nothing to say

not really. got some stuff to show though...[thanks to erika who sent me the little book that gave me the idea to start with - I just changed the colours and went with it!!]

and a few more!

pics from coralee's! boy they LOVED the trucks...what fun!

the pics I promised...

some pics of the cards I had at the market [it was SO last minute!!]...they're a bit blurry for some reason, but I will try for some re-takes! [almost all the supplies are SU!, but the bling is 'doodlebug design inc', the one punch is a martha and the pretty paper...well, no idea...but it's sure pretty!!]

I am SO sorry!

okay, so I have promised pics of kids and projects [alas, I just was re-reading some of my blog posts!]...I pinky-swear that I will do a SERIOUS update of all things really good tonight! ty & I are heading to my mom's for a pampered chef show; john & nate are off to soccer, so tonight I will upload some photos and share with y'all!

off to get the boy dressed for soccer!

quote of the day [aka the way I see it #212]

patience is a virtue, life is a waiting game. peace must be nurtured, and all the money in the world can buy you nothing. let me tell you that. [corinne bailey rae]

I am still hung up by my stupid foot - it still aches and is driving me NUTS. I am finding it really difficult not to be discouraged about it, but it is still discouraging. I feel like I haven't cleaned my house in weeks ['cause I haven't!] and that my kids at school are a wee bit out of control, because I can't chase them down and they know that. on the good side though, I am booking a flight to LA this week [more to come on that!!] and I kicked some butt on my first draft of my application for the leadership course; so only a couple more re-writes before it needs to be on the supe's desk. by friday. phew! SO MUCH TO DO!! yeah, it's report card season...so off to work on all the fun stuff.

before I do, I should re-read the first quote...because I have such a difficult time with patience. the "peace must be nurtured" part reminds me of that part in proverbs that says "a kind word turns away wrath"...I can't remember the rest, but you get my point. or maybe I get my point!

one word

so, I was tagged [thanks, e!] - so today I will "do" the tag thing, insted of doing my usual friday brew-ha-ha [is THAT a word??]...and I just had to borrow a few of erika's words - since they fit for me too!

it's the one-word-tag-a-thon!
Yourself: intellegent [john gave me that one!]
Your Partner: stable
Your Hair: curly
Your Mother: rock
Your Father: kind
Your Favorite Item: starbucksmug [see, one word!!]
Your Dream Last Night: none
Your Favorite Drink: coffee
Your Dream Car: vwbug
Dream Home: old
The Room You Are In: basement/craft
Your Fear: birds
Where You Want to be in Ten Years: here
Who You Hung Out With Last Night: john
You’re Not: silly
One of Your Wish List Items: decentcamera
The Last Thing You Did: blog
You Are Wearing: blackdress
Your Favorite Weather: crisp
Your Favorite Book: Bible
Last Thing You Ate: pizza
Your Life: blessed
Your Mood: tired
Your Best Friend: john
What Are You Thinking About Right Now: throbbingfoot
Your Car: wave
What Are You Doing At The Moment: blogging
Relationship Status: taken!
What Is On Your TV: news
What Is The Weather Like: hot
When Is The Last Time You Laughed: today

okay, now...YOU'RE IT!
susan [yeah, you're the only one!!]
and anyone else who may want to play!

off to enjoy my glass of wine and surf facebook!

my eyes hurt

yeah. THAT'S how tired I am. yet, I sit here...watching the season finale of HOUSE! some of my stampin' girls came over tonight...I really have such great times on make & take night, and we made a really great little project, inspired by erika's book that she sent me last month [thanks, e!]. I promise I will take a picture tomorrow and post it for you.

oh, and I also made these super easy, super healthy muffins tonight [here's the recipe, suz!].

chocolate fix muffins:
3 cups all bran cereal [I used fiber 1...and they worked just fine]
2-1/2 cups water

soak together for 5 minutes

1 box low-fat brownie mix
1/2 cup cocoa
2 TBSP mini chocolate chips
1-1/2 tsp baking powder

mix by hand, divide batter equally into 24 lined muffin tins, bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

EASY! and YUMM-O!

the pics tell the story

another friday...

I am going to take 5 pictures - 5 pictures that describe my week...and THAT will be my fab/fave/five/friday!

off to shoot...and then I will post!

okay, these are the ones I chose: john, sitting at the computer [he put up with my hacking all week!], the ice cream, the meds, the new martha punches, my foot! [I was going to post a picture of my super messy house, but I decided not to torture the world with the mess!]

a sore throat & a sore foot

for all you smart cookies out there, you are going to wonder what I am doing blogging mid day on a Thursday. no, I am not fooling around on the computer at work, I am sitting in the comfort of my lovely home, sneezing my face off [yeah, wipe those germs off your screen!] and icing my foot.

so, I took the boys to st paul last weekend - we had a great visit with coralee. I posted some of the pictures below - and I will post more if I can hobble my way downstairs. the only downside was that ty didn't really want to sleep the first night. nate awakened him [I would like to think by accident!] at around 10pm. I think it was 2am before he was sleeping again. and even that was in bed with nate and I instead of in the playpen where he was suppose to be. both boys were up at 6am - me and all my exhaustion tried to sleep as they jumped around me on the bed! needless to say, the cold kicked it up a notch and by sunday night, I was begging for drugs! cold or not, the boys and I had SO much fun! it was so great to see how nate had matured since we had been there last. he was not scared of any of the animals and he rode the "little tractor" [okay, so it was a lawn mower, but don't tell him!] with lance and just had a ball. ty did a big ol' joy dance when he saw the dump truck, and he sat on lance's harley like he owned the thing! cor & I had a really nice time catching up on everything. a really good long weekend!

then tuesday came. I had significantly drugged cold into submission on tuesday morning, as we had a big field trip and I was NOT going to miss it for anything! well, I go to leave the house when I trip and land on my foot & my ass. john comes running out [I must have screamed - or in all probability, screamed the f-word] and I seriously couldn't get up. you know how when you twist your ankle and then you get up, walk it off and all is well? yeah. that didn't happen. however, I did get up and limped a bit and decided that I needed to go to school, regardless of my foot. well, by the time I got there, I was in extraordinary pain and after some collegial coaxing, I decided to postpone the field trip. since subs are an enigma as of late, I shipped out all my students, with work, and headed to the medi center. to make a long story short, I did not break anything, but I did bruise the bone on the top of my foot. I tried to take the day off yesterday, but there were no subs, so today is the day. funny thing, my foot doesn't hurt nearly as much as my face [sinus colds suck, dude!]...and I am in debate if I should go in tomorrow. I am feeling like there is so much to do and not nearly enough time to do it in!

so, there is my crazy story - and if you've been wondering where I've been the last few days...well now you know! hopefully I can be back out walking on sunday...I hate not keeping up with my training schedule. I am thankful though. I could be sitting her in a pretty pink cast!

I'd really like to blog, but...

I feel like crap, I am extraordinarily tired and there is 35 minutes left of 24. so, instead, I will show you some pics from this weekend.

top 5 reasons...

since I skipped this yesterday:

top 5 reasons not to drink too much wine on a friday night...
1. the six am headache sucks.
2. gimmie WATER!!
3. the six am headache and hearing that the kids are up already
4. having your husband laugh at you
5. having 2 teenagers walk home with you [just to make sure you get to the right house!]

okay, so I did have a ton of fun watching dreamgirls with connie last night, but I should have stopped with one glass! the boys and I are off to st paul this morning - they are already driving me crazy and nate's been doing this whole screaming & following when I leave the house. grrr. well, off to finish packing up the car - it's bound to be an expensive trip at $1.21 a liter. alas, the farm on a cold, rainy may long weekend is ALL good!

so, have A glass of wine this weekend and enjoy the weather wherever you may be!

my feet hurt.

class on monday night. 5k last night. soccer & 4k tonight. all this walking [although good for me on SO many levels] is KILLING MY FEET! I need a foot massage! and I am losing my voice. tomorrow should be interesting!

and why is it that I don't have the energy to stamp. that DRIVES ME CRAZY! well, bottom line, I believe I have a fine case of pms. things could be worse, but this week [today] kinda sucks! I will take this lone opportunity to have a big ol' complaining fit, then tomorrow I will wake up and have a much better day!!

mmm...

I don't really have the energy to blog tonight - I AM SO TIRED! thank goodness that it's a short week [I have friday off school]. and the boys and I are going up to st paul this weekend to visit coralee. that should be uber fun!

so I am doing this 2lb a week challenge right now - yeah, I exercised EVERY day last week and gained one pound. darn it ALL! but, I did go to class tonight and I did a kazillion squats, so not all is lost. I may not be losing, but this body is going to be strong whether it kills me or not!

off to bed. nite all!

fab five friday

okay, so me and my great ideas lead to nothingness. you would think I could do a top 5 list every week? dontcha? yeah - well I have no idea what I have done and not done so if this is a repeat...well I apologize in advance!

for today, my top fave five places to visit in italy!

1. san gimignano [yeah, top of the list - you'd better believe it baby!]
2. florence [no duh!]
3. the uffizi [the home of the godess!]
4. st. peter's [yes, rome IS on my list - just not the top!]
5. poggibonsi [just because of the name & the fun memories!!]

so my day may not have been filled with fab fun friday-ness...but I am liking my list! give me a holler [via comments] if you've been there & done that!

yes...

pictures of nate at his first soccer game. so stinkin' cute...what can I say? I am TOTALLY the biased mother! I was really proud of him last night. he played 2 whole shifts, even though his best buddy, dominick, was playing for the other team. john did a great job coaching the kids too. what can I say? it was just a really nice evening and I hope nate does just as good for the rest of the season. [he was a bit annoyed that he didn't score a goal...THAT is my competitive son!]

on another note, this week has been one of THOSE weeks. 2 teeth pulled on tuesday [and a filling re-do], soccer last night, shots for ty today. and then school. I still feel like I am just barely floating in the sea of work, but today I felt like my kids made a math breakthrough. adding with re-grouping finally makes sense [to the kids, that is!!]. YIPPIE! I totally have to remember the small things and cherish them. like my one non-reading kid, reading a little book to me. like another student complementing one that he usually fights with. like one who is often too scared to risk, taking a huge risk to get in front of the class and try something new. I am so proud of them, although they do drive me bonkers MOST of the time!! alas, the life of a teacher. I love it for all of those reasons.

and then the HUGEST THING OF ALL [for me!]: I have been hitting the pavement more as of late. I can honestly say that I have moved this body every day this week. my class on monday. to london drugs and back on tuesday. an hour with mom & rae on wednesday. to second cup and back today. I had coffee with susan tonight and she told me my bum looks smaller. that's the nicest complement EVER!! lol. so I came home and ate the rest of the pizza from dinner. yeah - still a steep learning curve with all of this. one step at a time, right?

all things good and special

my very serious little boy.

now, I have always said that nate is a cookie cutter of john; today was proof of that. let me backtrack a bit. nate is starting soccer season. the first soccer season of his life! john took him to the mall 2 weeks ago and they bought soccer cleats and shin pads. the shin pads have lived on nate's little shins since then. well, last wednesday, it rained buckets so the game was cancelled. john [being the great coach that he is!] held a practice on sunday. nate refused to play. well, today, john took nate out in the back yard and ran some drills with him. he has the same intense look on his face that john has when he plays. I love these pics!

a fab friday?

I guess so.

turns out nate has a nasty ear infection. although, looking at him today, you'd never know. what a resilient kid. he's a keeper! tomorrow is super busy - but hey, how is THAT different from any other day? mmmm. I am at a behavioural seminar all day, then it's off to seth's birthday party. should be good times!! john, being the great husband that he always is, will have the kids all day. he doesn't even complain. I like that. sunday is going to be busy too. if we are having church, it'll be at our house. I am also having a "cards in a jar" fun-tastic time on sunday afternoon! I am looking forward to it!

okay, enough rambling...here's today's fave five:
cori's fave five blogs:
susan
erika
karen russell
ponderings
okay, and a bunch more that I just can't pick! just today I've been on kirstin's, emily's, kimberly's...just to name a few.

and then there is my new obsession: facebook. eeek!

tagged...

okay, so I got tagged...which means someone reads my measly blog [maybe?]!

7 things, then tag 7 people [THAT could be the problem!].

1. I am a teacher.
2. I play the piano - not as much lately as I'd like...!
3. I love mystery novels - the forensic/csi type.
4. I was once a radio dj [not paid, and with someone who knew how to work all the stuff...but I did talk "one the radio"!]
5. I've never really liked my name, but was always thankful that it wasn't Cornelia.
6. not NEW news, but I really love my coffee. a venti americano with cream. mmm.
7. I want to move to europe - holland. france. germany. italy. someday.

now, not too sure how the whole tagging thing works, nor am I sure if I know 7 other bloggers, but if I list your name here, then you're IT!

susan. erika. katrina. kirstin. see, I already ran out of people. GRRR! oh well.

it's COLD!

I want to stamp. I really do. but I am SOOOO tired and my back hurts. grrr. okay, enough complaining. HOWEVER, check out my friend erika's new blog - that girl has SKILLZ!

www.erikadesigns.blogspot.com

I will see if I can create something tonight...!

crazy monday

what was in people's corn flakes this morning?? let me narrow that statement down: what did the kids in my class eat for breakfast this morning? they were just ornery...or was it me that was just off kilter? ahhh. regardless, it was a crazy day. I totally feel like I am treading water right now and that's not a great feeling. so I've been thinking that I need a schedule change! mmmm. gotta love it when the wheels start turnin'.

john & I had a talk tonight. about food & money. we struggle from the same disease: the love of eating & the love of spending. both of us have been totally guilty of over indulging and therefore, not honouring each other or ourselves. we've been lazy. and I guess, maybe lazy with our marriage. when I think of what my over spending and over eating do for our marriage, it makes me sad. I am totally guilty of not holding up my end of the bargain: to love, cherish, honour. I treat john the same way I treat myself...not a pretty sight. we had a good talk tonight though and we are committed to changing and keeping each other accountable. we are going to do a couple of things together: not enable each other as far as eating goes, be honest with our spending and spend more time talking about things. it is really easy to get complacent in relationships; neither of us wants to be in that place, therefore more work is needed. I love that he his totally committed to working on this. and that he is willing to step out of his comfort zone to keep each other accountable. there is a scripture in proverbs that comes to mind. something about sleeping a little, resting a little and weeds growing in the vineyard. I am going to see if I can find it. we'll see how my biblical detective skills are!

k. found it!
proverbs 24:30-34
"I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one lacking sense. I saw that it was overgrown with thorns. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest? and poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber."

I don't want to leave our marriage in disarray due to laziness - sleep, slumber & rest [or just basic neglect]. it's done. we are off to tend to the vineyard [like the ones in solomon's OTHER book!].

saturday

nothing to share [pretty regular, boring weekend], but I did take some pics of the boys playing outside today! feeling the need to stamp tonight...we'll see what comes of that!

grrr

okay, so I wrote this great long post, went to find some lyrics & then poof! the post was gone. regardless, I was feeling a bit emotional & pms-y & generally inept with my ability to empthize with my friends [who are going through the ringer in a way that I cannot even fathom], when it came to me that really, my one big job is to pray. I believe in prayer. I believe in a God who answers prayer. so therefore, logic would tell me that my job this week must encompass a ton of prayer. THEN, I got thinking about this song that donnie mcclurkin sings and I don't know if it will help anyone, but when I think of it, it reminds me of who God is.

[What do you do] when you've done all you can
And it seems like it's never enough
And what do you say when your friends turn away
And you're all alone
Tell me what do you give when you've given your all
And it seems like you can't make it through
Well you just stand, when there's nothing left to do
You just stand, watch the Lord see you through
Yes after you've done all you can, you just stand
Tell me how do you handle the guilt of your past
Tell me how do you deal with the shame
And how can you smile while your heart has been broken
And filled with pain filled with pain
Tell me what do you give when you've given your all
And it seems like you can't make it through
Child you just stand when there's nothing left to do
You just stand watch the Lord see you through
Yes after you've done all you can, you just stand and be sure
Be not entangled in that bondage again, you just stand and endure
For God has a purpose yes God has a plan, tell me
When you've done all you can
And it seems like you can't make it through
Child you just...stand you just stand, stand

Don't you dare give up
Through the storm
Stand through the rain
Through the hurt
Yeah through the pain
Don't you bow and don't you bend
Don't give up no don't give in
Hold on, just be strong
God will step in, it won't be long no no no

After you've done all you can
After you've done all you can
After you've gone through the hurt
After you've gone through the pain oh my
After you've gone through the storm
After you've gone through the rain

Prayed and cried x 4
After you've done all you can....you just ...Stand.

mmmm...

I have to say that I like make & take night. it seems like [for the most part], the same girls come over to play...and it's nice just to sit and relax and create! tonight we did a schmozle of things...crayon resist [I borrowed felice's idea from her atc swap], a case from the su website and the funky trifold-y idea from scs! it was just a fun night, and for that I am thankful!

on another note, I had the first of three teeth pulled today. wow! that was way worse than I had anticipated. because the tooth had been "root canaled", there was all sorts of filler deep in the roots. yeah, FUN! usually the freezing is the rough part - not today; today, the actual work was the tough part! supposedly the next two are a piece of cake in comparison. that's what they ALL say!

my boy

so john took nate this morning to get some soccer gear [u5 season starts the last week of april!]: cleats & shin pads. I have a feeling that nate will be sleeping with them on tonight. 'cause he LOVES his "shin boots"! he is such a funny kid. last night he came up to me with a post-it note with some "writing" on it [let's clarify: some letters that looked sorta like letters!]. he wants me to put the note on the front door because it tells people to go around to the back, "just like at connie's". I nearly peed myself laughing. he is really such a wonderful kid - smart, funny, stubborn beyond belief, handsome [I am SO biased!!]. and just so like his father. I wish I knew where my camera was, because I'd take a picture of him sitting by the fireplace: jeans pulled up, eskimo jersey, shiny blue shin pads, sports socks, and the makings of a great afro. it's all good.

not a fab or fave friday

this week has not been a great one - my friend susan is experiencing something that I can't quite imagine, and I am overwhelmed with how sad I am feeling for her. if you are the praying sort, please just keep her in your prayers. and I am crying as I write this, not only because a miscarrage is a tough thing, but because my friend is really hurting and I feel completely helpless.

I am going to just keep it short for the day...mainly because most of the dribble in my head is just that. dribble.

some thoughts on a monday

I feel like I've been in a funk lately. a soul funk. like life is just too busy, too out of control, too intense. the weather hasn't helped either - this last weekend was the first nice one. so, I have to go back to the basics, yet again. I need to feed my soul. when I work to feed my soul, then I don't feed the need to shop and bigger yet, I don't feed the body. I need to just make the choice, and perhaps by just admitting it, I have made the choice. I choose to feed the right thing - my soul.

nate starts soccer in a couple of weeks. and john is the coach. we are not too sure how THAT happened, but I think he'll do okay [john, that is!!]. nate is so excited about playing; I just hope that he gets over his shyness and does okay with it.

and...I have decided to do a class. the card in the jar class with the simply scrappin' kits. they are super cool and super easy...and I think the finished product is cool!

things I found!

H&M. no more must be said. [okay, other than my fave european store is now in edmonton!!] and I like only paying $20 for a totally fab denim skirt!

and the basic grey precision file set...files chipboard in the smallest little places & down in the curves of all the letters! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!! it comes with 6 shapes of files - little files that seriously work like a charm.

I am SO behind on everything - emails, SU!, websites, phone calls. if you frequent my blog and I am behind on something that I owe you...I AM SOOOOO SORRY!! and subsequently late for bed...at least for a sunday night.

don't ya love it...

when you totally can't tell the difference between the words "truck" & "stuck"?

when someone thinks they can wake up mr. sun with all his talking outside?

when it is 15 degrees in Edmonton - nice enough to actually go for a walk?

when people offer to take your kids for the day [can't wait for tomorrow!!]?

when you have a good bottle of wine & a decent movie waiting?

and there is my "better-late-than-never" fave/fab five list for the week!
yeah ~ it's been a fun saturday! walked with rae this morning, walked to iga with nate this afternoon, hung out with the boys and now I should really consider getting some work done...stamping work, that is. is it really work then? mmmm. not too sure! john & I got the departed to watch tonight, since crappy tv reigns supreme on saturday nights. fun, fun, fun!

grrr

well, the kids are better, but I have yet to catch up on my sleep! it's been a busy week at school, as well - that's what happens when there are short weeks...you have to fit it all into 4 days!

happiness though - doodle this & doodle that are having some fun tonight. I will post my creations tomorrow!!

'nite all!!

what a weekend

I am almost glad to head back to school tomorrow. nate has slept ALL day & ty has been cranky and wanting to touch me all stinkin' day. sick kids are so draining...and this is just a bug, nothing even that serious. not to sure how people with real sick kids deal with it. well, tomorrow john's mom is going to come over and stay with nate, thank goodness. this week is going to be one of THOSE weeks at school, so I really should head to bed. ahhh, but of course since I think of sleeping, I also think of all the other things that need to be done! life sure is grand!! oh, and super-sonic hearing john has just heard ty...the fun has begun!

a bit more mush...then I'll stop!

okay, so I have the best husband EVAH! we've had sick kids this week - lots of stuff from both ends...ICKY! ty was tough because he's still so little, but that was over and done with mainly by friday. then saturday morning hits. yeah, nate gets it full force. grrr. seems like we're over the hump. this morning, I went to church with ty [nate stayed home with john]. well, when I got home, john had cleaned the house: vacuumed and washed floors, cleaned up all the toys, cleaned the bathroom. since his mom is coming over for easter dinner, I was feeling a bit stressed about the state of the house, especially since the sickness hit. but nope, all I get to do this afternoon is bake a chicken, mash some potatoes and make a triffle! it's all good [and nate seems to be on the mend...the puking has officially ended!].

ain't they perdy??

I have the BEST husband!

fave fab five friday...or whatever I call it!

and, in honour of good friday, perhaps five things I am thankful for:

1. that there is reason to celebrate good friday & easter.
2. family that I adore - and not just john & the boys, but I really am thankful for the rest of my family too: my parents, sibs, and the extended family.
3. a body that is healthy and strong - and yes, not that I always love it, but it is a good one that doesn't break down very often...it birthed great children, it doesn't get the flu, it likes chocolate - I really shouldn't ever complain.
4. a good job - one that I really enjoy overall. challenging, yes. rewarding, totally. making a difference, I believe so.
5. mmmm...what to put for #5. it's not that I can't think of anything, but now that I'm thinking, there's too much: good friends, good country, good, creative brain, warm house, full cupboards...so maybe #5 is really "everything else".

I will post some more "things" later - I have pictures to share!!

4 whole years!

yes, 4 years ago today. hard to believe that we've been married for that long! and then yesterday, john tells me that he is training a new person and he'll be home late. yeah, big fat liar. he came home with a dozen roses. I cried. he has NEVER bought me a dozen roses...he's brought flowers, but never roses. needless to say, I am feeling a little reminiscent. and just happy that I married such a great guy. 4 years and I love him more today than I did that day. gotta love how that works!!

enough smooshy-ness! tomorrow is weigh-in day. I will let you know how THAT goes [keeping in mind I had a piece of anniversary cake tonight, but I also worked out - do they cancel each other out???]

holding nothing back

yup - it's in my hot little hands...I am on the first listen & loving every minute of it! I tried downloading it on itunes this morning, but it wasn't available in the canadian store ~ what's up with THAT???? just wrong. anyways, as a brand-spankin' new release, it was on sale at christian publications today only...so, it's been in my hands for just under 3hrs! I am such a dork, I know. seriously though, if you have never listened to tim hughes [and if you are into that kind of music!!], you totally need to check him out. www.myspace.com/timhughesmusic he is definately the most influential worship leader/song writer of my world. I remember the first time I heard the song "here I am to worship" - it was a bit of a cut on worshiptogether with the chords. I played that song [not sang, just played!] that sunday, which came with a great response; I ended up teaching it and it is still my fave to lead, sing & play. it seems lately, whenever I am listening to new songs to teach, tim has written. needless to say, I have nothing but great things to say about him & his music!! I wish I still played in a band. good thing God is out looking for me!

and for those of you who do not like/listen to or even have a clue about christian music...you too, may be wowed! :o)

well, it's sunday night

and where did the week go?

I am watching the second hour of amazing race right now and the teams are at auschwitz. just makes me think of the time I spent in germany and although we never went to the actual camp, we spent a lot of time at historical sites that honoured the memories and journeys of victims of the holocaust. berlin is so full of history - layers upon layers of stories. topography of terror. the jewish museum. these two places alone will tell a story that will have a permanent impact.

they are also climbing towers in the show tonight - yeah, towers in europe are a TON of fun! the siegessaule. st peters. [on the st peters link, you need to find pictures of the dome. yes, even I climbed to the top!] bottom line, I love europe! and I love it when amazing race is there! [okay, so I am hedging on too many exclamation marks in one little post.]

I have digressed. I can't believe we are heading into the tail end of the school year - the last 12 weeks! john and I decided that we are going to work our butts off to lose 2lbs a week for the next 12 weeks. I feel like I've been a bit derailed as of late, but lunch is planned for tomorrow and I am thankful that it is a brand new day and a brand new week!

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!

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!

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!

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!].

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!

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!

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!

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!]

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!!

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.

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!

some things I've made

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

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!

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...]

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.

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.