On cars and birthdays

YUCK!

This year, right around the time that everyone was doing the Christmas scramble, I received some mail from the Ontario government. Now I should have seen it coming, really, if I had thought about the last time I received this mail, the twins are 5 now, so logic should have followed...

Not only did I get my plate renewal, requiring e test none the less, I got a license renewal requiring picture AND a health card renewal requiring picture. EW! Thankfully we don't pay for our health cards, if we did I'd be flat broke this month.

Now when I took the new job, I planned on replacing all four tires this month. They aren't completely worn to the wear bars, but with all the snow we've gotten so far, I need to swap them now. The little green bomb just can't get decent traction on snow these days.

Then, last weekend, I went to the store to work, I got out of my car, shut the door, and Nickelback continued to blare from my speakers. I checked my pockets, and my keys were in one. WTF!

Oh wait, this happened last year too. The door switch must be frozen again. Monday afternoon, I talk to Bob at my in laws shop, and reminded me that last year, we had to eventually replace the switch. He told me where to get one, and that he would fix it once I got one. Great!

Last year this same part cost me about $7, this year, almost $13!

So, with tires being done Sunday, the door switch and the merry birthday for over $225 for your driving privileges from the Ontario government, we're looking at, in the span of 40 hours blowing almost $700!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I need an advil!

Sun Ceremony

So, the montessori tradition celebrates birthdays of children in the class in a very special way.

Its called the sun ceremony.

All the children gather in a circle, the sun is placed at the centre. The child (or in my case children) to be celebrated brings a picture of when they were born, their first birthday, second, and so on up to the last birthday they had. The child walks around the sun carrying the first picture, while the group sings a special song about the sun. This is done with each picture to represent each year of the child's life, each time the child has been around the sun. The final go round is without a picture, to represent the beginning of the next year of life.

The girls really love this ceremony, and tomorrow is their third, and last sun ceremony as they have been at Montessori three years now. How the time flies.