Motel 6 here we come

Reservations have been made for hotels in Dayton, OH and Macon, Georgia. Things are moving right along. Can't wait. So excited. The boys are counting down the minutes (and their mom is too). We just can't WAIT!

Anyone with Disney tips, please post them - I'm up for anything you want to pass along.

Here are some pics from the archives. This was when Sterling was learning to ride a two wheeler. The pictures were taken in Airdrie.

Weigh In Wednesday

Good Morning all -
What a great week for Weigh In Wednesday. I am down 5.8lbs. Fantastic. Being sick must have helped and I know that when I get back there probably won't have been any loss but for today I am happy with this.
Busy getting the last of the packing done today and soon we will be off to the Magic Land. Can't wait.
No W-I-W for the next couple of weeks. So, be good and stay on track. You can do it.

Week 21

Looks like Gnomy may have to take a road trip for next weeks pic. 2 more full days and counting.

The last time we were at an amusement park this is what happened. Wonder what it will be like this time. Can't wait to find out!

The Countdown has begun

The countdown has officially begun - although you can tell from the calendar that we have been counting down for quite some time. Went to Sears this morning as they had a huge sale and picked up some shorts for Sterling. He only has two pairs from last year that fit him, so he was desperate. We were able to pick up 3 pairs of shorts, 3 pairs of unders, a t-shirt and 8 pairs of socks for $59. Can't beat that.

After that we headed to Price Chopper where we picked up the kids snacks for the week, some hamburger for "Petit Chien Noir (pate chinois)" and some muffin mix and chocolate chips for cookies.

Yesterday I got most of the boy's stuff ready aside from their jeans and unders/socks they will need this week. We got our medicine cabinet dumped and packed our emergency kit. Craig got his basics ready as did I. The list has been started and is on the kitchen counter where it will remain the rest of the week, slowly having items added and crossed off.

The boys made their autograph books last night and were very happy with how they turned out. Took some advise from Jessica and tied pens to them so we are always prepared. Question for those of you who've been to Disney. What do you do with your backpack when you are on the rides? I can't remember. Would love to hear what you have to say. Annette - if you have any tips, please let me know.

Off to watch a movie with the boys, bake some cookies, make some muffins and day dream about Disney. Can't wait!

Saturday - it has gone fast. Yesterday I went to the doctor about my Quasimodo eye and was informed I have pink eye and a chest cold. He prescribed some medication and when Craig and I went to have it filled, the pharmacist didn't want to fill it as she was concerned I may be allergic. So, back to the clinic again today to get a new prescription and I was informed that no, I don't have a chest cold, I have a sinus infection. And Pink Eye. So, another prescription and 20 minutes waiting for the pharmacist to put 20 pills in a kid proof bottle.
Within about 15 minutes of taking the medicine I was fast asleep and was not so gently woken up by the brats wanting to watch a movie.

Sterling had a play date (at what age do you quit calling it that???) at a friend's house for 1.5 hours then they both came here for another 2 hours. I think they had fun. Kaedo got a call from a buddy inviting him over, so he spent a few hours with a friend as well.

Tomorrow we will be practicing speeches, putting them on cue cards, going through our "summer clothes" and getting the basics together for our trip. 6 more days. When I asked the boys what we would be doing at this time next week, Sterling was quick to pipe up "driving, or at least dad will be. You'll probably be snoring".

Needless to say, I'm staying home today. I think I caught this from Sparkly Pants. Gross. And sore. I look like someone puched me in the face. Yup, sexy. So sexy.

Weigh In Wednesday

Wednesday already.
Good news for me this week. I am down 1.6lbs. Any down is good for me. I am happy with that. 5.6lbs would be nicer, but 1.6 is good. Feeling good right now. Something has clicked within me. I don't know what it is but something has clicked and I feel good. I have struggled on and off for so many years that I have really learned to cherish these times. Unfortunately I know that sometimes they end and I have to pull myself back up and find this good place. What I do know about myself is that I can do it. I can return to a good place and hold on to it. Now if I could figure out how to stay there. It is all about learning and I can do that.

I am thinking about my word today. I am working on living my life with PURPOSE. I am thinking before I say, do, react, interact. I am PURPOSEfully taking the time for myself, making time with my family, have the conversations that need to be had, hugging when hugging is needed and putting my foot down when that is what is needed as well. Living with PURPOSE is not easy. It is not unconscious. You have to think about what you are doing. I'm not saying you have to over-analyze everything, I'm just saying I have to think and do. It is interesting thinking about all these things.

In other news - we are one the countdown and are getting so excited. Kaedo has packed his bag and Sterling has started his list of the things he wants to bring. I have gotten a bunch of books on CD from the library and the camera batteries and chargers are packed. We are slowly getting organized. On Sunday the boys will be trying on their shorts and picking their t-shirts. We'll pack up everything we don't need during the week. Can't believe it is almost here.

week 20

Pink eye, schmink eye

Monday today and my baby boy is home sick. Not sick, per se, but pink eyed. Poor guy. He got it on Friday night and yesterday it spread from one eye to the other. He's been to the clinic and got some drops. His one eye was still pretty bad this morning so he stayed home. I have to say that it was great. He is so fun. We laid in bed and watched all the shows that turn your brain to mush, then went grocery shopping and to the library. I figure he wasn't going to get too close to anyone at the library and Superstore, so I figured it was OK to head out for a while.

We made tacos for supper, Kaedo made Jell-o, Sterling and I made muffins and tonight after supper Kaedo and I made cupcakes. Fancy, eh? He loves to bake so it was fun.

Friday....

..... is just like any other day of the week. At least right now. I'm working another full weekend this weekend and am already looking forward to Wednesday, my next day off. It is worth it though. I have promised the boys that I won't be working next weekend, and they are VERY happy about that. I broke the news to them last night that I would be working 2-10pm on Saturdays starting this weekend. I think they were under the impression that this was a one-off. When I explained to them that this was a permanent shift, they were not thrilled. Sterling's major deal was that there would be no more Movie Night. He was very bummed about that. Craig and I explained that we would have Movie Sundays going forward but that didn't really appease him. Kaedo just likes having me around, so that was his thing. It's hard explaining to your kids that sometimes you have to work when it is not optimal in the hopes of getting better shifts down the road. Right now this is the only thing that works for us with bowling and football. It's hard making decisions like this. Craig and I agree that the extra hours will help but we also agree that Wednesdays at home are very good for the 4 of us. That of course leaves the weekends. I tried for Sundays as I thought this would work perfectly but there were no shifts so I had to settle for Saturday. I have to remember that this is not forever.

One from the archives - The boys with Em (look at those cheeks) - Summer 2005

Weigh In Wednesday (on Thursday)

I was blessed yesterday to spend an extra hour in bed thanks to my awesome husband and the wonderful treat he gave me in taking the boys to school. As such, I forgot to get on the scale. So, this morning I did and am happy to report that I am down 2.8lbs. Hooray! You have no idea how much I needed that! I am over the moon with this little accomplishment and it has renewed my need to be more accountable about what I eat and getting downstairs and doing my yoga every day. I plan to work my ass off over the next couple of weeks and I plan to enjoy myself while I am away. I don't plan to over-indulge but don't plan to eat only grapes for two weeks either. Craig let me know that he is down to his pre-christmas weight - good job, Craig! Things are looking up, people. Things are looking up!

weekly gnome goodness

Some weekly gnome goodness coming your way. Also the outtake for your viewing pleasure. Cute.

Had a comment recently asking about our trip and I thought I would give you some more info on it. We will be staying in one of the Disney Resorts - Pop Century - and have taken a quick dining meal plan for the length of our stay. We also have picked up a 7 day Park Hopper to go along with it. WE ARE SO EXCITED!

Got mail from Disney yesterday and it was our itinerary and luggage tags for each of us. They sure know how to do it right. We are so impressed with the service we have received thus far. We are also lucky enough to get refillable mugs to use at our resort, some arcade passes, and a whole bunch of other stuff. The coolest part is that we got in on a special giving us a $300 gift card upon our arrival that we can use anywhere in Disney. Can you say pin trading lanyards? Be prepared for lots more Disney chatter - feel free to ignore the blog if you are sick of hearing about it!

Purpose

Hello All - Happy Monday!
Medium sized changes here today. I start my new shift today and Craig starts a huge new project as well. I'm looking forward to the extra money my new shift will be providing and am looking forward to hearing all about Craig's "first day". While I will still not be working full time I feel a little bit better about my contribution to the family with the extra 9.5 hours a week. I will be working about 34.5 hours a week now and with the travel time I will be gone about 50 hours a week. That of course is nothing compared to Craig's 60 hours but I guess that is what you get when you commute to your job.

As many of you know, I am a follower of many different blogs - most of them craft related. I enjoy reading about other people's lives and am often inspired to try new things (knitting, crocheting, etc). One of the blogs I have followed for years always does a "one word" post at the beginning of the year. What this means is that she encourages her readers to choose one word that they will use as a jumping off point for their year. A word they will incorporate into how they want their life to be shaped. I think it is an interesting idea and this year have decided to join in and choose a word.

I have a lot of goals this year and think that my word will keep me on task to succeed. I may share some of these goals with you throughout the year, but right now they are just mine. So for now, I will share with you my word, in the hopes that maybe you too will choose a word that may help define your year, your life, you.

My 2010 word is PURPOSE. It is time for me to be living my life with purpose. There is so much of my life that is just muddled through. It is time to tackle my goals and dreams and wishes and do it with PURPOSE.

Would love to hear from you and what you might choose as your word.

Sunday Schmunday and missing mom

Sunday today and I am just getting ready to start work. I am missing my Sunday morning phone call with mom this morning - I would usually be sitting down to enjoy our chat right about now. Boo Hoo. Had a great chat with Jessica yesterday and she gave me tons of great tips for our holidays. I wrote down some of them when I got home so I would remember. CAN'T WAIT! Be forewarned - you will be seeing a lot of CAN'T WAITs in the next few weeks. Jessica gave me a cool idea of how to continue with our weekly gnome pictures so I am going to put that into play this week so that I don't forget.
The boys had a great day yesterday. Sterling had a friend over and Kaedo went to a friend's house. Today Kaedo has another play date with another friend, Sterling will be hanging out at home and Craig will be watching football.
Jessica sent me some great pix of their holidays so I will get her permission and then post some of them here.
Happy Sunday everyone!

Saturday

Saturday morning and I am just getting ready to start work. The boys got up as I was leaving this morning and Craig was still in bed (can you "hear" the envy in my voice?). He deserves to be able to sleep in on the weekends as he gets up at 5:30am all the rest of the week. Yee Gads! Looking forward to watching a movie tonight with my best guys when I get home then back here tomorrow morning for another weekend shift.
We are now officially at T-20 (20 days that is) until we head out on our grand adventure. Have been reading mom's journal and hope we have even half as much fun as they did on their holiday with Jessica and family. Can't wait!

One from the Archives - and chopsticks for all!

Isn't this a cute picture. It was taken at an Argos game in 2004. My babies. Not so "baby anymore. Sterling is only an inch or two shorter than me and Kaedo is quickly gaining in the height race. So stinkin' cute!

I can relate to Annette's comment in the last post. We are heading to DisneyWorld in THREE WEEKS TODAY, and I know we will be faced with tons of not too nutritious food. We chose the "Quick Dining" Meal plan and no buffets, so that should help.

One of the things that Craig and I decided was that we were going to try chopsticks. How fun is that? The way I see it, it will slow down the food intake and will maybe help with the portion control. You should try it. I think it will be a fun experiment.

Weigh In Wednesday (thursday)

So - I didn't want to do this post. I really didn't. I wanted to forget how much I have eaten the last few weeks. I wanted to forget all the snacks, treats and food I had stuffed into my face the last two weeks. Alas, a comment from Craig and an email from Shirley prompted me to get back on the scale and face the reality.
The reality is that I gained (big surprise). A lot. So, back to it. What else can you do? So - here is to a new year. New choices, new challenges.
Man, I am disappointed in myself.

wassup?????

First gnome picture of 20-10! Kaedo looks a bit like a gangster and Sterling looks thrilled to be heading off to school. Oh well - what can you do? The weather is cold but not frigid - thank god! I'm happy for that. There are a few snowflakes but they are light and airy.

On the countdown now - 24 days today. I have printed off our confirmation. Mapquest is done, packing lists are started, travel bag has been brought out. Passports are packed. Now it's just a waiting game. I'm marking off the days on the calendar and have picked up shifts all weekend to ensure some extra money for us. I'm working Monday (yesterday), Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The extra 12 hours just help out. I'll be very glad to have my day off next Wed. I've also picked up work for next weekend as well. You can do anything in the short term. I just think of Ken and how many days in a row he works for his family and figure I can do anything.

Off for a date with my yoga mat.

Sunday

Good morning all. We are in a deep freeze today and I wore my mittens all the way to work this morning. If I didn't have to take my toque off before coming into work, I would have worn that too.
Last day of Christmas vacation today. Sterling has a school project he needs to work on and Kaedo will just be hanging out. Craig will hopefully get the chance to watch some football, and I will be answering calls at work.
We have had a great two weeks. Lots of time together, playing some games, learning some card games, watching movies, running errands, reading books, and sleeping in. It's been nice to be all together, and awesome that Craig was able to take some well deserved time off.
Now we are on the countdown to Disney and are just so jazzed. It is the topic of many conversations at our house. 26 days and counting. yahoo

Weekly gnome picture. Sorry I didn't get it out sooner, but better late than never. Next week we'll be taking the picture before school again. I can't believe their vacation is almost over.

Happy New Year everyone. 2010 came in with a bang for us. 11 kids banging into each other, thrilled with the fact that they were up past midnight. We were fortunate enough to be invited to a New Year's Party last night and we didn't roll into our driveway until 12:45am. It didn't take long and everyone was in bed. I set my alarm for 10:55am, as I had a morning call to mom at 11am. Kaedo and I made monkey bread then mom and I had a great chat and at 12:30pm I finally went upstairs to make sure Sterling wasn't dead as he was still asleep. I woke him up and we quickly got ready and headed out to the zoo. It was great. There was hardly anyone there and it was snowing and FREE! We have a year pass but thought we would have to pay the parking. What a nice surprise to find out the parking is free throughout the winter. Such luck.

A movie night tonight and bowling tomorrow. Looking forward to another day with my guys.