Space Day

I had one of the best days this week, and no, it wasn't my childlessly wandering in and out of cafe's reading books, drinking pumpkiny-chi infused drinks, and buying autumn sweaters.  

....sorry I just had to take a moment to imagine that last option.  

So I kept my son Ethan home from school Monday with a cough I didn't like the sounds of.  The boys made a rocketship out of a box after breakfast, so, I decided we should do some special space day activities to keep him interested.  One craft was a big hit: Galaxy Crayons.  

We made each one to be like planet colours.. really easy to do and great way to rid yourself of broken crayons :)

What you need:

• cupcake tray/some oven safe tray

• broken crayons

• glitter

Fill each circle 1/5th of the way with broken crayons, more colours the better, place on middle rack broil LOW for 2mins.. take out and cool for 10mins.. pop them out and colour!  

Ethan took a few of them for show and tell the next day and he came home pretty excited with his 'presentation' since everyone seemed to like them! Fun, fun day.. 

Someday isn't one of them

Another item off my back 30 list: have a running routine.


I'm going to play my 'I have three children' card.. which I promise I never really play.. in the fact it's hard for me to have routines for myself.  But here's where we stand today.


Things that helped me stay on a min. 3 day a week schedule:

• c25k app, has a nice little set up to start you off/guide you
• running partner
• nice scenic area, wooded/lakeshore
• 8tracks app, keeps music interesting.. oddly enough Rhianna's Birthday Cake is fantastic to run to! who knew??
• posting my results and progress on facebook keeps me accountable, especially if I don't have a running partner that day

The biggest accomplishment in setting a routine is not letting any setbacks get you off track.  I am not so much of an unmotivated person as I am a maker of an invisible set of rules that if I ever deviate from, my plan just gets thrown out the window!  For this reason, and the last 4 weeks of running, I cross you off my list.. running routine!!    

Growing up vs Growing old

Coming home from the BBQ last night Ethan asked me in the car, his face painted like a golden cheetah, how much school he has to go to.  I said, like, all of it? He said yes.  I answered, from tomorrow until grade 12 and then University to find job he likes to do.  He asked me if he had to get a job and I said that he did, but that all his friends would have jobs too.  When we got home and I put them to bed Ethan had a requisite 'last question' of the night, which is usually asking when I am going to bed.  Instead he asked if he will get married.  I said fortunately, that was entirely up to him... you only do that if you want to.  Unlike being employed.  Then he told me he wanted to stop talking about that and move onto something else.

Nothing like my kid to twist the knife that is, to all parents, already painfully watching them grow up. THANKS KID.  Now I have to grow up too, just great!

"When I was a girl, my life was music that was always getting louder. Everything moved me. A dog following a stranger. That made me feel so much. A calender that showed the wrong month. I could have cried over it. I did. Where the smoke from the chimney ended. How an overturned bottle rested at the edge of a table.

I spent my life learning to feel less.
Every day I felt less.
Is that growing old? Or is it something worse?
You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness.” 
― Jonathan Safran Foer

Small Kindness

Today my car just stopped in the middle of traffic and there I was by myself trying (an act of futility) to push it out of the road.  It was broad daylight by the way, on the busiest street I know of, and this woman stopped to help me while noting how many men drove past us.  I am the kind of person who wouldn't like to say she was right but she was, so I'll say it.. at least 10 cars passed me.  If they were men or not isn't the point to me at least.  About a minute after we started rocking the car up the curb two men did come out of nowhere to help push it up and off the road.. and while I thanked everyone for their help I still had what she said in my mind.  I suppose if nobody helped me I could have possibly been hit by a car as I tried to get it up the curb since I'd never leave my car sitting there blocking traffic like that.

It's amazing the moments you aren't prepared for yet can't get by without some small kindness.. and do not know where it will come from, but you somehow do expect it to come.  Why do we expect it will come?  I know for me I like to always assume the best from everyone I meet but it made me appreciate the help I did get even more.  Someone even stopped and gave me a ride for help after that and saved me about an hour, and I made sure to thank them profusely.

Not everyone acts the way we expect them to act.  I need to remember that.  And not take it to heart as much.

Emptying my wallet

goodbye Vegas weekend..

Andrea visited home last weekend and we've already got to retell a lot of the stories from when we were there which was fun, as it was a very fun 4 days.. and got to look around her Mom's basement of old stuff and jam for the mysterious David Copperfield ('s autograph Andrea has).

I have an aversion to saying goodbye to anything, or getting to the end of some stories.  This is never good.  If I've learned anything it's that every story deserves it's end, only in writing it yourself can you give it the integrity that belongs to everything that happened before it.  For example the book I bought in the Newark airport (This Is Your Captain Speaking) I purposely did not finish the last chapter; there it sits on my nightstand since I got home last month as if the vacation wouldn't be officially over unless I read the last word.  Even though it's not particularly a great story it really doesn't deserve to go unfinished.  As a note, only I would buy a book to read on a flight that starts off with a plane crashing into the Hudson River.  I mean, really????

I don't think it's particularly weird to never want something to end but it's certainly never made my life any easier.  Every once in a while I have to empty my wallet whether I like it or not, and I find there's so much more room for other things that way.

Fun Fact: a Las Vegas RTC transit bus is called "The Deuce" 

Frozen battle: Zoku vs X-Press Pop Maker

If you aren't familiar with the Zoku pop maker it's a super fast way to make any kind of popsicle you want.  My first thoughts with the Zoku were as follows:

1. what the hell?
2. it's too pretty
3. more than 2 minutes is still too long to wait.. it's for kids, right?
4. what kind of time do you think I have?
5. this is so unnecessary that maybe I want one

NOT FOR THAT PRICE, ZOKU.. nomatter how many peppy-lady instructional videos you make! Then I run into it's competitor the X-press Pop Maker.  Note my unedited, non-dreamy photos.

                           

I buy it on sale for $12.  My kids go batshit crazy for anything I make with these.. I just have to open the freezer and they go OH MY GOD IT'S THE RIGHT NOW POPSICLES! and I haven't even started with the cute cut out fruits because please, their waiting the 10 mins is hard enough.  

These are Raspberry Yogurt popsicles.  Raspberries were frozen from the garden, loved them!

All you have to do with both is freeze the base for 24 hours beforehand and then make sure you do not put any liquid in it that has no sugar (including natural sugar) plain water, or is carbonated.  It just won't work, and that seems to be the premise of the whole idea.  Here's the side by side.

XPRESS

• price $12 (original $29.99)
• makes 4 popsicles at a time
• takes 7-10mins 
• comes with 8 sticks, 4 drip guards
• ice pop removal tool

ZOKU

• price $73.44
• makes 3 (2oz) popsicles at a time
• takes 7-10 mins
• comes with 6 sticks, 6 drip guards
• ice pop remover tool 

Stencil Project: stairs to playroom

I am pretty pleased with myself that I accomplished one of the ideas I had.. in a test area of the house.  This was valuable for three reasons

1. It was a smaller area so I could finish quicker and estimate how much time my real project would take me
2. If I screwed it up it would still be an improvement to beige nothing on your way to the playroom in the basement, where we hang coats anyway
3. Lists make me feel like I've really made my point

The inspiration for my whole project was a fun wallpaper design by Orla Kiely called Multi Stem Wallpaper.  I decided to do my own thing with it and the paint I had wanted for the basement and I made the stencil myself from paper I bought at Michaels.  I might end up finishing this with a cream coloured stem or grey stem, I haven't decided.

Before: I used my kids to dress up my boring walls!  Hi, ti-dye Gabriel.

Pics: another section I did around the corner beside the door and view from the top of the stairs.  The large rectangular space is where the hat rack/coat hanger goes but that's hubbs job since it weighs 30 pounds and I am too proud of my work to wait for him to get around to it ;)

Total time for a person who doesn't do this stuff at all, and I mean at all: 2 hours

Estimated time it would take me to do the entire wall in Kieran's room as I had wanted, with multi-colours:  HOLY CRAP I DONT KNOW SEVEN HOURS???  Reconsidering my approach maybe.

The Simpsons just isn't good anymore...

I will admit I secretly think those picture with words things that I run into sometimes are hilariously teen-mo, however, I had no idea anyone shared my thoughts until I found this.  Enjoy!

Update on my stencil painting project:  

Trial run is going well!  So excited I started.  It's just a test area of the house at the moment.. aka the landing towards the playroom but so far everyone but Sean THINKS IT'S THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO PAINTING EVER.  SO much so that Gabriel took my brush and made some super nice unapproved paintings on the walls around the house.  Yay?

Summer 2012: do everything

This year has been crazy for me as far as worklife.. like really crazy.. so this summer has been spent with my time off spoiling the boys as much as possible with summer adventures.  Last weekend we were at Canada's Wonderland until it literally closed at 10pm.  I wish I had a video of me taking Ethan on his first roller-coaster ride The Fly.  It looks harmless enough but it does scare you, so, 3 seconds into it he was screaming "MY EYEBALLS ARE GOING TO FALL OUT, MY EYEBALLS ARE GOING TO FALL OUT" ... What?? haha.

Careful or they'll eat your Dad!

So here's my conclusion about summer; do everything.  The unspoken fun-less parent responsibility with children is that to have the fun sometimes you feel like you need to plan and organize the day as if it were a military attack.. making sure everyone is always at their optimal, least cranky, fun-having state of mind.  I'm not here to say that isn't true because it certainly is much of the time but it's SO much fun to throw that out the window some days.  When you can, do.  Never pass up an opportunity that isn't in your plan.  My natural state of being has always been that I like to consume everything.  My soul is happy to do everything.  Play with everything.  See everything.  Get every last drop out of the sunshine in a day.  Then do it again tomorrow.   It's indescribable to get those special moments with your child where they turn to you with a blissful smile on their face and whisper "this is beautiful".

Minted

I'm working (i.e. in my mind, where most of the work happens) on crossing off the next item of my list which requires me to complete a room in my house. I put this on my list because mainly decorating is something perpetually a work in progress.. the work being in my imagination and the progress being painful to watch.  Example: my 'decorate Easter' project.  I get caught up in the little things too often.. and, if there were ever a metaphor for my life that would be a pretty great one.

                                              
So goes my goal of completing something to my satisfaction.  You may laugh now, if you like!  I did.

That brings me to my choice of room.  Kieran's room.  I don't have a picture of Kieran's room when I started but it's pretty plain so not hard to imagine.  Instead, let's meet my subject.  He is 18months old in TWO days.  My sunshine, on this, a beautiful summer Friday.

says: HA-low!

He likes birds so I am going with a bird theme with creams, browns, blues and orange that matches his crib bedding.

I am going to attempt to PAINT a section of his room ....a stencil!!.. soon so I'll update when I do that.  Or fail at that, whatever may come.  For now I'll share some amazing stuff on the paper design site called Minted.  I'm obsessed with wall art, and now, all things Minted.  They design more than nursery art if you want to browse around.  Be prepared to love everything.

Photo sources: Minted.

Full of what??

Warning: this is completely inappropriate.  Good news, I happen to enjoy inappropriate.  







I am reading an article on Reese Witherspoon's ranch decor.  It's exciting.. here's a screen cap of the photo and it's description.

Looks fantastic.... I hope one day my yard is also full of all of that.  But a regular amount. You know, whatever's healthy.

Hope everyone's summer is as sunny as mine is, especially if you are on vaycay!  Gosh I love summer. And gin.

This one isn't about kijiji

The fact that Miley Cyrus was 8 years old when she was in one of my favourite movies makes me wonder how it is she is now engaged.

For real, wtf?  

goodbyeKitty

One Vegas story for you, before I am able to update fully (aka with pictures) that Andrea sends me.  We used my camera for HD video mainly for our Vegas Movie.. so you know that is coming at some point.  She's putting it together so I suggested a lot of star-wipe scene transitions.  Anyhow!

I bought two pairs of hellokitty sunglasses for Andrea and I to wear in Vegas.  Reason: none, fun, whatever. We wore them to the pool and on our last day I was swimming with them on and a 12 year old girl got my attention and gave me a "that's whats up!" nod, with some "you and me" finger motion.. herself wearing a pair of black ones.  

In one motion I knocked them off my face as if the sunglasses had morphed into a huge tarantula.  I just assumed there was nothing you shouldn't do in Vegas but I found one: look 12 in any way possible.

Vegas: you can sleep when you're dead

Grand Canyon, flight to Vegas

This trip was so awesome, so much fun, but about 800 things packed into 4 days that I will have to actually recover from it before I give a full update as to not forget anything.  It's easier just to tell you the things we didn't do.

• Didn't see a show
• Didn't go to a club
• Didn't gamble, aside from a $1 slot on our way out so we could say we did it
• Didn't shoot guns
• Didn't rent the car
• Didn't shop at any of the outlets
• Didn't get arrested

And didn't care!  Any of that stuff we can do in Vegas 2013 if we want... especially get arrested.

I will say the last night was the absolute best and worst if only (but it wasn't only) because we were still drinking dollar margaritas from the Golden Nugget in old las vegas approximately 30 minutes before I boarded the shuttle to the airport.  Regular necessities like sleeping an eating are total options in Vegas, and we opted out of a lot of it.

This is what my name sounds like to people when I show up to the airport Starbucks still drunk and blackout tired.  They should be glad I didn't answer "my name is give me that fucking coffee right now" ..  I drank the entire thing and passed out cold in my seat, to be woken up by very amused fellow travellers as we were boarding the plane at 5:40am.

I honestly cannot imagine any city on earth being more exciting than Las Vegas.. with that, back to the work week and why isn't it the weekend again so I can sleep?  

Friday!. and the rest of that song

Confirmation of how sad your travel life is: days before you're set to fly to Vegas you only just then realize you threw away your one and only suitcase about 6 months ago.

I can't believe I didn't remember doing that!  It was my one and only (falling apart and stored in the cold cellar) suitcase!  Tonight I'm packing all my crap in a Lululemon gym bag and my biggest Coach purse.  Good thing you don't need a lot of stuff to have fun! :)

Ironically though I think I'm equal parts excited for the actual flight as I am for the actual weekend with Andrea.   It is a simple but favourite thing of mine.  The cheapest of flights still have a priceless view.

via flickr: kevindooley

12 hour walk

Number 2 of 30 is complete! (and so is 21 of 30 which I forgot to cross off from Mothers Day)  Just a few left until the list is finished.  

Here's a few pictures from our 12 hour walk for the Canadian Cancer Society with my team.

Us! 

Our team captain's mother was a survivor-lap participator at the event.  So cute.

We won for best dressed tent!  A bag full of fruit, cookies, chocolate and fancy water.. ou la la!

Zumba class at 1am is a great way to wake up :)

Lorraine's phone says we're still going...

And this is what no sleep will do to you.. spontaneous dance number during the 2am karaoke.   Please excuse the deafening screams of hilarity but this was the best thing ever.

100x

I will sound like an old person with this anecdote, but, when I was in grade 3 I misspelled the word 'because' on a test (BECAUSE it's a hard word!) and my Dad told me I had to write it out 100x before I could do anything else that day.  What a horrible thing to do to a young person... and it took a surprisingly long time to finish.  This has likely also happened to you, too, at some point so you know what I'm going to say now.. you've never spelled it wrong ever since huh? There's some truth to doing things wrong until you start doing them right.

Everyone else who gave up on word 5 and went to play skip-it outside is apparently selling stuff on Kijiji.   JUST.  SAYING.  It's not even close.

Tony

I know, I know, I've already stated (probably twice) of the unending glee that ads on kijiji provides me.  What can I say, my heart just smiles when it sees stupid things.. like the cashier at Shoppers Drugmart that I've seen 100x and trip 101 I finally figure out she looks exactly like the cartoon Cathy.  Now I can't stop smiling when I go in.

So, I am perpetually looking for this mythical sofa bed for downstairs; not having found it I keep running into hilarious ads for 'footons', a sectinal and yes.. even a sexional!  Scandal.  I would email these people to let them know just how much they made my day happier if I weren't positive I'd get a response along the lines of "F U".... probably because they have no idea how to spell that either.

I realize these aren't paid ads so I'm not expecting to be dazzled but is it to much to just spell things correctly?  Or like this ad, just input your information ..like.. wherever!

"Hi, I'd like to buy Tony from you"
"I'm Tony"
"No it says here the couch is Tony, so, when can I come get him?"
"No my name is Tony, the couch is a couch"
"I think I know how to read an ad, sir"

Vegas Baby

Can I just tell you how excited I am for Vegas with Andrea in June????

Beyond excited.

Sometimes.....

I want to just live in the woods and eat beans all the time
I'd love to live at the cottage, own 5 plates, and never use the internet again
I want to drink nothing but red wine for a year
I'd like to take up pottery and make all kinds of stupid pots that I'd gift people and make them keep in their houses all the time
I'd like to have a mythical crazy 4th child, a girl, who I'd take to ballet class.  She'd look like this.

and when you told her what to do, she'd look like this..

(btw this is me, just in case you think I'd google little girls until I found the right one)

I want to go to Italy with my family and basically never come back

I want to tell all the people who ever said mean things about me to go fuck themselves, because I never do that but that's exactly what I'm thinking

I want to eat so much salad

I'd like to find a fashionable scarf, and then figure out when wearing it would be appropriate

I wish I could hang out with my friend Andrea every month or so

I want to go for wine tours all over the world

I want to tell everyone I see that you can buy a huge bag of cibatta buns at Costco for like 5 bucks

I want to have a night out with my friends every Saturday, and rhyme with with S things we'd be doing like Steak, Sushi and (sweater) Shopping!

I'd love to keep writing my blog