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April 22, 2011 8:22 PM A month of change. It's been a busy month. Snow, rain, sun and more snow. Our family has lost a few teeth this month, the twins have accomplished many milestone firsts, and a couple of people I've worked with and worked for have died. Is life really so short? Does it really move so quickly? I've decided to take a few moments to reflect.  First, the teeth. One was a wiggler for weeks, until finally it seemed time to go. A brave little girl asked her mom to give it a tug, and without even so much as a peep - it was out. Very quickly it became apparent that the tooth's neighbour was also ready to go, and so - with two quick tugs she started singing All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth... Kristi and I both burst out laughing. How do kids come up with these things? The other night I got home from work after the girls had gone to bed, and as I passed her bedroom door which was open about a foot and I noticed a very wide-awake child lying in her bed. I stepped inside and asked how come she was not asleep. "I don't know," she repiled, "I haven't even yawned yet!"   It wouldn't be right to write a blob on April without commenting on the snow. It snows, it melts. It snows, it melts. It snows and snows and snows... Even today, a gorgeous, sunny day, only saw a brief high of 12... We're almost into May! I don't know about anyone else, but I can't wait for spring.  The pyro in me took this picture. With no fireplace and no fire pit, and far too much time since the last camping trip - I find myself missing the warmth of an open fire. Hopefully we can all go camping this summer.   There's my children, chewing on the ends of a power bar. Should anyone be surprised? Probably not. This next picture should not surprise anyone either:   Here's something you don't see every day; in fact, I've never seen one before in my life; certainly not in my neighbourhood. We were driving somewhere, and had just left the house when Kristi exclaimed, "Look at the owl!" I missed it, but being in the driver's seat afforded me the ability to pull the van around for a second pass. At first, I thought it must have been a dummy, something set up to scare away other birds, mice, small children, what have-you. But when we drove back and looked, sure enough - it was no statue! It turned it's head to and fro and fixed it's gaze on our vehicle - much as the residents of the house might have also done had they seen the load of us staring at their house... For some reason, this owl reminds me of Barry Berstad, Jason's dad.   Becoming more mobile each day, the babies are getting into everything - literally.     It has occurred to me that in their lifetime, our children will never know what it is like to not have computers, cell phones, the Internet, cars, or electricity. But sometimes, my nostalgic heart has been warmed at their discovery of simple things which amuse them - simple things that amused me also when I was a child. Like a door stop. What kid has come across one of these and NOT spend hours rattling it? Ours are no exception. I saw a man carrying one of those clear plastic mats, the kind we used to have in our halls and on the stairs at grandma & grandpa's house. I don't know how many times I gleefully flipped one of those over, exposing not the smooth, flat side but the prickly, pokey side and then waited for someone to come walk along it. And it got you every time! It even got me sometimes! Simple things are what make life enjoyable.  As I said earlier, the twins experienced quite a number of firsts this month - seen here they are riding, for the first time, in a shopping cart. You've never seen such a pair of wide-eyed, alert babies. And it was that day that it occurred to me just how bright and colorful supermarkets are.  We had dinner at a restaurant, and the babies sat up to the table with us in high chairs for the first time - and loved it.   Had to throw a bit of snow in there...Just like April - when you least expect it!   Insomnia, by candlelight.  Oh the things these hands will do.  One of the girls' drawings. Their artistic skills blow me away. Our fridge portrays portraits of our entire family - as mermaids. (Ben Stiller's voice just jumped into my head, saying "Mer-MAN!")   Alright, it is kind of pretty. But pretty in a week-before-Christmas sort of way, not this-snow-is-holding-back-spring.  It's been a good month. But there have been a few moments of sadness. Two people I knew and had worked with passed away this month, first - Jim Edward, security manager at the Calgary International Airport died on April 1. It seems so strange to think that while once he regularly spent time in our office, now all that's left is a photocopied picture on the wall. He had a very distinctive voice. Very deep, and a hearty laugh to match. I will miss Jim. The second person was a lady by the name of Ruth Chad. She passed away on April 19th. I had worked on her house on several occasions, and she always greeted me with a warm smile. Sadly, I think I learned more about her from her passing than during the times I worked with her. Life truly is very short. April 25, 2011 9:28 PM Pictures Too good not to share. On the weekend I pulled out my good camera and took a few pictures that were just too good not to share.            The previous owners of this house had a cat, and a cat door between the basement stairs and the dining room so the cat could get to it's food, water, and litterbox without having to have the basement door open all the time. This cat door has become a regular source of entertainment for children both young and old alike.      One swing. Two babies? No problem!    Kristi spent most of Sunday in the kitchen, slaving over a hot stove and having (in her own words) the most fun she's had in a long time. (I'm not sure what that says about our home life...  ) She prepared a feast fit for family
and friends alike and we all ate to our hearts content of her fine
craftsmanship.   You couldn't even stage a picture that good, he climbed in there himself, and Kristi took the picture. A supreme being of leisure! What else can I say?  Is that a mohawk?  That's my boy. BACK to Journal Index |