Litter Reunion

It's too bad we missed several former players but the Litter Reunion on Saturday was quite fun.

Here are my pictures in no particular order. Sorry I didn't get everyone and the ones I got of some people are pretty poor (my fault - not the subject's!). Ah well. Anyway, print-quality versions are posted at: http://picasaweb.google.com/dion.lew

This just in...

Jaclyn tells me that a $75 purchase at Shopper's Drugmart this weekend earns you two Cineplex movie tickets.

rolling over and photos

Adam has been rolling over front-to-back for a couple of weeks now but today he rolled back-to-front. Good stuff!

Dion and Adam Caught on Film

airplane!

The bug is in better focus than the boys but I don't care!

doin' what they does best

We were all TUCkered after the midseason tournament. Sorry.

boot to the head

Just Adam
There were so many good ones from this "roll of film" that I could hardly choose which ones to post. All these and more at http://picasaweb.google.com/dion.lew

Got it! My feet are an obsession of mine.

I do enjoy my airplane rides.


eyes clearing turning brown

christening and the Ottawa folks

Adam's baptism was a really lovely ceremony. Adam is the first of the third generation of Fletcher-Patersons to be baptised at McLeod-Stewarton United Church and the first of the fifth generation to wear the christening gown made entirely by hand by my grandmother's grandmother. Unfortunately, we had to unstitch some gathers at the wrist so that the gown would fit on the eating machine. I really liked the minister and Adam was absolutely angelic. He actually slept through the entire ceremony. I think he noticed it but he didn't deem it worth opening his eyes when the water touched his forehead.

My cousin Jennifer and I are starting to look more like the "Hobbsey Twins" we liked to call ourselves when we were children.


CUTE! Adam, Mackenzie (4 years), and Keira (13 months). The girls are daughters of my long-time friend, Doug, and his wife, Melanie. You should have seen Keira have an absolute fit when her mother held Adam in _her_ lap.


My Aunt Bev knows a thing or two about babies. Adam looks very cozy in her arms.


Granddad makes a pretty cozy bed also.


Adam loves stripes so he must have been rather happy here with my cousin, Bruce.


Uncle Ian trying to be as cute as Adam. A nice try, Ian, but it can't be done.


Adam and Greatauntie Joan in the nursery.


Adam and Greatauntie Jean in the nursery.


Adam, Mackenzie, and Doug in the nursery.


Dion looks awfully happy considering his son is wearing a dress.

These pics and more at http://picasaweb.google.com/dion.lew. Sorry, either I took no photo or no photo turned out well for the other people who attended the christening. :(

photos

1 - reading and reaching

A reader already! But there's a lot in this photo. That stretchie (aka snug sleeper) was purchased as part of 3 for $25 in Denver. I saw it in Yorkdale today for 3 for $40. US and Can dollars are nearly equal these days. And that sleeper is labelled 6 to 9 months! It's hard to tell here but he is reaching for the book. Since Sunday, his swipes have turned into definite reaches. That towel is rolled up next to him to keep him from sleeping on the flat side of his head, that is, the right side. I don't know if Adam has a favourite book but I've had I Kissed the Baby memorised for a long time now.

2 - playing and reaching
Adam isn't afraid of his toys anymore.


3 - eating and reaching
This morning, I had to give Adam something to look at so that he would stop craning his head around and start to eat. The wall behind me is blank. This is one of his old "toys" (crayoned shapes on foolscap) tucked between my arm and ribs. I have a much better photo and although it is perfectly PG, it shows just a little too much of me for me to post it on my blog. This one hides everything but my shoulder.


4 - reaching and sleeping
He had turned those pages by himself. Probably by accident but by himself nonetheless.


a glam shot. I admit that this one is staged with a light outfit and background to make him stand out more.


Do you think no one knows I have no teeth?


I'm cute and I know it.


Kristin's tales of antics and capers aren't entertaining enough to keep me awake.


Serious poses everyone.
Tiffany, this is Adam.


Content poses everyone.
Adam, this is Tiffany.


O man. He will be rolling over before we're ready.


The Carancis had this made for Adam by one of their own. It is lovely and it gets lots of use.


She knows what she's doing, right? right?!
I love it when he wrinkles his forhead. He can even do one side at a time.


Canada Day with Dad at Poh-Poh and Gung-Gung's house.


In about a month, I'll be allowed to face forward in the Snugli. I'll get more out of the piano lessons then.


But for now, looking at Dad is just what I want anyway.

These photos and a few more are available in print quality at http://picasaweb.google.com/dion.lew

back from Denver and unburdened of clothes

Dion, Adam, and I were in Denver last week for the Barbershop Harmony Society International Convention. Dion's chorus, the Toronto Northern Lights, finished fourth. Dion claims he is pleased in small part because he has already earned one fifth, one third, and five second place metals. First wasn't in the works. Westminster is just that good. The Northern Lights, and by extension we, will not be attending the convention next year because the chorus is doing a trip to the UK in May.

Adam did extremely well travelling. amazingly well really. almost never cried - not even on the plane. pooped through many diapers though. I think we should go up to size three diapers, since he's getting to the top of the size two range. Since we were taking so much more stuff than usual (gee, I wonder why?), I left the camera at home. If anyone has digital images of us, please email or post them. It would be much appreciated.

On the Saturday night before we left, we discovered moths in our apartment. And so, we spent the entire day on Sunday and Monday cleaning the affected areas, shampooing rugs, and doing laundry, laundry, and more laundry. We washed almost every piece of fabric in the apartment. To cut down on the laundry, we threw out a bunch of clothes and bedding. I think it was 5 green garbage bags full. We've always had too many clothes. It made puting the laundry away difficult. In fact, laundry hardly ever got put away. It used to sit in piles and in baskets that we'd shuffle through over and over again. We didn't just restrict ourselves to keeping clothes that we have worn recently but to clothes that we enjoy wearing. It was very liberating and I expect that it will make laundry a less daunting task.

The empty hanger pile when the purge was half over.

But seriously guys, if you wash everything, this is going to take forever!

astonishing

This article reports that homocide is the 2nd greatest cause of death of pregnant women. It is the cause in 31% of deaths of pregnant women. Pregnancy-related complications are first. I had heard (on Oprah) before that homocide is first. Whatever. It's probably pretty close for first and second since car accidents and suicide are pretty high up for non-pregnant women.

I really wish it became standard practice to report absolute risk in such articles. Michael Evans wrote an article about that in the Globe not that long ago. I can't link to it because the Globe's website is very miserly about letting you read the Globe online without registering or paying or something.

Ch-ch-ch-changes....

I admit it, I stole the title from Kevin. Friday, I accepted an offer for a new teaching position at Jarvis Collegiate. I'll be teaching three sections of Gr. 9 Math starting in September. It's a half time (mornings) timetable.

The previous Friday at 10 am, I logged into the board network and checked the postings - really just out of curiosity. Was AY posting any? Which subject areas seemed to be posted most often? that type of thing. But I spied the o.5-time Math/Physics posting at Jarvis. I mentioned it to Dion, who was very clear: "Do it!" How could I not apply? I called Sai (my department head.) "Uh, Sai. There's a posting at Jarvis."
"Damn you! I'll be your reference."

The deadline was noon that day, so Dion took the morning off to take care of Adam while I focussed on putting together my resume and cover letter. Well, I interviewed Monday morning and it went quite well. In my own mind I messed up one question but the post-interview chat was good. I got a feeling that I would like working with this principal and department head. Having sat in on interviewing for my mat-leave substitute at AY was a learning experience. I realised that if they've ruled you out, there is no post-interview chat. People are just too busy. They'd let me know Friday probably, Monday at the latest.

Wednesday afternoon, I got a big hint that I was the candidate. Someone at the board office called, asking me to put it in writing that I understood the implications of going to 0.5 full-time-equivalent status.
"Isn't this premature? I haven't even been offered the position."
"Uh. We just need to know."
The principals have to forward the name of their preferred candidate to the board before offering the position.

So last week was very anxious for me. I had been planning to return to work in February, not September. Adam won't even be 5 months old. OMG childcare! It's a jungle out there to find any childcare. AY is a great school, with model students and a fun, talented, and supportive staff. I must need my head examined. No one leaves "the country club," as the Als call it. It's a half time position. There's no guarantee that I'll be able to go back full time at Jarvis when I want to. My retirement gets delayed.

But despite all that, I knew that this would be the right move. Jarvis is an exciting school. Half-time, 5 minutes on foot from our home works so much better for Adam and by extension our family. Dion's mom, aka Poh-poh, expressed some interest in doing some childcare (who knew!?). Dion could change the start and/or duration of his leave, which he had planned for maybe Jan/Feb/Mar. All of this shifted through my mind and by Thursday night, I was trying not to get my hopes up.

Friday, AY science staff had an end-of-year lunch out at Jane's farm North of Uxbridge. It was a gorgeous day and a beautiful setting. Jane's horses were really interested in Adam. I think it was the fragrance in the diapers. And the phone call came while I was there. Of course, I accepted. Sai got on the phone immediately with our principal to talk about what to do with my position at AY. Sai might have a coronary at the ripe old age of 28 (I think he's 28.) Glad it's them not me. Positions of responsibility - too much responsibility!

My new department head has already been in touch with me electronically. We'll be teaching the 9 Applied together. I love a department head who teaches Gr. 9 Applied.

this weekend

This was a beautiful weekend to be outside playing ultimate. Maybe a tad warm. We were also able to enjoy the weekend with Dion's parents (Happy Father's Day, Gandalf!), who were able to enjoy some time with Adam in the shade while we sweated it out on the field. Adam was finally awake for some quality time with Poh-poh. She's been waiting eagerly for that, I think. He cooed for her and I'm sure he showered her with smiles, too.

Play Anything had lots of fun. Here are some shots taken by Amanda Osmond (or at the least with her camera). She posted more at http://picasaweb.google.com/amanda.osmond

Dion's pretending to be short or tired.

Unfortunately, I end up marking much more often than I would like. At least the practice has made me pretty effective at it. I'm also pretty good at calling a switch. :)


I'm looking long. I doubt I did it though.


#1 Fan


Who's the goof in long pants and a floppy hat?

I get a lot of questions about the pants. I feel cooler in them, thermally cooler, that is. They are really lightweight, they keep the sun off, wick sweat away, and dry in a flash. Furthermore, my legs are pasty white. It's not vanity to cover them but laziness and parsimony. Who wants to spend all that time and money for sunblock? And I don't care how stupid that hat looks. It stays on really well and does everything for me that the pants do. This is the first full-sun weekend in my life that didn't end in a sunburn on the face and/or neck. I've played in visors before but they just don't do as good a job.

Adam's growth

It's no wonder that all I want to do is eat.

0 months	1 month	2 months
20.5 in 75th pctile		24 in 85th pctile
7lb 1oz 25th pctile	9lb 11oz 50th pctile	13lb 4oz 84th pctile

Percentiles obtained from http://www.mybirthcare.com/favorites/babygrowthchart.asp

The bassinet is only rated to 17.5 pounds; so, we'll have to assemble his crib before we know it.

Good Morning!