The Calgary Stampede....with kids!

We are living in Toronto and missing the Stampede this year! *sob* We love the craziness of stampede and go all in! I mean, just look at us!

Did I mention I grew up in Brooklyn? hahaha We're so into it, we even got my parents into it

Cause when in Rome, amiright?

Anyway, we have some friends going for the first time this year, so I wanted to post some info and tips on making the most of stampede!


GETTING IN
There is an entry fee to enter the stampede grounds. BUT you can avoid it by going on kids' day (usually Wednesday). There may also be a family day (depends on the year) or a McDonalds community day ($2 admission). If your trip doesn't line up with any of those days or you prefer to go on a day with somewhat fewer children in attendance, one last way to save money on the entrance fee is coupons on coke cans from local convenience stores. Google each of these things for more info on them - they change slightly from year to year so it's best to look up the details for the year you're going.
If you want to go to the rodeo or the evening show, pre-purchased tickets include entrance to the grounds. (You can also buy rush tickets for both on the grounds).
The rodeo runs from about 1-4pm.
The chuckwagon races, Indian relay race, and grandstand show are from about 7-midnight. It's all one show (i.e. one ticket). We've not taken our kids yet - not only does it end at midnight, but tickets start at about $60 each. BUT it is well worth going to if you can find a sitter or if your kids are older.

ON THE GROUNDS
There are so many things to see and do once you're inside the grounds. We mostly steer clear of the midway's (extra cost) rides and games and head straight for the (free) shows and animals. We always make sure to catch the dog show ("Canine Stars" I think it's called) and the motocross show. Often there is one other daily show. Beyond that, the specific offerings will vary from day to day - we've seen everything from high divers, to sheep dog competitions, to Harlem globe-trotter-esque sports shows, to Chinese acrobats, and duck races. Make sure to check out the stampede's website to see what shows and competitions are on for the day(s) you're planning to be there.

FOOD
Stampede is known not only for the usual everything-deep-fried fair food, dole whip, mini-doughnuts, and overpriced lemonade, but also western specialties, like FN bannock tacos, beef on a bun, and taco in a bag. On top of that, there are lots of exciting new foods on offer each year. Some of our favourites have been butter chicken poutine, chicken n waffles, and too many sweets to list. The Calgary Herald publishes a list of the new exciting foods on offer every May. Google it to see what's new this year. Protip: Ask for a food map at an information kiosk. Otherwise it's impossible to find all the food you want to find!

AROUND TOWN
Other (free) stampede breakfasts and BBQs happen all week long and especially on the weekends. There's breakfast and activities at Olympic Plaza downtown (a.k.a. Rope square) every morning of Stampede.

And don't forget! Stampede is like halloween...except it lasts for 10 days and everyone has the same costume. So don't forget your western wear!

What did I miss?

MLK

I read this awesome post about MLK today. He was pretty awesome. *fist pump*

http://mashable.com/2016/01/18/martin-luther-king-jr-quotes/#db279KrH6Sqh

Hockey hair!

OK, so J's is not from hockey...more like taking a nap with wet hair. But boy oh boy do my boys have quite the hair! Ha!

O Tannenbaum

Today's task: add lights and ornaments. But not bad for not having opened the tree before we bought it! I think we have a new tradition!

Life

Nothing says a relaxing Saturday morning more than taking a shower with your 1 and 3 year old while your husband is at work...

Our new (to us) table

Last night, before we went to play squash in workout clothes I've had for more than 15 years (you can tell they get a lot of wear), we picked up this new (to us) table and chairs.  Now we actually have enough chairs for our family. Hooray!

There goes my life savings

Haha just kidding, sort of. But I did enjoy a lovely trip to the dentist today to complete the next step of my dental implants. YAY. My version of The Devil Wears Prada's "one stomach flu away from my goal weight" is I'm one dental procedure away from my goal weight! #silverlining ...?

So long Facebook (for now)

Facebook has been a dismal place for quite a while. I was hoping it would improve after November 8, but alas, its only gotten worse. There is just way too much America on my Facebook and I just can't handle America right now. So here we are. I am going to try to revive this blog. But don't expect long posts on anything. My aim is to post Facebook style. Short posts. Mostly photos. Here's hoping the blogger app works well for posting photos. So here's to the rebirth! Ha!

Here is a photo of Amy tonight in her west African waxed cotton (ankara) dress. 3 going on 13! :/

My 20s: A reverse bucket list

A couple of years ago, a dear friend of mine turned 30 and created a 'reverse bucket list' of all sorts of things she'd done in her 20s. I loved the idea as a way to commemorate and celebrate the end of a decade and all the crazy and fun things she'd done during her 20s. So I decided to do the same thing. Of course, my list is nowhere as crazy, hilarious, and unbelievable as hers, but if you know both of us, that is to be expected. But alas, I made a list none-the-less - even if it's not as cool :D

So, without further ado - and in no particular order - I give you My 20s: A reverse bucket list!

-Push a greyhound bus out of the snow
-vomit in a garbage can on the street
-plunge into a frozen river (into a hole cut in the ice)
-ride the Wonder Wheel and Cyclone
-go snowboarding
-visit the Canadian parliament
-buy genuine cowboy boots and hat
-dance the night away with girlfriends at a club you frequented in your late teens (and feel really old)
-try punting in Cambridge
-attend a fancy Cambridge college dinner
-birth 2 beautiful (big) babies
-marry my college boyfriend
-eat haggis
-learn how to pronounce and spell ceilidh
-dance in a ceilidh
-evacuate a German hotel at 3am...with a 6 month old baby
-dance at a wedding until 4am...
-...with a 6 month old baby
-raft down a glacier-fed river
-drive over a median in a blizzard you didn't know was there
-witness the Montreal Fire Department set up a rope to cling to to avoid slipping while crossing an icy street
-learn the true meaning of bored to tears
-spend 8 weeks collating and binding reports
-work in NYC's financial district
-rock a sick baby to sleep
-see the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth
-see U2 and Arcade Fire live
-watch bulls get de-horned
-run through the streets of Coney Island in the winter at 2am looking for homeless people
-be so broke you can't even buy a pair of earrings at Claire's
-throw a karaoke party
-attend a temple dedication
-go to Hogmenay...and convince drunk men to give you their toques
-go snow tubing
-play laser tag
-eat at Junior's innumerable times
-visit more than 1/2 of Canadian provinces (AB, BC, MB, QC, ON, NL)
-invite a stranger from a flight to your parents' house
-go to Disney World
-wear a white (faux) fur cape
-witness a real live NYPD chase that ends with a small female cop throwing a large man to the ground
-call the cops on two thieves in a car plotting their next robbery teenagers getting frisky in their car behind our house
-take 2 small children on a non-direct flight by yourself
-take a tour of NY harbour on a 15' sailboat
-leave my 2 kids for a solo trip to NY
-learn to make chicken tikka masala
-spend over $5000 in one day at the dentist
-buy a house
-spend more money than you want to think about at Ikea
-fall in love with south Florida
-learn to drive
-learn to drive stick
-invest in a pair of Spanx
-make my own Junior's cheesecake
-learn how to cook an egg over easy
-Get stranded at a Wal-Mart in Edinburgh
-stay in a hotel room truly unfit for human habitation (I'm looking at you, Sigiorno Pitti)
-give in and get a Costco membership
-go on a road trip solo (twice)
-work in the same building as my husband
-experience -40* and live to tell the tale
-live and work in 3 countries
-become a Canadian citizen
-travel to the UK, France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria, the Vatican, Mexico, Haiti, the Bahamas
-present data at NYC's city hall
-organize 3000+ volunteers, hundreds of police officers, and hundreds of DHS employees for an overnight homeless count
-survey drivers in the rural midlands (England) for a week
-buy a car
-finish my BA
-get a master's degree
-go skating at Rockefeller Center
-see the Metropolitan Opera perform
-go to a Messiah sing-along (and laugh hysterically through half of it due to your own poor singing)
-live with best friends in a "Friends"-style apartment (5 girls across the hall from 5 guys)
-get a custom-made wedding dress
-figure out how to get from EWR to Carroll Gardens for less than $5
-Go to a real live rodeo (twice)


Well, my 20s were great and I definitely have my work cut out for me in my 30s. It may be a few months late, but here's to the next 10 years!

Remembering their childhood

Thomas, holding up my Costco card: How come we never go to this place anymore? Me: Because our membership expired Thomas: Can we pay for a new one or do they not let us? Me: We could pay for one but I don't want to Thomas: I forgot what this place is called Me: Costco? Thomas: Yeah, Costco. I want to go there! Me: You want to go to Costco? Thomas: Yes I want to get some free food!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thomas at dinner, upon seeing french toast on his plate again for the 3rd time in 3 days: That agaaaaaain? Me: Yep, sorry Thomas. We don't have any other food. Thomas: Why don't we get any food? Next morning.... Me: Ok you need to get dressed so we can go to the grocery store Thomas: I don't want to go! We can have french toast again!

Overheard

Hey guys! Look how long it's been since I posted! Who cares. Let's move on. The only reason I am posting today is because I overheard something today that both breaks my heart and makes my blood boil just a little bit. And I have to say something. To respond. But I don't really know this person and have no way to really respond. So consider this post a yell into the dark void. That is what I'm calling it, anyway, because I'm pretty sure no one will read it ha.

Anyhow, I heard this woman relate overhearing members of the young women's presidency in another ward talking about what anti-depressants and anti-psychotics they were on. She then added her commentary "why are these people in the YW presidency?!"  [I HATE overhearing this sort of comment when I have no way to respond without seeming overly aggressive and like I was eavesdropping.]

It makes me both sad and angry the way mental illness is stigmatized in our North American culture as well as Mormon culture. As Elder Holland put it in his talk in the last general conference, "...neuroses and psychoses, ... genetic predispositions and chromosome defects, ... bipolarity, paranoia, and schizophrenia[:] these afflictions are some of the realities of mortal life, and there should be no more shame in acknowledging them than in acknowledging a battle with high blood pressure or the sudden appearance of a malignant tumor." THANK YOU! Do you honestly believe that someone who is depressed should not have a calling in YW?  Or was it the possibility of psychosis that was really over the line? What other health problems should prohibit one from serving and teaching the young women of the church? If you, as a YW president yourself feel that way, maybe you shouldn't be in the YW presidency. If there's something YW don't need more of, it's unrighteous judgement. There's enough of that in junior high and high school already.
I am sure this woman didn't think she was making an unrighteous judgement. She probably didn't think about it at all, in fact. Because it's just so commonplace in our society to write off people who suffer from mental illness. And that's why it breaks my heart for all those out there who do suffer from unseen stigmatized illnesses and life experiences. Working with people experiencing homelessness in one way or another over the past 8 years has certainly made me very aware of these issues.I just hope that we can move toward a more loving and inclusive culture, especially in the church. Like President Uchtdorf said, there is room for everyone in the church, even those who suffer from mental illness.

MRI

MRIs are pretty great. Aside from having to lie in a coffin sized enclosure for a substantial amount of time, it's not that bad. No one touches you, no needles are involved (unless it's a contrast MRI...), and you can stay fully clothed in your very own clothing! No hospital gowns required. Hooray!

Enough Empty Words

I'm not sure how much more of this talk regarding the shooting in Colorado I can handle. It is seriously infuriating. Like Roger Ebert (of all people...random) said, "The endless gun control debate will begin again, and the lobbyists of the National Rifle Association will go to work, and the op-ed thinkers will have their usual thoughts, and the right wing will issue alarms, and nothing will change. And there will be another mass murder."  I'm not sure I could have said it better.

Everyone and their dog has something to say about the shooting, and how their hearts go out to those affected by it. What a load. If you really cared about it, you would get on board with getting rid of licenses for handguns. And take them away from people who have them. Compensate them with money. Trust me, it will cost society less in the long run. But Rachel, you say, that's simply un-American! You're a traitor! I'm confiscating your passport!  {well fine, at least I won't have to file my US taxes for the rest of my life}

Yes, sometimes murders are carried out using long guns. But most of the time, it's handguns. Take away the freaking handguns! It's really not that complicated. All this "sympathy" is just empty words. And I'm sick of it.

There are mentally ill people and gangs and drugs everywhere.  Sure, guns don't kill people. People kill people. People with handguns, specifically. No one without access to a handgun ever shot someone with a handgun. Keep your long guns. I really don't care. Defend yourselves against the government (ha! as if that's what ya'll use them for!).

Edmonton was dubbed the murder capital of Canada last year. The city has a population of 750,000 and they had 47 murders. It was scandalous. Toronto has had 80 homicides this year - the number is so high it's on the national news nearly every night. Windsor, Ontario - just across the bridge from Detroit hasn't had a murder in more than 3 years. It's not Canadians' renowned friendliness, cold weather, and lower disparity between rich and poor that is keeping this number down. It's the lack of access to handguns.

So if you're thinking about sending out condolences to the people affected by the shootings in Colorado, or any other shooting carried out with a handgun, please don't. You disgust me. Call for change or keep your mouth shut.

Yeehaw! {or, as they say in Calgary, yahoo!}

Why DO they say yahoo instead of yeehaw in Calgary anyway? It's weird. I want all things cowboy to perfectly fit my city-girl invented stereotype. Oh well, I'll have to let that one slide.

Stampede has arrived! Pancake breakfasts, free BBQs, and lots and lots of cowboy hats!

Anyway, last Friday, mom, dad, Thomas and I went to opening day at the Stampede. [If you want to teach your kids more about the Stampede (and get an annoying song stuck in your head for the next month), watch this video.] Dave joined us after work and later we ditched Thomas. There are lots of nay-sayyers out there (in Calgary) when it comes to the Stampede, but you know what? It was awesome!

We got to the grounds right around 11 when it opened and lined up to get rush seating for the rodeo. Then we checked out farm animals - pigs and piglets, chicks, cows and calves, horses, donkeys, sheep, and more cows. Thomas LOVED it. He was too scared to pet the chick, but the real live cows inspired him to finally MOOOO. He even invented his own click-clacking to mimic the horses' hooves (Clydesdales whose shoulders were probably 6').

Then we grabbed some lunch (BBQ food and pancakes are pretty much the official food of the Stampede) and headed to the rodeo where we got to check out bull-riding, steer wrestling, calf roping, bucking horse riding (is that what that's called), horse dancing (I think it's similar to the thing ol' Mitt's horse does - just kidding, it was cooler than that). Oh and how did I fail to mention that mom and dad got to sing O Canada again? Anyway, it was awesome. There was a rapid change in weather from scorching hot and sunny to pouring rain - but luckily that happened during the intermission and we only missed a few minutes of bull-riding in the second half as we waited out the rain inside.

After the rodeo, Dave came and met us and we went to see Superdogs. It was pretty special - doggie high jump, agility courses, tricks, loud music, and bright lights. Mom and dad might not admit it, but they loved it. And so did Thomas. Good times.

Then we dropped Thomas off with Dave's parents, grabbed some dinner (more hamburgers - what else?), and headed to the grandstand show. The first half of the show is chuckwagon races, where drivers with  their teams of 4 horses pulling a small wagon do a figure 8 and one lap of the track. The second half of the show was ... well what WASN'T it? Cirque-du-soleil type performers, singing, dancing, story telling, native dancing, country singing, lights, pyrotechnics, and on and on. The whole show was about 3.5 hours. Ear plugs might have been nice, but we all had a great time. I've posted more photos on facebook since it's so much easier to post photos there.

I know this post has been thrilling. I hope you're not asleep haha.

10 Things: The good, the bad, and the ugly

1. We got a 6 seater patio set for $209! Yay for Zellers going out of business (to make way for Target). Photos to come...after I set it up
2. My capstone project is becoming the bane of my existence. Too much politics and people who expect you to read their minds.
3. Thomas is doing his best to repeat every word we say. It is so cute.
4. The idea that a "driven woman" would not be satisfied to have kids (and lots of time with them) and a mediocre career or no career at all is really frustrating. {The implication being that if your ambition is to be a wonderful mother, you are obviously not driven}
5. Mom and dad arrive next Wednesday. Time to start cleaning!
6. Dave and I made dinner 5 nights in a row. This must be some sort of record. Or miracle. Or both. Don't worry, we are going out for dinner tonight.
7. I also made cookies and a carrot cake. And the kitchen is clean. That really is a miracle.
8. Less than 2 months left on our too-expensive cell phone plans. Time to say see-ya Telus!
9. We have been in this house for almost 2 years and I finally made blackout curtains for our bedroom. Think it's a coincidence that it happened one day shy of the longest day of the year? (sunrise at 5:20 and sunset at 9:56)
10. We've been taking a few bike rides a week and Thomas loves his bike seat. And helmet (heh-mee).

What Kids Want

I read this on another blog and wanted to have easy access to it, so I'm posting it here.
"A wise teacher named Erin Kurt happened to have the insight to ask her students what they most liked their parents to do with them. She asked this same question every year for 16 years and from these responses she revealed, “The Top 10 Things Kids Want From Parents.”

The Top Ten Things Kids Really Want Their Parents To Do With Them

1. Come into my bedroom at night, tuck me in and sing me a song. Also tell me stories about when you were little.
2. Give me hugs and kisses and sit and talk with me privately.
3. Spend quality time just with me, not with my brothers and sisters around.
4. Give me nutritious food so I can grow up healthy.
5. At dinner talk about what we could do together on the weekend.
6. At night talk to me about about anything; love, school, family etc.
7. Let me play outside a lot.
8. Cuddle under a blanket and watch our favorite TV show together.
9. Discipline me. It makes me feel like you care.
10. 10. Leave special messages in my desk or lunch bag."

I would print this out and frame it, but I'm in Mexico soaking up the sun and the non-school time. 

Get ready to be offended

Nothing annoys me more than LDS Canadians who make political commentary on US politics. As if it isn't annoying enough that American Mormons blindly jump on the republican bandwagon and cling to untruthful rhetoric of Glenn Beck and the like - and think your temple recommend should be revoked if you don't do the same! But Canadian Mormons: Stop it! Now!

Listen, I have no problem if you feel that your political views most closely align with the republican party. I really don't care what party you ascribe to (they all have issues in my opinion but it's better to vote for something than for nothing). But what gets me is when masses of Mormons swear their life to the republican party when it seems they have never formed a critical thought in their lives. Many people - especially those who have never lived in or been to a place where their opinion is not the prevailing one. OR when it is apparent from the things that come out of their mouths that they have NEVER met a poor person. The things people say about people (our brothers and sisters might I add) living in poverty or struggling with illnesses or with life experiences that are different from their own is honestly disgusting.

I could rant about this for a very long time, but I have to go write a blog post on my class blog. I'm sure it will be riveting.

Day in the life

Repeat 10x.

House photos

Some photos of our house, 'cause I know you are just DYING to know what our house looks like all not-decorated and all....so without further ado (I have to admit that word looks very strange to me now - in French ado is short for adolescent so you can imagine the pronunciation. Or not. Whatever)

First up is Thomas' room.

His dresser is not actually black. It just appears so in this photo.These photos are totally out of order and I am too lazy to fix it. Sorry.

This is the downstairs hallway. The door on the left at the end of the hallway is the bathroom door. The stairs are on the right. The backyard is straight ahead :)
This is our bedroom. Notice the lack of bedskirt. Oh well. Not much to say about that...
Looking at our bedroom window from our bed. It's actually a pretty long room. But it's also narrow (see photo above...). The white chair used to be in our living room, but it got relocated to make room for our Christmas tree and never made it back downstairs.
This is our closet. Exciting, I know. Isn't it great that we have 2 rods AND a dresser in there? Also, I put a $5 light in there, so it's not a complete black hole. Yay! Normally this dresser is covered in clothes.
This is the guest room/office. And by office, I mean a tiny desk with a computer on it. That is all.

Also, some of Thomas' toys live in here.
The futon is obviously folded up in this photo. The paints are from Haiti (3) and Greece (1).

Ok that's where our tour ends. One day, this kitchen might be clean enough for me to take a photo of it!

What does it mean to "do good" anyway?

I know I haven't posted in a months. Whatever. I have this issue which has been bothering me (not the reason I haven't posted...that would be grad school), so I decided I should try to get it down in words so as to organize my thoughts. This post is really all over the place and is very poorly written. Sorry. I don't have the time or will power to fix it up.

I came across a handout from (I think a Priesthood lesson at) church over a year ago and it said something to the effect of "on judgement day, it's not going to matter in the least what your occupation was in this life..etc". Sorry for the terrible non-quote. I take that to mean "do whatever you like in this life (for a profession). Just make sure you're a good person who is keeping their covenants". Am I misinterpreting? I probably would have forgotten this paper entirely, if I didn't encounter similar sentiments frequently in other situations (casual conversations, lessons, talks, etc).

Isn't it better to choose-for your profession-something that will help other people? Change and improve lives? Improve the world in some meaningful way? I know that not everyone can change the world, but isn't that something we should strive for? If we have the choice between becoming a celebrity chef and becoming a human rights lawyer, wouldn't it be better to choose the latter? Isn't it important to strive to maximize our potential for doing good? Do you really think that God doesn't care AT ALL about what you spend 40+ hours a week doing-for decades of your life? I understand that people can do good and improve lives in really any profession they choose. But this is not an issue of good and bad; it's a question of good, better, and best. Shouldn't we choose the best?

Also corollary to this issue is this other belief that we encounter a lot here in Calgary: the idea that your only purpose in life is to take good care of your family, provide for them, raise your kids, fulfill your church callings, and be a nice person. Doesn't our responsibility extend further than that? Whatever happened to "where much is given, much is required"? What do people think that refers to? Or are people so completely ignorant of the poverty that exists in this world that they don't realize how much they've been given? Do people not realize the great gift of education that we in North America have been given? Have we all turned a blind eye to our neighbors who don't have the same opportunities as us? Shouldn't we do something meaningful with all that we've been given? (MORE than just providing for our family).

Am I totally off base here? What are your thoughts?