100 random things about me.

OK, so this has been floating around forever. I decided to just do it.

1. I was born on Easter Sunday. I'm not telling which year.
2. I have a degree in Psychology. Never really used it, though.
3. I grew up on a farm and moved to the city when I was 11.
4. I was an extra in a movie - a Japanese Samurai one that I've never seen. It was good money but hard work and boring.
5. Other jobs that I have had: working in a discount clothing store, a juice stand in a mall, as a "mother's helper," a waitress, a chambermaid, a camp counselor, a cashier in a drugstore, and some more satisfying jobs.
6. I am an only child.
7. I was married at age 31.
8. I had my first child at age 36. This should help you figure out how old I am. Ha ha.
9. I hate phoning people. I would much rather talk in person or e mail.
10. I don't mind if people phone me. It rarely happens, however.
11. I hardly watch any TV. I prefer movies.
12. I love coffee ice cream. I recently discovered Haagen-Dazs coffee flavour. Oh my.
13. This is hard.
14. I dye my hair. I was finding greys in my early 20s.
15. I don't like spicy food.
16. My favourite thing to order at a good restaurant is alder plank cooked salmon. It is a good thing that I live where I do.
17. The best place I've ever visited is Santorini, Greece.
18. Politically, I'm conservative and libertarian.
19. I can't vote here since I'm not a citizen.
20. If I could vote and was a Republican, I'd probably vote for Fred Thompson although I don't like his track record with women.
21. I don't like to talk politics, except occasionally with my husband. I worked in that field for 6 long years. I'm burnt out.
22. I breastfed both my boys. It didn't go well with my first. It went very well with my second.
23. My home town is Calgary, Alberta. It has changed so much from when I lived there that I don't want to live there now.
24. My favourite colour is pink.
25. I make scrambled eggs every morning for our family.
26. I'm allergic to pet dander.
27. We don't have any pets due to the above, plus I don't want to clean up after any more creatures.
28. I'm blind as a bat without glasses or contacts.
29. I've considered lasik surgery but it scares me.
30. My favourite Starbucks drinks are gingerbread latte, pumpkin spice latte, shaked iced tea lemonade with black tea and cinnamon dolce latte.
31. I once fainted in a department store due to really bad menstrual cramps. I was 12 or 13. I got medication for it after that.
32. I have never smoked a cigarette.
33. I have never chewed my nails.
34. I hate wearing socks in bed.
35. I love flannel sheets. I wish I'd used them when I lived in Ottawa.
36. I'm really good at name that tune, especially songs from the 80s and maybe the 70s, too. I can name a tune very soon after it starts.
37. I used to listen to the radio constantly. Now, I don't want the kids to hear the stupid commercials. They will tolerate a bit of jazz NPR sometimes.
38. When I'm alone in the car I flip the stations around a lot.
39. I've had way too many car accidents - none of which were my fault. Almost all were rear enders. I have a bad neck and subsequently tendonitis to show for it.
40. Amusement park rides make me sick. I used to enjoy the Tilt a Whirl.
41. I love magazines. I love to get a stack from Barnes and Noble and flip through them in the cafe.
42. I had a subscription for Seventeen when I was a teenage. I also had a subscription to Glamour before it became trashy.
43. I got my first cell phone in 2004. I still have it and use it.
44. I am a terrible packrat. I married a slight packrat.
45. My mother is "chucker" which probably explains why I'm a packrat.
46. I never learned to swim properly, that is, with my face in the water. I do a sort of dog paddle. I think it would keep me alive in a pinch.
47. I used to be late all the time. Now, I'm much more punctual. That's with kids, too!
48. I really, really want an Ipod. I would probably only use it when I go to the gym. Therefore, I don't have an Ipod yet.
49. I have an olive complexion. When I was in first grade I was called "Indian girl." It wasn't a compliment.
50. When I was in Greece I was mistaken for a local. That was fun!
51. I don't have any exotic ancestry. English, Irish, that's about it.
52. Sometimes I get TERRIBLE headaches that knock me out. Not quite migraines but still h***ish.
53. I used British/Canadian spelling for many words that spell check doesn't like. (sticking my tongue out at spell check).
54. I don't know how I survived before the Internet.
55. My mom had me when she was 39.
56. I love shabby chic decorating style.
57. I used to not be able to swallow pills. I had to crush them up. This was a big problem when I had to take malaria pills while travelling in the Orient. Those are NASTY tasting.
58. Lighting a match used to scare me. I would get my lab partner in school to do it for me.
59. My husband loves fire.
60. I can now light a match without any problem.
61. I love Yankee Candles.
62. My current favourite candle scents are gingerbread, frosted pumpkin and sparkling cinnamon.
63. I don't drink pop. If it is the only thing available, I'll have a Coke or Sierra Mist.
64. I have never broken a bone.
65. Raspberries are my favourite fruit.
66. I knew I would name my first son ...... from when I was in ninth grade.
67. I was often the teacher's pet in school.
68. When my husband retires and the kids are gone, I want to travel around in an RV.
69. I don't have a single tattoo. I will never have a tattoo.
70. Some actors that I think are cute/attractive/sexy:
Hugh Grant, Ioan Gruffudd, George Clooney, Cary Grant.
71. I take a nap almost every day. My youngest needs to lie beside me and hold on to a lock of my hair in order to nap. Awwww.
72. A lot of the singers I like are wacky liberals. I want them to "shut up and sing." Cheryl Crow is one of them.
73. I was a stay at home wife for many years. I'm not allowed to work in the US and before kids I didn't have any choice about working. I got asked "what do you do all day?" WAY too many times.
74. I hate Dora the Explorer. I saw it once and thought "this makes me want to poke my eyes out."
75. Both of my kids were born on Saturday.
76. Both of my kids were born on holiday weekends.
77. I'm not going to have any more kids.
78. I would love to have a little girl. Yes, this conflicts with #77. It is just a longing.
79. I prefer a cafe au lait (which is made with coffee instead of espresso) to a latte. They are hard to find.
80. I only drink black tea - no herbal. If I'm not feeling well, I might drink mint.
81. I failed my drivers test twice before passing. I am an excellent driver. I had trouble with parallel parking back then.
82. I am a very fast reader. I have to slow down since I don't always remember what I've read. This can be a problem for book club. :)
83. I don't like beer.
84. I like Cosmopolitans.
85. I like German wine.
86. When I was a teenager I was very thin. I wanted to give blood but didn't weigh the required 110 pounds.
87. I have never had an eating disorder.
88. I sing alto.
89. I used to sing on the worship team at our church in Ottawa.
90. I go to a Presbyterian church.
91. I grew up in a Baptist church.
92. I'm happy to be almost finished this list.
93. I love to watch my boys when they are asleep.
94. I miss the thrill of seeing my printed photos back from the "developer" back in the pre-digital days.
95. I enjoy buying scrapbook supplies more than I enjoy scrapbooking.
96. I'd like to lose 5 or 10 pounds.
97. I worked for a Canadian political party for 2 years.
98. The current Prime Minister of Canada would know me if he saw me. A few years ago he asked my mother about me. We worked in the same office for a brief time.
99. I'd like to have a red Mustang some day.
100. I stay up late too much.

Yeah, I did it! I can go to bed now!

I tag Colette to do it. Take your time. :)Pin It

Christmas parade of toys

A's favourite present is the marble maze.He doesn't have that maniacal grin, though.

We took the plunge into "big boy" Lego - the small stuff. Yikes it hurts to step on those. Worse than Duplo, that's for sure. I am proud to say that I built the marble maze, a Lego house and a Lego car on Christmas morning. My husband was quite impressed.

A's big present was a train table which was actually a reward for finally p**ping in the potty consistently (this has been a long, long struggle since he had encopresis 6 months ago.) We got an amazing deal on the table at Costco.

A received this as a present from his aunt and uncle.The boys played Zingo by themselves today. Now that is bliss!

C's presents were mainly alphabet related. He's into his ABCs right now. He received an Eeboo alphabet puzzle
and an ABC board book. He also got a police car with a police dog, a policeman and a robber. He said "I'm a robber!" which is exactly what we expected from our little imp.Pin It

Christmas summary

My parents phoned the day before they were expected to arrive to say that they weren't coming for Christmas. My mom has been having heart palpitations and coming to the US (where she doesn't have health care coverage) was too anxiety producing. I was very sad. I've only been away from my parents for Christmas twice before. We are going to visit them for a few days including New Years Eve.

It snowed on Christmas Day! Big, huge, beautiful, fluffy flakes. Here's a photo from the local newspaper since mine didn't turn out very well and I haven't yet downloaded any from my new camera.

My hubby and I cooked Christmas dinner for just the four of us. He did the potatoes, I did the rest. We had a turkey breast instead of the whole turkey. The stuffing was the only thing that didn't turn out too well. I needed Mom's help!

The boys didn't receive any toys that required batteries! We only realized this at the end of the day. It wasn't something that we planned. I will post some photos of the boys and their toys soon.

Our tree is on its last legs. We got a real tree this year and it is completely dried out. It wasn't recut after we bought it so it wouldn't soak up any water. We usually have an artificial tree. Next year we'll be wiser.

Today we're going downtown to see the gingerbread houses and the carousel.Pin It

Staying sane

Well, I've almost survived this week. My oldest is out of preschool on Christmas break and CBS is also on Christmas break. This is bad news for a child who loves structure as much as A does. He also misses the crafts.

I've come up with some activities and crafts to keep him busy. So far we've
- made a card for his best friend
- made a gingerbread man paper chain
- put glitter on wood stars
- enjoyed the indoor playground (twice)
- went back to story time at the library

I still have a Christmas-themed foam craft kit lying around. Tomorrow we'll head back to the library and maybe the childrens museum.

I'm having a terrible time getting my photo cards. I used Shutterfly and I'm very unhappy with the colour. They've already redone them, too. I wore a red sweater for our family photo and it looks WAY brighter and orange-y than in real life. I won't be using them again for Christmas cards. I want to put a sticky note on all the cards I send out saying "my sweater isn't this hideous, really!"Pin It

Cutest thing I've seen today....

other than my boys, of course!



Otters holding hands.Pin It

Sick season

People are dropping like flies. Thankfully we are still surviving here. My youngest has a cough but he has had it forever so is probably not contagious.

I found this today and thought it was great.

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Christmas to do list

- find sweaters for family photo
- Get family photo taken
- choose family photo
- order photo cards
- order 4 by 6 photos for family
- make gifts for boys' teachers (6)
- write Christmas letter (DH's job)
- find addresses for mailing
- print address labels
- put up tree
- decorate tree
- redecorate tree after 2 year old takes ornaments off
- buy presents
- make scrapbooks for grandparents
- pick photos for photo calendar (gift for grandparents)
- order calendar - can't - Costco's website not working. Argg.
- attempt a Santa photo - youngest son was willing but didn't look at camera. Oh well.Pin It

If I had a hammer...

Today in preschool, the teacher asked all of the children what they would give baby Jesus as a present. She made a list of their answers. My son said "toy tools." Awwww. Maybe he remembered that Joseph was a carpenter? I'd like to think so!

One child said a pacifier. I guess he/she hasn't been listening to Away in the Manger and the line "no crying he makes."Pin It

Since I'm the photo blogger lately....

Baby hedgehogs!Pin It

What an amazing photo!

I found this while surfing today.
It *almost* makes me want to go back to Trafalgar Square. I'm not found of pigeons. I used to live in a "high rise" apartment complex and I was often awoken but the cooing of pigeons. It sounds romantic but it got VERY annoying. One came inside on a hot summer morning and I was freaked out!

note: If you go to the photographer's website, be warned there is one non-family-friendly photo.Pin It

Beautiful?

"A beautiful mess," said my 2 year old as he looked at the toys in the playroom. (A room which is indeed messy).

I could probably come up with some profound lesson from that comment but I'm too tired.Pin It

History for preschoolers and toddlers

Yes, you read that right. Who knew that a 2 year old and a 4 year old could learn American history? Without much effort on my part. :)

I was browsing DVDs online and came across this:

This is America, Charlie Brown.

My sons love it. Their favourite "episode" is the music one. A likes When the Saints Go Marching In, C likes Yankee Doodle. I learned some things myself (about the Mayflower) since I'm Canadian. We borrowed it from our local library. I think kids will enjoy it more if they have already watched a Charlie Brown show already. Say this one?
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Some fun giveaways!

Williams Sonoma cookware and a beautiful apron.

How about everything from the Parents "Holiday" Christmas Gift Guide?Pin It

Menu plan Monday

Tonight we had chili. The recipe is here.

This week we'll have:

- Jambalaya

- Veggie Lasagna in the Crock Pot - recipe here.

- Meatball Soup (A's favourite)Pin It

You should see the other guy.

My youngest is very adventurous and doesn't have a good sense of what is a good idea and what is not. We were at a fast food restaurant on Friday and he wanted to sit in the wooden high chair. Well, he wanted to *play* in the high chair. He was perched on it, squatting and he tumbled out, head first onto the hard uncarpeted floor. You wouldn't believe the screaming. He is OK, by the way.

We were supposed to have our Christmas family photo taken on Saturday but when I had a good look at his eye Saturday morning, I knew we had to reschedule. There are some things even Photoshop can't fix. Here's hoping NEXT Saturday will work out!

p.s. The photo was taken with my *old* camera. I need a flash drive for my new one so I can share photos.Pin It