Friday, March 30, 2007

fab 5 friday!

I've been thinking today of things I can list...and I had a bit of a stroll down memory lane this afternoon as I was pulling pictures for a school project [I am going to get the kids to create a timeline...so I need to make one of my own life!

SO, I've decided to list the 5 most monumental moments of my life!

1. meeting john - and all the great moments that came & still come with that [like dating, marrying, and all the stuff in between!]

2. having kids - I cannot put one in front of the other, but really birthing children is a pretty monumental thing. being their mother after their birth, even more so!

3. going to europe - the last time I saw my cousin before she died, the last time I visited yves, climbing mountains, hangin' with cor for the summer...so many things, so many great places & times. hard to believe that was 5 years ago that we were planning & saving for the trip!

4. graduations - high school, my ba, the big ed degree...I love the formality of it all, the rituals, the costumes! good times and great moments.

5. roommates - this one isn't just a moment, but a bunch of moments that have hugely impacted my life...and when I look back, I really wouldn't change living with any of these people: evie, rachel, greg & andrea, troy [& chad & ryan!], bill, shonnette & susan, coralee, marcy & madison. things were not perfect all the time, but I learned things about myself along the way...and that I would never change.

feel free, as always, to make you own list to share on my blog or on your own!

Thursday, March 29, 2007

spring break day 4

yup. only one day left.

so today, I had lunch with andrea [at characters...yumm-ola!]. I did my taxes. I slept in. I updated my podcasts on my nano. I ran some errands - chapters, winners [new yoga mat...WOOHOO!], the dutch deli. fun stuff! sorry, no pictures to celebrate the day. and a pretty boring post. off to try a new, fun stampin' fold-thingy!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

spring break day 3











more pics! and a whole lot of cleaning!! gotta love ty's new yellow boots that are miles to big on him - they were the smallest size I could get @ stupidstore! but, he LOVES them...had a big fuss when we took them off so he could go to bed last night. and, the coat. that would be grandma's doing, but cute nonetheless!

and then some pictures of the boys this afternoon!

funky folding cards...




they have a "for-real" name & a "for-real" tutorial HERE!


AND, they are fun to make - and a great way to show off the great double sided papers!

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

who watches cbc, anyways??

yeah, not me. I can prove my "canadian-ness" by naming at least 3 shows on the cbc [hockey night in canada, the news & the winter olympics...well, at least the last ones], but do I ever watch that ol' channel 4? nope. not since the days of quality canadian programming...the days of mr. dressup, the friendly giant & the ORIGINAL anne of green gables...with megan follows, the FIRST time it was on, have I watched the cbc! oh, and I lied, when I am home with the boys, we do watch kids cbc in the morning...curious george, tractor tom, lunar jim...and ALWAYS drawing the line at the doodle bops. but I have digressed.

tonight I was channel surfing when I stopped because I recognized the man on tv. paul franklin. yup, he was on the hour [with george stroumboulopoulos]. although I don't want to say too much for privacy issues, I know his wife. and I have never heard his story. until now. the link to the interview is here. and more info/stuff here.

although I have always prided myself in remaining fairly politically insignificant, I find myself having great pride in my country and more directly, the soldiers of my country. do I agree with our role in afganistan? not too sure. do all people do the right thing all of the time? nope. do I believe that our troops need our support? absolutely. like I said, in light of being a true canadian, I am a rather conservative-liberal. not a lover of stephen OR stephane. but, I do love the canadian process, I want a reformed parliament & senate. and really, I love my country. but let's be honest. people are idiots. politicians, being people, fall hard into that category. but, when I hear paul talk about the afgan people and their want for help, I can't help but think that we, as canadians, are not getting the whole story. this is not new, however, it makes me think. I think that I need to spend more time caring about my world. my neighbour. my country. our global village is an unhappy place - what can I do? not sure. but I am going to think on this for a while.

sorry, this is a bit jumbled, as many of my thoughts can be. any thoughts of your own, please feel free to share.

spring break day 2

ikea with john's mom! oh, and success with the BEST potato masher EVAH! yup, the pampered chef one...it totally rocks on SO many levels. gonna go and search for a picture and add it here!

well, here's the link: pampered chef mix & masher

oh, and my mom & I are hosting a PC par-tay in june, so let me know if you are wanting an invite!!

spring break day 1 [and a day late]







day 1: hangin' with the boys [nate decided overall shorts were in order, since playing "I am a garbage man" is SO much fun!], having coffee with alex & visiting my mom - all fun. seeing ty fall and nearly put his tooth through his bottom lip - not so fun. I love the pic of ty sleeping [he had a rare morning nap!].

Sunday, March 25, 2007

I should be cutting paper











but, I just moved some pictures from my camera [perhaps THAT is why my web cam wasn't working]. I have a difficult getting good pictures of the boys, but today I got quite a few! we were at jackson's second birthday party today [they had it at gymboree - an indoor kids facility] and it was tons of fun for the kids!!








a sunny sunday

and not just sunny, but the bright, snow melting kind of sun!

it's been an interesting couple of days. I dropped the boys off on friday morning at john's mom's house and I haven't seen nate since. he's been the sleep-over monster this weekend! friday night at grandma ursula's and saturday night with other grandma and opa. that has meant that I have had 2 nights of completely solid sleep - 10 hours of pure bliss. I actually feel like I have some energy again and that perhaps my brain will start working again. when I am tired and on the verge of getting sick, my brain turns to mush. gotta totally love that. and hey, no comments from the peanut gallery on how my brain is usually mush regardless of sleep!!

so this morning, it's just ty & I. he's puttering around. I'm blog surfing. drinking a huge cup of coffee. gotta love sunday mornings!

oh and for all of you keeping track - 8k yesterday morning! feeling good, dudes!

Friday, March 23, 2007

FAVE FIVE FRIDAY...

I REMEMBERED!!

My fave 5 SU! colours:
1. Chocolate Chip
2. Certainly Celery
3. Pumpkin Pie
4. Cool Caribbean
5. Old Olive

oohhh, hard to pick just 5! and least favorite movie at this present time ['cause it happens to be playing RIGHT now]: poseidon. yeah, a remake of titanic, only with fergie & kirk russel. yeah, that should sum it up!

but, on a different note, IT'S SPRING BREAK!!! YEEHAW!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

I'm going to india!

okay, not for real india, but for dinner with 'da girls' to an indian restaurant. and it's only a mere 2 more sleeps until spring break...well, until Friday, which is the last day of school before the break!

and now, after my ROTTEN eating week last week, instead of only 2 more lbs to lose, I have 4. grrr. I HATE GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION! well, I guess that next tuesday morning will tell the tale of whether or not I made my goal. and if I don't, then I can't get discouraged. I just have to keep pressing on towards the goal. the BIG goal of health, well being & a fit body!

Saturday, March 17, 2007

I FORGOT...

to do my fave five friday!!
here goes [better late than never, right?]!

my fave five edmonton places to be:
1. dadeo's on whyte ave
2. chapters on whyte ave...for historical reasons
3. the high level bridge
4. o'byrnes
5. the new stretch on the anthony henday [between whitemud & calgary trail!]

Friday, March 16, 2007

so tired

what a week. to be honest, I don't even know where it went...wasn't it monday just yesterday?

pampered chef show monday night
in bed early tuesday night [I think. seriously, I can't remember. if you know where I was tuesday night, let me know! and don't be offended if I was with you...]
45 minute walk & soccer for john wednesday night
open house & drinks with colleagues thursday night
home and exhausted friday night [and trying to get some swaps done for tomorrow!]
and tomorrow looks like this:
9am - walking class & walk [8km]
1pm - millet meeting for su! [keeping in mind that millet is 45 minutes away]
6pm - date with my husband

and I wonder why I can hardly keep my eyes open. yeah. and I wonder why it's so hard to keep my eating on track. other than a few stray cookies today, I've stuck to it. yesterday however, was a whole other story. good reason to walk tomorrow and burn the calories!!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

I surprise myself

thought it might just be a 1 pound week. turns out, it was a 3 pound week. YEAH ME!! do I dare say that I am starting to figure this all out? was taking care of my soul really the key? [dumb question, of course it was!] 2 more pounds until I reach my pre-spring break goal. also 2 more pounds until I reach the lowest I've EVER been in my adult life. ooohhhh...scary. hey, if I just continue tackling this beast 5 or 10 pounds at a time, I can do it. for life.

did I tell y'all that we are going to walk the half marathon again this summer? yeah. am I crazy?? yup! will it be so much better if I am 25 pounds lighter? FOR SURE. can I do it? you'd better believe it, dudes. the change is a-comin' and I am NOT going to hit 35 looking like I did hitting 34 [I just re-read this: the change being me changing the shape of my body, not THE change...the hot-flash-whisker-growing change!!]. k, re-reading again. I scare myself. I think I've talked about it before, but I don't know myself as a smaller version of me. what is that person like? GRRRR! this is where I need a swift kick in the brain. I AM AND WILL ALWAYS BE ME! size has nothing to do with it. I just get so intimidated by the thought of it all and subsequently sabotage myself. YEAH, NOT THIS TIME! lol. all the negative self talk ends right here. I will not be my own worst enemy. I will NOT wreck this for me. this is a good, strong, healthy body that needs my love and respect, not nastiness.

no way, jose! we're doing this and we're doing this for real.

Monday, March 12, 2007

things I am thankful for

I've been feeling a bit off for the last few days...if it were my kids, I would just say they were cranky. well, that's how I feel. cranky. the time change. the car sized potholes. the wind. less than 2 weeks until spring break. CRANKY!!! seriously, I just need to scream out loud. sorta like nate did for about half an hour this afternoon. screamed so hard that he decided peeing his pants was the only way to fix things. oh to be 3 again!

and my belly hurts. the last couple of days have not been great eating days. mind you, they haven't been awful, but I've had some sweet treats, treats that hurt my belly. you'd think I'd learn. tomorrow is weigh-in day. do I dare hope for more than one measly pound? do I deserve more than one measly plan, considering the great [hint of sarcasm!] choices I've made? yeah. good thing spring break is still a week and a half away. trying really hard to hit that 10lbs by then! mmmm. this is my usual spot where I just give up. NOT THIS TIME! the cranky ain't gonna derail this train, dude!

okay, about the things I am thankful for:
1. my kids. john. all is well when they are well.
2. my job.
3. my friends.
4. my healthier body & heart [much better off than last year at this time].
5. that not every show on tv this week is a rerun [boy do I love 24!].
yeah, lots of good things!

listenin' to some toons!


ben harper & the blind boys of alabama: live at the apollo.

I have yet to find an album that rivals this one. that is a concert that I would pay to be at. for real!

so today was okay...was thinking about a lot of things on the way home...deep, theological, musical things. things that I have totally forgotten. I hate that when that happens. grrr. the kids seem to be liking each other today [my kids, that is!]

off to try the web cam!! yippie!

Sunday, March 11, 2007

some things I've made

I've been stamping! just playing with my new paper & stamps...and the long notes! fun stuff!



Saturday, March 10, 2007

spring in edmonton

the puddles are waist high. the pot holes, well, my car gets lost in them!

we did walk this morning...7k. it was a good walk, except for the ice. not too sure why I am blogging right now, considering I don't have much to say today...I really do live such a boring life!

hope everyone is having a great saturday!

Friday, March 09, 2007

FAVE FIVE FRIDAY...

the newest and greatest invention on my wee blog!

today I will feature my fave 5 movies. please keep in mind that this list often rotates, although a few are stables on my list. as always, if you'd like to share your list...do so in a comment or on your blog!

1. french kiss [kevin klein & meg ryan]: I like the whole "bub/bob" thing in the car.
2. tea with mussolini: hey, it takes place in florence & san gimignano...do I have to say more?
3. the italian job: love the chase scenes!
4. the hurricane [denzel washington]: I was obsessed with this story after I saw this movie...read all the books I could about it; I love denzel in this role.
5. dead poet's society: carpe diem! I can quote chunks of this one...and maybe it's why I am a teacher...

grrr

okay. so I went to chapters tonight to get a gift for john's mom [it's her birthday on sunday]. as I was wandering aimlessly, I was struck by the sheer amount of books that I will never want to read. how sad is that? more so, I couldn't even find a book that I would want to read. I am in a funk. I need a good book. I need not to be so tired. I need to just sit and read a book that I already own!

AND...I wanted to do a new blogging thing: FAVE FIVE FRIDAY! [see next post...]

Thursday, March 08, 2007

the cough is ending!

I feel SO much better today. a couple of things have happened.

1. the sickness has lifted...a decent sleep last night & very little coughing!
2. I had a great work out last night...considering I had missed a few classes, I felt revived and energized by all those squats and push ups!
3. I stuck to my eating plan while having aunt flo over for a visit. yippie!
4. I lost 2lbs last week for a total of 5 in the last 2 weeks.
5. new ta starts monday.
6. I felt like I actually got some teaching done today.

what can I say? God is good.

Monday, March 05, 2007

the oreo phenomenon

okay, so most of you that read my blog regularly know that I often sabotage myself - usually unintentionally, but I do nonetheless. I'll pause here and talk about intent: I say that I am unintentional, but lets be honest. nothing is truly unintentional. I forget. I get my period. I really FEEL like it. I choose to dishonour my body. regardless of all the reasons, I am a self-saboteur. I suppose I could get into all the reasons why...but that would take some emotional energy - energy that I just don't have today.

well, today I have turned the corner. the oreo phenomenon no longer controls me. I control it.

let me explain. can you eat just one oreo? nope. no one really can. it's like one potato chip. one piece of popcorn. impossible. this is the oreo phenomenon. the "you can't just eat one".

well, as of tonight, I control it. I ate 2 oreos [of the low-fat, low-cal, only 2 pts variety] and JUST 2 oreos. the bag is closed. gone. done. now, please don't argue with me that I really didn't beat it because I actually ate 2, not 1...it's the principle of the matter.

tomorrow is week 2 weigh in day. do I dare hope that I've lost another 4 pounds? yeah, I need to be more realistic. I am happy, however, with how well I have been staying on track for the last while. lots of positives here, regardless of the number on the scale.

Saturday, March 03, 2007

damn the cough!

grrr.

well, cough or not, we did almost 9k this morning. I was commenting to my mom & joy that I really am amazed at how far my fitness level has increased. last year at this time, I couldn't even walk 3k without thinking I was going to die. the weight loss may be slower than I'd like, but I am liking how strong my heart is becoming.

I had big plans to head downstairs tonight and stamp...but I'm not too sure I can conger up the energy. I might just take my meds [gotta love the buckleys...the pills, NOT the liquid!] and curl up with the natester & my wee nano...got a podcast I'd like to finish listening to!

maybe tomorrow I will have erika's package ready to hit the mail, and a start on john's mom's birthday present! oh, and I need to get my oil changed tomorrow on the wave...someone remind me, please?

Friday, March 02, 2007

what a bizzare week

really.

I am SO sick [sore throat...grrr]. okay, complaining out of the way!

good thing convention was so good! [insert chuckle] no really, it was. I got to reconnect with all sorts of people - ALL SORTS! it was all good. people from college, people I used to teach with, old principals, people I subbed for, ex-church people, cousins!

I was FAR too busy this week - in the evenings - so busy that I didn't ever sit downstairs and stamp. well, I did tonight. trying to get a package of stuffs together for erika!

and then there is me! I can hardly believe what kind of great eating week I had. in my caloric range everyday & my gut is feeling a lot better [not that it was feeling bad, but just not good] and more importantly, I am not feeling hungry ALL the time. I have to say though, I think I may need to go into treatment for chocolate pudding addiction...the fat-free, sugar-free kind! mmmmm!!

well, nate is at grandma's house tonight, so john and I have a break - I am going to stop rambling and sit and watch tv with him!

slurp, slurp, slurp!