Rainy Day

So... our life.

1. We miss our Riley dog, but it's getting better. Justin noticed today. he walked around the house today saying "an riley too? riley hidin?" What do you say to that? All I could say was "No buddy, Riley is all gone now."

2. Jim was away at Classis all day. Left at 530, arrived back at 5 p.m. He's tired. Says it was a good meeting.

3. Our van, the bearings need to be replaced.

4. Jim leaves to go up north probably next Tuesday. He will be missed. He is not sure yet if he is taking Sassy with him or not. Pros and Cons both ways. He's going camping in the cold with a bunch of men.

5. Harry's boys will take care of our critters the week that we're away. I'll pay them $10 for their trouble. They are just old enough to do it now. :) Peter is excited about taking care of the mice. :)

6. Mom and Dad are moving. I go up Monday to help. Jim is hoping the van will be done early in the a.m so it's done and out of the way. Kinda needs it fixed so that he can take it up north.

7. Justin is for the most part, potty trained at home during the day, as long as he isn't wearing pants. Going away is harder, and we're still figuring that one out. Good thing as his cloth diapers don't fit very good anymore and we've kinda given up on them.

8. Justin's room has been "fall-cleaned". All reorganized. He was a bit scared to go to bed tonight as it all looked so different. I lay down with him for one minute talking about his room and how his crib is the same, and mommy sleeps in her own room and he's just fine in his room. and such like. He settled down nicely after that.

9. Justin struggles with me going to work on Fridays. Yesterday and today he kept asking...Mommy home now? Mommy stay home now? AH!!!!! Makes me wonder how women do it all the time. How can they leave their little ones behind to go to work? I don't figure it too well. These two days make me want to just chuck the job. But I won't. I know he's fine. He is with his father. Life is good. :) Helps me pay off my credit cards, helps me get stuff that we as a family need. But ah....just tugs at me old heart strings it does....

Anyways, that's it. I have a dog to amble. Rabbits to catch and dishes to get done. Tomorrow is Sunday! YEAH!!! We get to worship God as a corporate body. :) Life is good.

And he stopped crying

all I had to do was find this:

Canadian Thanksgiving

Much to the consternation of my American Friends, The Canadian Thanksgiving weekend comes early... and it's often a reminder to me to get Christmas cards ready to mail. I used to send them out too early until one day, one of them wrote and said HEY, stop sending the cards too early, we just got done OUR thanksgiving! So, I hesitate just a bit longer now. Still get them ready, but just don't send them. :)

Anyways, yesterday we had Thanksgiving with my side of the family.
It would figure on a day when we had to drive a fair piece, Justin would decide, on a rainy morning to sleep in. So we arrived at mom's, instead of the hour early for lunch that we had planned, just in time for the meal to start. :) Ah well, what can one do?

We sat and ate of course!

Justin ate well of pork and beef and applesauce with just a sprinkling of corn. The Jello and Ice cream went down really well too.

Mom cooked us up a nice feast. :) Thanks MOM! :)

We had good conversation around the table. Then Justin took off for the great outdoors and played on the swing with cousin Sierra for a while. It was hot outside so we soon headed back indoors. Justin played trucks (what else? :) ), and the rest of us sat and chatted while cousin Becky took a much needed nap.

Good time had. We all left for home again around 430 p.m.

Today Jim's mom for sure is coming up lunch. We're having turkey and other stuff (I haven't figured out all the "other stuff" yet. :) Which reminds me, I'd best get at it!

Oh... my folks and brother Bill were invited to come down spur of the moment. So we'll have to see what comes of that! :)

Nice surprise

So...that was a really nice surprise.

Tante Corrie (my dad's oldest sister) came up to church today. She arrived a bit late since she had a hard time finding our church, but she enjoyed the service.

She had brought a sandwich along, so we had a nice lunch together. I learned that uncle Dick is in hospital, will be there for a couple of weeks.

Her family is doing well.

AND that it bugs her when parents are so busy with their own lives that they can't care for their children themselves. Since it's an issue that bugs me too, we were able to have a friendly discussion about it.

Crowing a bit About Sassy

I need to crow a bit about my dog Sassy for a minute. :)

This past weekend, I went to an agility trial at Jumping for Joy in Maryhill with Jim and Sassy. We camped over Friday night in the trailer. We've in the past brought Riley with us as he's such a calm dog that nothing bothers him that it keeps Sassy all chilled out to. Like me, she's easily made tense. :) Funny how our dogs mimic who we are at times.

Anyways, Riley was NOT up to traveling. He was really, really not feeling well. Eva came over to care for Justin and Riley.

That left the problem of how do we make sure this trial is a GOOD thing for Sassy dog. Our problem-solving resulted in: making sure she ate her food...took me 20 minutes of coaxing with her favourite..CHICKEN! Found a ball for a toy (which ended up not needing too much as there were apple trees around and Sassy loves chasing apples and then eating them. During the day instead of tethering her out, she stayed inside with Jim as he did his work. She only came out for her runs and for exercise.

First run.... standard run. Contains all the different obstacles: tire, jumps, a-frame, teeter (seesaw), weave poles, tunnels and so forth. The run looked do-able. But since Sassy hasn't trialled in such a long time I thought she was capable of just doing a no-brainer and not listen OR choosing to grin at me and then do her own course or listen really well and do everything great. Forgot to factor in her handler...me... Run went great until we got the table were we had to stop for a five count. My back said OW... my brain went left-field somewhere and we got a two count refusal for the weave poles. Blanked out completely. So in this run it was "great dog, pity about the handler". :)

Second run: team. Team is HARD to get. You depend on two dogs and two handlers both being in good form on the same day on the right course. WE DID IT!!!!! Little old Dexter and middle-aged Sassy pulled it off. Two estactic handlers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Neither of which believed we had done it until we saw it on paper. WE DID IT!!!!!!!! Sassy and Dexter "q'd" ah...what a wonder. :) so pleased with both dogs listening and doing their stuff so very well.

Third run: Gamblers. This one I didn't worry about at all. Okay...wee bit of a lie, got nervous which I always do, but chilled out once we started running. I saw what the main gamble was and said to myself... Sassy can do this. She's done this type of gamble before in practice...about two years ago. This... she can do. So I thought I'd play around a bit with the stuff beforehand just to see what she would do. i.e. could she do the mini gamble? Could she do the big point obstacles despite my back just killing me by this point? She could!!!!! she could!!!!! WE WON THE CLASS!!! Totally cool! :) We beat out the competition by 2 points we did!!!!!!

Yeah for Sassy listening so well. For not getting all stressed out and only wanting to get her toy and to go home! Yeah for me holding my back together long enough to get through three runs!!!! yeah for Jim being patient and just sitting with her in the trailer when I had to do my volunteer stints. :)

It was just totally bonus today folks, just totally.
At the end of the day she got three first places for her class (specials). and two of the more important "q" ribbons for doing everything just the way she was supposed to in the time allowed for her to do it. Those two ribbons go toward a bigger title which hopefully we'll finish off next year. :)

And to think I went into this trial thinking we'd come home empty. thinking that after 8 months off she and I would be too rusty to get through anything well. HA! I say HA to that! My dog is TOO good for that! (imagine a very big grin) So yes... I think I can be proud of my girlie. Sometimes I do wonder what she'd have been like with a different, better handler ..... I think she'd be national/international quality I do! :)

Okay.... all done crowing now. :)

Weekly update - sept 20

Lifted the lawn mower wrong a couple of days agao..just a little thing. Sent my back into major spasm. VERY irritating. Just been a summer of irritation! :) develops character right? Side benefit though...JIM will wash the kitchen floor for me. I rather dislike our mop so I usually do a hands and knees thing, so the floor desperately needs a good cleaning so Jim has promised to give it a once over.

Jim thinks he has caught what Justin and I fought with over the weekend. Gave Justin a day of vomiting and diarrhea. me...If I ate I felt icky, but if I didn't I felt worse somehow. Jim has a general feeling of malise going on right now. Hopefully it will pass over him quickly. Changed his plans to go visiting an elderly lady of our church tonight. she's like... 98 or something like that. Lives in assisted living now. Just finished battling an illness so Jim's not real keen on helping her battle something else. :) Go figure eh! :)

Sassy is entering her first trial in almost 8 months this weekend. I've dropped her down a height level because I don't like how she won't do everything high that I ask, but otherwise seems fine. But she's full of zip again so I figure.. it's a small trial, let's see how she does. :)

What else.....I could just be really chatty and tell you EVERYTHING that I've done this week... do you want me to be that chatty though??? that's always the question. :)

Tuesday... laundry (ALL the laundry done!). Lawn mowed. Killed three bunnies to make into dog food. Rearranged all the critters to make fit the pens that we have constructed. Groomed Riley. Practiced agility with Sassy. Played with the boy child. Cooked three healthy meals! Even got most of the kitchen clean except for dishes..my back said enough is enough by the end of the day.

Yesterday... gardening. Have to admit, I asked Jim to help me with dig the potatoes loose. Justin helped me pull the onions. Learned a new thing... Had onions left from last year that had "hidden" themselves. Figured I'd just let them stay in the garden and see what happened with them over the course of the year. one... they flowered. SOME of them grew onions out of the flower head (like Egyptian walking onions do) Others just grew seeds out of the seed head, and some also grew babies like tulips do. Totally amazed me to see the differences in them as they were apparently all the same variety of red onion. Rather neat.

Also hmmm... Oh..processed all the free meat I got for the dogs off freecycle. Getting that ready to make my dog food next week sometime for them. it was funny. Had this HUGE roast that just daunted me to make into ever so many smaller pieces. Decided to whack it in half in give it to the dogs. Note... this was probably a 12 pound roast. VERY solid. Anyways, wanted to see if ever hungry Riley would still be hungry if he ate half of it. AND if Sassy could even manage to finish it. They both succeeded. Then they sate some ribs from a rib roast I could barely cut through. To make it meal sized would have required more work than I wanted to put into them. so Riley got two ribs, and Sassy got one and a bit. But Sassy... VERY rotund. No desire for supper. No desire for a walk...just let me sleep and digest please is her attitude. Riley.... Hey...where's supper now? Hey...food is good? Hey dumb human... I think you forgot something!!!!!!
Dumb irritating dog! You've had enough food for 2 days dog! actually enough for 4 days!!!! Ah well...he's old and semi-senile...what can one expect? Makes me laugh even if he is irritating. :)

Update on the dogs this morning: Sassy VERY eager and happy to go for a walk. Chased bunnies and squirrels, said hi to our regular morning walk people, with two normal poops. Riley, walked slowly, not a lot of interest in things, but walked nicely, one not so good poop which is normal for him if I change things on him. He's still hungry! Silly dog. no breakfast this morning for you! Your tummy is still full!

What else...not a whole lot. Justin went to bed well last night. Woke up during the night talking and playing, so now when I want to go to toddler time with him he's sleeping in! Silly lad. Jim slept fairly well last night and he isn't feeling as perky as he'd like, but better than last night. Hopefully he can do the visiting today that he wants to get done.

Western Fair

Today Jim, Justin and I are are heading out to the Western Fair.

Not the biggest fair around, the CNE is larger. But a nice fair none-the-less. We go every year. :) I'm looking forward to watching dockdogs perform today at 3 or 6 p.m. Fun fun! :)

Justin will be coming with us for the first bit --- 1100 til just after 100 and then Jim's mom will come to get him. Justin will play and nap at gramma's for the afternoon.

Should be fun. I'll give an update later on.

All Okay

So Justin had his latest ear checkup.

Passed his hearing test with Flying colours.

His tubes are still in place.

I had my x-ray and CT scan done. Will go in next week to see if we have any results to that.
I didn't have to go head into the CT tube for which I am grateful, wasn't looking forward to that idea at all. All I had to do was wear rather unfashionable pants and lie very still for five minutes.

that's it!

Some Justin Videos

As Justin grows up, he does more and more silly things. Here are a couple of videos.

Monday At The Splash Pad

On Monday we headed to London to pick up some free stuff. After that we went looking for a park with a play area for Justin. I thought that Gibbon's Park might have something, so we headed there.

When we arrived we were happily surprised that not only is there are quite extensive play area, but there is also a splash pad. We did not have bathing suits, but enjoyed it none the less.

Here are some pictures:

Starting our Camping Vacation Updates

So.....the last two weeks have been busy for us. Just so you know. I will be dividing these vacation updates between between my two main blogs. This one and Fish and Cans. This is so that I don't overload one blog with too many pictures.

We've been away camping and doing day trips.

One of the things we chose to do before leaving was to pick up a special traveling toy for our son Justin.

What can I say? Take along Thomas was a HUGE hit. He played with it everyday. He took the trains to bed with him. He had so much fun it was worth it.

One of the other things that we were thrilled with was that Justin didn't need the playpen to sleep in anymore. A bed rail and drawn curtains kept him safely confined to bed.

We tended all to go to bed at the same time, and it was funny. Most nights we would hear "hi! hi!" emanating from behind the curtains. We would respond with "good night Justin, time for bed". Silence, rustling, you would think he had settled down then would come "hi! hi!" with an accompanying giggle. "night night" Justin we would say. This would repeat up to ten times before he would finally settle down.

Most nights he would sleep well until 730 a.m.

Naps were harder. He was having too much fun to settle for naps. We often ended up going for after lunch drives so that he could at sleep in the van. Then we could be guaranteed at least a one hour nap. Makes for a much happier boy.

Updates and Vacation Plans

For those wanting an update on my boyo's Birthday, well... go to my blog over here.

For those who might be curious about a rant, or a Meme well then follow those links over too. :)

Yes, I'm being a bit lazy in just referring you over, but it saves the copying and pasting and such like. :)

So we're off today to go camping.

Jim preaches in Kingsville this Sunday so we'll be at Weatherly (i think that's the right spelling) park for 3 nights, then home to London (Eva's place) for one night and camping at Fanshawe Conservation Area. Feel free to come and visit us there! :)

Friday - Sunday there is the folk festival in London that Jim would like to spend some time at. More information on that can be found here.

Hours of festival
Friday July 20 - 6-11 p.m.
Sat July 21 - 12 noon - 11 p.m.
Sunday July 22 - 12 noon - 10:30 p.m.

Children's Area
Saturday and Sunday 12 noon - 5 p.m.

Open Stage
Saturday and Sunday 12 noon - 5 p.m.

Home County Folk Festival 2007 Artist Roster

Andy Sheppard, Andrea Beaton & Troy McGillivray, Andrea Koziol, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Creaking Tree String Quartet, Dala, Duane Andrews, Dixie Flyers, Dennis Pendrith, Mike Ford, Mitch Lewis, Manitoba Hal, Mae Moore, Mark Reeves, Pete Denomme, Paul Langille, Paul Mills, Rezonators, Sara Burnell, Sam Turton, Sirens, Slugfest, Treasa Levasseur, Tanglefoot, Tannis Slimmon & Lewis Melville, Jackie Washington, Jowi Taylor and the Six String Nation Guitar, Twilight Hotel, Valdy, Youssouf Camera

ScienceHack

Here is a handy search engine for science videos.  They are all screened by scientists to verify accuracy, although if one disagrees with things such a intelligent design versus evolution, there may be some where that would be an issue.

Check out ScienceHack.

Mom's Birthday

So we got together as a whole clan to celebrate my mom's 70th birthday.

yes, this grand lady is 70 years young. :) Turned that way at the beginning of the month.

We celebrated late because we had hoped that my brother and this family from Ottawa could get out here to help, but that was not to be be.

Ate out at Crossroads restaurant in Elmira. They have a decent buffet. Jim's mom joined us, which was so nice. As mom says "you're family too!"

Justin was good, even ate a bit.

Afterwards we stopped at mom and dad's place for coffee and conversation. Good times had by all. Sierra rode back with us. Justin likes his 7 year old cousin. She's "fun" even if she does tease him by stealing his "tagu" (also known as tiger)

We'll all be getting together again this coming Saturday to celebrate Justin's 2nd b-day. What fun. A boy turns 2!

We've been rated

Our anniversary

If you all want to know how our anniversary went, go here.

Talked with Mom and Dad who wished us a happy anniversary. Nice to chat with them for a bit.

Received these greetings from brother Fred

Happy Anniversary to you and Jim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey, it's been 5 years already! Think about the changes God has brought into your life in the last 5 years, both the joys and the sorrows! All opportunities for growth and being better able to love those around us. We pray God will guide and sustain the 3 of you with wisdom and understanding as you begin yet another year together!

Okay, so it was fun

So... Mom reminded me that I hadn't talk you all how the shopping trip went.

IT WAS FUN!

Yes, I, Annette, had fun shopping for clothes with my mother! Don't all fall over in shock now. :)

First we headed to the tile place so we could pick out good tile and carpet for their new place. It was actually quite funny. We had narrowed down the tile selections to five of them. We stood there looking at them, and simultaneously, with no planning, mom and I touched the same one with "I like this one best" on our lips. We laughed. It made the choice so very easy. :)

Carpet was a fore-gone conclusion. Mom knew what she liked. Had kinda picked it out at home. Looked fine to me so hey... it's works. :)

Justin had fun running around the store. We made sure he didn't hurt himself while doing so.

Then off to pick up lunch and to drop Justin off at Eva's.

Mom and I sent clothes shopping. First off for sandals since mine had broken the week before and my pinkies were "unacceptable" to mom. :) We found some decent ones on sale at marks' work wear house.

I felt spoiled by my mother. But it was fun. I even learned the brown is NOT a bad colour for me. Go figure. Something to keep in mind for the fall.

What did we end up getting?
dress pants - navy blue, they feel really nice on.
blue jean shorts, navy blue shorts - way better than some current clothing
Three no sleeved shirts - red, multi-coloured tank that will go with Sunday skirt, orangey sweater type - no I don't know what it is officially called, to me it's a shirt, very soft and comfortable.
one pair blue jean capris'
oh.. almost forgot, one very nice light light green sorta dressy no sleeve shirt/blouse. very pretty and different than what I would normally look for.

My mom has good taste.

So, it was a nice, very fun day out. Mom and I talked and laughed alot.
She spoiled me and it was good.

Justin had a good day at gramma's too.

We were all tired by the end of the day.

He said Pee! :)

So I know, no huge biggie for folks.

But I"m a first time mom. I can be thrilled when my boy, at 23 months, pulls at his diaper and says pee AND THEN holds it until we have said diaper off and he sits on the potty.

Good Boy! :)

Shopping

I have to admit, I am NOT a person who enjoys shopping for clothes. I"m not. I'll wear whatever fits until the cows come home.

BUT my mom is coming up today.

We're going shopping together. She'd like me to have some new clothes.

I have to admit, I'm actually looking forward to it.

Justin is coming in the morning. He'll help Oma and I pick out new tiles/carpeting for the new house Oma and Papa are building. We'll have lunch and then Justin will go to Grandma's for a nap in the afternoon. And mom and I will hang out together.

Should be a nice day.

News for this week

One of our girl mice had a litter of 8 babies. hard to tell which momma as they all seem to huddle around the babies and bothering mice with a new litter isn't always the wisest of things to do.

We have a new rabbit. Very tame. Justin says "bun-bun". So we might stick with that name. We got him from a lady in London who just didn't have time for him anymore.

It was funny. I went to the doc yesterday to find out why certain things in life were uncomfortable. Discovered I have a bladder infection --- and no, that's not the funny part. Anyways, a couple weekends ago, I had a lot of fun at the AAC Regionals and I had seen the doc there. So we spent as much time talking agility as we did actually discussing my health. I"m going to email her with some trainers as she has an active Border Collie she wants to train further. So that was a lot of fun just chatting. Anyways, you can read how that weekend went here.