Summer (Break) is (almost) Here!

Summer finally feels like it’s here! Not just because of the gorgeous weather we have been having the past few days, but things all of a sudden feel a bit slower and more exciting at the same time. Dave had his last day at school on Thursday, and while he is taking a course next week, he will be basically free in the evenings. Yay!

We had a fabulous long weekend. It kick started with my darling friend, Grace, and her husband, Tavis, visiting. We haven’t seen them for almost a year and were delighted they could make it for brunch, and then an afternoon at the park with the kids, then some catching up over games and food while the babes napped.

The first year we were in Ottawa for Canada day, we did the crazy downtown thing. The past few years, Dave has gone back to Parliament with friends, and I have stayed at home with friends. While I LOVE fireworks and parades, I’m totally claustrophobic around big buildings and crowds. So, the combination is a bit of a killer for me. Dave loves that atmosphere, so I always encourage him to do his thing. This year, I was thinking of putting the kids to bed, then waking them up right at 10 to take them to some fireworks a bit closer. However, it seems that lately, both of my kids are never happy at once. In fact, it seems that the happier one of them is, the more upset the other one is, and it’s made social occasions hard. Pulling Jesse away from the park when he is having a blast because Janna all of a sudden starts bawling.... or having to come home from a walk in the stroller that Janna is loving because Jesse is being a tool. Oh fun times...

Anyways, we ended up putting them to bed, and joining in a BBQ that our neighbours were having out front. The way our townhouses are arranged, all of our front doors sort of circle around this big patch of lawn woven with walkways. There are a handful of neighbours with kids, who will sit out there and watch the kids play and just chat and eat and enjoy the summer. It’s great because there is often someone around for Jesse to play with and we can step outside while Janna naps. There are a ton of bikes and toys, and even a little pool that are all considered communal. Anyways, we hung out with “the crew,” as I call them, for a good part of the evening, and somehow all the our kids ended up elsewhere...going to fireworks with other families, or playing with other kids a few houses down. So, it was just a bunch of grown-ups, which was a nice change. We ended the night with some sparklers and listening to some fireworks that were going off near by. Enough excitement for Me!

On Saturday I headed back to work. I am just going to be working a morning shift once a week until I head back part time in January. It was only 2 minutes being inside the building, and it felt like no time had passed. It was a quiet morning at the center and quite enjoyable. I have been working there for 3 years now, and know a lot of the families from the preschool program. A lot of the kids end up coming back on the weekends for parties or drop in play. I always end up seeing my little former preschoolers and it’s really nice to see how much the kids have grown and changed and catch up with the parents, too. My work shift was a nice change of pace in my week. I just adored getting up and getting ready all by myself while Dave dealt with early morning diapers and messy breakfast and a grumpy kid. It was the first time that Dave has really had to deal with both of them for more than an hour, and I think it gave him a little perspective on my days J I did a little shopping before coming home, climbed in bed for a nap (as the kids were down for their theirs), and felt totally refreshed and ready to go when they woke up and needed me. It’s amazing how half a day away from my kids, makes me feel like a better mom for a week! Anyways, after supper and bath time, Katie graciously offered to put the kids down and stay home so we could get out for a date. We took her up on her offer, and went out and saw Super 8. I really enjoyed it! It was so strange because it’s the kind of movie that really can’t be put into one genre. It’s like action and comedy and drama and sci-fi all in one. I recommend it!

So... the weekend was definitely a taste of summer break. Nice weather, special plans, help with the kids, back to the good old Gym Tale. This week will be the last with Dave gone through the day, and then the real deal begins. Also, Jesse has his minor surgery at the hospital tomorrow. He has to be put to sleep and have a scope and tissue samples taken in his upper stomach and intestines. He will have to stay for a while afterwards to be monitored for any complications, although the odds of any serious complications are very low. So, I’m a touch anxious to get this over with and put the celiac and stomach issues to rest. Wish me luck. Thanks for re