We have started celebrating Advent with little activities each day, quietly anticipating Christmas. We set up our little tree that looks more and more pathetic each year. This little tree has come along for the ride with our family for 10 years! Someday we will upgrade to a bigger, fuller tree.

We are totally excited to attend our first school concert this week. Becca has been practicing daily, bringing out her guitar and belting out the songs they learned for the concert. It is so cute! She sings “Oh Canada” a lot too … with vigor and pride that cannot be surpassed!

Ethan had his eyes checked today. Becca’s strabimus (the reason she wears glasses, her eye turns in) *may* be hereditary so Ethan was screened early. His eyes are perfect and he was such a good boy with the testing and doctor!! He was absolutely unimpressed with getting his eyes dilated. They had given him some Bob the builder stickers and he kept muttering “Can’t see Bob! Can’t see Bob!”

Cordelia is growing and changing so quickly. She absolutely adores standing in her excersauser watching the kids play. She grabs toys, hair and everything she can grasp. She is constantly amazing me with her smiles, wit and development.

I still have so much to do to prepare for Christmas. Every year I vow to be more organized and every year I am so not. I am going out with a friend to go shopping this week so hopefully I can finish up. We are not even spending that much this year and I am still behind!

How are your Christmas preparations going?

I nursed her constantly last night, hard when all I want to do is sleep. This happens every time I have babies. They get sick, I get sick. ugh. We were suppose to go to the doctor tomorrow for vaccinations but now I am not so sure about Cordi.

Yesterday I posted some goodies … they are all sweet and treats from New Zealand! Thanks again Gail!

I am off to slip under a blanket with my two snotty kids to watch Bob the Builder.

Reflections on blogging everyday.

I am not witty enough to blog every single day.

I now worship those that can blog every day.

I feel more inspired to blog than before and my creativity was sparked throughout the month. I look forward to new designs, more crafting and most of all adventures with my kids.

Now that we are in a house, I have much much less “free time”. I find that there is always something that needs my attention outside the normal care for the kids. I did not realize how different life would be in a house vs an apartment.

I needed to blog everyday this past month. I needed to feel inspired again, to feel creative and motivated. It is strange to not have to blog tomorrow. It is freeing yet sad too.

I will not be blogging everyday henceforth.

The End.

Or is it just the beginning?

We had a busy weekend. I really want to move our tv to the basement. However without proper seating down there it really doesn’t make sense. Instead my computer came down, so we have the most perfect spot for the Christmas tree.

Having a house is such a blessing. I am so grateful that we have this home. I am in awe that it will be one year on Tuesday that we took possession of the house! What a year!

How was your weekend?

This year we opted to take a self portrait of the family at a local park. It turned out good, although the lighting wasn’t ideal. I worked the lighting into the card design through Costco. Their printing is way inexpensive and had the cards ready in an hour! Totally happy with their service.

So want  exchange Christmas cards this year? Leave me a comment and I will email you for your address. If you have received a card in the past but have never met me in real life, still request to be added!

It wigs me out really.

At what point does a woman give up on their sexuality?

To clarify, I am talking about the apparent lack of desire to care for oneself. Men do it too, however me not being a man I do not care (although if J let himself totally go I may care, although I cannot imagine). To further clarify, I am not talking about sweats, hair tied back, with running shoes as a mom uniform (hello I have yet to shower today!) I get that. I am a casual girl, never really “dressing up”, I tie my hair back and finding me time to pamper is totally hard.

I still want it.

I want to be pampered. Get a nice haircut. Look smoking hot in a pair of jeans. I want to display my style (or the lack thereof) with finesse. I want it.

Now some days are just blah days for sure. Nor I am not talking about weight, or clothes. It is not about money because I see upper middle class women doing the same thing. Yet it appears some women give up their sexuality completely. They cut their hair short and stop styling it OR they wear no make up OR their clothes are tattered and exhausted … they do not want it anymore. Maybe the tie to sexuality is wrong? How does one feel feminine at all if they look worn down? (side note: some short hair styles are smokin’, little to no make-up is totally cool, it is the ultimate give up not the actually look. I am not trying to pass judgment.)

When does that come?

I would like to duck and hide.

I want to want it…Forever.

My Grandmother takes good care of herself. She is still concerned with her appearance and presents herself to the world with grace. She is not vain or particularly fancy. She takes good care of herself.

That is what I want.

The desire to take good care of myself. No matter what the demands are on me, how old I am, my children, my husband … all important, but so am I. This is part of my desire to run and swim. We are saving all our spare change so we can work on the house. SO that eliminates fancy haircuts, days at a spa, cute clothes, adorable shoes, etc. Really me staying at home and choosing to live with one income forgoes the expensive, high maintenance look (although really even when I worked it wasn’t my thing). That leaves a few close to free options. I can run for free (minus the shoes and clothes but I try to make them last), swim for cheap (YAY Canada) and take good care of myself through natural treatment (have you ever tried avocado & mayo hair mask? it rocks!)

Have you all but given up? Am I just a vain witch? What do you do to keep yourself feeling beautiful, fresh, alive?

Ethan, Cordi and I went shopping this morning. I am actually done Christmas shopping for one child! Only two more to go! w00t! Many thanks to Nic, I found some awesome stuff at Costco! I still have to find something for J, Cordi and Ethan but I am getting closer. I also have some sewing to do, but I can do that at my leisure without fighting crowds and all that jazz.

I spent part of nap time wrapping presents and cleaning the house up, then Becca had a friend over for a playdate.I had initially told Ethan that he would have to leave the girls be to play on their ow, however no good playdate goes by without a little brother mixed in! They all got along well and had fun.

Tomorrow Becca is home from school, so I am hoping for some major chilling out with the kids.

I need to rest up for this weekend. I plan on making sure we finish all there is to do outside, including hanging our meager Christmas lights. I so wanted to purchase more decorations for the house this year, but cannot justify the cost at the moment. Kinda bummed me out … Next year

OOooo New Moon …. Swoon! I totally enjoyed it. Not only a great night out with a friend but the movie was good. I agree with Devilish Southern Belle, it was better than Twilight. There were a couple parts that annoyed me. Alice and Bella driving in Italy but the windows were not tinted even though the sun was shining. Bella never would have gotten on a stranger’s motorbike. Really does Jane have to state the obvious “Pain”? hehe to mention a few … but really a good movie for those into the books and such LOVED Aro btw … he was my fave new character!

Hope all those that are celebrating Thanksgiving have a safe and happy holiday!

So I am feeling schlumpy. First the hair needed trimming. Check. Now, my waist needs trimming. I realize that it wasn’t quite 4 months that I had Cordelia, but I have a long way to go before I am healthy.

Heck I would be pleased to be where I was before I got pregnant this last time. I just can’t seem to find my footing. Sure my time is limited with the kids and all but STILL. I could eat … you know less. Less in the portion, less in the junk food variety. Yet I cannot seem to get there mentally. I want to be there. I.am.just.not.

Heather at Cool Zebras is hosting another famous Aweigh so I am going to publicly record my weight loss. So not my usual thing but hopefully it will get my arse motivated and moving. You guys can come join us if you want!  It starts in December …

SO yeah until then ….

Tonight I am headed to New Moon!!!!! *squeal* I am having popcorn and enjoying the flick with my bff …

Her permanent teeth have begun to grow behind her baby teeth, pushing the teeth, spreading them apart! We were so shocked! Her bottom teeth are so not wiggly. So I will be making a dentist appointment for Becca first thing tomorrow. However after reading a few articles the teeth will probably loosen up on their own eventually.

We are all very excited. WOW! Teeth falling out! Tooth Fairy … Time is escaping me. Why do these kids keep growing so fast?!?

What is the going rate for the tooth fairy?!?!

Well I do have have my movie ticket for New Moon. My BFF & I are heading out Tuesday night. I have two more days to get all giddy like a school girl! hehe

Silliness is good for the soul.

We totally hauled a$$ or rather wood, and moved all the split wood to our wood shed. The 50 year old maple in our yard that fell, we kept the fallen tree. We have a fireplace insert in our basement to help supplement our heat in the winter. So when the tree fell, J saw the opportunity for wood (next year after the wood has dried out or seasoned). We had no clue what we were signing up for.

Luckily we had a friend come by with a chain saw and a wood splitter (splits the logs into burn-able size), to help us out. We worked all Wednesday after to split most of it. We still have these massive pieces of wood that I am not totally sure what we are going to do with.

So today we cleared that all out. Not an easy feat. I was ill most of last night, getting very little sleep. Just keep pushing forward.  The kids loved spending the afternoon outside (well Cordi merely put up with it). I am loving the cool but livable weather!

How was your weekend?

So I did cut a good 7 inches off my hair. It is shoulder length and I like it. I miss the dramatic length but I know this will be easier to maintain at the moment.

My tummy is still way upset but I just keep ignoring it and moving forward. Plus my arm has had a terrible reaction to the vaccination. It is all swollen, hot to the touch and very sore. Not fun.

Still one more day of the weekend. I hope to relax a little more tomorrow. J had to go into work today to give a tour & demonstration to parents and prospective students, so I was solo for a while.

Trying to get better for the weekend. That’s all I got.

What are your plans?

THE RULES:
Mention who tagged you.
Complete the list of 8’s.
Tag 8 other people.

8 THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO:

1. Christmas
2. Celebrating Advent with the kids
3. Getting a dog someday
4. Getting out of debt
5. Renovating our house
6. Building a  tree house
7. Getting some sleep
8. Watching Becca learn to read more and more

8 THINGS I DID YESTERDAY:

1. Walked Becca to school
2. Split wood from our fallen tree
3. Watched One Tree Hill
4. Checked my email
5. Watched Becca swim
6. Prepared crockpot lasagna (wasn’t bad!)
7. Took pictures of my baby girl
8. Ate popcorn

8 THINGS I WISH I COULD DO:

1. Crochet
2. Have more patience
3. Get more sleep
4. Take better photos
5. Sew more for the kids and my dolls
6. Make money while staying home with my kids
7. Budget better to get out of debt
8. Go out on a date with my husband

8 SHOWS I WATCH:

1. One Tree Hill (just started though so I need the first 7 seasons to catch up haha)
2. Survivor (first time in YEARS, however Russell is super annoying yet STILL hasn’t been voted off!)
3. Being Erica (OMG the best show EVER and totally Canadian nah nah nah)
4. Degrassi High (hehe it is on when I nurse Cordelia)
5. TMZ (best celebrity show hands down!)
6. Melrose Place (so not as good as the original though & there is nothing else on Wednesdays)
7. Dollhouse (bastards canceled Joss AGAIN)
8. HGTV (love seeing everyone’s design challenges!)

8 FAVORITE FOODS:

1. Chinese Take Out
2. Sushi – homemade yum!
3. Mussels prepared by my husband
4. Ripple Chips
5. Twizzlers
6. Chocolate
7. Steak (like once a year)
8. Popcorn

8 PLACES I’VE TRAVELLED:

1. St Lucia
2. London, England
3. California
4. New Mexico
5. Maine
6. Southern Ontario
7. British Columbia
8. Banff, AB

8 PLACES I’D LIKE TO TRAVEL:

1. New Zealand (so I can crash on Gail’s couch!)
2. Prince Edward Island in the summer
3. Cape Breton
4. California (to see good friends again)
5. Flordia in the winter
6. Las Vegas for a second honeymoon
7. Japan
8. Germany

I am so not a tagger, so play along if you like … So any surprises or am I completely predictable by this point?

I could just get a trim and continue growing this epic mane OR I could get like 12 inches hacked off. I do not fair well attempting the “Felicity“. I totally mowed my hair once when living in Ontario and was ruined! So my hair cut would be to my shoulders, I am thinking long layers … (I am shamefully stealing a photo …. shhh!) Like this …

So what do YOU think? Seriously I totally need some advise. I so wanted the epic long hair (think Kristen Stewart as Bella), however I so do not have the time, or the desire to wrangle it everyday, plus the humidity here totally makes me frizzy

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Thanks for voting and sharing your thoughts!

The weather here is fabulous, the kids are finally in recovery mode and we were able to enjoy Becca’s day home from school.

We spent the entire morning outside. I knitted feverishly, completing a project that will be on it’s way to New Zealand, along with some Canadian/North American candy and chocolate!  I have to say this is the best exchange ever! I get CANDY!

Once I finished knitting, the kids and I ran around the yard, playing hide and seek, tag and rolling about in our damp grass and leaves. The giggles echoed through our neighborhood, filling my heart.

After nap time, we all got ready, pick up J from work and headed to a park to take pictures for our Christmas card. I received a groovy remote for my camera on our anniversary, so we were all able to be in the picture for a change! Once the photos were taken, the five of us once again ran about, playing hide and seek, enjoying the warm weather.

I so needed a good day. I so needed an evening curled up with my five year old reading to me. I so needed to watch my two year old run free. I so needed to cuddle our 3 month old as we hide behind the car, waiting to be discovered.

I needed to be free of illness. To be carefree. Today.

It has been an awesome, busy family weekend. I dragged my on the mend kids, to the mall on a Saturday to get some ideas for Christmas. Getting the shopping done is a thorn in my side! I wish Canada had more options for online shopping so I never ever ever had to go into the mall again.

I was able to place a small dent into my Christmas shopping, which is a relief. I am looking forward to the Christmas season so much this year. We are completely settled and not moving for the first time in years! We get to decorate the house with our meager decorations and celebrate quietly together.

How do you get out on your own to get the Christmas shopping done? I cannot take the kids anymore they are way too observant!

I read “The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society” a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised. The format of the novel threw me for a loop at first and I wrinkled my nose but I am glad I kept going. Totally outside my normal reading zone but loved it. Honestly I have never read a post war novel before. It intrigued me. Definitely recommend it if you are looking for a good read.

I recently read “Confessions Of A Demon-hunting Soccer Mom” the back cover claiming it was like Buffy grown up. pfft. Not quite but it was an ok read.

I still have a few books that I am in queue for at the library, like “Brooklyn”. Yet I am hungry for more. My Dad left the latest Dan Brown that I plan on consuming.

I also plowed through the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. Now I am dying (har har) to watch True Blood. I am totally hoping to get the series on dvd for Christmas (hint hint J).

There is a new Stephen King out but I am waiting for soft cover (cheap cheap). I am seriously hungry for good stories.

What are you reading right now? What is on your night stand waiting for you? Please know that I do read most of what you recommend.