Embrace Life

hello monday | 65

hello justin trudeau. coronation. really? just the idea of that word puts me off. never a fan of his dad, but i get it. the son? not even a shadow.

hello rugby. yes, i've caved-in and both boys are playing again - though only for their school teams. cole is thrilled to be 8-man, and even happier to have scored 3 trys on his first game back. caden is happy to simply gain the respect of the older boys on his team.

hello soccer. who knew i'd have a soccer player in my brood? chloé decided to play this year - the first time since she was five - and she loves it. it's never been my sport so I'm happy to have her follow her heart and discover something new!

hello new dishwasher. it feels like only a little while ago that i had a new one installed - and i did! two weeks out of warranty and there is a crack in the base of the drum. my lovely plumber checked it out and it was clearly a defect. not happy with kitchen aid.

hello canyon ranch. for our third annual trip my sister and i talked. a lot. we always do, but this time it was different. i loved every minute of it though the topics were often tough. oh, and it turns out that - other than dismal vitamin d levels - i'm totally healthy. the doc cannot figure out the weight thing, but he seems to agree with my naturopath that once the cortisol levels are regulated - fingers crossed and positive vibes to the universe on may 14 - it'll come off. i'm totally setting up myself for success!

hello morning walks. there is a 2-mile walk (as well as others) at the ranch. before the sun got too hot - yes, too hot - we would walk the route. it was amazing to get 6,000 steps in by breakfast! definitely implementing the practice now that i'm home.

hello passport. long story short, it was left in a plane on the way to arizona. a 17-hour ordeal. sigh. not discovered until it was time to leave. never a dull moment!

hello facebook news. last friday morning cole made a noise i had never heard before (and hope to never hear again!). i jumped out of bed after 3 hours of jet-lagged sleep to comfort him. he had just read that his paternal grandfather had passed away. it was heart-wrenching. it brought out the mama-bear in me!

hello nyc. how do you honour a grandfather recently passed? after such an emotionally exhausting early morning, cole went on a planned trip to new york city with his other grandfather - my dad. i think grandpapa would have approved.

 hello monday. you are my most favourite day of the week.
i love that you provide me with 52 fresh starts every year.

 

what are you saying hello to on this brand new monday?
head on over to lisa's blog and link up in the comments.

A Quick Check-In

I love my tribe!

So many of you have sent notes via email and Facebook to check in on me. I can assure you, all is well and I'm almost 100% caught up and I'm feeling very zen right about now.

What have I been doing this week? Other than laundry and cleaning and organizing and walking and smoothie-making?

• My new bathroom vanity from Restoration Hardware was delivered and the plumber organized to return at the end of the month. Chloé will be happy to have it out of the "holding area" aka her bedroom :)
• I checked in on the OHL Draft - an all-day affair - and texted both Claire and Cole the results so they could see how well Cole's former teammates fared. How far have we come? I was texting Cole who was rehearsing for his performance at Carnegie Hall!
• I am in Week 3 of Harley Pasternak's The Body Reset Diet and I have to say I'm feeling GREAT. To me, that's more than half the battle. The food program - and the move program - is perfect for me.
• In conjunction with the brilliance of the RESET, I finally found an uncomplicated all-natural supplement system to support my road to weight loss and wellness. YAY!!
• I have purchased - and wrapped - the gifts I've purchased for my sisters for Mother's Day.
• I have not had any time to read - let alone write - one blog post this week. And that's been okay.
• I also have not taken one photo. And that's been okay, too.
• On the advice of a friend, I read the entire The Attractor Factor AND completed ALL of the exercises. I learned A LOT about myself and happy for the exercise.
• Four girlfriends, from four very different stages of my life, got in touch with me - or me with them - and I'm happily looking forward to four catch-up lunches!
• I have two boxes full and ready to go to the book drive for the Middle School at Appleby.
• I completed an amazing test. Once I got over the cost, I was stupefied by the accuracy. Then ran the same test on all four of my kids. Wow. I'm still busy absorbing it all.
• I am fully engaged in Susannah Conway's Journal Your Life course. Brilliant!
• Patio furniture was chosen, purchased and delivered. At Claire's insistance, we have a new bright red umbrella for the table - and some matching cushions. Now we're just waiting for patio weather.
• Plans are made to visit Grampy for a full afternoon and dinner. The kids are so excited. LOVE IT.
• I started Cathy Zielske's Clean & Simple Workshop. As with everything CZ - fabulous!
• I am seriously thinking about taking this trip in the Fall. I just need to find a room-mate.
• Chloé and Cole have both been selected to go to leadership camp for Arts and Athletics this summer. Forms have been signed and submitted. They can't wait and I'm so proud of them!
• Big talks had with each of my kids, individually and together on kindness, forgiveness and gratitude. I feel like I'm being repetititive, but really, I don't think I can say it enough.

As you can see, the cold is gone and I'm happily getting things - big and small - DONE. Done is one of my favourite words :) I am really enjoying this personal journey. April is one of the quieter months in our year and I think I'll continue with this blog break. It's time to recharge and think of some really great stuff to share here.

So, to my lovely and thoughtful worrywarts out there, all is well. I'll be back on May 1 with the One Little Word blog hop followed by some well considered brilliance - or just simple posts about my life, brilliant to me :)

things we do | journaling project

I'd like to think that I'm a journaler, but the reality is, I'm not.

Sure, I have OODLES of Moleskine and other journals - in various stages of started, but none complete.

I'm, at best, a dabbler. At worst, a flake.

I've joined "The Sketchbook Project" for four years now and have yet to complete and return one!

I received notice a few weeks ago that it was time again to order a new sketchbook for this year's version of the project. Could I face another failure?

Apparently, I think I can.

But I did one better this year, not only did I get the sketchbook, I bought an IDEA BOOK. I'm all about the "give me 10 examples so I can start" - clearly I'm a visual person. I really don't "get" it if I can't see, feel and touch an idea. The book is FANTASTIC! Now I'm really jazzed to get going.

In the meantime, I got a small project - Recipe Swap. Fun, fabulous and really not that small at all!

Plenty to keep me occupied for the next little while. Not that I was at a loss for something to do. I'm already engaged (and enjoying) Susannah Conway's Journal Your Life course and looking forward to starting Clean & Simple: The Workshop with Cathy Zielske next week!

list | 10 of 52

52 LISTS | Week Ten | LIST THE WAYS YOU CAN CLEANSE FOR SPRING

• Change furnace filter
• Purge furnace room
• Clean out basement entry and front entry closets
• Walk – every day
• Swim – at least 3x each week
• Drink more water and/or green tea every day
• Reconcile all documents and prep for upcoming (divorce) case conference – such a long process!
• Purge closet and dresser drawers
• Unsubscribe from all emails that are of no further interest
• Find a replacement for Google Reader!
• Update "Control Journal" with new and upcoming activities
• Dedicate time, every day, to be still – and quiet
• Take another photo walk; plan another, and then another
• Journal, for me, every day
• Turn the television off at 10PM
• Read before bed
• Stick to consuming minimal refined sugar (still stuck with my single teaspoon of “raw” sugar in my coffee each morning)
• Map out plantings and use of outdoor space for this summer
• Choose colours for rooms in need of freshening
• Map out and hang all photos & paintings
• Sort and purge all “creative” tools and supplies. Keep only the things that will bring me joy and fulfillment moving forward.
• Go through all of the “great articles” discovered while doing the ONE little WORD vision board and read – file if worthwhile, toss if not
• The linen closet is a disaster, decide what to keep and donate the rest. Put all linens together by bed-set and wrap in pillow case
• Have kids go through all books and purge for school sale
• Have kids go through all closets and purge clothes for donation or hand-me-down to the next in line :)
• Go through first aid and medicine cupboard and update

CHALLENGE: This week I will Spring clean by ...

• going through all of the financial and household files, currently in a pile, and put them in proper folders for easy locating!

anticipation | spring

Taken May 2012

I don't know about you, but I found this winter to be long. Maybe it was the endless months of snow, or the constant wind, ice and grey skies - not a normal happening here in the bubble. Even with two tropical trips - another outside-our-normal happening - the months seemed to slog on in the dark and cold. In spite of it all, a lot got done and many lessons were learned!

With the arrival of spring, we are looking forward to:

• Blue skies and sunshine.
• Baseball games and practices. Softball games and practices.  I'm sure both leagues will be getting in touch with us soon. I'm anxious to get the schedules plugged into the calendar and address all of the conflicts. Then I'll pack up the cooler and folding chair and put them in their permanent position in the truck.
• Concert excitement. Claire and Cole both enjoy going to see bands as they stop in Toronto and other local areas. Though the events are in the summer, the tickets will be purchased though spring and the anticipation will be a joy to experience with them.
• A finished master bath. I am so disappointed in Pottery Barn. Renovation Hardware will, again, come to my rescue!
• My two Gemini babies turn 14 and 13 - and my home will be, officially, filled with teenagers! Give me strength :)
• Embracing silence. The practice of meditation is being tried for the first time, after years of curiosity. I know for sure if it is not continued, the practice of silence will be. And maybe that will be enough.
• After MUCH begging, pleading, negotiation and hesitation, my boys will be playing rugby for their school teams through May. I love rugby as a sport, though I don't know how anxious I am to send them back onto the pitch. Sigh.
• I love living in a home full of music. Chloé got the part of Genie in Aladdin and I can't wait to see her perform in the Middle School Play! She's gonna kill it :)
• Many container plants filled with succulents for on the back deck. I just have to be patient enough to wait until after the May long weekend to plant them!
• Many hanging plants filled with trailing ivy and flowers for on the back deck. I have to be patient with this too.
• More container plants for the front of the house. This year I'll be planting my own. NOT impressed with the expense or poor performance of the plantings last spring done by "the professional".
• A new entry mat and I'd love to get a big brass door knocker for the front door.
• A fresh coat of paint on everything that needs a fresh coat - bathrooms, bedrooms, hallways, doorways. This may be a big job!
• Cole is back to NYC with the Appleby Cantus Choir. They're performing at Carnegie Hall! And then he's back again with Grampy since his earlier trip was cancelled. The weather should be way better in April!
• A final decision regarding Claire's university selection. I've already offered my opinion and will now maintain my silence and let her do the choosing. After all, it's her future and time for her to take charge.
• Purge! The annual Spring Clean has started. What is on your list?
• Fire up the BBQ!
• Our annual Mother's Day brunch with my family in Toronto. I love these "command performance" events. Watching all of the kids - mine along with those of my four sisters - grow up into amazing young adults.
• Stepping completely out of my comfort zone and meeting another group of parents at upcoming games.
• Cole is performing in the Peel Music Festival. His songs include "C'est Moi!" from Camelot, "Love Who You Love" from A Man of No Importance and "All That's Known" from Spring Awakening.
• Lunches on the patio at Jonathan's. Every time I go, I miss my friend Bill. I toast to him every visit.
• Maybe another driver? Claire has completed the course but has yet to take the driving test. I'm sure it has a lot to do with the fact that the family vehicle is a Suburban. Maybe she can borrow her uncle's Jetta? We'll see!
• A big bright umbrella for our patio table. Tomato Red? Bright Orange? Lime Green? Cyan Blue? Turqoise or Teal?
• Back to Canyon Ranch in Tucson with my sister! I'll be taking bunch of medical tests to get to the bottom of some unsolved questions and move every day on my favourite under-water treadmill. Oh, and get back to better eating and portion control reminders!
• Journal Your Life with Susannah Conway should give me some inspiration to start journaling for me again. I'm also looking forward to seeing what Cathy Zielske has in store in her Clean & Simple Workshop. 
• Continuing with theme of pushing my comfort zone and embracing vulnerability, I've purchased a ticket for the school Spring Fling with plans to attend. Alone. Not that I won't know anyone, I just don't normally do this kind of thing.
• Final exams! It's time to bear down and end the school year with the best marks ever!
• Graduation for my girl, Claire. Big plans for the big day. I am so excited for her! I keep thinking of all the time she has to learn: to make mistakes, correct her course, learn some more. It's been great so far, and only gets better from here.

There is so much going on and so much to look forward to with days getting longer and warmer. It will be hard to stay focused on finishing up the school year, but we're all determined to get the best marks possible - it's a team effort!

things we do | volleyball

Claire was a co-captain of the Varsity Volleyball Team at school last term. It is a sport she loves and I'm sure she'll find a way to continue to play in coming years - intermural at university, beach during the summers, technique classes with Pakmen.

There were only three returning players this season and the expectations were that it was a "building" team. All that being said, I think they did remarkably well and I enjoyed a number of very close and exciting games. Claire had dreams of OFSAA for her graduating year but it wasn't to be. She will have to settle for earning her school "colours" for her efforts. Some life lessons are harder than others.

Next term? Softball.

around the house | book purge

One of my favourite things in my home are my bookshelves. They're huge and hold so many things that make me happy! What doesn't make me happy is the clutter. I really have to learn that in order to bring in a new book, one has to go. I recently managed to fill up two cases of books to donate.

BOOKSHELVES BEFORE:

BOOKSHELVES AFTER

It was a big job, but well worth it!

The Oakville Literacy Council holds a big used book sale at Hopedale Mall in the spring; in addition, there is going to be a book collection at the kids' school run by the Middle School Council from April 8-18. This has provided me with motivation to get to and purge the rest of the bookshelves in the house! There is a large Ikea Expedit shelving unit in each bedroom, each needing a purge and tidy-up. 

Then again, another option is this idea I came across a little while back: a little outdoor book garden. Another time and place and this would been fun!

How do you manage your books?

Photo Walk | St. Lawrence Market, Toronto

I have not been back to the St. Lawrence Market, in downtown Toronto, for a very long time - more than 30 years! I remember it being vast, busy and filled with food. Very little has changed :)

Every Saturday afternoon for the next few months, I will drive to downtown Toronto as Chloé has started in an acting program. The traffic can be questionable so it doesn't make sense to drive home, 45+ minutes away, when she has only a 3-hour class. There's a lot to do in my home town.

Located less than 2km away from her lessons is the St. Lawrence Market. Last weekend, I took the opportunity to visit again. This time, I wasn't the child, I brought Caden along.

I have to admit, it was stimulating - the sights, sounds and (I'm sure) smells. Caden does not appreciate crowds and he was more than a little uncomfortable with the chaos of it all. It is such an unfamiliar experience for him. Further proof my kids need to have the suburban knocked out of them - I have succeeded with the first two, now it's time to citify the next two!

Caden was far more comfortable walking along outside the market. The problem this particular day was he decided not to wear a coat. Not a good idea! Though it was only -1C outside, it was damp and gray - bone chilling. Not conducive to a nice leisurely walk around town.

I was able to get a couple of shots:

Looking North toward the market from where we parked.

The one thing I think I love most about my hometown is the mixure of old and new - architecture, cultures, traditions ... all of it. So wonderful to see this old church tucked among large modern skyscrapers.

One of my most favourite buildings from my childhood? The Flatiron building. Gorgeous! The view behind has changed, but the building remains the same. Toronto is vibrant and always changing but holding onto the old parts that make it wonderful, to me.

Then it was time to take my shivering boy back to the truck then on to the studio to collect Chloé from her class.

The weather was not on our side today. At all. I was still happy to share a bit of Toronto with Caden. With Chloé's classes close to King Street and Parliament, there is still a ton to see: the Distillery District, Queen's Quay, The Beach, and many more places - maybe up by where I grew up in mid-town or around the Annex (oh, how I'd love to live there!). We can have an adventure every weekend. Toronto is such a great place and I'm hoping my children will learn to love it as much as I do.

anticipation | spring break

Taken March 30, 2012. There is hope!

Most of us here in Oakville are happy to live in our bubble - a place where the weather is ranked #1 in Canada. Because of our proximity to Lake Ontario we rarely get snow in the winter and it is quite cool in the summer - well, in comparison with many other places. This winter? It's been a winter, a real, honest-to-goodness snow- and wind-filled miserable few months. We've had snow. A lot of it. We've had wind. Huge winds have come to make my morning walks icy or wet followed by gobs of heavy snow to make everything pretty but treacherous.

Spring break will bring with it a much welcome escape! I believe I've mentioned a bagillion times over the last few months that I'm so happy my boys are no longer playing hockey and this year is the first one where we are able to enjoy time away as we have no coach-voiced edicts to stay over the break. This year we have plans to head toward the sun. Yay!

Well, that will take up one week of our break - a crazy long break. For reasons I have yet to understand, our school will be closed from March 8 - 24 and then again March 28 - April 1 for Easter. Essentially that means the kids get a whopping eight school days in the whole month of March. Most of the parents I know are even taking the days between leaving only four school days in March for their kids. GREAT for the overseas boaders, but really? I have no idea what we're going to do with the extra time except SLEEP.

Relax. Refresh. Renew. That's the plan.

Hopefully by the time April rolls around we'll have some buds on the trees, some sun in the sky and a brighter outlook on things.

This has been a very long and very dreary winter.

pmm | caden is on the swim team

When the coach of the Middle School swim team approached me at a school event about Caden swimming for the team, I was surprised. Caden? Swim?

I was immediately brought back* to his time in intensive care at Sick Kids, then his recovery time at Bloorview and what I wanted most to do was hyperventalate at the absurdity of the idea. Instead, I simply asked him if he wanted to join the school swim team. He did.

It's about him, not me, so he joined.

It took me until the very last meet of the year to go and watch. Our school has a very small deck and it's hard to take photos. Well, that's the excuse I use :) Caden asked me to attend the last meet of the season at the Etobicoke Olympium. How could I say no?

Caden was entered in three events: 50M Free, 50M Backstroke and 200M Free Medley. I made it out to the pool mid-morning and managed to see him in the 50M Backstroke. I love that every time I ask him how he did in a meet he claims "great, best time yet". He gets it. At this point, the game is not to win the heat but to always beat your personal best. In his 50M Backstroke race he beat his personal best by over 8 seconds. Yay! He came in 43rd place - out of 50 participants

My boy continues to be very angry with me that I have made him stop playing football. He's not pleased he had to give up rugby, either. (It turns out he really didn't like playing hockey, so he was happy mama made him stop. As it turns out, skates hurt - among other things.) We are trying to find a suitable alternative.

That alternative just might be swimming. He likes it way more than hockey and a bit more than rugby. He has even agreed to attend "Performance Swim Camp" this summer in order to get better. Caden's mother is a big believer that if you don't do something well you don't grasp the "fun" in an activity. The better you are at anything the more fun you will have. I encourage Caden's improvement no matter what the activity happens to be.

To be completely honest, I'm just over the moon that we can even experience these arguments and joys and lessons - bring it. I'm so proud of him!

* * * * *

* In 2002, just before Caden turned 3 he almost drown in our pool. His father called me at an event and I rushed to our local hospital to watch the medical staff try to shove a breathing tube down his throat. For an hour. I was then transported, via police car, to Sick Kids hospital in Toronto where Caden remained in a coma, in urgent care, for a week then onto another floor - it's a blur. Upon his discharge, he and I then spent a month, every day, at Bloorview where he went for therapy: occupational, psychological and physical. It was the most traumatic experience of his life. And mine.

48 by 49 | 21 - 24

And my catch up continues! Lots getting done, for sure :)

WEEK 21 | VISION BOARD

Vision boards have been around forever and I've considered making one - and have made a digital one ages ago - but never did I tear apart 50+ magazines to come up with a board that appealed to me. The One Little Word prompt from Ali Edwards for February was to make a vision board (full post and blog hop tomorrow!) and I did. I like how it turned out! It really does represent where I am right now - and where I want to be, soon.

WEEK 22 | RUG

For my birthday, last September, I bought a rug. A 10' x 12' rug for our living room. I have to say, it's a bit staggering to order a hand-knotted rug for a couple of reasons: it's expensive and the choices are many, too many! All I knew is, though it goes against the principle that dark colours go on the bottom, my experience with dark rugs has been the constant need to vacuum - I had to buy a lighter rug. The minute I saw the pattern I knew it was the one. When it arrived in early February, I was pleased that each of my children, separate from one another, exclaimed that it reminded them of Cape Cod. Mission accomplished!

WEEK 23 | PRINTED E-BOOKS

I take a lot of online courses. I have been taking them for YEARS and have accumulated quite a number of e-books as a result. They reside, quietly and unopened, in my computer. Well, they did. I took them up to Staples and had my favourites - 15 of them - printed and bound. Now they are being used!

WEEK 24 | DNA TEST

I have a pretty good idea of my own personal DNA, or at least I think I do! The same cannot be said for my children. Since Claire is going off into the world next year, I thought it was important to give her all of the information available so she can make solid decisions with regards to her health. I ordered a DNA test from www.23andme.com. She and I spit into the tubes, shook it up, sealed the bags and sent them in for evaluation. Now we just have to wait.

________________________________________________________________________

ABOUT THIS PROJECT | I followed New52 with awe and a bit of envy. My plate was so full I just couldn't join in but it was something that piqued my interest. Not that my plate is any less full, but it is more manageable and I hope to fill the wrong side of my 40s with a positive challenge. Let's see where it leads. Thank you to Peppermint and Christine for your weekly big and small inspiration! I love the idea that "it isn’t about making a life-altering change every week, it’s about keeping an open mind and embracing little changes in your life." Life is good.

48 by 49 | 17 - 20

I'll be doing a 2-day catch up with this project. It seems I've been busy doing things rather than sharing them! Today, my new-to-me activities: 17-20, which was supposed to be posted at the end of January, is below. My 21-24 will be up tomorrow!

WEEK 17 | MIDDLE SCHOOL LUNCH

This is my sixth straight year having a child in our Middle School with this year being unique with both Chloé and Caden in Middle One and Middle Two. I have always found it to be an uncomfortable situation where the parents are treated like some necessary evil and not really engaged in the happenings of the school as a larger community. Most of the parents are nervous and unsure with little effort made to assure them, as a group, that the school is a good fit for their child, and for them. I kept waiting to see if something would happen, there was some talk about a lunch - or even a morning coffee, but nothing transpired. In November, I gathered as many email addresses as I could and with the help of many I was able to organize a lunch in mid-January at Alice Fazooli's for 50+ parents. It was a lovely time and I for one am happy to have met a number of new people.

WEEK 18 | BETTER THAN TAKE OUT

I love Chinese Take Out but know it is filled with all kinds of things not good for me - unnecessary fats and MSG. I found some really fabulous recipes via Iowa Girl Eats and a new family favourite is the Easy Chicken Lo Mein (pictured above) which includes noodles - a favourite of my kids as they are not fans of sticky rice. I've been doing my best to make a lot of recipes at home when we are not pressed for time in the evenings.

WEEK 19 | PRE-PAID CAR WASH CARD

It might sound ridiculous, but I am so happy to get this card. It took me a while to find a car wash I like, the one closest and most convenient is really awful and way too expensive for the poor job it did. After driving around town, I found the one at the Petro Canada at Iroquois Shore Road and Trafalgar had the best car wash. Now with a quick tap of the card I can just go for a wash and not have to have a fill at the same time. I loathe driving around in a dirty car (inside or out) and the winter weather has been so sloppy, this really has made me feel fabulous! I know, it sounds silly, but it's true :)

WEEK 20 | LIFE COACH

There is going to come a time when my my life is my own again and my kids will have lives of their own and won't need daily interference from their mama. I'm not looking forward to it, at all, but it is inevitable! I've embarked on a few ventures over the years and know that my biggest failing was in the preparation and anticipation of issues - and my poor choice of business partner. I believe that in our biggest mistakes are our greatest lessons so I'm taking those lessons and I've hired a Life Coach to help me figure out what I want to be when I grow up. By the time Caden is old enough to head off to University, I should have a plan together. Clearly there is no rush, but I have to do something.

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ABOUT THIS PROJECT | I followed New52 with awe and a bit of envy. My plate was so full I just couldn't join in but it was something that piqued my interest. Not that my plate is any less full, but it is more manageable and I hope to fill the wrong side of my 40s with a positive challenge. Let's see where it leads. Thank you to Peppermint and Christine for your weekly big and small inspiration! I love the idea that "it isn’t about making a life-altering change every week, it’s about keeping an open mind and embracing little changes in your life." Life is good.

things we do | semi formal

A little while back both Claire and Cole went to the Semi Formal dinner and dance at their school. I love that they want to participate in the social events offered to the students. I love even more that they still want to attend even without dates. The lack of social pressure they put on themselves is really a testament to their confidence in themselves and I'm very proud of them both. Even moreso that they were willing to go together and supported each other.

This photo was taken as they left the house:

The other day the "official" photos were all uploaded! Both kids sent me their favourites:

Taking a look at some of the dresses I wonder what is considered formal! These ladies look so fancy and grown up.

Claire and her friend, Jess, were definitely having a great time!

THIS is an eclectic group. I love, love, love this photo.

Yeah. That's my kid - Mr. Photo Bomb. Goof.

He can't seem to help himself.

Fun for them! Where is Cole? Find the big group of girls and he'll be in the middle :)

All of the party photos were taken by http://www.streeterstevens.com.

Now? The search is on for the perfect prom dress. The fun never stops :)

Project Life 2013 | Weeks 2 & 3

I am really enjoying this project - even more than last year.

I suppose I needed that time to work out the kinks and figure out what was important enough to be included. I am really getting a feel for how my "style" is evolving - and learning to be happy with it! I find there is a lot of pressure (self imposed!) when looking at the oodles of beautiful projects on blogs, forums and on the dreaded but lovely Pinterest. I've felt like I wasn't doing it right if I didn't do this project the way everyone else was doing it with cute pocket fillers and tons of ephemera. But that style doesn't reflect my life. There is just too much with all four of my kids going in all four directions at once to leave things out in order to make room to include lumpy-bumpy filler. I'll try to keep the pretty and consistent esthetic, but I've never been one for tons of ephemera or fill, for myself.

What appeals to me about Project Life is that I can get it done quickly. I've learned to use some organizational tools and scaled back my handling of pictures and stories to streamline my process. I spend an hour or two during the week making sure to record stories and take photos then put it all together on Sunday afternoon. I spend an hour choosing photos and mapping out my week. After those two hours of prep work, If it takes me more than an hour to get the spread finished - and photographed - then I've taken too much time. I want to live this life, not just record it.

WEEK TWO

WEEK 2 | LEFT SIDE

WEEK 2 | RIGHT SIDE

WEEK 2 | INSERTS

Wrapping up YEAR FIVE of 12 of 12 :) Best project ever because, for me, it was so do-able. I'm so glad to incorporate it into my Project Life last year and now this one, too!

I definitely needed this validation this week!

WEEK THREE

Week 3 | Left Side

Week 3 | Right Side

Week 3 | Inserts

There is a back side, but I've elected to keep it in the album, unshared :)

* * * * *

What is Project Life? Developed by Becky Higgins, Project Life is a memory-keeping system which I use to document, with words and photographs, our very full life, each week of the year! It is really flexible and has made it so much easier to save our stories.

Let's Try This Again | Project Life 2.0

Well, not really again, just a continuation of a wonderful project. After all, life doesn't really stop to start all over again. I have all of the components - photos and stories - to finish off 2012, I just haven't done it yet! I'm about a quarter (13 weeks) behind.

Alas, it has been put on the back burner, until I carve out some dedicated time.

Right now I'm fully engaged in keeping up with my life - and doing my best to record as much as I can to include in weekly layouts. Along the way, I've made a few tweaks to how I've approached this project. I'm hoping these changes will result in more finished weeks. I live forever in hope!

My cover page for 2013 is simple:

The best part of coming up with this opening page was going back through all of my "flagged" photos and finding my absolute favourite pics of my kids taken in 2012. My how they make me laugh and the photos bring back such wonderful memories of wonderful times: Claire snorts when she laughs, Cole kind of let me take "headshots", Chloé loses herself on stage and it is an amazing transformation and Caden, well, he's just a silly goofy pre-teen :)

The first week of 2013 looked like this:

WEEK 1 | LEFT SIDE

WEEK 1 | RIGHT SIDE

WEEK 1 | INSERTS

I wasn't sure if I was going to include inserts this year, but with my clear addiction to Pinterest, I don't know that it will be possible to avoid them! Plus, with so much going on around here all the time, inserts are inevitable.

To be honest, I have no clue where I got this (the link on Pinterest is broken), but it is bright and colourful and in keeping with my attitude toward the upcoming year :)

I've saved this quote a number of times. Perfect for any time of the year, but it is certainly fitting for the first week of the year. The colour is in keeping with my current mood and the font is Museo Slab which I'm using in the project this year.

And with that, my Opening Page and Week 1 is complete. Whoot! Well, complete and shared. I'm actually all up to date. Not bad for 3 full weeks in ;)

Are you participating in Project Life? What lessons have you learned? What are you looking for this project to bring to your life?

and ...

Help!

If anyone knows what lens to use, or settings on a point-and-shoot, to get less curve when taking photos of a 12x12 page for sharing, your advice would be greatly appreciated!

December Daily | 22 - 31

Finishing up! My December Daily for 2012 has been completed, but in the crush of Christmas and the excitement of the new year, I completely forgot to close out this project by sharing it here!

Wow! What a full month. I love that this December is the same but different from last December is the same but different from the one before. I really wouldn't know that unless I did this project which is what makes it special and worthwhile. It is a definite "must do" for next year.

Now that the layouts are done maybe I should get to putting the album together!

48 by 49 | 13 - 16

Okay, so my 4 Simple Goals post of yesterday was supposed to be posted today - the 4th of the month. Below is the post for yesterday. A bit of a mix up but all fixed now :)

WEEK 13 | TIED UP WITH STRING

I have always wanted to have a simple Christmas. That includes simple wrapping, simple tags, simple presents. An event that takes place on ONE DAY (or close to it). We put lights out front for "the season" because I like twinkling lights covered in snow but beyond that our holiday was very low key filled with people we love, food we enjoy and brown paper packages tied up with string. Perfect.

WEEK 14 | CONNECTIONS

I have some of the best girlfriends anyone can have. The ladies above have populated my life for the last 10+ years and I admit they are better to me than I am to them. Even though we're all equally busy they are all able to remember me and make me feel loved and included, always. We don't get together nearly often enough, but when we do it is wonderful! When I met them - each of them - soon after Caden's accident, it never dawned on me that a decade in we'd still be friends, through good times, bad times, moves, divorces, breast cancer, proms, drivers licenses, career changes, trips overseas, graduations, university selections, sport seasons ... oh my. So much!

WEEK 15 | #REVERB12

I don't work on regret or in reverse so it came as a surprise to me when I realized sometime in mid-November that I wish I had completed a #reverb project in 2011. Or, at least some kind of project that reconciled the year that had just passed. Perhaps a little reflection is exactly what I need to make better choices going forward. This was a wonderful exercise and I won't miss another year.

WEEK 16 | CLAIRE'S 20.12.2012 BIRTHDAY

I was not willing to disappoint Claire ever again. Promises were kept and plans were made to celebrate her 20.12.2012 birthday. Over the past six months, we discussed a number of options and she finally settled on Barbados. With two friends. Never in my life did I expect to go on a trip with six children - okay teenagers and almost teenagers - but I did. Six days of sun, sand, ocean, and food. It was a lovely time and they were great!

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ABOUT THIS PROJECT |  I followed New52 with awe and a bit of envy. My plate was so full I just couldn't join in but it was something that piqued my interest. Not that my plate is any less full, but it is more manageable and I hope to fill the wrong side of my 40s with a positive challenge. Let's see where it leads. Thank you to Peppermint and Christine for your weekly big and small inspiration! I love the idea that "it isn’t about making a life-altering change every week, it’s about keeping an open mind and embracing little changes in your life." Life is good.

December Daily | 15 - 21

Sticking with it :)

The kids are getting older and Santa has moved along to homes with younger children :) After a lovely chance to sleep in to 10AM, we enjoyed a wonderful brunch followed by present opening, phone calls to loved ones and a viewing of "Brave" - a DVD gifted to Claire. A wonderful and relaxed day.

We now have Christmas Carols on the stereo and everyone is spending time getting to know their new gifts. Who knows, maybe I'll even indulge in a nap? Then it's off to Christmas dinner with friends.

I can only hope everyone had as lovely a day as ours has been. Our heart-felt Merry Christmas wishes to everyone!

anticipation | winter

Photo taken 30 January 2012 on the campus of Appleby College at drop off.

We had a whirlwind start to the school year. Autumn often caught me by surprise with many unanticipated changes in direction and perspective. Right now I'm feeling confident about our future and the decisions made, but also a bit exposed - not my natural, or preferred, condition! I am very sure I'm not the only one in our home who feels this way. I am happy that winter officially arrives while we are on holiday, a little break from the routine and pressure of school to relax and recharge.

With the arrival of winter, we are looking forward to:

• The absense of hockey. I think I've mentioned that before :)
• With that absense comes the opportunity to feel sand and sea between our toes, at least for a few days over the Christmas break.
• Incorporating my guiding word for 2013 into my life.
• Swimming: for me it is lengths at our local YMCA - for Caden it's the swim team at Appleby. Go Dogs! LOVE that he wants to participate in the optional extra swims, too.
• Online Projects: Move More, Eat Well 2.0; The Art of Composition; One Little Word; and, Snapshots of a Good Life. Yes, again, I'm hoping to incorporate these projects into my every day. Fingers crossed it works!
• Still not sure what to do about Project Life. Do I continue? Do I stop? Argh! There is no good answer!
• Lower braces will be put on to balance the upper braces already installed. Chloé is managing really well and brushing a lot. The only thing she misses, so far, is popcorn :)
• Claire is the captain of the varsity volleyball team. Though some tournaments have been cancelled due to the teacher issues in the public sector, she is optimistic while leading her team through this "building" year.
• Dropping Cole off for his Jazz Classes really does provide me with a giggle every Wednesday.
• There is not much I don't want to learn. Lately, thanks to Elaine, I've renewed an interest in the tradition of hocus pocus in the form of tarot cards and readings. I'm looking forward to having some girlfriends over and welcome the new year with a new card-inspired perspective.
• Rehearsals for Fiddler on the Roof will become more intense in preparation for the big show at the end of February.
• Middle School drama will continue its conspiracy to drive me mad. I really don't know if I can make it through this year without losing it on a few nasty 13 year old girls. Save me from the mean girls!
• So disappointed in this season of Glee :( On the bright side: my Thursday evenings will be free! I really must find another must-see show for me and the kids to share.
• Science Fair! I am so happy it's been moved to only the Middle Two classes. I don't know what I'd do if I had to help with two projects at once.
• Acting Mechanics classes start for both Chloé and Cole at Armstrong Acting Studios in Toronto. I cannot wait to see what they learn in this program. If they survive this and want to continue then I'll know they're serious.
• Caden was so disappointed not making the U14 boys volleyball team at school. To remedy this he's taking lessons with Pakmen Volleyball in Mississauga. LOVE that he's in a sport that requires incredible coordination and it's at room temperature!
• Concerts, concerts and more concerts will keep Claire busy. Well, busy asking if she can go. Still not sure if she will, but I love her enthusiasm. I also love (more) that I actually know the music performed by these bands when she asks!
• There is a ton of singing in our home. A ton. To me, singing is a sign of happiness and abandon. I love that there is singing. Even I have started!
• We're looking forward to more university acceptances and plenty of discussion. Decisions will have to be made. Big - and fun - decisions. New adventures to anticipate.
• Watching more movies. Good movies. Teaching the kids to be more discerning in their choices. Time is precious: spend time watching, not wasting.
• I'm actually considering attending a movie. In a theatre. The last time I was in a theatre was to see Eight Below - in 2006 - I took Cole and a group of boys to celebrate Cole's birthday. (Before that it was Schindlers List in 1993!) So many amazing movies released lately and upcoming that are "big screen" worthy!
• I am really hoping for a huge storm that will leave the town blanketed in snow so I can take "winter wonderland" photos - in downtown Oakville and over at the school. And then it can melt - quickly.

While I wait for that hoped-for storm to arrive, I will continue to do what I do: make lemon chicken thighs by the dozens; drive kids to activities and wait in endless parking lots; help them with their studies; encourage them when they're upset; find fixes for their problems or just hug them when they need it. Right now, my life is as it should be: almost always about the kids. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I anticipate that this winter will be cozy and calm. Fingers crossed!

12 of 12 | December

1. It was a cold morning as I got the youngers into the truck and off to school for the LEAF (Learning, Evaluation, Assessment, Foundations) Program of the day. They do this in lieu of Christmas exams. Today Caden is off to the Science Centre and Chloé has a creative writing program to attend.

2. Conjugating verbs in the truck on the way to school, in preparation of his French exam. I don't know if it did Cole any good. My kids may have a Quebecois surname, but they don't have an ear for the language!

3. I got home and got onto daily chores - first order of business, empty the dishwasher.

4. I'm so happy to have the glass for the new shower arrive, early! I'm still a bit breathless at the cost of glass, but wow, is it ever fantastic.

5. No exams for Claire today. She caught up on some much needed sleep and then took herself to the Eaton Centre in Toronto to find the elusive winter coat. Claire is not as tall as I am, but she did inherit my crazy long arms. It is really hard to find a good fit. I wished her good luck and dropped her off at the GO station. (Yes, she was successful. The coat is fabulous!)

6. Evidence that Wanda has been here is always the Twinnings Earl Grey tea bags in the sink.

7. Home from his French exam - results questionable; and his Vocal exam - results expected to be spectacular, Cole treated himself some BBQ ribs.

8. Danny came over to discuss some changes that have to be made to the security system. They'll be back today to fix us up!

9. Claire's friend Jess joined us for dinner. It's always a treat to have her here at the house - she really is a most welcome new member of our family. The girls have become such good friends and I have my fingers crossed that this bond lasts a lifetime.

10. Never did I ever expect to walk into a dance studio with Cole. I mean, never. Things change. I'm glad we are both open to the possibilities. Miss Sarah has much confidence in his promise, as does he. Me? I use my hour to sit and write out my "to do" list in a place with no distractions.

11. The evening crap-collection! The main floor has been picked up and all of the shoes, coats, books, and other ephemera moved to where it all belongs. What an exhausing process - not the actual doing, but the negotiating!

12. I ended my day watching the Barbara Walters "Most Fascinating Person" show. I got into it late. Do I agree with the final choice? No. Does it matter? No. The whole collection of people are interesting and I enjoy the brief glimpses into their lives, this show and all those before it.

I know that today was an auspicious 12th, but in keeping with my project, I went with it simply being another 12th of the month that I am able to share with my children and record as I always do. So happy to continue with this project.

48 by 49 | 09 - 12

WEEK 09 | ACTIVITY

This is a case of the mind being willing, but the body might not be ready - yet! I had my first tennis lesson in a couple of decades and LOVED it. My knees did not. I know that even though I'm in a lot of pain I'll just have to grind through it and KEEP MOVING. Pain is a great deterrent to moving and I've given in far too often. The key is to modify my ambitions. I'll keep my weekly tennis lesson, cut back to walking a half-hour each day, swim at least twice a week then increase things from there. On the back burner are my plans to get a skipping rope and mini-trampoline or any "boot camp" plans, and I won't be joining any tennis ladders any time soon, but my goal is to be in better shape - resulting in less pain - by mid-March, 2013. I'm thrilled with the start. Why? Because I started.

WEEK 10 | ACCOMMODATE

I didn't learn that I had a disability until I was in my early-20s. In those days it was called dyslexia, but in those days everything was called dyslexia. I don't know what I have, but I've learned to live with it. I've also learned that it is something I've passed along to my children. Last summer, Claire took an intensive  one-month course to get her grade 12 advanced functions credit. This way she didn't have to carry two stress-inducing math courses in her final year. Heading into the exam she had a 96% average. Claire bombed the exam - she always bombs exams. The anxiety is all-consuming and she freezes. I have always been accused of having my kids "too busy" so they don't have time to study and therefore the school was unwilling to consider any alternative. This math course was perfectly timed. Claire was not overly taxed for time in July and one day she received a quiz back where she got 100% and the next day she got a 64% on her exam. It was clear it was not a function of busy that kept her from excelling at her exams. The guidance office was extremely helpful and I set Claire up for a full evaluation. We now have proof of crazy high IQ (wow!) and high anxiety. Accommodations have been made and this upcoming exam season should prove to be far less stressful for my girl. It was a huge process for both of us but I think it's been completely worth it. We'll see for sure at the end of the month!

WEEK 11 | HEAD SHOTS

I am a good photographer. I have a good eye and great equipment. For the life of me, I cannot take a good shot of my kids. They always put on that face. You know, the "take the stupid picture mama and let's get out of here" face. Cole needed head shots for his resumé. As painful as it was, I swallowed my pride and called a photographer. I think the shots turned out really well - even without me behind the camera! What it did do was give me the idea to take photos for my friends of their own kids who might give their parents and equally hard time. Definitely something to consider - but after we get things rolling for Cole with sending out resumés and photos! A whole new world.

WEEK 12 | COUCH

I don't know that I would call myself cheap, but I am always on the look-out for good value. It never occurred to me that I would find value at Restoration Hardware. The concepts are not synonymous! Guess what? The couch is gorgeous and I couldn't find it, or anything similar, for less money than RH. I spent 6-months and zip. I finally gave up and gave in. This 100" Maxwell Sectional is PERFECT for our space and for my family. Super big and super comfortable, it is in the centre of our living room. Sometimes what we believe to be true is just not true at all.

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ABOUT THIS PROJECT | I followed New52 with awe and a bit of envy. My plate was so full I just couldn't join in but it was something that piqued my interest. Not that my plate is any less full, but it is more manageable and I hope to fill the wrong side of my 40s with a positive challenge. Let's see where it leads. Thank you to Peppermint and Christine for your weekly big and small inspiration! I love the idea that "it isn’t about making a life-altering change every week, it’s about keeping an open mind and embracing little changes in your life." Life is good.

things we do | ear piercings

Third time is the charm?

Claire has had her ears pierced - twice. Each time something has happened and an earring came out and the hole sealed up really quickly. Chloé has never expressed an opinion one way or another so it never occured to me that she wanted her ears pierced.

Until a couple of weeks ago.

Claire called up to Way Cool Tattoos, knowing that they knew what they were doing, and made an appointment for both she and her sister. I thought I was going to simply drop them off. Not a chance! I had to arrive, with photo ID for all of us. Passports in hand, we signed documents and swore we were who we are.

This is serious stuff.

Then it was off to the back room. The girls (and I) received a lengthy explanation of the procedure as well as what is to be done to encourage healing: eat well, wash your hands often, dry completely, lots of really good information on organics and alternative healing therapies. LOVE that a guy covered in tattoos and questionable dental work was giving my girls the same talk they hear from me! The talk took about an hour, the actual piercing took about a half hour.

Then my girls, with their Swarofsky sparklers - pink and clear - were done.

Let's hope these "take"!

 

48 by 49 | 05 - 08

WEEK 05 | SUBSCRIPTION

Like lots of mums, I spend a crazy amount of time in parking lots waiting for my children. Though my kids go to an e-school there is almost zero connectivity for my iPhone or iPad so I have resorted to old fashioned magazine reading! I had forgotten how much I missed it. New discoveries include: ANNA, The Simple Things, More, Seeing the Everyday, Best Health and Fine Cooking: Cooking Fresh. These, along with Vanity Fair, Oprah, MSL, Canadian House & Home, Whole Health and Artful Blogging round out what has become a rather large monthly selection of reading material. We'll see over the course of the year which are renewed and which go by the wayside. So far it's looking like I have more keepers than not :)

WEEK 06 | LIGHT FIXTURE

After hemming and hawing for MONTHS, I finally ordered a fixture for my kitchen. The single pendant wasn't cutting it. I have 114" island - yes, that is nine-and-a-half-feet! It needed a fixture that would shed light on more than just the sink. The fixture was put up right away and it is perfect in the space. I am so happy I got it. One thing that makes me particularly happy was that I chose it, ordered it and paid for it before it won some big-time lighting award and the price doubled!

WEEK 07 | TELEVISION

Quirky. Smart. That's all I ask for in a television show. Oh, and that I don't want to have to think too hard - I far prefer to be entertained by the time 10PM rolls around - but I don't want to suffer silly, rude or just plain gross behaviour. I am often afraid to like a show too much since those I tend to really enjoy are quickly cancelled (I still mourn the demise of GCB and Traveler). My success with television lately - and the reason for the inclusion in my 48 by 49:  I've finally learned to use the DVR and OnDemand. It turns out those two things make for a far more enjoyable experience.

WEEK 08 | MEAL

My boys love onions. I do not. Well, I did not. Maybe I was using the wrong onions: only yellow cooking onions around here. I was going through my new magazines and stumbled upon one that called for A LOT of red onion and chicken breasts and a bunch of other ingredients, some favourites and some have never been served in my home. Well, this one was a winner! I'll make a couple of adjustments next time, up the cumin and cut the onion in half (a bit of compromise, boys!) but it's definitely in the meal rotation.

The recipe:

1 medium lemon
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium clove garlic, smashed and peeled
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (450g), trimmed and cut into 1.5cm strips
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lemon and then juice the lemon*

Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken, lemon zest, cumin, salt and pepper and cook, stirring , unti lthe chicken is just cooked thorugh, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parsley and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Discard the garlic if you want. Seson to taste with salt and pepper.

I served it with steamed broccoli and some left over "dirty mash" potatoes (new potatoes mashed with the skin on). Totally yummy with thumbs up from every picky member of my clan.

* I find it easier to juice a lemon if it is at room temperature, or from fridge, toss in the microwave for a few seconds.

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ABOUT THIS PROJECT | I followed New52 with awe and a bit of envy. My plate was so full I just couldn't join in but it was something that piqued my interest. Not that my plate is any less full, but it is more manageable and I hope to fill the wrong side of my 40s with a positive challenge. Let's see where it leads. Thank you to Peppermint and Christine for your weekly big and small inspiration! I love the idea that "it isn’t about making a life-altering change every week, it’s about keeping an open mind and embracing little changes in your life." Life is good.

things we do | inspiration in minneapolis

Often our family field trips come as a result of a question posed by one of the kids. In this case, Claire said "Maya, who?" Evidence that I had clearly failed as a mum or Oprah went off air too soon!

Sometime in late September we were having a typical family conversation about everything and nothing. We tend to all talk at the same time which is sometimes confusing, but more often it is amusing and filled with information. During one of those crazy cross-talk sessions it was revealed to me that Claire did not know who Maya Angelou is ... huh? I was flabbergasted. THIS must be rectified!

I knew Dr. Angelou was still speaking but her schedule was limited. After all, the American national treasure, is 84 and goes to all of her engagements via bus. I was not deterred. Claire offered a challenge and I was going to find where this brilliant woman was speaking and go listen!

It turns out the closest venue in the near future was Minneapolis! I had to get tickets. Then it occured to me that I have a virtual friend, with a daughter about Claire's age, who might be interested in attending. Should this woman prove be the same as the woman I've come to know on her blog and in her classes (we all know a public persona can differ from that shown publicly) I was sure she'd at least be happy to go to the show. Much to my delight, Cathy Zielske and her daughter, Aidan, agreed to join us!

This was shaping up to be a real adventure.

Then Claire didn't want to go. This year she's in boarding and in her final year of high school. LOTS of pressure to perform. She didn't want to spare the day - and it would be a full day. I promised her it would be worth it and if it wasn't she could hold it against me forever :)

Well, great news: it was worth it!

Everything was gathered up for our big adventure: passports, itinerary, event tickets, wallet. All set!

We left a foggy and miserable Toronto Pearson and arrived in a drizzly day in Minneapolis-St. Paul. It turns out that Claire got my poor travel gene and we were both a bit woozie when we arrived. Then there was the crazy cab ride to the hotel. The $40 bill didn't help much!

She spied the Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet upon our arrival. Not deterred by being in a busy city core, she headed over to check it out. (My kids seem to thrive on the energy found only in big urban centres, the complete opposite of our sleepy, suburban environment.) I had to laugh at her text: "Outlet? With these prices this is no outlet." That's my girl!

 Time to get ready!

Yes, I'm starting to take more photos of myself. Proof I was here! Then, with tickets and camera, we headed down to the lobby to meet Cathy and Aidan. So exiting! It was a quick walk to dinner at Bucca di Beppo Restaurant.

Aren't they gorgeous? The girls are only a few months apart in age and they had a ton in common. It was so nice to have Claire open up, with her defences put on pause for the evening. (Like many people, she can get very nervous meeting new people and she tends to be a bit prickly until you get to know her). With Aidan being a vegetarian and Claire not getting any "good" pasta in residence it was the perfect restaurant choice. The food was AMAZING. I loved that it was all served "family style" and wish there were something similar here - outside my own kitchen :)

Then we were off to the big event!

Extraordinary. The courage of kindness and the gift of rainbows will be something that stays with me forever. I had said to a friend on facebook that I would love to be like Maya Angelou when I grow up but I don't think I'm brave enough to endure the struggles she's had to endure in order to become the woman she is now. The stories were amazing. Her voice and tone was like a big hug, so engaging. What a tremendous evening!

I know that you can hear many recordings on YouTube and other internet sites, but being there was what it was all about. The audience was mesmerized and we spent a lot of time clapping, laughing and we were happy to give her a well deserved standing ovation upon her arrival and at the end of her inspiring talk.

Many thanks to Cathy and Aidan for sharing this special evening with us!

A bit of after-event conversation. Claire had a few questions that had never occurred to me to explain before we went to the talk. The Black-American experience is something quite foreign to my daughter and not something we in Canada are exposed to with our own "minorities". We just don't share the same history of slavery and oppression. In fact, the town we live in was one of the final destinations of the Underground Railroad, something I wish we celebrated. I think it would be a good idea to explore the history more - if for no other reason than to understand the divisiveness and rhetoric of our closest neighbours and largest trading partner. I'm so glad attending the talk lead to a great conversation and a lot of thoughtful questions!

Happy that the one-hour time change got her some extra sleep!

From my years in a hockey rink I became a fan of mixing too sweet hot chocolate with burnt coffee. It makes a pretty decent mocha. I have to say, THIS morning mocha in the airport was AMAZING.

We had some time once we cleared security so Claire quickly moved on to another priority - Halloween costumes! And with that our Minneapolis adventure came to an end!

I wonder what will be next?

things we do | massey hall

For the most part, I have four selective eaters. They've always been that way. Of the four, I have one picky eater. Or should I say, I had one picky eater. A couple of years ago, and with daily thanks since to Jamie Oliver and his "Food Revolution" television show, Cole eats real food. We've moved beyond microwaveable crap to tasty and nutritious choices.

Claire is my best eater, trying new things and enjoying nutritionally balanced offerings with the occasional binge of Dr. Pepper and Mars bars (newly changed to ginger ale and peanut M&Ms). Chloé prefers most of her food to be white - yes, ick - and carb filled. Caden has always been my most active child in the kitchen, often willing to try new things and help me prepare.

I've learned to choose my battles. In order to keep things well rounded and healthy we may indulge in far too much of some of the same things: roasted asparagus, steamed broccoli, "mama" rice, sauteed tomatoes and mushrooms, wilted spinach and oodles of salad. Not a large selection, but the kids will eat all of it! A few times a week I experiment - usually from a Jamie Oliver or Barefoot Contessa cookbook - and if there are enough thumbs up, it will enter the rotation.

For the longest time we had Jamie Chicken at least once a week. Things have changed and now that Claire - my only white meat eater - has moved out of the house, I purchase a crazy amount of "club pack" chicken thighs as preparing a whole chicken was a waste. I still appreciate the lessons learned via Jamie Oliver through his television show, his cookbooks, his TED talk.

What does all of this have to do with Massey Hall?

Well, Jamie Oliver came to town!

Jamie Oliver has a new cookbook out and I was thrilled learn that he was on a book tour which would bring him to Toronto. I was even more thrilled that my boys wanted to come to Massey Hall and hear him with me!

After a CRAZY day - that included dentist appointments and voice lessons - we hopped into the truck and drove into Toronto to hear a very engaging man speak about his "special needs", his passion for food, his determination to make good food accessible and his life with four young children. He was engaging and charming and Cole was thrilled we attended. Caden kept expecting a cooking demonstration and was less than happy that after an hour and a half there was no food preparation.

As part of the price of admission we each received a copy of the new cookbook - Jamie Oliver's Great Britain. Cole got home and promptly folded over pages filled with recipes he'd like me to make for the family. Who knows, this time around he might even help me make them?

As you can imagine, no matter how much we love the man, we do not need three copies of one cookbook!

If you're interested in a copy, leave a comment answering:

What is the favourite vegetable in your house and how best is it prepared?

I'll draw for a winner sometime later in the week - let's say, Friday the 2nd by noon my time :)

48 by 49

WHY 48 by 49? | In order for me to be a full and complete person, I have to keep learning and experiencing as much as possible. 2011, certainly the end of it, beat the crap out of me and left me with a desperate desire to crawl under a rock. My family refers this (less than) charming aspect of my personality as "turtling". It took me about a year to recover and now 48 by 49 has been chosen provide me with accountability for getting out and about and gently force me to experience new things each week.

WEEK 01 | HEALTH

I'm learning you can't be successful without building a sturdy foundation for change. Through August and September, I built an accurate baseline with my FitBit. How much do I move? How much do I sleep? How much do I need to improve? So, it appears I am naturally at 30% of my "goal" of 10,000 steps as well as the other activities being tracked. Now that the weather is cooperating, I walk around the 50 acre campus at the kids' school three times then head home a couple of times each week. With help of my iPhone, I've set reminders through the day to "get off butt and ... walk around the block or do laundry or run up the stairs" and it's working! Upcoming, I have scheduled "appointments" in that same iPhone to visit our local YMCA four mornings a week to swim and walk before I get the kids off to school.

WEEK 02 | B12 DEFICIENCY

As is often the case, when you turn your attention to one aspect of your life, in this case heath, a lot of things come along with it. For me, I have very little energy. I thought it was simply the thyroid disease I was diagnosed with 18 months ago. I came to realize it has to be something else, in addition. Is it age? menopause? laziness? thyroid disease? I do suffer from all of those things, but my blood tests came back that I have trace amounts of B12 even with a monthly shot and an oral losenge taken twice daily. My natural habit is not to push for answers or be confrontational with the "expert" aka doctor. Now I'm hounding my family doctor and my naturopath to figure out what is going on. In the meantime I'm getting shots, taking my meds and moving more - can't hurt, right?

WEEK 03 | NOVEL

I finished Gone Girl a couple of weeks ago. It was chilling and stays with me still in it's casual horror. Seriously scary stuff. The whole book was good: beginning, middle and end. That's what I need. A book that doesn't disappoint at the end. I am now reading The Dovekeepers by my favourite Alice Hoffman and it's a bit of a grind at this point, but I know she won't let me down. I'm also in the middle of Daring Greatly and it has been validating and engaging.

WEEK 04 | REGAINED SELF RESPECT

It was high time for me to practice what I preach. Some people stay in a volunteer capacity because they "should" even when they are being undermined and treated without respect. I used to subscribe to that philosophy, but I don't any more. With much regret, and fear of mistaken perception, I resigned from my position as clothing buyer for our school shop. It was a job I loved and was most passionate about. They hired a new manager and our roles are redundant. This is in addition to the disappointing fact that she is a rude woman who hoards power and information while trying to undermine those who "work" for her. I worked for that type in the corporate world, I didn't need to suffer that again in my volunteer world. Whatever will I do with all my free time? 44 more things to discover!

________________________________________________________________________

ABOUT THIS PROJECT | I followed New52 with awe and a bit of envy. My plate was so full I just couldn't join in but it was something that piqued my interest. Not that my plate is any less full, but it is more manageable and I hope to fill the wrong side of my 40s with a positive challenge. Let's see where it leads. Thank you to Peppermint and Christine for your weekly big and small inspiration! I love the idea that "it isn’t about making a life-altering change every week, it’s about keeping an open mind and embracing little changes in your life." Life is good.

things we do | homecoming

September is filled with activities that revolve around the school: grade parties, camping trips and Homecoming. Each month is filled with its share of activities but September is my favourite as everything is shiny and new with everyone enthusiastic and ready to start the year on the right footing.

My kids are always involved in many activities at the school - and sometimes more than they can manage. Homecoming was a lovely event:

When we arrived at 10:30AM the junior varsity soccer team was already playing the rival Hillfield Strathallan team from Hamilton.

Chloé and Caden were happy to find the Bake Sale table.

Distance (and time) clearly makes the heart grow fonder!

Claire has some lovely - and spirited - friends.

The Varsity team was busy on Main Field. I don't think they won, but they were great to watch!

She amazes me with her enthusiasm and courage. In front of the community in the dining hall she sang with Appleby Rocks. "Little Black Submarine" by The Black Keys was this number. Claire has a lovely voice and really enjoys this creative release.

Last year I was struck with all of the talent at the school. I had no idea so many kids did so many things so well! I promised myself I wouldn't miss any performances this year and the kids are off to a great start!

The Varsity Volleyball team was amazing to watch. They are going to have a great year ahead!

The new principal and his wife greeted many visitors all day long - welcoming many back to the school they love and greeting more than a few of the current parents, too.

Friends drove up in this happy VW van and the boys jumped right in. Such a funny vehicle! After such a gray day the orange was a welcome distraction.

And with that, Homecoming was over for another year. Just five more to go!

anticipation | autumn

After a long and hot summer I welcome autumn with open arms!

The cooler weather has me wearing long sleeves and I even replaced my ratty old sweatpants, though, I haven't found a replacement for my equally (or more) ratty old black duster sweater so it will be worn for another season!

Back to school heralded some incredible changes in our world. Claire is in boarding and really learning wonderful lessons. Cole feels safe and he is fully engaged in the arts world. Chloé is coming into her own which is incredible since I always thought she was there already. Caden takes my breath away with his commitment to making an effort - he puts his hand up in class, he's made some buddies and he looks adorable in his uniform! We are only just settling into a routine.

With the arrival of autumn we are looking forward to:

• Football games for Caden. He is enjoying the cooler weather. He is a great football player, often in for the whole game - offence and defence.
• The absense of hockey!
• Chloé is starting back at her vocal lessons. This year she is also taking up piano. I can hear her practicing so I think this is a brilliant new skill for her to master.
• Cole is busy with vocal coaching, the start of dance classes, and his agent planning modeling and acting gigs. It's deja vu all over again :) Though the business has changed a ton since the mid-80s that's for sure!
• Homecoming at the kids' school which includes Claire singing with the band. She tells me she has a couple of solos, so that should be fun! I love her fearless sense of adventure and fun.
• Lots of home cooking and maybe even some adventures in baking are in the planning stages. So, so happy CZ has come up with these recipe templates!
• New television shows. We're looking forward to Elemenary, Nashville, Go On and Revolution.
• Old television shows. We can't wait to see what's been happening over on Glee, Once Upon A Time, Blue Bloods, Grimm, Revenge, Castle and The Good Wife. Hmm. I think we watch too much television!
• And some "can't find" television shows. Hart of Dixie, Homeland, Arrow and Boss.
• Still miss the ladies of GCB :( Bless their hearts!
• It looks like we'll be changing our Thanksgiving plans - we were going to go to the Maritimes - since the SATs have to be written that weekend.
• I'm hoping to meet up with a girlfriend for a photo walk of the Badlands up in Caledon (about an hour away) to see the changing of the leaves.
• The greatly anticipated Daring Greatly read along. What a fantastic book - I'm really enjoying this read through, with tons of underlines and notes in the margins. I'm really looking forward to this author-lead experience.
• I'm taking Claire to Minneapolis to see the incomparable Maya Angelou. We'll be joined by friends and I can't wait to share this evening with all of them.
• This will be my first time participating in BlissdomCanada. Scared. Excited. Mostly feeling like a fraudulent fish-out-of-water.
• Thunderstorms, a roaring fireplace, music on the stereo, a cup of tea, a good book and a big blanket set the stage for me to get comfortable atop the new leather couch. I hope to have a chance to do this - a lot!
• A trip for Claire's (20-12-2012) birthday is in the works and we're all really looking forward to something new and different.
• Project REAL Life might just be too much to handle, but it should be good :) Any chance to learn something new is never a waste.
• Regular "move more" has been introduced and with the cooler weather coming I'll be spending a lot of time at the YMCA - in and out of the pool.
• Sunday is movie day around here with my focus being on Cole recognizing good acting, directing and writing. As a result LOTS of classics are going to be watched and critiqued. Where in the world is Elwy Yost of Saturday Night at the Movies when I need him!?! Maybe I could find re-runs on line?

This autumn is very different from years past. No hockey. At all. I'll miss the excitement of the games, cheering in the stands, sharing coffee and conversation with friends and the rosey cheeks of my boys giving it hard all game. I will not miss the ridiculous and pointless politics, mean parents or my youngest being targeted on the ice every. single. game. Happily all of my kids - players and cheerers - are equally relieved not to be back at the rink for many of the same reasons, though it is far more personal for the boys.

The kids finally recognize that you can lose the pennant early in the season so they've all taken their studies very seriously. I anticipate only a few bumps in our routine through to the Christmas break in order to keep continuity and focus through the exam period. I think they're enjoying quiet evenings and the regular early bedtime routines. I know I do!

Happy autumn :)

anticipation | back to school

Though my kids may not think they actually left school with their July was spent either in math class or at camp where they actually go to school, this is in fact the "most wonderful time of the year". Back to school is here!

Growing up, I loved everything the start of school brought with it: new school clothes (even a fresh uniform is a nice thing!), new markers and pencil crayons, binders and fresh, blank, refill paper waiting to be filled and all the hubub that accompanied the last week of summer holidays. Now my kids are happy for fresh uniforms - at least new shirts, pants and socks - as markers and paper have been replaced with a laptop and fancy software. Well, there is always new shoes!

This year, we're looking forward to:

• Adventures in boarding for Claire (the final year of high school is mandatory boarding for all students in their school). She has her fridge, fuzzy robe and slippers; and, plenty of ramen noodles and KD.
• All four of the kids being in one school. For one year. It's better than nothing!
• University applications and the process of finding the right school for next year and trips to those institutions of higher learning to confirm the right fit.
• Through the summer there was a roll-out of new laptops. Still not Mac's, but hopefully better than what they've been using.
• Cole continues to suffer from concussion symptoms and we're hoping he can participate in alternative non-sport co-curriculars. The requests have been made of the right people.
• Less drama. Um, well, it is high school. I can hope.
• New courses. New teachers. New curriculum. New administrative team.
• Embracing change. A far better approach than the alternative!
• Opportunities to rise to challenges: learning from mistakes made last year and making better choices this year and beyond.
• Remembering that we teach people how to treat us and we are our own best advocate.
• Standing up to the bullies, as we know they are cowards. Even in numbers.

School is not just about books and learning their contents, but maneuvering around people and pushing ourselves to learn more things about: service, arts, academics and athletics. I love that our school, though flawed like anything human-conceived and -run, gives all four of my kids four unique experiences, tailored to their interests, strengths and weaknesses.

And what, you may wonder, will I do with my days between 8AM drop off and 5PM pick up? No doubt I'll find something to occupy my time. Well, in fact, that is exactly what has been going on. Caden has just completed his prep courses for e-school, French and Math; Claire is readying herself to move into boarding; Cole and Chloé have poured all over the calendar and have a game plan for the school year ahead that includes great marks and I've spent the last few weeks putting the College Shop together with all kinds of new and exciting products lining our shelves and playing "parent buddy" to a half-dozen new students starting next week!

We still have a few days to prepare. Most of our world went back to school yesterday, my kids and their classmates don't head back until next Monday.

I am hoping, with some free time, I'll catch up on my sleep, improve my health and read a couple of books!

What do you anticipate this new school year?

one frame at a time | weekend

Given that I didn't have my camera out of my hands much this weekend, I was surprised to see how few of our activities were recorded! Funny how our perspective can be wrong by the time the memory card is uploaded to the computer. I must be more mindful of the photos I take of OUR lives, rather than those of group activities.

At any rate, a bit of what it's like around here on the weekend:

It often feels like we are all together as a family, a lot. The reality is we are together but in fits and starts, not often all four of my kids all together at one time. Friday night I was determined and we all went to see Claire in her tournament in Mississauga. We enjoyed Cole's +1 who joined us at Jack Astor's for dinner then the game. It was a GREAT game and so glad all of my kids watched their sister - and her team - play so well!

It really is random what you can see at the back of a ball diamond. I often pass by this structure when getting off the 403 (highway) and to be so close, I took a ton of photos :)

Lots of action to capture on the field. I took over 400 photos of the three games on Friday and Saturday. I got some really great action shots!

No time is more optimistic than a group of players before a game. The energy is always so positive and upbeat. Love watching everyone relate to each other.

Claire uploaded all of the photos to Facebook. While at River Oaks, for the Provincial Championship for the age level above, she was showing the photos to her teammates who came by to cheer on the "Big League" team.

A new Starbucks opened by our house. I am not a fan of most of their products, but on a hot day I do enjoy the Mocha Frappacino - hold the whip!

The older kids needed their bikes repaired and we took them in. Not only did they get serviced, but I came home with a new bike. My balance is a bit off, but I'm looking forward to riding as an option to walking - and certainly better than driving!

What was not captured:

Watching the Wimbledon finals. Amazing! We were rooting for the Scot Murray, though, with a soft spot for Federer. A fabulous final. (We also watched a bit of the ladies' finals, Serena rocks!)

The boys went with their Titans team to London, ON for a football game. Cole as a coach and Caden as a player. The game was a challenge - losing 34-0. Caden was rarely on the bench as he played both ways (offence and defence) all game long.

Cole went off to a friend's house to play Dungeons & Dragons. I love that he tries a bunch of new things with is friends. One of those things is riding his bike to places. Saturday night I had to pick him up as the tire blew on his bike. :(

Nostalgia was relived with visits to Dairy Queen: after the big win on Friday night and then after the two losses on Saturday.

Not missing a beat, Claire is back with Conor, her math tutor, on Sunday afternoons.

My boys at the ball diamond helping the umpires. Caden was in charge of collecting foul balls and Cole was in charge of watering and caring for field umpires. With the exception of Cole taking a bathroom break, while Caden was off getting a foul ball, all went well.

The weather has been crazy hot. This has created a few freakish thunderstorms, but nothing really effected any sports. Right after I washed the car on Saturday morning, the heavens opened. Of course!

Lessons learned:

Too many to mention! I am so enjoying myself while getting to know my kids, their interests, their friends, all of it. I find people and the dynamics of relationships fascinating. I am really putting myself "out there" and embracing my vulnerability - and that of others. It has been so rewarding and, at times, utterly heart-breaking. I wouldn't change a minute of it.

Another Year Has Ended

Our worries about the weather were put aside when the sun came out in the morning and blazed all day long! My kids found their grade bands and made themselves as comfortable as they could for the Closing Ceremonies of their school.

Somewhere in the sea of uniforms are my kids:

While I sat on the hill with Wanda, listening to (seemingly) endless speeches and graduates (the largest class in the history of the school), I tried to find my children, eventually locating Claire with her friends:

Cole was just a mop of thick dark hair and broad shoulders, happily sitting with his buddies, to the far right and outside the frame of this shot.

The surprise of the day? Hearing Chloé's name called for the Middle School Arts award. Huh? YAY!! You could hear Cole and Claire cheering and clapping all over the campus! I love that they support each other with such spirit and enthusiasm.

Chloé won for Grade 7 and her friend won for Grade 8. They'll switch off the cup around Christmas time. I love that Chloé's name will go right beside her brother's name! My kids really rock Grade 7. The pressure is now on Caden for next year and to convince them all to rock through to Grade 12 :S

So proud of my Moe!

The best part of the day, in addition to Chloé earning Optimates (Honours) and the Arts award, was the treat of a brilliant Valedictory address by Justin Samardzik, the Academics Prefect. I've known Justin since he was about six years old and am so very proud of him and the brilliant words he chose to close out the Centennial Year of the school.

Time to enjoy the next few weeks and recharge knowing it all starts again on September 10!

anticipation | the next 10 weeks

With the longest day of the year comes dreams of hazy and hot days ahead.

Generally, this is not my preferred season. If the heat could come without sweat - or bugs - I'd be all for it, but alas, summer in Southern Ontario doesn't happen that way. I tend to spend my time in a nice shady spot - or inside with the air conditioning wearing (ironically) a sweater.

We have a few plans for our time away from school. Ten weeks of bliss. Aside from my weather woes, I really enjoy this time to get to know my kids, though with them getting older, I feel - keenly - the lack of structure and pushing of limits.

We're looking forward to:

Enjoying Baseball Games & Tournaments, Football Games and Stage Performances
Riding bikes, blowing bubbles and swinging on park swings
Engineering Camps at a local university
Theatre Camps - two weeks each at two different camps
Summer School for Math (Credit) Courses
Enjoying lazy lunches on the Jonathan's patio
Our annual holiday in Cape Cod
A Theatre Trip to Stratford
Days rowing & paddling on local rivers
Computer Camps
French & Math headstart programs
Days at Canada's Wonderland, Niagara Falls and Marineland
Barbeques and fun with friends
Rounds of golf with new clubs
Visits with the cousins - and not just because they have a pool!
The spitting of watermelon seeds, licking of ice cream cones and sipping icy drinks
Watching Downton Abbey to find out what the fuss is all about

I anticipate a lot of time will be spent in the truck and a lot of late nights will be spent waiting for children to return home.

I am hoping there will also be plenty of time for me to lounge around and read, rest up and prepare for the next school year. In ten weeks I'll have all four of my children at one school - for one year.

In the meantime, here's to a full and fun ten weeks ahead!

What are your plans? If you want to know what others are up to, head on over to Ali Edwards' blog and check out the links in her Summer Manifesto article. Truly inspiring!

* * * * *

I just remembered, through the winter, I was so looking toward summer that I made a "Subway Poster" on a particularly cold day, in a winter with very few! This is what I came up with:

It's a 5x7 print. Go ahead, download it!

What are your favourite things to do in the summer? Any plans?

12 of 12 | June 2012

Dragonboat Festival 2012

There have been a number of lovely experiences over the years, as part of the larger Appleby community a highlight has to be our time participating on the Dragonboat teams. Claire started as a member way back when she was just a little fresh-faced kid in Middle One. This season she's been joined by her not-so-fresh-faced brother, Cole. The team is made up of students, alumni and faculty with ages ranging from 14 through over 50. It is such a fun, kind, enthusiastic and inclusive group. Me? I take photos, so far. It has been a joy to watch my kids broaden the circle of people in their lives and watch them be so welcome.

After weeks of training each Sunday morning, the day had finally come for the Festival! We arrived at the Don Rowing Club in Port Credit early, by 7:45AM, which was not early enough to get a parking spot - well, not one close! I walked back to be there for the first race, after all, our two teams were going head-to-head. It was the only race that would matter ... unless they made it into the finals together :)

(Above) Claire heads to her boat with members of the OnFire team.

(Below) Cole heads to his boat with members of the H2O Tested team.

Siblings are separated to take advantage of their competitive natures. Shrewd decision!

(Above) Rich steers his team (with Cole) to the start.

(Below) Sheila makes sure everyone is sitting straight and paddles up! I love the broad smile on Claire's face. Testament to her joy!

H2O Tested wins by a dragon's head!

Between heats, time is spent socializing and studying.

In the end, Cole and his H2O Tested crew won Bronze in the A final; Claire and her OnFire crew won Gold in the B final. A pretty good day, I'd say!

A welcome break from the grind of exam study - but now they're back in the thick of it all.

Let's Play Ball

She got her way. She's playing "real" ball, with the boys.

This past weekend found us in Brampton for a tournament. It was cold, it was rainy and it was oh so windy. Nothing could remove the smile from her face.

She hit:

She pitched:

She distracted:

She smiled.

A lot.

And there is a lot to smile about! She's on not just one but two teams and the boys treat her well. She's earned their respect as a player and it has been a wonderful experience - for both the boys and the girl.

Life is good.

Play ball!

Project Life | 11

PROJECT LIFE | 11
11 March - 17 March, 2012
Big Events: March Break!

INSERTS | I had to include my 12of12 layout for March! I also printed out a blog post that needed to be included as part of where we are now.

Still behind, but steadily catching up!

How are you enjoying your Project Life, so far?

A Week In The Life 2012 | The Pages

I had started A Week In the Life 2012 with every intention of having it bound into a "real" book. Then a few things happened:

1. Life got in the way
2. The gutter

So, in my effort to use what I have, I found an old Creative Memories PicFolio from a hundred years ago and sent my pages of to my go-to developer, Persnickety Prints.

This is what I ended up with at the end of my week:

Each of my kids have given me the answers to a "questionnaire" this week and that layout (of sorts) will be included with each of their personal layouts . There are 15 2-page spreads with a cover page and final page available in the 12x12 Picfolio and I've given you 13 2-page spread and just the cover page - some stuff is just ours to enjoy :)

A few details:

The fonts: Arial and Channel
The templates: modified Ali Edwards
The overlays: banners and title Ali Edwards
The digi-papers: Karen Lewis Moment In Time
The program: Adobe PSE 6 (I do have 10, but can't figure out how to install!)
Camera: All photos taken with my Canon G12

As always, A Week In The Life is a completely worthwhile project! Still trying to reconcile with my Project Life, but I'm sure I'll figure out something.

A Week In The Life 2012 | A Success

Starting a project like A Week In the Life while on the road is not ideal, though it definitely focuses the effort and simplifies the approach! I thought I'd share a peek at my week with a "photo of the day" - only a hint of what my day looked like through the week.

MONDAY, APRIL 23
Location: Tucson, AZ
Hilight: LOVE the underwater treadmill at Canyon Ranch

TUESDAY, APRIL 24
Location: Tucson, AZ
Hilight: Oatmeal Bruleé, Chicken Sausage and Kefir - perfect start

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25
Location: En Route from Tucson, AZ to Oakville, ON via Denver, CO
Hilight: Last morning, capturing my surroundings

THURSDAY, APRIL 26
Location: Oakville, ON
Hilight: Home just in time for "dress down" day at school

FRIDAY, APRIL 27
Location: Oakville, ON
Hilight: The boys enjoyed Camp Lee for their (surprise to me) PA Day

SATURDAY, APRIL 28
Location: Oakville, ON
Hilight: Claire on stage in RENT

SUNDAY, APRIL 29
Location: Oakville, ON
Hilight: Morning dragonboat meeting and practice

The plan? Simple.

Simple Fonts.

Simple Templates.

Simple Process.

I will be combining our collective stories of our week and putting it all together into a 12x12 digital book! I'm very excited about this and am anxious to show the final results ... once they're organized and ready to be shown.

What about you? Did you participate in A Week in the Life this year? Let me see what you created!

I hope to be able to show you how the whole project is coming along soon, but as you can imagine, life is full and it may take some time to get it all together. As far as projects come and go, this one is worth the effort, and I will get it done :)

List | Listening

I have always enjoyed popular music. That being said, it never occurred to me that at this age and stage I would enjoy the same music as my kids. It kind of surprised me, when Claire put on the Alt Nation station on our XM satelite system in the truck, that I recognized and enjoyed most of what is being played.

I tell you, it makes for some pretty pleasant road trips sharing similar musical tastes with my kids!

These are older and newer tunes just newly-added to my iPod.

Gotye Somebody That I Used To Know

Death Cab For Cutie Stay Young, Go Dancing

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds If I Had A Gun

The Black Keys Gold On The Ceiling

The Naked And Famous Punching In A Dream

Hey Rosetta!* Welcome

Givers Up Up Up

Bombay Bicycle Club Shuffle (starts with an ad, sorry - worth the wait!!)

The Temper Trap Sweet Disposition

M83 Midnight City

Low Level Flight* Cash Machine

Foo Fighters These Days & Walk

The Joy Formidable A Heavy Abacus

Group Love Tongue Tied (another ad, but again, worth the wait)

City and Colour* The Grand Optimist

Young The Giant Apartment & Cough Syrup

Cults Go Outside

Mumford & Sons Roll Away Your Stone & The Cave

The Standstills* Carry On

Fun We Are Young

Foster The People Don't Stop (Color On The Walls) & Pumped Up Kicks

Of Monsters And Men Little Talks

*Indicates Canadian :)

Have you found anything new that you like?

What are you listening to these days?

Quiz | Colour Personality

What is your colour personality?

I found this test on line and my result was no surprise:

My bedroom, the only room I have to myself - kinda, is painted in a colour called Rusty Nail and it is wonderful. Not really orange, not really brown, just a nice warm hug of colour. I love my room.

If you take the test, I'd love to hear your results. And whether or not you think they're accurate!

Caden | Loathes Reading

* GASP *

Much to my horror, my youngest child would rather do almost anything (except clean his room) before reading a book. He seems to be okay with websites, cook books, sports pages and Nintendo instructions, but a book? Ick.

Sigh.

THIS is going to be a problem. In his current school there is very little emphasis on reading - or, challenging reading. I don't consider "Captain Underpants" or the "Wimpy Kid" books to be a challenge to a kid in grade 6. I know we have a systemic problem with boys not reading, but I really don't think things have to be dumbed-down or cartoonized to engage them. We just have to outsmart them ;)

In September, Caden enters an academically rigorous program. The expectations are much higher than what he is used to and I really don't want him to fail before he starts. I need to set him up for success.

Over the last couple of months, after speaking with some friends about my fears, I realized it may not be the book - the actual story - but the way it is delivered. He needs something else. Enter audible.com to my rescue! This is a division of Amazon.com where the books are read, in real time.

After explaining my fear to Caden, he agreed it was time to figure out this reading thing and make better book choices. Caden and I clicked into audible.com to find that I had six credits. One credit = one book. I asked Caden to go through and choose five books he thought might be interesting. I would get to choose one for him to read.

His choices included:

The Lightening Thief, Rick Riordan, 10 hours 1 minute

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins, 11 hours 14 minutes

Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins, 11 hours 41 minutes

Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins, 11 hours 43 minutes

The Red Pyramid: The Kane Chronicles, Book 1, Rick Riordan, 14 hours 32 minutes

I think this is a pretty good start! Maybe a bit ambitious, I'm happy he took our talk seriously.

For the kids, I chose:

A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle, 6 hours 8 minutes

Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls, 6 hours 45 minutes

And for me, I got Les Miserables, Victor Hugo, at a whopping 60+ hours and A Room with a View , E.M. Forster, at a more modest 7 hours 2 minutes!

On his "Wish List" which is really not a wish, but part of the summer reading program and mandatory reading for the Middle School curriculum are:

A Tale of Two Cities & Great Expectations, Charles Dickens, 28 hours 39 minutes

Lord of the Flies, William Golding, 6 hours 35 minutes

The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton, 5 hours 12 minutes

The Giver, Lois Lowry, 4 hours 41 minutes

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain, 8 hours 33 minutes

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Mark Haddon, 6 hours 6 minutes

We own all of these books (and thousands more). As much as it irks me that we'll spend an additional fortune doubling up our effort, I'm hoping the rewards will be worth the expense. The deal with Caden is that he is to listen to the books with his ear buds AND have the book open and follow along. Who knows? Maybe he'll decide he prefers his own voice as the narrator? At any rate he'll be taking in some extra sensory stimulation and I'm hoping he'll learn to love books!

BONUS: Each book is read in real time so the length is listed. I love this! Now I know how long to expect him to listen - and it helps me choose books for myself and the other kids!

What books do you think I should include on Caden's Wish List?

Cole | Headshots

My Cole has always been a performer - never afraid to get up in front of a crowd to give a presentation, sing a song alone or in a group, always participating in life in some outgoing and expressive way. Since his recent success as Teen Angel in Grease he has expressed an interest (aka, been relentless in his pursuit) of acting lessons. As it happens, one of the men on Caden's hockey coaching staff has a brother who teaches acting for a living. And, bonus, he's local!

Cole went to his first class and it was a tremendous success. He was asked to go out immediately and get a set of head shots. Nothing was more immediate than the next day!

This is what we came up with:

Thank goodness he was still on Spring Break and the weather was so wonderful. We headed over to the school campus and had him simply do what he does wearing what he likes. At least it's a start! 

Tell me, do you have a favourite? A combination? What do you think?

Project Life | 02

I was commenting on my friend Katrina's blog yesterday "I finished my pages today and cried. THIS is the type of album I want to make. All the stuff that fits and doesn't quite fit. The mess of it all makes it perfect." I am also really surprised, since I'm not a fan of messy or cluttered, that this feels so right. So happy I started!

LEFT SIDE:

INSERTS (6" x 12" and 8.5" x 11"):

Template: CZ Weekly Wrap Ups Vol. 01

12 of 12 page based on this post.

RIGHT SIDE:

And with that, Week 2 has been completed. I'm now taking photos and recording stories for Week 3 and coming up with oodles of ideas for other projects. It's amazing how just a bit of creativity can spark a whole lot of creativity with just a little thought and bit of effort.

I'm still developing a process that works. A few tweaks and I'll be able to share.

How are you coming with your Project Life? Are you participating? Are you not? Let me know :)

12 of 12 | January 2012

01. Getting ready for school - Cole was still looking a bit startled to be awake.

02. On the other hand, the girl is all set and ready to go.

03. The kids laugh that we live "in a bubble". It can be snowy and cold in all the surrounding communities, but here it was +7C and raining on our drive to school.

04. Three delivered and one to pick up. Caden's hockey equipment was still not on his "tree" so it had to be done before we ran our before-school errand.

05. We headed over to the YMCA and got memberships for me and my boy.

06. Once he was dropped at school and I handled some correspondence it was off to the College Shop. I was Day Chair for a friend. Lovely group of ladies on Thursday! Nice to get to know them.

07. It was so nice to hang out with Lisa and get a massage - a bit too short, but a half hour is better than nothing!

08. A quick trip to pick up Caden from school and back to the chiropractor's office to meet the new doctor, Stefan. He's lovely and really knows what he's doing. Caden was happy, all thumbs up, with his adjustment.

09. Back to the school to pick up the rest of the troops.

10. Claire is the best sous chef - she put together the salad for dinner for me.

11. My list for today. I actually managed to get a ton scratched off - the best kind of list! Looks like there is still plenty to do tomorrow.

12. I finished up my evening with a bit of handwashing pots and pans. I really don't like coming down to a full sink in the morning!

Project Life | 01

Reading the multitude of fabulous articles on the topic, I have been infused with enthusiasm over Project Life. For the last couple of years I've looked, with longing, at all of the projects being completed and thought it was just too big a commitment for me to handle.

In reality it is perfect! It can be as big or as small as I choose for it to be.

I have a thing for "order" and "control". I know, surprised you, eh? The problem is that particular trait often wars with my desire to be interesting and creative.

I'm planning (er, hoping?) that this project will help me keep control of our ephemera and photos as well as provide order in my story telling. Every once in awhile - STOP, who am I kidding? - ALWAYS, our life is going at such a break-neck pace I'm hoping it will help me easily recognize the flow of our lives, identify routine stories and the extraordinary stories, and all of the stories in between. I love how the ladies on the creative team are so very different and how they've approached the project to work best in their lives.

This is something I can do.

I'm happy to know I can have order and control and be interesting and creative. All in one box :)

Okay.

So, I've finished my first week and I'm pleased (can you tell?) with how things are going:

LEFT SIDE

INSERT (6"x12")

RIGHT SIDE

Now, I have to admit apologise for my photos. In this new house I have yet to find a good place to take a glare-free photo. Not as easy as one might think! Bare with me, it will get better over time, I hope.

Oh, and a quick shout out to Marcy Penner who posted these wonderful printables which greatly helped me, the spacially unaware, figure out how I wanted to organize my first pages. I know these will come in handy for future weeks!

Remember thosearticles I've been reading? Well this one has me convinced to write a letter to my children each week, or, as is the case this week, a quick list of observations:

And, over here? I love the idea of taking a photo of all four of my kids - together - once a week. This is our first installment:

Yes! Got them! With eyes rolling, all four have agreed to pose for one photo a week - together - for 52 weeks. I was brutally honest with the ENORMITY of their commitment and they've decided it's not a fight worth having. Yay!

With all of that, I have to caution myself to pace myself. I don't want to set some crazy precedence nor do I want to have multiple albums by the end of the year. This, for me, is to be simple and do-able.

As I promised myself at the outset, I've included a couple of inserts. This week these are inspirational things I've found on-line over the last little while. There has been an EXPLOSION of ideas and I wanted to narrow it down to two things that resonated with me, now.

Over on Be More With Less, Courtney Carver posted "How to Make a Love List" and it really appealed to me. As much as my Project Life is about my kids and our life here and now, it's also about me. I want to include some snippets of things that interest me within the book. In this case, I quickly printed out my own Love List on a 6"x12" insert:

and while I was cleaning out my computer I came across a Steve Jobs quote printable - I can't attribute it because I have no idea where I found it (probably life pre-Pinterest) - I didn't want it "lost" in the computer, and it's so brilliant, I had to include it. With my kids being teenagers and well-on-their-way to their own lives THIS is the message I want them go get:

Smart, eh?

Yeah, the quote and the project.

525,600 minutes + 1,440 more

Are you familiar with the song from Rent?

As the chorus goes:

525,600 minutes, 525,600 moments so dear.
525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee.
In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife.
In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?
How about love? How about love? How about love?
Measure in love. Seasons of love.

Well, this year is filled with 527,040 minutes given that it's a leap year. One more day of daylight, sunsets, midnight and plenty more coffee! No inches or miles around here (we prefer centimeters and meters) but I expect plenty of laughter and I hope strife stays in it's place - back in 2011! No matter, it will always be measured in love. Seasons of love.

In order to celebrate each and every one of those 527,040 moments, I've elected to participate in Project Life. The older and more independent my kids become, I find it more difficult to find the time to scrapbook in any traditional way. This knowledge has filled me with fear: I am afraid of losing our stories. Our everyday memories and traditions. So many have been recorded, but there is so much more now that we are all making full and rich lives for ourselves.

THIS project will be the keeper of our life stories for this year. In addition to the ever changing photos and stories, it will hold:

• Mileage (since I spend so much time in my truck)
• Weather (hey, I'm Canadian, it's all about the weather)
• BBM Conversations (a source of much joy and poor grammar)
• Facebook/Twitter Updates
• Blog Articles/Comments
• Gas Prices
• New Recipes/Kitchen Experiments
• Receipts
• New Discoveries: songs, books, blogs, stores, foods, quotes, ideas

I'm hoping to format each week with a Left Page, Insert, Right Page

Inserts will include:

Long journalers for bigger stories, 4 Simple Goals, 10 Things Project, The Current, TGIF, Wishcasting Wednesday, Reflections, and whatever else I discover through the year.

So far it's feeling a bit chaotic, but now that I have most of the elements understood and the opening page put together, things should be manageable. I always find things go more smoothly when it's been thoroughly prepared. Much like my Week in the Life or my December Daily projects, the more time spent in the preparation for success makes the result worth it! The theory also works with painting rooms and laundry :) I'm excited to get started - I'm even more excited to live the stories that will be recorded.

In addition to the Project Life kit (I purchased the older turquoise version), I supplemented with the coordinating digital elements and some Basic Grey stickers I've used in the past and LOVED. I even found a Canadian supplier for my We R Memory Keeper albums and got myself one in orange and aqua. I also got a LOT of cardstock. Oh, and PLENTY of post-it notes which will litter the pages as reminders for what to put where once photos are developed!

Yes, if your keeping track, this is a rather expensive undertaking BUT if this ends up, as planned, being the primary method to store most of my stories - in addition to a couple of other self-contained projects - it should turn out to be more cost-effective than just purchasing at random too much beautiful and addictive scrapbook supplies with some vague idea of purpose. It's about using, not collecting. Right?

What about you? How do you record your stories? Your photos? Your life?

12 of 12: December 2011

01. After delivering the girls to their school, I dropped my boy, Caden, off to school first thing this morning. Oh how I wish he'd do up his coat. It's starting to get cold around here!

02. Back at the house I was greated by all of the mess that we didn't manage to address while Cole was in the hospital. Now there is no avoiding it!

03. Each Monday I volunteer with a group of lovely mums at the College Shop - where we sell candy, logo wear and - today - a ton of calculators. Clearly exams start tomorrow.

04. Home to a waiting load of laundry. Well, more than one load.

05. All prepared for the big pick up - happy to have Oprah and Dr. Oz keep me company. I'm guaranteed to know more when the kids are picked up!

06. They are all home and getting ready for singing lessons, rugby visit, some studying and then off to "Rent" rehearsal.

07. The drive up over the QEW for Chloe's singing lessons and Cole to see Tyler at rugby. Tons of sun and traffic.

08. Cole gave Tyler the story of his recovery - walk and fart, walk and fart - what can I say, it's a guy thing! Cole also got a few questions answered as he can't come back until after the new year and wanted to make sure he was on the schedule for the indoor games starting in January.

09. My sweet girl made sure the lights were all turned on.

10. My other girl couldn't turn away from the camera quick enough when I delivered her to play rehearsal.

11. While all of this was going on, my mushroom-garlic-tomato-spinach concoction was simmering on the stove. YUM.

12. The Winter Warlock, my favourite. "Put one foot in front of the other" is one of my favourite 12-months-a-year songs. It may sound strange but this half hour clay animation Christmas Special is my favourite! Before collecting Claire, and settling in for the night, I watched "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" with the boys.

The one photo of the day I didn't capture? When I told Caden we received notice that he was accepted to join his brother and sisters at school for grade 7, next year. He was so very excited! I'm so happy for him - and so is everyone else :)

* * * * *

TAKE TWELVE PROJECT | If you get a chance, pop over to Ella Publishing and check out Elizabeth Dillow's article Take Twelve about her many "12" projects. I have participated in 12 of 12 in some form or another since early 2008 and look forward to joining in for a fourth year.

12 photos taken on the 12th of the month through 2012. Bliss.

For a symmetry lover like myself this is a great year! Go over and find a project that suits you in the Take Twelve Project Kit: a collection of ideas to encourage you through the year. The release was yesterday! I was so honoured to be included! Be sure to join in.

 

Reflections | November 2011

Photo taken November 25, 2011. A few things to note: short sleeves and no jackets being worn; Cole is, again, lifing Caden; Caden is starting to get big enough he may be unliftable soon!

Another full month has come and gone. This one overflowing with more than the usual dose of drama, joys, disappointments and genuine acts of kindness:

• Auditions for the school musical, Grease, started early in the month. Both Claire and Cole were asked to participate. They loved every minute of it. In the end, Claire has elected to play volleyball next term, and Cole got the part of Teen Angel (Frankie Avalon). I can't wait to see them both in their chosen activities.
• The time changed kicked us all. Well, me anyway. I've been pooped all month! Maybe it's just the lack of daylight.
• Cole is participating in the Upright Rugby Program and enjoying every minute of it. Especially his time at ATC with Rich. Rich is a hardass, perfect. (Cole has elected not to play hockey anymore. Indeed, at this point he would still not be cleared to play with his shoulder a painful mess. I think it was the best choice. Hopefully he's healed by Spring so he can fully partipate and employ all of the lessons learned this winter at rugby!)
• Caden is loving every minute of playing for Coach Andrew and Coach Hess of the Predators. He's a defenceman this year and enjoying learning all these men have to teach. I think they are enjoying his passion and commitment to the game.
• Chloe continues to attend voice lessons on Monday afternoons. Janet is amazing and always encourages Chloe to be her very best. I think we might even convince my girl to learn the piano. We must be subtle :)
• I am really enjoying my time at the Barn at the kids' school. The ladies are lovely and the experience of purchasing is really getting me back into a groove. A buyer/retail mindset I've missed the last decade, or so.
• Claire performed in two big nights: "Appleby Rocks" and the Cabaret Night. What wonderful experiences. The students are so incredibly talented. I am left in awe.
• It's about time I took better care of myself - in a pamper way. Civello is "the" local salon to visit. Given that I am not embracing "mo"vember, it was time to deal with things!
• Contradictory to my "scrapbook" ways, I am not much of a lover of "things". I love stories. But sometime those two things become one. I was crushed when, due to the utter lack of consideration of someone, I lost a very dear gift from my late grandmother. A ceramic Christmas tree. I know it sounds silly, but I was well and truly shaken by it's destruction.
• Pub night. We love it!
• There are a couple of young teachers at the school who have been, at different times and unpromted, wonderful to my children. I was so happy they were able to attend the Maple Leafs game on a day there was no chance we could. I'd love to do more. They are wonderful young men.
• Cole attended his first house party. Years of being a "hockey boy" had prevented him from participating in this particular rite of passage. Dropped him off at 8PM and picked him up at 11PM - with no arguments - he was none the worse for wear.
• Maintenance of the Highlander is a priority (thank you ALC Automotive!) It is the only way we get around hell's half acre and more every day. With the lease coming up it's time to consider a new vehicle. We definitely need something bigger. I never thought I'd do it, but a Suburban looks like the choice!
• Claire's bed arrived from Sleep Country. Soon thereafter we left for IKEA to finish off her room. Now if only she'd put the pieces together!
• Cole is learning good lessons. Specifically: you can only control your reactions and when you don't react well there are consequences. Accountability is key. Good thing he's learning young. Some men never learn, ever.
• Our first snow? November 17. Nothing stayed on the ground, but it was still a bit of a shock to the system! The weather has been so incredibly warm - in the mid teens - all month long.
• Chloe was scheduled to perform at the school "Dignitas" Open Mike night. She was AMAZING singing both Katy Perry's Firework and Adele's Rolling In The Deep. Then we were treated to Claire singing the Maroon 5 She Will Be Loved to close out the evening. My girls are very different and that includes their voices, but boy is it nice to see them on stage loving every minute of it! Chloe was spotlighted in an all-school e-mail and got a special pin for her effort. Another PMM (Proud Mama Moment).
• There is a Spring Break opportunity to go to Europe. I hope Claire enjoys every minute of London, Paris, Florence, Rome and Pompeii. I've already asked if they need an extra chaperone, and alas, they do not.
• Caden's first tournament of the season was up at the Nottawasaga Inn. For the most part it was a lovely weekend, though the boys ended up leaving after only three games. We were home early on Saturday. Not what we expected.
• My children are not perfect, not by any stretch. I think it's better that they are raised by someone who sees them as human as opposed to some parents who believe their children are flawless. Sigh. Especially when those children are known stinkers.
• Claire walked with her friends in the Santa Claus parade in support of the annual Courage Polar Bear Dip. I love her attitude and enthusiasm.
• We were home in time to help with the annual neighbourhood decorating. We got a ton of help from our lovely neighbours and ended the day at Bill and Sandy's for cookies and hot chocolate. I'm enjoying the twinkle lights, and will more when our outside outlet works properly!
• With the help of those neighbours they helped Cole figure out where the water shut off is located for the front and back water supply. In a million years we wouldn't have found them without assistance. Crazy.
• A bit of disappointment at the Appleby Hockey Tournament. Mind you, if the rink were a bit more inviting - metal benches in an arena are not comfortable! - it may have been more appealing.
• I really enjoy the ladies at the College Shop. So nice to engage on a regular basis with adults rather than being perpetually surrounded by pre- and full-teens!
• Cole has been busy with Chapel services at the school - 5 holiday services in a row! It turns out that not only is he in the Chapel Choir and the Cantus Choir - he had two solos he neglected to mention to me! He said he'd be too nervous if I had been there - especially with my perpetually present camera.
• As much as 6:30AM volleyball practice stinks for the kids, I think it may just stink more for the parents who have to get the girls to the school at the crack of dawn. Claire's having fun though, and that's all that matters, right?
• Claire celebrated her Sweet 16 at our old house a month early. December 20 is a bad time for a birthday, so I figured why not? After all, it's totally cleared of all valuables and there's plenty of space. It was a great evening. She was very happy with the simple evening of loud music, pizza, ice cream cake and plenty of friends!
• How do you spell relief? S.O.L.D. As in, the house is SOLD. I found out just as we were putting everything in order for the party. Bonus: a quick closing of December 6. Things are going to be a bit hectic around here for the next little while.
• The morning after the big party we had to get Cole off to Pickering for a Rugby Ontario event, Caden off to a friend's birthday party and then Chloe off to an Oakville Children's Choir performance. It was a really busy day!
• This is an overwhelming time with all of the big "projects" and essays being completed in advance of exams and testing. My job? Maintaining a sense of humour, making lots of food and enforcing bed times.
• I continue to hear "banana poke" every time we pass a yellow car. It started this summer and drove me crazy ... still does! You'd be amazed how many yellow vehicles are on the road.
• Caden destroyed his first pair of glasses - truly mangled them. He just got another pair. Lets hope this pair lasts longer than three or four months!

And with that we start December which promises to be filled with more adventure.

Bring it.

 

12 of 12: November 2011

01. Cole was off to ATC early this morning. Trail mix, apples and a lot of water should keep him going!

02. Caden is such a joy wto watch eat - breakfast, lunch and dinner - and many meals in between.

03. Cole really enjoys his Granny Smiths dipped in peanut butter.

04. I was running on empty. Crazy the cost of gas!

05. Once Cole was dropped off at the gym, I was gassed up, it was time to put together boxes to pack up my craft room!

06. Caden's favourite, peameal bacon. Delish!

07. The Ikea delivery finally arrived! Claire now has cupboards to hang her clothes. Well, she will once they're assembled.

08. Yikes! Tons of crafts to be sorted and SOLD!! Tomorrow, the 13th, is a big day. Hopefully everyone can come by and get what they want.

09. I really love the end of Great Lakes Boulevard.

10. Cole has been helping out at Caden's hockey team practices. It is fun to watch him interact with the younger boys - and the younger boys kid around with him - Rainbow Care Bear?

11. After hockey we were off to meet Jocelyne and her kids at Harvey's and then the kids were off to see Puss in Boots and In Time over at Silver City.

12. Jocelyne and I passed on the movies and enjoyed a lovely meal and conversation at Milestones instead. Then back to our place with all of the kids to end off our evening of fun.

4 Simple Goals | November 2011

August 2010, Elsie Flannigan posted a simple and doable challenge.

My 4 Simple Goals, November 2011 edition, includes:

1. Organize College Shop. I've taken on the task of purchasing the "fun" apparel items at the kids' school and really need to get the current inventory organized, labelled and learned in the next month. By the end of November I'd like to have a system set up so that I can easily find and easily order and replenish as needed. Fun stuff!
2. Digital Scrapbook Files (aka iPhoto). What a MESS. I'd like to get them off my computers and onto one external hard drive and use as I need them. I have a couple of empty drives hanging around so I'd best put them to use!
3. Put together plans for the holidays. I've left this so late! I'm sure everyone already has their Christmas plans put together but now that we have recently realized we have TWENTY days to fill and no hockey tournament to attend we are free to research some new ideas. So fun!
4. Collect all favourite photos. I have taken some really good photos over the years. I'd like to gather them all together and do something with them. What I'm going to do? I have no idea, but I'd like to get them collected and then decide what to do.

REWARD: My kids are forever borrowing my headphones. I'd like to get myself a nice "untouchable" pair that are for my use only! And maybe plug them into an iPod that works - all the time :)

What about you? Do you have a few activity oriented goals you'd like to meet? If so and you participate, let me know! I'd love to see what you have planned.