It was really great to have a day away from the kids.

But now they are back!!!
*da-na----na-na-----da-na----na-na*

And its here now. The dreaded T.T. has arrived!
No.
Not the Terrible Twos.
The Toilet Talk.

Here is the conversation in the car on the way to church:

Rebecca: A-B-C-D....POO-POO
*Isabella breaks into peals of laughter.*

Isabella: A-B-C-D....POO-POO
*Rebecca cracks up into hysterical laughter.*

(Repeat 11 times)

Rebecca: A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I-J-K-ELLAMENNO-POO-POO
*Isabella giggles uncontrollably*

Isabella: Do it again! Do it again!
Rebecca repeats, both laughing hysterically.

Its so hilarious to watch but also very weird. How is this that funny?

From what I understand, this stage lasts 3 to 50 years. So, either I'll have to learn how to cope or start finding it funny too. Hey, my dad still does!

So I invented a new sport this morning in the shower.

Stroller-blading!

Moms don't get out to exercise as much as they should, and just running is boring. So let's make it fun.

We could put the kids in the stroller, strap on the blades and race each other down the street. Like Nascar.

If another mom gets in your way, use the stroller to push her to the side. The babies will LOVE it. They love other kids and speed, this just combines two things they love.

What a great idea!
And for less competetive moms, maybe we could come up with a non-contact version.

Pfffffff!

Non-contact.

Hooray! I'm an aunt! Again!

Last night my brother and sister-in-law had a baby boy.
10 lbs 1 oz and his name is Cael (pronounced Kale) Tor???
(pronounced Tore but I'm not sure how its spelled).

So that's really cool.

Also I've got a chance to spend lots of time with my niece and nephew. Its been lots of fun.

Yesterday we went for a walk, and we got a lot of looks. People kept asking, are they all yours? I as tempted to say yes just to get a reaction.

The oldest Brooke just turned 6, and then there are two 3 year olds (nine months apart) and an almost two year old.
So physiologically they could all be mine. But it was a sight.

It was cute city all day, but I'll highlight a couple moments:

Sitting in McDonalds with 4 little tykes belting out the "Thank you Father" song before we ate. We had the whole restaurant staring at our table. It was precious.

Walking past a man who was smoking, my nephew said (loudly)"Dat man is moking yots. He's donna die!" Luckily, he was nice man and he just laughed.

And this morning, Brooke was teaching Rebecca how to do things "properly". She told her" I can teach you how to do things propular.
Its so great how they can just make up words and they make total sense.

And Isabella is just getting a kick out of this whole deal. She's running, jumping and hollering because she loves having an audience. Her cousin keeps saying "She's crazy!".

So ask me if I want to have four kids....

I get to look after my niece and nephew for awhile this morning.
My sister-in-law is going in to have her baby!

Hooray! She's already 9 days overdue so we're all really anxious to see this shy one who won't come out!

I'm going to attempt going for a walk with FOUR kids!
Am I crazy or what?

Many times I've stood on the dock of a deep, cold Manitoba lake and contemplated the consequences of jumping.

It has to be very hot outside for me to jump in without a minor psychological debate about the impending shock that is inevitable with jumping into to the ice cold water.

However, my sense of adventure usually overtakes my reason, and splash, "brrrrrr" beats out common sense.

This isn't because I'm a slow learner. Its because after the initial shock, your body kicks in some high powered adrenaline.

There is a rush, and sense of excitement. There's a sense of exhilaration, as your nervous system sends out blaring alarm signals to your entire body.

And when you get out, you always feel refreshed and alive. Cold. But alive. Searching for a towel. But refreshed.

This is what my job has been for me lately. Before I leave the house when I go to work, I'm just standing on the dock.

It seems this year, the climate is a little slow in heating up the waters, and the shock is a bit harder on my body than it used to be. The warming up process is taking longer, and I feel less resiliant in recovering from the stress of another rush.

I don't know if its time for me to stop jumping in, or if I should just wait for things to warm up again.

The kids at the various programs always bring me life, joy and refreshment in the end. But sometimes, I feel that it takes a toll on my body.

Here's a list of cute "Christian" bumper stickers I found:(the comments in brackets are mine)

'Do whatever He tells you to do' - Mary (typical Jewish mother)

Another dopeless hope fiend! (that's me!)

Atheists are Beyond Belief (ha! ha!)

Come the Rapture - Can I have your Car?

Do you have any idea where you're going?-- God.

Don't make me come down there! -- God. (that's God the dad)

God's last name is not "Damn".

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called!

God loves you! And I'm trying. (well, sometimes I'm trying)

I don't question your existence - GOD. (good one!)

The Big Bang theory: And God said 'Pulleth my Finger'
(God farted....get it????)

I'm still at the lake.
D.J. took the laptop so I'm on the internet and in the wilderness at the same time!

What an age we live in.

We have spent so much time outside in the fresh air that the girls are crashing at night time.

We put them in the wagon and went for a long walk today, Isabella got so tired that she fell asleep sitting up. Poor thing. Her head was wobbling all over the place and her eyes were closed but she was sitting straight up. So cute.

Last night they were so dirty from playing in the sand, and need to be washed but D.J. hasn't installed the new shower yet so we bathed them in a rubbermaid container in the middle of the kitchen.
Hee hee hee

They had a blast....

Its beautiful out here right now. We're watching the leaves come on the trees and the kids are adjusting to the deer wandering through our yard. We watched a VERY pregnant deer eating grass last night. It was so close to us we could see the fawn moving and kicking inside of her. Very cool.

Back to "civilization" tomorrow.:(

There is so much to be done for the lake, I feel like I'll be gone for weeks. But its just a couple days.

But just in case you forget what we look like, here are some pictures til we get back....


This is Isabella at 6 months old.

This is Rebecca at 3 months old.

Ahhhhh.....

Tomorrow we're off to the lake for the weekend, so today has lots to do in the way for preparation.

Laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, packing clothes, toys, bedding, etc.

So what does one do when faced with lots to do?
That's right! Go swimming!

I'm taking Isabella swimming this morning. Yee-hah!
That other stuff will get done.....right?
ha ha ha

I'm officially registered for beach league now!!!

Whhoooo-hhooooo! I'm excited but a little nervous as I'm not in the physical condition I had planned on at this juncture.
(See yesterday's blog for proof! :)

So my team name for women's doubles is Orville Ready Blocker.
(Aren't we clever???? hee hee hee)

Some other options we considered were:

Itsy Bitsy Spiker
To Kill a Blocking Nerd
Notorious D.I.G.
Serving John Malkovich
Beavis and Bump-head
Serves you right
E! True Volleyball Story
Team Ibuprofen
Weak Side Story

And we considered just to cause trouble on the schedules, calling ourselves....

Cancellation
No Show
Postponed
or
Default

But we figured the M.V.A. wouldn't be too happy with us. It'd be funny though.

So Orville Ready Blocker it is.
And you're all invited out to watch us play....anytime...in August.
(wait til we're in shape, tanned, and have worked out the bugs of playing together....then they'll be less profanity! ;)

Here's the fantasy:

I blade gracefully to YMCA, head held high while my smiling children quietly sit in their stroller and take in the scenery.

Here's the reality:

I'm pushing the stroller weighing an extra 70 lbs that I hadn't figured into the equation.
(30lb kid + 30lb kid + stroller = heavy)

So in the first five minutes, my glutes are aching, my quads are shaking and my heart is pounding like crazy. Heart-pounding,red-faced, gums bleeding, and sucking wind I make half way to the Y.

The kids spot a park, "can we play there mommy?"
"Of course you can" I reply, telling myself what a good mom I am for stopping. When in reality, I'm thanking God that I can stop before my lungs explode!

So I watch the kids play while I try to pick up the pieces of my shattered delusion that I'm still in "good shape".

Then its time to go home. Every few minutes I give it a good push, partly for cardio-training, and partly to get home faster.

So we're whipping down the street now. Rebecca has her hand up and she's yelling "faster, faster, faster...." Now I feel like a sled dog, so I start to break into fits of giggles....which isn't good as I'm already sucking wind.

Isbella is yelling "Whee weeeeeeeeeeeeee" and I'm laughing at both of them, red-faced and wild-eyed from the blading, as I whip down the street at top speed.

Just when I don't think this scene couldn't make me laugh any harder, an elderly lady out for a walk sees us and "tsk tsk"s as she shakes her head at us......well.....I'm sure she never.....

Which is too bad, because that's the most fun I've had in a long time!!!!

Here's the fantasy:

I blade gracefully to the Y-MCA on a beautiful sunny day while my two smiling children quietly take in the scenery.

Here's the reality:

I'm pushing the extra 70 pounds of weight I hadn't figured in to the equation, and tired real quickly. Pouring sweat, heart pounding, red-faced and sucking wind badly, I begin to fear that my gums are bleeding from my rising blood pressure. My glutes are burning, my quads are shaking and delusion that I'm still in "good shape" is shattered into a billion pieces.

We make it half way to the Y when the kids spy a park and start asking "mommy can we play there".
"Of course you can sweetie", I stop and let them out of the stroller telling myself I'm a good mom to stop "for the kids".
(While my heart knows there a God, because He put that park there so I wouldn't have a heart attack trying to achieve my goal of making it to the Y.)

So, now I just have to make it home! I gather my energy and make a good push every once in a while. Parting for cardio training and partly to get home quicker.

Rebecca, one arm held high, is in the front of stroller yelling, "Faster, faster, faster.." And I'm already short of breath, and can't stop laughing at her.

Isabella is shrieking "wheeeeeeeeee" because we're sailing down the road. And Rebecca starts yelling whenever we pass a tree, "No! Mommy! Too close!"

Now I'm just braking down into fits of laughter. All red-faced and wild-eyed from the blading, with my two crazy kids yelling as we whip down the streets. Some ekderly lady out for a walk sees us, and starts to "tsk, tsk" me and shake her head.....well....I'm sure she never....

....which is too bad, because that's the most fun I've had in a long time! I'd highly recommend it! :)

Its supposed to be lovely today.
I can't wait to go for a walk, and play at the park as a part of a regular routine.

Today, I'm feeling adventurous. I think I'll try blading to the Y-MCA. (A 45 min walk) and then do some weights, then blade home again.

Let's see how the kids like the SPEED in the stroller!
hee hee hee

This is Isabella at 3 months old.
She was a total Budda-Baby.

hee hee hee

A new thought for a new day....

Usually I get depressed thinking about how often I have to clean my kitchen. Its always building up, and I'm always cleaning it but it never stays clean.

But last night, as I was cleaning, I thought about WHY my kitchen is always a mess.

Its the hub of my home. There are always people in it, they love to eat and play in my kitchen. I'm often baking or cooking something up in it.

It is a high traffic area, and I LOVE THAT!

I love that people enjoy gathering in my kitchen, eating the food I've made. I love the social activity and the opportunity to give out drinks, bits of my baking and generally be a hostess.

What a revelation! I think its great that my kitchen is a disaster. I'm not a failure because my kitchen is well used. I'm a successful host! I'm a cook! I'm a baker! I'm a MOM in my kitchen. And that is awesome.

So God bless my messy kitchen! Its the heart of my home!
Warm, loud and messy......just the way it should be!!!

We spent the day at the cabin. Nice family time.
It was really great for the kids to be outside all day, now they'll sleep like rocks tonight!

Last night I went and saw "Troy" (the movie).
I'm not terribly impressed.
I went away thinking Brad Pitt is hotttttt! But what a horrible actor! Seriously, he was really bad.
Hot.
But bad.

Tomorrow we're going to a wedding, so I should go do my roots, so I look presentable tomorrow.

(that is correct...do my roots....for those of you who thought I was a natural blonde......I'm not! Well, by now I'm probably grey but I'll never know!)

Today's Agenda:

Clean kitchen - half done!
Clean fish tank - done!
Laundry - not even close to done!
Clean upstairs bathroom - marinading in cleaner!
Tidy living room - what's the point (while kids are awake)?

Business meeting 2:00pm
That's why I gotta get the house clean!
A whole bunch of gov't agency people are coming here at 2.
Gotta go clean!

ps....not CFS by the way....ha ha ha ha

Now I'm getting the hang of this picture thing.
Look I found the same spaghetti picture of Rebecca at nearly the same age as Isabella is now.
Don't they look alike?

A reminder of how cute and messy kids can be.
Keeps me smiling, even on a hard day.

I have come face to face with my own hypocrisy today!

I have always believed (and still do) that kids watch WAY too much t.v. and I would never let my kids sit in front of the boob tube.

I have always tried to limit how much t.v. my kids watch and keep it under an hour a day.

Right now my kids are in front of the electronic babysitter. I have had a horrendous week with them and I need a break. So I am doing what I hate. Hopefully for the greater good? That being, that I don't shaken-baby them to death.

I feel like a hypocrite and a failure for letting them vegg. But I'm also at the end of my rope so.....t.v. it is.

What a crappy day! :(

Here's some interesting facts from Stats Canada and other sources.

Contrary to news reports that teens are out of control, and stealing cars every ten seconds.....
Canada's car theft stats (2002)show that 4.97 cars out of 1000 are stolen every year. So that .5%!!!

Nothing is safe!!!! There are theives everywhere, we should all get security systems and hide away! Lock your doors!
That's crap!
Stats show that 9.11 out of 1000 people are burglarized. Oh no! That's almost 1%!!!! We don't even rank in the top 100 in this category compared to the rest of the world.

The stat about theft you would hear on the news is $314 million a year is stolen. What you don't hear is that its $314 million out of $1000 trillion!!!!

How many reports have you seen lately about "the state of Canada's health care system" is horrendous disrepair.

"Hallway Medecine" is everywhere!!! Must move to the US now!

Actually, we have 3.9 beds per 100 people which is MORE than the 3.6/100 people found in the States.

So even without privitization, we're better off than the states.

Here's another one we're hearing....all the dr.s are fleeing Canada to the US because they make more $ down there. We have 2.1 dr.s for every 1000 people. The states has 2.8 so there is barely a difference at all.

How many reports have you seen about Seniors not being able to afford medication etc. Our national rate of drug accessibility is between 95-100%!

Here's what you need to know:

1. Stop watching the news! They are full of crap and trying to scare you so you'll watch the news for "protection"!
2. We're the 10th richest country in the world.

3. We don't even rank on most measures of world poverty.

We're doing fine and we're really blessed to live in such a prosperous country. So don't worry, be happy!

(If you're interested in this kind of stuff, check out nationmaster.com, its fun to look at world stats and find out more about Canada too!)

Okay it worked but the picture is HUGE!!!

I'm just trying to see if I can this photobucket thing to work.
Do you see a picture?

I'm done complaining about the weather, its just bringing me down.

Matt. 5:5 says to be content in who you are, and part of who I am is a Winnipegger. And I'm pleased to be from Winnipeg, so if its gotta be snow in May. So be it.

And not only am I going to be content with the snow, I found a reason to be thankful for it!

I watched the news last night and it was all about the snow storm. No crime, rape, health issues, poverty etc. Just snow. A few downed hydro lines. Big whoop.

That's nice to see.

I've been thinking about media sensationalism and management. And fear-mongering. So I've started to do a little research on crime statistics on Canada. The results have been very surprising but I'll post that on my next blog.

Gotta go make breakie for the kiddies.

It looks like winter outside again.

That's all I have to say about that.
If I get into the intense feelings I have about the snow this time in May, I'd have to say

*@#&@*#&@&#*%^$&@*#*&@&#**%@*#*^*@#*!!!!!

So, I'm not going to say anything about it.
Nothing about my disillusionment with life. Nothing about despair. Nothing about my anger, bitterness or frustration.
Nope. Nothing.

That's all I'm going to say....

Frustration! Frustration! Frustration's so much FUN!!!

Remember that ad from the game of Frustration?

Well, its a crock! Frustration is NOT fun. Today has been a rotten day in terms of my girls.

They didn't see much all weekend and their schedule is off so they are tired and on edge from the changes. They are being VERY cranky, and that is very FRUSTRATING!!!!

I'm hoping they perk up a bit after their naps, because whining is my arch-nemesis.
Well, whining and ketchup chips.

Yes, ketchup chips. They are very fattening but I can't stay away. They call to me in the night. Yet they are soooo yummy! Its a love-hate relationship.

Wow! I'm totally impressed.
I just logged on to do a blog before bed but I totally forgot what I was going to say.

The NEW blogger site is awesome! I'm just totally impressed.
Its much more user friendly and just....WOW!!!

Look, even I can bold things!

Very cool! I'm psyched!

I also just voted on the CBS.com thing to say who should get the other million dollars....did you vote????

Today's the big day! My first time trying to sell woodwork that I've made.
I'm nervous and excited.

Hopefully, it will be fun and not too nerve racking.

We got to bed late last night trying to make a few more things but Isabella still got up at 6:30am! So its an early start for me today.

See you at the craftsale!

I have enough stuff to sell at the craft show now.
Yipee!

I must go shower. I have HUGE amounts of sawdust in my hair and I smell like a guy!
Ewwwwww!

BTW, not only does it FEEL like winter outside (brrrrrrrr), it looks like winter in my backyard! There is so much sawdust around the work area, it looks like a light covering of snow! hee hee hee

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
She's getting it! She's finally getting it!

She peed in the potty! There is much rejoicing in this house!
Rebecca has understood pooing on the potty since she was 18 months old!
Now at 3 she is peeing! Success!!!!!

When she peed in the potty this morning, I was so happy I almost cried!

Still working on woodwork....slivers, cuts, its all apart of the game :)

My daughter's god-mother is coming to Canada today. She innocently told my daughter that she would have a tea party with her when she came to see her.

All I've heard all day is "Big Rebecca is coming on a airplane on the sky. She's gonna have tea party with me. Is she here now mommy? Is Rebecca coming today?"

So I kept saying, "no, she'll come later when she's settled in"
Then I heard (repeatedly) "Big Rebecca is coming later. She's coming on the airplane, I think I can see her now mom. Is she coming to tea party later???"

So basically she's really excited about having a tea party with Big Rebecca. Which is great, I'm glad they're bonding and all that. Its just getting a tad repetitive!

Well, back to the wood.....

I'm inspired to write some poetry today....can you handle my deep insightfulness?

The day is grey and its rainy out
Time to ponder what's life's about

My tired kids have gone down for a nap
I have some time for blogging n' crap

Trying to think of something wise to say
But my brains are kinda empty today

I'm afraid this week's forecast was pulling my leg
It won't be above 30 this week in Winnipeg

My heart sank as I watched as the mercury fell
My hopes for hot sun have been shot to.......

Whoa! That was deep!

My experience of God lately can be described as "random Truth".

Opening my spirit to Him and saying, "come and do whatever you want, reveal what you want, teach me whatever You want to teach me, I'm willing to learn"

That's a dangerous prayer.

As it turns out, He's listening. And He takes what I said literally.

I feel like I've be inundated with insight and life changing truths. And its frightening, exciting, freeing, refreshing and wonderfully addictive.

More of Him makes me want more of Him. More of Him makes me want only Him and then I'm stuck with life is hard and dull except when He is near.

SO what it boils down to is this........*music blaring*.....Might as well face it! I'm addicted to LOVE!!!!!

We had a great day at the cabin.
We drove out in the morning and spent the day in the sunshine and fresh (crisp) air.

By the time we left the lake (around 4pm) the kids totally crashed in the car and slept all the way back to the city.

It was lots of family fun.

At supper, Rebecca was asking D.J. about his egg. We were very confused. What egg? She kept insisting he said he had an egg and was it all gone?

Finally, we put it together when she said he had an egg in his head, and was it still there?

Earlier, he had said he had a head ACHE and she was just curious to see if his "headegg" was still there! Hee hee hee

Kids are so cute!