FB Quizzes

I usually gloss over FB quizzes because who has time, right? But between the steam cleaning and the chocolate chip eating this week I found myself with a little extra time on my hands. So I caved - I did the quiz "What colour is your Aurua"

Here are the results (my opinions are in red)

Your Aura is Blue!

Personality: Blue’s are very loyal and can be the truest friend any aura could hope to find.  Damn straight - remember that friends

On the inside, blues tend to be emotional and even a bit moody. So - moody is hipster and that is very IN right now

However, you know that other auras depend on you, so you put on a strong front. They tend to live a quiet but enriching life.  

Blues are very giving of them and is hard to let go of relationships. They believe the key to living a good life is simple: Be as honest with yourselves and others as possible. I have been told I am too honest and that people don’t like that. Wimps

They value the truth over everything else. Blue will remain loyal to those who are honest with them, even if their honesty hurts. Compared to most other auras, blues handle the truth very well. They take every event into stride. Ummmmm sure – let’s go with that

Blues are the calm spot in a sea of chaos. They think that the solution to most problems is open communication; they wish that people would be more real with each other. A Blue personality uses its five physical senses to access information. An emotionally driven personality, you need to be liked and accepted. It is one of the "needs" that can cause apprehension in your personality. Just keeping it real over here

You are a polite, cooperative person who seeks to create conflict-free surroundings. You possess highly developed powers of observation. Family is important to you and you sometimes find yourself in the role of being a caretaker. My parents will be glad to hear this – maybe I’ll be good to them in their senior years

You are conservative, reliable and trustworthy - you are quite trusting of others although you are very wary in the beginning until you are sure of the other person. You are not impulsive- you always think before you speak and act and do everything at your own pace in your own time. You take time to process and share your feelings. You are genuine and sincere, and you take your responsibilities seriously. True except when I lose my temper at meetings – then the truth bit comes out

 You have a deep need for peace and harmony in your everyday life. You appear to be confident and self-controlled, but may be hiding your vulnerable side. You are generally fairly even-tempered, unless your emotions take over - then you can become either moody and over-emotional, or cool and indifferent. Ack - busted

You are sensitive to the needs of others. While you are friendly and sociable, you prefer the company of your own close group of friends. You are a rescuer and love to be needed. You can be rigid - you like to stick to what is familiar to you- you stubbornly do things your way even if there is a better way. Untidiness and unpredictability overwhelm you. You don't like to draw attention to yourself. While you don't like to have discord or conflict in your life, you are often the cause of conflict with others; you can be quite manipulative but in a very subtle way. Rigid – who are YOU calling rigid? That is IT you are off the Friend Island AND I am taking all my friends with me just to spite you

You make a loyal and faithful marriage partner and you are an honest, trustworthy and sincere friend. You are aware of others feelings and sensitive to the moods of others. You are approachable and friendly, always making people feel welcome in your life. You have a thirst for knowledge in order to gain wisdom and appear knowledgeable in whatever area interests you. You can be too cautious and worry about every little thing. Worry is good for you – right?

Seriously - Stupid STUPID elf has started already

I was under the impression that the very stupid elf on the shelf started on December 1st or at the very earliest after American Thanksgiving. I am mentally prepared to block, hide and roll my eyes when my girl friends start posting the "look what my cute elf did last night" pictures. 

"oh look - Danny the shelf elf got into the syrup and was a little hammered" etc

But I have seen pictures much earlier this year - earlier than I had anticipated. I guess it makes sense to have the elf visit on the 24th - then you have a whole month of silly elf antics but it is taxing. There is even a spiffy web site http://www.elfontheshelf.com/

He's EVERYWHERE - going to be such a long season

I shall dub this - Steam cleaning week

Everyone has a dirty little secret. You thought mine was the oven, didn't you. WRONG! It is the ensuite. We have what I like to call a space tub which is actually fairly difficult to get clean. You have to be in the tub to scrub at certain parts of it and it has jets that clog up with gunk. As no one ever uses it but Hubby and I it rarely gets the scrubbing it deserves....

Until today. I took the steam cleaner to it and man is it amazing! All the gunk and scaly build up is gone and the vents are gunk free and working like new. I could even have a bath if I wanted (but I don't). The only down side is that one of the stupid space doors came off the hinges during a vigorous scrubbing and now I have to wait until my husband gets home from work to put it back on.

I wonder what else I clean this week? 

4 out of 5 Dentists recommend hockey

Gearing up for a big hockey tournament this weekend for our oldest. It is his first year in organized hockey and he is SO SUPER excited. He doesn't even care if he scores a goal or if they lose terribly. He is excited about the medal he knows he is going to get afterwards.

I decided to volunteer on the raffle basket committee, mostly because it sounded fun and I know the score clock is above my skill set. Turns out it is fun, and I have to buy the stuff for 2 baskets, a Spa basket and a wine lovers basket. I thought spending other peoples money was going to be a bit more fun though. So far I am just worried that I am buying the wrong things and that no one is going to like them.

All the stuff is due this week so better get on it. Liquor store here I come (for the baskets, not the stress)

Super power steam cleaner

We borrowed our friend's super high powered (and mega expensive) steam cleaner. Has lots of pressure and can blast the crap out of just about every crevice in the house. Its appeal is cleaning and disinfecting without chemicals.  I was a bit skeptical at first - I mean really how well can it clean? Right? And for the price you could have a cleaning lady once a week for 6 months!!!

Well - let me tell you!!! Our windows are 20 years old and the seals are starting to go and it is windy where we live. The result is the sills are always dusty and actually pretty dirty. It can be a tough spot to clean and quite frankly cleaning is not really my thing to start with. So that is where we started the steam cleaning experiment. We steamed and scrubbed and the dirt was gone!!! 

But was it a fluke?

The true test has to be something more difficult, something gross, something tough to clean. Only one logical choice - the oven. It has baked on gunk from not only us but the people who built the house. The super steam cleaner has several attachments including a steel brush for those tough greasy messes. I have to say that with a little elbow grease, a lot of steam (note in a small space it is harder to see what you are doing) and the steel brush, my oven looks AMAZING. Like almost brand new.

I think this week might be a steam cleaning experiment. Up next the grout in the entrance way.

Stay tuned

Schadenfreude

Sigh - Schadenfreude backfired big time last night

It all started right before bed when my husband checked the weather on his phone. As we often do he checked the weather of the northern city where we used to live. We started this as a make our selves feel better about moving habit and it has just kind of stuck. We would sit in our new, much warmer climate and laugh at how cold our former home was. Not very mature but it is what it is. We also check the weather in sunny places we have visited in an effort to remember that it is not winter everywhere.

Last night he said "Hey it is -20 in PG tonight, brrrrrrrr" then we laughed a little about their poor misfortune and went to bed.

Woke up this morning to -15 C here! -friggin15!!!!!!!!! (when we went to bed it was -1)

Not cool Karma, not cool

Thanks but no thanks

My youngest son asked of we could get a baby this morning. I asked him if he meant we could look after one and give it back at the end of the day kind of thing. But nope - he meant we should have a little baby in the house. 

Ack - Panic - NO THANK YOU!

I will admit that we make the most beautiful babies in the world and having a little girl in the house would be cool. But then when I wake up at 8am on the weekends and sleep a good 9hrs in a row I remember why we decided against baby #3. Or when the kids are fighting with each other or screaming in public or trying to dash away from me in a store. 

When I feel frazzled by the end of the day, or feel like hitting the wine by after school I remember that a baby prolongs this for at least 5 more years.

I mean he says he wants a baby now, but he also wants a kitty and to be a pirate so he can't exactly be trusted to make good decisions.

But just as a test I am going to look after a 7 week old baby tomorrow while his mom gets her hair done. We'll see how everyone feels about babies after that.........................

For real?

Movie night at the school - lots of kids and parents and snacks and actual chaos at the start of the evening. To add to this a parent let her son bring his bearded Dragon (just inside his coat, no glass container) to the event and then didn't supervise him.

I caught him tormenting other children with the poor beastie and found his mother and asked her to make sure he kept the thing in his jacket (that is how it arrived). Twice I had to tell the kid to put the thing away before it ran away and got squished.

Honestly what went through this parents head when her son said "I am going to bring Mr. Bojangles to the movies Mom"? Seriously the answer should always be NO

So for the next event I have to have a disclaimer that says "no pets please"?

Common sense people, common sense

Bursting

You know that moment when you've planned something and it is a huge hit and everyone is so happy and pleased and thanking you. In that moment that you have to smile and say something nonchalant like "oh it was nothing"

But what you really are BURSTING to say is "YES, I am AWESOME and now I plan to take over the world (insert evil laughter)."

I had that moment tonight - planned a school event and it was a huge success with accolades coming from all sides. Outside cool as a cucumber, inside a giddy school kid. 

They like me, they really like me.

Downside is that I will have to be the president for the rest of my life..........

I need to be friends with this lady

So I have Davida to thank for introducing me to this blog -"People I want to punch in the throat." Written by Jen it is a collection of very very amusing entries about everything from the stupid elf to evil lululemon. 

This blog entry made me laugh out loud!!!

http://www.peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.com/2013/11/lululemons-yoga-pants-arent-problem-you.html#more

Disclaimer - I own 3 Lululemon things and they are all headbands. I have never understood the appeal of spending $100 on a pair of pants you are supposed to sweat in. I buy the cheap ones at Costco for running and they don't wear out or show my bum and they cost $20! And since I only wear them to exercise and not out socially they get sweated in a lot.


I wonder if this Jen lady wants to hang out and we can talk about the people and things that need a good punch in the throat????

6" 2 with eyes of blue.....

Ok so my husband is just under 6"2 and his eyes are hazel but you get the idea.
He has a cold, and actually a pretty bad one. But he refused to take nighttime cold medication because he says it makes him crazy and then groggy in the morning so the result is that he snores all night long. Not cool and not good for me.

One night I slept in the basement bedroom - why should I you ask? He is the one with the cold you say. Well he went to bed first so it was my obligation to move to the basement.
Another night I shook him really hard and he woke up all scared and disoriented. Which was funny but didn't stop the snoring. Yet another night I thought about the thin line between love and wanting to smother. I do love him but I also sort of thought about smothering him.

At least he is not being a wuss about it and he hasn't said anything about my sleep deprived grumpies so I guess I can stand it for a few more nights.

But I think I will get to bed first tonight so he has to go downstairs, it is cold down there

Pity Party over at table 1

Feeling sad - hormones combined with challenging children behavior and the time change has finally beat me down. Bursts of random tears (mine) and a strong urge to eat chocolate chips seems to be the norm over the past few nights. Got to shake off these pre winter blues before the REAL winter blues come.

A few weeks back I took a few Yoga classes as part of a fundraiser for my son's school PAC and I have to say it was great. The main part of the classes was hard and I sweated, and I stretched out muscles I didn't know I had. I also discovered that I am extremely inflexible when it comes to anything involving my ham strings - ouch they are super tight.  The last portion of the yoga class was a 10 minute relaxation portion that left me feeling fantastic, lavender scented eye pillow anyone? Maybe the answer to all life's problems is Yoga?

Or maybe it is chocolate chips - or maybe both? Will keep you posted

Kids music - stuck in my head

We listen to a lot of kids music around this house. Sometimes all day every day. I actually like it, it is upbeat and usually pretty funny. There have been a couple of songs in our house lately that have kind of got stuck in my head - like a brain worm. And every time you think you have it out of your head BAM there it is again!

The first one is called "Rock Melon" - about an eel that chucks melon balls. You say to yourself "this song doesn't even make sense" and you are right. Yet there it is, stuck in my head. Rock Melon, Rock Rock Melon. Now I hope it is stuck in your head too!

http://youtu.be/kuDt2nGRjXo


Another one is the famous "what does the fox say". I think the boys have watched it on You Tube 10 times and laugh at the same parts every time (the old man howling at the story reading and the fox at the end dancing). Seems innocent and harmless enough and also doesn't actually make a lot of sense either but it is actually a very very dangerous brain worm! Doing innocent things like cooking dinner it will pop out of my mouth almost by accident. The boys think it is hilarious!!!

 http://youtu.be/jofNR_WkoCE

And a blast from my childhood that the kids enjoy as well

 http://youtu.be/8N_tupPBtWQ

This one is a punk rock song that the kids dad and I really really like and when it comes on the satellite radio we sing along. Never knew the kids were listening until we heard my youngest sing "and a roast tattoo and a roast tattoo, got your name written here on a roast tattoo"

 http://youtu.be/9d8SzG4FPyM

Phew - so good to share the brain worms - maybe they will go away??

If all your friends are doing it and you think it is silly……..do you jump on the bandwagon?

So – it is almost that time again. Elf on the stupid shelf time. All of my girlfriends do it. They post on FB about it, they pin ideas on their boards about it and try to outdo each other every year in some sort of creepy puppet competition.

What IS Elf on the shelf you ask yourself? Well…… let me tell you……. The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition is a 2005 children’s picture book, written and self-published by American author Carol Aebersold and daughter Chanda Bell and illustrated by Coë Steinwart, featuring a Christmas-themed tale, written in rhyme, that explains how Santa knows who is naughty and who is nice.Each book comes with an "elf" who you have to name and care for

The Plot (according to Wikipedia) is The poetic story dictates that the elf's main priority around the family's household is to keep watch over the children's behavior during the day and return to the North Pole overnight to report their behavior to Santa Claus, detailing any acts of obedience or misdeeds performed by a child during that particular day, returning home by the following morning. Starting from the day following Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, the elf remains with its family to ensure that they behave properly throughout the holidays. However, the top policy regarding the Elf on the Shelf is to refrain from touching the creature, as doing so could permanently erase any Christmas magic with which the elf had been bestowed upon being named by the family. It is no longer capable of fulfilling its duties of recounting the events of the day to Santa Claus, cautioning that he may or may not learn about a child's behavior should the Elf on the Shelf be stripped of its holiday enchantment. Every day, the elf's position changes, providing the family with the responsibility of locating its current perch before its departure for the year on Christmas Eve.

Basically speaking the Elf (with whatever cute name you name him) is a spy for the “man”, an informant to “big brother” and as kids you have to go and find him to ensure he reports favourably about your behavior. Or look out no pressies. Don’t touch the elf or bad stuff happens – really bad stuff. There are sites dedicated to “re-magicking” your elf if one of your kids accidently touches him. Sigh.

Do kids think it is fun? – probably

Is it creepy? – a little

Do I sound like an 85 year old grump? – yes

Are my kids hard done by because we don’t do it? - no

So what to do?

I could go the religious route but I am not sure a “find baby Jesus” game would be as fun and it would probably be blasphemous if we put baby Jesus in a marshmallow snowball fight with one of the boys toys. Or I could just block all elf related posts. My boys eagerly anticipate the arrival of Santa old school (like all children pre stupid elf did) so I can’t say that we are entirely all about the reason for the season. Maybe I just feel like it is one more thing that I have to do as a parent to ensure my kids grow up normal and happy like all the other kids? Is that why it annoys me so much? The fact that not doing it makes me feel like a lousy mom?

I guess in the spirit of the season I should just grit my teeth and say nothing when people chatter about the funniest thing doby the house elf did that morning and let people have their jollies. After all maybe they find my love of Christmas carols just as annoying and are gritting their teeth as well.

http://antielfontheshelf.blogspot.ca/p/pig-on-twig.html?

http://mockingwords.blogspot.ca/2011/12/anti-elfs-on-shelfs.html

see – not alone……

Grumble Grumble Grumble winter

I know that being Canadian that I am supposed to embrace winter with arms spread wide. Revel in the crisp air, the pink cheeks,and the children running through the snow laughing. The Christmas lights, the excitement and the joy the winter season can bring. This is all true, and I DO like it, until about December 30th but then winter lasts another 3 months. 3 months of cold, dark and difficult. Something about this season makes me want to stay in my bathrobe all day and go to bed at 8pm. Like a bear in hibernation.

Luckily for us we moved further south so this dark and cold doesn't last as long as it used to which makes it is more bearable, and I have started to train my kids to help with the shoveling duties. They think it is fun at the moment and are happy to get out there and shovel. (suckers)

The first snow has yet to fall but I can feel it coming...............

So I will choose to focus on positives like

1. I can still run outside

2. Snow boarding season will open in a couple of weeks (see I do like winter sports)

3. I can get the tree out and start to decorate in a few more weeks

4. More time inside to craft - no outside weekend chores

That being said welcome to this blog - and experiment for me really. Something to keep me occupied during the winter months so I don't go stir crazy. I may even post pictures of my crafts if I get inspired.........