Flower Power

A full body shot of Sierra is on my big camera. So imagine her wearing a matching green skirt with six large leaves circling her waist. Her cuteness always lands her obscene amounts of candy. I'm looking forward to the
candy craziness these next few days!

Better

I am coming off of one good night's sleep (yay) and a second mostly good sleep.

So I'm done with the pity party.

Sleep is sooooo integral to a good mood!

I'm enjoying the morning with my kids as a result of decent slumber.

I'm sad that I have to go ear money in less than an hour. (well, not the money part but the earning part)

I wasn't originally scheduled to work today but I got a frantic text from my manger that someone had called in sick, another is away due to a family death aaaaand that leaves them a tad short.  Fortunately my childcare is flexible and Sierra was bribe-able with bubble bath.  They also like going there.

  There's also hope for being able to save for a spring vacation!

Lagging and Dragging

Well, I'm behind in posting.  

Oh well, can't go back now can I?

I find myself sitting on the couch this late Sunday morning ready to cry.

I am so sleep deprived, frustrated, and still battling a cold that I am on the emotional brink of a torrent of tears.

I think in the past week I have had one uninterrupted night of sleep.  One.  My interrupted sleep hasn't meant a simple wake up and go back to sleep in five minutes once or twice.  No, it has meant being kept awake for two plus hours.  

Night, after night, after night.

And then up by seven.

 

I'm dying here.

 

I am to the point where I don't feel like I can take much more of this.

 

Sawyer has been a little brat at night.  He wakes up for whatever reason and then won't go back to bed.  In my foggy brained state I sit with him in the rocking chair.  That doesn't work.  I've taken him to bed with me, he thrashes about.  I've gone to the couch to spare Trevor and not only does Sawyer still thrash but I hate the couch.  He has also been victimized by a cold but that can't be all.  I think he's gotten in a bad habit and I need to deal with it.

I am fighting the six week cold, I am irritable, impatient, completely void of any compassion, and hugely bitchy.  

I. Am. Tired.

Why Do I Bother?

House parties for this, that, and the other thing are all over the place these days.  Tupperware, Lia Sopia, Stella and Dot, Scentsy, Epicure, Party Lite... One could go every night for a month and not repeat a company once!

I've been to a fair number of these parties hosted by friends and even purchased stuff.  As sort of a favour I agreed to host two different parties, one I only gave a half-hearted attempt at but the other I actually tried.  You know - for all the parties I have supported and gone to you'd think I'd get a little support?  Nope.  I am quite upset at the whole principal behind it.  I might be able to squeeze out the minimum but even that isn't looking very likely at this point.

I know none of us is rich and able to spend money on more frivolous items but when I also see what they  do spend their money on it annoys me that they can't support me a little.  

Anyway, I must get over it and respect their financial decisions.  But after this experience I. Am. Done. with these kinds of parties.  D.O.N.E.  I'm not going or hosting.

Done.

Aaand it Begins!

It took Trevor and me over half an hour to shovel ourselves out of our house this morning.

Old Man Winter arrived with a vengeance - over 20cm of snow and still going!  I don't think he's really that old, old people don't have this much strength.

The Good Things

I'm tired and sick and grumpy about it.

But:

- There's nothing like coming home from after a day of slogging the work trenches.  While I'm still driving into the garage the door into the house opens and my two little people come out onto the landing and jump up and down yelling "Mommy, mommy, mommy!!"

- Last Wednesday I had to wake Sierra up in the morning and I crawled up into her loft bed under her blanket.  She stretched and yawned and before her eyes were even opened said "I love you."

 

- Our first heavy snowfall is expected tonight and it's cold out.  I'm sitting on the couch, in comfy clothes, between my two awesome kids while Barney is on.  (Barney is so not awesome, but the kids are entertained!)

 

- While snuggling on the couch Sawyer wraps his little arms around me, presses is snotty nose to my cheek while saying : I la-lu mommy! (I love you mommy) 

 

There are many other good things but those are the ones currently warming my heart and melting the grump!

 

 

Phew!

Trevor mentioned to me that we are in the back half of October already and I had to check a calendar to validate his statement.  October 21!  

Wow.

  It doesn't help that this past week has been a complete blur and I'm not sure which way is up at this point.

It all started a week ago Saturday:  We went to Calgary for the day to shop.

Sunday: I think we were actually mostly at home, except for church first thing.  I know there were naps and a trip to the park with the kids.

Monday: I was gone from 8A.M. until 10 P.M. with work and then the Tenore concert.

Tuesday: I was gone from 8A.M., home for an hour over supper and then gone again until 10 P.M.

Wednesday: Gone to women's Bible study in the morning, then chiropractor, then home.  And I stayed home the rest of the day!!! 

Thursday:  Went to a kids' rhyme time in the morning, had a friend and her kids for lunch and a visit.  Rushed off to work at 4P.M. until 8 P.M., had a music practice following work that only got me home at 10P.M.

Friday: A day that began lazy but lurched into high gear with laundry, cleaning, baking, exercise, pizza with my parents and then an evening of cards at a friends house.

Saturday:  Work 9A.M. - 4P.M.  Stop for ice-cream on the way home. Get through supper and prepare for friends to come at 6:30 P.M.  Friends stay until 10:30 P.M

Sunday: After a horrible night with Sawyer I was up for good at 6:45 A.M. and at church by 8A.M.  I helped lead the worship singing and got home at 12:30.  Ate lunch and then crawled into bed for three hours.  Aaaaaaahhh!  Sleep.

Now Trevor is napping for an hour and then we're off to friends/neighbours for deep fried turkey (!) and a different set of friends is coming at 7P.M.!!!!!

 

We. Are. Crazy.

But it's been fun.

These Last Fall Days

The warm days are becoming less and less frequent. So we are enjoying what nice weather we can.

In 15 Minutes

I am sitting in my car in our church parking lot waiting for a music rehearsal. I was half an hour early because I came straight from work which ended at eight. I don't often get time alone in the quiet. It's strangely nice.
Okay, being in a car in a parking lot is not ideal by any means but when one has kids you take what you you can get sometimes!
I just remembered I hadn't posted yet today so you are getting fifteen minutes of randomness.
I started the Insanity workouts again this week after after few months off.
I hurt.
But it also feels good to be back at it. The last few weeks I could feel myself noticeably less in shape. Then with Thanksgiving and other large meal opportunities I could also feel a couple of pounds creeping back on. It was time to get back on control before a problem arose.

After a bitch session at work this evening I decided that I need to let go of an issue regarding hours and fairness etc. if I try and say anything to anyone in charge I'm hooped; it's a lose-lose situation. The only thing left to do is leave it be, take what I have, and if necessary bring it up when my manager is on maternity leave and I don't risk offending her.

Okay. It's time to go in. So long silence and crappy random typing. Hopefully there will be a better post tomorrow!! Thanks for reading.

Le Purse

Last January while on vacation in Palm Springs we visited the huge outlet mall a few minutes drive outside the city.  Name brand after name brand shops made up this mall.  

Now, I try not to be too materialistic and worry about name brands and such.  

It's just a name - right? 

Yeah, not always.  I was taken in by all the high-end stores with all the recognizable names and logos adorning their fronts and I drooling..

One particular item that really got me salivating was a Guess purse.  I was totally smitten and strongly coveted this purse.  Sadly, Trevor would not let me pay $100 for a purse.  (all I've ever really had are the $20-$30 JC Penny variety of purse)  The purse stayed and I yearned for it for a long time after, even looking for it in other Guess stores that I happen to visit.  I never did come across another one like it.  Nor did I see a purse of any other brand, be it high end or other, that I liked quite as much.

This past weekend we drove to Calgary to shop, and eat at The Olive Garden.  As I always do since Palm Springs, I walked into Guess to check for the purse - and they had a sale!  A 50% OFF CLEARANCE SALE!!!!!  I not only found a purse but paid only $32 for it, regularly $110!  It's not the purse but I still love it.

I am one happy lady.

So without further ado:

Tenore

I distinctly remember being a teenager, sitting in church, and expelling huge sighs at the dullness of the hymns being sung.

The language was old, and not really English.

The tempo plodding.

The melody very uninteresting.

The emotion lacking.

Why oh why could we not sing praise choruses?

Now those songs had meaning and life. 

Get with the times already!

Yesterday I had the privilege of singing in the choir to back up a group of three tenors called Tenore.  

They were amazing!  

The life and beauty and meaning those men brought to the old familiar hymns brought tears to my eyes.  Who knew the ancient "non-Engligh" words had such depth?

 

My soul is full.

Playing Around.

A warm, albeit stinking windy, fall day. We thought we would take the kids out to enjoy it while the opportunity is there.

Friday Night

Yes that's a bottle of wine on the dash of my van.
No it is not open.
Yet.
We are on our way to share it with friends and I remembered that I had not posted today!

So you get a cheesy photo of Krazy Legz Red, a blend of Merlot and Cab Franc from the Okanagan Valley in BC.

It should be a fun evening!

Snow Bunny

I have one child who loves to be outside...and another who doesn't. We had our first skiff of snow this morning; just enough for snow angels and foot prints. Sierra was begging to go out at 8 A.M. and I finally relented at 9:15. She could gave stayed out all morning while Sawyer went out for ten minutes than enjoyed the snow from inside!

I miss summer already!

Invasion of Oscar

Sometime yesterday Oscar the Grouch invaded me.  I'm not sure where he came from or why he thought he should take over my mood but he did.

 

Actually, I do have a few ideas as to how the door opened, allowing him to sneak in.

 

I don't want to talk about it. 

I utilized food therapy instead:

I may or may not have just eaten the left over three pieces of homemade pizza when half that would have done just fine.

 I may have seriously considered Bailey's in my 101st cup of coffee today at only 1 o'clock.  I poured in a good glug of eggnog instead.  (yes, eggnog is in stores already!) 

I may have also eaten two chocolate-chocolate chip cookies with my coffee immediately after scarfing down the three pieces of pizza. 

 

 To compensate for the negative aspect of food therapy I also may be planning on ferociously cleaning parts of my house, and then exercising this afternoon.  

 

All this in attempt to eradicate the Oscar mood.

He will disappear!

Lofty

Sawyer is over two and a half years old aaaand.... still in a crib.

I like cribs.

He is forced to stay there if I need him to.

Sierra had been in a bed for well over three months at his age.  But that was out of necessity since her brother was on his way.   Many kids are in a big bed much earlier than mine.  When there's no specific reason it's easy to put off.  Thanks to Sawyer sleeping in a sack he can't climb out.  Although if he really wanted to he could take off the sack and then climb out, but he doesn't!  Mom or Dad always come to his rescue in the morning, or the middle of the night.

He potty trained this past summer and aside from nights he is diaper free and rarely has an accident.  The only reason he is not night trained is because he can't get out of his crib if he has to go so I don't force it.  Then I'm lazy and he wanders around in his diaper for the first couple of hours in the morning (when we don't have to go anywhere) and it's usually soaked by the time I insist on him getting dressed.  Not good. 

This past weekend, the weather was finally cold enough to justify doing inside things.  Operation "move Sawyer into a bed" ensued.  The whole moving Sawyer into a bed is more than just moving him into a bed. 

First we had to paint a garage sale loft bed white for Sierra.  Second, we painted Sawyer's room.  

Third, Sierra's current captain's bed was moved out, and said loft bed was moved in.  She has a dresser with six drawers, Sawyer does not, the captains bed makes more sense for Sawyer to have for the drawer space.  Sierra also has a lot of stuff and the added floor space is also needed.

 Sierra absolutely loves the loft bed.

Then we ran out of time.  Sierra's room is rearranged and awesome.  Sawyer's - whose room was the initial goal! -  is a complete disaster.  Then again, it required way more work.  We intend to add wainscoting, sports-figure silhouette decals and a cool reading corner.  I'm also going to paint a small wooden chest of drawers fire-engine red.  Sawyers room will look awesome too.  Maybe by the end of month.   Maybe in a year.   Pictures will eventually follow!

A Picture of My Morning

Thy sky is overcast, grey and dripping.

My home inside is bright, warm, and cozy.

At exactly 7:11 I heard the patter of Sierra's feet as she got up, used the bathroom and padded her way into our main area.  Our house remained quiet except for the sound of Handy Manny from the TV and Sierra munching on her Nutella sandwhich I had made for her the night before.  On the weekends we make her breakfast and put milk in a cup in the fridge the night before.  Our arrangement is that she watches one show and lets us sleep that little bit longer, provided Sawyer is still sleeping of course!

So at 7:11 A.M. I burrowed under my blanket and hunkered down to enjoy my extra half hour.  It came, and I reluctently emerged to join my daughter.  It was Trevor's turn to sleep in.

It is now 9:15, Bear in the Big Blue House is on the TV.  When it is done the TV will get turned off for the day.  I am sitting at our counter in my flannel PJ pants and matching cotton PJ shirt with a black hoody over top.  I look stellar I'm sure!  An empty coffee cup sits beside the computer.  My daughter is on one side in her flannels doing a bead craft, my son on the other side with his PJ shirt still on but only underwear, backwards, on his bottom half.  Sawyer is insistent on using the toilet by himself  (which I'm not complaining about) and re-dressing is just too complicated.  Hence the backwards underwear.  I'm lucky he has those on!  He is finishing up his breakfast of a grilled cheese sandwich.

 

Turkey bones from yesterday are already simmering on the stove to be used for savory soups on the cold winter days that are coming.

It is Thanksgiving Monday.  As I observe this morning picture I feel blessed.  My life is normal,ordinary, but it is good!  Very, very good.  I am rich in many ways and I am simply sitting in this moment.  

And loving it!

Precarious

My son is a climber. He scrambles up anything and everything and alarms those who are watching. Well, not me anymore but I've gotten kinda used to his monkey skills. Here is a picture of Sawyer not only climbing a closet but doing so in a sleep sack! I just shake my head, then take a picture.

A Little On Me

I eat one piece of toast with natural peanut butter and either sliced banana or jam nearly every morning.  Although this morning I added a hint of Nutella for a treat!

I'm a coffee snob, no Nabob or Folgers in this house!  Fresh ground beans in a French press, mmmm!

I am about 5' 1 1/2 " and average build.

I love to exercise, it gives me justification to eat.  I'm currently trying figure out a new regime since Sawyer quit napping.

I work part time in the the optical industry.  I have many glasses.

Popcorn is the world's best snack.  Homemade in a special microwave bowl with real butter and salt.

I adore wine.  Especially BC (British Columbia) wine.  

I am a Christian.  I don't preach my beliefs but I don't hide them.

I love a neat and organized house.  Unfortunately the reality of that exists only my dreams!  Kids...husband...you know.

I love to celebrate and have parties.  If my birthday is not carried on for at least a week I'm sad.  My daughter echoes my sentiments in this area!

I enjoy baking anything from cookies to cake to bread.  I suck at decorating with icing so they usually don't look so pretty.  But, hey, they taste good.

I also cook.  We rarely eat out or eat premade food.

I'm a total recipe follower in all cooking/baking.  No playing around or experimenting for me!

It's Canadian Thanksgiving this weekend.  I'm hosting my family (9 of us).  It' been years since I cooked a turkey, my mom always does it.  Strangely, I'm not nervous.

I love my life!

A Fetish

I've been in the eyeglass industry for fourteen years.  I have a little problem!

As the bus drove away...

As I watched my little girl's school bus - with my little girl on it! - drive away on Monday a little unexpected knot formed in my throat.

Sierra began kindergarten this year and at first it didn't bother me one bit.  Last year she went to preschool two afternoons a week and with kindergarten her time away simply increased to two full days.  No problem right?  Yeah.  No.  Simply put, due to a strange September schedule I really felt her absence as I basically didn't see her for the first three days of the week! 

How quickly it changes.  Every parent says it, I knew it, but until it happens one doesn't quite grasp the speediness with which one's child slips away from them in daily life.  My mind is being blown away, and in one short year she'll will be away from me every week day.  It's not just school either that is taking her from me - she is asking to play outside by herself (sans parents!) with her brother or the neighbour kids.  She amuses herself more and more without nagging me to constantly play with her too.  And it will continue I'm sure.

I'm fortunate that I could mostly stay home these past five years.  I can honestly say that I d0 my best to enjoy each stage of my kids lives (well, not the tantrums but...you get the idea!), not wishing it forward or yearning to rewind.  Sierra is becoming so much fun as she grows, able to do more and more.  For example, she did a 1.4 km hike that had a 200m elevation increase this summer - and was super proud of herself!  

In anticipation of this different schedule, I promised myself that the days Sierra is home I would deliberately engage in playing with my kids.  I truly love being around them and believe they are a gift to be cherished.  Of course, as all mom's will likely concur, there are days...oh there are days!  

 Sierra's little brother is still around which is good.  It's crazy how easy one kid actually is!  Being the second child though, Sawyer naturally is more independent, which helps me get stuff done.  Interestingly enough, though, he is less self-sufficient when his sister is away.  He can do whatever he wants without getting screeched at but I can tell he also feels a little lost without another kid around.  

So we all adjust. 

At least Sierra didn't just hop on the bus with a flippant "by Mom!" the first time.  It was a process of riding with her the whole way and then part way and then bribing her to go alone.  Oh, and Sierra still doesn't ride home on the bus!
 

Yet.

A Polish(ed) Tale

I have a girly girl, Sierra, who loves to paint her nails.  We used to have our little spa time during her young brother's nap almost once a week.  It was fun.  Well, Sawyer quit napping this summer so we've had to do our manicures with him around.  On one particular nail day she painted her nails, closed up all the polish and left it on the kitchen table.  I went to have a shower and get ready for my evening work shift.  For some reason I decided to clean to bathroom while I was in there and took a little longer than usual.

After about a half an hour Sierra came running in yelling that "Sawyer had  nail polish everywhere!!!" 

I threw on a robe and ran into the main area and...

 See the long green trail from left to right?  Yeah.

He dropped the bottle of polish.

It splattered in a long line.

And yes, that is a hardwood floor.

See the pink all over the chair?

Yeah.

He had decided to paint his toe nails and this is the result.

Sierra also stepped in a small spot and managed to get green smears in random places on her way to my bathroom. 

Nail polish does not simply wipe off.  The word on the 'net is to use hairspray and a lot of elbow grease.  Hairspray, reportedly, softens it enough to scrape off without damaging the finish.  

I've spent three hours on it and got maybe a quarter done.

And my house reeks of hairspray.

And my floor is getting some new scratches from scraping.

Nice.

I am not impressed.

After scouring and cursing with minimal progress one afternoon, I called and asked Trevor to check for acetone-free nail polish remover in search of an easier way.   He complied.  Readily.  I must have growled in frustration pretty good! We tested an inconspicuous spot....with no noticeable dulling of the finish

Sweet!

Nearly all the polish is now removed without also removing the floor finish.

My son will not have to find another home now.

(I kid!)

Sawyer is not called Captain Destruction without reason!

Shoes! I Love Shoes!

Aren't these purdy?

 

My mom and dad just spent two glorious weeks cruising and touring Italy and Greece.Prior to their departure I asked my mom to bring me back some Italian leather shoes.

Apparently Italian leather is a wee bit on the expensive side but these babies were on sale so my mom bought them instead. 

 I am totally in love with them!

 Oh and they are COM-FY!  I wore them all day at work last Monday with nary a sore spot.

I'm sad the weather is turning cold, if for no other reason than these shoes will be difficult to wear in the snow!

31 Days

For the third year in a row I've become a sucker for punishment a challenge and signed up for something called NaBloWriMo.  In short, write a post every day for the month of October.

Why?

I've recently reentered the blogging world after a deviation from truly expressing myself in my writing.  This gradually resulted in a noticeable lack of blogging.   I've come back to me and writing the way I want to and used to, so I think getting back into it on a daily basis is just what I need!

I know this is a totally lame first day post but after working all day Saturday my wonderful husband whisked me away on an overnight mountain getaway - without kids - as my birthday present (which was last week).  Upon returning Sunday, we all had supper together and then did a little cake ceremony - complete with candles and singing.  My actual birthday was insanely busy with what we call our life so we'd not had the chance to ''properly'" celebrate.  My five year old daughter believes birthdays must have a cake and candles and singing to effectively qualify as having been celebrated.

Then it was the usual pack up, get home, unpack, do the bedtime thing, prepare for the week ahead which left little time for a fantastic October 1st blog post.  Which, by the way, is actually being written on Sunday night as I know Monday does not contain a spare minute.

Thanks for joining me on this adventure - we'll see how I do!