Get me off this thing

It was a busy but good weekend. I had five days off, worked today, and now have the next three days off. I am so glad. I am so tired.

Of course, I ate too much turkey and such yesterday. No sooner had the table been cleared away than I sprawled on a sofa and napped for over an hour. It's very rare that I nap at all, even when I feel like having one.

Why don't I make pumpkin pie more often? Every time I make it, I receive rave reviews. It's so creamy and scrumptious. Note to self: make pumpkin pie more often!

Kane did the dishes for me yesterday! I hate doing dishes, especially after cooking a big meal.

We are at the ballpark every day this week. Sam had practice yesterday. He also has practice tonight and Wednesday, an exhibition game on Friday, and an umpire test on Tuesday. Casey has practice on Tuesday and Thursday. Both boys are taking a baseball clinic on Saturday. Kane is doing a coaches' clinic on Sunday, and our opening day is Sunday evening. Games begin next week. We still haven't heard anything about Abby's schedule.

Last Saturday night, I finally cut Casey's hair! I admit that he did look quite cute with his long hair, but I know that he would come to hate it during the ball season. He doesn't believe me, but I know my son. Casey wanted it to remain at least a couple of inches long, but it is much shorter than that! He hates it, but it is the Casey of "old". Besides, hair will grow again. I took before and after pictures; I'll post the pics when I can get the cord for my mom's camera.

It is 3:30pm, and I've been on the computer for almost an hour and a half. Not for fun either. One coach keeps making big changes to his schedule which I then have to change and/or enter on the website. If he keeps this up, by the end of the season, just the sight of his name might make my blood pressure soar.

Happy Easter

I took the kids to church this morning on my own. Kane stayed home sick. He was also home sick most of yesterday. Needless to say, I am grouchy. I'm not very sympathetic when he gets sick. It's terrible of me, I know, but does he need to act like the world is coming to an end? There is no question where Casey gets his melodramatic tendencies from.

Still, I enjoyed the Good Friday service. Always do. I think that the Easter weekend services are my most favourite services of the year. It was very nice to have this weekend off work. I do need to work on Monday, but at least I am able to enjoy the rest of the weekend with my family.

Tomorrow will be a busier day than today. I'll be busy in the kitchen, baking pumpkin pies, trimming Brussel sprouts, dicing onion and celery, and making sure the turkey is thawed and ready for Sunday morning. Kane needs to go work on a job. It's not the best day to work, but it's at time and a half, plus it gets him out of my freshly-coloured hair. The kids will be put to work vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, general tidying, and Sam has homework and trombone practice to attend to. But first, I get to sleep in!

I've decided to forego the hiding of candy and chocolates this year, much to my children's chagrin. It's laziness and an unwillingness to spend more money needlessly. For the past several years, I've put the candies into those plastic eggs before hiding them. Those plastic eggs were stored in the cupboard where the mice decided to pay a visit. Kane washed them all after the first time. Then, he put everything back into the cupboard! Sure enough, the mice visited again, and I wasn't going to wash those eggs again. I tossed them in the garbage, and I don't want to buy new ones. They aren't expensive, but we really don't need the clutter. So, my kids will be given a paper bag with their portions of candy and chocolate. It won't be the same as searching for it all, but they really only want the candy anyway.

Vanity

I do believe I discovered a grey hair or two the other day. I had been to considering re-colouring my hair for a month or so now, but this recent discovery prodded me into almost immediate action. Yesterday, I bought a kit, and today I coloured my hair.

I didn't think I was that vain; guess I was wrong. Meanwhile, Sam is reading over my shoulder and laughing hysterically.

Great Quote

Saw this in my daytimer. Love it.

"I am woman! I am invincible! I am tired!"
-author unknown

Change of Plans

I left for work this morning looking forward to my shift and the two days off which were to follow it. My happy mood dropped like a lead balloon once I got to work and peeked at the schedule. A shift had been added in for me for tomorrow.

It isn't that I hate my job or hate working, but I had plans for tomorrow which I now have to drop. They weren't BIG plans to anyone but me. I need to try and get a doctor's appointment for myself-nothing out of the ordinary, but it needs to fit around my schedule. I have a lot of housework waiting for me to have enough time and energy to do it. Projects stack up quickly, too. So, I wasn't going to have an exciting day tomorrow anyway, but it was going to be busy and productive. Not now. Instead, I have to try and fit two days worth of my plans into Wednesday, the only day I have off now until the weekend. The weekend also will be a busy time for me.

What annoys me about this unexpected shift is that it was unexpected. This schedule was posted last week, and I dutifully made note of my shifts. I wasn't called and asked if it would be okay to add another shift. If they had called, I probably would have said yes. It's the not asking that bothers me. What if I did have important plans for Tuesday? What if I had already made that doctor's appointment? When the schedule for a week has been posted then I begin to plan the rest of my life around my shifts. When I have days off, I make plans, because I want to make the most of what little free time I have.

Saving Time?

Sometimes I am quite glad to see the end of a weekend; not often, but it does happen. I think today is one of those times. We've had a full and busy weekend.

Kane and the boys had a ball hockey tournament at the Salvation Army church on Friday night and most of Saturday. Sam missed Saturday's games, because he had an umpire clinic from 8am to noon followed by peewee evaluations from 1 to 4pm. Abby went garage sale-ing with grandma Saturday morning, and then spent the rest of the day with a friend, first at Planet Spacewalker and then at her friend's house.

We went to church this morning and enjoyed listening to the African Children's Choir. After rushing home to change, we split up once again. Kane and Sam went back to the ball park for day 2 of evaluations, while Abby and I dropped Casey off at a kung fu academy for a birthday party. Then, Abby and I went to Michael's to pick up some cardstock and to Wal-Mart for cheese and cat litter. Kane and Sam went from baseball to a hockey wind-up party at a bowling alley.

We're all home now. Casey has been showing some displays of irritability and grouchiness since he arrived back home. Sam is working on homework and feeling flustered over it. He is also complaining of a headache but refuses to take anything for it. I am quickly losing control of my temper; the time change got to me, too. I hate losing an hour of sleep!

It's a good thing two out of three kids are now in bed...it just might save my sanity.

An April Fool

My kids have been anticipating this day all week long. April Fool's Day. Their conniving little faces have been giggling and smirking for the past couple of days. They delighted in telling me how good they were going to get me, but I couldn't get them to reveal their plans. :o)

Yesterday, Sam kept asking if we had any elastic bands. Silly me, I didn't understand why and gave him the one green elastic that I had. Before he went to bed last night, he made a random comment about how he wished he had a "black" elastic band, and the lightbulb in my head suddenly snapped on with a blinding light. I burst his bubble telling him that he was planning on placing the elastic band on the spray nozzle in the kitchen sink, so I would get soaked when I turned on the faucet. Ha ha! One plot foiled.

This morning, I got out of bed at the usual time of 7am, sauntered to the kitchen and took up residence at the computer, where I sit until I wake up. Kane asked me if I needed to use the bathroom. Not yet I replied. So, he warned me that Casey had put plastic wrap on the toilet seat...with his help. Ah! I went to the bathroom to check it out and make Casey's day without really making his day.

My husband is a rookie! They wrapped the wrap around the actual seat rather than the bowl. There was no way I would have not noticed; well maybe if it was dark and I didn't turn the light on. When I left the bathroom, Casey was waiting in the hall with a mischievous look on his face. I acted like there had been nothing out of the ordinary in the bathroom.

Abby still hasn't put any evil plots into motion, and when I asked her what she was planning her only response was in regards to her brothers. She is going to write love notes to the boys "from" girls in their classes, put them in envelopes and place them in the mailbox. I got a chuckle out of that. We'll wait and see if she actually does it or not. Unless she's that good at keeping a secret, I think I'm safe.

So, I thought I was beyond reach from practical jokes. After all, Casey's wasn't executed very well, and I had figured Sam's out before he had the chance to put it together. Boy, was I wrong!

A short while ago, I was checking on the mouse traps we have had set up for the past couple of weeks. Again. Grrrr. Two of the traps are inside drawers which means they're more easily triggered by human actions. One of the traps had been triggered and flipped over, so I reset it and turned to the kitchen sink to wash my hands. Yup. I ended up being sprayed; Sam had put the green elastic on the sprayer after all! The stinker. Even this morning I had asked if he was going to do his practical joke. No, he said, because I had figured it out. Obviously, he is much sneakier than I gave him credit for.

So, here I sit with a damp sweater and jeans on and slightly humbled.

Spring Showers

It is spring, and with that comes spring weather. Unpredictable. Just moments ago when I looked out the window, it was pouring rain. Now, as I sit at the computer, the rain has stopped. The sun is shining through white, fluffy clouds.

I don't mind the rain, but could we please have warm, sunny weather for Saturday and Sunday afternoons?

Pretty please?

Routine

It feels good to be back to a "normal" routine. What is normal anyway? I'm not sure that I even know the answer to that question, but there is definitely something to be said for routine.

Spring break was only two weeks long, but it felt much longer. That surprises me, considering I was sick for the entire first week. I know that Abby was glad to be going back to school today. Casey was quite likely happy also, but he wouldn't admit it except under duress.

We're finished hockey until the fall. What a relief! I think Sam did well this season. He scored more goals this year than any previous year. He finally won an MVP award, and he played well in almost every game. However, I am quite glad to be finished. No need to interact with certain parents or coaches anymore. No more stress over the horrible officiating that we frequently experienced this year.

Yup, no more hockey. Life is sane once again; at least until Saturday when we kick off our baseball season! ;o) I've never had a job outside the home during ball season before, so this could prove to be an interesting experience. Our schedule is insane, so I have asked for nearly all weekends off from now until the end of July. If by some chance we don't have ball on a weekend (yeah right!), then at least I can spend it with my family instead of at work. My weekdays will likely be work during school hours, come home and throw together supper, fit in a load of laundry and some housework, rush off to baseball, and get kids to bed once we're home again. Like I said, our life is insane for the next three months! But, I wouldn't have it any other way.

I just need to get my act together very quickly. If ever I have needed to plan meals in advance, now is that time! Can I keep my house from sliding into a state of semi-permanent disaster? Time will tell, I guess.

Two kids are home from school with the third expected in the next half hour or so. I need to start prep work for supper and make sure homework is done.

Routine-love it!

Crime & Punishment

What a beautiful day!

I just got home from work, a long day of work. Now that I'm home, the kids are free to get outside for some fresh air and sunshine. They'd love to play, but I have some work lined up for them first.

Sam swept the deck and cleaned up some recycling with only a minimal amount of whining. Sometimes he does understand the concept of getting the work done quickly!




Casey has a bit more work to do than Sam. It's called punishment. Kane rewarded Sam with $10 for his MVP award last weekend. Sam apparently put it inside a special box that he has on the bookshelf in the bedroom he shares with Casey. Yesterday, Sam noticed his money was missing. Casey claimed to have no idea what had happened to Sam's money and said so to Sam and to Kane. He tried lying to me as well, but I wasn't falling for it.

Casey had the money; claimed he found it just lying on the shelf. So, why lie about having the money? Casey knew that Sam was suddenly $10 richer. He should also have known that ten dollar bills simply don't lie around the house waiting to be claimed by the first person to spot them. Even if Casey truly did find the money lying on the shelf, why not tell the truth when asked about the money?! Taking the money was bad enough, but the lying after is what makes me the most upset.

This is how Casey responds to nearly every situation...with lies and denials. We talk about it over and over again. He knows how we feel about it. He knows what God thinks about it, yet he keeps on doing it. Even when we catch him in the act, his first response is always a lie.

Anyway, back to the punishment. Sam has his money back, but Casey needed an appropriate punishment. I explained to him that I only make $8.78 for every hour that I work; not even $10. So, he has to work for an hour and a quarter, and this is not ordinary work like sweeping the floor or cleaning his room. Casey is a great helper, so those tasks wouldn't carry the same weight. Instead, the work he must do needs to have a little more oomph behind it. Raking the grass is a good start. He hates it.

Will he learn his lesson? As much as I would love to say "YES", I know that he will fall into the same routines again very quickly. Some lessons are just more difficult to learn.

Pearly Whites

I feel human today. Yesterday was pure grogginess; I could have been living inside a bottle of molasses for all the energy I had. Or didn't have. Kane believes it was because I had too much sleep Monday night, but I think it had more to do with the prescription cough syrup I took. That stuff knocks me out and always leaves me groggy the next day.

Anyway...

I wanted to say more about Casey's dental visits last week. He broke his front permanent tooth last Mother's Day after falling on a metal bleacher at the ballpark. The tooth was repaired but lost its' vitality. It died. Last July, he had a root canal, but we knew it was only a temporary fix, because his tooth's roots had not yet closed together. Rather than fill the tooth in the normal fashion, a special substance was used which would inhibit infection without seeping into the gums through the open roots. Got it?

During last week's root canal, the same special substance was once again put inside the dead tooth. The roots are still not closed. In mid-April, Casey will be back at the dentist. I'm not sure if this is simply to check on the tooth, or if another root canal will be performed at this time. The dentist made it clear that the treatment would likely need to be redone again. Maybe more than once.

Long story short-take good care of your teeth!

In other tooth news, Sam lost two baby teeth in one day last week. He's at that age where he is beginning to lose his baby molars. At least he is old enough to handle it maturely. Of course, he does expect the tooth fairy to leave him the outrageous sum of $2 per tooth! She hasn't left him anything yet, but he knows where she lives.

Back to the Living

So, I'm back. Relatively speaking.

The flu hit me last Monday afternoon, and it sure packed a wallop! I called in sick for work for Wednesday and yesterday. On Thursday, I took Casey to the dentist for his root canal. He did fine; I barely survived standing in the cubicle with him for 3 minutes. On Friday, I had to dress and take Sam to his afternoon hockey game in Winfield. Thankfully, I was able to sit for that, but I was back in bed as soon as we got home. Basically, I've spent all week in bed, barely eating and weak as a jellyfish.

I went to work today; not because I felt up to it, but because I didn't want to miss anymore shifts. I survived the five hours, but it was tough. At one point, my thigh muscles were literally shaking. Or cramping; I couldn't tell the difference. Those were the most continuous hours of standing that I've done all week, and I get to do it again tomorrow...

I am going to sleep in my own bed tonight. In an effort to avoid passing my flu germs to my husband, I've been camped out on the futon since Monday. It's been quite the set-up really. Sleep, watch TV, sleep some more, and keep an eye on the kids. But, I do miss my bed. Hopefully, this nasty cough won't keep Kane awake!

Casey had a fever yesterday and this morning, but he says he's doing better now. I think he caught what I had. Thank goodness for spring break!

Hey! Sam won MVP in his final game of this weekend's tournament this morning! We played against a team from our organization. Before the game, Kane was talking with one of the moms from the other team, and he mentioned something about Sam and not winning an MVP. I don't know whether that conversation had anything to do with this honour, but I know that Sam is very thrilled to have finally earned an MVP! He was sure that he wouldn't get one, because he hadn't scored a goal and that's how the MVP has been awarded this weekend.

Now, I'm out of what little energy I had left. I'm starving and waiting for Kane to finish supper.

Sick

I am sick. It came swooping down on me so fast yesterday. I woke with a raspy cough deep in my chest but otherwise felt fine. Around noon, I began to feel achy and woozy. By the time Sam's final hockey game started at 4:10pm, I was in dire straits.

Every joint in my body hurts, but my hips and back are the worst. My head feels woolly. I have a fever, and I have no energy.

Great. I don't want to miss another day of work, but I will likely have to call in tonight. There is no way I can work tomorrow feeling like this.

Hockey Heroes

This weekend is the first of three hockey tournament weekends for our family. Thankfully, all three tournaments are local, which means we don't need to stay at a hotel or eat at restaurants! This tourney is on the Westside. So far, it seems like a good tournament, although we're rather confused with the scheduling.

It is spring break, but parents still need to work. We played two games yesterday, but we were left waiting and wondering what time our next game would be. Would we play today at 2:00pm? Or, would we not play until Monday at 8:30am or 11:30am? The answer wouldn't even be available until 12:30pm today! As it turned out, we did not have to play today. We drove across the lake just in case we had to play; our coach didn't want to try and phone everyone. We play at 8:30 tomorrow morning.

Our first game yesterday started so well. We took a 2-0 lead in the first period, and we were playing well. Mid-way through the second period, we self-destructed. Penalties killed us. Stupid, selfish penalties. We had 20 minutes worth of penalties that game; most were for roughing and unsportsmanlike behaviour. The same hot-heads on our team. Apparently, our coach chewed the team out after the game, but honestly, it doesn't hold water when you do nothing to discourage it all season long.

We lost that game 5-2. I can't believe how devastated I was following that game. I spent the first period on eggshells, knowing how quickly our lead could vanish but daring to hold onto gossamer threads of hope. Through it all, I was bursting with pride as I watched Sam play one of the best games of his hockey career. If ever he deserved an MVP in hockey, it should have been yesterday. It wasn't, and I think that is why I was so disgusted and disappointed after the game.

I'm not one of those parents who believes that my child is the next Wayne Gretzky or Michael Jordan or 'fill in the blank with a sports star'. I am biased towards my son, but I also recognize the underdog when I see one. In this tournament, an MVP award is given to two players for each team per game. After this game, our two awards went to our captain (best all-around) and an assistant captain (best defensive player). I think it is great that they have a defensive award. Our captain scored both our goals, but was he the best all-around player on our team that game? My sarcastic response would be when is he ever an all-around player?! He just isn't. He never passes, never back checks, and only forechecks when he thinks he might get a breakaway opportunity. So, why did he win an MVP award? He scored two goals.

Then, I watch someone like my son. I saw a boy who isn't the fastest skater skate as hard as he could back and forth across the ice. He never gets a penalty, but he did a great job digging in the corners and fighting for the puck against the boards. He did a fantastic job keeping the puck in the opposing end or clearing the puck out of our end. Not only did he position himself well, he set up plays, including the play for one of our goals. In that game, he was on the ice for both our goals but not on the ice for a single goal against us.

I guess that is one of the biggest complaints that I have with minor hockey (quite possibly other sports as well)...the way that kids are rewarded or not rewarded. I don't want to take away from our captain's ability as a hockey player. He has a wicked shot! But, I know he has a bunch of MVP awards, because he scores goals. Getting a goal is more memorable than the player who silently works hard for the entire game. In baseball, I've seen kids win the MVP for hitting a homerun, while other players win nothing but had basehits at every bat. I have even seen Most Sportsmanlike awards go to kids for a big play. If these sports are supposed to be for kids, for fun and development, why do we only reward those few shine for a moment? Why can we not also reward those that may not outshine everyone else on the team but do work hard to contribute to the team?

At the end of the day, if my son doesn't win an MVP award, I am fine with that. Truly I am, even if it sounds like I'm whining here. I don't want my kids to depend on something like an award to bolster their self-esteem. While I held a shred of hope for an award yesterday, I long ago accepted that Sam would never win an MVP award in hockey, because he isn't the flashy or high scoring player. I am sincerely happy when I see a child who has worked hard during a game win the award, especially when it isn't one of the golden boys on the team. It doesn't happen as often as I would like it to, but it does happen.

End of gripe.

Yesterday's win was our fifth win of the year! We play two games tomorrow. If we can pull off the impossible and win our first game, we can do no worse than fourth and will play on Tuesday. That's a pretty big IF though. Even if we lose our first game tomorrow, we can be proud. We can finish no lower than 8th out of 12 teams. For a team with our record of losing, we have nothing to lose!

Laundry Overload

Isn't it funny how something smaller than a sesame seed can cause mountain-sized headaches.

Sam checked out clean, and as far as I could tell Abby was also clean. Poor Abby had to endure me slathering conditioner through her hair and combing through in my search. I found nothing, but she'll have soft, shiny hair for a while. :o)

Casey surprised me with his compliance during the special shampoo and comb-a-thon. He doesn't normally sit still well, but his complaints were kept to a minimum. Even today, as I combed through his hair again, he was mostly agreeable. His only complaint about the day has been missing school, and that is only because he will miss out on a special treat from the vice-principal.

I think I've done nearly 20 loads of laundry since yesterday, and I could easily do another load by the end of the day. Thankfully, I am basically caught up. Finally. I didn't get my flannel sheets washed last night, so I had to use my cotton sheets. Kane was happy with that; I was not.

I'm glad spring break begins today. I can get a little more sleep in the mornings; it's been incredibly difficult to get out of bed the past few mornings. I don't work again until Wednesday, so I will have lots of time to hang with the kids, bake, scrapbook, kick back, and do what I want to do.

Sam has a hockey tournament starting tomorrow. Call me pessimistic, but we're going to be walked on. The only consolation I have is that the season is virtually over. Maybe Sam can pop in another goal or two; he's been so close on several occasions.

Lice, Mice and Other Tales

subtitle: Stop the Insanity!

Casey has had a particularly itchy scalp for several days. On Tuesday, my scalp began to itch incessantly. Silly me, I couldn't figure out why. Last night, I grudgingly forked over $6.99 for a bottle of Head & Shoulders. (I never spend that much on shampoo.) Today was a day off for me, so I waited until the kids were gone to school before having a bath. While washing my hair, I found two minute creatures. Yup. Lice.

My scalp crawls just thinking about that.

Of course, now I had an answer to why Casey's been so itchy. I was at the school by 9:15 to talk to the secretary and check out Casey's and Abby's hair. Discreetly. Casey was a definite yes, but I couldn't really find anything in Abby's hair. Maybe I just missed it; the lighting wasn't very good in the girls' washroom. Or, hopefully, she's clean! At any rate, I pulled Casey out of school, and we proceeded to the walk-in clinic.

I had planned on taking Casey to the clinic after school anyway, because he's had this blister-like thing under his lip on his gum for nearly two weeks. It hasn't been painful, but it has increased and decreased in size and bled once. Whatever this is, it is directly above the tooth that he broke last year, so there is a good chance the two are related to each other.

Thankfully, the walk-in clinic wasn't busy, and we were in and out rather quickly with a prescription for the blister thing and an info sheet on head lice. We browsed through Zellers while waiting for the prescription to be filled, picking up a new brush for me (I could just disinfect my old brush but I just can't.) and three new pillows.

Our next stop was my workplace. I was supposed to work tomorrow, but I've now got an extended break! I'd rather work. :o( My next scheduled shift is not until Wednesday. While I'm not thrilled with having to deal with lice, it will be nice to have five consecutive days off!

So, Casey and I are home, but my plans for the day have been thrown out the window into the beautiful blue sky. Instead of baking as I had hoped, I am washing my Mount Everest of laundry: all the regular laundry plus sheets, pillow cases, blankets, jackets, hats, and teddy bears. Lucky me, I also get to shampoo and comb Casey's hair, re-check Abby when she's done school, check Sam (at least his hair is much shorter, and of all three kids, he should be fine. I hope.), have my husband do the same to my hair, and vacuum mattresses and sofas. Lovely way to spend a day off, don't you think.

This is our first experience with lice. I've never had them until now either. I don't know what is going on, but I've had enough. This is insane. Since 2006 began, we have had Sam's mysterious fever, pink eye, colds, mice, Casey's blister thing, and now lice. I'm only going to say this once, "Life sucks!" I don't particular like that expression, but sometimes you just can't help but feel that way. At least we haven't seen any evidence of mice for some time now; a small and fragile silver lining.

That's Entertainment

Okay, I confess...I am hooked on 24! I'll also admit that I couldn't help but gasp and let loose some tears at the ending to Monday night's episode. Maybe it is just because I'm a female, or maybe not, but I do get emotionally drawn into many storylines whether on a TV show, a movie, or in a book. Even when I think the movie or show is really stupid, I can get sucked into a sappy or sad moment in a heartbeat. I hate that my tear ducts so easily betray me, but I suppose it lets me know that I am alive rather than stone cold.

I checked a book out from the library last week, which I haven't yet delved into but will soon. It is really a juvenile historical fiction novel, but it was written by a woman who goes to our church. Her name is Karen Autio, and her book is entitled Second Watch. It is about the sinking of the Empress of Ireland; Canada's worst non-wartime nautical disaster. I thoroughly enjoy historical fiction, so I'm looking forward to reading this book.

Another book that I am reading is Kiss the Girls by James Patterson. I've read virtually all his books and quite enjoy the Alex Cross series; this book is the second in the series. It is simply time to read them through again.

Big Band Lesson

I missed Sam's band concerts this morning. I hate that, but there really wasn't anything I could do. The school didn't send a notice about these concerts until last week, by which time I already had received my work schedule.

It just about breaks my heart, especially when Sam has repeatedly asked for me to come. I would have loved to go and see him play, but I was already obligated to work. Even this morning, Sam asked me once again. To have my 'almost a teenager' son ask for my presence...well, it thrills me to pieces! He is not cuddly and hasn't been for a long time. Any displays of affection are received with a look of disgust, but he is still our little boy. He doesn't want a hug, but Dad better not forget to tuck him in! All girls are slime, but he desperately wants Mom to watch him play.

And I missed it.

So, I got home from work a short while ago, listened to the voice mail. Sam had called earlier this morning. Apparently, he forgot that he was supposed to wear a white shirt for the concerts; could I bring it for him? Obviously not, as I was already at work by the time he called. I feel bad about that but not very much; it's a lesson in responsibility!

An Earful of Rant

Settle in for a nice, long rant, and forgive me if I ramble or branch out into different directions.

Okay. I just walked in the door a few minutes ago after working 5 long, busy hours. Shortly before I left for work this morning, Kane was called out for a service call, but he would be back shortly after noon. I left a 'to do' list for Kane and the kids, and I specifically told Sam and Casey what I expected of them before I left. Several times I repeated myself, knowing that they weren't truly listening to me.

On the list were: vacuum, sweep, dust, take the empty bottles to the depot, tidy bedrooms, wash the van, deliver papers, and Sam had to do trombone practice and homework. Now, everything on that list wasn't high on the priority list, and Kane's service call changed plans a little. For example, I now had to take my van to work, so it couldn't be washed. In my opinion, the top priorities were Sam's homework and band practice.

When I got home, the house was almost unnaturally quiet. At first I thought no one was home, but I soon realized that it was quiet because Sam and Casey weren't here. They are playing at a friend's house.

I couldn't help myself. I was irritated before I walked in the door. Driving home, I wondered how much would be accomplished, knowing that the odds weren't good. Outside our carport sat the newspapers still waiting to be delivered; not a good sign. The quiet house only made me grouchier.

I changed out of my uniform and threw it in the wash, all the while deciding whether I should ask the BIG questions or not. I was certain of how Kane would answer, but I had to ask anyway.

Did Sam practice his trombone or do homework?

No.

Of course, Kane felt it was more important for the boys to go play with a friend than it was for Sam to stay home and do his work. Obviously, I disagree. For some strange reason, I seem to believe that it is important to teach our kids the importance of responsibilities and time management. You want to play with your friend on the weekend? Great, how about you work on your homework first? Even just for an hour! Think how motivated Sam would be to put his nose to his books rather than dragging things out.

Kane got a little snarky back at me; we've had this disagreement before. In his defense, he said that he would make sure Sam does his homework later. When later? Tonight? Tomorrow? Hmmm...we still need to have supper. Kids need to shower and get to bed at a decent time, preferably by 8:30 (roughly 3 hours from now). Tomorrow morning, we have church, after which I go to work and they go to hockey. The way I see it, homework won't be started until mid-afternoon tomorrow! Nothing like leaving homework until the last few hours of the weekend. Also, Sam's music practice should be done on a regular basis, at least 3 or 4 times a week. A big part of his grade for band comes from the number of minutes he practices at home each month. There are already enough days where he physically doesn't have the time to practice, and he's struggled to get in enough minutes for a decent grade the past few months. He just needs 20 minutes a day!

Sometimes I feel like Kane and I are operating on completely different principles. We are two quite different people so there are natural variances in the way we see and do things, but I am getting so frustrated!!!! His "big" thing is friends and having fun, and since it isn't my big thing, Kane thinks that I am opposed to developing friendships. Wrong. I just want a more balanced approach. Friends are important. Having fun is important, but there are more important things I want to develop in my children.

Casey has had more sleepovers since September than I ever had as a child. He's had more than Kane has ever had. Is Casey happy about that? No, because he still doesn't think he's had enough. He's hard done by, don't you know. Life is not fair towards Casey and all the world is against him. Casey operates his life on the principle that he deserves it all and then some. It's all about Casey. So not what I want my children to believe.

Sam struggles with schoolwork. He needs to spend more time studying and working to improve his study, reading, spelling, and math skills. His teachers know that. Sam knows that. I know that. Kane knows that. Trouble is that Sam does not manage his time well, in part because he just doesn't know how. I'm trying to teach him that, but it doesn't work well when Dad doesn't reinforce the same ideas. Kane is quick to question Sam on his low grades, but he's also quick to give him a reprieve from the homework.

I'm not the best housekeeper. I know that and admit it freely. When I started working in September, Kane promised that he'd help out more around the house and get the kids involved more. Sure. I will say that Kane has improved in that area. It isn't necessarily up to my standards, which aren't terribly high to begin with, but he does make the effort. He's begun asking for a 'to do' list, because he tends to lose focus and follow his own little rabbit trails. It worked out well last week; he washed all the sheets! Today, he did get the vacuuming and sweeping done, and he cleaned the kitchen, but he did it. The boys didn't do anything that I'm aware of. Abby either.

I'm tired of sounding like a broken record, not that my kids have any idea what that sounds like! I'm tired of being the mean parent. And, I'm weary of butting heads with Kane over this. On the one hand, he preaches to Sam how important school work is and how Sam needs to work harder to do well, but then he flips the opposite way and tells the kids that it is more important to go play with your friends than it is to do homework. Is it any wonder that when I say "no" to the kids, they go ask their dad? I know all kids do this to some degree, but Casey has really milked this to extremes. More often than not, Kane falls for it, too.

Grrrrr!

Better stop now...the anger has given way to something more mellow and depressing.

Firewall

Kane and I went to see the movie Firewall tonight. Harrison Ford is one of my all-time favourite actors. I've begun to like Paul Bettany since seeing Master & Commander a couple of years ago. The movie, Firewall, was good. We liked it, but then again, we're not professional critics. I like what I like; a list of some of my favourite movies can be found under my profile.

Deciding upon a movie to see wasn't cut and dried. Sometimes it is and sometimes not. I like a wide variety of movies from drama to action to "chick flicks" to science fiction and beyond. The only exceptions are movies that look utterly stupid and horror movies. I'll watch them on rare occasions only. Once, years and years ago, I was taken to see a Hellraiser movie. I don't think I've ever been as repulsed as I was watching that movie.

There is usually some movie or movies that we want to see, but we tend to wait for video releases, saving the theatre for the big effects blockbusters. I really would have liked to have gone to Underworld Evolution but didn't want to go to the only time it was playing...9:45pm. Too late for me these days. I want to see the Pink Panther and 16 Blocks, but they're best for viewing on my small TV screen, I think. 16 Blocks sounds predictable and the Pink Panther looks funny but sad. Curious George looks stupid. I have no desire to see Brokeback Mountain either. Harrison Ford it is.

The popcorn was disgusting. I don't know if they changed a product or if it was just stale, but it was awful. We only had to sit through one commercial and two previews. Frankly, I like watching the previews. We saw the trailer for Poseidon. Yup, I want to see that one. We have a VHS of the original Poseidon Adventure; I like it. I like Ernest Borgnine, too. Whether this remake is any good or not will remain to be seen, but I'm sure I'll like it.

A movie is generally meant to entertain. Guess I'm easily entertained.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike2.5 Canada License.

Blackout!

Work was incredibly busy today; apparently this has been the norm for the past few days! Naturally, it was busy, so someone had to fail to show up for their shift, leaving us a man, er lady short.

About 1:35 or so, the lights started flickering. At first, I thought the power was going out, but some lights stayed on. Others were off. In the kitchen, one light was flickering so quickly, we could have started a disco. The staff bathroom light was also flickering off and on, just not quite as rapidly as the other light. Thankfully, no one had epilepsy! A few minutes later, all power was gone!

It is amazingly quiet in a fast food restaurant when the power is out. Even when there aren't many customers during a normal day, there is simply so much background noise: machines, monitors, fans, refrigerators, and so on. Without power, all those noises stop, except for this persistent beeping from the printer.

How insane will work be tomorrow?


This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike2.5 Canada License.

Making a list...

Okay, I'm telling myself that today will be more productive. It has to be; tomorrow begins a stretch of six working days. While I want to enjoy this day of "leisure", I also need to prepare my house for the days of chaos to come. Kane does make a good effort, and I am thankful for that, but he doesn't operate under the same priorities or brainwaves as I do.



Time is ticking away; it is already 8:30, and I am still in my pjs.

Here's my To Do list for today, in no particular order:

-make molten chocolate cakes for dessert (already started; it is labour intensive!) (done, and were they good!)
-take out the recycling and garbage (done)
-sweep the floors (done)
-tidy the living room (done), dining room (done), kitchen (done) and bathroom (done)
-decide what to make for supper and prepare (done)
-shower (done)
-drop Casey's guitar off at school (done)
-pick Sam up after school (Kane phoned; he's going to do it); and Abby, too (done)
-put that link on the baseball website (done!!!! I'm always so proud of myself after finally figuring out how to do something on my computer.)
-read my Bible and do some journaling (done)
-empty the dishwasher (done)
-maybe fit in some scrapbooking, too (I didn't actually scrapbook, but I did do some journalling in Casey's)
-baseball executive meeting tonight (done)
-nag Sam about homework (I gave up on this one; it wasn't due until Monday anyway. However, I did nag about trombone practice)
-clean out the van (done)
-fill out baseball registration forms (done)
-order more cheques (done)
-divide and freeze the ground beef I bought yesterday (done)

Check up

So, I have two days off, and what did I accomplish today? To the casual observer, nothing. It's pathetic. I know.

Rather than beat myself up over what I didn't get done, I am choosing to think about what I did do.

I went grocery shopping. I know, not very exciting, but it is productive. After all, we do need to eat. Also, getting in and out of Superstore in less than an hour is an accomplishment I can be quite proud of.

I worked on some scrapbooking, doing a few pages in Casey's book and a page or two in our family book. There are so many more pages and photos to work my way through, but it takes time and more creativity than I think I have. But, I keep plodding along...

I took care of some baseball business, answering some emails and trying to add some links to the website. After struggling for several minutes, I gave up, only to find out later that I had been given an incorrect link. No wonder it wouldn't work! So now I have to go back and try it again. Tomorrow.

I sat down and read my Bible. I finished working my way through the book of Matthew a week or so ago. My original plan was to work my way through the New Testament in consecutive order, but after getting through the first chapter or two of Mark, I realized I wasn't really excited about rehashing the same stuff. So, I'm in the book of Acts; read chapters 7-9 today. Also spent some time journalling.

A load of laundry is in the wash. My mom washed a bunch of our laundry yesterday, so I didn't have to do too much. Casey fell in the muck yesterday, leaving his wet and muddy jeans in my bathtub. Thank you. I guess he could have left them on the floor in his room.

Supper is in the oven. Glazed chicken breasts and rice. I haven't quite decided on a vegetable yet. Superstore had asparagus on sale, but I don't really have the time (or motivation) to prepare it tonight. There are plenty of leftover veggies in the fridge which can be reheated instead. We'll have the asparagus tomorrow!

And now I'm out of time! Abby needs to be picked up from church, and I need to throw the sauce on the chicken before I go so everything will be ready when I get back. Sam's whining about his math homework which needs to be done before youth group tonight.

Gotta go...

Short Stories by Sam

Sam surprised me the other day...in a good way. He's going to make a book of very short, funny stories, sell them and make lots of money! Problem. Sam has never liked writing and has always struggled with his language arts skills. However, it thrills me to see my son exercising his creativity, even if he tends to be somewhat weird, and he's so excited about it! He's been nagging me to begin work on editing, and he's producing new stories at every turn.

In typical Sam-fashion, the stories are very short, very weird, and often short on sense, but I don't care. This is the fire that I have wanted to see in Sam for a long time; the desire to create and improve and work towards a goal. I took my red pen to his stories last night, underlining, circling and crossing out. This morning when he looked at the pages, he wasn't dismayed by the amount of red. We'll need to find time to sit down together and work through some of the changes that need to take place. His spelling is still bad, but there is definite improvement. Yeah! Sam is moving in the right direction...at last.

Here's one of his stories, as he wrote it (well, I'll correct the spelling as I go; otherwise, you might never understand it):

Taylor and the Killer Outfield Grass

Taylor is an outfielder. He likes it out there, but something happened. He missed an easy catch and got so mad he kicked and hit and punched the ground as hard as he could. That made the grass mad. So the grass gave a hard time to Taylor. Whenever Taylor moved from where he just was the grass would trip him. Finally Taylor has had enough. He grabbed the grass and pulled but the grass wouldn't quit and stayed together. The grass got longer and longer but wouldn't rip. Now the grass is 5 feet long then gave the deses (sorry, I'm not even sure what that word is supposed to be?!) to all of right field which is where Taylor plays. But the grass wouldn't give up because every time the ball came to Taylor, the grass would tangle him up until the ball went away but will not do it to anyone else and will do that to Taylor for all eternity.

Here's another...

Jesse and the Vomiting Referee

Jesse plays hockey. This is his seventh year playing hockey. Jesse has never had an embarrassing moment in his seven years. But this year he gets embarrassed big time. There is a referee that vomits every half a minute, and he is reffing this game. Last period and it is tied 0-0 with a minute left in the game. Jesse is in the open and open for a breakaway. He gets the pass. He dekes left. He dekes right. He gets hooked. Jesse has got a penalty shot but he gets mad at the kid who hooked him. There is a fight between Jesse and the hooker kid. Soon the ref is going to vomit, but he has to stop the fight. So he went in the middle of the fight and by accident the ref vomits on Jesse's face. Jesse got so mad he grabbed the ref's head and threw him across the ice head first. He slid right into the post and hit his private spot without a cup on. Jesse quit the game without his penalty shot and he got suspended for the rest of the season and lost the game.

Consequences

This morning, Casey had a meltdown. It's nothing new, really; happens with disturbing frequency. His emotions bubble under the surface like magma. Hot and cold. Off and on as easily as turning a faucet.

The source of today's eruption was the difference between hockey and church. Sam had a hockey game from 9:45am to 11:15am, smack dab in the middle of church. Because I missed yesterday's game, it had already been planned that I would take Sam to hockey, while Kane would go to church with Casey and Abby. Kane and I talked about this last week already, but Kane, like his son, is quick to change his mind. First, he was going to church, but he began lamenting over missing the game. Kane made the mistake of involving Casey in the decision process, and the decision was made to go to hockey. Then, just before we were to walk out the door, Kane changed his mind back to church. Casey did not handle that news very well at all!

He sulked and cried and pouted and ranted, stubbornly refusing to leave until the anger in my voice compelled him forward. As the kids piled into the van and I began scraping snow off the windows, Kane changed his mind once again and again. (Yes, he did, and I don't even want to go down that road right now!!) As we began to back out of the driveway, I informed Casey, that as a result of his behaviour and attitude, he would not be allowed to play outside this afternoon. Naturally, he didn't take that news very well either, but Dad to the rescue...

Kane told Casey that he could have a reprieve if he came to church without anymore attitude. Casey wisely agreed; he knows who to suck up to. I fumed and countered with my opinion on that matter.

So, I dropped everyone off at church before taking Sam to hockey. Because of Kane's back and forth decisions, we were running behind schedule. They were on time for church, but Sam was not in the dressing room on time, which highly insulted my sense of order.

The game was played. Sam scored. We won. My mood was lightened. I nearly forgot about Casey's behaviour. Almost.

After supper, Abby was playing on the computer, while Kane washed dishes and I watched some of the Olympic's closing ceremonies. I heard Casey in the kitchen begin to whine to Kane about the unfair computer usage. (Yes, he does keep a mental tally of anything and everything that might be unfair!) Eventually, Casey asked if he could go on the computer. Kane wisely referred him to me, lord and master of this contraption. (He can have the remote; I'll take the computer!) So, Casey asked me.

I mentally giggled in an almost wicked and conniving way. Of course, I told him no because of his behaviour this morning. It wasn't long before I heard Kane coaching Casey, telling him that if he apologized to me for that behaviour, maybe I'd relent. Bring it on, son!

Casey slinked around the doorway. "Sorry," he mumbled. Kane called out instructions on a proper apology. Casey tried again, "Sorry." Kane told Casey not to stand at the door but to go over to me. Casey tried not to smirk as he closed the gap before mumbling that same word again.

"Sorry for what?" I asked. He apologized for his behaviour and bad attitude.

"Casey, I accept your apology and I forgive you, but I am not going to let you play the computer. Would you like to know why? It is because you need to learn to live with the consequences of your actions."

At this point, I expected more tantrums and outbursts. At the very least, I expected Casey to retreat to his bedroom, where he would hide beneath his blanket in a teary, angry pout. I watched and waited.

Casey slinked back to the kitchen and out again and down the hall toward his bedroom. Aha! Or, so I thought, but he was back in the kitchen before I knew it. There was no pout. No tears or tantrums. Instead, he was talking to his dad and waiting for the dishes to be done. Minutes later, father and son were playing marbles in the hallway; the sound of laughter drifting to my ears.

This was not what I expected. All previous experiences with my son had left me feeling weary of the battle and defeated. How many times can I explain the same principles? How many times do I bang my head against the brick wall resembling my son? As a shell-shocked parent, I had come to expect the worst, but today I claimed a victory!

Has wisdom suddenly penetrated Casey's skull and rooted itself in his brain? I doubt it. Will Casey never again have a meltdown? As much as I would love that, I know it is too much to hope for. Did Casey show a degree of maturity today? Yes indeed!

Just before I sat down to write this, I called Casey to me and told him how proud I was of him for his reaction (or lack of) in the face of disappointment. He beamed with one of those radiant and contagious smiles of his. These are the moments that make parenting worth it.

Here and There

Sam's team won their fourth hockey game of the year. We've had some good games against this team before, and this one was very much the same. Back and forth action, close score. As parents, we were all rather excited and stunned by the explosive start our boys had, taking a 3-0 lead within the first five minutes of the game! Sam scored the fourth goal for our team; his third goal of the year! The final score was 7-6. Way to go!

Abby and I went to the mall this afternoon for a little mom and daughter time. It has become apparent to me that my little girl is far more "girlie" than I am. She loves to shop. I see it as a necessary chore that needs to be done on occasion. But, we had fun browsing the shops we typically don't enter, especially when the boys are with us. I picked up some boring things from the dollar store: ramekins, penny rollers, and some scrapbooking stuff. I bought Abby a pair of pajamas from LaSenza Girl and a novel from Chapters. After purchasing some frappucinos from Starbucks, we headed home.

Cyborgs

Got this from another blog. (Thanks Keith) Try it here: http://cyborg.namedecoder.com/




Kane scoffed at the "logical" in my cyborg. I don't know why.

Today

Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth

In the past few days, I have received junk mail from numerous sources, including the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the SPCA. Both these two organizations were kind enough to send me a personalized note pad and sticky address labels. I'm quite sure that I am not the only person who receives many such gifts from non-profit groups seeking my support.

Almost every time I receive another set of address labels, Kane asks me if I feel guilty about using these labels without sending a cheque to the group. He asked me again yesterday; my answer remains unchanged. Nope!

Should I feel guilty about using address labels sent to me? I didn't ask for my name to be included on their mailing list, nor did I ask to receive these gifts. It isn't that I don't support charities, because I do. I just rarely send money in response to phone or mail solicitations. And frankly, there are some charities that I simply don't support with any regularity. Like the SPCA. I support them in principle; we adopted our cat from them, but I would rather donate my money to people than animals. I've long been a supporter of the Canadian Cancer Foundation, even if I don't fill out the donation card and mail it in with a cheque.

I also financially support other organizations for which I receive no gift, and I don't mind that in the least. Gift or no gift, I support those groups that I am passionate about. Every group or organization has their hands out for money, I can't give to them all.

Feels like a Monday

The wild game banquet was alright. The food was good. Kane and I won two prizes from the raffle: a $15 gift certificate to a pub and a marine safety kit. We don't have a boat, so the marine safety kit seems a little weird, but I'm sure we can find uses for the components of it. As for the pub, I guess Kane and I will need to go for a lunch date some day.

We caught another mouse, this one in one of my kitchen drawers. That was yesterday morning, and the traps have remained empty since then. Abby had wanted to have a funeral for the first mouse and bury it in our yard, but I put my foot down with an emphatic NO. The trash is quite good enough for a dead rodent. Thank you very much.

I'm tired. I had planned on going to an emergency minor hockey meeting last night. Alternatively, I could have gone to my weekly girls' night. Instead, I stayed home, zoned out in front of the TV, while Abby "taught" me shapes, place values, addition, and spelling. Melancholy.

I have a lot of work hours this week, and I have a lot of work hours for next week. It depresses me just a little, because these are more hours than I want. When I was hired, I clearly stated that I would like between 16 and 20 hours a week. This week, I will have either 27 or 28 hours. Next week, I'm looking at 25.5 or 26.5 hours. Now I don't mind an extra hour or two once in a while, but this is too much.

I hate to complain about it to my boss. I know they're short-staffed. Obviously, they're happy with my work and value me as an employee, but I have to do what is best for me and my family. My housework is suffering. We rarely have supper at the dining table, and supper is usually a slapped together affair to begin with. I don't have as much time to help with homework or be involved with my kids' schools. And, work is just exhausting!

Baseball season is just around the corner, and life will suddenly become insanely busy for us. There's no way I can work these kind of hours once baseball begins.

To top it all off, I've not got a sore throat. It came on suddenly last night and has continued through today. I've managed to stay mostly healthy this winter, so I'm hoping to nip this in the bud.

Good Intentions and All That Jazz

Good intentions. I was going to blog yesterday. And the day before. Obviously, I did neither, even though I had both those days 'off' work. So, what did I do? Good question.

Let's see...on Thursday, I went to Wal-mart. It seems to be a weekly activity; one I could do without. However, I now have only 6 or 7 rolls of undeveloped film at home! Slowly but surely, I'm catching up.

What else? Oh yeah, I watched Olympic coverage, talked to one of Sam's teachers on the phone, and picked Sam up from school early. It was his parent-teacher interview day. Later, I packed all the kids up to go to the three interviews I had booked with his teachers. Unfortunately, I only made it to two of them, but it wasn't my fault. Sam's science teacher was my first stop, and he kept talking right through our scheduled 10 minutes with him and our 10 minutes scheduled for Sam's Social Studies' teacher. In fact, I was even a minute or two late for the math interview! But, it was okay, and it shows me how interested Sam's teachers are in seeing Sam succeed.

Friday was a professional development day, so all my kids were home. No school. Casey had received a $25 gift card for Future Shop for his birthday, so we finally had time for him to spend it. Since we were heading there anyway, I finally took our computer in to have the video card installed. My mom had bought a new one for us for Christmas, so that Sam could finally play the video game he bought months ago. The stupid game wouldn't play on our computer, even though our old video card should have been good enough. So, I was without my computer for a few hours yesterday, but the game works and we're all happy.

Instead of doing housework, I watched the US women's hockey team lose to the Swedes, and I watched the Canadian women earn their way to the gold medal game. Unfortunately, I work on Monday and will miss the gold medal game. Darn.

It was early to bed for me last night as I had to work at 6am this morning. Casey had a friend sleep over, which I wasn't too sure about, but it worked out okay. I guess. Of course, I had said no to a sleepover, but dad showed a weak spot.

Tonight, Kane and I are heading to a wild game banquet courtesy of Kane's boss. We went last year and had an enjoyable time. Hopefully, tonight is just as good.

I'll be up just as early tomorrow as I was today...well, I might get an extra 20 minutes of sleep. Sam has a hockey game at 6:30am, and since I missed him play today, I'd like to see this game. Which reminds me...his team won today!!!! That's 3 wins this season. After hockey, we have church, then the rest of the day is free. Maybe I'll have a nap...quite likely actually. Some laundry. Some homework nagging, I'm sure.

We finally caught a mouse...just not where we expected to. The traps I set in the cupboard and drawers are still empty. No more mouse poop either. However, Kane had set a trap in the basement inside our breaker box (we've caught mice there several years ago) a few days ago. I didn't know that he had put a trap down there, so it hasn't been checked since he set it. He checked today, and there was a dead mouse. We're not sure how recent this catch was, but would it be too optimistic to hope it was the only mouse in the house? Probably.

Not in a house. Not with a mouse.

Have you seen the movie Mouse Hunt with Nathan Lane? It's hilarious. Over the top. My boys could laugh their heads right off watching the two main characters destroy their home in search of an elusive mouse.

While I have more intelligence than both of those characters combined, I can feel the same frustration they felt. After setting three traps yesterday, I waited; not very patiently, I might add. By bedtime, the traps were still empty. This morning, still empty. I went to work and came back home. The traps are still empty but...

One of the traps has been cleaned of bait! There are a few little parting gifts from the rodent in that same cupboard, too. The two traps in the drawers are just as they were, and the cupboards are still clean. It's not fair! I snapped my finger in the trap while setting it yesterday; how can a mouse lick every single bit of peanut butter from the trap without snapping the trap?!

I admit it. I want instant results. We've got a mouse or mice. Fine. I don't like it, but I can deal with it. I just don't want to deal with them forever. When we had mice several years ago, we caught a mouse the same night that we first set the trap. Results!

ABCs

ABC's about you...

A is for age: 34...I need to keep reminding myself of that...I'm mentally stuck on 32

B is for Best Friend: Courtnay, Debbie, Janelle, Karen, Kimberley, and Niki


C is for career: wife/mom/part-time Tim Horton's peon


D is for dad's name: Dave


E is for essential items: paper and coloured pens


F is for favorite song at the moment: Superman by Five for Fighting


G is for your favorite type of gum: Extra in any mint flavour


H is for hometown: Kelowna


I is for instruments you play: I played the clarinet in grade 6 and 7, but now I just play the CD player! I can also plunk out a tune on the keyboard with one hand if I need to.


J is for jam or jelly you like: raspberry or grape


K is for kids: Samuel, Casey, and Abigail


L is for living arrangements: in a house with a mouse


M is for mom's maiden name: Neufeld


N is for name of someone: Alexander


O is for overnight hospital stays: for the births of my kids, having my tonsils removed as a kid, and probably more as a baby


P is for phobia[s]: I'm not aware of any true phobia, but I have a strong dislike for spiders and insects. I guess mice, too.

Q is for quote you like: "I do not like them here or there. I do not like them anywhere."


R is for relationship compromise: I let Kane hold the remote control even when I know he'll flick through the channels and I don't want him to do that.

S is for stuff that you like to do: read, write, puzzles, games, sleep


T is for Time it takes you: to get ready to leave for somewhere? mere minutes...it is my husband that takes forever!


U is for unique trait: I don't know; I feel extremely ordinary.


V is for vegetable you love: corn on the cob with butter and seasoning salt


W is for worst trait: procrastination


X is for x-rays you've had: wrists and ankles, possible a chest x-ray as well


Y is for yummy food you make: spinach & smoked gouda stuffed chicken breasts; cabbage rolls; scalloped potatoes; carrot cake; banana bread


Z is for zodiac sign: capricorn but I don't follow after signs

Of Mice and Men

Three traps have been set since prior to noon. Here it is a little after 7pm and the traps remain set. No little visible indicators either. I know they're around somewhere. Waiting, and it could drive me crazy.

Why is this little pest avoiding my kitchen drawers now? After my discovery yesterday, I cleaned out one of the drawers. By the time I went to bed last night, there was once again reminders of a mously presence. Likely, I'm giving these creatures far more intelligence than they truly possess, but that is what happens when paranoia settles in for a lengthy ride.

And no, Maggie is not a mouser. At least I don't believe so. Oh, she hunts flies and spiders and other creepy crawlies, but I don't know that she's ever seen a mouse. Well, maybe she has, and I just wrote it off as feline silliness. Whatever the case, we've had Maggie since she was only a few weeks old, and she's never been allowed outside. While I think she might enjoy playing with a mouse, I don't think she has the killer instinct. Unfortunately.

Mouse Hunt

Little did I know that baking a cake would send me crashing into the depths of paranoia and shatter the plans I had for today. I have the day off work, so I had planned on doing next to nothing. Maybe I'd curl up on the sofa with a book or watch the Olympics. Undoubtedly, I would spend some time on the computer, playing games and catching up on emails and blogs. There's still hope for the rest of my day, but it hasn't been the picture of idle bliss I imagined.

As the timer on the oven buzzed yesterday, I opened the drawer where my oven mitts are kept only to find it liberally doused with mouse poop. I was floored. I had been in that same drawer the night before and seen nothing but trivets and oven mitts. There's no way I could have missed seeing all that mouse poop. Heart sinking, I opened the neighbouring drawer and discovered much the same. Thankfully, my other drawers are free of poop, and all the cupboards, save one, seem to be free as well.

So, my hopes and plans for today were dashed by a creature(s) that shouldn't be stirring in my house! Instead of watching the last period of the Canada/Sweden women's hockey game, I trotted off to Superstore for bleach, rubber gloves, mouse traps, and new tea towels. Once I was back home, I emptied the two drawers and one cupboard, quite thankful for no audience save our cat, who obviously knew something was up long before I saw the proof.

I hate mice; not sure how I'd react if I actually saw a live one in my house. Several years ago, I did see (and capture) two mice in our backyard on two consecutive days. That was strange! I was walking to the tap to turn on the sprinkle, and a mouse was crawling merrily along in front of me. A nearby empty bucket quickly kept him in stasis until Kane was home to remove it. The next day, I was once again heading out in the yard to the same location. I remember thinking that I had better keep my eyes on the ground in case there was another mouse. Lo, and behold, there was! The same bucket kept him occupied until Kane could give him the same treatment as his cousin. I'm impressed with my own composure in those situations, but I'm not sure I could be so calm in the house.

The cupboard and drawers are now cleaned and holding peanut butter baited traps, which will need to wait for Kane if they should catch their prey. I could tear apart the rest of my kitchen, but I think I'll wait until Thursday and Friday. I have those days off which gives me much more time to tear apart, clean, and replace.

This is one of those times when I wish that God could have given more specific natural instincts to his creations. Why not hardwire into mice a fear of homes? Live long and prosper in the fields an forests but steer clear of urban dwellings. Insects...same thing!

Just imagine.

The Cat in the Hat

Our cat is weird. Maggie is an orange tabby we adopted from the SPCA over three years ago; at least, I think it has been three years. It could be four, but three seems more likely. She used to be so cuddly, jumping onto laps where she'd curl up for a nap. Not anymore. She used to sleep beside me at night, but she hasn't done that for at least two years now. Instead, she sleeps anywhere and everywhere, the more uncomfortable and unlikely the spot the better.

Let's see...some of her favourite sleeping spots are: on top of or inside her cat post, on Sam's bed, in Abby's doll cradle, on the computer chair, on the top of the sofa back, in a box, on a plastic bag, on or in Sam's hockey bag (eew!), on the shoe shelves, in a basket on the top of the toilet tank, on the toilet (with the lid closed, of course), on top of the registers when the furnace has kicked in (can't blame her! I'd love to do the same thing.), on stacks of clean laundry, on the top of dressers, in open dresser drawers, on our narrow window ledges, on top of the washing machine, in an open puzzle box, and so it goes.

Lately, she's taken on an even weirder habit...staring at the dishwasher. Don't ask me why. I don't know. Actually, she stares at a lot of things, like under the fridge or the stove or the cupboard where her food is kept. Sometimes, I get a little paranoid, wondering if she might be sensing a mouse, but we've had no evidence of mice for a very long time, long before we brought Maggie into our family. So, I tell myself I'm just paranoid and Maggie is just a weird cat. But the dishwasher? She isn't even staring under it, not that there is an under to even see under. Instead, she stares at the door and the sides. I even watched her stand up and reach her paw out to the door lock as if she was going to open it up!

This morning before I left for work, Maggie was once again perched in front of the dishwasher. Watching. She jumped a little when I turned the machine on; it brought me a measure of perverse joy, I must confess. Several hours later when I returned home, Maggie was still sitting in front of the dishwasher. Now, I'm fairly certain that she had moved away at some point in the four hours I was at work. She wouldn't be a cat if she didn't curl up somewhere for a siesta or two, not to mention keeping an both her eyes on Casey's hamster for a while.

The silly cat is sitting behind me now, staring at the cupboard door behind which lies her food. I don't know what she sees, but she is looking quite intently. Perhaps she believes that she has seen a bug; she loves to hunt pesky insects. Then again, I haven't seen any bugs.

As you can probably tell from the photo, we are the type of people who quite enjoy tormenting our cat in a non-abusive way. Well, Maggie may not like being dressed up or forced to sit in Abby's doll high chair or stroller, but she's just so cute!

Rainbow of topics

Yesterday, I went to Wal-mart to have a handful of photos reprinted for a scrapbooking project I'm working on. After an hour wandering through Wal-mart waiting for the prints, and another half hour of errands elsewhere, I was back home where I discovered that the photo tech had made a mistake on one of the reprints. She had printed the wrong one! Double checked the order, and yes, she had marked down the correct photo but printed the wrong one.

Needless to say, I'm not very thrilled about it. If I didn't need the photo, I wouldn't even worry about taking it back. The few cents it cost are hardly worth the effort, except that I do need the photo. There won't be any trouble having them redo the print for me, but it will be another hour out of my day. There was no way that I was going to run back to the store yesterday, and I'm not so sure that I want to do that today either. Frankly, I don't want to spend a day off running all over town. Maybe I can get Kane to do it Saturday...

I noticed something the other day which got my blood boiling. We have a flower bed in our front yard beneath the living room window. Now, I don't have a green thumb, so our yard is hardly showhome worthy, but I have plans for my yard. What I discovered was a significant amount of animal feces in that flower bed. I don't know whether it is cat or dog. Don't care either, but it makes me mad. Just like people who walk their dogs down our street and don't pick up the stuff left behind along the front of our hedge. Then people wonder why there aren't enough dog parks in our city?!

I had a productive day yesterday, despite the error at Wal-mart. I bought the things that I needed from there, then picked up a project display board from Staples for Sam's science fair project. A few groceries at Safeway and I was back home. I swept and mopped the floors, cleaned the bathroom, did laundry, and cleaned the kitchen; even had time for some Bible time and journaling. Today feels less motivated; probably because I'm back to work tomorrow, and I want to just relax and enjoy doing nothing. However, I can't simply do nothing. I am a mom after all. I guess I'll do some cleaning in my bedroom and leave the dusting/vacuuming for the kids on the weekend. Then, I'll relax. Maybe scrapbook.

I mentioned to Kane last night that the two of us should go out for dinner one night this weekend. He agreed and said he had been thinking the same thing. Valentine's Day is on Tuesday. Kane's birthday is on Monday. Both those nights are busy for us, so I was thinking of dinner for celebrating the occasions. Kane surprised me though by saying he was thinking of dinner for the simple reason that it would be nice for the two of us to go out, not because it was Valentine's day or his birthday. Aah! Now to decide where we'll go...there are lots of choices. There are some places we haven't gone together before, but we also do have some favourite places.

Sam will be bringing his report card home today. Wonder what it will say? I expect that it will be very similar to his last report card, though I'm hoping to see a bit of an improvement in band. I'd love to see improvement in other areas as well, but I would be surprised if there was.

Note to self

Before telling my son that his favourite hockey player is old and washed up, make sure that I know all the facts.

Mats Sundin born February 13, 1971
my birthdate January 4, 1972

Criminal Minds

There's a new program on television which has caught my interest; it really wasn't difficult to do. The show is Criminal Minds starring Mandy Patinkin (love him!) and the guy from that Dharma & Greg show. Besides the draw of Mandy Patinkin, the show interests me, because I like true crime, or what passes as true crime. Criminal Minds follows a group of FBI profilers working specific cases. That's as basic of a premise as you can get.

Criminal Minds has a re-run on tonight; one I haven't seen yet. Hooray! Anticipating the children tucked into their beds very shortly, before I get cozy on the sofa in front of the TV, my thoughts turned slightly more introspective. Just what goes on in the minds of my children?

Seriously. I want to know!

When I quite specifically tell Sam that I want him to practice his trombone, finish homework, and complete any more experiments for his science project while I am at work, I, quite naturally, expect that he will do as I have asked. I expect it. I hope for it, but I didn't get it.

When Kane picked me up from work this evening, I learned that Sam had done nary a thing that I had asked. I had neglected to relay my requests through Kane, so that he could be the enforcer, and of course, Sam also neglected to let his dad know. So, Sam spent the afternoon playing. Same thing happened yesterday while I was at work...all play and no work.

What does go through the minds of my children? Do they consciously choose to disobey me? Well, I have no doubt that Casey's mind does work that way. (I can virtually see the wheels turning beneath his cranium.) But then I have to pause and consider, why doesn't my husband think to ask the kids about homework? Why does he go out of his way to make sure the kids have a weekend full of friends and play, but doesn't push them to do any work around the house? I've been nagging Abby to clean her room for a week now. It is still a mess, but dad let her have a friend over both yesterday and today. He would have let her have a friend for a sleepover, but I put my foot down on that.

Why does the mom tend to wind up portraying the "bad, mean" parent? I want my kids to have friends and fun just as much as my husband does, but I also want them to learn responsibility.

About the only thing Kane and I ever butt heads on has to do with our kids and either their personalities or their relationships. We have different viewpoints; we're two very different personalities ourselves. Kane is outgoing, a social butterfly. I am quiet, introverted, and less needy when it comes to social interaction, which is not to say that I don't need it or appreciate it; I just don't need it all the time. I like to be on my own sometimes, too.

Like their parents, our children have different personalities. I understand that and accept it, even when I often wish that Casey wasn't quite the way he is. (Truly though, I wouldn't change who he is.) I guess part of living is just learning to understand each other, even when we don't necessarily agree. A personal profiler sure would be helpful though...

Too busy to whistle while I work

It has been a long, busy day for me. As is often the case when I have an early morning, I didn't sleep very well last night. My subconscious continuously rouses me to check the time, afraid the alarm will fail, and I'll oversleep. The alarm worked; it rang at 5:45am.

I worked from 6:30am to 2:30pm, and what a day it was! The first hour was okay, even though we had someone pull a 'no show' for their shift, leaving us short. The rest of my shift was crazy busy. Well, it wasn't overwhelmingly busy, but it was steady busy. Other than my two fifteen minute breaks, I was kept running. No idle time for me.

I was on the soup/sandwich bar for my entire shift. While I don't mind working that area, eight hours of steady busy is a long time to be there, especially alone. I was all alone today. The person working this area needs to be able to multi-task, something I think I manage to do well most of the time. However, this is a job that is almost too much for one person to handle during days like today.

The soup/sandwich bar person needs to prepare bagels, sandwiches, chili and soups after they are ordered by a customer at the counter or in drive-thru. Quite often, there are multiple orders coming in from both areas at the same time. Then, I also need to re-stock my supply of bagels and buns, which entails pulling them from the freezer and popping them into the oven. I need to keep my station stocked with deli meats, cheeses, lettuce, tomato slices, cucumber slices, egg salad fill, chicken salad fill, tuna salad fill, five kinds of cream cheese, and sauces. I need to cook bacon and sauted veggies. I need to ensure that extra chili, chicken, and soup are being cooked in the kitchen. Cleaning is ongoing, of course. Inserts need to be changed frequently, and temperatures need to be taken every two hours.

I got to love it when customers approach me with their requests for a straw or an extra packet of sugar or cream instead of disturbing the front counter staff member who served them in the first place. Not that I mind helping them out, but it is a little irritating when I am in the middle of making a sandwich with four or five more orders waiting to be made.

By the end of my shift, I had a headache brewing, and I had a bruised and sore finger. The base of my left ring finger took a nasty whack from the end of the mop handle. It is a little blue and red with a painful lump. I think I'll survive.

I did receive a high compliment from my manager before I left work this afternoon. We are rewarded with "staff dollars" when the drive-thru speed is quick enough or when otherwise merited in the eyes of management. Today, we all earned two staff dollars for our hard work during our non-stop busy day. Before I left, my manager pulled me aside, giving me two more staff dollars, because she said I did an outstanding job on sandwich bar!

I'm just glad to have that early shift finished; hopefully, there won't be another for a while.

More than a man

I'm working my way through the book of Matthew. Today, I read chapters 16 and 17. There are several underlined and highlighted passages within these chapters in my Bible; so much of interest and reason to pause.

It always amazes me to realize just how "human" the disciples were. In my church brat upbringing, I think I've held a distorted view of many, if not all, the Bible heroes. I've set them on a shiny pedestal, high above me and my frailties. How wrong that view is!

It is easy to see over and over again how the people closest to Jesus often missed the point.

Matthew 16:5-12 "Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any food. 'Watch out!' Jesus warned them. 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' They decided he was saying this because they hadn't brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said, 'You have so little faith! Why are you worried about having no food? Won't you ever understand? Don't you remember the five thousand I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of food that were left over? Don't you remember the four thousand I fed with seven loaves, with baskets of food left over? How could you even think I was talking about food? So again I say, 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' Then at last they understood that he wasn't speaking about yeast or bread but about the false teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

How quickly the disciples forgot who they kept company with!

Matthew 15:33 "The disciples replied, 'And where would we get enough food out here in the wilderness for all of them to eat?'"

They had their own ideas about how things should work.

Matthew 16:22-23 "But Peter took him aside and corrected him. 'Heaven forbid, Lord,' he said. 'This will never happen to you!'"

They messed up!

Matthew 26:35, 69-70"'No!' Peter insisted. 'Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!' And all the other disciples vowed the same."
"Meanwhile, as Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, a servant girl came over and said to him, 'You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.' But Peter denied it in front of everyone. 'I don't know what you are talking about,' he said."

And they messed up again.

Matthew 26:71-72 "Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, 'This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.' Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. 'I don't even know the man,' he said.

And again.

Matthew 26:73-74 "A little later some other bystanders came over to him and said, 'You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.' Peter said, 'I swear by God, I don't know the man.' And immediately the rooster crowed."

Yet, these "heroes" also walked with Jesus, they saw miracles, and served Him, often to the point of death. They didn't understand everything; in fact, they often missed Jesus' point entirely, but they answered His call. They went against the flow. While everyone chose to see Jesus as simply another prophet or good man, they knew differently.

Matthew 16:13-14 "When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that the Son of Man is?' 'Well,' they replied, 'some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.' Then he asked them, 'Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.'"

Jesus' question could still be asked today. Who do I say that Jesus is?




*New Living translation

From Funky Chicken to Just In a Funk

I am not in the best of moods at this moment in time. Really, I am fuming silently while steam escapes from my ears and my lips are thinly pressed together. In such a state my resistance is paper-thin, and so I am nursing my fourth Diet Coke with Lime of the day. I hadn't planned on having another, but I caved. Yes, I am addicted; I'll deal with it tomorrow...when I am in a better frame of mind. ;o)

Honestly, the source of my fury is found in my middle child; the child who always knows the quickest way to get under my skin. What is his problem today? I don't know! Tonight is the premiere night of the second session of his 56 Club through the church, something to which he was looking forward to. They are going to the YMCA. I assume that they will be in the pool playing games and having fun.

Casey is the most fish-like of my children, but today he acts as if his skin is highly sensitive to H2O. He doesn't want to go tonight. He won't have fun. The water is too deep, too cold. They will probably have to do "diving". Hello?! You love water. You love swimming. You're going, and you will have fun!

We had this "discussion" the entire drive from the church, where we dropped Abby off, and home. Sam and Casey were to promptly head out to deliver their newspapers, but Casey decided it would be more prudent to pout and carry on like a two year old. With today's start-up of Abby's music/craft club and Casey's 56 Club, our Wednesdays once again take on a chaotic, frenzied pace.

Here's what today looks like from afternoon onward:

1:15pm-Casey and Abby get out of school early because of parent-teacher interviews; normal dismissal time is 2:30pm

3:00pm-I drag Abby and an unwilling Casey out the door to pick Sam up from school; his dismissal time is 3:09pm

3:15pm-Sam has made it to our parked van, and we're on our way to our church to drop Abby off at Explore! for the 3:30pm start time

3:40ish-Sam, Casey, and I arrive back home. I nag them to deliver their newspapers, while I work on what supper prep I can do.

(It is 4:12pm right now, so everything which follows is as it is supposed to happen.)

4:30ish-Sam and Casey home from papers. I resume nagging; this time to get Sam working on his homework. I turn on the rice cooker, so supper is ready for 5:00pm; roast is in the crockpot. After a final nag, I leave to go pick Abby up. She finishes at 4:45pm.

5:00pm-Abby and I are back home. Has Sam finished homework yet? Is he even working on it? Highly doubtful on both parts. Nag about feeding the cat and homework, serve supper.

5:40ish-pack everyone into the van. I will need a hot smoothie from Tim Horton's, so that is our first stop.

6:00pm-I am dropped off at the baseball clubhouse to help put stuff envelopes. Abby will stay with me.

6:15pm-Kane drops Casey off at the Y, fills out the paperwork, and pays.

6:30ish-Kane and Sam head to the church where Sam needs to be dropped off for youth at 7:00pm. It is Jell-o games night! How fun.

7:30ish-Kane will arrive at the clubhouse to see how I'm progressing. Will we be done before our kids are done their activities? Depends. We have four hundred envelopes to stuff; how many hands will we have?

8:30pm-Casey needs to be picked up. Punctually.

somewhere between 8:45-9:00pm-Sam needs to be picked up. Did I mention that the Y and the clubhouse are in close proximity, but our church is at the other end of town? Yeah, you do the math!

assuming I'm not still stuffing envelopes, we're back home by 9:30pm and the nagging resumes as we get kids into bed.

Except for the baseball clubhouse thing and the early dismissal for Casey and Abby, this is a very typical Wednesday for us.

Kane just called. He's going to pick Abby up. Thank you! If I would have known this earlier, I would have made potatoes for supper rather than rice, but I already have the rice in the cooker. Rats. Sam isn't going to be pleased; he thinks we have rice far too often. We probably do, but it's cheap and easy to prepare on a day like today.

Now that I am not needing to rush out the door within the next few minutes, I can veer away from my rant and talk about other parts of my day.

I bought a new toilet seat today. How often can you say that you did that? Our toilet seat is old. It is heavy and disgusting beyond the reach of any cleaning agent or elbow grease. In fact, it is so heavy that it was a potential lethal weapon in our house at one time. Poor Casey! Why does everything seem to happen to him? When he was little, I don't know...somewhere between 2 and 3, he had a nasty run-in with that toilet seat. It fell on his penis, while he was standing at the toilet doing his thing. Thankfully, I wasn't home at the time; I was out with a girlfriend enjoying dessert at Perkins' Restaurant. Kane tracked me down and called the restaurant to tell me the news and ask what to do. Like I know! Casey was purple and bruised for a while but otherwise fine. Well, he was scared of lifting the toilet seat for a very long time.

Replacing that toilet seat was one of those things that you always plan on doing but never seem to get around to; it just isn't high on the priority list. As I roamed the aisles of Wal-Mart this morning, killing time as I waited for my photos to be developed, my decrepit toilet seat came to mind. What could it hurt to take a look at the bathroom aisle? Hmmm...not too expensive; I can handle $8. So, I bought one, brought it home, and after 15 minutes of contortion and torture, I finally removed the old seat and had the new one attached. It looks great! The kids all noticed instantly; will Kane?

Also today, I purchased a book by Beth Moore called "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things". An online friend is planning on doing a study of this book as a group; I'm hoping to take part. The book sounds and looks intriguing. I certainly could appreciate this book.

I can hear Sam and Casey in the next room, chatting and arguing about something pointless. Naturally. It seems to involve a girl smacking Sam in the head. ???

Time to resume nagging. Integers aren't exciting but they need to be done.