I can’t keep putting off the posting of messages, darnit! I said I would try to do it more often and I better do it! (kicking myself in the butt to keep going)
At the very least, I wanted to talk about the weekend.
Friday was an a day we’d been looking forward to for a while now: Opening Ceremonies of Vancouver 2010 Olympics! 🙂 Yes, some are blasé about it, but we’re not. Our family is a big fan of Olympic events so our plan was to enjoy it together. Melyssa was supposed to be with us that night but she forgot that she made plans to go to an open-cheer event with friends of hers. So, I picked her up on Saturday morning instead. As for the rest of us, come 830pm we were all ready to watch – even having taken out the kids’ pup tents so Kyle and Charlize could lie down in there and watch (hopefully fall asleep 🙂 ) with our flags properly displayed.
The event was great and I must admit to feeling flush with pride as Kyle stood there with his little hand (holding a Canadian flag that he built) over his heart during the national anthem 🙂
Saturday was a nice day of hanging about, enjoying a break from the every-weekend-construction of basement renovations. We played, watched the Olympics, and did some shopping.
On Sunday, well, it began with lots of hugs and kisses and valentine’s cards and chocolate hearts 🙂 I managed to suprise Chantale with tickets to see Paul Piché in concert in April :). Again, the morning was leisurely spent enjoying the Olympic coverage and features. I had wanted to suprise everyone with a pair of Olympic mittens but there was a mix-up on Friday and Purolater sent the package to the wrong house. We tried to get it back on Friday but the folks at that house (literally a couple of blocks from me) weren’t home. The Purolater driver was so upset with himself that he kept trying all weekend long. Sunday, just before noon, they called to let me know they had gone out of town and had just gotten back. I rushed over, retrieved my parcel, called the driver to let him know I got it, and then gave the family their red mittens 🙂
We had a quick lunch and then dressed warmly to head out to the community winter event 🙂 We walked around Pointe de Moulin and enjoyed all the attractions, spending some time looking at the ice fishing and all the fish they caught. We enjoyed some hot chocolate by a roaring fire and some maple “tire” from the mobile Sugar Shack. Chantale, Melyssa, and Charlize even went for a horse-drawn carriage ride while I waited in line with Kyle who really wanted to do some “trampoline bungy” (eurobungy.com). I couldn’t believe how he (when he finally got his turn!) went up, allowed himself to be strapped in place, and began jumping on the trampoline and rising up on the bungy cords. A few back and forths happened as he gained his balance but afterwards he was straight in the center bouncing up and down 🙂 Pride! 🙂
Finally, after being there for a couple of hours, we started making our way back when we saw the dog-sledding team. Melyssa, Kyle, and Charlize got on the sled and were pulled around for a turn 🙂 A very nice time was had by all 🙂
We headed home, tossed the kids in the bath, and Chantale made garlic bread and spinach-fettucinni-pasta with alfredo sauce and scallops while I ran to get 2 small platters of sushi to accompany it. It went down really well with the sparkling rosé wine 🙂
At bedtime, Kyle and Charlize went down really easily and were asleep by 8pm. Chantale, Melyssa, and I watched the Olympics as we’d been waiting for the Men’s Moguls all day long. What a breath-taking event! I’m suprised we didn’t wake the children with our shouts of joy and victory! 🙂 Canada winning gold was fantastic, but it being Alexandre Bilodeau made it all the more heart-warming (and if you saw the profile on him, you’d know why). As another bonus, I loved the fact that the first time Canada won Gold on its home soil, Melyssa was there with us to see it/ celebrate it. Had today NOT been a Ped day at school, I would not have had her with me last night and this would have been just another event she hadn’t shared in.
Go Canada!