Nystrom Grandchildren

Somehow we managed, at the last minute to gather all together the 13 Nystrom (Great) Grandchildren.

This was the best picture. I like it in black and white best.

Holiday Summary 2006

Well, we all had a wonderful Christmas! Although Cordell was quite sick there for awhile. He had a temp. of 103', and was throwing up on Saturday morn. On Christmas morning we had to coax him to open his presents, 'cause he just wasn't up for it. I was lucky enough to get tickets for Evanesence (Stone Sour and Black Maria are opening). Lisa and I are going. Sadly the last concert her and I went to together was Def Lepard "Do You Wanna Get Rocked?" tour.

Trevor said that he was gonna get me my Eternity Pendant that I wanted, but decided not to.

I told him that was okay, he could still get it for me for our 10th anniversary in April.

This is what it looks like... Yeah, I think I am worth it! Now to convince Trevor.

We will be heading to Chris and Lexanne's for New Year's Eve for a sleepover! Oh the caos that will reign!

I had two holiday phone calls that I missed, my cousins Brad and Glen, as well as my Auntie Joan. Since Brad and Geln will be at Lexanne's for New Year's Day (probably hung over...) I'll cathc up with them there. And Auntie Joan I will have to ring her back I suppose since she is on the Island and I won't see her until maybe the summer.

Summer, oh sweet summer...

New Pics of All of Us...

This is a picture of Cordell in his jammies playing with Army men.














Here is a picture of Trevor, Justine, and I at Lexanne's for Thanksgiving.

In November Tate had a hockey tournament in Drumheller. They lost all 3 of their games, but man did we ever have fun!

His coach is really great! He knows how to motivate them and give them that push that thye need to give a bit more.

Here is our little number eight playing defence.

closer to Christmas...

Okay, I am feeling a little better about the whole Christmas thing. Tree is up and decorated, concerts are over, gifts-90% bought.
Now, to clean the damn house! How do neat people do it. I find that I have a hard time keeping up with the basics like feeding everyone, making sure they have a least one full set of clean clothing, and clean dishes to eat off of. The other areas get so neglected! Like I would die if someone were to see the state of my master bathroom, my computer room, and my scrapbooking studio. I know, I know... I should be cleaning those places instead of being on the computer. But there are people out there (I won't mention my SIL's name she knows who she is...) who have kids, keep their house spotless, and still find time to play on the computer.
I do know it is lack of motivation. I look at the stuff and think, nah... I just don't want to. But then one day I look around me and think where the hell did all this mess come from! Well, I suppose it didn't accumulate in one day so I'm not gonna get it cleaned in one day either.
I have got follow through with a daily tidy system.
Anyway, I give up... I'm turning off the computer and I'm gonna get some done.
I'll let ya know how it went.
Tawnja

So not ready...

It is the kids' Christmas Concert tonight. I have been out of comission for the past 3-5 days as I had Strep, and I had it bad. Everyone wheo spoke to me during the time I was sick was quite concerned as I sounded as though I was dying. On Friday I had a temp. of 104! I was close to delirious.
Anyway that was the weekend I was hoping toto get the tree put up, so we didn't. Now I wanted to decorate it tonight, but forgot we would be busy tonight. So we HAVE to do it tomorrow night 'cause Sat. morning Tate has a hockey game in Spruce Grove and Trevor works that whole day.
Anyway, in between getting 'caught up (yeah right) on housework tha tgot left since I was sick and getting ready for the whole Christmas thing I figured I better drop a line to everyone.
And NO I am not done all my shopping, but I am done stockings and those are the hardest!
Well, Merry Christmas until I post again...
Tawnja

Curse be Non-School Days!

Today is a no school day, meaning all my kids are here (even my dayhome kids). So what that also means is that every so often during the day I feel the need to hide. So where is the best place to hide in my house? The computer room! So you get to be my accomplice to ignoring the children/keeping my sanity (for a bit longer).
The school division here got smart and makes the day after Halloween a PD day. The teachers don't want them the day after a candy binge, right?
My kids did pretty well last night, they each got a Safeway bag full of candy. I have been letting them go at it hard today. 'Cause, by next Wednesday the have to throw away what they haven't eaten. Beleive me it isnt' as cruel as it sounds. They usually have the majority digested by then. There are just a few remnants. mostly things they don't LOVE but will eat in a pinch.
Tate was a Tae Kwando guy, Cordell was a majician and Justine wore her Unicorn costume from last year. She had originally been a toaster box, no really she wore a box to school ofr her costume. She decided that she was a garbage droid from Star Wars, but when nobody else knew what she was she decided to go with last years more obvious cotume.
I'd post pics along with this, but my comp. won't let me get my pictures from my camera.

Anyhoo, talk to you all later!

My Worst Personality Traits

in no particular order
1)I am not a very good housekeeper
2)I am a procrastinator and time waster
3)I tend to yell at my kids when they have pushed it too far, or I am extra grouchy
4)I have had trouble with money in the past
5)I like to flirt (good or bad, depends on your perspective)
6)Need my coffee
7)Can talk for hours about nothing with my sister
8)Know that I need to be more health conscious, but hardly ever do anything about it
9)I am a little on the paranoid side (think everyone dislikes me, or talks about me; maybe that is self centred more than paranoid)
10)don't have the best work ethic. Love my job (as far as jobs go) but would ratehr be doing something else.

An Ode to BRAD!

I am supposed to get my comp. back from the fixers tommorow, so I will start giving you interesting things to do with your time. Until then, this is an Ode to Brad.

I remember us dancing in your mom and dad's lvingroom to One Eyed, One Horned, Flying Purple People Eater. (I attempted to describe the dance move we used to do, but I couldn't find a way to write it without it sounding very inappropriate!).
I also remember that it was you who taught me how to tie my shoe laces. You taught me the bunny ears and around the tree and into his hole method. (How adorable is that!).
I always remember you being so quiet and passive, God, how you've changed. But that's okay I like both Brads.
Had so much fun at your recent 29th Birthday. Man, you look better every year. Why is it that I don't have any single girlfriends to set you up with?
Well the library is closing so, I'll have to go now.
Later!

One Hundred Things About Me

1. I am the baby of the family, older brother and sister.
2. I look most like my mom
3. I adore cats (I really want a Devon Rex, the almost hairless ones, or rats as my sister calls them)
4. I was born on my sister’s 5th birthday.
5. Even though I got married at 19, I don’t believe anyone should be married before 25.
6. Even though I had my first at 21, I don’t believe anyone should have kids before 27.
7. I love to scrapbook!
8. I a, learning sign language, slowly but surley.
9. I want to take some photography classes
10. I want to learn Carpentry.
11. I started dyeing my hair when I was 14.
12. I used to be a librarian.
13. I used to work at McDonald’s.
14. I used to teach Playschool.
15. I don’t exactly adore the colour pink.
16. I do adore the colour green, esp. lime green!
17. I have 3 best friends, my husband, my sister, and my sister in law (she was my best friend before she was my sister in law)
18. I have green eyes, but when I was a kid they were bright blue.
19. I wanted to be a journalist.
20. Would like to learn about Graphic Design as it would help in the scrapbooking area.
21. My engagement ring was my maternal great grandmother’s.
22. I have VERY short toes. They are almost square, like Fred Flintstone.
23. I have hearing loss in my left ear. I never use that ear for phone calls.
24. Had a hysterectomy at 27, guess it was a good thing I had my kids before I turned 27, huh?
25. Went to 3 different schools in my 6th grade year.
26. Never actually graduatedHigh School, I still need 3 credits.
27. My best friend and I planned on working on a cruise ship after we graduated, never happened.
28. The farthest I have travelled is Spokane, Washignton.
29. I travelled on an airplane for the first time ths summer, to Victoria with my sister.
30. Had my ears pierced 7 times on each side, now there are just 4 hole son each side.
31. Got a tattoo when I was 16.
32. Would love to get more tattoos, but the ones I want would be too much $.
33. Plan to get a navel ring, when (not if) I loose my belly fat (see #86)
34. I chew my lips.
35. I used to chew my finger nails.
36. I have never smoked.
37. I now have 2 tattoos
38. I think my best feature is my full lips.
39. I love 80’s music and movies! Jessie’s Girl/Breakfast Club
40. I have a hard time believing that I am a good enough mom.
41. I love to sing, I am mediocre at it. No, I’m not being modest.
42. I have been smitten with my husband since I was 15.
43. I have been told that my name means “water” in Hawiian, only there is no “j” in the Hawiian alphabet, so it’s obviously spelt wrong.
44. My name is rarely pronounced correctly. You pronounce the “j”. It rhymes with lasagna.
45. If I were to have another baby (see #24) I would name a boy Rowin Christopher Kyle and a girl would be Nadine Elizabeth Marie.
46. I have crazy dreams, that are very detailed, usually about people I don’t even know, and are usually violent or dramatic. Nobody can top my dreams.
47. I can barely use my computer. Trevor just taught me how to cut and paste!
48. I have a book fettish! Love ‘em especially kids classics. I guess that ties into the whole librarian and Playschool Teacher things.
49. I have two middle names (as do all 3 of my kids, my husband, and my brother and sister)
50. I love the Company’s Coming Cookbook Collection, but only have about 7 of them.
51. I am a great cook/baker, but not so great at the cleaing up part.
52. I don’t talk to my mom or dad. Long story, like 29 years (or 34 in my sister’s case, or 36 in my brother’s)
53. I have three kids, not even 2 years between the next.
54. I love working out, I just don’t like to start working out.
55. I am pro life, but I do understand extreme circumstances.
56. I not only took Automotives I had the best grade in the class. I did so well on the tests, it drove all the guys crazy, ‘cause they really knew how to do all this stuff I just studied the material.
57. Regardless of #56, I have never changed oil or a tire.
58. I am not believe in a specific religion, but I do believe in a God(dess) type being.
59. I was baptised into the Mormon church when I was 15.
60. We have a rabbitt, a guinea pig, a newt and some fish.
61. I dream of going to Australia some day.
62. I have a thing for guys with British or Australian accents.
63. I love quotes. I think a book of quotes would make a great birthday present!
64. I went to 2 schools for my grade 12 year (partially why it was hard for me to get my credits, but mostly ‘cause I never attended classes)
65. I failed Math 23 twice, the third time I got a 49% and the teacher begged the principal to just pass me.
66. Regardless to what #64 and 65 might make you presume, I am NOT a complete idiot.
67. If Justine moves out by the time she is 20, I will be an empty nester when I am 44 years old. (not rushing anything, just a thought)
68. I have never broken any body part.
69. I am a little over obsessed with the stars. I watch Entertainment Tonight as often I can, and I know who dated who, who is related to who, watch movies they were in, and with who. It was a good thing when I worked in a movie rental place.
70. I am ¼ German, ¼ Russian, 1/4 British, and ¼ Irish, at least that’s what I’m told.
71. I have had the same email address for the past 7 years.
72. I believe in past lives and reincarnation.
73. I am addicted to blogs.
74. I can flip my tongue upside down, and can tie a cherry stem with my tongue.
75. I can sew quite well, but don’t really enjoy it. I don’t like to be told what to do. To me a pattern is being told what to do.
76. I LOVE live music and live theatre but rarely get to enjoy any. Last concert I was at was over 5 years ago and the last play I attended was when I was a teen.
77. I never cried when I got married or when any of my kids were born, but I will cry at a sappy commercial.
78. I am a major wussy-pants!. If I watch a scary movie I have to run and jump onto my bed so nothing grabs me.
79. My favourite numbers are 3, 5, and 7. I have 3 kids, Trevor’s hockey number is 55, and all of us have a 7 in our birthdays, except the party crasher Diva J. But she has acool b-day # 10, 10, 01.
80. I love the plain M&Ms, not the peanut, I don’t mind the almond.
81. My favourite season is definitely fall. I sometimes think I should’ve named Justine Autumn instead.
82. I think the concept or vegetarianism is so right, but I couldn’t live without meat. I guess it is a choice and what you become accustomed to.
83. I have always wanted to dye my hair smurf blue. Maybe this summer.
84. I shoplifted when I was in the 4th grade, and was mortified that my Grandmother found out. 85. My teeth, although relatively straight, so need to be bleached!
86. If I could change 1 feature right now, I would get rid of my belly fat.
87. I am very flirty.
88. Love coffee.
89. I like Coke more than Pepsi.
90. I would love to go the spa/salon if I had more expendable income, and a babysitter.
91. The school where I went for kindergarten, grade one, and part of two was torn down about 10 years ago.
92. I have been told that I am a kind person.
93. Lilacs are my favourite flower and my favourite scent.
94. I have been doing childcare off and on for the last 11 years, 18 if you count when I started to babysit when I was 11 years old.
95. Next year will be my last year doing childcare (other than my own)
96. My complexion is so pale, that I am almost transparent.
97. I would love to take a martial arts/kickboxing class.
98. I have never had a garden of my own.
99. Wanted to be a Solid Gold Dancer when I was little.
100. I am working on gettting the $ together to get my Bachelor of Arts in Pyschology online, then moving on to my Masters.

What have I DONE!

OMG! I was purging my faves list. I was on my 40 + list of scrap blogs and I inadvertantly (ooh, big word!) erased my whole list of scrap blogs! If you are unlike me, you don't care about blogs, esp. not scrap blogs. I am devastated right now. All my time finding the right blogs to ignore my children with! Grrr. Oh, well, bakc to the scrap blog drawing board I suppose.

Best Friends for 16 1/2 Years!

Here is a pic of me and my best friend, Lisa taken this Friday. We have been friends since the 7th grade. Even though I moved away in Feb. of that same grade, we stayed friends. I spent many a weekend at her house. Her poor mom was kept awake with giggles and strange games that we would make up to pass the time. We rented movies, watched music videos, rode ATVs, jumped on the trampoline, rode bikes, but mostly we adored New Kids on the Block together. We are quite different people. She is more the quiet type (unitl you make her mad), and I am loud (until you make me mad). I think we compliment each other well. I always have fun when she is around.
Our friendship was cemented when I started dating and then married her brother. Yup, I married my best friend's brother. What better way to make sure you like your in laws?
I was her maid of honor in her wedding. If Trevor and I hadn't eloped she would've been mine as well.
How fun is it that my best friend is my kids' genuine Auntie, and that I am Auntie to my best friend's twins.
Speaking of twins, here is a pic of Lisa mommying her girls. She is a fantastic mom. Her girls are very lucky. As am I for having such a great friend and SIL all in one!

Like Mother, Like Daughter?

Get ready for a sappy, soul searching therapy type blog post, for those who couldn’t care less, move on with your day…

I have spent so much time trying not to be like my mother that I haven’t invested enough time accepting myself. I need to believe that I am a good person, who deserves happiness. I say it, and “know” it, but I need to actually believe in within in my soul. I WILL be like her in many ways , I lived with her for 17 years of my life, (hmm, sort of like a pre-sentencing. But I wanna know what I am doing time for?)
I do have a lot of her unpleasant qualities (as you can see I am moving past the denial stage).
My sister and I have gotten validation from others that she was as we remember. Angry most of the time, emotionally unavailable (yes I watch Dr. Phil), controlling , and very self centred. So what I have tried to do most of my adult life is NOT be angry (the hardest one), be emotionally available ALL the time, and be selfless as much as possible without forgetting to eat. So that is my dilemma. I need to work on my positives, not keep focusing on what I don’t want to be. To grow the flower moves toward the light of the sun, not the darkness of the earth. OMG, that was a good one, I really ought to be published some day! LOL.

So here's to moving toward the sun!

A real quote “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most beautiful of all”
from the Disney movie Mulan.

This is where Justine gets her Attitude from.

I took my digital camera (as per advice from my sister) and took pics of old photos since my scanner is not working. I cropped where I needed and voila! I have my old photos on my comp. Its works like a charm.I haven't gone as far as editing them yet. Check out this one of me at about 5 yrs old, with a whole lotta attitude! Yeah, I know its definately a Justine face. But what do I do, its in the genes.

And here is another one of us three kids and our four cousins. Sorry Brad, had to do it! Just be glad I didn't post the bathtub one! I'm the adorable little blonde girl, lol. What a bunch of
scrag-a-muffins we were!

Green Album

As I stated in my last post, I LOVE green. So I have started a green album. Some of the green themes in my new album are the green girl
M & M, she's so cute!, the band Green Day (have loved 'em since "Dookie"), margaritas, my eyes are green, I am part Irish (or so I'm told), green traffics lights are my fave (okay I may be stretching the green theme here), love kiwis and plan on going to Australia some day, let me know if anyone can think of any others.
So here is the 6 x 6 Layout I did on Green Day. Notice the stars (like Billie's tatoos), and see the black flower with the green "be" centre, the black petals are made with black photo holders (I think that is what people call 'em). The "M" is for Mike, the "B" for Billie Joe, and the "T" is for Trey Cool.

Thanks for the Happy Package Lexanne!

My sister, Lexanne, and I share a very special closeness. I was born on her 5th Birthday (what a lucky 5 yr old!). Even after she moved out at 17 (making me 12), she kept care of me (Kudos for her then boyfriend, now husband of 9 1/2 years for letting the little sister tag along).
I spent a lot of time with Chris and Lexanne, they took me everywhere! I even got to be there when my beautiful niece Rebecca was born ( I was only 15). Lexanne continues to look out for me and I am especially grateful since we are estranged from out mother (strange doesn't even begin to cover it!) I find it even more amazing that both our daughter's share a birthday (Becca is excactly 9 years older than my daughter Justine, whose middle names are Rebecca and Lexanne)
Both Lexanne and I are obsessed scrappers, and the both of us have been adding fun touches to our Scrap Studios. I have chosen Lime Green, and she has chosen, ugh, pink. I am not fond of pink, but have started to come around and can stomach it in small doses, and actually like purple. So after I had stopped to drop off a lunch at my son's school (the lunch I didn't send this morning...) I found a lovely package for me from my sister with all kinds of lime green fun stuff for my Scrap Studio. She was even generous enough to send some scrappin' stuff.
So thank you Lexanne, not just for the stuff, but for taking care of me all these years (and the years to come, 'cause we both know I will always need you), thank you for not only understanding, but honestly knowing, thank you for all the fun times and being there through all the crappy ones too. Remember the agreement, although we didn't come in together, we have a contract for a dual exit.
Love ya, your baby sis, Tawnjie

9th Anniversary

Trevor and I have been married for 9 years now (together 12yrs on Maylong weekend!). We have never really been ones to celebrate our anniversary, maybe the odd supper out. But this year I wanna make it super special. I am wanting to see if anyone has any ideas that are resonable as far as money goes. Our anniversary falls on Easter Sunday this year so I am gonna send my kids out to my sister's the last weekend of April (the kids have the Monday off school and I have booked it off as well). I am not sure how I am gonna get Trevor to book it off. I could talk to his boss and tell him won't be there, but I don't want Trevor setting things up for that day if he won't be available. Anyway, I had thought about doing lots of date things. Like Mini Golf at West Edmonton Mall, definatley breakfast out, movies are good but you don't really spend time with the person. Doea anyone have any other suggestions? My email is tnystrom@telusplanet.net if anyone has any great revelations.
I was thinking of having pictures done with the two of us, but I was kinda saving that for our 10th, but why wait, right?
Oh, P.S. I did another self portrait photoshoot, so here you go!

I could've told you that!

You Are 32% Abnormal

You are at low risk for being a psychopath. It is unlikely that you have no soul. You are at high risk for having a borderline personality. It is very likely that you are a chaotic mess. You are at medium risk for having a narcissistic personality. It is somewhat likely that you are in love with your own reflection. You are at low risk for having a social phobia. It is unlikely that you feel most comfortable in your mom's basement. You are at low risk for obsessive compulsive disorder. It is unlikely that you are addicted to hand sanitizer.

How'>http://www.blogthings.com/howabnormalareyouquiz/">How Abnormal Are You?

There are some interesting Quizes Out There...

Your Stripper Song Is

I Touch Myself by The Divinyls "I don't want anybody elseWhen I think about youI touch myself" A total exhibitionist, you probably already are a stripper!

What Song Should You Strip To?

Chocolate Carrot Cake

I got this recipe from the Company's Coming Breakfast and Brunches book.
I love carrot cake and I love chocolate cake, but I thought, "who the hell mixes the two?"
Well, you will after you have tried this cake! Here is the recipe, complete with chocolate cheese icing!


Chocolate Carrot Cake
4 lrg. eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

3 cups grated carrot

Beat eggs together in bowl. Add sugar. Beat together well. Add cooking oil and vanilla. Beat together well.
Stir flour cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in sep. bowl. Add to egg misxture. Mix well.
Add carrot. Stir. Turn into greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake in a 325'F oven for 40 - 45 mins until toothpick comes out clean. Cool.

Chocolate Cheese Icing
8 0z light cream cheese
1/4 cup butter or hard marg., softened
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups icing sugar

1 tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tbsp boiling water
*** I don't even have instant coffee in my house, so I used 2 tbsp of hot coffee, worked fine!

Combine 1st 5 ingredients in bowl. Beat on low to moisten. Beat on medium until fluffy and light.
Stir in coffee , beat.

Top cake with icing and serve!

The Therapy of Songs

I find such therapy in the lyrics of songs. Not all songs, but a lot. I will find menaing in the lyric to fit my current situation or mood. At different tiem in my life the same song will mean many things. Amanda Marshall is one of my favourite modern composers, she puts such feeling into her lyrics. I appreciate so many of her songs but I think this one has the most meaning for me, on many many levels.


Out of Bounds Lyrics by Amanda Marshall
Standing on the edge of time
Playing out a reckless pantomime
And every day’s another wrong to rectify
I dream about a stranger’s touch
And voices in my head I cannot hush
And every night’s a hunger I can’t satisfy
Chorus
It’s the secret that I keep
It’s the ache that makes me weep
And I know I’m in too deep
I’m gonna drown
It’s the emptiness I fear
Baby, please don’t leave me here
’Cause I’m lost inside a dream
That’s out of bounds

I close my eyes and it’s so real
And all at once I know just what I feel
And baby it’s the kind of rush that terrifies
I am weak -I am wrong
And every day I swear that I’ll be strong
But there’s a bond between us that I can’t deny
Chorus
I wanna surrender
I wanna give in
I wanna lay down and let it be now
And let it begin
Let it begin
It’s the secret that I keep
It’s the ache that makes me weep
And I know I’m in too deep
I’m gonna drown
It’s the emptiness I fear
Baby, please don’t leave me here
'Cause I’m lost inside a dream
That’s out of bounds

Scrapbooking Studio Update

I did it! The room is clean and organized. Trevor helped me figure out furniture placement, (he's born organized!), and then it was up to me to get everything in its place. It helped me to think of the space as stations like stamping, cutting, planning, paper, embellishments, tools, work area, etc. then it was easier to know where things should go.
The only real snafoo I came upon was all my unfinished projects. Lisa, I swear you will have you Wedding album before your 50th Anniversary! I gotta set up appointments with myself to get these things completed.
I need to buy a really neat 12 x12 album for my Favourite Photos layouts, I also need to get some more page protectors since I completed 20 pages while at Black Cat Ranch!
So, its ready... who wants to scrap with me?

I'm an Impatient Doofus

Well, I guess I am impatient, 'cause when I was trying to get the pics to download onto my last entry, it was taking too long (by my standards) and I thought it wasn't working, so I cancelled it and now I had to make the pics a whole new post. Oops!

Thank you Ralph!

Well, my family all got their Prosperity cheques from the gov't! For those of you who aren't either a happy Albertan or a pissed the rest of Canada, or Priemier, Ralph Klein has gotten us out of debt, and managed for our government to have a surplus. He decided to share it with the people who paid the money in the first place, so we all got a cheque for $400 per person in your household.
So, I promptly went out and bought a digital camera, and the protable little printer that goes with it! No I didn't go crazy and buy the most expensive one. I got a little Canon Powershot A520. It works for me since I am a digital virgin. I do love that I get to print out only the pics I want to scrapbook, which will bring down some of the clutter in my scrap booking room. Which I am posting pics of.
I have been trying to clean it up and get it organized for the past few months, but it just keeps getting more and more things deposited into the expanse of junk! I am hoping that by posting the pics it will make me accontable (on a pretty large scale!) to get it done.
Since I got my digital camera here is a picture of me from yesterday. I was very tempted to photo shop it, but I didn't. Unfortunately this is the real me!

Gone to the movies, alone...

I know most people have a problem going out alone like shopping, the movies or especially to a restauraunt. Last night I had to go get groceries. I don't think I ever would get groceries on a Sunday night, except for the fact that I had started a shopping trip on Saturday (with all three kids in reluctant tow) and while examining somehting on the lowest shelf, I had to crouch down. My jeans split. I have continuously tried convincing myself that it wasn't because I am fat. But why else does ones jeans split in the rear? Needless to say I went directly home.
Anyway, I had to go back to the Leduc to do my shopping. I was actually lucky 'cause Trevor was home to stay with the kids. So, making sure I had a sweater to tie around my waist if need be, I started my shopping. First to Wal-Mart, then I stopped at Tim Horton's ( I heard they are being sold to some guy from the states) for a sandwich and a coffee. Then I headed to Sobey's to get the reaminder of my groceries. During this time I had been hatching a plan to delay my trip long enough that I could go to the moives. I had read what was playing in the Friday paper. So I sat in the Sobey's parking lot awhile, ate my sandwich, drank my coffee , read a magazine I bought at Wal-Mart (if you didn't already know, it is official Angelina is pregnant!). I wasted about 45 mins doing this, went into the store and got my groceries. I called Trevor on my way into the store and let him know my plan.
So I went to a movie on a Sunday night all by myself. I don't think ti is a big deal. But when I tell people I get comments like "You went by yourself?" "Where was Trevor?" "I would've went with you." My sister can't believe that I would go somewhere like a movie by myself. She says she would be embarassed. I wonder if she thinks I care if people think I am alone. My God, alone, think of that... That means nobody telling me what to do, what they want, what they need! I have gone to the movies by myself 3 or 4 times. Each time was kinda spur of the moment, but if I had made plans with someone else I would've had to go to a movie they wanted to see, made sure they could go at the same time I could, maybe they would've invited anoterh person, if Trevor came I would've needed a babysitter, etc. This way I was the only person to please. I got to make all the calls. Yes, I enjoyed myself. I saw Family Stone, a good movie with an awesome cast, and I didn't have to share my popcorn.
My question is, would you go to a movie by yourself?

Batman Begins

Apparently I didn't pay too much attention to what I was typing in my rant last entry. The movie that I rented was Batman Begins, not Batman Returns. It is definately the BEST Batman movie yet!
The old movies were too cartooney. Chritian Bale was super hot and totally nailed the part! I adore Michael Cane too.
I truly hope that they go ahead with redoing all the other Batman movies with Christian as Bruce Wayne.
I appreciate the quote " Why do we fall?" "So we can learn to pick ourselves up." It is one that is especially relevent in my life.

Yeah, yeah, I know we all need our "space"!

Here is the pic of the kids in front of our WT Family Christmas tree that I promised, but could not get to post to my last entry...

So, here I am Saturday night before the Monday when it all starts again! The kids I babysit M,W, F will be back (ages 9 months and 3 yrs), my kids start school on Monday, (normally I would be thrilled but this just means that the home work arguements start, waking up to be a short order breakfast chef, packing lunches that nobody likes, etc.), I start back to teaching Playschool on Tuesday, and though I have been doing it during the "holidays" on top of it all I will still be doing the cleaning at the office twice a week.
This last week of "Holidays" was all about me and two outta three of my kids (huh, that theme sure resonates around here!), being sick with all kinds of infections that include symptoms of hacking like we've all smoked for thirty odd years. Which I swear none of us have. Maybe Justine is a closet smoker, but I have no actual proof yet. And my sweet husband picks this week to be his "I need space week'.
It comes around on a regular basis. He basically avoids home and all its luxuries, which automatically includes me. It always seems like circumstance, a hockey game to play, goes over to his mom and dad's to watch a game, watched a movie at home (but didn't say two words to me that night), then went to our old room mates to watch the Juniors (we won apparently), last night he played Ps2 directly after supper , even though I had rented us a movie (Batman returns, they were out of Wedding Crashers), so I gave up on the movie and went to bed at 11:30 (really late for me!), and first thing this morning he was packin' his stuff for yet another hockey game!
What I want to understand is this a reaction to forcing himself to spend time with me and its all he can stand, and he has to be break away? Or once he has had his "own" time he feels he can offer himself more freely. Either way it sucks and I am not sure how to deal with it! I thought I was the all or nothing person.

I Did My Holiday Baking Yesterday!

I was so behind in all my Holiday plans, that I ended up doing my baking yesterday. Yes it was January 1st! Oh, well, at least I did it, right?
We lived through all the Christmas concerts, family get togethers, and the unrelenting flus, colds and fevers. We even went shopping on Boxing Day (with the kids in tow). Nuts, yes! But now I have my Eliptical Trainer and we have a Playstation 2 with ten games! I am a little jealous of all the time Trevor and the boys are spending on the PS2, mostly 'cause I don't feel I have had my fair share of game time! But soon enough, Trevor will be back at work and the boys will be in school, then I will have plenty of time to waste on something that really has no purpose.
I am attaching a couple pictures of the kids in front of our White Trash Family Christmas tree.
I know of some "Muffy type moms" who won't hang their kids ornaments and the kids don't get to lay a finger on the tree. I couldn't imagine taking that away from my kids. Without kids the whole spirit of Christmas is lost, if you take away these small moments from them, what do they have left. It may sound dramatic, but I believe that these small things is how they hang on to their innocence. If they don't feel special enough to be allowed to help decorate the family Christmas tree with the decorations that they painstakingly created, where does that leave them in terms of importance to the world.
Whoa, I got deep there for a moment, huh?
Anyway, what I am trying to say is that Christmas is for the kids, don't take any part of it away from them!
Happy New Year, this one's gonna be GREAT!