Still behind in my course, but I'm feeling less pressure now that Quiz #2 is in. So now I've got 6% of my grade covered.
I started work on the midterm tonight. It's a bit overwhelming just now, but I'm sure I'll get it in the end.
J is teething, and he was so grumpy tonight I just couldn't stand it. He had Tylenol and went to bed. I hope for a better day tomorrow.
I know you want to see pictures. I'll get them up over the weekend, if not before.
Hopefully before.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Sunday, April 09, 2006
My baby is so big now!
*sob*
Well, J's first birthday celebrations are over now. My family met up today to celebrate three birthdays, including little J's first. I made him a blue elephant cake for the occasion. It turned out quite well. See?
Devil's food cake with cream cheese frosting and coconut. Yummy!
J was tired and a bit grumpy, but he didn't scream through the "Happy Birthday" song tonight. He was pretty content to grab the blue frosting and smear it over his hands, clothes and highchair. He did not, however, put any of it in his mouth. And he wouldn't sample any of the cake offered. He just wasn't hungry. But he drank a lot of milk, so that's always good.
A good family shot was taken. I'm not very photogenic these days, but I'm pleased with the picture below. Happy family. Happy birthday.
So there we go. My little boy is 1-year old now. Party time is over and done, and it's back to the same old routine starting tomorrow. I'll get back into the groove of studying; I have a lot of catching up to do. And I'll try to not feel so sad about the fact that my little baby is getting so big. As L says, he is a lot more fun now that he's mobile and trying to communicate. I'll enjoy this next stage too. I just miss his teeny babiness a bit, and it makes me kind of sad.
*sniff*
Well, J's first birthday celebrations are over now. My family met up today to celebrate three birthdays, including little J's first. I made him a blue elephant cake for the occasion. It turned out quite well. See?
Devil's food cake with cream cheese frosting and coconut. Yummy!
J was tired and a bit grumpy, but he didn't scream through the "Happy Birthday" song tonight. He was pretty content to grab the blue frosting and smear it over his hands, clothes and highchair. He did not, however, put any of it in his mouth. And he wouldn't sample any of the cake offered. He just wasn't hungry. But he drank a lot of milk, so that's always good.
A good family shot was taken. I'm not very photogenic these days, but I'm pleased with the picture below. Happy family. Happy birthday.
So there we go. My little boy is 1-year old now. Party time is over and done, and it's back to the same old routine starting tomorrow. I'll get back into the groove of studying; I have a lot of catching up to do. And I'll try to not feel so sad about the fact that my little baby is getting so big. As L says, he is a lot more fun now that he's mobile and trying to communicate. I'll enjoy this next stage too. I just miss his teeny babiness a bit, and it makes me kind of sad.
*sniff*
Saturday, April 08, 2006
First birthday party
Yesterday, J had birthday shots. His one year shots; MMR and chicken pox. He cried, but only briefly. It was easy to soothe him after the shots were done. The nurses at the health clinic weren't concerned about his weight, but did note that he is a bit small. He's short, too. But he is developing normally, and is able to do the other things a child his age can do. They gave me a pamphlet on things to try when a child refuses meat. And they suggested we possibly speak with an occupational therapist about his whole won't-eat-unless-it's-pureed thing. We'll see how he does with it. It seems to be a texture thing with this kid; he'll eat grains just fine, but no meats, and only pureed fruits and veggies. Thankfully, he loves milk, so he's getting some protein anyway.
Last night, H and I took J to "Chuck E Cheese" to celebrate his birthday. He rode his first carousel, and he got to steer a moving car with Chuck E Cheese riding along beside him. (That sounds so much more mature than it is; it was one of those plug-a-quarter-in Supermarket-style rides, of course.) He ate parmesan breadsticks and drank apple juice from a straw. I think he enjoyed himself. I know we did.
Today was little J's first birthday party, and it was a big success. We had lots of friends and family over, and the house was quite full. The kids all played together and ate cake (chocolate and vanilla layers with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting with chocolate sprinkles, from Bee Bell Bakery). J enjoyed the little bit of cake that he ate, while sitting on my lap. We enjoyed visiting with friends. Today was a lot of fun!
J refused to nap at all today. And he was really unhappy about the whole cake, candles, singing "Happy Birthday", thing. He screamed and cried through the entire Happy Birthday song, and then needed immediate comforting. Photographic evidence will be forthcoming. Gemma tried valiantly to make J happy. She offered him his soother and his sippy of milk. She's a good little friend to J.
More folks actually came than we had anticipated, which was a really nice surprise. We live pretty far away from many of our friends, but they found their way, sometimes phoning for directions on the way. We nearly ran out of food once, and H went out to get more. Cake was dropped on the carpet, frosting side down. Oddly, this was not one of the children; H dropped the cake while cutting it. But it doesn't matter. What's a little frosting? Worse things will happen to the carpet; we have a child!
I was really happy that so many people made it over to celebrate our little boy's birthday with us. It was great to see all of you. Thanks, guys! You all rock!!
It was a really busy day here, preparing for the party and all. We are all very sleepy now. J is out cold, and I think it is time to go join him.
'Night.
Last night, H and I took J to "Chuck E Cheese" to celebrate his birthday. He rode his first carousel, and he got to steer a moving car with Chuck E Cheese riding along beside him. (That sounds so much more mature than it is; it was one of those plug-a-quarter-in Supermarket-style rides, of course.) He ate parmesan breadsticks and drank apple juice from a straw. I think he enjoyed himself. I know we did.
Today was little J's first birthday party, and it was a big success. We had lots of friends and family over, and the house was quite full. The kids all played together and ate cake (chocolate and vanilla layers with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting with chocolate sprinkles, from Bee Bell Bakery). J enjoyed the little bit of cake that he ate, while sitting on my lap. We enjoyed visiting with friends. Today was a lot of fun!
J refused to nap at all today. And he was really unhappy about the whole cake, candles, singing "Happy Birthday", thing. He screamed and cried through the entire Happy Birthday song, and then needed immediate comforting. Photographic evidence will be forthcoming. Gemma tried valiantly to make J happy. She offered him his soother and his sippy of milk. She's a good little friend to J.
More folks actually came than we had anticipated, which was a really nice surprise. We live pretty far away from many of our friends, but they found their way, sometimes phoning for directions on the way. We nearly ran out of food once, and H went out to get more. Cake was dropped on the carpet, frosting side down. Oddly, this was not one of the children; H dropped the cake while cutting it. But it doesn't matter. What's a little frosting? Worse things will happen to the carpet; we have a child!
I was really happy that so many people made it over to celebrate our little boy's birthday with us. It was great to see all of you. Thanks, guys! You all rock!!
It was a really busy day here, preparing for the party and all. We are all very sleepy now. J is out cold, and I think it is time to go join him.
'Night.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Cryptic thought for the day
Having my head repeatedly banged into a brick wall really hurts. Would someone else take over now? I am out of time, and I have laundry to do.
A whole year. Can it be?
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, dear J-man.
Happy birthday to you.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
I love you, little man.
Happy birthday to you.
Happy birthday, dear J-man.
Happy birthday to you.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo
I love you, little man.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
And they call it puppy love
Saw a very cool house tonight. Many of our friends would have loved it and, had it not been so pricey, we would have referred several of our friends over for a look. Fisticuffs may have broken out on the front lawn.
H and I liked the house a lot too. And there are many compromises we are willing to make to get a more centrally located home closer to schools and downtown. (No ensuite; loss of 200 sq ft deck; smaller kitchen; no pantry; increased heating costs; etc.) But there was one small layout issue that we just weren't willing to compromise. Our current house has 3 bedrooms on one floor, and we quite like that setup. There are many other houses that also have this feature. We aren't that anxious to sell, so we can hold out for something we like better. (We hope that there will one day be something that we like better.) But it was cool, nonetheless. No virtual tour is available. So I shall attempt to describe the place here.
Cool house
You walk through the front door of the 1753 sq ft semi-bungalow, and into a tiled entranceway. To your right, there are maple hardwood floors in the library! All along one wall is a white painted floor to ceiling bookcase, with attached sliding wooden library ladder. Lots of windows in the front area, so lots of natural light.
From the entranceway, you walk up three tiled steps into a red tile foyer with a small alcove to your left suitable for display purposes.
Just past the alcove is the living area, which has hardwood floors. To the right is the dining room, with a beautiful original light fixture of pressed autumn leaves encased in glass. (J thought it was quite breathtaking). And to the left is the large living room, complete with bay window and woodburning fireplace. The fireplace is stone, with a wooden mantle. The stone extends upwards, with a cutout in the centre suitable for hanging a picture.
Continuing past the living area, you enter a hallway. To the right is a bathroom; nothing special. To the left is the stairwell to the upper level and, just past that, the master bedroom with a smallish walk-in closet.
Continuing past this hallway, you enter the kitchen, which is separated by a single french door. Oak cabinets, and an oven built into the cupboards. There is a large island with a built in dishwasher and countertop stove, and a side-by-side fridge/freezer unit. Some of the cupboards have glass faces, for display. The kitchen has a double sink, and a single sink on the other side. And then there is a nook at the end of the kitchen, with many windows, and a mudroom rear entranceway. Through the rear entranceway, steps lead to the basement.
The basement features two additional bedrooms, one of which has a sink and wiring for a kitchen. It also has a good-sized laundry room, a 3-piece bathroom with good-sized shower, and a family room. The family room has a cedar closet that lights up automatically when the door is opened. And it also has an (illegal, mind you) space-heater in the corner, that can't be turned on because of code violations, but could easily be replaced with a direct vent gas fireplace.
The upper floor features two bedrooms, each with walk-in closet, and a linen cupboard. Nothing special, but not too shabby either.
The house has a fairly new hot water tank, but a 25-year old furnace that would need to be replaced. Most of the windows are from the '80s, so they are decent enough.
Both front and back yards are large. There is a two-car sized garage with a single-car door and a workshop in the other side, and the garage has attic storage above. The back yard is fenced, and there is a gravel parking pad area beside the garage for additional parking.
The house sits on a corner lot, with one side abutting a very busy street. But you don't really hear the traffic noise in the house. It's in a very desirable area of town. And the house has a lot of charm, with arched doorways, and curved walls leading to the textured ceiling.
It was quite beautiful. But just not quite right for us, and so we will hold out. We have a very nice house, really. So when it's time to upgrade it, we'll find the right house at the right time. And that, my friends, is that.
WE DON'T CARE THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT IT!!! SHUT UP!!!!
But it would have been absolutely perfect for L&P. And I bet they will buy it someday, when it goes on the market again.
On the way home, we took a detour to drive past a pretty little park, in which we saw two dogs doing the nasty. H started singing "And they call it puppy love". Hence the title of this post.
H and I liked the house a lot too. And there are many compromises we are willing to make to get a more centrally located home closer to schools and downtown. (No ensuite; loss of 200 sq ft deck; smaller kitchen; no pantry; increased heating costs; etc.) But there was one small layout issue that we just weren't willing to compromise. Our current house has 3 bedrooms on one floor, and we quite like that setup. There are many other houses that also have this feature. We aren't that anxious to sell, so we can hold out for something we like better. (We hope that there will one day be something that we like better.) But it was cool, nonetheless. No virtual tour is available. So I shall attempt to describe the place here.
Cool house
You walk through the front door of the 1753 sq ft semi-bungalow, and into a tiled entranceway. To your right, there are maple hardwood floors in the library! All along one wall is a white painted floor to ceiling bookcase, with attached sliding wooden library ladder. Lots of windows in the front area, so lots of natural light.
From the entranceway, you walk up three tiled steps into a red tile foyer with a small alcove to your left suitable for display purposes.
Just past the alcove is the living area, which has hardwood floors. To the right is the dining room, with a beautiful original light fixture of pressed autumn leaves encased in glass. (J thought it was quite breathtaking). And to the left is the large living room, complete with bay window and woodburning fireplace. The fireplace is stone, with a wooden mantle. The stone extends upwards, with a cutout in the centre suitable for hanging a picture.
Continuing past the living area, you enter a hallway. To the right is a bathroom; nothing special. To the left is the stairwell to the upper level and, just past that, the master bedroom with a smallish walk-in closet.
Continuing past this hallway, you enter the kitchen, which is separated by a single french door. Oak cabinets, and an oven built into the cupboards. There is a large island with a built in dishwasher and countertop stove, and a side-by-side fridge/freezer unit. Some of the cupboards have glass faces, for display. The kitchen has a double sink, and a single sink on the other side. And then there is a nook at the end of the kitchen, with many windows, and a mudroom rear entranceway. Through the rear entranceway, steps lead to the basement.
The basement features two additional bedrooms, one of which has a sink and wiring for a kitchen. It also has a good-sized laundry room, a 3-piece bathroom with good-sized shower, and a family room. The family room has a cedar closet that lights up automatically when the door is opened. And it also has an (illegal, mind you) space-heater in the corner, that can't be turned on because of code violations, but could easily be replaced with a direct vent gas fireplace.
The upper floor features two bedrooms, each with walk-in closet, and a linen cupboard. Nothing special, but not too shabby either.
The house has a fairly new hot water tank, but a 25-year old furnace that would need to be replaced. Most of the windows are from the '80s, so they are decent enough.
Both front and back yards are large. There is a two-car sized garage with a single-car door and a workshop in the other side, and the garage has attic storage above. The back yard is fenced, and there is a gravel parking pad area beside the garage for additional parking.
The house sits on a corner lot, with one side abutting a very busy street. But you don't really hear the traffic noise in the house. It's in a very desirable area of town. And the house has a lot of charm, with arched doorways, and curved walls leading to the textured ceiling.
It was quite beautiful. But just not quite right for us, and so we will hold out. We have a very nice house, really. So when it's time to upgrade it, we'll find the right house at the right time. And that, my friends, is that.
WE DON'T CARE THAT YOU THINK WE SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT IT!!! SHUT UP!!!!
But it would have been absolutely perfect for L&P. And I bet they will buy it someday, when it goes on the market again.
On the way home, we took a detour to drive past a pretty little park, in which we saw two dogs doing the nasty. H started singing "And they call it puppy love". Hence the title of this post.
How much can I get for this kidney?
Oh ... crap.
Stuff we can sell:
Stuff we can sell:
- Old flute in need of some minor repair
- Living room suite that I assume Nez doesn't want
- Mahogany computer desk designed for a Mac
- Oval kitchen table (no chairs)
- I assume there is more ... probably a couple of bookshelves and a coffee table & end table set ... and maybe a guitar case ... we have to clear out our basement and assess the situation further
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Stressed and overwhelmed
I have to get the house ready for J's birthday party on Saturday. It needs to be cleaned and organized. We need to get the cake ready, pick up some party favors and a present or two, decorate, and make some food. Right. Okay. At this point, activity ideas for J's party include dust drawings, junkmail origami, and sock bundling. Um ... no ...
On Friday, J gets his 1-year shots and is likely to be grumpy afterwards. This will obviously not buy me more time.
Then there's school. I need to finish module 3 and get a start on module 4 before Saturday. And I should finish module 4 by Monday, so that I can submit my quiz on time and start the midterm assignment.
And as if that weren't enough for anyone to handle, we have family stuff going on too. Duties that can't be shirked. So other things must be shirked while we handle the important family issues.
Not that everything else isn't important too, you understand. But there just isn't time for everything.
H works every day this week, and J is starting to refuse naps. So my time is rather limited. I don't quite know how to manage all of this.
I need a miracle. A miracle, and a maid.
A clone might be good too.
Is it any wonder my mood is ... questionable today?
On another note: Have you ever seen "Jurassic Park"? You know that sound the Velociraptor makes just before it attacks you and eats your liver? The terrifying, piercing squeal of death and dismemberment? Right. J discovered that sound today. My ears hurt.
On Friday, J gets his 1-year shots and is likely to be grumpy afterwards. This will obviously not buy me more time.
Then there's school. I need to finish module 3 and get a start on module 4 before Saturday. And I should finish module 4 by Monday, so that I can submit my quiz on time and start the midterm assignment.
And as if that weren't enough for anyone to handle, we have family stuff going on too. Duties that can't be shirked. So other things must be shirked while we handle the important family issues.
Not that everything else isn't important too, you understand. But there just isn't time for everything.
H works every day this week, and J is starting to refuse naps. So my time is rather limited. I don't quite know how to manage all of this.
I need a miracle. A miracle, and a maid.
A clone might be good too.
Is it any wonder my mood is ... questionable today?
On another note: Have you ever seen "Jurassic Park"? You know that sound the Velociraptor makes just before it attacks you and eats your liver? The terrifying, piercing squeal of death and dismemberment? Right. J discovered that sound today. My ears hurt.
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Just for today
I was surfing the net a bit today. I found some funny sites. But I also found one that was absolutely heart wrenching. You may not want to visit it, especially you who have small children. But in case you want to see what's up, the site is here.
I began to read. And then I began to weep.
I have been richly blessed. I need to always remember what a precious gift I have been given in J. I know that my schooling and work are both important to our family unit. But I so want to spend more time with H and J. After all, they are what really matters to me. I need to make more time for them. I pray that they will always be here with me.
The following has been taken from a post on the above site. It is a reminder to me to hold each day precious and to not take anything for granted. It may be a bit hard to read. But yellow was his favorite colour, and that is important.
Just for Today
Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying. Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is. Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play. Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.
Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles. Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by. Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second-guess every decision I have made where you are concerned. Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them. Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.
Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you. Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry. Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars. Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows. Just for this evening, when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given. I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.
And when I kiss you good night, I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing, except one more day...
~Author unknown~
I am so sorry for your loss.
I began to read. And then I began to weep.
I have been richly blessed. I need to always remember what a precious gift I have been given in J. I know that my schooling and work are both important to our family unit. But I so want to spend more time with H and J. After all, they are what really matters to me. I need to make more time for them. I pray that they will always be here with me.
The following has been taken from a post on the above site. It is a reminder to me to hold each day precious and to not take anything for granted. It may be a bit hard to read. But yellow was his favorite colour, and that is important.
Just for Today
Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying. Just for this morning, I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is. Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play. Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.
Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles. Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by. Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second-guess every decision I have made where you are concerned. Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them. Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.
Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you. Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry. Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars. Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows. Just for this evening, when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given. I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.
And when I kiss you good night, I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then that I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing, except one more day...
~Author unknown~
I am so sorry for your loss.
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