Aw, shucks...

Fellow blogger Jen gave me this cute blog award. Thanks, Jen! That's sweet! :) And back atcha!

My Current Obsession...

...is Cards For Heroes! I've seen the name around, on message boards, websites, etc. but I only recently just got curious enough to look into it further. All I can say is, WOW! What a great organization!! The website is very informative, very thorough - go take a look! To explain a bit about Cards For Heroes, I've borrowed their mission statement from their website:

OUR MISSION

To support our nation's armed forces by sending blank greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them.

Doesn't sound like to much to ask, especially in the face of the enormous commitment and sacrifice these individuals are making for the good of their country and many others!

I was so fired up after getting onto their website that I've put together about two dozen cards so far that I'm going to send off, and I'm going to continue to collect them and send them when I've accumulated a good amount again. This is an American based organization, and I have looked about for a Canadian equivalent, and I have not been able to find anything. If anybody has any information about being able to support our Canadian troops in this way, please let me know! Regardless, I am going to and will continue to support Cards for Heroes.

I have amassed a large amount of cards over the years, either through taking classes or just indulging my need to cut paper and wield glue. I could easily assemble more cards than I could ever use just through my love for crafting, so now I've found the perfect finish line for my never ending marathon of scrapbooking/cardmaking! I urge you to visit the Cards for Heroes website - as I said, it is very thorough, and very touching as well. A seemingly very small gesture of appreciation and fellowship on our part can have such a postive, rewarding impact on these strangers overseas who are putting their lives on the line for us every day - how wonderful that we have the ability to take this hobby, this passion, of ours to a whole other level of meaning in such a simple way!

My Love Affair With Summer Continues...

Ah, summer...sweet, sweet summer! How I do love thee!

It is some kind of weird karma that made me a sun-worshipping, summer loving, redheaded and freckled pale person who couldn't get even the slightest tan to save her life and burns at the drop of a hat, even after applying the highest SPF known to humankind!

If summer was a man, I'd marry him!

If summer was a child, I'd adopt her.

If summer was an elixer, I'd drink it...

As it is, I declare summer to be my drug of choice and I am high on it! (*disclaimer: the writer of this blog is simply trying to drive home a point and does not, in any way, shape, or form, advocate the use of illegal, illicit, and/or ill-advised street drugs or prescription narcotics).

I trust that you get where I'm going with this?!

And yes, I am aware that technically, it won't even officially be summer for another couple of weeks, but I'm all about 'the early bird gets the worm', and 'Carpe Diem', etc. so I'm getting the jump on summer, it's happening now, and I am positively swooning!

The Joy of Gardening...

Well, we've got the first long weekend of the summer under our belt, and overall, I'd say it's been a pretty durn good one! The weather, for the most part, was fab!! So warm, so sunny...so much so that I didn't mind the rain today. It really felt like a 'warm summer rain' too...Ah, summer, how I've longed for your arrival! I did a significant amount of yard/garden work this weekend, and between the sun and heat, and then the rain today, it's incredible how much growing and blooming has occurred in just two days! Nature is truly amazing! I just love my yard and garden so much - I can't imagine what it would be like to own a house with a big yard in the front and in the back...oh the possibilities!! One can dream...

I've pretty much run out of room for any more perennials but I find it very difficult not to add something new each year...I think I'm going to have to invest in some large containers in order to fulfill my need to propagate.

Sidebar: When I first wrote that last sentence about 'propagation', I was going to be cheeky and follow with, "Stevie, honey, if you are reading this, don't worry! 'Propagate' and 'procreate' are not the same thing!", but then I looked 'propagate' up on www.dictionary.com and, lo and behold, it pretty much means the exact same thing! Oops! My bad! To me, propagate is a plant term whereas procreate is more of a human or animal term, but I was wrong! So just for final clarification, I used the phrase, "...in order to fulfill my need to propagate" in relation to my enjoyment of gardening and planting more plants! Nothing more! Okay. Sidebar over.

Finding more room for planting perennials is just one of the advantages of moving towards containers for gardening. The other advantage is that it makes it much easier to bring my beloved plants with me if we ever did end up buying a house. I hate the thought of having to leave any of my plants behind. I could probably transplant some of them, but others, like my Japanese maples and my magnolia are maturing and becoming quite settled. I don't know that they would survive any attempts made to transplant them. Oh well, for now it's a moot point.

One thing that I certainly fantasize about when it comes to owning our own home, is having my own vegetable garden, as well as a couple of fruit trees and some berry bushes. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of spending summers at my grandparents' house. They had a decent sized vegetable garden and I so loved going out in the afternoon with my grandma to pull up a couple of potato plants and some carrots, throwing the dirt-covered veggies onto the grass, hosing them off, and then bringing them into the kitchen to scrub, slice, and cook. My grandparents also had several fruit trees. My brother and sister and I would just pick up apples or pears or plums that had fallen to the ground and eat them where we were standing. I don't know that the raspberry bushes would have yielded enough raspberries to make a pie, but then again, we never gave them a chance to. We'd be out in the yard playing with the go-karts our Grandpa made us or building forts with lawnchairs and sheets and we'd frequently drop whatever it was that we were doing to run over to the bushes and stuff raspberries into our mouths - little bitty insects and all. We didn't care! We were children, it was our childhood, and ingesting small bugs was just part of the grandness of it all!

I want some of these experiences for my children. For now, though, as I said earlier, I really do love the yard and garden that I've got and I am looking forward to many happy days spent there this summer with my children!

Another 'Comedy Moment', brought to you by Casey...

I'm telling you...the kid cracks me up.

Early this morning, I was sitting on the couch in our living room, putting on my makeup with a little hand held mirror. It's how I 'get ready' every morning that I have to go to work. Whenever Casey wakes up, he comes downstairs and sits right up against me and snuggles to keep warm. It's one of my favorite 'everyday' routines. I hadn't had my tea or breakfast yet and my stomach started to growl, so I said, "Mommy's getting hungry! Did you hear my stomach rumbling?" Casey looks up at me with his beautiful big brown eyes and says, "Are you sure that wasn't your bum flute?" Sigh...another beautiful mother/son moment. By the time this boy gets married, I'm going to have SO much material to provide the MC with!

TGIF! What?! Wait a minute...what the...?!

All day today I have been thinking that it's Friday! If it was Thursday, I could live with that, but Wednesday?! I'm really ahead of myself. I actually had to put a big sticky note up on my computer screen at work that says "today is WEDNESDAY!". Sigh...It's a good Wednesday, though, and I don't work Thursdays, so I guess I'm doing alright! I'm probably all upside down and turned around because my sister and her daughter arrived here yesterday so we hung out at my place last night later than we normally would with the kids on a school night, so maybe that makes it feel more like "weekend mode".

My sister moved to the States over three years ago and hasn't been able to return home since. I say "home" meaning here, where she came from, but her home now IS the States, with her husband and children. It's been a long process for her to get her immigration status/legalities worked out, but finally, this past Friday, she got the news that it had all been approved, and so here she is, finally! We've been down to visit her several times, but it's good to have her here. Let the 'just hangin' out' begin! She'll be staying through Mother's Day. All I can say is, photo ops galore! Speaking of Mother's Day, I've got a request for Mother Nature herself. How 'bout some sunshine?! Please?! It's a special occasion! My sister - my best friend and her little daughter - our little niece, our little cousin - are finally here! We've got some ground to cover - places to go, people to see, things to do...using photographic equipment is oh so much easier when it's dry! Plus, it's just so much easier with the kids!



My fingers are crossed! Truly though, I'm just so happy to have these two oh-so-special people here that the weather is secondary.

Let the good times roll, rain or shine!

Earth Day Spotlight - Coyotes

This past Saturday was the 9th Annual Earth Day Event at Everett Crowley Park. Here is the event description, borrowed from the Earth Day Canada website:

"Everett Crowley Park was once used as Vancouver’s landfill. VanEast Parks Department in cooperation with Everett Crowley Committee Members and Community Volunteers have turned this abused site into the “jewel of East Vancouver.” Planting of native species and removal of invasive alien plant species is undertaken annually by the Community at each annual Earth Day Event and created a beautiful park for all to enjoy. The site has Viewpoints which offer stunning views across the Fraser River overlooking lush green market gardens and to the East a magnificent view of Mount Baker. Eagles, hawks and owls fly overhead, nature walks and birding tours are offered by the Committee. People of all ages now walk and play in open areas surrounded by towering evergreens. In 2008, 5,000 people came to enjoy a day of free live entertainment, learned new things, got down and planted and had a wonderful day in the Park. Educational booths offer information on how each of us can make small changes in our daily lives to help protect our environment for today and for future generations. We expect a large turnout this year to enjoy what has become an eagerly anticipated event."

All three of my children and I walked over around noon to see what was going on. This was the first year that we attended. It was wonderful! So much to see and do, and there were so many friends and neighbours there to wave to or stop and chat with.

The Stanley Park Ecology Society had an information booth set up which focused on "Co-existing with Coyotes". I found it to be very interesting - I've seen many coyotes in the city - from a distance as well as a few 'too close for comfort' encounters. The SPEC steward who was manning the booth had a homemade 'coyote shaker' that he was demonstrating and passing about. I had never heard of one before, but now that I've seen one, I've decided that it is going to be this week's craft project with the kids! Here is some infomation from SPEC's website:

The Coyote Shaker

Materials:
•Pop or juice can
•About 40 pennies
•Aluminum foil
•Duct tape


Instructions:
1.Place the pennies in the can
2.Cover the opening with tape
3.Cut a piece of foil and tape it around the can


Using the Shaker
Shake the tin at the coyote while slowly moving towards an area of increased activity. The shaker scares the approaching coyote in three ways, through:

1.Aggressive hand motion
2.Loud noise
3.Reflective light

The shaker easily fits in a pocket or bag.

Also from the SPEC website, "It may surprise some readers that the Co-existing with Coyotes program encourages people to harass coyotes. Coyotes are opportunists and always learning, it's a major factor in their success. By harassing a coyote that shows no fear of people, or follows your dog, you send it a message that they have been recognized and that they need to keep their distance. Without a reasonable fear of people, coyotes and other urban wildlife will often become habituated, thereby increasing the potential for conflicts with humans. The most common conflicts involve coyotes attacking pets."

Certainly a good perspective to keep in mind! Happily, I know two little boys with big imaginations and lots of energy for adventure who will be raring to head back to the park to make some noise with their newly constructed, SPEC sanctioned gadgets! I'll arm myself with my ecologically sound, reusable coffee canteen and my camera of choice and I'll be just as eager to head out, in pursuit of little boys' laughter, sunshine, and good photo ops! Fun for all ages!

Good Morning on Good Friday...

Good morning, good morning, what a good morning it is! The sun is shining, the birds are singing...and I mean, the birds are really singing!! They are quite a lively, busy, active little bunch around here! In fact, at times they sound almost lunatic - such a rapid, fervent cacophony they make. Some of my neighbours complain about their noise, but I love it. I welcome it! It always heralds the arrival of spring, and I will celebrate that always! True, the little winged wonders do start up on the early side each morning - sometimes while '4' is still the first number you see on the digital clock glowing beside the bed, but I will never complain. My mood, my energy, my frame of mind depends too much on the spring and summer seasons, and the weather they bring, to ever grieve any non sequitur like birdsong.

I feel very fortunate to live where I do. I believe that one of the things that British Columbia, and Vancouver, is recognized for is our abundance of wildlife, trees, and greenery. The neighbourhood I live in within Vancouver is almost a parklike setting. Woods and trails and ponds and creeks, all just above the mighty Fraser River. During the summer, I can look out my living room window and barely be able to make out the townhouse complex next door to us, or even my neighbours houses across from my backyard, for all the full, broad, mature (mostly deciduous) trees there are. They are a wonderful privacy screen, and they provide such great sunshade for the children out playing in the summer. It's somewhat startling, in the autumn, to have almost all the leaves fall away to reveal (gasp!) civilization! So dense, and so close - just on the other side of the fence!

I used to associate 'birdwatching' with either odd, antisocial, professor-type men, or your stereotypical 'little old lady' - ancient and frail, looking out her kitchen window at her generous array of birdfeeders, making sure all of her dear little birdies have their seed through the winter. Well, darned if I am not turning into a bit of a birdwatcher myself! How could I not?! I'll be sitting on the couch in front of the big window in the living room when a flash of movement catches my eye - what was that?! I turn and look outside, and a robin has landed on the balcony railing. A minute later - flash of movement. I turn my head. Two little chickadees are skipping about outside on the deck. I look out at the empty playground. Nothing going on out there. Or is there? The more I look, the more I see. Little birds swooping quickly by and out of sight....another robin hopping about on the grass...a couple of crows perched above, overseeing things and waiting perhaps for a sign that the robin might be on to something tasty...And farther above in the sky overtop of the neighbouring townhouse complex, some seagulls are circling about. Seagulls...well I'll be. There's nary a sea around here, and we're a bit more than a stone's throw from Kitsilano...I have seen woodpeckers, blue jays, hummingbirds, hawks, great blue herons, Canadian geese, bald eagles and more - on the ground, in the trees, and in the sky above - right in my backyard.

So here at my house, spring is springing, birds are singing - and there is no place I'd rather be!

All Geared Up and Ready To Go!

Today was opening day for Vancouver Minor Baseball. This will be Casey's third year playing. He spent two years in 'Blastball' and has now moved up to 'Mini Tad'. While Blastball has the kids hitting the ball off of a T-stand, the Mini Tads have graduated to a pitching machine, which means new equipment is required. At this level, the team supplies the batting helmet, but it was time for a new glove as Casey had grown out of his old one from last season (Cody happily inherited it), and the other new piece of equipment required at this stage is a jock. Sounds like a Daddy job to me! So, a few days ago, Steve took Casey out to look at getting a new mitt and his first jock. Casey wasn't quite sure what a jock is, so Steve gave him an explanation, involving what I don't know. Casey processed the information and then asked, "You mean like armor for your penis?" I can always count on Casey for a chuckle!

This Month's 'The Inspired Scrapper'...

I am so pleased to say that I was asked to be the Guest Designer this month for 'The Inspired Scrapper'. This fabulous blog is the brain child of Sonja McLean, a whirling dervish of talent and drive whom I have admired for a number of years now, since I first met her at a LSS. I alternate between 'flattered' and 'sheepish' to be included for the month among the very clever and accomplished Design Team members Sonja has working with her at The Inspired Scrapper. This is the layout that I did for this week's 'Rain' themed project. Thank you Sonja, and the rest of the team, for inviting me over to play!

Seven Up!

Fun, fun! My first tagging! I was tagged by Karla to do the following:

Go to the photos folder on your computer.
Go to the seventh folder of photos.
Go to the seventh photo.
Put the seventh photo on your blog along with a description.
Invite seven friends to join.

So here's what the mathematics turned up:



This picture was taken by me on December 21, 2008 - just a few days before Christmas. This Christmas was a white one, and then some! I don't remember there ever being as much snow in winter around here, ever. This isn't a fabulous shot - it's not artsy, or technically sound, or particularly evocative - but here it is, the seventh of seven.

So now - I have to tag seven people. I tag Margot, Eleonor, Rachel, Stacey, Sheryl, Carla, and Kat!

Alright, friends - post your pics!

A Lovebug Blog Challenge...

I'm so excited that Lovebug has a blog! I, like many other people I know, are addicted to blogs, so it's great to have another blog to check in on. For those of you who are not familiar with Lovebug Scrapbooking, it is the friendliest community of scrappers that I have ever encountered. Along with the blog, there is a forum, a store, and a gallery. A little something for everyone!

This challenge was a scraplift challenge, and the chosen layout was by Lys, aka 'iamalloverit'. Lys had turned out to be my 'secret Santa' this past Christmas, and I ended up using some of the chipboard she sent me - thanks again, Lys! I'm not a 'literal' scraplifter - I usually use the inspiration piece as a launching pad and then head off in whatever direction I end up going. With this layout, I kept the basic composition and the 'time' theme, and ran with it. Thank you Lovebug, and thank you, Lys - the blog's first scraplift challenge was good fun!

Just sharing some newfound goodness...

I am absolutely in love with the blogging world, especially as it pertains to scrapbooking, photography, and all things crafty and creative! Last week I discovered this lovely lady's blog o' plenty, and this week via her blog, I linked up to this creative wunderkind. The goodness just never ends, I tell you!

A funny email...

My sister sent me a funny email today that actually made me laugh, and because I could relate to enough of it, I thought I'd repeat it here:






BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN

Your Clothes:

1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.

2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.

3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth:

1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.

2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.

3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

The Layette:

1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.

2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.

3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

Worries:

1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper, a frown--you pick up the baby.

2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.

3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Pacifier:

1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.

2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.

3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering:

1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.

2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours,if needed.

3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Activities:

1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics , Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.

2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.

3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.

Going Out:

1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.

2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.

3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

At Home:

1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.

2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.

3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins (a childhood classic):

1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.

2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.

3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!

So how much did you find yourself relating to this?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Top of the morning to ye! Kiss me! I'm (1/16th) Irish!

Wishing everybody, green or otherwise, a very Happy St. Patrick's Day!








An Irish Blessing, to mark the occasion:

Lucky stars above you,
Sunshine on your way,
Many friends to love you,
Joy in work and play-
Laughter to outweigh each care,
In your heart a song-
And gladness waiting everywhere
All your whole life long!

And one more, for good measure:

May you be half an hour in Heaven
Before the Devil knows you’re dead!

Sláinte chugat
(Good health to you!)

Cup Half Full...

Okay. Lying here feeling all sorry for myself is getting old, so now I'm taking a moment to focus on some positive things.

Positive Thing #1
In between naps, I have been blog-hopping, checking out other people's links, etc. and I serendipitously happened upon a blog called 'One Little Word'. OMGosh - I'm in love!! My boring, painfully long sick days have now turned into lots of free time to dig into this blog! Yay!

Positive Thing #2
Casey came home from soccer school super stoked, proudly sporting a new jersey, and not nearly as wet as I anticipated him to be!!

Positive Thing #3
My sinuses popped, relieving much pressure in my face AND in my ears - and I'm actually feeling clearer right now than I have in days!

Positive Thing #4
My husband. There will never be enough words, or enough time, to ever be able to come anywhere close to expressing just how amazing he is and how lucky I am.

Positive Thing #5
I just realized today that I have had this blog for over TWO years already!! How is that possible?? I was so skeptical when I first started it, somewhat sheepish about having it, but have grown to love it ever so much!! It has been so great, so fun...so here's to another couple of years of happy blogging in Jillville! :)

Frustrated!!!

So here I am again and still, blogging from bed. Dang it! I am no better today than I was almost a week ago when I first got sick, and I'm super p*ssed about it!! I would so rather be at work! I would so rather be cleaning the house! I would so rather be doing anything other than lying in my bed, stuffy and achy and tired and BORED TO DEATH!! Frustrated!! I promised myself that this was NOT going to be another self-indulgent post about poor me I'm sick boo hoo etc. SO - moving right along...

Let's talk about the rain! Ah yes, Vancouver's liquid sunshine. Such a classic Spring Break on the Wet Coast! Casey's in a week long half-day soccer school program and he is super excited about it! Of course, we signed him up for this before he came down with pneumonia, ear infection, etc. So now he's out in the elements, running around, exerting himself, soaked through from head to toe...I remember reading a long time ago a magazine or newspaper article called "Old Wives Tales Debunked!" or some such thing. The article stated that the whole myth about kids catching cold from being out in the rain and/or cold etc. was untrue - colds are caused by viruses, not weather. Okay, makes sense. But I still can't shake my sense of guilt about sending my newly recovered Casey outside for three hours on a day like today! He has been SO excited about it though - to tell him he can't go would probably be worse for him than the weather and us Vancouverites, we gotta be tough! We can't slow down or stop for a little rain! We'd cease to exist!! I remember seeing a t-shirt when I was a kid - it said, "Welcome to the Vancouver Rain Festival! September 1 to August 31!". It took me a minute to figure it out, but once I did - HAH! I loved it! And that about sums it up, doesn't it?! So that takes up back to Spring Break. I do feel disappointed about the weather. Between the rain and me being sick, there's not much fun going on around here for the kids. So, I have to toss aside most, if not all, of my plans with them for the week, but I'm still holding out for Friday. We have been planning on driving down to Seattle to spend the weekend with my sister and her family - my little niece is turning 2 on the first day of Spring! She's only seven weeks younger than Cody. We haven't gotten together with all the kids in months and months, so this trip HAS to happen!! I HAVE to be better by then! Rain or shine, it will be a splendid, excellent, super fun time. Fingers crossed!

Sigh...mustering effort...

Gotta love a laptop! I'm home sick from work today and am blogging from bed! If I didn't feel so sh*tty, I'd feel decadent! I have to confess - I am a big, sniveling, whining wimp when I am sick! I loudly and proudly display all of the characteristics and mannerisms that, in healthy days, I actively despise in other people! I hate being sick - and one of the reasons why, I realized yesterday through today, is that it's boring, and it is the only time that I am ever bored! Too tired, achy, creaky, snotty, weakened, sweaty, chilly, itchy, irritable, thirsty, chapped to be able to do anything. Clothing on my skin is uncomfortable and annoying, my bed sheets and covers get all twisted and tangled, my hair is all flattened and agitating...the curtains are closed when I want them open, then they are open when I want them closed...my beloved bed and mattress now seem much to high off the ground to bother swinging my feet around and down to the floor to get up and fix the curtains - besides, I'm too stiff and sore. I try doing a Sudoku puzzle but my pen runs out - aw, for f*cks sake! - FINE! I'll multitask to make it worthwhile - haul myself miserably out of bed, head to the bathroom (you know how when you're sick so that it even hurts to pee?!), shuffle back to my room, find another pen, head over to the curtains and fix them to be however they're going to be until they again end up all wrong, and then stagger back to bed, straighten (at least a little bit - too weak to do it all)the covers, climb WAY up onto the mattress that, until I felt so wretchedly miserable, was coveted for it's high, plush qualities, fall back against the pillows with a sacrificial, wheezing sigh...burning hot again and winded from this taxing, torturous trek...

I told you. I'm pathetic. The worst! Of note, (and yes, I am fully aware of the absolute hypocrisy of this) if anybody else EVER behaved in my vicinity even remotely like I do when sick, I would gleefully volunteer to put them out of their misery for good. So how do you like me now?! Bleh!

I do feel a moderate amount of shame and embarrassment for my unequivocal wimpiness, especially in contrast to my 5 1/2 year old son, Casey. This kid has just spent over a week home sick from school (which was very disappointing to him - he just LOVES school) because he came down with pneumonia. Pneumonia! How on earth my healthy, active, gregarious little boy developed pneumonia is beyond me, but develop it he did, resulting in a visit to the Emergency Room of Children's Hospital, and a week's course of antibiotics. Of my three children, and in my 13+ years as a mom, I have never had a child so sick for so long. Raging fever, sometimes with hallucinations and nightmares, zero appetite (my slim, sometimes skinny little Casey didn't ingest any solids for over a week!), headaches, stomachaches, ear infection, coughing that made his throat sore and disrupted his sleep, nose so stuffy he felt like he was choking and couldn't breathe alternating with a nose so runny that his poor upper lip became painfully raw and chapped...just horrible for a little guy. And remarkably, no word of a lie, throughout the entire time, Casey did not complain ever. Not even a little bit, not once. The boy was patient and brave, and though I already think the absolute world of him,he earned a whole new level of respect from me, and showed me what grit really looks like! (Move over, Clint Eastwood!). So now, do you think I can muster even the slightest bit of stoicism or endurance in the face of his impressive example? Nope. Not a bit. Say it with me now, folks - PA! THE! TIC!

Now all this blogging has weakened me...I must rest. Oh, my failing energy...

Oh Happy Day!

What a day! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the Spring is springing! All is well in Jillville!

For starters, I left work this past week on the afternoon of Friday, February 27th. On the morning of March 2nd, I returned. I was feeling pretty fine. Sit down at my desk, fire up my computer, flip my wall calender over - Goodbye, February - Hello, March! Glanced at the upcoming week and about fell right out of my chair. Next weekend is Daylight Savings! Yes - NEXT weekend! Oh Hallelujah, I heard the angels burst into song right at that very moment! The darkest days are behind us, and nothing but sunshine up ahead! There was a time, many many moons ago, that I would have said that Fall is my favorite season, but no more. As I have grown older, matured, given birth to a few children, Spring has become the more favored of the two seasons. Truth be told, I'm REALLY partial to Summer, but ah...Spring. It's the kickoff to summer, and where the fun is just beginning. Especially after the monstrous amount of snow that fell this particular winter - but we don't have to talk about that anymore! No, it is March, and it is (almost) Daylight Savings, and this calls for cake, wouldn't you agree?!

So that takes care of the beginning of this work week. Now we arrive at Wednesday, the middle of the work week, 'Hump Day' so to speak. Had a great drive in to work this morning - radio set to CFOX, as it always is when it's Mommy's turn for the radio. First song played not too long after setting off was 'Kickstart My Heart', classic Motley Crue. Had to crank that bad boy up to an unhealthy (but oh so rockin!) volume. Then, some morning show banter, etc. GREAT morning show over there on the Fox. Makes me laugh out loud every time I listen. Which is another great way to start a day - laughing out loud. Can only get better from there, right?! Oh, and it did! Almost to work, the Fox turns out some STP. Oh yeah, baby - crank the volume dial real high again. Pull into the parkade, zip to the roof, back smartly into an ideally located parking spot, and saunter on in to my department with five minutes to spare. Perfecto! Oh, and as a bonus - I realized that for the first time in months, I hadn't used the heater in the car on my way to work. Not once! Oh happy day!

Block Head

For a few months now, I have been experiencing 'writer's block', for lack of a better term. I am not one to be short for words, but I can't string together a simple paragraph to save my life! I've started several posts in draft form, but just can't get 'em going. It's a strange feeling to have so much going on inside my head and not be able to get it out. The connection between my brain and my ability to type has short-circuted. My fingers are mute! Kind of frustrating, I must say! It's not like I've got the next great Canadian literary masterpiece trapped inside - I just want to be able to vent, blab, ramble, pour it out...and I can't! I'm stopped up! The pathway from my brain to my fingertips is constipated!! I need the mental equivalent of a tall glass of prune juice but I just don't know what this would be. Crap! (no pun intended). In the meantime, this current mental affliction has not impacted the big piece of my little brain that is devoted to scrapbooking! I have managed to squeeze out (again, no pun intended!) a couple of layouts for the lovely little inspiration blog I mentioned in my last couple of posts. Sonja posts a new challenge at The Inspired Scrapper every Friday, which gives me just one more reason to exclaim TGIF!! each week. Challenge #7 was to use one sheet of diecut paper on at least two layouts. I managed to do this using a lovely cream coloured, very lacy piece of paper, and the bonus for me is that I used it on a primarily pink layout about my daughter and a boyish, earthier colour schemed layout about my son. Sonja's current challenge is #8 - using chipboard snowflakes, and the examples she has posted are very nice, but I just can't deal with anything snow related right now. Without going into huge dramatics, I'll just say that anything to do with snow OR winter could just about tip me over the psychological abyss I teeter on, so I will be abstaining from this week's challenge BUT - I am really looking forward to finding out what the challenge for the coming week will be! In the meantime, I'm on a bit of a card making bender, so maybe I'll have a few for posting soon, if words continue to fail me.