10 on "is it Spring yet?" Wednesday

1..Olivia's birthday party was a success!  I'll be the first to admit I went a little crazy with decorating, but I sure enjoyed it!!  I kept the banner and pom-poms I made up until yesterday (Ralph took them down) 'cause I  was proud of my crafty accomplishments :) I made picks for the cupcakes that coordinated with the banner and I made Olivia's special Birthday Girl party hat.

 

I LOVE this banner!  It will be a staple for all my future parties....

 

...the pom-poms before I hung them from the ceiling...

 

Hot Chocolate on a stick.....a la Keri B.

...thanks for the super cool shirt, Auntie Keri!

Olivia had to call Grandma & Grandpa!

Auntie Kelly has begun PhaseI of Pony-palooza!

 

the Birthday Girl was allowed to eat all the snacks she wanted!

Nala (from Grandma & Grandpa) is Olivia's favorite new lovey and

she hasn't put it down since Sunday morning!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my SWEET little GIRL!!

2.. Ralph had to leave for Toronto immediately after Olivia's party.  BOO!  This is the second year this has happened but thankfully it was only for 2 nights.

3..Hayden's last indoor soccer practice/game was on Monday.  The coaches chose to give each child a ring pop for a reward for hard work.  Seriously??  Soccer ended at 5pm.  Dinner time. All you could hear in the change room was the battle cry of every child saying "I want to have it now!!" and every mom responding "not until after dinner!!"   

4..Now that I have become one of those people who has to color her hair, it amazes me how fast those little gray buggers appear.  Root touch-up time!  And, I am at a point where I need to either press on with this hair growth plan, or abandon ship.  This particular phase is driving me MAD and I really feel like chopping it all off again.  But then I think, I have come this far.... how can I quit now?!  Aaarrghh!!

5..I'm going to have an Epicure party this month.  A Saturday night perhaps??  A chance to sample some of my new wine perhaps??  Oh yes, and have some food and get some spices too!  Who's in??

6..Swimming lessons done!  I have a Sea Turtle who graduated to a Salamander and a little Duck who will now be a Sea Turtle!  They were so proud.  And Hayden's instructor told him that "you were one of my favorite kids to teach this session!"  Hayden was over the moon.  And mommy was very proud too :)

7..I'm diligently working on a "Year in Review" book for the Deters family in 2010.  I'm using Shutterfly again because it's very user friendly.  I don't have the time to Scrapbook, so this is a practical way to print and love my photos.

8..Vanilla Dee-lite hand lotion from LUSH.  It's saving my poor dry hands.  I love it because it's not sticky, but it keeps your hands soft and protected.  Bonus points because it smells like vanilla and coconut.  (The girl who introduced me to this product is laying on a beach in Jamaica right now.  I hate her 'cause even though she really deserves a break I'm madly jealous because I didn't get a hot holiday this winter love her.

9.. I need bronzer today.  LOTS of bronzer.  And I'm working in layers.  Everyone should have at least one :)  Or 6 in my case.  The liquid bronzer I love (from Clairns) has been discontinued but I have a stockpile.  Thank goodness.  It looks like soya sauce and most people are scared of it but I've converted many.  It gives a nice little base glow.  I have many favorite bronzing powders from Benefit to Smashbox to the ol' reliable Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess.  It all depends how I'm feeling.  And then, the best thing ever......bronzing spray.  Either Dior or Guerlain.  It's a lovely little finishing touch of bronze mist.  And I've painted my toenails in bright pink to try and get me outta' this funk.

10.  On the bill today?  Pumpkin Spice muffins.  Hayden saw Curious George make them and he thought they sounded delish.

Look who's TWO!

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY 

OLIVIA!!

I hope you had a wonderful day, baby girl! 

XOXO

10 on "t minus one day until I'm 36" Tuesday

1.. We had a bottle of 2007 CATENA Malbec on Saturday night.  Capital "D" for DELICIOUS!  It was so good, in fact, that we went to Costco and bought a whole case.  We have never done that before but when you find a gem like that one, we had no choice.  Who's coming over for a glass?!

2.. Ralph took me shopping for boots this weekend.  I have been looking for the perfect pair of black, flat, knee high boots for ages.  No buckles and fringe and gak.  It's hard when you know exactly what you're looking for but can't quite find it.....until Browns!  Thank you for your patience honey!!  And thank you for the prezzie! 

3.. Olivia did some shoe shopping too.....with birthday money from Grandma & Grandpa.  She was much less excited than mommy to try on a new pair.  Which is weird 'cause she's a total girly-girl.  Oh well.  She'll have to learn to love her practical, but cute, new kicks :)

4.. Ralph is taking me to dinner and a movie tonight!  Thanks to Jen for watching the kids :)  We're going to see the King's Speech.  It's supposed to be awesome....

5..There is NO SCHOOL for Hayden this week.  ALL WEEK.  (Plus he still gets a full week break at the end of April!)  Now I have to keep 2 kids busy with activities.  Here's hoping for some warm weather!

6..Hayden got his first birthday party invitation from a non-family member!  The crappy part?  He can't go because it's the same day as Olivia's.  Boo!  I compromised and told him that he could in turn invite his classroom friend to his birthday party in April.  Crisis averted.

7.. My car has NEVER been this dirty!!  It's a bit embarrassing actually.  I have been "going to wash it" for a few days now and today it's snowing again.  Aaarrgghhhh!  I may have to go anyway because it's pretty difficult to drive when you can't see out the windows :)

8..I finished Twilight last night.  I know there are a few of you who told me it was awesome and I'm a believer now!  On to the second book.....I'm dying to see if Edward can be persuaded to change Bella forever!!

9..In case I missed anyone on my email list, my email addy has changed.  I am now kdeters@shaw.ca or kara@blinkmakeup.ca. 

10. I'll be 36 tomorrow.  I think I'll open a new bottle of that yummy Malbec and drink the whole thing :)

10 on "oops....it's not Tuesday?!"

1..As I walk around my house, I realize I didn't really choose colors that were child friendly.  And perhaps, that there are no paint colors that are immune to marks when there are cars and toys flying down the stairs!  The brown trim in our house (on the baseboards and banisters) is taking a serious beating!!  Time again for touch-ups!

2..Grandma & Grandpa came for a visit!!  There were LOTS of snuggles and books to be read and games to be played.....and horsing around.  I think Grandma & Grandpa need a rest :)

 

 3..Oh, and lots of Peek-a-boo, too:

4.. Grandma & Grandpa got the kids chocolates and stickers and cars and babies for Valentines Day.  Mommy & Daddy just got them sunglasses:

5.. Grandma & Grandpa got to see the kids at their swimming lessons on Saturday morning and they also got to watch Hayden play his second last game of indoor soccer.  I love that they got to see the kids in their day-to-day routine:

 

6.. I was hired by a lady to do makeup for her photo shoot. She got my name through Google (and she lives in Tuscany!)  I was going to go to her house but it didn't work out for childcare so we planned for her to some here.  She assured me not to worry as she has 5 grown children of her own.  Ok.  I begged and bribed asked the kids to be on their best behavior.  To be quiet as mice in the playroom.  We set out a picnic of snacks and turned on a movie.  Perfect right?!  Ha.  This is my life we're talking about :) 

When I answered the door, she had chocolates for me, and she made cookies for my kids.  Wow.  How nice is that, right?!  She was really cool, she had amazing makeup potential (and my mind was immediately racing with ideas) and she was very easy to chat with.  Thank goodness.  20 minutes later, Olivia was the first to interrupt our appointment.  I guess she wanted to hang out with the girls.  And I'll give her credit, she quietly played on her own while I worked away.  Then, the WORST thing happened.  Olivia pooped.  Brilliant.  So much for the professional ambiance I had created.    What are the odds?@#!  My guest merely laughed and assured me to pay no mind at all.  Which was difficult considering the smell :)  Then, Hayden came upstairs.  I assumed he was coming up to tell me he needed to poop.  Instead, he demanded more juice.  Seriously?@#!  I need to lock this kid in his room until he figures out how to get his own juice work on his manners.  And his timing.  Again I excused my children, and again my gracious guest told me not to worry.  The silver lining.....she wants to have a BLINK Beauty Basics AND she loved her look AND gave me a little tip with my payment.  Nice.  I'll post her photos when the professional ones come in.

7.. I held a BLINK Beauty Basics last Thursday night (in Okotoks.....holy CRAP that's a long drive!)  I donated the prize for Ralph's Christmas party and 2 of the 6 ladies were really interested in having a party of their own.  Woot!  Here's hoping for the snowball effect I am waiting for.  And, I have another charity Beauty Basics tomorrow night.  In Lake Bonavista.  I wish someone in the NW would book a party :)

8.. Hayden got a pretty cool shirt (that he LOVES) from Auntie Keri:

9..We bottled our new batch of wine this weekend!! It's pretty "young" and it needs to age for awhile but it sure is delicious.  Think about the flavor of biting into a plum :)

10.Tessa sent me a few old photos last week and it's amazing how young we look!   Maybe I'm just feeling old and reminiscing about the skinnier, less grey and fewer wrinkles me 'cause I'm turning 36 next week....eek!

This little blast from the past was almost 9 years ago :)

10 on "we're having a snow day!" Tuesday

1..Ralph and I went to a charity auction on Thursday night.  A lady that works with Ralph tragically lost her husband, right before Christmas, and they had NO insurance.  His company decided to fundraise for her family.....to the tune of $25,000.00!!  We contributed by bidding on a portable Webber gas BBQ, and we won!  It will be the perfect little addition to our growing collection of camping gear.  Mmmmm.....flat bread pizza :)

2..We had date night on Friday night, Yay!  We went to Joeys for dinner and I had the very delicious Chinatown Lettuce Wraps.   Then we went and saw The Fighter.  Awesome movie and Christian Bale definitely deserved an award for his role.  During the movie, Ralph and I shared a big bag of popcorn.  I was still full from dinner but I think it is physically impossible for me to watch a movie without eating theater popcorn!  Then we went to Starbucks for a coffee. Can you say "overindulge much?!"

3.. Saturday was an emotional roller coaster to say the least.  Swimming lessons in the morning went great! I was the proud mama on the side of the pool beaming at her son for keeping his head under the water for 2 whole seconds!!  In the afternoon, I taught a friend how to do a smokey eye for her night out and the result was fab!  The tough part?  We said good bye to Rico.  His new owner came to pick him up, and for obvious reasons, there were a lot of mixed emotions for us.  I think he will be very happy running around his new 80 acre home, and I know we feel good about finding him a good home.  Even if it can't be with us.

4..Olivia has been stripping. In the morning, she'll either have her pj top off.  Or her pants.  Or both.  I thought I would trick her and put her footie jammies on.  She's too smart for Mommy and just unzips out of those too!  She's like me and doesn't want to sleep in too much clothing.  And she hates socks as much as I do too :)

5..My patience has been non-existant less than acceptable lately.  I'm not sure why.  I feel like the kids are fighting over everything, playing with nothing and are on this earth to drive me crazy.  I try and speak calmly and rationally and when that doesn't work, I yell.  I hate yelling.  I feel like an awful monster when I lose my cool against a 2 and 4 year old?@#!  What kind of person/mom does that make me??  Horrible.  Don't say normal because I feel crazy, not normal. 

6..David's Tea. Jessies Tea.  Need to make the trek to Southcenter.  The end. 

7..  Are you using Soap & Glory??  If you are, you know exactly why I'm about to RAVE on.  If not.....why not?@#!   If you want to smell how delicious the products are, or you want to buy some, come and see me at Shoppers :)  The list of my very favorite and MUST HAVE things has grown.  It all started with Sexy Mother Pucker lip gloss.  Yes, you heard me right, that's the name of it :)  It's a super tingly, yummy tasting, lip plumper.  And it's only $12.99!

My new favorites are the Clean Girls Body Wash ($9.99) and the Daily Smooth Body Butter. ($14.99)  Can you say "yummy!!"  The new Mist You Madly scent is DIVINE.   Check out their deliciously fun products at http://www.soapandglory.com/ca.

8.. Grandma & Grandpa arrive on Friday!  Weather permitting, and I HOPE we're in the clear, they'll be making the trek from Saskatoon.  It's such a crappy drive but we're looking forward to their visit.  Hopefully all the snuggles from their Grand babies will make it worth their while :)

9.. We had a snow day yesterday!  Hayden's preschool was canceled because his teachers couldn't get out of Cochrane, so we went tobogganing!  It was Olivia's first time and she sure didn't love it.  And I kind of don't blame her.  There was so much snow that it completely blew up and froze your face going down the hill!  Looking at the pictures, you  would think we spent all day in the snow.  Nope.  We were out there for 25 minutes.  Brrrrrrrr.

10. Monday was also barf day.  Poor Olivia was like the exorcist last night and then was almost back to normal today.  Huh?!  That was one crazy-ass, 24 hour super bug....and I hope it doesn't come near the rest of us.  In the meantime, I've been cleaning like a crazy woman to try and kill anything germ-like left in the house.  My house smells like Lavender & Vanilla Mr.Clean.  Infused with a lovely new cupcake fragrance warmer from Bath & Body Works :)

10 on.....brrrrr, I'm a posicle.......Tuesday!

1.. This is my last post for January......WHAT?@#!  Not sure what I even accomplished in January.....except trying to get back into a routine??


2..Ralph hasn't had an easy start to 2011.  He has exploratory knee surgery booked for March AND he has to have a pollup removed from his vocal chord in May.  The trifecta of injuries came this weekend when he severely tore his oblique muscles on his right side.  No exercise or hockey for about 2 weeks.  Believe you me, he HATES that.  He despises being slowed down.  Just when he was motivating me to get in shape, and we were gaining momentum, he overdoes it and gets hurt.  Poor guy. He'll hate me it, but I may have to continue P90X without him :(

3.. My favorite phrase of Olivia's right now?  "I no yike (read: like) it."  And "yuv you!"  But she says "silly" clear as a bell with the two L's.  Huh.

4..  I had a Bride contact me for her wedding in July.  I worked out my holidays and booked her.  Now came the booking deposit to hold her date.  No problem.  She agreed to pay half but she requested a contract stating all of the details of her wedding and payments/balances due.  Great.  (Had my sister the lawyer hook me up with a form I can use for all future clients too.)  I put a read-receipt on the email, so I know she got it, and I waited 2 weeks before I contacted her again to ask why the hell it was taking her so long to get back to me and pay her friggin' deposit if she had any questions about the contract and now she won't respond to my emails!!  WTF??!!  I'm going to give her another few days and then I guess I'll have to send an email saying that I've un-booked her date unless she gets back to me by the end of the week?! Brutal.  It feels so great to be rejected before you even get a chance to prove yourself.  And she said she loved my work.  She could have just been honest with me.  I'm feeling so confused.  And very discouraged.

5..Hayden's kindy hours for the Fall are weird.  Monday to Friday from 11:54am-2:38pm.  How random is that?!  We'll have to start eating lunch for a snack to get to school on time :)

6..My friend Megan always gets crazy deals on dealfind.  Ralph surprised me with a package for the spa which Megan and I will use for our upcoming birthdays ( mine is the end of February and her's is the beginning of March.)  A facial, manicure and pedicure for $44 ($175 value)....yes please!  And Happy Birthday to me!  Thanks honey :)

7..Remember the game Perfection??  It's great for shape matching practice, and Olivia's pretty good at it too!  Hayden jumped out of his skin the first time we played, but he's not scared anymore.....

We also played a few games of Trouble.  I am really  looking forward to the institution of family game night!

8..I am on chapter 6 of the book Twilight and I'm really enjoying it.  Everyone has said how great the books are, and though I was a bit skeptical at first, I'm a believer now!  I may not rush out to see the movie, but I'll probably continue on the series and read the second book :)

9..Something occurred to me today.  Is it possible that my kids don't know how to play?!  Why is it that there are millions of toys in my house, but at times they take everything out but won't play with anything??  Am I being unreasonable to expect that they will play together??   I play with them LOTS, but at other times, I need to get some stuff done while they play on their own!!  I can't be the only one that feels this way.......am I ??

10. We finally found Rico a new home :)

I {heart} 10 on Tuesday

 I LOVE it.  I {heart} posting every week.  I feel connected.  I feel better when I can "vent" about what's on my mind instead of pretending I'm not thinking about it.  I'M GOING TO STICK WITH IT.  The honesty. It's one of my resolutions.  I don't really like to make resolutions, mostly because I don't want to admit if I break them.  But e got me thinking.  About all of the things I really want to accomplish, but haven't put on paper.  So for now, honesty is one of the things I'm putting on my it's important to follow-through with list :)  

1.. What do you think of the NEW header??  Are my kids growing up too fast, or what?@#!  As much as they bicker over toys, and seem to enjoy driving each other bonkers....they genuinely LOVE one another.  They snuggle all the time.  And Mommy melts :)

 2.. The new exercise regime is KILLING me!  I love P90X because it is VERY effective.  We've completed a week and have stretching today, week 2 starts tomorrow.  Thank goodness Ralph is such a good trainer/motivator/stick-with-it kind of guy......he's keeping me going.  It's not that I'm not motivated.  I really WANT to shed some pounds and tone up so I can lose the giant muffin top and jiggles so I feel better about myself.  There are days I would just rather sit.  still.  I'm fighting a cold that doesn't want to leave so I'm going to sweat it out.  Sleep just isn't an option.

3.. I drove BY the car wash yesterday.  Didn't stop because there were at least 10 people in line.  Math has never been my strong suit.....but I know how long the Co-op Car Wash takes to go through (feels like about 15 minutes per car when you are waiting in the line-up) multiplied by the 10 cars that were already there = TOO LONG A WAIT FOR ME!!  If I'm going to be sitting in the car for 2 hours, I want to be going somewhere!! 

4.. Here are the pics of Olivia's newly painted room:

Thank-you Ralph!!  It was such a nice surprise.....but let's be honest, I'm not really surprised that you couldn't wait to complete this project (xo) .....to come home to a freshly painted room that was exactly how I wanted it!  Now I need purple curtains, a pretty duvet cover and a pretty purple lamp!  And more stars on the wall.  And some cool picture frames and things to adorn the walls.  And paper lanterns!!

5.. I think Olivia may be ready for a big-girl bed.  She napped in Hayden's bed on the weekend (cause Daddy was painting her room!) and her cousins bed too.  She really seems to like it and she stays put till the end of nap time.  I am reluctant to let go of the crib because I don't want to let go of the baby phase.  But, I am SO excited to move on to the little girl phase....and continue decorating her room :)

6.. I had Ginger Beer for the first time in a long time on Sunday.  My dad used to buy it and I haven't seen it around because I haven't really been looking for it, I guess.  I happened to find some so I bought it.  And enjoyed it.  Ralph was less enthusiastic.

7.. Work is cutting into my "social" life.  And my weekends.  Does anyone else feel that way??  Which is strange, and a little bit crass,  because I work no more than 2 days a week.

8..I went to swimming lessons on Saturday morning before I had to work from 12-5 for Estee Lauder.  I wasn't thinking about pool attire, I was thinking about work attire.  Cute little skirt, tights, flat comfy shoes.  Nice.  Ralph got in the pool with Olivia because I didn't want to get wet.  I got to be the spectator this week.  I got Hayden ready and......shit.  I'm wearing tights.  And I can't take them off.  Why,  you ask?  Because I don't wear underwear when I wear tights......and my skirt was very short.  Shit.  As I walked out to the pool deck with Hayden, I caught everyone in their bare feet and rolled up jeans looking at me.  I know they were thinking; "why doesn't she just take off her tights??"  Only I knew the answer.  And I went to work with soggy feet.   

9.. My kids are loving Skype.  Almost every time I'm on the computer, Olivia asks to; "talk to Grandpa?"  It's a great way to chat...for FREE!

10. Hayden told me he wants his scars to go away so he can "be a real boy."  But that's a brutally honest Blog post that's for another day.....

Thoughts for Thursday

1..Swimming lessons have started on Saturday mornings!  I despise the water.....and get nervous in the shallow end while my feet are touching.....but the kids are loving it.  Hayden is in Sea Turtle again because his VRRI instructor wanted him to re-do it to gain confidence.  His Cardel Place instructor was surprised because he has already passed the level on class #2!  Oh well.  Confidence is a good thing.  Olivia continues to be a fishy and loves to sing the songs and jump off the side of the pool into the water even when Mommy isn't fully paying attention!!

2.. Saturday night out with the girls was super fun, and the service at DaGuido was..... interesting.  It's a long story :)  Regardless of the hour and a half wait to get our table....we certainly had some great laughs and some good eats.  Thanks ladies!  Looking forward to next time! 

 3..Toast.  My kids eat it every day, but their habits are completely different.  Olivia will eat one slice.  If we're lucky and the wind is blowing right.  Hayden is a bottomless pit.  He was STILL eating when I left for work on Sunday morning.....he was on his FOURTH slice!!  I'm thinking it's a growth spurt.  He also ate his teachers Nutri-Grain bar at school the other day because the snack I gave him wasn't big enough?!  Huh??  Sorry, Mrs.K :)

4..I wanted Hayden to stay home from school the other day because it was like -40 with the wind chill.  NO WAY Mommy.  What?@#!  I know one day I will be begging him to go to school.  Forcing him to get up and go.  But for now, it's me he needs to motivate when it's cold and miserable and I want to stay home and watch movies.  I thought PJ and movie day was every kid's dream day?!  Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy he loves school.  I love that he wants to go and play with his friends and learn a thing or two.  I hope to keep that feeling as long as possible.  Mommy just needs to suck it up.  And bundle up :)

5.. NOOD is the wickedest gadget-y store.  I bought some really cool magnets and pens and recycled paper note pads.  They had cool kitchen stuff too.  So I bought some trivets and silicone baking pans.  I could have bought A LOT more.  Next time :) 

6..Why have I had such a hard time finding a GOOD pencil sharpener??  I keep buying awful ones that end up chewing the pencils.   I remember that my dad used to have an electric sharpener on his desk and we used to love playing with it.  And it make wicked points on pencil crayons.  (Did anyone else love getting a new package of Laurentians, freshly sharpening them, and putting your initials on the little white space of each one??)  I almost paid $10 for a similar one at WalMart.  But I settled on the one for $4.97.  It works pretty good.  But it's not quite as much fun :)   I wonder if Dad still has that thing.....

7.. I think I may have been a teacher in a former life.  I stock-pile papers and pencils and markers and stickers and all of that jazz.

8.. I need to have an Olivia-cam.  She is saying so much and being so cute these days.  I think it would be fun to have the camera on her for a day just to capture the essence of "her." However, she may not allow it.  She's also developing the 2 year old 'tude.

9.. Hayden and I went tobogganing yesterday with his class.  Not a bad way to spend an afternoon at "school."  We had a RIOT!!  It was sunny and we were toasty warm in our 17 layers of clothing.  Hayden looked like a goober, because they insisted the kids wear helmets, but we had some good runs and some GREAT wipe-outs.  Hayden even went down the hill without me a few times.....he wanted to go with his friends instead.  Oh God, that's not starting already, is it??  But he sure did his best to tire me out first.....

10.I made the most delicious blueberry scones last night.  (We had creme fraiche left over from another recipe so I told Ralph to Google "recipes with creme fraiche" and find something delicious for me to make.)  The only thing that would have made them better....white chocolate and some raw sugar on the top.  Like my favorite ones Starbucks used to have.  Do you see why I would utterly fail the Wild Rose cleanse?@#!

10 on Tuesday

1..My new favorite tool is the OXO Good Grips cherry (and olive) pitter that I got for Christmas!  It perfectly pops out a pit with no mess and no squishy fruit!  Next up, Greek salad with delicious and pit-free Kalamata olives....yum!

 2.. We have had lots of pictures of the kids in cardboard boxes lately, and the newest box came from the new coffee table.  The kids were thrilled with such a giant box and were happy to play in it while we oohed and aahed over our new table.  Leave it at that?  No way!  Not with my creative genius and MacGyver of a husband :) The pretend "car" is now a pimped out bus, complete with fabric seat belts, headlights and a steering wheel!!

3.. And here is the new-and-improved living room!  We got a cool new coffee table, an end table, and Ralph refinished the arms on our chairs to make them dark wood too...love it!!

 4.. I finally had my hair colored on Friday!! My hairdresser is an educator for Redken and they launched some new colors......my gray is gone and I LOVE my new look.

5.. Ralph's Winter Celebration was on Saturday night.  An after-Christmas party on a blizzardy night....I almost wanted to stay home in my jammies.  But we drove to the Coast Plaza hotel and had a really nice night (thanks Scott and Tessa for watching the kids!)

6..You gotta love Payless shoes.  Where else can you get a fun pair of red heels (that toally match the new highlights in my hair!) and a wicked pair of purple flats for only $45.00??  And I went in for plain 'ol black heels :) My feet were frozen but they sure looked cute!

7..I registered Hayden in Kindy on Monday morning.  Wow.  My baby is going to school Monday to Friday.  I decided to register him at Tuscany School and we'll see how well it fits Mr. Hayden.  My hope is that he will excel in his new environment, and I'll have worried for nothing.  On second thought, I worry about everything so why would this be any different?!

8.. I have started Olivia's birthday party planning.  I'm thinking polka dots!!  And Ralph keeps warning me to NOT get carried away :)  I know she's only turning 2 and she doesn't care what the theme is, but it's so easy to be ridiculous!!

9.. I have a cold.  I feel yucky.  (It's either from my kids or the fact I went out half-dressed on Saturday night.  Or maybe a combo of both.)  I'm ABSOLUTELY NOT not giving up my New Years resolution to exercise more, but if I'm not feeling well, the last thing I want to do is work out. I'm on a brief hiatus until I'm healthy again.

10. Santa brought the kids these fun little plants for Christmas.  And they have already had their first haircut!

10 on Tuesday......plus one for Wednesday

1.. Christmas was quiet but good.  We had so much fun playing Santa for the kids, and their reactions were worth all the preparations!  The aftermath was shocking:

We hosted Christmas this year so the kids had lots of time to play while Mommy and Daddy cleaned up the mess and prepared dinner.  (We had non-traditional, but very delicious, Raclette.)

This is the only photo of the kids dressed up.....and standing still!

2.. Santa has a sick sense of humor.  Here's one of the little gems from my stocking:

We decided to try them.  I thought maybe they were being silly and just trying to make you think you were eating gross flavors. BIG mistake. I got a pencil shavings (ew!) followed by a juicy pear (...ok) and then a baby wipes (gross!)  I flat out refuse to eat any more. I'm not lucky enough to keep getting good flavors :)

3.. I asked for a watch for Christmas.  I got a watch for Christmas. It wasn't exactly what I was hoping for and I felt awful telling Ralph that I didn't love it.  He tried really hard to pick out something he thought I would like.  But what's worse??  Telling him I like it but never wearing it, or telling him I would like to exchange his gift for something else?? We did go and exchange it for a watch that I love.  And he said he'll never try to buy me a watch again.  I've come to the conclusion that a watch is a pretty personal piece of jewelery, and you're better off with a gift card to go and pick out one for yourself :)

4.. If Clairns makeup remover can take a Sharpie mustache off of a Cabbage Patch kid, imagine what it can do for your mascara!!

5.. Our New Year's Eve was pretty fun....until I had to work the next day at 9am :)  There was a big party at Tessa & Scott's, and though I'm not the biggest fan of the holiday, I sure had enough booze to make for a great time! You'll have to check Facebook for the rest of the debauchery.....

6.. Happy 34th Birthday Ralphie!!  Our Holiday celebrations are always brought to a close with Ralph's birthday (on January 2nd.)  I always feel bad for him that everyone is tired and done with the partying and going out.  I had to work this year so the poor guy even made his own dinner! (And Olivia blew out the candles on his cake.) But I got him some cool presents to make up for it :)

7.. Ralph went back to work today.  BOO!  Co-parenting this last week has been awesome and I miss having my hubby around.  Olivia has become quite the Daddy's Girl so she is also missing Daddy BIG TIME! 

8.. Fabric softener.  Where have you been all my life?  For someone who hates the animal fat crap in dryer sheets and refuses to use them, but struggles with static because the Method sheets she loves are not so great for the static cling....how have I NOT used fabric softener.  It really is glorious.

9.. December was a wash for working out.  And to be honest, so was November :)  As a result, I have gained.... 8 POUNDS!!! What?@#!  I almost fell over when I saw that ugly little number.  The weight-loss goal is actually 13 pounds. Minimum.  I had 5 extra pounds that shouldn't have been there in the first place, and it is glaringly obvious the eggnog lattes and holiday snacking took their toll.  Crap.

10. Time to knuckle down and work.  No more snacking.  Working out 5 days a week.  Hello New Year....and Bye Bye FATSO!! 

And one more for Wednesday:

This is my FAVORITE photo from the holidays.....my two handsome boys on Christmas day!

10 on Tuesday!

1.. I have NEVER been this late finishing my Christmas shopping!  I feel like I'm so far behind....yet I remain unstressed about it.  That's weird.  Check with me on Christmas Eve and we'll see how I'm feeling then :) 

2.. The biggest reason for #1 is that you simply cannot shop with an almost 5 year old and expect him to keep your secrets! Or keep up with the amount of stops necessary!!

3.. Just to add to the behind-the-eight-ball feeling, we hadn't had our picture with Santa until last night.  (Due to the WORST 2 WEEKS. EVER.)  I did a little on-line research and decided the best bet for us was Deerfoot Mall.  The Santa looked super Santa-like, and the line ups were sure to be shorter that Market Mall!  I dressed the kids all cute, did nice ponytails for Olivia, and waxed up Hayden's 'do.  We talked about going all afternoon and the kids were really excited.  Well, let me re-phrase that, Hayden was really excited.......

Despite our best efforts, and the efforts (and laughter) of a VERY gracious Santa, Olivia was having NO PART of this holiday tradition!  Santa assured us it was "just her age" and she will have a totally different experience next year :)  One can only hope every year's photos don't look like this!!  The upside?  Hayden looked like a little angel and he had a good chat with the big man..... after we removed his screaming sister form Santa's lap?@#!  I would HIGHLY recommend this Santa.  He was really cool, and great with the kids.  We walked right in and there was ZERO waiting.  And, each of the kids got a bag of little presents to take home.
Aahhhhh, that was an experience for the books!  I think I need a double eggnog.

4.. I'm not sure what the eggnog LATTE count is up to.....or the spiced rum and eggnog for that matter.....but I know the scale will reveal the damage soon enough.

5..Speaking of Starbucks.....my husband received his GOLD CARD today!  I didn't even know Starbucks had such a thing.....and I know a few other coffee-addicts who would be eligible for this VIP status! 

6.. Speaking of eggnog......I discovered a guilt free version!  My eggnog scented candles just arrived!  Mmmmmmmm.  And I got gingerbread creme ones too.  Smells like holidays.  Without the calories :)

7.. Hayden learned the cutest little poem:



8.. Pop-Up Pirate is going to give me a heart attack!  Hayden got this cute new game and I jump 10 feet EVERY time the pirate pops!! Hayden, of course, thinks its hilarious.  I was proud of him for choosing a game (with his $10 from Great-Grandma Pearl) instead of another car or transformer or something for the sake of something.

  
9.. My son is a card shark.  We play a lot of Go Fish! and we have started playing Crazy Eights too.  I also bought him Snap! but he doesn't love that one as much as I do :)


10. Keri and I are finishing our shopping TONIGHT!  Our husbands are out shopping for us this afternoon while we're home with the kids.  We're doing a hello and here's the kids and then we're off to shop for them.  Fun!

Santa's Magic Sleigh!

 Hayden had his preschool Christmas performance on Friday.  

Only a mama can stand and sob while her 4 1/2 year old baby 

sings and dances his little heart out :)

Thoughts for Thursday

1.. Here's a little more Christmas cheer for ya'!

2..We must have a vortex for lost things in my house. I suspect it's Olivia and I have NO IDEA where her hiding place is!  First, it was her black bows for her hair.  She took them out before we left the house and I still haven't found them.  Next, it is the snowshoeing bird I had placed in our bookcase for Christmas.  Gone.  I've looked everywhere!  The latest victim is my scrub brush for dishes.  They were playing with it 'cause it has a suction cup on the end and it makes a funny noise when it comes un-stuck :) and now it's gone too!

3.. I am living with pete and re-peat.  Everything Hayden says, Olivia tries to repeat.  It's a fun little game we play.  Yesterday it was the word "gooey" which had us in giggles :)

4..Sunday at work was fabulous damaging for my ego.  They're NOT "natural highlights" and calling them that doesn't make me feel better about them.  It's wiry gray hairs, folks.  And they're multiplying.  Nor am I expecting another baby, but thanks for noticing I'm fat.  Thanks for shopping and Happy Holidays to you too :)

5..Ralph and I went shopping without kids (thanks Tessa!)  Wow.  You can get a lot done when there aren't little people around demanding your time and attention and patience.  We even managed a quiet dinner together.  A very successful trip to Cross-Iron Mills indeed.

6..I am very impressed by Ralph's ability to put ponytails in Olivia's hair.  He has done it twice and he does a pretty great job.  'Atta boy! 

7..I FINALLY sold my stroller!  I {heart} Kijiji once again.

8..Now that Hayden wants to spell and sound out EVERYTHING, we have had a challenge with "c."   How do you explain to a 4 year old that "cake" and "cat" don't start with "k," they start with "c!"  I found a word to illustrate my point....circle.  I think he understood (?) that "c's" can be tricky because they can sound different!

9..There should be some sort of cosmic understanding that when you run into someone you haven't seen in a long time.....you should look HOT!   You should NOT be at the end of your day, looking frazzled at your children with little trace of makeup, old jeans and 3 day old hair!  And claim you are a makeup artist?!  Aarrgghhhhh!

10. I don't like night showers. I'm a bath at night and wash your hair in the morning kind of girl.   (except for yesterday, aka #9!) I think it's because I am not blessed with wash-and-go hair.  I require blow-drying and flat-ironing and I NEVER feel like doing that before I go to bed.