What a great weekend - and there's still one more whole day left!

Friday night was Lara's 30th birthday party - so much fun I slept over!  And then the next day remembered that I am indeed no longer 21... oh well.  Had a great time though with so many great people.  Tonight Lara, Sean, and Juliette came for supper.  What a great time, I wish I would have done that ages ago.  The evening cooled off enough for ice cream in the back yard and Jason brought his guitar out.  The best part was watching Sean hop (Sean seems to be about 6'15") across the yard with Maddie. 

This weekend The Markosky's have been ON FIRE!  We have been getting shit done I tell you.  Jason has worked so hard on the basement, it's wonderful.  He did the wiring for the tv so that cables won't show.  He finished the ledge and the trim around the windows.  He mudded (and taped?) the frame to Maddie's doorway in her playhouse.  We "set up" the couches in the basement today.  It looks so great and it was so nice to actually sit on those couches after 3 years.  What's left?  Order carpet, blinds, paint the glass door and hang it.  The end is near!  I think on Maddie's play house I will sew a curtain instead of hanging a door. Maddie's pretty set on a door, but I feel a curtain will work just as well. 

You:  Jenn, what the HELL is with the spider pictures?

Me:  Isn't that INSANE?  What a freaking enormous spider.  Huge.  Must be a momma with babies?  But wait, do they have babies inside, or do they just stick them right off the bat in some nest thing?  Google, here I come.   


Update:  I was just on facebook and they "hey, you might want to be friends with these people" thing popped up.  I was creepin on the fb profile of a girl I used to be so intimidated by.  Wow.  What the heck was I thinking?  Don't you sometimes wish you could sit 21 year old You down and say "Girl, it doesn't have to be this complicated".  But I guess you have to go through the complicated bits to get to the good part.

Today was Maddie's last day at Spadina LBP location. On Tuesday she moves to the Victoria location, this is where her kindergarten will be. It is also about a 4 minute drive from my office. The LBP location is anywhere from 15 - 25 depending on the day and mood of my fellow commuters. So the move will be very good for Jason and I. It will also be great for Maddie b/c she will be going to Kindergarten and having all the new experiences the come with that adventure. We are sad Lisa won't be at Victoria everyday, but I know she is old enough now and she will do just fine.

But....

Today was also the very last day Maddie spent with Auntie Lisa. As most of you know (and if you don't - jeepers, pay attention people) Lisa has been the director at both of Maddie's previous day cares. This meant that the first day, when she was 13 months old, we dropped her off knowing Auntie would be just down the hall. At LBP, Maddie and Mackenzie could run into Auntie's office anytime they wanted to and get a great big hug.

We have been so lucky. We have never "searched" for a daycare. We have never worried about the kind of place we were leaving our baby girl. We didn't have to worry b/c she wasn't with strangers - she was with her Auntie. And Auntie was The Boss, and I am not above preferential treatment for my kid!

Lisa - thank you so much for taking care of Maddie the last 3 1/2 years. You are so very good at your job, you manage the day to day chaos that is childcare with grace and professionalism. You are so good to your staff and I know they love working for you. You always place every child at the very top of the list - they are your priority above all else. Thank you for being there for us, and for your patience when we didn't always "get it". Just like in high school....I still hope I can be just like you when I grow up.

Thank you.

(Maddie, Jason and I "created" these for Lisa's office - in her signature colours)

This bike ride has been sponsored by Disney Princesses.

Craft Night at the Markosky's

These are actually additions to previous paintings. I was in a "gluing shit down" mood today.

I have discovered I am a "maker". I read that somewhere. Someone described herself as a "maker of things". I think that's what I am. I'm not necessarily very good at it, I have really no training (nor do I want any), I like to glue things, I like to sew things, paint them, un paint them, un sew them, basically take something and make something else. That's what I like. And I'm pretty much ADD about it b/c I do one thing for awhile and that's all I'll do and then I move on. You know, like Monet and them damn water lilies. That's all that guy could talk about. That's me and felt. And tonight it was all about glue, buttons, and ribbon. Loved it. We also worked on another project but I can't show that just yet. You'll have to wait.

All day long I have so many blog thoughts. I often think in "blog posts". Weird? True. I had such an inspiring session with a favorite little client this morning. All the way back to the office I wrote a post about that visit. Mostly I just wish people could see the kids I see and get to know them. I want to know them better. I think I don't even get to know them well enough some times. They are so amazing. They work so hard for everything. You could think that everything is a struggle. A struggle to play, a struggle to talk, a struggle to think. But with some of my kids it doesn't seem like a struggle, just a challenge. Just who they are even. I love it when they are funny and smart and they get it. It's those kids that make me feel like I'm just damn lucky to be in the right place at the right time. I have 2,3, no 4 kids right now who do that for me. It's so cool to see what they can do. They amaze me so much. Today, my friend E.M. kicked ass at picture exchange. He just gets it. He was on fire today - I think we worked 40 minutes solid on exchange, choosing from 6 pictures. He even used a new word today during all of that. Independently 4 times. E.M. used to be "non verbal". This is a big deal. I was so happy I could have cried. Three years ago I probably would have. The best part was when he looked at me and laughed because he was having so much fun. Today I liked my job. Right now I really love what I do and I'm so lucky.

good night everyone.

If this was a youtube video (which, by the way, it is not) I would open the door to my pantry and you would hear the sound of angels signing "Halleluia".

Oh yeah. That's what I'm talkin'.

In case you are one of 7 people who did NOT hear: I cleaned out and re-organized my pantry last weekend. What a wonderful Saturday. I loved it. Loved loved loved it. It looks so great. You can see the floor now. Things are in their place. Old crap is gone. (Thank you Sarah F for taking a large portion of said crap).



Of course, some people in my house don't appreciate this. Some people keep putting the cheerios container back all willy nilly like. I know who you are. You're not fooling anyone - I know you're doing it just to bug me. Well, you're wrong. It doesn't bug me. Nope. Not a bit. Not this girl. No bugging here.

So I'm just strolling through Etsy.(what the hell is Etsy, Jenn?) ..and what do I find?  A whole new world. 

What is about the LAST thing you could imagine on Etsy?  Did you say Taxidermy?  Right-oh my friends.  There is a whole section where you can purchase
- a pheasant pelt (I shit you not)
- a complete monkey skeleton
- a collection of rodent skulls

Just to name a few of the wonders.  Etsy will be forever changed. 

Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to search "felty felts" on Etsy and try to erase the pheasant pelt from my brain.

Madge has a new nighttime strategy. Instead of scampering up to one of us, in the dark, putting her face 2 inches from ours (this is to ensure we wake up to see only giant brown eyes, i'm sure). So instead of this, she now just magically appears in the middle of our bed sometime in the night. I wake up and there she is.

The worst part? We prefer this b/c she doesn't wake us up and she actually sleeps "in" (7ish instead of 5:30). And really people, who wouldn't want to roll over and see this:

When Britt was too little to ride a bike (or at least too little to ride without training wheels) he used to push my old green banana bike around the street. Over to Erick's. Across the street to Mark and Julie Anne's. Down the street to Brian's. That was back in the day when little kids ran up and down the neighborhood in bare feet. Pretty sure he wasn't even wearing a shirt.

I'm wondering if this is the next generation?

I will tell you that this was all her idea, but it was of course not her original plan.  Plan A involved Jason or myself hauling the bike trailer with our bikes with Molly and Rose Red strapped securely inside while Madge rode her bike beside us.  Yeah.  So,  we weren't super crazy about that idea.  Madge, creative girl that she is, came up with plan B. (and I of course scampered into the house for the camera)

Our camping trip at
Night Owl Cabins

We haven't camped since before Madge was born. I dusted everything off and we headed to Pike Lake for the weekend. The cabins are so great - it's essentially just like camping. The cabins are small and pretty bare bones but the plus side is the fridge and electricity inside. There isn't water or a washroom - that's the camping part. There's an outhouse (and a flush toilet/shower area) and you get water from the communal tap. Our site (as you can see below) was so perfect, completely enclosed in trees and private. The beach was just a short walk down a path.

We loved it. We're going again in August and we booked two weeks next summer!

Maddie is pretending to watch a movie. I'm serious.

I am inspired by Colleen's post about Will and Kate's visit.  (Colleen - can I link your blog here?)

I think I may just have to blatantly steal her idea and put a similar post in here so that I'll have it in my blog book.  Frankly, I'm a little irked Ididn't think of it myself.  But - that's why we have friends: to think up the good ideas.

And time for bed.  Love how I do this to myself night after night.  Jason will be so thrilled to hear the alarm go off at 6 a.m. tomorrow.  Mostly b/c then it will also go off at 6:10, 6:20, likely 6:30 and very possibly 6:40.  Yep.  I'm a treat in the morning.

j

MMF

Madeleine and Mackenzie Forever

Uses for your Super Store Grocery Bin:


1. Duh, carry your damn groceries.
2. keep a litre of 5w30, a jug of washer fluid and one mitt from rattling around in the back of your car
3. haul food from the cabin to the picnic table
4. wash the dishes after supper (when you're camping and there isn't a sink).

But...our favorite use so far...

5. Wash your cute kid.

Camping is hard work...

You know what I love best about Laundry?

Laundry has patience. Laundry doesn't mind if you go to the beach. He'll wait. He says "go ahead, have fun, enjoy the sun! I'll be here when you get back. I might invite a few friends over to keep me company - you don't mind do you?"

Yes. Good ol Laundry. Sits there, waiting patiently, slowly growing and spreading. But very quiet. So quiet in fact you can almost forget about it. Until 6:45 Monday morning when you are going to be late for work and WHERE THE HELL ARE ALL OF YOUR PANTS? Oh. Laundry invited them over. They're hanging out with Laundry now. Great.

Well, I'm off to the beach.
j

ladybug ladybug, fly away home.

Has anyone seen the book (likely in an email attachment) "Go the F__k to sleep"? Anyone?

It's ten p.m. and beside me is a four year old little girl who couldn't be more awake. About 20 minutes ago I finally gave up and told her to come down to my bed. Not sure that was the best idea I ever had but I was sick of yelling.

To her credit, there is a thunder storm and it is loud and there is a lot of lightening. But really? Tonight she's scared of thunder? It happened tonight? For real?

big sigh.

If you haven't read that book, google it and find it. If you don't think it's funny then maybe you shouldn't read this blog anymore. Not b/c you won't like this blog but b/c frankly I won't have anything in common with you and we won't be able to continue this relationship.

ok. maybe that's a little harsh. let's remember I have A Very Alert Four Year Old beside me. AAAAHHHHHHH.


Happy Thought:
In Killarney, when there was a thunder storm, my dad would open the garage door and we would stand in the garage and watch the storm. I love storms. I like the excitement of the thunder. That was one of my favorite things about Minot - the thunder storms every night.

ok. I better quit clickety clacking here... that can't be helping with my sleep issue i'm sure.

good night everyone and GOOD NIGHT MADDIE

j

A day with my cousins...

I have this gaggle of cousins that the older I get, the more I appreciate. Shelley, Serena, Britt and I spent a lot of Easters and Christmas holidays together growing up. I have so many memories of playing with them in my Grandma Hurst's house. Serena used to take us to the Chinese Restaurant. There seemed to be some sort of store attached? Is that right? There was a glass case (like in the old store display days) and the case was full of all kinds of treasures (e.g., likely cheap crap - but we LOVED to look at it).

Shelley and I used to sleep in the The Little Girls Room. This was a room decorated with rose wallpaper and a old metal bed painted white. It was my Uncle Jim's room when he was growing up. I loved the irony in that one. Sort of like Madge, after settling into her new bed from my brother "Mom, Uncle Britt slept in a Big Girl Bed??"

Me, Shelley, and Serena

I'm desperate to look like my family. Anyone see anything? One good thing: found out Shelley has an eye twitch too! When the going gets rough, so does her eye....just like me! Ahhh, it's nice to have family.

This post comes courtesy of my friend Steph.  I'm sure you've seen her comments on here many times. Steph - thank you for solving this mystery!

And to my fellow Monarchists - ENJOY!

 

 

Jenn

 

So a while back you posted a blog entry about seeing the Queen and you pondered what she might have in her purse.  Since you asked the question it has always bothered me and now with all these pictures of Kate wondering around with a handbag I decided to get to the bottom of things.  I found this on askjeeves.com and since Jeeves is a rather British sounding name I figured he/she/it must know whats what so here you go:

 

Q	What Does The Queen Carry In Her Handbag?

Glad you asked...

She carries her glasses, a handkerchief, a makeup case (a gift from Philip), family photos, sometimes a cell phone and change for Sunday Church collections. She is even known to carry treats for the corgis in her bag. Her children and grandchildren gave her some good luck charms as gifts; she carries these in her bag as well. It is said that she uses her bag as a security article.

 

Another post that I couldn't get to mentioned that shifting the position of the purse was a signal to her security team.  Either that or she also has a taser in there as "a security article"!!

 

I don't know about you but I definately feel better now that that mystery has been solved.

My Zumba Social Story


Zumba is a fitness class.  My friends might invite me to join them.  Maybe somebody's sister teaches it. I've likely been to a fitness class so I might say "ok, why not".

When I get to Zumba the teacher will appear to have completely normal expressive language skills.  She will be welcoming and friendly.  She will remain welcoming and friendly, but her expressive language skills will drop significantly and she will begin to use gestures and hand movements once the music begins.  It is not a good idea to shout "why aren't you talking?" when this happens.  Her smile will become awkward, and my friends will likely be embarrassed.  (Although, they should be embarrassed if they didn't share this social story with me ahead of time).

Once the class has begun, there will be no talking - just the occasional shout (of joy?  distress?)  There will not be any Teaching Of The Moves either.  In fact, as soon as I begin to vaguely imitate a move correctly she will switch to some bollywood routine.  When this happens I will begin Parent Dancing Moves.

About 25 minutes into Zumba something will happen.  I will stop caring that I look like a very uptight WASP trying to Get Down With My Bad Self.  In fact, I will loosen up and start to have fun (but my white will still be showing).  And this is ok.

My friends are happy when I go to Zumba.  Zumba gives me exercise.  Going to Zumba is a good choice for me.



More Info:
What (the hell) is Zumba?
What (on earth) is a social story?

Who the hell is montanna?  Am I going to have to tighten security on this thing??

hour five of Maddie's Big Vacation

Just got up from a nap.  Was a little hard to sleep without Toopy and Binoo in the background, but I managed.

Can I tell you a secret?  Promise you won't tell? Won't get all judgey wudgey on me?

Ok, you promised.

I don't know what to do with all of this free time.  I better make a list b/c I know that this time yesterday I had about eleventy billion things I would do "if only I had a week to myself".  Well, Jenn, here's your week.  Get goin.

Things to Do When Your Kid is Away
(not to be confused with the earlier list "Things To Do When Your Parents Are Out of Town")

1. Stain the deck (groan.)
2. learn to play guitar (not likely)
3. Watch all 5 (is there five?) seasons of The Tudors
4. Sort and "relocate" 85% of the shit in Maddie's room (and you people thought I was a packrat)
5. Felt something (need more felting needles)
6. purge: the pantry, kitchen cupboards, my office
7. go hiking with Chelsey (this sounds way more funner)
8. take a leisurely stroll, with starbucks in hand, down Broadway.  Maybe even 2nd Ave. 
9. go to dinner with Jason
10. go to a movie with Morgan
11. go for drinks with the girls
12. waste 3 hours on etsy

ok, so far for tonight I think it's going to be #3 and maybe #12.  If someone responds to my (pathetic) facebook plea, then maybe there'll be a #11.  When I asked Jason about #9 he (politely?) reminded me that "This is what I've been wanting, isn't it?" and then continued to toddle on downstairs with his little bag of treats he bought at the gas station.  That's a man who doesn't need a list.  Right there. 

Well, he doesn't think he needs a list.  Obviously I know better, and clearly I could give him a list. But...one thing I've learned in the last 21 (yes, twenty one people) years is giving Jason a list does not equal relationship bliss and harmony.  Nope.  Quite the opposite really.  So, no list for Jason.  Just faith that he has a plan.  Although really, he could work for the CIA with those plans of his.  TOP SECRET. 

Sweet mother of pearl, someone is walking the smallest sheltie by my house.  I'm gonna just let the dogs bark bc that is one tiny dog.  Worth barking about.  It's like a Polly Pocket pet or something.  Jeepers people - get real dog.

Hey, guess who has two thumbs and found the italics on her computer?  THIS GIRL!

ok, so...guess I'll sign off now...yep...see ya later...

bye...

ttfn...

j

Madge made this before she left.

My mom always says you should "leave in grace" or something. And what she means is put on some clean underwear and clean your house before you go on holiday.  A bit morbid but good advice.  Madge did both.

We love you Maddie.

Maddie has just left on her Very First Holiday.

She's heading up to Flin Flon with Grandma and Grandpa B for a whole week! She was so excited she couldn't eat her lunch. I know she will have a wonderful time. We miss her already though, it's going to be very quiet here. Especially in the early mornings and at the supper table.

We love you Madeleine Jane, and we miss you already.