June 28th, 1997....

I held 12 red roses and the hand of the man I love.

For the first time ever, we are apart for our wedding anniversary. I am quite sad about it actually. And so, I will spend it with my sister, at the mall.
I did receive a card in the mail though so I will share how thoughtful my husband is.
"When you look into the mirror today, I want you to see the same beautiful face I see whenever I look at you.
I want you to see eyes that sparkle with love and intelligence and maybe a few mischievous thoughts.
I want you to see a smile that's contagious, that gets even better with time.
When you look into the mirror today, I want you to see someone so loved that there will never be enough time to tell you how much."

9 years.
Happy Anniversary, Darrin.
I love you.

Thanks..

for all those prayers. Dad's heart procedure went off without a hitch and is doing quite well considering. Now we just need to keep him rested. If you actually know my dad, you will know that this is something that needs prayer too!!

Thanks again!

Something old, new, borrowed and dead!

When I come back to London, I look forward to re-visiting all the old hang-outs and seeing old friends. I also always expect to see something new and different. The area has grown so much with all new housing, retail outlets, etc. but the thing that has amazed me the most is the roadkill.
I have never seen so much roadkill in my life!
Both my parents and sister live a little ways out of town and require about a 10 minute drive on country roads and it is on those trips that this discovery has begun. I have seen roadkill in Alberta but maybe only 2 or 3 "items" on the way to Banff (okay, sometimes its a large item, like a deer) but nothing like the numbers I am seeing these days.
It's like a family of 3 or 4 groundhogs stand in the middle of the northbound lane and a family of 2 or 3 skunks stand on the middle of the southbound lane, each warning each other of oncoming traffic when *SPLAT*, too little too late. I actually counted 13 "items" in a 15 minute drive two nights ago. It's disgusting!
Either the suicide rate amongst Southern Ontario rodent relatives is out of control or maybe we just have smarter animals in Alberta!
No matter, night time driving is more of an adventure and it's not my car!.
Ta Ta for now!

How great is this?

Aidan woke up at 7:15 this morning and so I picked him up, took him upstairs and gave him to mom. Then, I went back to bed, slept until 9:30, got up, made an omelet, coffee was already ready, and now it is 10:43. I am blogging in my pajama's and I will now have a long, hot, leisurely shower. I spoke with Darrin this morning, Kirsten last night, I feel like a million bucks!
Both Ethan and I really miss Darrin though (even though it isn't causing me to fight bedtime or be lippy or stick my tongue out at people or ....)
I got to spend Fathers Day with my father for the first time in 10 years and witnessed a baby dedication of the little sister of an old boyfriend on Sunday. I am heading out to see the movie The Break-up tonight with my sister. Looking forward to that. And, I've lost 2 pounds!
HOW GREAT IS THAT??

Ethan's Quote of the Day:
"I wanna go home and I miss my daddy. But if you gave me some chocolate milk, it would help me sleep!"

Nice try, punk!

We are Family

It is so nice to be with family - my real family. After living away from home for so long your friends become your family, even sometimes fake Nana's and Papa's are born! But there is nothing like spending time with people that you look like and sound like and sometimes even act like (that can be good and bad!) 4 seconds after being with my sister makes me realize how much I actually miss being around her. I think that if I lived near her, we could be really good friends. We are 5 years apart and weren't really 'friends' growing up.
***********Sidebar***************
Darrin, I am not interested in moving so don't think i've started on that whole rampage again!!
************************************
Anyhoo,
Not much else to say except I really do love being here. I totally miss my friends too but....

To sign off, I'll leave you with this:
Ethan's Quote of the Day:
"So, like, are you guys sisters like Aidan is my brother??"
after seeing Jill for the first time this trip

Sweet Home Alabama

Well, I'm here.
The flight was fantastic; smooth, quick and I had two very well behaved boys.
I love the anticipation of walking through the airport to the awaiting family members on the other side of the frosted glass sliding doors. Will my son remember them? Will he try to hid behind my legs? (which is a really sad thought to know that my thighs can hide a 4 year old!) Will they have room in their car for 2 car seats, 3 suitcases, a backpack, a diaper bag and one giant purse - not to mention 3 extra people?
I think I was smiling even before I saw them. Ethan ran on ahead of me, straight into the arms of the first white-haired man he saw, which fortunately was Grampy. Phew! First 2 questions answered.
It sure is nice to be here. I feel quite relaxed already. It has only been 1 full day and I'm starting to miss Darrin. This potentially could be a long 2 weeks but hopefully it'll give him some down time, get his marks in, and get his exit paper completed for his masters degree. If you can, contact him by phone, email, or this blog to "encourage" him to get that paper done. It'll cost us another $800 if he doesn't have it done this summer and I've got shopping to do:-)
Anyhoo, just posting to check in. I'll keep up with you all.
Glad to be with my family but I wouldn't call it home. Calgary is now home. But it is sweet none the less. And it isn't Alabama.
Cheers!

It's only a day away

In 24 hours from the time I am posting this, I will be airbourne, 2 kids in tow, on my way to my family and I can hardly wait. I have sooooo much to do so this will be short.
I will blog from London so don't not check me out.
Or just continue to check me out.
I mean the blog.
Oh, whatever.

If the village calls....

I'm the idiot they are looking for.

I have always watched the infomercials on T.V and wondered, "who and where are the idiots that need these products?". I know it is the intention to sell the product but the marketers have a way to make an everyday, run-of-the-mill task look like an impossible feat or at least one that was way too complicated to even bother doing ever again.
For example, have you seen the commercial for the automatic hair braider? A normal little girl sitting down in front of her mom to have her hair done which ends up in tangles, tears, and tantrum? Da da da da...... the Braid Master to the rescue! Simply place the hair pieces into the clamps, press the button and impressively - beautiful braids in mere seconds! How did generations upon generations upon generations ever get by without one??!!
Then there's the Spaghetti Steamer (actually Pasta Pronto), the Bacon Wave and the Cheese Master.
HOWEVER, I have discovered as of late how difficult it really is to flip a flippin' pancake. I can't do it without making a mess. I flip it over the others, up the side of the pan, everywhere except where it needs to go so I really could use the Perfect Pancake.
So, since I can't make pancakes, I am sure there is someone out there who can't braid hair or cook bacon. Someone's thinkin'.
Has anyone else been experiencing difficulty with Blogger.com?? It's been brutal.

It's no longer just the birds!

Aidan, who has slept through the night since he was about 2 months old, was up 4 times last night! He has had this lingering cough/cold thing for about 4-6 weeks now and it's back - with a vengance! We spent Saturday night at Children's Hospital to be re-assured that it is nothing (even though he sounds like a 80 year old emphazema patient) and have now added diahreah (?) and a constant runny nose and whining to the agenda. What gives??

I am not a woman who functions well on little sleep but am managing so far. I leave on Tuesday to the safe haven of my parents house where someone else will get to share in all the sick baby goodness!

Mom, Dad, buy some Shout!

This photo just doesn't do the story justice but he is still a cutie!

what gives??

"I saw the sun was shining,
I saw the sky was blue.
The birds I heard were singing,
their melodies were ringing,
the birds I heard were singing.
So I sang too!"

NOT!

Don't the birds know it's only 4:14 am?

Our growing list of "swears"

If you have been around us for any length of time, have been in my home, or have spent time with my son, you will know some "bad words". Maybe because you've heard them but mainly because you've said them and have been caught!

Here's the list:

the obvious 4-letter words (which sad to say, have been said - sorry Dad, sorry Major)
shut-up
stupid
can't
I don't want to play with you (more a phrase than just a word)
hate

Ethan will be quick to tell you if you say any of these within earshot and may potentially suggest that you go to the naughty chair for however many minutes you are in years. You see, he has had his share of 4-minute timeouts. Darrin actually looks forward to the 35 minute quiet times!!

Try going a day or two without saying any of those words. You may find it harder than it looks!

Death by Booger

I have never been stung - by anything. I do not want to find out what it is like now. Having a friend who is allergic to bee stings and watching her freak out anytime she sees/hears one, I have adopted her "bee dance". You may be familiar with it. The one where you leave your baby behind for bait, knock over your chair and drink, and run away flailing as if you were trying to rid yourself of your arms??? Yeah, that one.
But today, I was brave. In the presence of my impressionable son, I discovered a wasp on my kitchen window, hiding out under the blind so I raised the blind and opened the door thinking that it would sense the impending danger and flee, flee, flee. But it seemed to be up for the challenge and so we had a stare down. Him, with his stinger poised, holding a defense position in the corner, knowing that if he stayed there, my swatter wouldn't be able to hit him dead on. I would say that I stood there, swatter in hand, trying to hold Ethan back for a good 15 minutes. I was waiting for the good shot and I just needed him to move just a little. Ethan was chanting to the rythym of my racing heart, "do it, do it, do it..." in between picking his nose and scratching his legs.
Finally he said, "Mom, I'll get it."
"No, honey. If you miss with the swatter, he'll get angry and come after us. Mommy will do it, just wait a second." I replied anxiously. Ethan was trying to get closer and closer to the enemy when suddenly he had an idea.
"Mom, I'm gonna kill it with this booger!" and he threw the latest find from his nostril excavation at the wasp.
I think the movement startled the wasp, it moved to an ideal stricking zone, and 1 whack did the trick.
I think it was a team effort but I think Ethan thinks he killed that darn wasp with his snot.
One things for sure; we will never run out of amunition in this house! Yes, this is a picture of the weapon. Gross!