Brushing Up

After nearly two hours at the dentist yesterday, all three of my children were declared cavity-free and sported freshly cleaned and fluoride-treated teeth. Casey has had two spacers in his mouth for a few years now, because he had two badly decayed baby teeth pulled well before their time. He has complained about those spacers ever since they were first put in. He can't chew gum. They hurt or they wiggle. So, I reminded Casey to talk to the dentist about the one spacer that has given him the most trouble. It was quite loose, so the dentist removed it with the idea of replacing it with a new and improved version in a couple of weeks. Never one to be happy with where he's at, Casey immediately began complaining about his lack of a spacer! It feels weird to not have it. He likes his spacers and wants it back.

Good grief! I hope he realizes that he won't have those spacers in his mouth forever. Eventually, the time will come for the permanent teeth to erupt, leaving no room nor need for spacers.

The Sound of Music

As we were driving home from the ballpark this evening to the tunes of Whiteheart, I got to thinking about our stereos and tastes in music. My van has a tape deck and radio, both in working condition. Our previous family van also had a tape deck and radio, but the tape deck didn't work. Way back when we had an actual "car", we went to the expense of having a quality tape deck installed. For years now, I've wanted a CD player in my vehicle; actually, I'd prefer to have a tape deck and CD player, but if it comes down to either-or, I'll keep the tape deck.

We do have a CD player at home. Actually, our little stereo holds 3 CDs and has a dual tape deck. It isn't big, but it was affordable and does the job just fine. Our music collection certainly isn't immense. We enjoy a variety of music; we're just too cheap to make buying new music a priority. When the cost of a new CD is equal to a new pair of shoes for the kids or a two week supply of juice boxes for school lunches, there just isn't money to spare.

However, I do love music, which is not to say that I'm musically inclined. I did a two year stint playing the clarinet in grade 6 and 7, but I didn't enjoy it. I'm also not sure that I was really any good. It probably also isn't highly known that I did a lot of singing when I was younger (saying that makes me feel old!), but I did. My sisters and I regularly sang in front of our church congregation, although I remember my feelings of embarrassment over that. Besides taking part in elementary school choirs, I also did perform a couple of solos for music festival type events. I've sung at my uncle's wedding. I was in the Glee Club at my junior high school in grade 7; we performed as part of the musical, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!". In grade 9, I was part of a school choir which sang more contemporary numbers like Wham's "Wake Me Up Before You Go". (I think I just dated myself.)

Was I, am I any good? I'd tell you no in a heartbeat. I'm sure I could sing better than many of the "hopefuls" that try out for American Idol, but I have the good sense to know that I'm not good enough. So, I sing with the congregation at church or in the privacy of my home or van. But back to music...

I think I've decided that I am okay with not having a CD player installed in my van. Even though I have a tape deck in the house, I never listen to my tapes at home. Just my CDs. In the van, I often simply listen to the radio, but I do put on a tape from time to time. Naturally, all the tapes that I own are "older" music, but I'm okay with that, too. Music isn't something that goes out of style to me. The fashions on the liner may have changed drastically, but the music and the words still have the ability to draw me in. Sometimes, I even prefer the "older" stuff, but I do like the "new" stuff, too.

In my CD player, I have Tchaikovsky, Itzhak Perlman, and Margaret Becker. Last week, I was listening to Grammy 2006 Nominees, Mandy Patinkin, and Seal. When I am working on a big household project, I like to listen to The Temptations, Neil Diamond, or the Beach Boys. In the van, I have tapes of Michael W. Smith, Whiteheart, Margaret Becker, Allies, and the soundtrack for the Prince of Egypt.

Working for the Weekend

What a day! I worked from 8:30am until 2pm, and I think that the only time I was able to stop moving was during my 15 minute break. It was insanely busy, non-stop, but it was a good day. Busy is alright by me, so long as I'm working with good people and the customers are in a good mood, too.

Of course, now that I'm home, I really don't have much time to sit and relax either. I'm off to Vancouver for a whirlwind weekend of shopping and visiting with friends. We leave tomorrow morning and hope to return late Sunday afternoon or early evening. Sam has a baseball tournament this weekend with a game tonight. Casey has floor hockey after school for an hour, the kids have to deliver newspapers, and I need to make supper before we leave for baseball. Also, I need to have a bath, pack my overnight bag, paint my toe nails, do a last minute load of laundry, wash dishes, and make sure I've laid things out for Kane. Maybe after all that I will be able to sit and breathe and relax, or I could just go to bed then.

It's Wednesday. The middle of the week. I worked a four hour shift today, which was too short to merit a break but long enough to work up a sweat and a sore back. The good news is that tomorrow is a day off! Life is busy, exhaustion arrives and never truly leaves, and my mind feels overworked...

But, there are things I want to say while I remember them. There's no real sense of order or importance; I haven't had enough caffeine to make too much sense yet.

-I love my husband. He holds my hand when we walk together. He opens the van door for me and holds doors open for me to enter first. He helps with the dishes, which is really an asset with the dishwasher out of order! He makes a great omelet, too.

-I am liking my water pik. After having my teeth cleaned a few weeks ago, on the dentist's recommendation, I bought a water pik. I hate flossing, so this gadget has become my favourite new tool. On the dental flip side though, I have become highly aware of how frequently I keep my teeth together. Not a good thing, according to my dentist. At rest, your teeth should not touch! I suppose that this new awareness is a good thing, but it is seriously affecting my sleep patterns. Even in my sleep, I am consciously aware of where my teeth are at now. I just want to sleep and dream about anything but my teeth.

-We watched When a Stranger Calls last night. (no baseball!) It wasn't really what I would have liked to watch, but the selection at the video store was rather lacking. The movie was alright, predictable though, and just suspenseful enough to keep the adrenaline coursing through my body. In the end though, it was just another formula movie with scenes that make me comment on stupid characters and obvious plotlines. Maybe, if I truly were in a scary situation, I wouldn't be as sharp as I am simply observing the situation, but I highly doubt that I'd leave the safety of a house to run outside looking for help. In the dark. Through the woods. But, that's just me!

-I haven't had any time to sit and do any writing for quite a while now. Frustration! Double frustrating when there are words and phrases floating through my head with no where to go but out my ear and into space. I should, could keep a notebook and pen handy in the van or by the bed. Trouble is that the good ideas always pop in when I'm unable to take that opportunity in hand, like while I am at work. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to pause life once in a while?

-Canadian Superstore has the absolute best blueberry bagels! Trust me...they actually taste like blueberry.

Brokedown Appliance

It was bound to happen someday...our dishwasher has broken. I don't know exactly how old it is, but I do know that it has been in this house for more than fourteen years. Realistically, this dishwasher is likely about twenty years old, which raises the big question. Is it worth repairing? We don't know the answer to that. We don't even know what is wrong with the machine in the first place. It could quite easily cost as much as half the price of a new base model, but would we truly want to repair such an old appliance? New machines are more efficient and require less energy which converts to long term savings.

I guess we'll need to try and find time to do some comparison shopping. We can't afford a big, fancy dishwasher with all the bells and whistles, but I'm sure that even the machines at the cheaper end of the spectrum have different options available. It would be quite nice to have almost all of our appliances matching. We bought a new refrigerator when we moved in here in 1997; it is white. Our microwave is also white. The stove, which is probably almost as old as the dishwasher, is an almond colour. Our now defunct dishwasher is a lovely shade of gold.

In the meantime, I guess I need to be more diligent about washing dishes by hand. I have no choice really. With seven people in this house, dirty dishes pile up quickly. I hate washing dishes!! Sounds like a good time to get the kids more involved...

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

We just got home after our third baseball game in yet another tournament. Casey's team is playing in a neighbouring association's Mosquito tournament, and have we played well! So far, we are undefeated, finishing first in our pool. Tomorrow, we are guaranteed one more game, and if we win that one, we're in the championship game. It would be awesome to make it to that final game, but I am just so impressed with our team's effort. Winning is just the icing on the cake!

We froze during the game last night, but thankfully the rain held off. This morning, I looked out the window and noted the ground was wet, but despite clouds, we stayed dry again. In fact, the sun even made fools of us all. Parents showed up with layers of clothing on their backs, but it was sunny and hot by our 3pm game. I knew I should have worn capris this morning; instead, I wore jeans and a hoodie.

So, if Casey's team wins tomorrow morning, I am presented with some complications. Sam will return from his youth camping trip around 2pm and will need to be picked up from the church. No problem there; the final game starts at 3:30pm. However, Sam has his own game starting across town at 5pm, meaning he needs to be there by 4:15-4:30pm. Since Kane is Casey's coach, I would need to transport Sam to his game and miss most of Casey's. I wouldn't even have the option of dropping Sam off early and heading back to Casey's game, because Abby has a practice at 6pm. The good news is that another mom on our team has been helping scorekeep this weekend, so she should be able to do the job...assuming we make it to that final game. If we don't, then it really doesn't matter. :o)

You know, I think this is the first time that any team my kids have been on has played so well in a tournament scenario (well, Abby's tadpole team was undefeated a couple of weeks ago, but there were no play-offs in that tournament). We do have a couple of skilled ball players, but we do not have a stacked team by any stretch of the imagination. There are 3 or 4 kids on Casey's team who have never played baseball before, so Kane and I are so excited to see the development occuring and playing out on the field. That's what baseball is all about!

Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head

Another night of baseball, another grey and overcast day. Both Sam and Abby play ball tonight. Will we get wet, or will we stay dry?

I love the rain. I really do, but I'm ready to see some sunshine again. If we didn't have to be out at the ballpark every night, I wouldn't mind all this rain. We certainly need all the moisture, and I don't even mind being out in it once in a while; just not all the time.

It's not raining at this very moment, but the sky looks a little ominous. Even if it were to start raining, we'd still likely be playing. Sam played in pouring rain Monday night. Anyone sliding into home plate would have needed a snorkel and flippers.

A Long, Long Weekend

It has been a long weekend, and not just because it is a holiday long weekend. Our baseball association hosts a Mosquito tournament every May long weekend. So, we played, or rather, watched Casey play a lot of ball. The first two games of the tournament Saturday morning were delayed on account of heavy rain. After pumping out puddles and a lot of raking, we played our first game in the rain. The rain stopped shortly before our second game of the day, and the sun came out to play.

Sunday was hot and sunny. I tried to stay out of the sun. Really, I did, but I wound up sunburned on my forearms and face, nonetheless. Casey played two ballgames, and the boys won the Gamecube game they wanted in the silent auction.

We had only one game this morning, and the rain was back. Thankfully, it was only a drizzle which came and went and came and went. We weren't back home until about 3:00pm, and I went to work on a late lunch/early supper. We ate, we watched TV, Kane napped, and Sam practiced trombone. Now, Kane and the boys are at Sam's ballgame. Abby is in the bathtub, and here I am.

I really hate missing my kids' games, but Abby didn't want to go, and she needed a bath. As much as I want to watch my son play, I am exhausted. I've reached the point in this crazy baseball season where I can't keep track of the days anymore. Is it the 19th or the 20th? I'm a day behind most of the time now; it's a good thing I keep my daytimer in perfect running order! What would we do without it?!

Tonight is the season finale for 24. Will Jack save the world again? Of course, he will. The bigger question is will I be able to keep my eyes open while he does it.

A Driveway with a View

I needed to use up the last couple shots in the camera, so I stood at the end of my driveway and snapped this one. I'll never get tired of the beauty of God's creation.



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

Tadpole Tournament

Mother's Day weekend is traditionally the Tadpole baseball tournament, and this year was no exception. The weather was hot and sunny. Abby has been practicing her cartwheels for the past couple of weeks and took advantage of the big grassy park before a game.
















For the first time in RMBA history, or so we've been told, we had an all-girl infield! Abby played shortstop that inning and is stopping the ball in the photo.














Here's Abby up to bat. She has been hitting very well so far this season, even hitting a double in a regular game Monday night.





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

Keep Moving or Drop

I won't write about yesterday and spilling tea and chili and wanting to slap a co-worker. Instead, I am going to talk about today.

"Don't be fooled by the calendar. There are only so many days in the year as you make use of."
Charles Richards

It is a day off, although my boss has called three times and left a message on my voice mail twice. He probably also tried to call me on my cell phone. Persistent fellow, but I've got call display! In one of the messages, he asked if I could work on Thursday. I can do that; just not today, please.

It is now 11:00am, and I've been busy. The last load of laundry is in the dryer, the dishwasher is waiting to be unloaded and clean dishes are drying on the dishrack. I have a couple of loaves of banana bread just about ready to come out of the oven, I've swept the floors and tidied the living room.

My stomach is telling me it's time to eat lunch before I do anything else. I'm entertaining thoughts of baking some muffins yet today; there are still some ripe bananas to use up. Then, the rest of the afternoon is free to relax...mostly. Supper needs to be ready very early today, but it can still wait until the kids are finished school.

Abby has a ballgame tonight across the dreaded bridge. This will be her fifth straight day of baseball, and I will need to wash her uniform tomorrow as she has team photos. Casey has team photos tonight, and Sam's are tomorrow before his game.

A nap is sounding more enticing by the minute...

Mothers

"The most important thing she'd learned over the years was that there was no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one."
-Jill Churchill


Mother's Day is rapidly approaching. For me, it just wouldn't be Mother's Day without a baseball tournament to attend and so, we'll be spending several hours at the ballpark for Abby's mid-season tournament. I think I'll keep Casey away from the bleachers this Mother's Day; I don't need a broken tooth for a gift. We typically don't really do much for this special day or Father's Day. The kids might make something at school or the opposite parent will remind them to make one at home the night before. Sometimes, there might even be a small gift, but we really just keep things low-key.

Still, it is nice to feel appreciated, at least for one day. While I know my family loves and appreciates me, it is easy to feel lost beneath the piles of laundry and dirty dishes or to feel squished between errands, appointments, and this activity or that one. Moms do a lot, we put up with a lot, and we give a lot. Sometimes, what we receive in return just doesn't seem to add up correctly. But, as I keep telling my husband, it's the little things that matter most. Flowers are lovely, but I'd be thrilled if the kids (and 'big kid') picked up after themselves. An expensive gift prettily wrapped is nice, but nothing warms my heart as much as hearing my kids say that they love me. Being taken out for dinner is a treat, but I would just as soon see my husband and kids make the effort to put a meal together for me at home. It doesn't need to be gourmet or perfect. It's the thought and effort behind it that count.

And just like that one of my sons snarks at me, and I am irritated. He thinks that life is so unfair. Well son, it is unfair. Deal with it. He can pout and growl at me all he wants; he'll still want me to tuck him into bed tonight, and I'll still love to do it.

Angela and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

Yesterday was not a good day. Not completely anyway. The sun was shining, and it was much warmer; we didn't freeze at baseball last night. I got a bit of tidying done, including vacuuming. I made puffed wheat squares which don't hold together the way I remember them as a kid. So, those were the positives.

Maybe the day wasn't really terrible and horrible, but I sure was in a snarky mood! I've been frustrated for several days over a problem with our baseball website. The timing is terrible; we're in the midst of our season, and the problem was within a program that is used frequently. At last, it looked like everything was back to normal yesterday...until I went to make some changes. It works, but it's still not where I need it to be, and I don't know how to fix it.

Of course, being home all day yesterday left me with plenty of time to stew over my problems with Sam's ball team. It still bothers me, but I'm not feeling quite so close to the boiling point today.

The other day, I had washed a pink t-shirt of mine along with some other clothes. I was surprised to see a rather large blotchy stain on the front when I put it on yesterday. Where it came from I don't know. It certainly wasn't there when I put it in the wash. I did laundry yesterday, too, so I washed the shirt again, spraying it with stain remover. After the wash cycle, I pulled it out for a visual inspection. Not only was that stain still there, but there were more! Lots more...all over the place, and nothing wrong with all the other clothes in that load. More stain remover and another wash cycle made no difference to the shirt, but I was quite irritated. The shirt is ruined, and I didn't spill a drop on it. I'm still fuming about that.

While driving to pick Sam up from school, a wonderful lady in a white SUV cut me off. "Cut me off" might not be an accurate description. A vehicle was stopped on the side of the road in my lane, I had enough time to change lanes comfortably, so I shoulder checked and signaled. The white SUV was directly behind me and began to signal a lane change at the same time as I did. There was enough space between us to allow us both to change lanes, but this driver decided it wasn't good enough to be behind me. She greatly increased her speed so much that I was forced to cut back into my lane to avoid a collision. Then, she whipped right past me. I confess I let loose a few words that I typically don't say. Stupid idiot! And no, those aren't the words I was talking about.

I received an email last night regarding a baseball tournament and the need to find parent volunteers for a whack of things. Okay, no problem, except the email listed time slots to be filled by each team without mention of which team we were. I assumed we were the same number as we normally are, but no. When I asked then for clarification as to what number we were, instead of being told the answer, I was told that information would come with our tournament package. Yeah, okay, then why send out these emails in a panic and a huff with a rapidly approaching deadline to have the volunteers in place when you haven't given out the package yet?! Or, should I add mind reader to my list of abilities?

See how snarky I was?

On our way to baseball last night, I realized that I had forgotten to bring some photos for a parent that I've been holding onto for a month or so now.

Also on the way to baseball, we went through a Tim Horton's drive-thru for a cafe mocha for Kane, a French vanilla smoothee for me, and a box of timbits. As we pulled away, I opened the box eagerly anticipating a honey cruller timbit with my name on it. Wrong. There wasn't a single honey cruller timbit; proof that this just wasn't my day.

And now it is a new day, full of wondrous possibilities. Right? Yeah sure.

"If you follow every dream, you might get lost."

Ironically, this is a line from a song playing on my CD player at this very moment. It's actually not a bad song, but I can't help but find that line rather amusing in a warped kind of way.

Back to today...let's see. I had thought I might bake, but now I'm thinking I'm too lazy for that today. There's no pressing housework until after school when I need to get supper going. There are no errands to run-thank goodness! There is Diet Coke black cherry vanilla in my fridge calling my name. Resistance is futile. Maybe I'll scrapbook or read or start a puzzle...could I fit a nap in there? So many possibilities, so little time.

Mad Dogs Drool

Time to put on my mother bear face and let loose a few growls...simply because if I don't, I might implode.

I love sports. I love watching my kids play sports, but I absolutely hate the politics of sports. There is no escaping it; it's everywhere.

Sam really wanted to make the peewee 'AA' baseball team this year. We knew that he was certainly capable, but we know that he isn't the best ball player in his age group. He made one of the two 'AA' teams. He's happy. We're happy. Right? Yes and no.

I don't want to be a whiny parent. I don't want to be the type of parent who pushes her child for my own glory or benefit. However, I get so frustrated watching a game and seeing favouritism and unfairness and politics. So what if this is a 'AA' team! It is still a house league, not All-Star, not the major leagues. House!

I've watched Sam sit on the bench for at least one, often two innings every game. There are only 11 players on the team, they field 9 players, and they play 5 to 7 innings. It's going to happen that some players sit every game, even a player or two sitting twice, but why the same kid every game? Has Sam been playing horribly? Made lots of errors? Nope. Quite the opposite really. The coaches' kids and the "star" players have made so many errors in the past few games it makes my head spin.

Besides sitting two innings, Sam has also seemingly been relegated to the outfield with the occasional turn at second base. I haven't heard Sam complain about this yet, but I know that he is disappointed. He's got quick hands and loves the infield. He wants to pitch. He loves being the catcher or first base. It's just not happening.

Also, the coach has mentioned that his batting line up is based on batting performance. Fine. Sam has been the last batter for a few games now, too. He hadn't been doing well at bat before, but he did just fine on Sunday; on base every time with walks and singles. Where was he on the line up last night? Last again. He also was on base every at bat last night, so we'll wait and see where he bats on Wednesday.

Honestly, I don't care where Sam falls in the batting line up. He gets to bat. Whether he's in the top four, middle or bottom is irrelevant. As long as he gets on base and generates offense, batting order really doesn't make a difference. He's always been a consistent batter. I think most of his struggles up until now have arisen from being told to bunt when he wasn't comfortable doing that and simply needing a boost of confidence in the batter's box. I took him into the batting cage Saturday morning before his game and worked on bunting specifically but also just connecting with the ball. He did very well in the batting cage, and I believe it was the boost he needed for his confidence. He hasn't struck out since.

I had to leave the game early last night. Kane stayed to watch the final few innings. After the game, he talked to one of the coaches about these issues that we've been feeling, but he worded them in such a way as to not be critical. He asked why Sam is always sitting two innings and what Sam could work on in order to be able to play other positions. The response...well, the line up tonight was a rush job, we really wanted to win this game, Sam's playing better, blah, blah, blah.

I'll apologize now, but that was a crap answer. How could the line up be rushed or pieced together when it is the same line up that you play every game? Of course we wanted to win that game, but what does that have to do with playing kids fairly? I'm sure you want to win every game, but you still have 11 players on the team. Sam's playing better?! I know he's not the fastest runner, he doesn't have the hardest throw or the biggest hits, but just how bad do they think he was playing? Other players have made so many silly, careless errors. Sam hasn't yet. He will at some point because everyone does sooner or later. Sam's not the only player to have not batted well. Until Sunday, our team as a whole had no offense. I don't know...I guess I just find that comment rather insulting. Well actually, I found the whole response insulting.

One player was dropped from the team just prior to last weekend and replaced with a player from a 'A' team. It wasn't a surprise to us as we had heard rumblings for a while about how this player really shouldn't have made 'AA' to begin with. Gee, hmmm...isn't our coach the director for peewee? Isn't that why there are evaluations before the season starts so you can assess a player's abilities? Personally, I don't like cutting a player once he's made a team and played several games with the team. It stinks.

So, I wonder where Sam will play on Wednesday. Will he be in a new position because Kane stirred the pot? Or will he still be sitting, field and second base? If Sam was playing poorly, we'd understand this better. Kane told the coach this, too. But, we're just not seeing Sam play any more poorly than anyone else.

So what is it?

Try It, You'll Like It!

Sam is such a fussy eater. When it comes to food, he is quite particular about what he likes or does not like based on texture, appearance, taste, and of course, everything needs to line up with his mental list of food rules. It can't be too "wet". Two separate items cannot touch on his plate. He loves cheese but won't eat a cheeseburger. And so it goes.

I'm not the kind of parent who forces her children to eat everything that is prepared for a meal. I have vivid memories of gagging down liver drowned in ketchup. I was required to eat a stuffed mushroom cap for my 16th birthday, even though I absolutely detest mushrooms. I seem to remember being required to try calamari when my parents took me out for dinner for my graduation. I've been pulled kicking and screaming down that road, and I hated it. So, I can understand that there are foods that my kids will not like and will refuse to eat. No problem. However, I do encourage the kids to try new foods, because you never know whether you'll like it unless you first try it. Right? Also, there are some foods that my kids often "have" to eat, at least a little bit of, because they do have to eat some a healthy variety of food. I don't particularly care for green peppers or onions, but I will eat them if they are in a dish.

Casey and Abby can be picky, but they are more willing to try something once. Sam is more stubborn, rarely even willing to take a little taste. He can rarely even be bribed to try something new! He's the same way with medicine. He'd rather suffer with a sore throat, a cough or a headache than take something to help alleviate the symptoms.

On Sunday, on our way to baseball, Kane and I stopped for some drinks from the Blenz coffee shop in our neighbourhood. Kane had a strawberry fruitchillo, while I decided to try their matcha green tea chillo. I was intrigued by this green tea drink, but also a little nervous. I'm not really a tea drinker; in fact, I've never even tried green tea, hot or cold. But, I tried it, and it was okay, good enough that I would possibly order it again. Of course, Abby wanted a taste, and Casey wanted a taste. Both liked it. I offered a taste to Sam, who was naturally reluctant. I pushed it, and he relented.

"Okay," he said, "The next time we go to that coffee shop, I want one of those okay!"

This morning, Sam was complaining of a stuffy nose. Gee Sam, I've been offering you allergy medicine for a couple of weeks now! Again, he began to resist, but I think he was suffering just enough to keep that door ajar. I showed him the bottle, reminded him that he had taken some of the exact same stuff last year after being stung by a wasp and not complained about the taste. He relented.

Guess what! He liked it.

You know, kids, this is why moms always tell you to try something new before forming an opinion!

Caught in a Secret

While at work yesterday, I served a mom from Sam's hockey team. She has recently created a local magazine for the 'boomer' generation, at least I think that is the correct generational label. All I know for sure is that this magazine is aimed towards people older than I am.

As I served this woman, she mentioned that Kane had let her in on a little secret. Clueless, I smiled and asked what secret that might be. I wasn't aware of any secrets that Kane might be passing along. It seems that Kane told this woman that I write poetry, and perhaps I might be interested in submitting some for her magazine sometime.

Oh, he told you that, did he?

Ack! I managed to make her extra large double double, while internal panic alarms flashed and buzzed.

Sure, maybe I could do that someday. Polite smile.

It isn't that I don't want to share my writing; it's that the thought terrifies me! I'm getting better, more willing to open my hands and let my heart go, but it isn't easy to do. Maybe it is just one of those things that will always produce equally strong yet equally opposite reactions within me. I'd love to be "published", but that outcome isn't something that drives me to write. I think it would be great to have my work "out there", yet with that comes rejection and criticism. I'm familiar with both and know that there is a time, place and purpose for them, but they still sting.

But, even as I continue to feel like a deer caught in the glare of headlights, I've also begun to entertain the possibility. Just maybe.

Raising the Bar

Sam brought his report card home this afternoon. The first thing he said as he walked in the door was, "You can't give me a hug!" Okay...at least it sounded positive.

It was very positive! Here are Sam's grades from term 1 and this one, term 3:

Advise Team term 1: C- term 3: B
Band term 1: C- term 3: A
English term 1: C- term 3: C+
Math term 1: C term 3: B
P.E. term 1: A term 3: A
Science term 1: C term 3: C+
Socials term 1: C term 3: B
Information Tech. term 3: A (he only started this class this term)

Also, his homeroom teacher wrote, "Super 3rd term Sam!!!" on his report card, and he received an 'academic recognition' sticker and a 'work ethic recognition' sticker. They aren't honour roll, but this report card is simply outstanding for Sam. Not only did he improve his letter grades, but his work ethic marks also improved in all the subjects where he was only 'satisfactory' before. I am so proud of the hard work he has put into his school work this past term!

To celebrate, I took him out for "coffee", actually hot chocolate and brownies, at the new Blenz coffee shop not too far from home.

You know, it has been a very good week! God is good.

Stashing Food and Other Stories

Casey is a walking, talking stomach. I kid you not. He is. It does not matter that he may have just finished eating supper half an hour ago, he will still come to me with pleas for a snack because he's starving. Nice try, kid. At the ball park last night, he asked if I would buy him fries. I told him, "No, I am not going to buy you any food here. You had supper at home before we came." So, he asked if I would buy him chicken strips!

Last week, I had bought a package of blueberry bagels. We don't have bagels at home very often, and when we do, they don't last very long. One morning, I was looking for the bagels and could not find the package. Casey had hidden it the night before as there was only one bagel left, and he wanted it.

On Sunday, I bought a box of Wagon Wheels. I don't know if I have ever actually bought Wagon Wheels before; they just aren't something that I purchase even though I love them. In my mind's eye, they are a special treat, something I was excited to find in my pillow case at the end of my Halloween trick-or-treating. My mom certainly never bought Wagon Wheels. Anyway, I bought some, because they were on a really good sale, Casey asked, and I caved. Yesterday, while the kids were at school, I had one, leaving only two left. I removed those final two from the box and put them on a shelf in the pantry. Casey left for school early this morning for his running club, so he had made his lunch and gone before I began making lunch for the other two kids. I went to the pantry for juice boxes and granola bars, thinking that I would put those last two Wagon Wheels into their lunches. One problem...where were they? It took some digging, but I finally found ONE tucked in behind some cans of kidney beans! Obviously, Casey had taken one for his lunch and hidden the other for his own consumption later. Won't he be surprised to find it gone.

I keep telling myself to take some pictures of the view from the front of our house, simply because it is in the process of change and has been for a few years now. It wasn't all too many years ago that you would see a pear orchard and a mountainside. The mountain is still there, but it has a road running down it, and houses now pepper all the usable land down the side. The orchard was mostly cut down to make way for a huge development project. The project started with a big pit being dug, a huge crane erected, minimal work done, and then nothing. For over a year-nothing, except the crane being removed. A few months ago, they finally started back to work on the Conservatory and making visible progress. Soon, we'll find our view of the mountain blocked. Gotta love that.

I went to sign my taxes today, so they can be efiled. This is the first time in a very long time that our taxes have been prepared so soon. In mid-March, Kane got into a tax panic. He was snarky towards me for not having the same motivation to sift through mounds of papers to gather tax receipts and such. Instead of simply asking if I knew where these papers were, which would have saved him a lot of time and hassle, he carried on like a bull in a china shop. But, we got the information together, and Kane dropped it all off with the accountant. Only after that did Kane realize that the tax return deadline wasn't until the end of April! For some strange reason, he thought the deadline was the end of March. All that panic for nothing.

So, our returns had been ready for us to come in and sign for a few weeks now. I know that I was reluctant to go sign, fearful that we might end up owing lots of money to the government. It seems Kane was also worried for the same reason. He finally went in on Tuesday and was surprised to find out we're both getting refunds! Knowing there was good news, I went in and signed mine this morning. I hate money.

I'm back to work tomorrow after three days off. What did I accomplish in my days at home? Honestly, not as much as I would have liked. It seems I did a lot of running around. Tuesday, I picked up only a couple of grocery items and had my trip to the dentist. Yesterday, I made a trip to Wal-mart for a few more items for home and for Kane's baseball team. I also stopped at Sears to inquire about a replacement sunglass clip for my glasses. I don't know how or where, but I must have lost mine. Watch me find them once my replacement comes in. After Wal-mart and Sears, I stopped at the sporting goods store to pick up some ball equipment for Kane. By the time I got home, there was no motivation or desire to do any housework, but I did wash some dishes and cleaned the counter before working on a scrapbooking page. Today, I once again had to run around town. First, to the accountant, then back to Wal-mart to buy a birthday present (Abby received the invitation yesterday; the party is tomorrow), and then to the grocery store for milk and bread and another package of bagels. I'm home. I've had lunch, but I just can't feel any enthusiasm about housework. Laundry is in progress though-that's something.

But, we don't have baseball tonight. Or tomorrow either. Casey has a practice Saturday morning, and Abby has a practice later Sunday afternoon. I don't need to go to Casey's practice; I can sleep in instead. I'll miss Abby's practice, because I'll be at work. No baseball for me until Monday night! There won't be many of these long, free stretches, so we need to enjoy them when we get them.

Forget the housework. It's a beautiful day, not that I'm planning on going back out the door, but I can find something else to do, like scrapbooking or reading. That reminds me...I haven't even cracked a book in a long time.

One more thing...a friend recently changed the theme for his blog. It looks great! But, I've tried to leave a comment three times, and it isn't working. So, if you read this Keith, you need to fix that. It's quite frustrating.

Pearly Whites

I went to the dentist today for the first time in about 7 years. That's not true, not quite. I've been to the dentist many times since then, especially in the past year as we've had to deal with the consequences of Casey's broken tooth. However, I haven't sat in the dentist's chair, except to have my wisdom teeth surgically removed two years ago. It's never been high on my priority list, because I rather dislike going to the dentist, and I've been busy making sure my kids get proper care first.

At some point though, you realize that you just need to do it, uncomfortable or not. I made the appointment and pushed all thought of it from my mind until the last minute. Butterflies invaded my stomach as I walked into the office, but they disappeared when I filled in the new patient questions about previous dentists. What did I like most about my old dentist? Hmmm...let me think. Nothing. What didn't I like about my old dentist? Ha! I simply wrote that it is a long story. I'm sure our current dentist would only have to look at the name of our old dentist to understand the tone behind my responses; he's well-known for all the wrong reasons. This other dentist traumatized my then 6 year old son and verbally abused his hygienist. Some people just choose the wrong profession.

My teeth are clean now. The lengthy span between dental visits resulted in a bit of tartar and a small cavity, but my teeth were in remarkably good shape considering. And Kane thinks that I don't do a good job brushing my teeth! I guess quality is better than spending 5 minutes brushing.

A few days ago, I had mentioned to my kids that I was going to be seeing the dentist. Casey and Abby were both quite excited until I told them that they weren't going to be the ones seeing him. Then, they started talking about how that didn't matter, they could simply "see" the dentist. No. They didn't get it. I was going to the dentist while they would be at school! Disappointed again. Where did this eagerness to go to the dentist come from? They did ask me though if I would have the fluoride treatment. The dreaded fluoride.

Yes. I did get the fluoride treatment; the thing I hated most about dental visits as a child. Somethings have changed since then. The trays only need to stay in the mouth for about a minute now. How long did they need to stay in when I was a kid? I don't really remember, but it felt like an eternity, though it was likely only 10 minutes or so. Of course, now there are a variety of flavours to choose from, but they still taste disgusting.

Things That Make You Go "Ouch!"

You know how painful it is to walk off a step or a curb when you're not expecting that drop? Yeah. I know.

Last night, I was walking across the parking lot at my local grocery store, unaware that I was actually walking along the length of a speedbump. Of course, I was watching my destination instead of my path and took that bone-jarring step off the edge. It wasn't far from the ground, but it rattled my entire skeleton, particularly the left side.

The lower left side of my back began to ache almost immediately and is raging unabated today. Just lovely.

A Little Bit of Everything

Let's see...

A friend had a baby boy on Easter Monday. He's had a rough start, but we're praying that he will gain strength and improve quickly.

Sam is an official umpire once again. He did his "test" last night and is certified until the end of the year.

My pumpkin pie is all gone now. I think I only had 3 or 4 pieces (out of 2 pies). Not all at one time, of course.

I am trying a new recipe to use up some turkey and make an easy supper as tonight is another baseball night. It is called Mexican Turkey Hot Pot soup. The picture looks yummy! So, I have turkey carcass in a pot simmering for broth. Smells good.

I cleaned Abby's room yesterday while she was at school. She had plenty of warning and had made some progress, but her closet was a disaster.

This morning, I cleaned my bedroom. It wasn't nearly as bad as Abby's room, but there were clean clothes piled on a chair and the dresser was cluttered with all sorts of stuff. The dust was heavy on everything, and the floor was a busy playground for dustbunnies...the joys of hardwood floors! Now, the floor is swept, surfaces dusted, everything put away, and the bed made. Do you know how much I dislike making beds?

It's so nice today. The furnace is shut off, and I've opened up all the bedroom windows for a breath of fresh air. While Maggie the cat has no interest in being outside, she loves to sit in an open window.

The phone rang around 6:30 this morning. I, of course, was asleep with no intention of waking that early. Kane was up, took a look at the call display and left it unanswered. The rings eventually roused me enough to realize the phone was ringing and to wonder why Kane didn't answer it...until he came to the bedroom to let me know it was Tim Horton's calling. That's a phone call I don't want to take that early on a day off! They wanted to know if I could come in and work today. I called back after 7:00 to say no. I didn't elaborate, but I have plans for today. They aren't important or special, but they are my plans. Housework isn't exactly an important reason to avoid going in to work, but if I slough the housework off, I'll never get it done. Besides, my uniform was at the bottom of the laundry hamper, dirty and wrinkled, waiting to be washed today.

The most frustrating thing about watching '24' is waiting an entire week for the next episode!

Here's a joke I shared with Sam (he hated it): How do you know it is spring? The "Leafs" are out!

He can cry about his beloved Leafs, and we'll cry over our Canucks and Rockets. This is the only time of the year that I will cheer for Calgary or Montreal, any other Canadian team really. On the other hand, it is baseball season. Who wants to be watching hockey now?!

I decided this morning to put my tea towels, oven mitts and trivets back into the two kitchen drawers where they belong. These were the drawers visited by mice. The traps have sat undisturbed since the beginning of Spring Break. Maybe the mice like the nice weather and found a new home outside?

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.