Diet Cokin' it.

Daddy o did not get homey till around ten. By then I was finito. And of course Monty woke up and wanted to say hi! And I was like, talk to the hand. So Jay gets him up and out of his room and is holding him and he starts talking about his boo boo on his finger. And Jay says, show mommy which finger! And then my three year old, just to put the cherry smack dab in the middle of the whip cream of a rotten sundae of a night, sticks up his boo booed middle finger at me.

Nice.

It did make me laugh though. He has this huge smile while he is making his rude gesture that says, "Ain't I just the best kid you ever met?"
So I didn't watch any Kill Bill. I basically folded laundry and then went to bed.

And lo and behold Daddy just instant messaged me and said he will be late again. Ahhhhhhh it just gets better and better. And I was thinking I might like to have one more kid. Hm.

I don't know what to blog about besides complaining. Here is a list of my favourite movies.
Singin in the Rain
True Romance
GWTW
Annie (the one with Carol Burnett)
Shawshank Redemption
Hoosiers
Goodfellas
The Changeling
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Run Lola Run
Shine

That is only a partial list. Because everything in my life is partial. Because i cannot stay at any one task until it's completion. Because I have a Monty.

Bye.

Argaloo.

I do this thing every weekday about 530. I start looking at the clock and wondering when Jay will be home. I call him on his cell and cross my fingers that he will be on the road, on the way, done work, coming HOME.

And sometimes he is. But lots of times it ain't happening. Like today, for instance. The four to six thing is as usual, Monty keeps trying to go outside to play with Sam and the boys. Sam keeps coming in to get something or other but it is never what he wants so he blames me, somehow, for either not helping him find it when I am trying to make dinner or for just being a living breathing person in his way, who won't let him bring out five glasses of milk and a big bag of chips for all his friends. And usually Luce is having a bit of a bird at that time too, although she is an angel baby. And then Monty is bursting into tears every five minutes because he is tired and it's a cruel cruel world when you can't get your leg into your underwear or whatever. So I keep reaching for the phone to call Jay. And getting the ANSWErING machine. And I am dying. Forget about the crescent rolls in the oven so they burn. Monty runs by L and knocks her flying so she starts bawling. Then I yell way loud at Monty so he starts bawling. Then I am sitting on the kitchen floor with both of them on my lap and the smell of burnt crescent rolls floating in the air and Sam comes in crying because his beyblade broke. I reach for the phone again and dial the number. Jay answers, apologetically, that he is in the shop still working and will be late. I am flat-toned susie. "Okay. Bye."

Man. It's like, where's the booze. So I get everyone straightened out and make them eat (close your mouth, Sam. Sam. Close your mouth when you are-Sam. Close your mouth bud. Hey, yourmouthclose yourmouthpleaseits sorudewhenyouareeating youhavetocloseyourmouth. Sam.) and pick up all the strands of spagetti that have distributed themselves sporadically about the room and forget the dishes and come up here and blog about it.

And now momma's five mins is UP because I hear the fighting irish down there and I need to go referee. But at least I had a reprieve. AND it is one blessed half hour till BEDTIME for MONTY. And because Jay is late I simply CANT go to pilates! I am gonna go and help sam write some letter to his principal about recycling. And Later, I am gonna watch Kill Bill with Jay.

If he gets home before ten, that is.

Syanara.

Heya,
Got a real kick out of Brian's blog today. (wish i knew how to do the thing where you can click on it and then go to it but I don't. It is, however, about three inches to your right.) Brought me back to the days of walking the concourse at Copps Coliseum with my cage on wheels full of condiments.

Brian failed to mention that he was the money room guy. The nucleus of the place, down in the subterranean high security vault with his green bankers visor (okay, no visor but it works), running thousands and thousands of dollars through his counting machines, making neat piles of twenty dollar bills and snapping an elastic around them with flourish. If your stand needed change, he was there, marching through the crowds with his ice cream cooler bag full of cash. High stepping it over all the bodies strewn on the floor at Grateful Dead concerts, always a gentleman. There were tense moments, like stand managers bursting into tears when they couldn't get hold of distribution and had run out of hot dog buns,but he always kept his cool. He would nod, flick on his radio and get you what you needed. Then you might not see him until the end of the night, through the money room window, hunched over the desk like Silas Marner into the wee hours of the morning.

It's no consequence my friends, that Brian and BRAIN have the same letters.

Better go. More later hopefully.

Oh, Lucy, get your teeth already.

Lady Luck has FOUR teeth coming in at once up top. It is taking a looong time and while I don't blame her for being miserable with it, I could do without the pre-chompers clamping down at the end of nursing. Ouch. So it is weaning time at the Forderer house. We are up to two bottles a day.

Decent weekend. What did I do? Anyone remember? Did you see me at all on the weekend? Thats how it feels every monday. Then I have to back track using triggers like, there is a pair of black dress pants on my floor so I went to church. There are two movies to return to Steel City on the hall table so we watched two movies. (ummm, Freaky Friday and Cheaper by The D.) What else? My pilates dvd's are still sitting on the island in the kitch untouched by human hands so I did NOT do pilates. (okay, have not done them. Not once. But they sure look good on the counter.) Digital camera is beside computer so I listed some ebes. Big envelopes ready to go on kitchen table so I packed some ebes.

We did have a nice brunch at the Sheraton for book group on Sat morn. Ahhhh. Brunch avec les ladies. So nice. Small turnout but anyone who was anyone was there. Lucy, of course, was a dream date, smiling at everyone and just being a red headed angel baby.

Haltie. Siobbhan.
(sorry i am putting that there so i don't forget to bring this dog walking thing to my sister. when i check in here later to see if any clever souls have commented it will nudge me, hopefully.)

Oh! Jay and i had an appt at the bank on Sat. We just had Lucy with so of course it was a mini date, sitting there in this quiet office like two normal relaxed people. We are finally paying off Uncle Donny and getting a real mortgage! 5 percent instead of 7.25. So it should all happen later this week. I still have this fear that they will look into MY credit history and go, umm, go to jail please. As I was not the most diligent person for paying back places from whom I had bought things for most of my twenties. Jay has impeccable credit, except where I have been involved, which, thankfully, hasnt been much. Isnt it seven years and then things get wiped off your credit thingy? Hope so. (Here is where, if I had a clue how, I would insert that smiley face that looks nervous with the teeth showing and upturned eyebrows)

Okay well I promised myself i would do laundry today. pathetic. Youre supposed to promise yourself a manicure, or a new pair of jeans. Anyhoo, there are at least four loads to do. So I'm off to domestica.

Later,
A

Now I have the 80's on the brainola.

Many Rivers to Cross UB40 (also, of course, Red Red Wine but you hear that one alot)
Boys Don't Cry (Brian? Al? little help here)
Centrefold J. Geils Band
Jesse's Girl Rick Springfield (love love love this song)
Here I am the One that You Love (not sure if that is the title) Air Supply
Electric Avenue Um, Eddie Grant?
Sexual Healing Marvin Gaye
We Belong Pat Benetar (another look I was thinking of going for re Stag N Doe)
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Tears for Fears

Wow, I'm on, eh? I can't stop, but I gotta.

Just taking a break from listing stuff. Feel like I have been going non stop today. I don't even feel the muse, so this will be a blahg.

What an intro. Don't cha just want to dive right in eh. It was a fun day, really, as my two sisters came over. What a hoot. We hung in the kitchen, drinking DC and listening to 80's tunes and Siobbhan tried on this Kimono dress I had from the 70's to wear to Kathleen and Dave's stag N doe at the end of May. Looked totally great. Jen was thinking of doing the Cyndi Lauper thing, or else a lame top with gold high boots and a mini thing. I want to wear satin shorts and roller skates. I bet we will be the few who actually dress with the 70's 80's theme. who cares. We'll have a riot. Here are some of my favourite songs from the 80's.

Melt With You
Oh Sherri Journey
Paul Revere Beastie Boys
Wake Me Up before you Go Go Wham
Kharma Kameleon Boy George
Crazy Little Thing Called Love Queen
Life in a Northern Town (anyone remember who did this one?)
Mona With The Children (HA! Not really, I just remember that one with the guy in the red beret and Siobbhan calling a girl in our school whose name was Mona, MonaWithTheChildren)

I am too tired to do this. maybe another day I will do some more. Maybe not.
Anyways, a fun visit. Jen has this amazing chariot stroller thing that she pulls behind her bike, but it is also a stroller with these huge wheels. Totally cool.

Okay Sam is up once again to tell me some story about a kid in his class just so he can scam five more minutes. Time to bring the hammer down.

night all.
A

Hi there,
Spidey just wanted to show youse how his cool mom drew spiders on his hands and feet with a pen.



As the song goes,
Wealth and fame
He's ignored.
Action is
His reward.
Look out, here comes the spiderman who has been wearing the neighbor kids pajama bottoms and an old underoos shirt for two weeks straight, except, of course, when it is in the wash.

Another gorgeous day.

I am shaking off the cobwebs of sleep as I had to stay up way past way to finish Angels and Demons. I loved it, I think even more than DaVinci Code. Definitely recommended reading for anyone who likes a fast paced, intelligent ride to read.

I wish I had something to say about the hockey games. Seems like the cool thing to do. But Alas, I am completely ignorant. Jay doesn't really watch it either or I would have picked up some info by osmosis. Well, way to go teams anyways. Lame, I know. I was a cheerleader in high school and had to get kicked by my fellow cheerers on the bench whenever something good happened for any of our teams, because I would be sitting there with my eyes on the game but my mind was anywhere else. And I was usually trying to read a VC Andrews under my pom poms. That said, I loved Jen's post about the feelings you get from watching sports. So true! I do have a vhs set called 100 years of Olympic Glory and boy, there are some great moments on there. I even used clips from those videos in my Joy group, to try to get people to share their transcendent moments.

Not much going on around here today. Went to Costco yest and got the Pilates dvds but I cant do them because I have actual pilates class tonight, and that is just about enough exercise for one day, my friends. I think we'll just clean up around here and then maybe go for a walkeroo. Wait! That is exercise! Hmm. It's hard, you know, when you are just so motivated like me, to hold back. HAH. Hard to hold back from the clicker and the easter creme eggs more likely.

I guess I better geddoudahere, I am making chicken stock for soup tonight so I have to get a move on. Went to Mary Harvey's basket party thingy last night and they gave us a free little basket and mug worth like 60 bucks. I want to go look at my basket and try to figure out why the heck it is worth $45 US dollars. I may get into basket making myself if thats the deal.

okay big probs downstairs avec le monty

It is 19 degrees out! Whoooppeeee! Open the windows, throw up the sash! Slurpees, sun roofs, (sun rooves? No that looks weird.) roadside fruit stands, long drives, tulips and daffydills, bare forearms, no socks, neighbors, barbecueing, NO boots and coats for the kids, sunglasses, warm shoulders, walking, and much more! Come one, come all, crawl out from under your winter fog and turn your white faces to the sun. It's spring!

This is how I get lost in the internet.
First, I am checking my auctions, seeing how everyone is doing, what has bids, sending invoices, etc. Then I check out how 80's movie books sell (Dark Crystal, Karate Kid, Goonies, etc) because I have a few. I see that one Goonies book, a documentary type book, is up to 202 US. What?! So I check it out, and it is this self publised (read:only a few hundred copies made) book about the movie, The Goonies, and all the details about the movie anyone would ever want to know.

So I am checking it out and on the auction it has a link to the goonies movie website. So I go to that and read about the movie and that there is a Goonies 2 coming out. Then there is a whole section on the characters from the first movie and the actors that played them. I click away, read, look at pics, read some more about where are they now, etc. Then I look at the clock. 23 minutes gone reading about what martha plimpton, kerri green and sean astin are doing now, plus a quick trip to the LOTR website as a tangent from sean astins aka Sam Gamgee, and another quickie to PETA, the animal friendly website because that is what Martha Plimpton got into from when she was with River Phoenix for a while after being in the Mosquito Coast with him. Yikes. Did I really need to know all this stuff tonight?

Sammy's school is having a Krispy Kreme fundraiser. Yikes.

I have only had them once, er twice. The first time we were in Buffalo and grabbed a fresh dozen before heading for home. I have never tasted anything so melt in your mouth delicious. Wow. I ate two in about five seconds. Then I thought I should show some restraint. But the aroma of the donah! I kept opening the box, then shutting it fast to get a quick waft of it.

I had one more donut before going to bed. Then one for breakfast the next morning. ALL DAY the two leftover donuts were whispering sweet nothings to me, "C'mon, Aim, just have another. We're lonely in the box. Why did you buy us if your'e not going to eat us?"

But I resisted. I had to leave the house to do it, but I resisted. I was determined not to have an empty Krispy Kreme donut box when Jay got home. He came home and had one. I acted all cool about it like I didnt care about that last delicious donut. He said, "I'll take this in my lunch tomorrow". I gulped. "Sure," I said.

That night that donut's presence was the size of an inner tube on the kitchen counter. I kept visiting it and smelling it and then closing the box. Then I figured why have this big box for one donut? So I picked it out and put it on a plate. Then I licked the icing off my fingers. My jaw ached with the wanting of it.

The magazines all say that when you have a craving for something you should go shopping for a nice top or have a bath. Since it was 11pm, I went for the bath. As it was running I went back down to the kitchen to visit the donut. Jay came up. "Hey," he said. "What are ya doin?"

"I am just having a bath." I said. "Well, I am getting one ready."

"Wow," he said, "I can't believe you saved the donut for me."

I grimaced. He went back downstairs. I waited for him to be out of sight, then I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed the donut. I was going to just eat it to get it off my mind. But I liked the way they taste when they are fresh out of the store. So I popped it in the microwave. For too long.

I carried the steaming hot donut up to the bathroom. Still too hot. So I put the plate on the edge of the bathtub. I got in the bath.

Jay came back up. I couldnt find a place to hide the donut. He walked into the bathroom and there I am, in the bath, holding a plate with a donut on it.

"What are you doing, Aim?" He starts laughing. "I knew you were gonna eat it! Why are you eating it in the bathtub?"

I was annoyed. "It was too hot. Can you get out? I am trying to have a bath."

He just laughed. "Okay, Miss Krispy Kreme. Have fun with your donut."

Argh.

So Sammy's school is having a Krispy Kreme fundraiser. Anyone want to go in on a dozen with me?

Lucy just wanted to say Happy Spring, hope it stays!

these are the sugar items i have consumed today.
1 ice cream sandwich
1 little peanut butter cup
8 grape livesavers
Not as bad as I thought. But still room for improvement. In a related story I had about 12 Doritos in the car on the way to the post office. Sam had way more than me. I think I am replacing the DC with junkola. I haven't had a drop since Monday afternoon. Addictions are hard, arent they?

I am just waiting for Daddy o to get home so I can take Sammy to Karate without towing Luce and Monty. He may not make it before 630 though. At least it is GORGEOUS out. That helps. I did all my mailing today which is cool. 84 bucks to Canada Post. Well, one thingy was to France and one to the UK so that bumped things up a bit.

Okay I better stop sitting and go find Sam's gi from the laundry basket(s). Talka to ya latah.
A

Thursday eh.

Gotta ship about 12 ebes today. And clean this house a bit (a lot). And take the Oma out for some fresh air. I think it is going to be nice out! Finally, some spring like weather, what a long time coming. Bruno will be out there for sure today, he'll yell across the street, "You like this, Amy? Yeah? Nice weather for you, eh?" Like he personally is responsible for the sun shining, like he imported it from the olive groves of Italy or something. Then he'll drop the bomb. "Well, you better enjoy it cause it's gonna be snowing on Tuesday!!!" Then I go, "oh no!" like I always do and he will laugh his head off.

It's the same thing every time. He is a riot.

Last night we took the kids on a bike ride and to the park, it was great to be out and about after supper. Kind of cold, but not terrible. Monty is so much better this year at the park! Last year it was a pain to follow him around in case he took a header off the top of the slide or just plain took off, this year he gets it that he has to stay at the jungle gym and he goes down the slide like a normal kid. What a difference. You can actually sit on the bench and watch him play. This has, like spring this year, been a long time coming.

Next year of course it will be time to get off the bench again to traipse after Lucy, but this year I forsee lots of park fun for the Forderer family. And man, did the kid hit the pillow hard after that excursion. He has the cosiest bed, I don't dare get in it for long or I would never leave. He is like a little bird, he goes around the house and finds little blankets and the odd pillow from here or there, plus a flannel sheet or two from the linen closet, and he brings them all to his bed plus his Spiderman sleeping bag and twists them around each other and makes this swirly nest for himself. It is pretty cute, I wish he visited it during the day though.

Sammy's piano lesson went great. He really likes Angie and was all keen to practice when he got home. Actually what he wanted to do was practice outside on the porch so he could still hang out with his buddies and not miss anything. I said no keyboard on the porch. So he practiced last night with Daddy-o.

I think I will go to Costco and get the Pilates tapes today. Early birthday present to myself. Hopefully I will use them a little more than I used the Yoga tapes I got at Costco way back when. Yoga is great, but a little slow paced for me. If I am going to take 30 whole minutes to do something, it better be worth my while. With Yoga, at least with the tapes i had, there was a lot of downward dog for ten minutes, then mountain pose, which is basically standing up with your arms at your sides, for another five minutes. I mean, who's kidding who? How is my baby fat going to make an exodus when all I am doing is standing there?

Okay now I am just putting off packing and cleaning, because I am sitting here thinking, what else can I write about? Soon I will start describing what I had for dinner and what my favorite color is.

So I'll go. Toodle oo Fu Man Chu.

Finally got the comments back in! That template thing scares me. When you have the skill level on computers that I have, which is somewhere between knowing zip all and knowing just enough to be dangerous, bad things can happen to good people. But it worked, finally. I promise to leave it alone now.

I am in a bit of pain. Pilates is hard!!! But kind of cool. The instructor was this gorgeous chick with the perkiest butt I have ever seen. It was a little distracting actually. But she was very good, explained everything really well so us first timers wouldnt be flopping around too much. It is all about small intense movements and holding moves to work the muscles, like doing a sit up and STOPping at the hardest part and then breathing in or out. Whew! The breathing is very important. The pain is not as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe I am in better shape than I thought. Or maybe I just didn't work hard enough. It was fun, though. Looking forward to next week. For fifteen bucks it is a good deal.

Off to book group this morn at Debi's (Monty has already cried twice that he doesnt want to go, he wants to go to Seth's house) then the plumber comes then Sammy has his first piano lesson at 4! I finally called Angie and arranged it after Jay had been asking me for two months. I am excited for him. He is a little less excited than me.

Okay better gedoudahere and get some people dressed and out the door, looks like it is going to be sunny.

Brian, I am going to steal your ending from yesterday cause I thought it was cool.

Buh-bye!

Man, I found three old Barbapapa books today at St. vinny's and now I can't get the theme song out of my head. What a weird show that was. What was with the hairy black one? Strange. I mean, they were these colored lumps of blubber and then one of them goes and has hair all over his body.

Other than that not much going on. Sammy just got home from school so round and round we go, monty is running around with a hot dog from yesterday as a snackeroo wearing Sam's old Po costume. I have made the meatballs for the spag and m dinner tonight but can't get my arse to the kitchen to get the sauce on. I think it is the lack of D.C. that is making me sluggish. I have cut back from minimum one can a day to about half a can a day or less. And it hurts, baby.

On the domestic front I called a plumber today about the downstairs toilette. Minimum 85 dollars for them to come. Will there ever be a time when people don't complain about how expensive plumbers are? I mean, I bought a bottle of vino on the weekend that was $15 and didnt even bat an eyelash. But how dare the plumber charge me for his services and expertise?!

Easter weekend was great. We went to Jays shop on Sat to get his cheque and ended up staying in St Catherines for a good part of the day, walking along the boardwalk, watching the boats in the locks or lift locks or whatever they are called. It was awesome and a sunny day to boot. And the kids fell asleep on the way home so jay and I had a mini date, really. 45 minutes of uninterrupted conversation. Ya gotta take it when it comes eh.

Sun was Easter and we were on music team for the service at church. Jay played of course the mean geetar and I got to sing with the choir. First time I have done this and it was totally great energy with everyone belting it out. Then brunch at ma and pa sloans in Hagersville. Yummy food as usual and great to see everyone and the kids running around hunting for eggs, Sam got the best haul being the oldest and quickest and most cunning, er, greedy.

We watched 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Sun night which was really good. Johnny Depp was a riot.

And thats about all, folkses. I did get a pair of Oilily pants for ebay yesterday for $1.99, which rocks because Oilily is a French childrens clothing maker and these pants which are kind of ugly velvet brown and yellow swirly fabric probably retail new for about $110 bucks. Don't ask me why. So they should fetch a good price on ebe. Of course, whenever I think that, it doesnt happen, so who knows. The dorky adidas golfing jacket with the argyle pattern that i thought might go for five bucks went for 42 US yesterday. Ahh the ups and downs of ebay. It's fun.

okay well I hear the owl call my name, (monty being the owl) so I better go help him with getting his Gil Gripper in the ski doo thingy so he can go rescue Miss Piggy from her dangerous position on the edge of the bathtub, plus there is dinner to do, and packing some stuff, plus I am going to PILATES tonight (hopefully the chick shows up, she did not show last week) so I better find a decent pair of workout pants other than the hole in the crotch ones I usually wear to work out, um, I mean watch tv.

Ciao!
A

I know, I know, 'where's the love, y'all?'

Have been away from blogeroo for a few days. Actually I totally blogged yesterday but then i got interrupted before I posted, and Sammy came to go on the Bionicle website and closed Internet Explorer, so I lost it all. And I was just too annoyed to write it all out again so I took 24 hours to cool off.

And to top it all off this will be a shorty as I am tyred and going to bed. But tomorrow, as Scarlett put it, is anothah day. And I promise to bore you with much details about the comings and goings around here. IT was a good Easter weekend. I am going to tuck in with Angels and Demons (yikes that sounds like I need to bring some holy water to bed with me!) and get some sleeeep. Other than that I guess talk amongst yourselves until I return.

Night night.
A.

Ahhhh, last joy group last night. It was another good one, and I am glad I did it, but it is really good to be done. Sometimes I think that is the best part of doing these kinds of things, the feeling of euphoric mental release I get when I do not have to think about them anymore.

I was going to blog yesterday after Sam got home from school, he was driving me crazy because he wanted to have a friend in and I said no, it's beautiful out, go outside. So he was whining and carrying on and even when i finally did get him out the door in his "worst rollerblades on the street" he stood on the porch with his friend with his forehead pressed against the screen door, scowling, "Theres NOTHING to DOOO!" at me. So I didnt blog about it because I had mother guilt that I was complaining about my darling first born and what if he read it some day and needed therapy to get over the fact that his mother didnt particularly like him after school one fine April day.

But here i am blogging about it now so go figure. Mind you, it is a lot calmer than it would have been yesterday.

Man I had a weird dream last night that I was hanging out with my grandma Sloan (d. 2000) and she was tiny and this lady was carrying her around, but the poor lady carrying her around was a hunchback herself. I have to tell you, I don't really like when people tell me their dreams unless they come to some conclusion about them. There is nothing more annoying than someone telling you this long convoluted dream about them and this guy at work at a garbage dump that wasn't really a garbage dump trying to find a waiter to take their order except then they were in a plane and it wasn't the guy at work after all but a famous woman, you know the actress with the super curly hair and high voice, and she was talking about how she killed this frog........

You get the picture, and the person is going on and on and I am like, thinking about what to make for dinner and waiting for it to end. So sorry to tell you about my dream but it made me think of my wee granny and how she used to freak us out by pulling her false teeth and then sucking them back in. She was a proper English kind of lady and I would go on and on about her if I didn't have two boys who are right now fighting about a Batman that has been under the bed for six months but all of a sudden both of them must have it RIGHT NOW. So off I go. Maybe I'll get back to granny later.

As I am approaching my 34th birthday I am looking for signs of getting older and being in my mid thirties. Man, the people on thirtysomething were a lot cooler than me. Here are a few things i have concluded about where i am.

1. GOOD - I care less about looking stupid and more about being genuine.
2. GOOD - I am settled. Married, check. Kids, check. House, check.
3. GOOD - I don't worry so much about looking decent.
4. BAD - I don't worry so much about looking decent.
5. BAD - It feels WAY too good to 'put my feet up'. Ugh.
6. GOOD - I feel as though I have long lasting, good relationships with friends and family.
7. BAD - I don't have enough energy to be there for people as much as I would like to.
8. BAD - There are other relationships in my life that have gone too long without being nurtured.
9. GOOD - I am not that old. There is still time to fix these 'ships.
10. BAD - It is getting pathetic that I still don't have my BA. (I started U in 1989, for God's sake.)
11. GOOD - I will probably have said BA by the time I am, um, 35. (I swear my graduation will be like a made for TV movie, where the 'special' kid hobbles up to the podium and there ain't a dry eye in the house. Can anyone say RUUUDY? How about RaDiO?)
12. GOOD - I don't have to wear glasses yet.
13. BAD - I will have to look into wrinkle cream some time soon, those 'laugh lines' are not that funny.
14. GOOD - I listen to people way harder than I did when I was 24.
15. BAD - I still get caught up in my own 'stuff' too much.
16. GOOD - I still look pretty young for my AGE.

I will end on a good. Ten goods! Whoopee! I'm doin alright for an egghead. That's what my brother used to call me, mostly he would shorten it though, and just call me Egg. Of course I would have more good than bad though, because with lists like these there is a concerted effort to come out on top. Most of us have the loser list running in our heads as a default anyway, so I tend to give myself a break when it's going down for posterity.

Last night was better. Still up too much, but whatever. I don't think I have slept right through the night without getting up or being up a few times more than twice in the past four years. It's one of the things I really look forward to in my senior citizenship. Of course, I will probably be some batty old insomniac watching the street all night like my neighbor Bruno. But there are always drugs I guess.

I better go, I am doing the tons of time till school thing again, even though it's ten after eight.

A

About Last Night

I had a busy evening trying to get the house, (okay mostly the kitchen) in some sort of order and also a coupla loads a laundry done. I folded while watching H and the gang figure out what happened to a gal who got hit over the head by some prison guard on CSI Miami, feeling a little resentful that I didn't feel I could even take an hour to do nothing but watch a show. Anyhoo.

Sam has his wicked cough so he could not sleep. It was like a small earthquake shaking the house every minute or so. Poor kid. So I let him sleep in my bed, because this comforts him when he is sick to be near Lucy. So I fall asleep on the couch about 1145 with Angels and Demons in my hand. The rest is a timeline from hell.

2:45 Jay brings me Lucy (who has had a virus for two days, throwing up every time I go to feed her) who is crying and hungry and wants mama. So I feed her, then I am scared she will throw up lying down so I sit in the rocking chair with her with a towel around her little body.

3:15 Lucy is miserable and then pukes. She is such a lady though. I could feel her leading up to it so I hold her over the bathroom sink and she delicately throws up a couple of times, then i just hold her there with her head in my hand, she blinks in the dark, not crying or anything, just composing herself.

3:21 Monty wakes up yelling for juice (which he has never had in the middle of the night in his life) and where is Mommy. So I get him a drink of water which he throws at me and screams his head off, then picks up the water, has a drink and asks if I wanna snuggle in his bed. So I put L back in her crib then go to Monty's room. Might as well, I don't have a bed to sleep in anyway and I want to be nearer to lucy than downstairs.

3:43 After 20 minutes of Monty climbing all over me, talking about Spiderman and stepping on my head twice, I am ready to find a new spot to sleep. He begs me not to leave and promises to be good. Because I am his mother I fall for it and agree to stay.

3:49 Sam comes into Monty's room because he can hear us and figures we are having way more fun than him. He joins us on the bed. This pumps monty's excitement level up a few notches and things get crazy and then I am really leaving.

3:58 I leave to go to my bed, tell Sam to get in his, and lock monty in his room. He does not take it well.

4:30 I still have not been able to fall asleep, I am thinking about Lucy and Sam's cough is soooo loud, plus my restless legs have kicked in.

4:50 After finally blessedly falling asleep for ten minutes, Lucy starts crying.

5:00 I get her settled.

5:15 Monty wakes up and is yelling that he has to go pee.

5:15:26secs I am rising out of my bed, scowling in the dark at Jay for not getting up.

5:15:31secs Jay informs me that he has not slept at all either because of all the noise.

5:15:38secs I bark at him that although I feel his pain that the noise level is rather high, it is I who is physically getting up and dealing with things, therefore, I do believe he is better off than me. He tells me that he has to get up for work in the morning. I say so do I. He says I can nap during the day if there is an opportunity. I say there has not been an opportunity for this since Lucy was born.

5:16 Lucy wakes up again. Monty is up too, having gone pee he would like to play with me now. I put him to bed.

5:20 Sam comes back in our room to tell me he can't sleep and can he have a honey throat drop. I go down to the kitchen to get one, but they are in the cupboard above the stove and I am short so I drag a kitchen chair across the room to stand on. But I am tired and a little off balance so when I go to get the lozenges I knock about ten other things out of the messy cupboard onto the stove and the floor. Since most of these are medicine items I have to put them all back or monty will have a pharmacopia for breakfast.

5:25 Lucy is still upset so I take her back downstairs to the rocking chair. We rock for a while, then I am falling asleep in the chair and don't want to drop her so we go back upstairs.

5:45 I can't sleep. legs are bad.

6:00 I am asleep! I don't remember anything until,

6:30 Monty wakes up, fresh as a daisy and ready to start his day. I take him to the bathroom and put him back in his room. He settles back in bed for 45 mins. Then he gets up for real. And so does mr Coughalot, and so does Lucy.

7:30 It's a beautiful day in the neighbor hood. Sam is home from school. Lucy is miserable. Monty is jim dandy. I am putting two tea bags in my tea.

And you all thought I led a life of high profile glam and glitz, didnt cha?

A

Sorry so many tries to get picture right, even though I had it right I didnt believe it would work so that is why it is up there too many times. Dorky.

FRIDAY. Yay, I think. Friday just aint the same once you grow up, is it? I mean, sure it is the weekend and things let up a little and Jay is home and we usually manage to A. do something fun with the kids ( I do not put last Sundays lunch out at Tony Roma's in this category, as going out to a nice restaurant with 3 kids is more like hard labour with zero pay and ungrateful bosses). and B. do something fun together as a couple.

But Friday night used to have a buzz about it, you know? Like anything could happen. It involved friends (READ peer conversations about any other subject than who is using cloth diapers or who is getting their eavestroughs done), and sometimes dancing (not Dora the Explorer dancing but real dancing with loud repetitive music and crazy lights) and laughs and drinks and late night McDonald's. And doing all this with the wonderful comforting knowledge that the next day you will have the glorious option of SLEEPING IN. Ahhhhhh.

Tonight I am hoping to make a dent in the dishes. I need to give Lucy a bath. I have to package four or five ebe's for shipping tomorrow. I may rent a movie for me and Jay and do what I usually do, which is go great guns for the first half and then curl up beside him on the couch (where he can't see that I have closed my eyes) and murmur, "hmm, right!" when he makes comments on the movie, so he thinks I am still awake. And all this is good.

Of course it is good. It is just depressing that I will wear the same track pants that I put on this morning for all of it.

I think I need a night out. That toronto night thing sounds cool, with the show and hotel and meal. I would love to go see the Producers. Jay and I could go for my birthday. I'll dust off the control top pantyhose and bronze eye shadow and costume jewelery and really give it a go.

Aargh. Thought I could trust the boys downstairs to finish their dinner, and it is turning into one of those primal-giggling-spit-in-each-others-food-where is-my-fork-he-sneezed-on-my-hair events.
Gotta go.

Yay! I finally after mucho triestos figured out how to make the picture smaller! I chose a groovy family picture circa 1975. I am the dark haired (baa baa!) one in the left corner, with the menswear look to my duds. The stoned lookin groove maestro is my dad, age 31 with four kids under 7 (Yowsers.). My mom is the luscious lady in the centre. My big sister jen, (who was probably already memorizing Beatles songs by then), is the one in the white shirt, My bro Charlie is the long haired six year old hippie on the end, and the angelic looking baby (well, when you are the baby of the family, three years old is still a baby!) Siobbhan (Bib) in front. Ain't it just outta sight?




Gotta go, karate night plus shipping ebe's and its FISH and CHIP special night at Connaught Fish and Chips where you get Fish, Chicken AND chips for $2.90! WHoopeee!

Okay i am trying to make the pics smaller so you get a little treat of my family photo circa 1975. I am the dark haired (baa baa!) one in the left hand corner.



Hope it is not too huge.

A

Okay i am trying to make the pics smaller so you get a little treat of my family photo circa 1975. I am the dark haired (baa baa!) one in the left hand corner.



Hope it is not too huge.

A

Okay i am trying to make the pics smaller so you get a little treat of my family photo circa 1975. I am the dark haired (baa baa!) one in the left hand corner.



Hope it is not too huge.

A

Okay i am trying to make the pics smaller so you get a little treat of my family photo circa 1975. I am the dark haired (baa baa!) one in the left hand corner.



Hope it is not too huge.

A

Heya

Ahh. tired this morning! Had Les Joies last night at Knox, it went really well. I actually really like doing a running group as I feel like I am getting to know the personalities and we are a little more comfortable with each other every week. The grouchy lady that was there the first week has never returned, in case any of you were concerned about her! I do see her there in the church but she doesnt come up to the group, I think she is in the Ladies Auxilary or something.

But it was a good night. And then home to get the kidlets to bed, which took way longer of course as they were a bit (a lot) wired and I am still single mommin it. I crash on the couch around ten thirty, and at 1130 DADDY GETS HOME. Yayy! So i made him some food and sat up and talked which is why tired now but worth it.

So that was my evening in a conch shell, how was yours?

If you must know what I am doing today I am off to Elisabeths house to drop off some stuff and have a visit. Then I am going to Sportchek in Ancaster where I saw in the flyer that they have the loveliest pair of FILA yoga pants which I have been looking for on sale. Thick knit, thick waistband, and black. You know the ones I mean. I hate wearing jeans all the time. You just can't scarf a decent meal in jeans and remain comfortable driving home.

Still undecided about joining a gym. I am thinking I am going to try pilates at Laurier rec centre, it is only 15 bucks for six weeks and I have been meaning to try it. Anyone wanna come?

I enjoyed Brian's post about 24 even though I gave up on the show this year by hour 5. I was ferociously into it last year, but this year I missed ONE episode and then couldnt keep up with the plot twists and decided to rent the whole season one day instead. I am loving 'Without a Trace' and of course the beloved David Caruso on CSI Miami, no matter how many times he repeats the obvious when standing over a dead body ("The problem, my friend. The problem is that now we are looking, we are LOOKING for a killer.")
I still think he is great. And I was kind of into 'In the Line of Fire' but it's been a while.

I gotta choose my course for the summer at Mac. Just a half credit to keep the mental juices fresh, hope there is something reasonable happening on tues or thurs nights. After that just one more half credit and I FINALLY will have my BA. Man. Part time school takes forEVER.

And so does getting ready to go out in the morning so I better get off the computer and git goin.

G'day.