Thursday, March 30, 2006

Fashion Atrocities

I was in TJ's class this morning, helping out with the reading group and I bought some sandwiches for lunch on my way home. Ham on cheese bread. So yummy. Anyway, I was eating my sandwich and watching Days of our Lives...I know...it's Marlena's and Alex's wedding (does anybody other than me know that Alex is Roman from 25 years ago? Are they ever going to bring him back as Roman or will it get too complicated? Now there's an Oxy-moron - a complicated soap! What would happen with the current Roman...I guess he could become John Black's brother Joe or something). OK, so it's their wedding day...forget the fact that Lucas just proposed to Carrie (couldn't he have found a more romantic place to propose? Honestly, her Mother's wedding???); and Belle broke up Shawn & Mimi's honeymoon (I really only see this show once every few months) and there is Kate...wearing patterned stockings! Oh they were terrible!!! I wanted to shout - My eyes! My eyes! I think way back in the 80's I maybe had one pair and I really really really hope they don't come back into fashion...the soaps are usually the first to wear things in fashion...but these were so busy. Her legs looked like giant diagonal palm trees; I don't even know what the pattern was supposed to be. It was really quite horrid.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Busy as a Beaver

Ever have a really good idea, like say how to raise money for your kids school, and everyone else thinks its a really good idea too, and then you get put in charge of organizing the event? Yah. I know. I need to keep my ideas to myself. Saturday, May 6, we are having our 2nd (Probably Annual) Silent Auction Fundraiser for our school. My boys go to a Christian School that our church has and we pay tuition, so any extra money that is raised helps to keep costs lower for all involved. Last year we (and I say that loosely) threw the silent auction together in 6 weeks and everyone had a really good time...except the woman who was supposed to be helping me collect payment...she spent the whole evening standing behind me telling me I used the wrong font - it was too hard to read, I priced almost everything incorrectly, I should have started out lower, blah blah blah blah blah. I really really wanted to put my hands over my ears, close my eyes and yell Na na na na I can't hear you. But I didn't. I didn't ask for her help this year.

I have a basement full of items that people have been giving me all winter, and now that May 6 is looming ever closer, I guess it's about time that I got off my lazy duff and started organizing them. We easily have twice as many things to auction off this year than we did last year. Some people want part of it to be a live auction...we'll have to see how that all works out. Everybody has an opinion as to how it should go. Last year the big ticket item was a dozen butter tarts every month for a year. Sold for $100.05. The winning bidder gave me one, and I must say, they were worth every penny. Not that it was my money, but it was money well spent.

So I think I'll go finish off my chocolate from Europe; I wish Husband had bought me 2 or 3 or 4 or even 5 boxes, but we figured that $20 Euroes, which is what they cost, is equal to about $30 bucks Great White North. Wow. They are so worth it.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

All Things Music

Yesterday my new music arrived for the song The Prayer. Celine Dion performs it and some of the words have been changed in her version and it is really beautiful:

A Mother's Prayer

I pray you'll be my eyes, and watch her where she goes,
And help her to be wise, help me to let go,
Every mother's prayer, every child knows,
Lead her to a place, guide her with Your grace,
To a place where she'll be safe.

I pray she finds Your light, and holds it in her heart,
As darkness fall each night, remind her where You are,
Every mother's prayer, every child knows,
Need to find a place, guide her with Your grace,
Give her faith so she'll be safe.


The reason I wanted this song is because Husband and I plan on producing our own adoption video. He has all the equipment needed, and I thought it would be more special if I sang on the video. So I'm looking for songs. This one is a keeper. I also have music for Steven Curtis Chapman's song Love Takes You In and while it is a beautiful song and he wrote it for his daughter, it leaves me with a heavy heart and feeling sad. So that one is a no. I have a cd of Bryan Adams' Here I Am and I've heard it sung on adoption videos before so that one is a possibility. Thoughts or suggestions anybody?

Florida Pictures

On your mark...Get set...

JUMP!


Toasty!

Future Pilot

Monday, March 27, 2006

Sunsuit

Bathing Suit Cover

All Things Baby

So I found out this weekend that our file is probably in the Review Room; literally made me weak in the knees. It's a good thing I was sitting down. Then my palms got sweaty and clammy and I felt nausious - in a good way of course, but it just seems that our trip to China keeps getting pushed farther and farther out of our reach and we will never go. But now I know the Powers That Be have finished reviewing the files received before August 31, 2005 (our LID is September 13, 2005) because they said so on their website, and logically that means they are reviewing September's files. Wow. But then the last batch of referrals only covered 4 measly days...so the last little day of May, all of June, all of July and all of August still need to receive their referrals before us. And nobody knows how long that will take. It's a good think I've got my European chocolate; I've already eaten 2 pieces (sooooo good) and I think the whole box just might be gone before lunch time.

So since this post is all about the baby, let's talk names. (I just ate another piece of chocolate - coated in sugar - unbelievable!) CJ likes the name Hope. I like it too, although I'm not sure it would flow well with our last name. AJ has horrible tastes in names so I won't even mention his and TJ just is silly - table, sunshine, juice, you get the picture. Husband likes girls names that sound boyish and that's as far as he's willing to talk names since we always change our minds at the last minute; I can live with that. I like Jordan or maybe Jordyn. He likes Samantha but we've had two dogs named Sammie and I'm not sure I want to go there. I am just in awe of people who know right away what the name of their child is going to be. Anyway, I keep trying out names on Husband when I refer to Thumbelina to see what his reaction is; I usually get the grin where he's trying not to smile and he rolls his eyes...

MMMMmmmmm I just had another piece of chocolate - dark chocolate with a creamy filling with little crunch pieces in it.

So in Florida, I managed to sneak off to JC Penneys, love that store, and I bought a few outfits for Thumbelina. Americans, you are so lucky to have the selection of clothing and products that you do. My SIL can always tell if I'm wearing something from the US because it just looks different than what you find in the Great White North. Anyway, I only bought her 4 things and everything was at least 30% off, which makes it even better. Wanna see??? And I bought larger sizes too, so that's my justification this time.
Blogger is giving me grief about pictures again, so I will have to load them one at a time. But isn't this dress sweet?

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Home Sweet Home

I'm ba-ack! Miss Me? How could you not miss me! The boys had a great time at Grams & Gramps and enjoyed many hours of swimming, tennis, shuffleboard, mini-golf...and homework. I wouldn't exactly say they enjoyed the homework part - it took CJ 6 hours to do his homework the first day I was there - but it got better from there...until today. Today has been one of those days I will be all too happy to forget about. It's been about one of the worst days we've ever had; I don't know if the comforts of home made him slip into Rosemary's Baby mode or if he had just had too much the past two weeks and this was his way of relieving his stress. I'm just glad tomorrow's a new day.

So back to Florida; TJ is no longer caucasian while poor AJ got the burn 'n peel gene and doesn't look like he got very much sun at all. The first time I went to the pool with them, I about had a heart attack when I saw TJ jump into the deep end! This same child who, in December, failed level 1 in swimming for the 3rd consecutive time, is now treading water, doggy paddling, and doing his own, very cute, little version of the butterfly stroke. Those first 5 minutes gave me at least 5 new gray hairs. And they are so much more visible in the Florida sun.

On the flight home we were comic relief for a few weary travellers. We had a good hour to wait before boarding our plane, and one guy got a kick out of watching the boys have their lunch-time snack of jello, cookies and chips. He was out-right laughing at TJ as he was eating the chips; I was reading a book and when I looked at the boys to check on them, TJ was covered in sour cream & onion crumbs. Ech. Luckily for us we were sitting right across from the restrooms, so I sent TJ with AJ to got wash it all off whilst I was on my hands and knees desparately trying to clean up the mess from off the floor and chair.

CJ and TJ both drew pictures of the plane for the pilot, and not only did they get to go to the cockpit to personally give their pictures to the him and meet him, but they got to sit in his chair! He asked if I had a camera...silly man...so I got some nice pictures of them.

Husband will soon be on his way to the airport to begin his journey home. He should be waking up in an hour to get ready (wouldenchaknowit, tonight Denmark turns their clocks ahead one hour so he has to get up an hour earlier) so he flies from Denmark to Germany, has a 4 hour layover and then flies to Toronto, hopefully arriving on time at 2:35 pm tomorrow afternoon. If all goes well, he won't have to be quarantined and will be home around 5:30 tomorrow evening. With chocolate I hope. I have missed him terribly and I don't ever want to be apart from him again! Even for all the chocolate in Europe!

Oh puey - blogger isn't co-operating with me uploading my pics so that will have to wait for another day. Until next time...

Monday, March 20, 2006

Toodaloo!

Well boys and girls, it's time for me to bid you a fond farewell; try not to miss me too much! Bwahahahaha. I didn't sleep too well last night, knowing that it was the last time I'd be with Husband until next Sunday night...if immigration even lets him back into the country. You know how when you travel internationally and when you're filling out the immigration card and it asks you if you've visited any farms on your travels? Well, that's mainly Husband's trip to Europe...where they have bird flu and mad cow disease and hoof and mouth disease. I told him if they quarantine him and don't let him come home, they had better send someone to come help me out here! I hope my chocolate doesn't melt...

Seriously though, I have that same queaziness in the pit of my stomach that I get before any of CJ's surgeries; I want to throw up and I'm a bundle of nervous energy. I just don't want to say goodbye. Great. Now I'm getting all teary-eyed. But I get to see my boys. I can hardly wait for CJ to scream NO! NO HOMEWORK! I'm bringing lots of bribery, um rewards I mean, to help along with the homework. And all those books are seriously going to put me over the weight limit of luggage!

I'm off to finish packing, tidy up the house a bit, drop the dog off at the vets for the week, go to the bank, get new frames for my glasses (I have the kind with the sunglass clip and one of the little magnets fell out, the guy tried to glue it back in but got too frustrated and ordered me a new pair of frames...I'd like them for Florida), go to the drugstore for shaving cream and what-nots and we need to leave in 3 hours for the airport. Yes, I'm a last minute kind of gal.

I am seriously going to go into blog-withdrawal.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Top O' the Mornin' to Ye

Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Birthday to my sweet little niece who is turning 9 today. Her baby brother turned a year old yesterday; I see him almost weekly, especially when I need my 'baby fix'. He's such a cute little chub. This picture was taken at Halloween, so Chubs looks pretty much the same except bigger, of course, and with a lot more hair. He's a doll.

Today's list of jobs are to do the guys paycheques first and foremost, wrap birthday presents for Chubs and Patty, deliver said presents...I don't always see my nieces and nephews on their birthdays, but today I feel I need to. My mom and step-dad left for Florida yesterday, and that has somewhat ticked me off - why couldn't they have left tomorrow instead? Don't they realize how important it is for little kids to have their grandparents share in their birthdays? So I know that I can't make up for Grandma not being around but it's a gesture, right?

Also on today's list is to go shopping in Ancaster! Woohoo!! A mini-city with real stores! And Husband is going with me, so that's sort of like a date. We are going to go to Covers and order blinds for the office windows and for the boys' windows, I want to go to Michaels, and I want to go to Costco. Yay!!! I'd also like to get a new pair of sandals to take to Florida, something really comfortable that can take a lot of walking; something that would be useful in China if we happen to travel during a warmer season.

Tomorrow's list is to pack, do laundry, get the boys' books from school, do laundry, pack...I'm missing the boys and I can't wait to see them.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

It's Thursday!

Thursdays are my favourite day of the week because Husband and I have a standing date each Thursday night to watch CSI together. We always make time for CSI. Very important you know. Spring break is almost over for the poor saps that have to go back to school on Monday. Suckers! I shouldn't laugh in their face because my turn is coming next week when I try to get CJ to do his homework.

There isn't much exciting happening around here this week. Most of the laundry is caught up, I did quite a bit of ironing yesterday, the house is still clean...I did want to paint Thumbelina's room but I thought doing laundry was a bit higher on the to-do list, especially since Husband enjoys having clean socks and underwear each day. That reminds me of a joke the boys always say, Mom look under there. Under where? HAH! You said UNDERWEAR! Yes, they're very jeuvenile.

This morning some salesmen were here and we bought a truck scale from them. As I was writing out the cheque for the downpayment, one of the guys looked at me and said, So are you the ass? Thoughts started running through my mind - You really shouldn't call me an ass if you expect to get paid...Is this some sort of slang that you call bookkeepers...Excuse me??? I just looked at him and he said to Husband Is she the ass for jay and ass? OH! You mean ES as in J and S, I get it. Okie-dokie everything's good now. Did give me a chuckle though.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Kidless

It's been 51 hours since we have been totally without children. We've gone this long without our kids around before, but never at home. So weird. And while I miss them and would love to have them walk in the door at any time, I am actually enjoying having a house that is staying clean! I cleaned the bathroom on Monday and it is still clean! The kitchen takes me all of 10 minutes to tidy after a meal! And the living room? It is such a treat to not have to move toys before you sit down on the couch. So I think I will enjoy this for a few more days before my homsesickness for them really starts to set in. Is it possible to be homesick when you're at home?

We were talking to the boys this morning and they are enjoying the warm weather...it is snowing here today and very cold and windy. CJ got a sunburn under his eyes, AJ is enjoying mini-golf and tennis, and TJ met up with some fire ants as he was trying to climb a palm tree. Just wait until next week when I bring school work with me to Florida! Such a tender age for them to have to learn reality.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Spring Break



The boys are gone to Florida and I'm a blubbering mess. Really. Hard to believe, isn't it. They've been gone for about 1 1/2 hours and all I can think about is them and what they're doing; what are they talking about? Have they gotten into any of the snacks I packed for the plane? Are they reading any of their new books? Are they driving Grandpa crazy yet? CJ was very difficult to deal with this morning, but I think it was because he was going to miss us and he didn't know how to express himself. He started crying when he was hugging me goodbye and he wouldn't let me take his picture; then TJ started crying too. How am I ever going to let these boys go off to college??

Yesterday when Husband called the airline to confirm the flights and pay for them, it was pointed out to him that the return flight that he had tentatively booked was for March 24th...instead of March 17th...and there are no available flights from Florida in the meantime. Well, we did find one airline that could fly them back on the 18th, but it would cost us $1,000 US more and that's our China money. So the plan now is that I will fly to Floriday next Monday - I can even go to the same airport as Husband at the same time, because he flies to Europe that evening - my flight will cost $124 Canadian and is a direct one to Tampa. Then on the 24th the boys and I will fly home from Fort Meyers to Buffalo, via Orlando...seems very odd to me that we would fly from Fort Meyers to Orlando, change planes, and then on to Buffalo; we'll probably be in the air for a whole 10 minutes.

So I really see this mix-up as God's divine intervention. I will get the boy's books from school and we will home-school in Florida for the second week; AJ is disappointed that he won't get perfect attendance this year, but it's Florida! And I'm getting excited about it. I'm feeling guilty that I'm taking the easy way out by not spending the extra $1,000 to bring the boys home on time, but Husband said he would worry a lot less about me and he wouldn't feel so guilty about being away and leaving me on my own with the boys and homework. You really have no idea what homework time is like at our house until you've lived through it yourself. And it's only CJ that gives us the homework troubles. That will just leave Friday night to Sunday afternoon that the boys and I will be on our own.

They should be approaching the border soon; we wrote a letter saying that they had permission to travel with their Grandfather, so hopefully they won't run into any difficulties.

And I told Husband he still has to bring me home chocolate from Europe.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Wacky Weather

At 4:30 this morning, I bolted upright in bed because our house was booming and shaking. It was thunder. The power was out as well. We have a safety light in our bedroom that comes on every time the power goes out; helps Husband if he has to get up in the middle of the night to check on the barns. The power didn't stay off for too long; I hate it when Husband has to go out in a lightening storm and hook up generators. We had a few more house-shaking, window-rattling thunder booms go through, lots of lightening, and amazingly the boys slept through it all. AJ has a basement bedroom so that's no surprise, but CJ and TJ don't have any curtains on their windows yet. And their beds are right in the dormers. And still the slept. It's very early in the season for this type of storm to pass through; Husband said the forecast for tonight is for more thunder showers. He'll probably have the generators already hooked up and ready to go as a precaution. I used to be terrified of thunder and lightening, but now I think it's kind of neat to watch. Just please don't send any twisters my way.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

People and Other People's Kids

I am not a people person. I am more so than Husband is (he prides himself on not being a people person) but it takes me a long time to really get to know someone and I have a hard time getting close to people...I like to keep them at a distance. I like to have a few different conversations with someone before I decide if they are someone I will want to have as a friend or not. Sometimes my first impression of someone is accurate, sometimes it's way off base, so to protect myself, I put up walls. I am shy by nature and therefore I can only imagine what I must come across to people as.

Last Sunday, Husband and I went and looked at a rental house for E! and his family. The house they will eventually be living in will not be available until July or so, so we need something short-term for them. My first impression of the house was that it was rather dumpy with very small rooms. The kitchen and bathrooms were in pretty bad shape and I just wanted to shiver when I saw it. For some reason, the woman who owns the house doesn't like me and it's really bothering me. I was pleasant and smiling...didn't talk too much; I let Husband do most of the talking as he had set up the meeting. E! and his family arrived in town on Friday (after 50+ hours of driving) and went and saw the house today. They didn't take it. They didn't like the woman. Apparantly she started saying some things about me...I don't know what...but E! came to my defence and told her how hard I work on the farm. Too weird. It's really bothering me and yet it shouldn't because I've spent a total of 15 minutes with this woman and I'll probably never see her again. Still.

So last night we took E! and his family out for supper. We thought we'd try Kelsey's since it just opened in our nothing little town in December. We got there and it was busy - 45 minute wait, so we decided to go to the steak house instead. Sitting at Kelsey's waiting for a table was Bim. He frowned at me and gave me a look like he should know me from somewhere; I smiled and waved as we left but I don't think he clued in as to who I was. This is bothering me too.

On Friday I volunteered in TJ's class for the morning because his teacher was away and I was helping the substitute teacher. I worked on marking books in an effort to help the kids not have homework over spring break. Didn't work for TJ, he still came home with homework. So there's this one little kid there who is loud and obnoxious; he has to be the best at everything and the winner of all the games, and if someone beats him, then this kid gets quite jealous and goes on about how it wasn't fair; he's also quite the little tattler. Back to my story about TJ's class...they were learning something new in Math; Math isn't TJ's strongest subject but he does pretty well in it. This other little kid says, It's so easy even TJ can get it! He looked at me after he said it and I just gave him a frown. I wanted to grap him by his shirt collar and tell him to stop being so mean to the other kids, but I didn't think that would be setting a very good example. TJ is so easy-going that what the kid said didn't phase him. This is bothering me as well. Not that TJ is easy-going, but that kids say mean things.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

He's Learning!

Our bedtime routine with the boys is to lay down with them for a few minutes before we say goodnight. Husband's routine is to have a bit of a rough'n'tumble with the boys because they need that. He usually just drapes his arm over top of them and pins them and they try to get free; CJ is very dramatic about the whole thing and quite often will throw himself off of the bed...the rougher the better for him. Last night the 2 of them were having their usual go-at-it and I was laying down with TJ. All of a sudden CJ yells out, 'Stop! You're hurting my phalanges!" It was so funny! Too bad he didn't do that good on his health test last week.

I'm off to get my monthly fix of Scrapbooking. I hope your day will be as fun as mine!

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

This 'N That

Today is a great day! It's Tuesday. Nothing special about Tuesday...although when I was a teen you couldn't wear red on a Tuesday or people would think you were... you know...and yes, I am wearing red, but I'm not ...you know...but I digress. The reason it's a good day is because on the CCAA website it says, and I quote "The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before July 31, 2005." Now if that isn't good news, I don't know what is! This means that now the August files will be moving into the review room and you know what that means! Our file was logged in September 13th, remember?! One step closer! So very exciting!

Last Friday Husband and I went and picked out cupboard doors and hardware for our new bathroom...the one down in the new basement that never was finished. Here is a sketch of what it will look like and the look I'm after:



I told Husband that I loved it already! It probably won't be installed until April or May, but we've been 3 months without a sink (we do have a toilet and shower in that bathroom) what's a few more weeks.

We told the boys that they are going to Florida next week and they are beyond excited...except CJ - he's so concerned about Marbles being able to come along. Marbles is his stuffed dog that is literally as big as he is. Husband said he'd have to buy a whole seat just for Marbles; I told CJ we'd try to fit him into the suitcase...we already need a suitcase just for Teddy...CJ doesn't go anywhere without Teddy and Marbles. I'm going to try to find a smaller version of Marbles for him to take on his trip. The first thing he said to me this morning wasn't Good Morning, Mom, it was Did you fit Marbles into the suitcase? Oh boy.

Monday, March 06, 2006

Weekend Workout

I had typed up this post on Saturday using Picaso but for some reason it made a fatal error and had to close, so my post was lost. So pppttthhhhhtttt! to you Picaso! On Saturday we had the AWANA Grand Prix, and being the with-it, together people that we are, we painted the cars and put them together Friday night. Actually this year we took the little blocks of wood to our neighbour (so that he could cut them for us) a whole week ahead of time but we just kept forgetting to go get them; and the few times we did call, there was either no answer or he wasn't home. Anyway it all worked out. So well in fact that TJ and AJ both won first place trophies for having the fastest cars! CJ if feeling left out because he's never won an AWANA trophy; TJ and AJ both got trophies last year as well, Teej for having the fastest car again, and AJ for having the best decorated car. It's hard for an 8-year-old to understand that not everybody can win (he came in 4th overall and just missed out on a trophy) and that some day his turn will come.




And Husband is going to Europe despite me not really wanting him to go. But now I'm looking at it as more of a challenge - Yes, I can be a single parent for a week. Yes, I can handle 3 boys on my own for a week. Yes, I may go crazy in the interim, but Husband has said he will buy me chocolate.from.Europe! The real thing! My mouth is watering now as I can almost taste it. Mmmmmm. So I'm going to let him go (like I have a choice) and be happy about it, just to prove to myself that I can do it. I can. I really can. Chocolate. It really is the cure-all to what ails you.

The in-laws are in Florida and have been there for a month now. They really miss the boys and want them to come down for spring break. So tentatively, the plan is that FIL is flying home Thursday of this week and then he will fly back to Florida with the boys on Sunday (there was no way I was letting them fly by themselves, so it was either he or I accompanying them, and since he is coming home anyway for a few days, Husband told him this was what it was). FIL will be flying back home with them the following Friday. The boys don't know and at first we really didn't think we could afford the tickets; Husband did some searching and found some for not a bad price, but they have a layover in Chicago and have to change planes. And since now we probably won't be travelling to China until the fall, we have a few extra months to save up our spending money that we've been spending. I don't know what I'll do without the boys for a whole week. Just blows my mind.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Happy March

March 1st - wow. Spring is almost here and soon (hopefully) the temperatures will reflect the look of spring we've enjoyed since Christmas. Seriously, we have had no snow accumulation since December. A sure sign of spring is that RRROLL up the rim is back at my favourite coffe shop. I get so excited whenever I win something; it's never been bigger than a coffee or muffin, but still. And the boys are at our elbows looking as we RRROLL up the rim (I can't roll my r's); now AJ has taken on the task of rolling them up and he's constantly hounding me - Have you finished your coffee yet?

Last night at bedtime, I sent TJ up to read a book while I was still getting CJ ready for bed; when CJ and I went up to their room, I didn't see Teej, so I called out his name. Up popped his little head from the other side of the bed (he was on the floor reading) and he said, "Just reading a book, my dear. Just reading a book." How funny is that!