Venom or the Incredible Hulk?

Who'd win?  I say Hulk ( I always say Hulk, huge fan).  Apparently the answer is Venom "as he grows badder every day."  Good to know.  Filed that information to use later.

Day off tomorrow - Canada Day.  The street opposite ours is having a street party, huge flags draped accross the road.  Reminds me of the Queens Silver Jubilee when I was a kid, although needs more blue with the red and white.  Our plans include not getting up at 6am and at some point, in between storms, going to the allotment.

A Cheeter or the Incredible Hulk - who can jump higher?  I say Hulk.  No, a cheeter "cheeters can jump a million high"   Good to know.  Filed.

I was feeling homesick yesterday - saw lots of friends on facebook and was reminded of how long it is since I went out for a coffee or a drink; had a grown up meal; had a break.  As we drove up to the allotment small person and I chatted about England and missing friends...he misses his little bromance gang and the girls who liked him to chase them at playtime.  "Should we go back home?" I asked.  "Seriously Mom!  Oh my Gawd! no way".  So you like it here then?  Good.  What do you like best?  "MarineLand and in Grade 2 we get to go swimming as a lesson...from school in a building!" 

Who is the only superhero that can defeat Venom?  Hulk?  "no mum, I'll give you a clue, it begins with a SSSS"  Spiderman,  no.  Superman, no.  You're sure its not the Hulk?  "SSSSSSSSilver surfer, but he doesn't want to fight, so Venom just gets stronger."  Aha!

Small person and I are going camping on Sunday for 3 nights, in a Yurt.  It has a proper bed and electricity and is near both the showers and the childrens play area so hopefully we have all bases covered.  We spent a fun hour in Canadian Tire earlier buying stuff...cooking stove, check, cooler, check,  enormous marshmallows, check, but we have eaten most of them already.  Also for $12 at the recycle shop we got plates, cups, cooking pots, barbeque tools.  We are good to go.  The Ipad is coming, but it will have a low profile and will only come out for car journeys to MarineLand and the Zip Line park (eeeeeeeeeeeeekkkkkk). I have introduced a new regime for summer - "If you want 30 minutes on the ipad you have to draw one picture and write one sentence in your summer scrapbook".  This worked well on the first day, all be it that it took some explaining and rebuffing his attempt to renegotiate terms.  Now, on day three he doesn't want the ipad - great...but the journal?  Please write a sentence, keep your brain working.  Nope.  Hmmm!

I just asked him "Darth Vader or Venom?".  Venom.  "Why?"  Because he has webs, he can tie Vader up!  Obvious really when you think about it.

Happy Canada Day!

It's so quiet!

Every night for the last two weeks the street has been filed with kids playing, going in and out of others houses. We have become part of that with Small person now having 5 BFFs in our road. But tonight all is silent. The streets are empty, apart from the Canadian guy 3 doors up who fixes his car at weekends, drinks beer and some week shouts "the f word".  Italy are playing football and the folks here take that very seriously.  I was going to watch the match, as they are playing England, but I was out voted by a small person who wanted to watch Alice in Wonderland ( again) and a large person who wants an easier life.  So I breeched the curfew and cut the front lawn...alone, just me and the Kanuk fixing his car.

Earlier today small person went to a party...a pool party.  Should I leave him or should I stay? He put his trunks on, jumped in the deep end which is 10 foot deep, and had to be dragged to the edge by the birthday boy.  I stayed.  "Harking but nah heeding" is the order of the day with him at the moment. I chatted with Mums as he splashed and sploshed for 3 hours. We talked about school stuff, as 3 of them are teachers.  I learnt that I should be doing 30 minutes, reading, riting and rythmatic with him every night, in addition to homework.  I had no idea.  I learnt that spelling and grammar have been removed from the curriculum.  When I told my husband that he used the f word.  We have found the cost of moving to Canada...education.

I have bought the Child Whisperer on kindle - maybe whispering rather than shouting will get the small person to pay more attention...we shall see. I have read the first three pages but then I fell asleep for 2 hours.  Introvert talking with strangers at pool party equals exhaustion.  Another party tomorrow...this one is at Chuck e Cheese, which I have only heard about in movies. A friend tells me is is nasty pizza, watery wine and flat beer, but kids love it.  My husbands Fathers Day treat is that he gets to stay home alone whilst we go to the party. What price respite?

Happy Fathers Day to my dad, home alone with the cats.  Love you.

Culture Shock

I was at work on Friday, beavering away in my office at home, when through the window I heard a fascinating conversation that told me more about the difference between Europeans and North Americans than I ever knew. My neighbour from next door but one, many generation Canadian, was having a conversation with the woman across the street. He doesn't work as he is on the compo, with a back injury.  I know this as that was Thursdays listening novello.  I assume he gets bored as he pounces on people for conversation the minute they leave their homes or cars.  Any how, the cultural shock story..

He..." Do you watch soccer?"

She... "No, I don't get it."

He..."I know, the scores are like 1 to zero after 90 minutes.  90 minutes and that's all you get!.  Men running around a huge field chasing a white ball.  There's no excitement and low scores eh!"

She..."there's a competition starting soon, I've seen flags on cars"

He..."Yeah, the World Cup.  They make a big fuss about it. I just don't get it."

Then the Polish guy up the street gets home, they share their confusion with him.  He disagrees with them obviously, so my neighbour tries to explain that Hockey is a real game, "There's contact and fighting and they score 45. It's fast, I like a fast game. Soccer is slow.  I don't get it!"

Now I'm not a huge football fan, being a Scotland supporter you learn early that the only way you get to the World Cup is on a package deal or an Easy Jet flight.  But I supported Spurs from the sofa back when Ricky Villa and Ozzy were all the rage.  I watched that other Argy handball to win. I know that Camaroon do that corner post dance thing when they score.  I know that Pele is a god and Terry is a dreadful role model, but a great defender.  I know that the national team suffers because the players have greater loyalty to their clubs, that are floated on the stock market and driven by money men. 

I spent the first 15 years of my working life in a male dominated world.  Where football was discussed for hours every Monday morning, and then again after the mid week match.  I know it's about skill and stamina, that the team formation is critical. I don't understand the offside rule...but more in terms of why do you need it.  I get the whole formation part of it.  I learnt, at 19, that you don't join in those conversations unless you know your stuff.  They are serious, important, tribal.  They are where men, who rarely express emotion, express emotion.  I never joined in.  I made the right noises if questioned.  Clearly Watford were the better team and Luton were W*****s.  Apparently still the case.

So, to hear a grown man saying that he has nothing in his blood for football is actually shocking to me.  It is my first "you are not like us" experience.  I had assumed that would be over politics or war, but no...sport.  I guess that whilst the Olympics unites us, ball games devide us.

I'll stick with my plants:-)