Get the Cake!

Quick! Get the cake! I'm getting MARRIED!!

My three-and-a-half-year old just asked me to marry him. In his sweet voice he said, "Mom, could you marry?"

I answered, "Yes!"

Then he looked deep into my eyes and said, "know why I wanna marry you? 'Cause you're special."

I just hugged him tight. I'm taking advantage of this overflow of affection. One day, far too soon, he'll actually understand what it means. I'm going to soak it up while it lasts.

Little Extras!

Okay, I normally don't post on Saturdays, but with hubby out of town, I thought I'd sit down and blog for a bit. Nothing really exciting, just stuff on my mind. Little extras.

Today marks a big milestone for me. My first night away from my youngest baby. He's 14 and a half months old and tonight he is having his first sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's. YIPEE!! Actually all the boys are going there, so I'm going to be child-less. No "little extras" of my own. I'm looking forward to it. :-) I'm not feeling anxious - my baby's favorite person is Grandpa. I'm looking forward to a night of quiet, peaceful, alone-time! I plan to tackle some of my TBR pile. Five down, twenty-three to go. LOL! I'm not kidding.

I doubt I'll get any extra sleep, but that's okay. What I'm craving is a little solitude and a break from single-parenting. I don't know how you single parents out there do it. My hat's off to you! It's not an easy task and I want to encourage anyone who is in that place right now. Children are a wonderful blessing, but they are a lot of work. Be encouraged and know that there is a Strength you can lean on.

Well, I'm done. That's all I got for now. Kids are asking questions and I'm studiously ignoring it. LOL! I should probably answer, so until next time......

Man's Work

I realized something today. With my Hubby gone for the next 5 days or so, come Monday, I'm going to have to take out the garbage. In almost 8 years of marriage this is a task I have never once performed. Crazy, huh? I've taken the garbage outside to the big cans, but I've never walked it to the curb. And I'll have to do the recycling, too. Whenever I've mentioned this and people have asked why, I've just shrugged and said, "It's the man's job."

That got me to thinking, there are a few tasks that I consider "man's work." I'm not sure why, other than it just seems right. Here are some others:

-the car: cleaning, changing the oil, starting it and plugging it in in cold weather.

-mowing the lawn
-opening doors (this to me is a courtesy that I've come to expect)
-carrying anything heavy

-walking on the outside of the sidewalk, closest to the traffic (again, a courtesy, but still one the man should do)

Does this make me chauvenistic? What are some things that you see as "the man's job"? Or do you dare share? LOL!

Excuse for not Blogging #7

Excuses, excuses, excuses. Seems that's all I'm writing these days. But the truth is, this day has just passed far too quickly. Not that I'm complaining...I'm watching the clock, waiting for it to get to 8:00 so I can put the kiddos to bed.

My hubby left town yesterday. No, he hasn't run out on me. LOL! He had to go away for work for a while. I'm not sure how long he'll be gone - anywhere from 5 to 8 days. *sigh* I'm kinda used to having him around. :-) And those hours between end-of-nap and bedtime, when the baby's tired and cranky and wanting to be held...yeah, those are long hours.

You know the worst of it? My DH took the laptop with him! Grrr. Okay, it is a work laptop that work paid for, but I was getting used to the luxury of sitting in my big comfy chair and blogging. And I was getting spoiled having the convenience of the internet literally at my fingertips, whether cooking supper, relaxing on the couch or lying in bed. Kinda sucks to have to sit at a computer desk again. Okay, that's beginning to sound a little spoiled. :-) But you know what I mean.

Anyways, today I decided to get out of the house and go for an Italian soda. Those are the drinks that have the flavorings of your choice, ice, club soda, whipped cream and a cherry on top. It's how I drown my sorrows. Well, that or chocolate. LOL!

So, what did you do today? Something fun and spontaneous? Wild and crazy? Same old, same old? Or were you just passing time, watching the clock until you could say "Yes, another day accomplished"?

Spring Cleaning

Spring Cleaning. Okay, admittedly this is not the most fun topic to discuss, but this year has been my first venture into the nitty-gritty-washing-walls-elbow-grease cleaning.

My hubby and I decided to clean and de-clutter our house to get it more organized and comfortable. This has always been a rather daunting task to me. Part of the hazards of perfectionism. We perfectionists (only in some areas) tend to only tackle tasks and jobs that we know we can do and do well. Disorganization drives us crazy and jobs half done push us over the edge of insanity. :-)

Which is why I've never undertaken this task. Who has time to do it right? I certainly don't. So it was easier to pretend it didn't exist. Until recently, that is.

We began a couple weeks ago, with the attainable goal of one-room-a-night. IT WORKED! Well, it worked with one exception. I now have a clean kitchen, bathroom, living room and entryway. And then I ran out of steam and ambition. Actually we went away and it's been hard to get into the swing of things again. However, these are the main rooms of the house and by spending most of my time in them - and by avoiding the rest of the house - I can maintain that feeling of accomplishment.

So, "Yipee" for these four rooms. I'm going to temporarily forget about the other rooms - master bedroom and closet, ensuite, baby's room, pantry, linen closet, laundry room/bathroom, boys' room, spare bedroom, under-the-stairs storage room, furnace room, family room and computer area. And we won't even go into the yard work.

Don't you just love spring cleaning?! LOL!

Back in Black!

I've bought four shirts in the last week that are black. I realized I LOVE black! Not only is it slimming, but it goes with any skin tone. It doesn't just hide unsightly bulges, it also seems to disguise skin imperfections.

Example: My arms are...not great. And I have a weird, pale skin tone with some unusual blotchiness. So, it's hard to find t-shirts and tank-tops that I actually like. However, I was trying on different shirts and colors and realized that my skin doesn't look so...pale, when against black. That seems almost backwards. You would think the darkness would emphasize the whiteness, but for some reason, I think it looks sharper.

So, maybe I'm just weird that way, but I've decided to embrace this. If I like black, I'll buy black. Don't get me wrong, I will also add some color to my wardrobe, but I feel it's okay that I'm not all bright, summery colors. I'm comfortable in black.

What's your favorite and most flattering color?

I'll Plead the Fifth!

I recently shared this story on another blog and thought, hey, I'll post it here, too! However, if confronted with it, I'll plead the Fifth and say it's totally fictional. LOL! Here it is.....


It was 5:45 a.m. Monday morning and my fiance was heading out the door to drive the two hours home for work. I was living with my parents and he had come up for the weekend to see me. He lived 2 hours away and had to leave at 6:00 to get to work for 8:30.

I got up to hug and kiss him goodbye (I'm not a morning person...at all!) and as I was heading back to bed, I realized that he had forgotten all of his toiletry items on the counter. Thinking I could catch him, I ran out of the house in my pajamas, bare feet in runners with laces untied, hair sticking out all over my head and coat carelessly thrown on. I jumped in the car mindless of the early morning drizzle and went squealing out of the driveway. (I just want to insert here that my parents were fast asleep.)

I raced through town, madly trying to discern which route he would have taken. I knew he needed to fill up before leaving, so I took the most traveled route hoping for the best.

I was on the main highway through town headed west. I spotted his car a few lengths in front of me at the same time I noticed the flashing lights in the rear view mirror. I glanced down and saw I was going 80 km/h in a 50 zone. But, He was so close and I didn't want my effort to mean nothing, so I continued driving, hoping that by waving my hands wildly he would look over. Of course, I wanted to let the officer behind me know that my intentions were good, so I flicked on my signal light and began moving to the right lane. Unfortunately, I was so busy watching my fiance's car and not paying attention to what I was doing that I bounced my car off the curb.

Feeling somewhat shaken, but also noticing that my fiance had glanced back and noticed me, I pulled into the strip mall and put the car in park. I rolled down my window to talk with the officer approaching. My fiance pulled in near me but was ordered to stand back.

"That's my fiance in there. I know her," he said

"Sir, stop right there. Stay back from the car," ordered the police officer. "Miss, can I see your license and registration please."

"Um, I don't have my purse." I had, of course, left it at the house. "And, uh, what's a registration look like?" In my defense I want to say that I was only 19, had always lived with my parents and had never owned my own car. "Is this it?" I asked as I handed over a piece of paper, which later turned out to be a receipt for recent work on the car.

The officer took the paper and went back to his cruiser to run the plates for information. By this time he had determined that the bedraggled person in her pajamas was, more than likely, not dangerous and he talked to my fiance and allowed him to approach the car.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I think so. Here, you forgot this," I said as I passed him his bag.

"What were you doing?"

I thought it was rather obvious. "I was trying to catch you to give you the bag. I didn't want you to go all week without your shaving stuff and toothbrush."

"I could have bought more and I'm coming up next weekend."

Okay, that made sense if you're a morning person and are able to produce logical thought at...I glanced at the clock on the car dash...6:10 a.m. "Oh. Well, at least I caught you. I'm glad you saw me."

"Actually," he said, "I saw the police lights going and I was wondering why the person wasn't pulling over. I was surprised to look over and see it was you."

He was in a rush to get back and to work, so we said our goodbyes again and I assured him I would be fine.

I was watching him drive away when the officer again approached the car and knocked on the window. "Miss, can you tell me who's car this is?"

Uh-oh. "It's my dad's."

"His name?"

I gave the officer his name. "I can phone him to bring me my license. Just hang on a sec." I silently thanked God for car phones. It was 6:15 a.m. and I woke him from a sound sleep. However, after explaining that, no, I wasn't in bed sleeping and yes, I was pulled over by the cops and could he please bring me my license, I was confident that help was on the way.

A few minutes later he pulled up and spoke with the officer assuring him that I was his daughter and the car was not stolen. My license was shown to validate my right to operate this motor vehicle...and confirm that I was who I said I was.

After a few more minutes of waiting the officer handed me back the paper that I finally recognized as a receipt...and on the back was printed "May God bless you in all your future endeavors." (We realized later that my mom had used it as a "trial" before writing in a graduation card. So, I like to think that officer went away blessed by his encounter with me. LOL!)

After the officer lectured me on driving safe and I promised him that in the future I would be more careful, he handed me my ticket. $170.00.

I paid it gladly. After all, I was just thankful he didn't see me run the stop sign and two red lights!


P.S. I want to add a quick shout out. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!! (Fifth time's a charm.)

Excuse for not Blogging # 6

Um, just didn't. I have no real reason. I was busy today and time got away from me. Oops.

But, just for that, I'll post a really good, embarrassing story about myself on Monday! Stay tuned!

Tic, Toc

I'm sitting in the shared music office at the church, working on planning a song line-up. I'm distracted by the loud "tic, toc" of the clock and I'm wondering, do you find this sound hypnotic? Perhaps I'm noticing it because the clock sits on the desk and has yet to be hung on the wall. This amplifies the sound. With its metronome-like rhythm I'm finding that every song I'm singing is being done to the tempo of the clock. Fast song? Doesn't matter. It's sung to the slow, steady rhythm of "tic...toc."

The constant, monotonous simplicity of it has a way of making my eyes glaze over, my mind wander and....before you know it, I'm off in Wonderland. So, people who work in offices, how do you do it? I'm thinking an extra BIG cup of coffee! LOL! What sounds do you find lull you to that relaxed state?

P.S. Can anyone tell me the proper spelling for "tic, toc"? My spellchecker isn't picking it up. :-)

Excuse for Not Blogging #5

I'm feeling wonky. I'm taking this new medication and it's making it hard to put two thoughts together. And my head hurts. And it's yucky out...overcast and drizzly. Blah.

So, I'm going to take it easy this afternoon. I'm curling up with a hot cup of coffee once the kiddos are in bed. *sigh*

Have a good day.

Oh, the Joys of Having Boys!

I love having boys! They are rambunctious and full of energy and life! Here are some things that I have found to be unique about raising boys!

1. Every type of play is better enhanced with sound effects. In fact, I've heard them have whole conversations where not one word is uttered, but is merely the exchange of different sounds.

2. Dirt, mud and slime are actually attracted to them. It is genetically impossible for a young boy to avoid a mud puddle. In fact, my three-year-old has actually backed up to go through the puddle he somehow, accidentally missed! And this not two seconds after I finished telling him not to walk in the mud.

3. Wrestling or play-fighting is a socially acceptable thing to do. The first thing my sons do when someone enters our house, is ask them if they want to fight. (They don't ask girls; they know better. LOL!)

4. Food tastes better when it's eaten outside, off the ground or is from the plate on the table beside you at a fast-food restaurant. (Yuck! *shudder*)

5. It's mandatory that any new friend know who Green Lantern, Flash, Dare Devil, Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Robin, Power Rangers, Wonder Woman and Batgirl are. Of course, you also need to know their enemies as well. (Penguin, Joker, Two-Face, Mr. Freeze, Cat Woman, Lex Luther, Doc Oc, etc.)

6. Why walk when you can run? Why talk when you can shout? Why step when you can jump? Why pass when you can throw?

7. If you can climb it, it's meant to be climbed. If you can jump off it without breaking a leg, it's meant for jumping. If you can swing and hang from it - and it doesn't rip out of the wall - then that must be why it's there.

These are some things that I've had the pleasure of learning from my boys! They make my life exciting and they never cease to amaze me with the things they do. I've laughed more in the last five years, then ever before in my life! They are fun, they are wild, they are a joy!

Spring Has Sprung!

The weather here has been beautiful and it feels as if spring has finally arrived to stay. Hopefully, at least. And with the sun shining and snow almost melted, I felt it was time to perform a spring ritual. That's right, it was time for a pedicure! Warm, sunny days call for sandals, t-shirts, capris...and of course, nicely painted toes.

So, being too cheap to pay for one, I dug around beneath the bathroom sink and unearthed that bright, shiny red polish. First I filed, then scrubbed, then oiled, then lotioned and, finally, was ready for the finishing touch.

Now, I'm not a gymnast, so I can't bend and contort my body into the pretzel-like positions needed to get a nice, even coat on all ten piggies. So, can you guess what happened?

Yup. My DH painted them for me! Isn't that the sweetest thing?! As I was watching him, head bent over my feet focused on his task, I felt like the luckiest girl alive. Here was this big, man's man, who works outside all day in the oilfield....and he was painting my toes....red! For the first time I personally got the benefit of his perfectionist attitude when, after completing the second foot, he said, "I want to redo that toe. It's not quite right." And he did.

He is just the sweetest, most loving man ever! If that doesn't say "love" right there, I don't know what does!

Have you ever had anyone do something like this for you?

Triple-Whip

For those of you who have not been trained in the martial arts or taken any combat training, I'm going to explain to you the "ultimate ninja" move, the Triple-Whip. I may not be a black-belt but I've got something more powerful....I'm the mother of boys.

"Mom, watch me do this Triple-Whip!" shouts my three-year-old as he throws his "weapon" (stuffed teddy bear) into the air. I murmur the appropriate "oohs" and "ahhs."

"Mom," yells my eldest son, "watch this Triple-Whip." And he jumps off my coffee table, one leg out in a flying kick.

"Mom, watch me do a Triple-Whip!" It's my three-year-old again and he jumps off the couch doing a half-spin in the air....and lands on his butt.

"I'm doing a Triple-Whip, Mom!" says my five-year-old as he flails his arms about while spinning in a circle...and then falls to the floor.

"Watch this Triple-Whip." They're in competition and my three-year-old has jumped off the couch, barely missing the baby, and is rolling across the living room.

So, there you have it. The Triple-Whip. Ultimate Ninja fighting move.

Random Ramblings

I'm sitting here trying to think of something to post and I'm coming up blank....mostly. The only things on my mind are random, weird thoughts. So, I'll share those.

I have a twitching thumb. I don't consider myself a nervous, or uptight person by nature...well, okay sometimes. But I've not been feeling stressed or anything and yet my thumb has been twitching and feeling sort of tingly since yesterday. It started in the morning and lasted all day. I thought a good night's sleep would take care of it, but instead it seems to have got worse. Strange. It doesn't hurt, though...just feels rather weird. *shrug*

I love the show Criminal Minds. A new episode was on yesterday and I think the show is brilliant! It is about the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit) of the FBI and how they profile criminals. Love the uniqueness of it! I find it interesting to watch them process a crime scene, finding the smallest details from which they will construct a profile. Fascinating!

I bought more books yesterday. I have 20 in my TBR pile, and yet I bought 9 more. I just can't help myself. Oh, well. There are worse addictions. LOL!

Well, I'm thinking it's time to get myself a cup of coffee and some apple crisp. The perfect breakfast! Of course, you could substitute chocolate and it would still be just as perfect! LOL! Anyways, feel free to share some of the random things on your mind.

Mind the Elephant!

There's a saying that goes, "an elephant never forgets." I never thought I'd compare myself to an elephant, but if the shoe, or something, fits...LOL!

We were on our drive home from the in-laws and just as we were approaching town, this truck pulled out in front of us on the highway. I mean, he flew across the other side of the divided highway and made a sharp left into our lane. We had to hit the brakes HARD to avoid hitting him! I was furious! I had my three precious boys in the back! How dare he pull that stupid stunt!

I could feel my blood boiling and I had him tarred and feathered in 10 different ways before we reached town! We pulled along side him but he refused to make any eye contact, the coward! "I'm going to get his license plate number," I said. And I did. I'm not sure what, exactly, I expected to do with it, but nevertheless, it has been permanently imprinted on my mind! It's one of those things I'll probably never forget.

So, HMV 323, mind this elephant! LOL!

Excuse for not Blogging #4

Okay, I didn't post yesterday because I was...well, recovering. We had an awesome, though sleep-deprived, weekend. It was wonderful to see everyone again and get the chance to hang out like old times. We had six children in the house, ages 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and almost 1, but in the evenings they all went to bed and the time was ours. We shared some good laughs, a few practical jokes and, of course, lots of food and coffee! And we got the chance to play some music together again. Lots of work, but loads of fun!

Anyways, I came home with a bit of a chest cold and so spent yesterday curled up with a book, resting and reading! Unfortunately that meant I neglected this blog. Oops. But I had a day full of books, chocolate and coffee....just what the doctor ordered! LOL!

I hope you all had a great Easter spent with your loved ones! I hope I'm not the only one who enjoyed great fellowship, lots of laughter and, uh, gained a few pounds!

I'm Off to See the Wizard!

Well, we're getting ready to head off to my in-laws for the long weekend. With so much preparation to do, I'm not going to find time for a proper blog post. Nothing funny or interesting or witty or thought provoking. Oh wait, we're talking about my blog! LOL!

Anyways, I just want to wish you all a great Easter! Enjoy spending time with your loved ones as we celebrate the death and resurrection of the Savior during this season! Eat lots of food, have loads of fun and find all those chocolate eggs before summer arrives and turns them to a melting, gooey mess!

P.S. The title of this post is in NO way implying that my in-laws are wizards or any other type of weird characters. LOL! I don't know why, but that song has been running through my head. *shrug* I can't explain everything that goes on inside this mind! LOL!

A Wonderful Message by George Carlin

I borrowed this from a friend's blog who had borrowed it from a friend! I've read it before, but it is such a nice reminder. So, enjoy!

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years.

We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love , give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

The Art of Miscommunication!

"Hold it 'till you feel it rumblin'!"

This was the phrase my three-year-old ran down the hall shouting. Now, it may seem totally harmless if it wasn't for the surrounding circumstances....

My children were running shirtless up and down the hall, Superman tattoos in the middle of their chests, their screams and shouts the sounds of everyday excitement. Then I heard a sound out of the ordinary.

"Did someone toot?" I asked.

"It was me," says my first-born, starting to laugh and giggle. I just rolled my eyes at the display of a very male sense of humour.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

"Nope," he replied and flew off down the hall.

My three year old followed close on his heels and without missing a beat shouted, "You gotta hold it till you feel it rumblin'!"

My jaw fell open and I started to laugh.....and laugh and laugh. Had he just said what I thought he said? "Honey, what did you say?"

He stops and looks at me strangely. "I sa-id, you gotta hold it till it's rumblin'."

"Rumblin'?"

"Yup."

By this time both my husband and I have tears in our eyes and can barely manage to control the laughter. Where did he think up that word? I wonder.

"You put your arms up," he continues, "like this....and when you feel it rumblin', you throw it off."

Then it dawned on me. He was talking about a Superman computer game where Superman catches falling objects and throws them away! Ahhh.

There's nothing like a little miscommunication!

Wash 'n Wear

You know how, when you're having company, and you're doing that last minute clean, you just grab armfuls of stuff and dump it in dark corners, closets or secret places? Well, I was doing a last minute clean job of my room and I grabbed all the dirty clothes on the floor and just dumped them into the laundry sorter. "I'll go back and go through those later," I thought to myself. Except, a week later and it's totally slipped my mind.

Today I'm doing laundry and I grab that load and dump it in the washer...I'm in a hurry. I go back to switch it to the dryer and I'm baffled by all these white paper/gel things all over the clothes. "What is this?" I'm thinking. It's definately got paper in it, but it's also full of little gel capsule thingys. I continue to remove the garments and give them a vicious shake to dispel the little white globs - this creates my own personal rain fall of goobers. Yuck! They're on my clothes, in my hair and down my shirt. Can you say "Gross!"

Finally I reach the end and there among the clothes sits a well-washed, mostly-destroyed pull-up. Now before you get too grossed out, I just want to say that the pull up was clean and dry before it went into the washer. My three-and-a-half year old has been trained for awhile and we only use pull-ups for extra assurance at bedtime.

Anyways, I can guarantee that if you wash a pull-up or diaper or such, you'll definately wear it!