Today!!!

Today I went to the health unit to meet with Abigails psychologist and psychiatrist and have her meds reviewed.

Today I hoped that there would still be some green suckers left at Montanas after Sharon got Tara and Mack to take them all yesterday!!  And thankfully the server gave me about TEN!!  :)

Today I dreamed about what it would be like to go with what the children want me to do...if they could pick a new husband for me I know who they would pick....

Today I forgot to put the French cd on in the car on the way to French club!!

Today I heard that Ki's Daughter was ill with a lung infection and being given IV antibiotics, so I made sure Ki knew she could call me at any time if she needed anything.

Today I said Congratulations to Darren for being offered the job he was interviewed for today...now he decides whether to apply for the other one, and also what shift to choose...but in the mean time I'm pretty sure it means he can have better access to texts and Email during the day again :)

Today I read a news article that Kathy sent me about an idiot who tried to smuggle live Hummingbirds in his underpants!!!

Today I watched Sharon watch me from across the parking lot with a very puzzled look on her face, as if I was CRAZY hahahaha!!!

Today I believed - I am incredibly lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful friends and to have such a vibrant, full and fulfilling life.

Today I felt - really pleased to finally get my boots off for a while this afternoon after rushing about all day.

Today I wondered  about creative ideas, games, crafts, projects for French club when it is held here next month.

Today I bought Two bags of perogies at Sobeys for $1. each - they are a great deal!!  Sobeys has some really good dollar deals on at the moment!!  The kids really like perogies!

Today I cleaned my bathroom, my bag, the car out of some garbage/ clutter that was building up again....

Today I was busy making plans and filling in my diary up until Christmas with classes, field trips, activities and get togethers....as well as making arrangements for my birthday celebration.

Monday.....

This morning Sam and Abby spent doing school work....they both took turns on the computer and on the iphone - I have some new apps that I have got after joining a new website especially for homeschoolers who like apps!!  Math games, spelling games, creativity games...

They worked on their Minecraft project together and after I asked a few questions about it for a friend they then sat and explained even more about it to me and then Abigail researched several links and information about it and Emailed it to me :)  

Abigail registered for the online 'live' Lego club on Currclick and sat and listened to most of todays class - she now has the recording of it and wants to get all the bits of Lego we didn't have so she can create the DNA that they built in todays lesson.  I think she is now hooked on live online lessons :) 

Abigail did some of her spelling workbook, and Sam did a page of her dice math workbook and then a page of his Community workbook for 'social':

Abigail has written a kind of bucket list of things she wants to do before she turns 10.  It's kind of funny as many of the things on her list are things she has already done before but she just wants to do again - so she has been working through it - today she wanted to cook a meal, so I helped a bit but she did the majority of it all - have to say that her basmati rice was the BEST rice EVER - it was perfectly fluffy and  light!!!  Yay for Abby!!  She did honey and garlic meatballs with mixed vegetables and rice!  It was yummy :)

I found this when I came downstairs:

Tonight I went out for coffee with my friend Cori....her girls have been sorting out their toys and she brought with her  a big (HUGE) box of Littlest Pet Shop toys for Abigail...Abby is going to be thrilled when she wakes up in the morning :)

Before I met Cori I went into Homesense to have a look around - they had tons of toys on clearance, so I had a look through and managed to pick several things up to put away for Christmas....I'm doing quite well for Christmas already.  I have all my gifts for friends organized and bought, and I have several stocking fillers and under-the-tree gifts done too :)  I want to budget carefully and spread the cost as unfortunately my Ex is completely unreliable with giving us any money.  I don't want to be in a position where I am having to use the childrens Christmas money to pay the mortgage, so I would rather be prepared and not rely on someone who has proved himself to be nothing BUT UNRELIABLE :( 

Anyway, I had a lovely evening catching up with Cori - as always, it has been far too long since we've spent time together, so we had a lot of talking - and laughing to do!!!  

Darren was messaging me while I was having coffee with Cori....something about needing a ride home because he'd been drinking...oh ha bloody ha!!!  ;)   That guy is just IMPOSSIBLE lol...but yes Darren...you do make me smile :)  

Sigh.....

So....that was our day....Susannah seemed to have had a good day at school despite some upset over a boy yesterday - thankfully the boy apologised which I am very grateful for and happy that he did so.  

Laurence also seemed to have a good day - he baked an apple pie at school today - and brought it home, but we didn't get to see any of it because he was hungry on the bus and ate it!!!!!!

He's making lemon meringue pie on Thursday - I told him it's his dad's favourite....but no doubt it won't last long enough for his dad to try any!!!  Growing boys....sigh...all they do is eat ;)  

Tomorrow is a busy day - with psych appointments in the morning, French club all afternoon and I'm out in the evening with my fabby friend :)  

Wednesday is busy too....with facilitator meetings, I have an appointment to help someone with design ideas for their house....and grocery shopping in the evening.  

and Thursday Bricks4Kidz starts....

and then Friday....well, thats a whole other story ;)

Interesting.....

A pig's orgasm lasts 30 minutes. (O.M.G.!!!) A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death. (Creepy. I'm still not over the pig.) The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off. (Honey, I'm home . What the...?) The flea can jump 350 times its body length. It's like a human jumping the length of a football field. (30 minutes. Lucky pig! Can you imagine?) The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds. (What could be so tasty on the bottom of a pond?) Some lions mate over 50 times a day. (I still can't believe that pig ...quality over quantity.) Butterflies taste with their feet. (Something I always wanted to know.) Elephants are the only animals that cannot jump. (Okay, so that would be a good thing!) A cat's urine glows under a black light. (I wonder how much the government paid to figure that out.) An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain. (I know some people like that.) Starfish have no brains. (I know some people like that, too.) Polar bears are left-handed. (Talk about a southpaw.) Humans and dolphins are the only species that have sex for pleasure. (What about that pig? Do the dolphins know about the pig?) Now that you've smiled at least once, it's your turn to spread these crazy facts. (and God love that pig)...

About aging....

Thank you Sandy for sending me this :)

In April, Maya Angelou was interviewed by Oprah on her 70+ birthday?Oprah asked her what she thought of growing older. And, there on television, she said it was 'exciting...' 

Regarding body changes, she said there were many, occurring every day.....like her breasts. They seem to be in a race to see which will reach her waist, first.

The audience laughed so hard they cried. She is such a simple and honest woman, with so much wisdom in her words!

Maya Angelou said this:
'I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.'

'I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.'

'I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.'

'I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing as 'making a life.'

'I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.'

'I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back...'

'I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.'

'I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.'

'I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back...'

'I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...'

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'

Fall..

Back to work....

B hasn't been well all weekend either.....blegh....I blame the guy we sat next to at Rexall last week - the one we had to keep standing up for...I think thats why we've both been ill all weekend....but we're both feeling better today thankfully.  He heads back up north in the morning for three weeks of work....so it's kind of a good thing he's feeling better!!!

One picture three ways...

Snapshots by the trains

Oh my gawd I have such incredibly beautiful children :)

Two old gals ;)

Last blast of Summer??

Yes, it's Fall...the first official weekend of Fall, but it was 30c today - in fact my thermometer in my car registered 33c at one point today!!!  Driving along 50th St in Edmonton.......33c!!!!!!

Katies Crossing had an ice cream sale this weekend to celebrate the first weekend in Fall, and we couldn't resist going along to one of our favourite places :)  

There was hardly any ice cream left when we got there - they told us they had sold a LOT of ice cream this weekend :)  

breakfast in bed :)

Abigail made me breakfast in bed this morning :)

She is such a sweetheart!!  It was quite a creative breakfast!!  Spinach, mayonnaise and grated cheddar on a wholewheat tortilla! Not my usual choice after just waking up!!  

xxx

Tag time...

A. Age: 39
B. Bed size: Queen - which I LOVE :)
C. Chore that you hate: Ironing - life is just too short ;)
D. Dogs: they love you unconditionally and are completely faithful :)
E. Essential start to your day: coffee or tea and facebook.
F. Favorite color: Turquoise or other jewelled colours
G. Gold or Silver:  silver or white gold.
H. Height: 4' 11"
I. Instruments you play: None
J. Job title: Artist, Full time Mom and Homeschooling Mom.
K. Kids: Five amazing young people :)
L. Live: Alberta, Canada!!  I am so lucky :)
M. Mother’s name: Josephine
N. Nicknames: Emma, Janemma,
O. Overnight hospital stays: all related to pregnancies and births or migraines.
P. Pet peeves: smoking, bad spelling (of OBVIOUS words), people not picking up after their dogs,
Q. Quote from a movie: 

“I turn on my computer. I wait patiently as it connects. I go online. My breath catches in my chest until I hear 3 little words, "You've got mail." I hear nothing, not a sound on the streets of New York. Just the beat of my own heart. I have mail...from you.”

"I love Daisies. They're so friendly. Don't you think Daisies are the friendliest flower? "

R. Right or left handed: Right.
S. Siblings: Two older sisters
T. Time you wake up: around 7 or 8 am most days.
U. Underwear: thongs during the day and more comfortable undies at night...like bikini style..
V. Vegetable you hate: I love all vegetables.
W. What makes you run late:  procrastinating and distractions like facebook.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: ankles, chest, kidneys, many ultrasounds too
Y. Yummy food that you make: I make a lot of yummy food :)
Z. Zoo animal: monkeys are always fun to watch.....

5am....

Can't sleep....went to bed too early I think.  Wasn't feeling good.  And now I'm wide awake.  Sam is asleep beside me...not sure what time he came in....and I do remember hearing the door being opened at some point and Susannah letting Rosie in - that's a few nights running now that Rosie hasn't settled well in Susannah's room for some reason - she is turning in to Sam and has started waking in the night and wanting to come in with me....so now I have both Sam and Rosie asleep on my bed :)

I'm not complaining though as I really don't mind :)  Rosie is such a good girl and just curls up by my feet and sleeps.  Sam will be little for such a short time - and even though he tells me he still wants to sleep with me when he is all growed up lol, I know it won't be long before he sleeps through in his own room.

Laurence is at his friends house again tonight.  Susannah is home though.  She got home late afternoon and we waited for her to get home before heading out to Ikea for Abigails treat....funny girl LOVES going there!!  Susannah FINALLY got her film strip picture holder too, so she was a happy girl as well!  

I snapped these pictures of Ikea pictures...not sure why anyone would want the cow picture on their wall, but still....

And so now it is Sunday and we have the most amazing forecast for today of 30c....so incredible for late September :)  

Today is free admission day in Edmonton - so all the city facilities are free to go to.  We won't be going to them though as they will all be too busy!!  Instead, we are heading East to the Wilderness Centre for their open house......for a lovely walk on the trails and to have some bannock by the fire...for Sam to build a fort in the woods and for Susannah and Cassie to go geocaching.  

Afterwards we're stopping at Katies Crossing for their ice cream sale :)  A celebration of the first weekend of Fall :)  

I'm hopefully meeting my friend Cori today too - either for brunch this morning or she is joining us this afternoon with her kids too :)  

So all in all it should be a good day :)  

For today......

Outside My Window... It is lovely and sunny - a gorgeous Fall day.

I am thinking...about the life I want to live - I've been working on my Life Book for 'Soul Restoration 2'....and filling in more pages...it is so calming and so inspiring to work through this class and focus on it for an hour or so.  Even when I feel crappy physically, like I do today, the mere act of working on a page or two of my book inspires me to get going on this life that I WANT rather than wasting even one day of it!

I am thankful for...all the ways in which you can communicate with friends these days - I love it when I get text messages from friends - little hellos and messages of love and caring :)  just 'how are you's'? and 'what are you up to today'?  jokes and pictures :)  They vary soooo much depending on who they are from of course lol!  Then voicemails and phone calls.....and Emails, and messages on FB or my FB wall...I hope people realise how much these little messages make a difference to my day :)  Even when I am busy rushing about here there and everywhere it just warms my heart to know people are thinking of me :)

From the kitchen...flapjack!!  That would be the word of the week :)  Abigail made some earlier in the week and as it was such a BIG hit with everyone, people keep asking hr to make more - so she keeps making more :)  And by flapjacks I mean oatbars NOT pancakes ;)

I am wearing...it's a gorgeous day despite it being Fall - I'm wearing capri's and a short sleeved top.

I am creating...canvases, art journal pages, my 'learn something new every day' album for Shimelles class, an active homeschool community in our area, a busy and fabulous homeschool experience for my children, altered furniture and a wonderful home and home life for my children....a new life for me.

I am going...to have an amazing 6 weeks :)  So excited for what the next six weeks has in store :)
I am reading...not really anything right now...I haven't really had time to do any reading this week apart from the odd magazine article or online article.

I am hoping...to be well enough to meet Cori tomorrow and to take Susannah and her friend out with us tomorrow when we head to the Wilderness Centre and stop off at Katies Crossing - they are having an ice cream sale to celebrate the first weekend of Fall...

I am hearing... a fly buzzing somewhere.....Sam and Abby pottering about in their bedrooms as they have to tidy their bedrooms before we head to Ikea!!

Around the house...The kids bathroom is still unusable which is a pain in the butt and they have to use my bathroom, but we manage.  If I can ever afford it I will get bathfitters in to just throw in one of those cover-all baths and panels that they do in one day.....pretty difficult when L won't pay me any spousal yet has put all the bills in my name....sigh...it's so frustrating to see house prices going up and to see us sitting on our biggest asset and him just letting it rot and doing nothing about it....I don't understand why he doesn't help us do a few things to it to help it sell...not the major stuff but enough for some couple to fall in love with the place - so the bathrooms match the amazing kitchen....but he doesn't get it....he doesn't get that a couple will come here and fall in love with this place for the kitchen and the style and the atmosphere (if it's tidied up)....for the dream....and and THAT will sell it.  But it needs the cosmetics first - the bathrooms, 4 windows replaced.  baseboards.  But each time I TRY and finish anything because I have saved up the money he does something stupid and stops paying me what the courts have told him to pay me and I am left having to use my savings to pay the bills he has put in my name...all the while he has thrown all our money away on people who don't really give a sh*t about him......what a donkey!!

One of my favorite things...driving along country roads with the Autumn leaves falling from the trees like snow over the car as I drive :)  it's so beautiful :)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...a meeting with Abby's psychologist, French club, Bricks4Kidz class starts, facilitator meeting, dinner date with Sharon, scrapbooking with Val, Kidz Quarterz with Tracy, homeschool swimming, homeschool drop-in gymnastics, park day???

First day of Fall...

Beautiful colours in nature on the first day of Fall 2011...