Dare I jinx myself? Handyman is coming tomorrow to finish up the rest of the bathroom. A two week hiatus is just what was needed...or was it three weeks? Anyway, the tile is in for the countertop so we are off and running. With luck it will all be completed by the time I go on my trip.

Here I am, on the cusp of turning 40 years old and I have an acne breakout that makes me look like a teenager. Ugh! I hate this! I *still* get pimples. Pimples is actually a nicer word for the pustules that I get from time-to-time. Mostly they had been in check since I started using Proactiv in October. But the one that popped up yesterday is so big I am sure it will sprout eyes and a mouth and start talking to me any minute.

This is so unfair!

Happy Easter. We were up at the crack of dawn (as we are every morning really) and I trucked the kids off to 7:30am Mass. I forgot to bring a pucky (aka pacifier) fir Cars so I made the very wise decision to move us into the Crying room. He was so loud "DADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! DADAAAAAAAAAAAA!" he would scream over and over again every time he saw a man. (and yes, I do use a pucky as a noise stopper, not just a pacifier).

After Mass we scooted home for an egg hunt which took place in the living room because it is pouring rain. Last Easter was beautiful and I took some great pictures of the kids and a very nice family picture. No pictures this year. My CF card is corrupt and I tried to use the one from Jax's camera but it did not work. No film for my SLR so no Easter pics. I feel like the worst mom in the world!

Speaking of moms, mine is arriving in about 4 or 5 hours. I am both looking forward to her visit and wondering how long until she drives me crazy.

Off to help Stephen with preparations for a yummy turkey dinner.

The 2005 edition of getting to know your friends (copied from Heidi's blog).

1. What time did you get up this morning? Awake at 5:30am, out of bed at 7am
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Collateral (last Fall)
4. What is your favorite TV show? Desperate Housewives
5. What did you have for breakfast? Cuppa tea and cottage cheese with fruit
6. What is your middle name? Marie
7. What is your favorite cuisine? Chinese
8. What foods do you dislike? brussel sprouts
9. What are your favorite Potato chips? Ketchup, Salt & Vinegar, Tortilla chips with salsa
10. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Still Not Getting Any by Simple Plan
11. What kind of car do your drive? Mazda MPV
12. Favorite sandwich? Grilled vegetable
13. What characteristics do you dislike? One-up-manship
14. Favorite item of clothing? Old Navy Yoga pants
15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Greek Islands
16. What color is your bathroom? Kind of a spa-blue
17. Favorite brand of clothing? Not brand loyal
18. Where would you retire to? Canada
19. Favorite time of day? Morning
20. Where were you born? Ontario, Canada
21. Favorite sport to watch? Hockey
24. What fabric detergent do you use? Tide (big-ass box from Costco
25. Coke or Pepsi? Coke and only ever Coke
26. Are you a morning person or night owl? Neither
27. What is your shoe size? 8.5 or 9 depending on the shoe
28. Do you have pets? Only pet peeves
29. Any news you'd like to share with your family and friends? Vegas Baby!
30. What did you want to be when you were little? An actress or a teacher

Stephen is working late tonight so I let the kids stay up and watch "Survivor" with me. I think this season is the best one they have had in ages. The challenges are really interesting. Dex told me that he hoped James would be voted off because "He's so bossy!". I am glad James was voted off after that ignorant comment about Allah and God. What a redneck!

I think we are going to be staying at the Aladdin. I'll know for sure tomorrow. I planning a few little fun things for us. I am so looking forward to this trip!

Vegas, Baby!

I booked a flight to Las Vegas for next month. I am meeting Ramona and (a nice surprise!) Leah Ann there for the weekend. We will have a great time! We haven't booked a hotel yet but we are hoping to find one on the strip. I am a little concerned about Leah Ann because she 1) needs about 12 hours sleep every night and 2) admits she is addicted to gambling. When we were 21 she and I took a cruise vacation and the ~one~ night she stayed up past 9pm she spent all of her money in the casino. And some of my money too. At least she comes by it honestly, Gambling addiction seems to run in our family (Leah Ann is my cousin, BTW).

My mom's family love to gamble. When a casino opened up one hour east of Toronto, my aunt used to get up at 3am and drive there to gamble for a few hours before work. My mom's brother met his wife at a Black Jack table at that same casino. He also gets comped hotel and meals at a casino in Bahamas because he spends so much there. When my mom visited me once in Minnesota we drove to the casino and I could not drag her away from the slots! A guy asked her to watch his machine while he went for more coins ($1 slots) and she just *had* to play it while he was gone. She won $100 on her first coin and he came back and was so angry! He told her to take off her win (play another coin) so she did and she won another $30! Maybe that is why it is so addicting for her. My mom's other sisters have always been card players and I can remember many poker nights at our house or Auntie Ev's house.

And I am not immune to the gambling bug. For my 30th birthday Stephen took me to Grand Casino in Hinckley, Minnesota. We decided we would each play with $40. Within 30 minutes my $40 was gone and Stephen gave me another $20. Another 30 minutes later I was at the ATM. Then I found the nickel slots so I was fine after that. It definitely is a compulsion. I also used to be addicted to scratch lottery tickets but being broke after we moved here cured me of that. Besides, the lottery tickets here stink. I still think that the Ontario Lottery Corp. has the best tickets.

Pez Quiz

How well do you know me? Take a PEZ Quiz
Then check out your score.

The leprechaun's got away but left some double bubble gum that the Easter Bunny was planning to use. Jax was so excited that the leprechaun's came. I wonder if, when the time comes, I will be dealing with a pre-teen who still believes in Santa Clause.

I fell down yesterday (long story that I detailed in Her Time. I hurt like hell today. My whole body aches and I have a massive bruise that wraps around the whole back of my calf. Advil has been my constant companion today. Stephen is working late of course so I cannot even go lie down until the kids go to bed.

Jax wanted to build a lepre chaun trap today. He woke up this morning with the idea and did not let it go! I gently told him that there were no such thing as lepre chauns. He chose not to hear me. After school he started talking about it again and was so wound up that I promised to help him make a trap after dinner.

Stephen asked me why I was encouraging him (he knew that I had spoken to Jax this morning). Then he turned to Jax and told him that l e p re chauns are just make-believe. Jax looked him in the eye and said "I want to believe in them". And that was that. So we made a trap for him and one for Dex and I had to scavenge around the house to find a little present to put inside for them to find in the morning.

Here's is Jax's trap. Just a simple shoe box held up with string with a penny taped to the floor (and green paper and tin foil to attract the lepre chaun). When the penny is picked up the string will let go and trap the lepre chaun.



Dex's is simple. A lid propped up with a tin foil covered popsicle stick with a string and a penny taped on the string. Picking the penny up will pull the stick out and the lid will drop and trap the lepre
chaun.



They were so excited about the traps. I hope they are not disappointed in the morning when there is no lepre chaun to be found.

Yowza!

Neighbour upped her price again and listed her house with a realtor.
The photos in the photo gallery do not do it justice. The home is really lovely. Also, the taxes will definitely go up because it is listed with the county as just under 2000sf (they do not know she dug out and finished the basement years ago but will definitely find out when the house is sold).

Jax's teacher sent me a note this morning telling me that she took Jax's chapter book that he has been writing in class and typed up the first few pages of it. She said she was amazed by it and wanted to share. If you are interested in reading it, click here. All typos are his spelling errors.

Last Sunday at church the communion hymn was "Roll Away The Stone" by Tom Conry. I was completely overwhelmed by that hymn and I tear up just thinking about it. The words are not so profound but sung in our church with the big cavernous echo was amazing.

Roll Away The Stone

They have been saying all our plans are empty.
They have been saying "Where is their God now?"
Roll away the stone see the Glory of God. Roll away the stone.
Roll away the stone see the Glory of God. Roll away the stone.

They have been saying no one will remember.
They have been saying Power rules the world.
Roll away the stone see the Glory of God. Roll away the stone.
Roll away the stone see the Glory of God. Roll away the stone.

They have been saying no one hears the singing.
They have been saying all our strength is gone.
Roll away the stone see the Glory of God. Roll away the stone.
Roll away the stone see the Glory of God. Roll away the stone.

They have been saying "All of us are dying."
They have been saying "All of us are dead."
Roll away the stone see the Glory of God. Roll away the stone.
Roll away the stone see the Glory of God. Roll away the stone.

Actually, there is something new. I have weaned Cars. It happened three nights ago. He fell asleep without nursing and did so again last night. Today he asked to be nursed (if you call slapping my breasts asking) and I said "No more nursing". He did not even try again tonight so it is over. I am a little sad but relieved that I was able to wean him before I turned 40. Funny, I remember before he was born I had a goal to nurse him for six months.

I had never enjoyed nursing Dex because he had latch issues that were never really resolved so I thought I was completely going to hate nursing Cars but he latched on like a pro from the very beginning.

Another milestone passed. Oh, and here I am a little weepy.

Nothing new.

Yesterday I did the most physical activity that I have done in ages. First, Dex, Cars and I walked Jax to school then we had to walk home up that friggin hill (2 mile walk round trip). The jogging stroller has a flat tire so I had to push Cars in his regular stroller which does not move as easily up a very steep incline. Anyway, we survived. Then I took Dex and his friend to soccer. It was the last day and apparently it was also a parent participation day. I don't know if they announce that last week (L. took the kids last week). So there I was, out on the indoor soccer field scrimmaging with other moms and 5 year old kids who are fast and vicious. Only the kids had shin guards on! I am glad I am not the mom who caught a soccer ball with her nose. Ouch!

Later in the afternoon I took Dex to his t-ball practice and Jax and I threw the ball back and forth while Cars napped in the stroller. Ok, I threw the ball to Jax, he missed it every time and ran after it. Then he would throw it in my direction but most of the time it went way right so I had to run for the ball too. Who knew I could even run still?

So last night after dinner, I was completely pooped - too pooped to even go to the store to get some bread and milk. Fortunately, Stephen went so my kids would have something for breakfast this morning. And it is a pleasant surprise this morning that I am not sore. And I even feel almost GOOD for having exercised. Maybe I should keep it up?

Bathroom is on hold for now...we cannot agree on tile for the counter top. Plus Handyman seems to have screwed up the power to the fan and lights. He is bringing an electrician with him on Monday. On his dime...


I had a little retail therapy today - 4 tops for $50 (Ross - Dress for Less!!!). I also bought a cute little pair of Buzz Lightyear sandals for Cars.

Ramona and I are thinking about our 40th birthday trip. Leah Ann has opted out of going. Boo to her! I should have expected it. I remember when we were 15 (was it 15?) we wrote letters to be opened 10 years later. We wrote where we thought we would be and what we would be doing with our lives. Leah Ann was the most organized of the three of us so she held onto the letters. One decade later, when the date came to open the letters, it turns out that Leah Ann had thrown the letters out just a couple of months before. Her reason? She had written that she would be married to Dave and have a couple of kids but at 25 she had just dumped Dave and moved in with Roman and she was too embarrassed to read the letters so she threw out hers, mine and Ramona's! Ok, so now it is 15 years later and she has once again flaked out on us.

Anyway, Ramona and I have been planning and we might do Vegas if she can get a free flight there with her airmiles. I am so excited about taking a trip! Without children!

Neighbour called with a price for her house. It is a fair price but out of our range. Stephen and I are going to crunch some numbers but I do think it is pointless. She is asking 50K more than she had first quoted me. I am a little disappointed but not crushed since this came up suddenly and it is not like we *have* to move. And not moving will give me more time to enjoy my new bathroom wall colour.

On a happoer note, our green card apps were finally approved (it only took 4 years - well, 3 years and 11 months). God Bless America.

Migraine has gone and stayed away (thank you, Imitrex).

My blahg has been so bipolar lately. I am sounding like a forum whack! Things must change.

Dex is now registered for kindergarten.

Swim nazi called today to tell me that there were openings for Dex for swimming on M/W mornings. I need to decide whether or not to enroll him. He has two 1.5 hour t-ball practices/week starting next Tuesday (as does Jax). I think maybe that will be enough activity (I cannot go back to driving all over town again).

Happy Stressday. Today will be a whirlwind of activity. But first I must tell you that Cars's fever broke and he slept through the night again (yeah for him!).

Besides all of the running around I have to do today, I will be registering Dex for kindergarten. Funny, I don't really feel as sad about it as I was about registering Jax. I am very excited for Dex to be going to kindergarten. He is excited about it too. I have decided against the multi-aged class I wanted to put him in (he would be in the same class room for k-2) for several reasons, but the biggest is that the cost to us for full-day k would be $2400. And if we are moving that money could be better spent elsewhere. Plus he would miss out on riding the school bus (only kindergarteners get a bus from our neighbourhood, and only 1 way!).

Right now I am concentrating on beating this migraine. I just popped an Imitrex and I hope the tightness in the chest does not come with it this time. Once I have weaned Cars I will try one of the other two triptan drugs that do not have that side effect.

I need to head to Costco shortly. Then home to feed Dex and Cars and get Dex off to school (I will not forget to pick him up). I also will be volunteering during kindergarten registration from 5-7pm then rush off to the Little League meetings (already in progress).

Oooh, the Imitrex is kicking in and I can feel the heaviness. I think I shall go lie down on the couch for a bit.

(and yes I edited the original post for anyone who may have read it).

Two more people added to the ignore list. One because her sig photo has the reflection of a flash in it and I swear it causes me migraines.

I have delegated some bathroom stuff to Stephen. He tried to pawn it back to me "Are you sure you want me to get it? I think you would be better at choosing the toilet and sinks." Ha! The thing is I am not better at choosing. I cannot choose. I can never choose. "It is not a big deal", he says "just pick a sink!" No way, I told him. You can do it."Ok, no problem" he says. He worked late tonight so he decided to stop by Home Depot and buy the sink and toilet on his way home. So far, he has called twice to ask my opinion about the sinks I cannot see. Seems I am not the only one who cannot decide.