Sky Zone "Sensory Sunday" Review

My son is proprioceptively hyporesponsive (among other issues) which has made him hold true to the "bouncing baby boy" cards. He bounces all the time. Not as much as before, but still a lot. And he turns 17 tomorrow!

Along with the proprioceptive issues were other things like sensitivity to sounds, lights, and smells. The only person I know that doesn't like the smell of baking buns at Subway! All these little issues are pretty big when you're a little guy, and we spent a lot of time avoiding places or modifying activities to keep him comfortable. Sometimes it was frustrating. Storytime at the library? He sat when the other marched, marched while they sat, played human bowling when they were supposed to be twirling. Etc. We missed out on a lot. Then add two more kids, and then a big move.

In 2014, I saw Sky Zone on "Undercover Boss". I had heard of Sky Zone but there wasn't any local to us. I was really impressed with the business after watching that episode! In 2015, one opened in Whitby. So even though my kids were now older (15, 12, 8), I was sure they'd still enjoy it. Me....meh. I'm not a jumper. Perhaps something to do with my body shape, LOL. Somehow I managed to convince the husband to take the three kids by himself.

They came back loving it, though Hugh said the music was annoying/too loud. For a kid with earbuds in all the time, he never talks about music, never wants to go to a concert, doesn't have a favourite song, band, genre. I don't know if he ever listens to music other than when we're in the truck.

Earlier this year, I heard that Sky Zone has special "sensory" jump times. Incredible. Where was this 14 years ago?! It's advertised as a "quieter, more relaxed jumping experience" with modified safety measures, less crowded environment, added staff to support all jumpers, and light and sound reduction.

I was invited to write about Sky Zone for this blog and I thought it would be awesome to check out the Sensory Friendly jump time. I know so many kids that would benefit. And not just kids--I'm one of those adults who doesn't do well in high energy environments.

At the Whitby location, the Sensory Friendly jumps are on certain Sunday mornings, 9-11am, (June 25th/2017 is the next one) and Monday afternoons, 3-7 (Monday June 5th is the next). Check the online calendar or call for more dates. On Sundays, they open to the general public at 10am and Mondays at 4pm. I arrived at about 10am on a Sunday to tour.

https://www.skyzone.com/ca-whitby
This photo is not totally accurate. Draw a line down the centre and ignore everything to the right. The court in the middle is dodgeball, and the main court, foam pit, and SkySlam are stretching back to the left.

The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the lack of music. I love music, but the combination of loud music and loud, happy children is too much for me. I had been into Sky Zone once before when my daughter was attending a birthday party, and it felt so bright, noisy, and overwhelming. It was none of that this time! The lights were dimmed to a comfortable level and it was not busy at all. I immediately relaxed.

For some great pictures and video of the actual Whitby location, click HERE. I like being prepared when I go new places.

Nicole gave me a tour and talked about the different zones and changes they make for Sensory Friendly jump times. There is a sign in the washrooms suggesting patrons do not use the hand dryers, because of the noise! Awesome! There were staff everywhere, interacting with kids, not just observing. There were only a few families there, so there was lots of space on the main court for the kids jumping. I also saw kids using the  SkySlam! area-- three basketball nets (different heights!), and saw the toddler zone. I could see into the foam pit and was amazed at the tiny little girl jumping in!

Photo fromhttps://www.skyzone.com/ca-whitby

I actually saw a child I know from my lunch supervisor job. I know he has autism and was happy to see him having a great time. I told him the next day that I saw him there, and he got SO excited. He says he loves Sky Zone, and his favourite is the "cheese pit". I assume that's the foam block pit!!  LOL!

One thing that would have concerned me when my kids were little was how to keep them all contained in one area. The layout is great though, and it would be easy for one parent to watch several kids while keeping an eye on the entrance ramp. I thought the ramp was awesome. Going up stairs can be tricky for little kids, or other people with spatial or physical impairments. I also noticed fluorescent tape accenting many features around the park. This is for their "Glow Party" nights, so you can still find things with the lights down.

There are activities on the main floor area, away from the trampoline, as well as a snack bar area with lots of seating. A good spot for a breather. 

I was even excited by the pricing. It's $6 +tax for 60 minutes and one non-jumping chaperone is free!

Normally, for open jump time, 60 minutes is $15.99 +tax. While Sunday mornings are not my optimal time for family outings, I would definitely consider going on a Monday. Many local support groups/services also co-ordinate outings, so if you're a member of any support group, ask about that. It's more fun to jump with a friend.

Waivers still need to be filled in (I'd do it online to reduce children's impatience once they get in there), and SkySocks are a must. If your child is sensitive to socks, I suggest wearing the SkySocks over their regular pair of socks. It took a bit of digging, but I also found that no outside food is allowed. Understandable, though frustrating for those on a budget. Really, for one hour of jumping, just have some snacks in the car. I assume there are water fountains though I will check.

I was really impressed with Nicole's enthusiasm; it totally matched what I had seen on Undercover Boss. Staff seemed happy to be there. I know Open Jump times might be different, due to the busyness, but if you're catering to kids with extra needs during Sensory Friendly jump times, you need staff that are approachable and excited to be there. If you're unsure if your child will enjoy it, at least it's not an expensive outing, and you're not committed to using up passes or coming every week at a certain time. Come once, and just be prepared for the big smiles, sweaty brows, and the constant question "When can we go to SkyZone again?".

Write

Leonard Cohen died yesterday. Once again, we're seeing "RIP" in all the tributes. Why do we save peace for our eternal slumber?

In grade 13 (Ontario, Canada! Way back in the last century, they made you take grade 13/OAC if you wanted to go to university!), I took "Writer's Craft".  This was a "fluff course", guaranteed to get you a decent mark for your university application. I, however, enjoyed writing anyway and had previously taken workshops and extra tutoring. For your semester long "Independent Project", you had to study an author and create work inspired by them. I chose Leonard Cohen. He seemed so radical, modern, sexy, adult. No Edgar Allan Poe or Emily Dickinson for me.

My end project was well received by the teacher--a younger, edgier man with an earring and (small) ponytail. It was 1989, LOL. Looking back, many of the poems make me blush--are they actually as good as he said? Over the next few days I'll post a few. Very few eyes have read most of these poems!

Looking through my folder, there are very few after 1993, and none after 1995. I suffered a unexpected breakup in 1995 and it was like that wiped the creative juices from my soul.  However, last night I was inspired again.

Why do we say "Rest in Peace" when someone dies?

Why do we save peace for the eternal slumber?

It's the people left behind that need the peace.

Instead of

Rest in Peace,

Let us

Walk in Peace,

Work in Peace, 

Love with Peace,

Dream with Peace,

Share in Peace

Practice Peace

Teach Peace

Embody Peace

Instead of 

Rest in Peace

Let us 

Live in Peace.

When To Go Pro

I've been knitting non-stop for just over 20 years now, but I first learned a long time before then (like, 15 years...).  It wasn't until three years ago that I went "pro".  Facebook made it easy.

Why did I turn pro?  I knew I could use my many years of experience to provide top notch, high quality products.  I could create my own patterns, adapt other peoples patterns, and had a vast knowledge base, and library and stash, to work with.  I wasn't afraid to try something new, since I had a lot to back it up with.

Much of my early pro work was with photographers.  Photography has always been an interest of mine, and I loved using my Konica SLR, until the digital age took over and I couldn't keep up (financially, or learning-wise since I was hardly keeping up back then with just my kids!).  In the photography world now, there is a lot of talk about people thinking that just by getting a DSLR, they can become a photographer.  Just having a passion for taking photos should be enough, right?  You can check out a few websites and learn some things, create a free website and FB page, and Wham!  You're a pro.

This has created a huge divide between photography pros with years of education, business experience, equipment, talent, and intuition, and those that just picked up a camera and are presenting themselves as a pro.  Often, they will say they are "portfolio building" so their prices are really cheap compared to other pros.

When you hire an electrician, do you want a first year apprentice, or a fully licensed, union-backed electrician?  What if the beginner had a passion, and was just working for experience and the love of it, not for the money?  Would your dentist work just for the love of it and charge 1/10th what others do?

I saw a link on Facebook to another new photographer's website.  The girl says "Well my younger sister just started her own business for it and I'm just trying to help her get her name out there. I'll be attacking a link to her website. I've personally seen her photos and they turn out amazing. She's also very patient with kids as well if you want nice photos of your kids as well."

I took a look at the website.  I'm sorry, the photos are NOT amazing.  A picture of a dog, with the legs of a stool in the background, right behind him.  Baby pictures with drool.  A boy squinting into the sun.  And, just like the errors in the FB post, all through her website she uses "photo's" instead of photos.  

If you want to appear to be a pro, you need to make sure you present yourself that way, and present your best work.  And you have to know when the time is right to launch yourself as "pro".  Research others in your field, whatever it might be.  I look at other's knitting pages on FB, and I see lousy photos--out of focus, dark, busy, etc (some of my early photos were not the greatest, stylewise, but they were always in focus and showed the product).  I see spelling errors, grammar errors.  These things matter.  It might seem superficial, saying you have to have good spelling when you're "just a knitter" but it's all part of the package.  You have to be really good at self-examination and know whether or not you're ready to play in the big leagues.  Compare yourself to the pros.  Ask others for honest constructive criticism.  

And, most important, be willing and able to listen and acknowledge and learn from that constructive criticism.

Why This Doesn't Scare Me

This article by CityTV News is making the Facebook rounds this week.  Last year, it was this article from my local paper.  It allows you to enter the first three characters of your postal code (Canada) and find out how many registered sex offenders live in your "area".  

Before you do that (it's at the bottom), read the whole article.

There are 1798 registered sex offenders in the Toronto area, with a compliance rate of 97%.  The  provincial total is 12 018 and there are also 112 sex offenders, in the whole province, who are not on the list due to no fixed address or postal code missing.  

So often child protection programs focus on "stranger danger" and people always pipe up that strangers are not the real risk.  That's very true.  But shouldn't we know who these monsters are so we can choose to live in a "safe" neighbourhood, and protect our children?  True again.  But the Registered Sex Offenders list can not protect your children, nor really help you in any valuable way to protect them.  

For example, entering the FIRST THREE characters of my postal  code into the search box of that article reveals there are 40 registered sex offenders in my postal code zone.  How big is that zone?  Well, where I used to live in downtown Whitby, the postal code was L1N.  Where I live now, it's also L1N, and we're about 2.8km apart (the black star and approximately the red dot).  Where else in Whitby is L1N...I did a bit of Googling...all the way down to Victoria St in the south end (south of the 401), to Rossland Rd, just north of me.  The west-east boundaries appear to be Cochrane St (just to the west of me) to the Oshawa-Whitby border.  It takes me at least 10 minutes to get to that easterly border by car, along Rossland.

Take a look at this on the map:

 Look how huge this area is.  It encompasses the downtown, where there is a huge mix of socio-economic classes, and most of "old" Whitby.  Oh...and it includes the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Services.  AKA, "The Whitby Psych".  Where there are people convicted of crimes but held here because they were deemed mentally/psychologically unable to be in a jail.  I'm sure some of these inmates must be on that list.

And only 40 registered offenders for that entire area (including the OSCMHS).

It's important to look at what will get you on that list.  The second article I linked to explains it a bit more, and also that offenders are not on the list "for life".  This is both good and bad.
Some other things not mentioned in the article...teenagers...how many 16 year old girls are dating guys 18+......good news....that would no longer be a sexual offence as in 2006 the gov't created a close-in-age exemption for sex between 14-15 year olds and partners up to 5 years older....okay, so 18 year olds are no longer going on the registry for a sexual relationship with a 16 year old....but if one of the partners claims it's not consensual, and the partner is convicted...they're on the list.

The other things listed by the article...old man brushing a woman's legs on the bus.  Is that sexual assault?  If the victim views it as it is, then it is.  Do we care how the old man viewed it?  I'd be interested to know what he was thinking before shaming him to this list.  

Yes, there are some violent, vicious, unsavoury people on this list.  But is the list going to help you protect your children?  It can't tell you where the offenders live.  It can't tell you their name or show a picture.  It can't tell you their crime.Sexual assault by someone in a position of trust (coach, pastor, etc) vs sexual assault by stranger, or by drunken miscommunication after a party?
How many of that 40 do we need to fear?  Where are they?  And if we knew who they were and where, what do we do with that info?  Do we take our children to those addresses and say "watch out for this man"? For sure, if there was an address on that list that was directly in my neighbourhood, it would raise red flags and I'd be a little more vigilant, cautious, with my kids...but the old man rubbing a lady's legs is likely not interested in an 8 year old walking to Mac's.

I'm seeing so many people jumping to conclusions thanks to CityTV's article.  "OMG, there's 40 in my neighbourhood".  I really don't consider the L1N postal code my neighbourhood, and it's definitely NOT my children's neighbourhood.

Keep an eye on your local paper, see who gets arrested for crimes, and where they live, or follow your local police on FB or Twitter.  Last spring I found out an 18 year old from our actual neighbourhood (on the main street that runs through our development) was arrested for a very violent, perhaps pre-meditated assault.  He took concealed weapons to a large, public, holiday gathering.  I think he might be the older brother of boys in my daughters classes.  THESE are the types of things we need to know about and worry.

The Commercialization of Parenting and other Trends

Back when I had my first child, 2000, the internet was not like today!  No Facebook!  There were some forums, etc, but most parenting advice still came from magazines, books, doctors, grandmothers, the Sears catalogue and our own instincts.  Flash forward even just five years, and what a difference!  Suddenly, we can get the opinions and expertise of thousands of strangers to guide us in our parenting journey.  I noticed at the same time that parenting was becoming very commercialized.  There were gadgets, toys, tools, apps, for every parenting need you can imagine.  Look through a parenting magazine, and you'll learn through the advertising that you never need to hold your baby.  Straight from carseat to bouncer to exersaucer to Jolly Jumper to crib to stroller.  Swings came with speakers, heaters, vibrators, multi-directional and random movements to replicate being held.  Everything you need to feed your baby can be bought at Babies R Us.  Forget about the old ways, Grandma is ancient.  Get with the new century.

While new health reports have changed the way alcohol and tobacco is advertised in Canada, similar health reports have not been able to touch the formula advertising industry.  The "may cause" is too small.  People don't want to read the "may cause" concerns, because millions of babies get formula, and they're all "fine".

Let's look at marketing in another industry.

You've decided you need a car.  You open up the first magazine at the hairdresser's, and inside the front cover is a big spread for Ford.  Wow, Ford is awesome.  Look at all those models!  You must go check out Fords!  You flip through the rest of the magazine, notice there are some other car ads, but they're smaller, and not at the front and the info about safety and consumer satisfaction just doesn't catch your eye.

You go on Facebook and announce you're getting a Ford.  Which one?  You don't have a lot of money though.  Several friends say "How awesome!" and "Congratulations!".  Then "Get the biggest you can afford" or "get the cheapest; they're all the same anyway".  Then, a few more speak up.  "How about a Toyota?  They have fewer need for repairs".  You reply, "No thanks, I'm going to take good care of it so I won't need repairs, and my ex-boyfriend's sister's babysitter's cousin is a mechanic so I won't have to pay for repairs".  Someone else says "If money is an issue, about about public transportation?"  "No way, that's for poor people!".  Someone else gives the little known idea of car-sharing. "WTF is that?!  No way am I sharing a car.  I might get residue from someone else's religion!".

You go to the Ford dealer and check out the cars.  Such variety, such price ranges!  How to choose?!  Yes, your friend said they're basically all the same, so go with the cheapest.  You do.

The problems start right away.  You have to fill up with gas on the way home.  You didn't think about that...you have only a few dollars.  Gas runs out before the next pay day and what do you do?  THen it needs an oil change and you figure you can do it yourself...but do something wrong and now it needs repairs.  Then you start hearing a funny noise.  You ignore it for awhile, but it doesn't go away.  You can't get it over 80km/hr now.

You turn back to Facebook with your issues.  Friends start off "IDK, my Ford is awesome" and "Could it be this?  That?  This?  This?  This?" and that's too overwhelming so you ignore it all.  Someone suggests it could be cause it's a Ford and that was a bad choice.  "You're not supporting me and I'm blocking you!".  Then it gets worse...."should have bought a Toyota", "Bus passes can be written off your taxes", "I lost 30lb by walking everywhere".

Are these comments helpful?  The writers probably think so.  But to the poster, they're not.  They're in denial.  Ford was glossy, a big spread, obviously the best choice or it wouldn't have been at the front of the magazine!  Why would you question it?  They want your business, so they're not going to suck, are they?!


It is damn near impossible to give suggestions to others these days.  "That's your opinion!" they say when you suggest no infant cereal is needed.  "Babies are all different" they say when you suggest no cereal before six months.  "My doctor said 4 months is fine" they say when you say the current recommendation is six months.  You try to offer studies, health organizations official statements, and other data.  You remind them that baby cereal is less than 100 years old and was developed specifically for malnourished babies--not average babies. They refuse to see alternatives because they believe the advertising and magazines.  Formula and cereal wouldn't be sold so readily if it caused problems!  They were fed cereal at 2 months and are perfectly healthy.  It was good enough for their parents, it's good enough for their child.

On one hand, the internet has opened up a world of information most people could never have accessed before.  Yet, there are so many people that have narrowed down their minds like never before.  I don't get it.  People should be more critical, more investigative, more open minded, more willing to change when new info shows otherwise....but yet it seems people are putting blinders on to science, research, history, and are only open to names/brands they recognize.
True story--mom asks for other mom's opinions on when to start cereal.  You offer the latest statement made by Health Canada saying cereal is not needed.  You get told that's your opinion and everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and it doesn't help the mom asking the question.  WTF.  Sure--it IS my opinion, based on experts doing years of research.  Shouldn't research trump "I had it at 3 weeks and I'm fine"?

Another trend I hate...telling moms that they know best, they know their child better than the doctor and other moms, and do what they think is right.  Why would a new mom automatically know what's right/best?  Deciding to give cereal at 3 months is not an intrinsic, human response like wanting to hold a baby that's crying.  Why would mom be asking if she knew what was right?  People say "I knew my child was ready at 4 months!"...the biggest aspect to a baby's readiness for (any) food is the solidifying of the intestines and the production of digestive enzymes.  How the heck do all these moms know this about their babies?

I was at an OB/GYN's office.  They had a fancy tv screen with health info constantly changing.  One section was on circumcision.  It was all about what to expect, and the "pros".  NOTHING contrary or negative was shown.  I wonder what the circumcision rate of male babies born to moms at that practice is.  I'd love to compare to an office where there is no circumcision information offered.  Or, how about an OB/GYN's office that has reading material that is only pro-breastfeeding.  If the only magazines available were things like "Natural Parenting".  Would that have an impact?  Once again, Health Canada says circumcision is not necessary.  Why are doctors still promoting it?  Oh...they get paid cash when they do it.

Why are young people letting marketing decide their parenting strategies? We all want what's best for our babies.  But  how can they really think Nestle has their baby's best interest in mind when their profit depends on making parents think their products are necessary?

Tragic

The earthquake in Nepal is tragic.  It's hard to prepare for something like that when you're barely surviving day to day.  Earthquakes and tornadoes tend to create total destruction, so even if you have a 72hr kit, you might not be able to access it, and well, it's only going to last 72 hours.

On one hand, I subscribe to the socialist Canadian view.  Help for everyone, for the good of the country.  We're all people, we all need help at some point.  What goes around, comes around.

On the other hand, I cringe when I hear that the Canadian government is contributing $5 Million dollars to the relief efforts.

"Our biggest concern for them right now is going to be access to clean water and sanitation, we know that water and food is running out."

(This quote was just grabbed from a news sidebar).

What about all the people in Canada who don't have easy access to quality food and water?  Anyone remember the  Attawapiskat First Nation crisis?  What about the children here who rely on school breakfast programs for the best meal of their day?  What about the people living in Toronto Public Housing?  Where's the money from our own government to help them?  

I know there is a lot of wastage in Canadian programs.  Attawapiskat was ordered to repay a large amount of the money the government gave them.  Many people claim there is wide spread abuse of the social assistance program.  I know people in the system, and it's not easy to get, and to stay on.  For a small number, perhaps it is easier than "getting a real job", but that's not a huge number.  You hear complaints about someone on welfare having their nails done or using a newer cell phone.  Sometimes you'll find out that the cell phone is their home phone, their computer, their TV, their only contact with modern technology.  It's pretty hard to get by without access to the Internet these days, or not having a phone number.  Sometimes someone else is paying for it.  Whatever.  I do think financial awareness classes should be mandatory.  However.

I think it's awesome Canada can send some money to Nepal.  It's "only" 17 cents per person of Canada.  Just imagine, though, what that $5 million could do to help Canadian people.  But we're all people.  Is helping those that have barely anything to start with, more important than helping those that payed into that money and could help generate more revenue for the government?  Imagine if hospitals didn't have to charge for parking just so they can buy new beds or a CT scanner.  Imagine if you didn't even have a hospital to go to.  Imagine if post secondary education was a little more affordable for all Canadians.  Imagine if you were fortunate to get educated through grade 8.  

I don't want this $5 Million to supply bottled water and nutritionless rice.  I hope Nepal has some plans in place.  Katmandu was a growing hub of business, I hope it can recover and improve. I really do hope that.  I just can't help thinking of those, though, that are squashing cockroaches in a TPH apartment, with leaky windows and no hot water, at the same time.

More Oldies

Originally posted Dec 1/2006 on my knitting blog

I Killed the Ducky
For Lucy's birthday, I got her a lot of little things. One was a "Grow Your Own Ducky". I thought it was like those little pills with the sponge shape in it, that you throw in the bath and the pill dissolves and the sponge grows. This wasn't in a pill, but you put it in water, and over 3 days it grows. That's a long 3 days for kids. The water was getting a little gross looking on the second day, so I thought the ducky would like some fresh water. I don't recall anywhere on the package it saying "Don't use hot water". Right before our eyes I killed the duck. The orange bits are his bill, the rest of him was a bright yellow. Sad, but funny.



We have two local (Orangeville, Ontario) papers, and one of them prints two great columns each week. One by folk/children's entertainer Eric Nagler who happens to live up here, and the other by Gordon Kirkland who lives out west. This week Mr. Kirkland did another installment of his recent experience with selling his condo and moving. But this paragraph made me laugh:

As I have said many times before, I know that no matter what, the meager fact that I am the husband in this relationship means that Diane will always have a logical reason for doing absolutely anything. Any doubts that I might have about the rationale will be wrong, because if a man speaks in the forest of a marital relationship and there is no one there to hear him, he is still wrong.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

Tonight is Rob's company Christmas Party. They used to big elaborate affairs, with hired entertainment and goofy things that no one really cared about (except for thinking how they would have rather had a larger bonus, than fake papparazzi pretending to take guests pictures when you entered). I used to take all week to get ready. Do the toenails, the fingernails, a facial, shop for a dress/shoes, tweeze the brows...This year...well, I did my hair on Tuesday night and my brows on Wednesday. On Wednesday night in bed, Rob asked me what I was planning to wear (I didn't go last year, and there wasn't one the year before, so it's been a while). I said "I don't know." He got worried, LOL. So this morning I tried on everything I own and decided on the Burgundy dress I have worn for many events in the past 8 years. It fits again :) I've really got my $35 out of that purchase, LOL. Sometimes you CAN be frugal and cheap at the same time.

Random Questions

This was first published on my tracykm.blogspot.com page on October 18 2006.  Some answers have changed over the past 7 years, look for the italics....

1. FIRST NAME? Tracy
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Don't think so, although there is an old Audrey Hepburn (?) movie with a character named Tracy. Maybe Mom can answer, LOL. I was going to be Gertrude Mildred.
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Some have complained that I am not emotional, but I think I'm overly emotional at time. Last time I cried...probably pretty recent.
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? It's okay. Pretty basic and textbook.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Mediterranean spiced roast turkey/chicken.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Gosh, I hope so.
7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? I used to be a really big journaler, until it was used against me and totally shook my world upside down. Well, the journal didn't actually do it, but what I had put in it did. I started keeping journals for the kids....but they are SO out of date. I tend to write the fun stuff in emails/forums already, I don't feel like taking the time to handwrite it again into a journal.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? I think so.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? If I could do it in slow motion. I'd parachute too if it were slow motion.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Multi--Grain or Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. But I rarely buy them, instead I have PC Bran Flakes with 1 TSBP of slivered almonds and 1 TBSP of dried cranberries or fresh fruit.  This has totally changed!  I don't eat cereal since going low carb/high fat.  I sometimes have an oatmeal/flaxseed mix.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Shoes that tie up?. Do I have any?
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not as strong as I'd like, but babywearing an almost 18lb baby 2 miles, 4 times a week has got to have had an impact.  Oh, boy, do I miss babywearing.  Definitely not strong anymore!
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? I like Breyer's or Kawartha Dairy ice cream. Anything with things in it and a multitude of flavours. Gold Medal Ribbon, Bear Claw, White Thunder, Praline Pecan. Although I'm a chocoholic, I don't like plain chocolate ice cream.
14. SHOE SIZE? 8 1/2
15. RED OR PINK? Depends on what it is :) I actually like both.
16. LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOU? My belly, and my shyness.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? The friends I had in high school before I dated the Ex who thought he should be the only friend I needed.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? I have the need to read every email that comes in the various Yahoo groups I'm in. I'm getting better at deleting without reading emails about Passap machines, ribbers, cloth diapers, etc....please DON'T send this back to me, LOL!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Jeans, dark; lilac t-shirt (had been wearing a ratty souvenir sweatshirt from 1995, but, well, I sweated (see question #12).
20. LAST THING YOU ATE? The lemon filling from the danish I put in Huey's lunch that he didn't eat.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Lucy tell the neighbour boy she got a sticker on her shirt, LOL.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Periwinkle. Or aquamarine. The ones that can't be described with one word...is it blue, or is it green? LOL.
23. FAVORITE SMELL? Lilacs, lavender, and roses.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My MIL.
25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Hair or butt.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON I saw this somewhere but don't remember, then I stole it from Sandra. I've only met her twice, but she seems pretty fun :)
27. FAVORITE DRINK? Sweet ice tea. Sweet coffee. Flavoured coffee with whip cream on top.
28. FAVORITE SPORT? Knitting. I used to watch a ton of figure skating...back when they were my age. Now they just make me feel old.
29. EYE COLOR? Green
30. HAT SIZE? Small.
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Glasses. I wore contacts for a while, but not now. I would really love to have laser correction, but I'm squeamish and too frugal.
32. FAVORITE FOOD? Nothing exotic. Fresh, flavourful, but not fancy-schmancy.
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? I laugh at scary movies, but do get freaked out by 'pyschological thrillers'. Hate sappy movies....but I'll watch them when Rob's not home, LOL.
35. SUMMER OR WINTER? BOTH! And fall. I love the time from Labour Day to Thanksgiving. I used to LOVE really hot days....before the need for Humidex readings came about.
36. HUGS OR KISSES? Depends on who's offering :)
37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Tiramisu, fresh fruit crisp, vanilla ice cream with peaches and melba sauce made from my Mom's raspberries. Any Ontario fruit (although I prefer prepared 'dessert'). Caramel sauce over apple slices. Caramel sauce on my finger.
38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Sandra already did it, so that leaves Lucky, CatBookMom, Clarissa, or Z. I think that's most of my readers, LOL.
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? No idea!
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Huggles can Juggle. Franklin wants a Pet.
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE Pad? Don't have one. It's just the desk. I'm frugal and I hate choices.
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? I don't remember exactly. I was waiting for 'Renovate My Wardrobe'....oh, "X-Weighted" was on first. Watched Oprah that I had taped.
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Windchimes with low sounds, not the twinkly ones.
44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Bahamas, or Alberta?
6. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Special? As in no one else can do it? Ummmm...family reads this, LOL. But I'm a good flute player and have made pastry better than my mom's---with her special recipe.
47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Suburb of Toronto.
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? I stole it from Sandra.

That wasn't too bad :)

Halloween Thoughts

I have heard that some schools are not allowing costumes on Halloween, and instead are doing a black and orange spirit day, to try to be more inclusive.

I'm not sure about this.  On one hand, I'm of the "You moved to Canada by choice, you need to join with us, not demand we change to suit you"; on the other hand, I do want to be inclusive and mindful of the unique differences that make up our country.

Yesterday was Halloween, and our school does allow costumes (no masks, no weapons, etc).  It was our first indoor lunch recess, and the kids were all on the carpet watching Spongebob Square Pants Halloween videos.  One by one, they were called off to get their costume on.  At the end, there was one boy without a costume.  There is about 16-18 kids in the class.

This boy is in JK, and his brother is in SK, in the other classroom.  I know the family is Muslim, and the mother wears a full hijab (head, most of face covered, and body covered in dark robe).  The boys speak with an accent and are often hard to understand.  The boy asked me if there would be Halloween tomorrow again.  He looked sad when I said no.  Once all the kids were in their costumes, he started to cry.  Luckily, the teacher had returned, and had a few extra costumes (apparently it also happened the day before in the other classroom).  He picked one out and was happy.  I'm not sure if his brother had a costume.

Would a "black and orange day" made a difference?  Last week was "Pajama Day" and these boys did not wear their pajamas, so I'm inclined to believe they wouldn't have worn black and orange.  He was one child, out of 18.  Should those other 18 (many who are also first or second generation Canadians), miss out on a North American tradition because of 1 child out of 18?  Yes, some schools have higher numbers than this (and in the French Immersion program at this school--which starts in grade 1--there are a LOT of minority children), but many schools are still pretty much mixed, or around this number.  Even at a school where, say, 10 of the 18 are Muslim, or Hindu, etc, is it necessary to tailor everything to those 10?  Didn't they come here to become Canadian, to leave their problems in their old country?  I can see hanging on to your cultural differences that are a strong part of your heritage/religion, but what about adding in the new traditions of your new country?  This one child felt very left out by not participating in the sacred Canadian tradition of  dual weather costumer selection (inside the school and the crazy weather in the evening).  It could have easily been avoided, and he would have come home feeling even more Canadian. 

Would a "black and orange day" make him feel Canadian?  I don't think so.

Music Monday

Today on my walk/jog ("walg"?  "wog"?), "No Time to Kill" by Clint Black (1993) came on my mp3 player.  I decided to actively listen to it, instead of passively.  I found the lyrics quite motivational and thought I'd share them today as part of a new series, "Music Monday"

No Time To Kill
(Clint Black/Hayden Nicholas, 1993)

There's no time to kill between the cradle and the grave
Father Time still takes a toll on every minute that you save
Legal tender's never gonna change the number on your days
The highest cost of livin's dyin' that's one everybody pays
So have it spent before you get the bill, there's no time to kill

If we'd known ten years ago today would be ten years from now
Would we spend tomorrow's yesterdays and make it last somehow
Or lead the cheers in someone else's game and never learn to play
And see the rules of thumb are all the same that measure every day
The grass is green on both sides of the hill, there's no time to kill

No time to kill, even I've said it and probably always will
But I can look ahead and see that time ain't standin' still
No time to kill but time to change the kind of hurry I've been in
And quit this work and worry lookin' back at where I've been
If you don't look ahead nobody will, there's no time to kill

If we had an hour glass to watch each one go by
Or a bell to mark each one to pass, we'd see just how they fly
Would we escalate the value to be worth its weight in gold
Or would we never know the fortunes that we had till we grow old
And do we just keep killin' time until there's no time to kill

This song came out while I was dating Jim, and we also saw Clint Black on the tour for this album.  If I had known then what the next 10 years would bring, what would I have done?  Continue to enjoy the time we had until it ended, or just give up then?  We did have some great times, but I could have been having those great times with someone else!  Dr Phil often says that time is going to pass anyway, so why put off what ever it is that you keep putting off for a better time?  How do you know there will be a better time to travel/have kids/get fit/learn Spanish?

Ten years ago, 2001, well, we all know what that September brought.  For me, I was still emotionally recovering from a 13 week miscarriage.  Hugh was 15 months old and a handfull and we were still trying to figure out our lives together, LOL.

Ten years from now, what do I want to look back and remember?  That I re-found the inner strength in me, and really, truly started pushing myself when I exercise!  That we went through some rough times this summer but came out WAY stronger and better!  That the kids could go through another major change and start taking a bus to a new school!  Life is really good right now and I want to be able to remember this in the future when hard times come around again.  I'm trying not to waste my days, but I'm also not trying to "save time".  The kids are going to grow up; I can't save time and deny that.  Enjoy time!!

Music

I'm pretty sure I've written a bit about the importance of music in my life.  I'm not a big techie....I don't have surround sound and wireless connections and all that; I'm not a big groupie; I don't go to many concerts;  I've never bought mp3's from iTunes.  But I do love music and have a decent size CD collection (it's growth slowed after moving to Orangeville/the boonies) which has a wide range of albums.  Looking at the albums is like looking at the history of my life.  Different people brought different genres to me; some I couldn't get into, some I've adopted as "my" thing.

Last night I started ripping all the CDs onto my computer that I haven't done yet.  So, I heard bits of Air Supply, Jann Arden, Chris de Burgh, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Phil Collins, and  Genesis.  This is just a typical cross section of the CDs, there were other albums in that section of the alphabet that I've already ripped.

This morning, I've picked up again with Genesis.  They were my first band crush; the start of listening to new music because someone else (usually a boy) was.  The year was 1983, I was 12.  I'm sure I probably heard a bit of their previous album, but it was their self-titled album (otherwise known as the "Mama" album) that really catapulted them to mass market.  They had finally been able to create songs short enough for radio play but with their distinctive sound and humour.  My brother had a friend who was 16 and "cool".  We'd known him for about 4 years by then, and you know how I described how my mom felt about my other friend in the last post?  Well, this guy, Mr Slick, was totally this way.  Cheesey, slimey, smiley while helping move your new TV in and doe eyed when it went missing the next month type of guy.  But when you're 12 and Mr Slick smiles at you...LOL.  Anyway, he was already a big Genesis fan, so of course, I had start listening. 

Then Genesis went on tour and Mr Slick got tickets.  Oh, did I want to go into the big city on the train and see the show with him.  But I was not allowed :(  In retrospect, I know I wasn't ready for a big time concert then...back then you could smoke inside the arenas, and on buses and trains, and (esp. on concert days), it wasn't always tobacco.  If you catch my wiff.  LOL.

Mr Slick was in and out of our lives over the next few years until he met his real sweetheart and somehow, she got him to settle down and shape up.  Now he's a business owner, father of three, and a far cry from the skinny, smoking, pierced hoodlum of the neighbourhood.  Strangely, when Rob and I were house shopping in 2009, we looked at a couple in his neighbourhood, but didn't know that's where he lived.  That could have been interesting!

 (This is my best friend and me at the end of our Grade 9 band trip, May 1986, with some dude that took a liking to me...)


Anyway, I kept up with my Genesis fascination, and on Sept 22 1986, my best friend and I went to their Invisible Touch concert, on the bus and train into Toronto, all by ourselves!  I'm still not sure how I convinced my parents (or her's; she was a year younger than me!).  It was at the old outdoor, open roof Exhibition Stadium.  The smells were flowing freely that night.  LOL!  Exactly a year later, I was back at that stadium with my boyfriend, Paul, watching Pink Floyd.  Oh boy.  We were right at the top of the bleachers, catching wind of everything that got blown up our way.  I had had a huge fight with my parents about going....if I had gone the year before on a school night, then why was this one such a no-no?   Oh yeah....my parents are older than me....LOL.

Near the end of Grade 10, a couple friends and I went to Toronto for an outdoor performance by the cover band 1964, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Sargent Pepper and the Lonely Hearts Club Band.  One of those friends, Sanjay, was the smartest guy in high school; went off to MIT, and just had his third baby.  The other friend, Mike, or "Boom Boom" as we called him cause he was a drummer and we knew too many Mikes, has become a radio DJ/music director at stations east of Toronto, and just started up a new station in Peterborough that plays the most eclectic mix of songs from the 80s onwards....pop, rockish, light country...I love it!
In July 1987 Mike and I went to see Peter Gabriel, again at Exhibition Stadium.  We had awesome seats.  Instead of putting the stage at the end of the field like usual, it was mid-field, facing the long side of the stands.  They did this because right beside Exhibition Park was Ontario Place, and they were having a fireworks competition.  This meant our almost crappy seats became awesome.  It was an incredible show, especially as he started singing "Red Rain" with a backdrop of red fireworks (supposedly unintentional...).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA3rJXV4R4E

I hate the way Blogger works now, this WYSIWYG is not true!

If you can, watch/listen to the duet with earphones.  They are so in sync you can't believe it's two drummers, yet it gets so intricate you know it can't be one drummer. 
Huey and Rob are learning to play the drums, and I played this video for Huey at lunch time.  He seemed impressed, LOL.  I could listen to it over and over.  And watching it is cool too.  Phil is SO at ease on the drums.  Just like when I wrote about the one-legged swimmer last month....it's the same thing.  The music flows THROUGH him, not just from him....he doesn't just "play", he IS the music.  Does that make sense?

Anyway, I posted about listening to music, and this video, today on Facebook, so I thought I'd go into more detail.  And that takes us only to 1991....LOL!  There were big changes when I started dating Jim....stay tuned?

What You Focus On.....

I've had a few occasions recently that support the notion that what you focus on, expands.  And, what you fear, you create.

One of my FB friends is a girl I was pretty good friends with for grades 7 & 8 while we were at senior public school.  I hadn't seen or heard from her in over 20 years, but it's been nice to reconnect on FB.  She doesn't have children, but is married to a man with a teen aged son who lives (mostly) with them.  She often makes disparaging remarks about the crazy ex-wife (which do sound valid), but sadly, also about the boy.  He's lazy, breaks the rules, has no respect  (which all may be true), but it's the underlying tone and attitude towards him that saddens me.  One rule was no smoking in his bedroom.  She caught him, and dumped his ashtrays all over his bed.  I do like that consequence, LOL, but it's the underlying attitude that's sad.  I don't know how I would be feeling, but I do know that I would go into a relationship with a man who's a father, being a little more open minded.  This is the off-spring, the genetic extension of the man you love.  If he loves his son, then so should you.  That doesn't mean love his behaviour.  Oh no, LOL.  But if all you see is a lazy, disrespectful off-spring of a crazy woman, then that's what you're going to get.

Yesterday, I went to my doctor's for a physical.  It's been a long time!  I like this doctor, she seems very knowledgeable about vitamins, she was respectful when I said I was delaying/selective vaxxing the kids, and she remember me, the girls, and things that happen.  And I've been seeing her only since September!  She remembered how we were having to be a one car family, and was asking how it's been, trying to do everything, and wow, did I have my hands full with three kids, etc.  I commented that I just do what I have to do, and I look at other mothers who do way more than I do, and think I don't have it too bad, I could be doing more!  She remarked that I have a good spirit.  Isn't that a nice thing for a doctor to say?  I can't do much about the truck situation....I just collect all the change I can find around the house, take the bus to the GO Train station, steal my truck and off I go.  Then, I do have to interrupt dinner to go to the station with the girls to pick up Rob, but really, that's not bad.  I do wish he'd ride his bike to the station (or gee...take the bus, which would mean he'd have to take a later train, but at least he doesn't have to worry about the terrible parking).  Sure, today Meg and I walked to the pool for her swimming lesson, but at least we had that option, and although sunny, there was a fabulous breeze.  Yes, I can't go thrift store shopping, but really, I don't NEED to.  Things could be worse.

Today, while watching Meg's swimming lesson, three Parks and Rec employees came in for their break.  There was an older woman, and two university age students.  The boy (LOL...not exactly...but not "man" either) was talking about how he doesn't swim.  Apparently, he used to get terrible ear infections, and I think I heard him say that he nearly drowned twice.  The girl and the woman were trying to convince him that he could overcome this and learn to be water safe.  The girl said "You won't get ear infections now, and you won't drown".  (Well, it's easy to say that I suppose, but what if...).  Personally, I do agree...if you want to learn to swim, you can't focus on what scared/scarred you.  You can either totally ignore it (I'm sure that's hard), or acknowledge it, and then move on.  If you go into the pool thinking "I might drown", well, at the least, you're not going to enjoy your time, and at worse, you will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you go into the pool thinking "I've had trouble in the past but I'm over that" then you've got no where to go but up!

Then, it started me thinking about my own fears.  Mmmm.  I'm not keen on spiders, or bugs.  I don't want to bungee jump, but not because of past experience.  I can look at it, and skydiving, and say, "Yes, I'd be terribly afraid, but it'd also be incredibly cool".  Umm, yes, my fear (and the cost) is keeping me from doing it, but I also know that I'm gravitationally challenged and my vestibular processing is weak.  I don't do rollercoasters.  I do rather enjoy small ones, but the incredible physical stress I feel when I do anything crazy, like the Tower of Terror at Disney's MGM Studio....OMG...I truly felt physically sick...not "I'm going to throw up" but like my entire physical systems were haywire.  Flight or fight to the max, like I'd never be able to get my visual inputs to match my internal responses again.  Rob couldn't understand it.  He could understand getting nauseous, or throwing up, but not like my entire world was gone wacky and would never re-align.
Any other fears?  Is there anything negative I focus on?  Mmm.  Is it possible to be too open to the universe and 'what happens, happens'?  I'm not passive, but is it possible to be TOO accepting?

Wet

Ever see someone doing something and you just have to watch because it's mesmerizing to see someone so naturally gifted at something?

I was at Meg's swimming this morning, and I went upstairs to watch, like usual.  During her lesson time, there's also lane swimming.  There's usually only one or two women there, but today, it was busy, and my eyes  were immediately drawn to a man doing laps.  It's rare to see a man there, but this man must have been born in the water.  He was so smooth and even and it looked effortless.  He wasn't going fast, just a steady front crawl.  He was obviously in excellent shape.  I did notice that he wasn't using his legs much, but thought maybe he was focusing on his awesome arms.  Then when he got down towards my end again and did that crazy little flip thing "real" swimmers do, I noticed something blue and white bobbing/around his legs.  I didn't notice it while he was swimming at first.  I couldn't help but watch him swim a few laps; the difference between him and the lappers was enormous (especially compared to the men and women in the slow lane doing the breast stroke....that's got to be the least sexy stroke, LOL).

Then, I noticed something.  He was missing his lower left leg!  The blue and white floaty thing was giving him extra buoyancy I guess.  It didn't matter, I was impressed when I first saw him.  I've always wanted to be a better swimmer, and I thought I might do laps while Meg did her lesson, but I'm both inspired by him, and reluctant to look like a dork.  LOL.

I saw him after we came out, with a pretty wife and two well behaved small kids and a cute little Mini.  Some people are just naturally blessed!   Have you ever seen someone like this?  I also felt this way during the Jason McCoy concert and watching  his McCoy Monday Minute videso on YouTube.  Doesn't hurt that both these men are easy on the eyes :)

Things That Make Rob Go Whhaaaatt??

Rob is not an environmentalist.  He'll burn pressure treated wood, plastic, and styrofoam in the fireplace,  he constantly puts things in recycling that don't belong there, or put recyclables in the garbage.  He hates the compost bins.  While Rob does love the outdoors, he's not about to go chain himself to a tree, or put solar panels on the roof.

I'm not about to chain myself to a tree either, but my geography background involved learning about the environment here, and around the world, and how people and their environment interact.  I have learned about the environmental plights of people around the world.

Recently, we were watching the news, and a story came on that I thought would be interesting.  An area of Kenya was getting home water filters that would mean potable water without boiling it first.  In order to boil water, women and children must first collect or buy firewood.  This is a significant use of their time and meager financial resources.  My first thoughts about eliminating the need to boil water is about the local environmental and financial savings, and of course about the health benefits to potable water (as unsafe water is a HUGE cause of illness and death).  The announcer though, made comments regarding the significant reduction of CO2 emissions from less wood burned.

Of course, the next question is cost.  The announcer said these families were getting the filters installed for free.  Wowee.  Who's footing the bill for this?!  The world's largest producers of CO2 emissions.  Yes, sirree bob!  By buying into this program, these companies can ease their guilt and improve their social standing...while still producing just as much CO2 emissions! 

On one hand, this is awesome.  Getting some of the world's largest companies to use some of their profits to fund development projects around the world is great.  Share the wealth.  For sure.  And this is a great device--minimal investment with outstanding results.  But wouldn't it be great if those companies would also reduce their CO2 as well?  Or just pay for these filters out of the goodness of their corporate hearts, not as a way to reduce their carbon footprint on PAPER only.

Edit to add:  I forgot to include WHY Rob went "Whhhhaaaatt?!".  LOL.  Despite having been in manufacturing, and the plastics industry, and not particularly caring about the environment, local or foreign, even he could seen the absurdness of this venture.  LOL.

Editing

Why is it, no matter how many times I hit enter to get a blank line, between paragraphs, none ever show up?!

Michael Jackson

Huh? MJ? You're asking, what's he got to do with TracyKM? LOL. I was never a huge fan although I recognized he was talented. However, I watched the Oprah episode after he died, when she looked back on her earlier interview with him. It was one of those "I don't really need to watch this, but it's interesting". However, he said something that I found extremely profound, meaningful to my life. He was responding to Oprah's question about what he thought his purpose on earth was.

"I believe that all art has as it's ultimate goal, the union between the material and the spiritual; the human and the divine; I believe that to be the reason for the very existence of art; and I feel I was chosen as an instrument to just give music, love and harmony to world".

When I'm playing an instrument, I feel that there is something greater than me, greater than the notes on the page, greater than the sound in the air, vibrating around me. I'm not a believer of "God" (in the sense of a spirit that created earth and life), but I am a believer in spirit, in energy, both good and bad. Music can bring out the good spirit in anyone. Sometimes I think too much...about how we look at these 5 lines/4 spaces and little circles and squiggles, and I get lost in the amazingness that it can all become something that I can understand and share and that others can understand what I am sharing. I feel spirit in me, and the need to share it.

I hope, when you hear (good) music, that you feel the spirit too. And I hope that you let the music-giver know. It means a lot to us.

Aging

You often hear people comment that they'd rather have another birthday then the alternative. I suppose so.

Recently Oprah had an episode with some supermodels from the 70s/80s. One of them, Paulina Porizkova (the one who married Ric Ocasek, from "The Cars"), had a very interesting comment:

"Aging is not a birthright. It is a privilege."

Wow.

She's Funny!!

Every so often, one gets a little bored with the blogging world. You know...you look at your list of favourites, and you feel you've gotten all you can from them, that another post would just be a repeat of what you've read before. You realize that half of your knitting blog list rarely even talks about knitting, that your list of 'healthy' blogs just makes you feel guilty, that you spend way too much time reading things that just don't inspire you, or aren't really your area of interest anymore....

Recently, I was trying to find some more machine knitting blogs, and some how came across one...through comments on other blogs, or links, or something. Anyway, she had commented on my knitting blog a couple times, and one day I couldn't remember which of my many recently added favourites was her's, so I clicked her name on my comments and looked at her profile. I found her knitting blog, and under "other blogs" there was one with an interesting title "Breakfast at IHOP". What? LOL. I had to check it out. The first post I read had me laughing my head off (it is a little difficult to read against the background, and the lack of paragraphing, but it's worth it!!). I went back to read a bit more of the blog....just take that link, click on the header which will bring the blog back to the whole blog, instead of the one post, and then scroll down to her post "Don't Bug Me"----I'm using my new laptop and highlighting is tricky to me).

She talks about telemarketers, and how she likes to play with them. Oh, she's clever! I was thinking about the things I say to telemarketers. Our first house was only 3 years old when we moved in. We frequently got calls for replacing windows, doors, shingles, etc. I'd say that I'd never buy from a company that doesn't do it's market research, because they're wasting their money with the telemarketing, so obviously their prices have to reflect that. If Rob answered, he'd give them the address of the new school across the street and say, come for an estimate. Later, when we moved to an older house, I had to get more clever. I'd say anything. "We don't have carpets/just got hardwood....etc". Calls about duct cleaning were fun..."we don't have central heat" was good, but one day, I was in a strange mood, and I can't believe what came out of my mouth "when they seem dusty I send our little furry dog through the ducts on a long leash. He does a great job!". LOL! The last window call was similar "We have no windows. We live in a earthen dome".
Charities are touchy though. Often staffed by volunteers, I don't want to upset them. "No, I can't afford to take my kids to the circus....so no, I can't sponsor someone else's kids--how can I get my kids on the list?". "I've used my charitable donation for the year already" (works well in September onwards, but not so well in January). "I don't respond to charities/retailers/services that cold call". I'd like to hear your come back lines for charity calls!

Once, Rob answered a call and he actually was interested in the service/product, but couldn't understand a word of the heavily accented speaker. He told them they should invest in employees that can speak English well enough for English people to understand, if they wanted business. A few minutes later, someone with better English phoned him back! But he was still hard to understand, and we just don't "respond to cold calls". He also gets frustrated when he answers and the caller can't pronounce our last name...it's an instant red flag and he doesn't usually let them go further. (I've lost my mouse pointer....argh...a ha! While wiping off the dog hair I touched the touchpad lock button!)

Once, I got a call from a water testing company. I said no, they went on, I said we're educated enough to know if our water needs testing and we'll find our own company....the caller responded that obviously I was not educated. I hung up. A few minutes later, "someone" calls back and utters a few mean sounding things and hangs up! Did I get crank called by a telemarketer?

Update on Images on the Web

I haven't yet found out an easy way to find out if my blog pictures have ever been stolen. If anyone knows, let me know! However, I spent a few minutes today Googling different word combinations about babies, diapers, woolies, etc to see if anything comes up in their Image results. But with THOUSANDS of results, I can't sift through them all.
But something did happen that startled me. I have another blog, besides the knitting one. It was made after my mom and dad's 40th anniversary party in Aug 2007. I wasn't using Facebook at the time and it seemed an easy way to show off large numbers of photos from the big day, and other extended family events. There hadn't been any "stats" available for it through my Blogger dashboard, but today I looked again. One page had been visited. You can look to see how people got to your blog and I followed it to bing.com search engine and some searches with combinations of the words "mom" and "pantyhose". There, on the first page, is a picture of my cousin's daughter....not a mom, and not even showing below her waist (but the caption under the photos is "...after straightening her pantyhose...but judging by her expression, maybe before"). Two rows below that image is one of Meg, from the same post.

How on earth could I know that writting that ("adjusting her pantyhose") would bring up her picture on a search engine? I don't know how popular Bing is, but when I typed the same words into Google, I didn't get the pictures (at least, not as far as I scrolled down). I got a ton of pictures I really didn't need to see on a Tuesday though. And hopefully none of my kids ever Google "pantyhose".
What other phrases should I Google/Bing? And how can I track my photos?

How Do I....

....find out if someone has stolen pictures from my blog, or linked to them? I know at the bottom of each post there is a "Links to this Post" but I can't continuously go through each post and click on that.
A parenting blog I read has recently discovered that pictures of her (deceased) child were on a strangers computer, half a world away, along with child porn. The pictures of her child were innocent, harmless, typical child pictures. She was contacted by the police of that country. Many commenters mentioned that similar things happened to them. But how can I find out if any of my pictures (or posts) were taken?