Jumping IS fun!

Here's a fun photo of Tegan jumping on her friend Carter's bed. We stayed over night at our friends cottage on Lake Joe. After numerous requests to stop jumping on the bed, she didn't. (sigh)

(I had Carter in the photo, but cropped him out. I didn't have his parents permission...not that they said no, I just didn't ask!)

Dunno where she gets it from...

Back from the grocery store...

Today's conversation:

As we pull into the driveway from grocery shopping, and I get out to unload the truck. Tegan says,

T: We have to go back Mommy. We have to go back.
M: What? Why?
T: We have to go back to the grocery store.
M: Why honey?
T: We have to get tooties (cookies). We didn't get any. We need to get tooties for Daddy.

So she really does pay attention to what goes into the cart!

Last Night's Conversation...

I'm not even pre-menstral, I don't even know where it came from! In a sad mood I guess. The crying! I never cry! Hardly ever! Twice in one week, what's wrong with me??!!

Anyways, I'm tucking Tegan into bed and she keeps hugging me over and over. "Again! Again!" she'll say. You end up smiling and having fun doing it, until the moment your back says "Hello! Your killin' me down here!" The big girl bed has been ordered by the way...

We hadn't prayed in awhile, so I decided it was a good night for it. I told Tegan to close her eyes while I prayed. We were praying particularly for Judy N. who is battling it out with cancer. She's fighting so hard! But it knocks the wind right out of her. She's the lady that set Mark and I up. And she lives right around the corner. She's home from the hospital with an oxygen tank, as far as I know, she's still at home. So terribly sad...

When we finish praying, Tegan says to me:
Tegan: Judy's sick?
Me: Yes she is. She's VERY sick... she's dying honey...Mommy's very sad.
T: She's dying?
M: Yes
T: You sad Mommy?
M: Yes (with a tear on my cheek).

Then she grabs my arm to start fooling around and it hurt a bit, so I said
M: Don't hurt Mommy! You only get one Mommy.
T: Only one?
M: Yes.....and I don't have a Mommy anymore...she died.
T: She died?
M: Yes. That's why you should treat your mom nicely. Because you never know how long they'll be around. (with a tear rolling down my cheek.) You only get one.

All this time, Tegan's face has been scrunched up and consoling. Her voice trailing from low to high. i.e. she DIED? She was holding my arm and patting my hand. Eyebrows crossed and worried.

So she says,

T: You wanna another one?
M: (chuckle, smile) No. I only wanted that one.
T: It's okay Mommy.....you crying?
M: Yes.

.....3 second delay...

T: Mommy, turn on the light! I wanna see your tear!
M: (chuckle) I'm not going to turn on the light so you can see me cry! Gimme your finger, you can feel it on my face...see?
T: Your crying!
M: Yes dear.
T: Don't cry honey. It's okay honey. (pat, pat, pat)

(Honey is her new word of the week. She adds it to everything! I LOVE it!)

Canada Day in the Capital...Ottawa!

It's been a check on Mark's mom's list of "things to do before I die", to go to Ottawa with her family. Jane has been after Mark for decades to get him to give up a long weekend at the cottage and join her in Ottawa "just once" and feel the patriotic emotions that will pour from your body. "There isn't a better feeling!" she says.

And year after year, we go to the cottage, content and happy to be sitting on the dock, drink in hand, sun beaming down on our pale bodies, hoping for a miracle. Not having to drive anywhere, go for an ice cream in the boat with the dogs hanging out the side of the boat happily. Their tongues and ears flapping in the wind. You get the idea.

Well, since we have NO cottage to go to this summer, I told Mark, THIS is the summer to go to Ottawa and make your mother happy once and for all. Do it for her!

Except, let's not tell her and just "show up" and see the look on her face! We also brought Suzie along which would amplify the shocked look on Jane's face! Hee Hee!

We looked into taking the train on the Saturday to Monday and it ended up being $900 for all three of us to go. Tegan was free! My truck may be bad on gas, but not that bad! So we drove. Five hours later...with a toddler, who can't finish one movie at a time, constantly wanting drinks and a snack, we reached our destination.

Finally we arrive. Check in. We check to see if Jane has checked in yet, (because they were in Quebec and Montreal that week and ending their trip in Ottawa). No they hadn't checked in. So we went outside and walked the street. Took some photo's with the guards.

Let Tegan run around and chase some birds....let out some steam.

As we were heading back by the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, we saw the rented mini van from Buffalo. We dash inside and one of Jane's friends is standing there happy to see us. Barb tells us, Jane has already gone up to her room. And is waiting for their luggage.

Now what I haven't told you is that. I did call Barb the week before to get the particulars of when and where they were staying because I had a surprise for Jane. A dinner surprise. And if they'd mind if we changed their plans for an evening. She said no problem. And vowed not to tell Jane anything. But that's all she knew. So she wasn't surprised to see us in the lobby. But knew Jane would be over-the-moon to know we had come. They too had heard over and over, how she wanted us to come and wouldn't. (Not to mention, Mark, Suzie and I for 2 weeks had taken her scolds from her every time we saw her about it. But we hung our heads and let her do it....knowing we were already going!!!)

What she didn't know is that I was able to get us all on the same floor! Suzie across from Jane's and us down the hall! We get up there and tell Tegan to knock on this door....we all stand away from the door and leave this kid standing there. Our camera's were ready for the reaction.....

Jane opens the door and says "Well, Hi There. We have a visitor." Suzie and I glance at each other like, "How and the Heck did she know we were coming??" Then Tegan mutters something and runs right by her and into the room.

Jane now looks up to see where the parents are to this child running into other people's rooms. That's when she sees us girls, remove the camera's from the front of our faces and notices Mark. All of a sudden it kicked in who this cute little girl was! Her own Granddaughter! Her mouth hung open and tears filled her eyes. Her hands clasped together over her mouth and her shoulders hung as she cried. She couldn't even speak!

Since no one else offered a hug, I did!! She didn't let go! She was so happy! Meanwhile, Tegan is in their room bouncing on the beds, unzipping the luggage and spreading clothes all over the floor, tossing the room service info off the beds and onto the floor, well, just about everything went onto the floor!

Anyway, that was the big story of how and why we went. Then two more good feelings happened that weekend:

Next day, Canada Day, we had all the festivities to do. The ceremonial Changing of the Guard, the RCMP Musical Ride (on horses), The Raising of the Flag...

Suzie summed it up great by saying it was the perfect place for anyone with A.D.D! (Attention Deficit Disorder, like herself) Little mini parades all day long. Look here, look there! 2 minutes and each one is over!

For me, my patriotic moment was when we were walking in the park with different vendors giving away all sorts of things. One cool thing we got was a tiny maple tree we thought we'd plant at our new cottage as a remembrance of this trip. (Too bad we forgot it in the room when we checked out!)

But as we are walking, we are hearing the National Anthem on a big screen t.v by CBC. It's a 14 year old girl with an amazing voice. And as she gets to the last couple of lines, the Snow Birds fly over head, over the Chateau and the Parliament buildings. So beautiful. Very loud and powerful.

But it wasn't until she was about to hit the last note of the song, the last word...that the Snow Birds flew back and it was deafening. The big finale. My hands went up over my face, (and I'm not a crier!!) but there I was bawling! It was like being put in the middle of a war and seeing it for the first time. You see it on t.v, but it doesn't mean anything. Or do anything. I had shivers down my arms and I needed a "minute" to get myself back together. Which really just meant. Turn quick and start walking!!

The second big deal was: At lunch (this is an hour later), we are dining at Milestones. Three quarters of the way through our meal, I look up and see this guy walking towards me to turn and go down this aisle. He's looking at me, I'm STARING at him. I'm thinking "This guy is HOT! I love his hair like that. Why does he look familiar?" And then I had it!

"Hi Derek!" I say. I stand up and he's looking at me like, "and you are?"
I extend my arm out to Suzie and Mark, (who are looking at me like "what the hell is she doing?")

I say "This is my husband Mark and his sister Suzie, you know Suzie..we are your biggest Buffalo Sabres Fans Ever!"
And Suzie and Mark are STILL looking at me and then him like "Do I know you?"

I say "Mark, Suzie, you know DEREK ROY?"
This is the hysterical part. He is a Buffalo Sabres NHL player!!!
They didn't even recognize him at first, and I did! I'm so pleased with myself. I could run into Lindros in Muskoka and have no idea, but I see Derek and BOOM, I remember!

He stood and chatted with us. I think all of our faces were flushed red! Meanwhile, Tegan is running rampantly through the dining area..and we don't care! Derek Roy is at our table!! Then after she hit Suzie and was having a melt down, I picked her up and said "You don't hit! You don't want Derek Roy to come over here and tickle you do you?"

Sure enough, he comes over and tickles her! She giggled and laughed. Then he said Good Bye and went back to his table. He's from Ottawa and that's why he was there. Apparently Suzie and him are neighbors in Buffalo! She said she didn't recognize him with clothes on! (She was part of the press a couple years ago and they'd all be in the locker rooms for interviews!) LOL! Just kidding! No, she really did work for the press, but I'm not so sure she saw him in his Birthday Suit! Which beats me, why didn't it occur to any of us to take a photo with him??

The streets were closed off, it was mayhem. Drunk, stoned and some sober people all over the place. It was freezing cold too all weekend. Sweater sales were up to say the least!

We watched the fireworks. Spectacular. It was also something when they started the fireworks, that an entire park filled with millions of people starting to sing the National Anthem again. (In fact, we heard it all day!) But this time it was really special.

So if you ever have the chance to go. You should. It's a once in a lifetime experience. Especially if you are Canadian. Everyone wore red somehow somewhere. We wore tattoos. Even Bubby! All the Taylor Girls..,but somehow she didn't get her photo taken!

African Lion Safari!!

Okay, so last Thursday, Suzie and I went to African Lion Safari with Tegarino for a totally fun filled day. The sun was shining, the air conditioning was on the whole way there! Suzie was going to meet us there from Buffalo and we followed bus after bus after bus getting there.

Just as we get there and unpack the stroller and get ready for a train ride, Daddy calls and says he'll be there in 15 minutes! How exciting! When he arrives, he announces that he will volunteer his leased vehicle to go through the vigorous job of the Safari Tour. Hell, NO, we weren't going to take my truck through. OR Suzie's car for that matter! We were going to take the bus. But lookie here, we get to cruise the Savannah in our own wheels at our own leisure.

Tegan had no seat belt on, no car seat. Nothing. Just me in the backseat with a camera snapping away, hoping to get just ONE great photo. But I got lucky and got a few. Here they are:

Evidently, Ostriches don't like Protector Plus! Peck! Peck! Peck!

Tegan only remembers out of the entire day, not the train ride around the pond. Not the water park at the end of the day. Not the lions and leopards, the giraffe's or elephants. If you ask her, you will only hear about, "the monkey peed in Daddy's truck!"

Yes, sitting on the back of the tailgate is a monkey with his you know what hanging out for the world to see. Specifically a curious toddler. And he watches and waits, and then woohoo, pee.

(I edited that out as you can see! Yes, your welcome!)

Tegan is staring and mortified. Telling him to stop it! Then another is trying to rip off the caution sticker on the bed liner. Which all of them are fighting for a piece of it to eat. At one point, we had 12 of them on our truck. Front, top and back. Then a big one came and they all screamed and jumped out of the truck. Except for the one who sat ON the cab of the truck and peed down the back window and mortified Tegan again! You could see her trying to look up and see WHICH monkey did it!

We also saw the Elephant Round Up and it was fun. Watching 5 elephants to tricks. We tried to pet it afterwards and those things are rough! They're skin has the wirery hair on it like a cactus. You'd think they would be dry feeling, not spiky and rough. Tegan didn't want to go for an elephant ride or a pony ride. We bought her an elephant puzzle instead. $5.99. Done Deal!