Hussicots

Christmas In November

2011-11-26T18:12:00.000-05:00

I. Put. Up. The. Tree. All. By. Myself.

Well the boys helped a bit, I mean without another adult to move the chair, vacuum the gross things from where the chair was, get the boxes from storage, put the entire thing up WITH LIGHTS and put the boxes away after. All while Jake is at work. I'm hoping he's surprised. Does Toys R Us have wifi?

Getting on the Float - animation

2011-11-20T23:01:00.000-05:00

This is a little animation I made expressing the emotions I felt getting on the float. The very tall float. The worst part had a tiny teeny tiny ledge for my feet and very little to hang on to as I "swung around" to the bed of the truck. I WISH I had sweet pea hands that could've wrapped around the handles like the animation depicts.

Christmas Parade

2011-11-20T21:10:00.000-05:00

Um. Yah. I'm a delinquent blogger. My apologies, but seriously. Facebook, people. Facebook.

For those of you who still check here and who might not check my facebook or have your own facebook or have passwords to someone's facebook and lurk with permission, here are some videos of the Santa Claus Parade we were in last night. Hayden and Sage's dance company Attitudes In Motion (A.I.M.) floated down the streets of town right by the traffic cops, and we only stopped a moment when we heard them holler STOP! Ok they didn't hollar. Hollur? at us. One obediently waved once at me, caught on film. We were float 30 of about 60 floats, so we didn't get to see much except for what you see in the film, but we had a great time waving and smiling and didn't even kill ourselves getting on and off the float. 168 pounds ago I never would've even considered getting up there.

So, enjoy. I miss you.
love
ME.

This video is for showing the public what we experienced, and why we might've missed your face if it was in the crowd. Dark. Busy. Speedy floats.

New Family Photo

2011-08-12T20:50:00.000-04:00

Note regarding the picture above:

We were at our friends' 10th anniversary renewal of vows tonight and so we were all dressed up. What a perfect opportunity to have our picture taken, eh?

Sprinkle Sprinkle Little Star

2011-07-19T20:36:00.000-04:00

It was very hot today so Jake set up the sprinkler for the boys. I love this picture. Classic sprinkler-in-the-face faces LOL.

Hayden hung back a bit and let Sage lead the way, as per usual. Sage was entirely soaked before Hayden was even 1/4 wet. I tried to get a shot of Sage jumping over the sprinkler but due to the delay between shutter pressed and photo snapped, this is as close as I was going to get to a mid-air shot LOL.

I love my new camera. Can you see the water droplets? Super fine details picked up. Thanks again, Carol's Husband, for the help selecting it!

Angry Birds Crochet Pattern

2011-07-15T20:58:00.000-04:00

Hi!

Jake loves Angry birds so much he bought some wool and has commissioned me (for free) to make him some of the characters via crochet.

I can have access to a free pattern if I advertise the person's blog on my blog, so if you're an Angry Bird keener, here's the website you should definitely visit:

http://angrybirdscrochet.blogspot.com/

ta ta for now

Jennifer

PS hernia surgery went well 8 days ago and I'm recouperating nicely.

Lisa Young

2011-06-04T17:12:00.000-04:00

I just discovered my cousin Lisa Young has her own blog!

http://lisa-youngc.blogspot.com/

It even looks like she updates quite often LOL.

Check her out! She's a poet.

Happy Last Few Hours of Easter Weekend!

2011-04-25T23:23:00.001-04:00

I trust the Bunny found you all well?

Today was such great weather, we invited some friends over whose stuff we were storing (read: rotting) in our back yard, and we took several loads over to the dump. For $4 we got rid of A LOT of stuff, hers and ours. I also sold some of the kids' outgrown outside toys, so our yard is feeling a wee bit empty now. But that's okay, the kids have room to run!

After supper we went to Fielding Memorial park and fed some birds and played on the playground and went for a walk. I will now attempt to post pictures, and NOT get so mad I stop blogging for 3 months.

Yup I'm mad, but not mad enough to stop blogging.

So here we are! On the playground! Me! Sliding down a slide! It was wonderful to play WITH my kids, instead of just watching from the sidelines like I have their whole lives. They thought it was hillarious. I must have gone down the slide 7-8 times with them.

I held them up to the monkey bars and they got a feel what it was like to go from bar to bar. Pretty easy when Mommy's holding all your weight LOL. Don't worry, this didn't hurt my hernia.

Swinging was so. much. fun. I got that swinging stomach lurch feeling as I swung, but it didn't nauseate enough to stop LOL The kids laughed so hard at pushing me on the swing I thought their heads were going to pop off.

I haven't sat on a swing since I think grade 9. My butt was too big even then. It hurt. Today didn't hurt at all! I don't know if they make swings bigger now or what, or if my deflating bum just fits .. but either way WHEEEE!

Just after we took this next photo (there was a similar one taken last summer by my dad when we came to this same park in July or maybe August) I had a very interesting/odd geographical realization. We went to the little landing that we've been to a couple times in the past, which has a picnic table and a little water fall and the ducks and other birds gather for the bread crumbs. It had always in my mind been a Walk from the car. Not too far, but far enough. Just after Jake took this picture, we were all walking down the lane towards the landing, and I broke out into a jog with the kids. For about 10 seconds. And then we were there. Are we here? I asked. It seemed much shorter. Too short to be the same place. Nope. Yup. We were there. Major realization. As a slow moving invalid of COURSE it would seem much longer of a walk. I'm almost embarrassed at how short of a walk it really is. But I know no-one was judging me before, and most probably he (my dad and/or Jake) CHOSE that spot BECAUSE it was so close and wouldn't wear the invalid-me out to get to it. But it was a jolt to my brain's map of the world to suddenly cinch up the distance along that path.

And here, because we can, are two very funny poses by two very funny children:

I think Sage looks like a model here. He's got 3-D glasses with the lenses removed, and that far away look like all great models have.

Hayden.. well. He's a ham. LOL

I found the picture. From July 2010. crazy.

I'm Dancing With Tears In My Eyes

2011-04-22T12:10:00.000-04:00

A song by Ke$ha. The tears in my eyes part is what brought it to mind.

January? The last post I posted was in January? That's not what's upsetting me, but it's adding guilt. I shrug you off, Guilt! GO AWAY.

You. Readers. You can surely stay, if you're still out there.

So to quickly catch you up on the last *gulp*4 months around here:

Jake quit smoking cold turkey and today marks a completely smokeless three weeks. He's doing awesome and reports his sense of smell is annoyingly acute now.

Hayden has lost five teeth.

Sage is developing rapidly into a basketball nut.

The boys and I joined the YMCA and the kids have taken swimming lessons and will soon also start their gymnastics and dance classes as well. Sage is in intro to dance and Hayden is in Contemporary/Jazz. I didn't feel that he should have had the social stigma held against him joining the ballet class, and I was thoroughly prepared to put both of them in ballet, but when Zumba ends Saturday morning, the little ballerinas are all lined up outside to use the same room and they're so pink and flowery and tutu-y that I crumbled and just couldn't sign the boys up for that much floof-foo.

I love to work out. Loving hour-long Zumba classes as well as the treadmill where I, Jennifer Huss, run. That's right, run. I started just walking, but about 2 weeks ago I took some expert runner friend's advice and mixed 1 minute of running in between 4 minutes of walking. I've been increasing the ratio and taking my time warming up, and now I usually start with 6 minutes of walking, 4 minutes running, then another 6:4, usually continuing that until about 40 minutes when I finish running and walk to cool down for 5-10 mins. A couple days ago I was in a total run-zone and didn't stop after the 4 minutes. I continued for 8 minutes and was comfortable, relaxed in my upper body, breathing hard but not belabouredly, no pain, brain numbed by the excellent music in my ears.. I felt like I could go and go and go. It was awesome! Unfortunatly the treadmill's computer suffered a system error which brought me to a screeching halt. By the time I got the attendant to come over to look, decide it needed service, and went on a different machine, my zen zone-out was gone and I just couldn't get it back. It's so true that running is mental. Now that I know it's out there, I'm gonna go get that zen zone-out again.

Weight-loss wise I'd plateaued (with a slight upward slant) ever since Christmas, but I've reversed it and am at my new all-time-low since 1996. I'm 295lbs, lost 146 total since Jan 2010. Health-wise my wound is frustratingly STILL AROUND and is preventing me from being scheduled for my hernia repair. I discovered it around Christmas (and was probably one of the factors contributing to the halt in weight-loss as I believed I couldn't start excercise) and in early January got it diagnosed by my family doctor. He sent me to a Sudbury surgeon whom I saw at the end of February. Dr Snider said he wouldn't do the repair until my wound was completely and well healed, as even in a perfect situation, hernias have about 20% chance of infection/complication/crapola because of the foreign mesh they have to stitch into you. With an existing wound in the same area, that would increase to a stupidly high percentage, which he wouldn't risk. The hernia is in the abdominal area between my ribs and belly button, and sticks out like 1/2 a volleyball. It's gross. And it's growing. It used to look like an elbow sticking out. Now it looks, like I said, like a volleyball. I wear a tight elastic binder every day all day to support it. It mostly doesn't hurt, except yesterday I sneezed and didn't hold it with my hands and that was painful. Also painful is when the cat jumps on me, or a kid elbow uses it as leverage to get off my lap. Whenever this stupid wound heals I can book my surgery and begin another HOPEFULLY MUCH SHORTER recovery. Whatever happens, the surgery will definitely be AFTER ->

-> We are renting a cottage at the end of June on Lake Mindemoya on Manitoulin island, and we can't wait! There's no way I'm NOT going in the water again this year, so my hernia repair will be AFTER this week-long paradise vacation. My sister and family are sharing the 4 bedroom cottage (camp) with us, and my dad too. The yard is huge, the lot is private, the beach is rocky but the water is sandy sandy sandy awesomesauce.

And on that super-high note, I will end this here. But I promise, it won't be 4 months before I post again.

Love
Jennifer

Squirrel!

2011-01-03T21:16:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Today Tilly barked at the front door. I was getting ready to go out, so wondered if someone were here. The kids wondered too, but nope. No-one was knocking. Then Jake said "Jennifer! Come quick! Numbnuts is trapped between the screen and the door!" Numbnuts is his name for the squirrel who likes to hang around on our wall and eat our birdseed and chatter at Kitty and Tilly from a safe distance. And there he was, trapped between the screen door and the inside door. How would that happen? you might be asking. Well, our screen door latch is broken. We usually hook the little hook we attached to prevent the door from banging in the wind, but Jake had recently let Tilly out and hadn't re-hooked the hook. The door had banged open, and then banged shut with Numbnuts on the inside. At first we thought it was cute and I tried to take a picture, but then we realized we couldn't easily resolve the situation. I had to go meet a friend, but we couldn't open the inside door and risk Numbnuts running into our house. The wind had died down and the door seemed too heavy for Numbnuts to push himself free. I suggested to Jake he go out the back door and go around, but the snow back there had drifted deeply against that door and since we never use that entrance, we hadn't bothered to shovel it free. Yes I know it's a second escape in case of fire. We'll get to it. So what we decided to do (since I was then late to visit my friend) would be to guard the tiny crack in the door we were going to open, I would then snake my arm in and push on the screen door so Numbnuts could escape. We hoped he wouldn't try to bolt through the house. With Kitty and Tilly and the boys and us there, I can't see that he would've thought to try and get past us would be the safest option, but to a squirrel's brain, who knows? Do they even have logic?

Anyway that worked, and he chittered away quickly. Tilly went out to make sure he wasn't hanging around. And I met my friend for soup.

Cute Forward

2010-11-15T09:37:00.000-05:00

I got this in a forward and while I don't like to forward things myself, if you felt like reading it here, go ahead. It's very cute.

KIDS IN CHURCH

3-year-old Reese :
'Our Father, Who does art in heaven,
Harold is His name.
Amen.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A little boy was overheard praying:
'Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it.
I'm having a real good time like I am.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the christening of his baby brother in church,
Jason sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car.
His father asked him three times what was wrong.
Finally, the boy replied,
'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home,
and I wanted to stay with you guys.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One particular four-year-old prayed,
'And forgive us our trash baskets
as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they
were on the way to church service,
'And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?'
One bright little girl replied,
'Because people are sleeping.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3.
The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake.
Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson.
'If Jesus were sitting here, He would say,
'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'
Kevin turned to his younger brother and said,
' Ryan , you be Jesus !'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A father was at the beach with his children
when the four-year-old son ran up to him,
grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore
where a seagull lay dead in the sand.
'Daddy, what happened to him?' the son asked.
'He died and went to Heaven,' the Dad replied.
The boy thought a moment and then said,
'Did God throw him back down?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A wife invited some people to dinner.
At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said,
'Would you like to say the blessing?'
'I wouldn't know what to say,' the girl replied.
'Just say what you hear Mommy say,' the wife answered.
The daughter bowed her head and said,
'Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?'

Sick Sage Inna Snuggie

2010-11-14T16:59:00.000-05:00

New Background

2010-11-14T16:44:00.000-05:00

I should've had this background earlier. Oh well. I just couldn't put up a wintery one yet.

Missed the Parade

2010-11-13T22:44:00.000-05:00

Tonight we'd had big plans to go to the Santa Claus Parade with Sabrina and Robbie (newly confirmed as my bestie and her 3 1/2 year old son) but Jake's back has been out since Wednesday when we got a new free dishwasher and we dragged it into our house by ourselves, and yesterday after school Sage was crazy whiney and then napped and we realized he is sick. He had a fever that broke on its own and has a cough.. and sitting in the cold for 2-3 hours was probably not the best course of action for his quick recovery. Anyway we didn't end up going. I heard it was great.

Incidentally the dishwasher doesn't attach to our tap, so it's basically just another counter top in the kitchen until we can order the specific nozzle from GE required to connect to the hoses. We tried 3 different nozzles from Home Depot and 2 different ones from Lowes. None of them worked. I am very close with their returns counter reps now though.

This morning Hayden wrote a letter to Santa for him and Sage. We mailed it. His writing is so cute! Then tonight he wrote another letter to a boy we're sending a christmas package to through our church. We don't know who it's going to, we just know it will be a poor deserving kid across the sea. They fundraise and lift spirits by giving out shoeboxes that people fill with toys and gifts, then bring back full and pay $7 for shipping to send it across the sea. You attach a label to say what age group and if you bought for a girl or a boy. We bought for a 5-9 year old boy. We put in a huge lolly pop (like 4" diameter) some reindeer socks, a cute whales notebook, some pencils with sports balls erasers, a super ball, lazers that attach to your fingers, a snowman stuffy, and some colourful markers. I think I'm forgetting something. Oh well. The boys had fun picking things - DINOSAUR FIGURINES that's what I forgot - for the poor boy across the sea.

Who let November in?

2010-11-05T22:59:00.001-04:00

Well! I'm doing lots better now, thanks. I had a minor surgery on Oct 22nd where he removed a large plastic stitch that was being rejected by my body, and slowly making its way to the surface. It felt like needles in my belly after the nurse saw the tip of it coming through my flesh and told me what was happening. It felt like needles in my belly before that too, but who thinks there'll be needles in their belly? After I knew what it was, that's exactly what it felt like. The doctor said I might "need to have this done again" which to me means there's another stitch like it down there, but we're going to cross our fingers and hope it stays PUT and doesn't get rejected. He also cut between the two holes and made one nice large hole which is showing progress towards healing.

My total weight loss is 125 lbs, but I missed my tuesday morning weigh-in this week and will have to "cheat" and check my progress tomorrow. I normally don't like weighing in off-schedule because I'm trying to stay sane. LOL. If I check more than a couple times a week, what's to stop me from checking every day? And if I check every day, what's to stop me from checking twice a day? I don't want to become obsessed.

And also now I am a twit. I tweet. I have joined Twitter. (I copied my sister.) See the feed on the side there?

I'm off work healing until November 22nd, so if anyone wants to stop by for a visit, feel free! I'll be home. I'm talking to YOU Americanos!

Been a while, eh?

2010-10-04T22:29:00.000-04:00

Well folks, I've had another complication/setback.

To recap my story in a nutshell, I had the original RNY surgery on May 17th 2010. Then I had open surgery on May 20th to correct an obstructed bowel. Third surgery that week was May 24th to clean out absess and other pockets of infection. The open incision got infected around my belly button before I left the hospital in June, and after I got home another infection opened up another hole about 2" above the original hole. Both holes were 4-5 cms deep, and about an inch across at the surface. I go for daily care at a nursing office where they irrigate, clean, and pack me. I love those ladies. I haven't been sorry that this has been going on so long because most of them are so lovely and funny and caring. But it really has been going on a long long long long long long time.

To try and a-speed things hup (anyone watch Princess Bride?) this past week they changed the way they changed my dressing. No more irrigation because they figured it was not all coming back out since the openings are so small and keeping it that wet impedes healing. After three days of dry dressings and no irrigation I was hopeful that I would show some improvement. The wounds were 2.5 cms and 3 cms a week ago. Then Friday I felt a change. My wounds which had been quite nicely numb were not numb no more. Lots of pain and suddenly copious amounts of drainage. I was leaking through the sponges left right and centre. When I saw the nurse the next morning she said I must have had a pocket of infected fluid inside that burst. Both wounds deepened considerably. The 2.5 cm one became 4 cms and the 3 cm one became 5.5cms. I've had to take tylenol 3 to cope with the pain, which I haven't had to take since the first week or so I was home, back in June.

I went to work today, but there's lots of jumping up and down out of my chair which was painful. I can't take the T3 at work, but extra strength took some of the edge off at least.

My nurse today said she was faxing my surgeon and that the most likely course of action is going to be another surgery where he goes in, cleans out any and all pockets of infection, and the two wounds cut into one. With the larger opening at the surface of the skin it will be more conducive to healing. Bigger wounds heal faster. Sounds weird, but that's what they assure me. She said sometimes wounds like mine that don't heal are due to a reaction to internal sutchers.

I have otherwise been doing very well. I am finally happy I got the surgery. I weigh low enough to get on a Wii Fit. My plumbing is good, and I've never thrown up any food. My hair has almost all fallen out and I'm seriously thinking I will be cutting it super short (or shaving) but I have lots of pretty scarves and bandanas that I AM allowed to wear at work and I think I rock the look pretty good.

And of course I'm surrounded by wonderfully supportive friends and family and I will be around to do a lot more with them for a lot longer now. I'm only 9 pounds away from halfway done my weight loss journey! 111 lost so far.

Okay I ended on a positive note. I feel better. Thanks.

ONE HUNDRED POUNDS LOST

2010-09-07T08:24:00.000-04:00

Yup you read it right. Since January of this year I have shed 100 pounds. 40 pre-op and 60 post-op.

CELEBRATION!

My Story, Part III

2010-08-26T22:32:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday morning I awoke from my anaesthetically induced slumber before they pulled the tube out of my throat. I could feel them pulling what felt like EKG stickers off my legs and arms, maybe they were straps. I was still quite drugged. I thought I could tell what they wanted to do next, and that was going to be pulling out the tube from my throat. For some reason that seemed like a bad idea, so I sat up (weird cuz I was so weak) and grabbed the wires that one of the male nurses was holding. There was a nurse on each side of my bed, doing stuff like pulling off batches of wires or whatever, and I held onto the bundle of wires and didn't let go. I can clearly remember the expression of confusion and possibly anger on his face as he tug-o-warred with me over the wire bundle. Then I realized I DIDN'T know what he wanted to do next, but I couldn't talk because there was something in my mouth. Oh yah. The tube still in my throat. That. I tried to indicate that he should take the bundle of wires out of my hand, but I don't think I had much brain-to-muscles-in-hand co-ordination. And then it all went dark again.

I woke up again as the tube exited my throat. I forgot to mention that because I was vomiting so much when they did the second surgery, when they put me out they had to push on my Eve's Apple to suppress the vomit if I did so while they intibated me. When I woke up that time, it was at the moment they were pulling out the tube and I did throw up, into my ears. Back to the third (fourth) wake-up. The bed I was in was inflating and deflating in a very relaxing rhythmic motion, under one leg, under a shoulder, the other leg, the other shoulder, the bum; a very high-tech bed for bariatric patients who can't prevent their own bed sores. I felt I didn't need this bed. Even though I was as weak as a kitten.

The rest of the week was full of pain, drains, more IVs, and looking forward to visits from Carol. At least I was moved to a room that had a free tv and a phone.

I'm having a very hard time relating this story to you. Going through all the negatives is making me feel awful. I am so sorry, my family and loved ones, that I put you through the worry and anxiety of this whole mess. I am going to synopsize the rest of it.

I moved out of the ICU into HDU (High Dependancy Unit) on that Friday. That was the day Jake came from Sudbury to take over from Carol who had to return to North Bay. I was able by then to get out of bed to the toilet, or for small walks in the hall, or to sit for brief periods of time. On Sunday night my roommate went into code blue and died. I moved into a regular room on Tuesday. The surgeon said I could possibly be discharged on Friday. False hope. I was still there over the weekend. Monday was awful and I will relate that story in more detail, but not right now.

To end on a much happier note, I've lost 93 lbs since January. I feel good except for the wounds still in my belly. One of the most wonderous perks is that formerly painful waiting room chairs with arms are no longer painful. That part doesn't seem real. My bum fitting in chairs. In a couple weeks Sage will be going into JK all day every day, and Hayden will be going into Grade One. I can't believe my boys are so old! I will probably cry, sending them off to school together on the 7th. And the plan is that I return to work on September 8th.

Ta for now.

More of my Hospital Story

2010-07-20T11:12:00.000-04:00

So last we spoke about this, I was merrily eating yummy tasting ice chips after my bowl obstruction surgery was over, with a side of excruciating shoulder pains.

Over the next few days I was able to eat more than just a few bites of my clear liquids diet, and everything stayed down. Yay! When I ate though, it stimulated my intestines and that meant sudden and urgent flying trips to the toilet. What a nice surprise. Okay that was sarcasm. What ISN'T sarcasm was the great surprise that BK and Jake planned on that Saturday to drive down to Toronto to let my family visit me, and to pick up Dhara and take her back with them. It was so great to see my family, but Sage was shy and made strange with me because I had an oxygen tube in my nose and the IVs in my arm. I let him have a drink from my pitcher of water and ice (which looked like a giant paper cup) and that eased his apprehension. Hayden asked a bunch of questions and Jake sat quietly holding my hand. It was great to see them but I got tired quickly and they didn't end up staying very long.

That night around 10pm I had heart palpatations which lasted (by the clock) 3 minutes. I called the nurse and let her know. She said if it happens again she would call the heart specialist to come take a look. At 11:30pm they started again and I rang for the nurse. They didn't stop this time. At first I thought "I hope this lasts until the heart people get here", so they'd be able to see the problem and know how to fix it. But half an hour later my room was full of people and equipment and it was still going on and they were loading me with drugs, I took back that thought and just wanted it to end. The doctor said "Okay this drug will feel like a kick in the chest. Ready?" She administered it. I asked when the kick in the chest would happen, having felt nothing but the heart palpatations. She said "hmm" and then decided to move me to the respiratory/heart floor. So off we went. I said goodbye to my private room and was wheeled up a floor and into a very hot room with someone snoring in it. We were there about 10 minutes when the doc said she wanted me in the ICU. The nurse who'd moved all my stuff had just arrived with it when we were out the door and on our way downstairs to ICU. I'm actually surprised I didn't lose anything.

In the ICU the team who'd been trying to put IV's in me succeeded in getting additional ports in so I had a total of 6, and one was arterial. My flesh on my arms was almost completely bruises and swollen as a result. Later when Carol was there, she counted seven bags of stuff dripping into me at once. The doctor told me that my heart was beating over 200 beats per minute and I had v-fib. For my own sake just now I looked up the wikipedia definition:

Ventricular fibrillation (V-fib or VF) is a condition in which there is uncoordinated contraction of the cardiac muscle of the ventricles in the heart, making them quiver rather than contract properly. While there is activity, perhaps best described as "writhing like a can filled with worms" it is undetectable by palpation (feeling) at major pulse points of the carotid and femoral arteries especially by the lay person. Such an arrhythmia is only confirmed by ECG/EKG. Ventricular fibrillation is a medical emergency that requires prompt BLS/ACLS interventions because should the arrhythmia continue for more than a few seconds, it will likely degenerate further into asystole (a flat ECG with no rhythm- which is usually not responsive to therapy unless there is still some residual fine VF rhythm left or the patient is otherwise lucky and is treated very quickly); after this, within minutes blood circulation will cease, and sudden cardiac death (SCD) may occur in a matter of minutes and/or the patient could sustain irreversible brain damage and possibly be left brain dead (death often occurs if normal sinus rhythm is not restored within 90 seconds of the onset of VF, especially if it has degenerated further into asystole).

There was a lot of activity around me, obviously, with doctors telling me different options they were going to try to get my heart rate down and back to normal. One doctor told me she wanted to tilt the bed to a radical angle with my head down and then something else but I don't remember what, and the main doctor who was with me from the beginning said if the drugs she was giving me didn't start to work she was going to have to shock me. Defibrulate me. At this point I thought I was going to die. I was so scared and I cried, thinking of Jake and the boys and how sorry I was to have chosen to do this to myself and to them.

By the morning my heart rate had slowed down to 140 beats per minute and the v-fib was way less. No shocking had had to happen, no tilting the bed, yay the drugs worked.

Sunday I wasn't able to sleep. Every time I closed my eyes scary and gross visualizations came to my eyes immediately. I couldn't help imagining horrible things happening to my kids and to me and the lack of sleep was making me halucinate sounds. I thought I heard a song (that now I can't remember) being played over and over again, and I even asked a nurse about it. He thought I was crazy, of course. A day or so later I heard the humming noise of the machines that were making me think they were music. But back to Sunday. That night I didn't sleep either, except for maybe 1-2 hours. It was such a long night. By the next day I had banished the negative halucinations and replaced them with peaceful relaxing japanese gardens, pink blossoms, silken king-sized bed with dark wood headboard and flowing pink fabric blowing gently in the breeze. I could even hear beautiful music. All when I closed my eyes. I wasn't sleeping, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't drugs, although maybe it was the sleep deprivation and the drugs together, but when my eyes were open I wasn't halucinating. Even during blinks it was there. I could go on about my lucid fantastical waking dreams, but it would be a book.

On Monday Dr Smith sent me for a CT scan. He thought a blood clot had possibly caused all these problems. Unfortunately all the fluids they'd pumped me with caused me to be too heavy for the CT machine. The bed I was in weighed me at having gained 45 pounds of fluid since surgery. Dr Smith came and told me that since they couldn't look with the CT, he wanted to look with his laproscopic scopes. Open me up again. Of course I agreed to this third surgery. He also said he possibly wanted to keep me out for the rest of the night and wake me up on Tuesday, giving my body rest. At the time it sounded great. The surgery was scheduled for early that evening. I was told later it lasted 45 minutes or so. They found infection and abscess and icky stuff galore. They put in 2 drains.

I have to take a break. More later.

Maybe it was worth it. Maybe.

2010-07-10T22:15:00.000-04:00

I had a very big "WOW" moment today. But first the bad news. Today when I was at my daily nursing appointment to cleanse my two remaining wounds and rebandage them, she told me that the one was still infected and actually deeper than it had been two weeks ago. Also the infection has spread to my other wound which has also gotten deeper. She didn't tell me how deep they were, but they had both been 4.5 cms about 2 weeks ago. This news made me depressed, but the nurse assured me that daily cleansing would get rid of the infections and THEN we would be able to see the healing begin. Still that wasn't very nice news.

So what did I do? I went shopping with a girlfriend! We stopped in at Pennington's and were overjoyed to see the 70% off sale sign in the window! I really wanted to see what size I am. I was a 5X if I stretched it, buying 6X when I could find 'em. It felt really wrong to take the 4X's off the racks, which was my guess. Then I saw a beautiful dress that was super duper on sale, and I thought immediately of my cousin's wedding coming up in October, and I was encouraged to try on the largest size they still had, just to see, so I put on the 3X and

IT FREAKIN FIT!!!!

I bought the 2X for the wedding, and the saleswoman showed me where and how I should take it in if it's too big by then. Very easily, I might add. AND it was only $24!!

The other 4X shirts were roomy, which I couldn't believe. My brain is still a 5-6X but my bod is a 3-4X! I wonder how long till I convince my brain of that?

Physical Update

2010-07-05T23:04:00.000-04:00

So here I am, 83 lbs less of me than at Christmas. Some "Before/During" pictures for your viewing .. um.. curiosity.

Details

2010-07-04T10:27:00.000-04:00

This might be a long one.

On Sunday May 16th Carol and I with Dhara drove to Toronto and slept overnight at her mother in law's place (Sheena) in Mississauga. I had to be at the hospital for 10am the next morning for my surgery which was scheduled for noon. We were on time, and I wore a gown that fit nicely but the robe to cover the back end was a little short. LOL. Not TOO short, just not comfortably long. At about 11am after my blood pressure was taken many times to get a good reading (and left a lovely bruise on my left arm) I was led to a reclining chair in order for my IV to be put in. I wasn't nervous or scared of the surgery and I wasn't having any second thoughts. Carol was gracious enough not to ask me if I was still "sure" this was the right thing to do.

At 12:45 the anesthesiologist came and got me and I walked down the hall to the operating room. The room was cold but the blankets were warm and some people with masks introduced themselves to me and I recognized Dr Smith's eyes. They arranged me with arms out and pillows under my head and then told me to breath deeply in an oxygen mask and I did and then I woke up in pain in recovery. They gave me morphine and had already started the gravol so I wouldn't be nauseaus. Carol came in for a minute and I felt like I should try to be more awake for her, but I was just so groggy and painy still that I just wanted to sleep until the pain was gone. After a while I was wheeled to my PRIVATE room (yay!) and Carol was allowed to stay with me.

The rest of the day and into the next I had to use a bed pan when I wanted to pee. That was difficult to overcome psychologically. I had to actually say out loud to myself "It's okay to pee now. It's okay to pee now." before I could relax enough to pee lying down in bed.

I would say the puking started Tuesday afternoon. I had been given my clear soup and diet chemical flavoured jello but not able to eat more than a bite or two. I was drinking sips of water and ice chips, and the first time I puked it was clear and watery. And then it turned brownish blackish and there was so much of it. I was filling two of the buckets they provided at a time. I found the morphine took the nausea away, but no one listened to me about that. They said the morphine caused more nausea. Later I retrospected that the morphine merely calmed my intestines down or sedated them so they didn't have the energy to heave their loads back up my mouth. The doctors did a CT scan on Thursday morning because the throwing up was not stopping, and it showed that where the intestines had been surgically attached, they had healed in a kink and were obstructed. I was scheduled for another surgery to correct the problem that same day. They were not able to accomplish their goal through laproscopic methods and so I ended up with 27 staples from my belly button up about 5". At least there were 27 of them.

That night was horrible. I woke up in the early wee hours of the morning with a stabbing terrible pain in the front of my shoulder. I was hooked up to a morphine clicky thing that I could click every 5 minutes for one little shot of the drug, but morphine wasn't helping this pain. I knew from my research that it was most likely gas from the laproscopic procedure (they fill your abdomen up with air so they can see what they're doing and some can get trapped and is quite painful). I read that gas x strips help. I had brought some but they were ever so far away in my duffle bag and the pain was so debilatating I could not move. I couldn't even move to find my nurses call bell. So I had to yell. I yelled feebly for help several times before Bev the Nurse From Hell came into the room. She argued with me that my shoulder didn't hurt that much because I was using so much of the morphine, and that it wasn't gas in my SHOULDER it must be muscle pain from how I lay during surgery. She sternly told me I was to have nothing by mouth including those strips and then implied that I probably got my bowels obstructed in the first place because I didn't follow the rules. She was mean, rude, and even though I was begging with her for something else because the pain was not going away, she didn't care. She told me to be quiet so the other patients could sleep. And maybe I passed out from pain. No, I wish I had. The next day an anesthesiologist came to see me and she said yes it was most likely gas pain and gave me some IV anti-inflamatory which took the edge off.

The good news was that I felt much better. No more nausea! I was only allowed ice chips, but they were the best friggin tasting things ever. I even had to get Carol to taste them to make sure they were plain, and not sweetened.

To Be Continued.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAHS!!!

2010-07-03T12:10:00.000-04:00

Sarah V and Sarah M Happy Birthday you gorgeous girls!!!

Have a great day both of you and the best of wishes and fortune for the coming year.

Love
Jennifer

Back By Popular Demand

2010-07-03T12:08:00.000-04:00

I'm back to blogging! Lookit!

I have been laid up and unable to blog for quite some time, the story I hope to relate to you soon or in parts.

I would first like to begin by saying that I had fresh blueberries and yogurt last night and it was delicious! Jake and the boys went blueberry picking on Canada day and got some really nice tasty berries. The boys picked and ate, Jake picked and brought home. Nothing like fresh blueberries.

So here's why I couldn't blog. I went for surgery on May 17th to have an RNY gastric bypass. There were complications and I didn't get out of the hospital for 3 weeks and 2 days. I'm recouperating now at home, but it takes a lot out of me to sit up straight, so I don't like "wasting" my limited time at the computer. I'm getting better and better though, so hopefully blogging will be part of my regime again on a regular basis.

We're off to the grocery store now though, and I'm excited to try out one of those scooter thingies for the first time. LOL Watch out other customers!

I'll write more soon I promise.

Fionna Is Tough

2010-05-13T16:34:00.000-04:00

Elle Cousina Fantastica! Share my cousin's very awesome music.

This Week

2010-05-13T16:26:00.000-04:00

We've been having a good week mostly this week. Mother's day was a toughie for me, but the Pastor at church was Skyped in and projected onto the wall so that was cool, and then later at my dad's place Carol and her family were in town so we played in the yard then took a short walk over to the park and kids got to climb and play before birthday supper for my dad at my place. We ended up keeping Elora with us for the week or whenever she couldn't stand being away from her family any more, which actually was today. We each drove halfway and met just before Verner to hand the little girl back to her daddy. She had a good time, only tearful at bedtime a little each night, but I guess Dhara wasn't having a good time either, and also Dhara will have her turn away next week as she's accompanying me and Carol to Toronto for the week, so it's good they have a few days together again as buffer between absences.

Last night Jake set up the bouncy castle and the kids jumped and jumped and jumped and Hayden and Elora got very staticy hair. Sage's is too short to stand on end, but holy crow did Elora ever make up for it! Then we got the bubble gun and mega-bubble-wand out and they ran and ran and ran with Tilly, chasing bubbles on the grass.

And when we got back from driving Elora to Verner, this is what our lovely grassy lawn was doing:

No more lawn. They're putting in a parking lot. I feel very crappy about this. When I talked to the landlord to ask what the heck was happening he said "oh I guess I should've warned you. Sorry." You THINK??? They "needed the space" and "that grass was damaged anyway" by the trucks they'd parked there over the winter (5 half ton trucks along that white wall) and the pontoon boat that sat there all summer long for the past 5 years, unused.

I am thinking I would like a small fence erected, or at least reflective markers, telling the people who are going to be parking there how close they are allowed to get to our house.

And guess who was driving the bulldozer. Mr Crabby Gardener Himself. Laughing like a maniac the whole time. TAKE THAT!! AND THAT!! I heard him yelling as he destroyed and killed the lawn we use. Okay no I didn't hear that, but last year I was upset he mowed down my daffodils and lilacs. This year he's mowing down the whole freaking lawn. I suspect our house will be next.

But I can't let this get to me. I have positive thinking about my surgery to do.

The plan is as follows: Sunday we were going to go to church, but I think I'm being talked into skipping it and heading to North Bay with the family a little earlier. Tilly will be watched by friends in town. After reaching North Bay, Carol, Dhara, and I will head south to Toronto and stay at Carol's mother-in-law's house. Sheena has very graciously let me stay there while I recover, before they let me leave town. Monday morning at 10am I will arrive, unpanicked, at St Joseph Health Centre in downtown Toronto. Surgery is scheduled for noon. It will take about 3-3.5 hours. Once recovered enough, Carol will be allowed to come in and see me. She's promised to doink chin hairs while I'm still out of it. Her suggestion. Three nights I will be in the hospital. On Thursday at some point I will be allowed to leave, but like I said, they've asked me to stay in the area for another three nights JUST IN CASE something happens, I'd be very close to immediate help. Sunday morning we will head back to North Bay. Depending how that car ride goes pain-wise, we might stay over the night and come the rest of the way home on Monday.

If you pray, please pray for me. If you don't, please wish for a perfect performance by Dr Smith. If you don't do wishing either, pretend you do and do it anyway. THANK YOU.

Wow Moments

2010-05-01T09:51:00.000-04:00

Surgery is two weeks away and after almost two weeks on Optifast liquid diet, yesterday I had my first wows.

1) My jeans are loose. I don't wear them that often, but I tried a pair on today and I can hold the waistband away from my skin by a whole bunch! I can even pull them down without undoing the button. Wow! [side note, I might need to get a belt soon.]

2) Sitting in the "guest" chair in my bosses' office was not painful! It usually is, and if I'm there long I end up with severe pins and needles in my feet because of the circulation being cut off. But yesterday (I was away for a week) I sat and was not in pain! I couldn't believe it and made several excuses to go back to her and talk, just so I could sit in that chair again and make sure it wasn't my imagination.

3) A male co-worker who is well liked by all and very hip and funny noticed I've lost weight! Here's how it went down:

I was standing near the printer which is outside Derek's office, waiting for a large document to print. Derek came by and said "Hello!" as it was our first encounter of the day. "Hello," I said back to him. He kept walking into his office. About 5 seconds later he poked his head out his door and said "Um, " and I knew what he was going to say. Or rather, I hoped I knew. "Um, you've lost weight, eh?" he said kind of quietly. I beamed at him and said "yup!" "That's great! good for you," he beamed back, then returned into his office. Another 5-10 seconds passed and he poked out again "How much have you lost?" he inquired politely. "Thirty" I informed him. I had lost 29 lbs as of Monday and figured that rounding up one pound after an additional 4 days on Optifast wouldn't hurt. "Wow! that's really good!" Then he almost went back into his office again but instead came over to me, to have, I suppose, an official conversation. "So what are you doing?" I told him about the shakes in preparation for WLS and he was very happy for me. He used to be chubby too, before I met him 7 years ago, but took up running and now is quite the athelete. He's an awesome human being all around and I'm just thrilled to the nines that he noticed the difference already.

And to top everything off with a sugar-free cherry, when I got home from work before I could finish telling all my exciting wow moments to Jake, he was looking at me with such pride and lots of kisses and hugs I felt completely loved and cherished by my wonderful husband.

And nobody AIN'T seen NOTHIN YET!!

Last Week Of Food

2010-04-12T21:58:00.000-04:00

Dear Food,

It's been so great knowing you. You've really comforted me in the past, and I've enjoyed a lot of you. Too much. This is our last week together for a while. And French Fries? Don't cry darlings, but I'm going to say good bye to you forever. You'll do fine. Someone else will eat you. I'm sure of it.

We sure had some good times tho, didn't we? Remember all those times Marshmallows, when I ate you hot, and sometimes burnt, off sticks? Those were fun times. And chocolate? Remember when I didn't feel guitly when I ate you? Pizza, you old kidder you. C'mon! Give us a hug before we go our separate ways.

I'll miss you, but it's for the best. I have new friends now. Their names are Small Portions and Healthy Choices. But I won't get to know them for a while yet. After our last week together is over, four weeks of liquid meal replacement shakes to get some pounds off before surgery. It's coming up fast. May 17th is but five wee short weeks away.

I'll never forget you, Food. You'll probably hear me crying your name until I get completely over you. But please don't come back to me. Not in the way we've known each other for so long. We're just not meant to be together that way any more.

Love
Jennifer

La Musique!

2010-04-11T18:04:00.000-04:00

I bought a beginner piano book and started teaching Hayden how to play. He's getting a free trial lesson on Thursday, and the book is the one the teacher recommended. He has two other 5-year-old students and said that if Hayden is motivated (which he is highly) it could go very well. And so far, it looks like my little sponge-ola is destined to be a great concert pianist!! Which is appropriate, because when he was a newborn everyone said his fingers are so long he'll be a great piano player. If his ears were long they might've said he'd be a great piano tuner, and if his arms were long they might've said he'd be a great piano mover.
Move over Beethoven!

On the hunt...

2010-04-03T23:29:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday returning from another batch of appointments in Toronto, Jake and I were stopped at a little shop on the highway, one that sold kitchy wooden things like muskoka chairs and carved animals out of tree stumps, when all of a sudden a T-Rex came roaring by and almost ate me! Jake was able to stop it right after he snapped this photo by throwing a shoe at its nose and then taunting it with mean comments about its mother and upbringing. It slunk away in shame and didn't bother us any more.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BrOTHER IN LAW!!

2010-03-15T19:25:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday to youuuu
Happy Birthday To Youuuu!
Happy BIRTHDAY DEAR BEEEEJAAAAAYYYYY
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUU!

Darkness

2010-03-14T21:56:00.000-04:00

I'm being ecologically friendly with my dark blog. It will take less energy for all your computers out there to project it. Yay for me! My carbon footprint went from a size 10 to a size 9.999999.

Enjoy.

Changing My Picture

2010-03-10T17:47:00.001-05:00

I'm at work. I don't have my camera with me, nor my very beautiful tulips that I bought last Saturday (potted) and which are blooming a gorgeous red. But I'm going to take a picture of them and put it up. Cuz it's spring! It's spring time, the spring time, the only purdy ring time.

When the birds do sing hey ding-a-ding-ding sweet lovers love the spring.

That snowman contest has no chance.

As I'm getting ready for choir tonight, I think I'll tell the story of this past Sunday when Jake and I were baptized in our beautiful church.

There were 15 other people getting baptized as well. Jake was a last minute entry because Pastor Pitts lovingly muscled him into doing it with me. Jake got the day off work and we got there early, changed into our robes and the pastor spoke with us and we gave testimony of our love of Jesus, and one by one we went SPLOOSH in a little pool built into the stage. It's probably 8'x5', waist deep. Stairs down. The water was nice and warm. The feeling was amazing. The support of all the congregation was generous. My friends who go with us are inspirational. I love the feeling of community, closeness, and sharing this never-before explored part of my life.

At the Homebuilders meeting Jake and I went to last night (young couples and singles from the church who get together for bible study and other fun things, at the same time the kids go to Boys and Girls Club yay free babysitting!) the leader of the group said how proud of us he was, and then said he would have been so nervous to have gotten up in front of 700 people and spoken. And my jaw dropped. I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE 700 PEOPLE THERE!! I would've been WAY more nervous!! As it was, I felt so nervous waiting in the back and then waiting our turn sitting in our seats on stage that I was a little nauseous. And dizzy. And hoping not to hurt myself by falling down the stairs or if the water wasn't deep enough to have to use my stomach muscles (what stomach muscles?) to right myself again. And before that I worried if the robe wouldn't fit, like it didn't at my college graduation. But it went so smooth! And when it was my turn, all the nausea went away. I wasn't even terribly fearful of speeching my little speech. I kept my eyes down tho. There's a video which we will get on Sunday. I didn't know we were being videoed either. I will see if I can upload it. Or maybe I don't want to. We'll see how it looks. Heheheee!

I am going now to warm up my home made chicken with whole wheat linguini tetrazzini with cauliflower and mushrooms in a blush sauce. Then off to choir!!

...as I went down to the river to pray, studying about that good old way...

Winter?

2010-03-04T07:37:00.000-05:00

(Sorry Yellowknifers)

What happened to winter this year? There's a snowman contest on at work, but it got extended due to no snow! I did submit a photo of the boys, well, one boy and one snow-boy which I've put up top.

We haven't had significant snowfall since well before Christmas. And this morning I heard birds chirping. For the next 4 days it's supposed to be 3-5 degrees ABOVE freezing!

I must say, it's making THIS summer look like it's going to be GOOOOOOOOOOOD!

Yay Spring!

Birthdays on the 17th, 18th, 19th of February

2010-02-22T20:44:00.000-05:00

My apologies for the belatedness of these birthday wishes.

Happy birthday to KEEGAN!! Yay you're four!!

Happy birthday to DHARA!! Yay you're three!!

Happy birthday to ELORA!! Yay you're three!!

Happy birthday to ROBBIE!! Yay you're three!!

My Miracle

2010-02-12T15:39:00.000-05:00

I know that everyone I know is not a Christian. I understand that, having only recently turned my own 180 degrees and am now developing my relationship with God and Jesus. But here's the miracle that happened that just confirms to me even more that I'm doing the right thing.

Two Sundays ago we had a sermon regarding tithing and the message was [not verbatim] "nothing we have is ours, it's all God's. God's kingdom, God's stuff, God's money. Give Him 10% of your earnings in tithes, and you shall receive his blessings in abundance." While we have not given 10% into the offering pouch yet, I have been trying to keep that lesson in mind, especially recently. Now I'll get to the story of what happened.

On Tuesday on my way to work, I noticed that my pinky finger ring that Jake had given to me for Christmas was not on my finger. I checked my glove, my pockets, called Jake and got him to check the places I could think of, but we didn't find it. It was a little bit big for my pinky finger, but fit alright when I was warm. I had thought about getting it sized, but then decided not to because when I lose weight it will be a wonderful day when I can move the size seven ring over to another finger. I felt devastation at the loss of it, but I remembered the sermon and considered that it wasn't mine.I knew that I was only meant to have that ring for that amount of time and now it was free to roam the world. I thought about it floating through the pipes if it had fallen off during my shower, making its long and arduous way to the water treatment facility. I thought about another scenario where it may have fallen off my finger in Toronto (we were there on Monday) and who may have found it and what their life might be like. I thought about it being lost somewhere in our house and the next tenants to live here finding it after we move. But honestly, the sense of loss was gone because I had truly given up ownership and accepted my fate. Even yesterday afternoon my thumb felt the place where the ring used to be, and it crossed my mind to tell some of my friends at work about losing the ring, but I had accepted so quickly that it was gone that I didn't need to tell anyone.

On my way home from work I sent a little prayer up to Jesus, letting him know that I would never bargain-pray to him: "If you do this for me, then I promise I'll do that for you." The prayer must have had 'priority' written on it, because he got it and send down my blessing within a few minutes. When I got home, Jake met me at the front door with my ring!

I truly believe the ring came back to me because of the progress I'm making spiritually. And I have news for you, Piers Anthony, God is not asleep at the wheel. He's doing just fine, active, working in that mysterious way that he has.

Honesty - Best Policy

2010-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've realized today that being honest with your child can lead to opportunities not lost.

Every other Thursday, Hayden's school sends class by class down the street for skating instead of gym. There's a community centre with an outdoor rink. He's been once before and today is his second time going. We'd gotten him adjustable Toy Story skates (he is the smallest of the three adjustable sizes woohoo!) and a bicycle helmet. When he came home last time, he said he had the wrong kind of helmet; he needed "the kind with the lines". Puzzled by this, and hoping they didn't mean expensive hockey helmet, we forgot about it until I remembered yesterday morning and sent a note to Madame asking what kind we needed. I related Hayden's description. Unfortunately for Hayden, I was at choir last night and didn't remember to check for the response from his teacher until 11pm. But that didn't matter anyway since Friday is payday and we're out of money till then. She did say it was the hockey CSA approved helmet that was required.

Arg.

So as I was getting Hayden's snowpants and other wintery garb out for him, I decided it would be best to prepare him for the disappointment of not skating with the class and told him that I wasn't sending his skates. I told him we didn't have the right helmet and he would have to just watch the skating. I felt sad, but I hoped they would invite him to slip and slide around on the ice in his boots. But then he said "No no Mommy! Last time I wore Ryder's other one, the one with the lines!" OHHHHH. I tried to clarify, just to be sure "So there's extra ones for you to wear?" "Uh-huh." Great! With the bus already at the door (it sits there for a few minutes as we're the first stop) and Hayden fully winterized, I had just enough time to grab his skates from our wonderfully organized and neat closet, plop them into his school bag and attach his lunch bag to the knapsack strap.

Moral of the story: Always buy a lunch box for your child that has a handle with a buckle that can attach to the outside of the school bag.

Happy Groundhog Day!

2010-02-02T07:54:00.001-05:00

Okay listen up all you groundhogs out there who think you know so much! I want spring to arrive in good time. Not April, not in six weeks, not when you feel like it, sooner than that. Do you hear me? I want green grass and trees and budding flowers and bugs and birds and open water and all that jazz. So get on it, groundhogs, or I'll introduce you to my cat, Bunny Killer Kitty.

End of January Antics

2010-01-30T23:20:00.000-05:00

This morning, compliments of Hayden. Too funny!

This afternoon I tackled a job that I've been meaning to do for a long time: Cleaned out the Front Hall Closet. Whew! What a relief!

The boys learned about praying two weeks ago in Sunday School, and last night and tonight we prayed for healthy happy relatives and friends. They were so cute last night I had to take a picture of them doing it. And then Sage prayed with fish lips, because he's an individual.

Happy E-BOB Day!

2010-01-27T23:22:00.000-05:00

Today is Exactly Between Our Birthdays Day for Vanessa and me. So happy day!

In other news, I joined my church choir tonight! I have been missing being part of a musical group for a while now, but I can't afford to join barbershop chorus (sorry Aunties) and also barbershop always makes me feel like I'm not me, I'm my mother's daughter, or I'm my aunts' neice. One more con is that the memory of my mother's beautiful voice singing barbershop is too painful for me to be able to non-challantly force her out of my head or something. I don't know what I'm trying to say here. It's too much. I don't want to do it.

I wanted something that was mine, that didn't make me want to cry. There. That was good. The only thing was, the music is so inspirational and beautiful, I felt like crying anyway. I told you I've found me some religion, well it hits home the best with the music. It's not the old hymns we're singing, it's the new Christian Rock stuff that's all cool and awesome. With relavent lyrics. And snappy rhythms. And the feeling of God throughout that just warms my heart and soul with relief that I've started my relationship with Him. In a weird "uh, that doesn't sound like the Jennifer I know" kind of way.

My good friend Teri-Mai is also in the choir. She's so terriffic. I just love her like the dickens. She's tall and graceful and gorgeous and kind and generous and organized and friendly and amazing. I look up to her. Literally. She's like 6'4 in her heels. She sings alto. I decided I'd be a soprano. I was an alto my whole life, but I thought I would be indulgent :) maybe I'll switch later, but this is good for now. We could go on the road singing this way! With our friend Katie too, on mandolin.

Time for bed approches. Nighty night everyone.

Stabbed In The Head - or - Why You Shouldn't Leave Knives Lying Around

2010-01-24T13:09:00.000-05:00

Whenever possible, as parents, do try not to leave any sort of sharp knife lying around. Even dull ones are a bad idea. It's completely possible that a child may find it and then stab you in the head with it.

This morning our family got up in great spirits. We were headed to church and that makes everyone happy. Church was nice. Singing was awesome, the service was about tithing, so that was excellent fodder for my thoughts and is making me consider my newly found faith in different ways. Like, how strongly I feel, how much faith do I have that "God can do more with 90% than I can do with 100%" and am I ready for such a leap of faith? I am not sure if I'm ready to be baptized, but I digress.

We dropped Hayden off at his friend Julia's birthday party and came home for lunch. I returned a call from my sister who was very excited she'd found something she was sure she'd lost last weekend when we came back from Toronto. It wasn't expensive, but it would've been extremely handy (a bag of clips for chip bags or whatnot from Ikea - $1.99). We were chit-chatting away when suddenly

!~!~!STAB!~!~!

Sage had found a paring knife and had decided to try and brush my hair (? maybe? I'm guessing) with it. With the pointy end. Which has a conveniently hooked blade and is nice and sharp.. excellent quality knife for paring with ease.

I hadn't been looking at Sage because our phone cord (cordless rests in peace) is very short and I had to have my head turned towards the wall so it didn't come out of the jack. I guess my glossy jet-dark-brown hair with silvery streaks head was too tantalizing to resist. Or some other three-year-old reason. Anyway I shrieked, quickly let Carol go, and asked in a calm not-upset voice (yah right) where he'd found the knife.

Come to think about it, I never got an answer. Maybe it had fallen down behind the stove. I don't know. It was dirty. Hm.

Anyway the end of the story is that he didn't cut through my scalp but it sure hurt and scared me.

I guess I should call Carol back and tell her what happened...

Catching You Up

2010-01-23T16:53:00.000-05:00

And here it is. The Big Catch-Up post. The one you've been waiting for.

Hayden
- grew 2" since last May
- loves cucumber skin better than the inside
- can read in English
- can converse smoothly en Francais and loves to do so
- is thoroughly enjoying Senior Kindergarten
- is going to his first non-family birthday party tomorrow, his girlfriend Julia who is turning 6
- has told me he's kissed Julia
- has been told not to kiss anyone at school any more

Sage
- grew 3" since last May
- loves the entire cucumber slice
- can identify letters and some numbers but refuses to do so on demand
- cannot wait for (full day full week!) Junior Kindergarten in the fall when he'll get to ride the bus
- is slowly getting better at peeing on the potty or into the toilet (standing up)
- still shows no visible sign when he's pooping and prefers to do so into his diaper
- is very gentle when he's brushing my hair (which I find very soothing and relaxing)
- has been pulled from daycare because it's just too darned expensive without subsidy for which we no longer qualify

Jake
- is the same height as last May
- refuses to eat any kind of vegetable except starchy ones
- is very good at reading English
- loves his cook/prep-cook job at Cranky Joe's restaurant but has had to go down to Weekends only to care for Sage
- was only making $5-$20 a day with Sage in daycare
- is looking at the silver lining of the situation by being able to cook healthier dinners at home, not having to pay for Hayden in daycare in the summer, and really focusing on Sage's toilet training
- will be applying to work at the new Toys R Us they're going to build on a hill near our house

Jennifer
- is the same height as last May
- has begun eating way more vegetables, not the starchy ones, in order to eat healthier
- is very good at reading English
- is probably just slightly ahead of Hayden in French
- has been on the waiting list for weight loss surgery for almost two years and has finally gotten called for her turn
- will be having her gastric bypass on May 17th at St Joseph Health Centre in Toronto
- has monthly appointments since Jan 8th at Humber River Regional Hospital in order to prepare for the psychological and physiological changes that will be happening
- will have monthly appointments afterwards to track progress
- has therefore had time and will have time to reconnect with a lot of Toronto friends as a side bonus
(If you are a Toronto friend and we haven't made plans yet, I have so many trips down in the coming year and a half, we will be able to get together! Just let my secretary know you're interested and you'll be contacted as to when.)
- feels a little nervous coming out of the weight-loss-surgery closet on her blog, but thinks it's about time

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T15:42:00.002-05:00

I know I know.. it's been a while. I have to wish you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR (on the 6th day in.. lame I know) and I'll catch up with you later. Right now I'm at work and break is juuuust about over. But I was thinking about you, see? See internet? I didn't forget about you!

I have to go, I'll be breaking policy in 3..... 2...... 1.......

Happy Birthday Vanessa!

2009-12-27T18:30:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday Vanessa!!

I hope your 35th year is a wonderful one.

I miss you and love you and wish you safe travelling!

Love
Jennifer

Hayden's Birthday

2009-12-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Hayden! I want to write out the story of your birth but we're getting ready to go to the Szabbies' house for Christmas, so I can't right now! I will get around to it and add it in later, I promise.

Happy Birthday little one, I can't believe you're FIVE years old.

love
Mommy

Weekend Preparations

2009-12-13T01:56:00.000-05:00

Jake and I got ready all day today for Hayden's birthday party tomorrow. At 8pm tonight Rudolph was on, and while we put up the tree, the kids watched the classic. They loved it, of course. They helped with the tree too. I've got a good feeling that THIS year they won't be pulling at it and taking all the decorations off... knock on wood.

I finished a not-so-traditional smartie cake at about 1am. The Doodle Bops are one of Hayden's favourite shows. This is Rooney Doodle. Jake helped me with the execution of the idea. Mostly it stemmed from "What do I do with a whole bunch of blue fondant icing?"

Music notes on the back half. The red smarties are his hat.

And last but not least, our gorgeous Christmas Tree. We got a live one. Jake picked it up last night. Balsam Fir (my fav) and it smells divine. It's not quite fully decorated yet, but for the most part it is done. I loooooove it. I don't even care that there are needles everywhere, or that my hands get sap on them. It's perfect. I'm so glad I got rid of the hated flimsy crappy fake tree from last year.

Hayden's Christmas Concert

2009-12-12T14:38:00.000-05:00

I love that he scans the audience looking for us. The exact moment he spies me he waves. LOL so cute! Jake was filming and had moved up to get a better shot. I don't think Hayden noticed him.

Cookie Party

2009-11-28T23:36:00.001-05:00

Well I can't make my blog align left, so you'll have to bear with it.

I went to an awesome cookie party today. There were games and I won "how many candies in the moose jar container" and two rounds of card bingo so got peanut brittle and a little snowman chocolate bar thingy. We had a yummy pot-luck and I was very happy with all the cookie exchanges. I'm so ready to party now!

I told Carol she's crafty enough, she should make her own snowman sleeves. Here's the one I got:

The baked chicken thighs I made. Mmmmm!

The assembly line-up. 10 dozen cookies with fiddley details = way too much work and 45 mins late to the party. Dang. I have a suggestion for anyone making 10 dozen cookies: DON'T MAKE HIGHLY DETAILED COOKIES!! I asked myself several times why on earth I didn't make chocolate chip.

The only thing I didn't put in the picture were the peanut butter squares because the box was over by Jake and I forgot it, and I didn't put the doubles in that I have. I have doubles of the macaroons, peanut butter squares, and the tin of toffee and chocolate chip cookies (she cheated tho, used pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough and added toffee chips!! an expensive way to make life easier I guess..)

I'll share some with you if you come over.

Coolest Video Ever

2009-11-24T22:15:00.001-05:00

No Guilt

2009-11-21T01:16:00.000-05:00

I refuse to feel guilty over not posting anything for nearly a month. I apologize, but there's nothing that can be done about it now. Don't cry over spilt .. um.. blog ideas.

I am, however, picking up the pieces of my dusty neglected blog to write about something that, if you know me, is a complete and total 180 from my usual ... um... self. And here it is.

I Love Church.

Yes that is what I said. Read it again to yourself. I'll give you a moment. Now read it one more time, replacing the word "I" with "Jennifer" add an s to love and take that question mark out of your head, I can hear you putting one in there!

Let me explain. *tries several times to write something* Hm. This is hard because this is a public blog. Maybe I won't explain too much. I'll just sum up. Yes! I'll sum: I wanted to get in touch with my spiritual side and also explore the possibility that I may have been wrong and there really is a God. Because I need him to help me out with something, and how can he help me if he isn't there? Well it turns out He is there, He was just waiting for me to open my door and let Him into my life and heart. So I tossed around an idea seed to Jake a few weeks ago: Let's go to church and try that out. I wanted to go to my friend's church, which we'd been to for her wedding in the summer and a few Christmases ago we attended her christmas thing. Jake was reluctant because he wasn't sure how the kids would be during a boring service. But I talked to her and she said there was Kids' Church after the singing and all the kids would pile out of the .. um.. main hall (?) and be taken care of, allowing us parents to relax and listen without distracted and possibly rangy/wild/bored/kookoo kids. So we went! And it was NOTHING like the boring dull lifeless suck-the-will-to-keep-awake United church that I'd been unwillingly dragged to as a child (max was twice a year but even that was two times too many) until they couldn't make me go any more.

There was a rock band. Microphones. Amplifiers. Back up singers. A DRUM KIT. It was in a muffling booth, yes, but it was there. And the music for the first 15 minutes was so strong and moving and the words were on telepromptors for us, and I joined in, and I cried and I loved every moment of it. And then the kids went with Jake down the hall to Kids' Church and I listened to the Pastor and laughed at his jokes and admired his poetic talent and loved his demonstration of how long eternity is compared to life on Earth by unravelling a spool of twine all through the audience upstairs and down, asking people by name to support it, and I loved that he knew people by name. And when he was done speaking, I was disappointed and instantly couldn't wait for next Sunday.

We picked the kids up and they had had a great time in their very much like daycare environment, little chairs and tables, and a colouring page with Noah's ark and cookie crumbs around their mouths. Hayden told me about the Big Storm and showed his ark off to anyone who would look.

Many people I know and love go to this church. And I know that as cheesy as it may be to my old non-church-or-god self, this is what I have been missing in my life. Thank God.

Tattoo #9

2009-10-31T00:57:00.000-04:00

The lioness is kind of like Motherhood. Representative of me watching over my children (the butterflies) and the holds the memory of my mother too. She's also for my mother-in-law who loves lions. The butterflies are for the butterflies I fell in love with at the conservatory when we went on Labour Day. The yellow butterfly represents Hayden and the Green butterfly represents Sage. The peaceful fronds of grass flowing upward represent the growth in spirituality that I am working on.

It has polysporin on it, making it shiny. It's on my left fore-arm.

AND I FRIGGIN LOVE IT!!!!!!

Robot

2009-10-20T22:42:00.000-04:00

After Hayden was done his homework tonight (! Kindergarten !) he drew this little guy. I think he's awesome. Hayden pointed out his boobies and his belly button. I asked him about what I suspected were a whole bunch of toes, and yep! Those are ALL toes. "And he's got fingers too!" He's got such a happy expression on his face, I just love this.

Hayden wanted me to take a picture of him holding up his robot like this.

I wanted a picture of Hayden holding up his robot like THIS.

Incidentally, I guess I need to aplogize because this is the first time I'm blogging pictures in a long time and I just today noticed the new upgrades. So, I'm Sorry.

Happy Anniversary!

2009-10-07T23:07:00.001-04:00

Sarah and Mark, how long has it been? Congratulations! Love and miss you both.

Trip Axed

2009-10-04T16:22:00.000-04:00

Sadly, the family trip we were planning to take down to Johnstown PA has been cancelled. There was an issue with their police dog being too un-certain in the presence of new people and the chance of us getting bitten was too great to risk it.

So instead of taking the trip, our laptop decided to die and we spent the money on a new computer instead. And it's nice. 22" monitor! A teragig of memory! Intel GMA 3100 integrated graphics! (actually the game I play is not awesome on it.. I have to play on "fewest details possible" setting. boo.) But there's soo much ROOM! And a free upgrade to Windows 7 if we want it. AND it ALSO came with a free set of shiv-connives!

All the exclamation points in the world can't truly cover up how sad I am we aren't going down to visit Jake's family. We haven't been for 18 months and now we're not sure when the next time will be. Maybe not until it's been 2 years.... wah!

I'm still taking my holidays, as is Jake. Sage will too. I think I'll keep sending Hayden to school though. I'm going to try my hand at making a patchwork quilt! My aunt Elizabeth is going to help me. She's got 7 of them on the go right now, and 3 or 4 finished beauties. They're sooo nice! Wish me luck :)

Testing Email Posting

2009-09-27T09:50:00.001-04:00

I am just trying this out. Will this publish? Have I found a secret way to blog from work? Hehehe!

To Abby Sale

2009-09-25T18:52:00.001-04:00

Who are you? What are you talking about "Phlebotomy Blues was a big hit back then." When? Do I know you?

Happy Birthday JAKE!

2009-09-21T07:13:00.000-04:00

Happy birthday honey, I love you!

Ahhh a six month break of taunts that I'm older cuz now WE DA SAME AGE AGAIN! hehe

don't spend all that poker money on one table.

XOXOX

When ur gone ur gonna miss it (Johnstown)

2009-09-20T11:45:00.002-04:00

Family Update

2009-09-16T21:09:00.002-04:00

Sage
- was deemed today to be 'the most stubborn kid I've ever had' by his daycare teacher Louise
- knows how to write the letters S and H but refuses to try or acknowledge that he knows any others
- knows his colours but again, refuses to let us know he knows and tries to throw us off by intentionally saying the wrong colour when asked. we know it's intentional because I heard him telling Hayden at dinner the other night that his plate was yellow and Hayden's plate was red.
- gets a Monkey face when he's about to trick us
- is slowly being more successful in his potty training but still wears a diaper all day
- loves daycare and loves field trips, can't wait for school next year

Hayden
- loves Kindergarten and is quickly learning a TON of French, speaking in French sentences already
- has recently requested to watch French cartoons on tv
- grew an inch since May
- is anxious for his birthday which he suspects will be soon, right after Halloween
- thinks Halloween is very soon
- wants to be Spider Man, Super Man, a dragon, a dinosaur, AND the big bad wolf for Halloween. All at once.
- has slept in his own bed all night through for 5 nights in a row (this is phenominal, the first time in his life he's done this!!)

Jake
- is working out a ton and has developed rock hard abs so far :)
- is going to turn 34 on Monday
- could open his own small business designing t-shirts galore
- is excited to see his family in October (18 months since our last visit)

Jennifer
- is scared that the Santa Clause parade is less than two months away
- wants a large intricate butterfly tattoo for her left forearm *looks Carol's way*
- thinks maybe some nightschool may be in her future (computer courses?)
- would love to have the Beatles Rock band game for Xbox
- can't wait to see all the American Relatives!! Here we come!

blog blah

2009-09-15T19:51:00.002-04:00

Hi all you all out there in blog-land. I have a bad case of blog-blah. Blog-blah, as I've determined, is the blah feeling you get when you think about your blog and how long it's been since you've posted. It is caused by procrastination and the need for new blog entries weighs heavily on the conscience of the blogger. The feeling is unfortunately intensified when fun photo-filled events transpire but don't get fully described or photos posted.

The thing is, I took 200 photos of African Lion Safari and the Butterfly place. And I can only post five at a time and for some stupid reason ONLY IN REVERSE ORDER and once they're posted I can't manipulate their order easily. Plus they take forever to load. It's quite overwhelming as tasks go, and apparently makes me whiney.

So I put them all up on my facebook page. It was easier to upload there. I know facebook is evil, but I only sold part of my internet soul for the privilege of using their uploader.

And the sound of one wing flapping is apparently the same sound that no blog posts make.

Hey! Did anyone ever eat "ground cherries"? A co-worker of mine brought some in and I ate one. They're tiny sweet berry-like tomatos that are encased in a papery lantern-like shell of sorts. I saved some seeds and am going to grow some!

090909

2009-09-09T23:00:00.000-04:00

Sabrinaaaaaaa!!! Happy Birthday my friend!!!

love
me

African Lion Safari

2009-09-08T21:54:00.002-04:00

Friday afternoon at work Jake called me and said "So here's what I think. I think we should go to African Lion Safari after work tonight." I said "uh.." cuz I'm real intelligent like that. I asked him for some time to think about it since I would be the one doing all the driving. After about half an hour, I was agreeable to the idea and we started making plans. It's about a 5.5 hour drive south from Sudbury.

More later. watching butterfly video.

MISS MINDI!!

2009-09-05T00:45:00.002-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Do you feel like I'm closer? We are in Cambridge RIGHT NOW. Whirlwind last minute trip to A Frickin' Lion Safari.

We're leaving for home again Saturday afternoon.

Anyway happy birthday love and I hope you're partying it up suitably Mindi-Style as I type.

love
Jennifer

ps hey I sort of wrote this as an email, but it's a blog. weird. And I'm in a hotel room on my computer. even weirder.

First Day Of School!

2009-09-02T22:45:00.003-04:00

Who was in charge of getting kids in school before labour day? Pfft. I'm glad *I* am not in school. hehe! Here's how Hayden's first morning of Senior Kindergarten went off without a hitch!

Step 1: Look remarkably like daddy while asleep except not in the picture. Even though mommy took about 10 shots (with flash) trying to capture best what real life showed plainly.

Step 2: Get new Spiderman sac-a-dos (back pack) and walk out to meet bus with brother and photo-crazed mother.

Step Three: Let mommy take artsy photos while waiting for the bus.

Step 4: Shiver and goosebump with cold red noses in the only 9 degree celcius temperatures. Blame mommy for not getting your sweaters out yet.

Step 5: Pose for more pictures in front of the machines.

Step 6: Ham it up for mommy's camera. "Take a picture of me doing THIS mommy!"

Step 7: Have a laid back bus driver named Colin (pronounced like semi- or -oscopy) who's willing to DRIVE UP TO THE HOUSE!! WOOT! No more dangerous highway waiting!!

And then meet a bunch of new amies (friends) and also know some people from last year. And voila! The perfect first day of school. Incidentally, there are THREE SK classes this year. Isn't that crazy?

August 17, 2009

2009-09-02T22:17:00.005-04:00

Turn your volume down. There's a crazy lady holding the video equipment.

Kayaking!

2009-08-23T20:40:00.006-04:00

Today in the cold cloudy morning, my family went to Bell Grove and my dad took the kids out in his kayak! Unfortunately we forgot the new lifejacket at home, but we took a little risk and put Sage's floaty swimvest on them. My dad kept close to the shallow end of the lake, but the kids were so well behaved that none of us were worried too much. Although I did not bite my tongue fast enough to say to my dad that if they tipped over Hayden was the priority, not the boat floating away or sinking. I think he rolled his eyes at me for mentioning the obvious.

Hayden has to wear ear protectors when in the water because of his tubes. The added bonus was that they helped keep his ears warm cuz it was COLD.
The water was surprisingly warm, but we didn't play around in it too much because of how cold the wind made us afterwards.

After a while Hayden took a turn at paddling, but he said later it was too heavy to do for very long.
Nice plaid flannel shirt, Aunty Penny :) thank you! (birthday gift from last weekend)
Off center, sorry, but I didn't get many shots of Hayden paddling.
Everyone loved it! Grampa, Kids, us.. Tilly...
Jake being cold and pretending to look in the distance (because I posted that he does this on the Armstrong Wedding post). Sage is saying "Gwampa!"

Me "Get the stick in the water Tilly!"

Tilly "No."
Sage makes the cutest faces. Mid yawn face. Caught this moment of impact btw Sage's slapping hand and Tilly's run-by licking. Amongst the rocks. Both kids had two turns out in the kayak. Another cute Sage face.

I mangled this tonight..

2009-08-23T20:32:00.003-04:00

I should've looked up the lyrics BEFORE I put the kids to bed.

One of my favorite songs Auntie Penny sang to us:

The Marvellous Toy
When I was just a wee little lad,
Full of health and joy,
My father homeward came one night
And gave to me a toy.
A wonder to behold it was
With many colors bright
And the moment I laid eyes on it,
It became my hearts delight.

Refrain:
It went zip when it moved and pop when it stopped,
Whirrr when it stood still
I never knew just what it was and I guess I never will.

The first time that I picked it up
I had a big surprise
Cause right on the bottom were two big buttons
That looked like big green eyes
I first pushed one and then the other,
Then I twisted its lid
And when I set it down again, here is what it did:

(refrain)

It first marched left, and then marched right
And then marched under a chair
And when I looked where it had gone
It wasnt even there
I started to cry, but my daddy laughed
cause he knew that I would find,
When I turned around my marvelous toy
Would be chugging from behind.

(refrain)

The years have gone by too quickly it seems,
I have my own little boy
And yesterday I gave to him
My marvelous little toy:
His eyes nearly popped right out of his head
And he gave a squeal of glee!
Neither one of us knows just what it is
But he loves it just like me!

It still goes... (refrain)

Sage's Birthday Party

2009-08-23T11:56:00.004-04:00

This year my dad offered to have Sage's party at his house. The fenced and shady back yard was a real treat for everyone! Only I got a sunburn, while bbqing. Oh well.

Chris and Robbie Nerpin say Hi to the birthday boy.

My dad got an awesome inflated pool which was the focal point on this hot day for all the kids. A few adults were eyeballing it too.

Cupcakes baked in icecream cones topped with ice cream were a yummy chocolatey treat for everyone. I even stuck smarties in the bottom of the cones and a couple on top of the ice cream to nod at the traditional smartie cake.

"Born freeeeeee, free as the wind blows..." Anya dries off.

Cousin Connor participated in a teenage-way.

Princess Hannah plays in my dad's zen garden.

Fun in the jumpy castle!

More fun in the jumpy castle!! Jake bounced all the kids around and NOBODY bit their tongues or bonked heads.

Presents in the shade. Cousin Fionna on the left. Kicky Sage in the middle.

Sage loves his new floaty swimsuit from the Szabbies.

A hug from Grampa for receiving the sit n spin. I didn't realize a diaper change was happening next to this.

Uncle Ron and Auntie Penny.

Thanks for coming everyone! It was a really fun party, and almost stress-free!

This Is My New Post

2009-08-22T14:37:00.002-04:00

I think there's a time and place for vanilla ice cream.

Teri-Mai and Craig's Wedding

2009-08-09T12:07:00.006-04:00

Saturday August 8th, 2009 was the day our friends Teri-Mai Laforet and Craig Armstrong got married. The ceremony was beautiful. Their personally written vows were fantastic (and at points humorous!). When asked if anyone knew of a reason they should not be married, Teri-Mai looked at the audience with a fierce "don't you dare" glare, everyone broke out laughing. It was immensly touching and I cried a lot; as she walked down the aisle and at many points during the ceremony. Unfortunately my camera batteries pooped out after I took a picture of the little kiddlets, so instead of digital memory, I promised myself to use my biological memory and experience everything to the fullest extent that I could.

I did get a couple of pictures in, one was of the videographer and his uni-pod. If a tri-pod has three legs, what do you call a stand with only one leg?

My friend Katie coming down the aisle. Flash didn't work, this was the second last picture. Maid of Honour Sam in the doorway behind Katie.

And then these cutie patooties!! Neice of Teri-Mai and Nephew of Craig.

That was it for the ceremony. You'll have to visit my mind for more. Or maybe I can get a few shots from someone else who had fully charged batteries.

After we hugged and kissed our way through the receiving line, Jake and I went to the store and got some energizers. Then we went to the reception. We were the first ones at our table and I was a little bored so took some time-wasting photos.

beautiful ... floating candles over submerged orange and light orange cala lillies.

Jake loves either to look into the distance when getting photographed...

..or directly, piercingly, axe-murderishly into the camera. We both look like creeps in this photo. Creeps in love tho :)

We had a table in the back, so when Mr and Mrs Armstrong were announced and made their grand entrance, this is what we saw:

Before dinner was served, the newlyweds wanted to dance their first dance. The song was Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" (from Titanic). I thought "well that's a little traditional.. but I guess they went the traditional way."

Then there was a needle-pulled-off-the-record sound. They're saying "what the heck?"

And THEN hip-hop music started and they busted an extremely well-rehersed and coreographed set of moves, and we all went WILD.

I had to take a "tinking glasses" kiss shot.

The Head Table.

Derek and Jim behind them there had played some of the music in the ceremony. Derek is at CBS (as are Teri-Mai and Craig and half the wedding party and lots of the guests) and Jim used to be at CBS too.

Teri-Mai is making a funny face so I included it here. Mostly I wanted to show off her dress. I wish I got one of her standing alone. Oh well.

I did get one with her and me.

And of course one with Craig too.

The man who made our attendance possible:

And some shots of us in our nice clothes, behaving like fully mature adults, of course.

punch

Visiting

2009-08-04T11:34:00.005-04:00

Szabicots came to town last week! They tented on our lawn and it hardly even rained on them.

Here are the kids enjoying some Uncle Redinbockers while the cool adults watched So You Think You Can Dance. The uncool adults were somewhere doing uncool things.

The first night they were here, the tent hadn't been seam-leak-proofed yet, so there was an indoor camp-out in the kids' bedroom. It only took them about 2 1/2 hours to fall asleep. Elora and Sage were the most stubborn, still awake at 10:30pm.

Thursday Jake, the boys, Carol, the girls, and Grampa went blueberry picking. The season for berries was late this year because of how little sun we've had. In my opinion, summer should go into October to make up for it.

There were no berries picked for home. They were all eaten on the spot.

Stop for snack on a rock.

Sage falling over.

The only photo with Jake in it.. ok just his shadow, but still.

The Berry Pickers

This little guy was the focal point of the kids' attention for a while. Unfortunately when it was time to go, the kids all stood up and Squishy, as he'd come to be known, suffered an untimely fate.. Elora stomped him.

Ahh! Squishy II! Fortunately he did not get squished.

Kids played "slide down the trecherous rock but stop just before the cliff" to their hearts' content.

The cliff is behind my dad there. Ahh nice and safe. Adult supervision.

Hey!! Where did the supervision go??!! Note the cliff behind Dhara there.

Oh yeah, NOW I remember...

2009-07-24T22:53:00.002-04:00

We had to get dinner out tonight. We were both tired and had had long days at work, plus it being payday, it's usually take-out night when these factors align. I said "I feel like eating out instead of getting takeout. We haven't eaten in a restaurant in forever." Jake, who works in a restaurant, didn't want to. But then he changed his mind, and we went as a family to Casey's. We did all the usual things to maximize the experience: ordered kids' food quickly and asked them to bring it asap; put all knives and salt-shakers out of grabby's reach; ordered the same drink for both boys so no one would be jealous. It all started to go downhill after we forgot to tell her to bring the kids' drinks AFTER the meal. Jake had been to Zellers and had a colouring book for Sage and a phonics book for Hayden. Golden, right? Nope. They didn't want to stop playing with them when their food got there. Then chicky didn't come back around for many minutes while the kids whined for ketchup. Then they brought my fajita stuff tower which was an object of distraction. Then Sage dipped his coaster into his plum sauce. Luckily I grabbed it from him before he frisbeed it across the restaurant. Sage didn't want to sit in his chair. Sage really didn't want to do that. A lot. It didn't help when Hayden had to pee and Mommy and Hayden left the table.. why can't *I* leave the table tooooooo? he said with his whines and cries and misbehaviour. Then our food got there. Jake got his salad, steak, and bread all at once. He ate his salad. I was eating my fajitas. I offered a fajita wrap to Sage; one of his favourite types of bread. Nope. didn't want it, and it ended up on the floor. Big white circle on the black floor. I didn't want to pick it up because there was no where on the tiny table to put a dirty fajita wrap. Sage misbehaved some more and Jake, finished his salad, said he would take him outside. I was to get the cheque, ask for everything to be wrapped up. The kids hardly touched their dinners, Jake's full platter was not touched yet, and I had about 1/3 of my fajitas left when Hayden announced he had to poop. Jake was outside. Damn. Waitress again gone into oblivion. Plus they all dress the same, are all young, and all have the same hairdo. Casey's hires clones. I asked Hayden if he could wait. Nope. Damn Damn. I stopped one of the clones and told her where I'd been sitting, asking her to get all the food wrapped up and the cheque and we weren't dashing but my son had to go to the washroom and husband was outside with other son... (dancing Hayden) ok? ok thanks. In the washroom again.. waiting for Hayden to finish up. I didn't tell him to hurry. I didn't ask him to pinch it off, but he thought he was done, wiped, pulled up his underwear and said "Oh I have to poop some more but I can wait till we get home." "really Hayden? you can wait? why don't you just finish here?" "no I'll wait." "But when you get That Feeling you should listen to your body. Here's a toilet, why don't you just go?" "No I'm okay." "Okay, let's go home then." "uh.. I think I should finish pooping here." arg!! "Okay Hayden. You stay here for a second, okay? Mommy will be RIGHT BACK." I left to go see if our waitress was around to confirm with her we were not dashing. I saw the real her (not a clone) and I said "You packed up all our food? I 'll get the cheque too once my son's done in the washroom" she had nodded. I went back, Hayden was done so we both washed our hands and I picked up the to-go bag and paid. It was lighter than I thought it would've been. I looked inside. "Oh, I'd wanted all the food packed up.. this is just the steak" "um.. well actually they thought you all had left so they cleared the table and threw most of it away.. I only just barely saved the steak." ARG!!!! Two barely touched kids meals, $7 each, 1/3 of a $17 fajita dinner, and she barely saved Jake's steak? AAARRRRGGG!!!!

I didn't want to deal with it today. But tomorrow I will be calling the manager and asking for some sort of rebate. OUR COLOURING BOOKS WERE STILL ON THE TABLE. There were piles and mountains of food uneaten!!! I had told people what was going on... !!!! what a waste of money, time, and I regret it immensely. And we will NOT be going out to dinner again for a long long time.. unless there's a babysitter.

We're BACK baby!!

2009-07-18T11:03:00.003-04:00

YAHOO!! Computer is returned, and all is well in the world again!!!!!

Look! A full keyboard!! No more "typing" on Jake's psp!!! ahhhhhhhhhh

ok readers.. a real blog with photos and everything will ensue in the next couple of days.

thanks for waiting. I know you hate that.

Hacked

2009-07-16T15:40:00.005-04:00

Carol is the sweetest sister in all the land. Oh how I love her. She is the bestest. And the kindest most nicest girl you ever met. I think I will give her all my favourite things, I love her that much. But not my computer, because it is sick, and at the computer hospital, and so I can't actually blog myself, I have to get her to do it. Carol, could you write me a blog note please? Something that says how I can't actually do anything computerish until it's fixed, and make it sound like I'm writing it please? Here's my login and password...

Carol playing with a hairdo from the show "Avatar." Isn't she cute?

Great Day

2009-06-22T23:27:00.002-04:00

Hi! I had a great day today.

A) Chiropractor said I could cut down to once a week! I'd been going three times a week for a month, then I went twice last week, and this morning she said I was retaining the adjustments so well we are going to try once! This is great news because I'm almost at my $500 cap in my benefits.

B) After work I got a size 4 winter coat for Sage off Kijiji, and it was right around the corner from my dad's house, so I dropped off the sewing machine at the same time, surprizing him with my speediness in the return.

C) I also had a meeting tonight with my credit councellor, Francine. I'm done! DONE DIDDLY DONE DONE DONE!! And the student loan that I thought went to collections years ago was sent back to the bank! And is not appearing on my credit score! The only debt I have is my student loan payment and car payment!! I FEEL FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

D) I was feeling so good after the credit news that I bought Jake a new Pink Floyd t-shirt from the rock and roll t-shirt store.

E) Then I stopped at the Jerrit Center and bought 5 t-shirts and 2 shorts for the kids for $2.07. It's sold by weight. A dollar a pound. It weighed 2.07 pounds.

F) Then I bought Burger King for dinner and headed home. Jake peeled a gamepiece off his cup and won $50!!!

G) Jake also played in an online poker tournament and won $28!!!

H) I restrung my guitar yesterday and today found some of my original songs I'd written long ago and thought I'd lost. It felt good to play my songs again. Phlebotomy Blues and The Moon Song especially.

My Friend Dawn

2009-06-22T20:18:00.001-04:00

Hey. My friend Dawn from highschool sounds awesome. Give her a whirl.

Lacy, gently wafting curtains.

2009-06-21T22:14:00.003-04:00

For aeons I've hated the blinds in the living room and kid's room. Ever since we moved in, in fact (four years in September! my my how time do fly). Luckily the blinds I hated on the front door were quickly dispatched by Lacey. As the years went by, the children, time, and the sun succeeded in making the ugly blinds even uglier and less useful. So yesterday I bought a piece of pipe from Home Depot, and some material from Fabric Land and today I zipped together this fabulous window treatment!

These were taken in April and they'd broken down even further since then. As of today. the one on the far left was as broken and ramshackle as the one in the middle, but I couldn't wait long enough to take a picture once the curtains were finished. I ripped them off the wall (not hard because ALL the brackets were broken and they were being held up with duct tape) and threw them in a pile outside.

Before:

After:

AND I accidentally bought twice as much of the eyelet (white) stuff, so I also made a table cloth. Woohoo!

I'll be sad when school is over, but not why you think.

2009-06-17T23:02:00.002-04:00

It's really funny to try and figure out what's happened each day at school from the weird little stories Hayden tells. Yesterday when I asked him what he did at school he said that he and his class walked up the big stairs on top of the thing, and sang the song, and Madame Monique said good job, and then all the moms and dads were there.

What was the big thing? I asked.

A rocket ship. Yah a rocket ship with stairs on it. And we walked up the stairs.

Oh neat! Was that in the gym?

Yep.

What song did you sing?

"Nous allons au l'Ecole Westmount"

Oh cool! Can you sing it for me?

No.

Oh. What moms and dads were there? Lots of moms and dads?

No. yeah.

Lots of moms and dads?

yeah.

oh. I didn't know there was a thing for moms and dads today.

Yah there were some moms and dads there today to watch us sing on the rocket ship.

And Madame Monique said you were good?

Yeah she said good job so I got a sticker can I have a sticker? I did a very good job.

And I cried inside because I missed the thing in the gym where all the jk's sang on the rocket ship. wahhh.

Ice Balls and Sun Shades

2009-06-16T23:42:00.005-04:00

We had a hail storm on Sunday afternoon. Jake was at poker. I gave the kids each a piece of hail to hold. Hayden put his on the table to save until Daddy got home. Incidentally, Hayden says Icek for ice. As though he were going to continue into "ice-cream". Icek. It's cute :D Also, notice the beautiful red wagon Grampa bought for the boys last week.

This photo does not do justice to the severity of the rain and hail coming down. There was thunder and lightning too, and about 10 mini power outtages, but the kids weren't too nervous.

Close-up of the hail onna ground.

More trying-to-get-a-shot-of-the-deluge attempts.

The other day in the grocery store I got little kiddie sunglasses for my cool cat boys. Yellow of course for Hayden, green of course for Sage. Sage says "uh oh, Dark!" when he puts them on. But I think he's getting used to them. I can't believe they haven't broken their arms off yet!

A bit shadowy, but I love this shot.

Hayden's make him look like Elton John. teehee!

Posing with the shades on, next to one of the two mattresses we just got gently-used from an ad in Kijiji. It's waiting till next weekend when we put Hayden's new bed together. We took the crib down this past weekend. Oh! And for those of you interested, we paid some people to take away a lot of big crap off our lawn. Old mattress, old fridge, old couch that had been outside for 2 years. Yay!

This picture makes me want to go and wake the boys up and cuddle/squish them.

squish squish squish squish squish squish squish squishmore posing

Here let me fix your shirt during our photo shoot.

My two dudes. Favourite picture of the bunch!

I've got electric boots.. a mo-hair suit.. you know I read it in a magazine.

Moo

2009-06-11T20:25:00.001-04:00

To Carol:

2009-06-10T18:55:00.002-04:00

Taxi Dermy

2009-06-07T13:36:00.014-04:00

I posted this picture because I need a web address for it.

My main taxi from City of Heroes - Taxi Dermy.

June Fourth

2009-06-04T20:44:00.002-04:00

...

sigh

.

Ode To Carol

2009-06-01T18:56:00.003-04:00

Oh Carol, you are so old.
I laugh whenever your toes are cold.

Your birthday today we celebrate.
As a sister you are so great.

But not just a sister, you are a mom.
A wife. A daughter. You've been to the ROM.

In all your roles you are the best.
Now lie down here and take a rest.

Busy busy busy bee
Girlguides, Choirs, and daughters three.

So Have a Happy Birthday. Do.
You have to know we all love you!

First Barbeque of the Season!

2009-05-24T10:48:00.003-04:00

Saturday we traded in last year's empty propane tank for a full one, and I'd gotten a couple of choice pieces of meat from the butcher counter (steak for Jake and 2 large butterflied porkchops for me and the boys), we made veggie packets and everything was cooked to absolute perfection. AND the KIDS ATE EVERYTHING. Hayden didn't try the steak, but Sage did. They both loved the pork chops. And ate cooked carrots. And Sage discovered that he likes sour cream. By the forkfull. Which I gave him a few big dollops of because hey, it's almost yogurt, isn't it? Only better for him cuz it's higher fat? Anyway I was so happy that they weren't picky. Their chicken nuggets/preformed hamburgers/hot dogs/pizza-only-diet is expanding! *wipes a tear* I'm so excited.

Our Yummy First Barbeque

For christmas last year Carol gave me a humane bug-get-ridder-ofer. Since the bugs are now awake again, I used it for the first time to get rid of a spider in the bathroom (instead of my usual spraying-it-with-hairspray technique).

Proving I used it. Step 1: Catch

Step 2: Carry outdoors (and try not to drop it from heebie-jeebie shakes)

Step 3: Let free outdoors (then run back inside so it doesn't follow you)

Did another one bite the dust?

2009-05-23T08:14:00.002-04:00

I heard more bunny screams last night. I went outside but I didn't see any cats or bunnies or anything. It was dark, but nothing in the shadows was moving. I feel sad but I guess the natural order of things is something I can only think I can prevent.

Maybe if I got a really good flashlight... and a foghorn... and a kitty muzzle... and something sour or spicey to spray on the bunnies so Kitty won't like their taste....

*goes shopping*

Mutual Of Omaha's Wild Kingdom - At-Home Version part II

2009-05-22T09:44:00.002-04:00

Well last night I heard the bunnies screaming again. This time it was pretty late, and Jake had already gone to bed. I was up watching So You Think You Can Dance on the west-coast channel. I love that show! But back to the bunny screams. They were screaming. I got up to go chase Kitty inside, but I was too late. I saw her carrying the baby bunny from behind the van into the shrubbery. The momma bunny was under the van. I went into the yard and Kitty dropped the poor little thing, which was still alive but stunned, and I wanted to grab Kitty and let the baby hop away, but I took a moment too long to think about which to grab - cuz I thought for a second that maybe I should grab the baby, then changed my mind - and Kitty did the grabbing and ran away under the McDowell fence with it. The momma bunny following along behind her a good distance away, in the shadows. I'm holding a grudge against Kitty.

Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom - At-Home version

2009-05-21T08:22:00.005-04:00

Last night we had some excitment around here. Kitty was outside and it was probably around 8:30pm. Kids were in bed. We had the front door open because it was really warm, so just the screen door was closed. There was still plenty of light in the sky. Jake and I were watching the finale of American Idol (I'm mad about the winner, but that's a different blog that I probably won't write) when all of a sudden we heard a lot of really loud squeaking. I said "Kitty probably got a bird, or it's trying to distract her from one of it's babies" in the way that birds do, faking a broken wing away from it's little babies so the hungry hunter doesn't get them. Jake looked outside and said "She's got a baby bunny!"

I got up to look and Jake held Tilly back while I went outside. I didn't want her to kill the baby of the bunny that lives around here. I have pictures from earlier this spring when the bunny moved in. I may post them soon. Or not. Anyway when I got outside, I was expecting something completely different from what I encountered.

Here I was thinking Kitty would be holding down a bunny, all ferocious and killer, but what I saw was Kitty running down the yard towards me, the momma bunny chasing her! She was (forgive me) 'hopping' mad. (hehehe!) The bunny didn't even stop or run away when she saw me. She even kept coming. Kitty was by this time hiding behind my legs, and I thought, oh no, I'm going to get bitten by an enraged rabbit! But she stopped and just stared at me. Then she hopped to the left of the yard, turned around and watched us again. Kitty took a few steps away from me, back in the direction she'd come, but the bunny hopped in three long leaps to block her path. All the way across the yard! In three leaps! I was amazed. The side view of a bunny hopping with all her strength is amazing. Such a tiny body can stretch out REALLY long. Kitty turned around again and skuttled back to the safety of my legs. I picked her up and turned to go inside. The bunny retreated up to where the apple tree is, turned around, gave us the finger, and hopped away. We went inside.

I think this bunny's cousin guarded the caves of Kyre Banorg. The entrance to that cave is guarded by a creature so foul, so cruel that no man yet has fought with it and lived! Bones of four fifty men lie strewn about its lair. So brave knights who doubt their courage or strength shouldn't go there, for death awaits them all with nasty big pointy teeth.

Monty Python's Holy Grail - excerpt

2009-05-21T07:41:00.002-04:00

Scene 33

[clop clop whinny]

KNIGHT: They're nervous, sire.
ARTHUR: Then we'd best leave them here and carry on on foot. Dis-mount!
TIM: Behold the cave of Kyre Banorg!
ARTHUR: Right! Keep me covered.
KNIGHT: What with?
ARTHUR: Just keep me covered.
TIM: Too late!

[chord]

ARTHUR: What?
TIM: There he is!
ARTHUR: Where?
TIM: There!
ARTHUR: What, behind the rabbit?
TIM: It is the rabbit!
ARTHUR: You silly sod! You got us all worked up!
TIM: Well, that's no ordinary rabbit. That's the most foul, cruel,
and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on.
ROBIN: You tit! I soiled my armor I was so scared!
TIM: Look, that rabbit's got a vicious streak a mile wide, it's a
killer!
KNIGHT: Get stuffed!
TIM: It'll do you a trick, mate!
KNIGHT: Oh, yeah?
ROBIN: You mangy Scot git!
TIM: I'm warning you!
ROBIN: What's he do, nibble your bum?
TIM: He's got huge, sharp-- he can leap about-- look at the bones!
ARTHUR: Go on, Boris. Chop his head off!
BORIS: Right! Silly little bleeder. One rabbit stew comin' right up!
TIM: Look!

[squeak]

BORIS: Aaaugh!

[chord]

ARTHUR: Jesus Christ!
TIM: I warned you!
ROBIN: I peed again!
TIM: I warned you! But did you listen to me? Oh, no, you knew it all,
didn't you? Oh, it's just a harmless little bunny, isn't it? Well,
it's always the same, I always--
ARTHUR: Oh, shut up!
TIM: --But do they listen to me?--
ARTHUR: Right!
TIM: -Oh, no--
KNIGHTS: Charge!

[squeak squeak]

KNIGHTS: Aaaaugh! Aaaugh! etc.
KNIGHTS: Run away! Run away!
TIM: Haw haw haw. Haw haw haw. Haw haw.
ARTHUR: Right. How many did we lose?
KNIGHT: Gawain.
KNIGHT: Hector.
ARTHUR: And Boris. That's five.
GALAHAD: Three, sir.
ARTHUR: Three. Three. And we'd better not risk another frontal
assault, that rabbit's dynamite.
ROBIN: Would it help to confuse it if we run away more?
ARTHUR: Oh, shut up and go and change your armor.
GALAHAD: Let us taunt it! It may become so cross that it will make
a mistake.
ARTHUR: Like what?
GALAHAD: Well,....
ARTHUR: Have we got bows?
KNIGHT: No.
LAUNCELOT: We have the Holy Hand Grenade.
ARTHUR: Yes, of course! The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch! 'Tis one
of the sacred relics Brother Maynard carries with him! Brother Maynard!
Bring up the Holy Hand Grenade!

[singing]

How does it, uh... how does it work?
KNIGHT: I know not, my liege.
ARTHUR: Consult the Book of Armaments!
MAYNARD: Armaments, Chapter Two, Verses Nine to Twenty-One.
BROTHER: "And Saint Atila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying,
'Oh, Lord, bless this thy hand grenade that with it thou mayest blow
thy enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin, and
people did feast upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies,
and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats, and large --"
MAYNARD: Skip a bit, Brother.
BROTHER: "And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou take out the
Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three
shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting
shalt be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two,
excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once
the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou
thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who being naughty
in my sight, shall snuff it.'"
MAYNARD: Amen.
ALL: Amen.
ARTHUR: Right! One... two... five!
KNIGHT: Three, sir!
ARTHUR: Three!

[boom]

Theft and the Ensuing Guilt

2009-05-20T10:20:00.002-04:00

My friend wants some rhubarb. Up the yard near the front house there's a huge patch of it, so I offered to grab a root of it for her. The gardener always prunes it back every year anyway, so I figured it would not be missed. They really prune back the raspberry bushes too. They love pruning, them gardeners. Jake and I don't get along with the gardeners. The main one is a crotchety old jerk. Last summer the younger one - who is about 15 years old - drove the riding mower over Lacey's old tie-out and they spent an hour untangling it. We apologized to them profusely, explained how our dog had died on the highway, and asked if there were any damage, to which they replied No, there was no damage. But they were not satisfied with our heartfelt apologies. The crotchety old one complained to the main McDowell Handyman - Walleye we call him because his eyes look in two different directions like a wall-eyed fish - he doesn't like us either if our yard isn't perfectly neat and tidy - where was I? Oh yes - he complained to Walleye about the tie-out who also came over to yell at us about it, who then complained to Bernie McDowell - who hadn't died yet - who drove up his car (well Walleye was driving cuz he was pretty far gone with Alzheimers by then) to talk to us about it, only he had forgotten why he'd come, and instead of yelling right away he introduced himself to me (we've lived here almost 4 years) and said they were either going to trim the hedges or take them right out. At which point I said "But they really do help us with privacy" and he changed his mind back to just trimming them - and then Walleye reminded him to chastize me about the dog chain which he started to, but I'd had enough. I leaned in the window (I was on the passenger side, next to Mr. McDowell) and said to Walleye that we'd already been informed about the chain twice, we'd already apologized a great deal to him AND the gardener at the time, and didn't feel it was necessary to bring it up a third time. Especially since there had been no damage. Also, I added, the boy should have been looking where he was driving. And Mr McDowell said "yes he should have been watching" ha! Walleye looked grumpy and they took off. One time when we had a few garbage bags next to the house, Walleye had said to Jake if we don't tidy the yard up we'd get evicted, which was illegal of him to say to us, according to the Landlord and Tenant Act.

Back to the rhubarb. I took a chunk and as I was putting it into a bag outside, a grey car much like Mr. McDowell's drove slowly past the house, then reversed to pass our house again. I went inside and locked the door and hid in the bedroom for half an hour. Just in case they were going to yell at me for stealing some rhubarb. No one knocked on my door though, but MAN did I ever feel guilty.

Well that didn't work.

2009-05-15T11:04:00.002-04:00

Back to the old way.

I learned a lesson though: Stick With What You Know When You Don't Know Much About What You're Doing

heh

comments.. where aaarrre youuuu?

2009-05-15T10:54:00.000-04:00

hmm.. what did I do wrong..

Trying Something New

2009-05-15T10:28:00.002-04:00

I'm trying something new with comments via Typepad instead of blogger. I'm following several typepad blogs and like their style, so I'm giving it a go.

Note: I only had 2 heart-attacks while editing my html, thinking I'd permanently deleted my blog without saving a back-up version of the code first. What could go wrong? I *almost* know what I'm doing... yah. Back-up old version now saved. Which is good, because if I don't like the changes I can always go back to the old way now!

I sooo smort.

Recommendations

2009-05-12T09:42:00.002-04:00

I have mentioned before that I love Finslippy's blog. Today when I checked her out, she raved about this blog that she loves. I read and read and read through it.. I love it!! And I think you will love it too. So go there. You have time, just go :)

http://thediamondinthewindow.typepad.com/the-diamond-in-the-window/

http://www.finslippy.com/

Today

2009-05-10T23:32:00.003-04:00

I wanted to write something about my mother for Mother's Day today, but I can't.

What I can do is tell you that my kids said Happy Mother's Day to me about a zillion times, and even sang Happy Mother's Day To You (sounds like Happy Birthday). Sage's version sometimes did lapse into Happy Birthday instead.

When I put the kids to bed we read a story or three, then I sing a few songs, then it's time for sleep. I usually ask the kids what songs they want. Hayden always raises his hand and asks for "The Cow Jumped Over The Moon" which I don't really know the tune for, but I made something up that suffices. He usually asks for it twice, and I sing it through twice per request. Sage never asks for anything, but says YAH! with enthusiasm whenever I suggest something. Tonight for the first time Sage ASKED for Twinkle Twinkle, and even SANG ALONG with me and Hayden. Then he asked for Itsy Bitsy Spider and made the little spider hands and sang along while we all sang. The spider hands aren't new, but the singing along is. So I couldn't really have asked for anything more from my children.

It was also our Tilly-versary today. I received Tilly as my mother's day gift last year. I sang Happy Tilly-versary to Tilly a lot today too. She jumped around and got excited and shed. She is shhhhhhhheeeedddddiiiiinnnnnggg. A lot of shedding from a small dog. Clumps of fur. Not just her undercoat either. Her long guard-hairs are coming out by the fistful also. FISTS FULL. Yesterday I took her outside and, since we don't have a brush or zoom, used my fingers to rake her fur and try to get out the loose ones. Hayden was looking out the door and said "There's hairs flying around." There was a CLOUD of fur flying all over. She loved it too. Those zooms are AWESOME though. Lacey's zoom worked wonders, but it got left outside and ploughed away in the winter. They're rubbery large-toothed brushes that grab all the loose hairs quite efficiently. You know what's fun tho, is seeing little white undercoat hair clumps sticking out on her rump, grabbing it and pulling out a huge wad of fur. That is sooo relaxing for me. It doesn't relax Tilly though. I don't think it hurts her, but it must itch or something because she gets wiggly. Maybe it tickles.

Health Report
Sage had that stomach flu for five days. Hayden had it for 2 1/2 days. Jake called me at work on Friday afternoon to say he had puked. Which sent me into a panic because up till then I was hoping it was one of those "children only" flues. I was trying to think back and remember if the stomach flues my sister or I ever got was shared with my parents, and I don't think they ever were. Germs had more respect back then I think. Anyway my hopes and dreams of me and Jake remaining flu-free were dashed. And at that point Hayden was still sick, so I didn't know he was going to have the abbreviated version. Luckily, Jake also had the abbreviated version, and I have not had any symptoms yet at all. I hope I didn't tempt fate by typing that out.

My back is so-so. I saw the chiropractor last week and was very excited about our first consultation. I believe she will be able to help me a lot. My first adjustment is tomorrow morning. I found working afternoons instead of mornings to be better, giving the pain killers time to set in and prep for the strain of sitting up straight. She did a couple scans of my spine and had explained that if the bar graph showed white, there was no stress, green was mild, blue medium, and red was severe stress. When I saw my graphs, a few were black. I asked what black meant, and she said that black was worse than red. Ahhhha. She poked around my neck and asked if I'd ever hit the right side of my head. I told her I had fallen down some stairs about 8 years ago and had hit my head on the concrete floor, above my right eye. I got stitches and a wicked black eye. Wicked bad, not wicked good. I was amazed she could tell! She also reported that my left leg was shorter than my right because the muscles in my back are so tense and tight they're skewing up my hips. And she asked if I'd ever been to the chiropractor before. I had, about 7 years ago because my lower back was starting to be a bit of an issue, because of my tendonitis in my arms, and it was covered by work so I thought "why not?". She asked how long after the fall did I go.. and it was about 8 months or so. She said it was very possible that it was the fall that put bones out of alignment, taking that long to become such that I wanted to do something about it. I thought that was a very interesting connective leap. The xray that I'd had done a few weeks ago is being sent to her office, so she'll have that to refer to as well. My family doc had told me it was normal, so to answer your question Sarah, No I didn't get an MRI. I forgot you have a herniated disk. What are you doing with it? Is it fixable? Work-aroundable? Does that kind of thing show up on an xray?

I hope everyone had a lot of love for their mothers today. Give them hugs and kisses from me, please.

Stomach Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest

2009-05-06T15:57:00.002-04:00

The kids are sick. Veeeerry sick. Sage started throwing up Friday night and didn't keep a drop or crumb in all weekend. I called Teleheath (registered nurse's advice over the phone) and since she described some things that his throw up wasn't, we were fine with her advice to just treat him at home and give 2 tsp of water every 10 minutes for 8 hours, then bland foods if he keeps that down. Then a few hours later he threw up something that the nurse had asked about, coffee grounds, and I called her back. It's coffee grounds now, should I be more worried? Defcon two? I had a different nurse that call and she said yes, I should bring him in to emergency within the hour. She was going to fax them a copy of our conversation. So I took his little self to emerge and we were there for 6 hours. The night before my first day back to work after being off for my sore back. Six hours in waiting room chairs. Well sorry no. That's an exaggeration. The last 45 minutes we were in a little room and there was a gurney. But the other 5.25 hours I sat in a chair holding sleeping weak little Sage. He was so tired with this flu that when walking from his bedroom to the living room he'd stop in the hall, kneel down, put his head on the floor and pass out. Or at the table. Or in the middle of the living room. He was falling asleep anywhere. At the hospital, this was good because it meant I didn't have to wrangle him. But I did have to hold him. And his breath wasn't amazing. So when we saw the doctor, she asked some questions, probed his tummy, checked his ears mouth eyes and diaper, and good news - he wasn't dehydrated and she didn't feel anything hard in his tummy. So she said give him 2 tsp of watered down juice every 15 minutes. We were out of there around 2am.

So monday I returned to work for the full day. I had 389 emails. When I got home, my back was sore and Sage was no better. Still crying for water in his heart-wrenching way "waaater.. waaaater" and still sleeping all over the place. A few hose-downs were necessary for some messy other accidents, the details of which I spare you. Tuesday I went to work again and talked to HR about modified hours, so I don't over do it. This was approved by my manager and the rest of the week I'm working 1/2 days. Next week is to be determined. When I got home, Sage was actually chipper, and was awake the entire afternoon until bedtime! Dramatic improvement. And then late last night Hayden started to throw up. And the other thing. The other thing in bed with me. I got home today and Sage was not over throwing up. It's kind of miserable in here. Jake and I are just waiting for our turns with ominous dread. I'm washing my hands so much it hurts.

For my back, I'm going to a chiropractor tomorrow and a physiotherapist at the end of the month, both services for which I have coverage from work benefits.

I'm tired. I'm cranky. I'm sore. And tired. And fearful of when and where the flu will hit me.

Outdated Easter Photos

2009-05-05T18:57:00.011-04:00

Friday: Szabbies come to Sudbury for 4 days! Dinner at our house Friday night.

Saturday: Treated to Science North as a Raciszabihussicots Clan by Patriarch.

chain o kids

Science North was sooo interesting on the way in, we could've spent all day with the parabolic echo wall, locker room, bunnies and chickies, water fall, and plastic practice milking cow (with functioning milkable teats)!

black chickie and kid cluster - only one kid isn't ours. can you tell which one?

Sage pats the bunny. Can you pat the bunny?

Interesting caves lead us to the exhibits.

Promo for Uncle Ron's 3-D movie which unfortunately we couldn't work into the schedule.

Grampa investigating the tiny play-cave.

Twinsies running into the tiny play-cave. It's only as big as you can see there.

examining horns and antlers

Hayden said "This is the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built." when we got to the rat exhibit.

Snap Snap! This one's for you, Delbert. May you rest in peace.

Mindi, concentrate on Sage's uber-cute expression and don't read what's next!! While we were examining this milk snake, an employee came by and said that this little guy was lost within the center for a month because he escaped his prior habitat. Eeeeeeeeeeek.

If you bring in a piece of nature, you can trade it for what they've got in all those shelves and drawers. My dad gave Anya and Hayden little rocks to donate, and they each picked out a bunch of shells.

Sage and some dinos

Carol took this beautiful butterfly portrait.

Twins on a Butterfly Bench

And then the most hideous Easter Bunny in the entire briar patch came by to hug the children. Hayden wasn't terrorized. He wasn't even shy!

Sage would not get closer than this to the bunny, and yet he also was so intrigued that he wouldn't move away from the bunny either. He had to be carried away and he complained the whole time. Weeeird. I think the large flower on the hat was hypnotizing him.

And then I was brave enough to hold Sammy Snail's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-...-great-great grand-nephew and/or neice. This snail is clinging to a rotting piece of apple he or she had been eating for lunch when plucked from his or her habitat to be held by various people such as I. It wasn't too bad until he or she started to go forward. And then I was done.

On the way out, we stopped and touched a piece of history. Coke-a-cola sponsored photos being taken with THE Olympic Torch, which we downloaded from the website about a week later. Complete with police guard. Plus an athelete. And a really tall dude. And a winnibego.

Sunday: woke up with sore back, had Easter presents for the kids at our house. Deux parapluies et du chocolate. Not many photos of easter at our house because of my sore back making me grumpy and ibuprofin not working fast enough.

By 10am-ish we were back at my dad's and had the easter egg hunt for the kids. I'd given them bunny bags to collect the jelly-bean filled treasures.

Finding Eggs

The Official Count for fair-and-square divvying.

And since it was such a nice day, we didn't want to go back inside. We threw plastic balls all over the yard and Carol invented running-around games for the kids to play.

Put All The Red Balls Into The Yellow Hoop game
Throwing More Balls Into The Yard

Hoop Toss

Sand Garden Play

Run over there and salute the captain! now... run back here and swab the deck!

Hayden introduces The Face to a young Szabbicotian. (Is that pronounced Szabico-ee-an, or Szabicoshan? hmm)

Quick mastering of The Face

And so it spreads, as The Face has tremendous appeal for young minds eager for attention...

nuff said

Carol tells Stories

A Very Interesting Look

At one point during household nap time, Anya meticulously arranged all the toys in the playroom while Carol slept on the couch. Note the symmetry in the wooden block castle. Note the cars under the coffee table.

Note the windowsill guys. And the stuffies bookending Carol. I couldn't believe it and had to take pictures.

Kids Being Have

These are some pictures from the week before Easter that I wanted to post as well:

A cool Hayden-taken photo

Hayden drew a "mushroom" on the right, and traced his hands on the left. Easel purchased from Kijiji ad for $7.

At daycare Hayden's class made bunny ears and also washable-markered on whiskers and bunny noses. Hayden also wanted a bunny beard on his chin, to be just like Daddy.

At school Hayden's class made bunny ears which he shared with Sage, since he then had two pairs.

whew. sorry that took so long.

2009-05-01T17:00:00.000-04:00

I don't like arugula.

2009-04-25T03:14:00.003-04:00

whaaaat the heck am I still doing up??

I'm off work still because of my back. And will be next week as well. Forms filled out, xrays taken, work informed... I did a little experiment this week because I was feeling better, able to put on my own socks, for example. I stopped taking the tylenol 3s on Tuesday night. That night also I didn't take my muscle relaxer. Wednesday I took only the Rx strength ibuprofin, and then Thursday morning realized that two days without the muscle relaxer or T3s was a mistake. But but but I felt okay, no agonizing pain! I said to myself. Ah yes, but I was also either lying down or reclining and nothing else for prolonged periods of time. Giving myself the time and oportunity to recover. I drove myself to the doctor's office on Thursday. Thank goodness it's a short trip. Sitting up straight for more than a few minutes feels like bad things are happening. It isn't the kind of pain that kills you immediately, but it's the kind that says "I'm tolerable now, but just wait cuz you ain't seen nothing yet! lemme rev my engines!!!!" Imagine locking your elbow for a few hours. (If you've slept with a cuddly child, you will know of which I speak.) It's ok for a few minutes, but when you go to move it a couple hours later, LOOKOUT. Now multiply that by say, 75, and speed up the tolerance time and...

What the hell am I doing up so late??!! That's where this started. I had a nap. I woke up late. The muscle relaxer knocks me out. This other medication I'm taking has insomnia as a side effect. I love City of Heroes. That's what. All those things. Add those things up and you get me awake at 3:26am. And I'm still not even that sleepy!

what a crock.

Story now, pictures later

2009-04-17T10:23:00.002-04:00

Happy Belated Easter!

Last weekend the Szabbies came to town for the entire weekend. We were thrilled! We had dinner at our house friday night and I'd slow cooked a couple of chickens. Saturday morning my dad treated us ALL to Science North where they had special Eastery displays including live bunnies, chicks, snails, and a (hideous) walking Easter Bunny costume. After the science center, we parted ways for kid naps, and reconvened for dinner at my dad's. Sunday morning I woke up with a sore back, but wasn't bothered too badly by it. We gave our kids their Easter presents at home, then went to my dad's to give all five kiddies a little bag with a few toys/treats inside and I hid a bunch of easter eggs in his back yard. The weather was beautiful and on the warm side of chilly. Sunny skies and not very much wind meant the kids were fine with lighter coats and rubber boots. I was fine in just my t-shirt if I sat in the sun, which I did. B.J. even got slightly sunburnt! We wanted to stay outside some more, so when my dad brought one little plastic ball out and lamented it was all he had, I remembered that the Xmas present for the boys from the Szabbies was still in the car: two bags full of balls, so we got one and threw them in the yard (and at each other a little bit) and Carol made up games for the kids to play. She is a genious when it comes to inventing games/stories on the spot. She got those kids to run allll over the place and REALLY wear off their candy breakfasts. We had a very simple turkey supper and pie for dessert. After dinner, my dad put on Pinnoccio on his huge TV and we watched the restored and enhanced cartoon. Most of the kids watched for most of the time even! We had popcorn and it was a really awesome family togetherness experience. Monday around lunchtime the Szabbies came over to eat at our house on their way home. We had a few more hours of familiness until they left for true. Jake went to pick up Sabrina and Robbie for a visit, but it was cut short because I was so miserable. Unfortunately for me, Monday morning I'd woken up and my sore lower back had turned into immobilizing pain. It still is aweful. I couldn't get in to see my own doctor, so I went to a clinic on Wednesday morning and that took a lot out of me.. those hard waiting room chairs and complete lack of waiting room beds to take the pressure off my spine. He gave me some good painkillers and a powerful muscle relaxer and ordered I follow up with my family doc as early as possible. I've been off work all week, but I'm hopeful that by Monday when I go in, I'll be able to make it all day.