Sum, Sum, Summertime!!!!!

So have you noticed my new countdown???? Look to the right ----------->

Yep, I am counting down to summer holidays!!!  My second favorite time of year after Christmas.
Things are starting to fall into place for summer.  I just sent away Makenna and Rhiannon's camp registration form.  They are going to Torch Trail Bible Camp. Makenna went last year and had a blast. This will be Rhiannon's first year. She is going to the Squirt camp... 3 days and 3 nights away!!! She is so excited... I am so nervous.

We have booked in for camping at Hilltop campground at Tobin Lake for a month during the summer. We have to wait until May long weekend to book in at Pasquia Park where the kids will take their summer swimming lessons... this will be our third year camping there and taking swimming lessons.

Yes, summer is not all that far away!!!!

Now summer is not that far off and you know what that means... shorts and tank tops!!!!

 So I want to invite you all to start a challenge with me!!!  I am going to try the 100 pushup Challenge. Now I don't think I have done a push up since highschool but on this program you can do wall pushups, bench pushups, knee pushups or regular pushups so no matter your fitness level there is a pushup for you!!!

They also have a 200 situp challenge and a 200 squat challenge... but I thought a nice toned set of arms for those summer short sleeves would be wonderful!!  My friend, Kathy, is going to do the 200 situp challenge on her blog so you can join her there if that is more your style. 

My thought is that I will be able to see the results of the push up challenge more quickly since my stomach is so covered by soft mushy tissue!!! LOL 

SOOOOO are you in???  I am going to do the initial test this weekend and start Week One on Monday!!!  Are you with me???

Are you a BAD mom Quiz....

A friend of mine posted this on a message board that I frequent regularly and I thought it fit right in with my day yesterday.... Anyway... check it out!!

With all the conflicting parenting advice out there, it’s difficult to know whether you’re a good mom or a bad mom. Take this handy quiz to find out once and for all.


Keep track of your answers on a post-it and total your score at the end. Won’t it be a relief to know whether or not you’re a bad mom?






1. How many hours per week does your child spend in daycare/aftercare/with a sitter?
* A. None. I’m a stay-at-home mom.


* B. 40 or more. I work full-time.


* C. About 20. I work half-time.






2. Where does your child sleep
* A. In their bed.


* B. In my bed.


* C. Wherever they crash.






3. Do you allow your child to watch television?
* A. Yes.


* B. No.






4. Has your child been vaccinated?
* A. Yes.


* B. No.






5. How many scheduled activities does your child attend each week?
* A. None


* B. One or more.





ANSWERS:

1. Day Care.

* A: Stay at home mom. You are a bad mom. Your child will be poorly socialized, will lack verbal skills, and will become horribly ill through out school because he or she has never been exposed to germs.


* B: Full-time working mom. You are a bad mom. Your child will have an attachment disorder. You are missing the best years of his or her life.


* C: Part-time working mom. You are the worst mom. Your child will suffer attachment issues, be poorly socialized, lack verbal skills and will be sick as a dog forever.

2. Sleeping arrangements.

* A: Sleeps in own bed. You are a bad mom. How could you put your child in a cage to sleep? What’s wrong with you?


* B: Sleeps in your bed. You are a bad mom. How could you risk rolling onto your child and killing her? What’s wrong with you?


* C: Where ever they crash. You are a bad mom. Just because.

3. Television

* Yes. You are a bad mom. Your child will be violent, mouthy, and unpleasant. He or she will whine for every candy and toy they see the next time you go to the store.


* No. You are a bad mom. Your child will lack reading skills and will have nothing to talk with other children about. You are raising a freak.

4. Vaccinations.

* A: Yes. You are a bad mom. How could you do that to a helpless child who cannot consent to being experimented on by the public health system?


* B: No. You are a bad mom. How could you do that to a helpless child whose immune system can’t fight off all those germs?


5. Activities.

* A: None. You are a bad mom. Your child will fall behind his or her peers and never catch up if you don’t head over to the children’s theatre production of “Apocalypse Now” this weekend.


* B: One or more. You are a bad mom. Your child is overscheduled and will suffer a breakdown due to the stress you’re putting on him or her.


Welcome to Motherhood! (and MOMMA GUILT)


And now to update you on the BAD momma saga... today I was home well before the bus got here (yay me!) ... however, once the kids got off the bus Rhiannon came over to me (I was playing with the little ones outside) and told me that their bus driver wanted to talk to me.  Anyway, he basically repremanded me for not being there when Rhiannon got home. He even went so far as to say he didn't know if I should be leaving Makenna at home with Rhiannon when they get home before me. Now I know that he is just thinking for my kids safety and what not... and I know that kids should not be left alone but this was the VERY FIRST time that I was not there when Rhiannon got off the bus.  In my mind, accidents happen... I could see him approaching me if I left Rhiannon alone afterschool every day.  He basically told me that if Rhiannon is alone on the bus and no one is home when he gets to our house he will just keep her on the bus and finish his route and bring her home at the end of his route.  Then he went on to add that is he not even sure he should be leaving Rhiannon with Makenna... AUGH!!! Talk about making me feel like CRAP!

That got me to thinking... how many kids walk home from school alone and come home to an empty house and maybe, no one even knows they are alone.  It is not like Makenna and Rhiannon are ever at home for more than 15 min without me. They get off the bus at about 3:45 and I always home by 4:00pm at the latest... most days I beat the bus home...  OH the GUILT!

Bad Mommy??? Enter here to feel better about yourself!!!

I know it happens to all mommies at some point but today I am having a BAD MOMMY Day.  So I call all mommies to come and read. I hope I make you feel better about yourself!

It all started today when I was getting ready to leave work.  I was talking to one of my "bestest" teacher buddies and I told her I really felt like I was forgetting something.... and guess what??? I was!!!!

Once I made it to the babysitter's house to pick up Shallen and Jorja, my sitter explained to me that I just missed a phone call.  Makenna was at the school waiting for me to come to her 3 way conference!!! OH NO!  Not only was I late for the conference but that meant that Rhiannon would be arriving home on the bus all alone and unable to get into the house!!!!  

Needless to say, I threw the little ones in the van, picked up Makenna from school (rescheduled the conference) and raced home.  Of course, I could not get ahold of Mike who was only about a mile away from home working in a metal shop where his cellphone doesn't work!  When we drove into the yard, there was Rhiannon driving the Barbie Jeep around with a VERY grumpy look on her face... that "you are in big trouble momma" face.  So in the end, not only was Makenna upset that I forgot her 3 way conference but Rhiannon was ticked that she was all alone and unable to get into the house! BAD MOMMA!!!

While I am on the BAD MOMMA topic I am pretty sure I can come up with some more! ;)

The girls had dance competition in Prince Albert this weekend. Makenna came home with 3 medals: a bronze for her jazz duet, and two silvers, one for her ballet group dance and one for her Jazz group dance.  Rhiannon came home with a gold medal for a Jazz duet.  All in all, we had a great time... however, BAD MOMMY did not take a single picture!

BAD MOMMY sets a BAD example... As most of you know I am trying to get healthier and lose some of the pounds my kids have packed on me... (and yes, I am a bad mommy because I am blaming my kids for my fat and laziness!)

....every single day I feel like giving up. Each day I have to motivate myself to continue. It would be soooo easy to just give up and eat what I want and get fat.... seriously... they make bigger clothes for a reason! Then I remember that I want to show my girls how to make healthy choices and how to have healthy lives. (but that is such a balancing act since I have a poor self concept when it comes to weight)  I Don't want to pass that on to my girls ... but I am not sure how not too... they see me struggle with my weight... they know I am always dieting... I say things like... "eat healthy girls or you will become fat like your mom"  I know those are bad things to say but they just pop out of my mouth.... BAD MOMMY!!!!

Can anyone explain how come it takes 3 weeks to lose 2.5lbs but in one weekend I can easily put on that 2.5lbs???  SOOOO frustrating!!!!

So there you go... BAD MOMMY DAY in a nut shell!!! 

Until I blog again..... BAD MOMMIES UNITE!  (where can I find a blinkie for that??? LOL)

 

April is Poetry Month... very inspiring poem!

April is Poetry Month!

This was sent to me by a very wise and insightful teacher friend of mine. It is a cleverly written palindrome....

A palindrome reads the same backwards as forward. This video reads opposite backwards as forward. Not only does it read the opposite, the meaning is the exact opposite.

This is only a 1 minute 44 second video and it is clever. Make sure you read as well as listen - forward and backward.

This is a video that was submitted in a contest by a 20-year old. The contest was titled u@50 by AARP. This video won second place. So simple...

Here is the link (in case my video doesn't work) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

Enjoy...

Half way dead....

Lately I have been thinking about getting older (maybe it is because my birthday is coming up... maybe I am just being morbid) and I figure I am basically half way dead ... so much with my self talk about the glass being half full....

Anyway, I look into my future and think about what it will be like in 15, 20 or 25 years... and it depresses me.  My life right now is pretty perfect (other than I REAAAAALLLLY want to win a lottery).  I have happy, healthy kids. We have a comfortable life.  My husband isn't all that bad either.

It is kind of depressing to think about being like 80 or 90 or whatever and having nothing to plan for. Ya, I am a planner. I will probably end up being the social coordinator of the old folks home.. hee heee!

I guess when I was younger I wanted to be older... get married, have kids etc... now I have everything I wanted .... does that mean it is all down hill from here???

And also, I see people saving for "retirement" and what not... then I see people who retire, get sick and die... or people who get sick and don't ever get to retire.... so I think, why bother worrying about saving for then???  Not that we put away or save all that much anyway but still... I think about it.

The good thing about this whole entry is that basically I am saying that I am enjoying my life right now and I wish that things could stay this way forever... but I know things must change... I need to enjoy my life and some how stop focusing on the future and enjoy the NOW!

Hope you enjoyed the short ride through my crazy thoughts...

YOU ASKED IT!!!!!!! ;)

A couple brave souls have sent in some questions for me to answer... I will answer them an honestly as possible (I am hoping they aren't that bad... I haven't read through them yet!) 

Ok.... Here we go!!!

From my lurker friend "Shannon"....

What side of the bed do you sleep on? I sleep on the side of the bed that is closest to the door, closest to the bathroom and closest to the kids' rooms.... I used to sleep on the other side of the bed because if a psycho broke in I could get away while he beat up Mike... but now I am the first line of defence!


Do you have a TV in your bedroom? For Sure!!! I am a TV addict! However, are PVR is on the TV in the family room so I watch in there most often.

What colour are your sheets right now? Why am I asking bedroom questions? lol Well right now my sheets are dark navy flannel sheets that were newly washed today. And you are asking bedroom questions because you are a perv! LOL

When are you going to let your kids start dating? Good question.... the answer is when they are ready. I don't like the idea of putting an age on it. I don't want them to sneak around dating without me knowing about it... I would like them to at least share part of their lives with me... or at least keep the lines of communication open on the subject.

How long do you have until you retire? My most important job is being a mom so I hope that I never retire from that... or at least someday get a promotion to grandma (like in about 20 years)... but as for my second job, teaching, I think I have about 24 years left or so... since all those maternity leaves have cut into my years!

What would your kids names be if they were boys? Makenna would  have been Parker, Rhiannon would have been Payton and Jorja would have been Declan... We didn't have a boy or girl name picked for Shallen before she was born!!!

Are you right or left handed? Right handed for most things but I play hockey/ringette and golf left.

Do you like getting pedicures? Totally and I think I need one soon... when is my awesome sister, Robyn, going to be home next???

How old were you when you had your first kiss? I think I was in grade 8 so about 13/14 years old.

Whose birth was the least difficult and why? Jorja's.  She was my biggest baby (9lbs... 8 day over due) but I was 7 cm when I arrived at the hospital and I progressed quickly. Other than a short freak out before I started pushing... I kept saying that I could do it and that she would get stuck since I was told that the baby would be big.... paranoia during transition phase I think....

What is the last really funny thing you laughed about? Porn Cops.... yep a friend of mine posted on Facebook that her 4 year old son wanted Porn Cops for breakfast and I just about spit out my drink all over my laptop!!!! LOL
 
Thanks Shannon... That was great!!!!
 
The next questions are coming from my good friend Kristen who's blog I follow and whom I hang out online with often!
 
1. Did you always want to be a teacher? Well my dad was a teacher and his mom was a teacher so it is in my blood! LOL  However, when I was a kid I can remember playing school a lot.  When I started university though I thought I was going to become a doctor or something in the medical field but I quickly realized that I was not smart or motivated enough for that. (and I really like all the teacher holidays)


2. Do you eff bomb in front of your family/parents? In my own home, on occasion, but in my parent's home NOPE... that would be just wrong!!! LOL

3. What is your favorite beauty item? For sure my new salon quality straightening iron that my wonderful sister, Robyn, got for me with her salon discount... yep, I am kissing up, hoping for a pedicure! ;)

4. Where is your dream vacation? This is going to seem pretty pathetic but my dream vacation would be to take all my kids (and Mike) to Florida to Disney World.  I have been there twice in my life and it is just such an awesome place... however, I realize this is never going to happen unless there is a lottery win in my future :(

5. What do you most hate for people to ask/say to you? Hmmmm... if I answer this question will all you readers out there ask me it just to bug me?????? LOL

6. What is your biggest pet peeve? Getting together with people socially and then talking about money, finances, mortgages and what not... I just am not comfortable with the topic. Maybe it is because we don't have a lot of money.

7. Does MIke read your blog? Good question... I don't think so... hey Mike... if you are out there give us a heads up... come out of lurkdom... post a comment or something!!!!


8. Do you get annoyed with the twenty somethings lack of sincerity or care in anything but themselves....have you noticed people are like this now, or do you think everyone was like that and we're jsut getting older and less tolerant? or more tolerant? Holy... deep thoughts or what.... well I think that people are more worried about having "stuff"... and that we definately live in a ME society... Now I think that it has been like that for awhile... I mean "keeping up with the Jones'" is not a new phrase so I expect this is nothing new.  However, I think that when you are in that stage of life (and maybe some people never leave it) you just notice it more.  I think that I have passed through that stage so now I notice it more... does that make sense. 

I always tell my friends that the 30's are the best age.  In your 20's people are more worried about what others think about them and their lives. In your 30's you start to take control of your own life and do what works for you and not worry about what others think... not in a bad way... just less into peer pressure.  Like in my 30's I think I have become more self confident which makes me handle situations differently.  I am hoping that in my 40's things will get even better.

So I don't think that as I/we get older we become less tolerant we just become more aware of it... does that make sense.
9. Do like brown or white bread? Well I love the white bread if it is fresh and soft .... mmmmmm.... but actually we eat brown bread here... more healthy you know.  (we eat brown rice too... I know... boring healthy momma, I know)

10. Are you hoping to make pink bows for anyone in particular in the near future? Especially with the initial K and/or teacher type people?  Well... you are lucky.. I got all my marking done and was just thinking I need to make some little bows for Shallen so I just might be able to make some cute pink bows for some of my favorite girls with the initials K & M ;)
 
Thanks Kristen!!!!
 
Well there you have it .... up close and personal with yours truly!!!!  That was fun!
(I am always open to your questions... pop me an email... or put them in the comment section!!!)

Sleepover??? I think NOT.....

Why do they call them a "Sleep" over???  I think they should be called an ALL NIGHTER!!!

Makenna had her 10th Birthday Sleepover on Monday. She had a wonderful group of girls over.  There was no fighting or crying or bullying (none that I heard or saw anyway) however, there was very little sleeping.

We started with a weiner roast around the firepit.  The girls roasted their own hotdogs... am sure some were still cold inside *gross*

Then it was craft time. The girls made silk flower arrangements in really cute painted pots and a big birthday banner!

Then for cake... man some of these girls remind me of their moms!!!!

At about 11pm the girls started watching movies.  At about 4pm I had to go and split up a couple of the giggly girls so that they could fall asleep... I think they thought I was the meanest mom ever!!! Oh well, momma needed sleep!!!

Coming soon..... Answers to your Burning Questions!!!!!!!

Questions ANYONE???

I have decided that since I am at home this week (for the most part) I will answer some of my "followers" or lurker's (people who read but don't follow) questions on my blog.  I stole this idea from my friend, Kristen's blog.

Anyway, if you have a burning question that you wanted to ask me just send me a message through facebook OR email me at denisewm2@yahoo.ca. OR post your question in the comment box!!!

Hope you have some interesting questions to send my way!!!

Easter Weekend Continues.....

Tansley came over on Saturday and helped us make some bunny buns. It was a rush job since I waited too long to start them, forgetting how long the dough takes to rise.  Anyway, we finished them just on time to head to the Easter Candlelight Vigil at the church.

YUMMY BUNNIES!!!!













Easter Sunday was a busy day for us.  The Easter Bunny showed up and hid some eggs for the girls to find.

Then it was time to clean up some and get ready for Easter Supper and Makenna's Family Birthday celebration.  Grandma and Grandpa Worsley, Grandma McClelland, Auntie Andrea, Kingsley, Tansley and Lily all showed up! We had a wonderful Easter feast then Birthday cake.

I made a layered Angel food cake. (twice... since the first one fell... I think it was underbaked.... AUGH) 
And we celebrated Makenna's 10 years!

I just had to share a couple of pictures of Shallen in her pretty Easter Dress that she received for her birthday from her Auntie Heather.

Lily decided to have a sleepover tonight.... then Makenna's birthday sleepover tomorrow... Ah... isn't life fun!

Mud, Eggs, Birthday.... and MORE!!!!

Our Easter break has started out well. After Church yesterday we worked on making coloured eggs! I found a big supply kits at Walmart when we were in Saskatoon.  It is suppose to have enough stuff for an Easter party... which is enough for me and all my kids to spend some time colouring eggs.

Everyone with the supplies ready and their egg dyeing shirts on!

We had a great time dyeing those eggs. What a colourful assortment we ended up with!

  Not only is it Easter Weekend but it is Makenna's 10th Birthday.  We are having her family birthday cake tomorrow and her friends sleepover on Monday night... should be lots of fun!

Guess I need to be baking a cake tomorrow!!! I am making a layered Angel food cake... I will share a picture if it turns out!

The weather has been beautiful so far this weekend. Mike spent some time getting the girls' quads going and I have been spending time washing muddy clothes and sweeping the entrance way!!! LOL

Oh there is Mike... working hard... leaning on his rake!

 The kids and I are in the middle of making Bunny buns (dough is rising right now). Then tonight it is off to the Easter Vigil at the church at 9pm.  Guess I'd better be getting the basket of Easter food ready to take to the church to be blessed.... Happy Easter Everyone!