Fionna Is Tough

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

This Week

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

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

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!

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...

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!!

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

Darkness

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

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?

(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

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

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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