Hello all,

Just letting you know we are still alive and well. Kids are recovering over a nasty cold - even Kori was down and out with it. Rai is coming along slowly. He has stomach pain every day now from his enlarged kidney. His test day at CHEO (Jan 11) is coming very quickly, even though it sounded like it was a long wait when we first got the appointment.

I think today was the busiest day of the year for us. Kori said we did 20 errands today. We certainly did accomplish a lot. But we are exhausted. I am trying to be efficient in getting ready for Christmas. Next year, would someone please remind me to bake in early December and then freeze everything...PLEASE! I planned to bake this week. Yet this week seems like it's slipping away too fast. What a stupid plan that was!!

We enjoyed a great day on Sunday. We drove to the farm and celebrated Kori's bithday with the McCombs. Grandma once again outdid herself with the cake. They gave her some beautiful gifts. It was nice having her party early. Now she has time to enjoy her birthday gifts without having them all mashed in with her Christmas things.  Funny enough, last week we put in a full size new-to-us desk in Kori's room. Grandma and Grandpa and Paul gave her a whole whack of drawing, colouring, writing and cartooning supplies. So her new desk is stocked with new supplies. I don't think I've seen her happier.

I'm trying to keep up with the housework. It's just about killing me, but for a week+ I've managed to keep in almost-ready-for-company shape. At any point, I've been ready to run the vacuum through and we'd be good for visitors. Not only that, but I have been consistently caught up on laundry. At any time, there's only about a load waiting to wash. That and the ironing. But I'm improving. I'm also off the coffee. It's just about killing me. I've been to Tim's (Tim Horton's for you uninitiated Americans) twice so far and have managed to stay away from the coffee. Ok, I was supervised, but in this case, that's a good thing.

No other great and exciting news to report. The mailman used our phone to call a cab the other day. That was different. But our door was open due to the lovely weather. So I suppose he knew we were home.

That's it for now. Still trying to get used to the new set-up since the update here. I'm finding it slow. I'll try to get around to my regular haunts and comment some...that would be neighbourly of me.

For our homeschooler postcard exchange, we decided that a picture was worth a thousand words. For each participant, the kids decided to write a short personal note on the actual postcard. Kori is going to colour a picture for some of the kids who included a personal note in the postcard packages we received. Raiden didn't want to print anything but wanted to share about our town.

So today we ventured out and took pictures of many of our favorite places. It was one of the first cold, crisp winter-y days we've had this season. I thought it was gloomy and dreary. However, we are shamefully late getting these postcards out, so I figured as long as the pics turned out clear, they would have to do. Brian thinks the photos are beautiful - so that's encouraging.

We have a beautiful town. The waterfront is amazing. I love the architecture and the history. The kids made a list of venues that we had to take pictures of. Interestingly, not many 'must sees' included modern buildings. So, just in case you're wondering, we bypassed the new 'powercenter' that was built just last year with some of the recently popular 'box stores'. We also haven't included any pictures of suburbia - we have quite a collection of turn-of-the-century Victorian, even older Georgian, post-war quick-builds, 70s suburbia, apartment complex neighbourhoods and modern suburban sprawl.

So, here's the pics. If you want to see the bigger versions, at the end I'll leave a link to where I uploaded the pictures. Happy touring!

The local Conservation area. Across the pond is where we take our Environmental Science lessons.

     The 'New' (10ish years old) Police Station.

Our House. No, really it's the Fulford Mansion. Fulford made his fortune in the late 1800s making 'Pink Pills for Pale People'. His family was quite infuential in Brockville. The mansion is now cared for by Ontario Heritage Trust and operated as a museum.

Canada's Oldest Railway Tunnel. During the tourist season, the tunnel is open. It's been recently restored and was quite the feat for it's time. In the middle picture, the kids are sitting on top of the wall, to the right of the doors. It's street level from the other side, but a long drop the other way. I used to work for the local Museum and it was my job to open and close the tunnel each day and man the caboose for visitors. They don't open the caboose anymore and the tunnel has a very informative reader board inside.

City Hall and the new condos going up beside it. The kids love the crane and we come down (because this is 'downtown') often to check on the progress being made. The center column of the structure seems to be an elevator shaft. And no, the man is not swining on the crane's hook. He was unhooking some beams the crane had been moving.

The waterfront. My favorite. First picture is looking to the east. On a clear day, you can see the bridge to the States. (That's the St. Lawrence, by the way) The bridge is about a 15 minute drive away. The second picture is looking to the west. One of the many '1000 Islands' is smack in the middle of the river. That would be northern New York state on the left of the photo. And, of course, the new playground down at the waterfront.

         The General Sir Isaac Brock.

Courthouse in the background. The steeples are historic and beautiful and can be seen throught town. There were four churches around the courthouse - all with steeples. There are only three churches now. On top of the courthouse is Sally Grant standing as the figure of Justice:    

"This hidden gem is one of Canada’s earliest figures of Justice. Sally Grant is reputed to have received her name from a joke made at the expense of Major Alexander Grant at the sculpture’s unveiling before being mounted atop the Brockville courthouse in 1845. Deterioration from exposure to the elements resulted in her being taken down in 1956. She was rescued in 1962 by the Rideau District Museum, subsequently restored, and now dominates the Museum, located in a reclaimed smithy’s forge. This almost gothic sculpture owes much of her appearance to Holmes’ career as a ship figurehead carver. The figure was originally painted in sand and iron oxide to mimic sandstone, then in white, and finally in silver, although many tones and textures now emerge."

    The old post office and customs house - newly restored.

    The present post office.

Our well used Library. I used to sit where my kids are (there used to be steps there) and eat fish and chips as a kid. We make fish and chips in the English style here...wrapped in newspaper.

        Downtown's Firehall. There is a more modern one uptown as well.

The Museum. A new haunt for us local homeschoolers. The Children's Programmer is a TREASURE.

And the park next door to the Museum - Hardy Park

This is a common sight: Freighters. Coming from and heading to the Great Lakes. On a choppy day, the waves will soak you. If you're ever in town, plan to spend a day on the waterfront. There is a nice long boardwalk and many wonderful places to sit and skip rocks.         

And last but not least....the place that makes it all possible...

   Dad's work.

 I'll let you Google the mess they're making of the earth. Does it help to know that Brian doesn't really work for P&G? He works in the building, but he works for an independent contractor that provides services for P&G? Oh well...I can tell you I don't use fabric softener...I don't need to ...he comes home fairly permiated.

And that does it for what the kids wanted to share with the world. Check here for the big-un's : http://loveandlaughter.spaces.live.com/

I'm so excited. This winter, I'll be able to sled and skate with the kids in comfort and warmth. Isn't that a great gift??? My very generous mother in law and her husband gave it to me....early, no less!! Brian picked it out.

So I thought I'd take a picture of it:       

Yes, I'm lovely. But you can't really see the coat.

Let me try again:        

Hmm. That's a bit better. Not as 'complete picture' as I would like.

How about this angle?     Yikes.

Brian to the rescue:        There we go.

I should say that it has been ....12 years since I bought a winter jacket worthy of outdoor activity. The year I started college, mom and I bought me a Columbia shell. I figured I'd just layer up underneath....or buy a liner when they went on sale. Well, of course, college life kicked in. After the ski trip and the high wire course went off without a hitch - or a liner - I thought I was good to go. Then there was the trip to England...no liner required. Then I was a poor, starving single person trying to scrape by on a pool-rat's salary...at a not-for-profit workplace!  Yeah. Again, no liner required as I couldn't afford a car so I had to roller blade to and from work every day. Yes, even in the snow. Although I do remember one rainstorm in which I took a cab. Once I got pregnant, I was so darned hot I didn't even want  liner in the silly coat. Then a liner wouldn't fit. Then I had a car! And a baby to feed. Then there was another ski trip on a picture perfect weekend...I wore the shell around my waist down the hills...Then another baby...then a weeny snowsuit to buy every winter. One year it's Kori's turn, the next year, Raiden gets one. No new coat for Mom since the babies arrived. Last winter the zipper broke. Did I mention my lovely red shell has a side zip?? Yes, now go back and read the pregnant roller blading part...I'll wait while you laugh.

So thank you Madeline, G. This Christmas gift is more appreciated than you know. I will wear it well and often. Even if the red shell stays in the closet.