Monday, February 21, 2011

sorry ...

just making a few changes to the blog - and given that I don't use the photo "drawer" I have decided to put "parties" in there instead - easier for me to find and show when people ask :)

So there ... last post of the day ... I think!

We Won ....

Ok ... don't get too excited, Zellers - the equivelant of Føtex called one day a few weeks back and told us that we had won a family photo for free ... not something I really wanted to win - a car, yes or a trip to New Zealand, yes ... but a family photo - not so much!

We did of course go, and to say it the least - what a pathetic set up and even the photos didn't turn out great - but I did feel "I must buy these, when else will we get a chance to have "professional" photos" taken again?" ... so the sales guy didn't have a hard time talking me into it - however much I wish now that I'd said "No, Thank You very much!".

These have been scanned in and are not terribly sharp but still I think you'll get the idea - Maia is not at all happy with her "Angel Pose" but Mum and Dad thinks she's very cute :)

Oh well - In time maybe we'll be happy we went with these photos - even if they are not "out of this world!"






Enough for today - three posts ... never happened before has it? Well that is what you get when the kids are sick and I'm just hanging out with them!

A little Happy ...

well ...  we did do something nice before the big sickness overtook the house ...

I had decided on Thursday that I needed a clipboard for the kitchen - playing Game On with lots of lovely girls from around the world, I needed a list to check off everyday, and whereas last time I used the big chalk board in the "Cafe", this time I wanted something closer to the sink and water jug!

Anyways - So as I always do when I need something pretty, I went on Etsy, to see if someone had a nice clip board they'd sell to me ... but guess what - looking at them all I thought "Now Hang On, Mrs Mote - you can do this yourself!" so Friday afternoon I took Anna and her friend Nyah to Michael's and we shopped for boards, papers, ribbon, stickers, embellishments and Modge Podge :)

This is what the kids ended up with

And here's what the Mummy ended up with


Not bad at all for a Friday afternoon craft ... (let's not tell anyone that I could have saved a LOT of money had I bought one board on Etsy and not having to buy all the stuff to make 5 boards instead :)

What an Absolute Disappointment

oh the heartache this house feels ....

Family Weekend - Friday off, Monday off ... plans made for over half a year for Kirsten and the girls to come visit from NJ. So much excitement, skyping back and forth, everyone here and there counting the days and on Friday night the last Skype about weather and if to bring snow pants - we were ready both here and there ...

... and then ... VOMIT ... everywhere ... up and down walls, doors, floors and children ... ARGH!!!!!

frantic phone calls to Kirsten at midnight (when of course she was sleeping soundly as she was preparing herself for a long drive the following morning!) - text messages on her mobile, voice mails to her mobile, emails and Skype messages - hoping she'd look or listen somewhere.

She did ... 6 am in her car, all packed and ready to go, the girls sleepy but ready and excited ... and then she had to break it to them - "We cannot go ... they are sick" ... there were tears - here and there and it has been the worst weekend in a long time!

Kirsten managed to call her brother and they went to New Hampshire to visit them, so they didn't get up for nothing - us ... well Anna is still very poorly, Maia and Jack are better ... and Bob who never ever gets these tummy viruses is tired from looking after us all!

Me - well I'm just devastated ... my heart sinks every time I think of what could have been ... Kirsten is such a wonderful friend, the one I share everything with and it has been such a long winter with so many different issues and I was looking forward to finally being able to open the wine and just T A L K ... and now who knows when that will happen?

Maybe ... do you think just maybe I can talk her into another trip away - just me and her, lots of wine and shopping and time to share - or is that just too selfish given the kids are devastated too and miss their friends as well? 

- I guess New York is where I'll be spending my 41st birthday - and you know what - Couldn't think of a better way or people to spend it with!

Still ... devastated .... it is the only word that fits my mood today ...

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

January is gone ... Spring must be just around the Corner!

Phew ... yet again I made it ... It does not get easier, it only ever gets harder, and this year was a really tough one because December was so filled with joy, visitors, presents, happiness and fun!

February seems so short and soon we'll be back to better temperatures (the minus 25 with wind chill seems very very cold when you must take the kids to school!) - next weekend brings visitors from NJ when Grace, Sylvie and Kirsten come to see us. We are all very excited about that. Hopefully we'll be able to go skating on the Canal again this year. Have some hot chocolate and to top it all off, we are planning to go see the Ice Sculptures as it will be the last weekend of the Winterlude ... Third time lucky ... three years here, and we still haven't made it down there - pathetic given the fact that this was what we were all so excited about while reading up on "What to do in Ottawa" when we had just bought the house. Oh well, with the girls from NJ we have no reason not to make it down there - and we promise to take a few pictures!

Kids have just gotten their report cards and as their parent it is a great joy to read them - it is not so much the grades ... to me it is so much more important to read the praise on their personalities. They are all so well liked and known in the school as kind, considerate, caring and helpful kids. That makes me proud!

Although it has been a rough couple of weeks with me having to fight with the Principal. Oh the joys - Anna got slapped in the face by a boy from her class one day (for no reason) and the Principal told me that the boy would be suspended the following day. When I got there to pick up the kids I found that the little muppet had been in the class all day and no action (other than staying in for recess!) had been taken - ooooh, that sure got me out of my box! So it has been a lot of emails and dealings with the Principal ... for a school that has a "No Bullying" policy she messed it up so badly it is rather unbelievable. Oh well - Anna is ok, she has moved on and so I must too ... for all the anger and upset, it was a good feeling telling the school that I do not appreciate such pathetic behavior! We'll see in the next 4 years if I have to show them again :)

Not much else worth telling about has happened. Bob has decided how and what to do for his 50th this year which leaves me to figure out how and what do for him ... also Jack and Anna will be 10 in a few months time and they have big plans for their party so I'm happy doing what I love most. I bought the ribbon for their cake just yesterday and Anna went "I love it!!!" when she saw it - definitely her Mother's Daughter :) Her vision of the cake was immediate and I didn't even have to explain :)

Tomorrow it will be Isabella's 10th birthday - wow ... I still remember when Lyne called to tell me she was in labor and I so wish she could see what a gorgeous girl Isabella has turned into!

Unfortunately I have no photos to share this time as both Bob's and my laptop died a sad death last week - with so much to load and update the photos didn't get first priority - let's hope we have something to show next time!

So there ... between Jack and I playing Donkey Kong on the Wii, the kids all skating every day the weather behaves and Bob being home every weekend - life is OK here in Ottawa. We hope you're keeping warm wherever you are!