so so sad.

The lady from LP who's pregnancy has ended so sadly, has been sent home for a second day because labour has not begun. How awful is that? This birth is being dragged out needlessly in my opinion. Surely in this day and age there is an easier way to help a Mother through this devastating process.

I just can't imagine what she is going through and hope for her sake that this tragic birth is over soon so that her and her family can start to grieve for their little boy.

Today also......

Today is also the 3rd birthday of my Ex's little girl Ella-Paige. I remember this only because she was born the day of Mandy's accident - and my ex had not even bothered to tell his children he was expecting a child! I remember writing to congratulate him and his wife Lucy - and to say how it was so nice to hear such good news after coping with Mandys accident.

We sent a big parcel to congratulate them and asked for some pictures so the children could see their new sister. He finallly sent a few pictures of her as a baby - but they have had nothing since or heard any news of her at all.......

I had an email from him yesterday saying he was off to London and wouldn't be back until Thursday - working away again - on his DD's birthday....his priority is still work - he has not learnt at all that his children are small for such a short time......he still doesn't make being with them a priority.

He has not changed at all.

I am eternally grateful that I am no longer in that relationship.

That said, I do wish little Ella a very Happy 3rd birthday from her siblings - even if they have never met and have no idea what she looks like - in fact when he does remember to send a birthday card to any of his older children he doesn't even sign his wifes name or his daughters name.......

How weird is that?????

6th December

Today is three years to the date since Cameron and Ashley died in a car accident on Highway 21 near New Sarepta. I will never forget that awful week :( It is just so incredibly tragic and my thoughts are with Mandy, their Mom.

Mandy, wherever you are and whatever you are doing today, I hope you are surrounded by loving and supportive friends and family.

Aeroplane design.......

Today the children were looking at aeroplane design (airplane as I believe they call it here) and aerodynamics. Using our paper aeroplane books each child had to design two aeroplanes - a stunt plane and a flight plane.

I had to judge them on appearance, stunt flights and direct flights. Each plane could be flown twice.

Laurence and Susannah both tied to win with 29 points.

Laurence linked both of his planes together to create one wonderful stunt plane! It was a fun project and the children enjoyed studying the different designs.

Now Susannah is writing poems about Christmas and Winter, while Abigail is making a comic - she wanted to write a story so we suggested creating a comic so she could draw what she wanted to say - its really good so far!

Chris is writing to the local veterans society which has the oldest veterans in Canada.....he is writing to ask if he can interview them!

Not sure what Laurie is doing right now - Sam is sleeping!

Pella

I just realised today that its been a week since Pella came to measure up for windows, and we still don't have the quote.

I also realise that its now 1:10pm and I have still not had breakfast!

My Hummingbirds...

I really miss my Hummingbirds......actually I really miss Summer and of course my Hummingbirds were a big part of my summer this year. I can't wait to see them again. I was watching a David Attenborough show last night called The Life of Birds and there was a man on there who gets 9,000 hummingbirds in his garden each day during certain weeks of the year - he had hundreds of feeders in his garden and the birds drink gallons of the syrup each day.....the noise of the hum was amazing and brough back memories :)

I plan to get more feeders next year to try and tempt more hummingbirds to our yard!

http://www.pbs.org/lifeofbirds/sirdavid/

A look back at 2006

2006:

The good: Summer - just all of it - was wonderful!!!

The bad: Fall - constantly being ill and then everything else that went wrong!

The ugly: Aunty Doreens severe stroke, Les's stroke last week and his sad death. Divine Miss M's sad sad loss of her baby boy.......

Favourite month and why: July - the whole summer actually but I picked July Thats when the Hummingbirds arrived!

Worst month and why: October - ill health and everything else that went wrong.

Favourite place visited in Edmonton: Fort Edmonton Park - what a great place!

Worst place visited in Edmonton: Ukraininan Cultuarl village (not quite in Edmonton but close) what a HUGE disappointment

Favourite festival visited: A Taste of Edmonton on a datenight with DH and also The Festival of Trees with the children last week - both were wonderful!

Favourite memory ofWinter: New Years Eve (kind of makes it into 2006 as we stayed out by the fire until 1am talking and watching fireworks and roasting marshmallows!

Spring: Our big Easter party - 50 friends came over for a huge Easter Egg Hunt through the woods and back field and a party - it was great fun despite the cold and snow that arrived that day after a week of hot weather!

Summer: Sitting on the porch watching and listening to the Hummingbirds feed......just perfect! Relaxing at home with my family, playing outside constantly and just relaxing together!

Fall: Thanksgiving and Halloween were two nice days as a family in an otherwise glum month! And our holiday in Banff!!

Favourite new food tried: golden beets - YUM!

Worst new food tried: That ready cooked Bistro rice in packets - YUCK!!

Favourite special occasion: Easter

Favourite gift given: the gift I made for someone for Christmas - can't say who or what yet ;)

Received: My Nikon D70 - it wasn't my birthday or anything so it was just a lovely surprise from DH

Happiest moment: Just being outside in the summer with my family relaxing together - too many to pick a specific moment - the whole summer was just heavenly!

Saddest moment: When DS didn't even recieve a birthday card from his Father.

Most memorable moment involving laughter: DD's dance concert at Festival Place - she was dressed as a bumblebee with antenae - it wasn't long before she realised there was an audience so she went to the front of the stage and started wiggling about and wobbling her antenae and pulling funny faces etc and the audience was roaring with laughter and I was crying with laughter - then a few of her class friends joined her and it was just sooooooo funny! She's 4 and quite the character!

Most embarrassing moment: It is too personal to post about but has me laughing hysterically when I think about it!

Proudest moment: Last week when the Manager of the local museum raved about my oldest Son who works there - she went on and on about how great he is and how wonderfully homeschooling and homeschoolers are!

Nicest thing you heard: Last night in Pizza Hut a lady came over to our table and told us what a lovely family we have. That was so nice

5 things you learned this year: sea cucumbers barf! First impressions of people sometimes are not wrong!!! Listen to Christie - she is always right! Life goes far too fast! I LOVE being a sahm and really do have no interest in having a job lol!

Best restaurant tried: Joey Tomatoes in Sherwood Park - we try other places but always return there - we know the staff, always get great service and have never had a bad meal there. We eat there or get take out at least 3 times a month gulp!

What you ordered: I have tried most things and LOVE the Maple Glazed Salmon with golden beets

Worst restaurant tried: Alberts in SP Mall

What you ordered: The seniors dinner (don't ask lol!) YUCK!!!

Favourite New product tried: garlic portobella veggieballs from Costco

Worst new product tried: Kirkland brand bodywash (its nasty!) Avon Timeless perfume - YUCK

Hopes and plans for 2007: Disney World trip in January. My Mum and Nephew coming to stay for a month. Lloyds best friends and their families coming to stay. New windows on our house! I hope we all remain healthy and happy. I hope the children stay the wonderful happy and healthy young people they are. I hope we can find the right voluntary work for us as a family - thats my first challenge of 2007.

a childs kindness.......

This morning, Susannah (8) told me that she had wanted to help Daddy shovel the driveway last night but that it was past her bedtime so she couldn't - so she asked if she could shovel the driveway for him as a surprise while he was at work!

She didn't forget either!!! After lunch she put on her coat and went out and shovelled the driveway, the porch and the front steps........

I'm very proud :)

A lovely family :)

We were in Pizza Hut for a long while and the children were just so well behaved - even Sam did great and just ate and ate which is not like him - normally he throws things and gets restless and as many of my blog faithfuls will remember, I get very stressed in restaurants with the children (don't look down Jane, don't look down!!)

Well tonight it was lovely - we all chatted and laughed and enjoyed the meal and the young ones were great :)

Near the end of the meal the lady from the table opposite walked over to me and tapped me on the shoulder - she said 'You have a LOVELY family! Just LOVELY!' I was so surprised but so thankful and I just thanked her and smiled - and she wished us all a merry Christmas :)

As you all know how stressed I get in restaurants with 5 children, I am sure you can appreciate how nice this was to hear!!!!

flu-proofed :)

Lloyd came home from work early today and we went into town to get the flu vaccinations. Going there with 7 of us is always such a fun experience (not) - firstly you ahve to write out all of the forms with health care numbers etc and then wait while they talk you through it all and check everything like allergies etc and then one by one you ahve to have the jabs....of course Laurie didn't want to be first - or second - or third so he got more and more scared and worked up and then burst into tears as soon as he had his. I went first, then Chris and then Lloyd. Then Laurie. Susannah went next and was also scared - she sat there with one tear rolling down her cheek :( Seeing this got Abigail scared so she started crying but was fine afterwards(easily distracted witha sticker thankfully) . Sam was fine!!

We sat outside in the foyer for 15 minutes in case of a bad reaction. Then we headed out. As a treat we decided to go to Pizza Hut for supper. We were the only people in the restaurant which was ideal...it was the waitresses first day as a waitress and she was great - except after a while another couple came in and the waitress gave them our order (lol) so it meant after the salad and garlic bread, we were left waiting for AGES for the pizza and pasta.......so long that Lloyd went and asked and then Susie went and asked....at which point they admitted they had screwed up the orders and they gave us a 50% discount! So 7 of us had 2 large portions of garlic bread with cheese, a large salad, large breadsticks, 2 medium pizzas (chicken and red onion and a double pepperoni and a large Fetuccine Alfredo and cokes all round for $26!!!!!!

The pizzas took so long to arrive that no one was hungry by that time, so we just had them boxed and brought them home - the kids can have them for lunch tomorrow!

We got home just before 7pm and now the kids are playing and Lloyd is getting Sam ready for bed......I plan to go and soak in the bath and read one of my magazines. Oh firstly I have a couple more posts to write!

Daisy

Daisy - I just want to say how good it was to read your email to the HS group tonight.......it is so good to hear that I am not the only one struggling with motivation and interest and getting work done this year........

Daisy wrote to our homeschool group and mentioned how things aren't going as planned for her re homeschooling this year (and Daisy (the montessori homeschooler - link to right) is so organized and always seems like the 'professional' and experienced homeschooler lol!) feeling flat and low and unmotivated - well it was so good to read that as that is EXACTLY how I have been feeling.

So thank you Daisy - and it is interesting to see so many other families feeling the same way.

Last year I didn't really get organized re homeschooling until January, and then we got all motivated etc - so maybe that will happen again.....we do at least have the excitement of our trip to liven things up - so much to experience and learn :) So hopefully 2007 will start well and continue in that way for the whole 12 months!

Christmas stuff :)

This is from an email that Deanna sent me :)

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? neither. both are too sweet

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? santas gifts are not wrapped.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? we have white lights on the house, white lights on the main tree and coloured lights on the childrens tree.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? no

5. When do you put your decorations up? we normally put ours up the middle of December but this year I wanted it up early so December 1st!!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? brussel sprouts :)

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? willing my Dad to hurry up and wash the dishes and for the Queens speech to be over so we could open gifts (we opened them at 3:10pm after the Queens speech in England.

8. How did you learn the truth about Santa? I still believe in Santa!! I really do!!

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? no and I avoid it everywhere - I don't want to have to kiss anyone but Lloyd.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? The main tree is in red and gold...red and gold baubles and white lights and this year I have a red and green and gold tartain ribbon going around it. The childrens tree is decorated in all the ornaments I have collected through my life as well as all the ones they have made for me over the years.....its a mix of colours and styles and is my favorite :)

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? love it but wish it wasn't here quite as long!

12. Can you ice skate? yes

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? the wooden wardrobe my Dad made for my Sindy/ Amanda-Jane dolls...it had gold handles and a full length mirror inside, a drawer and miniature coat hangers that were also gold and their clothes fitted perfectly...it must have taken him sooooooo long to make! I wish I still had it!

14. What's the most exciting thing about Christmas for you? the build up to the big day - all the crafts and activities, our family traditions and the excitement of buying gifts and stocking fillers for the children - my Mum loves that too and still buys lots of stocking fillers that she sends me for the children!

15. What is your favorite Holiday dessert? Christmas pudding with my Dads secret brandy butter recipe!

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? We have too many to pick a favourite...going for a walk to find the perfect 'lollipop tree'..........making gingerbread houses, the children making their specific baking products like Chris and his mince pies, Laurence and his peppermint creams etc etc decorating the trees together, the shopping trip I go on just with my oldest DS, Picking up hot chocolates and driving around Bright Nights together as we drink......our Boxing Day walk at Elk Island Park.......our New Years Eve fire at midnight :)

17. What tops your tree? this year a big bow on one tree and an angel on the other.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? both :)

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? 'We Three Kings of Orient Are', 'Silver Bells' and Rockin around the Christmas Tree..................oh there are too many I love :)

20. Candy Canes? I don't like to eat them but we always hang some on the 'Lollipop Tree'

Layers

LAYER ONE: On the Outside

Name: Jane
Birthplace: Yeovil, Somerset, England
Current Location: Sherwood Park AB
Eye Color: grey
Hair Color: Brown
Height: 4' 11"
Righty or Lefty: Righty
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

LAYER TWO: On The Inside

Your heritage: British
Shoes you wore today: None.
Your weakness: Procrastination
Your fears: spiders
Your perfect pizza: I don't like pizza
Goal you'd like to achieve: an entire nights sleep undisturbed

LAYER THREE: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
Your most overused phrase on LP: :)
Your thoughts first waking up: has Lloyd left already?
Your best physical feature: I like my feet
Your bedtime: 10pm
Your most missed memory: my friends from Stockport and the things we did together.

LAYER FOUR: Your Pick

Pepsi or Coke: diet Pepsi but I don't drink it very often
Mc Donald's or Burger King: BK
Single or group dates: Lately? single - just Lloyd and I :)
Adidas or Nike: Nike
Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Neither ick!
Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
Cappuccino or coffee: Nescafe instant coffee

LAYER FIVE: Do You?

Smoke: No
Cuss: Yes
Sing: not often and not well
Take a shower everyday: no - I usually shower every oither day and then bath alternate days - I love baths!
Have a crush(es): Only on Lloyd :)
Think you've been in love: yes
Like(d) high school: Yes
Want to get married: yes
Believe in yourself: Most of the time.
Get motion sickness: yes
Think you're attractive: on my good days
Think you're a health freak: Not really.
Get along with your parents: Usually.
Like thunderstorms: I love them!
Play an instrument: no

LAYER SIX: In the past month...

Drank alcohol: yes
Smoked: no
Done a drug: No - unless you count Imitrex and cold FX ;)
Made Out: Oh YES!!! :)
Gone on a date: yes
Gone to the mall?: Yes
Eaten an entire box of Oreos: No
Eaten sushi: No
Been on stage: No
Been dumped: No
Gone skating: No
Gone skinny dipping: No
Dyed your hair: No
Stolen anything: No

...LAYER SEVEN: Ever...

Played a game that required removal of clothing: Yes
Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Yes
Been caught "doing something": no
Been called a tease: yes
Gotten beaten up: no
Shoplifted: no

LAYER EIGHT: Getting Older

Age you hope to be married: 35 (did you read that Lloyd????!!!)
Numbers of Children: 5
How do you want to die:In Lloyds arms
What do you want to be when you grow up: will I be grown up one day? I like doing what I'm doing!
What country would you most like to visit: Japan


LAYER NINE: In a girl/guy

Best eye color?: hazel
Best hair color?: brown
Short or long hair: short
Height: tall
Best articles of clothing: chunky sweaters :)
Best first date location: Wherever

LAYER TEN: In The Numbers...

Number of drugs taken illegally: none (sadly)
Number of people I could trust with my life: 1
Number of CDs that I own: a LOT
Number of piercings: two
Number of tattoos: none
Number of times my name has appeared in the Newspaper?: a few
Number of scars on my body: one on my leg
Number of things in my past that I regret: a few too many to list here but I am very happy where I am now and who I am with now so it all worked out in the right way :)

Tuesday

I spoke to my Mom this morning. She told me that Les had died. He had a stroke last week and died a few days later. The funeral is Thursday.

I am kicking myself for being such a procrastinator when it comes to writing letters.

Geez today is such a depressing day :(

My friend Samantha phoned this morning - she always manages to make me laugh thankfully!

This afternoon we are having our flu jabs.

I don't know if its the weather or that we are getting over so many colds and stomach flus etc but I still feel so flat and down :( and totally unmotivated to do anything.

Heartbreaking.......

A lady that I chat with on linking parents is going through a VERY difficult time right now. It's so so sad. She was about 7 months pregnant but found out in the last few days that her unborn baby had died. Today she is in hospital giving birth to her Son who will be stillborn.

I just can't imagine what she is going through right now. Its just so, so sad.

Mel you and your family are in my thoughts.......and in the thoughts and prayers of all LP members today.