Five Question Friday

1. Can you drive a stick shift?
HAH! Oh, that's so funny, har har. Thanksalot Internet, for reminding me of the one oh-so-horrible nightmarish time I drove a stick shift and crashed Ty's blue truck into Deanna's garage. Thanks a lot.

2. What are two foods you just can't eat?
Liver and blackberries. Its a texture thing. One is slimy (whose sole purpose of existence is to FILTER LIVING BLOOD, *barf*) and the other is a bunch of bulbous fluid-filled sacs clustered together like freshly deposited ant eggs. When I look at a blackberry I can practically see it quivering as the squirming evil black larvae try to escape.

3. Do you buy Girl Scout Cookies? What is your favorite kind?
Sometimes. I think they've only sold door-to-door in our area one or two times in the last five years, otherwise I always see them set up in front of a store. I wasn't aware there were other kinds besides the chocolate and vanilla (we always buy a couple of each).

4. How do you pamper yourself?
A long, leisurely bath with lots of bubbles and a nice fat book; afterwards, a home pedicure with painted toes; lotion slathered all over myself. I don't know, how do YOU pamper yourself?

5. What is your nickname and how did you get it?
Mom gave me the nicknames Booey and Sax, Aunt Stephanie sometimes calls me Sadie (from my middle name Mercedes), Hubs calls me Babe (for obvious reasons, *fluffing hair*).

Five Question Friday

1. Have you worn the same outfit more than one day in a row?
Funny you should ask! I happen to be wearing the exact same thing I was wearing yesterday, right now! I was so exhausted last night after a full day of hockey and driving (Rimbey, then Drayton Valley). We didn't get home until around 8pm last night. I'd guzzled a 5-hour energy drink after Gunnar's game (I needed it sooo bad for the drive home as I almost fell asleep at the Drayon arena a couple of times); around 10pm, the buzz had worn off and the wave of exhaustion came rushing back so hard, I just collapsed in bed, still wearing the same clothes. And seeing how its been a laid-back morning so far (Ty is taking Ard to his morning game here in Sylvan), voila, I am still in the clothes. But yes, on more than one occasion I have worn the same outfit two days in a row. Only if the clothes are still clean, only if looking for new clothes is too much of a hassle, and only if I'm going to be seeing different people who wouldn't know the difference.

2. If you had to choose any LARGE city to live in, which would it be?

Ugh, I hate LARGE cities. Too much traffic, too many 'big-city' attitudes, too many people. But... if I had to choose, I'd probably pick someplace beautiful, with lots of trees and nice weather, maybe some city in a place like California or somewhere. As I don't have a lot of experiences in large cities, I can't pick one in particular.

3. Fly or drive with the kids on vacation?

Hmmm. I've only had one flying experience with the kids (the 2-hour flight to Whitehorse in '07) and it was kind of sucky. I was pregnant and grouchy, feeling airsick and claustrophobic, not enough fresh air, and little 2-yr old Lena was driving me nuts (thank GOD for Gramma Hag, who kept Lena occupied and happy!). But driving isn't much better. Still, I'd probably go with driving because you can always pull over somewhere to let the kids run and play, everyone gets a nice dose of fresh air, then you're back on the road.

4. What is your idea of "spring cleaning"?

Washing the walls and baseboards, cleaning and organizing closets, going through all the clothes to see what's in and what's out, wiping down the cupboards and cabinets and organizing inside them, cleaning the oven interior. There's more, I have a list, but can't recall the rest right now.

5. What is the best book you have ever read?

Oooh, what a hard question. Right now, I'm reading and re-reading Kresley Cole's newest Immortals After Dark book, Dreams of a Dark Warrior, and after more than six months of crazed anticipation, it is everything I was hoping for and more. I wasn't sure how Kresley could possibly redeem the hero in this book, as he was responsible for the capture, torture and beheading of countless Loreans in the last book, and I (and the rest of the KC fanclub) hated him with a passion after Regin's vivisection in that last book. But KC did it, and how. An excellent book, worth the read even if you haven't read any other books in the series (though you totally should, as they all happen in roughly the same time frame).

Read excerpt here.

From the back of the book:

Installment 11 in the bestselling Immortals After Dark series

From #1 New York Times bestseller Kresley Cole comes this gripping tale of a battle-maddenend warrior driven by revenge and the Valkyrie temptress who haunts his dreams.

He vowed he'd come for her. . .

Murdered before he could wed Regin the Radiant, warlord Aidan the Fierce seeks his beloved through eternity, reborn again and again into new identities, yet with no memory of his past lives—only an endless yearning.

She awaits his return. . .

When Regin encounters Declan Chase, a brutal Celtic soldier, she recognizes her proud warlord reincarnated. But Declan takes her captive, intending retribution against all immortals, unaware that he belongs to their world.

To sate a desire more powerful than death. . .

Yet every reincarnation comes with a price, for Aidan is doomed to die when he remembers his past. To save herself from Declan's torments, will Regin rekindle memories of the passion they once shared—even if it means once again losing the only man she could ever love?

Regin is the kind of heroine I adore: fierce and strong-willed, wild, untamed, quick-witted, with a MOUTH on her that just won't stop (and often gets her in trouble). Here's an example of one of the hilarious things she says:

(From Dreams of a Dark Warrior) Regin talking to Fegley, one of her jailors: "I finally understand what a dickie-do is. Your gut does stick out more than your dickie do." (I laughed so hard when I read that, right there in Chapters, a loud crack of laughter that made everyone around me stop and stare, and I couldn't stop laughing and giggling!)

Five Question Friday

1. Would you rather be on ABC's Extreme Home MakeOver or TLC's What not to Wear?

Uh, derrrr! Obviously, Extreme Home Makeover. I mean, have you SEEN what they do to those houses? Well, usually tear them down and rebuild, but the new house is gigantic and beautiful and spacious, lots of light, all new appliances and cool gadgets, gorgeous hardwood floors and cabinetry. And each room has a cool theme, or else if its for an adult, its absolutely beautiful. That would be a fantasy come true, especially if you were allowed to have input on the new design.

2. Do you have any tattoos?
None. I always planned to get one with all four of the kids names incorporated, until someone (*cough*Carol*cough*) stole that idea. So now my idea is to have a flower representing each member of the family, like a flower chain inked around my ankle and up my calf. Don't know that I'll ever follow through and actually get it done, but the idea is nice, haha.

3. Do you tell your kids about things you did growing up?
All the time. By telling them memories of my childhood and family members, I hope that it gives them a sense of connection and familiarity with people who are no longer with us; and also, just knowing that mom experienced some of the things that they are, that I did stuff like that too, maybe they'll see me in a different light. Like, I'm not just a parental authority figure. Hopefully. Plus, I love talking about my childhood because it was awesome and brings back great memories!

4. If the traffic signal turns yellow, do you stop or speed up?
Depends what the road conditions are like. If its icy, I'll go through the yellow light, don't want to take the risk of a sudden brake putting us into a skid or spin. But usually I pay attention to the flashing lights-about-to-turn signal and will slow down in advance. I'm a very careful driver and I never want to do anything that puts my kids' lives at risk (especially as lots of drivers DO run yellow and red lights, and you just don't know if that will be the day you get t-boned in an intersection).

5. What's your preference: chocolate or chips?
Chocolate! Mmmmm, chocolate... (Homer Simpson voice) I'm a sucker for chocolate bars, my total weakness. Caramilk bars, Aero (especially love the mint ones), Snickers, KitKat, Wunderbars, Mister Big, Reese Peanut Butter Cups, Sweet Marie... Not too big of a fan of Smarties (the shell is too hard) but M&Ms are awesome, Glosette Raisins, even milk chocolate chips. Man, if they invented sugar-free, fat-free chocolate bars that still tasted the same, I'd be in heaven!

Five Question Friday

1. If you had $1,000 to donate to a charity, which would you choose?
Probably the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Diabetes Association, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

2. Snow days: Do you welcome them happily or are they a pain in your butt?
I heartily welcome them! It means not having to make school lunches, everyone gets to chill out, relax and watch cartoons, the little ones have their older brothers at home to play with (and keep them occupied!), and I feel relieved that my kids aren't being driven to school in big old cumbersome busses on icy slick roads.

3. What talent did you wish you had and why?
I wish I could sing. I mean, I do sing, all the time (much to the dismay of the kids, I'm sure) because I just can't stop myself when a good song comes on. But it would be nice to have a strong, lovely singing voice.

4. Are you a news, politics or celebrity gossip junkie?
Embarrassing to admit, but I'm a celebrity gossip junkie.

5. What is your favorite "cocktail"? (Are you a beer person, a kiddie cocktail junkie, or perhaps your more the "Cosmo" kind?! Anything flies...doesn't hafta be alcoholic!)
Vodka paralyzers, they taste just like chocolate milk! Lovelovelove them!

Five Question Friday

1. Where did you meet your spouse and did you instantly know it was love?
The Story of Beau-and-Beau
Well, it was way back in 1997; I was 17 and almost done grade 12 high school. Before I'd ever even met him, I'd heard about this guy who had the same name as me, even spelt the same, but he was a real hard-partier and I was told I probably wouldn't like him. One day my friends and I were out at "the pit" (where the smokers hung out during breaks) and someone pointed to a guy with long brown hair, standing over by someone's truck talking to a group of guys. "That's him, that's Beau." Couldn't really see his face or anything but he seemed normal, nothing like what I pictured a 'hard-partier' to look like. Oh, okay, and I dismissed him from my mind. I kept hearing stories about this guy Beau, how he lived in a tiny house down behind A&W and always held parties at his house, like every night. I was invited to a party one weekend, held at my friend Jill's house. Her family was loaded and they lived in what I considered to be a mansion. Her parents were gone for the weekend and so she did what teenagers always do in movies, have a huge party when the parents are gone, haha. And just like in the movies, the house got completely trashed and poor Jill was freaking out, so I helped her shut the party down, kicked everyone out, we cleaned up a bit, and then decided to follow everyone to this guy Beau's house, as he'd said everyone could go there to continue the party. My first impression of his house was, GROSS. Very tiny, very dirty, and just packed with people. Someone puked on the floor. I stayed outside because the house was making me claustrophobic; the police came and sent everyone home. And I never did meet this Beau guy. A few weekends later, I was at another party in the country with my friend Christine; when it ended we got into her car to leave and suddenly there was this guy, banging on the window and asking for a ride back to Sylvan. It was Beau. So, because I kind of knew about him, I told Christine it would be okay and we let him get in. He was totally wasted and sloppy, sat beside me in the back wayyy too close, kept trying to take my seatbelt off, talked too loud and too much, at one point I think he tried to kiss me and I smacked him across the face. He was completely annoying and I couldn't wait to get back to Sylvan and dump this jerk at his house. I was not impressed. Flash forward a month later, about mid-June, I was looking to move out of my parent's house and asked my friends if they knew of anyone who needed a roommate. One friend mentioned this Beau guy again, saying he'd moved into a six-plex but that his roommate had just moved out and he needed another. I was leery, especially after that experience in the car. But the situation at home was getting really bad and I was desperate. I was working at A&W one afternoon and saw this guy outside walking by, long brown hair, deeply tanned, shirtless, with a huge Cerberus tattoo on his back. It was him, Beau! I rushed outside, ran up and grabbed his arm, introduced myself and explained how I was needing a place to live, would he consider me for a roommate. He seemed a little stunned but agreed that I could come over the next day after school to check the place out. He wasn't at all like he'd been that night, the complete opposite in fact, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt and chalked his behaviour that night up to having one too many. So I agreed to go check out his place the next day. The first thing I saw when I walked in his apartment was him on hands and knees, vacuuming the baseboards in the livingroom. The place was spotless, so that was a nice surprise. We had an awkward little visit, me in my miniskirt perched hesitantly on his ratty old couch while he tried to put me at ease. He was a total sweetheart, very quiet and soft-spoken, very polite. He seemed a little in awe of me, which was a nice ego-stroke. And the rent was low, something I could easily cover with my paycheque and still have lots of money left over. So that was it, I moved in within the week. For that first month, July, we led our separate lives. I worked my morning shifts at A&W and partied every night with my friends; he was usually asleep when I left for work and gone by the time I returned. We rarely saw each other, which was absolutely fine by me. Then, in August, he started hanging out at the apartment more often. Suddenly every time I turned around, he was there. Always polite, always soft-spoken and kind, and he was funny. I realized it was kind of fun to have a roommate, someone to talk to about the rough day at work, watching tv together, etc. We started going to parties together, and it made me feel safe to know that I had this big guy watching my back. I saw that he kind of had a split personality; when sober he was introverted, when drunk just the opposite. I'll never forget the one night we had a big party at our apartment (which ended when a neighbor complained about the noise and we got shut down), so everyone decided to head down to the beach. Picture a huge group of drunken teenagers stumbling down the street, laughing and goofing around. Eventually we made our way to the pier and someone suggested we all jump off together as a group. Beau heard that and just started running for the edge of the pier, while us less-coordinated ones followed. Suddenly a pair of headlights turned on-- there was cop parked right there on the pier, behind some trees, probably waiting for just such an opportunity. But it was too late for Beau, he was already mid-jump. By the time he surfaced we were all standing there at the edge, looking down at him, laughing hysterically, while the cop stood with us, shining his flashlight down onto Beau's wet face and said, "Hello Beau, having a good night?" He sheepishly climbed out of the water and we were all sent home. So funny. But anyway, the more time I spent with him, seeing these dual aspects of his personality, the more I was intrigued. One night after a few drinks, he turned very morose and after some prompting, started talking about his childhood. You all know some of those details so I won't get into it, but he was just devastated, sobbing and so sad my heart was breaking for him. Now, during all this time spent together, I was still carrying on my partying ways, sneaking into the bar with my friends (who were all 18, I was the only underage one but the bouncer was a guy I went to school with who had a crush on me), hooking up with guys left and right. I had feelings for Beau but I didn't want to, so I used those other guys as distractions. And one day, after just such a night, Beau snapped. I guess he'd come home and seen another guy's shoes on the floor, heard enough to know what was going on, and spent the night seething and angry. When I woke up, he really let me have it. "So this is your life now, I guess, huh? This is who you want to be, what you want to be known for? The easy party-girl, the 'sure thing'. I thought you'd be different. I respected you. So smart, so beautiful, you could be anything, DO anything. I'm so disappointed in you right now, I can't... can't even..." and then he just turned around and left the apartment. It was like a bucket of ice water to the face, like a verbal slap. At first I was righteously angry. How dare he judge me, how DARE he presume to know my reasons for doing what I did. And as the day wore on and he didn't return so I could blast him back, then night, what he'd said really started to sink in. What the hell was I doing? Why? Did I really need the boost to my ego and self-esteem, knowing I could get any guy I wanted? What would my life be like if I continued down this path? And so it was a very different me that greeted him when he finally came home the next day. Gone was the cocky, arrogant girl who flirted to get her way, gone was this sexy-party-girl persona I'd created to hide my insecurities. I became the soft-spoken one. I dropped the act and started to be 'real' around him, comfortable for the first time that here was a person who actually preferred the true me. I didn't feel the need to hide behind sexy clothes. I could leave my room without having to apply a full face of makeup. I remember the first time I walked into the livingroom after waking up, in old ratty jammies, face freshly scrubbed, hair all crazy, and his face just transformed, lit up, huge grin. He was the first to ever see me like that, and he knew it. And so from then on, we became inseparable. He was more than just a roommate, more than a friend. He was so special to me. But I was still scared to let it be more than that; I didn't want to seem like that easy-girl again, and I didn't want a physical relationship to ruin it. Lets just say I really made him work for it, haha. Even once we did cross that line, I was leery about letting other people know that we were now 'together'. I didn't want it to seem like a cliche or like, Oh, she can't find a guy so she hooked up with the roomie. When we were around friends I was careful to not act like a girlfriend. I knew it hurt him, like he felt maybe I was ashamed of him or 'us', but he understood my feelings and so let me get away with it. One night though, walking home from a friend's house, a carload of people we knew drove by and saw us holding hands. "Oh-ho, its finally happened!" they yelled out the window. "You finally got your girl, eh Beau? Took ya long enough! Good for you, man, that's awesome!" and they drove away. I was stunned. What? 'Got his girl'? Just how long had he liked me that way? And no one teased us or made any rude comments, like I'd expected. When we got home, I questioned him and it all spilled out. How he'd seen me at the high school that one time at The Pit and been unable to take his eyes off me, but was told by his buddies that he didn't stand a chance, "she only goes for football players and jocks". How he'd invited everyone to his house that one time just so that I would come, even though we never did see each other that night. How he'd seen his chance to actually talk to me that night he asked for a ride home in Christine's car, how embarrassed he was that he acted that way but being so drunk and feeling so overwhelmed, he went a little crazy, trying to kiss me and take my seatbelt off so I'd sit in his lap (like THAT would have happened, crazy man). How he'd realized he'd blown whatever chance he'd had by his behaviour and had just resigned himself to seeing me occasionally and at a distance. And how that day when I'd ran up to him outside A&W and asked if he needed a roommate, how he felt that he'd been given a gift of a second chance. So he'd been on his best behaviour around me, wanting me to be comfortable and at-ease around him. How it killed him to see me become the party-girl, to see a different pair of shoes by the door every morning, how firmly I'd placed him in the 'just friends' category. How he'd almost decided to move out after that big blow-out because he just couldn't take it anymore. But that he was never more happier to have not made that decision when he returned home and saw that it was different now, I was different. How that morning when I allowed him to see the real me, no makeup, crazy hair, that he knew he just might have finally caught me. And so after I heard all this, and there was much more, I was overwhelmed (as to be expected) but here was this guy, laying his heart right out there, so afraid of rejection but taking that risk anyway, that he loved me unconditionally, the real me... I just couldn't help it. He had my heart from that moment. And the rest is history!

This is our song, and every time I hear it I'm taken back to that summer...



'Head Over Feet' by Alanis Morrissette
I had no choice but to hear you
You stated your case time and again
I thought about it

You treat me like I'm a princess
I'm not used to liking that
You ask how my day was

Chorus: You've already won me over in spite of me
Don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
And don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole
You're so much braver than I gave you credit for
That's not lip service

Chorus

You are the bearer of unconditional things
You held your breath and the door for me
Thanks for your patience

You're the best listener that I've ever met
You're my best friend
Best friend with benefits
What took me so long

I've never felt this healthy before
I've never wanted something rational
I am aware now
I am aware now

Chorus

2. What is your favorite room in your house?
The livingroom.


3. Can you wiggle your ears?
Well I can't make the actual ears wiggle but I can tighten and relax the muscles around my eyes/cheeks/forehead and it looks like my ears are wiggling. Can you do that?

4. What is your evening ritual?
Put the kids to bed, watch some tv with Hubs, play on the computer if he falls asleep, then wake him up when I'm ready for bed, wash my face (usually), set my alarm, then fall into bed with him, say goodnight in our way, then fall asleep.

5. How many hours of sleep do you need to function?
At least four.

Five Question Friday

1. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get tired of?

I have a few movies like that: The Prophesy, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Princess Bride, Elf, Old School ("We're going STREAKINGGGG!"), Dirty Dancing, Despicable Me. I know there's more but I've got a slight hangover this morning and can't think of their names.

2. What's your biggest pet peeve right now?
People that forget how to drive in winter conditions. You know, the ones who wait too long to slow down at red lights and stop signs and end up skidding to a stop a little too close to your back bumper. They drive too fast (or too slow!). They put on the fog lights in addition to their daylights so you're blinded when they drive past. They think that because they have 4x4 that they're invincible. Those ones.

3. If you had to describe your best friend in five words or less, what would you say?
Funny, caring, loyal, strong, beautiful.

4. If you did not have to worry about money or go to school what would you do for a living?

Own a toy store that only sells 'gently-used' toys for low-income families, similar to the idea of Once Upon a Child but for toys. Its an idea that's been in the back of my head for a couple years now. One Christmas while toy shopping at Toys R Us I overheard a mom talking to her older child (who obviously knew the deal about Santa) that they could only afford to get each child one new toy for Christmas so they had to really look at everything and try to find something on sale. It just broke my heart. And I thought, Wouldn't it be great to have a place where parents could buy FIVE used toys for the price of one new? People could donate gently-used toys or exchange them for store credit. I know there's been many times that I clear out the kids unused toys and I have no idea what to do with them, so they usually end up going to Value Village. Last Christmas money was tight and I ended up getting Ryder several used toys from Value Village and you know what? He was thrilled! He didn't even notice that they didn't come new in boxes or packaging. So that would be what I would do.

5. What is your one "splurge" item, that you will always buy, no matter the cost?
Makeup and books. Whenever a new makeup product comes on the market, if I really want it I get it. Like the LipStain & Balm, and GrowLuscious mascara. Had to have. Also, books. My two favorite authors each have a series of books that they add a new book to 1-2 times a year (Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld and Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark) and you will usually find me at Chapter's on the book release day, standing in line with that book in my hot little hands, anxious to get home and dive in. Kresley's newest IAD book comes out Feb.15 and I'm so excited I can barely stand it!!!! Here's an excerpt from that book, Dreams of a Dark Warrior, Regin's story.

Five Question Friday

1. What is your current favorite book, and why?

Hubs just picked me up a couple of books and one in particular is absolutely fabulous! Its by Gena Showalter (same author who writes the Lords of the Underworld series, one of my faves); its the latest in the Alien Huntress series, called 'Ecstasy in Darkness'. Its soooo good. Here's a pic of the cover (so hawt, omg, *fanning myself*):



And yes, that is a whip he's holding.

Here's what the back cover has to say:

"New York Times bestselling sensation Gena Showalter enthralls with a dark, tantalizing world of humans, otherworlders, powers beyond imagining, and a seductive vampire undone by his insatiable hunger for one woman. . . .

Growing up poor on New Chicago's meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she's been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . . ."

2. Do you go to the dentist regularly?
Depends if we have dental coverage through Ty's work or not. When he was at Bettenson's we had 100% coverage, so I made sure every child and myself had our check-ups; as well, I had my oral surgery (also covered 100% which was so nice seeing as how it cost almost $3000). Now that he's with a new company, we'll have to wait those three months before benefits kick in, then we'll all start going again.

3. What is your worst memory from High School?
I don't have that many, actually. At least none that stick out in my mind as particularly traumatizing. There was the day I found out that my boyfriend  Don cheated on me by making out with one of my best friends at a party, that sucked. Of course, I put on a brave face, acted like I couldn't care less, dumped the bastard and told my remorseful friend that she could have him. In the grand scheme of highschool life, boyfriends come and go but friends are forever (at least until you graduate and grow apart, right? lol); I wasn't about to lose her friendship over something so stupid. He, however, I ditched because he proved he couldn't be trusted. Like the saying goes, and I've taken liberty with it, chicks before dicks. Right? LOL

4. What do you hope to be remembered for in your life?
Being a great mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend. Being kind, caring and compassionate; loyal, trustworthy, a good listener. Someone who made others laugh. Having a great sense of humour. Someone you were happy to see coming and sad to see going. Oh, and a great cook. :P

5. Are you superstitious or do you have any superstitions?
I am. There's a downside to this 'charmed life' I lead-- I always feel like at any moment, the other shoe will drop. You know what I mean? Like it can't be possible for a person to be so blessed, there must be something coming that will test all that. And so I do have superstitions (if I spill salt, I throw some over my shoulder; I try not to give voice to anything negative because I don't want it put out into the universe to return to me; that sort of thing).

Five Question Friday

1. How long does your Christmas tree stay up?
Usually until mid-January, although one time it was still up on my birthday! (Which is the 27th.) I have to be 'in the mood' to take it down, you know? The sheer volume of Christmassey stuff I have to take down and get all packed away neatly and properly in the 3 giant bins, it really requires a good solid full day. So if I don't have the time or energy to devote to that project, UN-decking the halls, as it were, it just doesn't get done.

2. Do you have plans for New Year's Eve?
Our plans for tonight are as follows: eat, drink, be merry, watch movies, play the many board games we got for Christmas, laugh, stay up late, let the kids drink their 'wine' (sparkling juice or Baby Duck), and do the countdown, then hit the sack in drunken splendor.

3. Do you have any New Year's resolutions?
Many, many. To be discussed in a later post.

4. How did you spend New Year's Eve when you were younger?
Mom and Dad would always have a bottle of Baby Duck for us young'uns. Depending on the ferocity of the weather, we'd usually have a roaring bonfire out by Muckletoose, roasting wienies and marshmallows. The video camera would be rolling to catch all our hijinks and antics. Lots of bellylaughs and stories told. If it was just too cold outside, we'd cuddle up on the couch in the livingroom, the wood-burning stove going full-blast until we were sweating and in our undies (in the case of Dad and the boys, Mom and I would put on our summer shorts and tees); watching movies, tv, home videos. Snacky foods and nibbles. And of course, by the time the countdown rolled around, we'd all be hyper and giddy and screaming, "10...9...8...7...!" Us kids, the boys in particular, would pretend to be drunk off our 'wine'. There would usually be a contest between us kids who could stay up the latest and most years Trapper would win, because poor little Levi would just zonk out after the countdown and there was no way I could keep up with wiry, hyper little Trapper. I think there were a few times Mom and Dad had friends over for a little NYE party, in which case all those listed activities were carried out to the nth degree, only with more adults and kids adding to the merriment and loudness. I'm pretty sure on those occasions, with drunken adults paying no attention to us kids, we would sneak some real wine (or booze) and then the fun would REALLY start. And we would devote hours to 'spying' on the adults. Haha, good times...

5. What was the best way you've ever spent New Year's Eve?
I've enjoyed all our New Years Eve's together, but two in particular were very memorable. The Y2K countdown (remember how everyone thought it would be the end of the world and the power grid would fail?) we spent in Edmonton at Christine and Joel's house. Gunnar was a little over a year old and being the perfect angel he was, he played nicely, ate his dinner, then went nicely and quietly to bed. Now, at the time Tyler didn't know he had a wheat allergy, so he'd brought a case of beer to drink, which he put on the deck to get cold and then forgot about until hours later, when the beer had frozen. He was so upset about the waste of money that he stubbornly refused to throw them out, and ended up drinking them all! Of course, we all know what happens when you drink thawed frozen beer; add to that a wheat allergy and you can guess his reaction. He got staggeringly drunk in like half an hour and ended up passed out in the hallway in front of the bedroom we were going to sleep in. Poor Christine had the flu so she was on the couch, half-dozing the whole night. So it was just me and Joel, steadily drinking and making small talk while we watched this momentous countdown on tv, waiting for the world's power grids to fail and for some spectacular catastrophe to occur, which it didn't. Then Joel tucked poor sick Chris in bed while I heaved and hauled my passed out guy from the hallway into the room. I was so mad that I just left him on the floor beside the bed, without even covers. So that was a memorable NYE.

The other NYE that brings back good memories is probably the year before that other one, because Gunnar was just wee. We lived in that apartment right downtown and we were excited because there was going to be a huge NYE festival-type thing just down the street from us, at the field by the elementary school. Julie, Randy and their boys (only 4 of them at the time) came in to town, and I believe Tari and Dave did as well, with little Scarlet and Kimmie. We all walked down to the field together, drank hot chocolate, mingled in the crowd while the kids ran around together, and then there was the countdown with the entire crowd yelling out together. And THEN, a huge fireworks display! Gunnar was fast asleep all warm and cozy in his stroller and I remember looking up into Ty's face as fireworks exploded overhead and the crowd oohed-and-aahed, and thinking "This is the best New Year's Eve ever!"

Five Question Friday

1. Do you regift...and if so, do you have a regifting horror story?
Sometimes, if the item is practically new and looks it. Otherwise, no. And no, no regifting horror story. (Unless its just buried so deep in my subconscious that I've forgotten it.)

2. Do you know what you are getting for Christmas this year?
Yep! Hubs and I decided that this year we would just concentrate on the kids and not get each other gifts. That lasted all of a month before we realized that the kids like watching us open gifts just as much as we do them. But to make it easier on ourselves, we decided to buy our own gifts and then just say that the other one bought it. So I'm getting a sweet Black & Decker two-story rolling toolbox (looks like a piece of rolling luggage) and a National Lampoon Christmas Vacation dvd. I'm also planning on getting another bottle of 'our-version-of-Juicy' and some clothes. Boy my kids have great taste in gifts. *wink*

3. Who brings the most gifts in your family, you or Santa?
We do. Santa usually brings the kids one or two gifts, depends on how 'big' the gift is. But us parents get the kids anywhere between 5-6 gifts each.

4. What store do you love to by jeans from?
I just did a post about this! My new fave place is Plato's Closet.

5. Christmas meal: Big, All Out Meal or Snacks and Apps?
Depends where we're having the meal. If its at Julie or Joanne's, its the big, all-out meal with all the trimmings: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, creamed turnips, peas, spetzla, pies, cookies, squares. If its at Deanna's, its a huge smorgasbord of snacks and appetizers: meatballs, little wienies, fruit & veggie platters, croissant-wiches, meat & cheese trays, olives, Mom's fudge, cookies, etc. Man, I love Christmas! ha

Five Question Friday

1. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

The kids get to open one present each on Christmas Eve; usually one that I've preselected, knowing that it will keep them busy and occupied for the rest of the night (instead of being all hyper and trembling with excitement, asking me again and again "Is it Christmas yet?"). Then on Christmas morning they have to wait until 5am (that's the law) and NOT wake us parents up while they open their stockings. When Dad and Mom finally drag their weary butts outta bed, that's when they can start opening their gifts from Santa and the parents. They always go straight for Santa's gifts because the old fart doesn't like to wrap presents (he told Mommy) so they can SEE what he gave them. I love knowing that its just killing them not to be able to open Santa's gifts and play with them while Mom and Dad are still sleeping. They can only ooh-and-aah and hold their gifts and jump for joy, but NO ripping them open or actually playing with them. Muahahaha! 'Cause Mom is evil like that.

2. What is your favorite Christmas cookie (or candy)?
Mom's fudge! While technically not a cookie or candy, its the best part of Christmas. And she always makes a TON of batches so everyone gets like four huge slabs of fudge! Ahhh, heaven. Next favorite is Nanaimo bars (say it Mom, na-NY-mo), then Ferrero Roche. Mmmmm... (I'm having a Homer Simpson drool moment here)

3. What's the worst Christmas gift you've ever received?
Know that I'm only writing this down because I know this person does not read my blog, otherwise I'd never embarrass them like that. BUT... one year I got an animatronic (ie: robot-like) CAT from Bunnie Schultz (Fred's wife). You know, one of those realistic cat toys that you'd get a 5 year old. It was huge, like the size of a real cat, with black and white fur (or hair, whatever a cat has) and when you rubbed its stomach or head it would purr; if you did something mean to it, it would hiss at you. The robotic head would turn to the sound of your voice and its eyes blinked open and closed, like a baby doll. The tail would jerkily flick and twitch. *shudder* So imagine me sitting there with this gift on my lap, frozen smile on my face, petting this creepy cat toy (trying not to wince or cringe), and listening to Bunnie as she went on and on about how she just had to buy it because it was so adorable and she wanted one for herself and how much do I love it and isn't it the cutest thing ever? I think Fred was embarrassed but I had to sympathize with the guy -- how do you tell your wife she's off her rocker? YOU DON'T! Hahah. As you can tell, Bunnie is like the world's hugest cat lover. At last count, I think they had four cats, possibly five!

4. Christmas song that you love?
Impossible to choose just one, so....
Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Mary's Boy Child by Boney M
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem by The Judds
Deck the Halls by SheDaisy
Santa Baby by Marilyn Monroe (Madonna, you poser copycat!)
Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee
Hannukah Song by Adam Sandler
Christmas Canon Rock by Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Merry Christmas, Baby by The Beach Boys

5. How many trees do you put up?
Usually just the one but last year I picked up a little 4' tree from Value Village for the sole purpose of it being a "kids tree", where they could adorn it with all their ornaments and decorations. (Leaving ME the big tree for my ton of purple ornaments, woot!) So we did that this year and put their wonderful little tree in the downstairs livingroom, and it looks absolutely adorable. Also, each kid (except for Ryder) has a little fiber-optic tree that Deanna got them. It all started with Deanna getting little Gunnar his "very own" fiber-optic tree one year, he must have been about five, and it was the highlight every year on our Christmas-decorating-day when he pulled it out of the box and proudly set it up in his room. Then along came Ardan and when he was old enough, Deanna got him his own fiber-optic tree as well. They would fall asleep every night just staring at their "baby trees" with the ever-changing colors. Then we had Lena and once again, Deanna carried on the tradition and she got her very own fiber-optic tree (hers has clusters of white snowflakes, though, "so its much better and prettier, right Mom?"). I've no doubt that Ryder will be getting his own little tree soon, when he hits that same age. He's content right now with his "ultimate teeny-tiny" tree -- one of those ones the size of your hand you pick up from the loonie store. This way he can carry it around with him ('Ha HAH, you guys can't do that, so HAH!')

Five Question Friday

1. What's on the top of your holiday wish list and why?!

A sweet new camera, mine sucks! Okay, well, it doesn't really but have you seen the new cameras out there? Mine is a Kodak EasyShare C813, pink, and I picked it up on sale last Christmas for $70. So it was a good deal, and it does take good pics and video, too. But it doesn't hold that many pics (internal memory is like 10 pics, sucky) and the memory card I have only holds like 60. To record a video uses like all the memory. And a lot of the pics come out dark so I have to fix them up with my photo editing software. For once, I'd like a camera where you just point and click, it takes perfect pics the first time, has tons of memory, and all the bells and whistles other cameras have. You know?



2. What is your favorite Christmas gift from the past?
The Adam Lambert cd I got last Christmas, duhhhh! (Thanks Amber and Levi!) As well, the set of 7 books (about the Fae) from mom, the photo frame with all the pics of the kids (also L&A), all my gifts from Chrissy over the years (Avon makeup last xmas, woohooo!!!), jewelry from Hubs and the kids, and so much more I can't even list them all...


3. If you had life to do over, what would you be when you grow up?
Dumb question, I've answered this like three times before. Next!


4. When do you put up your tree?
Usually the first week in December. We have ZERO hockey this weekend (a true Christmas miracle) so it looks like tomorrow or Sunday will be the day. Yay! I love Christmas, which answers this next question...



5. What is your favorite Holiday?

Five Question Friday (Nov 19th)

Oops, look like I missed it last week!

1. What Christmas song do you loathe?
I don't really like the "chestnuts roasting" song, but I absolutely, positively cannot stand the "Gramma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer" song by Ray Stevens. HATE IT. I don't even have a good reason but it could have something to do with the stupid 'talking' parts in the song. And the fact that 'grandpa' is happy about it. Oh, and I find the 'Oh Christmas Tree' song a bit annoying too. Any song that repeats the same thing over and over is a dud in my book.


2. Do you and your significant other cuddle at night or sleep on opposite sides of the bed?
Ha! This question is hilarious. In our early days, we cuddled all the time. (Even though it wasn't until years later that we both confessed to having a "re-breathing" phobia.) Actually, the reason I think this is hilarious is because I was just thinking about this last night, no joke! There I was, cuddled up on MY side of the bed, under MY blanket, head nestled on MY special pillow, and I thought to myself, "Ahhh, there's nothing better than this. I couldn't imagine having to share my blanket." I guess I'm kind of particular when it comes to sleep. I like my own space, obviously do NOT like having someone's breath even remotely near my face, I like my big heavy down comforter with its maroon Ikea duvet cover, I like my 'floppy' pillow, and I especially like it that if Hubs lets one go during the night, its under HIS covers and only HE has to smell it. Hubs is the same way (except for the 'fluffing' part, as we all know girls NEVER let one go); he has his 100lb rock-hard pillow, his two favorite blankets (the soft one Gramma Dea made him with the knotted ends, and his thin quilt), and of course, the re-breathing thing. No, we do our "cuddling"  when we first go to bed, then its all, 'Okay, you go your way, I'll go mine'. And it works for us. :)


3. Have you ever had surgery?
Three times: a breast reduction in 2000 (best decision in my life), a tubal in November 2009, and wisdom teeth removal this September.

4. When do you typically have your holiday shopping done?
Oh man, just reading this question is giving me a holiday-shopping AA. Usually I start shopping the beginning of November, taking advantage of sales and such, and if I'm lucky I'm done by mid-December. Though there was one year in particular when our Kasha-side family get-together was on Boxing Day and I literally left it that long to get their gifts. We hit the stores for Boxing Day sales before we headed out there. And I vowed after that horrifying shopping experience (people are PSYCHO) that I would never, ever be a stupid idiot like that again.

5. If money were not an issue (and you HAD to pick something), what would your ultimate luxury item be?
Probably a spa bath, you know, the kind with jets and its like the size of two bathtubs. Either that or a maid/housekeeper. No... (thought about that for a bit)... DEFINITELY the maid/housekeeper. I mean, c'mon, have you SEEN my house?

Five Question Friday

1. What is the most physically painful thing that has ever happened to you?

Memory is a strange thing; something that you'd swear was the most physically painful thing to ever happen to you, loses its intensity over time and you think 'Eh, it wasn't that bad'. So with that in mind, the few that stick out in my mind are kinda tied for first place. Getting the tubes and stitches pulled out after my breast reduction surgery, almost fainted that time. In labor with Milena, being told by the nurses that I had to stop the urge to push or she would be strangled to death, and having to keep that urgent need in check for over an hour! I seriously wanted someone to knock me out with a blow to the head or else just cut me open right there in the delivery room and pull her out to safety. After my wisdom tooth surgery, when Ryder bashed his head into that one spot on my jaw, I blacked out for a few seconds and literally saw stars. All these things happened to me as an adult but there is one thing I'll always remember as being physically agonizing, and that is when I was six years old and had my back problem. One of the disks between my vertebrae was dissolving for some mysterious reason, and the vertebrae would rub together with even the slightest movement. I remember one night waking up with the urgent need to pee and not being able to walk to the bathroom, so I dragged/pulled myself along the floor to reach the bathroom, sobbing with pain. My mom must have heard the commotion and came rushing upstairs. She was just devastated. I think up until that point she hadn't taken my sore-back claims seriously, thinking I was just making up excuses not to have to do my chores. Thank God the whole thing was eventually figured out and I healed up.

2. How much sleep do you get at night?
Depends when I go to bed. Usually I fall asleep (that's the key phrase because I can go to bed early but not fall asleep until hours later) around midnight-1am. Sometimes later. Weekdays my alarm is set for 6:45am, weekends (depending on hockey schedules) I get to sleep in a tiny bit later and am up at 7:30am. I'll let you do the math.

3. How long did you believe in Santa Claus? How did you find out that he does not exist?
I honestly can't remember what age I was and the exact moment of horrifying discovery. I do recall being older, maybe 8 or 9 (because I know my brothers were between 4-6 at the time), it was Christmas Eve and we were all sleeping together, so excited and unable to sleep, whispering about what Santa was going to bring us. And suddenly we heard a loud THUMP on the roof, then more thumps and what actually sounded like footsteps! And I remember thinking, "Wow, Dad is really going to a lot of trouble just to keeps us believing in Santa", but then logic kicked in and I realized that Mom would NEVER allow Dad to climb the rickety old ladder and stomp about on a steep icy roof during the middle of the night. So cynicism turned to wonder and in that moment, I really truly believed.



4. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?
Toy Story 3 with Milena and Ryder. Lena was invited to a school friend's birthday party that was being held at the theater; parents and siblings were also invited (which was so nice!). That was actually Ryder's first movie in a theatre, he did great and really enjoyed the show, as did I. In fact, the damn stupid movie made me cry, not just once but twice! Pretty embarrassing when Lena noticed and in her overly-loud whisper voice, alerted everyone to the fact, "Mom, are you CRYING?! Why are you CRYING?!"



5. What do you wear to bed?
Depends what mood I'm in. If its a good mood, I have a couple of sexy nighties I really like. If its a bad mood (or else a certain time of the month, and you're welcome for that TMI) then I have a really long black sleeveless dress-type thing that Mom brought back from Mexico for me. Many years ago, I used to sleep in the buff but that ended once I realized that little ones tend to barge in uninvited, pull back the covers and crawl in beside you. Oh, and one time I had a traumatizing dream that the house was on fire and I ended up on the front lawn totally naked with neighbors looking on from their yards. And so ended that phase.

Five Question Friday

1. If you could have any talent and turn it into an occupation, what would it be?

I'd love to be a psychic, or an artist, or a singer. Ooooh, or a dancer (too many episodes watched of So You Think You Can Dance, I guess).



2. Would you rather have a house at the beach or a cabin in the woods?
House at the beach, for sure. I'm an Aquarius, the Water Bearer, what other answer could I give? Imagine waking up and going to bed with the sound of waves; going out for a swim whenever you wanted; Ty could spend all day fishing to his heart's content. Heaven!



3. Is there any meaning or reasoning for the names you chose for your child/children?
We chose both Gunnar and Ardan's names because they're both Icelandic (my family's heritage) and have really cool meanings: 'Gunnar' means warrior, 'Ardan' means fiery. Their middle names are also Icelandic: 'Tyr' was the Viking God of war, 'Brand' means sword. And also, Brand is short for Brandon, which is Tyler's middle name. We chose Milena because its a Czech name (Ty's heritage) and means 'beloved one' (or else 'sweetheart', can't recall right now); her middle name Clare was chosen because I really liked the sound when combined with her first name and there were two women that were really close to Ty's mother who had that name. Ryder's name was chosen for none of those sentimental reasons, haha. We just really liked how cool it sounds and that particular spelling, plus we figured that with our lifestyle, he'll grow up to be a dirtbike or quad rider. AND my dad was a biker back in the day, an original 'rider'. We couldn't agree on a middle name and I finally got so teed off with all Ty's vetoes that I threw up my hands and said, "Fine! You pick it then!". And so he came up with 'Brons', pronounced bronze. Which is cool and goes with his first name.



4. What is your guilty pleasure?
Ooohooo, I have way too many to list them all. But I refuse to feel guilty for them because I am who I am, darnit! So here we go... reading erotic romance novels, buying expensive (what I consider expensive) new makeup and/or cosmetic products, surfing internet gossip sites, facebook, downloading e-books, having the Bieber-Fever, smoking, chocolate, admiring hot men (whaaaat?! I'm just looking!), diet pepsi, being an admitted horndog, Family Guy, Britney Spears... the list goes on.
5. Do you live in a house that is deep cleaned or straightened?
Neither. I have four kids, what can a person expect? I do take pride that every room is decorated and painted nicely, and I try to keep the house neat and tidy. If I let myself get stressed out over the fact that my house isn't 'deep cleaned' and 'straightened', I'd be a raving maniac! Haha.

Five Question Friday

1. If you could be a fly on any wall, which would you choose?

The Pitt-Jolie wall, the Travolta wall (oh those crazy Scientologists and John with his spa escapades), the Playboy Mansion walls, Adam Lambert's wall.

2. Do you budget your Christmas shopping or just get it done without budgeting?

Budget, always. It doesn't necessarily stop us from overspending, though. When you've got four kids to buy for, all the stocking stuffers and gifts from Santa, gifts for both sides of the family, it really adds up. In recent years Hubs and I have stopped getting gifts for each other because it just gets to be too much. I am SO glad that Becky and Amber came up with our family just giving each other 'hugs' for Christmas instead of the $50 gift exchange. Helps out a lot.

3. What is the craziest fad diet you have ever done?

Christine will remember this. In high school, probably grade 7 or 8 (is that right Chris?) I was desperate to lose 20 pounds I'd somehow gained without noticing, and went on an apple-and-water diet. Yes, that's right. I ate one apple a day and then just drank water. I became very adept at hiding this from my parents, would ask to take meals up to my room (then feed them to the dogs), say I wasn't hungry at mealtimes and that I'd just eat later, give my school lunches away to other kids. Looking back, I mean obviously that's such a horrible thing to do to oneself, but what I'm amazed at (and yes I know its shallow and wrong, priority-wise) is the willpower I had. If I tried to do that now, at age 30 rather than 13, I'd probably last half a day before I started snacking. And the sad thing is, is that it worked! The 20 pounds dropped off in like a week and I was able to start eating normally again. Well, somewhat normally. I was always very body-conscious after that and if I felt I was getting "fat" again, I'd fast for a couple of days. So sad, the things that go through young girls' minds and the pressure they feel to be 'thin'.

BUT-- things happen for a reason. Because I've been there and done that, I know the symptoms and signs to look for. And I know that if a healthy, active lifestyle, proper nutrition, and positive self-esteem are encouraged before a girl-child hits that age, there's a much better chance that she'll be able to resist that social pressure. Not saying that my childhood didn't encourage those things but back then, parents didn't even think about that. The media and societal onslaught of 'lose weight', 'look younger', plastic surgery, boob jobs, size zero models, Paris-Hilton-itis... none of that was what it is now. I only have one daughter to guide through that mess, poor Chrissy has THREE. Heaven help us.

4. Is there a TV show that you have seen every episode/season of?
The Office, Modern Family, Friends, Vampire Diaries, Melrose Place (okay so I missed the very first season but that one sucked anyways), Deadwood.

 5. What one song always pulls at your heart?

Wavin' Flag by Young Artists for Haiti (original song by K'naan). I'll be singing along and all of a sudden my throat gets tight, my voice warbles, and I get a tear in my eye. Its a very powerful song. Also, Turn the Page by Bob Seeger (or the Metallica version) because that was Dad's song, Hold On by Sarah McLachlan, and Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us by Allison Krauss and Robert Plant (thanks for introducing me to such a truly, truly beautiful song, Mom. I chose that particular video just for you).

Five Question Friday

1. Who is the better cook, you or your spouse?

A couple years ago, the answer would have been Hubs, for sure. But I think I've come a long way in the kitchen, I'm probably equal now. Some things are my specialty (lasagna, cookies, potato pancakes, rice salad, chili, egg rolls, pot roast) and some things are his (steak, oven-fried potatoes, anything barbecued).



2. How often do you talk to your mom?
Almost every day! If a couple days go by with no contact, either she or I will phone each other and its always "It seems like forever since I talked to you!", haha. Many times I will be thinking of calling her and just about to grab the phone (once I was even mid-dial) and the phone will ring, and its her! We have this mind-link thing going on.


3. Are you adventurous in the kitchen or stick to the recipe?
I try to stick to the recipe. That way, if it doesn't turn out I know its not my fault! And when the kids and Hubs complain about it, I can honestly say "Hey, I followed the recipe!". Gotta cover my bases.



4. Is your second toe longer than your big toe?
No, its almost a centimetre shorter. Hubs and Gunnar, however, have equal-length big and second toes. Weird!



5. Do you dress up for Halloween? (Bonus question: What will you be this year?)
Yep. To both questions. And its usually the same thing: zombie bride or vampire. I tease my hair until its a wild tangled mess, add some plastic spiders and leaves to it. Pale face with bluish-purple bruises under the eyes, heavy eye makeup, fake blood dripping from my mouth, a few fake scars (I got these really cool stick-on tattoo scars one year). Then my LBD, heels, elbow-length purple mesh finger-less gloves. And the piece-de-resistance... the black barbed-wire veil! Best. Costume. Ever. IMO.

Five Question Friday

1. What is your favorite Halloween candy?

Reese Peanut Butter Cups, hands down. I could eat the entire bag!



2. Do you fold your socks?
Fold? Well, I do that thing where you pair them up, then fold one side of the sock over both pairs, so just the foot-part is sticking out. Is that considered folding?



3. What is something that you wish you had been warned about?
I'm like 99% sure this question has been asked before on 5-Q-F. Excuse me one moment while I check my previous postings.... Yep, here it is.


4. What is the most significant difference between you and your significant other?
That I am an optimist and he is a pessimist. And boy, does that difference drive me crazy! No matter the situation, I always try to look for the silver lining, the hidden meanings, reasons why it was fated to happen, and how I can deal with it in a positive manner. Whereas Hubs is just the opposite. For him, those same situations are always the end of the world as he knows it; he's gotta rant and rage, vent his feelings of frustration, hopelessness or helplessness, anger, fear. So for me, its kind of a double whammy: first I have to deal with the situation, then I have to deal with Hubs' reaction, try to calm him down.

You know, I did a tarot reading on the two of us one time, figured out what our Soul and Persona (personality) cards were. This is done by numbers, adding your birth year, month and date together to get the Persona number, then further reducing it by adding those numbers to get a single number, which is your Soul number. And get this...

Me: 1980 + 01 + 27 = 2008 = 2+0+0+8 = 10 = 1+0 = 1.
Tyler: 1977 + 08 + 23 = 2008 = 2+0+0+8 = 10 = 1+0 = 1.

So our Soul and Persona cards are exactly the same.

Our Persona card is 10, which is the Wheel of Fortune. Our Soul card is 1, the Magician.


MAGICIAN 1
(Also present are WHEEL OF FORTUNE 10 and SUN 19) [In our case, no Sun)


The soul of a MAGICIAN is independent, original, a leader, and a self-starter. The dynamic power and vitality of number 1 can be transformed to the highest healing alchemy using the magical tools of the MAGICIAN. Cultivate a path of spiritual development and study the magical arts. Maintain a positive attitude by valuing the many talents and abilities with which you were born.


With the personality cards of the SUN 19 [not us] and the WHEEL OF FORTUNE 10, this indicates a charmed life. This person will have the soul of the MAGICIAN who can work magic and make all will-powered events come true. Their personality shows the radiant success of the SUN after the ever-revolving WHEEL OF FORTUNE turns in their favour. Doors of opportunity can open easily because the SUN and the MAGICIAN have the power to make the best of any situation.

• magical strength; all endeavours that require willpower are manifested; a powerful person who can work magic and heal; human magic
• a very creative card, represents imagination, willpower, confidence, creative energy, communication, and skill; a card of words and action rather than contemplation, a call to confidence and self-expression; indicates travel and creative projects, communication and integrity; in spiritual context, card shows its time to put intuition and psychic abilities to good use
• the master of his own destiny and unafraid to act as he chooses. By setting specific and attainable goals, the Magician utilizes his great knowledge and wisdom to succeed where others have failed. Although, with such power comes great responsibility. The Magician must decide whether to act morally, or forsake ethics for personal gain.
• you are completely powerful and can manifest your goals; you are experiencing magical strength and can actualize your desires through your own creativity and will; you can have it all, you just need to see what lies before you

WHEEL OF FORTUNE 10

• expansion, good luck, fate; opportunity abounds; all is magically blessed and serendipitous; universal symbol of healing, change and transformation; wisdom gained from experience, changes, a new cycle, a progression, or a movement
• this card represents change in your life, so be ready for unexpected challenges to come your way and to experience life from all sides; as you seek and gain new knowledge, you can accept whatever life throws at you; anything is possible; fate is about to take a hand in your life
• can represent meeting your unconscious self, which may be the darker side of nature: the unconscious, a darker aspect of your personality or desires that you usually keep hidden; we get to know ourselves better

Now, the Magician (like all of us) is like two sides of a coin: good and bad, light and dark, yin and yang. Opposites. The Magician can use his power for good or bad, it depends on his personality, disposition, morals, etc. How this relates to me and Tyler, in my opinion, is that because of that difference (optimism and pessimism), my lighter view of the world and my place in it, the 'happy' thoughts that I project into the universe, returns to me in the same manner. (Being a Magician, I can actualize my desires through my own creativity and will.) Tyler, however, with his darker view of life, recieves just the opposite. Now I'm not saying that he is directly to blame for any misfortunes that befall him, of course there are outside influences that can alter the path his life takes (though, it is his choices and decisions, in reaction to those influences, that directs the path).


I guess what all my jibber-jabbering is trying to say, the point I'm trying to make, is that its all about karma, baby. What you project, your spiritual and emotional outlook, the choices and reactions made... it all influences your place in the universe and what is returned to you. In my opinion.

5. What are three words you would use to describe yourself?

Happy, funny, kind.

Five Question Friday

1. What do you listen to while driving?

Usually, my ipod loaded with all my favorite songs (that I tend to skip through to find the Adam Lambert and Justin Bieber songs; the former because, well, its ADAM-FRIGGIN-LAMBERT and the latter because I live to torment my boys, muahahah). But if the ipod is dead, I go through all my pre-programmed radio channels to find which one is playing the best song. I have to have music to listen to. If the ipod is dead and all the radio stations suck, then I am in agony. Because listening to silence or, even WORSE, kids bickering just really 'drives' me bonkers. (Get it, 'drives', because I'm in the car, huh, huh? Okay, sorry.)

2. What is your least favorite thing about Fall?
Never knowing if its going to be nice out or cold, because then my front entry is filled with a mix of warm heavy coats and light thin coats, mitts and hats, shoes, rubber boots, winter boots, dirt chunks on the floor, mud tracks, bike helmets, rollerblades, hockey sticks, skateboards....

3. What does your dream house look like, inside and out?
Oooo, love this question! I have spent many a time making fantasy lists from the Ikea catalogue of what I want in each room, what color walls I want, carpet or hardwood, themes, etc. For the outside of my dream home, I love the natural look: lots of stone or dark granite/slate, huge front and back yard with tons of trees and flower beds and a little patio with a beautiful sitting area (lots of dark bamboo patio furniture and glass/black metal tables), either dark gray or brown vinyl or wood siding, at least two stories tall, huge attached garage and front driveway, maybe a wraparound deck or at least a nice front porch with a couple of columns, lots of flower pots and hanging plants. For the inside, I'd love a huge front entry with a large spacious coat closet (I love front entries, or foyers for you snooty types, that have cute little tables with a mirror hung above, looks so classy, and of course a beautiful vase of fresh flowers on the table). Open design and vaulted ceilings so it feels light and airy. Giant kitchen with lots of cupboards, two ovens, one of those big fridges that have the freezer on the bottom, like in a pull-out drawer. A big island smack-dab in the middle of the kitchen with shelves and cupboards built in. Don't know what color/type of wood I'd want in the kitchen, but probably something darker with pewter knobs to contrast with the walls, which I would love to be a light mossy green. Lots of plants, hanging and in pots. French doors leading out onto a big deck that leads down to the backyard. You know what, I could continue on for every room in the house but then you'd be reading for hours, so let's just end the fantasy now.

4. Would you ever own a minivan?
I have, it was green and for the time that we had it, I loved it. Lots of room for the kids, had that fun sliding door, lots of room in the back. But it wasn't necessarily the safest kind of vehicle for Alberta winter driving so we switched to the Durango. And now I'm driving my Suzuki XL-7 (Suzi), its a crossover (half SUV-half van), which I absolutely love and adore; it has proven itself to be reliable on the winter roads, its great on gas, looks cute and fun and sporty, not too big like a truck or SUV, not too small like a car (though it drives like one, which I love -- sometimes the Durango felt like driving a bus).



5. Do you wash new clothes before wearing them?
I didn't use to, because I liked how the clothes looked all pressed and neat and perfect. But then my bff Christine told me that she read somewhere that the process used to treat the clothes (giving them that perfect look) uses formaldehyde, which can be absorbed by the skin. So now I'm all paranoid and have to wash them. As for 'new' (to me) clothes from Valloo Vallajhe, YES, they MUST be washed! My hands always smell like pee after shopping there from touching all the clothes as I flip through the racks and it traumatizes me! I've learned to bring wet wipes and hand sanitizer on these shopping trips, and I use them every ten minutes or so. I'm sure I look like one of those germaphobes but I literally shudder just remembering the feel and smell of my hands in that place! Ah well, how I suffer for fashion (and low prices!), haha.

Five Question Friday

1. Did you have a pen pal when you were little (or now)? Where were/are they from?

I had totally forgotten until just now that I DID have a penpal, two actually! The school started a penpal program and we could choose one from a long list; I chose a girl from Thailand. I must admit she was better at the whole penpal thing than I was -- she would send me letters with little gifts enclosed, usually origami animals or beautifully decorated bookmarks that she made herself. I was always in awe that she made those things! And her letters were always so neatly printed and full of really interesting things about her daily life. Mine were utterly boring, I'm sure; talk about school and friends, life on an acreage, boys. Maybe to her they were interesting, just because our lives were so different, who knows. I would recieve a letter from her probably about once every couple of months or so. My letters in return were more sporadic, usually when I finally remembered to reply. Bad me! The other penpal I had was from Australia, I think. Only corresponded with her a couple of times then I think we both sort of lost interest. Eventually my Thai penpal quit corresponding, I think because she graduated (she was older than me, obviously), but we had a good two-or-three year run.



2. If you could do a different job for one day, what would it be?
Sometimes I think I'd like to try nursing. This is usually brought on by being on the recieving end of a really special nurse who has made an impact on me. When I was in labor with Gunnar, I had a Scottish nurse who took me under her wing, I was a scared-shitless eighteen year old going through this scary process and she comforted me like I was her own daughter; and yet she wasn't afraid to scold me when I said "I can't do this!" or to give me tough-love encouragement ("You got yourself into this, you can darn well finish it!" and that was exactly what I needed to hear). Something about nurses like that make one think that if you have those qualities of empathy and encouragement, that you could help someone else like that. Of course, then I remember that I don't take demands very well and that people start to annoy me after a while. Nurses are a very special breed and I honestly don't think I have the capacity to be a truly good one.

3. Do you remember your biggest fear from when you were little?
Being kidnapped or else having my mom or brothers die. I used to have nightmares about that all the time.



4. What do you think is a waste of time? Why?
Trying to reason with a bratty kid. I know that sounds harsh, but its true. I always see kids having meltdowns and the parent is practically kissing their ass to get them to behave. I call that a "first-time parent thing", haha. And yes, I do remember doing that as well. When we just had Gunnar and I had it in my head that I would be the best parent ever, I would do everything the child-rearing books said, try to reason with him, calm him down, promise this and that, try to talk it out with him. Once I had more kids, I realized that's all just a waste of time. What a kid in melt-down mode really needs is for the parent to step in, set firm guidelines and then follow through.
In most cases, the child's emotions are raging out of control, they don't know how to process what they're feeling, usually they can't even identify what exactly it is they're feeling. I remember teaching Gunnar the difference between feeling angry, confused, sad, jealous, nervous (remember? "nervous and allergic"?? lol), so that when he did get overwhelmed with emotion, he could use his words to describe why he was upset. So I'm a big advocate of taking a firm hand during tantrums. And I don't mean beating the child or anything like that. I just mean, recognizing that the situation has gotten out of hand, that no amount of talking or reasoning is going to help, and that sometimes you just have to say "Enough!", take the child to a quiet place, tell them you will come back when they have calmed down enough to talk, and then follow through. I do not believe in spanking during tantrums. A tantrum is usually just an overflow of confusing emotions being expressed the only way a child knows how; I would never punish the child for that. Spanking is saved for situations when its called for, like intentionally hurting someone, doing something self-harmful like running into the street when a car is coming, etc.



5. What is the oldest item you have in your closet?
I have a pair of white jeans, size 30, from before I had Gunnar. I remember buying them for the start of grade 12 and they were my absolute favorite pair of jeans. I looked hot in them. So I've kept them for all these years because they're my "one day" jeans. One day I'll be able to wear them again, hahah. I also have a really cute jean jacket from those days as well.