Tubal Tales

3 months too long

2011-12-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

Hello out there?
I'm sure I've lost all my readers...3 months is a long time.
3 months has felt like 3 years around here!!

What on earth happens to twin boys when they turn 20 months??
They flip the WHINE, BITE, HIT, SCREAM, RUN AWAY buttons all at once.

Shopping trips are about 10 minutes long. Once Kyle decides he wants to be carried (which is always) Luke insists he must walk.

That leaves me with no free hands...which has lead to
Mission abandon the shopping cart and get the heck out of the store as soon as possible.

Don't say you have never done that. We all have. If not, your turn is coming.

The day these two ditch their 3 hour afternoon nap is they day I lose my mind.

Do not let these smiley faces fool you...
Hug hug away dear twins, mommy knows you both broke out into a pushing match the second the camera went click.

I thought the terrible twos was simply a label...but no...I fully realize it exists, and I am in the throws of it.

We have implemented the naughty corner. Enough said.

Now, amidst all the chaos are moments of bliss. 3 boys all playing hockey at once... The sounds of laughter from 3 little voices after a good chasing match....

Until one vomits...and the other decides the nice thing to do would be to stick his finger down his throat and sympathy vomit.

Right before the babysitter arrives, as we are all dressed up for a Christmas concert.

Need I say more about why I have not been blogging?

I need a bailey's drip line in my Tassimo coffee maker.

Santa...hook me up!

Oh yes I'm going there

2011-09-07T11:46:00.000-07:00

My baby is in grade 2!

yes I will go there for a moment..18 months old..

This morning..

Choke.

He was beyond excited to see his buddies and his "young" teacher. Coming from last years 70 year old grade 1 teacher, anyone under 50 would be young to him....here's hoping she's ready for chatty Cole!

More exciting then grade 2 was the loss of another tooth last night. Not sure what happened but the tooth fairy "forgot" to visit....an extra loonie will likely appear tonight..and maybe some hockey cards...or I may forget YET again.

7am I awoke to Cole next to my face saying...

"mom...I got nothing!"

Oops.
Blame it on the twins. I always do.

Oh, and did I mention Cole went to school missing a few school supplies.
yeah that's right, I forgot to buy notebooks, all 8 of them.

I was standing in line at Zellers last week....with ALL the kids and the line was not moving...
I vaguely remember saying I would have to come back.....

The twins were fussing..

See, blame it on the twins.

Hope your kids are enjoying their first taste of true educational exhaustion...and routine, and structure, and someone other than mom nattering at them.

Thank you teachers!!!

Karma or Krazy?

2011-09-04T06:15:00.000-07:00

Do you believe in Karma?

I found myself explaining this word to Cole last week. You see, he was being less than an ideal "big brother" during a game of mini hockey.

Sure enough...hours later, one of the twins(can you guess which one?)

.. took a bite out of Cole's arm when Cole decided to muscle in at the Thomas the Train table.

In between the tears was the question....

"Why would he do that to me mom!!?"

Sure, I could have defaulted to:

1. He is 20 months old. Enough said
2. He has no words to explain himself so he chooses to "show" his frustration via some teeth marks
3. He may have a bit of a reactive temper...I'm working on this...patience please.

But I chose to say..

It's Karma Cole.

Can of worms opened.

Self reflection needed.....is MY Karma good?

I do believe in Karma.
I do believe that how you treat others will affect how you are treated.
I do believe that the energy you exert into the Universe somehow comes back to you...in the same way or worse.

That being said, we are human. Emotions and reactions are real and necessary. The universe cannot evolve without some Bad Karma out there.

I'm at a standstill here.
I want to learn more, to feel more, to do better.

Not just for Karma's sake...
For humans sake.

What's your Karma like these days?

Mini Vacation for Moi

2011-08-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

Mid week last week I decided I needed a day off. A FULL day off.
No spa day, no rest day...but

A power shopping day in the USA.

We only live 2 hours from some great US shopping...(ie: supertarget & TJ Maxx)

I called a friend, she played hooky from work, I called my mother -in-law, she happily came over for the morning to play and hubby took the afternoon off. Voila, mission accomplished.

9am we headed out with new music on the IPOD, Timmy's coffee and passports in hand.

Never underestimate the power of girl time right?

Besides the gazillion tank tops I got for working out, I managed to buy a cute dress, a pair of boots and a pair of cool clogs.

These clogs are cool...and for $15, a steal too...just saying.

As for Supertarget, I know once we get our own target here up north, I will no longer need to get all giddy when I walk through the food aisles, but to shop Target, without kids, and spend over an hour in the grocery section?

Giddy up! Duty free groceries!

My scores included:

Fat free cheese, fat free cream cheese (protein cheesecake here I come!), sugar free syrup for my protein pancakes, chocolate hazelnut tea, caribou coffee, sport beans and GU for running, Apple pie and Mohito mint sugar free gum...oh and Coconut M&M's....

For Cole...

Goober!!! OMG I was not allowed goober as a child (I now see why, hello sugar?) but I am treating Cole to some fun these last few weeks of summer!!!
Check out the granola bars....I also bought it in chocolate chip cookie dough flavor!

For the twins...

Picolini pasta's are small enough for little fingers and come in spinach and carrot/squash!! Banana toddler cookies..
The Easy-Cheez? Yuck, I know, but I have to find creative ways of getting fat into Kyle all day..and he will open wide for this stuff.

There you have it...

A little retail therapy goes a long way for this gal.

Me no sleepy

2011-08-16T14:27:00.000-07:00

I've never been a great sleeper,

Ask my mom..there is a reason why my sister was born 4 years after me..

In highschool, sleeping in was 8am, as I progressed to University, I would be awake by 7 and by the time I articled for a CA firm, I would dash out of the house by 6:30.

These days I'm up at 5:30 for the gym.

This ungodly hour would be fine if I was able to fall asleep by 10pm and actually SLEEP.

Am I preggo and having to pee three times a night? NO
Do I have kids who wake up in the night? um...NO
Am I 90 yrs old and every bone hurts that being awake is simply easier then being asleep? yeah ...no!

So what the ????

I've narrowed it down to a few things..

1. I START work most nights around 8pm.
2. I work on my computer...a recipe for getting all wired up from the pretty pixels.
3. Once I finish work, around midnight, I need to "relax", unwind...
4. I choose to "unwind" with an episode of madmen on my laptop, in bed. Pretty pixels again.

Bad bad bad...
I can't seem to shake this bedtime routine.

Last night, after many sleepless night, I broke down and popped one of these...

Sleepeze D Extra Strength Capsules is a temporary sleep aid intentent to target occasional sleeplessness.

May I highlight the word "occasional"

Well, I slept like a baby last night. Woke up fresh, alert and ready for the day. Tim dislikes this sleepaid immensely (we may have watched the show "intervention" together last night..)

But I'm desperate folks. I want sleep. Good quality zzzz's...

And please don't suggest I work less or earlier in the day. It's not an option right now.

Tonight's experiment is me sleeping in the basement bedroom...alone. Not my idea, but we need to rule out the possibility of Tim being the problemo here...he insists he is not a trasher, sleep disturber.

We'll see.
I have not thought of what happens if he IS the problemo.

Twin single beds in one room?

OMG, I am 90!

Help!

High school reunion

2011-07-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

Last month was 20 years since I graduated high school!

Seriously, a moment of sadness...not because I would like to be 17 again, but because if the last 20 flew by...the next 20 will surely pass at the speed of light.

And I will be 57...

Ouch.

Cole will be 26

Double Ouch...

The twins will be 21

Ok..enough of that.

I'm sure I have vented about my high school experience before..and I'm not sure if it's just the universe trying to make me relive the crummy 3 years I invested in a school half way across town, just so I could speak french all day and never use it again...

Ok enough of that too.

As much as I try and forget my high school years, in the last 3 weeks I have had 4 "friend" requests on facebook from former high school "aquaintances"

Not "friends" as facebook like to call them..
But people who never spoke to me, or better yet...a girl who slammed my hand in my locker and told me to:

"tie her shoe bitch"

Yeah, I'll be adding you in a heartbeat my "friend"

So I'm curious, as we age, do we forget the fruits of our past? Do we assume we can all just be "friends" now that we have kids, are more mature, or are we simply suffering from long term memory loss?

I have a motto...and it's testing me weekly these days.

IF YOU DID NOT TALK TO ME IN HIGHSCHOOL, JUST DON'T BOTHER...

Having said that, I friend requested a girl from high school who I adored. She was smart, athletic and was one of the few who treated me with kindness...I "requested" her a week ago.

No reply.

Enough said. Maybe MY memory is not as sharp as it used to be..

I can laugh about it now...

2011-07-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

Remember I mentioned Kyle's "everest expedition" last post?

I'm ready to tell my story.
I could possibly need some therapy...or a support group..

MOM'S WHO'S KIDS CLIMB THINGS

Disclaimer. Cole was not a climber. We did not even baby proof the cupboards. He never did, and still doesn't get "into" things. The kid never even wore a bib!!!

Kyle...oh my.

I was changing Luke and Kyle took off down the hall. He would usually play with the train set in the front room. After 30 seconds I did not hear the sweet sound of trains clicking together, I decided to check on him. My illustration will show you where I found my 17 pound twirp.

Yes that's right...while the stairs are baby gated, (false sense of security my friends...) Kyle managed to scale the outside of the staircase (see pawprints)...10 stairs, using the spindles...and a wee little ledge on each stair.

Clever?..yes..
Smart? ...some may say so
I simply shake my head....

See that pampers box at the bottom....it's my attempt at baby proofing them spindles....I'm thinking TOYS R US does not carry a "spindle proof" package for climbers.

I was able to NOT react, calmly grab Kyle's legs, as they dangled (heart attack yes...) and take him down..

Good thing he's cute

And safe.

Too busy to blog?

2011-07-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

Me, the energizer bunny, is too busy to blog.

I started a new position with my job and it's been a juggling act to fit everything into this thing called a 24 hour day....

Can someone please make my days longer so I can sleep?

Here's the recap:

Cole finished grade 1. Besides one little note sent home about an argument/meltdown over a spot in line at gym class...he had a great year. NHL and soccer non-stop...if only he would put that effort into printing..

The twins are 19 months and are BUSY.

Did I say busy?
I mean CRAZY BUSY.
Just like Cole was...times two. I thought I was tired with Cole at this stage. HA! Luke has found his voice...I mean whine.

Kyle has chosen to hop, skip or run all day and best of all he CLIMBS everything in sight. His ability to scale staircases is impressive, I will save that story for another day. I'm still traumatized by what I'm calling "the Everest Expedition"...for now I head to the lake where he can climb sand hills. Less bruises, same fun.

I met my niece and nephew for the first time last week (so cute), and Tim's bros upcoming wedding is this month...Maybe August will present some relaxation for this momma.

Until then, if you are still reading this blog, I thank you.

If Luke could talk...

2011-05-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

If Luke could talk...I imagine this is what he would have said today..

Hey, a water table, score!!

Kyle, look at this kid, in his preppy collar shirt, all smiley and clean...pouring the water sooooo nicely.....

Hurry it up there daddy....although I'm not sure why you are putting legs on this table...I have no intention to STAND and play with it...not like those kids on the box...

See Kyle, I told you it's an outdoor bath tub!

Go ahead, have a snack, we can hang out in here for a while..

Thanks for following me little bro...hug it out..

Stick with me, I'll "teach" you lots...

What...what'd I do mom?

randomness

2011-05-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Saturday was the community garage sale. Mini donuts, balloons, cars everywhere...and out our front window I see this:

Hutterite girls on skateboards.

They were good too!!!

Mothers day, I can home from the gym to this:

awe....

I also got this:

With this case, Tim knows me so well...a plain black case would not do!

I downloaded the Rob Lowe biography..and my mom came by to visit today and left with my Kindle...

Rob Lowe's dirty secret past will have to wait.

Kyle is a climber...plain and simple, and it freaks me right out. ANYTHING he finds is turned into a step. Cole never climbed...I am in a constant state of panic.

Luke has found his voice. Unfortunately it sounds like this..

waaaaaaaaaaaa, maaaaaaaaaaaa, waaaaaaaaaa, daaaaaaaaaaat!

He needs some cheese with that whine. Don't let the smile fool you.

A climber and a whiner...who could ask for anything more!!

Happy Tuesday!

I've been waiting...

2011-05-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting 9 years, 7 months, and 20 days for this day to come.

When I was in my late teens, my mom pulled out an old scrapbook she had once made. Newspaper clippings from the assassination of JFK. As she leafed through each page, we sat and talked about the event. Where she was when it happened, how her world had forever changed that day....

Seeing the old clippings gave me a glimpse into a life I never knew.

I wanted to do the same.....a bittersweet kind of feeling that a "life changing" event would have to occur in order for me to do this..

That day came on Sept 11, 2001. I sat watching a plane slam into the side of a building. I ate my cereal. I was writing day 2 of my CA exams that day...

Great timing I thought. Some crazy dude flew his little plane too low and hit a building.

I came out of the exam 5 hours later and Tim called...I remember his exact words....

The world we knew is very different now.

Each day I would clip articles from the newspaper and carefully arrange them into a scrapbook...

For 84,456 hours...the last page in my scrapbook had been left blank.

5,067,360 minutes has passed. Each year Tim and I flip the pages, the news paper articles now fading. Remembering like it was yesterday....until today.

304,041,600 seconds has passed until I could finally glue down the last piece of the puzzle. A sense of relief, a sense of closure for me.

And so, this scrapbook is finished, and one day I will sit with my kids and read to them the stories of loss, despair, courage and sacrifice..

Forever Changed.
Forever Remembered.

Think Geek

2011-04-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

I would not consider myself a geek..

Maybe a little.....I do become giddy when financial statements balance...

Geek or no geek, anything that makes life easier..and cleaner with 3 kids is worth embracing!

So, my sister introduced me to a great website called THINK GEEK.

She bought Cole fantastic GEEKY gifts from this site at x-mas...Jupiter Juice, LED Faucet Lights to name a few...

So I browse the site every now and then..and to my liking I saw this:

It's called a Loopa Toddler Bowl.

IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO SPILL THE FOOD!!

OMG, you mean the twins can carry around their snack and it will not end up on my carpet?

(ps: yes I have tried the snack traps and the twins bite off the lids...)

Any way you carry it, the snack will NOT fall out?

Come on!!

Geek or no Geek, I bought 2 of these babies in a heartbeat!

Sure, the bowl looks about the size of Kyle's entire torso, who cares...

My carpets will be clean..for more than 1 minute..

I bow to you Think Geek for "thinking" of me...

Will keep you all posted...care to predict....spillage or no spillage?

boys..

2011-04-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

2 acre yard...

2 acres to run free

And Luke decides to plunk himself here..

Behind the tool shop...away from the party...in the dirt..and play with these...

And eat hay

And shine every possible rock with his tongue

And hug hard pieces of wood..

Was the bb-que fun?

I'm not sure, I was sitting behind the toolshop all afternoon...

Yes I'm stereotyping my boy.

The girl at the party SAT on the deck, with the guests and COLORED.

Enough said.

Boys.

Cheap labor

2011-04-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

The weather has been less then desirable around here lately.

Snow, rain, cold, wind.

Pick one any one, they all seem to just rotate..

Where is the sun, it's April already!
When stuck inside with toddling boys, what to do, what to do

Clean!

I trekked to Sobeys and bought not one but TWO swiffer dry mops.

No fighting allowed, cleaning is serious business.

Cheap labour, I pay in smooches, clean bums and great food!

All in a cold spring day's work.

Brooms away, it's nap time!

What do/did you do on cold days, stuck inside with small toddlers?

The long lost art of Pen Pals

2011-04-18T21:21:00.000-07:00

Did you have a pen pal growing up?

Do you still put pen to paper and actually "write" a letter to anyone these days?

Seems as though the old fashioned writing (in proper grammar, indents, periods...etc..) has been replaced by fast fingers typing on keyboards, LOL, LMAO, I Miss U, How RU?

I'm guilty of it.

I've lost contact with all of my childhood penpals. I'm not sure why....life I suppose gets in the way. Technology allows us to find people, facebook allows us to "creep" into their lives...so who needs to actually write a letter to that friend in Europe? One can simply post on their "wall" and be done.

Last summer a good friend of Cole's moved to Ontario. There were tears....and as the tears dried, and the I miss him's started to fade, letters started to arrive in the mailbox... and Cole wanted to write back.

One year later and the letters continue to go back and forth, almost monthly.

A true penpal for Cole.

Hockey cards, silly bands, tattoos and stickers included with each letter...simple 6 year old questions asked:

Are you playing soccer this year?
How are your brothers?
I miss you..

Little hands working hard each and every time...

His teacher can thank me at the end of the year for intense printing practice ....

Penpals. A lost art.

I'm writing a letter tomorrow. To whom... I don't know.

Maybe noone

Maybe this blog is my pen pal

Maybe your comments are my stickers and silly bands.

Maybe your continued support is my return letter.

Duckin around..I hope

2011-04-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

I grew up with an inground pool, it was fantastic...for the few months of the year our weather cooperated..

But as the snow melted each year, we would wait to see...

Wait to see if our little "friends" would arrive

The friends being ducks.

It was the highlight of spring, seeing those ducks every morning on our pool deck, then watching as she made her nest in the cedar bush, taking her daily swim at 7am...and finally seeing 12 baby ducks in our pool...all before OUR pool season even began.

And then one year, they came no more...

Fast forward to last summer, we now have an inground pool and lo and behold one April morning the ducks were here! This time I watched Cole stare out the window in awe.

And then we woke up to splattered egg shells on the pool deck, eaten clean. I asked an "expert" and she figured a skunk would have eaten the yolks.

I've never liked skunks.

But yesterday, amidst all the snow, I made my morning coffee and saw this.

Are they deciding whether it worth the "risk"

I sure hope so...
Stay tuned

Ok..twins = ALOT of work

2011-04-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

Not to sound crabby but...

Twins is a tough gig.

Kudos to anyone with twins...but especially my gals out there with twins on the first crack
I will never make the comment:

"You need to go for one more..."

Twins is enough. I get it. Those words I speak of having more kids after twins is cruel.

Last week I wanted 4 kids..today..3 is plenty.

Make the appointment Tim. Get er done!

Why you ask?

One happy, one sad
One whines, one climbs
One spits, one trips and bites lip
One eats sand, one eats rocks
BOTH think I'm a jungle gym
One clings to the right leg, one clings to the left leg
One grabs, one jabs
One screams, one screams louder
BOTH want UP at the same time

Ask me next week and chances are I'll be back on the Baby #4 wagon.

But until then...

Give me the strength to get through this 17 month twins monster stage...it's sunny, it's warm...for Pete's sake there is nothing to scream, whine, kick, punch, grab, cry, spit, and best of all VOMIT about.

The end.

Happy Tuesday :)

Spring Break FLEW BY- A review in pics

2011-03-31T19:07:00.001-07:00

Spring Break around here.

No BIG events happening..no major commitments, so I shipped out with my boys to the cottage.

The beauty of a winterized cabin an hour outside of the city.

Cole brought HIS favorite snack, and my cooler full of protein and veggies!

Luke flipped through his family album..

Kyle chose to check out women in bikinis...

We walked..and walked...until we could walk no more...which for 16 month olds was about an hour.

We explored the quiet streets, appreciated the sunny days, and we stopped to admire things like a deserted ice fishing shack in the middle of the lake. A sign that spring IS coming..

When we returned home, Cole played on ice at the Manitoba Moose Game...He was worried about being body checked...we may have to revisit this whole hockey thing again...I think he forgets body checking IS part of hockey. My little Timbit skated his butt off. ME. SO. PROUD.

As we enter the final day of spring break, I'm reminded of how much FUN it is to have three busy boys...they run me RAGGED some days..but as I cooked dinner tonight, I turned around and saw this...

Heart melts...

Now let the snow melt...spring break is over.....

Back to blogging..thank god for Thomas

2011-03-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Where did I go! So many emails, so many questions!

I took a breather.
I did some self-reflection.
I feel better.

No details are necessary here, there is no big story, no juicy gossip...just me chilling within.

If you haven't noticed, I have anxiety issues. These seem to get worse the busier I get. I'm learning how to cope with anxiety, without deflecting it onto others.

Live and learn...isn't that the truth!

Put your foot in your mouth..and then try to take it out gracefully....

I'm a work in progress.

And so are the twins...

Lots of work these days. I am finally feeling the grunt of having 2 kids the exact same age...with exact opposite personalities. One whines, one is so quiet I find him hiding in odd places...One is fast and agile, the other is big and clumsy. Unfortunately the big and clumsy one is the whiner, which means as I tend to his "issue" the fast and agile one has enough time to push a basket over to the train table and climb on top....

Sigh...

But there is one thing they have in common...a love for Thomas the Train.

Thank you little blue guy

An investment 4 years ago has paid for itself 3 times over now....

I expect these seconds of peace to turn into several minutes of peace....got it Thomas?

I may be little...

2011-02-24T08:39:00.000-08:00

Kyle is small. I get asked by many strangers how old he is....a man at Walmart guessed he was 4 months old a few weeks ago. 4 months? Are you kidding me? Try 14 months I said.

Others stare in awe that such a peanut is vertical and running...

Kyle eats alot, sleeps alot and he RUNS...ALOT. Never stops. He is my child, no doubt.

He also has moments of incredible patience, concentration and pure joy...and when these happen I whip out my camera to capture them..to remind me of how perfect he is in my eyes...how the comments others seem to "share" are just comments..nothing more, nothing less.

Perfectly little...
Perfectly loved...

Should I be worried Friday?

2011-02-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

I'm calling today
Should I be worried Friday..

My order from www.manynike.com came in..5 pairs of UGGS and 6 NHL Jerseys ...not all for me mind you..

Should I be worried that posting this may shut down my favorite knock off website..?

Kyle likes to walk around the house like this...

Should I be worried or happy that his head is padded by the box as he bumps into the wall...

Kyle also likes to do this while he reads...

Should I be worried...or thankful that he is sitting while he does this...why could he not just have taken a soother?

Wait a second, Luke seems to think the Thomas the Train Cargo is also a soother..

Apparently this is totally ok in my house..not worried at all.

Thomas is more fun than me..

Should I be worried or should I put on several Thomas shows in a row so I can have a few moments peace?

Cole is addicted to hockey..

Should I be worried...or should I simply start saving every penny in hopes that he will one day venture onto the ice as an NHL'er..

What's worrying you these days?

Gone with the High Chairs?

2011-02-16T15:06:00.000-08:00

A trip to Winners is like a trip to Costco, EXPENSIVE. Today was no exception. I went to look for sunglasses and I came home with high chairs....or better yet travel chairs.

I was in the store 5 seconds when the Momma Travel Chair jumped out at me and I thought

PERFECT FOR THE CABIN

They had 2 left...it was a sign.

Now the 2 shirts, workout top and sunglasses took some digging and were definitely not a sign...but they still called my name...and I answered...why YES I will purchase you too!

I showed Tim the chairs, expecting a wrinkled nose, exasperated breath and the word "budget" spoken, but the chairs proved to be exactly what we didn't know we needed!

They hang from the kitchen table and fold up AND pack up nicely into a travel bag! Now the true test would be whether the twins would sit in them...and they did...happily...for 5 minutes. The pros for me are not only the space saved, but also that the twins can be right with us at the table as we eat our meals together. The cons? Well there are several, including NO TRAYS which means MESS on my area rug.....vacuums can suck up all kinds of food right?

So these chairs will make it to the lake for sure but whether we trade in our own high chairs here at home remains TBD....in the meantime, let's enjoy the 5 minutes of happiness I did capture.

Happy "V" Day

2011-02-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

Hubby surprised me by posting this on the fridge today before school...

All together...Awe.....

Why is Luke always naked you ask? He is the MESSIEST eater...too many shirts ruined in my eyes. Too much laundry for this gal. I do keep the socks and Robeez on...cause socks and sandals is cool...

The twins managed to find the box of nerds I had bought for Cole for V-day and are "snacking" on them while watching Thomas. A few nerds on their little systems can't make for crazy wired babies right? Cole won't notice a box that looks like a mouse chewed it open...right?

V-day is no longer about quiet romantic dinners and candy presents. A simple "everyone in good mood" day is the best V-day for me.

What's your best V-day?

A moment to myself?

2011-02-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Starts off with me, trying to chill on good old Spiderman couch...with Luke...

Hold up! Here comes the oldest wanting some of this chillin...

But wait, we cannot let mom have a moment of peace...we ALL must have a part of her..Kyle included

And so this is my life, and I wouldn't change a thing. Happy to be such a commodity around this house.

Hope you get to chill...however that may be... in your home.

A failure to impress

2011-02-11T15:36:00.000-08:00

I watched the Black Eyed Peas perform at the Superbowl...did anyone else watch?

Deep down I was hoping they would bang it out of the stadium..crank the energy, sound AMAZING....unlike their concert here last summer....

But no, they failed to impress, yet again. Sure they're all flashy, a party for the eyes...but the ears were a hurtin.

I'm a sucker for live concerts, I expect the artist to sound exactly as they do on the CD. Am I really that naive? Yes, Yes I am!

So I thought I would list my yay's and nay's...a concert guide for anyone who's looking at taking one in.

Justin Timberlake - YAY on ALL fronts...
NKOTB: YAY..whether I am 15 or 35, they still rock
NSync: YAY, per above JT is HOT, enough said
Celine Dion - YAY on the voice, NAY on the weird body jerks, hand motions she seems to include
Josh Groban - YAY on the voice, NAY on the concert, boring...I should have just listened to the CD
Black Eyed Peas - NAY, NAY, NAY
Akon - YAY...if you are in your 20's...but that never stopped me from kickin it..
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill - YAY if you like lovey dovey sappy singing..
Great Big Sea - YAY, I've seen them 4 times now and each time I feel like I'm in a local pub. Amazing.
Aerosmith - YAY...I think Steven Tyler is HOTTTT. Don't judge, you think it too.. deep down.

I have a few on my list that I have not seen but MUST see at some point. Help me out. Yay or Nay?

Jason Mraz
U2
Jennifer Lopez
Michael Jackson (I know, this will never happen but did anyone ever see him perform live?)
Jack Johnson
Janet Jackson

Who am I missing, who is a MUST see live?

A Bloggy Award? Yay!

2011-02-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't like getting awards? I'm amazed that people actually find my ramblings funny and interesting...interesting enough to give me an award!

Mom vs the Boys (check my fellow Canadian out, she's always got some great giveaways!) presented me with this

So here's a breakdown of how this award works:

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post
Tell 7 things about yourself
Award 15 recently discovered new bloggers (ummm I'll try for 3!)
Contact them and let them know they've received the award:)

So here goes- 7 things about me!

1. I eat red peppers whole, like they are apples. People stare, I don't care.
2. I do not wear contacts, these baby blues are just THAT blue.
3.We've moved homes 5 times in 10 years of marriage.
4. My favorite cheat snack is a bowl of milk chocolate chips
5. I once tried to get out of a speeding ticket by kinda bending the truth...and I got denied. I obviously don't lie well.
6. I was bullied by a girl from grades 5-7 and when I run into my bully (which I do given her hubby and I are in the same profession, and our city of 700k people is the biggest small town ever!) I time warp right back to elementary school...and I hate that
7. A lady at the gym drooled over my Burberry purse yesterday. I never mentioned it was fake....again, fibbing...is this a pattern?

I'll pass this award onto my following new discoveries!

Our Nesting Place: Living in Hawaii? Dreamy right?? Check her out and drool over the scenery she gets to experience as she spends time in what I think is the most beautiful place on earth!

The Hungry Runner Girl: This gal RUNS, and FAST. I love all the questions she poses, gets you thinking, gets you commenting.

Marcy's Weight Loss Journey: Aren't success stories about losing weight simply inspiring...so is this gals photography!

The Bedbugs have arrived

2011-02-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

Our fine city has a problem....a bedbug problem.

A front page newsworthy problem.

I sit on the Board of a daycare and we had a meeting a few weeks ago with the guest speaker being a bedbug expert. Let me tell you...I was fascinated by these little critters!

I came home and told Tim and Cole all about them. I'll give you the lowdown:

One bite will last them 18 months
They will hide if a hotel room is not in use, they need a host...a host being you and me as we check into our room on that great vacation!
They have been found in library books here recently...and the experts suggestion was for everyone to switch to Kindles. Are the days of taking a nice smelly book from the library over and done with?
They like to hang out in the middle seats at the local movie theatres. So sit on the end of the first row (yeah right...and get a cranked neck)
They are not like the "old 1920's" bedbugs. Our recent crop are "resistant" to the chemical government allows us to spray to kill them...so heat treatment is best...and costly.
Todays paper...bedbug found on local transit bus.

I can go on and on about this....it freaked me right out....have I freaked you out too?

Last night Cole decided that bedbugs only bite people over 65. According to Cole, they can tell the persons age by the size and wrinkles on your hands. Ohhhh the mind of a 6 year old.

As we lay in bed chatting, I had a whole slew of questions for him refuting his theories...in the end he ended our conversation like this:

Mom, I don't know why they won't bite us....I am NOT a scientist.

Scientific or not, bedbugs are here, and are causing me some anxiety.

What's making you anxious these days?

Happy Birthday to...

2011-02-01T05:38:00.000-08:00

This great guy is turning thirty something today....in order to avoid a panic attack, I will not say his true age. Let's just say I married a younger man, so his saving grace each year is that I will always be older....

Tim, you look the exact same as when I met you 12 years ago. HOT.

But more importantly you are a wonderful husband.

And as Cole simply put it...

You are the best daddy in the hol wid wruld (whole wide world)...

Happy Birthday Tim!

I have a serious addiction

2011-01-31T12:26:00.000-08:00

Drink? nope
Smoke? nope
Gamble? nope
Shop? Only if I a certain someone comes into town...
Lululemon? YESSSSS
Mavi Jeans? YESSSSSS

It's insane my friends. It's beyond reasonable here, and I plan on doing NOTHING about it.

A few weeks ago, a certain someone and I went shopping to Lulu...we both spent some dough...but I restrained myself and put away the $100 post run pants...she did not. We talked about instant gratification (her style) and delayed gratification (my style). I can wait to find it online as I thrive on finding the "deal"

She wore those awesome pants the next day and assured me they were comfortable beyond belief. Her butt also looked phenomenal in them...I contemplated heading back to the mall money pit but instead, I checked out my favorite on-line money pit.

Ebay.

And there they were, my size, my color, new without tags...for $69! It was a sign, they were meant for me...at least that's what I told Tim.

Sure they took 3 weeks to arrive, but they are on me now, and yes my butt looks good in them too..or so said Tim..

oh, and while I was browsing, I came across this Scuba Hoodie for $70. New!

Sweet!

Today I sent a certain someone MANY links to scuba hoodies for $69 on Ebay. Here's hoping she snatches one up, it's well worth the delayed gratification.

What are you addicted to these days that I may need to check out for myself?

You capture - Snow

2011-01-27T08:09:00.000-08:00

I'm a day late participating in this

So I can't link up, but I had to capture the frost this morning. It's one of the prettiest sights in our long and frigid winters and it doesn't happen very often.

Even the deer were playing this morning!

Frost so thick it looked like each branch was covered in white cotton candy.

Our deck post looked like it was sprinkled with coconut flakes

Cole's mini tree in the backyard was working hard to hold up it branches

Kyle, while he is not covered in frost, he is covered in tears from mommy leaving him inside while I took pics from our deck..well worth the few minutes of separation anxiety don't you think?

Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you today.

They said he was mine till 5

2011-01-26T08:13:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, a wise woman (aka: my mom) told me, as Cole hung onto my leg crying for attention,

"Cheryl, enjoy these young years with Cole. He's ALL yours until he turns about 5 or 6, and then he is ALL daddy's"

Not a chance I thought, the way he clung to me, wiped daddy's kisses from my face, yanked my parents off me when they gave me hugs...he was always going to want me...he will call me mommy forever!

But as usual, my mom was right. First he switched to calling me MOM. It still stings when I hear it.I miss MOMMY.

He's also not clinging to me anymore. He enjoys the "drop off" at school, a kiss in the car and he's out the door to join his friends in line. Sure he NEEDS me. He wants my hugs, kisses, smiles, praise....but in the end the same question gets asked:

"Mom, when is dad done work? Mom, when can dad take take me skating?

"Oh mom, dad and I already started the movie! Oh mom, dad and I are making a pizza! Oh mom, dad and I are playing Wii hockey...I don't think you can play that game...it's hockey! Oh mom, friday night is daddy/Coley night!"

SAY WHAT?

Did I just not spend 5 years of undivided attention nurturing this young pup only to be tossed aside for someone with a much deeper voice who enjoys a game of tackle?

Granted my time is significantly tied up nurturing the other 2 young pups in this family.....I rarely get a chance to sit down alone with Cole and just BE...the two of us. A simple game of old maid takes a half hour from 2 foot tall interruptions.

Could it really be that he doesn't need ME as much as he needs daddy right now?

Will I get him back at some point or has our relationship changed forever? Maybe I need to read a manual on proper TRANSFORMER play, or maybe I'll brush up on my star wars trivia. Problem is these activities simply don't interest me as much as they do Tim. I try, but it's never quite "right" in his baby blues.

So, like it or not, this weekend I have a date night, with a 6 year old. I'm thinking dinner and a movie..and maybe, just maybe, for a few hours.... he will be all mine again.

FF, double F, whatever you want to call it, I got it

2011-01-22T07:01:00.000-08:00

I had the flu all week. BUT, I've been calling it the "FF"

The functional flu.

It started last Monday 3am, I awoke to that turning of the stomach, the cold sweats happening and I remember saying out loud

Noooooooooooooooo, please no puking!

4am, 5am, 7am, puke, puke, puke

I think the twins sensed I was ill...maybe the fetal position on the floor gave it away, but they played nicely together ALL day...well sorta

"Mommy (says Cole), Kyle is playing with your IPOD"

Oh well....says I...here's hoping my 14 month old is better with technology then me.

So all week I've been slightly "off" in the stomach/ joints/energy department, not to the point of laying in bed, hence the "functional" aspect of this flu. Never mind the complete loss of appetite which has taken place, and remains ongoing. Let's just say that peanut butter may not be consumed around here for a very long time...

Have you ever puked peanut butter? I wish that on noone. Truly.

But, being sick gave me lots of time to practice pics with my new 50mm F1.8 Nikon lens.. check it out!

Umm yeah, Luke managed to find my tanning cream in my purse, little munchkin.. no worries, no lotion was consumed, I managed to get my FF butt off the floor and snag it. Even sick, a mommy must be on her game. Geez!

Here's to an FFF (Functional Flu FREE) house this week!

I like my name..just as it is

2011-01-16T12:27:00.000-08:00

At least once a year Tim asks me

"Are you changing your last name this year?"

Our first and second year of marriage I said no, I wanted to finish my Chartered Accountancy in my maiden name.

The 3rd and 4th year I said no, I had too many clients that knew me by my maiden name.

The fifth year I said I would, once we got settled into our new city...and then I got pregnant and life just got busy again. It's tough work changing ALL your ID you know.

Every year after that something has happened to suggest that taking his name may be easier on me...for example:

The customs dude at Las Vegas Airport asking Tim HOW ON EARTH I could NOT have my wife take his name??
The ER nurse at Childrens asking if I was a single mom since Cole has a different last name
The blockbuster video rental dude who will not let me use Tim's card to rent movies, even though we have the same address
The phone calls I get before every wedding asking whether I want to be listed by my maiden name or married name on the invite and place setting

I like my name...just as it is. I'm not saying I don't like Tim's name, our kids all have his name. It's a great name!

Maybe I simply like the thought of holding onto something I was born with. Maybe I'm being stubborn, selfish, non-traditional.

Hyphens, combining names, moving my last name into my middle name are not options for me. All or nothing.

Maybe it's like the couples who never marry because they think the label of "marriage" will ultimately break them apart? We are happily married 10 years now....would a simple "name change" really make our marriage better? Would Tim realize he is officially "stuck" with me if I finally did the "honorable" deed?

I've know women to jump at the chance to change their name, others who eventually change theirs, and those, who see it just like me..

Individually unified

Given the chance, would you still change yours?

The Tank is walking!

2011-01-15T10:28:00.000-08:00

One day short of his 14 month b-day and Lukey "aka: Tank" decided to up and walk..right into the arms of big bro.

2 walkers now, wish me luck!

I remember when Cole walked, I cried.

When Kyle walked I laughed, thankful that he could stop whining and up and get that toy he needed.

When Luke walked...I cried. Likely the last time I will see that "first"....

First steps...truly a sight to see.

Talk about friendship

2011-01-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

She walked into my firm's training course over 7 years ago...super tall, super blonde and super intimidating.

She walked right on over to my table at break time and introduced herself. Maia was her name (MAY-YA)..pretty, just like her.

While she only lasted a few months at my firm (her choice!) , we became friends for what I hoped would be a lifetime.

I had Cole, she had Halle and we named our Monday playdates during mat leave "Muffin Mondays" (she bakes a MEAN healthy muffin!)

I struggled with conceiving number 2 and even though she was busy with her second girl, not once did she dismiss my fears, insecurities and overall anxiety about my infertile future.

I moved to Winnipeg....a visit here and there would allow us to fall right back into eachothers lives. By now I knew she was a keeper. Moving away truly tests a friendship and while I had resorted to emails and texting, she maintained good old fashioned communication... a weekly phone call.

How lucky am I?

So last week, after reading my blog she called to chat. A half hour of me venting about the negativity in my life, she barely got two words in...except to say that it is my life and it's about time I start doing things for me...and be happy about it.

Huh...so true. I needed to hear that.

Yesterday, the doorbell rang and the UPS man handed me a package from amazon. Inside were 2 books, Simple Abundance and The Happiness Project.

The note read:

You are a wonderful, beautiful woman Cheryl, live YOUR authentic life. Love Maia

And to me, that is what friendship is all about.

The Princess Boy

2011-01-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

This morning on the today show there was a feature on a new trend...boys dressing in girls clothing. They have labeled one little guy "the princess boy". His mom lets him wear whatever he wants and he chooses to wear pink dresses.

It got me thinking...how would I feel if my sons traded in Transformers for Barbies, Star Wars for Littlest Pet Shop? A bedazzled pink shirt instead of blue turtlenecks?

What about an easy bake oven?

Well the last one is easy to answer. After requesting such an oven for over a year, Cole received one from his auntie for x-mas. Tim's eyebrow raised when he saw the box, I squealed in delight...FUN!

It's blue....but would it matter if it were pink? Cole helps me bake all the time in the kitchen. Mind you, we use generic spatulas, metal bowls and electric mixers. If we now place an "easy bake" label on this activity, does it suddenly become a "girl" type thing to do?

Does it matter that the box and website has, and ALWAYS has promoted the easy bake oven as a girls toy?
We tried out the "process" today. My thoughts....

Icing in a small little pan occurred with the same concentration as placing cookies onto a big cookie sheet.
The anticipation was as high as ever. Whether it's my oven or his...staring at the door will always make the cookies bake faster. And when the goods were baked and it was time to eat, the delivery method did not matter, the experience was the same. The smell of cinnamon pretzels even drew Tim away from his home office...

My example is small and likely ridiculous as Cole is not wearing a pink dress as he bakes pretzels in his easy bake oven. But would that matter? Would I be as patient and forthcoming as the Princess Boy's mom? Is she hoping this "phase" will pass? Is she at all questioning why?

Does she long for snips and snails and puppy dog tails? Is "pretty in pink" no longer for only the Molly Ringwalds of the world.

Are we, as a society, ready to accept conflicting genders?

Is a 5 year old boy and his supportive and understanding mother leading a crusade for gender acceptance?

I'm not quite sold just yet...and deep down I really don't want to be faced with "buying in" .

Back to Lightsabre battles tomorrow.

Thank goodness Santa arrives during the night

2010-12-24T20:49:00.001-08:00

This is what happens when the twins see Santa...
Merry Christmas to all my bloggy friends out there!

my 37th year

2010-12-21T12:35:00.001-08:00

Yesterday marked the start of my 37th year. I am truly closer to 40 then 30 now...not freaking out at all.....ok, maybe a little but it's more the fact that the kids are getting older, which means I am too... I think 37 will be a fantastic year and I have lots to be proud of and appreciative for...so I'll minimize my complaining for now!

How was my bday?
It was perfect.

I started it off at 5:30 am for a hamstring & tricep workout and when I came home at 7, Tim and Cole were up waiting, coffee on, presents lined up...

YES! I got 12 pound dumbells!
YES! I got the 6-pack bag..in pink!! So cute!

Plus an added bonus...a new pair of weight training gloves.

Remember last year I squealed when I got a dumbell rack. This is just as good, if not better.

A mommy friend brought by fresh flowers for me, my neighbor dropped off some MAC lipgloss (is she telling me something?), Tim's mom and my parents brought over LULULEMON gear and my sister dropped off a blouse from RW & Co and a "bedazzled" tank from Jacob. Never mind the LULU gifts cards I received in the mail from friends and family out of town....

Am I THAT predictable? LULU is the best best present ever. Hugs to everyone who knows me so well...I ordered a pair of crops and a running top online...they ship free overnight TODAY ONLY!

Tim and I ended the b-day with a movie - Black Swan. My choice. Great movie...I recommend it to anyone who like a psychodrama.....we contemplated a stop at our favorite restaurant for a glass of wine...but the power of a good night's sleep won us over.

Happy Birthday to me..what does 37 have in store for me..

Fitness Friday- progress pics

2010-12-17T07:39:00.000-08:00

Today was shoulders:

4 sets of each exercise:

Dumbell Shoulder press
Arnold Presses
Front Plate Raises
Side Lateral Raises
Bent over reverse flies
Shrugs

40 minutes on the treadmill alternating minute walk minute sprint...and I'm spent.

Not seeing much changes from the front...maybe shoulders are rounding out a bit
My back is definitely getting thicker and fuller, I nice v-taper making the waist look smaller. I'll post my back workout next week. Yesterday I saw my trainer Paul (read my last post, he wrote some fantastic and inspiring words) and I had a record squat (12 reps at 205 lbs) and leg (press 12 reps at 405lbs). To say my legs are shaky today would be an understatement. A good session of power shopping with my sister tonight will cure it!

Push a bit more this weekend ok?

Fitness Friday - Food and UGGS!

2010-12-10T12:04:00.000-08:00

I'd like to think that our whole house "eats clean"

Tosca Reno has a great cookbook called the Eat Clean diet. Check it out, it's worth it. My friend Maia told me about the delicious egg salad recipe she tried from this book. It was a HIT all around. I can make it with full fat cottage cheese for the boys and no fat for Tim and I. I can use all whole milk and eggs for the boys and mostly egg whites for Tim and I. Try it out this weekend and let me know your thoughts!

1/4 cup / 60 ml fat-free cottage cheese
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml skim milk
• 1 tsp / 5 ml mustard• 4 hardboiled egg whites, diced
• 1 hardboiled yolk
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml chopped green onion
• 2 Tbsp / 30 ml chopped celery
• Dash curry powder
• 1/4 tsp / 1 ml sea salt

Preparation

Whip cottage cheese and milk until smooth in medium-sized mixing bowl.
Blend remaining ingredients except egg whites with cottage cheese mixture.
Add diced egg whites to cottage cheese mixture. Mix well.

Calories: 170
Calories from Fat: 30
Fat: 3.5g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Trans Fat: 0g
Protein: 17g
Carbs: 18g
Dietary Fiber: 3.5g
Sodium: 528mgCholesterol: 106mg

Besides food, I seem to have an UGG addiction. Either you love em or you hate em...I love em... I cannot bring myself to spend $270 on the new 3 button style out there this winter...so I ordered a pair from China, www.manynike.com. Likely NOT real, but man they arrived today (with a box included and tags on!) and for $45 I will wear them loud and proud. Take a look!
I am ordering UGG slippers and flip flops as soon as I get paid!

On the weight gain front...not great news..I lost 2 pounds on my weigh in this week, putting me at 122.5. Body fat remained at 11.9%. That pound of muscle I worked for disappeared as fast as you can say FLU BUG!. On the upside, I feel 100% back to normal physically, my back measurement went up which means my lats are popping out a bit more. Mentally, I'm excited to hit it hard the next few weeks and grow...The plan is to choose ground beef over chicken at least once a day and get in at least 3 protein shakes per day.

Here's my treadmill workout from this morning:

Incline 9: 3 minutes walk at 3.5mph, 2 minutes run backwards at 3.0mph
Incline 10: same as above
Incline 11: same as above
Incline 12: same as above
Incline 10: Side shuffle 30 sec one way, 30 seconds other side, 3.0 mph, repeat until 4 more times
10 minute light jog, incline 1, 5.5mph

NEW ON MY IPOD THIS WEEK:

More - Usher (remix)
Check it out - Will I Am & Nicki Minaj

Have a fit and fab weekend!

It's been 5 years..and 18 before that and likely NEVER AGAIN

2010-12-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who lives in another country. I'll call her Noni. 5 years ago she contacted me on facebook. The last time we had seen eachother before that was 18 years!

She lived one street away from my house growing up. She moved to Winnipeg from Toronto with her mom, dad and younger sister. She saw me standing at the bus stop one day and said "I must be friends with her". A week later she registered for the same swim club and we became inseparable. We rode the bus to school, hung out at recess, swam behind eachother at swim practice and mixed in sleepovers, shopping and of course boys. We were 12.

At 14 she told me she had to move back to Toronto. Her dad was being transferred. The day she pulled away from my house, the van packed to the roof and her hanging out the window crying was tough on this 14 year old. I had invested ALOT of time into her and she was leaving me. She was going to be someone else's best friend and I was left here, all alone.

My parents felt bad and sent me to Toronto that summer for swim camp. Noni and I picked up where we had left off. It had only been 6 months. I went back the next summer, and things were great, but we were changing. Time apart at 15 years old was not fostering best friend qualities.

She called me from a far away country the day of my wedding in 2000. It had been 11 years since we had spoken. She was crying, happy for me, sad for not being able to attend the wedding....she dropped a bomb

She had a son. It was a one night stand and she wanted it to work with the father but he chose to return to his girlfriend. She was broke, miserable and now a single mom. We ended the conversation with a vow to keep in touch and meet up one day soon, in Canada.

That day came 5 years later. I was living in Calgary and she was going to be in Toronto and given Canada is not ALL that big, she would book a flight from TO to Calgary and visit me, Cole (1 year old) and Tim. I remember standing at the airport waiting for her, nervous and excited, happy and scared..you name it. She came out of the doors, we hugged, cried and laughed. I thought to myself...see? after all this time you can still be close, even if you are far apart.

Or so I thought.

One day into her 4 day visit and I was ready to boot her little bottom back across the ocean.

Harsh, yes, yes it is.

The entire trip was her therapy session, and pampering extravaganza. I played the role of both therapist and sugar mamma. The father of her son married his girlfriend and wants custody of their son. She is never allowed to move. She is stuck "there". She dropped out of school and can't hold down a job (insert bite of expensive piece of steak she ordered at our dinner - courtesy of Tim, oh and don't forget the 4 drinks in there)

Why don't we do massages? Sure, why not...and while we're at it, this gal on maternity leave (unemployment wages) will take care of that $200 tab. Here is where we insert the story of how she slept with a groomsmen at the wedding in Toronto and now he refuses to call her back...on the cell phone her dad is paying for..which is almost dead...so she can't talk to her son....

Let's go shopping! Suuuuuuurrrre!!!!! Let's spend money we do not have!! In fact, after I buy lunch, she will go and buy a $60 belt from Banana Republic and then proceed to LEAVE the belt at another store shortly thereafter. The solution being that I return to the mall (with 1 year old in tow) and search for the belt...and then mail it to her far across the ocean.

Right.

I got home that day with a pounding headache and a heavy heart. It was not supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be a reunion I would cherish forever. Our lives had taken very different paths, but deep down I thought those 12 year old best friends were in us somehow.

It's been 5 years since her visit. 5 years since we have spoken. She must have felt the same way as I did given we have not made the effort to keep in touch. I often wonder how she is, what she's doing, if she's in a better place now. If she's standing on her own two feet, confident and proud.

I hope so.

Maybe one day I'll decide to find out...maybe in another 18 years.

Christmas me Some MUSIC!

2010-12-08T12:46:00.000-08:00

I was stalling the Christmas Tree "putting up" event. I love my tree, I want the ornaments to remain intact...you know...free from 20 little fingers grabbing at them all day. I asked around for baby proofing ideas and my boss told me this:

Wrap a bunch of presents (empty boxes even) and place them around the tree.

It worked! I thought Kyle the climber may begin a journey to the top of the tree but he has stayed away, content to sit and look at the lights. Luke swats at the lower branches...that's about it.. so far so good.

When we were putting up the tree I played my favorite Christmas CD...which is The Barenaked Ladies - Barenaked for the Holidays. My favorite song?

Elf's Lament. Take a listen HERE

Which made me search for a comparable CD. Fun for both adults and kids. No luck...

What do you listen to at Christmas time? What makes you dance and smile and feel the true spirit of Christmas?

Fitness Friday- Make that Flu Bug Friday

2010-12-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

I'm usually inspired on fridays to post some great workout for everyone. Today, not so much.

I woke up with the cold sweats, stiff as a board and that old "hangover" feeling I have not had in YEARS. I told Cole last week during our house of illness phase that mommies can't get sick. Who would take care of the kids?

Eat my words.

I got it goooood. I admit, I take on ALOT of stuff. This weekend alone I have 2 photo shoots for friends, 20 papers to mark, 2 hockey games and a sister's b-day. Luckily my course is 2 weeks away from being done. Christmas card picture requests will die down and December birthdays are half of what November looks like.

So this body shut down today and spent most of it in the fetal position on the floor as the twins played nicely...phew. I napped when they napped..something I have not done since they were newborns.

So for those who were hoping for a workout, my apologies. Make me a promise to simply get some cardio in this weekend. I will do the same.

Here's to health!

My morning in numbers

2010-12-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

10: number of times I asked Cole to eat, get ready, pack lunch, put boots on, put jacket on...you get the picture. Amazing we made it to school on time..

9: number of times Kyle threw his food over the edge of his highchair before he actually ate something...and we wonder why he is so skinny..

8: number of times Luke threw a hissy fit when I picked up Kyle

7: number of times Kyle threw a hissy fit when I picked up Luke

6: number of diaper changes

5: number of times I have swept the floor already

4: number of times Kyle has climbed up onto the coffee table by moving an object over to use as a step (sneaky little twirp)

3: number of coffees I have already had

2: number of times I have actually sat down (one would be to write this post while 15 minutes of Thomas occupies their little minds)

1: number of loads of laundry I managed to get done..

It's 1pm.

I can only imagine my numbers for this afternoon..one thing is for sure..90 will be the number of minutes these two munchkins nap!

To all you momma's out there at home with the kids......what's your numbers looking like?

Absent yet present?

2010-11-29T12:45:00.000-08:00

Where o where have I been?
Fitness friday came and went. I know. Sorry. I will get back on it this week.

I can list everything that's been going on but for the sake of not boring you, here is the shortlist

Luke = croupe
Kyle = bad cold
Cole = ear infection

Luke + Kyle + Cole ALL cranky and begging for attention...from me. Only me. No one else would do.
This meant I was unable to even get off the floor to work during the day...unless I wanted 2 screaming babies and a whiney 6 year old after me....

BUT..I have been reading the blogs, and I thank you for all the laughs and interesting information you have all provided during my week from hell.

Did I mention it's freezing here so outings are "out" of the question.

And to top it all off. I was told this weekend that I seemed "upset"

No, it was not Tim who said it.

Apparently my balancing act does not include sick kidlets. Apparently I look upset after not sleeping for several days and trying to maintain peace in the house all day.

Apparently...I will have to try and smile more.

So I went and got a cut and color and threw on some makeup and smiled....

Done..and done.
Here's to a healthy week!

Looking out

2010-11-24T08:01:00.000-08:00

It's cold here. We're talking really cold, a bundle me up in a parka, ski pants and balaclava cold.

Ahh Winnipeg, how I love you.

With one child, I could easily do it. With 2? Not so much. By "it" I mean venture outside. I have errands to run my friends. I have photos at Costco and the cupboards are bare...

But, for the past week, me and the boys have been hanging indoors. They have plenty of new toys from the big birthday to keep them entertained...but nothing is quite as exciting as this...
Snow!

Several times a day we sit in the front room and look outside. For me, it's simply cold snow and the fact that I'm stuck inside. For Luke and Kyle, I'm sure it's white, fluffy and looks like fun...how amazing it is to see them stare and smile as the snow falls down.

As cars and neighbors walk by. I'm sure the sight of these two staring out the window creates many of their own memories..

My mom had tears when she saw them...she said it reminded her of her time at home with my brother and I, and how it feels like yesterday that we were standing at the window, making handprints on the glass...staring, smiling.

The cold weather can continue on...I'm good inside...looking out.

The POWER of Oprah

2010-11-23T11:24:00.001-08:00

The multi-million dollar talk show host has done it again.

She has cost me money.

No, I did not buy anything this time. I sold something.

Huh?

You see, she has that show every November called "Oprah's Favorite Things"....I like to watch it to see what goodies are hot ticket items in her mind. I also get a bit jealous of those in the audience, I admit it.

A few days ago Tim and I were looking to sell some stock. We decided our lululemon stock was a good choice. It was set to reach it's 52 week high, so we sold it at 49.50. A decent profit...

AND THEN IT HAPPENED...SHE SAID THIS...

'I've got to tell you, anything that cuts your butt in half should be your favorite thing too!'"

She was referring to the Lululemon Relaxed Fit Pant

Maybe viewers could miss her saying that...but then she brings out a bunch of models wearing the dang pants and has them turn around to flaunt off the butt.

You would have heard me yelling at the TV.....NOOOOOO, Off the stage people!!!

Maybe viewers don't really care about butts looking half their size?

Maybe I'm delirious

The stock jumped to $55 today.

DANG

The power of Oprah.

Bridesmaid...Round 3

2010-11-21T17:23:00.000-08:00

Well, when it rains, it pours weddings around here..
Tim's brother just proposed to his girlfriend of a few years while vacationing in Jamaica.

Isn't it funny how the SECOND a girl gets engaged, the brain starts planning.. the wedding switch flicks to "on" and away we go...I was the same, aren't most girls?

Bridesmaid round 3 for me....I've got this honor down to a science now. No Problemo.

Saturday I met up with the lovely bride to watch her dress fitting. Yes, she had her dress within 3 days of being engaged. A gal who knows what she wants. Love it.

We went to one bridesmaid dress store and less then 2 hours later, all 5 of us were fitted, deposits paid and done. DONE..done. Can I say I LOVE my dress? Love it!

Voila

It's comfy, fun, cute and perfect for me. While I did not choose this dress at first, the second I saw it on another girl I had to try it. I'm still learning to NOT judge a dress by the hangar!

The good old Winnipeg Wedding Social will be next on the list. For those who are scrunching their face in confusion....Winnipeg is known for it's winter wedding socials. It's a big party where you sell tickets for $10 and you rent a community centre, a DJ, provide cheap booze and some food and you have local businesses donate prizes for everyone to bid on. Tim and I made $5,000 at our social and paid the deposit on our first condo with it. This social thing has been attempted in other cities, with no luck. I don't get it, but I get it...you know?

Also talk of a stagette in Vegas. Score!! Finally, a trip for me! Anyone wanna come?

Did I mention a date for the wedding has yet to be set?

Minor detail.

Will keep you posted!

Fitness Friday - Weigh In Week

2010-11-18T18:48:00.001-08:00

124.5, up a pound in 3 weeks. Body fat remained at 11%, waist shrunk .5 inch but legs and arms grew .5inch. That 1 pound is all lean muscle...YAY.....here are my latest shots

Pleased were my trainers. Pleased am I. Feels like my muscles are popping out a bit more, less lean/skinny looking and more "fit" looking. Can I say my boobies are back! Double yay!! Only took a year and some serious chest work but I managed to pump them up again...

Side view...

Can we say a tan is needed? Yikes! Winnipeg Winter White in full effect!

Lots of oblique work these past 3 weeks and the results were good. Some definition on the side came through. Given my waist is pretty small, we don't expect huge changes there, just more definition.

Weigh in night means CHEAT MEAL NIGHT! Tonight I was ALL OVER the chocolate from halloween, I have been saving it until now! As I sit here, I feel ill and will likely have a headache from the sugar but it was well worth every little aero, kit kat and coffee crisp in my belly. Back on track tomorrow I go. Round 2, another 3 week program.

I worked DANG hard for that pound, heavy on the weights, lighter (ie:45 minutes a day) of cardio and ALOT of food. Amazes me how hard it is to gain muscle mass, I was worried I may get too big...not likely at the rate I'm going. We are switching to 5 days of weights now. I find my recovery time is not enough on a 6 day split. With my already active lifestyle with two babies at home, I need at least 2 days of active recovery. This will include yoga or light walk but no weights.

The shopping trip to Costco tonight included:
Chicken
Ground Beef
Veggies of all sorts..except carrots and peas, too high in carbs
Eggs
Milk
Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Whole grain bread
Quinoa

Tomorrow I'll spend the wee hours prepping and cooking while the babies play and the house is quiet. Approx. 16 weeks out from competition. 4 more weeks of eating like this and then we will start cutting it down to get lean. Stay tuned!

NEW ON MY IPOD THIS WEEK:

Give a little more -Maroon 5
The Big Bang - Rock Mafia
Wiggle Wiggle - Fulanito

Have a fit weekend!

365 Days Later

2010-11-15T19:06:00.000-08:00

This was me just about a year ago..We were celebrating Cole's 5th birthday, knowing I was about at the end of my "pregnancy" rope...what you don't see is the extreme pain on my face from the pressure in my groin as the twins were both head down..and more then 6 pounds each....

I started this blog as a way to journal my infertility and IVF attempt. I was tired of everyone asking the same questions and I was tired of not having any answers. All I knew was that after Cole I stopped ovulating..nothing seemed to restart the cycle. Anger, frustration and sadness were part of my life.And then...we got these two...the only two that survived...how cute are they!!A week after implantation I felt different...things felt off...I remember laying on the table at the clinic and the doctor placing the ultrasound wand to my belly. I couldn't look, I was scared of seeing nothing....but nothing prepared Tim and I for this sight..
and after 37 weeks of carrying those embroys, watching them grow, feeling them move inside my belly, on this day, one year ago, Luke and Kyle arrived into this world.
We left the house as a family of 3 and came home as a family of 5. Sure there have been struggles along the way, sleepless nights, endless days of crying and whining...but Tim and I seem to manage through anything..supporting eachother and recognizing that some days are just tougher then others. Noone said twins was easy and they were right. Twins is double the work...but double the fun too...

As we struggle this week through a case of the croup for both twins, we will celebrate the big day on the weekend with family and close friends...double the cake and double the mess!

Kyle took his first steps yesterday and Luke is finally skootching around to keep up with little brother. The best part of the day is when I lay down on the floor and they crawl all over me, fighting for my attention, wanting to be close to mommy...will I always be so special in their eyes?

I stop and stare at them at least 20 times a day. They fascinate me. They. Are. Mine.
Wow.

Thank you...thank you...thank you..

Happy 1st birthday my boys...you are everything daddy and I had hoped for...and more.

My fitness wish list

2010-11-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

We are interval training this week. Try this one out..basically you run for 5 minutes, walk for 1 minute, run for 4, walk for one...yada yada

Set 1
0-5 minutes. Warm up with a 5 minute jog. Speed 5.6
(5-6 minutes. Slow it down for 1 minute. Speed 5.3).
6-10 minutes. Increase the pace and run for 4 minutes. Speed 6.0.
(10-11 minutes. Take a breather for 1 minute by walking Speed 4.0
11-14 minutes. Increase the pace and run for 3 minutes. Speed 6.5.
(14-15 minutes. Slow it down for 1 minute by walking Speed 4.0
15-17 minutes. Increase the pace and run for 2 minutes. Speed 7.0.
(17-18 minutes. Slow it down for 1 minute by walking Speed 4.0
18-19 minutes. Increase the pace and run for 1 minute. Speed 7.5 or higher.
(19-20 minutes. Slow it down for 1 minute by walking Speed 4.0

Set 2
REPEAT Set 1.
The Finish
41-46 minutes. 5 minutes tempo run. Speed 5.8
46-50 minutes. Cool down with a 4 minute walk. Speed 3.5.

My b-day is around the corner and I'm dropping ideas left and right. Last year I got a dumbell rack! Yay! (seriously..it made me happy). This year I'm begging for this little number....I present to you the 6-pack bag!
Giddy me...a spot for ALL my crapola I carry around all day...It comes in grey and pink too....eeeek!
Apparently, per my Athletic Therapist, I should also be spending some quality time on a foam roller...me..not as giddy about this option...And finally, I need a set of these babies..
according to Tim I can just use my 10's or 15's but I really need the 12's....I really do..so if you're reading this Tim...pleeeeeeese?

So there you have it. My fitness wish list.

What's on yours?

My life revolves around hockey

2010-11-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

I swore I would not be a hockey mom. I swore.

Guess what..I am a hockey mom and Tim is a hockey dad.

Do we watch hockey on TV?
Nope (shhhh...it's one of the reasons why I married Tim...sports do not consume his time)

Did we attend any Flames games when we lived in Calgary?

Nope
So why on earth would we put Cole into hockey?

"Cause every kid needs to play hockey" ....or so said my good friend ( who happens to play girls hockey)

When someone takes you by the shoulders and stares into your eyes and tells you so....you tend to listen.

And so after 2 years of skating lessons, we ventured into the world of hockey. How bad can it be?

The money for ice time is flying out of our pockets...weekly games and 1.5 hour practices for 5-6 year olds means an exhausted cranky pants Cole...

Weekends have gone from "what are we going to do?" to..

"It'll depend on when Cole plays hockey"

Tim never learned how to play when he was little, he remembers thinking it was too expensive and not wanting to put his parents out...deep down, every winter when the guys play a "pick up game" at a local community centre, my hubby becomes sad...it's pathetic. Really.

The hockey rink lures me by providing free Tim Hortons coffee...the babies will learn to skate through osmosis from spending so much time there.

And Cole? He is taking this gig seriously. He "trains" everyday with me, push ups, pull ups, rides the stationary bike..he wants to be Sidney Crosby.

And let's face it..it's pretty hard to say no to this cuteness..

No, I do not know how to put on all that gear...like I said, the free coffee is my gig!

Fitness Friday - Crank that incline

2010-11-04T12:05:00.000-07:00

This week's treadmill workout is simple. Walk it out...but pretend you are in San Fran where the roads are not flat...
Get on that treadmill and crank it up high...

For mine, that means a 10 incline. If yours goes higher...by golly today is your lucky day!

0-5 minutes incline 3, speed of 3.7mph

5-15 minutes, incline 10, speed 3.1

15-20, incline 4, speed 3.8mph

20-30 incline 10, speed 3.3mph
30-35 incline 5, speed 3.9mph

35-45 incline 10, speed 3.5

45-50 cool down, incline 1, speed 3.5mph

It's nice to switch it up from always running...the incline will help tighten up that butt..play with the speed but do not change the incline I have suggested..

A tip I found this morning, thanks to my trainer..if you want to get ultra low on your pushups, place a set of large dumbells on either side of you (25's and up). Chest gets low to the ground and you WILL feel it. He graciously snagged a pic as I was cursing under my breathe..

I spent an hour getting manhandled by my Athletic Therapist this morning...my running injury was acting up a bit and my heels were sore...apparently I'm all out of whack..nothing major, just regular kinks cause by volume training. I've added him to my team...a weekly visit to him will keep me injury free...I hope.

New on my IPOD this week:

Nuttin Nuh Go So: Notch
Bumpy Ride: Mohombi

Stay Fit this weekend!

6 going on 16

2010-11-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

Coley Bear turned 6 today.

Tim and I chatted a bit about the day he was born...how different things are now....we have lost loved ones...we have gained new loved ones...our own and extended...

You blink and your monkey goes from a toddling 2 year old..To a 6 year old little man...
I sent a little note in his lunch today...reminding him that at 11:30 he was officially 6 and that we loved him...simple things like that note made me smile. Nothing like your child's birthday to make you realize just how lucky you are to even be a mom.

Hockey, Nintendo DS, The Wii, Math, Reading Star Wars books consume his life..so Tim and I decided to get him a magic set! He spent the evening learning new tricks and impressing the family...he is one funny kid.

Tim's mom made a great cake which looked exactly like his hockey jersey....complete with his name...only grandma's have that kind of patience to make black icing!

We dined on sushi and homemade pizza..special requests from the birthday boy....we opened gifts..we laughed....

And now I sit here, writing this post, listening to my 6 year old as he sings to himself in his bed...

Happy birthday to me...Happy Birthday to me...
Bonne Fete a moi...Bonne Fete a moi

Ok, who taught him the french version?

Happy Birthday Cole.

BOO- We broke 500 kids

2010-11-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

Jengo Fett, Darth Vader, a Walrus, a Monkey and I...the Spider Witch enjoyed one heck of a Halloween.

500 kids was the tally last night.

Say what?

$100 bucks in candy (and that is at wholesale price)...

25 people at our Halloween Howl Open House...

Great food, including meatloaf hand, snake bites and Ghost Pines Wine...
It was fantasticly (is that a word?) insane...Tim projected a movie in the front window to "spook" the kids..and once the youngsters were done at 7pm, I changed and stood out on the driveway looking like this...

For the older kids..you know the ones who pretend to be all brave...I scared em...good.

I think this may become a tradition....

BOO!

Fitness Friday -Speed Training & ABS

2010-10-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Training hard these days...as I'm sure you all are :)

I've increased to lifting weights 6 days a week and 45 minutes of cardio per day. Caloric consumption is 2062 cals. I weighed in at 123.5 last night which was fine as we want to stay between 125-130 prior to the diet down phase. Body fat was down .5% so we're watching that to ensure I do not get lean now..instead of during the diet down phase.

When on earth do I do all this AND work 25 hours a week, and run the house with 3 kids? You'd be amazed at what you can do with proper planning and communication. I'm at the gym at 5:30 am for weights and I run during the morning nap. I work during the afternoon nap and in the evening.

I have to keep the treadmill interesting or I'll get bored. So this week I'm giving you all some speed training - as usual you can speed it up or slow it down to tailor to your level of fitness, below is simply a guideline.

Interval
Warm up	5 minutes - walk/slow jog at 3.5 MPH, at a 7% incline.
One mile	Run at 6.0 MPH.
Rest Set	Slow it down to 5.0 MPH and run for 3 minutes.
Work Set	Speed up to 6.8 MPH for 30 seconds.
Rest Set	Go back to 5.0 MPH for 3 minutes.
Rest/Work Sets	Keep repeating the 3 minute/30 seconds intervals until the clock reaches 25 minutes.
One mile	Run at 6.0 MPH for another mile.
Cool down	Slowly jog or walk for 5 minutes at 3.5 MPH at a slight incline (5% to 7%).

When you're done I want you to do 3 sets of the following:
10 crunches, rest 10 seconds
9 crunches, rest 9 sec
8 crunches, rest 8 sec
7 crunches, rest 7 sec
6 crunches, rest 6 sec
you get the idea...all the way to 1 crunch...

If this does not BURN you are doing the crunches wrong, really focus on belly button in, nice and slow crunch, give a little extra squeeze at the top!

New on my IPOD this week:

Chori Chori - Aneela (it's a song from Zumba...remember the old "informer" song by snow?
Stereo Love - Mia Martina
Michael Buble -Hollywood

Happy Halloween!

Fitness Friday - Hill Training Treadmill

2010-10-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

I'm taking to the hills today...treadmill style.

Tim has been away ALL week...5 days as single mom and things went pretty well. A few meltdowns, pukes and sniffles along the way...I do miss getting outside of the house for a workout though...especially with the gorgeous fall weather!

If you do treadmill running, you want to ensure you up the ante every now and then. No course is completely FLAT so running on a "0" incline is not representative of the real road.

Try this simple hill workout this weekend to get those hip flexors working and the heart pounding!

Slowly jog for 5 minutes.

2 minutes steady pace at 4% incline