14

Who would ever believe that this:

would one day turn into this?

(you can't tell from this but he just dyed his hair black and purple)

Liam, the middle child, concieved after a loss, six years younger than one brother, five years older than the other.

At first he was a quiet child.  Too quiet.  We soon learned that with Liam, quiet is bad. (Noisy isn't that great either).

Too smart for his own good, no baby-proofing device could stop him.  He could turn on the oven and crawl in it in the time it took to answer the phone.  He could open the door and leave by the time he was two.  Thank god for the fenced in yard as he could get out of his crib (by somersaulting over the rail) when he was one.

When he was two he broke his bedroom window when put in there for a time out. He was obsessed with pots and pans and would only watch cooking shows on TV.

He came down with chicken pox on his 5th birthday.  He had to put up with a baby brother just when he was enjoying being the youngest.

During the "bad years" before his father and I broke up, Liam ended up being the responsible one to get him and his older brother off to school.  Too much responsiblity for an eight year old. (I did not learn this until after we split -- he and his brother hid much).

In grade 6, when the school decided he was too much of a handful to be in the classroom, all his teachers and principal told me that he wasn't bad -- he never hit, or bullied, or was mean to anyone, ever.  He just didn't do what he was told unless he felt like it. (I can identify with that).

Liam in the most like me and the one that drives me the craziest.  He is my best kid and my worst kid.  The one I want to spend the most time with and that I need the most breaks from.   He has the best sense of humour, is smart as a whip and an excellent listener (unless you are telling him to do something).

Where did 14 years go?

Happy Birthday, Wonderful Boy!

Giant Tube of Meat

Costos, how you entertain me.  While idly perusing the meat section I came across a GIANT TUBE OF MEAT.  I mean GIANT.  Hambuger of some sort.  I had to have it.  How could I go home and tell Aaron I had seen a GIANT TUBE OF MEAT and not bought it? 

How giant is this tube of meat you ask? 

This giant.

I was amazed.

Aaron was intimidated -- at first

But soon got over it.

Jack was unimpressed.

Aaron declared it to be family -- his first born.

His tasty, tasty first born.

We may have strayed a little off the "normal" path.

BTW, this is in our old place, the Morgue.

Cards I have Made

I've been on a card making kick lately.  Here are my latests efforts.

a thank you card for a good friend

a birthday card for another friend

birthday card for a co-worker

Making cards is so much fun!  Wait 'til you see the next bunch . . .

The Blues

I guess it gets like that sometimes -- the blues.  It's been a hard go lately.  The holidays weren't kind to us, what with it being the first one without Dad then me ending up in the hospital with some health problems.  I can't seem to get my equilibrium back.  I just want to sit and cry but a full-time working mom doesn't often get the opportunity to do that.  Some days breathing seems like more than I am able to handle.

I just want to be home.  In my home, doing home things.  I don't want to go to work, or visit, or shop, or anything other than be home. I want to make bread and sweep the floor and do laundry and do all those things that get rushed and neglected.  I want to burrow into my house and make it my home. Alas, I am what stands between us and living in a tent, in Canada, in the winter. So I guess I'll sing the blues.  Here's a little lesson in how to sing them.

Some changes and something mushy

Check out the new banner at the top. Made it myself, using just my wits. And my computer and this program.

I also made this



These are our favourite mugs -- Aaron's has Popeye on it (he covets Popeye's forearms)and mine I found abandoned in an empty suite at work.

And this for my mom:



That's Miss Kittee sitting beside her -- she's also in the banner at the top. I don't have any pictures of her and Jack (our other cat) together because, frankly, they don't like each other. They are each content to pretend the other doesn't exist. The shaggy haired child in the inserted picture is Liam, wearing what I have now declared my sweater. Hey, it fits me and green isn't his colour . . .

End of a long and miserific week -- hope your weekend is fabulous!

Things I have made

Lookee at me! I made some stuff. Pretty darn impressed with myself now . .




This is a necklace I made at my sister's in Toronto. It's a glass tile with decorative paper glued to the back, then a brad (or whatever they are called) glued on. The kit we bought had enough materials to make 5 -- perfect for my mom, sister, two neices and me!

10 things about me

1. I don't homeschool but I have. My eldest son was having trouble in grade 9 -- we had him tested and it turned out he was functioning at a grade 3 level and had been pushed through. And he was smoking pot on school grounds. So we pulled him out of school for the rest of grade 9 and homeschooled him. While working full-time. Brought him up to grade level but the damage was done to his feelings around school and after spending 3 years trying different schools and programs he dropped out. Hopefully he will at least get his GED someday.

2. I spent 20 years attending church in a big way. And I mean BIG. Totally committed, served on every committee, attended every function, had private devotion and Bible study, fasted, prayed, you name it, I did it. I don't do any of that anymore and I'm much happier, calmer, and am an all round better person and so are my kids. Not saying that church and religion is bad, just giving my experience.

3. I hate my job. It's boring but I'm only 10 years from retirement (with 22 years in) so I don't think it's a good plan to leave now!

4. I had a pony as a child. Every little girl's dream, except mine was evil. Kicked and bit and bucked.

5. I have limp and lifeless hair. Seriously, no hair product can give it life or volume. It is my burden.

6. I have a crappy camera. It's about 10 years old, which is ancient for a digital camera. No zoom, no NOTHING. Hence the crappy pictures. I am hoping someone (Mom, Aaron?) will take pity on me and buy me one for .

7. I love to read. Love, love, LOVE to read. At a recent high school reunion everyone asked me "So, do you still read so much?". I have my library card number memorized. I sleep with my books.

8. I hate noise. I love silence but seldom get to hear it. I am wearing earplugs RIGHT NOW to try to drown some out. The later it is at night, the less I can stand noise.

9. I would like to be a stay at home mom but fear that if I spent that much time around my kids blood would be shed.

10. I am not a particularly good mother. I don't do crafts with them, I let them watch too much TV, I yell too much, and I'm not above pouring syrup on their heads (but only when they pour it on mine first).

There, that's more than you ever hoped to know I'm sure.

Returning from a break

A looongggg break. I cite computer problems (the darlings broke my keyboard) and general laziness. Plus Christmas -- can't do anything over Christmas. But now I'm starting fresh. i have a new keyboard for my laptop and some pictures of cards I've made and of children I've made so I'm aiming low at one post a week.

Wish me luck!