Top Ten List Of 2015

I have to be honest, I'm glad 2015 is over.  I did it.  We did it.  We made it through & I'm still here - for this I am grateful.  I don't know what will happen in 2016.   But I do know that I will make everyday matter - I will laugh louder & love harder.  Here is my top 10 list for 2015:

10) Watching old episodes of Star Wars & then watching The Force Awakens with the girls - they truly were excited about the movie
9) M1's first sleepover & realizing she really is a big girl now
8) M3's first dance recital
7) M2 & M1's first (and possibly only) duet together - Dream
6) Supporting Pepe & Selina on their Pan-Am torch relay & celebrating afterwards with the only way we know how - A Big Feast
5) My new found peace with faith, spirituality & God
4) My newest niece & nephew - twins D & A
3) All the amazing people (friends & family, new & old) in my life who have kept me focused, calm, sane, & made me feel so loved & blessed
2) My beautiful daughters
1) The Big Oh

YC

My Holidays

I played with Olivia a nd Kayla and Jessica and Suniya and Valerie and Ella.  I made a truck on a track when it was my group's turn to do the pictures.

I slept with my dad because I was sick.  And I like to stay with my mom at home.  When I stay at home I don't get kids at school sick.  Today I went to see Dr Chan.

Today is the holidays.  When it is Christmas I will celebrate with my cousins.  On the 27th I am going on vacation with my family.  There will be 24 of us going.  I am going to swim at vacation.

In January I am going to see the ear doctor at the hospital.  I can bring my favorite mommy shirt.   My mom is going with me.  I will be in the room by myself.  My mom will be sitting in the waiting room.   I like Christmas when it is with my whole family.

You should always be friends at school.  My teachers names are Ms S and Ms G.   My school's name is W******r Public School.   I can't wait until Christmas because it is about being with your family.  I am in bed with my mom doing a blog.  My mom is going to put this on our blog.  Last year I was in Ms B and Ms M's class.  I was a JK last year.  This year I am a SK.   My last year's friends were Lucas and Tristen and Dylan and Jessica and Olivia.  Last year I had 5 friends.  

M3

I Miss Old TVB Dramas

Recently I have started watching an old Chinese TVB drama series from the late 80's - ' And Yet We Lived' (當代男兒).  I must have watched it when it was first released in the late 80's but have no memory of it.  I must say I am quite enjoying it.   The actors are excellent, the story is captivating, the character development is fully there.  With these elements, it is easy to cheer or cry with the characters.  Even the supporting characters are engaging & well developed.  Such a far cry from what TVB churns out these days.

As an example, today's episode showed the development of the main characters from platonic friendship to perhaps something more.  The male lead (萬梓良) is a police officer, already has a very nice girlfriend but highly respects the female lead (陳敏兒)who is a crown prosecuter.  They worked on a number of high profile cases together - and in one of them he even saved her life from a deranged accused out for revenge.  During the time he spent with her he realizes a softer side to her tough prosecuter persona.  The catalyst is when her own younger brother gets convicted of a minor crime and is sentenced to 3 months in prison.  During this time we see her vulnerability and that she has a lot of regrets when it comes to her family, having chosen to pursue her education & career over staying & caring for a much younger brother after their parents died.   All this was played out in a mere 50 minutes, there were no big confrontational scenes, just strictly with quality acting & relevant dialogue.  They really don't make these type of TV dramas anymore!

Another aside: Even the actor, a newcomer to acting & TVB at the time, who played the younger brother (張衛健) had a pivotal scene in this episode with his sister which he delivered amazingly well.  It was during this scene he revealed how he felt all those years when his sister was away studying & establishing her career. He was young, left to the care of housekeepers, and he felt abandoned by his sister.  This short scene before he was sentenced to prison for 3 months was very telling of how he ended up the way he was - it was because of the superb writing, directing, & acting that even though the scene was short, it made me feel everyone's actions were justified.

Too many dramas these days leaves the viewer to say, 'What' & 'Why'.  Even if you have excellent actors, if the story & dialogue & the direction of the actors are sub-par, viewers are not going to 'get into' the show.  It's no wonder that there is so much TVB-bashing these days - they just don't make shows like they used to!

YC

Thoughts On Religion

Let's see....what have I been doing over the last month? Well, aside from my boring grocery shopping, menu planning, & cooking, the 3Ms are keeping us busy with their dance schedule.   Competition season is approaching & M1 & M2 have started extra choreography for their solos, duets, & trios.  And I started going to church.

M2 was invited to Sunday school by a friend this past May. I went with M2 & M3 a few times in May & June & then the program took a summer hiatus.  The program resumed in September & we've been going since then. 

During the children's Sunday school there is an English service, which by the attendance is probably geared for the 'youths'.  I have been attending this service for a couple of months.  

A wise person recently told me that she is not religious but she believes in God & believes there is power in prayer.   I didn't understand how that could be.  She explained that churches/pastors/clery preach an interpretation of God's word.  When she says she is 'not religious' she means she doesn't necessarily follow all the teachings of her church.  But she does believe in God & the power He has to influence everything around us.  She said to me that her Bible, her God, teaches her to be kind, & caring, & loving to everyone.  Be grateful & thankful.  Be tolerant & do not judge.  So easy to say, but so difficult to practice everyday.  

This wise lady also told me a true story of the Dalai Lama. He was approached at a religious conference he was a speaker at and asked (and I'm paraphrasing here): "What is the best/truest religion?".   The person was probably expecting an answer along the lines of Buddism as that is what the Dalai Lama practices.  Instead the Dalai Lama answered: ' It is the religion that brings you closest to God'.

I've always believed that religion & faith are very personal. It is journey that no one can really plan for you & sometimes even difficult to explain or talk about.  It is a journey between you & your God.  Sure, there may be family, friends, clergy, that can guide you along the way, inspire you, cheer you on; but in the end it is your own walk along the beach, your own marathon to run, your own mountain to climb.

YC

Menu For Week Oct 5

This was written over a month ago.  I am just posting it today....

Monday

Breakfast - Cereal

Lunch - Fried Rice

Dinner - Chicken Drums & Homemade Chinese BBQ Pork 

Tuesday

Breakfast - Eggo & Yogurt

Lunch - McCain's Pizza

Dinner - Steamed Fish & Chinese Ribs

Wednesday

Breakfast - Croissants

Lunch - Ham & Cheese Sandwich

Dinner - Steamed Pork, Squash, Broccoli & Tofu Blocks

Thursday

Breakfast - Egg, Ham & Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches

Lunch - Instant Noodles

Dinner - Frozen Lasagna, Garlic Bread & Cesear Salad

Friday

Breakfast -

Lunch -

Dinner -

After 4 weeks of this exercise I realize that I'm quite a boring shopper & eater.  Our shopping lists & menus look pretty much the same every week.  So I think it's time to move on to my next project...

YC

Shopping List & Menu For Week Of Sep 28

Shopping List

Grapes

Avocado

Cantaloupe

Apples

Oranges

Bananas

Broccoli

Caesar Salad

Eggs

Cheese

Ham
6 Chicken Drums
Pork Ribs
1 whole Fresh Fish

Monday

Breakfast- Egg, Avocado & Cheese wrap

Lunch - pizza (My Little Pizzeria)

Dinner - Leftover Chinese BBQ

Tuesday

Breakfast - Fresh bread

Lunch - McCain's pizza

Snack - Pasta salad

Dinner - Chinese ribs & broccoli

Wednesday

Breakfast - Ham & egg wraps

Lunch - Chicken noodle soup

Snack - Pasta salad

Dinner - Steam chicken & fish

Thursday

Breakfast - Cereal

Lunch - Fried rice

Dinner - Spaghetti & meatballs 

Friday 

Breakfast - Sausages & biscuits

Lunch - Lasagna

Dinner - Chinese sausage (lap cheung), Steamed pork & eggs

So How Would You Have Responded?

Yesterday M2's friend's mom WHATSAPP'd me a link and said 'We plan to skip school tomorrow'.  The link was for a parent's group that organizes protests & rallies against the new Health Education curriculum (sex-ed).  The group called for parents to keep their children at home from school for one day to protest against the new curriculum. Then she followed up inviting M2 over to her house if we were planning to keep our kids home too.  Another mom who was in this chat group chimed in and said she was thinking about keeping her daughter home too and said she was 'wondering how other parents think of this protest'.

Honestly, I don't have a strong opinion regarding the new Health curriculum - either for or against it.  Perhaps I am naive?  I feel that the curriculum is an outline & I believe the teachers will teach according to the cues given by the students.  At least this is what I've been told by the teachers I have asked to gain clarification on this matter.  I have also had discussions with my two older children about this & I trust that if something discussed in class is strange, confusing, or they just want to talk more about it, I will be the first person they come to.  We frequently talk about all aspects of school - lessons, teachers, friends, etc... Education these days do not stop at the end of a school day.  I believe education is a partnership between both the school, teacher, home & the community.  I really don't see the point, or effectiveness, of keeping your child at home to protest.   Would it not be more beneficial to speak with the teacher to discuss how & what exactly parts of the curriculum is to be covered in class?

So how did I respond to the other parent?  Of course I did what I usually do when I am uncomfortable sharing my views with acquaintances - I just ignore and do not respond at all.

Shopping List & Menu For Week Of Sept 21

Shopping List
3 Pillsbury Biscuit Rolls
10 Tortilla Wraps
1 Cored Pineapple
Grapes
Pears
Apples
Oranges
Bananas
2 dozen Eggs
Milk
5 pkg Frozen Beef/Chicken Pies (enough for 6 lunches)
Corn On The Cob
3 Small Parsnips
1 Large Sweet Potato
5 Red Potato
1 Zucchini
Grape Tomatoes
Garlic
Onions
Whole Chicken
Shrimp

Monday
Breakfast - sausages (bought on sale 2 weeks ago) & store-bought marble cake (from cousins)
Lunch - Frozen Beef Pies (on sale this week - bought enough for 5 more lunches)
Snack - Homemade Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins & Homemade Cornbread
Dinner - Roast Chicken, Broccoli

Tuesday
Breakfast - Ham, Banana Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins & Cornbread
Lunch - Chicken Fried Rice
Snack - Noodles (from my lunch) & Chicken Quesidillas
Dinner - Ribs, Cesear Salad

Wednesday
Breakfast - Cheese Quesidilla & Sausages
Lunch - Man & Cheese
Snack - Root Vegetable Soup
Dinner - Noodle Soup (made by Uncle K)

Thursday
Breakfast - Pillsbury Biscuits & Cheese
Lunch - Left-Over Noodles from dinner
Snack - no snack b/c early dinner
Dinner - Potato Salad, Soy Sauce Chicken Wings, Butternut Squash & Broccoli

Friday
Breakfast - Paratha
Lunch - Chicken & Rice from last night
Snack - Potato
Dinner - Steamed Eggs & Curry (from uncle P)

Recipes Used Week Of Sept 21st

Here are 3 recipes I used this week.  The muffin & cornbread ones I use often & pretty much use as is.   The Autumn soup one is a first time for me - I made my chicken stock with the leftover bones of the roast chicken from Monday night's dinner & just added salt & a couple of bay leaves.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/roasted-autumn-vegetable-soup?trkid=zfb915

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/230880/easy-banana-muffins/?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=banana%20muffins&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe&soid=sr_results_p1i8

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/17891/golden-sweet-cornbread/

Easy Potato Salad & Pasta Salad Recipe

This is part 2 to today's earlier post 'Shopping List & Menu For Week Of Sept 14'.  Here are two quick & easy salad recipes that I made this week which can be made in bulk & eaten over a few days - just don't toss in dressing/mayo until you are ready to eat.  These are my own creations, nothing fancy - most of the ingredients I always have on hand in my pantry.

Pasta Salad Ingredients:
3 cups Rotini Pasta
3 Slices Black Forest Ham - julienned
1/2 Bell Pepper - diced or julienned
Dry Oregano To Taste
Black Pepper To Taste
Dry Basil To Taste
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
KRAFT Ranch Dressing

Potato Salad Ingredients:
5 Red Potatoes
3 Slices Black Forest Ham - cut bite sized
3 Boiled Eggs - chopped
Fresh Dill To Taste
Dry Mustard To Taste
Black Pepper To Taste
Lemon Juice To Taste
PC Olive Oil Mayonaise

Toss all the ingredients, except KRAFT Ranch Dressing for pasta salad & PC Olive Oil Mayonaise for potato salad, together & leave in tightly covered container in fridge.  We ate as a side or snack over 3 days, only adding the dressing to the amount we would eat at a time.  This way my kids could add as little (for M2) or as much (for M1) as they like. Likewise, the herbs/spices in the ingredient list can be as much or even omitted to suit your family's preference.

Shopping List & Menu For Week Of Sept 14

My last entry I described what I typically have in my pantry or fridge on a regular basis.  It gave a pretty good picture of the type of grocery shopper & cook I am.   Today's post is what I actually bought this week & how I cooked the foods.  Hopefully this exercise will enable me to be more aware of what I buy & cook.  I am hoping this leads me to be a more healthy & less wasteful shopper. Let's see how long this lasts!

Shopping List For Week Of Sept 14
10 Cremini Mushrooms
1 Small Container Grape Tomatoes
1 Bag Carrots
1 Stalk Celery
1 pkg Fresh Dill
6 English Style Muffins
2 Dozen Eggs
5 Red Potatoes
10 Slices Black Forest Ham (From Deli Counter)
10 Bananas
1 Pineapple (Cored)
1 Bunch Grapes
7 Apples
1 Orange Bell Pepper
1 lb Angus Beef Flank Steak
1 pkg Frozen White Shrimp (approx. 1-1/2 lbs)
1 lb Pork Bones For Soup

1 Pork Roast

10 Chicken Drums

6 Johnsonville Sausage Patties

2 E-Fu Noodles
1 pkg Plain Chinese Rice Noodles (Cheung Fun)

Monday
Breakfast - Fresh Baked Bread
Lunch - McCain's Personal Pizza - bought 12 of these on sale last week so I'll still have enough left for 3 more lunches
Dinner - Beef Stir Fry, Shrimp With Soy Sauce, Broccoli

Tuesday
Breakfast - Cheung Fun With Hoisin Sauce
Lunch - Ramen - one of our staples we always have in the pantry
Snack - Pasta Salad - made with 4 slices of ham, 1/2 of the bell pepper & rotini pasta, another pantry staple
Dinner - Chicken & Egg In Soy Sauce, E-Fu Noodles, Watercress Soup, Broccoli - used 6 chicken drums & a dozen eggs, watercress is homegrown

Wednesday
Breakfast - Sausage & Egg On English Muffin
Lunch - Leftover Rice & Chicken
Snack - Homemade Carrot & Banana Muffins
Dinner - Potato Salad, Leftover Chicken & Egg In Soy Sauce, Frozen Fish, Chayota - frozen fish was 1/2 a box left over in freezer

Thursday
Breakfast - Ham, Chicken Noodle Soup, Banana & Carrot Muffins
Lunch - Chicken Noodle Soup/Potato Salad - soup made with carrots, celery, onions, 4 chicken drums & rotini pasta
Snack - Carrot & Banana Muffins
Dinner - Orzo With Mushrooms, Ravioli Tossed With Garlic, Tomatoes, Mushroom, Beans & Broccoli With Alfredo Sauce on the side

Friday
Breakfast - Egg, Ham & Cheese on English Muffin
Lunch - Leftover Pasta
Snack - Bruschetta & Wonton Noodle Soup (store bought)
Dinner - Pork Roast With Mushroom Alfredo sauce on the side, Steamed Fish, Broccoli,Beans, & Celery Stir Fry

My Grocery Shopping Lists & Habits

This post is a long one.  I decided to look over my pantry & fridge and, in an effort to become more healthy in the way I cook & eat, I have written down my grocery shopping habits.  This week I meal planned - actually taking the time to really think about what I wanted to cook & planning out my grocery list.  Hopefully I won't lose the novelty of it & let it fizzle.  Other than fresh meats & fish, which I typically let my MIL buy & cook, the lists below are what I put together & it really shows the type of cook/shopper I am.  Not included are the 'treats' I buy as snacks for my kids - most of which is whatever is on sale that week & only enough for a few days of 'snacking'.  So here it is....

WEEKLY FRESH PRODUCE
These items are must buys every week - just buy enough for a week at a time so it is always fresh & available when you need.

Garlic
Ginger
Eggs
Milk
Variety Of Seasonal Fruit
Apples & Bananas
Small White Onions

HERBS & SPICES
These are some dry herbs & Spices which I have found very useful when baking or cooking.  These I buy in small quantities & replenish as needed as they do lose their taste once packaging has been opened.  In fact, these can also be purchased at  Bulk Barn and stored in airtight containers in pantry.

Ground Black Pepper
Dry Oregano
Dry Basil
Dry Cinnimon Powder
Dry Mustard Powder
Dry Ginger Powder
Dry Cloves Powder
Dry Nutmeg Powder

BUY IN BULK WHEN ON SALE
Self explanatory here.  These are my go-to sauces for spaghetti nights, home-made lasagna, leftovers, etc... These usually have expiry dates of 1-2 years & seem to rotate going on sale between all the major grocery stores in our area.

Pasta - all shapes & sizes
RAGU Tomato Sauces
CLASSICO Alfredo Sauce
Canned Diced Tomatoes

COOKING ESSENTIALS
Again these items should always be stocked but because the expiry dates are typically a few months (no more than a year) it shouldn't be bought in large quantities.  These items also go on sale every couple of months.

Blocks of Mozzerella/Cheddar Cheese
Non-Salted Butter
Uncle Ben's Instant Rice
Chinese White Rice
Ramen - Nissan & Mama Brand
Soy Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Hoisin Sauce
Sirracha Sauce
Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey
Ranch Dressing
Ceasar Dressing
Mayonnaise

BAKING ESSENTIALS
Stuff I need for my bread machine & my often baked goodies: carrot muffins, banana muffins, baked cookies, etc...Recipes list of my faves coming soon.

Bread Flour
All Purpose White Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Baking Soda
Baking Powder
Salt
White Sugar
Brown
Milk Powder
Traditional Yeast
Vanilla Extract
Lemon Extract
Almond Extract
Chocolate Chips

Try Something New

I had started this entry a couple of weeks ago but just finished it today...

Our family recently spent 2 days at Niagara Falls.  We typically go a couple of times a year as a mini 'staycation' - my kids still find novelty in it after all these years.  When we go, we usually hit a water park, spend some money on arcade games on Clifton Hill, and just take it easy & relax for a couple of days.   This time was no different with one exception - the food.   There is an abundance of dining options in the hotels & along Clifton Hill, but 90% are franchised restaurants which we could easily find back home so this time around I did some research & picked 3 restaurants to try.  All 3 were off the usual beaten path but were excellent choices in the end.  So for your next trip to Niagara Falls, or anywhere else for that matter, take some time to search your favorite travel websites for small local restaurants - you will be pleasantly surprised. Here are the 3 restaurants we tried:

The Blue Line Diner

http://bluelinediner.com/

The menu consists of your usual All Day Breakfast items.  Adequately made, we enjoyed the Fish & Chips ($17.99 for two large pieces), Toasted Club Sandwich ($11.99) and Grilled Cheese With Ham ($5.49).  But the real draw to this restaurant is not it's food but the attached 5000 square feet hockey memorabilia store - Marcel Dionne Inc.  Along with autographed items, framed photos, & logo clothing, I've never seen so much 'knick-knacks' (or as one friend put it 'you mean junk') all in one place!  And not just for hockey, but football, basketball & baseball too. Hubby was definitely happy I found this place.

Wind Sushi
http://www.windrestaurant.com/
This is an All-You-Can-Eat resto on Lundy's Lane.  As far as quality, it is definitely on par with the Japanese AYCE eateries in the GTA.   The ordering is done efficiently on an iPad - a great way to keep track of what was ordered.  The restaurant had some Thai selections like curries & noodles so M1, M2 & M3 had lots to choose from.  Fortunately they took reservations because it was extremely busy.  I can't remember the exact prices but we remember it being reasonable so no complaints there.

Sandstone Grill House
http://www.sandstonegrillhouse.com/
The location itself is great - not along the craziness of Clifton Hill but only a short 5-10 minute walk away (maybe closer depending on which hotel you are staying at) and it has free parking.

The value of the food is excellent. Prices are comparable to The Keg or Kelsey's but the quality & quantity are so much better. Our family ordered one meal from the Price-Fixed menu (Appetizer, Ceasar Salad, Seafood Linguine, & Dessert) for $49 which easily fed both my 8 year old & 10 year old. My 4 year old had the homemade Mac & Cheese (definitely not the boxed instant kind) which comes with a drink & Dessert for $9. Hubby & I had a Mixed Grill Set Dinner For 2 which came with a shared appetizer, shared salad & shared dessert for $89 - another excellent value especially if you are like me - a lighter eater but wants to sample everything! Our server was helpful & didn't mind that my children & I were sharing our dinners.

Summer Institute

During the last week of July and the first week of August I went to a summer camp called Summer Institute. It's a camp where you choose what you want to do. The first two periods you do something altogether. Then you start electives. Here are my electives:Ready Set Cook, Tech World, Visual Arts, Actors Studio, Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, Music Mix and Comic Book Wizard. Here is what they were all about.

Ready Set Cook: In Ready Set Cook you cook different foods and these are the foods that I made: English Muffin Pizza, Hummus, Guacamole, Greek Salad, Bruschetta, Strawberry Apple Sauce with Cinnamon Crisps, Quesadillas and Bean Dip.

Tech World: In Tech World we made interviews about Diversity. We had to think of five question with answers and record it on their I pads.

Visual Arts: In Visual Arts I had it both weeks so I did two things. The first thing I did was I made paper mache balloons. The second thing I did was with my group was we made a picture with different parts.

Actors Studio: In Actors Studio we made skits on how movies should have ended. My movie was The Little Mermaid.

Soccer: Basically all we do in Soccer is we play soccer till times up.

Ultimate Frisbee: In Ultimate Frisbee we throw frisbees to each other. At the end of the class we play jackpot. Jackpot works like this, two people throw frisbees and they have an amount or a bomb and who ever gets up to 1000 points wins.

Music Mix: In Music Mix we make a song with a app on their I pads. After we make it we record it and save it.

Comic Book Wizard: In Comic Book Wizard we make comics. All our comics were about a talent show.

On the second Friday the camp had a talent show. Me and M1 did a dance. I did a performance with my class with glow sticks taped on our body.

Overall this summer camp was AWESOME!!  I would want to come back next year.

                                                             M2                          

Another One Of Those "Lists"

People love to make lists....I love to make lists!  Grocery lists, packing lists, to do lists, bucket lists....the list is endless!  I've come across many  lists such as "110 Things I Wil Teach My Daughter", "Tips I'll Tell My Sister", "Top 10 Parenting Lessons I've Learned".... and so forth.  So here is my latest list ... can not take credit for 90% of things here - but there are so many great ideas that I know if I don't write it down I'll forget.

20 Things To Teach My Daughters

1. Never skip breakfast if you can help it

2. Know your limits & exceed them - except when drinking.

3. Your problems may seem overwhelming right now but you will get through them - I'll make sure of that

4. Drink water - lots of it

5. Learn to say "No"

6. Learn to love walking - in the city, on the beach, in the woods, sunny days, snowy days, rainy days, all the time

7. No one has to earn your respect, everyone deserves it, regardless of who they are

8. Get a proper fitting bra

9. Read.  A lot.  Even the books you don't think you'll understand because someday you will.

10. There is a lot of bad in this world, but there is more good.   Expect the good but prepare for the bad.

11. Don't be afraid to ask for my help

12. Learn to enjoy your own company

13. Start saving money as early as possible - your older self will thank you immensely

14. Turn off that cellphone, iPad, laptop and go outside

15. Be gentle with other people's feeling - everyone is fighting their own battle that you don't necessarily know about.

16. Say what you mean and mean what you say

17. Apologize - say sorry when you are & mean it

18. Forgive yourself - don't beat yourself up on the mistakes you make

19. Don't be "nice" - be kind & compassionate

20. Practice gratitude - be thankful for the big & little things

Y.C.

Inside Out

On Sunday the 5th my family and I went to go watch Inside Out. The movie was about a eleven year old girl named Riley who just moved houses. Inside her head were a bunch of little emotions that were: Anger, Joy, Sadness, Fear and Disgust and every day she gets memories that get stored but there are special memories that are core memories. The core memories are memories that represent little islands in her mind. When Riley moved she felt sad because she misses her old area but things got worse when all their furniture went somewhere else and her parents started to fight. Inside Riley's head things also got worse the core memories got sucked into the tube where all her regular memories go along with Joy and Sadness. They have to get back to head quarters which is Riley's head and meanwhile Disgust, Anger and Fear are trying to make Riley want to go back to her old house. When the three emotions in Riley's head are making Riley go home all her islands are getting damaged and with only one island left  that is Joy and Sadnesses only way back to head quarters. After all her islands are gone Joy photo copys a bunch of Riley's imaginary boyfriends to stack on top of each other so they could swing Joy and Sadness all the way back to head quarters. Later when they're back in head quarters Joy and Sadness fix up Riley and she safely returns home. I would recommend this movie to people because it tells you what is really going on in your mind.

                                                                   
                                                                       M2

Helping is HARD

Yesterday M2 and I started helping at our dance studio with the 3 to 5 year-olds. It was very exhausting and they were also very noisy.

At first I thought it would be easy since I have a 4 year old sister. But if you times that by 10, that's crazy! Some kids were running around, other giving piggy backs - again they are 3,4 and 5 so i don't know how they managed to get a kid on their back? - Anyways above all the screaming, excitement and "Go sit in the corners!" my first day was alright. And at the end of the day I just prayed that Tuesday wouldn't be any worse.

But it was. Until now I hadn't realized how much work child care would be! There was one girl who wouldn't dance unless her mom was there. Another who was trying to escape to the bathrooms - I don't know who in their right mind would want to escape to the bathrooms!- and 2 sisters rolling around on the floor together! Oh, and I was on bathroom duty which was awesome!NOT! We also did arts and crafts which was my only break time cause the kids are very independent during that time. Even during snack time I'm busy doing something! Either taking some kid to the washroom or opening their snacks.

Although I am complaining - I do that a lot - there is some fun in taking care of them. They always say the weirdest things at the weirdest times. One of them said, " Can I watch Bubble Guppies?" in the middle of attendance!

You know, after writing this blog I've realized that i probably wont be any kind of teacher!


                                                                  M1

Sunday School

I like playing with the playdoh at Sunday school.  I like playing Lego.  That was my first time playing Lego at Sunday school.  My yee-yee's name is Ivy at Sunday school.  I met one new friend at Sunday school.  I like reading at Sunday school.  I like when the teacher puts the puppet on and hugs me.  She does that to every kid.  I liked bringing my water bottle.  I go to the gym and sing O Canada.  There was a new teacher in the gym.  The first time I did gym it was my friend's dad.  It was beautiful in the gym.

M3 (typed by Y.C.)

My Playdate

On Friday the 3rd I went to my friends house with 3 other friends. When I first got there we were playing with her dog. Then we went to her basement. She has in her basement a drum set, a jellybean machine and a shelf full of games. I got to play her drum set. Then we all went out to her backyard to eat snacks. I droped an Oreo cookie on the ground and her dog ate it and after that he kept coming to me for more food. After we ate we did face painting. I got a flower, a rainbow,glasses, a beard and fangs on my face. Later we went back to her basement and played a board game called furry animals. We didn't get to finish the game because people had to leave. This playdate was the best playdate I had.

                                                                           M2

My First Sleepover!

This past Friday I had my first ever sleepover! It was at my friend's birthday party. First, we went to Laser Quest for a two round laser tag game. It was really intense because firstly, we were competing against a group of boys, it was all dark so we ended up always tagging each other, and since it was so dark we would run into each other! But on the whole it was so much fun! After that we ate pizza for dinner in one of the party rooms. During dinner we played a game called two truths and a lie.
This is how you play it:

You say three statements which contains two truths and a lie. You don't say what the lie is but, your friend(s) have to guess which is the lie. If they get it right then they win!

After dinner we drove back to my friend A.S. house for the sleepover! First, we all got changed into our pj's and had cupcakes. Then we set up our sleeping bags and got ready to watch the movie Pitch Perfect. during the movie we got bored so we took a break. While we were taking a break my friends started to cut open the balloons with scissors and suck in the helium! so i recorded them and they sounded like chipmunks! After we got bored of that we watched Teen Beach 2 a new movie on family channel. By that time it was 11pm and we still hadn't brushed our teeth! But then, my friend T.A. asked me to go and brush my teeth so, I did. when we got back I layed down and I was out like a light! According to my friends I was the first one asleep! ( Not a surprise ) At 1am in the morning I woke up to the sound of my friends laughing. They were still up! I don't know what happened after that because I fell asleep. Overall it was probably the best - and first - sleepover I had ever been to!

The Pan Am Run

On Saturday June 27th my uncle P.C. was running for the Pan Am games. Most of my family went to watch him. He ran 200 metres holding a torch that was really on fire. From Sunday to Friday me, M1 and M3 were his trainers for this run. When we were training he was holding a baseball bat and we were timing him. On the big day it was raining the whole day but he still did the run. When he was running there were a bunch of police officers riding bicycles beside him on the road. After the run some people had to go home and change out of their soaking wet clothes.  Later when the whole run was over my whole family went out for dinner to celebrate. This weekend was a fun moment to watch.

                                                                    M2

My First Year Of School

This year I was in junior kindergarten. I liked doing arts and crafts and playing at recess. My friends go out to the big field to learn for next year. I will be a senior kindergartener next year and I will be the boss of people so the teachers will not have so much work when I be a star of the day. When I was in junior kindergarten the teachers had to teach me more than the senior kindergartens. My friends will play with me and their friends so I can play by myself for a little bit. My friends help me and I help them and say ''Hope you feel better''. I will be good next year in senior kindergarten and I will be the best person in my class. When I see the people hurt I will help them and take them to the teacher to get ice. When I help my friends I sit beside them and I like playing with them. When they come to me I know that they want me to play with them. I believe that I will be the best helper to my teacher. I will say that work is fun just like at home and I like learning about loud noises. I want to be the best class ever. School is fun like parties at play places and I wrote a book to my friends and they will love it. When they see it they will be so happy they might want to read it. I get cold sometimes in the winter so I put on my whole jacket and I stick it together near my chin and I look better in winter so I could make a snow angel. At my field trip to the art gallery I saw a plate of clay and I made a garden to bring home. I went to the big field for the play day and I liked the water balloon game. My favourite part of kindergarten was the play day.

                                              M3   (Typed by M2)

Let The Summer Begin

Yesterday was the last day of school.  My 3 kids are officially off until September 8th and it's time for me to plan activities, outings, summer camps, & play dates.

I am fortunate that my kids actually want to do 'school work' so for the last few summers I have bought work books for them to do to reinforce what they have learned during the school year.  They also love reading.  M1 read the Harry Potter series last summer and right now she is reading the Percy Jackson series.  M2 has been visiting the library regularly & M3 has started reading simple picture books on her own.  I have already asked them to re-start writing on this blog & have given them some topics to write about - they should be starting very soon - stay tuned!

But it's not just about working their brains - they love sports & playing outdoors too.  They will be outside everyday - lately the kids have taken to ball hockey.  M1 & M2 have asked us to explain how baseball is played.  And they love riding their bikes around the block which I have just recently let them do without my supervision.  Of course there will be a few visits to the community pools & M1 and M2 will take a couple of conditioning classes a week throughout the summer to keep their bodies limber for the upcoming dance seasons.

This year we are trying a new summer school/camp for two weeks.   For another two weeks my older two will be volunteering at their dance studio while the youngest one takes a week-long dance camp.  And as usual, there is a week of 'dance boot camp' to end the summer off.

Although we don't have major travel plans for the summer, there will be our annual Canada's Wonderland day, play dates at friends & cousins, perhaps a trip 'downtown', a family wedding,  and cow-fu's baby shower (he's expecting twins!).   Looking at my calendar, practically all our weekends are already filled in!

I am so ready for the summer to begin!
YC

Give Me My Report Card!

It’s the last day of school today and my daughters brought home their school work.  One thing was missing – their report cards.  The teachers’ union has carried out many actions over the years which have upset me and given me small fits of rage.  But this latest move fills me with disgust.  Other than withholding the actual instruction (i.e. going on strike) the next worst thing is withholding the feedback.  Sure, you can argue most students and parents should already have an idea of how the student is doing based on homework and test scores throughout the year.  And the parents can arrange a meeting with the teacher to discuss the progress, but I feel the report card is a good tangible item that validates everything.  It also gives the students a good record, should they choose to keep them over their entire school career.

Then we find out that the report cards have actually been completed.  They’re just not giving them out.  The principal has the report cards and he/she can enter them into the computer system and send them out.  This way the union can still claim that the teachers did their job.  Is this supposed to make me feel better about teachers and their union?  No, it makes me more upset.  Any time the teachers’ union takes action, it’s the children that suffer.  When they cut extra-curricular activities, I can at least understand a little bit why they are doing it.  First of all, they are by definition, outside the regular curriculum and I am thankful that the teachers normally give their time to the students for that.  Secondly, cutting extra-curricular activities reduces their workload, which is what employees in negotiations would want to do – that is understandable, albeit unfortunate that the students miss out.  But getting back to the report cards, the fact that the teachers completed them but just won’t enter them into the system and hand them out is despicable.  This action does not save them any time or work.  It does not hurt the Liberal government or the Ministry of Education.  All it does is hurt the little children.

To me, not getting report cards is like not getting a ribbon/trophy at the end of a tournament.  Sure, the participants all know who won but it’s still nice to have something to display on the mantle at home.  How about having a birthday party for your child but no cake?  “Oh, I baked you a cake, but I’m just not allowed to give it to you.”  I don’t think any parent would want that to happen to their children.  So how can the teachers vote to carry out this action?  There are many teachers who are also parents, right?  How can they deprive their children of their report card?  Is there no teacher with enough decency and courage to stand up to the union and say, “This is wrong.  There’s got to be another way to settle this.”?  We always hear about how we need laws to protect children – the most vulnerable members of our society.  Yet we have laws that allow the teachers’ union to bully our children.  And do I need to point out the irony of the teachers preaching anti-bullying to our children during the year?

Having said all that, I do know that there are some good teachers out there – I’ve met a few as a student and as a parent.  They have expressed their regret at these situations and they just want to teach the kids.  So I’ve tried to be careful in this writing to call out the teachers’ union and not point the finger at teachers.  To the teachers’ union I want to tell you an old Chinese phrase.  (The effectiveness gets a little lost in translation but it sounds really cool in Chinese.)  “Face/respect – others will give that to you; humiliation – you earn that yourself.”  You’ve really disgraced yourself to the parents, students, and the general public this time.  To paraphrase the late great Pat Burns after Barry Melrose allegedly ordered Marty McSorley to elbow Doug Gilmour in the 1993 playoffs, “I lost a lot of respect for the teachers’ union tonight!"

One final thought for the summer: Perhaps the teachers' union can make good use of the next two months by having its members protest at Queen’s Park (or the Honourable Liz Sandals’ house) to lobby for what they want – be it smaller class sizes, more prep time, more autonomy during prep time, or whatever demands you may have.  This is the best time to negotiate because no children will be inadvertently held hostage by your actions.  Tell you what, if you do this over the summer, I will join you to show support.

Big Oh

Being 'Friendly' vs. Being 'Friends'

The Big Oh says that I sometimes have the tendency to be too friendly.  Usually I disagree but this most recent experience has made me reconsider.

A couple of weeks ago M2 had a birthday party at home.  When the parents started to come pick up their children at the end of the party the kids still wanted to stay and play, which I was fine with since we had no other plans for the day.  I invited each parent to come in for some cake & drinks but only one accepted my offer - everyone declined saying they'd be back in a couple of hours to pick up their kid (woo hoo - two more hours of free babysitting who wouldn't want that?).  

So for the next two hours I got to know one of my child's friend's mom (FM).  I had never met FM before, so we talked about our children, the school, the teachers, our neighbourhood, a little bit about our backgrounds & where we came from.  It was polite chit-chat & nothing too personal - which I'm all for - I want to know what kind of families my kid's friends come from. And for all those critical of this, just wait until you have teenagers!  

A couple of hours after all the kids went home FM shows up at my house on her way out to dinner.  Her child left her hair accessory at my place (which I already found & was going to have M2 bring to school).  What was odd about this was she brought her whole family...husband, both children, & her parents.   No, they didn't sit in the car & wave - they came right up to my front door.  She wanted to introduce them seeing that we live right around the block from one another.  So we exchanged polite pleasantries & then FM suggested that we do lunch one day.  'How about this week?  Which day works for you?'....A little blindsided yes, but I get it.  She lives with her elderly parents & so do I.  She did mention in our earlier conversation that we should have them meet.  And I did also mention that I am currently not working, so getting out of a lunch date would have been awkward.  So being the 'too' friendly person I am we made plans to do lunch that week.  Have lunch, then two more weeks of school, and won't have to see them for a couple of months, right?  So I thought...

We did have a very nice lunch and I did bring my in-laws as well.  Our families do have a lot in common.  And I am happy that we share some of the same principles & morals regarding how we raise our children.

A day later, FM texts me and ask which weekend in July will I be available as she'd like to have a BBQ & invite us.  Now I'm starting  to panic a little.  How do I get out of this? I tell her to go ahead & pick a day and don't worry about accommodating us - if I am free I would l love to come.  She replies back by giving me a choice of two dates & says "No rush just let me know which day works better for you".

I know I like this family.  I am happy M2 has found a good friend who lives nearby.  FM is probably thinking the same way, so why am I getting panicky & want to somehow get out of this BBQ?  Then I had an AH HA moment!  This relaionship/friendship is GOING TOO FAST for me!  I realized that although I am a 'friendly' person, it takes time for me to become 'friends' with someone.  And all this happened in a span of 4-5 days. As of now I still haven't replied to FM.  I guess I'll have to soon....

YC

Great Season - Great Songs

We recently finished another dance competition season.  We are on a short, much-needed hiatus, and this a chance for the Big Oh & I to relax & reflect about dancing.  During the actual competition season there's too much going on for any chance to slow down and really think about what all this dancing means to my daughters and us as a family.  I have written about all the benefits my daughters derive from dance and I could go on and on.  Big Oh (along with M2) have compiled a detailed "Results" spreadsheet which does  an excellent job summarizing this year's competition.  Overall, we had an a wonderful year & even though we are all happy with the break - our conversations do include what we will be doing in terms of dance for NEXT year!

Along with all these usual reflections & memories, I have also been thinking about some great songs that I'd love to see my daughters dance to...

Man In The Mirror - Michael Jackson
Beat It - Michael Jackson
I Hope You Dance - Leanne Womack
You Raise Me Up - Josh Grobin
Living On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
Imagine - John Lennon
Let It Be - Beatles
Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen / Jeff Buckley
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
What A Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Wonderful Tonight, Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
Circle Of Life - Elton John
Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Isreal Kamakawiwo'Ole Version
Lean On Me - Bill Withers
My Love Will Get You Home - Christine Glass
Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
I'll Be - Edwin McCain
Fallin - Alicia Keys
Anything by The Bee Gees
Heaven - Bryan Adams
I Will Take Care Of You - Amy Sky
That's Why You Go Away - Michael Learns To Rock
Miss You Finally - Trademark
Listen To Your Heart - Roxette
It Must Have Been Love - Roxette
If You Leave Me Now - Chicago
Hard To Say I'm Sorry - Chicago
You're The Inspiration - Chicago
Anything by Air Supply
Glory Of Love - Peter Cetera
Eye Of The Tiger - Survivor
Careless Whispers - Wham
Faith - George Michael
I'll Be There For You  - Bon Jovi
Don't Wanna Miss A Thing - Aerosmith
Believe - Cher
Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion
Island In The Stream - Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers

Little Italy

Over the past week we went to many restaurants. One of my favorites was in Little Italy, called Sotto Voce Restaurant & Bar. We only had three dishes and an appetizer, bruschetta. For the main courses we had three bowls of pasta. My favorite was the Dal Mare which was egg fettuccini with lobster and fennel in a brandy cream sauce. Another pasta that we got was the Pomodora E Gambarini which was linguine with black tiger shrimp, chilies, roasted roma tomato and roasted garlic. Another pasta was the Polpentina which was spaghetti with sicilan meatballs and homemade tomato sauce. All of these pastas were $16 which is probably reasonable for such good pasta.

                                                                                M1

My Mistake

I made a mistake.  I made a parenting mistake.  I made a mommy mistake.

My oldest daughter M1 was invited to a sleepover party.  She is 10 years old and has never been to a sleepover.   To me 10 years old still seems too young to be sleeping over.  This daughter still likes me to 'set up her toothbrush'.  I still dry her hair.  I shop for her clothes.  Sometimes we'll sleep together just because we want to cuddle - and just because. So I said no - she was upset at first, but I explained my reasons.  I was not comfortable because I felt she was too young and had never been to a sleepover; neither she nor I had ever been to that friend's house before; I didn't go to my first sleepover until I was probably 15 or 16 years old. And yes, there were a bit of tears but she got over it quickly (or so I thought).  Anyways, the party was yesterday and when The Big Oh went to pick her up he said he hadn't even pull out of the driveway when the bawling started.  I knew as soon as she stepped in the door what was going on...and the crying didn't stop until she fell asleep.

And you know what?  Between all the crying and bawling she was still able to reason with me, to explain to me why she was so upset - and it made sense.  Everyone was so excited about sleeping over and she felt left out. They are good people. These are her dance friends - they are like 'family'.  I understand and agree with all these statements.  I remember being young and feeling left out - I don't even like to feel left out now! These families ARE good people.  I know first hand because when I needed help last year all these families let me know that we could count on them during dance rehearsals and competitions.  We are a  part of a special group of 'dance families'.  I'm so happy that my daughters have found another place where they can feel safe, and flourish and grow besides their own home.

The last thing M1 said to me was "Mommy, you have to let me grow up and be independent...you aren't going to be there to hold my hand forever. "  So true.  But I can't help it...but I will try.  I promise.

A Tale Of Two Restaurants

Our extended families recently had our Chinese New Year dinners at two local, very popular, restaurants.  We celebrated once with my father-in-law's side of the family, and once with my mother-in-law's.  Both dinners had approximately 40 people people attending.  And for both we ordered off their regular menu instead of opting for one of the restaurant's banquet set menus.  In my opinion there was clearly one restaurant more superior than the other in terms of service, food taste, and overall value.

We visited Grand Lake Chinese Restaurant on the weekend immediately following Chinese New Year.  The restaurant was packed and every inch of floor space was used to accommodate the Chinese New Year rush.  I felt the tables were extra 'squished' together making it quite uncomfortable.  The food obviously was prepared in advance and reheated as most of the dishes came out barely warmed.  Note that a lot of Chinese restaurants pare down their menus during Chinese New Year, offering only a select handful of their most 'popular' dishes so they can prepare  the food in advance and just reheat.  This is suppose to allow the restaurant to provide quicker service so they can turnaround the tables to do more business.  Even though they did this, our dinner still lasted over 2 hours!  There isn't much to say about the taste of the food - just average, however the portion sizes were small and, I felt, wasn't good value for what we were served.

On March 1st we visited Fancy Chinese Restaurant.  What a great difference it was from the previous weekend.  First of all, the restaurant gave our party of 40 a private area even though the restaurant was packed.  They have a great 'build your own set dinner' menu as well as their regular menu.  The portion sizes were larger than the previous week's and the taste so much better.   The cost of this dinner was over $100 more than the previous week's but I consider it a much better overall value when you factor everything from taste, portion size, service and comfort.

I definitely know which restaurant our family will be making our regular go-to one from now on.

Y.C.

Banking Service Fees

Tomorrow is the 2014 deadline for contributing to your RRSPs.  Not sure how many people still go to an actual branch to do their banking with a human teller but I still do for certain transactions.  Inevitably, at this time of year the teller will ask me if I have contributed to my RRSPs yet.  So I tell them, "I can't.  I need to save my money to pay for all the bank's service charges."

I heard that joke on the radio several years ago so I can't take credit for it.  But I like to use it every year during RRSP season, or whenever the bank tries to get me to invest in whatever new product they're offering.  You know, like those "high interest" accounts that pay you 1.3% if you keep $25,000 in the account.  Yeah, I just happen to have 25 grand lying around!

I know banks rely on service fees to make money because the spread between their lending and borrowing rates have decreased over the years.  But some of the charges are a bit ridiculous.  I'll let them have the mutual fund fees and fees for trading stocks because you could argue those are a more specialized service.  But I would like to focus on the more basic services like withdrawing cash and maintaining a savings account.  Many years ago, there would be no charge for either of these basic banking services.

Today, in some cases when you withdraw cash, you need to pay a service charge.  One case is when you withdraw from an ATM that does not belong to your bank and a second case is when you don't have a minimum balance in your account.  So sometimes you can get nailed twice on one withdrawal.  Talk to the bank and they'll tell you that the ATM charge is from the other bank. That's a load of crap!  The banks just got together and created this service charge in order to rip off customers then blame it on another bank.  CIBC gets service charges from RBC customers and RBC gets service charges from CIBC customers, etc.  I guess they are an oligopoly so they can screw the public and get away with it.

There are also certain types of accounts that charge you if you make more than a certain number of withdrawals a month.  Remember back in the old days when you filled out a deposit slip at the bank to deposit a check.  On that slip you could fill in the line called "less cash received" to take out some spending money.  The net amount would be deposited in your account.  For example, if you had a check for $300, you could get $200 cash and the bank would record a $100 deposit to your account.  Today, they make you deposit the $300, then withdraw the $200. This way they can charge you for the withdrawal!

So any time I have a chance to talk about service charges with bank employees I will tell them how I feel.  I know, the teller has no say in this and it doesn't really bother them.  So I usually just leave it as a joke.  But if a manager talks to me I will bring up the fact that CIBC (my bank) made a $4 billion profit before tax in 2013.  $800 million of that came from service charges.  Surely they can give their customers a break from their ludicrous service fees!

Big Oh

It's All About The Food

Our family is wrapping up a week of Chinese New Year eating.  You'd think New Year's is only a one day celebration?  Not in this house.  Our celebrations started last weekend when we had our family dinner - all 24 of us.  The dinner is usually eaten on New Year's eve & it even has a special name: 'tuen leen fan' which can be translated as 'coming together meal' which is why it is so important that every member of the family is present.  This year we hit a local restaurant and ordered a 10 course meal - 1) shark fin soup, 2) deep fried shrimp balls, 3) Chinese BBQ Platter, 4) Mushroom With Baby Bok Choy, 5) Stir Fried Seafood With Veggies, 6) Steamed White Chicken, 7) Steamed Whole Fish, 8) Lobster In Garlic & Onion Sauce, and finishing off with Rice & Noodles.

The next significant meal we have is on the second day after New Year's and this is what we call 'hoi leen fan' - which can mean 'opening/beginning of the year meal'.  Similar to the 'tuen leen fan' the dishes we eat include fish, roast pork, fried shrimp, an array of colourful vegetables, noodles & soup and any other family faves that may only be reserved for this special time of year.  This meal we cooked at home since it was only the 7 of us + Big Brother Pepe & Sister Selina's families. Interestingly on New Year's Day, we don't have an elaborate meal.  In fact, we typically eat leftovers from the night before; and even if we do cook it'll be mostly vegetarian foods.

The weekends following Chinese New Year is reserved for extended family visits.  Because my parents-in-laws come from large families we usually will have two days of visitors - one from grandma's side & one from grandpa's side.  And what do we do after the visits?  Have another Chinese feast of course!

Tomorrow is the 7th Day of Chinese New Year and is commonly known to as 'yun yut' - which means 'People's Day'.  Some even refer to it as 'Everyone's Birthday'.  On tomorrow's menu?  Definitely chicken (drumsticks) because you just HAVE to eat chicken on your birthday (the Chinese equivalent of having a birthday cake, I suppose).

Many see the 7th Day as the unofficial end of the Chinese New Year celebrations.  And as much as we love our Chinese foods, it's right about now we need to give our stomachs a little break!  Stay tuned for some restaurant reviews of our Chinese New Year dinners!

Y.C.

Restaurant Review - Mildred's Temple Kitchen

Today the Big Oh and I were running an errand without the kids so we decided to treat ourselves to a belated Valentine's Day date.  I wanted to go somewhere we normally wouldn't go with the kids; somewhere trendy, a place that would make "Top 10" lists in & around town.  Somewhere that didn't have a kids menu!  So after a recommendation from a friend we decided on Mildred's Temple Kitchen in Liberty Village.

We were spot on when it came to the type of resto we wanted to try.  First sign - the over hour wait for a table during their Sunday brunch even in -25 degree weather!  Minimalistic decor in whites & beige in a hip & happening neighbourhood.  No signs of strollers or children.  In fact, I swear that the Big Oh & I were two of the oldest patrons there (and we are not old).

Big Oh ordered the MTK Burger ($18) and I ordered Veda's Choice ($14.50).  The burger, although more the size of a slider, was presented as expected - big plate, fancy (but minimal) garnish with a side of hand cut 'frites', and an amazing garlic aioli to dip.  Veda's Choice was two poached eggs sandwiched in a croissant with smoked salmon in Bearnaise sauce accompanied with mixed greens.  The server was pleasant & attentive on this very busy Sunday morning.

Even though the meal was very good (I have no doubt that everything we ate was made & baked on-site) I just can't see myself returning.  And I'm not entirely sure why!  Is it because I'm too 'suburban' for these trendy downtown spots?  Is it because I'm too 'cheap/unrefined' to appreciate quality and the prices that go with it?  I don't think so....but I will say I'm not too sure what the 'hype' is.  I can certainly make a similar brunch at home.  And quite honestly, my local chain-type brunch restaurant serves up poached eggs, pancakes, & sandwiches that are not too bad either at half the price.   So for a special occasion, sure we'll go out of our comfort zone and try something new; but really, we are comfortable just the way we are!

Top Ten List of 2014 - Big Oh

Happy New Year to everyone!  Following my wife's lead, here is my top ten list of 2014.

10) New TV series Gotham (aka the Oswald Cobblepot Show)

9) Spending time with my daughters and my family at Wonderland and Niagara Falls.

8) NHL Hockey - Yes, I've been a fan for many years and I've always found it exciting (especially a 5 on 3 power play).  But this year I did not watch during the first 6 months of the year.  I started again in October but it did not give me excitement.  Strangely, it gave me a sense of peace and calm.  I needed that before I slept each night.

7) Doctor N.L. as well as the doctors and nurses at Sunnybrook.

6) Dance Competitions - I got involved with practices and costumes but struggled with hair and make-up.  Got lots of help and an appreciation of what dance moms need to do.  My girls danced beautifully and I wept at every competition.

5) Friends - Everyone was so supportive it may seem unfair to single anyone out.  But it may also seem unfair not to mention the special lady that I've known since high school who helped take care of my girls, especially at competitions.  And my friend from kindergarten.  He and his wife were there when I needed it most.

4) In-laws on both sides.

3) My family - My dad who made sure I didn't need to worry about housework.  My mom who nurtured me like only a mother can.  She cared for me like a baby.  At times I felt as helpless as a baby and I needed that.  My brother Pepe who took care of everything, despite being busy with work, Pan-Am Games, and kids going away to university.  When others (like myself) saw problems, he only saw solutions.  My brother Kaka who said I could count on him for anything.  He was with me on the most difficult day of my life.  My big sister who was also with me that day.  No one can comfort me the way she does.  My sister Selina who kept me sane and cared for my daughters with lots of love.

2) My beautiful daughters - Everyday they put everything into perspective.

1) My beautiful wife - I have witnessed and continue to witness her strength, courage, determination, and perseverance.  She is a true hero.  THE ULTIMATE HERO.  She is my hero.

Big Oh

Top Ten List Of 2014

Happy New Year!  Yes, it will be a much much better 2015!

Many years ago the Big Oh and I started an annual 'Top 10' list of the year.  We started it the first year we were dating and we would each compile a list on New Year's Eve to give to each other.  The lists could include favorite movies of the year, special events that occurred, a trip we took, a good book/song, or an actor/actress which we were currently obsessed with - pretty much anything that was amazing & memorable for that year.  We stopped doing this about 4 or 5 years ago because we just got 'too busy'. WRONG!  Too busy to spend just half an hour thinking about the last 365 days and what made us most happy?  WRONG!  WRONG! WRONG!  So this year I am going to write my Top 10.  Considering what my family and I have gone through this year some may think it would be difficult to come up with a 'Top 10 of 2014' - not so!  I am reflecting on the last 12 months & there is so so much I am happy about!  So here it is:

MY TOP 10 LIST OF 2014

10) M3 starting JK and finally eating lunch at school (in December)
9) All the doctors & nurses & medical support staff that I have met
8) Being able to watch my  girls dance on stage - I've done it before, but this year was especially meaningful
7) M2's first solo: 'Welcome To Havana'
6) Dr.L. - my Angel, my life saver, my friend
5) L.L., N.L., H.H., L.W., & P.T.(the sisters I got to choose)
4) My husband's siblings & parents (my bonus brothers and sisters)
3) My own siblings & parents
2) My beautiful daughters
1) The Big Oh

It can be so easy to let a bad event, an unhappy experience, take over your life.  So much in fact that it overshadows and over powers even the happy moments and everything you are blessed with.  I will not let that happen to me...I am happy. I am grateful.  I am here.
Y.C.