A GREAT BIG WARM FUZZY

Ok, not usually one to advertise, but aside from many calls from family & friends – I had the best call ever. Today is my birthday – sort of. I was born on February 29th, so this year doesn’t really count – nothing like being “between” 9 & 10 years old for several years!!

Today on my way to work my cell goes – I pick it up to find my nephew

Hi Aunti M

Hi Sweetheart!!!

Happy Birthday Aunti M

Oh thank you L… (then oops I’ve been interrupted by the sweetest sound)

(to the tune of happy birthday)

Happy Birthday to you, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
Dear, Aunti E… M….
Happy Birthday to you

:’) **sigh**

How sweet is he...

These Boots were made for walken...

And that's just what they'll do... STUCK IN MY HEAD! How can that be? Last week Elvis' "return to sender" was stuck there each and every time I got a piece of mail that just didn't belong to us. It happens a lot, because previous employees who took care of the mail never, ever returned anything. I mean how long does someone have to be gone before you return their stuff? How many Skill Path seminar brochures can one person throw away - the employee left 10 years ago - RETURN IT TO SENDER!! Skill Path will find someone else to bother.

At the moment all I can think of is how nice Jay's new boots are. Mark my words, one day I too will have the perfect pair of CFMB's. One day my oh so muscular calves will be encased in the perfect blend of leather & man made material.

A Sensory Memory

You know that feeling when you smell a certain smell like cookies your grandma used to bake, you know, one of your five senses evokes a powerful memory of another time and place??

Ok, its not like this is a lightening bolt moment, but powerful in its own way!

I put on shoes today that I haven't worn in a long time, as a matter of fact they had been deemed garbage material by my previous fashion consultant (aka-co-worker with an attitude). But, I couldn't part with them, so they have been under my desk for quite some time. I put them on today, cause they really went with the outfit I'm wearing. Well, my current fashion consultant (aka-new co-worker) thinks they look great! (see you keep things long enough, they do come back in style!)

I wore them for a few hours and felt this funny tingling at my heals - oh my word, I think that is a blister hot spot - well, wouldn't you know it, I have an incredible urge to put on my in-line speed skates and go till my feet bleed. Cause we all know that you don't break in boots, they break in you...

MMMM, can't wait for dry pavement!

This just in...

My girls have decided on the schools on the south side of the tracks. Brand new schools for both of them. And wonder of wonders, now that the decision is made, everyone is excited. I'm so glad that part is over. Filling out the registration forms - now that was hard. Actually had to call the highschool to see if I was doing it right...LOL. But even the secretary was having trouble filling it out for HER daughter - so, I am not alone... Oops, what does that say about the school? Secretary needs help? She was probably just trying to make me feel good - it worked.

Well not all the stars are in alignment, yet, but I think a few more have been nudged into place. All is pretty good with my world...

(and - the kittens seem to be ok - Phew!)

Feeling Guilty

Dropped off the kittens at the vet's yesterday... On the menu for each was a spay AND de-claw.

I got to the vet's and stood waiting for someone to help me. Took about 5 minutes - but it seemed like forever as the kittens just stared at me wide eyed from their carrier - I thought they were pleading with me to just take them home!!

They have been absolutely insane these last few weeks - apparently that's hormones and the spay should take care of that. Hmm wonder if that would work on teenagers??

Ok, so the spay isn't what's worrying me. Its the de-claw. I mean they actually amputate the little nails and where they grow from. How cruel is that? But I'm sorry, we just can't have them wrecking everything. Its either this, or they lose their happy home. And it is a happy home. I would love to be a cat, do whatever you want, whenever you want, and when you happen to want affection there is a line up of people waiting for you to sit on their lap - NO, PICK ME!!

I actually got a little misty when I said goodbye to them. Hubby picks them up in a few hours. They'll be on pain meds if necessary. After we de-clawed our last cat, I vowed never to do it again. **sigh** here I am again x 2.

Apparently they'll forget in a few days that they even had claws. I may be scarred for life...

Easier for who...

Yesterday the girls and I went to my sister in law's while her husband (my brother) and a friend of ours went to spend the afternoon at my house. The "boys" watched Daytona. We - well, we ate chocolate chip cookies, played with my nephew's (1 & 3 - way to much fun) and talked about everything under the sun.

At one point Y went to lie on Auntie's bed to watch TV and fell asleep. When she awoke, she was burning up. Wasn't feeling too bad, just kind of achey - and HOT. So Auntie crushed an extra strength Tylenol in ice cream and I thought we would just ride it out. I came around the corner of the living room being very loud with my nephew only to find Y grimacing on the couch, trying oh so hard to hold it all in. Poor kid. We went home immediately. Of course by the time we got home, she felt fine (yay for Tylenol). So after a not bad night (she only woke up once) - I thought we were in the clear. Oh wait, I guess we were in the clear after she puked!! Honestly after that she was fine. No fever, nothing... Guess where she is now - yes at school. She phoned me on her lunch. Seems fine, if a little tired.

I guess it is easier to send her to school then find child care - I mean do I leave her at home by herself? She's 11 - which is fine if you're feeling ok, but when you're not???? We have people who would come in a heart beat, but its kind of like when you feel not quite sick enough to stay home from work, but not quite good enough to go to work. So, I sent her. She's toughing it out. Good or bad, that's what we did. She is such a trooper. OF COURSE, if she was exhibiting more symptoms one of us would have stayed home with her. Mother of the year??? Not today...

Further to the next chapter

Well now I've put both my kids into a tailspin regarding choosing a middle/senior school. The youngest wants to go to the same one her sister went to, we'd like her to choose the other one (trying to gently guide her to that choice herself). Eldest is completely torn between the school she thought she wanted to go to and what the other option offers. Its a performing arts school - somehow seems cleaner, more organized and professional (as is the middle school we want Y to go to). E thrives on organization/discipline and Y really needs it to help her stay focused. Two completely different reasons for choosing these schools yet the same.

Now we're trying to figure out the pro's and con's of both. I'm wishing I had never given them a choice. I'm wishing I just said from the get go - this is what you're doing. I don't know if they're equipped to make these big choices in life. Yet now given, how do I take that away? Y always thought she had a choice, hubby is now saying otherwise, which is his perogative, yet I would really like her to come to the choice herself (as the mom, I really do feel it is best for her - that's my perogative).

I will continue to gently nudge and guide...

Lunch

Didn't have time or take the time to pack a lunch today. First time this week so that is doing pretty good. Hubby HATES it when I buy lunch. Yes its a waste of money, yes I can make the same thing at home. But honestly once a week or so - I buy lunch. Today my heart was set on a hot greek (salad) from the greek place. Big salad, great flavour $7.00. Well the line up was out the food court - how weird is that!! So I went to the cafeteria style place and got a hot greek (salad, hot meaning with chicken) for $8.56. I guess the extra time was worth $1.56 (probably at least a 15 minute wait). Its a good salad, but on principle I hate paying the price, I could have had garlic bread on the side for that price, but I'm trying to stay away from such temptations. So does that make me gullible? Take out price on a salad - $8.56 - YIKES.

What is your time worth?


As an aside, they say it takes 20 minutes for the message to reach your brain that your stomach is full - I don't think my stomach is communicating with my brain, some days I just never feel full. :(

So Proud

I can barely put into words the feelings I had today.

Y's elementary school choir sang in the division festival today. She told me last week she had consented to sing a solo - in German no less. Tonight she sang into the mic and the most beautiful music came out. I sat holding back the tears, but letting the grin go!! Wow - I was blown away. Simple and pure. I'm so grateful to her teacher for inspiring her and helping her get over her stage fright. That's all I have to say. I'm still grinning.

you guys make me laugh

I love reading your comments. Entertainment factor is 100%!

Got some estimates on fixing the van/garage door. When all is said and done, it should be around $700 - that is a far cry from the $3000 I thought I might be paying. Not like I have an extra $700 kicking around, but hey, its not $3k!!!!! That makes me happy. I do believe I have learnt my lesson, won't back into the garage door ever again. Why hubby chooses to park the snowblower behind my van though is really beyond me - don't worry, haven't hit it. Maybe its not me who needs to learn the lesson...

I swore in front of the kids

It was only one word, one moment. Then silence. Both kids seeming to silently acknowledge that it was pretty much the only appropriate thing to say.

Every day I back my van up at least once into my garage. In fairness I've only had this garage for 6 months - I'm still getting used to it - yeah whatever. I made a stupid mistake.

There I am - backing up. Hit the garage door opener - once, maybe twice???? Looked in the rear view - but my wiper is broken and it didn't help much. Checked the side view, yup, coast was clear, door is open. Well, too bad it wasn't open all the way. I backed into the last quarter of the door that hadn't ascended - how frustrating. I heard the crunch, slammed on the breaks, said "shit" big, bold and loud. Y said later she knew it was serious because she had never heard me swear before. Not only did I dent and injure the door, but broke the spoiler right off the back of the van (it is a "sport" model after all). BIG SIGH. Hubby was not impressed. I was not impressed. So now I will pay to fix the van and pay for a new garage door. HOW FRUSTRATING IS THIS!!! Gee, I think I'll bite the bullet and pay to have the back wiper fixed too.

Its kind of like years ago when on the morning I figured I should tell hubby to move Y's crib position becuase she was pulling herself up from sitting position and I thought she might fall out. Sure enough that evening when I had put her in her crib to be "safe" while I took E to the bathroom - boom, she fell right out of the crib. Why, oh why is my ESP broken, I guess it is just time delayed. You'd think with my anticipatory disorder anything like this could be avoided. Worrying is just wasted energy. I think I will give it up.

Fortunately we went to my brother/sister in law's tonight. Spent some quality time with people that can always make me laugh. Who loves ya baby?

The next chapter

Somehow the Senior High open house Eldest and I went to on Tuesday night caught me completely off guard. I mean obviously she has to take the next step and we will for sure enable her to go to grade 9 or Senior 1 (as they now call it) in the highschool. The amount of information presented was overwhelming for me - for her it is business as usual. We're going to go to one more open house to make sure we are picking the right school (that is if she can't convince me that going to my old highschool is the way to go - believe me, she is trying - residence school, no thanks, I'd miss her too much, but that is another blog).

I guess the thing that really got me was the amount of foresight you have to have as a 13 year old to make the proper choices that will get you where you want to be when you graduate. I just don't think I paid that much attention. She's talking about taking advanced placement courses by grade 12. Which means she will accelerate certain courses like math or English right from grade nine, so that she can take the university credit course in grade 12. Then she is ahead come university time. Sounds great - but what an awful lot of work she is in for. I had a headache by the time we left. I just can't believe her ambition. To me, school always got in the way of my education. I place a much higher value on it now...

I'm so grateful she strives (as does her sister) to achieve and over achieve, without pressure from us. They are both ambitious. The other day she got a 75% on a math test. Before I could say anything, she had to explain that was really good. The rest of the class average was 60% or so. She felt quite good about her mark, and so did her teacher. If I had 75% on a math test I would have been thrilled...

I was never so much about the book learning... I guess its a good thing I found something I like to do. Although I do have some dreams for my future. Like 15 years from now, maybe go back to school, take something interesting and try something new. Who knows...

The workload seems so strenuous, but then the girls don't have to put food on the table, pay rent, or work. So for now school IS their job and I will help them however I can. Better them then me...

A Test of the Emergency Blogcast System

This is just a test. Please do not adjust your air-port. Could there not be some kind of siren? More notice? I mean I had just sat down to some nice healthy on line obsessing when everything failed. Such witty comments I had come up with – forever lost in cyber space… Now I have to think of them again – and get to my computer at a convenient time. I try very hard to keep blogging an evening activity. Not easy when “regularly scheduled maintenance” is done at 7pst, 9cst, 10est. Don’t they realize this is when it all happens?

We need to come up with a system – The Emergency Blogcast System (EBS). A means to an end to avoid frustration at the root level. A very worthy and noble pursuit, I will be taking cash donations to further my work of the EBS.

Thanking you in advance for your most generous support…

What is venting..

Are uncharitable thoughts and words about anything or anyone considered venting? If so, I vent way more than I used to. When does venting become gossip? I think I am more transparent then I used to be. I don't hide behind as many masks as I used to and the people I trust will very quickly get an earful of my pet peeve of the day. I do think honesty is the best policy - but do I need to say everything on my mind? Maybe there is a fine line between keeping something to yourself and bottling it up till you explode. Maybe you vent to your trusted friends to keep from exploding or imploding. Maybe I'm thinking about this way too much...

I don't have anything in particular to vent about right now. I don't think I'm in any imminent danger of exploding or imploding. Just one of those things that I think about when I'm on my treadmill...to keep me from obsessing about: how far; how fast; how many laps...