finally...an update

my laptop is finally back up and running...which means I am back to the blogging world. I have been away for too long.
Update...well my house got rearranged in the fact that my sewing/craft room in the basement was emptied out to make room for my aunt to move in and so I have had to downsize my stuff and make it all fit into a little corner space in 1/3 of the basement sitting room. Also I moved my tv to the basement. I just found that it was sucking up too much of my life and CO was becoming so attached to it that he was having temper tantrums if I wouldn't let him watch it. In the basement it is out of sight and out of mind. He still does watch tv. But just mostly on weekends when he is being babysat by my parents. I do set the PVR to tape the occasional episode of Curious George for him to watch. But on the most part he is just under 3 years of age...he doesn't need to be watching tv. And in all seriousness...who does?  Since I moved the tv down, I have found more time for reading, etc. Which is great. Now I just need to find the energy to do some housework in the evenings. More often than not I am tempted to just curl up with a book after CO is asleep and then crawl into my bed.
This summer has been BUSY! I have my niece M on and off through the summer. I have taken hundreds of photos (that I have yet to edit as I lost photoshop when my laptop crashed...and have to wait until the end of August for my FIL to reload it for me)
Last weekend I worked my friday night and then I went home and loaded CO and my sister up and we headed to Orangeville for a China friends BBQ. It was great to see some old friends and to meet their new little ones. I also spent the next couple of days getting together with some old friends. Then we (now M too) packed up and headed to my friend's trailer where we spent less than 24 hours but FILLED our time with beaches, water slides, boating, fishing, etc. I am going to try to upload a video from my flip camera this week if I can. I took some video of the kids going down the water slides. After leaving the trailer, we headed to the cottage (which I am trying to spend much time at this summer as I have taken over my family's portion of the taxes and in all reality it is a GREAT place to spend time with. There is a pool, parks and space for CO to ride his bike around) We swam and swam and swam at the cottage. We also slept well at night! :) I like taking my sister up there as she is a little more social. At home she tends to just hang out in her bedroom listening to the radio.
Upcoming summer plans....well we still have our yearly visit to China Town, we are going to take the train to Ottawa for a couple of weeks at the end of August, my aunt & uncle are coming up and I am hoping to get them to join us for a couple of adventures (centreville, a zoo, etc.) the kind that are just too stretching to take a 16, 11 and almost 3 year old by myself.
I was going to start a vegetable garden this year but in all reality, I'd rather have the summer that we are having without having to be tied down to weeding and watering the garden. Maybe in a couple of years I'll plant a couple of vegetables with CO. I am even tempted to run over the flowerbed with the lawnmower. I attacked it at the beginning of the season but I should have mulched it as it is just crazy with weeds right now. My aunt may have a small heart attack when she sees it this week (she has a big green thumb. her yard at home is practically 99% flowerbeds)
I have been researching a lot these days about the different possibilities for CO's future education. I know he is only 2 (almost 3) but in all honesty I don't think public school is for us. I have found a bunch of book lists online that are for children his age and we have been LOVING spending lots of time just reading together. It is so nice to be able to read him short stories these days instead of just simple board books. He is loving stories like Mike Mulligan and From Head to Toe. I think it is great that I can read stories with repetitive lines that he is picking up and chiming in. I want him to grow up to love literature. I am also challenging myself to read more classics and biography type books that are based on people's adventures and challenges rather than fiction that are easy reads and not much of a challenge or learning experience.
In the Spring I read Not Without My Sister which was about three sisters that were raised in a cult. I found this book very fascinating, some parts disturbing, yet amazed that this happened in MY lifetime.  In July I finished Oliver Twist which I absolutely LOVED! I have never read it before and I love the musical based on the book.  Currently I am reading I Will Carry You which is by a lady whose blog I have been following on and off for the last couple of years and The Lake Erie Shore which I am not far into, but am hoping to get farther along soon. I am struggling to get past all his facts of millions of millennia, etc. as I am not one that believes that the world is that old. It isn't really something that is up for debate I just don't personally believe that the world is millions of years old. I have my 2010 book list in a book at home and am hoping to add to my list to this blog sometime this week. (I am currently at work).
This summer I also decided that I wanted to take up drawing. If I am going to homeschool one day I want to be able to at least know some of the basics when I teach CO art one day. I am quite impressed with my meager attempts thus far. I have probably spent TOO much time at this and I should head back to work (though everyone is asleep and not needing me so I should probably try to catch a couple of Z's myself)