bye bye Bodum

This past Sunday I woke up with a hankering, no, a longing for a big fresh cup of my own home brewed coffee.  If you have read this blog for at least three years than you would remember the coffee pot I use (my actual old posts about it here and here).  So I fired it up with the usual pomp and ceremony only to realize 30 minutes later that it hadn’t gurgled a cue that my pot was done.  I rushed over and inspected it, the pot was luke warm but not even close to boiling.  I pressed every button and checked to make sure it was fully plugged in… nothing happened more than luke warm water.  WAH!!

I still have it sitting on the counter so I can come to terms with losing it.  Soon, I’ll take it out to the garage to sit next to the garbage.  I don’t know what to do- I don’t think I can ever go back to a drip coffee maker after using the Bodum vac pot for THREE YEARS!

Oh well, I will get over it soon enough.

I’ve been on a bit of a tear lately, since I kicked my meds to the curb, I seem to have a lot more energy… Don’t ask me how that is happening.  Hey, I’ll take whatever my body will give me.  What am I doing with my new found energy you ask?  well, I’ve done a lot of laundry which isn’t a big deal on it’s own but I did it all without complaining or having to use a taser on myself.  Which in my world, is a big deal.   

I’ve also taken to doing a bit of baking.  This could also be the time of year, I love to bake around Christmas, it helps me get in the mood.   Only  28 days left until the big red day and I don’t even feel it.  Baking is definitely in order.  So far I’ve baked a KILLER Pumpkin loaf (the recipe made three smaller ones actually), Wonderful Oatmeal cookies (with chocolate chips for the kids, I prefer raisins.) and the other night I searched out this recipe for rice pudding to use up all of my left over rice from dinner.  It turned out so good I couldn’t believe myself.  For the rice pudding I added an extra egg and used table cream instead of the last 1/2 cup of milk called for, it pays to read the other people’s comments on a recipe before you head into a new adventure.  All recipes dot com is a great website, I’ve mentioned it before and I’m mentioning it again because it’s that good. Yes, that (unedited and so-so) photo above is one I took of my finished pudding with a dash of cinnamon and dollop of strawberry rhubarb compote.  I felt like i was a kid again.

Speaking of kids, Nolan has learned something new and I’m not sure yet if he is using the power for good or evil.  For example, Paige brought home some chocolates from a birthday party.  I told Nolan he could have some when Paige opened the box and shared them with him.  Not even 15 minutes later he comes up to me and says "Mom, open this box, sissy wants her chocolates now."
Nice try little buddy- but his sister was playing at the neighbors house at that moment. 
Today he found a can of Ken’s iced tea and when I told him he couldn’t have it he left and formulated a plan…. "Mom, open this soda for Piper (the dog) she wants to drink it (realizing he is so-busted at this point)…she won’t get sick! "….
Uummmm, ya, I don’t think so.   Is it really lieing yet or is it creative problem solving at this point??  Not sure about that one.

Last night while combing Paige’s hair out after bathtime, Nolan was jumping on the bed doing ‘tricks’.  He wanted us to cheer everytime he did a stunt but we weren’t paying attention.  finally we watched his stunt, and both said "Yahoo!" to which he says to his sister… "Say ‘yahoo’ in french."  I didn’t even know that Nolan understood the concept of saying things in a different language and that his sister is learning a different language.  I wonder how many other concepts he’s picked up that I have no idea about.  I’m sure I’ll be finding out soon enough now that he’s in preschool 3 days a week.

Paige got her report card today, meets or exceeds all expectations, that’s my girl.  Not much to write about her- she’s just breezing along lately, growing up.  She had her first sleep over at her neighbor friend’s house.  She didn’t sleep much from what I hear but fun was had by all.  The fever she suffered on Friday turned out to be Fifth disease, quick fever and then a rash of small bumps and spots, but otherwise feeling okay.  Nolan actually also got the spots but he didn’t suffer any fever that I noticed- kinda freaked me out for a few minutes.  Thank goodness for google (sometimes).

Anyway, While writing this blog post, I’ve had the kids out of the house in the new fallen snow, burnt my first attempt at making tapioca (oh yeah baby), cleaned up my ravaged sauce pan and got the kids all in from the cold and set up with hot chocolate.  Now i need to get the stench of burnt milk out of my house. ugh. 

on that note,

Goodnight folks!

~jen

The new playroom slash MAN Cave…

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The new playroom slash MAN room, originally uploaded by island artist.

For those of you who are a bit curious (and those of you who aren’t), this is a photo of the new playroom!  I don’t have a lens wide enough to get a full view but this will have to do for now.  Ken worked his fingers to the bone to get it down before the kids and I got home from our Alberta trip.  It’s totally awesome in there and I’ve been enjoying it.  We bought a little ‘personal’ space heater for the space which keeps it so nice and toasty- I could just curl up on that couch and spend my whole day in there.  The room is about 10′x10′ in size with a 32" tv that Ken picked up for 25$.  We’ve got cable, dvd player and the Xbox in there- what more could you ever want?? 
I added a table lamp in there today that we had kicking around and all we need is a small side table to put it on and I think it will b e perfect in there.  Maybe some art to hang on the walls too- but there’s no rush for that.  I will still need to paint the moulding before I start painting artwork… I better not get ahead of myself!
Anyway, the kids can hole up in there and play and you don’t even hear them!  It’s what I refer to as HEAVENLY.

Once again I’m in awe of my husband to worked really hard until the job was done.  Have I mentioned how awesome he is??
Thanks Ken, I love you. A Lot.

~jen

Kids are crazy

Today I kept Paige home from school because she woke me up at 4 this morning burning up with fever.  I gave her some advil and turned off my alarm.  Of course both kids get up at 7 feeling chipper as ever.  I still stood by my first decision since I don’t need Paige passing around whatever she has managed to pick up to all her classmates.  Besides, it’s Friday which is a short day anyway so I don’t imagine she’ll be missing much.   There is a birthday party tomorrow that she really wants to go to so I told her she better rest up or she won’t be going!  She did start to wilt at about 10 when the advil was out of her system and I just gave her another dose.  Gosh, I really dislike the sickly time of year.

Yesterday I had a little mini photoshoot of a 5lb baby!  I offered to do it for nothing because I wanted the opportunity to shoot a little baby, but since my 50mm lens broke I had to take my point and shoot and my 30D with the crappy tamron lens.  Neither one of those likes to perform in less than stellar lighting conditions so it was definitely a challenge.  I haven’t had a chance to take the shots off the cameras yet but I’ll be sure to post to flickr when I do.  The Baby’s mom is also the mother of one of Paige’s classmates and she was very open to trying another mini photo session.  Next time, when baby Liliy’s daddy will be home AND after my new 50mm lens arrives.  Yes, I ordered another portrait lens.  I got the same one I had last time, the ‘disposable’ one.  Honestly though it’s the best lens money can buy, it’s inexpensive and is seriously great at what it does.  Besides my budget can’t afford to move up in the world right now.  Can’t wait for it to arrive, I’ve been missing it terribly.  This time I’m going to treat it with kid gloves. 

Our Holiday in Alberta was very nice.  I certainly do miss seeing everyone.  The timing was perfect, my dad was home on the weekend, my brother and his wife were down from Fort McMurry for the week as well so we got to see everyone!  The only person from the family missing was Ken, but someone has to work!  Since being home, i had a dream that I was sitting around the table with everyone again, having a conversation about nothing much… it was like I was back again.  I also went out to visit my own Grandparents which was nice.  I realised it was the first time I’d been out there in 7 years.  Wowzers.  My Grandpa had a great time with Nolan- they were a regular couple of trouble makers.  Paige enjoyed talking everyone’s ear off, she fit in perfectly.  Wish Ken could have been there, maybe next time…

Speaking of Ken, he’s been busy.  Quite the jet setter too.  He was flown out to Calgary for a job interview and back the same day.  Next week he’ll be back in Calgary for a work conference.  In case you are wondering, the job interview went very well and they want to hire him except he needs to upgrade his education a little, which he was in the midst of doing anyway.  It’s not a big deal to me, since I feel that we need the extra time that this ’speed bump’ will allow us before we start another big change.  Everything happens for a reason.

anyway, I should skiddaddle- I’ve got lunches to make…

Later gaters!

~jen

Update from the island hood… please, have a seat.

I’ve been getting alot of ‘action’ from my family about not blogging regularly.  I have been trying, really but time is just so fractured up into little pieces lately that it seems difficult for me to gather the thoughts together at the appropriate times.  You know, the times I have sitting here in front of the computer with nothing else on my ‘to do’ list.  But I’m just going to type right now until there is no more typing to be done.  If you are still here at the end, Bravo- you will be rewarded.  Perhaps in your next life or something…

Since my last blog post- Paige has lost her other front bottom tooth!!  See that tooth here.  She now talks with a funny lisp which is just too damn charming.  Her Kindergarten class has a large tooth attached to the wall and any children that loose teeth are able to write their name inside the tooth.  Paige’s name is in the tooth twice, the only name there- a point of pride for her.  She’s still enjoying kindergarten a lot and I’m slowly getting to know all the moms.  I felt bad the other day realizing that I didn’t know any of the boys in her class, OR their moms!  I have made a point of talking to the boys, learning their names and also talking to their moms before and after school.  The boys always seem so happy to talk to you when you ask them questions… boys are cool like that.

Halloween went by without a hitch- Paige was a witch (click for photos), just like she planned all along.  She was an authentic witch too, green face with a large wart on her nose, she was very specific about all of it.  Even the side of her nose that the wart was to be on and the ‘height and roundness’ of it… don’t ask.  The kids and parents were talking about her outfit for several days after ward, I think she was the ONLY girl that wasn’t a fairy or princess and the other girls in her class were more than a little impressed.  Shoot, I was impressed- i thought for sure I would be dragging out last years wings again for the third year in a row.  She’s growing up and taking to Halloween much like her daddy. Nolan was a dinosaur.  He wasn’t really into it until Paige tried on his costume… then he was forced to get ‘into it’ out of sibling jealousy.  He wasn’t too impressed with the face paint Ken put on him but after a few minutes of pouting and quietly asking for a baby wipe, he forgot all about it.  The size of his eyes when he realized people were putting CANDY in his bag was priceless.  It was a fun Halloween. 

As for me, I’ve been working on photography stuff lately.  It has worked out that I’ve done a photo shoot every two weeks  since September.  My most recent one was kind of a bust since the mom wanted a shot of her three kids and it just didn’t work out.  In my defence two of the kids were twins just under the age of two.  The client is a lovely lady, I talked to her today at our daughters’ swimming lessons and she was very understanding and is willing to try it again at another place other than her house.  Plunk the kids in a bench and try for the best.  Maybe even a log at the beach.  It’ll all work out in the end.  After my last shoot I had my 50mm lens simply fall apart.  After asking some fellow photographer friends I found out that that particular lens model is considered ‘disposable’ because it’s so inexpensive and it tends to fall apart much like mine did.  La Dee DA.  I’m now shopping for something new and hopefully a little better quality.  just a little. 

I’ve been trying something a little different lately but I don’t have any idea how long this is going to last.  As of late I have stopped taking my anti-depressant pills.  I am hoping this may be the key to why I find it so damn impossible to wrap my brain around the idea of losing weight.  So far I’ve been having no problems with over eating (really!!) but I’ve also be a complete douche bag.  I have a short temper anyway but now my fuse seems to be PRElit and ready for any type of irritation.  It’s tough but I just have to know.  The reason I take the happy pills in the first place is because it helps me to ‘not sweat the small stuff’ but I think it numbs me in such a fashion that I don’t sweat ANYTHING.  I just down right- DON’T care. about anything. 
So I’ve been sick and very tired, unmedicated, crying a lot.  I slipped on the kitchen floor taking out the garbage the other day, thought I broke my leg, cried.  Slipped at the pool today trying to keep Nolan from hurling himself into the deep pool.  Really hurt myself and cried some more.  It’s pitiful.  What’s a girl to do?  Don’t worry if it gets to the point where I think I may actually shoot myself, I’ll go back on the meds.  My money is on next Monday…

For those of you who aren’t in the know- We are under construction in our community for the next year or so.  We live in a townhouse/condo type home and we’ve been unfortunate enough to be cursed with the dreaded ‘Leaky condo’.  It’s going to cost us (personally) a lot of money.  A LOT of money. The construction is finally starting and I’m excited to see what the whole process is going to be- how it’s going to affect the neighbourhood, what the new renovations will look like, all that crazy stuff. 

And if that wasn’t life changing enough for this family, my husband may be getting laid off from his plant in the near future.  The large pulp and paper mill next door to my husband’s plant has gone bankrupt.  My husband’s plant makes chemicals for that plant.  It’s not looking good.  Believe it or not I’m not all that upset about this situation because there is absolutely NOTHING i (or my husband) can do about it.  If we are forced to move back to Alberta, so be it.  We’ll just have to make the best with the cards we are dealt.  We may be living in a cardboard box, but we’ll be together.

So on that note, I’m going to go and be with my family-

Take it easy folks,

~jen