Another Go-Kart Story

We (about 15 people) went to the go-carts today at the Bonshaw 500.

It is owned and operated by a very nice Korean man.

He is a pretty serious operator.

We all got into our go-karts and are ready, waiting for him to start each one. Everyone had a helmet, some motorcycle, some bicycle - all pretty funny looking. Some of the karts had a little sign on the back.

NO BUMPING

I say, "no bumping!!"
Adam says, "BRIAN, I'm gonna t-bone you" (or something similar)
Operator says immediately - "NO BUM-PING!! if you bum-ping, I take you OFF TWACK!!"

Landon and Jonah - getting ready

Nate TOTALLY into it! Lean Nate, LEAN!

he makes a good superman - he had glasses too.

Maura and Gordie
Operator - "She cwae-zzy"

After multiple T-Bones (myself included - dandy one on Brian) hitting tires, broken brake pedals (Andrew came into the parking area holding the brake pedal in his hand) and many laughs, we got out of our cars and put our helmets away.

There was a family waiting to come on after us. They were, as the operator said, Asian.

It was pretty normal until the end, when one of the kids came in to park - he pushed the brake but also kept the gas pedal to the bar, and quite panicked, flew into the parking area, dodged some cars, ran out of room and smash-o, right into the chain link fence that seperates the go-kart track from the vehicle parking area and the highway beyond.

When he hit the fence, his hands flew off the wheel and the back of the car came about 12 inches off the ground. Operator tells me - "he has sore stomach. when he hit fence, he hurt stomach, yeah." he also tells me, "Asians. this always happen with Asians. hitting fence, bum-ping, cwashing, always happen with Asians. They not good drivers, not used to pedals. They play video games, not used to real cars..."

Really??

Here are a couple of photos of Quinn and Nate. Quinn is obsessed with hockey and gets involved with the bigger boys when they try to play. He is a lot of fun to have out around.

Pointing and yelling at an Airplane

Loves hockey, wearing Jonah's goalie helmet.

likes getting his picture taken, tries to get very close to his picture partner

Nate's Gurl.

more hockey

more pictures with Nate. There are a lot.

Nate's Vision

Eating at Montana's

Recently we were on a mini-vacation and stayed at a hotel that had a pool. It had been awhile since Nate was under the water and he was having some difficulty getting up the courage to get in. Jonah swam, jumped, flopped, jetted, splashed, ran, slipped, and dove while Nate watched. There was some discussion that evening on why he wasn't swimming, etc.

Next morning after breakfast, Leah and the boys went to the pool and Nate got his goggles on and ran over to the pool, planted his toes on the lip of the pool, leapt into the air and plopped into the pool, and continued to swim all day.

We were very surprised that this little boy, too afraid one day and then without hesitation jumped in and swam around. We mentioned it a couple of times how funny it was that he got so brave so quickly. here is how the convo went:
Me or Leah: Nate, how were you so brave???
Nate: ummm, God told me I could do it.
us: what?! how did God tell you? -very interested-
N: He told me in my dream last night.
us: Oh-K. I ask him what did God look like?
N: (without hesitation, chewing on his food) He was like us!

He had very big hands! and he was very big.

Really tall... like the CN Tower.
Me: wow Nate, were you afraid of God?
N: nope! He was very nice to me!

Would you have the courage to jump right into the pool after a dream like that? No problem with the swimming anymore!!

Leah and the boys

Are you 60? Do you know it?

I've heard a few kids around the neighbourhood singing a song by LMFAO called Sexy and I Know It. I guess it was inevitable, sitting in the kitchen, I hear Jonah sing with great conviction and garbled enunciation "I'm sexy and I know it". This is the conversation as I recall it:
Me: ooh, Jonah. easy. don't sing that song.
J: huh! why Dad?
M: (uh oh, do I really want to do this) umm, because... umm.
J: (interrupting, as per) why Dad, WHY?
M: its CRUDE, Jonah. Its an adult song, not for younger kids to be singing. they're singing about adult stuff. Where did you hear it? Did you know a kid got expelled for singing it in a school cafeteria (for real, I don't make stuff up! read it on CNN. over-reaction, imo)?
J:WHAT?!? kicked OUT OF SCHOOL?!? wow. Its xxxx's favorite song. Is he going to get kicked out of school?? wow.
M: (oh boy) probably not, we are pretty liberal here. don't sing it ok.
Jonah thinking for a few moments, thousand yard stare...
J: I think I know why its so bad. Maybe people are singing and making fun of people who are sixty... that could be pretty mean.
M: yessir, that would be pretty mean alright.
-diversion time - Is that a fox outside?? right there, look!

No wonder he was confused, one minute singing about being 60 and knowing it, the next on the brink of expulsion from school. The world is truly a confusing place, good thing he has a father that is so totally clued in and armed with wise answers, eh?

ABC Gum - the best kind

While Jonah was playing ball hockey tonight, I sat in the stands and Nate ran around the arena playing Power Rangers and making friends. He likes to challenge all the little kids to a foot race. I can see the top of his head as he makes his way around the boards, huffing and puffing, calmly adjusting his glasses when they fall out of place.

Toward the end of the hour, I noticed him pulling his gum out of his mouth and stretching it. It must feel really cool, but does not look cool at all.  I told him to stop doing it, because his hands are dirty, bacteria, virus, flesh eating disease, yada yada.  A few minutes later I see him doing it again. "Gross" I say, "did I not just tell you to stop doing that?" Nate leans in close to me. "There is something I didn't tell you, Dad. Its like a secret." He paused for a second, then said very quietly, almost in a whisper, "I got it off the floor!" I told him I thought it was very gross, and he had to spit it out in the garbage. "Why, Dad, I cleaned all the dirt out of it. Its fine." We go to the garbage can, I point and say, "In there. spit!" I turn around, Nate has his mouth wide open and it is empty. "It's gone, Dad." Suspicious, I say, "Where? where did it go?" Large smile, crooked glasses, bright blues eyes, he pats his tummy and replies cheerfully, "right here, i swallowed it." Let's hear it for ABC gum.

Nate's First Joke

Nate told us his first joke at the dinner table tonight. Cutting through the dull roar that is the soft ambiance came a loud voice.
N - excuse me guys. excuse me?
someone said go ahead, we are all listening.
N - Mommy (looking at Leah), why did the, umm, why did the chicken cross to the other, umm, side of the playground??? heheheh.
all of us - ahh, umm, we don't know, please tell us.
N - to get to another slide. hahaha.
Leah - haha, that's cute Nate. (thinking he said 'to the other side')
I ask Leah if she got the joke. She says she thinks she did, but maybe is not really sure now. I tell her its a play on words, its to get to the OTHER SLIDE.
N - NO DAD! its to get to ANOTHER SLIDE.

So, his first little joke was cute but didn't bring the house down. We would have to be actually listening first.

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?