~ Get out the Shot Gun ~

Brian has decided to purchase a shot gun, and start cleaning it on our front step.

~ Lists ~

I'm a list maker, a big list maker. I will make lists...from the lists. I will write something on my list just to cross it off. I have a planner with a full page for everyday...everyday has stuff written on it. I like lists.

I've started my list for the big road trip with the girls to the USofA...

Target - please... that's a no brainer. I'm getting all my kids spring clothes there and loading up on shoes for me.

Dick's Sporting Goods - all of us are interested in little wet suits for our younger ones. We're stocked up for the ourselves and the older hooligans...but Costco didn't have little ones.

Costco - I've heard that the shopping experience in US Costco is much different than here....more stuff and lost of it. I am a major fan of CAN Costco...so I have that on the list.

Rod Works - blogs I visit of American's say that this place is amazing for home decor stuff. My new room is painted and has the new furniture, but nothing on the walls. Waiting to get some great stuff at Rod Works.

Gardners Village - this is a 'if we have time' place. I've been there before and love it, but it's second on the list to Rod Works...also a huge Home Decor fantasyland.

Okay are you already asking yourself....how long is this little road trip you're taking....ha ha....only 6 days. Two of those for driving, and two more for Women's Conference...so only 2 days for spending as much of my hard earned, stress me out, tax season is crappy.....money.

Basically this trip is hinging my sanity at the moment. When I went to WC the first time with T, it was amazing....exactly what we both needed. So fun, so uplifting, so many new ideas. We both came home ready to hit life again and do it well. I'm at that point again. Need to be revved up. And I know that the gals I'm going with are hoping for the same.

So that's the beginning of my list. Any more suggestions?

~ What the heck???!!! ~

Yes, if you look at the time of posting...it is correct. It is 12:27 AM and I am wide awake. I even took some 'sleep helpers'....not 'sleep drugs' but 'helpers'. Can't think of the name of them right now....starts with an M....you know. Anyway, they aren't working. Why am I awake, probably because I'm stressed. Why am I stressed....tax season. Why is it tax season....because it's March approaching April. I deal with stress....by stressing, not sleeping and gaining weight. All very produtive activities. Stressing makes me stressed....not sleeping makes me stressed and tired and crabby...and gaining weight, well that just puts me over the top. Stupid tax season.

1.We did so something fun today. A friend of mine told me about a path that leads around a lake that is near by. So we went to check it out. It wasn't too bad. I went with K and her boys. The big boys took their bikes and the little boys were in the running stroller. Was a decent work out and the kids got out and had a good time. S was at a birthday part...at CHUCK E. CHEESE....or as I like to call it... HELL ON EARTH. That place is my worst nightmare. Noisy running children with dressed up adults in giant mouse costumes, and teenage employees that know nothing. I will never have a party there. S informed me that she wants her party there, and that Daddy said he would take her. Great...Daddy can take her, I will not be going.

New headline..."Mother of four bombs local Chuck E. Cheeses"

Can you imagine...me at Chuck E. Cheese anytime, never name right now at stresed out, not sleeping, gaining weigh time..... OMGosh, they would sense my irritation before I even entered the premises. So, to save them, I won't be entering their place of business....EVER.

Moving on.

2.Miss J came to visit this week. So fun to catch up. We had a full gab day and had a great time. We could have gabbed and shopped, but we have 8 children between the two of us. So that's out. Fun, fun, fun...thanks for comin' J....I'll come to you next time.

3.I had a major revelation today. My FIL has a house in the USofA. He goes there quite often during the year to golf. HELLO!!!!!....US shopping. Why are we punished for living in Canada? Nobody will ship to us. They'll ship to Guam, but not to Alberta. Crapola. So I called him up and got his address so I can ship stuff and he can be my pack mule and bring it all home with him. Plus I get to spend more money on my Women's Conference trip because I'll have already started my shopping so I'll have the full allowance....which would be less if I had to buy the three pairs of shoes I ordered from Target today. See my reasoning? : )

Also ordered some great long shorts. Been looking for some cool Bermuda shorts that fit. Hoping these will work. They DO ship to Canada, and at a resonable price even. Check them out, I thought they had some cute selections. Great Length Shorts. So obviously LDS, but whatever, they're long and cute, that's what I wanted.

4. The meal planning has gone down the drain lately, what with the stressing and the weight gaining. My family has been suffering, or so they say. So need to get some new receipes. Nothing inspires me more than the excitement of trying out a new receipe. Got any good ones?

5. We had eye appointments yesterday. I needed my perscription update, so I booked us all to go. Why do I do that? The kids are all off school, so that would be a good time to run them all in for a quick optometric appointment (I know that's not what it's called....whatever) So the quick appointment took 1.5 hours. Seriously. Everyone was having their eyes checked except Mr. J of course. So they have this new machine that takes some sort of picture of your eye, and also apparantly checks your blood pressure. I know this because I had to take the test twice because my pressure was a little high the first time. YA THINK? I'm at the eye doctore with ALL my children and J keeps doing that high pitched scream of his....and IT'S TAX SEASON. But I'm handling this all well. So they make me take this test again. What they didn't tell me was that part of the test is their going to blast some air right into my eye. Like RIGHT into my eye. This machine was so close to my eyeball that is actually ran into my EYE BALL at least twice. Was this the first time this girl had used this machine?!!?! Are you supposed to actually smash into my eye. I thought you were teaching eye safety. So she blasts this air into my eye and straight to my brain...and me, you know...tactful and thoughtful as always. What's my first reaction...??

"Seriously...you could warn a girl!!"

That's what I said to this nice, unsuspecting lady who had myself and my four children trapped in a very small room with a lot of stuff they shouldn't touch. I wonder why my blood pressure was so high.

6. So Mr. O gets up and does a stellar job at putting on the glasses that cover one eye. And naming all the shapes that she shows him. He's a genius you know...and I'm not just saying that as his mother. I guess she ran out of pictures on this little flip chart thing...and she must have started again, becuase this is sort of how it went.

" Duck, dog, house, clock......pause....that's a Duck, and I already said that one."

He gets that attitude from his father.

7. You know the carts at Superstore and Costco that are really wide so they have enough room in them for two kids....are those put out by the Ultimate Fighting Association? Cause they sure cause a lot of fighting for us. It's basically a slug fest between the 18mo and 4 year old. They spend their whole time whaling on each other. And if they're not doing that then J is turned side ways and leaning back on O so that he's squished. Like I want to be shopping with them in the first place, and now people are looking at me. Stupid Carts.

8. I'm getting more and more irritated as I keep writing...I'm venting, bear with me. You all prefer it when I blog like this anyway....

There is nothing more irritating than a Bra that doesn't fit. Like really, what is that thing doing in there that it's moving around so much. I thought I had a good one...granted I've had it for quite a few years and it's been washed a tad. So likely the elastic is shot. I can't believe how mad I can get at this inatimate piece of clothing. That thing can get whipped off in two seconds flat and chucked across the room. This is not a good procedure when you're trying to stop the sluggers from having it out in Costco. So I do try and refrain.

Can you picture it....

"Alright...I've had it!!!!!"

Struggle, struggle, struggle...take it off through the arms of my shirt...you know. Slam it down on the floor, stomp on it and then take a big breath and quitely continue on with my shopping.

I hate that thing. Time for a new one I'd say.

9. Melatonin...that's what the 'sleep helpers' are called. Ya, they're not working.

10. Birthday season. April is the beginning of Birthday Season at our house. O is on the 6th, B on the 12th...S on the 30th...and a million cousins and family in between. It can prove for an expensive month. Mr O is turning 4 next sunday. 4!!! I can't believe that. And Miss S is 8...wow! And to top it off Mr. B is 36!!! Crap that guy is old. I'm nowhere near that age. So O is having a Go Diego Go party. He loves Diego. That guy is a little weird though...O and Diego. Okay I have nothing funny or witty to say about all this...I'm just pointing out that if I seem especially irritated lately, beyond my usual soft spoken lovelyness...it may be because of Taxes, Birthday and a bad Bra. Don't judge me, just love me.

Good Night!

~ Happy Easter ~

Another Easter weekend has come and gone....the bunny came, and even on Saturday as requested....thank you Easter Bunny.

Friday we all slept in and had a nice morning of de-junking and cleaning up two rooms in our house that get our of control. Then off on our first bike ride of the season. Would like to show a picture of that, but I couldn't find the camera at the time. We spent the afternoon sitting in the sun with friends and watching the kids play. That's the best kind of afternoon.

Saturday we had a yummy Easter breakfast of eggs, bacon and waffles. Amazing how excited my children can get over a package of dollar store Easter plates. Then we headed out to our town Easter Egg Hunt. This was disappointing as we were unaware that you had to be there about 4 hours early....well 15 minutes anyway...or you would miss it. I assumed that like everything else, it would be hard to start on time. Nope, they count down and then the mayhem of a kabillion children dashing through the park finding loads of candy begins. The kids were upset that we missed it by about 2 minutes, I was not. I saw the haul of candy that some of those children had in their bags, I was not interested in having that in our house. So we headed home, and the Easter Bunny had been at our house while we were gone. So the pouting stopped and the fun began.

They spent the afternoon watching the movies the Easter Bunny brought, then we had friends over for a BBQ.

Sunday was Easter dinner at Grandma Boyds...yum.

It was a fun weekend, that tuckered us out.

~ Refresher Course ~

Totally stole this idea from Janay's blog...but it was so funny that I couldn't resist posting it here for those of you that don't know Janay.



To all my friends, family and loved ones that have recently, or soon will be....new parents.

Just FYI!

~ Recommitting ~

I don't know if that's how your spell that word....but you know what I mean.

This time last year was when the Real Life section of our paper came out with the running program that got me started. Once again they've started it, with a new 10k section. Yippee for me. Here's the link to all the great info and advice they are giving.

8 Weeks to your First 5k

My goal is to do the 10k....but not yet. Have to finish tax season first, it's way too crazy and busy and I'm so exhausted....another couple weeks and I'll be ready to committ again.

As for the interesting comment that has caused a lot of stir among my friends and loved ones....thanks for support. I'm moving on....really....I hardly ever think about it anymore....for more than an hour...moving on.

Easter Break.....am I excited, not really. I'm busy with piles of paperwork, and having my children home for 10 days is not at the top of my 'that's sounds like a great time' list. But I'm going to try and make it fun. Home days...fun days....we'll try to mix it up.

The Easter Bunny is coming to our house on Saturday this year...why does he come on Sunday's....doesn't he know that's a terrible time to try and do a hunt before getting ready for church. The Easter Bunny has wised up this year and will be smuggling candy and gifts into our house a day early. I'm appreciative that the Easter Bunny figured this out...after 10 7/8 years of having children in our house.....silly Easter Bunny.

~ Blog Comments ~

It's always fun and interesting to get comments on your blog. Though I blog for the therapy of it, and keeping those that know me informed of my generally boring life...boring to them, crazy busy to me...not for the comments.

However, it is interesting when you receive slightly negative, reviews. See comments from the last couples posts.

Funny....thought it was MY blog, where I post anything I want, and if someone doesn't agree....don't stop by, I didn't ask you to.

Just a thought..... any comments?!! = ) LOL

P.S. My husband adores me, anyone that really knows me.....would know my personality, and anyone that really knows my husband....knows that he's over the moon for me, I told him he was ; )

~ Sleep, I need some ~

I need some sleep, solid sleep, solid 8 hours of sleep. Sleep that doesn't involved;

"Mom, mom....I have to go to the bathroom." So go already...don't wake me up.

"Mom, my bed is wet, and my legs are sticking...."

"Mom, I said a prayer that my bad dream would go away, and it didn't"

"Mom, can I have apple juice" Roll over and look at the clock, 3 AM....NO.

"Mom, I just had the badest dream I've ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, had."

"Ma, ma.......mamamama...." Jack can't find his bottle or soother.

I'm drugging this entire family, we're all sleeping through the night tonight.

~ I'm melting....melting ~

You're supposed to read that title of this post and think of how the Wicked Witch of the West said it in the Wizard of Oz. I'm melting....melting. That's how I feel. Melting in a sea of paperwork. Will it ever end? It has to. I'm headed to Regina on April 24th. And then quickly after that to Women's Conference on the 29th. So this all has to be done pronto. As I've said before, there are times that I could walk away from my job.....but then I couldn't go to Women's Conference, because this job is what is paying for my trip.

So anyway.....

1. Why is it that men can lose weight in four seconds and women take four years. Mr. C has lost a bunch of weight lately....(yes buddy, I'm talking about you on my blog). He's K's husband. He just decides that he wants to take some off...and two weeks later he's lost like a bazillion pounds. That's so unfair I can't explain it. I mean, congratulations to you Mr. C....blah, blah, blah. I have to run my a** off, literally....to loose anything, and eat nothing but spinach and and maybe lose 2-3 pounds per month. Unbelievable.

2. Sang in church today. Was asked three days ago to put a numer together for Ward Conference. I'm not a wonderful singer, but I can hold a strong alto note. So I get asked a bit to be in musical numbers. This one was especially difficult. It only changed keys 47 times.....well 6. I was literally shaking I was so nervous. You know you're nervous when not only your hands...but your legs are shaking. I wore my glasses rather than contacts, because last time I sang in church one of my contact went blurry and I couldn't see my music....panic city. So thinking I was so brilliant, glasses it was. Then the problem was that it was like I had bi-focals on. I couldn't have the music up high enough and when I looked down at it, I was looking under my glasses.....OMGosh, I can't win.

3. Does your husband adore you....? I have a friend who's husband adores her. You can tell when he looks at her. It's so sweet.....blah, gag. No, it really is. So it got my friends and I talking. Do our husbands adore us. Not just love, appreciate, want to paw all the time, but adores us? I'll get back to you on that one.

4. Spring clothes, I need some. Any spring clothes I bought last year are now too big. Hurray, and not. I've lost 20 pounds since this time last year, but I also now have to get all new stuff. Hurray I'm smaller and get new stuff.....not, because it costs and it generally frusterating to do that. I've often thought I'd like to have my own designer. I know what I like and what I can wear. There's plenty of stuff out there that I like, but it does not always fit or look good on that mommy of 4 that still would like to take off another 10 pounds. Who's hips were pushed apart and stayed that way with each baby....who holds weight in her legs, but not in her waist. Who doesn't like capped sleeves. Anyone opening a hip mommy store that caters to real sizes, real mom's and really cute?

5. Attended a surprise baby shower for Miss D this week. So fun, mostly because she hated it and wanted to leave the whole time. Not one for surprises, or crowds or all the people sitting and staring at her. Which, of course, made it all the more amusing for me. 3 more weeks....you can do it.

6. Big milestone today. J stayed in nursery all by himself the whole time....no crying. Hallaleha.... (how do you spell that? and read it like the MTC are singing it). I'm still feeling a little lost after being released from Primary, even more so now that I'm childless for 2 hours. Might have to actually attend RS and contribute to the lesson....ahahahahha.

7. Did I mention yummy man night? Miss A suggested that we have a weekly girls night...me and my three pals. Each week we choose a movie that has a yummy male in it. Just too look at, no touching involved. I hosted the first, we watched No Reservations. He had his shirt on the whole time, so disappointing. We've missed a couple weeks with different things going on. Who's turn it is this week? Any suggestions from the blogasphere on a yummy movie to view?

8. Spring...Winter....Spring...Winter. What is it already. Last Monday I sat on K's driveway with my friends watching our kids run around in the sun. I came home to see that the UV rays had been enough that I had extra freckles. Today it snowed and had to wear our winter coats. MAKE UP YOUR MIND. I'm not sure who that demand goes to....Mother Nature I guess. It's time for spring. I'm tired of this. My girls and I have big plans for the summer....let summer get here already.

9. I've discovered that Green Tea pill helps me get past the symptoms of a migraine that I am regularily bothered with. The general off centreness (that's a medical term of course). I have to be careful with those Green Tea pills. I can only take one, but not with my mult-vitamin that also has some GT in it. Because, quite frankly, I get buzzed by it. I had taken two GT pills one morning and was talking to K. She finally asked what was wrong with me, I was talking a mile a minute....which for me is like 10 miles a minute because I naturally talk a lot and fast. To be honest, I was high. So only 1 pill at a time from now on.

10. I'm trying to think of one more point, but I hear screaming and bawling from upstairs. Probably should go see what's happening...and get showers and bedtime started. Why is it always up to me to get that started. Like as if he doesn't know what happens every night. I'm going up there to give him a look....maybe he'll think I adore him : )

~ Crazy Fun ~

We had a crazy fun weekend. Started Friday when the kids had a day off. We met A and her kids at the zoo...and bonus, another friend happened to walk by and she spent the afternoon with us as well. Funny that we go to the zoo....where the animals are....animals we don't see every day....but what do the kids really want to do? Run free and play at the park. Whatever, it's vitamin D either way.


Brian met us at the zoo and took T to the hockey game. I headed home with the other three and we got a quick dinner and played one game of Uno. Not sure why only one, but that's what happened. Then they settled in for a movie.

Next day....Brian had heard during the week that the Roughnecks game was free on saturday night. So we got tickets for that along with K's family. So fun. The kids were rockin' it up in their seats and screaming and cheering the whole time. The fun thing about Lacrosse as opposed to a hockey game, they score a lot. So there is a lot of yelling and carrying on. We had originally thought we'd leave J with my parents, but ended up taking him. He had a great time...clapping and yelling. Mostly looking at us wondering if we'd finally lost our marbles. But it was a super fun time. Home late though, was the only draw back.

With a late game and day light saving time....it was really late.

So sunday morning I'm up getting ready. It's getting later and later and no one is starting to stir. In fact, every one of them is sound asleep and snoring still. So I left them all. : ) Had a lovely quiet time at church by myself. Was able to attend all my classes and hear the entire thing. That hasn't happened in YEARS.

Got home to find out that they had all slept late. They needed sleep. Brian and S have colds. O is getting it and T & O were just grumpy. They had a great home day.

So it's Monday and S is home sick with the same cold, O was up in the night coughing and hacking. J doesn't have it yet, but it's just a matter of time. I'm overloaded with work to catch up on...but the end may be in sight.

Women's Conference with my pals can't get here soon enough.

S had a skating activity with her class...check out the pictures, with one of her in the middle.

~ Feelin' the Pressure ~

So I'm in the heart of tax season and the pressure is building. So much to do, so little time....and laundry to do besides. I'll get it all done...but my family may not be treated well.

Last night at dinner.

T: Mom can I have 45 cookies for dessert? ( he didn't ask that, but I don't remember exactly what he was asking me for)

Mom: shake my head no.

T: What?

S: She shook her head.

O: She's a sugar head?

S: No Ow, I said SHE SHOOK HER HEAD.

O: Oh...giggle.

Crazy kids.

1. Is there an age range for 'Diva' behavior? Unfortunately for my children, I have given them some of my issues in life. One is how they look. I'm a little specific about how their clothes fit, and how short their jeans are before it's time for new ones. This has bitten me in the butt at times. Like this morning. The laundry is not quite done...or at least the jeans were still in the dryer. So "Miss Thing" was having a tantrum about the jeans she has left in her drawer. Four pairs of jeans in there....like how many do you need to choose from? So we pick up two to find that one really is way to small, and another is a pair of jean capri's. Well those won't do. The next pair I knew I had bought her this year, so those should still be fine. So I tell her to get dressed. She yelling as I leave to keep making lunches "They're going to be too short...they don't touch" That is what she has heard me say. If they don't touch the tops of their shoes, then they're too small and need to be put away/given away. She comes out to prove her point, and yes they're way to small. Fortunately for me, the last pair in the drawer were fine. Sweats and T-Shirts here we come, limited choices, limited fights.

2. Bought a new bike trailer. The one I had was fine for biking and pulling the boys. But I run with mine, and it constantly veers to the left. Very irritating. So they had some at Costco...for half the price of the first one I bought. They had one put together and I was playing around with it. Very seriously considering going to the end of the aisle and running the length just to try it out. I have a long stride and I find that I kick the back a lot. But my embarrassment won out and I didn't do my 5K in Costco. Can you imagine. Pardon me, excuse me, move please....nearly all work out clothing I have is from Costco anyway. I could just grab a couple things, get my run in, and shopping at the same time. Bonus.

3. So I took a break and went to put together that new trailer. OHGosh...I love it. First it's lighter than the other one. Second it folds down and the wheels come off so you can throw it in the back of the van......yahh!!! And next, the front wheel attachment that comes on and off depending if you're hooking it to a bike or not, it locks. Then you can go straight or have full mobility. PERFECT! So I'm pretty happy with my steal of a deal.

4. I've been slackin off in the running dept lately. So busy with work that I'm exhausted. I also prefer to run at night...which isn't facilitated by the exhaustion. So time to get back into it. Why do I run? I've been asked this before. I run because I can. That's my first reason. I've been asked why I enter races, again, because I can. I won't win, I don't expect to. But I can race and that's all I need. Running is therapy for me. Sometimes it's an easy time, sometimes hard. Often it kicks my butt. What I love the most about running is that it always forgives. Once I reached a certain endurance level last year, I've been able to maintain that. I get lazy and avoid it at times and yet when I get motivated again, I can still run for those 10 minute intervals. It surprises me sometimes.

5. There's a new Canadian Running Magazine...so great. www.runningmagazine.ca Just got my first issue today.

6. Okay, so again I took a break from blogging and went for a run with the boys in the new stroller. First of all, it's hard enough running outside for the first couple times, when I've run on my treadmill all winter. Never name pushing 70+ pounds of boys, and whatever weight that stroller is. Holy Cow. It was mostly a walk not a run. The bottom end is feelin' it, let me tell you.

Well that's it, sorry. Nothing witty or offensive today. Maybe tomorrow, stay tuned.