RIP Childhood Crush

Well, my first girlhood crush past today. I know, I know. He'd been sick for a while. (I still can't believe that the National Enquirer was right with their article about him being diagnosed with cancer last year.)

But I was just reading that it was announced that Patrick Swayze died this morning after his long battle with cancer from an actual new source.

So sad!

And, of course, "She's Like the Wind" is on a continual mental repeat play. I am thinking I will have to have a Swayze day tomorrow...Ghost, Dirty Dancing, Roadhouse...

ttfn
k

Changes and Other Events

Well, the wedding went great. Ok, our JP thought it was at 4, so didn't show up until 3:30 (the wedding was supposed to be at 3). BUT, the weather turned out to be great...not too hot, not too cold, and not a raincloud in the sky (after 1:00 p.m.).

Both the children were wonderful! Ammy looked adorable:


As did Riley:


And I realized that that was 2 weeks ago. But good lawd it has been a very busy two weeks.

After the wedding, we ended up staying down at the Royal York (won a free room from a 680 prize pack that my husband won). And we had room service. It was awesome. Sadly, though, my fries were undercooked and unedible. Really, that was extremely sad, given where we were. But the Alberta Steak Sandwich we had was amazing. As was the french onion soup (I love me some french onion soup).

Riley ended up being off his oxygen from the Wednesday before the wedding to the Tuesday after. We put him back on since we didn't want to get into any trouble with our RT about how long he'd been off (and he did awesome the entire time...especially with all the man-handling he was subjected to the night of the wedding). And then, to boot, our RT didn't come by...she called instead. I told her about Riley and how long he'd been off and that the only reason we put him back on was to avoid getting in trouble with her. She decided that we should give him a break for 24 hours, and take him back off for a week, if we were comfortable. So we left him on until Wednesday morning, and promptly took him back off. Which is how he still is right now. Off his oxygen, and rocking it.

And, of course, Ammy started Grade 1 on Tuesday. That was a little bit of a heartbreaker for me. She couldn't have cared less. But thankfully she remembered to turn and wave at me while she disappeared through the doors that would carry her on to her future. *sniff**sniff*

I discovered that, while I always just thought that it was normal with her, since we read a lot and all, she is "very advanced and ahead of all the other children" in her class given that she has the ability to read on her own. And not just "Dick and Jane" type books, but actual books. We got to the library at least once every 2 weeks and take out a bunch of books. Ones that she reads. Usually ones like the Little Miss books, and Dora books. She likes books. But hey, bonus if that makes her advanced. At least I know that she won't be struggling with it (touch wood).

Today we start jazz. Yes, jazz. I decided that she is now old enough to handle more than one weekend activity, and since I am still in the SAHM phase, I have the time and energy too. So I signed her up for Beginner Jazz at Futures Gymnastics (about 5 minutes up the road). I spoke with the lady who works there about which dance would be best for her, since she is high energy, but easily distracted, so I was thinking that ballet *might* not be the best choice for her (what, with the discipline and slow, repetitive movements), and we talked about jazz. She told me that it will likely be ideal for her, since it is a very high energy genre, but that at this stage, it wouldn't matter overmuch. Still, jazz it is.

My daughter's school also does the typical "we are looking for parent volunteers" thing. I was looking into it since, well, I do have time. Well, they sent home a notice about it the other day, and apparently I would have to pay for one of the long form criminal record checks in order to apply (I understand why they want them, but if I am reading this correctly, these are the ones that are, like, $55...seriously, I am a SAHM...where am I going to come up with the $55 just so I can volunteer to help them out??).

Also, Peel Region (I understand it is the entire region, and not just our school) has swtiched to a "two nutrition breaks" thing instead of a morning and afternoon recess and a lunch hour. I hate this. I really do. And it seems like there are so many conflicting reasons floating around about why. First off, I hate that they are given these 2 40 minute breaks. One is at 10:30 a.m. and the other is at 12:55 p.m. 10:30 a.m. is too early for a full lunch, and by 12:55 p.m., my daughter is starving. She is confused by this completely, as am I. One of the apparent reasons for the change is that "kids learn better when they eat periodically through the day". Um, so getting rid of the 2 different snacking times that are evenly spaced through the day is the way to achieve this??? Yes, I plan on finding out from the region what the basis was for this change and if they are only doing it as a trial. I personally think it is beyond asinine. Seriously...show me the work place where you get 2 lunch hours. If school is supposed to be about prepping kids for the future, show me the work place that does that, please.

Anywho, that is about all. I have to go get my little dancer fed, cleaned and dressed.

ttfn
k