butterfly room we ran into my neighbor and a mother she was with. I mentioned that we were heading to the butterfly room and she whispered back at me, "Don't say that too loud, my daughter hasn't thought of that yet." Part of me understood, they keep the butterfly room quite hot and humid. It was already hot and humid outside, so it would be intensified, but I go to the zoo for Lucas I want to take him to all of his favorite things, no matter what the weather. Is that normal or does my son have me wrapped around his finger? Is it normal to want to "suffer" for your kids?

On our way home from the zoo, we laid on the grass and had ice cream. It was a great day.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Happy Friday

Yesterday I went to a retirement party for one of the best people in the whole wide world. Louise has put in her years and has her 85 factor, so she has retired from the hospital. She was a technologist that everyone loved working with. She worked hard, took great x-rays and you always had fun when working with her.

Although we are all sad to see her go, it was such a great evening. I'm not sure if everyone knows this about me, but I moved from Ontario here 7 years ago. My auntie Karen lived here, but I didn't know anyone else. If you are from Calgary reading this it probably doesn't phase you at all, but if you are from most other places, you may be shocked that I moved across the county without knowing anyone. I was lucky when moving here that I got a job at the Rockyview. I was the youngest technologist full time day technologist there by 20 years, but everyone made me feel so welcome. It was like I had gain 5 mothers, 10 aunts and 1 uncles. =). I remember they would invite me for holidays. They threw me the most amazing bachlorette party. It was amazing, in a new strange place I felt like I belong. I don't work at the Rockyview as much any more but last night was going to a really great family reunion. I remember sitting back and feeling an extreme sense of contentment, while watching people laughing and talking. Even though I don't work there I still felt like I belonged at that party.

My friend Safana hosted it. I hadn't seen Safana in a really long time. Our kids were born 2 weeks apart and although we are very different, we are friends becuase of that. Opposites attract. She has an amazing home on the edge of the river. It was so great to see her and catch up.

I hope everyone had a great Friday as well.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn