Rocks
This week two stories, each about a rock. One is just a little bit shinier then the other, but both are important. I start with the rock in my pocket. I have had it in there for a couple of years, and although I am not sure of the true origin, what I have grown to accept as its story has its roots in the virtue rocks at the girl’s school. You see, their school aligns a particular virtue with a month in the school term, and uses it to encourage the students to learn and practice a particular virtue and if they are caught showing it, they award them with a certificate and in some cases, a small rock or pebble, with the particular virtue written on it. Now, the rock in my pocket has no inscription, or notation, so I shift its virtue to whatever the situation or time suits. It can be kindness, or empathy, or acceptance, or hope or anything that I need to mentally reward someone or even myself for showing.

Jump to the second rock, and my need to offer my thanks to a friend for showing me a great virtue, generosity. For the last 5 or 6 years, my wedding band has been missing one of its’ small diamonds. I have always wanted to take it in and have it fixed, but just never got around to it. About a month ago, we got talking with good fiends of ours, and the topic of jewelery came up. One thing led to another and she mentioned that she has a bunch of small diamonds left over from some old jewelery and she was sure they had one that would fit and if I wanted it I could have it. If that wasn’t good enough, she says “If you want, I have a great jeweler, so if you give me your ring, I will take it in, and have it done in a couple of days”. Now it has been 3 weeks since I got my ring back and it is great, but until I found my pocket rock this week, and was reminded of the kindness shown, I realized I did not mention it in my blog. I wanted to share the story of the two rocks this week, to offer encouragement to you to show a virtue and if you do, you may have a rock coming to you too.

Friend
I started writing this last week, mostly in my head. I wanted to have it last week, because it was 5 years ago last week that I lost my friend Michael, so the timing was right, but I just could not get the words on the paper to mean as much as I wanted them to, so I had to keep working.

Michael Monty was not only a great teacher and an inspirational speaker, a great writer and a tremendously giving person but he was also a good friend. 5 years ago last week I attended the professional development committee meeting of the Ontario Association of Broadcasters, at the Rogers Radio Campus in Toronto as an invited guest of Michael’s, who chaired the committee. This was my first meeting with the OAB, and I mostly sat and watched and listened, and agreed to things that were being talked about and when it was finished, I can still remember thanking Michael for the invite. I watched him put on his over coat, and I waited with him has he caught the elevator and we talked about how he was loving his recent retirement, and how great he felt. When I got home later that day, I called him at home and left a message to thank him again for the opportunity he was giving me by inviting me to the OAB board, and how much I looked forward to working with him. What I did not know then, was that the return voice mail message that he left for me was the last I would hear from him. The next morning, after seeing his wife off to work, feeling a little under the weather, he went back to bed.

Sometime during his peaceful rest, he suffered a heart attack and passed away; The writer and voice silenced.

I kept that message on my phone for more then a year, and would listen to it sometimes when I was having a bad day, or when I just needed to hear his voice. It was nothing more then your “Hello Jim, it’s Michael returning your call, and my home number is…” and in retrospect, there was not the strength and tone in his voice, there normally was, but it meant a lot that I had it, and could retrieve it with a couple of key strokes on a phone.

I have had the good fortune to have several “father figures” in my life, and although when I joked with Michael that he was like a father to me, he would always give me a hard time, I truly feel that I, am better off because I had Michael in our life. Over the 14 years I knew him, I was lucky enough to see him on different levels. First a student, then a colleague and finally a friend and I learned so much from him, so to boil it down to one point, hardly seems fair. But if there is one thing that I can always hear him telling me in the back of my mind, it is “to always give a shit”. It can be something you are doing that is small, or a major project that you are working on, if you always remember to just give a shit, you will always make a difference.

Surprise!
There is something to be said about a great surprise and this week not only did I get one, but so did a whole bunch of people in my family. A surprise, in the form of an unannounced visit from my sister and her boys, so needlessly to say, we were a little shocked but in a very good way. The timing was great too, because of a planned 70th birthday party for my uncle today, my sister got to see almost all the extended family. The party was also a surprise for the birthday boy, so I guess the theme for this whole weekend was a true surprise. Thanks to Lori and Glen for hosting the shin-dig, and thanks to Janey for making this weekend a great surprise! Only wish it was for just a little longer of a stay. More on the visit, next blog!

In closing
I said last week, I would make sure to end with 2 Carr girl quotes so here you go! When we are all out, we often need to split up, so the kids are always given the option to “pick a parent” and quite often it is Jordyn with Nathalie, and me with Julia. When we had two stops to make Monday night, the split went the normal way, and when we made our stop, I asked Julia to hand me something and when she did, she gave me a shock. I told her she has an electrifying personality, and she told me it happens all the time and that she is like “electric girl”. I laughed and then she said “sometimes I am burp girl, and Jordyn is fart girl, but then sometimes I am electric girl”. For the record, I am much better with the latter!

Today, while leaving skating, Julia was complaining about being a little hot, and asked for us to stop off at home, before we went to the party, so she could change. Always wanting to give people a hard time about things, I tell her it is going to cost her, and I wanted to know how much money she had in her pocket. She told me “I have nothing now, but if we stop, I have a toonie at home”. Not wanting to take her money, I tell her “I will take a kiss instead of her money” and with out pausing, she says “I would rather just pay the money”. With Nathalie laughing loud enough for the car next to us to hear, Julia then adds “Well, I can give you both if you want”. For the record, I did get both, but have put the toonie back in her piggy bank when she was not looking.

Let’s hope, there is either a toonie or a kiss in your future!

Thanks for reading and have a great and safe week!
Jim

It sure helps in the morning around tea time, having a pocket full of change, and this week, after finding 1 toonie, 2 dimes and 7 or 8 pennies, I thought to myself, I need to say thanks to the found money gods publicly with a blog entry, because I sure do appreciate your kindness in the form of loose change.

Shower
There is a small spot on the back of your neck, that when covered in rush of hot water while showering, will cause warmth to radiate from your head to your toes. At least I think we all have it, but I am not sure.  I have it and this week, I relied on that fact a couple of times and wondered just that.  Is this some kind of secret?  I have never heard of anyone talk about the magical “w-spot”, so I have kept it too myself long enough.  If you need a break, and a warm shower is working but not 100%, let the water warm your soul from that little spot on the back of your neck.

Strike
This will be, or should be the last I write of potential strike at my work, at least for the next couple of years because this week, the official results were released of the contract ratification.  51.47% of the Ontario faculty voted to accept the deal, so we are still at work and I could not be happier.

Body Art

Ink
Not sure if this is going to past the edit, but tonight, while others are waiting for the big ¼ final hockey game with team Canada, I watched my wife finally do something that she has wanted to do for a couple of years.  She now has her first tattoo and it looks awesome!  I love her artist Jason Copeman of the Nude Buddha Tattoo Studio and think that he did such a great job interpreting Nathalie’s vision and executing it in the form of permanent body art and I recommend him to anyone.  If you can believe it, I am now looking forward to finally getting one myself and just need to settle on an idea.

Field Trip
“PLEASE daddy, PLEASE can you come on my field trip?”  When Jordyn asked me, the first question before saying yes, was the wrong question to ask.  “What day of the week is it?”  I say, and excitedly, Jordyn says “Friday!”  After a quick second of contemplation I say “OK, I have no classes on Friday, so I can go”.  The only reason I say it was the wrong question is that what I should have asked first, was “Where is the trip?”.  I have written about my aversion to the cold before, so imagine my reaction to waking up this morning to a dumping of snow, and the sudden realization that I will be traipsing around the ankle high snow in the Halton Hills, chasing 21 kids under 10 years old, for the whole day – outside in the cold.  In the end, thanks to a borrowed super warm snow suit, and my “finally found” skidoo boots, I was warm and cozy all day. Very tired, but warm.

In closing
It seems this week, I may be a little short on cute little girl stories and quotes to end the weekly recap.  It is not because they did nothing cute, it has more to do with we can’t remember any.  There was something that Julia said in the car out on a road trip this week, and although we laughed at that time and both said “that’s in the blog” sitting here now, we are tapped and can not come up with it.  I will try to have an extra one next week to even it up, so I owe you one.

Thanks for reading and have a great and safe week.
Jim

New Rules
The girls have a new principal at school. We are hoping it is temporary, because we did like the principal they have had for the last 2 or 3 years, but he is away for at least the rest of the school year on leave. With a new boss comes new rules, and it caused quite a heated conversation this week in the car, on our way to dance. Apparently, her wide reaching rules are equally effecting grade 2 and grade 5, because both girls had comments. Jordyn announces “She is changing everything, like we can’t use equipment outside”. We go back and forth, weighing the safety concerns and possible reasons why someone would not allow indoor equipment outside, and why someone that is a new boss can make up new rules when they are in charge, but they would not have it, and could not believe that someone would have the gaul to change what has worked for so long. Then Julia adds the line that had us laughing the whole night. “What’s next? Hideous clothing?” Don’t worry Julia, if it goes that far, Mumma and Daddy will step in for sure!

Movie Night
Date nights abound over the last couple of weeks in the Carr household, and it is sure great getting an opportunity to spend some quality time and take in a movie, even if they are what some would call “chick flicks”. Last week, we did a Valentine’s date night with the movie Valentines Day and tonight we watched “Dear John”. I can say with all my masculinity in tact, that they were both great movies! Thanks especially to my popcorn sharing date for both movies, because in the end, it would not matter what was on the screen, as long as I had you to share it with. (Ahhhh man, I may still have my mush on a little too much!)

Home Show
So I guess you own a home, so you need to go to the home show right? What do they sell you at the home show? I hope it’s not a new home! Ok, I do understand that the on slot of never ending “home-esk” suppliers and providers, row upon row in a never ending labyrinth of hallways and smiling faces, with offers of the next best thing for the home owner. The funniest thing? I can’t wait to check it out tomorrow!

Laughing

Where's Waldo?

It could be one of those stories that ends with “you had to be there”, but we had a busy Saturday last weekend and had to grab lunch on the go. Sitting in the Taco Bell (Julia’s choice!) just chatting away with Nathalie about whatever, and over her shoulder, getting out of his car, I spot him. A guy in a red and white striped hoodie and a scarf and a goofy smile. So I tell Nathalie “I found him!” “What? Who?” she asks, as I point out the window at the guy laughing with his friend, now walking across the parking lot, towards the restaurant door. “Waldo” I say, “I found Waldo” what do I get? Nathalie looks and laughs, literally out loud. Not sure if she laughed louder then, or later when we tried maneuvering around the dining room looking for the best angle for a picture so we can prove it. Although the final shot is not all that clear, I hope you may laugh a little too when you see it. I call it, “Where’s Waldo?”

Sick
I can’t run through week 41 and not talk about how some of us spent it in bed, down for the count for the first time in a long time. I will only say that it is not easy trying to manage breakfast, getting the kids out of the house, dinner, homework, and baths and then bedtime, when you and your wife are maybe 20 or 30% TOGETHER. The girls stepped up and did pitch in, and for that I can say thank you, but I am sure glad we are back to 100%, so we don’t have to do that again!

In closing
I have used the line in class a couple of times over the last few weeks, and I laughed when Nathalie and I talked about the same topic tonight. What I said to the class, after the third or fourth time I told them to settle down and get ready to listen, I muttered something like “I am a bubble away from loosing it, so do you really want to be the group to set me off and take me to the dark side?”. It occurred to me after my conversation with Nathalie that we are all just about in the same place. She used the line, “it keeps me sane and insane” and I was like “can you be both sane and insane at the same time?” and then it hit me, of course you can! It is the ebb and flow of life that moves you from one side to another, and quite often, the only difference is a bubble.

So here is hoping, your on the right side of your bubble this week!

Have a great and safe week and thanks for reading.
Jim

A vote
In Ontario, the college teachers are currently without a contract, and as a result have been in a bit of a labour issue over the last several months. I thought that this was the week we would see an end to the dispute, because the Professors were at last, given the opportunity to vote on the management’s final offer but I was wrong. The little problem was that the outcome was not as much of a clear victory for either side as we would have liked with only a little more then 200 ballots separating both sides. Yes, that was 200 more votes to accept the contract then reject, but the issue is, there are more then 300 outstanding mailed in votes yet to be counted, so it is possible for the outcome to swing.

The frustrating part is that many people, including myself are in this unavoidable holding pattern and there is not a thing we can do about it. Here is the life lesson I guess, when the outcome of a situation is out of your control, like watching a vase, tipping off a table 20 feet from you, you can only hold your breath, and perhaps go look for the broom, because either way, you will likely have to do some cleaning up.

Moo Moo
Not sure what it was that got us on the topic in the car this week, but we talked about cheese. Specifically the kind in the little cellophane roll with the cow on the label. Yes the Laughing Cow cheese. The girls thought it was a very funny name for a cheese, and in true Carr girl performance fashion, they busted into little cow voices and started to fill the car with an enormous amount of at some point uncontrollable laughing and that on its own would have been something, but it was the fact that it was Laughing Cow Laughing, complete with MOO after MOO after MOO.

True Confession
I was a good teacher this week. Normally I am a great teacher but this week, I felt a little out of sorts, and not my usual self, and as a result, think I could have done much better in the classroom this week. This kind of self awareness comes only after years of teaching, and having so many people from my teaching past that I look up and that I can call on when I need to do better and I am putting it in print, and committing it to words, so that I can remind myself that I am only human and sometimes I can have a bad day, and the best thing to do is come back and do better the next time. So that is the plan. Next week I am going to channel the great ones from my life past, and come out swinging at school. I am going to pull a Big John, and a Michael. You might even see a Ron or a Peter in the class this week, and I can only say that my students will be the better for it.

Family
Happy Family Day! This is a long weekend in Ontario with the addition of the “Family Day” holiday, a couple of years ago. Not sure what we have planned to this point, but I do know it will involve spending time with a great family! Here is hoping you will have the time you want to hang out with your family too!

In Closing
Like many parents, we have cute little names we call the girls, and some just happened and some are modifications of other ones. One of the early ones for Jordyn was Moo-moo, then we shortened it to just Moom and she has allowed it for the most part, and is not a big fan of Jordie, Jordina or Jordina-Fina, some other we have used. Julia has been a B-G-B, Boolia, Buglia and Buggsy and is ok with just about anything we use to call her, but like anyone I guess would rather their actual name. Unless it is their full name, including the middle ones, like the one or two times this week (for both girls).

Have a great and safe week and thanks for reading!

James Fredrick, Jr Carr III (aka, Jim or Jimbo!)

If you could
Remember the movie Back to the Future? With the help of the flux capacitor and the Delorean, Marty and Dr. Brown where able to go back in time and somehow, with out destroying the world, make some small modifications to their life back then and subsequently alter their future. In the car today, I heard “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the news, and that got me thinking about the movie, and one thing led to another and I ended up going over what I might change if I too had a gull wing door time machine. Besides perhaps buying Google stock in 1997, I would have done a better job documenting the early life of our children.

Since the beginning of my blogging life, a little over a year ago, I have been good about documenting important things that happen in our life, but all the great stuff that happened more then a year ago, is only available in my mind and the minds of those that have shared the experiences. Nathalie and I talked about it and we laughed when we remembered Jordyn as a baby and how she would make us laugh everyday. She used to steal Bentley’s hard food, and hide it in her hands, and although we never caught her eating it, it would seem possible that she might have. When Julia was 2, we called her the BGB (Big Giant Baby), she pushed every norm we understood about milestones, and did stuff way earlier then she she should have and did so because of the insane perseverance she has. One day Nathalie watched her spend more then an hour, learning how to walk over the threshold on the floor in our kitchen without falling. Each time, she went down, she got right back up and did it again, until finally she made it walking.

Re-living events such as these, through the experiences of others help too, like our little two year old niece, CC and her almost daily stories of attitude, smarts and funny happenings. The other week, when they where away with Oma and Opa and where getting ready for swimming, the little one, answering the Oma question “Where did my little baby go?” pointed at Opa and his exposed belly, and said “Opa ate it!”. And this week, when CC’s mom was talking on the phone with Nathalie, totally stressed with the kids not listening, little CC in the background adds “I know Mamma, I am driving you nuts!”

In the end, I think there is great value in documenting, and telling stories from the past and if you don’t do it yourself, make it a point to start! It is never too late.

House help
This weekend, with the help of Oma, we finished up on a bunch of the little nick nack things around the house. Some more wall patching, some baseboards (finally) and the all important painting. I also mounted my LCD TV, and we moved some furniture around. We are making improvements and we are not done, but another little step closer. Next week, some new shelves, the finishing steps with painting and we need to hang some more pictures I think.

Super bowl
For the last three years, I have taken part in a foot ball tradition, and attended a garage party in Georgetown. One of my colleagues has his garage outfitted with a sound system and LCD projector, and of course all the peripherals you need in that kind of environment. Darts, pool table, pinball machine and a shuffle board table, with all the food and drink to go with it. Thanks for another great party Tim, and aparantly, the garage is open during the upcoming Olympic hockey games, so I might have to make the trek north to check it out.

In closing
Look at us, a car full of education over achievers. Coming home from a trip to see my Mom this week gave us a little more then 30 minutes in the car together, and instead of playing silly games or even sleeping, we took the opportunity to go over Homophones. The funny thing is, that it was Jordyn’s idea, not ours and she came up with the majority of the good ones. One and won, hear and here, and of course, two, to and too. We all added our own, and had a couple of laughs. Next trip – Homonyms, or come to think about it, maybe sleep would be better?

Not sure if there is another word for “thanks for reading”, but if you figure it out, you can share it with me in a comment!

Have a great and safe week!
Jim

Girls
Girls and boys are different. I know that seems obvious to most, but sometime the differences are not always what you think they are! This week, I was reminded that I have girls, but also, that I have girls, comfortable enough to act like boys. My girls can burp! And not the little hand over the mouth, oops, kind of lady burp, but the ohh my G-d, you almost got through the alphabet, frat boy party burp. What always gets me is that in the moment, they both have this smile and the confidence on their faces, and right after, it turns to the little girls, oops, sorry about that smirk on their faces, with a little voice “Excuse me”. For now, I am cool with it as long as we are not out in public.

Cold As Ice
A bunch of weeks ago, I talked about the first time we had the girls on skates, and how they where interested, Jordyn more then Julia, in lessons. We put our names on a wait list and 3 weeks ago started the classes. I have been meaning to talk about skating each week since they started, and bring it up now because of the progress they have made in this short time. This week, Nathalie and I could not believe how great they are doing and it is very surprising, given the fact it almost did not happen for Julia. I take you back to the first day of the lessons, 3 weeks ago.

That day started with 20 minutes of a crying 7 year old! “But I changed, my mind, I don’t want to learn how to skate.” Julia says after she woke up, and the tears are real and they continue to flow. “Yesterday you said you wanted to, we paid and you need to try it” seemed to be a reasonable comment by Mommy, but she was not to have it. I then add, “Well Julia, you have to come anyway, Mommy has an appointment, so we have to all go. You don’t have to skate, but we ARE going! More crying the whole trip there, we park, make our way in, and find the check in, and something happens. After we had to borrow a helmet for Jordyn, Julia starts to warm up to the friendly teacher as they practice off the ice, going over how to fall, and how to get up. Julia tugs at my coat sleeve to ask a question.

“Daddy, I think I may try it next week.” Not sure what my tone was, but something short, firm but sympathetic, “Julia, you don’t understand, if you don’t go on today, there will be NO next week, because daddy is going to call the lady today and see if I can get the money back.” She agrees to try, and we borrow a second helmet and she is there stretching and learning, then on the ice herself. The best, was her attitude, after the first lesson, “Daddy I had fun, I liked it, but I will let you know later this week if I want to continue.” Are you kidding me? You are going to LET US know? On Wednesday, Julia confides to Nathalie, “I liked skating, and want to keep going Mommy.” So that is why the amazing progress they are both making is just that much more special.

Hey Mr. DJ
You might notice, that I am referencing a bunch of songs this week and this is because I am writing most of this while playing dinner music at a DJ gig. In a bit, I will be cranking out the hits, but for now, between the salad and the main course I am wrapping up this week with my thoughts about life and love with a song in my heart.

Follow The Leader
This week at work, we had our goodbye party for the boss I have had for the last 11 years. An event, designed to be a celebration of his accomplishments and that it was, but for me it was also I time for reflection, and the following is a summary of what I said to him on the DVD they presented to him.

“Many people will likely use this time to talk about all the amazing accomplishments you have achieved over your time here at Seneca, but because they are well known and talked about I would like to spend the time talking about the accomplishments I have made over this time under your leadership. When you started with Seneca, I was in my late 20’s, teaching part-time and newly married. In just over 11 years, I am now in my early 40’s, I have been hired full-time, I have become a Program Coordinator, I have had 2 children, and have bought my first home and whether you believe you have had a tremendous hand in this or not, the fact is, that without you in my life, I would not have grown as much as I have over the years. You have given me trust, knowledge and confidence, and I call on these skills every day. I have always known and felt that you had my back and you have challenged me to be a better at my job and for this I have to thank you so much.”

Signs
From an early age, our girls have been able to read. Well let me be more specific, they have been able to recognize words on signs through the window of the car, as we drive. I think it was one of the very early proud daddy moments, when Jordyn, just learning to talk, would say “pizza” or “donalds’s” when we passed the big orange letters or a golden arch on our commute. So to this day, we laughed when Jordyn remarked, “Used cars, why would people want used cars?” No question goes unanswered, so I reply “Well Jordyn, sometimes you can get a better deal on a car if it is a couple years old, so lots of people buy used cars”. Jordyn starts to laugh at my answer, and I am thinking it was not that funny, then she adds, “Hey, I guess we are used Carrs’”.

In closing
Tonight, while DJ’ing, I saw love on the dance floor and I smiled. The event, a church social, so the age range, and demographics closely resembled that of a wedding and I will have to admit, I was not sure what to expect when I watched a lady in the walker make her way across the dance floor, to her seat. She had to be in her 80’s or more and I didn’t see her move from her seat, until I played “Unchained Melody”, by the Righteous Brothers. She stood, and in the arms of her partner, made her way to the dance floor, and held each other the whole song, so tight as to say I love you and I have you. Love is nice to see, in so many ways.

Dancing my way through another week, thanks for reading and have a great and safe week!
Jim

Grade 5
So far, Nathalie and I are enjoying the grade 5 curriculum, just about as much as you can helping with home work and through the eyes and ears of your child. Now, I am a realist, so I knew the hard stuff was coming, I just though we still had a couple more years. Over the last couple of weeks I have heard glimpses of content from Jordyn’s health class and let me tell you, it is no longer the food groups. Things like, “Daddy, today we saw a penis in class”, beg the question, how do you respond to that? “Ahh, that’s nice Jordyn, sounds like you are learning interesting things”. Jump to the dinner table this week, and somewhere between salad and Cannelloni, our little girl drops another P word, in the form of a question. “How old do you have to be to get pregnant?”

“Are you kidding me, PREGNANT, Jordyn you will not get pregnant until you are married and that will not be until you are 30, because that will be the first time I ever let you kiss a boy, PREGNANT are you crazy, stop that crazy talk”. The only problem was that this is what I said only in my head, because my mouth was full! Nathalie jumped on it, and in true Mommy, honest fashion, without flinching says “Well, a girl can get pregnant after her first period.” Me with my mouth still full, shaking my head in anticipation of the obvious next question. “When does a girl get her first period?” she asks, and just as calm and collected as the first answer, Nathalie replays “somewhere between 13 and 18”. I still liked my answer, but I guess Mommy had it right, because that was the end of that conversation, for now.

Reflections
Over the last couple of weeks, I have been in a very reflective mood. Perhaps because there are some changes afoot at work, and I have had to remember back about 11 years ago so I can talk about when my boss started working for the college. It occurred to me that not only was I in my late 20’s, and I had more hair, but I also had no children and neither did my little sister Janey, but she was pregnant. You see 11 years ago this week, little baby Chandler came into our lives and we are so happy he did. Chandler is what I would call an old soul, being smart way beyond his years, and leading the way by example, not only for his little brother, but also for his younger cousins – my girls. I sure do miss him, now that he is in Newfoundland, but I look forward to keeping in touch with him, now that he got a netbook for Christmas. Congratulations Chandler on your 11th birthday, and all the Carr’s send a boat load of hugs and kisses and can’t wait to see you soon.

Naked Fish
There is something to be said about trying something every once in a while you don’t like, to either remind yourself you don’t like it, or perhaps even to change your mind. This week, that’s what happened to me and my feelings about sushi. Nathalie is a big fan, and I have tried it in the past but just never acquired a taste for the naked raw fish thing. This week, I was asked to try it again, and although I am not running out to buy the “I heart Sushi” T-shirt anytime soon, I can admit here and now, that it was not as bad as I remember, so there is a lesson to be found in here somewhere. If you have something in your life that has always been a NO, give it a try someday, and it might change to a yes or perhaps at least a maybe, like me.

Ying Yang
This week as I often do, I solicited blog ideas from people that I meet who I know are regular readers. There are 4 or 5 people on the list, so running into any of them is not that hard really. So one suggestion was the incredibly odd weather we have been having in and around us theses days. Yes, I am so happy that the broken snow shovel we have has not need to be used much or replaced, but I can’t stop thinking that like any good fortune, the payback most be up around the bend somewhere. But for now, I guess we have to enjoy the fact that the mercury is on the plus side of things and forget about the yang.

The other idea, came from a conversation I was having with a couple of students. In the talk, one of my fourth semester students admitted that she is not very good about asking for help with her production. This lead me to a great solution, and it is this I wanted to share. I told her to stop calling in help. Lets collaborate, or share ideas or work together. That is not nearly as hard to do as admitting you need help. Sometimes I amaze even myself!

Animal love
While I love most animals, there are some I could do without. It is possible the reason is because I don’t understand them, but the truth is I just don’t have any time for the skunk. I may have not minded them so much, other than your occasional whiff of one as you drive up to Caledon, but the truth is that I had never come into close contact with one. But since moving to our new house, Bentley has been hit twice by this little black and white striped rodent, twice that is, until tonight, when we added another run-in to the list. Apparently, according to Google, the little buggers need to leave their winter dens at least one time to, you guessed it, empty their scent glands. Well, we are certainly happy that Bentley was able to help them with this task – NOT.

At least we’ve learned the following: a) As soon as you smell it, take/keep the dog OUTSIDE, do not bring him into the house, b) wash with a Hemp-based skunk removal shampoo immediately (again, doing this outside, no matter how hot or cold it is out there, c) after a thorough wash, spray the dog with Nok Out! (you can also use this on the curtains and any other fibers in your home that might have gotten a little of eau-du-skunk on it, and d) light candles, EVERYWHERE! Lastly, e) If you figure out how to keep the skunks out of the backyard, and out of the general area of your dog, ignore steps a through d.

In closing
I have cool children and I have talked about it before, but sometimes I just get back as much as I put in, and that is nice. While driving in the car tonight, the conversation centered around Julia’s classmates reacting to her Webkinz presentation as part of her Show & Tell and she was very proud of herself, and the fact that they liked it so much. In my usual supportive daddy fashion I said “Well Julia, you are cool!” and without a hiccup pause, she says “Daddy, you are cool too and you do cartwheels”. Thanks Julia!

Well this ‘cool dude’ is cartwheeling into the weekend, thanks for reading and have a great and safe week!
Jim

Fish Story
I was told twice this week that I needed to write about the Fishy voice, so here it goes. After shopping and walking past the seafood counter at the Real Canadian Super Store this week, minus the musical number, Jordyn and I broke into a high-school musical style performance of “The Talking Fish”. Jordyn was the funniest though and because we all laughed, she immediately said “You better put this in your blog daddy”. I only wish I recorded it so you could hear her in the red snapper, bigger then her body, voice saying “Don’t eat me please, I will not taste that good. I miss my friends, please can I go swimming in the ocean again?” Look for the show to hit off-off-off Broadway in a couple of years!

Confessions
WOW, I don’t know what it is about writing this blog, but it always puts me into the mood to confess some deep dark, personal secret about my life, and today I am digging deep. Hello, my name is Jim C and I am an impulse shopper. Those little items neatly stacked and seemingly unconnected, beside the checkout at the grocery store and the hardware store or just about anyplace you shop. It has been several days since my last purchase, but while trying to convince Nathalie that we needed the 79 cent 10 pack of pencils at the Canadian Tire checkout, I started to think why is it that I have such poor impulse control? Does my car really need to smell mountain fresh and what I am I going to do with so many bathtub stoppers?

I love that the cost of the items in and around the register is directly proportional to the cost of the average price of the stuff the store sells. I mean who would decide while waiting in line, to drop 80 dollars on a mp3 player at Best Buy? OK, you are right! If I had the money, I guess I would because that’s a good price and I am a sucker for things with buttons, but I guess the thing I need to remember is, to just focus on the exit door, and don’t look down and perhaps I will not fall prey.

Waiting games
When the girls were young, to amuse them while waiting, we would always play games. I spy with my little eye, was the big one at the start, but after we got tired of that one (mostly Nathalie and myself), we would look for other games to bide the time and being the creative bunch we are, we invented our own games. “Animal Noises” was our first and I was very proud of it. It works like the name implies, a guessing game that involves one party making an animal sound, and the other guessing what animal you are. Yes, it sounds kind of simple, but the fun is in the combinations. You see, after we got to the point we knew every animal, we introduced a twist. “Ruf Ruf Ribit Ribit”, for example is one of my favourites, because it is just so fun to say Dog Frog. Try it!

Today in the car, I was listening and enjoying the girls, as they played a game that I have not heard in a while. The game of “Would you rather?” They where having fun, quizzing each other on some whacky situations, and although they were having fun, I had to break it to them that I don’t think anyone would ever pick “fake cry for 100 years” over “learn to drive a car”. Not sure if the choices are not supposed to be a little closer in scope, but whatever works to pass the time I guess!

Wise Counsel
I am so happy to have some great friends that I can call on when I need honest advice, or a sympathetic ear or even a kick in the pants (if I need it!). But this kind of street is ALWAYS a two way street and this week, I was reminded how important it is to be there for your friends when they need you. Nathalie has some crazy mad observational skills and is very good at telling you how it is and that sure comes in handy when someone needs to hear something that they don’t know they need to hear.

Some of our friends are going trough some issues and I know that one of the reasons they will each emerge, stronger and for sure better off, is that they are willing to talk about it, willing to seek advice, and eager to put into action, the suggestions of a caring friend. I am very happy for them that they have people to talk to, but I am most happy that they have someone as special as Nathalie to get wise counsel.

In closing
Julia use to do this thing that always made us laugh. When we were laughing at something, and normally it was just Nathalie and I, she would start laughing louder and louder, then suddenly stop, shake her head and say “Ya, I don’t get it!”… Of course that would make us laugh more, but this week I heard it again with a twist. The only difference is after the insane laughing loudly, instead of admitting she doesn’t understand what we are laughing about, she just says “Ya, that’s NOT funny!”

What is a little funny is that we are finished another week!
Thanks for reading and have a great and safe week!
Jim

Soap Box
I am SO mad and I can’t take it anymore. Frustrated beyond belief at the timing of an unforgivable event and I just have to hop up on my soap box and yell at the top of my lungs. To fully understand my frustration, I need to come clean and confess something about me. As part of my morning routine, while stopping at Tim Hortons for my tea and bagel, if I have been good, I will reward myself with an apple fritter. Now the reward criteria is loosely based on the academy awards voting criteria (loosely!), and I have a special excel spreadsheet created by my wife, fully sanctioned by KPMG to chart my total “goodness” factor and use it to decide if I get a treat. The frustrating thing for me is that I am always good so I do get a rewarded often, and so now you can see my problem.

The fact is that too many people can see my problem, and one morning, between Christmas and new years, after catching a full length mirror reflection of my problem, I decided then and there I would no longer be rewarding myself for anything with food of any kind especially the morning Apple Fritter. Ok you are caught up, but now to the unforgivable event. My absolute favorite sauce of any kind is caramel and the donut of the month for January, featured in beautifully shot posters, staring back at me in line at Tim’s, is an Caramel Apple Fritter, and only 49 cents with the purchase of any beverage. COME ON! I switched to a 12 grain bagel with half butter, and this is what you do to me? Damn you Tim Hortons, you will NOT break me. I will not fall for your clever, “hit em’” when they are down marketing ploy and I will not eat your tempting little caramel filled, glazed incrusted, sometimes hot, baked good. I just refuse!

(Editors note: in order to fully criticize the new caramel Apple Fritter from Tim Hortans, I felt it was important I was able to fully describe the item first hand, so I did purchase and consume only ONE.) Sorry, for I am weak!

Bamboozled
The art of bamboozlement, defined as the act or process of bamboozling or being bamboozled. To con, defraud, trick, to make a fool of, to humbug or impose on someone. It is a little of this, and I guess not that big of a deal, but this week, we were bamboozled by a couple of 10 year olds and it went something like this. Jordyn gets a call from a friend that apparently, followed through on a promises early that day to call her at home. After the general pleasantries are exchanged, the hush of a convert conversation begins. “Umm Hhh, Yes OK, yes I will ask… Daddy, what time do we get home on Friday?” “Not sure Jordyn, maybe around 5 or 6.” Jordyn, again in a hush “Ya, ok, Daddy, can my friend come over?” Unsure of the correct answer, I say the only thing a good husband should ever say, “Ask you Mom!”. Mom shouts from the front room “I guess”. The next couple of minutes are a little unclear and frankly just a blur, thus the bamboozle. There was request for a sleep over and then a reminder of our first ice skating lesson early Saturday morning, and then the phone is hung up, and all of the sudden, we have Jordyn’s friend for the night, and the skating and she is being picked up around 1:00. WOW.

I am sure the phone conversation on the other end of the call was similar, with words like “she is asking me to sleep over” and “she wants me to go with her to her skating lesson” because we all did it when we were kids and after all, turn around is fair play, so its all good. We have used the situation to gone over the “making arrangements” over the phone, while the person is on the line rules, and hopefully we will not be victims of a 10 year old’s bamboozlement again, but I think we will be!

In closing
So a couple of weeks in the books with the news Christmas gifts, and all but one toy has been opened and well played with. We will get to Martian Matter soon enough, but it was a conversation I had with Julia that made me stand a little taller. She said “You know, I love all my toys and new clothes, but I would give them all back if I had to, because all that is important is having my family with me.” **Smiling proudly** , thank you Julia for somehow learning the most important thing about Christmas, this time of year and life for that matter! The importance of family.

Thanks for reading, and have a great and safe week and remember, please feel free to comment!
Jim

Growth
I made my bed today. In fact, I make it everyday. Well, most days it is just figuratively me, tucking the corners and fluffing the pillows, as in the time honoured saying “you made your bed, now lie in it” but today while actually straightening the comforter on the worlds highest bed, I had an “Ah-Ha” moment. It is true that we are the author of our own destiny and we should always take credit for our success and failures. Sure, we have people in our lives that contribute and somewhat steer us in one direction or another, but ultimately it is us that makes it happen. So it is up to us to take credit for our lives and all that happens in it. That part was not the “Ah-Ha” moment, I suppose on some level I have always known that, but what came to me between the top sheet and the other top sheet was the fact that every day, at every moment, we all start fresh and make our bed, and have from that moment on, a chance to lie in it, sorta speak.

When historians look back at the year that was 2009, certainly, the inauguration of Barack Obama, the death of the King of Pop or end of the “Economic Crisis” would be in there, but if someone were to author our family history book, what events would be on the pages in the chapter called 2009? Positives would include our eldest reaching double-digits in age, our good friends tying the knot, and moving in with my sister and her family. Along with the most significant positive of buying our first house, came the negative of the loss of my Aunt Mae. We lost two other people in our lives this year and although our own health over the last 12 months has been stable, the health of others in our family has been a challenge and that would all be in the book for sure. I think, if one word was singled out in this chapter, that word would be “growth”.

When I personally look back at 2009 in my life, I will always remember that it was this year that saw me grow tremendously as a person and I am giving credit for this to 3 events. First, a new role at work for 4 months that allowed me to learn new things and look at work and life from a different perspective; second, I started recording the comings and goings in my life in a weekly re-cap blog and of course third, we bought our first home. 3 things in my bed that I made and have laid in and with the help of many people have turned into my growth in the year that was 2009 and I could not be more happy.

Electronic mail
Both the girls have e-mail addresses, and do use them to send messages of love and request to both me and Nathalie. “What are we having for dinner?” and “I love you” are popular content in this little message and it is sure cute to see them trying to communicate this way. Jordyn got a netbook for Christmas, so with an email program literally in her lap, the messages have started to come more often just like this one. “hi daddy did you know that and i love you and mommy and julia and bentley and today we watched garfield it was on tv and it is funny.” My only hope is that the girls will never stop sending us these kind of messages and perhaps we are able to teach the importance of punctuation.

Week Off
The week between Christmas and New Years Eve, traditionally for us is a good time to get caught up on sleep, set-up new presents and spend some time with family and friends. Nathalie will normally take the time off, to match the time I have off and this year, she did take vacation days, although she had some work to do from home. Me, on the other hand, had some stuff to do work-wise also, so it was a busy week for sure. The girls enjoyed sleeping in and staying up late, but hiding around the corner in a couple of days is that back to school thing so, it all comes to end soon. Right back at it, and aside from the waking up early again, I think we are all looking forward to the promise of what is to come in 2010.

Count down
We almost missed the big count down this year. Oh we were awake alright, just busy playing games with friends. Getting caught up in the moment, laughing and having fun, we stopped and realized what time it was, and with 2 minutes to spare the TV is turned on in time to see the big ball drop. Thank you to our hosts for a great evening and what would have to be the best way in the world to usher in the new year. Good food, awesome music and a laugh or two with some great friends. Lets hope there is way more of that in 2010.

Music in Me
Well not me per say, but the music is in the house, loud and clear and all in the name of fun in the Carr household and I have to say I like it! The guitars and the new keyboard are being used and songs are flowing. Not necessarily in tune, but flowing just the same. My favourite moment to this point was just before we headed out on New Years Eve, the two sitters where at the keyboard playing a song, and Jordyn was right in there watching the fingering and Julia and the sitters’ little sister were just dancing and singing away, not a care in the world. Lets hope 2010 brings more singing and dancing to the Carrs just like that!

In Closing
A good friend and colleague, Michael Monty would always tell me that we do some of our best thinking before and after sleep and would remind me to keep a pad of paper beside my bed to jot down my thoughts. I have never done it until recently when, I have started to send myself an email with a couple of words that hopefully remind me what it was that I came up with in bed. I find it helpful, when writing a recap of the week, if I can refer back to my emails for content and inspiration and this week, while at the movie theater, I sent myself one that said “opening sequence”.

Actually it said “Open aequince” but it was dark, and I have big fingers and I figured it out anyway. What I was thinking about is what would the opening sequence or title part of a movie about your life look like? My movie, staring Kevin James in what critics call “the role of his lifetime” would contain great music and lots of snap shots of people laughing over a background of sunny skies and some body of water. I don’t know if it is just because I heard the song the other day in a commercial, but I keep hearing “Love Generation” by Bob Sinclair in the background, and it occurred to me that this is a good healthy new years resource for replaying what has happened in your life over the last year and we should all take a moment to become an award winning director and create our own opening sequence!

Feel the love generation,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Feel the love generation,
Ooohhh yeah-yeah,

Don’t worry about a thing,
it’s gonna be alright.

Thanks for a great year and for reading my blog!
Have a safe week, and a GREAT 2010.
Jim