Wednesday, September 29, 2010

For all the ladies of the BRC

It was a topic of conversation before the Brooklin Run Club commenced last night. The discussion of Spanx and Spandex by and large.

The awkward battles to squeeze a certain size body into a tiny sized sausage tube. First one leg, then the next....trying to maintain balance. Then pulling, pulling and pulling until finally it's cutting off the circulation to your head.

Then the awkward roll at the top that cannot be disguised in the bust line. The stupid bulging at the thighs.

Who ever it was that came up with this idea never tried to take a pee in one after a few martinis! Damn you, you people who feel that a size 10 should be a size 2. Clearly you've been wearing a pair of Spanx too long and your brain has atrophied!


I wonder if it wouldn't be more practical to grease up my thighs and wedge myself into a wet suit? At least that way I could go swimming and stay toasty warm instead of having my stomach squeezed nearly out my rectum like a pet store hamster. (ok that last part was Natilee's quote...not mine but pretty much sums it up!)

Monday, September 27, 2010

*Blarg* Sick

Crazy weekend! Totally. Killer 6K run on Saturday. It was one of those mornings when you wake up and think. "Hmm well the run will either perk me up or kill me." It killed me.

This whole weekend has been viewed through hazy lenses. With that head not attached feeling. What a drag. The only constructive thing I was able to do this weekend was to give my front yard bushes a haircut.

I just puttered along clipping here and there and tucking the cut branch into the paper bag...moved it a long and clipped a little more. It took about 20 mins but looks much better. We were really getting shaggy there. Once the bag was stashed away I was spent. Ridiculous. Spent the rest of my time either sleeping or vegging on the couch. Now it's Monday and I'm over my head with stuff to do and still feeling sick.

Stupid school house germs!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

A whole lot of sweetness in the world

This week isn't going nearly as fast as I would like. Less than three weeks in and we've had our first taste of school house cooties. Yep, E got sick over the weekend. Yesterday L came down with a sore throat and a wicked cold.

This also means that Mom hasn't had a decent night's sleep since Saturday but no matter as I actually was able to steal some major cuddling time with both of them. That only happens now if they are sick or hurt. I know sucks eh?

I'll be happy to start on a fresh week as well because no matter how much I revise my to-do list, nothing but the bare essentials are getting done. A total drag. I did mange to put in some billable hours today so it is not as I've been sitting on my hands. It's just a rather abstract accomplishment.

What I have managed to achieve this week is nearly a whole week without consuming meat. Tonight's dinner was the first in 6 days to contain meat and I have to say...meh? Not exactly something to miss. I've been very good this week. My bid to eat healthy has amped up a notch. The only treats I've allowed myself this week have been budgeted for and have only been the afternoon coffee. I should really start taking pictures and posting them again. I was doing so well with accountability before the injury.

This morning we were very early for dropping E off at school and for 15 mins we sat in the car and just chatted and listened to the radio. Looking around and enjoying the beginning of the day. Then the cars started to fill in and we watched the parents bringing their kids through the parking lot into the school yard.

I watched intently to each parent and the way they hugged or held hands with their kids. A father with his son walking in slouch manner beside him. An arm casually draped over the boy's shoulders. Then a tug to the baseball cap and the boy was off to join up with his friends way down the yard. The father pausing just long enough to watch his son join the scrum.

Mothers walking with outstretched arms herding their little ones onto the sidewalk as if they were ducklings scattered about but headed in the same direction. Every parent I saw walk past had their own way of showing love to their children. I was happy that I got to see all of that while we waited for the first bell. It's nice to witness the good in the world. That wonderful element of our being.

It is too easy to get sucked into the idea that the world is a big bad place. That the majority would just assume step on your head to get to their destination but witnessing that kind of love, makes me seriously doubt any of that could be true. *sigh* My world is a beautiful place.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Rewards for Everyone!

Today was a departure. My first real day of having the kids in school. Getting out of bed at 6 am after nearly zero sleep, check. Getting everyone ready for school...check. Waiting in the school parking lot, dreading what kind of hell the day will end as....check. Both kids dropped off before their bell times...check.

Now on to the big hurt. Misty kicked my ass. Not that I'm surprised by that. Truly, I'm not. I know that I'm in horrible shape. She's just proving the point!

Part of the day, spent horizontal (ok curled up in the fetal position). Then off to face the inevitable. The school pickup. If I'm headed to hell it's going to be with a Tim's. So I head off early to pick it up and slurp it scalding hot while I wait for L's class to come out. Oh good...spied through the rear view mirror. He's in a good mood.

I get a far better report today. Things went much better. Pheww...a dim light appears in the tunnel. One down, one to go. We dash off to get the other kidlet. Park the car and slam right into a little mini drama! Oh joy. Heart ripped out of chest, as we get to the gate. E is crying. Poor thing. His beloved Yoshi has gone missing from the pocket of his back pack. OH GOD there is no justice. We scour the back pack..nada. We go into the school. Shoe rack..empty. Classroom locked. Lost and found box not forthcoming. After finding E's teacher she lets us look in the classroom while I get a mini update on his progress, besides the fact that he is dying without his Yoshi, he's doing jut fine in school....we are resolved to search again in the morning.

Just as we are exiting the school an Angel from God taps Ethan on the shoulder and asks if he was the boy who lost a toy. Was it Yoshi? Yes! This boy knows where Yoshi is...he retrieves it. I refrain from picking the boy up and bear hugging him. Instead he's thanked profusely for being kind, thoughtful and honest. The day saved....Mom wants the rest of her Tim's. The Wii is produced to reward both boys for a good school day under their belts.

Mom can sit for a minute and breathe.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Just because...

Sometimes it's necessary to just be silly. I allow my potatoes to do all the stripping though. No need to blind people or brush up on my stand-up comedy.

It's just been that kind of day. One step ahead and two back. Meh. No big deal. It's not like I won't be laughing about it in five years.

The fun part of the day was an impromptu road trip with a girlfriend to search out organic produce. She had to remind me that I wasn't chained to the house. I was free to roam. Weird stuff, let me tell you! Off I went with a spring in my step and a giggle stifled. The store was good. I'm pleased to have an alternative rather than need to drive into TO every other week now that Farmer's Market season is nearly over.

The antics of my children were good for laughs today. E declared that he had a day that was comme ci comme ça. Coming out of his mouth it was hysterical. Though I wasn't surprised when my youngest passed out on the couch at 6:15 pm behind a book that I assumed he was reading. He must have slept like that for a few good minutes before I clued in that the pages were not turning. He on the other hand had an epic day. Seriously, I'll be laughing about it in five years and plan to torture him about it for decades to come.

He's got a great notion. A good night's sleep is what this gal really needs or she might just post another silly picture or worse dream about stripp'n tatters.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

The Land of the Living Dead....

Oh boy! So hubby told me that today was Walmart's anniversary and I filed it away in the back of my mind under "useless information, I'll never need" and headed out to do my errands so that I'd be free to do my thing later this afternoon.

Of course the parking lot is insanity. I grab my kids and make them swear a blood oath that they will hold my hands tightly in the parking lot. Reminding them that we were at Walmart and that just standing too close to the building sucks IQ points. Terrified they comply with my request and hold on for dear life.

Then once in the automated door we search out a cart. There are no carts. Yep, the collective "head up ass" mind set has captured their employees today and no one is paying much attention. So we wait but the 10 items or less release shoot and beg a cart off of someone not really using theirs. It's really the fastest way of getting one.

Then we quickly check off the shopping list and try to scoot out of there. Of course some of the things I wanted to get were pretty much cleaned out. With Lucas in school this week I wanted to double my supply of those lunch containers with the snap lids..nada. Some nut free crackers would have been nice...nope. After a few minutes of being in the store it dawned on me that nothing was really on sale, retrieving the "It's Walmart's anniversary" tidbit from the recesses of my mind that's why it's so damn busy but what exactly is on sale? Nothing. Nothing that isn't normally marked as such.

We get out of dodge as fast as we can and run to Tim Horton's to inject mom's brain with some java to snap it out of Walmart coma. Wiping drool off my chin and waking up enough to maneuver the car out of the parking spot without hitting someone still dazed from the brain numbing florescent lights.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Itching for a fix...

OMG I'm dying for a Diet Coke! Farq! Why oh why did I ever give you up? Oh yeah *wince* I wanted to be healthy.

What the hell do they put in Diet Coke anyway? How is it that I find it more addictive and harder to give up then cigarettes? Really after a few months I didn't crave a cigarette the way I'm jittery for a pop. I even stood in front of a display of pop at the grocery store the other day seriously debating purchasing the taboo drink.

I'm dying for something fizzy. It doesn't even have to be sweet. I'd have a beer but I don't want the beer, I want the fizz and of course I still haven't picked up a new case of Perrier yet. I know what you're thinking...why the hell not? Answer: I prefer it in the glass bottles, as opposed to plastic and the grocery store I was last in only had the plastic. Sorry, tree hugger alert. I try not to buy products in plastic if they are available in glass. Does that make me odd? Yep, probably does.

So today was such a pretty day I decided to celebrate it by making a pie. Well really I was supposed to make it yesterday but the tomatoes sucked up my whole day. Once the pie was made I served up lunch to my youngest and decided to take us outside for a little fun. This is my rustic apple-cinnamon pie. Had to debate with the little one that fingers do not belong in the pie especially when it's really hot. He had some near convincing arguments. *snort* It survived untouched.

I've made the homemade pizza sauce (one jar of yesterday's tomatoes) and now I'll get the dough started so that tomorrow I can assemble my version of a pizza pop/pocket. Something different for the kid's lunches. I know the eldest will eat it, as long as, all it has is cheese and pepperoni but these will be only cheese. The rub is that I've already hidden the broccoli, carrots, garlic, green peppers and onions in the sauce. Simmered the sauce while I made dinner and then pureed it while the kids were getting ready for bed. Seasoned it and then stuck it in the fridge. Yep giving my kids one more thing to complain about to Dr. Phil. I've got to get my torturing in now before they are old enough to walk over to McD's with their allowance.

I'm tired and thinking of spending the rest of the night with my knitting and my cup of tea. Yep, another project. An afghan in tan, burgundy and small dabs of green. The yarn is called pheasant. I fell in love with the colours and thought that they'd be perfect either for the living room or the master bedroom.

Yep another project and at least three new ones on the horizon starting in November then a rush to get them done before Christmas, forsaking my quilting and basically everything else. I need a few interventions.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Vegetable Hoarding

The morning started off with us packing ourselves into the car and doing a mad dash to the dojo. Of course the reason was that we had to make a frantic stop at the superstore to pick up video cassettes.

Yesterday the boys were being tested for new belts. I brought my knitting figuring that it would drag out. We were under the impression that the Juniors would be demonstrating their katas individually and that would take a good deal of time to finish.

Camera set up. Tim Horton's in hand. The show started. Talk about crazy cute. Watching E. and L. put through their paces. Two little shrimps bopping around and making angry fighting noises. L. got bored half way through and started acting up. For nearly half of the exam he curled up on the floor and pretended he was sleeping, ignoring the instructions and the adults trying to get him to fly right. I have to admit I was upset with him. He was doing it for attention and he was receiving it which had him perpetuating it much longer than if they had actually just left him on the floor without acknowledging him.

He did rally in the last 5 mins of the exam and was asked to demonstrate his punches, kicks and blocks. He did after all complete the exam and earn his new belt. Proud as punch to have received it. He is cute to be sure but the special preference makes me uneasy. I'm not entirely sure, if one of the other kids in his group had behaved in that manner that they would have received their belts. At the end of the day what does that really teach him? Hmmm a divided mommy moment. E. on the other hand is beyond super cute and good at Karate. His scores were high and he gives so much energy into doing his thing and makes it look effortless. He is fabulous.

Now with the mommy moments blogged I need to tell the courageous tale of the farmer's market. I found out that my favourite organic food delivery company seems to have gone out-of-business over the summer. This really is not too surprising. It's a harsh climate out there even if the media paints a different picture. So with the money that I had set aside for my delivery we took off to the farmer's market to try to replicate the order.

There is an organic stall at the North Oshawa Market and I took full advantage of that. You can see that I made good time with my produce budget for the week. Once home with the bounty I wandered out to the garden to see if there was anything ready to add to what I had purchased. Oh for sure! I pulled up at least 8lbs of carrots. Some tiny but some were much larger than I had given them credit. I'm so happy that I decided to wait and see what came of them. I was also able to add to the beans by two cups.

So I spent nearly four hours cleaning, peeling, and chopping and blanching then packaging up and bagging. At the half way point I asked hubby to help me out. It was really nice to share my usually barred off kitchen with him. He was a lot of help. I'm not sure I would have gotten it all done if it hadn't been for his helping me.

I got the beans, broccoli and corn-on-the cob done then got help to put up the rest of the carrots. The carrots are so good. I munched on a few as we worked and of course L. came in and got his hollow leg fill. I'm amazed at that boy. Peel it and he will appear!

Now today I'll be making hubby and L. (E. doesn't seem to be a fan) an apple pie and then I'll dig into the bushel of tomatoes and get as many jars up as I can. I figured that doing at least half of them as whole or diced would have me whizzing through them much quicker than if I attempted to make them all into sauce.

Well I need to wrap this blog up and get to work...first Tylenol. My hands are still aching from yesterday's veggie frenzy.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Over...Yay!

Gnarly week, for sure! So as I mentioned before I started my son back in school. After nearly a year of homeschooling he donned his backpack and headed off. He seems delighted with it. Mom on the other hand is trying to hold back on her worries.

I mentioned just this morning in an email to some girlfriends that if I can make it to Christmas Break before hearing that there is a problem I might be able to let my shoulders down from about my ears.

It's also been a fun week listening to the younger one complain that he wants to go to school and how it's so unfair that he doesn't get to go. Now that's not true. Not at all, and I'd ship him off right this second to stop the whining except his grade does this silly gradual entry thing. Now I know perfectly well that there are children that really need this but mine are the jump in with both feet kind. It just feels like I'm having my teeth drilled without the happy gas.

The adjustment from going to bed near midnight then sleeping until 8 am to going to bed at 10:30-11 and waking up at 6 am has been brutal. I've walked around all week like zombie mom. If I wander off and die, they'll have to identify my body by the coffee cup I've got clenched in my cold lifeless hand! Then I've been busy at work too. Then there is needing the extra brain cells to come up with interesting lunch ideas, making sure the clothes are picked out and the backpack is set to go for the next day. Dentist appointments, karate and karate competitions to get ready for. The emptying of my wallet for this and that. Homeschooling.....way cheaper *snort* Oh and in the back of my head I'm mewing over the fact that I can't seem to find the perfect container for milk.

I'm hoping that I can get all my phone calls made early. Get something edited and sent on it's way then I'm taking my crazy kidlet to the market for corn (even though I've got an organic produce delivery coming tonight) and then to the library. Maybe I'll treat us to some lunch out today.

zzzzzzz *snerrtt* what, what? Did I nod off?

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

First Day of School....again

Up early very early. 6 am. I haven't seen a sun rise in well, probably a year. Of course the kids were already awake. You could just see the nervousness on E's face.

Then I flashed back to some of my first days of school. The sick stomach jitters. The pride of wearing a great new outfit picked out special for the day. That strung out feeling from a sleepless or restless night. The anticipation of meeting up with my old school chums.

What I loved most was the feeling that everything was new and had endless potential. That I could recreate who I was and what I could do and be.

I'm envious of him in that way. I wish I could do it all over again. Of course armed with all the knowledge I have now. Then I could just relax and know that regardless of the bumpy parts, that everything really does shake out. I could enjoy my friends. Study freely without worry and live in the moment. Shame that we can't be given these gifts up front.

We struck out with enough time to take pictures and to amble our way to his new school. Then we stood among the other confused parents and kids until the teachers came out with their class lists. E's teacher is younger than me, thin and blonde. He'll love her. Really, he'll be so smitten that he'll be on his best behaviour. *grin* He's so predictable that way.

After an introduction and a few questions about pick-up arrangements, he lined up with the other confused, nervous boys and started chattering away. I gave him a fast peck and told him we'd be back at the home time bell to get him. He seemed so confident. So at home in his own skin. I felt a tug at my heart. Mom, isn't as necessary as she used to be. It's the natural order of things. I'm immensely proud of him and who he is becoming. I held on to L's hand and we backed off and headed home.

I don't know whether or not this experiment will work. I don't know if this is a good place for him or not but I know more this year and I know that so long as we take care, things will work out, one way or another. I have enough faith for all of us.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Things Have Changed

I was working on a project last night which lead me to discover that this blog was available by google search. After I had checked my settings to ensure that they had not inadvertently been changed. Nope, they were still the same but there I was and typing in the title of the blog...google and bing searched and open for all the world to see.

Now this blog is not so immensely personal or anything but I do list some details that really shouldn't be out there on the web. I do mention my husband and kid's names and what they are up to. I even mentioned what school they could possibly be attending. Not cool. I will not be doing that in the future (good thing none of my well laid plans came to fruition).

So now to read all my inane ramblings you must be invited. So now we are a merry party of the crazy or bored *giggle* I will be blogging with a conscience in the future but still just as nuts.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Asshats Abound!

Warning: Vent Imminent

So a few of you know that I decided to put the boys back in school. It's really for them, more so than me even though I will gain some quiet time having them in school. What I don't like is the bureaucratic bullshit that comes with it.

Get this... My boys will be in separate schools with less than 10 minutes between bells. Now that doesn't sound so bad until you actually see the traffic for the kiss n' rides. It's insane and nearly impossible. That means that one of the boys will have to be dropped off impossibly early each day and picked up late each day. Unacceptable, unless I can work something out with the older boy's teacher and the attendance office that they recognize the hellish situation they've created, and allow him to be late every other day without penalty.

It's a logistical nightmare. Though, as I was typing this I came to wonder...since I'll be forced to use the car to get the kids to their schools whether late or not. I might as well make it a real commute. I've left a message for an out of district Catholic school which also provides F.I. to see if I can apply for out-of-area status there. Yeah, completely ridiculous right? Yeah, I can certainly thank some meat-on-a-stick bureaucrat for closing off my option to have both my kids attend the same school in my own neighbourhood. Siblings should always be encouraged to stay together.

So that's the reason why I'm venting off right now. Can't help it faced with the ridiculous. Apparently, two wrongs don't make a right but three rights make a left. *gahhhhh*

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

The Icecream Cone of Perpetual Sorrow

Everyone has been talking about this Cold Stone Creamery. Last night Sheree and I were having coffee at Tim's after our run and we couldn't get over how many people in the store were there for the ice cream. Displacing the old cogers that usually take up the bulk of the tables at that hour.

Sheree said that she tried it but the calorie count was insane. We got on to talking about what we love and why we love it. I discovered that I'm an emotional eater a few months ago (most of us are apparently). When not on an emotional binge, thankfully they are few and far in between, I am a chip & diet coke a-holic. These are clearly things I cannot have in the house.

Then I thought about it more. I'm also addicted to cheese. I'm not even going to examine my coffee fetish. I told her the other day that I was jonsing for something fizzy so badly that I had actually considered having a beer after finding the Perrier case empty. Of course I didn't have the beer (it was 1 pm) as it doesn't score Good Mommy points and would actually be a tick in the "perhaps I need a 12 step program" column.

Really at this point I would have to say that my diet coke addiction has been harder to kick then my old cigarette addiction.