Sunday, May 31, 2009

Thank You

Also wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for making this a wonderful birthday weekend -

My friends and family who phoned or left FB messages.
My Dad and step-mother for hosting a lovely dinner Friday, and a gift which I still wonder what it will be (should get it later this week).
My mom for babysitting last night so we could enjoy the 'High School Musical' play tickets she bought us, giving us a fun little date night. Also for a lovely dinner tonight.
My brother and Dawn, his girlfriend, for joining us for that dinner, and the lovely book.
My in-laws for a nice lunch and a subscription to Pro Wrestling Illustrated (!).
And best for last - Ari for being so attentive and helpful this weekend, being my escort to all these events, and he and Liam for just generally being the most awesomest ever. :)

Thanks everyone. I'm exhausted, and a bit down now, but only because this weekend had to come to an end. Thanks for making it so special. :)

Last Titanic Survivor Dies



Millvina Dean, who was the last known survivor of the ill-faited maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic, died today - May 31 at 97 years old. Only days old while on the ship, Dean, as well as her mother and young brother, survived the sinking, but Dean didn't know until she was 8 years old that she'd been on the Titanic. The last Titanic survivor prior to Dean died in 2007; the last American Titanic survivor passed in 2006.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

LT's a healthy growing boy

Wrote this yesterday but continued having computer problems to post it - resolved now.

He continues to thrive.
14 lbs. 13 oz.
And starting solid food for real -
6 1/2 mos. How time flies!
And smiling/flirting with the nurses
Who'd just given him 3 (THREE!) shots
Not minutes later -
Tears still in his eyes, but laughing.
My brave little guy.
So heartening.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

This Week, Next Week

So this week's been ... OK. Little Tyke's definitely had some grumpy times with teething and not wanting to nap, but he's still generally in decent spirits; we've had a good day today in particular, after a rough one yesterday, as I got to take LT back to my workplace of earlier this year to introduce him to all my old colleagues. And this weekend being my birthday weekend, I have dinner at my father's tomorrow, a date night with Ari Saturday while Liam's Nana (my mother) babysits, and then lunch Sunday with my in-laws, and dinner at my mother's. Next week is my dear friend Alex's birthday, as well as her son Racer's, so we'll be seeing them a couple of times I hope; and tomorrow is also LT's 6-month checkup which always excites me to hear how well he's doing (although we have a couple questions this time so I'm concerned too as always - WANT to hear he's doing awesome :D).

So it's a busy one, and an interesting one in OUR little world, if not to perhaps my random blog readers out there. The weather the next couple days here in SW Ontario is supposed to remain crappy, but Sunday should be nice again, which is also good - sunshine on my birthday. :D I'll try to remain consistent as I have been about posting, and hope everyone enjoys their weekend, weather and all. Xs and Os.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Can't wait - Sims 3



And it comes out only 2 days after my burfday! :D

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

101

((Mar 30-July 8))

I'm taking this idea from my friend Tatiana, to set out 101 goals for myself in the next 101 days starting today. Some will be easy to attain, others harder, some will be important and 'deep', others will be slily fun, and we'll see how it goes. I'll update here as I knock goals off my list. Please feel free to follow along, or to do with me. :)

** items which have been 'strike-thru'ed (line through them) are done. :)

1. Lose 20 lbs. (3/20)
2. Finish the novel I've started writing.
3. Do one nice thing for someone every day. (56/101)
4. Do at least 1/2 hour of exercise every day. (56/101)
5. Be consistent enough with the radio show to get it going live.
6. Join the Babytime group at the Kitchener Public Library.
7. Find work for at least 2 more weeks of the summer.
8. Read at least 3 books. (0/3)
9. Go to church each week (6/13)
10. Finish my cross stitch I'm making for LT.
11. Clean out the guest room (which has become a storage room).
12. Go to a dress-up dance with Ari.
13. Have one nice bubble bath a week. (4/13)
14. Learn 1 more dance (eg Salsa, Meringue).
15. Go roller blading and not quit after 5 mins.
16. Get my bike fixed.
17. Clean out the car and get it washed, vaccuumed and tuned up.
18. Have at least 1 play date a month. (2/3)
19. No messing with my hair - no cuts, no perms, dye touchups only. (56/101)
20. Go through my clothes to see what fits, what I wear, what i don't, etc.
21. Ditto shoes.
22. Cook for Ari at least once a week. (8/13)
23. Organize our actual storage room.
24. Donate my time to one good cause a month. (1/3)
25. Go to one new restaurant a month. (3/3)
26. See one movie a week. (8/13)
27. Donate my tutoring money to charity.
28. Get my retainer wire fixed.
29. Read at least a chapter of the bible a day. (56/101)
30. Know where we're going for summer vacation and plan it.
31. Sign up for an English course for summer semester so I can get my English AQ for the fall.
32. No pizza. (53/101)
33. Have one night a week with Ari set aside for fun ('date night' even if it includes LT). (8/13)
34. Redo our back yard.
35. Create my unit plan for camp.
36. Read one book in French.
37. Go to the U.S. to buy diet Cherry Coke.
38. Take LT to one new city a month. (3/3)
39. Have a mani/pedi.
40. Tell Ari I love him every day. (56/101)
41. Learn a new skill (knitting, an instrument, a language).
45. Try one new wine a month. (3/3)
46. Share one piece of writing for the purposes of critique and feedback.
47. Finish 'Thank You' cards for LT's gifts.
48. Get one famous person's autograph.
49. Redo the linoleum floors in my house.
50. Set aside $30 ever week I don't have fast food for a non-food treat (eg CD, DVD). Subway excepted.
51. Get one other person to do the 101 things in 101 days.
52. Look into setting up a will (unsure if possible to complete as adoption won't be complete).
53. No non-diet pop. (56/101)
54. Submit a piece of writing to a publisher.
55. Get a baby seat for my bike, and LT a helmet.
56. Blog every day (except my monthly 'no computer day' - see below). (54/98)
57. Renew and update my Apply to Education account (resume, references, cover letter etc.).
58. Call in to a radio show.
59. Go through my junk drawers (like, one in every room)
60. Get through the pile of stuff on my desk (DVDs/CDs to burn, photos to put away).
61. Go through my 'correspondence' storage space: organize it.
62. Find a place for the things I just cleared out of Mom's house.
63. Buy at least one of the board games Ari and I have been coveting.
64. Have a games night with friends.
65. Finish my puzzle.
66. See at least one friend a week. (8/13)
67. Get on the Do Not Call list.
68. Call the diaper service and get LT into cloth diapers.
69. Be on time to things. (56/101)
70. LT's naming ceremony and open house.
71. Redo the chips the movers left in the paint job in our house.
72. Wash windows.
73. Unpack from our trip, do laundry etc. by the end of the week.
74. Have a picnic.
75. Go to the gym twice a week at least (7/26).
76. Get Ari's Big Lebowski poster and McGill diploma either framed or plaqued.
77. Update my "Wrestlemania" collection
78. Beat "Zelda II: The Adventures of Link" without dying once.
79. Make one person laugh every day. (56/101)
80. Dance at least once a week. (8/13)
81. See one live theatre production.
82. Pray every day. (56/101)
83. Sign LT's adoption placement papers.
84. Sign LT's adoption finalization papers.
85. Watch and label the old wrestling videos Mom sent home with me.
86. Take LT to the zoo.
87. Make a new friend.
88. Don't miss any appointments.
89. Go swimming.
90. Go to an arcade but don't spend more than $20.
91. Introduce LT to solid foods.
92. Clean up Ari's side of the office for him (or get him to with my awesome powers of persuasion).
,93. Distribute our formal LT/family photos to our folks.
94. Donate blood.
95. Bake once a month. (0/3).
96. Make a list of things which have caused me pain/anger/regret/sadness, and burn it.
97. Go somewhere I've never been.
98. Have one internet-free day a month (2/3).
99. Have one TV free day a month (1/3).
100. Get a piercing.
101. Go to the Royal Ontario Museum.

Week One Notes: I didn't get to the gym because I still couldn't find my "Y" membership card. I now have so I will start this week - I still managed to be active every day though. :) Also I missed ONE day on my pizza promise as we ran out of time to do much else when we had our friend Steve over for Wrestlemania. Otherwise I'd say a pretty good week and even if not 100% success I've stuck to the spirit of the list so far. :)

Week Two Notes: Much more on track this week. Awesome. Only thing I didn't do this week that I should have was my 'bubble bath a week' - I'm two weeks behind on that one now. But this week anyway, the spirit of that goal was met - this weekend instead of my usual quick 10-minute shower, I had a nice long one, I blowed my hair dry and did my nails ... hey I wanted to do all these and no excuses, but I think there aer worse ones to miss. :) Also my cooking for Ari this week consisted of ordering in - but hey it was one night of saving him cooking. :) I'd say overall this hasn't been a 100% success so far but pretty damn good.

Week Three Notes: Not the most successful week - still no time for a bubble bath and didn't get to the gym, although I still did my half-hour of activity a day so I consider the spirit of that to be met anyway. LT is teething and going through a bit of separation anxiety so I have had a hard time this last little bit leaving him to his own devices even to do stuff around the house for more than 20/30 minutes at a time. Also, as much as this list was meant to be completed perfectly, I also recognized as a busy new mom that might not happen: considering that I'm pleased at the progress I am making. :) For the most part I'm doing the things I want to every day, and I usually cross at least one or two extra things off a week. So I'm no superwoman but I don't think I'm quite heading into 'you suck at this' territory yet lol.

Week 4 Notes: A successful week - only didn't make it to the gym. :) I knocked a few other things off my list in the meantime - theatre and cleaning the office for example. Proud of myself. :D

Week 5 Notes: Mixed results this week. It was the baby's naming ceremony so the stuff I want to do weekly/daily didn't happen - bubble bath and gym again most notably, and missed my chance for a non-TV day last month. But got more big one-offs than usual off my list, and kept up with a lot of the ongoing thing (daily prayer and exercise, etc.), and can do two non-TV days this upcoming month (and try got get an extra day or two in at the gym now that some of those other things have quieted down. A busy, productive week though, and proud of myself, my clean home, my getting out and sociailzing, and still finding time to at least get a walk or dancing in every day.

Week 6 Notes: Not as productive as I wanted, as I've been sick - no gym, no baking or no TV day ... but I knocked a couple things off of my list and went to church, cooked supper for Ari etc. Back on track this week so far though already and looking forward to a better status report next Mon.

Week 7 Notes: Awesome week! The two things I miss most often - gym and bubble bath - both got gotten to. I have some catchup to do on my non-TV day and baking but I'm basically on a roll. Yay.

Week 8 Notes:: Basically a good week - missed church as I was worshipping in God's Temple (ie outside) and only went to the gym once but did a LOT of walking this weekend as we took an impromptu mini-break to Port Dover a few towns away. Fun fun, and got a lot off my list. Finally a day w/no TV (a hotel w/o cable helped that).

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Sweetheart Saturday



Spending the day at the beach today with both of my sweethearts.
We might stay the night if the weather holds out & there's enough to do.
Our first summery, nice-day 'mini-break' as a family.
So excited ...
And I know Ari worries about $$$ and time sometimes -
So I thank him for giving some thought to this weekend
And realizing it is much needed
For HIS sweetheart and both of our little sweethearts, LT.
Happy weekend all.
And to my American friends & family -
Happy Memorial Day!