Jeremy Is Having Way Too Much Fun

Tina and I talked with Jeremy yesterday - our third conversation with him since leaving him with my mom.

He is hilarious on the phone. He sounds like he is 10-years old. He has been going to park and playing with the kids their. Tag. Rounders. Even some pretend gun game with some older boys.

If you know Jeremy, you know that he can be friends with anyone. He loves to play.

He has been to McDonalds. He has been to the International Villages. He has been to Ivey's house next door. He has been to the other neighbour next door (they have a Wii). He has been playing in the pool. He even went to some place that has inflatable castles and slides.

Babcia spoils him.

He does miss us, his house, his room, his toys and his guinea pig, but seems content in hanging out with Babcia and Grandpa.

During a previous phone call, he pretended to be Babcia saying "Hi, this is Babcia" is a high pitched voiced. Today, he had fun joking about things he could paint in his room (I intend to paint his room this fall instead of during the summer).

We miss you buddy.

Posted by Adam

Childless, Finally

After Jeremy's soccer game Saturday morning we headed to Brantford for our annual "drop Corbin off at Camp Winston" weekend.

Corbin has been looking forward to Camp Winston for about two weeks now. How do we know? He talks about things he did at last year's camp.

We arrived late Saturday afternoon. Jeremy wanted to know if Ivey, the girl from next door was home. My mom said Ivey would be back Sunday. Corbin went straight into playing mode. We had perogies for supper.

On Sunday, Babcia joined us for our trek up to Sparrow Lake. The drive up was uneventful. Exactly one hour from Brantford to the 400/407 interchange (well worth the 10 dollar or so toll). In Orrillia, we stopped for late lunch at Boston Pizza. We arrived at Camp Winston at 2:20 pm.

Corbin immediately wanted to go fishing. Sorry buddy but here is your sleeping bag and your ruck sack. Headed over to Cabin 4 where Corbin showed us his version of unpacking - shoving the ruck sack into the bottom shelf. Okay.

Next, Corbin gave Babcia a tour of the camp under the watchful eye of Kerri, a camp counsellor. Tina headed over to unload the meds and I hung with Jeremy as he played.

About an hour later, we said our goodbyes and headed back to Brantford. Tina drove this segment. Traffic was much heavier due to all the Canada Day vacationers/cottagers returning to the Greater Toronto Area.

We had a quick bite to eat, gave Jeremy hugs and kisses and headed back to Windsor childless. The ride back was quiet - no kids saying they are hungry or need to go pee. What an whirlwind weekend.

Posted by Adam

Schools Out For Summer

Corbin and Jeremy had their last day of school today. For Corbin that meant finishing Grade 5 and for Jeremy it meant he would be in Grade 1 come September.

Both boys seemed to enjoy school this year. Corbin played on the junior Basketball and Soccer teams. Academically, Corbin had a successful year. His reading is coming along and he seems to learning something. Jeremy had some difficulties, partially a result of vision issues, issues that we hope will correct themselves with glasses.

We have no idea who their teachers will be for 2009/2010. Several teachers and educational assistants have transferred to other schools. Lets hope they are willing to work with us.

Posted by Adam

Soccer Update

With a couple of games in the bag, it's time to recap the soccer season.

First, Jeremy and Corbin are still interested in playing soccer. Hooray. Will see how that interest holds up in the hot weather. Both boys will miss about two weeks worth of soccer due to camp, but I think that will give them a much needed break.

Second, both boys are improving their skills. Jeremy is getting better at throwing the ball in and dribbling it. He needs to work on tighter turns and hanging around in his territory. His coach is impressed with the improvement in his listening skills.

Corbin is becoming a strong defender. He is learning how to take the ball from an opponent and how to block kicks.

I'm hoping that the kids want to play soccer for the next few years. It keeps them busy and it forces Tina and I out of the house.

Posted by Adam

Point Pelee And Back

Who knew that it takes an hour to get to Point Pelee National Park from Windsor?

Corbin spent the day at Cubs camp at Point Pelee (though the camp was an overnight camp, Corbin went for the day only). Tina drove out in the morning.

I was to pick him it up at 3:00 pm. On Tina's advice, Jeremy and I left Windsor at 2:00 pm. Wow that was a long drive. The Shriner's parade in Leamington did not help. The main road was blocked off at the Heinz plant, so (and other drivers) decided to go around the Heinz plant. But guess who was their - the damn Shriner's. Did a U-turn and got back to the main road, which was open at this point.

Arrived at bug-infested Point Pelee just after three in the afternoon. Walked over to the camp and Corbin was doing an activity with his pack. A few of the Leaders were sitting down and said that Corbin had a great time and they had no problems with him. That was good to hear.

The transition home went smoothly. Corbin gathered his back pack and bike and headed to the van.

We stopped at the Dairy Freez in Northridge for some ice cream. Back in Windsor we did a quick stop at Rogers Video to rent some games for the PS2 (the PS2 section is getting smaller by the week - might be time to upgrade).

It was a tiring but uneventful afternoon.

Posted by Adam

Gooooooooooal!

Jeremy had a soccer game today. Drove out to the Vollmer complex in LaSalle, walked over to the pitch and setup my chair.

Today, Jeremy played defence, forward and goalkeeper. He is getting much better at dribbling with the ball. While in net, he stopped a few shots and made a valiant effort to stop a penalty kick (he did pick the right side though).

On forward, Jeremy actually took the ball to the net and scored. At first, it didn't appear he scored but then every one was walking to the centre of the pitch, so he scored. Yeah Jeremy. He was very excited.

Good game and the kids are starting to get a hang of things.

Posted by Adam

Easter In Brantford 2009 Edition

Travelled to Brantford for the Easter weekend.

Headed up on Friday in the new Montana SV6 aka Tina's van. Plenty of cops along the way but travelling at under 120 kph seemed to be okay. The boys watched movies on their DVD players, I played games on my Nintendo DS and Tina drove the whole way.

The next two and a half days were okay for the most part. The boys got their Babcia time. Tina and I managed some time alone, but not as much as we planned for.

Saturday morning we headed to church for the blessing of Easter basket. Jeremy was grumpy but managed to make it through the 15-minute ceremony. Next it was to the cemetery where my mom planted a flower at my father's grave.

While my mom was praying, Jeremy asked some questions about my dad. Yes, he is dead and this is where his buried. Then, with a straight face, Jeremy asked if the purse and plastic bag hanging off the cross were my dad's. We tried to contain our laughter. My mom had to walk away to avoid bursting out loud. I explained to Jeremy that that was Babcia's purse. "Oh" he said. I'm sure my dad was chuckling too.

Next, we did some quick shopping at Sears - seems that the whole Szymczak family needed new socks - "Sock Crisis 2009" - followed by a very short trip to Future Shop.

Tina and I went out later to get some things from Shopper's Drug Mart for my mom and took a drive around Brantford. Supper was excellent as usual - not many leftovers. The boys played and played and played.

Sunday was much the same. We headed back to Windsor after dinner. I drove back. Traffic was usual and no police this time. A good time had by all.

Posted by Adam

Karate Update

Corbin has been in the intermediate class for a couple of months. Fewer kids but more demanding.

Sensei finally gave Corbin his certificate and removed a yellow band from his belt. Woo hoo.

Corbin needs to concentrate on improving and moving up in class rather than tangling with another boy. Mom and I know you can do it Corb.

Jeremy is excited about beginning karate classes. We may sign him up in September.

Posted by Adam

A Wet Christmas in Brantford

After the boys opened their Santa presents and we (including Guinea) all emptied our stockings, we packed the van and head down the 401 and 403 to spend a few days with Babcia and Grandpa in Brantford.

The drive was uneventful. Next to no trucks but lots of cars. No police to be seen.

We had a wonderful turkey dinner and then we opened presents. Babcia naturally had presents for everyone - even Tina and myself. The boys opened their presents with eagerness and excitement.

Corbin loved the new WWE Smackdown Vs Raw DS game and Jeremy loved his Hot Wheels 10 in 1 racing track and Kung Fu Panda DS game.

Babcia was amazed with her Samsug Q1 mp3 player and Grandpa quickly stowed his Tim Hortons Gift Card.

On Friday, Tina and I headed out for some browsing and shopping (Jeremy's race track needed batteries - doh). The stores did not seem that busy. The Christmas section at Canadian Tire was full of stock - there were plenty of lights. I don't think retailers did that well this year. We maximized our time away from the boys, returning after a three hour trip.

Saturday was "Babcia and Jeremy Day". We drove over to Walmart so that Jeremy could pick out his birthday presents from Babcia. Corbin and I checked out the electronic section. We didn't spend too much time at Walmart.

Then we headed over to Future Shop to look for a DVD Jeremy wanted. While the store was busy, we were able to find everything we wanted. I suggested to my mom that she pay at the digital camera counter, thereby avoiding the long line at the front of the store. My mom appreciated that.

The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing watching TV, playing games or just hanging out. Jeremy chose Boston Pizza (after some campaigning on my part) for his Birthday supper. Corbin, Tina and I split a Great White North Pizza, Jeremy had the grilled cheese, Alex had the Ribber and Babcia had the Chicken Parm. After dinner, the staff came out and sang happy birthday to Jeremy and gave him a desert. He seemed to enjoy himself.

After a quick breakfast Sunday, we packed up and headed back to Windsor. The drive was okay save for the winds. The van was not driving in a straight line.

Our four Christmases went well this year. No one went to the hospital and the outbursts and breakdowns were minimal. Woo hoo.

Posted by Adam

A Snowy and Cold Christmas in Goderich

Despite "Snowagedden", we managed to make it up Goderich with no issues.

We left around 7 pm, stopping for gasoline at the Pilot in Tilbury and a food and bathroom break in Watford. The roads were, for the most part, clear. The worst part was Highway 21 between Grand Bend and Port Franks - the road was not that well cleared.

Arriving at Bev & Gerry's house, we put Jeremy on the couch to fall back asleep and unpacked the van. It was cold. Really cold.

The next morning, Tina and I went out for breakfast. After that I went out looking for a snowblower (none to be had).

As some point, Corbin had dropped his Nintendo DS and broken the case. It still worked. Tina and I told Corbin he had to be much more careful and that he will pay for his replacement. I knew that most of the stores in Windsor were out of the DS, so Corbin and I drove over to Walmart and they had one left. I purchased it but I didn't let Corbin play with it.

I patched up the 'old' DS with some electrical tape and gave it to Jeremy to play with.

Teegan and Madigan came over and the four kids played and played and played. They went outside at one point, but that did not last long.

Late afternoon, Chris and Lisa came over and we opened presents. Then we had a wonderful roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy. Yummy. We let the food digest and packed the van.

We left Goderich around 6:00 pm and arrived back in Windsor around 9:20 pm.

A nice Christmas in Goderich.

Posted by Adam

Guess Who Is Really Sick

After almost nine months of being relatively sick-free, Jeremy is sick. Started on the weekend with what Tina believes was a flu.

It has evolved into full blown cold that includes a wicked ear infection and a continuously runny nose. His throat hurt for a while - or in Jeremy's words: "It hurts when I gobble".

He slept with Tina in one of the chairs in the living room to relieve some of the pain in the ear. He looks pale and sick today. Hopefully the germs are losing the battle and today is the beginning of the end.

Corbin didn't look good this morning. We will see in a few days.

Posted by Adam

Windsor-Brantford Courier Service

I promised my mother that I would deliver her large purchases from Bronner's in two weeks. Two weeks happened to be this weekend.

Jeremy and I left early Friday afternoon (it was a PD day at school). We arrived in Brantford around 4:00 PM. Jeremy was very excited and wanted to play with Babcia right away. However, she was preparing dinner - pork cutlets and mashed potatoes - and told Jeremy that she would play with him after dinner. Supper was excellent.

Jeremy and Babcia played all evening.

Saturday morning, Babcia, Jeremy and myself headed out to find Jeremy a winter coat. At Bonnie Togs, Jeremy picked out his coat (that came with matching snow pants). The size 5 seemed a little to tight, so we settled for a size 6. Babcia also bought Jeremy two shirts, socks, and some mitts. Did some more shopping at Shoppers and headed back home.

It was a strange weather day. Sunny. Cloudy. Rainy. Repeat. Jeremy and Babcia managed some outside time. Jeremy was looking for his friend, Ivey (next door neighbour's daughter). I watched Planet Earth on my mom's 32-inch LCD TV. I was blow away.

Sunday was more of the same. Eat. Play. Relax. Can't complain.

The drive back to Windsor was uneventful. Stopped at Wendy's in London for a quick supper and managed to miss the rain/snow showers. Got some cheaper gas at the Pilot in Tilbury before.

Jeremy and I enjoyed our weekend.

Posted by Adam

Extracurricular Activities

Our boys need to be kept busy otherwise they mope and ask "what is there to do?"

This fall Tina signed up Jeremy for gymnastics and swimming lessons, both in the morning on the weekend.

Corbin is even busier. He has Scouts on Mondays, therapeutic riding Tuesday mornings, gymnastics Wednesday nights and karate Saturday afternoons.

We think that this will be it for gymnastics. Therapeutic horseback riding may be on the chopping block unless they come up with a new plan for Corbin. We seem him losing interest if they don't give him a new target.

Posted by Adam

Back To School

Three words that most parents love hearing. Let me say it again. Back To School.

Today, Corbin began Grade 5 and Jeremy was starting Senior Kindergarten.

It was a big day for Corbin because not only was he in Grade 5, but he has a new teacher, a new classroom (on the other, or 'big kid', side of the school) and a new EA. He handled the day well.

He gave his teacher from last year, Ms. Mayea, a hug and then started talking to kids and saying hi. When he saw Ms. Johnston, his EA for the past 3 or so years, he didn't run up to her. He walked up and gave her a hug.

The big change for Jeremy this year was that he would be attending in the afternoon instead of the morning. A lot of the kids in the morning were sad to hear that. A few kids from last years JK class were in Jeremy's SK class, but for the most part, he will be making new friends this year.

The day went well for both boys. And that is all we can ask for.

Posted by Adam

Passports for the Szymczak Boys

Since I was on vacation today and tomorrow, I decided this was a good time to get our passports. Last week, Corbin, Jeremy and I went to Wal-Mart to get our passports and I had my mom sign as our guarantor.

Today, I took Corbin and Jeremy downtown to get our passports. We left first thing in the morning. I parked in the City Hall employee parking lot (it's free for me) and we walked down to the passport office. Apparently the walk was longer than the boys are used to, since they were asking 'how much further'.

We got to the CIBC building and took the elevator up the 5th floor. It wasn't busy. Passport Canada has a good system where they pre-screen you to make sure you have all the relevant information and then give you a ticket with your number. The boys went to sit down, but sat apart from each other. Seems they weren't liking each other's company.

A few minutes later, our number was called. The friendly gentleman took the applications one by one. He noticed I worked for the City of Windsor and asked in which department did I work in. I said Planning. He said "you must know Jeff Watson". I said, I worked with Jeff for 10 years until his recent retirement. We talked some more and I signed the form and paid the fees and we were off.

Painless and quick.

Posted by Adam

Thanks Babcia

A week sure doesn't seem like a long time - it sure went by quick.

The boys, for the most part, had a good time with Babcia. She would play with them, take them outside in the backyard or the park, and just hang out with them. She helped Tina and I by making supper, doing the laundry and keeping the kitchen clean. It worked out well for everybody.

Jeremy gave her some attitude, something about Babcia being annoying. As if we let him do whatever he wants.

Yesterday we did some shopping at Devonshire Mall. My mom got a bunch of bed sheets and pillow covers for Alex's room - she even bought the sheets Tina and I picked out. We strolled around the mall. Babcia bought Corbin some Chaotic playing cards. Later we out to Boston Pizza for an early supper.

Thanks for helping out Babcia. See you soon.

Posted by Adam

Priceless Quotes

"Narnia"

Jeremy's answer to Adam's question "Where would you like to go other than Chuck E. Cheese?"


"I won't melt. I'm made out of meat"

Jeremy responding to Tina's comment about him melting if we don't turn on the air conditioning


"Of course I still stink you, you big masterpiece"

Jeremy ranting when he was mad at Mom and Dad

Posted by Adam

Jeremy's "Gotcha Day"

Happy "Gotcha Day" Jeremy.

It's been three years since Jeremy joined our family. Time sure is flying. From a quiet kid with big curly hair to a on-the-go non-stop chatting boy with short hair, Jeremy sure is growing up fast.

Thanks for coming along for the ride,

Mom, Dad and Corbin.

Ottawa Vacation - Day 4

Last day of the NACAC conference. Tina pulled off another amazing breakfast service. Again, she went to the conference and we headed to the pool.

One family in the pool today, but they eventually left. We spent a few minutes in the hot tub, which Jeremy loves. Back in the pool. It was nice and relaxing. Spent about a good hour in the pool.

Went up to the room, changed and then went down to Laurier Centre to check out the shopping mall. Jeremy knew the way from his previous visit with Tina. One smart kid.

We wandered around and killed some time. I almost bought the boys some Indiana Jones figures at a specialty toy store, but balked at the price. Surely Walmart is cheaper. Complete with our tour of the mall, we went back to our room to prepare to check out. Tina was already in the room.

So I called to get our van one last time - did I mention I LOVE valet parking? By time we were packed, the van was waiting right at the door, and Rob, our boys best friend at the Westin, helped us load the van. Corbin gave Rob a tip. Rob asked where we were heading, and we said Windsor. "Long drive" was his reply and said to say "hi" to St. Thomas, his hometown. One last goodbye to Rob and we were on our way home.

Because the 417 was closed, we took the scenic route down the Rideau Canal. We grabbed lunch at McDonalds and made our way over to the 416 in Neapean. It was around 12:30 PM.

The drive to Windsor was, for the most part uneventful. We did have to deal with some pop-up showers and thunderstorms, but they were short-lasting. We stopped at the rest centres as required. The drive through Toronto was typical. Lots of traffic but nothing major.

When we got to Cambridge, I decided it was time for supper. We pulled off at Highway 24 and had supper at the Boston Pizza. With our tummies full of food, we made the final push to Windsor. A quick stop at the Pilot Travel Center in Tilbury for gas and we arrived in Windsor shortly after 9:30 PM.

For a short vacation with over 16 hours of driving time, it was a great vacation jam packed with things to do and people to see. Tina was glad she attended the conference and I got to spend some much needed time with my boys. It was nice to see Steve, Pam, Owen and Laura and Sarah again. Ottawa is full things to do and see and we will definitely be back.

Posted by Adam

Ottawa Vacation - Day 3 - Part 1

Tina pulled off another excellent breakfast. Who needs hot cinnamon rolls? After breakfast and showers, Tina headed off to the conference and the rest of us headed down to the pool.

The pool wasn't empty. There were a few families, which gave Corbin a chance to play with other kids. We spent about an hour before going up to the room and getting ready for the rest of the day.

The boys and I drove over to the Canadian Museum of Civilization over in Gatineau, Quebec. Originally, I was considering taking the boys on a local bus, but then I thought about having to wait at the end of long and busy day. The van was easier and parking cost the same as the bus. It took about five minutes to drive from the hotel to the museum. Parking is underground - which is nice.

In the lobby, I was presented with an assortment of choices. Aye carumba. I settled on the Museum, the Wild Ocean IMAX movie and the Greeks special exhibition. It was just over $40 for the three of us. The Canadian Museum of Civilization is a group of museums and permanent and temporary exhibits.

Our first stop was the Canadian Children's Museum which includes the outdoor Adventure World. The web site suggests that you "allow three hours for a visit with children". That is an understatement. The boys could have spent the whole day just in the Children's Museum. The place is amazing.
Kids are given a passport. They find stations where they insert the proper page of their passport and stamp it. The place was filled with all kinds of hands-on exhibits from a ship to a pyramid to a market to a house to, well everything.

Located outside, the Adventure World is a wonderful bonus. Kids can go fishing, fly a plane, drive a boat or make cool crafts. When we headed outside I was faced with the dilemma of Corbin wanting to be outside and Jeremy wanting to play inside. So I left Corbin to his own devices and said we will be back in a half an hour.

Jeremy played on the ship, first cleaning the deck, then loading and unloading some cargo and finally piloting the ship. He could have spent all day on the ship. We wandered around (more like me following Jeremy) before finding Corbin outside.

Fortunately, Corbin's natural clock was working and he was heading up the walkway with a boat in his hands. Apparently, the kid who didn't like crafts, made a boat from wood, corks, straw, paper and a bottle cap, all by himself. Who is this kid?

After spending enough time in the Children's Museum, we grabbed a quick bite to eat (overpriced and poor quality). I grabbed some popcorn and we lined up for the movie. A few minutes later the doors opened and we found some seats. Wild Ocean is a story about the sardine migration off the east coast of Africa and circle of life along the KwaZulu-Natal Coast. Who knew a movie about sardines could be so exciting. It was an amazing presentation and I highly recommend it.

We headed over to the Grand Hall and the First Peoples Hall where we learnt about the history of the First Peoples (aka natives). Corbin was naturally attracted to any exhibits with weapons while Jeremy was Jeremy as in "when are we going back to the Children's Museum".

A quick run through The Greeks exhibit which contained some amazing artifacts, including jewelry that was well over 2000 years old.

Next was the Face to Face: The Canadian Personalities Hall and the Canada Hall. The boys showed some interest in the exhibits, but what caught their attention was the Justice in New France dramatic presentation. Corbin and Jeremy sat and watched the full length of the presentation, which is part theatre and part interactive. Who are these kids?

I let the boys free in the Children's Museum to let off some more energy - if that is possible. Six hours later, we were back in Ottawa, struggling to get to the Westin - traffic was at a standstill. We managed to make it to the hotel, where Rob, the valet attendant, was greeted by the boys.

We could have spent all day at the museum and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting or living in Ottawa-Gatinuea area. We didn't even get a chance to visit the Canadian Postal Museum. If you have kids, you may want to plan two days to take in the whole facility or come when it opens and leave when it closes. Parking is $10 for the day and is located underground with direct access to the museum.

Posted by Adam