Ugh, van troubles, and the Children's Discovery Centre

So we head out yesterday to get some 4x6 bags for my kids valentine class that was to start at 7pm. Then we zip to Jumbo to get the kids regular Friday night movie. Last stop - Sobey's for pepperoni and milk. I head in to get the few grocery items, Mike and the kids wait in the van. I come out, and I hear "click click click" as Mike tries to start the van. Having had this same issue in cars I've owned before, I know it's not the battery. Mike insists the battery needs a jump. My dad comes. Jump the battery... click click click... not the battery. So after some phoning around, we get a tow truck to tow the van home. Mike stays with the van, I head home with Dad and the kids. I get home, stressed. I have a little more than half an hour to make pizzas, and get the class stuff set up. Thankfully I was prepared ahead!! Ugh... forgot kids movie in the van, they are wingy, wanting to watch Over the Hedge. So I get pizza in the oven, second pizza made. Mike rolls in at 6:55, and my kids and the one adult arrive on the nose of 7pm. I'm on the verge of completely stressed out!! Good thing the class kids/mom are a fun bunch!! (waving to Tracey!) JA and I eat our supper downstairs while the class goes on.

So... today we figure it's probably the starter. A friend tells us to tap the starter with a hammer and that could start the van. Nope, no dice. So we borrow my dad's car and take the kids to the Children's Discovery Centre for about 1.5 hours. They had a cool exhibit of reptiles and animals and pets there. We got to pet a Python!! We saw a tonne of reptiles, lots of pets (dogs, cats, birds, lizards, hamsters, etc). We also saw TEARS (the exotic animal rescue society) and they had a puma kitten, and a baby ape (I forget the name now tho!). Very cute. There's soooo much to do at the Children's Discovery Centre


. The kids got to do an archeaological dig for dinasours, play with a real water working canal, made some crafts, and there was still so much more to do! We are considering a family membership. We only have to go 3 times for it to be more than worth our cost!

So that's our day in a nutshell... tomorrow is another day... and we will be getting a new starter for the van, and hopefully it's not too complicated for Mike to install. We don't usually shop or work on Sunday... but it's like the ox has fallen into the well. It was too late by the time we figured out the starter and got a good price etc to get it today :( Pray it goes well!!

Ok, off to watch The Devil's Own and do some scrapbooking :)