Month: July 2023

The summer of memories has left sand between our toes and the biggest smiles on our faces. I vowed to make this the summer of memories after missing out on the last couple of summers not spending enough time in Canada.  We have a long list of memories to make. I love Canadian summers!

I think I have witnessed the cutest summer moment ever! My heart is so full and my face hurt from the smile watching you son.

Years ago I had the opportunity to attend an outdoor concert event. I went to see The Tragically Hip and at some point, during the festival,  a singer took the stage and his voice gave me goosebumps. His words made me want to sing along I had to learn all the songs. The Trews honestly blew me away and since that day they have made their way onto every playlist I have.

A few years ago my son finally started branching off of listening to only Stompin Tom music and started listening to some of my music. Like me The Trews lyrics spoke to him and he loved to learn the lyrics and sing along. Watching him sing in the car always warms my heart.

He found concert tickets to The Trews literally in our back yard. I had to buy him tickets as they printed off he was so excited. D made me take him early so he wouldn’t miss a moment. We shared dinner as a little picnic on the lawn. I bought him a Trews t-shirt and with the help of some nice people he was able to land a front row spot. He had the best view!

With his flamingo pink hair he was head banging along and singing as loud as he could. Multiple people said how adorable he was and that he was living his best little kid life. He waved at Colin the lead singer when he came out and after a couple songs he leaned down and gave him the guitar pick he was playing with. This act of kindness brought a permanent smile to my sons face. He had tears in his eyes and so did I as we thanked him so much. The rest of the show he held that pick so tight as everyone around him told him how lucky he was.

He held my phone flashlight up high above his head into the crowd,  waved it around,  and nailed every word to his favourite song Highways of Heros. Watching these moments I know I am so lucky to be his mom. The memories we have made together will carry me the rest of my life. I can’t wait for more adventures! Forever singing our hearts out as loud as we can, loosing our voices, and remembering how he picked you! This is a moment of kindness he will remember for the rest of his life.

As we left this concent dripping wet we forgot it was raining we were dancing, singing, and having to much fun. D wanted to call someone high on cloud nine he had to tell the pick story. I knew just the guy we could wake up and who would think it’s the coolest story. My dad a.k.a Papa answered all worried I legit yelled Dad this isn’t a 9-1-1 call D just has a cool story. My dad said he could hear the smile in his voice as he told him the cool pick story. Over the next few days he has told everyone he knows with such excitment how lucky he is.

He told me he is building  a little box to keep this pick safe in. I am only allowed to look at it I am not allowed to touch it. So far this day wins best day of his life!

Thank you for being so kind, for making my sons little kid dreams come true. Remember small acts of kindness can completely change someones life.

Rock on! We are forever Trews fans.

 

Make the best out of each day and out of each situation. On a day that could be stressful choose to be less stressed. I choose to make the best I can out of the day and be grateful.

For the last couple of weeks, I have been feeling sick. I have been missing work and unable to do much. Thankful for my mom who has been keeping my kiddo entertained while I am recovering.

I love my car, but my tires have given me all kinds of problems since I have had this car. I am not blaming my car. I love my car. I drive a lot and so I am sure it’s just the price you pay for the miles and memories that tick by. I just got rid of my tires both summer and winter which had all been patched for a new set and low and behold I need a patch. Once again I have a flat tire leaking. How does this keep happening to me? Over the last 5 years, I have had multiple sets of tires, and the struggles are real. I thought I have a new set of new tires this spring which means a new start well I am only a couple of months in and I had to drag out the gauge and pump and get back to checking. Just when you think you are done it is always something. Keeps me on my toes and I usually learn something along the way. I had my son out helping me he loves this type of help. I am thankful we didn’t have a tire blowout. I have put a lot of miles on this low-looking tire. I am thankful for a low leak where I am able to drive to town to get it fixed. I am thankful to have CAA roadside assistance for anything that does go wrong. I have had to call them quite a few times over the years.

To be clear this is not a blog complaint. I am thankful for my dad who spent 30 years working for a tire company and his discount for tires cannot be touched. I am thankful each and every year to have access to affordable tires that keep me on the road and safe. I am thankful for my brother who came over with a tire pressure gauge when I couldn’t find mine. Thankful prime day discounts I will be buying new ones today. I am thankful for my mechanic who has helped me out of a lot of car troubles as long as I have been driving. If you need a mechanic in the local Kingston area I would give raving reviews to Greg at Johns auto.  I am thankful yet again Greg was able to help me same day. Get back up and on the road. I always appreciate your help! Thank you!!

I think it’s best to make each and every day the best I can. Wise words from a senior I know. Car troubles can always bring about stress but they shouldn’t. I know I am in good hands. I know that all problems have a solution and I am good at problem solving.

What to do once you drop your car off to the garage?

Call your best friend to pick you up for a lunch date. I might be down a tire but I am up a burrito. My stomach is full and my face hurts from smiling. We soaked up some sunshine and sat down by the lake taking in the beautiful sights. On a beautiful summer day im so thankful my best friend is kicking cancers ass and planning a once in a lifetime trip coming this fall.

On a day that could be stressful I choose to look at how lucky I am. I am surrounded by the best people who each and every day I am so thankful are apart of my life. I have the best support crew that I know always have my back. I spend a few minutes each and everyday reflecting on how grateful I am. I am surrounded by love.

 

Let the summertime fun begin. Schools are out for summer! Your huge smile on your face as you ran in the door on the last day of school holding the final report card. Every year the teachers’ comments about you sweet boy bring tears to my eyes. Each and every year you make me so proud. You do such a great job in school. I hope you never lose that wonder to learn. It’s time to start the summertime fun!

Each year at the end of school you pick something fun to do. These summertime trips have been some of my favourite memories. You are such a joy to travel with and you make anything you do fun.

This year you found a cat cafe in Port Hope. Even though you have a cat at home who is needy and will share hot chocolate and baked goodies with you this is what you wanted to do. I am a big believer in making these road trips just the two of us an all-day fun event and since this was already animal-themed I took to google searching all the things around.

I found this interesting place that makes huge sculptures out of recycled materials with lots of animals to be found. Primitive designs we got lost in how cool everything was and we now want a huge sculpture for our home! If you live in this area or want a cool road trip check this out. It was free entry you are encouraged to make a donation and take something home from the multifloor gift shop. It had a little of everthing. D picked out a hedgehog candle holder to add to our dinner table and remind us of this day. I have added a giant flamingo and palm tree to my want list.

We had lunch along the shores of lake Ontario. After lunch he took me on a wonderful walk about before heading to meet the cats.

Toe beans cat cafe was absolutely adorable. They had 37 cats up for adoption. I had a delightful chai latte and D enjoyed a cat butt cookie. I must say this place was spotless and the cats are so loved. Some people come often some people like D would stay forever and if he could he would have adopted all the cats. We booked time tickets I am not sure if they had a time limit because once they saw how amazing D was with cats they just let him have the time of his life. He had all the cats falling in love with him. I sat sipping my latte thinking I love his life. I hope he grows up and does something with animals. He really has a way with animals that is amazing to witness. We stayed at the cat cafe for a long while and even got pins to support the kitties. D wants to go back again if anyone wants to have coffee with cats he is ready to go!

The afternoon I decided to go to a mini goat farm. My mom has 2 goats that were supposed to be mini but turned into full sized goats with horns that hurt. I figured we might see some baby mini goats so off we went to Haute goat farm. D being the animals whisperer he is had all the animals falling in love with him. It might have been the grass he was feeding him or the conversations he always talks to the animals. This farm has Islandic horses who came running over to eat grass and get some pat pats. Gorgeous horses I wish I could have fit one in my car. The farm also had chickens, aplacas, goats and pigs. They also do some disc golf that looked super fun. They have speical events and delicious treats in the screaming goat cafe. D tried goats milk ice cream and gave it raving good reviews. If you want an animals themed day this day did not disappoint our pets might have been slightly mad when we got home and they smelled us but we had a day filled with laughter, fun and smiles.

No trip home is complete without a quick stop for cheesecake and pie and the famous big apple. My entire life my dad always stopped at this tourist destination and every year I looked forward to it. My Opa always stopped for pie too. It is a family tradition I am happy my son also looks forward too. With sugar highs and great first day of summer vacation I cannot wait to see all the things we pack into the best Canadian summer months. Stay tuned for more fun thought the eyes of a 10 year old. Soak up as much summer fun as you can!