wordless wednesday

Alissa's working the clay at her pottery class, this morning.

another meme .. more then anyone ever needed to know about me

The Basics
What do you eat for breakfast usually?: toasted english muffin, porridge or cereal
How many cups of coffee do you drink each morning?: 2
Do you exercise in the mornings?: well, I used to .. but now my exercise is walking to and from the school
Do you work out daily?: oh puleeze! no!
How long does it take to get ready in the mornings?: 1/2 hour

My Favorites
dinner?: lasagna, pizza, anything chicken, the list can go on forever
way to eat eggs?: easy over
dessert?: cheesecake!
NFL team?: sports and me don't get along
lazy day thing to do?: read a book, watch a movie, stay in my jammies under a blankie or in bed is even better

This or That
Sunday brunch or Sunday dinner?: brunch, right after I've finished watching Corrie St, thankyou! :)
Hiking or Swimming?: swimming
OMG or WTF?: OMG
ROFL or ROFLMAO?: ROFL
Donald Trump or Bill Gates?: hmm, Donald only because I used to like watching the Apprentice

Do You?
ever wear the shirt you've had on all day to bed?: not that I can recall
wish you were rich or famous?: rich, yes .. not famous
have a lot of friends?: not a whole lot, but the ones I have are close
eat organic foods?: nope
care what other people think of you?: not really

Have You Ever
worn your boyfriend's clothes?: no, but I wish I had one of his t's
defended someone that was being unfairly treated?: I'm not positive, but I think I have
seen someone that you weren't sure if they were male or female?: oh yeah .. even after hearing them talk
learned a valuable lessson from someone younger than you?: yes, more times then I can count
dated someone more than ten years older or younger than you?: nope

Misc.
Have you ever had suicidal thoughts?: I can't just answer yes or no to this .. I had post partum depression after both my girls were born, and those were the only times I had thoughts like that .. but I knew better then to handle them on my own, and got help.
What do you consider "rare" anymore?: me scrapbooking
Do you hold the door open for strangers?: I do .. generally for the elderly, but I will for anyone
What is in your car ashtray?: change for the parking meters, and for grocery carts
Could you go a day without eating?: probably not .. food and I have a love affair

Personal
What part of your body are you embarrassed to show?: my stomach
Do you have a birthmark?: nope
Do you sleep naked?: no
If you've given birth, did you have a natural birth?: yes, after I already gave birth to one with a c-section
Do you ever skip days wearing deodorant?: nope .. it's habit to put it on after my shower (which I do every single day)

Firsts
Child?: Hailey
What age were you when you first had sex?: 17
state you've ever travelled to?: Washington
childhood memory?: I remember helping my mom 'beat' the area rugs over the porch railing .. I think I was 3ish
vacation as a child that you remember?: going with my family to Vancouver Island (Victoria, Duncan, Long Beach) I was 6ish

As of Now
If you hit redial on your phone right now, who would you call?: someone I talk to ALOT
Are you wearing deodorant now?: yes!
What is the closest thing to you that could be used as a murder weapon?: my broken tripod .. I think that would land pretty hard when swung
What time do you plan on going to sleep tonight?: 10ish
Are you hungry?: no, but I was just looking through recipes online and am drooling AND jonesing for a little something something

meme, tuesday style

The Basics
What do you drink every single day?: coffee
Do you use an alarm clock or your cell phone to wake up?: someone loves me enough to text me every day at the same time, but if by chance time slips away .. I have my alarm on as backup
What time do you wake up?: 6am
Do you brush your teeth or shower first?: shower first, then brush
What kind of socks do you wear?: I prefer the anklets or ones you turn the top down .. but really .. I'm not a sock person unless its winter/cold

My Favorites
Fast Food?: burger king burgers and mcdonalds french fries,
Chinese restaurant?: mayflower .. a little local chinese smorg restaurant
Gas Station?: save-on-foods or payless
Place to download music?: limewire and a special r&b site I can't disclose :P
Youtube video?:

This or That
Boots or Shoes?: hmm, cute dressy boots or shoes .. but I prefer flipflops for about 6 out of the 12 months
Uniform or whatever clothes you pick out?: whatever clothes I pick
Regular or Decaf?: regular!
School or Work?: school
Pumpkin Spice or Apple Cinnamon?: both please! YUMMY!

Do You?
own a ride on lawnmower?: no
live in an apartment?: nope
ride a bicycle?: haha .. I own a bike, just don't ride it
ever tell your kids about how it was when you were little?: all the time, I tend to sound just the way I swore I never would
own a Wii, Playstation or Xbox?: I don't own these, but my girls do .. Wii and PS2

Have You Ever
had a panic attack?: yes, they're awful!
had a garden?: not of my own, unless you count the flower beds I had a few years back
been told you can sing well and should try out for American Idol?: been told I can sing well, but never to try out .. besides I'm over their age limit even if I had the guts
been mugged or robbed?: been robbed .. or rather, my house has been
had a pet and given them a human type name?: nope .. I think I lean on the 'girly' pet names, or so I'm told :P

Misc.
If you got in your car and drove north, what state would you eventually run into first?: there's only one state north of me and that would be Alaska
Have you ever seen the White House in person?: nope
Do you watch the news every night before bed?: not the news, but do watch TV every night
How would you describe your day so far today?: it's going pretty good .. getting stuff done and feeling productive
Have you ever been on a cruise?: no, I wish! But it's on my list of things to do hopefully in the next ten years

Personal
Would you prefer a year without sex or a year without chocolate?: haha .. umm well, I've done one of them already .. I'll let YOU guess which one
Do you tell your doctor everything?: yeah, I figure the only way you'll get the treatment you need is by being honest
Have you ever had an addiction to something?: yep, but just food/drink related
Have you ever had counseling?: yes
What is something that you think is too private to talk about even to a close friend?: up until not long ago, there were a few things I wouldn't have discussed with a single soul. It's surprising what happens when you make a perfect connection with someone and that comfort level develops into one where you can discuss anything .. ANYthing!

Firsts
time you went on vacation?: I was 6 I think when my family came down to the Island
airline you flew on?: West Jet
kind of car you owned?: Plymouth Fury .. AKA the Green Machine!
time you had a professional photograph taken of yourself?: hmm, I think when I started public school .. grade nine
time you had to have a pet put to sleep?: my sweet little Tiptoes (cat), and it was my parents that put him down, to save me the heartache. He had kitty cancer. :(

As of Now
Did you have breakfast today?: yes .. toasted peanut butter/banana sandwich
How many cups of coffee have you drank?: 2
What time did you brush your teeth today?: 7:30ish
What is the last song you listened to?: Elliot Yamin .. From A Distance
Are you wearing tennis shoes or dress shoes?: neither .. slippers actually

off days

The girls have their first pro-d day of the school year. Yes folks .. that's exactly three weeks after their 'jail term' started. What's with that? Its not entirely horrible and this is why. I had abit of a break over the weekend from mothering them, so spending a day with them is actually welcomed. I missed their sweet little faces. (watch me recant that the moment I hit publish)

So I made an executive decision. It's overcast and looking miserable and cold outside, and what better way to spend that kinda day then either curled up watching a movie OR going to visit with friends. I picked the latter. We're going to go play catchup with my friend and her kidlets. I need my gossip fix, coffee and down time with one of my bestest friends. And the kids? They play well, and as long as there's food and drink involved in there somewhere .. that'll keep them all out of our hair.

I had thought going to the pool for a swim would have been a possible day spender as well, but with both girls having colds and I'm on my way to getting it too (willing it off so far), pools seem like such a huge breeding ground for the sickies, so that idea was nixed.

Happy Monday, everyONE!

voila

I promised pictures, and I deliver. :)
I don't consider myself terribly talented when it comes to painting canvases, but I can now say I am fully and completely in love with my bedroom. Sure, a new duvet set would be nice, but I love spending time in bed .. enjoying the quietness of MY space. I walked into my bedroom last night, on the way to bed and upon opening the door and turning on the light, I was greeted with the sight of my work. It's a wonderful feeling. And in case you think I'm tooting my own horn .. you may be just a little bit right. :)

it's movie night

It's movie night tonight .. and this is what'll be playing on my TV screen.

It looks really good, and I can't wait to see it. Curled up on the couch, blanket covering my chilly toes, a snack, glass of water or cup of hot tea (seems to be the weather for warm things right now) .. these are a few of my favourite things.

This afternoon, I plan on working on something very selfish, very long awaited and something I've changed my mind about only a million times. It involves paint and canvas, and I promise to share a photo of it when I'm done.

f-u :)

crazy sexy bitches

another meme??!!

Yes, and I know they're coming more frequently, but you see, this is the way I can fill my blog .. make my readers happy .. AND tell you things you never ever wanted to know about me. See? We all win!


Basics:
Do you pop your knuckles? no, and it actually gives me the eebie jeebies when I hear someone do it.

My Favourites:
video game character?: Super Mario
sitcom character?: new Christine from 'the new adventures of old christine'
evil villian?: the Fairy Godmother in Shrek
bad girl?: Angelina Jolie
tv show?: there's far to many to list .. but Grey's Anatomy starts tonight. :)

This or That:
Full body massage or sex?: one usually leads to the other, so both please!
rich or poor?: I'm leaning more to the rich side then the poor .. but I'd still want to be humble, grateful and appreciative.
Blueberries or Strawberries?: strawberries, but I do really love both
Animals or People?: people .. but I love my kitty
Sleep in the nude or pjs?: where's the happy middle? tank top for me

Do you:
feel blessed?: I do, very much.
own a new car?: hah .. not new at all, but it's mine and I love it
work a normal shift?: what's normal when there's kids involved
get annoyed easily?: not really .. I consider myself to be a pretty patient person
ever just not answer the phone when it rings?: yep .. and loooove call display!

Have you ever:
disturbed a wasps nest?: no .. sometimes I do dumb things, but not THAT dumb
bought something from the Home Shopping Network?: no, usually found it local and then changed my mind before dishing out the money
jumped on a pogo stick?: yeah and recently too .. how are you to keep your balance without getting very hurt
played online games?: yeah
Stolen Anything: yes, but not as an adult
Been Drunk Before Noon: I don't think so
Had Sex In A Public Place: on my list of 'to-do's'
Got Caught Telling A Lie: yeah
Fantasized About A Co-Worker: no .. I haven't ever worked with anyone appealing
Cheated On A Test: maybe back in my school days
Stuck Gum Under A Desk: eww no!
Wished You Were Someone Else: nope
Had A One Night Stand: yeah
Had to pull over on the side of the road to puke?: nope
Had a near death experience: no
Swam in freezing water: no .. but there's this Polar Bear swim here every year but you won't catch me doing it.
Bungee jumped: nope .. I'm petrified of heights
White water rafted: no, but I'd love to one day
Pulled an all nighter?: yes!
Surfed: no .. I have really bad balance
Lied about your age: yes, when I was 18 trying to get into the bars
Broken a bone?: nope
Eaten Food Off The Floor: umm, yes .. five second rule!

Misc:
What is the most beautiful creature in the world?: why of course, I am! ;)
What is one thing that would make you immediately look better?: face lift, boob job, maybe a trip to the salon would work even.
When you are alone in someone's house, do you snoop?: no, but I used to peek in the medicine cabinet or behind the shower curtain.

Personal:
Do you think you are a good lover?: sure
Do you shave your private area?: sure
Can you pee in front of other people?: sure .. even when I'm on the phone. hah!
When in a public restroom do you clean the seat or hover?: hover
Are you comfortable being examined by a doctor?: depends on what he's examining, if it's 'youknow' then hell no!

Firsts:
time you quit a job?: when I worked as a cook's help during the summer I was 14, had to quit to move back to BC
time you were late to your current job?: I'm always early :P
thing you ate today?: toasted raisin bagel
time you went to the bathroom today?: as soon as I woke up

i'd come for you

When I came across this song, it literally gave me goosebumps. I love it! For me it speaks volumes, and that's why I'm adding the lyrics here .. so you can understand every single word sung.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just one more moment,
Thats all that's needed,
Like wounded soldiers,
In need of healing
Time to be honest
This time I'm pleading
Please don't dwell on it
'Cause I didn't mean it

I can't believe I said I'd lay our love on the ground,
But it doesnt matter 'cause I made it up forgive me now
Everyday I spend away my souls inside out
Gotta be some way that I can make it up to you now, somehow

By now you know that,
I'd come for you,
No one but you,
Yes I'd come for you,
But only if you told me to,
And I'd fight for you,
I'd lie its true,
Give my life for you,
You know I'd always come for you

I was blindfolded
But now I'm seeing
My mind was closing
Now I'm believing
I finally know just what it means to let someone in
To see the side of me that no one does or ever will
So if your ever lost and find yourself all alone
I'd search forever just to bring you home
Here and now, this I vow

By now you know that,
I'd come for you,
No one but you,
Yes I'd come for you,
But only if you told me to,
And I'd fight for you,
I'd lie its true,
Give my life for you,
You know I'd always come for you,
You know I'd always come for you

No matter what gets in my way,
As long as there's still life in me,
No matter what remember you know I'd always come for you

Yes I'd come for you,
No one but you,
Yes I'd come for you,
But only if you told me to,
And I'd fight for you,
I'd lie its true,
Give my life for you,
You know I'd always come for you,

No matter what gets in my way,
As long as theres still life in me,
No matter what remember you know I'd always come for you,
I'd crawl across this world for you,
Do anything you want me to,
No matter what remember you know I'd always come for you,
You know id always come for you

f-u :)

blog reads

I'm one of those people that use google reader to feed the blogs of my choice through. It's easy, but makes for a pain in the ass if I want to comment, which is rare, but you know .. sometimes I do have a smart thing to say, and honestly I'm never really at a loss for words. But that's besides the point.

So today, I'm filtering through the blogs that came through over the past couple days, and found that Dad Gone Mad has a new post. I love his sense of humour on just about any topic, and rarely bypass his posts, even if I'm behind a few hundred on my blog list. Today's post had me laughing out loud. He's a writer, yes, but he certainly does know how to weave his words into a very enjoyable read. I think you should hop on over and have a browse. You may even add him to your reader too! :)

crosswalk duty

Hailey couldn't become a fifth grader fast enough .. and for what? For crosswalk duty. It's THE thing for all those in grade 5 .. the responsiblity, the freedom, but mostly being able to miss out on a 1/2 hour of school a day is what makes them dream of guard duty. One week on and six weeks off, my little girl is going to stop traffic, but for good reasons only. :) *photo is blurry because I had to stand waaaaaaaaay back and zoom waaaaaaaay in so as not to embarass her.

meme

Do you tend to stay indoors or outdoors more?:
Where do you go every day?: to the girls school
How long is your last name?: 8 letters
How many middle names do you have?: none legally, but I use the one my parents gave me, but forgot to register .. and it's just one.
Do you use your maiden name?: no

My Favorites
boy name?: I can't say .. but it's original
girl name?: Hailey and Alissa of course. :)
pet name?: Meesha .. despite how girly SOME people think it is. hah
potato chip?: oh god .. this is tough. It's a toss up between Ruffles sour cream 'n bacon, and any Miss Vickies
vegetable?: fresh from the garden carrots

This or That
sleeping or partying?: sleeping
shopping or hiking?: shopping, unless the hiking isn't really hiking, but more like a normal walk
older or younger than 50?: umm younger!!!
cook or clean?: I love to eat, so cooking, but then I really love a clean house too. I pick both!
fresh dinner or frozen dinner?: fresh

Do You?
feel more comfortable naked or dressed?: uhhh dressed
always look put together?: god no .. but I try
get sick a lot?: I don't think so
eat junk food?: guilty as charged
buy organic food?: no, but I've often thought I should, except the extra pennies help out in other areas

Have You Ever
made anyone feel very special?: I hope so
pretended to be someone else online?: not another person .. but an altered version of myself
woke up with a smile on your face?: oh yeah! :)
milked a cow?: yep .. when I was a child, but I wasn't that great at it so people with bigger hands got the chore.
been on a large ship?: is a Ferry a ship? otherwise, nope

Misc.
As a child, did you ever get punished for something you didn't do?: yes, all the time. it's called life with a younger sibling
How many times have you seen Dirty Dancing?: I lost count .. it's been MANY times!
Are you a good friend?: I like to think I am .. or I wouldn't have the friends I have
Who do you look like?: brown hair and eyes with lots to love .. hah!
What do you like to add to your oatmeal?: a little brown sugar and milk

Personal
Who is the person you know with the purest soul?: I have to say my Dad
Are you still friends with the first true friend you've had?: yes .. she's my sister!
Do you have ugly friends?: nope .. I wouldn't be much of a friend if I thought that
Who do you talk to the most?: hehe .. I'll never teeeeeell
How many friends from high school are still your friends today?: two, and one's my sister-in-law now and HAS to be my friend still. ;)

Firsts
What is the first food you think of when someone says "yuck"?: brussel sprouts, seriously!
First Thanksgiving dinner you cooked by yourself?: when I was 19 and left the little sack of giblets inside the turkey.
First car accident?: I never have had a car accident.
First traffic ticket?: my ONLY traffic ticket was when I was 17, driving my sister across Canada, to go to school in northern Ontario. Entering Winnipeg, and I didn't realize the speed limit decreased as we approached the city. The cop nabbed me. I think I learned my lesson and 18 years later .. not another ticket to be had.
Song you learned all the words to?: that would have to be the ABC song, or You Are My Sunshine. My Mom sang that one often!

As of Now
What are you going to be doing right after you finish this quiz?: shower and get dressed for the day
Have you watched tv today? If so, what did you watch?: not yet, but I watch the local news while eating breakfast.
Are you wearing pants or shorts?: pants and a tank
Are you wearing panties, thongs, boxers or briefs?: panties, not to be mistaken with granny panties, thankyouverymuch! :P
How old are you?: 35

way to many crazies

While on the phone tonight, I came to a sudden conclusion. I have crazy children. Not crazy in the fun way either. Crazy in the loud, obnoxious, strange acting variety. And then I realized that ignoring it won't help any .. so after getting off the phone, I let the wrath fall where it may. Oh yes I did! I grounded one for very bad behaviour. Behaviour of a two yr old, really .. and that's all I can describe it as for you until the drama came after the grounding was dished out. Drama in the form of two eyes brimmed with tears, a perfected whine, and flailing of limbs. And when I warned her acting in that manner wouldn't get her any leniency but quite the opposite, she started crying about not being able to figure out her homework, and how she was bored, and it went on and on and on. Do you think someone needs more sleep? Or maybe a good spanking! Please tell me this isn't just the start of the hormones that will rage into disrespect, irresponsibility, and the like? If so, anyone want a little blonde?

sample

I tried a little photo shoot, but it didn't turn out as well as I'd have liked. I love my expression in this one, but what's happening to the 'girls'? SQUISHED!
Back to the drawing board tomorrow .. depending on the feedback I get from all of you. Tho I suppose you want to see the other photos that are in the running too huh?

Oh alright! Twist my rubber arm! But promise not to laugh? And promise not to critique the substandards of the finished products because it really is very difficult to focus, then run, pose, get up and repeat 53 times! At the end, I had some help from a little Miss 'Liss.

meme

The Basics
Do you bite your nails?: nope unless I break a nail and am without a file
Do you eat out so you don't have to cook?: no, very rarely
Are you always trying to learn something new?: I like to think so and have been known to say you learn something new every day
What is your personality type?: I'd say passive or easy going, with some humour, and a lot of emotion thrown in there
How long is your hair?: ohhh .. shoulder length I'd say

My Favorites
word?: dude! ;)
phrase?: excuuuse me? or I beg your pardon? (directed mostly to the girls)
saying?: umm, umm .. I'll think on this one for abit
joke?: I'm bad at jokes. I just can never remember the good ones I've heard
slang word?: yep

This or That
Tylenol or Advil?: advil
Hallmark or Ecards?: ecards or handmade by moi
Chinese food or Japanese food?: chinese
Call or text?: haha .. wellllll both really
IM or AIM?: IM aka MSN

Do You?
abbreviate words when you text?: not generally
lick the top of the foil when you take it off of yogurt?: no, but I do slide it along the rim to get the yogurt off.
own a GPS?: no
have an iPod?: oh yes .. a pretty pink one! :)
shop early for Christmas or wait until the last minute?: shop early'ish

Have You Ever
been in a car accident?: yes, but I was the passenger and it was my dad driving .. just a fender bender
cut yourself with a knife while cleaning it?: yes .. ouch
painted your house yourself?: no, but helped paint a friends bedroom
fallen asleep on the floor and stayed there all night?: I'd never be able to walk if I did that
been to a log cabin?: yep, and lived in one for a few years

Misc.
If you had the opportunity to become immortal, would you take it?: I like vampire stories, but no, unless I was like Bella and in love with my own version of Edward .. then yes!
If you had to have one, and only one bumper sticker, what would it say?: you call me a bitch like it offends me
If you hit 'paste' right now, what would be there?: nothing .. I just rebooted my computer
How many greetings cards have you sent in the last 12 months?: I've gotten really bad with this .. so this past year, not many, maybe a handful not including christmas
Which font do you use most often?: cosmic

Personal
Do you cry sometimes for no reason?: YES!!!!!
Who would you like to see right now?: there's a few people I'd like to see
Are you hiding something from someone?: yes
What makes you unique?: I am me .. there is nobody else in the entire world that is like me. Take me for who I am, because I cannot change the core of the person I am.
What do you do right before you go to bed?: take my contacts out and brush my teeth and watch TV

Firsts
thing you thought about this morning?: a few things .. one thing being pretty deep for so early
bank you had an account at?: Royal
thing you drink in the mornings?: coffee
first nickname you ever had?: Rach or Ray
first time you were dumped?: I was 10, he dumped me for the next girl that was after his affections

As of Now
What color is your bedsheet right now?: a deep purply colour
What color is your hair?: dark brown
How many times have you brushed your teeth today?: once
What is your favorite song right now?: Cha-ching by Hedley .. yeah I know I know! :P
What singer irritates you right now?: Britney Speares

saturday

It's dawned a beautiful, sunny morning, and with no real plans in mind .. I'm sitting here wondering what we will fill our day with. My car is not feeling well, but is being fixed hopefully late this afternoon .. so that means we're home bound pretty much. I think we may take a little walk to the nearby marsh and look at the changes being made. The city is putting in a new subdivision alongside it, and have had part of the trail blocked off. I'm nosy and want to see what they've done so far.

And my little pre-teen has a sleepover at one of her friends planned for tonight, and if that's not enough socializing, she's asking to have another friend over to play for the day. It really doesn't bother me, because they play so well, and it sure beats hearing 'I'm bored', or 'I'm hungry' every few minutes.

Maybe that means I can pull out the canvases I want to hang over my bed, and start the prepping process. This decorating thing is taking me awhile to do .. but I do really love seeing my own artwork, the girls artwork and my photography up on the walls.

I hope all of you have a restful Saturday!

planning

An amazing idea was formed today .. and I haven't been able to stop thinking all afternoon about the planning, the ideas, the lists, the excitement of events, everything!

I'll give you a teeny tiny little hint. My birthday is one day less then a month away, sandwiched between Thanksgiving and Halloween as usual .. but this year, I think some genius came up with the most amazing idea ever. I shall inform you as I know more. :)

redemtion

She redeemed herself this morning when I heard familiar tunes coming from her radio. I didn't dare say anything for fear she may turn it back to that dreaded country .. but my curiosity got the best of me and I caved.

Me: "so what made you change the radio station?"
Hailey: "the songs were making me sad"
Me: "country has a way of doing that, but I like the station you turned it to .. how'd you find it?"
Hailey: "I just randomly went through until I found a song I recognized"

Wanna know what the song was? (and the station is one I often listen to in the car .. before my iPod adapter came into my life)

Battlefield by Jordin Sparks.

That's my girl! :)

need a laugh?

I know you'll never believe me after I post this, but I do think I have somewhat good musical taste .. especially after my previous posts complaints of horrid country blasting through my house NOT by my choice. This video is hilarious .. so just laugh .. that's all it's good for, and the tune? it's catchy. I bet you'll be humming it for hours afterwards. muahhaha



The reason I post this is because I'm a huge Hedley fan. Love them!
You can see here, and here!

ear bleed

I think I've been pretty clear with the styles of music I like .. and there's no way country comes close to what I'd subject my ears to, aside from a few random but in my opinion, good, songs. However, just in the past couple days, my dearest older daughter has been acting all teenagerish on me, and blaring her tunes from her bedroom. This wouldn't be bad if it was the ordinary and already well loved Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lavato, and the like .. but ummm, no. She has her alarm set to go off with music, and her music source is of course the radio, and the radio is tuned into JRFM (vancouver country station). Dear god help me!
If I need psychotic medication in my future .. you'll know what's to blame.

happy humpday (episode 532)

China brings it again! :)

self growth

Personally, I think there's always room for personal growth and self improvement and I've just recently started reading this book in hopes that I can better myself and in turn, be a better partner/girlfriend in the future. It never hurts to learn how to treat someone, how to be there for them, love them, respect and nurture them and so in reading that particular book, I hope I can rediscover who I am, and what I have to offer the man in my life.

When things end in a relationship, and if you're given the opportunity to talk about what went wrong, it becomes an eye opener and if you do nothing with that information, you become stagnant and the learning process comes to a halt. I'm figuring out that to become a better person, you need to listen to what the issues were and find a way to change so it's not a reoccurring issue, or something you'll encounter in the next relationship. These kinds of changes are good and healthy and can only bring a positive outcome. I won't change who my core person is, but I will change how I treat you, if I'm aware that it's not right. Those are the changes I'm willing to do. It's called growth, and I believe it can only give positive results if given the chance.

Not to say this whole journey isn't frightening in a way, because its opening my eyes to how others see me, and sometimes it's a rude awakening. I'm not always sure of what my own needs are, but as the book so eloquently says .. {sometimes it's not about what you need, but rather .. giving into the needs of your loved one, and that in turn will fulfill your own needs}.

This isn't something I expect to happen over night, but I hope that as I learn more, and try to incorporate it into my life, that the fruits of my labour will be rewarding.

ohhhhh patrick!

Patrick Swayze passed away yesterday, after a 20 month battle with cancer. I wonder if he knew how much of an impact he had on young girls with his role as Johnny on Dirty Dancing. I had the biggest crush on him, and to this day, my sisters and I watch that movie as often as we can. There's not many movies I can do that with .. so perhaps that speaks volumes of it.

I'm sure Patrick will keep all the old ladies limber and moving, up in heaven. :)

learning lifes lessons

It was a Friday, the summer was nearing an end, and the girls were trying desperately to keep themselves occupied .. or was it ME trying to keep the girls entertained with things they hadn't filled every other summer day with.
Finally, making jewellery was the biggest hit on a list of suggestions, and so Hailey took right to it, making herself a pair of dangly earrings she can actually wear. With plans of having one of the girls friends over for a sleepover later in the day .. when the beads were finished with, I asked that toys and everything else be brought back upstairs to their designated places. It would leave less to do the next morning after the sleepover. Hailey brought the container (lidless, I have to add) upstairs, but failed to find it's home, and placed it on the small half wall at the top of the stairs. It was forgotten until that night when blankets and pillows were being brought downstairs, a pillow hit the lidless container and beads went a flying. Not just beads, but sequence, jewellery fasteners and the like. So the four of us spent at least a half hour picking up the bigger and better beads until finally I made a judgement call. Haul out the shop vac and be done with them.
Life Lesson # 1 .. listen to your mother
Life Lesson # 2 .. Momma ALWAYS knows best
Life Lesson # 249 .. put lids on all containers holding small objects
Life Lesson # 632 .. don't lean down the stairs in such a manner when small children hold photography equipment. You may live to regret the sagging caused by breast feeding those said children.

fight for love -elliot yamin; miss you in a heartbeat -def leppard

Ever have a song or two play over and over in your head? Ever have a song from years gone by, make a sudden appearance on your mind, and you analyze why the timing and why the song? That's what happened for me with these two songs. Listen, enjoy and figure what you like. And have a nice stroll down memory lane when you listen to Def Leppard. It brings me right back to grade 11 and 12. Ahhh, the carefree days!

friends

This is my friend, Kristine, and I. We spent an amazing afternoon/evening together and it felt so good to just do something for ourselves for once. We snooped in some of the shops in the downtown core, and along the seawall, (ones you just don't go into with kids in tow) and then went for a drink which lead to an appetite for more then just one drink. But I was a good girl and was home by 10:30 when we suddenly realized that moving the party from Kristine's sisters home, to a closeby club wasn't really a great idea for us 'old' women. haha!

learning

What I'm learning in just the short time I've been job hunting, is that keeping an ear open and listening to everything anyone has to say, gleaning what pertains to me and using it to further myself, is key to finding the perfect job.
So far I've applied for three positions .. and I went out for just an hour this morning and came home to a message from one place asking me to call back and answer a few questions she had. In doing some more background research, it was the actual chiropractor calling me! This means either she likes to do the hiring herself, or the business is a small growing one. I think it's the latter of the two, which would make the first one true as well. I've worked for a few small family businesses and I really enjoy the intimacy of that sort of office environment. Keep your fingers crossed for me, would you. This opportunity would be perfect for me!

nickelback

I have a few 'life theme' songs and I think I'm going to add this one to the list now after having listened to it a few times over, and looked at the lyrics. It's funny .. and has a good beat!

first REAL day of school

Today was the girls first full day of school and I couldn't let them leave without pictures. Other years, we were able to take photos outside, but this morning's downpour had me changing my mind. Although I did snap off a couple outside too, as the umbrella poses were cute!




I have yet to find out how things went, but they were happy and excited when I left them at their doors.

And for myself, I spent the majority of the morning tweaking my resume, and scouring the job boards for work in my field of knowledge. There's not alot out there, but I'm more then ready to be working AND finishing my course, and just getting on with this part of my life. I think I was just as anxious as the girls were, to have a schedule back in to place.

happy humpday!

I stumbled upon this picture, and saved it because .. well, you know me and my hump day fetish. :)
China is an amazing country I may just have to visit one day.

first day of school

Technically, today was the first day of school .. if you can call one hour a day .. but that's why I always reserve the right to take pictures of the girls on the first REAL day of school .. FULL day!

So we went and discovered Alissa will have the same teacher as last year .. which we pretty much knew already .. but were surprised that what was a 2/3 split last year is now a 3/4 split this year. Same teacher .. they just moved the 2's in with the K's and 1's. The principal is lucky I don't have a second grader this year. I would NOT be a happy parent in that case.
And Hailey has a new teacher, her first male teacher. And as apprehensive as she was prior to this morning .. I think she's good to go. With a class of 14 boys and 8 girls, I think the boys could use a male teacher keep them on the straight and narrow. :P And her class is 5/6, but the 6's are ones that were in her 4/5 last year .. and because kids are no longer failed, this is how they keep them back. It's all good .. as my girl gleans what she needs to, and stays out of the other drama. Well, that has been the case up until now so far. Who knows what this year may bring.

So look back tomorrow for some school day photos. Hopefully you won't see tongue.

shattered

when parents age

My sister says what I wanted to say, so perfectly that I think I'll just link to her.
And now you may understand why it was so very difficult to leave my parents, and come home.

(sorta) wordless wednesday

This is the very reason I take photos of my children without them knowing, or I'd land up with far to many tongues. One day I'm going to put ALL the photos of them sticking their tongues out, into a collage and remember to embarass them on their wedding days.

i <3 my friends

Being away for ten days and not being able to participate in my social circle caused me to miss my dearest friends so very much. I was able to see two of my closest friends today, and it did my soul so much good to be in their company.
This afternoon I went over to my one friends, and from there we went for a walk, letting our kids ride bikes/scooters along the way. We caught up on the goings on in our lives for the past ten days, and just enjoyed each others company. Then this evening, after dinner, the girls and I met up with another friend and her girls, for them to play at the playground and us to catch up. It was a great day with friends, and I realized how much I have invested in our friendships and how very dear they are to me. I truly am lucky to have such great girls to laugh with, cry with, and most of all .. be myself with.

So here starts the beginnings of getting my girls back into an early bedtime schedule again. School starts in a week from today, so if I can manage to finish this week off with a normal bedtime, and then let it slide a little over the weekend, but making Sunday and Monday nights strict again, I think we'll have it down pat and manageable. We went to the library today, so they're stocked up with new books to read and were almost anxious to get to bed so they could look through/read new books. The summer night movies are now over and we're working our way back into a routine.

And on that note, I think I'll curl up on the couch and watch some TV.