Last night I was flipping through the channels on the t.v., waiting for "Say Yes to the Dress" to come on...and the reality show DC Cupcakes was on....reality?? Really?? I have to question whether or not there is any reality in reality t.v. anymore? I remember when Survivor first started, the Grandfather of reality t.v., and it was real - but only for that one season. I am not sure what came next in the long list of reality shows, or which ones are actually anything close to being real. I am not a huge fan of those shows anyway, but I know some people who live for them! I used to love Jon & Kate Plus 8, until Kate had her makeover and the whole show went downhill (I do think the first two seasons of that show were prettty real), I like The Amazing Race...not sure if too much of that is staged or not? My one guilty pleasure, I have to admit, was Rock of Love, with Bret Micheals...I know it was a bad one!! I have watched my fair share of reality shows, only because they out number the sitcoms and dramas these days. My favourite one is House Hunters...even though I know every bit of that is staged too; do you know that they have already purchased the home before they even begin the filming process, so the other two homes they look at are just for fun. Wouldn't it suck if they actually fell in love with one the "staged homes"!! I do love Say Yes to the Dress...what girl doesn't love watching other people try on wedding dresses all night long? Greg has started watching the ones about auctions and storage lockers...they are pretty good too, though you know darn well they are all just acting. I just about forgot about my newest fave...Hoarders!! I think I like it best because it makes me realize that my house is really not that messy after all. I have only ever seen Jersey Shore once...just out of curiosity, I don't watch the Bachelor dump all the girls, I do love Big Brother though...it's a good one. I should probably get my name on the list for The Biggest Loser's next season and perhaps I should try out for American Idol, if Steven Tyler remains a judge next year (I can't sing to save my life, I just want him to kiss me too when he kicks me off stage!).
Maybe I should grab my video camera, if I could actually find it, and start filming my days of looking after kids, running them here, there and everywhere, trying my darndest to keep my house in some semblance of order, cooking, eating, trying to lose the weight that just keeps coming and coming and coming. Perhaps somebody would see it on YouTube and make us famous! Would they pay me a lot? Would they give me a makeover by season 3? Would they send us on great vacations just so they could record my three year old melting down in airport security? I really don't think the reality that is my life is exciting enough to get a 8 p.m. slot on TLC or NBC, but you never know...I suppose this is as real as it gets!
It is 4:45 a.m. right now and I am sitting here in my mumu, drinking iced tea and typing on my computer (I was sleeping up until this point). My daughter woke me up because she had to go pee and when I climbed back into bed I realized that my seven year old son was in the middle of my bed, my husband was snoring, I was sweating and my undies seem to be shrinking (or is it that I am still growing), so instead of pushing Mark's knees out of my back, trying to get Greg to start snoring, fanning myself while pulling wedgies out, I decided to come sit at my dining room table with a big glass of iced tea at my side and blog about the reality of my life.
The reality is that I have to spend all day tomorrow (Saturday), which is actually today, since it is past 4:30 a.m., cleaning my house, getting groceries, delivering my kids to the places they need to be, organizing my stuff , cooking for my family, etc., and I have to do it all myself since I don't have an entourage of people cleaning, cooking, looking after my kids and getting my house staged to look like I have done it all myself...no, I will be the one to do it all...I assume that is just the same as all of you who are reading this blog right now! Just regular people, living regular lives in our own realities.
SJ
P.S. If anyone would like to nominate me to be on TLC's What Not to Wear, please feel free to do so!! I could use a $5000 shopping spree in NYC!!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
When my mornings go south....really, really south!
Last night I sat on my couch with a blanket over my lap and the t.v. on in the background (I had two hours between American Idol and Criminal Minds), had the kids tucked into their beds, husband gone away for work, teenager at work...the house was all mine! I grabbed my laptop - which I am still in awe of how handy this thing is - and tried to write a post for this blog, and I had nothing!! My mind was blank. I would type and delete, type and delete, I honestly couldn't make my mind do anything but rest! I watched Entertainment Tonight Canada and then Entertainment Tonight and learned all about the Brit Awards, Justin Beiber (spelling??), the Royal couple will be coming to Canada in June & July, Christina Applegate is sooooooo in love with her new baby, etc. Perhaps I could get a job with TMZ since I seem to know so much about our entertainment world now! I realized last night that I need to have things actually happen in my world to write about them...I can not just pull stuff out of the air...which leads to the rest of this post...this morning...
I HAVE HAD THE MORNING FROM HELL!! It started at about 5:30 a.m. when my seven year old son woke me up as he climbed into bed with me...and my three year old son...I never really went back to sleep after that, I just tried my darndest to stay on the three inches I had left of my King size bed! Will (3 years) was sleeping sideways when Mark (7 years) decided to climb in, so I had to move Will into a proper sleeping position, which then meant he would roll right into me as he wiggled and jiggled in his sleep. By 6:20 I had no pillow left and I was hanging on for dear life, so I just decided that I would get up 10 minutes early instead of ending up on the floor. I got up and walked into my living room - I should have just gone right back to bed then! I was so exhausted last night that I left all the play-doh drying on the floor (partly because I was tired, partly because play-doh, like rice and corn, is much easier to sweep up once it has dried) and all the Hot Wheels and the umpteen other toys scattered about! I started to sweep and pick up and guess what I hear...the pitter patter of seven year old feet! Not a good thing when he wakes up that early. I let him just snuggle on the couch under a blanket watching Nickelodean and I then went out to feed our animals in the garage and to let them out. When I went out I realized two things: 1. it is freakin' cold out there 2. I had to shovel the snow that had either fell or blown in last night because my husband is gone. After I came back in I saw that I had three little children up - early - and knew that this would be a very long morning! I also have a boy who is seven and comes to my day home before and after school and arrives at 7:00 a.m., and on mornings when Mark is grouchy, it is not good for anyone, including the day home boy!! I showered and got dressed and when I came out of my room it was apparent that Mark was not in a good mood! I had two seven year old boys yelling at eachother and tattling to me every three minutes, I had a five year old mother hen who was trying to corral my three year old to get him ready for the day (I suppose I should be thankful for my five year old daughter who dresses, undresses and even gives baths to my three year old), all I can say is that at this point I was very thankful my teenager was still downstairs and not up here hassling me about something, cause I probably would have fell off my rocker then! I fed the kids, made lunches, found socks, took homemade instruments away from Will, welcomed another day home kid, got kids dressed and sent them on their way to the bus stop...took a deep breath...and continued on with my day.
On the bright side of things, I got some new Lululemon pants in the mail yesterday! If you have ever wondered what I wear on a daily basis, here it is: Lululemon pants (usually Still Pants, sometimes Relaxed Fit pants) and a t-shirt...everyday. I needed a new pair since my other ones seem to be shrinking (LOL), and you want to know the best thing about these pants - besides being the absolutely most comfortable pants in the world - if you buy the "Still Pant", you go down in size! They know how to treat a lady right! I just ordered myself a size 12 (granted that's as big as they go there), and they have room left in the tush and thighs!!! AS IF I AM A SIZE 12 PANT!!! Only at Lululemon can you feel so fantastic about the size you are buying! Now, don't think you can buy any pair of pants there in a size that is normally two or three sizes below you, just the Still Pant. The bigger the size though, they seem to get a little bit longer as well - it's as if they think that as you grow out, you also grow up. Even though I just paid $100 for these pants, I am motivated to get back into the size 10's (and oh, how I would love to get back to my size 8's - which are really just a size 12 in the "friendly sizing") and so I will pedal my bike during evey spare moment I have today and in the days to come!
I only have three little boys in my house today, that is until 4:00 rolls around, and they are so good together; It should be a good day! I plan to take my kids to see a free movie at a local church tonight - "Dispicable Me" is playing - and the kids are so excited about it! Tomorrow I will take Grace (the mother hen) to see her cousins in B.C. - 4 year old Hudson and 3 month old identical twins, Eli & Cooper - we are so excited to make this trip there! I am leaving the rest of my family behind because I just don't think bringing a circus act to my sisters house is fair in any way...this summer we will all venture out there when my busy, busy boys can be busy outside and my little mother hen can help feed, bathe, dress and care for the babies (which she is so excited to do this weekend)!
As for the rest of this day...it continues right now!
SJ
I HAVE HAD THE MORNING FROM HELL!! It started at about 5:30 a.m. when my seven year old son woke me up as he climbed into bed with me...and my three year old son...I never really went back to sleep after that, I just tried my darndest to stay on the three inches I had left of my King size bed! Will (3 years) was sleeping sideways when Mark (7 years) decided to climb in, so I had to move Will into a proper sleeping position, which then meant he would roll right into me as he wiggled and jiggled in his sleep. By 6:20 I had no pillow left and I was hanging on for dear life, so I just decided that I would get up 10 minutes early instead of ending up on the floor. I got up and walked into my living room - I should have just gone right back to bed then! I was so exhausted last night that I left all the play-doh drying on the floor (partly because I was tired, partly because play-doh, like rice and corn, is much easier to sweep up once it has dried) and all the Hot Wheels and the umpteen other toys scattered about! I started to sweep and pick up and guess what I hear...the pitter patter of seven year old feet! Not a good thing when he wakes up that early. I let him just snuggle on the couch under a blanket watching Nickelodean and I then went out to feed our animals in the garage and to let them out. When I went out I realized two things: 1. it is freakin' cold out there 2. I had to shovel the snow that had either fell or blown in last night because my husband is gone. After I came back in I saw that I had three little children up - early - and knew that this would be a very long morning! I also have a boy who is seven and comes to my day home before and after school and arrives at 7:00 a.m., and on mornings when Mark is grouchy, it is not good for anyone, including the day home boy!! I showered and got dressed and when I came out of my room it was apparent that Mark was not in a good mood! I had two seven year old boys yelling at eachother and tattling to me every three minutes, I had a five year old mother hen who was trying to corral my three year old to get him ready for the day (I suppose I should be thankful for my five year old daughter who dresses, undresses and even gives baths to my three year old), all I can say is that at this point I was very thankful my teenager was still downstairs and not up here hassling me about something, cause I probably would have fell off my rocker then! I fed the kids, made lunches, found socks, took homemade instruments away from Will, welcomed another day home kid, got kids dressed and sent them on their way to the bus stop...took a deep breath...and continued on with my day.
On the bright side of things, I got some new Lululemon pants in the mail yesterday! If you have ever wondered what I wear on a daily basis, here it is: Lululemon pants (usually Still Pants, sometimes Relaxed Fit pants) and a t-shirt...everyday. I needed a new pair since my other ones seem to be shrinking (LOL), and you want to know the best thing about these pants - besides being the absolutely most comfortable pants in the world - if you buy the "Still Pant", you go down in size! They know how to treat a lady right! I just ordered myself a size 12 (granted that's as big as they go there), and they have room left in the tush and thighs!!! AS IF I AM A SIZE 12 PANT!!! Only at Lululemon can you feel so fantastic about the size you are buying! Now, don't think you can buy any pair of pants there in a size that is normally two or three sizes below you, just the Still Pant. The bigger the size though, they seem to get a little bit longer as well - it's as if they think that as you grow out, you also grow up. Even though I just paid $100 for these pants, I am motivated to get back into the size 10's (and oh, how I would love to get back to my size 8's - which are really just a size 12 in the "friendly sizing") and so I will pedal my bike during evey spare moment I have today and in the days to come!
I only have three little boys in my house today, that is until 4:00 rolls around, and they are so good together; It should be a good day! I plan to take my kids to see a free movie at a local church tonight - "Dispicable Me" is playing - and the kids are so excited about it! Tomorrow I will take Grace (the mother hen) to see her cousins in B.C. - 4 year old Hudson and 3 month old identical twins, Eli & Cooper - we are so excited to make this trip there! I am leaving the rest of my family behind because I just don't think bringing a circus act to my sisters house is fair in any way...this summer we will all venture out there when my busy, busy boys can be busy outside and my little mother hen can help feed, bathe, dress and care for the babies (which she is so excited to do this weekend)!
As for the rest of this day...it continues right now!
SJ
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Let's start a new movement!
I often think that I would have made an awful housewife in the 1950's....and then I look around my house and realize two things:
1. Yes, I would have made an awful housewife in the 1950's
2. I am living the life of an awful 1950's housewife
Last night I made a nice meal of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies & buns. This may not seem like any great feat to the average woman, but for me this was big! I cleared the dining room table, which has been housing everything from school newsletters to laundry and hasn't seen the light of day in about a month. One of my brothers joined us for supper, Natalie set the table and we all sat down to eat...ten minutes later we were all finished the meal that took me how long to prepare, my brother said his good-byes, my kids all got up and went to do their own thing and my husband took his place on the couch with a book in hand and a hockey game on the t.v. I was left standing in a kitchen, that even before the meal was a disaster, but at that point was a danger zone, all alone with mountains of dirty dishes piled up around me. I know what a lot of people would say to me: "make you kids help you clean it" or some women would even suggest having my husband help...wouldn't that be nice! I simply walked away from the entire kitchen and woke up this morning to a kitchen that looked like something featured on the show "Hoarders". Best thing about not being a 1950's housewife - having a very nice dishwasher with a very good Pots & Pans setting! I know that I should just ask my husband to help more around the house, but I don't really think I should have to ask, it should just be his own common sense. I have talked to many, many women about this topic and we all seem to see it the same way, and God forbid you ever tell your husband that they don't help out enough, because you can be guaranteed to hear about how he took the trash out two weeks ago as their defences go through the roof! I know my kids are old enough to help out too, but sometimes I just don't have the energy to fight with them about it.
The '50's had the wives who asked their husbands for money, did all the housework, took care of the kids, etc., etc., and then came the '60's were the wives took off their bras to burn them, told their husbands that they, as women, should have more rights and freedoms, etc., etc. What, you may wonder, did that movement of the '60's do for future generations like myself? It gave me a chance to be a '50's housewife who is also expected to work because of the '60's movement that gave me all the rights and freedoms I deserve! Thanks ladies!
I really am not complaining as much as it might seem about my situation....I do have it pretty good. My only wish is that my husband (and all men) would realize that we as women do a hell of a lot during the day and that our day doesn't end when the clocks strikes 5; our job as mothers and wives is a 24/7 kind of job and we do not get many perks and benifits, and never a day off. Have you ever wondered what would happen if you just sat down on the couch at 5:00 p.m. and stayed there until about 11:00 p.m.? Would anyone eat? Would any diapers get changed? Would the kids get tucked into bed? Would the laundry get washed, dryed, folded and put away? Would the pets get fed? Would the dishes get done? Maybe we should make a new movement - minus the bra burning (they are just far too expensive to burn) - a movement that says if a woman works, inside or outside the home, the duties of parenting and household chores should be split 50/50 and if the woman has the chance to stay home without having to work, the duties should still be helped with after "working hours". What do you say ladies, want to start something big?
Another movement I would like to see happen is one that would get our kids to just be kids again. What I mean by that is to let our children grow up at the rate that God intended them to grow and develop, to let them be home after school instead of being shipped all around town to different activites. Since when does a child need to do dance, gymnastics, music, scouts, hockey, soccer and skating all in the same week? I know so many families who run from one activity to the next every day of the week and I can't imagine that their children are begging to do all of those activities. I think that somewere along the way someone made the moms of the world feel like they were not quite up to par unless they had their children walking, talking and playing hockey before their first birthdays! If you are not a mother yet, or your children are all grown at this point, let me tell you the pressure we feel these days to make sure our children are busy, busy, busy. We all seem to think that by their 3rd birthday they need to be enrolled in pre-school and busy with at least one activity, but by the time they turn 5, you better have them in at least two or three things. Imagine if you were a kid again and you came home from school and told your mom you wanted to go play at Bobbie's house down the street, and she said "no, you have to go to Hip-Hop, Music lessons and Hockey tonight"...wouldn't that suck when you just want to go and play and have some fun. I know that I don't want to have to go to meetings or aerobics classes every night of the week after I have had a long day; our kids sit through school all day long, where they are busy using their little brains and bodies and then we expect them to use them once again all evening long.
I understand the push to have active children, but doesn't that just mean to let them play outside with their friends after school or to take them to the pool on the weekends? In my own opinion, I think that our children are active enough just being in elementary school; they go out for recess three times a day and they have gym class every week (not sure how many times per week). If we are scared that our children are going to grow up to be overweight perhaps we should look to ourselves to make sure they are eating the proper food and not stuffing their faces with fast food on their way to gymnastics!! By the time they reach adolescence, I do think that having them in activites is a good thing as it keeps them busy and keeps them out of trouble, but until that point I think I will just keep my kids little as long as I can and let them be the ones to tell me if they want to dance or play hockey.
What do you say ladies, do you want to start something big with me? Let's make a movement today to let our kids be kids and our have our husbands give us a much needed helping hand!
SJ
1. Yes, I would have made an awful housewife in the 1950's
2. I am living the life of an awful 1950's housewife
Last night I made a nice meal of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, veggies & buns. This may not seem like any great feat to the average woman, but for me this was big! I cleared the dining room table, which has been housing everything from school newsletters to laundry and hasn't seen the light of day in about a month. One of my brothers joined us for supper, Natalie set the table and we all sat down to eat...ten minutes later we were all finished the meal that took me how long to prepare, my brother said his good-byes, my kids all got up and went to do their own thing and my husband took his place on the couch with a book in hand and a hockey game on the t.v. I was left standing in a kitchen, that even before the meal was a disaster, but at that point was a danger zone, all alone with mountains of dirty dishes piled up around me. I know what a lot of people would say to me: "make you kids help you clean it" or some women would even suggest having my husband help...wouldn't that be nice! I simply walked away from the entire kitchen and woke up this morning to a kitchen that looked like something featured on the show "Hoarders". Best thing about not being a 1950's housewife - having a very nice dishwasher with a very good Pots & Pans setting! I know that I should just ask my husband to help more around the house, but I don't really think I should have to ask, it should just be his own common sense. I have talked to many, many women about this topic and we all seem to see it the same way, and God forbid you ever tell your husband that they don't help out enough, because you can be guaranteed to hear about how he took the trash out two weeks ago as their defences go through the roof! I know my kids are old enough to help out too, but sometimes I just don't have the energy to fight with them about it.
The '50's had the wives who asked their husbands for money, did all the housework, took care of the kids, etc., etc., and then came the '60's were the wives took off their bras to burn them, told their husbands that they, as women, should have more rights and freedoms, etc., etc. What, you may wonder, did that movement of the '60's do for future generations like myself? It gave me a chance to be a '50's housewife who is also expected to work because of the '60's movement that gave me all the rights and freedoms I deserve! Thanks ladies!
I really am not complaining as much as it might seem about my situation....I do have it pretty good. My only wish is that my husband (and all men) would realize that we as women do a hell of a lot during the day and that our day doesn't end when the clocks strikes 5; our job as mothers and wives is a 24/7 kind of job and we do not get many perks and benifits, and never a day off. Have you ever wondered what would happen if you just sat down on the couch at 5:00 p.m. and stayed there until about 11:00 p.m.? Would anyone eat? Would any diapers get changed? Would the kids get tucked into bed? Would the laundry get washed, dryed, folded and put away? Would the pets get fed? Would the dishes get done? Maybe we should make a new movement - minus the bra burning (they are just far too expensive to burn) - a movement that says if a woman works, inside or outside the home, the duties of parenting and household chores should be split 50/50 and if the woman has the chance to stay home without having to work, the duties should still be helped with after "working hours". What do you say ladies, want to start something big?
Another movement I would like to see happen is one that would get our kids to just be kids again. What I mean by that is to let our children grow up at the rate that God intended them to grow and develop, to let them be home after school instead of being shipped all around town to different activites. Since when does a child need to do dance, gymnastics, music, scouts, hockey, soccer and skating all in the same week? I know so many families who run from one activity to the next every day of the week and I can't imagine that their children are begging to do all of those activities. I think that somewere along the way someone made the moms of the world feel like they were not quite up to par unless they had their children walking, talking and playing hockey before their first birthdays! If you are not a mother yet, or your children are all grown at this point, let me tell you the pressure we feel these days to make sure our children are busy, busy, busy. We all seem to think that by their 3rd birthday they need to be enrolled in pre-school and busy with at least one activity, but by the time they turn 5, you better have them in at least two or three things. Imagine if you were a kid again and you came home from school and told your mom you wanted to go play at Bobbie's house down the street, and she said "no, you have to go to Hip-Hop, Music lessons and Hockey tonight"...wouldn't that suck when you just want to go and play and have some fun. I know that I don't want to have to go to meetings or aerobics classes every night of the week after I have had a long day; our kids sit through school all day long, where they are busy using their little brains and bodies and then we expect them to use them once again all evening long.
I understand the push to have active children, but doesn't that just mean to let them play outside with their friends after school or to take them to the pool on the weekends? In my own opinion, I think that our children are active enough just being in elementary school; they go out for recess three times a day and they have gym class every week (not sure how many times per week). If we are scared that our children are going to grow up to be overweight perhaps we should look to ourselves to make sure they are eating the proper food and not stuffing their faces with fast food on their way to gymnastics!! By the time they reach adolescence, I do think that having them in activites is a good thing as it keeps them busy and keeps them out of trouble, but until that point I think I will just keep my kids little as long as I can and let them be the ones to tell me if they want to dance or play hockey.
What do you say ladies, do you want to start something big with me? Let's make a movement today to let our kids be kids and our have our husbands give us a much needed helping hand!
SJ
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Is it any wonder??
50...
50 States in the USA
50 Bottles of beer on the wall
50 Cent (the singer or the coin, your choice)
50 Things on my list of things to do today
50 Chocolate bars in my pantry
...yes, that is correct, I have 50 chocolate bars sitting in my pantry!! Mark brought them home from school as a fundraiser and he needs to sell them for one dollar each! We had to pay up front for the case of them, and it's probably a good thing that we did, because I think we are short about 6 at this point!! I have only had one, but their are five other people in my house, so all I can say is if you want to buy a chocolate bar from Mark, you better act fast!!
Here is another number for you - 5...
...5, the average age of the children I saw ordering Ice Caps, Mochas & Lattes from Tim Hortons tonight!! If you ever wonder why this world is going to Hell in a handbasket, well I have the answer...we are giving our children, starting at the ripe old age of 3, the most addictive coffee beverages that have full grown men lining up for 20 minutes in a drive-thru - nothing like starting them young!! I am not kidding when I say that, I was in Tims tonight to get my kids some Tim Bits after I decided it would be a good idea to take them all to Lloydminster, so I could get a hair cut. I was standing in line when a mom came in with two little boys, around 3 and 5 years old, and she said to them "do you both want Ice Caps?"....seriously??? Then I had to go back in after I doled out the doughnuts to my kids because they gave me the wrong muffin, and I stood in line behind a dad with a daughter, about 9 years old, and she begged him for either a Mocha or a Latte...and he ordered her the Latte!! Now, I am not exactly a health nut kind of mom myself - I have 14 varieties of cereal in my pantry, and about 10 of them are the sugary kind - but even I know better than to by my children drinks that are laced with caffine and God knows what else Tim Hortons throws in there to make their drinks so addicting!
Just while I am on this kick about giving kids things that probably affect them in more ways than one could imagine, is it just me or do we seem to give every bratty kid in this world a label? I know more kids out there with ADD, ADHD, ODD, Red Dye Sensitivities, Food Sensitivities, and even when we avoid all the substances that they can't have, or hire them each an aide - and listen, I plan to work as an aide when I am done with the day home, so I do hope there are still a couple kids who need my assistance :) - they never seem to act the way they should be! Perhaps, they are more like my kids, just spoiled rotten! Perhaps, I could convince the world that my kids have ADD, ODD, Lactose Intolerance & Sugar Sensitivities, and then they will all understand why my seven year old son has a meltdown in the middle of the grocery store when I don't buy the Bear Paw cookies!!!
At 10:24 p.m., far past his bedtime, I will now go and change the diaper of my three year old, soother sucking, doughnut eatingbrat son...but at least he did not have an Ice Cap in his sippy cup tonight!!
SJ
50 States in the USA
50 Bottles of beer on the wall
50 Cent (the singer or the coin, your choice)
50 Things on my list of things to do today
50 Chocolate bars in my pantry
...yes, that is correct, I have 50 chocolate bars sitting in my pantry!! Mark brought them home from school as a fundraiser and he needs to sell them for one dollar each! We had to pay up front for the case of them, and it's probably a good thing that we did, because I think we are short about 6 at this point!! I have only had one, but their are five other people in my house, so all I can say is if you want to buy a chocolate bar from Mark, you better act fast!!
Here is another number for you - 5...
...5, the average age of the children I saw ordering Ice Caps, Mochas & Lattes from Tim Hortons tonight!! If you ever wonder why this world is going to Hell in a handbasket, well I have the answer...we are giving our children, starting at the ripe old age of 3, the most addictive coffee beverages that have full grown men lining up for 20 minutes in a drive-thru - nothing like starting them young!! I am not kidding when I say that, I was in Tims tonight to get my kids some Tim Bits after I decided it would be a good idea to take them all to Lloydminster, so I could get a hair cut. I was standing in line when a mom came in with two little boys, around 3 and 5 years old, and she said to them "do you both want Ice Caps?"....seriously??? Then I had to go back in after I doled out the doughnuts to my kids because they gave me the wrong muffin, and I stood in line behind a dad with a daughter, about 9 years old, and she begged him for either a Mocha or a Latte...and he ordered her the Latte!! Now, I am not exactly a health nut kind of mom myself - I have 14 varieties of cereal in my pantry, and about 10 of them are the sugary kind - but even I know better than to by my children drinks that are laced with caffine and God knows what else Tim Hortons throws in there to make their drinks so addicting!
Just while I am on this kick about giving kids things that probably affect them in more ways than one could imagine, is it just me or do we seem to give every bratty kid in this world a label? I know more kids out there with ADD, ADHD, ODD, Red Dye Sensitivities, Food Sensitivities, and even when we avoid all the substances that they can't have, or hire them each an aide - and listen, I plan to work as an aide when I am done with the day home, so I do hope there are still a couple kids who need my assistance :) - they never seem to act the way they should be! Perhaps, they are more like my kids, just spoiled rotten! Perhaps, I could convince the world that my kids have ADD, ODD, Lactose Intolerance & Sugar Sensitivities, and then they will all understand why my seven year old son has a meltdown in the middle of the grocery store when I don't buy the Bear Paw cookies!!!
At 10:24 p.m., far past his bedtime, I will now go and change the diaper of my three year old, soother sucking, doughnut eating
SJ
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Riding in style
Do you know how to exercise in luxury? Buy yourself a recumbent exersice bike, that's how! I bought one yesterday, assembled it last night, went for a spin at about 11:00 p.m. and again this morning when I woke up. The reason I chose this type of machine is for the following reasons:
1. It is quiet and I can use it while children are sleeping/napping
2. I don't have to wear shoes
3. I don't have to wear a bra (this really only applies early in the morning or at night)
4. I can watch t.v. at a normal volume
5. I can read a book while riding
6. I can use it with babies play around me (this really should be up around number 1 or 2)
I put it in my living room - on the main floor - because history has shown me that I don't EVER use the exersice equipment if it is in the basement; now I can ride my bike while the kids play around me, and I don't have to worry about amputated little fingers or toes, I can watch t.v. with the volume down, even if it is Treehouse, I can read my book in the silence of my house while all little children are sound asleep!! I think I might actually enjoy this kind of bike!
Greg went to the doctor the other day, just for a regular check-up, and was told he needs to lose 2 lbs/month for two years (not quite sure why didn't just tell him to lose 50 lbs...maybe that seems too daunting of a task), so last night he made me a sweet deal! As I put together my excersise bike all by myself, and he sat on his tush right next to me (and just in case he reads this, yes honey, you did hook up the wires for me) playing on the computer, I told him we should have a bet to see who can lose the 50 lbs first!! Since his prizes for the bet were absolutely ridiculous, I told him to forget it and we would just make a true effort to lose the weight together....and then he said this to me..."once we have both lost 50 lbs, how about we take a trip to Scotland?"...and I said this to him..."are you freakin' kidding me??"...so we will be flying high above the ocean on our way to Scotland in just 50 lbs from now!!! I do not have the travel bug, but let me tell you the one place I want to see before I die is Scotland!!! Talk about motivation!
Yesterday when I bought my bike, I lost my cool at Canadian Tire and let loose on a manager after the employees of that store ticked me off...long story...so I went across the street to Wal-Mart and found an even better bike there; the customer service at Wal-Mart is not much more impressive than that of Canadian Tire, but at least I did find a sweet 16 year old boy who finally helped me with the big heavy box. After this whole experience in the "big city" of Lloydminster, I realized why I love shopping in my wee little town of Vermilion - the customer service here is the best you will find for miles! The Co-op employees are often too eager to help me out with my groceries, and they are always willing to help me find something that I am looking for - this is what I want in customer service (even if the pricer are way higher in our little store, I will pay the extra 2 dollars for cereal if it means I can get the service I want, and deserve).
Today is Sunday, my day to clean my house, by my groceries, plan for my week, and ride my new bike as far as a I want in the comfort of my house!!
SJ
P.S. In my last post I talked about sitting around Deanna's kitchen table with my girlfriends...and I stuck to my vow of not talking about the birth of my children. I had to zip my lips when the conversation turned to forceps, apgar scores, and big babies...I didn't say a word!
1. It is quiet and I can use it while children are sleeping/napping
2. I don't have to wear shoes
3. I don't have to wear a bra (this really only applies early in the morning or at night)
4. I can watch t.v. at a normal volume
5. I can read a book while riding
6. I can use it with babies play around me (this really should be up around number 1 or 2)
I put it in my living room - on the main floor - because history has shown me that I don't EVER use the exersice equipment if it is in the basement; now I can ride my bike while the kids play around me, and I don't have to worry about amputated little fingers or toes, I can watch t.v. with the volume down, even if it is Treehouse, I can read my book in the silence of my house while all little children are sound asleep!! I think I might actually enjoy this kind of bike!
Greg went to the doctor the other day, just for a regular check-up, and was told he needs to lose 2 lbs/month for two years (not quite sure why didn't just tell him to lose 50 lbs...maybe that seems too daunting of a task), so last night he made me a sweet deal! As I put together my excersise bike all by myself, and he sat on his tush right next to me (and just in case he reads this, yes honey, you did hook up the wires for me) playing on the computer, I told him we should have a bet to see who can lose the 50 lbs first!! Since his prizes for the bet were absolutely ridiculous, I told him to forget it and we would just make a true effort to lose the weight together....and then he said this to me..."once we have both lost 50 lbs, how about we take a trip to Scotland?"...and I said this to him..."are you freakin' kidding me??"...so we will be flying high above the ocean on our way to Scotland in just 50 lbs from now!!! I do not have the travel bug, but let me tell you the one place I want to see before I die is Scotland!!! Talk about motivation!
Yesterday when I bought my bike, I lost my cool at Canadian Tire and let loose on a manager after the employees of that store ticked me off...long story...so I went across the street to Wal-Mart and found an even better bike there; the customer service at Wal-Mart is not much more impressive than that of Canadian Tire, but at least I did find a sweet 16 year old boy who finally helped me with the big heavy box. After this whole experience in the "big city" of Lloydminster, I realized why I love shopping in my wee little town of Vermilion - the customer service here is the best you will find for miles! The Co-op employees are often too eager to help me out with my groceries, and they are always willing to help me find something that I am looking for - this is what I want in customer service (even if the pricer are way higher in our little store, I will pay the extra 2 dollars for cereal if it means I can get the service I want, and deserve).
Today is Sunday, my day to clean my house, by my groceries, plan for my week, and ride my new bike as far as a I want in the comfort of my house!!
SJ
P.S. In my last post I talked about sitting around Deanna's kitchen table with my girlfriends...and I stuck to my vow of not talking about the birth of my children. I had to zip my lips when the conversation turned to forceps, apgar scores, and big babies...I didn't say a word!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to sleep I go......
It is just a little after 7:00 a.m. and I am sitting in my bed right now listening to Max & Ruby coming from the living room, and before that was Beyblades (spelling??) and before that, I don't really know because all I really want to do is be asleep...but my boys have been up since 5:45 a.m. and this new routine of theirs is getting very old, very fast! They - my boys - are going to the Monster Jam today with Greg and all I have to say is that it is a very good thing they have to drive two hours to get there because they will need that time for naps! I think I too will be in need of a nap by the time they leave.
Last night I spent a great evening with my friends at our monthly gathering where we each throw in $20 and someone wins the money...anyway, we sat around Deanna's kitchen table talking and eating and then Amy pulled out some "conversation starter" games, and did the converstations ever start then! The first cards that she pulled where things like "which of your children would you like to take care of you when you are old" - Grace; "would you rather have a sharp mind or fit body" - fit body (I don't mean that as if I want to be a body builder or something, it's just that I have seen too many people in nursing homes who still have their wits about them but their bodies are failing them badly, and I don't want to be that person...I want to be the woman who can walk, skip and run but has no bloody clue what's going on around her!). Then the one that got us all worked up - "should prostitution be legal" - well, I am not going to get into it again, but let me tell you, we spent a lot of time on that one topic and we were really split down the middle in our opinions about it! (Just in case you are wondering, I am very opposed to the idea).
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Took a little break from typing there to get my boys off and running! I thought they would leave around 11:00 or so, but no, Greg jumped in the shower and said to have them ready for for 8:30, so I jumped out of bed and fed, dressed and packed up two little boys for their big adventure! Will was so cute getting ready, he was so sure he would need to take his headphones from his Leapster so he could "hear the Monster Jam", when really we meant he would be getting some headphones there so he could "hear after the Monster Jam"!!
It is now 8:50 a.m. and I am once again sitting in my bed typing away...in complete silence!! I love silence. The only child in my house is Natalie, and she won't wake up until about 3:00 this afternoon! Grace had a sleepover at Grandma Johnston's last night, so I am totally alone in the quiet of my house. I am not sure if I should just turn off my light and go back to sleep for a while or if I should get up and get busy doing all the things that so badly need to be done in my house today.
I am planning on going to Lloydminster today with Grace - some mother daughter time she is so looking forward to! I am not one of the moms who takes her kids to the spa for bonding though, just McDonalds and a little Wal-Mart shopping will do! I thought I would take her to the bottle depot too since we have so many bags of bottles to be recycled, but I know the lovely aroma of the depot will be too much for her very sensitive senses, and send her gagging and crying right out of the building...perhaps I will save that trip for Mark next weekend and he can take the money he makes from the bottles to buy his much wanted Wii game!!
Well, I think I might just turn off my light right now, snuggle under my duvet and catch up on some much needed sleep!
SJ
Last night I spent a great evening with my friends at our monthly gathering where we each throw in $20 and someone wins the money...anyway, we sat around Deanna's kitchen table talking and eating and then Amy pulled out some "conversation starter" games, and did the converstations ever start then! The first cards that she pulled where things like "which of your children would you like to take care of you when you are old" - Grace; "would you rather have a sharp mind or fit body" - fit body (I don't mean that as if I want to be a body builder or something, it's just that I have seen too many people in nursing homes who still have their wits about them but their bodies are failing them badly, and I don't want to be that person...I want to be the woman who can walk, skip and run but has no bloody clue what's going on around her!). Then the one that got us all worked up - "should prostitution be legal" - well, I am not going to get into it again, but let me tell you, we spent a lot of time on that one topic and we were really split down the middle in our opinions about it! (Just in case you are wondering, I am very opposed to the idea).
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~
~
Took a little break from typing there to get my boys off and running! I thought they would leave around 11:00 or so, but no, Greg jumped in the shower and said to have them ready for for 8:30, so I jumped out of bed and fed, dressed and packed up two little boys for their big adventure! Will was so cute getting ready, he was so sure he would need to take his headphones from his Leapster so he could "hear the Monster Jam", when really we meant he would be getting some headphones there so he could "hear after the Monster Jam"!!
It is now 8:50 a.m. and I am once again sitting in my bed typing away...in complete silence!! I love silence. The only child in my house is Natalie, and she won't wake up until about 3:00 this afternoon! Grace had a sleepover at Grandma Johnston's last night, so I am totally alone in the quiet of my house. I am not sure if I should just turn off my light and go back to sleep for a while or if I should get up and get busy doing all the things that so badly need to be done in my house today.
I am planning on going to Lloydminster today with Grace - some mother daughter time she is so looking forward to! I am not one of the moms who takes her kids to the spa for bonding though, just McDonalds and a little Wal-Mart shopping will do! I thought I would take her to the bottle depot too since we have so many bags of bottles to be recycled, but I know the lovely aroma of the depot will be too much for her very sensitive senses, and send her gagging and crying right out of the building...perhaps I will save that trip for Mark next weekend and he can take the money he makes from the bottles to buy his much wanted Wii game!!
Well, I think I might just turn off my light right now, snuggle under my duvet and catch up on some much needed sleep!
SJ
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Just call me Mom
Am I really that much like my mother?? Yes, I probably am! My little sister has known this all along, and loves to tell me how much I am like mom. We grow up thinking (and shouting) that we will NEVER be like our moms, but then we always seem to turn out just like her! How though is it that I am like her, but my sisters are not? There are certainly many differences between my mother and I, such as that the fact that my mother actually enjoys cleaning and I would rather pull the hair off my arms than pull the rags and the bucket out; she does not enjoy driving in snowstorms - or bad weather - and it doesn't bother me at all; she can sew and I can't even thread a machine (she questioned me as to why I even have one if I can't thread it); she is a right wing conservative, I have a bit a bleeding heart (though I do tilt to right on some things). As many differences as their are, there are some real similartities too...she doesn't like heights (that is an understatement) and I had to get the carny to stop the ferris wheel last summer when I went on with my five year old because we had moved one spot and I was crying and ready to throw up - Grace stayed on with some teenage girls; she is an amazing baker, I am following in her footsteps; she is not a world traveler, and quite happy to be that way, so am I; we have a lot of the same facial expressions and I catch myself talking just like her; you can find us both in bed very early...the list could really go on and on and on. I often tell people that I am NOT like her, but deep down inside I know I am really just a litte clone of my mother. Probably the best compliment I have had in regards to being just like my mother came from my Aunt Jan, she told me I have a 'Sparkling Personality'...just like my mom!! I will take that anyday!
My daughters are really nothing like me (except the fact that they look like me), Natalie is an animal lover and not so much into kids, she likes to stay up very late and sleep in very late, she if very confident in herself - all of these are opposite to me. Grace is a very bossy, organized, responsible, five year old girl (I will say the one thing we do have in common is our absolute love of babies) - again, nothing like me. It will be very interesting to see my girls as grown women and I will be interested to know if they turn out anyting like me. As for my boys, they better hope they marry someone just their mother or they might be in for the shock of their lives when a woman doesn't dote on them 24/7!!!
As much as I a might poke a little fun at being like my mother, I have to say that I have the best mom in the whole wide world. She is always there for me, full of advice or a shoulder to cry on and she has a sparkling personality to boot!!!
SJ
My daughters are really nothing like me (except the fact that they look like me), Natalie is an animal lover and not so much into kids, she likes to stay up very late and sleep in very late, she if very confident in herself - all of these are opposite to me. Grace is a very bossy, organized, responsible, five year old girl (I will say the one thing we do have in common is our absolute love of babies) - again, nothing like me. It will be very interesting to see my girls as grown women and I will be interested to know if they turn out anyting like me. As for my boys, they better hope they marry someone just their mother or they might be in for the shock of their lives when a woman doesn't dote on them 24/7!!!
As much as I a might poke a little fun at being like my mother, I have to say that I have the best mom in the whole wide world. She is always there for me, full of advice or a shoulder to cry on and she has a sparkling personality to boot!!!
SJ
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Glad to be me
If I were famous, this is what I would be famous for:
1. My chocolate chip cookies
2. The fact that I am so forgetful
3. My speed at installing carseats
4. My patience
5. A sincere love of babies
Since I am not famous though, I just thought you might be interested in knowing those few things anyway! Number 2 has been driving me crazy lately though!! I can't seem to remember anything anymore; last night I couldn't find the only pair of shoes that I wear in the winter!! I had to take my kids into town to the grocery store and I couldn't find my shoes anywhere!! Finally, after searching high and low, I remembered I hid them in the laundry room (because we got a new dog - a one year old lab - and I didn't want them chewed), and when I opened the door, there they were! This morning I couldn't find my flip-flops - what I wear around the house - and drove myself cray looking for them! I am not an organized person by nature - I am a classic middle child - and have a hard time putting things back in thier place or finding them again once I have forgotten to put them back in their place!! A very good friend of mine, Amanda, has the best idea for people like me - a book to write down all the things you don't want to forget - only problem is, I would probably forget where I put the book!! Every November I call Amanda and ask her the same question: "Where did I put my Boney M CD?"; You would think that perhaps I would put it in the same place each year, but I don't ever seem to remember to do that either!! As I said, I am a classic middle child, but my Mom and a lot of my friends are all oldest children and you know what? They are really good at finding the things they have put 'somewhere', even if they have piles of papers or stacks of boxes...they always know where they put it - classic oldest child! I read the book "the birth order book" by Kevin Leman and besides analyzing everyone I know, I have learned a lot about myself. Greg is very organized - and an oldest child, go figure - and thank heavens for that, or we would be in big trouble!! I can go to the grocery store and completely forget why I went there, standing in the produce section wondering what in the world I need! I end up with $200 worth of groceries when I really only went to get some sandwich meat or milk! I have never forgotten any children anywhere though, so I guess when it comes to the really important stuff, I am still on top of it.
As for the rest of those things that I would be famous for:
1. My chocolate chip cookies - I don't want to sound like I am bragging, but they are really, really good! I use the same tried and true recipe and the really good quailty cookie sheets. One of the biggest secrets when it comes to baking cookies though is to take them out when they are still soft and look uncooked, that way they keep baking while they sit on the hot cookie sheet - otherwise they will turn out crunchy and dark brown.
3. My speed at installing carseats - I am very FAST!! I have been installing carseats for many, many years now and I have done it many, many times! I am constantly changing the arrangement in my vehicle because some kids just can't sit next to eachother and I often have to take seats out to make room for teenagers or adults (or Costco runs!!). The invention of UAS clips in vehicles (if you have not had a baby since 2000, you may not be familiar with this wonderful new concept), but it makes putting in carseats much more simple and quick!!
4. My patience - simply said, I am a very paitent person.
5. My sincere love of babies - I could had been Michelle Duggar in another life! I would have 10 babies, except my husband put his foot down and said no! I like all children, but babies are my favourite! I often wonder if it is wrong to tell another mother (who desperately wanted to stay home with her child, but instead brought him to me) that I have absolutely fallen in love with her baby.
I am glad I am not famous, would never want to be. I am just glad to be a regular person living a regular life. I am glad to live in a small town where just enough people know me, and just enough people don't know me. I am glad to have house large enough to keep all my "stuff", but glad to not be a hoarder. I am glad to have the ability to bake yummy cookies and love sweet babies.
SJ
1. My chocolate chip cookies
2. The fact that I am so forgetful
3. My speed at installing carseats
4. My patience
5. A sincere love of babies
Since I am not famous though, I just thought you might be interested in knowing those few things anyway! Number 2 has been driving me crazy lately though!! I can't seem to remember anything anymore; last night I couldn't find the only pair of shoes that I wear in the winter!! I had to take my kids into town to the grocery store and I couldn't find my shoes anywhere!! Finally, after searching high and low, I remembered I hid them in the laundry room (because we got a new dog - a one year old lab - and I didn't want them chewed), and when I opened the door, there they were! This morning I couldn't find my flip-flops - what I wear around the house - and drove myself cray looking for them! I am not an organized person by nature - I am a classic middle child - and have a hard time putting things back in thier place or finding them again once I have forgotten to put them back in their place!! A very good friend of mine, Amanda, has the best idea for people like me - a book to write down all the things you don't want to forget - only problem is, I would probably forget where I put the book!! Every November I call Amanda and ask her the same question: "Where did I put my Boney M CD?"; You would think that perhaps I would put it in the same place each year, but I don't ever seem to remember to do that either!! As I said, I am a classic middle child, but my Mom and a lot of my friends are all oldest children and you know what? They are really good at finding the things they have put 'somewhere', even if they have piles of papers or stacks of boxes...they always know where they put it - classic oldest child! I read the book "the birth order book" by Kevin Leman and besides analyzing everyone I know, I have learned a lot about myself. Greg is very organized - and an oldest child, go figure - and thank heavens for that, or we would be in big trouble!! I can go to the grocery store and completely forget why I went there, standing in the produce section wondering what in the world I need! I end up with $200 worth of groceries when I really only went to get some sandwich meat or milk! I have never forgotten any children anywhere though, so I guess when it comes to the really important stuff, I am still on top of it.
As for the rest of those things that I would be famous for:
1. My chocolate chip cookies - I don't want to sound like I am bragging, but they are really, really good! I use the same tried and true recipe and the really good quailty cookie sheets. One of the biggest secrets when it comes to baking cookies though is to take them out when they are still soft and look uncooked, that way they keep baking while they sit on the hot cookie sheet - otherwise they will turn out crunchy and dark brown.
3. My speed at installing carseats - I am very FAST!! I have been installing carseats for many, many years now and I have done it many, many times! I am constantly changing the arrangement in my vehicle because some kids just can't sit next to eachother and I often have to take seats out to make room for teenagers or adults (or Costco runs!!). The invention of UAS clips in vehicles (if you have not had a baby since 2000, you may not be familiar with this wonderful new concept), but it makes putting in carseats much more simple and quick!!
4. My patience - simply said, I am a very paitent person.
5. My sincere love of babies - I could had been Michelle Duggar in another life! I would have 10 babies, except my husband put his foot down and said no! I like all children, but babies are my favourite! I often wonder if it is wrong to tell another mother (who desperately wanted to stay home with her child, but instead brought him to me) that I have absolutely fallen in love with her baby.
I am glad I am not famous, would never want to be. I am just glad to be a regular person living a regular life. I am glad to live in a small town where just enough people know me, and just enough people don't know me. I am glad to have house large enough to keep all my "stuff", but glad to not be a hoarder. I am glad to have the ability to bake yummy cookies and love sweet babies.
SJ
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