Howdy Do

Hello all my non-existent readership :)

I'm in a happy mood!

I was told I was doing a good job...at my job.

I love my job. I am so glad that I am doing well at it. Of course I have meeting this week to wrap up the year...so I guess I'll find out if I really am doing a good job - lol.

I am blessed to be able to do something that I love. That isn't to say there aren't times when I want to scream, or that I don't have some things that I wish I didn't have to do(conflict management - hellllllo).

If you aren't doing something you love - find it! I know everyone may not be able to find it as their job but find something you love - and do it!

Wanna know a little secret...I'd do my job even if they didn't pay me. Shhhh don't tell :)

PS Listening to Big Daddy Weave's Christmas Album - love it! iTunes for less than $10. Favourite track is Go Tell it on the Mountain.

No deal :(

Well they walked away from the offer - not surprising but discouraging :( God has a plan...sometimes I just knew what it was.

At the Leadership convention I went to in August - one of the speakers asked the question, if you wanted to know God's plans for you? We were all like - duh, yeah we would. Then the speaker asked - do you want to know the plans so you can do it, or so you can think about it. Oooooo - good one.

So I wait for the plan...not having a clue what it is. I am constantly having to give my worry to God, some days, like today, it is a hard thing to do.

So anyone want to buy a 3 bedroom, 2 story townhouse???

Ej is moving...

to a new blog.

Yup, I am packing up my blogger bags and moving to a new home. At least in a professional sense. I thought about using this blog as I do love it so but decided that a fresh start would be better.

At my new blog you'll read more of me being me as I currently am. Where is that? Happy, blessed, and spiritually challenged.

My new job(which I'll talk about at the new site), is a new chapter. I decided to include a blog in my job. Rather than conform this blog to my new role I decided to start fresh. I will post here periodically, especially if I have something funny to share, so I am not completely leaving.

Ej is...

reconsidering using anatomically correct names for certain body parts.

All the books(what do they even know???) suggest using the anatomically correct names for out ...ummm... private parts.

Therefore in trying to don the cape of super mom and do everything right I referred to the female part by it's proper name. G repeated it as "nine - a" J made no comment what so ever. Phewww I thought foolishly(if I am blogging about it you know it went beyond - lol)

Cut to a few days later my sister and I are having tea and chatting - J man comes running into the room yelling(and I mean YELLING) "U-GINA, U-GINA, U-GINA" My sister and I try as we could, couldn't keep a straight face. We were doubled over, biting our cheeks trying to regain our composure. Marcy of course left me high and dry(claiming something about me being the parent!) So I pinched my tummy until I stopped laughing and Jman and I had a little talk about private words. Again I thought the worst was over.

So there was about 10 days with no u-gina's being yelled or discussed. I threw out the book and went straight to pee pee, weenie etc. Picture my house spotless, and the guest bedroom made up for my brother - in - law and family to arrive. They walk through my front door, there is hugging and general arrival craziness going on. J-man proudly walks up to his cousins and says "You u-gina"

No one can understand him and I am not really paying attention as I am helping bring bags inside and talking about the drive etc. Suddenly I hear it from the corner of my consciousness "u-gina, u-gina, u-gina"

It was like slow motion...I dropped the bag, ran to the living room and grabbed my sweet boy and whispered in his ear to stop saying that. Now my complete panic has brought eveyone's attention to my actions and no one knows what is going on. "u-gina" J announces. Ry now gets it and whispers it to his brother...who bursts out laughing - and J being proud of himslef continues to chant it over and over. Not wanting to have to explain it to my niece and nephew we made some feeble attempt to come up with soemthing funny to explain why the 4 adults in the room where turning purple trying not to laugh or in my case bright red with embarrassment. (my niece and nephew couldn't understand what he was saying due to his pronunciation of the word sounding rather different - I am thankful for small blessings - lol)

J and I had another talk about private words and when and where we can say them...please may it make sense this time to him. Please, please, please!!!!

Am I nuts???

Yes! Yes I am.

Ry's family is out here currently(well the one brother who doesn't live here and his family came out...so that means we do a years worth of family gatherings in a week)

So we have been BUSY!

Today I had the brilliant brain wave to go to Cultas Lake Water Slides - with the whole fam.

I HAVE TODDLERS!!! What was I thinking?????

I don't think I stopped running for four hours. I am so tired I can't see straight.

In the words of J-man, "Mama, I have so much, so much, so much fun!" So I guess it was worth it :)

Lookin Good???

Okay ladies(I don't think any men read my blog - my apologizes if there is) - lets chat.

See this picture over on the side? It's me(duh!) My hair is brushed, I am not wearing any dinner or kid food, and I have a slight bit of lip gloss on. Nothing overly done up.

For my new(and oh so fabulous) job I had to submit a photo. Now since it is just us girls lets be honest - there was no way I would submit a photo with 2 chins, and bad hair...even if I have plenty that look like that. After all if your picture was going to be put up on the big screen wouldn't you pick a good one??? So one night before going out to meet with some friends(hence the brushed hair and lip gloss) I grabbed the camera and told Ry to take my picture.

And what we got was the picture above. I took a quick look said yup it looks good and off I went. I later submitted my photo and then waited on Sunday for it to flash on the screen. There I was - as a side note it was a little weird to see my face that large!

Make no mistake I knew it was a good picture but I didn't think it was earth shatteringly different from how I normally look. Apparently I was wrong. Several people exclaimed how it was a really really really good picture of me. Well if that is a really-x3 good picture what do I look like the rest of time?

Yikes - it may be time to get my pretty pretty on! I may have to wear lip gloss more often.

hmmmmm

So...long time no blog!

We had a very eventful June.

J-man and I had our birthday! It was a very fun pool party.

My mom retired - so now she is busy busy busy(what is it about retired parents that makes them impossible to pin down - lol).

I applied for a new job...and today I found out that I got it :) I am very excited. It is such a blessing to be able to work for such a cool place.I won't say where it is online but I am back in ministry, which I have missed.

We contemplated moving in the last month. We found a place that was newer and a bit bigger, but after considering the $$ for selling, moving, transfer taxes etc. we decided to sit tight for a while. Being a fiscally responsible adult - arrrr - lol.

J-man finished off his first year of preschool - now that we are a few weeks into summer holidays he is asking everyday when he can go back. He will be very happy in September to return to his favourite teachers :)

Little G is inching closer to 2! Don't mess with the princess :) She is loving the sunshine and just wants to run all the time!

ttfn

Canadian, Please

Happy Canada Day!!!!!!!!!

Canada Rocks :)

Friday Funny by J-man

The other day I got a paper cut...a really bad one(card stock is lethal!). So as I ran to the bathroom to stem the flow of blood J-man was worried. "Mama got boo boo?"

Yup little dude I have a boo boo - "J-man make happy?" aka I'll make you happy mom.

Okay little man - I was not really paying attention here as I was focusing on not saying anything bad - ouch ouch ouch were not the first words to come to mind - lol.

Suddenly J-man is beside me again, " For you mama. J-man make happy!" and then he handed me a vacuum attachment.

So there you have it - if you want to make me happy bring me a piece of the vacuum.

Picture of the Day

Ej has a funny...

Biker Dude

J-man got his first bike this weekend. It was his late Christmas and Early birthday from my parents. He is in love. It is about an inch too big but he's grown almost an inch since January so I figure he'll get there soon enough. This summer we are working on getting the whole pedal and steer thing going. I don't know if he'll actually get the riding part this year - developmentally this is a hard task for him. It'll be a process - but he grins like a fool every time he gets on :)

Ej is sick of ...

the talking!

J-man : Yadda Yadda Yadda (okay he didn't really say that but he has talked all day today - almost nonstop! Fellow mum's can understand this phenomenon.

Me : J-man please stop talking

J-man: Car goes vroom, Mama preschool tomorrow? Apple for snack? Mama preschool tomorrow? Fun with friends! Choo Choo (you get the idea - totally random sentences and he has asked about preschool 10 times in the last 2 minutes(no joke) And I patiently gave him a response every time)

Me : J-man, pleeease be quiet. I already told you when preschool is and yes you can take an apple.

J-man : Preschool tomorrow mama?

Me : J-man, STOP talking

J-man : Talking - I can't believe he responded with 'talking' - little turkey.

EJ loves...

Pink Chucks! Does it get any cuter???? I think not. And this mummy just couldn't resist(it was the outlets after all)

Heading into another weekend here - my yummy man is off to play golf in the morning - and then we hope to get the kids off to the park or something to burn off energy. Our lawn was treated today with something nasty so we aren't allowed on it for 24 hrs (why oh why did it have to happen on the day it was 24 degrees outside???)

I spent my afternoon at J-man's preschool. He has an aid normally but she was off today(Pro-D day for all the aids). Now my child has an aid but let me tell you - I think all 3-4 year old boys need one. The girls were kind to each other and played nice. The boys kicked, punched and caused a general ruckus. And my boy actually was one of the quieter kids(which is a shock to me).

I was rather popular - even getting an invite from one girl to her birthday party(what can I say I am a fun person - lol). And beside me at circle time was a coveted spot. For a few years I have been thinking of doing my ECE(Early Childhood Education) and while the timing isn't right currently, it is def. something I'll look into in a few years.

I have been trying the method smartie dish soap(for the dishwasher) - so I'll give you my opinion on that in the next few days - I know your lives won't be complete until I do - lol.

Tulips and Ice Cream

On Sunday we went to Tulip Mania to pick tulips with the kids, and then since it was warm we went off to a local dairy for ice cream. Yum yum! Aren't ice cream covered faces the cutest things ever?

My Beautiful Family

Here is my beautiful family - this is the day of Grandma's funeral - hence the memorial garden backdrop - lol.

There are a few people missing (My cousin's wife and their other daughter, my kiddos, as well as L's bf).

As I age I am finding that the members of my family that I had nothing to do with as a child are now the ones who I see. I love my cousins on this side. We are all different and yet when we get together we mesh. In the front row is the gang. Cousin KP, Cousin KL, Me, My sister Marcy and Cousin L. You can't tell we're related at all can you - lol!

Dear Jesus...

Thank you for making me so cute...it helps Mom & Dad forgive me for being such an imp.

EJ is deaf...

as a post apparently.

Today Lisa was over and we had lunch while all 4 kids ran and screamed through the house. I wouldn't say it was overly noisy...in terms of the amount of activity going on ;)

Lisa packed up to go home and I opened my front door to fire hoses coming off the hydrant, so we peek around the garage and what to our wondering eyes should appear but 2 fire engines and an ambulance - along with half our complex loitering behind then trucks. So besides being over run with fire fighters :) we were told to go back inside or we'd have to move behind the trucks.

Turns out someone hit the gas meter...with their van. So that section was evacuated and if you weren't at home already you had to wait for the all clear. Back inside we went and waited.

The best part is according to my neighbor they arrived with siren's blaring - We didn't hear a thing. I do live close to the firehouse so I hear siren's all the time so my only excuse is I probably heard it and dismissed it as the trucks leaving the station, rather than pulling up outside my garage - lol

EJ should really...

Get off her tushy and post!!!

Tonight I went out to WOAM(Women On A Mission)

Last month the girl who won was...let say...not hurting financially :) So we were at her house tonight. It was HUGE! And very nice. Everything new and gleaming. My living room is smaller than her master bath!

So now I am back in my shack(hahaha) and trying to enjoy what I have. I honestly don't want a house that big, nor do I need one. But there is a wee bit of envy that she has such a nice home and I don't know when I'll get a house of my own let alone a new one. (I own a town house and am blessed - yadda yadda yadda - I know)

I'll be honest - I really hate hanging out with people who have lots of $$$. I am perfectly content in my life(really - I am just venting here). But somehow spending the night in that basic fixer upper while everyone talked about whether they were going to Palm Springs or Europe this year, and debating the merits of marble vs. granite made me want to slap them. They are all really nice people but their version of reality is vastly different from mine.

Tomorrow I'll wake up and be glad I only have to tidy and clean up 1500 square feet rather than 5000. After all I only have 2 toilets to clean...not 5 or 6. Then again - they probably have someone clean them...grrrr! Hahaha.

Okay enough of my pity party :)

Got Chocolate???

EJ is missing ...

her grandma.

My Grandma passed away on Sunday morning. I was on my way to the hospital when it happened so I missed see her before she died. But I did see her once I got there. Not the same though. Still I am glad I got to see her.

My sister was with her when she died - my parents had stepped out to go grab a quick coffee. My dad was upset that he wasn't there(as it was his mom) but we figure Grandma was probably waiting for him to leave.

She hadn't been well - suffering from dementia the last 10 months or so. So it was a blessing for her I think.

Sad for us though. This week we are making all the plans - not much to do really as most of it was already set up by my grandparents years ago. Her room was cleaned out where she was staying today by my mom and aunt. It is amazing how little can be left over from a long life. Most of her things had been dealt with after my Grandpa died and she was moved to a care facility. A few bags and a box or two was all that was left today.

Didn't really think this was going to be such a long post - sorry - must need a vent :) Once I cheer up I'll tell you about the flu that got us all(oh yes J was not the only victim - lol)

EJ is wearing...

vomit in her hair! And no not my vomit - J-man got sick today and I got caught in the cross fire. If you are squimish - leave now!

Ahhhh - gross I have vomit in my hair!!! Luckily it was mostly apple juice and not much else. But still - vomit!!! Here is the really gross part...wait for it...he also puked in my face. Oh yes he did! Thankfully I closed my mouth in time(as I had been telling him it was okay etc - you know the normal mummy things when your kid is spewing).

So there I am - puke in my hair, on my face, running up my sleeve - hauling a crying, heeving boy to the loo. Poor little guy. Got my face and hands cleaned up, got him cleaned up, got his bed cleaned up, set him up with a movie and changed my sweater, and started the laundry.

After a few hours I gave him some advil - which must be doing the trick both with his fever and whatever else was bothering him as he is curently chasing his sister...make that hitting his sister with a hockey stick. Gotta go :)

EJ is sad...

Natasha Richardson has died. She was 45 - a skiing accident that resulted in a head injury. She played the mom in the most recent Parent Trap Movie - one of my all time favourites. I have never worn a helmet when I skied. My cousin says most people do now, at least in Switzerland. I have noticed more people on the hills here do too. Something to think about next time I go.

Ej wants to know...

why I had to drive through a blizzard to get home tonight???? Jack Frost - take a hike! We do not get this kind of weather here and we especially don't get it in the middle of March! I was on the freeway going 60 km/hr and passing people - even the semi's were only doing about 80km/hr. No I wasn't passing the semi's - I am guessing based on my speed(they weren't flying by me that's for sure).

I am sooooooo ready for spring! My poor daffodils are poking through the ground and thinking, "Bad idea, turn around, back, back, BACK!!!"

And a wee picture of the babes having a bath - doncha just love bath time pics?

Ej thinks this is funny

EJ is tired...

from the meds I am taking. I got the second surgery done on my jaw this week. Fairly easy and except while I was waiting for my pain meds to arrive pain free. Last time I don't remember the meds making me so tired but this time I am exhausted. As in please let me lie in bed all day - tired. I also have to rinse my mouth with this nasty stuff - doesn't taste bad to start but after it is like the most bitter nasty after taste. YUCK!

Happy weekend everybody...I'm going back to bed ;)

Ej woke up...

way too early. My sweet angels(that normal sleep till 8am) got up at 6:45 this morning. Now that is enough to make me a wee bit cranky but I only got about 3 hours sleep(thanks to the T3's I was taking after my dental surgery). Of course the worst part ... my kids woke up chipper and happy. Arrr nothing wrecks a good pity party like chipper and happy kiddos ;)

EJ has lost...

10 pounds. Do I hear a woot woot?

Yes siree I have managed to put down the cookies long enough to get to the gym and lo and behold my bootie is shrinking. I feel sooo skinny :) I am struttin around looking fine - lol

Whats new with you?

EJ is adding things for lent.

This year rather than take away something I decided to add some things. I took stock of my life and found a few things I could add that would make it better. Of course I hope to continue after lent with these but having a promise to myself to start these will hopefully make them habits I keep. I am adding 15 minutes a day of decluttering/cleaning - now I don't mean cleaning the bathroom or vacuuming. I mean doing areas that don't often get a tidy up(you know those drawers and piles you've stopped noticing). My second thing is 15 minute a day reading the bible. I have been rather patchy with this lately and I have given myself a kick in the butt to get back in there.

So on Wednesday I cleaned my laundry closet(wiped down the washer and dryer, vacuumed out the lint trap, put away anything that had made it's way to the top of the dryer etc.) Thursday I cleaned out a shelf in my pantry. Today I am going to hit my hot spot(see flylady.net for a full explanation of that).

I have finished off the book of Acts(been there for a while now) and have moved onto 1 Corinthians - I seem to be able to read approx. 5 chapters in 15 minutes - so lets see how much I can read in 40 days @ 15 minutes a day.

Want to join me? What is something you want to add to your life for 15 minutes a day?

EJ is looking at...

SNOW! What is that about? Yesterday a friend of ours in Edmonton was saying it was snowing there. I laughed at him and told him I had been listening to birds chirping that morning. Now I am looking at snow...and he is laughing at me :)

EJ is laughing...

at J-man who laid down on the floor and announced "I've fallen and I can't get up!" Where does he get it?

And G wanted to show you how cute she is :)

Ej just...

doesn't get the male gender. Why after watching an entire hockey game; do they stay up late to watch the game highlights on Sportsnet? Isn't that kind of like watching the preview of the movie after you've seen the movie????

EJ wants...

CHIPS...LOTS AND LOTS OF CHIPS. I am craving salt right now. I have been eating healthy...so now the body is rebelling - it says SALT...NOW! I tried cashews - not good enough. I need mcd's fries or salt & vinegar chips stat!

EJ needs...

to go to the gym. I don't know why stuffing my body into spandex and then sweating like an out of shape slob gives me patience but it does. I haven't been in almost a week and I am going crazy! My kids are driving me NUTS! I also haven't lost any weight this week(cause I haven't been working out and it might have been that plate of Chinese food - lol) Tonight I will go reclaim my sanity - one sweaty elliptical minute at a time.

EJ...

thinks that a clean floor puts out a siren call to children "Drop your yogurt container right here", "Tip that plate of toast crumbs just over here", "Milk is better off the floor...try it" Arrrr!

EJ is...

wondering why no matter how many times I clean up the Mess It Up Fairy arrives. Usually this happens when I turn my back. I am thinking of setting out traps - I am going to catch that bad fairy and make her clean up after herself!

Me in a nut shell

Burn Baby Burn

Brrrrr it is cold in here I complained to my hubby the other night.

In typical man fashion he told me to put on a sweater.

But I didn't want to put on a sweater so he told me to turn on the gas fireplace for a few minutes. Then he retreated to his man cave upstairs.

I plunked down by the fireplace. I briefly wondered if it would work as we haven't used it in almost two years. But like most ugly things in my house they won't die(only nice pretty things need replacement much to my chagrin). I grabbed a book and prepared to spend 15 minutes immersed in heat and good chick lit.

As usual when you have a fireplace that hasn't burned in a while there is the smell of burning dust. Yet after a few minutes it didn't subside. Man we must have a lot of dust in there I thought to myself...back to book, hmmm now where was I? Ah yes the shoe shop that goes wrong.

So I am reading when the smell tweaks my nose...that doesn't just smell like burning dust anymore...I am sure I am imagining it - back to my book.

Yeah okay that smell is narsty! So I put down my fab book and begin the hunt for the stink. I can't see anything but something is not right so I turn it off and head upstairs where I tell hubby in the man cave that something is wrong with the fireplace and I'll call a gas fitter the next day. He grunts at me like Tim Allen "Arrr arrr arrr" I start getting ready for bed - as I brush the teeth I can smell the stink upstairs now...yuck. I grab my yummy method Gingerbread Spice spray and do my best to ignore the burning smell.

Suddenly he-man runs forth from the man cave - concern with what he is smelling. After making appropriate man grunts and bringing out the tools, we take the cover off the fireplace. There we discover the burnt melted remains of a plastic toy. I still have no idea what melted but P.U. did it stink!

So we opened the house all up - every window and door was open - at 11:30 at night in January! Yeah not so warm in the house that night.

Note to the wise - check the inside of your fireplace before hitting the on button

Happy New Year

Yeah so when I fall off the blogger wagon I fall off badly.

If I am posting all the time then I am good but when I take a break I really take a break.

Right now I am trying to decide if I am even going to keep blogging. It takes time to post - and once in a while it actually takes thought to figure out what I am going to say :) My blog is lacking direction right now...no doubt because I also feel a lack of direction. The kids are keeping me very busy, and I am trying to make time for devotions, house work, going to the gym etc. I used to love blogging but now it can feel like a chore. And unlike the toilet or the laundry if I don't post no one is inconvenienced.

January blahhhhhhhs have kicked in and I am feeling restless. It is a time when we are all making resolutions and starting a year fresh. Only I feel tired and wore out yet desperately needing change. I have been extremely fatigued the last 2 weeks ( no I am not pregnant ) and that has made me limp through the day feeling awful. My house isn't getting cleaned up, the laundry isn't being done and making dinner nearly kills me. I usually perk up a bit in the evenings - so then I am madly trying to get laundry on and bathrooms cleaned. I seem to always feel worse the day after I go to the gym. So I am trying to figure out if I am just sooooo out of shape that 30 minutes of cardio takes 4 days to recover from. I started taking my vitamins again and I'll go for a thyroid test soon just to make sure that is okay. I hate not feeling 100% - and it is even worse when there is no reason for it(that I can see).

Well the fatigue has kicked in again and I am about to drool onto the keyboard - mac doesn't like that :)

I'll try and post from the pc so I can upload some of our Christmas and New Years photos - as it was a good holiday for us!

PS G is walking...watch out world Trouble is on the loose!