Goodbye 2012 -- Hello 3013

I'm not big on year end recaps. If you read my blog or know me in real life, you know what I've been up to. You don't really want to read it all over again, do you? However,
since I haven't posted in FOREVER, I've decided to do up this little post.

Favorite Book, Album, TV Show, &; Movie of 2012
It's always hard for me to choose only one of something, but I'm going to do it.

MOVIE

The Dark Knight Rises

Well, duh. Obviously, I love Christopher Nolan and all of his Batman films. This one, the last of three, was by far the best movie of 2012. It's definitely the one I was most anticipating. It didn't let me down. I was on the edge of my seat from the moment it started until the very end. I hope they continue the story in some way in the future. If not, I'll just watch these three over and over again. Long live the Caped Crusader!

BOOK

I've Got Your Number, Sophie Kinsella

This isn't the best book I've ever read. It's not deep or heartfelt. It's not even a compelling page-turner. It's simply a funny, light read that had me in tears from laughing so hard. I actually snorted out loud several times. Sometimes, you just need a good fluff book to brighten your days, and this one did just that. I loved it so much.

ALBUM

"Some Nights"  by F.U.N  

I don't know how anyone can listen to this band and not enjoy them.  I can listen to their songs over and over and over again......and quite often at the top of my lungs.  Just a really great band.

T.V SHOW

This was a bit harder to narrow down, but I think my top 5 favorites (in no particular order) were:

1.  Hawaii Five-0
2.  Modern Family
3.  Flashpoint (so sad it ended this year)
4.  Chicago Fire
5.  Touch

OK, that's last year.  But what about this year??

I'm not a New Year's resolutions kind of girl. I always make a list of goals I'd like to accomplish. I never complete every item on my list, but that's ok. In the end, my goals are a reminder of what I'd like to do not what I have to do.  This year, instead of a long list, I'm choosing to focus on three words.

•Positivity

I've always been a positive person. I tend to see the glass as half full, not half empty. In 2013, I refuse to let the negativity of others bring me down. I am choosing to focus on the good.

"Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us." -- John N. Mitchell


•Spontaneity

No lists. No clocks. No calendars. Run out the door and do something fun.. just for the hell of it.

"It was tragic how life had sucked her down to the bones, all her spontaneity, her laughter and freedom had vanished. I knew then that I didn't ever want to be like that. Whatever happened, life was something too precious to give up on so easily." -- Belinda Jeffrey, One Long Thread


•Determination

There are a lot of things I want out of this life. Sitting here thinking about them won't do me any good. If I want something done, I've got to do it myself, and do it now.

"Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen." -- Horace Mann

Cute as a button? Really??

Why do people say “cute as a button”? I’ve literally never seen a button and thought “HOW CUTE”. If anything it’s barely functional. It’s like saying that you’re “adorable as velcro”.  Or "sweet as a zipper."  "Fascinating as a safety pin". Although, I guess it’s better than “cuter than a bug’s ear”.

I mean, come on.  It’s hard not to be cuter than an insect appendage.

I just looked it up. It says “cute as a button” is short for “a button quail”.  What’s a button quail, you ask?  Well apparently, it's terrifying looking.....like a poultry demon.  Go ahead and google it if you don't believe me.

It’s like if Satan…was a bird. Except, now that I think about it, Satan is supposed to be super hot and tempting to make you fall for his lies and pretty words, so maybe in a round-about way it all makes sense.

”Your baby is as cute as Satan.”

I want that on a greeting card.

I Believe

I believe in God

I believe that music, not love, is the universal language.

I believe in boys opening doors for girls.

I believe in keeping your shoes on in public places.

I believe in listening to music and dancing while cleaning.


I believe fall is the best season.

I believe in spontaneity and surprises.

I believe car chases make any movie better.

I believe in eating lots and lots of licorice.

I believe young books make the world a happier place.


I believe a hug cures everything.

I believe in watching sports with the boys.

I believe you can never take too many pictures.

I believe in t-shirts and blue jeans.

I believe that pj pants are the most comfortable  in the world.


I believe in soul mates.

I believe in high heels and lip gloss.

I believe in the healing power of a good cry

I believe in rolling my eyes when the situation calls for it.

I believe in correctly spelled words and proper grammar.


I believe some things are better left unsaid.

I believe in always keeping people guessing.

I believe that a camera and a good book are a way better gift than diamonds.

I believe a Dr. Pepper a day keeps the madness away.

I believe Elvis has the greatest voice known to man.


What do you believe?

I'm a bad mom and so are you. Get over it!

Have you ever noticed there are a lot of parents that would rather spend their time talking smack about other parents rather than focusing on their own kids? Or maybe they focus on their kids a little TOO much? There is a not so fine line between being proud and being really damn obnoxious.


Seriously what is with all this BS parenting pressure that we have to tiptoe around topics and exude perfection? Who decided that? I bet it was someone who doesn’t have kids.

Oh you know the type! Those non-breeders that give you the disapproving look when your kid is losing his/her mind in Walmart.

Or better yet that new parent who is watching you freak out over your older child doing something you SWORE they would never do and you feel that judgment being passed. They look at their sweet little newborn and think, “That will never happen to me.” Well buddy, your time will come too because I said the same darn thing! We all did.

Anywho…

It is a tough job no matter if you work, stay at home, married, single, got five baby daddy's, have a special needs child or have it all seemingly together. I think everyone could benefit from just accepting that parenting is hard and we all lose our mind. It is okay to not be a perfect parent!

I don’t care if your kid is smarter, in a better class, wears better clothes, is healthier, has a busier schedule, eats better or comes from a “good” family because my kids rock anyway. My kids will mess up. They are going to make mistakes. They are going to say the wrong thing. They sure as Hell will embarrass me. They will fail at things. They are going to do things behind my back. But when it comes down to it I will be there for them no matter what. I will accept them on bad days as well as good. I will help them through those stumbles, falls and breaks and we will all learn from it together. I’ll be the rock, the softie, the hug, the acceptance, the boundaries, the unconditional love as well as the frustrated parent.

My children will never be perfect. I will never be a perfect Mom. Life would be boring if we pretended to be anything other than exactly who we are… and that is a perfectly flawed family full of love, laughter, screw ups and a hint of sarcasm.

Oh and my secret ingredient is Dr. Pepper, chocolate and the occassional snuck in bubble bath. So raise your glass ladies and gentlemen. Cheers to sucking as a parent!

Time For a New School Year

So today the boys headed back to school.  This should prove to be another fun, crazy, exciting, exhausting year.  We have three boys, in three different schools, with three different start and end times.  Oh, the joys!

In preparing for this coming school year, I started thinking about what really counted. What was it that I really wanted my children to get from their education, or really, from life with us. I came up with a long list and decided that would never do. Instead, I boiled it down to 5 really important themes that I hope my children learn.

Learning is a Way of Life

We start out learning. We go out learning. Sure, learning seems to be more of the norm when we’re in those magical “school years” between 6 and 18 and then college age. However, is there ever a time in our lives when we don’t need to learn? When we aren’t learning? Or when we shouldn’t be learning?

Our amazing brain needs exercise. I make sure they know how to read, and how to learn, and the rest is a bonus! (but we still learn all we can!)

I think of the movie Short Circuit where the robot craves input and stimulation to learn more about the world around him. So it should be with us. I hope my kids are forever curious and ready to learn more.

Nothing is Impossible

We all have heard, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”  I’m sure we mean within reason.  I am teaching my kids to set goals, and then to work to reach those goals. We can hope and pray also, but a man I admire said, “Get on your knees and pray, then get on your feet and work.” (Gordon B. Hinckley)

Anything worth having is worth saving for. Anything worth ANYTHING is worth waiting for. This also teaches us patience. I hope my kids learn that hard work has huge rewards, and that patience helps with just about any problem. (I want them to learn patience NOW!) (Just kidding.)

Self Reliance and Independence

We teach our children early on to do things for themselves and to think for themselves. As they grow older we are also making sure they are learning skills that will help them through their entire lives. Cooking, cleaning, caring for their health, job skills, people skills, honesty, and responsibility.

Of course this applies to their learning as well. Early on, I am the teacher, the source of all knowledge, and the Mommy. Later I become the guide, the resource, and the motivator. Finally I fade into the background as they push themselves to learn new things and find new ways to further their education and prepare for college and future learning.

As my boys learn these skills, it makes me proud to see their satisfaction that they did it themselves, and while a bit of me is sad that they didn’t need my help, I am so glad it makes them happy to do a good job.

Make the Most of Your Time

You never know how much time you are going to have to do something. To read the book. To finish the math assignment. To have your parents with you. To read a book to your brother. To hug your baby. If I teach them anything, I hope they have learned that now is the time to cherish what you have. Family is precious. Don’t throw away the relationships because of a moment’s anger. Don’t be too busy to enjoy the time you are living in right now.

Every day is a treasure. Seize it! We call our lives an adventure in learning, every day, and each and every day is it’s own new puzzle. I have to remind myself not to get caught up in planning for and cleaning up from the fun and never to have any. “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” (John Lennon)

There is Always Another Day

Last of all, life is not perfect. When things can go wrong, and they usually do, time is wasted, patience is lost, messes are made, discouragement sets in, no one is motivated, and accidents happen.

I hope for my children that they realize there is no last chance. Sure, opportunities can be missed, but we keep trying. As long as we don’t give up, there is still hope. One bad day doesn’t make me a failure as a parent, even though it feels that way at the time. One bad test score doesn’t make a failure of a student. One bad month doesn’t make us throw in the towel and go hide under a rock. (True, it can make us want to.) There is always another day. Things will work out. Just smile and remember that.

This is what I want my children to know, besides the fact that their family loves them. If my children leave my home for college, jobs, and life, knowing these things, I feel that our journey has been a success.

My Little Sweat Shop

Anyone who's been to my house knows that the lady who used to live here loved playing in her garden.  I kid you not, this woman had a jungle growing in the back garden; everything from onions, to rose bushes to tulips to ginger root.   And there was no rhyme or reason to any of it.  It was as if she threw a bunch of seeds up in the sky and allowed them to root where they landed.

Today I decided to rally the troops and we decided to tackle the yard, and of course they were thrilled.  Here's an idea of the garden we were dealing with.....trust me the picture doesn't do it justice.

The boys were great troopers and worked for 2 solid hours

We even got to the crazy weed garden growing along the side of our house.....the side where the A/C unit is, that is only about the size of a dog run.

I was really proud of how hard everyone worked.  I can't believe how much bigger our yard looks.  (But you can sure see how nasty the fence looks now.  That's going to have to be another project for another day).

We even got to picking the apples up in our apple tree.

They came away with a pretty good haul, too.  It looks like I'm going have to start scouring Pinterest to find recipes and cool things to do with apples.

I'm sure proud of how hard the boys worked and how it was mostly without grumbling and everyone getting along.  And just so you don't think I'm the worst slave driving mom in history, I rewarded them with a BBQ steak dinner and ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

A little bit of Summer Catch Up

As is typical, my blogging tends to slow down during the summer break, as I like to spend as much free time during these "lazy" months as I can with my family.  Ross and I had a week off of work together and decided to have some fun with the boys.

But first, it was date night.  Hubby surprised me on my lunch break last Friday with tickets for the two of us to go see Cirque du Soliel that was playing here in Lethbridge.  It was a fantastic, amazing, jaw dropping show and I loved every second of it.  I could seriously watch it every single night.

It was an absolutely brilliant show.  And apparently this was just a "teaser" of the full show that they do in Vegas.  I swear I could spend an entire month in Vegas just going to shows.

Then it was time to have fun with the boys.  We started out our week with a trip to Calgary to see their big brother, Chris.  But we also wanted to check out the new Telus Spark Science Centre.  It didn't disappoint. There were tons of things to do for kids of all ages, and the boys had a blast.  They even had a huge dome theatre (much like IMAX), where we saw a couple of really interesting shows.

The next day we headed up to Sylvan Lake to spend a day at the water slides with Uncle Jon and Auntie Brandy.  It was awesome....the sky was a bit overcast, so we didn't have to worry about heatstroke or sunburn and we had a wonderfully fun day and a great dinner in Red Deer afterwards.

As we were leaving the restaurant, a huge hail storm hit Red Deer, so we decided to hunker down and spend the night in a hotel and go back to Calgary the next day......which is exactly what we did.  And when we got back to Calgary, the boys decided that they wanted to hit Calaway Park before having dinner with Chris and his girlfriend, Amber.  So another day of fun was had. (Pics to come later....I had to take them on my phone as my camera battery died).

Anyway, so that coupled with a couple of trips to 2 of Calgary's Leisure Centre's is why I have been absent from blog land.  Hope you're all having a great summer.