Let me pause to pat myself on the back for doing two posts in two days. I just taught myself that sometimes your own hero can be yourself.
So! Today I began my search to find summer camps for my kids in Toronto. Too bad I don't know any programs or events in this city. Fortunately, I have the internet. Unfortunately, the internet is full of stinkin' horse crap I have to sift through. (Not literal horse crap although I'm sure a few clicks on google images could prove me wrong). I spent hours today researching various camps and sending out emails to their main contacts trying to find places that would offer free or discounted spots to our families. And let me tell you, some of these names need work. They're things like "Fun Time$ 4 U!" or "Girls of Destiny!" or "Brightest Stars in the Big Ole Sky!" Camp. (Really though, one of these is an actual camp.)
In the afternoon I took over babysitting for a coworker of mine who is sick. (We were trying to figure out earlier why her sickness was so sudden -the only thing she's allergic to is corn. Well, lo and behold, the gummy bears we were going to town on in the office has loads of corn syrup. Oops.)
I had never met this family before, but I knew they use to live in our transitional home. They moved to Canada from Cameroon two years ago, and the children are now 5 and 2. I took them to the park, not realizing that physically getting us to and from the park would be the most difficult part of the night. The 5 year old asked if she could bring her new tricycle. Of course, why not! Turns out all the sidewalks and streets to get to the park are either uphill or downhill -neither of which is all that helpful for a new cyclist, especially one who has only been alive under the Obama administration.
Basically, the 30 minute roundtrip walk was spent pushing a jammed baby stroller with one hand and pulling the handlebars of a pink and purple disney bicycle from behind. But once we got to the park, all was forgotten. The girl invented a restaurant in the playground where she would sell strawberry shortcakes (sand) with herbs on top (leaves) -which she later forgot was suppose to be herbs and kept calling garlic (not in the running for my favorite cake topping). Some other girls in the park came along to develop various desserts, but I was pretty much the only customer -which involved a lot of "KAAAAAATIE!!! COME GET ANOTHER SLICE OF CAKE" and me pretending to get super full after my 7th piece (but only after my 7th piece because, you know, it's cake.)
After I brought them back and biked home, I foolishly asked the couple I'm staying with if they needed help with anything. "Sure, can you get Anastasia from the outside pond?" Just in case you forgot - Anastasia is their turtle. And she's huge ("the size of a Buick!" Woody Allen might say). So I went to the back and tried to figure out how to #1- find her in the murky water and #2- get her out.
Do I use a stick? Do I hold up some sort of bait? Does singing "Anastaaaaaaaaasia, Anastaaaaaaasia!" actually work? I quickly asked the older man. Oh, I'm suppose to step over the pond, roll up my sleeves, and blindly fish around for her with my hands? Well then.
Eventually I held the heavy shell and suddenly her rubbery foot squished out against my hand and it was SO WEIRD. I've held small turtles before, but for some reason this big, wet, saggy living thing with nails against my skin was just not what I was expecting. Anyway, she is back in the tank and I'm sure transporting her in and out of the house will become my new chore. Kathryn Helen: Turtle Trainer (like Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -although I'd like to believe I have less facial hair.)
Finally, (after a good wash of hands) I finished the night beside the hosts here with a nice chat and a glass of red wine. And that my friends, is the tale of today.
Cheers.
So! Today I began my search to find summer camps for my kids in Toronto. Too bad I don't know any programs or events in this city. Fortunately, I have the internet. Unfortunately, the internet is full of stinkin' horse crap I have to sift through. (Not literal horse crap although I'm sure a few clicks on google images could prove me wrong). I spent hours today researching various camps and sending out emails to their main contacts trying to find places that would offer free or discounted spots to our families. And let me tell you, some of these names need work. They're things like "Fun Time$ 4 U!" or "Girls of Destiny!" or "Brightest Stars in the Big Ole Sky!" Camp. (Really though, one of these is an actual camp.)
In the afternoon I took over babysitting for a coworker of mine who is sick. (We were trying to figure out earlier why her sickness was so sudden -the only thing she's allergic to is corn. Well, lo and behold, the gummy bears we were going to town on in the office has loads of corn syrup. Oops.)
I had never met this family before, but I knew they use to live in our transitional home. They moved to Canada from Cameroon two years ago, and the children are now 5 and 2. I took them to the park, not realizing that physically getting us to and from the park would be the most difficult part of the night. The 5 year old asked if she could bring her new tricycle. Of course, why not! Turns out all the sidewalks and streets to get to the park are either uphill or downhill -neither of which is all that helpful for a new cyclist, especially one who has only been alive under the Obama administration.
Basically, the 30 minute roundtrip walk was spent pushing a jammed baby stroller with one hand and pulling the handlebars of a pink and purple disney bicycle from behind. But once we got to the park, all was forgotten. The girl invented a restaurant in the playground where she would sell strawberry shortcakes (sand) with herbs on top (leaves) -which she later forgot was suppose to be herbs and kept calling garlic (not in the running for my favorite cake topping). Some other girls in the park came along to develop various desserts, but I was pretty much the only customer -which involved a lot of "KAAAAAATIE!!! COME GET ANOTHER SLICE OF CAKE" and me pretending to get super full after my 7th piece (but only after my 7th piece because, you know, it's cake.)
After I brought them back and biked home, I foolishly asked the couple I'm staying with if they needed help with anything. "Sure, can you get Anastasia from the outside pond?" Just in case you forgot - Anastasia is their turtle. And she's huge ("the size of a Buick!" Woody Allen might say). So I went to the back and tried to figure out how to #1- find her in the murky water and #2- get her out.
Do I use a stick? Do I hold up some sort of bait? Does singing "Anastaaaaaaaaasia, Anastaaaaaaasia!" actually work? I quickly asked the older man. Oh, I'm suppose to step over the pond, roll up my sleeves, and blindly fish around for her with my hands? Well then.
Eventually I held the heavy shell and suddenly her rubbery foot squished out against my hand and it was SO WEIRD. I've held small turtles before, but for some reason this big, wet, saggy living thing with nails against my skin was just not what I was expecting. Anyway, she is back in the tank and I'm sure transporting her in and out of the house will become my new chore. Kathryn Helen: Turtle Trainer (like Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles -although I'd like to believe I have less facial hair.)
Finally, (after a good wash of hands) I finished the night beside the hosts here with a nice chat and a glass of red wine. And that my friends, is the tale of today.
Cheers.
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