Our Crazy Life

MERRY WHITE CHRISTMAS MORNING 2011

Hello again from the nation's capital !

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

We awoke to fresh snow this morning: in fact it is still snowing.  The shovels will have to be put to work some time today.  It certainly feels like Christmas.

Christmas Eve morning was spent cleaning the house.  Paula rearranged the furniture so Randy had to go back and vacuumm under all the couches (oh oh got caught).  Carter had to organize his hockey stuff and back the old stuff for charity.  We went to Moxie's for lunch...delicious and Starbuck's for caffeine.  We returned home and got ready for the 4:00pm mass...it was packed.  The new preists could not comprehend mass that early and were shocked at the turn out.  There was another at six, eight and ten o'clock: they were kept very busy last night (income).  We then spent the evening with the Lucas family.  We enjoyed a nice quiet relaxing evening sitting by the fire dining on finger food, treats and good company.  It was 11:20 when we realized the time so packed up our things and came home.  It was cold as the dickens last night.  Cold beyond our grasp.

Carter and Bob headed to bed as soon as we got home.  Carter was quite tired and fell asleep immediately.  Paula and Randy enjoyed a cocktail by the fire, put out Santa's gifts then high tailed it to bed.  We all slept like babies until 7:30.  Carter was thrilled with his custom Bauer stick (with his name on it) and his lacrosse shaft and gloves.  Paula is enjoying her new Mac Book lap top.  She is in heaven.  Randy cooked breakfast and cleaned up with his new kitchen gadgets and can't wait to try out his new winter coat and sweaters.  We were obviously all really good this year as Santa brought lots of nice practical presents.  It actually took us an hour to open all the gifts: one at a time, one person at a time.   We had a blast.  We were going to wrap an old style wood stick for Carter just to get his reaction.  Ha!

We have since enjoyed brown sugar maple sausages and fried eggs for breakfast.  The dishes are all cleaned and we can start playing with all our Christmas presents.  Paula will prepare the turkey (8lb bird - fresh) dinner later this afternoon.  We hope you have a wonderful day !

SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS

Hello again from the nation's capital !

We received a few millimetres of snow last night.  With luck it will stay for Christmas.  The green grass is a tad gloomy this time of year.  We put the lawn mower away a couple months ago.  With all the rain we have had over the past three weeks it was starting to grow.  The perrenials were even beginning to sprout.  The purple violets are now covered.  It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

From reading everyone's reports it sounds like you are all prepared for the holiday season.  We sure hope Odin gets his wish for snow and all the presents he asked of Santa.  He has been out of school since Wednesday therefore he must go back right after Christmas.  The kids here get out this afternoon for two weeks.  Paula just picked Carter up from school.  They are braving the traffic and mall to go shopping.  It is crazy out there.  Oh...The UPS truck just delivered C's Christmas present - whew - that was cutting it close.  Randy and Carter spent last Saturday morning and afternoon shopping.  It was a zoo then and we are certainly glad to be finished.   

The weather network was reporting a green Christmas for the normally snow bound Saskatoon and Winnipeg regions; guess you can rake your leaves Christmas Day.  Our weather has been radical (+11 to -11 in one day) these past few days and it has been hard on everyone suffering with a cold.  Randy has a bad cough which keeps him awake most of the night.  It is almost like the inversions we experienced living in Calgary with the chinook winds.  It gives you a serious headache:  'I want my mommy" kind of feeling.  We will just have to suffer.  

Hockey is over until the new year.  Carter and his team and parents went to the Buffalo game on Tuesday night.  It was a blast.  At one point Carter had all the boys topless and waving their shirts.  It was during a commercial break when the camera men search for partiers.  They never got on the jumbo tron but had a hell of a good time.  They all went down to the dressing room after the game.  Carter got a couple of autographs.  He also entertained his coaches when he met Brian MacLean (the Senators' head coach).  He declared 'Love your mustache coach... to which MacLean retorted with 'Can you grow one yourself'.  Carter said no and asked him to sign his autograph in lieu of a mustache.  I guess you had to be there but our coaches thought it was funny.  Carter was if fine shape that night...to many treats and soda.  It was not all that great a game but we all had fun.  The Sen's gave the tickets to a company of one of our coaches.  Admission was free.  We plan on attending the Montreal game on the 28th.  Randy is having a hard time deciding which team jersey he will wear.  

Well, that is about it for today.  We are all on holiday next week so feel free to drop over for a visit.  The espresso machine and tea perc are always on.  Carter and Paula will also be off the following week.  Carter will gladly spend some of his time at the rink in power skating or hockey camp etc etc.  

Have a Very Merry Christmas !

FALL WEATHER RETURNS WITH BELOW ZERO MORNING TEMP'S

Hello again from the nation's capital !

Well our warm weather has dwindled down to a few hours a day.  The sun will soon set on our weekend and the cold will return.  It has dropped down to -5C the last couple of mornings ...  it feels cold.  Poor Bob will have to get used to doing his business out in the cold.  Heck, we all have to get used to it.  The winter coats have come out of storage.  

Carter had a good week with two goals and a couple of assists this week.  He continues to have fun.  He even wants us to rent him more ice time so he can practise.  We had two games this past week, two practises yesterday and a game today.  They are on a winning streak Yahoo!  He was formally asked to play with the '67 AAA Bantam Spring Hockey team.  The coach was waiting outside the rink for us before the game.  We talked with him for a few minutes about the team, fee's, schedule etc.  He is cool with Carter playing lacrosse and understands that most of the boys have other interests (sports - soccer, golf etc).  The season is over the first weekend of June and the team enters only four tournaments.  Carter was excited to learn he was being considered.  We were trying to keep it secret but before today's game one of his team mates told him the coach would be watching him 'like a hawk'.  The coach's first words to us (after the game) were "He is on the team".  We game him our email and phone number and will hear from him soon.  He has to purchase new jerseys and book and pay for ice.  Team fee's will be due soon.  A couple of Carters friends will also play on the team.  We are so excited!

It was a sickly week around here.  Paula stayed at home most of the week suffering with bronchitis.  She visited the doctor and has been on medication (antibiotics) ever since.  Carter stayed home on Friday mostly suffering from growing pains and exhaustion.  He awoke this morning sneezing, coughing and a bit feverish.  Randy had the same thing on Friday but suffered at work then medicated himself with cocktails...it actually worked.  Bob is the only one not suffering.  We have spent the afternoon relaxing.  It will soon be time to cook supper.  

Yesterday after the first practise Carter brought a buddy home.  They spent most of the time down stairs shooting on his net and playing on the PS3.  Paula cooked them a good lunch, which they quickly devoured, to replenish their calories before the second practise.  Paula also made a few Xmas cookies and brittle.  Randy did dishes and baked chocolate chip cookies before whisking the boys back to the rink.  After practise we watched two house league hockey games at the neighborhood arena.  It was nice visiting with the parents and watching Carters friends.  We spent the evening watching the Senators get pounced by Vancouver.  Bedtime came early for us all - no complaints from Carter.

We look forward to reading your reports.  Have a great week.

WARM FALL WEATHER CONTINUES

Hello again from the nation's capital !

We are still enjoying above normal temperatures.  It actually felt warm outside today even without a jacket.  Us smokers eh!  It has been drizzling all day long with some intermittent showers.  Nothing we can not handle.  Apparently snow is in the short term forecast.  

We enjoyed a quiet Sunday.  Randy had Carter up and showered before 6:15am for a 7:00am ninety hockey practise.  Paula stayed home and slept.  She finished decorating the Christmas tree in the family room.  Randy baked chocolate chip cookies.  Carter kept busy with his sketch pad.  He loves to draw.  

We went to the neighborhood pot luck dinner.  It was packed.  Must be the warm weather.  Two new families in the neighborhood.  We had met one, with kids, and the other is older with no kids living at home; they have retireed here from Halifax.  Carter joined us as the new girl on the block invited herself and Carter.  He has not been invited for years.  He had a great time.  The older guys were intrigued with his Ranger hockey team.  They also gave him a show of support for playing basketball on the street.  Our neighbor shoo'd him off the street.  It was time to put the net away for the winter.  We returned home early and vegged in front of the boob tube.  

Carter and Paula are off to watch the Senators lose to Tampa tonight.  At 4:10pm the West bound traffic was backed up at my East bound exit.  They will wait until 6:00pm to depart to avoid the heavy traffic.  Randy will stay home and get some rest (feels a cold coming on).  He will drive Carter thru traffic and on to Chesterville tomorrow after work.  If we get snow it will be a lovely drive.

Nice reading your reports.  Have a great week!

ALMOST WINTER IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL

Hello again from the nation's capital !

It almost turned into winter this week.  We have a tad bit of the white stuff on the ground but it has mostly turned to ice.  Bob did not like it during his walk this afternoon.  He got his little feet all wet and decided fetch was not his bag.  Thus, we returned home quickly.  We have been fine tuning the outdoor Xmas lights the last week.  We added white roped lights to one tree and today added red to make a candy cane effect.  It looks much better.  The outdoor Xmas tree fell over so needed to be re-inforced to the ground.  Hopefully it will not fall over.  The green lights need to be changed to a different color.  We will do that tomorrow.  Paula bought blue bulbs for the family room tree.  I guess we are celbrating a blue Xmas in Ottawa.  The annual neighborhood (our crescent) christmas get together is tomorrow night.  It is a potluck dinner.  Paula agreed to bring vanilla ice cream.  Randy wants to take a bottle tia maria and cranberry juice with a twist of line on the rocks.  It should get the older geezers heart pumping.  Ha!  The last party we went to we got into a heated debate about the X liberal leader, what's his name again, not being a true Canadian.  Not many liberals left to make fun of these days.  

Carter's team was victorious last Sunday night.  Carter played his usual game.  He also played as an affiliate with the AA team on Thursday.  He was amazing earning four assists.  The team is so nice to watch as the offense actually know how to take passes.  Carter looked really good passing the puck up to them.  In the first period he had an awesome break away.  Some dork came out of no where and tripped him just after the blue line.  When he hit the ice he managed to stretch his arm and stick through the dorks legs passing it to a team mate who shot and scored.  His first point of the game on his first shift.  If only we had video of the event.  Carter thought it was just another game.  The night we got the call to play Carter came rushing out of his bedroom almost as if he knew who it was on the phone.   He had a blast and we are happy that he finally got to play as an affiliate.  

The team voted Friday night about whether we would go to the international Silver Stick finals in Michigan.  It was a no so we will remain in Ottawa to play in the Kanata tournament in which we had already registered.  Carter and Paula were bummed.  Randy was not planning on driving the ten hour one way tour anyway so he was fine with the team decision.  If we could fly then okay.  We have practise tonight at 8:45 in Rockland thirty minutes east of Ottawa then again tomorrow morning at 7:00am close to home.  No games this weekend.  We have two games this week and a few practises.  

Paula made us sushi for dinner tonight.  It was spectacular!  The spicy tuna roll was the best although her california rolls were pretty good as well.  She bought a tray of the bento crap you can buy at the grocery store and what a difference.  The secret is the rice.  If it is fresh it makes all the difference.  She is off Xmas shopping and Carter has to get to practise so best sign off.  Have a wonderful week.  Hope the hunters are all home safe and sound and eating lots of wild meat.