Nice husband I have. Taking a picture of me and my dog during an afternoon siesta yesterday. Nice. Thank god he didn't take video of the snoring!

Saturday Mish Mash

Hello all -
Saturday already. Where has the week gone?
We were lucky enough to have Craig join us for bowling this morning. It is so much easier when there is a parent for each child. Kaedo got his first TURKEY! Yahoo - I was thrilled that I got to see it happen (three strikes in a row). He bowled a 186 that game. He is a very good bowler. Slow and methodical and doesn't get down on himself.
Sterling did not have his best games today and I think was a little thrown off by Kaedo's turkey. He also has a boy on his team that is so annoying it makes it very difficult to enjoy the morning. This boy has boundary issues and is always right in your face, touching you and yuck. I really feel for Sterling. He doesn't even want to go he hates being around this kid so much. I even feel uncomfortable. The worst part is that he is supervised by his older brother who is probably only 17 and has many of the same issues. If Sterling chooses to bowl next year I am going to request that he not be placed on a team with this boy.

I am working today. 4-midnight. Should be OK. I am going to pack up my bag with my knitting (yes, the kids call me old granny), a book, a magazine and my daytimer. Can't live without the thing. I don't know who else uses a planner but this is my first real year of using one diligently. I have never been one to be able to journal. I have tried. God, have I tried. I love journals, I love carrying them, I love buying them, but writing, not so much. I recently bought my 2010 planner - I have a specific style I like and bought an exact duplicate of this years planner. I have filled it with all the things I know are coming up and getting that it is almost December, more and more things are being written into my new planner. Where was I going with this?? Oh ya - I came to the realization that my planner is a journal of sorts. It carries the minutiae of our lives and I will be able to look back and see what we did and what types of things were important for me to write down this year. If you have a planner, you should take the time to look back. It's pretty interesting. Some days is just "buy milk and eggs" but other days I have written down quotes I have seen and other things that have caught my eye.

Anyway - enough from me. I have to get ready to head out. Looking forward to my Sunday morning call with mom. As I won't get home until 1am, I am planning to set my alarm for 10:59am and get up and talk to mom in my pjs.

Hope you are all well. Lots of love

you know it's going to be a good day when you get ID'ed for a lottery ticket

Last night was Taco night. This is Sterling's favorite meal. It takes almost all the dishes in my kitchen to make but the boys love it. It's lots of fun. I split all the food up into two sets of bowls. Salsa, cheese, tomatoes, meat etc. I set up one set of bowls for Craig and Sterling and one for Kaedo and I. It works good for us. Sterling ate 6 tacos. I can't believe it. He loves it. Wednesday is also the day that Kaedo makes supper with me. It is a good opportunity for Kaedo to learn about cooking and it is nice to spend time together. I always look forward to it.
Wednesday is also Bruschetta day. Bruschetta is Kaedo's specialty and it is very good (so I'm told). He cuts the tomatoes and does all the seasoning and cuts the garlic. The works. He ate about half of this container last night at supper. Very fun.

weigh in wednesday

Hello All -
So, it is that time again. Craig and I are both down. Me 1.5lbs and Craig a bit. Not sure how much, exactly. How has your week gone? Has it been hard? Easy? Any tips you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them.

Home today, which is nice. I'm working on Saturday - 4-midnight, so I'm especially happy to have today to do some of the things I want to get done.

Hope your week is going well. I'll be back when I have more to share. Check the last post for the weekly gnome picture. Too cute!

Week 12

Week 12 - Kaedo looks funny and they both have serious bed-head but they are so damn cute. Love this picture.

saturday already

Man - the week has flown by. An extra long weekend for the boys this week as yesterday was a PA day. We headed off to the doctor yesterday morning for our H1N1 shot. Everyone was brave. Kaedo was a little freaked out but was a real trooper and Sterling was just great. No problems. Everyone is suffering from "sore arm syndrome" now, but that is to be expected. I have two sore arms as I got my Tetanus shot on Thursday and am sporting a nice lump from that. Ah well, such is life.

The boys are downstairs playing wii, Craig is at football and I am getting ready for work. 2-10pm today. Not ideal but after losing Thursday due to my finger I am happy to have picked up this shift. I don't know what the rest of the fam will be doing but my guess would be that video games, football and some episodes of "Canada's Worst Driver" will be on the agenda.

A little late in coming, but here is this week's picture. Nice headphones, Kaedo. They look funny. Can you believe how tall Sterling is?

This morning I was using an exacto knife and sliced my finger. Stitches and a

day off work are the result.

And this picture just for fun. Love this little cutie.

Can't type any more today. Will try to do more tomorrow.

Weigh In Wednesday - Yuck

Happy Wednesday? Not!
As expected, I am up 1.2lbs.
Pizza, birthday cake, chips, etc, don't do well for your diet. Craig was up as well. Ah well, another week is here and I am hoping for a big loss.
Sorry this is so late in posting. Had a lot going on today and an extra kid here tonight. He showed up at suppertime and I couldn't turn him away.

Down this week but hoping my mood improves tomorrow. Picked up some work this weekend so I will be working 2-10pm on Saturday.

Will post gnome picture tomorrow.

How's your week?

no gnome

Sorry - no gnome picture this morning. Sterling was sick and in bed, so no picture. He got up at about 11am and decided he was ready for school, so I have just dropped him off. I will have to get a picture tomorrow morning.
All is well here. We all pigged out this weekend on Sterling's birthday and so I am nervous getting on the scale. Oh Well, what can you do? It was worth it! Every bite of chocolate sour cream cake. Yum!

I am looking forward to tomorrow and a day off. Craig is working from home tomorrow as we have our assessment at the school tomorrow morning. I am anxious to see what comes out of it. I haven't been sleeping well, so I am hoping it is just this and I will sleep better tomorrow night.

Craig and I have come to the decision that I am going to start working on Sundays whenever possible. We are hoping I can get a 4-midnight shift on Sunday nights. It would work well and provide me with another 8 hours a week. I don't want to work all weekend but Sunday nights would be OK.

I have started wrapping the gifts I have bought for my sweet nieces and nephews. I am getting a little pile going. I bought some Kraft paper and have stamped it with snowflakes. It looks cute. Have you started your holiday shopping? What about your wrapping? Can you believe Christmas is right around the corner? Boy does time fly.

What a day! Wii, shopping, pizza, cake, treats, fun, singing and being together. We all had a great day and Sterling said it was his best birthday yet. Thanks for all the well wishes.

12 already?

How did that happen? Just yesterday I was holding Sterling in my arms as a new baby. That was the day I knew what true love was all about.

So today, to celebrate my first born, I thought I would do a count down of 12 things I love about him:


12 - He is a bundle of energy - always up for anything!
11 - He is smart - so smart!
10 - He is eloquent and can speak about anything - it's amazing!
9 - He's engaging! He pulls you into whatever he is talking about and keeps you enthralled.
8 - He's handsome! Man, is he handsome!
7- He's great with little kids
6 - He's a snazzy dresser
5 - He's a whiz at anything electronic
4 - He has an AMAZING imagination!
3 - He is mature well beyond his years
2 - He is loving and still holds my hand in public
and


the #1 thing I love -

He's mine!



Happy Birthday my sweet boy -I love you more than you will ever know.


xoxo
mom

*** Sterling opened his presents last night as I was leaving for work early this morning and I wanted to see him open them without him having to get up at 7am. He opened them with express instructions that he could not play his wii last night. "Technically" he didn't but that didn't stop him from fiddling around with it. This morning him and Kaedo were up at 4:40am (agh) playing. Needless to say, they both love it. Today we are heading to Costco with his birthday money as he has some games he wants to buy. We will finish up with pizza, cake and treats and a movie marathon. He is thrilled. So happy. Love to see it. Will post pictures of the gift opening later or tomorrow.
Now if only he stays up long enough to blow out his candles!

you know you work at some crazy ass job when...

your employee manual says this:
"standard office environment is provided, but due to the nature of the business, there is a risk of exposure to hold-ups, extortion and bomb threats"

hmmm

weigh in wednesday

242.3
Not great but not too bad. Craig did well this week and I know this kind of accountability is really working for some of you. I know it is working for me. Saturday will be a bit of a write off with what Sterling has planned for his birthday - although I don't have to eat it, do i? I will though - who can resist Pizza Hut pizza and snacks? Not I.
Had a fantastic call with mom this morning 1 hour 55 minutes. It was great. Looking forward to speaking with Jessica in the next couple of days and calling our cutie nephew on Friday for his big 1 birthday. We'll probably scare him with our singing.

weekly gnome picture

Week 10 - shocking. They have been in school for 11 weeks now. Man has it gone fast. It is already November and Christmas is right around the corner. Notice the scrape on Kaedo's nose? While sleeping over at his friends house, he got up in the middle of the night to go to the washroom and walked into the door! Eek!
Sterling looks like he's grown 6 inches in the last month. He's almost as tall as me!

From the Archives

June 1st, 2003

Another great picture from the archives. The boys loved their jeep and it has a lot of miles on it. It has gone to another home and I'm sure the kids that own it now love it too. The boys spent hours playing in the jeep, driving around, hauling their dollys and just having fun. Kaedo looks so young. I guess he was only 3. So cute.

Saturday Schmaturday

Saturday morning and the weather is beautiful. Have an extra child here this morning. Kaedo and Josh plotted a plan yesterday at school that involved another weekend of joint sleepovers. Josh came over last night and stayed over and this morning is joining us at the bowling alley. I will drop him and Kaedo off at his house and Kaedo will go and watch his hockey game and then spend the night over there. It is such a great friendship and Josh is so easy to have over.
Sterling called his buddy last night and he is grounded and so he can't come over. Too bad. Another weekend.

Craig is off playing football this morning and we are leaving shortly for the bowling alley. I am going to enjoy my day off and dream about next Sunday when I plan to stay in my jammies all day!

Hope you have a great weekend.

friday

The weekend can't come soon enough as far as I'm concerned. TGIF. With only one day off before doing a 7 day work week I am looking forward to tomorrow and spending time with my guys. I have picked up a shift on Sunday, will be working on Wednesday for Remembrance Day and due to a scheduling conflict between myself and Craig I have switched shifts and will be working next Saturday as well. I haven't broken the news to Sterling yet and I know he is going to be pissed but you do what you have to do.

Needless to say I am missing all my weekend calls this weekend and will not get to sleep in on Sunday as usual.
OK, that's it.
Pity Party has officially finished.
Have a great weekend.

Weigh In Wednesday

Not so good today but still a loss so I am happy about that.
244.1
Not too bad considering the Halloween candy we had floating around here. I was hoping for more but I know I did eat some of the kid's treats. Something is better than nothing, right?
Back on track this week so I am hoping for a bigger loss next Wednesday.
Wondering - how was your week? Did Halloween come into play for you? What is working for you? What isn't? Would love to hear what you have to say.
Looking forward to reading your comments

Week 9

Week 9 - where have the weeks gone? With the time change I really have to be on the ball now as it is dark when Craig gets home and he can't take the pictures.

Onto the soap box for a moment - bear with me.

This morning I booked appointments for Craig, the boys and I to get the H1N1 vaccine. I know many people think that it is a good idea and many more think it isn't. Our neighbor said something to Craig that really hit home with us. He said that it is "socially responsible" to get the vaccine. He's right. 100%. Before Craig told me this I was waffling but that really hit home with me. Craig and I both work in environments where we spend a lot of time in close quarters with other people and with the boys being in school they need to be protected as well. I am not a perfect mom and I have sent them to school with coughs and colds. I know that other parents do as well. So today I took the first step in Social Responsibility and on November 20 we will get the vaccine. For us it is the right thing to do. What about you?

Adventures in Hair Coloring

Monday - yuck!
Had a great day with the fam yesterday. Slept in a little, had a 90 minute talk with mom and got to spend the day with my favorite 3 people.
The doorbell rang at 9:45am and it was the kids next door looking for some friends to play with. The boys willingly obliged and they were outside playing in no time. They came and went throughout the morning and afternoon as Lucas had hockey and we took a run up to Wal-Mart.
When you have nothing else to do but need some fruit for lunches, a trip to Wal-Mart is the perfect solution. Sterling and Kaedo head off to the electronics dept (you know they are getting big when they go to Electronics instead of Toys) and Craig and I price compare our purchases looking for the best deal. It's actually quite fun shopping with him. I always enjoy it.
On our way into Wal-Mart, the boys were quite vocal about the rather large strip of grey hair I have. "Mom, you should color that", "mom, man do you ever have a lot of grey". So, Craig and I took a walk into the hair color dept and decided that we should highlight my hair. So, we looked around, found what we thought would work and added it to our purchases.
Once we got home, I put on the cap and Craig spent an hour pulling hair through it. We colored it, left it for an hour and then Sterling got into the tub and rinsed it off for me. It looks great. If you're dressing up as a pumpkin for Halloween. Sterling thinks it's great. Kaedo thinks it's orange, and Craig said,"hmm, you have quite a bit of red in there".