Hannah comes to Canada

Five days...two provinces, three major cities, a little league baseball game, an historical tour, lots of meals out, discovering a new house, tolerating a neurotic dog and keeping an aunt, uncle, two cousins and a mom and dad on their toes...that was our wonderful visit with our beautiful niece Hannah. And of course her parents. We like them too. It was awesome to watch my baby brother, whose diapers I once changed, be a dad. We are so proud of John and Stephanie. While their 16 months with sweet Hannah has not been typical and they have faced hurdles that would make many parents crash and burn, they have taken Hannah's difficulties, focused on her abilities, (which there are MANY) and have become the best parents a child could ever ask for.

We love it when we have visitors. It's a great chance to see the place we live through new eyes. And this was a particular monumental visit since Hannah was traveling to Canada for the first time. For us it was enlightening to watch a 16-month old and her parents....how time flies. Hannah has some respiratory issues so we were quickly taken back to our days with Louis and nebulizer treatments every few hours. It's good for us to see how far Louis has come. And for Louis it was a great time to hang out with his Uncle John who happens to be one of his favorite people. He was thrilled to have his uncle at his baseball games and took some pointers from John, while Hannah was entertained and watched with enthusiasm.

We spent a day in Ottawa at Louis' baseball game and walking around the city. I love this city. It's very regal and a mix of old and new. Danielle joined us for the day.

A quick night at home was followed by a road trip to Quebec City. As many of said, this is the closest to a European feeling and we have to remind ourselves we are in North America. We had a great time walking the city, eating, embracing ourselves in history for a tour (Louis got to play hooky, Danielle had to stay behind for school). It was a wonderful time. Hannah was a rockstar! John was most entertained by the rude, aggressive drivers we experienced while trying to leave the city at rush hour. He opened is window yelling "douche bag" to one driver. I had to laugh when I told him that there are some things that just don't translate and in French, douche means shower, so he just called that dude a shower bag.

Our last day we spent quickly touring Montreal...with drives to the schools to show Uncle John and Aunt Stephanie where Louis and Danielle get their Quebec education. While in Montreal, John was quite patient when an old French guy gave him hell for not speaking french when he asked John a question and he responded with "no hablo fran-say."

We had some time at home and an adult dinner out which was appropriately capped off with Duke getting sprayed by a skunk at 10 pm. For John and Kish, it was just like old times in Arizona.

We had an amazing five days and can't wait to see the Colorado Schmitz family again!

Our 8th grader

Something happened this summer. Louis must have grown a foot, his voice lowered by several octaves, he increased our food budget by hundreds of dollars, he craves his independence and he had a great summer. Today was his first day of school. Yes, he had new clothes to mark the occasion but opted instead to wear his old crap. I remember the days when I could set clothes out for the kids and they would just wear them.

So, what did Louis do this summer?

He had an amazing baseball season playing on a "typical" baseball team. (We don't like the word "normal"). He and his team went to the provincial championships, unfortunately losing two heartbreaking and very close games. But, we were fortunate to be with wonderful parents, the best kids and we looked forward to each and every game. It was lots of fun.

He got to go to a Toronto Blue Jays game and sit in the Blue Jays charity box with great friends from his baseball team. And mom got to go too. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and we will never forget it.

While at the Blue Jays game Louis came face-to-face with a Frank Thomas photo

He also got to sit in the box for the Katy Perry concert with another great friend. I'm sure he's happy all of his dude friends know he went to Katy Perry. We had a great time and what a way to see a concert!

After Toronto, Louis and mom hit the road and went through Niagara Falls. He was not that impressed. But it was worth the stop. I made him smile in this photo.

We stayed the night in Cooperstown, N.Y. and went to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Absolutely AMAZING. Put it on your travel list, even if you're not a baseball fan. The town is quaint and a great place to visit. We took out a membership because we kept thinking that Paul and Danielle needed to experience it. We're hoping to head there this fall.

After Cooperstown we went on to Portland, Maine to meet up with Danielle who had been nannying there for a couple of weeks. Paul joined us too we had a great time. We love Maine and everything about it.

So, that's Louis' summer. In between this he had baseball camp, time with friends, fights with his sister and lead the life of a typical teenage boy. And for that we are grateful.

Happy trails

I just love the northeast. The kids and I took a quick overnight trip to Burlington, Vermont to save a shitload of money by avoiding 15% sales tax and inflated prices in Canada shop for school clothes. It's worth the trip as there is not sales tax on shoes and clothing in Vermont and as we all know, that stuff adds up. Plus, it was a reason to hit the road and head south and also go to our favorite Burlington Mexican restaurant.

We like to take the ferry these days. After crossing Lake Champlain from New York to Vermont, there's a pretty country road we take when I ran across this store and had to stop and take a photo of it. Unfortunately, the store was not yet open. Brilliant name.

We made our usual trip to Walmart for our usual provisions and when I turned the corner I saw this....cue the sound of a choir singing "Alleluia." In WALMART folks. God bless the U.S.A. When we go there it's like the whole world is on sale.

the Daily Duke 8.6.11

We have had an awesome several days visiting with out of town friends and an overnight in Quebec City with the Korte's and the Oltman's of Chicago. Duke enjoyed the attention from the dog-loving Korte family and was never far from food. Duke had a sleepover with a friend while we were gone for the night and struggled to stay awake the day after as we hung out late into the night (or morning) with these great friends.

the Daily Duke 8.2.11

Duke is absorbing the drive through Vermont.

Construction criticism

This is what happened in Montreal over the weekend. A giant piece of concrete fell near the entrance of a tunnel on a major road frequented by 100K cars a day. Fortunately it happened on a Sunday morning when thankfully most people were off the road. 

The sad irony? It happens to be the middle of what is called the "Construction Holiday" in Quebec. A time when most construction shuts down for an entire two weeks so employees can take paid vacations (in addition to other vacation time). Bright orange signs and barricades remain up clogging traffic, but there is very little construction action on the roads in Montreal. We have always thought it was silly as winters are harsh and summer is an ideal time to jam on those projects. But, it's a union/political thing for the most part and these people need a break. In the summer. In construction "season."

Louis and I just returned from some time spent traveling in Canada (Toronto) and the northeast U.S....Niagara Falls, Cooperstown, N.Y. and the coast of Maine. I noticed right away in Toronto the clean and well maintained roads and infrastructure. It's the polar opposite of Montreal where freeway overpasses are dark and dingy due to age and lack of maintenance and have nets attached to them to catch the falling concrete rocks that can easily slam into the cars below. On our drive we appreciated the state of the U.S. roads too. Despite the debt ceiling issues, I never once felt like concrete was going to fall from the "ceiling" of a freeway. (Obviously, there are many roads in the U.S. in need of repair and there have been bridge tragedies and more, however, we will never complain about that after living in Montreal.)

Montreal is an island. The only way to get to the island is via a selection of bridges...most of which are in dire need of repair and it's not uncommon for bridges to be closed in any given day to to "expansion joint" issues. The government knows it's an issue...but instead they keep putting band-aids on the bridges  while keeping inspection reports out of the media so that we don't know the extend of the dangers all while blaming budgets when there is so much corruption in the construction industry and bureaucracy beyond belief. Several weeks ago someone said the area in the above photo was just fine.

I crossed the Camplain bridge yesterday to come home and noticed all sorts of noises coming from my car that I had not heard for a week...it was as if I decided to take my little Ford Escape Hybrid 4 wheeling. Each and every time I cross that bridge, I cross my fingers. 

My mom was visiting once and commented on the scary bridge. I though she was going to start with the rosary as we approached the structure. She said she couldn't the believe the condition of the roads. To which I said, "yes, but we have 'free' health care." And she commented "good, you're going to need it."

the Daily Duke 8.1.11

Duke got to experience the ocean for the first time in Maine and loved every minute of it. He tried drinking the water a couple of times and didn't like it. He's been drinking a lot of water today. Sort of like the day after a few too many salty margaritas.

the Daily Duke 7.4.11

Duke got to go with us on our road trip and overnight stay in Vermont. He had a chance to take a ferry across Lake Champlain linking the states of New York and Vermont. Seeing all that water from the car as we were moving along in the ferry was quite confusing. He's getting to be a great hotel guest too.

Compassion in Action

When you are the sibling of a someone with any sort of disability, it's known that you tend to grow up with more compassion, patience and understanding. We know this about Danielle. We were so proud, again, when we heard a couple of weeks ago that she won an essay contest entitled "Compassion in Action."

Before I go on...let me first say that it seems like our last few posts have been about how great our family is -- and our dog of course. That's not the message we're trying to portray here. In other words, it's  not meant to be like one of those annoying Christmas newsletters where the writer is bragging and bragging about this and that. When we brag, it's because we deserve it, dammit. While blessed in so, so, so many ways, we've certainly encountered many, many obstacles, not unlike many, many others. Trust me, we're not perfect. On any given day we could easily find ourselves on The Dr. Phil Show. Seriously, just ask the neighbors come spring time when we forget the windows are open and they hear us on a not-so-perfect day.

That being said, we do get to brag about Danielle, again. She deserves it. When we moved to Montreal six weeks into her Freshman year, it wasn't easy.  Imagine one of her first classes on her first day of school being a discussion about gun control. Danielle had to make the comment that not all American gun owners are evil and that most every member of her mom's family owns guns...and her dad too but we decided to leave them in the U.S. Let's just say, it wasn't the best day for Danielle, but kudos for speaking her mind and defending her country in a way that would even make Sarah Palin proud (it's hard for me to write that). Even more challenging was sitting through a year of history class in French.

A few months ago, Danielle submitted an essay contest called Compassion in Action sponsored by LEARN (Leading English Education and Resource Network) in Montreal. In the essay they were to write about a person or group who has made a significant difference to the community or world through compassion and leadership. Danielle chose to write about Eleanor Roosevelt in an essay called Eleanor Roosevelt: The Woman Behind the Declaration. Specifically she addressed Roosevelt's role as the most influential member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Bravo!

The award was announced in the middle of her class when members of the organization and the Headmistress of the school came into the classroom. She was most surprised.

For winning the award Danielle received a scholarship to attend Encounters with Canada (EWC) in Ottawa. This program is a week-long gathering of kids from across Canada to gather and learn and experience different topics. After this week she'll become one of over 85,000 Canadians who have already taken part in this remarkable experience. And we bet she's only one of a handful of Americans to ever attend this program.

Danielle left tonight for Ottawa where she's attending the "Politics in Canada" week. She'll have the opportunity to go to Parliament, meet her MP (Member of Parliament), go to meetings, meet other Canadian kids and more. She will spend the first week of her March break (she has the next two weeks off school) in Ottawa at Encounters with Canada. The Headmistress (like a principal) of her school, who herself is a graduate of this program in Ottawa, was so pleased with Danielle's accomplishment that she offered to pay for her transportation. This being the case because Danielle is not a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, yet. Yes, we pay high taxes. But -- get this -- the government pays for the transportation for all the kids attending this program! And, the Headmistress said she could miss a week of school if the week she chose did not fall during March break. As it is, Danielle decided the Politics in Canada would be the most interesting program even though she had a free pass basically to attend one later in March.

Bon Voyage Danielle! You exemplify Compassion in Action each and every day.

Following is an excerpt from Danielle's school website announcing the award.


Grade 11 student Danielle P. learned this week that she is one of the winners of the Compassion in Action Writing Contest, offered by LEARN (Leading English Education and Resources Network) and Encounters with Canada.

To be eligible, competitors between 14 and 17 years of age had to write an essay about a person (or group) who has made a difference to the community (or world) through their compassion and leadership, or is in the process of transforming a community (local, national or international) for the better. The contest also challenged essay writers to include an element that would inspire others to make a difference in their community.

Danielle wrote about former First Lady, author, speaker, politician, and activist Eleanor Roosevelt, clearly impressing the judges with her essay. She says she chose this topic because, “Eleanor Roosevelt has always been an inspiration to me; I want to go into International Relations and Politics when I’m older.”

Danielle learned about her win when representatives from LEARN and Encounters appeared in her classroom, and made the announcement, taking her completely by surprise. Her prize will be a fully paid week at Encounters with Canada- the country’s largest youth forum – compliments of LEARN.

Danielle will join 135 other students from across the country in Ottawa for the theme week of her choice, taking part in unforgettable workshops, presentations, excursions and cultural activities. An American by birth, she says she’s “really looking forward to having a Canadian perspective on international relations or politics to meeting people from across the country.” EWC has been offering rich and diverse programmess for 29 years. Over 85,000 youth have already lived the EWC Experience.

To find out more about the contest and LEARN, go to www.learnquebec.ca. 

For information about the Encounters with Canada programme, visit www.encounters-rencontres.ca.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

ESSAY EXCERPT: Eleanor Roosevelt: The Woman behind the Declaration

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood” This first article of the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS seems quite simple doesn’t it? A basic human right is to be born free and what a simple right it is. No one is created better or worse than another and no one deserves to be discriminated against, hurt or misrepresented by anyone else, which is all in keeping with the idea that one should act towards another in a spirit of brotherhood. Sadly, before one such great woman, the right to be born free and have equal rights was merely a privilege granted to those in power. One woman used political power, the media spotlight, leadership and, most of all, compassion to change not just her country, but the world as well. This woman was none other than Eleanor Roosevelt.

Unlike the first ladies of the United States that preceded her, Eleanor Roosevelt felt that she needed to exceed the traditional duties that they had come to be marked by the first ladies that preceded her. While her husband was in office for 12 years, she felt it was her duty to use her leadership to change the world. In fact, she is considered by many historians to be a major contributing factor to Roosevelt’s presidency, as she was the face of his campaign shortly after his diagnosis with Polio.

Welcome to your world, Canada

"That will be $5.50 (U.S.) please."

That's what Canadians will be charged in the way of a travel fee President Obama has proposed for the 2012 budget. I don't think it's much of a news story in the U.S. from what I can tell. But in Canada? Wow! People are pissed. I've been entertained by reading the comments following news stories in the Globe and Mail and National Post. I have not been this entertained since watching ten minutes of Glenn Beck's show the other day. There's some serious misinformation going on. I know, I know. This is a family blog. I talk about stuff in our family. But, every once in a while there comes a subject -- a subject relating to the U.S. and Canada and I have to speak out. This is probably a good time to say that the political opinions expressed in this blog are expressed by the writer of this blog (Kish) and not always the entire family. There. I said it. 

I'm amused at the irony.

I mean, I feel like once a day I get a tax bill of some sort. I'm truly Canadian when I say to Paul as a lawyer invoice comes in the mail..."Holy crap, did you know lawyers have to charge sales tax?" It's true, they do. It's called a goods and services tax and we are taxed on everything. They guy who mows the lawn in the summer? Yup, goods and services tax on top of all that. We are used to it by now.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made comments about it being a bad idea. Sort of funny when you think about the fees and taxes he institutes in Canada.

Yes, I know, we have "free" health care in Canada. If you're a regular reader of this blog you know that I love Canada. I've come to accept Canada and the taxes. I'm cool with it really. I actually don't mind the health care situation in Canada. I've embraced life here...and the water tax bill, the welcome to Quebec tax (true), the yearly driver's licence renewal fee (which is more if you accidentally went through a stop sign have any traffic violations, $700/month plus tax to heat the house, the new, annual "car" tax, double digit sales tax, and more. Did I mention $24 for a case of beer? Canadian beer? As Tony Soprano says, "it is what it is." We just deal with it. We have health care and affordable secondary education compared to the U.S. It all comes out in the laundry, so to speak.

So, as I mentioned, this new proposed $5.50 U.S. travel fee has Canadians really upset. They think they are bailing out the US economy, and they should not have to bail out the neighbors to the south. Because after all we are friends. Think of it like a cover charge for a party. Canada thinks it would be like your brother making you pay a cover charge to go to a party in your own neighborhood. You just don't treat family like that. Well, in my family we did, but that's another story.

Here are some details of this travel fee...

Since 1997, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean have been exempt from paying a document inspection fee to fly or arrive by ship to the U.S. Other travelers to the US do pay a fee and will continue to do so. We all know the U.S. economy is in the toilet is trying to rebound. So, Obama proposes this $5.50 fee for people traveling from Mexico, the Caribbean and Canada. Seriously, $5.50. That's like a cup of coffee and a small box of Timbits at Tim Horton's (with tax). It's estimated that in 2009 16 million Canadians flew into the U.S. Yes, I know, that's a nice number. They also spend a lot of money in the U.S. and we love Canadians. The U.S. government estimates this new fee will generate $90 million from Canadians alone. Many Canadians have the impression though that they are "bailing" out the U.S. Frankly, this is chump change compared to the deficit in the U.S. I mean, some professional sports contracts out there worth more than $90 million when all is said and done.

But here's the irony...have Canadians taken a look at what it costs to fly in and out of Canada and for the privilege of using a Canadian airport? We pay $25 each and every time we use Montreal's airport. You want to talk taxes? Holy crap.  It's not uncommon for the taxes and fees in Canada to be 25 percent or more of a fare. And you want to use miles? You pay the taxes and fees anyway. And, the news of this $5.50 fee came the same week CTV ran a story about the number of Canadians choosing to drive across the border to take flights out of U.S. airports because they can save thousands -- thousands of dollars in airfare and fees for a family. Yes, U.S. carriers charge baggage fees. That does kind of suck. But, have you tried carry-on? Or better yet, try and ship the contents of a suitcase from Canada to the U.S. via Canada Post. Have fun with that...baggage fees are a bargain in comparison.

Just for the heck of it...I went on United Airlines and checked a flight from Chicago to Montreal...leaving March 11 and returning March 18. To fly in and out of Montreal the fare is $717.03 with $68.20 in taxes and fees. (all dollars are American). To fly in and out of Burlington, Vermont (less than a 2 hour drive) it's $448 and $21.20 in taxes and fees. If you are a family of five...do the math.

And this is before the $5.50 fee Obama has proposed for the 2012 budget, which still has to pass.

My point?

Welcome to your world, Canada. A $5.50 fee is not a big deal and will help the U.S. Department of Homeland inSecurity. Will it bail out the U.S. deficit? It won't make a dent. But it is something. Is it a slap in the face as some have said? Perhaps. But, we're talking $5.50! (A slap in the face was receiving a "Welcome to Quebec" bill weeks after we bought this house -- essentially it's a sales tax on the price of your home).

Besides, you'll spent more to buy a beer at the airport in Montreal. Just think what you'll save being in the U.S., you can easily get a beer in Milwaukee for less than $5.50. And if you don't like that, fly over Florida and go to Cuba. But wait, there's a $25 departure tax there.

Just for fun...here's some bullshit explanation from the Air Canada website on what the fees mean.....

What are the additional charges in my Fare?


Fuel NAV Canada Insurance ATSC Airport Fees International Destinations
Note: This information is intended as a guideline only. Actual fees and surcharges are subject to change and some exceptions apply.


Your fare may include NAV CANADA surcharges, fuel surcharges and insurance surcharges where applicable. Ticketable Airport Improvement Fees and the Air Travellers Security Charge (ATSC) are included in taxes component of your fare.




Canadian and US Destinations


Fuel Surcharges: For travel within Canada and between Canada and the United-States, fuel surcharges are now included in the ticket price. For International travel, fuel surcharges vary according to destination.


NAV Canada Surcharge: NAV surcharges within Canada are either 9 / 15 / or 20 CAD based on distance. For transborder itineraries, 7.50 CAD / 7.50 USD each way. This surcharge is collected to cover the fees that Air Canada pays to NAV Canada to operate Canada's Air Navigation systems.


Insurance Surcharge: In order to account for the rising costs of aviation insurance, Air Canada along with other North American carriers have implemented an insurance surcharge. This insurance surcharge is 3 CAD, each way for travel wholly within Canada. (Some exceptions apply).


ATSC: The Canadian Parliament has enacted the Air Travellers Security Charge Act to fund security personnel and security equipment in response to the events of September 11. For domestic itineraries, the ATSC is 7.12 CAD one-way to a maximum charge of 14.25 CAD. For transborder itineraries, the ATSC is 8 CAD / 7 USD one-way to a maximum charge of 16 CAD / 14 USD.


Airport Improvement Fees: Many airports in Canada and around the world have implemented Airport Improvement Fees (AIFs). Some airports collect these fees at the airport at time of departure, others are collected at the time of ticketing and are reflected in the additional charges portion in your fare. Canadian airports that include the AIF on your ticket are as follows: (All amounts in CAD)


Bagotville, Que. (YBG) $20
Baie-Comeau, Que. (YBC) $10
Bathurst, N.B. (ZBF) $40
Calgary, Alta (YYC) $22
Castlegar, B.C. (YCG) $7
Charlottetown, P.E.I. (YYG) $15
Comox, B.C. (YQQ) $5
Cranbrook, B.C. (YXC) $10
Deer Lake, N.L. (YDF) $15
Edmonton, Alta (YEG) $20
Fort McMurray, Alta (YMM) $20
Fort St. John, B.C. (YXJ) $12
Fredericton, N.B. (YFC) $20
Gander, N.L. (YQX) $20
Goose Bay, N.L. (YYR) $20
Grande Prairie, Alta (YQU) $12
Halifax, N.S. (YHZ) $15
Hamilton, Ont. (YHM) $20
Kamloops, B.C. (YKA) $10
Kelowna, B.C. (YLW) $10
Lethbridge, Alta (YQL) $12
London, Ont. (YXU) $15
Moncton, N.B. (YQM) $15
Montreal, Que. (YUL) $25
Mont-Joli, Que. (YYY) $5
Mont Tremblant, Que. (YTM) $20
Moosonee, Ont. (YMO) $7
Nanaimo, B.C. (YCD) $10
Ottawa, Ont. (YOW) $15
Prince George, B.C. (YXS) $18
Quebec City, Que. (YQB) $25
Regina, Sask. (YQR) $15
Rouyn-Noranda, Que. (YUY) $10
Saint John, N.B. (YSJ) $20
Sarnia, Ont. (YZR) $20
Saskatoon, Sask (YXE) $5 Travel within Saskatchewan
(YXE) $15 Travel outside Saskatchewan
Sault Ste Marie, Ont. (YAM) $15
Smithers, B.C. (YYD) $15
Stephenville, N.L. (YJT) $20
St. John's, N.L. (YYT) $15
Sydney, N.S. (YQY) $25
Thompson, Man. (YTH) $15
Timmins, Ont. (YTS) $10
Toronto, Ont. (YYZ) $25 Originating passengers
(YYZ) $8 Connecting passengers
Val d'Or, Que. (YVO) $10
Vancouver, B.C. (YVR) $5 Travel within B.C./Yukon
(YVR) $15 Travel outside B.C./Yukon
Victoria, B.C. (YYJ) $10
Waterloo, Ont. (YKF) $15
Windsor, Ont. (YQG) $10
Winnipeg, Man. (YWG) $20


International Destinations


ATSC: The Canadian Parliament has enacted the Air Travellers Security Charge Act to fund security personnel and security equipment in response to the events of September 11. For international itineraries, the Air Travellers Security charge is 17 CAD for each return or one-way trip with a departure from Canada.


Airport Improvement Fees: Many airports in Canada and around the world have implemented Airport Improvement Fees (AIFs). Some airports collect these fees at the airport at time of departure; others are collected at the time of ticketing and are reflected in the additional charges portion in your fare.


NAV Canada Surcharge: NAV surcharge for International travel to and from select countries is CAD 15 per direction. This surcharge is collected to cover the fees that Air Canada pays to NAV Canada to operate Canada's Air Navigation systems.


Peak Travel Premium: For travel to/from certain international destinations on peak travel dates, a Peak Travel Premium may be added to the 'Taxes, fees, charges and surcharges' component of your fare. The actual premium charged and the applicable peak travel dates are subject to change.

The American representing Quebec wins in America

Danielle spent American Thanksgiving weekend in New York representing Quebec in the 52nd Annual New York Thanksgiving 7s Rugby Tournament. They played on a cloudless day on Randall's Island in the Hudson River. They were one of 131 teams entered in 10 categories and her U19 team WON.

How to dress for a Toronto Maple Leafs game

Louis and Paul are in Toronto this weekend to meet up with their buddies Liam (pictured) and Mark (from Chicago) for a weekend of sports. This is how to dress for a Toronto Maple Leafs game...and they're playing the Sabres.

Bon voyage Paul and Louis!

Paul and Louis left today for New Jersey/New York for the Bears/Giants game on Sunday night. They are so ready for some football and so ready to see the Bears. Paul has his Bears parka, even though it won't be that cold. And Louis is armed with his Urlacher jersey.

You say Three Rivers, I say Trois-Rivières

Three Rivers Stadium. Actually, it's a ball park Trois-Rivières, Quebec where we attended a Fall baseball tournament for Louis' team two weekends ago.

Trois-Rivière is not a busy town. When Paul and Louis needed to stay the night in order to make it to an early game the next morning, it was not wise to have not made reservations. Fortunately, they did not bring home any bed bugs.

Don't let the condition of the ball park fool you. These Quebecers are as serious about baseball as they are about hockey. The park, however, left a bit to be desired for this American family. It's safe to say that this would not happen in the US...a park where fall balls can easily fly directly into the Canadian crowd with little notice...sort of like in hockey. These parents are not standing where they are because they needed to stretch their legs or get a good view -- more like so they can duck. We like to call this stadium "Thank goodness we have Universal Health Care."

It was still a fun-filled weekend of good ball. And I mean, really good baseball. Although, it was hard for the Pisani family to see Louis in a Yankees uniform.

He doesn't forget his Chicago roots though, choosing the same number as his favorite White Sox player.

Louis (#14) for Konerko with his buddy Max Murphy from a nice Irish family in Montreal : )

The boys are back in town

Paul and Louis spent a whirlwind weekend in Chicago visiting family and friends and happily attending two White Sox games. Frank Thomas -- Paul's all-time favorite Sox player -- was being honored on Sunday at the game. They went for that celebration and so Louis could spend some time with his best buddy Liam and see his other "old" friends. One of the hardest parts of moving from Naperville was leaving a secure friend situation for Louis. We have to admit though that the kids here in Montreal have been fantastic to Louis.

Liam is someone special for all of us. It's been "Liam and Louis" for over ten years -- Liam and Louis have known each other since they were two. In fact, when they were younger, they were often mistaken for one another. Our families have become good friends over the years and we've been fortunate to spend vacations and holidays together.  We don't have to be on guard when we are together -- in other words -- we can yell at our kids, roll our eyes at meltdowns and generally not feel self-conscious if we lose our shit. Not that we ever do, of course.

At Bears training camp in 2005 when the moms decided to take a day trip -- this photo was taken just before all hell broke loose between the four kids...just like siblings. There was a lot of yelling going on.

I was talking with Jackie (Liam's mom) yesterday on the phone after the tornado of two boys and two dads left her house with luggage, tailgating necessities (no sunscreen of course, we are talking about dads) and White Sox gear to head to the 1 pm game. We were talking about what their relationship would be like if we still lived there. We both agreed they would still be close. We also agreed that as the boys in the neighborhood get older, kids tend to go in dozens of directions. However, at the same time as kids with special needs get older (Liam is autistic) these kids with special needs tend to spend more time together at school as the gap between "typical" kids gets bigger. In elementary school Liam and Louis were always separated by classrooms. They never had classes together because as one teacher said "they are a bit physically intimidating." Ya think?  Plus, they are so comfortable together it would be like having siblings in the same class, something that is not often practiced.

What could possibly be "intimidating" about these boys in the classroom? It was fun going through old photos...they've played many sports together. This Colts photos was their first football game on the same team and they were appointed captains for the opening game. circa 2005.

The Louis/Liam relationship is something special. It's important that we get the boys together a few times a year and  both families have made it a priority. The Kirstein family came to visit in 2009 and it meant the world to us.

Later that year we met up in Gulf Shores, Alabama. It's always been interesting to watch the two of them communicate. Louis' speech has improved a lot over the last couple of years. Of course, it's not at all "typical" and likely won't be. But Liam has always been able to understand Louis, to know what he's thinking, and often to communicate for Louis (teachers really love this) when he couldn't communicate well himself. We could often overhear the two of them "chatting" or more often yelling cheering at a game on TV or in person. But sometimes they would just be silent, yet still communicating.

Siblings of special needs kids share an important bond. Danielle and Gen have become good friends too during the year. They have the same energy and look out for their brothers. It's really cool. 

Seeing the boys together is priceless...

At the recent White Sox game