T minus 7

My husband has been away on a golf trip and yesterday I did something I haven’t done since my single-girl days: I had popcorn for dinner.  I announced it to the kids that we were going to have pancakes and popcorn for dinner, and that announcement was met with silent, nervous smiles.  “Do you mean, we’re going to have breakfast for dinner and THEN have popcorn later?” Jake ventured.  No.  I assured him that popcorn was on the menu, and there was some mild cheering, followed by “Okay, but you said we’re having pancakes too, right?  I mean, popcorn for dinner doesn’t really sound that HEALTHY.”

I’d feel much more smug about their health conscious attitudes if these weren’t the same children who would, if allowed, eat chicken fingers and fries daily for the rest of their lives.

It’s just one week until school starts and I feel somewhat compelled to cram as much fun as possible into the remaining days, and so yesterday we had a lovely day with friends at the local amusement park.  It was hot and sunny, the kids had a blast, and the day was only slightly marred by the disappointing “prize” won by Mark at the fishing game.  Instead of a hoped-for tiny, crappy stuffed animal, he won a pair of crappy, star-shaped glasses.  Much sadness followed, as well as a vow to never play the fishing game again.  Would that I could believe that.
It was unusually hot, and so the boys played in the sprinkler for hours after we got home.  I sat on the deck with a cold beer and watched them, thinking that this is truly the life.  There are times when being a stay-at-home mom can feel like some kind of sentence, but summer days like that are pure gold.

Speaking of gold, prior to my husband’s golf trip we took the boys for a day trip to Lake Louise and Moraine Lake; quite possibly the most beautiful area in the world, and one that we haven’t visited with kids before.  It was a great day, although it was much, much colder than the city.  Fortunately I had packed jackets.  I also packed my thirteen year old, heavy duty leather hiking boots.  My husband looked askance at them.  “We’re not really doing hard-core hiking”, he said “Why don’t you just pack some practical shoes?”  Um, because I have no practical shoes?  Perhaps it’s time to go shopping.


Comments

  1. That is a gorgeous place! Right now, we are suffering from some hot temps. The thought of needing to wear a jacket sounds really, really good.

  2. Beautiful and now an addition to my bucket list. I have to go there before a depart this earth!

    I LOVE breakfast for supper, it is the best! What is so fun about it is how unconventional it can seem to your kids. My kids still love it!

    Enjoy the rest of your summer. My 14 year old and 9 year old have about driven me to the brink…school starting on Tuesday is sounding better and better.

  3. Then when you left the room Mark turned to his brother and said, “You know this is just a ploy on her part to get us eat nutritional yeast, right?”

    His brother nodded, “And it totally freaks me out when she refers to the taste of it as meaty.”

    I love Lake Louise! I was married there. Just me, my husband, our parents, and a bus load of Korean tourists who surrounded us and filmed the ceremony with their video cameras. FUN TIMES!

    Do you own a canoe? Because if you do, we can totally be CANOE BUDDIES!!

  4. Such cute pictures.

    Popcorn and pancakes sounds like the perfect dinner to me.

  5. Nan: I think you may be on to something re: nutritional yeast. But think of all the thiamine! You got married at Lake Louise! That’s where we got engaged and I sort of wanted to get married there too, but we ended up in Banff. So beautiful. I don’t have a canoe, that, sadly, is a rental. But I do like canoeing!

  6. I have a canoe! Of course, it sits in the sandbox and I haven’t been in it since Angus was one, but still… Matt stsrts travelling again in September. We’re totally doing pancakes for dinner one night. But my popcorn will never be tainted by yeast of any variety. Blergh.

  7. I have never been there. This is a sad statement. We’ve always bypassed that area in favour of Banff and then onward to your city. Maybe next year!

  8. Star glasses are so last year…that is a lame reward. Although I think that pancakes and popcorn is a better deal…well not for my thighs.Last night I had potato chips. What does that have to do with anything…nothing.

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