Now for fun!

Mimi: "But the boys kept waking me up, so I HAD to play!" (after getting in trouble from Da b/c she and the boys were NOT sleeping):

George: |"There's that noodle dog again." (Meaning the golden doodle dog we saw yesterday!)

Natan: "Well done!Well done!" (his "phrase-of-the-day")

Vinny: "Cheese!" and pose...whenever the camera comes out!

Heading to Tim's for biscuits then shopping...beach again tonight.
Scottish Highland festival tomorrow!!!! Haggis, anyone?????!!!!!!

Stupid Toronto Union

So...Canada Day is rapidly approaching (July 1) and the Toronto city workers are on strike. Garbage is not being collected. Instead, temporary dump sites have been set up throughout the city--parks of all places! The union workers (who are paid VERY well and have great benefits) are demanding higher pay and more benefits.
Now, as you probably know, I lean toward a very Socialist ideal.
HOWEVER...I have been to developing nations. I have seen the work conditions. People in Toronto should be thankful they are employed and are compensated well for their work. Should I dare mention that these workers have high school educations?? Not that there's anything wrong with that, but...I have Master's degree. If I want to work, I will earn more because I have earned it!
I am trying to convince Jason to take a road trip with a load of garbage to dump in front of the picketers, but he is not game. Mimi is...maybe I'll take her!
So, avoid Toronto! What was once a gorgeous city is turning into a garbage slum at the hands of the unions.
This is both a pro and a con to moving back to Canada. I am not in favor of unions, but I would like to part of the solution.

Eh??!!

Having a BLAST!
Left McD. at 2:30 Sunday afternoon...arrive Cobourg, Ontario at 10:00 a.m. Enjoyed a Tim's and ate breakfast at the park since Nana was out when we arrived--note to self: get a house key!!!!!
Mum left right away for a dentist appt. Within minutes of us arriving, Mum leaving, George somehow set the house alarm so as soon as we opened the front door, the house was filled with a screaming siren and automated female voice announcing there was a "South Door" open. It went on for a good twenty minutes. The security company called, but with the siren bleating and George standing in front of me crying, 'I WANT TO GO HOME!!!!!!" she couldn't hear me. I called the dentist's office finally and got the code from mum who said, "I THINK that's it!!!"
So, we have likely already over stayed our welcome, but man, are we having fun!!!!
Had a birthday dinner for Nana (which she cooked!) and then headed to the beach for fun in the "water fing" which is the playground of water spraying thingys! Woo Hoo!!!!!!!
Off to Auntie Gail's today to see Heather and Uncle Biff before Heather downloads the baby!!
Anonymous: I brought a forzen section of your cake for thebirthday dinner...LOVED by all!!!! Mimi and George loved finding out those cakes belong to their beloved Celeste!!!!! Thanks!

All our bages are packed, we're ready to go!

Car cleaned and packed...
House cleaned and ready...
Blackberries picked and packed and ready to go into Nana's pie...
Suitcases, etc. packed and loaded...
Last load of laundry drying...
Kids sleeping...
Two very tired parents vegging...
Leaving tomorrow afternoon...
And...I only made three lists!
Here we come, Nana!!!!!!!!

Ahhh....

All our kids are having fun this week at "camp"--even Vinny is happy since he is with his Maggie! Except for the mysterious red thing in George's nether regions, there haven't been any glitches (to my knowledge!).

Successful outcome at the dermatologist for Natan and me today, and we only waited 45 minutes in the waiting room, then another 30 minutes in the exam room and only saw the PA for about five minutes...

Got everything planted that needed to be planted...

Every time we leave the house, the kids think we're "going to Nana's!" They are so excited but then so bummed when we end up at church or Wal Mart!!!!!

Night swim with the kiddos to cool off before a way too late bedtime...

Anonymous, if you're reading this...THANK YOU for making this such a fabulous week for our kids, and also THANKS for your cake today--I haven't snacked all week, but I did today!!!!!!!

So you think you can dance!

Mimi & George performed in their spring dance recital on Saturday! Their teacher, Miss Beverly, is super sweet to the kids and understands their age and all that comes with being this age, which is the entire reason both kids actually moved on the stage this year--they had a blast!
Here is the video...pics posted in "Family Pictures":
dance

We had the talk with George about dance after an older boy pitched an awful fit on stage at the recital (not dress rehearsal). George is a great sport about people picking on him and being able to brush it off. He understands that people who pick on you are "just idiots." A couple of lines I've taught him to say in response to kids who may tease him about dance:
"On the football field, guys are surrounded by other guys in tights...on the dance floor I'm surrounded by girls in tights with no underwear!"
"It's all about the chicks and the tights..."
Feel free to add more!

George-isms

George, as I was pushing Natan and him in the cart while shopping:
"Are you going to have another baby in your tummy, Mommy?"
"I don't know--why? Do you want another baby?"
"Yeah...I want more Vincentses!" (the plural for Vincent--I don't think there's a dictionary spelling for that!)
Of course, the next thing out his mouth was to ask to go see the live lobsters! I guess I won't read too much into the musings of George!

Mimi-isms...

In the dressing room at the GAP store:
Mimi tried on a halter top but I didn't tie it tightly enough at first. She looked at herself in the mirror and exclaimed rather loudly: "Mama...everyone can see my boobies!"
I heard a woman next to us laughing. And the problem has been fixed.

Mimi on Sunday morning, after being woken up (again!) by George:
"I want to move to a quiet house so I can sleep in."

June is busting out all over!

We all survived the trip home for my Dad's funeral.
Observations on said funeral:
Mum had a picture of Dad in the living room from many moons ago--looking the way we all remember him. Mimi and George couldn't say who it was in the picture. Natan, however, took one look and said, "Papa." Then, before the funeral started and people were gathering and milling about, Natan walked up to the closed casket in the church, touched it and said, "That's my Papa."

George insisted on sleeping with Dad's "bio" which had a photo on the front. Even woke up in the night frantically searching for it.

I took Mimi and George to view Dad before his casket was closed. They were not afraid of him, lying there, looking very unlike how I will remember him, and how I will hep them remember him. They asked if they could touch Papa. Mimi wanted to know if it would wake him up. I think she hoped it would, rather than feared it would...

George fell fast asleep at the beginning of what was a fabulous funeral service, and Mimi squeezed my hand the entire time.

I'm glad we took all the kids...my Dad would have loved them to bits.