and because that wasn't quite funny enough, they added a finishing touch to the sewing machine:
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Spring break
The first 5 days of spring break Kalli and I went to Vancouver for medical. She for her asthma and me for what was to be my last (hopefully) MRI. The neurologist, along with my prompting, agrees that my neurological symptoms are food related! I can tell you that when i eat gluten/wheat, all my symptoms come back! Wheat is evil! (for me anyhow) So now i begin a new journey with a gastrointerologist! Taylor had her genetic testing done and she has the marker which tells us she is 90% more likely to develop Celiac's. She has been off gluten since Thanksgiving and it appears to slowly be helping her stomach pain. Kalli will be seeing a gastro-pediatrician in May. She has little stomach pain, but because she is so tiny, 56lbs @ 10.5 yrs old, i also believe she has gluten issues and is unable to absorb nutrients. Hopefully this will be the year when we can get some answers!
Vancouver was good except for the rain, and traffic!! I loved living there when i was in my 20's--i had all the time in the world. But now, you couldn't pay me to navigate that chaos everyday-downtown Whitehorse is enough for me!
Vancouver was good except for the rain, and traffic!! I loved living there when i was in my 20's--i had all the time in the world. But now, you couldn't pay me to navigate that chaos everyday-downtown Whitehorse is enough for me!
The rest of spring break was spent at the cabin! It was glorious! The weather was sunny, warm with blue skies for 10 days with the exception of 1 day. It's hard to explain why it's so awesome to have it +15 on the deck with 2 feet of snow on the ground! Chris loaded up the skimmer and made us a ski trail. The groves on the bottom make a perfectly spaced ski trail! 
His ice fishing hours resulted in 3 fish but only 1 that stayed on long enough to come up the hole! But it sure made a tasty supper!
We also ripped off the old (collapsed) shed roof and put up this temporary fix to keep things dry until spring. The sunny weather also gave the snow enough moisture that the conditions were perfect for making a snowman!
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and it was back to work time. By Tuesday at noon, Chris and i were both at home with the stomach flu! (Just 1 week previous i was telling our cabin neighbor that i hadn't had it since before having kids!) Luckily, knock on wood, the kids appear to have missed out! It made for a short work week, but i don't know if it was a good trade!
The kids spent this past weekend trying to use up the their ski passes-unfortunately with the cold winter and lift problems they won't get them used up before they close next weekend. On a exciting note, this weekend i dried all my laundry out on the line-I guess that means spring MUST be on the way!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
I have a teenager....
Scary thought for most!! I remember someone telling me "you know you're ready to have kids when you want to have a teenager"!! I thought that was good advice and even shared it with others because i too have been dreading the 'teen' years for ... years! I've been dreading what comes with the dreadful teen--the attitude, the peer pressure/bullying and the exposure to "drugs, sex and rock and roll" which i cannot control. Right now, the latter of those three seems so insignificant compared to what is associated with the first two. But what I have learned over the past year (s) has had a huge impact on the way i "parent".
Bullying. If you're waiting for the bullying to start in high school, you're off by about 2-3 years...particularly with girls. For Taylor it began in grade 5 and i was SO unprepared!! The stuff she was dealing with was what i had been preparing myself to begin in high school. Not any more ladies and gentlemen! Kalli has had a better go of it, but she has a harder time standing up for herself, so she doesn't end up in confrontations. And the addage "stand up to bullying".... unless there is a group who are willing to "stand up", it only puts a huge target on the back of the individual who is "standing up".
Be real. Be as real as you can be with your kids. A recent family members' heart attack gave me the opportunity to be real. When the kids asked, i said "they don't know if he's going to make it". I couldn't lie to them and tell them it's "going to be ok"-that wouldn't be real, that wouldn't be truthful, and it certainly would set me up to fulfill outcomes i had no control over. Let them see you cry, and let them cry. Holding emotions in only leads to problems down the road as you learn to use other means to "suppress" those feelings. (Overeating, anorexia, depression, drugs, stress, anxiety, sex etc...) Emotions are ok and learning how to address them when you're young is much better than trying to do it when you're my age. I'm trying to teach my kids the same lessons i'm trying to learn!!
Apologise: I have started doing this whenever i 'lose' it with them. It is hard. IT. IS. HARD. But when a kid can forgive you in 2 seconds, it really makes you humble (and in my case, feel really guilty!!). It also helps them realize that you're human too, and we all make mistakes. Hopefully, we as parents, can learn from our mistakes and begin to make them less often.
Talk. Talk to your kids. I"m not a big "talker" so i find it hard to make conversation, but typically any kid can hold a conversation-we usually can't get them to stop talking! So if you're like me, ask a weird question, and see where it goes from there. You will be amazed at what you will end up talking about. But no subject is off limits-this will come in handy later on when they're trying to decide if they can tell you something or not. If they know you've never been shocked, (or at least you didn't show it on the outside), chances are, they'll be more willing to open up to you.
Ask them about their day-everyday. This gives you the opportunity to talk about an event when it's small; before it "blossoms" into something huge and you have a raging kid on your hands and you can't figure out W.T.H. happened! I started 3 yrs ago when Taylor was having problems at school, but i've made it a daily occurrence:
How was your day?
Good
Any problems?
No (or yes!)
Everyone still "feeling the love"? (everyone was nice and got along!)
Yes (or no!)
Who did "hang" with?
_________
Oh, what are they like?
You get the idea.
Be interested. Listen when they answer all the questions you just asked. Or even harder (at least for me who likes to multi-task) stop what you're doing and listen. AND look at them when they're talking---after all, that's what is expected of them "look at me when i'm talking to you". When they show you their project ask questions, tell them which part you like best, tell them that you liked the color they chose, or ask them how they chose that particular color/topic/pattern.
Do something together. Another hard one for me. I grew up playing outside with my brothers, but yet when we did an activity together with my parents, i loved it! I tend to want to finish what i'm doing and then "i'll be right there-as soon as i'm done this". Of course, one thing leads to another, and before i know it, it's time to start supper etc... and the opportunity is lost. They soon learned that there is no point in asking, because even though i'm saying "yes", i don't follow through. So i'm trying to stop what i'm doing, or better yet, ask for their help to finish. This way i can practise my conversation skills while we work together and then we can go do something fun. When you offer your kids a chance to do fun things with you, they will be more apt to chose you over their friends, because you don't care if their clothes match or if their hair is combed while you're doing it!
Laugh. Laugh out loud, laugh at their ridiculous jokes, laugh at YOURSELF!
Love. Love them with notes in their lunchbags, love them by helping them find their stuff after they've lost it for the millionth time, love them when their sick, love them with hugs, love them with smiles, love them when their melting down.
This is what i wish i had been told from day one instead of "don't hold your baby all the time, you'll never get any work done".
Some of these are ideas i've read about or things i've tried; some have been succesful and some i've learned i need to work on everyday. (I'm not perfect-believe you me-but oh how i wish i could redo my first10 years of parenting ways!)
This has shown me wonderful results; 2 days ago, after leaving a bake sale at the school, my 12 year old (who turned 13 on this 13th day of March), said to me "bye mom, have a good afternoon" as she was hugging me. Other moms didn't even get acknowledged.
Bullying. If you're waiting for the bullying to start in high school, you're off by about 2-3 years...particularly with girls. For Taylor it began in grade 5 and i was SO unprepared!! The stuff she was dealing with was what i had been preparing myself to begin in high school. Not any more ladies and gentlemen! Kalli has had a better go of it, but she has a harder time standing up for herself, so she doesn't end up in confrontations. And the addage "stand up to bullying".... unless there is a group who are willing to "stand up", it only puts a huge target on the back of the individual who is "standing up".
Be real. Be as real as you can be with your kids. A recent family members' heart attack gave me the opportunity to be real. When the kids asked, i said "they don't know if he's going to make it". I couldn't lie to them and tell them it's "going to be ok"-that wouldn't be real, that wouldn't be truthful, and it certainly would set me up to fulfill outcomes i had no control over. Let them see you cry, and let them cry. Holding emotions in only leads to problems down the road as you learn to use other means to "suppress" those feelings. (Overeating, anorexia, depression, drugs, stress, anxiety, sex etc...) Emotions are ok and learning how to address them when you're young is much better than trying to do it when you're my age. I'm trying to teach my kids the same lessons i'm trying to learn!!
Apologise: I have started doing this whenever i 'lose' it with them. It is hard. IT. IS. HARD. But when a kid can forgive you in 2 seconds, it really makes you humble (and in my case, feel really guilty!!). It also helps them realize that you're human too, and we all make mistakes. Hopefully, we as parents, can learn from our mistakes and begin to make them less often.
Talk. Talk to your kids. I"m not a big "talker" so i find it hard to make conversation, but typically any kid can hold a conversation-we usually can't get them to stop talking! So if you're like me, ask a weird question, and see where it goes from there. You will be amazed at what you will end up talking about. But no subject is off limits-this will come in handy later on when they're trying to decide if they can tell you something or not. If they know you've never been shocked, (or at least you didn't show it on the outside), chances are, they'll be more willing to open up to you.
Ask them about their day-everyday. This gives you the opportunity to talk about an event when it's small; before it "blossoms" into something huge and you have a raging kid on your hands and you can't figure out W.T.H. happened! I started 3 yrs ago when Taylor was having problems at school, but i've made it a daily occurrence:
How was your day?
Good
Any problems?
No (or yes!)
Everyone still "feeling the love"? (everyone was nice and got along!)
Yes (or no!)
Who did "hang" with?
_________
Oh, what are they like?
You get the idea.
Be interested. Listen when they answer all the questions you just asked. Or even harder (at least for me who likes to multi-task) stop what you're doing and listen. AND look at them when they're talking---after all, that's what is expected of them "look at me when i'm talking to you". When they show you their project ask questions, tell them which part you like best, tell them that you liked the color they chose, or ask them how they chose that particular color/topic/pattern.
Do something together. Another hard one for me. I grew up playing outside with my brothers, but yet when we did an activity together with my parents, i loved it! I tend to want to finish what i'm doing and then "i'll be right there-as soon as i'm done this". Of course, one thing leads to another, and before i know it, it's time to start supper etc... and the opportunity is lost. They soon learned that there is no point in asking, because even though i'm saying "yes", i don't follow through. So i'm trying to stop what i'm doing, or better yet, ask for their help to finish. This way i can practise my conversation skills while we work together and then we can go do something fun. When you offer your kids a chance to do fun things with you, they will be more apt to chose you over their friends, because you don't care if their clothes match or if their hair is combed while you're doing it!
Laugh. Laugh out loud, laugh at their ridiculous jokes, laugh at YOURSELF!
Love. Love them with notes in their lunchbags, love them by helping them find their stuff after they've lost it for the millionth time, love them when their sick, love them with hugs, love them with smiles, love them when their melting down.
This is what i wish i had been told from day one instead of "don't hold your baby all the time, you'll never get any work done".
Some of these are ideas i've read about or things i've tried; some have been succesful and some i've learned i need to work on everyday. (I'm not perfect-believe you me-but oh how i wish i could redo my first10 years of parenting ways!)
This has shown me wonderful results; 2 days ago, after leaving a bake sale at the school, my 12 year old (who turned 13 on this 13th day of March), said to me "bye mom, have a good afternoon" as she was hugging me. Other moms didn't even get acknowledged.
Happy 13th Birthday "teenager"!
You are funny, you have more energy than that stinkin pink bunny on tv, you are creative, you are smart, you are beautiful, you are 13.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
bad hair day
such a happy face first thing in the morning....
even though she had to deal with this...
it's what happens when you step out the shower & climb into bed & sleep on your back all night!!
(DISCLAIMER: my kids are fully aware of the blowdryer that wonderful "new" invention that blows hot air, but neither of them like to use it...go figure?!)
Monday, February 28, 2011
at the cabin
Having had to leave the cabin early over Christmas, we couldn't wait to get back out there this past weekend. Fantasies of sitting by the fire...ok we don't have a fireplace, we have a wood stove-without a window-but hey it was free!! Now back to the fantasy-sitting in a warm cabin while the wind is howling, all curled up with a good book, just all out relaxing.
You can imagine our surprise to pull in to knee deep snow! Thankfully Chris decided to bring the quad "just in case" we needed to plow. So after arriving early Friday afternoon we spent the rest of the day shovelling.
We shovelled the deck, a path through the load which had slid off the roof to get to the deck, a path to the outhouse and unfortunately the roof of our shed which looked like this:
which had snow this deep:
with chunks this size:
with the inside that looked like this:
How's that for a snow load?!
We got all the snow off the roof on Friday; I think we know what our spring break project will be. (Somehow I don't think it will involve the wood stove and a book!)
Saturday we made time for our own "sugar shack" during a break from shovelling even more snow off the camper, boat etc... The hardest part is trying to maneuver around in 3 feet of snow with a ladder. Then, once you've shovelled all you can reach, you realize that you've buried the ladder in all the snow chunks that you've just removed from the roof(s)! Thankfully both kids helped a lot--any chance to climb up or on something and they were in!
Sunday arrived with all the wind that Whitehorse was experiencing. Ahhh finally we had all the elements for the curling-up-with-a-good-book day. Oh wait, Sunday means its pack-up-and-go-home day!
Well so much for my plan. Even though I was too tired to even look at book let alone read it, 2 days of snow shovelling at the cabin is better than any 2 days at work!
Monday, February 21, 2011
TRADITIONS
Really?? I saw these at superstore today...is nothing sacred?! What's next-carving a pumpkin for Christmas?
I don't k
now about you, but I kinda like leaving somethings "as once a year". Take for instance Mandarin oranges (or Christmas Oranges or Chinese Oranges depending on what you know them by.)
now about you, but I kinda like leaving somethings "as once a year". Take for instance Mandarin oranges (or Christmas Oranges or Chinese Oranges depending on what you know them by.)Growing up we had 4 kids in the family and 1 box to last us through Christmas--it doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that we didn't get very many each . Particularly by the time you picked out the bad ones! We got one in our stocking-always at the very bottom. Perhaps my mom put it in first in hopes of making the stocking appear more "full", right to the tip. We would savour each and every piece.
Today I can afford more than one box, in fact they are typically one of the more inexpensive fruits to buy over the Christmas season, so we pig out! I buy them for the entire month of December with no limits per person! BUT once the last box is done, that's it, no more until next year. Even though you can buy them year round now, I think it makes them one of those "special treats" at Christmas.
Does "restricting" them make me a bad parent? I typically don't get requests for them unless they happen to be with me while I'm grocery shopping which isn't often now that they can stay home alone. I guess if you look at it by saying that I'm not "allowing" them to eat them, it would appear restrictive. But it's not that, I just don't buy them for 11 months out of the year, and by doing so, I'm just trying to give them a special memory or tradition that they can carry on with their kids should they chose to do so.
And when they do, who knows, maybe they'll start buying them in November....just as long as they're not buying "Easter Crackers".
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Valentine
This year was a first for me...no one requested buying valentine cards. Typically we head to Walmart and wade through Hannah Montana, Disney, Bob the Builder etc...to find something age appropriate, that they each like. Last year I found really cute (and unique) ones online at various craft blogs which they both liked because they we're the typical store bought ones. Last week Kalli came out with pink paper folded in half; she had made some for her friends. Perfect I thought! Taylor made no mention of Valentines in general..not the cards, not the holiday, not even the chocolate!!
The night before Kalli must have decided that one must be inclusive of others and not have anyone feel left out--she came out of her room just before bed and showed me that she had (frantically) made enough for everyone in the class! The best part: she wrote on the inside what she liked about each one:
"you are pretty"
The night before Kalli must have decided that one must be inclusive of others and not have anyone feel left out--she came out of her room just before bed and showed me that she had (frantically) made enough for everyone in the class! The best part: she wrote on the inside what she liked about each one:
"you are pretty""you are a good drawer"
"you are funny"
"you can draw cars really good"
This was done without any input from me; I did not suggest it, I did not imply it, quite frankly, I did nothing!
I love it when you see great things coming from young people!
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Hockey Day in Canada: Update
We had a few more brushes with the hockey gods these past couple of days. Friday night was the coat check and the kids were under strict orders to not ask for autographs, not to "fight" over a chance to hang the coat of Don Cherry, don't speak until spoken to and you might as well throw in there "don't look them directly in the eye"!! It wasn't quite that bad, but it was close!
All those who came were very gracious and most made the first move to talk to the kids When Ron MacLean arrived he was in a deep conversation with someone when he came through the door. He happily agreed to sign a few autographs and Taylor hopped into line...the last spot. Just as he turned to her, someone whisked him off claiming they were late! Dang--so close!!
Next to arrive was Lanny MacDonald who was so engaging-he came in wearing a jersey, but still stopped, talked to every kid, signed autographs and posed for pictures:
(I was using my ipod to take the picture, so not the best quality!)
We had about 15minutes left before we were done when some man came up to me and asked me if i was "in charge?" I didn't really know how to answer when I'm overseeing a pile of over excited 12 & 13 yr olds! Depends? Maybe? Why what happened? So I went with the safest answer i could come up with while under pressure, "i'm ONE of the people in charge". He goes on to show me this big box they had put behind our curtains and informed me, very quietly, "the Stanley Cup is in there and NOBODY is allowed to touch it, open it , look inside or even know it's there". Oh great, now i have 12 & 13 yr olds AND the Stanley Cup?
So off he went, of course within about 15 seconds one boy was trying to open it and see what was inside! I shooed him away and then whispered my secret to Taylor!
Knowing this is the closest we would probably ever be to the Cup, we had to take advantage of the opportunity!
Everyone was awaiting Don Cherry's arrival but when our shift ended at 7:30 pm, he still hadn't arrived and i have yet to hear if he ever did!
Chris was in charge of security at yesterdays game where they were broadcasting Coaches Corner--Don Cherry had to be THERE!! So was does he do? Gives his buddy the closest spot - about 4 feet away - and he gets his jersey signed by the Don! What a guy! (He told me because he was in charge, he needed to remain professional.)
Last night was a friends' birthday and we went to Giorgios for supper. Shortly after we arrived, in walks Trevor Linden. We had our backs to the bar where he was waiting to be seated, but here is my great shot:
See the guy standing farthest to the left--that's him!
There you have it, our Hockey Day in Canada experiences. Taylor and I getting the most contact and we're not the fans, Chris, the biggest fan, got the least! However, he did help Wendel Clark look for his keys which were lost. Turns out there were in one of the many pockets of the giant, downfilled, puffy, good for -60 coats they were given to survive their time here in the Yukon!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
rubbing elbows with the rich and famous
Hockey Day in Canada. Chris is the big hockey fan....but somehow the 3 of us ended up involved. Chris volunteered so that he could watch the games and not have to try to score tickets; Taylor and I are working a coat check for their gala on Friday night. (Her class is raising money for a trip to Quebec in May).
I noticed yesterday that it was the opening night for Yukon’s Hockey History at MacBride Museum. The best part about it was that is was FREE! So we thought why not go, and Chris offer to buy us dinner after, so now how can i refuse!! ( I will do anything to not have to cook!) So off we went at 5pm to beat the rush.
There were't a lot of people there when we arrived which gave us easy access to the Chocolate Claim appies as well as close ups of the exhibits. There was a lot of reading involved as there were many pictures on the walls along with accompanying "write ups"; it takes a bit of time to work your way around the room. (Kalli informed me later that there was a yellow bra on display? I somehow missed that but would have like to read about its hockey relevance!)
After making our way around the entire exhibit-reading about the history of hockey in the Yukon,the attendance had definitely picked up and it was crowded. The kind of crowded where you can't help but dirty dance with just about everyone as you make your way through the crowd. We began our "slow dance" towards the door. I hadn't gone more than about 5 feet when i positioned my my arm lightly on someones back to just let them know i was behind them, and there in front of me was Ron MacLean! He was talking about his wife. And then it happened-I took my next step forward and he shifted his stance and we "rubbed elbows"! Yep, me and my homeboy Ron!
Chris told me later he thought he looked older in person (sorry Ron, i thought you looked just fine!) Actually I thought he looked...well exactly the same as he does onTV-only he didn't have Don Cherry yelling at his side!
So that's it folks, that was my brush with "fame"! I wonder what will happen at the coat check on Friday-whose coat will i get to hang on a hanger.....
I noticed yesterday that it was the opening night for Yukon’s Hockey History at MacBride Museum. The best part about it was that is was FREE! So we thought why not go, and Chris offer to buy us dinner after, so now how can i refuse!! ( I will do anything to not have to cook!) So off we went at 5pm to beat the rush.
There were't a lot of people there when we arrived which gave us easy access to the Chocolate Claim appies as well as close ups of the exhibits. There was a lot of reading involved as there were many pictures on the walls along with accompanying "write ups"; it takes a bit of time to work your way around the room. (Kalli informed me later that there was a yellow bra on display? I somehow missed that but would have like to read about its hockey relevance!)
After making our way around the entire exhibit-reading about the history of hockey in the Yukon,the attendance had definitely picked up and it was crowded. The kind of crowded where you can't help but dirty dance with just about everyone as you make your way through the crowd. We began our "slow dance" towards the door. I hadn't gone more than about 5 feet when i positioned my my arm lightly on someones back to just let them know i was behind them, and there in front of me was Ron MacLean! He was talking about his wife. And then it happened-I took my next step forward and he shifted his stance and we "rubbed elbows"! Yep, me and my homeboy Ron!
Chris told me later he thought he looked older in person (sorry Ron, i thought you looked just fine!) Actually I thought he looked...well exactly the same as he does onTV-only he didn't have Don Cherry yelling at his side!
So that's it folks, that was my brush with "fame"! I wonder what will happen at the coat check on Friday-whose coat will i get to hang on a hanger.....
Monday, February 7, 2011
The dating whisperer
We are trying some Cesar Millan techniques on Rex such as saying "TSSHHT" in a "calm assertive" way! Generally he's a pretty good dog overall....cute, cuddly, small "packages" for us to clean up off the lawn, he doesn't shed, he doesn't bark a whole lot, he's enthusiastic, portable and he loves the cabin, just like us! Every time he sees you he's beside himself with happiness! BUT, take him for a walk and (god forbid) meet another dog.....he becomes a massive spasm on the end of the leash! Consequently I'm always scanning for other dogs, so that I may TSSHHT him as soon as he spots the other dog. If I am successful at spotting the other dog first, he reacts very well.
As we all know, dogs who are trying to be dominant, put their head over the other dogs' neck. What do you do, when you're only about 12 inches at the shoulder? EVERY dog is then being dominant simply by trying to bend down to sniff!! I wanted to have a little dog without the little-dog-syndrome. When we were kids, friends of ours had a poodle who was convinced he was a big dog; the difference was that he actually ACTED like a big dog! Ho hum, friendly, hardly a peep out of him, kept up with all the big dogs-I think he truly was a big dog in a small dogs' body. Do you think that being named "Napoleon Bonaparte" (Boney for short) had anything to do with it?As Taylor approaches her 'teens', I began to wonder if this would work with my girls when they begin dating? (Way off in future of course!) Firstly I must establish myself as the pack leader-DONE (daily)!! If I spot the offending "dog" before they do, I can TSSHHT him in a "calm assertive" way. When "sniffing around" he begins to act assertive, I can give him the quick Cesar Millan "jab" to the side of the body to re-direct the brain! And most importantly, before we being "training", I will suggest a long bike ride to get acquainted (he will ride the front of a tandem bike of which I will only pretend to pedal) and thus he will be "dog-tired". But I have to say, I think my personal favourite will be "no touch, no talk, no eye contact" - I think that's fairly self explanatory!
This may just work.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Pushing the button and deja vu...
For those of you who read my post from the other day, i ended it by saying "....as soon as i have the guts to press the "publish" button! ". It took me 45 min to decide whether to push the button or not (crazy hey?!) But i did, then i quickly "logged out" and did not come back until almost 24+ hours later!
I have most of my ideas for my new work/job laid out on paper and now i must begin to take them from there to reality...much like an Event Planner would do--taking an idea, planning it then watching it happen! (I love this part!) But having the guts to put it out there..for REAL, is when all the "useless-self -doubt-what-if's"come creeping back into my head. BUT i've put my idea 'out there' which means i now need to take the next step(s)... making a marketing plan! This is not my area of expertise, so i've been reading up and signing up for any and all the free help i can get!
On another note, Grade 5 dance-take 2! (aka: Polar Games) Kalli came home with the bus schedule on Wednesday and was stressed, She couldn't figure out how to get from the CGC to the bowling alley or vice versa. (Having been through this with Taylor-who is not organized in any way, shape or form-i don't remember this being an issue; I was pretty sure that the bus ran continuously throughout the day). She was in tears. We tried to assure her (to no avail) that they wouldn't expect her to WALK from the CGC to the bowling alley! Thankfully she came home the next day with a detailed schedule and she consequently began to geve herself (the first of many) random pop quizzes:
"ok, so i need to get to the bowling alley at 2pm on Saturday - which bus should i take?" (now try to find it on the schedule as quickly as possible...) She was so relieved that she had this new schedule and infomed us that she was now "much more positive about the Polar Games".
She also asked (on Wednesday evening) if i had time SEW her a dress like i did for Taylor . Well the short answer was "I'm sorry but i don't really have enough time; i am however, willing to spend about $25 @ Walmart on a new one if we can find one, that you like for that price (or less!)". She informed me just before heading out to shop that "most of my friends aren't wearing dresses". I encouraged her to "wear a dress if you want too" and "don't make your decison based on what you'r friends are doing".
To make a long story short, she found a new sweaterdress at Superstore, on the clearance rack for $11.94 (YAY!) and she had a great (stress-free) Polar Games.
So this time next year it will be an end of an era; having expericenced Polar Games four years in a row, through the eyes of my two girls (who have two polar opposite personalities), i think itwill may be bittersweet; i still have one left to go!
I have most of my ideas for my new work/job laid out on paper and now i must begin to take them from there to reality...much like an Event Planner would do--taking an idea, planning it then watching it happen! (I love this part!) But having the guts to put it out there..for REAL, is when all the "useless-self -doubt-what-if's"come creeping back into my head. BUT i've put my idea 'out there' which means i now need to take the next step(s)... making a marketing plan! This is not my area of expertise, so i've been reading up and signing up for any and all the free help i can get!
On another note, Grade 5 dance-take 2! (aka: Polar Games) Kalli came home with the bus schedule on Wednesday and was stressed, She couldn't figure out how to get from the CGC to the bowling alley or vice versa. (Having been through this with Taylor-who is not organized in any way, shape or form-i don't remember this being an issue; I was pretty sure that the bus ran continuously throughout the day). She was in tears. We tried to assure her (to no avail) that they wouldn't expect her to WALK from the CGC to the bowling alley! Thankfully she came home the next day with a detailed schedule and she consequently began to geve herself (the first of many) random pop quizzes:
"ok, so i need to get to the bowling alley at 2pm on Saturday - which bus should i take?" (now try to find it on the schedule as quickly as possible...) She was so relieved that she had this new schedule and infomed us that she was now "much more positive about the Polar Games".
She also asked (on Wednesday evening) if i had time SEW her a dress like i did for Taylor . Well the short answer was "I'm sorry but i don't really have enough time; i am however, willing to spend about $25 @ Walmart on a new one if we can find one, that you like for that price (or less!)". She informed me just before heading out to shop that "most of my friends aren't wearing dresses". I encouraged her to "wear a dress if you want too" and "don't make your decison based on what you'r friends are doing".
To make a long story short, she found a new sweaterdress at Superstore, on the clearance rack for $11.94 (YAY!) and she had a great (stress-free) Polar Games.
So this time next year it will be an end of an era; having expericenced Polar Games four years in a row, through the eyes of my two girls (who have two polar opposite personalities), i think it
Thursday, February 3, 2011
My how time flies....
It does. I haven't written a post in a year--well a little over a year but whose counting! I have to admit that even though i haven't written, i've watched:
i've "watched" Janet walk...and walk....and walk some more;
i've "watched" Fawn's girls work on their potty training;
i've "watched" Celia find inspiration every single day for a YEAR;
i've "watched" Kara's boys be....models (!!) for her new (and always improving) "passion turned business";
i've "watched" new people come on board Urban Yukon, live their life, grow, change, put themselves out there. So what does this all mean??
I guess that means i'm a voyeur?!
Seriously I think what happened to me involved a couple things:
1) when i'm starting something new i have a little bit of a "perfectionist" problem, in other words, i want to be GREAT right off the bat!
2) the kids were in afternoon/evening sports (which sucks the life out of you)
3) we had 2 crappy laptops which were always crapping out, (but now we have a spiffy new desktop--thanks overtime pay!)
4) i felt what i said wasn't as funny/interesting/important as what everyone else was saying (see bullet #1!!)
5) i'm sure i could go on, but who needs wants to read a "self-help" post!!
I have also thought about what i want to do with my "worklife"....do i want to work where i work...forever? It's a great job but does nothing for my "creativity". It's easy to just chug along in "safe" mode. And if i don't make a change now, when will i? I need to start putting into action, all the ideas and thoughts that have been drifting around in my head, into action. When i was 10 i tried to start my own store by asking kids to donate their halloween candy and we would split the profits! For some reason there weren't any takers. (Come on people--not inventory costs--and who says a reconditioned chicken coop doesn't make a good store?!?!)
Reading Fawn's post about the "monkey" birthday party was the clincher for me. I like planning..i like organizing...i like parties!! I've planned a couple weddings, i've planned (and hosted) Amazing Race birthday parties and other theme parties, baby showers, surprise parties and i also plan AGMs and events at work, so why can't i do this for a living? There has to be people out there who have events which they want/need to plan but would rather pay someone to do the planning and they can just show up and enjoy!
So that's what i've been thinking--and now i'm putting it out there for all the Urban Yukon world to see--as soon as i have the guts to press the "publish" button!
i've "watched" Janet walk...and walk....and walk some more;
i've "watched" Fawn's girls work on their potty training;
i've "watched" Celia find inspiration every single day for a YEAR;
i've "watched" Kara's boys be....models (!!) for her new (and always improving) "passion turned business";
i've "watched" new people come on board Urban Yukon, live their life, grow, change, put themselves out there. So what does this all mean??
I guess that means i'm a voyeur?!
Seriously I think what happened to me involved a couple things:
1) when i'm starting something new i have a little bit of a "perfectionist" problem, in other words, i want to be GREAT right off the bat!
2) the kids were in afternoon/evening sports (which sucks the life out of you)
3) we had 2 crappy laptops which were always crapping out, (but now we have a spiffy new desktop--thanks overtime pay!)
4) i felt what i said wasn't as funny/interesting/important as what everyone else was saying (see bullet #1!!)
5) i'm sure i could go on, but who needs wants to read a "self-help" post!!
I have also thought about what i want to do with my "worklife"....do i want to work where i work...forever? It's a great job but does nothing for my "creativity". It's easy to just chug along in "safe" mode. And if i don't make a change now, when will i? I need to start putting into action, all the ideas and thoughts that have been drifting around in my head, into action. When i was 10 i tried to start my own store by asking kids to donate their halloween candy and we would split the profits! For some reason there weren't any takers. (Come on people--not inventory costs--and who says a reconditioned chicken coop doesn't make a good store?!?!)
Reading Fawn's post about the "monkey" birthday party was the clincher for me. I like planning..i like organizing...i like parties!! I've planned a couple weddings, i've planned (and hosted) Amazing Race birthday parties and other theme parties, baby showers, surprise parties and i also plan AGMs and events at work, so why can't i do this for a living? There has to be people out there who have events which they want/need to plan but would rather pay someone to do the planning and they can just show up and enjoy!
So that's what i've been thinking--and now i'm putting it out there for all the Urban Yukon world to see--as soon as i have the guts to press the "publish" button!
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