Saturday, January 31, 2009

conversations in bed

Spouse: You should post a blog for Photo Friday this week. The topic is "furry".

Me: What do I have that's furry?

After a pause and laughter.....

Spouse: Your brain?

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Ten on Tuesday; ten favorite items of clothing

This weeks topic is ten favorite of clothing. Click on the logo to check out others favorite clothing items.

#1. I have a lucky pair of underwear. Much to my mother's chagrin I LOVE to wear boxer shorts. A little over five years ago when I moved from Utah, my friends put together a package for me. Included in that package were two pairs of boxer shorts. Yeah, I suppose it's a LITTLE strange to have friends buy you underwear, but hey, we were just that close. My favorite pair, my LUCKY pair, is covered with flaming chili peppers. I have worn them to job interviews underneath formal clothing - and got the jobs! It might be ALMOST as disturbing to have a pair of underwear over five years old as it is to have friends given them to me.

#2. My pink pajama pants. Mr. Claus brings pajamas to our family every Christmas eve. Two years ago I got a pair of pink fuzzy pajamas. I LOVE the pants of this set and wear them as often as I can. The ONLY thing that would make them impossible to remove is if they had pockets.

#3. My Canterbury Rugby Shirts. My parents purchased some canterbury rugby shirts for me for Christmas. They are great colors and super comfy and have REAL rugby buttons. I would look better in them if I lost 30 pounds right in the chestage area.

#4. Birkenstocks . I don't have any right now, but they are my favorite and I WILL have another pair this summer.

#5.Ballcaps. My favorite ball cap was a green Seattle Sonics cap which I lost somewhere between Utah and here when we moved in 2004. I replaced it with a green Riddler cap which has now stretched and isn't really functional anymore. I must have a thing for green. I have other caps, but not a favorite anymore. I will have to go on a search.

#6. Birthday Suit Just kidding. I am checking to see if you are paying attention.

#7.Uggs.

#8.Weber State Sweatshirt. I have worn it for so long that the sleeves are all unravelling. It makes me sad cause it is too comfy.

#9.Red Incredibles T-shirt. Aside of the fact that kids LOVE it and tell me what a great shirt it is when I wear it, this shirt was purchased in the Disney Store for a whopping 4 bucks. I actually love my t-shirts generally, but this is a favorite among favorites.

#10.Old Navy Jeans . My Old Navy jeans are my most comfortable jeans. I am lucky enough to be able to wear jeans to work. HOO RAH!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Bullet Sunday

The idea of Bullet Sunday came to me from Dave at Blogography and you can link to him here.

I am struggling a bit coming up with bullet ideas for today but I will make an effort to keep my loyal three readers happy with a new post.

  • Barack Obama - I am so excited that I am alive to witness the office of the President of the United States being held by a man of minority status. I'm sure his politics will stir all kinds of craziness - especially in my family who are mostly very Republican - but regardless of his politics it is a historic and amazing moment which I feel blessed to witness.

  • Rush Limbaugh - this week on his radio show rush said that he hopes that Obama fails as president. A few months back I had an anonymous person make a comment on my blog and accuse me of saying things out of context. I HIGHLY doubt that same person will be reading my blog now, but just in case he/she is, here is the quote from Rush's show. He was asked by “a major American print publication” to offer a 400-word statement explaining his “hope for the Obama presidency.”

He responded:

"So I'm thinking of replying to the guy, 'Okay, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four. I hope he fails. What are you laughing at? See, here's the point. Everybody thinks it's outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, 'Oh, you can't do that.' Why not? Why is it any different, what's new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what's gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don't care what the Drive-By story is. I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: 'Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails.' Somebody's gotta say it."

So this is the problem I have with politics. With ALL politics. Politicians and pundits have VERY short memories.
  • Just a few years ago the Dixie Chicks were in a music concert in London and singer Natalie Maines made the following comment "Just so you know, we're ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas."

Republican Americans went MAD. NBC banned an ad by the Chicks. People held protests where CDs were smashed and burned. The group received death threats. People in my own family called them un-American and said they should be deported or charged with treason and imprisoned. All they said was that they were ashamed the president was from Texas. Should they have said it? We can discuss this further at a later date..
I'm just pointing out that now we have a famous Political Pundit saying that the president should fail. SHOULD FAIL. Is that not disturbing to anyone? Where are all the people who freaked on the Dixie Chicks?

Come out, come out where ever you are?

Charge this idiot with treason and lock him away!

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Alternate uses for shampoo

The shampoo I prefer to use is not available for purchase in Canada. When we first arrived I was paying to have it shipped to me, but for reasons of laziness I have not ordered more lately.
My spouse has to use shampoo which is non smelling, non coloured, super sensitive, hypo allergenic, low lather, 14 dollars a bottle, special import, made from tree frog spit from the amazon. The only thing is DOESN'T do is massage her scalp.
I don't use these bottles of shampoo because in addition to being super special they are super tiny.
I go to the shampoo aisle, look for the cheapest and least offensive smelling shampoo and that is what I use. At one point I was convinced that all shampoo was the same, of this I am now convinced otherwise.
Last time I was at Costco there was a super container of Garnier Fructis on sale. I bought it. I have been using it for months and recently my son has been playing with the bottle because I have now used enough of it that he can lift the super container. His ability to lift the shampoo bottle corresponds exactly with his "I like to pour everything onto the ground" stage of development and he took my bottle and poured it all over the bathmat.
My spouse was right in the middle of doing loads of laundry and so she picked up the mat and put it into the tub until she was able to start the next load.
And here, my friends, is where a miracle occurred.
Let me segue here for just a minute to explain the condition of our bathtub.
We purchased our home just over a year ago (still 34 years of mortgage payments for anyone following along). The bathroom is is DESPERATE need of renovation. In some spots previous water damage has rotted the floorboards right through to the basement. The bathtub is OLD and the porcelain veneer has long since deteriorated. Unfortunately what that means for cleaning is this. You can't. There is no way to keep the tub clean. We have used bleach, tub cleaner, vinegar, baking soda, vim, rubbing alcohol, you name it and we have tried it. Out of sheer desperation one day we used SOS pads which backfired in gargantuan proportions. Everywhere Shel scrubbed with the SOS pad left a black streak. We have learned to "deal with it".
And then..... Garnier Fructis.
Ladies and Gentlemen. The spots where the bathmat covered in garnier fructis touched the tub left BEAUTIFUL clean spots. White. Shiny. Spotless.
And so it came to pass that I lost the rest of my super bottle of shampoo to my spouses cleaning cabinet. I have to say two things.
#1. Garnier Fructis is the nicest smelling bathroom cleaner we have ever used.
#2. The cheap crap I bought at IGA to replace my shampoo does not clean my hair. All shampoo is not created equal.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Friday Fill In


1. Oh, I am so ready for a book and a nap.
2. Here comes changes, big and little.
3. During the night, I can sleep through pretty much anything once I fall asleep.
4.Cauliflower for $3.99 a head; are you kidding me???
5. Right now I'd like to be warmer than I am.
6. My leatherman (or my MP3 player) is my favorite gadget. Unfortunately for me I don't know where either of them are right now :(
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to SLEEP, tomorrow my plans include puttering around the house and laughing with Max and Sunday, I want to NAP!

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Find out what it means to me.


There was a time when I said I would not blog about work. That time has passed.
I am sitting here, innocently minding my own business and my co-workers are talking about me "blogging" about my typing successes. MOCKING me.

These co-workers are the same ones who
#1. call me a wet noodle
#2. celebrate bosses day by declaring they will not swear at me for one day
#3. bet one another sticks of gum that I will not go to my dentist appointments.

The respect I get. HA!

And by the way - I have so far scored the highest on my typing speed AND accuracy.
And when that number rises above something completely humiliating, I will post it on facebook.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

mowgli

He is 2 years old (which is 14 in dogs years). He has taken his place in the pack and many times my spouse and I wonder who he loves more and who he learns more from. his name should probably have been "Mowgli".


Here he is eating with Tora. Here he is drinking with Zuva.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Ten on Tuesday; Ten Favorite Sports Moments

Ten Favorite Sports Moments: (so far I can only come up with 5...)

1. When the WNBA started up we were living in Utah and very fortunate to attend many games. At that time Tammi Reiss played for the Starzz and I loved to watch Tammi play. Although this wasn't ONE moment, it was something my spouse and I both enjoyed.


2. When I went to BYU I met a student there by the name of Frank Fredericks. He was on the BYU track team. Frank and I hit it off because #1 he is a super nice guy and #2 he is from Namibia. Frank went on to be an Olympic winner in the 200 meters in a number of Olympic events. I love to watch Frank run.
3. Also at BYU, Ty Detmer and the Cougars beat the number one ranked Miami in the fall of 1989. I was in attendance at that game and it was amazing to be a part of a home town crowd during such a significant win.
4. Ben Johnson, before being stripped of the medal, won the 100 meters sprint at the Olympics in 1988. I was a HUGE fan of Ben and was very disappointed when it turned out he was on steriods. It is still a great race to watch for me.

5. When Venus beat Serena for Wimbeldon we were watching. We love the Williams sisters, but Venus is my fave.

Monday, January 19, 2009

stolen from my 2 cents

What are your nicknames?

ju, jules, mrs. pinknose ... and others I wont mention

What TV game show or reality show would you like to be on?

survivor, the amazing race, the one where Ty builds a new house, don't forget the lyrics

What was the first movie you bought in VHS or DVD?

Set it Off

What is your favorite scent?

My baby when he's just out of the bath

If you had one million dollars to spend only on yourself, what would you spend it on?

First I would get my teeth fixed, then I would go on a trip with my family. After that... who knows?

What is one place you’ve visited, can’t forget and want to go back to?

I would love to go back to the San Juan Islands, I do forget them occasionally though.

Do you trust easily?

Not remotely

Do you generally think before you act, or act before you think?

I generally think before I act.

Is there anything that has made you unhappy these days?

Having to put my son to bed three hundred times and night and listen to his distress.

Do you have a good body image?

I have a great image - it's just that reality doesn't match the image

What is your favorite fruit?

raspberry - cause I can't get fresh litchees here

What websites do you visit daily?

mine; boingboing.net; my spouses when she is blogging regularly.

What have you been seriously addicted to lately?

Nothing that I can think of . I have been working on giving up coke because I am addicted to coke. I did REALLY well for a few weeks and I have fallen off the wagon in the last few days.

What’s the last song that got stuck in your head?

LA song by Beth Hart

What is your favorite thing to wear?

My UGGS and soccer socks

Do you think Rice Krispies are yummy?

Wrapped in melted marshmallow they sure are

What would you do if you saw $100 lying on the ground?

pick it up

What items couldn’t you go without during the day?
Computer. Cell phone - only now I can go for longer and longer periods without it.

What should you be doing right now?

sleeping

Friday, January 16, 2009

I've changed my mind

Yesterday in a meme I said my favorite number was 14.
Tonight I walked up and down the stairs 14 times to put my son back to bed after he climbed out of his crib.
My favorite number is now 1.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

meme

I follow just a few blogs and I always enjoy poppingbubbles.
I took this from here

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought?
Actually I don't ever look at myself in the mirror, but when I caught my reflection in the car window coming out of the dentist office I thought "man that chair did a number on my hairdo".
2. How much cash do you have on you?
I just emptied my pockets into the change jar on my desk. I have a one dollar US bill in my wallet which has been there about 5 years.
3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR?
Spoor?
4. Favorite planet?
I like Mars, but also Saturn.
5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone?
I don't know the number which is why I didn't answer it.
6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone?
I dont have good ringtones, I wish I did.
7. What shirt are you wearing?
Jasper Park Shirt - brown.
8. Do you label yourself?
Too much
9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing?
Columbia
10. Bright or Dark Room?
I am always turning on lights in the rooms I am in - especially since I stepped on a mouse head courtesy of my cats.
11. What do you think about the person who took this survey before you?
I love her blog
12. What does your watch look like?
It is silver and it has a dead battery
13. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Talking to a baby who should have been asleep for a LONG time.
14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say?
me starving lol
15. Where is your nearest 7-11?
Over 138 km from my home
16. What’s a word that you say a lot?
"Seriously"
17. Who told you he/she loved you last?
My sister in law on the phone this afternoon
18. Last furry thing you touched?
A puss cat
19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days?
advil, cold fx, vitamin D and C ..
20. How many rolls of film do you need developed?
I think theres some rolls of film in the freezer, but I don't know how many
21. Favorite age you have been so far?
I don't know. Definitely not my teenage years. It's somewhere between 24 and 30.
22. Your worst enemy?
Lack of sleep
23. What is your current desktop picture?
A thing from the New York Zoos and Aquarium
24. What was the last thing you said to someone?
Are you looking for a pat down?
25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be?
A million dollar
26. Do you like someone?
I do. I like lots of someones
27. The last song you listened to?
Stop and Stare, One Republic
28. What time of day were you born?
11am - in Zimbabwe
29. What’s your favorite number?
14
30. Where did you live in 1987?
In Saskatoon
31. Are you jealous of anyone?
I am jealous in general, but not specifically. (jealous of people who write well, jealous of people who have fat savings accounts.....)
32. Is anyone jealous of you?
No, but I think someone might be jealous of my shoes.
33. Where were you when 9/11 happened?
I was working a morning shift watching the news with kids. It was surreal. I called my spouse and woke her up.
34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money?
Hip check em
35. Do you consider yourself kind?
To animals and my kids
36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be?
I have plans for many more. The next one will be a matching one with my spouse on the top of my foot
37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be?
Spanish
38. Would you move for the person you loved?
I would
39. Are you touchy feely?
More than most people would think
40. What’s your life motto?

41. Name three things that you have on you at all times?
My cell phone, a set of keys close by and a tampon.
42. What’s your favorite town/city?
Seattle
43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?
Soup
44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it?
Tomorrow I WILL write to my sister.
45. Can you change the oil on a car?
I could probably.
46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
The last time I saw her was over 12 years ago. She has married a man.
47. How far back do you know about your ancestry?
My family has done a lot of genealogy. I don't know exactly.
48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy?
For a job interview in the summer.
49. Does anything hurt on your body right now?
My mouth hurts something fierce because I had a SECOND root canal on the same tooth. Did you know that was even possible? There is one thing worse than sitting in a dentist chair.. sitting in a dentist chair with menstrual cramps. I did it today people.
50. Have you been burned by love?
I would say twice. I have always been the "dumpee" and only once the "dumpER" (and I got punched for it!)

BFF

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBtFTF2ii7U

I don't know yet how to put video here, so until I figure it out you will have to link

The end of a good thing

How do you know when a good thing has ended and it's time to say goodbye? I suppose in some instances this is obvious, but in the case of my shoe I just can't get there.

I love shoes. I own SEVEN pairs of shoes. I have to confess I have never looked at a pair of pumps and gone "goo goo" over them. I love doc martens, vans, hiking books and Birkenstocks. I would happily own lots and lots of them but I don't.

I had one pair of Birkenstocks which I broke this summer when I fell down the stairs in the dark at my friends place. I think her dog ate the other one.
I have a pair of new doc martens which I also love, but I haven't broken them in and that takes some commitment which I don't feel up to right now.

Here is my COMPLETE shoe inventory:
1 pair slippers - I got them for Christmas and have no idea where they are.
1 pair brown "semi-dress" shoes which I have had for about 6 years? (21 bucks at payless, 2 for 1)
1 pair black slip on semi dress shoes - same age as brown ones (21 bucks at payless)
1 pair new doc martens - they have been "new" for over a year, I bought them to wear for a class presentation and wore them once
1 pair white runners - 3+ years old - worn three times? They are my "work out shoes".
1 pair winter boots - purchased this week.
1 pair brown gardening shoes
My brown shoes photographed here.

This means I have ONE pair of shoes which I wear every day to work.
Sometime in the past few months my son helped me to make a hole in the leather which is expanding daily.
This is the only pair of shoes I have right now that I consider good enough to wear to work - in a pinch I have my gardening shoes. I do suppose it is time to get another pair but I can't bear the though of throwing these out. They are so comfy. The soles are still great. They have seen me through so much. I think they are a few years old and though I LOVE to buy shoes I just can't seem to let go (and I've been accused of being commitment phobic)!


Tuesday, January 13, 2009

meme

So I am playing along with this meme and I was asked five questions from the host of emeraldcityguy, whom I have never met but whom I have an online crush on.

( I ASKED him to ask me the questions so it's not like he just asked me out of the blue but whatever....) He asked me these questions and the fact that he SPOKE to me (via email) feels all highschool and quivery in my belly. (I never REALLY got quivery in the belly till a girl kissed me LONG after high school but that's beside the point).

Here we go::

1. You are emigrating, where do you go and why?
Without a doubt - to Australia. I would go home to Africa but I don't think that's really emigrating if it is returning home, and Africa isn't really the place I pick to live in the world right now. I would go for the warmth and the coast of Australia.

2. What one choice would you go back and change. How would your life be different now with that one change?
I have been thinking of this question for about 24 hours and I can't think of any one decision that I have made that would make a significant impact on my life being different now. I may have come out earlier - I was so panicked by it and overall it was less traumatic for me than I expected, and I would have had more years of stress free life.


3. What is your biggest pet peeve and where are you most likely to experience it?

Shoot. I was thinking of this the other day because when I am asked this question I can never think of an answer, and I had a GREAT one in my mind but now I have lost it. I am highly irritated by stupid people, but I don't think I could say stupid people are a pet peeve of mine. Then again why not? I am most likely to experience stupid people whenever I walk out of my house. (If I can remember what I thought of the other day I will revise this answer.)

4. If you were forced to eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what ethnicity would it be?

Without a doubt it would be Mexican food, but only if it was MEXICAN Mexican food and not "Canadian" Mexican food. Not that this is specifically related in any way, but i read a lot of blogs and people out there is the big world seem to really like sushi. I can't see that raw fish will ever cross these lips (HAR DE HAR HAR all you fish taco jokesters out there) but in a town fairly close to us there is a restaurant called "PRAIRIE SUSHI". I would say that falls into the top ten thing a a person should never name a restaurant. I'm going to refrain from saying more.

5. You've got one chance to remove one individual from the earth with no legal or moral repercussions. Who is it and why?
I would remove Robert Mugabe and I would do it retroactively to the early 1980's. I think Zimbabwe would be a different place in this world if Bishop Abel Musorewa would have been the first president of an independent Zimbabwe.

Don't forget the rules....
The original post of this meme can be found here, and I got it of course from emeraldcity guy here

Want to be part of it? Follow these instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

ten on tuesday: ten things I am good at

Check out this link if you are interested in seeing what others are good at.
Here are my ten for the week.

1. Knowing the lyrics to songs, and singing along. I know a LOT of lyrics to a LOT of songs. (This knowledge does not extend to country songs however). I also know the lyrics to tv commerical jingles. Sad but true.

2. Laughing. I love laughing, I love making people laugh. My family has a great sense of humor especially.

3. Reading. I can read fast and retain a lot. My mom one time did not believe I had read a book as fast as I said I had. She quizzed me on the contents of the book and I passed! I can skim something and get a lot out of it which helps immensely being in school again. I LOVE to read and I am sad that I have no good books at home right now.

4. Finding things on the internet for my mom. My mom enlists my help from time to time to find things on the internet to help her with whatever project she is working on. I am pretty good at finding whatever she needs.

5. Cross-stitch. Unfortunately with a toddler and a baby in the house I have put aside my cross stitch for a long time. I love to cross stitch and I am good at it - ESPECIALLY the back! They are so neat! Though I am good at cross stitch I am not good at keeping track of my needles and my spouse finds them poked into armchairs and other things - hence I am not doing any with little ones in the house.

6. Getting good grades. I like school. I am not a nerd! I enjoy the "game" of getting good grades. In spite of what my spouse will say - I do NOT kiss up to the teachers!

7. Staying calm. This is a bit of a funny one. I would not describe myself as a calm person and yet there are situations where I can stay as cool as a cucumber. I haven't always been able to do this, in fact I have only mastered it in the past few years. There are times (in my job) where someone will be yelling at me and I can literally feel myself getting calmer as they get more agitated. Unfortunately I have not mastered this in ALL aspects of my life and my 2 year old can sure get me riled!

8. Procrastinating. The more I have to do the better I am at this. I am also very good at meeting deadlines, so the procrastination thing seems to work for me, though I know it can infuriate those around me.

9. Sleeping. With a baby in the house my spouse and I have been taking turns with him at night. I am pretty good on my nights to be awake and I get up with him and hear him stirring before he wakes. If it is NOT my night to be awake I can tune him out completely and hear NADA. I can sleep anytime and through anything. I can take a nap in the middle of the morning, afternoon, evening, and still sleep through the night. my spouse will say - did you hear the plough in the driveway? nope. Did you hear the dogs barking? nope. Did you hear Max singing? Nope.
I'm sorry honey - did you say something?

10. Lite brite. I can bust out a wicked picture on the litebrite. You heard it here first folks.

Monday, January 12, 2009

12 of 12: January

Here is the first 12 of 12 I have ever actually participated in, even though I have thought about them for a LONG time. The host of this meme is Chad Darnell and you can check out his blog and link to other participants here.
I actually didn't take these pictures today, but my spouse took them and I am in them so it is still a record of our day.



#1. The picnic table under snow. It has been snowing here non stop for a million years.











#2. Another shot of the picnic table. It is actually snowing in this picture but Idont know if you can tell or not.












#3. This is what I came home and did today. I actually left work early because the snow was still coming and the roads were terrible. I was not interested in driving home in the dark and since we only have like ... 3 hours of sunlight a day I was not at work for long.










#4. Trying to get the snow off the very top. The ladder is a bit precarious.


















#6. Moving all my implements to the front yard







#7. I decided to fall backwards off the deck into the snow.












#8. Evidence that I really did it.
















#9. WOO HOO! That rocked. Getting up was not so easy.











#10. Zuva realized I was needing some assistance and came to help. Yes. The snow is to my thighs.









#11.. LIFESAVER.
The MD ploughs come and plough out the driveway. We have a LONG driveway which I could not dig myself out of in the 11 months of winter we have, so this visit makes my day.








#12. He came to the door and brought Max a snowball because we were waving to him out the door. This is the ONLY way to clear the driveway.

Friday, January 9, 2009

flossing my teeth

I am sitting here flossing my teeth with a paperclip and I realized that this is probably a reason my teeth need so much extra assistance from a dentist.
I have a few good reasons for using a paperclip.

#1. I tried the little screwdriver in my desk and it was too long to fit in my mouth.
#2. I have tried floss but the floss gets frayed on my sharp poky broken teeth and doesn't help me at all.
#3. I have a piece of purple cabbage stuck in my tooth and purple cabbage pieces HURT.

So I am not going to tell the dentist I floss with a paperclip, I will just tell him I floss.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

First Book of 2009


I just finished reading Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay.

I "accidentally" read it which means I had no intention of reading it. I simply needed something to read one night when I was away from home and my options were extremely limited.

It took me a while to get into it but once I did I enjoyed it.

I am having a hard time deciding if I liked it OVERALL or not. The idea was great, some of the conflict was set up well, but the resolutions were anticlimactic and I felt a few times like I wanted to skip ahead. I definately thought it could be better but the ending made me think it is being set up for a sequel which I certainly will read.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

ten on tuesday: ten things I will do in 2009

Ten things I will do in 2009.

1. Write more letters to my sister who is a missionary.
2. Make pajamas for my sons.
3. Finish the cross stitch nativity characters for my mom.
4. Plant trees in our yard.
5. Take a FOR REAL vacation - this year I have reason to believe we will be joining my brother and his family at the lake. We have never taken a "for real" vacation since coming to Canada.
6. Procrastinate homework assignments.
7. Complete the adoption for Maximus Orellius.
8. Go on a date with my spouse.
9. See at least ONE movie in a theater with popcorn, hotdog, and LARGE coke.
10. Talk to my far away friends more frequently.

And this year, even though I SHOULDN'T because I am still in school and should be starting to work on my thesis... I will read 99 books.

Sunday, January 4, 2009

conversations at home

Looking out the window at the grosbeaks eating from our many feeders:

Me: These ones are grosbeaks right and the little ones that look like they got shot right in the head are red polls?

My spouse: Yup

Me: Look at me getting the names of the birds right and everything. I never thought I would be so ...

My spouse: Old?

Circus Act

When I was a Carni.....
I love to say that. The best thing is that it is TRUE!
I WAS a carni once (for two weeks), then I took this test and I said if I were in a circus I should walk on stilts. How boring.




You Should Walk on Stilts



Your biggest talent is your ability to make people laugh.

And like most comedians, you'll do anything to get a people roaring.



You know how to work a crowd. You are witty, but you are also great at physical comedy.

But you'll leave the daredevil stunts to other people... you don't need them to get your applause.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Friday Fill In

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1. The world is a mighty cold place tonight.

2."Zuva, come here puppy" was the last thing I said.

3. I wonder what it will take to get my vehicle started again.

4. A period is at the end of all things.

5. There's something to be said for feeling healthy.

6.Warm and cozy is where I want to be.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to taking my turn to sleep uninterrupted, tomorrow my plans include figuring out how to start the van and Sunday, I want to pretend like I'm still on vacation, but I can't because I have to work already!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Letter to C-Note 6 months


Dear baby,

Well you have been with us for 6 months now. You came to us when you were just a day old and not even five pounds. I can't believe 6 months has passed already.

The decision has pretty much been made that you will be leaving us. I am not in denial - I know it's coming, but I just want to cherish every day with you that we possibly can. I would be lying if I said I have fallen in love with anyone in the way I have fallen for you.

You are the happiest baby I have ever known. Granted it was a pain when you were so tiny to feed you so dang often. I don't do sleep deprivation well. But last night I was watching a movie and the theme song was "Big Yellow Taxi" (counting crows version and my personal favorite). ANYWAY, the lyrics go " don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone"... and I thought of you. You see. In this case I know EXACTLY what it is that I have and you aren't gone!

We have been foster parents now for five years. We have had many children come and go in our home and we have loved all of them (some more than others) but we have given all of them a piece of ourselves and we miss them when they leave. I can honestly say that I think our fostering days are done once you leave us. I have loved you so much and given my whole heart to you and I can't bear to do it all again.

No matter where you end up my baby, know that you were loved here first and most, and we didn't need to wait till you were gone to know exactly what a special person you are.

Mom.

27 Months


Dear Max,

I have been a neglectful parent and haven't written to you for a few months, I am sorry, I will try not to let it happen again. Your mom took this beautiful picture of you yesterday. I love it, it shows you in a moment of pure laughter. You have many of these moments each day but we rarely capture them on television camera.

I have been off from work for about ten days over the Christmas break and you and I have had lots of fun. You are SUCH a tease, you make me laugh (and sometimes frustrate me) every day.

Christmas this year was a lot like last year, we opened gifts in stages because it was just too exciting. You have been completely captivated this year with decorations and lights - especially lights. When you woke up each morning the first thing you would do was go into the living room to make sure the lights of the tree were on. Then off. Then on. Then off. The tree didn't actually last long because your mom and I were worried you were about to burn the place down and so we removed it, but while it was up you loved every minute of it.

You are still fascinated with cords and electricity. We purchased some plug covers that "lock in" and put them into every outlet. It took you less time to get them out than it took me to figure out how to put them in and "lock" them. In fact, as i type this you are carrying around a lamp that you found somewhere and looking for outlets to plug in into. We also currently have the vacuum held hostage in the bathroom because neither your mother nor I could handle the vacuum obsession one more minute. (hint - If you turned it on and left it on it would be less irritating, however I think by the time you are able to read this your desire to clean will have passed. Just a feeling I have. )

It was quite the exercise of restraint for me and an example of just how much I love you. we decorated together and you helped and I didn't move ONE thing that you put on! As you get older you will come to understand what a significant show of love this is for me! You love to hang things around your neck and you were particularly enthralled by the garland, which you took off the tree daily and wore around your neck. I don't know why, but you thought the ends of the garland belonged in the ears of everyone - human and pet alike - and you went around trying to put garland ends in our ears.

You are so smart. I was on the phone with Auntie Marie telling her how you had eaten a dozen candy canes as we were decorating the tree but that now I had made sure there were none within your reach. As if to prove me wrong, and to show that you were completely aware of what I was saying, you pulled a chair into the living room from the kitchen as I was speaking and got up on the chair and retrieved a candy cane. I asked you for it and you gave it to me, so I think you also remember how sick they made you! Usually if I ask you for something that you have (like the remote control or phone) you throw it away as though you have no association with the thing I am requiring.

Your mom and I were making a list of groceries and your mom asked if I was out of coke. I have been reducing my caffeine intake over the holidays and I didn't know if I had any or not. I told your mom I wasn't sure how many cokes were left, but you went to the kitchen and brought me one to show us we did indeed have some left. Each time you show by your actions that you understand us I wish you were talking. I would love to hear your 27 month old perspective!

I need to go and see what you are doing. You are being conspicuously quiet in the kitchen which is never a good thing.

I love you my MaxMan.

Mom