Happy Canada Day!

Finally, a day off! Ok, I know we just came off a weekend. But it was a busy weekend (although in a good way), so it doesn't count. And, I had to go to work today. Well I didn't **have** to, I could have booked off, but I'm trying to wrap up a few files before going on vacation and I only have this week left to do it.

We actually had a great weekend, starting on Friday night with a BBQ at the hockey coach's house. What a nice guy, getting the kids and parents together again even after the season is over. We had a nice time, and the icing on the cake for me was that the husband managed to join us for the evening.

Then on Saturday, the husband and I headed downtown, in the rain, with plans to have coffee somewhere on Bank or Elgin and wander around in the rain, which we did. Then we got a call from our friends inviting us to go fishing and have a sleepover at the hunt camp. Which lo and behold, we decided to do (spontaneity ruled last weekend, I tell ya). So the husband, the boy and I left town in the rain and happily discovered that the rain had in fact stopped by the time we got to the lake. (The girl stayed behind and slept over at a friend's). We had a lovely time, a tad too much wine, a very sleepless night (bugs, the boy tossing and turning in the bunk above me, sheet lightning and a thunderstorm and finally, the husband's snoring kept me up for most of the night).

Got up the next morning and had a coffee on the back porch overlooking the pond. Got to see and hear nature wake up right before our eyes (uh, and ears) ... bullfrogs, birds, buzzing insects, jumping fish ... it was pretty amazing.

This is Sparky the Dog. Sparky belongs to our friends with the hunt camp. Sparky possibly had too much wine and too little sleep on Saturday night ... see how pooped out Sparky looked on Sunday morning? I looked just like that too, only no one took my picture. But trust me. We could've been twins.

So fast forward through today (work, ugh) to tomorrow. No major plans to celebrate our country's birthday ... just a quiet BBQ with my brother in law and his family and then maybe a late night drive to see the fireworks. Maybe. Unless I feel like Sparky again.

Have a good one, everybody!!!

PS - Yes, this is still a scrapbooking blog. Be patient. Soon I'll be on vay-cay, and I'll scrap up a storm for ya (hopefully, lol).

Hi, still alive!

Another week went by without blogging. Apologies to my faithful readers, lol!!

Let's see, a recap of the last 7 days ...

Thursday June 19: We went out for a family dinner to celebrate the boy's birthday one day early, since he was having friends over on his actual birthday. We had a nice time, and let the boy open his presents when we got home. He's now the proud owner of an XBox 360 Elite. Just shoot me. Those things cost. But, that's all he got!

Friday June 20: Four boys. Excitement. Loudness. A trip to the store to buy 3 more controllers, and 3 games (the boy had quite the money and gift card stash - he financed the whole outing). Back home for pizza, ice cream cake and sleepover madness. The girl escapes the madness by sleeping over at a friend's house. Smart. My sister and her husband come for a visit - we sip wine and catch up on things. Strangely, the boys crash out early (midnight-ish).

Saturday, June 21: The boy wakes me at 5 a.m. to let me know he just threw up. Proceeds to throw up every half hour thereafter. Other boys are fine. Instead of taking them to the inside activity/fun park as promised, the husband and I feed them breakfast (the boy throws up at the sight of it) and calls are made home for an early pick-up. They're gone by 10 a.m., and the husband and I sit in the back yard and stare at each other all day (with cleaning-up-puke breaks). It's so quiet all day, we wonder if that's what life without kids would be like (well, except for the cleaning up puke part, which kind of brings us back to reality).

Sunday, June 22: The boy wakes and feels better. Looks like it was a 24-hour stomach thing. I putter around the house, make a half-hearted attempt at laundry, and take the kids to spend a couple of hours with their grandmother. Then the husband and I sit in the back yard and stare at each other some more. We decide to go on a weight loss challenge together. We lay out the ground rules, make our bets and shake hands to seal the deal. First one to lose 14 pounds wins. We go for a walk. We eat steak and drink wine. Ooops.

Monday, June 23: Wake up to dreary rain. Take the girl to an appointment. Take the girl back home. Get to work with 5 minutes to spare before my first meeting of the day. Postpone a planned lunch with my sister; too much work, too much rain. Rain clears up by end of day; the husband takes me for a walk again.

Tuesday, June 24: Somewhere in my Quebecois genes, I know it's St-Jean Baptiste. Yet I still go to work. Except work today is a planning retreat with my management team in a lovely spot by the river in Cantley, Quebec. Spent the day visioning, strategizing and team building. And resisting the fresh croissants and butter tarts. Remember to pick up gift cards for the teachers on my way home (whew! - another disaster averted). That night, the girl takes me for a walk. And then I make 2 cards for the boy's 2 teachers, and forget to scan them for your viewing pleasure.

Wednesday, June 25: I wake up this morning and weigh myself - I have to squint to see those tiny numbers down there now, but it looks like 4 pounds down already (I always drop about 4 pounds water weight in the first few days of eating sensibly and drinking my fill of water). Day goes downhill from there, as I deal with problem after problem at work, and all of yesterday's emails and phone calls. Only 6 more working days til vacation, though! Things get better after I spend some time with my executive coach (a.k.a. my therapist - that's what it feels like anyway!). The husband mentions he's had a weight loss "setback". Hmn. Is that victory I taste?? Or is it just another darned VEGETABLE? Pick up the boy from an end-of-school party at his friend's house. The girl takes me for a walk again. I come home, sit down at the computer, and blog. The end!

The night before the night before

Sorry I've been MIA lately. It's been very busy both at work and at home. The only thing that keeps me going at this pace, is knowing I have less than 3 weeks to go til summer vacation!

The excitement around here is at almost maximum pitch. You see, there are only 2 sleeps left until the boy turns 12. I guess it's normal for kids to be excited about their birthdays, but this year has really been exceptional on the excitement scale. Every morning begins with a calculation of how many days left until THE day ... every night, how many sleeps. The birthday list was researched, typed and copied (oh yes, multiple copies) a few weeks ago already. Ads depicting great deals on XBox 360 Elite bundles have mysteriously appeared on the fridge door. Presents are purchased and ingeniously hidden. Invitations are out; RSVPs are in. Loot bags are, as of this evening, filled to the brim with dollar store crap only 12 year old boys could love.

Busy as I am, I know I should savour and encourage his excitement. You see, I could swear he turned 11 yesterday. Time goes by so quickly, next thing I know he will be counting sleeps til his 16th birthday, just so he can go get his driver's license. Or til his 18th birthday, when he will celebrate graduating high school AND adulthood. So if the kid wants toys and birthday sleepovers and loot bags, so be it. I'll take it while I still can.


Supplies

Cardstock: Bazzill
Patterned Paper: Not sure, as it was a scrap; but I think My Mind's Eye
Rub-on Letters: American Crafts (white, red); My Mind's Eye (blue)
Flower: Prima
Big Brad: Dollar Store
Button: Unknown
Ribbon: Bobbin Ribbon from Michaels
Tag: Unknown
Ribbon: Unknown
Other: Used Creative Memories circle punches to create red circle

In other, just as exciting news, the girl finished her exams today and is done Grade 11. She will never have to take biology and math again - yay. This was a stressful semester for her. She's an overachiever by nature, and she had to work so hard just to achieve in those two courses, let alone overachieve. She's convinced she'll get rotten grades (I'm sure she won't). She's worried she won't get her over-90 average medal this year (I'm sure she will). Anyhow, we celebrated the end of grade 11 together - we went out to an Indian restaurant not far from home and sampled their buffet. The curried chicken tasted just like my mom used to make.

So ciao for now. Not sure when my busy life will allow me to post again. I'm amazed I actually found time to scrap earlier this week - but sometimes I just have to, for stress relief and to find my sanity again. And since I find my sanity slightly slipping, I think I'll get off the computer and go find something to cut and paste ... **Waving bye-bye**

Tagged by Robyn ...

So Robyn did this fun quiz on her blog and tagged me ... here are my answers ... keep swimmin', Robyn ....

1. What is the silliest prank you ever played on someone?

I don't think I've ever played a prank on anyone!!!


2. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be and how long would it take you to spend the $10,000?

It would defnitely be a clothing store, but something more high-end than where I usually shop. There's a boutique in my office building that has gorgeous clothes. It would probably take me 3 to 4 hours to try everything on and make my choices ... and I'd have to hold back some of the $ for tailoring ... but that's how I'd spend the $10K, I would completely renew my wardrobe.


3. If money were not an object, what would you do with your life?

Quit work. Buy land on the Upper or Lower Rideau Lake and build a gorgeous house with a wraparound screened porch, a dock for the boat and a boathouse. Open a cottage country real estate office for dh (he could never retire, he has to putter). Scrapbook.


4. What is the weirdest thing you will ever admit to having done in the past?

Years ago when I went back to work after mat leave, I went through all the clothes in my closet and made up index cards of different outfits I could wear to save me time in the morning. I only used the cards for about a week.


5. What song best describes you when you first wake up in the morning?

I'm not good with song titles ... but it would be something upbeat and optimistic, maybe even sickenly sweet. I'm a morning person.


6. What place in the US would you most like to visit? Why?

I've always wanted to see New Orleans, though I don't know if it's changed too much since Katrina. The reason - partly because it's as old-world as you can get in the U.S. I think, partly because I've read lots of novels set there (Anne Rice stuff, voodoo stuff, lol) and it seems like such a mystical city.


7. What place in the world would you most like to visit? Why?

Greece - because it's beautiful, historical, and while dh has never been, it's where his heritage comes from.


8. Coke or Pepsi?

Neither. I haven't had a soft drink in a couple of years. It's all chemicals.


9. Is your calendar always on the correct month?

By the 2nd or 3rd day of the month, yes! (Just realized that the one in my scraproom is still on May - ooops!)


10. Desk: messy or organized?

Messy!!!!


11. Pet ownership – which is better? Dog or Cat?

I don't own either, but I'd rather own a dog. They're so loyal (those puppy dog eyes ...). Even though cats are generally easier to care for, they have such attitude!


12.What is your favorite car (not owned by you)?

I'm not too good with car names/brands. I don't know ... some sort of mercedes convertible???


13.Are you always early or terminally late?

Pretty much always on time, or slightly early.


14.American Idol fan?

Yes, but I don't freak if I miss a show.


15.What is your favorite book you read as a child?

The Narnia Chronicles (that's 7 books, I cheated!)


16.What talent would friends be surprised to hear you have?

They'd be surprised to hear I have any talent at all, lol ... no, seriously ... um ... can't think of one my friends don't know about! Hey, you guys might not know about this one ... I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue.


17.Who would you want to play you in the movie about your life?

Michelle Pfeifer (that would make my hubby happy - if he got to play himself, that is, lol)


18.What is your all time favorite (clean) joke?

Can't think of any. Dh sends me jokes all the time, however, they're anything but clean! But I love how ds used to make up nonsensical knock-knock jokes when he was little ... they truly made no sense but he would just giggle that wonderful belly laugh of his ... stuff like "Knock, knock. Who's there? Purple. Purple who? Purple went to the groceries. Ha, ha, ha, ha, hahahaha....".

Hmn. Guess you had to be there!

Let's see, who do I tag ... how 'bout ... Stefferqc and Jennifer!

Have a lovely Thursday, everyone! Just two more days of work til the weekend ...

Random Thoughts

1. Waving hi to Jean Anne in NB. I think it's cool that you found my blog when you were looking for hockey layouts; and cool that you love hockey too; and super-cool (does it show I was a teen in the '80s, lol) that you are still visiting. Thanks for commenting! For the record, I don't hate Sidney Crosby. I just don't particularly like him in the way everyone else seems to. He's a great player. Just a bit of a baby on the ice and on the bench (though I hear he's a great leader in the locker room and well, he wouldn't be captain if there wasn't something there, eh?). But there are lots of other great players, not sure why he in particular has been singled out as the next Gretzky. Anyhoo. Holding my breath til NHL season rolls around again.

2. Last weekend's shopping-for-house-stuff adventure with dh worked out. We got a light for our foyer and we ordered new roman blinds for the kitchen and family room, along with new verticals for the kitchen patio door. Blinds will be installed on Thursday.

3. Went to Michaels last weekend and bought a $8 bag of buttons - about the size of a sandwich bag. Once spread and sort out it looked like hundreds of buttons. Most will definitely be useable for scrapbooking. Some are big enough to use as weapons ... others, no bigger than seed beads! I've put about half away but the rest are still cluttering my scrap desk. Ergo, no scrapping for this weekend.

4. While work continues to be very busy, lately it's been "good-busy" instead of "bad-busy" and the hard work seems to be paying off. The thing I had to do a few weeks ago which made me cut down my days off from 3 to 2, resulting in less scrap shopping with my sister than originally planned? Turns out the hard work was worth it. It was a major success. I'm less apprehensive now, and more excited, about the challenges ahead of me. Yay!

5. Went for a picnic with friends yesterday ... where the Big Rideau meets the Little Rideau. One of our favorite spots. It was at least 10 degrees cooler than in the city, and quite windy for most of the day so no worries about mosquitoes. I was a bad, bad girl ... sat in the shade for most of the day and didn't think I'd need sunscreen. Paying for it today. You should see my nose.

6. I've got 3 post-office-related procrastination issues to resolve this week. I need to send Robyn her album, I need to send Marlene her goodies, and last but certainly not least, I need to send my brother his fishing stuff, which I've had in my car trunk for over a year. Gad. Don't know why I procrastinate like this. Wish me luck.

Happy week, everyone!

Academic Excellence

Supplies

Cardstock: unknown
Patterned paper: Reminisce (Wild Boy Stripe)
Denim flower: Making Memories
Blue flower: Prima
Buttons: Dollar Store
Brad: unknown (office supplies)
Alpha: Colorbok Sticky Alpha Stax, Provo Craft Alphabitties
Word rub-on: American Crafts (mini-marks)
Floss: DMC

I think this is the last of the scrapping frenzy layouts from a couple of weeks ago. Not one speck of new supplies on this one; it's all old stash. I even used some Alphabitties, remember those?? Lol.

In real life the patterned paper on these two pages line up perfectly. Sometimes I just don't have the patience for scanning and stitching to perfection. Y'all probably can understand that.

So, it's been a busy week ... and I've been kind of tired since Monday, because I stayed up to watch the three overtime periods in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup finals. And yes, last night, I watched the 6th and final game - another exciting one. With this win by Detroit, NHL hockey is over til the fall. I know most of you don't get it but, I miss it already. Sigh. :o)

Still haven't scrapped anything in a couple of weeks, but I have a good excuse currently - my scrap desk is covered in hundreds of buttons. I'll tell you more about that in my next post. And I'll aim to clean that up this weekend so I can get back to frenzied scrapping!

Happy Thursday, everyone!