Friday, February 27, 2026

Senior's Discount!

Last night at Shopper's Drug Mart I was asked if I should have the senior's discount. This morning I still can't get it out of my head. I want to talk about it, discuss it, lament about it, laugh about it, and cry a little too.

The conversation went something like this...

Sales clerk: Do you get the senior's discount?
Me: I don't want to answer that question... How old do you have to be?
Sales clerk: 55
Alice: You're almost 55. Do you have to check for ID?
Sales clerk: If the person looks really young, but I don't have to.
Me: I can't believe we're having this conversation.
Sales clerk: I'm sorry, I'm sorry if I upset you.
Me: You're fine, I'm not upset, it's okay.
Sales clerk: I'll give you the senior's discount, just don't tell anyone.

Happy news, I saved $20 bucks at Shoppers.

I think I've always prided myself on looking younger than I am. These days the chubby cheeks hide wrinkles, but the grey roots, they speak volumes. I didn't have kids young, and my youngest kid knows that and reminds me of that fact in her pleas for me to not die every year when I have a birthday. I know I'm not really old, but I'm certainly not young anymore. I wouldn't trade the experiences that I've had. I love where I am in life right now. But I would, a little bit, trade my creaky knees. 

I don't know why I've had such a hard time with my age. I wish I could flip a switch and just be grateful. And maybe that's just what I need to do. Flip a switch and retrain my brain to think differently. I think I should start working on that, eventually, maybe. I am so grateful for my strong healthy body, and the life I get to lead.

I wish I'd taken selfies last night. But this is me, wrinkles, grey hair and tired eyes!! Glasses on and off for fun lol.




Sunday, February 22, 2026

Alice's 15th Birthday

The pre-birthday Uncle Andrew celebration included a trip to a scary escape room with Katarina. Fun side story, Alice and Katarina were in Senior Kindergarten together at Carruther's Creek. Alice listed Katarina as one of her besties in SK. They were reunited this year - so fun!

Alice really didn't want/need anything this year. All she wanted was to hang out with her friend Leila. She didn't want a party. She hasn't yet picked out a present - she received a few trinkets and a certificate for a present later. 

This morning she and Ken watched a horror film and then went to Bestco to pick up some fun treats and groceries for today and tomorrow.

Alice picked out a cute mousse cake.


Not long after the consumption of the mousse cake, Leila arrived. She brought Alice some make-up products which was really sweet.


Alice wearing one of her new lip glosses - a pic I was supposed to delete!

Cute girls staring at the phone.
The Deep'n'Delicious cake that Alice wanted.

Birthday dinner.

I love this beautiful, curious, creative, smart, witty, funny 15 year old girl of mine. I'm so very grateful to be her Mama.






Saturday, February 21, 2026

The Birthday Questions - Alice - Age 15

1. What is your favourite color?

      Light green or dark green and black

2. What is your favourite toy?

      My phone

3. What is your favourite fruit?

      Peach

4. What is your favourite tv show?

      Movies – Matilda/Big Hero 6/Spiderman Spiderverse movies

5. What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch?

      Ramen, box mac and cheese

6. What is your favourite outfit?

      Something with my black jeans

7. What is your favourite game?

      Cards

8. What is your favourite snack?

      Pringles, chips I guess

9. What is your favourite animal?

      Koala

10. What is your favourite song?

       Backseat Serenade by All Time Low

11. What is your favourite book?

       Good Girls Guide to Murder

12. Who is your best friend?

       Leila or Gemma or Kathy

13. What is your favourite cereal?

        Lucky Charms, I don’t really like cereal

14. What is your favourite thing to do outside?

        Volleyball

15. What is your favourite drink?

        Mountain Dew Zero

16. What is your favourite holiday?

        Christmas

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?

         My sleep mask

18. What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast?

         Rice cake

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday?

         Steak, mashed potatoes and green beans

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?

         Pharmacist or Forensic Scientist

Thursday, February 19, 2026

Alice's Birthday - The Escape Room

Last Sunday when we went to visit Grandma and CJ with Uncle Andrew, Andrew asked Alice what she wanted to do for her birthday. It was then that the idea for an escape room was formed.

Andrew came after school and picked up Alice and Fiona and took them to get Dairy Queen. (Kate had Steel Pan rehearsal, but her DQ was purchased and stored in the freezer.) 

Alice decided to see if her friend Kathy could go - as she likes horror stuff. Alice, Andrew and Ken picked her up and off they went to Trapped in Pickering. The game was called Room 57. They beat the room and it took them 15 minutes less than the allotted time. 

After that they dropped off Kathy - she had a class, and they picked up Kate and the four of them went out for dinner. (Fiona had gymnastics, so that's what Fiona and I were doing.)

Alice had a fun night! Now a side note about her friend Kathy. She and Kathy (Katerina) had music class together last semester. I can't remember exactly when Alice pieced it together, but at some point she figured out that Kathy was her long lost best friend from Kindergarten - the one year that she went to Carruthers Creek P.S. I remember Alice checking her School Days Memory book and seeing the name Katerina. Alice has really enjoyed making new friends in high school. 

Monday, February 16, 2026

Family Day Long Weekend!

Family Day weekend started with a temple date for Ken and I on Friday night. It was a little snowy and blowy on the way there but all was well. We had a very peaceful lovely time at the temple.



Saturday was Valentine's Day. I hadn't finished writing cards for the girls, so I made their cards first thing Saturday morning, and then and left out the gift bags with their Valentine treats. I gave Alice her treats downstairs, but then ended up delivering Kate's and Fiona's to them in bed because Ken and I were going out to walk the dog.


I thought the dog would take us on a longer walk, but he just wanted to do a pooh sticks loop and that was it. 

Someone left a "caution wet surfaces" sign on the frozen creek which made me giggle.

Ken and I wanted to have an outing as a family, so we suggested going to the chickadee trail at Lynde Shores. It's been ages since we've gone. The girls had a lovely time. Ken parked just south of the bird area and walked the dog up to meet us. He missed the fun with the birds. The girls had so much fun with the birds!








On the way home I asked Ken to drop me off near the Butterfly park so Milo and I could walk home. Ken thought Milo had a long enough walk, but I didn't think he did. Milo and I had a fun walk home, and he took me the long way home lol, so I think Milo appreciated the extra walk.

For dinner Ken made a yummy Thai dish that he'd never made before Laab or Larb. We had Laab lettuce wraps and they were very yummy. Ken also fried up the chicken spring rolls from Riz, and Fiona was so so so happy about that.

Kate was invited to her friend Theo's Valentine's Party so she was gone for the night. And wonder of wonders, Ken and I actually ended the day watching a tv show together!

On Sunday, I didn't take any pictures. Sadness! Church was lovely. Singing time was lovely. We started working on the song "Choose to Serve the Lord" and the kids sounded great. After church I got set apart as the ward organist. I wanted to be set apart with the proper "right and privileges" and it felt really good for that to happen. After church Alice and Fiona had a class presidency training meeting with the Stake YWs president. After that we went to visit my Mom and CJ. Andrew came too so that was nice. After that we went home, I walked the dog and we had the missionaries over for dinner. Ken made a yummy dinner of kofta, salad and rice pilaf. Everything on Sunday felt calmer because we all knew that Monday was a holiday!

That leaves today, Monday, Family Day! I just love Family Day. I love that we get a random Monday in February off, and the whole idea is to just spend time with your family. Ken and I walked the dog this morning and then we had a family trip to the Durham Escape Rooms, our tradition for the past four years now? Or this was our fourth time going? Or something like that!




We didn't win. I'm rolling my eyes as I type that because it's silly that I'm so bugged we didn't win. I think it's because the first two years we went, we beat the room, and then last year and this year, we did not. We did get extra time and extra hints for this, and then figured it out... and we had fun working together to solve it. It was a win in that sense of course. 

After that we went out to the far edge of Oshawa to have gluten free fish and chips and chicken fingers. Ken had heard about this place "Schooner's" a while back but we didn't make it out there until today. I think I would have liked it if my food was half the size! Everyone enjoyed their food though, so that was good.

We had a lazy/sleepy afternoon, and then Ken and I took the dog for another walk. I wanted to go over just past Veteran's Point, so we did.
When Ken and I came back from walking the dogs all of the girls were just kind of hanging about together. Alice with the dog, Fiona curtained on the bench and Kate doing homework. It was kind of cute and sweet.




We ended the weekend by watching the movie Babe together. It made my heart happy. Yay for long weekends, for Valentine's Day, for church, for snoring dogs, for an adoring husband and my amazing girls. 

Thursday, February 05, 2026

The Opera

Before Christmas, Andrew asked me if he should get tickets for Kate, me and him to go see the Barber of Seville. I said YES!!!

Tonight's performance was just joy. The orchestra played O Canada to begin and it still fills my heart and eyes! The overture is amazing, and the rest of the opera is just silly fun. The performances were amazing. The costumes and staging was amazing. I do not think there was one thing that I would change. Our tickets were great, the company was great. AND fun fact, Suzanne's really close high school friend Neesa was one of the actors in the show playing the "old lady". At the curtain call she looked up to us, and at intermission she sent me a fun backstage pic.









Neesa is wearing the maroon dress and the funny cone hat. She got to sit on a bench eating and drinking and giggling for the first half of the show.
Quick "fun" after the show story. Kate and I headed to the train thinking we would take the 11:20 pm train home, except there was no 11:20 pm train because of the derailment earlier in the week. Instead the next train wasn't until 11:50 pm - I hadn't realized this. I phoned Ken; and sweet, amazing, wonderful Ken met us at Kennedy station and drove us home. We got home around 12:20 instead of what would have been 1:00 am. (I'm posting this as dated for Thursday night because we saw the show Thursday night, which was opening night, but we weren't home by 11:59pm.) 

I'm so grateful for an awesome brother/uncle. I'm thankful for a supportive husband. And I'm so thankful to live close enough to Toronto to be able to participate in these amazing arts events. I'm so thankful for beautiful music!