The Wisdom Of Children

So, last Sunday we went to visit some friends of ours. While there, we had some burgers for lunch. While eating her burger, my dear daughter Laura started picking the seasame seeds off of the bun and putting them into her hand. When we asked what she was doing, she replies: "I'm taking the seeds home so I can plant them, and then I will have a hamburger plant!"

Ahhhhhhh, if only it was that simple.

Another First

So, here's another first for us. We have moved, yesterday in fact, out of our apartment. We are finally out of apartment living. We are still renting, but it's a townhouse in a co-op. The main benifit is that this three bedroom townhouse is costing us $200 less a month than our two bedroom apartment. We also have a yard, which Alla is absolutly happy about. She now has her own garden which is one thing she has wanted for a long time. We have a garage, which is something I'm absolutly happy about. I now have some space for a small workshop to tinker around in. All is good, and we are happy. The kids now have their own rooms, which has brought a lot of peace and quiet to the house, except for the running around enjoying the bigger space.

In all, except for the moving process, we are very excited and happy. Now if we could just finish settling in...

Finally!

It has been a long time. A very long time. But it has finally happened. It took some work, some time, and well, more work. But I have finally be able to do it. After many, many years, I can finally say that I am no longer in poverty. Not that I actually said that mind you, but I have crossed a line. Up until I moved to Canada, I have never been able to earn enough money myself in order to pay taxes. You know. That magic base figure they use, that if you earn less than that, you don't even have to bother paying taxes. Above that, you have to start. Well, in 2005 when I moved to Canada, that year was my first year having to pay taxes. Now I know most of you are rolling your eyes, "How can someone be happy paying taxes?" But hey, my earning capacity reached new heights!

Anyhow, technically in Canada, there is no poverty line. That way the government has a hard time actually publishing numbers as to the level of poverty in Canada. Conveinient isn't it? But most social services departments use the base figure of $20,000/year as a deciding line as to who needs the most help. So, unofficially, in Canada a family that earns less than $20,000/year is a family in poverty. That has been the unofficial line. So hears the news: I just did my taxes last week (just in time by the way, deadline was yesterday) and my income has finally moved above that line! My earning capacity has increased! We no longer live in poverty! We have now become simply a low income family (below the national average, but now below the imaginary poverty line)! I'd love to go out and celebrate, but we can't afford that yet. We have to become average before we can do that. That is unless we use the gift card for one of our favorite restaurants that we havn't used yet, but then it wouldn't be the same as paying for the celebration ourselves.

So here's to living above the line! Wohoo! Next aspiration: to become average! It has taken me 36 years to become below average, I wonder how long it will take me to become average?

Any opinions?