130-O Reunion Weekend

This past weekend, I reunited with 5 of my besties for a long overdue 130-O Reunion weekend. I am still grinning ear to ear thinking about this weekend. We had such a great time, and while I could detail every moment, you might not find it as amusing as we did - there were a lot of 'had to be there' moments for us, and while you really did have to be there, you can still appreciate the fun we had sharing old memories and making some new ones too!

Needless to say, we laughed a lot this weekend (howled at times)... and renewed our faith in the fact that living at 130-O and experiencing University was indeed some of the best times in our lives! We obviously thought this because we headed back to scene of the crime for a reminiscent tour of the hot spots!

Its hard to put into words what these ladies mean to me, its like being sisters - only a glorified sisterhood - we love each other, we rely on each other, we share the same opinions on some things, and oppose each other on others, but all around, we stick together, we support each other, we embrace each other - no matter how long its been, no matter what the distance between us... we are there for each other, and truly soak up the laughs and time we have together, because we all lead busy lives, and we know that the next time we get to do this, might not be for a while.

I really do love these ladies... and this weekend only reminded me how important these girls are to me! I can't wait for our next 130-O Reunion... it may be hard to top this one, but I look forward to trying!

 

Mixed emotions

What a week it has been.

Without boring you with the government background or my personal opinion on whether or not I think the moves this Government is making are right or wrong, what you need to know is that this past week my home department (along with many others) announced the implications of the overall recent budget cuts which includes staffing implications for many employees.

While I should be jumping for joy at the personal outcome for me, I am finding it challenging to hold back tears for so many reasons. To put it clearly, I was deemed 'not affected' by this week's staffing implications and this came as a HUGE relief to me. I feel as though some-how, some-way I dodged a very big bullet and I have take a moment to appreciate that and to thank my lucky stars for what this means to me and my family.

My job is stable, and appears to be for the foreseeable future, however, many of my close colleagues and personal friends are affected and now must go through a selection for retention and lay-off process to determine whether they can retain a position in the department or be declared surplus.

As I've mentioned briefly in the past, since returning to work after my maternity leave, I have been tasked with working on some of the communications activities surrounding the deficit reduction action plan. It has been a draining file... interesting and challenging, but also morally exhausting when your preparing products that will tell people (potentially yourself) they are at risk of losing their indeterminate position.

I knew the day was coming when the cuts would have to be announced, and not knowing my own fate created a world of stress that I had underestimated.  Upon learning that my position was not affected, I actually broke down in tears... because I was in shock of hearing the news, but also because I knew that my safety meant someone else was at risk of losing their position.

Last night the overload of stress caught up with me by way of a massive headache that felt crippling. It almost underlined for me everything I had been feeling all week. 

Working in an environment that has affected and non-affected people in the same group is challenging. It immediately creates a division between colleagues, and a segregation that you try not to acknowledge, yet it is there.  Undergoing changes like these also drives workplace moral into the ground. I know personally I have hard time focusing on my day to day tasks when something like this is happening to my colleagues, and I am not the one who has to actually think about the next steps in the process. I can only imagine what this news has done to them and their personal lives. It is paralyzing in so many ways - and while I tell myself the good ones will make it through these retention processes, I know that some of them will not, because the exercise is designed to realize savings through the elimination of positions regardless of the individuals who hold those positions.

Its a mathematical equation that determines who is affected and who isn't, but it feels personal on so many levels. Those who are affected are feeling like somehow their work is inadequate, or their commitment to their position is in question and those who are unaffected are somehow positioned to look like their work speaks for itself.  The truth of the matter is that some people who were unaffected by the cuts don't have the best performance records or half the commitment level of many of those individual who are affected (not in all cases, but in some).  When you put all of these factors together you have a lot of people questioning the commitment of the department to employees in general when really, it appears they are just a number or box being moved around on an org chart rather than a person with skills and abilities and a dedication to the department's mission, vision, and overall values.  I know that is not the intent of the exercise, but that is the reality from my perspective.

This last week has presented so many questions for what the future will hold, and many of them I still don't have answers for. I have had a very heavy heart over all of this, and while I am not deemed 'affected' this has, in so many ways, affected my professional and personal life.

I will take each day as it comes but I will not for a moment forget this experience or how it has impacted me on so many levels.

Fun on the Rideau Canal!

This past weekend, we took advantage of some mild winter weather in the nation's capital and took in a day of skating on the Rideau Canal.

I have come to love this annual outing, and this year was especially fun because E was all geared up to skate by himself for the first time.  Last year, E had his skates on and we held him to get the hang of it, but the whole skating experience was short lived as he was extremely intimidated by the number of people on the canal and of course his abilities weren't quite there yet.

Fast forward one year later, add in a baker's dozen worth of skating lessons, and you have a little boy who actually gets excited by the thought of doing it on his own!

The day seriously could not have been more perfect weather wise, the canal conditions were excellent. The sun was shining and the smell of BeaverTails filled the air. This year we packed both boys into the bike trailer and they were nice and cozy enjoying just shy of a 10 km skate.

Midway through our 3.5 hour outing on the canal, both boys decided the conditions were ideal for a little snooze.  PC and I took advantage of the quiet time to maximize our skate to both ends of the canal. We exerted just enough energy to earn ourselves a couple of BeaverTails and a hot chocolate - and the wafting of cinnamon and sugar brought the boys around just in time the best part of the whole experience.

This was H's first time trying the famous Canadian BeaverTail, and he definitely gave it his royal seal of approval.  He was extremely happy to see his big brother had leftovers he was willing to share. For E, it seems the BeaverTail and a shot hot chocolate was all he needed to demand he was ready to skate... so PC and I found a quieter path on the canal and let him go for it.

H was nearing the end of his 'fun' rope by the time we got E suited up, but we did manage to entertain him long enough to let E have a good experience skating on the canal all. by. himself.  I was loving E's enthusiam for the whole experience... it was definitely a highlight for him and so glad we closed out the day on a high.

All in all, it was a GREAT day - I love these unexpected family outings that come together with little planning (they are rare for us), when the stars align and everyone is able to enjoy themselves - I get a little giddy! This was one of those awesome days that I will log in our family memory book for many years to come.

Here are a few pics from the day ...  and a short video of E doing his thing!

Old MacDonald had a farm... (an Experimental one)!

This past weekend we took advantage of an overcast and potentially rainy Saturday and decided to visit the Experimental Farm in Ottawa. It turned out to be the best day.

I knew E would love it before we entered the parking lot... but I didn't imagine he would talk about it for days on end afterwards! I think because the weather was so iffy lots of people decided to stay indoors which made the farm a dead zone.  There were maybe 20 people there in total... so we had a great time roaming our way through all the barns and stables at our own pace... and E really got a chance to explore the agriculture world.

The cows 'mooed', the horses 'neighed', the pigs 'oinked' and the sheep 'baa'd'! It was a live version of Old MacDonald and then some! The tractor exhibit was also a pretty exciting highlight of the day... E got to try out all types of different tractors, his favourite being the biggest one - similar to one he got to ride in at Farmer Logan's last summer!

H was a cool customer as well, didn't sleep the entire time we were there... and just loved watching his big bro describe all of the animals to him - and getting up close and personal with a few barn friends of his own!

All in all it was a great family day! If you are in need of something fun and cheap to do with your kids in the Ottawa area, I would highly suggest the Experimental Farm/Agriculture Museum - you will not be disappointed!

A little dose of tulips!

Last Saturday, on the long weekend, we took advantage of the beautiful afternoon and hit up Ottawa's annual tulip festival.

We went a few years ago, and it was cold and windy, but still just beautiful.  This time around, it was the exact opposite... hot and muggy - and even the tulips had a little sweat on!

However... even though the weather was a little sticky for May, the tulips were, in their own hot and sweaty way, still beautiful. Given the hundred degree heat and the draw of a gazillion tulips the photo opportunities with two curious boys were minimal... but I did capture a few quick shots (not my best work, but I think it accurately illustrates the day)!  To close off the tour, we trekked up to the Champlain lookout.... and a stranger took an awesome family shot of us, which I really like - so much so, that I've added it to my header.

Tulip time in Ottawa's spring is always a fun time... if you haven't had a chance to go, its worth the trip, especially for photo enthusiasts and family fun seekers!

The tulips were THIS big!

A day on the Rideau Canal

I have been wanting to get to the canal for weeks now (before the Winterlude rush), but it seems either the weather is poor, someone is sick, or PC has hockey. While I was to be away curling this weekend, that didn't happen, so I immediately got the idea to head to the canal.  The forecast was calling for snow but I didn't care... we were doing it, Winterlude madness n' all.

It doesn't matter how prepared I am the night before, getting out of the house with two kids and a hung-over husband takes FOREVER.  I wanted to be gone by 10 am, and I had told PC (who was out the night before) that at 9 am he should be packing the truck, so I could feed H and then we'd be out the door for 10. He agreed to the plan, so the night before I had packed snacks, blankets, extra mitts, skates, etc. so that really all he would have to do is load the truck, load the kids, and the bike trailer.  But of course, nothing ever goes according to MY plan.

Both E and H slept in later than I anticipated, so we were behind before we even started the day... and PC did get the bike trailer out around 9, but had to put air in the tires and then assemble it to see if we could in fact fit the car seat in it, or if we would have to take the stroller for H.  That was a 45 minute venture I did not anticipate... so needless to say once I fed H, we still were packing the truck (not PC's fault, but just a time consumer).

In the middle of it all PC called his dad to see if he wanted to join us, and once he found his skates, and dusted them off, he agreed to come.  He was a huge help in getting us on and off the canal with both kiddies... and much to my delight, we had a photographer with us too!

Although we didn't leave the house until 11:37 (E had to have something to eat, H decided to poop, spit-up, the works), we were off and running before noon and it was just in time for the snow to clear and the sun to shine.  We seriously, could not have picked a better afternoon for the skate.  Little wind, and just an all around beautiful winter day. 

E wasn't too big on skating in the very crowded canal, but loved the ride in the bike trailer as it was enclosed and warm - and he didn't have to wear his mitts (major issue with the mitts all. the. time.), H was asleep and loving the fresh air, only made a peep here and there when we stopped for some photos and then a snack.  He was the best little boy on the canal (IMHO).

We had beavertails and hot chocolate, and skated close to 5 km. An all around GREAT family day with very well behaved boys! It's amazing what a little fresh air can do for everyone's mood.  SO HAPPY!

Here a few pics from our fun afternoon... to see the whole album I posted to Facebook, go here.