I get to have a sleepover at Poppa and Grandma’s tonight because tomorrow is my first day of Day Camp at Fanshawe Pioneer Village! I am so excited I get to go to this with my cousin Vaughan!

He said

After a steady diet of weekends off this summer, culminating in our weeklong adventure in the Wolfie the trailer, this week I ran smack dab into an eight-day consecutive stretch at work. I guess I really had it coming since I’ve already had the near two week vacation at Disney in May as well. Here I am on day seven of the stretch and honestly, I am no worse for wear. In fact, I dare say, it was nice to get in a nice long stretch doing what I love to do… which is my job.

And the really good news is that in a couple of weekends – Labour Day weekend to be precise – we’re able to get away once again for the weekend with the trailer as I have Saturday to Monday off, as does Danielle. So, we’re looking for some nearby, but far enough away locations to let Wolfie have a go at. The early favourite right now is Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park near Niagara Falls if we can’t find somewhere comparable up Collingwood way…

If we’re able to get the trailer out for one more weekend by Thanksgiving, before we start to think about winter storage, I will be very happy with the use we’ve gotten out of it this year. Three times is pretty fantastic for something we only got the first week of August.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I have applied for the open Lead Genius position at our store and there has been some exciting developments with respect to that, that leads me to believe, I’ll have answer one way or another in a week or so. It’s hugely flattering to know I am even being considered for the role, coming in to it from my current one of Creative (trainer).

I have had some great discussions with my peers and gotten some illuminating feedback about it. It’s amazing in just over a year all the opportunity for growth and development I have had with this job, that I never had before! There isn’t a day that goes by that I feel absolutely lucky to be in this amazing new career — especially at my age! It’s definitely something that I will share with Emelia, the notion that you can change gears in the middle of your life. And to seek out a career that provides you an equal mix of challenge and opportunity. I’ve definitely found that out!

One of my absolute favourite moments from Wolfe Island that I forgot to mention in last week’s recap was when Emelia and I were dancing with Danielle while Hannah Georgas played, she actually pulled her head up to my ear to whisper like we often do in this whisper game we play, and she said to me, “when I grow up I want to be a singer, Daddy“. And, when I asked her if she really did, she leaned back, looked me dead in the eye and with a grin ear-to-ear, nodded emphatically.

As the music loving Daddy that I am, you can imagine the delight I had in hearing that. While I would never push her into anything I want her to be, I would most certainly emphatically support anything she told me she wanted to do. The fact that for right now, in that moment, our two ideas shared the love of song, was probably the highlight of my year — and believe-you-me I have had a highlight reel year!

She’s since told me two more times this week, the very same thing. So, excuse me, if I close this week, basking in the glow of some pretty great moments.

She said

This week I don’t really have a ton to add, my week really involved getting back into the grind and getting a little one adjusted to full time daycare, a sweet little one year old boy. Add in Emelia getting used to sharing mommy again and still being a bit tired from a week of camping. As well the joy of construction and our street being a mess and honestly it was a countdown to the weekend shortly after the week started.

But the week did have some highlights: one was the weather – yes a strange highlight but we have had a terrible weather summer with much colder than normal temperatures. This week by the end of the week the sun had returned and we were out at the parks all morning and afternoon each and every day. I can say seeing the children laugh and make their own games as we venture out in our little neighbourhood is the highlight to any of my days.

About half way through the week a bit of heavy heart kicked in, although Emelia was pushing buttons a fair bit, conversations with one of my soon to be graduating daycare boys made it sink in that Emelia goes to school full time in the fall. She will no longer be one of my daycare children. Although it will likely mean quieter days for me it really makes me sad to think that my little sidekick and helper won’t be here every day. She and I have spent every day together, even when she was in school last year she was home every other day. My baby is growing up, it means our weekends and evenings will mean that much more but I cannot believe she is 6.5 years old and going into grade one in 2 weeks.

With that in mind I knew she and I had a weekend to ourselves we wanted to make the most of it, no sharing mommy, no mommy needing to get things done we were going to spend as much time together as possible. After bringing John to work she and I made short order of groceries and with a text from Poppa our plans for the day were set.

Around 10:00 I received a text from Doug asking if we had plans for the day and would Emelia like to come to the village for the day and ride some horses. Well, you didn’t have to ask my horse loving girl twice, she was ready to go. We finished up and off we went. We started out with her pony ride of course and then had a quick lunch with Poppa before we spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the village. It was a special fair they had set up so there were games, puppet shows, special exhibits and farm animals for the children to see.

She was in love and being there made her even more excited for her upcoming week of camp that starts tomorrow. By the time we finished our day we had one tired little girl. Then we came to today, another beautiful summer day so I wanted to spend as much time as we could outside enjoying it. I had to get a bit of cleaning done but after lunch we were off, on this afternoon’s agenda – the splash pad and park. Emelia loved running all over, climbing all over the spider web climber and running through the splash pad. It was the perfect way to end our day together.

Tonight she is at her grandparents, she has camp first thing in the morning and is over the moon excited and I think Poppa is as well. Emelia had taken to the Village the same way I did to the Black Creek Pioneer Village a pioneer village near the townhouse I grew up in Toronto. I cannot wait to pick her up tomorrow and hear all about her day.

That was the week in a nutshell, sun, fun and time as a family.