Jul
2013

Computers and beaches…

IMG_3569This week Mommy started jogging and Daddy and I cheer her on from our bikes behind her. I also got to go to Grand Bend to pick up my glass art I made last week. And then go to the beach with my best friends!

He said

Most of my week around the house has really revolved around being on the computer any spare moment of time I might have. It’s a week that both Danielle and I have come to dread. This is the time of year when my nose is firmly buried in the Home County Music & Art Festival program book.

IMG_0234I’ve been the Festival Graphic Designer for the last 3 years — this year will mark my fourth year with the program. It has definitely gotten a lot more streamlined from the first year I took it on in the state of organization that it was at that time. But this year there is a new Artistic Director (Darin Addison) I am working with, filling the hole left by the outgoing A.D., Catherine McInnes with whom I had worked with in the past all four years. She and I had definitely figured out a system, and this year there was some learning curve for all of us involved.

But as I type this, the one of the final round PDF drafts has gone to the team to proof for final okay. Barring any major delay in the two pieces we’re awaiting, by this time tomorrow, the book and poster should be off to the printer and I should be smoking the second of the two Cohiba’s, Gramps (Peter) brought back from Cuba, to celebrate with a wee dram of Scotch.

This weekend, I was surprisingly able to still slip in some good time with Danielle and Emelia between stints pumping out drafts and revisions of the program. Friday night, Danielle and I enjoyed a quite evening on the porch over some Stiegl Grapefruit Radlers (for me) and Keith’s Cider (for Danielle).

Saturday morning, we got to start when ever the hell we wanted to… which was nice. Danielle and Emelia let me sleep in. We had Emelia’s swim class at noon, and then a trip back to Grand Bend to pick up the glass craft Emelia had made last week. But, the best part was in the afternoon we were invited to join Emelia’s best friends – twins – Anna and Grace at the beach in Ipperwash near their Grampa’s cottage. The second we got north of the city the weather cleared up and the beach became much more of a reality.

IMG_3581Emelia had an absolute blast in the water with her two best friends. We got a kick out of when we got to the beach and couldn’t see their van and started to prepare Emelia for the notion that they may have already left. Even as soon as her whining began, Grace could be heard from way off in the distance “Emelia is here! Emelia is here!”

When we said to Emelia, “see, they’re still here“, she responded with “that could be someone else calling for another Emelia!” as though she was certain the play date would fail. Sure enough, Mommy and Daddy were right, and Emelia and a band of friends played in the water gleefully for the next couple of hours.

We ended the night back in London, with supper down at Sunfest. We didn’t stay as long as we would have liked because the crowds and exhaustion of the day were clearly getting to Emelia as she started into a meltdown that carried well into bed time at home. But truthfully, I wasn’t a fan of the crowds either.

Today was a workout, groceries and laundry day, peppered with more work on the program. I didn’t get to sit still long today, but I certainly relished getting all this time with my girls. There’s probably no better way to end a week!

 

She said

IMG_3578The weekend went by in a blur, it is always amazing how two days on a weekend can go by in a blink of an eye but two days in the work week can feel like a lifetime.

This was the first official week of Emelia’s school break. What this also meant was the return of one of my former daycare girls for the summer. Emelia was thrilled and counting down the minutes until Aubrey was coming back. I was not sure what to expect, it had been 10 months since she was in my care and last summer the three girls who normally got along did have their moments where one was upset or another. But if this week is any indication this will be an amazing summer for Emelia.

There is always guilt as a parent, I know that me working from home is the best possible option for Emelia in these early years but at the same time she has to share her home, her mommy and her toys with 5 other children. I am always trying to assure she gets the best possible balance. And while her other friends go to special camps Emelia is home with me and a bunch of preschoolers, toddlers and babies. Not sure how much fun that is for her as she gets older. But so far every indication is that she still loves being around the children, they are her friends even the ones much younger than her. She really is a remarkable little one.

So the week was a great one for Emelia. She and Aubrey were quickly thick as thieves and planning all sorts of games to play in her room each quiet time while the younger children napped. They have been playing together so well and they look forward to the games they will play the next day. Even today when Emelia was asking if tomorrow was a daycare day, she yelled ‘yeah’ when I told her yes.  All in all a great start of the summer.

The week went by relatively quickly, it was a short week, I had lower number with the children and we had a bit of freedom with the school playground being back in our list of possible parks to visit in the day. The weather was amazing, thankfully we got out as much as we did because the next two weeks looks like lots of rain.

IMG_3598Then we came to the weekend. Starting out a quieter pace, John got a bit of extra sleep and Emelia and I vegged out watching cartoons while I drank my coffee and puttered around. Once John got up Emelia and I got ready for the day and headed out to get some errands done while John got some Home County work done. Emelia got the bulk of our weekly groceries done at Costco, while there we saw that they already had out their snowsuits (yes in July!), I tried them on to see what sizing with the intention that we would pick them up at a later date. When I realized that they only had one colour option in her size I asked a staff if they had anymore. She said they are normally sold out by August so when they found her size in the colour she wanted we grabbed it. It was cheaper than even the crappy sets they sell at elsewhere and it was an amazing quality. So here I am in July buying her fall coat AND a snowsuit. One less thing on the to buy list I guess.

We came home and gathered John (after I persuaded Emelia to take the bloody snowsuit off) and we were off to swim, home for lunch and then off to Grand Bend. The looming forecast we were not sure if were going to get much sun once we finally arrived but the skies were perfect, the weather was warm and the water was calling Emelia, Anna, Grace and their newly found friends at the beach. The group of children had a blast playing no the rafts, and collecting minnows. All in all a perfect day.

We did not get back in town until after 6:00 so we decided instead of making dinner and eating very late we would venture down to Sunfest and eat there while listening to the music. We were not there too long and the crowds were getting to Emelia and honestly the long day in the sun and water was making her miserable. So off we went to home with a crying girl and off to bed. John and I relaxed once she was finally asleep and watched Life of Pi – an absolutely incredible movie.

Today was my turn to sleep in a bit and once we got our day in order, had breakfast we made our way to our favourite laundry mat: Poppa and Grandma’s! We feel terrible that we have had to inconvenience them in this way but they have told us time and time again they love the company and love the longer visit with Emelia. So with Emelia entertaining her grandparents and our laundry on the way John and I made our way to the gym for a good workout, we got home showered up and had lunch. Back we went to change the loads and visit for a bit. We managed to get the rest of groceries done while Emelia visited with Helen and Doug and then ended our night with a great dinner with two of our favourite people.

All in all a great weekend!

 

Leave a Reply