Thursday, October 25, 2007

ouch

After the latest batch of "overweight" comments I decided it was enough. Fine. If the world thinks I'm overweight, then I'll just have to do something different. So I called up a personal trainer and she gave me a 2 hour assessment. Basically she went over my eating habits and gave me a bunch of tips then she created a full body workout program that I can do at home (a huge bonus since Steve will be gone for the next 6 months) with little to no weights or equipment. Sweet. She went thru the whole program step by step and I thought I was doing pretty good until we came to the push-ups.
"Okay, " she said. "Let's start with 20."
I'm sure my eyes bugged out of my head b'cos she then said to do as much as I can and we'll aim for 20.

Right, of course. Let's aim for 20.

I think I did 9 before my arms collapsed. Anyway, after going thru the entire program I was sweating like a marshmallow in heat and when the time came, I could barely lift Kez off the floor.
I think that's a good thing.

Right?

Means I'm working muscles that (obviously) haven't been worked in awhile. So if I stick with it, something magical will happen. Or here's hoping.

So let the weight loss begin!

Monday, October 22, 2007

it's official

Now you can tell people! Boy what a relief to finally be able to tell people what we've been up to the last 10 months!

My husband is leaving me!

But don't worry, I sort of agreed to it. Steve was accepted into the RCMP last week. After a few days of complete panic, we were able to work some stuff out and it looks like the kids and I will be able to stick around here, while he's away at depot, till April. We were originally going to pack everything up and head down to Regina (to stay with my parents) with him, but one morning I was just laying in bed thinking about how much I really don't want to leave yet. I know eventually I'll have to, but for now, I just want to stay here. So we worked some stuff out and are about 95% sure we'll be able to stay. Of course, there's still that 5% where everything could go wrong in which case we'll have to pack everything up and ship out in less than 2 weeks.

But we'll pray that doesn't happen.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Kid stuff

The other day I was shaving my legs in the bathtub when Matthias came in and asked what I was doing. I said I was shaving my legs, just like Daddy shaves his face. Matthias made a face and said,"You mean you have a beard on your legs!"

This morning I was laying in bed when I heard Callah ask Matthias to move something. He didn't do it right away 'cos she then said, "c'mon, you can do it! You have muscles!"

Matthias' favourite thing to watch on TV lately has been the Crocodile Hunter on Animal Planet. He's been collecting snakes, spiders and lizards for a few months now and has quite a collection. It's fun to watch him jump around these snakes, say "crikey!" and try to grab the head before it turns around and bites him. Kids have amazing imaginations!

Matthias and Callah are on a marriage blitz. Every day Callah asks Matthias to marry her and then she gets all dressed up in her princess clothes (complete with tiara and high heels!) and asks Matthias to dance with her. The funny part tho' is if Matthias does something she doesn't like, then right away, she says "I'm not going to marry you anymore! I'm going to marry Mommy!" And then Matthias goes off and plays with his transformers. If only marriage were that simple.

Last night at our small group I heard a funny joke. I can't remember how it went exactly so I googled it, couldn't find it, but I found this one instead and it's pretty similiar.


Two young boys walked into a pharmacy, picked out a box of Tampax and proceeded to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asked the older boy, “Son, how old are you?”

“Eight,” the boy replied.

The man, perplexed but intrigued, couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know what these are used for?”

The boy replied, “Not exactly, but they aren’t for me. They’re for him (pointing to the boy who came in with him). He’s my little brother. He’s four. We heard that if you use these, you would be able to swim and ride a bike. He can’t do either one.”

Thursday, October 18, 2007

sheesh

Okay, I just saw Britney Spear's new video Gimme More. I'd be so embarassed if that was my mom. Those poor kids.

Spinning tattoos

The last couple of days my head has been in a spin. I don't know whether to come or go. Do this or that. So I usually wind up sitting on the couch, watching some TV and drinking a nice cold drink (which really isn't doing me any good, you know, considering my weight problem and all...). Sooner or later ('sooner' I know will come and bite me in the butt) I'll get my rear in gear and work will have to be done. But for now, I sit.

The other day the kids gave me a Surf's Up tattoo on my arm, just under my bicep. I've kinda gotten used to having it there and like the idea of looking down or catching it out of the corner of my eye. I've always wanted a tattoo. When I was about 15, I loved this mountain biker named Missy Giove. She had piercings and tattoos and was super cool (in my opinion). I would draw pictures of her in art class. After I graduated I went out and got my nose pierced. My Mom freaked and threatened to kick me out of the house if I didn't take it out. So I did. That was a $65 lesson. I'll be honest and admit it looked dumb anyway, but the tattoo dream still stood. And still stands. My sister moved out of my parent's house a few years back and got a tattoo on her back. They haven't disowned her or anything, so I'm pretty sure I'm safe. I used to think a map of Canada on my shoulder blades would be cool. You know in case I ever got lost or something... Then I changed my mind and now all I want is a celtic cross. I don't really care where. Arms, legs, back. Wherever. I just have this urge to be inked (which reminds me of this one time I went to a youth event at Briercrest and for some silly reason I had over 250 people their name on my body in marker...talk about being inked!) Oh well, for now I guess penguins will have to do.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

idiots

what is this?

At our small group on Thursday we gave ourselves homework; we are suppossed to find joy (or rather be more suprised by joy) in something every day and then write it down (for the record) and bring it back next Thursday to report. Well. It would appear that I'm having a harder go at it then I thought. I just read this load of croc and can't believe the idiots out there today.

Joy...where are you?

Friday, October 12, 2007

venting

I'm extremely ticked off right now. I was just told that I need to loose weight b'cos I'm getting to that stage where I'm too unhealthy to play with the children.

Excuse me? What the crap?

I don't care who you are, I know I need to loose some weight, I don't need people telling me that.

Thanks.

Have a *bleepin* good day to you too!

Thursday, October 11, 2007

yeah...I got nothing...

Sometimes thinking of something clever to write as the "title" is the hardest part.

I love listening to Galaxy's celtic station. I swear I was born about 100 years too late (my great great grandfather or something was from Scotland) and of course on the wrong continent 'cos I love anything to do with anything celtic. There are times when I don't feel like listening to rock, and times when CBC radio makes me want to scratch my eyeballs out, but no matter how I'm feeling I'm finding I can always turn that station on and listen. It soothes my headaches, calms my throbbing, smokin' tempers and makes me tap my feet and want to jig when I'm in a good mood to start. You gotta give it a listen if you never have before. Ch 742 on Galaxy.

Alot of people seem to be on the topic of love lately. My 'group' (we're not a bible study group, but we're not a book group...what do we call ourselves again?) is reading a book by Henri Nouwen right now and the topic we're stuck on is Joy. Looking back over my life (and I was thinking about this the other night. I'm reading this quiet moments for Mothers book and the first story was about how mother's make memorable moments for our children that last a lifetime and sadly, when I look back on my life all I remember or think of now is all the heartache I caused my Mother and the complete pain in the arse I was...not the kind of memories I want to remember, which got me thinking about the memories I'm creating for my children. Do I want them remembering me as the grouchy, busy Mom who never plays with them and spanks them and stuff? Not exactly. Wake up Lisa! Time to change roles!) there were times of pure joy. They may seem few and far between, but they're there. The one that always pops into my head first was on a sunny day in March of 2001. I was seeing Steve (we hadn't dated yet, just alot of hanging out) and I was walking to his house from my Grandma's apartment. I was rounding the corner of 4th Ave and Marquis (by Nutter's) when I felt a sense of complete peace and contentment. Joy. At that moment I knew nothing could go wrong. Nothing was going to hurt or harm me. All was right with the world. I was invincible. Even now when I think about it, the kids could be screaming and freakin' out (luckily they're not) and for a few simple seconds I'd still feel that sense of pure joy. I don't know if love had everything to do with it, I'm sure it helped, as I'm also sure in some way the two are entwined. But that was a moment of great joy to me that will forever stick out in my memory.

This morning the kids and I went to another Mom's house for a visit. This is something I do rarely, but you know what? I loved it! I've had invites for playdates before, but in the back of my mind, I'm thinking "yeah sure, they're just offering to be nice, but they don't really want my gang to all come over" and I usually wind up sitting at home feeling sad and depressed for myself 'cos I have no friends. Then I finally gather up some balls and go to a friends house and have a great time! I wonder why we do that? Why do we choose to wallow in our own self pity, internally screaming out for a break and a friendship, when all around us other Mother's are thinking and doing the same thing? Or am I the only one? If that's the case, please don't tell me, just go along with my little thought and agree. So you know what? My house may be small, but if anyone wants to come over, please come! I have a bucketfull of rockets and a tin of Starbucks coffee (and the other usual drinks altho' I'm out of rum, you may have to wait a few days if you want rum). Anyway, to that Mom who had us over (she didn't really even invite us, we kinda invited ourselves)...thank you. You have no idea what that meant to me. Thanx.

And for awhile there it was snowing. I painted my toenails blue so that when I wear my flip flops they'll blend in with the colour of my frozen toes, but now that it's snowing I may just have to put away my 'classy' footgear for another 8 months. Oh the woe of having to wear socks and shoes again...

The next few weeks at Mom's are sure not to be missed (is that right? That doesn't sound right). The 16th is a marriage talk by Amy Hollands. Amy has been thru alot emotionally dealing with miscarriages and loss of babies. Promises to be a very good heartfelt morning. Then it's the start of our video series "Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours "by Kevin Leman. And closing out October is our feature with therapist Crystal Debeck. If you've ever jumped and lost your bladder you won't want to miss this talk. So come check us out Tuesday mornings starting at 9:30 at the Alliance Church (corner of 6th Ave.W and 28th).

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

dah dum...dah dum...dah dum

(yeah, that was the theme to jaws...)

One of the things that I dreaded most about sending Matthias to school has finally happened.


Someone


in his class


has


head lice!


Eeek!

I don't know why but that totally freaks me out (hmmm...could be the thought of teeny tiny little bugs ALL OVER YOUR HEAD). As soon as he came in and I saw the handout, I'm like "get to the bathroom and DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!!" Thankfully it's not him, not yet (please God no, please God no). So we'll see what happens. Anybody have any cool head checking ideas??

Monday, October 08, 2007

so...muh....

Dixie is up (and in fine form) and running again and I like what she said about it being hard to shut off the "this would be really good on my post if I write it like this" kind of attitude that seems to be running thru my mind almost every day. But then I sit down here and it's like my brain vomits, literally, I think it actually feels sick and so I wind up simply checking my e-mail and facebook and getting off. It's not that I feel compelled or a need to write, and usually the little snippets that I have, I don't think are really worth it. I don't know if that means I should go on hiatus for awhile or what. Maybe I'll just write down all my snippets and then one day just throw them all out there for you to read. That could be disturbing!

Anyway, for now I'll leave you with this...
Steve and I went to our pastor/spouse retreat last week (which by the way everyone survived - including the dog and the 2 cats my sister brought with her) and one of the speakers there was a pastor named Eugene Cho. He was a funny and smart little Korean man that I found myself actually wanting to wake up and listen to every morning. He spoke very frankly and down to earth and told alot of stories (which I love!). One of his stories was about Amy Grant and how at the time that she went secular he belonged to a group that went completely against her. They burnt her cd's, they boycotted everything to do with her. One day a friend of his offered him a free ticket to one of her shows, and he took it and went to her concert. Somewhere in the middle she stopped singing and gave sort of a testimony/ explanation/ reason for her jump into the secular world. She said she felt like God was calling her to be a light to the world, not just a light to the lighted.
I really liked that comment. I'm not sure why, I'd like to think it's not just a bitterness thought aimed at my M.I.L. (she would've thought this guy was on a straight in narrow right into the pits of hell!) but something that I want to think about for me.
And in the period of Thanksgiving he also told some stories of immigrants and how one time there were a group on a plane and they wound up wetting their pants 'cos they couldn't believe that there could possibly be toilets on an airplane. Or how he hosted a family (from Korea I think) and they were amazed that a little switch on the wall could turn lights off and on, which they tried repeatedly (he said that the first 5 minutes was cute but after that it got a little annoying). Think of all the things that we take for granted and should be thankful for.

So there you go. The photo above wasn't taken at the top, to our benefit we only had an hour (up and down), it was snowing...alot and windy and I will honestly fess up to nearly puking...but I didn't...and I am thankful for that.