The American election that is. It seemed to have lasted for years. Oh right...it kinda did!
It only makes me love the fact that when we have an election announcement we get 6 weeks of campaigns....that's it.
I wonder what the next 4 years will be like for the USA and what effects a new president will have on Canada?
Makes me think of the Mamas and the Papas, lol.
Today after church we had a potluck Sundae. Chris and I brought all the ice cream and other members of the congregation brought the toppings! It was an idea we 'borrowed' from another church in the city, and it went over very well and was very yummy.
So pretty much since lunch yesterday my children have been ingesting sugar. It started with the Halloween parties at school, then trick or treating, a treat or two snuck in before church and ice cream sundaes after church. Beth's tummy hurts...as it probably should. The other two seem fine, so far.
Every Halloween I am at a crossroads. Do I dole out the candy a bit at a time and then have to listen to them every 10 minutes asking for just one more, or do I let them have a free for all and just get it all over with?
What do you do?
I can't believe it's already November. Time is flying lately.
We spent today at home and got a few things done. The Halloween decorations are down and ready to be put away in the garage until next year and the Christmas lights are up. Our inflatable snowman is also up, but he looks pretty sad on dead grass with no snow.
It's supposed to be above 10C for the next few days so I'm not expecting snow soon, but I know it won't be long. I still need to get a winter jacket for Anna though. If the consignment shop is open tomorrow I would like to look there first and hopefully get a deal. I think the winter boots from last year still fit everyone, but maybe we should recheck them just to make sure.
I have today off which is really nice because I get to go to the girls' school and help out at Anna's party this afternoon. I rarely get to attend school events so I am quite pleased.
Chris also has the day off so we're just sitting around drinking coffee and in a bit I think we'll head out shopping. We have a few ideas of things to get the girls for Christmas so today is as good a day as any to start the process.
I have to remember to take my camera with me. I always forget.
MSN groups is closing for anyone who happens to belong to one. They 'partnered' with Multiply and will migrate your group over there if you like. So I signed up and even though I cleaned my computer of all spyware etc., I still have problems with Multiply. The site thinks I am a 'bot' as soon as I try to do anything and takes me to a page that asks me to verify text. It never likes what I verify. I complained to the support people and they fixed it, and then it happened again as soon as I tried to do something.
So if you see me on Halloween, I may look just like myself, but know that deep down inside I am really a robot trying to hack some random website. Brilliant costume if you ask me.
Interpret that title as you want, lol.
In the spring, our church held a garage sale of donated items. Since we were there the night before the sale to help set up we got first dibs on the items. I always go straight for the books at garage sales and that evening was no exception. I found Chris a few books and then found my JACKPOT. Someone had donated a brand new copy of the The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet. I had just finished reading a copy from the library and loved it, and since books were only 50 cents at this garage sale (even the hardcovers) it was a steal of a deal. The book was an over sized paperback and retails for $27.50! When I picked it up and looked a little further into the pile I found another treasure, World Without End also by Ken Follet, also brand new looking. I had not read this one yet! It's set in the same place as the first book and makes mention of a few characters from Pillars of the Earth, but it's not really considered the second in a series as they both can be read as stand alone novels in any order. This one was hardcover and retails for $42! I was giddy with garage sale excitement, lol. But as I picked up the second book the face of another member of our church standing across from me dropped. She had wanted the second book. So we made a deal. I'd buy one, and she'd buy one and we'd trade when we wanted. Since I was going away for the summer, I told her she could take the second one to read (she had also just finished the first) and bring it to me in the fall when I returned to church.
I'd actually forgotten about the second book until yesterday at church when she told me she had it in her car and would bring it in to me at coffee time. I was so excited. Not only did I get to read the book I had been so excited about, but I could stop reading the third book in the series I blogged about the other day. Yep, I started it. But I was only 15 pages into it, so it's safe to set aside until I am done my new one.
She saved me.....from reading the book I don't want to read!
I finally finished a novel I have been working on since before summer. No, I am not that slow of a reader, but the book was really dry, and I just have this annoying aspect of my personality that MAKES me finish a book no matter what. It was the second book in a series and the first one was really good. But now I am trying to decide if I should read the third one in the series. It's sitting on my shelf, calling out to me, trying to tell me it's not so boring, that it's more like the first book than the second book.
Actually I have no idea if it's any better than the second one, but it has to be, right? Authors don't write a third book in a series when their readers didn't like the second one, unless it's waaayyyy better than the second one, right? Please tell me it will be better. Another part of that annoying aspect of my personality is that a series sort of counts as one book, lol. So I may not have a choice of reading the third book or not.
And then of course I have another book by the same author sitting on the shelf next to the third in the series. It's not a part of the series, but I may be destined to read it as well. I won't be able to stop myself and I may curse myself the entire time, but I'll have to do it.
Generally the only thing that prevents me from finishing a book I have completely lost interest in is that the online library renewal system. It tells me I have renewed the book too many times and prevents me from renewing it again. Then I have to take it back to avoid late fees.
Unfortunately these books are borrowed and the owner seems to have no desire for me to ever return them. If she would just call and harass me and complain I have had the books too long, which I really have, and then maybe shed a few tears because she longs to read the books again, them maybe I could bring myself to not start the third book in the series. But I doubt that will ever happen, because I have read the second book in the series, and I don't think anyone would want to read it again.
Three days in a row. A blogging accomplishment.
Chris is still out of town. He will be home tonight. He made it back in time yesterday to drop Anna off at her activity.
We have Girl Guide cookies to sell. Please buy some so I can stop eating them. I swear I have zero willpower.
I was going to swim laps tonight but the pool I wanted to go to cancelled lane swimming tonight. I'll have to look at my lists of other facilities and see if there is anything open. Of course it will depend if Chris is home by then. I suck at swimming, but I enjoy it. Maybe one day I will learn how to do more than the breaststroke. A walk might be nice instead.
I wonder if Chris will get a chance to work on installing the central vac this weekend? How odd that I am excited to vacuum....but then I am sure that excitement will be gone after the first time I use it. The girls can start vacuuming now though, without having to worry about plugging in or dragging a heavy canister around. Yay for slaves, I mean kids.
The girls want allowance. They have been very good about keeping their rooms clean. Of course I still pick up some of Katie's clothes that have not found their way into the hamper, but her room used to be a disaster so it's a big improvement. Beth had been doing better, but she has books all over her floor and her drawers are all hanging open. If I make her a space for the books she reads while in bed that should help. Anna's room is often messy but all the day home kids play in there, so it's not entirely her fault. She's been good at cleaning it when asked though. I think we'll take some of the little kid toys out of her closet this weekend and move them downstairs to the play area.
Chris and I will have to have the allowance discussion again soon. Do your kids get allowance? Are they expected to do chores for it? Do you ever take it away?
Trying to get back into the blogging thing, but I only have random sentences in my head, no paragraphs to form a nicely thought out blog. Guess you have to put up with that for a while.
Chris is out of town. Left yesterday evening, comes home tonight for a few minutes, then he's off again 'til tomorrow. I don't always remember where he is, so I have to write it on my calendar. I don't mind the travelling, but it interferes with plans sometimes.
Tonight Beth and Anna have to be at 2 different places at the same time. Chris might be home in time to help and can drop one off on his way to the next place. If not, my parents might be able to help. If not them, I'll figure something out.
Katie's old enough to babysit for a couple hours, but I don't think she's quite old enough to drive unfortunately. We're enjoying her age, she can watch her sisters while we go out and shop or run errands, or go to a movie. It's a freedom we're enjoying. But now I am looking forward to when she can drive. I must be crazy!
No, I can wait. I don't want my little girl to grow up too fast, plus the teenage years scare me.
I got a bathroom clean this morning. Maybe I can get to the other one if I can get all kids sleeping at once this afternoon. Not likely though.
Still need to plan supper. At least I went grocery shopping on the weekend so the pantry is full.
So thanks to Bonnie I changed my background. But that was all I did.
A blogging mood has not struck me lately, not sure why.
Maybe my life is too boring right now?
How can it be so boring when it seems we are so busy?
Weekends get used up fast and don't last long enough.
Weekdays are filled with work, school and the girls' activities.
Except for Mondays and Fridays, those nights are still free but somehow they still seem busy.
Tonight Beth and Anna have Brownies and Sparks. We should get the cases of cookies to sell. Anyone want cookies? They are the chocolate covered mint ones. Yum!
Katie and Beth were back at school today. If I was one of those good 'get everything on camera' mothers I would have taken a picture, but I am not. Tomorrow is Anna's first day of Kindergarten. I am hoping I will remember to get a picture of her before I take her to school, and then I can snap one of the other girls as well and 20 yrs down the road no one will even know or remember it wasn't the actual first day of school. Especially if I ever get around to scrap booking and I journal it as the first day of school. I wonder how many other people scrapbook lies?
Almost.
I went school supply shopping on Saturday and picked up almost everything the girls need to start school. Last night we labelled it all and got it packed into their backpacks. All I have left to pick up are indoor runners for the girls, and Kleenex. I am getting excited! The girls have been fighting a lot lately. More than a lot. It's all they seem to do. Hopefully separating them with a few classrooms in between each should help curb that.
Katie and Beth start school on Thursday. Chris will take them in the morning and help them find their classrooms and meet their new teachers. The lists will be posted at the school somewhere and we don't know the teacher until the first day. Anna doesn't go until Friday, and we were given her Kindergarten information in June, so her teacher has already been announced. I am taking Friday off and am crossing my fingers that she is going to let me leave after I take her to her classroom. She's not normally the clingy type, but she also likes to surprise you.
I have to remember to take first day of school pictures. That's something I almost always forget.
My sister had a home party last week and I splurged and bought a picture frame. It's not a normal picture frame, I mentioned it in a blog a few days ago. It's a magnetic frame that you can add your pictures to, or you could add a scrapbook page, or a combination of the two.
This is a picture of the frame on the company's website so you can see an example of what you can do with it if you have some time and some creativity.
When I opened it up last night I went through my box of pictures to find some to display so I could show Chris how neat the frame is. He thought it looked nice, but wasn't nearly as thrilled as I was. These are just a few pictures from the girls' dance recital last year. They are just put on as is, with no background paper or embellishments or anything, so imagine how pretty it could be with some creativity! The round wooden things on the pictures are the magnets, and on the ribbon at the bottom the pictures are held on with mini clothespegs.
My sister and I are going to try and figure out a way to make some more of these frames for ourselves. It has got to be cheaper than buying them from the company. And we could make them in different sizes as well. Any ideas?
What was I doing 5 years ago at this time? If I remember correctly I was slightly uncomfortable and trying to sleep because I had been up most of the night before feeling slightly uncomfortable. It was actually the onset of labour, but I didn't want to believe it, lol.
I had been induced for both of my previous pregnancies, so I had never gone into labour all on my own. I wasn't actually having contractions yet, just cramps. Chris convinced me we should go in so I could be checked. We lived over half an hour from the hospital and my previous history of labours showed I like to get those babies outta there FAST. Not quite as fast as my mother who had her last baby, my little brother, in 45 mins from first contraction to babe in arms. But 4 hours fast, which is quicker than 'average'. I was worried I'd be like my mom and end up having a baby on the side of the road in a car, lol. Anyways, I grabbed my hospital bag and off we went. Katie had swimming lessons so we took her to the pool and left her with an overnight bag with friends of ours. I can't remember if Beth went with them also or if she went to stay the night at my sister's place.
I'm outside on my deck.
Kids are playing in the sprinkler because it's super hot today.
Sitting at my new (to me) patio table, compiling an address list for my camp job on my laptop. I love that there are no cords all over the place and with a wireless router I can even email and blog.
This is the life.
Gotta love a nice cup of coffee mid way through the morning. I was too busy after getting home from the gym to start a pot. My kitchen was left in a mess last night. Chris promised to get up and help me with it in the morning since it was almost all his doing.
He made it into the kitchen in time to watch me wash the last dish.
So I made him make the coffee, which he normally does anyways, so he didn't care.
We're having a BBQ this evening. Last count we had about 35 people say they would be attending. It started out as a BBQ for us and 2 couples, but just grew and grew. It should be a lot of fun. But I think tomorrow I am going to need some more of that coffee to get through the day.
This morning Chris made potato salad and I made guacamole. We still have chip dip and fruit dip to make and we have to cut up all the fruit. That will have to wait until after lunch because I am too busy enjoying my coffee at the moment.
Oh, and I drove the car this morning. The windshield wipers have two settings. Off and Super Fast. And when you turn them off from Super Fast, they just stop wherever they feel like it. We're going to need to figure that out before we're driving in the rain.
So while I continue to think about decorating the inside of my house, Chris has been busy 'researching' how to decorate the outside. He started with the driveway. This is our newest decoration.
It's been a couple of months, but I swear I have a good excuse. Well to be honest my good excuse is only good for the month of July, I cannot explain what happened to June.
In July the girls and I went to the lake, for the whole month. I took a job there at a children's' camp as the Camp Administrator. I caught up with some old friends and made a few new ones. A good time was generally had by all. Unfortunately though, the Internet was dial up only at the lake. It was painful, but I must say, less painful than I originally thought. So my Internet time was limited to downloading email and once in a while I would check on a forum or try to catch a friend of two on MSN...oh and Facebook, I'd try to check that once a week or so as well.
So now we are home and back to the same old same old. Which I am already a little bit tired of, lol. I'm hitting the gym every morning, even though some mornings I can barely drag my butt out of bed. And I bought a new bike with part of my summer pay cheque so I am riding that to and from the gym at the moment. Once the snow falls (Mother Nature I beg you...please let me have until at least Halloween) I will start driving my van again. I am also back to babysitting every weekday. Luckily I have great kids, so it's a pretty easy, yet very busy, job.
Now that I am back to blogging, I need something to blog about. A theme for the year, or a while, I suppose. Not that I will stick to a theme, but if I have one there will always be something in the back of my head nudging me to write. I've been thinking about what's missing in my house lately. We have all the basics and more, but if you came into my house, I think you'd notice one main thing that is missing. DECOR.
It's glaringly obvious that I am not a decorator. Our walls upstairs were white when we moved in and they are still white a year later. Our pictures, those that are up, are just hung on old nail holes. It's really quite sad. I suppose I should give myself a little credit though, we have a small nook in our hallway that is decorated. Chris spent some time in Nunavut a couple of years ago and brought home some soap stone carvings which are beautiful. I have those in the nook with a painting I found at a garage sale for $5. It looks nice to me, but remember, I am not a decorator. I'll have to take a picture and post it sometime.
It's not that I am scared of paint exactly, that's not why my walls are still white, it's more that I am scared of starting painting and not knowing where to stop. All of our corners upstairs are rounded corners so one wall leads to the next, and the next and the next. I'm told you can still paint and just make sure you tape the corner well so there is a definite line, but I don't trust myself or my husband to tape it that well. So we just don't paint, and we look at our white walls day after day after day.
Which brings me to my goal for the year and my blog theme for a while, again, not that I will stick to it, lol. I want to decorate my home this year. I want to place my pictures in planned places, not left over nail holes. I want to buy some home decor items. I might even want to buy some, dare I say it, curtains. I don't really like curtains, but they often look nice in other peoples' homes, so maybe they would in mine too?
I went to a home party they other night and bought a magnetic frame thing which I am excited about getting and planning what's going to go in it. It's one that you can put scrapbook pages or pictures in and change it up every so often. It was my first step in my home.
My first step on my blog was to change the background...much easier, and no paint lines to stress about.
Katie's room is getting close to being ready for her to move in as well. It's painted, but it needs a closet door, and all the trim (baseboards, door and window moldings) and of course a ceiling. Once we get a few more things done in there, and the furniture from my brother in law, she can move in!
