Funky Chicken

I have discovered another online computer game; one in which I can experience a relative measure of success. Chicken Invaders 2. Yes, you read correctly...chicken invaders. Remember Space Invaders from the 1980's? Now, instead of funky looking aliens, picture chickens and eggs descending on the screen. It's fun and not too difficult. Find it at http://zone.msn.com/en/chickeninv2/default.htm

Quote Unquote

"To bring up a child in the way he should go, travel that way yourself once in awhile."
-Josh Billings

I don't know who this guy is, but I kind of like the quote...found it in my day timer. Here's another one I like:

"I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."
-Anna Quindlen

Crazy Days and Mondays...

As I was driving to work this morning, I realized that the traffic lights were out at the intersection next to my place of employment. Mere seconds after noticing this, the radio mentioned that there was a power outage in that area. Great. It was quite weird to arrive at work during our "rush time" to see an empty parking lot and drive-thru! Apparently, the power went out about 7:15am and didn't come back on until about 8:50am. Of course, it came on just in time for my shift.

Whether related to the power outage or not, we also had two employees arrive late for their shifts. It was a strange day at work!

I'm enjoying today's sunshine from indoors; no time to enjoy it from the outside. After work, I picked up a few groceries, came home, changed and threw my uniform in the wash, so it is clean for tomorrow. I have just a few minutes to read some email and write my blog before picking Sam up from school, followed by his trombone from the music shop where it is being repaired. He broke the water key off last week. Once we're back home, I need to work on supper and bake some squares for Wednesday. I promised to bake for the teachers for parent-teacher interview days, but I won't have time tomorrow. Honestly, I don't feel like I have time today, but I'll do it anyway...part of being a mom is doing things I really don't feel like doing.

24 is on tonight, so I'll need to catch that before heading out for my weekly girls' night.

He Shoots, He Scores

Sam's team finally won their second hockey game of the year this morning! Ironically, they beat the same team that they won their only other game against...a battle for last place. This other team has only won one game, and they only had 8 players show up for the game.

Even though we outmanned them, they played hard and better than us for most of the game. I think they just got tired by the third period, which allowed us to get more shots on goal. The sweetest goal though was the game winner scored by Sam!

He was alone in front of the net, while all the other players swarmed the puck along the left boards. One of our guys got his stick on the puck long enough to pass it over to Sam. Sam was patient and took his time with his shot in order to get it over the goalie's shoulder.

Second goal of the year!

Meltdown

I knew that there was a reason why I only planned Abby's party for two hours...8 loud kids! I think everyone had fun, but there were two somewhat domineering personalities which required a lot more patience and energy on my part. Frankly, I don't have a lot of patience in that kind of a situation, but at least I am mature enough to deal with the situation in a civilized manner, rather than erupting like Mt. St. Helen's.

The house is quiet now, the hockey game is starting on TV (Canucks), and I am free to relax. My pjs are calling my name. I can curl up in my favourite corner on the sofa with my favourite fleece throw. I can feel the cells in my body beginning to lose their rigidity...I could melt into a puddle on this chair.

It's been a long day. Work was okay; steady and just busy enough. Of course, it is always way too hot behind the counter, but the breeze coming in through the drive-thru window was quite refreshing. Tomorrow, another day of work after watching Sam play hockey.

Time to ooze on over to the sofa now...

Happy Birthday Abby!

Today is Abby's 8th birthday! My baby is getting so big.

Nothing much happening today. I made cupcakes for Abby's class, but Kane and I have Care Group tonight. Her party is on Saturday, so we'll save the rowdy celebrations for then.

Sam's team has the teal jerseys. Sam is playing right wing and wears #11.




















Dad and Abby playing MarioKart Double Dash in our hotel room.








During Saturday's afternoon game, Abby fell asleep on the bench...the joys of being dragged to her brother's games and practices!






I was just experimenting with the camera, doing some black & white, some sepia. Sam is wearing #11.

Weekend Warriors

Well, we're back from Kamloops. The tournament was alright; we lost every game, but Sam played well and had an assist. The team played better than usual for a couple of the games, but in general, nothing has changed.

My hopes for enjoying the social aspect of the weekend soured rather quickly after listening to two of the coaches' wives during our first game. We lost that game 8-2. It didn't take long for these women to start hanging their heads after every goal scored against us. Then, they started the comments. "Any other goalie would have stopped that!" "Wouldn't it be nice to have a goalie on the team?"

Those comments were bad enough, but what really went too far was when one of the women turned to the opposition's parents and vented. She said to the other team's parents, "We don't have a goalie." This took one of the opposing moms by surprise. She answered with, "Oh, you don't have your regular goalie here?" The response? "He is our regular goalie, but he's NOT a goalie, in case you hadn't noticed! He's scared of the puck."

I sat on that cold, hard bench for the rest of the game in shock. I could not believe that these two women were behaving in such a way. Well, maybe I could, because my opinion of them wasn't very high to begin with, but honestly! No, we don't have the best goalie in the league, but our goalie works hard and does his best. He gets virtually no support. Our defense is non-existent most of the time, while our players swarm after the puck like novice players. Wouldn't it be nice to see our team play as a team?! That's what I would like to see, but it doesn't appear to be happening.

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After two of our coaches' kids were given the honour of MVP on Friday, it was nice to see two regular kids receive that honour for yesterday's games. Not that a coach's kid is not deserving of being an MVP, but I always enjoy seeing kids rewarded for playing their best even when they aren't the best player on the team. So many times, the coaches' children are the captains and assistant captains. Too many times to count, the captains and the assistants are awarded the MVP, because they are the "star" or stand-out players. Fair enough. But what about the kid who plays the best game of his life but doesn't score a goal? I'd rather see the MVP go to a player like that any day!

And you know, it makes a huge difference to that kid! After our third game, our MVP was one of those unsung players. He did work hard that game and scored a goal; I don't believe he had scored before yesterday. During our fourth game, that kid played hard and gave extra effort. I've never seen him play with such passion or determination! I fully believe that he was infused with new confidence after receiving that MVP. Did the head coach's son play any harder after winning the MVP for the first game? As a spectator, I would have to say no. He expects to win an MVP and has won many before.

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The hotel messed up our reservation. I had reserved a room with a kitchenette, but they were going to give us a standard room without a kitchenette. Not good enough when you came prepared for cooking your own meals! So, they upgraded us to a suite for the same price as a standard room. Our suite was very nice. Two queen beds were in a separate room from the living room and kitchen.

With five people in our family, sleeping arrangements can be finicky. Casey and Abby are both quite squirmy, so Sam hates sharing a bed with either of them. In fact, Sam would rather sleep on the floor than share a bed. The suite had a hide-a-bed in the living room, so we had beds for five. Sam needed a better night's sleep Friday night, so we let him have the hide-a-bed to himself for one night. Kane and Casey shared one queen bed, while Abby and I shared the other.

I did not sleep well that night. Kane snored. Abby ground her teeth and kicked me most of the night. At one point, a light turned on, waking me up. (I need darkness to sleep.) It was Sam making a trip to the bathroom. Casey often grinds his teeth or talks, but I didn't hear a peep from him...though the snoring and grinding on either side of me could have masked his noise!

Saturday night, we changed things slightly. Casey was promised the hide-a-bed to himself, but Sam didn't want to share a bed with anyone. So, Sam slept on the floor in the living room; there was certainly enough room for that! For some reason, Kane wanted one bed to himself, so I was stuck with Abby again. Thankfully, the only noise I had to contend with was Kane's snoring. I should be used to that by now, but I'm not. He can snore to his heart's content after I'm asleep, just not before that point. Trouble is that he always falls asleep very quickly; I don't.

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We had a bit of excitement Saturday night when the mom of one our players slipped on the ice outside the hotel and fell, breaking her wrist or arm; I'm not really sure. I wasn't outside when it happened, and I'm glad. Apparently, the break pierced the skin. One of my favourite authors has a series of books about a medical examiner; I can read all about autopsies. I can watch it on TV, but I'm not as keen on seeing stuff like that in real life. At any rate, she was taken to the hospital and was to have surgery this morning.

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And now we're home! It's back to work and back to school tomorrow. Kane and I also need to go vote tomorrow. Abby's birthday is Thursday, but her party will be Saturday. I haven't given a single thought to her party beyond discussing the time frame with Kane tonight. I'm sure Abby has everything planned out already...

I took my mom's digital camera with us this weekend, maybe tomorrow I can put some photos up. Hopefully, I was able to get some decent shots.

Randomonium

*the owl pellet lab that Sam spent hours working on last week...he received a 4/5! Hopefully, he will see how hard work pays off.

*interesting stuff going on at http://www.castanet.net regarding the suspension of a hockey player and his mother over a letter to the editor. Check out the letters and the sports forum! KMHA has already removed their guest book from their website; guess they didn't like all the negative feedback they were getting from all across Canada and even from some states. The story has even made it to the Sportsnet forums...will Don Cherry get his hands on it? I'm sure he will.

*we need to get a VCR! Ours died months ago, and we've never bothered to replace it; after all, dvds are taking over the world. But, we're left with movies on VHS that we cannot watch anymore, and we're left unable to record beloved programs. There aren't many TV shows that I absolutely must watch. Well, "many" may be a relative number, but those shows are Smallville, 24, and Lost. I like a handful of other shows, but if I miss one...I miss it.

*I need a digital camera. The other night I took 5 rolls of film in to be developed, which left me with at least 13 or so rolls waiting at home! Of the rolls developed, two were from early 2002, one from late 2003, and the final two from July 2004. I wonder how old the remaining rolls are?

*I bought Casey and Abby new pants last week. For reasons beyond my control, they continue to grow. Either that or their pants shrink. Now, I look at Abby, and she suddenly seems older and more mature, bigger. Because of new jeans?! I've threatened living in a box until she's 20...

*The Olympics are coming! I'm getting excited. Just how bad will the time difference be?

*I get three days off in a row; four if you count my unexpected day off today. I also get to watch my son play hockey all weekend!

*Speaking of hockey, I like Alexander Ovechkin. Even more so than Sidney Crosby. Sorry, but it's true.

*Sam and I have our own little hockey pool going. We picked a bunch of players each, and we're going by the most total points and the best goals against average for our goalies. We haven't checked our stats for a while, but we don't have a prize waiting at the end anyway. My players are Bertuzzi, Naslund, Ovechkin, Horcoff, Spezza, St. Louis, Phaneuf, Kaberle, Sopel, Ohlund, Brodeur, Cloutier (I know...lousey choice!), Theodore, and Giguere. Sam's picks are: Mogilny, Yashin, Jagr, Forsberg, Crosby, Sundin, Thorton, Drury, Koivu, and Spezza. Wait a sec...I don't know who else is on his list. Oh well...I'm going to win anyway.

*With everything that I need to do before we leave tomorrow, I've done almost none of it! Instead, I've been somewhat glued to the computer, keeping up-to-date on the minor hockey fiasco. I worked on a couple of scrapbook pages using some of my new-old photos. I had lunch late. I've nagged Sam to work on homework. I've taken his temperature. I've made a list of what I need to pack. I've written in my journal. Time well wasted!

*I work well under pressure anyway. Besides, it was what I had expected before Sam woke up sick.

Sick Day

We thought Sam's fever had broken last night around 9:30, but I guess we were wrong. He woke this morning, or rather we woke him up and discovered that his skin was just as hot as it had been before. A check with the thermometer confirmed it. 102.5 or there about.

So, I called in and am missing another day of work because of a child's illness. I feel absolutely horrible about it, though I appreciate the unexpected day off, because I know it puts my co-workers and managers in a bind. There's no one able to cover my shift. But what can I do? I have a kid too sick to go to school, and while he's old enough to stay home by himself, I'm not comfortable with that while he is sick with a fever.

Of course, this is yet another missed day of school for Sam, which I feel even worse about than my missing work. He can't afford to miss school for two reasons. There is only a week left in this term, and he struggles enough with his work already.

But here we are...me still in my pjs instead of my work uniform and Sam on the futon watching an old Abbot and Costello movie, sipping apple juice.

Sick & Tired

Only 18 days into the new year, and I'm scratching my head, trying to understand what is going on. My kids don't get sick very often, but the past two weeks have been quite weird. First, Sam had a fever and sore throat for a couple of days. He missed two days of school. Then, Casey came down with pink eye, followed quickly by Sam. Both boys missed one day of school (thankfully, we had a weekend in there to absorb some of those contagious days!). Last Saturday, Casey spent the night vomiting.

Today, I picked Sam up from school. He no sooner opened the van door than he announced that he was cold and tired. In fact, he wanted to have a nap when he got home! Nap? Sam?! Those two words just don't go together. But, he did have a nap before supper, and he is, in fact, in bed for the night already. He went back to bed before 7pm.

He was looking forward to going to youth group tonight, despite being tired and having a fever. Yes, he has a fever, too. Even up until it was time to walk out the door, he was wanting and determined to go. Then, he wavered just enough for our parental wisdom and logic to penetrate his stubbornness. He caved and crawled into bed.

Hopefully, he'll feel better in the morning. He cannot afford any more sick days from school, and we're leaving Friday for the hockey tournament.

Road Trip

We're going to Kamloops this weekend for a Pee Wee hockey tournament. We are guaranteed four games; only the top 4 teams will play on Sunday. Miracles can happen in the world of sports, but we, as in Kane and I, have already taken our team out of the running for one of those top spots. Since the season began way back in October, we have won only one game. Our team has no unity. There are three or four players on the team who act as individuals, thinking that they are hockey superstars at the tender age of 11. Ironically or not, these same kids belong to our coaches. Our head coach must see this team as a showcase for his son, because he only sees fit to lay the blame for our losses at the goalie's feet.

But I could go on that little rant for a very long time...suffice it to say that many parents on the team, us included, have written off this season already. And really, aside from this tournament and our final tournament in March, we only have 9 games left in the season! As much as I love hockey, I can't wait for this season to end.

So, we hold no hope for placing in this tournament. Kane was so sure that we'd be finished after our final game on Saturday, that he was quite prepared to cancel our hotel reservation for that evening and come home early. I could see the financial logic in that decision, but I couldn't give up that final gasp of hope. We would have to check out Saturday morning, and our final game wouldn't be over until 4:45pm. What if we pulled off the miraculous?

We talked last night about our options. Stay both nights or only one. It wasn't a long discussion; we're staying both nights. My logic sees it this way...on Friday, we play at 3:15pm and 6:45pm. There really won't be very much, if any, time to enjoy the pool on Friday. If we checked out Saturday morning, we would still not be able to enjoy the pool. Saturday, we play at 10:00am and 3:15pm. Even if we lose every game, staying that extra night allows us time to relax, enjoy the pool, and take our time. Why drive home at night after a long day, when we can drive home the next day, rested and with all the time we need?

Of course, as far as out-of-town tournaments go, I always find them somewhat stressful when it comes to the social interaction with teammates and their families. I'm not the outgoing, social person that my husband is; I like my space sometimes. I have no problem being friendly with strangers and interacting with them, but some strangers require more patience, more work, more something. In four years of hockey and two years of all-star baseball, we've had good families and bad families on our teams. This year, there are several adults that I would prefer not to spend time with, but there are also many adults that I simply don't know.

It's kind of weird really just how divided our team is this year. There are kids on the team whose names I couldn't say. I couldn't match up every parent with their child, even if I knew all the kids' names. Some parents either don't come to games or practices very often, or they keep to themselves. Of course, I have no respect for our coaches, which makes hanging out with them rather uncomfortable and tedious. Some of the boys on the team can be somewhat cliquish, but generally, kids are just kids. Hopefully, the kids will have fun and bond over the weekend.

Funny People

People are funny creatures. Myself included.

Yesterday at work a fellow employee commented on the number of yogurts that we've been selling lately. I piped up with a comment on the power of advertising. Tim Horton's is "featuring" their yogurt and berries for the month of January, which means a lot of TV advertising and signage. The price is the same, and we've carried this item for a long time. Yet suddenly, people have this urge to buy this item they may never have bought before.

Last week, I was at the grocery store to purchase milk, something I do with regular frequency. This particular time, I paused and considered, because there was only one jug of 2% left, but it wasn't my usual brand. Hmmm. So, I decided on a whim to buy a jug of 1% milk. Kane almost went into shock when he next opened the fridge! You see, I have bought 2% for years, not liking the watery taste or look of lower fat milks. But I realized something that day...I realized how foolish I had been! All these years I've bought 2% milk, even though Kane would have preferred 1% or even skim milk, but I almost never actually drink milk! When I drink a glass of milk, I feel icky after, so I don't drink it. On occasion, I will have a glass of chocolate milk, but even that can make me feel less than happy. Eating cereal is also something that I rarely do. Why have I insisted on buy what I want when I never personally consume it?!

So, I've made the switch to 1%. Kane is happy, and my kids have barely even noticed. I think Sam discovered the difference after looking at the label, but he still drinks just as milk as he ever did. But, here I sit, wondering how many other ways I am behaving foolishly for no other reason than habit.

It Finally Happened!

Sam scored his first goal of this season!

I was impressed with Sam's play today. He was positioning himself well, getting in front of the net, and skating hard to stay with the play. Hard work in front of the net paid off, and Sam was able to score off of his own rebound.

His team played one of the girls' teams. Midget girls from what I've been told. We still lost and badly. Final score was at least 6 to 2...they stop putting up goals when there is a big difference. Sam scored our second goal.

Sam was disappointed after the game, because none of his coaches said anything to him about his goal. No comments whatsoever. I think Sam was appeased though later this afternoon while attending a major midget tournament game when one of the "hot shots" on his team said that Sam's goal was the best one in the entire game!

I don't know if it was the best, but it is the only one that I remember. Of course, I'm slightly biased.

Motivation

I am feeling a little battered from the blows of hindsight and doubt. Last night was a long one for Sam as he plodded along with his homework. I had chosen to stay home from care group, knowing that Sam would need a helping hand. I even sacrificed one of my favourite TV shows, CSI.

Hours later, by the time Sam had finished one class' work, he was feeling overwhelmed and weary. I was allowing my frustration to morph into tenderness and concern. We both found some tears in our eyes after separating from a long hug; I was surprised at how easily he let me embrace him.

Sam struggles with many aspects of school, but he is a smart kid. Doubts assault me. Did we make a mistake homeschooling him? Sometimes, I'm not sure anymore. Did I make mistakes as his teacher? Most certainly. I am human, but mistakes are made by everyone and everywhere. Could I truly write-off all his homeschooled years as a terrible choice? I don't think so.

Sam does struggle with reading, writing, and some aspects of math. He's seen some improvement over the past year and a bit, but the struggles are still present. I remember my first meeting with Sam's learning assistance teacher last year in his first year back in public school. She was a nice lady, but I couldn't help but feel condemnation and blame for Sam's educational shortcomings. This past fall, when Abby entered public school, I was surprised and somewhat offended to learn that the LA teacher had assessed Abby, expecting to find the same problems that Sam had. Had she bothered to ask me about Abby first, she wouldn't have wasted her time! The teacher was quite impressed and informed me that Abby wouldn't need to spend anytime in learning assistance. Gee, thanks.

As insulting as I could take that exchange, I also found a glimmer of hope there. Maybe, I didn't need to take all the blame for Sam's struggles. Maybe, he comes by those struggles naturally. After all, we aren't all rocket scientists or math geniuses. I know I'm not.

How well I remember feeling overwhelmed and lost in math classes once I reached junior high. My junior high grades were high enough to see me on the honour roll, and when I moved on to high school in grade 10, I was placed in advanced English, Science, and Algebra classes. I could have applied myself more, especially in English, but the Science and Algebra classes could have been taught in Greek. I came out of them with okay grades but didn't step foot into an advanced class during my last two years of high school.

As a parent, it is difficult to think, or even accept, that your child is less than perfect. Even though I know my kids aren't perfect, knowing there's a problem still stings and wounds my pride. As if it is my fault that Casey had encopresis as a pre-schooler or that Sam hates reading, likes Pepsi and the Toronto Maple Leafs! I can accept the Maple Leafs, but Pepsi?! Not only does that wound my Coca-Cola pride, but it assaults my senses.

Seriously though, Sam would still struggle whether he had been in public school all along or not. A look back at his kindergarten report card reminds me of that truth. So, I reminded Sam last night of the goals that he made after his last report card. This school year, I see so much improvement in Sam; big and small. He is more willing to put out the effort. He genuinely wants to improve, not just because we want him to but because he wants to. Those are big, giant steps for Sam! He will need to work very hard to reach his goals, and he'll likely always need to work at to have academic success. But I know he can do it...if he truly wants to.

Another term is nearly over...two weeks from today. I don't think he'll see much improvement on the next report card, but we start fresh each day. Four years ago, Sam desperately wanted to play hockey, although he really had never skated before. We signed him up, bought equipment, and took him to his first evaluation. I knew there was tremendous potential for his enthusiasm and confidence to be trampled, crushed, and destroyed. He was 9 years old and had never skated, on the ice with kids that had been skating and playing hockey since they could walk.

I sat in the stands that day and watched Sam fall and get up, gingerly stepping his way around the ice. Half way through the evaluation, he was so tired that he needed to take a break. After, he was so excited! Yes, it had been hard work, but he loved it. We were blessed with an awesome coach that year. This was the same coach that took Sam under his wing during evaluations and made a point of cheering him on. By the end of that first year of hockey, Sam could skate forwards and backwards. You would never know that he hadn't been skating for years! He had several assists and his very first goal on the last game of the season!

This is the determination and work ethic that we'd love to see Sam apply to his education! Sam doesn't believe school and sports can be looked at the same way, but they can. Sam just needs the right people encouraging, challenging, and pushing him along; parents aren't always "good" enough for the job, in his eyes. His English teacher seems to be one of those people. Hopefully, he'll find the motivation he needs to succeed at whatever level he can. He may never be an A student, but improving his work and study habits and being better organized will see improvement in every area of his life. Improved marks are just the icing on the cake!

Older. Slower.

My birthday was on the 4th, but I haven't yet written anything about that evening out with my girlfriends. Can I blame it on age? If age doesn't work, sick kids and busy schedule should cover it.

So, the girls and I met at Moxie's Classic Grill for dinner. It was really nice to have all six of us together in one place, especially as that hasn't happened for a while. The food was good, and it was good to just hang out together.

My friends blessed me with some wonderful gifts.

From Courtnay, I received a ceramic tealight thing (sorry I can't think of the proper name) with some tealight candles and vanilla scented oil. I've already been enjoying the smell of vanilla wafting through my house!

From Niki, I received a Coca-Cola 1000 piece puzzle. It suits me perfectly; I love puzzles and Coca-Cola. I started working on the puzzle on Friday, but I'm not finished quite yet. Every winter, I get into a puzzle frame of mind, but this is the first puzzle that I've worked on so far this season.

From Kimberley, I received two beautiful leather-bound journals. I journal as frequently as I remember to do so. These journals will be put to good use in the not too distant future, and even when they're full, I will still enjoy them as I read back and reflect.

From Karen, I received a book that has been on my 'want' list for a while now. It is called The Sound of Paper by Julia Cameron, and it is an excellent book for anyone who loves to write. I first heard of this book a couple of years ago after seeing it mentioned on the website of one of my favourite authors. Then, several months ago, I came across it at the library, while I was randomly browsing the non-fiction rows. I brought it home and fell in love instantly! Karen also gave me a funky pen, because everyone needs one, and a couple of scrapbooking items!

From Debbie, I received a pair of fleece pajamas, a 2 litre bottle of Diet Coke with lime, a box of microwave popcorn, and some gum. Alas, the Diet Coke is long since gone; I am so addicted to that stuff! Another addiction is Sudoku; Deb bought me a Sudoku puzzle book, too. The gum was a variety that I wouldn't have bought myself, but it was actually quite good. The pjs are wonderfully comfortable and warm. I love them!

I love my gifts. They are all perfect. Thank you, girls!

Girls' Night Out

This past Friday night, Abby and I went to see Hilary Duff in concert! We arrived about forty minutes before showtime, and we were immediately sucked into the merchandise table mob. I wanted to get something for Abby, but there was no way that I was spending $40 for a t-shirt. So, I bought her a tote bag with "Hilary Duff" stamped on the side. It was still too expensive, in my opinion, but it was more palatable to me.

Eventually, we were able to navigate our way to our seats, and I was pleasantly surprised that they were actually decent. We didn't have to wait too long before the opening act took to the stage. Hello Operator is a group of young men from Toronto with an 80's style. While I thought they had a good sound and enjoyed their music, I was really bored and could have slept if it weren't so noisy. I kept asking Abby if she didn't want to go home, but she kept saying no. I don't know why?!

About thirty minutes of the opening act and then time for intermission. Roughly a half hour later, the lights finally dimmed and the volume suddenly spiked as an arena full of pre-teen girls began to scream. Thankfully, most of Hilary's songs were from the one CD that Abby owns, so we were at least familiar with the songs. The concert was fun and loud.

I'm no fuddy-duddy when it comes to music, but I began plugging my ears about 5 songs before the end of the concert. Amazingly, I could hear the singing better with my fingers in my ears than I could without them there!

And so, Abby experienced her first concert and saw her favourite actress/singer! It was fun. It was good. Was it worth $60 a ticket? I doubt it, but the experience was priceless.

My New Least Favourite Colour

Sam might be coming down with pink eye now, too. His right eye is beginning to look a little puffy and pink. Not good. Getting eye drops into his eye was more difficult than getting tears from the Sphinx! Just wait until he realizes that I'll need to give drops 4x a day...

Casey's left eye is now beginning to itch, so we've added that eye to the drop schedule. I expected this though, because Casey is a toucher. He is forever touching his face, his eyes, anything and everything. If one eye was bothering him, he'd touch it and go on to the other without even blinking. ;o)

Abby's eyes are currently fine. So are my eyes and Kane's. Hopefully, we'll manage to avoid being contaminated.

Comedy of Errors

So, I was occupied with a puzzle earlier this afternoon, when I decided maybe I'd better check the time. It was 2:30.

Oops!

I had told Abby that I would pick her up from school, since Casey had floor hockey until 3:30. School was out at 2:30.

I hurriedly put on my shoes and jacket, while grabbing the pork roast from the fridge and throwing it in the oven. I was going to put it in right before I picked Abby up anyway; I just didn't have the time to do anything special with it anymore. I had planned on walking to the school, but I had to change that plan, too. Desperation makes us do silly things...by the time I found a parking spot and walked to Abby's class, I could have walked from home! Of course, she wasn't in her class anymore, so I walked until we caught up with each other.

Sam went back to school today after being home sick for two days. His throat is still sore, his voice hoarse, but his fever is gone and he feels better. I promised to pick him up after school, too. Sam tends to be forgetful about certain things, and I wanted to make sure that he sought out any missed work.

By the time we had searched out teachers in a crowded school (Sam had forgotten), it was almost 3:30, and I decided I had better pick Casey up after his floor hockey. We hadn't communicated about the floor hockey, but I usually pick him up from that. We arrived just in time.

I took one look at Casey and knew something wasn't right. His right eye was puffy and red and oozy. Yuck.

So, I dropped Sam and Abby off at home with grandma with instructions to deliver their newspapers and peel potatoes for supper. I took Casey to the doctor for the verdict of pink eye and a prescription. After picking up the eye drops, we arrived back home at 5:00.

Thankfully, Kane was home and had helped Sam finish the potatoes. Casey immediately broke into tears when he told Kane about his pink eye. I gave Casey his first dose of eye drops amid much drama and hysterics. Sam is the stoic sick person, Casey is the whiney and melodramatic sick person.

I'm eating supper as I type; no time in my suddenly crazy day. Abby and I are off to see Hilary Duff's concert in a very short while.

Home from School

Well, Sam is not feeling better today. In fact, he's home from school with a slight fever, headache, and sore throat. He looks terrible and is lying on the sofa like a wet noodle.

I was supposed to work today. Sam is old enough to stay home alone, but I asked him what he would prefer. He wanted me to be here with him! It warms my heart to know that he still needs his mom. Of course, I know he still needs me, but he doesn't always think that he does. For him to admit it, that's pretty big! I'll take it!!

So, instead of a crazy day at work on my birthday, I am home with a sick son. Actually, it is kind of nice to be home with just Sam and to have him so quiet and easy-going. I think I might just work on some scrapbooking today. Maybe I'll bake myself a birthday cake, too.

Happy Birthday to Me

It has been an interesting couple of days. Work has been weird, frustrating at times with less staff but crazy hordes of grouchy customers. The cold that has been knocking on my door has been kept relatively at bay. I have a stuffy nose, but I'm otherwise fine. Sam complained of a headache this morning, but he came home from school with a sore throat and hoarse voice. He says that he feels fine, but he chose to stay home from hockey practice.

Sam is the stoic one. He would rather walk across burning coals than take medicine, I think. He refused my offer of any sort of pain reliever this morning, and I know better than to ask him to take anything for his throat. It just wouldn't happen. Hopefully, he can fight off whatever is trying to invade and conquer.

Tomorrow is my birthday! I have to remind myself that I'm turning 34...I think I'm mentally stuck back on 32. Don't know why though. Maybe I just can't believe how old I really am...not that 34 is OLD. Instead, I find myself with moments of confusion. Do I really have a child who is 12 years old? How could that possibly be?! Have I really been married for 13 years? What happened to all that time?

So, it is my birthday. I had my hair cut today, and I'm going out for dinner with my girlfriends tomorrow night. My kids gave me birthday cards tonight and a Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul book. It will make me cry, because that's what emotional stories do to me.