What Happens to a Blogger

I, like many of my favourite bloggers, have not been posting as much as usual. My signoff, till tomorrow is not realistic anymore. I've been thinking about why that is, has blogging run it course for me or is it something else. But I still enjoy blogging and I love having a record of .... life. I think the lack of blogging is probably a bunch of things. First off things with the kids don't seem to be constantly changing. I think with babies things change so quickly that there is always things to document. Now that the boys are 2 and 5, things stay pretty similar, Lucas still loves Star Wars and school and Nathan's potty training was the big news for him. Another reason for the lack of blogging is the lack of struggles with them. With babies it's hard to figure them out so it's nice to write it down to get feedback or to use writing to try and solve it.

Although life isn't changing very much, that is great. Life is great and I'm glad it's not changing all the time. The boys are at a fantastic age where they are fun and funny. I love to be with them and we do lots of fun things together.

So although the blogging hasn't been, and won't be as frequent as what it was when the boys were babies, I am still going to make a conscious effort to document the good and fun things we do. Partly to keep the few readers I still have updated, but also for myself so that I can look back and see what happened.

Till Next Time

Jenn

Love Bombs

Not sure if you have heard about this new great thing that the internets are doing called a Love Bomb. Each week the Love Bomb team finds someone who is in need of.... love. The love bomb team sends out an e-mail with the website of the person who is in need and "the internets" all go the the website and make comments on their blogs. So someone who is going through a hard time suddenly gets hundreds of comments on their blog.

It is a great easy way to contribute to the good of the world. And it is a great reminder to appreciate everything you have.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Thanks Commenters

Anyone who blogs knows what a great feeling it is to have people comment on what you write. A big thanks you to everyone who has been commenting on my blog lately. Everything kind of slows down over the summer but it is rewarding to see some commenters coming back again. Over the summer I was feeling a little disenheartened about the reasons for continuing to blog. But I don't blog for the comments, but it is still a really nice feeling to have some feedback from people.

Thanks again, I will continue to comment on your blogs too.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Why I Have This Blog

So I've read a fair number of articles lately about people blogging for making money or people stopping their blogs becuase it's too overwhelming. Although sometimes I find maintaining the blog alot of work, I don't really write to make money or for anyone else. Don't get me wrong I make it a public blog, so obviously I want people to read it and enjoy it. And I LOVE to get comments from people, so please comment away. But one of my favorite things about the blog is to go back and read about how life was a couple of years ago. Or what was Lucas doing when he was Nathan's age. It's great becuase I have it all online, but I've also published it in the Blurb book.

When I go back and read the blog from a couple of years ago I give updates what we did everyday and I don't really do that anymore. So just in case I go back and read now, here is how things are going with Nathan. Naps are going well. He does cry sometimes when I put him down, but not usually for more then 5 mintues. Bedtimes are not as simple. We usually try to get him asleep before putting him in his bed. Which is probably why he wakes up almost every night and I have to go in and rock him to sleep. With Lucas we were more strict, but now that I know the rocking to sleep stage is not that long, I don't mind doing it.

For the daily update today we had a pretty good weekend. Some exciting "cops" action behind our house on Saturday morning. Then we went to the home show and Lucas had another meltdown as we left. Sunday we went to IKEA and got Lucas a new mattress and did some redecorating.

Anyway, so Jenn is 5 years when you read this, this was your life. I'm working on a post like Lesley's where I reflect on what I was doing 10 years ago.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Testing Testing

What, two posts in one day. Plus is this the blog I usually read.

I've been playing around this evening. Let me know what you think... still okay to read?

Jenn

Since This Seems To Be Working, I'll Try My Luck Again

So a week ago I complained about the cabinets in the new house not being ready and a day or two later, boom there they were. Yesterday I wrote about Lucas screaming and crying when we left him at Lesley, and boom this morning, he walks into the kitchen and turns and waves. Bye mom, bye dad. I was so happy, no crying from either of us. YEAH!!!

So I'm going to try my luck for a 3rd time, as my life seems like one big ball of stress. So now that the new house is ready the old house is not selling. We have not even had a showing in two weeks. We've dropped the price of the house over a week ago and there has not been one person through. We've actually started the process for plan B, which is having two mortgages. Which is making me throw up in my mouth every time I think about it. I calculated out what our payments would be and it is astronomical. It would make my life so so so so so so so so so, did I mention so, much easier if this house would sell as well. The problem is the market is so flooded with houses. Everyone seems to have the same plan Darryl and I do and their new houses are also ready. So god's of the blog world, here my call. Could I at least have some showings this weekend?? Possibly even an offer? It would really help my blood pressure.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Mish Mash Fridays

I don't have any one topic to write about today but do have a couple of things to post about.

First up, thanks for the opinions on the previous post. To explain it a little further, I was invited to the wedding, but was not paying 600$ to fly to Ontario for it. The situation happened to another couple who was attending the wedding. He is a childhood friend of the grooms, (I'll call him Joe) but the Joe's wife is not very well liked by some of the grooms friends and family. So the Darryl invited Joe, but Joe's wife was offended by it, so Joe is not going. I would not and did not have a problem with Darryl going to the wedding, nor would I if he was invited to a wedding in the same city as I was with a co-worker. Interesting to see everyone's opinions.

I bought a pack of grapes with red ones and green ones, thinking I've always preferred the green ones. But this time I like the red ones better.

Don't worry Darryl, no cookies in bed tonight.

My overweight and usually lazy cat has been playing with a twist tie and milk tab for 1/2 hour now.

I love to read about money. Although I don't always manage it well, I like to learn about it. Here's a recent blog I stumbled upon, just in case you like learning about basic money things as well.

Went to see the cabinets in the new house. After all the waiting, they look AWESOME. We have 9 foot ceilings in the house and went with 8 foot cabinets rather then the typical 7. Looks very posh.

Lucas is definitely a little boy, he laughs like crazy every time he farts and wants to play in the dirt from the moment he wakes up until I put him in the tub because he is so dirty. But he has no co-ordination when it comes to hitting a ball.



Isn't this camera awesome??

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Jenn

Tea Drinking Tuesday

I almost am always drinking tea when I write my blog. I love tea. My favorite is Earl Grey Vanilla from Tetley. Last time we went to the States for a vacation I realized they don't sell Tetley there, I learned a lesson and will always bring tea with me. For a while I was drinking Chocolate Orange tea, but have converted back to Earl Grey Vanilla.

Today my friend Claudine came over and "staged" our house for us. My play room is now a formal dining room. All the pictures that I love are in boxes and instead properly matching pictures are up that tie in all the rooms. Proper sized furniture is in all the rooms. Really the house looks great. It is still livable as well, which is nice. It may be harder if it was winter but from the moment Lucas wakes up to the moment he goes to bed he wants to be outside. I love it, although there is lots of sand in the house. Lucas's new favorite word is "Yeah", not yes or yes please but "yeah". I'll have to take a video of it post it.

A funny blog I read today. I totally agree with Uniqua, what is she?!? Although I love all the singing with the Backyardigans. Also where are Ruby and Max's parents and how come Ruby can take care of everything and Max can barely talk. But they are almost the same height.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Best Buddies

First off I wanted to say hi to the new people reading the blog. It's so nice to hear from you.

Last week, we had a guest dog staying with us. Although Emma likes other dogs, she much prefers her family, or people that are part of her extended family. When we go to the park she's happy to play with the frisbee and ignore anyone else around. She never runs up to other people and is quite happy to hang out with us.

Last week, she was happy to have a dog to play with. I think she will be sleeping for the next week from all the playing that happened last week. Every waking moment they wanted to be outside so they could wrestle or chase each other around the yard. Emma who is not a big eater, was eating all meals we gave to her.





It's so great to have a best friend!

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Is It All Worth It?

Being a blogger is a strange phenonmenon. There are days when I'm offended that I don't have more people who read and there are other days like today that I'm glad I'm not. Here is a blog from a women who has recieved death threats on her blog. I've also heard of women who post blogs and people deface picture of their children.

I really like to blog. Sometimes it seems like a lot of work, but most of the times I am glad to do it. I like that I have a permenant record of our life, and I hope one day I'll have caring grandchildren who will be interested in reading it. I also like to go back and read what I was doing last year. I also think it is good reflection on how much I've grown and changed. So mostly I write the blog for me, but there is a part of me that writes it for other people as well. If it was just for me I would write in a diary rather then online. It great to receive comments on your posts and hear what other people think. It's nice to reach out in cyberspace and have someone reach back. So to all of you who have never reached out I'd love to hear from you. Hi George and Mark and Christina!

But I go back to the first paragraph, is it really worth it? Am I putting myself or my family in danger? Does anyone else worry about this? Reading Kathy's post today made me question it. Not that I am anywhere near as popular (Hi to my regular 20ish daily readers) as her, but maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I don't want to be a popular blogger. Maybe there is no need to get more readers. Does less people equal less problems. Something to think about...

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Happier Days

Well being at home and around my boy is helping to make me a happier lady. Lucas has started to have temper tantrums. It was hard last night putting him down to bed. And this morning trying to bring him inside. He does love being outside, especially now that the weather is nice. I sure they will probably get worse before they get better, but I'm having to work on being consistent and not giving in when he screams. I'm just not use to the screaming.

But we did have a good day today. It is amazing how going to Walmart can become such a adventure. We spent 15 mintues looking at the fishy, 15 minutes sitting on Thomas the Tank engine chairs. Spent time looking at juice boxes, things hanging from the ceiling and looking at toys. It was a great adventure. Amazing but a Walmart adventure.




I am working on my blog book. I am trying to make it shorter becuase it started off as almost 300 pages long. Plus I want some pictures bigger and others smaller. So it will probably take me a month or so before it's done.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Is there anything in Life.....

On Heather's website today people are talking about Is there anything in my life that I wish I could go back and do differently? I generally subscribe to the philosophy that all things happen for a reason and I love the life I live now so probably not. That being said there are a couple of things:

1. Wished I had traveled more through school exchanges when I was in high school. In hindsight there seemed to be lots of opportunity to do it. I did travel a bit after college and before having kids, but it will be a while, and much more expensive to show myself and my family the world. You just gain so much appreciation for life and the human race when you travel, wish I knew that back then.

2. I wish I wasn't such a pain in the ass when I was a teenager. Sorry Mom and Dad. Sometimes I remember what a pain I was and am embarassed. Sorry Alexis I was mean to you and never should have been. I hated being a teenager and I think it showed in the way that I acted.

What about all of you, is there anything in life that you wish you could go back and do differently.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

E-mail

I love e-mail. I use it all the time. I feel weird if I don't check my e-mail at least once a day. Sometimes on Saturday I don't receive any e-mails and I find it to be a little sad. E-mail has done some great things. I have a better relationship with my dad because of it. When I first moved out west my dad and I use to send e-mails to each other to stay in contact. I remember the first one I got from him I wasn't sure who it was. He signed it with one of his nicknames and it took me a couple of reads to figure out it was my dad. From those e-mails we became very close. Also I can stay in great contact with lots of my friends who live far away. I even prefer e-mail to the phone, then people can respond when they are ready to rather then immediately. I'm sure it also has to do with my geekness as well. Yesterday I had to step out of my comfort zone and call someone I had never met before and ask them to do something for the students. I would have much prefered to e-mail it.


That being said someone sent me an e-mail recently that made me feel like the size of an ant. I'm sure they didn't do it on purpose but the exaggeration they put in the e-mail played on my insecurities and now I'm feeling like I need to do something to help my problem. What is my problem you ask? You all know..... I am a horrible writer. I think I can write from the heart but, I can not write a professional document if my life depended on it. Spelling, grammar just not my forte. My question is how does someone get better at writing professional documents? Is it practice makes perfect or are there just people who are born to care religiously about these things? I don't want to become a perfectionist, if I did there would be no blog, because I'm sure my posts would never be good enough. But I would like to become a better, more professional writer.

Till tomorrow

Jenn

New Link

On the side bar I added a new link called " Stuff on My Cat" It is a hilarous website where people submit pictures of stuff on their cat. I know Alexis and Haley will be sure to enjoy it.

Jenn

Somedays...

Somedays other people's blog are so much more thought provoking then mine. Here's a great one to read today... Plus great comments.

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Thinking Meme

I was tagged by my friend Allie from Life at the Whittinghams. With this meme that will make me reflect....


1. If you had to choose one vice in exclusion of all others, what would it be?

This is kind of hard one. I have three "vices" that I am quite fond of. Chocolate, Coke and Red Wine. I think I could give any of them up at any point if I wanted to, but I do enjoy them all. I guess I would have the hardest time giving up chocolate.

2. If you could change one specific thing about the world, what would it be?

Ahh such a deep question....It's hard to pinpoint one thing that would bring peace in the world. I thought Allie's answer about accepting cultural diversity was the best.

3. Name the cartoon character you identify with the most.

I can't say I was ever a big cartoon watcher so I'm going to go with that singing frog, becuase I also love to sing.

4. If you could live one day of your life over again, which one would it be?

Hard to choose... my wedding was such a great day. I spent it with people I loved and got to have so much fun. It went by so fast that I was amazed when it was over. It would be fun to live it over again. Plus I still fit in my wedding dress. The other day I would love to live over again would be a sunny day spent in Mexico. It was a time before Lucas and I don't think I appricated it enough. I didn't appricate the food and the time with Darryl, the time reading and doing nothing.

5. If you could go back in history and spend a day with one person, who would it be?

Again hard to choose... I don't remember every meeting my biological father and he has died a long time ago. It would be interesting to spend a day with him. Do I look like him? Are we similar? That being said I heard he was not the nicest man, so would I be wasting my day on him. It would also be interesting to spend a day with Leonardo DaVinci. Spend the day in Europe in a time that is totally different then how we live now.

6. What is one thing that you lost, sold or threw away that you wish you had back?

I had this pair of jeans when I was a teenager that had big patches on them that were so comfortable. I loved those jeans!

7. What is your one most important contribution to this world?

Another questions where I am going to give two answers. I hope my most important contribution to the world is my children. I hope that my children are giving and care about others. I hope they help to change the world in both small and large ways. I also feel that I have contrubiting to the world by training some really great x-ray technologists. It's nice to see your hard work pay off and your students go out into the world and be so great with patients!

8. What is your one hidden talent that nearly no one knows about?

I can drive for long periods of time.

9. What is your most cherished possession?

Another question where I am going to give two answers: First off is anything that has recorded the fortuante live I have lived. Pictures, scrapbooks and this blog. It's amazing to think that one day I will have great great grandchildren who will be able to see what my life was. Second would be my wedding ring. I have the most beautiful ring. I am so proud to be happily married.

10. What one person influenced your life the most when growing up?

I know this is the obvious answer, but I'm going to give the obvious. My parents. I see so much of who I am is similar to who they are. They taught me how to love and how to relax. That experiences are more important then material things or a clean house. That who you are is not based on what you have but who you spend time with. They taught me to care about others and the enviroment.

11. What word describes you better than any other?

I don't know, so I ask those of you who know me, what word describes me best??

I am tagging Lesley, Kristine and Darryl

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

Plug

Darryl has started to blog. Check out his site. Stop by and say hello.

Jenn

Torte and Some New Websites

RIght now I'm eating some Chocolate Raspberry Torte, my question is this: What is the difference between cake and torte? If anyone knows that would be great. Also it is great torte =)

Darryl has started a new blog about the house. Click here to read and bookmark it if you'd like. Also if anyone is looking for some opionions on Cardel feel free to leave comments and we'll let you know.

The other thing I wanted to share with some of the other mommy/daddy bloggers who read this blog is some of my new favorite blogs. Great blogs are like great books, execept they never end. Here are some great blog/books I've tuned into lately.

1. The Cheaty Monkey. A canadian blogger who tells funny stories about her daughter.

2. Greek Tragedy. This woman is an amazing writer. She just had she twins 10 weeks premature. I've cried and laughed at her last 5 posts. An added bonus, she loves the Barenaked Ladies and has red hair.

3. The Writing Mama's Daily Blog: Different Mom's write different stories everyday. Always well written.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.

Till Monday

Jenn

6 Weird Things About Me

I was tagged by fellow blogger Allie, so I'm happy to play along. Here are 6 weird things about me. My BFF Tammy and I discussed them alot today:

1.I sing ALOT. When I worked as an x-ray technologist I would sing all day at work. Someone would say something I and I would sing a song with that line in it. I"m not quite a good as my sister who can listen to a song once and know all the words, but I'm pretty close.

2. I have never smoked, nor do I drink coffee. Which may not sound weird, but I have never even tried. Never had any sort of cigarette in my mouth. I am quite a prude that way. I did try coffee once a couple of years ago and it was better then I expected but very bitter.

3. Since living in this house I have lived with: Darryl's best friend, my parents, my best friend and her family (not all of them at the same time). When I was a kid things always had to be very quiet in my house becase my dad worked night shift. Becuase of that experience I've always wanted a loud house where everyone can hang out. Part of the reason we've had lots of people live with us.

4. My love for the Barenaked Ladies. I'm a like a teenager when it comes to BNL. Although I don't have posters of them on the walls, but I do listen to their CD once a day. And check their website once a day. Plus I feel excitment, almost everyday about going to the concert on in Febuary.

5. I am 27 and have had two "major" careers. One as an x-ray technologist and one as an instructor. The first year I was an instructor most of my students were older then I was.

6. I cannot sleep naked. No matter how hot it is in the summer, especially since there is no air conditioning in this house, I still have to have a tank top and underwear on.

7. Here is one extra:My ba-hum-bugness about Christmas. I am a generally happy, optimistic person, but I don't really like Christmas. There are certain things I like about Christmas, but I don't like the pressure of gift giving. Not that I don't like getting great gifts for people, but I wish it could happen randomly through the year when you find a great gift for someone. It just seems so fake and pressured. Bahumbug

Now I am tagging:

Lesley
Kristine
Mo

Till Tommorrow

Jenn

The Life of A Blogger

Coming up pretty soon here I will have been blogging for a year. I'm not sure what I should do for my one year anniversary so if anyone has any ideas let me know. I have found this world of bloggers to be a very interesting thing. I started becuase of a friend of Darryl's and I thought it would be a great way to keep Darryl's family up to date on Lucas and what was happening with him. (Speaking of that, he is doing well, although teething and still having some seperation anxiety from his mommy, so if he has tylenol and me he is a-okay).

Blogging has become a fun past time for me. The best thing that has come from is was finding a great dayhome for Lucas. I'm so happy to have Lesley as my blogging friend. I feel like I know Lesley from her blog and I feel so confident when Lucas is in her care.

I now read so many blogs I can barely keep up. There are so many interesting people in the world and I'm happy to get a glimpse into their lives. I have also learned a "bit" about HTML, which has been interesting. It's also interesting to read about other people dilemas, one being about Santa Claus, which I will discuss later this week.

I have quite enjoyed this new part of my life from the past year.

Till Tommorrow

Jenn