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David and I spent the week in relatively peaceful co-existence. I went to work while he usually slept in until the late morning, then got up and lazed around until I arrived home and made him dinner. In the evening he had soccer practices and also refereed some games on Tuesday and Wednesday. I found myself snowed under at work, so I spent the evenings that I was not coaching soccer trying to catch up.
Back in Sarnia, Wednesday was an important day for James: he turned eight. The day started with Eggs Benedict for breakfast and present opening. That was followed by a swim in the lake and his birthday lunch: marinated flank steak, Caesar salad, fruit salad, watermelon and a quintuple-chocolate cake in the shape of an eight (menu chosen by James). After lunch there was the Treasure Hunt in which all the cousins (James, Emily, Hannah, John, Liz and Jamilah — helped by Katy) followed clues all over the immediate neighbourhood (hidden by cousin Michael) until they found an anagram puzzle directing them to the treasure: candy and knick-knacks for eight.
After the Treasure Hunt it was time to begin the long drive back home. The van was packed and Ann and Katy drove as far as Brampton to stop off at Martha's for the night. They started again at 6:30 AM the next morning, trying to skirt Toronto before the traffic got too bad (they probably should have left at 5:30). The day ended up in Rivière du Loup at about 8 PM, after a small unintended detour into Quebec City thanks to a Macdonald's truck that obscured the road signs on the highway (Katy decided to boycott Macdonald's for the rest of the trip -- not hard for her as we only go there for breakfast and she doesn't like their eggs). They left the next morning at 7 AM and arrived home at about dinner time.
David had soccer games on both Saturday and Sunday. In the first, against Cole Harbour, David got the first goal in a 2-0 victory. Today they played Halifax County, winning again 2-1, but without much help from the referee who seemed to be calling everything against them.
Immediately after his game, Ann, James and I drove David to Acadia in Wolfville where he will be attending a guitar camp for the next week. After dropping him off, Ann, James and I stopped for a pleasant dinner before drving home again.
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Just after I posted the last Web page, at about 5 PM on July 2, we all piled into the van and headed for Ontario. That day we got as far as Fredericton, passing by some nice sunsets over the St. John river along the way. The next day took us as far as Drummondville, Quebec, where we dealt with the heat with the help of the hotel swimming pool. On Tuesday we passed through Montreal and on to Aurora, where my parents and brother Simon live. Unfortunately Katy picked up some stomach bug (probably food poisoning) and we had to make several unscheduled stops along the way. Luckily it passed quickly and she felt fine by the time we arrived.
After installing ourselves in Mum and Dad's basement, we spent the next few days relaxing, helping to prepare for the anniversary party (more on that below) and swimming in Simon's pool (especially popular with Emily and James). At the end of the week Katy was kidnapped by her cousins Nicky and Kris, respectively one year older and one year younger than her, and we barely saw her for a couple of days.
On Sunday there was a party to celebrate Mum and Dad's 60th wedding anniversary. It was actually on February 24 but the party was deferred until now in the expectation of nicer weather. Indeed the weather was glorious. My other brother, Nick, and his family drove down from Titchborn (north of Kingston), so the whole family and all grandchildren were there. As well Mum and Dad's friends Denise and John, Mum's childhood friend, Sheila, and Ann's sister, Martha, and her family were invited. There was plenty of great stuff to eat, a speech by Dad, champagne and a toast by Simon before it broke up midway through the evening.
On Tuesday we packed up again and drove to Martha's in Brampton for the night. Ann's parents drove up from Sarnia to meet us. Then on Wednesday, David and I flew back home from Hamilton so that David could meet his soccer commitments and so that I could prepare for a conference that I am attending at the end of July. Ann, Katy, Emily and James headed to Sarnia where they will stay until Wednesday, planning to get back here by the weekend.
David and I have been lying low, for the most part, since returning home. He has gone to his soccer practices and picked up four refereeing games on Saturday from a Dartmouth United tournament. I didn't feel too well on Friday, so I loafed around most of the day, but yesterday and today I scraped and primed the trim at the front of the house. I hope to get it painted one evening this week if it stays dry.
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On Tuesday afternoon Ann and I drove Emily and James to Camp Kidston for a four-day stay. We were so excited about having the house almost to ourselves that we nearly forgot that we had been invited to Carl and Roxanne's to see their pictures from last summer's cross-continent trip. We showed up a little late, but still managed to see from Oregon back home again.
On Friday, Canada Day, the Dave Brothers Band had a gig at the Cole Harbour Heritage Farm Museum. We played in a barn with background vocals by an assortment of sheep and roosters. An enthusiastic crowd showed up despite the weather, which was damp and cold enough to make our fingers somewhat less nimble than usual.
On Saturday Ann and I returned to Camp Kidston to pick up Emily and James. They had had lots of fun at camp and didn't seem to mind being away from home at all. There was a short presentation in which each group of kids displayed some aspect of camp life, then some treats before the drive home.
David had three soccer games scheduled between Thursday and Sunday, but the first two were cancelled due to poor weather. On Sunday they played Dunbrack, the top team in the league, and lost 6-1.
June 2005 Archive
August 2005 Archive
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