Ode to Mike

Well, apparently I did not mention my poor, poor husband, Mike in my blog today...as he was so kind to point out...

MIKE
MIKE
MIKE
MIKE

Flu Shots!

Yes, it's that time of year again. It's time for flu shots. We've received since Graham was born, so his sister blames him for it...I told her she has it because of her asthma and that I blame both of them for it! It's not that bad, about every 3 years though I think they leave the needle in...there's no way around it, it does sting. The kids know that they are allowed to cry after the fact if it hurts but not before...they've been really good about it the last few years, I usually bribe them with ice cream though.

We had our first snow of the season last night. It was a pretty good one too. Elysia and I had hair appts in Wolfville and quite honestly, the drive there was not that great. We have spent a bloody fortune this year putting studded, winter tires on both cars but unfortunately not everyone on the road has done that. I found both cars have worked well in the snow. Graham was very excited about it, Elysia...not so much, she was worried it would still be snowing in the morning and it would curl her straightened hair. The woes of a teenage girl. Elysia and Sarah had died Elysia's hair black on Sat night, I really liked it but Elysia did not and kids at school were making comments, the hair dresser was able to soften the color a bit last night so she seems happy with it now. I was there to remove the skunk stripe from the top of my head. How did I get so much freaking grey hair?!

Mother is heading out Sat night so we will be babysitting Sofie...sorry Sarah and Connor, I offered. We love having the dog, she's pretty cute. Mom said she loved the snow last night, ate about a pound of it and was having fun slipping in it.

Guess I best head back to work...haven't checked my lotto ticket yet so I have to work!

Mammogram

Yes...that's right...now that I am the big 4-0, I have to have an annual mammogram. So I called the 800 number today to get an appointment and guess what, they had one today at noon...so I thought, okay, I won't be able to work myself into a state so I took it and went. It was painful but was not the horror I had imagined. The nurse/technician was awesome, although I told her when I was done that I wasn't staying any longer because she was no fun! She chuckled.

Got Graham's head beaned (sp?) the other day, some kid in his class has lice and we are not taking any chances. I was only going to get the sides done with the clippers and the top cut with scissors but he said "nope, get it all"...I like it on him but I worry about his little coconut getting cold.

Elysia and Sarah dyed Elysia's hair black the other night. I like it alot, I think it looks great on her but some of the idiot kids at school have been making comments (skunk, goth)...AGH!

Mike has been working at Capital Health in the city the last couple of days. He's home tonight. I will say that I may have slept in the middle of the bed for two nights with no fan to freeze me and there was no snoring beside me and no one to complain if I snored...but, of course, I did not enjoy it.

My dad had his hernia repaired last week and all is well...he started to tell me that it was a little stiff and swollen and I told him those were words he could never use with me to describe his "nether regions".

Work as always is interesting. My boss is leaving...which I am not happy about. She's my buffer and my saving grace in this place and she has taught me alot and I will miss her! Had a meeting with the big bosses yesterday to kind of lay things out there and told them I hate meetings, that most are a waste of time (especially depending on who is running them). God, I hate when people ask my opinion cause I have to give it. Not always what they want to hear.

Remembrance Day

Today is Remembrance Day. It has a special meaning in our house. Yes, we remember those who served. My father was in the airforce over 20 years. My great uncle (my Grandma Roy's brother) is buried in France.

But nine years ago today, our son Graham received a gift of life! Actually our whole family received the gift of his life. Graham received a heart valve transplant 9 years ago today...we also remember that today! Some days it seems like yesterday and some days it seems like an eternity. Some days is so very real to us and some days it's like it was a dream. I have very specific memories of that day...the nurses taking him early in the morning and thinking we just saw him alive for the last time...I was hopeful but really didn't think it was going to work...he was so sick and why should we be so lucky...anyway, enough of that! We are thankful and happy and he has some souped up parts in him that we cannot keep up with all the time.

I am not working today...that alone is a miracle, I am sure if they could have they would have made us work. Yesterday about four the boss brought it up...yeah, that's the time to make a decision...good management skills as always. So what do I do, I wake up at 6:15! What's up with that??

We had a pretty busy weekend. Watch Connor play a couple of games of hockey, they were in a tournament, won all their round robin games but lost a tough battle in the cross over. The game against Dartmouth though Sat night was pretty exciting. Elysia had a soccer game on Sunday, they tied but it was a good game and Elysia is having a great season.

Josee and I are heading to the city on Thursday to do a little Christmas shopping, would like to actually be organized this year. Ah, who am I kidding, I'll still be out there at the last minute!

Halloween

We managed to carve about a dozen pumpkins this year...and yes, lady, we used stencils. Some lady made sure to inform her husband and children who were admiring our pumpkins that we used stencils like it was some crime against the Great Pumpkin...buck up lady...!!

Oh yeah and another thing that bugs me...when your child is so small that they cannot walk to the door, do you really think you should be trick or treating when their bag is full and the bag in the wagon too...do I really think the 18 month old is going to put away two bags of candy?? I'm not really fooled by that.

We had a super Halloween this year. Thurs night was the family dance at the school...I dressed up in all my batty splendor, much to my children's dismay. I told Elysia the only thing missing was my sign that said "I'm Elysia's mom". I took Graham and his friend, Connor to the dance...Elysia is too cool for the family dance, of course. Graham had to meet his "date" Nina there...she was there, I wasn't introduced. Not sure why, maybe it was the two foot bat hat I was wearing. I don't know why they call it a dance, when it's the family dance, it's all the little kids and all they do is run. Graham was the character from the Scream movies. Worst part was that his costume was equipped with a blood pumping heart, that when he squeezed it, blood would run down the mask...yeah, enough to bring a tear to a mother's eye, what happened to the good old days of sports heros and animals??

Elysia and her friends dressed up as a pajama party, they were pretty cute in their pig tails and pj's. Elysia trick or treated with her friends, while Mike or I took Connor and Graham around.

Sofie was with us for Halloween. She came equipped with her own Halloween costume, she was a pumpkin. She didn't like the hood part, if it was over her head, she wouldn't move...poor thing, it had come down while she was coming down the stairs and she just stayed there, not sure how long she was there, but I found her in the middle of the steps with the hood down. She managed a couple of turns around the block and then she sat on my lap giving out candy but she was pretty pooped so I put her in the house and she passed out on the blanket on the couch still in her costume, she wouldn't even open her eyes when I came in the house.

Sunday, it was leaf day...we had to clean up the yard, I think the skunk was looking for grubs and slugs hiding in the moisture under the leaves...oh yeah, skunk made an appearance during the trick or treating, he did retreat back under the culvert next door before he decided to "trick" anyone. Back to the leaves...best thing we did this year was buy a mower with a bag attached. We just mowed over the leaves and dumped them into the green bin. Our back we blow them down the back bank. Something that took us two days last year, took us a few hours this year. Elysia had her second soccer game. She did really well, set up some nice passes and even scored a goal. It was a little anticlimatic as we all thought it went in behind the net, but it was a goal none the less.

Oh yeah, and my mother, who seems to think she has some claim over the dog, came and took her back last night, we miss the silly mutt!

The Nocturnal Beast!!

This week we have had mom's dog, Sofie for a sleepover while mom was visiting Tracey in BC. I get up early in the morning to take her for a walk/pee/pooh before I get ready for work...it's the only time that works for me and I kind of enjoy it. It's still quite dark at 6:15...this week has been especially frightening as people decorate for Halloween and all of a sudden you notice the ghosts and skeletons hanging in the trees. It's also been windy so you don't hear anything until it's right on you...like the lady running with her dog the other morning, I didn't hear her footsteps, I only heard an animals footsteps running towards me...I jumped! This morning though was the topper...let me back up a little though...yesterday morning I thought I saw something scurry into the culvert when we left the house, I flashed the flashlight but didn't see anything. So it's been in the back of my mind. This morning we went out the door, Sofie and I. I lock the door and start to turn around just as Sofie barks (she's never barked outside unless there's been another dog). Low and behold...a freaking skunk, in my front yard, not 15 ft from where I am standing and the door is locked. I grabbed the dog, not sure if I actually picked her up or hauled her up by the leash (sorry, Sofie). Grabbed my key from it's "hiding" spot and went back in the house. Then I tried to get the skunk to go away..."go away little skunk" "shoo little skunk" and then "GET OUT OF MY YARD SKUNK!" It kind of gave me that look like "you do not scare me, I only have to lift my tail and you'll be gone" (oh yeah, in my head as I am typing, I am doing by best fake French Pepe le Peu voice)...so Sofie and I went out the side door and I carried the first few houses away. Pepe was still there when we got back...Sofie sat on the back of my couch watching it for quite a while. It was gone when I had to go to work and it didn't leave any scents behind!

October 27th

On October 27th, my baby girl, Elysia turns 14...boohoo!! My baby is growing up! Way too fast for my liking...here's some pictures of my little baby...I love the picture of her on the beach, it's one of my favorites. You can also see how curly her hair is, you don't often get to see that because she feels the need to straighten her hair all the time or put it up. She had her first game of the indoor soccer season, she had a good game, and they won their opening game against a team that is known for being quite good. I tried to be quiet but it's soccer so you can imagine. I drive her nuts but that's my job as her mother.

We went to Patti and Tim's house last night for their annual Halloween extravaganza...they are a little nuts when it comes to Halloween. I told her she's the only person who can tell me there's a casket in her dining room and I don't think it's odd.