madeleine • \MAD-uh-lun\ • noun 1 : a small rich shell-shaped cake*2 : one that evokes a memory
Example sentence:The long needle and inappropriate amounts of anesthetic were madeleines for Mark, calling up memories of the horror of his vasectomy.
As you can see by the example sentence...OUCH! He just called me from his Mom's house (funny who we run to when we are ailing) and said, and I quote, "Yeah, it FUCKING hurt!"
So, now I am wracked with guilt. Will update later when he gets home.
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Well, I think it is safe to say that Mark will not volunteer for that assignment ever again! And his recommendation to any guys that are about to embark on this endeavour? "Make sure you're fully frozen before they start. Right side good. Left side...OH MY HOLY GOD!" Yeah, ouch. But he is okay now, a little achey(sp?), but nothing ice packs and Tylenol 3's won't cure, I suppose...
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Ty has now moved into the realm of "Let's give Mom a heart-attack every 10 minutes". I've said before that he's a climber. On top of tables, up bookshelves, etc. Well, today he discovered how to open doors, AND, once open, how to navigate the stairs! I turn my back for 2 seconds, and he's two levels down! Kripes, at this rate I'll have to dye my hair every week!
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Flashback: Graduation Day 1995. My journalism grad friends and I chatting on the forecasted dream careers that we will achieve within the next, um, three days or so.
"I'm going to have my own radio show"
"I'm going to be the hot new newspaper columnist"
"I'm going to have my own monthly page in a leading magazine".
Hmm...somehow, I don't recall saying that I would be, 11 years later, writing a blurb in my son's school newsletter about food...but there you go. Some dreams take radically different paths. Always good to know that those 4 years of university paid off! Seriously though, other than Blogging and writing the occasional kid story for the boys, I haven't really done much writing over the years. (And the novel that I will finish when I'm about 65!) It's nice to get back into it, if only for 100-250 words a month. Thanks, Christy, for not letting my brain melt away into writer's block land too soon.
(And in case you are dying of curiosity, this month's sample was on peanut- free snacks, with a recipe for nut-free granola bars!--Leave a post if you want the recipe. It's really good).
Friday, September 29, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Wedding!
Hubby and I attended our first out-of-country wedding on Saturday. We went to the tropical villa of West Seneca, New York. Okay, yes, I am joking. West Seneca is NOT tropical, but the place the wedding was at was beautiful, and the dinner was awesome. Congratulations Rob & Ginny! I wish you a lifetime of wedded bliss.
*****************************************************
And, after almost 9 years of wedded bliss, and 3 boys later, Mark is having the "Snip" this Friday. He is quite stressed about it. So we are currently employing the denial method of "speak no evil. If we don't talk about it, he can pretend it's not happening. Well, for a few more days, anyway!
Well, I guess I'd better be off. Got to get Keegers off to school, and settle in with Ty to watch back episodes of Smallville.
Educate yourself! Here are some new words for ya:
Word of the Day: Sept 26
gadarene • \GAD-uh-reen\ • adjective : headlong, precipitate
Example sentence:Mary has criticized her brother for his gadarene rush into marriage with a girl he has known for only 2 weeks.
Word of the Day: Sept 27
mellifluous • \muh-LIFF-luh-wus\ • adjective *1 : having a smooth rich flow2 : filled with something (as honey) that sweetens
Example sentence:Lucy recognized the actor's mellifluous voice immediately from the many voice-overs he had done for 800-sex line commercials.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Sept 23: Word of the Day
Friday, September 22, 2006
You Were A Kid in the 80's if...
You Were a Kid In The 80's if:
1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word PSYCH.
2. You watched the Pound Puppies.
3. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton
4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.
5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
7. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom
8. Two words: Hammer Pants
9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock"
10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars... and spokey-dokes or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect
11. You can sing the entire theme song to "Duck Tales" (Woo ooh!)
12. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the big screen..and still know the turtles names.
15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school. (Ok, help me out here...first of all, we didn't have computer class. We had one computer, a Commodore 64, that loaded the game BLIP by tape and took the entire recess to boot...what the heck is Oregon Trail day?)
16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold yourshirt in a knot on the side.
17. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
19. L.A. Gear....need I say more?
20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM" (She'sTruly Outrageous.)
21. You remember reading "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" and all The Ramona books.
22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF"
23. You wanted to be a Goonie.
24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (Some of us...head-to-toe)
25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
27. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pail Kids cards inthe school yard.
28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
29. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.
30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.
31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.
32. You thought She-Ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up
33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.
35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"
36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were in-line skates.
38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.
39. You have ever played with a Skip-It. (Or Lemon-Twist)
40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
41. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement
.42. You remember Popples.
43. Don't worry, be happy
44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.
45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do...getting yelled at by younger, hip members of the family)
46. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
47. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
48. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!!"
49 You remember watching Rainbow Bright and & My Little Pony Tales
50. You thought Doogie Howser was hot.
51. You remember Alf, the furry brown alien from Melmac.
52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB"
53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on"Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
55. You just sang those words to yourself.
56. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.
57. Homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better)
58. You remember when mullets were cool!
59. You had a mullet!
60. You still sing "We are the World"
61. You tight rolled your jeans.
62. You owned a banana clip.
63. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
64. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"
65 You had big hair and you knew how to use it.
66. You're still singing Shot Through the Heart in your head, aren't you?
Man, talk about the making of a generation...98% of those applied to me!
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Word of the Day:
lotusland • \LOH-tus-land\ • noun *1 : a place inducing contentment especially through offering an idyllic living situation 2 : a state or an ideal marked by contentment often achieved through self-indulgence
Example sentence:With its selection of white, dark and bittersweet offerings , the Walker's Chocolate store is a lotusland for women suffering from PMS.
1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word PSYCH.
2. You watched the Pound Puppies.
3. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton
4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.
5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
7. You know that "WOAH" comes from Joey on Blossom
8. Two words: Hammer Pants
9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock"
10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars... and spokey-dokes or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect
11. You can sing the entire theme song to "Duck Tales" (Woo ooh!)
12. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the big screen..and still know the turtles names.
15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school. (Ok, help me out here...first of all, we didn't have computer class. We had one computer, a Commodore 64, that loaded the game BLIP by tape and took the entire recess to boot...what the heck is Oregon Trail day?)
16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold yourshirt in a knot on the side.
17. You played the game "MASH"(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
19. L.A. Gear....need I say more?
20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM" (She'sTruly Outrageous.)
21. You remember reading "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" and all The Ramona books.
22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF"
23. You wanted to be a Goonie.
24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (Some of us...head-to-toe)
25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
27. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pail Kids cards inthe school yard.
28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
29. You still get the urge to say "NOT" after every sentence.
30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.
31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.
32. You thought She-Ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up
33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.
35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"
36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were in-line skates.
38. You ever got seriously injured on a Slip and Slide.
39. You have ever played with a Skip-It. (Or Lemon-Twist)
40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
41. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement
.42. You remember Popples.
43. Don't worry, be happy
44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.
45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do...getting yelled at by younger, hip members of the family)
46. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
47. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
48. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!!"
49 You remember watching Rainbow Bright and & My Little Pony Tales
50. You thought Doogie Howser was hot.
51. You remember Alf, the furry brown alien from Melmac.
52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB"
53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on"Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
55. You just sang those words to yourself.
56. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.
57. Homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better)
58. You remember when mullets were cool!
59. You had a mullet!
60. You still sing "We are the World"
61. You tight rolled your jeans.
62. You owned a banana clip.
63. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
64. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' 'bout Willis?"
65 You had big hair and you knew how to use it.
66. You're still singing Shot Through the Heart in your head, aren't you?
Man, talk about the making of a generation...98% of those applied to me!
************************************************************************************
Word of the Day:
lotusland • \LOH-tus-land\ • noun *1 : a place inducing contentment especially through offering an idyllic living situation 2 : a state or an ideal marked by contentment often achieved through self-indulgence
Example sentence:With its selection of white, dark and bittersweet offerings , the Walker's Chocolate store is a lotusland for women suffering from PMS.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Word of the Day:
diapason • \dye-uh-PAY-zun\ • noun 1 *a : a burst of sound b : the principal foundation stop in the organ extending through the complete range of the instrument c : the entire compass of musical tones d : range, scope2 a : tuning fork b : a standard of pitch
Example sentence: She didn't realize that she had left the bathroom with her skirt tucked into the back of her pantyhose until she heard the diapasons of laughter echoing through the office.
Example sentence: She didn't realize that she had left the bathroom with her skirt tucked into the back of her pantyhose until she heard the diapasons of laughter echoing through the office.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Budget,Shmudget!
My hubby and I are attending a wedding this Saturday. With that in mind, my thoughts turned to clothes. With being a stay-at-home mom, I don't often have call to shop for fancy dresses, and my hubby wears work-clothes (aka, clothes meant to be destroyed by dirt and chemicals), so we were in need of some wardrobe updates. I wanted a new dress, shoes and some matching jewellery. Mark needed a new suit with all of the stuff that goes with it. So, we budgeted. We know a suit will cost in the general ballpark of $300-$400 (hey, we wish we were Armani folk, but get real!), and a dress about $100-$150. With shoes and other necessities, we figured about $600 between the two of us.
Mark calls me from the suit shop after work yesterday to tell me that he's getting suited up and will be home soon...Later, he walks in with a description of his nice new black suit, and a bag containing 3 new shirts, 2 ties, a belt and a shoe-shining kit. Oh, and two silky hanky things for the suit pocket (salesman saw him coming a mile away!). To get to the point, in the bag was one more item. The bill. $798. Kripes! To his credit, he was a little sheepish about having blown my dress budget, but now it was time to think.
I have a beautiful dress; I wore it to our friends' Jay and Alison's wedding. It will do nicely. But I really did need new shoes. So I jetted off to the mall. On a side note, the last time I went shoe shopping, there were 7 shoe stores in the mall. Now there are 3. Naturalizer (ah, no....), Payless (great for kids, not for dancing shoes) and the Bay. (Actually there is one called STEPPS, but the heels in there are all 7 inches high. I want wedding-dance shoes, not pole-dancing shoes!). So, I trudged around the Bay. Saw a perfect pair of black sling-backs. I just knew that there would be no 7 1/2's there. Murphy's Law and all...but no! The shopping gods were with me, and they had my size and they fit! And they were comfortable, and...ON SALE!
With such savings, (even with a -$200 budget) I knew that this was a call for some jewellery. Hey, if I can't have a new dress...so I found a great necklace and matching earrings that are PERFECT for my dress. So, all in all, it turned out okay.
But the next big event, I fully intend to blow the budget. ON ME.
**********************************************************************************
On a separate and sad note, I was holding Ty on my lap yesterday, and noticed something dismaying about his hands. Gone are the sweet little baby hands of infancy. He now has real big-boy toddler hands. No dimples. Sigh...I miss the baby hands...
And speaking of the word baby, and lack thereof, Mark goes for the snip it two weeks! Sucker! (Just kidding, honey!)
*********************************************************************************
And before I head off, I must tell you about the coolest thing that happened to me the other night. I walked into Tim Horton's for my nightly XL tea, and there was a group of about 30 men there, ages ranging from 60-80 years. They were from a travelling barbershop quartet group and apparently had been entertaining the customers. Sotto voce, I sang "Goodnight Ladies..." and to my delight, the whole group joined in and sang the whole song! I clapped with glee like a 4-year old at the Santa parade. Then they invited me to sing with them. I begged off, saying I didn't know any of their songs, that I wasn't good enough, etc., but they wouldn't take no for an answer. One man (who looked startlingly like my great uncle Jimmy) asked me if I had ever seen the Wizard of Oz. I told him that it is one of my very favourite movies. He said, do you know "Over the Rainbow"? I said yes. He said, start singing. So, I did. It was like something out of a movie. The whole gang joined in with about 20 different octave ranges and made me sound awesome. It was one of the most fun moments I've ever had in my whole life. I applauded them all, took a bow, and headed for home. I grinned all the way.
********************************************************************************
And as a new tradition on my blog, the word of the day: improving your vocabulary the fun way!
insuperable • \in-SOO-puh-ruh-bul\ • adjective : incapable of being surmounted, overcome, passed over, or solved
Example sentence:My refusal to iron one more freaking shirt for my husband proved to be an insuperable obstacle for the housework-impaired male.
Mark calls me from the suit shop after work yesterday to tell me that he's getting suited up and will be home soon...Later, he walks in with a description of his nice new black suit, and a bag containing 3 new shirts, 2 ties, a belt and a shoe-shining kit. Oh, and two silky hanky things for the suit pocket (salesman saw him coming a mile away!). To get to the point, in the bag was one more item. The bill. $798. Kripes! To his credit, he was a little sheepish about having blown my dress budget, but now it was time to think.
I have a beautiful dress; I wore it to our friends' Jay and Alison's wedding. It will do nicely. But I really did need new shoes. So I jetted off to the mall. On a side note, the last time I went shoe shopping, there were 7 shoe stores in the mall. Now there are 3. Naturalizer (ah, no....), Payless (great for kids, not for dancing shoes) and the Bay. (Actually there is one called STEPPS, but the heels in there are all 7 inches high. I want wedding-dance shoes, not pole-dancing shoes!). So, I trudged around the Bay. Saw a perfect pair of black sling-backs. I just knew that there would be no 7 1/2's there. Murphy's Law and all...but no! The shopping gods were with me, and they had my size and they fit! And they were comfortable, and...ON SALE!
With such savings, (even with a -$200 budget) I knew that this was a call for some jewellery. Hey, if I can't have a new dress...so I found a great necklace and matching earrings that are PERFECT for my dress. So, all in all, it turned out okay.
But the next big event, I fully intend to blow the budget. ON ME.
**********************************************************************************
On a separate and sad note, I was holding Ty on my lap yesterday, and noticed something dismaying about his hands. Gone are the sweet little baby hands of infancy. He now has real big-boy toddler hands. No dimples. Sigh...I miss the baby hands...
And speaking of the word baby, and lack thereof, Mark goes for the snip it two weeks! Sucker! (Just kidding, honey!)
*********************************************************************************
And before I head off, I must tell you about the coolest thing that happened to me the other night. I walked into Tim Horton's for my nightly XL tea, and there was a group of about 30 men there, ages ranging from 60-80 years. They were from a travelling barbershop quartet group and apparently had been entertaining the customers. Sotto voce, I sang "Goodnight Ladies..." and to my delight, the whole group joined in and sang the whole song! I clapped with glee like a 4-year old at the Santa parade. Then they invited me to sing with them. I begged off, saying I didn't know any of their songs, that I wasn't good enough, etc., but they wouldn't take no for an answer. One man (who looked startlingly like my great uncle Jimmy) asked me if I had ever seen the Wizard of Oz. I told him that it is one of my very favourite movies. He said, do you know "Over the Rainbow"? I said yes. He said, start singing. So, I did. It was like something out of a movie. The whole gang joined in with about 20 different octave ranges and made me sound awesome. It was one of the most fun moments I've ever had in my whole life. I applauded them all, took a bow, and headed for home. I grinned all the way.
********************************************************************************
And as a new tradition on my blog, the word of the day: improving your vocabulary the fun way!
insuperable • \in-SOO-puh-ruh-bul\ • adjective : incapable of being surmounted, overcome, passed over, or solved
Example sentence:My refusal to iron one more freaking shirt for my husband proved to be an insuperable obstacle for the housework-impaired male.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
What I Really Want To Say Is...
Got this idea from my pal Jenny's site...and thought I'd post my own:
LIST TEN THINGS YOU WANT TO SAY TO PEOPLE YOU KNOW BUT YOU NEVER WILL, FOR WHATEVER REASON. DON'T SAY WHO THEY ARE. USE EACH PERSON ONLY ONCE.
1. You should leave him. He's dragging you into a hole, and you could do SO much better.
2. It's not all about you. Occasionally, I'd like to get a word in edgewise.
3. Friends are important. If someone is making an effort, you should return it. One day you will need me. I hope I'll still want to be there.
4. What comes around, goes around. I am a firm believer in that. Will you want to be alone when you are sick or dying?
5. Being a mom is the toughest job there is. You are doing great. Don't dispair. When things get tough, look around. There are people that are a lot worse off, and you are the lucky one. You have love.
6. Sometimes people do things they regret. I am one of them. I am sorry for the grief I put you through.
7. I love you to the end of the earth, but you are really stupid sometimes. Think before you speak, and you'll save people a lot of pain.
8. It is hard to forgive and forget. I am trying, but you wounded me. I think forgetting will take me the rest of my life.
9. Sometimes, I wish I had your life.
10. I think your husband is really hot.
So, I guess you're out there wondering which one applies to you, eh?....Well, as my friend Carly Simon once sang, (sort of) "I bet you think this post is about you...you're so vain!"
This was a great exercise. Very soul-lightening. Thanks for the idea, Jenny.
LIST TEN THINGS YOU WANT TO SAY TO PEOPLE YOU KNOW BUT YOU NEVER WILL, FOR WHATEVER REASON. DON'T SAY WHO THEY ARE. USE EACH PERSON ONLY ONCE.
1. You should leave him. He's dragging you into a hole, and you could do SO much better.
2. It's not all about you. Occasionally, I'd like to get a word in edgewise.
3. Friends are important. If someone is making an effort, you should return it. One day you will need me. I hope I'll still want to be there.
4. What comes around, goes around. I am a firm believer in that. Will you want to be alone when you are sick or dying?
5. Being a mom is the toughest job there is. You are doing great. Don't dispair. When things get tough, look around. There are people that are a lot worse off, and you are the lucky one. You have love.
6. Sometimes people do things they regret. I am one of them. I am sorry for the grief I put you through.
7. I love you to the end of the earth, but you are really stupid sometimes. Think before you speak, and you'll save people a lot of pain.
8. It is hard to forgive and forget. I am trying, but you wounded me. I think forgetting will take me the rest of my life.
9. Sometimes, I wish I had your life.
10. I think your husband is really hot.
So, I guess you're out there wondering which one applies to you, eh?....Well, as my friend Carly Simon once sang, (sort of) "I bet you think this post is about you...you're so vain!"
This was a great exercise. Very soul-lightening. Thanks for the idea, Jenny.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Excuses
Well, I suppose that I could make lots of excuses as to why I haven't posted in a while, but why bother...just busy and blocked, I guess.
My Tyger-tot is 16 months old today! He is just so darned cute! He is a little monkey; climbs on anything and everything. I turn my back for a second and he's on top of the dining room table trying to catch our betta fish, or on the edge of the bookshelf, three stories up. Reminds me of stories I used to hear about my brother Paul. My mom took a picture of him climbing the racks of the refridgerator once. Genetics will out, I suppose. He is a little chatter-box, and a copy-cat at that. Repeats a word you say, and then never again. Just storing in the back of his brain to spill out at a later date. He finally figured out how to clap, and does that all day long, then looks around for praise at his accomplishment. He is so proud of himself.
Phoenix, or rather Phoenix and I, just finished his first school project. He had to do a time-line of all of the important events in his life thus far. I was saying stuff like the births of his brothers etc., and he said with disdain, "NO, Mommy. Not that kind of stuff. IMPORTANT stuff. Like, the first time I saw a movie in the theatre, you know. Life-changing stuff." So, we loaded it up with his six years of important stuff, with pictures to go with his one-liner sentences. He has to present it in front of the class tomorrow. I hope he doesn't get stage-fright!
This Wednesday, Keegan starts his grammar group at speech therapy. I think there are 3 or 4 other kids in the group working on the same language goals. It is an 8 week group, every Wednesday afternoon for 45 minutes. Should keep him busy!
That's about it for news around here, I think. I'm sure there's more, but I have dinner on the stove and a baby, no, toddler now, crying on the monitor, so I'd better jet for now! Have a good week, and feel free to drop me a line to say hey! Jenny, where are you, sugar?
My Tyger-tot is 16 months old today! He is just so darned cute! He is a little monkey; climbs on anything and everything. I turn my back for a second and he's on top of the dining room table trying to catch our betta fish, or on the edge of the bookshelf, three stories up. Reminds me of stories I used to hear about my brother Paul. My mom took a picture of him climbing the racks of the refridgerator once. Genetics will out, I suppose. He is a little chatter-box, and a copy-cat at that. Repeats a word you say, and then never again. Just storing in the back of his brain to spill out at a later date. He finally figured out how to clap, and does that all day long, then looks around for praise at his accomplishment. He is so proud of himself.
Phoenix, or rather Phoenix and I, just finished his first school project. He had to do a time-line of all of the important events in his life thus far. I was saying stuff like the births of his brothers etc., and he said with disdain, "NO, Mommy. Not that kind of stuff. IMPORTANT stuff. Like, the first time I saw a movie in the theatre, you know. Life-changing stuff." So, we loaded it up with his six years of important stuff, with pictures to go with his one-liner sentences. He has to present it in front of the class tomorrow. I hope he doesn't get stage-fright!
This Wednesday, Keegan starts his grammar group at speech therapy. I think there are 3 or 4 other kids in the group working on the same language goals. It is an 8 week group, every Wednesday afternoon for 45 minutes. Should keep him busy!
That's about it for news around here, I think. I'm sure there's more, but I have dinner on the stove and a baby, no, toddler now, crying on the monitor, so I'd better jet for now! Have a good week, and feel free to drop me a line to say hey! Jenny, where are you, sugar?
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
First Day of Grade One!
I can't believe that another year has flown by, and my little baby is starting Grade One! (He would absolutely KILL me for calling him my little baby...). Phoenix was quite excited this morning, and was happy to see all of his friends again. He said he was looking forward to seeing what his class looked like, and to getting his very own desk.
Keegan was a little lost without his big brother to play with this morning. He's been so used to having Phoenix here all summer as a playmate. And Ty just annoys him by taking all of his toys and shoving them in his mouth!Well, tomorrow is Keegs' first day of school, and he is really looking forward to going.
I called Keegan's school this morning to see if the fees had changed and got some great news! Apparently, I had overpaid them a few bucks a day all last year, and now I have a tidy little credit, to the tune of three free months of school. Sweet. That's definitely news I can stand to hear!
I hope all of my readers had a good Labour Day weekend. Weather here was absolute crap, so we really didn't do much. Yesterday (Monday) was a decent day though, and we had a BBQ for some of Mark's baseball team mates. They came for lunch, took a break and showed back up for dinner, along with my Dad, and my sister-in-law and her family. Party didn't die until 11:30 last night.
I threw in the towel about 11:00, and headed off to bed, but Mark and his buddy hung out in the hot tub. I'm sure they're both hurtin' today. All well and good to get sauced at a party, but not so good if you have to get up at 6:00 am to go to work the next day!
Last night we had a rare wildlife sighting in our backyard. A possum! I took a million pictures. I know, I know, it's not like it was a Bengal tiger or anything, but I had never seen one before so it was a bit of a novelty to me.
The skunks must have been out in full force last night. I woke up this morning and the whole place reeked! Must have floated in through the window...needless to say, I had the scented oils and candles going this morning to clear the air a bit.
Well, with Bunny at school, Ty snoozing and Keegs planted in front of his favourite movie, it is laundry day for me, so I guess I'll get to it. Pictures of Bun and Mr. (or Mrs., I didn't get THAT close) Possum to follow...
Keegan was a little lost without his big brother to play with this morning. He's been so used to having Phoenix here all summer as a playmate. And Ty just annoys him by taking all of his toys and shoving them in his mouth!Well, tomorrow is Keegs' first day of school, and he is really looking forward to going.
I called Keegan's school this morning to see if the fees had changed and got some great news! Apparently, I had overpaid them a few bucks a day all last year, and now I have a tidy little credit, to the tune of three free months of school. Sweet. That's definitely news I can stand to hear!
I hope all of my readers had a good Labour Day weekend. Weather here was absolute crap, so we really didn't do much. Yesterday (Monday) was a decent day though, and we had a BBQ for some of Mark's baseball team mates. They came for lunch, took a break and showed back up for dinner, along with my Dad, and my sister-in-law and her family. Party didn't die until 11:30 last night.
I threw in the towel about 11:00, and headed off to bed, but Mark and his buddy hung out in the hot tub. I'm sure they're both hurtin' today. All well and good to get sauced at a party, but not so good if you have to get up at 6:00 am to go to work the next day!
Last night we had a rare wildlife sighting in our backyard. A possum! I took a million pictures. I know, I know, it's not like it was a Bengal tiger or anything, but I had never seen one before so it was a bit of a novelty to me.
The skunks must have been out in full force last night. I woke up this morning and the whole place reeked! Must have floated in through the window...needless to say, I had the scented oils and candles going this morning to clear the air a bit.
Well, with Bunny at school, Ty snoozing and Keegs planted in front of his favourite movie, it is laundry day for me, so I guess I'll get to it. Pictures of Bun and Mr. (or Mrs., I didn't get THAT close) Possum to follow...
Saturday, September 02, 2006
3 Days Until School!
Can you tell I'm excited for school to start? It should be fun this year. Phoenix starts grade one, so this is his first year of being at school all day, 5 days a week. He is happy to have two of his good friends in his class with him this year, and by all reports, his teacher is excellent.
Last night Mark and I went to a dinner theatre to see the Buddy Holly Story. It was really good. I had quite a crush on Buddy by the end of the show. Helped that I was quite tipsy too. I really am such a cheap date these days when it comes to alcohol. I had one Long Island Iced Tea, and was a giggling idiot. Probably shouldn't have followed it up with a B-52 coffee...anyway, it was a great show, and we had a good time. It so rare that we get out without the kids. It's fun to "date" every once in a while.
In a few weeks, we are going States-side to a wedding in West Seneca, New York. Any excuse to hunt for a new dress, is good enough for me.
As I mentioned, the kids are gearing up for school. Keegan will still be at preschool, even though normally he would be starting JK. We are keeping in preschool for a year so he can access the resources that would be cut off once he enters the public school system.
Keegan's resource person came over last Friday on a fact-finding mission, basically just to get background history on Keegs and what he has done so far. We also went to speech therapy this past week. She was impressed with his improvement over the summer, and has set a bunch of new goals for him, like using "he" and "she" in sentences, as opposed to "the boy" and "the girl". We are also working on "they" and putting sequential stories in order. Enough to keep us busy for a while. At the end of the month, he will be joining a speech therapy group. He will go once a week, for 8 weeks, and I think after that, there is a social skills one that he can join, which is like the summer group he was in.
Phoenix is not looking forward to the work portion of grade one, but told me he is anticipating recess...funny kid. Should be a joy getting him to do homework! It's going to be really weird with him gone 5 days a week now, instead of every second day...Keegan will start off going Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and is on the wait list for the Tues/Thursday classes. I have been told that he will probably get into that session in January. Boy, what are Ty and I going to do with all that free time?
Well, as far as Ty goes, most of it will be spent in nap. I think Mark is hoping that the extra time I will have will be channelled into housework for a change, but...I don't think you can teach an old dog new tricks. I vow to put forth an effort though. Don't think, Mom, that I don't see you shaking your head at my pathetic housekeeping skills. I guess I didn't get that gene. Only the cake decorating and knitting one.
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate my bed? Or rather, my mattress? It cost a fortune, and is only 2 years old now, but it cripples me. Mark has always had back problems (sciatica etc) and opted for the extra firm mattress, but even with the pillow top, to me, it's like lying on the Flinstone bed. Which is why, more often that not, my kids find me snoring on the couch downstairs most mornings. I dream (when actually sleeping, and not tossing and turning) of the perfect mattress! One day! I will find you!
Ty has turned into a monkey when I wasn't looking. I turn my back for two seconds, and he's dancing on the coffee table. My friend over the hedge commented that it might be a good way for him to make money in the future, but maybe not something you'd want to see your son doing...I said that as long as he signed a few calendars for me to sell on E-Bay, that I was alright with it...
Writing that made me remember a skit from long ago from Saturday Night Live, with Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley, and they were both trying out to be Chippendale dancers. I thought my mom and I would pee our pants watching that one!
Anyway, speaking of bladder accidents, I am about to have one if I don't run right now, so bye for now!
PS. Happy belated birthday to my brother-in-law Fernando! (Do you hear the drums?)
Last night Mark and I went to a dinner theatre to see the Buddy Holly Story. It was really good. I had quite a crush on Buddy by the end of the show. Helped that I was quite tipsy too. I really am such a cheap date these days when it comes to alcohol. I had one Long Island Iced Tea, and was a giggling idiot. Probably shouldn't have followed it up with a B-52 coffee...anyway, it was a great show, and we had a good time. It so rare that we get out without the kids. It's fun to "date" every once in a while.
In a few weeks, we are going States-side to a wedding in West Seneca, New York. Any excuse to hunt for a new dress, is good enough for me.
As I mentioned, the kids are gearing up for school. Keegan will still be at preschool, even though normally he would be starting JK. We are keeping in preschool for a year so he can access the resources that would be cut off once he enters the public school system.
Keegan's resource person came over last Friday on a fact-finding mission, basically just to get background history on Keegs and what he has done so far. We also went to speech therapy this past week. She was impressed with his improvement over the summer, and has set a bunch of new goals for him, like using "he" and "she" in sentences, as opposed to "the boy" and "the girl". We are also working on "they" and putting sequential stories in order. Enough to keep us busy for a while. At the end of the month, he will be joining a speech therapy group. He will go once a week, for 8 weeks, and I think after that, there is a social skills one that he can join, which is like the summer group he was in.
Phoenix is not looking forward to the work portion of grade one, but told me he is anticipating recess...funny kid. Should be a joy getting him to do homework! It's going to be really weird with him gone 5 days a week now, instead of every second day...Keegan will start off going Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and is on the wait list for the Tues/Thursday classes. I have been told that he will probably get into that session in January. Boy, what are Ty and I going to do with all that free time?
Well, as far as Ty goes, most of it will be spent in nap. I think Mark is hoping that the extra time I will have will be channelled into housework for a change, but...I don't think you can teach an old dog new tricks. I vow to put forth an effort though. Don't think, Mom, that I don't see you shaking your head at my pathetic housekeeping skills. I guess I didn't get that gene. Only the cake decorating and knitting one.
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate my bed? Or rather, my mattress? It cost a fortune, and is only 2 years old now, but it cripples me. Mark has always had back problems (sciatica etc) and opted for the extra firm mattress, but even with the pillow top, to me, it's like lying on the Flinstone bed. Which is why, more often that not, my kids find me snoring on the couch downstairs most mornings. I dream (when actually sleeping, and not tossing and turning) of the perfect mattress! One day! I will find you!
Ty has turned into a monkey when I wasn't looking. I turn my back for two seconds, and he's dancing on the coffee table. My friend over the hedge commented that it might be a good way for him to make money in the future, but maybe not something you'd want to see your son doing...I said that as long as he signed a few calendars for me to sell on E-Bay, that I was alright with it...
Writing that made me remember a skit from long ago from Saturday Night Live, with Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley, and they were both trying out to be Chippendale dancers. I thought my mom and I would pee our pants watching that one!
Anyway, speaking of bladder accidents, I am about to have one if I don't run right now, so bye for now!
PS. Happy belated birthday to my brother-in-law Fernando! (Do you hear the drums?)
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