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September is here, and we're slowly making the transition - new bedtime, new routine, less computer and Wii; more reading books. And so far, it has been difficult. This week, my boys have been nothing but trouble - they've been driving each other crazy! Arggh! So glad they'll be off to school soon, to see their friends and begin a new and exciting school year. Yes, change is good. But
A few weeks ago, my sister-in-law gave me The Time Traveler's Wife to read. I told her I watched the movie but she recommended that I read the book. So, lately I've been catching up on some summer reading. And yesterday, it was another hot, humid day and I thought it would be nice to cool off outside in the evening. I asked the boys if they would like to join me - they both agreed. I took
It's the last week of summer vacation for the boys. And we're having so much fun. Sigh. Yesterday, we spent a picture perfect day at the beach. It was hot and sunny - with a cool, light breeze. Mr.O brought the small inflatable boat, and the boys paddled; relaxed and soaked up the sun. And each time, J.P tried to get back on the boat, his wet, soggy swim trunks kept slipping off his
A week ago, we went camping in Huntsville, Ontario. It was a scenic two and half hour drive to Arrowhead Provincial Park. If you enjoy camping, canoeing, kayaking, hiking and cycling. Arrowhead is the park to visit! Here are a few pictures that I captured on our trip: We settled in South Lumby campground - a new tent nestled in the woods. After setting up camp, we headed down to the beach.
"I'm bored." A monotonous refrain I hear every now and then. It's tough being a kid, huh? Playing for hours - all day long. But believe me, it's not all about summer fun and games. In fact, I've been keeping my boys busy - doing chores. Every day, A.R has to practice guitar for an hour. When I do laundry, they fold and put their clothes away. J.P likes to set the table for meals; he's
My boys eat well. So much so, that I go hungry for them. You can read about it here. I do my best to ensure they have a balanced meal every day. I can proudly say they don't drink soda pop, eat hard candy or chew gum. However, they like to have their desserts - chocolate and ice cream. At the family picnic last month, my aunt approached me and gasped, "Your boys are so skinny!" She looked at me
For the first time I had a peaceful sleep. Oh, it was divine! And how did I obtain such a heavenly slumber? I had the boys sleepover their cousins' house. But the sad part about it was the fact they no longer miss us. Before we left, J.P confronted me and said, "You're still here?" "What? You're kicking me out already!" "When are you leaving?" "Don't worry, soon." Sigh. Did you hear my
From hot, humid days to cool summer nights. The weather here can change so quickly. And it's no surprise, I ended up catching a cold - in August!!! I can't believe I woke up sneezing; with a runny nose and watery eyes. Luckily, I have no fever. But the past few days, I've been feeling terrible. I just had to delay my packing - there's so much camping gear and essentials to bring. I took Mr.
It was a rainy day, and so, we stayed indoors. Just relaxing. Sounds nice and peaceful, huh? No. I had a pile of laundry to do, and I was getting organized for our camping trip. I also wanted to write but writing seems so erratic these days, much like my sleep. I carried my notebook and pen from room to room; staring at a blank page. Could I be having writer's block? Oh no! For some
Can you believe it's August? Where the heck did July go? Another month come and gone - in a blink of an eye. And soon, it will be back to school. But no worries, there's so much to do in August. And if there's one thing the boys are looking forward to - it's camping. In a few weeks, we'll be headed north to enjoy the great outdoors. With all the planning, shopping and packing, it may seem
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I like to keep things simple these days. Even when it comes to dressing up, and doing my make-up. At my age, less is more. Last week, for the wedding reception, my sister-in-law kindly offered to do my hair. As you know, women like to wear black, wear more sparkle or bling in the evening. I was wearing my black cocktail dress but kept my hair down. Wasn't that enough? I was content with
It was the summer event we were all looking forward to - the wedding of a close family friend. I've known her all my life, and to finally see her tie the knot to the man she loves was very special. Here is the happy couple taking their vows. On our way to the Toronto Board of Trade for the reception - the CN Tower is a majestic sight to see for my boys, even on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
My shopping excursion did last three hours. I was worried that I needed more time, or perhaps, needed another day to find the perfect dress. In fact, Mr. O didn't believe that I would find nor purchase one under a hundred dollars. I scoffed at him, and reassured him that I would. If there's one thing I like about shopping; it's finding a good deal. You see, when I go shopping I always have a
Did I tell you I don't get to do a lot of girlie things? Sad but true. I am constantly surrounded by boys and everything boys. I love my kids but sometimes I just need a break. So, today A.R is attending a birthday party - on a Monday evening. Mr.O and J.P are taking him to his friend's house; and will be hanging out together. And what am I going to do? For three hours? I'll be hunting
I'm still around. Honestly, I thought I'd have more time to write but it's been challenging. And I know I'm not alone. I've read how some of you are busy, and away on holidays. It's summer, and I completely understand how precious this time can be. So, I say enjoy the beautiful, hot weather with your family and friends; catch up on some summer reading, go outdoors, have the time of your
I can't believe this but it's actually quiet here. The boys are still asleep, and it's 8:30 in the morning. Shouldn't I be sleeping in too? No. I'm a light sleeper so when the sun rises, I'm awake. But there's laundry and a list of chores I have to do. This happens when you've had a busy weekend like going to a family picnic and to a birthday party. At the picnic, we soaked up the sun,
It's been hot, hazy and humid all week. Let's be honest, I'm not too crazy about this heat wave. For the past few days, we've been staying indoors. Staying cool. Drinking lots of fluids, snacking on watermelon, cantaloupes and strawberries. The boys don't seem to mind - they play Dungeons & Dragons all day! What a life! I'd like to get them out again but it's just too hot! What are we to
Here are a few pictures of our fun-filled day at Balsam Lake: I always look forward to this time of year - going up north and enjoying the great outdoors. I love this image! It's so lovely and peaceful in the morning. It was a hot summer's day but there's plenty of shade at Balsam Lake. Try lying beneath the cedar trees; taking a nap (Mr.O was happy to do so!) and enjoying the cool breeze.
"Hey, what movie do you want to see? Robin Hood or The Prince of Persia?" "Prince of Persia!!!" I forgot I had boys. No point in suggesting Toy Story 3. They really wanted to see this action and adventure film. So, we decided on the 7:25pm showing. A quick dinner, shower and we were all ready to go. When we arrived, the theatre was busy especially on a Wednesday evening. Mr. O was a little
"Mommy, can I try out my super soaker?" "Sure." How could I refuse? It was a hot, humid evening, and J.P couldn't wait to play with his new toy. It was a birthday gift - two new blasters, one blue and the other red. What a great way to cool off! Besides, I was gardening and I wanted to keep him busy, and out of my way. J.P took out the blue blaster, filled it up with water and started to
I took my time this morning. There was no need to rush. Yes, it's true I like to be organized and on time. But not today - it's the last day of school! Yippee!!! So, I let the boys wake up later than usual, and prepare their own breakfast. (Leave their favorite cereal on the table.) I get funny looks from them as they get ready for school. Am I more excited than the boys? You bet. I
I don't consider myself superstitious but I've realized there are a few things I do, and I don't know why I do them. Does this make me superstitious? I think it has been passed down from generation to generation; my family always tell me not to do certain things. I ask them why, and I'm given an answer, "Just because..it's good luck and bad luck." Here are some superstitions: I don't like bugs
Lately, it's been noisy around here. Construction. Renovations. World cup fever. You get the picture, right? Everywhere I go, it's loud. Yes, I realize the kids are excited that it's summer, and that school is almost over. But does that mean they have to run wildly around the house, or play Nintendo with their voices drowning out the television set? Mr.O cannot watch a soccer game without
Last Friday it was J.P's birthday but the celebrations didn't stop there. We also celebrated my niece's birthday, Father's Day and our 12th wedding anniversary over the weekend. After A.R's guitar lessons on Saturday, we headed out west to London, Ontario. My cousin's daughter turned one, and was having a birthday party. We hadn't seen them in a long time, and a visit was long overdue. It was
All week J.P has been counting down the days till his birthday. Well, it's finally here! And coming home to a hot lunch is pretty awesome! Happy Birthday J.P! We'll continue the celebration after school with pizza, and cake! And just when you thought the climbing rose didn't survive the winter - you find all the roses in full bloom! Yay! Have a great weekend everyone!
On Monday, my son calls from school to say there is still room for one more parent to volunteer for the trip to the museum. Did I accept? No. But my husband did. Mr. O asked if I wanted to go. I politely declined. He looked at me, grew pensive and said, "Maybe you should go instead. There is going to be a lot of kids." Exactly. I'm not that crazy! So, yesterday was the big day for the
What happens when your two kids have birthdays in the month of February? You throw a Mad Hatter Tea Party in June! My sister-in-law wanted her children to celebrate in warmer weather so they could play outside. Unfortunately, it rained all day on Saturday; and so the kids had to stay inside. But no worries, it didn't dampen their spirits! "Don't be late, don't be late for a very important date
Have you met anyone who wears the same thing every day? Has a favorite sweater, shirt, socks, or pants? Well, I do, and I won't say who it is because this is really a no-brainer! What if this piece of clothing is old, the colour faded, and there are lots of holes? Would you still keep it? Throw it out, or cut the material to make rags? Honestly, this favorite t-shirt has seen better days!
On Monday morning, my husband told me he was on vacation. What a surprise! He had been tight-lipped on the subject for weeks. He's such a silly guy! But I was determined to get an answer. I made several inquiries but heard nothing. Eventually I resorted to nagging. And within minutes, he finally succumbed to my queries. I was thrilled, and joked that I was on holidays too. Of course,
We spent Sunday afternoon visiting family. I happily took pictures in my sister-in-law's garden, and watched the kids play in the backyard. Here's J.P and his cousin swinging. Doesn't this image bring back memories of your childhood? Sigh And what could be more enchanting than playing pirates for hours - on a Hook inspired playground set! Spending time with family, relaxing in the garden
"I got perfect on my math test!" "That's awesome, J.P!" "I aced my social studies test!" "Wow, that's great, A.R" Who would have thought my boys would be excited about tests, and school? This all began when their grandmother told the boys that she would give them a reward if they did well in school. She said for every perfect test, she will give them two dollars. Call it positive
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I just realized with all the social networks that I've joined, I have one too many passwords! Sometimes, I get them mixed up, or I don't remember them at all and then I create new ones. To keep them safe, would I need a password too? I love comments. I mean who doesn't. However, I get turned off when you visit a site, and you leave comments all the time but you never hear from the author. It's
"How long are you going to blog?" This is the question my husband asked me a few weeks ago. Actually, he brought up this subject quite often this year. And to answer his question - I'm not sure how long I will be blogging. All I know is that it's my own little space; my world. I started this blog on a whim - not certain what to expect, and where it would take me. (To read my very first post,
It may be short or long but it's the dreaded paper my husband doesn't want to see - the so called list. What's all the fuss? It only contains the essentials - milk, eggs, bread, and whole wheat bread. Sometimes, bananas, apples and yogurt are on the list too. How many items can I have on this? Growing boys mean bigger appetites. And shopping with them is no easy task. Often times the boys
On a long weekend, one shouldn't wake up at 6 AM! Who set the alarm clock? Arggh! Why can't I ever sleep in? For relaxation, one shouldn't give haircuts but for some reason cutting the boys' hair is very therapeutic. Call me crazy! When going to a barbeque, one should eat hamburgers, hot dogs, and potato salad. I opted for the baked chicken, corn on the cob and my mom's specialty egg rolls.
It has been a glorious week of sunshine, and the boys are happy to say goodbye to their bulky sweaters. And gladly wear their t-shirts and shorts to school. The warm weather has certainly been distracting - they seem more restless indoors; and want to run and play around all day! Yesterday, I had to ask them to settle down, and be quiet. What was I thinking? And after dinner, the first thing on
Last week, while we were having dinner my eldest son revealed to me that he had a crush. Really? I almost choked on my food when he told me. I was even more surprised that one of his classmates had a girlfriend. To be honest, I think it's sweet that he likes a girl in his class but I told him to concentrate more on his school work, and guitar lessons. And that he'll have plenty of time to have a
Before the school year, I bought the boys school supplies, and a pair of new running shoes. I was thinking, and hoping the footwear would last a good six months. I was wrong. A month later, A.R told me his shoes were worn out. Even J.P's shoes were looking shabby. What? It's brand new! I looked at their footwear again, and luckily, it was still in good condition. I refused to buy them a new
When it's mealtime, you'll always find a bottle of sauce on the table. You see, I cook a simple meal. It's not bland or salty. I just can't have spicy foods. I'm not really into sauces but my husband likes to spice up certain dishes. So, the pantry must be stocked with an assortment of his favourite sauces - plum, barbeque, hot, rib and soy sauce. It seems whatever is on the menu, there has to
