I was raised in a household where nobody swore because it was a naughty thing to do.  (Which it still is by the way)
 
So when I got older, my siblings and I started swearing and laughing our heads off.  I still think its funny.  I don't know what's funny about it, its just weird that I'm saying this word and there are no consequences. 
 
But now I use them in moments of exasperation and I don't want my kids listening to those words (as they are still naughty words, naughty, naughty, funny words).
 
So I need something to say when I hit a volleyball out, hit my finger with a hammer, stub my toe etc.  I need to say something but swearing isn't appropriate anymore since there are now children in my house. 
 
So I've decided to replace all swear words with the word Blog. or Blogger.  Depending on what applies.  Here are some examples so you get the picture....
 
I stub my toe..."Oh blog!"
 
Hit my finger with a hammer...."Ouch!  Blog!"
 
Someone cuts me off in traffic...."Blog off!"
 
A teen at the drop-in is swearing and threatening me..."Why you little bloggin' blogger!  If I get ahold of you, I'm gonna kick the bloggin' blog out of you!  Blogger!"
 
That would be REAL professional!  I would never do it, but wouldn't it be funny!  But really those kids shouldn't push me too far.  You know what they say?  Never blog a blogger!

Rebecca sat for THREE hours on the weekend to get "long hair".
She wants long hair so badly and the reality of her curly hair would mean a lot of work for me.
So when a lady at DJ's work offered to give her hair extensions for FREE.  Wow!

Since she got them, she's had a permagrin.  She is so happy with her long hair!

My mother-in-law went on a day trip to the Shooting Star Casino!
She won some money and gave me $20 to spend on the girls.

So I went to Wal-Mart today and told them each they have $10.
They could show me all the toys they liked and I would tell them if
was more or less than $10.

It was such a great exercise in quantities.  Rebecca caught on right away.
At first she was picking BIG things and then moved down to picking smaller things.
Then she had settled on something she wanted and was carrying it around while we
found something for Isabella.

Well!  She saw fancy shoes (the dress-up ones) and got all excited, she wanted those shoes!
So she had to choose between the shoes and the toy she had already chosen.
I thought it was great.  Having to understand that money can't buy everything and having to choose what your heart really desires.  I thought that shopping trip was a great lesson!

 

I am really enjoying my time away from working.  I am feeling very free and have been acting like myself again.
Who is myself?
 
I shall try to describe me:
 
 crazy, dippy, dizzy, featherbrained, flighty, frivolous, giddy, illogical,imprudent, , inappropriate, irrational, ludicrous , nitwitted,  preposterous , ridiculous,  wacked out,
 
These are all the synonyms for "silly" that I thought applied to me.
 
There were some that I thought were a bit harsh:

asinine, brainless , empty, empty-headed , harebrained, idiotic, ignorant, , immature, 
(okay, immature I'll give them--at times) irresponsible, , meaningless, muddle-headed, nitwitted, nonsensical, pointless, preposterous, puerile, senseless, simple, simple-minded, stupid, unintelligent, unreasonable, unwise, vacuous,  witless
 
Really!!!!!!!    Meaningless!  Pointless!  Ignorant!  Unwise!  Stupid!
 
As a synonym for SILLY???  As a silly person I am truly offended, I am silly but I'm not stupid or pointless.  Isn't that a bit of a harsh connotation for silly?
 
(I can be officially classified as over-sensitive now, I have been offended by a thesaurus!)

I had a bit of a revelation today.
Looking at my girls and noticing how BIG they are getting.
It dawned on me how quickly their infancy has gone by, as I watched two
little girls dancing together at church.
 
I made a promise to myself right then.  Every time I come across something that I can't do because I have small children (travel, sleep in, go to a matinee, have holiday days, do any kind of work uninterrupted) I will smile.  Rather than feel sorry for myself, I'm going to rejoice in having small children.  It is going so fast and I'll never get to do this again in my life. 
 
So here's to life with small children!  *raising a glass*
 
Here's to "Hi mommy!  What are you doing?"
Here's to "I love you mommy"
Here's to walking into a room and hearing "Mommy!" and having little arms wrapped around your legs!
Here's to tiny hugs, and soft little kisses. 
Here's to "Don't worry mommy, I'm ok"
Here's to "Can I help you mommy?"

I will try to celebrate my daughters every day, because they are worth it!
 

I also must add on a few "cutisms" that my daughters said today:
Isabella was running around all day saying "I have compladints".
We only figured out around 6:30pm that she was saying, "I have confidence".

Rebecca wrote her first song tonight, here are the words:
"Thank you Jesus, you make me glad.
Thank you for my mom and dad."

See?  It even rhymes!  I'm so proud of my girls!

I spent the afternoon at the wading pool behind my place.
What a beautiful day.

I loved watching them jump, and splash and swim.

Bella kept yelling, "Wook mom!  I fwim deep!"

We heard the siren of a firetruck go by and Bella said, "Its a fire gin-gin".

It was a really fun afternoon.  Now Rebecca is having her hair braided.
She's really excited.  I'll post pictures later!

Today is my Bella-boo's Birthday.

My baby girl is two years old.

 

 

Happy Birthday Boo!

I'm off to prepare for the party!

I watched Anchorman last night.
Very funny.
Lame in places, but funny.
Ridiculous in most places, but funny.
Ludicrous, but funny.

If you think Will Ferrel is an idiot, don't go see it.
If you think Will Ferrel is an idiot, but he makes you laugh, go see it.

I give it 3.5 yuks out of 5 yuks.

I'm watching the news last night with my mouth agape.  I watched as the police arrested the mosquito fogging protestors, and stared wide-eyed as one protestor lost control and was put into a police car by 4 cops.
 
Am I distressed by police brutality?  Not at all.  The police were the typical portrait of Canadian Mounties, they were polite and fair, not at all excessive in the force they needed to keep their charge safe.  Cliche even.
 
I was amazed at the amount of passion this woman had about mosquito fogging.  Bugs.  Whether or not to spray for them.  Bugs. 
 
There are people starving in the street.  Children being beaten by the parents.  Millions starving to death around the world.  Corruption and waste in the government.  And this woman is screaming, wanting to be arrested and become for what cause?  Bugs.
 
For the TWO months of summer, that this is a problem, they spray pesticides to keep us from being swarmed by mosquitoes.  Apparently, the pesticides have been tested by chemists, the government and the medical community and have been deamed to be safe for people. 
 
But there is a group in the city right now who don't believe that it is safe.
 
The conspiracy theorist in me wonders, maybe they know something the government is keeping a secret from us.  Maybe "the fogging martyr" is right and we're being sprayed with "nerve toxins" as she called it.
 
The paranoid neurotic in me wonders if I should keep my children inside today because they sprayed in my area last night.
 
The sane rational voice in me (who sometimes gets heard) wonders if that woman has a little too much time on her hands.  Picture a kicking, screaming 40 year old woman screaming "Auschwitz" while being subdued by 4 polite cops.  Not a pretty site.
 
I don't know.  The world is a crazy place these days.  But in spite of her passionate display, I just can't get that excited about mosquito fogging...what's the matter with me?
 

My kids are feeling better, so they are back to their boisterous, energetic selves.
However, I am now feeling sick.  They were kind enough to pass on their germs.
Thank you children!
 
I refuse to be bogged down with self-pity.
So instead of feeling bad about feeling sick, I will be grateful that summer colds are not terminal.
I shall turn all my negative feelings into a creative outlet.
 
Yes...... once again....out of my misery, comes a poem....
(prepare to be inspired)
 
ODE TO A SUMMER COLD
 
Even in this heat, I feel cold, isn't that funny?
My head is achy and my nose is runny.
 
On days when I feel all sick and crappy,
I'm so happy when my kids take a nappy.
 
I hate those viruses, those wretched bugs.
But thank God in heaven we have good drugs.
 
Sweet aspirin, and sinu-tab, pain killers too.
Without these crutches, what would I do?
 
I'd have to let the kids run wild in the house
While I convalesce with my blanket on the couch.
 
But with drugs, oh sweet drugs, my life can go on.
I can referee, nag and be a mom all day long.
 
Yet even with drugs, I must sometimes rest a bit.
For an hour or so, I'll let the boobtube babysit.
 
That's the end of this poem, of rhyme I've had my fill.
If it sucks, its ok, I'll blame it on the Benadryl.
 

 
I found this on the internet and I liked it, you other moms will too.
I added my comments in bold and  brackets, or rather, parentheses....
 
You Know You're A Mother When...

1. You count the sprinkles on each kid's cupcake to make sure they're equal.
2. You have time to shave only one leg at a time.
3. You hide in the bathroom to be alone.
4. Your kid throws up and you catch it. (I've actually seen my sister-in-law do this)
5. Someone else's kid throws up at a party. You keep eating. (why wouldn't you?)
 
6. You consider finger paints to be a controlled substance. (they are)
7. You've mastered the art of placing large quantities of pancakes and eggs on a plate without anything touching.
8. Your child insists that you read "Once Upon a Potty" out loud in the lobby of Grand Central Station and you do it. (or at the Forks, at church, wherever...)
9. You cling to the high moral ground on toy weapons; your child chews his toast into the shape of a gun. (not a problem for me, at this point)
 
10. You hope ketchup is a vegetable, since it's the only one your child eats.
11. You can't bear the thought of your son's first girlfriend. (ha ha I have no sons)
12. You hate the thought of his wife even more. (This explains my mother-in-law)
13. You find yourself cutting your husband's sandwiches into cute shapes.
14. You can't bear to give away baby clothes - it's so final. ( I still can't do it!)
15. You hear your mother's voice coming out of your mouth when you say, "NOT in your good clothes!"
 
16. You stop criticizing the way your mother raised you. (so true)
17. You donate to charities in the hope that your child won't get that disease.(ok that one is just neurotic and paranoid, I don't do that...well, I give to charity, just not for that reason)
18. You hire a sitter because you haven't been out with your husband in ages, then spend half the night checking on the kids. (Ok, I do that)
19. You use your own saliva to clean your child's face. (It really works!)
20. You say at least once a day, "I'm not cut out for this job", but you know you wouldn't trade it for anything. (Amen!)

Haven't posted since we left for the lake.
We're back now and the weather was beautiful, it was grand.
The mosquitoes were plentiful but not on the sand.
(Hey that rhymed)
 
The beach was great but there was reason for some alarm.
Rebecca was playing (flirting) with a 15 year old boy.
He was graciously building a sandcastle with her, and she was
completely enamored with him.
 
When they were playing on the dock and she was watching him with
much interest, he started to paddle away from the dock on his innertube.
She yelled after him, "Wait!  We have to tell you something."
 
So he stopped, and asked what.  She blushes and says, "I love you" and then
runs away.
 
I think my heart stopped when I heard her. 
If she is going to start having crushes at 3 years old, they are going to have to invent
something a little stronger than valium for my nerves during her teen years.
God help me!
 
Here is Rebecca giving Isabella a riding lesson at the cabin:

I don't have much uplifting stuff to say today, so I'll post some pictures of the girls playing at Tinkertown.

Here are the girls on the carousel.


Riding in the yellow boat:


Rebecca posing by the tree:


Isabella in her yellow dress:

And Bella in "her" car:

Ah yes, tragedy has occurred.

Last night my beach partner and I had our second loss of the season, putting our record at 4 wins and 2 losses.

So, what's the big deal?

There is a big difference between losing and being outplayed.
Last night was more than a loss, we were outplayed.

Sometimes, its not about being a better player but a smarter player. We need to play smarter, not harder. Lesson learned.

Here is me in my beach volleyball hat....

Some pictures of the girls just hanging out. Isabella was playing peek-a-boo and Rebecca was just relaxin'!!!








Ahhhhh! Life is good.

I was just thinking about how much fun I had at the Forks on Canada Day. I happened to be there with my aunt and cousin who had been out of Canada for quite a while, and their excitement and pride was contagious. So I thought I'd spread some Canadian pride.

(I'm also reading the History of Canada right now so Canada has been on my mind anyway, I'll share some of this fascinating information with you)

On July 1st this year, we celebrated our 137th birthday as a nation. But it was only our 54th celebration, as Canada Day didn't begin until 1950.

Here are some names of places you know and their native meanings:

Canada - big village (Iroquois)
Quebec - where the river narrows (Algonquian)
Ottawa - trader (Outaouais)
Toronto - plenty on people; to be plenty (Huron)
Niagara - at the neck (Huron)
Ontario - beautiful lake (Iroquois)
Winnipeg - muddy water (Cree/Ojibwe) & dirty water (Algonquian)
Manitoba - Great Spirit's strait (Cree)
Saskatchewan - fast flowing (Cree)

Did you know that Old Quebec City is the oldest fortified city still standing north of Mexico? Its true.

And if that didn't make you proud, here is an opportunity for you sing the national anthem and get all teary-eyed. I'll provide the words....feel free to sing along....

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

And if that didn't do it for you. Here is something guaranteed to put a lump in your throat....do not read this if you are in an emotional upheaval, it is powerful stuff....

Hey.
I'm not a lumberjack,
or a fur trader...
and I don't live in an igloo
or eat blubber, or own a dogsled...
and I don't know Jimmy, Sally or Suzy from Canada,
although I'm certain they're really, really nice.

I have a Prime Minister,
not a President.
I speak English and French,
NOT American.
and I pronouce it ABOUT,
NOT A BOOT.

I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack.
I believe in peace keeping, NOT policing.
DIVERSITY, NOT assimilation,
AND THAT THE BEAVER IS A TRULY PROUD AND NOBLE ANIMAL.
A TOQUE IS A HAT,
A CHESTERFIELD IS A COUCH,
AND IT IS PRONOUCED 'ZED' NOT 'ZEE', 'ZED'!

CANADA IS THE SECOND LARGEST LANDMASS!
THE FIRST NATION OF HOCKEY!
AND THE BEST PART OF NORTH AMERICA!

MY NAME IS JOE!
AND I AM CANADIAN!

*sniff sniff*
It gets me everytime!

Here's my latest sign of aging, I'm blogging about my medical ailments. Maybe if I get it all out of my system now, I'll have nothing to complain about when I'm 80!

The night before last, I was up all night, I was sooooo itchy and trying desperately not to scratch. Mosquito bites have never bothered me that much before. It felt like the bites were on fire. So the next morning, I show D.J. how many bites I have and more are appearing. He told me he thought it could be poison ivy.

So after some benadryl and cortizone cream, I was still going mental so DJ suggested I go to emergency to see a Dr. and get the prescription for it.

I was scared to go. I imagined this big, burly nurse yelling at me, "You wuss! Poison Ivy is NOT an emergency. Get out of my waiting room you suck bag!"

But in reality, the nurse was really great. She just happened to have poison ivy herself (thanks God) at that moment so she was very understanding. She had seen the dr. herself b/c she didn't want to wait til Monday either. We had a good laugh and compared spots. She told me I could expect upwards of 6 hour wait because of the "seriousness" of my injury. ha ha ha

But it turned out, there was not one emergency in E.K. last night so I was in and out in 20 minutes. (Thanks again God).

The pharmacist was also very kind and sympathetic.

So, now I don't think I'm a big wussie anymore. I have a serious condition and it must be remedied with much empathy, sympathy, and compassion. Feel free to leave any of the above on the comments.

ps...sarcasm will not be tolerated! hee hee hee

Isabella is almost 2 years old and she's starting to use all these phrases she hears other people using, quite often. Its terribly, terribly cute.

Here are some of her quips...

My no sink so (I don't think so)

I canna baleef it. (I can't believe it)

Das awww. (That's all.) *she holds her hands out, palms up*

I tink it neee battaweee. (I think it needs batteries)

Dough do dat. (Don't do that) *pointing a pudgy finger out*

I neeee mine turrr. (I need my turn)

I naw tear-i-us. (I'm not serious)

I jess tee-zun ya. (I'm just teasing you.)

She is so cute, I need to get video clips of her talking, she's so expressive, its hard to keep a straight face when she talks to me.

Here I am posting from the lake.
We got here Wed morning and went straight to the beach, it was perfect weather for all of Wed and Thurs. Hot and sunny with enough wind to fend off mosquitos. And although I had put a 30 SPF sunblock on the kids (being a responsible mother) their genes prevailed! Isabella especially has darkened from the sun.

Today is raining so I'm blogging.

We had a great surprise when we got here. Our friends from Boston had arrived just a couple hours before us. They have a three year old daughter who is just 3 months older (to the day) than Rebecca. So they each had a playmate on the beach, and they played very well together. They really enjoyed throwing rocks off the dock, giving their toys ride on the boogy boards, and of course preparing delicious meals made with water, sand and imagination. So I've tested a variety of soups, stews, and of course birthday cakes with sticks for candles.

We took the girls for a boat ride across the lake yesterday with our friend's dad's boat. They got to explore a deserted beach and eat wild strawberries. D.j. found some broken bits of native american pottery and an arrowhead. All in all, a successful adventure.

Our friend's daughter (Heather) from Boston said the cutest thing on the boat ride. We passed a boat with someone waterskiing, and she piped up, "Look! A person is chasing that boat!"

So funny, I can just imagine her thinking the guy was running behind the boat trying to catch it. Children's perspectives are delicious!
I'm sure Rebecca will miss playing with Heather when they go home today. Which we may also do if this weather keeps up.

Some poo stories....

No, its not pooh stories a la A.A. Milne but its poo stories courtesy of my children's imaginations...

First, Rebecca had a poop on the potty yesterday. She looked at it(which is necessary when you are 3 years old) and said, "Oh my poo is brown. Just like daddy."
D.J. thought that was pretty funny.

Secondly, I was changing Isabella's diaper when the phone rang so I let her run around commando while I talked on the phone. Classic mistake.
It was my sister so I talked a little longer than I should have. Isabella walks up to me with her hand out, "was dis mom?".

Hmmmmmm...what is that? Oh yes, that is poop on your hand!
She had pooped in three spots on the carpet and then wiped her butt with her hand.

So, I got blessed with TWO poop stories and ONE day. What a lucky girl I am. How many mothers can say that? How many want to?

So, we're off to the lake in the morning but my hubby is taking the laptop with us so I'll be blogging from the lake. Hopefully I will not have any poop stories to tell...

Normally, I blog everyday but its been quite a few days!

Preparing for the relatives to arrive, cooking, baking and cleaning. Then they got here, and what a crazy ride!

My dad's family are a boisterous bunch! They have energy to burn and they are a ton of fun. So its been visiting, planning for the memorial service, more visiting, more eating, more visiting.

Its been a great few days. Lots of excitement, memories, catching up, entertainment, and of course....FOOD!!!! Boy, we sure know how to eat too!

Its funny how being around people who were the staple of your social circle when you were a child changes the way you behave. Being around family (who are also friends)that were so much apart of my childhood changed my personality considerably. I felt very childlike, free and uninhibited. Not like a mother of two children. My husband (as usual) was the responsible and took the kids for most of the evenings so I could go out and play. What an amazing guy. I'm glad I married him. Especially today! Its our 7th wedding anniversary today! 7 years already.
Time flies!

So now I'll need a few days to get back to my regularly scheduled programming. Putting the kids back on a normal sleep schedule, get my house back in order, and recover from all the social activity. Its lots of fun, but so out of the ordinary for my life at the this point.

It was great to see my grandma, my aunt and my cousin from B.C. They drove all the way here, and still had boundless energy. My aunt is a very special person in my life. Her passion about many things has influenced my interests in life. Travel, languages, humor, working with teenagers, I have lots in common with her. She definitely has my respect, and her opinion of me, means so much. My cousin is just too sweet words. Watching her take care of my grandma was amazing. And my grandma is showing true grit in recovering from my grandpa's death. I think she is going to be okay, she's one tough lady. Quiet and soft spoken and yet as strong as the day is long. I think she'll be fine.

The relatives are gone. The excitement can subside now, and I'll try to get some sleep at last.