Voting

Okay Canadians, our federal election is a short 22 days away, it's time to figure out who you are voting for.  Whether it's the party, the party leader, or your Member of Parliament, choose wisely.  As they say on the Bachelor, this it the "most dramatic season important election ever!!" I know they always say that, but it feels like it is true again this time.

I implore you to exercise your right to vote - democracy only works if people participate in it.  Participating means showing up and marking your X for your candidate.  It also means asking questions and being informed.  Find reliable news sources and in some cases, go right to the candidate at local town halls or all candidates debates, their websites, or tweet at them.  See if you get a good feeling about them and if they truly believe the message they are sending.  I tend to ignore the polls and go with the person/party that I trust to speak for me and lead us.

Be open to any candidate - even if you've always voted one way.  It's going to be an interesting race, things are changing in our country and our world, so consider the type of leader you want as we enter the 2020s.

If you already know who you're voting for and are unlikely to change, then head to the advance polls now, voting on the actual election day is foolish (I mean, why don't the polls open at 6:00 am, we have jobs!!) so if you can get it out of the way sooner, then do so.

And if you think our election cycle is long (about 40 days this time), be thankful you don't live in the US where it goes on for years!! (And if you're an American reader, heed my advice above for yourself, get informed and vote for the person you believe in.)

Friday Favourites

I enjoyed the most beautiful day outside on Monday, golfing.  The temperature was so pleasant and I even golfed well!  We were at Glen Abbey and the conditions were perfect.  I find photos of fall colours rarely turn out, but I tried to capture it anyway.

I have gotten back into Pinterest lately - I think it is because I'm getting tired of scrolling through Twitter so I turn to more pleasant scrolling for food and decorations.

A new snack I have gotten into recently are walnuts.  They are a little dry on their own so it helps to eat them with a clementine or other fruit.  I read about all of the benefits here. They look like little brains, don't they?

I got to have dinner with a former colleague (and friend!) this week.  It was so nice to catch up.  You know it's so strange to work with people for 11 years and then go to never seeing or talking to them.  We ate at one of my favourite taco places - Playa Cabana Cantina.  No pictures, because I always forget!

We are celebrating our little Q this weekend.  Read his birthday post here!

Linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci.

Happy (Early) Birthday Q!!

Q will be three years old on Sunday - where has the time gone!  He is just the sweetest little boy and getting quite a sense of humour.  He is thoughtful and considerate, always paying attention to what is going on. He is also very forceful about his opinion at times, and has a very strong "GO!!" command, with hand gestures, to indicate he would prefer you left him alone.  He has moods where it is just better to give him a wide berth, and still has those toddler moments where he is frustrated and cannot communicate what he wants.

He loves to read books, do puzzles, and just play.  He can keep himself entertained for hours with his various characters - lego guys, Paw Patrol pups, Buzz and Woody, Playmobil and Little People vehicles and people, his play food, and whatever else is laying around.  He also likes to be outside and likes to go for a bike ride, run (for a little bit), and play.  He adores his big brother and wants to play soccer and baseball like E did this summer.

Q loves to give hugs and kisses and sit close to you on the couch.  He is a joy!

This past year was big - he said goodbye to his soother, learned to use the potty, and switched from his crib to a big boy bed in a new room.  Next year he'll be going to school!

I tried out the birthday quiz for him this year, and it was pretty successful.  My comments are in brackets.  These are Q's current favourite things:

Colour
Yellow

Stuffed animal
Lion
(I think he misunderstood the question, as this was also his answer for Favourite Animal.)

Thing to sleep with
Guy and water
(He actually answered lion and elephant again, but with some prompting, he answered correctly.)

Fruit
Apple

Thing to eat for breakfast
Cereal
(specifically Cheerios)

Thing to eat for lunch
Food at lunchtime
(Not too picky, I see)

Thing to eat for supper
Tacos
(Again some prompting for this correct answer ;)

Dessert
Pizza

Drink
Milk

Animal
Lion

Book
Thomas book
(That would be a Thomas the Train book)

Song
ABCD
(a classic)

Game
Rainbow
(?? His description of this game was not clear.)

Sport
Playground

TV show
Paw Patrol

Movie
Superheroes
(Incredibles 2)

Thing to do outside
Playground

Best friend
Avery

What do you want to be when you grow up?
...Avery?
(He did not know what I meant)

Anything else to share?
Nothing - just close it now
(Meaning close the laptop where I was recording the answers.  We did this at bedtime and he wanted to get to his stories!!)

What's up Wedneday

What we're eating this week...

Sunday - Butter chicken in the slow cooker

Monday - Salmon and kale salad

Tuesday - Squash with turkey meatballs

Wednesday - I'm going out, the boys will have mac and cheese

Thursday - Grilled Chicken and Loaded Sweet Potatoes 

Friday - Salad Bowl

Saturday - Pizza at Q's birthday party

What I'm reminiscing about...

Our trip to Disney last October.  We had so much fun and it changed my opinion about the Disney parks.  I will also always feel the need to mention the heat while we were there! The top memory for sure.

What I'm loving...
It is still nice and warm here, and I do really enjoy fall. The trees are starting to turn, the salmon are starting to run, and the humidity is gone.  It's all very pleasant.

What we've been up to...
Helping E with his homework has been top of mind lately.  He will have weekly spelling tests and the words are not easy so we are spending lots of time on that with him.

What I'm dreading...
Having to wear nylons soon.  It is not super cold yet so I can still get away with bare legs, but I hate buying them and then getting one or two wears out of them before they get a run/hole.  It's ridiculous!

What I'm working on...
Preparing for Q's birthday party.  We aren't having it here so that will make it easy, but I need to put together the treat bags, wrap Q's gifts, and put together some extra food to take (vegetables, fruit, chips, etc.). 

What I'm excited about...
Our fall decorations.  I just put a couple of things out, and didn't put out the Halloween things yet, but it's still feeling festive.

What I'm watching/reading...
We are watching The Great Canadian Baking Show as a family and Dave and I are watching Mindhunter.

I wrote about my September books on Monday here.  Currently reading All is Not Forgotten, and then I will be moving onto some lighter reads.

What I'm listening to...
The Bridge - Peter Mansbridge's election podcast.

What I'm doing this weekend...
Celebrating Q's 3rd birthday.  His party is on Saturday and his actual birthday is on Sunday.

What I'm looking forward to next month...
Thanksgiving, E's birthday, Election Day, and Halloween! October is a fun month.

What else is new...
Dave is working on the basement now with the vision of having it completed before our Christmas  party.  The work itself is not hard (well not to Dave, but to an unhandy person it is a lot) - framing walls, putting up insulation, gyprock, and laying the floor.  There is also some electrical work to be done.  He's got helpers though!

Linking up with Shay and Sheaffer.

Weekend Recap

Friday afternoon in my office :)

We had a quick dinner of leftovers and then I went to Wal-mart (fun times on a Friday night!) to get a few things for Q's birthday party.  When I got back the kids were wearing costumes and we were making lots of popcorn.

Our neighbours came over and we watched Toy Story 4. 

I went to my work out on Saturday morning, and then we got ready for E's last soccer games.  I was coaching so Dave and Q only stayed for a little bit and then walked home, getting a hair cut for Q and some lunch.  E's soccer team played well and it was a beautiful morning to be at High Park.

The kids sitting together for farewell to the season speech.

Photos, then pizza and medals. 

Dave and E got to work on the basement.

When Q got up from his nap, I took him to the store with me.  He got a cake pop from Starbucks.

While work continued in the basement. 

And then Q got a turn to help.

(no blade in the reciprocating saw, but still makes a cool noise)

The boys ordered pizza for supper and then I went out with my friends Megan and Sarah. Sarah was in town for a meeting and stayed extra time so we could all get together.  We ate at Pizzeria Libretto on Ossington. 

The next morning we puttered around the house and then got ready for E's t-ball banquet. 

The Mets lining up for their trophies. 

It was so hot in there and I couldn't hear much so I just hung out with Q in the corner, and snuck a few pieces of pizza.  Dave was there but he left halfway through so he could go for a run.

Dave continued his work in the basement and I did a bunch of things around the house.  Q and I went to the park for a few minutes before supper. 

We had butter chicken from the slow cooker and it was so tasty.  Dave took the boys to the park again after supper to play with E's remote control car and I stayed home to get everything ready for our week (make lunches, fold laundry, etc.).