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

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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.

Strawberry and the Magic Weedstalk

Here is Strawberry. She's standing beside our six foot fence.

Our neighbour is growing some massive weeds. At first looking at the weeds peek over our fence would get me all riled up but now that they are this tall, I'm in awe.

The next time our neighbour is barbequing I want to commend him on his weed growing skills. Dude those weeds rule.

Ok, I might still be slightly annoyed.

In the Heat of the Day

I was on edge.

She had her bathing suit on and it was already sweltering. She was exceedingly quiet as she sat in the backseat probably daydreaming about a day at the beach. I know that I would prefer the sand in my toes with the scent of sunscreen heavy in the air.

That was not meant to be. I was going to spend another day cooped up with the air conditioner blasting beside me. If I were lucky I wouldn’t have to turn my space heater on.

At my desk I took a sip of my coffee and my thoughts drifted back to her.

I should have opened the window just a crack. The car was only a half a block away in the hot garage. At least it was out of direct sunlight.

I imagined an innocent bystander walking by. They might glance in and rush to call the authorities. The humidex made the 31 degrees Celsius high feel more like a scorching 40!

Almost ten hours had passed. I emerged out of the office and immediately felt a blast of warm air wash over me. I was thankful that the summer sun had not yet set even though I had worked late. Deadlines loom over me and I can see my vacation days verging on the horizon.

My steps were quick as I approached her waiting patiently in the car. I raced down two flights to find her in the backseat. She looked so small in the car seat that is way too big for her.

Thankfully Alexandra is smiling. Her day was less stressful than mine.

To Chance

I am three days fashionably late. It was then, at the cottage that I hugged you and wished you a happy anniversary. I went on to tease you for my present knowing very well that we had not purchased each other gifts.

With your quick wit you promised that you were going to buy me a coffee. You know the way into my heart is less than two dollars. You did not let me off the hook and wondered what you would get in return. I promised you this.

“We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.”
– William Somerset Maugham

You are but a hint of the twenty three year old boy that I boldly walked up to and introduced myself to fifteen years ago. I still hear it in your laughter. I catch it in your bright smile and that mischievous spark in your eye.

You are barely the same man that I joined at the end of the aisle when I wore the white dress and made big promises to only six years ago.

It’s hard to say if it was marriage or having children that changed our relationship because we waited nine years before either. The thing that surprises me most is that I am still discovering you.

The happy chance is that six years ago there was one girl professing her love to you and now there are three.

Five

A while back, Strawberry turned five. I'm still trying to find the words.

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Blog Worthy?

The longer I go between posts, the harder it is getting to end this hiatus. I am constantly questioning myself... Is this blog worthy? The nattering voice at the back of my daily activities is verging on sounding as neurotic as Elaine from the Seinfeld episode "The Sponge."

It probably doesn't help that I am devoting all my computer time to my gossip addiction. My life could not come anywhere close to being as interesting as the celebrities that are dodging the paparazzi and filling the columns with their drunken debauchery. I may have to do something drastic like get a tattoo or force myself to get pregnant. Oh that Gwyneth sure has a way with words.

Thankfully I spied a challenge from Sweetney. She asked for everyone to Come As You Are. When I saw Assertagirl and Motherbumper were already on it, I knew this was a bandwagon to jump on.

Enïd could hear the sound of my camera phone snapping from her next-door office. I took the deny route when she called over, "Are you taking pictures of yourself?" There was no fooling her. She knew better because we traveled to Vancouver and Austin where she came to know my love affair with my camera. Hey, I'm not as bad as Miley. Well at least I wear more clothes. Earlier tonight there were some girls standing beside me at The Raconteurs that were preoccupied with smoking dope while taking photos of themselves rather than paying attention to the band. Now those girls definitely have more of that self-loving Miley attitude.

I am just happy that you cannot see the top of my head in this photo because I have taken an even longer hiatus from colouring my hair.