One day I woke up five years later

It looks like it has been about five years since my last post. So nothing much has changed......yeah right! 

My little artist

Not bad for a nine year old:)

The Adventures And Folleys Of The SAHD

I was a guest cook in my 6 year old's grade 1 class today. Me and 2 moms helped make spiders out of Ritz Crackers, peanut butter, chinese noodles and raisins. We got the kids to smear the peanut butter on one cracker then they put noodles around to be the legs, some had more legs than others. The other cracker went on top and the raisins were lightly blobbed with peanut butter and stuck on top for eyes. I thought the raisins would be dead flies but that was not the case. I had fun, I wore an apron that my grandpa leaves at my house for when we make sausage. It has the phrase "Lets get this show on the road!" The kids liked it.

After wards I came back home to pick up the table that I brought home to repair from the preschool. It had lost a leg, cheap IKEA junk. I farmerized it by drilling a hole through the leg and mounting it to the tabletop with a bolt. This was much simpler and more sturdy than the  way it originally was put together. I picked up the 2 year old from Grandma's place before going to get the four year old from preschool. Grandma is the only one who can get him to put on his socks and shoes so it was nice to be able to take him to the prescjool to get his sister fully clothed and shoed.

One of the most popular sayings around our house when we make mistakes is "AWWW MAN!" or another one is "AWWWW NUTS!". Jessie dropped something when she got into the van today and said "AWWW MAN!" and I followed with "AWWW NUTS!" and then she decided to put the two phrases together and blurted out "AWWWW MAN NUTS!"

The Adventures And Folleys Of The SAHD

I have once again taken on the role of Full time Stay At Home Dad since my wife has gone back to work full time. I was talking to a friend about it the other evening over coffee. He wanted to know how I am coping. I told him that I thought I would hate it but I am actually really enjoying it. He made the insightful observation that when he is at home with the kids (he has 6 and I have 4) things go well as long as he isn't trying to do his stuff while looking after them. That is so true. Because it is the number one task at hand, I can relax because I don't have anything else that I should be doing. Except there are situations that I find myself in from time to time like the one I find myself in as I blog this entry. A thought for a blog post came to me and I wanted to write about it before I lost it but of coarse my four year old is hovering around waiting for me to get off of the computer so we can go downstairs and play. There are always times like this that occur throughout the week, but in the bigger picture I am putting the child minding first on the priority list and the "me" projects behind it. So far this is a good job.

The dog has been stinking so bad lately because she rolled in something rotten. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore so I gave her a bath. I put my swimming trunks on because I new that I'd be getting wet. Well as soon as my four year old saw me in my trunks she began begging to go swimming. Since apart from bathing the dog I really had no other obligations today I gave in and got out the swimming bag. I thought I was being diligent in my packing efforts. I had the four year old put her swimsuit on under her clothes and put a fresh pair of underwear in the bag by herself. I packed the towels and made sure I had change for the locker. I dropped the two year old off with Grandma and headed off to the pool. Once in the change room I discovered that I had not brought pants along for myself. I had worn my trunks to the pool but unlike my daughter I did not put pants on over them. I wasn't about to go home and it is remarkably warm out today for November so I decided that I would just go home in my wet trunks afterward and that is what I did. I always bribe the kids with a quarter to put in the candy machine after swimming, it is the only way I can get any of them out of the pool. So I was changing my daughter when I realized that she had put her bathing suit over her underwear but at least she did bring another pair. She got her candy and we came home for lunch. All of this to say that there is a lot to remember when caring for one child let alone four! I told my wife in a somewhat despairing tone that I am having a hard time trying to keep up. She smiled. She on the other hand has also had moments of despair about not being at home with the kids. It is an adjustment, but for the most part we are having a good time. A neat thing about this swimming trip is that I am almost certain it was the first time that I have gone swimming alone with my four year old. Being one of four kids she doesn't get the one on one time very often.

The Hidden Mickey

One of the things that our family likes to do when visiting Disneyland is to search for Hidden Mickeys around the park. Hidden Mickeys are subtle silhouettes of Mickey Mouse' head that can be found in the intricate details of the finishes throughout the theme parks. Our 4 year old has now caught on and thinks that she finds Hidden Mickeys all over the place. The other afternoon after disappearing to the bathroom, she called out "Mommy! I found a Hidden Mickey in the toilet!" after looking at each other and smirking, my wife and I went to check out this Hidden Mickey and sure enough our 4 year old was right. She had managed to squeeze out a little round head with two round ears! Gross I know, but very impressive. I thought about taking a photo but I didn't. My 2 year old wanted to check out the Mickey Mouse in the toilet because he too has caught the Disney bug and though he can't say many words he can say Mouse when referring to Mickey. And so it was he waved and said "bye mouse" as Mickey's head swirled away.

1/2 Way to New Years Day

Soooo how are those New Years Resolutions coming along? Luckily for me I set the bar pretty low this year. I did have big intentions of losing some weight but well.

Hamburgers are the best food in the whole world! They are so tasty and good. The textures, the blends of flavour oh I love hamburgers.

Terrible

My 1.9726 year old is getting a jump start on the terrible twos. He just spilled red Slurpee on the living room rug, which is not red. He also turned the electric fireplace on full heat. I knew our house gets hot in the summer but it was really hot in the living room tonight!

His sisters never did anything like that.

SAHD But Not Sad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stay-at-home_dad
It's been just over two weeks since I was unexpectedely laid off from my job. My good wife acted quickly and was able to start taking more shifts from her On Call job. I am waiting for my employment insurance benefits to kick in and actively looking for another career. But in the mean time I have taken on the role of the House Parent. I would be lying if I were to say that it hasn't been challenging. There has been a fair bit of pride for me to swallow. I want to be the provider, the hunter, the "man". But it has some good things about it too. I am connecting more with my kids. I am getting more done around the yard and in the house. But most importantly I have given everything up to God. He is in control of what happens from day to day. I am not the one at the wheel. He may let me try to steer sometimes but he takes over when I head towards the ditch.

Feline Supremacy

I don't hate cats, I actually respect them. But I don't really connect with them. Maybe it's because they make me feel like this is their world and they are just tolerating me a mere human. With dogs I feel more masterful. I get respect from my dog.
There is a cat at the neighborhood video store who is the perfect example of a "Feline Supremist". He is this big Orange Tabby named Martin after the infamous Filmmaker Martin Scorsese. When I say big I mean he must be a 30 pounder and you can't miss him. His basket is set up in the front window so that he can keep an I on the patrons as they enter and leave the premises. When Martin walks around the video store you know that he knows it is his territory. He has this heir about him that is so convincing, so powerful that if you for some reason couldn't see that he is a cat, You would have no doubt in your mind that he was the owner of the store.
There was a kitten at the same store for a time. He was grey and his name was Kirk. He is no longer there. I assume that perhaps he was hired on as a personal assistant to Martin and he was either let go or he just couldn't take the pressure of working for the big guy.
I often walk my dog to the video store. I have to tie her up to a pole outside the front door. She whines, whimpers and yelps the entire time I am in the store until I return. I am Master.

The Blind Side

Have you ever been blindsided? I was yesterday when I lost my job. I didn't see that one coming. It was a good job too. My coworkers were great, I wasn't confined to my desk, I met a lot of unique people, I had a company car, laptop and cell phone. But even just last week I confided in my wife that there have only been two places that I have worked at in the last 20 years where I felt confident that I was using my gifts and truly making a difference. Those places were Wagner Hills Farm Society, a recovery center for men with addictions and MCC SCS now Communitas Supportive Care, a NPO dedicated to supporting people with disabilities. Everything else has ultimately given me no fulfillment or purpose. I have learned a lot though. Especially in this last job. I have been mentored by a great visionary and entrepreneur and my imediate superior taught me the importance of good communication and attention to detail. I have picked up some very valuable tools to use in any future endevor. I have also learned that I have been trying for too long to put a square in a round hole (as my good friend James put it). I know where my gifts lay and that God wants me to use them for him. Thanks y'all for the supportive encouragement that I have been receiving. I am unusually at peace knowing that God has something just right in store for me and that my family will be supported.

What's Your Normal?

I meet a lot of strangers throughout my work week and because of the nature of my job I get to enter their homes and I get to see their "Normal". Guess what, there are a lot of crazy people out there. At least that is what I thought at first, but as time goes on and I visit more and more people in their homes I realize that there can't possibly be that many crazies roaming about freely. I accept people the way they are now.
We all have quirks that make us different from one another. Our families and friends all adjust to our quirks and we adjust to theirs and soon the quirks are forgotten altogether. That is what normal is. So the muslim woman who insisted on feeding me a meal after I measured her bathroom was normal. The man who could only afford to live in a small condo with his family yet spent thousands of dollars on fixing  his cat's broken leg 4 times only to finally have it amputate was normal. The lesbian couple who couldn't decide on products and called me at 10PM on a Sunday to tell me that they were coming to the stoe the next morning and spent 8 hours looking before deciding were a bit neurotic certainly, but completely normal. I wonder what strangers think of me when they catch a glimpse of my normal.

Vacation Time

I love vacations. I live for them. My wife and I have made vacationing a high priority and we put a high value on it. We are on vacation right now and we took the kids out of school to do it. I even took unpaid time off to do it. We go even when it would seem like it doesn't make sense because guess what. It never will make sense to pick up and go, take the kids out of school, disrupt the routine and spend extra money when there are so many other responsibilities. But we make it make sense by giving it importance. Set your priorities on what you find important, not what makes sense and stick to them. In the end you'll be more fulfilled knowing that you did what you wanted to do in life. That's what I think.

It's All In The Getting There

It's all in the getting there. I have finally been able to take that statement to heart in the past year.  I'm a goal setter. I like to start with a dream then write it down in specific detail with a time frame and the whole bit. Often I attain the goals that I set out to accomplish. But sometimes I don't. It has nothing to do with my process. My process is the same every time but sometimes God has another plan and everything that I have planned goes out the window. It is then that I need to trust in God, not get anxious and just wait. One fellow at our care group paralelled this experience with Moses in the desert. God led him around in the desert seemingly doing nothing from a human standpoint for 40 years! I am not where I planned to be right now. But I am no longer discontent to be here. I am at peace in the desert, the promise land will be mine someday because the promised land is Heaven. So even if I do not reach my human goals, something far greater is awaiting me after my body starts pushing up daisies. It's all in the getting there.
Life is a journey, we need to take advantage every experience as an opportunity to please God and to gain wisdom.

Olympic Spirit

I took the whole family including the dog to go and watch the 2010 Winter Olympic Torch go by today. We and many others stood at the roadside to watch someone run past us with it. I have to say that I caught a bit of the spirit. It was a cool event to be a part of. But maybe I am naive because I was surprised at just how big of a roll advertising plays a part in the event. It really is the Coca cola torch. I got a free bottle of Cocacola  and a free Coca cola flag that also had the Canada maple leaf on it. I wonder if the maple leaf would have been printed on the flag if Canada's colours were not red and white.
The Olympic Games are kind of like the language that all nations understand. You know like music or the blue sky. We all have it in common. You know what else brings the world together? Coca cola.

The Dog Got Soggy and So Did I

It turned out to be a really great evening out with the kids and it didn't even cost much. We took our golden retriever to the local car wash because they have a self serve pet wash area. It was very cool, the room had a stainless steel dog sink with a shower hose. It had a soap setting, rinse setting and even a dryer setting. The dog actually did very well. It was funny when she decided to shake the water off, she completely soaked us. The kids each got a turn plugging the money in and spraying the dog. We were done just in time to go to the pet store where we picked up a doggy bone and a couple of biscuits for our doggy-wog. It was hard to get the kids out of the pet store, there were bunnies and hamsters. My three year old liked the "Dalmatian" bunny the best.
I am going to do this with the kids again. It cost me less than 20 bucks, I entertained the kids for a couple of hours ad I now have a clean dog.

INTRAWEST IS GOING BROKE AND CYPRESS HAS NO SNOW

There is nothing that we can do about the weather and it looks like the Cypress folks have it all figured out with their snow makers, wood and straw piles. But  Fortress Investment Group, the mother company of Intrawest which operates Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resorts is going bankrupt? Really? The way the government pitched the Winter Olympics to the Province made it sound like we could pave the streets with gold if we wanted too. Especially the ones in Whistler. It surprises me that this could happen.

Music and Lyrics (2007)

OK we just watched this movie on TV last night. We have seen it before, it is a lot like every other Hugh Grant movie. That guy is the posterboy for type casting. I do like Drew Barrymore though. Cudos to her for reinventing herself as an A lister after being a child star. Not many childstars can pull it off. Actually the only other one that I can think of right now is Ron Howard. But the best part of this movie by a mile was this mock '80's music video that coincides with the credits. THE Best video EVER !!!!!!!!
Pop Goes My Heart

Hands Free Bluetooth®, Schizophrenia and the VPD

I don't like Bluetooth®. I am sure that I can feel the radiation goung through my bones when I activate a Bluetooth® device. I especially do not like the Bluetooth® hands free headsets. They make everyone who uses them look like they are talking to themselves. Actually If I were to aquire Schizophrenia or any other disorder that would cause audible hallucinations I think that I would wear one and maybe people would think that I was just having a business conversation when they saw me sitting in Dairy Queen chatting to myself about nothing.
 I have infact been using a wired hands free headset while driving because much of my work is done over the phone while I drive from place to place. The other day I was near West 33 and Oak Street in Vancouver at an intersection. I had my headset on and I was paying attention to the road. The  old guy approaching the crosswalk on his motorized scooter however, was talking on his cell phone and he was definately not using a hands free device or paying attention to the red light ahead of him. As he continued on infront of my car he quickly realized the danger that he had blindly rolled into and spun his machine around to get back on to the sidewalk. I wonder if BC's new law against the use of handheld devices while driving would apply in this circumstance. If so what if the fellow on the motorized scooter had Schizophrenia or another disorder that would cause audible hallucinations and he was using the cell phone as a prop so as not to draw attention to his illness. Then if he would have received a $168.00 fine for being mentally ill. What a public uproar that would cause against the VPD! Like they need anymore bad press about mishapps involving people with mental illness.

Garbage Day Part 2

I don't actually have much more to say on this subject except that waste management along with all of the public works facilities in our communities are real luxuries when compared to most of the world's infrastructure. I love Canada!