Life as I know it...

THE LIST: A new #1... Paul Marron

2012-01-30T10:01:00.004-07:00

Sorry Adam Lambert, my love, my obsession, its time to move over and make way... there's a new #1 on The List and his name is Paul Marron. I am so obsessed with this guy, its not even funny. What is funny is how it all came about.

I was on the Kresley Cole website, checking out the message boards for her newest IAD novel, Lothaire. Someone mentioned in a thread the name of the cover model, the Enemy of Old, Lothaire himself, Paul Marron.

Isn't he beautiful, in a scary-evil-dangerous way? Just how I like em!

So I clicked on the link to his website and sat there for half an hour, browsing through all his pics and drooling heavily. Then one particular picture caught my eye and I realized in that pic, he looked amazingly similar to the cover model for the IAD novel featuring Cadeon Woede, Dark Desires After Dusk. That's when I realized, holy shit it WAS him! Cadeon is my absolute favorite IAD character, and I'll admit that a large part is due to how freakin' hot he is on the cover of the book. Okay, his personality and charm are awesome too, but check out that clenched jaw, *swoon* just wanna lick it (and maybe some other things, heh).

Back to the message boards I went, to create my very own thread about Mr. Hotness himself, Paul Marron. Another reader replied that he's been on many, many book covers, started listing them and I was like, 'Holy crap, that was him? I OWN those books, they're my favorites, I have lusty dreams about those super-hotties all the time!' So here, my favorite covers have all featured Paul! He has a unique, changeable quality to him that makes each character on each cover look different, and yet if you KNOW its him and take a closer look, you can recognize him.

He is Rydstrom Woede on the cover of yet another IAD book, Kiss of a Demon King (my 2nd favorite IAD book); it just so happens Cadeon and Rydstrom are brothers.

He's Rehvenge on JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood book, Lover Avenged.

He's been on countless Harlequin covers, historical romance novels, you name it. In my obsessive stalking, I mean research, I learned he's even been on a few of the raunchier e-books I own, only its been his body or back that was the focus, not his face.

There's WAY more, these are just a few.

The man is a GOD. I am in serious lust here. Could be because Hubs has been away for like ever but still, you can't deny it.

So, back to Lothaire... Paul went on a book tour with author Kresley Cole across the US, visiting bookstores for meet & greets; ladies have been posting pics of themselves standing next to Paul (in full Lothaire character, down to the red contacts and black leather coat, yummmm). And they have their greedy, grasping hands and arms all over him, grrrr! That's MY man. I'm so jealous. Why can't KC come to Red Deer, Canada? Anyway, the consensus on Paul was that he was extremely nice and sweet, kinda shy (he blushed when KC's editor told him to open his leather coat and show everyone his abs, awwww), smelled amazing, was really tall, and took the time to talk to each lady and make her feel special. Now THAT definitely deserves the #1 spot on my List. Not many uber-hot male cover models would be so down-to-earth and kind.

His career is not limited to romance covers though, oh no. My Paul is also the face of Undergear underwear for men (and omg how lucky are we that is a freaking Underwear Model), he does tons of magazines, he's even been in a movie! Ok, so it was one of those straight-to-dvd movies that the average person has never heard of (unless you're obsessed and happen to see some of the stills from the movie --- which I have posted below --- and become even more obsessed because oh-holy-freakin-god he's naked in parts of the movie, doing some chick, and where-oh-where can I get my pervy hands on that movie).

BUT OMG YOU GUYS, GET THIS... to make my obsession even more fanatical, I mean fantastical, I learned that he created his own facebook page, after much prompting from fans and KC herself -- after his Lothaire cover -- and became a 'fan'. When I happened across his movie stills (the movie is called Playroom, I guess its pretty hardcore and not in the good sex-way, google it), I made a comment on his board, to the effect of: "Paul, you bad bad boy. Just saw the stills from your movie and uh, wow, where can I get a copy, wowza". A whole bunch of lady-fans 'liked' my comment and one in particular replied, we had a conversation, she said you can get the movie on amazon but I might want to fast-forward through the gruesome parts to get to naked Paul. Haha. SO THEN (and here's where I start hyperventilating)... I made another comment a few days later, asking if he ever modeled for Ellora's Cave books, but that they're pretty risque, not NYT Bestseller List fodder, def not mainstream, but that I'd love to see his face on the next EC book I download and, oh holy mother... HE RESPONDED TO MY COMMENT!!!

He said, "Negative, they are steamy tho... LOL"

This god of lust and washboard abs and rock-hard thighs and male perfection actually took the time out from his busy day to respond to MY comment. Little ole me. Maybe that means he even checked out my fb picture (which I have to admit, is pretty sweet).

So I figure that him replying to my comment is like one degree of separation from us actually doing it, right? Haha. Shut up, that's what I'm going with.

He's not just a pretty face, though. I feel I've gotten to know Paul (lol, I'm a loser) and by the videos he chooses to post on his fb page, he seems a very deep, introspective guy. And he likes Lamb of God, he's a self-professed metal-head. Which is cool. A person tends to think that super-hot male models are into techno and gay bars, right?

Anyway, here's some more pics to make your day nice and steamy... and feel free to right-click-and-save for your very own fap-folder (haha, don't judge)...

Now for the really steamy ones, the ones that might give you heart palpitations...

Purple is my favorite color, how did he KNOW?! lol

I see a treasure-trail!

I wanna be invited to THIS slumber party! Who cares about the other lame pretty boys, I'm just lookin' at my boy's beautiful thighs and face (he's on the far left).

WARNING: the next few pics from his movie Playroom may cause the following reactions: dizziness, excessive drooling, racing heart, dirty thoughts, sweaty palms, feeling faint and lightheaded, a need for sudden and immediate privacy...

And now for the absolute show-stopper... brace yourselves, ladies...

'The Art of Being Cheap': Grown-Up Edition

2012-01-17T10:28:00.001-07:00

Some of you may remember the 'Art of Being Cheap' essay I did back in highschool (the teacher, Mrs Berry, actually kept it to use as a model of "perfect essay-writing" for future generations... yes, my poor brothers had to endure "Your sister wrote that?" when they hit that grade, haha). Well, here's another thing to add to that list:

Taking clothes from arena Lost & Found boxes!

Omg, yes, I can't believe I do that, but I do. I'll admit it. And hey, why not? That stuff just sits there, no one comes back to claim it. And at least I'm not totally shameless about it, I have the kids root through the stuff for me. Who's going to say anything about little kids sorting through the stuff, "looking for toys", right?

Over the years we have taken home:

- a pair of girls figure-skates for Lena (perfect size, too)

- countless name-brand clothes (the expensive brands, too!)

- brand new mittens and toques

- warm snuggly fleece blankets in amazing condition

- a pair of brand-new winter boots for Ryder (who forgets their child's boots at an arena?)

- toys (Barbies, toy cars and trucks, etc)

So the point of this post is because I want to brag about the BEST L&F find I ever made.

We were in Olds last Friday night for Gunnar's game and during the second period, Ryder got a drink from the water fountain and ended up soaking his shirt. SOAKING it. The entire shirt. (How does that even happen?) And guess what? Stupid Mommy didn't bring the spare-clothes backpack! It was back home, sitting on the floor by the front door. Argh! So we had to go downstairs and check out the lost & found bin for something he could wear. One good thing about the bin's location is that its only player change rooms down there, it was practically deserted (no one to witness us rooting through everything! yay! lol). And in a streak of good fortune, I found a canvas grocery bag in the bin to put all our 'loot'.

I found TWO American Eagle hoodies (both mens sizes) and a beautiful "vintage-style" (what it said on the tag) girls sweater. The only reason I was hyped about the American Eagle brand is because lately that is ALL Gunnar talks about, "Mom, I need you to take me to the American Eagle store in the mall, that's what everyone is wearing now, I have to some of their clothes, next year I'm only getting AE jeans, etc". *Sigh* The typical style-conscious, peer-pressured teen, right?

I did actually take Gunnar to that store over Christmas holidays, he walked in, browsed, and was out in 10 minutes, telling me in a low voice "I need to save up more money before I can get anything", and considering he had a wallet with $100 in it, I KNOW that place is effin expensive.

So the two mens hoodies I found have got to be worth upwards of $150 each, I figure. They're practically brand new!

Anyway, I guess most people would be too embarrassed to go through a lost and found bin or at least admit to it. Meh, the way I see it... look who's going home with the AE hoodies, booya!

Outdoor FUN

2012-01-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

On January 4th, Ty was home from Whitecourt long enough that we were able to have a fun family outing at the skating pond/sledding hill near our home. (Ardan was at a buddy's house, which is why he's not in the videos.) Ryder and I sledded for a while, Daddy even joined us for a couple of runs. Then the two of us joined Lena, Gunnar and Daddy on the skating pond (pond? ice surface? rink? whatevs) and Ryder tried learning to skate. He did pretty good, but after about ten minutes (way longer than he's ever lasted before) he put his boots back on and played hockey with the guys that way.

Ryder's super-cool new toy

2012-01-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

Ryder and Lena got to use their Toys R Us gift cards (thank you Gramma DeeDee!), check out what Ryder chose! (I had to throw in another $5 but it was worth it, this thing is coo-ell!) Lena got a Playdough icecream maker set, a giant coloring book (its seriously giant, like two feet tall), a super-annoying little critter-thing that makes annoying sounds (can you tell I'm regretting that purchase?) and a really cool blow-pen/stencil thing that makes designs on clothing (mom, you will love it). But back to Ryder's toy, its a Hot Wheels Wall-Trax set. You put it up on the wall! Even Ardan was enthralled with it. It pretty much does the same thing, over and over, but the two of them, Ardan and Ryder, played with it for a half hour straight!

MORE additions to the family...

2012-01-08T22:27:00.002-07:00

Gunnar and Ardan got a little aquarium each for Christmas, with the second part of the present the actual fish themselves, which we would pick out next time we were in Red Deer. The two little ones put up such a stink about not getting an aquarium as well, that I had to cave in and buy them each one. So we were in Red Deer Friday night for Gunnar's hockey game and afterwards, we went to Petland to buy the kids each a Betta fish (one of those chinese fighting fish). After much careful consideration, they each chose a fish; we also picked out some colorful gravel, plastic plants, and Betta food (teensy-weensy little pellets that are about a millimetre big). Oh, those kids were so excited! When we got home, they immediately fixed up their aquariums and in the fish went. Ryder has since named his (get this) Jalapeno Franks-Red-Hot-Sauce Kippers Kasha (not even joking, and what's with using the Kippers name again? *sigh*); Lena's fish is Daisy-Loo Lily; and the boys are still deliberating.

Welcome to the family, little fishes! Let's hope the cats leave them be (they have so far, knock on wood!)

Ardan's fish is definitely the coolest, in my opinion. I think its a different kind of Betta because its fins are quite dramatic and spiky. Its color is a gorgeous dark reddish-orange. Its also extremely aggressive and will swim madly around in circles if you even tap its tank. However, in between mad dashes it just floats in place and seems to stare into space; Gunnar called it "the mentally-challenged psycho". Niiiice, Gunnar.

Even though this pic is blurry, I HAD to include it. I had been trying to get Gunnar to smile for his pic (he's too cool for that) and Ardan came up behind him and tickled him. This pic makes me giggle.

(This little smirk was the closest to a smile I could get. ) Gunnar's fish is super-tiny like Ryder's and is also a dark navy-blue. However, where Ryder's fish is really curious and constantly swimming and checking stuff out, Gunnar's little fish just likes to glide along and play in the plant leaves.

Another blurry pic but by then the kids were all antsy, wanting to 'play' with their fishes and getting tired of posing.

Lena's fish, Daisy-Loo, is the most beautiful one of the bunch: a brilliant iridescent purpley-blue. She's also very shy and loves to hide amongst the plant leaves.

As expected, Ryder is obsessed with removing the tank's lid and trying to touch his fish, despite repeated warnings that it will contaminate the water and scare his fish. "Jalapeno likes it! He WANTS me to play with him!"

Ryder's fish is super-tiny, I don't know if its just a baby or is a different kind of Betta. Its a brilliant dark-blue, almost navy, and its super-curious, always checking everything out. It also is a huge glutton for those food pellets, sucking them in lightning-fast and always wanting more.

My fry guys

2012-01-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

Eating a smurf

2012-01-08T22:01:00.000-07:00

We were at the arena for Gunnar's game and I gave Ardan some money to get himself and the little ones a treat. They come back and THIS is what I see...

Gunnar said after the game that he even noticed from where he was sitting on the bench! LOL

Mom's Morning Wake-Up

2012-01-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

So this was my morning wake-up 'call' from the kids. Good thing I had my cell handy. Little brats! Haha. I guess they opened up the china cabinet downstairs and took out Grandpa Mark's harmonicas, so of course after they were done 'serenading' me I told them all about how Grandpa sure could wail on those things. They walked around the rest of the morning, playing the blues, talking about how they are "just like Grandpa Mark!"

New Year, New Start

2012-01-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

Visit with Amie

2011-12-30T02:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Amie came over today with her girls, we had so much fun! First we headed to the Fox Run hill for some sledding. Lena and Ryder got to use their new GTs, man those things are wicked! Good job, Levi and Amber, the kids love them. Amie's girls and my big boys tried them out, too. Way cool. Even Amie and I got on the big black sled and took a few runs (and omg was THAT hilarious). Then we came back to our house for some pizza and chips and caesar salad and pop and chocolates. Oh, and we had a Kinect party! Amie got her girls an Xbox Kinect and some games for Christmas, so they brought them out; they had Wipeout (the tv show game), Twister Party, Dance Central 2, and the Black Eyed Peas dance game. Added to our Kinect Adventures, Dance Central 1, Kinect Disneyland, and Kinectimals. Amie and I delighted in embarrassing our kids with our lame dance moves, and her girls kicked everyone's butts at the Twister game. Even my boys got into the spirit of it all, which I thought they might lame out and just sit on the couch, uncomfortable with goofing around like that in front of her cute girls. Amie's littlest one, Izzy (who is 7), was a dancing queen at Dance Central, and Lena wowed us all at how good she was at Kinect Adventures.

F-U-N!!!

More Christmas pics/vids

2011-12-30T01:55:00.000-07:00

At Deanna's annual Christmas Eve party...

Tyler and Gino (Opie's new boyfriend) were having "fish talk", finally Ty found a guy to talk about fishing with! They were comparing fishing techniques, favorite spots, etc. It was cute. (Also, I could get away with outright staring at Gino and if I got busted I was fully prepared to say it was Hubs I was staring at, LOL!)

Ryder got a sweet marshmallow-gun from Deanna, what does Ardan do? Steal it out of his hand and run away with it! Typical.

Christmas Day...

At Julie's house, later Christmas day...

Lena chatting with her "new best friend, Kali" about all the awesome makeup that Kal just gave her. Kal cleaned out her makeup case and gave all the excess stuff to Lena, we're talking a HUGE bag of preemo makeup, I'm pretty jealous. There were also some perfumes and lotions in there. Lena was in HEAVEN.

Life with BOYS: Top 10

2011-12-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

1. When you go out and buy a new toilet seat rather than have to clean the old one.

2. You turn a blind eye to the number of showers your teenage son has in a day. (Also see #3)

3. Your son brings you his sheets to wash every other day.

4. "We're just going to have a sandwich" results in an entire loaf of bread gone, an empty peanut butter container, and jam spilled all over the counter.

5. There's an instinctive shudder of dread when you're doing laundry and have to reach into the pants pockets before putting them in the wash.

6. Dried snot on the walls no longer fazes you.

7. You buy candles and air freshener by the bucketful, just to try to overpower the aroma of Eau de Boy Stench.

8. You have learned your lesson about coming to investigate when your son yells from the bathroom, "Mom, come see!"

9. Milk and juice jugs are put back in the fridge with mere droplets left inside.

10. "If you don't clean your room, I'll do it for you" is a really great threat. Boys have secrets, don't you know.

Vids that make you FEEL

2011-12-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

A Simcoe Christmas

2011-12-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

I was just sitting on the couch all by my lonesome; the kids came upstairs and one by one came to sit by me. I just had to get a pic taken to capture the moment... my kids love me!

Is Baby Wyatt not the spitting image of Levi? He is the cutest baby, just wanna cuddle him forever. Well, until he starts fussin', then its back to Mama. Lol

Lena got a Barbie makeup kit from Uncle Trapper and Aunty Becky, she was in heaven!

Opening their gifts from Uncle Levi and Aunty Amber... GTs!

Wearing her new hot-pink Barbie lipstick.

Playing with Wyatt's gift from us, Christmas finger puppets. Levi played with it for like five minutes!

Trapper was like, "Aww, poor Ryder, that's not a very fun gift" THEN he saw Ryd's reaction to it: "THOMAS BEDDING, YESSSSS! How did you know I really NEEDED this, Gramma?" Ryder even took it out of the packaging (even the sheets, lol). We thought it was funny that Ryder said 'bedding', not blanket. How grown up.

Schlockey Christmas Surprise!

2011-12-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Isn't it funny what your brain remembers, and what it stashes away for an "Oh YEAH!" moment?

I knew my brothers had been working on a really cool handmade gift for the boys. Trapper came down a few times from Edmonton to help Levi build their surprise gift, and I knew it would be something big and for outdoors. But I had no clue what it could possibly be. Neither the boys or mom would give me any hints; it was to be a surprise for me as well.

Our Simcoe family Christmas dinner was planned for Thursday, Dec 22nd (yesterday), as that was the only day it would work for Trapper and Becky. The boys' big surprise gift was to be unveiled that night. However, that morning I was talking to mom and she just had to tell me. "Its a schlockey board!"
"Huh?"
"You know, schlockey! Don't you remember schlockey?"
"Um, no."
"Beau! Your gym teacher, Mr Rands, at the CP school, made a schlockey board for all the kids to play with at recess and it was such a huge hit, kids would literally line up at recess for a turn. Your brothers got your dad to make them one and they were outside every day for hours on that thing."
"Huh. Really? I don't remember that at all."

I felt like such an idiot, how did I not remember that? But when the big moment arrived and we all went outside to watch the boys' reactions to their surprise present, when I saw the schlockey board I was like, "Oh yeah! Schlockey!"

It is so cool. Its like a little mini-rink, with two holes in the centre board, and one at each end. Players use a sawed-off hockey stick that has an angled end and they madly bat the puck around until someone scores.

The time, effort, and care put into the creation of this schlockey board is just incredible, I'm in awe of my brothers. They used regular plywood and boards, painted the surface white and then lacquered it so it would be slippery. They even painted the lines and circles you see on regular rink surfaces, AND they found an Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins (the boys favorite teams) decals.

Well, the gift was a HUGE hit and the boys and their uncles played all night. Gunnar didn't want to go home because the schlockey board was to be delivered by their uncles in the morning, he wanted to keep playing. Thankfully, sweet Trapper drove the board to our house later that night. And sure enough, when I woke up I could hear the sounds of sticks madly slapping and the boys hootin' and hollerin' coming from outside. They must've woke up early and went straight outside. Ardan's friend Dawson came over today and the schlockey marathon was ON. Gunnar strutted inside and bragged "I'm the undisputed schlockey champion, a 21-game winning streak!" So now noone wants to play him anymore, haha.

So to my brothers I want to say, THANK YOU. You guys rock!

Ryder's Christmas Concert

2011-12-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

Look at the ears! And the lip! And the tie! The tie was killing me, I had JUST fixed it before he went onstage, then he pulled it down again. Gunnar says "You can tell its a zipper tie" - oh shut up Gunnar! LOL

After the concert, everyone went into the Fellowship Hall for potluck snacks (we brought cheese & crackers, and some gluten-free crackers for Spencer, who has the same allergy as Ty -- his mom just loves me because I always make sure that Spencer can eat what the other children are eating). There were five tables set up with various crafts, and the kids bypassed the food (except Ryder, lol) so they could get craftin'.

The 'candy' table was a HUGE hit, obviously. Kids were lined up to decorate a Christmas tree (icecream cone) with frosting and candies. Lena, Ryder, and Ardan all made a tree and then got to eat them on our way to Red Deer after.

This is the candle-centrepiece table. The kids put playdough in a small aluminum tray, set a scented candle in the middle, then decorated with Christmas flowers and greenery. Beautiful!

So many people came up to me and said how they thought it was just wonderful how both my older boys were doing crafts with all the children, and that I have such well-behaved and polite children. I love hearing that. I'm a proud mama!

Here we have the card-making table. Lots of stamps and ink pads, card stock, glue, and markers. They all made some really nice cards!

This is the ornament table. The kids made a star out of colored popsicle sticks and glued a little picture of a wiseman inside. Lena gave her ornament to her bus driver.

My new smart phone!

2011-12-20T08:57:00.001-07:00

Hey y'all, I'm doing this post via my new Samsung Galaxy touch screen smart phone, how cool is that? I've been busy this morning getting ringtones (they have Tourettes Guy, of course had to assign that one to Hubs LOL) and apps. Took me long enough to let go of the purple flip-phone but I'm finally with the rest of the free world in my smart phone obsession. This thing is so awesome.

I went with Koodo, no contract, phone was free; got the unlimited Canada-wide package (no long-distance charges) with call display, voicemail and unlimited text, for $55/mo and the Data Saver plan where you only pay for the data you use (starts at $5/mo). Pretty frickin sweet, eh?

Gunnar is sooo jealous, poor kid stuck with his Blackberry. And of course, you KNOW the other three have been begging me to get some games for them to play. At least I finally have the ultimate chore incentive! Lol.

Made me laugh (NSFW)

2011-12-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

2011-12-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, I love this! Its like a wake-up call to your life. A friend shared the link on facebook, this article is taken from the blog Marc and Angel Hack Life: Practical Tips for Productive Living.

Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself. Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves. Read The Road Less Traveled.
Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you likeeveryone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else. Read Stumbling on Happiness.
Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you. Concentrate on beating your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too. If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.
Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done. Read Getting Things Done.
Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.
Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out. But making one person smile CAN change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus.
Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years?” If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Damn You Auto-Correct funnies

2011-12-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

Sketchy Santas

2011-12-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

Sir-Didymus Santa

Sir Didymus and Ambrosius

BEP Dance Party

2011-12-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

We were watching tv, flipping through the channels hoping to find a Christmas cartoon, and we saw a Black Eyed Peas special on MuchMusic. Well! The kids just had to lay down a blanket ("That's our dance floor!") and bust a move.

Warning: the 2nd video contains audio of me singing. I am absolutely mortified but alas, I am unable to stop myself from singing along to songs I like. Just ask the kids. In the vehicle, around the house, out in public, if I hear a good song, I just gotta sing! lol

Ardan's Christmas Concert

2011-12-15T23:43:00.002-07:00

I had to take video of the Innkeeper singing. I was sitting there literally biting my lips to keep my giggles in. I mean, good on him for being brave and singing a solo like that. But yeah, picture me hunched over, trying to restrain my giggle-fit.

Naughty Elf!

2011-12-15T08:30:00.003-07:00

Sketchy Santas

2011-12-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

One-for-the-Road Santa

WTF-is-this? Santa

Christmas Countdown: 12 sleeps!

2011-12-13T08:47:00.000-07:00

Sketchy Santas

2011-12-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

The-Bad-Touch Santa

Dwight-Schrute Santa

Another Jimmy Kimmel Parent Challenge

2011-12-13T07:58:00.001-07:00

Wow, wtf?

2011-12-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

Christmas Countdown: 14 sleeps!

2011-12-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Sketchy Santas

2011-12-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

Sleepy Santa

Seconds-Away-From-Disaster Santa

Christmas Countdown: 16 sleeps!

2011-12-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

Sketchy Zombie-Santa

2011-12-09T18:33:00.002-07:00

What clogged the toilet: mystery SOLVED

2011-12-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Oh, yeah, you "accidentally" flushed something down the toilet, eh Ryder?

Turned out it was a long comb wrapped in tons of what looked like paper towel (but later realized was actually Lysol antibacterial wipes, which do NOT dissolve in water like the toddler wipes).

So I pretended to take a picture of the comb/wipes with my camera and told the little DICKens that I was emailing it to Santa and there was going to be yet another check mark under Ryder's 'naughty' column, and that from now on he'd better work extra hard at being 'nice' or he was going to get ELF POOP in his stocking.

How to Google It

2011-12-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

Christmas Countdown: 17 sleeps!

2011-12-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

Sketchy Santas

2011-12-08T09:03:00.000-07:00

Nightmares Santa

Serial Santa

Lena's Christmas Concert

2011-12-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

Waiting for the show to start.

Having fun, goofing around for the camera.

When we looked at this pic after taking it, I couldn't help it, I burst into laughter. All these people turned and stared at me, I had the giggles and couldn't stop.

All those pics above, trying to capture the perfect 'kiss' and finally , voila!

Wearing the pretty new Christmas dress that Gramma bought her.

Isn't she the most gorgeous little girl you've ever seen?

Talking to her new buddy, Maison.

So bored. Lying on the floor at my feet, having a conversation with himself.

Note the high heels. HAD to wear them tonight. BUT wouldn't wear nylons, she insisted on those stupid tights. With WHITE socks. *sigh*

Someone discovered the new box of xmas oranges.

Silly Ryder

2011-12-06T17:24:00.002-07:00

Lena's gymnastics show

2011-12-06T17:23:00.000-07:00

(Sorry guys, I just noticed that whenever I zoom in or out, the sound cuts off. Stupid camera!)

Christmas Countdown: 19 sleeps!

2011-12-06T17:14:00.000-07:00

Sketchy Santas

2011-12-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

Undead Santa

Tales-from-the-Crypt Santa

Top 10 Fave Xmas Songs

2011-12-04T19:06:00.001-07:00

Christmas Countdown: 21 sleeps!

2011-12-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sketchy Mob-Santa

2011-12-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

31 Days of Sketchy Santas

2011-12-04T00:09:00.001-07:00

I missed Dec 1st and 2nd, so here's three Sketchy Santas...

Drunk Santa

Hungover Santa

Scary-Clown Santa

Christmas Countdown: 22 sleeps!

2011-12-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

I'm doing it a little different this year, going to be posting my favorite video clips from my favorite Christmas movies, specials, tv shows, etc. And since I missed posting for Dec 1st and 2nd, I'm putting up 3 today.

Time to Catch-up

2011-12-03T13:10:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! Felt I should play catch-up, let you know what's new in my world...

Finally got new tires on the Suzi yesterday. After doing extensive research online for the best tire, best price, best place to purchase them from, I ended up choosing the Goodyear Assurance TripleTred tires, from Canadian Tire. Fountain Tire usually specializes in Goodyear tires but their price, even with the $25/tire discount, was still more than what Canadian Tire quoted. The CdnTire website had them listed at $181.99/tire, but get this! When I went in to order them (they didn't have them in stock), they gave me a quote of $177.99! So, even cheaper than the website price! I was pretty happy about that. The tires took two days, YES, two days, to come in. I was a little shocked. Here I was thinking they had to come from a warehouse in Ontario or something, stupid me. Haha. During my research, every website made sure to specify that if you have a TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitor System) you can expect an extra fee. Since I DO have a TPMS, I was thinking it would be like an extra $100 or something. However, when I asked CdnTire about this, the lady was adamant that they do not charge for that. (I was like, half-joking, 'Can I get that in writing?') So I got them installed yesterday, took them about an hour (during which time Ryder and I went down every aisle, Christmas shopping), and lemme tell you, my new tires are BEAUTIFUL! Haha. So black and new and shiny. The total cost, with labor and shop supplies (and yes, the lady was right, they did not charge for the TPMS), came to about $906. Pretty good, eh? The TripleTred tires are all-season, NOT a winter tire, but during my research I discovered that they do a pretty damn good imitation of winter tires. On a scale of 1-10 (10 is best), rated for snow, ice, rain, slush, they scored a 10 for each one. For 'sound' they scored a 7, for 'smoothness' (whatever that means) they scored an 8. So I consider the TripleTreds a hybrid winter/all-season tire. So the tires were installed and it was time to drive home. Anyone recall what the weather was like yesterday? Blowing snow and wind gusts of over 100km/h! Transport trucks were literally being flipped over by the wind on Hwy2. So I thought, 'Perfect weather to test out my new tires' and boy, were they ever tested! I could tell the difference immediately. No slipping or sliding on the snowy, ice streets. My Suzi took those corners like it was summer. Got to an intersection, driving behind a total idiot, and just as he's about to go through the light turned yellow. And what did the dipshit do? Slammed on the brakes! And that intersection was slick. If I would have had my old bald tires on, I would've slid right into the back of him. But with my new TripleTreds, screech! right to an instant stop. So right there, those tires paid for themselves. I am really impressed, and so much more confident about driving in our poor winter conditions.

I have come to the conclusion that I can no longer eat chinese food. Ty discovered this new great restaurant in Red Deer called Wok Box, located in Southepoint Common across by Tony Romas. Its not your average chinese food place; its asian food inspired from places like Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, China, Mongolia, Vietnam, and India. It is FABULOUS. We've ordered takeout from there a few times and its great because Ty can actually eat many of their dishes. So his new thing is bringing home Wok Box for supper, which he did last night. He usually gets the Family Feast, or whatever its called; it has everything from spring rolls, ginger beef, chicken balls, chow mein, fried rice, crispy wontons, coconut shrimp, beef & broccoli, malaysian stir-fry, etc etc etc. TONS of food, for like $50. So, great prices too. And it is delicious. BUT... last time we had it, I had some 'stomach issues' that night. Just attributed it to a stomach bug I must've picked up. However, last night after eating it, same problem. Like, immediately. So sadly, I think I can no longer eat Wok Box. Waaaaa....!

Pablo and Kippers escaped last night (I thought I heard meowing but the kids said no). I got up with Ty this morning around 4am, to make his sandwich and keep him company --- yes, apparently I CAN be a nice wife sometimes, who knew--- and when he went out to start his truck, in rushed Pablo. Kippers, I had to actually go outside and coax him to me, as Ty scared him away. So Ty carried Pabs into the kitchen and he goes, "What's that smell? Hey, what's on Pabby's back? HEY, WHAT'S ON MY CHEST AND HANDS?" Yes, Pablo had shit himself while outside (hey, maybe it kept him warm) and it was smeared all over his fur. His long, long fur. Poor Ty. Just like Dad, with the gagging and dry-heaves. So Pabs got locked in the laundry room until I could bathe him. Which I just did. And it was gross and traumatizing. Despite a couple wild escape attempts and the near-constant growling, Pabs actually did well, stayed in place so I could lather, scrub and scoop water on him. So now he's slinking around here like an embarrassed, wounded victim, 'You did me WRONG, bitch!' LOL. But he smells much better.

Oh, and speaking of SHIT... the main toilet is plugged again. AGAIN. Did I not just go through this a few months ago? No amount of plunging or drain cleaner is fixing it, and I have, oh, just a teensy clue about who the culprit is. Ryder says to me, as I'm plunging and swearing and sweating, "Um, what would you say if I told you that mayyyyybe a toothpaste got ACCIDENTALLY flushed down there?" OhhhhhhMYGOD Ryder, seriously??? Again?!?! So it looks like I'm off to Rona for another wax ring, because that toilet needs to flipped over and flushed out, AGAIN. Oh, and in case you were wondering, YES, Ryder did get a 'serious lecture' about flushing non-poop-related items. (Remember when Levi was little and used to always tell Mom that so-and-so needed a 'serious lecture'? Good times.)

I'm done Christmas shopping for Lena and Ryder. What a good feeling! Good thing she won't be reading this because its serious spoiler-alert time... I may have went a little overboard, like I always do, but I've picking up little things here-and-there for the past couple months, and they just get shoved into my closet so I tend to forget what all I've gotten. So Lena is getting pretty much everything she had on her list: a Justin Bieber barbie-doll, six Monster High dolls (one of each girl plus the only boy doll, which is a serious coup as the boy ones are all sold out now), two Baby Alive 'Crib Life' dolls (it was a set of twins, also sold out now), a Teacup Piggy mama with two baby piglets, the Justin Bieber Christmas cd, a Zhu-Zhu pet, a Christmas book, and a DS-XL starter kit to go with the new DS-XL she bought a while back (the set includes a case, headphones, charger, games container, etc). Ryder, the little BRAT (I'm still bitter about the toilet) is getting, not that he deserves it, a Thomas figurine 4-pack (includes Harold the Helicopter and the boat, which he doesn't have), the new Down With Webster cd -- he loves Big Wheels, its his new fave song "Cops up, cops up!", a Bop-It XT, a Cars Lightning McQueen activity set, a holographic Spiderman case for his DS, a Zhu-Zhu pet, Hot Wheels Showdown set, a Christmas book, and almost the full set of Star Wars figurines & vehicles. The Star Wars toys are small and almost cartoon-ified, geared toward little kids. There's the big Millenium Falcon with Han Solo and Chewbacca (the toy opens up and the figurines can 'play' in the command centre, etc), a Speeder Bike with Anakin, a Star Fighter with a different Anakin and C3PO, and then I got two sets of just figurines, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, R2D2 and another C3PO. The only thing that would make it a complete set was if there was a Darth Vader figurine & vehicle, but either it was sold out or Walmart doesn't carry it. Got a few things for Ardan as well: a Lego Alien Attack set, a MuchDance 2012 cd (he specifically asked for it, ugh), a 3DS starter set for his new 3DS which he bought with his own money, a little Betta aquarium for one of those fighting fish (which I'll get when its closer to Christmas day), and a remote-controlled car that follows a laser from the remote and can climb up walls (oh yay, probably will be regretting that). Gunnar, I got nothin'. He's so hard to buy for! He asked for a new set of boarding gloves from Nomads, that's it. He just wants money. *sigh* That's no fun! Whatevs. The only other thing Ardan has asked for is a Lego City Police Station set. So don't anybody be stealin' that idea from me! I'm a little desperate here for ideas for the boys' gifts. Picked up a few things from Cdn Tire for Hubs: a new black leather belt, a camouflage magnetic LED light, some ice-fishing stuff, and an electric shaver set that has different heads for precision trimming, ear/nose trimming (HA!), hair clippers, etc. He's also hard to buy for. Got myself a new Adam Lambert cd that I just happened to spy out of the corner of my little eye at Walmart. Also picked up a couple $5 gifts for our annual Christmas Eve party at Deanna's (they're really cute so keep an eye out for them, you'll probably want to 'steal' them). So I still have all the stocking stuffers to get (that requires a sans-kids trip to Dollarama), $20 gifts for the exchange at Julie's, gifts for Fred & maybe-Bunnie, and a few more things for Ty and the boys. But other than that, I'm done! lol

The CP Blakely Christmas concerts are on the next two Tuesdays: Lena's is Dec 6th and Ardan's is Dec 13. Probably at 7pm, like last year.

Ardan's homegame against Stettler tonight has been cancelled due to the weather and road conditions, still waiting to hear if Gunnar's homegame, also against a Stettler team (what are the odds), will be cancelled. (Oh, and if you're ever interested in finding out when/where the boys' games are, just go here for Ardan and here for Gunnar.) So this means we have all day to put up our Christmas stuff! We already have the big tree put up, just no ornaments yet. Sucks that I stored the xmas bins in the little closet beside the dryer, because that means I have to move both the washer and dryer just to get the bins out. Argh! The kids are super-excited and hyper about all this decorating, though. Really cute to see. They've really gotten into the Christmas spirit early this year. We've already watched the cartoon Grinch movie and the oldschool Rudolph show on tv. Lena walks around singing Christmas carols and Ryder is excited to make Santa a present out of playdough. We're also planning on crafting some ornaments and doing some baking as well.

So there ya go. Now you're all caught-up on what's happenin' in the Kasha household.

Time for a Change: Equal Right-to-Marry for ALL

2011-12-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Tina Fey's "A Mother's Prayer for Her Children"

2011-12-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

(Taken from her book, "Bossypants")

“First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her when crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “Hell Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock ‘N Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes And not have to wear high heels. What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You, because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen. Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long, For childhood is short – a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day – And adulthood is long and dry-humping in cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, that she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers And the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a Bitch in front of Hollister, Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends, For I will not have that Shit. I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord, that I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 A.M., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back. “My mother did this for me once,”she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck. “My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental Note to call me. And she will forget. But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.

Amen.”

-Tina Fey

Fight like a girl!

2011-11-30T13:23:00.002-07:00

A facebook friend posted a link to an article from www.rookiemag.com called 'Fight Like a Girl' and I highly suggest every woman and mother-of-daughter(s) should read it.

A brief synopsis (copied-and-pasted from various parts of the article):

"Girl’s aren’t supposed to get angry. Here’s why you should ignore that 'rule.'

According to researchers, this behavior is a major part of how girls (not all girls, obviously, but generally as a population) handle anger. It’s called “relational aggression,” a really textbooky term that just means “using friendships to bully people.” The tactics of “relational aggression” include telling people’s secrets, forming alliances to gang up on them, spreading rumors, sabotaging their projects, and giving them the silent treatment. This has just as many serious consequences as other kinds of bullying: it damages people’s confidence, makes them less likely to trust people or enjoy spending time with others, and can even lead to their doing poorly in school, developing anxiety and depression, or becoming suicidal. It’s underhanded, it’s dishonest, and it’s cruel. But it’s also what lots of girls do."

This article aims to teach girls and women how to 'fight' with each other. There are rules:

Rule #1: Being Angry Doesn’t Make You a Jerk
Rule #2: Arguing Is Not a Team Sport

Rule #2(a): If You Can Say It to Her Face, Don’t Say It on Facebook

Rule #3: Doing Bad Things Doesn’t Make You a Bad Person

Complication #1: You Both Did Bad Things, Oh No!

Complication #2: Some People Don’t Want to Make Things Better

The Stirring Conclusion: Fighting Like a Girl Can Change the World

"So, you had a fight. Yeesh, that was draining. But let’s list everything you didn’t do, while you were fighting: You didn’t lie. You didn’t betray a fellow girl. You didn’t try to expose any girls to verbal or physical harassment. You didn’t destroy another girl’s confidence. You didn’t make it less likely for that girl to succeed at work or in school, either intentionally or as a side effect of your actions. You didn’t hurt yourself, or treat yourself like you deserved to be hurt. You didn’t let your fear control you. I’ve got to stress this: You didn’t make any girls less confident, less successful, or more endangered by harassment. You, therefore, have taken yourself off the team that is constantly rooting for girls to do poorly in school, to do badly in life, to hate themselves, and to be scared all the time. You just scored a victory for feminism, my friend. Because you had a little honest conflict.

It is essential for girls to learn how to fight. Knowing how to say “this is messed up” without feeling guilty is a huge part of being strong. But girls also have to know how to fight without destroying one another. There are too many girl-destroying forces out there; we can’t afford to do their work for them.

'Fighting like a girl' can mean 'relational aggression.' It can mean being indirect, being untrustworthy, causing drama in order to make yourself feel better at another person’s expense. But 'fighting like a girl' can also mean just being honest, open, and willing to have a little healthy conflict once in a while. Girls tend to care about our friendships a lot. We do. But part of caring about our friendships is making sure that they are safe spaces in which we can tell the truth about how we feel. So here is the best part, about this second way of fighting like a girl: when you do it, you show that it’s possible. The world doesn’t end. When you’re honest, and stand up for yourself—even when that’s uncomfortable—you make it possible for every other girl to believe she can do the same."

That's my boy!

2011-11-30T12:09:00.000-07:00

There was an Atom parent meeting last night (Ardan's team) to discuss some issues that came up and towards the end, Coach Neal came in the room because he had an announcement to make. He started off by saying that for the past two months, he has been observing the players closely, watching their behaviour and interactions on-ice, off-ice, on the bench, in the change room, etc. He paid particular attention to who exhibited natural leadership qualities, who was always respectful to the coaches and other players, who tended to step in when other players needed help or guidance, and whose attributes of strength and patience helped influence and encourage the other players to play their best and to come together as a team.

He said he had made a decision to create a Team Captain for the rest of the season, and that the player he had chosen was the clear, obvious choice....

Of course, we all know what I'm going to say...

So the new Team Captain for the Atom B2 Lakers is...

ARDAN!

I had a feeling where the speech was going the more he said, and by the end, when he announced that Ardan was our new Team Captain, I had the biggest sh*t-eating grin on my face! After the meeting was over, I approached him just to say thank you for giving Ardan that recognition, and he told me that Ardan is definite AA material and that he is really excited to see him bring the team together and to observe the ways in which Ardan will naturally lead and strengthen the team. I was so proud I had tears in my eyes!

Unfortunately, Ardan wasn't at the practice because he was sick with the stomach virus that my other kids are going through (had to go pick him up from school, poor kid). But before the next game, Coach is going to sit down with Ardan and myself and go over what a Team Captain's responsibilities and expectations are. I'm really looking forward to that because I know that hearing his Coach tell him how proud and impressed he is of Ardan, listing all the reasons why he was chosen above all the others, will really make a difference in Ardan's self-esteem and confidence.

You should have seen his face when I got home from the meeting and told him the awesome news. He was blushing with pride, trying not to grin. You know, that closed-mouth smile that eventually breaks into a huge grin. I'm so happy and thrilled for him, so proud of my boy.

More fun with Kippers

2011-11-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

Lena & Mommy are super crafty!

2011-11-25T21:32:00.001-07:00

Lena was invited to a friend's birthday party, which is tomorrow. This is the little friend, Rhyann, who went with us to the Justin Bieber 'Never Say Never' 3D movie last February. Apparently Rhyann is still obsessed with JB (as are Lena and I) so we went to Walmart and bought her a Justin Bieber 'barbie' doll. THEN, we got the idea to make Rhyann a super-cool 'memory poster' (Lena's words) of our fun time that night. So I printed off the pictures I'd taken that night, as well as some other related pictures from the movie I found on google, got our posterboard and stickers from Dollarama, and we got busy being Crafty!

The end result turned out so amazing that I almost want to keep the thing for Lena (okay, myself, lol). But Lena is really excited to see Rhyann's reaction and I promised her that we could make another one for her.

Take a look... (Are we not awesome?)

Welcome to the Family, Kippers!

2011-11-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you know the story by now but if not...

I stopped at Winks Monday morning to get gas and Ryder hopped out of the vehicle to "keep me company". It was pretty chilly out so I huddled into my coat as I pumped the gas. Suddenly Ryder piped up behind me, "Look Mom, its a kitty!" Thinking he meant like a picture of a cat or something I said, "Mm-hmm, sure, that's nice" then turned around to get a look so he wouldn't bombard me with more 'Look, look!'s. And there, nestled in his arms, was a little orange-and-white cat! I immediately scooped up the little darling, poor thing was bone-thin and shivering; it climbed up my body until its head was under my neck, the warmest spot it could find. I opened the back of my Suzi and laid the poor thing in a pile of blankets I keep back there, then we went in to pay for the gas and to speak to the cashier about the cat. She told me it had been hanging around for the past couple days and that the other cashier took pity on it and brought it in to the store for some food. But obviously they couldn't keep it in there and had to put it back outside.

Ryder and I got into the Suzi, looked at each other and said, "We have a new kitty!"

Ryder immediately christened the cat "Frinkle-Nose", it took me half a day to realize he meant Freckle-Nose, haha. I suggested we wait to hear the other kids' ideas for names but that in the mean time, he could call it Frinkle-Nose if he wanted. We set out some water and cat food for our new friend, he fell upon it in a ravenous frenzy, as if it hadn't eaten for days. I did inform Klassic Kennels on facebook that I had found the cat and where, just in case some devastated child out there was grieving for its pet. But I also let them know that we fully planned on keeping the cat, as my son had fallen in love with it.

Now, a little bit of back-story here: Friday night Ty noticed that Punkin was missing, which was strange and upsetting because she's afraid of going outside. But it was true, we searched everywhere and she was gone. Gunnar noticed tiny footprints outside the back door, leading to the fence. The children all suited up with winter gear and went searching for her, with no luck. What really devastated us was the fact that it was -20 outside, and that cold snap lasted for days. We tried to remain optimistic that a kindly neighbor had found her and taken her in, but as each day passed our hearts grew heavier. Lena in particular, with her sweet and tender heart, grieved the hardest, "I just don't want to imagine her frozen in the snow, Mom!" So when we found this cat the following Monday, it was a much-needed dose of joy and happiness.

Frinkle-Nose was instantly Ryder's best friend. He asked if it was a boy or girl, I had no clue until Ryder noticed something, "What are these big furry sacks on its bum?" LOL!! So yes, a boy. Little Frinkle spent half the time eating and half the time cuddled in Ryder's arms, rubbing its face and nose against Ryder's face, licking him, and constantly purring. The two were inseparable and Ryder was thrilled to have a pet that allowed him to smother it in love. Wherever Ryder went, so did the cat.

The kids came home from school, I was in my room and I could tell the exact instant they noticed our new addition to the family. Lena's voice became high-pitched with excitement, even Gunnar's deeper voice was heard chattering amongst the chaos. With great solemnity and importance, Ryder informed everyone that he had found this kitty and SAVED ITS LIFE; its name was Frinkle-Nose and it was his kitty but he would share it and mayyybe let them hold it, but not to be sad if it only wanted Ryder because he was "its favorite". Ha! Gunnar suggested, and No. 2 & 3 agreed, that its new name should be Tiger. Ryder reluctantly accepted that.

The next couple hours that night were filled with happy little voices and a very, very happy kitty. One of the kids brought up the little cat house Mom had given us (which the other cats had looked at with disdain), Tiger went right in and immediately started playing with the little toys inside, sticking his head out once in a while; he absolutely loved it!

Pablo wasn't too sure what to think about all this commotion. He seemed actually scared of Tiger! Would run away whenever it came near and hiss and growl if it got too close, which happened a few times because little Tiger was naturally curious about this other cat and tried to be affectionate with Pabs, but Pabs was having none of it.

So that night, we were all on the couch giving Tiger love and pets, and suddenly I heard a meow sounding like it was coming from outside! We leaped off the couch and ran to the front door... and in ran Punkin! You can imagine the kids' sheer joy and exhilaration. So it was a real day of celebration, the return of a beloved missing family member and the addition of a new one!

The only downside is that the two cats are still hostile to Tiger (who was renamed again to Kippers, as the kids fed him stinky canned kippers) and like to intimidate him whenever they can. Kippers feels pretty safe around me and Ryder and will follow us from room to room; also, he likes to hang out in Ryder's comfy bed as he knows the other cats will leave him alone there. But I did find a couple of cat poops in Lena's room and the bathroom upstairs Tuesday morning, and knowing Kippers is litter-trained (we watched him go Monday night), I realized it was because the two cats wouldn't let him past the hallway so he could go downstairs to the litter box. But if Ryder carries him downstairs or he follows me down when I do laundry, then he goes right to the litter box. We're working on getting the two cats adjusted to life with our new buddy, making sure they get just as much, if not more, love and cuddles as before. They've both chilled out slightly and only growl at Kippers if he tries to nuzzle or rub against them, otherwise they tend to leave him alone (which I definitely appreciate as there's been no more random poops around the house). Kippers continues to eat like a little pig, and waddles around with his big fat tummy swaying. Its very sweet and reassuring to see.

I think the nicest thing about having Kippers around now is that finally Ryder has a pet that he can smother with affection, hugs and kisses ("I will love him and hug him and pet him and name him George") and rather than bolt away like the other cats do whenever Ryder comes near, Kippers just soaks up all the love and attention and returns it to Ryder tenfold. They really are best little buddies. Its like Kippers knows that Ryder really did save its life.

And every night when Ryder climbs into bed, there is Kippers curled up next to his pillow, waiting for him.

RIP

2011-11-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Memories
The love we have for Grandpa
Will never fade away.
We’ll think of him, our special friend,
Throughout each passing day.
We’ll walk into the room
And see his empty chair;
Although we know he’s resting,
We’ll feel his presence there.
The memories of his laughter,
His warm and loving smile,
His eyes so full of happiness,
His heart that of a child.
Memories are forever
Be they laughter or of tears,
Memories we will treasure
Through all the forthcoming years.
Author Unknown

Made me laugh

2011-11-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

I am a computer WHIZ

2011-11-05T18:23:00.000-06:00

If you've seen any of my facebook statuses from the last week, you'll know what I was dealing with regarding Gunnar's computer.

If you haven't, here's the short story: his laptop was hijacked by viruses, worms, malware, spyware, etc. Basically, everything that can destroy your computer. The little brat didn't have antivirus and was cruising porn sites. What else did he expect? GAH! All of his programs and applications were missing, couldn't open anything, and I kept getting pop-ups telling me 'application not found', 'cannot open', etc. With the knowledge and help of a fb friend, I downloaded on disc and (in safe mode) installed three separate programs to help me deal with all these problems: SuperAntispyware, MalwareBytes Anti-Malware, and Avast antivirus protection. Took me almost a full day, but those 3 programs removed over 800 infected files.

I was riding high on triumph and pride. Had gotten his computer pretty much restored, just had a few things left to figure out (like how to move his programs and applications back into the All Programs on the Start menu).

Suddenly an Avast window popped up informing me a rootkit virus had been discovered and removed, and the laptop now required a reboot. Upon restarting however, I was horrified to see the Blue Screen of Death!! It advised restarting the computer; did that, the BSoD kept appearing. Got more advice from my fb friend but nothing worked, the computer was too damaged. Looks like I'll be taking it in to a real computer techie.

BUT... all this researching and downloading inspired me to try to 'fix' the other two computers. The desktop in the livingroom is very old, very cluttered with files, runs verrrry slow, and the internet connection is slow sometimes (even though its connected via cable, so should be lightning quick). My laptop is pretty fast with not that many files or programs, but it still needed a good antivirus program (had installed Avast on it as well but with that rootkit virus destroying Gunnar's laptop, I was suddenly unsure about its competency).

I went to PCworld (my new favorite site for anything computer-related) and found a program called Security Task Manager (I found a free 30-day trial version). This program "gives a wealth of detail about each program and process [running on your computer, many without your knowledge], including whether the program is likely malicious or not, and it lets you delete any program and process with a single click. You'll get an enormous amount of detail about what's running, including the manufacturer, type of program, how it started (for example upon startup or from within Windows Explorer), and the file name. It also rates files according to how harmless or malicious they may be. To stop a program, highlight it and click remove, and you're done."

So I used that program to remove several unused, unimportant, unnecessary-to-the-system programs and applications, as well as some broken file fragments. I like that it shows you, highlighted in red, which ones are the most suspicious; as well, other users rate how dangerous they consider that program/process which helps you to make your decisions about what stays and what goes. One thing I would DEFINITELY advise is to open up a new window and google the name of each program/process BEFORE deleting or quarantining it, as some have weird and misleading names that make you think they are 'bad'. For example, I almost removed my laptop's wireless capabilities because I didn't realize that's what it was (you'd think it would be labelled 'wireless' or something obvious, but no). Security Task Manager also creates system restore points before each deletion/removal, so if you suddenly think 'Crap, what have I done?', you can go back and do a restore.

Next thing I did was to remove all the antivirus, antispyware, and antimalware programs I'd installed and instead download & install Microsoft's Security Essentials, which is completely FREE but you have to have a genuine Windows program on your computer (XP, 7, etc). This program guarantees: real-time protection, system scanning, system cleaning, Windows Firewall integration, dynamic signature service, rootkit protection, protection against real threats (not good software), and network inspection system. And because its from Microsoft, I know I can trust it to do its job, and do it well.

Okay, so with my computer now cleaned up and protected, the next thing to do was secure my wireless connection. I'd already secured it somewhat about a year ago using WEP, but in my online wanderings I learned that WPA or WPA2 is much more secure. Apparently, WEP can be cracked within a minute, huh. So this process involved getting out the linksys installation manual and following the steps, very very easy.

Lastly, I wanted to figure out how to get rid of the annoying pop-up windows that never failed to appear upon start-up, along the lines of 'unable to locate component for this application because this .dll file not found'. (Dynamic Link Library (dll) files are an essential part of the Windows operating system.) On the laptop I would always get two such notices, on the desktop there were three. I wrote down the specific dll files and applications, googled them, and just followed the instructions. The newest Apple update (for itunes) has an error in it that mistakenly places a certain dll file in the wrong place (the application is AppleSyncNotifier, if you're experiencing any pop-ups with that). Its as simple as locating the dll file stated (do a Search from your start menu), copying it, and pasting to the correct folder. Restart the computer and voila, no more annoying pop-ups!

So yeah, there ya go, am I not a computer whiz? What can I say...

There's hope for them yet...

2011-11-05T14:44:00.000-06:00

Saw a group of teens walking up Main Street today, all with poppies proudly displayed on their coats. Very impressed, very proud of today's youth.

Fall pics

2011-11-03T20:05:00.000-06:00

Fave New Products

2011-11-01T14:47:00.006-06:00

(New, as in new to me, having just discovered and purchased them.)

Aveeno's Positively Nourishing haircare product line, absolutely love it, cannot say enough good things about this line. I was in Walmart perusing all the products in the $3 Clearance cosmetic section and came across a 2-in-1 shampoo & hair gel-creme package. I'm familiar with the Aveeno brand (raves for the oatmeal lotion as a diaper rash cream) and I know it can be pricey, so to get a full-size bottle of shampoo PLUS the hair gel-creme was a real deal. Upon first use, I could feel the difference in my hair, it was incredible! And that was only using the shampoo. When I rinsed it out, even wet my hair felt stronger, sleek, and as crazy as this sounds, nourished (although maybe not considering the line is called Positively Nourishing, ha). As for the gel-creme, I will probably never use a different brand styling product again. Before, I would make my own 'mixture', consisting of a small dab of gel mixed with Aussie's 3-minute Miracle cream. My own sort of gel-creme. But this Aveeno version is wicked awesome! I put it in when my hair is towel-dried, part my hair and brush it, smoothing my bangs to the side, and my hair naturally dries into this beautifully soft, lush 'do that stays in place. I lovelovelove it!!! I had to go back and get a bottle of the conditioner, as well. If you go Walmart right now, they are having a sale on all the Aveeno Positively Nourishing shampoos & conditioners, each bottle is $5.97, go get yours today!

The Nivea Q10 Plus Anti-Wrinkle line: love it! There are two more products in the line, I only bought these three: the cleansing lotion, light day cream, and the de-puffing eye roller. The cleansing lotion makes your skin feel utterly luxurious; the same sort of idea as using cold cream to wash your face but this product also works on wrinkles. The light day cream is fabulous, especially for people with oily skin (me!) as it doesn't feel heavy at all. I smooth it on after washing my face with the cleansing lotion, the product instantly absorbs and leaves your skin feeling fresh and moisturized. The de-puffing eye roller was an impulse buy, I thought 'what the hell', and I'm so glad I did. I use it as part of my face routine in the mornings, but also any time of day that my eyes feel puffy, sore, tired, etc. Instantly my eyes feel cool and refreshed and I like knowing its penetrating those fine lines there as well. I picked these three products up at Walmart a couple of months ago, they were on sale for about $10 each so I have no idea what they usually cost.

Maybelline 'The Falsies' Volume Express mascara. At first I wasn't impressed because it seemed to be clumpy and was depositing excess lumps of mascara on my lashes. Then I clued in and wised up, and started giving the brush a little wipe on a piece of paper towel before I applied it. And then... magic! Drama! Flair! I felt like I had a beauty queen's lashes. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who suffers from short stumpy lashes like I do. (Why is it that only men and small children get the naturally long and lush lashes? Damn them!)

Pond's Cleansing and Exfoliating towelettes 'Morning Refresh'. On mornings when I don't have time to immediately jump into a shower (where I use the Nivea Q10 facewash lotion), I simply grab a Pond's wipe and wash my face that way. The towelettes are great, big enough that you can use the entire surface of the wipe on your face (if you tend to fall asleep wearing your makeup, like I do, it really helps) and the one side is covered with little orange exfoliating dots. Smells great, leaves skin soft, clean and refreshed. I bought two packs for $3 each, also from the Clearance rack in the cosmetic section of Walmart.

The Dove GoFresh body spray/deodorant line. I have a slight obsession with these products (there is also a purple one, Plum and Sakura Blossom). They're great used together or you can mix & match scents. Also great to use as linen sprays and room fresheners. I've also added a few drops of the spray to melted Scentsy wax (when it starts losing its scent).

Gold Bond Ultimate Hand Sanitizing Moisturizers, picked these up from Value Drug Mart the other day, in a clearance bin, for $2 each (regular $10 each). I am a self-confessed nut when it comes to hand sanitizer; we always have bottles of that stuff around and I make each kid pack their own small bottle in their school backpacks. Got some in my purse, in the vehicle, in the bathrooms and kitchen. The only problem with hand sanitizer is that it dries out your hands, and if you use it often you find your hands quickly get chapped, dry, sometimes cracking, etc. Its particularly worse for me and Lena, as we both have very sensitive-skinned hands; soon as the weather turns colder in the fall, our hands (especially the knuckle area) experience all those problems on a constant basis. We are always reminding each other to lotion up our hands. So this product solves both those problems! Pretty genius, actually. Hand-sanitizing lotion. Love it. If you're interested, better head over to Value Drug Mart here in Sylvan and check out that clearance bin in the makeup/perfume section, see if there's any left. Marked down to $2 from $10, that's a pretty amazing deal, and I picked up five.

Top 50 Funniest Auto-Corrects of 2011

2011-10-27T11:39:00.000-06:00

You HAVE to click on the link and read these. Can't breathe...laughing...too hard...!!!

http://damnyouautocorrect.com/13608/top-50-funniest-autocorrects-of-dyacs-first-year-part-1/

The new camera

2011-10-26T10:18:00.000-06:00

My brain & body don't get along :)

2011-10-24T12:14:00.001-06:00

My brain gets me in trouble. It convinces me that I'm invincible, that my body's inner workings are still in their 20s. It makes me forget I am actually a decade older. My brain whispers that since I am having so much fun, one more can't hurt.

And then the next morning, my body tells my brain, "This is all your fault, asshole!"

So Saturday was the Bantam hockey parent's party (the parents of Gunnar's teammates). I know most of them from years before, but there's still a few that are new to me. I had been feeling a little anti-social that day, didn't want to have to get all done up and find nice clothes to squeeze into. But Ty reminded me that this might be the only parent's party for this team this year, and did I really want to miss out on all the fun? So I pulled up my big girl panties, hunted down an outfit, straightened my hair and put on the smoky eyes.

Sent Ty to the liquor store while all this was happening (because, y'know, being a guy it only took him 5 minutes to get ready, dammit). I was in the mood for caesars instead of syrupy-sweet coolers so the sweetheart got me two 4-packs, both different brands to "see which was better". Honey, its tomato juice and vodka, not gonna be much difference. But whatever, 8 is better than 4, right?

Right before we left I discovered a premade shooter and a lone cooler in the fridge (from the Pearl Jam concert) so I quickly chugged those down.

Gunnar was our babysitter for the night, an easy $20 for him as the kids were all fed, house was tidied, etc. He had strict instructions to have Ryder and Ardan in bed by 9pm, as Ardan had a game in Stettler the next morning (smart-thinking me arranged a ride for him). Assured him I had my cell if anything happened. The kids settled in for a movie and away we went.

Off to a shaky start as we couldn't find the house at first. I knew Fern Crescent must be somewhere in Fox Run but in my mind it was up past the school. We drove around and around, finally pulled out the GPS which didn't recognize the street. So we headed back to the Fox Run entrance and there it was, the first street on the right. Found the house right away.

When we walked in, there were only 2 other couples there as well as the parents hosting the party. And we were an hour late, so I thought that didn't bode well. But sure enough, couples started streaming in. Music was cranked, the Oilers game playing in the livingroom for all the guys, everyone setting out their food (it was potluck) in the livingroom. We brought Ty's smoked fish and some ripple chips as our contribution but when we'd first arrived, Ty was like, "This is the last of my smoked fish so I'm going to 'forget' it out here and only come get it if someone asks what we brought, okay?" Haha.

So, one by one my premade caesar coolers disappeared. The night went by, god I can't even remember what all us hockey moms talked about but I just remember laughing hysterically, at one point my cheeks were literally aching from smiling so hard. I think our conversations covered everything from childbirth and labor, to how brainless 13-yr-old boys are, to drunken idiot husbands, Vegas vacations minus our men, etc.

Two moms in particular, Robin and Dorothy, were definitely the life of the party. I've written here about Robin before (her daughter is Rayna), how she reminds me of my bff Kelly in the way she's so outgoing and hilarious but slightly scary, haha. And oh man, was she FUNNY that night. And this Dorothy chick! She's a dead-ringer for Catherine O'hara (of SCTV fame) only an older-looking version. Apparently she gets that a lot. (Oh, and her husband could be Steve Carrell -- the Office --, like a perfect clone.) This chick was telling stories that had us doubled over in hysterics. So Dorothy and Robin kept us in stitches.

At one point, Robin started dancing, this hilarious chicken-wing-flapping thing. Even the men had to watch. SO EFFIN FUNNY. Then I commandeered the ipod and put on an Adam Lambert song (If I Had You, the only one on there, boooo, I'd have preferred Strut) and me and Robin started bustin' a move. Then Dorothy got up to dirty dance with Robin, except it was more like two big broads both doing the chicken-wing and bumpin' butts. We were screaming with laughter.

My drinks were disappearing fast, then someone brought out the Jaeger. I'd heard of it, who hasn't, but never tried some so there went a couple of shots. Tastes like black licorice. S'okay.

Couples started leaving around midnight. Looked like most of the men were the DD's and just let their women party hard, thought that was nice and kinda cool. Not MY husband, of course (first time he'd drank since the gout incident a couple months ago, so I let him have fun, we were gonna get a cab home anyway). Eventually there was just us, another young couple (the girlfriend was convinced she knew me somehow but we couldn't figure out how, since she's from out east), and the host couple. Our cab never showed so the young couple drove us home; they'd arrived late and didn't really drink.

I don't recall too much about what happened after we arrived home. I DO know I updated my facebook status and commented on some people's pictures, I saw what I'd written (posted at 2:13am)--

mAY BE just be a taddd bit tipsy onght, parents hockey party ,, wooha. Gunnar earned his first $20 babystitting money. GOod job kid. Came home to a quiet house, kids in bed. LOOOVeee these hockety parents, had a great time onight. Mayy have dance d to a Adam Lambert song, diryt danced with robyn. fun fun fun

I woke up at 4am (know this because I remember glancing at the clock), chugged two water bottles back-to-back with two super-strength Advil migraine pills. Staggered drunkenly back to bed. Next thing I knew sun was pouring into the bedroom. Stumbled into the kitchen, 11-frickin-30am!

"Where's Ardan!? Did you wake up in time to get him ready? He's gone, right?"

Ty calmed me down. "Yes, your alarm woke me up at 7:45. I got him up, fed him breakfast, gave him $20. Dawn came and picked him up around 9. Don't worry."

Phew. Funny that I didn't even remember setting the alarm. Looked down at myself, PUKE on my shirt. What the hell? Did not remember puking.

Gunnar teased me about how he had heard me upstairs when we came home, laughing and giggling and bumping into things. I looked at Ty, "Don't look at me, I was passed out on the couch." Huh. I don't remember any of that. Don't even know how I got to bed.

Oh, and there's a HUGE dark reddish-brown bruise on my inner forearm that I have NO CLUE how it got there. Hurts like a mutha but how or when I got it that night is a mystery.

My hangover didn't let up until about 6pm on Sunday, despite drinking water bottles non-stop and taking two more of those Advils. (I ignored the warning, "Do NOT exceed more than 3 in 24 hours, only take one pill every 4 hours. Pffft!)

Gunnar had a game starting at 6:15pm. Even though he's off because of the concussion (they recommend two weeks before returning to the game), players are still expected to show up so we all decided to go. After all, half the fun of drunken debauchery is talking about it the next day. Plus, I wanted to see if everyone else's hangovers were as bad as mine.

Ty dropped me off at my vehicle (we'd left it there) and first thing that hit me when I opened the door... the smell of fish. Those damned stupid effin' smoked fish had sat in there all night and all day. GROSS!

At the arena, our team manager, Nikki (a Type-A if I ever saw one, but it looks good on her), said she had video of us ladies dirty-dancing. I was smug, "No-no-no, it was Robin and Dorothy who were dirty dancing, not me.", "Oooh girl, YOU WISH." Whaaaa?? Then she said her phone had died just as she started recording so there wasn't any 'evidence' to convict us. Phew! LOL

So yeah, that's the story about my night of drunken debauchery... and I'm sticking to it.

Made me laugh

2011-10-24T08:46:00.000-06:00

This is Halloween!

2011-10-21T16:24:00.000-06:00

Its that time of year again...! Out come the Halloween boxes, the kids get so excited looking through everything and putting all the decorations up. And of course, watching our favorite Halloween movies and tv specials.

(Ryder prefers the Marilyn Manson version of this song, which is why I used this clip.)

(This was Gunnar's absolute favorite movie, of all time, when he was around Ryder's age - maybe even a bit younger. To this day he enjoys watching it, as do the rest of us.)

(One of my favorite parts of the movie, "C'mon down, we'll...*slap, slap*... chewww on a dawg!")

'Man of 10,000 Noises'

2011-10-21T00:06:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Crazy Days and Nights for the video...
"Remember Police Academy? Remember Michael Winslow? Now you will remember him for something entirely different. It is amazing. It is Led Zeppelin done better than Led Zeppelin all with just one microphone and an acoustic guitar."

Manic Monday

2011-10-18T15:51:00.000-06:00

6:45am: Alarm goes off. Drag my butt out of bed, knock on the kids' doors, *singsong voice* "Good morning, time to wake up!". Transfer clothes from washer to dryer, fold clothes from dryer. Double-check that Lena and Ardan are awake. (Note: Gunnar did NOT go to school under doctor's orders, as he received a mild concussion from a vicious hit-to-the-head at yesterday's game.)

7:00am: Unload dishwasher, load dirty dishes. Wipe counter tops and table. Start making kids lunches. Lena and Ardan get themselves some cereal and milk, then leave to brush teeth. Yell at kids, "I need your lunch kits! And agendas!" Mild panic and hysteria as kids realize they need warm coats and hats, as the temperature reads below zero. Sounds of chaos and things-going-bump downstairs, I'm envisioning hats and coats being flung every which way as they rummage through the cubby area. Kids rush back upstairs wearing proper outerwear. Backpacks are packed. More panic when Ardan remembers its swimming day at school, he runs back downstairs to find a swimsuit and towel. In the midst of all this, little Ryder wanders into the kitchen, sleep-flushed and cuddly. Set out a bowl of cereal for my little dickens; the kids give him goodbye hugs and kisses, then out the door they go.

7:45am: Turn the tv on, channel 14, Thomas the Train. Ryder grabs his hockey blankey and pillow and makes a nest on the couch. I make myself some tea with splenda and skim milk, then settle in at the laptop for some early morning celeb gossip, facebook updates, email and reading. Email Gunnar's coach with an update on his situation and to let him know Gunnar won't be at tonight's practice.

8:00am: Ty rushes out of the bedroom, "I forgot to tell you last night that we were supposed to wake Gunnar up every two hours! Can you go check on him? You're supposed to ask him questions like does he know his name, where he is." So downstairs I go to wake up a slightly grumpy, typically-tired 13 year old boy, "Hey, hey. Wake up, honey. What's your name?" He looks at me like I'm insane. "Gunnar" like, DUH Mom. "Where are you right now?", "I'm in bed, trying to sleep.", "Oh, okay, sorry hon, go back to sleep." Back upstairs to report in with Ty, then back to the laptop and my now-lukewarm tea.

9:00am: Pangs of housewife guilt send me back downstairs to throw in another load of laundry. Feed and water the cats. Decide to finish cleaning out the hockey closet (two days prior, I'd hauled everything out, searching through bags and boxes, looking for Ardan's name bars from last season); throw all the socks, jerseys, towels, under armor, etc into a hamper, hauled that to the laundry room. Repacked an old hockey bag with nothing but too-small skates, filled a cardboard box with equipment odds and ends. Sprayed the everlovin' sh*t outta both sets of boys' equipment with special hockey deodorant/sanitizing spray. Phone rang, its the school telling me that the zipper on Lena's winter coat is broken; it is stuck way up high by her neck, none of the teachers can get it off her, I give my permission to cut the dang thing off her, and that I will be by around noon with another coat for her. *sigh*

9:30am: Upstairs to make Gunnar some breakfast: two yogurt cups, slices of cantaloupe, juice box, water bottle, two slices of raisin toast with vanilla-sugar sprinkled on top, and a mandarin orange. All arranged artistically on a big tray. Take it downstairs and lay it beside him on his ginormous bed, he is appropriately thankful. I feel that somewhere, someone is giving me extra brownie points for being a good mom, haha. But, alas, its back to the cleaning groove downstairs for me.

10:00am: Took a peek into the cubby area to assess the damage of the morning's frantic search for winterwear. Decided to haul out all the bins and bags of hats, mitts, winter boots and coats. Discovered an old, dried-out pile of cat diarrhea, NIIIICE. Yelled for Ty to bring me down an ice cream bucket with a splash of Mr Clean and a sponge. Filled the bucket with water, liberally soaked down the area. Discovered that one of the kids play tents absolutely reeked of cat urine, threw it in the dump pile by the back door. Rearranged a whole bunch of stuff: moved Ty's hunting stuff into the back corner, put five pairs of rollerblades into a bin, moved all the sleeping bags onto a shelf. Hauled out a bunch of stuff for Value Village. Yelled to Ty to let me know when it was 11:30. Continued cleaning, organizing and sorting.

11:30am: Back upstairs (having been distracted from my original purpose of sorting mitts and hats by the cleanup of the cubby room itself) to get ready to take Ryder to playschool at 12:15. Got dressed, washed my face, brushed teeth and hair, light application of makeup. Fed Ryder lunch. Cleaned him up, got him dressed nicely in his new dark-grey preppy shirt and light-khaki cords, new white velcro sneakers, and brown-and-white hoody. Yell down to Gunnar that we are leaving and should be home soon.

12:15pm: About to leave and Ty decides to come with so we can go to Rona afterwards to pick up some plywood for the deck. Almost forget Lena's replacement coat, have to run back inside to get it. Drop Ryder off at playschool, he wants Daddy to "help" walk him into class. I give Ty the old 'heads-up, your zipper is down' nod, saving him from potential humiliation. More brownie points for being a good wife.

12:30pm: Drop off Lena's coat at the school, then its off to Rona for plywood. Spend 10 minutes looking up and down the paint aisles for a certain kind of paint that Ty wants, no dice. Drive over to Canadian Tire. Once we get in there, he heads one way to look at paint, I head another to quickly check out winter coats at Mark's Work Warehouse, no luck. Grab a cart and start stocking up on household things that are on sale: giant laundry hampers for the boys, cleaning products, halloween candy, ghost outdoor miniature lighted lawn stakes, paper towel, etc. Start searching for Ty, sometimes I can smell his cologne so I know he's been down that aisle but I'm always just that much late to catch him. Finally I head to the fishing aisle but see him looking at hockey sticks. He tells me they don't have that kind of paint, either, so we take our stuff to the checkout and leave. Now we're going to TimberMart.

2:00pm: Ty goes in to make the order for plywood, I stay in the truck. He comes out and directs me to the supply yard, where I'm to back up to a certain spot so the worker can load our wood. Then I have to drive over to the 'blue doors' and back up once again so the worker can unload two sheets of the wood to cut them. Ty tells me that the worker advised us NOT to paint the plywood, at this time of year the paint wouldn't set right and it would just be a waste of money. Wow, what an honest guy, I'm impressed. Finally, we are done! A quick stop at Subway to pick up a tuna footlong for Gunnar, and then back to Ryd's playschool for hometime, with a few minutes to spare. Ryder informs me it was picture day today. I am shocked because I thought picture day was Wednesday but he is adamant. Thank God I dressed him nicely today, is all I can think.

3:15pm: Back home. Gunnar comes upstairs to eat, I make Ryder and Ty something to eat. Another load of laundry. Unload dishwasher. Wash frying pans and a sinkful of glasses (my damn dishwasher can never clean them properly!). Try to convince Ryder that a nap would be great, no dice. Clean up after Gunnar and Ty.

4:00pm: Ardan and Lena get home from school. They are hungry so a bowl of cereal it is. (Hey, I'm tired. Sue me.) Lena empties her knapsack all over the table, papers and toys and lunch kit and books everywhere. She wants to read to me a home-reading book, I mark it down in her folder when she's done. Tell Ardan that he can rest for a bit and chill out but he MUST, absolutely HAS TO do certain chores tonight: Gunnar's papers, take out the garbage and recycling, and get his hockey gear together for pictures tonight at 7pm. Lena comes out of her room dressed in her gymnastics gear and then I remember that that's tonight. Phone rings, its mom with a migraine, can't take Lena. No worries, though, Ty's going to make supper and watch Ryder. My neighbor Nikki phones to ask if I can take Helena, of course we can! This, however, changes Ryder's mind and now he will NOT be dissuaded from coming with us. Throws a huge crying, yelling tantrum and I give in (which I will later regret). Load all the kidlets up in Suzi, swing by Nikki's to get Helena, and away we go.

5-6:30pm: The worst hour-and-a-half ever. Lena and Helena are darlings, having so much fun; Ryder is NOT a darling and he is NOT having fun. He insists on sitting on my lap, then wiggles around, clinging to my neck, jostling me, steps on my purse. Begs for money, for food, for a drink (he brought a water bottle but it wasn't "good enough"), for snacks, for something to do, for us to go home. The kid has a serious case of the farts and continues to let one go about every 5 minutes the entire time we are there. Our section of the bench smells like a barn. He farts on my lap about six times, grossing me out and making me gag each time. I discover I'm sitting by a girl I went to school with who is now the teacher assistant in Ardan's class. We chitchat for a bit. Ryder continues to be whiny and annoying and farty. He asks me, "Why did you make me come here?!", "Uh, excuse me, young man? YOU made ME bring you. You should've stayed home to play with Ardan." Now he's mad at me and lays on the floor, kicking my legs. I'm smiling with gritted teeth, praying for patience and for this GD class to be over soon. Nikki shows up in the last ten minutes with Helena's twin brother, Lachlan. Finally Ryder has a buddy to play with! Nikki and I chat it up, I hang my head in mortification when Ryder farts on me, AGAIN, and the overpowering smell coats the air around us. "So sorry Nikki, just breathe through your mouth." She assures me its fine, she has a little boy, too. We share a look of motherly disgust. Class is over, the girls have done wonderfully, Lena impressed the hell out of me and everyone else with her fearless skill on the uneven bars. Time to head home.

6:30pm: Come inside the house to the heavenly aroma of barbecued chicken. Brownie points to Ty. House is a disaster. Brownie points taken away. Ardan has already eaten so I tell him to get his hockey gear on for pictures, we will be leaving at 7pm. He wants to bring a change of clothes, I say no way in hell am I waiting around after for him to change, we are gettin' outta there pronto. As we're heading out the door, Ty reminds me were are out of milk. Doh!

7:00pm: Circle the arena to find parking, one space left in the multi-plex side parking lot. Walk to the arena, chat with a few parents, head to change room 5 to meet up with the team. Upstairs for pictures, chat some more with Lenni and Dawn (their sons Dawson and Ethan are Ardan's best friends). Pictures are over, time to do some grocery shopping with Ardan.

8:00pm: Pop into Cobbs to get milk and pop. Hel-LO, look at all the amazing sales! Cases of Kraft Dinner for $8 (pick up three), 12-packs of Campbells tomato soup for $8, toilet paper 2-for-$10.... Needless to say, we go down every aisle to see all the sales. $100 later, we are done shopping and head home.

9:00pm: Ahhh, lovely lovely home! The other kids have now eaten and are watching a show. House is still a disaster. I quickly eat a piece of chicken and drink a pop. Unload and load the dishwasher; do another load of laundry; sweep the kitchen floor; wipe down the counter tops. Get Ryder and Lena dressed for bed, brush teeth, tuck the little tykes in. Gunnar is already in bed, tell Ardan to shower, brush teeth and hit the sack.

10:00pm: On the couch with Ty. House is quiet except for the show we're watching. I fall asleep and wake up at midnight, gently nudge Ty awake and we head to bed.

Eddie Vedder, I want to have your babies!!!! (PJ 20 concert)

2011-09-25T21:13:00.017-06:00

First off, I have to say a huge THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart and give mad props to my wonderful amazing mother, without whom my trip to the Pearl Jam concert in Edmonton would not have been possible, for a multitude of reasons. She not only babysat all 4 children starting around 1:30pm Friday through til about 4:30pm Saturday, she VERY generously paid for the hotel room me and my friend Amie stayed in that night. As well, she had to deal with the shit-show that was the boys' Saturday morning hockey tryouts, and for that I say 'Mom, I'm soooo sorry you had to go through all that!!" MOM, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

So, Friday afternoon Amie and I headed up to Edmonton in her car (of course I gave her gas money), stopped for supper at Olive Garden where we dined on pasta and Italian donuts (and had a very deep conversation on men and relationships, unfortunately I couldn't offer much advice regarding her dating woes, doh) and then began the arduous journey to the Coliseum Inn, which, thanks to MapQuest and the hotel clerk's directions, took us through Edmonton during rush hour. I told Amie that this was the way Ty and I went for the System concert and it was an absolute disaster, taking almost an hour to go like five blocks, and that my friend Christine had laughed her ass off and wondered why we didn't take the Yellowhead. But Amie said, well if both MapQuest and the hotel clerk said to go that way, we should try it rather than try to figure out how to get to the Yellowhead. Being that I am a terrified-of-driving-in-big-cities driver and am WELL KNOWN for having THE WORST sense of direction (helLO, this is the girl that took Hwy 2 South to get to Lacombe, FFS!!), I just said, 'Okay'. So fast forward through us sitting basically an hour in rush-hour traffic, inching forward at a snails pace, oh and also an ambulance came through and it was like "Where the fuck do we pull over with only two lanes and we're packed in like sardines?!".

But finally, FINALLY, we made it to the hotel and checked in. Immediately got out the booze we'd picked up in Red Deer and started drinking, chatting, laughing, taking pics, and just generally getting rowdy and excited for the concert. Amie was desperate to get her hands on a PJ shirt before they all sold out, so we headed over to Rexall Place at 6:45pm (the opening band was to take the stage at 7:30pm). Got in line, deliberated over all the shirts, hats, hoodys, etc. Amy picked out a cute black tee and I chose a black hoody with the word 'Pearl' and then a Canadian maple leaf under it with '2011' under that. I was like, "Damn, it only says Pearl, it looks stupid! Why did I pick this for $60?", then Amie realized the leaf actually spelled out the word Jam, so then it was all cool.

We didn't want to be stuck carrying around our loot for the whole concert so we returned to the hotel and continued drinking. Neither of us had any desire to see the opening band, Mudhoney (although Ty said I was crazy for missing it, as it was another grunge-era band but whatever).

About 8:15 we headed over, found our seats and settled in. Pearl Jam was supposed to hit the stage around 8:45 and we were super stoked! Our seats were in the first bowl, right behind the floor seats, row 4. So, pretty good seats in my opinion, seeing as how the other 3 concerts I'd been to we'd been in the nosebleed section. Amie wasn't thrilled though because she was used to having floor seats or else 3rd row seats by the stage. She really wanted to see Eddie's face up close (she is one of those super-intense psycho fans when it comes to Pearl Jam, haha). But whatever.

So we sit down in our seats and Amie is beside this really weird old guy who just gave off this creepy and, well, just weird, vibe. He just sat there, slightly hunched, staring straight ahead. Amie was telling me where she sat for her last concert and raised her arm to point out the seats. Suddenly, El Creepo's arm whipped out and WHACKED her hand down, snarling "Get your finger outta my face!" Our jaws dropped, like What-the-FUCK?! We both just stared at each other, trying not to burst out laughing, did that really happen? I said "Let's trade seats", she was like, "Yes, like RIGHT NOW." So we switched and when she sat down she was like "Fuckin' asshole!" and he didn't even blink, just continued staring straight ahead.

But then, these 2 cute guys came walking down the steps and we were like "please be in our row, please be next to us" and they were, so yay! They were super-friendly and excited like us but I had to lean over Amie to talk to them, it was kind of awkward so I just let Amie talk to them. The one guy was drinking a lot, and really fast, and he wasn't very talkative so his friend, this really tall hyper guy said, "Hey, trade me seats so I get to sit next to the 2 hot girls", haha. That was a nice ego-stroke. Amie and I nicknamed the two "Alky" and "Crazy", lol!

'Crazy' kept spitting on the floor and it was grossing Amie out so she called him on it, "Dude, that's really gross." He said jokingly, "Oh, you're so fancy! Are you from here?", "No, we're from Red Deer, and in Red Deer we don't spit.", he goes, "Oh, so you mean girls from Red Deer swallow?" Bahahaha! We all burst out laughing and he's like, "You totally set yourself up for that." So you can see what a funny guy he was.

Anyway, the concert started and it was frickin' amazing. Eddie's voice sounds exactly the same as it did 20 years ago, if not better. He sang quite a few songs I didn't know, maybe from a recent album? I was hoping he'd play 4 of my favorite PJ songs: Black, Alive, Crazy Mary, and Yellow Ledbetter. They played 3 of those 4 (no Crazy Mary), and thank god, their very last song of the night, the 2nd encore, was Yellow Ledbetter (otherwise I would have rioted, haha). I had resigned myself to not hearing it, they played Neil Young's Keep on Rockin in the Free World as the 1st encore and we didn't realize there would be a 2nd. So when I heard the opening notes of Yellow Ledbetter, I turned to Amie and grabbed her upper arms, shaking her, "They're playing it, they're playing it!" She was like "Okay settle down now. No just kidding, rock it out Beau, haha!" So I did, singing and swaying and waving my arms. I didn't even care that the lights had all come on and people could see me being ridiculous, because everyone else was doing the same! Lol

When Eddie sang Alive and Black, it was so amazing because the entire audience went absolute nuts, we were all singing along at the top of our lungs, everyone was waving lighters, the energy in the place was just incredible, it was like a religious, never-forgotten experience. I had goosebumps.

So, about El Creepo: he sat down in his seat the entire concert and only got up for Alive, at which point, and I'm not even exaggerating, he started thrashing his arms frantically as if he was banging on a door and head-banging (like dude, you don't headbang for Alive). It was crazy! I poked Amie and jerked my head in his direction, she rolled her eyes and shrugged. Weirdo!

So during the concert, Amie and I continued to talk to Crazy; poor Alky was half-asleep, propped up with his butt on the back of his seat, nodding his head slowly to the music. But Crazy was totally hyper and absolutely hilarious, he kept me and Amie giggling and shaking our heads at him. At one point, he grabbed his half-comatose friend and hopped the guard-rail into the floor section; we could see his blond head (because he was so tall) as he ran right up to the front of the stage! We couldn't believe the set of balls on the guy because that's such a risk, you get caught doing that and you're kicked out of the concert. They returned to their seats ten minutes later, he said it was obvious they didn't belong there and he didn't want to get busted. He tried to get us to try it later but we were too chicken.

Anywayyyy, the concert ended and we joined the throngs of exhilarated, adrenaline-filled concert-goers outside. The vibe was just amazing. Made our way back to the hotel, Amie was worn out and hungry so we ordered pizza and watched Robot Chicken (one sketch in particular, Giraffe goes through the 5 stages of grief, had us laughing hysterically). Amie took a sleeping pill and was out within half an hour so I sat up and finished my booze. Haha!

We woke up the next morning at 10:30, half an hour to check-out, and it was soooo wonderful to sleep in like that and not feel guilty. Ate breakfast at Ricky's in Leduc and made our way home, talking non-stop the whole way.

There's a few more stories about that night I could tell but this is getting a bit long and I want to get to the pics, so here you go...

Taken in our hotel room, after we returned with our loot.

Amie in her new shirt.

Amie said 'Try to look cool' and apparently when you're drunk, this is what you think cool looks like, ha! That's my new hoody, btw.

Best buds :)

Does the nickname 'Crazy' suit him or what? LOL

Good thing Amie smuggled her camera into the concert, in her cleavage of course!

Eddie, I want to have your babies!!!

For some reason I can't embed the Robot Chicken Giraffe video clip, so click for the link.

Ryder's Obsession

2011-09-03T21:46:00.000-06:00

So be warned, if Ryder asks you if you've heard the word, say YES, YES, I HAVE. lol

Oh, and yes I realize its all my fault for letting the little dickens watch Family Guy in the first place. Yep, 1st Place for Worst Parent goes to... me. (In my defence, he's so little that the offensive humor goes right over his head, so there.)