This columnist writes it so better than I could (and kind of what I was trying to say...)

Tsunami relief isn't about us

My deal not to talk about my children's health has not made a difference. Jax had an ear infection in both ears last week and this week Cars has a horrible cold, conjunctivitis in both eyes and ear infections in both ears.

I am working on my resolutions for the New Year. Trying not to complain is #1.

Tsunami death toll soars to 114,000.

Edited out the rest...

Christmas was great. The kids had fun, we had fun. I loved the day. My present from Stephen is going back. He bought me a flat-screen monitor. I really do not need anything else to help encourage me to more sedentary than I already am. lol We are going to put the money towards a bathroom remodel since we had more drips so I think more than just the overflow drain is cracked up there. *sigh*

GYN's office just called and I do not have HPV so I think that looks more promising to me that the abnormal cells were just some abnormal cells. I am still not concerned and I am very proud of myself for remaining so calm. :)

Ok, I am off now to the post office to pick up a parcel that the mail carrier (a substitute driver) was too lazy to walk up to my house to deliver and now I have to drive 8 miles each way to pick it up at the mail center. I have complained to the supervisor already and told that the regular mail carrier would never have been so lazy. Three times in two weeks this substitute did this.

The presents are wrapped and the stockings are stuffed. Stephen is in the garage putting together the ESPN Gamestation. Last time I checked on him he was on step 46 of 83. I hope he finishes soon. If I were a good wife I would be out there keeping him company but it is so cold in there and I am tired and want to go to bed.

I am finally over my hissy fit today. Just in time for some Christmas spirit.

We went to 5pm Mass and I thought I was being so clever and leaving 30 minutes early to get there (it is about a 5-7 minute drive, depending on lights). The parking lot was already full and so we had to park at the high school across the road and walk back about 1/4 mile. The church was full so we ended up in the Social Hall to watch on a large projection screen. The hall was full too but we were able to get 2 seats at the end of an aisle so the bigger two sat on the floor until the church realized they were a couple of hundred or so seats short and brought in another 50. Next year, I told Stephen we were going at 4pm! He said no way. lol

*yawn* Ok, I must get my beauty sleep.

Merry Christmas!

The most wonderful time of the year?!

Stephen received a call from his doctor today reminding him to follow up about some scar tissue on his lungs. Hello? What is this all about? Seems he conveniently forgot to mention that to me when he went a few months ago to find out about some chest pains he was having (which started in MAY and he did not go until August or September!). And he conveniently forgot to follow up with her. So after I harrass him for 10 minutes he finally tells me about it. Then he says he will call next week to make an appointment. I told him to call right away and make the appointment for next week. He proceeds to call then makes the appointment for today to "ease your mind", he says.

Ok, it is Christmas Eve. We still have shopping to do (food shopping). We still have to reorganize the house to make room for two tables for dinner for tomorrow. We still have shopping to do. How can having him drive 15 miles to the doctor on the busiest day of the year "ease" my mind?

Then, as I was sitting there dumbfounded because he was so asinine as to make the appointment for one hour from that moment, I notice that we have water leaking from the upstairs bathroom again into the family room. F*CK! I glared at Stephen because I told him that what I wanted for Christmas (besides World Peace and a cure for cancer) was for the leak in the bathtub to be fixed and he brushed me off saying that it wasn't a real present.

So now that other shoe has dropped I am upset and angry and worried.

Bah humbug!

A big lump of coal for me. I just yelled at my 6 year old that he better pray that Santa still has him on his NICE list.

He is bored today. Boo-hoo-hoo. I asked him to help me wrap some presents. No, because he is too bored. Then he said I was so mean because I will not call to have one of his friends come over to play. God forbid he should do some homework or read a friggin book! He apparently has no good toys to play with either. It irks me so much. He spent ~25~ minutes whining and crying(!) because he is so bored but doesn't want to do his ~20~ minutes of daily reading. Aaargh!

I did not handle it well and I am angry with myself too. Sh*t! He has been sick (ok, I know I wasn't going to mention my kids' illnesses again) and today is the first day that he has been mostly vertical since Saturday but he completely pushed all of the wrong buttons.

Ok, now Cars is awake from his nap.

Bah Humbug!

We Three Things

We Three Things - for Heidi and Snapper

Three names you go by:
Denine
Mommy
Pez

Three screennames you have:
Denine17
Go_Pez_Goddess
DeninePez

Three things you like about yourself:
I like my eyes
I like that I am loyal
I like my sense of humour

Three things you hate/dislike about yourself:
I hate my belly
I hate that I cannot speak in public without getting tongue-tied
My teeth

Three parts of your heritage:
French-Canadian
Irish
English

Three things that scare you:
Spiders
Guns
GWB

Three of your everyday essentials:
Cuppa tea
kisses from my kids
Proactiv Solution

Three things you are wearing right now:
black jeans
Christmas socks
glasses

Three of your favorite bands/artists at the moment:
Simple Plan
Bowling for Soup
Barenaked Ladies

Three of your favorite songs at present:
Welcome to My Life - Simple Plan
1985 - Bowling for Soup
Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows

Three things you want to try in the next 12 months:
Pilates
Take a ferry to Bainbridge Island (or Vancouver Island)
Piano lessons

Three things you want in a relationship (love is a given):
Compassion
Honesty
Sense of Humour

Two truths and a lie:
I skipped Grade 4
I studied French for 10 years
I had a 4.0 GPA in University

Three physical things about the opposite (or same) sex that appeals to you:
Eyes
Smile
Ears

Three things you just can't do:
Sing
Insert contact lenses
Cook

Three of your favorite hobbies:
Knitting
Painting
Reading

Three things you want to do really badly right now:
Organize my house
Play scrabble
Have a bigger house

Three careers you're considering:
Interior Design
Graphic Artist
Nothing else...

Three places you want to go on vacation:
Scottish Highlands
Lake Louise, Alberta
P.E.I.

Three kids names:
Caitlin
Fiona
Charlie

Three things you want to do before you die:
Move back to Canada (retirement)
Be a grandma
See World Peace

Three people who have to take this quiz now or die a slow orgasmic death:
Arrogant Sage
Shellybean
And Mar (if she had a blog!)

I have such great online friends. Thanks to everyone for their support.

Funny enough, I am not really that worried. I had a pap last year after Cars was born (if not then, I certainly had one when I became pregnant with him) so if it is cancer or pre-cancerous cells, I know it can be taken care of without the radical treatment that my sister needs.

I finished knitting a scarf for my SIL for Christmas. I found this really cool yarn that I thought she might like. I started it last week but Cars found it and ripped it out when I laid it down next to the computer. So I started again on Friday and finished it last night when I babysat for Ash.

I went Christams shopping today - alone! It was nice to have the time just for me. I went to The Bon-Macy's, Eddie Bauer, Gymboree and Target. I also went to a cook packaging store that sells all sorts of boxes and bags and ribbons and wrap. I could spend all day in that little store.

DH made some Tempura shrimp for dinner and it was very yummy. Of course I had no idea until tonight what Tempura shrimp was. We just used this batter with some pre-cooked frozen shrimp. Yummy. I am having shrimp again on Friday because it has become our tradition to buy a shrimp ring on Christmas eve.

My brother is in Minneapolis (high today 8F) to take a look at a hotel that he has been asked to manage. Far cry from the 78F degree weather he left in Florida! Of course I had to call him and laugh about it. I don't think he really wants to move back to cold weather and snow!

My sister is in surgery right now while they determine how far her cervical cancer has spread.

And staying with that thought, my GYN's office called 30 minutes ago to tell me that I had abnormal cells in my pap last week. I am scheduled for a colposcopy in 3 weeks.

I sold my very first painting today! My friend Tami wanted a painting for her living room and I had painted one earlier this year that I thought would work for her. She came over today and said she loved it and wanted it. We agreed upon the price (basically the cost of the canvas only - I was just thrilled to be selling something!). Now I have the itch to paint again (it has been a few months). I did pick myself up a large canvas two weeks ago so after the holidays I am going to break out the paints.

Here is the painting (it looks nicer IRL - it is hard to see the shadows on the floor)



I cannot believe that Christmas is in a little over a week. I feel as though I still have a million things to do. Actually, I should be wrapping presents for teachers and for Nanny right. I think I'll do that now then go to bed.

I finally scanned in the boys' Christmas photo.


I finally had the car fixed. What a PITA going downtown Seattle in morning rush hour. I hope I don't have to do it again for a looooong time.

Cars has been so funny and such a little pip lately. I love love love this age. Jax loves Cars so much too and has a great time playing with him and teaching him things. He gets so excited when Cars talks too. It is great. Dex, meanwhile, loves to wrestle Cars to the ground the instant Cars grabs a piece of lego or any toy that is not his. *sigh*

Tonight, Dex and I made bookmarks for his teachers for Christmas gifts. Jax will have to make the one for his teacher tomorrow night. He spent his time making one for Gav. I'll also add a small gift card for the bookstore. I hope the teachers can tell they are book marks!

Yesterday's trip to the post office was not as bad as I had anticipated. I arrived at 8:40am and while the line-up was long, it was not through the metal detectors and out the door (like it was when we left at 9:10). The postal worker was really patient (read SLOW) and while I appreciate that he HAND CANCELED my Christmas cards to Canada to save a day (they could go directly to the airport since they were canceled), I could feel dozens of pairs of eyes burning the back of my neck and I heard many heavy sighs. LOL Anyway, so $37 dollars in shipping costs for the parcels to Canada and they should all arrive in time for Christmas. Yeah!

I ran out of Christmas cards last night. I only have about 5 more that I should write and maybe 10 more that would be nice to do. I am debating just saying screw it and not writing any more of them... Can I do it?!

Dex just left to go to soccer with his friend and his friend's mom. We are going to switch taking them every other week.

Now Cars is upset that he didn't get to go and he is holding his shoes out to me to put on. lol

Per Kimmer's request:

See the purple ball on the right? Well as you go around the tree that way there are 5 more all in a row side by side. LOL And in the photo on the bottom left you can see a bare patch.

Our tree is now decorated. Jax and Dex had a blast doing it while Cars just pulled the balls off one at a time. I love the tree with all of the ornaments clumped together, with five purple balls side by side and virtually bare in some spots. It looks homey and Christmas-like, especially with all of the tinsel (or icicles to Americans).

I have all of my parcels bundled up and ready for the looooooong lines at the post office tomorrow morning. I had better pack some snacks and drinks for Dex and Cars. We should arrive about 8:40 and I hope to be out of there shortly after 9. Too ambitious? I hope not. Then I will have to come home and keep working on my Christmas cards. I still have another 20 or so to do. But most of the ones to Canada are done so they should arrive by Christmas.

I bought Stephen an xbox today. He has to get his own games though. It does come with two games but not the kind that he really wants to play.

I saw an article in the paper today about this site. I think I just might buy one to help them buy their house! lol

I have it figured out. The more I post about my kids being sick the sicker they become. So no more! That's it. We are only talking about how HEALTHY they are!

Hale and hearty Jax keeps tattling on himself. "Mom, I jumped on the couch." and "Mom, last week I said a bad word at school." He is worried that Santa is going to find out and bring him only a lump of coal.

Strapping Dex has ramped up on the speaking again. I swear that boy does not shut up. Ever. And he TALKS LIKE THIS! YES, HE TALKS IN CAPS! AND says "EXCUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME CAN I TALK?" if someone dares utter a word during his monologue. Again, it is hard to believe that he ever had a speech delay.

We bought a Christmas tree today. It is great! Seven feet tall and very straight. I had to buy more lights to put on it. I think it looks great. I might post a picture after it is decorated (only the lights are on it right now). Oh, forgot to mention that the best part of my tree is that it was $19.97 at Home Depot.

Stephen wants an xbox for Christmas. I cannot find one anywhere without a bunch of other stuff (games and dvd remote). You'd think he could get a discount from work but they do not discount the hardware because they make no money on it - only on the games.

I am going to be one of the million other last-minute shippers at the post office on Monday. Ugh - I wonder how long the lines are going to be. I finally finished my shopping for gifts that need to be mailed.

Last night was Stephen's work Christmas party. It was at his manager's house. I hadn't seen her in a long time but my nanny is her nanny Mon-Thur. She and Stephen used to work together at the research lab at the U of MN but now that she is his manager then we do not socialize with her. It is a little awkward because we used to do things like pumpkin carving parties and trips to the park together but no longer. The very first 4th of July fireworks celebration I went to was with her when we lived in Minneapolis (in 1994!). It is kind of sad but to keep things professional, Stephen has taken a big step back from her.

The good thing about last night was FREE babysitting. Ash watched the kids. I will watch hers next week when they go to her dh's Christmas party. :)

Tonight was the first night of book club. I had a blast. It was so fun to sit around with some great women (sans children) and chat and eat and drink and eat and chat and eat and drink and eat and chat. I just got home! It was fun discussing the book but mostly we talked about other things...like a real book club should. Laurie set up a dummy in her front hall that looked like a woman lying on the floor with empty boxes of bon bons and a bottle of wine at her feet! lol Next month the book selection is The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. Ash will be hosting.

Jax spent the day at home lying on the couch. He ate one bite of toast and one bite of carrot. By dinner time he was hungry and he gobbled down a bowl of chicken noodle soup which he promptly spewed across the kitchen table. He went to bed just as I was going out (at 8pm) so I am not sure how he is feeling at the moment. Better I hope. I guess I cannot send him to school tomorrow.

Stephen is in a better mood than this morning so perhaps he does not need FPT afterall.

I spoke to MIL today who was aghast that I had not yet sent out pictures and thank you's for Cars' baptism (yes, I know I am waaaaaaaaaay behind). But guess what? HER son has not sent them either. >:P Why it is always the mom's job to do that shit? I mean Stephen could be writing the cards and getting the pictures printed. And who is doing all of the Christmas cards? Certainly not him! Sheesh! I think this is the last year I am going to send them to his side of the family.

Well time for bed. I have my annual GYN appt tomorrow afternoon. Nanny is coming for the first time in a couple of weeks. It will be nice to have a couple of hours to myself (so I can go to the post office, and do some Christmas shopping).

Jax vomitted last night (in his bed - nothing better than doing laundry in the middle of the night) and this morning so no school for him. Dex seems to be doing better. WTF is wrong with us?! So sick all of the time!

DH needs some FPT. Funny enough he wants a big cast iron frying pan for Christmas. Little does he know he is going to get it - across his noggin.

Oh I loved "Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons"! I cannot wait until our book club meets for the first time tomorrow night to discuss it. I cannot even count the number of times I laughed out loud and cried while I read it. It was so well written and I loved the characters. So much in fact that I dreamed about them last night. lol

I need to dye my hair desperately. I hope to get it done tonight after the kids are asleep. My roots are a mile long! I also really need a haircut but there is just no time to do it these days.

I spent part of this evening wrapping CHristmas presents. It just dawned on me that Christmas is only just over 2 weeks away and I have so many gifts to get in the mail! Yikes! I hope to have everything mailed out by Saturday and pray that they all arrive in time.

Dex has the runs this evening. My stomach is churning and Jax just said his hurts too. I wonder if it were the cookies I baked today... :( Off to get everyone some Pepto Bismol!

I took Dex to the doctor yesterday. He kept saying his mouth felt funny and he was lethargic, lying around on the couch again. He felt warm but no real fever. A strep test came back negative (yeah!) so hopefully we are strep-free. Doc says she figures he just has a virus and should be better by today. He says he is not feeling better though and that the doctor was wrong! lol

I too went to the doctor yesterday. Got the whole deal about how I should lose weight and exercise because of my family history of diabetes and high cholesterol. A tetanus booster shot and some blood drawn for thyroid and anemia checks and I was on my way out the door with an armload of migraine meds to try. Only Imitrex has been ok'd to take while nursing so I will save the rest for after we are done.

Speaking of nursing, Cars is getting desperate. Everytime I sit down in this chair he comes over, climbs up and tries to lift my shirt because he wants to nurse. Sorry bub. I nurse him before bed and during the night. If he had his way we'd be nursing all day long.

At Dex's soccer today I told Laurie about the Evan incident. She had a good laugh then told me she had almost invited Evan's mom to join our bookclub but at the last second decided not to do so. Thank God!

And now I must go because Cars pointing to his butt which means he has pooped. Is this a good time to start training him then???

Ok, I think I am almost over my embarrassment from yesterday. I jsut hope I never see Evan's mom again. lol

Dex spent the day lying on the couch. Well, except when I dragged him to church and he spent the hour in Sunday school sitting in the corner. Anyway, I hope he is feeling better tomorrow because Ash is supposed to watch him for me while I go to the doctor. If he is sick then I will have to take him with me. I will still drop Cars off with Ash though.

Well off to bed to read my book. I have to have it read by Thursday for my book club (our first meeting!).

A little excitement around here the other night with the county SWAT team surrounding our neighbour's house for hours. Found out later that he had threatened his neighbour with an axe because he thought his neighbour was having an affair with his girlfriend. Go drink some more, buddy.

I mailed out my swap ornaments. Finally! Now I can start my Christmas cards. I did not sign up for any card swaps this year. And I am trimming my card list down. To quote a great online friend "WHACK!".

Horribly Embarrassing Moment of the Year (or possibly of the decade!):

Dex talks about "Evan" day and night. Evan is in his preschool class. I do not know who this kid is exactly but Dex spends every moment at school playing with him and talks about him all the way home. At this preschool, the kids are dropped off/picked up from the driveway so I have never met Evan or his mom.

Three weeks ago, Dex receives a birthday invitation for Evan. Great, I think to myself. I will finally meet Evan and his mom. I call and RSVP - leave message that we will be at Evan's party. Party starts at 1pm today. At 11:45am today I look at the invitation and realize that they live right near Jax's school. Hmmm...I didn't remember that from looking at the list from the first week of school. I pull out the class list and Evan's last name/address is different from the invitation. WTF?! If it is not the same Evan, who is this birthday Evan? I have no frigging clue. None.

So I at 12:03 - 57 minutes before the party, I call and identify myself and ask if this Evan is the Evan from New Preschool Name. No, Evan's mom says, it is Evan from Old Preschool Name. I draw a blank. I don't recall any Evan. I don't say a word. She prompts me. "You know, Evan as in..." She rattles off other names in the class. I don't say a word because I cannot remember. Long silence. Suddenly, it hit me! The kid whom Dex has never, ever, ever, ever spoken about. Ever. He and Evan had been to a couple of the same birthday parties and playdates at another kid's house. I am mortified and embarrassed! I rush to explain that Dex plays with this new Evan everyday at school and talks about him constantly and I had just ASSUMED that this was the kid whose party it is, blah, blah, blah as I stumble and fumble my way through. (BTW, I planned to spend the whole duration of the party there with Dex - not like I would be dropping my kid off at a total stranger's house). My face is red again as I write this.

I want to crawl into a hole. I don't want to go to the party. Stephen tells me I must go now. I tell Dex we have the wrong Evan. He does not recall another Evan. Shit! I whip out the class video from last year. No class photo on the cover. I pop the tape in the machine and fast forward until we see Evan. Dex says he remembers him now (good!).

Anyway, off to the party we go. As I am walking up to the house, a friend of mine is walking out after dropping off her son. Dex is happy that her son, his friend, is there. As we enter, we see two more of his buddies from his class last year. And there was Evan, whom, until an hour ago, we had both forgotten ever existed. I apologize once more and don't know what else to say. Evan's mom is gracious. I decide not to stay since no other parent has and I do know Evan's mom (we had chatted twice a week for a year while we dropped off/picked up our kids so you'd think I would remember!). Also, I am sure I was ~still~ blushing from embarrassment. I rush outside to meet up with my friend. She invites me to join her to go to Starbucks to pass the time. I agree (not only to chat but mostly so I would not have to show up alone to pick Dex up when the party ends).

Now to top it all off, Evan has a dinosaur birthday. Almost identical to Dex's party last May (to which the three other little boys at the party had been invited). As I am gathering Dex, one of the little boys says to his mom "I have a hat like this already from Dex's birthday - I don't want another!". We wished Evan a happy birthday again, thanked Evan's mom then rushed out.