I turned forty yesterday… sometime before March I threw out that my fortieth birthday would be nice if it was anchored in beer and board games - get a bunch of people who like one or more of those things and want to celebrate with me and make a day of it.

We had a scale down a bit but both of those things happened (not all at the same time) - ( Read more... )

The older two are going back to school next week - school is open to Québec kids for optional classes, especially for kids who need a bit of extra support, and ours are both square pegs in their own ways and are missing school. With Elizabeth and me both being home-based workers at the moment, we can end the experiment pretty quickly if we need to ( Read more... )

Going into the third week of distancing… my colleagues have made a big deal out of making it through each week of working from home each Friday so far ( Read more... )

I'm at the sports centre while the kids are swimming - the parent gallery is on the other side of a wall with windows, so I'm watching a swimming lesson on almost-mute. The muffled sounds suggest fun, and there is lots of bouncing and splashing and the occasional "trust you can float" exercise. I got the kids the goggles they wanted last weekend ( Read more... )

Today I saw a bear just off the side of the bike trail through Gatineau Park (near the intersection of the trail parallel to the parkway and the trail parallel to Allumettières). I was wondering why the oncoming cyclist was way over to the left and then I saw a black bear cub that she was clearly giving a little space. I didn't stop to take a ( Read more... )

So, Monday after I left for work, Oscar managed to face-plant into the dresser upstairs, tooth-first. Elizabeth brought him in to our dentist office, who is just across the street from work, and a nice dentist and technician took a look at the damage and decided that the (90-degree-tilted) tooth would need pulling. I got to hold Oscar (due to ( Read more... )

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Pixel only seems to like treats at the moment, so she is getting mass quantities of them. Talked with the vet this morning: we're going to take off the cone collar and see if she's nice to her stitches; the collar may have been cramping her style enough that she went off food. We have a kitty buffet set out for her, and she's looking a little ( Read more... )

Talked to Mum this morning on the phone; she's been out surveying the garden for the first time since the surgery, and has her support network of CLSC nurse, friends and family swinging through to help out and take care of her and of home. She sounds a lot less tired than last time we talked, and pretty happy. Owen's planning on making it out on ( Read more... )

So, Pixel went in for corrective eyelid surgery on Tuesday to keep some ingrown hairs from scratching up her cornea. Since then, she hasn't been eating or drinking a whole lot. We've tried tempting her with wet food and cat treats, and she eats dainty little portions of those, and seems a little offended by the water bowl. She's acting a little ( Read more... )