Ahoy Matey

Shiver me timbers - has a year passed since the last birthday party? Yup, Corbin had his birthday party today. This years theme: Pirates. Corbin and Jeremy were dressed up in pirate gear - though Jeremy sometimes looked like a little gigolo. The kids at the party are received an eye patch and bandana to wear. The hose was decorated with pirate flags, skulls and dungeons. The games were pirate based - musical chairs became musical islands. The pirates had to find clues in order to unlock the treasure chest. All in all, everyone had lots of fun. Good job Tina.

Go Wild

Back in June, Adam had ordered tickets for various attractions in the Greater Toronto Area (CN Tower, Marineland and African Lion Safari) through the Air Miles program. We used the CN Tower and Marineland tickets during our mini-vacation in July. We were unable to get to African Lion Safari during the summer. Adam suggested that Tina and the boys come up to Brantford and that we could go to African Lion Safari on Saturday or Sunday. The place is close to Brantford - about 20 minutes or so.

Despite the overcast clouds, we decided to head out today. Adam's mom also came and asked if we could stop in at Limeridge Mall in Hamilton before heading back to Brantford. Not a problem. The cool and cloudy weather was blessing in disguise. The animals were much more active which made the trip through the park much more interesting for the boys. We avoided the monkey area, but were able to watch the monkeys jumping on peoples vehicles. The boys saw giraffes, rhinos, lions, zebras, cheetahs and other animals.

We parked and headed out to check the rest of the park. We took a ride on the train, followed by a visit to the elephant pen. Corbin was able to ride an elephant. We checked out the petting zoo and bird displays before heading to the gift shop. The final stop was a boat ride - which both boys enjoyed. We left the park and headed to Hamilton - about 20 minutes - so Adam's mom could pickup a few things from a store. Then it was back to Brantford. Everyone enjoyed the visit to African Lion Safari.

Off To Brantford

The course ended shortly around 1:00 pm, so Mike and Adam headed out to Brantford. Adam enticed Mike with the promise of some excellent fresh french fries or 'chips' from the chip wagon in Brantford. Mike ordered a small and agreed that the fries were excellent. After eating the chips, Mike dropped Adam off at his Mom's and continued on his way back home to Windsor. Just after 6:30 pm, Tina and the boys arrived. They were happy to see their dad and Babcia.

Noise Training

Adam was out of town on training. Mike, a colleague from work, and Adam traveled to Richmond Hill for a five-day course on noise and noise control measures. The course was offered through a noise consultant located in Richmond Hill and was primarily taught by Hazem Gidmay, a well-respected expert in the field of noise control.

Each day began at 9:00 am. The 'class' consisted of three people, Adam, Mike and a lady from Aurora, Isabelle. Coffee and other drinks plus an assortment of pastries were offered throughout the day. Lunch was provided and consisted of walking or traveling to nearby restaurants (including Japanese and Middle Eastern). The class was well taught. There were several outings to understand the operation of sound meters and to collect field information for use in a modeling program. There was a small 'exam' at the end to ensure that we had a grasp of the concepts. The course was excellent. The people were awesome. The food was amazing.

Mike and Adam stayed at a nearby Comfort Inn in Markham at Woodbine and Highway 7. The accomodations were modest. Two double beds, a TV and a spacious clean bathroom - though it did NOT have a fridge. The hotel had an indoor heated pool (though we never got a chance to use it) and provided a complimentary continental breakfast. At $94 a night (government rate), the hotel was reasonably priced and a mere 10 minute drive from our training facility.

Tina and the Boys

Adam is leaving town to travel to Richmond Hill for a week of training - more on that in a future post - so this weekend was all about Adam getting things done around the house. This included cutting the grass - which had grown a fair bit due to plenty of rain - and fertilizing the lawn. It also meant packing clothes and all required amenities. Adam and a colleague from work left Windsor around 3 pm, leaving Tina with the boys. Fortunately she booked the time off she needed and scheduled our respite worker for some additional shifts.

The plan for the end of next week was that Adam's colleague, Mike, would drop Adam off in Brantford and that Tina and the boys would travel up to Brantford on Friday, with the hope of going to African Lion Safari on Saturday.

Labour Day Weekend

Is 'summer' really almost over? Wow? Tina and the boys drove up to Goderich this weekend and Adam stayed behind to get some things done inside and outside the house, with emptying the pool as the number one project. Adam started emptying the pool Friday afternoon. After 4 or so hours, the pool was about half empty - argh, that is way to long. So he found some pipes and the pool drained much faster. He was unable to dry and store the pool due to crappy weather - aka rain.

Corbin finally got a chance to go fishing. Tina's dad took him down to the river to try out his fishing pole. Jeremy liked throwing rocks around but Tina had to take him away from where Corbin was fishing. Alas, Corbin did not catch anything, but he had fun trying. Tina, Jeremy and Corbin returned on Sunday. The rest of the weekend was spent getting school stuff ready for Corbin. Tina and Adam managed to get the pool into the Rubbermaid container. 'Summer' is over.