While I was away...

It's about time I do a posting about my week in the U.K. on a business trip. Or I should say, what happened at home while I was in the U.K. for a week on a business trip. By all accounts, Mark had a great time bonding with his kids and his father, who came up to help him get a project done, namely re-roofing the garage (or something). I'm not exactly sure what it is they did but it sure looks great, involved tar and rocks, and was a lot of hard work so thanks boys!

I'd like to caption the photo below with something like here is Mark in his outdoor work gear but let's face it, these are his regular clothes that he wears to work every day, with the addition of steel-toed work boots. I knew they'd come in handy one day.



The kids love Moe's down the street and so do we. What's not to like about a pizza restaurant that is obsessed with Elvis?



Grandad got along great with the kids. Notice how Isaac is mimicking his every move.



Thanks again for the help, Pat.

Sure signs of summer

Is anything better than relaxing in your pool after a hard day?



...or kicking back in a luxurious backyard chaise?

May 2-4

Now that we're all grown up and responsible, we no longer spend Victoria Day boozing with our friends. Yes, we have been known to do that on occasion. This year, we biked over to one of those travelling carnivals that set up and break down in one weekend. Gotta trust those ferris wheels, hey? Anyways, it ended up being a great success, with ever more challenging rides being interspersed with mini-donuts, soft ice cream, french fries: the amusement park trifecta.

Isaac loved loved loved this driving ride. He wanted to keep riding it over and over. He eventually rode it on his own, as G got tired of going 'round and 'round in these little vehicles.

Gabrielle got to play a carnival game to win a prize. She threw 6 darts, hit 5 balloons, and won this cozy Hello Kitty baseball bat.

Victoria Day - it's not what it once was, but I did have a (sugar) hang-over the next day...

Dr. Jill

[Catching up on my blogging (again!), uploading some pictures from the last six months.]

G had her annual appointment with the dentist, who just happens to be one of my closest friends here in Ottawa. Dr. Jill, as we call her around the house, has a very groovy downtown office, that operates simultaneously as a gallery for emerging artists. Of course, I insist that our children must attend the very funkiest dentist, in my ongoing attempt to shield them from the blandness that is Ottawa. (Oops, did I say that out loud?)

In preparation for this appointment, I read Gabrielle a book about going to the dentist, part of the Blues Clues series for those out there looking for good reference material. We read that bloody book every day, twice a day, for a few weeks leading up to her appointment. I was bound and determined that G was going to have her teeth checked at this appointment, avoiding last year's scene where she refused to open her mouth and left in tears and I left with a bill for $50.

Anyways, G was awesome, surpassing our expectations by opening her mouth and letting Dr. Jill's instruments actually come in contact with her teeth. She even alllowed her teeth to get cleaned! G came home with a sugarless lolly, a new non-Dora toothbrush, and a pink rubber glove that we blew up at home. Success is sweet.

Dr. Jill's comment on seeing Isaac's teeth recently: "You'd better get him into orthodontics. Like in a year or two."

As if we didn't know. Sigh... All future birthday gifts, please make cheques out directly to Dr. Jill Taylor.

Our little dairy queen

The taste of summer!

The big 4-1

What do you get a man who has everything (other than a vintage BMW)? The adoration of his friends, that's what. And 9 racks of ribs, 2 birthday cakes, and a couple of (vinyl) Hawaiian hula girls thrown in for good measure...

The cake was brought out earlier than I had originally planned but the kids staged a demonstration, demanding it. They organized themselves somehow, and started chanting "cake cake cake" until I gave into the demands of the little people and brought it out. I can only presume it is the recent success of the NDP that would account for the populist actions of our children.

Thanks to Darouk for filming.