Monday, January 30, 2006

My most favourite job ever

is yep you guessed it being a mom! Definitely the most challenging, and most rewarding. Sometimes both on the same day, ok who am I kidding, usually both on the same day! Brianna is my tenderhearted girly girl. I just can't stop giggling some times at the things that come out of her mouth. Tonight(she has a slight head cold) she came up to me and told me her eye was wet. Today at school, I got to have a parent observation and the teacher was asking for a description of one of the little girls shoes. Brianna put up her hand and said, they're all "hearty" (had hearts on them, they're hearty duh!). I got to look through her journal while I was at her school. It was so amazing to see her progress in her handwriting and her drawing since only September. There were lots of drawings of the four of us, and that just warmed my heart... more than I can express. When she wakes up in the morning, she groans in the hallway until one of us wakes up enough to tell her to come in, and she is instantly the happiest girl ever, comes in and tells us she had a big sleep last night and wonderful dreams. How can you not smile to that? Lately we have asked her if she would like to pray before supper for us, and she has taken this on has her new role! A snippet from tonights: "Dear God, thank you for this food, let us eat it nice and healthy, and keep us healthy and strong and proud, and not use grumpy voices, only happy voices and make lots of friends. Oh and bless it to our bodies Amen. I think she sums it up nicely!
And my little man, so far, isn't doing anything half way, he is teething, again... working on cutting through 3 top ones this time. Bad timing on my part as we started squash last week and either the teeth or the food or both caused a nasty rash on his little bum. But even though he's just little(almost 6 months, oh where has the time gone?) I know he loves me. When he wakes up from a nap, and I go into get him, and I talk to him, his head springs up(he sleeps on his tummy) and his feet just start kicking like crazy and he flashes me a gummy grin(soon is going to be replaced by a toothy one). Makes all the not so great times worthwhile. I scoop him up and just squeeze him.
Man, I love being a mom.

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Fiji revisited


Last night I ripped apart a layout I had done on my trip to Fiji back in 1998. I loved the layout then, but hated it now. And thought these photos were just too pretty to be on something I hated. Funny I have never "redone" a layout before, I hope this isn't a new trend, it could take a long time!

I actually found the inspiration for this in a magazine ad. I love the simplicity of it and how quick it was to complete!!(I finished it in under an hour, a first for me!)

Saturday, January 28, 2006

a new look

well as you can see my blog has had a bit of a facelift. I was inspired by HeatherM's banner, and thought that would be cool to have, and in my fiddling, I realized how easy it would be to change the colours and backgrounds... but then Ian woke up before I was finished and I still have to change the colours of some of the wording still. He's awake again now and is none too pleased that we're sitting here, so it will have to wait! Just to ensure credit is given where it is due, the background "paper" is from the moody blue collection , and the black linen "paper" is from the urban kiwi collection, both from shabby princess.com She has the best stuff!!!

Friday, January 27, 2006

blogger challenges

Just learned about these "meme" things(a meme is an idea that is shared and passed from blog to blog, like a question posted in one blog and answered in many other blogs. )
Thought it would be fun to play along on my own blog, please feel free to play along if you like!


List five things you would love to do, if you didn't have to do them perfectly.

1. If I didn't have to do it perfectly, I'd try speaking french more. I miss speaking in french, but I know that my grammar isn't perfect, so I don't want to make a fool of myself, so I just don't try anymore.
2. If I didn't have to do it perfectly, I'd try singing. I like to sing, too bad I sound like a drowning cat!
3. If I didn't have to do it perfectly, I'd try writing. I love to write, as this blog can attest. What a fun job that would be if I could write something worthwhile and get paid to do it!!
4. If I didn't have to do it perfectly, I'd try experimenting more in the kitchen. I wish I was a better cook... every time I try something new it flops :(
5. If I didn't have to do it perfectly, I'd try to be more creative. So often I feel like I'm just constantly sponging ideas from others. I wish I was more uniquely creative.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

back on track!


yes I know it's a month after Christmas, but I am finally back on track with WW and am loosing again! woohoo!!! I am now down 27.4 pounds from when I joined Weight Watchers, or from my pre pregnancy weight I am down 42 freaking pounds!!! *jaw dropped to the floor* I am so happy I can not even begin to express it. I have been over weight for so long, and I still am, but I am going the right way now. I am making healthier choices. I am enjoying exercise. I am so happy to be back on track after my major hiatus over the holidays. I got my 25 pound lost ribbon today because she forgot to give it to me last week. I don't know why it's so huge, I reduced the image size but apparently it wants to be big, who am I to argue! lol! I know my get fit buddy is helping me to stay motivated! She is a great support! (THank you!)

And on that note, off to drink more water... I could float a boat in all the water I'm drinking, but hey...whatever works! I'm in. I'm all in!

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

visiting "my" sisters

Every month Ian, Brianna & I go into my work and visit the sisters. For those of you who don't know, I work at a convent for retired nuns. I am enjoy mat leave, but was the coordinator of therapeutic recreation for them while I was working. So we go in monthly for baby therapy. They just adore babies, and children in general. The School sisters of notre dame were mainly teachers, so I guess that explains their close connection with kids. And most of them came from huge families(one sister who just died was one of 17!). Anyway, I goto pick up Bree from daycare and tell her we're going to mommy's work. And she says "to visit your sisters?" lol How do you explain to a 4 year old what a nun is? I don't have any sisters, so I try to explain that I only have 2 brothers, uncle dave & dean... no sister, but the ladies at mommy's work they are called sisters... totally confused the poor girl, but the conversation we had was similar to the laurel & hardy 'who's on first' skit... I was laughing so hard that the tears were streaming down my face. The visit went great, Ian was a perfect little gentleman, and fell asleep on the car ride home.
oh and I don't know if I shared my newest favourite home photo of him... It's funny they say that the first born will have the most photos taken of them, then you take progressively less the more kids you have. That was obviously said before the digital age... lol this kid has so many photos taken of him. He naturally strikes a pose for me now when he sees the camera... what a ham!

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

another game of tag...

Grabbing this from Kimmies blog think these are a great way to get to know more about each other!!

Another game of tag!Another fun game of tag going around! Here are my answers!
What were you doing 10 years ago?
I was working 3 jobs, single, and looking for love in all the wrong places


What were you doing 1 year ago?
I was newly pregnant & working full time at the convent!

Five snacks you enjoy :
1. pop corn
2. sour cream & chives rice cakes, yes I really actually like them!
3. nachos & dip
4. anything spicy
5. arroroot cookies!

Five songs to which you KNOW all the lyrics:
1. anything from Hi-5 lol
2. ditto for Mercy Me
3. and Darlene Zschech
4. and Great Big Sea
5. and most 80's tunes

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. buy a "real"house
2. go back to Australia and buy one there too
3. enroll Bree in Trinity
4. help out friends and family
5. Buy the camera of my dreams


Five bad habits:
1. I'm a bad housekeeper
2, I spend too much time online(probably the reason for number 1)
3. I like to shop too much
4. I hoard things, stupid things
5. I keep focusing on how much time has gone by since Ian has been born, instead of thinking how much fun we'll have with all the rest of his life to come



Five things you like doing:
1. sleeping, oh how I miss it
2. drinking coffee, copious amount of it(probably because of the lack of number 1)
3. aquafit, it feels so good to really work out and not have my knee hurt
4. walking love it!
5. Scrapping!


Five things you would never wear, buy, or get again:
1. not a fan of heels
2. Zellers brand diapers suck...
3. walmart clothes, not made so well... hence why they're so cheap!
4. crocus bulbs, the squirrels had them all dug up and eaten in half the time it took me to plant them
5. Dial up internet, never never again!


Five favorite toys:
1. my circle cutter is pretty fun
2. our video camera is wroking again so watch out! I'm shooting everything
3. my camera, although I pine for a dslr, will make do with what I have for now
4. digi scrapping, it fulfils my geeky side
5. my kids, nothing more I like to play with! :)

Sunday, January 22, 2006

a quiet moment

ok so this is Sunday. I have a few minutes to myself. Dh took dd to Mcd's for dinner, and I bowed out, definitely not good for my WW'ing! So Ian is happily drooling away and here I am.

My husband is the best. I love him and his antics dearly, may I share a funny story? He told me yesterday he wanted to go to the Home Depot to get some stuff, and I asked him to grab me a couple of paint chips, as I had an idea for a layout and i wanted to try. He said sure, what colour... ummm ya, maybe some with red, or green, or brown or blue... (way to narrow it down Patti!) He looked a little frazzled, put on his mp3 player and went on his way! Comes back half an hour later, and smiles at me. I had forgotten about the paint chips as I was so painfully vague, he would have to had to pick one of each to cover his bases....
Guess what he did... he took one of each chip!!!(except for 2 rows he said, but he thought he'd been there long enough). I am now the proud owner of a 3 inch stack of paint chips... if anyone is in need of a colour grey through purple, I'm the gal to ask!!! Oh he cracks me up! I asked him if anyone looked at him funny, he said, he had his mp3 on and his hood up, couldn't see a thing! lol.

Last night we had our 2 neices and my brother over for a late bday celebration for Chris. My brother comes in hauling 2 long plastic totes, I look at him strangely and ask what did you bring over??? and the girls chime in "our scrapbooking stuff!" lol They are 11 and almost 10 years old and have recently been turned on the phenomenon that be scrapbooking. They are too cute!! Although a bit, ok a lot competitive. I guess that's what happens when you're 16 months apart and the older one is a foot shorter than the younger one. So I told them they could use anything they wanted from my stash(with the exception of some ribbons, apparently I have an emotional connection with them and love to caress them daily, ya I actually do that... Oh I know it's odd!! lol) So I got them both started, even gave them some photos I had from when they were littel and off we went. J got right into using the circle cutter, M wanted to do some heat embossing. Then both wanted to try what the other had done, and neither wanted them too. OH my goodness... love them dearly but was happy when my brother said it was time to go!!

We had fun though...
yes another generation has the bug!!

Friday, January 20, 2006

Let's all go to the zoo, zoo, zoo!!







SO much fun! we weren't sure we were going to go until oh 10:30 this morning and I said, let's just go! And we did! Ian did great in the car, had a dvd going for Bree in the back seat, it was sooo warm out,(For January it was 9C) and had an awesome day wandering around. We only stayed for about 3.5 hours but that was long enough for 2 little people and the 2 big people pushing them around! here are some photos from our trip out! I think a scrapbook page is coming on!!

love the reflection in the glass on the first one of Bree's face!

and a funny one of Ian trying banana for the first time in his safe feeder

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

What makes me happy?

Was just reading HeatherM's blog and she asked what makes us happy? I loved her list, and thought I woudl do one of my own. So nice to focus on good stuff, in the blah January month!

Music makes me happy!! I would have music on one thousand times before I'd have the TV on. Hillsong music especially makes me happy. Got Brianna a Hillsong Kids DVD for her bday and she just loves dancing around to it! Nothing warms my heart more! Also love 80's music... always thought "old" people were crazy for wanting to hear music of their youth, now I'm right there along wtih them! Reminds of those fun crazy days... dont' want to go back there, but yet there is still an appeal to retro tunes! lol


Laughter, I know everyone likes to laugh... but I really love a good belly laugh... just the release of endorphins when you laugh, and it's so contageous!!! I really wish people would laugh more!

Being a SAHM- I"m sure this is a given, but I can not begin to tell you how incredibly blessed I have felt being able to stay at home with my kids since August. I love being the person who walks Brianna to school, and being the first person to pick her up. I remember my mom saying when I was young, go on tell your dad about your day... but all my enthusiasm had worn off by that time, but my mom at least got to hear it. Wouldn't that stink to miss out on that if she had our daycare provider picking her up? Even though Ian's not sleeping much, I love that I'm able to stay here with him and care for him. Some days are more challenging than others, but I am so thankful and happy to be on mat leave. I don't want to go back to work!

Mail- of course not the bills, but mail makes me happy. Good old fashioned letters arriving in the mail box. When I was on mat leave with Brianna, (pre scrapbooking days) I was bored, and so I joined a bunch of penpal lists. It was so fun to recieve letters from "friends" all over the world. Unfortunately when I went back tow ork, I didn't have enough time to continue wtih them. But occassionally fun stuff still arrives in the mail. I tell ya, there is still a flicker of excitement everytime!

Pedicures- I find this one odd mainly for the reason that I have an anti-foot fetish. I hate feet!! But I love a good foot massage and having my toe nails looking nice. Especially in sandal weather! Makes me feel pretty, and I rarely feel that.

Vacations, who doesn't love a good vacation? I was rather spoiled prior to getting married, I used to travel, a lot! Went to school in Switzerland for a while, to better my french, lived in Australia for over a year, visited Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand, England, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy, Various hot islands. I wouldn't trade my family for anything, but man I would love to go on vacation again! We havn't been anywhere since we've been married, so coming up to 6 years. I wish flights back to Australia weren't so darn expensive, I really want my kids to meet their other grandparents.

And of course, was there any doubt this was coming... Scrapbooking! lol now there is a surprise! I love it! I love everythign about it! I love working on it, I love looking at other people's work, I love learnign about it! I love getting together with friends(old and new) to do it!! Just love it!
Seriously I think it's the cheapest form of therapy out there! Now I know this may come as a surprise(just kidding), I am an incredibly emotional person... so to be able to have an outlet to release these crazy hormones, is fantastic! I always feel better after I have completed layouts... my toughest one, has got to be the one I did on Chris' time in the ICU. I thought it was insane at the time that his mom took phtoos of him unconscious, but then when she mailed them to us, iw as so thankful to have them. It reminded me of the miracle that we were given, his life!! He was on death's doorstep and God gave him back to me. I never knew I had faith in me like that until he got sick. I still tear up every time I look at those pages I did, and how sick he was. I am so thankful I wrote it all down before I forgot anything. I want my kids to know how important prayer is and that it works!

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Tuesdays ramblings


Another week is underway. Chris is taking this Friday and Monday off to have a 4 day weekend. We're thinking about havnig a mini vacation somewhere, but I am nervous to do it with Ian and his sleeping issues. There is an indoor waterpark in a new hotel in Niagara Falls that we're thinking of checking out, also would love to goto the Toronto zoo if the weather isn't too cold. I think Brianna would love to see all the animals! She's such an animal freak these days!

Ian's sleep is still going ok, could be better though. The little turkey keeps getting his arms stuck in the rails and waking him up. Tried looking for one of those breathable bumper thingys, but of course they aren't made in Canada, the one place that does distribute them wants double the price and I'm sure I'd get nailed with duty. Maybe when we're in Niagara we can zip across the border and see if I can find one... oh and maybe stop at a scrapbooking store or two while I"m there? lol I think I have a problem! lol

I am having so much fun with this month's Scraptivity Kit!! The paper's the embellies all of it are just right up my alley! Here are 2 of the layouts I made with it! I had fun going through my stash of travel photos to find the london one. I love how it turned out. I had previously (in a lamo attempt) tried to scrap it on a plain white background, but hated how it turned out. I like the feeling it gives now, more of a night time foggy effect.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Tag you're it!

Ok so I totally am stealing this from Heidi Swapp's blog, but I love these things, too cute!!


Four jobs you’ve had in your life:
~First job ever TCBY(the country's best yogurt!)
~worked for a construction company one summer, very interesting, oh ya I looked hot with a toolbelt on! (just kidding!!)LMBO!!!
~Palliative care, this has been ongoing in many nursing homes
~TR Coordinator (therapeutic Recreation) and that is where I'm at now!

Four movies you would watch over and over:
~Titanic (oh I know....)
~Marilyn anything, some like it hot is my favourite!
~Fried Green Tomatoes
~Anything with Heath in it...

Four places you have lived:
~Burlington
~Hamilton
~Switzerland
~Australia

Four TV shows you love to watch:
~CSI(all of them!)
~Prison Break
~Survivor
~Trauma, life in the ER

Four places you have been on vacation:
~Hawaii
~Fiji
~New Zealand
~Mexico

Four websites you visit daily:
~Scraptivity of course!
~CBC
~August 2005 Canadian moms birth board
~Blogs, lots!!

Four of your favorite foods:
~Spicey anything!(especially thai!)
~Sushi
~Seafood
~Caesar Salad(Icould eat those forever!)

Four places you would rather be right now:
~Australia
~on a beach(but let's wait until I've lost more weight!)
~Prague
~Scrapbooking with friends!

Four bloggers you are tagging:
um anyone who is reading, consider yourself tagged, if you have time of course!

And not to forget this very important day ... Happy 30th Heather!!

Thursday, January 12, 2006

catching up

Ok I'm in total withdrawl for missing a day!!
Today was weigh in day and I"m down a pound... could be better, but of course could be so much worse. Had some bad food on the weekend... just was hoping to be down more since I worked my butt off at diaperfit this week. Yesterday we went again, and I couldn't believe it, but Ian actually fell asleep!!! There were at least 15 moms and babies there and it was loud, and the music was blasting and there he was sound asleep floating in the little yellow ducky!! So now I know where I've gone wrong all these months with his sleeping issues, the boy needs a waterbed!! If only it wasn't dangerous, I may consider it! He's actually been doing much better at night time since I turned up the heat a bit, maybe he was just cold?

Brianna just drew me the most adorable picture, so Ithought I'd add it. I'm so impressed with how well her drawing is coming from pure scribbles just a few months ago... her people are actually looking like people. We are a family of smiley faces on sticks!! Too cute! To only see the world through a child's eyes!

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

mmmm carrots

think if I say it long enough, I'll actually believe it? I have officially jumped back on the ww wagon... after slowly sliding off of it for 6 weeks, it's time to get serious again. Old habits are so easy to fall back into though. And the weather isn't very conducive to getting out walking... I guess since it's cold, then it's reason to walk faster?? ya that's it! I'm excited to have getting fit buddies to help me stay on track! Have to remember my goal for the year... to become more healthy!! I might even wear shorts this summer!!! *EEEk*

Monday, January 09, 2006

Yay for diaperfit!



It felt so good to be back in the pool exercising again! I just love it!! With my bad knee, it's the only exercise that I can do that doesn't cause intense pain! Ian seemed to love it too. He didnt' make a peep the whole time we were there, which was great, as a couple of the other moms had to carry their babies since they were fussing.
Here we are in all my chubby glory!(but I'm working on that... man did I ever feel like a great glob of bubblegum in that nasty coloured swim suit!)

Sunday, January 08, 2006

I made a video

Of Ian's first 5 months... I must be super hormonal today because I just cried watching it!!
http://www.shockwave.com/contentPlay/photojam4.jsp?doc=2826503/1136746089630_26

I think it's only there for the next 10 days! But enjoy!

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Favourite things


I am loving using this Designing with 2006 Scrapbooking calendar! Totally getting me challenged to actually do layouts, not just think about doing them! I used to do one a week if I was lucky on the weekend, I've already done 6 so far this year! Pretty good for a week.

Ok I will share the favourite things one, a shameless lift from January 6th(except they are actually my favourite things, just pinched the LO idea from the cal.)

I so hate my handwriting, but so they say it's "important" to document it. I don't see how my nasty ugly handwriting is documentable, however... who am I to argue. It was fun to do, but strange too. I've never tried one like this before. But it will make a good addition to this Book of me I have apparently started!

Friday, January 06, 2006

Dr's are funny

well at least I think mine is. I really like him a lot actually, he's very straight to the point, no muss, no fuss kinda guy with a soft spot for little ones. Ian and I have been fighting Thrush for the past 6+ weeks(give or take a week), and have been into see him now 3 times to try and get this resolved. The last treatment actually worked, unfortunately it came back once I stopped. So we're to do it again, but for 10 days. Last time however, when I went to get the prescription filled, I explained to the pharmacist that my doctor had told me to get two bottles, one for Ian and one for me to use on myself. Well, her eyes bugged out of her head and looked at me like I was speaking in another language and told me I couldn't use that on myself. I may be a bit dopey these days from lack of sleep, but I can remember directions from my doctor from all of 5 minutes previous. So I again reiterate(and for some reason I spoke slower this time, as if that would help her get it???), and so she throws up her hands at me and tells me she needs to confer with the other pharmacist... and I'm left standing there...Ian is running out of patience for the car seat. I hear them talking "well maybe he's done it before" "but it's not done" blah blah blah... she comes back, and I interject.... " you know, he's the one with the MD after his name, please just give me my prescription, my baby is about to freak right out, and how about you call him and discuss it after I leave!"
So I convey all this to Dr. K on Wednesday when we were in to see him again, he asks why didn't they want me to use it on myself, and they told me because it has sugar in it... he shouts at me "SO?" *laughing* You could tell he was getting frustrated too... so then he goes to write up a new Rx for this same med, and he says to me, I'll get you the large bottle of it so you can give it to him longer, I just can't remember the amount of the bottle... and I chime in like a goofball "100,000 units 4x a day" (I have a really bizarre memory for useless details like that, I swear my university education could have scooped me a jackpot on jeopardy!), he looks at me and smiles and says to me, "I know that !!! remember I have the md after my name?? !!" I start laughing too... I'm thinking you may have had to have been there and known my doctor. I couldn't stop laughing in the car... sometimes I just need to keep my big mouth shut!!

Oh and Ian didn't sleep through the night again last night, but wasn't too bad, just awake at 12 & 5 so still a HUGE improvement!! keep it up little boy!

Thursday, January 05, 2006

HE DID IT!!!!

Oh yes, that miraculous day I have been waiting for... Ian slept through the night last night! He is just shy of 5 months old, and I got the best sleep I've had in just over a year last night! Unreal the difference between rested and not so much. I have even been productive today... made a huge pot of soup for good WW meals this week, finished up the laundry AND put it away! (putting it away is the part that rarely gets done, then I end up living out of a laundry basket, just picking the clean stuff out of it...lol bad patti!) I'm hoping to go for a walk after Ian wakes up since all the snow is gone now... I even think a bathroom or 3 may get cleaned! Plus the fish, they need their water changed yahoo and I'm pumped to do it! (who needs to go to a gym when you have a 55 gallon fish tank that needs 20 gallons of it's water changed weekly... yep that's heavy!) I'm in a great mood, which is astonishing considering we havn't seen the sun in just over 2 weeks...

Yep sleep makes all the difference!

Sunday, January 01, 2006

New Year's Eve Crop!






Was soooo much fun! I never thought I could have so much fun on NYE scrappbooking, essentially by myself! There were a bunch of gals on Scraptivity doing challenges all evening and into the next day. I had a great time playing along... with a minor hiccup from my photoshop program(it's been resolved now though). Here are the 3 Layouts I came up with...


I really enjoy doing the digital layouts for a change!!

The one titled "on the day I was born" really took me out of my comfort zone by scrapping a photo from the 70's! Ummm let's just say the colours were worse than it looks in the photo showing. I tried to fix the yellow colour(failed miserably) as it still looks like baby poo brown(and I'm currently an expert on this colour! lol) It's kind of amazing though to look at that photo, having a little(or not so little) baby myself... and to think how my parents must have felt, having two older boys and now bringing home a girl into the mix. I wonder if I slept well at night or kept them awake making it difficult to function the next day. I will have to ask my mom the next time I'm talking to her. And I need to remember to scrapbook that same sort of information for Ian, in case he's ever wondering the same thing, many years from now.