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?

Some cool guitar playing, not by me of course

I came across this video today. Yes, I know it's from youtube.com™, no I do not browse that website just to pass time. I found these videos browsing another time wasting site. Anyhow, this guy is amazing. He does stuff on an acoustic guitar I've never heard before. Until now, the guitarist that had my greatest admiration was Adrian Legg for his innovation and creativity. But his guy is giving chase and starting to compete for the honors in my books. I've got to get some of his music and listen to it more carefully, but until then, follow the link and check it out for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ddn4MGaS3N4

And to try something new, I'll try to post the above video directly into this blog:




We'll see if this works, if not you can always just follow the link, or search youtube for Andy McKee and you'll find something cool. My favorite songs so far: Drifting and Rylynn.

Anyhow, enjoy!

Funny things kids do

So, we're in the living room watching TV, the kids fast asleep, when Alla goes down the hall and peeks into the kids room. She calls me over to see what Erik did. I walk over, and this is what I see:



Erik had somehow kicked off his blanket, got cold, and to keep warm he took off the pillowcase and crawled into it like a sleeping bag, and fell quickly to sleep again.


Man is he ever a funny kid.