Resolutions, and politics

I am not, as a rule, a maker of resolutions. I prefer to set the bar incredibly low for myself so that I can pat myself on the back when I exceed my (terribly low) expectations. This year though, I have resolved to blog at least twice a month (see? low).

For my first one, a story about Thomas and his obsession with Mayors and, specifically, the mayor of Toronto.

I can’t exactly remember how he even knew anything about mayors but a few weeks ago, we were listening to the radio and the story mentioned Parliament Hill. Thomas asked what that was and I explained that it was where the government meets to make decisions about things. Naturally, he then needed to know what the government was. Instead of being honest, I told him that they were the people trusted to make decisions about the country, to which he replied,

“Oh, so like a bunch of mayors?”
“Yeah, like a bunch of mayors!” I replied, pretty impressed at his thinking.
“So, like, Rob Ford and stuff?” he asked.
(insert massive sigh here)

How to explain the crack smoking, racist, lying, train wreck of a mayor, that is Rob Ford, to a (not quite) 4 year old?? Given that all CBC ever talked about for a good three weeks was Rob Ford and his shenanigans, it shouldnt come as a huge surprise that Thomas picked up on it, but MAN is this a tricky one to explain without a lot of questions. He is OBSESSED with Rob Ford. He mentions him at least twice a day. It doesn’t help that there’s a picture of him on the cover of our local paper that we see a hundred times a day. We’ve sort of summed it up that he’s not a very nice guy because he lies and is dishonest and that seemed to quell the tide of questioning for a while until, we hoped, he moved on to something easier like, say, the Middle East, or debt ceilings or something.

Around christmas, Thomas came into the kitchen with a guilty little look all over his face and said,

“Mum. I sneaked a look at number 21 on my advent. I put it back though.”

Given that I would never have known that he’d done it, I was pretty impressed that he told me and told him that it wasn’t good to have done it but that I was very happy he told me and that it showed he was growing up to be an honest person and that was very important and blah, blah, blah. His response…

“I know, cuz if I didn’t tell you, I would be EXACTLY like Rob Ford, right mum?”

“Weeeeellllllll, not exaaaaaaaactly, like him. But I don’t doubt that Rob Ford sneaks ahead on his advent calendar son.”

There. Politics. Taught to a three year old. Done.

An honest little face if ever I saw one. With his campaign manager at his side

(Not Responding)……….

Oh my word. How long has it been? It`s been ages. AGES. My lack of posting has not been due to a lack of things to write about or pictures to show, it has been the result of an epic battle with my ailing computer. If I never see the phrase (not responding) one more time, it will be too soon. Oh, I`ve tried posting, believe me, I`ve tried. I try to upload photos from my good camera, and 45 minutes later, maybe 1 of 20 photos has actually made it onto the computer, then it freezes, then it shuts down on its own and then it laughs maniacally at me, I swear it does.

This morning it has decided to play nice so I have managed to get some pictures uploaded from my iphone.

We`ve been loving the exceptionally sunny days here in VanCity and have spent countless hours at the beach and outside pools. T has been doing a lot of al fresco beach play, stating “I like the feeling of the sand on my bum.” Not the air on his bum, the sand. It seems like every couple of days he picks up a new word that he has to try out until he gets it right – a few of my faves:

Barely

Thomas (looking wistfully out the car window): When we were in Ontario, Hank barely even said a word to me.*

*note, Hank is our friends`pre-verbal baby. I pointed out that Hank didn`t know how to talk yet, so not to take it personally, but he was barely listening.

Situation

Many, many sentences of late have begun with Guys, this is the situation……… The “situation” often involves needing some sort of rare treat (ice cream, a new toy, a kinder surprise egg, etc) but I think that he feels that by turning it into a “situation” there is more gravity to the request. It rarely works, unless I want ice cream too and then the situation is that we head to Granville Island for gelato.

Awfully

This one is taking some work because he uses it in place of actually and also. I am awfully a Transformer Rescue Bot, not a little kid mom. I would awfully like to have some ice cream with these vegetables. (Thomas, I am awfully sorry, but those vegetables will have to be eaten first).

There have been many more, but before this computer turns on me, I will get this posted…………….

All work and no play

Oh man! It`s been ages! Blech! May, and now June, have literally just been a blur to me. I`ve got the new job blues and it has seriously stunted my creativity and zapped just about every ounce of energy I have to do anything other than WORK, MAKE A MEAL, EAT A MEAL, TRY NOT TO BE A MISERABLE MOTHER, SLEEP and REPEAT.

Moving from the comfort of the amazing cardiology unit where I really learned to be a nurse, to the chaos and at times (many, many, many times) complete frustration that is the Emergency Room, has been waaaaaaaayyyyyyyy more difficult than I`d anticipated. While I try to keep in mind that it is the state of the health care system as a whole that allows these things to happen, it is increasingly difficult,  to not say aloud “I`m sorry sir, I`m having a hard time understanding the actual EMERGENCY that brought you into the EMERGENCY room, where we are meant to be dealing with EMERGENCIES. While I`m sure it stung a little to have cut your thumb while opening a can of tuna, a 911 call and an ambulance ride to the ER where I will give you a band-aid and a tetanus shot, maaayyyy be a little bit of overkill, no?” I mean, I get it, there are not enough family doctors, wait times to see the few that there are can be ridiculously long, blah, blah, blah. I can`t even begin to talk about the state of mental health care without feeling a giant knot form in my stomach. UGH.

Anyway, as I walk home and try to shed my anxiety headache and stomach ache after each shift, I remind myself that my job is not my life and that my family and friends are the only thing that matters and usually, by the time I get home I feel a little better. Except for the day that I walked all the way home fretting about my shift, only to get home and remember that I had driven to work that day. Bah!

But, it’s not all work around here, and here are some pics from the last few weeks to prove it (if you click on the image I`ve included captions about just what you`re looking at)

Just doing some beach construction

Marine biologists hard at work

Looking for villians

Out to sea

Fun in the sun

A little work in progress that was largely waylaid by my snoozing in the sun

Face painting at Kits farmer`s Market. Shere Kan was born

RAAAAAWWWRRRR!

The beach!

School days at home on a rainy day – Thomas`s first written word!

Taking flight!

Kite night at Kits Point!

First Brockton Oval picnic of the season!

Blowing bubbles

Hill rolls, by example

The windows of this house were wide open on a gorgeous sunny afternoon and a man was playing the most amazing piano so we stopped to dance

Looking out over English Bay to find “the edge of the world”.

Possibly the cutest little crab in the world

The walk to work

Driving Batman to the library in the Batmobile, aka a Honda Civic

The hunt for the Joker