Tristan's Tinkerings

T and Ave

2012-01-26T19:16:00.001-08:00

Having a Sleepover With the Cousins...

2012-01-13T20:17:00.000-08:00

It is time for Kiernan and I to see how long we can stretch bedtime out!

Books Tristan Is Reading (or has Read)...

2012-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

Cheetah Boy!

2011-10-31T19:18:00.000-07:00

Guess What Tristan Wants for Christmas?

2011-09-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hockey season has started and the Winnipeg Jets are back...their jersey was made for T!

Overheard...

2011-09-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Got T a Nerf dart gun today (I know, I know). Anyway, Brad was reminding him again not to point it at anyone. His response? "Why would I do that? It has such magnificent air force behind it." Oh lord, he talks like his mother...

Tristan's Cookie

2011-09-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Made cookies with the kids this afternoon (a gingerbread request from the girl since she insists I never make her anything!). Tristan elected to cut his own cookie. This is either a smilodon or a hyenadon. I am sure he will be on his blog later to make any corrections (ha!)...

Tristan's Injured Crow

2011-09-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

Tristan, Jake and Charlotte noticed a crow that was hopping yet not flying from lawn to lawn. He asked me (in the vaguest means possible) what I would do if there was an injured bird outside. After investigating, I called the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society and they told me to try to catch him in a towel. The kids had been chasing him here and there until he ended up under a mugo pine over in the neighbour's yard. That neighbour (Scott) helped us catch him (in our yard after the kids chased him down with a laundry basket) and then T and I raced him over to the Animal Hospital to hand him over to the vet.

On the way home, T said "I just feel good rescuing injured animals". I just was happy I didn't have a crow flying around in our van!

First Day of School...

2011-09-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

Is anyone surprised by this nutty face Tristan pulled?

That's better!

Charlotte was chilly on the walk to the bus stop so she borrowed Daddy's jacket!

And now we wait...

First day on the bus!

Off we go...school starts at 8:09 now!

An Afternoon at the Aerospace Museum

2011-08-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

Hanging with Jake...

2011-06-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Another photo session of T and Jake out enjoying the cul-de-sac. Whether it be hockey, bike riding, hide and seek or some other made up game, they do enjoy a warm day out front!

Sprinkler Fun with the Cousins!

2011-06-05T15:17:00.000-07:00

Pretty self-explanatory! But finally a nice afternoon where a sprinkler could come in handy!

Jake and I

2011-05-07T11:15:00.000-07:00

Proud of my T!

2011-03-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Updating T's Blog

2011-03-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am making a round of the kids' blogs tonight to keep them up to date (or try to!). Spring is, for the most part, here (I say this as I watch flurries coming down). T has played hockey the last two nights for at least a couple of hours each...all the boys came to play as if they had stored up their reserves all winter. He lost his eighth tooth tonight...here's hoping the tooth fairy finds him. Tomorrow night, he and I are going to see one of the last regular games of the Flames hockey season. It's his first Flames game and we are way up in the nosebleeds but he is so excited. He's making plans for what to eat, how to get there and what each of us needs to wear. I told him I was going to make him drink green beer since it was St. Patty's Day. He told me he wasn't interested but he was going to get some blue candy floss!

Not So Sleeping Beauty

2011-02-26T07:06:00.000-08:00

Skipper's Wake-Up Diary

2011-02-19T09:09:00.000-08:00

1. Picked through last night's garbage to see what's available. What luck! Chicken bones!

2. Walked across the counters and the stainless steel stove to lick water out of the kitchen tap. (Made sure to hit the litter box first so I could leave my footprints everywhere!)

3. Heard that girl was up who gives me food. Whined at her until she came down to fill up my food and water. Ate like the Cookie Monster (or so that woman keeps telling me).

4. Passed out...it was a long twenty minutes.

Happy Valentine's Day From T!

2011-02-14T16:23:00.000-08:00

He and his classmate Simone were the emcees for today's Friendship assembly. He did an excellent job!

Plus, being in a double-class, he got twice the valentines! I think he ate most of the candy that came with them already!

After Dinner...

2011-02-08T10:22:00.000-08:00

...and when Daddy's away, the kids like to do math problems (weirdos!).

Birthday Ideas

2011-02-06T11:31:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. Tristan is getting older and his tastes are more expensive (ain't that the way with boys?). Anyway, he wants more hockey jerseys. Since they are too pricey as a birthday gift, maybe a gift card to Sport Chek (who also owns Hockey Experts) that will help fund his addiction might be an idea. Sorry to be presumptuous but you may as well know where his head is at!

P.S. He wears these to death...there is no way one of these would get forgotten in his closet.

Heritage Classic jersey

Pittsburgh Penguins Winter Classic jersey

Washington Capitals Winter Classic jersey

Skipper the Cat

2011-02-01T15:18:00.001-08:00

Tristan at Four

2011-01-26T23:33:00.000-08:00

I needed a picture of Tristan for a blog post about preschool so I am adding this one here. He is four in this picture...it is from a trip to the zoo for Kiernan's birthday (and found on a CD from my bro!).

Cheering Canada's Juniors...

2011-01-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

Before the last period when everything went downhill for the juniors, T was in his element all decked out in Canadian regalia. Sigh! He couldn't even watch the last five minutes of the game so Charlotte turned on some inane show on YTV.

Rejection Slip Shock?

2010-12-28T20:44:00.000-08:00

Tristan has been clowning around in various ways as of late. A lot of it is annoying boy stuff (pretending to shoot guns, jabbing people in the ribs, etc.) but one that is just amusing is based on his new love of Peanuts comics. He looks at us with his eyes wide as saucers and his face as elongated as possible and tells us he is in "rejection slip shock". Huh? Here's where he got it from:

So yes, if you see Tristan with a pained, glazed look, assume he is in "rejection slip shock". We just send him to Lucy and she cures him with her psychiatric services.

Sign of the Times

2010-11-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

Tristan: "What are you going to be when you grow up?"

Charlotte: "A Mommy-Teacher. That's what Ms. Garneau was."

Tristan: "What if you lose your job? You know you could lose your job."

Charlotte: "Then I will stay home like Mom and work on documents."

Tristan: "You know that job is hard Charlotte. And you have to go down to California first."

This is where I interjected to say you didn't have to start your job in California and that Charlotte would probably be okay. And then Tristan started to complain about the "bad economy" again. At least he knows what it is now instead of thinking it is someone out to get him!

Just a Blip of a Post...

2010-10-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

So would you like to know Tristan's new favorite adjective? It's "blazing"...as in "blazing easy", "blazing fast", "blazing bright"...you get the idea.

Being 7 With T!

2010-10-14T19:05:00.001-07:00

Tristan Being a Good Big Brother

2010-10-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

Tristan took Thursday off since he was getting a cold (which seems to be tapering off already!). Since he never doesn't seem to have energy (even when sick), I tasked him with helping Avery learn some things. He played hide and seek with her snap beads (out in plain view though!), rummaged through the kitchen with her banging on pots and danced to "Bobs and Lolo" with her. Good boy!

Games for Tristan

2010-09-26T11:43:00.001-07:00

Tristan's Back to School...

2010-09-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

...and so is his vernacular. All week everything "owned" (see the Urban Dictionary reference). Be it the carpet we chose today to some dinosaur he was talking about, "it just owned". Yeesh...what will he sound like when he's in his teens?

First Day of Grade Two!

2010-09-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

Not much to tell about T's first day of school...he's an old hand at this by now. However, I had found out he was in Mme. Schmidt's class which was not the class that his BF Kieran was in. I told him that and it was all he could do not to cry. I went to introduce him to Mme. Putnam (Kieran's teacher) and she told me that she and Mme. Schmidt would be team-teaching one larger grade two class (of about 30). T was elated to find out that he and Kieran would be together (and that Rowan would be there too!). Phew!

Tristan's Dragonfly

2010-07-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

Tristan found a dragonfly and took some excellent shots!

Taipei 101 Tower

2010-06-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

T gets upset when I am not blogging enough about him...heh heh...so I am posting his creation for school a couple weeks back...a model of Taipei 101. (And yes, he is wearing his dad's shoes!)

Painted Ladies Show Off Their Orange

2010-05-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

The butterflies are pretty staid in their current environment. From time to time, they will show off their color with a quick fly. But then it's back to just sitting there. We'd love to let them go outside so they could lay their eggs but we have to wait until the snow stops!

Butterflies "Born" Today

2010-05-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

Our butterflies came out of their chrysalises today. They are pretty tired and drinking orange juice. We will release them tomorrow or the next day (depending on how chilly it is outside!).

Mom and I...

2010-05-14T07:07:00.000-07:00

...are raising triops and painted lady butterflies!

The caterpillars (six of them) eat like crazy and grow substantially everyday. We are close to the chrysalis stage when we will then move them into a terrarium.

Triops are tadpole shrimp that come in a package much like sea monkeys. They are the same as they were in the Triassic age (which is why they are prehistoric sea monsters!).

A Site for T

2010-04-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

The Search for Ancient Sharks
Paleospot

Dinos Alive! at the Zoo

2010-03-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

My sisters and I went with mom to see Dinos Alive! at the zoo. We had a lot of fun but I got spooked one time by the T-Rex, jumped and then accidently knocked over Charlotte in the process!

Here is the triceratops at the entrance...he's silent so we didn't know that there would be such loud roars to come!

In the next two, mom told us to pose like we were bring chased by the apatosaurs (who are plant eaters and unlikely to find us tasty!).

A pterosaur who is motion-activated. Another one that scared us!

One last meat-eater who was so loud he kept scaring Avery!

This is T Now...

2010-03-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

All T does is live and breathe hockey right now. As he says, "I am the best in this house...I can't help it if I win all the time". Oh no...we are creating a monster!

Overheard...

2010-03-25T17:58:00.000-07:00

Tristan asked for a fire this afternoon. Since there is so much brush that needs to be cleared out due to the early winter freeze, I agreed. While he was tending the fire, he pretended it was a volcano. About halfway through our time outside, he said "Look at all that lava coming right out of that ash hole!". I bit my tongue so he didn't think I was laughing at him...

Festival Des Sucres

2010-03-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

We celebrated International Franchophonie Day by going to the Festival Des Sucres. Tristan practiced his French "un petit peu", we enjoyed lots of maple sugar (so sweet!) and there were lots of kid-friendly activities to enjoy.

Un requin!

Jouer au hockey!

La tire d'érable sur la neige (Maple taffy)

Aire de jeux!

Two Movies for T

2010-03-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

These are lame cult movies but one day he might like to see...

Sharktopus

Dinoshark

Parent-Teacher Interview with Mme. Alex

2010-03-18T20:46:00.000-07:00

T and I went in to talk with Mme. Alex today. She said that Tristan was amongst the top three in his class (along with his friends Kieran and Rowan), that he worked hard (and went beyond the bare minimum) and was a very nice boy in class. She had no problems with his speed to complete tasks, the neatness of his printing nor his earlier disinclination to speak French in class. Instead, she spoke about how he was reading at or above level, and save some vocabulary lapses, spoke in French while in class.

He then showed me what they were doing with word problems (a computerized explanation with planets that he and three of his classmates devised), a math game called the "Power of Ten" and then he and I worked on a series of question and answer cards where he constantly corrected my pronunciation or adjective placement. So, there you have it...at six, I am already a lost cause to him!

My Goofy Kids

2010-03-17T23:05:00.000-07:00

Charlotte spent most of this St. Patrick's Day talking about her friend, the leprechaun. He spent most of the day sitting in Tristan's car seat (unless she threw him out the window) and stealing her shoes (who knew they had a penchant for shoes?). Anyway, when Tristan jumped into his car seat upon coming out of school, she whined "Awe". Tristan started in immediately on her and I had to jump in and explain that he had sat on the leprechaun. He then spent the next ten minutes explaining how they weren't real whereas she explained that both Ms. Garneau and Ms. Whitney said they were and that their footprints were all over her classroom!

When they got home, C wanted to play outside while T spent some time chilling watch another video about sea life. He told me that when the video was over he was going to go outside and pretend he was a leprechaun. C and I were back and forth outside (with Ave crawling along when she could). When I was in the kitchen, I heard T rummaging around upstairs. He ran downstairs in my PJs (could he not find anything of his own that was green?) and then outside to scare C. Well, she wasn't scared...she thought he was cute. I captured some pics (will T ever not close his eyes in a pic?)...notice how he got my PJ pants all mucky?

Ideas for T

2010-03-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

Tristan has three days off this week and Spring Break is the week after next. I am using this place as a repository of ideas to keep him busy!

http://fslactivities.ca/kidsplayground/index.html
How People Make Things (Factory Tour Videos at Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood)
Science Explorer Activities at the Exploratorium Museum
Zoo Cams & Backstage Videos at San Diego Zo
Science in Action at Highlights Kids
Virtual Field Trip Videos at Meet Me at the Corner
Making Chocolate Video Tour at Hershey’s

For now, Tristan is obsessed with...

2010-03-15T15:27:00.000-07:00

...hockey, particularly these guys.

He is forever on my laptop watching game highlights on the NHL website. You cannot escape one day without playing it in the basement or outside (he is either Iginla or Kipper depending on which position he is playing). And, like his mother, he is all about rubbing your nose in it when he scores (that, and talking about his play in the third person...what a nut!).

Another Prehistoric Shark Pic

2010-03-04T18:15:00.000-08:00

Dead hadrosaur Claosaurus floating in Western Interior Sea of Cretaceous Kansas. Cretoxyrhina and two Squalicorax sharks swim around.

Reading Books

2010-02-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

I am doing so well on my reading...even if most of it is in French! I like to read to Avery when she will let me.

Tonight, I went upstairs and did my reading homework with no prompting after watching Nova with Mommy. (Mommy loves that her T watches hockey and PBS with her!).

My Tulips

2010-02-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

My Name!

2010-02-08T15:01:00.001-08:00

Slippery Fish - Fast!

2010-02-03T09:02:00.001-08:00

Images of Sea Monsters

2010-01-28T07:48:00.000-08:00

http://images.google.ca/images?q=Cretoxyrhina&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=CKthS7m3NqT6tQOd_aS4BQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBAQsAQwAA

Tubes!

2010-01-27T19:49:00.000-08:00

Tristan is getting tubes in his ears on February 5th. We went to see the ENT doctor today up at the hospital. He used a microscopic camera (which also displayed the images on a nearby TV) to clean out the wax. Oh my...how nasty! His ears (particularly his left) were so dirty that the doctor was not sure whether it was the wax causing the pain or the ear infections. Moreover, he said that the doctors who have seen him in the past would never have been able to properly diagnose an ear infection given how much wax was present.

Even with the vagaries of the wax/jaw pain (the doctor is convinced that he grinds his teeth like his Mom and sisters!), once T went through the roof when he cleaned his left ear, the doctor thought the tubes would be a good idea. That way, he could get the ears in a good state (he will clean them out entirely and make sure there is no damage from previous infections) and also prevent further ear infections for the next year (tubes prevent 90% of all ear infections). Once the tubes fall out, he will then reassess if T has grown enough to avoid the pressure buildup when ever he gets a cold!

On the way home, I had to stop on the side of the road (busy Anderson for you locals) so T could get sick. He has been at it all day...he can't seem to keep anything down just yet. I guess he will be having an extra long weekend (since Friday is a PD day!). Poor guy!

Sudoku!

2010-01-26T21:16:00.000-08:00

Tristan is now addicted to sudoku! (Easy ones, of course!)

I printed this sheet off for him. He completed it pretty quickly even if he did want me to watch and coach him through. He seemed to intuitively know where the numbers should go but I still had him explain to me why he wanted to put the number there. He only goofed once...now I will have to scour the Internet for more (esp. since he is off on Friday...gotta keep that boy amused!).

A Card of My Own Design

2010-01-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

Tylosaur

2010-01-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

C and I at Zoo Lights!

2009-12-17T21:11:00.000-08:00

Mom helped us make an igloo from styrofoam blocks and then we slipped around in the hay!

Prehistoric Sea Creatures!

2009-11-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

Megalodon

Lipleurodon

Hybodus

Combining T's Love of Planes and Sharks!

2009-10-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Albino Whale Shark

2009-10-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

Shark Word Search

2009-09-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;noframes&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href='http://www.wordsearchmaker.net/wordsearchplayer.aspx?puzzleid=0310f474-5e00-44bc-bce5-bcdea84230dd'&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Free Word Search Puzzles&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/noframes&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Make Your Own Word Search

Said to Mommy...

2009-09-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

"Why do you insist I do things that I don't like?" (On having to ride his bike to school this morning. Yes, he was tuckered out from gymnastics but the attitude...whoa!)

Just Some Space Art

2009-09-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

FA-18 Hornet Breaking the Sound Barrier

2009-08-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

Back to School Today

2009-08-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

There are 19 kids in Mme. Alex's class and only five of them are boys! My good friend Rowan is there so that's good! I now stay for lunch and am there all day long...I am so baked (even if I won't admit it to Mommy).

Look at Me!

2009-08-22T17:17:00.001-07:00

Back to School Clothes!

2009-08-20T23:43:00.000-07:00

clipped from www.gymboree.com

P.S. One more car shirt with flames but there is no picture!

Found a Ladybug Friend...

2009-08-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

I find these all the time. I am now accepting Mom's rule about no longer keeping them as pets. Too bad though...I sure like ladybugs!

I am now Four Feet Tall!

2009-08-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

Mommy tells me...

2009-08-04T12:21:00.001-07:00

...I am her best helper. I work in the garden, help with my baby sister Ave and make lots of different things in the kitchen all by myself.

Plus, Mommy cannot believe how much I have grown this summer! Mommy says she will miss me so much when I am gone at school all day now that I am in grade one. I am not looking forward to being at school all day anyway...it tires me out!

Will You Be Watching?

2009-08-02T17:55:00.001-07:00

I am so excited because it's Shark Week on Discovery!

I Make Ave Giggle

2009-07-29T17:16:00.000-07:00

Some Pictures I Took This Morning...

2009-07-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

These are pictures of my garden...the lily is my favorite!

Another CF-18

2009-07-28T15:24:00.001-07:00

P7263040, originally uploaded by johnyyc25.

CF-18 (Centennial Plane)

2009-07-26T16:34:00.001-07:00

Alberta International Air Show 2009-9, originally uploaded by svantland.

Orca Mama and Baby

2009-07-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

Me and My Duck Friend!

2009-07-13T12:38:00.001-07:00

In May, Mme. Heather introduced us to three eggs. She told us that we would watch them hatch and then take turns helping to feed and take care of what came to be three ducklings!

Mme. Heather told Mommy that I was the one who spent the most time with the ducks. She also said I just loved taking care of them...here is a picture of me with my fav of the three, Checkers.

Loving the Rides at Stampede

2009-07-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

The Canadian Forces at the Stampede!

2009-07-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

In this picture, I tried out a flak jacket, a helmet and a rifle!

Here I am trying out a machine gun on a military helicopter.

In these pictures I am in the cockpit of a CF-18!

Sharks!

2009-07-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

Basking Shark (Eats Plankton With a Mouth That is Always Open!)
Great White Shark (Most Ferocious Fish)
Whale Shark (Biggest Fish)

Bowmouth Guitarfish and Sawfish

2009-07-02T11:02:00.000-07:00

Narwhals - The Unicorn Whale

2009-07-01T04:44:00.001-07:00

clipped from www.newfoundlandwhales.net

Grandpa's Father's Day Card

2009-06-19T16:11:00.001-07:00

Class Trip to Fish Creek Park

2009-06-16T09:16:00.000-07:00

Picture of Many Sharks!

2009-06-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

Me With No Training Wheels

2009-05-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

All My Die-Cast Planes

2009-05-17T10:31:00.001-07:00

Space Shuttle Against the Sun

2009-05-15T08:50:00.001-07:00

Source

C-5 Galaxy Cargo Plane

2009-05-15T08:12:00.000-07:00

Wiki entry.

Air Canada Boeing 787

2009-04-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

They have bought these but they haven't been delivered yet!

B1 AND B52

2009-04-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

My Sisters!

2009-04-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

A video of my sister Charlotte singing (she does this a lot!).

Chatting with my sister Ave. (My mom, Charlotte and I chat too!)

B1 and Harrier

2009-04-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

These are some new planes I got for my birthday - a B1 bomber (die cast) and a Harrier (snap-together model).

Me and My Sisters

2009-04-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

Me and Ave:

Me, Ave and Charlotte (with road rash on her face from falling!):

Charlotte and I on Mount Everest (AKA a snow bank in front of our house):

More Lego Planes

2009-04-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Thunderbird F-16

2009-03-31T22:36:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite plane right now!

More and More Planes!

2009-03-31T22:26:00.001-07:00

Spy Planes

2009-03-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

Fighters and Bombers

2009-03-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

Lots of Planes!

2009-03-18T12:48:00.001-07:00