Sugar Doll

I was tagged in this award/ meme by Raelene and my friend over at Just Another Mom Blog. Here's what you're supposed to do:
1) Say 10 random things about yourself
2) Tag 10 random bloggy friends for this award

Here are 10 random things about me:

1) I always wished I had lived in the "pioneer days". Think long prairie dresses and horse drawn carriages. Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman style. I have no idea why I am so drawn to this time period, especially since even when camping I like elecricity and running water in the trailer. Life just seemed so much simpler then and families actually had relationships. Also, growing up, I loved watching Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman!

2) I am really comfortable with who I am. As a teenager, I just didn't feel like I fit in anywhere and then once I moved away to college, I began to slowly find my way in the world and find where I belonged. I've been questioned recently about my personality- why I'm so straightforward and honest, why I do what I do and how I do it. All I can say to those people is that I have found myself. I am blunt at times, I often say what's on my mind and I am an individual. I'm independent, I do things the way that work best for me. I'm neurotic and obsessive about some things and completely passe about others. I know the type of people I want to have in my life and the kind of friends I need. I'm not too bothered when people don't like me for who I am. This is me and if we don't "mesh well", then ok. That's life.

3) I'm looking into taking a Childbirth Educator course. This would enable me to teach prenatal classes as well as be a doula. Until I really got into the "birthing community", I didn't realize just how much I would love being involved in this aspect of people's lives. I think that just maybe I have found my calling.

4) I would love to be a great gardener but I'm not. I'm mediocre at best. And that's on a really good day.

5) I love, love, love to read. (ok, sidenote- I was just typing along, intending to write that I love, love, love to read and typed that I love, love, love to eat. HA! I guess my fingers know me best! LOL) Anyway, I do love to read. I have an entire bookcase overflowing with books in my bedroom to be read and I still regularly take out 2-3 books from the library every few weeks. Books are my addiction. I have to have them. I love to hold a book and smell it. It smells like paper and imagination. I love it. That being said, I am seriously thinking about getting a Kindle or a Kobo after seeing a friend's a few weeks ago. Originally I thought that it was stupid, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Would I be cheating on my books if I went to an electronic version? Would it be conflicting since I am on the library board in town and would then no longer need to sign out books from the library? I'm so torn.... If you have any opinions regarding the Kindle or Kobo, I'd love to hear them!

6) When I was a kid, I had these awesome, thick framed, big, baby pink glasses. I picked them out myself. Why my parents let me do that, I don't know. Perhaps I was being punished for something.

7) I used to hate exercise and now I am addicted to the endorphin rush I get when I work out and get sweaty and out of breath. Weird. I never thought I'd say that. I'm actually planning to sign up for a 5K run that is being held in town here in October.

8) I am absolutely, utterly petrified of tornadoes. Because of this fear, I am also terrified of summer storms. I can almost always convince myself that any cloud is the beginnings of a funnel cloud. I will literally make myself sick to my stomach with worry and will constantly look out the windows and check Environment Canada's weather radar. (I was taught how to read radar in a climatology class that I took in university. A little bit of knowledge can be dangerous!) I love summer but I'm also often anxious come late afternoon/ early evening rain storms.

9) When I was in high school, I knew that I was going to marry my husband. Call me crazy but I just knew. I told him that, too when he broke up with me in 11th grade. He thought I was a lunatic. Who's laughing now??

10) I am fascinated with learning about and reading true life accounts of the lives of Hutterites, Polygamists and the Amish. Maybe because their worlds are just so different from mine. It reminds me that there are so many different types of people in this world. In a way, I think I respect their lifestyle choices more when I learn about the basis for their decisions. Not to say that I would agree with some of their choices (sister wives? Not a chance!) but it reminds me that there are others in this world with different opinions and beliefs than mine and I can respect that.


So, that's it. Those are my 10 random things. If I don't tag you and you want to share your random things with me, please do so in a comment! I'd love to get to know you more!

Consider yourself tagged:
Julianne at The Dream to Write
Jay at Ramblings of an Eccentric Mommy
Carri at One Day at a Time
Karyn at Musings From Me
Rimini at Our New Arrival
Jenn at My Crazy Life!
Amy at McGiven Family Chaos
Tasha at The Tompkins Family

Ok, I know I only tagged 8 but that's all I've got right now! :)

Spring in Alberta

A few days ago we were outside, enjoying the sunshine and gazing at the tulips and crocuses that were beginning to bloom.

This morning we were treated to another blast of winter.

Afterall, we do live in Alberta where snow is a possibility no matter what month it is!

Another milestone

Today my baby boy turned 2. He's not really my baby anymore, but more of a little boy. He walks and talks and runs and jumps. He's a ball of energy!

We had a great party today with great friends and family. Here are a few pics from the party:

The birthday boy!

Presents!


The cake made by his talented Auntie Sarah!
Delicious!

And the customary birthday photo:

Happy Birthday, big boy!

On a side note, I had Levi on a Friday evening and this past Friday, I was in that exact same room, helping to welcome another little boy to the world! I love, love, love my new job!!!!

This and That

I realize that I am really slacking when it comes to posting. I apologize. Everytime I plan to sit down and blog, something comes up. More often than not, I seem to be posting novel-sized posts and today is no exception. So, hang in there. Here goes:

• I'm pretty confident in saying that Luca is potty trained. He is not night trained yet, but that was the least of my concerns when I was cleaning poopy underwear on a daily baisis. He still has the occasional "oops" in his pull-up at bedtime, but nothing like it used to be.

• Last night I registered Luca for playschool. What a gong show that turned out to be! We were told by pretty much everyone that you needed to be there early as spaces were limited. Registration started at 7pm. Dee and I took lawn chairs and camped out there at 5. We were the first ones there, but apparently, that didn't matter because at 7 they opened the doors and it was a bloody stampede to get in, grab a form and race through filling it out to be up at the registration table as fast as you can. I was so irritated! The organizers didn't say a word about what the process was, what would happen after you paid your registration fee and handed over all of your child's information. To say that it was chaos is an understatement. I was really upset. It wasn't until afterwards that we were told that each registration form was assigned a number and that Dee and I did, in fact, get the first numbers and our info was inputted according to these numbers. Had we known this before, I would have taken more time to be a bit more careful and thorough in filling out the information. So frustrating!!! I was lucky enough to talk to one of the board members and found out that Luca and Adelynn did, in fact, get spots but typically you don't find this out until the end of May when a letter comes in the mail stating whether your child got in or not. And then there isn't any more information given until orientation in September. I feel a bit flustered and disorganized. I'm not really sure what to expect. I am trying to go into this with an open mind, but there are other factors that are causing my view on this playschool to be a bit colored. Crossfield could definitely use a second playschool to provide parents with some choice. But, that's an opinion piece for another time...

• Since taking my doula course, I have attended one birth, I have another any day now and one booked for each of June, July, August and possibly December! I will be charging a discounted fee beginning September 1.

• The birth that I attended recently was for a good friend of mine. I was delighted and so honoured to be there for her and her husband. It was amazing and just reiterrated to me that this was something that I wanted to pursue. Being present for such a beautiful and life changing moment for someone is an incredible privelege. I am anxiously awaiting my next birth, with my phone nearby, hoping for that call!

• Levi turns 2 on Sunday! Seriously, how the heck did that happen??? My baby is 2!? Wow! He is such a funny little guy. He has new words daily and his pronunciations make us laugh, but he sure does try! He makes the funniest faces and is his big brother's shadow. He is constantly trying to do whatever Luca is doing. It is adorable to watch. He's also a pretty experienced fighter; it seems to be his and Luca's favorite pasttime as of late.

• This year of MOPS is wrapping up next week and I'm definitley going to miss it over the summer. I have loved being a part of the steering team and am looking forward to possibly taking on a new role with MOPS in the fall. I am also so excited to be going to the international MOPS convention in Nashville, TN in August! My flight and convention fee are paid by MOPS, I am responsible for hotel and food. I am going with our MOPS coordinator, who I really enjoy spending time with. I am looking forward to getting to know her better and getting some ideas and inspiration on ways to run our MOPS group as well as some ideas on how to be the best mom I can be. As excited as I am, I am also a bit nervous. You see, I am quite afraid of flying and get motion sick. This is usually enough to give me some sleepless nights before a trip, but I usually have Chris there to squeeze my hand and tell me to breathe. This time, Chris won't be there. It is my first time travelling without Chris. I've already warned Jen that she might have to hold my hand during takeoff and landing! Haha

• I'm only subbing a few days a month at this point. Partly because there seems to be less work available and also because I am trying to direct more of my energy into my doula business. When I am on call for a birth, its hard to accept some work in a school at the same time in case I'm needed at a delivery.

• Last summer, Chris got a rollback to his salary due to the economy. Then in late fall, he found out that his company was taken over by another company. There was some uncertaintly as to whether he would still keep his company truck and whether there would be a change to his salary and benefits and job description. It seems like his job will be mostly the same as it was, he gets to keep his truck (although it is now covered in decals advertising for his company), and was given a generous increase in pay for his oncall time. the rollback in salary last year was the cause of a fair bit of stress and it is so nice to have that burden lifted from our shoulders.

• Even after doing bootcamp twice a week for a year, I was very dismayed at the end of March to discover that not only was I gaining weight (somewhat expected when you build muscle) but that by body fat percentage had actually INCREASED! Quite a blow to my ego. After some sulking and then some serious thought, I decided that I needed to do more to change my eating habits. Needing a bit of motivation, I decided to challenge a few of my friends to a 6 week weight loss challenge. The key words being "a few friends". When I put the suggestion on facebook, I was anticipating 3 or 4 people that might be interested. When it quickly grew to 30 people, I was shocked! The deal was that it was a $20 buy in and the winner took the pot based on % lost. As soon as it was apparent that the pot was going to be quite substantial, I revised the rules to be a 70/30 split for the winner and second place. The challenge started on Monday and runs for 6 weeks and there are 34 people in the challenge! Pretty much makes my chances of winning pretty slim, but who ever does win is going to get a nice stack of money! I'm on day 3 and am doing quite well (except for that little slip-up at McDonald's but I blame that on the kids!). Wish me luck!

• I am so, so, so excited that Spring is here! My tulips are poking their little green leaves out of the defrosted ground, my crocouses are blooming and the trees are budding! Grass is getting greener and all the boys want to do is play outside. We have had adventures up the hill behind the house, in the "forest" and the boys have found numerous 'treasures' in teh form of sticks and rocks. Hours have been logged in the sandbox, drawing with sidewalk chalk and riding bikes. The boys love their helmets and insist on wearing them whenever they play in the backyard!

• Luca is registered for Learn to Play baseball which will begin in May. Instead of T-ball where one child plays and the other stand around with their fingers up their noses, the kids are split into groups and they do little games to learn skills for baseball such as catching, throwing, hitting, etc. They get a t-shirt and a trophy as well as a team photo, and all for just $40! He's excited about playing. I'm excited to watch him learn something new. Should be lots of fun!

• At the end of March, Chris and I went to Canmore for 2 nights. Friends of ours have a timeshare and they got us a fantastic deal on a hotel so we went for some R&R just the 2 of us. We had such a fantastic time walking, talking, eating leisurely dinners, watching movies and all the other stuff you can do without kids around! ;) We came home refreshed and reminded of why we fell in love with eachother. I wish we could have little mini vacations every month!

• I'm realizing that this is really quite long, so I'm going to just stop there even though I'm sure I have much more that I could mention. I know I say this all the time, but I really am going to try to post more often!

A Lesson

Recently I have been encouraging my husband to get a hobby. I seem to be out all the time doing something or other, whether it be bootcamp, scrapbooking, visiting, attending meetings of organizations for which I am a member, etc.

So, anyway, I've been encouraging Chris to get out and do something for himself. He took this to mean that he should get a dirt bike.

By doing something for himself, I had in mind maybe joining a men's league sports team or something like that. He thought I meant get a dirt bike.

This weekend he will be like a kid again as he takes his new dirt bike for a spin.

This, my friends, is why you should never assume that what you say and what men hear are even remotely close to the same thing!

Its here!

It's not finished and I'm not 100% happy with it yet but I do have a website up for my Doula Business.

Check it out here

I've also created a blog page for Belly to Birth for updates and to keep you all posted on how the business is going.

You can click on my link on the sidebar or go to http://bellytobirthdaoulacare.blogspot.com/

So, what do you think? I know its not ideal but for now it will hopefully get my info out there.

We have a bathroom again!

I seem to have forgotten to post the pictures of the completed bathroom reno. Oops.

It would have been done last month but *someone* (not me) shattered the glass door of the shower when putting the handle on and it was a 2 week wait to get a new one.

So, without further ado, here are the bathoom pics:

Before:

AFTER:

Shower:

Tub and floor:

At some point the green counter top will be replaced with something that matches a little better but it just wasn't in the budget for this time.

I am so lucky to have a handy husband that did the majority of the work on his own. Is it absolutely perfect? No. But, its ours and it is beautiful and it is functional. So, thank you to my wonderful husband. Even though it took *way* longer than I thought it should have, you worked hard and did a beautiful job. I love you!

(To see more photos of the reno in progress, go to my November 2009 posts in the archives. There were numerous bathroom related posts from then on.)

Belly to Birth Doula Care

So, I've decided on a business name and have made some business cards.





I'm so excited about what the future has in store for me as I venture into this new realm.



I am still accepting clients Pro Bono as I am working towards certification. If you or someone you know in the Calgary or Red Deer area are expecting and interested in a doula, contact me for more information.

Why Doula?

The past 3 days were amazing for me. I spent them in a fairly intense workshop for doula training. Its something I have been interested in for a while and I was so excited that everything just lined up and worked out for me to take the course. Chris was able to take Friday off to stay home with the boys, financially the money was there for the fees, and I was in the right state of mind, really ready, to do it.

What the heck is a doula, you ask? I had a misconception on what exactly the role of a doula was before I took this course. A few friends had hired doulas so I knew a little bit from them but still had the notion that doulas and midwives were essentially the same thing and that if you hired a midwife or doula you were turning your back on what the medical community has to offer.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that this is not the case at all. The medical community is still very much a part of the team and epidurals, other pharmacological interventions and cesareans all have their place.

The role of a doula is to provide emotional, physical and informational support to the labouring woman and her partner. What this means is that I will be there to answer any questions the couple may have, to keep her focussed during labour and to assist her in different labouring positions and comfort measures such as counter pressure or massage.

And as much as I am there for the woman, I am also a support person for the dad as well. A lot of dads have questions about whether the pain is normal, procedures, and a lot have a hard time seeing their loved on in pain and aren't sure how best to help. As a doula, I can guide the dad in ways that will assist his partner.

Research has shown that women who have a support person with them through birth to keep them focussed have shorter labours, less problems and less drug intervention than those without support. Breast feeding tends to be more successful in a mom that has had a more relaxed and focussed labour and delivery. Mothers who have had a support person also report higher satisfaction with their birth experience than those that did not have a support person present.

This research is really very fascinating - the support person does not necessarily have to say or do anything. In some cases, the mom has reported that just having someone there was enough to reassure them.

What a doula doesn't do are any clinical procedures such as exams to determine the woman's labour progress, fetal heart monitoring, blood pressure, etc. Nurses and doctors and midwives are trained and licensed to do those things, I am not. I have no part in the actual delivery of the baby except to encourage mom and to keep her focussed.

Another important role of a doula is to photograph the process for the couple (however they want that done) as well as writing a birth story for the family as a keepsake. Oh, how I would have loved to have photos of the birth of my boys and the moments immediately after. I did write birth stories for my boys but as the woman in labour, you tend to forget some things or not even realize other things are happening. It would be interesting to read about the birth from another point of view.

So, where do I go from here?

I have taken the course and now to be certified by DONA International (Doulas of North America) I must attend at least 3 births (FREE if you are interested!) and submit summaries of those births as well as complete a required reading list and write an essay. Then I will be a certified doula with DONA and as such gives me more support and credibility in the field. I can still work as a trained doula in the meantime.

When I began the course I wasn't 100% sure that it was what I wanted to do, but there was only 1 way to find out. Now having taken the course I am completely sure that I want to assist women in labour and can't wait to get started!

I'm so excited about this new opportunity that I have chosen for my life! I could go on and on and on about the incredible amount of information that I learned this weekend but I won't. If anyone is interested in more, I'd be more than happy to share with you!

My question for you -
What was your labour experience(s) like? What could have made it better (if anything)? What do you wish happened that didn't? What do you wish didn't happen?

I ask these to try to understand better what women percieve their birth experiences to be like.

He's done it!

Victory!!!!

Finally, Luca is potty trained!

This week has been amazing - not even 1 pair of poopy underwear!!! Woo hoo!!!

Thanks in part to Suzanne at The Potty Bootcamp . When she offered to send me her ebook, I was thrilled and so full of hope that there would be something new to try.

I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed upon receiving it because there was nothing new to us in there. BUT, reading about her methods made me realize that perhaps we weren't being forceful enough in following through with our attempts.

Before Christmas I had heard from a friend of a friend that they made their child stay in the bathroom until she pooped and that this was what worked for her. We did try it, without success. Thinking back, I now realize that we didn't wait long enough before letting him come out, thinking he just didn't have to go.

So, last Monday we decided to try this again as a last resort after having read about it in Suzanne's book. One thing that Suzanne suggested was to tell Luca that it was the doctor that said it was time to stop pooping in his pants and that he had to stay in the bathroom until he went on the toilet. At first I didn't think that this would make a difference, but then I thought about it and realized that if he didn't think it was us that was telling him to poop, he wouldn't have us to rebel against. And, that is pretty much the root of the problems we were facing with Luca- he wanted to do the opposite of what we wanted him to do.

So, after giving him the "doctor said so" speech and sending him to the bathroom, all we could do was wait. There was crying and wailing on Luca's part. We didn't engage him, just let him vent. Eventually he realized we weren't going to budge and after a loooooonnnnnggggg time, he finally sat on the toilet and pooped!

We're talking hours here. The kid ate a sandwich in the bathroom. Just remembering it gives me the willies. Ewwww. BUT, he was NOT coming out until he pooped and we meant business.

The next day it was going to be the same routine - eat breakfast, go into the bathroom until he went. I was delighted when after only half an hour he pooped!

And the best part? He was SO proud of HIMSELF!!!! He knew at this point that he could do it. That day continued with him going 3 more times (he's a mega pooper, many times a day). By the end of the day he was self initiating and just going on his own.

5 days later, I think it is safe to say that he is potty trained! He has been feeling the urge to go and heading to the bathroom himself. And all those times he had to clean himself up after pooping in his pants has made him a pretty experienced bum wiper too! I hardly have to help at all! At least that paid off....

Along with being freed from "poopy jail" he also got a big prize. A Leapster console and game had been sitting on our mantle for the last week, in plain sight, begging to be played with. Luca knew he had to poop to get it. He also knows that if he doesn't continue pooping on the toilet that the Leapster will go back up on the mantle. So far, no accidents.

I feel so much better now. My excitement and pride is just overflowing. I didn't realize how many feelings I had tied up in this debacle. Not just frustration at him but anger, disappointment and feelings of failure in my parenting. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I know that there will be accidents but knowing that it won't be a repeating event day after day is so exhilirating.

I know, exhilirating is a strong word - that's how happy I am about this!

Now its Levi's turn......

My Sister

Today is my sister's 24th Birthday.

She is the beautiful Bride in this photo of me and my sisters.

She is one of my best friends and I love her to pieces. Gorgeous inside and out, she has a compassion that exceeds most and determination that you don't want to get in the way of.

She is a great mother and one of the 2 best sisters I could ever ask for.

Happy Birthday Jessica!

She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child.

~Barbara Alpert

Killer in our midst

This morning at MOPS we had a speaker about Heart Health, being that it is February and is Heart Health Awareness month. Besides striking us all with fear, she really drove home the point that we need to take charge of our health and be advocates for our health care, prevention and treatment.

The woman that spoke suffered heart failure at the age of 38, while she was in the delivery room with her first child. She was lucky to be in the hospital and monitored and was able to be helped. She ended up having a quadruple bypass surgery, with 90% blockages in her main arteries.

She had no idea.

She had felt some symptoms but always brushed them off as something else, as we often do. Little did she know that she was harbouring a killer within her body.

1 in 4 women will develop heart disease.

More women will be diagnosed with heart disease than breast cancer.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women. Most don't know they have it until the day they die.

Heart disease is hereditary, passed on from the mother's side. This sent chills up my spine, as both of my maternal grandparents suffered from and ultimately passed away from heart disease.

Her story is really incredible, you can go to her foundation's website, The Kelly Heart Foundation to read more or to find out where you can help.


Here is another touching website of an infant that passed away suddenly only days into her life due to a heart defect that was unkown. It could have been tested for before she left the hospital but the test isn't mandatory. Read about their cause here:
Cora's story

I came across this article today about heart health in women.

The statistics are really alarming.

Please, schedule regular visits with your doctor and advocate for yourself to get the necessary testing, especially if there is any hereditary connection to heart disease or cancer.

WOW

I just read a post on another blog that has touched me so deeply that I had to share not only here but on Facebook and via email to everyone I know.

This is seriously one of the most amazing, well written, awe inspiring, tear jerking stories I have ever read. I have no idea who this family is - it was a link passed on to me by a friend and I am passing it on as well.

Sometimes I feel guilty about getting to read such intimate parts of the lives of strangers through the blogosphere, but I honestly believe that this is a story just begging to be shared.

Be prepared. You will cry. You will be moved. You will be cheering this family on as they embark on this journey.

Get ready for your life to be jolted a little bit.

Ready?

Go here to read about the beautiful and perfect Nella that is going to do big things.

Working Moms

Once again, I am not bothering to write my own post but am stealing from a good friend.

She has a great post about how tough it can be to be a working mom; having to figure out all the logistics of work, kids, drop offs and pick ups, maintaining a home, etc.

And then the issue of emergencies...

Yesterday Dee, my best friend and dayhome provider had to go into the doctor due to what turned out to be a tear in her cornea or something like that. Very painful and not good for vision!

Luckily I was subbing at the virtual school and there were no students in the building in the afternoon and was able to leave quickly to collect my kids from the various friends' houses that they had been farmed off to while Dee went to the optometrist.

Yesterday afternoon made me very thankful for friends that are willing to open their homes to extra kids at a moment's notice. But it also made me consider the struggles that we, as working moms have compared to dads.

It also reminded me that we are so fortunate to live in a small town where we are friends with enough people and comfortable with those people to call on them in times of need.

Without further ado, please head over to my dear friend Julianne's blog and read her article on working moms.

Holy Crap! Literally!

So, after my last post on our poop woes, I got this comment and am so excited about it!!!

"Hi...sorry for your frustration! I'm the author of a book entitled 'The Potty Boot Camp'. In my book (not $40, I promise you!...it's only $5.95) I have a chapter dedicated to this topic. I'd love to send you a complimentary copy of the eBook if you're interested to see if we might have even one 'new' idea you haven't tried. Let me know and I'll send it over! Contact me at suzanne@thepottybootcamp.com .

Good luck - and know you're not alone! This is a very common potty training problem. You might also want to check out my blog at http://thepottybootcamp.blogspot.com - just type 'poop' into the search box at the top left to find the poop articles :)

Warmly,
Suzanne Riffel"


I've since been to her blog and have spent a considerable amount of time reading through her questions and answers and actually have a glimmer of hope that she may have a method that will work!

I'll keep you all posted on how it goes!

Please, please, please let this be the one to work!!!!!

The Poop Chronicles

If you've been following me for a while, you know about the issues with poop and Luca that have plagued us for....

.....wait for it.......

....here it comes.....

.....nearly A YEAR!!!

Yup. He's been pee trained since March of 2009. The beginning of March.

The kid REFUSES to use the toilet to do his #2 business.

I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING!!!!

Countless hours on google, talking to friends, parents, grandparents, etc. Nothing has proven sucessful.

Seriously, I DARE YOU to come up with a strategy that I have not tried. Seriously. Try me. You name it, we've tried it.

I even paid one of those internet "potty train your child in 3 days" ebooks that charge like $40 that claim 100% success. Well, they have to change their success rate because it DID NOT work for us. And I did EXACTLY as it said to do.

About a week ago I had just had it. I was in tears most of the day, and the river of tears came more fiercely each time I had to clean crap out of underwear that day (that day's tally- 5). A friend offered to take Luca for a few days to see if the change of scenery (a different adult that he wasn't super comfortable with) would help things. And being with her 3 year old twins that have been potty trained for quite some time couldn't hurt, either.

Day 1 of "poopy bootcamp" as I dubbed it went like this:

-T and her kids and Luca chatted about things big kids do (zipping zippers - which Luca did not know how to do but came home knowing!, getting dressed, pooping on the toilet, etc).

-After an entire day there, no poop whatsoever. I knew as soon as we got home he'd let go.

-But, no, he held it all day and all night.

Day 2:

-I get a phone call from Luca to tell me he pooped on the toilet! Horray!!! I allowed myself to let that little glimmer of hope shine through.

-Luca got to go to the preschool with T to get her kids and got to have a tour of the school. He was pretty impressed ang thought it looked pretty neat. The teacher told him that he could come when he pooped on the toilet every day. He seemed to buy it and was pretty excited and told Daddy about it when he got home.

(Sidenote: that morning when I was taking him to T's I reminded him that the twins were at school for the morning and would be home at lunchtime. He asked if he could go to school with them and I said not until he pooped on the toilet every day. To this he replied "I'll just go to another school then.")

- Within 20 minutes of being home he informed me he had pooped. Sigh. We went to the bathroom, where I discovered that he wasn't quite finished (TMI, I know) and he asked me to help him sit on the toilet. I helped him and he finished his business and was so proud of himself. We had a little celebration and talked about how easy it was and how happy we all were.

Day 3:

For reasons I won't go into, Luca did not go to T's for the 3rd and final day of poop bootcamp.

He pooped in his pants 4 times today.

I am SO TIRED of cleaning up poopy underwear. I feel defeated. I don't know what else to do. I'm angry. I'm done.

So, if anyone has a suggestion that works that I haven't yet tried and it results in Luca being fully trained, I will award you a BIG prize. I don't know what it will be yet, but it will be BIG, I promise!

Some background:

-This is NOT a medical issue. Luca has sensation and control. A few examples:

• when bottomless, he will find a pull-up or underwear to put on to poop in requiring not only sensation but the ability to hold it until such a time as he is wearing something on his bum to poop into.
• He can and will hold it all day
• Once when I could see that he very badly had to go and it was coming, I took him to the toilet and made him sit there for an hour or more and he HELD IT IN (even though it was RIGHT THERE) until only moments after I had given up and let him put his underwear back on
• He will say that he knows how to poop on the toilet and that he just likes to poop in his pants

And now, a few rules:

• You MAY NOT say to me that he will one day just "get it". I've heard this a thousand times from well meaning people and it does nothing but frustrate me more. I've been doing this for almost a year, people! Surely you'd think that his one day of getting it would have come by now!
• You MAY NOT criticize my efforts or my son. I do that enough for all of us, thank you.
• I promise to try any suggestions that are new or innovative, but like I said, I've tried everything I can find.

Let the competition begin and potty train my child before he is fitted for a colostomy bag and trained to empty it himself!!!

FUN!

You may notice some aesthetic changes to my blog. I came across thecutestblogontheblock.com and wasted far too much time this afternoon checking out all the fun stuff I can get FOR FREE for my blog.
I have a feeling I will be changing my backgrounds as often as I change my clothes (ok, maybe not that often) because there were so many adorable backgrounds on that site.
So, if you're looking to change it up a bit, head over there and see what you might see. The nice thing is that it gives you directions on just what to do to change your blog.

Have fun!

Family Photos

You may remember this post about me winning a photo shoot. It took a while to actually nail down a date to get them done because Old Man Winter kept screwing with our plans but we were able to get our pictures done a few weeks ago.

I am super excited to pick up the disk tomorrow from Leanne and see the rest of the pics but for now, head over to her blog to get a sneak peek!

Q & A postponed

For you 4 that asked a question and are awaiting your answers, sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I have to postpone til tomorrow or maybe even Sunday. Its been a long, tiring week and I'm just not feeling it.

Sorry my 4 curious friends! :)

Should you have a burning question and want to get in on it, ask away!

Answers!

Last week I gave the opportunity for you to ask me anything and I would answer. So, here goes....

Raelene said...
I have 2 boys as well, and people always ask me if I want to try again, and see if I get a girl. Do you wish you had a girl? Do you want more kids?

More kids? HA! No, seriously, I always thought that I wanted 4 but now that I have 2, I know that this is what I can handle. Plus, we want to be able to give our kids things that having 4 wouldn't financially allow us to do as soon as we would like (ie: Disneyland). Its kinda weird. When you are done, you just know. And I know in every fibre of my being that I am done. When I see a brand new baby I don't get that longing in the pit of my stomach like I did before we had Levi. Now when I see a new baby I think "Oh, so sweet, so tiny. So glad its not mine!" LOL

I would have loved a girl, but we got boys and I love having boys too. Girl stuff is so pretty and cute and all, but hey, I don't have to deal with all the peaks and valleys of teenage hormonal craziness!

The Tompkins Family said...
What's your most hated household chore? And one you enjoy? (if there is one!)


I really, really, really hate to wash dishes by hand. We didn't have a dishwasher growing up (my parents live in the country and there wasn't enough water pressure from the well to run one properly) and so that was the main chore shared between me and my sisters. We fought. We argued. We manipulated to get out of doing dishes. I will do them now when I have to, but let me be honest, I put everything that I possibly can into the dishwasher!

I actually quite enjoy vacuuming. Don't know why, I just do. Maybe the fact that I can't hear the kids fighting when I'm vacuuming....;)

CanadianMama said...
Okay, I want to know how you met your hubby and how you and Dee came to be friends and how your husband's came to be best friends LOL. Seems to like a tv show or something :)
Ok, well.....
Chris and I went to high school together. We weren't what you would call High School Sweethearts though. We did "go out" for a short while when we were both in school but it didn't last long. He was a grade ahead of me so while he was away at his first year of post-secondary we remained friends and right at the end of my Grade 12 year we started dating again and the rest they say is history. We will have been together 11 years this May and married 8 this coming September.

Dee and I met on moving in day at Augustana University College in our first year there. We lived directly across the hall from eachother in residence. We were friends then but actually didn't become close until the following year and each year following we became closer and closer. Now we are like sisters. Dee was my Maid of Honor in my wedding.

Layne and Dee got married in July 2004, where I was one of her bridesmaids. Chris and Layne didn't really become friends (other than knowing eachother through their wives) until September 2005 when Layne came to work at the same company Chris did. Turns out that Chris was the one to train Layne so they spent many long days together driving and got to know eachother. It didn't take too long and they were friends independent of Dee and I.

We are so fortunate to have a relationship like we do -where all 4 of us are friends, not just the wives being friends and the husbands just getting along. A once in a lifetime friendship, that's for sure.

Also, do you think you will go back to teaching full-time when Levi is in school?


Teaching full time when Levi is older. Now that is the million dollar question. Honestly I don't know. All I ever wanted to do was teach, then I did and I don't know anymore. I guess my priorities changed when I became a mom and the additional work and pressure involved in teaching is just really hard to balance with having a young family. The more I sub, the more I realize that I do miss aspects of teaching full time (like developing relationships with the kids and seeing them grow and change over the year(s) ).
But, I did have a really challenging year the year I was pregnant with Levi and the memory of that has tainted my view of being a part of a school staff full time. Hopefully with time that will change.
So, the short answer is " I just don't know."

Writer Mom said...
How are your Tuesday and Friday assignations coming along? :)"
Ok, well, this might be TMI but let's just say that scheduling time with your significant other when you have small children is a must. It has definitely made a change in our relationship! And I'll leave it at that. ;)

I love this lady!

I went out for supper with some friends last night and we had some really good conversations about motherhood and womanhood and all the good and bad that falls between.

I was going to write about insecurities that we as women and mothers experience, but my friend beat me to the punch. And again, hers is waaayyyyy better than the way I was going to write it so once again I am going to just steal her thoughts.

Check out her post about our vulnerabilities here.

I may never need to write a blog post again now that she's a blogger and writes so well! :)

Mmmmmm, cookies!

Head on over to Picky Palate's blog to enter a great giveaway for a cookie cookbook!

Makes me want to go find some cookies! I'm sure I have some in my freezer...

5 Question Friday

Head over to Mama M's blog to participate.

1. What is better, growing old with out money or dying young and wealthy?

Obviously growing old without money. I'd much rather spend a long life with my family than to miss out on all the events of their lives by dying young with tons of money. This one's a no-brainer for me.

2. Who takes out the garbage at your house?

Usually me. Mostly because I am the one that remembers that it is garbage day. Chris is getting better at helping out in this area though.

3. Have you ever had the same dream many times?

Yes, when I was younger I often would dream that I was at my Grandma and Grandpa's house in Red Deer and the giant dog from The Neverending Story was chasing me. That's about all I remember but I was always scared when I woke up. Weird, I know.

4. Can you play a musical instrument?

I played flute in Jr. High and can still play a little bit. I've always wanted to learn to play piano. Now that I have my grandmother's in our living room, it calls to me to learn. Currently it is used for our boys to give concerts on.

5. If you owned your own store, what would you sell?

Easy question. My dream is to open a children's book store. I have many ideas floating around in my head to make it a unique store that kids would hopefully want to come to and parents too! Maybe someday I will see this as a reality.

Friday Night Leftovers

• Its been a long week. Emotionally and in terms of laundry. Luca and I are still battling the poop war. More to come on this saga soon - it definitely warrants its own post.
• I subbed in Kindergarden twice this week in the same class. Its a class I really enjoy, I have been there ofetn enough now that I know all the kids by name and the classroom routines. It kinda, almost, sorta, maybe a teensy weensy little bit made me get a small urge to one day return to teaching full time. But only a little bit. We'll see what the future holds.
• Levi has been biting. Luca never had this problem so I am new to the biting game. Suggestions anyone?
• Last weekend Loki caught her rear flank on somethign (we have NO IDEA what) and tore a gash in her side. After being grossed out whenever I looked at her, it is finally starting to scab over and heal. Now I can snuggle by dear dog again without feeling nauseous. Before you think that we did nothing about this gash but let it be, let me just say that we did treat it, but she continued licking it (even with a cone on- she was very determined and found away around it) so it took a little while to dry out enough to scab.
• I really, really, really hope that this will be the last post that I say that the bathroom is almost done. Scheduled for this weekend is the installation of the shower door and glass wall as well as the bathroom door. That's IT!
• Chris is heading North next week for a few days and I am scheduled to work all week at the high school in town. Plus bootcamp Tuesday and Thursday and stamping club on Wednesday. Its going to be busy! So if I don't post next week, you'll know why!
• For the first time in a long time, my house is very clean. I was so frustrated with the Luca/ Poop / disobedience saga yesterday that I put all that aggressive energy into scrubbing toilets and tubs. So, after a few hours and 4 toilets and 2 tubs, I felt a little better. And the house looked a little better too!
• Bootcamp kicked my butt, quite literally, yesterday. My shoulders and glutes are so sore today. I almost had to teach kindergarden with bed head because my arms DID NOT want to reach up to the top of my head. But, for fear of scaring the 5 year olds, I managed to pull my hair back into a ponytail.
• This weekend I have a surprise in store for Chris. Well, the beginnings of a Valentine's surprise, anyway. Stay tuned for details! Also a ladies night out with a few friends Sarturday night and hopefully my parents are coming on Sunday. My dad is on his week off from work and we haven't seen him in a while. Its snowing a bit here now so hopefully the roads are ok by then.

If you want to take part in Friday Night Leftovers, head to Sippy Cups and add your name to Mr. McLinky!

Go Ahead, Ask Away!

Ok, friends! Here's your chance to ask me anything you want. I've seen this done on many other blogs and its kind of a fun way to get to know random things about the blogger.

I'll do my best to answer your questions as truthfully as possible. You will have until next Thursday to submit questions. Watch for my answers in next Firday's post!

Canadian Pride

I was going to write about the Olymipc Torch Relay going through town last night but my friend over at The Dream to Write said it better than I could have. So, I am just linking you there to read her account of the community spirit and Canadian pride demonstrated in our little town of 2500 last night.

While you are there, read through her previous posts (she's new to the blogging world so there aren't many yet). She is an amazingly talented writer and I have been honored to be selected to proof some of her work already. The latest, just today, made me cry. I'm hoping that she'll share it with you all soon. She has also completed a screenplay (so awesome! Another of my honors to proof for her!) that is hopefully going to meet the right eyes soon and with any luck sold and made into a movie!

So head over there and see for yourself the way she has with words and the down to earth, honest and often times hilarious writing!

Oh ya, and since this was supposed to be a post about the Olympics......GO CANADA GO!!!!

Getting to know you

Got this idea from MannLand5 and thought I'd take part. I think I might be a little late but I'm going to take part anyway. So, here it is:


Today's questions are..

1. Hair color..Au naturale..or not? I'm naturally blonde and am generally some shade of blonde but right now am brunette and am loving the change.

2. If somebody has food in their teeth or lipstick on their teeth do you tell them? Depends on how well I know them. If I know them well enough then yes, but if I hadrly know the person then probably not

3. Would you rather have a million dollars or your vision of the perfect body? The money for sure. Then I could buy my perfect body among other things. Haha

4. Favorite magazine?
It used to be celebrity gossip magazines but lately its been scrapbooking magazines.

5. Bra style..lacey or plain? Plain. More comfy that way

6. If you walked into Victoria's Secret..would you most likely come out with something sexy or comfy? Most likey comfy unless I was thinking about what Chris would like. ;)

7. Do you fake and bake? Nope and I'm a sunscreen girl in the summer too

8. What's your favorite body part on a man?" Arms. And butts. LOL

This week's question is:
How has motherhood taught you to let go?

There are definitely a few ways that I have let myself go since becoming a Mommy.

• I tend to stay in my pjs all day a lot more often than I did before kids. Not that I'm complaining, I love jammie days, but it just happens A LOT.
• Ponytails are almost the norm for me. I used to do my hair every day but who has the time?
• Makeup, optional.
• Showering, optional. Well, not really, I do love to shower, but often times it happens while the boys nap in the afternoon, after we've already gone out for the day. With me looking like I just rolled out of bed, threw on some sweatpants and put a ponytail in my hair. And well, that is most often the truth.
• Anyone else eat their kids' leftovers at McDonald's? Not so good for the figure....
• Intimacy with darling husband?.......only if there's time between cleaning up, doing laundry and sleeping. (I'm really working at trying to do better in this area!)

There are several ways to play along. Feel free to leave a comment with your answer, or you can post about this topic on your own blog, or head on over to Confessions and leave your website onto her McLinky.

Is this not the most handsome man ever?!?

I was just perusing some photos and came across this one of Chris and I at my sister's wedding in October. It is one of my absolute favorites of us.

I love this man more than I can say. Immensely just doesn't even being to describe it.

I love you, babe! XOXO

Budgeting for Dummies

I've been hearing a lot about the "jar method" of budgeting lately. Probably a combination of Gail Vaz-Oxlade's new book coming out right around Christmas time and some friends using this method.




So, I decided to check her method out. I'm still waiting for the book to arrive at our library and then I am first on the list for it. But I checked out her online interactive budgeting worksheets and I have to say,I think I'm converted to this method.



You enter in your monthly income and fixed payments. The site calculates what percentage you are paying in taxes and also tells what percentage you should be paying towards your housing costs, savings, debt repayment and life. AND, it tells you exactly how much money you should put in your weekly jars for things such as transportation, food, entertainment, etc.



We are very guilty of using our debit cards too often. A couple dollars here, $20 there, it all adds up and we end up wondering what we spent our money on. This way, we won't be able (should we have the will power. And by we, I mean me) to use our debit cards. We will need to take cash from the jar and what we have is what we can spend. Nothing more. I'll need to take my calculator grocery shopping and it will definitely make me think twice or even three times about whether I really need something before buying because I will be able to actually see the money in the jar dwindling.



The other aspect that I am really excited about is that Gail's worksheet makes you enter a savings amount and it goes into your budget. Her recommendation is 10% of your monthly earnings. This will hopefully force us to actually save that money so when something like a "forced bathroom reno" comes up, I won't be as stressed about the finances.



This new budgeting is only a small part of our financial makeover but in the end it will play a big part and I am actually excited about budgeting. How lame is that? But with this website, it is so easy, you can't say no!

Here are my Friday leftovers:

• I'm feeling better about some financial stuff that we've been talking over lately. I won't divulge the details, but I am less stressed and think we have made a good decision for our family.
• Luca and I are still wrapped up in the potty battle. For most of the week he has been bottomless. Its not really doing anything to encourage him to use the toilet but, meh, it means less underwear to clean. At least this way he at least holds it until he absolutely can't anymore. I'll let you use your imaginations as to where Wednesday's poop ended up....
• The bathroom is thisclose to being done. The tile is laid. The grouting is done. The painting is done. The sealing is done. The toilet is no longer a make-shift night stand for Chris. All that's left is to silicone the edges, reinstall the glass wall and door of the shower and voila! We have our bathroom back! Oh, and put the bathroom door back up. That would be good.
• Our furnace broke yesterday. Some little part that Chris has in his hot little hands and will be coming home shortly to fix. At least the weather isn't -30 anymore. Thank God I have a handy (and handsome!) husband to fix these things!
• I'm going on a date tonight with my very best gal. No kids. No husbands. Need I say more?
• Family pictures are being done tomorrow. Yay! We haven't had one since Levi was 6 weeks old, so we're due. I had won a giveaway from this lady a while back for this gal to do a photo session. Our prior plans were cancelled thanks to Old Man Winter in December but tomorrow's the day!
• I discovered this weekly post idea from this blog while I was creeping around. Love the idea. Love her blog.
  

How to enjoy the leftovers
1. Write out all the random thoughts swimming in your head that don't quite constitute a blog entry of their own.
2. Copy and paste the Leftovers photo onto your post.
3. Link back to Sippy Cups.
4. Enter your name and address into Mr. Linky. (Now, Mr. Linky has not been kind to me lately, so if he doesn't work, then screw him and leave your blog address in the comment section instead so that others can find you.)
5. Visit all the other leftovers and leave your love over the weekend.

Popping the Question

A few days ago I commented on this blog that I would write my own engagement story. I didn't get around to it. Til now.

So, here it is.

Christmas Eve 2001.

During the day I was working at the hospital 7am-3:30pm. Chris had come to Ponoka from Edmonton and we were planning to spend Christmas Eve with my immediate and extended family at my mom and dad's house and Christmas Day with his family at his parents' house, which happens to be about 7ish kilometers from mine.

Unbekownst to me, Chris had called my dad earlier that day to see if he was going to be around "to talk". My dad confirmed that he would be around and Chris went to my mom and dad's place earlier in the day, before I was home from work. After puttering around for a while, Chris and Dad went into town to get a few things and small talk ensued (or so I am told).

At about 3pm and only about a kilometer from mom and dad's house, Dad finally says, "so, you wanted to talk about something....", opening the proverbial door for Chris to jump right in.

Chris stammers out a "well, I bought a ring....." to which my Dad replies "I'm already married, but thanks". (You see, making jokes is how my family deals with awkward situations. Or any situations, for that matter.)

So finally Chris gets to the point and asks my dad if he would give his blessing for Chris to ask me to marry him. My parents, already expecting this to be what Chris wanted to talk about, were thrilled. You see, we hadn't (ok, I hadn't) really made it any secret that I was anxious to get married and start a family (something my brother in laws like to bug me about...Tom! Dan!). So, that part was out of the way and a bit of a relief for Chris, I think.

I'm an old fashioned kind of girl and Chris knew that this archaic tradition was important to me. And I love that it is part of "our" story.

So, we go through Christmas Eve celebrations with the family - dinner, gifts, The Christmas story, visiting, etc. My parents have this little "secret" with Chris. I am wondering why everyone is acting so weird.

Turns out, Chris had the ring in his pocket, just floating around in there with his change, and was just waiting for the right moment. Or a time when he wasn't crapping his pants he was so nervous. Not sure which one, really. Haha

The end of the night nears, Chris goes to start the infamous Bronco (the brunt of many jokes in our family, maybe one day I will write that story) to warm it up. We were both heading over to his parents' house to spend the night and have Christmas Day. (You see, when I moved out to go to college, I lost my bedroom, so there was no longer anywhere for me to sleep).

We said our goodbyes and headed out.

About half way between my parents house and his, Chris stopped at the side of the road, under the guise of something being wrong with the truck. If you know about this truck, you know that this was super believable to me and I was bordering on being pissed off.

The weird thing was, Chris went around the back of the truck and came to my door, opening it and asking for a hug. Me, irritated, was like, "What?".

After some convincing, I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out to find the love of my life on one knee in the snow, in the dark, at the side of a country road with the ring that we had picked out together months before.

I'd love to say that I remember everything he said to me, which I know was really sweet, but in reality I don't really remember any of the conversation. In my mind's eye, I can see the scene clear as day but can't remember any of the words except these:

Chris: "So, what do you say....."
Me: "Uh.....you didn't ask me anything."
Chris:. "Oh, Will you marry me?"
Me: "Of course!"

After some hugging and kissing, my now fiance, ruins the moment by saying this:

"You were crying the ugly cry"

Yup. Romantic.

And the rest they say is history, folks!



Here we are on our wedding day, September 7, 2002:

Us with my Dad's truck, 1956 F-100. His baby.

My wedding gift to Chris was a corvette as our wedding car for the day, borrowed from a friend of the family.

Calling all Book Lovers!!!

I got this little tidbit of info from my friend's blog. Apparently every once in a while Crown Publishing does a little thing called "Read It Forward". You can go to their site and request 3 FREE books. The 3 books up for grabs are not yet released and all look enticing. You just give them your address and they will be delivered to you! How cool is that?!?

Rumor is that the books are delivered to your door via UPS, so you don't even have to go to the post office to collect your parcel! Even better! haha

I've already been there and requested mine. So hurry, there are limited quantities!!!

2009 in the Rearview Mirror

Hard to believe that it is 2010. Where did 2009 go??
Here's 2009 at a glance for the Graham family:

• Levi turned one, conquered walking and is beginning to be quite a talker. As he gets older, the fights with his brother get more intense and less single sided. Watching him watch his brother and figure things out is so neat - you can almost see when he gets something figured! He's such a fun little guy and gives the sweetiest litte kisses. At the moment he is asking for a "nack". (snack) How cute is that? ;)
• Luca turned 3. Need I say more? We have struggled with his attitude and determination to be independent in all things BUT pooping on the potty. Well, actually, he is being independent in choosing not to but I really, really hope that 2010 brings an end to diapers for this family!! Luca is hilarious in his off the cuff statements and has a memory like a trap. Don't promise that kid something that you aren't willing to follow through on or that you might forget, because he won't let anyone forget!
• I returned to work part time. Subbing allows me to choose my days and to have some flexibilty that having a full time teaching position just doesn't. I can still be a stay at home mom the majority of the time but I can also be the "other me" a few days a week. Its a nice balance for us.
• We bought a newer, much larger trailer than we had before in May and got tons of use out of it this summer. We did many camping trips to the mountains, a trip into Montana, a trip to Drumheller in the rain and a few trips to Central Alberta. We love the space in the trailer and the great features that we didn't have before - like a bathroom with bathtub! And air conditioning...not that we could use it this past summer!
• I had surgery in September to remove my gall bladder. Turns out that wasn't the primary source of my pain, but its out nonetheless.
• In September we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary (10 years together). In love more today than we were the day we married!
• Also in September, we took a trip to Las Vegas with our best friends Dee and Layne. Our 4 days were filled with sightseeing, shows, shopping, good food and NO KIDS! We had a fantastic time!
• September also had us bidding farewell to Chris' beloved Nona. A very tough time for everyone. Its never easy to say goodbye.
• We attended a few weddings this year, but specifically of note was my little sister Jessica's wedding to Brock in Canmore. It was absolutely gorgeous and it was wonderful to see Jay and Brock so very happy.
• In response to the economy, Chris had to take a salary rollback and just before Christmas it was announced that his company is going to be rolled in with a larger company, effective today. These are supposed to be good changes, so we'll see what it brings.
• If you are a regular reader, you know about our mold issues in the ensuite bathroom. I won't say more now except that this weekend it should be grouted! Yay!
• I volunteered myself to be on the Steering Team for my MOPS group, which I have really enjoyed doing. It is nice to be behind the scenes on something that I enjoy so much and need as a mom.
• I also volunteered myself to be on the Crossfield Library Board. This is a completely new type of venture for me, but one that I am enjoying. I have come to really love our little town and I like being involved in one of the services it provides. That and the fact that I am a book lover and collector!
• In the Spring I joined a bootcamp class and found myself loving it. I even started running FOR FUN! I really didn't think people did that, but I found it to be quite relaxing. I'm too much of a wimp to run outdoors in our winters though, so that halted when the snow flew. I participated in bootcamp throughout the summer but had to take a break from it in the fall when I had surgery. I am set to return to class twice a week for 11 weeks starting on Tuesday. I can't wait! There's just something about the aches and pains of working out that feels so good!
• I am tutoring one little guy once a week and am enjoying the one on one interaction that this provides.
• I joined a stamping club that meets once a month as well as a calendar club that met once every 2 months. I took my first real venture into scrapbooking and loved it. I now have a lovely calendar to display throughout 2010 while I work on one for 2011!

Well, those are the main points that come to mind. Happy New Year everyone! May your 2010 be filled with joy, laughter, an abundance of love, health and good fortune!

Begging on her behalf!

Go here, become a follower and help my dear friend Tasha win a bet with her husband!

Cuz us wives always have to win! ;)

Go here!

I was directed to this blog by a friend a while ago and have been following it closely ever since.

This family has been through incredible hardships, but the way that they work together and rely on their faith and the strength of their friends and people that they only know through the blogging world is so amazing.

Be prepared to spend some time reading to play "catch up" with what this family has endured, but I promise you this:

You will cry, you will rejoice in their successes and you will be reminded to never take anything for granted.

If this family can make it through these struggles, I can make it through mine, which seem miniscule in comparison.

Mayhew family, you are never far from my thoughts and prayers.

Merry Christmas!

Lotsa stuff

*Bathroom Update:
We are sleeping in our own room again! yay! BUT, it is still under construction. Chris had to head up North for a week for work so everything was halted. He has worked hard since he got home to get the floor tiled, and now all the tiles are cut, but some have yet to be mortared and everything still needs to be grouted. We've been at this for over a month now and it seems like there is still so much left to do before we have our bathroom back! I've really missed my jet tub and so finally Chris cleaned the bathroom enough that I can use it. Nothing more relaxing than sitting in a tub surrounded by tools and construction paraphanelia!


*The boys attended 2 kids parties this Christmas and Levi still has not warmed up to Santa. He loves anything Santa that is not alive, but the moment there is a "real" Santa, he freaks out! Luca was a bit leary of Santa last year but this year he's been all over that big guy!



*Today is the 24th of December and I just finished my last Christmas gift last night. I work best under pressure! Haha
I made most of my gifts this year and it was quite time consuming but there is just something about home made gifts that makes my heart sing. Especially when I know that the person receiving it will be grateful to have something designed and made with them in mind.

*I've spent a lot of time baking this month as well. Too bad most of it has disappeared already! ;)


*Luca and his friend Olivia made "graham houses" (get it?!?!) one day. I think that they were both more interested in eating the candy than decorating the houses!


*I took these pictures out my kitchen window the other day. Perfect Christmas picture, don't you think?

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