43

As we have not yet mastered the 4 people selfie, Craig was kind enough to take this picture of me with the boys last night at dinner. Thanks to Jessica we went to Swiss Chalet after Craig and I finished work and before Sterling started.

Thank you to everyone who called and sang and texted. Thank you for your wonderful gifts. Thank you cards are in the mail!

All in all a very nice day that I will speak more about, and show off some of my new favorite things, later this week.

Just wanted to pop in and say thank you!

Happy Birthday to Me!

In honor of my 43rd birthday, I thought I'd post some of my favorite quotes, so here goes:

1. If I had a British Accent I'd never shut up.

2. Lazy is a very strong word. I like to call it 'selective participation'.

3. My level of sarcasm depends on your level of stupidity.

4. People think I'm shy, but I really have no interest in talking to you idiots.

5. Exercise? I thought you said Extra Fries.

6. Awesome things will happen to you today if you choose not to be a miserable cow.

7. Screw your "Lab Safety" I want Superpowers.

and lastly, my favorite:

"That's What"
          - She

Nothing special planned for today. Craig, Sterling and I work and we are planning a birthday celebration in June, so I think we'll have cake and singing for mom, dad, Kaedo and I then. Then I can also convince my mom to make linguine and clam sauce for my birthday dinner as I know that will never happen otherwise.

Here's to another year!

Sterling's New Job

We are so proud of Sterling and all the hard work he did to secure a new job at Wendy's. He saw the sign at the restaurant, picked up an application, updated his resume, duded up in his dad's clothes and went in there to WOW them all.

When he dropped off his application, he asked if anyone would like to speak with him further and after reviewing his resume and THREE amazing reference letters from teachers at his school, they asked him to return the next day for an interview.

So off he went the next day and met with the GM and another manager. They shot the shit and asked some questions and at the end asked if Sterling had any questions and Sterling asked, "when will you be making a decision?", to which the GM replied (after looking at his watch), "in about 38 seconds". Success!!!!

New shoes - check
Black dockers - check
One day of training done - check

He is hoping to make both jobs work through the Summer. We'll see!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms in my life. Craig and I are wishing you the most wonderful of days. I will get the opportunity to spend the afternoon with two of my favorite people in the whole wide world and the man sexy enough to share this journey with me.

This morning we went for our usual Sunday breakfast, and this afternoon we are seeing the new Avengers movie (yay!!!) which I am so excited to see. Love those movies. Will maybe do some gardening this afternoon and will take it easy after working 47 hours this past week.

I have been a mom for 18 years. Wow! Can't believe it! I think I have said it before, being a mom is not the hardest job I have ever done, but it is certainly that I have worked at being my best at. My sons make me proud every day with their kindness, caring personalities, the fact that they accept me and love me for who I am, my flaws and all. They have grown up to be exactly who I had always hoped they would and I couldn't be more proud of myself or them.

While it is Mother's Day, I must give big kudos to Craig for doing everything in his power to help me be the best mom I can. Thank you Craig. I wouldn't be a great mom without you.

Usually I am too self-deprecating (I am told), but the one thing I am sure of in life is that I am a kick-ass mom!

Happy Mother's Day everyone!

An heir and a spare - as they say

I woke up (way too early, I might add) to read the Kate had had her baby, a little girl. A new Princess in the Monarchy. While, I don't know William and Kate, have never met little George, it was such an exciting thing to read.

I love the royals and have been a royal watcher for years, and while many people don't understand and don't like the Monarchy, it has no effect on us as Canadians and therefore I don't understand the hoopla. It's not as if the queen brings down royal decrees upon us and we seem more than happy to wait for days to catch a glimpse of the royals when they visit our country.

Whether the Monarchy was becoming outdated and unnecessary in England, is not for me to judge. Although I suppose since it's my blog, I will. The Monarchy seems to work for them, and the new generation, specifically William, Kate and Harry have added a new life into old traditions. They are a bright light shone on centuries old tradition, pomp and circumstance. They have shown the world they are real people, living real and yet extraordinary lives. While Kate married into the life, William and Harry have been thrust into it and have been such remarkable leaders for their generation. William is the first heir to the throne to ever hold a job outside that of royal duties, Harry set in place the Invictus Games, as well as fighting for his Country, and has shown us all that there is nothing wrong with both working hard and having fun.

Kate, well, she is quite simply amazing to me. Educated, smart, empathetic, caring, beautiful, kind and while she knew what she was getting into when she married William, she stated from the beginning that she would do things on her terms, and she has. She has stepped up and performed her royal duties regally and wonderfully and she has also stayed true to her roots and the person her parents raised her to be. The first official picture of her and William and George was taken by her father in her parent's backyard. She's cool like that.

We all admire someone. Someone we think embodies characteristics that we believe we hold, wish we held or are impressed in the way they present themselves. Isn't it a shame that we have these wonderful examples of people who give their lives to family and service and yet people believe that they should not have the life they have. On top of that, so many hold people with far less moral conviction and family values in higher esteem. Basketball players charged with rape, people who are famous but beat their spouses, murderers, drug dealers and rappers who sing about misogyny and bigotry. To be honest, I don't get it. While I have 10 years on William and Kate and more than that on Harry, I look up to them and the things they do.

Do we need the Monarchy in Canada? No, not really. But it is tradition, and while we are so quick to stand behind some of our Country's traditions - some of which are exclusionary and bigoted, we are quick to want to walk away from this. Makes no sense to me.

So today I say welcome to the new Princess, congratulations to Will and Kate and their families, hurray for Prince George and the little sister he will get to terrorize and thank you for bringing me so many hours of pleasure reading about you and your family. Thank you for the good you do, the example you set and the kindness you show. Wishing you happiness and health as you add this beautiful baby to your family.

I can't wait to hear her name. I'm sure Diana will be there somewhere.

The G-Man

This little cutie is just the love of our lives. Man he is a sweetheart. I can't believe he poses like this with his back legs stuck out. So funny. He is so good. He loves popcorn, especially with cheddar cheese seasoning. He loves to play with toys and must have 20 of them. He loves to gnaw on elk antlers. His favorite place is the dog park. He's a racist and seems to prefer white dogs. We are trying to train this out of him. So far it isn't going so well. He has no idea he only weighs 8lbs and will take on any dog of any size. He has an underbite and needs braces but we can't afford them. Plus we hate brushing his teeth, so that won't be happening. He loves to have his belly rubbed and he is not picky as to who gives them to him. He doesn't sleep in a kennel, but on the couch, or the chair or the other couch, or quite frankly anywhere he wants (except our beds). He doesn't chew on shoes but I have to chicken wire my favorite plant because that he will eat. Like Ketchup he loves pizza crust. He also seems to love rabbits and I wonder if he will murder again this year. He is so happy when you come home and jumps around like he hasn't seen you in 5 years and has been waiting patiently at the door for your return. What an ego boost!

I guess in the end, what he is is a very important part of our family. He isn't one of our kids, and we don't love him to distraction. He is our pet and a little more. For Craig, he is someone who will patiently sit and do tricks just so Craig can say he did it, and G can get more treats. For Kaedo he is the being that filled the void left by Ketchup and made his heart full again. For Sterling, he is his best friend - I think Sterling loves him most of all. For me, he is the calm in my head, the one who chases away the noise and helps me see that I can get through the day. Some days he is my dog, some days he is my savior.

For all of us he is the cherry on top of a wonderful family.

So I've been told....

Sterling mentioned to me today that the blog had not been updated in "quite some time". Hmmm. Nothing like pressure from your 17 year old. So here goes.

A couple of weeks ago the boys made this contraption out of an old table of ours, one they found on the curb down the street, some wood they bought at Home Depot and a tarp.  They also pounded a table leg so far into the ground that an earthquake couldn't dislodge it. Next they took spray paint and drew targets like they were on acid. I would like to point out how incredibly cool it is that my kids build monstrosities like this. So the question is this - why?

Sterling has caught some of Kaedo's fascination with knives.  Did I mention that the fascination has turned to throwing knives? A lot of throwing knives. Like 30 throwing knives. Before the weather turned to shit and it rained for 6 days, they spent hours out there throwing knives and laughing like hyenas. To be quite honest, I can't believe they haven't either a) hit a major artery or b) hit each other. They have however hit the neighbors pool, sent them over the fence and begged for forgiveness from the neighbor with little kids.

I should mention, this was before I forced them to build this monstrosity. Now they are relatively safely throwing knives at shit. And the table leg? That's for pop cans, bottles of water and anything else they can make explode. 

What I wish I would have gotten was a picture of the zombie printouts they had pinned up there. LOL

For the record, I blame Stan and Shirley for this knife fascination. Craig's Bowie knife is a thing of legend around here (that sounds a little dirty) and he was quick to mention he was always fascinated by knives as a kid. So thanks Stan. Thanks Shirley. You rock.

In their defense, they probably wouldn't have let Craig collect over 70 knives. Mind you, who knows - there was no eBay back then.