Powwow

I love attending the local powwow each year. As the boys get older they can appreciate it more. I wish we could find a way for them to learn the drums and singing.
Here are some photos from this years event.

Max graduates

It is so hard to believe my baby boy, my first born, has graduated from kindergarten.
He amazes me every day with the things he learns and just how grown up he is. Grade one here he comes!
Today in the graduation ceremony h e sang his heart out and did all the actions to the songs. I remember when we first went to see him in stepping forward, his aide had to sit behind him and hold his arms to do the actions and he didn't sing a word of the song. Last night I was in the van with him and he was singing away and telling me what song they were performing today (Love in my family).
Yesterday afternoon we went and got him a haircut and he sat so well in the chair. His head did keep drifting to the right, but he was GREAT. In so many ways he is outgrowing his need to have us close and hold his hand. I love watching him grow, but I sure do miss having him depend on me so much.

 After his graduation with the family.

 Waiting in line to get his certificate.

 Singing Love in my Family.

 Certificate in hand!

With mom at the school entrance. Last day and first day!

Max graduates from kindergarten

Today Max graduated from kindergarten. We took a photo outside with Shel holding a photo of them in the same spot from the first day of school. We got the idea from pinterest and like it a LOT!

Maxies favorite song

Shel and I had to go this morning to the school for the final meeting with the teacher for the year.


They put together this neat little booklet that had things like Max's handprint, a note to Max from all the teachers and Aides, and some photos.

Each kid wrote their name and filled out a little blurb about what their favorite color was, who their friends were, what they wanted to be whn they grew up, favorite song, etc.

I looked through the book and had to laugh.

All the kids put as favorite song things like, "itsy bitsy spider, an elmo song, the alphabet song - Maxies was...... " I like to move it move it!"

That kid makes me laugh.

Back entrance

While mom was here we had plans for quite a few things and the weather was not supportive of our endeavours. It rained and rained and RAINED. We had two "big" things we wanted to get done - one was to paint the barn and the other was to do the back entrance. Earlier this year we needed to replace the doors (front and back) on the house. Where the back door was we could not fit a regular sized door and so we were stuck with one of two options. One was to special order a smaller door and the other was to move the entrance from the east side of the back porch to the south side of the back porch. Since we have had such difficulty moving anything in and out of the house because of odd sized doors we opted for number two - to put in a regular door but move it to the south side. So we moved the door, but then we were coming in and out of the house into what used to be a flower bed and we were tracking mud in and out. So mom and I decided to fix it.

I found an idea on pinterest that I LOVED and showed the photo to mom. She loved it also and so we did it!

We had to begin by removing all of the old soil. We dug all the way to the bottom and took it in the wagon (because of course the wheelbarrow had a flat tire).

We have determined that every time we begin a project we run into all kinds of problems and so what begins as a one stage project ends up being a ten stage project!

We cut the wood from our own wood pile. We had to wait until the wood was dry so we carried logs into the quonset to dry out. Then we got the chainsaw up and running and cut the logs. It is heavy work to cut the logs and so mom and I were taking turns with the chainsaw. After we cut what we had in the quonset we went to the log pile to see if we had anything there we could use. We had a couple of super logs to use and so we started to cut right at the pile. Mom was holding a log for me and then I was holding the log for her. In one of our trade offs mom went to hold the log for me and fell into the wood pile! Oh we laughed and laughed.

We got the logs cut and laid them out. As we were digging out the old soil we realized that the edge piece of wood was rotted right through so we needed to find a new edge piece and stake it into the ground.

We found a new edge piece and staked it in.

Then we brought sand (from the boys said pile and using the red wagon) and we filled the spot with sand. Then we had to put in each log and level them all. My log cutting is not perfectly even so some of this took some creativity!

We had cement hand prints from us and the boys that we used as two of the logs. We left a spot against one wall of the house where Shel would like to build a bench so that still needs to be done. After we got all the logs in and leveled we used rock from the driveway to put between the logs.

We also filled two baskets with flowers and hung them on the wall on either side of the door - I thought I had a photo of that but I apparently need to find where I put it!

outside my window - JUNE

Outside my window... it is overcast AGAIN and looks like this afternoon it will rain. I am ready for some sunny days.

I am thankful for... The time this last week I was able to spend with my mom. We had fun as we always do and we got a lot of things done on our list. I miss her already.


From the kitchen... While mom was here we made a lot of things. Chicken pasties for me to freeze so I can bring them for lunches at work, samosas, vinegar pudding, a dessert in the dutch oven. We cooked a LOT!
I am wearing... my birkenstocks ! I need to paint my toenails and get new birks as these ones are on their last legs, but I will wear them until I cannot wear them any longer. I LOVE summer and my birkenstocks!
I am creating...some thank-you gifts for school teachers, classroom aides and the bus driver. Max has two more days of school and then is off for the summer.

I am reading... The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen
I am hoping... to fix some broken windows in the barn.
I am hearing... Hedley - Kiss You Inside Out.
Around the house... my mom has come and gone and Shel's mom is here for the rest of the summer. The boys love the company and the house will be quiet come September!
One of my favorite things... spending time with my mom.

Here is a picture I am sharing...  Mom and Max watering the flowers we just planted.

visit from mom

My mom is visiting this week and I am in HEAVEN. I absolutely LOVE spending time with my mom. One of the things we like to do the most is to make a list and check things off it. We have projects galore to work on. If only she lived closer we would be project maniacs.
If my blog is lacking is posts this week it is because I am working outside with my mom. Maybe this year I will be better about posting some of the things we work on.

Summer time bike riding

The boys absolutely LOVE their bikes. We took the bikes to the river on Sunday and after making drums we went for a ride. Then when we got home they wanted to ride again. Max can ride without training wheels but he likes to have them on so he can "turn sharp corners". As he was riding yesterday one fell right off and he kept going without even noticing! Of course as soon as he noticed it was all about fixing it. I think the only thing he likes more than riding is fixing!

Making Drums

We had an opportunity yesterday to take the boys and have an elder teach them how to make a drum. It was a very informative process which we loved and the boys both LOVE their drums. Now we just need to find someone to teach them native drumming!

things that make you go "hmn"

In the news reports I get everyday there is a report this week about the Idaho Liquor Commission banning a vodka because of it's name. The Commission write a letter to the brewers of the vodka and stated in the letter that the ban was because an important segment of the population in Idaho would be offended by the name.
The name of the vodka.... "Five Wives".
Who knew polygamists were a significant part of the alcohol consuming population in Idaho?!

Blogging for LGBT families

It's blogging for LGBT families - and we are one!!!

It amazes me to realize that Shel and I have been together for more than fifteen years AND that we have been parenting for almost SIX of those years! Where has the time gone? From the moment we became a couple we knew we wanted to have children. We had no idea how this was going to be possible, but we knew we wanted to parent. There were some obstacles to having "natural" children, and we DID try, but it was not meant to be.

I LOVE being a parent. I LOVE my sons. I LOVE doing all the things that are considered just the normal things that all families of all kinds do every day in every part of the world.

The boys are growing up SO fast. it is hard to believe my teeny tiny little boy, only four pounds when he came to us at a day old is going to be FOUR already. He's a bike riding, soccer playing, "big boy" now. He has a heart of gold and is still so excited to see me when I come home from work every day and still blows kisses to me when I leave in the morning. He talks every day about how big he is, how grown he is, and although I am excited for all the new things he is learning and doing, I miss the days he fit into my arms AND STAYED THERE!

And my Miracle Max. The boy who everyone said "couldn't". Couldn't hear, couldn't swallow, Couldn't sleep, Couldn't do anything - possibly ever. What an amazing boy he is. He is my heart.

It was three years ago that he was non-verbal and deaf. He is the most determined person I know. When he couldn't crawl he was frustrated that he couldn't get around and worked at it until he could. Then he was frustrated that he couldn't walk and so he did. Last summer his training wheels were broken and I needed to get a part for his bike in town, but he was frustrated he couldn't ride for the day so he picked up his bike and rode. People STILL say "he can't" and he just does it anyway!



On this day of blogging for LGBT families, I have to say I am grateful. Grateful for my spouse and my sons. Grateful for my home, my pets, my parents and my siblings. Grateful for the school teachers that have Max make two things for mothers day. Grateful for my friends. Grateful to live in a country where we can be legally married and have our sons share our family name (even though Max complains it is the longest name in his class that he has to write out!) Grateful for a life ahead of us full of laughter, growth, milestones and even grateful for the bad times - because all of it is a part of being a family.

30 day drawing challenge: Day Seven

Day Seven of the  Drawing challenge is to draw your favorite candy.

Thursday Thirteen: Shuffle on my ipod

I LOVE to listen to music. My sons and my spouse are the same. My boys are at a stage where they sing and make up songs. I LOVE to listen to them singing. Singing brings me joy. Max likes "drumming" sings and country music for some reason?  Here are some of the songs you might find yourself listening to if you picked up my ipod and put it on shuffle.

1. Miranda Lambert. "The House that Built Me."

I will admit that I am not a regular listener of music of the country variety, so it is strange for me to pick a country song FIRST, but these are in no particular order! I guess what I like so much about this song is that it can resonate with you even if you don't like country music! Everyone has a place that built them (or many places) and a few of us need some healing.

2. Beth Hart. "L.A. Song"

I like the tone in Beth Hart's voice and I particularly like the lyrics " I drank so hard the bottle ached." I don't drink, but I could!

3. Lea Michelle. (Glee) "Get it Right"

I watched Glee for a season - or maybe two and haven't watched it since, but I LOVE this original song written for the show and performed by Lea Michelle. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever get it right!

4. Ronan Keating "When you Say Nothing at All."

Nottinghill is one of my all time favorite movies. I LOVE this song :)

5. P!nk "Dear Mr President"

I imagine I could do a list just of the P!ink songs I like, but the message from this song has special meaning to me.

6. Outcast. "Hey Ya"

This was one of the first CD's Max used to love to listen to. There's a lot of explicit lyrics in songs by these guys!! I had to put it away.

7. GodSmack. "Voodoo"

I will admit that Godsmack is not a group I actually listen to, so how I came across this song I would be hard pressed to recall. In spite of that, I LOVE this song!

8. Hawksley Workman, "Smoke Baby"

If you have never listened to this song I challenge you to check it out and NOT get it stuck on your brain.

9. Mumford and Sons, "Little Lion Man"

10. Walk Off The Earth. "Somebody That I Used to Know."

I am not usually a fan of covers. This song is originally performed by Goyte, but I actually prefer this version, and the video they made brings a smile to my face.

11. Andrews Sisters. "Boogie Woggie Bugle Boy"

The Andrews Sisters are my guilty pleasure.

12. Christina Perry " Jar of Hearts"

I have someone I would like to dedicate this song to. If I ever see him again, which I likely won't.

13. KT Tunstall " Black Horse and a Cherry Tree"

If I play this song loudly I can get the boys doing some wicked air drums!

JUMP BOYS JUMP

It took a long time this spring to finally get the trampoline up. We had late snow and rain for days and winds that just would not stop. FINALLY we got the tramp up this week and the first day it was up I think the boys spent four hours jumping! Max told CJ when he went to school to please wait until he got home from school before getting on the tramp.

They were both SO excited to start putting it up that they were helping in every way they could. CJ took all the springs and hung them on the hooks as I was going around hooking them to the frame. Max followed him and turned the ones around that he hung backwards. They stuck with the project from beginning to end. They are committed youngsters and always the MOST happy when they are helping.

Tis the season for dirt and mud

Trying to keep the boys out of the mud and dirt is impossible. Finally this week I unscrewed the tap from the outside of the house because the boys CANNOT leave it turned off and it makes a mess of epic proportion.
Keeping them out of that water has not stopped them from getting dirty though.
We have to hose them off before they get into the tub at night and sometimes that is still not enough.
Here is the evidence of boys at play in our yard:

Marble race tracks

Some time has passed since my last post.. I caught pink eye last week and it is proving VERY difficult to get rid of. It seems as though since the weather started improving the days, in spite of more sunlight, have become shorter and shorter - or maybe just packed with more things to do?

I have become addicted to pinterest. I LOVE the ideas I am finding there for recipes and things to do in the garden and ideas for the boys. I saw an idea there a few weeks ago for a marble race track made with a pool noodle cut in half and I knew the boys would love it. On Friday on my way home from work I stopped at the dollar store and picked up some noodles to make the tracks with. I was right - the boys have loved playing with them. The problem has proven to be the puppy, who likes to be where ever the boys are AND who likes to chew whatever she encounters - pool noodles are the perfect consistency for a good chew - so trying to play with marbles and negotiate around the puppy has been a bit tough. I also ration marbles so nothing gets left for Rescue puppy to choke on. Max is unimpressed with the "check in and check out" system of marbles!

CJ calls his tracks the "Superhero Racetrack" because everything in CJ's life revolves around superheroes (and motorcycles). To be honest I am surprised he even stopped playing superhero long enough to drop a few marbles.

I did try to get some photos of them playing with the tracks, but they never stop moving so the photos did not turn out at all.

Max is much more imaginative with his tracks and makes them into ramps and all kinds of things. I think I need to try and make a video instead of trying to take still shots.

still here.. hang on!

I am still here,  but I have had a WiCKED case of conjunctivitis and so I am home from work and not doing much but staying out of the light. I promise I'll be back soon.

30 day drawing challenge: Day 6

I found the 30 day drawing challenge HERE.
I am on day six and I have to admit (if you haven't noticed) that I am not posting them on consecutive days - it takes me a while to draw these babies!
I WILL do them all though, so hang in there.
Today I am supposed to draw my favorite animated character:
My favorite animated character is Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes.

Here he is!

30 day drawing challenge: Day 5

Day five of the drawing challenge is actually to draw my best friend. I am needing some extra time since my last human drawing was a little sketchy and I dont want to offend!
So here is drawing from day 7 - my favorite word.

Summers Eve

Earlier this year we had to put our Great Dane to sleep. He had bone cancer and was in considerable pain.
He had a special bond with Max and Max has missed him dearly. Soon after his passing Max started asking if he could get a puppy. Shel and I were not ready and told Max we needed to wait. Partly we were not eager to get a dog so soon after losing our baby. Partly we were waiting for the weather to improve so we were not truing to toilet train a dog in the winter or the wet, muddy spring.  Max decided that we were waiting for "summer's eve" before we got a new puppy and he started asking if it was summers eve yet.

We have been looking online and on rescue sights for an addition to our family. We are firm believers in rescuing animals. There are SO many dogs and cats that need homes that are waiting in foster homes or shelters. We are highly suspicious of some breeders having seen the kind of "puppy mills" that exist in our province and knowing people who have purchased dogs from these breeders and had to deal with all kinds of health problems when they get home. We also have had bad experiences with thoroughbreds and the health problems these dogs experience so we knew we wanted a mixed breed. I would have loved another Great Dane but they are very expensive and hard to come by. Shel has always wanted a yellow lab and so we were looking for any labs that might be available. We looked and looked but had not come across anything that we were particularly interested in. We follow a pitbull rescue sight in Salt Lake and have often discussed getting a dog from them and talking a road trip to our old stomping grounds to pick it up. We had a pitbull before (Tora) who Shel rescued when we lived in Ogden and she was the most amazing dog. (OK. I have to say here that we believe ALL of our dogs have been amazing dogs, but all for different reasons. Tora was the most gentle, most loving and the BEST dog we ever had with kids.) All in all we did a lot of talking and were not any closer to making a decision on an addition to our family.

I really wanted a puppy because I worry that without knowing the background of an older dog you n ever know what kinds of issues they have when they come into your home. Shel would like an older dog because they are less likely to be adopted, they are past the puppy stage and usually have some kind of training from the rescue or shelter where they come from before being placed. We looked at all ages and most breeds of dogs.

A few weeks ago a little puppy was posted for sale on the local buy and sell sight on facebook. I called to inquire and was told someone had already shown interest and the puppy was no longer available.

Last week another puppy was posted for sale on the same site and I made another inquiry. I thought it was the same dog as I had seen but the lady told me it was not. I asked if we could visit her with the boys and with Zuva (our other dog) and all of a sudden she showed up at my office with the puppy and said she would prefer not to show it to little children on the first visit. (When you live in a small town people apparently know where you work!) I asked her questions about the puppies history and she proceeded to tell me a story about how her sister breeds dogs and the mother passed away from cancer and this little puppy had to be bottle fed and was 8 weeks old. When she came to the office she asked a price for the dog that was more than a hundred dollars more than she had asked for on the website. I asked if it had any immunizations and she said it has been de-wormed and received its first shots but that the papers from the vet showed the wrong date on them and said that the puppy was 12 weeks when it was only 8 weeks and she needed to get back to the vet to change the paperwork. The puppy was cute, but the more she spoke the stranger her story about the dog got. I thanked her and said that I wasn't interested at this time and let it go.
When I got home and told Shel about it there was just this nagging in the back of my mind. Was the puppy in a good home, should I have paid the money just to get her and take her out of a strange situation?

On Saturday morning I received a text from the first lady I had inquired to regarding a puppy. She asked simply if I was still interested. I had suspected, but was not certain, that the puppy I first inquired abut was in fact the puppy I met a week later offered by a different person.

I was extremely sceptical. I started to ask some questions and it turns out there were some shady dealing happening with the puppy - the second lady had taken the dog, passed off a bad check and was trying to sell her for more money. After a few hours of back and forth the original owners of the puppy had recovered her and were offering her for sale again. I asked if I could bring the boys and Zuva to meet her and she agreed. We drove to her home and I visited with her while my boys and Zuva played with the little one. We decided to take her. I guess it is Summers eve!

The boys ADORE her. We are crate training her, as we have done with all of our dogs. I was worred the first night that she would whine and cry, as puppies do, but after less than a minute of whimpers as she settled she didn't make another peep for the whole night. When CJ woke up he came into our bedroom and announced it was puppy time! Originally we told they boys they were not allowed to take her outof the crate in the morning , but Max has difficulty remembering that so we are teaching him he needs to take her outside immediately. He is so responsible he takes her out and  makes sure she has food and water. She plays very well with Zuva and so far has fit in beautifully with our family. We have tried to come up with a bunch of different names for her, but the boys insist her name is "Rescue puppy" and so "Rescue" it is!She is smart as a whip and needs some training. I can't wait to spend more time with her.

Now all I need to do is try and train my spouse that CRATE TRAINING means putting her in the crate to sleep. I came home from work late Wednesday night and Shel and the puppy were all snuggled and sleeping together in our bed! I don't hold out much hope for training Shel. That old dog won't learn new tricks!

Spa day with the kindergarten class

For mothers day Maxies kindergarten class did a spa day for the moms. We went to the class and went around to all the different stations. Max painted my fingernails, we made lip gloss, made crowns, we had a snack and there were even massage stations!

(Max wouldn't give me a massage)

He filled out one of these sheets for me and for Shel and I really have to thank the kindergarten teacher for her thoughtfulness - Max always makes two of everything for his moms.

I did have to Laugh at the sheet Max filled out for Shel, he said her favorite colour was Pink!!!! Too funny.

Apparently I don't make anything because I work!



more on foster parenting, and not just in my own words!

My writing on the topic of being a foster parent was not inspired by anything that I have seen in the media lately, but my search turned up this:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2012/02/community-reaction-to-canadian-foster-care-in-crisis.html

I am not the only disgruntled former foster parent!

Many foster parents and candidates came forward to share their experiences in the article. This is what some of them had to say:

"My wife and I have been fostering for 18 years now . . . We have recommended fostering to 17 couples. Eight couples became foster parents (made it that far) but only one lasted beyond one year and quit before they made it two years. The children are very seldom the problem . . . 90 percent of the time foster parents encounter problems with "the system" . . . The whole infrastructure is wrought with problems. Unfortunately, human nature gets in the way and ruins it for the well-meaning ones, especially us, who are in it for the long haul."
My wife and I were totally ready to be foster parents but the whole system is discouraging . . . After we get the kids then we have a social worker come visit our home but parents with records of abuse aren't checked up on. The whole system is messed and a bureaucratic nightmare. They created it with their bureaucracy and they think they can get out of their current problem with bureaucracy, I think not."
"The various ministries are partly to blame for the lack of placements and for the diminishing number of people willing to foster children. We used to foster children and found that the ministry withheld information from us that we really should have known having to do with the safety of our family. They often failed to reveal the full extent of the child's difficulties and provided little support and no apologies when confronted with the issue."
"I used to be a foster parent and honestly, it was the treatment by the social workers towards us that was the biggest reason for us leaving after many years of fostering. I have had many former kids contact me over the years and tell us what a great job we did, so I don't believe it was us . . . but some social workers treat foster parents like they are stupid. I have done work towards a Masters but still, I was constantly talked down to."

The reason my partner and I decided to foster was because, at the time, we were a childless couple who felt we had something to offer to children in need. When we called to become foster parents there were advertisements on the radio asking for families to sign up to foster. After we called to put our names on the list it took MONTHS before anyone got back to us, and it was only after repeated calls to the office that finally someone came. The woman who came to our home was a delightful, amazing, caring person who was completely overworked because of the high turnover of staff in her office and the resultant increase in her workload. We didn't really think anything of it at the time, but since being a part of the system we have gone through more staff than you would believe. Now I KNOW that this is a stressful job, but the turnover has to do with more than the stress of the job. I doubt you will find anyone who was previously employed by the division to make an official statement on why they left the position, but my experience has let me to believe that the bureaucracy of the child welfare system GREATLY affects the line workers - as much as it affects the foster families.

Once we were visited it took many more months to complete our home study, get all of our references checked (and our references were asked some VERY interesting questions about us, for instance, if they knew if we were addicted to pornography.) We had to undergo police checks, home and safety inspections, credit checks, and so forth. We had to produce driving records, copies of insurance policies and some additional documentation - which was requested because we were a gay couple, and according to the worker, the first gay couple in the province to apply to foster. Once all of this was complete we had to be approved by the Alberta Minister of Human Services - again because we were a gay couple. To tell you the truth, knowing what I know now, I have absolutely NO idea if this actually happened - or if we were simply TOLD this had to happen. My cynical, conspiracy theorist self tends to believe that it was a delay tactic to get us to give up on the process, but I cannot prove that and either way, we stuck with it and were finally granted a license to foster children.

Because the nature of the foster care involves children, there are HUGE issues of confidentiality which affect the employees and families working with foster children. I have said before and I will say again, that I completely understand why there is a need for confidentiality. I have NO problem it. HOWEVER and unfortunately, these confidentiality issues have turned into this "code of silence" when it comes to dealing with anything related to the system. Information is not freely exchanged. Foster families are given conflicting information or no information. Training is terrible, foster supports are virtually impossible to access, the list goes on and on.

All of this brings me to the point where I am now, where I feel as though I need to speak out about the problems in the system. Good foster families, who do good things for children are giving up their licences because of the SYSTEM problems. Not because of the kids, not because of the emotional hardship they endure, but because the system is broken.

30 day drawing challenge day four: Your favorite place

Here is my favorite place.

Lake Louise.

outside my window - MAY edition

Outside my window... the trees are beginning to bud and it is time to BREAK OUT THE PRUNING SHEARS. I love me some pruning.


I am thankful for... my family. Iphone has connected my family in some really fun ways. I play drawsomething with my brother, sisters in law, niece and cousin. Yesterday my brother and his daughter and my sons were taking pictures of themselves making funny faces and texting them to one another. It makes the huge distances that seperate us seem not so overwhelming when we can connect in this way!


From the kitchen... I am going to try some pinterest recipes. YUMMY IN MY TUMMY. I'll let you know how they turn out.


I am wearing... my birkenstocks HALLELUJAH!!!!! I love summer and sandals.


I am creating...a mothers day gift for my mom and for Shel with ideas from PINTEREST (which I LOVE)


I am reading... Forerunner by Andre Norton.


I am hoping... to go camping with the boyos this summer at least ONCE.


I am hearing... the frogs in the dugout and the geese overhead as they migrate. Soon I will be hearing the plows in the fields which is NOT my favorite because of all the spray. GAG.


Around the house... it's time to clean out closets and pass on clothing and get rid of JUNK


One of my favorite things...  spring time when everything turns from brown to green.

• Here is a picture I am sharing... one of CJ's funny faces for his uncle and cousin!

I'm a soccer mom

It's official. I am a soccer mom.

We signed our boys up to play soccer this year. Our oldest is in the under 6 group and youngest is in under 4. When you have kids in our town play soccer a parent must be at the field with the child - it's the rules. Since I have to be at the field and since Max refused to go onto the pitch the last time we signed him up, when I was asked if I would coach a group of under 6 kids I said "yes".
And then something happened to me. I got all excited. I made a binder of drills for the kids. I made name tags and I made a spreadsheet to check the kids in and jot notes on each one so I can make little certificates for each of them at the end of the 8 week "season". I made notes for the parents with a list of things to bring to each practise. I bought hula hoops and pylons to use in drills. I lay in bed at night and think of things to do with the kids so they will have fun.



 I need an assistant and trying to get someone to help is near impossible. I have asked four people now and all four have declined. Shel would help but she has to be at the field where CJ is playing. (This also means she gets photos of CJ but not of Max - which I think she will sneak away to get this week)

Practise number one was cancelled because the fields were too wet. I was completely bummed. Practise number two  was a complete fiasco. It was the first night everyone arrived at the fields. 90 kids and 90 parents showed up. The co-ordinators and the coached were not identifiable in any way. The coaches were not given lists of kids, but duo tangs with a copy of each child's registration - so if a parent came up to ask if their kid was on my field I had to go through all the pages to check each name. There were not balls and no whistle. Parents couldn't find where kids were supposed to be so they were just asking me if I would take their kid and I ended up with almost double what I was supposed to have. (Which I don't mind - cause it important for the kids to play - BUT very difficult to organize!)

It is SOOOOOO important with little kids to catch and keep their interest. If they come on night number one - for many of them their first experience ever playing soccer - and they don't have fun, they won't want to come back. I was extremely frustrated with the lack of organization and I have a LOT of ideas to improve things but for tonight all I want to do is focus on my little group and make sure they have a BALL. I am better prepared for tonight and I have high hopes for the rest of the season.

I'll put of solving the organizational situation of day one on the field until next year!

55 Quirky questions for readers. LAST INSTALLATION!

38. Favourite fictional character:
Probably Severus Snape. Dang that was a good character. To be honest I like a lot of fictional characters, so this was a difficult choice for me.
Saucepan Man from the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton.
I liked Hickory and Dickory from John Scalzi's Old Man's War series, Alvin Maker from Orson Scott Cards books, Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird and Sarah Prine in These is my Words.
I could go on and on about Characters that I like - because it is the character that makes the book for me!

39. Favourite fictional villain:
Severus Snape

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation:

Probably a paperback that I don't mind losing? My dream is to get an e-reader and take an e-reader with me when I travel so that I can have as many books as I want with me. I would like to take a lot of books on a vacation, but the bulk oft hem alone would stop me.


41. The longest I’ve gone without reading:
I don't go long without reading. The longest I go without reading fiction is when I am in school but even then I am still reading something. I don't think I have gone a week without reading since I could read.


42. Name a book you could/would not finish:
There have been a few of these, but I can't think of one right now. I wish I COULD stop reading a book I was not interested in, but I that's my reading bad habit - reading books I don't like just because I started them.
43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
If I am interested in a book it sometimes seems as though nothing at all can distract me. Now that I have kids I try to read at bedtime so that when the boys are up they get the attention they demand!

44. Favourite film adaptation of a novel:
Like I said, I don't really like film adaptations. Maybe Horton Hears a Who?

45. Most disappointing film adaptation:
I Dreamed of Africa by Kuki Gallman. I LOVED this book so much and was thrilled to see it was made into a movie. I was extremely disappointed, but I have to say honestly I have never seen a movie that I can say I like if I have already read the book. Another big disappointment for me has been both adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

46. Most money I’ve ever spent in a bookstore at one time:
I can honestly say I have spent hundreds of dollars in a bookstore. In my "pre-parenting" life it was where I spent all my "extra" cash.
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I don't skim books. I usually check out the book jacket and that's all.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book halfway through?
If I absolutely could not stand it or if I just couldn't get into it.
49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
My DREAM is to have my books organised. Shoot, my dream is just to have enough bookshelves to have all my books out of boxes!
50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once they’ve been read?
If I REALLY like a book I want to keep it. If it's not one I will read again (I don't read many books more than once) then I have no problem given them away. I would prefer to give them to someone who will read them and I would LOVE if there was any kind of book exchange where we live, but there isn't.
51. Are there any books that you’ve been avoiding?
Not that I can think of.

52. Name a book that made you angry:
Probably something like " A child Called "it" but I don't specifically remember getting angry about anything I've read recently.

53. A book I didn’t expect to like but did:
Atlas Shrugged.

54. A book I expected to like but didn’t:
Some of Patricia Cornwall's most recent books have been disappointing to me. I like most of her novels and expect to like all of them, but the last few have been duds in my opinion.

55. Favourite pleasure reading:
Reading IS my pleasure, so if I'm reading, I'm happy.

When NOT to listen to your three year old

When your three year old insists he can go to the bathroom BY HIMSELF and he DOES NOT NEED YOU in the room.... BE afraid. Be Very Afraid.

And I hope you have a stock of nail polish remover handy....

55 quirky questions for readers part 3

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did):

Probably more autobiographies. They take me longer to get through though and aren't always an "escape" which is my primary motivation for reading.

24. Favourite Biography:

I don't think I have one. I can't think of one I have read to be honest.


25. Have you ever read a self-help book?

I'm sure I have at some point. I don't know when or what it was though.

26. Favourite Cookbook:

Baking

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction):

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier


28. Favourite reading snack:

 Nacho chips, but they make my fingers orange which marks the book pages and I don't like that too much.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience:

Probably book 3 of the Hunger Games. To be honest I still can't decide if I even liked the book or not. The hype messed with my head!


30. How often do you agree with the critics about about a book?
I RARELY read what a critic has to say about a book. If it is a book or series that gets a lot of hype I try not to be affected, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. I don't usually go so far as to determine it I agree with critics or not.  .

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I wish I were a better reviewer than I am. I have no problem posting on my goodreads account when I don't like a book and I will often tell people when I dislike a book.


32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you choose?
Farsi, or French.

33. Most intimidating book I’ve read :
Atlas Shrugged. I was intimidated by it until I started to read it, then I loved it.
34. Most intimidating book I’m too nervous to begin:

War and Peace.


35. Favourite Poet:

Elizabeth Barrett Browning or Carol Lynn Pearson

36. How many books do you usually have checked out from the library at any given time?

Between ten and fifteen

37. How often do you return books to the library unread?

Never.

30 day drawing challenge : Favorite food

Day three of the challenge and I am supposed to draw my favorite food. My absolute favorite is kedgeree but drawing a bowl of rice and flaked fish is kinda hard - and boring, so I chose my next favorite. \Myzithra Cheese.
Here you go:

30 day drawing challenge day 2: favorite animal

Day two of the drawing challenge I am supposed to draw my favorite animal. After the wacky attempt at trying to draw myself hopefully this will be more recognizable!



55 Quirky questions for readers Part two.

This questionnaire was put together by Lydia over at the Literary Lollipop, and then filled out by Robbie at Pink Sheep Cafe.

12 .What is your reading comfort zone? Mystery. I have recently started to read Fantasy and find that it is mostly what I read now.
13. Can you read on the bus? Oh hell to the no. Just thinking about it makes me feel motion sick. I would barf for days.

14. Favourite place to read: Pretty much the ONLY place I read right now is in bed. I used to read everywhere in the house but it is not safe to leave books around with the two little ones. I keep my books by my bed and read when the boys are asleep.

15. What’s your policy on book lending? I have no problem with lending books I don't think. I haven't really done it much. I would prefer to loan a book to someone who is going to read it because I have leant books to people who don't care to read them in which case I would rather just have it back. I am not offended if someone doesnt want to read because I know I read a LOT and value it lots more than people around me. I also know I read a lot faster than other people. I would prefer to give a book away than to lend it I guess. I like to pass books on.

16. Do you dogear your books? I used to but not so much anymore. I like to use a bookmark but I can never seem to keep one. Now I tend to fold the whole page in half so it doesnt leave a crease mark. I have found some cool bookmarks on pinterest I plan on making.

17. Do you write notes in the margins of your books? I absolutely write in textbooks, but not in novels.

18. Do you break/crack the spine of your books? I don't but my spouse does. She says I read a book and when I am finished you can't tell it has been opened. You can sure tell she has read a book though!

19. What is your favourite language to read? I have never tried to read a book in any language other than English. I doubt I would get much out of a book in any other language since I don't know any. I do understand pig latin but to my knowledge no book has ever been printed in pig latin.

20. What makes you love a book?
Characters. If I like a character I will almost read anything with them in it.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
Recommending books actually makes me a bit nervous. I have reccomended books in the past and had people completely HATE them. I am more likely to tell someone NOT to read a book than tell them TO read a book.

22. Favourite genre: I used to think it was mystery, but now I would have to say fantasy.

30 day drawing challenge day 1. Yourself

Here is my drawing of myself.

55 quirky questions for readers. Part one

This questionnaire was put together by Lydia over at the Literary Lollipop, and then filled out by Robbie at Pink Sheep Cafe.


I started this meme a very long time ago and never finished it. I am trying to clean up my blog and all of the "drafts" I have and came across this so decided to do it over and finish it this time!

1. Favourite childhood book:
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I used to listen to this read over the radio sitting on a stool in my grandmothers kitchen drinking bush tea and eating marmite on toast.

2. What are you reading right now?
I just finished Catch Me by Lisa Garnder and I don't know what books I have at home to begin. I think I have one by Tamora Pierce.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?

Hunting party by Moon, Elizabeth.
The Shamer''s daughter by Kaaberbol, Lene.
Once upon a river : a novel by Campbell, Bonnie Jo, 
The hitch-hiker''s guide to the galaxy by Adams, Douglas,
The Demon King : a seven realms novel by Chima, Cinda Williams
These things hidden by Gudenkauf, Heather
The iron king by Kagawa, Julie
Insurgent by Roth, Veronica
The Crowfield demon by Walsh, Pat,

4. Bad book habit:

I typically do not like to stop reading a book once I have started it. This is bad because I have read some really crappy books that I didnt like but felt compelled to finish. It takes a long time for me to get through them which also costs valuable time I could spend reading better books!

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?

Factotum, DM Cornish
Catch Me, Lisa Gardner
and some others I can't remember right now.

6. Do you have an e-reader?

Not yet.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?

I MUCH prefer one at a time.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?

No, because my blog is not about books. I would like to write more about books but there are some great bloggers out there who I could not compete with.

9. Least favourite book you read this year:

Fallen by Lauren Kate or Consumed by Kate Cann

10. Favourite book I’ve read this year:
I've read some good ones but this one got me thinking and talking. It's a cool project and I really enjoyed it.

The Oxford Project by Peter Feldstein.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

not enough!

Another meme.... Why? Why not?

1. Name one book that has really stuck with you.

I read a ridiculous amount of books so to pick one is very difficult. I would say that Orson Scott Card's Alvin Maker series has stuck with me, but books by Enid Blyton (The Faraway Tree) and Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Secret Garden)  are the books I remember from the earliest in my life.

2. Name one non-family adult who influenced you for the better.

You know I have been really lucky to have had many positive influences in my life. I feel somehow that to choose one would be doing a disservice to the others?  I would say Kathleen L. has been the most influential over the longest period of time. She is the person I see as being successful in every way and the person I would most like to be when I grow up. She has supported me as a student in University and as a professional in my career in a University setting AND personally. She is an AMAZING woman.

3. Name one really great thing about today's teens.

How sad is it that I barely know a teenager today? When I worked in Corrections my whole life was all about teenagers. Now I have two kids under the age of six and I don't even CARE about teenagers. Actually. I would like a really good babysitter, so I hope today's teens are responsible and like babysitting.

4. Who should be the Democratic nominee?

Barack Obama.

5. Who should be the Republican nominee?

Anyone but Mitt Romney!

6. The perfect Spring Vacation would be:

Taking my family to Disneyland

7. You win $50,000 to spend on your house. What do you do?

A. Replace the roof.
B. Redo the bathroom.
C. Add another bathroom.
D. Finish rewiring.
E. Put up a sweet fence.

8. You win another $50,000 but you have to give it away. What do you do?

Give it to my mother to start her new life.

9. Your worst guilty pleasure(s) is:

Sleep? Is that a guilty pleasure? Can it be?


10. You HAVE to go back to school. What do you study/learn?

Gosh. Right now that is the WRONG question to ask me because I am struggling with school so much.
If I could go anywhere and do anything I would go to Ohio State and get a doctorate in African Studies.