breathe

The mind is a powerful tool, and when it runs wild with imaginations .. it sure can send a person for a huge spin. I've been worried sick the past couple days, imagining all worse case scenarios but was relieved to find out this morning that it was just me being a worry wort. I will be completely worry free come Sunday night tho .. when I can hear for myself.
Until then .. J, I'm missing you like crazy. Those words don't even describe how much, but at least I know you're missing me just the same.

Guess what I found and fell in love with? An Indie band!!! The Honorary Title are amazing, and I've only heard a couple of their songs (and played them on repeat a hundred times already).
This one is my favourite of what I found, so I'm sharing it in hopes someone else will find it just as insightful, inspiring, or at least sweet. :) Crank the volume now because you will about half way through anyway. ;)

Far More - The Honorary Title

getting some vitamin d

It's not even an overly warm day, especially with a breeze, but it was nice to get out into the sunshine for abit. We met my friend and her kids and daycare babies, at our school playground for a play and picnic, and then after the girls and I got home, we went for a walk around the block. I like that the two streets leading to our complex are dead end streets and that we only have local traffic coming down them. This one is the back street that recently had a chain link fence put up along it, to keep people out of the cleared land one day they plan on building on.

wtf?!

I just spent the last nearly two hours, picking those stupid ugly nasty little critters known as head lice, from Hailey's hair. One of the first things she started talking about when she got home from the weekend away with her aunt and uncle, was that her head was terribly itchy .. more so then the dry scalp kinda itchy she also suffers from. I took a look .. mostly to just humour her, thinking I'd find a dry patch we'd have to treat. Oh god, was I in for a nasty 'treat'. I hate those things with a passion. Why on earth do they like Hailey so much, is beyond me, but the poor kid has the patience to allow me to turn and twist her head in all sorts of angles, trying to get the right light on each and every strand of hair.

On another frustrating note .. my cell phone isn't sending texts. :(
J .. I did try to say goodnight, and I love you!

.. -- .. ... ... -.-- --- ..-

I've had a very quiet day, but this weekend hasn't been as productive as my last weekend was. I laid around alot more, napped, played on the computer, ventured outside only when I had to .. and thus, I'm in serious missing mode. I miss my girls so much! It's been over 48 hours, and for some reason, that feels to long .. ya know? I miss my guy too .. so much!

But as I type this, I'm frying up a chicken breast to cut up over a salad and then I'm going to submerge myself in 'One Tree Hill .. season 5' that I picked up at the library on Friday. Ahhh .. love that show! AND love me some Gavin DeGraw ear candy too!

If you're wondering what the title says .. here's something to help you figure it out.

lazy sunday

Coronation Street is finally picking up with their story lines, and I was happy to have not had any interruptions this morning so I could enjoy it. However, I did miss my Corrie partner-in-crime, but he's enjoying some peaceful cottage solitude, and hopefully not overdoing it so he can finally kick the tail end of that cold.
I was out fairly late last night, enjoying some fun girl time at my sister-in-law's place, so lounging in bed, starting my day with coffee and corrie was truly perfect. But now after having showered, I thought some digi scrapping would be a nice past time, so here's what I did. They both were quick pages, so only took a short bit to do. I'm pretty impressed with myself .. I have both girls birthdays documented already, even if it's in the form of digital scrapping. :P Now I'm off to the grocery store to pick up some fresh fruit, veggies, milk and bread for the week.
And the sun's shining, albeit it's still on the chillier side, but sunshine is sunshine. :)

black or white

One of the many things I love, is when I can get some pictures I know will mean something to me in MANY years to come, mixed in with the goofy ones.

I wasn't going to jump to talking nonstop about MJ like so many others have .. but my most favourite song by him is Black or White, and after I played with these photos and made them b&w, I kinda thought maybe adding a little of the King of Pop here would be appropriate.
But wait .. there's more! One more that I can't help but dedicate to my man .. because he really does knock me off my feet.

she's ten!

The party part is done .. the fun was had .. the girls spoiled .. and now just one friend remains after having gotten not much sleep last night. For it being Hailey's first time having a friend sleep over .. it went smoothly. I set the rules, and they followed them pretty well! I was only woken once to get the hot water bottle and bucket for the friend who had perhaps eaten to much? And this morning I was informed they watched MANY movies (in whole or part) and stayed up until after midnight. No worries because they let ME sleep, so all's good! I always love June, for the girls birthdays and parties to look forward to as well as the end of school activities, etc .. but I'm also always very happy when it all comes to an end and I can live a lowkey summer.

*click on the collage if you'd like to see the photos more up close and personal

Happy 10th Birthday Hailey!

I can't believe I'm a mom to a 10 yr old already! Double digits!! It's crazy how fast time flies, and the past ten years have no doubt been the most challenging, rewarding, fun, inspiring years of my life. I know I have many MANY more years of challenges to come once the teen years hit, but until then, I'm going to savour every little bit of being a Mom of two precious girls.

Hailey .. you no doubtedly were my little angel girl. You made becoming a Mom for the first time, so easy. You didn't make an easy grand entrance .. oh no .. first you had to make sure I got a good dose of surgery and weeks of recoup time, but when there was a precious new born in my arms .. it made all of that so worth going through. I call you my little Bean because you were so very tiny that even preemie diapers and clothes looked huge on you. But you steadily grew into the beautiful girl that you are today, but even if you pass me in height, you will always be my little Bean.

My wish for you this year is to enjoy being a child. You act alot older then you are .. but there is so many years for those worries and responsibilities. Just savour the days where you can play your little heart out and not have the concerns that will all to quickly be yours one day. I love you so much, and am so proud of you!

just a wee born Hailey .. only hours old and already hated being undressed!

one year old!

2 years old

three years old

four years old

five years old

six years old

seven years old

eight years old

nine years old

10 years old

wordful wednesday

Once upon a time there lived this girl that found herself swept up in a busy state of life and soon was scrambling to come up with some unique teacher gift ideas she hadn't already done before. Along came a very smart man, who gave her a brilliant idea. Tho his idea nearly fell through, the girl was able to do a little altering and personalizing, and it all worked out into fantastic little tokens of sweet bliss for her two daughters teachers and classroom aides. The End.


We also wrote thank you cards for each teacher, and the girls drew on and decorated the envelopes. Hailey's teacher will not be returning in the fall, and although I only knew her for this one year, it's still a little sad to see one of the really great teachers move on. Alissa will most likely get her same teacher again next year (she's in a 2/3 split) but even still, her little notes were things like 'I'll miss you', 'you were the best teacher ever'. So sweet! So far we've been fortunate to have had some really great teachers, and I love that we get to associate with them for 2-4 years in a row (depending on if the class is a two grade split or not). It gives me a chance to develop a great rapport with the teacher, which I've found is hugely important when dealing with behavioural issues, etc.


So let me close with a song that I always sang on my last days of high school, and have sung to the girls every last day of school since Hailey's kindergarten year. I have it loaded on my iPod for later too. ;)

And Happy HUMPday too! ;) :)

this 'n' that

I've had a really productive morning! I studied and took the test on the male and female reproductive system (got an 88% which I'm not thrilled with, but ce la vie), made a batch of microwave caramel fudge, and did some cleaning. I'm anal about a clean bathroom AND floor, so while I was cleaning the toilet, I noticed (for awhile now) that the seat screws were slowly working their way loose. Because I was unsure how to tighten them, I left it .. but today I wasn't going to stand for it any longer. I popped open the cover and figure out how super easy it was to remedy the problem. It's funny how it takes such a small little thing to make me feel so accomplished and self sufficient. Go me! :) Now to finish up the girls bedding, and dust and I think I'm good for bringing my house back up to par again.

CHAINges

For awhile now, the fence that lines the river that runs past the back portion of the complex property .. has been rotting and deteriorating and only so much fixing can be done before it's just not worth it anymore. Because the whole complex was painted, including all fences, that was supposed to be the next step for the rotting fence along the grassy common area too, but who's going to sink money into paint for a fence that's hanging on by threads? So the decision was made to replace it .. but not with another wooden fence that would need repair and paint over the next 10+ years. No .. they decided to replace it with a chain link fence. At first I thought .. ewww .. it's ugly! There's only about 6 of us that have windows overlooking that side and do we really want to look at that sort of fence? But then the reason behind it makes total sense, and it'll keep all the children safe. (luckily mine are old enough to know better then to find decrepit boards to get through) Personally, I'd love if they didn't put anything up to replace it. The brush and bushes look more natural this way .. but come the winter months when the vegetation has thinned and the rain has made the river swell to dangerous levels .. the fence will be a safety net.
So .. this is the 'during' part of the new fence transformation. It's been removed and boards stacked.




And on another note .. my man is still so so sick. I wish there was something more that I could do for him. :(
J .. suck back the tea and chicken soup, and hopefully the warmth will break up the congestion. I love you, baby!

it's my right!

Another day for JUST me! First up, coffee!!!!! Then back to bed to watch Coronation Street and a little more reading in hopes I can finish up that book finally .. and then who knows. The possibilities are almost endless! I could easily get used to this kind of weekend much more often! So I'll leave you with a song that was playing in my head when I awoke. You know how when that happens, you just HAVE to listen to the song a few times to appease your subconscience? That's what I just did. Happy Sunday! :)

I Want You - Day 26

my day's rockin'

Remember that low-key weekend I was so looking forward to? It's 4:30 and I haven't even showered! :) I know .. I'm heading there now before I eat dinner, but when you're enjoying every minute of your day, it's hard to break for the normal mundane things in life .. like cleanliness. hah! So .. I did some reading (almost ALmost done my book), three hours of sewing and the end product is a cute new handbag that's made from the same material as this one .. just deeper so more practical for my needs, a break for refueling and a chat with my man, and then I made these layouts. Some are quick pages but the ones that aren't have products from various designers that should be credited but I didn't pay that close attention when I was filtering through my folders. Anyway .. the most recent birthday girl is now scrapped, and so are the pool photos from last week.

And now I think I'll go shower, have dinner and play some Wii! I could easily get used to this whole self indulgence theme I have going on this weekend. hehe

TGIF

It's Friday again .. yippeeeeee!!
There's a few songs I have to share, because I've been taken with them and you know when you're excited about something .. the best thing to do is tell EVERYONE!

First Mariah Carey came out with an r&b song!! I know .. crazy how with a little technology .. she too can have her voice altered to sound good?!

Obsessed - Mariah Carey

Next is GINuwine :) This is an excellent song too!

Show Me The Way - Ginuwine

And to top off my Friday .. it's movie date night!!!! We're watching The International with Clive Owen and Naomi Watts. Clive is sure easy on the eyes. ;)

random meme

Do you say hello daily? yes .. to countless people that I either love or pass on the street
Do you have an accent? nooooo
If something was wrong, who is the first boy you would go to? boy? I wouldn't call him a boy, but I certainly would call up my man!
Do you like where you live? yes I do .. it's close to the ocean! :)
Have you ever kissed on a boat? yeah
What do you have pierced on you? ears and nose
Have you ever met a gay person? yes
Did you kiss someone at midnight on New Years? no :(
Are you saving up money for anything in particular? yeah, birthday parties! oy!
Have you shaved your legs in the past three days? it's summer, so YES!
Do you swallow gum when your done with it? noooo .. if there isn't a garbage around, I'll spit it into the ditch or umm wherever.
Do you enjoy wearing dresses? I do actually .. but more skirts then dresses and only in the summer.
Has anyone seen you in your underwear other then your mom? yep .. poor them .. they're probably blind by now.
Do you tell your mom everything? no .. I don't think she really wants to know everything anyway.
Have you ever had the cops called on you? nope
Who was your first guy friend? oh man .. way back in the day, there was Joel Barkman .. but that was more of a crush.
Have you told anybody you loved them today? yes I have .. a few times
Does the last person you held hands with, mean something to you? uhuh .. she's my lovey girl Are you close with your mom? yeah, I think so
What are you excited about? a two week trip next month! WOOHOO!
Would you be able to tell someone you love them, even if you didn't mean it? Nope .. it's something you have to mean.
What color are your eyes? brown
Did you talk to someone on the phone tonight? it's not night yet .. and yes
Ever kissed someone that smokes? well yeah, but I smoked back then too
Do you get mad easily? no not really .. unless it's an ongoing annoyance
Plans for tomorrow? TGIF, which means easy dinner and movie date night! woohoo!
Has anyone ever told you you have pretty eyes? yeah .. but now I sound all full of myself
How many different people of the opposite sex have you really cried over? a few
Last thing you had to drink? water and coffee
What are you wearing? black short sleeved T with jeans
Are you tan? I've got a nice base happening .. so yes
What is the closest green object to you? my sewing box
Did you have a good day yesterday? yep, it was humpday afterall! ;)
Who's the last person you had a sleepover with? OMG .. I haven't had a sleepover in YEARS!Have you ever seen someone you knew and purposely avoided seeing them? all the time
Will you get married? been there, done that .. not crossing that bridge before I get to it
How late did you stay up last night and why? 10ish .. but was in bed WAY earlier then that
Have you ever dated a soccer player? does an ex soccer player count?
When is the next time you'll hug someone? I have two very hugable girlies, but usually it means me having to steal the hugs.
What were you doing at 7:00 AM? chatting with J
Do you wish on 11:11? nah
Do you hate the last girl you had a conversation with? hell no .. she's my wanna-be sister
How many hours did you sleep last night? about 7
Do you think you're old? sometimes when I try doing things I knew I could do ten years ago but suddenly can't anymore.
Do you look old? compared to my kidlets, YES! damn the grey hair!
You see a shooting star, do you make a wish? yep, but it's not often I see one
Have you recently had plans with someone and they cancelled? yes
Who was the last person you fell asleep beside? Alissa .. a few weeks ago when I napped on the couch and she watched TV beside me.
How do you feel about that person? she's my baby girl!
Does it snow where you live? yeah .. but not often and when it does I curse the stupid white stuff.
Are you listening to music? not at the moment .. listening to the sounds from the Wii
Do you know anyone that has been in rehab? I know OF people.
Have you ever liked someone older than you? yeah
Who were you with last night? just my girls, and J on the phone
Who makes you smile constantly? do I have to narrow it down? there's a few!
What did you wake up to? the alarm clock, but earlier it was music
Is there someone you want back in your life right this moment? not really .. I kinda like this whole new clean slate kinda life.
Are you in a good mood? yep I am
Who is the last person you talked to on the phone for over an hour? talked? .. umm, my sister.
What made you sad today? nothing .. I'm in a good mood, remember?
Do you trust all of your friends? each to a different degree, yep
Are you okay with making a fool of yourself? depends .. if I know I'll live to regret it then no. Such a prude I am hey?
Do you currently miss someone? YES!!!!!!!!
Are you friends with someone who' s older than you? sure am!
Has anyone told you lately that they would always be there for you? yes
Is anyone jealous of you? I rather doubt it
Have you ever been called beautiful? yes, on a daily basis and it really does make me feel beautiful
What' s your favorite time of year? spring, summer and fall
Is your shirt yellow? nope ... it's black
Is it easy to make you smile? depends .. ;)
Do you sleep with one leg out from under the covers? only if I'm hot
Who are your favorite friends parents? hmmm .. I never really got to know friends parents like kids do now adays.

thursday thoughts

I have a weekend coming up that I can fill with everything that appeals to me, and then some! How lucky am I??!!
I'm thinking I'd like to make a new handbag, which I already have fabric for, scrapbook (either digital or paper), do some minor rearranging around the house, finish up the fourth and final Twilight Saga book, etc. The ideas are limitless, and I'm looking forward to doing alot of vegging, and things *I* want to do. Not to mention .. the girls new Wii is calling my name oh so loudly as well.
Oh, and we can't forget movie night with my J! :) Is it the weekend yet?

and....

the verdict is in! Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii (to quote J), they LOVE it!
We bowled (Alissa took some of my turns), and now Hailey's playing My Sims Party, and they have loads of other games to get through too, and I already know they'll be wanting to play it every single waking moment. J, are you sure we did the right thing? ;) The coolest thing is hearing how excited they get .. their voices go squeaky, they're impatient waiting for it to be hooked up .. but Hailey was a great help, and then forget about reading how to use the remote .. they'd rather just wing it and learn as they go.

I can't wait to get my turn on some of those games! I think there's a reason the system is called Weee .. err I mean Wii.
Finally, to wrap up this post, let me quote Hailey. "This is the best present ever!" Ya think she likes it?