I love them both.Silly me only took a picture of my chicken cabinet not all of 'Chicken Corner':
Friday, August 18, 2006
As Promised
Here's a close-up of my Rooster table-runner and candle-holder made from tobacco slats:
I love them both.
Silly me only took a picture of my chicken cabinet not all of 'Chicken Corner':
I love them both.Silly me only took a picture of my chicken cabinet not all of 'Chicken Corner':
BPOH - Dining Room
Welcome to my Dining Room!
This is the view from the living room:
I didn't get a close-up picture but on my table is a rooster runner from Lola and a candle-holder made out of tobacco slats from some guy we let hunt in one of the fields. I'll have to get a close-up and post it later on. Since my pictures have loaded nicely, I don't want to jinx anything by trying again.
A small table my Dad made in High School:
On the bottom shelf of the table is a rooster that Molly got ahold of and chewed - it's my Mom's...shhhh - don't tell her!
My antique doll carriage:
This was a Mother's Day gift one year.
My collection of chickens:
The thing that really really bugs me about my dining room is that the light is off-centre of the window; it's not even in the centre of the ceiling. So as you can see in this poorly lit shot, it is way off to the one side; we can't have the table any closer to the hutch because there's no room for people to move their chairs to get in and out...I've tried...so it makes for poor lighting for the people on the other side of the table, especially in the winter.
This shot is from my kitchen.
I love everything about my dining room except for the placement of the light; I love the furniture we've picked out although I'm not too fond of the shape of the table - it's an oval but with the size of the room we didn't really have any other choice...people would always be banging into the corner of it on their way into the kitchen if it was square...but you'll have to wait for next week to see that!
This is the view from the living room:
I didn't get a close-up picture but on my table is a rooster runner from Lola and a candle-holder made out of tobacco slats from some guy we let hunt in one of the fields. I'll have to get a close-up and post it later on. Since my pictures have loaded nicely, I don't want to jinx anything by trying again.A small table my Dad made in High School:
On the bottom shelf of the table is a rooster that Molly got ahold of and chewed - it's my Mom's...shhhh - don't tell her!My antique doll carriage:
This was a Mother's Day gift one year.My collection of chickens:
The thing that really really bugs me about my dining room is that the light is off-centre of the window; it's not even in the centre of the ceiling. So as you can see in this poorly lit shot, it is way off to the one side; we can't have the table any closer to the hutch because there's no room for people to move their chairs to get in and out...I've tried...so it makes for poor lighting for the people on the other side of the table, especially in the winter.
This shot is from my kitchen.I love everything about my dining room except for the placement of the light; I love the furniture we've picked out although I'm not too fond of the shape of the table - it's an oval but with the size of the room we didn't really have any other choice...people would always be banging into the corner of it on their way into the kitchen if it was square...but you'll have to wait for next week to see that!
Thursday, August 17, 2006
What Your Name Means
I found this over at Richmond's again...wow is all I can say.
There are 18 letters in your name.
Those 18 letters total to 68.
There are 7 vowels and 11 consonants in your name.
Your number is: 5
The characteristics of #5 are: Expansiveness, visionary, adventure, the constructive use of freedom.
The expression or destiny for #5:
The number 5 Expression endows with the wonderful characteristic of multi-talents and versatility. You can do so many things well. The tone of the number 5 is constructive freedom, and in your drive to attain this freedom, you will likely be the master of adaptability and change. You are good at presenting ideas and knowing how to approach people to get what you want. Naturally, this gives you an edge in any sort of selling game and spells easy success when it comes to working with people in most jobs. Your popularity may lead you toward some form of entertainment or amusement. Whatever you do, you are clever, analytical, and a very quick thinker.
If there is too much of the 5 energy in your makeup, you may express some the negative attitudes of the number. Your restless and impatient attitude may keep you from staying with any project for too long. Sometimes you can be rather erratic and scatter yourself and your energies. You have a hard time keeping regular office hours and maintaining any sort of a routine. You tend to react strongly if you sense that your freedom of speech or action is being impaired or restricted in any way. As clever as you are, you may have a tendency to make the same mistakes over and over again because much of your response is glib reaction rather that thoughtful application. You are in a continuous state of flux brought by constantly changing interests.
Your Soul Urge number is: 7
A Soul Urge number of 7 means: With a number 7 Soul Urge you are very fond of reading, and retreating to periods of being alone and away from the disruptions of the outer world. You like to dream and develop you idealistic understandings, to study and analyze, to gain knowledge and wisdom. You may be too laid back and withdrawn to really succeed in the business world, and you will be much more comfortable in circumstances that are tolerant of your reserve, your analytical approach, and your desire to use your mind rather than your physical being.
You are very timid around people that you don't know very well, so much so at times that casual conversation and social situations can be strained. You tend to repress your emotions to the extend that some people have a good bit of difficult understanding you. You tend to be very selective with friends and you don't easily adapt to new environments or to new people very quickly.
The negative traits of the 7 include becoming too much the introvert and isolated from others.
Your Inner Dream number is: 7
An Inner Dream number of 7 means: You dream of having the opportunity to read, study, and shut yourself off from worldly distractions. You can see yourself as a teacher, mystic, or ecclesiastic, spending your life in the pursuit of knowledge and learning.
*****
Okay, before you think I made up the #5 stuff, I didn't. How weird is it that 5 was my number in High School. And Husband's. And it's both of our favourite numbers. Huh. And try it for yourself!
There are 18 letters in your name.
Those 18 letters total to 68.
There are 7 vowels and 11 consonants in your name.
Your number is: 5
The characteristics of #5 are: Expansiveness, visionary, adventure, the constructive use of freedom.
The expression or destiny for #5:
The number 5 Expression endows with the wonderful characteristic of multi-talents and versatility. You can do so many things well. The tone of the number 5 is constructive freedom, and in your drive to attain this freedom, you will likely be the master of adaptability and change. You are good at presenting ideas and knowing how to approach people to get what you want. Naturally, this gives you an edge in any sort of selling game and spells easy success when it comes to working with people in most jobs. Your popularity may lead you toward some form of entertainment or amusement. Whatever you do, you are clever, analytical, and a very quick thinker.
If there is too much of the 5 energy in your makeup, you may express some the negative attitudes of the number. Your restless and impatient attitude may keep you from staying with any project for too long. Sometimes you can be rather erratic and scatter yourself and your energies. You have a hard time keeping regular office hours and maintaining any sort of a routine. You tend to react strongly if you sense that your freedom of speech or action is being impaired or restricted in any way. As clever as you are, you may have a tendency to make the same mistakes over and over again because much of your response is glib reaction rather that thoughtful application. You are in a continuous state of flux brought by constantly changing interests.
Your Soul Urge number is: 7
A Soul Urge number of 7 means: With a number 7 Soul Urge you are very fond of reading, and retreating to periods of being alone and away from the disruptions of the outer world. You like to dream and develop you idealistic understandings, to study and analyze, to gain knowledge and wisdom. You may be too laid back and withdrawn to really succeed in the business world, and you will be much more comfortable in circumstances that are tolerant of your reserve, your analytical approach, and your desire to use your mind rather than your physical being.
You are very timid around people that you don't know very well, so much so at times that casual conversation and social situations can be strained. You tend to repress your emotions to the extend that some people have a good bit of difficult understanding you. You tend to be very selective with friends and you don't easily adapt to new environments or to new people very quickly.
The negative traits of the 7 include becoming too much the introvert and isolated from others.
Your Inner Dream number is: 7
An Inner Dream number of 7 means: You dream of having the opportunity to read, study, and shut yourself off from worldly distractions. You can see yourself as a teacher, mystic, or ecclesiastic, spending your life in the pursuit of knowledge and learning.
*****
Okay, before you think I made up the #5 stuff, I didn't. How weird is it that 5 was my number in High School. And Husband's. And it's both of our favourite numbers. Huh. And try it for yourself!
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Oops!
It's 2:30 in the afternoon and I haven't fed my children lunch yet. They're not complaining so they must be munching on something...I'm not sure what...probably crackers like me. Very nutritious, isn't it. I'm in a good groove here working away and I noticed something smelled like it was burning. Odd. So I walked out into the kitchen and much to my horror was a pot on the stove that at one time a few hours ago had water in it to make KD but was now empty and emanating the burning smell. I wonder if my pot will be okay... oy! I hear popcorn being popped so I know the boys will be okay...
Big Sigh of Relief
You remember awhile back that I mentioned I couldn't find any of the boys' birth certificates? And I was really worried that I had mistakenly threw them out along with old plane tickets...anyway, I just found them! Yay! They were in my file of bank information. You see, we've had to change banks and we have a few details to clean up - one being switching the boys' accounts over to the new bank. And I was just opening the file to find the e-mail address of our girl at the new bank and there were the birth certificates, innocently staring at me, wondering why on earth they were stuck in a file instead of their little drawer where birth certificates and passports are kept. Why were they there in the first place you ask? Because our girl at the new bank needed them to open up accounts for the boys. Now I remember having them out and in that file for when our girl at the new bank called and asked for information...or maybe it was to remember to take them in to show her...the details are a little fuzzy...anyway, they're found! And I'm happy! Yay!
Something Silly
I found this at One For the Road and it looked fun. What super-hero are you?
| Your Superhero Profile |
 Your Superhero Name is The Time Hillbilly Your Superpower is Super Speed Your Weakness is Anger Your Weapon is Your Golden Stinger Your Mode of Transportation is Water Skis |
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Harmony
We have Sibling Harmony for the next two weeks! Yay! AJ is off to camp this week and next week it is CJ's turn. Technically TJ is old enough to go next week as well but I'm just not ready to send him yet. Husband tried to talk me into it, but I couldn't let him go. Isn't it funny how if you have an odd number of kids (that's like 3,5,7...not odd kids) and you take one kid out of the mix, doesn't matter which kid, there is Harmony. Sigh. We will have one week left - the last week of August - to go school shopping. School starts the day after Labor Day. The day after Husband's birthday. Poor guy. Can you imagine having your birthday fall on the first day of school? I shudder at the thought. Shudder. Anyway, I might take CJ and TJ shopping this week for school supplies and then AJ next week. The boys are getting to the age where they like to pick out their own stuff. Which is fine because then I'm not the bad guy if I pick out the wrong lunch pail or back pack.
We are supposed to tape the Cantata rehearsal tape this Thursday night. Remember when I blogged about it eons ago? Well I still don't like the cantata. Husband is still insistent that we will be in China and won't be around for it...I'm trying to tell him that realistically I think we'll get our referral in November and travel in January to get Thumbelina and then he says he'll just have to make two trips. I'm hoping and praying for earlier but I don't really think it will happen. But you never know. November is only 3 months away. Doesn't sound so bad, does it. 3. Three. 3. Better than 62 which is how many days of files the CCAA needs to get through to get to ours. IT will happen. It WILL happen. It will HAPPEN. Someday.
We are supposed to tape the Cantata rehearsal tape this Thursday night. Remember when I blogged about it eons ago? Well I still don't like the cantata. Husband is still insistent that we will be in China and won't be around for it...I'm trying to tell him that realistically I think we'll get our referral in November and travel in January to get Thumbelina and then he says he'll just have to make two trips. I'm hoping and praying for earlier but I don't really think it will happen. But you never know. November is only 3 months away. Doesn't sound so bad, does it. 3. Three. 3. Better than 62 which is how many days of files the CCAA needs to get through to get to ours. IT will happen. It WILL happen. It will HAPPEN. Someday.
Monday, August 14, 2006
11 Eleven 11 Eleven 11 Eleven 11
Yesterday marked our 11 month LID-aversary and in honour of this momentous occasion, may I present to you Eleven Things I Would Do If I Had a Million Dollars... although with my list I know I would need a whole lot more money than just a measly million...but don'tcha just love that song?? In no particular order here we go:
1) Give to my church, various international adoption charities, invest ~ you know, make sure we're well taken care of into our future
2) Make Husband retire ~ I'm not sure how to go about doing that but if we had an excess amount of cash, I'm sure I could convince him somehow
3) Fly first-class to China and bring the boys and various family members to help look after the boys
4) Buy the 2006 Ford Explorer complete with leather seats and NavStar that I fell in love with in July ~ we took it out for a test drive and I fell in love with it just sitting in the driver's seat but we can't swing it this year so maybe next year... of course it goes without saying that whatever year the lottery is won (ha) is whatever year of model of Explorer will be purchased...and at one time I thought I wanted a Dodge Durango but we're friends with the Ford dealer in town so we have to stick with Ford
5) Build my dream house
6) Hire a gardener/pool boy to keep the landscaping and pool looking pretty
7) Build a really cool tree fort type thingy ~ doesn't that look like too much fun???
8) Buy a beach house ~ somewhere secluded with lots of windows facing the beach ~ I really like the beach house in the movie Something's Gotta Give
9) Hire a personal trainer
10) Hire a personal chef
11) Go to Hawaii
What would yous all do if you won the lottery??? Come on ~ share share share!
1) Give to my church, various international adoption charities, invest ~ you know, make sure we're well taken care of into our future
2) Make Husband retire ~ I'm not sure how to go about doing that but if we had an excess amount of cash, I'm sure I could convince him somehow
3) Fly first-class to China and bring the boys and various family members to help look after the boys
4) Buy the 2006 Ford Explorer complete with leather seats and NavStar that I fell in love with in July ~ we took it out for a test drive and I fell in love with it just sitting in the driver's seat but we can't swing it this year so maybe next year... of course it goes without saying that whatever year the lottery is won (ha) is whatever year of model of Explorer will be purchased...and at one time I thought I wanted a Dodge Durango but we're friends with the Ford dealer in town so we have to stick with Ford
5) Build my dream house
6) Hire a gardener/pool boy to keep the landscaping and pool looking pretty
7) Build a really cool tree fort type thingy ~ doesn't that look like too much fun???
8) Buy a beach house ~ somewhere secluded with lots of windows facing the beach ~ I really like the beach house in the movie Something's Gotta Give
9) Hire a personal trainer
10) Hire a personal chef
11) Go to Hawaii
What would yous all do if you won the lottery??? Come on ~ share share share!
Friday, August 11, 2006
BPOH - Living Room Part II
Finally I'm able to post pictures again!
The fish tank on the other side of the fireplace:
The fish tank on the other side of the fireplace:
The green rocking chair will eventually be going up to Thumbelina's room, but her room is still awaiting carpet to be laid before the furniture can be placed... OH and the flowers ~ I've had the vase for a couple of years and just never got around to putting anything in it before today ~ dollar store flowers, but I love how it's starting to look. I cleaned out all they had of flowers in these particular colours but you know I'll be going back soon to fill up my vase.
The view of the living room from beside Husband's chair:
The tea wagon belonged to my Grandmother; I'm not sure I like that spot for it but for now, there it sits.
A close-up of the flower arrangement on the wall:
I made this and another one identical to it for my Dad's grave...of course somebody stole the one on his grave a few months later...I knew it would happen ~ that's why I made one for myself...
And lastly for your viewing pleasure:
The part I love about my living room is the hardwood floors. With 3 boys and living on a farm, I can't imagine having anything else. What I DON'T like about my living room is the fact that the fireplace covers the entire length of the wall. I would love for it to be a normal-sized fireplace with shelving or cabinets with glass doors on either side of it. It makes it hard for furniture placement. And I just moved my Live Laugh Love picture to that spot above the fireplace this morning ~ there was a clock there and I'm still checking that spot to see what time it is...never mind there's a watch on my wrist...and I don't like the top of the entertainment centre...seems too blah to me. Anyway, thanks for stopping by!
BPOH - Living Room Part I
This is my living room, looking in from the dining room:
My little Roland:
Where the dogs sleep:
Yes, I know they are really rabbit cages but they're the perfect size for small dogs. And yes, I know that Molly has outgrown her rabbit cage but we do have a full-sized kennel for her, it's just not put together yet. And yes, I know it seems a bit odd to have dog cages in the living room, but it is oh-so-handy when disciplining a growing puppy who is way too energetic and needs the occasional time-out. When the sun-room is rebuilt, that is where the dog's cages will go.
My fireplace:
Husband's chair where I sit to knit or crochet:
That is a baby blanket that I was knitting for S! but she had a baby boy and the colours are too girly for a boy, so I'm going to put it in Thumbelina's crib. And I strategically placed it in that spot on the chair to cover up the tear in the arm from Molly.
My little Roland:
Where the dogs sleep:
Yes, I know they are really rabbit cages but they're the perfect size for small dogs. And yes, I know that Molly has outgrown her rabbit cage but we do have a full-sized kennel for her, it's just not put together yet. And yes, I know it seems a bit odd to have dog cages in the living room, but it is oh-so-handy when disciplining a growing puppy who is way too energetic and needs the occasional time-out. When the sun-room is rebuilt, that is where the dog's cages will go.My fireplace:
Husband's chair where I sit to knit or crochet:
That is a baby blanket that I was knitting for S! but she had a baby boy and the colours are too girly for a boy, so I'm going to put it in Thumbelina's crib. And I strategically placed it in that spot on the chair to cover up the tear in the arm from Molly.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
One More Thing
Our 11 Month LID-aversary is next week and I'm having trouble coming up with a Top 11 List. Any suggestions? I thought of 11 Ways I Don't Want to Die ... such as being eaten by ants, or attacked by sharks ... but that's such a morbid blog-versation to have. And it would give me bad dreams and then I'd never sleep. So I'm in desperate need of your help.
Enervated
My energy has enervated. Petered out. Mostly because Husband didn't sleep last night. Or the night before. Or the night before. Are you beginning to see a pattern here?
I'm sure you're all dying to know how last night went - it went fine. I could have/should have smiled more, but other than that, it was fine. I bet you're all so relieved, the both of yous. The pork chops were tasty - had a small fire but nothing a bit of baking soda couldn't take care of. But the noodles got burnt in the meantime...
I've been helping out with VBS this week even though I said I couldn't. I received a phone call Tuesday evening asking me to come in, so I said yes. Yesterday we had an all-time high of 161 kids. One hundred and sixty-one kids. Today we had 160 kids. One hundred and sixty. Ages 4-13. I told the powers that be that I couldn't help out tomorrow - I have to actually do some work this week.
I've been down in the playroom this afternoon trying to find the floor. I almost have a garbage bag full of toys and miscellaneous pieces that are broken or lost or I don't know what they're for. It's a start. I was hoping to have the playroom clean enough to post on the BPOH tomorrow - it's living rooms - but that ain't gonna happen. And it isn't too late to join the BPOH; just e-mail Shannon and she'll tell you all you need to know. I've got a vaccuum with my name on it, so I'm off.
I'm sure you're all dying to know how last night went - it went fine. I could have/should have smiled more, but other than that, it was fine. I bet you're all so relieved, the both of yous. The pork chops were tasty - had a small fire but nothing a bit of baking soda couldn't take care of. But the noodles got burnt in the meantime...
I've been helping out with VBS this week even though I said I couldn't. I received a phone call Tuesday evening asking me to come in, so I said yes. Yesterday we had an all-time high of 161 kids. One hundred and sixty-one kids. Today we had 160 kids. One hundred and sixty. Ages 4-13. I told the powers that be that I couldn't help out tomorrow - I have to actually do some work this week.
I've been down in the playroom this afternoon trying to find the floor. I almost have a garbage bag full of toys and miscellaneous pieces that are broken or lost or I don't know what they're for. It's a start. I was hoping to have the playroom clean enough to post on the BPOH tomorrow - it's living rooms - but that ain't gonna happen. And it isn't too late to join the BPOH; just e-mail Shannon and she'll tell you all you need to know. I've got a vaccuum with my name on it, so I'm off.
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Bundle of Nerves
It's prayer meeting tonight and I'm scheduled to sing...and I'm nervous as all-get-out. I'm trying to figure out why - maybe because there are only about 50-75 people at church on Wednesday nights and I run out of people to look at - and I've had all day to think about it and get nervous. I like singing Sunday mornings the best because a) there are a lot of people to look at (not that I make eye contact - that's just not what I do) and b) Sunday mornings are hectic with choir practice and Sunday School and c) I'm not awake enough to have the jumble of nerves penetrate my consciousness...or lack thereof.
So there you have it. I'm a total loser and weirdo. Gotta flip the pork-chops on the bbq now before my inner self explodes.
So there you have it. I'm a total loser and weirdo. Gotta flip the pork-chops on the bbq now before my inner self explodes.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
My Really Cute Thingy
See, isn't it cute?
I think technically it's called a window frame, but it really isn't framing a window, so I call it My Really Cute Thingy.
And this is what my entry way looks like without a box spring and mattress:
See My Really Cute Thingy hanging on the wall?
A close-up of the floor:
A small table I took from Muther's house:
It looks good there, so now it's mine...when she moved there was no room for it in her new abode so I've found a home for it...
I think technically it's called a window frame, but it really isn't framing a window, so I call it My Really Cute Thingy.And this is what my entry way looks like without a box spring and mattress:
See My Really Cute Thingy hanging on the wall?A close-up of the floor:
A small table I took from Muther's house:
It looks good there, so now it's mine...when she moved there was no room for it in her new abode so I've found a home for it...
Feast or Famine
There's either nothing to talk about or everything to talk about. Today, there's everything.
Saturday was AJ's birthday - he's 12 now. I feel so old. I remember being a young teen and thinking my parent's lives were over and that they should start picking out retirement homes because there was nothing left for them to live for. I wonder if that's what AJ thinks about me and Husband. Anyway, here he is in all his birthday glory:
We took the boys and a few of AJ's friends here for a birthday 'get-together'...we don't do parties every year and this was supposed to be an off-year for a party, but I've been feeling so guilty about not taking the boys anywhere to do anything fun that we splurged on the get-together. The boys have become Cartoon Connoisseurs this summer. Uncle AB and Aunt JB joined us. Here's the group enjoying pizza:
All glowy:
Uncle AB & Aunt JB's present to AJ was taking him here. They had a great time as you can see from these photos.
Uncle AB was eating AJ's dust:
So that was Friday and Saturday. Sunday night I got a phone call from my brother telling me that Auntie Rue had had a heart attack - mild - but would be in the hospital for a few days. AJ, CJ and I visited with her yesterday and she was being sent to the city for an echocardiogram because her pain wasn't going away. So. Just waiting to hear if there's anymore news on that front.
I took AJ and CJ with me to Art in the Park yesterday and CJ and I had a great time. AJ was AJ. You know, walking 20 feet in front or on the other side of the creek. The park in town has a winding little creek with bridges - a great place to play if you're a kid because sometimes the bridges just lead to an island and you have to find your way back. Except it's not appropriate when the park is packed with people and venders trying to make a buck. I bought a really cute thingy. I'll have to post a picture later on, but trust me, it's a really cute thingy. I bought CJ some candy floss and we brought some home for TJ. Yes, you heard me right - candy floss. Me, the one person who doesn't believe in candy. And you know why I don't believe in candy? Because of all the temper tantrums that happen the next morning. Like this morning. I was downstairs folding laundry and I could hear much screaming. Much screaming. So I just zoned out and went to my happy place. As happy a place as I could find pre-coffee. Speaking of pre-coffee...I'm seriously considering packing a 2-cup coffee maker for our trip to China. I've read on other people's blogs that there are Star*bucks now in China so people are silly to even consider it, but I.Need.Coffee. I need a cup of coffee to make me coherent enough to get down to breakfast. I kid you not. I.Need.Coffee. It isn't a want - it's a need.
The boys are at VBS (Vacation Bible School) this morning so I need to get a bit of work done before I pick them up in an hour. I'm experiencing a bit of guilt concerning VBS because it's the first time I haven't helped out in quite a few years, but I'll save that for another post.
See, I told you I had a lot to talk about today.
Saturday was AJ's birthday - he's 12 now. I feel so old. I remember being a young teen and thinking my parent's lives were over and that they should start picking out retirement homes because there was nothing left for them to live for. I wonder if that's what AJ thinks about me and Husband. Anyway, here he is in all his birthday glory:
We took the boys and a few of AJ's friends here for a birthday 'get-together'...we don't do parties every year and this was supposed to be an off-year for a party, but I've been feeling so guilty about not taking the boys anywhere to do anything fun that we splurged on the get-together. The boys have become Cartoon Connoisseurs this summer. Uncle AB and Aunt JB joined us. Here's the group enjoying pizza:
All glowy:
Uncle AB & Aunt JB's present to AJ was taking him here. They had a great time as you can see from these photos.
Uncle AB was eating AJ's dust:
So that was Friday and Saturday. Sunday night I got a phone call from my brother telling me that Auntie Rue had had a heart attack - mild - but would be in the hospital for a few days. AJ, CJ and I visited with her yesterday and she was being sent to the city for an echocardiogram because her pain wasn't going away. So. Just waiting to hear if there's anymore news on that front.
I took AJ and CJ with me to Art in the Park yesterday and CJ and I had a great time. AJ was AJ. You know, walking 20 feet in front or on the other side of the creek. The park in town has a winding little creek with bridges - a great place to play if you're a kid because sometimes the bridges just lead to an island and you have to find your way back. Except it's not appropriate when the park is packed with people and venders trying to make a buck. I bought a really cute thingy. I'll have to post a picture later on, but trust me, it's a really cute thingy. I bought CJ some candy floss and we brought some home for TJ. Yes, you heard me right - candy floss. Me, the one person who doesn't believe in candy. And you know why I don't believe in candy? Because of all the temper tantrums that happen the next morning. Like this morning. I was downstairs folding laundry and I could hear much screaming. Much screaming. So I just zoned out and went to my happy place. As happy a place as I could find pre-coffee. Speaking of pre-coffee...I'm seriously considering packing a 2-cup coffee maker for our trip to China. I've read on other people's blogs that there are Star*bucks now in China so people are silly to even consider it, but I.Need.Coffee. I need a cup of coffee to make me coherent enough to get down to breakfast. I kid you not. I.Need.Coffee. It isn't a want - it's a need.
The boys are at VBS (Vacation Bible School) this morning so I need to get a bit of work done before I pick them up in an hour. I'm experiencing a bit of guilt concerning VBS because it's the first time I haven't helped out in quite a few years, but I'll save that for another post.
See, I told you I had a lot to talk about today.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Parade of Homes
Shannon had a great idea to have a Blogger-Type Parade of Homes and I thought it would be fun to participate.
Welcome to the Funny Farm!
This is the view you get coming into our driveway. The 3-story chicken barn is behind our house.
The Front Door
Seven years ago we put this addition on to our house - it was only 6'x20' but it gave our home character. Our main entry before this addition was at the back of the house, so it was kind of boring to look at. Plus the house was surrounded by trees and a lot of people didn't even know there was a house - they just presumed it was a farm building. One neighbour said It actually looks like a house now.
The Foyer
Why yes, that is a box spring and mattress sitting in my entry way. It is waiting to be taken upstairs to the boys' room and put together...waiting...patiently waiting...
My View From My Front Door
A corn field...and Buddy's doghouse.
Thank you for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit!
Welcome to the Funny Farm!
This is the view you get coming into our driveway. The 3-story chicken barn is behind our house.The Front Door
Seven years ago we put this addition on to our house - it was only 6'x20' but it gave our home character. Our main entry before this addition was at the back of the house, so it was kind of boring to look at. Plus the house was surrounded by trees and a lot of people didn't even know there was a house - they just presumed it was a farm building. One neighbour said It actually looks like a house now.The Foyer
Why yes, that is a box spring and mattress sitting in my entry way. It is waiting to be taken upstairs to the boys' room and put together...waiting...patiently waiting...My View From My Front Door
A corn field...and Buddy's doghouse.Thank you for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit!
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Storm of the Season
Very early this morning we had a violent thunderstorm roll through. The lightening show actually started 4 hours earlier and we even managed to capture some on film...or digital rather...but blogger isn't cooperating (are you getting as tired of reading that phrase as I am of typing it?). The clouds were so cool to watch. They looked like dancing Christmas lights ...or have you seen those spongy balls for kids that glow all different colours like a strobe light when you bounce them? Like one of those. Husband and I were up at 1 am ~ and I really think last night could have finally been the night of a decent sleep had it not been for the storm ~ and Husband went outside to prepare the barns in case the power went out. And then he came back in the house after a few minutes and said I think you better take the boys to the basement. Chilling words indeed. TJ was a bit upset, CJ was shivering and kept asking if there was hail but kept insisting it was cool. I told him I didn't know about the hail. Apparently there was some. We left AJ alone because his bedroom is in the basement and there was no point in getting him up. So the three of us camped out on the basement floor for about 30-40 minutes until Husband gave us the all clear to go back to bed. My body is not made for floor-sleeping anymore. And it's hard to relax when you're imagining all sorts of horrible mishaps happening to your beloved out in the middle of torrential rains and howling winds. Yes, Howling Winds. As in horizontal rain coming in under the door Howling Winds. Husband read on the internet that at 12:19 am Environment Canada issued severe weather warnings and recommended people take cover. Anyway. Today many of our neighbours have trees down. Trees. I have some dead flowers that were knocked over but that's about all the damage at our house. And this is some of what the CBC had to say about the storm:
I think the 120 km/hr was in our neighbourhood. And I'm sure they mean 3:20 a.m. and not 3:20 p.m. People typing the news should really pay more attention to what they're doing.
Today's rain is almost here and hopefully we won't have a repeat of last night's storm.
Environment Canada said a trained weather spotter reported a tornado
touched down in the area of Highway 401 and Highway 6 at around 3:20
p.m. ET.
At its peak, the storm's winds hit 120 kilometres an hour.
I think the 120 km/hr was in our neighbourhood. And I'm sure they mean 3:20 a.m. and not 3:20 p.m. People typing the news should really pay more attention to what they're doing.
Today's rain is almost here and hopefully we won't have a repeat of last night's storm.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Congratulations
Congratulations to all those families who are receiving their referrals!!! The CCAA website has been updated to show the July 13th cut-off date...I've been holding out hope that this months referrals would include more days until I actually saw the website with my own eyes. So now I guess I'll sigh...sigh...and hope for an October referral. But I still want my baby by Christmas!!!
Here in Crazyville we're debating on mattresses. Like we've nothing better to do. Gramma & Grampa are giving us a box spring and mattress - we don't turn down freebies. We were hoping for the double sized one - would fit perfectly in the dormer window of the boys bedroom, but they want to give us the queen. Which is fine too. It won't fit in the dormer but the bedroom is ginormous so it won't be too big for the room. Except we don't see how we're going to get the box spring up the stairs, around the corner and through the door. So right now it's sitting on a trailer in my yard. I need to clear out some stuff first anyway. So that's todays big dilemma.
I am getting my hair done tomorrow (yay) except my hairdresser is on maternity leave. I guess that's what happens when you wait 8 months between haircuts (I've been trimming my own bangs). Char has been my hairdresser for 12 years and now she has a salon in her home. I'm very willing to drive the extra 3o minutes to get to her place. So since she's due any day, she's hired a girl to work for her in her salon. And if she hasn't popped that baby out by tomorrow she'll come visit with me whilst the gray gets magically changed to an attractive colour. Yay!
Here in Crazyville we're debating on mattresses. Like we've nothing better to do. Gramma & Grampa are giving us a box spring and mattress - we don't turn down freebies. We were hoping for the double sized one - would fit perfectly in the dormer window of the boys bedroom, but they want to give us the queen. Which is fine too. It won't fit in the dormer but the bedroom is ginormous so it won't be too big for the room. Except we don't see how we're going to get the box spring up the stairs, around the corner and through the door. So right now it's sitting on a trailer in my yard. I need to clear out some stuff first anyway. So that's todays big dilemma.
I am getting my hair done tomorrow (yay) except my hairdresser is on maternity leave. I guess that's what happens when you wait 8 months between haircuts (I've been trimming my own bangs). Char has been my hairdresser for 12 years and now she has a salon in her home. I'm very willing to drive the extra 3o minutes to get to her place. So since she's due any day, she's hired a girl to work for her in her salon. And if she hasn't popped that baby out by tomorrow she'll come visit with me whilst the gray gets magically changed to an attractive colour. Yay!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
It's Crazy! Insane Even!
Our life. It has come down to literal craziness. I haven't really blogged about this before because I don't know how people will react - we are farmers and have chickens and pigs. There... I said it. Housed animals. And we eat them. And we enjoy eating them. I feel so much better coming out of the closet like that. So our pig barn is being expanded, actually quadrupled in it's current size - it's a madhouse over there. Some worker guy just called me looking for Husband and I told him that he was there already...then the guy said Oh I see his truck and then I patched his call through to Husband's cell phone. Imagine having a barn so large that you can't find the person you're looking for and you need to call him on his cell phone to find out where he is. A Barn. We are getting pigs in 2 weeks so there are swarms of worker guys there working. No wonder we haven't slept in months. I was talking to our banker earlier today and getting updated on all the happenings of the farm...I've been seeing Husband for about 10 minutes each day. Normal for most people but not really normal when we actually work together in the same office.
And it's hot. So hot that the mice have moved indoors. I usually expect to see evidence of mice in the fall when it starts to get cooler out, not in the middle of summer, but evidence I have seen. On my pots and pans. I washed them all last night (I want to Javex them but I don't know if that's safe for humans eating food that's been cooked on Javexed pots and pans) and I've still yet to find a decent mousetrap and clean underneath the pots and pans drawer. I did have a trap in the drawer because I've seen evidence in there in the past but now I'll put one under the drawer. I threw out the old trap because the stinking mice have been chewing CHEWING on the mousetrap. They are mocking me. Last night the phone rang and the number that came up was our own residence - strange - when I answered, it was just a dial tone. Half hour later the same thing - we were calling ourselves again! Except this time I got hung up on. And the boys were in bed asleep. I thought it must be the mice again playing with my mind but it was the chickens calling because the barn was too hot.
And Husband is too busy to talk to me and that is starting to annoy me because I have important stuff to say. I should probably just talk to him via my blog.
And it's hot. So hot that the mice have moved indoors. I usually expect to see evidence of mice in the fall when it starts to get cooler out, not in the middle of summer, but evidence I have seen. On my pots and pans. I washed them all last night (I want to Javex them but I don't know if that's safe for humans eating food that's been cooked on Javexed pots and pans) and I've still yet to find a decent mousetrap and clean underneath the pots and pans drawer. I did have a trap in the drawer because I've seen evidence in there in the past but now I'll put one under the drawer. I threw out the old trap because the stinking mice have been chewing CHEWING on the mousetrap. They are mocking me. Last night the phone rang and the number that came up was our own residence - strange - when I answered, it was just a dial tone. Half hour later the same thing - we were calling ourselves again! Except this time I got hung up on. And the boys were in bed asleep. I thought it must be the mice again playing with my mind but it was the chickens calling because the barn was too hot.
And Husband is too busy to talk to me and that is starting to annoy me because I have important stuff to say. I should probably just talk to him via my blog.
A Tuesday Funny For You
There is a factory in Northern Minnesota which makes the Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms. Well, Lena is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 AM. The next day at 8:45 AM there is a knock at the Personnel Manager's door. The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee. He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule. The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the two men march down to the factory floor. When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo's all over the factory floor and they're really beginning to pile up. At the end of the line stands Lena surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmo's. She has a roll of plush red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles. The 2 men watch in amazement as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo's legs. The Personnel Manager bursts into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics he pulls himself together and approaches Lena. "I'm sorry," he says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, "but I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday...Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles."
Monday, July 31, 2006
Too Hot to Blog
I know I shouldn't be complaining about the temperatures, and I'm not really because I'm in my air-conditioned office. But good golly it's hot outside! The Real temperature is 31C and the Feels Like temperature is 43C, which converts to 87.8F and 109.4F respectively. I just don't think it's fair to live in a place that has such extreme climates - record breaking, bone-chilling winters (-23c or -10f) and then hotter than hot summers. An all-year temp of about 70F would be perfect for me. Maybe even up to 75F in the summertime. I guess this is sort of a complaint, isn't it.
I've decided to get highlights or something in my hair - mainly because it's a losing battle pulling out all the gray. Except my hairdresser hasn't called me back yet and I called her this morning. Which makes me think she might be on holidays and now that I've decided to get my hair done, I want it done like tomorrow. And I've also firmly decided not to get it cut (other than a trim) until just before we go to China.
I was going to blog (I typed in glob) about something else and in my head it sounded quite clever, except now I forget what it was. I think my brain has melted.
I've decided to get highlights or something in my hair - mainly because it's a losing battle pulling out all the gray. Except my hairdresser hasn't called me back yet and I called her this morning. Which makes me think she might be on holidays and now that I've decided to get my hair done, I want it done like tomorrow. And I've also firmly decided not to get it cut (other than a trim) until just before we go to China.
I was going to blog (I typed in glob) about something else and in my head it sounded quite clever, except now I forget what it was. I think my brain has melted.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Look What I Found!
I was looking for a specific picture for my Dad's Memory Album - Yes, I found it, Thank you for asking, and I came across this handsome couple:
1,000 bonus points to the first person who can correctly identify the people in the picture, circa 1988.
We got the call from across the border that the friendly border guard let the trio across. Yay! No grumpy kid for the weekend! Let me re-phrase that - 2 grumpy kids instead of 3 grumpy kids for the weekend! No, they're not grumpy all the time - only when they don't get their own way. I'm about the appease the 2 remaining by taking them to Dollar*Tree*Plus because I really can't take the asking anymore.
1,000 bonus points to the first person who can correctly identify the people in the picture, circa 1988.
We got the call from across the border that the friendly border guard let the trio across. Yay! No grumpy kid for the weekend! Let me re-phrase that - 2 grumpy kids instead of 3 grumpy kids for the weekend! No, they're not grumpy all the time - only when they don't get their own way. I'm about the appease the 2 remaining by taking them to Dollar*Tree*Plus because I really can't take the asking anymore.
More Headaches
Not a migraine today, just a tension headache that chocolate and caffeine should be able to fix. I've misplaced the boys birth certificates. And AJ is on his way to Chicago with the Grandparents. With only a permission letter and his health card. The last time we used them was when we went to Florida in March, and they are not in the special drawer which houses birth certficates and passports. My passport is accounted for but nothing for the boys, thus the headache. So we've sent AJ on his way anyway; Gramma & Grampa said if the border doesn't let him across then they will take him to London to GG's and we can pick him up there. Except I don't know exactly where her apartment is but I'm sure we'll find it eventually. But can you imagine how Grumpy AJ will be? OOooooo. Pass the chocolate coffee please.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Oh What a Wicked Web We Weave...
This morning I awoke with a headache. A migraine headache. I hate those. So I've spent all day in bed thus far...except I did get up after lunch, overdosed on ad*vil and watched the last half of Days. And now I'm feeling kind of out-of-bodyish. I guess that's why you're supposed to follow the directions on the pill bottle huh. My head is not pounding like it was, thank you for asking, the nausiousness is still there but not as bad, and thankfully it's starting to rain now so I don't have to look at the blasted sunlight seeping through my pulled blinds.
So the wicked web? Was weaved by AJ. I was in bed this morning (see paragraph above) and the phone was ringing every 15 minutes, as it does most days. AJ came into my bedroom and said that Great Gramma (GG from here on out) was visiting from the city and Gramma might take them all to Long Point to visit Uncle James. Cool. I had already decided that CJ and TJ would miss their tutoring session today and had asked AJ to call and cancel for me. Because I couldn't even stand up, let alone drive. So a little while later Husband came home and told me that he could take the boys to their tutoring session (ts) but I told him that Gramma was going to take them and GG to LP. To visit with Uncle James. Husband had AJ find everybody's bathing suits and we thought everything was set. Now comes for the wicked webbed having been weaved part. It was all AJ's idea. It was AJ who called Gramma and asked if she could take them to the beach - not Gramma calling to ask them to go. And when AJ came and said to me Gramma wants to know if the teacher can change the time of the ts for the boys. That was a lie. And now they're at the beach and it's pouring rain. And GG and Gramma and Uncle James are stuck with three bored boys. But me? I'm home alone in the quiet...and dark...with the stupid flies buzzing about my head. But at least they're not green.
So the wicked web? Was weaved by AJ. I was in bed this morning (see paragraph above) and the phone was ringing every 15 minutes, as it does most days. AJ came into my bedroom and said that Great Gramma (GG from here on out) was visiting from the city and Gramma might take them all to Long Point to visit Uncle James. Cool. I had already decided that CJ and TJ would miss their tutoring session today and had asked AJ to call and cancel for me. Because I couldn't even stand up, let alone drive. So a little while later Husband came home and told me that he could take the boys to their tutoring session (ts) but I told him that Gramma was going to take them and GG to LP. To visit with Uncle James. Husband had AJ find everybody's bathing suits and we thought everything was set. Now comes for the wicked webbed having been weaved part. It was all AJ's idea. It was AJ who called Gramma and asked if she could take them to the beach - not Gramma calling to ask them to go. And when AJ came and said to me Gramma wants to know if the teacher can change the time of the ts for the boys. That was a lie. And now they're at the beach and it's pouring rain. And GG and Gramma and Uncle James are stuck with three bored boys. But me? I'm home alone in the quiet...and dark...with the stupid flies buzzing about my head. But at least they're not green.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Be Afraid...Be Very Afraid...
Ever wonder what happens when children are left alone without adult supervision because adults are busily working like beavers and children get bored and think of thinks to do? They turn into the Hulk:
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
My Sink:
The sink doesn't look as bad as last time...apparently the green happens when you mix shaving cream with food colouring. Learned something new, didn'tcha! You're welcome!
Exhibit A:
Exhibit B:
My Sink:
The sink doesn't look as bad as last time...apparently the green happens when you mix shaving cream with food colouring. Learned something new, didn'tcha! You're welcome!
Wacky Weather
I was going to do a Pictorial Essay of Yesterday's Weather for you because the sky was a really pretty dark gray/blue colour and the clouds were kinda cool looking, but blogger isn't cooperating. So you'll just have to close your eyes and visualize it in type-written form. I'm sure you could do both - close your eyes and read - if you tried hard enough.
It stormed. The end.
Actually there were tornado warnings out and Husband called me to turn off the computers...so I was forced to do some scrapbooking. I wasn't able to find a sitter for the boys yesterday to enjoy the much anticipated Ladies Tea and I was half-thinking that maybe AJ could babysit for me...except when I asked him he said no and when I mentioned it to CJ he started screaming and crying no. Apparently AJ is mean. And then when the tornado warning came out, I just couldn't leave my babies. I was watching the weather network yesterday to see when the storm would pass, and someone had sent in some video from the town 5 minutes to my left (or west depending on which direction I'm standing) and the clouds were doing some kooky things. And there was unconfirmed tornadic activity in the town 40 minutes to my north. And ya know what? We're in for some more this afternoon! Except I don't think we have enough humidity in the air for tornados. But what do I know - I haven't even been outside yet today.
So Muther called me this morning to get some measurements of AJ - his birthday is coming up - and she said she'd be Eternally Grateful. I kind of chuckled (come one - Eternally Grateful??) and she said Someone had to make me laugh - I'm too serious. Me? Serious? We've just been under a teensy bit of stress here in Crazyville for the last little while and we (Husband and I) haven't had a decent nights sleep in months. And it's wearing on us. Muther has been off work since April and I can count on one finger the times she's come over to visit. I work full-time so I'm not able to just pick up and go, especially with kids in tow, especially with my kids who obviously aren't well-behaved...oooh now I'm ranting...anyway, this isn't your problem. It just kind of bugged me because I don't feel like she knows who I really am even though she thinks she does. Actually, if she knew who I really am she would run away screaming...bwahahahahahaha...
It stormed. The end.
Actually there were tornado warnings out and Husband called me to turn off the computers...so I was forced to do some scrapbooking. I wasn't able to find a sitter for the boys yesterday to enjoy the much anticipated Ladies Tea and I was half-thinking that maybe AJ could babysit for me...except when I asked him he said no and when I mentioned it to CJ he started screaming and crying no. Apparently AJ is mean. And then when the tornado warning came out, I just couldn't leave my babies. I was watching the weather network yesterday to see when the storm would pass, and someone had sent in some video from the town 5 minutes to my left (or west depending on which direction I'm standing) and the clouds were doing some kooky things. And there was unconfirmed tornadic activity in the town 40 minutes to my north. And ya know what? We're in for some more this afternoon! Except I don't think we have enough humidity in the air for tornados. But what do I know - I haven't even been outside yet today.
So Muther called me this morning to get some measurements of AJ - his birthday is coming up - and she said she'd be Eternally Grateful. I kind of chuckled (come one - Eternally Grateful??) and she said Someone had to make me laugh - I'm too serious. Me? Serious? We've just been under a teensy bit of stress here in Crazyville for the last little while and we (Husband and I) haven't had a decent nights sleep in months. And it's wearing on us. Muther has been off work since April and I can count on one finger the times she's come over to visit. I work full-time so I'm not able to just pick up and go, especially with kids in tow, especially with my kids who obviously aren't well-behaved...oooh now I'm ranting...anyway, this isn't your problem. It just kind of bugged me because I don't feel like she knows who I really am even though she thinks she does. Actually, if she knew who I really am she would run away screaming...bwahahahahahaha...
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Indiana Jaj
Do you think it's a bad thing that my boys are now addicted to Indiana Jones? CJ especially. Like that's any surprise. I was a little concerned when I saw his little brother tied up with a telephone cord and CJ was behind him with a sword (it was plastic) and they were marching along... The other day TJ came up stairs from the basement and he had on a black cowboy hat and was carrying around a rubber snake - beyond cute - except I didn't get a picture because Grampa was here waiting to take the boys for a sleep-over so we had things to do. You should see my basement though. It looks like an obstacle course of some sort - they need to hide behind things apparently. Boys.
The fish seem to be getting along better. The boys are enjoying watching the Fish Channel. I was watching them last night for a bit (the fish, not the boys) and Harry, the big one, would swim up to the top of the water as fast as he could and then just fall to the bottom of the tank. He did this about 3 times in a row. And then later on, he swam to the top of the tank and swallowed a big gulp of air and then burped it out all the way to the bottom. At least that's what it looked like because these big bubbles kept escaping him. Larry, the middle fish, tried the same thing but seemed to chicken out about halfway to the top. He would swim up and then kind of stop half-way up and come back to the bottom. So I think Larry is now in awe of Harry and his abilities and Larry just seems to follow Harry around without biting him. Garry seems to keep to himself on the other side of the tank. Fish.
That's about it. I'm supposed to go to Muther's this aft for a Ladies Tea. Woohoo. When she mentioned it I told her I didn't know if I could come because of the boys...she didn't offer that they could come and play outside so I guess I need to find a sitter. I do actually want to go because a friend who is visiting from out west will be there. And it will be nice to visit with her. But I have a lot of bookwork to do before I go, if I go, as well. And there's puppy class tonight. Which means an early supper, or a late supper, depending on how our afternoon goes. With children coming in to my office every 10 minutes asking if they can play on my computer yet. Or build a puzzle. Or borrow a piece of paper. How can you just borrow a piece of paper? Are you giving it back to me in the same condition with which it was given even though scissors and a pencil were taken as well? These are all questions I should be asking the child, aren't they. And yes, I'm procrastinating. Sheesh. See, I don't want to go to Muther's and yet I do. So I don't want to call anyone to babysit and yet I do. And the phone keeps ringing. Which means I have to answer it because Hello, I'm the office manager. I hate hate hate talking on the phone. Hate it. A lot. Okay, now that I've really scared you all away, I need to go make a phone call.
The fish seem to be getting along better. The boys are enjoying watching the Fish Channel. I was watching them last night for a bit (the fish, not the boys) and Harry, the big one, would swim up to the top of the water as fast as he could and then just fall to the bottom of the tank. He did this about 3 times in a row. And then later on, he swam to the top of the tank and swallowed a big gulp of air and then burped it out all the way to the bottom. At least that's what it looked like because these big bubbles kept escaping him. Larry, the middle fish, tried the same thing but seemed to chicken out about halfway to the top. He would swim up and then kind of stop half-way up and come back to the bottom. So I think Larry is now in awe of Harry and his abilities and Larry just seems to follow Harry around without biting him. Garry seems to keep to himself on the other side of the tank. Fish.
That's about it. I'm supposed to go to Muther's this aft for a Ladies Tea. Woohoo. When she mentioned it I told her I didn't know if I could come because of the boys...she didn't offer that they could come and play outside so I guess I need to find a sitter. I do actually want to go because a friend who is visiting from out west will be there. And it will be nice to visit with her. But I have a lot of bookwork to do before I go, if I go, as well. And there's puppy class tonight. Which means an early supper, or a late supper, depending on how our afternoon goes. With children coming in to my office every 10 minutes asking if they can play on my computer yet. Or build a puzzle. Or borrow a piece of paper. How can you just borrow a piece of paper? Are you giving it back to me in the same condition with which it was given even though scissors and a pencil were taken as well? These are all questions I should be asking the child, aren't they. And yes, I'm procrastinating. Sheesh. See, I don't want to go to Muther's and yet I do. So I don't want to call anyone to babysit and yet I do. And the phone keeps ringing. Which means I have to answer it because Hello, I'm the office manager. I hate hate hate talking on the phone. Hate it. A lot. Okay, now that I've really scared you all away, I need to go make a phone call.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Something's Fishy
Does anybody out there in bloggersphere know anything about fish? I got tired of cleaning out the 3 goldfish bowls so on Saturday I finally bought an aquarium for the fishies.
Except Larry, the middle fish, keeps chasing the other two and biting them. He's relentless. I feel really sorry for Harry, the biggest fish. I read once somewhere that you should separate out an aggressive fish...separate out where??? 'Cause he ain't goin back in the fish bowl. Oh, and the light on the aquarium - do I turn it off at night or leave it on all the time? How often should it be on? We are turning it off at night...mainly so Harry and Garry can catch a break from Larry...but I would think the light from the bulbs would warm up the water a bit and goldfish like cold water. This picture shows Larry chasing Harry:
In other news, TJ lost a couple more teeth in the last few days. Bonus points to the person that can correctly identify the food in his remaining teeth and around his mouth.
Except Larry, the middle fish, keeps chasing the other two and biting them. He's relentless. I feel really sorry for Harry, the biggest fish. I read once somewhere that you should separate out an aggressive fish...separate out where??? 'Cause he ain't goin back in the fish bowl. Oh, and the light on the aquarium - do I turn it off at night or leave it on all the time? How often should it be on? We are turning it off at night...mainly so Harry and Garry can catch a break from Larry...but I would think the light from the bulbs would warm up the water a bit and goldfish like cold water. This picture shows Larry chasing Harry:
In other news, TJ lost a couple more teeth in the last few days. Bonus points to the person that can correctly identify the food in his remaining teeth and around his mouth.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Something to Try
At the risk of sounding totally insane, I'm going to let you all in on a little something I've been trying to do...shower without getting water in my mouth. I haven't been able to do it yet. This morning I breathed a droplet of water in through my nose and almost drowned. No, it wasn't that bad but it was quite uncomfortable and I had to open my mouth to stop the intake of water travelling through my nasal passages, and ended up with water in my mouth again. Why am I obsessing about this you ask? I'll tell you. Because I don't want to catch any nasty bacterial little germy things while in China. And I know it's at least a good 5 months before we will be there, so I've been practicing. But I just haven't figured it out yet...how not to get water in my mouth while showering. So can you do me a favor and try it for yourself and let me know what works for you???
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Mid-Week Recap
Nothing has seemed very interesting to blog about, thus the lack of blogging on my part so I'll just give you a little recap of our week.
- AJ went to golf school on Monday & Tuesday morning; Dwayne Roloson's son was in his group.
- I went to Lola's Monday night for some scrapbooking - very fun. Ladies (and men) - if you're ever invited to a scrapbooking class such as Creative Memories, where you are asked to just bring 3-4 pictures, please don't bring your own scrapbooking papers to work with...the consultant is really running a business and when you bring your own stuff it's just bad for business. Have some courtesy please.
- Molly started puppy class Tuesday night - taught by my cousin - found them in the yellow pages. It's a really good class and we've been having fun working with Molly since.
- I'm trying to work with Buddy too, you know - teaching him to sit and everything...hasn't been going all that well...
- CJ decided to have a stand selling sweet-corn and juice...to the guys who work for us...so his stand is located at the back of the shop. He was sitting there so cute waiting for customers. Yesterday, though, he quit and fired TJ...
- Husband had to take some water samples to London yesterday so the boys and I (sans AJ) hopped in the truck and went with him. We went to ESM for supper budda boom budda bing...TJ is very bossy with the servers...demanding crayons and paper and pizza...can't take that boy anywhere.
- On the way to London the boys were conversing with each and all of a sudden TJ said My brain broke! Who are you? I don't know where he comes up with this stuff.
- OH - about the water samples - the place closed at 5 pm and we were running really tight time-wise. I called them up and said we were almost there but could someone stay an extra 5 minutes or so to take our samples. The girl - Danielle - said I'm sure somebody will be around, if not, we have a drop box you can use. We pulled in at 5:04 pm as people are leaving the parking lot and walking to their vehicles. The office was locked and no one was around. Some girl leaving saw us and helped us out - we couldn't use the drop box because the water samples needed to stay refrigerated - but she was in a huge hurry to leave...she claimed she knew nothing of our phone call...but the way she was slowing and looking at us as she drove past makes me wonder if she was Danielle.
- We are thinking of getting a king-sized bed because Husband hasn't been sleeping and he's been keeping me up as well...we need to take some measurements to see if it will fit in our bedroom.
- That's all - thanks for visiting and Have a Nice Day!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
I Had Lunch with Myself Because I Hate Myself
I found this little game over at Cease, Cows, Life Is Short (I hope you don't mind, Nino, that I'm borrowing it)...please play along and leave me what yours said in the comments. So this is what you do:
Pick the month you were born:
January--I kicked
February--I loved
March--I smoked
April--I punched
May--I choked on
June--I murdered
July--I did the Macarena with
August--I had lunch with
September--I danced with
October--I sang to
November--I yelled at
December--I ran over
Pick the day (number) you were born on:
1-------a birdbath
2-------a monster
3-------a phone
4-------a fork
5-------a Mexican
6-------a gangster
7-------my cell phone
8-------my dog
9-------my best friends' boyfriend
10-------my neighbor
11-------my science teacher
12-------a banana
13-------a fireman
14-------a stuffed animal
15-------a goat
16-------a pickle
17-------your mom
18-------a spoon
19-------myself
20-------a baseball bat
21-------a ninja
22-------Chuck Norris
23-------a noodle
24-------a squirrel
25-------a football player
26-------the moon
27-------my brother
28-------an ipod
29-------a permanent marker
30-------a llama
31-------A homeless guy
Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:
White----------because I'm cool like that
Black-----------because that's how I roll.
Pink------------because I'm NOT a homosexual.
Red------------because the voices told me to.
Blue-----------because I'm sexy and I do what I want
Green---------because I hate myself.
Purple---------because I'm cool
Gray----------because I was drunk
Yellow--------because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars
Orange-------because I hate my family.
Brown--------because I was high.
Other-------because I'm a ninja.
None--------because I cant control myself
Pick the month you were born:
January--I kicked
February--I loved
March--I smoked
April--I punched
May--I choked on
June--I murdered
July--I did the Macarena with
August--I had lunch with
September--I danced with
October--I sang to
November--I yelled at
December--I ran over
Pick the day (number) you were born on:
1-------a birdbath
2-------a monster
3-------a phone
4-------a fork
5-------a Mexican
6-------a gangster
7-------my cell phone
8-------my dog
9-------my best friends' boyfriend
10-------my neighbor
11-------my science teacher
12-------a banana
13-------a fireman
14-------a stuffed animal
15-------a goat
16-------a pickle
17-------your mom
18-------a spoon
19-------myself
20-------a baseball bat
21-------a ninja
22-------Chuck Norris
23-------a noodle
24-------a squirrel
25-------a football player
26-------the moon
27-------my brother
28-------an ipod
29-------a permanent marker
30-------a llama
31-------A homeless guy
Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:
White----------because I'm cool like that
Black-----------because that's how I roll.
Pink------------because I'm NOT a homosexual.
Red------------because the voices told me to.
Blue-----------because I'm sexy and I do what I want
Green---------because I hate myself.
Purple---------because I'm cool
Gray----------because I was drunk
Yellow--------because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars
Orange-------because I hate my family.
Brown--------because I was high.
Other-------because I'm a ninja.
None--------because I cant control myself
Friday, July 14, 2006
New Sandbox
Grampa decided that the boys needed a new sandbox...or his version of one. And yes, a backhoe and dumptruck were both involved.
This is what my bathroom sink looked like after TJ finished washing his hands...I think the pink is nail polish but I'd really rather not know the story of how it ended up in the sink.
The bathwater
So this afternoon TJ said to me I want to move away and nobody can stop me! There's nothing to do here. CJ is grounded from the sandhill and the other two aren't allowed to do anything fun until they finish their chores, and yes it is almost supper time with their chores not yet completed...
This is what my bathroom sink looked like after TJ finished washing his hands...I think the pink is nail polish but I'd really rather not know the story of how it ended up in the sink.
The bathwater
So this afternoon TJ said to me I want to move away and nobody can stop me! There's nothing to do here. CJ is grounded from the sandhill and the other two aren't allowed to do anything fun until they finish their chores, and yes it is almost supper time with their chores not yet completed...
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Progress Report
So this is Thumbelina's room after 2 coats of paint...I've included 2 pictures taken with different settings on my camera. I like it.
And this is what happens when you let 8-year-olds help...
And this is what happens when you let 8-year-olds help...
10 Months
Life is filled with irony, isn't it? Like how today is the 10 month anniversary of our LID which kind of equates to being 10 months pregnant. Ironic.
And like how you could have an 11-year-old who loves to work and will do anything asked of him unless the askers happen to be his mother or father. Ironic.
And like how yesterday I prepped the walls to paint Thumbelina's room today and what did I find in the light fixture but a bunch of dead ladybugs. Ooooo. Ironic. (Ladybugs are the "good luck" symbol of Chinese adoptions.)
And like how I'm all worried that the paint colour is too light. Do you hear me? Too light! Me. I chose a light paint colour. Ironic.
And like how today my muscles are sore from washing walls and ceilings. Well, that isn't ironic - I just don't like doing physical labour.
Last night the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith came on the satellite so we decided to watch it. I wasn't a Brad Pitt fan until in the movie he started singing along with an Air Supply song...so now I like him. And I like Angelina. And I liked the movie. And their co-star in the movie? Was Vince Vaughn. Bizarre Ironic. You get it? Brad & Jen and then Brad & Ang and now Jen & Vince...there's that irony again.
So in honour of today being our 10 Month LID-aversary, may I present to you, in no particular order, 10 movies that I could watch over and over again if I were to be stranded on a desert island. Don't bother me with logistics, it could happen. And no laughing at my choices.
1. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
2. 50 First Dates
3. Sweet Home Alabama
4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
5. Monster-in-Law
6. The Full 9 Yards
7. Weekend at Bernies
8. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou
9. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
10. The Wedding Crashers
Now these aren't necessarily my all-time favourites - like Titanic or Forrest Gump or Castaway - but I have to be in a mood to watch them. Like if I need to have a good cry at the end or something. And I love watching anything with Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Matthew McConaughey, Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock, Kate Hudson, but again that mood thing comes into play. So share with me your choices of movies; maybe we could even be desert-island neighbours! We could communicate via smoke-signals.
And like how you could have an 11-year-old who loves to work and will do anything asked of him unless the askers happen to be his mother or father. Ironic.
And like how yesterday I prepped the walls to paint Thumbelina's room today and what did I find in the light fixture but a bunch of dead ladybugs. Ooooo. Ironic. (Ladybugs are the "good luck" symbol of Chinese adoptions.)
And like how I'm all worried that the paint colour is too light. Do you hear me? Too light! Me. I chose a light paint colour. Ironic.
And like how today my muscles are sore from washing walls and ceilings. Well, that isn't ironic - I just don't like doing physical labour.
Last night the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith came on the satellite so we decided to watch it. I wasn't a Brad Pitt fan until in the movie he started singing along with an Air Supply song...so now I like him. And I like Angelina. And I liked the movie. And their co-star in the movie? Was Vince Vaughn. Bizarre Ironic. You get it? Brad & Jen and then Brad & Ang and now Jen & Vince...there's that irony again.
So in honour of today being our 10 Month LID-aversary, may I present to you, in no particular order, 10 movies that I could watch over and over again if I were to be stranded on a desert island. Don't bother me with logistics, it could happen. And no laughing at my choices.
1. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
2. 50 First Dates
3. Sweet Home Alabama
4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding
5. Monster-in-Law
6. The Full 9 Yards
7. Weekend at Bernies
8. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou
9. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
10. The Wedding Crashers
Now these aren't necessarily my all-time favourites - like Titanic or Forrest Gump or Castaway - but I have to be in a mood to watch them. Like if I need to have a good cry at the end or something. And I love watching anything with Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Matthew McConaughey, Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock, Kate Hudson, but again that mood thing comes into play. So share with me your choices of movies; maybe we could even be desert-island neighbours! We could communicate via smoke-signals.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Happy Anniversary AB & JB
May your day be filled with happiness,
And may you be first in line at Tim's,
May the elevator always be at your floor,
And sunshine at your door.
May you not have to cook tonight (this would be for JB),
And your favourite meal be the special of the week,
May you find the lowest gas price around,
And weeds in your flower-beds never be found.
May you find 5 bucks in your pocket,
And always have a sharpened pencil when you need it,
May Tim's never run out of triple-chocolate muffins when you need them,
And jokes be always in your in-box for you to read them.
So Happy Anniversary to a Swell Couple ~ Have a fun-tastic-filled-day!
I should write for Hall*mark...
And may you be first in line at Tim's,
May the elevator always be at your floor,
And sunshine at your door.
May you not have to cook tonight (this would be for JB),
And your favourite meal be the special of the week,
May you find the lowest gas price around,
And weeds in your flower-beds never be found.
May you find 5 bucks in your pocket,
And always have a sharpened pencil when you need it,
May Tim's never run out of triple-chocolate muffins when you need them,
And jokes be always in your in-box for you to read them.
So Happy Anniversary to a Swell Couple ~ Have a fun-tastic-filled-day!
I should write for Hall*mark...
Pictures Finally
Family Picnic
The Monkey in His Natural Habitat
Egg & Spoon Race
Baby Cousins
For Thumbelina
Two of my cousins have had babies so the picnic was my first opportunity to meet the newest members of the family. And of course I had to buy them a little outfit each. And of course I had to buy something for Thumbelina...
The Monkey in His Natural Habitat
Egg & Spoon Race
Baby Cousins
For ThumbelinaTwo of my cousins have had babies so the picnic was my first opportunity to meet the newest members of the family. And of course I had to buy them a little outfit each. And of course I had to buy something for Thumbelina...
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Another Eewweee Moment
Today is the day that our neck-of-the-woods is getting the highway lines repainted, which is kind of a bummer because it means we're not getting our road re-surfaced and the road is getting bumpier and pot-holier. I talked Husband in to going into town with me to buy paint for Thumbelina's room - moral support and he got to carry the paint cans for me. Yay! He had me drive his truck whilst he made numerous phone calls - he's always on the phone - in the past few days I've talked to our banker more than I've talked to Husband...okay where was I...oh yes, driving home and the freshly painted lines on the road. Get this - they painted over the head of a dead animal!!! EEEWWWEEE!!! Husband said Like someone's going to jump out and move it first? I know they're not, but still! EEEWWWEEE!!! And then my second thought (after the EEEWWWEEE!!!) was Too bad CJ's not here to see it. So what does that say about me as a mom and person? Am I encouraging my son's grossativity with wishes he could have seen a dead animal with a yellow line painted over it's head? I think it was a rabbit. Not quite sure. CJ would have thought it was way cool. It was definitely a first for me.
Christmas in July
Next week Husband and I are supposed to go to the church and record the rehearsal tapes for this year's Christmas Cantata. I sing the soprano part, Mrs. Choir Director sings the alto, her husband sings the tenor and Mr. Lobo sings the bass part. And then it's Husband's job to camouflage...or rather edit out everyone's mistakes. That's why we're recording in July - so that the tapes and cd's will be ready by September.
A couple of weeks ago I brought the cantata book home (it's an old cantata and our choir has done it quite a few years ago - more than 20 because I've been in the choir for 20 years and I've never sang this one before) and I've been kind of plunking away at it on the piano; it's high. As in I don't think our choir is skilled enough to sing it high. Last night I saw the actual demo cd sitting on my desk and I popped it into my cd player and started to sing along with it. I'm cringing as I'm singing because I really hate hate hate this cantata. It is old and out of print - People, sometimes there's a reason why things go out of print. Husband thought it was the Sound of Music. Seriously, it sounds like the music from an old Walt Disney movie - like Bambi or Snow White. I shudder just thinking about it.
Is it wrong for me to hope that we will be in China right at this particular time in December??? Husband said that he's going to be in China during the Cantata whether he needs to be or not (the Cantata will be December 15th-18th)...we've told Mrs. Choir Director quite awhile ago that there's a real possibility we won't be around for the performance. Mrs. Choir Director asked me if I was planning on singing just in case. Of course - who am I to turn down Monday night practices? It's my night to get out of the house sans kidlets, and Husband and I usually get to drive together so it's kind of like a date. Sad, isn' it, that we have to resort to thinking of choir practice as a date. Anyhoo, Mrs. Choir Director also asked if I could be prepared to do the solo this year because apparently there was a person who came to last year's performance and she was disappointed that I didn't have a solo. Who knew I had a fan?! Believe me, no one was more surprised than I. So as it stands, I will learn the solo (I've heard it and I don't like it) and my voice student will be my back-up in case we're not around. Husband really thinks I need to tell Mrs. Choir Director that this cantata sucks - why do I have to do it? Lola - don't you dare breathe a word of this to anybody!!!
And I'm also starting to panic because usually I have my Christmas list started by now (yes, I know I'm a freak) and it's just occured to me that I should probably have all of our Christmas gifts bought and wrapped by mid-November...I've been obessing about Thumbelina and have lost all cognitive thoughts relating to anything other than Thumbelina. So what does everyone want for Christmas???
A couple of weeks ago I brought the cantata book home (it's an old cantata and our choir has done it quite a few years ago - more than 20 because I've been in the choir for 20 years and I've never sang this one before) and I've been kind of plunking away at it on the piano; it's high. As in I don't think our choir is skilled enough to sing it high. Last night I saw the actual demo cd sitting on my desk and I popped it into my cd player and started to sing along with it. I'm cringing as I'm singing because I really hate hate hate this cantata. It is old and out of print - People, sometimes there's a reason why things go out of print. Husband thought it was the Sound of Music. Seriously, it sounds like the music from an old Walt Disney movie - like Bambi or Snow White. I shudder just thinking about it.
Is it wrong for me to hope that we will be in China right at this particular time in December??? Husband said that he's going to be in China during the Cantata whether he needs to be or not (the Cantata will be December 15th-18th)...we've told Mrs. Choir Director quite awhile ago that there's a real possibility we won't be around for the performance. Mrs. Choir Director asked me if I was planning on singing just in case. Of course - who am I to turn down Monday night practices? It's my night to get out of the house sans kidlets, and Husband and I usually get to drive together so it's kind of like a date. Sad, isn' it, that we have to resort to thinking of choir practice as a date. Anyhoo, Mrs. Choir Director also asked if I could be prepared to do the solo this year because apparently there was a person who came to last year's performance and she was disappointed that I didn't have a solo. Who knew I had a fan?! Believe me, no one was more surprised than I. So as it stands, I will learn the solo (I've heard it and I don't like it) and my voice student will be my back-up in case we're not around. Husband really thinks I need to tell Mrs. Choir Director that this cantata sucks - why do I have to do it? Lola - don't you dare breathe a word of this to anybody!!!
And I'm also starting to panic because usually I have my Christmas list started by now (yes, I know I'm a freak) and it's just occured to me that I should probably have all of our Christmas gifts bought and wrapped by mid-November...I've been obessing about Thumbelina and have lost all cognitive thoughts relating to anything other than Thumbelina. So what does everyone want for Christmas???
Monday, July 10, 2006
The Picnic
I ended up going to the Family Picnic...it's frightening, really, to see what you will most likely turn into in your old age. Just shoot me now, seriously, because I'm afraid of my future. Embarrassed at times, even. But that's family, right? Not that I didn't have a good time, it was fun in a weird sort of way. We were way late getting there, which was just fine with Husband. The stinker even took the longer way to get there, where we were guaranteed of getting behind slow traffic. The boys had a blast, though, playing with their cousins and I got some great pictures, but blogger isn't letting me upload them.
I was so crabby this morning and not in the mood to blog lest my mood rub off onto the three of yous reading. The boys were not getting along with each other this morning so I closed the door to my office and tried to ignore the screaming and crying (them screaming and crying, not me) but it was difficult to do amidst the bangs coming from their bedroom above me. Plus Husband brought me a chocolate-chip muffin when I specificially asked for a triple-chocolate muffin...Tim's was out of the triple-chocolate but it was enough to bring me close to tears. And yes, it most likely is PMS. I know, I know, where's a fork to poke out your eyes when you need one. But the boys are gone and all is quiet for another hour or so.
CJ and TJ are getting some tutoring this summer by AJ's teacher. I can't remember if I've mentioned this or not...anyway, they go over to her house twice a week and she works with them in Math, Penmanship, Language; last week Husband picked the boys up from her house and asked them what they learned. TJ replied, Oh, you wouldn't be interested. And that was the end of the conversation.
So I've picked out the colour for Thumbelina's room and believe it or not, I'm actually going to skip out on this month's scrapbooking day to paint! Husband said I could have a day off for one or the other, but I couldn't have a day off for both. And if the rumors this week are correct, we still might be on target to receive a September referral, which is only 2 months away. So I need to get my butt in gear.
It's raining off and on today. Parts of the Great White North were even under a tornado watch last night (not our area, but much more north of us); Husband said he'd take anything if it meant rain. Be careful what you wish for is what I say. But the grass is perking up already; we're even seeing some green bits in amongst the brown and yellow. The sky is an eerie shade of gray/pink out my office window - but not green, so that's good, right?
Are you as bored reading this as I think you are? It'd be way better if there were pictures...stupid blogger...rassum frassum grumble...and if you pass a Tim's, can you please bring me a large double double and triple chocolate muffin? Thanks, I adore you.
I was so crabby this morning and not in the mood to blog lest my mood rub off onto the three of yous reading. The boys were not getting along with each other this morning so I closed the door to my office and tried to ignore the screaming and crying (them screaming and crying, not me) but it was difficult to do amidst the bangs coming from their bedroom above me. Plus Husband brought me a chocolate-chip muffin when I specificially asked for a triple-chocolate muffin...Tim's was out of the triple-chocolate but it was enough to bring me close to tears. And yes, it most likely is PMS. I know, I know, where's a fork to poke out your eyes when you need one. But the boys are gone and all is quiet for another hour or so.
CJ and TJ are getting some tutoring this summer by AJ's teacher. I can't remember if I've mentioned this or not...anyway, they go over to her house twice a week and she works with them in Math, Penmanship, Language; last week Husband picked the boys up from her house and asked them what they learned. TJ replied, Oh, you wouldn't be interested. And that was the end of the conversation.
So I've picked out the colour for Thumbelina's room and believe it or not, I'm actually going to skip out on this month's scrapbooking day to paint! Husband said I could have a day off for one or the other, but I couldn't have a day off for both. And if the rumors this week are correct, we still might be on target to receive a September referral, which is only 2 months away. So I need to get my butt in gear.
It's raining off and on today. Parts of the Great White North were even under a tornado watch last night (not our area, but much more north of us); Husband said he'd take anything if it meant rain. Be careful what you wish for is what I say. But the grass is perking up already; we're even seeing some green bits in amongst the brown and yellow. The sky is an eerie shade of gray/pink out my office window - but not green, so that's good, right?
Are you as bored reading this as I think you are? It'd be way better if there were pictures...stupid blogger...rassum frassum grumble...and if you pass a Tim's, can you please bring me a large double double and triple chocolate muffin? Thanks, I adore you.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
A TJ Funny
Since school is out there isn't the need for me to arise before the sun, so I usually have a leisurely morning in bed until about 7:15 when TJ joins me. He's my snuggle-buddy. The other morning when Husband brought me my coffee he asked TJ is he needed a coffee too. Teej said he did, so Husband brought him a small glass of milk. And TJ and I sat in bed drinking our morning brew. It was very nice. The next morning, Husband brought both TJ and me another morning brew. It was very sweet. Friday morning, TJ was asleep in our bed when Husband brought the brew, so I went out to the kitchen with my java. About a half hour after TJ got up, he looked at me and said...in a very demanding little voice...Where's my coffee! Cracked me up, I tell you. So I found his milk and watched as he gulped it down. This morning, I was still in bed because I'm sick with Husband's cold, so TJ after his morning snuggle, went and found Husband and said, Where's my coffee, eh?! Humorous as it was, he didn't get any milk. TJ is quite the character.
So I'm sick. Not with bronchitis like Husband ended up getting, but with a head cold. I'm sneezing and dripping and aching...and we're supposed to go to a family picnic this afternoon. Husband keeps telling me I'm too sick to go - there will be babies and old people and I shouldn't spread my germs, but that's because he just doesn't want to go (my side of the family - there are some wackos)...we'll see what happens...stay tuned!
So I'm sick. Not with bronchitis like Husband ended up getting, but with a head cold. I'm sneezing and dripping and aching...and we're supposed to go to a family picnic this afternoon. Husband keeps telling me I'm too sick to go - there will be babies and old people and I shouldn't spread my germs, but that's because he just doesn't want to go (my side of the family - there are some wackos)...we'll see what happens...stay tuned!
Friday, July 07, 2006
A Day Off
I read this blog-entry this morning from Club Mom - go ahead and read it, I'll wait...
...finished yet?
Okay, so how much would you pay for a moment alone? It got me to thinking. Dangerous, I know. We all need some peace and quiet to ourselves, and since I've been going scrapbooking once a month, I don't feel that constant pressure to be alone like I used to.
It's funny, when Sylvie sprained her ankle and was couch-ridden, she and I were talking about this very thing. Our to-do lists as women are long and we put so much pressure on ourselves to have everything perfect. Add kids into the mix, and its amplified by however many kids you have. I'm still learning that things don't have to be perfect, and believe me, at my house they are far from it. But even when we do take a few moments to ourselves, for some reason we usually feel guilty about it.
And I confessed something to Sylvie that I've never told anybody before. A few years ago I was feeling the pressure so badly to have a Day Off From My Every Day, that I applied to be a bone-marrow donor. I thought it was a win-win situation for everybody - somebody would receive much needed bone-marrow, and I'd get a few days off without feeling the guilt. Except my application was denied because I was once diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (I don't think I have it, I think it's just all food-related issues that give me RA symptoms). I was really disappointed when I received the letter, moreso because I wouldn't be able to help anybody.
And just so you all don't think that I'm a horrible person, I am growing my hair long to donate it to Locks of Love. I measured it this morning and I'm right at the 10" mark, but I'd like it a bit longer so as to be able to cut off the dry ends and use most of the layers that I have. So even though every day I want to cut it off, I remember my long-term goal. I might even wait until just before we leave for China to get Thumbelina before I get it cut...might even be down to my ankles by then.
What was my point? Oh yah, make sure you take some time off for yourself to do something that you enjoy...before you feel the need to go to desparate measures. And if you fall down the stairs, don't feel guilty, your Significant Other will appreciate you more for all you do.
...finished yet?
Okay, so how much would you pay for a moment alone? It got me to thinking. Dangerous, I know. We all need some peace and quiet to ourselves, and since I've been going scrapbooking once a month, I don't feel that constant pressure to be alone like I used to.
It's funny, when Sylvie sprained her ankle and was couch-ridden, she and I were talking about this very thing. Our to-do lists as women are long and we put so much pressure on ourselves to have everything perfect. Add kids into the mix, and its amplified by however many kids you have. I'm still learning that things don't have to be perfect, and believe me, at my house they are far from it. But even when we do take a few moments to ourselves, for some reason we usually feel guilty about it.
And I confessed something to Sylvie that I've never told anybody before. A few years ago I was feeling the pressure so badly to have a Day Off From My Every Day, that I applied to be a bone-marrow donor. I thought it was a win-win situation for everybody - somebody would receive much needed bone-marrow, and I'd get a few days off without feeling the guilt. Except my application was denied because I was once diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (I don't think I have it, I think it's just all food-related issues that give me RA symptoms). I was really disappointed when I received the letter, moreso because I wouldn't be able to help anybody.
And just so you all don't think that I'm a horrible person, I am growing my hair long to donate it to Locks of Love. I measured it this morning and I'm right at the 10" mark, but I'd like it a bit longer so as to be able to cut off the dry ends and use most of the layers that I have. So even though every day I want to cut it off, I remember my long-term goal. I might even wait until just before we leave for China to get Thumbelina before I get it cut...might even be down to my ankles by then.
What was my point? Oh yah, make sure you take some time off for yourself to do something that you enjoy...before you feel the need to go to desparate measures. And if you fall down the stairs, don't feel guilty, your Significant Other will appreciate you more for all you do.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Holidays...or lack thereof
It doesn't look like we'll be able to go away on holidays this year. I know you're probably thinking to yourself Didn't they just go away for the weekend??? Yes, we did, and it was nice. But the boys need to get away as well. We usually go to a place that has a kids program and a spa...I'm a roughin'-it-type-of-gal. But we have a small-ish building project underway and Husband needs to be around to make sure things go smoothly. So we're thinking of doing day trips. Until we saw the cost involved. Unbelievable how much it costs just to enter places - $200 - not including food and souveniers. And you know you can't go anyplace without buying a souvenier. We thought of going to Marineland or Canada's Wonderland but then I could just send the boys off to a local daycamp for the last week of July...except that cost is $150 per child times 3...not pretty. When did it get so expensive to have kids? I guess we could go hang out at the beach but I don't do bathing suites anymore. And I think if I wore a full-length body suite, I would attract some attention rather than divert it. Or else we could buy a tent and let the boys sleep in the backyard.
But don't weep for us because we're thinking of going away in October over Thanksgiving weekend. Yes, we will miss the Fair, but that's the idea. I hate the Fair. It's a rip-off. And I refuse to spend $75.00 on wrist-bracelets for my children to do the all-day ride thing. Especially when every extra penny needs to go to the Bring Thumbelina Home Fund. Last year we spent $80 at the Fair and that paid for parking, got the 5 of us into the Fair and got the boys 3 rides each and 1 game each, and I think we were there all of 2 hours. We didn't buy food or snacks...oh, maybe a small bag of candy each. Even though I don't believe in candy.
So that's what I'm pondering these days. Suggestions?
But don't weep for us because we're thinking of going away in October over Thanksgiving weekend. Yes, we will miss the Fair, but that's the idea. I hate the Fair. It's a rip-off. And I refuse to spend $75.00 on wrist-bracelets for my children to do the all-day ride thing. Especially when every extra penny needs to go to the Bring Thumbelina Home Fund. Last year we spent $80 at the Fair and that paid for parking, got the 5 of us into the Fair and got the boys 3 rides each and 1 game each, and I think we were there all of 2 hours. We didn't buy food or snacks...oh, maybe a small bag of candy each. Even though I don't believe in candy.
So that's what I'm pondering these days. Suggestions?
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Surly
Surly (sur'le) adj. -li*er, -li*est. Bad-tempered and rude. -sur'li*ness n. Yes, that pretty much describes Child.
The rule in our house is that there is no food or drink allowed in the living room. Husband and I are above this particular rule, but only after the boys have gone to bed. It seems that every day I need to remind children of this rule as I chase them back to the kitchen with their food. Today was no exception. I chased AJ out of the living room with his peanut butter sandwich; TJ's banana peel was lying on the couch so he had to properly dispose of it. I left the room for 3 minutes and when I came back in to the living room, AJ was stuffing the last of his sandwich into his mouth as he's sitting on the couch...and CJ was blatantly sitting on the couch enjoying his sandwich. I know it's only natural for children to test the rules and even break them - I did it all the time - but I wasn't so inane as to do it when Muther was still around. Bruther and I broke the rules when we were home alone. You need to have some smarts about you.
It's the attitude that comes with the surliness. Child is very good at making me feel imbecilic. I'm just crabby today and catching Husband's cold so things are bothering me more. But I feel like since Child has been working with the guys on the farm, he feels that he's better than the rest of us. Child comes and goes as he pleases - never stopping to even take off his work boots - and when I ask him to do a simple task, such as give the dogs food and water, I'm met with such opposition and grief that I want to choke somebody. And Husband isn't around very much to help me out in this area...don't get me wrong...he's great when he is here, very supportive and doesn't let the boys give me any crap, but most of the time I'm by myself. And it gets lonely.
So that's my whine for today. Somebody pass the cheese, please.
The rule in our house is that there is no food or drink allowed in the living room. Husband and I are above this particular rule, but only after the boys have gone to bed. It seems that every day I need to remind children of this rule as I chase them back to the kitchen with their food. Today was no exception. I chased AJ out of the living room with his peanut butter sandwich; TJ's banana peel was lying on the couch so he had to properly dispose of it. I left the room for 3 minutes and when I came back in to the living room, AJ was stuffing the last of his sandwich into his mouth as he's sitting on the couch...and CJ was blatantly sitting on the couch enjoying his sandwich. I know it's only natural for children to test the rules and even break them - I did it all the time - but I wasn't so inane as to do it when Muther was still around. Bruther and I broke the rules when we were home alone. You need to have some smarts about you.
It's the attitude that comes with the surliness. Child is very good at making me feel imbecilic. I'm just crabby today and catching Husband's cold so things are bothering me more. But I feel like since Child has been working with the guys on the farm, he feels that he's better than the rest of us. Child comes and goes as he pleases - never stopping to even take off his work boots - and when I ask him to do a simple task, such as give the dogs food and water, I'm met with such opposition and grief that I want to choke somebody. And Husband isn't around very much to help me out in this area...don't get me wrong...he's great when he is here, very supportive and doesn't let the boys give me any crap, but most of the time I'm by myself. And it gets lonely.
So that's my whine for today. Somebody pass the cheese, please.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Wet Dog
Don'cha just love the smell of wet dog in the morning? It certainly is eye-opening. Gets ya moving right along, almost as well as coffee. And even better is when your wet dog knocks your cofffee all over your desk, spilling onto important papers. My favourite way to start the day.
So you're probably all dying to know how our weekend was! Hold on to your horses, I'll tell you. It was wonderful. Relaxing. Quiet. Didn't get any sleep because I don't sleep well in strange beds, but nice to get away none-the-less. On Saturday we lunched here and dined here. We walked through Nathan Phillips Square, didn't see anybody playing Jazz for the Jazz Festival, but we did see artisans and craft tents. We noticed that some of the stores in the Eaton's Centre looked open so we decided to go in and much to our surprise, the whole mall was open! On Canada Day! Apparently they are now considered a Tourist Attraction and are allowed to be open on public holidays. We didn't go see any fireworks Saturday night because it was raining, so we opted to stay in.
On Sunday we met with some people who will be in our travel group and brunched here. It is going to be one fun trip to China! We had a great time and our lunch was over all too soon.
So now it's back to work - the new normal of summertime with kids constantly talking and sharing my desk space. The wet dogs are back outside, giving my olfactory a much needed respite, and I need to clear all the toys off my desk and actually do something productive this morning...instead of just pretending...
So you're probably all dying to know how our weekend was! Hold on to your horses, I'll tell you. It was wonderful. Relaxing. Quiet. Didn't get any sleep because I don't sleep well in strange beds, but nice to get away none-the-less. On Saturday we lunched here and dined here. We walked through Nathan Phillips Square, didn't see anybody playing Jazz for the Jazz Festival, but we did see artisans and craft tents. We noticed that some of the stores in the Eaton's Centre looked open so we decided to go in and much to our surprise, the whole mall was open! On Canada Day! Apparently they are now considered a Tourist Attraction and are allowed to be open on public holidays. We didn't go see any fireworks Saturday night because it was raining, so we opted to stay in.
On Sunday we met with some people who will be in our travel group and brunched here. It is going to be one fun trip to China! We had a great time and our lunch was over all too soon.
So now it's back to work - the new normal of summertime with kids constantly talking and sharing my desk space. The wet dogs are back outside, giving my olfactory a much needed respite, and I need to clear all the toys off my desk and actually do something productive this morning...instead of just pretending...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
