Saturday, December 31, 2011

I fought the law

call it what you want:  my year in review.  or top ten things I would scrapbook.  or the things I'm thankful for in twenty-eleven.

regardless, I've been hunting for pics to support this wee list!  and apparently I take a lot of pictures with my iphone!

it was a super, super long winter.  there was WAY too much snow, but I am grateful that our cars made it through.  the times we got stuck, it was always close to home.  and trust me, in a car the size of mine, that's a big deal!  john got a new job in february - very close to home.  we only had to deal with unemployment for about a month, which was a good, good thing.  on the flip side, we've had to learn how to deal with shift work.  okay.  I've had to learn how to deal with it!!

 and the spring was all about soccer.  which was interesting considering the change to john's work schedule.  there was lots of driving, lots of car pooling and lots of games.  I love being a soccer mom and watching my boys play!


 this year, nate finished grade two and started grade three.  and ty moved from kindergarten into grade one.  the picture above nate is of ty's feet.  he received an award at school last spring - for citizenship - and he was too embarrassed to get up in front of the whole school to receive it!  so he sat on my lap and his principal brought the award to him!  

 I spent most of the spring training for the edmonton entact marathon.  my mom, sister, dad and I all walked the half marathon.  my mom and I finished in 3:30.  and it was HOT.  I was happy with our time; for me, it was one of my better races.
I went to las vegas at the beginning of july.  it was a nice break from the crazy of the school year.


 john and I took the boys to osoyoos {bc} this summer for two weeks.  it was hot and we lived in the pool and at vineyards for two whole weeks.  it was relaxing and crazy and lovely.  we are blessed to be able to vacation there every couple of years.

 new tattoo in september.  story of why is here.

 the fall was super busy - as it usually is - ty in school full time, me taking on a new teaching assignment, and all the other general busy that the fall brings.  in there somewhere, I learned how to ride a longboard and instantly I was hooked.  I LOVE IT!  I need to buy a board in the spring.

 john and I went to vegas in december so that I could do half marathon number two!  two halves make a whole, right?  we also got most of our christmas shopping done.  yeah!

the bling from vegas!  it's HEAVY!

and then, since I'm now the music teacher, I was the boss of christmas concert at school.  and dispite all the stress and crazy that lead up to the night, my kids totally kicked it out of the park!

I have had a good year.  it was hard, busy, crazy and blessed.  and I need to do this more often, just so I remember the good.  the happy.  and why I'm thankful.  'cause I am.

happy new years, peeps.  I'll see you tomorrow on the flip side!
xoxo

Thursday, December 29, 2011

going to graceland

so, it's time for some review.  a look back in order to make a path forward, right?  only I feel like the three steps I've made forward in 2011 were countered by the five steps I took backwards.  it's not suppose to be like that, right?  however, I feel like I have made some gains emotionally.  but I've yet to discover if they are positive or negative.  so then are they gains?  I would say yes.  because I am aware.  more aware then perhaps I wanted to be.  and yet, I have not committed myself into the local mental hospital.  so yes, progress.

so although this is my official "one-word-year-end-up-date" for twenty-eleven, there are a couple of things I want to commit to over the next few days:

first, I just pulled up my blog post from dec 31st of last year - just to check my head space.  I did a top ten things that I was thankful for in twenty-ten.  I'm going to do that again.  join me, and send me your links if you want to do the same!

second, I'll post my "one word" for twenty-twelve on new years day.  I haven't figured out what I want to do with that yet, although there is a lingering thought in the front of my brain that is looking for some exploration.

okay.  my one word update.  last year I wrote THIS.  it was my word, my thoughts behind my word.  all of that stuff.

I feel like this year, grace showed up at the table and we have been fighting ever since.  {I'm going to site THIS post from carlos whittaker for my analogy on this one.}  I feel like grace and I are at war - like siblings over a misunderstanding.  you never remember where it starts, but the grudge just continues to hold.  and no one is gonna give up the fight.  I have been tantruming for a long time.  we all know that.  I have been having 5 year old hissy fits with god for a long, long time.

and then, grace shows up.

and she showed me who she was.  and I don't feel worthy.  so I fight.  and I think right now, we're in the cage.  me with my moves of denial, sin, loathing.  her with her moves.  those serious bad ass ones that I don't think I deserve.  and when I tire of the fight and start to let her win, it's like I give in for a moment and get a taste of what could be in my life, then just because, I feel the need to prove that I'm a bad ass too and I kick it up a notch.  so right now, I'm in a headlock.  she's fierce.  powerful.  relentless.  and I need to cave soon.  I am tired.  weak.  worn.  and totally in need of grace.  far beyond what I can even comprehend.  I need her to be my new best friend.  to be part of my essence.  part of a new way of doing business.  grace has kicked my ass this year.  and I'm still not getting it.  I am effing dumb sometimes.  that's not new news either.

but, I am still standing {not in the metaphor anymore peeps - 'cause there, I'm on the ground, in a head lock!!}.  I'm not super crazy {yes, that's up for debate}.  I've dropped the ball on many relationships.  but I've picked up the ball on being a bit more hands on in my parenting.  I'm still a mess.  but I am considering this year to be one of progress.  and of hope.  those three steps forward were HUGE.  those five steps back were baby steps.  and although I never want to admit it, grace is winning.  and will win.  and then I'll give her a big high five and take her into the garage to smoke a cigar.

glad to have y'all around on the crazy train!!  xo

Monday, December 26, 2011

I can't stop loving you

can I have a christmas re-do?  like with more sleep and less cranky kids?  I thought that teaching right up until the 23rd would be a good thing; in theory it is.  we kept the pre-christmas crazy to a minimum and routines totally in place.  and, being the genus we all know I am, I planned the school christmas concert for the 22nd.  once again, in theory it was a good idea.  you know, for all the teachers needing to rehearse.  not necessarily for the person doing all the planning - me.  I've been going non-stop for two weeks now.  so, I know that I post all of these pictures on twitter, but now, I'll tell the story of crazy with all of them!

 {dress rehearsal...they were so super cute!}

 {played the piano for the christmas eve service at church.  it was packed in there and the band was HOT.  I'm so lucky to play with such amazing musicians.}

 {then we went to john's mom's house for a christmas eve meal and to open gifts.  the boys got skateboards and new hockey jerseys.  and I FORCED them to watch "the sound of music"!  it was a lovely night, but a late one.}

 {john worked for 8hrs on christmas day, so we got the kids up at 6am to open stockings.  john left for work at 645 and the boys and I hung out and watched christmas movies.  once it got light out, the boys were outside with their new skateboards.}

 {we hosted christmas brunch this year.  my whole family came over.  we ate food.  we opened presents.  it was crazy and lovely all at the same time!  lego, hockey pads, hotwheel sets and nerf guns.  happy, happy boys!}

 {and then it all fell apart.  we went to my mom & dad's for dinner - just getting there was a hassle!!  kids were tired and so was the mom.  shocking, I know!  we got home and ty had a major meltdown over batteries.  I yelled.  he yelled.  nate cried.  john just stood there and shook his head.  I may have said that I hated christmas.  nate put his coat on and said he was going to run away to a place where they didn't celebrate christmas, since I had wrecked it.  ty was going ballistic, because he thought it was my fault that the stores were closed on christmas day.  I threw all the hockey equipment into the other room and threatened to throw it away.  one of my finest moments.  about twenty minutes later, they were both asleep.  and john and I built the boys new hockey net.  so not a great way to end the day, but I have learned that crazy busy for too many days in a row is just not good for me.  and my parenting skills.}

 {and this morning we all slept, woke up happy, said sorry to each other, gave and received hugs and kisses and then the boys dressed in their gear and hit the pavement for a while.}

 {and I pulled out real pucks, since we have a net now}

{and they played hockey.  on the driveway.  in their pjs.  and once again, all is well in their worlds.  and mine.}

and now it's time to take a shower, go buy some groceries {and batteries} and maybe go to toys r us.  they want to brave the crowds.  and apparently, I'm their driver!  

happy christmas, everyone.  and today - happy boxing day!!  
xoxo

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

blue suede shoes

24 hrs.  less than, actually.  and the christmas concert will be done.  my stress will be gone.

I just hope all the work is worth it - the extra rehearsals, transposing music, building sets, the running around, the painting, the decorating...thank goodness for the great people that help me get through it all.








better yet, in mere days I get to park it on the couch and watch tv.  for two weeks.  oh, and drink LOTS of coffee.  and blog.  and think.  and read.  sweet amazing loveliness.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

don't be cruel

december is a busy one.  holy dinah!  add a four day trip to vegas in there just didn't help.  needless to say, I had a good weekend home with the boys last weekend.  we baked cookies and decorated the tree. oh, and apologies if you follow me on twitter. there's a good chance you've seen most of these!

 {my favourite ornament.  it plays music!}

 {the boys and the tree}

 {me trying to re-live vegas; rum & coke in john's new hard rock glass}

 {ty lost his first tooth last night.  he just yanked that sucker out!}

 {I am totally as tired as I look}

{saw one of my former students in this production.  pretty cool!}

this up coming weekend/week are CRAZY.  staff xmas party, xmas concert at school, secret santa...oh, and I'd better wrap some gifts because I work until the 23rd and it's going to be slightly busy!!
xoxo

Tuesday, December 06, 2011

little less conversation

how hard is it?  

people confuse me.  not the people in my life; I like those ones.  but the general public?  THEY confuse me.  
I’ve learned something this week.  I am ordinary.  I’m good at a lot of things and equally awful at as many things.  my personal best is the only thing I can ever try topping.  I am my own competition.  yet, I am ordinary.  I just now think that “ordinary” is underrated.  everyone {okay, I know not everyone, but you know what I mean!!} in our western society believes they’re special.  just turn on the tv and watch any reality show out there.  everyone has talent, they can sing, dance and survive.  everyone is special.  and therefore our perspective is messed.  effed up.  it’s like being an ordinary human being is somehow a bad thing.  it’s not.  I know, because I’m ordinary.
I’ve realized that in everyone’s specialness, that general {ordinary?} decency is slowly eroding.  in the last four days, I’ve had nearly half a dozen people tell me how nice I am.  okay.  we all know that I am NOT “nice”.  I’m a smart ass.  I’m mouthy.  I can really be a bitch.  I am cranky and a bit rough around the edges.  so today, after getting a hug from the girl in the hard rock cafe store, I started thinking about this whole thing.  she told me I had made her day.  honestly, I was drunk and a bit chatty.  and maybe I laughed at the disaster area that came out of my purse when I was looking for a coupon.  I think I was just ordinary {an ordinary drunk, in this case!}.  and I’ve had this all week.  and no, it’s not just a cori-drinking-thing.  it’s saying hello to the clerk in the store.  it’s saying thank you to service people.  it’s holding a door open.  it's smiling.  it’s holding to all things canadian and just apologizing when you bump into people with your big-ass bag!!  apparently, what I consider ordinary, other people consider extraordinary.  this bothers me.
here’s the deal:  none of you are special.  not a single one of you.  you, like me, are good at lots of things and awful at lots of other things.  you’ve made mistakes.  poor choices.  and you’ve done spectacular things.  and yet, you’re not special.  like me, you’re completely ordinary.  
let’s reclaim the ordinary.  just be kind.  be good to others.  make someone’s day.

oh, and of course, some pictures of my ordinary {or extraordinary} weekend:

 {me this morning, heading out to get some coffee}

 {the start of the race...it was a LONG day!}

 {we love the old and tacky.  nothing beats the flamingo for both of those...!!}

 {john & I at hard rock cafe}

 {tribute to the killers...and las vegas}

 {close-up of the christmas tree at the venetian}

{the bling at the end of the race!}

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

lonely boy

listening to some early release tracks of the new black keys album.  I'm pretty excited about this new music; their first single, lonely boy, ROCKS.


I know I haven't blogged in a while.  I've seriously had my brain full of school stuff.  and ty has been giving me a run for my money lately.  and for my wonderful six year old, it's been a november full of 11:00 sleep times.  yeah.  this started after the time change.  coincidence or conspiracy?  yeah.  my thoughts too.  needless to say, I took him to the doctor and she suggested melatonin.  it's made a world of difference.  like tonight.  both kids asleep BEFORE 9:30.  it's like I can just sit and take in the silence.  no fighting.  no drama.  no tears.  just silence.  sweet, sweet silence.  {oh, except for the black keys!}

a couple things in my head.  random and slightly related.

I leave for vegas on friday.  less than a week until I'm walking another 21k.  13.1 miles.  I have to get use to changing up the distance.  it's totally throwing me off.  today I did my last training walk.  3 miles {aka 4.8km} in 45 minutes.  this is good.  my dad said that if I did that entire race that fast that I'd be finishing in 3:15.  that said, I don't think I can maintain that pace, but it won't stop me from trying.  at least in the first half!  between the illusion of the distance that is ALWAYS vegas and the miles/km conversion, I'm going to be all "off".  but hey, my shoes are packed with my imodium.  trust me.  I'm not with my mom this time and I need to have ALL my bases covered!!!

so are you watching "the new girl" on fox?  WHY NOT???  I have a soft spot for the strangeness that is jess.  that said, a couple of episodes ago there was a conversation between jess and cece about your affections lying where your feet point {or something about that}.  then today, I was talking at a pd session with a principal who was trying to prioritize some things with his staff and the words "where are your feet pointing" came out of my mouth.  and I proceeded to talk about if you are pointed in a direction, any decisive direction, that your budget, your decision making, your priorities must all point in the same direction or you run the risk of exposing your inauthenticity.

and now I've been thinking.  about the truth in that statement.  and the fact that my feet and the rest of my life have been pointing in different directions.  and it's created a discontent in my soul.  a disharmony.  I've been saying one thing, and doing another.  and then I wonder why I can't get it together.  and honestly, I don't know what needs to move - my feet or the rest of me - but something needs to.  something is really not lining up in my life and I am feeling some clarity in a way I haven't felt in a long time.  and yes, alignment has began in small ways as of late, or perhaps my heart was just being prepared for some movement.  for some discontent to change and morph into something a little more authentic.  for contentment to have a season in my life.  I don't know how this all looks, and I'm sure I'm not going to love how this all feels, but I am excited to have a few days alone with John in vegas so that we can make a plan to get back on track - health/diet wise, financially, as parents, and as help-mates that are forging this road together to build a good and decent life for the "four fraser family" {as the natester calls us}.

alignment.  authenticity.  change.

where do your feet point?  are all your resources heading in that same direction?

Friday, November 18, 2011

{I can't get no} satisfaction

so, I hit a treadmill twice this week.  45 minutes of interval training.

in exactly two weeks I'll be in vegas.  two weeks + two days = marathon day.  EEEEEKKKKK!  I have a plan though, and it's going to mean a tough, seriously intense two weeks from HELL.  starting tomorrow, no sugar.  two weeks.  no booze.  two weeks.  6 days a week of hunting down some time and a treadmill to hit those intervals.  two weeks.  fourteen days.

oh, and I'll need to get my report cards done too.  oh, and john will have some shifts in there...

thank goodness for susan.  and her basement.  with the treadmill.  just down the street and around the corner.

I'm feeling the stress, but that's okay.  because in two weeks I'll have some time to chill with john.  report cards will be done and I'll be in the right shape to kick this race DOWN.

and now I'm going to try sleeping off some pretty sore legs...

Monday, November 14, 2011

you can't always get what you want

tomorrow is John's birthday.  he's on nights, so the boys and I created this video for him:


happy 39th birthday, sweetie.  although we're sad that you have to work on your birthday, we made you some cupcakes and they're in the fridge just for you.  carrot cake, your fave.
xoxo

Saturday, November 12, 2011

ruby tuesday

so something interesting has happened this weekend.  I have an enormous amount of deadlines at work, so I came home with all the work {it's still in my bag!}.  instead, I chose another path.  I've had a bit of a theory for some time {thanks to glen erickson like 20 years ago talking about this at a youth camp that involved some crazy people and crazy singing other crazy things}.  and it's all about needing to be filled up so that we can give of ourselves.  it's kinda a biblical principal and the way that I generally live my life.  and somehow, in the last while, I've forgotten about this.  yes, I've carved out some time for me - I've gone and taken some breaks from the crazy - but somehow it hasn't been working.  and I think I know why.

this weekend, a series of unforeseen decisions and unexpected invitations have created a bit of rest in a different way.  a coffee date with a friend.  a meal with other friends, new friends, where all four boys go and play and we sit with wine, food, hockey and pizza.  and we talk.  creating community.  filling my soul again.  repeat today.  lunch with a friend.  dinner with another friend and her girls {both of our husbands are on nights} where it's just comfortable.  creating community over wine and laughs and food.

it's been a weekend of cuddles with small boys and sleeping in.  a weekend of snowfall, the first of the season.  a weekend of pots of coffee and csi re-runs.  a weekend of hockey games and football games.

as I continue to ignore the work in my bag, I know that this weekend I just needed some filling up.  some community to surround and strengthen me.  so that monday can come and I can be fierce again.

tomorrow I get to surround myself with more community when I step foot in my church.  the relationships are different there, but it's still a place where I belong.  a place that fills me when they don't even realize they're doing it.  with a smile.  a hello.   peace given and received.  and bring on monday, I'll be ready to give my heart again.  it's getting stronger.  fuller.  better.  when I didn't even recognize what a lonely, empty heart it had become.

grace when I least expect it.

Friday, November 11, 2011

gimme shelter

I'm trying to muster the energy to write about something more interesting than how exhausted I am!!  that said, I am sitting on the couch - drinking coffee, watching csi reruns [I think 2005 is my favourite season!] and watching the boys play "army".  and in this moment, I feel compelled to explore the gratitude I am feeling.

taking a pause.

in the pause, remembering that I get to freely write anything I want, with whatever religious, gender based bias I choose, because someone sacrificed their life for this freedom.  we hosted a most amazing remembrance day ceremony at school yesterday and it forced me to a take a pause.  as I ate lunch with a father of one of our students, a master-corporal,  I took pause.  as I listened to the stories of another parent and the stories of students whose parents are still in afghanistan, I took pause.  I am grateful.  for those who fought in world wars, for those who fight now.  for those who came home and for those who don't.  for those who come home broken visibly and invisibly.  I am thankful.  

politically, I have mixed views on war, especially the kind that has occurred in my lifetime; and definitely mixed views on the government that makes all of these decisions.  but today that doesn't matter.  my family chose to come to canada because of the sacrifice that canadian soldiers made in the netherlands during ww2.  I have friends that have gone to war and come home, some broken, some not.  and I have students who are waiting for family to come home.  and for all of this sacrifice, I am grateful.  because it's closer to home than I think.



Thursday, November 03, 2011

imagine

600 - up, after reading emails.  I know today is going to be emotional.
640 - in my car heading to starbucks
650 - on the road - the new road - the one that has cut my travel time in half.
710 - at my desk in my dark classroom, music playing; lots of work got done!
820 - parent phone call {just a bit intense!}
840 - school starts
845 - crying girl, worried about how she's going to make it through the weekend without being yelled at.
845 - everyone else coming into the classroom, getting ready for their day
940 - different girl, giving me the low-down on the girl "drama" going on...
1130 - lunch supervision.  'nuff said.
210 - kids leave
230 - staff meeting
400 - start of parent-teacher interviews
700 - end of parent-teacher interviews
720 - at church ready to play the piano for the prayer service
730 - gathering in community to pray for one of our own.  for healing.
830 - heading back to starbucks to calm the emotion.  this time, a gingerbread latte.
845 - home.  hugs for small boys, remembering to take in all the moments
859 - downstairs in the craft room packing up to take my stamping show on the road
1030 - kids are sleeping, john's carried all my stuff up the stairs, overnight bag is packed.  computer open.

not a typical day, but a day.  ups, downs, all arounds.

then I read THIS.  and am fighting tears.  I know it's all the stress, emotion, crazy, tired, pms from the day, but it hits deep.  so I get up and go take a moment to watch the small children sleep and get a hug from John.  and know that I get to love fiercely because I am loved and because my heart has been wrecked by love.  and I get to live because I have fallen hard.  sung terribly.  wrote crap.  feared all.  and in that, I get to live out grace.  and know I am blessed.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

here comes the sun

so apparently there's been some complaining among around 50% of my regular blog readers that I haven't been blogging enough.  and apparently, when it's 50% of my readership {kathy & frances}, I need to pay attention to the complaints and just get to it!

ha!

okay, so honestly, one of the reasons I haven't been writing as much is time.  I don't have a ton of it.  plus, I'm lazy.  I'd rather watch tv than think.  and secondly, I've felt a bit dry.  kinda like I don't have a ton to really write about because my head is full of the mundane.  the general business and ordinary that life dishes out on a regular basis.  the combination of these two things is disastrous when it comes to blogging.  hence the complaints.  but I get it.  I really do.  I just want to offer something a little bit more interesting or more in depth than a facebook status update or a tweet.  I'm just not too sure what that looks like.

that said, I've had a bit of a panic attack today.  six weeks until the vegas marathon.  the half for me.  EEEEKKKKK!!  I perhaps wouldn't be freaking out if I hadn't totally thrown out my back this week.  it feels better than it did on thursday, but I'm not too sure if I can walk 16k tomorrow.  this bits.  I have strayed off course and now I'm legitimately not able to train at a decent level and all I can think is that I should have just sucked it up and gone for that 4.5k walk on wednesday night.  DAMN IT!!!  lol.  so, I pick up my boot straps and I try again, right?  16k tomorrow isn't a great idea, but maybe 30-45 minutes is a wonderful idea.  I really do drive myself crazy.

and maybe this is why I don't blog as often as I'd like - you all would be exposed to my complete neurosis that is my brain!  for real.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

helter skelter

so there's a song that I know, an old hymn in fact; the author, thomas dorsey, wrote it after his wife and baby died in child birth.  when I sing it, hear it, play it, I am reminded of the pain that it represents and the hope that dorsey felt.  the lyrics of the first verse have been playing in my heart for the last few days:
precious lord, take my hand
lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn
through the storm, through the night
lead me on to the light
take my hand, precious lord, lead me home
then the church at that time said that he wasn't allowed to play it in church.  it was too bluesy.  it sounded too much like THAT music - you know, that jazz and blues that was being played in the clubs.

and all of that - the lyrics, the story - remind me of grace.  and how someway, the story is always bigger than our perception.  that the divine is working in a bigger place than what I comprehend or often trust.  and through it all, I get to choose.  I get to choose grace.  I get to choose joy.  I get to choose.

right now, right here, I am tired.  I am weak.  I am worn.  and I'm not sure I totally realized it.  and somehow I had thought that I had been forgotten.  dismissed.  left to be.  and apparently I was wallowing too much to see it.  that my hand is being held through the storm.

I am tired.  I am weak.  I am worn.  and I am ready to choose grace.  again.
there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears
and love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears
get over your hill and see what you find there
with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair  {mumford & sons, after the storm}

Friday, October 14, 2011

yellow submarine

1.  I've decided that busy is the new normal.  I hate it, but it is what it is, so I must develop a system to survive.  a protocol.  an efficiency system.  so last weekend, I cooked a pizza and froze it for the kids lunches {my nemesis}.  I made 5 doz super healthy muffins.  made my happy protein pancakes for an easy grab in the morning.  and I cleaned out my freezer.  and honestly, it's like I took a ton of decision making and planning and thinking right off my plate.  when John's on nights, and I'm the parent in charge, I need to make things easy for myself.  I succeeded this week.  and it's lead to easier parenting.  this I can do.  so yes, this is me patting myself on the back - and asking for y'all to remind me that when I'm sinking again in a couple of weeks, yell at me to GO BACK TO THE PLAN!!!!

2.  I started my walking program again this week.  I hit the pavement on tuesday and wednesday.  and then today didn't happen.  but tomorrow will, so it's a good start, right?

3.  I haven't been on the long board in a week.  THAT is a problem.  long boarding is good for my mental heath!

4.  I went into school last weekend and got ahead of myself for the first time all year.  that was a good idea on so many levels.  but now I feel like I need to do the same next weekend.  yeah, not a habit I want to get into.  mind you, next week I'll be able to go in early and that is my usual way of staying ahead of the game.  that and blasting my music in the morning while I work!

5.  no #5.  I'm tired.  finished the last of the bag of vegas m&ms.  black.  purple.  pink.  aqua.  good thing I have this little half marathon thingy coming up.  I can totally stock up!

xoxo

Monday, October 10, 2011

hey jude

holy headache, batman.  sigh.  I refuse to connect the amount of vino that was had with dinner last night with the frontal lobe achy feeling!  I was suppose to walk 14k this morning.  I slept until 10.  I was suppose to be going to the football game this afternoon.  yeah, that isn't happening either.  nate is going to go with john this afternoon; ty and I are going to go to fridays game.


we did our thanksgiving dinner yesterday.  it was lovely!  and there are so many things that I'm thankful for.  I just can't think of them.  my head hurts!  so sad.


so I was reading mandy's blog this morning.  and I posted a comment on what I want to do this week:


write. walk. think before speaking. be grace. and bake some pumpkin muffins.
totally going into a crazy week where I’m in the office more than in the classroom. a whole different kind of crazy!!


and that's really it.  especially the thinking before speaking part.  the thinking and speaking ratio has been off kilter as of late.  honestly, I'm in a funk.  and I need to snap out of it asap.  maybe I'll be able to get 10k in today.  and I think some zucchini loaf can get made if I can find my grater!

Saturday, October 01, 2011

all you need is love

let's make october all about the beatles.  I have a new love for the fab four.  mainly because I started teaching grade 4-6 music this year.  I may love music, play the piano and know one or two things, but I really didn't know what I had gotten myself into by saying I was game to do this.  so I had a panic attack in july over the whole thing.  then I made a plan.  a plan, oddly enough, which was kicked off by glee.  glee doing "imagine" with the deaf choir.  I figured that I could teach my kids to sing.  and to sign.  and to do it all at once.  at the remembrance day ceremony in november.  brilliant, right?  HA!  well, there's still a month, I may be able to pull this off.  so in honour of some great music, I hear by declare that my blog for the month of october is going to be titled by beatle songs!

okay, so now I'm off track and totally can't remember what I was going to write about.  sheesh.  I am so ADD somedays that it kills me.



so I did do some skateboarding this week.  I took both of these pictures while sailing down the street!  totally fun!  for real though, I had sat down with a good thought that I was going to blog about and it's just gone.  so I think this is all you get on this lovely october night.

xoxo.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I have a dream

so it's been 48 hrs since I last stepped foot on the long board.  it's KILLING ME!!!!!  okay, so tonight I opted for a 6+km walk {someone remind me please, that I'm suppose to be training?}.  needless to say, I totally need to hop on the board soon.  like tomorrow.  and I'm totally willing to have sore legs in exchange for the speed!!


yeah.  that and my highly-edited-super-cool-midnight-skateboarding picture is all I have for you today.  heheh!!!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

does your mother know

gonna just list this post.  it's been a horribly exhausting week at work and I added to it by being out until 2am-ish this morning.

1.  september is nearly over.  routines are in place, but the weather has been HOT.  much warmer than we're accustomed to, here in this lovely city.  I am not complaining, but it does make keeping my kids in after school to finish homework super difficult.  it's been a tough month, as it often is.  ty's slowly adjusting to grade one and nate is just happy when I'm not around his school.

2.  I got to walk the boys to school on thursday.  the first time in four years.  I was at their school to watch the music teacher teach {'cause I'm teaching music this year!}, so I combined it with going into each of their classrooms and reading a book.  ty was so pleased and proud that I would come.  nate burst into tears.  sigh.  needless to say, I read to both classes, then watched some kick-ass music classes!

3.  we took the boys to the eskimo game last night.  now, I love my football and I especially love the cfl. but I don't love losing.  grrr.  it was a BEAUTIFUL night and it was really nice to be at the game with the kids and a bunch of our friends.


4.  after the game, john took the boys home to bed and I went to my friends house for some drinks and skateboarding.  I learned how to ride a long board a couple of weeks ago and I am totally addicted.  I LOVE riding and feeling so free.  it's like holding onto a kite and just sailing into the wind.  kinda like that little kid in the movie up, with all the balloons.  so last night, we hit the roads in the 'hood and I took this picture.  my friend's neighbour - the one with all the long boards - let me take one home to borrow.  my legs are killing me from all the skateboarding I've done in the last 24 hrs, but I am LOVING every last minute of it.  STAY AWAY, SNOW!!


5.  so after only four hours of sleep last night, and a greasy egg sandwich, I went home and pulled out the skateboards with the boys.  ty ROCKS.  nate struggles.  both were super tired today and not so willing to practice corners with me, but even nate was getting better by the end of the day.  I think my neighbours think I'm nuts.  okay, well kinda.


6.  and then tonight we had tickets to a pre-season oilers game, courtesy of my dad.  the boys love hockey and my dad has killer seats this year.  it was the young guns version of the battle of alberta.  and edmonton beat calgary in the last 90 seconds with a sweet goal from taylor hall, assisted by ryan nugent-hopkins.  totally cool.  and at the end of the game, since we had club seats, john took the boys to the basement where they can watch the players come off the ice.  and ty comes back up grinning ear to ear, clutching a sawed off, taped hockey stick.  I guess one of the oilers equipment guys gave it to him.  he'd be sleeping with it, if I let him.



it's been a good weekend.  but I am tired {not complaining, it's totally of my own doing!}.  I need to try walk 10k tomorrow.  I'd be happy if I could do my 8k loop...and then hop on the board and go for a whirl around the lake...

how was your weekend??