Merry Christmas 2008

Merry Christmas to you all,
Today is the Day, the massive Wrapping Paper Sacrifice. My Living Room is full of colourful paper and gifts and boxes and the kids are all quietly zoned out of the real world and into the world of Nintendo DS games. They are super Happy. I'm happy too. I sit here with my warm Coffee, and my cozy Periwinkle Fleece http://www2.marks.com/productImages/product_2682-lrg.jpg hat, and scarf, I had to forgo the gloves while typing way.
TJ got a Chess board, he and daddy will be lost for hours in the evening in the challenge of brain powers and strategy, to see which will win and who will try to win the next night. He had a $store version of the game before but now this is classy looking wooden pieces.
AJ is Testing his Brain with Brain Age for the DS, he's doing well and learning his Multiplication tables quickly. YAY! for learning and playing.
MJ is putting together his Mega Blocks Mickey Mouse club house, what a fanastic idea Santa had! he's got pluto chasing Mickey now and they are off on an adventure... wait Mickey just asked for Toodles... hmmm wonder what kinds of tools Toodles will come up with? Imagination Rocks!
Hubbie is having a nap, he's all tired out from trying to fly his plane, launched from it's SUV across the Kitchen without falling into the Turky roaster. (did you see my eyes roll?) When did Santa decided he was a boy too? I do hope he shares his toys like the boys share theirs with him...?
Mass last night was nice, very nice, the boys enjoyed it and got a lot out of it, they watched the pageant, and they listened to the gospel and rang their bells with gusto, for every Gloria. That was so much fun, it's fun to hear and see people you don't get to see every Sunday.
In other News our roof well that didn't survive the last Winter storm, we had high winds of 120km per hour, so yesterday Hubbie spent his time putting our Alaska-ish, we'll fix it in the spring, Tarps up. We hve 3 tarps and there was no sign of reindeer having fallen off the roof after slipping down the blue roof on the tarp of the new CRUST of ice layered on top. This moring the Sun is shining so we are hoping that it wont melt too much up there to the point of coming through. The roofing companies will be oh so happy to see us coming in March/April/ May, hmmmm I wonder how long it will be winter this year... BRRRR!
Happy Holidays to all those still reading here and have a very Merry Christmas with Happy New Year, 2009 here we come! the last of the year of the first decade of the 2000s! :) oh I smell turkey...

30days left

My kids are super excited that there are only 30days until it's Christmas Eve. I'm not ready. I keep putting off the shopping for the next time I'm out. Today is a Monday, I could be out with MJ shopping for things for hubbie but i'm pretty sure at almost 4yrsold he's going to spill the beans and even tell his brothers what was bought. He's my little squealer. He'll tattle on everything lately. "MOMMMMMMMM TJ is putting clothes in the washing machine", and you know that's a good thing but since he's not allowed to touch the washing machine he assumes the 9yrold isn't allowed either. I've started the "Thanks for letting me know what's going on" answer to almost everything. Maybe he'll eventually get tired of telling me everything or maybe he'll still tell me and it might be something "newsworthy?" I haven't decided which way I want to go with this, it's a bit of a catch involved. I could hear "MOommmmmm Dad's taking the tires off your van" or I could hear "MOMMMMMMMMM Dad's hiding in the bathroom downstairs and he's got a box and some tape, and red paper and MOMMMMMM I think it says "M" on it maybe is it M(insert hsi own name)"And the funniest part of these stories is he tells them while bouncing like he's on a pogo stick. He Springs with excitment. ACK! ACK!!! I'm going to have to be much much more tricky this year me thinks.
This weekend we watched The Santa Clause, a good get you in the mood movie. I'm sure it's all to do with that Turkey fest going on Thursday in the USA? I've not seen any Christmas movies, or shows on the Canadian Stations yet but I think they usually wait for the Dec1st kind of thing.
How is your shopping going? or are you not shopping? The malls were Full Saturday here, parking was iffy.

It's getting exciting here,

So it's mid to end of November here, and it's Getting close to US Thanksgiving. The neighbours to the south are getting all drooly over Turkey sites, while me little miss (hahaha I said little) Canada is up here thinking of all the things I haven't done yet for the end of December. I went to my WW meeting last night that's where I talk about my ass and it's size and where it should be and how it's not where I put it last week and so forth. I'm up 2lbs of Birthday goodness from that Holiday I Self Proclaimed for the 16th of November. oops! I guess that's what I get for bragging about my rings falling off? Maybe some good quality water drinking will fix it.
Today the boys have no school, who ever thought that having all the conference days for teachers during the school year was a good idea, should re-assess. There are grand scale discussions going on right now in 1 boy bedroom on the size and shape of a car track and his ability to make his cars go faster then they are rated for without falling off the track. I think he's telling everyone not in the room with his play by play. There are 2 boys in the living room discussing in elevated voices as only a 9yr old and almost 4 yr old can do, about how the singing on Mickey Mouses' 3 Musketeers is not as good at the shriek... I mean singing of some HSM peoples. I think both are wrong what we really need is a good low key dosing of White Christmas, ahh Bing you really do make life look so much easier. How is it that you set up a huge STAGE show in about a weekend while the rest of us struggle to with costume changes for the white that is about to fall at some point.
I was actually surprised that the white didn't show up Sunday, it's something I've counted on for the last 30++++++ years but nope none, it was rain rain rain. I'll have to find the pictures I took of the construction site in our back yard. If only my brain could figure out how to get the pictures from TJ's Camera on to My computer. I will figure that out.

My Family's Holiday

Today is a Holiday in my world. Today is My Birthday!!! Happy Birthday to ME, and my brother and sister too. :)

Lest We Forget

Today is Remembrance Day here in Canada, a Day to remember and never forget our soldiers, those who fought and died, and those he fought and came home. 1 Day a year, to Remember but yet it seems to go in the blink of an eye, and I wonder continually if anyone does Remember because we're still fighting, we're still out there helping our Allies keep peace. I think it's a struggle that will go on forever. It's not something that will "never happen again" Almost every country in the world knows that the US is at war, but does everyone remember that Canada is there too?
Canada is trying to put the country back together? It reminds me of those strip mining agreements. You can go into the hole and get your Coal, Uranium, salt, diamonds or whatever is in there, but you have to fix the hole after you're raided it? If you take stuff out of the hole will you ever be able to find enough stuff to fill the hole up again? No there will always be the less stuff to fill up the hole, you can't create more dirt, or rock, that stuff took millions of years, for the stuff you took out? I don't know that any country will be able to live the same again after a war. They will not have the people they had before, they are dead. We will not have the people we had before, we will not have the same buildings.
I want to say Thank you to any one who has worked to keep my country safe. I hope we can continue to Remember what we have each and everyday. I pray that those fighting will come home safe and sound, and those teaching peace will have active learners.

Happy Thanksgiving

Good morning, it's October, and the second Monday of October here in Canada so it's Thanksgiving Weekend. For most that means Turkey weekend. It's tradition in my family to have the Turkey on Sunday because a lot of my family uses Monday for traveling home, with leftovers of course.
This year I've left the turkey in the freezer for Next Weekend because my inlaws are coming to visit. Next weekend is also AJ's birthday, it's going so fast I can't seem to keep these boys from growing up. He is having a birthday Party and it's going to be on Saturday afternoon. I'm just hoping I can get the house into a kind of order so that the kids don't think he's already spoiled. I have a hard time getting rid of toys here. I'm the kind of person that remembers where every single toy came from and when it was given and by who it was given.
He wants to have Pie for his birthday cake. I'm thinking I'll save that part for Sunday. I'll have cake for the birthday party.
Today though, since it's Thankgiving and we aren't having Turkey I'm going to bake up some muffins for the week's lunches. The boys have School On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week and I'll also ahve some of these muffins for the visiting inlaws since they like to hav esomething with their tea.
Recipe to follow, it's the very first recipe in the Jean Pare (accent over the e), Muffins and More volume in the Company's Coming cook books, it fits since I have Company COming!

Topping 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2TBSP flour, 2TBSP soften margerine, mix it up into crumbles but if it's a bit soft and pastish it works too,

Muffins,
1.5 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar(I've used splenda sometimes)
1TBSP baking powder,
1/2 tsp Salt (I've cut this to 1/4 tsp when I think of it)

1Egg
1/2 cup milk (I use skim)
1/4 cup of oil,(I sometimes sub in 1/8th of that in apple sauce)
3/4 cup of shredded apple, with or without peels, I peel them.

mix, pour into greased muffintins, I get about 12muffins, and then I top with the topping and bake at 400F (200C) for 20-25minutes, my old stove 18minutes work, my new stove is 22minutes.

If you can get them to cool before they disappear they freeze well. I'll throw them in small zip bags for kids lunches. They don't usually last that long if hubbie knows I made them. The trick for that is to bake them while he's at work, and the cook a meal after to cover over the apple muffins smell.

How "I" work out my Chimichangas.

I've actually been Linked! I'm not sure but some of you may have noticed I'm not "listed" as a Blog. I've got Family! Lots of Family. It's only today I've added my photo. But if you read over at Mom to the Screaming Masses, I'm Kyooty. Kyooty is all about the Cutie in me trying to get out.
Cameron asked "HOW" did I get this recipe, Beef and Bean Chimichanga from allrecipes.com. I signed up for their recipes about 6yrs ago, and I'm still using them. So let me break it down in the numbers of way that get's you to 9pts. This is all based on the materials I've read and used for the last 6yrs to try to lose, or keep my weight off. You can also use the nutrional information on the bottom of the recipe page which is a handy tool, but I'm so used to doctoring my own servings of things, I point I based on the individual ingredients and their measurments in my serving. wow it's 837cals each. This is how it WORKS for me. I own 3 sets of measuring spoons and cups. If I don't measure, my portions creep up fast, but this is how "I" do it! Your experience and ingredients may vary. I've also heard that some will lower their meat for cooking down by 25%, I rarely do that. I also don't use oil in my pan. I'm having a very hard time with the addition of healthy oils to my diet, I have been avoiding the oils for so long, I keep zapping them at the pass. I'm still losing but it's a slow loss.
First the spices, free... YAY!!!!, then the peppers and onions, you may use 3/4cup for the whole recipe but you aren't eating the whole 3/4 cup.I may want to eat the whole recipe but I'm not because the goal here is good food in in useable portions, not excess. ohhhh the excess, the temptation, the old habits... the hmmmmm food!
Lean beef, up here we call the one I use extra lean ground beef, when we lived in the US it was called 95% lean ground beef. I use my books for almost everything, because even with the new laws for nutritional information labels, it's still difficult to get it nailed down in the right measures. Seriously Monday math is hard work,
I just asked hubbie "there are 16oz in a lb right?"
and he says "yes"
so I said, "OK so 2oz, is 2pt, so what is 8X2?"
yes i just asked that easy peasy questions...to which he, of course, says "These are the questions you're asking me??"
Well it is Monday peoples! So there's 16pts for the meat in the whole batch. The Corn? 1 1/2 cups...1 cup=2 so 1.5=3. (wipes sweat off brow, Math at 7:46am on a monday...rereading, wow it's now 838am good think I'm doing your Monday Math for you eh?) but you aren't eating 1.5cups of corn in your serving right? so another 0 there.
TWO (2)cups salsa? 2cups of salsa contains 16, two tablespoon servings, that's 0 so far, since I really narrow down my salsa to the lowest Cal one on the shelf with less sugar and no added oil. The spicier the better though, the kids don't agree on this tastey idea. So 16 Zeros is where i'm at... and really since I can get about 8 of these it's 2 zero's per chimichanga... on we go to the next ingredient. The boys here wont eat the refried beans, so I either leave them out or only Smear the tiniest 2TBSP of that on mine, and since 1/4 cup is 2pt and half of that 1/4cup is 1/8th or 2TBSPs, we're at 1pt for that.
Ok, still there? So let me tally so far, beef 16/8wraps is 2pts per wrap worth of meat + 0 Veg, +1 salsa+ 0 corn+ 1pt refried beans=4pts. Here come the Torillas, and these vary based on what kind you use and how large and if you're really pounding down the fiber. We used to use the whole wheat Torilla in the US, that were 4pts each. So that's 4pts to your previous total of 4pts which gets us to 8. Cheese, I used the lowest fat cheddar without buying "fat free" ,because it just doesn't exist up here and it doesn't melt well, or marble or whatevers in the fridge. I will buy a 500g bar of orange or marbled cheddar, and cut it up into 20small equal blocks in my fridge, for 2pts a block. I will shred this and use the tiniest amount on the "mom" wraps (oops did I add an s there... portion...)and the let the kids and hubbie's servings ooze of their cheesy goodness. They would live on cheese if I let them and they are forever snagging 2-3 of those chunks during the day.
The last step in the melted butter, or margerine if your like me and cheap on that one. I don't find a difference between butter and margerine for cooking things where it's not part of the big taste bud experience; so that's 8+ 1+1tsp butter/margerine. If I'm low on points for the day I will spray mine with cooking spray instead of the butter or margerine, it works the same but remmber to count your seconds of spray time. I sometimes will put a banana pepper on the top of mine before it's in the oven, so I kno which one is mine.
OK so now you've seen me move it to 9-10pts. The refried beans,sinc I'm not using the whole can, I pop leftovers in ice cube cups like the babyfood days and zipper bag after frozen and pop them in the them into the freezer. Speaking of Leftovers, Hubbie likes chimichanga night because he's full and because he gets leftovers for lunch the next day. He says he pops them in the toaster oven at work. I also get stories of people visiting him while he's having his lunch and asking him for the recipe.

First day of school, September is here, this and that

I can't believe it, it's here, the summer is gone. I'm home with MJ and he's sleeping. I'm bored out of my Tree! TJ And AJ are gone to school. Hubbie Drove them today but tomorrow they will catch the bus at 715ish! ACK!!!!! way too early but it will help save a few pennies on Gas and hubbie can continue biking to work for the fall, until the roads become to slick with ice.

Last night I packed lunches, and school bags, today the boys were loaded down. Wow the stuff that you need to put in a school bag for the first day. I left some out and will send it in slowly over the next couple of days. I needed space for their lunches. I do hope they eat the lunches but wont be surprised if they are too excited, talking with their friends, to eat.

I did remember to take pictures of them going to school, now I have to remember to take pictures of them coming off the bus this afternoon. I wonder what MJ and I will do today once he's awake? As if on cue he just called out "Mom!" :)

Today I was reading over at Mom to the Screaming Masses
this morning and posted a link to this recipe...
Beef and Bean Chimichangas
It's a hit here most of the times I make it unless the kids are in a mood to say "I don't like it" and they do that just cause the moon is blue sometimes.

If you are back to school today, Welcome Back!

Quotes we heard this past weekend

"Where do you GET all this shit?" Guy in the box checking over reciepts for stuff we picked up in Maine... we were still laughing about this one 2 days later, just the way he said it

"I found a warm spot" great honey that's not making me want to jump in the lake any faster, anyone else get visions in their head of Strange Brew where they are trapped in the industrial sized tank of Beer?

"Mommmmmmmmm could you wipe my butt please?" well it's polite but a butt? come on couldn't it be "could I have a drink of water please" no that comes out "MOM! WATER!!!!"

"Mom where's my..." insert anything from towels, swimsuits, cars, trucks, and drift wood? If I didn't touch it I don't know where it is. If you didn't put it in the hamper, I didn't touch it, I didn't fold it, and I didn't put it anywhere different from where you may have crawled out of it.

and yes I did "aaa aaa" the cat, and she did listen, with the repairs going on in the basement this week the cat has been limited in her wandering room, but she still, out of habit maybe? goes to the door to the basement waiting to go find her box or food. She actually came back in after I opened the door when I said "aaa aaa, you have to come back this way" why oh why can't the 3 boys listen as well as the cat?

Water! Contactor Marries House in Speedy Water Front Wedding Will it Last?

Summer is really threatening to turn into fall around here. We've had about a week of Rain! Luckily, it's not the rain that's coming in and wetting my basement. Remember the flood of July 2005 (there is a back story of two little boys almost 6 and 4 turning my laundry tub on full blast and letting the water cascade in water fall fashion over the side of the tub and a plastic Tonka boat floating in front of my dryer, and a GeoTrax Bridge over said laundry sink...the picture in my head is both scary and beautiful. The beauty is the power of 2 boys imaginations and vision)? nope not the kid either this time. It's the UV filter, seems our water is SO hard it's creating Iron oxide bacteria that ate away our UV pump.
The answer to this is a Water Softener or one of those new things that uses an electro magnet to distract the iron from creating a scale build up settling in the pipes,washing machines, dishwashers, and so on! So the beautiful blue carpet that has been in my basement for the last 3yrs is gone out of the main area, the second room that was damaged first time around was saved. Seems the dehumidifier we were running 24/7 was doing it's job on a damp basement, cause basements are damp,but a 5 day trip out of town? It just couldn't keep up! so the drips keep dripping and so the basement is wet. The Carpet and underlay were wet and the walls were wet, sucked up a lot of the water.
We have contractors this week, oh the joy of contractors. It's the same one that did our first repairs in 2005, but in 2005 I think he was just starting out working for himself, and did a good job, this time, it seems we're Married to the guy and well it's not as much fun as dating the guy. That's hubbies analogy.
The first time around 2005 we were dating our contractor but when we let him start hunting for water coming in from outside (bigggggg storm here while we were gone so there was a possibility) we were married. We've had to nag this time around about some things being cleaned up and drop clothes being put down while the work is done. We've had him patch some of the electrical boxes that cracked from the first date, and we've had to verify that they are removing the radiator that did get wet. Once those electrical units are wet people, it's no longer CSA approved. Electricity is scary stuff when you aren't a contractor. Contractors aren't scared in the least when it's not their house? Well the marriage will continue for this week and then we will be annulled! all illegitimate repairs will be done by us from this point on. I think also a big part of the dissatisfied wife in us is that Hubbie likes things neat and tidy, and everything in it's place, so having the basement in turmoil is the stress in this marriage of contractor and House.
The Boys are seriously Shack Wacky, we are also waiting for our Power company's contracted plumber to come and replace their hot water heater. We rent that and so we need it replaced before that's the next leaky in our basement. They said they would come this week and so I wait around, and they also said "we'll call" sounds like another suitor leading me down the garden path. The week ends tomorrow! I'm sure there are people on his list that pay on time (don't power companies try to hold off payments until the VERY last second? I'm guessing) or have leaking heaters. This one hasn't leaked yet so it's not top of the list maybe? I can see that but in this 'new relationship' I'd like to be #1 House because I may have to disallow my House dating him again. Next thing you know my House will be calling me from Vegas saying she ran off with an Electrician that sees no reason why he has to cut the power to the whole house if he's just changing 1 wire. Maybe I need to make rules for House before she goes on dating? Maybe she should play the field first? Maybe she should plan her next break down before going with the first repair suitor. Now I see the value in researching those guys.
The hugest Plus in all of this is I'm learning, I'm learning to be the adult, I'm learning to talk to suitors for House and her repairs, I'm learning to demand my service, and I'm learning to find things that will be full repairs not bandages. UV lights on iron Oxide are a bandage, softeners on Water will keep the water clear of the iron, which will decrease the build up of the bacteria. I'm learning too that maybe there are other ways to do things vs just what the first suitor says... it's all a learning experience. Maybe that's my lesson, Life is about learning, I'm still learning?

July

July is a great month here at Camp BOY! the boys are loving Summer TJ had his 9th birthday and after me freaking out and thinking it was going to be a replay of 2yrs ago when 1 boy showed up, it wasn't it went well!!! we had 3 boys show up, 1 with a little Brotehr which works well because TJ has little brothers, so at one point I had 8 boys in my house all trying to win Mario cart while they dried off.
Games went well, boys were happy, and all sugared up evenly. I'm still surviving. I did well too this week. I find Birthdays and celebrations a struggle for the quest to get my butt smaller but this one worked I'm down 1.2lbs this week and my loss is now totaling 36.4lbs. I'm happy about that, not so happy about the length of time it has taken to get there but part of me thinks the more time I spend working on this more more practise I'll h ave in living like this, healthier and happier.
This week our city painted more lines and signage! we now have bike lanes! YAY!!!! this is totally a great thing because before this week you felt like you were going to get squished between the cars and the road, the cars and the sidewalks or the people waggling fingers at you were going to find a way to get you back for being on the sidewalk. Sometimes the people are less threatening then the cars, kind of like bigger is more dangerous, but smaller would be less harm? A waggling finger doesn't hurt like smooshage. Yes I just made that word up! smooshage, I like it!
Today we're off to look up something to do, because Trips to the Grocerystore are only SO exciting before you have a munitiny and my helpers want only to go down the crap food aisle. I went on my own lastnight and bought the groceries, it was peaceful and I didn't have to say" nooooooooo" or "put that back" or "What happens if someone finds you but doesn't find me...hmmmmmm?" I send them on missions but now the store is changing it's lay out so JUST when I have them to the point of knowing fruits, TP, Meat, eggs, BREAD, the store moves it!. I will surely lose them all, and that's a different kind of vacation isn't it?
BTW where dooooo kids put all the food they eat? They are eating us out of house and home and still hungry? Where does it go? I can't eat what they eat and still look healthy but they can pack it away? it must be sliding down the back yard on the slides and running away from me in the grocerystore?

The count down to summer

Or the count down to chaos! but fun chaos cause I will have my kids back! School is over for the year. My oldest boys are moving on to the next grade. Today is a 1/2 day and I think it's just fun, running and playing with kids. We opted to send the kids to school so they could have that day of playing. My kids live a bit out of town from their school so getting out and playing is super important when you are 6 and almost 9!
Summer plans for us are all about the Vegging out and me getting my confidence on! I need to learn to take 3 kids to the beach without daddy, cause Daddy has to go to work, (insert snicker)...Sun Sand and sunscreen, Shorts, Snacks and Sitting and maybe some swimming.
When Summer ends, that's when I get my itch on to get back to my Island. I don't know why or what it is, maybe it's the release from school routines, the release from needing to be here M-F? but it's an itch and it's not going away. We hope to make our way to my family cottage as well, the boys will of course LOVE that, outdoors, running, less rules and bed times with stretched limits. I hope the stretched limits will result in stretched mornings too. I think TJ will totally understand the idea of sleeping in, but AJ and MJ will be more interested in truck time, sand time, swimming time and waking up TJ time. Sometimes it's fun to wake up your oldest brother just to hear him yell, scream and be cranky.
My plan for the summer to relax the rules enough to have fun while still keeping a line on routines that are doable. We'll see how that goes.
So there it is ON with Summer!!!

The day that doesn't Happen Every Year

Today is the day that doesn't happen every year, we get 1 more day of winter this year, we get 1 more day to spend money , or one more day to wait for a pay check, It's that day! One more day to get a day older then the year before or the year after. Funny how that works. And if you are a person that gets excited for Christmas count downs? we add more day this year to wait.
Today I'm just reading mostly and listening to music. This is the music I've found today,
www.chadtetford.com
My Son's Idog is very happy about my choice too.

If you like to read what i'm reading

There are links on the left to blogs I read. Today I would like to POINT you Very Directly my 5? readers to this blog today, Bad business, and service will get you falling sales. I guarentee that my friends experience hasn't fallen on deaf ears I hear it and will not be staying there!
foodmomiac has told me so!

Why do I write, here

Yesterday Someone asked me why I blog? so I sat on the questions, I was at the sink when it came to me. I was washing Dishes,by hand. Now you know I do wash my dishes by hand, but why? Because the dishwasher was full but now YOU know(and who you are? can be anyone) that I've done dishes, that I've washed dishes both in the dishwasher and the sink, so even though there are no dishes in the cupboards, and that one sink is full AGAIN! I've done something today. No one that lives in this house will notice, that I've done dishes, No one in this house will notice I've baked a cake



or how my cake happened. Much like the cake of July2005 post.
Today you will know, and I will know that maybe someone will know that I have "DONE" stuff in this house that makes the days continues. Maybe I need that feeling of accomplishment that comes from writing it out? Seriously, talk about attention seeking? Maybe this is where my boys get it? hmmmmmmm?
There may not be proof that I baked cookies yesterday unless you look at my "butt!" but I did, I baked cookies for my boys.I only ate 10! I actually used the Kraft PB recipes 1 egg, 1/2 sugar and 1cup PB. EASY! wow what was I ever thinking before using all that flour, and baking soda/powder, vanilla and so on, this was MUCH easier and if you are in the world where points mean something only 2pts for each cookie. SO less lands on my butt!
Speaking of the butt! it's smaller, it's so small I bought pants that seem to now be the wrong size, or style. Really Who thinks that just because my butt has decreased in size that it should be hanging out the top of my pants? This my people (who if anyone is reading) brings me to the world of belts! I'm going to own and use belts. I never really understoood the concept fully before, I always had nice big hips that held pants up. I had also some bck fat that helped keep those pants up, not anymore, I've now lsot 32 baby lbs. the baby now weighs 28lbs so finally I weight less than the baby is currently! GO ME! see reallly if I don't put it down in writing, no one will care much, well maybe 1 person will notice in my world but well he will also notice my new "extra skin" cover. too bad we can't shed skin like a snake(ha I mistyped snack in there HA!) or lobster but in the opposite direction?
OK sooooooooo I wonder if mind over matter might work, BEEEEEEEE the Lobster, and I'm not talking cooked!

The Boys!

So I started to add this to the last post but really it needs to be on it's own.

Oh well more to think on... oH BTW Mr BABE will be 3 on Monday, I'm making the same cake I made in July of 2005, he was too small to remember it it was for my oldest's birthday that year, I hope it turns out as well. The fish? though they don't' stock them anymore; I'm hoping a different kind of blue fish with white bottoms will work, maybe it will look like rough see waves.

The boys are growing again, I measured the oldest and he's grown 2inches since last August! I measured the middle and he's grown 3inches since last august. and mrbabe, He had his first measure against the "door" I should take a picture. I make the line with the ruler over their heads, and then date it, I know it will eventually look messy but that's what paint is for, if I had been thinking I would have done it on a closet wall. oh well for now it's My Kitchen door, where the boys will pass thru it and see it where the food that fills them and helps their bones to grow is found. Maybe some stenciling around it when they are 18 will help cause I'm not sure I'll be able to paint over it unless of course we have ot sell this house and "go back" HA!

Friends

This past week has brought it blaringly to my attention that my friends are all long distance. I can name 3 friends in town and they have lives that are settled and full of other friends. We have just us. We've focused so much of our lives on ourselves as a couple and our kids as parents that we've just never seemed to move into a group of friends. When we go home to visit, the majority of our trip is focused on our family. We have older grand parents that we want to visit, we have parents that we want to spend time with, and we want them to spend time with our kids since they are not living close to them like we did growing up. We get to see our brothers and sisters and their kids and love that, but it never seems to be enough time for us to get out and be with our friends. I've been away from home for 12.5yrs now. My friends have come and gone from "home", and for me My home is a place that the majority of people come back to.
We have not gone home to live. I think some of me would like to but I do like it here in this home. We like the area nd the weather, we get it all, -40C to +40C and it's fun.
Friends, That we seriously have to work on. Also speaking of WORK, I still have to work on that aspect of my life. I NEED A JOB! I had planned to go out yesterday afternoon and get some resume's dropped off but no go. I Wanted the oldest and hubbie to get out skiing. They did and they had fun! today I have all 3 boys home with me, that's fun too. We might get to hit the slopes that are our front yard, and I wish our neighbours would come over and enjoy that with us but they seem to have a very different life. I wonder what exactly they see about us that is so very different?
Maybe it's a communication barrier? hmmmmmmm It could be? I guess? maybe? Perhaps but Pour quoi?

2008, I think it's time I got into it

Let's see, the majority of my plan for 2008, is weight loss, still, sound familiar? yep same plan but this year I'll DO IT! I'm am doing it, I ended 2007 doing it so I'll continue and see my sucess, now to feel the boys all the leftovers from the holidays so they dont' come back into the house. My major weakness is chips, nacho or other wise they just JUMP into my mouth. My baking is now easy it's trackable, I bake and I count it all ,and I know exactly what's in it but when it comes to chips, it's like thsoe commercials I just can't stop at one!!! SO I never to stop at 0!
0 in the house is the plan,