What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Your Dominant Intelligence is Spatial Intelligence

You've got a good sense of space and how the world around you looks. You can close your eyes and "see" images. You have innate artistic talent. An eye for color and shapes, you're also a natural designer. Since you think in pictures, visual aids and demonstartions help you learn best. You would make a good navigator, sculptor, visual artist, inventor, architect, interior designer, or engineer.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Rest assured, I am in a much better mood today. I decided to forgo the bath and went to bed with the heating pad. And when Cars awoke in the night I let Stephen get up with him.

This morning as the kids were getting ready for school, it started to SNOW! Hellooo? What is that all about? It is almost March 1st and not only have my crocus bloomed but the tulips and irises are coming up and then we get SNOW. Way too much snow this year for my liking. Does Global Warming mean Pacific Northwest Freezing? Anyway, I was just about to report that the snow turned to rain but as I type this, the rain has turned back to snow. Fortunately, the ground is not cold enough for it to stick.

Before I went to bed last night, I read an article stating that many parents are afraid to use epi pens on their children. I can totally relate. When Cars had that allergic reaction to walnuts in early January, I should have used an epi pen on him but did not because he had not been diagnosed with a tree nut allergy. If Jax had presented the same symptoms, I would not have hesitated but I guess I was in denial (and shock!). I now know better.

Crabby

I fell off the roof.
I want chocolate.
I am ornery, peevish and irritable.
I am fat.
I am on the verge of a migraine.
I had a fight with Stephen last night that was all my fault.
I am contrary.
I need to fold 3 loads of laundry.
I am tired because I stay up too late at night.
I am sending my children to bed 30 minutes early.
I am mad that Stephen is working late.

I AM CRABBY!

So, as soon as the kids are off to bed, I am going to draw a hot bath, pick up my book (which sucks but it is a book club book...) and have a little ME time. I would love to indulge in some chocolate too but I gave it up for Lent. *pout*

"Guacamole" has become a word synonymous with "Aloha" to my kids. They say it to their friends when they greet them or when they leave. The love to yell it too. And now their friends say it too. Apparently whenever Ash drives her kids by our house, her kids will shout "Guacamole" out the window.

Another word they love to say is "Nacho". Especially Cars. He drags out the "o" sound at the end and it almost always turns into a laugh for him - "Nachooooo-o-o-o!" I guess if you say it like he does it can be fun to say.

So, people will say "Hello" to my children and they will respond with "Guacamole" or "Nacho". It is rather embarrassing unless they are greeting Ash's kids.

During Mass yesterday, right after I had to separate Jax and Dex because they were thumb wrestling, we were giving each other a sign of Peace ("Peace be with you"), Cars started shaking hands and saying "Pizza Nacho!" in his not-so-little-voice. Of course, Jax and Dex thought this was funny and snickered which only encouraged Cars to say it louder with each hand he shook. People who were sitting not-so-close to us were turning to see what was going on. I tried to shush him but he just turned away from me to wish someone else "Pizza Nacho!".

I am beginning to think he could have toughed it out for the remainder of the year in that Sunday school class.

Grey

Yes, this is yet another post about grey hair. I am still obsessed with my decision to grow out my grey hair and I probably will be obsessing about it until I am old and...well, you know).

Have you seen the new Dove commercial (that they cannot show on tv? - link here). Dove has come out with a line of "Pro-Age" (vs Anti-Age) products, including a line of hair-care products for grey hair. Good for them!

I am not sure what it is but suddenly there is a surge of articles about aging and accepting your grey hair. Where was all the grey hair stuff a year and a half ago when I was looking for it for help - and acceptance - for growing in the grey? Every time I googled "growing in grey/gray hair" I could only find articles about how to hide grey hair, how to cover grey hair, how to prevent grey hair, how to stop grey hair or even how to REVERSE grey hair (by drinking cabbage juice or some other equally revolting thing). Where were the articles about going grey gracefully?!

I found articles which stated it was acceptable for men to be grey (think Anderson Cooper) but not for women. I only found one helpful article which suggested using low-lights to help with the transition. Just one!

Anyway, this all-of-a-sudden interest in grey hair makes me wonder if we'll see any female celebrities deciding to buck the trend and let their grey hair show. Will my other friends with premature grey (because that is what we have right? I mean, I am not OLD!) also give up their hair colourists or boxes of L'Oreal and go with the salt and pepper look too? I hope so. I hope so.

I don't want to be the only old-looking mom on the playground.

Proverbs 16:31
Gray hair is a crown of glory;
it is attained by a righteous life.

Ash had surgery today to repair the torn ligament that stablizes her knee. She'll be off her feet for about six weeks. No Cosmo Friday for her tomorrow but she has her own drug cocktail going at the moment so I don't think she'll mind that Laurie and I will Cosmo without her.

I gave up chocolate for Lent so of course the Girl Scout cookies that I ordered arrived today. I have put two boxes away in the freezer and will let the kids work on the Thin Mints tomorrow.

JP and Marilyn are coming tomorrow evening and will be staying overnight. They're currently taking a driving vacation in Oregon. I went through the last couple of bins of baby stuff that I have and I am going to give them half of the receiving blankets I have and the last baby nightgowns (I love those things!). Look at me getting rid of stuff! Slowly but surely.

Stephen bought me a webcam with a microphone yesterday. It is great! Of course the only other people I know with webcams and microphones are my brothers so I think they are getting sick of me talking to them. I want my mom to get one so she can talk to and see the kids. Oh, and Ramona. Ramona needs one too.

Well, I've survived the kids' mid-winter vacation. Back to school tomorrow for Jax and Dex (although Cars does have the whole week off). Today, after Ash Wednesday mass this morning, we picked up Gav and he spend the day with us since it was Kins' girlie b-day party.

Yesterday, Dex had a b-day party to go to - right around the same time (and very close in location to where I was going to visit my OB/GYN). Ash was to watch Jax and Cars but again, Cars has been a little tyrant so I had to take him with me as punishment to him (he really, really, really wanted to go to Ash's). Now, who is it really punishment for when a 3.5 yr old tags along to his mother's annual pap?

Fortunately(?), the doctor was called out just as I arrived to assist in the labour of a "complicated birth" so my appointment was canceled. A reprieve for both Cars and I.

New Pez!

Last week I saw these Pez dispensers at the grocery store so I bought them for my collection:
.
They are for a yet-to-be-released Disney movie (click on the picture for details).

Today, I decided to go out to www.pez.com and I started shaking when I saw some NEW PEZ!! These ones ROCK!






and the pièce de résistance:



I.MUST.HAVE.THEM!

I emailed Stephen to tell him I want them for my birthday (in March) but I really don't think I can wait! I may just have to order them online today. I am sure that as soon as I do I will see them at the drugstore or grocery store or Target but I cannot take that chance so they will have to be ordered online. Soon. Now!

Where the Devil Are Jax and Dex?

My kids are obsessed with WhereTheHellIsMatt.com. Of course I will not let them say hell so they say "devil" (Jax decided that). Anyway, they want to make a video like Matt. We started today at the Museum of Flight. They danced in front of a fighter jet and then on a retired Air Force One. Unfortunately, dolt that I am - I deleted the video of them on Air Force One. The zoom on my camera is not working and I got flustered and then deleted the video.>:(

Anyway, we'll continue to make videos of them at different places and hopefully have the video together by the end of the summer.

Cars was a complete pill at church. He was climbing under the pews, then on the pews, talking (not whispering), flirting with the people behind us, hiding under his coat, lying on the pew, demanding that he and Dex change places, laughing very loud then shouting out "I WANT TO LAUGH!". It was the longest 75 minutes of my life. I was horrified by his behaviour. Laurie was sitting behind us and whispered to me that I was probably sorry that he wasn't in that Sunday school class anymore! Hmmm - keep him in the class with the teacher who was mean or have him embarrass me in church. Tough call.

This afternoon, Stephen took the boys to the sports store to buy Jax a bat. They ran into Dex's coach from last year. He said that he has requested all of the same kids as last year but Dex was not on his team. Stephen said something like "well, I don't know how it works" and the coach said something along the lines that he DID know how it worked. Not sure if he meant that he knew we had asked that he not be Dex's coach or that the league is screwed up (he made many comments about that last year). Either way, I think the point is moot because I believe he is coaching AA ball and Dex had to say at A ball because of the newly enforced age cut-off rules.

Baseball season is right around the corner. Jax's practices are on Friday night and Sunday morning which totally encroach on "Movie Night" and Religion class. We'll move "Movie Night" to Saturday nights until baseball is over and he'll just have to be late to practice until mid-May when Religion is over.

Dex found out today that he is on the A-ball Cubs. Thank God they honoured my request and did not place him back with his coach from last year. Although, most of that team were older than him so they have probably all moved up to AA-ball this year. L's son is on Dex's team this year but she is upset because she wanted him moved up to AA-ball but there was a new cut-off date for age (April 30) and he has a May b-day. Gav is in the same boat and had to stay at AA-ball while Jax moved up to AAA.

We bought Jax new pants today (he needs black - he's on the Marlins), a helmet and a black undershirt. Dex is fine with what we have (Jax was a Cub last year so we have the belt and undershirt already). Oh and an equipment bag. He'll need to carry his own epi-pen this year and I just cannot stay the whole time at the practices this year (2/week - 1.5 hrs each). The coach is great and wants me to train him to use an epi-pen and make sure he knows exactly where it will be located during practices. Thank God for kind and caring people. Seriously. Thank God.

TGI(Cosmo)F!

This week was a little stressful because I was so busy with sick kids, Jax's V-day party, prep'ing the MOPS craft (ribbon key fob), working on the art auction project, Cars' Valentine's Day party (had to bring a veggie tray so I was up yesterday morning at 6am chopping veggies). Today, I had to run to the school to pick up the auction project (need to put some polyurathane or whatever on it), and get stuff ready for Cosmo Friday. I made a kick-ass artichoke dip and a veggie tray.

With all my busy-ness, I am afraid that Cars has been sorely neglected this week and has watched way too much television. We'll make up for it next week because it is mid-winter break (3 days for Jax and Dex, the whole week for Cars). We'll do some fun stuff. Monday, I might take them to the Museum of Flight where Stephen's work party was a couple of weeks ago.

Ok, back to Movie Night (except that I forgot to return the movies to Netflix so we are just watching Nickelodeon tonight). :(

Ow

Migraine came on a little while ago. I am just waiting for Stephen to come home then I will go to bed. Oh wait, I cannot. Baseball team meeting is tonight. I know he won't like it but Stephen will have to go. Off to dig out the Relpax since I cannot go to bed until is home from the meeting. :(

A Valentine's Day Confession

Valentine's Day today. So many people want to know other people's Valentine's Day plans as if it were such a huge holiday. I mean, it is a HUGE Hallmark day I suppose but why do people act like it is the only day when you show the ones you love just how much you love them?

I have always maintained that I think V-day is overrated. Not quite "bah-humbug" towards it but close. I don't necessarily boycott the holiday but I don't "celebrate" it. Sure, I buy my kids a box of Conversation Hearts (the ones without the peanut warning) and I give them a card. I hang strings of hearts from the kitchen window (but not this year). The kids bring home chocolates and candies, many of which they cannot eat due to allergies. If I think of it, I buy Stephen a can of Smokehouse Almonds (peanut-free but "may contain other tree nuts" so I felt guilty buying them this year so this pseudo-tradition may come to an end now that Cars is allergic to walnuts/pecans). And that's it. Stephen is lucky if I get him a card (I did this year).

The truth about why I think V-day is overrated is that Stephen and I broke up on Valentine's Day one year (1990). He dumped me after we went out to dinner. He dumped me because he had been flirting with a red-headed vegetarian at school/work. I was working full-time and he was still in school to get an honours BA. He was working at "The Pub" which was the pub at our campus of UofT (Toronto). It turns out that he and his friend B had been seriously flirting with two girls and they spent a lot of time together day and night at the U. I guess I was fortunate in that Stephen dumped me before he actually cheated on me. Whereas B's girlfriend was not that lucky and he did not dump her until well after he had begun "dating" E (E, who really is a lovely person. They eventually married a few years after Stephen and I).

Anyway, I was dumped on Valentine's Day. Dumped! Cupid could take his friggin' bow and arrow and stick it!

By the time the next Valentine's Day rolled around, I was still single. Stephen and I had recently begun speaking to each other again (long sordid details here with him stringing me along after the red-headed vegetarian dumped him, then me telling him to FOAD and then him mooning over me, much to the disgust of his family <- so yes, sordid). However, he was away at grad school in Indiana. We were not "together" on V-day but by May, we were officially a couple again (and I had phone bills in the hundred$ of dollar$ to prove it).

The following year, although we were back together, he was still away at school. The year after that? He was living in Minneapolis. The next? We were newlyweds, I was not working and we were flat broke. By Valentine's Day 1995, it was a tradition to do nothing on Valentine's day. Then pressure from everyone and their questions "So, what are you doing for Valentine's Day?" was unbearable so I mumbled "Valentine's Day is not a big deal to us" and that was that.

Secretly though, I would love for him to make a big deal about Valentine's Day. I would love it! Buy me flowers, chocolates (although this really is impossible with the nut/peanut allergies in the house), arrange for a babysitter, take me to dinner, buy me some jewerly. But that will never happen. We don't celebrate it. We don't buy each other gifts for Valentine's Day (ok, there was the coffee table he bought me 2 yrs ago for Valentine's Day but really it was on sale and he just happened to buy it on Valentine's Day, I think.

Since this will never happen, I will continue to say that we don't celebrate Valentine's Day. That it is not a big deal to me. And I will continue to buy the kids Conversation Hearts. And I will make a regular dinner and I will watch whatever is on tv that night.

And wish that I had big romantic plans.

Cars has an ear infection and sinus infection. Dex has a virus that is going around that can cause a fever for up to 7 days! Yikes! He was fever-free today (he just felt like crap and looked horrible with puffy eyes) but he can go back to school tomorrow in time for his Valentine's Day party.

Tomorrow and Thursday are busy days for me. I am looking forward to Friday.

Dex is still sick today but his fever is not as high as it was. No school (or lego animation class) for him. He told me a few minutes ago that his throat hurts and I took a look and I think he has strep throat. Cars' throat is really red too and he has a fever. I called the doctor's office and they are "booked solid" through tonight and so they suggested I go to one of their other offices. They put me on hold then told me that the other closest office is booked solid too and that I could go to their newest office which is 10 miles away. Um, no. Now we have an appointment for both of them at 8:40am tomorrow which means another missed day of school for them both.

I have errands to run for Jax's class Valentine's Day party on Wednesday so I'll have to do them tonight rather than work out. *ugh*

We did not make it to church today. Cars had a bad night (croup!) so we were up often through the night and outside for a while trying to get the coughing to stop. Then he ended up in our bed. He has a cold and has been miserable all day. Dex is feeling better today. He was so upset that he might miss school tomorrow that I think he willed himself well! For some reason it is important to him not to miss a day of school this year. Anyway, if he is better in the morning I will send him to school because and Jax are also starting their after school animation class.

I spent much of today getting things ready for Jax's class party for Valentine's Day. Tying ribbons around pencils and little packettes of Hershey's Kissables (a safe, peanut-free chocolate treat!), making paper hearts with Valentine's Day jokes on them (What did the farmer give his wife for Valentine's Day? Hogs and Kisses!). The boys also wrote their Valentine's for their classes (I wrote Carson's but he doodled on them) and we taped mini-tootsie pops to the cards. I have not decorated the house at all this year for Valentine's Day. I don't usually do much but I do something! Welcome, Mommy Guilt.

I was in Dex's class yesterday teaching Art Start (we studied "People, and Dogs with Sun" by Joan Miro). Almost half of the class were out with the flu! We've been lucky that we have not had it yet this year (both Stephen and I had a flu shot) but I guess it is just a matter of time before Dex gets sick and then the rest of us do. In fact, today at Costco, Dex insisted in sitting in the cart (big part)and he fell asleep. He feels a little warm now and is lying down. :\

This morning I volunteered at the church for the youth group's "spa day". It was so fun seeing these teenage (and tween!) girls coming in and being all teenage girly and silly and having them oooh and aaah over the make up and spa stuff. And then - this is silly too - I got all choked up because I won't be able to do that kind of stuff with my daughter because clearly I don't have one. I cannot believe the feeling of sadness that came over me. The only other time I felt this way was when I had an ultrasound when I was pregnant with Dex and I knew that the baby was a girl and I felt a genuine sense of loss when they said "there's a penis!". I never had the same feelings of loss when I found out that Cars was a boy (perhaps I was just expecting that news by then?).

Anyway, I know I'll have these feelings again and I'll get over them. I was just so surprised at the sense of loss. Silly, isn't it? Especially when I have three lovely and healthy boys.

Book Club is tonight. I am feeling a little strange because of what happened last time. I am a little uncomfortable around her now.

Tonight is also the first Book Club with our newly expanded membership (adding two new members). Let's hope all goes well. One of our current members made it known to all that she did not like one of the newbies (everyone agreed to expand to 12 people then when asked who they were, that woman sneered when I mentioned the name of one of the newbies - again - IN FRONT OF EVERYONE!).

*sigh* A and I have talked about splintering off into a new group then we realized we had already with Cosmo Friday. And hey, no reading necessary! ;)

I think I have lost my Canadian accent. I guess it has been happening for a while. No one every asks me anymore if I am from Canada. Funny enough, they will ask about Stephen - seems he has kept his. And I just caught myself saying "Bahb" instead of "Bob" (Cars is watching SpongeBahb Squarepants). I actually even cringed a little when I realized I said it. I know it is pronounced Bob, not Bahb so I have no idea why it came out that way. I managed to pick up the Minnesotan way of saying "five" when I lived there too.

One word that I most definitely have not Americanized is "Mom". Now, I know I spell it Mom but it is pronounced Mum.

A couple of people tell me that they can peg me for a Canadian when I say out and about. I most definitely do not pronounce them oot and aboot as many Americans think Canadians do. I think that Canadians just clip the sound and do not stretch those words out as Americans do.

One thing I just cannot Americanize though is my spelling. It's colour, honour, neighbour, odour and centre (ok, that one I will change occasionally). I distinctly remember being lectured in Grade 3 that COLOUR is not to be spelt COLOR and that we were not Americans so we could not spell it COLOR. Of course there is an exception. When I email the teachers, I Americanize my spelling. I don't want them to think I am dumb! ;)

BNL Rock!

I love this Youtube video!

Had to take the Saab in for muffler work at Midas today. Of course they then give us the litany of things wrong with the car (nothing unsafe, just stuff that needs fixing - and fortunately they do not have the tools to run full diagnostics on the car like the dealership does. We figure we need it to last another year then we can look into replacing it. Anyway, at least now nobody turns around to look to see what's coming when we drive up.

Tonight was Stephen's work belated holiday party (basically no one had their act together in December). It was held at the Museum of Flight. I had never been there and it is so cool. All of these old airplanes suspended from the ceiling or parked on the ground and the history of these planes. They even have a Blackbird which is the fastest piloted airplane. They also currently have a Da Vinci exhibit which was very interesting too. I would love to take the kids to see the airplanes. I hope they get as big a kick out of it as I did!

I was at Macy's today buying nylons and the Estee Lauder counter was doing free make up so I had my make up done (but of course also had to buy some). I had a very good hair day too so overall I looked smashing with my make up done and in my new (old) dress.

Jax did ok at his tryouts today. It started pouring rain just before it was his time slot and it was cold so by the time he made it through the six stations, he was soaked and his poor hands were red from the cold. We'll see what team he ends up on...

Tomorrow is a busy day for us. Church then RE classes for the boys (and a MOPS Steering committee mtg for me), birthday party then Super Bowl Party. Our weekend had been just PACKED which is pretty unusual for us.

I went up to read with the boys last night and fell asleep along side of them. I slept from 8:30 until six this morning! I feel like I could do it again tonight.

I had the kids in Dex's class paint the little wooden hands for the class auction project. They look great and will look fantastic once we glue them to the toy box. I hope someone bids on the item! The auction is next month and the theme is "Denim and Diamonds". So one can wear their bling with their jeans. I might buy a Bedazzler and Bedazzle an old pair of jeans to wear.

Cosmo Friday was at Laurie's today but we had to cut it short because both Jax and Laurie's dd had playdates and had to be picked up at 5pm. Imagine our kids' social lives interfering with Momtini time. ;)