The Advantages of Owning a Video Store - Sherlock Holmes

So one of the advantages of owning my own video store is that I get the DVD's the weekend before they are released.  So guess what I watched this weekend?  You got it!   Sherlock Holmes.

You may recall my complainer post  I am Purist about how they've changed Sherlock Holmes.  Well I've watched it and have to say that despite all the changes to Sherlock's character I really enjoyed it.

My biggest complaint?  I wish I had seen it in the theatres.  Those big action movies are just not the same at home.  My husband stops the movie continuously over a two hour period because he "hears" mysterious noises. This is how we get to watch movies.  Most of the time I'm glad for a pee break or tea break which leads in to a pee break... but when the movie has a lot of action/suspense it really breaks the moment for me.

So my poor husband had to listen to a few of my comments about how Sherlock was more dignified etc.  It was nice that they brought in a variety of names and characters that any one who has read the books will recognize.  Although they completely destroy poor Irene Adler's character, reputation wise.  However,  I will not spoil it by telling you too much.  All I will say that while I was skeptical at first about the tone of the story line, thinking it wasn't quite right for Sherlock Holmes, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.  It was also nice too that they didn't just fall back on one of the stories from the books and redo those.  This was fresh. Lord Blackwood played his part very well.

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, Sherlock Holmes is being released on DVD this coming Tuesday.

Guess what we're watching tonight?  Alvin & The Chipmunks #2.  I can't wait for that one.  We've all been looking forward to it for some time.  That too is being released on DVD tomorrow.

This was not a paid or sponsored review in any way.  Completely out of my own little head and inclination to do so.

As Easy as Riding a Bike?

We bought E a bike yesterday.  This has been something we have been meaning to do for some time.  She already had a bike but it's way too small for her and still has training wheels.  Given that my 6 year old is the tallest girl in her class, it just seemed beyond ridiculous that we hadn't bought her a new bike or even taught her to ride without wheels.  Especially when I see the little 5 year old down the street rollerblading her little heart out up and down our hill.  Double especially when I took my three kids out for a ride on their bikes and I just about had a conniption that my 3 and 4 year olds were going to careen down the hill way too fast and crash.  

Okay, so we're not exactly great parents in teaching our children skills.  My excuse?  We are just way too busy. K works days, I've worked nights.  Beyond weekends when there seems to always be something else to do or we can't leave the one that wants to do it but is still a wee bit too young for it etc out.

Am I just way too protective?  I don't know.  The 5 year old down the block?  She is able to rollerblade out her driveway to the mailbox, about 4 houses away and half way up the street.  We live at least 5 or 6 houses away from her. Would I even trust my 6 year old to use her scooter up and down the street by herself?  No way.  Even just sitting on the porch doesn't give me a good enough view because all our neighbours seem to have those big ass large trucks sitting in their driveways that are just great blocking the view.  Of course, she tells me she is old enough and I can see on her face that she so desperately wants to join the little gang of kids down the hill.  Sigh.

Oh yeah, the bike.  We haven't really been able to afford to buy one.  My parents were going to buy her one for her birthday last year but changed their mind in the end because they figured we didn't really have a place for her to ride it much.  I was a little disappointed but it is their money.

Obviously she's grown even more this year and her old bike definitely does not fit her anymore.  She's been begging to ride it and quite frankly.... we were too embarrassed to let her.  Isn't that crazy?  I thought, oh yeah, let her friends get a gander of her on that bike and she'd be teased like crazy.  Course if they knew her mother used words like gander.. the teasing would commence immediately.

So it was with great inspiration that I decided to check out craigs list.  Sure enough I found a bike online for $40.00 that's only been used twice.  In reality it was as good as stated.  It looked in mint condition and you could tell the tires were brand new, barely used.  So we bought it.  I was so relieved.  It's a lot easier coming up with $40.00 than $140.00.

Of course, she had to ride it immediately so we grabbed J and O's bikes and took them over to the school. Now comes the hard part.  Teaching her how to ride it. How can a kid who is over the top excited to learn to ride suddenly squeal and shriek every time she gets on it, saying she's scared, it's not safe?   Her dad held the bike the whole time for her and we constantly reassured her that he wouldn't let go and yet at one point she gets off the bike in tears cause she's afraid.  My husband actually was very patient with her considering.  So it makes no sense to me.

But by the time we headed home she was asking me to let go, which I didn't cause I could tell she wasn't ready yet.  Still, I hope this isn't too difficult.  Anyone have any tips for teaching a kid to ride a bike?  When I stop to think about it.. how do we learn to balance like that, how do you convey the idea to a 6 year old?  I have no idea how my dad taught me.  Maybe I should ask him.

Hydrasense Review & Coupon

I was recently chosen to participate in the HydraSense® Nasal Aspirator Blog Tour with Mom Central. This couldn't have come at a more opportune time as we've just had all three children down with colds. 


First a little information on the product: 

"The hydraSense®  Nasal Aspirator and its filters were developed with pediatricians, and are brought to you by hydraSense® , the leading brand in saline solutions for the whole family.  The hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator is a gentle and safe way to relieve your baby’s nasal congestion quickly and effectively.  It helps to maintain clear breathing and to facilitate eating and sleeping. Its soft nasal tip is specifically designed for babies’ delicate noses and its transparent design allows for you to see the amount and type of mucus that is being removed. hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator has a protective single-use filter that traps excess mucus, providing hygienic aspiration. The tip and base of the aspirator are easily removable for effective cleaning after each use. Unlike squeezable nasal aspirators, the hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator allows you to control the strength of the suction with your aspiration.

For best results, and to liquefy mucus prior to aspiration, use hydraSense® Easydose® or hydraSense®Ultra-Gentle Mist with Comfort Tip, a nasal solution composed of isotonic, undiluted, sterile, 100% natural-source desalinated seawater. hydraSense® contains more than 70 trace elements and minerals naturally occurring in seawater and is preservative free."

With all the scare in the media about the dangers of cold medicine, my family has fallen back on more simpler methods to help our children cope with their stuffy noses.  We first started using saline solutions at the recommendation of our family doctor and have found it to work amazingly well. Much like the old salt and warm water method my grandmother used but with an easy to use sprayer. (I just to have to sniff salt water up out of a cup.. nasty).

The HydraSense® Nasal Aspirator is really quite cool.  Not like those old rubber bulb like aspirators that I had to use on my daughter when she was a baby.   Do you remember those?  It took me ages to figure out how to work it and even when I did get it right (without blowing air up her nose) I couldn't tell whether I got anything out or not.  


Not only is the hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator see through but you inhale through the mouthpiece to gently draw the mucus out which is collected into a hygienic filter chamber.  It cannot pass through this chamber and comes with changeable filters. I really wish I had one of these when my children were little. 

Sound a little weird?  Check out this YouTube video for a demonstration.





While their product appears to be targeted more towards babies or younger children, I certainly had no qualms about using the sprayer on my six year old. She didn't balk at all at trying it and indeed they all quite liked getting their noses sprayed. I just tell them it eats up their boogers to make their nose feel better. (yeah I'm that kind of mom who talks about googers. )  A quick spray before bed definitely helped them to sleep better.   What's more their solution also comes in handy small disposable doses that you can pop into your purse and take with you. 


This product can be beneficial for more than just colds as it has been clinically proven to relieve excessive mucus accummulation in caused by allergies and upper respiratory symptoms and dryness due to dust or dry air.  


If you visit  www.hydrasense.ca/en/babynasal.aspx by April 10, 2010, and sign up for their Dolphins Club you will be eligible for an $8.00.  Simply after the initial sign up, log back into your account and enter code MC2010 under the online coupons tab in order to get it.  The coupon itself expires December 31, 2010. 

Please do pass on this information to anyone you know who has or is expecting a baby.  Definitely one of those must haves for any nursery.

Disclosure:  I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central and received a Mom Central gift pack to thank me for taking the time to participate.

New Symptoms.

It's like there is a new symptom every night.

 J is on day 4 of fevers.  She didn't wake us up last night so that was a good thing. E on the other hand woke up yelling and in pain because her ear hurt.  First time every for my kids to have earaches.  Fortunately we had some of that polysporin ear/eye medicine from when J had an eye infection and we were able to use that on her.  But still there was the pain factor and you know when you are in pain that waiting for that 1/2 hour for tylenol to kick in might as well seem like days.

It doesn't help to explain to her that crying and groaning only makes the pressure on her ears worse so I did what any good mom would do.. I read to her.  I grabbed the longest book we had in her room which happened to be The Nutcracker library book she had brought home with her that day.   It's amazing what the power of distraction can do.  Within a few minutes she started to settle down and lay back on her pillow and while she fidgeted this way and that, pressing her blankie to her ear, she listened and gradually she got comfortable and by the time I finished the story, she was ready to turn out the lights and try to go back to sleep.

Of course, never having had to deal with an ear infection in my kids, I wasn't very prepared.  So I quickly googled it before going back to bed in case I was called upon in the middle of the night to help her.

Here are a few suggestions I discovered:

1.  Fill a sock with salt and warm it up in the microwave.  Press to Ear.

2.  Do #1 and add a small amount of vicks vapo rub and then press to ear. 

3.  Stick a small clove of garlic in the ear and wrap head with a towel or cloth. Leave overnight.

4. Take a small piece of onion, place in pot.  Take a small amount of vicks vapo rub and put in pot with onion, when it starts to melt, syringe it and add a couple of drops to ear.

5.  Take an antihistimine, opens up vessels in your sinuses etc. 

The biggest tip I found overall and was supported by a doctor, was heat.  That soothing heat on and around the ear was best.  Also, some one mentioned that a drop or two of the vicks actually instantly takes away the pain.

What I learned from Dr. Oz is that a drop or two of hyrogen peroxide is a great way to test if you are infected.  If it starts to bubble, you have an infection.  Dr. Oz does say the garlic works but they never covered on the show about the vapo rub.

So there you are.  You now know what I know.  Hope it helps.

As for E.  She got up this morning pain free.  Told me that she still  felt a little pressure but other than that she was fine.  We used drops again and sent her off to school.

phew

Well the doctor said it's nothing much.  Not to worry it will run it's course.  Of course, he said it was good that we brought her in because you can never be too careful.  One thing I did learn is that your child complains of a stiff neck, get them to turn it and move it for you and if they cry harder or even scream out.. then it's really really serious.  If not, then it's just a sore neck. Good to know.

Still I have to figure out some way of getting a urine from her into a cup.  Oh joy.  ;)  Where is that portable potty when you need it?  Oh yeah, we got rid of it cause we were done.

She was hoping to get to go to preschool today but she was up again last night with a headache and sore eyes so I don't think that's going to happen today.  It was her first week to start at the new school since we moved and she was excited to go.  Poor thing.

So I am a relieved mama and now can just hope that this will be the last day of it.

A Trip to the Doctor

I had hoped this morning that we would be well on the far side of the whole fever and sickness thing.  Usually fevers don't last too terribly long.  However, while E has bounced back this morning after a wonderful night's rest not so for my little J.

She always does take sick just a little harder than the other two.  After all, it was she who seemed to waste away before my eyes two winters ago.  It was brought home to me just how much she had lost when the girls came out triumphantly,"Look mommy, J can fit her dress"  It was sized 9 months and it even was zipped up. She was 2 1/2.   Not height, mind you but width.  The plump baby I had made way for this over slender toddler.  Some mysterious illness plagued her and while she eventually got her energy back and started gaining weight slowly, the doctor was unsure as to what exactly had been wrong.  No wonder it has always stamped that little extra worry on my heart for this particular sparrow of mine.

So while it appears that her fever has lessened and she had approached the 8 hour mark without any real elevation it was with some concern that she came to me not long ago complaining about her sore neck.  It seems that it's sore all over and she still had a headache.  Off to Google I went for I was positive that a fever accompanied by a sore or stiff neck was not a good thing.  While the overabundance of information can alarm you if you are of a fanciful nature, I am sure many parents have been relieved by the fountain of information the internet provides.   My fears were confirmed, it is not a good thing and so I called my husband to discuss the matter with him.

If you knew me well, you'd know that I am not one to run to the doctor over every little thing.  More often than not the doctor, while he may confirm that you are sick, can do little because it seems 95% of the time the cause is viral and there's darn little to be done about it.  I can count on two hands the number of times my mom or husband has made me run off the doctor with one or three of the kids only to find out it was, as I had suspected, nothing to worry about.

So when I told him I thought we should take J to the doctor, I got a very surprised "OH" from him.

Thank goodness we finally got ourselves on a list for a new doctor in town here.  Otherwise, it would have hours long wait at the walk in clinic.  As it is we have an appointment for this afternoon.  So while, I try and cajole little J with whatever tempting treats I can convince her to eat and pour as much juice down her as I can, today is not the day to force the water is healthier mantra, and hope that it's all really nothing.

I am sure it is.

Wordless Wednesday - Finally A Kitten

It's been a long wait for her but finally... we got a new kitten and named him Jingles

The Sick Room

Well two out of three are down.  Down with very high fevers. We were woken up at 1:30 a.m. to screams and shouts by my oldest.  Turns out she was running a very high fever and dreaming that we, her parents, were made by pirates to walk the plank.  Thank you so much School library that doesn't monitor what books my child takes out.  She came home enthralled with the picture of a severed pirate's head dangling from the bow of a boat.  She's only 6 people.  But I digress... I have to admit I couldn't help putting in my two bits to her about how that's why we don't read such books, while administering advil and a cool cloth and a whole lot of mommy sympathy. 

We had only just finally gotten ourselves back to bed, after finally having had to banish the kitten to the laundry room since it decided since we were all up that it needed to play, when we woke to more crying.  This time #2, was weeping piteously in her bed.  Her  head hurts.  Oh dear.  So after much running up and down later, we finally get #2 settled and head back to bed.  

Is it any wonder I hit snooze five times? 

So it's a day on the couch with the two girls.  O's a little put out because his sisters get the prime couch real estate but I'm trying to make him a bit of a helper to console him.  Just how many times can you convince a soon to be 3 year old that he really doesn't need medicine too?

I don't mind quiet days.  In fact I seem to get more accomplished because they are just so much more bidable and less disposed to fighting.  But we had to cancel dinner with friends and that was disappointing.  Still it will always keep till next week. 

So hopefully things will be back to normal in our household soon. 

I Hate SOCKS!

I never was a big fan of socks.  I always preferred going barefoot spring and summer and sandals are like my favourite shoes of all time.  Only it seems as I have gotten older, my feet are colder and I now need to wear socks more.  One more of those signs of aging things you never realized would happen.

But that's not why I hate socks. No.  It's my sock wearing hating children that have pushed me to edge.  From the overflowing mismatched sock basket that sits atop my dryer to the countless socks that can be found strewn throughout the house.

There is the basic routine.  You get them dressed, you put their socks on.  Ten minutes later while meandering through the room, you will find said socks lying on the floor.  Three kids later, I pretty much gave up forcing them to wear socks.  I happen to like bare feet myself after all.  Then my MIL would come sit and I'd hear comments about boy your feet must be cold, the floors are cold etc.  Like I'm sort of bad momma that won't let my kids wear socks.  Literally the minute I'm out the door they'd be putting socks onto the kids feet.  Ummm are you from a different planet?  They won't keep the socks on.  To them that's okay. In their world they will make them keep their socks on.  Yup, just nag and nag and nag.  Don't you just love it when someone tells you... "well just make them behave."  Yeah, like it's that easy.  Well, in my world I have other things to do like feed them, clean the house, do the laundry. I'm not the babysitter.  I don't get to just sit and play with the kids making sure their socks stay on.

Still that's not even the most annoying part of the sock battle.  No it's when you're about to go out the door when you suddenly find O isn't wearing his socks that you literally just put on him and if you hadn't taken five minutes out to brush your hair or something, you might have succeeded in getting his shoes on first.  Then it's the, "where did you put your socks" routine as you madly race through the house looking for his socks because he's some sort of Houdini making things disappear only to give up and grab a new pair of socks cause we gotta go.

Or maybe it could be the random places where you find those socks.  The toy box. Under the cushion. In the bathroom. Under the couch, the bed, the table, chair.

I have single socks in my basket that I haven't paired up for years.  I don't dare to get rid of them because I just know when I do, its mate will suddenly pop up to mock me. 


score:   Socks 42            Mom 0

It's too Early

It was with glee that I went to bed last night with the knowledge that it was spring break and I wouldn't have to jump up and get E ready for school etc.  That I could lounge in bed for a while longer if I wanted.  Oh how naive am I?

We were woken up by a crying O who apparently had already been up and scrapping with E.  He climbed into our bed while I distracted him from his tears by squealing from his cold feet and hands.  Why the kids always so cold when they climb into our bed?  Pretty soon we were hiding under the covers from the tickle monster and even though it was mom who was doing the tickling he was out of his sniffles pretty fast.  The kids had messed with my alarm clock last night so that I had no idea what time it was, only it was light out so I figured it was at least after 8.  Nope.  Not even 7 am yet.  So here I am on the first day of spring break up before 7 because you know that as soon as they realize that you're semi conscious, they immediately start demanding food.   Know what happens when you get up that early?

 The kids start getting on your nerves because they have nothing better to do than fight with one another.... because they are still tired from getting up too early. 

Your heart does a little sink cause you know that you have to put up referee this all day because there is no school. 

You manage to have an argument with your husband before it's even 8:00 a.m.

You eat your breakfast so early that you're starving by 9:00 a.m. cause today was the start of a new diet plan.

You get your house work done extra early so you are sitting at 9:30 a.m. thinking... what's next?

We are so close

We are very close to having my store sold.  This lovely young couple has come in and offered us close to asking price so we are pretty happy with it.  However, they don't want to take it over until May 1st.  Which seems like a long time for us to wait when we are so ready to be done.  Still, we're not about to be difficult.

The only other hitch is that although we've given them the landlord's info, they have not gotten in contact with him yet.  They came in to sign the purchase agreement with us on Wednesday and to give a deposit. Apparently they have given notice to their employers and to their landlord and even were going to view an apartment in our fair city later that afternoon.

During all this our neighbour shows up, which he likes to do every time these people stop by, and casually asks them if they'd talked to the landlord yet and expressed his surprise when he found out they hadn't since everything was up in the air about the building etc.  WTF?   Seriously, I think this guy wants to completely sabotage this sale. Up to this point, we didn't know that they hadn't called the landlord yet.  Of course, we had to basically explain that there are rumours of Tim Horton's coming here and it being developed etc but we've never been told anything by the Landlord about it.  Which is 100% true.   He has never once called us. We just hear rumours.

So our only worry is once they talk to him and find out that he really is as laid back as we had said which basically translates into doing repairs and not into signing ... it may all fall apart.  We've tried to be as up front as we can without cutting our own feet off.

You see, our landlord would like to sell this building.  We didn't talk about that with the buyers.  There is a huge "for sale, for lease and build to suit" sign on the front lawn.  You cannot miss it.  They did not ask us about it.  We told them we don't have a lease nor do any of the rest the people in the plaza, we're not sure if he will sign a lease or not, he's never told us.  Not twenty minutes after we tell them this, our neighbour comes in to tell us that he talked to the landlord last weekend and the landlord said no leases will be given.  Well, wouldn't that have been nice to know when we had our chat with the landlord that afternoon.

Plus our landlord has been saying he's selling the land, tearing down the building, building a whole new development with spots for us for 6 years. SIX.  Further, we have it on good authority from the previous owner that he'd been spinning the same yarn to her for countless years before that.  But we didn't want to tell them all this.  We figured it'd be easier to keep it simple and just let the landlord tell them whatever he was going to tell them without any interference from us.  Last thing we want to do is badmouth, even mildly, the landlord and have them tell him what we said.  ONLY they didn't call the landlord yet.

So what do we do?  Wait and see, I guess.  Obviously if they are totally spooked by the landlord and decide not to invest their hard earned money into a business housed in a building that is going to eventually be torn down, then we will let them out of the contract.

Only if this deal is going to go south, I'd like to know sooner than later.  Still, I'm keeping my hopes up on this one.  They really seem enthusiastic about taking over the business.  Two months is going to be a long wait!

I just hope they won't come back to us and think that we weren't being honest with them about the whole landlord thing.

Unexpected Blessings

I started this post earlier this morning complaining about our finances and how bad I feel that we can't afford to put our kids into any programs right now etc. etc.  But you know what?  Everyone is struggling right now.  Except the rich people, you I don't like. And you know what else?  I really don't hear many of you complaining about it.  It is what it is. We'll all make it through.

So instead of whining, I thought I'd mention a few positive things that happened.

Our realtor dropped by the other night with a book about the new area we moved into.  One of those books full of photos and descriptions of all the gorgeous places to go and see.  Inside the book was a gift certificate to a really nice restaurant in town for $75.00.  What a blessing that is.  Fancy dinners out are definitely not part of our budget at the moment. 

We got a card from our mortgage broker yesterday thanking us for our business and enclosing a $20.00 Tim Horton's gift card. Well, that's nice too.  K and I will be able to get ourselves a little treat now and then.  If you're just buying coffee and a donut, $20.00 actually goes a long way.  

When we went to get our new cat on the weekend, my mom ended up paying the $100.00 adoption fee.  I didn't see her do it or know the story behind it but K later told me that when he went to pay he saw my dad motioning to my mom to pay, so she did.  This after taking the whole family out for lunch.  Gotta love my parents.

So what unexpected blessings have come into your life?

A Mother's Guilt Never Ends

We, as parents, want our children to do well at everything they put their hand to.  First it's their milestones, then it's school.

So it was with some dismay when I learned that E's teacher wanted to put her in the early reading program, a program to help her with her reading.  Yes, it's great that she's getting extra help but anything that separates you from the rest of the class is to be singled out.  Not always a good thing.  Plus I didn't think she was doing that badly with her reading although I have no idea how her peers are doing.  Still, I agreed.

Then she was assessed for her speech.  She mixes up her pronouns quite badly and still has some problems with enunciation.  Her other school thought she'd eventually get out of it as she has perfect understanding of the correct way to say things.  However, this school has now assessed her and told me that it's bad habits and it will never go away unless we work on correcting it.  That she is unable or uninterested in learning the names of her teachers and classmates.  That she appears to have no interest in playing with others.  Well, snap. Here I thought she was doing so well.

I have to admit I struggle with E.  I want her to be well liked and have friends. I live in great fear of her being bullied, mainly I guess because it's so prevalent in schools these days and also because my nephew was bullied for years at his school.   It is to that end that I work with her on personal grooming habits and try to instill in her the reasons why we take the time to learn people's names.  Good manners, etc.  It's a balance because I want to teach her without making her feel she's not measuring up.

And then I feel guilty because I never corrected her speech before this.  I loved her E'isms and thought it was cute and figured well.. she'll grow out of it soon enough so why correct her.  As for mixing up her pronouns,  she is always in such a rush to talk and get what it is in her head out that I didn't worry about it.  After all who likes to be corrected in the middle of a story?

While I'd love E to do well academically, I may well have to accept that she may struggle in these areas while she will excel in things like performing, singing and dancing.   She is a vibrant and probably a more creative personality.  Still, I think it's early days yet.  After all, did I not just find an old report card of mine wherein it says "Zeemaid, is having difficulty with her sounds" and here I am a voracious reader and writer extraordinaire. *wink*

Still I think they need to cut her a little slack.  Not only has she just moved here but she now has two teachers, one with a name that I have trouble pronouncing  and 18 new classmates with which to learn their names.  E has a tendency to focus more on the people themselves than what their names are.  For her it's all about what they are interested in and if they want to play.  So I think she tends to overlook and possibly not really pay attention when someone tells her their name.  As for her morning teacher, while the teacher may have had years to get used to saying her name, it can be a tongue twister for 6 year olds.  And she does have friends.  She can name at least three kids that she plays with at break time.  If she doesn't play with them in class then it's because they are not interested in what she's doing.  E likes play time and likes building and creating things.  If the other kids want to do something different, well she will stick with what she's doing.

It's hard for a mom to know her kid is struggling even just a little bit and it's hard to know that making friends isn't always easy for them.  She is a vibrant, caring and fun kid.  It was hard hearing that a bigger kid came up and pushed her from behind, knocking her over while running away laughing.  Even harder still to hear that the big kid ran to the duty first and told them that she had pushed E because E had smacked her in the face.  Which, E didn't do.  E doesn't even know this kid and I know my child, she never would have smacked anyone in the face.  That's just not her personality.  So it's frustrating to know there isn't much I can do about it.  E doesn't want us to interfere at school. She's embarrassed, as if somehow it's all her fault when things aren't going right.  Did I make her feel that way?   Would a new toy help her---and me---feel better? I can't help but wonder.

These are just some of the reason why we decided to get a cat now instead of later.  We really felt E needed a "pick me up" after a few rough days at school and we had promised that once we moved we'd get one.

I told my mom what was going on and my mom said "You're taking it too seriously."

I think she just might be right.  Mothers usually are.

It's a CATastrophe!

I'm not sure why we thought it would be a good idea. I'm not sure why we didn't forsee what was going to happen with our three little darling. Maybe we were being naïve. Maybe we are just clueless

You see we got a 4 or 5 month old kitten on Saturday. Sounds simple right? We thought so to.

I knew E was excited. We had been promising her that we'd get a cat for a while now and with her a few down days at school, I thought she could use a pick me up. I wasn't prepared for her highs and lows as we went on a search for a cat. Kittens seem to be rare these days.
The first store we went to only had breed cats. A Bengal which was $488 and adorable siameses kitties which were over $800. Ouch. Where the regular house cats?

Of course while she understood, she was excessively disappointed and badgered us for the next two days while we searched. We wanted a kitten that would grow being used to our kids. We figured it was a better way to make sure the adjustment went well.

We finally found a rescue cat through the Kitty Cat Pals Society. They were great because they knew their cats and were able to help us get a good match.

So we get or sweet new kitty home who is now dubbed Jingles short for Jinglebells. We kept it low key for the first day, limiting the kid's contact to allow the kitty to get used to us and our home.

The 2nd day is when all hell broke loose. We get up to O deciding to serenade the kitty by blowing long and loud into a toy recorder, effectively trapping the poor kitten in his litter box. Poor thing. Or when the kitty hides out in his carrier O has to pick it up and shake. Then E gets in her mother protective role and yells at the kids every time they so much as move in it's direction. To the poor cat being subjected to tug of war.

I had to work all day so it was poor hubby who had to resolve the cat fights (pun intended) all day. He was so frazzled by dinner I think that little vein in his forehead was about to pop. No matter what we say to E, she seems to think this cat is just hers. While I would to give them each one, it's just not feasible.

So I have to say I am more than just a little relieved to find myself at the dentist with E for half the day. Hopefully the novelty will wear off by tomorrow.

Well I can hope.
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry

Canada got the Gold - In which I boast.. just a little

Canada's Sidney Crosby skates with the Canadian flag as team-mates celebrate after winning gold in the ice hockey. Photograph: Gary Hershorn/Reuters

Woo Hoo!  Okay, okay.  For someone who has not been overly enthusiastic about the whole Olympics dealio, I cannot help but feel excited that Canada won not only the Women's Hockey but the Men's as well. I even had today's final game playing in the background while I worked.  As we approached the end of the 3rd period, with Canada in the lead by only one goal, even I got nervous.  When it went into over time... I was crushed.  That didn't remain long though as Canada didn't take their time in sewing up that final goal.  How proud are we?  Obviously amazing so!

Not to gloat too much for my American readers, but I cannot help but be proud of the Canadian athletes that worked so hard to bring home so many Gold medals.  Canada may not have the most medals, but they certainly have the most Gold.  I guess, to many, it makes all the money, time and effort going into the preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Although I have to say I am pretty upset that the first death of an olympic athelete happened in Canada.  Not that I want one to happen anywhere.  When I look at the run and see how it was designed, it cannot help but make me just a little annoyed that something like this could even happened.  Even to my layman's eyes I couldn't help but see the flaws in it.  How the hell did this get passed?  I mean by the very nature of many of these sporting events, athletes do take a certain amount of risk in their hands.  Anything can happen really.  A bizarre fall, like Liam Neeson's wife, could easily result in death.  No matter how trivial it may have seemed at the time.  But when an accident like this happens, you really have to wonder.. was it the sport.. or the designers?   Tragic, very tragic.

I am looking forward to tonights closing ceremonies and it will be with a sigh of relief that I say goodbye to another Olympics.  It has been a real killer for our business. It's unbelievable how much things slowed down here.  I've had like five customers all day and most of them since hockey game ended.

 So long, farewell
Auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu
To you and you and you

Romantic Movies Series - Mansfield Park

I wanted to share some of my favourite romantic movies with you.  Some of them you may have heard of or seen, some of them you may not.  If not, I hope by this post to inspire you to go out and rent the DVD.

Today's Pick - Mansfield Park


More specifically the 1999 adaption novel starring Francis O'Connor.  


Written by Jane Austen in the 1800s, this movie is about a young girl is taken from her family to go and live with her wealthy aunt and uncle thereby decreasing the burden on her poverty stricken parents.  Fanny is brought up among her 4 cousins; however, is taught that she is and always will be less than they are and certainly not their equal.  Despite the coldness of the family  Fanny grows to be a mature young woman and manages to claim a friend in one cousin at least, that of Edmund.  


The story is primarily about her life, love and struggles within the Bertram household.  While I may have to step down off my Purist rant soap box because this movie is not strictly true to form.  This Fanny Price is certainly a lot more active, healthy and attractive than Jane Austen's depiction of her but oh Patricia Rozema's script has made it so much livelier than any of the original versions.  It is for this, for the score, the costumes, the scenery alone that I have allowed it to become one of my favourite films despite my earlier misgivings and criticisms of it.  


So here are a few of my favourite quotes from the film.   Btw, the last quote is a bit of a spoiler if you are not familiar with the story so don't read that one if you're planning on watching the movie. 

Edmund:  Fanny, don't be foolish.  It is raining. 

Fanny:  I see more distinctly in the rain. 

Edmund:  It's just a silly ball. 

Fanny:  I'll not be sold off like one of your fathers slaves, Edmund. 

Edmund:  Aw, don't be an imbecile.

Fanny:  Oh but imbecility in women is a great enhancement to their personal charms. 

Edmund:  Fanny, you're being irrational. 

Fanny:  Yet another adornment, I must be ravishing.  

Edmund:   Fanny, you really must being to harden yourself to being worth looking at. 

Mr. Crawford:   Do you know I wish to rent the parsonage?  I wish to continue improving and perfecting my intimacy ... with you.  Fanny, you have created sensations which my heart has never know before. 

Fanny scoffs:  please. 

Crawford:  There is only one happiness in life:  to love and be loved. 

Fanny:  Mr. Crawford, do not speak nonsense. 

Crawford:  Nonsense? 

Fanny:  You are such a fine speaker that I'm afraid you may actually end in convincing yourself. 

Crawford:  Fanny! You are killing me. 

Fanny:  No man dies of love but on the stage, Mr. Crawford.  

 Edmund: Fanny, I must confess something. 

Fanny:  hmmm?

Edmund:  I've loved you all my life. 

Fanny:  I know, Edmund.

Edmund: No, Fanny.  As a man loves a woman,

                   as a hero loves a heroine,

                   as I have never loved anyone in my entire life. 

 I was so anxious to do what is right that I forgot to do what is right but if                                               you choose me after all my blundering and blindness well, that will be a happiness which no description could reach. 

Sigh.... 

Day 2 of Potty Training

What we're not done yet?  Have I not published post after post about the ups and downs and frustrations of potty training?  Yes and Yes. 

Quite literally, I gave up.  The elusive potty training dream gave way to the realities of packing and moving.  I was then struck with the grass is greener on the other side syndrome.  That is, potty training would be easier in the new house because there is no carpet on the main floor.  Yup.  I had grand plans. We've been here, what three and a half weeks?

Still there is always the just getting down and doing it.  As previously posted we tried about two weeks ago but after the disastrous results I put my foot down and told hubby that I was not trying to potty train O until the toilet on the main floor was fixed. 

So of course, my husband ran right out and got the necessary things to fix the toilet.  Yeah right.  If you believe that, you are not married.  

It wasn't until that water stain spot on the ceiling (discovered when we first moved in) actually started to turn in to a real leak and drip, dropped toilet water onto my kitchen floor.  Yum.  I promptly called hubby, was instructed to turn off the toilet and thus we were down to 1 toilet.  Hey, I'm just glad we had three to begin with.  Which was the spurs to get hubs in action and we had the downstairs toilet fixed that night.  The upstairs main bathroom toilet... well it's still turned off, well actually it's completely off lying on it's side waiting for a decision to be made because the floor is rotted.  

Which means I have to put up or shut up and start potty training O in earnest.  I have to admit I stalled just a little until I was able to make a quick trip to Wal-Mart and stock up in underpants.  My husband foolishly figured three would do it.  We went through 3 pairs of pants in the first hour.  

So now I have 9 pairs of underpants.  Good thing too since the first day we went through 6 pairs.  Today, we are on #2 and so far we're doing really good.  Hopefully, one more day of him running around half naked will do the trick and we will be officially potty trained.  Maybe we will celebrate by burning 

Can I just say you know you are a parent when you are struck by how freakishly adorable those little red car underpants are?  I have to say they are my favourite.  Although my husband pointed out that they say... Speed, I am speed.  Not exactly a good selling point for men.  ;)~

I am NOT Freaking Mary Poppins!

Do you hear me?

A spoonful of sugar does not make the medicine go down.  I'm going to need a whole lot of booze just to make it through the potty training years. Me.  Not you.

The house does not magically clean itself.  No amount of singing is going to do it.  You have to actually pick up a toy and put it away.  That's what you have arms and legs for.

I do not have a bottomless bag from which all sorts of wondrous things come.  You need to go and play with the toys we already bought you.  Why do you think we bought them in the first place, to look pretty on your shelf floor?

There are just only so many games and activities I can think up for you to do. I can't magically pull something out of my ass the air every time you are bored and want to do something "special".  Floam IS special.  Live it.  Like it. Love it.

I do not have a cook and a maid to take care of the meals and clean the house so I can play with you 24/7.  Someone actually has to do those things so we have food to eat and clothes to wear and oh so those icky bugs you see on "How Clean is Your House" don't take up residence in our home.  Oh and guess who that someone is... me!

All of life lessons are not going to be followed by a catchy song and fancy footwork.  The earlier you learn this, the better.

You may think your father is like Bert the Chimney Sweep but trust me kiddos, he's never swept a chimney, drawn a chalk painting or danced with penguins in his life.  He's more like the dad on Full House.  Oh, you've never seen that show?  How about Homer Simpson Billy Ray Cyrus on Hannah Montana without the guitar playing, the singing, the goatee....   Get the picture?

I am not persistently cheerful.  I do not smile and speak in calm soothing tones while asking you politely, yet firmly to stop spinning the chair like a top.  I'm going to yell, cry and shriek my way through an adult sized temper tantrum if you spin that chair just one more freakin time.

Let's just say I am more likely going to be compared to the wicked witch in Hansel and Gretel than Mary Poppins.  Just be grateful I am on a diet.

I Feel Stuck - Do you feel Stuck?

Sometimes I have a lot of these days. Where I look around at my home and my family and think:

*  how come the mess only bothers me

*  since when did putting the dishes in the dishwasher, putting the milk back in the fridge and twist tying the bread become the sole responsibility of me

* why does no one pick up the toy that's been sitting on the stairs for two days, they've walked past it at least 50 times and yet there it remains. 

* I am not the only one that enjoys eating, why am I the only one capable of meal planning

*  Just because I am at home during the day and work at night, does that still technically mean that I should be responsible for 99.9% of the cleaning going on?  I mean, it's not like I don't have another job.  

* how come men are great at carrying things but suck at unpacking

* which leads into the... because they didn't help unpack it they have no friggin clue were anything is or where it should go.

* why does wanting to sit down for a 1/2 hour without one child clinging to me after playing the mom "bob areobics" all morning, earn me the "she just wants attention" comment from daddy and thus makes me a bad mommy because I don't want to snuggle at that moment, which I saw as a manipulative ploy in getting out of what I asked her to do event anyways.   

*  why does the sound of my husband thereafter going and playing with them make me feel like a bad mommy, when I can't remember the last time he actually took that kind of time out to play like that

* how come my errands and priorities always seem to take a backseat to his 

Today, was one of those days. It all started from the fact that I'd been looking forward all week to getting out by myself on Saturday and it didn't happen.  While I can tell myself the reasons why it didn't happen were justifiable and all good, it still got me down.   

It makes me feel stuck.  I am to all extents and purposes, bound to these three kids who have deprived me of my freedom in ways I never would have imagined.  It's almost like being on house arrest with the only means of being sprung is when the jailer relieves you of your duty for a pitiful hour or two.  Only in jail they get a mandatory hour for exercise.  At least they do in the movies.  ;)

Sure I could take them with me and often do but it's just not the same.  

So I grumped my way through my chores while hubs organized the garage.  I know I'm being unreasonable and the whole time I'm arguing with myself because I know in my heart that me staying home with the kids is the right choice for our family.  I just didn't figure on how mundane the day-to-day home life would be.  

My husband does help but his help is inconsistent.  Which, makes it very difficult to talk to him about it.  He sees it as he does do these things to help and I see it as, yes, you do but only once every two or three weeks or so.  Would he recall the fact that he only made the bed once in the past three weeks?  No, he'd recall the one time he did.  Now this, in of itself, is a little thing but when you're husband no longer commutes and supposedly has more time would it hurt to expect him to make the bed once in a while?  Especially when you're downstairs making breakfasts for the kids, bagging lunches and basically nagging and organizing three children into getting dressed and ready for the day.  

I have to say it gets a little disheartening after a while.

The Daily Struggle

Are you a morning person:?  I like to think that I am not entirely opposed to the getting up of a morning.  I am opposed to getting up supremely early say like 9:00 a.m.  HAHA I wish.  Anything before 7:00 a.m. is to early.  With the advent of children I have come to the acceptance that sleeping in until 7 is a blessing and to not mourn those sleep in weekends (okay, mourn it less).

One habit, mental and physical, I cannot break is that morning cup of tea, bite of breakfast and a novel.  Some days, I have to confess that I actually will stall eating breakfast just so I can avoid hubby across the table. You see not only is it rude to read while someone else is at the table (my mother brought me up right) but even if decided to be rude, he continuously talks to me.

I can't help it I am a creature of habit.  When I used to work outside the home, I'd get up everyday and do the same morning routine.  When I first got married, hubs had a job that started later in the day so he slept in, I was able to continue my morning routine unchallenged until the kidlets started to arrive.

Now, however, I am finding it increasingly difficult to get that morning me time.  We get up, hubs jumps in the shower, while I proceed downstairs to make E's lunch and everyone else's breakfast.  Even if the little rugrats are distracted by play or the t.v., I know that I have to make their breakfast first or I won't have a moment's of peace eating mine.  Plus that's the good mom thing to do.   Isn't it supposed to be instinctive to make sure the young are fed?

So feeding them first usually meant they'd go off and play, get dressed, whatever and I'd have those 15 or 20 minutes free to myself.  Now it seems like the minute they are done, it's a free for all.  Mom can I do this, mom, I wan't to do crafts, mom, help me zip up my coat, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom, mom.  Every single question results in me having to get up and do something for them.  Whether it's popping in a show to fetching them a tissue to refereeing the fights.

I find myself getting increasingly frustrated and annoyed with them at this time of the day.  You know how some people don't feel right until they've had like two cups of coffee by the time they can even fully open their eyes etc.  I never thought I was one of those.  I mean I like my tea but I consider to be more of a comforting habit than a necessity.  I think what I am addicted to; however, is quiet time and books.  I need it, I can barely get through a day without a quick read of something.  When I have nothing else, I am reduced to *gasp* reading the paper or even trolling online for free books.  I'm like a junkie needing a fix.

Chock one more reason up to why, if you're able, to have your kids young.  Not only do you have more energy but you have had less time to become ingrained into habits.  Habits which are hard to break.

I know I could get up earlier and have a quiet time before they get up but that's so not going to happen.  I like my sleep and we often don't get to bed early enough.  No like everything else a mom does, I'm going to have to suck it up and figure out how not to let it destroy my peace.  Well, you know that level of peace I'd actually like to achieve... one day.

*photo courtesy of www.illustratedstockyard.com