Our Last Day of Skiing

Today was our last day of skiing lessons.




We managed to get up and out of the house and were at the ski hill shortly after 9am. It figures that we’ve finally figured it all out and it’s the last day!! LOL

Anyway, it was an awesome day. In spite of brutally cold weather and a wind that froze my fingers inside my mittens, we all had a fantastic time. It is amazing to me how far both Meredith and Isobel have come in 8 short weeks. Both of them are more confident on the hill and can manage getting their skis on and off by themselves. They can handle whatever chairlift you throw them on. They can go down the hill without running into other people or cutting them off. That’s more than I can say for some of the adults learning to ski!!




Isobel, of course, is very interested in the snowboards and is already asking us about racing. She screams down the hill so fast, there were a couple of runs where Dave had a tough time catching up to her. But even though she’s going fast, she can stop when she needs to, is considerate of others and still does her turns. Meredith is her normal cautious self. She takes her time and gets to the bottom when she’s ready but she does it with terrific form and a great deal of control.




I think we’re all going to be lost next Saturday without our skiing, but I’m sure we’ll get out there at least once more before the snow leaves us.

This is known as the Friday Fill-In. I’ve never done one of these before but have seen them on a couple of blogs including this one and this one.

1.I'm happy its Friday, I'm going to head outside soon to pick up all the dead branches on my lawn left by the storms this winter and recently revealed by this unusual thaw, I am totally pumped about surprising my girls after school today.

2. Why do I have the ability to see the good in other people and not see it in myself.

3. How does this iPod thing really work, anyway?

4. Every morning, I put BioSilk anti frizz on my hair.

5. I consider myself lucky because I am still in love with my husband.

6. One day we’ll see this recession end.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to picking my girls up early from school and surprising them, tomorrow my plans include skiing lessons and family skiing and Sunday, I want to relax and enjoy my surroundings – and maybe do a little scrapbooking!


Enjoy your day and your weekend.

No Title

This is a very quick post since I haven’t posted in so long. This week was a blur of activity. I’ve been neglecting a number of things around the house and I tried to really focus and get it done. I was successful.

Isobel had some teeth pulled on Wednesday.




She was a trooper. And now, it’s like it never actually happened. Kids are so resilient. I’m not sure I would have bounced back quite so quickly.

I got caught up on my 365 pages. Here’s the two I did this week:




The layout is basically the same as for January with just a couple of little changes.

Since I don’t have much to say, I thought I’d share this page that I just completed (digitally) for an online challenge:



Then there’s these pages that I did (again, digitally) some time ago but really like:




This is a paper page from 2004 that I got done one Tuesday afternoon:



That’s it for me.

Hopefully I’ll have more to say tomorrow, or the next day or even the day after that!!

Rock on.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Love Day, Everyone.



You have to watch closely.





Meredith is the girl in red that comes at the camera with her arms in the air and Isobel comes after, dressed in pale purple.

This video was for you, Mom. Unfortunately, I shot it with my cheapie little Fuji camera and it does not have audio. What you don’t get is my girls saying Happy Valentine’s Day and they go swooshing past me. Aren’t they turning into terrific skiers?

This was the first day we have all skied together after lessons. I think they are both doing tremendously well. Being able to ski together is something we’ve been working toward all season. This is how we’ll be spending our Saturdays for the next three weeks! I am so looking forward to it.

This is the girls on the drive home.





I think they’ll both sleep well tonight.

Running again.

Today I ran. Outside. I haven’t run outside in such a long time and it felt so good. I think I probably did as much walking as running but with 8C temperatures, why would I go to the gym?

There was a time when I ran outside religiously 3 times a week. I even managed to run 10K. Wow. I wish I could get there again. It’s the only time in my life when I’ve been able to lose weight and actually keep it off. I had a few injuries that stopped me from running and once you stop, it is so hard to get back there again. It’s a nasty cycle. You stop running, the weight comes back and it gets harder to run. Harder from a cardio perspective but also harder on your body. Sometimes my knees and hips ached so much I couldn’t bear the thought of running.

Today, although it is warm, it is a particularly dreary day. I love dreary days, especially for running. I wonder what that says about me? Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the sun. Especially the way it was earlier this week. Something about a sunny day in the middle of winter helps to lift the spirits and reminds us that spring is coming. But for running, gray is better. No sun beating down on my head making me hot and getting in my eyes making it hard to see.

This was the view looking up my street.



Dreary, huh? Yet, beautiful at the same time.

Lots of fog in the background that made me feel like I was running in my own private world. I loved it. Remind me of that the next time I’m complaining about it, okay?

Over the past few weeks I’ve been making a real effort to get to the gym and run on the treadmill. The amounts of snow and extreme cold temperatures have made it very hard to run outside. Also, I’ve discovered if I run inside on a treadmill with a TV attached I can watch ‘The View’ or ‘Regis and Kelly’! While I’m not normally a person who watches those show, I do find it makes the run so much easier. I hardly notice the time go by.

My goal? To be able to run in the OTMH 5K in June. It’s on Father’s Day. I’d also like to be able to run 10K again. I’m not setting myself a weight loss goal. That’s not foremost in my mind right now. As long as I’m healthy and able to run, the rest will come.

Eleanor Rossevelt said “ You must do the thing, you think you cannot do.” Words to live by, my friends.

Now, I need to shower.

Some Pages, Some Stuff

I don’t know what’s going on with me lately. I just don’t seem to be able to sit down and focus on a task and actually get it completed. I’ve got all kinds of things on the go, none of which are completed. It’s leaving me feeling very undone and discombobulated. Tomorrow, I need to FOCUS on one thing at a time and actually get something done. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Having said all that, here are the first 2 pages of my Project 365 album which I did manage to get done last week. Notice all those little snowflakes on the pages? It is my intention to add them to the pages I’ve already done for January.





Now I need to get off my duff and come up with my page design for February. I may have to scraplift one of Barb’s lovely 365 pages.

This year for Christmas I made digital calendars for myself, my mother and my mother in law. I haven't included the monthly grids but here are the calendar pages:














We had a good weekend full of ski lessons and birthday parties. Saturday night was a sleepover for both the girls in Burlington. They came home tired and happy. Dave and I took the opportunity to head to the ROM in Toronto and just hang out. It’s so nice to have that time together to reconnect. Life gets so busy sometimes with kids and programs and life, it’s nice to just slow it down a bit and be a couple instead of responsible parents. It’s also nice to know that after being together as long as we have, we can still talk for hours and make each other laugh. For that, I am thankful.

This Post Is For Donna And Mary!

Don't you guys feel special? These are the pages I was talking about. If you want to see a larger image just hover you mouse over the picture and 'click'.

For those of you who are peeking and are not Donna or Mary, these are some digi pages I did of our trip out to the east coast a couple of years ago.







Thanks for looking. Let me know what you think.

I'm Back

My apologies for not posting this week. I just haven’t been in the mood. I haven’t been in the mood for much of anything. Actually, I think the February blahs are setting in. However, this is the first day of a new week and I’m going to chase those blahs away!!!

I got my 365 page for the week done:



I know, I know. It looks just like last week’s page. And the week before that. I’m trying to focus on the photos more than the page design and originally I was going to do the entire album with the same basic page design. As I get into this, I realize I’m not going to be able to do the same page 52 times. I just can’t do it. However, I also know that if I’m going to keep this up, it needs to be easy. So, I’m going to do a different page design each month. Today is the first of February so you’ll see a brand new page next week!! Isn’t that exciting? Of course, I still have those first 2 weeks of January to do and they’ll be the same, but, whatever.

Here are a couple of paper pages I’ve done recently:







My apologies for the poor quality. Actually they look a little wonky too. I don’t have a scanner, so I’m taking a photo of the pages and then cropping out my dining room table before posting. Unfortunately, I just can’t seem to get the edges straight. Oh well. You get the general idea, right?

Okay, I’m off now. I’m supposed to be watching the Super Bowl but I figured I watched the half time show and that’s what’s most important, right? LOL

I promise to post more this week. Guides honour.

One last thing. Are you reading my blog and afraid to let me know you’re reading it? It’s okay. That’s what blogs are for. I’d love to know you’re out there!!! It makes me feel loved.

Later, dudes.

The Weekend

Our weekends have been very relaxing lately.

This weekend on Friday night, after dinner, we had ourselves a little euchre tournament. I have to admit I really enjoy playing cards and did quite a lot of it in high school and through university. It’s funny for me to see the two of them knocking on the table and throwing their cards down. I really get a charge out of it.

We’ve got skiing lessons for the girls on Saturday mornings. Our original plan was to ski as a family after their lesson, but after careful consideration, Dave and I decided that might not be a great idea. He and I are not the most patient people, especially when we’re trying to teach our children how to do something, so we figured it would be best to let the instructors do the instructing.

I think it was a very wise decision on our part.

The girls are really enjoying their lessons and don’t feel any pressure to advance any faster than they are comfortable. This week, Isobel was on the ‘big hill’. She was worried about it when she went to bed Friday night but faced her fears head on. She came down the hill that first time with a HUGE smile on her face. It’s so great to see them enjoying something I enjoy so much. I’m optimistic that sometime within the next month we’ll get to have that Saturday afternoon of family skiing that I’m so looking forward to.

It has been quite cold hanging out around the bottom of the hill while the girls have their lessons. The wind really whips through Glen Eden but unfortunately we’ve found the chalet is too crowded to find seats to wait inside. This week I found these things in the mud room closet when I cleaned it out. I have no idea how long they’ve been in there but, boy, do I love them. I put one in each of my boots and my tootsies were toasty warm. Nothing says ‘I’m happy’ quite like warm feet.

This weekend after skiing Isobel had a birthday party so Dave and I got to hang out with Meredith. We had a lovely lunch with her. She had a science test to study for so while she did that, he and I donated the two desks in the basement and put an old tin topped table in their place. It’s looking a little less crowded down there. A little.

Sunday, Dave plays squash in the mornings while I do some chores around the house. This time it was Meredith’s turn to be out (at a friends house) after lunch so Dave and I got to hang out with Isobel. We took her downtown for a hot chocolate. When we got home, it was time to Wii. Man, I love that thing. Are adults allowed to admit that? It’s a lot of fun. I even enjoy watching the girls while they play.

It was a great weekend. And while I feel like I was totally able to relax, I feel like I was productive and got stuff done too. Plus it was a bonus to have some time alone with each of the girls.

On the funnier side of things, Meredith is studying the solar system in science right now and has been studying this weekend for a test on Monday. She’s quite fascinated by the planet Uranus and can’t help but giggle every time she reads about it. She wants to know who would give a planet such a name. You can only imagine what other conversations we have had about the word ‘Uranus’ and its connotations.

Yet another sign, my girl is getting older.

Well, I guess I’m back to my long posts. Sleep well, my reader, and have yourself a great day.

Things Are Changing

I’m noticing my blog posts seem to be a little lengthy.

Today will be different.

There’s nothing wrong. I’ve had a good week. I’ve managed to get stuff done, workout and stay sane. I just don’t have much to say. (Surprise! Surprise!)

I had Meredith home from school yesterday. Not terribly sick, just a little sniffly but I’m finding she’s getting quite hormonal of late and I felt she needed the day to just regroup and get herself together.

It worked.

Today, she was a different kid. Very happy, very together and only a little sniffly.

But while she was home, I found myself floundering around, unsure of my role and what I needed to do. It used to be, when Meredith was home sick, I had to cancel all my plans for that day and spend the day watching TV with her, doing crafts with her and reading to her. I hovered around, but she really didn’t need me. She watched a movie by herself, had some computer time, and did a bit of homework while I went out and did the groceries and when I got back, she helped me put them away. After we had some lunch together she crawled into bed to read her book. When she was up in her bed, I worried that I was neglecting her. I went up to ask if she needed anything or wanted to do anything and she told me she was exactly where she wanted to be. She’s getting older and more independent and I’m going to have to adjust and get used to it.

I think we’re heading in a new direction.

I hope I’m up for the challenge.

Scrapbooking Projects.

I am certainly in a scrapbooking frame of mind these days.

I’m embarking on a year long challenge called Project 365. I wasn’t going to do it, but when I thought about it and saw my friend Barb’s first page, I decided to join her on this journey.

The idea is to take a photo a day and then scrapbook it. The photo can be anything. It can be related to your day or not. It can be a person, a place or a thing. It can be whatever you want it to be. The theory is that by taking a photo a day, it will improve your photography skills and get you into the habit of taking photos on a regular basis. I think also, when the album is done, it will give the reader a glimpse into what your life was like at that point in time. The scrapbook pages are to be simple. I’ve created a couple of digital templates that I will use for each and every page. The key here is to keep it simple.

Here’s the cover page for my album:

And here’s my first page:



It's actually the third page for the album as I am two weeks behind, but it is the first page I've completed. Hopefully by next week, I’ll be able to put the other 2 together.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m working on pages from 2004. Here’s another one of those:



The goal for me with these pages is to use the paper and supplies that I planned for the photos almost 4 years ago. That’s a tough one for me, but so far, so good. The paper and stickers on this page were bought for me by my good friend Nicola many years ago. Thanks Nic!!

Wish me luck!

My List

I have so much rolling around in my head right now. This is the list of projects I am working on or wanting to work on:

Project 365 – You take photo a day for each day of the year, then scrapbook a page per week using only a single photo per day. This sounds like a really cool idea but I am worried about the time it will take.

This blog – I’d love to spend more time on it and make it a little better.

My volunteer duties for the schools.

I’m trying to get to the gym as many days as possible.

I purchased a self paced online course in the fall for a program called ACDsee that I use to store my digital scrapbooking supplies. I have yet to actually do the course and my digi supplies are all over the place – very stressful for me.

Keeping in touch with friends and family.

All my unfinished paper scrapbook pages. I’ve got 8 sitting on my desk right now.

Scrapbook pages for November/December 2008. There are 8 of those on my desk too.

Eating healthy – not going so well so far.

My iPod Nano is full and I really need to organize my music so I’ve got what I really want on the Nano.

Books – those vampire novels are killin’ me (no pun intended!) right now. Plus, there are just so many good books out there I want to read.

I’ve also got a stack of magazines next to my chair that I’d like to read.

I made myself a scarf in the fall and would like to finish the hat and mitts to go along with it.

Keeping the house clean and my family fed.

Spending time with my family and really and truly enjoying them.

You will notice that 90% of this list is comprised of things I want to do and not things I really need to do. I am very much a project oriented person. I need to have things on the go or I’m bored and unhappy, but really? I think the list is a little long. And I’m quite confident I’ve missed out on a couple of things. I think my word for 2009 should be RELAX or even PRIORITZE. I am so grateful that my lifestyle allows me to have so many things I want to do on my list as opposed to things I must do.

I’ll keep you posted and let you know how many of these things I actually do. I can feel myself getting all worked up even as I write this. I really need to relax and chill out and decide what’s most important here.

For today, I’m going to tidy up the house, go to the gym, hit the LCBO for some Bailey’s and some wine (perhaps that will help me relax?) and work on those unfinished scrapbook pages. And think more about my Project 365 photos. I think that’s good for today, don’t you? Oh, and I will feed my family too!!

I Vant to Suck Your Blood!!!

I’m starting to think I might be a little twisted. Well, actually I’ve known for some time that I’m twisted but I’ve managed to hide it from all but my closest and dearest friends. I think it’s time to come out and let the world know that, yes indeed, I am a twisted individual.

What has sparked this, you ask? Well, it’s my obsession with vampires.

It started, I realized, back in my early twenties with the Anne Rice Interview With A Vampire series of books. I loved those books back then and read them all. Many years passed and my vampire obsession receded until last year with the Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight trilogy. Wow. Those are some good books. I was a little embarrassed to be reading them because they are technically ‘teen fiction’ but read them I did. Each one in under a week, I might add. I was sad when they ended, but then one day I was surfing this blog and read a post about the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris that the blogger was reading.

More vampire books? Really? How exciting for me.

Not only did I find out about the novels, I also found out there is an HBO series called True Blood that is based on them. Score for me!!

I’ve managed to watch the first season of True Blood. Poor Dave. He is one of the few who knows exactly how twisted I am but I don’t think he was counting on being sucked into the vampire madness.

Anyway, now I’m devouring those novels. This one:



is my current obsession. I’ve had it 3 days and it’s almost finished. I must go finish it now!!

Time to Catch Up

It’s been a long time since I posted. I always look forward to the day when the girls go back to school but what I don’t realize is that I’m looking forward to it because I’ve always got so much to do. Errands to run, that I didn’t want to subject them to, people to see that I’ve neglected and of course working out to catch up on which is always the first thing to go when they’re home. This week was a blur of household chores, errands, coffee and breakfast dates and a snow day. Plus Meredith’s birthday party was on Friday.

It was a great party. She invited her friends to participate in a cooking class at our local Great Canadian Superstore. The kids did everything from making the food to tidying up and of course, eating what they had made. Meredith was so happy. This year, for the second year, she asked her friends for donations to the Oakville Humane Society instead of gifts for herself. I am very proud of her for making that decision and I hope she does it again.

Saturday, the girls had their first skiing lesson at Glen Eden. Originally, Dave and I were planning on skiing during the lesson and skiing as a family after, but we decided it might be better to let their instructors teach them to ski, and once they have graduated from the learning hill to the big hill, we’ll ski with them. We didn’t want to push them too hard. They both came off the hill with huge smiles on their faces so I think we made the right decision.

Today, we focused on the house. I attempted to clean it (hard to do with 2 children at home!) but we also rearranged the furniture in the basement to accommodate the Wii. The Wii is a huge hit. Dave and I even hang out down there skiing, bowling and ski jumping after the girls go to bed. If you’re considering one, go for it. It’s the best thing for the entire family!!

Another thing I did today was get rid of candy. Holy cow, I can’t believe how much candy we had in this house. I went through the cupboards and dumped it all on the kitchen table. The top was almost entirely covered. We had Halloween candy, Christmas candy, loot bag candy and miscellaneous candy that we collected somewhere along the way. My kids love to get candy. When we’re out they often ask for it. I’m not above bribery; I usually buy it for them because I know they won’t actually eat it. When we get home, sometimes they have a little, put it away and forget about it and sometimes they just put it away! We have a cookie jar in the cupboard and they only kept what would fit in the jar. The rest we are sending to the office with Dave.

I’m still enjoying my Tuesday scrapping days immensely. I’m up to date for 2008 (just waiting to develop those Christmas photos) and have started going back to 2004 and working on those photos. In 2004, I didn’t manage to scrap much but I did plan pages for all the photos I took. I have promised myself that even though the supplies in my page kits are sometimes a little outdated, I’m going to use what I’ve put away. It’s amazing what you can do if you add just a little newer product to the old or apply a new technique. I love looking back on those photos and remembering the girls when they were little. As always, I don’t manage to complete entire pages. This week I got one page completely done and three are just waiting for things to finish them off. Here’s the one I got done:


Note to self: I really need to learn how to post images of my paper pages. I don't have a scanner. I'll do better next time, I promise!


That’s it for me. I’m still trying to figure out my word for 2009 – Balance? Achieve? Create? I don’t know. Perhaps it should be Decide.

Good luck to you in 2009.

WHEW!

I’m back.

The toys are put away, the tree is down, the house is clean, my husband is back at work and my children are back to school. What a whirlwind Christmas holiday we had.

Not much happened the week before Christmas and I think that somehow spurred us to make plans for the second week. And make plans we did.

Christmas Day was a blur of eating and gift opening. Dave and I got the girls a Wii for Christmas so the latter part of the day was spent boxing and playing tennis and even bowling. It really is great fun. What I particularly like about it is that although it is a video game, you are up and moving about instead of parking your butt on the couch. Dave and I boxed (he won!!) and the next day my arms and shoulders were all sore. I’m looking forward to getting Wii Fit in the future and doing some yoga in the privacy of my own home.

I don’t know what we did over the next few days but I know there was some shopping in there, some entertaining, a movie and of course, we got all those pesky decorations down and put away.

I went to Buffalo for 2 days on a wee shopping trip with my scrapbooking friends. There were definitely bargains to be had down there. I returned home tired and happy.

For New Years Eve, we enjoyed some glow in the dark bowling (HAPPY NEW YEAR, by the way!) then went to a neighbour’s house for some drinks. The girls were emphatic that they wanted to stay up until midnight. Dave and I were both tired but we did manage to see the New Year in. What I thought was funny was that as soon as we all toasted the new year, our girls immediately went and got their coats etc. on. They had done what they came to do and they were ready to go to bed. Both slept until 10 the next morning.

We went tubing at Chicopee and skiing in Beaver Valley and before we knew it, it was time to get everyone back to school and back to work and back to our regularly scheduled life. I love the holiday season and all it brings with it but I am happy to be back to our regular routine.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about 2009 and what my goals are. I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions but I do like to have goals for the year. I don’t ever write them down and have forgotten what my goals were for 2008. Handy, huh? I think my goals for the year are to be less scattered and more organized, to take care of myself by eating healthier and moving my body on a daily basis. I need to be better about giving my children my full attention when they need it but taking time to myself when life allows. I need to scrapbook more. It truly is a need and not a want. When I record our life’s stories in my scrapbooks and put it down on paper, it does more for me than fill my time. Creating is important and being creative is too. Scrapbooking always puts me in a good mood and as I move upward and onward in age, I need things that make me happy.

I’ve also been trying to come up with a word for 2009 as outlined on Ali’s blog. I have yet to come up with one but I am toying with a few. If I manage to nail it down I will share it here.

Anyway, enough pontificating for now. I need to go get ready for my day at the scrapbook store tomorrow. And I’m going to hit the gym on my way home.

Christmas Eve

Busy, busy, busy around here right now. I’ve put up a couple of posts that have been rattling around in my head lately. I’d already written them when they occurred but didn’t have the time to post.

We’re gearing up and getting ready for THE BIG DAY and the visit from THE BIG GUY.

Yesterday I got together with my scrapping friends for a Christmas party and gift exchange. It was so much fun. I know I am still quite quiet when I’m there but I’m really enjoying my scrapping days. I’m getting a ton done, and it’s just great to be able to get together with a bunch of women on a regular basis who are interested in scrapbooking to the same extent I am. Plus, it’s been great reconnecting with Barb. I wish I had worked harder at keeping in touch with her after Isobel was born.

Today we are wrapping some presents, baking cookies for THE BIG GUY and heading to Grandma’s house for an appetizer/hors d’oeuvres supper in the evening. The girls will both sleep in Meredith’s room and, I’m sure, will be up way before the sun tomorrow.

Merry Christmas to anyone enjoying my blog (or just reading it!). I hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow and enjoy all that Santa leaves under your tree.

My Poor Truck

$8,000.00.







Can you believe it? Eight THOUSAND dollars worth of damage to my truck from last week’s accident. It’s not that the damage was so bad. It’s just that we managed to ding almost every single piece on the front end, plus a couple of mechanical things under the hood that needed replacing.

They tell us it won’t be ready until the New Year.

Wow.

Thank goodness for car insurance. That’s all I have to say.

Christmas Decorations

How can someone who dislikes Christmas decorating own so many boxes of decorations?



They took over my entire mud room when we brought them in from the shed.

It’s not that I don’t like Christmas – I do. It’s a great opportunity to spend time and reconnect with family. I love having everyone home. I love that everything is closed and we have to stay at home. I love the presents and gift giving and I love the anticipation of a new year. I just don’t love the clutter of the decorations. And I don't love all the work. Perhaps it is because we put the tree up so late and always put it away on New Years Day. I suppose, I’m just not a decorator (much to my Mother In Law’s chagrin!), and as I get older I do less of what I should do and do more of what I want to do. Don’t get me wrong, when I go to someone else’s house and it’s decorated, I think it looks beautiful. I just don’t seem to need that at my house.


Our tree in the sun room. Decorated almost exclusively by Meredith and Isobel. Don't you just love it when you check the lights before you put them on the tree and they all work just fine. But then, you get them on the tree and plug them in and they don't work? Yeah. That seems to happen to us every year!!

Anyway, bah humbug. I don’t mean to be so negative. We decorated on the weekend (Dec 13/14), and the girls loved it. They enjoy setting up the decorations and moving things around. They love to arrange it all ‘just so’.



This is the tree they do for the basement. It is full of all the various homemade decorations they have made over the years.

I suppose that answers my original question.

I continue to do it for my children.

We've Been Elfed

Send your own ElfYourself eCards