A Long Ass Week

WAY looking forward to down time this wknd. I'm scrapping tomorrow from 10-3 and then choir/church. Saturday night and all day Sunday is free. Not sure if DH's working OT. There are rumours of layoffs. We'll see.

Tonight I have to get the bulletin's done. I ususally do them Thursday but I have a literal pain in the neck. It's better today, still bugging me though. I see the chiro in a week. Hopefully it'll get better before then. Other than that, I got a few groceries this a.m. and went to Costco during lunch...diapers, wipes, etc. Now I won't have to go out over the wknd.

Well, I'll keep it brief today. Have a good one, despite the rain.
~B

Lightening Speed

The days are just wizzin' by this week! My boss is away so I'm covering a lot of his stuff. No complaints. It's fun writting for the rock statin. Dirty bugger that I am. :) Not much new on the sleep front. L slept through the night but woke an hour early. Same difference. I hope to be in bed by 9 tonight. I can't keep up the pace.

Oh, good news! We're getting the van welded on Thursday for 1/2 the price I was quoted by another company. Whooo hooo!! And I'm booked in for my MVI next Tuesday, though it'll be 2 days over. So whatcha can, right? Not a whole lot else going on. Busy nights looking into the business opportunity I was fretting about. I really should say much about it until I fully educate myself, and that's what we're doing. Truly, all I'm wasting is time. Anyway, we'll see what comes of it.

Anyway, I better jet. TTFN!
~B

Optimistically Sceptical

I'm not sure if I mentioned about running into my boss' SIL at the IMAX movie last Saturday. She asked if I'd talk with her after the show. She's starting a new business part time and wanted to know if she and her coach/trainer could sit with DH & I some evening to talk about our finances. I thought, why not. So Monday evening, they came by. He told us about the company they work for (as independent "brokers"). It's called Primerica. Now before you go googling, I've read up on it. They have "scam" and "pyramid scheem" linked to their name. And there are others who say it's not a scam, but it is what it is, a commissioned based business. You work hard, you make money. Not unlike the sales people on staff where I work.

Anyway, back to the initial meeting. This guy showed us what they do. They help families get out of debt, and secure their future, without investing any new money. Last night was our second meeting. First we went to their "info session" which was more of a recruitment meeting. Sure, it sounded too good to be true. Everyone was so positive, it made me wonder if I was on a hidden camera show. Well, weird or not, I tried to be open minded. After the session, we met with the guy. He showed us how we could free up $400+ from our current investments and with that buy life insurance (which we don't have), invest in the kids education (which is better than what we're doing) and invest in our retirement (which is a better return than what we currently have). It sounded win-win to me.

As far as the business side, DH is very interested. The idea is to add to your current income...not quit your job and do this full time. It's not a costly investment to get involved. Though there is a time commitment. I figure the only thing we can lose is some time to try to make a better life for ourselves, then why not. I'm still sceptical though. And I think that judgement won't change until we see how it's going to change our lives. At least it's really interesting and eye opening to learn about.

So, aside from that, my wknd was good. I'm tired, L was up at 2 last night...and we didn't get home and in bed till midnight. Busy but fun. Wish I had more time with my folks but we made the most of it. Boss is out again today so if I fall asleep at my desk, I won't get caught. :) Well, I better run.

TTFN!
~B

Glorious Weather, BBQ & Booze

Well, you can see how my wknd is shaping up. :) Sooooo looking forward to 5 o'clock so I can get out and enjoy the wknd! Tonight I'm renting Night at the Museum and I think Mom & I are going to see the sequel tomorrow night. Sunday's busy for us. DH has a union meeting from 10-2, E has a b-day party from 1-3 and the whole crew is going to The Jolly Mug between 3-7 (for supper and to see Frank Lowe-from my work-perform in his band SideKixx), oh and finally DH & I are going to an info session for Primerica at 7:30.

FYI, "Harvey's" birthday is on Sunday and in Hali, they're giving out free burgers from 10am-3pm. Not sure if it's province wide or not.

So Mom & Dad landed last night. VERY thankful for Mom, who got up with L at 1am (I didn't even hear her at all!!!!!). E was so happy to see them this morning. She talked a blue streak! I had to ask her to calm down and be quiet so she'd eat her bkft. hehehehehe As of lunchtime, they were having a fun day: went for a walk to the lake, played in the backyard. I asked her to make tea biscuits. I picked up strawberries and cream to make strawberry shortcake for dessert. We're bbqing burgers, sausages and dogs tonight. I LOVE BBQ!!! And I bought some Mike's Hard PINK Lemonade too. Gonna be a great wknd!

Get out, enjoy the sun! Ya never know how long it'll last. We're in NS after all. :)
~B

Leaving Early

Howdy peeps. Enjoying the sunshine today...whoo hooo!! I'm tired though. Got sucked in to watching Cinderella Man on TV last night...till midnight...and then L was up at 1. UGHHHH!! I swear, I'm having a party when all of her teeth are in or when she starts sleeping through the night...which ever comes first.

Mom & Dad are coming to Hali tonight, expected to arrive around 10pm. They're going to keep the girls home from daycare tomorrow which will be really nice for them. They're leaving on Monday a.m. so it will be a quick visit. Not sure what we'll get in on the wknd but maybe a movie, and dinner out. We'll see.

Anyway, I'm gonna jet. MIL got the times mixed up and is on her way in town an hour early. Soak up the sun baby!
~B

Work-bizzy

Sorry for the absense. Work's been busy...and the boss was out yesterday afternoon and today. I got to do some of his promos (for the rock station) which was super fun! I love being a pig. :) One of the gals downstairs calls me a "horny repressed Catholic." So I suppose if the shoe fits, I write funny pigish stuff. :) Anyway, the wknd is a blur...thank goodness for the calendar. Sat a.m. DH & I saw Star Trek on IMAX...way cool! Sat night, we had fun at Steve's party. We left after 10 pm and the girls weren't even out of their minds or sooky. They both fell asleep on the way home, which was awesome! Sunday I didn't do much, went to church with DH & girls...that's about it...was a lazy sloth. Monday I finally worked on my quilt and got the square pattern finished. I just need a 4 inch border and a 6 inch boarder and I'm finished the top.

Monday night I was up twice with L which was brutal! Last night I was in bed at 8:30...channel surfed till 10. L was up again but DH got up with her. I can't wait till all those molars come in! Nothing going on tonight. Meant to go for a walk today but saw a guy about welding the hole in our van. I hoped it wouldn't be too much. We had both rocker panels done on the old van and it was $300. The quote I got today for a 4 inch hole was over that. So, I think I'll look around. But it's slim pickins and the inspection is up this month. I'll have to make a few more calls. Well, that's all for now. Gotta run.
~B

Grey's Finale

It was definitely worth staying up last night but I'm SUPER zonked today! Fortunately, the boss left early so I'm taking it easy. Last night's finale was awesome. I knew "Izzy" was leaving the show so no surprises there...but I didn't see the coming when "George" met her by the elevator. (If you're not following the show, my apologies.) Gripping and sad like every other week. They do a fantastic job of sucking you in, loving the characters, and litterally balling at every episode. Must be a female skew for sure. :) Anyway, the most tense part of the show? The last ten mins when L woke crying. DH said he'd take the turn last night but I couldn't bare to wake him. He was snoring, out cold. So, wonderful mama that I am, let her cry till the show was over. :S Ah, she was no worse for wear. She just wanted a baba and to go back to bed. Glad I was awake for it...better than being woken out of your sleep. Anyway, show was great! Can't wait till next year.

Tonight DH is going over for a guy's night with Mark. I'll just be taking it easy at home. I have to go out and get the groceries, and that's it! Last night, I ended up staying late at work. They had a last minute emergency and asked if I could. So I did...and banked the time for an appt next week. I also got a gift card as a thank you...really nice. I only ended up staying an hour. Went home, ate, visited the girls, and went up to the church to print off and fold 250 bulletins for this wknd. UGH! I'm glad my involvement is coming to an end. They're including that job with the Admin Assistant position come the end of June. Back home by 9:30, clean up and Grey's. That was my night.

Only plans I have for the wknd are Steve's b-day party Sat night and relaxing!!!! Maybe quilting, scrapping, some mama time...and maybe a home-style pedi for me & E. :) Whatever you do this wknd, have a blast!

~B

*Giggle*

Well, I got through another sleepy day…more ridiculous than usual. I kept messing things up then LOL at myself. I think the guys are wondering if I’ve finally lost it. ;) I heard L several times throughout the night. At one point, I believed I got up but I was dreaming. Hahahahaha Finally around 5 am I got her a bottle and she was right back to sleep…which was lucky since she’s usually up at 6. Or maybe she was quietly awake all that time. Who knows? The child slept only 40 mins again at daycare yesterday. But she managed to be in good spirits, ate all her supper (and some of E’s), got a bath and went to be at 7:30.

It thought it would be fun to let the girls eat together on our little plastic picnic table. E loved the idea, till L started eating her potatoes. E kept complaining the whole meal. Finally I told her if she wasn’t fast enough to eat her supper, too bad. How terrible is that??? I was out of patience…and it’s true. E didn’t even want her potatoes anyway. So, I washed them while DH was on the phone. He took over and let them play while I cleaned up. Then I did my journaling stuff for the Paul McKenna stuff. And I crashed for a while. I did manage to uncover my sewing/crafting/quilting table before bed so I could work on my quilt tonight…till I remembered I have choir practice. Maybe tomorrow.

Today I didn’t test out my pedometer. It was a beautiful day to walk, but I just didn’t feel like it. Instead I went to Canadian Tire to get a new bulb for E’s new light (yeah, it came with one that I broke accidentally). I looked for 2 more knee/elbow pads, no luck. But I did find a rechargeable plug-in flashlight for E. She keeps taking DH’s cause she’s afraid of the dark. At least it’s not a lamp. Baby steps.

Well, enough babbling on. I’m off…soon.
~B

Sleep...and walking...but not together

So I finally got some sleep last night. E woke up from a nightmare and I woke DH to take his turn. He ended up staying in her bed for the rest of the night. I did hear L cry briefly but she fell back asleep. She had napped just 40 mins at daycare yesterday. She was down, for the night, just after 6!!!!! L was so exhausted, she didn’t even eat dinner. She was beside herself, so I gave her a bottle, changed her into her jammies and off to bed. Hopefully she’ll nap well today and be able to eat tonight!

I went out for a nice walk today. I bought a pedometer yesterday but forgot it home. I actually counted steps. Hehehe Well, I counted 1000 steps (making it my half way point), turned around and walked back to the office. Oh, did I mention I joined Paul McKenna’s (I can make you thin) online “club?” It’s for 6 months. Everyday he sends you something…an exercise, a thought starter…and you fill out your online journal, and listen to a recording. Plus there are online forums, etc. Anyway, Sunday’s message talked about walking an extra 2000 steps a day to help you lose weight. So, that’s what I’m trying to do. However, first I needed to figure out if I’m taking the average 5-6 thousand (I think??) steps a day. If not, well, maybe I’ll need to take more than 2000 steps extra. I’ll do a bench mark tomorrow.

Lovin’ the BBQ season. Burgers last night. Steak tonight. Sausages tomorrow night. Best time of year! Fire up your BBQ and enjoy!
~B

A Very Princess-y Birthday

There's a matching FB photo album for this title. We had a spectacular weekend. Especially E & I. Her princess party went off (with only a few minor hitches). Of course, I just finished my make up when guests were coming in the door...as always! E and the other princesses had such a fun time. Thanks Mari for posting your crown cupcake cake. Mine turned out really well, thank goodness!!! And the Cinderella show at the Rebecca Cohn was great. E was a bit tired but stayed in good spirits. I took her to BK afterwards since it was close to supper (chicken nugget crowns...so cute, and fitting). Sunday we went to the Princess Tea Party late. They just started a play of Pinkalicious (E LOVES the book of the same name). And we met Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. There were all kinds of other fun stuff to do (for extra cash). We kept it cheep this year but I'd love to go again. On our way out the door, they gave a nail polish and lip glosses for E and a carnation for Mama. Very, very well done. Oh, and DH got me a funny card and an Aerosmith CD (plus the CM bubble punch which he forgot about...heheheh). Hey, I wasn't going to remind him and turn down his extra gift. Anyway, it was such an amazing wknd.

I wish I could say I got more sleep...well a bit more. Though L woke through the night. I told DH (in his sleep) that we have to start taking turns getting up. I'm really glad it was me last night cause her diaper was FULLL!! If DH got up, he would have slapped that baba in her kisser and off he'd go. :) Guess I'll have to tell him to change her if he gets up with her...just in case. hehehe Anyway, although I was tired, I decided to be cheerful today and it worked. E tried being a grump with me this morning. I told her to get rid of her grumpies or there would be no more fun events or big tubbies. She left the room, and came back with a happy face. Wow, wonder if that'll work all the time? Likely not! :) Happy Mom's Day to all my mommy friends.

~B

Totally tired.

I'm 5 for 5 this week. Up ever night with one of the kids. And tomorrow I have to throw a princess party. UGH! It's going to be so busy, I'm starting not to look forward to the wknd. If I got a solid night's sleep, I'm sure that would change. I may boot DH on the couch (he's able to hear the girls from there). *sigh*

Tonight I'm getting new tires on the van at Costco. While that's going on, I need to pick up a few things in the store. Home, make a double batch of cupcakes, clean the house, move the toys out of the living room, set up the party stuff, decorate. Okay I'm tired and not even though the list. Well, I'm gonna run. Hope you have a good wknd!

~B

P.S. Bought my BonJovi tickets online and forgot to get them sent home. Now I gotta figure out how to get them at the box office. D!OH!!

Babies?? And My Big Baby Girl!

Myrna and I first met when I was hired to fill her position at the station. Long story short, she really took a month long hiatus. Hehehe We worked closely together for years and became great friends…still are even though she’s in TO (gotta love how the internet keeps you connected). What I really love about her is she (delicately) challenges my thinking. She shines a light on the truth in what I say. We had a lengthy email back and forth about the “v.” After many thought provoking questions, I realized I don’t really want more children. I want that unrealistic dream in my head. I’ve had it for so long, I thought I really wanted it…but honestly, I don’t.

My girls are in a place of greater independence…well, L’s getting there. They can walk by their own steam, tell me what’s wrong (mostly), sleep though the night (well, occasionally), feed themselves, etc. The thought of starting all over again with a new baby, and losing that freedom and mobility, makes me want to cry! I’m chasing a dream, that’s not worth chasing. So, we decided we’re done. Of course there is some sadness in it still. I wished I was more prepared for it…like while I was pregnant with L to think “this is my last baby.” I’m a bit sad that I won’t feel the kicks and experience the early milestones again. But then I think of the sleepless nights (and days), the frustrations, the mood swings, and then I’m pretty happy to be where I am. I guess there will always be a part of me that wonders about the good stuff…but it’s smaller than I thought.

After all that discussion, onto something exciting. Today, my baby girl is 4!!! She went to daycare with a new Princess shirt and a store bought cake to share. Tonight we’ll have her Barbie cake (which I finished last night…looks sweet, will post pics on FB). Then Saturday is the big party. Oh, and I got 2 free tickets to Cinderella at the Rebecca Cohn for Sat afternoon after the party. And the Princess Tea Party is on Sunday. It’ll be a very girly wknd. How awesome!!! Well, gotta run! TTFN!

~B

Short snippet!

OMG…so incredibly busy today…and I have so much to share about yesterday’s blog. Unfortunately I’ve got 5 mins till closing time. So…I promise to make time tomorrow.

1 more sleep till E’s b-day!!! 4 years…good golly miss molly! Aaaaaaannd, I just scooped up FREE tickets to see Cinderella at the Rebecca Cohn on Saturday (conveniently follows E’s b-day party). And Sunday is the Princess Tea Party. Whose the coolest mama ever!!??? I think I win this week. ;)

TTFN!
~B

Lots on my mind...

...this is rather personal info so if it's too much, skip today's ramblings.

DH & I went to our doctor last night to discuss the big "v." I have very mixed emotions. Some days I feel two is too much. Other days I feel devistated at the thought of not having kids again. I think we were in such shock over L's pregnancy, we didn't think this would be our last child. And of course, I hate to let go of the dream to have a boy...though there's no guarantee I realize. DH mentioned the idea of adoption. I don't know much about it truthfully. I met a gal at quilting who said it took 4 years to get a child. And my belief is that it's costly. Plus, I feel terrible at the thought of being capable of conceiving and taking a baby away from someone who cannot. And for me being pregnant was such a major part of the experience.

I do have health concerns with my weight, but other than that had normal pregnancies. I'm concerned with financials though if DH continues working, it's not an issue. I wonder if I can mentally deal with 3 and have enough patience for them. Space in our house, etc., etc. I'm just wondering if I'm out of my mind even considering it. All I know that all day yesterday and still today, I felt sad about it. The doctor did put in a referral, but said there was a 9 month weight (Ironic number don't you think?). It's just that for our entire relationship I've had this dream of having a baby boy and naming it after DH's father, Dennis. It's tough to let that dream go. And there are no guarantees we'll have a boy. But even if it was a girl, I'd love her the same. (And probably name her Denise...or some variation of it.) :)

Clearly I need help here. Any thoughts are welcome.
~B

Stitch & Rake

Great, great wknd! Had so much fun on Saturday quilting. I got a good portion of it done. I fudged up a few squares to I have to stitch rip and redo. Nothing major through. The material is so cute…pinks and greens. You can see the quilt (sample) on Atlantic Fabrics website under Creative Showcase (www.atlanticfabrics.com). It’s called “Rose of Plenty.” I asked E if she’d like it or make her one with pinks and purples. She chose the latter. So, the plan is to make them for Christmas. That’ll give me lots of time. What I like about the quilting is you can do 5 mins of it and walk away, or sit there for hours. Although I’m sure you could do the same with scrapping but there are so many pieces. Anyway, I’m loving the quilting and will definitely keep it up.

Sunday I thought it a brilliant idea to clean up the yard. The lawn desperately needed it. And since it wasn’t raining, I figured I better do it. I took the girls out in the backyard with me. They played, I raked…taking breaks to push them on the swings. Hehehe Got them inside before lunch. L was so cranky. (We’re trying to do like daycare and keep her up till after lunch.) We ate, the girls played for a bit, E helped me make cinnamon rolls and L went down. I worked a bit on the quilt (that’s when I noticed the fudge up). Then after L got up from her nap, took her outside in the front yard to rake there. It was short lived though. She’s too adventurous and kept getting out of my site. So, in she went and E came out. When DH got home (he worked OT) we bagged the leaves. That goodness that’s over with!

DH & I got dr.’s appts tonight. Nothing major. I’m taking E in on Friday for her yearly check up. It’s fun seeing how much she’s grown. :) Well, gotta run. Have a good 1.
~B

Creative is DEFINITELY my thing

I spent 3 hours in the Traffic department. If I ever needed confirmation that Creative is where I should be, I got it today. Man, I yawned more times than I can count and my "number pad" finger is sore. I could never do that job for my life. But it sounded really impressive that I was "doing adjustments in A/R." :)

So, I'm off to the Quilting class tomorrow in Dart. I'm really excited. I'm making a lap blanket for E...and if it's not to hard, another for L. Sunday's open. If it's not raining I'd like to rake the lawn and do some other tidy stuff before E's b-day next wknd.

Well, I'd love to chat longer but it's after 5 and DH is picking me up. Oh yeah, that's a fun story. I (think I) passed DH my keys yesterday after work. This morning, I couldn't find them. Thankfully MIL was off work today. She drove in and then I called her to come back home to take the girls to daycare/me to work. Couldn't reach Dh cause he/we lost his cell on Sunday. So MIL picked DH up at 4, drove home and DH drove the van in to get me. What a nightmare. I'll be praying to St. Anthony for the recovery of the phone and keys all wknd!!

~B