Holidays

Christmas has come and gone...and admittedly, I'm glad. I hate the clutter and the craziness that seems to transform our lives. We had a great one, with dh's parents coming in for a visit. The kids were so thrilled to have their grandparents with them. They got spoiled to death, and dh and I are going to try and scale things down next year. With Ethan's birthday on the 24th, it seems to be a huge whopper of gift overload. I don't know what we'll do, but it's insane.

The year past has been one of ups and downs....it's been an awful one with friends and family losing their loved ones. I think it has been an exceptionally tragic one, as it seems many people have lost loved ones this year. :( I'm hoping 2008 brings a fresh start, and one with lots of good health and happiness.

Just recently, a student of mine that I taught last year lost his little brother to a tragic farming accident. His father had been working the tractor and accidently ran over the 4 year old (backing up, didn't realize he was there). I'm just stunned at this, and cannot imagine the guilt and grief that the father must be going through. I feel for my student R, who was a success story at school...began the year being at risk and troublesome, and by end of year won awards, was a star in my class and a huge help for me in a few of the music projects we had going on. He was the country music audition I will always remember... I think I blogged about him earlier on. Anyways.... my post is more about wishing the year to close peacefully, and open with a fresh start, not forgetting those we've lost, but moving on and living fully like they'd wish us to.

A toast to the many who we've lost, and my friends who always deserve hug.

Hoar Frost

This last week has felt incredibly cold, colder than it should be. I've learned why. I've experience ICE FOG, and Hoar Frost, which are due to higher humidity levels. Ice fog is incredible....especially when the sun is peeking through. It's like regular fog, except it shimmers like crystals in the air. Well, it IS crystals in the air. :)

Hoar frost is frost that makes the trees, etc look like we got a good snowfall. Usually, the snow here is so dry, that the snow doesn't stick to the trees like it does in BC. Here is a close up of my LP friend who takes amazing photos...I'm stealing her photo to show what Hoar Frost looks like.



This is a photo she took of actual flakes that landed on her pant leg!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper

2. Real tree or Artificial? Used to be real, until I worked with someone who used to work for firedept dispatch...we now have artificial.

3. When do you put up the tree? I would rather wait until about the 15th of Dec. Hubby wins this, and it's up the first weekend of Dec.

4. When do you take the tree down? Boxing day or the day after. The sooner the better!!!

5. Do you like egg nog? Does it come in wine barrels? Yes!!!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Fashion Plates designer drawing set.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? no

8. Hardest person to buy for? mother in law

9. Easiest person to buy for? ME

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? can't think of one...

12. Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas ? Usually December 24th, this year, I started beginning of November!

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? nope.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas ? cookies and sweets

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? clear

17. Favorite Christmas song? Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth with David Bowie and Bing Crosby

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Both - this year we're staying put!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and RUDOLPH

20. Angel on the tree top or star? Nothing!

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Eve is Ethan's birthday... we open Christmas Presents on Christmas Day

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Commercialism and people asking what my list is. Hello? Do you not know me and my interests???

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? wooden ornaments from Germany

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Christmas Eve dinner with european deli weiners and meats, pickled herring, and breads...

25. what do you want for Christmas this year? A really expensive quilting/sewing machine..not gonna happen!

Christmas Baking

I have made plenty of it. Do I have anything to show for it? nope, except for yesterdays creation which is on the chopping block, literally.

Menu today:
stollen and coffee for breakfast
grapefruit for guilt snack
stollen and milk for lunch plus a side of tuna for extra protein **
stollen for afternoon snack with a cup of tea
dinner - i think I'll stop the stollen now. i hope. god help me. there's leftover lasagne in the fridge.

** I realized after eating the tuna that my stollen actually HAS protein in it! I have a good 250g of almonds in the loaf!

My visitors are getting costco and sobey's baking assortments for their treats. They will be purchased within an hour of their arrival. I've done enough damage to my body to last through the holidays.

Where Am I?

I'm delayed in posting I know. I've been busy with visitors...my friend, my sister...details to follow. Life.

But in the meantime, check out www.dooce.com it's one of the most hilarious blogs I've read. This woman is so clever with her words. I've only read 3 pages, and they are awesome.

Okay, so adding pictures to your post after it has been published doesn't seem to work. This is a closer view of my quilt. It's called a rail fence, and is probably one of the easiest quilts to make. I took the class though, to learn about the cutting tricks and techniques, as well as the piecing and sandwiching/quilting aspects. I learned alot!

The picture of me I posted from the farm... i felt so incredible in that fresh air and open space, and I think it kind of captures that.

Granny Andrea

I like sewing. I took a quilting class this fall. Here is my almost finished produce. It's machine pieced, and machine quilted, and all I have to do is put the binding on. Er...that could be awhile. I hate hand sewing and it's the one thing I need to do.

The colours are off in these pics and i can't figure out how to take better ones, aside from bringing my quilt outside in -10c weather. So here it is. I loved the colours at first, and now that I've spent way too much time with this quilt, I am not a fan. It will reside in my basement family room.

Farms.

Recently I have been introduced to farm/acreage and horses. I love them. Each experience I left feeling like I found my home, my place to be.

The first was our neighbour's farm. They farm barley, wheat, oats and peas. It was gorgeous....you could see for miles, and the sense of freedom and peace out there was amazing....




The other experience was at our friend's horse boarding farm. She boards her horse near Calgary. We were on a trip back home from the Rockies, and stopped by for a visit. I'd never been WITH horses before, and we went out to the field to get Floyd. Well all of the horses started following and surrounding us. It was incredible. They were right near us and it was beautiful. A little frightening at first!

The open air, the wide open space, the chill in the air, the dirt. So great.

Can't seem to post the damn pic right now, but will soon/

Outfit Complete

What an absolute hellish day of shopping. I struggle with the concept to spend money on something that I will wear for one night of the year. I don't know. I've never been one to spend alot of money on clothes, nor have I ever had the desire to have alot of clothes.

So, I found an outfit. I bought a fancy jacket for 89.00 which I could technically wear at another time if need be. I bought a fancy sparkly black turtleneck sleeveless top for 20.00 which doubles as a suck me in undergarment. Yeah! I picked up a pair of pants, and then remembered I probably had dressy pants at home, so I returned them. I have heels to go with the outfit, and I'll pick up a pair of sparkly earrings, a bottle of hair colour, and then I'm done.

I feel cynical about the whole thing lately. People dressing up for this "gala" night for dh's work. How totally not me. Let's dress up and show off and see who's the best dressed and best looking of the night? Who's the trampiest? It all brings back alot of old memories of me trying to feel like I need to fit in. And then there's the concept of being the "director's wife". or the "boss's wife". Trying to look good for my husband to look good for his employees. Puke. Anyways, I'll look good, not flashy, not trampy. It's only one night right? Don't get me wrong, I like to look good, but sometimes I wonder about the whole thing and my personal demons make a big deal out of nothing at all.

Feeling rather down in the dumps the last few days. I'm feeling lonely and uninspired. I have many projects to do, quilts, sewing, drapes, school project for Ethan's class, painting the boys' rooms. but I slump onto the couch and stare off out the window. I need friends.

Holy Moly!!!

Please excuse my hiatus from blogging. Life has gotten the best of me. And I don't feel guilty about such a long break either! I feel however, like I need to document my swirling thoughts more often.

So, dusting this thing off.

I really don't know who or how many people even read this. but it'll be fun to revive.


I have an intense urge to buy a new coat and new boots. It's the cold weather. I will be doing so this week.
I also need new bras, socks, pajamas and a robe. I also need a pair of jeans, and a christmas outfit for a work party of dh's.

To go along with that, I'm sure I'll need new jewelry, pantyhose, slimming undergarments, etc. And my hair done as well.

Crap. This is going to be expensive.

Wildlife on my commute

Well they're out in the fields again. And guess who just seems to pee and poo while I drive by again? Not daily, but enough for me to slap my forehead. Yep. the horse.

Also saw a few porcupines...although they were roadkill. Never seen a porcupine before in mylife! The quills look very cool. I want to stop on the side of the road and pluck one, but I think that may not go over very well with people I know.

Saw mama fox and her 2 babies too. Baby lambs and calfs are also dotting the scenic horizon. And in the concrete cookie cutter development I live, waddled a mama duck and her babies following behind her. I hope to god she wasn't lost. The lake is on the other side of the development. Unless she was coming to swim in my pond...

Oh yes, and the best wild life of all? The bugs. They are out. in full FAT force. The mosquitos are big, fat and ugly.

Dairy Farmers - increase your productivity please

because the gods out there have shown me heaven, and it comes from cows. Partially that is.

I just discovered ORANGE milk. Not chocolate milk, or strawberry milk. My new passion is ORANGE MANIA milk.

I secretly stop in at Sobey's every other day to indulge in my milk intake. I guess it's not a secret anymore.

OMG it's so fucking good.

Off to sobey's.

AARRUGHGHGH

So after that post, my husband comes home with news of two referrals for him to post on jobs back in BC.

We really hashed things out before and during dinner, trying to get to the bottom of my confusion. As usual, it's me trying to appease people and not to disappoint anyone. Taking Ethan to MY school for kindergarten would go against me wanting him to go to the neighbourhood school where he can meet the neighbourhood kids. Working 2-3 days a week would still entail me putting on the various concerts, as well as the Christmas concert, talent shows, airbands, music festivals, choirs etc. Except instead of fitting those practices into my 5 day work week like I have now, I'd be cramming them into the 2-3 days I'd be at work.

I know what my head is telling me. My heart just doesn't want to disappoint anyone. And my heart is filled with such gratitude for someone bending over backwards for me....like I said, I feel very humbled about her doing all the flexible scheduling.

And what about me? How do I really feel about this situation. All I care about is not disappointing anyone or putting anyone out. How fucked up is that?

Humbled

So my saga as to whether or not I return to work in the fall continues. I haven't posted much about because frankly it's a long winded whirlwind.

In a nutshell, I'm finding life way to overwhelming working fulltime, daycare, home, and a husband that travels at least one week out of the month.

So, I considered moving to part time (2.5.- 3 days a week), but then issue became of daycare costs...I'd still have to pay full time daycare for both kids, yet cut my salary in 1/2. That would work to be about 200 dollars a month that I'd take home in pay.

So now my principal again is working on me. She is so supportive and WANTS me. It's incredible. She's asked 2 other teachers who have music background at the school, if they will share the music teaching while I take a leave of absensse for a year at school, guaranteeing me a spot to come back to next year. She said if I took a year off, she really wanted me to apply directly back at the school.

Option 2 which we hashed out. Ethan goes to my school to kindergarten 2-3 days a week. (because it's a country school, kindergarten is full days there) Schedule the music schedule around the days that Ethan is at kindergarten. Then, only Cameron is going to daycare, and I don't have the worry of a nightmare bus thing for Ethan, as well as separation anxiety with Ethan (not MY anxiety, Ethan's)

I'm just so humbled at her flexibility and her willingness to keep me and work with me to get what I want.

I love the idea of working somewhat. I even told her about my thoughts of possibly moving back to Vancouver in the next year. She wants me still.

I feel very valued and very competent. I like that.

Body Functions

I must apologize about the amount of bodily functions in my blogs....it's just that working with kids, it's the forefront of my mind.

Speaking of body functions, my eldest monster, er, son, has discovered how to burp. Now I don't know how much of it is discouraged at daycare, but I really don't think much at the moment, which ticks me off. He's also into pee poo and bum talk and loves the shock value of it all.

Is this the beginning of the boy nightmares I have imagined? Will it dwindle, or am I at the tip of the iceberg?

Refinnej?????? HELP!!!!!!!!!

Snot - Do I have to go there again?

Being a music teacher, I teach lots of fun singing games and dances as well as the typical instrumentation.

Today, while teaching the lesson in a circle formation, sitting on the form. I had a nose picker beside me. Dig dig dig, and cover your nose with the OTHER hand to hide the fact that you are picking your nose. Good move, little one. Nope, I don't see it, what a great way to hide your habit.

So in circle formation, we get ready to get up and start our game. Excavator is beside me, and is finishing off her business. She proceeds to wipe her hands on her dress and catches me watching her. I can tell she's got the deer in headlights look. Oh my gosh, she's thinking....she saw me picking my nose. DUH!!! So silently, as if she was trying to appease my disgust, and apologize telepathically to me, she brushes her hands together, gives them a wipe on her dress as if she's trying to smooth out the folds of her dress. *nicetrick* Then, she reaches over to me and holds my hand like the rest of the circle.

And I wonder why I've been sick for the last 7 months of the year.

two very laughable moments today

"lightbulb"
"walk the line"
Today at school, there were two moments that I tried so hard not to laugh out loud AT the kids. Okay, maybe one I laughed WITH the kids.

We're doing a school wide song for Music Monday on May 7. I've taughht the song, now we're put a few action to it. E.G. The world is waiting for our song...we draw a world in the air with our hands and push our hands outwards like we're showcasing.

So, I have my grade 2 kids come in and we start to generate ideas and put some good actions to the song. For the following line in the song:
I know you hear it when you're alone..

I get a few ideas, we decide on one (hug our arms and sway back and forth). It's done. But this one grade 2 student cannot stop, and needs to be heard. He is frantically trying to get my attention, like the most revolutionary idea is about to come out of his mouth. Yes, M. I say. He shows me his action (a twisty wrist thing in the air). What's he doing, I'm not sure. So I ask in my quizzical way:

I'm not sure what that action has to do with lonely, M. Can you explain it to me?

Yes, Mrs.Harris. You know when you're screwing in a lightbulb? You do that alone, and so I thought a screwing in a lightbulb with your hand would fit real good there.

Oh, I say. I'm trying really hard not to smirk.

So THEN...his buddy beside him supports his idea. Yes, Mrs.Harris, especially, you know, when the lightbulb breaks and it's all sharp and you have to unscrew it by yourself?

IS this for real???? I'm afraid it was.

So my solution was to have the two boys do their own thing for this part of the song. and so seriously they did. Like it was their shining lightbulb moment.

Pun not intended.

My other funny moment today...again pointing out that I work in a RURAL school. I'm doing an airband project with the grade 6's. I've chosen 50's theme for it. The kids were all excited to hear the selections I had chosen (about 50 different songs to choose from) I heard a few rumbling requests for Johnny Cash...not knowing much about him, I thought I'd toss one of his songs in my mix just to appease them. Heck, the rest of the songs were so catchy, a Johnny Cash song would go unnoticed.

So we're flicking through the songs talking about a few of them, and then Johnny Cash comes on. I flick through it quickly, and you'd think I had committed a crime. They all screached at me...ooooh! that's johhnny cash! Turn it back. so there they go, ALL singing Walk the Line in Unison. I had only heard the song a few times in my life, with no real interest at all. They, obviously, have heard it many more.

I'm guessing johnny cash falls under the country category during the 50's and 60's era.

A best friend

I've always wondered about the saying "Man's Best Friend". Today, I finally understood it.

We adopted Mandy 2 years ago, shortly after the death of my mom. Some say it was a knee jerk response to her death, and maybe it was somewhat. Maybe I should have waited awhile longer. But if I did, I wouldn't have Mandy. When I saw her online, I just had to have her. She had such a goofy grin, and her story of having her 3rd litter in 2 years just made me want her even more. I wanted to give her a home where she was safe and spoiled. That she is. She is truly my dog, following me everywhere, including to the bathroom (which gets so annoying sometimes!) She adores our family. I'm the pack leader. Trent's the playmate, and the kids, well, I often think she thinks they are her babies. She even adores our cat Shatzi.

Today, she really proved herself as part of the family in a special way. And for some reason, I just cannot get this out of my head. For some reason, I feel very bonded today, like she really communicated with me. Call me crazy, but I know Mandy, and this was definately her way of telling me something.

We came home from work/daycare and began our usual "home finally" routine of snack/tv, dog goes outside, and I check messages, just before getting prepped for the dinner makings. Cameron got his juice and cheerios, Ethan his juice and apple slices. I got my diet coke and headed to the computer room to check my emails. About 5 minutes later I hear the dog prancing in the house down the hallway into the computer room to see me. Click click her nails tapping along the hardwood floors. Back she goes, and comes back again, this time with a friendly play "growl" and prances side to side in front of me, in her play soliciting way. She NEVER does this in the house. She runs to the back door.

I finally clue in. How did she get in the house in the first place? I follow her, and off she goes onto the deck and LEADS me to my little squirt down the back "hall" of the side of the house.

Was this ooincidence that she wanted to play outside? Maybe. I really think she was trying to let me know that Cameron was out there on his own, and Mandy knew that wasn't right. I feel very grateful for that moment, as sometimes I forget how incredible she really is, and what a great friend and companion she is.

As I type this Mandy lays beside me waiting for the creak of the chair to announce that I will be getting up and moving somewhere else. She will, of course, follow me by my side.


She's definately a best friend.

Mud Puddling

Well, we've entered the big melt where I live and work. 6 1/2 months worth of snow and ice are deciding to morph into something different - mud.

At school, the vast farm fields are speckled with puddles, and even, ponds. The park benches are now uncovered, and there are no more ice and snow forts built ontop and through them. The playgrounds? Well, now the firepoles are an actual challenge, and one can slide down them, instep of step out of them onto a snowbank.

With the melt, comes huge huge puddles, close to pond quality in the playground sand. One would think that hte kids would avoid the playground. No.

Again, the resourcefulness and creativity of children amazes me. Adults are squashing their engagement by screaming "get out of the puddles, where are your boots?" By noon, the new (assinine)safety rule has been implemented onto the playgroun STAY OFF OF THE PLAYGROUND. Yeah, like staying out of puddles has ever been a successful rule with stir crazy kids.

I, the rebellious one on staff... get very excited by what's happening out there. I don't care about soaking wet feet, pants, stinky muddy clothes. I'm totally fixated on these future project managers of our world. I tell them to go forth and conquer. I will absorb the bitching by the other staff.

Take the tire swing lake for instance. One group of kids decided they wanted to get on that swing, but couldn't get to it because the lake was way to big to reach the swing. So, here comes the resourcefulness. Digging streams and "paths" to drain the tireswing puddle just enough. These streams drained into the Slide Puddles.

Again, more teams are catching on. In a day's time, the playground has transformed into a sea of scribbled paths, working their way to the farm field beside the playground. The team has successfully drained most of the water from the important equipment.

A little wet? yep. A little dirty? Yep. Learning about dams, gravity, water flow, engineering, teamwork? Yep.

Farting

Am I a fart magnet or something? Does my kind and gentle face read "please walk near me and fart" ?

Do I just relax you enough that you feel like it's safe to do such a thing around me?

Today, no joke, I had about 6 farters at school. One farter decided the music room was fine and dandy to go really loud. Obviously, she had not intended to be so disruptive, but alas when one farts...kids laugh.

The other 5 times were random. While I'm reading at the same table as the farter and the air changes is an easy one. For some reason, many think that being up ou of their desks is a great excuse. Yes, and I get the brunt of it, in my carpeted, tiered and non-windowed music room. Lovely.

The most insulting one was a sweet grade 2 girl who APPROACHED ME to get her paper marked in math. SHE APPROACHED ME KNOWING THAT I WAS GOING TO BE WITH HER ONE ON ONE. Does it not make sense to wait the minute or so before moving the air with you? No. She brought it with her.


Nice.

Aging Folks

Okay, gripes, vents and sighs coming up.

Invite dad out to dinner last week. I say, Milestones, Whitespot, TonyRoma's, or Zellers (his fav, not mine) You go out for dinner with your daughter, and guess what you pick? yes, ZELLERS cafeteria. sigh. Ok. I play along. I look for the good in it. Casual dining, kid friendly, quick service, bright surrounding so dad doesn't complain (about the room being dark so that we can't see what they're serving on the plate. Must be some kind of reason they're making it dark because the food must look bad)

We make the time to meet for 5:15. We (husband and kids in tow) get there at 5:25. Yes, slightly late, but my dad has his meal already and is halfway through eating it!!!!!!!! Fucking hell!

And to top it off? He's got a hearing aid FINALLY in the last week. Does he wear it at all? NO!!!!!!!!!!!! Fucking hell!!!!!

And all through dinner, he keeps calling me DIJON, for my hair is blonde. I'm too old for this.

Kids are relatively good, thank goodness, except for Cameron's whiny independent phase where I can't even touch a thing on his plate otherwise he explodes into an ugly scene. Ethan keeps nagging about Opa's SURPRISE that he has in the car. Fucking hell.

Somehow, after all that I'm glad it was Zellers. Quick exit.

Muffins are GONE just like that.

Hey ho, I'm off work again. If it's not me sick, it's someone else in my family. So I have to take time off work. Whee.

So I made muffins today. And to my realization, I just had the understanding of how people say you go through a lot of food with a family.

Never really realized that until just now. I just finished pulling out a batch of 12 oatmeal choc chip muffins from the oven about 20 minutes ago. How many are left? 6. Yes SIX. And if my experience serves me right, one of them will be hobbling into the computer room with his green plate showing me it's empty and he'll say ah dun. Meaning...I want more.

So then, it's onto 5 muffins. And of course, they're humming my way too..a little pat of butter on a fresh hot muffin...can't beat it.

So yes. In under an hour my family will polish off the muffins. Trent should be home in about 15 minutes, which we then know the fate of the rest of the muffins.

Sick yet Again!

We had a 2 week hiatus from being sick. Yippee! And onto another bug. Kids have a cold, I'm getting it, and Trent has it too. Only bad thing is that Trent has a stomach flu on top of it. I'm sure that's going to run it's way through the household.

We have never been so sick in our entire lives since moving here. Trent especially. He never gets sick. This year? 3-4 stomach bugs and colds frequently. I now just monitor the healthy times I have. Such as the last 2 weeks of feeling good. Well, scratch that. I had a minor nausea bout last week for 1.5 days. Couldn't scarf anything down, nor could I move as swiftly as usual.

Oh well, we're keeping the kleenex and toilet paper industry in business.

Sounds like a bunch of bitchy postings about my health. But fuck, when you're constantly sick as we have been, you tend to get bitchy.

Spring Break

Our Spring Break is a week later than others, I don't know why, but it is. Nonetheless ,we are heading west bound to our wet coast again. I'm excited to stay there for the week and really soak in what we are missing. Perhaps the traffic, congestion, and dampness will turn us off and we'll be happy to stay in th frigid prairies.

Perhaps not.

The sunrises this week have been outstanding. I drive directly east into the sunrise which is a bitch when you're trying to navigate the road. But, becase the road is straight, I usually stare off into the rolling hills and the snow covered fields and watch the sun rise.

The snow is melting quite a bit, as we have a warming trend happening. Thank god. I cannot wait to see grass again. although it will be all brown and dead. I think what people here really appreciate is the distinct seasons. When the grass finally sprouts green, and the trees finally burst their leaves, we are transformed into a colour world again. It really makes you appreciate the spring when arrives.

However,...I sure miss my hydrangea at this time of year on the west coast, beginning their blooms of periwinkle and fushia. I miss bold red of the azaleas in my parent's yard... I miss the cherry blossoms creating a pink blanket on the green grass.

I'm coming home!

Country Schools

So I'm setting up this talent show for the school, and I had all the kids who wanted to be in it, audition for it.

The difference between a country school and a city school is great. For one, I've only got 1/2 the population as normally occurs in a city school. The TYPE of performances are so cute.

Grade 1 student wrote a poem called I Love School, which she will be reciting.

Singing? All the singing gigs are COUNTRY songs.

Dancing? Not a heck of alot of these. But the ones I have, are not the lates rap song, top 40 or r&b ditty. The dances are to KIDS cd's. Crazy Frog, Kidpop and Raffi. What the???? I was expecting some really good funky dances like I've seen before. Girl groups with their heavy makeup and skimpy outfits on...just like in the city.

Nope.

and for instrumentals? I have the token piano pieces that one would expect, and GET THIS... I have a BANJO performance!

Gotta love it.

I stole this post because I can't stop laughing at it!!!

OMG my friend has the best posts on her blog, and I have to steal it over here to post it for a few of my readers to read. I didn't ask her permission, so if I get in shit, I get in shit. I LOVE this post.

You know, when it's dead at work, the question "what's with your voice?" gets really old, and you just can't wait until Friday? Then, when Friday arrives, you come home and see what terrifyingly godawful condition your house has somehow arrived at, and you're bitten by the MustCleanItNow bug while simultaneously making dinner and fending off the "what's for dinner" questions from a 4 yr old who would eat sandwiches morning, noon and night if you let him make the family meal plan (ha! meal plan. Like I have one of those!). And, when you dare to drag out the vacuum to suck up the evil dust bunnies that are taking over every nook & cranny available, your husband makes a comment about how his nerves are almost shot and he runs for his personal hidey-hole. This, after he managed to go on a 4-day ski trip (free) last weekend, then worked a whopping 1.5 days before taking his leftover 2006 vacation days (that he didn't know he had. Dumbass.) to recover from the stomach flu and what can only be called the weeniest "cold" imaginable. Then, after you've managed the least amount of sympathy that classifies as being polite, informed both children they will not receive any more food this evening because they didn't eat their dinner, washed the dishes, and started the dishwasher, you're expected to listen to your husband bitch about poker.

The Wet Coast

Here are some pics from my Tofino trip....sigh


What a rejuvenating trip. If I could live in this place...I would love it. Only thing is, it's a 3 hour drive to a local mall. I don't think I'd survive that. :lol:

My boys

Mommy - I love you so much. Mommy, I just love you so much I can't stop loving you.


I just love having two children. I never thought in a million years what the benefit to having two would be. I love watching my two boys making each other laugh, and most of all, soliciting play with each other. Hearing the giggling come from Cameron's room in the morning, when Ethan has snuck in adn crawled into Cameron's crib, seeing them in their skivvies because Ethan has stripped them both down to their underwear and playing with the toys, is ridiculously rewarding.

It's definately alot of work, and often I'm pulling my hair out because one is always at me..... but the last few days have been very awesome. Love my boys.

New posts

I'm dredging up a new funny post. It's milling around in my mind. Stay tuned. :)

Went to the wet coast this weekend, and wet it was! It was so gorgeous..the smell of the trees and the dampness. Funny, but I never thought I'd appreciate it again. We (a group of a few of my girlfriends) chilled out in a cabin in Tofino, right on the water. I love them to bits, it was so nice to regroup and rekindle what I have missed.

Urge for my hometown still exists. More confusion in my head...need to sort it out.

The cold has finally melted me.

We have been talking lately about moving back home to the wet coast. We love it here in the cold prairies, but we're really missing our friends and family back home. It wouldn't be a quick move, but rather a plan to get back home in the next year to 2 years. DH will be fishing for placements with his company on the coast, which will be good options, and I, well... I really am flexible with what I want to do. I love my teaching job, but I still love the option of other careers, other things. Ethan is going to Kindergarten in the fall (!) and it would be nice to be able to be there along the way with him. I'm going to work on NOT working..maybe tutoring or teaching music classes on the side for wee ones. If we move, we'd make a killing on the house we have right now, and yes, while it's expensive on the coast, we don't mind living out in the burbs, even a little further than we did before. Financially, we've made huge strides by this move, and while some people might think of us as crazy, we've sacrificed a year, possibly 2 or 3, and financially saved ourselves 15-20 years on our mortgage.

When we reflect back on all the things we've been doing and people we "socialize" with, we've been pretty much living our lives here, but socializing with our west coast friends and family. All the phone calls, emails, blogs, and chatboards, are all with our friends back home. Weird huh? So we'll see what comes of it.

This is strictly in the works right now, and maybe we'll change our minds in the near future, but I'm not so sure.

I'm positively THRILLED and ELATED about the idea...when the idea came "out" my homesickness surfaced and intensified. I dunno what's happening to me. I think I'm going nutso.

I'm here!

I'm doing well, and out of my woa is me phase again. Sheesh, had to dig out of that one! Feeling good again.

I have a ton to blog about, but not a lot of time right now.


I went to my first roadside cafe, as in, hicksville gasoline station restaurant. The artwork on the walls was dusty and faded, the dusty pink walls were dingy and grey. The early 80's vinyl back chairs were in fine form, and the menus were showing age. We went for lunch, my work group that is. A fine bunch of 10 women we are, and I had the honours of being the guest of honour, for it was my first time to Brookville. I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with fries, and literally, it came exactly out as I would have made myself. Wonderbread, kraft cheese, cut in 1/2 with a pile of baked fries on the side. To drink? A bottle of diet coke from the gas station cooler...not even a straw offered, nor a glass to pour it in.

I was in heaven. My first real hick experience, and I loved every minute of it.

Quitting

Every now and then I get into a funk with my job and feel very guilty about working vs being at home with the kids. Being a teacher is one of the most amazing jobs one can do, but it is also a very stressful, busy, lonely, and high pressure job too. Top that with the idea of being exposed to millions of different germs everyday, being a mom, counsellor, nurse, hugger, disciplinarian, police officer, and stand up comic...I think it can get a bit much at times.

So this weekend leading into monday was one of those times where I just felt the pop bottle shaken a little and the pressure mounting...my cork was about to pop. And it did. I got to the point of re evaluating finances and budget and seeing if I could stay at home. (that wasn't a problem at all)

I figured it outsomewhat. I think i get overwhelmed when I start to feel like too much is piling up on my plate, like I'm starting to get behind, or out of control. Let's see...I'm in the "downwind" from the concert, the January doldrums, the darkest time of the year. I've been planning to restart choir (getting all those songs figured out), plan, learn and teach the ukulele which I've never done before, and plan, learn and teach the recorder, which I've never done before. Learning the grade 1-3 guided reading program is not so bad, but it still is another notch to pile on. I also came up with the brilliant idea that I should have the kids create a school wide talent show for March (what the fuck am I doing?????) Add to the pile the teacher evaluations which my principal has to do on me to official grant me a permanent contract statuts. Yep..I guess I've got a bit on my plate. Add to that the fact that my husband was away for 5 days last week, and 4 days this week, while I'm playing single mom with all of the above on my plate. My learning curve at work is so sharp, and I know if I just get through this year, my future years will not be as hard.

Add to this the very frustrating point of being sick with cold or flu non stop since the 3rd week of September. No joke, just the week after Christmas, has been my one week where I did not need to resort to kleenex or hacking. I'm again, caught up with a sinus cold which I wake up with a headache daily for the last 5 days. Maybe something else is wrong with me?

I'm so surprised I haven't turned to smoking or drinking. Food such as icecream has been a comfort, but I don't resort to any of that. I just bottle it up.

So I've recoveered from this mess my mind has created. DH is leaving again tomorrow, and I will manage just fine. I will do what I can, how I can. My kids and I will continue on and do just fine. As for my job, there are so many things that I could add and do to enhance the program, but I just think I need to balance things better and realize that I can't do it all in my first year.

need to re-read this and let it sit inside me for awhile...

Keep Out

pitter patter pitter patter...rummage sounds in the junk drawer.
Ethan comes up to me this morning, pen in one hand, paper in the other.
"mommy, Can you write Keep Out please"

"okay"

rummage, rummage rummage through the junk drawer.
Pitter patter pitter patter. Door Shuts.
Cameron starts crying.

It was a Keep Out sign that I wrote. Ethan found the tape and taped it to his bedrom door, and shut the door on Cam.

Sibling fights are starting. gah


In other news...lots to post about, but not in the mood to right now.

Bought more scrapbooking stuff, when I'll scrapbook, hell if I know. Sure looks purdy though.