How was your Christmas?

How was everyone's Christmas?? What did you do? We had a good Christmas, busy and fun. The kids got spoiled rotten but that's the way it should be right?






And of course my sister in law is out which is always fun!! She has always been the BEST helper around here lately! I hate that I have to give her back to stoopid Vancouver soon.

But now Christmas is officially OVER. In fact I even took down my trees and put them away (apparently my tree wasn't really that great anyway right Mark?). My freezer and fridge are full of food and other festive "gear"--all ready for New Years. Does anyone have any great plans for New Years? We are mostly just going to sit around drinking drinks and eating food. But I get to do it with my girlz (all of them this year) so I think it'll be fun. Isn't it great to have a group of friend where sitting around looking at each other and talking stupid is considered a really good time?

Creepy Santa.

The idea of a man dress up in the Santa costume and parading around has always frightened me a bit. Last week at the kids skating lessons "Santa" magically appeared on the ice to skate with them. (As a side note--his pants? WAY to short). Most the kids under 5 were actually frightened of Skater Santa.

Then I was reminded of the time when I was much younger (you can take your guess as to my age from the picture) and shopping with my cousin. "Santa" sitting on his throne called us to come up and take a picture. Should have known he was creepy yelling at us but we thought 'fun' and went. So we sit down on his lap and he grabs the teddybear that is supposed to be a prop and says "we'll need to use this too" and places it on his crotchal area. Somehow we didn't run away, we stayed and let Santa's little elves take the picture first (b/c everyone wants a picture of Santa accousting you). Now you can see where Santa decided to put his hands for the photo-op. Yep. A little butt action, which turned out to be not enough b/c when we went to leave he decided that would be a good time to pat the butts of his new little friends as we walked away. Creepy Santa. CREEP-Y Santa.

So that's the story of me, my cousin and Santa from the mall.

Slow in Bloggerland.

Things have been pretty quiet in bloggerland. I thought perhaps after a month and a half I could throw in a new entry.
So in no particular order, here are some of the new things in my world (not too exciting I'll warn you).

1. Got a new computer. Didn't go with the portable model. Went with the keep it on the desk but it has more capacity model. Maybe find myself a used portable model at some point? Ebay maybe? Anyway, I can take silly pictures of myself on it and I do. Like this one where I am doing all my favorite things: drinking coffee, talking on the phone and playing with my computer.

2. Put up my Christmas tree(s). Yep, plural. See there is MY tree, which looks pretty much the same every year and that's how I like it. Of course with a daughter in school I am bound to get those oh so precious handmade ornaments. Those don't go on my tree--ever. The hubby calls me the Tree Nazi but still, despite the ridicule, no handmade ornaments on my tree.

So I got this one for the kids to put their ornaments on. I think that's a decent compromise.

3. My daughter lost her first tooth.

4. My bro-in-law got engaged & has announced he and his Mexican bride will be living in none other than K-town!!

Seriously, I think that might be it. Let the comments begin--unless of course everyone gave up on me. Which I could understand.

The Second Party.

Well I made it through the busy week. And there seems to be another one coming. So I am thinking this is the way of it now?

Sunday was my son's fourth birthday (where did the time go???). He wanted a race car birthday so I accomodated. Here are a couple pictures of his party! The first is the kid table. This year I needed to add a whole second table to make it big enough!













The second is the checkered flag I made my own little self (with garbage bags and dollar store table clothes) and put up on the ceiling. I think it turned out pretty darn cute if I may say so myself. The odds that good that next year he'll have to pick a dirtbike birthday and the year after a Nascar birthday and so on with any sport that has a checkered flag. And when we run out he'll have a "Chess" or "Checkers" birthday.

A busy week ahead.

EEk. The week looks so busy this week.

Monday - Pumpkin carving in the Kindergarten classroom. Seems that if you donate the pumpkin you also come and CARVE the pumpkin. Then run home, pick up the other two kids and back into two for Glo-Tox's birthday feast a la Jammer.

Tuesday - HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Quite frankly, I'm just not that into Halloween. However, with three small kids it seems as though you simply MUST go back into town and collect candy from strangers (okay, not exactly STRANGERS but you get the general point).

Wednesday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY! My baby turns TWO!!! So we'll start the day by dropping the Kindergarten girl at school, then coffee-ing at Jammers, then head home to decorate for a party!!!!!! Mental note: gotta make lasangna at some point before this. Oh, and a cake.

Thursday - Clean up b'daying and then back into town for the first SKATING lesson. This is now to be a twice weekly trek to K-town for skating.

Friday - Again, to Kindergarten, then coffee. Then home to make some sort of snack and wait for my FOUR kids to come home on the bus. We get to have Glo-Tox's kiddies here!!!! WHOOPPEE. Mental note, call the bus driver to see if he can fit another three kiddies on the bus.

Saturday - Day of rest? Surely not. Clean, yes, CLEAN because...

Sunday - my one and only beautiful, bestest-ever son turns FOUR!!!!!! So we'll be having another party, another cake, & more decorations!!!

So basically it's a busy week and I need to clean out the soccer-mom van and get prepared for drive-drive-driving!!!

Oh fine.

Well here's an update. But remember you asked for it. And if you didn't ask for it then you are still checking back and reading about it so either way you deserve to be bored by my tales.

A couple things that have happened...
1. Thanksgiving came and went and I ate copious amounts of food at my Mom's. Most especially her lemon mirange pie, which Ross, you may remember from the wedding as being darn good lemon pie. Also hung out with my cousin/friend Ray-Ray and of course Glo-Tox, MyNiz and Co. all of which are great people.
2. Pumpkin Deliveries - If you want one of my home-grown pumpkins please visit Moose Jaw, Regina, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Unity or the K-town Redi-Mart. Now go. Buy one.
3. Japanese Experience - Not just you Dean/Dane though I am THRILLED to have found your blog. And I also have your address from the blog so I can send you odd and sundry things. Anyway, the OTHER Japanese experience was yesterday when some friendly Japanese blokes came by to check out the farm. And eat lasagna. Not made by me.

There that's it for now. I'm living a dull life right now.

Pumpkin in Pants.

In a moment of extreme boredom (or maybe it's just pure oddness?), I decided to see what the pumpkin butt looked like in my grey cords...

Not so bad, not so bad.

My Week.

So I got this great keychain in the mail yesterday! I thought people might enjoy disecting it for its obvious issue--some people like to disect things and pick them apart. I'm not naming names but it does rhyme with Filma. (If you have already been privy to Ross's blog then you don't get to pipe in until those not in the loop get to see it and laugh. HOW did this get by the Australian authorities? You can pick these up at your Australian souvenir shop. Funny.

And in bad news...That's right folks. Blogger isn't getting all mixed up and interjecting pictures from other posts. The last yellow mug cracked, broke and spilled coffee all over my lap. R.I.P last yellow mug. Not funny.

Pumpkin Picking 2006

So over the last weekend we picked our pumpkins (is that a huge sigh of relief I hear from you Mark? Does your back still hurt and you are oh so glad you weren't here to help?). Anyway, we picked our 3 acres of pumpkins. I shall post pictures of just how many pumpkins we actually have at a later date (that will be my "farm" posting for you Ross). I don't have the final pictures yet. But just to tide you over here are the oddities we found...

This is the yellow pumpkin!! 5 of these were found in the middle of the patch. Not sure how that happened. But I was so thrilled to see a YELLOW pumpkin. They now decorate my house.


And this folks, this is the buttocks pumpkin. Do I have to explain why it's the buttocks pumpkin? I think not.

So I had a day.

Yes here's my day yesterday...

Bad things that happened
- up from 11 until 4 a.m. with nervous, puking daughter
- up for the morning at 7 a.m., realizing this is now to be a ritual
- TAKE BABY GIRL TO KINDERGARTEN AND LEAVE HER THERE ALLLLLLLLLL DAY!!!!!
- almost get in an accident because MY VAN BRAKES AREN'T WORKING!!!!!!
- terrible headache from bawling (please re-read the kindergarten thing a few times b/c it rather overtook my day)

Good things that happened to me
- had coffee with Jammer, Glo-Tox and one tag-along who we'll call Hide-Stretcher or maybe Paper-Maker
- Jammer's infant child crawled towards me and although SHE missed it, I got to see it

You can decide if good or bad prevailed in my head (read that Kindergarten thing again).

Jammer, see you tomorrow for coffee and we can weigh in on your good days/bad days.

The Replacement!

Check out my super-duper, fan-tabulous, better than better new mug!! My sister (in-law) delivered it to me yesterday to replace my smashie-yellow mug!! Isn't it great???? Doesn't it make you want to drink coffee??? Thanks Angie! I love it and I love you!

See Me Craft!

This is mostly funny for those who know me well:

See I'm crafting. I craft.

For those of you not in the know but kinda care a bit or maybe just want to be part of the joke...I--and my trusty side-kick in the photo--hate crafts. Hate 'em. Hate glue. Hate construction paper. Hate sequins. Hate all things craft.

Still, there we are crafting away.

Ode to Angie

I just got off the tele with my little sister (in law) and now I am so excited to see her next weekend!!! Everyone should be so lucky as to love their sister (in law) as much as I do!!!!

WHY?

Why does everything bad happen to your FAVORITE thing? Like my yellow mug. There are four colors in the set, I like to give them out depending on the color of clothing the drinker is wearing (but that's just useless info). I usually use the yellow mug (b/c I am sure to color-coordinate with yellow). One afternoon I found myself with enough company to utilize all four of the colors (which doesn't often happen, usually I am drinking-with-three-girlz, but this day we had friend!). Anywho, after running the dish washer I am putting the mugs away and GUESS which one I drop and break??!! Of COURSE it was the yellow one. Not the pink, not the green, not the blue. The YELLOW ONE! WHY do these things happen?

And I can't get another mug like this either, by the way, b/c they don't HAVE them anymore.

I want my yellow mug back. R.I.P

What I DO enjoy...

Here are a few of things I DO like--


1. I love the VapoRub. I dunno WHO invented it but THANK YOU!!! You know how on My Big Fat Greek Wedding that one guy loves Windex? Well that's me and the Vapo. Once the pharmacist called my attention to the fact they make cream now instead of salve, well I told him. And another time a pharmacist insisted that the generic brand was just as good when there was no actual Vicks on the shelf. Well that went horribly wrong. Next time I go to another pharmacy. It must be Vicks.


2. Now brace yourselves all those who knew me when...last year I was allllll about the Jergens Natural Glow--which is still an outstanding product. But THIS year I have found this. I lub it. Lub it I tells ya...





3. Wilma, this is where 'Wish' comes in, this is where I understand WHY you have to get yourself the killer shoes even if it might be a tad out of your budget. I love this sweater with an undying passion--I neeeeeeeeeed this sweater.

What bugs you?

The oddest little things bother me. They can stick in my mind and fester there for days weeks, months--let's face it, years. Like at this pita place I went to where I ordered my greek salad pita (love that greek salad). The worker-chickie cuts the pita in her pita-pit-trained-way. But she makes an incision that is a little to large. So she picks it up and is about to throw it out when I stop her with "what are you doing???". She explains her little surgical error and says she can't use the pita now. I say I'm fine with a pita that is cut opened a little far, why waste it? "Oh no," she exclaims, with a HORRIFIED look on her face, "I can't use THAT". And throws it out. (Here's hoping she doesn't actually become a surgeon, first we don't need extra cut marks, second if she does make them, what happens to the patient in the wake of her 'error'?? Out they go.)

Now it bugged me. I mean seriously you didn't put peanut sauce on it and I am deathly allergic to nuts. You cut it a little far, that's all. We've all done it, no big deal. You should SEE what I've done to the common pita. JUST USE THE PITA. And instead of garbaging it, would it kill them to have some sort of bag there to repack the horrifyingly-over-cut pita's and give them to someone who is hungry?? I am quite sure the homeless guy outside the mall doors doesn't much care that you overcut his pita. Get it together people.

Anyway, this happend about a month ago and I am still obsessing over it. There are lists of things that irk me like this. Many I can't bloggie about b/c some of my loyal readers might get hurt feelings (Jammer, are you with me here?).

The point is that things bug me. And continue to bug me. Which some of you psychology-minded people (Carlene) might try to persuade me is hurtful psychologically, but I would urge you go get to know my family and you'll see it's in my genetic material and to change it would mean seriously altering my chromosonal make up.

Anyway, what bugs you?

My Zoo Adventure

So we made an improptu zoo trip on Sunday. And while standing and watching some wild dogs fight it out over some slabs of meat (which was good entertainment) I had quite a little adventure. All of a sudden out of NO WHERE I felt a thunk on my head. Then I look at my arm and sliding down my arm and landing dead on my shoe was a little bird.

Now perhaps you don't understand why this is such an awful thing to have happen...

I hate birds. I fear them more than almost anything. I am 100% crazily afraid of birds. And then my Dad made me watch that that Alfred Hitchcock movie, "The Birds" with him and it confirmed my worst fears...they really and truly are out to get me. I have now known for awhile (since the movie) that they are organzing themselves, laying low, waiting for the time when I am totally unexpectant of an ambush. And I feel as though the 'Thud, slide, plop' of the little bird was their warning not to get to comfortable around them. They actually sacrificed one of their own so that I would have confirmation of the plans they have for me. They're coming...

HOLY CRAP HE WON A BIN!!!!

Lookie see the bin that my hubby won today!!!!! He also won a shirt,a hat and a travel mug but somehow they pale a wee bit in comparison.

A Tale of a Fridge

My confession...I hate cleaning the fridge. I don't mind cleaning all the other things in the house. In fact, I keep a pretty good house, my vacuum goes daily, I scrub my floors, change my sheets, even clean the bathroom every other day. But the fridge? Well that seems like SUCH a big job--so to avoid doing it I usually just make sure it's packed full of stuff so I can't see how gross it is getting in there. Lately that hasn't been working, the bottom line is that it had gotten plenty gross in there. Then the olive juice spilled all over the back of it. And I swore. Yep, I did. I swore.

But did I clean it? Well I did where I could easily access it. I meant to pull the whole thing apart, really I did. And once I even invited my mom out just so that she would receive the blessing of cleaning my fridge for me, you know servanthood, isn't that supposed to make you feel good about yourself? But she didn't do it, I guess no blessings upon her.

So my sister came for a sleep over and I commented on my gross fridge and that I needed to clean it. Which I often comment on to people, but really, I was still waiting for my mom to come clean it. Anywho, my sister came over and agreed it had gotten a little out of hand. And bless her heart--SHE CLEANED MY FRIDGE!!! And it was not pleasant. But she bleached and scrubbed and got out all the necessary equipment one needs (toothbrushes, Mr.Clean Erasers, knives, several clothes, paper towel, scrub-brushes, even a tool or two) and she got that fridge looking spanky clean. So thanks Sister! I will try hard not to let it get that gross again (of course you know that's just lip-service, you may as well just continue to do it yourself. OR you could ask mom to make sure it stays clean and thus get her that blessing she missed out on).

Anyway, thanks!!!

Balderdash with Flib-Jam & G-Za

This is a posting that is cut and pasted directly from my good friend's bloggie. I think I have her permission, well I just emailed her and said I was doing it anyway and she hasn't said 'no'. So without further ado, the cut & paste post...



Last week in between goings on at the paddling pool and both cabins. A new term was introduced to us by Mr. G-Za:

"Titer Levels"

It was on a half ripped up brochure he was looking at and needless to say the term intrigued us and amused us greatly! We have had such great fun searching for the meaning of the term by casually throwing it into bits of conversation that I think we should all partake in a friendly game of Balderdash. So tell me, what does 'titer levels' mean to you? After all the fun and frivolity I will dutifully reveal the true meaning of the term! Or not. As I am sure it won't be nearly as fun.