For the rate that I post these days, I do in passing think about combined the two domains but it’s not so expensive, the .CA domains with built in privacy. When the restaurant isn’t footing the bill for hosting I’ll have to think about another, cheaper hosting. I just don’t want to give up either domain but I think if I did, I would give up CatchStarGirl first? I could try to justify that I’ve grown out of that one?
This was a great weekend. Scheduled to the hilt and NPY who only drove us around and wasn’t rushed my me in particular grumbled it was nuts and I live for that.
Saturday
I took Baby for her first swim lesson. It’s at the pool next to NPY’s high school which means it’s been 25 years since he’s been there. Honestly, I’m impressed how the facility has held up and kept looking to see what might have been renovated. We were 15 minutes early and Baby and Kiddo took in the surroundings. Baby was better with the water than we surmise Kiddo might have been but to be fair, Kiddo didn’t have Parent & Tot lessons and that’s what I’m trying to do right for Baby.
The important part of me is the facilities and the logistics of changing her and me and packing the right stuff for the lesson. It went well.
Kiddo and NPY were throwing a tennis ball on the lawn and didn’t leave for a short while after I loaded Baby in the car. So we were late arriving at McDonald’s where I had earmarked for lunch because a short 45 minutes later, Kiddo was off to tae kwon do.
So, Kiddo has been in TKD since he was three and kid has a green belt although it’s hard to tell he would have it. He hasn’t been keen to go for a while and I feel badly that I don’t get around to practicing with him, not with kickpads when I bought an extra one the past Christmas, not even casual kicking without equipment and not the poomsae. I don’t even know what is the point of the class, even for the kids who are older than better. I started him there because I was close. Recently, I saw a video of Kiddo’s cousin on their testing day and it seemed more inspiring to be in a real taekwondo studio.
The truth is a few pronged. I want TKD for Kiddo and he’s starting to tire of it. His friends and cousin started TKD and the pride part of me wants him to keep up, keep ahead, advance in belt colours, “Wouldn’t it be so need for him to have X belt so young?” And the part I really have to let go: there have been so many great conversations during TKD class with the parents of Kiddo’s daycare friend and if he doesn’t continue, we don’t have that connection anymore. I haven’t been ready to let that go.
I came to the realization that Kiddo needs a new gi but I don’t know how many more classes he will go to. He started in fall 2018 and basically had been doing it non stop until I didn’t register him all last summer (nearly three years). Then back at it in the fall and then a break that a break in February until now I registered him late on the (seven-week) session because I just pay pro-rated fees, to get him back in, to fill up his Saturday, to get him out of the house while Baby naps. So I’m really sad about his longest activity coming to an end and I’m coming to terms with it.
He is was a little late for TKD and I dropped him off and caught up briefly with Julia’s mom – I’ve enjoyed talking to her, too – and quickly went home to shower and nap Baby. NPY took the bad I packed for Kiddo and picked him up and took him to basketball – 45 minutes to get there. NPY also had an errand and that was to pick up the grocery order from No Frills on the way back.
That was enough activity for NPY and he got the night off when I took Kiddo and Baby out in the mid-afternoon with MY and KM. “What did the guys do to deserve a night off from kids??” “Nothing,” MY quipped.
Kids had their scooters and Kiddo said he wanted to go to Granville Island and I privately hoped that we didn’t have to go that far. We got as far as Habitat Island and I started to get cold and tired of watching them throw rocks when it was super low tide (like no water) and practically nail each other with rocks. Finally, a seagull flying by pooped and got Baby and MY and I were so shocked and horrified it was funny. Because when I thought it was just on the back of her jacket and helmet, I saw another spot on her lapel so close to her hair! (Baby would inform NPY something like KM pooped on her and threw a rock at her. Huh.)
BIL has Covid so no indoors in a small apartment space but we did have dinner – MY and KM are negative per rapid test (fwiw) and we went to Tap then Craft and finally ate at The Flying Pig. KM dipping into Baby’s mac n cheese when we didn’t just order each kid a plate was funny but I thought Baby was about to cry and throw up and that was a tentative few minutes. Otherwise, the kids were great. We strolled to Urban Fare and London Drugs and kids were super tired.
Sunday
Made Kodiak waffles, modifying the recipe a little and kids ate their fill, Baby by feeding her a section as she played.
I convinced Kiddo to do some Chinese homework between breakfast and lunch and it being not a work day, I could write alongside him. It was brilliant. He makes additional grid to fill in and even if he writes simple words in them, it’s still practice. I taught him how brother (哥) is a radical for song (歌) and they ar homophones and he started writing the character for song instead!
Annie’s mac n cheese because hustling to get out to skating at Hillcrest, far so we make it worthwhile by staying for public skate. This week was my turn to skate with him and I was nervous, forgetting that I had been skating last fall (and it hadn’t been like two years). Still, I had to be hyper alert and not make assumptions. I rented skates (hockey size 5) and, seriously, getting my wide, swollen feet in is a challenge, then my dry and eczema fingers trying to lace up as tight as possible.
Kiddo likes skating that much we skates circles and circles straight for 65 minutes. I felt comfortable within 20 minutes but still had to be on alert. I looked up th skating conversion per Conqueror and we could log 4 km for that activity! (60 minutes at 0.42 miles / 10 minutes.)
Kiddo would be so happy that he says it’s one of his best days and say he prefers it with me. But when we picked up NPY and Baby who went for a stroll, he was more diplomatic LOL.
I was inspired to recreate a couple of HKSC dishes recently and tonight it was Hong Kong style borscht which I didn’t get to start making until late, making for a late dinner. And a late shower for Baby. And I really cannot be starting to make cookies starting at 8 pm. But I want to keep promises and made “unicorn poop” cookies – Kodiak mix again.