Today was Rini's first movie theatre experience. Well, techinically second, but she slept through Happy Feet.
South Edmonton Common was the theatre and we were set to watch the Stars and Strollers screening of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, but I decided to wander about before the movies started. To my surprise, there was a Stars and Stollers Screening of Iron Man. I was very close to switching the tickets, but in the end decided to stick with the movie we originally came to see. We could watch Robert Downy Jr. save the world another day. Besides, I could just ask Duff if he has the Black Sabbath album with the song "Iron Man" on it and I can do some air guitar.
On the note of movies, Prince Caspian is brilliant. I have not read the book, but Caitlin has, and she said it kept to C. S. Lewis' vision quite well. I also thought it nice to have Caitlin on hand to tell me what was coming up. I have a bad habit of jumping out of my skin if I don't know what's next. The only times she told me what coming were: the scene with the werewolf and the hag; right before the trees "woke up"; Posideon destoys the bridge. Afterwards, Caitlin informed me about the changed that they made to the story for pacing reasons, and so forth. I would love to have it in our DVD library, should we ever get the chance to get the money together for the disc. Last DVD we bought was 101 Dalmations, and that was a VERY good investment. Rini absolute loves it! She bounces to the music, giggles at the puppies barking, and cuddles during some of the scary parts.
During the movie, she would wander around the theatre, screech every now and again, but for the most part she was very well behaved. She was also able to get up and down the theatre steps all by herself! She prefers to go down the steps backwards, and I should treasure these moments. Next thing you know, I'm going to be chasing her as she takes them two at a time, then I'll be scolding her for taking an entire staircase in one big jump from the top. If she's anything like me.
You might wonder why we didn't make her sit down and be still for the duration of the movie, or why we would take her to a theatre where the sound would shatter her little eardrums, but not to worry. Note, I mentioned this was a Stars and Strollers screening, and everyone in the theatre had little ones. We were not the only parents that had to get up and comfort a crying child. walking around in the theatre was fine, and no one told me or Caitlin to sit down, or that we were bad parents for allowing her to crawl around. If she had fallen and cracked her head, then I would have been worried. The volume was also slightly lower so that we didn't have to worry about Rini getting freaked out by the noise from the movie. At least, not getting really freaked out. The surround sound, she's used to from home, but the big screen was something new.
Great family activity, and we are definitely going to do it again! We can see Wall-E now! I think there would be a signifigantly bigger audience than today though. Today, there was about twenty or so folks. And that's including the children!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Full day
This has to be the most that I have written in one day for a long time. I had quite the day if you count it starting at midnight. I went into the job interview with the idea that I was going to be free of my current employment, but walked out with the motivation to find something else. It's just a matter of looking up the jobs and getting it done. Oddly enough, the rest of the day was spent shopping, cleaning, and mowing the lawn. We went to some baby stores to find something for Rini, because she is like her father and likes to wander off. We found a simple support harness, and we also found a security harness. The security harness was under $10, while the support harness was $25. It works out, and I think that we made a good investment. We'll be able to take her hiking, help with bike riding, and have her out and about close to water and other sharp drops. We also got some chocolate covered almonds and corn chips with flax from the Nut Man, which was close to the shop where we got some of the baby items. Another baby item we purchased was a support bar for the crib. Handy gizmo, because it braces the crib together, and you can take the one side of the crib off, thereby using the crib as a toddler bed. Gets a bit more life out of the crib, and then we also have the cradle for baby #2, whenever that happens. Within the next year? Maybe. We don't have any plans set in stone on that one.
The chain is gone
It seems rather odd in retrospect, but one thing that we were doing over the course of the past three weeks or so was the act of dismanteling a paper chain that was hanging on the fridge. Before Mark and Barb left, they put together this paper chain, something that the girls would have as a visual reminder of how long it was until mommy and daddy got back. It was a life line for Caitlin and myself because we could look at it and count the days until we would be worrying about only Rini!
I would not say that the chain was a representation of slavery, but the thought of only worrying about one child seems to let my mind float freely.
I would not say that the chain was a representation of slavery, but the thought of only worrying about one child seems to let my mind float freely.
Friday, May 09, 2008
The end is in sight
Just this morning I noticed that there were only five rings left on the chain we have on the fridge. Mark and Barb put that together with Megan and Kyra, something that would give them a bit of a counter of when their parents would return. I've also looked to that as a bit of a life line to when they will back in the hands of their parents. This sneak preview has been a scary one, and I've been much more short tempered. Funny that.
It's times like this I wonder how on earth I lived through my childhood. I would not be surprised in the least, if dad contemplated using some kind of military technique to cut off blood to my brain so I would stop screaming, or talking, or doing some annoying behaviour. In the end that had to be a parents greatest reward, knowing that their grandchildren would be a bane to their children.
Caitlin got a bit of an embarassing event thrown at her when she met up with me at Millwoods Town Center. Megan, Kyra, and Rini were all playing on the play set in the center of the mall, right outside where I work. Part of the rules is that you need to watch your kids. There is no one employed by the mall to do that. At one point, Rini fell down some of the stairs, and Caitlin was comforting her, only to have a woman inform her that Kyra had removed her stockings and her diaper. Okay, thank you for the update, I can handle that, moving on. But no, the woman wasn't done, and told Caitlin, in a tone that was none to kind, that this ordeal was displaying bad parenting skills. If I was there I would have told her, "Eat Knives, Cow." Different context, but I'm sure it would have shut her up.
It was probably a good thing I wasn't there.
It's times like this I wonder how on earth I lived through my childhood. I would not be surprised in the least, if dad contemplated using some kind of military technique to cut off blood to my brain so I would stop screaming, or talking, or doing some annoying behaviour. In the end that had to be a parents greatest reward, knowing that their grandchildren would be a bane to their children.
Caitlin got a bit of an embarassing event thrown at her when she met up with me at Millwoods Town Center. Megan, Kyra, and Rini were all playing on the play set in the center of the mall, right outside where I work. Part of the rules is that you need to watch your kids. There is no one employed by the mall to do that. At one point, Rini fell down some of the stairs, and Caitlin was comforting her, only to have a woman inform her that Kyra had removed her stockings and her diaper. Okay, thank you for the update, I can handle that, moving on. But no, the woman wasn't done, and told Caitlin, in a tone that was none to kind, that this ordeal was displaying bad parenting skills. If I was there I would have told her, "Eat Knives, Cow." Different context, but I'm sure it would have shut her up.
It was probably a good thing I wasn't there.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Yeah Calgary!
I have to say that the Calgary Comic Expo was one of the most fun events Caitlin and I have had the pleasure of attending. I have a bunch of pics from the costume contest on my Facebook profile. 
I recently discovered that our picture was also featured on one of my favourite webcomic sites. Took a bit of digging to find it, but it's a comfort to know that the picture of Caitlin's sketch was featured!
I still can't believe that Caitlin drew that up in 15 minutes. Just whip, whip, whip, and done. I almost told Caitlin not to bother giving it to her, and she could just keep it in her sketch pad. Meh. This worked out just as well. Jennie has the original, and there's an electronic copy out on the web now for anyone and everyone to copy!
Now I just need to find the pictures we took of Rini and her cousins, and we're all set.
I recently discovered that our picture was also featured on one of my favourite webcomic sites. Took a bit of digging to find it, but it's a comfort to know that the picture of Caitlin's sketch was featured!
I still can't believe that Caitlin drew that up in 15 minutes. Just whip, whip, whip, and done. I almost told Caitlin not to bother giving it to her, and she could just keep it in her sketch pad. Meh. This worked out just as well. Jennie has the original, and there's an electronic copy out on the web now for anyone and everyone to copy!
Now I just need to find the pictures we took of Rini and her cousins, and we're all set.
Sneak Preview
Yes, I am alive and well, and I have forgotten somewhat that I have a blog... Stupid dialup. Another reason for the delay is that I figured I would be able to do updates using the wonderful keyboard I got from eBay, only to find that I ordered the wrong one. Grrr.... I ordered another one, and this time I made sure that it would work for the iPaq 3950. The other one is good for the earlier models in the iPaq series. There were a couple of other things that I wanted to get, namely Sim City 2000, and a Wifi Card. All those things together would total up to somewhere in the vacinity of $100. I can't really justify that right now, not after we went to Calgary a couple weeks ago.
Nevertheless, the title of the entry is to illustrate the fact that Caitlin and I are getting a sneak preview of what life is like with three children. Oh my! Megan and Kyra and Rini are all under one roof right now, and will be for another two weeks. Needless to say, I'm kind of glad when I go to work. I miss the girls, it's fun to play with them on the trapoline, taking them to the park, watching movies with them, but when they are screaming at each other, fighting over toys, and refusing to eat what they asked for meals... Yeah. Makes me realize that we have a long way to go.
That and I need better employment. We had a fortunate windfall with our tax refund - thank you Heavenly Father for the law of tithing - but I know that is not going to last. Ever since Caitlin's maternity leave benifits ran out, money has been tight. We've had to start delving into our savings to make ends meet. Fortunately for me, I think I have a way out for this. I have a job prospect that would pay $40K, and would has possibility for growth, et ca va etre un chance de utliser mon francais. Alors, je veux cette emploi, mais je suis pas sure si mon francais est suffit pour le job. C'etait longtemps que j'etait en l'ecole, mais je parle francais avec ma femme beaucoup de temps. Pas tout les jours, mais pluesieurs que j'ai fait avant j'ai epousser. C'est emploi que demade quelqu'un qui est bilangue, parce que vous devrez fait affaires avec tout de personnes en Canada. Quebec, Nouveau Brunswick, l'Ontario, et aussi de places dans l'ouest.
I can talk french, my grammar is not what it used to be, and my spelling... could use some work. Also, I would have to learn 'legal-ese' en francais, because the work involves claims adjusting. I would have to understand what they are calling about, and then understand whether they are covered or not. The biggest thing is knowing enough french to do this, and I'm a little intimidated by it. Last job I tried to apply for a bilingual position, I failed the french test. Since then, I don't try to put out in the front that I'm bilingual. Trilingual actually, but my Greek is getting pretty rusty. The funny thing is that I get French and Greek confused sometimes. Probably because they are both second languages for me, or maybe because they follow the same grammar structure.
Anywho, I'm tired, and I'll post some more adventures later.
Au revior!
Nevertheless, the title of the entry is to illustrate the fact that Caitlin and I are getting a sneak preview of what life is like with three children. Oh my! Megan and Kyra and Rini are all under one roof right now, and will be for another two weeks. Needless to say, I'm kind of glad when I go to work. I miss the girls, it's fun to play with them on the trapoline, taking them to the park, watching movies with them, but when they are screaming at each other, fighting over toys, and refusing to eat what they asked for meals... Yeah. Makes me realize that we have a long way to go.
That and I need better employment. We had a fortunate windfall with our tax refund - thank you Heavenly Father for the law of tithing - but I know that is not going to last. Ever since Caitlin's maternity leave benifits ran out, money has been tight. We've had to start delving into our savings to make ends meet. Fortunately for me, I think I have a way out for this. I have a job prospect that would pay $40K, and would has possibility for growth, et ca va etre un chance de utliser mon francais. Alors, je veux cette emploi, mais je suis pas sure si mon francais est suffit pour le job. C'etait longtemps que j'etait en l'ecole, mais je parle francais avec ma femme beaucoup de temps. Pas tout les jours, mais pluesieurs que j'ai fait avant j'ai epousser. C'est emploi que demade quelqu'un qui est bilangue, parce que vous devrez fait affaires avec tout de personnes en Canada. Quebec, Nouveau Brunswick, l'Ontario, et aussi de places dans l'ouest.
I can talk french, my grammar is not what it used to be, and my spelling... could use some work. Also, I would have to learn 'legal-ese' en francais, because the work involves claims adjusting. I would have to understand what they are calling about, and then understand whether they are covered or not. The biggest thing is knowing enough french to do this, and I'm a little intimidated by it. Last job I tried to apply for a bilingual position, I failed the french test. Since then, I don't try to put out in the front that I'm bilingual. Trilingual actually, but my Greek is getting pretty rusty. The funny thing is that I get French and Greek confused sometimes. Probably because they are both second languages for me, or maybe because they follow the same grammar structure.
Anywho, I'm tired, and I'll post some more adventures later.
Au revior!
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