... funny things are everywhere

thankful

I made this card last week... and today, I finally got around to writing in it. Hopefully, I'll get organized and get this and a few other things in the mail today.

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thanks

That's such a small word for something that could mean so much... To feel thankful. To be filled with gratitude.

Today, I am thankful. As I wrote in this card, I realized how fortunate I am. Despite the headachy, foggy-brained kind of day I am having, I am fully aware of the good things I have in my life, and I feel determined to make the best of what I've been given.

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Today's gratitude list:

1. Good health
   We've been sick on and off this winter, but there's been nothing that we can't deal with, and it hasn't stopped us from doing the things we love.
2. Nice boys
   Despite the ups and downs we've experienced (physical agression on the schoolyard, lack of effort in class and on the tennis court, etc.), our boys are good, decent kids who respect our rules and appreciate the good things that come their way.
3. Shared responsibility
   Mike and I do a good job at splitting the workload pretty much down the middle. We both work outside the home, and we both spend a great deal of our after-work time looking after the kids' needs. Unfortunately, neither of us has much energy left at the end of day to tackle the housework and other chores... but luckily, we both have an unusally high tolerance for clutter and mess. ;)
4. Public sector jobs
   We have both had very good jobs (high degree of job satisfaction and decent job security) for years now. Even in the face of wage freezes (his job) and significant layoffs (my workplace), I still feel optimistic that we will land on our feet, and life will continue to be good.
5. Support network
   I have some pretty amazing friends around the neighbourhood, in my workplace and in the circle of people I know through the club, various online communities, my volunteer stints and whatnot. I count myself lucky that, whenever I have a concern, there's always a sympathetic ear and/or a wise word of advice to help me through.

There is so much more, but I will stop here.

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Thank you for reading. I hope your day is filled with many good things that will fill your heart with gratitude.

guess who's one today?!

Happy birthday to the best puppy in the world! :)

We had to put the cupcake (actually, it was a gluten-free corn muffin) in her food bowl before she'd allow herself to eat it. She's SUCH a good dog.

5x5 Friday (March edition)

Hey, I'm back. :)

Last night, I found a credit card statement with the Typepad annual fee on it, and I had a bit of a "use it or lose it" panic attack. I know I haven't been blogging enough to warrant paying the annual fee, but the thought of shutting this blog down didn't sit well either. My years of writing here have helped me sort through lots of stuff, connected me to some new friends and, most importantly, made me realize what a wonderful (albeit extrememly busy) life I lead.

So with that in mind, I'll think up five lists of five things that I think I might want to revisit at some point in the future. (Because blogging for the memory-keeping is where it's at for me...)

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Five things that made me happy this week
1. A friend of mine started taking tennis lessons, and she LOVES it. I hope she'll want to hit with me on the outdoor courts this summer.
2. Watching the dog run around with other dogs in the field behind Thomas' school made me realize how much I love having a dog... and how lucky we are to live in a great neighbourhood where there's lots of space and an abundance of friendly, responsible dog owners with friendly, playful dogs for mine to socialize with.
3. Finding new songs iTunes makes me happy - it's great to have new music to listen to on the bus and to mix into my spin playlists.
4. We've broken the daily high temperature records for almost an entire week running. It was warm over the weekend, and then it got crazy HOT on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Mid-20s is unheard of in Ottawa in mid-March! The average daytime high is 4 degrees Celcius in mid-March.
5. I ran outside for the first time this season. It was a nice, easy run along the Ottawa River at lunchtime. That 4 km felt really, really easy - I guess all that spinning has helped keep my cardiovascular fitness at a decent level over the winter.

Five things I'm looking forward to
1. ComicCon is coming to Ottawa, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is going to be there. Jamesie will be sooooooo excited. Me too! :)
2. Thomas will finally be tall enough for a new bike this summer. I'm looking forward to longer rides with him on a bike that's big enough to go at a decent speed. I think he'll enjoy it too.
3. Lemon turns one year old this weekend. I'm going to look up a doggy cupcake recipe and stage some birthday portraits. I wonder if she'll sit with a party hat on... hmmmm...
4. It looked like they were going to put the nets up on the outdoor courts at the club this week, but it didn't happen. Two nets are up but they haven't been cranked tight yet. Such a teaser! I'm really looking forward to hitting outside in a month or so.
5. It's Friday, so the weekend's nearly here. Yay! I'm looking foward to relaxing and getting some sleep this weekend. :)

Five things we're reading at our place these days
1. Graphic novels (Bone) and comic books (Archie, Calvin and Hobbes, etc.)
2. Study manual for the YMCA's indoor cycling instructor certification *sigh*
3. Tennis magazine - the latest issue, and the boys reread back-issues too.
4. Whatever offerings the Scholastic Book Club had in last month's order forms.
5. Stuff on my iPhone and Mike's iPad (news, blogs, etc.)

Five fun things that don't involve screens
1. Jamesie and I have been playing Star Trek: The Next Generation Monopoly.
2. Thomas played in a squash tournament a few weekends ago, and Jamesie and I went to watch. That goofy photo above was taken between matches.
3. James and I were doing some cross-training (boot-camp style!) just before March Break. I wish he were a little more serious about it. I think he could use a little extra muscle on his tiny frame, and it'd probably improve his tennis game.
4. I've spent time on court with both the boys lately, and I've done a few drop-in clinics too. Tennis rules!
5. Running. I'd forgotten how much I love running outside. I want to sign up for a race with the boys. Must check into that soon so we can start training together.

Five things I've eaten today (some of which I shouldn't have)
1. President's Choice Decadent chocolate chip cookie (only one...)
2. Homemade fruit smoothie spiked with vanilla latte powder mix
3. Breakfast cereal
4. Two cups of coffee
5. Babybel cheese (yum!)

ack!

My good intentions to keep up the blogging habit after February was over... they fell victim to the crazy, running around like mad, mother of over-scheduled kids scene.

The boys were both sick over the March Break so life was pretty low key. Mike wasn't feeling 100% either. In fact, there were days when I was the only one to leave the house. Not so fun, but it's better than missing a week of school due to influenza, right?

So now, they're back at school and settled into their old routines again. Here they are, playing math games on the computer as part of James' homework. :)

Cute, hey?

almost, but not quite!

Well, I'd intended to blog last night before I went to bed, but I was exhausted... and so I forgot. Oh well, 27 days in a row is a great accomplishment by anyone's standards... but especially mine. ;)

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Today was Leap Day... the 29th of February. It's a day that only comes around once every four years. A special day, right?

Nothing particularly earth-shattering happened today, but I did snap some photos.

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Thomas got braces today. :)

And I dusted off my crafting supplies and made birthday cards for James' friends (boy-girl twins).

And that's pretty much it. 

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How was your Leap Day? :)

so tired of winter

I know it's been a relatively easy winter by Ottawa standards... and I know it's still only February, but I am soooooooo ready for spring!

Seriously!

7 on Sunday

7 random things about Thomas

1. The project that he and Cardet worked on was named "best in 6th grade" at the school-wide science fair. He found it hard to get too excited by this because it meant he had to spend ALL DAY in the gym making presentations on Friday, but I think my glowing pride in response to his accomplishment was more than enough to compensate for his lack of self-congratulatory chest-thumping. :)

2. Thomas' squash game is improving steadily. He's very nonchalant about the whole thing though. It's not like he puts any pressure on himself when it comes to competing, but his results against players who were not too long ago better than him are reallly quite impressive. Go Thomas!

3. He has been making a great effort to get along with James. There are times I need to spell it out for him, but he comes around quickly and makes amends with his brother. I'm so very pleased at this very recent development. Maturity? Surprisingly, yes... I do believe it is. And me, I'm loving it!

4. Thomas has been getting up early most mornings so he can walk the dog with me. Lemon seems to be enjoying the extra company, especially since his throwing arm is waaaaay better than mine, so the games of fetch are much more... challenging. lol

5. I'm so pleased by the friendships Thomas has developed since September. Tonight, when James had his matchplay at the club, Thomas invited a friend to come along with us, and they played squash and hung around. It just feels so... normal. It's a wonderful feeling for the mom of a kid who once had difficulties connecting with his peers.

6. He's still an avid reader, although I do wish he were more willing to tackle books without drawings/illustrations. His current favourites are the Wimpy Kid books (still!) and the Bone graphic novels. He likes to read magazines too - Tennis, Owl and Chickadee are the three we subscribe to.

7. Thomas is being a real trooper about getting braces in a few days' time. I hope his good attitude carries over to the tedius oral hygeine measures he'll have to take after Wednesday!

Lego crazy

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This kiddo is crazy about Lego. And crazy about Star Trek too. :)

Not much to report on this wintery Saturday. Just another crazy day of driving back and forth (twice) between home and the OAC. Tennis, squash and spinning... good times.

 

5x5 Friday (take 4)

Am I the only one with kids who HATE cleaning up their rooms? I thought not.

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Five favourite comic strips (past and present)
1. Calvin and Hobbes
2. Far Side
3. For Better or For Worse
4. Dilbert
5. Baby Blues

Five songs that take me back to junior high
1. Electric Avenue - Eddie Grant
2. I Wear my Sunglasses at Night - Corey Hart
3. Crying over You - Platinum Blonde
4. Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran
5. Freeze Frame - The J Geils Band

Five reasons I can't wait for summer
1. I can just hop out of bed, put sandals on and walk the dog.
2. I hate wearing all these layers, mittens, etc.
3. It'll probably be summer before I see my mom and dad again.
4. We can hit tennis balls on the public courts after dinner.
5. I want to have lunch on an outdoor patio.

A not so random sample of five people I follow on twitter
1. @si_btbaseline (Sports Illustrated tennis blogger)
2. @FitMomBarrhaven (Katie: personal trainer)
3. @cbcottawa (for all the latest local news)
4. @sweatscience (Runner's World columnist)
5. @CathyZielske (scrapbooker extraordinaire)

Five staples at the grocery store
1. frozen waffles
2. milk (1% in 4L bags)
3. bananas
4. flavoured silken tofu
5. apples

 

strong-willed... or just plain ol' stubborn?

When I was a toddler, I was a little dynamo.

I learned to talk when I was very young (speaking in full sentences well before my second birthday), and from the stories my mom and her sisters tell, I talked and talked and talked... and talked back, too. I had a mind of my own, and keeping me in line proved to be very challenging for my mom and dad.

I stayed that way well into my teenage or young adult years, I'm sure...

Now that I'm a parent myself, I can see similar character traits in my kids. As frustrating as it is to deal with willful children, I keep hoping that their self-assuredness and free-spirits will serve them well.

Ask anyone who's seen me in action in a meeting where people are trying to push me around... I may not look mean on the outside, but I'm full of meanness on the inside.

But only when I need to be.

Hee!