On The Road Again...

We're off again, this time to Nova Scotia for two weeks. I'm finally all packed and ready to go tomorrow. Only 2 big suitcases this time, I learned my lesson. I just finished unpacking from the last trip, but never mind. Thank goodness the kids are great travelers, they've seen the inside of a lot of airports this summer. I've got to say, I'm glad we are flying and not driving. I just could not wrap my head around 2 days trapped inside the van. The kids and I are all happy to go, but as Elizabeth pointed out, "We'd be a lot happier if Daddy was coming with us." Ain't that the truth. It's been a long two weeks for all of us. It seems so much harder to be alone this time than the first half. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Only 5 more weeks to go, but it might as well be 5 months, it seems so far away. That's why this trip home will definitely break up the time. The kids are very anxious to get to Nana and Poppa's cottage, and to get to Gramma and Grumpy's house (apparently there is a pie waiting for them there).

So, I've been very slack with the blog, as Dan pointed out to me the other day. There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done, especially now that the kids are off school. I promise to be much more regular with the blog from now on. Honest. I even have a blog written for everyday of our UK vacation. And yes Shawn, there are lots of pictures to go with them. Once I get to Mom and Dad's, I'll hopefully have time to go back and post them all, photos included. Oh, and Shawn, I am bringing home all of the pictures with me. Bring me a coffee, and I might let you look at them.

There was an article in the Globe and Mail today in which Dan was interviewed. As my friend Ann Marie told me, "You gotta love how Dan makes a missile launch sound like a late subway." Oh my, is it September yet??

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070725.wxafghan25/BNStory/International/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20070725.wxafghan25

"Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind."~~Seneca

Sunny Saturday...

For the first time since we got home, it actually feels like summer. So, what better way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon, then at the beach. The poor kids, it was the first time their skin had actually felt sun in 4 weeks, they were starting to get pasty. Even Elizabeth was starting to lose her tan. A trip to the beach was just what they needed to distract them, although there was lots of whining because Daddy wasn't there to swim with them. At any rate, they had a good time. We met Jen and the boys there, and Jen and I got to sit and chat while the kids played. We've both decided that the last half of the tour sucks, and we are so counting the days until its over. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels that way. It just feels like it's never ending. Thank goodness we have such a wonderful beach so close by. It's a great way to distract the kids (and it's cheap). It's supposed to be nice all week, so I'll bring them everyday for a few hours. I may be sick of all the sand by the end of the week, but it will be worth it for a few hours of peace and quiet everyday.

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."~~Henry James

Harry Potter Mania....

You might have heard by now (how could you not), the latest Harry Potter book comes out tonight at midnight. Since we came back from England, the kids have been Harry Potter obsessed. Connor has all of the books, and had seen most of the movies before, but was not overly interested. Not so now. He can't get enough of Harry. He's even got Libby in on it, she's started reading all of the books as well. We went out and rented the first 3 movies (the 4th wasn't in), and they have watched them over and over and over again. They were so excited when Harry was in London, just like they were. Pretty cool stuff when you are 11 and 9. They talk about it incessantly. Now, I must admit, I've read all of the books, and enjoyed them, but I can hardly remember all of the details. Me bad. Obviously, I'm supposed to remember everything, because as they watch the movies, they ask me questions repeatedly. Why did Dumbledore do this? Why is Hagrid such a softy even though he's a giant? Is Snape evil? Why didn't Harry die? The questions never stop, they are relentless. They even follow me to the bathroom to ask me questions. Harry Potter talk starts the minute their feet hit the floor. It's driving me crazy! After a week of this, I now answer their question with, "Read the bloody book." I think it is finally starting to sink in. Tonight, Connor started to ask me a question, and then stopped and said, "I'll go look it up in the book." About time. I don't think this obsession is going to end anytime soon, especially with the latest movie in theatres, and the new book due out tonight. And of course, the two of them are already arguing over who is going to get to read it first. Boy are they ever going to be miffed when they find out Mommy is going to read it first. And if they keep annoying me about it, I might just tell them how it ends. I'll show them. So there.

"We are almost there! As launch night looms, let's all, please, ignore the misinformation popping up on the web and in the press on the plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'd like to ask everyone who calls themselves a Potter fan to help preserve the secrecy of the plot for all those who are looking forward to reading the book at the same time on publication day. In a very short time you will know EVERYTHING!"~~ JK Rowling

Home Again..

We're home. The time went so fast, but then, it always does when you're on vacation. Close your eyes and blink and 3 weeks is over. We were up early again today, which means it was an extremely long day. It's 10 pm here, but 3 am in London, so I've been up for 23 hours. Our "People Carrier" arrived at 9 am. It only cost 50 pounds ($118 Canadian), as opposed to the 100 pounds we paid to get from the airport the day we arrived. Our driver was a retired British Army officer, and was quite amusing. He complained bitterly about the cost of living in London the entire way. After glimpsing our credit card balance yesterday, I can certainly sympathize with him. We made it to Heathrow in about 45 minutes, and then unloaded all of our luggage. Dan helped me check it all in, and then it was time to say goodbye to him. His flight was an hour and a half before ours, from another terminal. Saying goodbye was awful. I cried, the kids cried, I cried some more. It was far worse than saying goodbye in January. I think the events of last week made it much more difficult. After many hugs and tears, he went off, and we went through security. I've got to say, Heathrow was much easier to get through then Stansted. How shocking is that? We were in and out of security in about 5 minutes. Then we went off to buy souvenirs. T-shirts for the kids, booze for me (I had a feeling I might need a drink later). Despite the extra long wait in the airport, the kids were great. Only 5 or 6 trips to the bathroom, which might have had something to do with the pop I let them get in an emotional moment of weakness. We were the first on board the plane. The flight was fine, just very long. It was an hour longer then going over, but felt 5 hours longer. The kids were awesome, despite being bored. The flight attendants even complimented me on how polite and well behaved they were. I thought for a few minutes they had the wrong parent, but no. They even brought the kids cookies and chocolate for being so well behaved. The other kids on the plane were not so well behaved, and did not get any treats. After landing in Ottawa, it was time to clear customs. Of all the passport checks I've gone through in the last 3 weeks, this was by far the worst. Of course, it didn't help that there were 3 Muslim ladies who kept trying to get ahead of us. One had a burhka on, and was actually pushing the kids. You can imagine my reaction to that. After shooting her the look of death several times, she finally backed off. It was a good thing for her, because I was just about to lose it on her. You can imagine what kind of mood I was in by the time it was my turn. And of course, the customs agent asked me for my letter of permission to take the kids out of the country. Hello, coming back INTO Canada. Not once was I asked for it leaving the country. And as luck would have it, I had left the letter in my purse, which was in my suit case. I did however have my power of attorney with me, so he very graciously let me through. Big of him. Next time, I must provide the proper documentation. Sure, I'll do that. As I'm not planning on leaving the country any time in the near future, I'm thinking, it won't be an issue. By the time I left customs and collected all of our luggage, I was in desperate need of a Timmie's. And what do you suppose my buddy Charlotte had waiting for me when I came out? Ding, ding, ding. You guessed it, a large double double. Sweet glorious Tim Horton's coffee. Imust say, I really missed my Timmie's. We finally made it home shortly before 8. It will definitely be nice to sleep in our own beds tonight, but the house seems even lonelier than before we left. I've got to say, coming home alone sucked big time. It's definitely going to be a long 7 weeks.

“The bigger the summer vacation the harder the fall”~~Author Unknown

Reunion in London..

We landed in London, bight and early. Our plane was a few minutes late, but that was okay because Dan had to take the train from his terminal to ours. We made it through customs with no problems, other than Katherine had to use the bathroom, and was not impressed she had to wait. The line was fairly long. I even heard one frequent flyer say it was the longest he'd ever seen, which did not bode well. Even though the line was long, we were in and out in 20 minutes. We then had to collect the luggage and find Dan. We got the luggage no problem, and did one walk around, and spotted him. It was so amazing to see him (I cried). The kids just kept hugging him, they were so excited. I did however manage to get in there finally and get a kiss and hug for myself.

We took the Heathrow Express train into London, and then a taxi from Piccadilly to our hotel. The only problem we had was I brought way to much luggage. I freely admit this. I don't know what I was thinking, I should have doubled up suitcases, but instead I brought one for each of us. Duh!! We ended up needing two taxis because all of our luggage wouldn't fit. And yes, I heard about it. I'm sure I'll still be hearing about it in 20 years. We did finally make it to our hotel ($218 later). We stayed at the Union Jack Club, a hotel for serving and ex military personal. It was in a great location, opposite Waterloo Station, and within walking distance of all the main tourist highlights.

After we checked into our hotel, we all ended up having a nap. All except Elizabeth that is. She was just too excited to sleep. She kept trying to wake us up, without much success I'm afraid. Eventually we got up, and went out and explored some of the sites. We walked to the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, and the London Eye. I've got to say the whole thing was amazing. I couldn't believe we were really there. After exploring for a bit, we took the kids to McDonald's for supper. As we were waiting in line, a gang fight erupted. It was a little scary. Luckily it ended quickly, and with no serious injuries. The kids didn't know what to think, nor did I. That kind of stuff just doesn't happen in Pet. So after a hasty meal, we went back to our hotel, and relaxed for a bit. It was so nice to be together again. And it was even nicer to watch Dan sorting the kids out for bed. I think I can get used to that.

“Nothing is certain in London but expense.”~~William Shenstone

Black Bear Beach...

We made our first trip to the beach today. It was a perfect day for it, not too humid, but still nice and warm for the kids to play in the water. The kids had a blast. It was a great way to break up our last weekend. They were a bit down this morning because it was Father's Day, and Daddy wasn't here, so I thought they could use a distraction. And I certainly needed the break. I spent the morning cleaning and doing laundry, getting ready to pack for vacation. Boy, were they ever helpful when I told them we would go to the beach. The three of them worked together to pack up. They even blew the floaties up all by themselves. Can you believe Katherine had a great day today?? She didn't utter the words stupid dumb once. Hard to believe I know. She would have happily stayed there all day, I think. While Connor and Libby were off exploring on the rocks, she played quietly in the sand. Quietly! Imagine it! And all three of them went in swimming several times, even Connor, the boy who is always reluctant to get wet. He certainly didn't have a problem with that today. We stayed at the beach for a few hours. I thought there might be some complaining when it was time to leave, but there was none at all. They even helped me pack up! Their helpfulness even carried on after we got home. They all tidied up their rooms, without any arguing or whining. Connor even cleaned out under his bed, and vacuumed! I'm still shocked. I'm not sure what is in the water at the beach, but I like it. If they are going to be like this every time we go to the beach, we'll be going everyday! I know, it won't last that long, but I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

"If you're lucky enough to be at the beach...then you're lucky enough! "~~Unknown

Stupid Dumb....

Katherine is driving me crazy. She is as moody as all get out. One minute, she's happy as Larry, the next, ready to claw somebodies eyes out (usually mine). I think that she needs anger management courses. Either that or a dose of lithium. Seriously, I have never seen a child change her mood on a drop of a dime like she does, with the possible exception of me when I was little. To say she has been a little temperamental this week would be an understatement. Stupid dumb skipping rope, stupid dumb bug bites, stupid dumb bedtime, stupid dumb bath, stupid dumb homework, stupid dumb library book, and so on and so on. I hear the words "stupid dumb" in my sleep. I even found myself referring to a slow driver as a "stupid dumb driver." My personal favourite was, "stupid dumb idiot." (that was directed at her sister) followed by, "stupid dumb booby," (her favourite blanket in the whole wide world). Of course, I was hard pressed to keep a straight face as the stupid dumb booby was followed by, "I'm so so sorry booby, I didn't mean it, you're not stupid and dumb, you're the best booby ever." As if any of us would ever get an apology from her like that. I wish. Last week, I was the stupidest and dumbest mommy ever, and she was going to go find a better one. My response to that? "Have a good trip, and don't forget to look for cars when you cross the road," which earned my quite the look if indignation. Obviously, I was not supposed to support this idea. Shortly after that, I was the best mommy ever, and she promised never to be angry at me again. Right. I'm sure she really means that. At least, until I piss her off again. I'm wondering how many times she will call something (or someone) stupid and dumb while we are on holidays. I'm guessing not once. She'll be daddy's little angel. And then, mark my words, we will get off the plane in Ottawa, and it will be "stupid dumb airport". Just you wait and see.

"Do not teach your children never to be angry; teach them how to be angry."~~Lyman Abbott