The drive home.....

Some of the Fall colours were so pretty on the way home that I stopped and snapped some pictures!

Zonked out....

After the playground, we went to Smittys for lunch - actually we had breakfast there but it was 1pm so its a little late even for brunch lol! I had a waffle and Sam had sausage and pancakes. The food was super fast and the service was GREAT!!

We went back to the car and I put my purse and keys up on the bit between the driver and passenger seats....went to grab Sam to put him in his seat and the door blew shut! I try to open the door and its locked!!! HOW?????? I must have knocked it with my elbow or something?? I don't know - I didn't think you could lock it without the key!

Anyhoo, I went back in to Smittys and borrowed their phone and called Lloyd and he gave me the code for the car. It wouldn't work!!!! He told me to press each button twice if I wanted the second number.....I couldn't believe it - my day had been going so well, but luckily I was in a good mood and felt like it was just funny more than anything!

Thankfully, my old neighbour Lori owns a baby store just around the corner from Smittys - the store only moved there a few weeks ago PHEW!!! So I walked around to Baby and Beyond and asked for Lori! We chatted and she let me borrow her phone to phone Lloyd - she didn't know what to do either lol. Anyway, we are chatting and a lady in the store says she knows how to get into my car - so she tells me how to key in the code - I try it and it works PHEW (another PHEW!!!)

So I get into the car and get my purse and keys and we head back to the store to say thank you and to say goodbye to Lori. I also took the time to choose a little something for a certain someone while I was there.....

While I was paying, Lori offers me a job! They need staff and can give me hours to suit.....they don't open evenings or Sundays or holidays. Perfect! So I need to figure out childcare for Sam and she said I can work Tuesdays and Thursdays if I want - while Abby is at school - or as often as I like! They mainly want someone over the lunchtime hours as they can't take a lunch break right now!

So now I am home and the lady isn't coming for the chickens today - they will be going Sunday or next Tuesday instead......the kids are all back from school...Lloyd is on his way home. Lasagna is in the oven and we have a lovely salad in the fridge.

Tonight we will watch 3 more episodes of Greys Anatomy. Georges Dad died last night and it was just so so sad. Lloyd asked if I needed the box of tissues - my sleeves were soggy from drying my eyes! We have to get done in time for the new series which starts on Thursday night!

Lloyd leaves for Toronto on Thursday morning - the flights are booked.

Climbing and sliding....

Sam had fun in the playground after our swim....there were only two other Moms in there so I chatted with one of them for a little while and then the staff member there came over and chatted for a while as she was bored as there was no one there. The last time we were at MP, the school holidays were still on and it was CRAZY busy!!! So this was a nice change :)

Just keep swimming......

This morning Sam and I headed to Millennium Place and went swimming. The pool has been closed for three weeks and reopened yesterday. There were 5 moms in the pool and their babies/ preschoolers and that was it - so we had lots of space and lots of fun - we were in there for 1 1/2 hours and Sam still didn't want to get out - I had to bribe him with food lol!

Fall morning.....

the apples post...

How'd you like them apples? This phrase always reminds me of Matt Damon and the bar scene from Good Will Hunting.

Great scene from a GREAT movie!

How'd you like THEM apples??

Apples are 58c in Sobeys which is a fabby price! Not sure if thats a kg or a pound...I forget what stores price it by.....but its cheap anyway - apples are quite expensive here sometimes....where as bananas are alsways soooo cheap! Anyway.....yesterday we bought a LOT of apples - and they had tiny little ones which are perfect for Abigail and Sam :) And Charlie!! Charlie loves her daily apple!

Inky fingers...

My fingers are all inky as I have spent the afternoon experimenting with my Distress Ink and chipboard and different papers and card stock. All my finger nails are brown...yuck - it looks as though I haven't bathed in a year!!! Fun though :) I'm loving what you can do with this stuff!!!

The Gay Soccer World Cup

So the Gay soccer world cup kicks off today....and I have to say this bothers me - it's in its 17th year so I guess its a success...but I just don't get why they need to have a Gay Soccer World Cup.

To me it just seems wrong. Gay people should be seen as just a part of the every day community and be part of soccer generally - I just think that having a separate world cup for homosexual people still separates and creates a 'them and us'.....

Wouldn't it be a better world if being gay wasn't such a big 'different' thing but just a normal part of life.....why make a big thing about it? Does that help? I don't think so.

There is a show over here that I love - it's called Open House America - and basically each episode shows three different US cities and then shows you what you can buy for various price ranges.....almost every episode there is a gay couple showing them home and talking about the renos and how much money they have made on their property...I love this - I love that they don't come across as the 'token gay couple' but are just a normal part of the show - which is how it should be....I love that it shows a real mix of families on that show from across the US. Thats how it should be :)

So I'm sorry but I don't think things like Gay Soccer World Cups do anything to help homosexuality become a normal part of our lives an dour community...it just makes 'them' stick out like sore thumbs again.....and yes I do say 'them' because thats how it seems to deal with what should be a normal part of life.

Monday

So the weather forecast has changed and so my plans for each day have changed....we'll head to the zoo on Friday to enjoy the gorgeous weather!

Today is my sister Karens 42nd birthday....you all know her as 'Commode' who posts comments sometimes. Happy Birthday!

I found out last night that some of my layouts and altered items have been in the newsletter at SH over the last few months - I had no idea!!!! How exciting :) Thank you Donna - I guess I feel extra proud because the talent at SH is soooo amazing that for my layouts or items to be in the newsletter is just amazing!!! Truly amazing!

I'm sad today. Today is my chickens last full day of life possibly. Tomorrow a lady is coming to get them all and they will be butchered for her freezer. We know we can't keep them - or at least there is no point in keeping them...but its sad all the same. They are layers but they are starting to lay less...it was difficult to keep them through the winter last year and then we were told that people here don't do that anyway - they have them through the summer for eggs and then they are butchered for the meat in Fall. We can't bring ourselves to eat them - or even kill them - so I am very grateful that someone else is happy to have them and will have a freezer full for her family!

I got a post-it note on the monitor this morning - Chris apologising for over sleeping and not doing his chore before school (he was on dishwasher duty)

3 days until Lloyd heads to Toronto.

Ok I have to get a few chores done as we are heading out at lunchtime!

great link

www.marthastewart.com and click on good mood foods


Marthas show last week was about eating to relax you and destress yourself! It was really interesting and the above link covers basically everything they mentioned. They also mentioned 'snackpacks' and how they have created several ideas for 100 calorie snack packs that you can grab when stressed or hungry or on the go to help deal with life! Its in this months Body and Soul magazine too but you can read about those by clicking on the snack packs link on Marthas home page.

Plans

Monday - (zoo moved until Friday as weather set to be 21c)

Tuesday - swimming then Val and friend are coming over for chickens

Wednesday - library and Broadmoor Lake playground OR Miquelon Lake playground with ALL kids after early-out

Thursday - breakfast with Val then pet store and the new Dollarama with Sam. Collect my Run for the Cure run kit in the evening and maybe take the kids to MP for a while.

Friday - Zoo with all children (no school) maybe swimming or Lets play or movies in evening.

This is my plan for the week....I want to stay busy. If anyone feels like joining us for any of the above just let me know :)

My newest favourite blog!

http://lifeaslou.blogsome.com/

And doesn't the blog author have the most amazing eyes?????

Oh and guess what I'm baking tomorrow....... ;)

Finished.....

I finally finished My Sisters Keeper. What a great book - what a great twist at the end.....I really enjoyed this look into the lives of a family with difficult choices to make....

Read it!

Hhhmmmmm so what shall I read next? I think I'm going into Chapters tomorrow to get A Recipe for Bees.....or Turtle Valley. Or maybe Nineteen Minutes.....

Any recommendations for a good book? What are you reading right now?

This makes the news!

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/7009461.stm

I thought this was interesting. Alpacas are being used for the first time in the UK to protect animals on farms....

Alpacas and Llamas are a common sight here in Alberta...most farms have one or two.....some farms still have donkeys but most have alpacas...they guard against coyotes etc....and even people! The field opposite our house has an Alpaca protecting the cows....if you walk up to the fence the alpaca is quick to walk over and glare at you!

About five minutes from us there is an Alpaca farm with fields full of these gorgeous but unusual animals. Have you ever felt one? They are so cuddly and soft!

There is a ranch close to here that uses alpacas in their therapy program for people with ADHD and autism etc etc.....