Well it’s been another great year for Lexi with so many great memories that I could barely keep the video under 25 mins. I understand those of you who aren’t able to stomach the cuteness for that long but there is a really dance sequence near the end you need to see! I might even Nay Nay a little.
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It’s been a summer of firsts for Lexi. First of all she couldn’t be more excited about losing her tooth. We had corn on the cob the night before so I am sure that helped but she couldn’t wait. She has another on deck too right next to this one. She left the cutest little note to the tooth fairy asking if she could keep it to show her grandparents. Sure enough she left a toonie and spared the tooth.
The girls and I go swimming a lot. With all the swimming they have done at Joel’s and the Y over the last year they have developed a real confidence in the water. So much that neither want to wear their “floaties” anymore. Sometimes it can be tough to accommodate them both at the pool when they want to do different things in different pools, or the deep end. We changed things up last week and went to Bonivital. Of course Lexi wants the slide in the deep end and Ash wants to collect duckies in the shallow end so I am going back and forth between them. The lifeguard gives me a warning that I need to be arms length of both of them in the pool. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, was basically my response. I convince Lexi that collecting duckies is fun and it lasts for about 2 minutes before she is asking me about the big slide in the lap pool. I told her that she would have to do her laps with a life jacket on and then keep it on to go down the slide. When she asks the lifeguard for confirmation we learn that she needs to complete one full lap with no PFD assistance. I honestly didn’t think she could do it so I told her to try swimming across the pool we were in to test it out and she flies across like it was no problem. The life guard encourages her to try and the next thing I know my six year old is in the deep pool swimming it’s entire length! She earned a wristband and a green light to use the big slide and diving platforms. Even better I didn’t have be arms length anymore!
I was super proud of her and better yet she was super proud of herself. On the way out she asked if they would remember her next time of if she would have to do her laps again. “We will remember you they said…but you will still have to do your laps again!”
Most of you have met, or at least know that we have a new edition to the family. Since Vegas passed in January we have really missed having a dog around and have been kind of looking. After visiting with the Rattes this summer and being around their dogs it really hit home how much we wanted our kids to have a dog back in their lives too.
“Penny” was actually Apple but after much deliberation and a small poll orchestrated by Lexi it came down to Princess Dusty Face, Turtle, Seabass (Nolan) and Penny. Penny won.
We found Penny through the good people at the Brandon Humane Society. We knew we wanted and puppy and after many visits to the Humane Society here in Winnipeg we found that most of the dogs there were older and that puppies that did come in went quick. So we made arrangements to visit Penny’s litter and quickly fell in love with all of them! Shan even wanted to take home their mother (who looked a lot like Vegas) just from seeing her picture!
Penny seemed to stand out as a gentle pup and she made an instant connection with Lexi. Shan and I picked her up on our way back from Fargo on August 7 and she has since adjusted to her new home and family. We are still house training a little bit (the basement seems like a challenge) but she has had zero accidents upstairs in days. We even took her on her first camping trip and she did awesome in the camper. We are regulars at the dog park and she does very well off the leash and socializes great with other dogs. We have been working a lot on sit and stay commands and she is learning fast. She loves her walks and when she uses up all her puppy power she sleeps through child mauling and our crazy day to day. At night and when we are out she finds solace in kennel which she seems to really like at times just to have some alone time. I was worried about the nights but she sleeps solid through the night and seems ready to get up when we are. She walks right to the door to goes outside for a poop so she is learning. I think if we let her she would save it all up for Nolan’s grass just like the other night.
Best of all she is awesome with the kids. Ashlyn still needs to get comfortable with her but it’s not uncommon for us to find Lexi curled up with her on the floor petting her while she sleeps. Or fake sleeps perhaps.
Saw this in the Lance today and I was mortified. Not only because I have already written about how much I have to police other people’s kids at the Y on Fermor, but also that the Lance won’t or can’t write where this happened. “A fitness centre on the corner of St. Mary’s and Fermor.”; Grow some balls and just say at the YMCA on Fermor wherein lies an unsupervised play area where people are encouraged to leave there kids unattended while they work out. It’s not the first time either.
I also love the placement of the YMCA paid advertisement that nicely finishes this piece with…
“We never met a kid whose potential we couldn’t see.”
You could start by seeing that the play area is monitored at bare minimum periodically. I am sure one of your minimum wagers or bubbly volunteers could pop a head in there once every 10 mins to make sure everyone is wearing socks, the appropriate age, or not being molested. Please.
Parents don’t bring your kids with you to work out. It’s cruel, like leaving them in the car on a hot day with the windows rolled up. Bad stuff can happen. If your going to the Y watch them like a hawk or make sure someone else is. For God sakes bring some socks for them.
This summer is flying by and it’s our own fault. We started right out of the gates with a trip to Thunder Bay to see the Rattes. We camped at Blue Lake on the way and I have to say it certainly lived up to the hype. The campsites were awesome, the facilities were awesome, the water was awesome, and the sunsets left us speechless (well some of us). Besides Lexi busting up her face on a giant candy necklace and the cost of camping these days it is certainly on our list of places to visit again!
Once we arrived in Thunder Bay it really hit me how much I was missing Vegas on this trip. Bella and Simba (Ratte dogs) made it clear how much I was missing the dog love this summer. As always we had an amazing (too short) visit with Paul and Melissa. Paul and I got to play some hockey together and our families got to do a little camping out at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Big thanks to Simba for protecting us from that skunk and taking a huge ass blast of spray for the team. Driving you home and cleaning you up at 2am was the least we could do! We spent our last day visiting at Kakabeka Falls where we got some great family shots of all the kids. It was so nice to get all of the kids together this summer. they have all grown so much, and so fast. Big thanks to Paul and Melissa for being such great hosts, we had an absolute blast.
On the way home we stopped by the cottage in Sioux Narrows to break up the trip. Luckily we got to spend some time with family up there and just relax for a couple days. Josie and Ella left a big impression on our girls and Shan and I got to spend some quality time with Heather, Troy, and Auntie Barb. A great couple days at the lake but even though I had lot’s of fun with the girls in the water I sure missed chasing Vegas off that dock!
When we got home it was time for Ashlyn to have another small eye surgery. Nothing worse for a parent than seeing their child in pain. She was amazing through all of it and recovered beautifully. Who would have thought 10 days with no swimming could be so tough on a child! Thanks to everyone who wished her well.
We talked a little more about getting a dog this summer and it wasn’t long before we were reaching out to a rescue in Brandon. We took the girls on a day trip to see the pups and instantly fell in love. You can expect a new addition to this family before the summer wraps.
Speaking of new additions…HUGE congrats to Joel and Jen who welcome Kevin William Grant to their family. I could not be happier for them and look forward to sharing this new chapter with them. Hard to believe Joel and I have been friends since we were five years old. Now we are both married with kids and still close as ever. Seems like only yesterday we were jumping ramps on the front sidewalk on Handyside. Now this…
This week we just got back from our second visit to Sioux Narrows. This time was more of a Ramsay reunion to celebrate the life of Shan’s grandparents. In what might have been the most beautiful ceremony I have ever witnessed the family said goodbye in the middle of the lake on a barge. To see all of Ramsay siblings and generations of children that grew up spending summers at that cottage all together for this moment really put a lump in my throat. So glad to be a part of it.
In between painting the house and everything else Shan and I are off again this weekend to Fargo for a couple nights just the two of us. It will be nice to catch up with my wife. The following weeks when we get home will be filled with painting, birthdays, camping trips, and potty training!
Granny Phillips used to make these for me on request. I love her, and I love them.
- 2 cups flour
- 4 tsp or 20 ml baking powder
- 1/2 tsp or 2.5 ml salt
- 1/3 cup of lard or butter
- 2/3 cup milk
- Sift flour.
- Cut lard or butter into flour.
- Add salt and baking powder.
- Stir in milk and mix.
- Knead that dough – 4 more times than you think.
- Flour surface and rolling pin and roll out on clean flat surface.
- Once your dough is rolled out butter that sucker up like butter is on sale.
- Coat with brown sugar and cinnamon and smooth out with your palm.
- Roll into a nice toit log and cut into individual buns.
- Place on a parchment covered cookie sheet and bake for approx 15 mins at 350.
Sometimes I make some icing to drizzle on top while they are still warm so it’s more like a glaze when it cools. Just icing sugar, milk, butter, corn syrop, and some color if desired. A little vanilla or almond extract is a bonus.
I feel like I have been carrying so much weight these past few months. No, it’s not that Five Guys kind of weight (well that too) it’s life weight. Things revolving around work, money, the kids, my wife, my family, and the future. Lot’s of things that I feel like I can’t control…things that are controlling me. I’m working hard to take some of those things back and it’s really started with being more positive about things and distributing that life weight.
One article I read that really made sense to me was The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck by blogger and author Mark Manson.
In my life, I have given a fuck about many people and many things. I have also not given a fuck about many people and many things. And those fucks I have not given have made all the difference.
The more I read, the more it made sense. As a parent I am constantly doing my best to ensure that my kids give less fucks.
What we don’t realize is that there is a fine art of non-fuck-giving. People aren’t just born not giving a fuck. In fact, we’re born giving way too many fucks. Ever watch a kid cry his eyes out because his hat is the wrong shade of blue? Exactly.
Someone took away your toy? Not what you wanted for dinner? Other kids not sharing? You got called a bad name? It seems from birth we start building or should I say tearing down the emotional intelligence to D.G.A.F.
If you are offended by the word “fuck” you may not enjoy this article. I sure did.
Got this one from the kitchen of Mrs. McCann at School!
- 1/2 cup or 125 ml diced onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/3 cup or 75 ml butter
- 1 1/2 cups or 375 ml cooked pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp or 30 ml of sugar
- 1 tsp or 5 ml salt
- 1 tsp or 5 ml pepper
- 1 tsp or 5 ml curry
- 1 tsp or 5 ml nutmeg
- 1125 ml (almost 5 cups) chicken broth
- 1/2 cup or 125 ml heavy cream
- 1 tbsp or 25 ml chopped parsley
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Chop onions and garlic. Gently brown in butter in the soup pot.
- Once onion is browned add cooked pumpkin.
- Add sugar, salt, nutmeg, pepper, and curry.
- Slowly add chicken broth and heat thoroughly.
- Just before serving, turn off the heat and add the cream. Do not boil.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.
Sometimes I leave out the nutmeg and add a little more curry to taste.
This recipe was given to me by the great and powerful Brandon Boone. The result is fall-off-the-boone ribs with a nice crunchy top.
- 2 racks of sweet ass ribs (side or back)
- salt and pepper
- optional liquid (pineapple juice, JD, rootbeer, coke)
- optional seasoning (dry mustard, garlic powder, chipotle powder)
- BBQ sauce (we like Sweet Baby Rays and Rufus Teague)
- aluminum foil
The key to moist, fall-off-the-boone, ribs is to let the fat slowly melt away while it acts as a self baster during the cooking process.
- First make sure you remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. Leaving this on will make them chewy.
- Preheat oven to 250 F
- Season with salt and pepper and place on a sheet of aluminum foil meat side down.
- Occasionally I add a shot or 2 of JD, rootbeer, or pineapple juice at this stage for added flavor while basting.
- Place ribs on a baking sheet and place in oven for 3 hours.
- When done remove ribs from foil and discard any juices.
- Add optional additional seasoning here (chipotle, mustard rub, garlic powder). Sometimes I just add more salt and pepper.
- Slather with your favorite BBQ sauce and broil them in the oven until the sugar in the sauce starts to brown.
The result is fall-off-the-boone ribs with a nice crunchy top.
I will miss you. We all will. Best friend ever.
- I will miss the way you look back at me in the morning when it’s time to eat and go out.
- I will miss the way you look at your sisters when they are eating peanut butter toast. I am sorry for calling you “Begas”.
- I will miss the play fights, the butting heads and knowing your hardly biting. Thanks for all the times you have distracted me from playing dolls to get in a little scrap.
- I will miss on our walks to the park, to the school, to the river.
- I will cherish our winter walks on the that river especially the late late ones.
- I will miss watching your bury your head in the snow looking for your ball.
- I will miss the way you chase the kids down the hill on their toboggans. I’m sorry the snow stuck to your feet so much but I will miss watching you try to get it out.
- I will miss shoveling the snow with you (on you).
- I will miss you around our campsites. Sioux Narrows will never be the same without you.
- I will miss swimming with you the most.
- I will miss sneaking and chasing you off the dock, and pushing you off!
- I will miss watching you bob for your wubba in the shallows.
- I will miss sleeping with you on those big pillows.
- I will miss playing frisbee with you. You were amazing, the best. Such a fast learner. I could hardly wait to show people what you could do.
- I will miss kicking that frisbee out of in front of the lawnmower with each pass.
- I will miss you finding every puddle to lie in at the field.
- I will miss the Scooter runs, the bike trips, and the roller blading.
- I will miss tug-o-war and the way you try and use your paws!
- I will miss watching Lexi and Ashlyn hold your leash. Thank you for being so gentle with them.
- I will miss you drinking in the backyard pool while I am filling it up.
- I will miss Al chasing you around the yard.
- I will miss you in Joel’s pool this summer but I am so glad you got to swim there.
- I will miss your excitement when you hear Papa’s car.
- I will miss the weight of your head in my lap when I’m sitting on the floor.
- I will miss spoonsies and the smell of your coat. Not that lake stank smell but your smell.
- I will miss the way you kiss Lexi’s face when she gets home from school and she yells out “YUCK VEGAS LICKED ME” and runs to the bathroom. I will just miss you at the door period. In the window.
- I will miss your gentle nature. The bunnies appreciate your tolerance and sharing of the yard.
- I will miss watching the girls dress you up.
- I will miss watching the girls cuddle you up.
- I will miss listening to you drink water in the night and the rattle of your tin bowls as your try to get off any remaining morsel of food.
- I will miss your nudging in while I read the girls their stories and the way Ash yells at you to get out of her room so she can have all my attention.
- I will miss hearing you flunk down on the floor in between their rooms at night to make sure we are safe in the night. No seahorses!