Octobrrrr
Some flippin's cold lately, had me feeling pretty down and out. No biking for the last month, but the weather cleared and was up to 24C (75 for you 'mericans) on the weekend. Got out a little with the boys. Took Jonah out for a 'date' on Friday night. Let's go for dessert somewhere Jonah, I say, what do you think about DAIRY QUEEENN??
J: I don't like ice cream or chocolate. lets just go to Walmart and get a Bey Blade.
M: we have to go somewhere and sit down, have a chat.
after driving around town, talking about not much..
J: lets go to Tim Horton's and get timbits for dessert.
Isn't that a classic. He got a vanilla dip and blueberry muffin, and to drink, a hot chocolate. It is chocolate after all, but in spite of that, he enjoyed it pretty well, after it became a cool chocolate.

I took Nate out on Saturday for a quick spin to McDonald's. He got a soft vanilla ice cream. He sat there, staring off into space, coming back to reality every now and then to share with me what had been happening during that time. His motto is: if you think it, you share it. It does not have to make sense. At all. In fact, at the end of your explanation, if your subject is left with that confused look, like they need more information to put the puzzle together, just reassure them with - "thats the way it is Dad, it is. Yep."

He asks me how many Walmarts there are in town. I say one. He says 'What?" (always). I say one. ONE!! UNO!! there is ONE/UNO walmart in town.
N: Uno??
M: yes. uno, it means--- cut off by this...
N: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, neuve, diez. hee hee, haha. Dad! I was just talking in FRENCH!
M: hmmm....
N: was that FRENCH???
M: no, pretty sure that was Spanish. Did you learn that from watching Dora?
N: NO, you taught me. do de do...

I certainly didn't. How can you learn something like that and not know who you learned it from?

Sorry for the long absence. Crazy summer!! The kids have sprouted the last couple of months. Jonah is 50 inches tall, which means he can ride the tube water slides by himself! Nate is not the minimum 48 inches, so he has to ride with me. That is good because he needs pretty heavy supervision. Emily was taking him to the washroom (Ladies) on the weekend and he peeled off at the last second and disappeared into the Men's. Emily tried to get him but the washroom was full of men, so it didn't work out. He had to reach UP to the 'toilet' but he did his business. Apparently at least one man helped him activate the water tap and start the hand dryer. I arrived on the scene to 4 men all laughing and staring at a small blond boy, singing, drying his hands. One guy figured he did pretty good, quote "just mostly messed around in the sink". I told him never to do it again but I have a feeling this scenario may repeat itself...

this will always make you smile

Nate is a deep thinker.
Nate: Hey guys, did you know? Did you KNOW that the beach is bigger than a small POOL??
Me: seriously?
Nate: Yep. it is, cause the beach is the whole ocean.

Running over to me this summer, almost out of breath.
Nate: Dad, did you know? Did you KNOW that nanny is your mother and you are her son?

ELLA - one of Nate's 'gurls'. great buddies.

Jonah is now a Grade 1-er. They have a higher social standing than the Kindergarten kids. They are older, faster, stronger and of course, much smarter... Sometimes, they look down on K kids because, well, they just do not have the life's experience of a 1-er. Just imagine what it will be like to be a 6-er. Yes, contemplating this great achievement produces far away looks and whispers. We tell him God made him strong so he can help the K kids (and Nate). Sometimes the temptation to use his strength for his own purposes does get the better of him, and he practices his profoundly expanding vocabulary at home, calling Nate things like idiot and moron. Nate has no idea what these new, zingy sounding words mean but he knows they are not intended to compliment him.  He is not accepting his role as doormat, so he makes up words too, and sticks out his tongue. He did not get the memo that 1-ers don't think that's cool.

Last night, Nate was ahead of Jonah on the way upstairs, and Jonah was in hot pursuit.
J: IS IT A RACE NATE?????
N: NO, no race Jonah, no race....
Jonah eases off, and lets Nate continue to the top of the stairs. As soon as he hits the second last step
N: JONAH, it IS a race. (raising his hand in the air) Wa-hoo, I win, I win, I just beat Jonah.

They are working it out, Nate beams when Jonah pays attention to him and says 'please' and 'thank you' to him. He was sad when J went back to school, but is pretty pumped about his own school.

Just some pics for you folks.

pasta anyone

Beauty and the Beast

praying or preying (shark attack!!)

what exactly is happening here??