Much better today!

This morning, I picked out Darrelyn's clothes for school and she thanked me! There's a nice step :)

I have spent most of today, other than usual household chores, getting ready for Darrelyn's birthday party. I decided to make personalized treat bags for the children. This ended up taking me a couple of hours, but they look so nice!

So what's up this weekend? Tonight, I'm going to karaoke. I even have a couple of songs picked that I think I can sing. Here's hoping I don't shake too much to hold the mic ;) Tomorrow is Darrelyn's birthday party. Sunday will be Sunday school/church and I will be cleaning the house as I host playgroup on Monday.

Hope to see everyone tonight!

The worst school morning yet!

The morning started off well. Darrelyn ate her breakfast and we did her hair. Then it was time for her to get dressed. After putting on her outfit she decided she didn't want to wear it. She went downstairs, got undressed and started putting on a wrinkled purple t-shirt and a jean dress that doesn't even cover her bottom. I told her it was too small and she started having a fit. So I picked out a longer dress, that I know is one of her favorites, and she refused to wear it. By this point I was quite angry that I have raised such a spoiled child. I explained to her that some children don't have pretty clothes and have hardly any clothes at all. Then I told her that she IS wearing this dress and I took all the clothes hanging in her room away and told her that until she can appreciate that she has nice clothes, she will wear what "I" say she wears and will have no input. At this point she started crying and saying that she doesn't want to go to school. She continued crying as I put on her shoes. She continued crying as I put on her jacket. She continued crying as I drove her to school (since we were already 20 minutes later than usual). She continued crying as I took her out of her booster seat (something she normally does without my help). She continued crying as I walked her into school. She continued crying as we hung yup her school bag. She continued crying as we went into her classroom. She refused to get her snack out of her lunchbox. She continued crying as I left and the teacher held her back. Luckily, her teacher is very understanding about these situations and helped a lot! As far as I know, she is still crying.

My energy is now completely drained and its only a quarter after 9 in the morning! I feel like crying myself :( OH and this would have to happen on the day before my period is due to start. AAARRRRGGG.

Update

I was informed tonight that I need to update my blog, so here I am. I've actually been pretty busy.

Friday night, I went to Liz's for Birthday Karaoke. I had a realization Friday night, karaoke is just people having fun. Who cares if I'm not a great a singer, as long as I'm having fun. I think I will be singing karaoke from now on, even if only one song a night. Gary said this would happen. He didn't think I could keep going and resist the temptation. I guess he was right ;)

On the weekend, I cleaned the playroom and Darrelyn's room. I started Breanna's room, but didn't quite get it finished. I also washed the bedding, changed the beds and cleaned up the recycling. Oh and on Saturday, Dad and Gary bottled the white wine so we had mussels for supper to go with it. Yummy!

Monday: I put a load of laundry on, got Darrelyn ready and brought her to school, made my meal plan for the week, got the groceries, ordered Darrelyn's Birthday cake and by the time I was done putting the groceries away it was lunch time. After lunch, I put more laundry on and folded/ironed some that had been waiting for me. I even managed to put some away ;)

Tuesday I finished cleaning Breanna's room, did more laundry, cleaned the kitchen and started thinking about Hallowe'en costumes. Darrelyn wanted to be Cinderella and Breanna wanted to be Snow White. Snow White turned out to be easy as Cara has an old Snow White costume we can use. The Cinderella costume Darrelyn wanted was $40! I absolutely could not picture myself paying that much for a costume. Not to mention that October is a tight month with both the girls' birthdays and birthday parties. I found a costume on ebay for about $15 Canadian, but Darrelyn didn't like it. So, after supper, I took Darrelyn to WalMart where she picked out a pink ball gown.

Today, I had to drive Gary to work. Afterwards, Bre and I went to Tim Hortons and shared a donut. Then we went to the Bulk Barn, the Dollar store and WalMart to buy things for Darrelyn's treat bags. I managed to get everything for $2 under budget and there will be some left over for Bre's party. YAY! For supper tonight I made homemade pizza. The girls love it! I let them help and its like craft time for them. Darrelyn helped put the flour in while I kneaded the dough. Breanna attempted to spread the dough out on the pan and she did much better than last time. Darrelyn almost completely covered her pan :D The reciped makes 3 pizzas so its perfect. We each get to make one with the toppings that we want. Lots of fun!

On the illness front, I finally have some energy back, Breanna is pretty much over it, Darrelyn has her voice back but still has a cough and Gary is just getting sick *sigh* Oh and Buddy is finally eating again and keeping it down :D

There you go, Sarah, my blog is updated. Are you wishing you hadn't asked?

Sick and tired, literally.

Actually, I'm over being sick. My energy levels still aren't quite there, but my voice is back and I'm starting to play catch up with my housework and such.

So who's sick? The girls and Buddy. Yup both girls are sick with colds and Breanna has an ear infection on top of it. Darrelyn's cold came overnight so she is just in the runny-nose phase. Breanna has graduated to the lost voice phase... and it is so cute ;) Buddy? Well Buddy has been vomiting and dry heaving since Monday night. He's been okay so far today, so here's hoping he's better.

Tired? You bet!!! Imagine having two little girls waking up due to stuffed noses and a dog wanting outside every couple of hours to vomit. Yup definitely tired today.

The weekend

Nothing too exciting happening. Friday, I walked with Darrelyn's school for Terry Fox. After school, we took Buddy to my father's, picked up Gary and headed to Fredericton for the night.

We met up with Dan & Yvonne for a yummy supper at Swiss Chalet, took the girls to the dollar store (which they were thrilled about) and then relaxed in the hotel room. The girls had a blast :)

Saturday morning, I dropped Gary off at an event he was helping with and went to visit my cousin.

The girls were really good until it was time to leave. Darrelyn would not listen to me when I told her to clean up, she wouldn't stay in her time out and she was just overall a "monster child" during leaving. The rest of the weekend she continued to try pushing her limits and not listening. Saturday evening, it took Gary approx 30 minutes to give her a 4 minute time out. *sigh* I guess we just have to continue being consistent and hopefully she'll pass this phase quickly.

Yesterday morning was Sunday school and church and then we just had a quiet afternoon at home. Sunday evening was another battle with Darrelyn.

Today, Breanna has a cold so we are staying home.

A Wonderful Day

I was able to drop Darrelyn off at her classroom with no problems this morning. Yay!

Another wonderful thing about today... no homework!!!! Woot!

Okay, I know, I'm pathetic ;)

Monday

This morning started with me waking up coughing. I took medicine last night that lasts for 6 hours. Pretty close to 6 hours later, it stopped working. Do you think I could get back to sleep? Nope! So I only got 6 hours of sleep last night. This is how Monday started.

I attempted to leave Darrelyn at the playground this morning. Her teacher was on duty, but I was pretty unsure as to whether or not I should leave her. I decided to stay until she lined up. Then we went to the wrong door for lining up, so I brought her inside afterall. Leaving her in the class was much easier this morning.

Breanna and I walked home, had breakfast and headed out to Rockwood Park where we met for playgroup. Now that September is here, we can get into the regular swing of things. It was actually the first time we were all together since last spring. Nice to see everyone again. Also, there was a new mom with a daughter Breanna's age. It was so nice to see Bre have a female friend :)

Afterschool, Darrelyn thanked me for her heart-shaped bologna slices. Yes, I took a cookie cutter and made them into hearts :)

Darrelyn had homework for the first time today. It was a page of upper case 'S's and lower case 'S's that she had to trace. It took us 45 minutes to do one page of homework. Please tell me it gets better....

Yay I found my hairdresser!!!!

As I was going to get groceries, I saw her. She was coming out as I was going in. This is so exciting. The last time I called the salon to make an appointment with her, they said she quit and wouldn't tell me where she went. She did take a few weeks off, but then she started up at Adam & Eve. YAY!!!! I have been going to the same hairdresser since before Darrelyn was born. I can go to her and say, "make it look good" and she does! But she doesn't go crazy either and understands the perfect cuts for me. Ohhhh I'm so happy. *happy dance*

"When Your Husband Gets Home..."

I read this in, "Uncle John's Bathroom Reader" and just had to share :)

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Here's a bit of advice taken directly from a 1950s Home Economics textbook. Believe it or not, this was part of a course intended to prepare high school girls for married life.

Have dinner ready: "Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal--on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed."

Prepare yourself: "Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift."

Clear away the clutter: "Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too."

Prepare the children: "Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small) comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part."

Minimize all noise: "At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him: Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him."

Some don'ts: "Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day."

Make him comfortable: "Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing, and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax--unwind."

Listen to him: "You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first."

Making the evening his: "Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax."

Darrelyn's second day of school

I was feeling better this morning, so it was my responsibility to get Darrelyn to school. Especially since Gary's carpool comes half an hour before she needs to leave ;)

Since I've been sick, I haven't been my usual organized self. This includes laundry piling up, clothes not being ironed, no meal plans for this week, etc. So this morning was a bit hectic. I did make her lunch last night, that was one plus for me. But I forgot that she needed a change of clothes with her name on them and, of course, she doesn't have much cleaned and ironed atm.

Actually, we were doing quite well for time until Darrelyn wanted me to straighten her hair... just like mine. I couldn't refuse. I was always the ugly duckling child who went to school with wrinkled clothes and messy hair. If my child wants to look good, I'm not standing in her way :) So that set us back 20 minutes, which meant I was hurried in dressing Bre and getting us out the door.

We managed to walk to school, only stopping about 5 times for Bre to fix her shoe *sigh* and Darrelyn got there on time. In looking around the classroom, I noticed that every item with Darrelyn's name on it said, "Darrelyn Martin" Hmmm that's not right. I mentioned it to the teacher and she looked at her class list. She had her name proper, but the child on the list right above Darrelyn was a Martin. This explains it, the Secretary skipped a line when she made the labels.

After 5 or 6 attempts to leave Darrelyn, at least she wasn't crying, I finally bribed her to stay. I said that if she was good in school today we would make home-made playdough when she gets home. Yes I will stoop to bribery!

Now Breanna and I are home. She is currently playing with the princess polly pocket stuff. Very happy that no one is bossing her or telling her which dresses she can or cannot use ;) I think this is going to be a very good year!

Darrelyn's first day of school

and I missed it :( I have been sick with the flu since the weekend so I missed Darrelyn's first day of school. Gary got everything ready on Monday night and he worked from home yesterday so he could take her in. She was really excited, until she got there. From what I understand, she cried alot and kept clinging to Gary. When he went to pick her up, she said that she had fun and made friends. She wants to go back today, but they are on a staggered entry for kindergarten, so she goes back tomorrow.

Today, I am finally able to sit up. I don't know what I caught, but it included a high fever and a lot of aches. The funny thing is that my stomache wasn't upset and I didn't have a sore throat or anything. It seemed like a fever and nothing else. After being in bed for 3 days, you can just imagine what the house looks like. Gary was great in keeping the girls busy so I could sleep, but the housework took a back seat.

Wish me luck today as I slowly try to get the house in order.

Great time last night!

When I arrived at karaoke, I saw Jenn and Brian. Yay! I wasn't sitting alone! The evening started off with Lisa leading the bar in singing Happy Birthday to me :) During the evening, many drinks were consumed (well for me anyway) and the bartender even gave me a complimentary shot. I did get up and sing, if you can call it that. Anthony and I sang, "My Ding-a-ling" Well at least we tried. Neither of us remembered it being so long and we didn't know a lot of parts. It was okay though 'cause everyone was joining in and we were just having a good time :)

After Somerset, we headed to more karaoke at the Portland pub. This was mostly country and somewhat painful, but still surrounded by great people and good conversation. Even the conversation in the car ride home (thanks Brian!!!) was great!

This morning, I have a headache and am realizing why I don't drink alot. Oh and my tummy is a little upset too ;) I have been packing back the water and now I think I will pour a coffee.

Today, we will be going to the farmer's market on the peninsula. Then, around 3, we'll be dropping the girls off at SIL's house and heading to Fredericton for the night. Ahhhh a nice visit with Dan and Yvonne.

Its my birthday and I'll cry if I want to...

The day has taken a turn for the worse. Most of my friends will not be going to karaoke tonight. All for important reasons and I don't want any of them to feel bad, as I don't mean to make this a guilt thing. Its just, I figured Karaoke was a sure thing way to celebrate my birthday, without actually being for my birthday. Just a great place to go out and have a good time with good people. You know, just like any Friday night karaoke, only I would be able to drink tonight and splurge on the extra money for cabs and stuff. I'm still going tonight. Hopefully, I won't be sitting alone. Even if I am though, I still get to listen to Lisa sing and cheer her on.

As I was feeling bummed about tonight, Darrelyn and Breanna decided to be difficult. I made great food for lunch, pizza and garlic fingers. You would think they'd be excited to eat lunch, right? Wrong! I feel like I'm herding sheep trying to get them to stay at the table. Thankfully, my niece and nephew have been very well-behaved. Anyway, temper tantrums and such always bring my mood down as well. How can it not?

So now I'm sitting here, kind of dissappointed on how my day is proceeding. I'm hoping Gary will be done his conference call soon and maybe I can go take a nap or something. I think being tired on top of everything isn't helping at all.

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me....

Today is my 30th birthday. Does it bother me? No. Do I feel old? No. Am I happier now than when I was 20? Absolutely!

I am watching my niece and nephew today and Gary took the day off work, kinda, he still has some conference calls. This morning as I was cleaning the toy room with the kids, he went out. When he came back home, I wasn't allowed to come up stairs. First he called the children to come upstairs. When it was my turn, there was a sign that said, "Happy Birthday Mommy" with huge balloons decorating the house. In the kitchen, he had a birthday cake with "3" "0" candles and everyone yelled, "Surprise" He also bought party hats for the kids and made them each a treat bag, just like a real children's birthday party :) For lunch, we are going to have pizza and garlic fingers.

This afternoon, I'm hoping to relax and not do too much. Tonight, I am going to Lisa's After-workaoke. Gary is going to drive me there and I will get a cab home (unless someone happens to be going my way).... YAY alcohol!!!!

Have to wipe the tears from my eyes...

I received a birthday card in the mail today from my mother-in-law. Here is exactly what it said,

"To a Special Daugher-in-law with Love

All parents hope
when a son finds a wife
That she'll be someone special
who loves him for life --
That she'll blend with the family
the way that you do...

All parents hope
for a "daughter"
like you!

Happy Birthday"

I called to thank her and she said she loved the card and its how she really feels. She has really been there for me, especially since mom passed away. It is so nice to know I have a MIL I can actually turn to.