Category Archives: Mark Cooper

Father’s Day

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Our Father’s Day were supposed to be spent out at the cabin enjoying the peace and quiet.    It’s been quite a month for us as it is a month since Jordon quit his job at The Lighthouse and found a new job but is still doing what he loves and is pretty excited about new challenges.  So are we.

Instead of going to the cabin on Friday night, Jordon informed me that we were going to the wedding of our good friends Bert Lang and Don Lafreniere.  Don is quite ill with cancer and the wedding was a total last minute surprise, even for Don and Bert.  The wedding was in a suite at the Holiday Inn and we joined a small group of their friends and family who put together a nice wedding on about 28 hours notice.

Of course with Bert being ill and just about ready to move into palliative care, I shed a lot of tears but we had a wonderful time.  So while we didn’t make it to the gay pride parade (we were frantically looking for gifts and getting reading for the wedding), we were at marriage for two dear friends.

Bert and Don's wedding

As I mentioned, today was the gay pride parade today in Saskatoon.  I don’t always understand the nuances of politics like Jordon does but I do appreciate the stand that 8 of Saskatoon’s city councillors took when they took out this ad and marched in the parade.  As we were leaving, we ran into one of the grooms downstairs and he was just saying that a guy who was there was so homophobic that he couldn’t even listen to the story of Bert and Don’s marriage.  Homophobia is alive and well in Saskatoon.

Later this morning Mark and Oliver get along really well with Bert and Don so we are taking the boys to visit Bert in St. Paul’s Hospital later this morning where we are told to sneak in cold Coca-Cola into Bert.  Since Coke is the only thing he can consume, we took him up a small cooler to keep it cold in.  The nurses can get him ice which m

Before we leave to see Bert, we did have a chance to celebrate Father’s Day with Jordon.

Jordon is a great father to the boys.  He has also taught me a lot about being a better parent.  He is pretty much impossible to manipulate, understands the boys really well, and can be fun when he needs to be and firm when it is called for as well.  The boys are lucky to have Jordon as their dad.  If you ask Jordon, he says that he is lucky to have two great kids.

For Father’s Day the boys got him a reciprocating saw.  We want to do some projects with the wood from pallets and to take them apart, you need a good saw.  This could also be a gift for me as I am the one that wants to do some stuff with pallet wood so we all win at this.  Well I win.  The more I think about it, I think Jordon could end up losing.  Sorry about that babe.

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We all pitched in an got him a pair of Bose AE2 around the ear headphones with my, err, our AirMiles.  Jordon loves his Bose in the ear headphones and the sound on the AE2 are even better.  Even if I wanted these to be for me I don’t think I could pry them off his head or out of his hands.

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From me, I bought him a dual sided barbecue grill topper with a griddle on one side and a flat surface on the other.  According to the barbecue cookbooks, they are ideal for doing hamburgers on and I am really curious what it is like to grill on. Snow power 1 0 edt M 500x500

The dog got him a Hydro Power razor and some Snow Power cologne from Swiss Army.  Yes that cologne bottle is reinforced and has a carabiner on it so if he goes mountain climbing, he will be able to take it with him.

Maggi was concerned that wasn’t gift enough so she got into the garbage and spread it through the house.  Nothing says, “Happy Father’s Day” like garbage in the house.  We are thinking of trading her in for a racoon.  Of course Mark see’s the carnage the throws up all over the place.  Nothing says Father’s Day to Jordon like having to clean up his son’s vomit.

Of course Jordon goes “bad dog” and immediately Maggi climbs up on his lap (her admission of guilt) until he pets her or says, “It’s all right”.  Last night that was a little slow coming so we had a dog underfoot for part of it.

It’s good to be together as a family.  Tonight we are trying to make a spicy perogy pizza.  I’ll let you know how it turns out.

I hope your Father’s Day is a good one.

Oliver turns five

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Oliver Cooper turns five

Jordon looks back at how traumatic of time it was for me with Oliver being born on his blog today as Ollie celebrates his fifth birthday.  Because I was so sick and drugged during those weeks, I had no idea of how bad it was.  A year or so later I was with some friends who told me they were certain that I was going to die during childbirth and looking back, I also did.

Of course the good news is that I didn’t die and Oliver was fine.  I have told many times that myself of the baby (or both) would not survive another pregnancy, I am happy that after all of the struggle, I have two wonderful sons.  One just took more out of me than the other.

Well, he isn’t always wonderful. I went out last night and Oliver wanted to sleep in his brother’s bunk bed.  He had slept downstairs the night before and Mark was frustrated with how bad he was.  Oliver basically saw this as an opportunity to stay up all night and play with Mark.  He could not understand Mark’s desire to sleep and did his best to keep waking up Mark.  So when Jordon said, “No” to him, he went apocalyptic with his rage at Jordon and Mark.  They responded by watching another episode of MI-5.  As Jordon told me this morning, “That is what Harry would have wanted us to do.”

When Mark said that he didn’t want Oliver in his room, Oliver threw a fit and yelled at Jordon, “My brother’s breaking my heart!”  Because Jordon and Mark and more or less immune to manipulation, it didn’t go far other than evoking snickering and laughing downstairs which I think made him even madder.  If anything, what bothers him most in this world is probably what bothers most five year olds, they can’t always get their way.

So today was spent with Mark at A.H. Browne park testing out his new kick scooter and then with me as we ran some errands together.  Tonight is pizza, cake, and just being together as a family.  We’ve come a long ways since I was told that Oliver and I might not make it.  It’s a nice night to celebrate.

“Do your parents hate you because you won’t clean your room?”

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It’s been fifteen years since I had a pleasant conversation with my dad and mom.  They met Mark once and have never met Oliver.  We went through this with Mark but at the time there was still a chance that things would get better but now Oliver is asking why he doesn’t have a grandmother and grandfather.

It’s a weird discussion to have.  He understands that Jordon’s mom has passed away and for some reason gets that his dad doesn’t like Jordon or his brother Lee.  It never really gets brought up and he is distracted by the fact that Jordon and Lee are brothers (“Dad and Uncle Lee are brothers?  Whoa.”) but it really bothers him that my mom and dad don’t have anything to do with me and by extension Mark and him.

He has been trying to process it and tries to justify their actions by asking questions like, “Do your parents hate you because you won’t clean your room?” to which the answer is a) no and b) I should put away the laundry in there.  He also can’t figure out why they don’t want to be around Mark, him and the dogs.  Oddly enough my mother has said that she will mail a letter to Mark when he is 16 years old to explain their side of the story.  Unless it is a heck of a letter, it’s hard to explain a 16 year absence. 

The good thing in all of this is that he has a great Aunt and Uncle in Brittany and Lee and we have some awesome friends that Oliver loves as well.  He’s a lucky kid in that regard but I’ll admit, I miss having parents around too.  That being said, it’s not going to change.  A year or so ago I wrote something here that displeased my mother and she said, “If you write those things, we’ll never talk anymore.”  I was kind of like, “and that is different from today how?”  They have never realized what they have missed and the impact of them being gone.  Maybe it is harder to realize that when you live in the same city and see the same people.  You never realize what has changed.

The funny part in all of this is that some of Oliver’s explanations for their actions are pretty funny.

  • Do they hate you because you don’t give me ice cream?
  • Do they hate you because you don’t go to the library?
  • Do they hate you because Maggi sleeps on the bed?
  • Do they hate you because you won’t let me play Angry Birds?

Maybe it’s all of the above.

Mother’s Day at the Cabin

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Mother's Day Gift

Well the boys surprised me with a new patio table set for the cabin.  It’s small but we only have a 8×8 deck and of course we are a small family.  We also have a picnic (or picinic if you are Yogi Bear) table and some other chairs if more friends drop by so we will be okay.  We already had a base for the umbrella so we are good to go.  We have a matching side table which complements it nicely.  I can’t wait for the weather to be consistently nice enough to use it.  Of course Jordon, Mark, and Oliver already ran the deck box up to the lake so we have a head start on outdoor living.

They also gave me a stacked drink dispenser which we will keep at the cabin.

Contemporary serveware

Jordon picked me up a cookbook called Complete Comfort Food by Bridget Jones.  

We tried this Whiskey RIbeye Marinade Recipe and didn’t like it.  Tender steak but whiskey taste.  Not a good combination if you are not a whiskey drinker.  While we were there, we were able to stop by Dennis and Wilda Camplin’s place where I was all inspired by their painting (I need to do more of it this year). 

Around here

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I haven’t posted much lately about life.  Maybe because until this week it was still winter in Saskatoon and I was just tired of it.  That being said, we have been busy around here.

  • As Mark posted, he is in the process of leaving Caswell School and heading to Westmount where he is applying to be part of the Let’s Lead program.  He is really looking forward to exploring Saskatchewan and pushing himself.
  • I posted about the deck box.  Jordon, Mark, and Oliver ran it up to the cabin last weekend along with some supplies that will go a long way in opening up the cabin.  Oliver was mad they didn’t stay long but was placated when they let him play with Mark’s TouchPad.
  • We are spending Mother’s Day up there.  
  • We did manage to get the lawn raked and mowed.  It isn’t looking that bad but it does need some warmer weather and fertilizer.  After that is done we start painting and fixing the fence.  Then once June comes, we hit it with weed and feed to stop the onslaught of dandelions that will be coming from the abandoned lot behind us.  Somehow the city’s infill guidelines need to ban dandelions as an option.
  • The picket fence on the house needs to be repainted.  Both Jordon and I want to just get rid of it but that will be a pain as well.  I think we will fix it, paint it and then hate ourselves for doing it.

35 Reasons Why Oliver Is in a Bad Mood

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It’s hard being my kid.

  1. The neck on his t-shirt is too tight.
  2. Someone called him the Blue Power Ranger.
  3. Mark looked out his window.
  4. He wants to wear a “handsome” shirt.
  5. My phone doesn’t have Angry Birds.
  6. He doesn’t like how green tastes in anything.
  7. Sir Topham Hatt is disappointed with Thomas.
  8. A shoe should fit on either foot.
  9. He was asked not to jump in a puddle.
  10. His hands got cold while making snowballs.
  11. Maggi’s tail hit him in his face.
  12. He did a dance move and no one noticed.
  13. His coat has ice cream on it.
  14. He is overtired.
  15. We just asked him to have a nap while he is overtired.
  16. Mark is talking.
  17. Mark isn’t talking.
  18. He isn’t allowed to drive.
  19. His dad won’t give a cookie for breakfast.
  20. His hand stinks.
  21. Jordon mocked his pants.
  22. No one wants to watch Power Rangers.
  23. He was told to clean his room.
  24. He was sent back upstairs to clean his room.
  25. He doesn’t have a cell phone.
  26. The dogs don’t respect him.
  27. The dog won’t do what he tells them to do.
  28. Netflix isn’t working.
  29. He was scored on in hockey.
  30. He can’t score on Mark in hockey.
  31. We aren’t going to the cabin.
  32. We are leaving the cabin.
  33. The lake is frozen and he can’t swim.
  34. He has to eat his Happy Meal before he gets his toy.
  35. Maggi is laying on his bed.

Diadora Stella Reflex 3.0 Badminton Racquet

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At the cabin we play a bit of badminton with one of those $20 sets you get from Wal-Mart.  You know the kind, crummy rackets and birdies but at least we have a fun time.  As I mentioned before, Jordon just bought himself a new racquet with a gift card he got for his birthday and today he went out and bought me a new Diadora Stella Reflex 3.0 Badminton Racquet from Sport Chek.  He also got a new racquet for Mark.  Oliver wasn’t impressed but he is four and I don’t know why he needs a composite graphite racquet.  Actually I don’t need one either but’s cool to have and a fun gift during a winter that never seems to end.  

That being said, I think we are all about to give up hope of summer ever showing up.  I am pretty sure I saw a retailer blowing out summer clothes and bringing back the winter stuff.

Happy Birthday to Jordon

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Project Red iPod Nano

Jordon turns 39 today.  I gave him a Project (Red) iPod Nano (and case) while the Mark gave him some Monster NCredible NErgy headphones to go along with it.  Oliver got him a Jose Bautista McFarlane action figure and a Jose Bautista Toronto Blue Jays shirt. Maggi gave him some speakers and I tossed in a copy of Contagious and a new field watch.

On Friday I invited a bunch of friends to Winston’s Underground Cellar (which is downstairs from Winston’s and only open on weekends). While Winston’s is the loudest pub in the entire world, downstairs was nice and we were all able to sit, chat, and make fun of each other.  Jordon got some great books from friends down there and everyone seemed to enjoy the Sam Adams Boston Lager.

Tonight we are celebrated with Lee and Brittany at Jerry’s Food Emporium on 51st.  The food was good, conversation was fun and Lee and Brittany gave Jordon a great birthday card and Sport Chek gift card.  Jordon used the gift card to get himself a new badminton racket for the cabin.  It’s graphite composite with flex weave technology that will be completely useless to him when I beat him this summer.

The 2013 Grey Owl’s Cabin Expedition

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A trek to grey owls cabin

Jordon has posted about our planned expedition to Grey Owl’s Cabin on his blog.  To be honest I wasn’t totally thrilled with the idea.  A 40 km back country hike is well out of my comfort zone but as I checked out some video, read about other people’s hike and basically got over my own fear of the unknown, I started to get excited about the idea.

We are going up in mid-June with the idea of getting out there early and making camp at the Northend campground before pushing on to Grey Owl’s Cabin that afternoon.  While it could be hot, I have full confidence in Kingsmere Lake providing all of the chill that I need to cool off and stay hydrated.

Now we need to get the gear for the trip and start getting in shape to handle the walk.  Walking for 6-8 hours makes for a long day and of course for most of that time I am carrying a full pack.   Here is description of the trip.

The good news is that I went out and bought some shorts, top, and even a new summer jacket.  I may die on the trail but I will look good.  I am looking forward to it.  Who knows, maybe the Boreal Trail is in our future.