end of the month

already?!


we had some bizarre weather here yesterday. rain. in January. so weird following a week of VERY cold weather!

apparently the last time we had rain in January was in 2005. i had forgotten! so i started to think about it....Aidan would have been a baby. yes. Kris was still working on his graduate degree at the UofA. and he was riding his bike. then i remembered hearing him tell me about how ICY the path was....and the one time that he returned home to change his clothes. yes, that was January. he had slipped on some ice and landed in a puddle! in January.



i am still waiting for my photobook! would you believe that it is LOST?! and this has NEVER happened to this company before!? lucky me. they are printing a new one for me. i am very thankful that they are doing this. and i'm keeping my fingers crossed that this one is speedy and makes it to my house...early! on one hand, the company rep told me that they all remembered my book and loved it. hmmm....that's cool. now if i can only see it in person myself.....



i came across a website on Sunday that had some inspiring photos. very inspiring. so in the dark, late that night, right after viewing....i pulled out the camera and tried a few. not bad. but not great either.

soooo.....i begged Kristian to leave his wedding band at home on Monday!

i'm liking this!

when we were engaged i was finishing my last year of my undergrad degree and Kris had another semester left. we both scraped together some money to purchase these rings. neither of them were rings that we totally loved. but they were what we could afford!

part of our thinking was to melt them and redesign new rings for our tenth anniversary. we would be working, earning money and have extra cash. that was the dream!

i need to add that Kristian is a materials engineer....and like most of his colleagues in this field...has a favourite metal. tantalum. he has always wanted a ring made of this material.

we will celebrate our 14th anniversary this year. and we still have the same rings! and two kids. and one and a quarter incomes. who would have guessed that the year we celebrated our tenth anniversary we would have just had a baby. with one parent on maternity leave. and the other back in university. no income.

life is not always as you planned it!

i am BLESSED to have two healthy and happy kids. BLESSED to have Kristian who works hard....growing constantly to learn how to be a great dad, husband and engineer.

the new rings can wait! maybe for our 20th?

scenes from around home

the bitter cold is starting to ease off.

now we are moving into just cold.

yes there is a noticeable difference between thirty below celsius and fifteen below celsius!


there was a 'winter carnival' happening across the street on friday. i had planned to go with the kids. until i had to walk across the yard with two children after playschool. bbrrrr.... all was not lost.....

this is not a typical scene on our street. ever. i know those horses have hair...but i still felt sorry for them. obviously not bad enough to not stare or take mulitple photos.... yes. i did not leave the house for this photo. nor any other! it was cold!! i took this from our front window. it definitely gave me a challenge...how to take a good photo in the twilight without a flash...you know what a flash does if you shine it at an object like glass....

i have to admit that i was a teeny-tiny bit tempted to dress up really warmly and venture out. maybe we should have. ugh! that cold!!

i am also kicking myself for missing the ice festival in town too. in my brilliant planning i felt it best if we went during the middle of last week. yeah. of course that had to be right when it turned crazy cold! i am watching my mouth around the kids....don't even want to mention the words "ice" and "castle" or "ice slide" in front of Aidan. that will be ALL i'll hear about until next year. he will not forget.


Aidan took great joy in celebrating my birthday this year. he and Kristian baked a cake...from scratch! and ditto for the icing. it was very yummy!!! it was also entertaining listening to the baking and preparing taking place. {i would have watched....but you've heard the saga of our closet sized kitchen....}

i went out with some friends one night to a duelling piano bar. electric pianos. soooo not what i had envisioned! but it was a fun time. and 90% of the songs were awesome. as the night went on the music got louder and louder. and my ears reached a new level of soreness. i was in awe of the pianists. all modern rock. {1960's onwards} no sheet music. all by memory. and they only lost their memory a few times too. i definitely do not have that skill.

one of my favourite drinks these days is cranberry juice with club soda. {a few restaurants in town are able to make it so that the clear club soda is separated from the cranberry juice....very cool....still trying to figure that one out...tried different temperatures...nope! if you happen to know the secret...please divulge!!!} funny story coming.
anyways...i waited a long time for this drink...others beside me got their orders....i think i had to ask three times. it was a busy night. it happened to come at the same time as they pianists played a song by Journey {can't remember the exact song right now!} a section of the table was thrilled...to put it mildly. the server brings my huge glass at this point. reaches across the table to put it in front of me. at the same time my friend, M, who was sitting directly across from me, started to wave her arms back and forth in excitement to hearing one of her favourite songs. it was the only time of the entire evening that she did this. if only a camera could have captured all of our faces. million bucks. if the drink had come even 3 seconds earlier....all would have been fine! m's hand hit the servers' arm at the same time she reached across the table to put down the glass...my drink went flying and was totally emptied onto the table and a few purses. it was a miracle that the glass did not break. or even chip! {thankfully the second drink was safe...and speedy!}


memories!

here is a picture of the cake. Aidan is not excited at all!

it was great. we had a couple of friends over that we have been meaning to visit with for over a year now. no exaggeration. hopefully we won't have to wait this long to hang out in the future. planning and such is not a strength of ours. and we seem to gravitate towards others who are the same....it's a miracle any of us ever get together!

it was a very cold weekend. and pleasantly busy.

the week ahead is on the busy side. but good stuff. in February i have an entire full week planned for work. that will be a new one for us. it will be different. i find myself missing the part time job i had in the fall. that schedule really worked well for us at this time. that's a good thing!

STILL waiting for my photobook. it is seriously like waiting for Santa and Christmas to finally arrive.....

what is your week like?

today

both of my kids LOVE cooking, baking....anything to do with my kitchen.

both of them.

it is a really tight squeeze right now. {this is the entire kitchen in our house} a shame that there were not more opportunities for them to be in the kitchen helping me.

perhaps that is part of the intrigue?

i hope that they will continue to enjoy the kitchen. i could get used to it!



this is the scene we have right now.

brrrrr......


so many days where we enjoyed temperatures hovering around zero degrees Celsius. even melting snow. i don't remember building a snowman in January before. {sticky snow does not exist on the dry and cold prairies this time of year}

yesterday the thermometer said about fifteen below. but the north wind made it feel much colder.

there is no wind today. but the thermometer is back to twenty-five below.

weather that ONLY a snowman can love!


nearly a year ago.....i posted something similar....here.

happy

i am creeping closer to the magic age. that age when those younger than you say, "oh". and those older than you say, "ah". at least that is what i've noticed. i've also noticed that it happens on major milestone birthdays. 30. 40. 50. and you realize that each day you spend here on earth is definitely a gift. definitely something anyone under the age of 30 is rarely aware of!

years ago, when i was teaching grade fours, one of the students' parents had a birthday. {you have to understand that at that age ANY ONE's birthday is a great big deal!} for fun, we would always ask, "how old". this particular student says, "29". then this look of deep thought crossed his face {and believe me....this itself was a rarity to see those thinking lines on this individual...we ALL know people like that!} while thinking and looking off to the side at something unseen by the rest of us, he adds...."she has been 29 for a few years now..." {chuckle} it suddenly occured to him that a birthday adds a year...every year!

last weekend, my niece asked me how old i was going to be. {she is 6} my fil interrupted and says, "aren't you 19?" now hopefully that was meant as a compliment....lol! going with the "19" facade, i asked her if she thought that was 'old'. to which she also got a strange look and said, "oh yes!" so for the sake of not causing her too much shock, we'll just let her continue to believe that i am 19. she's a smart girl, she'll put all this nonsense together soon enough!

nothing can replace the experience that comes with age.

i'm sure that will be a quote with my name attached some day! haha

but seriously. no amount of money or gifts could make me go back one day in time. i am more confident today than i was a year ago... i have had to make a lot of decisions that have been tough, but i don't regret... i love my kids at this age... even though some days are especially long and exhausting... i am grateful that i was chosen to be their mom, and they were chosen to be my children... i often feel lucky to have found their dad, my soulmate... and here we are....lots of bumps later....still together and willing to go through any more bumps together... wow!

and this is the year that i want to bloom they way God intended me to. how exciting!

maybe i'll come across a poem or scripture that expresses how i feel. for now "Blue Castle" is the long version!

whoa!

the days are flying by!


the weekend was a fun and busy one.

the Olsen cousins {minus Kiara} all went with the daddys' to watch a theatrical performance of Robin Hood. it involved the audience and was apparently a huge hit with the kids. even the dads had tears from laughter. the family has seasons tickets....two adults and three children....we take turns using them.

Kiara got to spend time with grandma at the indoor playground. she hasn't been up to any kind of fun for a long time, so this was very exciting for her. she got to be out of the house AND get run, climb and play.

and i got some time to myself!

the time went by really quickly.


January happens to be a busy month of birthdays for that side of the family. both my nephew and niece have birthdays this month. so we celebrated all of our birthdays that day too.

it was a long day for Kiara especially. she did very well. Sunday was the first day since Tuesday that she did not need tylenol for a fever. the past few days it stayed away for the daytime, only to come back in the evening. it is almost weird to have her play and not get tired or crabby. on Friday, she had a four and a half hour nap....it was an early morning for her too that day.


we took the kids to the big mall as well this weekend. Kris had wanted some r/c helicopters for Christmas. he ended up with 4 of them! it was interesting because 3 of them ended up breaking within minutes of use. all 3 of them were purchased at the mall. one was at a mall kiosk who had in their fine print that they did not accept returns after 14 days....really there should be an exception with Christmas. Kris pulled an interesting stunt...he told the guy that they were junk and said he would just leave the boxes with him so that he could dispose of them. it worked! immediately the helicopters were replaced. not that Kris needs them or anything. the only place we were totally unimpressed by was the source. by circuit city. gotta love that they display their r/c helicopters at the front of the store...then have a sign in another area that states that they do not accept returns on them!! unless manufacturers defect. good luck proving that.



TODAY is the first day in six weeks that all four of us are healthy.

yes.

isn't that unreal?

i'm not counting Kiara's sniffling nose....she's had that for awhile now....and it isn't bad enough to dampen her spirits.

AND the weather is amazing! January is known for being one of the coldest months in this part of Alberta. today we are expecting +9 degrees Celsius.

we're heading out on a walk. it's even sunny out there!



i posted a series of photos of Kiara last week. here's Aidan. he also has a good repertoire of faces. and lots of them are looking a lot like his dad too. really crazy!

he is in a growing spurt. and eating all the time!

his fave.

Kiara is still getting used to snow. Aidan and i played in the backyard while Kiara napped last week. last week had great weather too! {anything above -10 degrees Celsius is great this time of year!}

off to enjoy the day!

what are you doing today?

the UPside

sometimes life gets a little upside down....


we thought Kiara was healthy last night when she went to bed...but she woke up with a fever again during the night. argh!! complaining of sore eyes. sore tummy. even said her cheeks hurt. poor thing!
yes...just a bit of aggravation!!!
{note to self: don't play marble games with this little girl....so annoying these days}

i am really hoping her fever will stay away. today the weather is quite comfortable. it would be super nice to go outside for a short time. these children are not used to being inside for this length of time...making them a little crazy!

we have been making lots of these. my sister-in-law gave me this mold one year for Christmas. i have been loving it! the kids take turns picking the colour for the ice. if the cold wasn't going to take a break i had planned to bring some snow inside....let them build a snowman in the bathtub or something. maybe we'll still do that.


our latest scheme is to go here. we definitely need to be fever-free! Kiara is definitely more sure on her feet and will enjoy it more this year. last year i took them one evening and we watched part of a movie on an "ice screen". very unusual. ice slides. ice mazes. ice castle. ice sculputers. magical!



have you heard of the ice hotels? there is one famous one in Sweden. and we even have one in Quebec, here in Canada. talk about embracing winter!

how we see it

it's the beginning of a new month. and a whole new set of germies!

i guess we'll just have to get used to it.

my husband and i were talking and came to this conclusion. we wish that perfect health followed us constantly. who doesn't?! however, as health goes...we'll take this. we know too many people that would wish for our problems. it comes down to perspective. we'll choose to see the blessings we have and celebrate them.

we did have the chance to get away for an evening. a night. and a morning. nearly 24 hours without our children. it was the Christmas party for the new job. they offered a discount on a hotel room...too good to pass up! no bells and whistles...but it was clean and somewhere away from home! oh the changes once children have been on the scene. it was so different to be able to have an entire discussion with several people in a couple of hours. and eat a plate of food without disruption.

it was a different company party than we've ever been a part of. the upper management all got whipping cream pies in the face. and there were several rounds of tug of wars. and a whack of money was raised and donated to the Stollery...for kids with heart issues.

suitable that the party is midway between Christmas and New Years. full of heart


when we picked up our lovely little darlings...thinking they would run into our arms and shower us with hugs and kisses for returning....

they didn't even come to the door. when we finally saw the whites of their eyes, Aidan begged us to not leave right away! and there were tears when we finally did leave.

Aidan was thrilled because birthday cupcakes, candles and presents were also involved.

Kiara got her first manicure and pedicure and is proud to show off her hands to anyone!

Aidan is already begging for another sleepover. we're not sure who is more excited...him or us?!


and back to Kiara.....

love those faces she makes.

today she has spent nearly the entire day cuddled on my lap. i love the cuddles. but an entire day?

i took a break and let them watch "Tinkerbell". it was nice to have some of my own space for a short time. get some creating done. althought they still came in to update me on the movie. or to comment that my hands were dirty.

what helps you when you are home with sick kids?

have some time?

need some decorating ideas?


some inspiration?


More Ways to Waste Time

is a really fun blog if you like artsy stuff. or handcrafted items. or "real" art.


some of her readers sent photos and descriptions of their own homes. i love that all of the homes are decorated by people who love art. and none of them are millionaires! they're real people!! different sizes of homes....i think the smallest one was 700 sq. ft.


here is the quick link to the House Voyeur series.



i love the philosohy of one of the home owners: {Jim and Kari in Illinois}

Having kids in a house that has such large open spaces is difficult. You can spend all your time tidying up, or you can just accept that you have children who like to imagine that the kitchen mop is a car wash for their Hot Wheels. Life really isn’t a gallery, so you have to let kids play, but teach them to clean up when they’re done. And there's nothing you can do when they cling to the pink-and-yellow stuffed unicorn and beg to bring it home.

Their aesthetic is not your aesthetic -- but we all get to live in this house, so everyone should have some say.I think you can really get caught up in the modern aesthetic or the snobbery of doing things a certain way (at least I can). But in the end, you’re trying to create a living space, complete with comfortable chairs and rugs that don’t stain."


so true!

we love to live in a home that has some design. these days it is the 'Fisher Price' corner, the 'Raffi' shelf, the picture book basket, the generic play-dough clear plastic.... i'm sure it will be considered 'vintage' one day....sure.

regardless, i love that the blog is not snobby. people shared where they found their "art". second hand. hand-me-downs. trash. IKEA. yes, good looks does not have to be ridiculously expensive.

beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

and

one man's trash is another man's treasure.

or something like that...

and here is proof!


what's your style?

laying low

still run low with this cold. trying to appreciate that i don't have to rush off to work or other responsibilities that are a higher priority than feeling well. there has to be something good! the kids have been most understanding. phew!

Kristian is healthy. which is good because he was back at work yesterday. lucky guy to be either sick or taking care of sickies on his holiday. he seemed to be most appreciative to be with us. i think that should push him up to sainthood....

Kiara is struggling with a runny nose. which we can handle! it has been tough on her potty learning....too many days where making it to the potty were the least of everyone's concerns. i'm just thankful that she recognizes what she is forgetting...hopefully it will balance out soon. soon. we hope soon.

Aidan missed his first day back at playschool yesterday. he came down with 'pink eye' on the weekend. today he is complaining that his sore head is making his throat hurt. so much for hoping he had the mild version of "The Cold". for him {okay, and for me too!} it has been horrible to miss school. he has also had a later onset of more stomach flu. thankfully no throwing up this round.

we were supposed to go out on Saturday night....babysitter lined up....and wham! this is the second time in the last month that she got lucky. it would have been a rough night for her if she had been at our house. somehow i don't think we could have afforded to pay her what she would have deserved! hopefully our plans for this Saturday night will still work out....

and the weather outside is truly FRIGHTFUL. not like we're wanting to be outside. but the running from one warm place to the next is brutal. it warmed up yesterday to about -15 Celsius. lovely. this reminds me of the winter in 1996...ice fog....ice....ice....the only good thing about that was that we had a sauna in our appartment building. my other memory of that winter...i can still remember my brother-in-law wearing a t-shirt/jeans and an unbuttoned leather coat. {i think he was only 19 years old at the time } and me? sweater, fleece coat, winter coat, scarf, hat, mitts.... i still froze!! he must have had skin like a buffalo or something!


not sure if i should be grateful for the bad weather and sickness to come at the same time? jury is still out on that debate.

we spent most of our day yesterday being creative with paper and glue at the kitchen table. i had prepared an album last month....a photo and some journalling each day for the 25 days leading up to Christmas. ALL i had to do was take a photo, print it and add journalling. i couldn't even get that accomplished! so i finished it yesterday. all in all, i'm still glad i did the project. it was great to look back on the positive of the month! {i would not describe December 2008 as a perfect Christmas month.}

i have been inspired by the book 'Creative Family' but it has been hard...the author lives on the east coast....sooooo different from the prairies. ever read 'Sarah, Plain and Tall'? it's actually a children's book. definitely a good read-aloud one too. if i had to criticize....it's too bad the author did not write about the winter. our historical park, 'Fort Edmonton' is only open on special days October through May. that should speak for itself.

the tree is down. Aidan is fighting tears because it was a good tree and he wants to keep it forever.

we were talking one day about school next year. then he announced that he had some things he wanted to accomplish before kindergarten. i can already sense a scrapbook starting! he would like to be one of Santa's Elves for awhile and then be a fireman. when he has done those two things, then he would like to go on and do kindergarten. he breaks into tears if we even mention kindergarten. i'm frightened to think about what he may want to accomplish before grade one!!



last week Aidan and Kris brought this home for me:

lovely. i love the single colour. Aidan did try to convice Daddy that i would like a more 'brightly' coloured bouquet. hmmm...

of course i take photos. and then did some playing around with my faves...


this is with a sepia tone.

i used some soft focus on this one.

this has a few touches added.

i wonder what it would look like with a vellum type overlay? hmmmm.....

i'm hoping that my digital photobook will arrive in the mail this week....can't wait to see that!

stay warm. and healthy.

cheers!

today

they say a 'picture is worth a thousand words'....

yup!

i've come down with the same cold that has been floating around this house. ick!

the germies keep spreading.... ugh!!

and this cold weather only suitable for freezing EVERYTHING is also keeping us housebound. argh!!!

someone at some point during the past month has not felt well enough to do something fun...like swimming, hanging out with friends....or whatever we find ourselves doing when it's too cold to spend time outside and we're getting cabin fever.

there has to be an end. right?

look what i found...

my word!!

i think i'll add this to my birthday list.....

go here:

Lisa Leonard Design

i know i've mentioned her before....check out her other designs too...i promise you won't be disappointed!

welcome to 2009

we are enjoying the last days of holiday...still cold outside....what else is new?!


so we are enjoying staying warm indoors and filling our time with....

...wholesome....

....movie watching!

we enjoyed being with some friends last night ringing in the new year. with the kids. they set a record for the lastest night of their lives...since their newborn baby days!

of course i forgot my camera at home...so i'll have to rely on my memory alone to remember the night!

they made new years' masks. got their faces painted. made a noise maker. (that is a winner!) requested a balloon animal - Aidan has a white giraffe and Kiara has a little ladybug that fits on her wrist. and i have to add, it is amazing how relaxing it is watching balloon animals get made. truly. {Aidan told me this morning that he didn't think it looked like a giraffe...and had list of reasons why. something tells me he is getting a little too smart...need to find a way to revitalize the 'pretend factor' in his mind!}

our friends' rent a room overlooking the city square. very cool! for our two it was the first time they had been in a building that tall...it really awed them. the city hall was lit up. you could see the main tree....all the lights...watch the spot lights. or jump on the king size bed! yes, the adults had a blast doing that....not! but we were totally amazed at how well the kids did throughout the evening. they did so well, that we kept saying to ourselves, "well, why not another hour?"

so the kids got to watch the fireworks at MIDNIGHT. you could tell they were tired as we walked to the car (parked in a heated underground parkade...nice!) but no one complained or cried. happy parents! then after about 5 minutes they both fell sound asleep in their seats. it was a late morning at our house - thank goodness! and Kiara had an excellent nap this afternoon. she should be able to last until 11:00pm we're sure! or not. we can only hope.

thanks for the great evening! {you know who you are!}

being Candian, eh....i am a lover of pleasemum. i am a little picky with my kids' clothes. and i tend to watch GAP kids, gymboree, pleasemum, old navy and the children's place. winners is alright too...i just don't get there enough.

i garage sale and shop at second hand sales too. although i find i have to watch the prices more closely these days. for instance i found a cute summer dress at gymboree for Kiara for $8...marked down from $49. and most likely i would have paid $8 (at least) at a second hand sale. which means i got an AWESOME deal today! i would much rather pay a few dollars more for a brand new item than a used one...who wouldn't?!

i LOVE the winter coats at pleasemum....i bought Aidan's first winter coat at a garage sale...$5. {that is a rare deal...and has not been able to be repeated since} he was at least the third child to wear it. and two kids have worn it after him. i don't doubt it could last through a few more boys. so ever since that is the brand i buy for 'the winter coat'. they cost more than $5...but i think they're a great deal! go Canada!!

and here is a switch to a more serious topic!

i am excited about the new year. i plan to live this one to it's fullest potential. last year was a tough one. in one word: GROWTH

i'm still thinking about what my goal should be for this year. i have the feeling it will need to build on that...maybe BLOOM

did you ever read the L.M.Montgomery books? Anne of Green Gables series was the most popular. she also wrote a book called "The Blue Castle". it tells the story of a woman, Valancy, who grew up in a home where she was expected to be a certain person. her behaviour was that woman...but inside she struggled with the expectations put on her. she lived in a small town, and had to visit the town doctor for something minor...but the town doctor got called away very quickly and was gone for several months. she received a diagnosis that stated her heart was not well and she would be lucky to live another 6 months....she didn't know it at the time, but the nurse who relayed the sad news had mistakenly mixed up two patients. knowing that she only had a few months left....Valancy made some very bold changes in her life. she was frustrated with the "box" she felt forced to live in, and ended up making some changes that confused the people who had thought they knew her. the first "odd" behavior upon returning home after hearing the bad news about her health she hacked down a rose bush to its root. she had been given it years ago...but it had never bloomed. in the end she made decisions that were her own....making an attempt to live a life of her own. the ending is something i won't spoil for you, if you have not read the book yourself and want to. i will just say that her life was truly more rich and joyous as a result. she lived each day as if it were her last. not every day was smooth sailing, and there were some moments when she wondered what in the world she had done! later on she went back to the house she grew up in and saw that rose bush she thought she had hacked to the death....for the first time ever it was lush and full of the most beautiful blooms she had ever seen. i love that!!

i think that the rose bush tells so much....it was growing and trying to bloom...but it couldn't. not until it was forced back and pruned. as a result it was able grow they way that it was meant to be.

Valancy was like the rose bush. she couldn't bloom in the circumstances of her life. she needed to be put into a different environment...and be allowed to be who she was meant to be.

the more i think about it, BLOOM is a fabulous word!

i'm thinking about ways that i can bloom as a wife and mother. how can i live to my fullest potential without getting tripped on perfection?

i came across this recently:

i love it.

go here for more info. or maybe to join?!

i think that this will help keep me inspired. help me keep my focus. because it isn't just about me.

such deep thoughts to start the new year.....yikes!!

what can i do to help myself bloom this year?

ali edwards shares the coolest, deep, everyday stuff on her blog. fun! she says:

"The idea behind the one little word concept is to give yourself something to focus on throughout the year. As I stated in my newsletter back in January 2007, "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow."
Also from that same newsletter:
Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2009?It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word. One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities. And here's one thing that is totally interesting: sometimes a word will pop into your brain and it will not make any sense to you right now. Give it some time. Let it percolate a bit. I have often found that our hearts speak to us in very unique ways. Maybe this is a word you need to hear but just aren't ready for it yet. Again, be open to the possibilities."

what's your word?