It's so hard..

to watch American Idol by yourself. Travis is out of town tonight at a Middle School conference in Kelowna (lucky him), so I'm here, solo, watching American Idol. And it's at the beginning of the season when they show all the people who are terrible. They really do think that they will be the next American Idol.

Please.

I have to sit here, and make comments to the tv and laugh all by myself.

Somehow it's just not the same.

Have a look

Angella has done it again! We have a new look for our recipe site, Recipe for Disaster.

Check it out!!!

Leaving my kids behind

There is such irony in life.

Kids can, and do drive you crazy.

So much so, that you fantasize about getting away.

Then, you are given the opportunity to get away.

And I don't want to say goodbye.

Kim is getting married!

This weekend, my wonderful husband let me escape the insanity of two young children and go to Vancouver. You see, my good old friend Kim is getting married.
Alison and I left Westbank at 6:30 AM!! on Saturday morning, picked Corinne up in Abby and carried on to Kits for brunch and a pedicure.
There is nothing quite like a good old girls weekend, even if it was only for about 4 hours with the four of us. We were pretty much inseparable in Bible school which was 12, no, 14 (!!!) years ago, and have made an effort to have at least one girls weekend per year since then, and most of the time it works out. We've sort of dropped the ball in the past few years, but I have a feeling that we'll be picking it up again soon, even if the weekends have to change from girls weekends to family camping weekends, husbands and kids included.
I had such a wonderful time, and felt refreshed for about 45 minutes when I got home.
Then it was time to start thinking about the next girls weekend!!

 

Cousins

Today Grace came over for a visit while Braden went to get his shots. Sarah and Grace played so well together -- they stayed at the table playing with play doh for like 20 minutes. That is a record for sure.
Sarah is such a lucky girl to have not only 1, but 2 cousins born within 9 months of her birthday! 

First night in the big girl bed

Well, we all survived it much better than I thought we would. Yesterday, rather than wait to do a big furniture shuffle, I just put a single mattress down in Sarah's room, and voila, she had her new big girl bed. The transition from her old carseat to the new one went really well just because we made such a big deal out of her 'new seat' and this 'new bed' was just the same. She managed to wander the hall at around 2am, then again at 5, but that time I joined her in her bed, and we lasted till 7 when we heard Ben up. She's so excited to be in her new bed, and going down for a nap today was no problem!
She used to fill up the crib quite well, but now she looks so small on that big mattress -- my little girl really is growing up. 

Please come to my party!

My sister Jenny has become a PartyLite rep, and so, to help her out with the start of her buisness, I am having a candle party! I know I just had one in December, but here is the chance for those of you who couldn't make it to come! Even if you don't want to buy anything, please come for a night of some appies and hanging out with the girls.

Friday, January 27th, 7:30 pm
At my house.
Please bring a friend.

If you read this blog, and live close by, you are invited!

to RSVP, give me a call or leave a comment.

Thanks girls, and I hope to see you Friday!

 

It's 10 to 7 and everybody's still sleeping

So while I wait for a more reasonable time to go and get ready for church, I'll do what other bloggers have done and do this list:

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. bus girl at Granny Bogners
2. service clerk at Overwaitea
3. on my dad's paving crew (shovelling asphalt thank you very much, NOT a road sign girl)
4. x-ray tech at St. Paul's hospital, and here in Penticton

Four movies you could watch over and over:
1. Any of the Lord of the Rings
2. A Christmas Story
3. The Princess Bride
4. Dumb and Dumber

Four places you've lived:
1. Penticton, BC
2. Caronport, SK
3. Vancouver, BC
4. back to Penticton, BC

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. the office
2. Lost
3. My name is earl
4. er
sadly, there are more.

Four places you have vacationed:
1. Kalamalka lake
2. Europe
3. Mexico
4. Hawaii

Four websites I visit daily:
1. All the links on the right, and some links from those links....
2. dooce.com
3. (this is embarassing) fbofw.com (the For Better or for Worse comic strip)
4. Blogger

Four of my favourite foods: (only 4?)
1. roast beef or turkey dinner
2. mexican food
3. indian food
4. asian food

Four places I'd rather be right now:
1. a spa
2. anywhere hot
3. anywhere just with Travis
4. all of the above.

:)

Happy Birthday Angella!

Today my dear friend Angella joins me in our 32nd year (as our husbands love to remind us), but let's just say we're 31.

I don't really remember first meeting Ange, because we went to Briercrest together, but were on separate floors, meaning we didn't really hang out. College is just an extension of high school but where life is not quite so bad, although looking back, I think, really, what was my problem anyways. I didn't have to hang out with only those 5 other people (the six pack) but that's another story. This is about Ange.

I was an RA second year, and she was an intern, so we kinda knew each other that way because we both arrived in Saskatchewan early, and had lunches together with the other RA's on occasion. We did, though, have a mutual friend who has a summer cabin at Kawkawa lake, and that's where we really met.

I can remember that summer, when we went to Yehaw (? 95, ?96?) sitting on the dock with her, discussing our current boyfriend situation, which for both of us, was not really that good. I think she had just moved down to the coast, so we decided that we would keep in touch after the summer, and maybe go to Willingdon Church together. We ended up living in Kits about a block away from each other, then decided to give being roomies a try. By then, I was engaged to Travis, and shortly after that, she met Matthew, and soon we were both married. She and Matthew moved up to the Okanagan, and we came about 2 years later, after Travis finished school at UBC.

Angella is the best kind of friend. She is honest, loyal, so giving and generous, funny and kind. Not only that, but she is outgoing, so beautiful on the inside and out, and very smart. She will do anything for you. She goes above and beyond, and never does anything half way. She is the most positive person I know. She loves Jesus with all her heart, and it shows. She is a great example as a wife, mother and friend. She inspires me to always look on the bright side of life, to be more outgoing, to just be a better person.

I never would have thought at Briercrest in September 1992 that she would become one of my bestest friends. But here we are, starting our 30's, and I have a friend that I know will still be there when I'm 40, 50, 60....

I love you Ange -- we all love you, Travis, Sarah and Ben,-- and are truly so blessed to have you in our lives. You're the best!

A little stressed

Well, the time is drawing near that I will have to go back to work. And so, I need to figure out something for my 2 little bears, and it sort of stresses me out. How do you even start to find someone to watch your kids? Look in the phone book and start at the top of the list? no. What is making it more difficult is that I don't like the idea, so I just avoid it. But that doesn't help solve anything.
I mean, really, who wouldn't want to spend time with these two cuties? Course, that begs the question, well, don't you, but let's not dive into that bowl of guilt just now.
Anyways, I guess the reason I'm posting is to ask if anyone has any great ideas or knows someone who'd like to make a bit of extra cash. I'll be working 1-3 days a week, and am flexible to the days. I'd like to set up some kind of schedule like every Monday and Tuesday, every other Wednesday or something but the actual days part doesn't really matter.
sigh.
back to work.

Confessions of a pack-rat

While at my parents' house last night, looking for the hardware for Sarah's new bed (which is not together yet, but will happen, I hope, sometime in the next month), I came across my journal from when I was 15. Oh, the drama. The end-of-the-world events, the excitement, the passion of a 15 year old heart.

I quote:
"Journal. P.S. for you snoopers, it's not a diary." front page. Like that would stop anyone.
"Life is not fair! (especially when you're the oldest)"
"June (& the first part of July) has been the worst month of my entire life."
"I love you, I just can't help it" -- said TO me, by the way, not by me

It takes me right back to life in grade 10 where you just can't see past you. High school is a funny thing, a right of passage, I guess, but most people I know are so glad that it's over. And would never go back. Ugh. It's bad enough looking at the pictures. But at the time, it's your world. You can't imaging anything outside of it.

I've kept journals in fits and spurts throughout my life, and I really wish I had the discipline to keep one up, but even having the few that I have gives me little glimpses into my past. Which I love.

And, of course, I've kept them, and would probably die if someone came across them and read them, even Travis.

Don't even laugh. I loved this dress. And the turtle neck, and the white tights.
And the belt.

Scattered, here's proof

Last night I was talking about feeling scattered, and said that I would remember another reason when I was lying in bed. Well, it came to me this morning in the shower, actually.

I will plan to go to a store, and make a list. Usually I'll think of things throughout the day, and add them to this list. Then I go to the store, and usually walk through it the same way so that I can jog my memory if there's anything else I need. Almost every time though, I'll get home, and within about 2 minutes.....

"shoot, I needed diapers"

"should have bought cereal"

'"formula"

The next list is started.

Scattered

I don't know how many times I'm thinking back on a conversation I've had with someone, and wonder, "did I ask her ____?" or "how did she answer this question?" I think it has something to do with what they call 'pregnancy brain' which, before we go any farther, I am NOT pregnant, but I do think this 'pregnancy brain' goes on longer than the pregnancy. Like into maybe 'nursing brain' to 'toddler brain' to 'pre-teen brain' -- I think you get the idea.
I think it also has something to do with the fact that I have 30 lbs dangling (literally) from my belt or pockets any time I'm trying to converse with someone. It's a little distracting.

My point is that I get SOOO distracted.

I can't remember the ends of conversations --like if they even happened or not, never mind what they were about.

I leave laundry in the washing machine for days at least twice a week, requiring me to re-wash all the time. And let's not forget the folding or putting away of clothes, but I think that's just avoidance.

It takes me forever to return calls because I'll think of it, but the thought is pretty much gone as soon as it arrives.

I can't even think of what else I was going to write about right now, but I'm sure I'll think of something good in a couple of hours when I'm lying in bed.

It finally happened

This morning, as Travis went to get Sarah out of bed, he was actually greeted at the door by the little bear. So at 28 months old, she finally decided to escape her crib. I had actually been hoping that she would never figure it out, but I it seems to be a right of passage for little kids, so I guess it was inevitable. It's actually good timing, because we were planning on bringing a 'big girl bed' home for her this weekend. The bed that's coming was actually my first bed, so I'm hoping that it will still be able to hold all 30ish pounds of her, apparently it needs some special care when it gets put together, right Rachel? Anyways, by Monday, she'll be toasting to her freedom, and we'll be expecting visits throughout the night.

I used to laugh..

At the idea of a drive through Starbucks. I mean really, you're telling me that a person can't just get out of their car and walk all the way into the building to order their latte?

Yes.

It is pretty close to the impossible, I think, to drag a toddler and carry a baby and expect that you will be able to order, pay, pick up your drink, and make it back to your car with children in tow all in one piece.

I wish Penticton had a drive through Starbucks.

I also used to laugh at people who said that they forgot to eat. If you know me, you'll know that I have quite a close relationship with good food. How anyone could possibly forget to eat was something that I was totally unable to relate to.

Until kids.

Breakfast is usually the first thing missed, I can still manage to always remember lunch, and I think Trav and I have only forgotten dinner once, maybe twice. It's such a shame to forget an opportunity to eat.

One more thing that would make me laugh was new moms who talked about being happy if they were able to get a shower in their day, or said their main aim was to get their teeth brushed, and that's all they needed to feel good to go.

Until Sarah.

When she was a baby, and would wake up hungry, I did not even have time to pee before I had to feed her -- she woke up crying -- and from there we moved to the stage where if I left her sight for a nanosecond -- maybe to go to the bathroom, or, if you can imagine, to shower -- she would run to the bathroom door and literally be screaming and crying, banging her head on the door at the anguish of it all. Imagine, this mother of hers has basic needs that need to be tended to. The nerve.

That being said, I have been that mother still in her pj's at 2 in the afternoon, not a shower to have been had, and fuzz on her teeth. To this day, if I can make it out of the house with deodorant on, I'm happy.

So what's the lesson in it all? -insert cliche here-
~ older and wiser?
~ your life totally changes when you have kids
~ don't expect kids to fall into your schedule, they have an agenda all their own
~ don't laugh at someone else until you have been in their shoes, then you can laugh like crazy!!
~ don't have expectations on what kind of personality your kid will have, or what they will look like, because really, we don't have anything to do with it.

But the funny thing is, that no matter what your kids do to you, physically (ha!) or emotionally, you a) can't imagine your life without them, and b) you'll love them more than you ever thought possible.

I should clarify....

Angella's post today was about commenting on people's blogs. I have to agree, I love to get comments, but also have to admit, that I rarely comment on other people's blogs. Partly because I'd just repeat what someone else has already commented (the good stuff has already been said), or I'm a little ashamed that I've followed the link-trail to your blog. You know, spending time on the computer when I should faithfully and dutifully be playing with my kids, or teaching them to read or maybe use the toilet for goodness sake. This is where the clarification comes in. I tend to always be on the cautious side, as I really hate to offend people, or make them uncomfortable. When I commented on Ange's blog, the ONLY blog loser I was talking about was ME. I hope that nobody else thought that I was talking about them, because I know that you're all a wonderful bunch of girls (I'm pretty sure there aren't many guys reading our stuff), and I think that we'd all have a really great time if it were to ever happen that we were all in the same room at one time WITH NO KIDS.
Anyways, I think that it's really cool that we've all met in this 21st century kind of way, though there is a little part of me that misses the life where you check the mailbox every day to see if someone has written you a letter.

A new year, a new look

I've just spent the last, oh, hour (or more) on this silly template. It better be good enough. For now, anyways. My eyes are crossed and my brain is spinning.

How do you like it?

Thank you!

I was having a look (again) at my birthday gift from Angella, and it really is one of the best birthday gifts ever. Everybody should be so lucky to receive such a gift. I just really wanted to thank everybody who contributed: Travis, Mom and Dad, Jenny, Rachel, Donny, Mom and Dad Bond, Kevin and Shirley, Sheryl, Lisa, Corinne, Amanda and Christy. Thanks, Ange for putting it all together too. It is so nice to be reminded that you are loved.

How cute is he?

It's Ben's latest thing -- he loves to pose for the camera. What a turkey!!
But the cutest turkey, EVER!!

Tales from the trip

Yesterday we left my grandparents' (Grandma or GiGi and Papa) place in Richmond and headed out to Abbotsford where my other grandparents (Omi and Opi) live. Omi and Opi moved in the spring to the Menno home into their own one bedroom apartment. It's a fairly new building they're in, and it sounds like they already know alot of people who live there (and are related to most of them, I'm sure), and one of the nice things is that their lunch is provided every day in a really nice new dining hall. We ended up getting to their place sometime around 11:30 and had a great little visit with them, but soon it was time for them to go down for lunch. We walked down together, and they showed me this new lunch room. Everyone had already gathered, and they were praying for the meal, so we just waited out in the hall for a bit to say good bye, but it only took one look into the room for Sarah, when she piped up, "Santa Clause!!"
Now, I didn't see anyone with a beard or presents, but I guess they all DID have white hair!

Problem solving 101

What do you do when you are travelling by yourself with 2 kids, one of whom can't walk, and you have to go to the bathroom? I was faced with that problem yesterday on our way home. Oh yes, and they were sleeping. My options went from stopping on the side of the road, but you should know (or should you?) that I have NEVER peed in the bush, to stopping at a gas station and asking the attendant to watch my kids. This idea didn't sit well with me either because my paranoid mother-brain works overtime on that one -- the kids won't be there when I get back, someone will rob the gas station and take my kids -- good crazy things that I never worried about before I had kids to worry about. Anyways, thankfully they woke up, and here comes the part where there might be too much information for some people, so stop here.... I ended up stopping at the Manning Park lodge. Fortunately, there was no one else in the bathroom to see me sit there with the door open so Sarah could run around and not freak out and Ben on my lap.
Never done THAT before, but isn't motherhood all about improvising?

Milk

Today Ben signed 'milk'! We've been a little bit behind on the whole signing thing (this is the story of poor Ben's life -- being behind), but I'm really trying to do it when I remember. Whenever I sign 'more' or 'eat' for him, he just gives me this amused look, but is taking it all in at the same time. Today as he was drinking his bottle with me (wonder of wonders), I was signing 'milk' to him and after thinking hard about it, all of a sudden his little chubby fist was opening and closing. He was so proud of himself, that smart little boy, and we are too!

Oh so tired

Tomorrow we come home. Finally. Though this has been a wonderful trip for seeing Travis' family, and my grandparents and doing a little shopping (emphasis on little), it has been exhausting. Of the 12 nights or so that we've been here so far, Sarah has slept through twice. Only 2 times. She's not the type who wakes up in the night and is quiet about it, and rarely has she only woken up one time per night. We have had 1 or 2 or 3 'end of the world' type fits per night. Ben has not slept through the night once here. At worst, it's been every hour or two (but has 3 teeth to show for it), and at best I think he was up twice. These kids are wearing me out fast.

The boring routine of our day to day lives at home looks so appealing right now.

There's no place like home!!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Cody!

Today, Cody Mutch is 2!! Well, very early this morning, anyways! In 2004, he was Abbotsford's New Years baby, so his is an easy birthday to remember. His mom, Corinne, and I met at Briercrest and were good friends there, and have stayed friends since. I love having old friends that are still so easy to talk to and comfortable to be with even when you don't see them very often. Corinne and Jonny are those kinds of friends. We can get together with them (about once a year is all it happens) and the conversation is happening in no time. And it's the good kind of conversations -- the kinds that really matter and go places that we have. Cody was born blind, so his life has started out so differently than what you or I would expect for our child, but the way that Corinne and Jonny have dealt with their situation has truly been an example. It hasn't been easy, I know, but it has opened up a whole new world I'm sure for them, but for Travis and me too. Corinne has a blog too, and I love reading it to see how Cody's perspective on life is so different, but so fresh and new, too. I love to see life in new ways, I think it's good for the soul.
Corinne and Jonny, we love you guys, and your little family too! Happy Birthday Cody!!

Happy New Year!

Welcome, 2006! Happy New Year to everyone! Hope you all had a great night last night, and are well rested today -- ha ha ha -- funny how kids don't know the difference between Friday and Saturday, let alone that they need to sleep in for their parents' sake on Jan. 1st! We had a really fun night last night out with some old friends of Travis' at Rob and Heidi Martin's place -- lots of Rook and debating about the teacher's strike. Well, it WAS Rob's party, and he can talk about whatever he wants to!! But it was great to see them in their new house and meet the newest member of their family, Jaden. We actually got home at 2:30 making it the lastest night out for us that I can remember.

Anyways, the hockey continues, and we're enjoying our time down here at the coast, but aren't getting to see as many people as we had hoped for. But like I said in August, it's not really a vacation, just a change of location, and we do try and aim high for lots of visits, and are happy to get in what we can. So, if you haven't heard from us, please know that we are at least thinking of you!! And now that I have a few minutes, I'm going to go play with my new iPod (finally!!!). :)