Easily Amused

Hitting the slopes

2012-01-21T10:40:00.001-05:00

I am one proud mama yet again. Owen has accomplished another first - skiing.

The school has a ski club where they go to a local ski resort and ski for four weeks. Lessons, rentals and transportation are included. Owen wanted to try it, maybe because he likes watching the sport on TV or perhaps because he would get out of class for a few afternoons. I wanted him to do it because as good Canadians, we have to embrace winter and participating in sports is a great way to do it. Plus I could volunteer with the school and have some ski fun too. He did very well! His eyes shone with his accomplishment and he chattered on about it all the way home.

The reason it was such as success was the awesome instructors and volunteers at Packenham. This guy stayed with him for an hour and a half, full of patience and encouragement as he negotiated the skiing thing. Wow! There was lots of attention to detail from all the staff at the resort. They understood his needs and worked with him. That doesn't always happen with kids with special needs. We are so lucky.

Seeing the thrill in the eyes of your child as he conquers something new is priceless.

I Own The Library

2012-01-20T15:58:00.001-05:00

Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. I do seem to have paid the library enough that if it were in shares, I would be a major stakeholder. Procrastination has its downside. In this case, it is a big pile of fines thanks to overdue books and DVDs.

I used to say that that I didn’t mind. What’s a few bucks here and there for public literacy? I’m a big believer in reading of all kinds for every age so taking the kids to the library has been something we’ve done almost weekly since they popped out of the womb. We check out a stack of books, magazines, some DVDs and the odd Wii game and stagger home with our loot. Now, if you know my kids, you can guarantee that at least some of the books will end up deep in the scary recesses of the under-bed-world. Yikes! Maybe that novel will be put in a bag that is in a box that is in a cupboard in someone else’s house to be unearthed when they move. So at some point there will be late fees. Lots of late fees. How much? Let’s see… my back of envelope calculations are 11 years times 52 weeks times and average of $3 per week of fees… carry the stupidity…. equals…. about $1800.00! Ack!

Forever positive (dammit!) I have to factor in the up side to these expenses. In the younger years my kids had endless hours of entertainment by patient librarians of story time programs and glittery crafts. And I didn’t get sued over the toddler-dropping-the –video-almost –on-the-patron-below-through-the-stupid-gap-in-the-second-story-balcony incident. (Handy hint – always carry a backpack for library projectiles while herding 3 year olds through the library.) So there is some value for the money.

Oh yeah, and my kids love the library. They love books, even if they are not brilliant readers. They love being curious and finding out about things in the library. Going regularly has made them feel at home there. So even if I am not an owner, I love being a part of the library family.

My dirty little secret

2012-01-16T12:46:00.001-05:00

Some women have an obsession for shoes, jewellery or dresses. For me, it would appear I have a thing for socks.

This occurs to me as I scoop up the discarded foot coverings around my room and put on a FULL load of sock laundry. Is this normal? Um, don’t answer that.

How could I have a full load of socks?! Well, it’s January in Ottawa and it is cold. I’m tall and my feet are big. Apparently the blood is too lazy to circulate all the way down there and those dogs get icy. So this is what typically happens:

I’ll put on a black pair, only to find they are too thin. Hmmm, maybe if I double up. After wearing them for a half an hour those four socks go into the laundry and some striking thermal pair comes out. Except that they have a hole in the bottom but I can’t find another pair so I wear them anyway, …for about half an hour then get tired of feeling the floor through the hole and scrounge for another pair. (I can’t toss the sock with a hole because those buggers were expensive and it will only take a couple of minutes to sew, if I ever get around to it). Time to raid my husband’s stash. Hmmm, too big and floppy. He might be offended if I put them back unwashed. Check under the bed. Oh! There’s that pair I thought I’d lost, or at least half of the pair …. dig, dig, … found it! I’m set, until bedtime. I must wear socks to bed through most of the winter but they have to be the right socks so that my feet are not too hot nor too chilly. Sports socks usually do the trick, until about 2:00am when I am suddenly too warm and toss my socks off and fling them by the side of the bed. Exhausting.

Along with sock laundry comes sock matching. I’m sure there is some mischievous god out there that loves to hide and separate socks. A typical load of laundry will produce 3 pairs of socks and 15 unmatched ones. Why?!!! The solo foot coverings go into the “Poor Little Orphan Socks” box until I make my husband match them or my daughter raids the box and makes a family of sock puppets.

By February, I start my countdown. Only 120 days until sandal season.

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T10:22:00.003-05:00

As usual, we ring in the New Year in a quiet and anti-climactic way. I don't mind, actually. Usually the holidays have been busy and someone is sick by the time the year wears out. This year that would be DH with migraines and DD with a snotty cold. So watching TV after eating a yummy meal with vino to match seems like a great way to wind down. This year, Owen stayed up straight through to midnight. He was determined to do it. We watched Cars 2 and various sports highlights then he bounced around as the clock counted down to bad bands on TV. We popped some champagne that we had stored for a while and it was flat. Rather fitting for a lack-luster holiday really.

So, forever optimistic, I am looking forward to a new year of more. More effort in general on my part to steer things in the direction I want them to go instead of drifting with the tides. I am easy going by nature but this leaves me living a random life of happenings. I want to participate more, do more, be more, as they say. I am disorganized enough that I haven't really thought through what this means as yet but procrastinating less may be a part of it. Perhaps it will come to me as I drive on the great province road trip to see my folks tomorrow on my own with kids.

We kick started our new year's morning with some yummy muesli from a recipe by Michael Smith. It was a variation of this one. Of course I still needed a few cups of coffee to jump start the day, but still, I'd like to think it was more of a good start than usual.

So, raising a healthy glass of water to a new year of more awesomeness to you all. Cheers! (We'll see how long this really lasts. Stay tuned for my next post on how failure is under-rated.)

Christmas Eve in Pics

2011-12-24T20:45:00.001-05:00

… on my ancient point and shoot and Blackberry, but you still get the point.

Making the kids go for a walk. It’s a beautiful day and you will appreciate it, dammit!

Creating sugar cookies for Santa.

Tracking Santa on NORAD, killing time with electronics, tortiere, laying out the goods for Santa and chillin’ .

Merry Christmas all! Have a wonderful holiday.

Starbucks Love

2011-12-19T21:29:00.003-05:00

Not only do they present me with perfect coffee with soothing jazz or something in the background, but they also have free WiFi so I can tweet or whatever as I sip. I embrace my overpriced comforts!

And then there is the staff. They take care of me. They see the dazed look in my eyes and make it all go away. Or we have a conversation like I did today.

Me: Ummm, hmmmm, I guess I'll have a gingerbread loaf and, um, a Tall Italian.

Female Barista: If only we had some good tall Italians...

Male (cutie) Barista: I'm a tall Italian.

Me: Then we're set!

FB: I would go on but it may become inappropriate quickly.

MB: Next time...

Me: *giggle like a school girl*

Now how can you have a terrible day after that?

Cheers!

A Poll! Twelve Days of Christmas...

2011-12-16T12:27:00.000-05:00

If asked, Owen will tell you that his favourite Christmas carol of all time is "The Twelve Days of Christmas". The full version too. If he begins, the WHOLE thing must be sung from start to finish with no omissions. It makes for a loooonnng song, I tell you. However, his enthusiasm makes up for it (the first time around) and we smile and go to our happy-place when he sings.

Others have done some versions of "Twelve Days" that are bearable. These are three of my favourites:

1. The Canadian standard, eh?! Beauty!

2. A fave from my childhood. The video quality isn't the greatest but 'tis a classic.

3. Love this one too! These guys are amazing and do a creative interpretation.

So which is your favourite? Please comment and let me know. But if there is another version that outshines these, do share!

My pen won't go

2011-12-12T13:12:00.001-05:00

I have always sucked at writing with pen on paper. It is like my thoughts don't want to be expressed this way. From time to time I still have to take notes - at a meeting, jotting down information off a sign, or relaying a phone message - but it comes out in chicken-scratch and disjointed. I can hardly make sense of the bits of paper afterwards, relying on my sporadic memory to fill in the gaps and act as translator.

Today I sit here, thinking I ought to get started on my Christmas cards. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. Just jot down a few friendly words, address the things and pop them in the mail. Who am I kidding? It's not that I don't want to stay connected with friends and family over the holiday. I really do! I just can't seem to get into action. The logical answer would be to use the computer to whip out some clever Christmas letter, fill the card up with pics of the kids and say the same generic thing to the list. So what's stopping me?

Perhaps I am secretly a perfectionist and I need to feel like I am having a conversation with the recipient that is real. Maybe I simply don't like my hand writing. I know I don't write (well, speed print really as I suck more at any sort of elegant script) nearly fast enough to complete my thoughts before they get jumbled up. So I opt for nothing. Well that's stupid. Are people going to know that I am psychically thinking of them? Um, no.

I've lost touch with too many friends before the days of e-mail. I was terrible at returning letters or remembering to send birthday cards! Thankfully some have been patient enough with me to reconnect via Facebook and other e-communications. It is a whole different process for me to type out a connection on the computer. So much easier! I feel I express my true self more easily, my thoughts flowing through the keyboard with little effort. I'm sure a therapist would have something to say about that!

Will the cards get mailed? I don't know. If they do they will be late, be stuffed with a photo or two and have some brief friendly message about holidays, new year and stuff. The cards themselves are nice and hopefully anyone who gets one will be pleased and forgiving. If the cards don't go, I hope people don't feel slighted. It's not you, it's me. And it doesn't mean I don't care, just that, well, my pen wouldn't go.

Are there blog Christmas cards? I'll work on it. It seems to be what works for me and I won't have to factor in mail time. Or maybe I need to pour a double rum eggnog, crank the Christmas tunes and get into the card writing spirit, dammit!

Cat = 1 Tree = 0

2011-12-09T08:42:00.001-05:00

I think I am just SO smart sometimes. I love my cat but Molly is, well, a cat with cat instincts. As much as I try to reason with her, she gives me the look that says, “If you wanted a stupid dog, you should have got one. I am so above you.” That doesn’t keep me from trying.
So we got this lovely artificial tree we like to put up for Christmas. Molly likes her new climbing structure and all the doo-dads we put on to amuse her. Humph! Time to engage my engineering brain and come up with a contraption to keep her down.

Here it is. My engineering wonder – a layer of garbage bags (empty) between the branches that she can’t get through. And it worked! I am SO brilliant! I should patent this thing! Well, at least share it with the bloggy world or something.
Um, my cat is persistent.

Bugger! OK, it is kind of cute. Enough so that I grab my camera instead of wrestling her out of the damn tree.

Then this happened.
Aaaarrrrggggghhhh!!! That would be the ornament that was Owen’s favourite, the one he wanted to inherit and pass down through the generations.

So when he got home from school, I told him that Molly had outsmarted our cat-baffler. Owen responded, “Back to the drawing board, mom!” Love that kid!
So now I have to hunt down another world globe heirloom ornament and re-engineer the cat baffler. Christmas is exhausting!

It's a wrap!

2011-11-30T14:19:00.001-05:00

'Tis the last day of NaBloPoMo and it was fun. Though I didn't actually blog every day this month (pesky travel and all) but I did what I wanted to do. I feel like I'm echoing Mary Lynn's thoughts here. I got a sense of accomplishment and renewed appreciation for writing with this commitment. It has also been wonderful to catch up on other awesome blogs on the block. There are some very talented writers out there and I love to explore the diverse community daily.

So, I will continue to write more often. I like it as a way to stay connected to people I know and those I get to meet through their writing. It's great to feel that this little blog has a place for me and I feel at home here. Thanks for reading and bye for now!

No Worries, Mate!

2011-11-29T17:46:00.000-05:00

That would seem to be the national phrase and philosophy. How can you argue against that?! LOVED Australia. We even felt worry-free in the rain. The sun did decide to make an appearance for our days at the beach in Manly and for the wedding of wonderful friends. Gorgeous is an understatement. Even though it is a ridiculously long flight and we missed our little monkeys lots, it was well worth the speedy trip to Oz.

A taste of our pics. More to ~~bore you with~~ come later. Cheers Mate!

Aussie post

2011-11-24T23:47:00.001-05:00

This writing from the iPad thing is not working out as well as I'd hoped. I'm sure there is some awesome app that would make it work better but I'm ~~too lazy~~ too busy to figure it out right now.

So, the big trip to Australia is wonderful. Here are some random thoughts:

Apparently the sun doesn't always shine in Australaia. However a wine tour with Mic and a bus of fun tourists is a great way to ignore localized flooding. The wine still tastes yummy.

The best friends are those you can catch up with 15 years later and feel like it was yesterday. Our time with our mate Anthony and Pip has been awesome. Well worth the trek.

I could totally get used to living by the ocean. Gorgeous!

I could totally not get used to driving on the left and driving at all in Austalia.

Stupid rain!

It is now the 26th of November here. Today we celebrate Anthony and Pip's wedding. Today we remember our first son on what would have been his 12th birthday. It is strange but nice to have the date share with events with such different meaning and emotion. I am blessed to have both and pleased to have new memories for the date.

Alas, I am not able to complete NaBloPoMo posts daily as I'd hoped. This travelling thing is throwing me off. Well, as the locals say, No worries, mate! I look forward to catching up when I can.

Adoration

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

By the time this post is up, we will be in middle of our trip on the opposite side of the world from the kids and I know I will be aching for them. So I write this for my daughter today, appreciating the person she is, with or without me by her side.

Laura is a natural nurturer. She absolutely had to be snuggled from the day she was born. I wore her in a sling through most of those colicky months as a baby and squeeze her close as we read in the evenings now. She loves to pass on all her caring to her HUGE collection of stuffies, webkins and dolls. Parties are held for creature birthdays and everyone is included. There are a couple of friends who she is extra close to. This is one.

Her special doll is Taryn, a Maplelea Girl that we got for her last Christmas. It's an investment to have one of these dolls so you have to be pretty sure she will be valued for more than a week. Laura has definitely exceeded my expectations.

Taryn is like a little sister and Laura adores her. I hear them chatting in her room, making crafts together, getting dressed for outings or helping to cook in the kitchen. Laura made her friend her own epi-pen to wear for a shellfish allergy. She has her own cardboard box closet for her clothes (which is much neater than Laura's closet by far!) For the past week they have been camping at "Maplelea National Park", a created land that is like a summer camp. Owen has been in on this too as his room is their cabin where they all bunk out and sing campfire songs. It is such fun to watch my 8 year-old immerse herself in her imagination.

Here are the girls as they have their fun. A lifetime of adoration. Love it.

Which is why I don't do a cooking blog

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

The tales of my spaziness just keep coming! I amaze myself. Today we venture into why I am not a cooking blogger.

DH, though not exactly allergic to eggs, simply can't be near eggs being cooked or eat any breakfast food containing eggs. Sounds like allergy to me but I ain't no doctor. Anyway, he was lamenting the other day that he wishes he could have french toast. He'd ordered it on his travels recently but he couldn't eat it because it had, you know, eggs on it. (Well, why did you order it?!)

Being all kinds of awesome, I "Googled" egg-less french toast recipes and came up with some cool ideas. This one looked good but we don't do bananas in this house so some adapting would be necessary. Laura loves to cook and create in the kitchen so she "helped".

The recipe called for coconut milk. Hmmm, no coconut milk to be found but condensed milk starts with "c" so it should do just fine, don't you think? The first can of sweetened condensed milk looked odd and the expiry date was in 2008 so, after much consideration, I tossed it. We opened another can. Thicker than I thought but no matter, we'll just thin the thing with milk and carry on. Laura wants to add a tablespoon of cinnamon. I talk her down to a half-teaspoon and whip up the mixture.

Bread tossed and flipped into a pan. Looks almost real! It burned a bit (probably due to the high sugar content) but it actually came out alright.

No need for syrup on this creation. Apples make it seem somewhat healthy. Laura makes an applesauce mixture with 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup cinnamon for her piece. Owen refuses to try it.

It tasted alright, really. A little rich perhaps but not bad when you are hungry and are trying to convince yourself that you can handle variations in the kitchen. And then for the rest of the day, DH and I had headaches and our stomache's felt off. I'm not saying it was the french toast necessarily but consider yourself warned.

I got some real, unexpired coconut milk and will be trying the recipe again sometime soon. Perhaps when we all feel well and our sense of adventure has returned.

Quest for the perfect water bottle

2011-11-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

I am a heavy drinker. I do it for my health. Most of the time, thankfully, it is water in the bottle that I am sucking back. I do this to lead a good example for my kids and because I'm cheap. Today I wanted to share my struggle with finding the perfect water bottle.

These are useless: I have no idea why I still have them. They either leak, the straw falls out regularly or the top is too big to drink from without drooling all over the place.

These work well! They seal up nicely, come in a variety of sizes but kill polar bears, clear-cut forests and poison bunnies or something like that. If I do stoop to using the plastic water bottles, I reuse it many times, sometimes remembering to wash them too. They can also double as squirters if your kids are bothering you on a hot day.

These are the kids' favourites for school. Laura's is too big and adds about 3 kg to her daily haul to school if I fill it up to the top. However, it seals well and locks to avoid soggy papers. Owen's is stainless steel and boy-proof. He is very attached to it and I had to buy two to avoid meltdowns if it should dare go missing. A bit of a leaker if he doesn't body-slam it shut, but largely acceptable.

This is my bottle. Oops, wrong photo....

This is mine, all mine. I do not share. Stainless, wide enough mouth to add ice cubes and good spout. Love it! Except I wish it was purple ... and self-cleaning... and made me better looking, but it will do.

Do you have a must-have water bottle? Is there a mug that is your favourite for your morning cup of coffee? Do share.

Cheers!

Ready for take off, sort of

2011-11-20T13:18:00.001-05:00

Almost on the way to the airport. I think the prep list doesn't actually end. Luckily I have my handy little brain radio to boost me on. "Leaving On A Jet Plane" keeps playing today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYhhDr-i07A&feature=youtube_gdata_playerDangnabit! Can't do anything fancy with posting from this iPad right now so you get the basic version. I hope to post some things from the trip but who knows what technology will allow. Lame post but well meant. Bye for now!

Made for love

2011-11-19T18:04:00.001-05:00

In the five minutes of me-time I apparently get today, I am scrambling for blogish material. A quick trip to YouTube unearths this pick of the day.

So I was thinking about things we make for love. Usually this happens in the early stages of relationships, when you are short on money and high on time and amorous ambition. I rarely was organized enough to make a mixed tape but I remember making some awesome cookies for my guy. How about you? Any amazing love-made things?

Now my contribution is morning coffee. I bring it to my guy while he shaves in the morning. We chat, take some time at the start of the day. On weekends we get coffee and newspaper time while the kids watch useless TV stuff in the other room. The day doesn't start quite right without this ritual. It ain't no mixed tape but there is a whole lot of love in there.

On which I admit my tweet confusion

2011-11-18T16:31:00.000-05:00

I have leaped into the twitter world. Well, "leaped" may not be the best word for it, more of a tiny step around the corner to check it out without disturbing the party. I'm not sure if I'm going to stay.

Here's the thing. I don't really get it. I don't know why I am there yet. I am baffled by lingo, unsure of the etiquette and not following things often enough to be really following the conversations. It took my two weeks to realize that "RT" meant "retweet" and was not some popular tweeter's initials. And what am I supposed to post? My life is pretty dull at any particular moment. Maybe it is more effective for those who use it for business. Sure it's fun to see what people are up to and what is going on locally but maybe I just don't know what to do with the information. I'm apparently Easily Confused.

The whole hatch-tag thing is still strange to me. Do people just invent them? From today in my feed there are tags of #complicated which leads to about 1000 interpretations of complicated. Going WAY off on a tangent there. It is obviously important to add #GoodNight so you can wish everyone else who is going to bed "sweet dreams".

I know, there is probably someone out there who does get it and can enlighten me. Please do! Using HootSuite is helpful at least at giving it some order. I'd like to know what your experience is with Twitter and what works best for you. I'd love this geeky part of my life to click a little better.

Packing Distractions

2011-11-17T11:06:00.001-05:00

From http://blog.closetfactoryarkansas.com/closets/suitcase-packing-101/

The To-Do list today is short.

PACK
Clean bedrooms
Dinner

That's about it. Seems quite do-able when I see it written there. But I am stuck on the first item. "Pack" has been on the list for days and I can't seem to manage to get anything in the suitcase beyond underwear.

You see, DH and I are off to Australia for a week, leaving on Sunday. Our most wonderful families are taking care of the home stuff, kids and cat thus making it all possible. We are heading to a wedding near Sydney, taking a wine tour and get to enjoy touristy stuff too. Trip of a lifetime, really. But I am overwhelmed into inaction on the packing thing.

I've got the packing list to help. Except it doesn't cover why I can't put the things into the suitcase before the panicky day of travel! All these important thoughts keep going through my mind:
What to wear? What does one wear to a spring wedding in Australia anyway? I bought an awesome dress.... I think.... is it too casual? too colourful? too not a good fit? Ack! And what about shoes? Should I wear healed sandals or is that not appropriate? How many shoes can a I really bring before exceeding the weight restrictions? The weather is all over the place so what do I wear if it rains? Will people laugh and point if they see me in my swim suit? Will there be kangaroos? Can I bring home a kangaroo or will that exceed the weigh restrictions? Can I leave all my clothes behind and bring back a suitcase of wine? Oh the dilemmas!

I am also obsessing about how I am going to survive a 18 hour flight squished in an airplane seat. What will I do if my on board entertainment fails and I can only watch shows in German? Will this damn cold be done before I take off? There may be whining and it may not be the baby with the ear infection that they seat next to me. Adding to list - sedatives - extra-strength, eye mask, ear plugs, nose plugs, snuggie.

Of course it will be all worth it. Whatever I have forgotten, I can buy. I get to go to freaking Australia so shut-up! Time to pack away my inner procrastinator and just do it.

Where did I put my brain?

2011-11-16T09:21:00.001-05:00

One of the delightful side effects to being sick with a stupid cold that I just don't have time for, is that I have lost what was left of my brain. Apparently even without medication, I should not be operating heavy equipment.

Yesterday, being the amazingly good person that I am, I ran errands, grocery shopped, whipped home to drop off the groceries (even remembering to put frozen stuff away) then drove back to the school to nab a perfect parking spot before going in to volunteer for the book fair. I didn't cheat too many kids at the cash, though I admit by the end I was saying things like "That will be $12.50, er, $12.75, I mean, hell, just give me your $20 and we'll call it even!". (I don't think they will be asking me back to do cash anytime soon.) Then we got chatting about a new business in Westboro that one of the volunteers is starting - One Tooth Activewear. (The stuff looks amazing, not over priced and they are having a grand opening on Saturday.)

Anyway, I was distracted. Bell rings, zip out to grab kids, walk home and trick them into doing their homework while I conjure up an amazing dinner (well, better than KD dinner anyway.) Then DH walks in and says "Um, why is your car parked at the school?" It takes me a minute to process this. Oh, that car. I had not even noticed it was gone. I am a lousy witness and should not be trusted with anything. We piled into the other car and picked up the lonely one waiting in it's perfect spot.

The good thing is that my husband's first reaction was one of guilt. He thought he was late for some event I had at the school and came in all ready to say how sorry he was. The training is paying off! And, being sick, I don't have the energy to correct him.

Milestone Moment

2011-11-15T09:49:00.001-05:00

It seems sometimes we evolve slowly into maturity. There are growth marks on the wall that creep upwards or more complicated books being read. We hardly notice until some great-aunt says how big you are becoming. These are often passive times, when we do little to change beyond the typical day-to-day stuff.

Then there are times when you grow suddenly. It's like someone flicked a switch and a new room of your life is revealed. I remember one such moment in my teen years.

I was 16 and working at a summer camp on Georgian Bay. It was a beautiful and I was thrilled to be away on my own, making new relationships with peers without constant grown-ups present. We'd work a camp session then have a few days off before the next group. Before we had headed out, the staff planned on coming back a day early to party together. Awesome!

... Except I didn't get the memo. I guess I'd left before the final plans and they weren't coming back early. My dad dropped me back at camp that afternoon and I was alone. Completely alone. The main cabin with the phone and kitchen was locked but my cabin was open.

So I made a choice. I could have hiked down the road to a cottage and called home. But I didn't. I spent the night alone at camp. I have never been more glad that I don't watch horror movies! Music kept me company and I got to enjoy the simplicity of being by myself. *click!* A piece of me became an adult that night. I was free from distraction and my confidence in myself grew.

The next morning I was floating in an inner tube on the bay when the crew arrived. I was happy to see them but it wasn't as big a deal as I thought it might be. I liked the person I saw in the mirror that next day. She didn't need to be a piece of someone else's plan, she had plans of her own. It is the best foundation I could have given myself.

Do you recall a milestone moment? Do share!

Passionate about purple

2011-11-14T20:14:00.000-05:00

I've had no time to whip up something bloggy brilliant today. Nevermind, I will write a shallow post about my favourite colour de jour. Can you guess? PURPLE!

I don't know what it is, but my totally unfashion-conscious eye has been drawn to this hue like .... I can't seem to get enough. Today I picked up a bag at MEC, partly because I needed it but mostly because it was cute, full of pockets and a lovely shade of purple. (Well they call it Eggplant, but I beg to differ.)

There must be some deeper meaning to my sway to the grapish tone. Hmmm, let's see, according to the folks at Sensational Color;

Purple embodies the balance of red's stimulation and blue's calm. This dichotomy can cause unrest or uneasiness unless the undertone is clearly defined, at which point the purple takes on the characteristics of its undertone. With a sense of mystic and royal qualities, purple is a color often well liked by very creative or eccentric types and is the favorite color of adolescent girls.

Who knew? I thought I was regressing to my adolescence again yet feeling regal!

Whatever! It is making choosing clothing totally easier - just pick a purple shirt and I'm set. I'll be dawning my purple boots with pride this winter, cleaning up with my purple vacuum and whipping up a purple smoothie on the side. I know you may be jealous, but that's green and there is no room for that in my happy purple kingdom with me and my adolescent dude Prince.

Are you who they think you are?

2011-11-13T15:22:00.001-05:00

How's that for a philosophical start to a Sunday NaBloPoMo post? I'm not really going to go all existentailist though. I was thinking more along the lines of how we form a picture of someone that we have a relationship with, even though we haven't actually met.

The internet has been wonderful for this relationship building thing. I am much more chatty on the 'net than I am in the real world. I am also more opinionated, smarter and perhaps better looking. The internet filter can do that for you. My opinions are, I hope, largely honest and reflective of how I really feel. There is little concern for being the person that others expect you to be nor worrying about how you fit into things. It works for me. I can take my time to present words with editing if needed. No quick come-back is needed and I can chat in the comfort of my jammies if I want.

I have had the pleasure of meeting some people who blog after "knowing" them online. The results are mixed. The person I see is not always the one I perceived through their writing. I wonder who is more their true self? Some are exactly the way I thought they would be in three dimensions. All are a pleasure to meet.

Being 42 means that I remember building relationships without the e-world involved but also have grown many with the keyboard as my communication tool. About a dozen years ago this became very apparent. I desperately needed to find others who understood the difficult time I was going through. The answer was an online support group. It was in bulletin board form and many people who posted expressed themselves more honestly than they could have face to face. Global friendships formed with the common need. But the person they knew in me has grown and changed over time. Some I am still in touch with while others have gone different directions.

Now I spend several hours almost daily on e-mail, facebook, blogs and most recently twitter. I wonder with these communications if I come across as the person I am in the real world? I am a terrible liar and don't feel the need to hide my life from others. Just the same, the more e-public your life becomes and out of your control, I feel more of a need to protect myself. I'm trying to find the balance here.

So I'm going out on an honesty limb here. If you know me, am I what I seem to be in my writing? Do you wish you didn't actually know me? Should I be saying more or less out loud? If we haven't met, what are a couple of characteristics you think I have? Just curious. Thanks!

Denial isn't working

2011-11-12T17:55:00.001-05:00

Please don't tell me it starts with a sore throat and headache. Some nasty virus has been going around and I think it snuck in my front door when I wasn't looking. Noooooo! I really don't want this now. We are heading away on our trip in a week. I'm not sure what would be worse - spending 18 hours of flying while feeling like crap, sitting next to Mr. Mancold husband in said flight while he feels like crap, or worrying about my kids at home with their auntie while they feel like crap. All bad news.So now I am in bug battle mode. Lysol, vitamin C and any other remedy that I can think of to ward off ickiness. Time to rack up points at the drugstore. Or maybe the liquor store. Whatever it takes.

First snowflakes mean Christmas thoughts

2011-11-11T20:02:00.001-05:00

Tea Wreath

Stumbled on this today. Very cool idea! It comes from a series at Frugal Experiments on Christmas ideas.

I often have good intentions to make more stuff at Christmas. I love to pour over the magazines with their make-a-zillion-things-in -a-jar ideas or DIY fused-glass frames an the like. Unfortunately, not only do I lack any real artistic talent, but I am awesome at leaving things until the last minute. Creativity needs time (to allow for the multitude of mega-mistakes I make) and to let the project work into something worthwhile. I am a more non-perfectionist-off-the-cuff type personality. That doesn't make most things look worthy of wrapping and sharing. I am working on that.

There are 43 days until Christmas. My goal: to make something worth sharing with someone I care about for Christmas. I want to have more than commercial things under the tree. Will it work? I hope so. Ask me on December 24th while I frantically set fire to a scupture in the garage. The tea wreath is looking better and better. Could I alter it to hold mini-bar bottles of spirits? Hmmmm.

What do you create for your holiday? Are you trying something new? Do share, I'd love to hear (and be jealous) of your creations.

Dealing with things ASD and Grey

2011-11-10T11:41:00.001-05:00

One of the things I've noticed when spending time with many people with Autism Spectrum Disorder is that grey areas are very complicated. It should be either black or white, not some combination. This grey thing is not logical. Many people on the Spectrum work very well in careers where mostly concrete logic is involved, partly for this reason. It clicks. But the world is full of greys - the root of much turmoil to my ASD guy.

This year, Remembrance Day is causing great problems for Owen. He is at a stage of maturity now that he is able to take in more of the world around him. It is troubling. The "right" thing for him is peace, total peace with no fighting, ever. He can't stand seeing any fighting in sports or life, let alone trying to comprehend people trying to kill each other to win for their cause. It is absolute for him and he cannot wrap his head around the idea that soldiers may fight for a greater good, even though some may die in the process.

At school, they do many activities for Remembrance day including an assembly. Owen is supposed to sing in the choir. As you might imagine, he is highly stressed about all this. He is proud to be a member of the choir and wants to do everything with them. He is also melting down every time they talk about war. There is no reasoning through this right now. Believe me, we've tried!

So tomorrow I am going to school to help. Hopefully he can pull it together and be respectful. I know there is the option of pulling him from the assembly or school that day. But I don't want to start that precedent. It would mean many future battles over running away from anything that causes distress. I don't think he can handle the choir thing tomorrow but it is a choice for him and his teacher to work out. I'm thinking I will sit near him with quiet distractions in-hand. We will be ready to leave if we must. With any luck, he will persevere and have learned something positive from this experience.

Owen tells me in "Owenland" there is never war or fighting. People work together to help and there is a lot of pizza for everyone. I like Owenland. But I also understand and appreciated those who have lived through the dark grey times, working for brighter times. Tomorrow I will be wearing my red poppy with pride and many thoughts of peace for all.

Wordless(ish) Wednesday - November Rebel

2011-11-09T16:06:00.000-05:00

Self portrait which I will call "Final Fall Frolic With Sandals"

A work of art. Well, not really. But I did have a moment today when I noticed it was frickin' November and I was wearing sandals and no jacket. I wanted to get photo proof and it works for WW. A bit lame.

In case mother nature is watching my frolicking, I got snow tires installed and bought a shovel today too. So there.

Wishing I could use the "Revlio" spell right about now

2011-11-08T12:35:00.001-05:00

That would be the Harry Potter spell that reveals hidden objects. But, alas, my wand is broken and the spell isn't working.

I'm losing things. This in not good. First it was my Starbucks card. Both convenient and gets me free stuff, losing this little thing has caused me way too much pocket digging and espresso angst. Luckily they still take cash and greet me with a super-sized "What can we get started for you today!?!", so I still feel the love.

More seriously, I have misplaced the tickets for "Mamma Mia" next week. ACK!!! This is very, very bad. Yes, I am about 90% sure I could get those puppies reissued and pick 'm up at the box office. I doubt I'm the first to lose these things. But still, I feel like a great big dumb dork losing those tickets. I remember seeing the envelope (and squealing) and thinking "I really should put those somewhere safe."
So either
a) I did put them somewhere so safe that I can't find them,
b) I am hallucinating or
c) (my favourite option) my husband, in his cleaning frenzy, tossed them in the recycling that was picked up yesterday.
None of these options mean I have the damn tickets.

Yesterday, after the recycling truck probably stole them, I spent way too much time indoors sorting papers. Sure I found several bits of paperwork that had to be dealt with and sent back to the school as well as missing medical reports, lost addresses and money. Ya, whatever. They are not the tickets! I suppose it is a good thing to find a little bit more order around here. *sigh* Time to give up, admit defeat and call the box office.

I am going to continue to work on the spell though. It would be rather handy as would "Scourigify" , "Reparo"and I'll throw in a "Wingardium Leviosa" as well. You never know when it will come in handy.

Bright idea in my usual dimness

2011-11-07T11:28:00.000-05:00

From time to time, I come up with an idea that actually works. This is one.

I was getting tired of the tons of papers and requests for buying things through the school when the Scholastic book order came in. All those colourful books laid out for kids to pick leads to long discussions of choices and questions on whether they really do want a series on slime on their bookshelves or do you actually need another formula Daisy Meadows Fairy book? Still, books are awesome and I love my kids reading.

Crappy photo of our the book budget.

So, we've made a yearly book budget. For each kid there is a $10 per month budget until June for a $90 total. They can spend it all now, later, or spread it out. They can choose Scholastic books or choose to buy things from other book stores. Amazingly, it is working!

Laura loves shopping and will usually buy things without hesitation if she thinks she may want it. At first she was pushing her credit to the limit, overwhelmed by all the possibilities out there. However, seeing her declining balance has made her more choosy. She can get what she wants and is more aware of limits. Having the budget just for books narrows what she has to choose from to a category. This keeps her from being overwhelmed and there are no more arguments about it. Win-win.

Owen spent his first book money yesterday. He is my natural-born miser and really has to be encouraged to spend what is his. He sees that the money is there and it his for the spending without it digging in to his personal stash. The system is working for him.

The kids are also aware that some things are more worth investing in than others. Books that they will devour cover-to-cover or use as an ongoing reference are great to keep. If the book looks "cheap", too expensive, only mildly interesting or you just aren't sure - you make give it a pass. They have other options too. We go to the library weekly so there are tons of choices there too for books they may not want to buy. Christmas lists can be made for some of the other books they like.

It's nice to think that things sometimes work out even better than you plan. Now all I have to do is trick myself into budgeting properly on my own impulse purchases. Maybe the kids can give me a hand.

Time change ain't no blessing

2011-11-06T16:08:00.000-05:00

Fall back usually involves a whole lot of stumbles around here. Each year I think that somehow I will benefit from the extra hour of sleep, you know, sleeping. I've heard people do that. It is not to be so.

My kids, who are early risers at the best of times, were up at quarter past ridiculous acting like bloody roosters on corn crack. Apparently daddy smells and I am the chosen ~~victim~~ one. Lucky me. It's so very special to see the sunrise. The hour gained has turned into several extra hours of TV - lucky them. Next time change I'm sleeping in my car.

OMG! Could I PLEASE get a moment?

2011-11-05T18:59:00.000-04:00

This is the 8th time I've sat down at the computer to blog. Seriously. I cannot get a moment to myself! You would think I lived at mission control with the whole universe depending on my immediate response. "Mom! Did you know this is a 2009 version of the train schedule? I NEEEEEED the 2011!" *bounce! bounce*. (That just happened, really.) So where was I? "Mom! I have the note to the tooth fairy! Where do I put it?!" BRB.

I am definitely ON all weekend long. My duties start after school on Friday and end with school drop off on Monday. No wonder I drink too much coffee. I foolishly thought I would be letting go more by now. However, the demands, though evolving, are still resting on my very achy shoulders. I need to know all, be all and do all. And I am tired of it. Sure I get the odd moment and yes, my husband can cook and do some chores. All kid related crap still rests on me. And what isn't kid related crap? Apparently nothing.

So today I went on strike.... for maybe 15 minutes ... then DD came and cuddled with me and showed me her cute craft and I immediately caved. Then I ate some chocolate, played some "Angry Birds" and went back to it. So I guess I like this job. All thoughtful blog-writing will occur weekdays after kids are at school and my 2nd cup of coffee.

Being the shameful, unoriginal mom that I am, I "borrowed this cartoon from here.

Knowing Me, Knowing You - November 2011

2011-11-04T09:14:00.000-04:00

Yay! Shannon over at Tales From The Fairy Blogmother has posted the November KMKY! My blog entry is set for the day plus it's just plain fun to see what everyone contributes.

1. What keeps you up late at night?

Usually, when my DH is travelling, I stay up way too late doing useless things like channel-surfing (like I really need to watch movies from the 90s) or Facebook-ing. Then I get all grumpy the next morning at my uselessness. I really do need my 7+ hours of sleep.

2. Do you collect anything?
Not really. Unless you consider hoarding "collecting". Well not so much hoarding as just not dealing with the various things that pile up on the counters. Are mismatched socks considered a collectible?

3. Are you addicted to Angry Birds?
A little bit. I blogged about it. 'Tis a strangely addicting game which, I'm sure, has something educational about it for the kids and me. Quality time together spent flinging birds. It should be on a Hallmark card soon.

4. What's your idea of a perfect evening?
That depends entirely on my mood. As the weather chills, I tend to crave the comforts of fireplaces, comedy or adventure shows with a glass of red wine in hand. There would be no dishes to do and contented kids. If I'm feeling social, I love a great evening out with friends, eating at a restaurant or going out someplace fun.

5. Are you looking forward to winter?
After I get the snow tires on and after the mitts and other winter gear has been sorted, then yes, I do like winter. I try to get into some kind of outdoor winter activity to make the season more fun. When you are dressed for it, the kids winter excitement can be contagious. Comfort foods and Christmas are a couple of big winter pluses too.

Wanna play KMKY too? Go for it! Link back to Shannon's site and check out the other answers.

Random Thought Thursday

2011-11-03T21:09:00.000-04:00

Given my inability to put two cohesive thoughts together tonight, I'm thinking Random Though Thursdays may be my new thing. Here's stuff that crossed my distracted mind today.

Why, why, WHY do I always seem to volunteer for field trips on cold drizzly days with loud boys whacking each other and why did my son insist on us sitting at the very back of the bus? Seriously!
My daughter loves to argue with me about math facts. Does she really think that the more she uses her tone, the math will be more right? Good luck baby!
Chocolate really does cure a lot of woes. Especially chocolate consumed after being on a bus of 10 year olds, post field trip in the rain.
I need more time with grown ups.
I NEED to go to the craft show thingy tomorrow, without children and with a big wad of cash. Who cares if there is nothing I really need to buy, I will pretend I am Christmas shopping... and it will be something to blog about later.
Why do I think putting words in italics will really make these random thoughts make more sense?
Should it be italics or italic? I don't really know. Nor do I care. Am I worried someone will be grading this thing?
I'm tired and really should be going to bed.

There. Riveting. Do take pity on me, come back and visit again. Please?! I promise to put more brain into the next NaBloPoMo post. Day 3, over and out.

Wednesday... Boo!

2011-11-02T15:31:00.000-04:00

And then it was Wednesday again and I was saved by pulling images from the camera and using very few words to blog.

My witch and mad scientist

Minnie mouse pumpkin, a lame attempt at Spartycat and Luau pumpkin

The gang showing off their amazing costumes.

We had a great time trick or treating with friends, our previous neighbours who came into town for the event. Much candy was had and we could hardly move the next morning. Next year I'm handing out carrots.

Welcome November

2011-11-01T10:40:00.000-04:00

Ah, my least favourite month of the year has begun. It is cold, grey and usually sucks with unhappy memories of difficult times. Burrowing seems sensible and chocolate in generous portions. Bah humbug!

But not this time. This year is different. We have travel plans in a few weeks - Australia for a friend's wedding! I am looking forward to the great travel adventure with no kids in tow.

I will also be attempting to do the fun and challenging NaBloPoMo November challenge. I liked doing it last year and hopefully it will encourage me to spend my time not burrowing and eating chocolate.

So Welcome November. Bring it on.

Wordless Wednesday: Pumpkins

2011-10-26T12:53:00.000-04:00

I helped manage the annual Celebrity Pumpkin Carving Auction Fundraiser for Children At Risk this past weekend. Tons of work and plenty of creativity went into these gourds of art. Here are some of my faves. The event raised about $10 000 for the charity. Awesome.

SpartyCat - brought by Sparty himself

I feel like I'm being watched...

Love this witchy one

Angry Birds! with Hamish, the Scot in the back.

Apple pumpkin.

Cinderella Pumpkin

The pumpkin that scared herself white.

Wordless Wednesday: Leap!

2011-10-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

Trying to focus on other things today so thought I'd share some of our photos from the gorgeous Thanksgiving weekend. Much to be thankful for today.

Difficult

2011-10-11T21:24:00.000-04:00

It's the first word I am attempting to put on this shocking sadness that is washing over me. Difficult to process, difficult times ahead.

I have just heard that Owen's Akala (head Cub leader) passed away suddenly over the weekend from a heart attack. I don't think she was even 40 yet. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her in her involved life.

So now I am going through the difficult task of finding the words and ways of explaining the loss of someone he knew well to our boy. We have been lucky so far at not losing a family member so haven't had to delve too deeply into death discussions. I guess part of being a parent, an adult, is that you take on the difficult, even when you don't want to, because you have to do it.

The words will come, the emotions too, and we will get through. Keeping Robin's family in our thoughts and prayers tonight.

Cookie Fortune

2011-10-07T14:11:00.000-04:00

Forever looking for lunchbox content, I have been known to browse Bulk Barn hoping for inspiration for what seems like hours. No nuts, no sesame, no shellfish (though I have only considered sending lobster while listening to sea shanties on an over-tired weeknight.). Part of me thinks that there will be a flashing light over the ultimate snack in the barn-of-too-many-choices. Something that both kids will like and will bring them energy & brilliant thoughts during the day. A mom can dream. Yet this week I seem to have come quite close to that perfect pick.

There, in the third aislewithout a flashing light, was the bulk fortune cookie bin. Food and entertainment rolled into one. Scooping up a bag full to go with my beloved chocolate covered pretzels (not suitable for children, I say), I head home to pack something new in the lunch.

Lunch was a happy occasion for both. The results could not be more accurate for my two kids:

Laura's reads "You are strongly tuned in to those around you." Yep, that's my girl! Her Brownie leader commented on her amazing help the past few weeks with the younger, shy girls. She gladly leaps in to make things right for others. Those words would not ring true for Owen, but these do: "Others are deeply moved by your presence." OK, maybe that is going a wee bit too far, but when that puppy gets his passion going, look out! I am tremendously moved when he does something I never think he's capable of doing like riding his bike or coping through a difficult time.

Flashing light or not, that bin was a just what I needed that day. Stay tuned for some future post about me making the ultimate fortune cookie from scratch with witty fortunes inside. Um, well, that may take a while.

Stupid iPad

2011-09-30T14:36:00.000-04:00

Hello little blog. I have missed you. Where have I been? Well, I'll tell ya.

It all started innocently enough. My husband was about to go away on a business trip. He was leaving on my birthday and justifiably full of guilt. Prime time to pull out the sweet martyr-devil combo from my back pocket. "Well, since you'll be away and, you know, we've vaguely, while finishing a big bottle of wine, talked about getting an iPad, why don't we get one for my birthday?" Yep, hooked.

And yes, I love it. I love it way too much. I am loading up apps like some kind of cyber junkie. Hours are spent doing useful things like seeing if there is cat alarm clock app (yep, there is) and loading up games for the kids. There are TED talks to watch, movies to peruse and radio stations from Australia to listen to. Need a recipe? There's an app for that. I've downloaded my first e-book and it is as much fun to play with the features as it is to read. The possibilities are endless and I feel like I've only just begun to use the little beast to it's full potential.

However, the biggest time-waster by far has been stupid Angry Birds. Arrrrgh! How can I get sucked into hours of time firing a sling-slot with birds on it at ridiculous objects and green pigs! Unbelievable! And yet, I played it again today. I have no will-power. I wonder if they have an app for that? Or at least a an i-support group. I will never soothe those birds and I need to get back to the real world.

Rollercoaster of Emotions

2011-08-23T14:41:00.000-04:00

It is never dull in the land of ASD. Owen is growing, and along with this comes maturing in the ways of the social world. It is a confusing labyrinth to him at times. Lately we have been dealing with disappointments.

It is a beautiful day and we ride bikes to the school park. Owen wants to do more biking so I give him more freedom to explore on his own than he has ever had before. He is thrilled to tell me that there is a lemonade stand down the street and can he go get some. Well, sure, except he has to bike home to get some money first. He does this but by the time he gets there, the lemonade stand has closed up and disappeared. Heartbreak city. Here he is being totally responsible, biking safely, asking permission, getting his own allowance for the treat and it is yanked away from him. Putting aside my desire to go yell at the kids who had the nerve to close down the lemonade stand even though the sign was clearly still up, I try to console my crying 10 year old. It is not possible. We had a plan and it wasn't working through no fault of his own. That's not what he expected. *sigh* We make our way home and make our own lemonade. It works, for now.

It is tempting to want to shelter the kids from difficult times. Get rid of those road bumps that make the ride rough. He wanted to drive around down until we found an open lemonade stand but we didn't. We worked through it eventually. My friend reminded me recently that there is such a gift that you give your kids when you allow them to struggle and work through the difficult times on their own. They learn and they gain confidence in themselves.

I'm not sure what it will take for him to find his path through disappointment. It can be hard for those of us who bend easily but so much harder for those who see the world in black and white. But, like riding a bike, it comes with time, practice, band aids and a little distraction. And it is worth it.

Wordless (mostly) Wednesday - Fishing

2011-07-20T09:03:00.000-04:00

They are SO eager to go fishing at the cottage, begging me to pack the rods and asking almost as soon as we arrive. I don't do fish. But I am an awesome mom so grab gloves, net, and pliers to handle the unlucky catches anyway. Laura doesn't actually want a hook on hers. Um, ???? Owen does about five casts and is done. Score! They are content, I have no fish to deal with. Another contrived memory at the cottage. Priceless.

Monday Moments: Alike

2011-07-18T12:48:00.001-04:00

This is a thing Brie does at Capital Mom, writing on a theme word and seeing what comes of it. Here is my spontaneous first attempt.

Alike. It seems I have a mini-me in my daughter. She looks like me, like how I looked at 8. Our hair is very similar and our eyes. She is even ~~cursed~~ blessed with my personality – part shy and quiet, part curious, seeing humour in daily things, happy alone but also liking being with others. We are not perfectionists but see the big picture, solving problems but sometime overwhelmed into inaction. It is all part of the package that comes with this genetic bond and our family ways.

At this stage in her life, she doesn’t mind that we are alike. She looks up to me (and I to her). But I know what is coming. Those teenage years when we try so hard to forge our own identity. Saying “I know, I understand, I’ve been there” will fall on deaf ears as she struggles to find her individuality. It will not be me to whom she talks about her problems. We are too close and I may be that problem. There will be times when she will deny much about herself that is like me. I hope I have the strength and wisdom to get through these times.

After these rocky years, I hope she embraces the person she is, exactly as she is. She is amazing, quirks and all. I know, I understand, I’ve been there. For I am a bit of a mini-me of my mother. It is something I appreciate now, all the ways in which we are alike.

KMKY July 2011

2011-07-15T15:18:00.000-04:00

Knowing me, Knowing you - July 2011

Thank god someone's mind has not turned to summer mush. Shannon's monthly interview project yanks me out of my lazy zone and back into writing something. Here she goes.

1. It's less than 6 months until Christmas, have you started your shopping yet?

Bahahaha! Really? Why I am the queen of procrastinators and will not be doing this until about the second week of December in a cold panic. That's why everyone gets gift cards or things you can get at the grocery store.

2. What's your guilty pleasure?

Where to begin that I can actually post on my blog? I am totally hooked on Nature Valley Sweet and Salty Dark Chocolate granola bars. I lurk on facebook at least 10 times a day, trolling for friends. Amazing Race hour is an pure me-time and heaven help the poor soul who interrupts me.

3. Are you on Pinterest?

I had no idea what this was until I looked it up just now. Looks interesting, but another way to spend too much time of my life on the computer.

4. Popsicle or an ice cream cone?

Ice cream cone, preferably sugar cone with a single scoop of something decadent like Death By Chocolate or something on it. Yum!

5. Are your toes painted?

Yes. Purple right now, rather chipped. Love it when I get a spa pedi to make it nice but I'll slash away at my own toes in a pinch, remover close at hand. I love having colourful toes - usually pinks, purples and plums. One day I'll leap out of my comfort zone and do something more dramatic... on my way to my tropical island holiday with tropical drink in hand....

Happy July!

Thrill of an evening out and the agony of da feet.

2011-07-05T10:59:00.001-04:00

Only two more sleeps! BOLO is coming and it will undoubtedly be a wonderful evening out with fantastic Ottawa bloggers sharing their stuff. I’m ridiculously excited, partially ‘cause I don’t get out much and partially ‘cause I get to be a grown-up for a whole evening.

So what to wear?! I have the dress, jewellery and even toenail polish worked out, but I’m stuck on my feet. You see, there is just not much you can do with my size 10 puppies. I used to just go into the store and ask for whatever they had in my size. Now the stores are so much better at stocking for big feet. Thank you cross-dressing fashionistas! So now I have choice.

In my mind, my feet are elegant and I can rock the three-inch strappy heels with style. I even bought some on a whim:

And I must have been way too happy, elevated on a double low-fat latte or something when I got these at a vintage store:

I have a hard time not tipping over in them. In either case, my feet are telling me that I can’t actually rock these and expect them not to complain after fifteen minutes. All very well as my next career as a super-model but I’d really rather enjoy the evening than whine about my feet and twisted ankles.

So then there are the comfort options:

Both extremely ~~fetching~~ comfortable… a little too causal perhaps. Hmmm. Well, there are the old stand-by options.

Um, no. Stunning as they are, I will have to work a little harder on the look.

Not bad. They have a bit of bling and I can wear them all night. I’m just not sure.

Well, whatever. Seriously, who is going to be looking at my feet while so many awesome bloggers share their amazing work anyway? I’ll be the one in the fuzzy slippers and a huge smile on my face. Perhaps I’m a trend-setter!

My Dark Side

2011-06-22T21:45:00.001-04:00

No, seriously, there really is a dark side to me.... somewhere... hidden behind the "Sorry, my foot ran into your shopping cart" and the super-smiley face that won't turn off. Oh, yes. I have deep secret, nasty thoughts that come out from time to time. Today, I will let you into my scary world of pet peeves.

Laundry. You seem innocent enough, but you mock me every time I go tackle a load. The washer and dryer doors are backwards. Aaagggghhhhhhh! Can you feel the seething hatred? I have to unload into a basket, shift over the basket and then load up the dryer. Oh, the time wastage! And if I innocently think I can skip the basket, I lose a sock or something on my not so clean floor. Does it have to be washed again? Do I throw caution to the wind and put it in the backwards dryer anyway? Way too complicated. I am not even going to discuss the great drama of unmatchable socks that come out of the dryer. I swear I put both in! I need a drink.

People who are too obsessed with cleanliness to enjoy life. Too annoying to visit someone and have them apologize for the mess (a shoe not in the closet or something) while I have to wear my sunglasses indoors to protect my eyes from the gleam off the counter. Arrggghhh! Mess?! You can't handle the mess, lady! Even more annoying is when you are trying to have a real conversation and she is mopping the floor you just walked over. Way too much effort. If those unmatched socks don't meet up before sundown, I ain't panicking. I'm just sayin' there are more important ways to spend your time.... like on the internet reading blogs... for ... hours....

Also, people who do not pick up after their dogs (Yuck! Enough said.), that drinking alcohol can make you gain weight (very unfair!), that the morning that you have a good hair day is also the day you get a zit on your nose and when people don't get my strange sense of humour. I'm sure I could come up with some more pet peeves but my moment of darkness has passed. Anyone care for some sunshine and lollipops? (Just kidding! I hope you are following this sense of humour thing or I'll add you to the p.p. list.)

Phew! It feels SO much better to get that off my chest. Like a weight has been lifted. Stay tuned for the next voyage into darkness where I talk about times I've given people the evil eye. (I'm still working on that. Mostly people think I have a twitch or something without much fear entering their hearts.)

Lessons from my girl's birthday party

2011-06-19T09:42:00.000-04:00

She's almost practically eight now. No longer my wee bundle of pink sweetness and not quite ready to toss me to the wolves. It's a great age (except when she melts down when I do something wrong like telling her she can't play with paint in her bedroom - but I digress.) It worked out better than I expected and I thought I'd share my rare words of wisdom with y'all.

Yesterday I did something my 25 year-old self would never have expected me to do - hosted a very girley pedicure party for my daughter. So begins the lessons. You don't have to be tough to be strong. Go ahead and have colourful nails, wear dresses, allow the guy to open the door for you. If it makes you happy, you are being true to yourself. I will not say "Careful you don't chip a nail!", while you hang upside-down in your party dress on the climber after eating your third cupcake. That's the kind of freedom my 25 year-old self wanted for her daughter. Laura's the one who loves fixing things with power tools and wearing nail polish while she does it. That's my girl.

Girlfriends are gold. My DH is out of town but I threw the party anyway. My sister/best friend and Allison/BFF were there for me. It was like having clones only way better and more fun. I opened the door in my pre-party panic, grunted something in "stress-ese", and things magically happened. Tables were set, photos taken and hyper little girls were entertained. I enjoyed the party as much as Laura. I am so thankful for wonderful friends and want my children learn the value of friendship early in life. I hope I lead by example and she finds many BFFs that are more than skin-deep.

Don't sweat the small stuff. I usually make or order some kind of awesome cake for birthdays. I've had fun with this over time but something has to give when the to-do list is running off the page. So we had cupcakes, from a mix, with sprinkles. Ta da! Not spectacular but it doesn't matter - it's sweet cake stuff and there were no complaints (except from prima-donna girl who complains about everything so all I heard was "blah-blah-I don't do sweet things - blah" and I don't think she's BFF material for my girl anyway.) There was purple and pink and the fruit went just as fast. Priority was the pedicure part and giggly time with the friends so that's where I put my effort.

Finally, Pedicure parties need to be for grown-ups too. It was awesome! I had a local esthetician come over and do the thing with her colleague. She brought all the gear including the lovely zero-gravity chairs with her. We set up a spa room and the girls chilled out with peaceful music (I'm going to put that on ALL the time), vanilla candles, warm towels on their faces with cucumbers on their eyes, while their toes got painted a rainbow of colours. Now I need to book one of these parties for me and my friends. Any takers?

Random thoughts about the great Florida escape

2011-06-13T13:36:00.000-04:00

Oooo, catchy title! Goes with my inability to put together anything blog-worthy in the last little while. However, Disney vacation stuff will have to do for now.

Once you get over the fact that it takes two and a half DAYS to get there by cluttered automobile, it’s damn expensive and commercial extreme, it’s worth it. We had a great time. We knew that getting there was going to be a journey (never to be repeated!) but packed for road trip fun. Taking the auto-train helped, even if you can’t sleep in the shoebox they call a family cabin. And, hey, it’s Florida – home of the big Mouse, sun, surf, yummy orange juice and golf ‘n gators. What more could you want?

Joy of Car Repairs

2011-05-13T13:18:00.001-04:00

It being mid-May, I feel I may be safe in having my winter tires removed from my trusty car. When I did the other car, it snowed the next day. So, apologies in advance if I somehow have caused weather mayhem due to my careless summer optimism. Off to the dealership I head.

Anyway, a trip to the garage is usually a big PIA experience. I usually expect the bill to be $500 with all that they find wrong in addition to my requested service, but not yesterday. For I have discovered that Nissan has tricked me into thinking I’m a worthy customer with their ploys.

Step 1 – Arrive at spotless service department to friendly technicians who treat me with respect and do exactly what I ask. How odd!

Step 2 – Head to lounge upstairs. I’m offered a complementary cup of decent coffee from the cafe. I could have lunch too, if I wanted. There’s free Wi-Fi, and a kid’s play area – enclosed and clean. I’m not sure where I am.

Step 3 – Go to lounge room with massage chairs, relaxed lighting and radio with soothing stuff on it to bliss out to my heart’s content. Ahhhhh… Here’s proof:

After I am mush, I don’t really care how much the car service bill is. The car is finished on time and I am relaxed. Not too bad a way to spend an hour waiting for my car.

Knowing Me, Knowing You–May 2011

2011-05-10T09:17:00.001-04:00

Woo hoo! Our dearest Fairy Blogmother has dragged us out of blog-block with the latest monthly instalment of Knowing You, Knowing Me. She asks the questions, we think, write and link. Do play along if you feel so inclined and link back to her blog to see others.

1. What was your wedding song?

‘Twas the early 90s and so we went with “Everything I Do” by Bryan Adams. So romantic and from the “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” movie that was on at the time.

2. If you could guest star on any TV show which one would you pick?

Tricky one. So many to choose but if I had to pick one, I’m going for Grey’s Anatomy here. Some yummy doctors there. Just don’t cast me in the mangled up dying chick role. I need to look my best when the love scenes come up.

3. What is your favourite children's book?

Lots to choose from. From my kids stories, I’d probably pick some Sandra Boynton classics. The “Going To Bed Book” was read over and over in the rocking chair and I have many sweet memories of that. I loved the A.A. Milne stuff when I was a wee tyke, got into “Harriet The Spy” later and have read every book by Madeline L’Engle, wishing I could be a part of them. Still love to read children’s books, whether my kids want to listen or not.

4. Did you watch the Royal Wedding?

Nope. I wish them all the best but I’m not big on the big Royal thing.

5. What is your favourite thing to have off the barbecue?

Yum! BBQ season! Almost anything is tastier on the ‘Q’. Grilled Greek food like souvlaki, a fine steak, grilled veggies… Now I’m hungry again.

Happy May!

Seven

2011-05-09T10:21:00.001-04:00

She’s seven but that rarely seems her age.

Last week she had a hair cut in a new style and suddenly she’s going on ten. The pants are shrinking and her opinions are growing.

Yet she melts down over Mother’s Day breakfast. Bagels are just too messy, you know and only toast will do. She stomps off, reflections of a pre-schooler in her stride.

Today she put on a skirt and she is all legs. She eagerly rushes to the school yard, links arms with friends and I am forgotten. When I pick her up, she will be small again – tired from the day, silly and slipping her hand into mine.

I marvel at my seven year old as we work on riding a bike. One moment she is all eagerness, determined to do it all on her own. “Faster, faster! But don’t let go mom!” Then we must stop. The bike “Jewel” is thirsty and needs a drink of clouds.

Every day is an adventure with this growing daughter. I see many reflections of myself yet she is all her own person. It is bitter-sweet to see her grow. I savour the moments, knowing how quickly they disperse. Even when she’s grown, she will always be my baby girl.

My first real cooking class = Y-U-M!

2011-05-02T16:57:00.001-04:00

That’s it! I am officially putting any fake-dieting thing I thought I might do on the shelf. I just love food too much! The cooking course I took on Saturday completely sealed the deal. I am just going to shop for bigger clothes and be done with it.

The course was at Urban Element in Ottawa. It was the “Pasta From Scratch” one which took my favourite straight-to-the-ass starch to new levels of awesomeness. I was a bit frazzled when I arrived (due to construction delays and church rummage sale parking hell). That rapidly disappeared when Orion (really – that’s his name and he was heavenly) welcomed me in with Bridgehead coffee and a perfect seat at the counter.

I went solo but had a great time meeting my class and the atmosphere was like old friends in about 45 seconds. Bruce, seated next to me, was on his 16th class and was searching for fundraising schemes to do more. We all liked the “magic sink” that we were to put our finished dishes in and they were whisked away. I think I’ll look for that feature for the next time I remodel the kitchen.

Over the next few hours, chef Stephen Pollock demonstrated how to create many types of pasta, fillings, and sauces. We all got our hands dirty, sticky and floury with our stack of recipes. After all the creations, the staff finished off and served us a wonderful lunch complete with wines.

Here are a couple that were favourites:

Cocoa Taglierini

(bottom right in plate photo)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 eggs

Salt

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour and unsweetened cocoa powder into a mound on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre. Break the eggs into the well and add a pinch of salt.

2. Using one hand or a fork, bring the flour into the egg mixture slowly without spilling. Knead thoroughly, shape into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured counter (with pasta machine, setting 2-3) into fairly thick sheets. Cut into strips about 1 ¼ inches wide.

4. Boil for 2-4 minutes. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

This pasta did not have a very strong cocoa flavour but it did have a gorgeous dark brown colour. It works well with various smooth, creamy sauces.

With the above pasta, we had this sauce.

Mascarpone Chilli Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, peeled and left whole

2 fresh bay leaves

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

½ tsp. dried red chilli, finely chopped

½ cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese

2 Tbsp. fresh tarragon

1 tsp. lemon zest

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and bay leaves. Stir occasionally until the garlic has browned. Remove the garlic and bay leaves and discard.

2. Add the mascarpone cheese, chilli and parmigiano and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Thin the sauce with water if too thick and toss with your favourite noodle, along with the fresh tarragon and lemon zest to finish. Serves 4.

This was SO awesome – rich texture and full flavour. I refrained from licking my plate but barely.

We also created a few raviolis that were big pillows of Italian happiness. I loved the ones with a pumpkin and Radicchio filling. (I’m getting writers cramp so I’ll pass on typing that one out.) Making stuffed pasta was remarkably easy and so versatile. I am looking forward to experimenting with more ideas here.

Anyway, I LOVED taking a cooking course. Urban Element has many options and if anyone would like to coordinate and join me for one in the future, I am SO in. Cheers!

Farm-tabulous Easter

2011-04-26T11:18:00.001-04:00

I’ve picked my siblings well. Not only do we get along with our same wacky sense of humour, but our families mesh real good too.

My sister lives on a 100 acre farm with cute little lambs, and many magical places for the kids to roam. We give them all enormous freedom when we visit and they usually return, dirty, tired and happy. After way too much rain this spring, Sunday was cooperating with sunshine and warmth. A perfect day to let everyone loose.

Here’s pictorial evidence of their Easter bliss.

In which we ponder music and tone deafness

2011-04-19T14:29:00.000-04:00

They owe their musical abilities to the genes of their non-musical father. Not exactly tone deaf, more lacking in any innate music sense. Laura can't follow a tune and rarely remembers the words to songs. Owen has got the rhythm of a tap dancing goat on coffee beans, God bless him. That doesn't stop them from loving music.

We started them in the Music For Young Children programme a couple of years ago. The MYC thing is excellent, covering everything from notes to music appreciation in an engaging way aimed at their age levels. Laura made it through a couple of years but just couldn't keep up. That's alright. I got over it and she has a fair understanding about music so that if she should choose to pick it up in the future, she won't be completely clueless.

Owen made it through to the end. Today is music day and he is working towards doing his preliminary theory exam in a month. Wow! Who knew?! It's not the piano part that is his forte. That boy loves his theory. It is full of logic and math principles - right up his alley. He plays poorly but his music teacher is very understanding. However, he loves music! He probably "gets it" in a different way than most people do, appreciating the patterns, pointing out facts about musicians and recognizing music styles.

We went to the NAC Family Concert Series on the weekend. Owen sat riveted, listening and watching the orchestra play. Laura giggled with her cousin and watched the dancers. They both get something out of it, even if they can't carry a tune. I am fine with this.

Sure, it would be great to have kids that could sing and play Christmas carols that seems somewhat recognizable. That ain't happening. Meanwhile, they like music. They participate in the school choirs, sing along poorly with CDs and tolerate their mother belting out show tunes. Who knows what the future holds but I do know I don't have to save up for Julliard. That works for me.

Internal battles should burn calories

2011-04-15T09:21:00.000-04:00

I am not supposed to be here, typing on the computer. I should be at the gym, working on that promise to myself to slim down and muscle up. I feel guilty and yet here I sit. Gravity is strong today. Which way will my will-power pull? It is quiet here, a peaceful moment before the din of the weekend. It makes it hard to want to move, to yank myself into action.

I need a carrot, something dangling before me to lure me away to the sweaty room of treadmills and strength building machines. Or perhaps I can scare myself with a "stick", shorts season and bathing suits. It is rare that I regret going to the gym, after I have gained the momentum.

*Sigh* I am moving. Perhaps I will get a latte after my workout - fat-free of course.

Feel the love

2011-04-14T16:14:00.000-04:00

Borrowing the feeling from Allison's post, you can feel the love in this family. After dinner this week at which we all actually ate together and even grunted somewhat pleasantly to each other. DS: mumble, mumble...Hockey \, mumble (or something like that - I tune it out after a while.) "Hey mom?" Me: "Yes?" DS: "Is dad going to be home soon?" mumble Stanley Cup mumble. Me: "Um, ya... that was the guy who sat across the table from you at dinner. He's home." DS: "Oh...ya" We are oh so functional at times. I think I might put a cardboard cut-out of me at the next music recital. It would totally fool him.

Stuff I’ve Learned About Autism

2011-04-08T12:25:00.001-04:00

So apparently it is Autism Awareness Month and I was clueless. So Happy Autism Awareness Month to you! I don’t really follow these special focus calendar events very well. I suppose it is a way to getting word out and having a focus for the cause. I didn’t notice because this is my life. I am one of those quiet behind the scenes type autism moms. Hate to cause a ruckus, you know. But there are some things that I think people should be aware of with the autism spectrum. Here are a few points to ponder.

If you've met one person with autism, you have met just one person with autism. It is drastically different between people. That's what is mysterious, frustrating and cool about it. You see some of the similarities but many things are different about autism. My guy has a great sense of humour and is creative, but in a different way than typical people. I appreciate that.

I rebelled against the word “autism” when he was first diagnosed. It didn’t fit my prejudices of people who didn’t speak (he is highly verbal) and who would never be independent. Yes, there are those who are severely affected by autism. Even non-verbal people have much to say and contribute. When the tools are found to bridge the differences, a whole world of interesting, creative and unique people can be connected. Autism is no longer a scary word for me.

Drop your assumptions. There are many times I think I know what Owen will do given a situation. He surprises me all the time. He can lose it over a book not being in the library or having to take time off school for a family vacation. He can be the most put together guy when I’m frazzled after running late and he would be delighted to stand up in front of the school to talk about something he loves. You never know. I am learning to roll with it and give him a chance at anything.

Friendships are worth the effort. Having social and communication difficulties make connecting with others seem like an alien world to kids with autism. They may not be quick to process how to play, have the right words or understand what is funny. You have to be patient, explain more and allow some time to see things from their perspective. However, you will rarely find someone more loyal, honest and eager to play by the rules as many people with autism seem to be. Their insights and observations may make it one of the most enriching friendships you could have.

I like this YouTube video by another autism mom. It shows how autism is to those who live with it.

10 Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew

Thanks for listening. Happy Autism Awareness Month!

Day two - Project Buttercup

2011-04-06T16:27:00.001-04:00

I am what you may call strong on ideas and somewhat lacking on follow through. Part of my amazing procrastinating type-B personality, I suppose. Anyway, baby steps are better than no steps. Laura melted down last night because I wouldn't let her crawl along the garage floor. Owen fell apart because some people in his class don't like the same hockey team as he does. Both went to bed rather suddenly after all that. I poured wine (for me, not children this time.) Here is what is up so far.

What's working:

The Job Jar. I like this thing. I write down a few short jobs on sunny, happy yellow paper and the kids get to pick them out of the jar. They think it's a game! Oh so cleaver. 'Tis early days yet so the wheels are bound to fall off that merry band waggon some time. Meanwhile we're rolling with it. They fight over who gets to help with laundry and squeal happily when I show my amazement at the vacuuming.

One meal prepared. Well, that sort of worked. I made tortellini and Owen didn't want it so I handed him a bun and butter and told him to go crazy. No complaints and I had fewer dishes.

What's not:

Um, the TV is still on. That would be my fault. I'm tired and I want to hear no issues while I take an hour to check the computer. However, we did go out for a bike ride to the park before the TV went on and Owen did his homework first too. So I guess that's progress.

Better run. Now Laura is begging to do her homework. Weird.

Thanks for the comments and words of wisdom as well as humour yesterday. All greatly appreciated!

Suck It Up, Buttercup

2011-04-05T09:15:00.001-04:00

One of the perils of being a stay at home mom is that I feel like I have to be a master at this self-imposed title. The perfect parent, with a home of happy, thriving children – well worth the 100% time I devote to the effort.

This is a problem. It seems I have spent too much time equating great kids with kids that are happy most of the time. Oops. I run around after them, picking up their things, finding lost precious objects, buying the objects in the first place for no reason except their happiness. They get meals largely to their liking, even if they are different from the meal I make for myself. They watch too much TV and do too little to help around the house. They are spoiled. I am exhausted.

So this morning, I have had enough. Laura came in at 6:00 am, wanting to do a sewing project right then and burst into tears as soon as I refused. Owen was obsessively grumpy that I had taken back the book from the library that he had for months and that none of the other hundred books in his room would do for his immediate gratification. There is much whining in our castle. I suck, apparently.

Well, I have snapped. Suck it up, buttercup. Time to stop raising spoiled children. This is not what I want for my offspring and I have done an amazing job of enabling them to be a little prince and princess with me as their servant. This has to stop. I don’t want to have young adults incapable of taking care of themselves and expecting the world to be delivered to them. They deserve a life where they can live up to their full potential. How will they ever know what that is if I keep sugar-coating all they know?

It is time to toughen up. I am sacrificing my supermom status, starting today. They are going to make more decisions for themselves. They are going to help out more to the best of their ability and be a bigger part of the functioning of this house. It will be tough for me to make this work, to not slide back into my accommodating ways. But they are worth it. And so am I.

50 Things That Make Me Feel Normal

2011-03-28T10:34:00.001-04:00

Carrying on the tradition of stealing ideas from other people, I give you this. Thanks to Patti at Still Breathing and her awesome writing for the inspiration, and with whom I cannot hope to keep up.

I should start by saying that the "normal" I define here is largely subjective and basically means I feel alright with myself and not like a huge blight on society when I'm in this "normal" state. Not to be confused with what other people think of as normal - way too dull. Make sense? Didn't think so.

1. Loving coffee

2. Walking/hiking out in nature

3. Having little birds eat out of my hand when on said walks

4. Breathing deeply in the woods and smelling the “greenness” of it all.

5. Hugging my kids

6. Being best friends with my soulmate husband guy

7. Chocolate

8. Smiling too much

9. Laughing, sometimes inappropriately and to myself

10. Talking to myself

11. Trying to help, even when there is nothing I can do

12. Being ridiculously optimistic

13. Listening

14. Volunteering my time

15. Medication to make me balanced

16. Accepting that I need this medication to be 100% myself and being alright with that.

17. Listening to all kinds of music.

18. Singing loudly in the car on a solo drive.

19. The first few hours of time to myself on a Monday when everyone has gone back to school and work

20. Getting lost in a good book.

21. Getting lost in a mediocre episode of “Amazing Race”

22. Getting lost on a drive but finding my way with my old fashioned map book.

23. Laughing with my mother on the phone about life

24. Being with my sister no matter what our moods are. We are close.

25. Being thankful.

26. That feeling I get when I’ve pushed myself to go to the gym and had a good workout.

27. Friends who take you how you are.

28. Friends who bring out the best in you.

29. Appreciating friends for who they are and how their differences make our lives rich.

30. Exploring city neighbourhoods and finding hidden gems in them

31. A really good sleep

32. A really good warm shower

33. Losing track of time on the weekends.

34. Playing with my cat

35. Watching a sappy chick-flick, happy ending and all

36. Appreciating silence

37. Baking something and eating it hot from the oven.

38. Accepting that these extra pounds are not coming off if I continue to do 32 and being somewhat OK with that.

39. Not stepping on the scale

40. Pretending to be confident.

41. Playing games with my kids.

42. Being done with playing games with the kids after 20 minutes and having enough of my Monopoly fill for the month.

43. Being a superhero to my kids

44. Taking pride in my children’s accomplishments – both typical and atypical ones.

45. Travelling and dreaming about travelling

46. Trying something new.

47. Taking comfort in old favourites

48. Making time to be creative and appreciating creativity in others

49. Writing for my own pleasure.

50. Gaining wisdom

KYKM–The March 2011 Edition

2011-03-18T10:45:00.001-04:00

Yay! Shannon saves my blog-blocked day with her somewhat regular edition of Knowing You Knowing Me. Do join in with comments or with official play and linky so that I know that someone reads this thing from time to time. (My inner narcissist seems to be clambering for attention again.)

1. Do you consider yourself a foodie?

Well, not a big foodie but I really do like to eat good food. That would be why my middle is expanding and I can’t say no to fresh baked goods or stuff with chocolate in it. I am getting more particular though. I’ll take dark chocolate over milk chocolate prefer to dine on meals that take longer than 10 minutes to make. Does that count? And I am taking my very first real cooking course in a month at Urban Element – both exciting and terrifying. But they serve wine so I’m sure it will all work out.

2. Are you a spender or a saver?
Hmmm. I’m not sure as I am not good at either. Probably more of a spender but my guilt keeps me from spending oodles of money on myself. I can buy tons of useless things for the kids, no problem. I think I need to work on that. Luckily my DH does a good job with the saving and anything requiring responsibility. Otherwise my procrastinator ways would get me in deep doo-doo.

3. What was the last movie you saw?
Watched “Becoming Jane” last night with my mom. ‘Twas rather P&P-ish – no surprise. However, a lovely diversion and the sort of movie I don’t mind watching with my mom when she’s been visiting for several days and I have run out of sensible conversation.

4. What is the closest book to you?
Does the Cub Handbook count? Being mom-of-the-year, I am working on making Owen earn another badge. It is a lot of work for me having him in Cubs! Reading Left Neglected for a book club which is the book on my bedside table, a little further away.

5. Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Sort of. We aren’t Irish but it is tons of fun to wear green, drink a brew and sing Irish shanties. We have somehow started a tradition of having the kids do a treasure hunt throughout the house and find clues to a “ pot of gold” – a black bag filled with chocolate coins and other dollar store crap. Fun to watch the enthusiasm. We ate green stuff (mostly veggies) last night and I bought little St. Paddy’s day cupcakes to amuse them.

How about you? What would you answer to these questions? Do comment below.

Chillin', Mickey Style

2011-03-12T20:17:00.000-05:00

It's in the air. I can feel it somewhere around the corner. Spring! I am SO ready for it to arrive. And things are looking up, generally. DH will be home in less than a week. It is March break and there is no school to stress about. No one is sick or having a migraine or anything right now. And the upside to buckets of rain lately is that I see bare pavement and blades of grass under the snow forts outside. I am .... happy.

The big mood lifter was that happy commercial mouse. We scored FREE tickets to "Disney on Ice" for today. (This is thanks to the Sens Foundation who are tremendously supportive to community groups. Yet another reason to love our NHL team, rock bottom or not.) Not just any tickets - box suite tickets - complete with our own bathroom for goodness sake. I was as happy as the kids. Something about sinking into fantasy, childhood stuff that has nothing to do with the day to day.

Here are the kids and a friend in the sweet suite. I could get used to this.

Happy March break y'all!

Feeling twisted

2011-03-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

I seem to have forgotten how to write. No worries mate, I'll just tell you about a cooking experiment - twisty home made soft pretzels.

Steve is away for a too long business trip and I am craving comfort. Having lost a few pounds in my attempt at a health kick, I feel the need to put them back on immediately with comforting carbs. I haven't attempted pretzels before but I was strangely up for the challenge. Then serendipitously, Allison came by and bravely helped with the procedure. It's much more fun with company.

Got the recipe here and tweaked it a bit because I just can't follow instructions. Call me a rebel.

I included some whole wheat flour to make it "healthy" and baked it longer than they said. Here's what came out:

Not too shabby and they tasted pretty yummy. Laura helped with some of the shapes and then made up some kind of mystery dough with flour, water and cinnamon. Half the joy was in the making and it made a dreary day much more tolerable. I'm going to pull out the ole bread machine more often. It makes the house smell delicious!

Comparing and Perspective

2011-02-28T09:44:00.001-05:00

It’s been an “aspie” weekend for Owen. He has melted down about coming to dinner and changes in plans. He is tired, he is hyper, he is unpredictable. This is typical for him sometimes. It is not fun but I get it.

A wonderful long-time friend writes about her life and her child with special needs on her blog. As a guest blogger, she wrote this entry this week. It has sparked thought about my own boy, where he is now, what his future holds.

The comparing started when Owen was just a baby. We desperately need to connect with other new moms as we figure out this little being that doesn’t come with an owner’s manual. Does your baby sleep through the night? Not mine – put one in the fail column. How many words does he speak? Why isn’t he crawling yet? (fail and fail) Crap. I have a bad case of “comparititus” where I measure worth according to others. What am I doing wrong? Doctors reassure and I am comforted. I make a choice to stop comparing and start focussing on my son’s world as it is for him. He is happy (mostly) and thriving in his own way. I let go the idea that he will ever be able to play on a team or drop in on a friend to play. We organize alternative activities.

This comparing creeps up often over the years. It is painful to see him with peers at times. He is socially unable to connect rapidly enough to make conversation flow. He is narrowly focused and it is hard to engage him in the interests of others. He grows, learns and tries to adapt but his peer group outpaces him. We are lucky enough to be in an area where he is protected from bullying and supported by his community. He is also not highly aware of how different he is and for this I am thankful.

The future is scary when I dare to compare. Will he live independently like his peers? Will he be able to have relationships? What kind of job will he be able to hold? It is all far from typical. I try to plan without comparing. It is hard, but I am hopeful.

His future will be not "typical" but I like to believe that the boundaries are largely unlimited. The growing pains are the hard part and somehow we get through them. When I think about what I hope for him, it is not that he be like everyone else but that he finds and thrives at things that he is passionate about. Passion is something he has in abundance. Some will be typical, some will be unusual, but all will come from the heart and be supported by those who love him.

We interrupt the February blahs to bring you this

2011-02-22T12:12:00.001-05:00

I’ve got some serious February-blah-itis going on here. It’s cold, I have no energy and my kid is home sick. Bleck. So what is a mom to do? Surf the web for amusing videos of course.

First up is care of Andrea at A Peek Inside the Fishbowl. Who knew animal names could be so musical?

Dogs and cats and…

Then there is the never-ending delight of Big Bang Theory. I guarantee I will not be answering my phone to talk to my own mother when Big Bang is on.

Not the best video quality but I love the clips…

Ditto for Modern Family. I try not to drink tea while watching lest it spurt out my nose.

Charades

Funny ads. I am easily amused, you know.

:-)

And this still makes me laugh. My kitty does this. We go through a lot of ink just to play with the cat. I need a life.

Meow!

OK, I feel better. Let me know if you have any others I should watch. I am always in need of amusement.

Rolling with it

2011-02-20T14:25:00.001-05:00

Or trying to anyway. I have managed to do many things wrong this week.

I ate way too much cake making me feel gross and and gain back the 100 grams of weight I have been able to lose this year. (Stupid cake raffle!)
I managed to switch my contacts causing blurriness in one eye for three days before I clued in to my mistake.
I have been ignoring my son’s cough which sounded like a cat expelling fur balls and dismissing it as him doing it for entertainment. Except now he is running a fever and there ain’t a walk-in clinic open or accepting anyone for miles. How old does your child have to be to give him hot toddys?
I made it a “camp mom” day on the Friday PD day and in a quest to entertain the kids got sucked into buying yet another build-a-bear (they are so darn cute!) and dealing with the meltdown when the fluffy friend went AWOL several times in the last 48 hours.

So, to somehow salvage what is left of my sanity, today has been a great day for watching endless hours of Disney. They deserve it, I deserve it. May I return to being mom-of-the-year again tomorrow.

Let there be CAKE!

2011-02-14T16:49:00.001-05:00

The school holds a cake raffle every year to raise money for school council. Being the great school citizens that we are, and because I LOVE cake, I let my kids have ballots to pick a cake they like. And knowing my kids, aiming to avoid meltdowns and having the spirit of awesome mom-ness flowing through me, I made an emergency back-up cake lest they freak out on Valentine’s day without sufficient sugar. So….

This is the cake I made to appease the pair when they didn’t win their favourite cake at school.

And this is the cake that Owen won with the family curse of good luck when it comes to contests. ( Mmmmm, cherry cheesecake. Great choice, my boy!)

Still Laura did meltdown because she didn’t do the winning and it is not shaped like a ladybug. I can’t win. There are limits to my mom awesome-ness you know. Well, actually, I can win. I get to eat two cakes now!

In which I feel so ridiculously positive that I even make myself gag.

2011-02-10T08:52:00.000-05:00

This is definitely weird. Here it is a chilly February morning and I have some kind of strange "joie de vivre" thing going on. Why? I have no idea. Sure I have already had my 3 cups of coffee for the day before 9 am and I am a little giddy from lack of sleep due to my dear wee octopus daughter crawling into bed with me at annoying-o'clock but shouldn't that just make me feel moody? (And shouldn't poorly written run-on sentences make me a bit cranky too?) Where has all this positive energy come from?

When in doubt, analyze the heck out of it to suffocate any chance of it happening again. Here are the theories:

1. Someone slipped something into my PB and H toast this morning.
2. Kids were very cooperative and I think I didn't hear the word "no" once this morning.
3. I was blog-surfing before breakfast and came across this page which made me shift my perspective on my super Aspie kid.
4. The sun is shining and it isn't -30c and for some reason I want to spend time outside.
5. The planets have aligned in some unusual way and my cat is purring next to me.

Whatever. I'm going to lace up my skates and hit the canal today, all by myself, just for fun and at my own pace, before the planets shift and it all comes crashing down again.

Happy Thursday!

WW - Making new snowfriends

2011-02-09T15:44:00.001-05:00

Meet Tina and Crystal. Laura is the one in the middle. The new friends are chillin' in our backyard. All very sweet except now I feel like I'm being watched through the kitchen window.

Handy Amusement

2011-02-04T09:47:00.001-05:00

One of the best and cheapest travel amusements we have are our hands. Ours talk and apparently have developed complex personalities. My daughter loves this. Even at 7 1/2 she adores conversations with talking digits.

My parents were visiting this week and it became apparent where all this hand talk silliness came from. Papa has two talking hands that resemble alligators named “Alli” and “Gate”. They are always teaching the unsuspecting child something science-y and have a habit of finishing each other’s sentences. Much giggles and accidental learning occurs. I remember myself at Laura’s age drinking it all in and talking away with these hand-things.

Mine have been named Critter 1 & 2. They get into mischief, tell bad jokes and often get mixed up. (I’ll do anything for a cheap laugh.) Laura is quite patient with them and tries to teach them things. She squeezes them and washes them in the bath too.

My husbands hands are gators and they are always wanting to snack on things. Laura is trying to get them to eat food not everything in the room. Sports are challenging for these gators as they are always eating the balls.

The most interesting pair for me are my son’s hands. He doesn’t pull them out often but they have unique personalities. One is deaf. He doesn’t talk but will sometime sign something. The other hand is shy and doesn’t say much but does translate for the deaf one. I have no idea where these personalities come from. Owen is neither versed in sign language nor shy like his characters but this is what he has chosen.

Laura’s hand characters are an adorable reflection of her. Small and sweet, they love to cuddle, chatter about nothing in particular and sing off-key. I love every minute of it, at least until my hands cramp up.

Where does the time go???

2011-01-31T09:15:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning at the blessed hour of 5:15 with my dear little boy singing "Happy Birthday To Meeeee!" Both endearing and annoying at the same time.

Owen is 10 today. A whole dacade old already. This is not possible. Why it was just a little while ago that I walked him to kindergarten, worrying about how he would get along without me. Not long before that when we would carry him around in his backpack perch for a forest hike. Yep, I'm a wee bit nostalgic today.

I miss the wee lad that he was, looking up to me for reassurance. He was our precious baby boy, well worth the three days of hospital labour and c-section. Time does blur the rough spots, and many there were. Much like looking through photo albums and scrapbooks, we see the sunny, happy moments frozen on the page. I wouldn't change a thing.

We celebrated large for this 10 year birthday. He had his own box at an OHL Ottawa 67s game, surrounded by family, friends and pizza. The home team won and we got a "This is the best day of my life!" exclamation for him. Well worth it. Happy Birthday Owen.

WW - Totem Kids

2011-01-26T15:58:00.000-05:00

...And then the beak opened up and swallowed them all. You should never mess with a totem pole. At least Laura's travel buddy (Ella the bear) has an adventure to write about for school.

Vacation?

2011-01-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

My husband is off this week and home and it is completely messing up my schedule. Sure, it was all very well on day one. We had a great day-date (watching a 3-D Surfing movie and having lunch at the Snug Pub in the Market). Things have gone downhill fast.

This is day three. I haven't been able to get on the computer for my morning "fix" of blogs and Facebook. I am still doing all the stuff I always do such as dragging the kids to school in the morning and making gourmet, or at least, passable dinners for the lot. And, of course, we've run out of small talk. I'm not used to thinking of intelligent conversation before sundown. It is all very strenuous.

Day four tomorrow and I need a plan. Maybe I could break something around here and send him to the hardware store for an elusive part. Perhaps we could head to the mall with a gold card handy to get stuff we don't need. Or maybe, I could suck it up, read up on how to talk to adults and go for a skate on the canal with him. At the very least, he gets to pick up the kids at school when it's 40 below.

Milestone Playdate

2011-01-16T11:41:00.001-05:00

Laura has had plenty of playdates. She's friendly and happy to go along with her friends in all their activities. She goes to birthday parties of classmates and picks up and plays with kids in the park. All stuff many of us take for granted.

Then there's Owen. He's awesome but maybe only seen through the rose-coloured glasses of a mom. The last classmate birthday he went to was over 2 years ago. He is clueless on social skills in most settings (a classic Asperger's trait) though polite and happy to play with his own imaginary friends and games with his own rules. You might think he just doesn't need peers - not so. He is lonely and has no idea what to do about it.

Yesterday was different. Owen had a friend over from school to play. He was so excited that he couldn't stop bouncing around the room. His eyes shone when his friend arrived and he was a great sport when his buddy won at Monopoly. I was overjoyed.

I hope it is a start of more peer relationships for our wonderful guy. He needs it, and if others take the time to get to know him, quirks and all, they are in for an interesting time.

Inspiration comes in many forms

2011-01-13T10:51:00.000-05:00

I had lunch out yesterday. A mini-bus pulled up to the restaurant from a local seniors home. I am not proud to say that I watched with my prejudicial thoughts waiting to see just who would be coming off the bus. Would they be able to handle the spicy food here as they escape the cafeteria at the Lodge? Hell yes!

Out came eight, beautifully dressed women topped with stunning red and purple hats. It was the local Red Hats Society crew, sharing friendship and food on one of their many outings. These women ranged in age from perhaps 70 to 95 and they obviously put friendship high on their calendar of priorities. I should aspire to be half as outgoing as these women were.

On another note, I'm totally blog-blocked lately so do forgive me if I blither on, looking for inspiration as I attempt to write. With any luck my mind will return soon. Cheers!

Wordless Wednesday - December reflections

2011-01-05T13:21:00.000-05:00

I'm having troubles writing anything lately. Thankfully it is Wordless Wednesday and I've got some pics. Hopefully my brain will return soon. Happy New Year! (A little late on that one. Methinks my quit procrastinating resolution isn't working so well. )

And we move forward...

2010-12-28T18:14:00.000-05:00

... with hope for 2011. It starts with a bang. My father-in-law has been through his triple bypass and is more and more himself daily. He should be discharged around New Year's so we'll all be taking shifts helping out.

The silver lining, in addition to him being alright and back to himself, is that going to the edge of mortality really does put things in perspective. Family is tight - even in-laws. All differences are put aside and the importance of time spent with each other is renewed. We help, in any way we can offer and no tally is kept. Giving is more important than receiving as we have so much more than we need. We are blessed this Christmas.

We ended up dividing and conquering over Christmas. It had to be done as our families are 7 hours apart and we needed to be with both. Having the traditional Christmas merriment helped me and the kids celebrate despite all the challenges at home. I had a great time with my sister, brother, parents and cousins. It was with the comfort and joy it has been for years and we loved it. We celebrated more when we got home and had fun again.

The next year also begins with a big celebration for my parents and their 50th wedding anniversary. Wow, 50 years! They are an inspiration and it is wonderful to celebrate these milestones with such a joyful occasion.

My "That's not what I expected!" Christmas break

2010-12-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

"The best laid plans of mice and men (and Christmas) often go awry.", as my bro Robert Burns would say. Alas, 'tis not exactly the Christmas we were planning.

My Father in Law is in the heart institute, scheduled for triple-bypass surgery on Tuesday. This is the guy who was doing spinning classes at the age of 80 and went to aquafit class last week. We are a little in shock. If you are the prayers and positive thoughts type, please include Bob.

I had the joy of telling my husband as he flew home, not having slept for 40 hours. He is taking it all well and we are now juggling plans to deal with our holidays. We were to travel to my parents to celebrate their 50th anniversary (who gets married at Christmas?!) and Christmas this year. I don't want to be apart as a family through all this. I suppose we can wait and see.

On the plus side, Owen won tickets to see a Sens game. "Sparty" the mascot came to the school and Owen's obsessive knowledge of all things hockey paid off. He is one very happy fan right now.

So no real brilliant point to this post, just sharing/venting/blithering. Thanks for listening!

Wordless Wednesday - Thrilled

2010-12-15T08:49:00.000-05:00

Laura was absolutely delighted to get a medal for participating in her Irish Dancing event. I love the expression on her face. Bliss.

Merry Stressmas

2010-12-14T14:21:00.001-05:00

Ack! I'm overwhelmed, yet again. I set aside a bunch of time to get things done today and instead, feel like I am running around in circles. Maybe if I could just go through the to-do list for today...

Done:
- shower (very important if I want anyone to talk to me)
- make little brownie things ( to feel I am doing some festive baking)
- clean up kitchen (bahahahaha! That never really gets done! But it is presentable and that will do)
-spend time on the computer doing nothing productive
-???

To Do:
- find and wrap gift for music teacher before the music lesson that my son hasn't practiced for ( I have been looking for the thing for 20 minutes! What the heck did I do with it?! Going on to emergency back-up present as I am out of time.)
- fold laundry and carefully put it away. (ROFLOL! Everyone can fend for themselves! I'm SO tired of trying to stay ahead of the laundry monster. )
- write Christmas cards (who am I kidding!)
- clean up the house and vacuum everything. (I'll get right on that.)

Meanwhile, I'm waiting to hear from my husband who is still away, I am trying to figure out what to do to help my in-laws as my father-in-law is back at the heart institute again and I'm fielding RSVPs for my parent's 50th anniversary.

If anyone has seen my sanity, would you kindly return it. I'm checking out.

Christmas Cake

2010-12-10T16:30:00.001-05:00

This one has been around for a while but it still makes me giggle. (Yep, I’m easily amused.)

----- Christmas Cake Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 stick butter

1 cup of water

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup of brown sugar

Lemon juice

4 large eggs

Nuts

1 bottle Rum(151 Proof)

2 cups of dried fruit

Sample the rum to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the rum again. To be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Repeat. Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the rum is still OK. Try another cup... Just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 eggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the frigging fruit up off floor.

Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the rum to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt. Or something. Check the rum. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or some fink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window.

Finish the rum and wipe counter with the cat.

Bingle Jells!

* I couldn’t the original author for this. No copyright infringement intended!*

Lost in translation

2010-12-08T16:21:00.000-05:00

Chatting with hubby while he works in Middle East.

Me: Getting more complicated? Sounds like you could use an "Easy" button.

DH: Yes, but written in Arabic

Me: How do you say "easy" in Arabic?

DH: I don't think there is a word for it.

Bahahaha! Maybe you had to be there. I could use an "easy" button right about now too.

Unusual Decoration

2010-12-05T09:37:00.000-05:00

Holiday challenge time! I know you need a game to help keep your peppermint scented, mall-brawling and gingerbread over indulging self from going insane. So here you go.

Spot the ornament that is not like the others. It's so nice to have help with the Christmas decorating. The tree hasn't tipped yet but I expect to hear a crash any time now.

Did you say;

a) candy canes ('cause it just isn't right to have that much candy within reach of the free-range tykes)

b) a duck ornament ('cause that really has nothing to do with a traditional Christmas story but is there due to my husband's waterfowl fetish)

c) a furry feline in the artificial tree.

The correct answer is c), but I'll accept any answer really. I say "pshaw!" to them Martha Stewart look-alike, colour coordinated trees! Ours if full of unnique crap and I'm proud of it! Every little homemade festive thing is prized as are the ones we get while travelling. It all looks awesome after a wee bit o' Christmas cheer anyway.

Of books and rituals

2010-12-02T13:55:00.000-05:00

"So... what's up for you on today?", I ask, thinking it will be something about playground day or a hockey game to watch.

Owen's eyes shine. " I go to the library TWICE today! At school and then we go too!" My happy, booky kid.

He is not typical in his love of books. It is definitely a non-fiction bias for him. His latest obsession is sports related books. We went through an "Eyewitness" series phase after the everything trains phase. Sports is easy to handle. It gives him something to talk to the others at school about.

Reading fiction is like pulling teeth. His realist mindset can't stand fake situations and characters. He is very sensitive to conflict and stresses about it so we look for humour or a detective story, just not too ridiculous. I'll convert him yet!

Laura is torn between fairies and books about crafts or cooking. Reading aloud is hard for her but we try to have fun with it, when I have the patience. I'm gently pulling her to more chapter books, reading together bit by bit. Something is working because she loves to create her own books all the time now.

We've been going to the library weekly since they were babies. Through "tales for twos" and many story time programmes, the kids are quite at home in any library. I love the ritual. We all feel peaceful there. No matter how busy our week, we always make time for our journey to the land of books.

Connecting and Disconnecting

2010-11-30T10:00:00.001-05:00

The last post of my first NaBloPoMo fling. I’m glad I’ve done it as it has given me the needed deadlines to create something and come up with writing beyond what was easy. I had good intentions of doing a whole “Things That Amuse Me” theme but it morphed into the mood of the day, which is what blogging is about for me anyway.

So my deep thought o’ the day today is whether the world is shrinking or growing in it’s connectedness. DH is away on business to the other side of the world in an opposite culture to home. It is far from here in so many ways. Yet, this trip we are able to use Skype from time to time. The video link makes it seem much less distant. We can see the faces in real time and laugh at the things we show each other. ( It also shows too much detail – sleep deprivation, my messy office, etc., but it is still worth it.) He is closer.

I met my future husband back in University in the early 90’s. He went off to Kingston for his masters while I finished my degree in Toronto. Long-distance dating was tough. We were poor students and had to arrange phone calls at deep discount times. Visits were rare and via economic transit or mooched from friends. I sucked at writing letters but I have a few from those early days that warm my heart. Communication may have been less frequent and high-tech but valued more.

Today there is another in our relationship – Mr. Blackberry. Ever present and interrupting with mood altering crises of the day. *sigh* It seems now we have the means but not the time for connecting. High speed communication devices are both a blessing and a curse, depending on whether they serve us or we, them. Quick e-mails snatched at airports or between meetings are efficient but not warm.

Now we work on budgeting out time for each other. Unscheduled free time or planned family outings, unconnected to the busy world at large are planned. We breathe, do not fill the space with noise, just inch closer. Our rituals evolve over time, taking advantage of the convenience of technology or the moments we have together. Regardless of how it happens, making the time a priority weaves together our connection with a strength that only grows over the years. Near and far, I am blessed.

Coffee Break Poetry

2010-11-29T13:23:00.001-05:00

This photo, (borrowed from someone’s site but I’ve lost the info!- apologies!) is an image of about a perfect morning for me. A beautiful, still lake at a cottage, quiet with my trusty, freshly-brewed coffee at my side. Bliss.

What NaBloPoMo month would be complete without poetry dedicated to my faithful companion? Inspired by Mary Lynn’s awesome haiku efforts, I have composed my own. So here goes nothing! I will just apologize in advance for my extremely amateur effort. I had fun though…

Steaming cup awaits

Promises both calm and vibrance

Welcome ritual

On to second cup

Oh crap, it is not working

Back to bed, I think

Behold a Starbucks!

Grande non-fat latte please

Pricey pleasure pause

My Weekend Equation

2010-11-28T17:51:00.000-05:00

1 husband travelling so far away that time zones don't allow for a coherent phone call
+ 2 kids high on Christmas spirit and visible snow
+ 1 sister who asked me to watch her 3 tykes for the weekend whilst she worked
+ 1 stubbed toe, 5 bruised knees and plenty of snurbly noses
+ 1 skating party for a beloved niece
+ 20 6-year-olds of varying skating ability and temperaments let loose on the ice
+ 1 sugary princess cake
+ 1 Grey Cup crazed boy
+ 3 hours of driving like a taxi
=
1 very tired NaBloPoMo blogging mama looking forward to a quiet Monday

The Sweater

2010-11-27T07:24:00.000-05:00

I woke to freezing rain and snow. When the wind kicks up, the flakes fly horizontal and I shiver. Time for comfort, time for the sweater.

Here she is – a beauty, don’t you think? I’ve had this garment for maybe 20 years now. The black blend of merino wool and nylon have warmed me through Christmas exams, sleepless nights, power outages and drafts of our first apartment. It has travelled to cottages, in-law homes, hospitals and road trips. The age shows. She is dated, pilled and a bit frayed with a touch of cat shed fur on the sleeves. This sweater stays in the house, perfect for screen-time and not the big-screen. She has seen better days.

Still, she is my go-to sweater when I’m in need of warmth, both physical and emotional. A virtual hug when I’m ill or when my husband is away. She doesn’t complain for she has stood the test of time.

On our trip to Scotland, I found a new sweater. It is a lovely cashmere one, cozy with silver buttons. A little more upscale, it is the sort of cardigan that I could wear out in public. The wool is smooth and new, the colour even and all the buttons are in place. It also has warmth.

We are getting to know each other. I don’t wear it as often and my favourite one, saving it for the outings, not wanting to give it too much wear and tear yet. There is plenty of potential, like starting a new book in the series. I reached for it for an evening at home the other night and it felt right.

There will be no replacing my old friend, but it is nice to know that new ones can work their ways into your lives and fit right in. Welcome.

PS – On a side note, for some reason I am thinking of this version of “The Sweater” which made me laugh my way through high school.

Remembering our angel

2010-11-26T10:03:00.000-05:00

He would have been 11 today. So much time has passed and yet I still miss our first son Kyle, born still at 7 months. He is forever with me, part of what makes me the person I am, the mother I am, the wife I am.

Often I remember the blessings he brought me – an understanding of a mother’s love, appreciation for the smallest things, unshakable faith in God. It makes me more patient with my children, appreciating who they are and living in the moment. I understand grief better and hope I am able to help others who go through hard times. This wisdom only comes from the loss of innocence, from the part of me that is missing. It is a high price to pay. Time heals, faith heals and connecting with others heals. I am blessed.

Happy Heavenly Birthday, my sweet son. Thank you for being a part of my life. You are forever loved.

Christmas Tunes

2010-11-25T15:40:00.001-05:00

It being a month before the big day, I was in the mood for a few Christmas tunes. Here’s my latest playlist. Enjoy and let me know some tunes you must listen to over the holidays.

Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer Mambo    2:40    Alvin Stoller    Ultra-Lounge: Christmas Cocktails, Part One
Merry Christmas Baby    4:52    Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band    A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 1
Christmas Song    5:15    Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds    A Very Special Christmas 3
Let It Snow    4:00    Diana Krall & The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra    NOW! Christmas, Vol. 4

Baby, It's Cold Outside    2:44    Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan    Ella & Friends
25th December    3:59    Everything But The Girl    Maybe This Christmas - A Holiday Collection
Deck The Rooftop (Glee Cast Version)    2:32    Glee Cast    Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
Last Christmas (Glee Cast Version)    3:38    Glee Cast    Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album
Jingle Bells (Glee Cast Version)    2:57    Glee Cast    Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album

Seven Joys of Mary 2:40 Great Big Sea Maybe This Christmas - A Holiday Collection

The Christmas Song    3:14    Hootie & The Blowfish    A Very Special Christmas 3    Holiday
Twelve Days of Christmas    4:22    John Denver/The Muppets    A Christmas Together
This Christmas (Hang All the Mistletoe)    3:31    Macy Gray    A Very Special Christmas, Vol. 5     (Only a clip)
Christmas In The City    4:38    Mary J. Blige & Angie Martinez    A Very Special Christmas 3
Sleigh Ride    3:31    Natalie Cole    The Magic Of Christmas
Peppermint Winter    4:00    Owl City    Peppermint Winter – Single

Winter Wonderland 1:54 Peggy Lee Ultra-Lounge: Christmas Cocktails, Part One

Winter Song 4:27 Sara Bareilles & Ingrid Michaelson The Hotel Café Presents Winter Songs

Song for a Winter's Night 3:48 Sarah McLachlan Wintersong
I Saw Three Ships 1:45 Sting A Very Special Christmas 3

Wordless Wednesday -Christmas Lights!

2010-11-24T10:46:00.001-05:00

I like a nice decoration or two at Christmas but some people really do take it over the top. What do you think? Any great neighbourhoods for light viewing around you?

Winter wonderland. I think there is a house in there somewhere but I’m not entirely sure.

Invasion of the plastic snowmen! Ahhhhh!

This is Christmas in Miami. I love how they decorate the palm trees.

Blinded by the light. These people will never get to sleep. Love to be their neighbour.

Doppelganger

2010-11-23T09:47:00.001-05:00

I’ve sunk to a new low in my attempt to amuse myself. I’ve been playing around with avatars, courtesy of Doppleme. So here I am, heading to the gym. The likeness is striking. It appears I have had three espressos,two hours sleep and downed a 6-pack of donuts before heading out. Stunning.

Avatars aside, do you have a real life doppelganger? You can find your celebrity look-a-like here, if you want to be rich and famous, or at least have a great Halloween costume for next year. The “How I Met Your Mother” Doppelganger episode is a fun take on the idea. I’m not sure if I have one, unless you count my daughter who is way too much like me at her age. I’ll have to keep an eye out for the real dopple-me. Yet another way to amuse myself over a latte at the coffee shop.

Gratitude

2010-11-22T13:37:00.001-05:00

The weather sucks today. We awoke to slippery sidewalks following freezing rain. It’s grey and dark and I just don’t want to play. But dragging myself to the gym helped. I am moving and refocusing, trying to shift my perspective to get through stupid November.

With this in mind, I am remembering the many things I am grateful for from the past few days. I have come from a weekend where I saw my parents – both in good health and preparing to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary next month. We laughed so hard about a few things that we had to keep tissues handy to wipe away the tears. I am grateful to have them as parents, mentors and friends.

I had a wonderful visit with friends from my old neighbourhood. I am so thankful to know these women. We’ve woven together through the past decade with baby playdates, cottage weekends and scrapbook sessions. I appreciate each one of them for who they are and how they just “get” me. It is so comfortable – like coming home.

I returned to a sandwich of hugs from beaming children. They chattered on about what they did all weekend. My husband is amazing, balancing everything and encouraging me. My gratitude for my family is beyond measure. I am thankful for this life we have built in Ottawa, for the wonderful new friends I have found and how well we are settling here. There is much warmth and peace here. I am thankful.

It helps to write this today. I needed reminders that there is more to November than dreariness and chill. I am even grateful for the NaBloPoMo challenge as it has helped me to not wish away this month. I am striving to do something creative daily, some days more successful than others. Cheers and best wishes for warm thoughts on cold November days!

#21 - My Bloggy Milestone

2010-11-21T21:29:00.000-05:00

I almost didn't write my NaBloPoMo blog entry of the the day today. (I've been on the road, no computer, more tired than the mom of a newborn, etc.). But then I realized it was my 100th Easily Amused Blog Post today! Whoop, Whoop! How does one mark the occasion? Is chocolate involved? I should hope so. Also, I can write anything and it still counts. (Not that anyone is listening anyway, but I write for my own amusement, except when I need attention Did I mention I was really tired and prone to blithering?)

So happy 100th me! Today's random question is why do you blog? Has the reason changed over the course of your blog history? Regardless, I'm glad you do share your stuff on the blogosphere. I love reading all the great blogs out there.

Less blithery thoughts will return tomorrow, after a wee bit of shut-eye.

#20 – Auto Idol

2010-11-20T13:56:00.000-05:00

This is what I am doing right about now. I’m out of town driving everywhere, visiting family and friends, solo. What a perfect opportunity for me to belt out a tune or two! No critics in the audience and I can push replay as much as I like.

Any other car crooners? Any favourite road songs?

#19 – Light Books

2010-11-19T12:53:00.000-05:00

I never make enough time for reading. I really do love a good book but the time escapes me (probably because I am blog surfing or watching way too much TV) and I just don’t curl up for the hours I image myself doing. So in an attempt to not let my brain go completely to mush, I have a great book club where I can read the books that make me think.

Then there are light books. These are the easy reads that are a great escape for a while. The type of book you can follow in the fifteen minutes at the doctor’s office or before you pass out exhausted at the end of the day. One that I read a while ago that I just loved was Three Bags Full – A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann. Perhaps I am a bit biased as I have quite the fondness for sheep but it is a good and definitely different read. You will never look at sheep the same again.

Today I am on a road trip and I got the audio copy of the sheepy book and a few others to keep myself company. Yay! I can not listen to anything that requires too much attention for my road trips or I will get too lost in the book that I get lost on the road too.

Got any favourite light reads? Anything you could go back to for a re-read, simply for the pleasure of it? (I find the Anne books are great for that. A great pick-up on a sleepless night.)

#18 – Something to Wine About

2010-11-18T11:45:00.001-05:00

I like wine. Bacchus has got to be one of my favourite Roman deities. The guy had his priorities right and the Romans had the good sense to devote a whole god to wine. It’s pretty amazing that your humble grape, with a little of this and that, can produce such a wide array of wonderful beverages. But this post is more about the packaging – I love the creative labels!

We used to live within an easy drive to Niagara wine country. Our LCBO store does carry a fair selection but it is the smaller wineries, such as those you get in wine country, that tend to produce the most interesting vintages and labels to match. Of course, a trek around the world in the wine store will yield some great choices from everywhere. Here’s a wee selection of amusing labels and wines.

We like this one produced by Malivoire Estates – Guilty Men . (There’s this little ladybug that runs through their line. I hope the wine colouring doesn’t come from the little fellow!)

A South African Favourite, Goats do Roam : A nice red, apparently inspired by wanderlust goats, but not to be confused with the wines of the Côtes du Rhône wine region.

(oops) sounds quite promising. I haven’t tried this Chilean one but I really must find it. The “oops” part is described as “the lost grapes of Bordeaux masquerading as Merlot.”

Mommy’s Time Out looks interesting. This Italian wine might make a great gift for a new parent, don’t you think?

Those quirky New Zealanders have a way with labels. The Coopers Creek line including Fat Cat, Cat Pee on a Gooseberry Bush and Sally Cat are a delight to give and receive.

With labels like these, does it really matter what the wine is like?

Cheers!

#17 – Holiday Baking Attempts

2010-11-17T10:41:00.001-05:00

‘Tis the season! In my mind, I am a great baker. I love to wander through Bulk Barn, grabbing a little of this, a scoop of that for my wonderful baking endeavours. It never quite works out that way. That’s alright. In this business, the mistakes pay you. There is no way I could give away botched macaroons or headless Santa cookies. I’ll just take care of that myself.

So today, inspired by one of the many magazines I picked up showcasing the awesome perfect holiday treats you can whip up, I was in the mood to bake. Gingerbread Scones. Yum! This recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens (neither of which I have) Food Gifts issue. And guess what?! It worked! Ta da!

I did a little spice glaze for the top and I managed to stuff these little ginger suns into a container before I ate them all. The house smells Christmas perfect and I have the sink full of dishes to prove that I did it myself.

Not all holiday baking has turned out so well. There was that year I participated in a Christmas cookie exchange. There were ten dozen perfectly prepared delicate snowflake cookies made, taking about ten dozen hours to complete. They were beautiful, all wrapped up in boxes with lovely ribbons, perched on the edge of the table to take to the exchange party the next day. And then my dear little boy, then three or so, ran by and knocked all the boxes on the floor. *Crash!* I wept and my husband had to console both his wife and confused son. Cookies were remade into the wee hours. It wasn’t so magical anymore.

Happy baking! May it be fun, stress-less and accident free.

TTAM #16 – Memory Lane

2010-11-16T13:35:00.001-05:00

Mary Lynn wrote a great post about her youthful Scottish travels. Oh the memories! I love to remember the good, bad and stupid of my early days. Dug up an old album and some photos of me and my bff from our travellin’ days. Much has changed since then but the memories come back crystal clear.

It was when we were about 19 she had taken a year in Europe. I joined her for 4 weeks of speedy travel through five countries. In this photo, we are on a boat trip in Germany. We called it our Great Rhine Wine Cruise. The thrill of being able to order wine anywhere and check out gorgeous castles along the way was tooootally awesome to us young Canadian babes.

At some point (after we got our randomly selected wine) it started to cloud over, got really dark and the sky threatened. No worries, mate! We were certainly not going to retreat below. We knew we were perfectly safe as a gang of nuns had also boarded, so sipped away under an umbrella or something while it poured. I remember trying to get some shots of lightning zapping over the castles along the shore. Four weeks of fabulous experiences - priceless.

#15 - Podcasts

2010-11-15T11:34:00.000-05:00

I love my iPod. Long walks, drives and sleepless nights are no longer dull with this baby stuck in my ears. Not only can it house a gazillion songs from my eclectic music tastes, but I can play a few games and listen to the radio too. Also, I am definitely in love with the Podcast feature. I just browse around and load up a few stories here, a radio program there and some comedy to cheer me up. All this happiness for free. What more could you want?

Here are a few of my current faves.;

CBC stuff - From Vinyl Cafe to Q, Ideas to Laugh Out Loud, the CBC has a whack of great Canadian programs to download, entertain and make you sound smart too.

Stuff You Should Know - Do you ever wonder if tone deafness is hereditary? Well I don't, because I already heard the podcast and know the answer. A light and fun approach to life's answers.

KCRW and NPR podcasts - Everything from alternative music to architecture. This is a good link for so good shows from the States.

Are there any podcast you subscribe to? Do share, I'm always looking for new things.