Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Really??!!!

On December 11 I wanted to purchase a toy from the Rocking Horse in Owen Sound for Ever for Christmas, they had sold out, and I assumed that it would not be re- ordered so...

On December 12th I purchased it from Grand River Toys. The cut off date for shipping in Ontario was December 20th so I assumed it would be coming soon.

On December 21th I realised late in the evening that I had not received the item and logged into my account and found it had not yet shipped. Thus I called and left a message on the customer service line.

December 22nd by 10am I had not yet received a call up- dating me on the status of my order so I called again. The customer service reporsenitive assured me that their website was not up to date but the item should be arriving in the next day or two- in time for Christmas.

December 22nd 5:20 I race to get the phone and it was Grand river toys letting me know they have cancelled my order due to supply issues. I was speechless, I could not believe it. I asked the minamon wage employee what I should now do for my sons Christmas but he didn't have any ideas. I was very nice I know he wasn't responsible but really... three days before Christmas, REALLY!!!

December 22nd 5:30. Mad Internet search for the item that could be expressed shipped here.

December 22nd 5:40 Mad calling to all toy stores within a two hour drive for the item. Oh yah there is NONE.

December 22nd 5;45 Just by chance call back to the Rocking Horse and they have it. Ask them to hold it. Thank God

December 22nd 5:50 Call back just to make sure it is the exact one I want- oh and the first employee failed to mention they only hold for six hours with out a credit card number, give my credit card number. Now make some more calls to arrange for the item to be picked up so I don't have to drive to Owen Sound again.... I had just been there that day.

I am just really upset that the company took 10days to determine they could not fulfil my order.

People of Wal- Mart

Oh so hilarious, and oh so addictive, and oh how I hope I never show up in its pages.

Movies

So i do not watch movies very often so I watched one tonight it was Zoombieland and I LIKED IT.

Why I wish I was a lesbian

....... cause I like my back scratched, and Lukes nails are just to short, and men with long nails are just gross.

Thank You for the dress Kathie!!

Definitely the way to Maya's heart.. a pretty dress. She was wearing shoes in the picture honest. The pained expression is from the snow seeping in. New black shoes from the village today.

Christmas Gifts... SHhh don't tell everybody.

https://plancanada.ca/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=1299&nccsm=15&__nccscid=11

Lukes Donkey

More Birthday

So the birthday celebrations went really well. Do not want to post pictures of the actually parters as some parents are all secretive about their children on the web net. Sexual predators and all. I am being RESPECTFUL.

Activities included races with balloons, pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, pinatas, mummy toilet paper games, general playing, guess how many marbles in a jar, and eating .

The pinata was one Maya and I made in the summer but never got around to finishing, Despite Luke thinking it would be broken very quickly I did have to sabotage it so we would be there all day. Do not ask me what it is supposed to be.

The candy apples were made it 5min. Very simple. I had bought the supplies in September but never got around to making them with the kids. New apples though.

The bags were made from scraps and took approximately 10min each to make so do not look at the seams cause there isn't a proper hem in the bunch.

The ice cream cones were made with cake. We thought they would be a big hit..... not so much. In fact I think our kids and us were the only ones to finish them. Oh well.... Punch wasn't a big hit either. "Too Fuzzy"? I thought everybody loved punch?

Birthday Creativness!!

The first born had a birthday, much celebration. Adult party with both sets of grandparents and adopted aunt Andrea done, Kid party to follow.

To mark the occasion I sewed Maya this little outfit, baked the 6 cake, made reusable fabric streamers, and celebrated somebodies Else's creativity by buying Maya footy Jammie's. She says they are too hot. The photo was from when she was talking to you Kathie.

Babysitting

Luke and I are extremely blessed to have family who want to spend time with our children. It gives them the opportunity to create relationships with family and it gives us a break. This break is used quite often for work, or sporting, or very occasionally quality time between Luke and I. So in that way I am blessed and in other ways I am not so lucky.

In the day time you know how you might need a hour or so to run to the dentist, chiro, hair, or meetings where children might not be welcome so you just need somebody to watch the kids for that hour. Well I just don't have somebody to trade that hour with. You can only take so many times before you realise that other people do not ask you for a hour. So I wonder why people don't ask me to look after their kids? Is it:

- They know I am not a big fan of little kids.
- They see how I do natural consciences with our kids and do not trust us.
- They know that we have many non christian influences in our house and do not want their kids exposed to the sin.
- Maybe people just do not like us... OR what? Cause I really want to know cause I could use a hour here and there.

He is going to be embrassed when he is 16....

"..... Ever stop colouring your Penis!!"

For Sale

All of my Maternity Clothes!!!

Since I have been pregnant with Ever my Maternity clothes have been through three different pregnancy's, and these clothes keep on coming back to me. Even when I just say to keep them. So I am selling them in large , medium and small lots. Why such a variety of sizes???
Well every time I give the clothes away they come back missing a few items, yet I also gain a few mostly ugly items.

One word Description

... she wrote it, not us.

She also named her boots, bossy boots.

Meet the newest member of our family.....

Treadmill!!!

Poor fellow, doesn't have a name yet. Figure we should name him as we will spending alot of time riding the poor fellow. Hope we don't wear him out too soon.

Notice the set up as well. Tv on a platform, also want a mointer mounter with a wireless mouse and keyboard connected to the network so I can access my shows I download. The key board is more for when I ride Chester the bike which sits beside Mr. Treadmill.

What Ever is doing....

Apparentlly Ever is practicing his mountainer skills via climbing the toy cupbourd, and when taking a break from that he nurses the Ken doll. Which is the only Barbie product in this house. Anybody know where it came from???

An Angel and a Monkey

Bath Time

Actual conversation at bath time...

" Umm Maya, so why is your Vagina green"

Mumbled response

"So it is really not cool to colour your vagina with markers, no matter how fun it seems"

Niagrea Falls HALF

After a series of unfortunate events, there was to be no fall Marathon- as hoped for Anne...the crowd should shed a single tear for this deviating news BECAUSE as there was no fall marathon there is no Boston qualifying and thus there is no Boston running and thus, the saddest news of all... There will be NO 2010 Boston Jacket for Anne.

To console myself I set my sights on setting a new personal best in the half Marathon on the very fast Niagara falls course. What was I thinking!! That was 1:37:36:9 of Pain- with a capital P. In the end I did beat my time by 2:20:9. I was kinda hoping for a four minute improvement but I guess it wasn't the day. My legs just didn't feel strong. I did come across the line as 18th female so top 25 ain't bad. Gotta take a victory somewhere.

Pictured is the reason why I did as well as I did. A stranger named Petro from Victoria BC started running with me cause he liked my pace, and for the next 18km we matched each other step for step. He was an amazing encouragement, kept the pace though the aid stations, and quite frankly was the nicest person I have ever met, I feel bad I dropped him with 500metres to go, but I had it in me to go slightly faster. I think I am going to web stock him and write him a thank you letter.

On another note.... how do I get faster? I need a coach, so listen up company executives. Give a age grouper, working mother a chance- sponsor me. I want to go to warm weather camps and be all I can be I just need $$$$ Cause I'm sure I have it in me to be great- just need a hand getting there.

TWO teeth missing Now

... and the tooth fairy visited.. and Maya gave all her money away to the foster shild the sunday school supports, this would be considered generous but Maya still really does not get money.

Hiking

Vinyl Cafe

We are a CBC family, generally we listen it in the car, and download pod casts for the shows we miss. A favorite of the whole family is the Vinyl Cafe, thus went we mentioned to Maya that Stuart McLean was coming to the area she really wanted to go to the show.
Really fun show, Reed Jamison was the musical guest. Two new Dave and Morley stories were read, along with the older toaster story.
The highlight of the show- well at least for us, was when the youngest audience member was asked to come forward which was Maya! (except for a one year old which didn't count). So our incredibly timid, shy child left us and went down the steps and all the way up on the stage alone to claim her prize. Stuart had her up for a couple of minutes and asked her to guess an age for the oldest audience member and she was too shy to answer.
We asked her afterwards if she was scared, and the said "no, it was like when she was on the stage at church but there was a lot more people."
Stuart and John Sheard the piano player mentioned afterwards that they were very impressed with her.
All in a all we had a great time, both on our own, and vicariously through Maya.

If Ever is driving you nuts...

Not that we sit the kids down in front of the computer much at all, but here are two sure fire videos to make Ever quite happy:
1) Monkey Video. Makes him smile and laugh every time.

2) Daft Punk Alive 2007 videos. They makehim happy and/or put him to sleep. The is the one we were at and Ever was there, if only as an 8th-month fetus. Maybe that has something to do with it.

Maya will just watch music videos endlessly if we let her...

Jumping

Something the kids enjoy lately is jumping off of various things. So far nothing has been broken (either household items or bone)

One of those firsts.

Yesterday, while celebrating Thanksgiving at my parents, Maya was swinging a purse around with her mouth and it slipped and caught one of her loose teeth. Much wiggling of the now much looser tooth over the next hour (with lots of blood I might add) and she eventually pulled it out.
She it holding on to the tooth until she gets a "tooth necklace" or something the get at school. The tooth right beside the missing one is also quite loose so I imagine pretty soon it will be gone as well.
Interestingly, the first tooth she lost is also the first tooth she got.

What I have learned about myself...

While other people may have big emotional Revelations, I am just not that deep. So my big Revelations in physically related.
Sometimes I am irritable, and unhappy, I don't really realise that I am unhappy, and in a grump until it is over. The reasons...

...I am in pain. I am not consciously in pain, but it is a subtle ache.
....I am cold. Not so good is a drafty old home.

Sad Movie

Last week my friend Dave and I went to see the movie District 9 at the local theatre. It was thrusday night. We arrive about 5 minutes before the movie was going to start.

We were the only ones there.

So they didn't show it.

We were sad.

But we got free movie passes.

So that was happy

Body News

I had two specialist appointments made for myself by my family doctor within seven days.
Results:

Sports medicine- October 16th 2009

Allergist- April 1, 2010

So many things to say, so little of it complementary of of health care system and the state of health for our population in general.

Loneliness

I spend alot of time swimming, biking, and running. On any given day I am alone with these pursuits for at least a hour. For the most part I do enjoy the solitude, the lack of demands, and the sense of peace I obtain from working hard. But I do get lonely. I am a self professed master of small talk. I can make conversation with almost anybody about anything. Problem is I can never find anybody to do these things with.

To keep the loneliness at bay I do listen to music, but that does get old. So just this summer I have started listening to pod casts. I mostly listen to triathlon related ones, the occasional CBC one, and an in search of a good nursing related one.
One that I enjoyed more others was called Tri N Realty. One woman's journey to iron man Canada 2009. Now that the race is over she has stoped posting her pod casts and I feel surprisingly abandoned. I feel like my best bud has just left me high and dry.

So if anybody has any good pod casts to help me feel like I have friends let me know.

A

Finished Douglas Copelands newest; Generation A. Feel like I should like it, liked the concept but not with him writing it, it just goes nowhere. Not that I could do better, I'm just saying.
His stuff his starting to feel pointless, and repetitive, and I feel guilty. I should like him. It is that Canadian guilt.

TWO

The little man celebrated his second birthday yesterday. Rather mellow day. Outdoor plans were cancelled due to rain. Took him to the indoor playground at the corportaion that shall remain nameless- purchased our way in with a icecream sundae. Took him for pizza for lunch. He helped to make his cake. Had a long sleep, painted himself and Maya then had a bath, ate french fries for dinner, ate cake, opened presents, played with presents, thought about poohing on the potty- didn't, then sleep.

The person who is to be responsible for birthdays, and shall remain nameless, did nothing so Ever is even lucky he had a present to open as I wasn't even going to do that but happen to have seen little monkey and a train book and picked them up a while ago. My parents dropped off a present of monster trucks so they saved the present day. I mean he doesn't need anything but it is nice to have something.

Ever really liked his monkey cake- that's what he is pointing to.

All teeth

Milestone

Whiles I was cleaning the kitchen, Ever occupied himself upstairs tonight. Apparently is activities included climbing our dresser and getting into my Benadryl.
Thus, the first ever call to Poison control for Ever.

He is fine- just may sleep through the night tonight. When I told Luke of Evers activities he assumed it was intention on my part.

My Day

Random details from my day
- I went to the Keady Market and was stocking up on squash. The lady selling said that I must be making some huge fall display with all I was buying. I dead paned it said no I am going to eat them all, I eat alot of vegetables.

- With my prise money from a race I bought a pair of calf skins. I am uber running cool.

- I got bite by a wasp in the woods, a kilometres from anybody, on my neck. I am allergic.My previous reactions have been intense local swelling. No epi-pen, but I only have minor swelling yet.

Lakeside Sprint Triathlon

 


It is always great to do well, do the best you can and be rewarded by placing well or even winning in a race. I personally love that feeling when I really didn't think I was capable of doing so, when I feel like I reached deep down and put everything I had into a race, left it all at the finish line. Alternatively, when I feel like it is a given I am going to do well it is not as much fun. Sure I have to go out there and try, but somehow I feel like I do not belong. That is how I felt at the Orillia Try a tri. Thus I knew my days of tri a tris were over. Hence, for my last multi sport race of the season I did the sprint triathlon at Lakeside. This race is part of the HSBC series, which some people don't seem to like for some reason. I noticed that there seems to be slightly younger crowd. The race is smaller in size, and the food different. More fruits but less substances, I like the product samples at Subaru. . There were chicken dog which the race director kept on going on about being healthily... does he realise that these genetically engineered chickens most likely were raised in factory farm settings being fed corn? Anyways, I did like the more intimate setting, great site for families. Could have used more washrooms, but so could any race site.

Going into the race I wasn't expecting the best, coming off nights, had swam once since Orillia, and have been getting out for rides less then once a week. I have been running so I was counting on my strength in that sport to carry me through. I expected around 1:20time, and again hopeful I would not drown.

We got to the race site really early as I thought it would take us alot longer to get there, which ended up being really great. Good parking spot, good spot on the racks and room to spread out my transition. I hate being rushed. Was rather chilly in the morning- Maya was rather upset I asked her to wear pants. Didn't bring enough clothes so got into my wetsuit to warm up. They said the water was 66, which is a nice temperature for swimming actually with a wetsuit. Did a few strokes just to loosen up. Watched the first wave go off and lined up far in the back. Was chatting with a girl about how bad we swim and then the air horn went off- where did that come from? Got kicked around a few times, but settled into a easy rhythm. Swim went really well for me- mostly because when I went around the last buoy I was facing west/ the sun and could not see anything along with my foggy goggles so I just settled in and swam. Went off course and almost hit a boat. Couldn't believe when my hand hit ground. By that point I was tired and did stop swimming and walked ran up to the shore. Luke said he didn't believe it was me- top 1/3 of my wave. Yippee!! Total time 600metre swim- 12:55

Bike was OK- I must remember to make sure my bike computer is working BEFORE a race, because once I am actually racing I can't get it going. Grrr would have liked the speed feed back. Obviously as I have put little into the bike- was not expecting alot back. Was passed by older men who would have started in the wave behind me in the swim and two women who I think were in my age category- they were off like a shot so I really had no chance of catching them. Played leap frog with a guy, got stuck behind a truck until the guy and I just started waving our arms to indicate we wanted to pass. Problem was with was on a down hill and we could have gained sped there as opposed to hitting our brakes. I think the truck may have actually been ridding along a participant because it was not moving grrrrr. Will somebody please remind me to work on mt dismount.. cause mine sucks. Second transition was hard. My feet were still numb from the run up from the water, my wetsuit were on top of my socks- thus I ended up putting on wet socks- with shaking hands.. I wasn't to cold so I have no idea why my hand were shaking. My T2 time sucked, could have taken at least 30seconds off- if I had remembered where my spot was. I think I was excited about the run so got a little stupid. hahah

Run was wonderful, not passed by anybody- male or female. Had soo much fun, chatted with a few guys who were telling me to slow down! Heard a few moans from girls when I passed and saw my age on my calf- those must have been the ones who passed me on the bike. All through the run I could not get over just how many females there were ahead of me. I knew the duelathetes would be in the mix but I completely forgot about the 20-29s starting ahead of me. Even when I finish Luke said he saw alot of females ahead of me- I actually thought I had a great personal race but didn't think I would place.
But my run saved me again- second fastest female pushed me into 3/27 in the 30-35 female. 61/264 Overall. 12/117 Female. I think. Very pleased with day, even without a medal... cause i'm getting really sick of third.