Almost 10 years ago to the day, after our Dodge Caravan went up in flames in my one and only serious car accident, we bought my ‘little blue car’, a 2009 Mazda 5. It was so long ago that one of our primary concerns was room in the cargo area for a stroller; Lucas was barely over a year old at the time, and Simon hadn’t even started JK yet.
That little blue car served us well over the years. I loved it so much that when Beloved needed a new car, we bought a 2012 Mazda 5 to make a his-and-hers matching set. Alas, after 10 years and 175,000 km, it’s time to trade it in.
It’s been about five years since our failed attempt to get the car detailed, and I can’t say I’ve been scrupulous about keeping it clean since then, aside from an occasional swipe with a vinegary paper towel or $1 worth of gas-station vacuuming. Cleaning the car out for trade-in has been like an archaeological excavation of the past 10 years of our lives. I expected the crayons, goldfish and the Starbucks stir sticks, smiled at the acorns, sea glass and installation manual for a forward-facing car seat, and laughed outright at the three (three!) lens caps and the Apple charger cord – so that’s where they went. I can’t remember the last time someone needed a baby spoon, but there was one of those, and a rainbow Pride flag, too.
I’m super excited about the new car, but I’m nostalgic about trading this one in. I’ve never owed a car this long before, and the kids have gone from babies to teenagers begging to sit in the driver’s seat. It’s been to every province east of here save Newfoundland and Labrador, and down the 401 to southern Ontario more times than I can count. It gets cranky in the deep winter mornings and won’t always open the windows when I ask, and I’ve learned not to pull out of the driveway until I’m sure the window won’t freeze-fog over on me. It never once broke down on me, though, and I’ve only had to put a post-it note in front of the pesky check-engine light a few times when I just didn’t have the spoons to deal with it. It has been our family car as our family grew up, and like the rest of us, it has a few eccentricities that we mostly overlooked because it was otherwise a good friend.
We both have a few more miles on us now!
And about that new car – holy smokes but cars have changed since the last time we were in the market. Stay tuned for the big reveal on the next-ten-years car!
When you have more than one kid, it’s important to remember to spend time with each kid on his or her own. Today’s PD day provided an excellent opportunity for a lunch date with Lucas, and the crazy delicious light in Five Guys was almost as tasty as the salty, yummy fries.
Hmmm, maybe today’s lesson should also be “let your poor children have lunch without sticking a camera in their faces.” Can you tell I’m getting twitchy for portrait season? Must! Take! All! The! Photos!
(Don’t you love his day-dreamy look though? I love the black and white for this.)
I so enjoyed working with this sweet family of three that I told them they should give lessons on how to be great subjects. They were easy-going and friendly, followed my directions and even anticipated what I was thinking, were open to my suggestions and came with a few of their own. And on top of all that, they were all three as adorable as the day is long.
See?
And isn’t he just the sweetest, chubby-cheeked, dreamy-eyed little fellow? He did not stop smiling genially the whole time they were on the porch. Here’s an extra peek, just because they’re so cute:
Sometimes I wonder why people love autumn above all seasons for family portraits, but on a chilly but sunny October morning like this, it’s easy to see why!
If you’re looking for your own family’s autumn portraits, there are still a few weekend slots left, but you’ll need to get in touch soon! 🙂
It is with a nostalgic heart that Beloved is parting with his collection of comic books loving collected at comic stores, flea markets and used book stores over the last 30 years. In his words, “It is time for someone else to enjoy my collection.” Could you please feel free to share this information with your networks? I’m thinking there may be a comic geek or three in my extended bloggy network.
I can tell you that these are well cared-for books, as any suggestion I made that they be stored in, say, the garage was met with horror. They’ve been stored upright, individually wrapped, dry and flat.
The collection comprises mostly Marvel and DC titles with a few Dell Four Color and Classics Illustrated, and the books were published from the 1970’s to the 2000’s. There are large runs of titles such as Avengers, New Mutants, Teen Titans, Fantastic Four, What If, Suicide Squad, Superman, and the various Justice League titles.
You’ll also find complete series of titles such as Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, and Blue Devil, and keystone moments in comic book history such as Dick Grayson becoming Nightwing and the Death of Superman. A full list of the contents is available in an MS Excel spreadsheet upon request. The guide value (ComicBookPriceGuide.com) of the collection is over $5,600, and he is willing to entertain serious offers. (Hint: serious offers start at $2,800.)
He is willing to sell full runs of individual titles, but not individual issues. Feel free to leave a comment below if you’d like to see the spreadsheet with all the titles, or email me at danicanada (at) gmail.
Please share this with your geeky friends!
It’s been a while since we’ve had a photo of Willie, hasn’t it? He likes to hide out in the unphotogenic basement where the big boys have their bedrooms – and where Bella can’t go. He’s figured out that although Lucas is not one of his favourite people (that list comprises Tristan and Beloved, and Simon in a pinch), Lucas’s room has a window with a perch and is also a baby-gated Bella-free zone.
You can pretty much read the derision on his face, though. Oh Willie, I’m not nearly as evil as you seem to think I am – although I will admit to being the catalyst that brought the dog into the house, and an unapologetic dog person.
One day, maybe we’ll have pet harmony in the house.
I have a bloggy confession to make. I have never actually seen any of the Despicable Me movies, although the kids have seen them all. And yet, of course I know all about the Minions, because you’d have to be living completely off the grid to miss the Minion memes. There are tumblers, dedicated Facebook pages, and of course, a Minion Meme generator.
Speaking of generating memes, here’s a fun way to bring a little old school fun to a 21st century meme: how about making your own minion? Have you ever noticed that the inner capsule of a KINDER® Surprise Egg is like a minion waiting to happen?
To celebrate the pending release of the Minions movie this July, you’ll soon be able to find a whole line of Minions toys in specially marked KINDER® Surprise Eggs. Fun, right? There are 11 Minion toys to collect, for a limited time only. And for you, my funny bloggy peeps, here’s a chance to win a $40 KINDER® Sur-prize pack, with a chance to find the ENTIRE Minions collection.
- This giveaway is for a KINDER® Surprise prize package.The approximate prize value is $40.
- To enter the giveaway, two steps are required. Please use the widget below and (a) visit the KINDER® Facebook page and (b) leave a comment on this blog post answering this simple question: bananas or apples?
- ONE winner will be chosen at random from all entrants.
- This giveaway is open only to residents of Canada, excluding residents of Quebec. (sorry!)
- This giveaway will run until 11:59 pm EDT on Tuesday May 26, 2015.
- The contest winner will be required to provide a full name and complete mailing address to be shared with KINDER® for shipping purposes.
- While you may enter as many of the KINDER® contests as you like, you can only win once.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!
DISCLOSURE: I’m a #KinderMom/Maman/Dad who is part of the KINDER® Canada influencer team. As part of my affiliation with KINDER® Canada, I am provided with special perks and products. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
