Another night at the Ex!

Ayla seems to be enjoying "syncro" - a.k.a Synchronized Swimming. She had enjoyed two double periods on this over the past two days and speaks of this the most when talking about her day. She likes being the strong one so the other little girls sit on HER shoulder, you see. She was cold when she got in the car yesterday afternoon, so to the Ex she wore two layers of sweaters, two layers of sox, and then once she bought her little mouse hat, she insisted on wearing it all around, too. Before dinner Ralph and Ayla had one of their "serious" discussions about life events, which always makes Angie and I smile. I like that they seek each other out when they feel the need, I think it speaks well to their relationship, I hope they keep it up as Ayla gets older.
Mom and Ayla seem to be enjoying each other's company, as they browsed around the Ex last night, shopping and stopping to look. Ayla also bought a shoulder bag, which I love, it's very cute, and Angie's birthday present (not telling what it is!) and then ice cream and a beaver tail and donuts. And a water. Falling asleep in the car on the way home, with her mouse hat on and her double layer of sweaters, I couldn't help but think she had an excellent time at the Ex!

When things get tough...

When Ayla first arrived I had asked her if she wanted to scrapbook the month of August while she was here. She had said yes, so off we went to spend about $100 on scrapbook stuff. Well, lately she has not been scrapbooking, so I asked her about it. It seems she suffers from the same challenge I do - when you get behind and the job seems to be this huge project of mammoth proportions, the Lapierre procrastination skills kick in and become very well utilized. I told her that when a job gets to bee too big and you don;t feel like doing it anymore, ask for help. I am 34 and just learning this skill. I am amazed it was never taught to me when I was young. As I look at this perspective today and all the opportunity I would have had to practice it in school, I am amazed that my procrastination was never called out. That not finishing the work was bad, but isn't not asking for help a worse "crime"? I think back to this dumb project we had to do where we had to draw our neighbourhood map, the streets, bus stops, points of interest, stores, etc. I had done all this very well, the project was interesting, but after doing all this, the teacher then asked us to color it. Color it? WTF? Why would we bother doing that? So of course, I didn't do it. I was sick the day we had to hand it in. Terrible flu. Now, this was Grade 5, so by that time, you would think that someone would have caught onto my pattern of loosing interest after the initial part of the project AND procrastinating or not doing the work if I saw little value OR if the project seemed to be too long and hard. I wish someone had taught me the skills of negotiating down and asking for help with I was 10. It would have made my working life SO much easier!

Granny Has Arrived!

Well, Mom arrived safely last night after some excitement of trying to find her in the train station. Ayla was starving, she kept asking if we could go have a snack while we waited for Mom to get off the train. Then we get home and I am just sitting down in the backyard with Ralph and Mom and Ayla, sipping my Gin and Peach Juice cocktail and Ayla says, "Can I help you with dinner?"
So Ayla made a lovely grilled chicken Caesar salad, which we all enjoyed, and then we went off to the dollar store and then to the book store, where her granny got her a new Sheldon book of poems, as always quite funny. She then sat in a comfy chair in Second Cup and read her book and had a gingerbread cookie and drank her tea all so very grown up. I think Mom is enjoying having some time with her, and Ayla is enjoying the change in company, too. She wanted her Granny to come and listen to her bedtime story with her.
The cats are overall unimpressed with yet another person in the house, though Sally loves Mom and is constantly trying to get her to pet her. It's really quite funny. Ralph did not enjoy sleeping on the hard futon last night, though my back has not felt better in years! Only a few more days, Ralph!

Ralph's Notes

Ralph has been, for most of the month, a quiet observer and patient role model for Ayla. He mentions things to me quietly when we are alone. A few weeks ago he observed that she takes her pants off the same way I do, pants and undies come off together and then get thrown still "joined" into the hamper for washing. On Friday night when Ayla and Ralph left me at the restaurant for the "late shift" partying, he had sent her up to get changed while he put the cover over the bike. A few minutes later she came down and said, "Uncle Ralph, can you help me?" Her side zipper needed undoing, something Ralph helps me with all the time. He just had to smile. The little girl growing up makes him smile often, which is nice to see. He likes to tease her and I think he misses the days when she would just sit there and ramble at him about her day. Now she takes a bit more coaxing, something he's not yet accustomed to, but he's getting there. Last night was house cleaning night and she said she wanted to do the grass. I told her she was welcome to the job, and to get Uncle Ralph to show her where the lawn mower was. Well, she worked on the yard for well over an hour, and Ralph was very impressed by how well she applied herself. Of course, he was also a bit disappointed he had underutilized her mowing skills for the balance of the month...

And a lunch bag, too

"NO, Auntie Tanya, they look like purses, and we are not allowed to bring purses to school. I'll get in trouble!"
"Ayla, seriously?"
"Yes, Auntie Tanya, let's look for other ones!"
"OK."

Auntie Tanya and Ayla walk through the entire store, finding nothing, return back to the lunch bag section.

"Ayla, the teacher may say something on the first day, but once you show her that it is a lunch bag (see the insulated lining, when was the last time you had a purse with insulated lining?) they won't give you a hard time."
"You think so? I guess that makes sense..."
"OK, let's pick one."

And so, after looking at at least 4 different models and determining the thermosability and packability of various ones, we decided on a lovely pink and black plaid "Chihuahua Carrier" for this year's lunch bag.

I think if I actually let her buy something without testing it 14 different ways she would go into shock!

The Schoolbag

OK, it's official, we have purchased a schoolbag. I am sure Ayla will never shop for something with me again. After making her try on various schoolbags that had the "wheelie" capability COMBINED with the back pack straps, weighing the comfort of the shoulder straps, durability and replacability of the clasps, the room inside the actual bag, the singled off compartment accessibility, how the bag sat on there back and color, we left without one as blue jogging pants were the major shopping item. I told her that I did like the bag, but it was $70, so we needed to see how much we were going to spend at Old Navy first. After leaving Old Navy empty handed, we popped over to Jacob to see if they had anything reasonable. Everything was long and $35. "Oh Auntie Tanya, I wouldn't want you to spend that much on me for school!". As we then left Jacob, Ayla holding my hand and walking along, she asks, "So, are we gonna get the school bag?" Laughing, I agreed, so she now has a very practical and much loved school bag. Brown. With pink squares, of course.

The Horse Show

Tensions are high as we arrive... will Ayla get the Gold Medal she seeks, or once again, after her two week career in horsemanship, will Winston, her mount, fail her? Questions swirl through the gazebo as we wait for the riders to begin their paces. As the riders take their places next to their mounts, making final checks of bridle, saddle and stirrup, a hush falls over the crowd. The moment of truth has arrived. The girls mount, the crowd falls silent and the horses and riders parade in front of the gazebo, showing off their capability of making a horse walk and staying on it while it is doing so. Winston seems in high spirits, walking high and proud. The tension mounts, you can almost see it in the air. As Ayla brings Winston around the pylon and approaches the bar, the audience holds their breath. Will he stumble? Will she do her 2 point correctly or will the judges have to deduct points? Will he walk the straight line after making the "jump" over the bar or will he meander over to the water bucket? Yes! Yes! The crown jumps to their feet. Applause roars down as Ayla leads Winston to success. Her Aunt and Uncle, here all the way from downtown Toronto nearly faint with joy! Hurray!

Magic - The card Game

This morning I asked Colin what was his favorite part of camp was, and he said "Magic!", which is a card game he plays with his friend, who is THIRTEEN. His friend is going to bring his burn deck and his green deck today, evidently. But stable management came out as his overall favorite thing about the summer, so I would venture to say that he had a good time over his two weeks of learning how to ride.
Thirty more minutes until I do the drive yet again to see the kids in their little horse show. We have about 110 pictures available on the camera so that should be adequate for both kids! Ralph is driving up to see them, too, which is so nice. Last night was a bit of a mixed night, between eating and doing laundry so Ayla's special favorite OMG I need to wear these on the first day of school pants would be ready to wear for today and getting Ayla to put away her clothes (folding means rolling and putting away means shoving and piling, just for reference) and then chatting about next week and the weekend and then getting ready for bed. I had to laugh when I told her to go and shower and she asked if she could shower in the morning. I had told her no earlier in the week because from a time perspective it is disruptive for Ralph and I trying to also get ready and out the door. And then came the long, drawn out: Pleeeeaaaase? So I laughed. I asked how, how, how, after saying no, did she fundamentally beleive that a long, drawn out "please" would make me change my mind. I laughed and laughed. She got up and went to shower. Yet another reason why I have none of my own, my humor is lost on them.

An Insightful Commentary

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein

Trotting in Keebler

So finally Ayla trotted yesterday, and she said it was GREAT! She was on the horse that she originally was supposed to have, Keebler, and she seemed to be quite successful at it. The car ride home Ayla and Colin actually got along, though their fun involved waving at people in other cars, which I was not sure if I liked or not, but made peace with the fact that they were having fun, and lord knows I certainly did my fair share of waving.
Ayla and Erin enjoyed their movie night last night, Definitely Maybe was the movie of choice and Ayla said it was excellent, Erin was neither hot nor cold about it. One more day until the Horse Show, I am excited to see the kids on their horses and how well they do compared to their peers.

Dinner in Little India

Well, the drives home are as always filled with lessons and discussion. Ayla is not yet trotting on Winston, and she seemed to be making excuses about why that was, given that Colin was trotting last week, either by accident or design one will never know. After calling her out on it and telling her I thought she was making up a story, a partial truth, or what I think was a partial truth came out. I think she is a bit fearful of the whole experience but also and mostly, I think she really likes her horse and doesn't want him to be left behind if she had taken up the monitor's offer to trot on another horse. So today, we'll see what the day holds for her on another horse. Ayla and Colin are still at each other like brother and sister, so yesterday we had a rude and respect conversation and a Little Miss Bossy conversation to try to get them to at least endure each other for another few days.
We got home and went for a walk through Little India to the Lahore Tika house for dinner, which Ayla got dressed up for and she was disappointed that I did not wear my fancy shoes or a dress. She enjoyed her chicken leg with tandoori spice but the rice was a bit spicy for her, and who could not love a bit of naan with butter. We strolled back home and then watched some of the Olympics per her request. Tonight she and Erin are spending an evening together while Ralph and I go see a movie with Claire and the Gang. I think she is mostly looking forward to just watching TV and having dinner flaked out on the sofa. Angie was right, she'll be due for some TV time come September.

No Frogs in the Throat

Tonight was the fist night that Ayla said she did not get all choked up talking to her mum on the phone. I was then teasing her and telling her that I was going to cry the whole way home to Montreal because she was leaving. She thought I was kidding!
I am not sure if she is having a GREAT time. I've mentioned a few times if she wanted to come back and she has not yet said anything either way. If nothing else, it has been an adventure for us both.
So, Mommy, when you read this, know you are missed!
By all of us here in Toronto.

Camp Song - Little Bunny Fou Fou

Little Bunny Foo Foo is a children's rhyme, involving a rabbit harassing a population of field mice. The rabbit is scolded and eventually punished by a fairy.

One of the more popular versions of the song is as follows:

Little bunny, Foo Foo
Hopping through the forest
Scooping up the field mice
And bopping them on the head
Down came the Good Fairy and she said,
"Little bunny, Foo Foo
I don't want to see you
Scooping up the field mice
And bopping them on the head."

Another version is

"Little Bunny Foo Foo
Hopping through the forest
Scoopin' up the field mice
Bop 'em on the head!
Then the Good Fairy came and said:
'Little Bunny Foo Foo
I don't wanna see you
Scoopin' up the field mice
Bop 'em on the head!
I'll give you 3 chances,
And if you don't behave, I'll turn you into a goon."

Then, the song continues, with field gnomes, field dogs, and field lice, as well as 2more chances, 1 more chance, and "I am going to turn you into a goon."
The moral to this version is often told as "Hare today, goon tomorrow."

Camp Song - Linger

Mmm, I want to linger
Mmm, a little longer
Mmm, a little longer here with you

Mmm, it's such a perfect night
Mmm, it doesn't seem quite right
Mmm, that it should be my last with you

Mmm, and comes September
Mmm, and I remember
Mmm, our camping days of friendship true

Mmm, and as the years go by
Mmm, I think of you and sigh
Mmm, it's just goodnight and not goodbye

Camp Song - Swimming

Traditional

Swimming, swimming, in the swimming pool,
When days are hot, when days are cold,
In the swimming pool.
Breast stroke, side stroke, fancy diving too.
Don't you wish you never had
Anything else to do, BUT!

Swimming, swimming - make swimming motions
In the swimming pool - draw a square with your fingers to represent a swimming pool
When days are hot - wipe your forehead
When days are cold - cross your arms over your chest and shiver
In the swimming pool - draw a square again
Breast stroke - make a breast stroke action in the air
Sidestroke - make a side stroke action in the air
Fancy diving too - hold your nose and make a shape like a diver jumping off a high board with the other hand
Don't you wish you never had anything else to do BUT - swing you index finger back and forth

The song is then repeated. During the first repeat you hum only the first part. On the second repeat, you hum the first and second part. Third repeat, hum the first, second and third part and so on. Finally all the song is hummed, except the final BUT!

Camping in Long Point

Well, I've come back to work well tanned and refreshed after a weekend in one of my favorite places - Long Point Provincial Park. Our campsite, #433, was I think the best campsite available, though some thought 434 was better. Only Ralph, Erin and I had ever been to Long Point, so it was new to Sarah, Abigail and Ayla. Upon arrival, the adults hustled to get tents up before it was too dark, and the kids disappeared to the beach to have, as Abigail later claimed, "the best time of our lives". Ralph, as always, quickly got a fire started and although we ate late, the kubasa grilled over the fire was nothing short of delicious, after Erin went to beg a fellow camp family to hand over their mustard. She ended up running into a Calgary and Edmonton group who were kind enough to lend us their French's. Ayla played in the water pretty much all day on Saturday and as a result was a little konked out for the evening. But she put away her steak without too much of an effort, and enjoyed roasting marshmallows for my smores. We sang songs around the campfire, told jokes and enjoyed a moonlit evening in the sand. As Sarah enjoyed her latte by the breakfast fire on Sunday morning, I marvelled at how I loved just getting it together slowly in the morning, having to wait for the little things, like boiling water and the coals to be good cooking coals in order to make breakfast. By Sunday I think Abigail and Ayla had seen enough of each other, they were a little testy and Abigail was pouty, but we got them into the water and it all worked out fine. After another few hours in the lake, Ayla was water logged and went to take a shower and get changed, while Abigail caught a few more waves before heading up to the campsite for lunch and to break camp. The weekend was topped off with ice cream, and then a quiet drive home. The kids were ready to go, sitting in the car before the adults were even fully packed back in. I think both of them realized the work involved with camping, as we asked them to help out quite a bit on the weekend. Between blowing up the air mattresses ("Why do I have to use this pump?")and sweeping off sand ("Seriously?") and holding bowls ("Why can't she hold it?")and spatulas ("Ugh!")as we cooked over an open fire, the girls are slowly becoming more integrated into adult life. On the one hand, it's a good thing for them to learn, though having a burden free life is something all adults wish we could have once again. Can we "just play" ever again? When is the turning point of going from "play always" to "play whenever you get a second between cleaning the cat litter and making dinner"?

We Trotted Today!

Colin couldn't wait to tell me he trotted today! The Big Sister Younger Brother Dynamic continues: "He gets on my nerves, Aunite Tanya." It seems Colin was moved up to Ring 2, which Ayla just could not understand because he was supposed to be in intro. She went silent when I suggested that maybe it was because he was the best in his group, and that was why he was chosen to move up to Ring 2. Like, THAT could never happen!
Ayla is, in a word, exhausted. And starving. Upon arrival at home she had a peanut butter sandwich and then her dinner, which was a Mexican casserole that she loved and wants to make again the last week she is here so she knows how to make it for when she goes home. By the time we got to her into bed last night it was 10, so I am fully anticipating that she will sleep in the car the whole way to Long Point. She has taken pictures of her horse, Winston, and her two new best friends, so we'll be scrap booking that for sure. Next Friday is the show, where the kids get to show off their new horsemanship skills. Ralph and I are looking forward to it and we are already working out transportation logistics. We promise to take video so you can all see her on horseback!
Oh, and we have been listening to the BNL kid's CD - Snack Food. It is very funny. My new favorite song is Seven Ate Nine.

Music, in the car, in the house, Mama Mia!

So, our house is now officially the Mama Mia house. I put in the ABBA Gold CD on the weekend, and Ayla said, "Auntie Tanya! The music is almost exactly like in the movie!" I then went on to explain that actually, the music came first, then the movie, and that my mom used to listen to ABBA when I was a little girl. I wonder how the music will be reincarnated for Ayla's children? I guess the school play is next, which is how I discovered Anne of Green Gables and Grease and West Side Story. Car music is currently limited to Duffy, Gwen Steffani and Madonna, as my other CD's would not go over too well. As much as I like Will.I.Am, the language alone would raise some eyebrows of my fellow commuters, as Ayla, Colin and I race by in the high occupany vehicle lane of the 404 singing, "I know you want more than a dick in ya, ya want a good niggah to stick wich cha..."
I was asking Colin this morning what music he liked to listen to because I have to put new CDs in the car, and he said he liked his Dad's music. Hmmm. That is going to be interesting. Hank Williams here we come! And after all these years, Ayla still asks for the Cowboy Song in the car. I think it's funny how that song has marked her for driving forever in Auntie Tanya's car.

Backseat Banter

"No, I said it, like, 5 times already, Colin. Weren't you listening?" And onwards goes the backseat banter between Ayla and Colin. Ayla got Colin all worked up about a swim test that he was going to have to take to go into a pool. I'm not even sure they do this at this particular camp, but I figured I would let it slide and then Colin could decide for himself if his 2 week Big Sister was full of it or not. As interesting as it was watching Ayla and Abigail become instant co-conspirators against all things parental and uncool, it is equally as interesting watching Ayla and Colin take on an instant Older sister, Younger Brother dynamic. Ayla tattles on Colin if he is lying (no, Colin, we had like 20 minutes to eat lunch) and Colin purposefully leaves snot on his face after Ayla gets all vocally grossed out about his nose blowing techniques.
But overall I would say they are having a blast. Colin is anxious to ride the horses fast (no big surprise there!) and Ayla of course says that her teacher said they were the best group and they learn SO FAST. As I stood listening to them recite their day and all its adventures for 5 minutes at the camp when I went to collect them, I chalked up the first day of quietness to being completely overwhelmed.
Oh, and BTW, Leaf is like the biggest horse EVER, he's sooooo big, OMG, like huge.

Riding Camp - and then we... and then we...

Well, yesterday morning I dropped Colin (Vanessa's boy) and Ayla off at Green Acres, a beautiful camp in the country, rolling hills covered in green grass, barn buildings and camp offices tucked in amungst the trees with horses in the fields, the morning sun shining off their backs. I wasn't sure if the kids would love it. I wanted them to love it, every moment. I thought about them all day. What are they doing now? Is Colin eating enough? Will he get stepped on by his horse? Will Ayla be afraid of the horses?
And so, off I went to collect them at the end of the day, anxious to know if they were OK. Colin (the small, silent type) was dirty, the first indication that he may have had an OK time. Ayla was all about the new vocabulary. It seemed they did so much that I figure she'll be jumping at the Olympic level in a few weeks. Her most dramatic moment was helping a girl out of her boots (She had those big tall boots on, and she couldn't get them off, and I told all the other girls to get out of the way and it took me a while but I finally got the other girl's boots off, and I told her to point her foot and she was like "why?" and I was like "because". Really, Auntie Tanya, I told her I was not going to do this every day and she needed to wear other boots.)Colin it would seem made a friend - Ethan - though he couldn't remember the name of his horse. And they did not go for a swim. Because they roasted corn. Which they though was a bust because really, all they did was peel it and hand it over, it's not like they got to roast it themselves.
And so this morning they are off to Day 2. The horses were out in the ring this morning (Ayla was kind enough to supply me with the correct lingo - it is NOT a field!). The sun is shining and Colin was dirty getting out of the car, so he was off to a good start.

A Restful Weekend

After walking and eating and eating and walking on Friday night at Taste of the Danforth, and a full week at camp, combined with the excitement of having a sister for a week, Ayla managed to have a fairly mellow weekend. We went to visit George and have Starbucks on Saturday, and then she fell asleep in the car on the way home. We dragged her to the mall to get some pictures developed and a shirt exchanged for me and her own Sephora pocket brush, for her very own. I thought she was going to explode in Sephora with all the make up to look at. Saturday evening was her second James Bond movie - View to a Kill (my least favorite Bond movie because the lead woman is SO DUMB). Sunday the princess wanted to sleep, so off I went to Yoga on my own, then Ayla and I did groceries, made lunch as we had guests over visiting (Ralph's niece Crystal and her two kids, along with Ralph's sister Linda and her husband Barry). Ayla made everyone desert, a berry and vanilla ice cream parfait, with decorative umbrellas, and it was the hit of the party. We popped over to Vanessa's, then home to get ready for camp. I've ruined her PUMA leisure bag by trying to put her name on it (nylon melts rather quickly) so I'll replace it, but she seemed to be OK overall with the tragedy. Off she went this morning in her jeans and cowboy boots and her little hat to Riding Camp. I'm looking forward to hearing all about it this evening, if she can keep her eyes open long enough to tell us all about it!

Friday Morning Lecture Series - Peer Pressure and Consumption

So, in unpacking Abigail's lunch bag to repack today's sandwich, I noticed that nothing was eaten. The banana discarded to the bottom of the bag, brown and squished. The wrap unwrapped with one bite taken out of it. And yet there were stories of giant ice creams that was like, 14 scoops, seriously, and it was $3.49! $3.49!
And so Auntie Tanya called Abigail down into the kitchen and calmly asked, "I noticed that none of your lunch is eaten. I assume this is because the other kids you were with were buying lunch, and you had money so you though you would be cool and buy lunch too." After Abigail stuttered through 16 versions of a lie, I reiterated my story about what I thought happened and asked her how accurate it was. Pretty accurate, I was told. So, the initial "Abigail Only Lecture Series" was about us spending money to buy food and sending time to make lunches that were left uneaten. And did she have no clue as to how fortunate she was to actually have a family that has money to make her lunch.
The "Abigail and Ayla Lecture Series" was about peer pressure. That just because their ELEVEN year old friend Natalie from Oshawa had "lost" her lunch on the bus was not a justifiable excuse to throw away (my assumption of what Ayla had done with her lunch, which she confirmed) or not eat the lunch that was made for you. I explained it was the beginning of peer pressure and group think, and that while they were asking to be more independent, that such a privilege would be dolled out by family and loved ones if we thought they could handle it. What was next? Drugs? Sex? Booze?
And off they went to camp.

The Fishy Breeze

After a bit of down time at home and some scrapbooking about African Lion Safari, off we went to the beach to enjoy a picnic dinner of corn on the cob, wrap sandwiches, chips with guac and salsa and some carrots, for balance. Though the skies were overcast and the wind was a bit chilly, the girls enjoyed all the visual stimulation of dinner on the beach. From the guy who had a giant kite that pulled him literally off the ground, to the guy in the speedo bathing suit swimming in the lake, the surfer guy and the kayaker, the girls were filled with a sense of adventure and fun. After dinner the girls went for a walk on their own, and were fairly well disciplined about staying far enough away to feel "alone" but close enough to still see me on the green blanket. They strolled the beach, shoeless, for about half an hour, and evidently, it was SO NICE just walking alone on the beach with that fishy breeze on your face. Yes, you read that correctly: The Fishy Breeze - New York Times Bestseller by Ayla Fournier. Inspired by a true story of the adventure of a 10 year old and her 9 year old friend.

We walked for half an hour, Auntie Tanya!

No, no, moms, I did not mention that they walked 12 hours every day when we were at Disney. They had just a normal day at camp yesterday, with the afternoon at the pool. That they walked to, for half an hour! Ayla got a bit of sun on her nose and back, and both girls were pooped at the end of such an ordinary day. Abigail was fully expecting to be able to nap when we got home, but no, off we went to dinner and Mama Mia. Both girls enjoyed to movie and I am waiting for the car ride home tonight to quiz them about the movie and see if they had any questions. Like what the word S-L-U-T meant, for example. It was interesting watching the movie and being aware of 9 and 10 year old ears and what they might pick up on. I figured I would give them the day on their own to discuss the movie amungst themselves before quizzing them. Ralph managed hygiene while I drove Claire home, but when he asked if they were ready for a story, they asked if they could wait for Auntie Tanya. They were obviously concerned that Ralph would not read to them with as much enthusiasm. Ralph, shunned, was watching TV when I got home.

Have I got a story to tell you!

So says Abigail in the car Tuesday after camp, the Canada's Wonderland Day. And so the evening begins. Filled with cupcake making, steak and potato dinner and bedtime stories, and some good old fashioned one upmanship.
"How many rides did you go on Abigail?", I ask.
"Like, 15."
How about you, Ayla?", I prompt.
"Like 20 or 25."
The girls split up at Wonderland, they were grouped by what rides they wanted to go on, and Abigail didn't want to go on any upside down rides. They each made a little friend, who was ELEVEN, and overall had a fantastic day.
There was a bleeding nose story (never verified), and Ayla evidently gets bleeding noses ALL THE TIME, and they last for like, 10 or 15 minutes! Of course, Abigail's longest was like, 5 or 10 minutes.
And, Ayla has a friend, well, she's like the sister of a friend, and she was watching a scary movie, because, like, her Dad thinks it's OK for her to watch a scary movie, and she was SO SCARED she threw up, and there was blood, in her throw up, just because she watched a scary movie. And did you know, that you can bleed from your eyeballs? No, really, it's true, you TOTALLY can.
Ralph, usually a bit more quiet than I am hasn't said more than 15 words all week, I don't think. I for sure at least said, like, 20.

Abigail comes to stay

Well, after spending the day yesterday swimming in Azar's Pool, much to the enjoyment of Ayla (and Tanya and Ralph, too), today was much more of a chore type day. Ralph and Ayla flaked on the sofa and watched Ayla's first James Bond movie - Licence to Kill. I worked. Big surprise! Ayla and I put together a great chicken salad for lunch and then we planned our weekly menu and Abigail and Sarah arrived just in time with dessert - home made cupcakes - yum! Abigail and Ayla headed off to unpack and then off we went to do groceries. the girls picked out the own fruit and the veg place and then pushed the cart around no frills, much to my dismay and I am sure that of the other shoppers. The novelty of the quarter for the cart will wear off in a few weeks, I'm sure. After unpacking and sorting groceries and fruit, we walked down to the beach and had a small riot in the scrap book store! The girls are now equipped to scrap book their week and were very excited to get started as soon as we got home. Of course, that was after they sat at their OWN table at Starbucks and chatted and had just SO MUCH FUN, according to Abigail.
Note to Sarah - there was only one mention of you "wigging out" because her dad brought her to a race track, but because the races were not something either Ayla or I were familiar with, the conversation soon moved on to other topics. Though there was a special sparkle in her eye when she discovered there was off track betting right around the corner.