sorry to do this to you...

but it must be done....the main reason is they give you this tiny little edit screen to type everything into and it drives me bonkers, especially now that I have my 24" AND adding photos makes it ridiculous.

check out THIS it's much more homey over there...

Basically, if you don't....no more pictures or words for you.

Sorry....I know it's a pain but TRUST me when I say that posting using this format is a much bigger pain.

ok

a) I lied, apparently.  That post yesterday said if you clicked on the photo you would get a huge one...but for some reason you don't.  Nothing happens.  Don't know why, the only thing I did differently was that I used my imac to do the post.

b) I forgot to mention the Quote of the Day: "...Illumine the lamp of your heart..."

That's what B said during prayers.  She changed all the "my"s to "your".  She did this because it was actually her little purple bear that was saying O God, guide me (including actions), courtesy of B herself.

c) You may never see me again because today I am getting the full fledged photoshop!  Not only that, but Creative Suites 2 (an older edition than the link....but STILL!).  I will be spending a lot of time really being able to edit photos now, instead of just adjusting them.  Oh the possibilities.

d) Kiana is with us this weekend while Kira works.  At the moment she is, hopefully, sleeping in the "media room".  B said she wanted to sleep in there too.  Hopefully B fussing about "sleeping" is not going to disturb Kiana too much...don't wanna mess with a, fingers crossed, 3ish hr nap.

There are sweet photos taken today but will have to wait until later when I get my photoshop.

well, I didn't get photoshop installed until today (the next day) so, here are the added photos.

We had a good time playing outside even though the weather wasn't the greatest.

 

 

 

(In order to take a photo with both kids in it, I had to lean out of the window....B said it looked like I had a baby in my belly...then laughed)

I'm "mac"ed out

Yessiree, it arrived today. All 33lbs or whatever it was.  It is HUGE!  With time I will get used to the shortcuts.  The keyboard isn't a problem.  And after a day of taking care of Kiana tomorrow Kira is gonna get me CS2!  Yes, the full photoshop plus more.

So anyways, on another note.  Instead of sitting at home waiting for the computer to arrive today Kira, Laylee, us and the kids all went to Willow's Beach.  It was beautiful.  A touch windy  and thus a touch chilly in the shade but lovely.  And for the most part the kids played swimmingly together.  I even have photos to prove it (now forgive me, don't click on the photo unless you want your screen to explode with a photo.  My files are huge and I haven't bothered learning how to decrease their size without photoshop).

Here are a few choice shots:

 

 

  

(while I'm waiting for those huge files to load...)

I am really keen to get this job I have applied for.  Well technically I didn't get it but there was a possibility, if I waited through one more job posting, I actually would get it.  I am hoping that early next week I will find out.  I find that, in nursing and probably my life too, I thrive under pressure.  Now not 3Royal type pressure (though it was ok there for a while, before management reared it's ugly head), but a steady type of pressure.  I find that if all I have to do REALLY is give out meds, wash/change/walk people and make beds....yah, I don't excel.  The less I have to do, the less I will want to do, which is not a good thing.  I think I said before when I first switched to my current job that it was not a long term place for me.  Unfortunately I didn't realize just how short term I would want to be there.  Too bad though 'cause I like the people I work with and get a kick outta the other 1/2 of the ward (that I don't work with but do have breaks in the same room).  We'll see what comes with that.

I'm hoping my patience and my attention span for blogging returns soon...

"See you later Butterfly Girl"

That's what the really great musicians downtown said to B as we left. 2 early twenty's guys, one on the guitar and one on the fiddle. I rarely, if ever, stop for the street musicians because they are so humdrum but these guys were GOOD. Bluegrassy music and really laid back. In front of Munroe's of course (I noted the mime waiting for the good spot). The guitarist just leaning against the doorway and the fiddler sittin' on his skateboard (I said they were young).

Too bad we only had $2 to give them. Both kids "danced" for about 15 minutes. Right and the "butterfly girl" comment was because we had participated in the earth walk and there was face painting at the end, B obviously got a blue butterfly....again.

On another note: B has been testing MY (and all other adults in this house) limits. The last 3 nights now have involved a screamfest. My theory is because she's up just after 6, spends the majority of the day outside, constantly interacting with someone and not napping. This makes for an exhausted girl come 6pm! I've mentioned before, way back when, that I finally came to the realization that yelling back DOES NOT WORK. Luckily she is very receptive to my speaking calmly to her and can usually talk her down from an incident before it becomes full blown. That was not the case last night (everyone got just about as worked up as her)but tonight I could. Last night she ended up eating dinner alone in the dining room while the rest of us ate in the kitchen. After a few minutes of her eating then I went to her and said that if she was ready to act properly and say sorry to everyone she could come sit with us. She said she wasn't ready yet. She sat through another bowl of rice (with grated up zucchini, egg and peas of course) calmly eating before she said she was ready. She fell stone cold asleep by 6:15pm, with no story or anything (due to the outburst). That fit was prompted first by not wanting to come inside for dinner then secondly not wanting to come back upstairs after getting into pj's.
Tonight, another fit on her behalf but can I complain? It's 6:57pm and both kids are asleep. Somehow Steph managed to put M in his crib, give him his soother and baby (he sleeps with the doll I made him now....awwww), turn out the lights, turn on the music and leave!
I think these kids, B especially, is going to be going through -major- adjustment when we leave this house. Here she has attention, full attention, probably 90% of her waking hours. I think all that attention and stimulation tires her right out. We had quite the routine at the house (which is, officially, no longer ours)...but things have been switched up now. There are definitely pluses about living here!!!! I think we are all just struggling for a routine. I'm sure it will come. Then off to France we will go! Ha! Good luck with routine there!
As I mentioned, the closing on "our" house is complete! As a result we ordered not one but TWO computers from apple.ca on Friday night. I got the 24" imac with increased memory and Steph got the 13" aluminum macbook. We figured no time like the present to congratulate us on a job well done with that house. We poured blood, sweat and tears (literally) into that house, and it is much better off because of it. Now I hope, someday, we will find something that will suit us that much better.

I'm sorry to do this...

but I have to!
Does this:

remind anyone of THIS? (is that mean?)
To make up for that, here are a few photos from the park the other day. As you can see, B is still avoiding photos as much as possible (I tricked her into the above by saying she had jam mouth and I took a photo to show her what she looked like).

And a photo from today at Solstice Cafe. M was sleeping in the stroller.(and ps, the last post was my 100th! not bad for a few months work hey?)

I wanna

post, and I wanna edit photos.
Too tired.
Worked 2 days in a row, 12hr shifts.
M still not sleeping through the night.
B waking up close to 0530 (seems earlier when typed that way).
Still out of my routine here.
. . . perhaps after I get my new computer, that I will order on Friday, I will begin again?
(I think I've decided on the 24" imac.....no thanks to you guys.)

Aunty Maymay's here for a few days, I'm sure we'll have fun, perhaps I will take photos of it? Perhaps I will even do an entry?

I think she takes after Aunty Maymay

(see what I mean I always need to be watching him)

Today at the park Brielle, Dante and Saul learned "go, stop". Basically Dante held his right arm up in the air and yelled "GO!" and the other two ran around in circles or willynilly until Dante switched arms and said "STOP!". Kira said it was the perfect game for Dante 'cause he could be bossy and loud. I guess B got sick of it though 'cause she said it was her turn to say go and stop. She switched spots with Dante and. looking back at me and Kira on the bench, said "I'm going to say 'GO' but I'm not going to say 'STOP'". And, after saying "go", she promptly turned and walked back to the junglegym. Dante and Saul looked lost but Kira and I encouraged them to keep running! HA! Gotta keep those boys on their toes.

Brielle July 2007 (15 months) and Marcel April 2009 (15 months)

A quick post...

'cause if I don't...I never will.

Today the sun was SHINING (for most of the day). We started out bright and early with our ever enthusiastic compatriots the Antinuk/Tsui clan (plus Penelope) at 9:30am! Yes we get out of the house early. Walked up to Beacon Hill Park to the petting zoo. I took this of a peacock while waiting for the goats:

(ok so maybe it's a bit difficult to figure out first, but take the time, I really like it)

Was able to catch the "running of the goats" (from the barn to the petting area) at 10:10. The link to youtube is not mine but pretty cute. I thought, maybe next time, we would tie red scarfs to the kids and put them in front of the goats... It was really cute, unfortunately my camera was super exposed and I didn't have a chance to change it so I didn't get a good shot of that.

(I told you it was crap....I admit it)

Brielle went into the petting area solo (I think perhaps that was illegal), well, with Dante as a companion. She didn't even ask me to go with her, she just headed to the gate. A few pictures: B brushing off all the sawdust that the other kids were piling on the poor goats, not sure who's checking who out and Dante blending in nicely with the billy goats same colour scheme and everything.

(so sweet, the bigger ones though, it sounds like it hurts when the butt heads,
either that or they just have empty skulls)

After meeting up with Niecia and Lily (the 3rd musketeer, unfortunately the 4th -Hannah- wasn't there) we headed over to the playground where snacks were had
and playing around occurred. I have to keep by pair of eyes going separate ways these days now that M is so mobile not to mention climby.
Got home around noon put M down for a nap and B played outside with Ahda. Basically she stayed outside all day. At 5ish pm we got a call saying our last "subject to", financing, has come off our place so it is S-O-L-D. Whew! We celebrated with a very rushed dinner at Il Terrazzo (lame website but super food) as it was verging on the kids wind down/bedtime. It was yummy.
So there you have it. A sunny day in the life.
I guess I had better start researching my mac...

---

(a photo taken last month, M's the conductor of the train B made)

So I really should be typing an entry but I'm just too spent!
In short:
- Got two offers on the house after open house. Both for over the asking price, which is pretty much unheard of in this market. The process seems to be taking F-O-Rever but by Tuesday we should know if it's a complete go or not (when the conditions are removed)
- The weather has been fantastic for the last two days. Totally pooped the kids out by going to the park in the am instead of playgroup (B slept from 5:30pm-6am yesterday). It's a whole other level of organization I need to relearn though. Potty breaks pre and post trip as there isn't one around, snack organization, coffee pickups, DIRT and toys.
- M is a super-duper climber. Luckily he isn't too much of a daredevil and is pretty steady on his feet but I do have to keep an eye on him at all times 'cause he could end UP anywhere at anytime.
- Realizing I would LOVE to live in VicWest but even with an unlimited cash search on MLS there are very few places with 3+ bedrooms.
- Still getting use to the logistics of living here. I use to be able to multitask so much better (aka bake and surf) when everything was on one floor! AND running up and down those stairs all the time? It's nuts, and doing the hurdle over the gates at the top and bottom...
- I have a few new shots on my camera...but alas...it's downstairs and I ain't going running down there now.
- Anyone wanna do some research on the best mac (kira?) to get for someone like me? Photo editing being the main drain of resources. Doesn't need to be the fanciest and though I would love a laptop, it's not a requirement. Though a few things to do with the house are going to set up back some with our profit....I should be lined up to get a nice upgrade to this hunk o' junk.
- We had a good evening. Went to Ferris', I'm really enjoying their warm spinach salad, then gave the kids a bath and put them to bed. B actually let me braid her hair (though she said from now on only Ahda can do it 'cause I pulled it too hard....). Steph's back at work this evening. At least the year is almost over and he will relish being paid during the summer!

I found a penny

and I picked it up....
then I picked up another 2 along with a dime.
We'll see what happens with that.