Only 7 more days.  As of next Thursday I will have my 3 girls home with me for the summer.  I am very much looking forward to it.  Our summers are generally spent flying by the seat of our pants.  We have a standing appointment with the Calgary Stampede and we are very excited that this year My Dear Nathan will be joining us for 5 days of Stampedin'.  We are even taking a "night off".  While my girls stay with my parents, we will be livin' it up like a couple with no kids!

The girls and I will be going camping for a week in August with my family.  Not sure if My Dear Nathan will be joining us for the whole trip (not likely) but we are hoping that he can take a day off to join us.  This camping trip will be a celebration of sorts as my Grandparents will celebrate their 50th anniversary in August.  We will also be celebrating our 10th anniversary (which was in May and was the reason for our trip to Florida) and my parents 30th anniversary which is the day after my baby turns 2.

OMG!!  My baby is going to be 2 in a matter of weeks.  I cannot believe how fast time flies by.  She is a funny little thing.  She talks up a storm, problem with that being is that it is her own little language.  Every now and again she says something that is clearly english but other than that it is just a string of "uh-uh's".  We are hoping that she will start picking up some more words as the summer progresses.  I am sure that with her sisters being home that it will come sooner than I expect.  

Speaking of sisters....Camryn has finally learned how to ride a 2-wheeler.  She is so very impressed with herself.  Her only problem now is that her bike is too small.  I took her out to look for a new one yesterday and we believe that we have found "the one".  We just have to wait for Daddy to approve the size.  I think that this will be the first time that we will only have to buy one new bike.  Darian is still good with hers but she does need a new helmet.  

With Darian this summer I am hoping to improve our relationship.  She has been having some troubles the past few weeks and I am hoping that we can get everything out in the air and start coming up with some solutions.  She is much closer to her Dad than with me and I am mostly Ok with that....I just wish that she felt a little more comfortable with me...so that is what I am going to work on.  Wish me luck as she is only 12 and I have heard that it only gets worse from here..... :(

Well....there are my ramblings.  I was hoping that I would just sit down, start typing and something brilliant would come out....guess today was not the day.  If you have made it this far....you are a trooper!!  Have a good day.  Hope you have lovely weather where you are, I think we are going to have some sun today, which makes me happy :)

I'm Back

Well I am back...have been for sometime now but just have not been feeling like I had the ability to blog.  I have been very tired and think that I am finally getting caught up on the sleep that I have been missing out on for sometime now.

Just some updates....our trip was awesome!!  I cannot believe how much I have fallen in love with Florida.  The weather is spectacular, the beer is cheap and plentiful, clothing is reasonably priced and I have found a store that sells fat chick clothes that do not require you to be 10 ft. tall or a million years old to wear.  I bought $350.00 worth of clothes before heading to the airport to come home....I also had to buy a new suitcase to fit it all in!!  

We have already planned and booked our next trip back.  We will be going back for 9 days in January.  We are going to be taking my parents and the girls with us.  We are very excited and have already begun our countdown....only 204 more days!!!  (Yes, I am obsessed as some people like to say but seriously...if you have not been to Florida you have no idea so please do not continuously ask me what the appeal is.....it is as annoying as me asking you why you choose to go camping every summer....duh, because you like it!)

On the downside....I was doing well with Weight Watchers right up until I stepped off the plane in Orlando.  After that everything kind of went out the window.  I enjoyed food and drink of every variety and rationalized it all by saying that I was walking alot.  Since I have been home I have continued to enjoy and indulge....only without the walking.  Knowing that I have not been a good Weight Watcher I decided that the best way to enjoy Florida is be being a lot lighter.   I attended my first WW meeting in a month yesterday.  I have managed to gain back half of what I have lost in the matter of a month.  It took me much longer to lose it.  Why oh why must weight be so much easier to put on than to take off????

So besides Florida and WW nothing much interesting has been going on here at the Schmoo house.  We are trying to get projects that we started sometime ago finished along with getting ready for summer.  I cannot believe that the girls will be done school in a matter of weeks.  I am looking forward to it because I am tired of having to leave my house to drive 5 minutes everyday.  I am also looking forward to spending sometime in Calgary to do some Stamdedin'.

Well this post is starting to go everywhere and explain nothing so I will bow out now before I really get confusing.  Sorry for the hiatus....I guess I just needed to get the blog juices flowing again.  Hope you enjoyed.

(Cammy....I miss ya too.  Hope you are OK...call me....maybe I can come out for a visit before you go home....would love to see you again).

Update

Well....Ryleigh is feeling much better now.  Thanks to everyone for their concern.  

Mommy, on the other hand, is not feeling so great.  Ryleigh passed on her cold to me.  I leave tomorrow :(  I also got the luck of getting an ear infection.  I went to the Doctor yesterday and he gave me some antibiotics which are supposed to help but as of right now my ear is totally plugged and I feel like I am living under water.

I am just about finished packing.  Only 2 more hours until we leave to take the kids to my parents.  We fly tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.  Cross your fingers there are no delays and that my ears hold up.

See you all in a week or so!!!  Have a great long weekend!

Poor Baby

I think that my baby is getting sick.  This is not good.  Ever.  I don't like it when my babies are sick but this time I am being especially selfish about it.

I don't want to leave my sick baby while I am away basking in the sun.  I don't think that my Mom would like it if I left my sick baby with her while I am away basking in the sun either.

I have a feeling that it could be a long night tonight.  While I went to the gym tonight (yep, you read that right, I went to the gym) My Dear Nathan put all of our girls to bed.  He said that Ryleigh went quite willingly.  She usually does but not that early.  

I have heard a few cries from the crib tonight but nothing that indicated that she wouldn't just roll over and go back to sleep.  I was informed by My Dear Nathan that we have no milk though.  I am thinking that I should be going to the store for milk instead of writing (boring) blogs.  Should I walk?  Hmmmm....

Good Things....

Having been a bad blogger as of late I will report on only happy things.

Today it was nice outside.  When it is nice outside it is nicer inside because Mommy can send children outside and out of her hair.

I only have 9 more days to wait until my trip.  I am so excited that I could pee my pants.  I do have to admit that even though I have not yet left that I already miss my babies.  I am crazy.  

I had a good weekend.  We spent our Friday night celebrating My Dear Nathan's big hockey win.  I am pleased to announce that he was voted Goalie of the Year.

Canada's Worst Handyman 3 starts tonight.  I love this show.  I think this one is even better than Canada's Worst Driver.

My Dear Nathan is on call this weekend but does not have to work on Mother's Day.  I hope I get a nice necklace to go with my new dress.

I bought a new dress to wear to Cirque Du Soleil at Disney World.  Although I am a little sad that I couldn't buy a smaller size (bad, bad Nancy for not working hard enough to lose more weight) I am happy that I look better than I did at Christmas.

Last thing is the Happy Monster Band.  Google it and then listen to the Monster Hoe Down.  I have been singing it for a week.  Claw left, claw right.....now double claw!!!!

Camryn Gets Revenge

In my effort to conserve water I bathe 2 of my children together.  I always have (age appropriate of course).  I also shower every day with My Dear Nathan (sorry for the wealth of personal information).

Camryn and Darian used to bath together all the time.  I will never ever forget one fateful night though.  Camryn must have been around 2, making Darian 6-ish.  Our one and only bathtub was upstairs in our tiny house.  We ran the water, tossed our kids into the tub and then went about our business.  Everything was going swimmingly until we heard Darian screeching at the top of her lungs for her Mommy.  Thinking that something was wrong, we both bolted into the bathroom.  Upon our arrival we found Darian straddling the bathtub, a foot on either side, while yelling.  Camryn, on the other hand, was happy as a clam.  Just sitting and playing.  It only took a second before we realized what it was that Darian was screaming about.  Camryn had pooped in the water.  It was a priceless moment.  We plucked our children out of the sewage, cleaned the tub and then proceeded to clean our children.

Camryn has got her revenge tonight.  She wanted to bathe with her baby sister so we obliged.  We ran them the tub, gave them the toys and left the room to go about our business.  Tonight, however, there was the teeny-tiniest call of "uhhhh.....Mommy?".  I almost didn't hear it.  I muted the hockey game and answered.  It the calmest voice I have ever heard Camryn replied "Ryleigh just pooped in the bath".  We bolted to her rescue, expecting to see her straddling the tub ala Darian.  Nope, she simply got out and waited for us to come and rescue her.  Ryleigh was not pleased to have to get out but we promised her that she could get back in....just as soon as we removed all the toys, all the poop and scrubbed the tub.  Now I have dirty tub toys, a clean tub and pretty soon will have clean children.  

I can't help but wonder when (or if) Ryleigh will get her revenge....that and how the hell am I going to clean all the tub toys?

Bradford Ex-crap!

Remember how I was saying that I was going to blog about what Awesome Father-In-Law had waiting for me when I came home from Disneyland?  Well here it is....in all of its glory.

These lovely things are not for me specifically but for my 8 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER!  Yes, you read that right.  At some point in her 8 years my little Camryn may or may not have mentioned that she likes dragons.

Any of you who have been reading will know that I have been incessantly complaining about trying to get my house decluttered and organized.  I have gone through boxes upon boxes of stuff that I thought that I needed.  I have realized that I needed none of it.

I realize even more that I DO NOT need crappy Bradford Exchange anything in my house.  Not only are there these 2 dragons in my house but there is also a number of wolves (that belong to Darian) and some other crap in large styrofoam containers.  It would not have been so bad if my children had actually asked for any of this shit but they did not.  My Awesome Father-In-Law took it upon himself to buy them these lovely pieces.

I get that he is just trying to give his grandchildren something but why these?  These....totally age inappropriate, totally home cluttering, totally ugly specimens.  The best part though?  Is that this is a series.....of 8!  I do not have room for the 2 that we have what the fuck am I going to do with 8?

My favorite part is the scantily-clad warrior women on them.  I am sure that they are Camryn's favorite part too.  Groan!  What am I going to do?  Anybody wanna adopt some dragons?

Tired!!

It.  Has.  Been.  Snowing.  For.  Days.  Who the hell pissed off the weather gods?  I am so tired of the snow.  How is it possible that in the last 3 days we have received more snow than we did the whole 2 weeks we were away.....in DECEMBER!!!

I have shoveled our sidewalk because the snow gets too deep during the day to leave it for Nathan to do.  This morning, after getting home from a horrible attempt to work out at the gym, I just left Ryleigh in our van (running of course) to watch Spongebob while I tried to clear a path to our front door.  I have left the back for Nathan to do.  It is garbage day tomorrow and I will have no part of hauling any garbage out through at least a foot of snow.

The worst part of this, besides the fact that it is nearing the end of April, is that there does not seem to be a stop to this hideous weather until after the weekend.  Ugg.  Groan.  Retch.  Alberta weather is just not impressing me right now.  Good thing that I only have 22 more days until I go to Florida.

**I would add pics but this damn thing is not working.

***I would also like to add that my boys won their hockey game on Sunday!!!

A Meme

I was not tagged per se but this is from Kyddryn.  You can visit her here.

1. What was the last hot thing you touched?  Does my husband count?  lol.....

2. Do you have an eating disorder?  Sometimes I don't like to eat.  The thought of it kind of makes me sick...but I do eat because it is one of those pesky things that you HAVE to do.

3. As a child, did you ever take swimming lessons?  Yes I did.  We used to live in a townhouse complex that had a rec centre and that is where I took swimming lessons.

4. What was the last movie you watched in the theatre?  I have no clue.  It has been so long since I have gone to the theatre....probably some sort of Harry Potter movie and I still haven't seen the most recent one.

5. Do you have siblings?  Yes, I have 1 younger brother.

6. Ever had braces?  Although most dentists that I see assume that I have, I haven't.  I have been fortunate enough to be born with perfectly straight teeth.  I guess it is the least the universe could do since I am fat.

7. When was the last time you kissed the last person you kissed?  Sometime around 3:30 this morning...

8. What are two things you get made fun of a lot for?  My incredibly small ears and the fact that I really like Disney right now....

9. How old are your brothers and sisters?  I have no sisters but my brother is 28.

10. What was your favorite movie as a child?  I remember really liking Annie.

11. Do you know anyone with the same name as you?  Yes, my daughter's Brownie leader has the same first name and one of the guys that Nathan works with has the same as my middle name.

12. What do you smell like?  A Mom?  Nancy?  Oil of Olay soap?  I have never really sniffed myself.

13. What's your favorite month?  Probably July because there is Stampede, Capital Ex, usually nice weather and my baby's birthday.

14. Do people ever misspell your name?  Yes, not so much my first name, but definitely my middle and last name (both married and maiden).

15. Are you a mean person?  No, although I am sure that my kids would tell you that I am.

16. What was the last sporting event that you watched?  I am watching curling as I type this.  But before this it was a hockey game.  And after this it will be a hockey game.....sigh....I can't wait for football season to start.

17. When you're home alone, do you still close the door when you shower?  Yes because I am never, ever home alone and if I am having a shower it is one of the very few toddler free moments I get.  Besides if the door is open and Ryleigh comes in, it usually means that I have to let her in the shower with me.

18. Has a friendship ended recently that you wish hadn't?  No though I do feel like some are strained but I am not sure how I feel about it.

19. You win the $100 million power ball lottery - what do you do?  First, I wonder if a Canadian is allowed to win a power ball lottery.  Second, I pay off debts, build a new house and have another baby.  Take a nice, extended vacation and put money away for my kids.

20. Are you a beach person or a snowy mountain person?  Well right at this very moment I would have to say a beach person as it has been snowing for 2 days here.  Have I mentioned that it is mid-April?  Have I mentioned that this time last week it was 24 above?  And now?  It is snowing.....lots!

21. Can you watch scary movies alone?  No.  I don't like scary movies at all and don't watch them.  Most of the time I don't watch them because they are too stupid and my life is too valuable to waste watching mindless crap....unless it is some sort of reality tv show.

22. Would you rather stay home all day or be out and about?  Well I usually like to stay home all day but every now and then I need to get out before I burn my house down.

23. Do you like to keep the peace or be confrontational?  Depends on who I am with....there are some people that I love to argue with.....Awesome Father-In-Law is one of them.

24. Are you more likely to be with a large group of people or a few close friends?  A few close friends.

25. Where would you like to live?  I am very content here in Edmonton....I don't know enough about other places to change where I live....I don't like change.

26. What is your ideal profession?  One where I love what I am doing every day.  I am still looking....

27. What is one fear that you have?  Losing my family is my biggest fear!

28. Are you good in math?  I used to be.

29. What's stashed under your bed?  The floor.  There is no space under my bed.

30. Is there anyone you ever regret meeting?  Yes....but I think that if I said who it is it would be mean, and I am not a mean person.

31. Would you rather have room mates or live alone?  Live alone if it was just random people who were my room mates.

32. What is your favorite thing to wear?  Anything that makes me look thinner.  :)

33. Do you give money to homeless people when they ask?  Sometimes.  If I have change then chances are I will give it.  

34. Missing someone?  Yes....wish she lived closer.  The Mayor position still needs filling (in my opinion anyway).

35. You're having a bad day, what is one thing that can make your day better?  My kids being funny.  Or a hug from my husband.

36. Do you keep secrets well?  Sometimes too well....am struggling with that right now.

37. Can you sing?  Yes but not as well as I used to be able too.

38. Any plans for today?  Yep, we are going to watch My Dear Nathan play hockey.  It is the finals.....fingers crossed they win!!

39. Favorite color?  Black....if you don't consider that a color then it would be red.

40. How old will you be in 10 months?  10 months older than I am right now...duh!!  Ummmm....almost 33.

41. What did you do today?  So far, I have done some laundry, changed some diapers, served some breakfast and watched some curling.....not a very exciting day as of yet.

42. Who was the last person who texted you?  Probably Jenn.  It has been a few days since I got a text so I am guessing.

43. What is your current status?  Ummm....married.  Stationary.  Awake.

44. What are you listening to?  CBC Sports.

45. Who can you tell anything to?  My Dear Nathan and Cammy.

46. What were you doing at 12 am last night?  Drinking beer and playing Wii with My Dear Nathan and Camryn.

47. When is the last time you saw your Mom?  April 2.  It was the day we left after going to Disneyland together.

48. Have you kissed someone in the last 2 weeks?  Yes, all of my family.  

49. How many houses have you lived in? 3 of my own.

50. Do you live in the house you grew up in?  No.

51. What are you doing for your next birthday?  I have no clue, probably not much.

52. Are you a social person?  Isn't everyone is some manner?

53. Do you like someone right now?  Yes, I like lots of people.

54. What color is your shirt?  Black and grey.

55. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?  Yes but only because there is someone on the other side, once he is gone I roll all over the place.

56. Do you know how to play poker?  Texas Hold Em, yes....but not very good.

57. What are you thinking about right now?  Honestly?  That my house smells like chicken at this very moment.

58. Any plans for this weekend?  Next weekend?  This weekend is pretty much done.  Next weekend we have to work on cleaning the house out more.

59. Do you have anything bothering you?  YES!!!!  Big time....and it really, REALLY sucks!

60. Do you smile often?  I think so.

61. When was the last time you cried?  Friday night, 

62. Have you ever had a life threatening injury?  No thank goodness!

63. Have you ever been in an ambulance?  No thank goodness!

64. Do you prefer an ocean or pool?  A pool because they can be warm.

65. Why is your relationship status the way it is?  Because I said so.

66. What is something that you collect?  Magazines but I really shouldn't.

67. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7? Yes my tongue is pierced and so is my nose.

68. Do you think OJ killed his wife?  Yes.

69. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?  Probably during my dumb teen years.

70. How often do you remember your dreams?  A few nights a week usually.

71. What is the main ring tone on your phone?  Just One Fix by Ministry.

72. What is something that you do too much?  Let people use me as an emotional dumping ground.  Drink beer.

73. Do you shut the water off while you brush your teeth?  Yes.

74. Do you wish someone was with you right now?  He already is.

75. Are you mad about anything?  Same thing that is making me cry, keeping a secret and bothering me.

76. How late did you stay up Saturday night and why?  Until about 4 am, playing Wii and doin' other stuff.  Why?  Because it was all fun!

77. What was the first thing you thought when you got up?  Fucking cats!!!

78. Who were you with Saturday night?  My Dear Nathan, Camryn and Ryleigh.

79. Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 months from now?  Yes.

80. Do you think it will be snowing 3 months from now?  Is this some sort of a trick question?  My answer is.....it better fucking not be!!!

81. When is the next time you will see your best friend?  Sadly, I have no idea :(

82. What highschool did/do/will you attend?  Westwood and Father Merc...I was bad.

83. Who was the last person you talked to last night before bed?  My Dear Nathan.

84. Is there anything that you are craving right now?  Pizza.

85. Have you ever started a sentence with "No offence but..."?  I can't recall but I know I would like to.  That is not true, I am sure that I have and would still like to.

86. Do you drink tea?  Yes.  I like Lemon Zinger the best.

87. Are you happy with your life right now?  Yes...most of it.  Everything in my house is good, wish I could say the same for every one I know.

88. Who do you hate?  I don't hate anyone....dislike...yes, but hate, no.

89. What do you wear to bed?  Nothing.

90. Has anyone gotten on your nerves lately?  Yes.

91. Do you think you'll be married in 10 years?  Yes.

92. What were you doing at 6 pm on Friday night?  Nothing, sitting at home.

So there you have it.  Answers to many questions, nothing very exciting.  I have been a bad blogger.  I will not tag but you feel it necessary, please answer many questions too!!

Have a good day.  Wish us luck we are going to watch My Dear Nathan play hockey today (the finals) and we really want to win!!!

All Growed Up

You know you are a real adult when you get excited about doors.  As I type I have 3 men ripping out my exterior front door.  I am finally getting a new one!!  One from this century!!  WOO HOO!!!

I must be all growed up now as I am excited about getting new doors.  My house is kind of cold and I still have to run to the store to buy door knobs and locks but I will have a new door.  

A Test

I have been thinking I should expand my blogspot knowledge.....bare with me while I test some stuff out....

Do you see anything?  Leave a comment and let me know...

*Edited to add:  I think that I made it work!!  Yay me!!  Those are my stupid cats who I have spoiled by letting the drink cold, running water, which is the only way that they will drink it.  It is a little uncomfortable when I am trying to go to the bathroom....always a pleasure with 3 cats and a toddler present.

Seriously?

I know that you all must be so sick of hearing about house cleaning and organizing and such but seriously?  When the fuck does it all get finished?

I think that maybe I just went about doing it the wrong way.  I wanted to get upstairs done but I cannot do that without having the basement done as I want to move our other computer down there.  I can't move anything down there until the decades worth of crap that I have, for some unknown reason, held onto is gone.

I am trying to sell my crap on the internet right now.  I cannot believe how people seem to want a brand new dresser for the $40.00 I am asking for it.  Fuck, if dressers only cost $40.00 you wouldn't be on the internet looking for them asshole!!!  I have managed to sell (assuming she comes to pick it up) our old 27" elephant (I mean t.v.).  Now all I need to do is get rid of the elephant holder.

Ugly isn't it?  I am thinking that it would make great firewood.  I am at the point where I am just ready to burn everything that I no longer want and/or need.  Do you notice the mess around it?  That is just more crap that I don't need that My Dear Nathan keeps telling me that I can't get rid of because it doesn't belong to me.  What is it you ask?  It is all the shit that he takes from his brothers and his Dad when they no longer want their crap!!  

I decided today that I am going to clean my living room.  At least I can have one room in my house that does not make me want to puke by being in it.  After that I figure I will clean the kitchen but only because I have to make supper at some point tonight.  

I also have to go to work....fun oh fun.  Have I mentioned that I do not think that the job that I am currently doing is worth the $180.00 per month I am making doing it?  Oh to have a maid or at least some help.  Just wait until I find my camera amongst the shit that I have still have to unpack (I know, I suck).  Then you will see why I think that Awesome Father-In-Law is oh-so-awesome.  Because what I came home to the other day....sitting on my kitchen table....is exactly what I need in the midst of my organizational nervous breakdown.  Stay tuned!!!

I am back....

but I am not happy about it.  Ok, that is a lie.  I am totally happy to be back because (caution:  sappy shit coming up) I missed My Dear Nathan.  

Our trip was a very short one, even shorter than anticipated thanks in large part to some snow and a cruddy airline.  I am beginning to think that air travel is way over rated.  At least if I drove to my destinations I could experience the scenery and have to take a longer vacation.  I will not bore you with details, just know that I should have been at LAX at noon on Sunday and arrived sometime around 8:00 p.m., with only 2 of my daughters.  The other one would arrive at nearly midnight with my Mother.  Ugg....we missed a whole day at Disneyland but did spend a glorious day at the Phoenix airport.

Our trip after that was nothing but a blur of trying to pack all of Disneyland and California Adventure into 2 days.  We almost did it.  There were somethings that we did not ride and/or see.  Oo, oo, we did, however, see Cuba Gooding Jr. in the Phoenix airport.  I am sure he took our seats.  

I enjoyed our trip and am sure that so did my girls.  I look forward to taking them back, spending a few more days and of course, having My Dear Nathan with us (no offense to my Mom, she rode all the scary rides with my kids as I, am a total, complete chicken shit).

We came home on Thursday night.  On Friday morning I was very graciously invited to a Bloggers Breakfast.  Which proceeded to be followed by a Bloggers Lunch.  It was a great time, with great new people.  I look forward to the next one and only hope that they did not think I was crazy, lame, or any of those other bad things I tend to think about myself.  

The rest of the weekend I did nothing.  As I sit here typing this my suitcase is still in my living room.  Full.  I really should unpack it.  Right now....I have a feeling I am boring people.  

Time is

so slow.......this last week of waiting for the day to go to Disney has taken forever!!  

I am finally here in Cochrane and am just a mere 12 hours away from being on a plane to California.  The bad part is that I am a mere 9 hours away from having to sit in the Calgary International Airport for 3 hours.  Yippee!!!  Can't wait.  I wonder who will be at the airport at 4 a.m.

I packed everything this morning before leaving to come to Cochrane.  I hope and cross all appendages that I did not forget anything.  Which I am sure that I have because I never pack without forgetting something.  I packed for a week for all of us once and totally forgot to pack My Dear Nathan some underwear.  He....was not impressed.  Me....didn't mind so much.

I need to find something to do with my time.  I am sure that I am more excited about this trip than my girls are...at least for right now.  Will be back in a few.  Hope everyone has/had a great weekend/week!!!

Random

Thoughts......

Ryleigh really needs to go to bed.  She is trying to put on her new sandals and is having zero success with it.  She is pissed off!

I have been really sucking at Weight Watchers lately.  It is a combination of really craving burgers and beer and not having any motivation to do any sort of exercise.

I went to get new exterior doors today.  Fuck me, they are not cheap....can't wait til I have to shell out for new hardwood floors.

Watching The View is always painful, yet I generally turn it on everyday (would someone please hand EH a brain).  Perhaps I can just pay someone to come poke me in the eye with a hot needle as it would probably feel like a better use for my time.

I leave to go to Disney in 4 days.  Darian has no clean clothes and I am down to only 2 loads of laundry to do.  Yet I sit here on the computer, not doing any laundry.

Darian has done her own laundry for almost 3 years now.  I am a horrible mother.  I stopped doing her laundry when she figured that it was alright to use 3 towels every time she showered and change her clothes 20 times a day because, you know, I love doing laundry and really needed to do more.

On the subject of Darian....what do you do when you can't stand the way your daughter does her hair?  She is insisting right now to wear these "pig tails" at the nape of her neck that are about half an inch long.....I want nothing more than to cut them off in the middle of the night.

It would be easier to reach Darian's head in the middle of the night if there was not a mountain of dirty laundry about 5 ft. high surrounding her bed.

I am now going in circles talking about laundry and Ryleigh really, REALLY, needs a nap.

Easter Dinner

Nothing very exciting about this post, just to forewarn you.

This weekend I successfully cooked and served Easter dinner.  ALL BY MYSELF, which my Mother pointed out to me.

I came stumbling home from the bar on Saturday night, put my ham in the oven and went to bed.  Step 1 complete.

The next morning My Dear Nathan got up and cleaned the house while I slept off the jugs of Grasshopper (lots o' lemon) that I had consumed the night before.  Then I asked him to carry the mini-fridge downstairs, go to Safeway to pick up the rest of everything that I needed to make dinner and pick up some wine from the good ol' liquor store.

My grandparents came at around noon, shortly after my parents had called to say that they were finally leaving for their 3 hour drive to bring my kids home and well, since they were here, eat too.

Around 1-ish I remembered that I didn't have any dinner buns.  Instead of asking My Dear Nathan to go out and get some I figured that my parents would be getting close to home and should be able to swing by the grocery store and pick some up.  Wrong.  They were only half hour into the 3 hour ride.  Apparently when they called to say they were leaving they needed to first go through the 2 hour, make sure everything in the house is OK, checklist which is of course required when you leave the house for 12 hours.

My grandparents are sleeping on the couch, because that is what old people do and now I am wondering if I should attempt to bake some buns or send My Dear Nathan back to the store.  I chose the store and some internet surfing.

After all way said and done, I made my ham, some taters, gravy, corn, carrots and coleslaw for dinner.  I did it all by myself (the preparation and cooking that is, My Dear Nathan did the delivery).  Ok, I admit that my Mother mashed the potatoes for me.  Usually I have someone here (my Mother) to help me but not this time.  Nope, this time, I was like....all growed up and cooking family Easter dinner!

Hope everyone had a great one!!!

(Told you it wasn't very exciting...raise your hand if you made it this far)

Technology

I have been driving my van for just about a month now.  I totally love it.  I thought that I would miss my little car but really....I don't.  

The van is nice in that it has satellite radio.  Not the company that I would prefer but I like listening to the radio and the fact that I can listen in the middle of nowhere (like say....Red Deer) makes me happy.

What has not been making me happy is the lack of instructions on how to use the fancy touch screen radio/media centre in the van.  It has the ability to have 12 preset stations, which is good because I have found that all the stations that I like to listen to are all over the dial.  I have caught myself looking at the radio screen instead of paying attention to the road....bad, bad Nancy.

Today, after having tried to figure out the preset button on numerous occasions, I finally figured it out!!  I am so happy with myself.  This is a really good thing considering that next week I have to take the van in to get some fancy U-Connect system put in.  Apparently I will be able to talk on my cell through my van.  I am sure that sometime this summer I will finally figure out how to use it.  Isn't technology great?  I know that things are really complicated when even my tech-savvy kids can't figure it out.

Trying New Things

This morning was a big morning.  I actually went and did something that I never in a million years thought I would.  I signed up, paid for and attended a Salsa Tots class.  

In an effort to lose some (some = very large amounts) of weight I decided that I needed to do something a little more physical than moving my fingertips while typing.  I contemplated joining the gym and then remembered the last time that I did that.....skinny, had way too much coffee, cheery to a fault girls telling me that I will be skinny in no time....yeah, right.  Go fuck yourself skinny gym girl.  Jeez....you think that I am bitter much?

So, gym is out of the question.  I have bought some proper walking shoes and planned 2 trips to various Disney parks within the next few months.  I will be walking....lots.  I am telling myself that the Disney trips will be good for me (minus, of course, all of the food that is a must to eat...like Pineapple Whip and Churros).

(Aside - I am typing this while watching The View....Barbara Walters looks horrid today!!!  Mmmmmmm Carter Oosterhouse, or however you spell it)

Back to the post....so no gym, more walking.  I was watching the morning news one day and saw someone talking about a dance class for Mom (or Dad) and baby, called Salsa Babies.  Not having a baby anymore I thought I was screwed.  Nope.  They have a class called Salsa Tots.  Not giving it a second thought, I signed up.  

This morning was our first class.  Let me start by saying I was totally the fattest in the class....by a lot!  On the other hand though, Ryleigh was totally the cutest kid!  I got over all the "I am so fat" thoughts, remembering that I was there to try to help out that situation.  I avoided looking at myself in the very large mirrors and concentrated on having fun dancing with my baby.  

I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying it.  Ryleigh mostly participated, there were moments when she would have rather just been running around, but she did dance.  I danced, kind of, but I did not, and will not, jump.  That would just be ugly!  

I didn't pay attention to the perfect-body Moms who probably roll out of bed looking like they just came home from the salon.  I just need to constantly remind myself that I am there to get some exercise and spend some great time with my baby.

Why Men Are Idiots

• they get it from their Fathers
• they are disorganized
• they think that they have told you something that they haven't and then expect you to do something in relation to their phantom directions
• they figure that 2:00 a.m. when you are FINALLY getting into bed, because you are TIRED is a good time to look for some luvin'
• they think that decluttering, organizing and spring cleaning after not doing it for 10 years involves a couple of garbage bags and about an hour of your time
• they think that their Sunday afternoon hockey game is more important than spending time with the family they haven't seen all week
• they take clean clothes off the bed and put them on the floor instead of putting them away
• they figure that women should deal with emotions the same way that they do....by just forgetting about them
• they stink
• they don't tell you when a package that you have been waiting for is delivered while you are at work
• they don't pay attention to the details
• they leave dirty kleenex everywhere
• they argue with you about where to go for supper
• they cannot make a decision if their life depended on it
• they have no sense of urgency
• they hold onto decades old hockey trophies that haven't seen the outside of a cardboard box for 15 years
• they say they will do something and then don't
• they complain about something and then don't do anything to fix it

Now, of course, all of these do not apply to all men in general and they are not just about one man in particular.  It just seems that the last few days would have been much easier to deal with if it were a week where all the men left.

If you would like to add to the reasons, please do so in my comments....pass the link onto all your friends.....I am sure that I am missing some that I would love to add to the list!

Oatmeal.....Again

In an effort to make my large ass a little less large I have been eating oatmeal.  Lots....of oatmeal.  I usually begin my day with a bowl of it.  

I have discovered that I like it better made with milk as opposed to water.  It takes 1 minute, 30 seconds in my beautiful microwave.  When it comes out it is still all nice and smooth and full of oat-y deliciousness.

My most recent daily routine requires that I watch ER reruns while reading blogs and thinking of ways to spend My Dear Nathan's hard earned money before he hardly earned it.  Don't worry, I feed Ryleigh her morning staple of peanut butter toast before I start all my hard work.

I am thinking, as I eat my "oatmeal" that I need to revise my routine to include eating my oatmeal before I begin ER and/or blog reading.  By the time I begin to eat it the oat-y deliciousness has turned into a sticky, oat-y facial peel.  I still eat it but it is no longer smooth, it is more....lumpy.  The taste is still OK as far as diet oatmeal goes.

Once I am finished my bowl, I have learned the hard way, it must be rinsed out immediately.  If it is not, it moves from facial peel-ish to cement-ish.  I never knew that oatmeal was such a transitional food, I always just used to think that it sucked.