Playground Love

Our happy family on the beach in San Jose del Cabo- the Baja, Mexico. Lovely vacation. Love the sun!

We’ve been back from Mexico for a week now and have gotten back into a routine. M has been busy working two jobs- his really one and a fun one. The fun one has involved him in sound design and music for a friends’ web-based video game called Zombie Minesweeper- check it out!

V Day doesn’t get celebrated much around here- although A has discovered hearts and is loving decorating them. M has promised me some Kahlua chocolate mousse tonight as well!

We’ve been pretty busy creating up a storm. A has been painting like crazy and blowing through all our easel paper. It’s great watching her process though and she’s been extremely creative in telling us what each painting is (ie: apple tree, worms, clouds, sad babies, sick cats).

I got all domestic yesterday and baked some ginger snaps with A and we cut them into heart shapes.

We also did some in regular old circles and used the cookie cutter as a template and pressed down  some sprinkles inside. When lifted, the sprinkles look like a heart!

I swapped A’s art easel and art table around and I like this layout better. I think she does too!

A Ferris wheel made out of potato print hearts. I love this! I had no idea A even knew what a Ferris wheel actually was.

Water colour hearts made out of cut up coffee filters. Glued to the window using a glue stick. Neither of these ideas where mine- check out the Artful Parent for awesome art ideas. The coffee filters also work really well for making snowflakes. Watercolours get really diffused with the paper in the filter and when glued to the window, look like stained glass when the sun shines through. (sun, what sun?)

A making zillions of cards. I showed her how to paint one side and then fold the other over to take a print of it. She’s really taken off with this idea and seems to really like making “footprints” with the different colours of paints and lining them up. Perfectionist tendencies? I wonder who she gets that from!

In case you are wondering, the purge is still going strong- have started on the kitchen, which seems a monumental task and will move onto the laundry room and then the crawl space shortly. Running out of energy earlier in the day these days- only 8.5 weeks to go until babe!

xok

So I was going to wait for some monumental event to merit the launching of my blog, but I thought I’d share this little tidbit with everyone instead. I’m pretty new to this blogity thing, so I haven’t figured out how to notify people of new updates and posts, etc. So- if you don’t want to receive this from me in the future, just e-mail me back and ask to be taken off- I won’t be upset.

My story starts off in the fitness centre of the school I work at. I am blissfully churning away on the elliptical trainer. I am listening to my custom mix of songs that just seems to keep me really pumped and wanting to go on and on. I rarely get to the gym these days, so the days I can access the free gym at work are pretty golden. Even more so are the days when I actually go. But I digress….My 30 mins. of aerobic activity are up and I head off to the change room, with the idea that I will eventually join my co-workers back at our offices.

I undress, throw my things in the locker, grab my towel and head for the shower. I step out of the shower and am instantly overcome with a feeling of dread. Why dread? I have a key lock. I keep my key to the lock on my id badge lanyard. I locked my lanyard in the locker.

Never before have I been so mortified. I am supremely embarrassed. I am standing in my towel in front of my locker willing it to open itself up. A woman near by took pity on me. As I looked in her direction and explained that I locked myself out of my locker, she replied- “Can’t you go to the front desk and ask for help?” While a logical suggestion, this path would take me parading down the hallway, streaking in front of a retirement party in full swing, and on to the Rec. Services desk in my towel and bare feet. Upon quickly realizing the absurdity of this idea, she kindly volunteered to go and get me some help.

Another woman trying to make light of the situation chirped “At least you’re wearing a nice towel.” Are you laughing, yet?  I sure hope so. I can’t tell you how many different thoughts cascaded through my mind at the exact instant when it fully dawned on me as to the complete stupidity and utter mindlessness of the simple action of throwing my lanyard, key and all, into the locker before sealing it in with my fate. “I have no spare key for this lock!” “Do I call a locksmith?” “Do I sit hear all day and wait for someone to open my locker?” “Will my co-workers miss me if I don’t come back after lunch?” Dear God, I am wearing a towel and only a towel.

Never has the sight of bolt cutters made me so excited. I chanted silently in my head (Come on! Come on!) as two women (my savior and someone from Rec. Services) wrestled, pushed, and muscled their way through the lock. Off it popped. A big sigh of relief and a very big smile (and profuse thanks) from me and off everyone went about the rest of their day.

I think I learnt an important lesson today. When in doubt, always use a combination lock.

Now I need to figure out a place to write the combination down so I don’t forget it…..