So...I was doing really well at posting to my blog everyday and then I stopped.
Why? Well for one thing...when I get stressed out, I tend to hide out - mostly in my head!
I mean I still get the kids up and to school, still go about my daily business and get the kids to their activities etc. but I tend to become a little less social and outgoing towards others.
I don't put in that extra oomph into projects and I don't feel like doing things for myself that I usually would...for instance, I cancelled a massage I had booked. Silly girl, I know!
I hate that about myself. I always internalize everything and pick it apart until there is nothing left...which is pretty draining on oneself.
Anyways...I feel the crisis coming to an end and I am feeling a bit back to normal...if you could ever call ME normal! LOL
Monday, October 30, 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Puleeeeze....make it STOP!!!
I am so sick and tired of junk e-mail...it is getting so bad on my business e-mail addresses now...I am getting about 1000 junk e-mails a day trying to sell me viagra and stocks and whatever else!
And now I am getting them on my personal e-mail addresses...ones that I do not share very often...sooooooo...HOW DO THEY FIND YOU?!? And why won't they leave me alone?!?
OMG... it truly is driving me insane...a little by little each day!
And now I am getting them on my personal e-mail addresses...ones that I do not share very often...sooooooo...HOW DO THEY FIND YOU?!? And why won't they leave me alone?!?
OMG... it truly is driving me insane...a little by little each day!
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Bye Bye!
Today my sister left... :(
She flew out to BC this morning and will spend some time this week visiting with our relatives and then she is heading back to Thailand. She will live there for the winter and into the spring...oh how nice to escape the coming Alberta winter! Brrrr!
It sure has been nice having her here in Calgary and living with us as well. She has been such a big help with the kids and animals and the house etc. Taz will miss her a lot since she spent a lot of time with him while we were out and about. Poor puppy will either have to learn to be alone at home sometimes or start to like riding in the car!
Noah will miss that Auntie would always wash her gym suits...which is normally Noah's job! I know that the boys will miss her homemade soups every day after school and we will miss her company AND her cooking! It's been a slice!
So stay out of trouble, watch out for those motorbikes & road-rash and keep in touch!
We miss you already Kathie and we hope that you will come back again next year! (((HUGS)))
PS - And we even MADE dinner tonight too...Mango & Salsa Chicken and Cabbage Rolls! Aren't you proud!? LOL
She flew out to BC this morning and will spend some time this week visiting with our relatives and then she is heading back to Thailand. She will live there for the winter and into the spring...oh how nice to escape the coming Alberta winter! Brrrr!
It sure has been nice having her here in Calgary and living with us as well. She has been such a big help with the kids and animals and the house etc. Taz will miss her a lot since she spent a lot of time with him while we were out and about. Poor puppy will either have to learn to be alone at home sometimes or start to like riding in the car!
Noah will miss that Auntie would always wash her gym suits...which is normally Noah's job! I know that the boys will miss her homemade soups every day after school and we will miss her company AND her cooking! It's been a slice!
So stay out of trouble, watch out for those motorbikes & road-rash and keep in touch!
We miss you already Kathie and we hope that you will come back again next year! (((HUGS)))
PS - And we even MADE dinner tonight too...Mango & Salsa Chicken and Cabbage Rolls! Aren't you proud!? LOL
Monday, October 23, 2006
Not such a happy day!
Today was a trying day....trying on my feelings, my pride, my whole perception of my role as a good parent.
All I have to say is that my not-so-darling son is in a lot of trouble! He was sent home from school after lunch today for being "under the influence".
Naturally, he didn't call ME, but rather Anthony, which is probably a good thing, because I would have killed him upon first sight!
I am pretty disappointed in him and this behaviour...it's actually a little embarrassing! I do realize that he will be 18 next year, but still....he lives under my roof and needs to live by our rules.
I have always prided myself on having raised great kids with great heads on their shoulders...and now this. It's a pretty big blow to your parental ego. This kid has so much going for him and then he goes and does this! How stupid!
I guess he doesn't value his free-ride to Germany this spring...'cause it's pretty slim that he'll be going now! However, the complete consequences have yet to be determined.
Seriously.......I need a Valium and a bottle of wine!
All I have to say is that my not-so-darling son is in a lot of trouble! He was sent home from school after lunch today for being "under the influence".
Naturally, he didn't call ME, but rather Anthony, which is probably a good thing, because I would have killed him upon first sight!
I am pretty disappointed in him and this behaviour...it's actually a little embarrassing! I do realize that he will be 18 next year, but still....he lives under my roof and needs to live by our rules.
I have always prided myself on having raised great kids with great heads on their shoulders...and now this. It's a pretty big blow to your parental ego. This kid has so much going for him and then he goes and does this! How stupid!
I guess he doesn't value his free-ride to Germany this spring...'cause it's pretty slim that he'll be going now! However, the complete consequences have yet to be determined.
Seriously.......I need a Valium and a bottle of wine!
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Time to purge!
Well, it's started.
DH is bringing in my stuff from the garage for me to go through. (and in his head, hopefully throw away!)
And so the purge begins. yuck!
I've been dreading this. But if we do move, I have to do it! And the sooner the better.
I have already gone through 3 totes of clothes and besides a few pairs of shorts the rest is going to The Sheriff King Home (a place where battered women and kids can go stay in an emergency)
The clothes will be easy...it's the rest that will be hard. Memorabilia being the hardest to throw away...my intentions are always good in that I want to preserve it and keep it all for the future generations...but when will I have time to do that?
I guess I could see it if I was current, but I'm not...and probably never will be! Shhhhh...don't tell!
Desperate Housewives is on now so I'd better run!
DH is bringing in my stuff from the garage for me to go through. (and in his head, hopefully throw away!)
And so the purge begins. yuck!
I've been dreading this. But if we do move, I have to do it! And the sooner the better.
I have already gone through 3 totes of clothes and besides a few pairs of shorts the rest is going to The Sheriff King Home (a place where battered women and kids can go stay in an emergency)
The clothes will be easy...it's the rest that will be hard. Memorabilia being the hardest to throw away...my intentions are always good in that I want to preserve it and keep it all for the future generations...but when will I have time to do that?
I guess I could see it if I was current, but I'm not...and probably never will be! Shhhhh...don't tell!
Desperate Housewives is on now so I'd better run!
Saturday, October 21, 2006
The date!
Today is October 21st...my moms birthday.
I just hit post to the novel that I wrote and realized that it is October 21st!
My sister and I both remembered earlier...but as the day progressed, I let it slip again.
My mom would be 67 today. But she has been gone for 11 years now...she died at 55 from cancer. It seems like she died so long ago...yet it also seems like yesterday. How weird. I miss her.
She would be so proud of my kids. It makes me sad that my kids have had to grow up without her. What they have missed out on...it breaks my heart.
Happy Birthday Mom...I love you!
Today is also the anniversary of the date that Anthony and I met. Ooops! We both forgot that one!
I just hit post to the novel that I wrote and realized that it is October 21st!
My sister and I both remembered earlier...but as the day progressed, I let it slip again.
My mom would be 67 today. But she has been gone for 11 years now...she died at 55 from cancer. It seems like she died so long ago...yet it also seems like yesterday. How weird. I miss her.
She would be so proud of my kids. It makes me sad that my kids have had to grow up without her. What they have missed out on...it breaks my heart.
Happy Birthday Mom...I love you!
Today is also the anniversary of the date that Anthony and I met. Ooops! We both forgot that one!
Saturday night at my house!
Last night, for the second time, we let Taz stay out of his kennel and sleep on our bed...in the middle of course! Oh how romantic!
Anyways...he slept from midnight till 6am when I got up with him to let him out. He is very good and does his business and will go right back to sleep...me on the other hand...nope...no more sleeping for me! Hubby thinks my insomnia issues are vitamin (the lack thereof) related and my sister thinks it is nutrition related...Oh c'mon! 5-6 large cups of tea per day WITH cream...that isn't nutrition???
So...I stay awake and toss around, then start remembering all the things I forgot to do yesterday and all of the things I want to do today etc. Good God...I need a personal secretary!
Dh gets up to go to work and drop the boys off in Airdrie to spend the weekend at another exchange families house. It'll be nice for them to get out and socialize with some new kids.
Noah spent the night at a friends house and was dropped off bright and early at 9:15 am. Here I am still in my jammies as I've been yakking on the phone since 8am! No biggie...that gives me 10 minutes to get her and myself ready to start the day.
She needs to be dropped off at her acting class, I need to bring a truck load of bags of bottles to the depot for the gyms bottle drive fundraiser. It's cold out and I'm kinda glad that I am not staying! Do I feel bad that I am not staying to help? Oh yeah. I have to remind myself that I partake in all fundraising endeavours and this will be one of the few things I just can't fit in...however I DID bring in about 20 bags of bottles that we have been collecting since the last bottle drive. That should count for something in my head!
I head home to pick up my sister Kathie as we are participating in Clip for the Cure!
$15.00 haircuts from our friend Leticia and Studio 21 Hair Salon...with all monies going to Breast Cancer Research! We both get our hair cut...which will be my first trim in a year and a half! I am once again growing out my hair to donate to Angel Hair...which is donated real hair that gets made into wigs for kids that need to wear wigs. (because of cancer or other skin diseases) I need 12 inches to donate...and unless I go totally bald I am probably only at 7 inches. I really hate my hair but I am trying hard to resist the urge to cut it all off!
But never mind donating it...there might not be anything left as it is falling out by the handfuls...YUCK. stress? lack of vitamins? not enough caffeine?
Then my sister and I have to get to a Tim Horten's because I have not eaten or drank anything today and if I don't get a tea NOW I will implode. So I have to leave Market Mall and drive to NorthLand Mall...what a joke! There are not nearly enough Tim's around here! If I had a millions dollars...ha ha ha...I would buy one!
Since we are at the mall, she needs to buy a travel converter and by the time we find the right one for use in Thailand, it is time to drop her off at home and go get Noah.
Noah has a choice...go home and eat before diving or go get her hair cut for Clip for the Cure! As always...she make the right decision...hair cut! Good girl! For a 10 year old, she is pretty aware of the need for Breast Cancer Fundraising! Hopefully it is not something that she (or I, or anyone else!) will need to deal with.
Her hair cut takes a while and there is just enough time to get her a soft taco at taco time (ohhhhh how healthy!) and get in the truck and speed towards diving.
The phone rings. It is the gym (again)...stuff to discuss. Stuff that isn't being done by anyone else...and that is ok...I like to know what is going on and have my say too. But I am not paying attention to driving and get stuck in a mob of traffic as there is so much construction in this bloody city! So Noah is 10 minutes late for diving and misses lots of stretching and conditioning...which I hate for her to miss! I quite like her coach so far...he is the head coach from the Lethbridge Dive club...he is very nice and patient but can push when needed. Noah is a bit afraid of some of the dives and it frustrates me to no ends! I have to keep reminding myself that this is her first year diving! She has skipped three levels of diving (because of her gymnastics background) and is diving with kids with more experienced than her. Anyways....I try not to look annoyed at her when she balks at going off the 3 meter springboard head first. LOL Ok...seriously...you wouldn't catch me doing it!
After diving she is starving to death! So she gets ham and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread and a chocolate milk...hopefully that makes up for the taco time visit!
We head home...through the maze of construction once again. Me honking and muttering all the way!
Taz is so happy to see us...I love that...he puts his ears back, runs right at you and jumps around and licks whatever he can get at! It's sweet.
We wait for Anthony to get home as we are going to go drive by the new house and show Noah who has no idea what the heck we are planning on doing!
I took some pictures of the outside but I am feeling too lazy to download them tonight.
We keep timing the drive there...without any traffic it is about 20 minutes from our current house heading east.
Afterwards we grab a bite for dinner....Joeys Only. Probably not the best choice...but it needed to be fast as Taz was in the car. I have fish and shrimp with baked beans. Noah has fish, shrimp, mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. The waitress praises her "healthy" choices...LOL...so now she is happy with herself. But then gets miffed when I say no to dessert! Silly girl!
We head home and drive by some other houses that are for sale closer to where we live now. I wonder...why move now? We should just flip this house and wait for the next better one in the are we want to be in! Instead if we move to this new house, we will be farther away from everywhere we want to be. Oh well...nothing has been decided yet...so I will have to wait and see what we do.
Noah is excited about the Triple Flip shoot and scours their website for pose ideas and proceeds to practice her modelling faces and moves. It's cute. Then comes the gymnastics practice. Handstands on the beam mostly. Why this kid cannot keep them held for longer I'll never know. Ok...I'm sure it is her ab muscles...but how do you tell a 10 year old to work on her abs when she already spends so many days a week in a gym?! And look at my abs...I don't even have any! HA!
DH is mad because I am tired and he is bored. It's 9pm. He wants to go to a movie. I don't. I would rather watch mindless tv and veg out. We compromise on renting a DVD. So he goes to the video store and is gone 30 minutes or more and comes home empty handed! He claims there was nothing good to rent. Ah men! I'm sure that I could have found something that I'd like!
So here we are at 11pm and we are both at our respective computers in different rooms! How cozy!
Anyways...he slept from midnight till 6am when I got up with him to let him out. He is very good and does his business and will go right back to sleep...me on the other hand...nope...no more sleeping for me! Hubby thinks my insomnia issues are vitamin (the lack thereof) related and my sister thinks it is nutrition related...Oh c'mon! 5-6 large cups of tea per day WITH cream...that isn't nutrition???
So...I stay awake and toss around, then start remembering all the things I forgot to do yesterday and all of the things I want to do today etc. Good God...I need a personal secretary!
Dh gets up to go to work and drop the boys off in Airdrie to spend the weekend at another exchange families house. It'll be nice for them to get out and socialize with some new kids.
Noah spent the night at a friends house and was dropped off bright and early at 9:15 am. Here I am still in my jammies as I've been yakking on the phone since 8am! No biggie...that gives me 10 minutes to get her and myself ready to start the day.
She needs to be dropped off at her acting class, I need to bring a truck load of bags of bottles to the depot for the gyms bottle drive fundraiser. It's cold out and I'm kinda glad that I am not staying! Do I feel bad that I am not staying to help? Oh yeah. I have to remind myself that I partake in all fundraising endeavours and this will be one of the few things I just can't fit in...however I DID bring in about 20 bags of bottles that we have been collecting since the last bottle drive. That should count for something in my head!
I head home to pick up my sister Kathie as we are participating in Clip for the Cure!
$15.00 haircuts from our friend Leticia and Studio 21 Hair Salon...with all monies going to Breast Cancer Research! We both get our hair cut...which will be my first trim in a year and a half! I am once again growing out my hair to donate to Angel Hair...which is donated real hair that gets made into wigs for kids that need to wear wigs. (because of cancer or other skin diseases) I need 12 inches to donate...and unless I go totally bald I am probably only at 7 inches. I really hate my hair but I am trying hard to resist the urge to cut it all off!
But never mind donating it...there might not be anything left as it is falling out by the handfuls...YUCK. stress? lack of vitamins? not enough caffeine?
Then my sister and I have to get to a Tim Horten's because I have not eaten or drank anything today and if I don't get a tea NOW I will implode. So I have to leave Market Mall and drive to NorthLand Mall...what a joke! There are not nearly enough Tim's around here! If I had a millions dollars...ha ha ha...I would buy one!
Since we are at the mall, she needs to buy a travel converter and by the time we find the right one for use in Thailand, it is time to drop her off at home and go get Noah.
Noah has a choice...go home and eat before diving or go get her hair cut for Clip for the Cure! As always...she make the right decision...hair cut! Good girl! For a 10 year old, she is pretty aware of the need for Breast Cancer Fundraising! Hopefully it is not something that she (or I, or anyone else!) will need to deal with.
Her hair cut takes a while and there is just enough time to get her a soft taco at taco time (ohhhhh how healthy!) and get in the truck and speed towards diving.
The phone rings. It is the gym (again)...stuff to discuss. Stuff that isn't being done by anyone else...and that is ok...I like to know what is going on and have my say too. But I am not paying attention to driving and get stuck in a mob of traffic as there is so much construction in this bloody city! So Noah is 10 minutes late for diving and misses lots of stretching and conditioning...which I hate for her to miss! I quite like her coach so far...he is the head coach from the Lethbridge Dive club...he is very nice and patient but can push when needed. Noah is a bit afraid of some of the dives and it frustrates me to no ends! I have to keep reminding myself that this is her first year diving! She has skipped three levels of diving (because of her gymnastics background) and is diving with kids with more experienced than her. Anyways....I try not to look annoyed at her when she balks at going off the 3 meter springboard head first. LOL Ok...seriously...you wouldn't catch me doing it!
After diving she is starving to death! So she gets ham and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread and a chocolate milk...hopefully that makes up for the taco time visit!
We head home...through the maze of construction once again. Me honking and muttering all the way!
Taz is so happy to see us...I love that...he puts his ears back, runs right at you and jumps around and licks whatever he can get at! It's sweet.
We wait for Anthony to get home as we are going to go drive by the new house and show Noah who has no idea what the heck we are planning on doing!
I took some pictures of the outside but I am feeling too lazy to download them tonight.
We keep timing the drive there...without any traffic it is about 20 minutes from our current house heading east.
Afterwards we grab a bite for dinner....Joeys Only. Probably not the best choice...but it needed to be fast as Taz was in the car. I have fish and shrimp with baked beans. Noah has fish, shrimp, mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. The waitress praises her "healthy" choices...LOL...so now she is happy with herself. But then gets miffed when I say no to dessert! Silly girl!
We head home and drive by some other houses that are for sale closer to where we live now. I wonder...why move now? We should just flip this house and wait for the next better one in the are we want to be in! Instead if we move to this new house, we will be farther away from everywhere we want to be. Oh well...nothing has been decided yet...so I will have to wait and see what we do.
Noah is excited about the Triple Flip shoot and scours their website for pose ideas and proceeds to practice her modelling faces and moves. It's cute. Then comes the gymnastics practice. Handstands on the beam mostly. Why this kid cannot keep them held for longer I'll never know. Ok...I'm sure it is her ab muscles...but how do you tell a 10 year old to work on her abs when she already spends so many days a week in a gym?! And look at my abs...I don't even have any! HA!
DH is mad because I am tired and he is bored. It's 9pm. He wants to go to a movie. I don't. I would rather watch mindless tv and veg out. We compromise on renting a DVD. So he goes to the video store and is gone 30 minutes or more and comes home empty handed! He claims there was nothing good to rent. Ah men! I'm sure that I could have found something that I'd like!
So here we are at 11pm and we are both at our respective computers in different rooms! How cozy!
Friday, October 20, 2006
YAY YAY YAY!!!
OMGoodness...I am so excited for Noah!!!
Remember how I posted that she was on the wait list for a modelling photo shoot for her favorite clothing line, Triple Flip?
Well, they just e-mailed me and I guess three girls couldn't make it...so SHE IS IN!!! Yay...her first "real'ish" modelling job! LOL
Unfortunately, she is at a friends house for a sleepover tonight, so I can't even tell her until tomorrow...but I'll bet she'll be FLIPPING!
Remember how I posted that she was on the wait list for a modelling photo shoot for her favorite clothing line, Triple Flip?
Well, they just e-mailed me and I guess three girls couldn't make it...so SHE IS IN!!! Yay...her first "real'ish" modelling job! LOL
Unfortunately, she is at a friends house for a sleepover tonight, so I can't even tell her until tomorrow...but I'll bet she'll be FLIPPING!
Oh boy...what did we do?
Well, the offer we made last week to purchase a house was accepted today.
I am happy yet apprehensive.
It is a bit of a long story, but it took the realtor a week to find and convince the current owner just to accept the offer and to sell us the house.
From the outside, the house looks pretty normal...but the inside is another story...OMG...what a freakin' gross mess! I'm talking punched in walls, cigarette burns on everything, words painted and smeared with some kind of green gel all over the walls, doors kicked down, padlocks on bedroom door jams, kids clothes and baby toys strewn all about, garbage and empty booze bottles everywhere, stairs missing, windows and glass doors smashed and so on.
I know, I know...WHY would we WANT to buy this? Well...first of all...when this lady bought the house one year ago, it was the most expensive house in the whole area! And now, we are buying it for about $200,000 less than similar houses in the area today...so we know that we can fix it up the way it was and still make a profit on it when we sell it.
The owner still has to sign the transfer papers on Monday...so it really isn't final until then...and since the owner is a bit of a wing-nut (aka drug addict), I am holding my breath until then....Oh boy, I hope that I am not jinxing it by talking about it now!
I am planning on taking my camera next we go there and taking pictures so I'll share some once I take them!
I am happy yet apprehensive.
It is a bit of a long story, but it took the realtor a week to find and convince the current owner just to accept the offer and to sell us the house.
From the outside, the house looks pretty normal...but the inside is another story...OMG...what a freakin' gross mess! I'm talking punched in walls, cigarette burns on everything, words painted and smeared with some kind of green gel all over the walls, doors kicked down, padlocks on bedroom door jams, kids clothes and baby toys strewn all about, garbage and empty booze bottles everywhere, stairs missing, windows and glass doors smashed and so on.
I know, I know...WHY would we WANT to buy this? Well...first of all...when this lady bought the house one year ago, it was the most expensive house in the whole area! And now, we are buying it for about $200,000 less than similar houses in the area today...so we know that we can fix it up the way it was and still make a profit on it when we sell it.
The owner still has to sign the transfer papers on Monday...so it really isn't final until then...and since the owner is a bit of a wing-nut (aka drug addict), I am holding my breath until then....Oh boy, I hope that I am not jinxing it by talking about it now!
I am planning on taking my camera next we go there and taking pictures so I'll share some once I take them!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Thursday!
It's Thursday! It was supposed to be sleep-in day as DD has late-entry at school...but she hurt her knee and wrist at gym this week, so we had to get up early and go to the chiropractor. Afterwards, I drove her home to catch the school bus and missed it by 2 darn minutes! So I ended up having to drive her to school...so much for a sleep-in! LOL I guess I'll have to wait till Sunday!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Frustrating Day!
Do ever have one of those days that is just frustrating all around? That was yesterday and today combined!
I just do not understand some people!!! I am trying very hard not to respond in the same fashion as their ignorance........isn't the saying....... if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all? Yup. I'm sticking with THAT! I have to thank some good friends for letting me bend their ears today and get my frustrations off my chest! Thanks for your support GF's!
I am still a little miffed at my world so I'd better not post anything further about it all in order to save myself from deleting it all later! LOL
Aside from that...my poor DD was hoping to get into a photo shoot for her very favorite clothing company TRIPLE FLIP, but ended up 3rd on the waiting list for a spot! The company sends out a mass e-mail to their customer list and then the first 24 girls to reply get to be in the ad campaign...professional hair and makeup, cool clothes, a photographer etc.... DD wants to be a model and actress (in addition to being a gymnastics coach of course!) so this is a big deal to her.
This is her second time trying this year and I feel so bad for her being just short of getting her name in on time. Last time she was 7th on the waiting list....so at least she is closer this time.
I just hate seeing her so disapointed...and in fact, I am too! I have spend way too much money at that shop (way, way, way TOO much!!!)...so it feels like she should deserve it!
Oh well...here's hoping that 3 kids can't make it! What are those odds?!!!
Ok...lets see....is there anything on The Bright Side?.....hmmmm...there has to be something good about today....
Oh yeah...my sister made some seriously YUMMY Indian Food for dinner! It was super spicy for me, ( a spice wimp!) so I didn't eat a ton of it...but it was soooo good!
And then I made (ok...re-heated) chocolate fondue for dessert! Double yum!
I just do not understand some people!!! I am trying very hard not to respond in the same fashion as their ignorance........isn't the saying....... if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all? Yup. I'm sticking with THAT! I have to thank some good friends for letting me bend their ears today and get my frustrations off my chest! Thanks for your support GF's!
I am still a little miffed at my world so I'd better not post anything further about it all in order to save myself from deleting it all later! LOL
Aside from that...my poor DD was hoping to get into a photo shoot for her very favorite clothing company TRIPLE FLIP, but ended up 3rd on the waiting list for a spot! The company sends out a mass e-mail to their customer list and then the first 24 girls to reply get to be in the ad campaign...professional hair and makeup, cool clothes, a photographer etc.... DD wants to be a model and actress (in addition to being a gymnastics coach of course!) so this is a big deal to her.
This is her second time trying this year and I feel so bad for her being just short of getting her name in on time. Last time she was 7th on the waiting list....so at least she is closer this time.
I just hate seeing her so disapointed...and in fact, I am too! I have spend way too much money at that shop (way, way, way TOO much!!!)...so it feels like she should deserve it!
Oh well...here's hoping that 3 kids can't make it! What are those odds?!!!
Ok...lets see....is there anything on The Bright Side?.....hmmmm...there has to be something good about today....
Oh yeah...my sister made some seriously YUMMY Indian Food for dinner! It was super spicy for me, ( a spice wimp!) so I didn't eat a ton of it...but it was soooo good!
And then I made (ok...re-heated) chocolate fondue for dessert! Double yum!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Circle journals every where!
Whew....I just finished two more Circle Journals! Yay! The first one is for my good friend Melissa W. and the one beneath is for an on-line friend Heather M.
I love the idea of participating in a round of Circle Journals...but the reality is that it isn't always easy being creative on demand. Each CJ has it's own topic and you make a two page layout based on that person's chosen topic. Some topics are easier than others...the recipe ones I have done were pretty easy for me as were the quotes ones...I do love my quotes! LOL
And in order to get these CJ's home to their owners by Christmas, we are trying to get them into our hands, pages completed, uploaded and sent off to the next person within one week!
I just finished these two and now I've got two more sitting on my desk to work on this week...
C'mon creative juices!!!
I can't WAIT to get my own Circle Journal back and see what all of my creative buddies have come up with!
Monday, October 16, 2006
Say it isn't so!!!
IT'S BEEN SNOWING!!! And it's COLD!!! And I am NOT ready for it! Fall I can handle but not Winter! Not yet! No, no, no, no, no!!! I am such a suck...I hate being cold, I really do. I should live somewhere else...somewhere more mild...somewhere tropical! Yeah!
My sister is back home and we made an excellent dinner tonight! Yummy comfort food.....Swiss Cheese Fondue, Vegetable Fondue, Hot Stone Chicken, Beef & Shrimp and of course...the best part...CHOCOLATE Fondue! Mmmmmmm!
However, while it tastes sooooo good...it takes sooooo long to prep! But at least the leftovers can be used for tomorrows meals and everything is pre-chopped, cubed, sliced and shredded! I guess there is always a bright side!
My sister is back home and we made an excellent dinner tonight! Yummy comfort food.....Swiss Cheese Fondue, Vegetable Fondue, Hot Stone Chicken, Beef & Shrimp and of course...the best part...CHOCOLATE Fondue! Mmmmmmm!
However, while it tastes sooooo good...it takes sooooo long to prep! But at least the leftovers can be used for tomorrows meals and everything is pre-chopped, cubed, sliced and shredded! I guess there is always a bright side!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The Top 10 Life-Lessons from Noah's Ark
1. Always plan ahead.
There wasn't any rain in the forecast when Noah started building the ark.
2. Don't listen to your critics.
Listen instead to your heart, and then do whatever has to be done. The neighbors might have taunted when Noah was blocking their driveway -- but he had the last laugh as soon as the rain began falling!
3. Stay physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally fit.
You never know but that when you're 600 years old, someone might come along out of the blue and ask you to do something REALLY big!
4. Don't seek to go it alone.
Always travel, at least, in pairs, because two heads are better than one.
5. Speed is not always an advantage.
The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails; and they all arrived safely on dry ground at the very same time.
6. Handle Conflict with certainty.
If you can't fight or flee from adversity -- at least make certain you have an idea that can float in the battlefield of ideas!
7. Don't miss the boat!
Never forget this underlying truth: that ultimately when all is said and done, we're all in the same boat!
8. Be flexible in your thinking.
Remember that amateurs built the ark while professionals built the Titanic and the Challenger Space Shuttle.
9. Remember that Fear is nothing more than "False Evidence Appearing Real".
The woodpeckers on the INSIDE are often a bigger threat to your overall well being than the storms raging on the outside.
10. Remain faithful and optimistic.
No matter how bleak things look, if God is traveling with you, there's always going to be a rainbow of peace on the other side of the storm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just finished a Circle Journal using these life lessons...so I thought I'd share!
There wasn't any rain in the forecast when Noah started building the ark.
2. Don't listen to your critics.
Listen instead to your heart, and then do whatever has to be done. The neighbors might have taunted when Noah was blocking their driveway -- but he had the last laugh as soon as the rain began falling!
3. Stay physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally fit.
You never know but that when you're 600 years old, someone might come along out of the blue and ask you to do something REALLY big!
4. Don't seek to go it alone.
Always travel, at least, in pairs, because two heads are better than one.
5. Speed is not always an advantage.
The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails; and they all arrived safely on dry ground at the very same time.
6. Handle Conflict with certainty.
If you can't fight or flee from adversity -- at least make certain you have an idea that can float in the battlefield of ideas!
7. Don't miss the boat!
Never forget this underlying truth: that ultimately when all is said and done, we're all in the same boat!
8. Be flexible in your thinking.
Remember that amateurs built the ark while professionals built the Titanic and the Challenger Space Shuttle.
9. Remember that Fear is nothing more than "False Evidence Appearing Real".
The woodpeckers on the INSIDE are often a bigger threat to your overall well being than the storms raging on the outside.
10. Remain faithful and optimistic.
No matter how bleak things look, if God is traveling with you, there's always going to be a rainbow of peace on the other side of the storm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just finished a Circle Journal using these life lessons...so I thought I'd share!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
YOUNG STAR!
Noah's impressive Provincial Gymnastics Title Win/Award was written up in the Calgary Herald - Neighbors Newspaper this week. Way to go Noah!!!
Love this!
I just found this site and I LOVE it!
(so, am I still in the dark ages or what?)
http://pandora.com/
(you have to have a US zip code to register....which I have if you need one)
Right now I am listening to... James Blunt, Ten Falls Forth, Howie Day, Granian, Backstreet Boys, Pernice Brothers, Sum 41, Robbie Williams, Josh Fix, Five for Fighting, Peter Frampton...interesting mix, eh?
The internet is truely an amazing thing. How did we ever live without it?
So here I am...it's Saturday morning.
DH and the boys are in Jasper with my sister.
DD is at a 3 hour acting class.
I have nothing that I have to do for 2 whole hours! (this does not mean that I do not have stuff that I should be doing...but I am prioritizing here!)
I am by myself...(well...almost by myself!)
Sydney (the dog) sleeping under the bed upstairs.
Taz (the puppy) sleeping on the floor in front of the fireplace.
Herman (the cat) sleeping on the rocking chair.
The Birds are peeping in the kitchen.
Ahhhhh.....what could be better?
(so, am I still in the dark ages or what?)
http://pandora.com/
(you have to have a US zip code to register....which I have if you need one)
Right now I am listening to... James Blunt, Ten Falls Forth, Howie Day, Granian, Backstreet Boys, Pernice Brothers, Sum 41, Robbie Williams, Josh Fix, Five for Fighting, Peter Frampton...interesting mix, eh?
The internet is truely an amazing thing. How did we ever live without it?
So here I am...it's Saturday morning.
DH and the boys are in Jasper with my sister.
DD is at a 3 hour acting class.
I have nothing that I have to do for 2 whole hours! (this does not mean that I do not have stuff that I should be doing...but I am prioritizing here!)
I am by myself...(well...almost by myself!)
Sydney (the dog) sleeping under the bed upstairs.
Taz (the puppy) sleeping on the floor in front of the fireplace.
Herman (the cat) sleeping on the rocking chair.
The Birds are peeping in the kitchen.
Ahhhhh.....what could be better?
Friday, October 13, 2006
Where do you put your golf balls?
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember this mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Playwith your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
"One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked"."It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
(Thanks Melissa...I just stole this from your post on CS!)
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions--and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.
The sand is everything else--the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Playwith your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first--the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.
"One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked"."It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend."
(Thanks Melissa...I just stole this from your post on CS!)
Insomnia!!!
Insomnia.
Lovely.
I went to sleep at 1:30am....a pretty normal time for me. Taz woke up at 2:30 to be let out and here I am almost 2 hours later still awake.
I used to suffer from insomnia on a daily basis...it drove my husband insane!!! I'd toss and turn and huff and puff, flip the pillow, fluff the pillow, punch the pillow, fix the blankets, rub my feet together and flick the bedside light on and read....poor guy!
I know that more times than not it stems from stress for me. It's much better these days but it still manages to sneak in there every so often.
So...why can't I sleep tonight?
For one, I have heartburn. That's never good.
Two, we are putting an offer on a house tomorrow and I'm thinking about that. It is meant to be a fixer-upper...we wouldn't even need to live there....but the thought of moving to a new house is intriguing to me. I feel bored where we are. Even though all of the kids friends are here...I would love something new. However, this house is about 15 minutes (without traffic) east of where we are now and if we did move there it would be a real pain to get the kids to school every day in rush hour.
Three, DD seems to have hurt her knee at gym tonight. Hopefully it is nothing serious...KNOCK ON WOOD!!! Injuries are a part of this sport...and we have had our fair share at our gym...a broken arm being the most recent! Noah has been very lucky in that she hasn't had any serious injuries to date but I worry with competition season coming up in January that she'll get hurt now. She would be devastated. She is pumped up right now and training so hard to learn new skills...I'd hate to see her have to take time off for an injury now.
So...do I pull her out of school tomorrow and take her to the Doctor...or leave it and see how training goes tomorrow?
Four, I keep thinking about all of the problems and things I need to do at the gym....a board meeting on Sunday to prepare for, coaching issues to have dealt with, fundraising stuff, moving the gym and all of the planning to do for it, payroll on Saturday, employee performance evaluations, board members to hold accountable, data-entry piling up, tax forms to submit, website problems, accounting that is lagging behind, courses to register for, equipment to order, people that are not at all helpful, people that are annoying, people that need coddling, people that need a good swift kick in the *ss!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
I swear I could spend 100 hours a week there and it would never be enough. There is just so much to do and when not everyone thinks the same way...or has the same vision...or has a clue at all...it's a big load to take on.
Five, DH is leaving tomorrow AM for Jasper and DD and I are staying home. Which means I have to be on solo puppy duty. I am stressed about what to do with him for 5 hours DD is at gym tomorrow (I guess that would be today!), plus the two hours DD is in diving on Saturday. He can't stay home alone that long, I can't leave him in the car and I'm sure he isn't allowed in the pool. So I ask myself...WHY did I want to get a puppy again?
There is also a Six, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten to this list.....but the longer I sit here and type it out the longer I'll be up for....so maybe I will go try and count sheep for a while.
UPDATE:
I did not get back to sleep until 6:30am. And then the alarm woke me up 27 minutes later.
Lovely.
I went to sleep at 1:30am....a pretty normal time for me. Taz woke up at 2:30 to be let out and here I am almost 2 hours later still awake.
I used to suffer from insomnia on a daily basis...it drove my husband insane!!! I'd toss and turn and huff and puff, flip the pillow, fluff the pillow, punch the pillow, fix the blankets, rub my feet together and flick the bedside light on and read....poor guy!
I know that more times than not it stems from stress for me. It's much better these days but it still manages to sneak in there every so often.
So...why can't I sleep tonight?
For one, I have heartburn. That's never good.
Two, we are putting an offer on a house tomorrow and I'm thinking about that. It is meant to be a fixer-upper...we wouldn't even need to live there....but the thought of moving to a new house is intriguing to me. I feel bored where we are. Even though all of the kids friends are here...I would love something new. However, this house is about 15 minutes (without traffic) east of where we are now and if we did move there it would be a real pain to get the kids to school every day in rush hour.
Three, DD seems to have hurt her knee at gym tonight. Hopefully it is nothing serious...KNOCK ON WOOD!!! Injuries are a part of this sport...and we have had our fair share at our gym...a broken arm being the most recent! Noah has been very lucky in that she hasn't had any serious injuries to date but I worry with competition season coming up in January that she'll get hurt now. She would be devastated. She is pumped up right now and training so hard to learn new skills...I'd hate to see her have to take time off for an injury now.
So...do I pull her out of school tomorrow and take her to the Doctor...or leave it and see how training goes tomorrow?
Four, I keep thinking about all of the problems and things I need to do at the gym....a board meeting on Sunday to prepare for, coaching issues to have dealt with, fundraising stuff, moving the gym and all of the planning to do for it, payroll on Saturday, employee performance evaluations, board members to hold accountable, data-entry piling up, tax forms to submit, website problems, accounting that is lagging behind, courses to register for, equipment to order, people that are not at all helpful, people that are annoying, people that need coddling, people that need a good swift kick in the *ss!
Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
I swear I could spend 100 hours a week there and it would never be enough. There is just so much to do and when not everyone thinks the same way...or has the same vision...or has a clue at all...it's a big load to take on.
Five, DH is leaving tomorrow AM for Jasper and DD and I are staying home. Which means I have to be on solo puppy duty. I am stressed about what to do with him for 5 hours DD is at gym tomorrow (I guess that would be today!), plus the two hours DD is in diving on Saturday. He can't stay home alone that long, I can't leave him in the car and I'm sure he isn't allowed in the pool. So I ask myself...WHY did I want to get a puppy again?
There is also a Six, Seven, Eight, Nine and Ten to this list.....but the longer I sit here and type it out the longer I'll be up for....so maybe I will go try and count sheep for a while.
UPDATE:
I did not get back to sleep until 6:30am. And then the alarm woke me up 27 minutes later.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Christmas Cards already!
Wow...do I ever feel ahead of the game...well...by about 12 Christmas cards anyway! LOL Thanks to my friend Cindy for inviting me out to a card making workshop...we made 2 each of 6 different kinds of Christmas Cards using Stampin' Up products. And boy are they ever cute!!! Cindy has some of the stamps we used already so we are going to try and get together and make some more of the ones we did.
I really enjoy making and sending homemade Christmas Cards and each year I tell myself that I will make enough to send out to everyone but then I don't and I only send out a few homemade ones and the rest come out of a box. A nice box mind you...
But maybe this year will be different! HA!
When I told my husband that I was going to a workshop...I knew what he was thinking...he has seen all of the stamps and ink and cardstock and embellsihments that I own...stuffed in my SB room...overflowing from the drawers, peeking out of boxes, piled high on the desk, the stash of unopened shopping bags....but he didn't say a word. I think secretly he was just happy that I actually did something...even though I didn't use my own supplies. Hmmmm.....maybe I'd better make him a homemade Christmas card this year! he he he
Anyways...next month we are going to a Christmas Tag Workshop...so that'll be fun! We'll make 15 tags and enclosures...and my sister Jen is going to join us too...so even more fun! Even the anti-social me is looking forward to it! ;)
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Ahhhhh....it's Wednesday!
Yeah, I know...it's weird that I love Wednesday's...but I look forward to them because it is the ONLY day that we have free in our house. Every other day and night is filled with some kind of activity.
Normally we also have Guitar and Keyboarding lessons too but I have yet to book them in for Fall. But I am hoping we can add them in on Mondays right after school....
Our days are full...but I guess that is the choice I make...not to mention Volunteer Bingo's, Board Meetings and all of the other volunteer work I choose to do.
Ok - I am crazy!!! But I did disclose that earlier!
So here we are...it's Wednesday...what did I do with my glorious free day?
4:30am Get up with the puppy. UGH!
4:40am Back to sleep.
7:00am Up again - harass DD to get ready for school and eat!
7:40am Get DD of to the bus.
7:50am Yell downstairs to wake up the boys. Go back to bed with puppy.
8:00am DH home from his workout.
8:30am DH leaves for work and drops the boys off at school.
9:00am Back up again. Let puppy out. Feed the Zoo. 1 Puppy, 1 Dog, 1 Cat, 3 Birds & 2 Babies...plus a lonely fish in DS's room.
10:00am Still in my jammies...checking in on my cyber friends.
Thinking about Scrapbooking.
11:00am Shower Time! I must do this while puppy is sleeping or else he cries, whines, & scratches until I get out.
12:00 pm Get puppy ready for a car ride. This takes a while...need to make sure he does his business first!
12:15om On the Road! Finally. Head across town.
12:40pm Costco! Ohhh...love everything in there! I could spend 1000's and not even fill a whole cart! But I am good. I pick up a case of paper...not even for me!
1:00pm I'm annoyed. Waited in line forever for 1 freakin' case of paper...could have bought much more stuff in all that time I wasted waiting!!!
1:15pm Drop that case of paper off at the gym. Quickly check my e-mails, phone messages, mail etc.
1:45pm Back in the van. Puppy is whining and being jumpy. Hmmmm. Find some grass and tell him to go pee. It works.
2:00pm Stop by the bank to make a deposit. Only two business tellers open. Waiting.........
2:15pm Head home. Supposed to meet DH there at 2:30pm to go look at some houses.
2:20pm. Phone DH. He locked his keys in the car! He is waiting for AMA.
2:50pm Go pick up DD at the bus stop.
3:00pm Still waiting for DH.
3:30pm Still waiting for DH.
4:00pm Still waiting for DH.
4:30pm Still waiting for DH.
4:45pm Boys come home. DS has to work at 5:00...nothing like cutting it close!
5:00pm DH comes home. YAY! Only 2.5 hours late! DD goes to a friends house.
5:30pm Check in on my cyber friends. Waiting for DH to eat, change, talk on the phone, pack up puppy...
5:45pm Finally! We head out to look at some houses!
7:15pm Pick up a Big Mac & Fries for our exchange student...the only one home!
7:30pm. Home. Clean up kitchen. Check e-mail.
Thinking about Scrapbooking.
8:00pm DD comes home.
9:00pm through bedtime...Play with puppy. Tidy up. Check e-mail. Throw in laundry. Relax with kids & hubby. Ohhhhhh....6 Degrees is on. Must listen while typing on my Blog. Then Lost is on at 10pm! YAY
1:00am Bedtime.
Ok...THERE is my relaxing Wednesday!!!! (the one where I have nothing to do!)
- Mondays - Girl Guides
- Tuesdays - Gymnastics
- Wednesdays - NOTHING
- Thursdays - Gymnastics
- Fridays - Gymnastics
- Saturdays - Acting, Singing, Dance Lessons, Diving Class
- Sundays - Gymnastics, Rock Climbing
Normally we also have Guitar and Keyboarding lessons too but I have yet to book them in for Fall. But I am hoping we can add them in on Mondays right after school....
Our days are full...but I guess that is the choice I make...not to mention Volunteer Bingo's, Board Meetings and all of the other volunteer work I choose to do.
Ok - I am crazy!!! But I did disclose that earlier!
So here we are...it's Wednesday...what did I do with my glorious free day?
4:30am Get up with the puppy. UGH!
4:40am Back to sleep.
7:00am Up again - harass DD to get ready for school and eat!
7:40am Get DD of to the bus.
7:50am Yell downstairs to wake up the boys. Go back to bed with puppy.
8:00am DH home from his workout.
8:30am DH leaves for work and drops the boys off at school.
9:00am Back up again. Let puppy out. Feed the Zoo. 1 Puppy, 1 Dog, 1 Cat, 3 Birds & 2 Babies...plus a lonely fish in DS's room.
10:00am Still in my jammies...checking in on my cyber friends.
Thinking about Scrapbooking.
11:00am Shower Time! I must do this while puppy is sleeping or else he cries, whines, & scratches until I get out.
12:00 pm Get puppy ready for a car ride. This takes a while...need to make sure he does his business first!
12:15om On the Road! Finally. Head across town.
12:40pm Costco! Ohhh...love everything in there! I could spend 1000's and not even fill a whole cart! But I am good. I pick up a case of paper...not even for me!
1:00pm I'm annoyed. Waited in line forever for 1 freakin' case of paper...could have bought much more stuff in all that time I wasted waiting!!!
1:15pm Drop that case of paper off at the gym. Quickly check my e-mails, phone messages, mail etc.
1:45pm Back in the van. Puppy is whining and being jumpy. Hmmmm. Find some grass and tell him to go pee. It works.
2:00pm Stop by the bank to make a deposit. Only two business tellers open. Waiting.........
2:15pm Head home. Supposed to meet DH there at 2:30pm to go look at some houses.
2:20pm. Phone DH. He locked his keys in the car! He is waiting for AMA.
2:50pm Go pick up DD at the bus stop.
3:00pm Still waiting for DH.
3:30pm Still waiting for DH.
4:00pm Still waiting for DH.
4:30pm Still waiting for DH.
4:45pm Boys come home. DS has to work at 5:00...nothing like cutting it close!
5:00pm DH comes home. YAY! Only 2.5 hours late! DD goes to a friends house.
5:30pm Check in on my cyber friends. Waiting for DH to eat, change, talk on the phone, pack up puppy...
5:45pm Finally! We head out to look at some houses!
7:15pm Pick up a Big Mac & Fries for our exchange student...the only one home!
7:30pm. Home. Clean up kitchen. Check e-mail.
Thinking about Scrapbooking.
8:00pm DD comes home.
9:00pm through bedtime...Play with puppy. Tidy up. Check e-mail. Throw in laundry. Relax with kids & hubby. Ohhhhhh....6 Degrees is on. Must listen while typing on my Blog. Then Lost is on at 10pm! YAY
1:00am Bedtime.
Ok...THERE is my relaxing Wednesday!!!! (the one where I have nothing to do!)
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Taz the Spaz!
About a month ago we got a new puppy .... or should I say *I* got a new puppy. Hubby didn't think it was a great idea since we do not have a lot of time to spare but I really could not resist him!!!
So now he is *my* puppy! LOL
What do you think?
What do you think?
Anyways...he is just the cutest, sweetest thing...but man what a pain! It's just like having a newborn in the house...in need of constant attention!!!
Because he is still a puppy he gets into all kinds of trouble...most recently...he ate the corner off of one of my scrapbook albums...ate a roll of Christmas wrapping paper he found under my bed...chewed almost through my sisters phone charger cord...caught him sneaking stuffed animals out of DD's bedroom...loves to eat shoelaces...Oh Vey! Hopefully this stage wont last tooooooo long!
I am sooooooo sleep-deprived as he gets up a couple of times a night to be let out...ugh...what I wouldn't do for a solid 8 hours of sleep!
My DH is taking my son, our exchange student, his friend and her exchange student to Jasper for the weekend and leaving me all alone with DD (who I CAN handle!) and the PUPPY (can I handle him ALONE???) Yikes! I am so not looking forward to solo puppy duty!
But then I look at his face and forget what a PITA he is!!!
My DH is taking my son, our exchange student, his friend and her exchange student to Jasper for the weekend and leaving me all alone with DD (who I CAN handle!) and the PUPPY (can I handle him ALONE???) Yikes! I am so not looking forward to solo puppy duty!
But then I look at his face and forget what a PITA he is!!!
Monday, October 09, 2006
Happy Turkey Day!
Thanksgiving 2006
There is really so much to be thankful for.... Family and Friends for the most part.
We decided to have our annual family dinner at our house again this year...on Saturday night though as that was the only time we could all make it. We had 10 people in total...myself, my husband, my two kids and our exchange student, my MIL & FIL, my sister Jennifer and her partner Laurie and my other sister Kathie. That is a lot of people for our (what I feel is) tiny house. But we made it work and cozy is often better, isn't it?
The food was fantastic....and I must thank my sisters and MIL for making their dishes! I love having my sister Kathie stay with us...she is such a fantastic cook! Yum!
The menu:
Sometimes I wonder why we do it though. You spend all day cleaning and shopping and prepping and cooking and serving and you barely sit down long enough to even enjoy it. (is that the anti-social me talking now?)
But this year was an important one...my one sister is here visiting from Thailand so we don't really get to see her enough and my other sister is still with us even though she has been fighting cancer.
Family & Friends....For that I am thankful.
There is really so much to be thankful for.... Family and Friends for the most part.
We decided to have our annual family dinner at our house again this year...on Saturday night though as that was the only time we could all make it. We had 10 people in total...myself, my husband, my two kids and our exchange student, my MIL & FIL, my sister Jennifer and her partner Laurie and my other sister Kathie. That is a lot of people for our (what I feel is) tiny house. But we made it work and cozy is often better, isn't it?
The food was fantastic....and I must thank my sisters and MIL for making their dishes! I love having my sister Kathie stay with us...she is such a fantastic cook! Yum!
The menu:
- Turkey, Gravy, Cranberries & Traditional Stuffing
- Butternut Squash Soup topped with Fried Onions, Homemade Garlic Croutons & Parsley
- Baked Tomato Pie on Puff Pastry
- Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes with Sour Cream, Onions & Cheese
- Roasted Harvest Vegetables with Maple & Garlic
- Brown Rice Medley with Cranberries & Pecans
- Butter Rolls
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Fresh Whipped Cream &/or Vanilla Ice Cream
- Homemade Raspberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis
Sometimes I wonder why we do it though. You spend all day cleaning and shopping and prepping and cooking and serving and you barely sit down long enough to even enjoy it. (is that the anti-social me talking now?)
But this year was an important one...my one sister is here visiting from Thailand so we don't really get to see her enough and my other sister is still with us even though she has been fighting cancer.
Family & Friends....For that I am thankful.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
A Blog! Why now?
Well...here I am...my very first Blog post!
I must admit that I have resisted the "urge" to Blog for quite a while now. But, like with my initial resistance to CD's & DVD's...I think I have finally come around! LOL
It's not like I don't read other people Blogs or that I don't know how to Blog....I have been web-savvy since I got my first PC with internet 10+ years ago and have met some truly AMAZING women chatting on-line. In fact some of my longest running friendships have been with those ladies I met on-line! ((( Hi Melissa & MaryAnne ! :) )))
So, why Blog now?
Oh, I don't know...surely it isn't because I feel that I have amazing things to share...or insight into the world we live in...or the magical recipe for a happy life....
But this weekend I've felt like I needed a change...some new scenery...a new creative outlet maybe?
There are always so many things going on in my life that I often don't slow down long enough to reflect on it. Maybe now I will force myself to keep current with my own life...it sure seems that days, weeks and months fly by and I have nothing on paper to remember it by.
I do scrapbook...but really...I don't scrapbook *my* thoughts, even though I know I should. For the most part, my albums are full of pages about the kids....and usually, by the time that I get to the photos, the words I meant to write are a distant memory. So....we'll see if this helps!
Anyways...with my family and friends spread out all over the world...maybe this way I can actually stay connected with photos and the going-ons of everyday life in this crazy, procrastinating, over-committed, reality-tv loving, martini-enjoying, sleep-deprived, volunteer-aholic, caffeine-addicted persons life!
Ok, so my Blog goals are:
Slow down, write and reflect on my daily life
Expand on my journaling
Share my creations - photos, pages, cards
Keep in touch with friends and family
Make new friendships
And so it begins....so go grab your own Double-Double....and stay tuned!
PS - I REALLY hope this thing has spell-check!!!
I must admit that I have resisted the "urge" to Blog for quite a while now. But, like with my initial resistance to CD's & DVD's...I think I have finally come around! LOL
It's not like I don't read other people Blogs or that I don't know how to Blog....I have been web-savvy since I got my first PC with internet 10+ years ago and have met some truly AMAZING women chatting on-line. In fact some of my longest running friendships have been with those ladies I met on-line! ((( Hi Melissa & MaryAnne ! :) )))
So, why Blog now?
Oh, I don't know...surely it isn't because I feel that I have amazing things to share...or insight into the world we live in...or the magical recipe for a happy life....
But this weekend I've felt like I needed a change...some new scenery...a new creative outlet maybe?
There are always so many things going on in my life that I often don't slow down long enough to reflect on it. Maybe now I will force myself to keep current with my own life...it sure seems that days, weeks and months fly by and I have nothing on paper to remember it by.
I do scrapbook...but really...I don't scrapbook *my* thoughts, even though I know I should. For the most part, my albums are full of pages about the kids....and usually, by the time that I get to the photos, the words I meant to write are a distant memory. So....we'll see if this helps!
Anyways...with my family and friends spread out all over the world...maybe this way I can actually stay connected with photos and the going-ons of everyday life in this crazy, procrastinating, over-committed, reality-tv loving, martini-enjoying, sleep-deprived, volunteer-aholic, caffeine-addicted persons life!
Ok, so my Blog goals are:
Slow down, write and reflect on my daily life
Expand on my journaling
Share my creations - photos, pages, cards
Keep in touch with friends and family
Make new friendships
And so it begins....so go grab your own Double-Double....and stay tuned!
PS - I REALLY hope this thing has spell-check!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
