Random Tuesday on Wednesday

• haven't felt much like writing at all lately but then again I haven't felt much like doing anything
• finally went to the doctor to see if there was anything serious with all my aches, pains and general crappiness. X-rays and an ultrasound results declared that the general crappiness is completely self-induced and there is not a magic pill to fix it although, on the up side, my doctor did recommend regular massages :-)
• so I have to do something about it myself which includes moving my body but not houses (see moving post) 
• as a direct result of the above I have been getting out of bed when I wake up and going for a half an hour or so walk most mornings which I actually enjoy although the world's laziest dog opted out after the first few days
• I went riding yesterday for the first time in six weeks and it was glorious so that is back on the schedule
• I am still in denial about summer activities for the boys. No. One will have a few grass cutting jobs but other than that he's on his own until he goes to Oregon to ski at the end of August. No. Two has one week scheduled in July then he's off to a new camp with his west coast cousin. No. Three Has nothing on and he's the one I'm most worried about. We are in the midst of doing Educational assessments with him and he is having a tough time at school and at home. The level of fighting in our house between 2 & 3 is off the charts and No. Two doesn't leave for camp until the end of July *gulp*
• My in-laws are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary next weekend with a renewal of their vows and a dinner dance. They are an amazing couple, have overcome so many obstacles and stuck it out whenever the going got rough (which it did on several occasions) I put together a photo album of their life together from about ages 14 to 71. Truly inspiring.
• No. One is off on his Grade 8 trip to Ottawa this week and then graduation is on the 26th. He is hoping to win the Math and Phys Ed award which was made for him. 
• I have decided that after the summer my career as a cheesemonger will be over. I need to find something that fulfils my need to be with people (mid-week retail in the off-season is a lonely place), some flexibility as my kids apparently still need me to boss around and an ability to help keep the boys in new skis (or at least poles)

Wish me luck as I attempt to keep my sanity with three boys at at home in July for the first time in about five years. 

Random Tuesday Ramblings

• Definitely don't like the new blogger format but then we all know I hate change
• April 24th and it's a Snow Day. WTF?! And yesterday I laughingly said, "yes" when the boys asked me if could they stay home if it was one ... sigh
• Still not sure if I will wear the silver snakeskin pumps on Friday night. 
• Oh, get over yourself and wear them!
• Should spend some time practicing all the cool stuff I learned in my Intro to Photoshop course although I think that it's very sad that the Number One use for Cloning in Photoshop is to take people's ex's out of old pictures. I'm going to practice putting people randomly in places they never were, kind of like Forest Gump
• Love the fact that No. 2 Son always speaks in some kind of accent with his best buddy
• Only two more sleeps until my brother and his family arrive for our mother's 70th birthday weekend. Don't know who is more excited? The kids to see their cousins or me to hang out with my sibs
• Found this fabulous retreat via Kyran's Planting Dandelions and I really want to go. It's a Yoga/Writing/Photography retreat and since I had to cancel going to the Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop I wonder if I wasn't meant to go to this one? It's perfect for me except for the fact that it is June 28th to July 2nd which is over our Canada Day Long Weekend and usually when everyone who has ordered a boat wants it delivered so my Other Half is always MIA. But it's a Yoga/Writing/Photography retreat and I really want to go
• Big changes may be coming where I work part time. Not sure if maybe it's a sign that I need to find something else to do or if I should throw myself into it and take on more responsibility and hours. 

Random Tuesday Ramblings on Wednesday

• I am already worrying about what I will do when Season Two of Downton Abbey ends. Don't tell me how many more episodes there are, I don't even want to know.
  
  
• I feel not so much off but more like under my horse for the first time in three years. It wasn't very dramatic as I was only trying to get back up from a log when he moved and my foot was stuck in the stirrup so I ended up on the very hard ground with him standing perfectly still looking down at me as if to say, "I'll just wait here while you sort yourself out."
  
  
• Number One Son has now missed nine days of school out of a possible 20 since they went back after Christmas. Yup, he's on the right track for becoming a member of the Canadian Senate.
  
  
• Day One of Single Motherhood began with me deciding to make banana bread for breakfast. Why? Not sure. Unfortunately the frozen blueberries I put it in resulted in the middle not cooking while the outside burned. Note to Self: Never try to operate large appliances before noon.
  
  
• Number Three Son is finally going to get some extra help at school after test results showed he is relying almost entirely on memory which is sad in that it took so long to figure it out and amazing that he has coped as well as he has.
  
  
• Number Two Son announced that he has joined the school choir which, I think, has less to do with my continued suggestions that he should do so and more with the girl to boy ratio.
  
  
• I received three (!) bouquets yesterday but my favourite by far was the one from my best friend Sandy (shh, don't tell my Other Half or my Dad) It was made up with beautiful blush pink Parrot Tulips. They are all blousy and droopy and made the other arrangements of lilies and roses look stuffy and formal in comparison.
  
  
• I am going to the Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop, my name came up on the waiting list, I paid my money and now I have to figure out how to get to Dayton, Ohio. Drive for nine hours or drive for two, wait at the airport for two, fly for and hour or so and then do the same in reverse. But however I get there I am so excited to be going and meeting a few of my blogging idols - Tanis of Attack of the Red Neck Mommy, Amy of Bitchin' Wives Club and Kyran of Planting Dandelions.
  
  
• I've decided that instead of giving something up for Lent (which I have never done anyways) I am going to use stuff up. My freezers (yes, that's plural) are full of food, as is my pantry and while Number One Son continues to eat for four I want to empty out all the meat, pasta, rice and other things before I hit Costco again. So, no more stopping at the grocery store because I've forgotten to take something out of the freezer to cook for dinner. I am, for the first time in my life, actually planning meals in advance and it is easier. Can't wait to see how long we can live off the fat of the land, so to speak.

Random Tuesday Ramblings

• I think Mother Nature is going through menopause with hot flashes due to global warming. It's the only explanation for the roller coaster ride we've been on this winter - snow, rain, snow, rain, wash, rinse, repeat.

• I survived (barely) being a single parent for 10 days. I won't get into the gory details but sufficed to say it was a bit like Groundhog Day from the same time last year. Three kids throwing up, ski races and hockey games all over and finished off with me lying on the bathroom floor wishing I was anywhere else but there.

• Trying to love the Twitterverse but thinking it really is just the ultimate time-sucking blackhole. Until they come up with a newer time-sucking technological black hole, of course.

• Only 11 more sleeps until I escape to here and then I'm off to Florida to be a bikini-less boat babe at the Miami Boat Show. We'll definitely sell more if I keep my clothes on.

• The wacky weather and flu epidemic hasn't done much to help me stick to my promise to ride every Tuesday, so far I've gone once.

• Watched Contangion while I was sick as I am not only a end-of-the-world sort of gal but also a masochist. It actually wasn't that scary, more of a docudrama than thriller.

• Missed the first episode of Season Two of Downton Abbey after my Season One marathon on the weekend but have now programmed the PVR so I don't miss it again. Can't believe Thomas is now in charge of the house.

• Still waiting to hear if I will get into the Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop on the waiting list. I also entered the contest held by the University of Dayton and the Public Library with this post in hopes of winning a spot at the workshop. Wish me luck.

• Now I have to get up and out of here to go and subject myself to mindless government bureaucracy to finally get Sons Numbers Two & Three their SIN Cards which for you non-Canadians isn't what it sounds like. SIN stands for Social Insurance Number and the fact that they don't yet have them is completely due to my lack of interest in dealing with it for the last 11 years. And while I'm subjecting myself to this torture I might as well renew No. 3's passport which conveniently is on a completely different expiry rotation from mine and his brothers. Oh well, speaking of black holes, maybe I can catch up on my Twittering ;-)

Barefoot in the Snow

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

- Albert Camus

Random Tuesday Ramblings

This is a photo of the grain elevators in the Collingwood Harbour. It is hard to imagine that not very long ago this was a bustling port and ship building centre for the Great Lakes. I remember my godmother travelling up to see the last ship built being launched in 1986. I was a self-absorbed 20 year old and didn't understand why anyone would care about something like that. Since the yards closed the town has allowed developers to take over the waterfront and although there are some lovely paths and boardwalks along the water most of the land is private and the view is cut off by houses. The elevators themselves are slowly disintegrating, at one time there was talk about renovations with a restaurant and shops but it seems that idea stalled. The crazy thing is that there is no where to eat on the water from Wasaga Beach at the southern end of Georgian Bay to Tobermory at the tip of the peninsula which separates the Bay from Lake Huron despite the fact that that is the number one thing tourists (and locals) want to do when they visit the area. We have seven restaurants in our tiny town of 1400 souls, four of which have recently undergone renovations and reopened but so far it doesn't look like any of them are going to be the kind of place to take the kids to and not one is on the water.

If I had the money I would open a family-friendly restaurant like Flatbreads in Portland, Maine. One where you could arrive at by boat or wander down in the evening to sit at one of the picnic tables in your bath suit and flip flops with a cold beer. The kids would be kept happy watching the pizza cooking in the giant, wood fired oven and the food, of course, would be fresh, local and organic. Wishful thinking on my part but it just seems that in an area that is known more and more for great restaurants, local wine and artisans we deserve a fun spot to take the kids or meet friends for a dinner that won't break the bank. So if anyone has any connections with the Flatbreads guys (I couldn't find a contact on their website for the head office) please send it my way.

Random Tuesday

• Aaaahhh . . . summer. And it's about freakin' time. Winter lasted until Easter and spring was so cold and wet that I thought that my Other Half (the boat builder) was truly going to have to build an ark. Good for the tulips but now the lilacs are out (about a month late) and I am ready for the peonies to bloom and to finally plant my tomatoes.
  
  
• We got out on the sailboat on the weekend. No wind but it was lovely to be back out on the water again.
  
  
• Had a blast at an 80's Prom Party last Friday. I promise the photos are forthcoming but sufficed to say, there was lots of big hair, taffeta and a late night for the Class of '84.
  
  
• Only three weeks until school is over and three weeks, three days and five hours until the boys all go to camp for the month. But who's counting?
  
  
• It's been three weeks now without indulging in what had become my twice weekly chocolate croissant and grilled cheese sandwich habit while at work. I have also given up bread during the week and, although I haven't noticed a major weight change, I do feel better and I am going to Pilates again so hopefully my energy level will increase. My summer resolution is to get back into shape as well as to touch up all the trim in the house while the boys are away (this was my goal two summers ago and I only finished the main floor and, of course, it's all chipped again)
  
  
• Number Two & Three Sons' hamsters became the proud parents of seven (yes, seven!) babies two weeks ago. Mother and offspring are doing well (unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your point of view) the babies no longer look like naked mole rats and are quite cute. Now the question is how to get rid of them since natural selection did not take place. Anyone want a baby hamster or two or three?
  
  
• Number Three Son celebrated his 9th birthday yesterday with eight friends. They had a ball jumping on the trampoline and staging a major water fight but I was a little surprised when it came time to open presents. There were only two wrapped gifts. The rest gave the birthday boy cash and a Visa gift card. He, of course, was thrilled. Me? Not so much. It seems a bit over the top for a nine year old to spend his post-party downtime counting dollar bills instead of playing with new LEGO.
  
  
• Trying to decide what to do with the boys when they get home from camp. They all want to be home during the week rather than at the cottage so they can play soccer but that's only in the evenings. I am thinking about tennis and golf lessons but what I really want them to do if they aren't going to let me be up at the cottage all month is to find out what other kids do. We are so lucky to live in a small town where they can jump on their bikes and go to the beach or explore or even just hang by the pool with some supervision, of course. But I am not Julie McCoy and will not spend all day driving them around from activity to activity and they can't veg in front of a screen all day. They aren't used to this so I need help pointing them in the right direction. Any suggestions?
  
  
• Had our first impromptu BBQ of the season on Saturday even though My Other Half and I were exhausted from the Prom the night before. The weather was warm, the sun stays up until well after 9pm and I had bought a ton of local asparagus to roast. The kids were happy to be running around until well after their bedtime and the adults were happy to sit and drink another glass of wine while they ran. Aaaaahhhh . . . summer.

Random Tuesday

I am so sick of the non-starter spring we have been having this year. Cold, wet and miserable sums it up. We had one nice day on the weekend and I got outside to clean up the garden. The daffodils all opened and the tulips sprung out the of the earth but then the temperature dropped and the tulips are firmly closed. Our sailboat is scheduled to go in the water on Sunday and I am hoping for warmth and sun. I can't wait to get out for after school sails and cocktail cruises.

The boys and I got up at 5am to watch the Royal Wedding. Number Two Son had set his alarm for 4:30am but his clockwas ahead by an hour so that we (meaning me) were woken up at 3:30am. Finally got back to sleep just in time to hear my alarm go off followed by the phone ringing. It was my sister standing outside my door wondering why it was still locked. We all celebrated with OJ and Prosecco, fresh croissants and strawberries. The boys were all incredibly into it and insisted watching to the very end. After Wills and Kate drove around in Charles's Aston Martin I told them they had to get ready for school where, thankfully, they weren't the only ones who were late.

The celebrations continued with as I spent the morning making scones and crustless sandwiches for The Cheese Gallery's Royal High Tea. We all dressed up in hats, the odd tiara and I even dug out my grandmother's white gloves.

The marathon wrapped up in the wee hours of Saturday morning at Jazzmania, the adult pub crawl our little town holds every April. My Other Half and I hosted the second annual Grilled Cheese pre-party which was by all accounts a great success. In fact, I couldn't get people to leave. The bands begin playing downtown at 8pm and at 9pm I had to turn out the lights and tell everyone to move along. Some suggested that next year we just book a band and become a venue ourselves so that no one would have to leave. The rain held off and we had fun listening to some great music and generally acting like university kids drifting from pub to restaurant to bar. As I have said before our little town has a very high concentration of fine drinking and dining establishments.

Yesterday Number One Son and I went to clean out our lockers at the ski hill (they finally closed the club the weekend before Easter) he insisted that we could still have skied but I, for one, am quite happy to say goodbye to the snow. The boys did get out on the golf course on Saturday and soccer starts next week so that should keep them busy and out of trouble or so I thought.

Last night I got a phone call from our neighbour and friend who wanted to know if I had heard about one of my boys daring her son to eat a worm (there are lots around thanks to all the rain)? I had, in fact, as Number Two came to ask me for his bank card so he could go and take $10 out of his account. I explained to him (and the Mum) that I really couldn't condone paying someone to eat a worm but since he did it then I supposed Number Two had better make good on the dare. Apparently it didn't taste too bad.

Did a bit of a spring clean yesterday since it wasn't warm enough to get outside in the garden and took four boxes and two garbage bags to our local charity shop. Said goodbye to at least 75 stuffed animals the boys haven't touched in over a year, all my old pregnancy books (so long What to Expect) and at least twenty old puzzles and board games. I wasn't organized enough to cull through everything and take some of it to sell at the consignment shop Reinspired Home which opened recently and is my new favourite haunt but at least it's out of the house and there'll always be more to purge.

Of course last night was another late one as we stayed up to see what direction our country was heading and it was a bit of a shocker. It wasn't that I didn't expect Harper's Conservatives to be re-elected but I don't think anyone predicted the decimation of the Liberals and Bloq Quebecois. The NDP's orange wave quickly turned into a crush as they wiped out the Quebec Separatists in their own backyard. In the past the socialist NDP has held a maximum of 43 seats, last night they won 102, including one candidate who spent part of the campaign in Las Vegas. What does this all mean for Canada? It seems we are becoming more polarized with a right wing (by Canadian standards) majority government in office for the next four years and a left wing official opposition. It means that Prime Minister Harper can push through just about any legislation he chooses and that is a worry. While minority governments do result in elections more often they also tend to force the government to work with the other parties and when you have a leader like Harper who doesn't play well with others that's not necessarily a bad thing. What's next? I have no idea.

Another Random Tuesday

I've been losing stuff and I never lose stuff. I am sure this will jinx me for years to come but I think I have only lost my wallet once in my life but in the past year or so I have lost two jackets that I really liked. One was this perfect light jean jacket with 3/4 sleeves from Old Navy or somewhere. I wore it with shorts, capris and skirts. The other one was from Costco but it looked just like a Lululemon jacket. Neither were very expensive but, of course I can't find anything else like them. It's just so frustrating, I will be getting dressed and think to myself, "that jacket would be perfect with this outfit." I have lots of others but they just aren't the same. I also can't find one of my favourite cookbooks which is silly since every recipe is probably on the internet but I will always choose reading an actual book over seeing it on a screen.

I love Parenthood, the TV show. (The life? Well, that's up for debate) I have been a fan of Lauren Graham since Gilmore Girls (check out the Hooked on Houses post about the set if you are a fan) and she is great playing another single mom but this time with not-so-perfect children. The rest of the cast is wonderful too and includes Peter Krause and Craig T. Nelson.

I never learned to type and it is very frustrating since I spend so much time doing it now. I went to an all girls school in the 80's and they did not want their graduates to grow up to be secretaries. Computers were just being introduced when I was in Grade 10 but we were all too busy learning to "program" Basic to learn how to type or keyboard. Which do you think has been more useful?

I am locked in a battle to the death with our cell phone provider. Last weekend we went up to open the cottage and found out that my brand new iPhone and my Other Half's Blackberry do not work up in the woods. The woods they worked just fine in for the last two summers and when my sister arrived her phone had a signal. So when we called (on her phone since the landline was also out, as it regularly is, hence the need for a reliable cell phone in the woods) to find out what was wrong we were told that they are in the process of switching over to a new system and the fancy new 3G phones don't work on the old one which is the only option in our area. Did they tell us that when they pushed, I mean encouraged, us to upgrade? Of course not. Would we sell a boat to a customer if it wasn't fully functional in all bodies of water? "Oh, I'm sorry sir, we didn't know you were going out on the ocean, this one only floats in fresh water." Hmmm, who would be liable? Can they tell us when we might be able to use our phones everywhere we used to? No. Did we just get locked into another three year contract when we up graded our phones? Yes? Have they got us by the short and curlies? Duh.

We finally convinced number Two Son to audition for the school arts assembly. I'm sure it was my Dad's story about always regretting not trying out for his elementary school's "Toad of Toad Hall" play that inspired him. He made it and will be doing a solo when the entire school sings K'naan's Wavin' Flag which is still one of my favourite songs despite the fact that he is practising all the time. Note to Self - charge all camcorder batteries beforehand.

I'm heading down to the city today to stay the night with a friend who's just had knee surgery. Woo Hoo. Can you say Girl's Night In?!

Random Ramblings

Thanks Amy over at Bitchin' Wives Club for hosting Random Tuesday Thoughts this week.

• First off, my facebook account has been disabled for reasons unknown and they don't even have the decency to respond to my very polite email asking, "Why, why?"

• How am I going to keep in touch with my babysitters and check up on all my nieces and nephews to see how out of control their partying and how atrocious their spelling has gotten?

• What am I supposed to do with all the time that watching the Olympics took up? Can't we have a post-Olympic weaning period, maybe cutting down on coverage by say, from 24 hours a day to 20 then 18 and so on ... over the course of another 17 days. Now I have no excuse for not cleaning the house or making the kids do their homework or sitting in the ski lodge on snowy days.

• My Other Half is home after almost three weeks of being away at trade shows. It's back to real meals with vegetables and nothing out of a box. Not to mention the fact that I might have to get back into the habit of showering a little more regularly ... and making the bed ... and dressing in something other than sweat pants.

• Please, can someone explain to me why all the TV shows that I started watching in the fall and liked then went on hiatus after only about six episodes and now apparently they are all at risk of being cancelled? Well, duh. You have to have a show actually on the the air for people to watch and for advertisers to place their commercials, even in this digitally virtual cyber-like world.

• I am in my third winter of not having a bath tub deep enough to cover both my knees and boobs (and not because they are so big, unfortunately) at the same time and I think I might have to take matters into my own hands and rip out the disgusting fiberglass built-in unit in our bathroom and replace it with one of those gorgeous freestanding soaker tubs.

• Finalement, I wish I knew why William Shatner was unable to remember the name of his (and my) alma mater during his monologue at the Closing Ceremonies. It's McGill University not University of McGill. They named the Student Union after him for god's sake! And for all you south of the border, the blow-up beavers and flying moose were not the best part of the show, despite what Redneck Mommy said.

Oh So Random Ramblings

• Wow, it is truly amazing what joining a new linky thing does for your number of followers. Not that I am about anyone reading my blog, of course. But seriously from 47 to 64. Thanks guys, I promise to keep it interesting.

• Great long weekend up here and I emphasis the long. Number One Son raced on Friday, everyone skied at our hill on Saturday then we had back to back team parties for Number One and Three. Number One was at one hill Sunday, Number Three stayed at our home hill while I went with Number Two to another for an awesome race. I think he's finally coming into his own after complaining that both his brothers were good at something and he wasn't. (Sigh of relief, at least for now)

• I had a great time Sunday night spending Valentines Day with 25 of our oldest friends while my Other Half was away. The evening was great fun until we had opened our loot bags and took turns answering a question written on a card inside. Mine was, "What was the most romantic evening of your life?" I blushed and then asked for one of my lifelines. Not a great idea to call your husband who is sitting in a hotel room alone on the outskirts of Syracuse to ask him to answer that question while everyone is whooping it up in the background. He, of course, had already arranged to have flowers and balloons sent to me so I had to make amends with some serious late night texting.

• The Olympics are the best reason ever to not get anything done. You can turn on the TV at any hour of the day or night and find something to watch, even if it is only China vs. Slovenia in curling.

• My Dad is the greatest. Despite his feet being pretty much crippled by Peripheral Neuropathy he managed to walk quite a distance to the bottom of the race course and stand for over an hour watching his grandson ski his heart out. Now Number Two Son has decided that his "Dippy" has to attend all his races as his good luck charm.

• Can't think of a better role model for my boys than Alex Bilodeau, the 22 year old gold medal winner in Moguls Freestyle Skiing. He gave up hockey so the whole family could ski including his older brother Frederic who has Cerebral Palsy. Frederic is his role model because whenever Alex thought he had challenges he couldn't overcome he looked at his brother who was told he would be in a wheelchair for most of his life but at age 28 is still able to walk and even stood on the side of the course to cheer his little brother on to a gold medal. There wasn't a dry eye in the country when not only was the Canadian Flag raised for the first time on Canadian soil but when they cut from Alex on the podium to Frederic in the stands both were sing their hearts out to "Oh Canada"

• The Kemu family arrived in their new home last Thursday and were greeted by a group of us standing in the dark outside the house. They had travelled for over 30 hours from the Congo and I can't imagine what they thought when they woke up the next morning to the sun shining down not on trees and grass but instead sparkling off of snowbanks and icicles. I haven't had a chance really meet them yet but Number Two Son met his new classsmate, Vanessa when she came to see the school on Friday. I will be sure to let you know how they are doing from time to time.

Random Ramblings

• Day two of single motherhood. Only 17 more to go

• Yesterday I ate two cupcakes, bread and cheese and my kids had pigs in a blanket for dinner. This is why it is going to be a very long 17 days. I can't be bothered to cook when there is no one around here who doesn't say, "Yuck, what's that?" everytime I put a proper meal on the table.

• I'm going to cheat a little today and let others help me with my rambling, so check out Mom 101's great post Grass: Greener. It is so spot on how I feel most days about being part time SAHM/WAHM which I think is the worst combination since you always feel guilty about something you're not doing with the kids or for work but you also don't get to go to an office with other grown ups. Not to mention the going out for lunch thing.

• Now if I could only see the grass under all that white stuff

• I think I'm suffering from digital overload. I haven't been taking any photos lately other than on my phone and they aren't very good. My computer is slow as Number Two Son getting out of bed in the morning because of all the photos I have stored. I need/want to get a laptop for myself so I can clean up this PC and hand it over to the boys but the thought of all the research and downtime that entails makes me want to crawl back into bed. And what I really want is a Mac but my Other Half is worried we won't be able to communicate ;-)
  

• Number One Son's team is in the play offs and I have to admit I am torn between wanting them to win and wanting the season to be over before Easter.

• The sibling hierarchy was restored to its proper order when Number Two Son had a faster time than his little brother in the ski race on Sunday. Made for a much easier ride home from the hill.

• My Other Half made it across the border with only a minor glitch yesterday. The customs officer in the booth only looked at the first line of the manifest listing what he was bringing into the U.S. and sent him inside for a bit of a shakedown. He called me in a panic and I told him to very nicely ask them to read the other three lines listing the other three boats he had on the trailer. Obviously the officer didn't have a teacher who taught him to read the entire paper before you start to ask or answer any questions. One of the great life lessons I learned from Mr. Wilfert, my history and politics teacher.

• My boys are so excited for the Olympics to start they have already printed out the TV schedule of events and have informed me that we must be home to watch them. Of course, we might miss a few since we are going to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief which looks fantastic. The boys liked this series of books even more than Harry Potter

• Hmmmm ... there seems to be an Olympic theme going on here. I've decided after much thought and consideration (actually I just came up with it) to push, I mean encourage, my racer boys to try Ski Cross as an event to pursue. It is fast and way more fun to watch than a downhill and there is even a 40 year old mother on the Canadian Team who is a world champion!

• I'd better get back to more random ramblings as I just re-read this post and it sounds more like a "What I did on the weekend" report.

Random Tuesday

My thoughts are even more random and scattered this week as in about six hours I am getting on a plane south to Naples, FL for six days all by myself! This was my Other Half's Christmas present to me. And before you say anything, I know, he is pretty darn perfect. After 20 years of marriage and over 25 years together after all, we met when I was 2 (No, not really, but I don't feel as old as that makes me sound) and he knows me all to well. After 12 days single mothering and after the whole Christmas chaos I need a break from winter up here and from my darling boys.

So I am off to stay with my Dad and his girlfriend. I have a stack of new books, including Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna , Greg Mortensen's Stones into Schools and Kristen Espinasse's book Words in a French Life - Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France from her blog French Word a Day weighing down my suitcase and not much else. Although I will be buying that rather provocative Vanity Fair with Tiger on the cover to read on the plane. I know it isn't very warm down there but who cares? I won't have to make lunches or beds, break up arguments over whether if you watch a Barbie commercial it means you like girls or listen to any whining. The only whine will be without the h and in my glass.

So I will try to post from my chair overlooking the Gulf and maybe even take some photos with my blackberry (so glad my old one died and now I can see blogs in their entirety) and the best part is think of all the time I will have for commenting on your posts.

I will also be doing some thinking on behalf of the Kemu family who may have already arrived from the Congo by the time I get home. I want to be able to jump right in and help them out and also find a way to get my overly shy but quite bilingual boys involved. They will be some of the few kids who can communicate with the Kemu children in French.

So stay tuned, lots to come.

On another totally random note, does anyone know why sometimes I can't get line spaces between paragraphs? I hate reading posts that all run together, doesn't give a reader time to take a breath in between my fascinating thoughts.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

• day four of single motherhood, so far so good, reinforcements arrive this evening in the form of the grandmother cavalry
  
• I fear I have turned into a fair weather skier or maybe it's just that I am sick of freezing my toes off in my old boots
  
• I wish all electronic devices, ie. DSi's iPods and cameras came with paging systems like when you lose your cordless phone (yes, I know I have mentioned this before, but I lost my little camera on Christmas morning and it hasn't turned up yet)
  
• I don't get the whole grey colour trend in interior design, we get quite enough grey outside from about November to April, than you very much
  
• if our Prime Minister can prorogue or suspend Parliament until after the Olympics then why can't we just prorogue paying our taxes until ... say ... after the summer?
  
• would I rather have kids who are fit & involved but who require constant chauffeuring from early morning until late at night to arenas, ski hills and trampoline classes or ones who live in the basement, glued to the screen and never have to be driven anywhere? (Yes, that was a rhetorical question)
  
• I have just noticed an alarming pattern in my Other Half's and my level of fitness & fatness - as he gets fitter, I get fatter
  
• Number Three Son has asked his favourite babysitter to be his godmother since his parents had neglected to make the necessary arrangements for his spiritual guidance - she was his second choice after the Pink Power Ranger
  
• another interesting pattern has emerged recently - the older the child and the colder the weather is inverse to the amount of clothing put on to go outside. Gives a whole new meaning to being cool, doesn't it?

Random Tuesday

I am a little lost now that it is the second week of school. The first one was a flurry of getting everyone back into the routine and calming fears of terrible teachers and having no friends. Now all seem to be somewhat happy but I am in limbo. Lots of things I should be doing. So here are my random thoughts for today.

• Why has summer decided to realign itself in August and September? Not that I am complaining but couldn't we have started say at the end of June and wrapped up a couple of months later, maybe? Just a thought.

• Sons Numbers One and Two both have the left eye tooth coming in on top of the baby one which is not showing any wiggle. Wonder if I can negotiate a twoof-for-one deal with the dentist?

• What does one wear to one's 25th all girl's high school reunion? Should one care?

• Why aren't there proper TV season premieres in the fall anymore? I have no idea when any of the old shows are starting and what the new ones are.

• Could they not make iPods with a finder option? I know there is a lost Nano somewhere in our house but hell if we can find it. At least with a phone you can call it.

• Why does hockey start in September? The last place I want to be during this gorgeous Indian summer is in a freezing cold arena. We will have more than enough cold soon.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

I wish I knew why we are paying a parenting coach to tell us to "parent less." I guess when Children's Aid shows up because the kids aren't going school, there's no food in the fridge except Jello pudding and Cheez Whiz and I'm lying in the backyard with a sun reflector, a Bud Lime and a pack of Pall Malls I'll be able to show them the receipts.

I listened to the CEO of GM talk about the company's new beginning, a fresh start, a great opportunity for change (thank you Mr. Obama for this year's one size fits all phrase) blah, blah, blah. Who does he think he is kidding? First you run the company into the ground, building cars that pollute our air, that no one wants to buy, then you take billions of dollars in bailout money from the Canadian, American and Ontario governments (which means us Ontarians have been hit twice). You lay off thousands of workers, put thousands of pensions at risk and all you can do is talk about how great an opportunity it is to have a fresh start?! I'm sorry what about the rest of us who don't make $1,000,000 bonuses, who can't get reasonable financing to expand small businesses which have been run responsibly and employ skilled labour? All because the banks are cutting their losses and tightening everyone's credit? Except the car companies who are still able to offer 0% financing on 2010 cars that are exactly the same as the 2009's. (photo from Autoblog)

Is it ever going to warm up and be summer? Last night we sat in the freezing drizzle watching soccer listening to someone tell us that her parents had to shovel snow on the weekend only a few hours north of here. I want to sit outside and drink a cold beer and watch the kids swim and debate whether it is the heat or the humidity.

Number Two Son is on day two of three writing the provincial standardized tests. Doesn't seem to bother him a bit, in fact he asked me if we had a big pack of bubble gum. Seems his teacher told the kids they could chew as much as they like during the exams.

Does anyone else not want to take up golf? I seem to be the only one around who isn't interested in following a little ball around for hours and hours getting frustrated. A bit too much like chasing a toddler to me.

I love all the new music I am discovering on other people's blog. I will post a new playlist soon. Thank you for dragging me out of the 80's so I can listen to something other than Depeche Mode or Miley Cyrus.

Like, totally random

Day five of meditating morning and afternoon and I think that the morning time especially is making a difference. I'm not ready to declare myself a "Morning Person" or anything crazy like that but it is making getting up a little easier.

I admit it, I watched the season premiere of "Jon & Kate Plus Eight" last night. After seeing all the magazine covers in the store yesterday, how could I not? Those poor kids. Now, even if they wanted to go back to being normal, their normal will always be being sextuplets, until they are old enough to go out individually they can't help but be noticed, that and their mother dresses them in matching outfits. I don't know whose fault all the publicity is but it is a good reason to put an end to "reality" shows.

The lilacs are out, I will try to take a photo of one section along the road where there are literally hundreds of bushes. They were planted over 100 years ago by the train station master's wife in her effort to bring a little beauty into what must have been a very hard and lonely existence way up here. What a wonderful legacy she gave us.

Soccer is on again - four nights a week for us. I just wish it would warm up a little more so I didn't have to wear a coat to watch the games.

34 days until the boys head off to camp, time to get ironing on those name tags. Wonder where I put away the iron last year?

The other day in the car Number Two Son tattled on Number Three for using the "B" word. When I asked for some clarification he replied,

"You know the word for girls' privates."

"What word?" I asked, somewhat perplexed.

"You know, that word."

I turned to my 16 year old niece to see if she knew what the word was. We were both confused.

The "B" word for girls' privates?

Oh right, that would be "bigina"

If it's Tuesday, it must be random ...

• Yesterday I did four loads of laundry which included counting boxers as a result of reading Sane Without Drugs post suggesting that all mothers should do an undie count to aid in their son's personal hygiene. Her count came in at one, count 'em, one pair for the week. Mine was 14 which even if divided by three boys over 4 days is high.
  

• We have bats getting into our chimney which then squeeze through the closed flue, pop open the glass doors and come upstairs into our bedroom where they wake us up with the echo location squeaks at around 4:30am.
  

• I need to go up to the barn to get manure for the garden and as much as I love my horse I am not looking forward to loading his poop into the back of my Suburban.
  
  

• I have something in common with British food babe, Nigella Lawson. She is quoted as saying, "My own children won't eat my food. If it's not plastic or out of a box, then they are not interested."

• Apparently "Eau de Dead Seagull" is a canine aphrodisiac. Last night our dog went crazy chasing a lovely yellow lab around in circles after she rolled in one.

Random Tuesday Thoughts

What a great idea - no coherent sentences to form, no overall theme or content consistency, just pure randomness. Here goes ...

Damn, I can't think of one random thing.

Okay, how about the definition from the soon to be defunct Oxford Canadian Dictionary.

random adj. made, done, etc. without method or conscious choice.
at random without aim or purpose or principle (see Harper government) Sorry that was my addition.

The problem with random is that it always makes me think of a teenager saying, "that's soooo random." Random is really a state of mind, like the way I navigate my way through the blogosphere with no aim or purpose or method, randomly clicking on the highlighted words that some other blogger has chosen to lead me to.

I guess blogging and reading blogs is the ultimate in random.

How random is that?