The Rest of the Summer

I'm not exactly sure where the rest of September went ... mind you, there were a couple weekends where I was sick with this sinus cold-headache combo that did a number on me.

Life at the churches has been busy with everything that seems to happen all at once. Reinvigorating the Sunday Schools at the start of a new year, Cemetery Decoration Day services, a special worship for the Fall Fair in Glencoe, reminded me that getting back into the routine of work might not happen until November when all the special events and occasions have passed. Just in time to get wound up for Advent/Christmas.

At one point, I had 4 distinctly different worship services in 2 days. But enough about me.

Reiko's enjoying French Immersion, coming home with new words for her vocabulary and new friends for her peer network. The new skincare system seems to be working well with her eczema and ballet class has been a hit.

Kai has taken to shirking his clothes at every opportunity, preferring to strut around in his diaper (yes, still a diaper ... we're still waiting for that cognitive turning point in his potty training). He's discovered he likes eating raw mushrooms, and while he'll pick green peppers off the neighbour's plants (with her permission, thankfully), he won't actually eat them.

Shelley has also been busy with her work and the fresh start that September represents. She's currently away at a literacy conference in Niagara Falls. Coincidentally, she is there with the spouse of one of my ministry compadres; he and I often are away together for various church functions, this time it's their turn to have some time away.

So that's the latest from our end, maybe the change in season will allow for more blogtime ... maybe I should just stop saying that, but I am a person of hope.

Alternatorily

When the car began acting up this morning, I knew it wasn't the ignition coil or misfiring plugs. The battery light that flashed red and the wildly fluctuating gauges (could I really have been driving 260 km/h?) prompted me to proceed directly to the garage.

With no loaner car available, and the complimentary shuttle service not extending as far the church office, I had them drive me home where I would do my work. A call in the afternoon confirmed that we need a new alternator.

Shelley's dad often says its cheaper to fix an older car than to pay the depreciation on a new one. Lately, I think we're getting to the tipping point of this fine balance. But after 8 years and 246 000 km, things are bound to wear out.

Back to School 2008

The early morning fog delayed buses, but didn't dampen Reiko's enthusiasm for the first day of Senior Kindergarten, en français. Kai has another year of daycare before he can put his Spiderman lunchbag to proper use, but it's always good to practise.



Her return home was far more eventful: Reiko wasn't on the bus! I hurried to the school where we managed to figure out that the teacher sent her on the same bus as some boys that live on our street ... except those boys go to a babysitter in the afternoon in a different part of town. So Rei got a tour of Strath Vegas before being returned to the school.

Although she did knew that the bus she got on didn't have any kids (or bus driver) she recognized, she likely thought things were different now that she was in SK, French Immersion. (Not riding the bus in the morning because of the fog didn't help things any).

In the end, everything worked out. She and I went grocery shopping and got a special treat for her trouble and I made her requested spaghetti for supper.

Eczemania

After a recent visit to the after-hours clinic (not for an ear infection!) to see about a flare-up of Reiko's eczema, a referral was made to an allergist/specialist.

She had her appointment today and to narrow the definition of her skin ailment, she has atopic dermatitis. Thank goodness we're not in biblical times when leprosy would be have been the diagnosis.

By virtue of her heritage and the indigent climate, this condition of dry, itchy skin is common for North American Asians. There is a good chance she'll outgrow it; and while we don't wish to accelerate the passing of time, for her sake we hope that's the case.

In the meantime, we have a new regimen of moisturizers, unguents and creams for bath, bedtime and morning.