Spring and the end of the school year

The farmer's market is back with face painting and balloon animals.

After dinner we sometimes ride our bikes.

 

or read in the hammock

 

or climb trees

The end of the school year brings the fun fair fundraiser to school.

 

and kids who are happy to start 8 weeks of freedom

 

 

 

 

C graduated elementary school.  He got an award for an 80%+ average this year.

 

 

 

V got an honor roll award and H got an award for his out of the box thinking in the classroom

We've also become quite the bird zoo...

 

We've had:

 

 Robins (above), cardinals (below-2 sets!)

And a set of doves

 

 

 

New hobbies

Ah, finally some warmer weather!!!!  We're having an unusual year, it's usually really really hot by May (I feel terribly for the kids taking their standardized tests in May-it's typically hot as hell and there's no air conditioning except the library and office, so classes will move to the library to take their tests.  This year however, May was quite pleasant, it didn't get really hot until the last week of school at the end of June when there's not much academic going on anyway.

This past year I've noticed repetitive use injuries-my shoulder from curling/sweeping and my hips from running.  So I decided to branch out my fitness.  I have to exercise regularly for many reasons:

1) Only cooking for 3 picky children means my diet isn't fantastic and as a lady of a certain age, I would gain a ton of weight which would be hard on my body if I didn't counteract my so-so diet.

2) Stress relief. As you can imagine, having a husband out west and 3 kids under my care can get stressful when there's no one else to referee.  The endorphins and exercise not only help my mental health but they help me sleep well enough to be a good parent.  It's much easier to be patient when you are sleeping well.

3) The time for my brain to wander.  Because I wake up so early, I go to bed early and don't always have time to just let my brain wander and think about issues I need to solve in life-a good run or walk helps with that.

So, besides joining the gym classes, I've added walking 3 times a week first thing in the morning with a neighbor ( we walk 4.3 mile loop with hills that takes us about 1.25 hours) as well as a weekly 5.3 mile run with another mom who's son is a friend of H's.  When the weather isn't cooperative we have been very lucky this year to be able to meet at the newly built community center/arena in our town that has an indoor walking track.  We refer to it as the hamster wheel because it's terribly boring, but we chat, get our exercise and it get the job done.

As the weather's been nicer I also started two other activities.  I started playing tennis again twice a week.  The local paper that's delivered once a week had an ad for the local tennis club.  I vaguely remembered seeing the courts on visits to the park they are located at but never really thought about it. They had an information table at the community center and I went and talked to them.  For $100 CN members are given a key to 5 beautiful courts about 10 minutes drive/25 minutes bike ride out of town for the season and there was a ladies drop in league Monday and Wednesday nights.  They even let me come out to try the league to make sure the level was ok for my not-played-since-High school self.  It was great. Everyone does play better than I do but I play well enough to not embarrass myself and am getting better all the time.  It feels great to do something different. Sometimes I need a brush up on the rules and tips on how to swing the racket, but I'm doing alright.

The other endeavor is trail running.  I'd noticed that running on a rail rather than on a road  made my hips happier, but wasn't really sure what trails were around me.  Last fall, my walking partner mentioned she ran into a friend of hers running a weekly 5k race at a local recreation area and got information on the program for me.  The main purpose of the group is to promote running.  They are out of the town just north of us and they run 5k timed, free races that alternate between the town south of me and the town north of me every Saturday morning July-October.  The group, though before the 5k series was offering two classes for free- a couch to 5 K program and a trail running program for those who could already run 5k.  I signed up for the trail running class one evening a week for a month.  I showed up with about 10-15 other people, mostly women, who were interested in finding out where the trails were and skills like how to run up those steep hills, how to handle loose rocks, etc. for 4-5 weeks we tried various trails around the area for 5-6k distances.  I not only learned what trails are around me, what shoes are useful, how to handle various terrain, but also have met several women to run with (our teacher, a male made it clear he did not recommend women running trails along sadly). The classes worked out great because they started after curling season and ran until V started up her swim team practices.

I was able to get out for one 5k race before V started having swim meets every Saturday morning and surprised myself by coming  in 3rd with a time of 27:53!

 

When the class ended, he invited us to the trail running group he does on Sunday mornings where they run 10-15K (1-2 hours) on Sundays.  I showed up. Let's say our fearless leader is adventurous.  It's been rainy and the trails were very muddy and there were some creek crossings up to our shins.  I was glad I'd worn older shoes.  I looked at my white socks and they said, "yes, should probably stick to black." I'd mentioned I'd chosen these socks hoping they'd keep my feet dry with their "moisture wicking" ability.  They laughed as there's not much hope when you are crossing creeks up to your shins.  Most of the runs take place adjacent to or on the Bruce Trail, a trail that is 890km and 400km of side trails.

I've found some advantages to the trail running-my hips are happier, but I'm working other muscles I don't usually-especially the sides of my thighs with back to back motion as many trails bow in the centre where rain runs down the middle or the trail's been worn.  I can't run with music-I have to pay closer attention to where I'm stepping. This has made me appreciate the scenery more and give my brain a different sort of work out than putting in music and running on a road.

(no one calf is not way bigger than the other-it's a weird camera angle trying to take a picture of the back of ones own calves.

 

After the first week with the one instructor from the class, I was interested in continuing. The longer runs were exhilerating, exhausting and I was meeting new people and discovering this area I'd lived in for 6 years and didn't realize how little I'd explored.

 

After the 5k, I asked the other instructor from the class what to do-the regular trail group wasn't meeting-they were participating in various ultra races that weekend (an ultra race is any distance over marathon distance which is 42.2 km or 26.2 miles).  He showed me the facebook page for a group that he runs with.  They run two loops, each about 6k, so that if people are short on time or can't run the full distance, they can opt out of the 2nd loop.

 

They stick more to actual trails and move a little faster.  One thing I've learned in finding local groups to run with is to see if they are "no drop." This means no runner is left behind, the group stops at all intersections to make sure they have everyone in the group before continuing on.  Important when you aren't the fastest or don't know the trails well.

 

 

I'm finding new trails and spots I wouldn't otherwise, like the Blue Ghost Tunnel:

 

 

An old railway tunnel under the canal from the early 1900s

Old hydro building

An older section of the former Welland Canal that's no longer maintained

Entrance is allowed, but warned at a local golf course that has trails running between the holes.

 

I've taken the kids on some of the runs we've done (at a walking pace)

Queenston heights:

 

 

Rockaway Falls

 

 

 

 

March, hair, becoming Canadian

The winter continued to be cold, but with my inlaws moving into a smaller place they gave us their snowblower.  Since Mexico, I've not been able to sleep in past about 545am and being the only adult in the house right now, I'm learning how to snow blow. 

 

There is actually an art to reading the wind and blowing the snow away from yourself.  It took me a time or two to understand this.

 

I've since learned well and can do my driveway and the two next to me in about 40ish minutes.  My neighbor is a single woman who has had some carpel tunnel issues this spring which would make shoveling difficult and my other neighbor is an older couple-the husband who is usually their snowblower had a stroke recently, so I'm trying to keep up that driveway so they don't have to wait for their son in law to come out to do it.  It's quite a Canadian thing for those with snowblowers to help out those who don't.  It evens out the early morning noise they make.

 

I decided with all the working out I'm doing to cut my hair quite short and I've been happy with it.

 

Maybe I was inspired by this cutie who cut her hair short to donate it.

 

I'm looking forward to less hair maintenance with her!

H has been curling this year and he and his team won the end of year bonspeil for his age group.  H went up a level and is now playing the full sheet with regular sized rocks and was the Vice for his team.

 

V decided to join the bonspiel on a whim the day of which worked out as they were very short players in the little rocks division that plays a 1/2 sheet of ice with 1/2 weighted rocks.  She and her partner took 1st place as well.

 

Hubby came back in March to come to my Canadian citizenship ceremony. My inlaws and kids came as well as several friends (which was a wonderful surprise!)

 

 

For those interested, I applied the day I arrived in Canada in 2013. (I showed up with all my paperwork done and just put in the final landing papers and mailed it off).  I received my permanent residency 14 months later. There were a few papers that had to be resubmitted (hubby had changed jobs and my passport had expired and been renewed) once my permanent resident application was opened and reviewed.  During my time in Canada the citizenship requirements changed from 3 years of residency in order to apply and 2 year wait on paperwork to a 4 year residency requirement and 1 year waiting period.  After I'd been in Canada approximately 4 1/2 years (every day I'm away, even for an hour I can't count and there's a weird system for the days before I became a permanent resident).  The paperwork took just over a year and I became a citizen just under 6 years after I arrived in Canada to live.

 

Hubby went back to Washington and the kids and I celebrated Easter.

 

C has shot up in height and it's very strange to me to have a son who is as tall as I am and who has a lower voice.  The first few months hubby was gone and C was the oldest male in the house, I frequently panicked upon arriving home to hear a "man voice" until I realized it was C.  Keeping him in pants and shoes that fit is a current challenge.  He's finishing up his final year of elementary school (we don't have a middle school or junior high, he'll go straight to high school next year) and it learning about homework and being more independent.

 

He's also been amazingly helpful this year.  I honestly don't think our family arrangement of hubby out west working and me in Canada with the kids would work without he and also my inlaws that live so close to us now.  He gets then out the door a day or two a week while I work a part-time job so that I can work in longer days but less number of days per week and also stays home with them in the evenings so I can go for a run or go to a gym class.

 

 

Jan/Feb-the longest winter ever (yes I realize I say this every year)

We came home after our holiday.  It's so weird leaving my husband behind to work.  We text throughout the day, play Words with Friends together and Facetime any night that he's not working late and I'm not passing out early like the old lady I am.  All of us have been very busy January and February and the time is passing very quickly.  Hubby has been very busy at work. I'm busy single parenting, working and helping out at school when I can, as well as working out.

I was challenged by the fitness studio I joined last summer to work out 3 x a week or 25 times during January and February. We had a lot of snow days so it was tough, but I made it 25 times and another woman made it 28 times.  We both won a $100 Sportchek gift certificate, 5 hour punch card for classes at the studio and some other goodies I will pick up this week. I'm super excited! Especially after I found out on the same day I had my first fender bender in 12 years. :( I had a good run, but was lucky it was very slow and my car doesn't even need a repair. I also learned all about how to report such an incident in Ontario.  Apparently there's something called a "collision reporting centre".  I had no idea, but the other driver was very kind and walked us through the process. Yes, it killed 1.5 hours on a Sunday morning, but it wasn't that big of a deal and everyone was very professional.

It's been snowing and cold as usual but luckily in February I can keep busy with curling and bonspiels! A bonspiel is a curling tournament.  Our local club holds a day long ladies one on the 2nd Monday in February and our team won this year :). The theme was Lets Go Bananas!

Then a few weeks later, I participated in a 2 day bonspeil where we won for the 3rd year in a row.

The theme for this one was "Canada goes Stampeding"

V has been swimming on Saturday mornings-a diving lesson, then a swim lesson and still loves being in the pool.  This week will be her final lessons so we'll see if she passed the levels and figure out what she will take next session.  H is still figure skating and almost done with the winter session.  H & V will both be skating Saturday mornings at our new ice arena for the spring.  Now that we have an arena that can handle warmer temps without melting, the skate season is longer! C has been playing Dungeons & Dragons with a friend and other kids from the area one evening a week at the library. 

Hubby came out to visit for the first week in February though it was a working week, but it was good to have him around.  He's planning on coming for two weeks in March and hoping they are true vacation weeks.

I took my citizenship exam and got 19/20. It took me all of 6 minutes, so I was first in for my final immigration interview. (They did the test, then the interview second.  They were a little concerned about how often I go over the border for grocery shopping but I reminded them that many of the visits were just a few hours but their rules state to list all dates I crossed the border.  Then the conversation turned to the weather (because, as I've noted-Canadians love talking about the weather) and she asked if I had a hard time getting in to the centre as there'd been a dumping of snow overnight.  I mentioned I'd luckily made it out of our cul du sac and while it took me a little extra time it wasn't bad, but I was hoping to be home soon so I could snowblow my driveway (I mentioned I'd gotten the hang of not blowing everything into my face) and then my neighbor's since the husband who had done my driveway for the last 5 years had a stroke, so I tried to get his done before his wife left to see him at the hospital.  Apparently this was the most Canadian thing she'd ever heard and she closed the file and stated, "I see no reason not to make you a citizen." You will get your invitation for the ceremony in the next 60 days.  So in mid-March I'll make my oath to the queen and get my citizenship.

Another item of note is we finally moved my inlaws into their new home! They sold their home back in August and have been staying in various temporary houses until a few weeks ago. They are so happy to be in their own place. It's a new construction and they've quickly unpacked the boxes and are getting settled.  They are very close to us-less than 1km. I'm glad to have them available with husband working away and the kids are excited to be able to ride their bikes to their house when the snow finally melts. There are no roads to cross between us and them. They just cross the schoolyard and take a sidewalk down to their home. Easy Peasy.

The last item of note is that in February my uncle passed away suddenly. He was my Dad's youngest brother and only 9 years older than me (he was adopted when my dad was a teen).  He had a stroke and while he was at risk, the risk was expected maybe in 10-20 years, not now.  It's been a bit of a blow to the family due to the suddenness and his age (49).

Well, hopefully my next post will have pictures of us on March break (maybe we'll even be able to see the grass by then!) and my citizenship ceremony.