Storms and Songs, Solo-style

As Shelley wends her way to Kingston for a Literacy Conference, I'm home with the kids. She deserves a few nights of responsibility-free sleep.

So far it's been fine; apart from a booming summer-like thunderstorm this afternoon that had Kai curious and Rei frightened. I distracted her by having her help me make supper and falling back on my standard strategy: singing silly songs made up on the spot. These ditties are generally successful, however due to their improvised nature I can't remember them for repeat performances. So "The Hunga Munga" song is different every time I'm asked to perform.

Tomorrow, I'm going for back-up and heading to my folks' place for a couple nights. But not after taking Rei to daycare and staying for *gulp* Kai's first orientation visit.

Around the House

While keeping the kids fed, sun safe and generally happy, I managed some household chores beyond the usual 2 sinks of dishes and 2 loads of laundry. In addition, I oiled some squeaky door hinges, drew a floor plan of the kitchen for some new linoleum, sprayed for ants, installed the window air conditioner in our bedroom, and set up the hammock on the porch (didn't manage to lounge in it though, hopefully tomorrow).

And in the midst of all that, managed some peek-a-boo with Kai. You know he's going after the CDs.

T-Minus 14 Days

How quickly the time has flown! The four months of parental leave has been whittled to a mere fortnight; our bouncing baby boy will soon be one year old.

While I am looking forward to returning to work, I am also greatly saddened that these days of being home with the kids are coming to a close. And immensely thankful for the opportunity to have had this time to spend with them.

Farmstead

We had an overnight visit to my parents' as part of our plan to attend the "Celebration of Ministry" servce of London Conference's Annual Meeting this afternoon.

It was heartwarming to see Rei take such delight in the secrets and treasures of my boyhood home. She marvelled at The Anthill, frolicked in the garden and swung on pine branches.

(She didn't react as positively to the piglet that Dad brought out of the barn).

My parents watched Rei and Kai this afternoon while Shelley and I went out on a date: to a worship service. Yes, it's a wild life we lead.

David Does Dallas

Watching the playoff game between the Suns and the Mavs, who should I see in the stands but Mr. David Hasselhoff cheering his favourite German basketball superstar. For me, this was a win-win night: if Phoenix wins, they're up 2-0; if Dallas does, that's further proof for my Hasselhoff victory phenomenon.

Even as Dirk clanked a couple free throws while David fist-tapped neighbouring fans, the Mavericks evened the series with the Suns and this gem of a playoff season continues. And my theory remains intact.

That Sneaky Fox

Urs' blog prompted me to download Firefox for browsing online. I'd been meaning to for a while and find little different from my experiences with Navigator or Safari. Internet Explorer, I abandoned long ago.

The little differences like learning keyboard shortcuts for switching between tabs has been smooth. Importing our bookmarks from Safari was quick and painless. And Blogger has more options available to me so I don't have to rely on my very limited Html knowledge.

The orientation continues and my assessment is a work in progress.

Retention

This morning, Rei announced that she was pooping. (I'm still waiting for that magical day when she decides of her own volition that using the potty instead of diapers is a good thing). A few minutes later, as I prepared to remedy her situation, she informs me that she doesn't need a new diaper, that she "put it away".

Skeptical, I checked and indeed, things were OK. I've seen too many movies, read too many psychological thrillers, to know that fixating on such functions leads to trouble. Disturbing, sociopathic, homicidal trouble. Really, I just want our kids to grow up well-adjusted, healthy and regular.

The Hasselhoff Inspiration

I had quite a chuckle about NBA superstar Dirk Nowitzki's Hasselhoff ritual during games. He really is big in Germany!

Turns out Dirk could have used David at Game 1 of the Western Conference final last night, as Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns swiped the victory from Dirk and the Mavericks. Although Dirk acquitted himself well (25 pts, 19! rebs - and of course, 9/10 from the line); maybe whiney baby Jerry Stackhouse could have used a new tune.

Instead, David was at the American Idol finale, teary-eyed and cheering as Taylor bested Katharine.

Uhm, not that I watch that show ... still, here's one for the socially awkward triumphing over the pretty people! Although I won't be buying his album or lining up to see him in concert.

From this limited investigation, the truth is pretty clear: if you want to be a winner, you need David Hasselhoff on your side.

Living in the Past

OK, I think I might be caught up now, having posted those entries backdated and saved drafts from the past few days. So what's happened lately? The standard readjusting to life at home, many forays to the park next door, watching TV finales and basketball games. Happy Victoria Day: I did attend her namesake university and lived in her namesake residence hall, but have no real affliation or appreciation for her majesty. Still, I'm glad for the excuse to have the long weekend (which I suspect is a sentiment shared by others around Christmas and Easter).

Monday: Bleeding Ears and Cutting Teeth

As wonderful as the trips to the cottage are, it can be, and has been, an ordeal to travel to and from. No matter what highways or backroads we take, the travel time is roughly 4 hours. Factor in two children and we plan for 5½ hours. Thankfully, the kids dropped off to sleep in the car soon after we fuelled up at a paltry 96.5¢/L.

Our travelling bliss was interrupted in Mount Forest where we made a pitstop for some park play (thank you to the Lions service club for your community-mindedness). After taking Kai out of his carseat for a bottle, we discovered his ear was bloody. Needless to say there was some concern, dismay, guilt and shock on our part. Once we got him cleaned up, we figured he'd only scratched himself, despite all the blood.

He'd been pulling at his ears all day and he'd been a little warm the last few days. We had given him Tylenol, suspecting teething. Sure enough on the top-left was Tooth #5 peaking through.

Sunday: Resort Golf

Earlier in the week Shelley suggested that I bring my golf clubs and try to get out with Shelley's sister's significant other, John. I was thinking one of the local Midland courses would suffice, but he's a golf connoisseur and wondered about an outing to Huntsville where Grandview Golf Club awaited.

There, we got to see how the other half golf. At $250 an outing, this was not my social scene, but the grounds and clubhouse were gorgeous. Although there was a chance that we could have played for next-to-nothing, but too many strings needed to be pulled and I wouldn't want to use up all that good will on the first long weekend of the season.

Still, we did get 9 holes in at The Inn Course amid the wind and rain. I didn't embarrass myself in the presence of such an accomplished golfer managing a chip-in on the first hole and par in front of a play-through audience.

Saturday: Beach Day Blues

While the weather was typically May-long-weekend cold and wet, that didn't deter Rei from spending the afternoon in the basement of the cottage playing at the imaginary beach with her grandpa. According to him, sand castles were built and crushed, races run in the sand and naps were almost taken.

Not even the grey day could dampen her determination to have fun at the cottage. And, courtesy of Grandma, the addition of a new stuffed friend, Blue of Blue's Clues, to distract from the fact that beloved Pooh Bear was left at home.

Friday: Learning on the Road

The road to Shelley's parents' cottage was long and patience-trying, but not without reward. Apparently popcorn chicken at the KFC/Pizza Hut in Stayner is a highly complicated, time-consuming order to complete, requiring more than the understaffed establishment could manage on a long weekend in cottage country.

It was during this wait that I realized Just New Reeleases video rental franchise wasn't misspelled, but a "clever" connection to a movie "reel". So subtle was this reference that it has taken me the better part of 5 years to catch on.

For the final stretch of driving, Rei entertained herself and her brother with her imagination and a bendy-straw. She used that tube of plastic as a flute, a saxophone, and "swimming lips" (which we figured out to be a snorkel). To use her words, it was hilarious.

Mobilizing

Kai's pretty close to crawling now. He commando-crawls and log rolls himself into corners, under tables, around chair legs, in his search for unsafe things to cram into his mouth. There have been instances were he's pulled himself up onto hands and knees. He's quite ready to go; the question is, are we?

Incensused

Just like our vacation away, Census 2006 has come and gone. Our household being one of those privileged enough to reveal even more about our origins, education, work life than those poor suckers who only received the "short form".

Yes, we had to figure out what to put for Kai's first spoken language because "dadada-brrffft, mumumum-brrffft, aYAYAYAYA-gooo" didn't fit into any available category. We got to describe the details of our occupation and share the financial ins and outs of lifestyle and puzzled out how we describe manse life (we don't own the home, but we don't pay rent, we have no idea what the property tax or utilities are ...).

Having done our civic duty, this better get us off the hook for all future "long form" questionnaires. Well, for the next 5 years at least.

Four score

In response to Moxy's email questionnaire...

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Minister of Word, Sacrament and Pastoral Care
2. Teaching Assistant, Dept of Religious Studies
3. Temp Agency, light industrial work
4. Farm Hand (hog, dairy)

Four nicknames I've been given:
1. Ji
2. Jiji
3. The Marooster
4. "Reverend"

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Whale Music
2. Hardcore Logo
3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
4. Stand by Me

Four places I have lived:
1. Farmhouse
2. University Residence
3. Manse
4. Farmhouse Manse

Four TV shows I HAVE to watch:
1. 24
2. Prison Break
3. March Madness (NCAA Men's Basketball)
4. Peppa Pig

Four places I have been on vacation:
1. St. John's, NL
2 New Orleans, LA
3. Victoria, BC
4. Japan (Tokyo, Osaka)

Four things I could NOT live without
1. Family and friends
2. Music
3. Words
4. Laughter

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Barbecued anything
2. Curry (dhansak, jalfrezi, madras, vindaloo ... it's all good)
3. Spring Rolls
4. Veggie and Fruit Trays

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. dining finely with Shelley
2. playing golf or basketball
3. driving at night, under a bright full moon, listening to jazz
4. in the hammock with a book and beer

Arkona Bloom

After the craggy and stark beauty of the Avalon Penninsula, we returned home to find southwestern Ontario's spring in bright array. While the days of daffodils and tulips were waning, deciduous trees erupted into full greenery, and the lilacs fragrantly showed themselves in soft pastels.

And the dandelions had taken over, seeding fluffy white parachutes, to Rei's delight. So while Shelley prepared supper for the kids and got them ready for bed, I mowed the lawn. Once the landscape was trimmed and our young sprouts safely to bed, we had a barbecue steak supper. Oh, and Happy Mother's Day.

Westjet West

It started with a leaking diaper at the airport. (At least I left my grenade belt buckle at home!). After changing Kai's pants, I proceeded to dry them with the air dryer in the men's room. And did the same with the wet spot on my shirt.

Despite a tailwind pushing us home, the flight was a bit more troublesome for our youngest passenger. Rei contentedly settled in front of the satellite TV and her Wiggles' colouring book. Kai had trouble settling in on the flight and managed only 45 minutes or so of sleeping. The remainder of our time was spent walking with him up and down the aisle, pumping bottle after bottle into him and passing him to the other parent.

Back on the ground, we missed the immediately available airport shuttle to our park 'n fly hotel, but that allowed us to grab a quick bite to tide us over until the Cambridge/Guelph McDonald's off the 401. Rei was sound asleep when I got her out of the car, but perked up for an ice cream cone and chocolate milk.

Kai managed to get some sleep in the car afterwards, Rei was awake and good-natured until we got to the home-side of London. She finally drifted off to sleep herself in Keyser, which is a scant 6 minutes from home. Travelling, fully awake, from St. John's to Keyser with only a power nap in Guelph, hopefully means a sound slumber tonight. We'll see how the rest of the time zone shifting works out.

11-month Brush

After another wonderful supper with Peter and Patricia, our 11-month old Kai prepared for bed.

He'll be brushing his teeth back home soon enough.

I ♥ NY

This morning was a bit of shopping and getting out of the cleaning staff's way. It's been a full week and today is the first time we've had some empty space in our schedule.

I saw this T-shirt and had to shake my head and laugh. Truly, a testament to Newfoundlanders' reaction to McCartneyism (celebrities poking their noses into issues about which they have no clue). Although Paul & Heather McCartney vs. the seal hunt seems different than George Clooney and Darfur.


Rather than risking a ♣ing myself, I opted for an Accordian Revolution T-shirt, having to admit to the sales clerk that I was not a player.

This is Daniel Cook golfing

Recently I decided one of my life's ambitions would be to golf in every province of Canada. Today makes 3: Manitoba, Ontario and Newfoundland & Labrador.

I arrived at Pippy Park intending on golfing the "Captain's Hill" 9-hole course. Mistakenly, I went to the Starter's Hut instead of the Clubhouse, but it worked in my favour. No sooner did I darken the door when the attendant looked at me quizzically and asked, "Kenji?"

Then it was my turn to look perplexed and he (re-)introduced himself, "Steve, from Cochrane!" (As in Cochrane St. United Church, not Cochrane, ON). He suggested that I play the front 9 of "Admiral's Green", a superior course with a mountaintop view of the city and the ocean, and I was able to do so for the same green fee.

Indeed, the view from the 7th tee was spectacular. This image doesn't do it justice, but hopefully you get the picture:
Apparently I was hitting from the same elevation as Cabot Tower and it was a steep drop to the green; carts were warned to test their brakes, as I scrambled down, it felt as my toes would have slid out of my shoes. And I managed par!

Apart from being stuck behind a slow foursome, which easily added a half-hour of waiting to my game, the only drawback was Daniel Cook's theme song running through my head the entire afternoon.

Winds of Change

Our morning expedition was to Cape Spear, the easternmost point of land in Canada (and North America), through damp and foggy conditions. Upon arrival, and as we prepared to disengage the kids from their carseats, the cold and biting wind got the better of us and we changed plans. We returned to St. John's the scenic way, passing through Blackhead, Maddox Cove, Petty Harbour and Bay Bulls. The land and seascapes were incredible to behold and the warming sun brightened through the day.

We motor toured through downtown St. John's, glimpsing Naomi Centre for Women, where Shelley worked in our time here; and looped around Quidi Vidi Lake, glimpsing Quidi Vidi Brewery, whose brews I quaffed in our time here. Although I'm still on the lookout for their "Hibernia Cream Ale" which seems to have been discontinued, they seem to be quite excited about their Iceberg Beer. Maybe it's time for their Honey Brown right now ... pffpt!

Dear 4th Floor:

To our co-habitants on the fourth floor of Ramada St. John's,

Please accept apologies on behalf of our infant son whose cries and wails may have disturbed you last night. Unfortunately, it seems that he was awoken by some people trying to get ice. Perhaps you heard them: "DID YA GET DA ICE? IT'S NOT DERE; YA GOTTA GO DOWN ONE FLOOR. ON DA T'IRD FLOOR. DAT'S WHERE IT IS. WHAT ARE YA, STUNNED?"

Come to think of it, he would have happily slept through the night without that interruption. Perhaps you missed the signage on the back of all our suite doors that pinpoints the location of the ice machines (on the 2nd and 3rd floors only). It's the same sheet of paper that tells us to kindly keep quiet after 11 p.m.

Upon further consideration, we'd like to withold our apologies and replace them with feelings of regret and misgiving - for ourselves.

Peaceably yours,
Kenji

Flipper Dinner

Among the various culinary wonders that Newfoundlanders feast upon, flipper may raise the most eyebrows. The mechanics of softening hardtack for fish and brewis or the dilution process for Jiggs dinner are interesting in and of themselves, but do not quite carry the cachet of eating seal flipper.

For the record, I also have an "after" picture of my duly clean plate.

A View from a Hill

The sun shone, the day was bright. We ascended to our quintessential, must-see attraction of St. John's, the views from Signal Hill: the city, the sea and the Narrows in between.

Shelley and I revelled in the vista, wondering when we would return to take in these sights again. Kai burbled happily to himself and Rei played with rocks.

Grey was the Day

The day dawned grey and damp (another case of RDF, rain-drizzle-fog, while Ontario is on the verge of HHH, hazy-hot-humid, weather - but we're not visiting for the weather), so we decided to confine our activities to some indoor ventures. We went underwater without getting wet at The Fluvarium where Rei initially was keen to see the fish in the deep pools, but the dark exhibit hall kept her enjoying the riffle and shallow pool.


Kai and his fine, fishy friend

Onto some more familiar ground, we shopped at the Avalon Mall where the kids got Newfoundland ABC and 123 T-shirts, appropriate wear for an Early Literacy Specialist's offspring. Our intent was then for a quiet afternoon in our room, but after getting a little stir-crazy, we braved bracing winds at Kenny's Pond Rotary Park for some invigorating outdoor play.


Rei has taken her recreation to new heights.

Killick Coasting: Fish and Ferry

Today featured a mini-road trip around the Killick Coast Trail. Through the countryside of rock and pine, highlighted with some little patches of snow, we zipped through Torbay, Flatrock, and Pouch Cove, with an extended stop in Portugal Cove.

We paused for a wistful moment in the parking lot of the United Chruch and look up the hill to the manse, which was our home for a year. It had a mountain in the backyard, a view of Conception Bay from the living room window, garish colour schemes in the bedrooms, and a dishwasher. Those were the days.

We were delighted to learn our fears that Gordon's Fish & Chips may have closed were misplaced. In fact, his Cozy Corner Cafe has expanded. We dined on delectable cod, encased in light crisp crunchy batter buried beneath chipwagon calibre fries with a tin of [Diet] Pepsi. I was afraid of a letdown, of fond memories and high expectations overwhelming the actual experience. Some things don't change. (Like the graffiti cliffs, apparently the strength of "Holly 'n Paul"'s relationship has not faded one bit).

After the nostalgic lunch, we tended to Rei's desire to go on a boat; just a little over and back on the ferry to Bell Island.

A Grand Day Out

After some "naps" and rest in the afternoon, we ventured out to the cliffs of Conception Bay for a visit with dear friends Peter and Patricia. Their property extends right to the water and the complaint is that sometimes at night, the whales are so loud they can't sleep. What an inconvenience!

Following some floor play with large foam, alphabet puzzle pieces, we went for a walk through the back field to the cliff's edge. En route, we picked up golf balls which evoked a sense of our own backyard for Rei (she's going to think every backyard has golf balls strewn about). Peter shared a story of pirate treasure that had her intrigued and mildly apprehensive.


Some people from church joined us for a delightful supper: smoked salmon, ham, turnip, cauliflower, potatoes, salad and freshly baked bread by Peter. We brought some Pelee Island Dry White, as an offering from Canada's southernmost winery to Canada's eastern edge, and imbibed in some wonderful Newfoundland vintages, again crafted by Peter.

The kids held up very well, energetic and good-natured until dessert (ice cream and strawberries) was finished and we brought our tired ones home/hotel. Now that the kids are asleep, we can finally sneak ourselves some of those peanut butter Smarties that Shelley bought yesterday. Although I'd half-expect the bag to be opened and immediately hear Rei's voice: "What are you eating Mommy?"

If I Knew You Were Coming

Growing up, we had a Sesame Street record that featured the Cookie Monster and the Count singing that if they knew I was coming, they'd have baked a cake (one cake!), baked a cake (2 cakes!), etc.

Shelley and I made our return to Cochrane Street United Church where I did my internship 8 years ago. Not surprisingly, I took part in the worship service, offering the children's story. And not unsurprisingly, I discovered someone in the congregation who knew where Arkona was, she being from Forest.

It was some good to be back; although trying to connect names to all the familiar faces was rather daunting. Rei did very well considering the amount of attention that was directed at her, this being the congregation's first introduction to our kids.

During the "Fellowship Time" afterwards, there was a specially-decorated cake welcoming us back. They knew we were coming and, yes, they baked a cake. (one cake! and its remains are in our fridge, even as I type).

Ramada Zoo

Another hotel adventure accompanied by those new stuffed friends.

At least the beds in this suite are of equal size.

Westjet East

Unsure of how the kids would feel about being confined to assigned seats in a pressurized cabin filled with strangers, they did remarkably well.

I guess it helped that the satellite TV enabled Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer and Pinky Dinky Doo to join us on our adventure.

Holiday Thrills

We set out on the road to Toronto this afternoon, thus beginning our vacation. Well, Shelley's the one on vacation; for me, it's just a change of scenery.

Stopping for gas and diaper changes at a truck stop outside of London, the kids returned to the car with new stuffed animals. There was the cutest monkey there that was ideal for Kai; and it didn't seem right that Rei had her Pooh bear and he didn't have any cuddly companions.

Then it didn't seem fair that he should get a new toy and his sister didn't, so she got to select a new stuffed friend. Of course, she picks a gaudy pink and white pony with glimmery hooves and a braided mane. There was a perfectly adorable hippopotamus that would have added some variety to our plush menagerie, but no, a "pony with a pony [tail]" was the choice.

It was at that truck stop that we realized we only had one more diaper for each of the kids. We figured we'd buy some in St. John's when we arrived to save luggage space, except we forgot to pack enough to get us to St. John's. At the outlet mall in Cambridge we stopped for McDonald's and diapers. I learned that maybe Kai's chewing skills are not quite up for little pieces of apple yet. I was fingersweeping them out of his mouth before we left; he crammed a lot in there.

The hotel was a big hit. The kids were giddy in their new surroundings: Kai revelled in the curtains and Rei laid claim to the kingsize bed. They were so happy and amazed and delighted, and we haven't done much of anything yet.

Tomorrow morning we fly out as east as you can get in Canada, where more adventures await.

Mowtown Blues

One of my first items to do for the past week was the last to be completed: cutting the grass. Taking advantage of Shelley's folks with us and Grandma watching the kids, I took the mower out for its inaugural spin. It started up impressively, with one pull of the cord and away I went.

During chores such as these, my mind likes to wander. I was thinking about a push mower, how much better for the environment it would be and how much easier it would be to use, instead of filling it up with gas, checking the oil, worrying about waking Kai up when I'm under his window. While thinking such thoughts, the mower sensed my betrayal and quit on me.

I first thought I ran out of gas which usually happens in that portion of my route. But even after I topped up the tank, it sputtered and wheezed which brought Shelley's dad over to take a look.

An esteemed colleague of mine, the Rev. Dr. B_ M_ proclaimed that ordination has emasculated him. I have to agree; it has emasculated him. As for me, I was always an idiot when it came to engines and the like.

Shelley's dad looked a few things over, said something about "carburetor" and "fuel line". We took turns yanking on the starter cord. He looked at air filters and spark plugs and with a magic sweep of his wire brush, the engine roared to life and I was on my way once more.

Good thing he was there, otherwise I would have done what any other minister would do: put the mower away, call the manse committee and wonder "What Would B_ M_ Do?".

Hoops for Two

My last basketball outing was a small-scale affair. I was the only one there for the first 20 minutes, which was fine with me; then some highschool kids showed up and after shooting at our respective baskets for a while, we entered into some 2-on-2.

There can only be so many permutations of pairings. We played games to 11 points - just so we know when we're done, and switched up the teams.

First round was the long hairs versus the shorter hairs, round 2 was the little guys against the tall guys. While the shorter haired and little guys won, it really was about me showing up the young punks how to get it done.

Preparation Preoccupation

Our packing has begun and the to-do lists being written and added onto as we get ready for our eastern odyssey. Transportation and lodging are taken care of, it's just a matter of what Kai will eat, what toys Rei will bring and whatever will we wear?

At some point, it will be too late to worry about forgetting something and having to make do with the resources available to us in Newfoundland. We won't have to pack any Seal Flipper Pie, something tells me that will be waiting for us at our destination.

Rei's Big Day

We had big plans for the day. Rei and I would take Shelley into work, then go for a doughnut at Tim Horton's, we'd then go to the public school where I mentor a boy in Grade 5, then home in time to go to the Early Years Outreach program at the Municipal Building.

Somewhere between Tim Horton's and the school, Rei gave a world-weary sigh and pronounced: "It's been a long day." This before 9 a.m. She had a great time playing with my student buddy (Big Brothers/Big Sisters calls them "mentees" but it sounds too contrived a word for actual use - plus it evokes images of Stellar's Sea Cows and manatees). On the car ride home, a mere 13 minutes, she fell asleep.

We didn't make it to the outreach program but did play in the big backyard until lunch. While Shelley's parents are here, I headed to Sarnia in the afternoon for a bit of shopping and sweet potato fries at Paddy Flaherty's. I picked Shelley up from work and the big day gave way to a not-as-big evening of barbeque, bath and basketball.

A Family Portrait

Rei wanted a picture taken with her Potato Head.

You'll note the arms above the ears. That was only the beginning of the mutations.

Songs in the Key of Kai

Maybe he has his aunt's ear for music.

Or he likes the flashing lights.