Cuba

Well it has been almost a month since we have been to Cayo Coco, Cuba and I want to go back!! What a simply beautiful place to visit. Wonderful people, amazing weather, Cuban cigars and beaches. What more could you ask for? I never thought in a million years I would be travelling to Cuba, let alone for an all inclusive vacation. We paid $2400 for a family of 4 and it was worth every penny because we had a great time and it was no worries while we were there. The only thing we had to worry about was what to eat? What to drink? Hang out in the pool or beach and how late we stayed up. Lots of food, lots to drink and relaxing at it's finest.

I would love to go back but minus the kids. We loved having them there and they didn't slow us down or get in the way. They were very good and only had about an hour of meltdown on one day and that was it. They were so good and it was great seeing how excited they were. But to go back and have time to go to the club, drink more, and not have to worry about the kids getting into trouble in the ocean or pool would be nice. I am so glad they got to go and experience it with us. It made the whole trip seeing how happy they were.

We have already said we would love to go back to the Blau Colonial and hopefully some friends could join us. It would be great to go and hang out with friends and drink and dance and just have fun! Nicole and I would go together but it would be nice to have some friends with us to hangout with.

Cheers!!

Healthy Eating

I have been trying to instill with the girls how important it is to eat healthy now. My parents did the best the could have and gave us great meals. Nothing that was unhealthy but maybe more of moderation would have been better. My mom did pack some less than healthy snacks in my lunch for school but I was active and playing hockey and softball until 16 or so. I am not blaming her because I have continued the same hard wired habits. Something I am hoping I can rewire by forcing myself to go with fresh and healthy instead of quick and fatty.

I don't eat very much fast food but do pick the worst times to snack and that is my downfall along with moderation. I have been more of moderation and this is going to help. I am working on the healthy combinations. I did today swap out a can of habitant soup and crackers for a nice salad with chick peas, mushrooms, and cucumber. Along with baby carrots and an apple. Water to drink and no pop even though it is on sale this week and I would love an ice cold pop! I bought a lot of veggies and fruit today but still bought some not so healthy items such as frozen pizza's and the soup. I did try a more organic and natural eating lifestyle, but it is hard to go from quick and easy with working to making dinner once you get home and hungry. I would like to not spend 2 hours making a meal and the kids are hungry also and tend to complain about no food. I am trying a new method. I am cutting celery and leaving it in water in the fridge for a quick snack and they can have that with a little peanut butter for a snack while we make dinner.

I have to rewire myself and make sure I send them on the right path to good eating and exercise so they don't become a statistic like I am. I'm not down on myself but the kids look at me as an example and I need to show them the right way now instead of 10 years down the road. This week we have done almost nothing for exercise and I need to push them with myself to get out and go. Walking, playing soccer, running, riding bikes and other things can get them out and interested. They had a great year of soccer and really enjoyed it. Zoey scored a goal her second last game which I missed because of work but was able to see all but one game for both her and Hailey. Hailey is a good runner and has some skill kicking the ball and keeping it in her feet. We will see if they want to keep playing indoor this winter because it is a great sport for them to improve and was very cheap to put them in.

We will again look at a membership to the rec center because the girls can swim as well as join classes for more activities. With Nicole working straight days, it is easier for them to join after school programs now that one of us has a normal work schedule. They are also going to be starting the biggest loser competition at work and for a $50 buy in I could walk away with $500+ depending on how many people enter. Since I am on a health kick it might be a good way to stay motivated and make $450+!!

I'll keep you posted....

Cheers!!

Not an excuse

I have had a few people tell me that I can't use my kids as an excuse. Not recently but ever since I became a parent. This always comes from people who don't have kids and are either single or in a relationship. My first reaction is to laugh so I don't reach out and smack them in the mouth! First of all to all my best friends and close friends who have kids, you know what I am talking about when I say our day begins and ends with our kids. We loved them from the first minute we saw them and cannot imagine life without them. I enjoy spending time with the girls and I know we have fun together because they tell me. I get up in the morning and they are there to greet me with a "hi dad!" or "Daddy? Are you awake?" and that is the best wake up. I also love reading to them before bedtime and kissing them and tucking them in. I always tell them how much I love them and tell them goodnight.

Now not everyone can understand how much time and energy kids take and babysitting them doesn't even come close. You have to live with kids for at least 2 weeks to get a feel of what it is like to be a parent and experience how tiring it can be. I wouldn't trade it in for anything. I love my peace and quiet too but love to hear them laugh and feel their warm hugs more than anything in the world. That is something that I will miss when they grow up and move away. Maybe that's why I cherish it so much now. Maybe that's why I get so defensive when people say "Don't use you kids as an excuse." They are not an excuse and never will be. I do get tired and get cranky sometimes but if I was ever given a choice to be childless again my answer is never. I often sit and watch this girls play or do various things and remember what it was like to be a kid. I love seeing myself in the girls and it does scare me because I remember what I was like as a kid. I don't need a boy to carry on my family name because they are a part of me and that will be passed down for as long as they have kids and so on and so forth.

I might just tell someone what I really think the next time I hear someone say "Don't use you kids as an excuse." Maybe they will see a side of me that rarely comes out but can be as nasty as they come. Any proud parent will tell you the same thing. Protecting you children is the most important thing to you. You want to pick them up when they are hurt and encourage them when they are doing well. Nothing will make a more lasting impression on your kids then you. I know my parents did and regardless if it was good or bad I still carry it with me to make me a better parent and person. I do feel sorry for people without kids to a certain extent and not in a bad way but sorry that they haven't yet experienced what we have....life.

A new life. One filled with hope for a future and eagerness to learn and be like mom or dad. A life to grow into and become their own person and stand on their own. We will always be there for them and never turn our backs on them no matter what because we also have hope. We hope they will be better than us and be more than what we are because we want the best for our children. Not and excuse but a choice, to be a parent and devote 24 hours a day to them from birth to our end on this planet. Life is what we have given so we could have more in our lives because we have chosen this and this is what I wanted. This is what I can't live without....Kids!

This is what I get when I am tired and working overnights....sappy!!!

Cheers!!

Weekend Getaway.

Friday we will be heading to Kingston, Ontario for a little getaway. We will be going to Boldt Castle and a boat cruise. Should be fun and runs for 5 hours.

I am looking forward to going and have seen the castle before from a distance before but never been on the island. It will take up most of our day Saturday from 10am-3pm so hopefully the girls will enjoy it. I might see if there is anything else we can do but that is something we can wing. The boat tour launches from Gananoque so we need to get up early and get to the harbour early. We also need passports since the island is on the American side of the waterway. We will see how it goes. I'm looking for a nice dinner after and will do some looking around but may end up cheaping out with pizza and wings!!

Bon-voyage!!

I'm back!!

It has been a few months since I have been a blogging because of work and the summer. Wanting to spend more time outside and less inside has pulled me from the computer. Our garden has grown so much bigger than I would have imagined. The girls are really enjoying soccer and Hailey has taken to it faster than Zoey. Zoey is a great player and is more balanced than Hailey. Hailey is all about scoring and Zoey tries to play defence and offense.

We are planning a vacation to Kingston in August to go to Boldt castle and maybe Fort Henry. Then off to the cottage in Dummer township. Our big vacation is hopefully going to be down south in Cuba, Mexico or anywhere that is all inclusive and lots of booze!!! Lots of projects around the house that need to get done and with this massive heat wave and humidity, it is going to be tough. I have to dig down and patch a crack in the foundation that weeps in heavy rain but is okay when it rains less. I also have to re-caulk around our bay windows in the back of the house. We had the driveway sealed for $100 which was a great deal. They also fixed the cracks before spraying.

Well it is late and right now as I look at the clock it is 1:46am. I have to head home from work in about 10 minutes and should roll in around 2:30am. Then settle down and head to bed by 3:00am if I am lucky. Might have to have some rye and coke for a night cap!!

Anyway, I will update a little sooner then months. Tonight I am hoping to make curry chicken with peas and rice. A friend at work gave me a recipe to try. He gave me the very basic items needed but won't give me his exact measurements. His Jamaican curry is good because i have tried it before. I may not make it but I plan on it. I will see what Nicole feels like.

Cheers!!

Garden Planting Box Project #2

I am moving right along here! Faster than I thought because I tend to over think but for the most part it is very important. I don't want to screw it up and have to make it again. Enough of that.

So today I went to Lowes to price my material for my planting box. I should have gone there last because they were by far the cheapest. Let me just say something....FUCK YOU HOME DEPOT!! Okay! Now that is out of my system. Let me explain a little. Home Depot has a policy about price matching and then beating it by 10% IF it is the same product. I guess when it comes to wood it is a different story. It is managers discretion because Home Depot has superior quality of wood compared to everyone else and they must have a whole forest to themselves to make this statement. Just what I was told....other than the forest part! They also don't beat it and give you the 10% on lumber because they have amazing lumber that can only be found at Home Depot!

So I left and went back to Lowes to gather my materials. I bought 6 - 1X6X6 fence boards and 1 - 2X2X8 so I could cut it for corner supports and keep the boards together. I also bought 1 1/2 inch deck screws to put it all together and had some wood glue to use also. extremely easy to make and not much effort. I built it in about 1 hour without any help. Here are my steps.

1.   Get a cold beer from the fridge and open it to take a sip. Good way to start a project!
2.   Measure 2 1X6X6 fence boards to the 3 foot mark to cut in half. These will be your end pieces.
3.   Make sure the ends are all the same length and trim if some are a little off like mine where.
4.   Have some more beer and make sure you have at least 2 more in the fridge or one in the freezer.
5.   Take the 2X2X8 and measure it to the size of 2 boards placed side by side. Should be about 10 inches.
6.   Cut 6 pieces to hold the corners and middle of the sides together. Set aside.
7.   Take 2 end pieces you cut and lay them down to make sure they fit together nicely without too much of a
      gap between the boards.
8.   Place wood glue on 2 of the 2X2X8 pieces and place on the ends of the boards. Screw into place.
9.   Once the pieces are screwed and glued do the other end the same way. The ends should now measure
      3 feet wide by 10 inches high.
10. Place 2 full 1X6X6 side by side and glue and screw one end onto one side. Repeat for the other end.
11. Place the other 2 boards on the other side and glue and screw them into place.
12. Take the 2 extra 2X2X8 pieces you cut and glue and screw them into the middle of the full boards for        support and stability.

I will post pictures soon. I have jiffy pots with peas, carrots and tomatoes sprouting up already. I also bought some jalapeno plants and yellow onion plants. I have yet to plant the watermelon or sunflowers or garlic. Looking forward to growing some fresh veggies in our backyard!

Cheers!!

Rock Garden Project #1

So we have been researching rock gardens and everyone is different and look nice in any shape or size. The trick is making sure you have a solid base and go from there. It is simple. Dig out an area that you would like to have your rock garden. Dig about 10-12 inches of soil in the area you choose and then place a solid base. It is recommended to use old concrete or bricks or old patio slabs to have as your base. Then put sand over the base layer to help drainage. Then place your large rocks in your garden and position them in any way you like. Once you have the large rocks set in place you put a mixture of the following. 1 part top soil, 1 part peat moss and 1 part pea gravel. This helps with the richness of the soil and drainage. Place the mixture into your garden and level. Place medium and smaller stones in your garden and remember to leave pockets for plants. The purpose of the rock garden is to create one of two things. A beautiful garden with flowers or an arctic type landscape with lots of sun and little water. We decided to do the arctic landscape and that is why we opted for the drainage. Our plants are good in 6+ hours of sun with little water. If you want to change what you are planting then you adjust the pea gravel in the mixture so it will hold more water.

Once you have planted your garden, place wood chips over the garden to give it a nice finished look. We went with a hazel colour for ours. we are also not finished. We love what we have done but will add more curves to the garden and not have such a straight edge to it. We collected our rocks from the beach at Lake Ontario so we did some really heavy lifting but saved some money in the process.

Cheers!!