A Special Christmas in Vernon!

There are 7 more days until Christmas and I'm so excited to be spending it with my mom and the family for the first time in 7 years! Sam is looking forward to playing in the snow because we don't have any here in Vancouver. She LOVES the snow and had her brief experience when we had a very short snowfall a couple of weeks ago. Of course it's washed away with the typical west coast rainfalls. This year for Sam Christmas is new to her, as she can now understand more clearly what it's all about. We've been watching all of the classic holiday cartoons on TV and listening to a Raffi Christmas CD I bought. Her favorite songs are Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bells. She has been helping me shop for and wrap presents but most important I'm trying to get her to understand what Christmas is really all about... the birth of Jesus Christ!

Wayne has been on the road for the past couple of weeks as usual and he's so tired of flying through time zones and not knowing which way is up anymore. Our Christmas spent with my family will be a nice get-away! My auntie Avis will be holding Christmas at her place this year, as my mom who usually has it at her place, is going through some health issues and is quite tired from all the treatments she's had. A couple of months ago she was diagnosed with cervical cancer and has had to undergo 5 weeks of Chemo and radiation therapy. Today is her last treatment and is an overnight stay and then all will be done. From now on she'll have appointments with the doctors every 6 weeks or so, to see if the treatments have been doing its job.
My mom has been my biggest source of strength and one who never gets sick or complains about things. It's been really hard to imagine this is happening to her after everything she does for everyone. I've just been praying that things will be well after this and that it doesn't come back. Thank the Lord everyone has been helping out so much, as my step dad Rick has been doing all he can for my mom and now my auntie Avis taking over for Christmas.....thank you auntie (and I'll be right in there helping you out this weekend!) This will definitely be a special time together and also a very sad one as we continue to pray for Maureen and her family, and the rest of our family who are still grieving heavily from his recent passing. God Bless everyone.

Blue Tree on the Prairies

My cousin Gordie sent this picture to me and I couldn't help but post it. This is their farm outside Edmonton. The way they get those lights up Gord describes, is "a circus act", (which now he says he's getting too old for...HA HA). For the past 10 years he and and his wife Cindy have climbed an extension ladder propped up in the back of their truck.

Check out that star at the top of the tree. I think this is so spectacular!

In Loving Memory of Craig Foss

So the biggest news for this year....not good news at all, but very very sad news. My cousin Craig who was diagnosed at this time last year with leukemia, has passed away last weekend and the funeral is tomorrow. I'm so extremely sad, as of course so is Craig's wife Maureen and two young boys who were Craig's absolute pride and joy. I am also so sad for Craig, even though he had so far beaten the cancer early this year. What originally brought him to the hospital last year was a painful stomach issue he had been dealing with for many years...even the doctors had a hard time figuring it out what it was. So he went to the hospital in a lot of pain and discovered a totally separate thing he had... leukemia. We were all so hopeful after the bone marrow transplant, even Craig bound and determined to fight this for him and his new family. He still faced his horrific stomach issues and found it so hard to eat. On a 6'4" frame, he at one time over the summer weighed a mere 110 lbs. With such a malnourished body it was hard to fight off any infection that came his way. Last week he ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. They took a lung biopsy from a mass and his lungs collapsed. He wouldn't be able to breathe on his own. He always told Maureen he never wanted to be at this point so the family honored his wishes and took him off the ventilator, amongst many other tubes for meds, etc. Tomorrow is his funeral at 1pm Alberta time. I'm extremely disappointed I'm unable to make it, but I'm SOOO thankful I got to see him in September. I still can feel the big big long hug I gave him and happy I had a great old chat about many things we needed to catch up on. I'm also so thankful for all of the awesome memories I have growing up with him, I'll hold them so dear to my heart. I always looked forward to seeing Craig on my trips to Alberta and immediately looked for him at every family gathering. He holds so many memories for the family and countless number of friends. I'm so sad he's gone, but I am glad his two boys will carry on his legacy and that we will see him in them as they grow. Craig is watching us every minute of every day and proud of his family he created. I'm also glad he's no longer suffering. He will be missed by so many people and I pray for everyones healing hearts. He's here in spirit always. I love you Craig.

Maureen wrote a beautiful goodbye to Craig on his blog, which was set up last year to keep family and friends updated when he was diagnosed. www.craigfoss.com

October Update

Since my last MIA post (man I'm slacking aren't I! I really have been just lazy.) I painted the guest room for Wayne's mom (she's flying in tomorrow and we're really excited!) in the tan and blue. It's really tranquil, Wayne and I have even had naps in there and loved it! As for the kitchen I just kept the green color...maybe will change it in spring. I DID buy the can of chocolate brown for the bedroom and even repainted one accent wall in the living room with it. Our yellow was just too yellow and bland for both walls so now it's a great back drop for dark furniture and blue & coral accents.

Halloween has come and gone, even though it's been a month I've posted a picture of Sam's Elmo costume. At first that night she didn't want to put it on. With her kicking and screaming I tried, but no go. Then I got her to hand out treats with me instead. With the first batch of kids at the door it didn't take her long to figure out what was going on and next thing I knew she was out the door wanting to be with the kids. So I put her costume on her and told her to carry her treat bag, we were out the door. She went to every door by herself as I watched her from the sidewalk. She meant business, boy was she on a mission! Since then she still wonders if ghosts and goblins are coming to the door. Now that her treat bag is empty she always asks me to buy chocolate.

Now we're at the end of November and Sam has had yet ANOTHER cold for the past week, and of course along with it another ear infection. So back on the usual antibiotics we go and no play dates for a while. Wayne's in Calgary this week and has caught Sam's cold so is now sicker than a dog. I'll be glad for him to be home in his own bed tomorrow night...and will be nice to have his MOMMY here TOO! We're really excited to have her.

Vacation in Camrose

It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything. Since our trip to Vernon we were only home a week before Sam and I took a plane to Alberta to visit more family. We stayed just outside of Camrose with my dad and step mom Pat at their place in Tillicum Beach. It wasn't even two days we were there when Sam came down with a raging ear infection. I had her ear checked before we flew since she caught a cold while in Vernon. She's notorious for ear infections..everytime she gets a cold so now I'm ahead of the game. .... until that Monday when Sam ended up with a fever of 106 F ! The doctor on Friday cleared her of any infection before we flew so it didn't even don on me until we took her into the walk in clinic. Sure enough that's what it was. It can happen within hours so next time I'll keep that in mind. So she went on antibiotics and I alternated Tylenol and Advil to keep her fever at bay. As the week went on she wasn't getting better. I started to panic, as we were getting close to flying home again, so I had her antibiotics changed. Her fevers were gone within a day or so. Basically our trip was a write off, but it was still nice to see everyone regardless. There was one visit in particular I was glad to have made. My cousin Craig who was diagnosed with leukemia last year was in the Camrose hospital. He's been battling anorexia for quite a few months after his successful transplant. It was so hard to see him so skinny...imagine 129 lbs. on a 6'4" frame. Craig's always been a skinny guy but this was really horrible to see. He is struggling with a stomach issue he's had for a long time, which is what originally brought him to the hospital last year. Instead he was told he had something totally separate, leukemia. The doctors are still trying to figure out what it is and it's been so hard for him to cope with it. Still we had a great chat about many things and had a much needed catch-up. He was ready to be discharged the next day and continue his bags of calories through IV at home.

Since we got home it's taken me a while to get back into the groove. I've just had no energy and really just wanting to spend much needed time to unwind. Easing into the week has been nice. I've been thinking of painting again, since I have to finish a second coat on the kitchen I may as well look for a color I'll want to live with. We were so under pressure to get the job done I chose the Olive Branch really quickly. Now it reminds me of some 70's green, which I'm already so ready to change. I've decided on a tan color with a hint of green, so I still get that contrast with the cabinets. I like the color so much I'm going to use it in the bathrooms. I've also chosen colors for the bedrooms. Wayne's mom is coming to visit in November so I'll be painting her West Coast themed room in a sea blue with a tan accent wall. Sam's room will be Lavender with a striped accent wall and our master bedroom will be a dark brown...very sophisticated! So that's my plan for the winter...not to mention getting into some exercise routine....as if painting isn't enough!

Vacation in Vernon

Love the view from mom and Rick's deck! This is my favorite part of visiting. Everyday we can wake up to this!

Finally I have some time to get back into the blogging world. We were in Vernon on the long weekend and stayed for a week. It was so awesome to spend time with my mom and stepdad Rick. On our first day we went to Aunty Avis' BBQ for my cousin Amy's birthday. For the rest of the week Sammy was able to play with her cousin Cole almost everyday and they had a blast! The last day of our trip we spent at Davison's Orchards, watching Cole and Sam play on the slide, run through the petting farm and taking a tractor ride through the orchards. Afterwards we spent a couple of hours at the beach where Sam chose to play mostly on the slide, while daddy took in the underwater scenery snorkeling. Much fun was had and I did not want to come back home....although I know Sam did when she started to get a bit cranky for the last couple of days talking about her friends back home and missing her kitty Max.
Sam and I are preparing to fly this weekend to Camrose for a visit with my dad and grandmothers. Sam has caught a cold and hopefully will be better by the time we leave. Enjoy the pictures....

Auntie Avis and Uncle John


Mom, Wayne and Rick - Happy Hour!


Our serious Beethoven on Uncle John's piano



Amy opening her presents


Fun at the orchards

Cole on the slide

Sam held onto her hat as she found the ride to be a bit bumpy.

My Man Wayno

Bathing beauty

Sponteneous Snap

While one might think that this is my little Sammy doing her usual pose for the camera, it was in fact, after I had told her 'no'. A few minutes later I found her behind my plant with her chin sitting in her hands and this pouty little face peeking through the branches. I grabbed the camera just in time.

Catching Up

Well the painting is finally done for now, we just have to do a second coat on the kitchen between the cabinets and i can do that on my own. I just don't want to look at another can of paint for a while. We had Wayne's Aunt and Uncle and cousin over on Saturday night for rack of lamb and chops and Wayne headed off for Winnipeg on Sunday. I'll post pictures of the new paint color when Wayne comes back to upload them. I'm trying to get all things back in order, cleaning, laundry and some much needed sunshine as I don't think I even saw the light of day the entire 2 weeks we painted. It was a long haul and I swear Wayne and I were about ready to kill one another! LOL
Today I took Sam to one our little malls where you can sit outside a children's store and play with Thomas train tables. Sam loves it there and kitty corner is a Starbucks where I like to pick up a Mocha Frap for playtime. We walked through the mall doors and I hear Sammy saying over and over with excitment, "Thomas' house! Thomas' house!" She thinks the mall is all of Thomas' house. "Mama, play Thomas!" as I'm walking to Starbucks and she's getting upset that we've walked right by the train tables. I said "mommy's getting coffee then we can play with Thomas."
"mmm hmmm." She nods her little strawberry red head contently.
She patiently waited with me for my order and as we headed back to the tables she cheered, "Thomas! Play Thomas!" I sat watching her for about 45 minutes and then had to pull her away to get the rest of my shopping done. That's the hard part, but I said we can come home and play with Carly and Jamie next door. I told her to give the trains back to the lady inside the store and say thank you. As she did. I'm so proud of her now that she understands things more. I find I don't hesitate to explain things to her as she gets older. She really does understand and it amazes me because I'd try to have a conversation with her before and it's like it used to go in one ear and out the other. Now I feel like I'm talking to a real person. it's cool.

Sam The Ham

Is Sam ever developing a comical side! We've always got such a kick out of her as we watch the different stages she goes through. These days as she starts to speak 4 - 5 word sentences, she's turning into real comedian. I find myself not only taken aback by her subtle wit, but very impressed how she knows when to use it in a situation appropriately. The other day she was on the front porch with her friends when I peeked my head out the door to ask if she wanted a snack. She casually stood up and gently pushed me back into the house so she could close the door, "ok bye bye now mama." Well I guess I was told!
Then there are times she likes people to know who I am, as she sticks her arm straight out pointing my direction, palm up, "..'ducing....MAMA!!"
It caught me off guard as I've never heard her say that...it's so funny when it comes out of no where. Then it donned on me she's been watching a video of Oswald the octopus on stage being introduced by Sammy Seashell.
Then there was last week when Wayne and I were watching the end part of Thomas with Sam when she started singing along to the theme song. She knew certain words and knew when to sing them and when she finally got through the whole song, Wayne and I clapped in praise...YAY SAMMY! *clapping*
Sammy takes a bow..."thank you, thank you" to each corner of the room, quite impressed with herself. This made us howl! Wish I had the camcorder out.

Ah, now my days are finally enabling me to handle the toddler challenges better. Thanks to those with your supporting comments on my last post, Lisa I'll definitely take you up on that playdate offer...and it's such a good idea to put a buckle in the back seat while I do up her carseat! Problem solved, I'll let you know how it works out.

Exhausted

Ok don't take this the wrong way, I'm not complaining about my daily mother duties, nor am I complaining about my beautiful daughter but this is what I have my blog for and I'm going to post about my latest challenges.

I guess I'm just getting tired and to the point where i'm wondering when do I get a break. Just to go to Starbucks and try and concentrate on a book or go with a friend to have normal adult conversation. Yesterday for the first time since I can remember, I was in THE most fowl mood ever. I could not find happiness or positive with anything. I grumped around all day long, dragging my butt with hardly any energy left, feeling really annoyed at myself beause who wants to feel that way??! I couldn't get myself out of it. I've noticed since coming off my anxiety medication a month ago I haven't slept or felt as enthusiastic about going about my day to day activities with Sam. Now I'm wondering if I should be back on them? And you probably wonder why I went off of them in the first place. The last time I needed them was when Sam was born and I experienced post partum depression. Then I was fine when she turned a year old and at my doctor's intructions went off of them. Then he put me back on them for the duration of our move to Vancouver since I don't handle any kind of big changes that well, even if it's a positive one. So he gave me some and told me to start weaning off about June or July. So I have. Wayne said to give it another couple of weeks and if my brain chemicals haven't yet 'even itself out', I'll go see my new doctor again. I've just seemed to be able to go it alone in the past but perhaps not if I need to keep going on them eventually. I haven't felt so happy in a long long long time when we moved here. I was back home where I longed to be for the last 10 years. Then I'm off medication and I feel my world is changing. Am I just used to everything now and the novelty of being back home in beautiful BC is wearing off? or do I need to be on medication forever? It's ok if I do, I know lots of people who are on the same thing!

Anyway to my story on Sam's progresses and changes as my little baby girl is growing up. Her latest is that she wants to do EVERYTHING on her own and one thing in particular she's discovered is strapping things in. the plastic fasteners on things like Max's collar, shopping carts and the one thing I absolutely cannot help her with is the car seat! She will not let me touch it... "Mama! MAMA! MAMA I HELP!" Any parent knows what it takes to strap a child in their car seat, let alone letting them do it on their own. I sometimes bite the bullet and leave her to play around a bit while I get the car loaded or what have you. Then I'll come around to finish buckling her in and it is a HUGE HUGE screaming tantrum. ALL. THE. TIME. To the store. AND BACK. And one of these times was a couple of days ago just after calming her down from a fit she threw on her way out the door at the indoor play center beause we had to go home. Then I deal with the carseat thing again.
When my patience was running thin that day (because us mothers just go through that and are allowed to have our 'off' days right?) I just couldn't take it anymore! I can't go home and expect to get a break because Wayne is off in the next province somewhere on business. I do it on my own 24/7. Now I have an idea what life as the single mother is like. Somewhat anyway. But the tantrums don't stop there. If I say no, the Irish temper flies. This morning after my grumpy day yesterday I was hoping to start a new day with some relaxation, peace and my beloved dark roast coffee. Instead I found myself ripping off the slip cover from my sofa to wash and dealing with screaming toddler after I said no I won't bake a cake now. This was all going on at 8am. My coffee's cold, I'm all rattled inside and it's not even 9am yet.
So this is the reason Wayne and I have decided to only have one child. I would LOVE to have another sibling for Sam, but it all depends on how much I can handle. I really admire parents with more than one child and these days as i come across people, some have 3 or 4!! My hats are off to you and I am so happy for large families that fill a house with so much love. Although we have one little girl, she gives us so much love that's larger than life itself and that makes me smile.

Sick of Doctors

Today I took Sam to see the doctor because I suspected she had chicken pox. Two days ago I saw what looked like a pimple on her forehead...so big deal and I didn't think of it. Until today when I saw more of the red bumps on various parts of her body. At first I thought they were bug bites, then it donned on me that it could be chicken pox. I remembered she had the vaccine when she was a baby, but they said it didn't mean she's guaranteed she wouldn't get it....she'd just have a milder form of it. So after emailing wayne he suggested I take her, so I did...I wasn't going to worry about it, I thought if it's chick pox I'd ride it out with her. Anyway I waited an hour to see the doctor just to have him come in, quite flighty and overly happy, as I pointed out her 'bites and pimples' and alsso said she has a cough today. He was literally rushing out the door saying to give her Tylenol for any discomfort and that it's probably some kind of Rotavirus. I kept asking questions and even found myself apologizing after he'd almost disappeared from the room...'excuse me..I just wanted to know if I should look for anything and what is Rotavirus and how loong does it last and....' well you know I'm sure...and he left the room. It was unbelievable. I thought on the way home Rotavirus is something I was told to watch out for when she was a baby. I heard and read in many places over and over about Rotavirus and the one I remember is the gastrointestinal virus that can cause serious diarrhea and dehydration. Ok. so Sam has a bit of a cough with this little rash and has no signs or symptoms of Rotavirus...although he said there are about 50 different kinds of this virus...and in all my searches on the internet there seems to be only the gastro kind. I'm left disappointed and pissed off at the lack of attention or concern in the doctor's office...it's almost like he had no idea what he was talking about! There's no doubt she has a virus but I'm sorry...until someone can tell me Rotavirus comes with cough and rash...I'm left to diagnose this myself. How frustrating!! And this guy is only in a walk-in clinic, thank God my doctor isn't that way....ON THE CONTRARY! But unfortunately he is so hard to get an appointment with.

Have You Heard??

Does anyone recognize those piercing baby blues? Take a closer look and I'll give you a hint. She was a 'prairie' girl once upon a time, but only on the plains of Wisconsin. If you scroll down to the end of this post you'll see a more recognizable photo, if you haven't already guessed that it's one of my favorite childhood actors from Little House on The Prairie! Yes, it's Melissa Sue Anderson who played 'Laura's' sister! Although Melissa Gilbert was my absolute favorite...lol...

Ok so what am I trying to get at? I was so excited this morning to wake up, grab my coffee and sit down at my computer to read that on Canada Day she will become a Canadian citizen!! Now if you're a HUGE LHOP fan like me you can appreciate how I'm feeling right now, as I'm sure you're quite excited now, yourself! Apparently while shooting a mini series in Montreal she fell in love with the city and is bringing her family up here. Welcome to our homeland Melissa!

oh yeah and please let us know when you have Melissa Gilbert to visit..PLEASE! lol

Blame Facebook!

Ok I've been neglecting blogger and my yahoo! mail and there's only one to blame...the insane crazy networking world of Facebook! I've been meaning to post about it but I'm so easily distracted by it that I hardly ever get on here anymore! I've kept in touch with people from Ottawa, found my high school network and found old childhood friends whom I never thought I'd hear from again! It's incredible this site has 100,000 Canadians ALONE that are signing up everyday, according to CBC a couple of months back. It has a six degrees of separation concept, you can find people when you weren't even looking! Even my next door neighbour found me on here and although we can just step out onto our porches to say hi, we find ourselves obsessed with messaging one another about whichever... and sometimes late at night! I've even introduced the neighbour across the street, my friend who said she wouldn't get sucked in, my sister and even found a blogging buddy on there! It's a way to see what everyone's doing every day if you ever want to be that nosey...but everyone else is doing the same! Create your profile, tell people what you're doing at the moment (Heidi is ______) post photos, have food fights, 'poke' someone, look through your friends' list and discover they know someone you've known all your life!! Nutty world man and I'm totally addicted. So pardon me for the lack of posts....you know where I'll be.

Having said that, I need to update you with some things. My mom and Rick were here visiting last weekend and left on Father's Day. We had a great visit even though it was short, but that's the fun in being back home - we can see each other almost whenever. Mom spoiled us big time with gifts when they came to the door, plus took me and Sam shopping all day and we got clothes clothes and more clothes! Mom brought back 3 beautiful water color prints and frames from Florida she had specially matted so I can add it to my coastal themed guest room. Everything is looking better and better as the time goes on. Thanks so much for everything mom and Rick. I have been overwhelmed with so much generosity these days and I say that because I wish I had the money to return the favour. It's just that my mom and Rick and Wayne's mom have helped us out so much and always spoil us. One day I'll be able to do it.

Sam's been potty training so well these days, she usually tells me before she has to go so it won't be long before she's all set for pre school. We're not puting her in until next year anyway. It'll just be great to finally get her out of diapers too.
Wayne's been on business trips for the last couple of weeks. He goes back to Winnipeg next week then to Edmonton 2 weeks later. I've really got to find something useful to do with my days than putter around the house (and being on facebook...LOL!) I was thinking that now I have a car I could volunteer and even bring Sam with me. I was also thinking of puting her back into swim lessons...I really want her to get back into activities I had her in when she was under a year. I was always at playgroups and swimming. I'll figure it out.

Richly Blessed

In the last couple of months we've been blessed so much in our lives by people and by the gifts coming to us in so much abundance!
We'd like to send out a HUGE thank you to our friends Sue and Len for the living room couch and sofa we got over the weekend. You've helped us out in so many ways we didn't think would be possible for a long time! We wouldn't have a car for me either if it weren't for you! I'd also like to thank our wonderful neighbours Shana and Don for the 5 dining room chairs you showed up with today! They match beautifully! You've also helped us so much in getting our lawn in order and even added the great patio set to lounge in! I thank God everyday for so much He's given us. Not only he's guided us back home to BC, but with that He's made sure that we have such amazing people in our lives. We've been truly and richly blessed and today I sit back almost speachless.

Gross Post

Mommie is very proud of Sammy pooping in the potty a couple of days ago...yay! She seems to have stopped digging it out of her diaper too. Now she tells me, 'mommy? Poooop?' pointing to her diaper after she's pooped already. At least she's telling me, but i'm trying to get her to tell me before she does it. The other day she did. So I took her upstairs and put her on, gave her one of her books to read to distract her (now THAT was funny to see and I couldn't go get my camera for it). It took about 10 minutes or less and she got up and clapped at herself and I did a dance and praised her and praised her and all was good in the world of pooh.
Now she gets potty treats that I keep in the bathroom drawer (out of her sight).Since then Sammy's been talking about 'pooh'...."I pooh" she's so proud of herself.
She's really started to even talk more in the past few days too. Yesterday I put her shoes on to go out and she said "My shoes". Finally she's puting some words together! The she tells all her friends about Max getting hurt a couple of weeks ago, "kitty's boo boo".

Max by the way somehow got himself into a situation outside while on his leash, that he had to get out of fast and managed to break off all his back claws. I didn't even notice until he came crawling to me limping, then I saw the blood so I checked him out and even discovered one claw exposing flesh !! Eww! I made a vet appt. then cancelled it once I realised I had it under control with my own home care and work experience. Max is in good hands and has almost healed. Hallelujah!

So back to Sammy. She tries to say "I love you", although it's a mouth full for her, she gets the "I"...then there's some kind of gibble gorf babble, then "eeww". It's usually how she talks when she tells you something..like when I mentioned her talking about Max' boo boo..all you hear is , "Dax"...(gibble gorf babble)...."boo boo". It's most likely she's trying to say "has a". it's too funny and all her friends giggle, but they appreciate it.
She's never really been attached to a certain teddy bear or stuffed toy, but about a week ago she's chosen her (not one) but THREE toys to always take to bed with her. She's named them all...her elephant "Ellie"...her cat "Kitty" (how appropriate) and her horse she insisted on calling "shoopy" (Snoopy) after her latest favorite video to watch "It's the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown". She's always asking to watch it and when I put it on, nothing else matters.
Also the toddler tantrums and melt downs continue when she's told no or when she's had enough play or just in one of those moods. Trying to reason with her goes out the window so we try to ignore it until she's 'over herself'. Sometimes she just ends up in a time out. Ah, lovely days.
She still sleeps with us, as we do not have a bed for her yet. We're planning to get one very soon so we can kick her out! lol and try to get her back to normal sleeping. It's been way too long sleeping in our bed and the longer it keeps up the harder the transition. Man, this and terrible twos AND potty training might not be a good mix.

So over the weekend we were richly blessed with furniture from Sue and Len, the same friends who sold me their car. They got some new furniture and GAVE us their old ones, which match perfectly with our floor and color selections....SO we finally have living room furniture and I once again have something else to obsess over besides painting....decorating! Oh I love a new home! Will post pics of course when I finish.

Patio Stones

Here is what I've done so far in the back yard at my front gate with the patio stones. I should have taken a 'before' pic to show you what it used to look like. The entrance was sloped upward and bumpy, grassy, weedy and uneven and was really odd to walk on. I've dug it all up and leveled it out, put the stones in and a step (which I'm really not finished with yet). I also want to lay down some stepping stones and spread some shale around it. My next plan is to spread more shale where the cedar trees are.

Wayne is always so busy so he said I can design the back yard and build it myself, except for the deck, which we'll put in next summer. So here it is...my first stab at 'landscaping' if you can call it that..lol

Warm Sunny Days

Since mom Cassidy left we've been keeping ourselves busy in the beautiful weather we've been having. I bought Sam a blow-up pool and a little sprinkler to play in (and to also water my grass with). The neighbourhood kids love to join in, testing the waters and they all have a blast together as usual. Imagine 5 or 6 kids taking turns jumping into a tiny toddler pool! Sure is nice when the weather's been 27 degrees all week and even supposed to be into the weekend! While all that is going on I've been really working hard on the yard, repairing the patchy spots with top soil, grass seed and fertilizer. I'm diligent in watering and wil be running the sprinkler today in various spots. Our next door neighbours Shana and Don (who's kids are Sam's favorites - Carly and Jamie) have been so generous in sharing tools and even helping supply the necessities for building a great looking lawn. I know I've said it many times but thank you guys! We've been so blessed to have moved into an amazingly tight-knit neighbourhood. Across the street are two more ladies I've gotten to know...one of them I go on walks with and the other is an interior designer who has helped me pick over paint colors (they invited us over for a BBQ a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned in a previous post). Then there are the older couple next door on the other side of us who are more kept to themselves but very friendly as well. Yesterday while I put some stones in the gate's entrance (I'll post pics of it soon), they peeked over their fence and asked me if I'd like to join them for tea out in their yard. I was so grateful but Sam still hadn't gone to bed so I took a raincheck. I'm so overjoyed by the friends we've made here and I'm even demonstrating makeup tips for the ladies who want to know. Yesterday I had Shana over to give her eyebrow tips and review some of her colors. I'm just having so much fun here and we're all enjoying our backyards, as everyone's landscaping and decorating...I think that's what's motivated me to do so, even though we're not going to really get it done until next year. Last week when mom was here Shana and Don gave us their patio table after they bought a new set. When we were shopping at Superstore we came across some MATCHING chairs at $20 each so we grabbed 4 and shoved them in my car. Thanks mom for buying them for us! Not to mention everything else you treated us to...you're such an awesome mom and I can't thank you enough for your kindness and generosity. You've really spoiled us. We miss you so much already. Even though you caught Wayne and Sam's cold we still managed to have as much fun as we could. I miss our happy hours, shopping, morning coffee and tea outside, visiting family and friends.... and Sammy still points to the teapot on the counter and says "Yia Yia, tea".

Sammy Challenges

These past 2 weeks have been exhausting but fun. Sam has been a great challenge to deal with since she was sick with her cold. It seems at the same time her second molars are FINALLY coming in, but MAN has she ever been a crank! She won't let me leave the room and always need to be held. She follows me around crying all the time, saying "hug! hug!" At first I was SO sorry for her and gave her all the attention she wanted and cuddled her to no end. Now i'm just running out of patience and I'm just getting tired. On top of this I'm so concerned about the potty training issue. She will not stop pulling her pooh out of her diaper when I'm not watching. It really has to stop. So I bought pull-ups the other day and puting her on the potty at her 'regular' time. Today she refused to stay on....now I'm just getting tired and wondering if she's just not ready yet, as we've been trying this for about a month now. i'm forever telling her to tell me when she has to go potty...she's not listening or just not getting it or understanding it. This is the part of this toddler stage I'm dreading. Maybe she just needs some more time in diapers until I can communicate with her so she really understands what to do. Anyway, that's just a part of what I've been dealing with these days. Then she got the cold and seems to be over it now, but now it's the molars. ARGH! And entertaining, running around and attending dinners, BBQs...it's all been so much fun but MAN am I ever physically exhausted. today I'm really feeling it. Wayne's mom is packing up her stuff today and leaves Tuesday...she's staying the night at the BBQ tonight. We will miss her so much, as it's been an amazing visit. Wayne left for Calgary today so Sam and I will get an early sleep....I hope. Which brings me to the next issue with her, but we won't go there. man.

Family Visit

Wayne's mom arrived last Saturday on her cruise ship and we picked her up at Canada Place first thing AM. From home it only a half hour drive to the cruise ship terminal. Mom loves the house and absolutely adores Sam, as she's really quite a character now. Sam had no problem warming up to 'Yia Yia' again, she went right to her.
Wayne and Sam have been sick with bad colds since last week, but I didn't expect mom would get it on her first day here. We've been to the doctor for both mom and Sam and Sam ended up on an inhaler for the rest of the week. I still haven't caught it and I'm hoping to keep it that way. So we haven't been able to do much, as far as site seeing and walking the Granville market , Kits Beach, White Rock pier, etc. like I'd planned. Maybe it's a good thing...mom's really tired from her month-long cruise from Australia and we can just treat this as her relaxing vacation from her vacation. Still, we're having a nice time and the weather has been sunny so we can sit out in the back yard with our coffees or glasses of wine. Tonight we're having Wayne's aunt and uncle over for a roast beef dinner, so I have lots of cleaning to do and mowing the lawn again. This weekend is more dinners with family and friends....Cheers to a good week!

Welcome Tracy!

I just want to introduce my favorite girl back in Ottawa, my best friend Tracy whom I've shared so much with in the past 5 years. Please visit her blog, she is an amazing Christian woman with a new baby boy Luke and loving husband John. I miss her dearly but we're always close in heart...
I can't wait for you guys to come visit sometime!
Love ya sista cat!

Happy Mothers Day

One day late, but here's hoping everyone had a good mothers day. It's been so hectic around here this past week. We officially bought Sue's car and I've been running around taking care of the transfer and renewing insurance, changing over my driver's license and processing the health care for all three of us. Wayne's leaving for Toronto tomorrow until Friday, then Saturday his mom is docking in Vancouver from her Australia cruise. We are so excited and we've been busy preparing for that....wayne made a quick bed frame for a mattress for her and I've been decorating it to give it a west coast-feel.
So this week I've got more to do as far as cleaning goes and buying bedding, groceries and cleaning out the car to make it my own. It's such a great car and I've (we've) been so blessed with so much since we moved here. For mother's day our neighbours across the street invited us over for a BBQ and it was so much fun, they're a great family. She's the one who's the interior designer and she's even offered to help us paint! I am so excited about it, I'm sure it will be done sooner than we thought. Instead of Wayne taking time off to do it, she guaranteed it can be done in a weekend, with her experience. WOW! Now just to pick that weekend. Stay tuned...(and I apologize in advance for not updating as often as I'd like).

Playtime Pics

Here's what it looks like when you come in through our front door.

Here's the dining area...you can see where they painted around the previous cabinet.

The big girls showed Sam how to play hopscotch, although she seems to have her own rules, she does a pretty good job.

They stop for a popsicle snack.

Maybe she'll be playing for the Lions one day??

Still Alive

I haven't had much to post, I just thought I'd log on to let you know I'm still alive.
We're expecting Wayne's mom to sail in and dock in Vancouver from her Austraila cruise in a couple of weeks. Wayne is making a murphy bed for the guest room but I'm positive it won't be finished. We'll buy the mattress for it and put a few pictures up to make it like home for her. He's almost finished my desk so I'll have my computer to set up along with my scrapbook supplies. All the furniture will be in a light wood to make the room brighter and I've planned to decorate in a West Coast feel. I'm looking for pictures with seashells, sand and ocean. I'd like to set up sail boat trinkets on shelves and buy a duvet cover in white and blue.We're really excited, although Wayne is away on business for most of her stay...back on weekends, we'll still have fun.
Sam's vocabulary has doubled since my last post. We give her a book and she points to everything and says the word, I didn't know she knew so much...she just never comes out and says it! Her newest thing she says is so funny - it comes from Dora's sneeky fox friend Swiper...."OOOHH MAAAAAAAAAAN!" At night she also gives us tons of kisses when we put her to bed (still our bed) and she gets so into it she pushes me and Wayne's heads together to kiss too...so the three of us are kissing all over...it's so cute and we all laugh our heads off! She's quite a character, Wayne's mom is really going to get a kick out of her!
Yesterday I raked up the back yard lawn after mowing it and then seeded the grass. It's all patchy because the last owners didn't take care of it properly. They put so much work into it - we always hear it from the neighbours - they carried bags and bags of potting soil to the back and after all that they seeded it all, but hardly watered or fertilized it. I don't know why they just didn't lay down sod. They didn't know much about gardening (and either do I) but from what we see they did with the front and back, they did a pretty great job overall. More than I'd be able to do that's for sure. AND with very little tools I hear! AND they were always out there in their best work clothes. We have nice cedar trees bordering our front and back yards and a few plants with lava rock on top. Looks good, but I had to make a few minor changes. From here I'll be able to do some great things. So here's hoping the lawn will look awesome by the time Mom Cassidy arrives.

My Favorite Pictures of the Week

Check out the black tail deer in our neighbour's backyard. I took this picture from my patio doors at 8am. The girls next door were feeding it apples. They're out almost everyday now. Click on the picture to see it larger if you like.

This is Sammy drawing circles....she's been doing this AND holding a pen this way since she was 15 months old..at least. Proud mama I am! Her motor skills have always been way beyond her. Then there's the vocabulary side of things, where we'd like to see more of an improvement. I've written down all 48 words she says, although we know she knows way more, she just doesn't want to say them yet. Soon they will come out as we've heard the others. It seems like we hear a new one every other day or so. It's really helped hanging around the bigger kids. They are so good with her and teach her colors and things. She jabbers away all the time in very serious and matter-of-fact conversations! Her latest expression is "ooohh YEAH?!" Her newest word is "KOOOKIE?" saying it like a question....usually because she's asking to have one. She also has discovered how to jump up in the air, although she's been trying to get off the ground for weeks now, she's finally been able to lift herself up about 2 inches with a huge laugh - she's too proud of herself. The terrible twos have set in a lot more now though. Especially if it's time to come inside, her screaming sounds like she's being killed...it's awful. I just have to let her lay on the floor face down until she's finished the big production. She kicks and if she's mad at you she'll even hit. I DO NOT like this and will not put up with it but to teach her seems like talking to a brick wall. Telling her "No, you do not hit people, it is not nice!" makes her tantrum escalate. She hits even harder and won't listen. I try to put her in a time out on the couch but she won't sit there. I just keep doing everything over and over no matter how frustrating it is for the both of us. Kids need repetition and consistency. Ah the joys of this stage...but we'll get through it.

Good Times

Last night we were invited to my old high school friend's house for a BBQ with her family. She was my best friend throughout school and we kept in touch on and off to this day. Now that we're living in the same city again, we've reconnected with our families and continue to have such incredible times together. At one point of the night Sue and I laughed so hard our stomachs hurt. It was just a reminder why we were so close. She has such a beautiful family. We took a tour of their home, introduced our husbands (we were so excited about that!) and sat at the table over apps and wine while the kids played together. We had a yummy steak dinner and our conversation never had a silent moment. Sue and I recalled so many of our favorite days and shared some pretty funny stories with our hubbies. Wayne couldn't believe how much we were the same - in every way.
There is also some great news on top of this! Sue is selling her car and we've (almost) agreed to take it. It was her dad's (I remember it well - ha ha) it's an 1989 Delta 88 and he was the only owner. You have to understand how meticulous he was with everything to know what awesome condition this car is in. He gave it to Sue just last June and now they bought a new van so they want to get rid of this car. She's going to drop it off so I can test drive for a couple of days. I'm almost positive we'll take it, as it's hard to buy an old used car from someone you don't know. You never know what you're getting into or if you can trust them, even if you want to believe it's an honest deal. So once again, I'm so blessed and everyday I thank God for bringing me back home and reuniting me with my family and also bringing my dear friend back into my life. Good times!
Today we plan to pick up some things at Wal Mart, then I'm looking forward to cleaning up my garden in the front yard.
Happy Sunday!

Something To Do....

Since I've been house bound and without a car, I can only do so much around the house until I'm dying to find something else creative or that sparks my interest. If I'm not doing that, I'm outside supervising Sam playing with her friends. Today was a perfect opportunity to play around in the garden out front while Sam ran around with the other kids. The previous owners framed our front step and down the side of the house with cedar trees and ripped out the little patch of grass from the so-called front yard and planted a few perennials, topped with lava rocks. Now when it comes to plants and gardening I'm almost clueless, but it didn't take a genius to figure out these people didn't really know what they were doing. I needed some guidance badly. Luckily the neighbours around us have more knowledge in that area, so yesterday I was told what kinds of plants I had and what was dead, etc. Today I decided to rip out the dead parts and pull all the weeds. While doing that, I discovered from the smell that I was pulling out rosemary bushes. Too bad they died, but the garden looks better already. As I play in the dirt and trim away at the cedar trees, I listen to the kids across the street playing in the yard with Sam. I keep looking back to see what they're doing and they seemed fine until I heard crying and one of the kids ran up to say Sammy fell. I didn't hear her screaming, just a little crying so with some relief I whipped off the gloves and headed across the street. One of the other kids said she hit her head on the rocks (she tripped). I picked her up and looked at her forehead and I saw a big bruise with dots of blood under her skin. Luckily the skin hadn't broke...the head bleeds so badly. So I brought her in immediately to look her over. I put a cold cloth on it for the swelling and she pushed me away angry. I think she didn't like that I brought her inside...when I do that she knows playtime is over. I checked her out and asked her if she wanted kisses for her owie and a cookie to feel better. She stopped crying and looked me straight in the eye with tears running down her cheeks, gave me a big smile and nodded. All was well and now she's watching Miffy on the couch. Now the kids have gone inside and it's raining, so I'm going to clean the bathrooms and ponder more on paint colors. The same neighbour that helped me with the garden dilema is an interior designer - lucky me..lol .. she used to work with the builders here in the area. She lent out a palette of paint colors from Benjamine Moore for me to take home (this was last week). Yesterday I brought her in to get her opinion on things and I got a lot of great information and tips and color suggestions...man I'm on a roll with things now. This is so fun! And Wayne said I can design the deck for the back yard, which he'll start on this summer. I'm pretty excited about our projects, I only used to imagine how owning a home could be so much fun. Once I get some things on the go I'll post some pictures.

An Easter Prayer

Let us pray, on this Easter morning for the life that never again shall see darkness.
God our Father, creator of all, today is the day of Easter joy. This is the morning on which the Lord appeared to those who had begun to lose hope and opened their eyes to what the scriptures foretold: that first he must die, and then he would rise and ascend into his Father's glorious presence.
May the risen Lord breathe on our minds and open our eyes that we may know him in the breaking of bread, and follow him in his risen life. Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Happy Easter to you and yours!
The Cassidys

Photo Time!

Daddy and Sammy



Mommy and Sammy


Sammy gets this from me....(blah, blah blah..)

My new hairstyle - I gave into being a foil slave...the only way to get my baby blonde back. My favorite style I've had yet! My stylist got a big fat tip from moi!

Sam climbed into a box Max found to sleep in. He didn't seem to mind.

The color of one of our walls...this is the one I love. Unfortunately Wayne doesn't so we're painting over it. I managed to get him to agree on a color very close to this one, just not as dark. Sad. *sniff*

Our kitchen...I love our rich cabinets but the wall color has to go. We're changing it to a stone sage color.

Sam supervising daddy's work. This is when we first moved in and installed our granite sink...nice!

My Handsome Dad!

I love this picture my stepmom just emailed to me. I HAD to post it and show off this handsome cowboy I'm proud to say is my dad!!

Hello Again

The week is flying by and I forgot I haven't been posting anything! Most likely because all week we've had nothing but sunny days and NO rain, so I've been outside with Sam.
Our weekend with mom and Rick was really nice, although they left a day earlier than I expected, at least I get to see them more often now that we live here again. So I cannot complain!! Mom came to the door with a beautiful pot of Easter lillies and a card, plus a gift certificate to a local nursery to buy a nice bush to plant. I cannot wait to get some planter pots going outside and I'm dying to fix the backyard up a bit...do some nice bordering around the cedar trees and cut the grass. We've got a lot of plans here on the go so we might not start major projects on the yard work until next spring. It was awesome to have my mommy here! lol My dad and stepmom are talking about coming here early summer. And Wayne's mom is coming in May...man I haven't had so much company! It's so nice!! Wayne finally got the hardware for the murphy bed he'll be building for our guest room/craft/computer room. I think it's such a great idea to have - it makes the room more functional when we don't have anyone staying here. Then I can have my 'office' again. I can't wait until Wayne's finished building my computer desk; it will have drawers and shelves for my scrapbook supplies too. He's been out of town for 2 weeks, back here this week and off next week. Hopefully he can continue on with the desk and then start the murphy bed.
We've also picked colors for our home. We'll start priming here soon I hope. We're painting the pea soup walls a nice stone sage green with deep brown accent walls in the front room. We already have the brown, we just don't like the yellow undertone. We picked one with more of a grey underlay which should blend nicely with the upstairs 'builders grey'.
Sam's schedule is getting better. She's starting to nap again in the day, but only for an hour as opposed to 2. I think she still needs that little nap to survive the rest of the day, but last night she still didn't sleep until 11pm ... so now that makes me wonder if her nap DOES make her night time worse. I even got her settled at 8pm and did everything i could to try and make her sleepy. If she doesn't nap in the day, she ends up wanting to fall asleep at 5 or 6.....this is what's been so difficult for us. And of course she's still sleeping in our bed. maybe we should just forget doing one thing at a time and just put her in her room at 9, close the door and let her cry to sleep. It's so horrible listening to her scream for so long (we've already tried this a few times) that's why we just let her sleep with us. And the longer we do this, the worse it gets. HELP!!

Adios for now Amigos!

Family Visits and Beauty Update

I'm so excited and with much anticipation I'm waiting for my mom and step dad's arrival sometime today. They're here actually seeing clients and my mom comes for the ride so she can see me.....cuz now she can! Wayne comes home from Calgary tonight too - it will be so nice to have everyone home again.
My dear old dad in Alberta is now online too. They live by the lake out in the woods and camp area and just got their computer set up. Since then I've really enjoyed getting his emails.....he sure loves the internet according to my step mom Pat. Man, if he only knew what high speed was, as they only have dial up. He thinks it's normal to wait 45 minutes to send/receive photos! They're planning to get high speed soon through satellite. He'll REALLY have a hay day!!
To update you on my new beauty regime......as I've told you I tried the Neutrogena Microdermabrasion system. I'm in the process of giving my skin a break from 'sanding it down' for a week. Then I'll maintain it 3 times a week, incorporating it in my routine. Ok so the results so far I haven't seen much of an improvement, except that my skin feels really smooth. The thing I have to warn people about is if you're prone to break-outs, this might happen to you. It did for me, as you're peeling the layers of skin away and any infected follicals underneath are more exposed to the surface, it all makes sense. Not fun, as I just had it under control after moving out here and getting used to the climate change, mixed with stress and probably not a very good diet. It seems endless to try and get my skin back to normal. I haven't had this problem for so long!!
As for the hair situation, my hair looks a TOUCH lighter, as in a bit sunkissed, but very minor. Maybe more glossy and shiny, if anything. So the more I use it, the results intensify over time it says. Will keep you posted.
As for my mother inlaw, I didn't mention that she went in for a mammogram and they found something suspicious. So they did a biopsy this week and the results came back negative! THANK the LORD! She's planning a trip out here in May, so now she can continue with her plans and we'll still be able to see her! I'm so thankful!!

So I thought I started my house on fire last night. I ran the dishwasher and went upstairs to get Sam and I settled for bed. While in the bathroom I smelled what I thought was smoke and/or burning wires. Ok. I ALWAYS think I'm smelling fire and it drives Wayne crazy. We joke that I'm about to have a seizure or something. AND...back in December I ended up calling the fire department when we were in Ottawa because I thought I smelled a gas leak in the basement. No such thing by the time the whole drama was over. Man. Sometimes I think I'm going crazy. ANYWAY, as I was saying.... I started sniffing around in the bathroom thinking of what I may have forgotten to turn off downstairs...maybe a burning element on the stove...nope. I followed the smell down the stairs and it lead me to the dishwasher where I saw smoke (or what I thought for a second was steam) coming out of the cracks. The cycle was done and on 'dry'. The smell of burning wire was really strong so I opened the door and a plume of smoke poured out - I quickly opened the windows in fear this would all set off the fire alarm.....I was freaking out and went back to the dishwasher. I looked inside to see what was burning and the bottom black element had Sam's sippy cup lid melted around it. MELTED! So I had to scrape it all out...what a horrible smell throughout the house! I had to open almost every window for an hour. It was 11 degrees so not too cold but Max kept trying to climb out and into the darkness. Sorry pal, cougars and coyotes out there. So I closed up the windows and went to bed all paranoid there was something still smoldering that I missed in the dishwasher. the smell wouldn't go away. this morning it seemed back to normal and I scraped what was left off the element and cleaned out the smell as best as I could. Wayne's in Calgary through all of this of course. Why can't he ever be home when things like this happen??!!!!

Happy Paddy's Day

So I woke up this morning looking forward to my usual cup of dark roast and the local paper. I walk downstairs to the front door. No paper. Huh? I look out across the street and everyone else has their paper! I don't. Man. No one's even come out to get theirs yet. I'm almost tempted to run across and steal one!
So ok fine. No paper. I get my coffee in the kitchen and carry it to the table where my laptop sits. I turn it on and the internet is down! ARGH! SO....no paper and no internet. Man! This does NOT jive well with PMS, people!!
The neighbours invited us over for a neighbourhood shin-dig tonight, in celebrating St. Paddy's day. Should be a great time! Can't wait to meet the neighbourhood!! Sam will have fun that's fer sure!!

A New ME??

Today Sam's friends came over to play once school was out. She's having the time of her life these days with all these friends! She loves older kids anyhow and I think it's good for not only social skills but to help build her vocabulary. She's been picking up words here and there, like bear (she says it with a growl - BEAR!!!!), all done (when she puts her potty lid down), out (points when she wants to go outside), counts her toes beginning with one (pronouncing it 'nun': nun, nun, nun...), pee- s (please). That's pretty much it - not ALL the words she says but newer ones.
She still hasn't been sleeping in her bedroom. We wanted to deal with that after we got her back on her time schedule. Now with the time change she's really screwed up again. As I may have mentioned before, she's skipping her naps and fights to stay awake all day and unlike a couple of weeks ago, is now managing to last until bedtime. She's tired enough to settle in by then so I don't think it will take much longer to get her back on track. That's if she's done with naps for good. She's still napped about 2 times in the last couple of weeks.
So in my mommy rut, I've decided to lighten my hair with a great shampoo instead of succumbing to the salon foils. It's called John Frieda sheer blonde Luminous Color Glaze. I use the Sheer Blond products already and now I've added this one. My hair has been so dull and become darker since I had Sam - a lot of people were asking if I colored my hair ASH! I have virgin hair people - never needed to dye or foil, and the sun made my platinum hair even brighter. Now .... no such thing anymore. It's very sad. So this product has made me happy that I can (hopefully) get my baby blond color back, without the money and color damage at a salon. CHECK IT OUT if you've had the same issue.
On top of the new hair I'm starting a facial treatment I just bought. I've always used Neutrogena products and wanted to try this new product. I have some minor sun damage on my forehead and cheeks, plus have always had visible pores. So I've decided to blast it all with the Neutrogena At Home Microdermabrasion System. I saw the results on CTV when a group of volunteers decided to try a variety of kits to see which ones worked the best. By far Neutrogena worked way better than other brands and dermatologists were giving it the thumbs up. The kit is a bit pricey at $56 a box, but it's better than dropping your whole bank account into a series of sessions at a spa.
So I'll keep you posted on my mommy makeover. Maybe I'll add some sunless face lotion!

Thoughts and Ramblings

I haven't posted much these days because I really haven't had much to report or say, or maybe I've been a bit tired - with Sam's schedule still being so out of whack and I'm trying to get adjusted to not having a car too. I think it's been a few things combined. It's all sort of put me into a bit of a funk. I hate funks don't you? When I do want some down time I'm always interrupted with something Sammy's doing and usually these days it's into something she's not supposed to. She's learned to climb up onto the kitchen island so now I'll have to put the chair away. Ok no problem - that solved. I cannot have my cat's food on the floor for one moment or she's eaten it/ spread it all over, or splashed in the water dish. As I mentioned in the last post or two, she's always digging down her diaper and it's usually when I'm not around that she's pooped....guess what she's brought out to me in her hands! Welcome to mommyhood. I know I'm not the first one to experience only some of these millions of challenges. I'm glad she's not bored and has her neighbour friends come over to play. She absolutely loves it and I'm glad she has that kind of interaction when I can't get her to playgroups yet.
I am thankful though, that I have a couple of old friends here. One of them drops in here and there to say hi and I'm really glad to be able to finally talk to someone over the age of 2. It's different when you can escape the madness at home and pack up the little one for a little shopping spree for a few hours. that way I can talk the ears off strangers and torture the cashiers with stories they don't care about. Wayne's been kind enough to offer me a Heidi Day one day a week and he'll take me all over, anywhere I'd like to go for errands, groceries or indulge in shopping for myself. Not sure how long that will last....we did that over the weekend and he HATES to shop...so all he did was complain and ask me when we were done. ARGH! So I felt pressured the entire time and stressed out, but the day ended with a nice lunch out at Red Robin. Man it will be nice when I can get a car of my own. Now that Wayne's gone to Calgary until Thursday, I'm all stocked up on what it was I needed and for the rest of the week I'm going to putter around the house. I like to putter and always have. Especially now with a new home, there's so much I've planned for this place, as far as painting goes. The decorating is another issue. I'm desperately looking for ideas on TV shows and on the internet or trying to come up with something of my own. I hope it's easier once we've painted.
Another thought when I have a car...volunteering my makeup skills to help and inspire disadvantaged women. I read an article the other day in the local paper about this organization and I felt immediately this was what I was meant to do. I'm excited to see what happens.

Potty Time and The Secret

Yesterday we bought Sam a potty from Wal Mart. She sits down, gets up and puts the lid down and claps. She did this right away but with her diaper and pants on. I'd like to get her used to the concept first. Plus we're still working on getting her schedule back to normal so I don't want to overwhelm her. ..... or me! LOL
I've been working on getting connected with people through blogs, etc. since we moved. If you look at the top of this blog you will find a big link called Wet Coast Women .... an online community for women in Vancouver and area to network and meet new people. I've always been a proactive person and love meeting new people. Through this link I've also found information on networking in the Vancouver film industry, so I think I'm really going to benefit from this group. I've also emailed and reconnected with a few old high school friends and we're in the works of arranging coffee dates. Good times to come, I can see it!
By the way, have you heard about The Secret ? My dear cousin from Ontario was the first to tell me about it. Check it out...it's a movie and a book that has scientists exploring the law of attraction, aka 'the secret of the universe' or, "The Secret". The concept states that the energy you put into the world, good and/or bad, is what you get back. I truly believe in this, as I've focused so much on moving back to Vancouver for so long and also pictured myself in my career in makeup, that I believe I've actually made all of this happen in my life. I didn't really think about this until my cousin pointed it out to me when she explained The Secret. So check it out people...it sounds amazing and I cannot wait to watch the movie!

Company's Coming

Last night I would have posted about our first dinner party but I was too tired. Wayne made his famous Italian dinner for his Aunt and Uncle and cousin who live here in Van. Was it ever delicious!! We got a giant fleece blanket from his cousin and a wood salad bowl set from his aunt and uncle - something I've been dying to pick up lately! It sure was nice to get to know them better, they're such fun and just like being in the same room as my side of the family. Man do I miss Wayne's dad...his brother really reminds me of him...especially his voice. Wayne's mom ended up calling to say hi...she wished so badly to be here to join us. It's going to be so nice to have her here in a couple of months - we'll have some awesome get togethers with the fam!

Today Wayne's going to take me shopping as I want to pick up a few moree things with the house. Tracy sent gifts cards to me and Sam for our birthdays so I might just have to use them today!

It's been raining steady as usual. I found an adorable kids store not far from here and they carry the cutest rain coat and boot sets. I definitely plan to pick it up and when I do I'll post a picture...wait til you see it!

Not much else happening here. Wayne's course was cancelled for this week so he's home again and then he's off to Calgary next weekend. When he gets back we're planning to grab some white primer to get started on our painting. FINALLY!!

Who are the People in Your Neighbourhood?

Yesterday was the first day it didn't rain all day since we moved in. Sunny but still a bit chilly, although I get cold easily even if it's warmer to others. Wayne and I dressed up Sam and took her outside where she could play ball with us. The kids on the block were out and Sammy gravitated to them with a big 'HI!' The kids ranged from 5 - 7 but still loved to play...they even asked us if "Samantha can play with us". Sam was in her GLORY! It wasn't long until our neighbour came out - in summer SHORTS! - and introduced himself. We talked up a storm while our kids played together. Sam splashed in puddles and even sat in them....man did she have a good bath when we came in. Her poor little hands and feet were little icicles! Our neighbour filled us in on who's who on the street. He even mentioned that the block likes to get together for 'Mardi Gras' in March, so we're invited if we'd like to get to know everyone. I'm feeling more and more at home everyday! LOL! Sounds like a great bunch of people. We're so blessed to have moved into such a great neighbourhood and our kids seem to get along well!

Sam's vocabulary is expanding day by day and she's learning on her own when and how to use her words. Yesterday she saw me eating chips while we were outside. She left her group of friends to come up and ask me for one. I wasn't expecting to hear it but she reached up saying "peeeze!" She's finally catching on and it seems she's surprising us almost everyday lately! She saw a duck on TV and said out loud "DUCK". Now she says bye bye very clearly...."buh-byyye" emphasizing the 'I'...eyyye! Now her new one is 'what'. We're trying to teach her to put 2 words together and with the way it's going I'm sure it won't be long before she's talking some sentences.
She's still not on schedule...this will take a while I'm sure. She still hates her crib and prefers to sleep with us, but we keep working on it.

We're having our security system installed next Tuesday which is a nice relief. Wayne goes back to work next week and he said he's going to Calgary in a couple of weeks. Things are getting back to normal. lol Now to head to a paint store and choose some colors!

Our Weekend

Yesterday was another day of unpacking some lingering boxes of odds and ends, when I got a call from my best friend from high school. We've been keeping in touch on and off throughout the years and a couple of months ago I called her to say I'm moving back to BC. So she called yesterday to say she was coming over to finally see me! She brought her 3 adorable kids, who had little housewarming gifts for us...thank you again guys! I gave her the tour of the house and she met Wayne, but Sam had already gone down for a nap (first time in ages, but bad timing). We had such a great visit - we laughed and talked about old times...it was like no time had passed since the last time we saw one another. It reminded me why we were so inseperable. Now I really feel at home again and not so isolated in a new town. I'm looking forward to getting out with her for dinner dates and girl times. She even had a recreation magazine for me so I could register Sam for upcoming programs. I cannot wait to get to a playgroup and swimming lessons again!


Sam still isn't on schedule, but that's our fault. Yah I'm being lazy. We planned on getting her back into her crib this weekend so I'll force myself to do that tomorrow! Plus we're going to start potty training her I think. She's got a bad habit of digging down into the back of her diaper and it drives me crazy. Not to mention that I'm absolutely horrified when it's been a poopy one! That's happened twice now and last night was one of them. I had to hang up the phone and run her up into the bath immediately. I will refrain from details but let's just say it took me an hour to clean up and I'm NOT doing it again. Tomorrow I'm going to buy a potty for her. UGH!! !!!!!!!

Now...
tonight....I'm going to plant my butt on the couch without interruption and watch the Oscars. I WILL NOT miss the red carpet as I did last year, so I've lined up Wayne to watch Sam. I will pop some popcorn and indulge myself in pure and utter glamour. Anyone to join me??

Off Schedule

Now that we've settled as much as we can, it's time that we get our Sammy girl back on schedule. Since I left Ottawa and stayed at my mom's for 3 weeks, Sam's bedtime has been very late because she didn't have her crib - so she slept with me. Now that we're finally home, we have to get her used to her new room. Half the problem is, I've absolutely LOVED cuddling with her every night and falling asleep so she's been sleeping with us since...lol! She's only this small once so I say why not. But we were saying last night that she's got to go into her own room this weekend and we can't cave. It's going to be a harder transition for her though so I hope we haven't created a monster! Will keep you posted.
It's also even harder to get her to eat properly, no matter what I make for her. She LOVES her bread products and fruit is still good on the menu, but anything else is impossible to get her to eat. Typical toddler I guess. I must say though, her words are starting to come out more. She's figured out "UH-OOHHH" when she picks up something she's not supposed to and brings it to me. This is usually when I've just walked in the room and caught her red-handed. Tonight we asked her to say please and for the first time she said it !! (peeeez) I was jumping up and down so happy and she laughed and we asked her again and she said it....this went on for a couple of minutes...lots of joy and jumping in the new kitchen! LOL! She'll also pronounce ball almost with the 'l' sound and says 'hi' loud and clear and with direct eye contact. Sometimes I wonder if these are things she should have said long ago...'hi' being one of them for sure. but I guess as everyone says, kids are all different and do things on their own time.

Today I called a good friend of mine from high school - we've been keeping in touch for the past couple of years since we reunited on one of her business trips to Ottawa. I also emailed another one of our friends who lives in the same town as we do! Hopefully we can all get together soon. It sure will be nice when we can find a car for myself so I can be independent again!
It's nice to be home with Wayne for a while....he hasn't had to work for the past couple of weeks and will be off again next week before he teaches his next course. When training high tech companies there's no guarantees he'll have a fully booked course each week. Anyway it's nice to just have him around for a while while we settle. I've broken down most of the empty boxes to clear some space. I've also been watching designer programs for inspiration and planning colors for our painting project. It's going to be a while before we start abd I'm getting quite anxious about it. Did I mention that the previous owners painted AROUND their china cabinet! HOW BIZARRE!! Like - who ever does that?? And chose a pea soup green to boot. man.

LOL

Birthday Gift From My Handy Man

Wayne said he'd love to buy me something really nice for the home as a birthday gift to me. Yesterday he came home with a black silt granite sink!! LOL I know it sounds like a funny thing to buy someone for their birthday but my mom has the same one and I fell in love with it. Not only it matches our appliances, but it has a soap dispenser - how cool is that.
It all started when he wanted to hook up the dishwasher and found that the plumbing under the sink was obviously done by someone who did not know what they were doing. We were planning to get a new sink to begin with since it was improperly installed and breaking apart. So he went to Canadian Tire for all his materials and figured he may as well get the sink too. That's how my birthday present came about.

In the meantime it's been hard to prepare meals in the kitchen, especially after Wayne had to cut the hole bigger for the sink. There are dirty dishes everywhere, sawdust and miscellaneous items still left from unpacking (okay breathe Heidi) so we had to order pizza last night. Tonight it looks like we'll be ordering in again and Wayne thinks he'll have the kitchen completed tonight. Dishwasher and all! Thank God for my hubby. It's amazing how handy he is - his next project is to build a Murphey bed for the guest room! On hydrolics no less!

Home Sweet Home

We're home! MR is a great little place - and the smell of cedar mills in the air is dreamy!! We arrived last Sunday and I just found my laptop a couple of days ago. I have to say that I'm absolutely over the MOOOOON about this house! Sometimes I'm waiting to wake up from a dream! When I walked in on Sunday night I could hardly believe my eyes - the pictures I saw did not do this place justice (as most pictures are that way). One of my favorite features is a huge ledge to lounge on in our bedroom window. The curtains pull all the way across the wall which reminds me so much of a hotel room. Our cat Max loves to sleep there in the day, basking in the sun. Not that we've had much sun these days, mind you. It's a typical rainy February, but the 13 degree temp is DREAMY, to the -25 degrees we're used to! sorry folks out east, had to rub it in..lol!

I've had the kitchen and family room completely unpacked since a couple of days ago - they were defintely priority. I'm now done 3 bathrooms but the 4th full bath in the basement is last on my list, as we don't really use it. We are definitely going to be painting this place and I cannot wait to get started. Wayne has the next couple of weeks off so we'll venture out to the paint stores and bring home some magazines to mull over. I've been hooked on home designing channels for ideas - this is so much fun!

Over the course of the week we've met up with a banker and set up some accounts, including an RESP for Sam and her own account besides. On Thursday we set ourselves up with a family doctor and arranged a meet-and-greet. We were really impressed with his careful and undivided attention he paid to us - it is so rare to find that in doctors these days. He was not in a hurry to leave the room for his next appointment and made sure all of our questions were answered. He kept stressing to us that if we ever need to see him to just give him a call. Man oh man that is so comforting to know!

We also got a call that day about a gift basket for us to be delivered today. I have no idea who it's from but I can't wait to find out!
It will be a while until I can get my computer set up to download some pictures. I took some of Sam eating our first meal at the dining room table. Wayne's in the picture too, with crazy hair since we don't have a hair stylist yet. He's definitely fitting into the mountain man category! LOL