A miscellany of know-it-all-isms by Geoff Sowrey

Posts tagged DearChooChoo

Happy first birthday, Choo Choo!

Mar18
2011 Written by Geoff

Well, my little girl, you’re a year old today. A year ago, you came into our world early, confused, cold, and separated from Mommy. It wasn’t exactly how any of us had hoped you’d arrive, but we were happy to have you no matter how it all went.

Mommy and I had been looking forward to today for a long time. We wanted your first birthday to be small, surrounded with just a few of us, making as much fuss as we could without completely overwhelming you. Today wasn’t really about you, so much as it was about us. You see, we’re actually kind of sad, today.

Why? Well, you’re no longer our baby girl. You’re grown up.

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Posted in Children, Family - Tagged

Baby steps

Mar15
2011 Written by Geoff

Well, Choo Choo, your first birthday is fast approaching. Four days, now, as a matter of fact. On Friday, you’ll turn 1, and Mommy and I will shed a tear as a our last baby ceases to be a baby and becomes a toddler. ”Toddler” being the key word, of course.

And by “toddler”, I mean “toddle”, which is about the best way to describe your current state of bipedal motion. You’ve been scooting for the last couple of months, using an improvised push with your left hand to shove your left leg forward while seated, and using your right leg to pull at the same time. But you’ve started walking in short bursts, and are on the cusp of walking on your own.

If only you’d let go of Mommy and I … which we really don’t want you to do.

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Posted in Children

If I could save time in a bottle

Feb10
2011 Written by Geoff

Jim Croce’s song has been echoing in my head the last few days, as I’ve watched and played with you, Choo Choo. I don’t even know the words, so much as the tune, and the song’s desire to save the precious moments, and pour them back out to savour them.

Lately, I’ve wanted dearly to stop time. Not because of any perceived notion of aging (as has been pointed out by others, I certainly don’t seem to act my age), but for fear of losing you as you are, now. My little bundle of happy joy, your gleeful cackle when you see someone you know, your little giggle.

I feel like it’s all about to slip through my fingers.

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Posted in Children

2010, A Year in Review

Jan04
2011 Written by Geoff

Man, it feels like a year ago since I last wrote one of these … oh, wait. (Yes, it’s a stupid joke. You should know me by now…)

2010 was the year we made contact … wait, sorry, wrong catchline. 2010 was the year my family welcomed new members, notably my youngest, a daughter (code)named Choo Choo. It was a year I changed my career outlook (yes, again), and found that I’m not (completely) useless. This was a year of family, for me, and that’s perhaps the most important aspect.

But despite all that, I hesitate to call it “a year of change”.

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Posted in Careers, Children, Family, General, Trains, Travel - Tagged , , , , , , , ,

New Year’s Tea, 2011

Jan01
2011 Written by Geoff

I gotta tell ya, kids, 2010 was a pretty wild year. I know a lot of people who keep telling me that the years “just fly by” and before you know it, another year’s gone. The year past was definitely a change for our family, in many, many ways. (And I’d like to think that most of them were for the better, so I’m not going to try and figure out the split — I prefer to remain blissfully naive on this one.)

This is our “new” tradition. Mommy and I decided it would be tradition after having such a wonderful time with my old friend Sonny, having afternoon tea. Suddenly, it seemed just perfect to have tea every New Year’s Day. The question now, of course, is where to have tea. Last year, it was at the Banff Springs Hotel. This year, mostly for simplicity, we did the same.

Next year? Well, that’s a whole 364 days of Anything-Can-Happen!

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Posted in Family - Tagged ,

Merry first Christmas, Choo Choo

Dec29
2010 Written by Geoff

Sorry, kiddo, it’s been a while since I last wrote. I have no real reason/excuse, other than I just haven’t. That’s bad of me, and I will endeavour to write more often. Maybe one day, years from now, you’ll be able to read it all, too. Certainly for now, you will have no recollection of it, except through the mountains of photos Mommy and I took.

That’s something, incidentally, that you and your sister will never really fully grasp, I think. You’re the first generation where digital cameras are ubiquitous, and almost your entire first few years will be documented nearly daily. It wasn’t that way when Mommy and I grew up, and I can only imagine what your kids will say.

I suppose, as a result, you won’t be able to say your first Christmas wasn’t eventful.

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Posted in Family

The end of summer vacation

Sep06
2010 Written by Geoff

Well, kids, I’m not sure if you’re going to remember this August a few years from now (well, Choo Choo, I’ll be impressed if you remember today, tomorrow), but this has been a fantastic month. It’s been a long month, filled with lots of laughs, almost every single meal spent together, four provinces, several hotel rooms, and more than a few pools.

But tomorrow is the first weekday after Labour Day (which is today), and it means that we must part again. In a few years, it will mean you have to go to school. For me, it means going back to work.

In a way, they’re pretty similar…

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Posted in Children, Family - Tagged

The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 8

Aug11
2010 Written by Geoff

We were up perhaps a bit earlier than I’d thought we’d be up, but I’d also forgotten we were stopping in Redcliff to visit Marnie and her kids. Thankfully, Grandpa had enough sense to jumpstart us for the day. That didn’t necessarily mean we were moving particularly quickly, but at least early enough to make a difference.

That, and two cups of coffee, of course…

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Posted in Children, Family, Travel - Tagged , , , ,

The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 7

Aug10
2010 Written by Geoff

Despite the nice appearance and newness of the hotel, the Canalta has stiff beds that are really meant for only one person — any movement is felt by the other person on the bed. The pillows are massive and overstuffed (please, hotels, understand that not everyone wants these — please provide a few thin pillows), and the air-conditioning in our massive room simply made things awkward. It would appear that neither Mommy or I slept well.

Monkey, you slept like a log. We had trouble waking you up.

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Posted in Children, Family, Travel - Tagged , , , ,

The Great Family Roadtrip 2010, Day 6

Aug09
2010 Written by Geoff

We were all slow to rise today, but we made quick work of breakfast. You said goodbye to your Great Uncle Ken and Great Aunt Marilyn before we headed to the car. Our first stop was to drop off Granny at the airport. She wasn’t driving back with us, which I take to be a very wise decision on her part.

Then we headed back down to Portage, which is one of the main roads in Winnipeg. After a stop at Timmy’s for a coffee recharge, we set our sights for Saskatchewan and our overnight stop at Moosomin.

The question was what were we going to do in between…

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Posted in Children, Family, Travel - Tagged , , , ,
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