Sorry Andrea...

I'm no longer signed in so it won't let me get back to you. I'll keep trying. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

For those of you that pray.....

Please consider praying for a wee babe born last night to our friends who needs open heart surgery this week. The delivery was fine but he was having breathing problems. He was airlifted to our childrens hospital this morning where they discovered a problem with his heart. Please pray for strength for his parents and other family as they go through this difficult time. Pray for his little body as he endures such a serious procedure that he will come through it fine and that his recovery would be a good one. Pray for his big brother who is too young to understand any of what is happening.
And pray a prayer of thanksgiving for all of our healthy children.
Thank you.

Shameful!

I got a call this morning from a friend wondering if I wanted to head out with her for a bit to go to a matinee. I thought I would love to get out of here but Hud isn't home. Anyway, we agreed that she would call when she was leaving and if I was showered and Hud was here that I would plan to escape. What a good idea. I have not been out on a saturday as a woman on the move in AGES! It was fabulous. I bought a blouse... thanks to some birthday money, and then we went to see The Wedding Date. I had already seen it with Karen but it was worth seeing again. It's a feel good movie but every once in awhile you need to see one of those. And of course, there is nothing wrong with looking at Dermot Mulroney.
Anyhoo... home I am once again but it felt really good to be me. Not Huds wife, not mom, and not the lady next door who shovels in her pajamas.
Hope you all had an equally enjoyable day. Lori, glad to hear that your cleaning has you in such a funky mood....

I need sleep....

The kids were feverish yesturday so I kept Daniel home. By last night things were worse. In the night we were up with all of them. Claire sounded croopy in her cough but seemed not to be having trouble breathing. Daniel couldn't breathe cos he was stuffed up and Sam I think kept waking cos of the noise of the rest of us. Then Claires legs were aching. Of course she was crying which makes it all even worse. We couldn't get her to stop. Daniel woke this morning saying his stomache hurt and about two minutes later he was puking. So, Sam and I have been playing cars in between me running from one invalid to the next. Hud had to speak at a breakfast thing this morning so I'm here on my own, stealing a second to myself.
The sun is shining and the snow is all sparkly. A great day to be at the hill but instead we are here, enjoying the rays from the inside.
Happy day to all the rest of you.

No storm, loose teeth and other happenings....

Well, we woke up to nothing this morning instead of a blizzard. I must admit that since it seems that we still have at least a month of winter and that I can't get in the garden we may as well have a good storm. By the end of yesturday, I was actually looking forward to battening down the hatches and snuggling in for the day. Oh well, it wasn't meant to be.
After lunch yesturday, the little guy that I have been looking after tripped up our basement steps. In doing so, he cut open the inside of the corner of his mouth. I took over to the lady next door and we both had a good look. We even used a flashlight. We determined that I should call his mom and she could decide if she wanted to take him to be seen but that I didn't need to rush him to the hospital.
When I checked in with his parents that evening, ( they had decided to check it out when they got home) his dad mentioned his tooth. I asked what tooth. He said that it had knocked one of his teeth back, and chipped the other. Neither the neighbor or I had noticed any problem with his teeth. I was shocked. His mom was able to get an appointment with a pediatric dental specialist this morning so she picked him up and took him. They got back a little while ago child with gauze in mouth. I started to cringe. I'm not so good with blood.... I can give birth no problem but keep that other stuff away from me. Anyway, apparently, they took him in, wouldn't let Shelley come in, and proceeded to yank the tooth forward. He screamed, she cried at the sound, and after all that torture, it's still not in the right place. The dentist said it should have been seen within a couple of hours tops so they could work with it before it healed. Today they essentially re-injured it. Here's hoping that the adult tooth will come in just fine with no dis-coloration.
So, the question remains.... how long will I suffer with guilt for the little guys pain? It's not like I shoved him or anything, but it happened in my home under my watch.
On another note, I went to a baby shower last night for a girl in our church. It was too much fun being foolish with all the other ladies sitting around me. I'm quite sure we were the entertainment for all those in the room not quite so free with their giddiness. I can't wait til the ladies retreat. I don't know that we will be able to stop laughing the whole time.
Sam has peed on every surface imaginable today! Why is it that some days he gets it and other days he couldn't care less?
Anyway, that's it for the broken thoughts and ramblings for this chick today.... have a good one.

Not Again.....

We are experiencing another BLIZZARD WARNING for today and tomorrow. Hud is going to pick up "supplies" on his way home in case of power outage, and considering the fact that we likely won't be able to go anywhere tomorrow. And to think that we were making good headway getting our mountains of snow to melt. I guess it is only February......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CORI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today at pre-school they are having multicultural dressup day. Claire wasn't feeling great but wanted to go. When we put the silk outfit on her she was sure she didn't want to wear it as it felt funny.However.... she has gone wearing the getup, and I'm sure she'll have lots of fun. One of our students brought it back from China with her for Claire and she hasn't had an opportunity to wear it yet. Not really something to put in the dressup box.

multicultural dressup day

hooligan Claire

The kids were so happy dancing that they started to climb the walls. You will notice my partly refinished table. It got to cold to finish it outside and the stench is way too strong to work on it inside. One more spring project....

hooligan Sam

The weekend is over....

...and we survived!
The kids all got haircuts as you can see.
Claire had ballet, and couldn't stop flipping her new hair. Not sure it was worth being at class this week.
Daniel got his new snowboard but didn't make it to the hill. He hung out at a friends all afternoon on Saturday.
Sam managed to stay out of mischief. And he also demonstrated some very cool dance moves.
I went to the open house next door, feeling a little guilty as I wasn't interested in the house, I had just heard that they did a really nice job on their basement, and mine is baffling me as to how to put the bathroom in a spot that isn't the walkthrough to another room.
We went to the marriage course. It was communication night , otherwise known as fight night. We didn't fight , but we were to address an issue that had not been previously discussed. We got a little heated but we couldn't yell cos we were in a huge room with everyone else. The idea was to teach us how to listen effectively. " I have the napkin Al, it's my issue!" was heard a few times.... I'm a hard one to reform.
So, today is a day to wash the floors, clean some toilets, and bake some more cookies.

PS-Lori, we went to McD's for lunch on Sat. I thought of you the whole time. And I think I'll keep Marg, but I am more than willing to share!

what a guy...

and shorn sheep # 3

what a smile...

Shorn sheep # 2

and a side view...

The honesty of children....

is sometimes too funny. Claire was talking with Hud this morning as we were all getting up and exclaimed "Dad, your breath is killing me. It's like a big grey fog."
I'm so glad it's friday. A weekend of relaxation? Not sure yet but it will be a nice change of pace.

I'm having trouble commenting again so know that I'm reading but unable to communicate.

ANDREA IS A GENIUS !!!!!!!!

Andrea, you may have solved the tree dilemna.Minter gardens does in fact have them, and they are willing to put them on the bus for me, however, they are 4 ft high and when I spoke with the bus company at this end they can only fit to a height of 3 ft. The guy was also worried that they might be too cold in the cargo space. However, we are not giving up yet.
The question remains, is any tree really worth all this effort? I'm quite sure that it is...

On a different note, there is a new show on CBC called the doodlebops. Sam is enthralled. It's a trio of very brightly costumed adults as rock stars. Sam thinks he is Moe. He tries to breakdance like Moe. He shakes his body like Moe. Maybe he will grow up to be Moe.

Daniel has a secret admirer. He got a very ornately decorated valentine from her on Mon. Yesturday she fessed up. Hud offered to take them out for coffee. I think Daniel almost blushed!

Claire has declared that she can no longer clean up because she is a freak. And at supper last night she quietly said "I just can't do this anymore" What anymore I asked,"eat this food" she replied. I didn't really think that the spaghetti was that bad.

I can't comment today!

Samantha, Daniel is taking guitar lessons too. You should get your mom to play the violin for you. I'm not sure she still knows how!

Cori, I think that we must all be on the same schedule.... too funny

Andrea, I say skip school til the old teacher comes back, and I would also suggest a meeting with the principal to discuss the lax supervision.

Lori, lucky you! I guess I should give out my address when I'm asked for it huh?!?

Jodi, We are trying the potty thing with Sam again. We are also starting to do some renos in our basement. I'm going to post some before pics. The fools who installed our air exchange system didn't really plan for future development down here, and trying to work around the ducts is a royal pain in the butt. The rest of the floor plan is a little looped as well.

Anyway, hope you all manage to hang in til brighter days ahead.....

Someday it will be worth something right?

Someday Sams creativity will bring him great success right? And then all of his destruction here will be worth the headache, the money put out to fix things, the elbow grease used to clean things etc.
Of course, there are the days that he brings nothing but joy and laughter. Like when he says things like "no fanks" or gets so excited that his voice reaches unnatural decibles. Watching him snowboard around the house on a piece of cardboard, and then outside on Daniels old toys r us board has my brother all excited about getting him to the ski hill for real.
He is a great little boy so filled with wonder at everything and I just need to remember that he is only learning about his world. However, I might add that since he had covered himself with a big blanket to work on his art, I'm quite sure that he knows he was misbehaving. What a turkey. Paper only Sam!!!!!!!

Sams latest masterpiece. his canvas, my newly recovered sofa.

Sam the snowboard dude

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!!!

It's the day to celebrate LOVE!!!!!!!
I'm trying to get creative with supper but so far nothin'.
We started taking a marriage course last night and already we have learned a lot about each other and we've been married for almost 11 years. It's funny how we make assumptions about each other but really don't have a sweet clue what the other is all about, or what they they hold as important. I was way off in regards to Hud in a number of aspects. It will be interesting to see if this actually will change how we relate to each other on a daily basis.

As an aside.....I am still waiting to hear from three, count 'em, three people in regards to the Paulownia tree inquiry. Not one has replied in any form, and I am finding it most aggravating!

Pet Peeve # 563

People and businesses who have answering machines but opt not to return calls. Why bother?!?
I have been trying for some months now to get in touch with someone regarding the import of Paulownia trees. They are a very rapid growing specimen (40 ft in under 5 yrs) and have beautiful foxglove like flowers. I feel very exposed in this house and thought this variety of tree would suit our place perfectly. The kicker is that they are not available in Canada. I did manage to get in touch with one grower in Georgia who didn't have a permit to ship to Canada unless I wanted 1500 trees. I have a few friends who are interested,but even if everyone I knew wanted a couple we would be far short. My last hope is a grower in North Carolina but he's the one ignoring my pleas.......
I sent him an e-mail today and am hoping that he will at the very least acknowledge it. Until then, I'm in search of other rapid growing trees.

It's glorious...

...when you can open your windows for a few hours at the beginning of february. It was a whole 10 degrees here today. Nothing better than the fresh air smell penetrating every stale corner of ones house. I shrunk some snowbanks by shovelling the snow onto the driveway and the street. In the garden at the edge of the driveway where the snow has melted away the most, my creeping babies breath is putting out leaves. Sam was trying to find bugs. All in all it was a grand spring day enjoyed by all. Of course, it may be short lived as on the news they were talking about another "system" making it's way towards us.......

What kind of moron.....

breaks into an elementary school at 5:00 in the morning, collects and drags the lost and found items down to the end of the hallway by the door and sets them on fire?!?
The fire set off the sprinklers and the fire alarm and the fire dept and RCMP responded immediatley. That would explain the myriad of sirens I heard in the wee hours of the morning... they seemed to go on forever, me thinking there must have been a tragic accident on the highway...
As a result of the fire, the library wing including two resource rooms, the learning centre, a music room and the library suffered smoke and water damage. The wing is now sealed off and is undergoing repairs and restoration. That's the second time someone has broken into the P-2 building. The first incident involved the theft of computers.
What is wrong with people? Why is it that our kids need to make their way in a society full of people who don't seem to have respect for other people and their property?

Hair Cut From Hell !

So, I took the kids for haircuts. Well, for three of us as Daniel is growing his out. Anyway, I'm washed and the snipping has begun when I here a thud of sorts. Next out of my mirror I see Daniel holding his head and something running off it. I thought "Oh no, he's somehow had shampoo dumped on his head" ( thinking of Samuel....) As I jump out of my chair, I realize that it is dark in colour so I start thinking hairdye. WELL, it wasn't either of those two options, it was BLOOD and lots of it. The kid had split his head open on the corner of a shelf! I know head wounds bleed alot but this was ridiculous! So there I was , trying to hold his head together, shaking , looking at my other two thinking "what am I going to do?" Anyway, I had the hairdresser call my birth moms house and her husband came and got the younger two and Daniel and I went off to the childrens hospital. You need to remember that I was mid haircut.....
We were seen after waiting not too long. They tried to comb the blood out of his hair, which he did not appreciate, and then proceeded to glue his scalp back together. We opted for no stitches as it's where no-one will see it. The downside is that with the glue you need to wait 48 hours before he can wash his hair so we will look a treat at church tomorrow and school on monday.
So , here I remain hair partially cut, shopping not done, and birthday over....
It's all good. Everyone needs a little excitement and I guess I can be thankful it wasn't Sam this time.

BIRTHDAY FEET
Karen knows that I like funky socks and she also knows that I have not worn a pair of toe socks so she thought to remedy the situation. These were part of my gift from her.... Nothing like a good friend.

Sam wins again....

So today was really no different than any other day in Sams world. Today however may prove to be his most expensive adventure yet. He decided that my red lipstick was a good choice for his own body art as well as changing the face of the carpet on the stairs and upstairs hall. I have someone from Roto Static carpet cleaners coming at 2:30 and hopefully they will be able to get it out! I guess after two mellow kids it was time that I had one that keeps me on my toes. However I seem to be failing miserably in the pro-active department......

Would it be ok to call a truce?

Isn't it a pretty shade?

Sams latest adventure...

OK Girls... 12 days to get yourselves organised

The herbs of love As a romantic gesture, offer a bouquet of fresh herbs, each with its own message:
a bouquet of oregano to place your love under the sign of joy (Greece)
a bouquet of rosemary, as with Shakespeare's Juliet, to vow eternal love
a bouquet of marjoram to ensure continued happiness (Greece)
and if you know someone experiencing the distress of love, give them a potted mint plant, said to ease the soul's unhappiness.
Madame de Pompadour seemed to know quite a lot about the subject.Whether for a yes or a no, Madame de Pompadour seems to have the recipe. To increase her own ardour, she would eat a dozen egg yolks beaten with truffles, grated chocolate and celery. or a filet of sole. To maintain her royal lover's vigour, she would make him a celery gratin, and in the morning, some cress soup to revive him after a restless night before he went off to attend to his royal duties.
Favourite dishes of great courtesans and famous seducers Each had a recipe.
Catherine of Russia, urged to provide an heir to the throne, replied "Bring me some caviar, and tonight at supper, send me the best built of my officers."
Diane de Poitiers served eel broth to Henri II
Gabrielle d'Estrées cooked up a bass filet with crayfish
the frisky Henri IV ate a clove of garlic every morning; Victor Hugo preferred onions
the Marquis de Sade aroused his conquests with savory
Casanova prepared a careful blend of quail eggs, anchovies, etc.
While the table offers no shortage of stimulating foods, a fine meal just for two is in itself a wonderful start. As Edward Fitzgerald wrote, "A jug of wine, a loaf of bread - and thou beside me."

SAM JUST WON'T STOP!!!!!!

Sam is into EVERYTHING these days! Yesturday it was only the medicine in the bathroom closet. We still are not totally sure what the kid ate. The options that seemed to present themselves were cat and dog de-wormer, and Sudafed. Of course we had to call poison control and they said that with the de-wormers based on the # of missing capsules that he was under the limit of what was ok for him, but they were concerned with the sudafed. Anyway, it all seems ok now. Today, the first thing he did was pull the stool in the kitchen over to the stove and climb on top of the stove. I found him sitting up there trying to cut some squares. Then while I was in the shower I was sure I could smell something burning. I jumped out and ran down to the family room only to find that he had turned on some lamps and one of them he had knocked the shade onto the lightbulb. I'm sure we were only moments away from flames as it had melted throught the liner of the shade and the outside was turning brown and smoking.
Please no-one call social sevices....... I'm keeping at my hip from now on!