I am moving!
I actually decided this quite a while ago, but finally am making the move this week.
From now on, you can find my blog at Little Missus Sunshine.
I realize that this is now my third blog. I just can't seem to make up my mind! This one however, is the one that I feel will suit me best. Sorry for those of you who have to put up with my indecisiveness.
My first blog was mainly for pictures. This blog, was when I really started to enjoy blogging and reading other blogs on a regular basis.
One of my biggest reasons for the change is because this current name sucks. It really doesn't get any more original than my name. Except my name is boring, and maybe too personal with our town name and our names etc.
So I set aside some time to come up with a creative name that would suit me and that I could be happy with longterm. One morning, in the shower...believe it or not, this name came to me and I loved it! So I will no longer be just boring Jenn. I will be Little Missus Sunshine. Head on over there for the reason that I chose it. You can click on my profile or on the link I provided in this post.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
I'm Moving!
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Zune Review
Waiting For News
John just left a few minutes ago to take Bailey to the vet at the next town. He graciously offered to go in the case that there is bad news.
I am not feeling optimistic at this point.
He hasn't eaten any food because he can't pick it up. The poor cat is very very hungry. He actually looks thinner than 2 days ago.
He also hasn't had any water to drink. And not for lack of trying...I have tried a dropper, ice cubes, and nothing. He won't even consider it.
I have been cleaning up lots of puddles on the floor from his drool.
He doesn't look good. He smells awful from the drool.
Last night Brie prayed that God would make him all better. I really wish that I could have the faith that she does. In her mind, it is as simple as asking. I considered briefly telling her that it may not happen this way, but I don't want to squash her faith or show her that my view of God isn't perfect.
Jesus often said "your faith has saved and healed you". And it was true. He healed many many people just because they simply believed he could. There are numerous stories of faith throughout the bible. Ordinary people who became extraordinary because of their faith that God would provide, God would protect, God would heal, etc. I have a long ways to go as I look at my own pathetic faith. As soon as something goes wrong, I start to question whether or not God will answer my prayers.
Yes, I realize that this is only a cat. But it's our cat. We are not those crazy cat people who think of them as children, but he is still part of our weird family. We have had him ever since he was 6-7 weeks old and fit in the palm of our hands. Now he is a huge beast of a cat, meowing and rubbing against everyone that walks anywhere near him. He is annoying at times, but we love him anyways.
I woke up with a headache this morning and despite a fun morning at VBS, the headache remains. Not all that unusual, but it is worse with the stress of what is going to happen to Bailey.
One of John's co-workers offered to "take care of it". I guess that is a considerate offer, but one that I really don't want to think about. We also don't want to spend $$$$$ on a pet either.
Now to wait for John to call.....
EDA: John called about 30 minutes after I posted this. The vet said that Bailey has an ulcer under his tongue which just has to run its course with antibiotics, and he also has an infection from a wound on his lip. I noticed his bottom tooth was cutting into his lip. He is in a lot of pain according to the vet, even if he wasn't complaining. So we have medicine for him and he should get better! I am so relieved.
Before John called I had just read this post. I highly recommend it! Angie is a mom who lost her daughter only a few hours after birth. She shares her grief and her struggles very openly and I really appreciate her writing.
The Nomination Goes To....
Tara at Tara's View of the World!!
Tara is the lucky winner of my nomination for a free Zune MP3 player!
"lets see... I deserve a Zune because I am a completely sleep deprived mother of three crazy kids. I am also a pastor's wife with a congregation who really doesn't like me and says I do things that "misrepresent the church". My mom lives with me. And drives me insane. I had to spend my vacation with my grumpy in-laws. I could never afford to buy one because we have a little less than two hundred bucks in our account and over a thousand dollars worth of bills to pay. Good enough? :)I have 457 facebook friends. I also twitter. And I average about 100 hits on my blog per day according to google analytics. Plus you like me? :) "
She has the most hits per day/week on her blog and the most facebook friends. She also sound like she could use some cheering up and what better way than to get something awesome for free!
I just got my Zune in the mail and will be posting my review shortly.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Worried About My Kitty
One of our 2 cats, Bailey is not well today.
He, as per usual, was out all night and came in first thing this morning.
I noticed right away that he was unusually quiet.
After I fed them, I also noticed that he left a lot of his food in the dish.
Bailey never leaves food uneaten. He is like a little vacuum cleaner, devouring everything as fast as possible. When we leave for a few days and just leave a mass quantity of food for them to eat, he scarfs down extra, just in case it magically disppears.
Later on this morning, I was downstairs in the first minute of a jog on the treadmill. The girls came downstairs and said that Bailey was sick because his tongue was sticking out.
Now normally the girls don't notice something like this, so I figured it was worth checking out right away.
We went upstairs and there was Bailey lying down. His mouth was slightly ajar and his tongue hung off to the side. His neck fur was wet from saliva dripping down on him.
So needless to say I was concerned right away. John was out for a haircut but when he got home we all showed him our sick kitty.
We have been watching Bailey all day and he seems to be getting worse. I called the vet this afternoon but they aren't in town until Wednesday. They suggested I call the next town over, but the vet had already left for the day. (Can I just say that this is when I really don't like small towns?!?!?!) I have left a message for them to call me tomorrow.
I don't know what else to do.
I have tried getting Bailey to eat, and although he is hungry, he seems unable to eat. He keeps pawing at his mouth when he tries unsuccessfully to eat. We tried softening his food, giving him tuna, but nothing is helping. He is looking quite sad and won't come to me when I call him, which is another red flag. He is usually a super friendly cat.
My poor little kitty.
Any suggestions?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wanna Get a Free Zune?
Recently I qualified to be one of the first Canadians to try out the new Microsoft Zune.
While I don't have my Zune yet (maybe it will come tomorrow?), I am very thrilled to get one for free and spread the word about it's qualities.
For those of you who haven't heard of the Zune before, this is Microsoft's version of the Ipod. It is an MP3 player.
I get one for FREE!!
I also get to nominate "someone" to get a FREE one with me!
This special "someone" has to have a blog and a facebook/myspace page.
I am having a hard time trying to decide who to nominate, so I figured that the fairest way would be to hear back from you!
Tell me why you want the free Zune, and I will pick my nominee from your comments! I also need to know how many facebook friends you have and the weekly number of hits on your blog for the nomination.
Please respond on or before Monday July 21nd.
Monday, July 14, 2008
No Time To Blog
This week will be a busy week for me!
Swimming lessons began today.
If you have ever lived in a small town that only has an outdoor pool, you will appreciate the way that they have to fit in so many groups in a small amount of time.
We go every day at 11:30.
We also go every day at 4:30.
Yep.
Twice a day.
Every day.
Good thing it's only for 4 days or I would go crazy!
Also it's great that the girls both have lessons at the same time. I would not go there 4 times a day. Twice is bad enough, people!
Tonight we are having a staff BBQ at the house of one of John's coworkers. I get to meet the new sergant who moved here a couple of weeks ago. John has good things to say about him already which is great!
Next week is VBS (Vacation Bible School) in town. We do a joint effort within the town's churches to put on a non-denominational program and it is quite successful! Usually about 50-60 kids come out, and for a town that does not go to church, this is encouraging.
Last year I was in charge of games. The weather was about 35+ outside and we were in a field with no shade. For 3 days! I literally drank my weight in water. Well....almost. I don't think I have a water bottle that would hold that much.
This year I opted to lead an age group around to the different areas; crafts, stories, games, and science. I will be leading the preschool group around so it should be fun!
So I'm really hoping for some more nice weather.
This week for swimming.
And next week for VBS.
All this to say, I'm not sure how much I'll be posting this week. We'll see how it goes!
Friday, July 11, 2008
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Well we got home from camping yesterday and I'm feeling quite tired today.
Mostly, we had a lot of fun.
But there were some very miserable parts of camping this time.
We left on Sunday and drove in the rain. I was quite worried that we would be setting up in the rain, but the sunshine appeared right about the time that we arrived in the park. What a blessing!
Early Monday morning, the rain began.
Ugh. I hate the rain. Especially when it causes our old tent to leak.
We didn't know that it would leak.
We woke up at 6 am to a soggy floor and everything feeling damp. Certainly not a great start to our day, or to our camping experience.
John and I debated what to do about the wet tent over breakfast and finally decided to make the 1-hour drive to Yorkton to buy a new tent.
Buying a new tent certainly was not in our camping budget, but it was either that or pack up in the rain and go home. Ugh.
So we drove there and bought a new tent. Then we spent another hour driving back.
It rained/poured the entire time. When we returned it was pouring so we just made some sandwiches and ate them in the screen house.
Did I mention that the screen house was also leaking from the roof?
Monday was NOT a fun day. Everything was wet or damp and we didn't have a dry place, except for the van. So after lunch we went for a drive around the park.
The girls actually slept for a brief time while we drove around. At least this helped to perk them up. The rain slowed down to a slight mist and we quickly set up the new tent.
It is awesome! It's a 10-person tent, but really it sleeps 4 people just comfortably. It even has a little "pet den", which works great for luggage! And there are 3 doors, 2 little ones and a main door. We love it. It is dry and big.
Did I also mention that our trip to the laundromat to dry some sleeping bags and clothes resulted in John losing the zipper on his sleeping bag? Monday was definitely NOT a good day!
Tuesday and Wednesday were much better days! Although there were lots of clouds and sometimes rain, we were able to get out and go on some hikes, play at the park, go to the beach.
Actually on Tuesday afternoon, there was a great patch of blue sky. We quickly decided to change into bathing suits and pack up the sand toys and drive to the big beach, about a 10-minute drive away. We got about halfway there and saw some large dark clouds rolling in quite quickly, but we were being quite hopeful and decided to keep going. So we parked and walked down the big hill to the beach. Literally we had one foot on the sand when the sky started to pour again. We were all soaked by the time we got to the van, and Ella was in tears. She wanted to play on the playground and was quite devastated that we left before she could do anything.
So we went back to the tent, changed into some dry clothes and bought the girls some ice cream. We are not above consoling our kids with food. Especially after our previous day. How awful!
Later on the sky cleared up enough to play at the beach, but we had left our suits in the tent. So we just played in our clothes.
Anyways, the rest of the trip was a lot of fun. We ended up being really close by to 2 other RCMP members, one of which John knew from his very first PARE (Physical Abilities Requirement Evaluation) and from the training Depot in Regina. He also recognized another member on the beach. So apparently Madge Lake is also RCMP lake?!? Strange!
We ate lots of great food, our favorite being the homemade pizza pockets that you cook in the pie irons with Pillsbury bread dough. Those were delicious! We are definitely making those every time. 
Just a few hours after we returned home, there was a large hail storm here. The pieces were about the size of a small marble. There was also a tornado that destroyed a farm house not too far away. We are very fortunate to be safe and dry, and my little garden isn't completed ruined. My cucumbers and corn may be gone, but at least we are okay. What would we have done with hail if we were still tenting?
So thus ends the saga of our trip. Sorry for the length. I hope you stuck it out with me!
Veggie Tales Ambassador
Tomorrow is the release date for the new Veggie Tales DVD, "Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry's Big River Rescue".
We are big fans of Veggie Tales. The videos are educational, biblical, wholesome and funny! The kids love them. Adults love them. We are really looking forward to the new video!
I am actually a Veggie Tales Ambassador.
Ambassadors get a screener copy of any new videos, with the intention of promoting the videos. I also get stickers, posters and fun workbooks to hand out to kids! There is also a $2.00 off coupon for buying the video. Now since our church usually hosts only 2 families of children, I am left with A LOT of leftover goodies that usually get thrown away.
I don't actually have my box of goodies yet (so I can't give specifics of what's in there for the Big River Rescue), but let me know if you want any for your kids, or kids that you know! I will gladly mail you out some goodies to share!
If you plan on buying the video sooner, here's a $2.00 off coupon for you to print.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Favorite Places
Today Brie was talking about her favorite things.
Apparently she has 4 favorite places. Who knew?
The order she listed them in are as follows:
1. Saskatoon
2. Galaxyland
3. Wynyard
4. A&W
The only fast food we every eat is A&W. We had it for lunch today in fact, since our fridge is bare except for the camping food. I guess this must have gotten the conversation started in the first place.
I think it's rather humorous that our girls have absolutely no idea what a McDonalds is but they recognize the Subways and A&Ws everywhere. These are the only 2 food chains in town. Oh, and I guess Brie has started to recognize Tim Horton's, because really....who doesn't frequent that place?!?
Maybe after this week, Brie can add a #5 to the list. Going to the lake.
Anyways, have a great week everyone! I won't be posting until next weekend since we are going to Madge Lake. We're sure hoping the possible rain forecast for tomorrow holds off until the tent and screen house are up. I really don't want to do it in the pouring rain again like last year!!!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Pixar Disappointments
We own every Pixar movie that is out there.
John and I were first able to appreciate Pixar when they made Toy Story.
It was humorous, and very captivating. We loved the characters, the unique storyline and obviously the fact that it was entirely computer animated.
Pixar then came out with A Bug's Life. Even though it's not one of our top favorites, it still was very well done and entertaining.
Now usually I cringe when a sequel to a popular movie comes out, because most of the time the sequel is highly inferior to the original. It reeks of greed and not quality.
However, when Toy Story 2 came out, it was just as good, if not better, than the first! From that movie, we were hooked on Pixar!
I still remember one evening I worked late at the bank years ago (before children). When my shift was over, John had surprised me with a date downtown. We grabbed a quick supper and headed over to the movie theater to watch Monsters Inc. We just knew that we would love it, and we were not disappointed.
Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars and Ratatouille have all since come out. I remember being hesitant to watch each of those, thinking to myself that all of Pixar's movies cannot be great. We own all of them. Even the short films DVD. They have never disappointed me.
Until now.
Pixar recently merged with Disney. Disney, it seems, would like to take away the amazing quality of Pixar's shows and replace with a merely substandard movie. Why is this? So they can continue to merchandise toys and games for kids and sell it by the millions.
Have you heard that there is going to be a Toy Story 3 in 2010?
And a Cars 2 in 2012?
I am starting to get disappointed now. Maybe they will surprise me, but I highly doubt it. It looks like Pixar is headed downhill shortly.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Campfireless Camping?
Last night I was watching the news and heard something awful.
Saskatchewan has currently banned the use of campfires within its provincial parks.
We leave on Sunday to go camping.
Camping! Without a campfire?!?
I guess this is due to extreme fire hazards, but still.....
How can we roast marshmallows and hotdogs?
How can we make our banana boats?
How can we cook our meals in the pie-irons?
This sucks!
Last year, we went camping and ended up needing to use the camp stove more than we had planned. It had rained a lot beforehand, and we actually had to put up the tent in the pouring rain while the girls watched a movie in the van. Fun times! The wood ended up being so wet that we had a very difficult time getting a fire going. Finally on the third day we were successful, but our trip ended up getting cut short.
Now this year we have lots of great meals planned. Actually I forgot about this site until I mentioned camping meals in an earlier post. Lots of great camping meals and lots of varieties for pie-irons and foil dinners too. We like to premake meals to freeze and then they serve to keep the other food cold until we are ready to eat it. So I have already made a chili that is in the freezer. Now I have some other prep foods to make; pizza pocket stuff, tuna wrap stuff (one of our faves with feta, celery, grape tomatoes and more!), omelette stuff, veggies for snacking, etc.
Since I never really did any camping as a child (aside from a few trips before I can remember) I am really enjoying it now! Several people have commented to me lately on how "brave" I am to go tenting with kids. I find it to be quite fun actually! I love the outdoors, I love the smell of the campfire (if we could actually have one), I love the hikes, I love the beach time, it's all fun! I have been packing for several days already, little bits at a time.
Actually I am a bit of a "list" junkie. I have a list of things to pack, a list of things to make/prep, a list of things to buy, things to borrow (which we did already), things to do around the house before we leave, etc. I would die without my lists! A friend and I recently were chatting about lists. She also needs her list, and after having a baby 3 weeks ago, she is finding it helps to keep her sane, even when everyone else thinks she is crazy. I am the same way. I need to feel prepared and organized. For most things I am a procrastinator and leave things until the last minute, but for camping? I am almost obsessed with getting everything done early.
What things are you obsessed about? What would make you go crazy?
ETA: The Saskatchewan Parks website has updated their info to say that all parks north of Highway 3 are included in the ban for now. If this stays the same, we can have our fire!! Hurray!!
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Feeling Refreshed
Well this morning I participated in the Compassion Canada fast for the Global Food Crisis.
It was a great time of reflection and prayer. I was amazed that I wasn't grumpy or starving throughout the morning! I guess God knows that this was for a great cause.
Here's a great website from Compassion International (USA) that gives a lot of wonderful information about the Global Food Crisis. My favorite links would be "Will I Eat Dinner Tonight?" and the "Hunger Fact Sheet".
I think we as Canadians really need to step up and recognize the crisis that millions (or billions) of people are starving to death. Their meager income ($2-3 a day) is not providing for them and their children.
We can easily sacrifice a few little things (ice-capps for me) and consider contributing to their relief. Did you know that sending $13 will feed a child for one month?
That is amazing. I can't even fathom eating only $13 worth of food in 30 days. Can you? Even with all the KD and ichyban noodles, it would still cost more than $13!
You really can make a difference! Please think about it today. If you are ready to make a donation, you can do so here.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
She's In
We received notice yesterday that Brie will be attending the Pre-K program in the fall. While we are still quite disappointed that she won't get to Kindergarten, this is more exposure in a classroom setting for her, and it is taught by a teacher. So beginning in September, she will be busy 4 mornings a week. It is our best option at this point.
Brie's reading just keeps getting better and better. Good thing for cheap Scholastic books! I have purchased a lot of beginning reader books for her and she is really starting to get into them. Some are level 2, which I think is a huge accomplishment for age 4!
With all of Brie's strengths, we are again running into "bladder issues" this summer. (Here I'm thinking that this is all going to be behind us since Ella has improved recently) Last year at this time we were at Madge Lake, enjoying what was supposed to be 5 fun-filled days of camping. Well on day 3 at 7:30 at night, Brie was relaxing in the tent with a movie. She ended up peeing on John's my down sleeping bag. She had been fully potty trained for at least a year at this point. We ended up having to pack up everything that night and drive home. I was not very happy that night.
Well 2 days ago, Brie peed on the couch. Not just a little bit either. I'm sure you can guess just how happy I was about that! So once again I had to remove the cushion cover and throw it in the wash.
Our couch is looking fairly worn after all those washes. A few months ago I made a comment that I was disappointed because it was still fairly new, but John looks at me and said that it's 9 years old already. Really? Has it been that long? Wow.
So anyways, back to the bladder issues. We leave in 10 days for another camping trip to Madge. I will be the bathroom nazi, but it's all worth it if we don't have to cut our holiday short. It's short enough as it is already.
I have lots of lists to make, stuff to buy, and meals to prepare before we go.
What are your favorite camping meals? I would love to get some other ideas, aside from hotdogs and chili. Please share.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
You Can't Run On Empty
This picture is on the front.
Too often we forget that these kids are real.
They don't have enough food to eat.
The food that they do have is not always very nutritious.
They lack so many basic necessities that we so easily have within our reach.
On Sunday June 29, consider setting aside some time for the Global Day of Prayer and Fasting.
I'm not typically a fasting kind of person, but what does it really matter if I skip a meal? Sure I will be hungry, but am I going to starve? Of course not.
Will I be irritable? Perhaps.
Will it be hard to do with kids around? Definitely.
But this afternoon I've been thinking about those moms in struggling countries. It's not like they can avoid those grumpy moments or pick a snack off the shelf whenever they want like I can.
So I'm thinking why not make a small sacrifice? I can skip one meal on Sunday and set aside some time to pray for the Global Food Crisis.
Why don't you think about doing it too? Or, if you would rather donate some funds, you can do so here.
The Big Breakthrough
2 days ago, Ella finally made the big breakthrough in her potty training. Since then, and since her reward of Reese Peanut Butter cups, she is very excited to go so she can be rewarded again.
Last night she announced "I"m not scary anymore!"
What she actually means is that she's not scared of losing her insides to the potty anymore.
We are all so very proud of this breakthrough, especially after her near-constipation last week on our holidays.
So for now we will continue to reward her in peanut butter cups, or whatever else will help to keep her motivated. I am ALL about the motivation!!
One of my favorite things about Ella is her creative uses for words. For example, a "wolfy" is a dog. The new one is "Meowy" for cat. This just totally suits her wild personality!
Ella is still learning her colors, but has come a long way in the last couple of months. Most of the time her favorite color changes daily, but it seems more often her favorite color is black.
Maybe I just think that it's often, but really? Black? Am I going to have a goth 2-year-old on my hands? Seriously? Yikes.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Apples N' Oranges
Ever since we moved to a small town, I really see the value in supporting smaller businesses.
I have always been a fan of supporting the "little guy" rather than the big box stores who really wouldn't notice my sale or not anyways, but now I just see this in action more often here.
Apples N'Oranges is a Canadian company that is offering a contest that is ONLY open to Canadians right now. Since most blogging contests seem to be for the US this is a big deal!
Why do I like to shop Canadian?
- Because Canadian is local.
- Because Canadian is supporting our economy, not someone else's.
- Because Canadians make the most unique stuff.
- Because shipping is cheaper and I avoid customs.
- Because I am Canadian!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Express Holiday # 1
Last night we arrived at home after our rushed 5 day trip to Alberta!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
You Know You're a Small-Town Hick When...
...The annual Carnival parade consists of mostly tractors.
...The parade through town lasts for only 30 minutes.
...The people driving the "floats/tractors" are waving to everyone because they know everyone by name.
...Your kids recognize lots of people based on their occupations..."mom, that's the lady from the Co-op".
And lastly.....
...You go the the "World Famous Chicken Chariot Races" and are highly amused by the squawking roosters and their attempts to flee their homemade chariots.
Friday, June 13, 2008
I Quit
Today I don't feel like being a mother anymore.
My friend Amanda is going on strike today and I am joining her.
I am sick of dealing with my children who purposely look for trouble while I am trying to accomplish something in the house.
I am sick of the aftermath of the trouble.
The yelling, the spanks, the cleanup, the tears and the half-hearted "I'm sorry"s.
It doesn't seem to matter what I say or how I punish them.
The next day the girls are at it again.
I am frustrated and angry.
I'm angry at the girls for not obeying.
I'm angry at myself for not getting through to them.
I'm a little angry at John because this stuff always happens when he is napping (shift work) or at work.
It doesn't have to make sense, but this is how I feel.
Today I would like to quit.
But I have more loads of laundry to do.
I have to clean the floors.
I have to clean the bathrooms.
Does this thankless job ever end?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
New Playground Stuff
Last year the Kinsmen donated a new preschool-sized addition to the park by our house.
We have been anxiously waiting for the day when they would actually set it up.
Last month they dug the hole.
A couple of weeks ago they set it up, but still had it barricaded with a fence surrounding it as the hole wasn't filled yet.
Yesterday the park was ready!!
Instead of sand, there are small pieces of rubber. It's very squishy and soft and will take a little getting used to walking in.
Everyone has been there to check it out. I would say about 8 preteen guys were there yesterday checking it all out, including the monkey bars that are WAY too low for them.
I guess this is what you get in a small town where there isn't much to do!!
Anyways, here's some pictures of our trips last night and this morning.
Did you like them?!?
Apparently blogger is having picture "issues" today. I'll try again later.
Agh!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Cooking Ideas
I am so tired of cooking the same recipes over and over and over and over.
I am so tired of coming up with creative ideas for lunches and suppers every day.
I wish someone else would do it all for me somedays.
Since that probably isn't going to happen, I would at least settle for some new ideas.
5 Minutes For Mom is giving away 5 copies of Rachel Ray's cookbook "Yum-O: The Family Cookbook".
These look like healthy affordable options, and there are great ideas to get the girls involved too.
Maybe I don't want Ella cracking eggs all over the floor, but she loves to help so this would be a fun way to test it out.
5 Minutes For Mom is hosting other giveaways until June 18th if you want to check it out.
Prizes and Packing
I thought I would share a couple picks of some of my blogging wins. I find that blogging contests are MUCH easier to win than any other contests out there. You should give it a try too!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
KitchenAid Mixer Giveaway
My Wooden Spoon is hosting a bunch of giveaways every week until July 31. The best part is these giveaways are open to Canadians!!
One of the best giveaways, or maybe THE BEST giveaway, is for a KitchenAid mixer. Entries are open until June 17 for the mixer. Check it out!!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Spring Pictures
I haven't done a lot of posts lately.
Mainly because we have been spending a LOT of time outside.
I just love being outside when the weather is warm!
All of our activities like preschool and Music Pups are now done for the year so it gives us much more time to play outdoors.
This is Brie (front row, holding the "B"). The entire class read out "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" which was their favorite. The poor little guy holding "C" freaked out when the kids yelled out "Boom Boom!!" I guess it was a little too loud for him, especially this is 3 classes put together for grad night.
The garden is coming up nicely; some potatoes, corn, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers and green peppers. I am also trying some sunflowers this year, to see if the birds enjoy feasting on it or not.
A lot of the flowers I buy are centered around bringing more wildlife to our yard. I bought more butterfly and hummingbird favorites, and even a second hummingbird feeder. Hopefully we get lots of activity this year.
Of course with all the flowers, there are lots of bees and wasps. I try my best to tolerate/ignore them altogether. Not an easy task, since my initial instinct is always to freeze and then run away quickly at the first sound of a buzz.
We are thinking of killing our entire front lawn with Roundup this fall since it is one of the ugliest lawns around. Actually it's not, but there is no real grass in the lawn, only dandylions and quack grass by the millions. Unfortunately that is not much of an exageration.
The girls got their big hair cuts a couple of weeks ago. It is so great to not have to wrestle them down for 10 minutes while trying to brush their hair. They would literally scream bloody murder and try their hardest to get away. This was never a fun job! Fortunately now that their hair is short, it doesn't tangle so easily and is much more pleasant to brush out. YAY!
This is the "before" picture. Why is it that one kids' eyes are always closed?!? Very frustrating!
Here is the "after" picture.
The girls are "cooking themselves" in their kitchen. Don't ask!
Here's Ella with one of her favorite foods: soup. She actually does a really cute happy dance when she gets a favorite food. I could never properly explain the happy dance but we absolutely love it when she does it!!
So there is a few pictures that are long overdue! Have a wonderful day everyone.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Winnings!
Today I found out that I won a $80 gift basket from Tourism Saskatchewan.
Each month 5 winners are chosen and their names will get put into the grand prize draw for a Saskatchewan vacation worth up to $6000.
I could do lots with a $6000 vacation. Now we would just need John to get some REAL vacation days. Agh. The joys of only having 3 members right now.
Anyways, there are still 5 months to enter. You have to be a Sask Secrets subscriber (newsletter), but they only send out 1 email a month. Not annoying like some subscriptions can be.
If you want to try and win too, click here. Good luck! The grand prize draw is the end of October.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Transfers
Yesterday John had his annual meeting with the staffing rep for his detachment. Usually the meetings are short; 15 minutes of "How can we help you achieve your career goals?" etc. and then he's done until the next year.
However the meeting yesterday was about an hour and a half! 1 1/2 hours!
It sounds like the RCMP is trying to get away from the standard 5-year posts, so it is possible that we could be moving sooner than 2 years from now.
Firstly, my mind has a hard time adjusting to these new rules.
Secondly, I don't think I'm ready to leave Wynyard yet.
Thirdly, what is going to happen to these friendships I have formed here?
Fourthly, what are we going to do about preschool/Kindergarten if we get transferred mid-year?
I have lots of other questions but those are a few of my thoughts.
John is supposed to come up with a short wish list of places we would like to go next. Since we won't go very north, it looks like they would most likely put us in a larger center like Battleford or Lloydminster. The reason for this is that they wouldn't want to put John in another comparable detachment as Wynyard. They want him to have various experiences throughout his career.
So to help us decide what to put on the wishlist we were looking at housing prices in various cities throughout the province, and I have to say that it all sucks!
Right now we have a beautiful 1600+ square foot home with a great sized yard. If we were to buy this in any city, we would be spending about 3 times the price that we paid for it!
Unfortunately, when we go to sell this place, we may profit a small amount, but certainly nothing that would be very helpful in buying an expensive house elsewhere!
If we look for cheaper houses, either they will need thousands of dollars in renos, or they are in a questionable neighbourhood. Yikes.
My plan has always been to return to work part-time once Ella is in school. It's a little scary to know that we may rely on my small income to help pay the bills in a short while.
We had hoped that we would never have to increase the amortization on our mortgage and pay it off quickly. Hmm...looks like that isn't going to happen.
I know, I know. I worry too much.
But this is a big deal!
It's not like we have any date of when a transfer could come through, but if a location that is on his list has an opening, then he could be contacted at any time.
So for now we continue to look at outrageous housing costs with horror.
Ah, if only we had known to keep our house in Saskatoon for just 6-12 months longer.
If only housing costs had gone up more than 5% (or something similarly pathetic) in Wynyard.
If only we were rich.
If only.....
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
My Sister's Giveaway
My sister Kerrie has a giveaway on her blog for a Bible Study book called "No Other Gods" by Kelly Minter.
On Kerrie's blog there is a link to Beth Moore's, who is choosing to study this book over the summer. It is an 8-week study and you can "meet up" with other women every other Tuesday to discuss online.
It sounds like a great book, and with Beth Moore leading the study, you can be sure that there will be some excellent insights and discussion to go with it.
Anyways, check out Kerrie's blog and leave her a comment to be entered for the giveaway!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
The Year Is Almost Over
Today our preschool executive met (hopefully for the second last time this year) for the third time in a week. We are all so worn out and ready to pass over the reins to someone else.
Emotions are running high.
Verbal attacks have taken place.
I was the recipient of the attacks this time.
We do not "appreciate" one member of our exec very much.
She is emotional and irrational a lot of the time.
It's not the first time she has lashed out at someone else on the exec, but it was the first time that it was directed at me.
She actually gave me the "Sorry, but...." speech today.
I just politely smiled and said that we are all stressed out.
Inside I had already said many nasty things to her in the last few days that I didn't have the anger anymore. Good thing because I could have torn a strip off of her on Thursday.
But we have successfully chosen a new teacher for the fall!
Next year will be better than this year.
I have decided to join the new Board of Directors but I WILL NOT be treasurer. If Brie doesn't end up attending the Wee Care preschool because she gets accepted into Pre-K, I won't take on a big role. I could be the church liaison for the preschool since we rent out the basement.
Next year will be better than this year.
I will just keep saying this....
Next year will be better!
I have a lot of recommendations for the upcoming Board. It is a new implementation in the preschool to hopefully avoid a lot of changes/problems that take place from year to year. It is comprised of preschool parents, a rep from the elementary school and a few parents that don't currently have preschool-aged children. I have been looking at some great resources for Board policies.
Our exec needs to meet with the new Board shortly to discuss the issues that came up this year, vote for new positions within the Board and be done.
Next year WILL be better!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Cinderella Story
For those of you who are familiar with Steven Curtis Chapman, his 5 year old daughter Maria just died last night. She was run over by a vehicle that her older brother was driving. He didn't see her in the yard.
What a terribly tragic story. Please remember this family in your prayers.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
It's Contagious
Have you ever noticed how contagious some things are?
Everyone gets sick at the same time.
Lots of people get pregnant around the same time. (Don't think it's me...not gonna happen!!)
I keep hearing about more people joining Twitter. I have no idea what Twitter is, but it seems to be "all the craze" lately.
And blogging....
Blogging is contagious!
When I first started blogging (way back on Multiply) it was very sporadic and uninteresting. I mainly posted pictures of the girls for family and friends who don't get to see them on a regular basis. Why did I consider blogging in the first place? Because other people did, and I enjoyed reading their news and looking at their pictures.
Then I started reading more blogs on a regular basis and decided to make the switch to Blogger. I hope that it is a little more interesting, and while I am still feeling out my particular "style" I am really enjoying the fun of blogging.
Since I have already won several contests through other blogs, I have managed to get both of my sisters hooked up with their own blogs. Ha ha suckers!! I think their main purpose is for entering contests, but we'll see in time. Check them out.
Seriously though, Roxanne has already won a blog contest, and since she has the golden touch when it comes to entering contests (how many trips have you won?!?) I'm sure she will be winning many more. Kerrie has also won several contests in the past.
On second thought, maybe I shouldn't have gotten them involved with this. I am going to seriously threaten my chances of winning anything ever again!
Actually I just found out today that I won the books in the Smart Chicks mystery series. 3 books that I can read out on the deck. Excellent! I just love reading outside.
I just realized today that I still have some money sitting in an old account from over 3 years ago that I have never remembered to close. So, I think this weekend I am going to splurge a little and buy myself the patio swing from Costco. I have tried it out at a friend's and it is sooooo wonderful. It is like sitting in a little piece of heaven! Wonderful swinging goodness it is.
So hopefully Costco actually has some left. And hopefully it will fit in the van. I am really looking forward to it. Just ask John. I haven't stopped talking about the swing for about 2 weeks now. He must be getting really tired of listening to me.
Actually I thought that on our first date, when I did the majority of the talking.
But he's a good sport. He actually enjoys listening.
Most of the time.
Unless he is listening to his Ipod.
...Or reading a book.
...Or trying to sleep.
...You get the idea.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Compassion Bloggers
Some of you may know that Compassion US sent 15 bloggers to Uganda this February. They each shared their amazing experiences through their blogs. I learned so much, particularly that I need to be more involved with our own child, Ashly.
Ashly is 4 years old, like Brianna, and she lives in the Dominican Republic. One of the reasons that I chose a child from the DR is that it may be possible to visit with her someday if we ever travel there.
Right now, Compassion is sending another group of bloggers to the DR in November. I have no idea if they are accepting anyone from outside of the US, as I would absolutely love to go, but regardless of who they send, many great stories will be shared. As a result, many more children will be sponsored. How cool is that?
I just added another Compassion banner on the right side of my blog. You can click on it to get more info about Compassion Bloggers.
Summer Planning
This weekend has been a fairly eventful weekend.
Friday night was the Unload worship service.
Saturday morning I drove 30 minutes to another town's greenhouse. I went to this place last year and preferred it to Wynyard's selection and prices. I came home loaded with annuals and a few veggies. I have already planted my planter pot in the front yard, 3 planter boxes and 2 hanging baskets in the backyard. I still have more annuals to plant. I love flowers!
Unfortunately all the seeds I planted indoors have died, except for about 3 green pepper plants which are just starting to grow. Very sad. Last year I put them in the greenhouse too early and the plants weren't very big when it was time to plant them. This year I killed them all. Ugh. At least I tried.
Saturday night was an executive meeting for the preschool. It was a great time of food and visiting, as well as the year end discussions. We all brought our kids and they had a great time too. We are getting so excited that the year is almost finished!! I can't wait to hand over the treasurer books to someone else. I will breathe a big sigh of relief when that is done.
Sunday was church. Nothing too interesting there, but it was nice to have John there again. He should be able to come 2 out of 3 Sundays now with his new schedule, unless his Saturday nights go too long and he's exhausted.
Today we went for a little walk in the light mist this morning. Brie is finally getting excited about riding her bike and now we have to lightly jog to keep up with her.
Speaking of jogging, I have finally gotten back on the treadmill. I have jogged 3 times this past week. My motivation for jogging is to not look hideous in a bathing suit this summer to become more healthy and be a positive role model for my girls.
I don't have a large goal in mind. I would like to lose about 15 pounds and firm up all of that awful jiggly stuff. A friend of mine recently recommended something called "bio oil" to help eliminate those ugly stretch marks. While I am sceptical of any "miracle cure", she says that hers were fading after only a few days. So I plan on looking for this stuff at Walmart next weekend.
When I'm on the treadmill I get so focused on wanting to get off. I've tried praying but I get distracted. I've tried listening to music, but I try to sing(which doesn't work while jogging) or else I get distracted. Last year when we bought our portable DVD player I also bought the entire collection of Friends. This is perfect to watch a sitcom while trying to jog. It keeps me entertained and one episode is just the right amount of time for me. Right now I'm taking a break from Friends on the treadmill because John and I have been watching it together in the evenings. Instead, I have borrowed "The Office" am have just started Season 2. Very enjoyable.
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This morning John and I were online looking at hotels for our little family vacation next month. As he won't get any real vacation time this summer with the shortage of staff, we plan on taking a few smaller stints. So next month we are going to stay with my sister Kerrie and her family for a few nights. Take in the galaxyland toddler time with the girls and who knows what else. Then we are driving early one morning to Calgary where we will have a fun day at the zoo. We are then going to waterslide it and crash before we get up early and drive home the next morning. It will be rushed but hopefully it will be lots of fun, and full of memories.
Next we have to plan a couple camping trips! I love summer!!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Not Much to Say
Sorry for the lack of posts this week (who hasn't heard that one before?) but there just hasn't been much that is "blog worthy".
Last night was Wynyard's second inter-denominational worship service. It is named "Unload", which sounds very contemporary and non-threatening. Although I was disappointed with the lack of people there, it was still very refreshing and encouraging. Plus, it was nice to help lead singing again. By that, I mean singing that isn't a song that is 30-150 years old. Current songs that may or may not be on some CDs at home.
I actually got teary-eyed at one point because I was watching Brie. She was sitting close to the front and trying to sing along while reading the words on the screen! She is only 4 and she is such a great reader already!!
Yesterday was actually a discouraging day. We finally heard back from the Director of the School Board. All we got was another "No". She can't go into K this fall because her birthday is 2 days late. No exceptions. It doesn't matter if she is a bonifide genius, there are no exceptions. However, we are welcome to make an appointment with the director but the answer will still be "no. Nice.
I'm trying hard not to be bitter, but I really wish that someone would take us seriously and look at all of Brie's skills (most of which are learned in K anyways) and make a decision based on her abilities, not her birth date.
Aside from appealing to higher authorities, there is not much else we can do. There was just an announcement a couple of weeks ago about the elementary school being approved for a "pre-K" program. Mostly it is designed for at-risk, low income families, which really doesn't apply to us. However because some of these children would be considered "special needs", they also want to have some role-model children. This pre-K will be run 4 mornings a week (as opposed to the regular 2 morning preschool) and is taught by someone with a Bachelors of Education, not just a ECE/ECD diploma. A friend of mine will most likely be teaching it in 2009 but she thinks we should consider this for Brie. It is an application process (to determine who is most needy and because the program can only hold so many children) so it's not even a sure thing that she would get in.
So it's not preschool (per say) but it's also not Kindergarten. Agh! I just don't know what to do.
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On a completely different note...
Ella has been such a cutie lately. She just coined my new favorite term "cheek munchkin". Essentially it is a kiss on the cheek, but doesn't cheek munchkin sound so much sweeter? I just love having sweet kids!
With the nice warm weather we have finally been getting, we pulled out the sprinklers yesterday. The girls had a great time. John had fun squeezing the hose the then releasing it to try to squirt them both. Ahh...the squeals of delight could be heard from blocks away I'm sure!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
It's Here!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Backyardigans High Flying Adventures Giveaway
Props and Pans (which I have won from before) is giving away a new DVD of the Backyardigans. High Flying Adventures is sure to keep my girls entertained so that I can get some stuff done around the house. The girls love watching the Backyardigans. Ella even mimics the dance at the beginning while the song is playing. I think the favorite character between the two is probably Uniqua. She is a girl and she is different, so she appeals to both of my girls!
Anyone can enter with an email address, although an extra entry is given for blogging about it.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Cupcake Courier Giveaway # 5
As I mentioned in a previous post, Mommies United is giving away one Cupcake Courier a week for 12 weeks. My friend from college, Amanda, already has won one of these. They look fabulous.
This week is week 5 so there are still lots of chances to win.
Here is what you need to do this week to win your very own carrier...
Post your favorite cupcake recipe on your blog and tell your readers about the contest.
Don't forget to tell us about the toppings or frosting also. YUMMMMMY!
If you do not have a blog, then email us your recipe and copy at least two friends on the recipe with a quick blurb about our contest.
We will randomly select a winner next Friday evening. GOOD LUCK!
There is a really sweet cookbook that I have seen called "Hello Cupcakes" that I would like for more decorating ideas, but my very favorite creation of mine has to be this one.
I made these for Ella's 2nd birthday. Having 2 girls birthdays in the same week I wanted to give them each their own creations, yet I didn't want to spend 36 hours in the kitchen trying to decorate both at the same time. I found this on the Martha Stewart website and loved it. Ella's birthday is in January so snowmen seemed like a good idea.
To simplify life, I used a cake mix and made it with plain yogurt instead of yucky oil. Then I iced with white icing. Marshmallows make up the body, with the top one cut to make smaller than the bottom. I had fun looking at decorations for the head. Icing was used for the face. I found gummy hats and licorice pull-aparts for the scarves.
This was a big hit with kids and grownups alike. I will definitely make these again sometime. But not now, because I'm currently trying to forget winter ever existed!
I Thought Mother's Day Was Supposed To Be Relaxing
I woke up this morning with grand thoughts of having idealistic children all day today. Children who wouldn't fight or scream, children who would quietly sit still in church the entire time, children who would not cry or whine and children who would entertain themselves all day while I relaxed with a good book and a cup of tea.
Not even 5 minutes after getting out of bed I was already yelling at the girls to stop yelling. (Why is it that we think yelling at them will teach them to stop yelling?!?)
Ella sat still for all of 5 minutes at church.
The girls are both exhausted and miserable after being at a fun 3 1/2 hour birthday party yesterday. This has led to runny noses and coughs and multiple reasons for whining and crying.
Brie broke into tears in the foyer of the church because she was "thirsty". I'm not too sure why that required tears but there you have it.
Ella has peed on the floor multiple times today and I have lots of wet stinky laundry to do. Again.
A bumblebee made its way into my house. I bravely opened the door and waited for its exit.
Arg! I am exhausted. It sucks to spend Mother's Day with my husband at work and leaving me to deal with the crabby children by myself all day.
Here are some good things about today:
The carnation I got from church.
The beautiful picture Brie drew for me of us 3 girls.
The chocolates from my girls.
Ella was bouncing everywhere after I finally let her have 1 chocolate after supper. She certainly gets her love of chocolate from me!
The gift certificate from John for a massage in town. I will be booking an appointment very shortly!
The gift certificate from John for a pedicure at Spa Ahava.
I have never been for a pedicure and I am absolutely THRILLED!
It is a "Raspberry Chocolate Spa Pedicure". It sounds delicious.
Soak in a raspberry parfait foot soak, a raspberry chocolate exfoliation and finish with a very berry sundae massage. Sealed with a chocolate paraffin treatment.
I have a feeling I may want to eat chocolate after that is done. Too bad these ones I got today won't last.
I think after my day today I definitely deserve the massage and pedicure. I may have to plan a "Me" day in the city without children.
Oh yes, I will have to plan it soon! Pedicure, friends, relaxation....ahhhhh.
Friday, May 9, 2008
The Tuthillo
Momsviews has another giveaway for a Tuthillo (prounced tooth-illo).
I have no idea when Brie will start to lose her baby teeth, maybe not for another year or two, but I would like to be prepared for whenever it happens. It looks like a great way to hold her teeth until the "tooth fairy" aka me or John comes to collect them.
The contest runs from May 5th - May 16th and a winner will be announced on May 17th.
One of the Reasons I Love Being a Mom
Just before lunch today I went out for a few minutes.
When I returned, Brie said that she had a secret but couldn't tell me.
I didn't really think much of that, as she is often quite secretive.
Actually she is very secretive. Whenever she comes home from preschool or dance we ask her about her time there. Most of her responses are something like "I don't want to tell you about it".
Need I remind you that she is only 4 years old?
She shouldn't be lacking in the communication area.
I think we are in trouble with her in the years to come.
Yikes.
Anyways, back to today...
So we all sit down to eat lunch.
Ella starts talking, like she always does. She is talking in a "whisper" voice for this entire conversation.
Ella: Mom, we're gonna have chocolate!
Me: We are?
Ella: Yes, it's for you!
Me: It is? (WOO HOO!)
Ella: Yes, but it's a secret
(John meanwhile is staring her down, willing her to stop talking)
Me: Oh. (Really, what else was I supposed to say at this point?)
Ella: So don't tell anyone.
What sweet kids I have. Brie knows to keep the secret, but she can't help herself to tell me that there is a secret. Ella, well....she just lets the whole cat out of the bag. It was quite adorable.
I guess I know that I'm getting chocolate for Mother's Day, but I'm okay with it. Part of the joy of kids is watching their joy as they tell someone a secret.
I hope all of you mothers out there can enjoy and appreciate those moments with your kids this weekend too. Happy Mother's Day!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Empty Spaces
