Saturday 14 July 2007

Six for Saturday

I will online photo book most of what's gone on with me over the past 2 weeks with our family vacation and YW's camp and everything, but I want to make sure that I journal about a few specific events:


1. I couldn't stay for the entire family week at the cabin because I had to come home for YW's camp, so I left Carmen and Chloe with RGLHM and it sounds like I missed the funniest part of the week in Montana. On the 4th of July everyone who was still at the cabin went down to the lake to watch the fireworks. There was a band that Chloe particularly enjoyed - keep in mind that School of Rock (edited version) is her favorite movie. Actually, RGLHM tells it better since she was there:
We arrived at the fireworks and the band was just finishing up a set. Chloe was a little disappointed. When they started again 1/2 hour later, she begged me to go right up front and dance with the other kids. So we did. We watched the band for two very long songs and then forced her to come sit down in time for the fireworks. After the fireworks were done and we started to leave, we walked by the band. She slowed down and paused and being a music junky myself, I knew what she wanted to do. I asked her if she would like to meet the band members. Yes she did. I told her to go right ahead. I was TOTALLY surprised when she went straight for them, no fear in her heart, walked up to the lead singer and had a chat (RGLHM took video I didn't upload for your viewing, but the lead singer put his hand over his heart at one point when he was telling Chloe how much it meant to him that she liked their music) He really was touched. The other band members thought it was so great that they asked her if she wanted a picture with all of them and that is how we got the picture. I should have taken Chloe with me all those years ago when I wanted to meet the Osmond boys:-)


2. I have a tan. It was 100 degrees at YW's camp and despite my efforts to sunscreen and stay in the shade I managed to get more tan in 4 days than I have had in years. People are noticing and commenting and complimenting me on my tan. I'm starting to feel a little self conscious about it, but mixed in with a little bit of enjoyment. Will I stay the sun-safety girl after this or will I get a case of vanity sun-stroke?



3. Ken and Steven participated in the 24hours of Adrenaline race in Canmore on July 7th. It turned out the kids' race was all on pavement, which was disappointing for Steven. We thought his race would be cross country like the adult race, but no. Steven still had a good time with his dad.


4. On Wednesday my friend Mary (on my sidebar) hosted a favorite things lunch at her mom's house since she was in town visiting from B.C. That girl has a serious talent for bringing people together. While I was there it came out that another of Mary's friends at the lunch is a serious Everything is Pink lurker!


5. Wednesday night was a hot one. We don't have air conditioning - it seems pretty extravagant to get it for just a few weeks per year. I'm not saying we'll never get it, just filling you in that at this point we suffer on hot evenings. So, Ken had gone for an evening bike ride, taking advantage of our sunlight, and when he got home I asked him to leave the front door open to let some cool air in. While he was in the shower a moth flew in our front door with a bat chasing it. I flipped out, but there was no one to deal with it but me. Our house has a staircase right in the centre of it, and it is possible to walk (or fly) circles around our main floor. I could not believe how fast that tiny little bat could fly. It was like a rocket zooming laps around our main floor. I got a hoody and held it over my head to try and block the bat as it came around so that it would veer away from me and fly back out the front door. Eventually it did, but just tonight when I went outside to photograph my foot tan as I walked out the front door I scared the bat that had been hanging just under our covered porch. I think he thinks he lives here - how do I go about evicting a bat?

6. For the last 2 nights the kids have all slept downstairs in our unfinished basement to beat the heat. I'm not so sure that the sleep lost over trying to all settle down together is equal to the sleep gained by not being too hot. And it doesn't help when dad decides to go in the back yard and scare the kids by banging on the basement window.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Barb, what a lovely tan! This post is so fun to read. Thanks for catching us up on your past two weeks. What a dedicated YW President to miss her family reunion for girls' camp.

I'd love to meet Chloe.

I sure enjoy your blog.

Price Cream Parlor said...

I am loving that Chloe wanted to meet the band! I think that it is awesome! Loved that there is a photo for her as well!
The tan feet cracked me up - especially since my feet have flip flop marks! - I was just about laughing out loud reading about the bat. In florida, ours was always a tiny frog or a tiny lizzard that would dart into our house when we opened the door. I could handle that with no worries. But a BAT? I would have freaked! Then laughed as it would have been totally comical if someone was watching!

jenny said...

I too enjoy your tan, it looks like my foot! Chloe's birthday party was darling. You did a great job.

I hope you find a way to stay cool no air conditioning would be terrible.

Elizabeth said...

A lot of hot summer fun. I loved Chloe's birthday party. SO many great ideas. I need to start planning my daughters in August.

Jill said...

This is a great post, so fun. I've got a tan like yours going on (almost undetectable to some, but deluxe for me) and have been fearing the vanity sun stroke as well.

That bat in your house, ugh. I still would be better about that than a huge spider, but I would definitely want to get it out. Did you The Office episode with the bat in the office? So funny.

Oh my goodness, no air conditioning? I understand your logic on this, but being hot makes me so irrational that I'd be a wreck for those few weeks a year. I'm sure the basement sleepover for the kids will be a great memory though, that's rather cute.

I want to hear more about your Favorite Things lunch and the Everything Pink lurker. Did you lecture her on lurking? I hope so.

Marie said...

You have no idea how much I would have loved to be invisible and sitting on your couch when the bat came in. I think that would have been so great to witness. I'm not sure I've ever seen you unhinged.

I love the sandle tan on my kids. and I've got a killer farmer tan on my arms. Well, killer for me. Mostly, I'm just really freckled.

Barb said...

Jill: I did lecture the lurker. She then said, "What am I supposed to say? Hi I'm so and so from Calgary and I think you're amazing?" I told her yes, if that is what she thinks when she reads Kristi's blog, then that is exactly what she should say in a comment!

Michelle Alley said...

Love the highlights of your vacation! The bat in the house thing would have freaked me out big time. I love that your kids have so much fun together and that there is a cool place to go for them during those few really hot summer nights. We've been shrouded by clouds for way too long, although, I'm not going to complain too much, because, I too, don't have air conditioning!

Ortensia Norton said...

A bat?? Crazy! Who would have thought? I just can't quite imagine that. Don't they belong in caves?
Great post. I like all the snippets, my favourite of course being the picture of Chloe and the band:-)

Anonymous said...

Love the story of Chloe and the band. She did her School of Rock imitations for me at the cabin -- loved it!

The bat!! I really do not like bats. I am pretty sure I would have left the house and not come back until somebody else got it out. So freaky! Our mama bird came in one day, and that was crazy but we weren't freaked out by her like I would be with a bat. I will be shivering for a long time thinking of your bat!

Laurie said...

I had to do a search for your bat story and...yikes! Bats are so creepy and they do fly fast. Hope they're nowhere near you now!