I must stay away from Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate - OMG they are so good but a billion calories. I have had three of them in less than two weeks. Well, four if you count the one that I tried to make at home (was not good).

I heard that Weight Watchers was kicking off a new program right after Thanksgiving. I should probably look into it. Actually, I just need to get back to the gym. I haven't been since the end of September. My shoulders are so bad that it was nearly impossible for me to do the circuit training class. I am now taking anti-inflammatory medication and going to PT to try to fix my shoulder problems (there are two - thoracic outlet syndrome and tendinitis / bursitis). I am so old! Wah!

I am watching "The Oprah Show". It is the final "Favorite Things" episode. I thought I would be envious of all of the things that she is giving out but really I am just so excited for all of these people! How cool would that be to be there.

I spent much of today thinking that it was tomorrow which has thrown me completely off.

I did have a big to-do list today which included running many errands. The first was to the car dealership to have a recall installed in my vehicle. The recall was actually just software but very important software called Smart Stop technology so my car will stop in the event of SUA when I frantically depress the brake. Ok, my car will NOT experience SUA as Toyota claims it is always driver error but just in case, I get this updated software to my car. Anyway, before I went I was told it would take 30 minutes to install. One hour and forty minutes later I was still waiting because they had problems with three different computers when trying to install it in my vehicle. This did not make me overly confident. Anyway, the forth time was the charm apparently and nearly two hours after I arrived, I drove away in my now safer car. I wanted to depress the gas and brake at the same time to ensure that the software worked but I was afraid so I didn't.

Anyway, so I had budgeted 45 minutes for the 30 minute install which took nearly 2 hours. So I had to scratch a few things off my list but I still wanted to go to Co$tco. I went to the one that I do not normally go to and it is all screwed up! The aisles are not the same as the aisles as *my* Co$tco. Although, it might be my Co$tco that is screwed up because this one I went to is virtually identically set up to the one we visit in Richmond, BC when we go to Vancouver... Anyway, I could not find the items I needed and I was in a time crunch so I left without frozen waffles and a massive jar of kalamata olives.

I rushed home, (oh but not before I dropped off our boogie boards to my friend who heads to Hawaii tomorrow - I would say I am jealous but that would be an understatement) threw a few things away then rushed off to a guitar lesson which ended just as the elementary school let out. My kids do not take the bus home on Wednesdays so I rushed to pick them up at the park then back home to put the rest of the groceries away, help with homework then off to Dex's guitar lesson (a double lesson at a non-regular time) then off to Subway for dinner (I rock as a mom) and then to Jax's hockey practice.

Big breath.

Now it is 10 pm, Jax is still up doing homework. Stephen is still at work and I do still have a few things from Co$tco which need to be put away. And today is still Wednesday, not Thursday.

I spent the day at the school today, volunteering for the Vision and Hearing screening. It was so cute to see the little kindergartners come in and try to make an E with their fingers to point it the right way. Wow - is it really just two years since Cars was that little?? I guess there is a huge difference between 5 and 7 years of age.

One of the other volunteer moms mentioned that some 5th grade boy was staring at her face and she asked him why and he said "I am trying to figure out if you have had plastic surgery". When she told this story everyone was surprised but I was silently horrified. I had told Spy recently that I thought this mom had had Botox in her forehead and around her eyes and I was scared that perhaps Dex had overheard me and it was him who had said that to her. However, I realized that it had not been him and then I figured that I am not the only one who has noticed the changes in her and perhaps the mom of that other 5th grader had said something in front of him about it. The change in her look is pretty dramatic. Doesn't take perfect vision to notice.

On Friday, I went to Nordstrom's to check out their Women's and Children's sale. I found a couple of sweaters that I liked so I bought them. They were both less than $50 so I thought they were a great deal! I was so happy with them until I tried them on for Stephen.

I put the first one on - it was blue and was a little flowy. He told me that I looked "frumpy" in it. So I took it off and put it back in the bag to return. I tried on the second one which I thought looked so nice on me in the store. Stephen looked at me and said "Are you *trying* to look 65"? So, that went back in the bag too and I took them back to Nordstrom's tonight. At least returning them was easy enough. They ask "Is there anything wrong with them or did they just not work for you"? Glad I did not have to tell them I was returning them because my husband thinks I look frumpy.

Stephen has taken Cars to his hockey game this morning. I stayed home with Dex and Jax so that they could sleep in. Dex had a sleepover with Cam the other night and he has been moody and whiny since. Jax loves sleeping in whenever he can because he gets up every morning during the week at 6:15am.

It is strange to have Jax sleep in though because he was my one kid who fought sleep every night and woke up about 5:45 every.single.morning until he was about 7 years old (then he started getting up about 6:30 every.single.morning). One thing though, he will be up by 9 at the latest. I wonder if he will ever be the kind of teen who'd sleep until noon if we let him.

My Wizard Friends

* * * Possible Spoiler Alert re: HP7 * * *

I just finished re-reading "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". I am very excited about the movie coming out on the 19th. I will take Jax with me. Dex will be going to see it in early December at a birthday party he has been invited to. Cars would prefer to see it on DVD so he can fast-forward past any scary parts. Stephen has no desire to see it at all.

I am not ashamed to admit that I cried while reading the book (both times). But(spoiler alert!) I did not cry at first when I read that Fred had died. I cried for Neville's bravery the most. I was so proud of him. Remember what a poor, fumbling boy he was at the beginning of this whole journey?

JK Rowling is a brilliant writer. I love that things introduced many books before re-enter in subsequent books and it is not as though it was contrived or added as an afterthought. Just brilliant story-telling. I love that the hero is flawed. I love that he acts completely like a teenager when he is one. Harry is not really wise beyond his years although he has been through a lot. I like him and I am happy to know him. In fact, I almost consider him a friend. Most of the characters actually. I like Hermione's brains and her determination. I like Ron's goofiness and that he is almost an accidental hero because he is Harry's bff. I love Mrs. Weasley ("Not my daughter, you BITCH!") and Bellatrix LeStrange's cruel streak. And I love how Dudley told Harry that he didn't think he was a waste of space (another tearful moment for me). And I love Snape. Oh, how I did hate him after he killed Dumbledore (anyone but Snape!) but it was all resolved in the end, my heart ached so much for him. However, despite it all, I do think it was a stretch that Harry named his son after Severus. Really?

Anyway, these characters...no, friends, will always stay with me. I have gotten to know them so very well over the past decade and will miss them. I am glad that I will be able to visit them whenever I like, though. Just by reaching out to my bookshelf.

As I put the dusk jacket back on my book and placed my book back on the bookshelf, I chuckled as I saw that my hardback copy of HP7 was nearly as thick as my collection of the first three in paperback. I am glad that they have split the 7th book into two movies. I just wish that I did not have to wait so long for the final installment.

I have done a good job of not volunteering in the past couple of weeks. While I have agreed to work all day next week at the Hearing/Vision clinic, I waited two days when the call came out for production (photocopying) work and by then the calendar was already filled. :) I am teaching Art Start next week in both Dex and Cars' classes but it is easy work and something that I really enjoy doing.

I was cleaning out my email inbox and deleted several notes in regards to the school's walk-a-thon that took place last month. It was a great success but I know that I do not want to be a part of it next year. Please help me remember that in May when they start recruiting.

Jax and Cars had their hockey pictures done yesterday. The package we chose included "trading cards" which list the player's stats (age, height, etc). I wasn't sure how tall the kids were so I measured them. Cars is 4'5". Wow! And Jax? He is 5'5"! I am 5'6". I realized on Halloween it seemed that I was looking UP to him when I was chewing him out for running ahead and leaving Dex behind but I thought it was just the hat he had on that made him appear taller. He has grown slightly over 2 inches since July! I just measured Dex and he is 4'11".

I found a website that shows the growth percentiles for children (http://www.nutropin.com/tools-resources/evaluation/growth-percentile.jsp). (FYI, it is a website for a growth hormone for kids). Anyway, it shows Dex and Jax to be in the 90-95th percentiles for their age and Cars is off the charts!

I was walking been some teenagers in Safeway the other day and these boys where HUGE! All three of them well over 6 feet tall. Made me wonder if that will be my kids too. Stephen is 6 feet but youngest brother is 6'4". I guess if the chart is any indication, they will be all be at least 6' tall.

Stephen bought Kinect for the boys today. It is way more fun than I thought it would be. The boys got sweating "running" around playing so I am happy to let them play more video games. :)

One year ago today, my friend Shelly passed away. She died suddenly and it was quite a shock to read about her death on her facebook page (her son had written it).

Anyway, to honour her and her love for The Beatles and Disneyland, a number of us got together and purchased a pave way stone at Disneyland and had it inscribed. Memorial stones are not allowed - you are only to commemorate your visit to Disneyland really so it took a while to convince Disney folks that Shelly's last name really was Love.

Our very crappy Bummer Summer seems to have suddenly decided to arrive today, only 4 and a half months late. It was 75 degrees and sunny today! We broken records for hottest November 3rd on record as well as hottest November day ever.

The afternoon was quite breezy but the incredible thing was that the breeze was warm, like a Chinook. The dry leaves on the ground were rolling like waves across the park today. Some of the trees were dropping leaves like rain in the wind too. It was a glorious day!

My mom is settled nicely into her apartment and so relived to no longer be a homeowner. She said everyone in her building is so nice. There is a walkway between her building and the next that leads to a beautiful park with many architectural features/sculptures. Now that the trees have lost their leaves, she has a beautiful view of Lake Ontario, too.

I am sorry that I did not get to see her apartment while I was there but we'll probably go for a visit next summer so I can see it then. She keeps saying that there is room for us to stay with her (um, no, you live in a 1 bedroom apartment!!) but it is nice of her to offer.

And in a weird twist, Stephen's cousin (whom he has not spoken to in about 20 years) lives directly across the hall from my mom.

November again

Three years ago this weekend, we moved into our new home. We are just 3/10 of a mile from our old house (straight down the street and turn left).

One thing that was a change for us at this house is that we are on a septic system. As a result, I stopped using a garborator (garbage disposal) because I read that it fills up the septic tank quickly.

So now it is time to get our septic tank pumped and wow, what an ordeal. So far I have dug a 3'x2'x2'deep hole in my garden. I managed to locate one lid (I vaguely remembered where the garden was dug up when we came for the inspection) but apparently there are two that need to be uncovered. I have no idea where any of the paperwork that we received when we bought the house is (I have searched in the past and haven't found it). Anyway, the septic guy is coming on Friday so if I manage to find it before then I hope to have it dug up and if not, I will be paying him $90/hour to do it. Aargh!

BTW, Stephen will have nothing to do with the digging and he is happy to pay the guy the money rather than dig out there. I am thinking if that's the case, I will take the $$ that I save by digging myself and treat myself to a new purse... Or, spend that money and install risers on the septic tank so we never have to dig again.