fireside

Even the most independent of 4-year-olds who DO NOT NEED NAPS cannot resist the cozy and sleepy time lure of a fireplace.* 

 * please note: the fireplace wasn't even on. 

49er

When you're turning 49 and your birthday is on a Monday and there are a bunch of kidtivities that evening but your family still wants to celebrate you, this is what you do...

Fill the table with food on Saturday night for a full on feast...

Before...

After...

Then on Sunday, sit down on the couch to read. It doesn't matter if you've never once done this before in your entire life. You should definitely try it. It will shock your children so much that they will all stop in to ask in a concerned way, "Are you okay, Daddy?"

Then while you are away with your son at his basketball practice, your wife and kids will hang up a banner made up of your face through the ages. It's a must-have in anyone's home. 

Hug your wife in gratitude. 

And she will take the opportunity to hang out with 1999 David and his handlebar moustache. 

Then have your mom and dad come over for supper and cake, to thank them for your very existence. Obligatory birthday photos to follow. 

And then prezzies!

But your actual birthday is not to be forgotten. You'll still get birthday doughnuts on the day before everyone flies off to school and work and activities.  

And then, in an unprecedented move, after all the jobs of the day are done and your kids are safely tucked into their beds and your 14-year-old is in charge, you sneak away for a little drink date with your wife. 

And that's how you turn 49. The end. 

life is a driveway

No school today because of this wee bit of snow, and we spent most of the day shovelling driveways. Because we're fun like that. And because we live in an elderly neighbourhood. 

The boys worked especially hard and were definitely tuckered out by end of day. Probably happy to head back to school tomorrow. But I think a lot of neighbours were happy to have them at home today. 

40 days

Now we begin. 

family photo

Today was Family Day, and after our family game and before our family walk, Leo told us we had to take a family photo. He organized us and bossed us around, and I'm grateful that he has taken over as the coordinator of these such things. People aren't as whiny when he tells us what to do. 

Happy Family Day to all. 

clara's curls

Please appreciate Clara's hair in slow motion, for full shampoo commercial effect.

spring ahead

The weather jumped 20 steps forward today and pretended it was spring. That's fine. We didn't mind. 

pie love you

 A nice day of flowers and hearts and pie. Happy Valentine's Day to you.

not fooling anyone

This is 100... days of school. Not years. I mean, Jane was supposed to dress like she was 100-years-old but her taut skin and constant bounce was a dead giveaway... she's not a year older than six.

grow cold with me

We are not great skaters, but we try? Fun this afternoon to go to the skate track at Waterdown and slowly move around and around in circles. Practice makes... minutely better. 

And since we had our jackets on anyway, we went home to roast weiners and marshmallows around the fire and get our coats nice and stinky. 

poof - just like that

January 2022 - come up with idea to make giant foot poof that will double as a storage/receptacle for scrap fabric

Also January 2002 - purchase all necessary supplies

Remainder of 2022 - move said supplies (including a giant roll of foam) from one place to another with exaggerated sigh every time it's in the way of priority, actual paid work projects

January 2023 - sit down at computer to do a different project but spy neglected project out of corner of eye

February 2023 - get to work and complete entire project in three hours

Who knows how long it would have taken if I hadn't done the 365+ days of mental prep. 

And now we have a pretty poof upon which our feet can rest (many thanks to Annie and Clara for demonstrating its functionality). The poof is formed with foam, with a foam top, but a zipper bottom opens up to the hollow interior, and I've stuffed it with old sheets and fabric scraps. Foam meets function meets fashion? Yes, sure. But more importantly, finished. 

good sports

David, Joe, and Henry were off at Explorer camp this weekend, enjoying the snow while all we have at home is dead grass. Other parties of the Kantor household are trying to be good about it but we're also somewhat jealous. Hrmph.