Thursday 21 April 2011

The Sound of Spring

In this hectic day and age the simple little life pleasures can get lost in all the hustle and bustle.


But this morning at around 6:30 I was all snuggled up to my hubby and I heard a glorious sound.


The Robin's were singing.





Spring has FINALLY sprung here in the frozen north! 


I took that moment to breath deep and thank God for life's little pleasures!



Wednesday 20 April 2011

How to LOVE your clothes

I recently read an article that was about loving your wardrobe.


I like my wardrobe, but I don't love it.


I would really like to love it.


I never made a New Years Resolution (it's not to late is it?) anyways I think I will now.


I resolve to love my clothes, and get rid of what I hate.


This article said that the best way to buy only clothes that you will love is to take the top five of something, say Tops, and find what is similar between them that makes you love them. 


Here are my top five:


So what is similar?


  • Bold Color - I have 2 bright purple tops plus 1 yellow
  • Prints- 4 of the 5 have some kind of print on them
  • Fit- All are fitted but not too tight
  • Material- 3 are 100% cotton, the other 2 are cotton blends
Conclusion: If I stick to the similarities I shouldn't go wrong. Beware of duplicates though (how many bright purple tops do I need??) I am also aware that these are very casual tops and that I do need something to dress up in occasionally. 


Also methinks that the look I have going here might be a little young for my age. 
The big 3-0 is headed my way fast.
But I love what I love!


Tuesday 19 April 2011

How to catch a cat

Until now I have always loved cats.


Cute, cuddly little furballs.


Then I move to a town where the population of strays rivals that of people. 
We own a cat and as a result EVERY stray has to make it known to our cat that he is treading on their turf.


And they do this by peeing on our house!!!


Yep. You heard me. PEE. Right on our house. 


CAT PEE.  I don't think much else can rival that stank grossness. 


Now that the weather is getting nicer I really want to bleach and scrub our house clean, but what is the point when they just keep peeing??


Step in my AMAZING handy husband.


A couple of youtube video's later and he built us not one but two traps. Best part is he did it with scraps from our garage!


Observe:


Our trap has successfully worked twice! 


When I looked at the one feline we had caught my tender heart came out and I felt sorry for it, thinking maybe someone did own this cat.


Then it chomped out a piece of wood with its teeth. 


We happily had pest control take it away.


Here's to hoping we are on our way to being pee free.


Monday 18 April 2011

HOW TO HELP YOUR KIDS SUCCEED IN SCHOOL - Lesson 2

MATH.


Growing up this was a dreadful word for me. 
Enough to make my blood run cold.
This is a very common thing for many kids. Why??
Computing numbers is just something that does not come easily for many people. Take that and put in the added stress of timed tests and suddenly "I hate math" is just a common language among students. 


So how can you help?


1. Use math everyday. Let your kids see you doing math and have them help. Add up groceries, figure out the average for your monthly bills, if you are doing home reno's the math is endless! By doing this you are showing the importance of math and how it is used everyday. Try doing things without a calculator and then have your child double check the answer with one.


2. Make math a game. When it comes down to it your child MUST learn how to add, subtract, multiply and divide. These are the basics. So the best way to learn them is to practice all the time. If you drive your kids to school or some sort of practice ask them facts and make it a game. Something along the lines of "Everytime we come to a red light I will ask a multiplication question, green light is addition...." make it what ever you want (older kids can take over as "teacher" when they are fluent enough). Don't make your kids compete against each other rather have them compete with themselves (last time I got 6 out of 10 right, what can I get on this trip?) The bonus is that they are all together, no one can walk away from the game, everyone can learn from each other. (I also really like "Brain Age" for Nintendo DS, it is a great math game that is fun to play for all ages!)


3. At the beginning of the year ask your child's teacher to compile some sample questions with instructions for how he/she will be teaching things like long division, two by two digit multiplication, etc. When your child is learning these things you can then follow along with the method they are using. Chances are the way you were taught math is not the way your child is learning today. Don't mix up your child by showing "your method" when they might need to prove that they know how to do it the "new way". Good communication from the start of the year will go a long way. 


Happy Learning Everyone!!

Thursday 14 April 2011

Tuna with a Twist

I LOVE cooking. I LOVE Eating even more.


I will baste, broil and caramelize everything and anything. I rarely cook the same thing twice (it never turns out the same on the second try and then I'm disappointed) 


But only when it comes to supper.


Breakfast consists of cold cereal or toast maybe a hot cereal if I get the craving.


And then there is lunch. I NEVER know what to make. 


I am home alone with the Gooberfish, so lunch has to be quick and easy because he no longer naps for more than 20 min at a time. So If I don't have time to savour the flavor why waste time making it??


So today I put Gooberfish down for a nap giving myself a whopping 20 min window for lunch.


I ended up making a kick-arse Tuna sandwich! 


and you can too! here's how:


Step 1: Start with a can of lovely tuna
drain water(give water to cat if you have one), mash it up in a bowl

Step 2: Add desired amount of Mayo


Step 3: Add a squirt of lemon juice



Step 4: add a small squirt of prepared mustard



Step 5: Add a dash or two of Cumin (my new Favorite spice!)



Step: last but not least, one turn of fresh ground pepper



You could probably add some nice celery or olives or something else, but this chicky needed a quick lunch so I threw it as is between two slices of french bread, had a glass of milk and by the time it was all gone Gooberfish was up!
Enjoy!

Wednesday 13 April 2011

Updates

If anyone is still interested in following my no-obligation book club I am only on chapter 7 of The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham.


A few twists and turns so far and some lovely scandalous secrets..If that is the type of book you are interested in please read along with me!


Other update: I took Moochie to the Vet today and he is fine got a couple of shots (distemper, rabies)  $60 later and we are all o.k. 


We also took Gooberfish for his second set of vaccinations. 


Everyone gets a poke today ;)

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Meet Moochie

I have omitted a member of my family until now, and I sincerely apologize to him.


This is Moochie:

Moochie is a 6 year old male who has been with my husband and I since we first moved in an apartment together when were just boyfriend/girlfriend .... awwww......

Moochie is very special, he has 6 toes on each paw, each toe has a claw and he knows how to use them all very well.

He has a bit of a temper but he never met his father so I just blame it on daddy issues.

Recently Moochie got in a fight with a stray cat (another lovely addition to our move: the town with a thousand strays). We will be taking him to the vet tomorrow to get checked out. He was limping pretty bad. Poor guy.
who would want to get in a fight with this?:




Monday 11 April 2011

Lake Country ?!

So hubby and I made a big move this last summer. Due to changes in his job we had to move another province.


We moved to a town neither of us had either been to and the closest family is about 3 hours away.


No family.


No friends.


Big adjustment.


We really wanted to move to an acreage, but due to finances we were forced to to choose a smaller home in the small town we now call home.


When asking the locals about the area they told us how wonderful it is to live in lake country.


The boating, fishing, swimming....  


UMMMM....


We live in Canada.   It is needless to say but our "summer" consists of July and August. Those are the only months you would ever want to set foot in a lake unless you get a thrill out of hypothermia.


So we had to chuckle at the fact that the best thing about living in this town is that you get to enjoy the great outdoors for 2 months. Max.


But after the great snow melt of last week we don't have to go far to enjoy the lake.


See for yourself:




Ha Ha lake country. 
It is all dried up now and I can't till we start building our new deck and fence :)

Friday 8 April 2011

HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN SCHOOL - Lesson One

I am really considering making a page dedicated to the teaching profession. A place to vent, give advice, and basically talk all things "Teacher".


I have been teaching for several years (taking this year off to have little Gooberfish!)  and I often get queries from parents about what they can do to help their kids.


I get asked this a lot because I am a no-nonsense, tell it like it is kinda gal. Parents (for the most part) appreciate the no sugared coated point of view.


So here it is HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD IN SCHOOL:


1. Read to your kids and have them read to you. A lot of parents stop reading to their kids as soon as their kids can read. PLEASE keeping reading together! It is a great way to bond and share something together! Read novels, picture books, magazines, whatever! Some of the most successful students I have seen have parents that read with them all throughout elementary.


2. Have a positive attitude about school. Talk about the good more than the bad. Even if you had some bad experiences try to look on the bright side so that your child doesn't go to school with the "I hate school" attitude on the first day.


3. Set priorities. I can't even begin to count how many times a student will come to school Monday morning with incomplete homework and then tell me that they had a hockey tournament/dance recital/football game..etc that they were occupied with all weekend and that Mom or Dad said it was o.k. they didn't have time.
Friday after school check the back pack and make sure they have time set aside to do their work. Don't let them give excuses, it is a bad habit to break!

More to come...


Happy Friday Everyone!

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Pray for Poop!

FINALLY!!!
After 15 long days Gooberfish pooped!  


I called a Doctor and she told me 10 days was o.k. but 15 was getting excessive. She wanted to consult another specialist so she told me she would call back. 


Sure enough within that  timeframe little Goob started crying and squirming, I felt so bad for him so I just held his little hands and sobbed right along with him. 


He was really getting upset and I prayed. 


Out loud.


I prayed for poop.


I swear the second I said "Amen" we had lift off. 


It wasn't the mass amount that everyone said it would be, but it was better than nothing. 


And that folks, is the power of Prayer. 





Tuesday 5 April 2011

The Gooberfish's Birth Story

I just realized that one year ago today I found out I was pregnant! So I thought it would be proper to share this story:


I would like to say that I had a pretty easy pregnancy. Morning sickness (no trips to the porcelain bowl just queasy) for about a month and that was it.


I was able to pack house with my hubby and move 8 hours away at 6 months into my pregnancy. I was doing yardwork at 7 months and I felt fine the whole way through. All of the complaints from other moms, I just didn't feel!  My doctor said that everything will probably go fine and be a breeze for delivery...I agreed with a smile :)


Boy did I eat those words...


My initial due date was Dec. 8 then they moved it to Dec. 1. So on the night of Nov. 27 I was none too worried after I scarfed down some late night Chinese food. 


at 2 AM I started feeling pains in my lower abdomen and I cursed Ming's Wok, vowed to never go back and went back to bed.


at 5 AM I woke up to the pains again and I thought that this might actually be some action happening. I opened the good ole "What to Expect..." book and looked up signs of labour. I did NOT want to go all the way to the hospital just to be sent home (we live 2 and 1/2 hrs away). 


Hubby woke up and we decided better safe than sorry, so we showered, tossed the luggage into the truck and hit the road at around 6 AM. We saw 9 deer on the highway that night, great timing wildlife!


I was still in shock, I didn't believe that it was actually happening, I wasn't due for a few more days and EVERYONE I knew went over their due date with the first one. 


By the time we reached the hospital the contractions were pretty severe and they seemed very close together. I had my birth plan in hand and I was ready! I was wondering if I would have to start pushing soon?  when they finally check me out I got the horrible news...I was only 1cm dilated. That was it!? 


It hurt SOOO bad and the contractions were so close!  I tried walking around and at one point we were going to leave the hospital and go walk the mall, we got as far as the lobby and I begged my hubby for us to stay. All of the walking helped me move another cm. I went in the hospital jacuzzi and hubby readto me while I worked through the pain. By this time it was 5 PM and I was only about 3cm.


They asked me what kind of pain relief I wanted and I kept saying no. 


I had my plan.


 No pain killers. No episiotomy if possible. No onlookers. No Internal monitor. No forceps. Baby comes right to me when born...


After 14 hours my plan started its downward tumble.  I finally accepted the epidural after the concern for my baby being in distress. 


The Doctor finally told me that I was on my way but that the baby was face up instead of face to spine. I would have to go on all fours and try to sway the baby into proper position. 


I did this for 1 and 1/2 hours and it was excruciating. All that work was to no avail, baby did not turn.


It was 30 hours later and I was tired and I wanted to push more than anything in the world. It felt like I was holding everything in with all my might. 


Then I got some more bad news. The baby was going into distress and meconium had been released, the NICU team would have to come in to suction the baby's mouth out so it would not be ingested. 
 I would not get to hold him right away.
I broke down into tears, I didn't care anymore about my plan I just wanted a healthy baby. 


Finally It was time to push!


Pushing is an art I found out. While I did push for nearly an hour and a half it only felt like 10 minutes. 


I had great support. Two female doctor's, a really sweet nursing holding one leg, my hubby holding the other! The only annoying thing was an intern who had to sit down "because she was too hot" . Really?! I was sweating buckets and she needed to sit out for a break? 


It seemed to be going well. 


At least that is what they told me. 


My hubby told me after that they were getting ready for an emergency c-section.


At one point baby's heart rate drop in half. and he was stuck.


 They gave me an episiotomy, still no baby...


They used the forceps, still no baby...


They used the vacuum, still no baby...


The entire time I had my eyes squeezed shut. I opened them only to see lots of people and tools and it was so scary I had to close them again. It was better that way.


I remember my mouth being SOOOO dry, hubby fed me ice chips which felt like pure amazing incredibleness on my lips and throat.


Finally with both women pulling with all their might and myself pushing with all my might. I remember praying to God, Please let me deliver this baby NOW. 


And then he came. In my fog of a mind I remember the Dr. saying "it's a boy!"
 We never found out the sex beforehand but at that moment I was not surprised at all. I think deep down I always knew a little man was coming (maybe because the first time he kicked, hubby and I were watching "Rambo")


Hubby wanted to cut the cord, but with the complications he just told them to do it so they could quickly get our son suction out. 


His Apgar score was only 4. He did not have much life left in him.


Then I heard the most amazing little cry. He sounded like a baby mouse squeaking.


I couldn't wait to hold him. 


Then I thought, what is this poor child going to look like?? He was prodded and pulled beyond belief!


When he was placed in my arms all I could think of was how perfect he was. Everyone was shocked that he had such a nice round head (though a little large).


So at 11:47 AM on Nov 29 God blessed us with a perfectly healthy baby boy.


He has a rather large birthmark down the center of his forehead. Hubby and I joke that it is from God helping to pull him out!


We didn't have a set name either. Some ideas were always just floating around. But as soon as I held him I knew what I wanted and I hoped hubby would agree. Funny enough he said he had a name picked as soon as he saw him come out. 


We both picked the same name. Thank goodness one thing went as planned!


So that is how little Gooberfish was born. His name is not really Gooberfish, but thats another story...










Monday 4 April 2011

No obligation Book Club

If you are anything like me you love the idea of joining a book club but feel pressured to read the book in a certain period of time as well as reading something that you have no interest in.


So join me in my NO OBLIGATION BOOK CLUB. I will be reading a variety of books and then I will post my reviews under the "book review" page. You can then post your own thoughts on the story (loved it/hated it ...whatever...)  on my home page when I announced that I have finished. I like knowing what other people think :)


I would also like to mention that I have no idea how long I will take to read each book, sometimes It is a week sometimes a month or even longer. Just check back frequently.


Best part is that you don't have to read each book, skip it if you have no interest, or if you don't finish it no one has to know ;)


So starting today I will be reading "THE WEDDING GIRL" by MADELEINE WICKHAM. Grab a copy and follow along!


Please also read my other reviews. I keep em all short and sweet.



PS: STILL NO POOP from little Gooberfish...14 days and counting!!!