Spiderman takes lessons from a Goat staring man...

Yes....

Once again... this is what you come to expect at our house...LOL!

Kendal's brother Mark brought over 

the movie

The Men Who Stare at Goats

(Kendal really wanted to see it....)

I offer no defense for er... "spiderman".....

Do not read this.

 Ever think we might be over doing the whole

posting signs thing??

Buzz and Woody... What are you up to now?

There have been some strange goings on in the middle of the night

at our house....

We keep finding the Toy Story crew in odd places,

and doing odd things every morning...

Jeremy's opinion...

"Of course MOM...They ARE the Toy Story guys...."

Valentines Pics...

 Better  late then never..

Here are some pics from Valentines day....

We made some heart shaped pancakes .....

Snow day...

We haven't been able to do much sledding this year..

Every time we have wanted to, it has been really cold out, 

but we managed to get Jeremy out once with Kendal, 

and this day, we all went..

(even though we managed to get our car stuck after

and had to be pushed out...)

Jeremy is finally going down the hill by himself now,

and Gracie is TOUGH!

Once we got out there, we realized her little snow suit...

was too short on her legs...

but even though her little legs had to be freezing, 

she refused to go back to the car, 

and stuck it out the whole time without a whimper...

Skating Comedy of Errors...

What's funnier then watching a parent who doesn't know how to skate

on the ice with his kid?

Two parents who don't know how to skate

trying to teach two toddlers...

Kendal and I took the kids skating last weekend...
It was NOT fun...LOL!

First of all, I can skate, but haven't in years...

and trying to do it with a 2 year old girl who has never been on skates??

I will leave it to your imagination. 

It did get better...

In the beginning she cried because she was on the ice...

When we went to leave, she cried because we were leaving...LOL!

Kendal and Jeremy did better...

By the time he got off the ice with Jeremy, 

he was able to walk on the ice without help...

And so could Kendal!  

We probably will try again...

After some good tranquillizers...LOL!

Snow day....

 This is the first day in ages where it has been warm enough

for the kids to go play outside. 

Jeremy was frustrated because his bike was buried right up to the handle bars, 

while Gracie was content to try and find the swing....

I am just relieved to let them burn off some of that pent up energy 

from being cooped up in a small house....

Really Mark's Work Wear World? C'mon...

I am not normally the "go to the Manager" type... I am usually just the "I'm not going to EVER go back there again" kind... but in this situation.... I am taking it to the top. There is such a thing as customer service... and I feel that this store should check into it... and possibly also some sensitivity training...

This is the story I shared on facebook... and also on Twitter.

So basically what happened was that Gracie was being a little monkey in the store..and throwing some massive tantrums. i am NOT even going to defend her... she was being horrible... She was fine in Costco and for some reason when we went into Work Wear she melted down... so I told the girl who was helping me find a present for my Son in law that I was just going to get a gift card instead, because she was just being too hard to manage. Then I called my daughter Krystal and asked if she could watch the kids while I finished shopping... I went in line and stood there for the ten minutes it took to get to the front, purchased the card and a couple toys for the kids... all the while trying to hold Gracie in one arm while she had her tantrum... At one point she actually ran away... (while i was in the middle of doing my debit transaction...) so I sat her on the counter where I could keep her until I finished... After that she actually calmed down, and a lady I knew in there gave me a kleenex so I could clean her up... I grabbed my purchases and took Gracie off to the side by the door (because we were leaving) and blew her nose, and was in the process of talking to her and wiping her nose and eyes... when the STORE OWNER came up to me and said...   "Maam, you need to take your child and leave the store." I was already embarrassed by Gracie's behavior... and anyone who has ever had a child misbehave in public knows how humiliating that can be. I guess I could have left the second she started acting up... but I had 4 days till Christmas, and I was on the East end, while I live on the North... so it seemed easier for me to finish my transaction, and then take her home - or to Krystal's to deal with the problem.
I was extremley angry, but even more humiliated.... I have never been actually removed from a store before... and REALLY... Kick me out after you take my one hundred dollars..... REALLY???? When I am already on my way out??

My friend who was in the store and gave me the kleenex came out to talk to me and then sat with the kids while I took my items back into the store and returned all of them.... The owner disappeared.... I never did see her again... so I had to give my complaint to the young clerk and assistant manager at the counter...neither of whom would look at me, or discuss the issue.

Later that day, I went to the North store, and met with the district manager for Sask. who happened to be there that day, and is her boss. He was very apologetic... and told me he would be dealing directly with the situation himself... he is supposed to call me back tomorrow.... I told him I felt that sensitivity training for his store owners is something they might want to consider. I don't expect anyone to like me or my children or the way they behave... but I do expect to be respected even when my angels are being rotters.... and to kick me out AFTER i spent my money? Not happening... What happens to the next poor parent who is having difficulty with their kids? I don't want anyone else to go through that...

We have also twittered the situation (without using the owners name) and have already been contacted by head office...
I won't be going back to that store regardless of any apologies or situations being dealt with... It was very embarrassing...
I have also heard back from several people including some employees of Work Wear World who have either had problems with the East end store themselves... or in the case of the employees of the other store have been hearing all kinds of comments and complaints from customers for a while that there is some serious rudeness happening there...
It looks bad on the company as a whole, so I hope that it is dealt with. Unfortunately, that was my first experience in a Work Wear World, and will probably be my last...

Brandy turning 20?????

Where are the years going??

It seems like just yesterday, 

my beautiful daughter was as old as my little son on her lap..

and now in May, she is turning 20...

She was a handful...always eating dirt

chewing on things...

running into trouble...

(I am sure she would be thrilled to know I am sharing this...)

Once she actually chewed the entire frame of her bed, 

and her windowsill...

I can't even began to tell you how many hours it took me to repair it..LOL!

She never looks before she leaps..

resulting in comments like.

"Your head is shiny.."

to the bald manager of a restaurant...

but she has always been full of love

and kindness...

the one that little kids, and older people love..

She has always believed in God..

and used to have visions at night..both good and bad

She is very artistic...

and loves to draw and paint...

At times as a toddler, we often had to wonder
if she was going to grow into an intelligent person..
She was so absent minded that everything went into one ear and out the other..
and yet, she is the one always interested in World events,
and concerned about what is happening with people who have less then her...
She is insightful...

She also has always had sleep issues..

I can't even began to tell you stories of her sleep walking adventures..

but one of them involves a pig....

Now she is adventuring into the grand world of adulthood..

learning adult lessons...

and making friends.

(The one above is her friend Tracy...)

She is beautiful inside and out..

Someone I feel proud to know...

I am looking forward to the years ahead,

as she learns to let God take control of her life,

and continues to grow into the wonderful woman she is becoming....
You are truly an amazing girl.....

Happy early 20th b-day Brandy!

His life Building Lego!

My husband LOVES playing Lego...

We have a huge lego collection mostly from Kendal's youth...

and ever since I gave birth to my son, Kendal could NOT wait

until the boy was old enough to play lego...

If Kendal could be paid to play lego?

Well...you get the picture..

About a month ago, my husband lost his job...

He was fired due to office politics..

He came home at the end of the work day 

and told me he had some bad news...

Part of me was upset, because we just lost our only source of income,

But most of me was relieved..

He was never happy with the job, and it was a pretty toxic work place...

After seven years, it was just good to quit wondering when it would happen.

(and after all...now he could pursue his life long dream  of building lego all day long....)

God is so good...

Within the first two hours of Kendal being fired,

He had three job offers...

A testament to the kind of man my husband is...

He ended up taking a job at a business owned by a family friend..

He was a little ambivalent about it at first,

It required a whole new set of skills he would have to learn, 

and meeting a whole new group of people..

Move forward a month...

Kendal LOVES his new job..

No weird office politics...

Great  people, if not a little odd at times,

Higher pay, benefits....

such an answer to prayer...
spends his days building shelves, cutting metal, driving machines around, and moving stuff...

Many days, Kendal comes home laughing about something 

that happened at work, and says how glad he is to work there.....

BUT...the highest compliment  my husband could ever give came yesterday...

When he came home, and told me it was like playing with Lego all day long!
He must really like his job...LOL!

Have you ever been fired from a job?

Did it work in your favor or against you?

Have you ever had to fire anyone?

I can't wait for their wedding days...MUAHAHA!

Just a reminder to send me a link of a favorite photo you took, 

and tell me all about your favorite camera..

I will be choosing someone on Monday

and giving a little interview and some linky love...

need the pics though guys...

 This would be the continuation of the tantrum I mentioned the other day...

He had sooooo had enough of me...

Which was ok, because by then I think the feeling was mutual...

but someday...the boy is gonna get married...LOL!

and here is mischief with a capital M if I have ever seen it...

And this is the little lady bug she was playing with..

right before she squashed it, and tried to eat it...

...but that's ok...we have lots more in our yard...

She is planning EVIL in her heart towards ladybug..

Jeremy wouldn't forgive me..

but he gave all the love to big sister Brandy!

Keep reading below to see what I won!

You may not have noticed....

Jeremy having a pout...

You may not have noticed....
but I REALLY like photography....
I'm sure you could NEVER tell,
It's not like I EVER post any pictures...LOL!

Gracie

My Love Affair with the camera started about ten years ago, 

with a cheap little Kodak..

It was a snap and shoot..

and you had to be practically standing on your subject

before you could get any pictures...

The snap and shoot was all I had for several years

until my husband bought me a Pentax...

I LOVED that camera...

It was my first experience with a camera that had some ability..

I learned all about light and shadow,

people placement...

What actually looked good in the lens...
Worked great till I left it on the roof of my car...
......and drove away....  :(

For those of you who see my daughter at church and down town..

this is what she REALLY looks like....LOL!

Notice the nice fat bruise on her forhead,

and the dirt all over the pretty Sunday dress...

(Good job mommy for letting her out in that...LOL!)

It was my favorite camera  until the day my hubby bought me my first 

Very Exspensive Nikon camera...

and then I truly fell in love...

Today I have a Nikon D-90...

my birthday present this year...

After digital had taken over the photography world,

my poor manual Nikon became obsolete,

and as my hobby is exspensive,

for several years, I was stuck using a Kodak easy share camera.

My husband liked it, 

but it drove me crazy...

No more great indoor shots,

no quick shots of fast moving children...

no more great sports shots...

My favorite kind of photography is people..

and especially children and old people...

There is just something about capturing an expression of absolute joy or rage

sadness, or peace that makes my heart sing...

capturing that memory for an eternity...

It is different from portrait photograpy

where the shots are set up

although that can be fun too,

but candid shots are so much about what the person is doing at the moment.

I think if I was ever to take up photography for a living again..

it would be candid shots, and events photography...

Because of the kind of pictures I like, 

and because I get lazy with some of the technical aspects of photography,

my pictures aren't always perfect...

but I am learning..

 It is my Passion.

I have promised myself with my new camera

to learn ALL the technical stuff as well.

which made hubby happy with me...LOL!

I have to admit though, that my kids get tired of being subjects..

I get two reactions...

My son ignores me at times when he sees the camera,

and my older kids groan...LOL!

My youngest daughter is the only one who seems to like being a model...

and she poses like a diva...

no matter how she looks...LOL!

I am looking forward to getting back into photography again 

now that I have something to work with..

so I hope you can all bear with me, 

while I play!  

What kind of photography do you like...

and what kind of camera do you have?

Share a link with your favorite picture and I will 

do a short expose, and post your picture and give you some linky love next Monday...

Can I start a controversy?

So....not being one to want to start a controversy, I thought I would ask you ~ my readers,  a question...

This morning I was reading a post over at my friends blog.. TyNy Family Updates
and she was discussing the merritts of whether you were a better mother, and more patient
as a young mom, or a first time mom over forty...
I believe the word they used when I had my son was "geriatric"
Give me a break...LOL!

Well...I have a kind of unique perspective on this whole thing of course,
being as I couldn't do ANYTHING in the normal or expected way,
and had my first three kids when I was in my early twenties,
and my last two once I hit 40....
Not that I think my experience is the only answer,
but it is unique...don't you think?

So here gos...
Just my experience.

I find that I am a more patient mom now then I used to be...

(I am sure my girls will want to add their two bits...LOL)

It was funny, but the day before I read that post, my hubby and I were discussing
how different we are now as parents...
I have a lot more understanding when my kiddos don't react the way they should,
I react less to the whole tantrum thing...In fact often getting the "look" from
other parents who think I should be "disciplining " my disobedient babes...
Often also getting looks of contempt when I say things like
"You will live - your sisters did...." when they throw themselves on the floor in writhing
screaming temper..
Not to say I am always patient when they throw fits..LOL!
If you want proof...read here..
and most of all I find I laugh a lot more at their "bad" behavior...
I don't care if they are perfect in church..
or if they are always clean, or if they have been eating dirt...
(What is a little extra roughage...right??)
If they eat change off the floor..
I just take it out of their allowance...  :O


I am definately enjoying being a parent more...
I know how fast they go away from home...
(all three of my oldest are now on their own)
and I know how I felt "empty nest" even when I thought I wouldn't.
I discovered I LOVE being a "over 40 " mom.

Not that I always find it easy...
I don't have as much energy,
so the sleepless nights are harder,
I have more health problems then I used to have..

Overall...I have found the whole experience interesting...
That being said, I am not sure if it is my age that affects my experience?
Or if it has been the school of hard knocks...
And I am VERY SURE that as I mature in the Lord,
I am changing daily into someone VERY different from who I used to be..
Also of course, I am NOT a first time mom...
So I can't speak from that angle..
I have already learned some hard lessons,
and feel very blessed to be able to fix some things
(So I can screw up something else...LOL!)
That's OK...As I told my daughter Brandy yesterday
When she brought over her new boyfriend for supper,
If I embarrass you to much...there is always counselling!!!

So...Weigh in on the question..
Let me know what you think.

I brought my kids to Sobey's and lived to tell the tale...

If you read my post from a couple of days ago,

You know how I feel about shopping with my kids..

Some of you expressed sympathy

laughed uncontrollably at me....

while thinking "that would NEVER happen to me...

(You obviously haven't had kids yet...)

To you all I have to say is ...

MUAH HA HA HA..your day will come...

(Except for Sienna  bless her heart who completly understood...)

Well today, I brought my little princess for her first ever swim lesson,

and she ROCKED...

Where the other little ones were crying and hanging on to mommy/daddy

for dear life, 

My little girl was diving in on her first try...swimming laps around the pool...

(OK...so I'm exagerating...but she sure wasn't scared of the water...

and she had a blast..)

Grandma watched big brother on the pool side, 

and took pictures, Hopefully avoiding me in my swim suit...

Mostly because I threatened her with permanent babysitting duty if I 

saw any pics of me online.. (kidding..)

We took the little ones to McDonalds afterwards for lunch..

They had fun till Jeremy got stuck in the big toy

and Grandpa had to climb up and rescue him...

Where is a video camera when you need one..

I would have loved a picture of Grandpa with his feet sticking out of the kiddy slide!


Afterwards Judy wanted to check out Sobey's dollar days...
WITH MY KIDS...WITH A KIDDIE CART
after I just sworn two days before I would never do again...
and what do you think they did?
THEY BEHAVED!
Thanks kids...make a liar out of me..

Right now my son is outside with my hubby and my FIL doing "Man stuff..." as he put it...

Someone vandalized our gate to the back alley..

It was on its last leg anyways, 

so Jeremy and Daddy headed out to the "man store" aka Home Depot

to pick up drill bits, and some wood.

then to work...

Daddy's little shadow "helped" by measuring everything in site...

stepping on Daddy's foot when needed 

and shining the flashlight ...all over...

He was quite proud of the fact that mommy and Gracie

weren't helping cause it was only for the men....

His next goal after helping daddy and grandpa with the gate..

is to build a car.......

Meanwhile...Gracie helped mommy, by trying to pick up 

ladybugs and squash them...but I didn't think you really wanted a picture of that...

So I leave you with one last picture of our future carpenter...

When it rains...it pours...

This is Regina today. 

Not kidding.

And what day do you think I was intelligent enough

to drag two little toddlers out?

Cause library time is just THAT important...

And after ...we went to Chapters, 

 to pick up THIS book.

We took it out of the library four times in a row,

because every time we returned it..

the boy would cry, and ask for it back.

I finally thought...

Easy Peasy! I'll just buy it!...

Ok. Not so easy.

It took us a month and ordering from two different suppliers..

Anyways...today it was in.

Problem was, that the Pampered Princess

was already having a Bad Day.

Before the book store.

Before the library.

and so now...I had to carry her in, 

by one arm, her screaming about my abuse..

all the way in...

Until she saw the glass things...
Guess where she headed...full steam...

While I was there,

I also gave in and bought this book.

yes...I am a sucker.

By now..I have had enough of chasing Gracie screaming down the isles

clutching Thomas the train in a choke hold, 

So once again I grab her stiff, screaming body off the floor

by one arm...(the other trying to contain my excited son)

While she yells NO, NO, NO MOMMY NO....

While clucking store clerks shake their heads...

While a well meaning older lady says..

That's all right dear...we have all been there...

(In my head)

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE THERE NOW?

Finally, after having held up a line of five people

while I pay for my books,

chase the princess, 

drop my debit card, 

chase the princess

put in the wrong id code

Tell Jeremy to quit kicking the princess....

We go to the car...

Guess what. 

Starts pouring again...
Gracie starts crying. Again.

On to Walmart...

Finally... a break...

It has quit raining..

I ran to McDonalds in glee...

and actually had a semi quiet lunch..

except for Gracie screaming cause

"I wanna dwagon."

The rest of Walmart was fairly painless until we went to leave.

Of course as soon as I walked out the door...

it started to pour and blow...

and I am not kidding. 

It almost blew me off my feet....

By the time we reached the car...

I was soaked...and covered in mud...

the kids were soaked, but at least in the cart..

I started to unload the groceries...

and a van pulls up beside me...

and waits...

after a minute, I look up,

and she is looking pointedly at me, 

and at the handi sign...

(I was parked in the child spot next to it..)

Apparently she felt she couldn't park with me standing by my car...

So I backed up and waited...

and waited...

and waited...

FINALLY she tries to park...

TWICE...

DID I MENTION IT WAS POURING?

By now, I am standing there 

water pouring down my face...

drenched to the skin..

and she BACKS up 

gives me a dirty look and drives away!!!!

WOW! 

Finally we managed to all get in the car, 

and drove home...

By the time we got there, 

 the little lady was passed out with her giant 

four dollar bunny on top of her in the car seat...

From here on in though...it can only be good..

Barenaked Ladies concerts tonight!
Without the princess and the boy...
Have fun Grandma!  :)

Can't wait! Will make up for all the miserable weather 

the second I am in there...

We got row ten!

and it's all good..I did get a giant bunny...

Maybe Thursday when we head out, 

we can try for a tornado!