A New Baby Arrives
Published January 26, 2010 @ 15:44 in Family

Congrats to my brother Steve and his wife Vanessa on the birth of their first child. Nathaniel James Boon arrived at 12:41 this afternoon.

The inspiration for his name is obvious to me.

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Happy Birthday, Son
Published January 20, 2010 @ 08:55 in Family

My boy turns 8 today. I can't believe I'm the proud parent of an 8 year old. That sounds awfully old to me.

It's been an awesome eight years. James has taught me far more than I could ever teach him.

Happy 8th birthday, James! Daddy loves you very much.

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Squeakquel Sacrifice
Published January 17, 2010 @ 11:29 in Family

My son's birthday party is this afternoon, and he's asked that he and his friends see Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel.

I sat him down and tried to talk him out of it. I showed him the 21% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, I explained to him the several other options at his disposal and I recommended a couple of alternative films that he might prefer.

He wants the Squeakquel, so he's getting the Squeakquel. Pray for me.

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Married 14 Years Today
Published January 15, 2010 @ 07:48 in Family

Today is my 14th wedding anniversary. I honestly love my marriage (and wife) more and more with each passing year.

My wedding was unusual. I shared the story six years ago.

We both had classes that chilly Toronto afternoon, but we had an appointment we couldn't miss. Ten days earlier, while chatting on the phone with my twenty year old girlfriend of less than eight months, the topic of marriage came up. "We should just do it now", one of us suggested. The next morning we met at Ossington Station and got our marriage license at New City Hall for $53. The next stop was Old City Hall where we booked a time with the Justice of the Peace to get hitched. The cost was another $53 and the next available time was 2:00pm on January 15th. We took it and never looked back.

I'm a very lucky SOB. Happy Anniversary, sweets.

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The Beauty of Goodnight Moon
Published January 12, 2010 @ 13:41 in Family, Memories

Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon is far and away the book I enjoyed reading to my children most. Those beautiful illustrations by Clement Hurd, that gentle prose... For years my kids fell asleep to this book, it was a staple.

At some point over the past year or so, my youngest outgrew Goodnight Moon. I no longer read it, and it breaks my heart. This entry serves absolutely no purpose except to allow me to reproduce those words here, without permission from the copyright holder.

In the great green room
There was a telephone
And a red balloon
And a picture of --
The cow jumping over the moon
 
And there were three little bears sitting on chairs
 
And two little kittens
And a pair of mittens
 
And a little toyhouse
And a young mouse
 
And a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush
And a quiet old lady who was whispering "hush"
 
Goodnight room
Godnight moon
Goodnight cow jumping over the moon
Goodnight light
And the red balloon
 
Goodnight bears
Goodnight chairs
 
Goodnight kittens
And goodnight mittens
 
Goodnight clocks
And goodnight socks
 
Goodnight little house
And goodnight mouse
 
Goodnight comb
And goodnight brush
 
Goodnight nobody
Goodnight mush
 
And goodnight to the old lady whispering "hush"
 
Goodnight stars
Goodnight air
 
Goodnight noises everywhere

Previous tributes to Goodnight Moon:

• February 2, 2007
• May 29, 2004
• October 20, 2004

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The Story of Canada 5, USA 4
Published January 1, 2010 @ 13:02 in Family, Hockey Canada

I was psyched for this one. Last New Year's Eve, I had to write an entry during the second intermission entitled "Bestest Game Evah!". In that game, the USA was up 3-0 before we stormed back. I just knew we were in store for another doozy.

Grandma came over, pizza was ordered and we were an hour from puckdrop. That's when my carefully planned New Year's Eve was thrown a curve ball. My son's stomach pain returned, pain he's complained about off and on for four days, and we decided I'd take him to the emergency room to rule out appendicitis.

We actually watched the first period of the game from the paediatrics emergency waiting room at St. Joe's. I pissed off a handful of sick kids when I turned the station from Treehouse to TSN. I stand by my decision.

We eventually saw a doctor who ordered an ultrasound for 9am this morning. James gave some blood and we headed home to watch the end of the game. With only ten minutes to play in the third period, and our beloved Team Canada down 4-2 to the Yanks, I fed the kids a promise. If Canada lost the game, I'd sleep outside.

Michelle loved that idea, and it perked up James as well. My wife and mom both thought I was crazy, because when Canada lost and I didn't sleep outside, I'd be revealed as a fraudster. I, however, have seen enough Canadian hockey to know we'd find a way to win. I had no doubts.

The rest is history. Jordan Eberle notched his second of the game to cut the American lead in half and Alex Pietrangelo tied it with a short-handed snipe with 4:15 remaining. Then, after overtime, our shooters were perfect in a shootout, which included a complete beauty by Future Stanley Cup Winner Nazem Kadri™. The good guys won in the end.

Here's the complete shootout. Kadri's goal is at 1:08. Awesome.

And I didn't have to sleep outside. The boy has since had his ultrasound and after a few more hours at St. Joe's we got the all-clear. He doesn't have appendicitis.

What a comeback! Happy New Year indeed...

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Dear Santa: An Open Letter to the Big Guy
Published December 25, 2009 @ 13:00 in Family

Dear Santa,

I have a bone to pick with you. You brought my daughter this great wooden kitchen, which she absolutely adores, but you brought it in a hundred pieces. I spent most of the morning building it. Couldn't you have delivered it already made? I'm sure you could have put a junior elf on the job without missing a beat.

Look at me looking a gift horse in the mouth. Santa, I apologize. After all, you brought my son the Nintendo DS he so desperately wanted, Michelle got her guitar and we've got a sweet new Scrabble board. I've already broken it in, beating my wife by 120 points. It's been that great a day.

Here are the kids in piping hot fresh shots.

And here's Michelle doing a happy dance about getting fake food for her fake kitchen. Well played...

And one last thing, Santa. My son heard your bells last night. He told me all about it this morning. Maybe next year you can be a little quieter so he doesn't wake up and catch you in the act. Just a thought.. take it as constructive criticism. All-in-all you did a great job and the kids are as happy as can be.

Until next year,
Toronto Mike

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Christmas 1978
Published December 21, 2009 @ 11:31 in Family

This is my little brother Steve and I at Christmastime in 1978.

My sweater says "CANADA" in anticipation of an Olympic gold medal that would be won 32 years later by our men's hockey team.

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The Tree is Up
Published December 6, 2009 @ 21:10 in Family

The tree is up. The kids did pretty much all the decorating, and I just stood around taking pictures.

We usually put up the Christmas tree the first weekend of December. If you put up a tree, when do you put it up?

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Santa Writes Back
Published December 3, 2009 @ 18:15 in Family

My kids each wrote a letter to Santa and gave them to the postal employees at the beginning of the Santa Claus Parade last month.

Today, they got Santa's reply. It blew little Michelle's mind that busy ol' Saint Nick took the time to write her back. Here she is showing off her letter.

I love this program and the volunteers behind it. Thanks...

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