Weekend Recap

Summer is quickly coming to a close, and that was evident this past Friday when we had some cool temperatures.  

Q was off to camp, he had a special headband he was excited to wear.

E and I walked up the street at lunchtime to pick up a few things, including some lunch. We decided on some Pizzaiolo slices.

When I picked up Q from camp, he showed me the turtle they had found that day.

Q had a call-up t-ball game at 6:00.  He played well but it was so cold! I was wearing a sweatshirt and sweatpants and I was still cold.  That's what I meant by knowing that fall will be here soon.  After the game we went over to our neighbours for the weekly hang out.  It was one of the kid's birthday so we had cake.

I went outside to enjoy my breakfast but this prehistoric looking bug was taking up half the table

Q had another tball game, this time with his instructional league team. I was head coach for the day and E was in the dugout.

The boys went to a birthday party (same kid that we had celebrated with cake the night before) that was also a sleepover, so we were kid free for the night. Our neighbours invited us to the Royal Canadian Yacht Club for dinner.  It's on the Toronto Islands so you need to take a boat to get there. All part of the fun. 

We had a very nice meal, and then walked around the club.

Sunday was full of baseball again.  E's game at noon and then another call-up game for Q at 5:00. 

Dave and I had dinner with friends at the golf club, and it was a lovely night on the patio, but I forgot to get any photos!!

Friday Favourites

 

Hi Friends! Here are a few favourite things from my week (without any supporting photos unfortunately).

Microwave Popcorn - we used to eat a lot of popcorn but kind of got out of the habit.  My mom had brought a couple of bags of microwave popcorn with her the last time we were here, so I got them out this week to enjoy (since we were out of chips).  It really is a great snack.

Little League games - There are always little league games happening at High Park and we are there at least twice a week for soccer and t-ball so we often head over to the baseball diamond to watch whatever game is on.  We often know one or two players on the teams, and it's a great way to get more outdoor time in the summer. 

Happy Hour - We took the kids to the tutoring place for a pre-school year assessment this Wednesday.  The assessment was about an hour, so Dave and I went down to Shakey's and shared a $10 pitcher and half price appetizer on their patio.

"Throw Your Arms Around Me" by Neil Finn and Eddie Vedder - This song was on an episode of The Bear we watched this week.  I had completely forgotten about this song but I know I used to listen to it in university, but I can't remember if it was on a mixed CD I had made or if Steve Bowers (our favourite local band back then) used to sing it in his shows.  It is such a great song. 

For some of you, you will be starting up the practice of packing school lunches, for me, the lunch packing never stopped (except when the kids were at Muskoka Woods).  That said, I feel like I need to be re-inspired for this upcoming school year.  I came across these posts so I took a screen shot.  I'm also hoping to encourage E to start packing his own lunch (he'll be in Grade 7) so this may help him too.

And once again forest fires are in the news, this time in Yellowknife and Kelowna.  Hoping this fire season is over soon and grateful for our firefighters and military who are helping to contain the fires as much as possible.

Linking up with Andrea and Erika

Renovation Update

A little reno update for those of you who are interested.  We have made some good progress since July's Update. 

First all of the framing has been done.  Our house had the original plaster and lathe that was removed, and now we will have actual walls with two by fours, drywall, and insulation (that's right, we didn't have insulation in most of our house).  Our old radiators will also be replaced with more streamlined versions, but we are keeping the hot water heat.  We will install a natural gas fireplace in the living room. 

Our new closet in our room is framed in.

Last week our roof was opened up in order to build on the extension. It was open for a total of four days, three nights, but we didn't have any big rainstorms, thank goodness! This was the humongous tarp they used to cover it up at night.  

Looking up from the inside. 

Next day, the floor was installed.

And then the walls. A view from the backyard.

Closed in with roof, not airtight, but safe from water.  Temporary shingles were installed last Friday, and then the tarp could come down.  We were so pleased that we didn't have a big storm and the workers were super-efficient at getting this work done, lots of people on site for these four days.

Break on through to the other side...This was the back wall of the house and now the doorway to Q's new room.  He will have a couple of steps up from the hallway into his room.  We did that so we could keep some of the height in the ceiling on the main floor and avoid having to change out the existing windows across the back of the house.

The window to the bathroom will be moved to the side of the house.

Next up is electrical, HVAC (central air conditioning, new PEX piping for the radiators), and plumbing.  A few decisions to make for the bathroom vanities, tiles, and sconces (which first autocorrected to scones! I'd rather pick out scones than sconces, haha, blueberry please.).

We seem to be on track, and living in the basement continues to go well.  

Media Wednesday

A few media things I'm enjoying right now:

Streaming TV - And Just Like That, Succession, The Bear

Network TV - Amazing Race Canada, anything on the Magnolia Network, Blue Jays baseball

YouTube - Velux Skylight videos, "These are the Daves I Know" song from Kids in the Hall (shout out to Natasha and Dara!), Sesame Street's version of "Regulate" by Warren G and Nate Dogg, Jose Bautista Bat Flip replays

Library Books on Hold - The Beguiling by Zsuzsi Gartner (and it's in so I'm picking it up today!), Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, and When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill

Podcasts - Kristen Bell on Armchair Expert, What Lahaina Lost in Hawaii's Wildfires on The Daily, A Few Good Men on The Rewatchables

News Stories - Lahaina wildfires, Trump's indictment, Michael Oher's claim against the Tuohy family

(a note about Maui - I went there as a tourist, as many of us have, but I am mindful of the real people that live there and have lost their homes.  It's not just the place to get the best shaved ice, it's an important historical place for Hawaiians. The tourists have somewhere else to go, the people of Lahaina don't.)

Music Playlists - Chris Stapleton Radio, 90s Rock Anthems, 90s Hip Hop

Peloton Workouts - Hip Hop Tour: The South Ride with Denis Morton

Pinterest Pins - Herringbone tile entryways, Miami trip tips, one pot meals

Are you enjoying any of these things too?  What's on your "feed" lately?

Weekend Recap

 

On Friday, I went into the office so I could meet my former boss for lunch.  

When I got home, I took Q to the High Park pool for a swim.  Dave and E were golfing with one of E’s friends and his dad.  I love going to the pool.

Then after we had a quick supper, we went to our neighbours’ for our weekly hang out.  Q was enjoying a ginger ale in a glass bottle.

Dave and E met us there after golf but we tried to keep it an early night.

We had a small thunderstorm run through right at the time Q’s t-ball game was supposed to start so that meant the league canceled the game.  But it cleared up around noon so instead the boys went down to the baseball diamond by the river and practiced.  I went to the grocery store. When I was just leaving, Dave texted to ask me to bring them a drink, I took this photo to ask what they would like.

The boys went over to play with the neighbours when we got back, and Dave set up the Blue Jays game on the iPad.

Some neighbours came over to join us so Dave got out the projector and screen so we could better watch the game.  Then we put a movie on while we cooked and ate supper.

Dave golfed on Sunday morning.  I watched some TV, did a workout, and cleaned the bathroom. Then I got the boys out the door - Q was going to a birthday party and E had a baseball game.

The birthday party was a paint splatter party so Q came home like this!

We finally got Q into a real t-ball game as a call up.  (He plays in the instructional league usually but the t-ball league needs extra players sometimes so they will call up the instructional league players.) The other times we tried to get him into a “big” game, the games were canceled, so this was his first one.  He did very well and the coaches were impressed.

We decided to stop in at The Dark Horse on the way home for supper, instead of cooking the food I had bought the day before. 

Another great summer weekend!