I took a trip down memory lane this week and went back to the pool where I worked while in high school and during the summer throughout university. It was high time Joseph had his first swim! The sports centre is currently under major construction as they complete four new arenas, add new fitness facilities, and a new length swim pool. Parts of the old building had disappeared, while other areas were changed beyond recognition. But the pool staff were just the same as I remembered them.

I don't think I've been back swimming at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre since I closed up day camp for the last time in late August of 2009. My former boss and co-workers were certainly surprised to find I'd had a baby in the meantime. I enjoyed a few moments of pride, to say the least. And I believe Joseph has inherited my love for the water! Another excuse for genuine pride!

Both my sisters happened to have part of the day off and joined us, so we had a photographer and an entertainer. I don't think Joseph has ever laughed so much or been so delighted!

Of course, I was equally delighted watching his enjoyment! 'Don't you wish you never had anything else to do, but...swimming, swimming!'

I'm Sailing Away..

Well the weeks are just rolling by. I have 4 more weeks of placement (grade 5), a week of seminars and essays, and then I somehow stuff all our many earthly possessions into the van and drive off into the sunset. I've always preferred driving west. It's like the sky keeps calling me home. Becca and Joseph will be flying out instead of driving (I couldn't imagine Joseph wanting to drive more than 2 hours a day!).

I only hope the van makes the drive. Sheesh, this past week we dropped another large sum into repairing it (4 digits). Needless to say, I was pretty bummed out that day. I slowly walked home, feeling down and out. But then I walked into the house and Joseph burst out into a happy dance! He was kicking and smiling and just so happy to see me! The moral of the story is to always thank God for what we have. Really, what could be better than that?

Spring has Sprung

Spring has sprung, de grass has ris,

I wonder where de boidy is,

De boid is on the wing, ain't dat absoid?

I tought de wing was on de boid.

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Just some spring silliness for you. My late grandmother would recite this for us on occasion and every time I see and feel the begining of spring it brings back that memory. She didn't have an accent, so I have no idea why this little poem comes with one, but that's how she always said it.

Although we never really had any winter to speak of here in Ancaster, it seems that spring or perhaps summer has come already. We're enjoying 20+ degree weather here and have been out and about in short, tees, and sandals for a week now. Last week being the March break for schools around here, many from the area headed down to warm climates. Although unfortunate for them, we had to laugh that they were missing the most beautiful weather here while spending lots on their warm vacations. 

Joseph is certainly enjoying the sunshine and lots of time outdoors. This boy loves to be outside, simply can't get enough of it. We snapped some photos of his first experience with grass. Between the toes and on the fingers...ooo, he's going to have so much fun this summer!

Save the Cute Penguins!

Joseph was a bad boy last week. At Mass on Thursday morning I had to take him to the back of the church because he was yelling (he's teething). I gave him a quality Development and Peace handout to read, but instead he just ripped it up! Well, needless to say, I was shocked. So I gave him another one, but he ripped that up too! I resolved to keep giving him these handouts until he stopped ripping them up, but Mass soon ended. Bad Joseph!

Speaking of which, at Mass this morning someone gave a Development and Peace presentation at the end. He spoke passionately of how a penguin in a recent movie (it may have been an animated movie) got caught on a piece of plastic garbage while swimming. The only question left is how many zeroes I should add to the cheque for our yearly D&P Share Lent collection next week.

OK, yes, I jest. I guess I get a little ticked off that an organization that has been caught funding agencies that promote abortions and the like (and refuses to fess up) is so widely promoted in our churches. Is it right that I "allow" Joseph to rip up their promotional material? I don't know. Maybe when I die God will show me the cute penguin that should have been saved if someone had been able to read that handout which Joseph ripped up. For now, though, I'm more intent on worrying about saving our unborn babies, and not the penguins. That's Sidney Crosby's job (... sorry, I couldn't resist).

A Jolly Jumper

Remember I was telling you how we bought Joseph a Jolly Jumper? Despite sore little gums from cutting his second pearly white, all the whining stops and he's one jolly little fellow when he's jumping. Check out the air time this little guy gets with his new-found talent. (Please, disregard the unmade bed in the background).



The Lesser Half Blogs...

I'm back to blogging! I haven't blogged since the infamous: http://www.momentville.com/DannyandBecca

Now that I'm married, with a little boy, I will be much more serious. No. Not really. The only really difference between then and now is that I say the word "poop" many more times in a day (e.g. "Joseph behave, your mom is having a poop"). Whoops. Becca just said that I'm not allowed to make fun of her on this blog. Clearly the "poop" word has come into use from Joseph's trials and tribulations with the said topic.

Anyway, I have to go, the burgers are ready! Just a quick plug for Darian Durant, whom I think is a fantastic leader and quarterback.

Dan

p.s. her's a blast from the past:

March 8
Holy Jumpin, just 33 more days!
Last night I dreamt that I showed up at the church for the wedding and most of the choir, servers, and congregation were missing. The choir director said he couldn't do the songs without a full cast of singers, and so he had to do a Beatles song instead for a communion hymn.
Where was Becca in all this? She wasn't there either. So there was no wedding. I went home dejected, in utter disbelief that this had happened. When finally I caught up to Becca later I asked why she didn't show up for the wedding. She said that she had decided last minute to wait a few more days when the weather would be nicer and that she told some people about it, but not everyone.
Dan

Boxing it out

Sometimes I like to imagine myself creative - a lot more creative than I am in reality (which isn't very creative at all). I decide to take on some project or other, thinking that it must be pretty easy, even for someone like me, because the directions look so simple.

Way back in the fall this imaginary talent of mine surfaced again and I decided to attempt sewing some fabric boxes. I found very simple and straightforward instructions on a crafting blog, ideal fabric in my mom's stash, and, after the fabric sat for 2-3 months in our spare bedroom, I did eventually begin. Naievely, I decided that I'd calculate and make a larger box than the one on the pattern (it would be so easy, right?) and I'd make two at once.

Well, I did eventually figure out the calculations (with a good math refresher) and cut out the fabric and interfacing. I was just going to borrow my mom's sewing machine and whip those boxes up, but then I read the instructions and discovered that I needed an iron, which we forgot in Nipawin. So I took all the stuff out to mom's to use her iron and machine.

Meanwhile, my mom watched all these preparations from a distance and marvelled that I was actually going to make these boxes. After recutting my fabric so it was actually straight, my expert mom guided me through the instructions. She helped me sew the easy seams and did all the harder ones herself, she figured out an easy way to make handles and attached them herself. In the end, she sewed pretty well all of the first box and all the difficult sections on the second one. 

At some point, I discovered fabric boxes were not a project for a beginner sewer. I don't know if I will ever attempt to make them again, although I do still think a smaller box might turn out to be doable, now that I know what I'm doing.

In the end, the boxes turned out pretty neat. They are a great place to store baby toys (or the baby himself). My imaginary talent has been satisfied for at least a couple months. And... I'm so thankful for a mom who can rescue me when I dream too big.

Joseph is mobile!

I've discovered I'm becoming a type of first-time parent I never expected to be. I somehow believe that every new thing Joseph learns to do is unique and amazing and that no other child could possibly be as talented as my own. Try to tell me that most other children progress at relatively the same rate and your comments will fall on deaf ears. But tell me I have the most beautiful child in the world and I will likely just smile and nod, openly agreeing with everything you've said and thoroughly believing it too. Now, please indulge me while I brag...

It's a very good thing we have limited time left in our small apartment. Joseph is quickly making it his own and soon nothing will be safe from his ever-growing interest. I turned around the other day to find that he'd rolled his way over to our coffee table and got hold of the computer mouse cord hanging down the side. He was wildly waving the mouse around in the air while the red light flashed across his face. Can't leave him alone for a second.

Joseph can just about sit all by himself too, although we have to watch for the inevitable and quick topple every few minutes. I did make the mistake (twice in one day, I must admit) of thinking he was just fine, only to have him land on his head. Dan has continued to tell him that his mom "dropped" him.

We recently purchased a Jolly Jumper for the little guy. When we put him in it for the first time, he was completely shocked to find himself airborne after the tiniest movement of his feet. Now he spins around in the doorway and flaps his arms like a bird, delighted with his motion. 


That's all for now.