Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Skadoosh

She's already a skilled three year old. That means she knows the ways of the sacred Dragon Scroll.

I lub you my little Buttercup.

xoxo

Wordless Wednesday
More Wordless Wednesday Participants

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Gone

Summer has come and gone. Where did the time go? While the rain kept us guessing, I had the craziest luck. My car was stolen; I took a lay off soon after but the kicker of it all has got to be breaking my collarbone while riding my bike home from a concert. Not exactly the luck I’m used to. They say bad things happen in threes so I’m hoping that this is all that is in store for me.

When I was a kid, summer used to mean jumping in the car the second school was over. We would call the cottage home for the next two to three months. This was MY world. Bonfires, bridge jumping, kick the can, boats, swimming, water skiing and the best friends anyone could ever ask for. In the city I was the shy kid. Up north I was fearless; seeking adventure and occasionally getting into a little trouble now and then.

Time didn’t exist. The days were endless. I wouldn’t know what day of the week it was. The only sense of time that I had was in knowing if it was July or August. I always dreaded the Labour Day weekend. It meant that long drive back and walking into a home that felt familiar but didn’t feel like it was your own. I know I was lucky. I got to enjoy this until I was 19. Being the eldest my younger brothers didn’t get as long as I did. When I turned 20 it was my job that held me to the city. I would still escape every chance I had but by then things had changed. Friends lost touch or stopped coming up all together. In time I started venturing downtown and got into the bar scene. Once again I was seeking adventure and occasionally getting into a little vodka induced trouble now and again. I would still make it up to the cottage but by now I was bringing my friends up for a weekend.

Now as a parent I want to provide the same things I had as a child for our kids. But things are so different than thirty years ago. Who can afford a home in the city and also a cottage? If you have the finances for the two properties then odds are that you cannot afford to take the time off to spend it with your kids. We would even have to pay for daycare because we couldn’t possibly lose our placements once school started.

I know our kids are not lacking in any way. They are loved and we give them lots of opportunities to enjoy plenty of experiences in the city. Their friend network revolves around daycare and I know they are happy. I see it in their faces everyday.