hey johnny, how hot is it?

I will not complain about the heat. I will do my best to get everyone else to stop complaining about the heat. Enjoy it while it is here. Accept the fact that you will be sweaty, and know that everyone else around you is equally sweaty, so there is no need to be self conscious.

And how hot is it? Well, you know it is hot when I am able to walk across the Eternally Super-Glacier Cooled Tile Floors in our house without slippers or shoes, or even socks.

*sigh*

Latest update in my schooling saga here. Should I start doubting if this is ever going to happen?

boredom

In keeping with the summer theme that I seem to have going on right now, I thought I would post a link to this article for those who have kids on summer break right now. It talks about industriousness in our children, and one way they can keep from being bored.

summer memories

I remember spending a lot of time swimming and playing in the water during the summers when I was growing up. Maybe because I liked it so much that it stands out as a highlight, and the everything else that I did faded away, and now I am left to think that I did more swimming than I actually did.

Since being a "grown up" (I use that term loosely, cause I don't always feel like an old man) I haven't spent anywhere near enough time just having fun in the pool. This year, I think that I will be breaking that trend. We spent a good number of hours yesterday in the pool, and then the kids were at Aldergrove lake today (I know, I was only there in spirit, not actual water). I am thinking that since tomorrow will be a repeat of the last couple days, that we shall be taking a couple hours in the afternoon to stop by the local watering hole before I go to work.

I HAVE to get Vanessa to help me with the sunscreen though, cause I don't seem to be able to manage complete protection of my body. Just look at the back of my right arm for the evidence.

you know it's summer when...

You get a coffee at 11:00 in the morning, leave 1/3 of it in the car until 3:30 when you are driving to work, and it is still just as hot as when you bought it.

one more month to figure it out

I have officially requested a 2 week holiday in August. I am very excited to be taking 2 weeks off of work, and not have to worry about cramming a 3 week study and school fest in to it. It will probably be the last hurrah of time off before the upcoming school in the new year, which will then result in a probable career change.
But I digress...this isn't about worrying about what will happen next year. This is about what I am going to do with the two weeks of summer vacation.

grinding the mountain

Yesterday was a day full of adventure for us. See, we have some family visiting from Brantford, ON. They, along with my parents and aunt and uncle, all thought it would be well and dandy to take in a day at Stanley Park, in Vancouver. Then, after a lovely picnic there, spend some time over at Grouse mountain doing the Grouse Grind.

I had been thinking about doing the Grind this year, with the kids, as a cool activity. Turns out this was our opportunity for it. I had the day off, and the sun was shining. After looking at the mountain from Stanley park, I thought I had better talk to the kids about the daunting challenge that would be the climb. As we got there, with one last chance to back out, Eleanor decided that it would be a bit much for her. Since I have never done the Grind, I wasn't sure if she could make it but was going to give her the chance. After completing it, with Thomas, I am sure that she would not have made it. We had had such a busy day up until that point, it was just too much.
Long story short, Thomas and I finished the Grind at 1hour 31minutes. Pretty great for 6 year old if you ask me.

I think this will translate in to an early bedtime tonight though, after working all day today my body is just about done.

Simon's Cat

I'm not sure where my wife came across this video, but we watched it the other day and all four of us were in stitches. Definitely funny, every time our cat meow's at us now we think of Simon's Cat.
Have a look, it's less than 2 minutes. And make sure you have your sound turned on.

quantum biologics solved

It turns out that you can, in fact, eat pieces of plastic spoon and be ok. As long as you eat it with chocolate cake, it will just travel your digestive system and leave in the usual methods. Eleanor is doing quite fine, and other than a long wait in the emergency room and a late dinner, all is well.

It is however, recommended by all medical practitioners that you do not eat your plastic spoons with your chocolate cake.

complex mathematics

(a broken plastic fork + bday cake + a little girl) multiply by a long wait the hospital + no dinner = ???

Will update more when I find out the outcome of said equation.

perfectly

This morning we are getting the kids ready for their first (thomas) and second (eleanor) vacation away to camp, without their mom and dad. Eleanor went last year, and had a wonderful time. She is terribly excited, especially at the prospect of staying up until 12am again. Thomas is excited, but as he tells me he isn't sure what about because he hasn't been there before. Vanessa and I are excited for them, because we know that they will have a blast.
Thomas was getting a suitcase out from under the bed, and it is one that we haven't used for a while. He chose this one because he didn't want people laughing at his (the superhero suitcase he has had since he was 2). Funny, this was the same time last year that Eleanor decided that her Dora suitcase was not going to fly anymore.
So he takes the suitcase out, drags it to the living room, and from the bedroom we hear him exclaim, with much emotion in his voice:

"This suitcase is perfectly clean on one side, and perfectly dirty on the other!"

As I mentioned, this suitcase lived underneath the bed, and has lived there pretty much since we moved in almost a year ago. It turns out that when Lucy (the fat cat) sleeps under the bed, it is this suitcase that she sleeps on and perfectly covers with her hair.