Wednesday, October 29, 2008

WOO HOO!

Two words:

Go Phils!

Ok, you didn't really think I'd restrict myself to only two words, did you? I hope not.

This is what happens when you put Billy back where he belongs.

And then there's Pat Gillick. Seriously, friends. Every time one of "my" teams has won the Series, Gillick has been at the helm. (The Jays, who are first and foremost in my heart, and the Phils, my NL team. We like Pat.)

The screaming on t.v. now has my attention, you'll forgive me if I go back to celebrating!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet...

That's what I felt like this afternoon as we headed up to get more vaccinations. Thankfully, most of mine were still good from my previous trip to Kenya, so I only needed to complete my Heb B and start Hep A. Hubba Hubba got his Heps, and we're holding off on Wiggle Man until it's definite that we're going. No sense injecting him with live viruses until we know we have to!

It's been raining pretty hard here in South Jersey, and Philly--but if you've been following the World Series, you already knew that. Don't get me started on last night's game. What did catch me off guard was the giant snow flakes as we headed toward Princeton. It got pretty hairy there, for awhile, but we made it!

After the needling (with no fainting on my part, thank you very much!) we stopped to talk with the missions coordinator at a local church to talk turkey, in terms of funding for Kenya. We were invited to come talk to their missions committee in two weeks--anyone want to pray about that? Feel free!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Not Me! Monday Again...

Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's Monday morning, and you know what that means. Well, actually, this week it means two things: Not Me! Mondays, and the unveiling of my big secret announcement at the end of this post. Check out MckMama at My Charming Kids for the ultimate Not Me! Mondays. She's the one who started it all, plus you can check out other bloggers who participate.

Wiggle Man decided to help me out this week, and give me one right off the bat:

This week I did not...

*let Wiggle Man play with an almost empty roll of toilet paper so he would stop playing with other unmentionables in the bathroom. That was not just this morning, and I did not just have to pick shredded toilet paper up off the floor. I am not thinking about how much of that he actually ate before I noticed.

*Speaking of Wiggle Man, I did not have to buy him shoes from the kids' section, as opposed to the baby section because his feet are now too big for baby shoes. I do not see that as a trait passed down from Hubba Hubba's family. I do not tell everyone this.

*I do not (secretly or otherwise) laugh at Wiggle Man's temper tantrums. I certainly do not find it amusing to see his adorable little face scrunched up while he rolls around on the floor, kicking his little legs for all he's worth. I also do not think it's cute when he cries. What kind of mother would that make me?

*I am not waiting until this post is finished before I change Wiggle Man's diaper. Even though it's smelly.

*I have not been staying up late watching the World Series. I am a responsible adult, and go to bed at a decent hour, especially when I have to get up early. To lead worship.

*I did not eat two brownies, two pieces of cornbread, and countless M&Ms last night in addition to the chili I had for dinner. I did not tell myself that "at least I had salad, too." Nope.

*I was not late to a music lesson this week because I got caught up reading a book. I did not breathe a sigh of relief to discover my students had been late, as well.

Those are my big confessions for the week. Or, non-confessions, more accurately. It's very freeing--check out MckMama's blog to see how to join in the fun!

And now....

Here it is. The Big Secret Announcement. I had no one guess what my actual secret was. Weeksie50 attempted a guess at the prize, so Weeksie--I'll give you part of the prize, if you want it! Email me your address, and I'll send a BabiesRUs gift card your way.

I had been hoping to wait until this was definite, but I just can't hold it in anymore! Hubba Hubba and I are hoping to move to Kenya sometime in the new year! We have been asked to come and minister to college students, as well as help run an English service. The pastor is a man I met on a previous trip to Kenya. Hubba Hubba has been there to meet the people we'd be working with, see the town and the college, and get a feel for what life would be like over there.

We're pretty excited about the opportunity, as you might imagine! However, it's not definite yet, as we still need to get a supporting church (something the denomination wants us to have) and raise funds. If you're a praying person, prayer support is something we could really use right now! We'd love your prayers as we work with our church to hammer out the details, raise our support, and keep discerning God's will in all this!

Friday, October 24, 2008

I've Decided.

That's it. Guesses or no guesses, the big secret announcement will be a secret no longer as of Monday. At the end of my Not Me! Monday post you'll be able to find out the secret I've been waiting to share. If you'd like to guess what my secret is, you can do so up until the Not Me! Monday post. Just leave a comment with your guess, and if I get a guess that comes close enough, there will be a prize involved!

Yesterday was a bizarre day. I did not check my email/blog/facebook/message boards. At all. In fact, this morning was the first time I was online since Wednesday afternoon. It felt...weird. We had some computer issues on Wednesday that kept me off for most of the day. Yesterday was Crazy Thursday.

On Crazy Thursdays I spend the day substitute teaching at a private school, where I have the whole school for music class at some point throughout the day. Then I headed off to teach another hour and a half of private lessons. I came home with a ginormous headache, and since Wiggle Man was napping, I "rested" for about an hour before Hubba Hubba and I headed off to a meeting. After the meeting we started watching the Phillies, and then it just got too sad. Seriously, boys--stop stranding those guys in scoring position! It was too depressing/frustrating, (Hubba Hubba was shouting baaaaddd things at the t.v....ahem...not me, though...) so we went to bed.

In other news, I became that mother this week. You know the one--you always feel bad for her in the ladies room because she's got that handful of a child to keep an eye on while she's trying to take care of business.

It started like any other trip to the grocery store. Wiggle Man, helpful as always, "helped" Mommy put the apples in the plastic bag. Same with the pears, and the avocado. He was even an angel throughout the rest of the store.

And then I had to pee.

Naively enough, I thought my biggest problem would be keeping him from crawling around on the nasty bathroom floor. Even though he's officially a walker now, Wiggle Man still thinks crawling's a fun way to explore.

So I sat down to do my thing, and told Wiggle Man to stay off the floor. Which he did.

What I neglected to tell him is that it's considered bad form to tilt your head down in an attempt to peek at the poor woman next to us. This he tried a couple of times, until I finally pulled him onto my lap.

What am I going to do when he actually succeeds before I grab him? I suppose the same as every other mother--apologize profusely, and laugh about it later.

To follow up on a story from earlier this week: Wiggle Man is still a fan of the spatula. In fact, last night, the kind lady hosting our meeting gave him a spatula to cart around, to keep him entertained. I had neglected to bring kitchen utensils in case Wiggle Man needed them, you see. Which he did. Why bang on things with your hands, when a spatula is handy?

This, however, was the least of my worries. More pressing was his naked jaunt across her gorgeous rugs. I had managed to get the poopy diaper off without an ordeal, but his escape caught me off guard.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Secret Announcement Update

Well, I know I said I'd hold the contest open until today at Noon. Ish. Can I be very liberal with the ish? I'd like to keep it open a few more days because, well...I don't know who the winner is yet!

So, here's a reminder. You're guessing what my secret is. The prize will be something related to my secret, so I can't tell you what it is. Feel free to guess that, too, if you want, but please try to guess my secret, too! To sweeten the pot, I will throw in a $20 Babies R' Us gift card.

So, guess away, friends! If you already know, tell a friend to come check me out, and they can guess, too! I'll announce when the contest will close a day or so before I decide to close it--I'd like to get several guesses before I close!

Guess, guess, guess--and tell your friends!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Rainy Days and Mondays...

I actually like rainy, cloudy days. I always have. I like the feel of comfy jeans and a sweater against the wind. I like having a cup of tea while the rain patters on the window. It makes me want to bake, which I won't do. I still have a batch of blueberry tarts that didn't get eaten at last night's worship team rehearsal. I don't understand it--what could be better than your very own mini blueberry pie? Not to mention the crumb topping. But alas, only a few were enjoyed. Oh well--more for me and my family!

Do you know what else is good on a cool, cloudy fall day? Homemade bread. Now that I may have to bake. There is nothing like a slice of homemade bread, fresh from the oven, with some jam. Not to mention the delicious smell that permeates the whole house. I may bake some for the smell factor alone. Between that and the lingering blueberry tart smells, I may eradicate the odeur de burnt garlic bread from my sister-in-law's tragedy with our ridiculous oven Sunday night.

Just a reminder--you can still submit guesses for my Secret Announcement contest here. Just leave a comment on yesterday's post with your guess as to what my Secret Announcement is. I won't post comments that have guesses in them--so no one can steal your guess! Feel free to submit more than one guess--I'll pick the first person to get the closest. The contest closes Wednesday sometime around noon. Ish.

Monday, October 20, 2008

The Not Me! Mondays...

It's Monday morning. There's frost on the ground, and I'm writing this BEFORE MckMama's Not Me! Monday post! Check her out though, she'll have it up soon, I'm sure. Probably by the time I'm done writing mine! So here they are, my weekly confessions. Be sure to check out the bottom of this post for some secret-announcement contest information!

This week:

*I did not let my work outs slip because I've been feeling blarghy.

*I did not refuse to move the dead mole that Chloe killed and proudly left outside our door. It is not still sitting there as I type. I have not been walking around it all week.

*I do not let Wiggle Man play with a spatula. He, in turn, does not prefer it to his toys. The ones we spent money on.

* Speaking of the Wiggle Man, I did not let him sit in his crib for 20 minutes after he woke up because I didn't want to get up yet. Even though he slept in later than usual.

*I did not institute "Pajama Day" on Saturday because I felt to gross to even get dressed, and decided to try and make a fun day out of it for Wiggle Man. We did not stay in our jammies all day, and we did not have breakfast for dinner.

*I did not stay up until 2 am one night waiting for Hubba Hubba to call because he was out of town.

*I did not buy a bag of caramels at the farmer's market this weekend. I did not eat them all in two days.

*I am not having difficulty thinking of more Not Me!s because I want to get breakfast. Which I'll do in just a minute, but first....


Secret-Announcement-Contest Information!!!!!!!

It's almost time for me to share my secret with you. But first, I thought I'd have some fun with it. So, I want to hear your guesses on what my secret is. You can check old posts for what it's not, if you need to. If you know (and you know who you are...) please don't guess! I'm going to moderate the comments and won't post contest-related comments until the contest ends, so your guess will remain a secret from other contestants. (So much secrecy going on...)

Leave a comment with your best guess at what my secret is. I'll leave the contest open until Wednesday at noonish. The first person who gets it right, or comes closest by Wednesday will get a prize that relates somehow to my secret! So, start guessing!

Friday, October 17, 2008

A Cat's Life

This morning I realised there was no way I was napping. Most likely because the book I'd been reading suddenly got interesting, and I knew I'd have to keep reading. In theory, though, I like to take a nap in the morning when Wiggle Man takes his--especially if I've not been sleeping well.

At any rate, I gave up and came downstairs to get some things done before I head off to the farmer's market with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. And Wiggle Man, of course.

This is what I found:



I guess it's a good thing I didn't put away Wiggle Man's toys before his nap--Chloe decided his toy basket would make the perfect spot to hide away and nap. If only I could do the same!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Post Number Fifty

Well, according to my dashboard when I sign in, this will be my 50th post! Sorry it came so late in the week, but my mind and heart have been elsewhere. I'll fill you in soon, I promise. (Yes, Rhonda, Sky, Camilla, and Amanda--yes, you too--you know already! Isn't it fun to know a secret?) Hubba Hubba and I have some big decisions to make in the coming days and weeks, and we'd appreciate any prayers anyone wants to send up for us!

Anyway, in the spirit of Wordless Wednesdays (on Thursday, I know) here are some pictures I took recently that remind me that He is as faithful as the changing of seasons.







Monday, October 13, 2008

It's The Not Me! Mondays...

Well it's Monday again, and you know what that means--Not Me! Monday! As always, check out the wonderful, amazing MckMama for the original Not Me! Monday fun. You can also check out the other bloggers who are participating!

So, this week...

*I did not write this post earlier than normal, just to be higher up on MckMama's list.

*I did not just get excited because my jeans will come off without being unbuttoned. (Did I just write that? It's so not what it sounds like!)

*I did not actually laugh with joy when Brett Myers went 3 for 3 with 3 RBIs on Friday. And text a friend to gloat.

vcvsdds sc nngn,,,,,,,,,,,,ngb gvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvnb

*I did not just let Wiggle Man type on the keyboard just for this post. I am consistent in my parenting, and he is not allowed to touch the keyboard. So I wouldn't just abandon my rules just for a cute bit in a post. No siree.

*I did not sit in my jammies Saturday night, watching girly movies and eating peanut butter cups just because I missed Hubba Hubba.

*I have not taken a ridiculous amount of pictures on my new camera. Pictures that I can't get on my computer until the usb cord arrives. I am not upset about the holiday today because it means the earliest I can get said cord is now Tuesday.

*I am not writing this post to procrastinate. I do not have work to do. Nope, not me.

*I am not busting just trying to wait to tell you my big announcement.

*I did not just eat a ridiculous amount of fried apples at my mother-in-laws last night. I also did not wish I was too full to eat more that I did.

*I do not allow Wiggle Man to eat his snacks off the floor. I mean, eww.

*And, lastly, I am not bummed because this was such a quiet week, and I wanted crazier things to tell you that I didn't do. I mean, that's just asking for trouble.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

No, my American friends, I'm not insanely early on my Thanksgiving felicitations. Monday is Thanksgiving in Canada. The motto of my American family is, "Any excuse for a party!" so we'll be having a small dinner tomorrow night. The usual treats--turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and an apple pie. (Yes, for those of you who know me, I did write "mashed potatoes." I've discovered I actually like them...if they have sour cream, cream cheese, garlic and parsley in them...)

One thing Americans like to ask me is why Canadians have Thanksgiving. After all, I'm told, we didn't have the pilgrims. And, while I remind them that the New World included Canada, and thus we had our share of pilgrims come here, I guess it's not the same. They weren't the Plymouth Rock pilgrims, who got to share that lovely meal with the Indians. Or something like that.

I won't speak for all my fellow Canadians, but growing up, Thanksgiving in our family was simply about being thankful. Grateful for the blessings of family, food, home and country. That doesn't change when you cross the border. I'm still thankful for family, food, home and country, and so tomorrow I will celebrate what we've come to call in our family "First Thanksgiving." The American half of my family didn't seem to like it when I referred to Canadian Thanksgiving as "Real Thanksgiving" and American Thanksgiving as "Fake Thanksgiving." So now we have "First" and "Second" Thanksgivings.

And, if you weren't aware that Canadian Thanksgiving was at a different time, don't worry. For the longest time I couldn't figure out why all the American stations put their Thanksgiving specials on so late, or why there was snow in them. Because, no, it's not snowing in Canada. Yet.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Time to...Grab a Shoe! (Preferably Someone Else's.)

Yes, kids, it's that time again. This is the part of the show where I display various bugs, in honour of my roommate, whose shoe I used all those years ago to kill that giant spider in our dorm room. Seriously, friends...it was 'sgusting. So, without further ado, I bring you: Bob.



We discovered Bob on our trip to Kenya in '06. One morning, after a particularly heavy rain the night before, we arrived to work and found him there, quite comfortable in the mud. The quarter, of course, is not Bob's. We put it there for context, because Bob is THE HUGEST SLUG we had ever seen. Up til that point. Because, apparently, that's the normal size for African slugs.


In retrospect, Bob should have used the quarter to make a quick phone call, or at least used it for cover, because within minutes of this picture being taken, Bob was squished. Poor Bob.


Don't even get me started about the termites there. That's for another edition of Grab A Shoe, Preferably Someone Else's! (To re-visit previous episodes, check out my Yucky Bugs.)




Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Quiet

I just deleted my post.

I had just finished a nice, random post, and I made it disappear. And I'm so ready to go to sleep...I'll just have to sum up for you guys:

Quiet. Blogland has been quiet. So has real life.

Thought today would be hectic, for reasons related to "the announcement." Not so much, thanks to Hubba Hubba's organizational skills. Think perhaps a contest is in order, related to "the announcement." More to come.

Finally am in possession of a camera again. Very excited--first craigslist purchase--Konica Minolta--super price. Now just need USB cable, and will be good.

Blargh--left the clothes on the line. All dewy now. Will have to wait til morning.

Night night!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

What Do You Think?

As you can see, we've done a little renovating here at Poutine. Much thanks to Weeksie50 for willing to share tips with this newbie. Check out her blog, friends, she's got some great stuff there! (And a fab picture of The Hoff!)

******

I'm perversely a little pleased that my casual references to an announcement have sparked some interest. Wait another week or two, and I'll share my secret.

******

Is it wrong that I'm a little peeved that the last half of The Biggest Loser got preempted for the Presidential debate? Grr. Now I have to check online tomorrow to see what I missed.

******

This evening was like a little Christmas for me. A shipment of new make-up and yummy smelling lotions arrived. So of course, I washed off the make-up I had on to put the new stuff on. I seriously just smelled my hands to inhale the fab rosemary-mint scent. I love bath and body products...I have products everywhere!

******

Wiggle Man is exhibiting early neat freak signs. He kept putting stray pebbles back onto the gravel driveway from the grass. Of course, all that is totally counteracted by the toys strewn all over my house. Hmm.

******

With those tidbits out there in cyber space now, I'm feeling ready for bed. Night nights!

Monday, October 6, 2008

Not Me! Monday Time

Well, readers, it's been a few days since I posted. I hope you missed me. :) After a crazy weekend, I'm proud to present my edition of Not Me! Monday. For the original (and best) Not Me! Monday blog, check out MckMama. If you're still craving more NM!M fun, she has links to other blogs joining in the fun.

This week:

I did not sleep in way too often, rather than get up and work out.

I did not sit idly by while Wiggle Man mooched second breakfasts of Hubba Hubba and Auntie, even though I'd already fed him breakfast. What kind of mother lets her kid eat two breakfasts?

I did not give in and give Wiggle Man yogurt even though he'd already had one that day, just because he was pointing frantically at the fridge and I didn't feel like arguing. No, I maintain consistency between what I say and what I do. Boundaries, friends. Children need boundaries.

I did not spend yesterday on the couch with a blanket and snacks watching the Phillies and Eagles games, simply because I felt 'weird.'

I did not then have to rapidly finish lesson plans and grades for my substitute job before friends came over because I'd procrastinated all afternoon due to the aforementioned 'weirdness.'

I did not drink a glass of wine before bed over the weekend in the hopes it would help me sleep. (In my defense, it was Hubba Hubba's idea. And it didn't work.)

I have not been having trouble sleeping because my brain will not shut down, but rather thinks through a million different scenarios related to a big announcement coming up in the next two weeks. (Remember, it's not a baby. That's all I'll say for now.)

I do not bake for worship team rehearsals just for an excuse to bake treats.

I will not be trying this butter tart recipe for the same reason. Nor do I drool at the picture of the Joy Of Baking website.

I did not drink an inordinate amount of Diet Pepsi this weekend simply because the cans were in the fridge and I was too lazy to pour a glass of water.

I am not excited about adding those Pepsi Stuff points to my account.

I did not take Wiggle Man out without shoes or socks this morning because I feel like going upstairs to get them.

There you have them--things that I did not do this week. If only I could remember what I actually did do...just kidding.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Perfect Days

I can't help feeling that life is perfect and full these days. Perhaps it's the change to fall--one of my favourite seasons. I love snuggling in sweatshirts while it's cool outside, and reading with a cup of tea.

Perhaps it's watching Wiggle Man grow and learn new things every day. He's so smart, it honestly makes me want to laugh with joy. He points to where he wants to go. (Usually outside, towards the chickens or the ducks.) He knows the chickens eat grass, not dirt, and picks some to feed to them. Heck, he can feed it to the chickens by himself now. He knows his yogurt is kept in the fridge, and will point to the fridge when he wants yogurt. He signs "all done" when he's full, waves good-bye when you tell him it's "night nights", and has very definite choices about which book to read before bed-time.

Perhaps it's watching the Phillies kick butt. It's ok--the Phils are only my NL team. If we ever repeated '93, I'd be cheering for the Jays all the way. I sing the Jays' song to taunt Hubba Hubba, and frequently threaten to pull out the commemorative VHS from the '93 Series. Even in inter-league play, for the few games the Jays and Phillies face off, I'm a Jays fan. And I've gotten my fair share of dirty looks at Citizen's Bank Park. But still--it's nice to cheer for the same team as your husband, as long as my loyalties don't conflict.

Maybe there's something fulfilling in being just a little old-fashioned. My clothes are out on the line (a fact that stunned a teenager recently--"you have a clothesline? Cool!") or the fact that I'm attempting to make my own chicken stock as I type this. I love days where I do things the old-fashioned, homemade way. Perhaps I'll bake a pie to top the day off.

Whatever the cause, I'm thankful for the joy that bubbles under the surface. I'd like to tell it to kick off its shoes and stay awhile. Since I know that's not likely, I'll just have to enjoy it while it's here.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

My Not So New Red Shirt

I don't know about you, but when I'm trying to lose weight, I normally have a goal shirt, or goal pants. I have a love/hate (mainly hate) relationship with the scale--it never seems to reflect the work I put in. So, I gage my success by my clothes, and the occasional session with the measuring tape.

Several months ago I was shopping with my girlfriends and found a cute red shirt, on sale for something like $4. Well, come on people--$4? Of COURSE I bought it, regardless of the fact that it was a little...snug.

Every few weeks I'd try on this red shirt to see if it was less frightening to wear. Today, I needed something to wear with a skirt to teach, and on a whim tried on the red shirt. And finally, after months of trying it on and rejecting it in utter disgust, I left it on. That's right--my not so new red shirt, my goal shirt, is now WEARABLE!

Is a toast, I lift a peanut butter cup to you, friends. May all your goal shirts be loose.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

I Wanna Be Like Chloe

Between being a full-time Mommy, a part-time worship leader, and a once-a-week substitute music teacher--not to mention loving wife to Hubba Hubba--life is very full these days. It's also about to get fuller, but I'll leave that announcement for another couple of weeks. (No, it's not a baby, and no spoiling if you already know, ok?)

But right now, it's a peaceful fall afternoon. I was about to type 'quiet', until I heard Wiggle Man playing with the musical aquarium on his crib. I guess he's not quite asleep yet. It's cloudy and cool--my favourite kind of day. Our cat, Chloe, is next to me by our back door. She's lulled herself to sleep watching the last leaves fall from the walnut trees out back.

As I watched her, I realised how much I want to be like her. I mean, yes, I'm jealous of the all-day naps, and everything, but I want to bring a little of that calm into my every day life. I think that's something the Lord has been trying to teach me for a while now, and I think I might just be getting better at it.

I'm learning not to stress over things I can't change. I'm learning to embrace, and actually look forward to change. Who would try to stop the leaves from falling off the trees? Even if you dread raking them, you know there's nothing you can do to keep them up there.

I believe God has wonderful things for my family in the coming years. I also think there will be painful times, too. But, since I can't glue the leaves back on the tree, I think I'll just watch them float softly to the ground.