Stephen keeps complaining that I don't take my "good" camera (digital SLR) with me when we go out (or on vacation). Mostly it is because I hate the camera bag that came free with the camera and I keep thinking "I have a perfectly good camera bag so I don't need to buy another". So, then I grab my small Canon Sureshot to take with me because it fits in my purse and is easy to carry.

So, we went away on vacation to Hawaii and Stephen was really irritated that I did not take the SLR. It worked out because my Sureshot got covered with sand and sun screen. But, it would have been nice to take the SLR. I have been looking at camera bags online but there are dozens and dozens out there and I have realized that it is not really something that I can buy online. I definitely will need to try it on, like a purse. And, I am figuring if I buy one, I will use it in lieu of a purse on the days I take it out so it has to be comfy, allow easy access to the camera, hold my wallet, keys, cellphone and allow epi pens to be clipped onto it.

Now, do I get a backpack or sling bag? A standard camera bag with bigger sections? And then once I decide on a bag, what colour do I chose?

Decisions, decisions.

Summer Plans

I watched "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" tonight. Cedric Diggory is sooo cute! Much cuter than Edward Cullen - must be the accent. ;) I cannot wait for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price" to come out. Just two more months! I'll take Jax and Dex to go see it when it comes out. Stephen will take Cars to another movie.

Before then, though, I am going to watch all of the other five movies again, back-to-back. Nice start to my summer.

Speaking of summer, Stephen is taking Jax and Dex to their first concert in July. They are going to see Green Day. Perhaps "inapprope" as Jax likes to say (short for inappropriate) because of what they will hear, see and no doubt, smell. But, I think they will love it. They love Green Day. I play it in the car but I totally have to work the mute button as we go.

We are going camping this summer too. The weekends were all booked so we are going during the week. We are going back to the place we went last summer so we should have nice weather.

I haven't signed the kids up for any summer activities. We'll probably do golf again and I need to sign them up for swimming lessons. Cars will play soccer in the fall and I think there is a end-of-summer soccer camp so I'll look into that.

Other than those things, I think we'll just hang out during the summer and go to a few places like we've done in the past. I want to go to some places I have never been as well as such as the Point Definace Zoo,
Leavenworth, Deception Pass and Seattle Art Museum. Plus all the regular stuff (beach, tide pools, parks, etc).

And today it was warm (almost HOT) so it was a nice promise of the summer to come.

I have book club tonight but it does not start until 9pm because the hostess had a school activity to go to. It is funny but 9pm seems so much later than 8pm. Normally, we stand around and eat and chat from 8-9 then discuss the book at 9 (then other things of course come up). So starting at 9 seems that we'll not start talking about the book until 10. Of course we could start earlier but it is unlikely.

This morning, Dex dropped one of our Corelle plates and it shattered into a million little pieces. They are break "resistant" so I kind of expected them to be unbreakable. This is the first one that has broken and I cannot believe how far the pieces flung. I swept the floor then mopped it and swept it again and I still keep finding little shards of white glass plate here and there. I hope no one gets any in their feet.

I am teaching Art Start tomorrow in Dex's class and we are studying the picture "She-ba" by Romare Bearden. Then the kids will make a multi-media collage. I made two today for examples and I had a lot of fun (I just used construction paper, newspaper, magazines, felt and markers). I hope the kids in the class enjoy it too.

I miss being so crafty. I really haven't taken the time to paint, draw, make jewellery or knit this past year. Gotta change that. Soon.

Fretting about the next school year already...

Here is a link to our Hawaii pictures if anyone is interested: Aloha. Just a warning that there are about a billion photos.

Today, I asked Cars' teacher about class placement for next year (1st grade!) and I asked her to put him in a class that is a job share class. Now, I swore I would never, ever, ever do that to my children again after Jax's 2nd grade disaster but the 1st grade job-share teachers are both really good teachers and really nice people so I don't anticipate the same problem. I also specifically asked her NOT to put him in the class that Dex had because the teacher would not be good for him. She was perfect for Dex and exactly what he needed at the time but really not what Cars needs. He is more "advanced" than Dex was at this point in the school year so I think he needs teachers who will push him more.

So, I have these forms to fill in by Friday for class placement. Cars' teacher told me to absolutely NOT put any teachers' names on the form or the principal will literally rip it right up without looking at the rest of the form (questions like how does your child learn best and my child's strengths). Then she wrote on a sticky note the names of the teachers I wanted and pulled out a stack of cards she keeps in her desk with all of the kids' names and put it on Cars'). We'll have to wait until the end of August to find out.

Now, I need to work on Dex's teacher. I don't want him to have the same teacher that Jax had last year. No joy whatsoever in that class. Another teacher I have heard just sits and knits all day long (but this is who one of the teachers that I know at the school wants her dd to get so maybe that class is not so bad?). The third class is a job share (4days/1day) and the fourth teacher is mean. Just plain mean. Now, I know that Spy wants her son to get Mean Teacher next year because she is a tough teacher. But Spy is tough and can put her in her place (and has put her in her place when Mean Teacher was mean to Spy's dd). I would not be able to do that if any problems arose with Dex so she is best avoided altogether.

With Jax though, I am running blind because I know absolutely NOTHING about the 6th grade teachers. One thing I could do for Jax today though was send a note to the 504 plan coordinator at the school to find out if the 6th graders will indeed be in the portables next year and request an accommodation because there is no running water - how will Jax wash his hands before he eats without having to run all the way back to the school to use the restroom.

I picked up my guitar today for the first time in 11 days and I realized that I have UTTERLY and COMPLETELY forgotten how to play "Brown-Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison. Lots of practicing needed before my lesson on Thursday.

I went to Zumba class today because the cross training class was just packed and I hate when it is because they then split the class and half do cardio while the other half do floor exercises and then we spend way more time on cardio than usual. Anyway, the Zumba class is still hard because I cannot do the salsa step. As hard as I try, I just cannot do it and I feel like a fool tripping over two big left feet.

Jax and Dex have a lot of school work to catch up on from last week. Their teachers gave them work to do while we were there but Stephen did not want to force them to do it while we were away. So now, I am the one forcing them to do it after school, along with their regular homework. I have banned them from the computer until the work is done (well, except when they need it for homework). Oh, what a rough week this going to be.

Well, we are back and I would like to say back to the grind but not yet. I think we are still on Hawaii time so I hope we can get up for work/school tomorrow.

I really enjoyed our vacation. The condo that we rented was so close to the water and just perfect for us. I loved snorkling and watching my children have a fantastic time playing in the water and the sand, although I think it will take a few weeks to get all of the sand out of Jax's hair!!

I can see why people go back to Hawaii again and again and again. I would definitely love to go back again.

While we were away, we found out that we are runners up in a GeekDad Blog contest! We'll post more details when we get them. My kids are tickled pink!

All-in-all it was a fantastic week. Aloha!

It is our last night in Maui. We've has such a great vacation. My favourite things to do were snorkling at Kapalua and body boarding. I am already planning my next trip!

OMG we are in paradise. Our condo is so close to the ocean . We went to Kapalua beach today. Gorgeous and the snorkeling was a lot of fun. Stupidly, we did not reapply sunscreen enough and everyone has a bit of a burn here or there (mostly on our feet and shins).

Looking forward to what tomorrow brings!

We are packed (except for my iPhone cable which I will pack in the morning). Stephen is being a hardass and saying only 2 suitcases allowed so we packed über-light on clothes. Now he is complaining that the suitcases are too heavy. I weighed them and they are both under 50 pounds(the max weight allowed per bag). One was very close to 50 so I took the water shoes and flip-flops out and crammed them into my carry-on bag. Now I am a little pissy because he thinks I have over-packed. Pul-ease! There is a washer/dryer in the condo we rented so we can (and will have to) wash our clothes to make it through the week so we have no way overpacked.

I do have four bottles of sunscreen in one of the bags so that probably accounts for almost 4 pounds (ok, maybe I am a little sunscreen-heavy). And my toiletries but I have mostly travel-sized items. The weight in the boys bags is just 4 days worth of clothes and the watershoes. That is 4 days worth of clothes for *3* people in one suitcase! Geez!

Then, he said "I guess we won't be able to buy anything to bring back". Yep, a new suitcase!

Aloha!

I am having a lot of fun learning to play "Brown Eyed Girl" on the guitar. My guitar instructor wishes it were another Beatles song, I think. But he is having fun teaching me the little "lick" at the beginning of the song. Fun but my fingers are sore. Oh, and I play it really, really, REALLY, slow.

Sha-la-la la-la la-la la-la la la te da

The circuit training class that I take at the club is held in this room that is always really chilly when we first start but very comfortable by the time the class is well under way. Today, however, it was warm in there when we first got in and then it just got warmer and warmer and very uncomfortable.

About half-way through the class I said to the instructor "Chris, it is HOT in here!" and he looked at me and said "Do you want me to leave?". I was so uncomfortable that I could not even laugh at his joke. I am sure he thinks I am a grouch.

So, my theory is that the club has turned the tempereatures up to save money. We'll see how it is next time I take the class.

Speaking of businesses saving money, Big Software Company has canceled their annual company picnic. And not just for this year but forever and ever and ever. Bummer.

Ok, things are coming along nicely and I haven't started to freak out yet about the trip. I get so stressed out when traveling, especially when flying. Ok, ~breathe~.

Stephen is working all kinds of insane hours this week to get something completed before we go away. He has not been home for dinner yet this week and will not be home tonight and probably tomorrow night. On the plus side, he is taking Friday off work.

Jax has to build a capsule for the school's egg drop which happens next week while we are not here. His teacher told him "just" to turn it in on Friday. He keeps forgetting to ask her if the egg needs to be in it then. And if so, will it turn rotten by next Thursday when they do the drop? Well, we won't be here so I won't have to worry about the stench from a rotten egg, right?

Yesterday when I was volunteering in the kindergarten class, the janitor came around with a huge can of some disinfectant and was spraying all of the door handles. Trying to kill off all of the germs and potential-swine flu virus, I guess. Too bad he did not spray each keyboard and mouse at the computer stations. OMG, the kindergarteners sit at the computer sucking their fingers or wiping their noses with their hands and then touching the mouse and keyboard. ~gag~ When I leave I immediately go and wash my hands or wipe them with wipes in my car. So gross!

Swine Flu?

I am trying to decide if I should be concerned about the Swine Flu. Some news reports have said that it is not as serious as initially thought while others make it sound as though if I don't have my stash of Tamiflu, I am as good as dead. And we are heading off on holidays in a few days. Granted, it is not to Mexico but it is on a plane for 5 hours, breathing in recirculated air. And at this point I should mention that I have gone to Bartells already to buy some of those face masks (but they were sold out!).

I am a "worst-case scenario" person so it would be quite easy for me to freak out about it but I have decided to remain calm and do something constructive. Like PACK for my trip and also top up our emergency supplies. I need to buy more water and I think we'll be set for 3 Days 3 Ways.

And I promise not to freak out when Jax tells me in the morning that his throat hurts (he was grumbling about it before bed). And I promise not to get worried when my stuffy nose gets a little worse (still allergy season, right?). And I am ignoring Dex's cough (wasn't that antibiotic supposed to clear it all up?).

So there, I am not worrying. But, know that tomorrow I will hit another Bartells (and RiteAid) in search of face masks. Or, I wonder if those disposable respirator masks at Home Depot would be better?

My mom asked again today if we were packed for our vacation. I told her that I do not enough clothes that would let me pack away some a week in advance! Sheesh!

Tonight Cars asked me what I looked like when I was his age so I hauled out this Rubbermaid tub that I have to find a picture of me when I was his age. We had fun going through the pictures. I wish I has a scanner!

While talking to my mom tonight, I found out that my nephew is in Mexico on holidays. My mom is convinced that he is going to come back with the Swine Flu. She said " it is targeting young men" (nephew is 23) as though the flu is a serial killer!

Aargh! My tomato plants did not survive the frost! They looked ok on Friday morning but today when I went out there they are crumpled and brown. Boo! One of the four might be ok but I'll only know in a couple of days, I think.

I bought some Uncle Ian's Mole Repellent to try to get rid of those damn pests! Jax and I spent 40 minutes going around the yard finding holes and sprinkling it in. Hopefully it works. The guy at Home Depot said the only really effective way to get rid of them was traps that kill them. But then I would have to dispose of the bodies. No thank you! A landscaper suggested the product that I bought (well, he said "dried blood" which is what this product is).

Today is Stephen's birthday. He took Jax and Dex to hockey while I took Cars to t-ball this morning. Then we bought donuts in lieu of cake. We had to eat dinner early because Dex had a 7pm baseball game but I think Stephen enjoyed his day.

Today also would have been my dad's 78th birthday. Wow, that sounds so old! It is hard to beleive he had been gone almost 10 years. I guess this is the last "mile-stone anniversary" for a few years. Sometimes I am just amazed at how fast these past 10 years have flown. I also did not realize how much I would still miss him all these years later. I especially miss talking to him about politics (both Canadian and American). But I think of him daily if for no other reason that the password on the main computer in our house is the userid he used on his computer and in playing "Zelda".

Stephen doesn't say much about my dad anymore so I did get a choked up not long ago when he told me that he missed him. And tonight he had the kids say a prayer for my dad. :')

We had an All-hands Cosmo Friday tonight. That just meant that all of the moms, kids and dads met at Ash's house. It was nice to have a Cosmo Friday after such a long time. We played Rockband 2 and I lost my voice singing "Last Train to Clarksville". It was a fun night be we did not get home until 11:30 so the kids are going to be a mess tomorrow.

My mother called me today and asked me if I were packed yet for our trip. Um, it is still over a week away! She could not believe that I had not yet started packing. Then she reminded me to take sweatshirts for everyone. I laughed and laughed because I recently re-read one of my very first blahg entries where I mentioned that she called to remind me to take a sweater to Florida when we were planning our trip there five years ago. Gotta love her, right?

Last week, at a jewellery party (yes, I went to another Cookie Lee party), one of the women I know from my MOPS group told me that I always looked so put together. I was gobsmacked (isn't that a great word?!) because I feel as though I am always sort of a mess. I thanked her but explained that all I ever wear are jeans and t-shirts (long sleeves or 3/4 length or short sleeves but they are all t-shirts). She said that everyone tells her to invest in a good, expensive pair of jeans. I said no, my favourite jeans were "two-fifty". Clearly she misunderstood because she made a comment about how she could never spend more than $100 on a pair of jeans. No, I said, I meant two dollars and fifty cents! I bought them at Sears. They were marked down to $24.99 then were on sale for 90% off the lowest price. I probably love them more for the price than for how they actually look on me!

So, I wear inexpensive clothes. There is nothing fancy in my closet. Well, that is not true. I do have my fancy outfit that I wore to Ramona's wedding. And my wedding dress (my mom brought it down last year she was here) but even that was not expen$ive...I bought it on clearance from a wedding shop! Now, I have been buying more expen$ive shoes the past couple of years because my feet are old and get sore when I wear cheap shoes (but I still look for sales and check out the clearance rack!).

There are several reasons why I do not spend a lot of money on clothes. The first, of course, is that I do not have a lot of money. And as a stay-at-home mom, I don't feel that I could justify spending a ton of money on clothes that would only be worn around the house, to Co$tco or to the bus stop.

Another reason is that there are some perfectly nice clothes out there that are reasonably priced. If that woman thinks that I am put together wearing my $2.49 jeans from Sears and my t-shirts from Costco, how can I justify buying more expensive clothes?

And of course the biggest reason is that one day I am going to lose some weight and it would be a complete waste of money to have to get rid of my expen$ive wardrobe, right?

My SIL called tonight to say that my other niece is coming to visit with them next month. I am happy that their whole family will be here.

Stephen's birthday is this weekend and I haven't bought him anything yet! He wants Rock Band 2 and a sauté pan. ~eyeroll~

How Does My Garden Grow?

Another glorious, sunny and warm day here. After I spent the morning with Cars' class (Reading Naturally then monitoring the computers during Reading Literacy times), I went to Fred Meyer and bought some veggies for the garden. I planted broccoli, walla walla onions, peas, egg plant and artichoke. I also planted seeds to grow carrots, cucumber, zucchini and green onion. I hope my garden grows this year!

Stephen is skeptical about the artichoke but even if it does not bear fruit, it does become a lovely looking plant (my neighbour always has them growing in her garden).

I am still waiting on a bid from a garden service to find out how much it would be to clear out all of our garden beds. Two quotes so far have come in within 10% of each other. One bid was very detailed and said it would be about 18 hours worth of work! I believe it. The beds are such a mess. The front are not so bad but the back are just overgrown with weeds and grass. Just a month of neglect (well, more than a month, I guess. I stopped weeding the gardens in August and our growing season really lasts until November and I haven't done too much weeding yet this year).

Both guys told me to rip out the bamboo. Interestingly enough, they both told me that I should sell it. One guy said I should just put an ad on craigslist and the other suggested that I could sell it to a local bamboo grower. I haven't decided which route to go yet.

Anyway, it will be nice to get the garden beds looking all neat again and for my veggie garden to grow. The raspberry patch has started to green up and I am looking forward to eating some good food right out of my backyard (if I can get over the fact that it is growing in steer manure).

Random Photos

Some random photos...


When did this chocolate bar become an "Energy Bar"?


11 year old boy making a wish


One reason why the kids did not sleep at the sleepover


Deer in my yard


Tomatoes are in


My first income check in 10 years. Please feel free to click on my sidebar ad to help me earn more money. It only took me 8 months to earn this much! ;)