growing .. growing!

This morning Hailey put on a pair of pants that she's worn for a few years, but the first year I had to hem them up abit, then last year I took the hem down .. and then this morning I happened to notice that they no longer drag on the floor. Curiosity got me, and so I decided to measure them. We have a strip of paper recording all growth for the past four or so years, and so one at a time, they snuggled their bums up against the wall, heels and heads to wall, and I made a new mark. Last time I measured was the beginning of September. Since then, Hailey has grown just over a half inch .. making her 4'111/4", and Alissa just over 3/4 of an inch .. making her 4'63/4". Keep up that growth pattern and they both will easily be my height or taller when they're finished growing!

portraits

I don't ordinarily order the photos taken at school because I'm a self declared detail freak. When the girls were really little (preschool, kindergarten age), I'd take them to Walmart, so I could be present to do last minute hair fixes, help with posing, make sure they donned the perfect smile, clothes were smoothed down, etc. Then I realized I could take my own, more creative photos .. and have been doing that for at least three years. So when it comes to photo day at school, I don't even really pay attention to the girls hair or what they are wearing, because I'm not going to be purchasing the photos anyway. This year, the photographer had some problems with the lens for the white background photos, and so he had to come back on a rescheduled day. Again, I didn't worry about the girls hair or clothes. They dress themselves every other day, and that day too! But the proofs came back and are sent home to every students parents, and when I saw these (especially the one of Hailey in purple and Alissa in the green), I HAD to get the smallest package possible. I love their smiles! I rarely see smiles when I'm taking pictures of them, so this was a treat .. and one I couldn't let pass without a copy. I'll still take photos of them to send out to family, because the school packages are just to pricey if I ordered enough for my overly large family, but I can enjoy
these .. and they're recorded for posterity's sake.

sandwiched

To keep herself busy while Hailey continues the tail end of the sleepover with a friend, Alissa pulled out the playdough toys but discovered the little tubs of playdough were more then just a little dried up. I've made playdough for the girls before many times, but wasn't sure if I had all the ingredients (or the KEY ingredient .. cream of tartar) .. but I did and so we whipped her up a batch this morning. As per usual, Alissa picked the colour combination (this is five drops of green and blue .. to make a minty green .. who knew?!) and on last thought we added a splash of Anise extract for a very pleasant smell. Mmm! I wish I had peppermint because that would have been perfectly suiting. Thankfully my girlies are past the whole taste testing, or with the extract it would have been much to tempting.

Both photos are a photo of a playdough sandwich. Not terribly appetizing as it's green and mold is green, but use your imagination. :P

hello friday! :)

Why hello Friday .. how are you? Me? I'm great, thanks for asking! You're such an awesome day .. always bring the best of the entire week, and nothing seems to ever go wrong when I wake up to you. Special memories are made on Fridays. Friday is the day for splurging in the eating department. Fridays are for dates. Fridays are for staying up later then usual. Fridays are spent looking forward to the next two days of blissful fun or relaxing. Fridays really are my most favourite weekday!

And so, because it is Friday .. and the holidays are just around the corner (28 days!), tonight's movie is none other then Four Christmases. I chose it .. so if it's lame, I'm the one to blame. But if you check out the trailer, you'll see I think we're in for a good couple laughs. :)


And having just figured out how many days there are until Christmas, I just realized that I need to get the advent garland strung up on the fireplace mantle. I bought the girls each one of the cardboard advent calendars that they so love every year, but this one .. oh it's so much better, sweeter, more exciting and rewarding because we made it AND can fill the little pockets with anything I choose. Usually it's been hershey kisses, but this year I'm switching it up with some days having peppermint toffee, and other days some chocolate. Yum yum!

And to top today off even more? I'm sipping on a peppermint mocha from Starbucks. Mmm

mashups

This fall I've been watching a new one hour show called Glee. I really enjoy the singing, but also the storyline that goes with it. It's my kinda modern musical, if you can call it that.
And recently after discovering I can watch the regular 8oclock programs earlier on an eastern chanel, I've allowed Alissa to watch it with me. Hailey's more interested in the computer, which is fine because Alissa's the one that loves those kinds of shows anyway. A couple weeks ago there was on episode on 'mashups'. They did a really great job and I even learned something. Before that show, I never knew what 'mashups' were.

Fast forward to this morning. Alissa was awake more then a half hour before she needed to be. She desperately wanted to come downstairs, and I caved, but with one rule in place. No TV watching. Afterall .. she was invading MY time .. and I didn't want to hear the humdrum of kids tv during MY time! She grabbed her mp3 player and layed on the couch with Meesha, and I was able to continue going about reading blogs and catching up on facebook.
One song caught her interest, and suddenly I heard her humming off key. (you know how it is with earphones on .. you can't hear yourself screw up a song) Suddenly it turned into full fledged singing and then in quite a loud voice she told me I HAD to listen to this song. "It's strange, Mom" were her words. So together, each with a bud in our ear, we listened to it, to see why it was so strange. It was a mashup! It started out with The Lion Sleeps and goes into several other songs. I told her what it was and she knew! She remembered the Glee episode! Have a listen!

Mini Pops The Lion Sleep Tonight - Mini Pops

my singer

Each month our school has an assembly that features one or two particular classes in a performance, allowing them to showcase their beautiful voices. Quite honestly, I think it's to help them perform in front of people, which isn't a bad thing to start them off with at an early age. Anyway .. they sang beautifully, a song about freedom. I discovered to late that this photo makes Alissa look like she has a hairy growth coming out of her face, and even with the principal welcoming parents to come up closer to take photos if we so chose .. I opted not to. I'll just zoom, thanks! But if I HAD gotten up, I would have gotten a better angle. Maybe one even showing her self chosen outfit for the day. haha She does really have a scarf fetish!

struck gold!

There are a few shows that I've been wanting to watch, and because I have basic digital cable and no desire to up my cable bill for just a select few shows, I've thus been on the hunt for alternative ways to enjoy these shows. My library carries dvds .. movies and series, but because they are in a network with the entire Island .. sometimes it can take weeks to get anything in on request, not to mention what order you're liable to receive them in. Which was the case for me. I want to watch Dexter, but the library only carries season 3, which is okay by me because really, beggars can't be choosers right? But when the third disc was the first to arrive, it was a little disappointing, but since I hadn't seen any episodes, I could just pick up wherever. BUT I finished the five or so episodes that particular dvd had, and so I went looking online to see what I could find in way of freebies.

I struck gold! I found a website that not only has Dexter, but also has True Blood .. another series I've been DYING to watch after a certain someone couldn't stop telling me about it. :P
There are just so many shows listed on this site, that I have to share it. If you're like me and happen to rely on watching missed episodes of your favourite shows on TV a lot .. then this may be gold to you too! Free Online Episodes!

looky looky!

I bought an artificial tree over the weekend, and after having some difficulties assembling it and needing the help of a friend .. it sat over night and awaited the arrival of the girls from school today so we could decorate it.

They didn't know I got it while they were gone, and so it was a big surprise and they were more then excited to decorate it and then turn the lights on! Honestly, that's one of my most favourite parts of the season. Sitting in the livingroom after dark, with only the tree lights going, and the odd candle. Ahhhh!
Although this artificial one is a little more sparse then the real ones we've had over the past ten+ years, I like it. Why? Because the spaces leaves plenty of room for the ornaments to hang, we get to look at this pretty thing for over a month, and it's ALL ours .. forever!

Every year I try to play with my camera settings to get the perfect, sparkling pictures, and this year will be no different. So expect more photos as the next 32 days go by. I think I may just be getting into the Christmasy mood!

shhhh

I'm enjoying a weekend sans the girls and I always enjoy the quietness it entails. I did get out to the library tho, to return books that were due and while there picked up a few Christmas crafty magazines that may be of some inspiration for decorations or small gifts, and a couple dvds as well. I'm about to journey into the world that is known as Dexter, but I need to do that before it gets dark .. I'm too much a chicken, and I really don't want any nightmares, thankyouverymuch.

Tonight J and I are going to watch Bruno. I remember watching Borat when it came out .. and found most of it to be funny. I just rewatched the trailer, and it's hard for me to believe it's the same guy, tho I know it is. I'm looking forward to watching it with J because it's the kind of movie that you want to watch with someone that you're comfortable with and won't judge you on the parts you think are humorous. :P

The Ugly Truth was really good! I love Katherine Heigle from Grey's .. and it was nice to see she's a great actress outside of that storyline too. And it was funny, AND there's a little eye candy for the girl viewers. :) Tho guys .. you get to see some sexy outfits worn by the cute Katherine herself!

And just one more thing! I'm picking up something green later this afternoon and I'm not telling what it is until I have photos. Oh how I can't wait!!!

the river, it is arising!

from this ...

to this in just one nights time!!!

Thankfully the rain has temporarily stopped so maybe the river can catch up and do it's thing before the water rises any higher.
In the seven and a half years I've lived here, never have I seen the water this high before!

At first, this morning when I was peering out at it with the girls through the darkness of the still early morning, it was exciting .. something none of us had seen before. The girls thought it so neat that there's a 'pool' in the backyard. They got dressed really quick, did what they needed to, and then donned their coats and boots to take a closer look. The neighbours dog came out to join them, and we all discovered that the water really is only as deep as the dogs knees. He's a boxer .. so average dog size I'd say. But still .. I'm just a wee bit worried that if we get another night of rain like last night, we could be in some trouble.

miss thang

I've mentioned before that my youngest daughter has by far the quirkiest and most original peronality ever. She also has her own sense of style and doesn't blink an eye at sharing it with the world. And if that's not enough, try adding wheels and we have a real live, moving bundle of crazyness. Last night she stumbled up the stairs on her roller blades, to show me what she had done. You know, maybe she'll be a fashion designer, or maybe she'll truly be a punk goth teenager, but whatever it is she chooses to be in life .. I think it's going to be her unique personality that shines through. She's not my child, she's NOT my child, she's not MY child! :P

torrential downpours

All the rain we've gotten in such a short period of time has caused the little creek behind our place to swell to the size it usually is seen at in January after a dump of snow has melted. It's beginning to flood the strip of grass below, which makes for large soggy areas. Earlier this year, that new chain link fence was built to replace the old, very rotten wooden one. This is the very reason that old one rotted out .. the posts were constantly wet during the winter months.
Whoever built these duplexes were smart enough to know to put us up on an incline from the river. You can't quite see how much of a hill we're on by looking at the first photo, but in the second one (below), you can see the cement stairs that lead up. We have plenty of forewarning before having to evacuate. :P And besides .. in the 7 and a half years I've lived here, I've never seen it get much worse then what you see.
The people on the other side of the creek have more to worry about as they're on alot lower ground then I am.


So while it rains and the the wind gusts at full speed .. yesterday and today I've been dealing with a sick child. Hailey's feeling miserable with a cold that has that nagging cough. If it were just the cough, I'd send her to school, (cuz I'm heartless :P) but she looks like death warmed over and would rather be in a horizontal position then having to sit at her desk. I'm allowing her to watch TV, but no computer. That would be too much like fun!
There goes any hopes of getting a perfect attendance record again this year.. damn the flu/cold season anyway!

monday morning meme

Describe Yourself In One Word: firecracker
Biggest Fear: dying alone
Your Proudest Accomplishment: will be finishing my MT course
#1 Priority In Your Life: my girls
Dream Job: transcribing from home
Special Talents: hmm .. will have to come back to this as I can't think of anything that's not already pretty obvious.
Where Are You Right Now: in front of my computer, in my livingroom, in my house
Where Would You Rather Be: today? in Australia! :P
Famous Person You Want To Meet: dead - Princess Diane .. alive - Betty White (she's funny, and grandma material and I never got to experience those kind of moments with my own grandmas)
Place To Visit Before You Die: Holland
Song Played At Your Funeral: Crazy Bitch .. BuckCherry (and so very jealous Lael got to see them live this past weekend! )
What are you listening to right now: the TV .. my oldest is home from school sick
What makes you happy: when those that I love are happy and healthy
What did you do yesterday: hung around the house .. had friends over to fix my car, baked peanut butter cookies
Won any awards?: not that I remember
Are you a good driver?: yes .. I've never had an accident
Gotten any speeding tickets?: only one, and it was when I had my learners, driving across Canada and was speeding as we entered Winnipeg. Oops!
Are you double jointed?: no, but I can bend my thumb down where it touches my wrist
Last time you showered?: this morning!
What's the last dream you remember?: it was sexy and hot and I can't share it for those very reasons. :P
What side of the bed do you sleep on?: when I'm in bed I'm on the right side (closest to the door)
Do you dress up on Halloween?: I have a couple times as an adult, and almost did this past one, but opted out.
Are you outgoing or introverted?: a little bit of both I'd say. I'm more outgoing now then I ever was a few years ago even.
Do you ever wish you were famous?: nope .. well aside for some of the special treatment they get, but I'll pass on the whole papparazzi stuff.
Have you ever done anything illegal?: yeah .. but not horribly illegal
Where will you be 12 hours from now?: in bed
Is it easy for others to make you feel awkward?: not really
Do you know what you are going to wear tomorrow?: god no .. but I know it'll be something with long sleeves, and pants .. it's winter afterall
Is it easy for people to make you smile? yeah, I'm generally not in enough of a pissy mood that I won't smile.
Does anyone hate you for no reason?: I hope not!
Can you make yourself cry?: I have enough trouble with the tears coming involuntarily, I'm not about to make them come on purpose, but I do admit to having done that when I was a kid.
How many hours of sleep did you get last night?: 7.5
Is your life simple or complicated?: simple .. and I like to keep it that way. I can't stand a busy busy schedule, running from one thing to the next. I'm a home body and like a drama free life as much as possible.
Are you taller than 5'4"?: yes, by 4 inches
What was your last place of employment?: a small local drywalling business where I was secretary/receptionist/bookkeeper
What color are your socks?: light brown

delish!

I can't think of very many things that taste better then these delicious peanut butter cookies topped with a rosebud chocolate. Mmm
And other then the dough, we have to wait until after dinner to consume one. Ohhh patience truly is a virtue! The great thing is that the recipe made four dozen. I may be rolling down the street in a weeks time! Yikes!

rainy sunday

It's a great day to hibernate, and we've been doing just that. With the pitter patter of rain, and an under the weather child, who really feels like going out? A friend, her hubby and kids came over so he could work on my car and her and I could catch up. It was nice, but my poor car is still just hobbling along. It's drivable now, which is great since I have been carless for two weeks and in dire need of it. I'm so thankful to have people in my life that are able to help me when I'm in need. And I try to pay it forward or return a favour in other areas when I can because that's what we do for friends.

I think I'll go snuggle with the sickie (she just has a sore throat and feeling lathargic), and see what we can find on TV to entertain us.

I've discovered some new tunes I'll be sure to share soon. In the meantime, enjoy the remaining hours of your weekend. Tomorrow starts a fresh new week!

saturday

We spent a chunk of the day just relaxing and enjoying the fact that we had no plans. Hailey had spent the night over at a friends and didn't get home until 1pm, so that left Alissa and I to hang out, nurse my hangover, do laundry and a few chores and soak up the time we had .. just the two of us.
A friend of mine swung by since she was in the neighbourhood, and picked the girls and I up to visit with her and her girls for a few hours. With my care temporarily out of commission, I haven't been able to get out and hang with friends unless they come to me. This was a nice little outing for us. We exchanged our set of Facts of Life for her Happy Days, and that's what we're watching this evening. Well, until the girls get bored of watching so much boy or teen related stuff. :P

Tomorrow I get my fixes .. two of the three anyway. Next Wednesday is when my world will finally be turned right side up again. :)

TGIF

It's not exactly a regular kinda Friday .. because there won't be a movie date night :(, but we'll make up for it next weekend when my guy's back and we can have a double header. :)
But I'm still very thankful it's Friday and tomorrow morning I can sleep in, or try to anyway. Lately I've been waking up pretty early, tossing and turning, and then when it nears 5:30'ish, THAT'S when I start drifting off. I'm feeling a little out of sorts and tend to like routine much more then I even thought.
But tonight, I get to have a friend over for dinner and the evening, and Hailey's off to a sleepover so Alissa's going to hang out with my friend and I, then go snuggle in my bed to watch a movie of her own. I rarely let the girls in my bed (it was a hard habit to break when they were little, hence the strictness) .. so she's all psyched about that!

Happy TGIF everyone! :)

emotional

It's been over a week of the tears coming far to easily, a sad heart, and my patience being at a low. I know what it's from .. but knowing that doesn't make it any more tolerable or easy. It sucks to suddenly have a thought that leads to tears. It sucks to be watching something on TV and have to swallow a lump or wipe away the tears. My hypersensitivity is blown even higher during this time, and so many things touch my sentimental nerve. I'm currently having myself a pity party and I don't like that, so today hopefully the hormones level out and I can get back to being the stronger me.

remember

Yesterday, Hailey sang a song with the choir, for the school's Remembrance Day ceremony. It wasn't one I had heard before, which was a nice change. As a change from the other years ceremonies, each division made a special wreath in remembrance, that was brought up to the front and they'll adorn the lobby wall until the end of the month.

Tho I have nobody from my family serving, or having served, both my parents were children in Holland during the 2nd war, and I've heard many of those stories of survival. Please take a moment to remember those that have paid the price for our freedom.

super cute!

Aren't these ideas for Christmas card fronts super cute? If I get the time, energy or inspiration, I may want to do something like this too, but with the little characters a little more personalized to us.
Maybe a project for one of my upcoming free weekends? I also have to think about holiday photos to send out with the cards. It's always interesting to come up with different props/backgrounds then previous years. I think I just may have an idea for them tho. :)

I hope your day isn't as wet as it is here. Our little river that runs past the back of our place is getting high! It's too early for that! ack!

a new week!

I'm feeling off kilter this morning. I didn't have to get up early (tho I did and always like that time to myself anyway), I didn't get to have my early morning chat with J and I don't have to wake the girlies, feed them breakfast and walk them to school. I can sit in my jammies and study until 2pm if I like .. because I don't have to go out of the house until I pick the girls up from school. This change in routine is making me feel a little off kilter.
It's raining and is such a soggy, cold day, but I had a very relaxing (almost guiltily so)(is guiltily even a word? or a rachel'ism?) weekend and enjoyed not having to do anything other then fend for myself. I enjoyed it!

I thought I'd do another meme .. cuz you know how much I love them! hah! Then it's off to shower and dig into the books.

1. what are three ways to win your heart? be respectful, true to yourself, and loyal
2. do you like lightning? yes, if it's in the distance and I'm safe
3. have you ever cut someone else’s hair? yes .. my girls
4. last person you said ‘i hate you’ to? hopefully the reason I can't recall this is because I don't say that sort of thing.
5. rain or sunshine? sunshine please!
6. last stupid thing you said to anyone? stupid as in silly, probably Kath or J
7. biggest turn off? bad hygiene
8. fave movie? (S) .. I have many .. mostly chick flicks
9. would you date someone who smokes? no never!
10. would you date someone who was addicted to drugs? no never!
11. what’s your biggest turn on, physically? his bum and eyes
12. would you have sex w. someone you weren’t dating? hell no!
13. have you ever missed someone and regretted breaking up with them? for the brief time, yes
14. have you ever dated someone more than once? nope
15. if you could go on ONE DATE with any celebrity, who would it be? Will Smith :)
16. what’s your relationship status? not available :P
17. do you like cuddling? yes yes yes
18. do you hold grudges? no I don't think so
19. do you regret dating anyone? yeah .. everyone I dated in my teens! :P
20. hugger or kisser? both
21. missing someone? YES!
22. most important lesson you’ve learned from your exes? hmm .. I have to think on this one
23. are you happier single or in a relationship? if the relationship is a healthy one, then yes please!
24. how important are looks? some, but I'm attracted to personality, charm, charisma
25. would you rather date someone who was SUPER-HOT or someone who was nice? someone who is nice
26. do you stay friends w/ the people you’ve dated? nope
27. would you fight over someone you wanted to be with? fight over or fight for? I'd fight for the person I wanted!
28. do you kiss on the 1st date? it's been a loooong time
29. if someone cheated on you, would you take them back if you really loved them? your heart has no choice in who it loves, and until you're in the situation that decision cannot be made.
30. some random girl comes up to you and says “who the hell are you”? What do you say back? who the hell are YOU?
31. are you spoiled? define spoiled.
32. name three things you would not tolerate in a relationship? physical abuse, mental abuse or emotional abuse
33. which one of your friends do you think would make a good prostitute? huh? I wish for much more then that for my friends!
34. did you miss anyone today? YES!
35. last person to see you cry? see or hear? probably my girls
What happened to #36??
37. are you a forgiving person? I like to think I am
38. would you ever share a girl/boyfriend with your best friend? hell no! I'm pretty possessive!
39. the last person who gave me a hug… Alissa
40. are most of your friends guys or girls? girls
41. how long does it take you to get ready to go out ? not as long as it takes some friends .. once the choices are made, then 1/2hr to 45 mins maybe?
42. how many people do you know of named Adam ? 3
43. are any of your friends cheerleaders ? this must be for school aged people .. nope!
44. what was the last thing you burnt? the grilled cheese sandwich I made myself yesterday for lunch. I forgot about it after I ran upstairs to the bathroom. Oops!
45. what is your full name? Rachel Lee of course!
46 what color is the bra you have on now ? blue
47. do you straighten your hair every day? no
48. do you worry about the size of your boobs? uhhh no! the direction they're headed, yes!
49. are you the typical girl who’s addicted to gossip? to a degree, yes .. but not addicted
50. what are your favorite girly magazines? I'm not much into magazines, aside from the odd People cover attracts my attention.
51. did you ever spend all day/night getting pretty for a guy? pffft no!
52. did you ever cry during a romantic movie? yes of course!
53. would you leave the house without makeup on? I don't wear much, but nope I wouldn't
54. what’s the biggest turn on about girls? see, I'm not attracted to girls .. but I do love me some Ellen. ;)
55. are you a girly-girl, tomboy, or in the middle? middle
56. is pink truly the best color in the entire universe? I do love pink!
57. what’s the most expensive piece of clothing you own? I'm cheap when it comes to clothing, so I'd say maybe my coat?
58. what color do you absolutely despise? this shade of green not to be mistaken with this shade of green.
59. have you ever stole? yes, and I'm not proud of it, but it was back in the day when I was stupid
60. have you set your hair on fire? nope
61. do you wear sweat pants? only at home
62. do you know anyone who has lost their virginity? haha .. yes! Unless my friends are all the virgin mary!
63. have you ever ran into a door because you didn’t see it? probably
64. doesn’t 50 Cent suck? nah .. he's alright
65. do you like hugs and kisses? yes I do, very much!
66. do you act gangster? nooo .. and I've been told not to try sounding like them either. :P
67. ever made a prank phone call? yep, back in the day before call display
68. last kiss? Saturday morning .. kissing and hugging my girlies goodbye
69. what bill do you hate paying most? hydro

lonely when you're gone

lonely when youre gone - andrea martin

patience

I've never considered myself a very patient person .. but as I look at certain parts of my life, I can see how patience has truly been administered, so on that reason alone, I'm reassessing and labeling myself as a very patient person. Sometimes being patient is hard work, takes alot of willpower, love and energy. Sometimes being patient can be fun, because the outcome is well worth the time and wait. And sometimes being patient is pure torture.
For the next 11 days I'm going to have to will up all the energy and willpower my inner self possesses and patiently wait. I CAN do it .. I can DO it!

movie date night

It's Friday .. and you know what that entails right? Yep .. movie night! :)
Tonight we've decided on a good action filled one .. and I'm hoping that the trailer gives it the just dues it deserves. I dislike very much when all the good stuff is in the trailer, making the movie look amazing when it's not. It's not fair, and I always feel so let down afterwards.
But crossing my fingers this week's choice leaves us content!

tied up with ribbon

I'm sorry there's glare and the quality of the photo leaves alot to be desired, but we're experiencing gloomy dark and wet days right now .. and that makes it hard to take any photo indoors look good. But I wanted to share what I did with the plaques Alissa and I made. I'd seen this hanging method somewhere, but it takes just the right object to look good hung in that manner, and I think this is one of them. I picked the narrow wall that houses the hallway closet, and is what you see as you climb the stairs. Just another small addition to making the girls and my home decorated with the fruits of our own hands. :)

pottery

I was very lucky to be asked by Alissa's teacher, to be a chaperone for the kids set of four pottery classes. Not only would I have to walk with them to the nearby venue, but I also got to get down and dirty with them. I LOVE creating things and I LOVE watching children learn from using their imaginations and then creating and bringing those images into 3-d.

The first week we made these hanging plaques (or can be stepping stones for the garden). The idea was to create a scene of sorts, or some of the children made them with their names, or used leaves or any shape they chose as decor. However, we were instructed to surround our plaque with clay balls of varying sizes that once pressed down, would look like stones. Alissa made a face (can you see it?) and I decided to make an underwater aquarium kinda scene.

The second week the children were allowed to make a cabin, mug or bowl using the rolled snake pieces of clay. Alissa decided to leave the roof off her cabin, and make it so it could hold a candle instead. See? She's functional too! And I made a bowl .. a pretty little pink bowl that apparently can be used AND washed (dishwasher safe even!). I'd have loved to make a matching mug for a set or maybe even three more bowls so I'd have a set of four. *sigh* This just means I need to look into pottery lessons for myself.

The day I was too sick to go along with the class, these very artistic and amazing little castles were what was on the agenda for the day. I'm glad that out of all the classes, that was the one I missed because quite frankly, what do you do with a castle such as that, but place it somewhere to look pretty. I'm kinda all about pretty AND functional!


And then of course, the fourth and final week we spent glazing all our goodies. The fun thing about glazing is that not every colour looks the same wet as it does dry. And you don't brush the glaze on like you would paint .. instead you dabble it on in great amounts. This makes it so you don't get the full affect until you see it after it's been baked on in the kiln, and THAT is the surprise of pottery.

happy hump day!

and when I'm this old, I hope walks are still in as the number one daily exercise. ;)

don't you think it looks like it's in the wrong place .. too low, but then there's saggage :P

a tease and dst

I'm soooo excited! Alissa brought home the pottery we made when her class took their classes, and oh my, are they ever gorgeous pieces of work! I'll have to take pictures tomorrow, when the lighting is better in my house, but I was just too excited to not come here and share a quick teaser first. And just so you know .. it did kinda make my day look a little better when I got to see my first ever constructed clay bowl that's usable even!

Upon speaking with a few different people, friends and family .. I've gotten similar feedback and common complaints as to a wave of tiredness washing over each and every one of us since the DST. I used to be able to quite confidently brag that it didn't affect me. It did affect my girls when they were babies and toddlers, but that has slowly changed as they've gotten older. Except that I do have a very alert, very perky, very anno .. errr umm I mean awake youngest daughter at 6am, but thankfully she heeds my threats and doesn't come downstairs until I've at least had a cup of coffee. But it seems the older I get, well, the more it affects me and by dinner time I'm dragging ass trying to get through the last part of the evening. Okay okay .. I do admit that I've been going to bed early for quite afew months, but just to watch tv, read a little, and hang out on the phone and if I happen to drift off to sleep, well so what .. it's not like I have anything more important to do. But this dark early stuff .. yeah it's crap! I'd like spring please! :)

ocd

Sometimes I wonder if I might be a little obsessive, but certainly not compulsive. Let me explain why sometimes obsession rules my life. When I find something good, I will listen to it, eat it, play with it, wear it, watch it, read it, visit it, etc until I get much to sick of it. It rules my momentary life.

Yesterday I shared an Owl City song .. not the one everyone else is talking about, (tho I DID download it) and can't get enough of them. It's on repeat, along with a couple other songs that I'm also obsessing about. And then on the suggestion of brilliant genius, I upgraded iTunes FINALLY (after months and months of declining because I usually don't have much luck with upgrades), and there's some interesting changes. I like, I like!

Some other things on my mind have me stressing a little bit, and although I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about them, I'm enjoying my 'cure all' .. hence the previous obsessing.

And that is what's on my mind, this first Tuesday of November. Not much, but I like to keep the few of you that read, happy. :)

monday music

I just stumbled upon this song and it's awsome .. oh it's really awsome .. I can't help but to share it AND dedicate it.
You'll know you're the one I've dedicated this to if you just take time to listen to the words.

afterglow

So today's going to be spent hanging out at home, preferably in comfy attire, and sucking back huge amounts of sugar. Okay, maybe I'll put a stop to the latter part, but I'm pretty much feeling to lazy for anything other then hanging out, maybe doing a load of laundry or two and watching way to much TV.

Last night we met up with some friends at the cities biggest mall, and the girls did their thing for the hour that the mall merchant hand out sweets. I even got my Purdy's fix that I insist on collecting from the girls. Mmm .. the best chocolate ever! Near the end of the mall walk about, Alissa started saying her tummy hurt again much like the night before .. she got slow with her walk, and just wasn't into it anymore .. even taking her wig off and having me carry her bag. Poor thing! But I managed to talk her into walking over to a friends place to collect the prized and promised homemade caramel apples, once we got home .. but after making her way to just a couple more doors as we made our way back home .. she gave up. She even was sitting down on the curb while we waited for Hailey to make her lonely truck up to the front doors. We made it back home, and she right away changed into jammies and curled up on the couch with just a couple candies and then cut herself off. This morning tho .. after a good nights sleep .. she's feeling better and downing the sweets. Who needs real food for breakfast when one morning a year you can indulge in nothing but bad bad and more bad? So I give you the last of the halloween photos for 2009. Look really closely .. I even got to see some Ghost Busters!!

It was so nice to be able to sleep in that extra hour this morning. And after I awoke, got my coffee and phone call and settled back into bed to watch Corrie .. the girls delighted me with amazing behaviour and let me get my fixes in quiet. I really do love Sunday mornings! I mean, REALLY love them! :)