No Excuse

Well, it is simply shameful isn't it? The length of time I leave off between posts. I wouldn't be surprised if you assumed we fell off the planet. We haven't. It has been a busy summer though.

I recently resigned from my teaching position at the hospital. It was a challenging decision because I have been there for the last 8.5 years and while the money wasn't great it was not insignificant either. It was nice to have a little bit of money trickling in every couple of weeks that I wasn't responsible for paying to myself. Does that make sense?

Anyway, why did I leave? Because I just was not comfortable continuing to have my name associated, professionally, with them any longer. They had become all about the bottom line (I always forget the hospitals are big corporations) and less about the patients. When I started there I was so proud to be a part of their health-care team and they truly exemplified what I saw to be patient-centred care. Now they are a big company looking for bigger profits and they don't seem all that bothered by how poorly it looks (or in my classes cases, how uncomfortable they were). So, while I miss the regular spurts of money into my bank account I now have a much happier heart and I have been able to show my children that they need to LOVE what they do in this life. (Leading by example!!)

With the weather we haven't been having (not summery anyway) we haven't been planning any of our usual summer activities. We did manage to get to Canada's Wonderland for a full day before the public schools let out though. Doug and the boys had a great time on the rides (although Fergus is quickly learning he isn't the "ride warrior" he wants to be) while I had fun sitting and reading my book in the sunshine. I am perfectly happy going to the amusement park like that and they had such a great time that it was perfect for all of us.


Last weekend we spent a great deal of time in Toronto with friends who have just moved into a penthouse at the Harbourfront in Toronto. Paul (the dad in that family) had borrowed a Mercedes McLaren SLR (correct me if I have that wrong) and so Doug was taking pictures of Paul with it. Paul took each of us out for a ride in it too and so the boys were VERY excited about their luck.

Fergus has just received a brand new dirt biking helmet and Doug has the two boys registered for "Junior Red Riders" this September. It is a weekend dirt biking class to make sure they learn some of the safety information they also need in order to be safe while riding. Quinn has yet to ride on his own but he is eager to be a rider with Fergus and we have promised him a new helmet too if he decides, once he has tried it once or twice, that he loves it.

This coming weekend is our annual trip to the Rowe Family Cottage. Last year it ended up being a day trip for me but if my client (due last Friday) gives birth before the weekend then we can all travel up there together. It is just east of Peterborough on a fair-sized lake. We always have a wonderful time and I can hardly wait to get up there and spend the weekend relaxing.

Today I was blessed with a visit from my friends Patty and Teresa. Patty and her partner, Mark, live in Phoenix. They were in Buffalo for a family wedding last weekend and decided, since they were traveling northeast, they might as well tour around. They visited friends of Mark's in Maine and came along through Montreal and stopped here today before heading back to Niagara Falls and Buffalo to head home. It was GREAT to see her again and to meet Mark. And it was PERFECT to have a chance to see Teresa. You would think that I would see her lots when she only lives 40 minutes away, but we are both so busy that it doesn't seem to happen anywhere nearly as often as it should.

August promises to be busy too. My cousin Rob is getting married in North Bay and so we will go to attend the nuptials and hope to have a day or so to come home through Ottawa - just for fun. My sister-in-law is coming to visit for 10 days (or longer if we can trap her here) through the middle of the month too!

We are also going to be getting the boys ready for school. Both have elected to try school for a year and are extremely excited about it. We are planning to enroll them in the Halton Waldorf School in Burlington and they will get a chance to take a school bus everyday and everything! Here's hoping their enthusiasm lasts until next June at least.

Okay, I am being summoned to help my boys prepare birthday cards for their father! Doug's birthday is this Thursday and I think he will be very happy with the cards the boys are creating for him!!