Two Things

 I started writing this as a Three Things post but got stuck on a third one for all of us, so instead here are two things going on with each of us at the moment:

Q

1) Q has been biking to school and then gets to hang out with his friends after school, sometimes bringing a few of them home with him to play in the backyard. He's in Grade 4 so he doesn't have a phone, but we can track his location with an AirTag and get in touch with other nearby parents if we really need to.

2) Baseball season has begun. Q is on a house league team but will also be trying out for a rep team. 

E

1) E got his mid-semester marks back and is doing very well. We spoke with his teachers and they all had nice things to say about him. I can't believe he is nearing the end of his first year of high school already!

2) We rearranged some of our kitchen drawers and E has been tasked with designing and 3D printing the dividers for our new cutlery drawer.  When it's all done, I'll share photos.  I don't like change, so I wasn't totally on board with this initiative, but it looks great so far and will definitely be an upgrade.

Dave

1) Dave picked up some new skis for next season to try out a new hobby - ski touring. This is when you walk up the hill on skis and then ski down when you get to the top. There are a group of dads that have started doing this at our ski hill just to have something else to do in the afternoons. 

2) His work recently moved offices, and they have a gym in the building. Dave has started the good habit of getting downtown early to use the gym before work.  He likes that they have heavier weights than we do at home and treadmills. 

Me

1) Not to bury the lede, but the biggest news here is that I have a new job. I start on May 4 and I am excited for this new opportunity. I am still in the mining industry and based in Toronto. 

2) I have signed up for Year 2 of the Learn to Golf program at the golf club this year. I am looking forward to participating in ladies' night, new member nights, and golfing with my family :)

 

Three Things

 

Three things going on with each of us at the moment:

Q

1. We took Q out of the YMCA after school care and he is walking home on his own now (well really with the multiple kids that head our way after school).  This has only been since school went back in January but it's a game changer.  Now I don't need to worry about getting home from downtown at a particular time to pick him up. A lot less stress, and also some savings, this is the first time since 2012 we haven't been paying for childcare of some sort.

2. He has been keeping up with off-season baseball training to get ready for tryouts at the end of next month. I don't doubt he'll have a spot in the house league (yes they have tryouts for house league since there are limited spots) but he also wants to make the rep team.  

3. He has been good at doing some math and spelling homework when he needs to, but still finds lots of time for the iPad *eyeroll*.

E

1. E is at the end of his first semester of high school.  Instead of exam for three of the four classes, they have culminating projects, so he has been working hard on getting those done.  He has one science exam next week. 

2. He grew a lot since last winter and needed new ski boots, skis (two sets), and snow pants.  Luckily we found his GS skis second hand and they are actually in pretty great shape.  E waxed and tuned them up himself last weekend (with a little guidance from Dave).

3. The kids got a 3D printer for Christmas and E has been great at finding cool stuff to print.  One of his friends wants a mask printed and E is hoping to start a little printing service. 

Dave

1. As I mentioned in my post yesterday about things we outsource, or in our case, don't outsource, Dave repositioned the drain so it goes into the ground instead of running down the middle of the driveway.  It made a big patch of ice and was always so dangerous. 

2. Golf trips aren't that far away.  He is booking one for May and perhaps one for June. 

3. Dave was in Vegas this week for work. He got to stay at the Venetian, which is where I stayed the last time I was there. I know work trips kind of suck but at least his room was nice! 

Me

1. Our focus is on getting our March Break ski trip organized. We are going to France to ski but also spending a few days in Brussels as well. We have booked mostly everything now but still need a hotel in Brussels. 

2. I have made a list of areas to declutter and have made some progress. I weeded out some old clothes from the boys' dressers, the Christmas wrapping paper, and our reusable shopping bag collection.

3. I'm making my way through Emily in Paris and the Taylor Swift documentary.  I like putting on these easy shows. 

Three Things

 

E 

1. E started Grade 9 this year which means a new school. It has about 1,500 students so it's a bit of a change. He's finding his way around and 

2. One of the extra-curricular offers is the Robotics Club so he has gone to the first meeting to check it out. There also a golf team but you needed to show a 13 handicap so he’ll have to try again another year. 

3. Besides the basics and Science and English, he is also taking Technology and Design, and Technology and the Skilled Trades.  So far he is really enjoying those classes.

Q

1. Q is in Grade 4 this year and for the first time in a couple of years he has a full class of grade 4s, not split class this year. 

2. As he finishes up his t-ball career and gets ready to transition to baseball we thought he could do some tryouts for other teams.  Ultimately we will stay at High Park for next year but it was nice to know he could probably make a different team in future years if needed. 

3. With E going to a different school Q has to head out the door to walk to school on his own this year.  I walked with him a few days but I won’t always be able to do that.  He seems to meet up with friends along the way easily enough. 

Dave

1. Dave is coach of Q’s team so he making sure the team is ready for playoffs and end of season.  He has ordered a keepsake for his team and come up with some awards for everyone. 

2. In case you missed it, Dave got a Hole in One last week when we were golfing with him.  It was very exciting and bears repeating :)

3. He ordered some new Google speakers for outside and hung them up this week.  We can then connect our music and hear when we are outside. 

Me

1. I have started singing with the church choir again this year.  We have paid section leads but unfortunately this year we do not have a Tenor or Bass so we are a basically a women’s choir with a couple of occasional tenors. It is a bit different but we will still have lots of good music to make. 

2. I have been doing a good job of getting up early to work out (and so has Dave!).  I never want to get up when my alarm goes off at 5:50 but once I am up, it’s not so bad.  I try to mix it up with weights, barre, Peloton biking, and a run once a week (at least until it gets too dark and cold). 

3. As Q’s rep team manager I was also in charge of planning the end of season party.  I decided to invite the team over here for a movie night for the kids and hanging out for parents.  I think we’ll probably put on Rookie of the Year for the kiddos, we watched it the other day and it holds up pretty well! And John Candy is in it :)

Three Things

Three things going on with each of us at the moment...

E

1. E is working on his Bronze Medallion in swimming and First Aid. It is scheduled for 2.5 hours on Monday afternoon and he was not keen about going to the first one this week. We walked home together afterwards and he had lots to say about what he learned, so it sounds like he will enjoy it after all.  Once he's done this he can do Bronze Cross with his friends in the spring.  Good skills to acquire!

2. We have also signed E up for another weekly session of guitar so he can work on both acoustic and electric.  He is quick to pick up songs but needs more lesson time to practice.

3. E had hidden two geocaches recently and he loves getting notifications when someone finds them. This is a pretty wholesome activity.

Q

1. This is Q's first year on the real ski race team. Last year was more of an intro level and their only races were at our home hill and really just for fun. This year Q will have a couple of races with real results.  He's very excited.  

2. We also found a soccer league that he can join for the winter.  Like E, he wasn't happy about a Monday evening timeslot, but he had a great time!

3. Q is also continuing with his off-season baseball training. Dave ordered a baseball bat for him for Christmas and it may actually show up soon!! (Thanks Canada Post!)

Dave

1. The biggest news is that Dave started a new job on Monday and he needs to go into an office downtown three days a week. Dave has worked from home since 2008, so this is a big change for him! 

2. He also got new glasses. The ones he had were broken so it was time and the new ones look great! Bonus, he picked them out before the end of 2024 so we could put them through last year's work benefits!

3. Dave has only one golf trip planned for 2025 (so far!), Utah in May.  

Me

1. I'm thisclose to booking a plane ticket to Paris for the spring with some friends.  It will just be a few days but will be worth it no matter how long we are there.  I love planning a trip!

2. My cousin gave me a Stanley style cup for Christmas.  I like it but Dave thinks I look ridiculous because it's so big! We are those memes now!

3.  I also got some Sephora gift cards for Christmas that are burning a hole in my pocket.  I have some Ordinary products that I want to get.

Three Things

Three things going on with us right now:

Q

1. Q got some new shoes and they have laces.  He has been working very hard on tying his own shoes and is doing really well.  Another skill unlocked!

2. As he begins Grade 3 we know he has a ways to go to catch up with his peers on his reading level.  We have engaged a private tutor, which a couple of his friends go to as well, so I'm sure that will help.  And with soccer and baseball wrapping up, we will have more free time in the evenings to do more reading together. 

3. Q has perhaps his last game of tball tonight. The playoffs are double elimination and they have already lost once.  He has a great season and is looking forward to next year!

E

1. E is in Grade 8 this year, the last year at his school.  
2. I applied for E's passport renewal through the mail in mid-July and I still haven't received it, so now I've got a reminder on my phone every day to check the status.  Last year we renewed the kids' Nexus cards and that was pretty painless.
3. E is trying out for various baseball teams for next year.  I am proud of how he shows up for each tryout and does his best, even when he doesn't know anyone else there.  It would be great if he could make one of these more competitive teams to be more challenged next year, but if not, then golf it is!!

Dave and me

1. We have booked a long weekend trip New York City in November.  We have our flights and hotels booked, and I've already made three restaurant reservations.  I have an itinerary and now just need to plot it in my Google Doc, which is how I plan a trip.
2. We have adopted our usual "reset" habits for the month of September.  Eating well, not drinking, and exercising.  Summer is a bit of a free for all so it's time to rein it in a bit. 
3. We bought a new couch. The one in our back room was not suitable anymore.  We picked out a simple grey one from Crate and Barrel and it is being delivered today. 

Three Things

 Three things going on with us at the moment:

Q

1. Q got a new baseball glove for the new season and Dave has been helping him break it in. 

2. The Rubik Cube has made a resurgence in our house.  E learned to do it a few years ago, but now Q is learning (and Dave is remembering how to do it).There is also a Rubik Cube club for Q’s age group at school and he tries to attend when he can. 

3. All of the kids in Q’s ski team (the U8s) got an award at the end of the season, Q’s award was for “Speed” and “Team Spirit”. He was pretty pleased with those accolades. 

Dave

1. Dave is going to be Q’s t-ball coach this year.  I helped out last year, but Dave is taking on the head coach position.  He grew up playing baseball and worked as an umpire so I think he will enjoy it.

2. Speaking of golf, Dave is heading off soon to Scotland for a golf trip with 11 other guys from his club.  They will play at a few different courses around the St. Andrews area.  I got him a rain jacket for his birthday so now he’s picking out some rain pants to go with it. 

3. Our second car, the Santa Fe, wasn’t working earlier this week but Dave tinkered around and narrowed down to a couple of causes and is now working on the solution.  I always feel so fortunate that he likes to figure this stuff out and has the skills and tools to fix most things himself. 

E

1. Golf season is getting underway for E.  He will be a member of Dave’s golf club again this year, and he also got a membership to the Toronto city golf clubs so he can play with his school friends.  He already has a tee time booked for next week.  I think it’s a bit early for the city courses to be open, but whatever! 

2. He has joined the Strings music program after school.  He is learning cello and they have a concert coming up in this spring.  It’s such a great opportunity to learn a new instrument. 

3.  E is doing better at managing his schoolwork.  A few times he has stayed after school to make sure he gets his work done. 

Me

1.We got a new stove and I’m still getting used to the heat adjustments.  The burners are hotter than I’m used to so it always takes a bit of tweaking to get it to the right temperature.  And the muffins I made this weekend were a little darker than I would have liked. 

2. I have been enjoying doing the Globe and Mail crossword on most days.  With some internet connectivity in the subway now I can usually work on it on the way home if I’m not reading. 

3. I don’t speak Spanish which can mean communication with some of my colleagues is challenging, although most people speak pretty good English. I can do pretty well at a restaurant, like when I was in Lima last week.  I even successfully communicated that the white wine they had was too sweet and I wanted to exchange for something dry.  They didn’t have a dry white wine, but the red wine they brought me instead was just fine.  It went well with the pizza I had at Antica Pizzeria.  

Random Wednesday Things

Three things about each of us at the moment:

E

1. E got this sound machine/alarm clock for Christmas.  It has features for different coloured night lights and sounds for falling asleep.  E likes the fire crackling sound and uses it every night. 

2. E has had his phone for a few months and although he does like to play games on it as soon as we get in the car (which we are discouraging him from doing) he isn't as attached to it as I had feared.  It is very nice to be able to get in touch with him when we need to. 

3. He says he is improving each week with his skiing.  It's great to see him enjoy a sport and try at getting better.

Q 

1. As the younger brother, Q gets to do a few things that E had to wait to do.  For example, Q has been playing Zelda on the Nintendo Switch. He still needs some help reading the prompts, and beating some of the bad guys, but he is enjoying it. 

2.  When we went to Disney World in October we bought a Wicket stuffy, the Ewok from Return of the Jedi and Q has been especially attached to him lately.  He brings him in the car when we go to skiing and has used him as a pillow to nap on a few occasions.

3. He has had a few tests lately and this week we are helping him study geography, they need to know the continents and oceans. 

Me

1. I am a new convert to Athletic Greens or AG1 (which you will have heard of if you listen to any podcast!).  I got the starter kit for Christmas and am on the subscription plan.  It's supposed to give you more energy and I think I can say that after a month I do feel like I have more energy.  I am still tired at night time, but seem to get along well during the day.

2. I've also been putting collagen in my coffee since Christmas. I read it takes 8 to 12 weeks to notice a difference, so we'll see.  I started it because it seemed like the thing to do for a woman my age. And I just picked the same brand that my friend was taking.

3.  I saw Jamaal Magloire again yesterday.  He is a former Toronto Raptor (and Canadian!) and now he's one of their coaches.  Seriously I think I've seen him 3 times around my office downtown and when I went to Miami he was on our flight.  I see him more than I see actual friends of mine that work downtown. 

Dave

1. Dave is back on ski tuning duty.  Last year he bought all of the equipment so he could tune and wax our skis at home.  He picked up a few new tips at the workshop the ski club did last weekend.

2. He is gearing up for his first golf trip of the year next month. He's going to Miami which should be a nice treat for February. 

3. After being "project manager" for our renovation, he's now in procurement as he tracks orders for furniture and rugs. 

Three Things

Three things going on with each of us at the moment:

E

1. E's feet are officially bigger than mine.  We picked up a new pair of shoes for him and he is wearing a size 10! 

2. He is taking guitar lessons and is learning Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. 

3. He just got back from a two night trip with the grade 7s in his school.  It was less an educational trip and more just for fun, and he did have fun!

Q

1. It was Q's birthday last week and his birthday money was burning a hole in his pocket so we had to go to the store on Sunday to pick out a few things.  He got another Jurassic Park dinosaur, an Indiana Jones Lego set, and two stuffies.

2. He working on his baseball skills in the offseason at a weekly clinic and for the upcoming PA days.

3. He has been playing a baseball video game on the iPad.  Dave says that "at least he's learning more about baseball" while playing this game, I guess so?!

Dave and Me

Dave

1. The biggest news about Dave is that he started a new job a few weeks ago.  He's still in sales but for new company.  

2. After years of wearing Nike running shoes, he decided to try out Hoka.  He has done a couple of runs with them so far and he is liking them so far.

3. Although this golf season is still ongoing, he is looking ahead to next spring for a golf trip to Scotland he has planned.  He's going with a few guys from his golf club and the itinerary is set.

Me

1. I finally got a new backpack for work.  I have been using our hiking backpack from MEC for the past while and it was looking a little worn and not very professional.  When we were picking out a backpack for Q, I found a nice commuter style back from Herschel. You can see the one I picked out here.

2. I have a trip booked to South Beach and the Florida Keys for November. I am very excited to get away for a couple of days with friends. 

3. I haven't run for a long time, but I ran the other day with E and then went out on my own.  It really is great exercise and I'm hoping to get back out there on a regular basis.

Three Things

Three things happening with each of us at the moment:

Q

1. Q is very excited about playing ball hockey, t-ball, and soccer this summer.  He likes all of the sports and has a competitive side.

2. He is going to overnight camp for a week this summer.  We still help him out in the shower but I told him he needs to figure it out on his own for when he is at camp, the counsellors won't be able to help him there!

3. Q may be 6 years old, but he hangs in there with the big boys.  The other day he went over to our neighbour's house (who is E's age) when he got home from school and while E was at tutoring, then Q brought a couple of boys back to our house to play and E wasn't even home yet. 

E

1. E has started baseball for the year.  He will know a couple of kids from school and some that played on his team last year.  They are making up the teams this week so we'll see where it shakes out.

2. He likes the show Brainchild on Netflix and has been watching that lately. They have some clever things to teach the kids, and clever is right up E's alley.

3. He is back into playing Fortnite but now often calls his friends on the iPad so they can chat outside of the game.  I still am not a fan of video games, but I do like that he can play with his friends.

Dave

1. Dave is in Las Vegas this week for work.  Although these trips are always busy, he does have a few nice dinners planned.

2. He is one of the team captains for men's night at the golf club this summer.  They drafted their teams earlier this week and he is excited to get started. 

3. Dave has turned his attention to some of the design features for our renovation.  He has picked out a few things for the boys' rooms and (I think) even placed a couple of orders. 

Me

1. I have been doing a pretty good job of decluttering as we pack up in preparation for our reno.  It's a lot easier when you realize you have no desire to pack it up and then unpack it if it's something that is never used.  

2. I have found we are buying more packaged food lately, meaning things like frozen waffles, frozen fries, Kraft Dinner, etc.  It's a slippery slope, but it does make things easier on those busy nights.  

3. Our good friends are moving away this summer so I am planning a going away party for them for next month.  We will have it at a local private club and it's sort of a potluck.  As long as the weather is fine, it will be a pretty easy event to manage.

Three Things

Three things going on with us at this moment:

Q

1. Q has improved at skiing so much, and not just in his abilities on the slopes (using his poles, jumps, box jumps, nice turns) but also he can get his boots and skis on by himself, and he can get on and off the lift by himself.  It makes our day go so much more smoothly.

2. We are planning a trip to Disney and Universal and although Q is tall enough for all of the rides at Disney, there are a few that he is too short for at Universal.  We aren't going for several months so we told him he needs to grow a bit.  It's a good incentive to finish up his dinner!

3. We are still working on Q's reading in French and English.  It's slow going, but we're all trying!

E

1. E decided to do Valentine's at the last minute for everyone in his class, and it turned out he was the only one in his class that did them.  But he was pleased that he wrote them out for everyone, and although disappointed he didn't get any back, it was okay.  It's not like people brought Valentines for everyone else but him.

2. He has taken to reading the lyrics along with the songs on Spotify.  I used to try to memorize lyrics of songs all the time so it's nice to see him taking after me.

3. E had a great report card this week, he's been working hard, and although he still gets a "Satisfactory" for organization, his actual marks are good. 

Dave and Me

1. We are going skiing today by ourselves.  I was invited to a ski day through work and I was allowed to bring a guest.  The kids will be at school so it's fairly easy for us to get away.  We get to try a a new ski hill so it should be fun.

2. Dave gets to go to California for a trip later this spring and I get to tag along, so we are planning that. 

3. And speaking of planning, we need to start putting together some real ideas for our house renovation. We have the construction plans, but there are of course many details for tile, flooring, paint, etc. that we will need to consider.  It's not our first time renovating a space, but this is the largest project to do all at once. 

Three Things

Three things going on with each of us at the moment:

Q

1. Q enjoyed the online art classes last year and this year they are back in person at the school, so he's signed up for the fall term and he will do them on Tuesdays at lunchtime.

2. He is also signed up for skating lessons.  He did a very brief intro to skating in the spring where he greatly improved on the skating we had done throughout the winter on the outdoor rinks.  This is for the full season and he has a couple of friend is his session. 

3. Q started out the summer a little nervous about going downhill on his bike, but he got comfortable with it and can do pavement or gravel hills. I see some fall bike rides in our future.

E

1. E lost a tooth this week, a molar, with the new one right there to come in.  The Tooth Fairy is on double duty in this house now as Q will be getting more loose teeth soon too.

2. His teacher suggested he get a wipeable wall calendar (which I will say I had already thought of as being a good idea, but nice to know it is sanctioned by the teacher) so he can keep track of all of the things. 

3. E's baseball team is in the Championship game this weekend against the team they played last week when they had rallied from being down 4-0 in the last inning, so it will be a good rematch.  Go Green Beans!

Dave

1. Dave's year end is coming up on September 30. If you are in sales or are married to someone who is, you know year end is a time for a roller coaster of emotions. 

2. Although the summer golf season, including men's night is over, Dave is hoping to get a few more rounds in before the club closes. He's hoping to take the boys out tonight.

3. He's also signed up to curl this winter.  We love watching curling but have not really had much opportunity to play, so I know he will enjoy it.

Me

1. The biggest news for me is that I have Invisalign now.  I got them on Monday so it's only been a couple of days, but it is definitely an adjustment.  I find them difficult to take out to eat so once they are back in that's it, no snacking.  I can drink coffee with them in, thankfully :)

2. I have some work trips coming up that I am excited about - back to Miami next week and then in a couple of weeks after that I'm going to Timmins (speaking of Timmins, I recommend the Shania Twain documentary on Netflix). 

3.  A couple of weeks ago I went to the dermatologist for a skin check, and I asked them to specifically check a mark on my face that I was concerned about.  She said it could be an age spot, sun damage, or basal cells (skin cancer) and to be safe she removed it and sent it for a biopsy.  They phoned yesterday to say it was just sun damage, but it was nice to know. 

Three Things

Three things going on with each of us at the moment:

Q

1. Q started French Immersion this year but he thinks he's learning Spanish.  If he hears something in French he will say "That's Spanish" and I try to correct him that it's French but he insists it's Spanish. 

2. Sometimes after we read him a story at bedtime he wants to keep playing with his toys for a few minutes. So I will leave him with the light on and then he turns out his light himself after a bit so I feel like I can trust to him not to stay up too late.

3. Q is good at getting his own breakfast including pouring the milk for his cereal from the 2L carton (to be honest, I barely trust E to pour milk).  The other day he had everything ready and then was looking the fridge and said "is there any melon left?".  There wasn't but glad he was trying for a full breakfast. 

E

1. E is walking to and from school now.  Sometimes alone, sometimes with friends.  I was never concerned with safety or getting lost but I thought he would dawdle on the way and not make it in time for the school bell.  But we got him a watch and that has worked well.  I like that he has some independence, more physical activity, and the opportunity to socialize with different kids.

2. Since he has extra time each day (instead of being at the YMCA before and after school) then he has time to read (he's reading Harry Potter now) and practice his piano.  

3. All Toronto Grade 5 students were given their own Chrome Book laptop this year.  They get to use it in the classroom sometimes and then use it at home for homework.  

Dave

1. Dave had a successful year at work, his first year as a manager of a sales team.  Their year end was September 30 so although there was no in-person meeting in Florida this time, they did hand out the accolades on Teams/Zoom last week.

2. When the extension on our house was completed the people who did it didn't bother to paint some of the outside woodwork around the windows.  That meant it was rotting away.  A couple of weeks ago, Dave ripped off the rotted wood and replaced it.  It looks so much better.

(he also had some helpers! - not to worry, this part of the roof is only one storey up, not that steep, and Q was well supervised.)

3.  He is getting some fall golf in.  He bought some waterproof gloves and a new jacket.  We have had warm temperatures so far but it looks like it's getting cooler this week.  Hopefully he can get a few more rounds in before the snow flies and the course is closed. 

Me

1. I am trying out new classes on Peloton (barre and pilates) and I want to try a bootcamp next. 

2. I finally opened my bottle of Veuve Cliquot that I got for my birthday.  It was so delicious, what a nice treat!

3. I have a work trip to Timmins booked for the first week of November. At first I was sort of like, "oh great, a work trip, not fun", and then I remembered it means a hotel room all to myself! Not that I don't love my family but it will be nice to be actually by myself for the first time since January 2020 (which incidentally was my last trip to Timmins). Whee!

Three Things

 Three things going on with each of us at the moment...

Q

1. Q has been waking up with a dry pull-up lately, so I think it will be time to start the overnight potty training again.   Last time was not successful but hopefully this one will be better.  

2. He has done well learning how to skate, even with using a chair to push in front of him.  We are going skiing on Saturday so I'm hoping he will be equally enthusiastic about that.  He tells me he "likes cold" so that's a good quality here in Ontario.

3. Q is getting taller, not that he's grown a lot, but you can tell his legs are lengthening out, and some of his pants won't last that much longer. 

E

1. E got a night guard for his lower teeth last week. He hasn't worn it overnight yet, he's supposed to get used to it by wearing it in the evening after supper. 

2. E is watching the old X-Men series on Disney Plus.  This is something Dave would have watched as a child so the animation is a little rudimentary, but E is enjoying it.

3. The kids wrote out a Valentine's card for me this weekend and I was so impressed with E's printing.  He has really improved over the past year and I made sure to tell him how proud I am of him.

Dave

1. I bought Earthy Andy's cookbook (Plants Over Processed) but it has been Dave using it the most.  He was intrigued by the smoothie bowl recipes and has made several for us.

2. He joined the crew that maintains the local community skating rink.  It's a good way to get outside and meet a few people in the neighbourhood.  Standing around in the cold talking to strangers is not my cup of tea but it's right up Dave's alley.

3. Dave always tries to pile up the snow in the front corner of our front yard so the kids can make a fort.  Tuesday's snowfall produced the biggest pile yet, and with more expected tomorrow, the fort should be epic.

Me

1. I joined a committee at church to discuss the direction of where our church is going and how we can encourage more attendance, not just for Sunday services but for other activities that our church offers.  It has been very interesting so far and I will write more about it in the next few weeks.  

2. When I come in from outside, even though our house is warm, my clothes seem to keep the cold and it's hard to warm up.  I'm sure most of you know this, but the tip for getting warm is to change every item of clothing, even your underwear and socks.  Then you'll get warm and I find nothing else works.  I remember doing this when we hiked in Peru after our second day when we were wet and cold.  I tried warming up in our tent but it wasn't until I changed all of my clothes did I feel better. 

3. I love sarcastic/bitter New Yorkers and Fran Lebowitz is my new favourite one.  There is a show on Netflix called "Pretend It's a City" and it's just great.  It also makes me want to go to New York as my first international trip when we can all travel again. 

Three Things

 Three things going on with each of us at the moment:

Q

1.  Q has been potty trained for awhile, but he was still wearing a diaper to bed.  I remember when we took E out of diapers overnight, he was able to make the change right away, even getting up in the middle of the night to pee. Well for Q it has not been like that.  He has woken up for five nights in a row with a wet bed.  So I think we will go back to diapers or pull-ups for now and try again another time. 

2. We have a handful of Halloween books and Q is loving them.  He has brought them all downstairs and wants to read all of them before school everyday.  We usually have time to get through them so I don't mind too much.

3. He also got a Monopoly game (a Nintendo version and a bit simpler than regular Monopoly) for his birthday that is for ages 8 and up but he's figured it out.  It's great for numbers and counting too.  

E 

1. His Covid test came back negative but he still needs to isolate from school for another week and a half.  He doesn't mind too much but it does mean he misses being at school for his birthday.

2. In Science they are learning about rocks and E has loved this unit.  He has been breaking apart rocks in the backyard with a small sledgehammer all weekend.  He has even found a couple of fossils.

3. The lunchtime art class that he participated in at school is being offered online this year.  He had his first class on Thursday after school.  The teacher dropped off the materials to our house and all he needed of his own was the brushes.  He joins the Zoom call with the other students and the teacher guides them through the painting.  He has three other classes and it's definitely worth it. 

Dave and Me

1. We have been checking things off our to-do lists - I got my engagement ring fixed (the prongs were moved and I was afraid I'd lose the diamond) and we had quotes done for some windows and tuckpointing (brick work).

2.  Dave had a successful year at work again this year and exceeded his quota.  And I had a successful week and settled a few contracts with clients. 

3. Our workout schedules have been off lately - I hurt my back and have been taking a break while getting treatment from the chiropractor, and Dave's bike trainer broke and he's waiting for parts to be shipped from England.  This week we are both hoping to get back at it in some capacity. 

Three Things

Three things going on with us at the moment:

E

1. I wrote about E's school work on Monday.  I have noticed he really enjoys the music assignments so I wonder if I should get him into playing an instrument.  He has never really shown an interest in our piano, but he may like something else.  He did say he misses playing his recorder at school (thankfully he didn't bring it home with him before the quarantine started).

2. Dave printed off a bunch of Sodoku puzzles and E works on them throughout the week.  When he completes one, Dave tapes it up on the cupboards. 

3. We put in a swing on the treehouse a couple of years ago and E has been enjoying it so much.  He is the only one who can use it for now (it's too tipsy for Q), and that's good because I don't think he really wants to share it yet. 

Q

1. Q is all registered for Junior Kindergarten for September.  He is excited about going to E's school.  We have tried getting him to practice writing his name, he can do the Q but not much else consistently.  I told him he will have to write his name on everything when he gets to school but he doesn't believe me.

2. Q has quite the temper, which is really just a three year old who can't control or understand his emotions.  It usually comes with some biting, hitting and scratching and poor E takes the brunt since he doesn't want to fight back.  I have noticed it is happening less and less and we do have our strategies for helping him calm down.

3. He can get his own cereal now and is actually pretty good at pouring it and the milk.  It also means he eats about 3 bowls a day but Cheerios are pretty harmless. 

Dave

1. Dave is always working on the lawn and he has already done the grass seed and will probably do it again soon.  The people two doors down just got their front grass replaced with fresh sod even though it looks pretty good.  Dave felt like they were opening mocking him. 

2. Dave makes our pizza dough every week and this week he made some cinnamon buns.  I have him slated for foccaia bread next.  I am not good with yeast but he has discovered this new skill.  

3. Dave got the NBA Jam game for the Nintendo Switch and that, along with watching The Last Dance on Netflix, has brought him back to his early basketball days.

Me

1. I am not a gardener but I did do our herbs this week and we also picked up some baskets for our front.  It did not feel very summery at the garden centre, but hopefully the weather will take a turn this week. 

2. I tidied up both kids' drawers, removed the clothes that were too small, and folded everything Marie Kondo style again. It is so nice to see everything and makes it easier to put things away.  My drawers have been like that for awhile and I love it.  I also moved up my summer clothes *fingers crossed*.

3. I was mourning the loss of Jerry Stiller this week, aka Frank Costanza.  This is my favourite bit from him:

Three Things

Three things going on with each of us at the moment:

Q (3 years old)

1. Q's new clapback line is "You're not my best friend!! Dad/Mom is my best friend"! (insert whomever he is not mad at). He says this about his friends at school too.  If you do something to make him mad (i.e. tell him to go to bed), then he will cut you from his best friend list. 

2.  However, he is quite polite.  He is very good at saying "please", "thank you", and "sorry".  And he also knows how to clear his plate from the table, scrape the leftover food into the organics bin, and put it in the dishwasher.   

3.  He has been skiing since January and likes it! He had a very successful day yesterday, most likely due to the warmer temperatures.  Last week he didn't like it as much and complained about being cold.

E (8 years old, Grade 3)

1. E finished his first chapter book this week, a Hardy Boys book.  He has read plenty of Dog Man books but I don't really count that as a novel.  He said he had the mystery solved before they did!

2. He is enjoying the Nintendo Switch we got for Christmas, and he even plays with Q, which is nice since Q doesn't really know what he is doing. 

3. He is doing much better at swimming this session and got some good goggles to help with diving to the bottom.  I don't get to see him swim since Dave takes him to the lessons, but I'm hearing good reports. 

Dave

1. Like most basketball fans, Dave was pretty devastated by the news of Kobe's death yesterday.  It's sad anytime someone dies, but this was so tragic.  It's crazy that everyone was just talking about Kobe this weekend with LeBron beating his record, and then this.

2. I should say Dave is also enjoying the Nintendo and playing with E.  He has more patience to play all of the games with him, whereas I just want to play regular Mario Kart.

3. I know I brag about him often, but one more thing to add to the list. Every week he gets all of our skiing stuff ready to go and I never have to worry if we have everything.  

Me

1. Since I got my haircut the last time (November), I have really cut down on using my flat iron.  The hairdresser said how much it damages my hair (I mean, I know that, but didn't really worry about it).  But then I realized it doesn't make much of a difference, and if I blow dry it properly it looks almost the same. Ironically using it to get rid of the flyaway hairs causes breakage and more flyaways.

2. I am working in Timmins this week which should be good.  I don't mind going up there every once in awhile and I'm looking forward to the solo airplane ride and hotel room. 

3. You know you're getting older when one of the things about you is that your shoulder hurts, haha.  I ice it every once in awhile and try not to carry too much.  I may try to get a physio appointment to see if I can do anything with it, but it doesn't bother me too much.