Threadless

I ordered a couple of Christmas presents from Threadless. I really love their t-shirts. I love comfortable, causal and funny clothes. Threadless has lots of them. Here are some of my favs.



I ordered myself this one. Bones and Jenn = love



Darryl has this one in his collection



This one is in my collection



This one is on my Christmas list

If you are ever looking for a cool shirt I would check out this website.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Almost Done

I'm looking forward to it being the end of the month. Phew I don't really like posting everyday of month.

Here's a cute picture from the weekend.



Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Great Big Sea

If you have been reading the blog for a while you'll know what a big fan I am of the Barenaked Ladies. Really I'm a big fan of Canadian music. Not all Canadian music, but most of it. One of my favoites is Great Big Sea. They play east coast/celtic music. There songs have great upbeat messages (except for Scolding Wife "if the devil would take I'd thank him for his pain I swear to god I'll never get married again). I use to blare them loudly while drivin home after night shift. Lucas was also named for one of their songs. They were also on the cruise, so I got to introduce Tammy to what a fun experience their concert. On the second night she claimed she wasn't going to jump or clap, but when you are there you just can't help yourself.

So anytime I get a chance to see them and jump around, i "jump" on the chance. Last night was one of them. And the fun part about it was it was our godson's first concert. He was so excited, although exhausted by the end of it. It was a gala. So there were many many artists that night. The Canadian Tenors (who were much younger and better looking then I expected), Sophie Millman (a jazz artist), Divine Brown (and R&B Artist) and George Canyon (a country artist) were all on before GBS.



It was a super fun night. To see Matt's excitement when his favorite songs were song was priceless.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

French People

On the weekend we went to our friends house warming. Our friend is Chinese and most of her family was there. There were a lot of Chinese people there. Later that evening Lucas says: Mom, did you see all the french people there. Darryl and I though it was so funny. Lucas thinks that every other language other then english is french.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Nathan's New Favorite Thing To Do

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Christmas Countdown Calendar

This year I am determined to enjoy Christmas, I am usually quite the bahhumbug. But it has become much better with kids, they make it so much more exciting. Last year I was looking at this blog and thought her advent calendar/christmas countdown calendar. Last year I bought one after Christmas and here are some of my ideas for the activities for the different days. What do you think?

• Put up and decorate the Christmas Tree
• Go for a walk at night and look at all the lights
• Go to McDonald's for dinner
• Make cookies and decorate them
• Santa needs some room for your new toys. Donate 5 toys to charity
• Read a Christmas story
• Decorate a gingerbread house
• Make a glitter shape
• Make a fort
• Color a Christmas picture
• Buy food for the food bank
• Make paper snowflakes
• Have an indoor picnic
• Have hot chocolate with all the fixings
• Write letters to Santa Claus
• Use puppets to tell bedtime story
• Have breakfast for dinner
• Make decorations for the tree
• Have a camp out around the Christmas tree
• Wrap a toy and take it to a charity Christmas tree
• Go out for dessert
• Dance like crazy to music
• Watch a Christmas movie with popcorn

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

November

More then 6 years ago I started the job I'm doing now. I really love my job and although it's not always perfect, I do really like it. 6 years ago when I started my job there was a tremendous learning curve. Although I was teaching people how to be x-ray technologists, and I was an x-ray technologist, it was a whole new world. Different terminology, different working environment, needing to know the information inside and out. It was a huge adjustment and although I was ready for the challenge, the work was phenomenal.

Here is the second part of the story and they will blend together at the end. Here in Calgary we are quite far north, so in May and June we have these really really long days. It's bright at 6 in the morning and doesn't get really dark until 11pm. It's great I love it. But of course to the ying there is a yang and in November the days are short. The sun comes up around 7:30 and goes down around 5 pm.

So the first year (and second) of teaching during the month of November, I only saw the sun on the weekends. That "SAD" thing, I had that. No sun 5 days in a week. I started work before the sun came up and didn't leave my desk till the sun went down. So November is never really been my favorite month.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

The Furminator

As Emma grows older her shedding problem has been getting worse and worse. Every spring and fall Emma sheds a lot of her hair. I vaccum once a day to pick up all the hair. I've even tired to vaccum her. This fall I was debating taking her to a groomer to see if that would help. Instead I thought I would go what Lori recommend: the Furimator. It is expensive (40$), so we have put it off for a while. But today we went out and bought it and OH MY GOSH look at all the hair it got out:



And that is about a quarter of the hair that came out. It was also great because the Furminator didn't bother her at all. In the past if we have used a comb she really didn't like it. If you have a dog and they shed I definitely recommend it.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Happiness

One of the things I've really been enjoying lately is how happy my kids can make other people. Nathan has been giving smiles and waves to strangers on the street. His blond hair and happy face seems to make people so happy, even just for a moment. In regards to Lucas it's more indepth. When he's playing with my Mom, you can see how happy she is to have him in her life. Or in school he is a good kid and you can see how the teachers appricaite that. Also his friends, how well he got along with Kaelen and how he has such fun with his friends.



It such a warm fuzzy feeling inside to see your kids bringing happiness to others.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

New Moon

Just got back from seeing New Moon and I thought it was great. Much, much better then the first one. Maybe it's because my "vision" of everything wasn't ruined. But I thought the acting was better, the special effects were better. It didn't seem so rushed. I'm still on team Jacob, he did really well in the movie as well. I also thought they did a good job visually with the Voluturi. There was also some comic relief with the high school students.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

Jenn

Melded

When you read someone's blog you feel like you get to know them. You become friends with the people's blogs you read. Truthfully as this is a public forum very few people share everything. I have lots of crazy things that happen that never make it into the these pages. So no matter how much I feel I really get to know my blogger friends, you wonder how it will go when you become real life friends with them.


Today Lesley, Allie and I all met up and took our kids (or the kids we had at the time) to the zoo. I've met Allie in real life before but kind of by accident. It was great because in real life she is just as kind and friendly and funny and a great mom as she writes on her blog. It was like our afternoon at the zoo was time spent with old friends. It's the only time I've ever been to the zoo and not seen the giraffes or the gorillas. We were having so much fun just talking that the animals were kind of in the background.



The other part that really amazed me was how well all the kids got along as well. I am kind of picky when it comes to people, and I think it has kind of worn off on Lucas. But it was like the parents melded and so the kids melded. Lucas and Kaelen got along so well, that they were both upset when they had to leave each other.





Thanks Lesley and Allie for a great afternoon with friends.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

A year ago

I just got my blog book from last year, the first thing I did was flip to last year at this time. I was going through one of the most challenging times, with my broken foot. It is amazing to look back at it now. When you are in the challenge it seems like it is taking forever. I remember being depressed, living days for them to be done and not what would happen in the day. But now looking back it seems like the time went by very quick. I guess the old saying "time flys when you are having fun" is very true. Most days seem to go fast and time since the foot was fixed. But when the foot was broken it wasn't fun and took forever. I am still so grateful for all the help I got while I was hurt. I think it made me a kinder person. This summer I called a friend of mine who had a c section and couldn't drive and took her out to shopping, because I remember people taking me out. Interesting to reflect back at a year....

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Treasure

I made plans on Friday to go to the zoo with her and her (very excited about). The only problem was I made them for when Lucas is in school, so I had to adjust it. How quickly they are growing up. It was not that long ago that we had all day every day to ourselves. Now there is school to worry about, and that will only get worse. It makes me treasure, PD days and days at home with my boys, and weekends. How wonderful it is to have days where we wake when we want to and not some activity dictates it. How wonderful just to have oodles and oodles of time with them.

Man I love those kids.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Monthly Newsletter: Month Fifty One

Dear Lucas,

This month has been a really good one. You still have your emtional times, but generally we can work through them (usually by feeding you =)) Compared to last month, things are a million times better.


A couple of times this month you have wanted your hair spiky. It's been very cute. You are also more concerned about things matching.

We have finshed reading your first chapter book. You enjoyed it so much that you have started reading it again. If anyone has any suggestions on another chapter book we could read to Lucas, I'd love to hear them.

Things with Nathan are still up and down. Sometimes you guys get along well. You laughing and run and have fun. And other times your play "fighting" can get either one of you in trouble. Or sometimes he will laugh and you'll get mad becuase you think he's laughing at you. This makes me laugh, and then it makes Nathan laugh more and it's a bad scene. But I think this will continue for the next 10 years. You will have ups and downs with your brother.



Swimming lesson is going really well. You are going under the water and acting like a fish. You listen to your teacher very well, just as you do in preschool.



A couple of things happened this month that shows me how much you are growing up. The first thing is your first "gun". It's a nerf gun, which I know is no big deal. But it feels like a big deal to me. We have set some ground rules about not shooting people with it but the walls or "imaginary things". How long these ground rules will last, I don't know, but you are really really loving it. You also had dinner at a friends house this month. Not that I've never had dinner without you. But it was weird to have dinner with Nathan and not with you.



As you grow and as these things happen, it makes me treasure the times that things are normal. I know there will be a day when you have less and less dinners at home, so I'm enjoying all of the ones we have together.

love mom

Chinook

Mom took this picture on Sunday. It's been chinook-ing here. Today it was 15 degrees. What a cook sky eh?



Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Emma

I love that dog of mine. We have been snuggling together in the nights, laying in Nathan's room while he falls asleep. She is there wagging her tail and jumping every time I come home. I love that dog. My favorite part is that we have to take her out everyday (well almost everyday) for exercise. So everyday even in the winter, I go out and get some fresh air.



What about you what's your favorite part about your pet?

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Who Do You Love

Today while we are getting ready to go out Nathan is babbling.

Nathan: Mum, Mum, Mum
Mum, Mum, Mum
Mum, Mum, Mum
Mum, Mum, Mum

Mum: Who do you love?

Nathan: Dad

Dad starts laughing, and keeps a smile on his face for the rest of the morning.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Motherhood of One

Thanks everyone to your very nice comments on the last post. The reason I posted something so different then my normal happy posts is because I think it's important for me and others who read the blog is to remember that I have things about myself I'd like to change and improve. And although I am usually a pretty happy person, I like everyone else have times where I question who I am. Thanks again though, the support is so nice.

Back to normal posts.

This afternoon Lucas is at his best buds birthday party, Nathan is upstairs sleeping and I am blogging in the afternoon. This kind of reminds me of blogging in the beginning. I use to blog every afternoon while Lucas slept, I'd write about our events, his sleep habits. Nathan has been sleeping well. In the night he is getting quite good at falling back to sleep. Life is starting to feel good again.... easy again. I am getting enough sleep at night and enough uninteruputed sleep. Which makes everything with the boys seem better and brighter. Nathan and I also went to gymboree today. It was great fun and again reminded me of being a parent to one kid. Nathan is really enjoying it, he lovely the singing part. I think I may look for a kindermusik class for next fall.



Tonight I'm headed out for some retail therapy.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

I wish....

I wish I didn't care so much what people think.
I wish my house was better decorated.
I wish friendships didn't make me question myself so much.
I wish I was more on the ball.
I wish my house was cleaner.
I wish I was more self confident.
I wish I was more type A, rather then type B
I wish I didn't forget things.
I wish I was more organized.
I wish I didn't get in trouble so much.
I wish I made more money.
I wish I fit in more.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Thanks for this....

Today the boys and I went to the zoo. It is not your traditional Remembrance Day celebration. But it worked for us. We are grateful for our freedom and grateful for living in a country known for peace.

Thank you to soldiers present and past.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Charlotte's Web

Lucas and I are almost done Charlotte's web. Tonight we were reading the second last chapter. The chapter where Charlotte dies. I can barely read it through my tears. Lucas looks over at me and starts laughing. Of course this made me start laughing. I don't know if he was laughing because I was crying about a spider dying or that I was crying at a book, but he thought it was hilarious. It was one of those few times I was feeling both sad and happy at the same time.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Happy Birthday Mom

I have the most incredible mom. Ask anyone, my co-workers or friends, she is such a great lady. She is there for me when I need her. She is there for my kids when they need her. She is kind and giving. Even though she doesn't live in the house with us, she still does a good job of taking care of us. So this weekend we celebrated a great woman's birthday. To the woman who gives so much to others it's nice to give back to her.

The birthday girl


All the kids surrounding Grandma.


Lucas and Shaun doing the dishes.


The snowball cake turned out great.


We Rockband-ed it out all night.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Money

Today I went shopping at the new Cross Iron Mills Mall. I was looking for a new pair of boots. There is only one problem with this, I like a good bargain. I can't imagine spending more then 100$ on a pair of boots. I know that may sound crazy to you, but that is a lot of money to me to spend on something I'll wear maybe once or twice a month and only in the winter. That being said I am sitting in my very cozy lulu lemon sweater which I paid 100$ for. But I wear this sweat shirt once a week. I think another part of it is, I know those boots will go on sale. Come March they will all be half price. I'll also spend lots on a vacation.

What about you, what do you spend money on?

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Nathan's Monthly Newsletter: Month Nineteen

Dear Nathan,

This has been a fun month. Today we actually celebrated Grandma's birthday, but you were great at helping her blow out the candles. We are at such a great time in your life. You are so fun and happy most of the time. You communication is coming along slowly. But I do feel like you are communicating more. Still virtually no talking. We think you are saying more words. We think you say the word more and duck and moo and meow. Your favorite words are still Mum, Dad and Pop.



One of the funniest things you are are doing lately is yelling "yeah". If I ask you something your really like and it usually has something to do with food, you "yeah" it. Like if I say, are you ready for dinner. You'll yell "yeah". It makes everyone around you laugh. You show such enthusiasm for your "yeahs" and for whatever it is we are offering you.



As I alluded to in the paragrapgh before you love your food. The moment I put something on the table for dinner, whehter it's milk or a salad you climb right up on your chair and will start to dig in. Even once you take a bite or two, you'll still sit there and wait for the rest of it.



You are really a boy. You have learned so much "boy" stuff from your brother. You pretend to shoot people with your pointer finger all the time. You also love to play on the iphone, just like your brother. I have learned that if Lucas asks for something I better get two, so that you both have one. You do know your one. Anytime I ask you how old you are you'll put up your little one finger.


You are doing well at your "classes". You quite like gymboree. You grab my hand and we walk all around and do the activities. But I think what your favorite part of it is the end. There are songs and bubbles and Gymbo the clown. You also really like the swimming we do after Lucas's swimming.


For life milestones, Daddy gave you your first hair cut this month. You went form the long shaggy hair that mommy loved. To little boy hair, which everyone else loves. Don't get me wrong I love your little boy look too. But it's just one more way you are growing up, so quickyly before my eyes.

love mommy.

Dress Up

Although it was Halloween last week, there have been lots of dress up going on in this house. Here is some of the evidence.





Till Tomorrow

Jenn

My Soapbox

Over the last couple of days I have been working at the hospital and am amazed at how H1N1 has effected the healthcare system. Amazed at how the majority of people in ICU are there for H1N1. Amazed at how there are now separate waiting rooms for H1N1 patients. Some hospitals are not sending patients out of there rooms to try to prevent the spread. Some hospitals are not allowing students to do isolation cases because they don't want to use extra supplies for them. In some hospitals they have to stop doing cases till more laundry can be done for isolation gowns.

People are dying from this flu. People who are young and healthy. The largest percentage of people in the hospital with H1N1 are children 9 and under. I know that most people recover just fine from it. But I've seen the other side. I've seen how sick it can make people and if a needle can prevent that why not. We are lucky enough to live in a country that will provide a shot to everyone. I know that most provinces have not rolled it out in the best fashion and then there was a shortage. But when you can, as soon as you can I would.

I know I'm biased. I know I'm in the thick of it. But for the benefit of the health care system go and get your shot. If you have to wait in line, your kids will survive I promise. Have they never been on a plane, bring things to entertain them. Get them vaccinated so they don't have to be hospitalized.

K I'll get off my soap box now.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Glee

My new favorite show this year is Glee. My favorite part of it is the singing and dancing. I've always loved musicals so this show is totally for me. But I love the smartness of it as well. There are such funny and clever characters. They also take the music and use it to reflect the emotions of the characters. And they take new songs and old songs and mash them up.

Have you been watching? What do you think?

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Sobeys

Doesn't this cake look great.



I think I'll get the ingredients from the new Sobeys. Ahh the new Sobey's. Last week Thursday they opened the new grocery store right around two corners from us. Yesterday night I was out of contact solution so I ran over to the Sobey's and ran home. Less then 15 minutes. Although it might make me poor going to the grocery store all the time.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Crafts and Music

When I was pregnant I was worried about having a boy, I didn't know about boys and didn't really play boy things. Even now I have two boys that love to shoot me and each other, they love Spiderman and tools and all things boy.

But my boys do love me. I am not good at playing spiderman or cars or shoot-em up games. What I am good at is crafts. We have a a whole craft cupboard. If Lucas wants me to play with him he entices me with coloring or painting, instead of Spiderman or tricks. I do love my boys and play with them all the time. But my favorite things to do with them are not the typical boy things, but things that we enjoy doing together. Cooking and coloring and playing games. Lucas is great at making muffins or cookies. I think it's good balance for him. He can play with his friends and pretend to shoot em up. But he can also play with his mommy and do crafts. Hopefully he'll be well rounded.



Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Happy Hallowe'en

By God it's the first day of NaMaBloPo.... or whatever its' called where you post a blog post every day of the month. Last year and I think the year before that I was completely unsuccessful. But I am going to try it again this year and so far the first day. I have not failed. =)

Halloween was quite fun this year. The boys are at really good ages for it. The weather was good (although not as good as last year), they were both pretty good walkers. Dad came and handed out candy here so Darryl and I could take both kids and the dog. And then bring Nathan home when he's tired. But they were both out for quite a while.

Here's all the loot

Trick or Treating in action


A great picture of the boys.


The Russian and the monkey.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn