The Quiz

That seemed to be very, very easy even without taking notes and only took me about 10 minutes. I wish quizes were that easy going through school.

Thing #23: Twitter - the final thing

Instant messaging "stuff" again. sigh. As I said before, I have no patience for instant messaging. Use the phone. What happened to that personal contact? I can understand instant messaging's purpose if one has to contact serveral people quickly like when the storm cancelled my Pampered Chef party last week but many if not all of those people don't have instant messaging. Instant messaging is just encouraging and further developing the growing trend of "I want it now" in today's society. We have fast food, faster cleaning products (that create more waste and harm to the environment), priority post, quick fixes, etc. What happened to taking your time to do the job right or looking forward to the moment or savoring the present time? I don't want an instant message Valentine greeting, a fast food meal, and virtual flowers for Valentine's Day this year. It leaves something missing. Rush, rush, rush. Like in a song I like, "I'm in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush until life's no fun. All I gotta do is live and die but I'm in a hurry and don't know why." I'm also wondering what gets left out when their is no body language or intonation to help interpret what one is saying. I know that I have often been misinterpreted in email without those two key elements. I've heard that 20% or meaning is in our body language. Smilies can't make up for that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter

Yes! I'm finished all the challenges! Can't say I'll remember enough to complete the quiz though. I should have taken more and organized my notes.

Thing 21 and 22: Meebo

I found I couldn't do much with Thing 21 to try out meebo without going onto visit HRL Meebo chat room. It figures that once I take the time to go there and for once in my life try instant messaging, that there is no one there. But I'm used to talking to myself. But typing is more time consuming and I can listen to the lilt of my voice. LOL Seriously, I have no patience for instant messaging. I'll use the phone if I want to talk to friends or family and email or facebook allows us to exchange communication without being available at the same time.

http://blog.meebo.com/about

Thing #20: Folksonomy part one

The Wikipedia site describes Folksonomy as the practice and method of collaboratively creating and mangaing tags to annotate and categoize content. This method of tagging makes a body of information increasingly easy to search, discover, and navigate over time. Folksonomy enable Web users to label and share user-generated content, such as photographs, or to collaboratively label existing content, such as Web sites, books, works in the scientific and scholarly literatures, and blog entries.

The Term folksonomy is generally attributed to Thomas Vander Wal. It is a portmanteau of the words folk and taxonomy that specifiaclly refers to subject indexing systems created within Internet communities.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folksonomy

Now, I'm not sure how to find "a folksonomy" in order to describe it here.

Thing #19: Friend Someone

I have done this already using facebook. Facebook did cause me some trouble though when a stranger was able to read, copy, and forward my communication. I have since learned that there are many privacy settings so that various information can be seen by everyone/friends only/ or only me. I have also learned that wireless conncections and public computers increase the risk of privacy breeches. Facebook also told me that no one should be able to read my email unless they have access to my account or the person I am corresponding with. I am also able to block certain people. There are many privacy features in other online services as well such as blogspot. In my blogspots, I have one that is viewable by everyone, and three that are by invitation only. I have also discovered there that I can invite up to 100 authors to my blogspots which is very useful for members of my girls' night group.

Mommy's Nurse

Yesterday I was beginning to feel what Taylor was complaining of Monday, crampy stomach, nausous, and just plain tired. I left the girls in front of the tv and went to bed. Taylor (who is 5 years old) came in shortly after telling me they would be in the kitchen if I needed anything to just yell and they would empty the throw up bowl if I needed them too. She also went and got a stool so she could close the blind and the curtains, saying, "there, is that like night time?" She then left shutting the bedroom door behind her. Minutes later she came in saying, I thought I'd get you some books in case you'd like to read. She then went to my bookshelf and filled a container with my books and placed them beside me on the bed, "Are these your favorites?" Mackenzie also ran in carrying what they called bedtime books from her own bookshelf. Again, Taylor left with Mackenzie, returning shortly after, "Here's the lamby (the hot water bottle) in case your tummy hurts." Again, she left, and a little more time passed before she returned with Mackenzie at her heals, "Mommy, here's a get-well card for you." They had both made one. Then they left and didn't return for over an hour. At that time they returned saying, "We're bored and hungry." So I got up and hurried through getting their supper and putting them to bed. I felt weak but better after my rest and Taylor's care. Where did she ever learn to bed so empathetic?

Skating Pro

I have been taking Mackenzie skating Friday mornings since October 2007. We usually only lasted on the ice for about 20 minutes and during that time Mackenzie was usually being pushed on a chair by me. "Faster, faster!" she'd ask. For the last month she has been taking her chair support and hitting the ice before I have my skates on. Also, for the last month I have been taking Taylor along as well, switching from morning skates to the after school skates. Both have been gaining in self-confidence and can now out-skate me. Yesterday, Mackenzie abandoned the chair minutes after getting onto the ice and only the last five minutes was being pushed around on a chair. She even skated once around the entire rink with me. She has also learned to get back up without holding onto anyone or anything when she does fall down. Now, now, I have to learn to skate again. My two girls don't need me any more and without pushing one of them on a chair, I no longer have it to hold myself up. I had to send Taylor after Mackenzie once when she crossed the barrier between the beginning skaters and the practiced skaters. I just can't keep up. However, we are all getting better. I can now stand up after a session on the ice for my legs are no longer reduced to jello. They are ;however, frozen for I'm not skating as quickly as I could while using a chair to hold myself up. As for Mackenzie, she has declared, once again, "I'm a big girl now. I'm five. Are you proud of me?" We must invest in a proper hockey helmet with a cage for she just skates full out. Even the supervisor commented that she could use a caged helmet for "she has no fear and she's cute as a button so I'd hate to see her fall on her face."

Things #17 and #18

Thing #17 says to try flickr. I set up an account but I do not have photos of my own at work to use flickr at this point.

Thing #18 requests that participants "tag" something. I have tagged people in photos on my facebook account. I hope this counts. This tagging helps to share with others with brief clicks rather than forwarding something that requires a lot of memory.

Mommy Sandwich

Way.....back when I was single (about 12 years ago) my bed often seemed to be very cold and lonely. I now long to have some space to myself even after moving up from a single mattress to a queen. Sunday night I was awoken by the slow creak... of my bedroom door which was then followed by a click with its closing, the pitter patter of bare feet, and tense silence as my little one stood next to the bed waiting to be addressed. "Hi." "Mommy can I come in with you?" As Taylor crawled in we had the usual exchange of I had a nightmare, what was it about, and I don't know, before we both succumed to sleep again. Sharing my bed with my girls is such a regular occurance that I don't always wake up when they do climb in. An unknown amount of time passed before I was rudely awakened by a smaller someone climbing up over the bed and me. "Hi, Kenzie." "Hi, Mommy." she replied as she roughly wedged herself in between her father and I. Now I lay between Mackenzie, on the left, and Taylor, on the right, making me the sandwich filling to this family submarine. The rest of the night was a bit rough. One arm was pinned under Taylor's head, at her request, and was falling asleep. I was also incredibly hot wedged between two young ones with high metabolisms. The limited space was hurting my hips so I rolled over on my side to release the pressure. Oh, to have my bed to myself again. But for now, they are both still so very little and still want to cuddle with Mommy. I shall take their affections while they are still willing to give them. In addition to this, they are both sick at the moment and only Mommys will do. But when is there cuddle time for Mommy and Daddy? And how much bigger do they have to grow before someone is falling out of the bed?

Thing #9 & 10 Capture an RSS feed

Yes!!! Thanks to help from a co-worker (here's to quiet Sundays and helpful co-workers) I have completed thing 9 and 10, capture Challenge 2.0 and an RSS feed. I can see how this could save a frequent internet user a lot of time closing and opening windows switching from one site to another. Where has this feature been all my web-surfing life? But then I just learned about control tab in firefox...

A Little Off The Top

Taylor had her first school concert last week and as she was standing there in her dress, necklace, and silver braclet between two young fellows in their spify ties, it occured to me: Taylor needs her hair cut. She looks raggedy and I should have had it cut before the concert. Ahhh..... So, since then I have been mentioning on and off that when I get paid next we'll have to go get our hair cut, that Taylor's eyebrows have disappeared, etc. Yesterday Taylor asked if I could cut her bangs. I told her that I used to cut my own but I don't want to cut hers because when my mother used to cut my bangs they would be crooked so she'd trim them again and again and they would end up way....up at the top of my forehead. Well... later that night I was on the phone talking to my on-the-road hubby and Taylor made a rush for the bathroom. A bit later she hadn't returned so I called for her, "Taylor did you get stuck in the toilet?" No answer. "Taylor!" Still no answer so I went to check. What to my wandering eyes should appear, but a pile of hair trimmings all over the floor, and a pair of fine scissors in my daughter's wee grip. Oh my. "Look, Mommy, I trimmed them myself." I couldn't understand how she got by me to get the "hair scissors" out of the kitchen cupboard while I was in the kitchen and then returned to the bathroom to trim her bangs almost up to her scalp in a jaggedy line and around her ears in a haphazard manner. sigh. "Good job Taylor but they're a little short. I thought you wanted to grow your hair out and only trim your bangs." "And I trimmed around my ears too." "That's going to make it hard to grow your hair long. Come here and we'll trim it up a bit." So...to make the most of it, I had a seat and trimmed off the stray bits still floating around her forehead, leaving the patches around the ears to remain as is. I just hope she doesn't get teased and tormented at school today. I suppose, in another month or so, her hair might not look too short any more.

Me a Big Girl

Sometime last week after the girls were put in bed for the night, I heard a banging sound. I sent my husband to investigate. He found Mackenzie kicking at her collapsible bedside railing, "me no like that no more. Me a big girl." I folded the railing up and put it in her closet. She has managed not to fall out of bed, yet, but I wish her blankets would stop falling out. Mackenzie has also declared, after a month of "accidents" that, "me no pee on the floor no more. Me a big girl now." That girl can be determined which is both a blessing and a curse at times. But true to her word, she hasn't had any more "accidents." Now I just hope she'll soon be able to finish her breakfast before it's ready to leave for her sister's school in the morning, "Mommy! me not ready to go yet! Me not finished!"

Deferred to Grammie

More and more lately, the girls are saying, "take it to Grammie, she'll fix it." I am starting to think they doubt my abilities. If Mackenzie needs her blanket satin edging, it's take it to Grammie. I guess I started it for Grammie's sewing machine and serger are always set up. My sewing machine is in a box in the basement. Then Grammie mended a sock or two while the girls were being babysat. Hey, I've sewn on buttons and repaired socks. But the other day, I will admit, I was a little hurt when Taylor said, "this curls up on my sock. Can you drop it off to Grammie to fix when you take me to school tomorrow?" Indignant, I finished putting Taylor to bed and went and dug out my sewing box, promptly sewing the snowman patch back onto Taylor's sock. The next morning, she turned the sock over in her hands, pulled at the edges of the snowman and asked, "you fixed this?" ugh. I guess a mother doesn't have the time to do those little things between running kids here and there, cooking meals, doing laundry, and trying to have together time. But Grandmother's, they make the time, for they are helping you and your kids, their grandkids, while proving their worth, and perhaps, doing the little things they wished they had done when they were "just" a mother.

Thing #15

I am getting behind on the challenge. I still have skipped thing 9 and 10 but alas, I'll get to it. Thing #15 was to try del.icio.us. It's useful for organizing my bookmarks and still be able to access them from any Internet computer (great for websites used for programming and be able to work for various computers). I can see it being very useful for patrons who use the public computers. It is also useful in that you don't have to use your own computer's space to bookmark. A co-worker swears by Notebook because one can add notes to it as well. I have found; however, that I have added most of my bookmarks to my blogspot already to do the same thing: save computer space and to be able to access it from anywhere. I am also getting tired of all my user names and passwords for I'm losing track of them. Is there a spot to store them? Ah, technology...attempting to keep up is a full time job.

First Lost Tooth

Just recently Taylor discovered that she had a loose tooth; her first loose tooth. Mommy, in all her wisdom, predicted that Taylor's tooth would be out by the weekend. This was about December 12. On our drive to go to the public pool for a swim, Taylor excitedly announced, "my tooth came out! Now the tooth fairy will come tonight!" We then had to scramble for something safe to put her baby tooth in. We found a discarded Christmas card envelope inside our darkened car. Upon returning home from our swim, Taylor had to phone and share her exciting news with her Grandma, her other grandparents, her cousin, and her (half) sister. In the morning, she had to call them again and tell everyone that she got markers, fairy markers, from the tooth fairy. Yesterday, she lost her second tooth. This time it was while sitting at the kitchen table and watching Christmas cartoons. So she sat down and made herself an envelope of her own design for her second baby tooth. When she finished making her envelope, to her great panic, Taylor couldn't find her tooth and was in a great panic, "it's gone forever." Mommy found it on the floor next to Taylor's knee where she knelt searching frantically. This time Taylor only had to phone her grandparents. This morning she asks her younger sister, "do you want to come with me and see what the tooth fairy left me?" Mackenzie in her usual form emphatically answers, "Sure!!!" Taylor soon returned to my room, shoulders slumped, listlessly flapping the item through the air, the tooth fairy left me "just a book." Her second tooth, and already her standards are set so high. She and her sister soon discovered that the book had foil stickers in the back that they had a grand time making up crafts with. Go figure.

Photo Flop

In all our brilliance, we decided to take our own photos this year. Usually I book an appointment in October at the Superstore to take the girls Christmas photos. We have the tripod, a better camera, flood lights, etc. so my husband suggested we take our own photos. We usually have to carefully write down who would like a photo and then decide what package we want accordingly. Then if we want more prints it's either break copyright law and scan it or pay $7.99 for another sheet of photos. It seemed best to take our own. We can even send to photos for printing in various provinces and have the relatives pick them up so they don't get mangled in the mail. So.... I showered the girls, they got dressed in their finery that Grandma bought them, blew dried their hair, added some pale lipstick (Taylor wanted to be like Mommy and look as pretty as she could with makeup), and some hairspray. Tah, dah. Daddy hooked up the flood lights, cleared the wooden bench, attached the camera to the tripod, used Taylor for some practice shots and we were ready. Or so we thought. Warren took two photos of the girls together, and one with me as well, then the batteries died. Figures. We'll have to try again later. Guess I won't be the first one mailing out my Christmas cards this year. There goes my reputation.

Strawberry Obsession

Mackenzie has discovered Strawberry Shortcake, the cartoon. I'm not sure how she learned about her though I did buy her a Strawberry Shortcake jacket last winter. I then bought her a comforter this fall but it just has strawberries all over it. We then borrowed some movies from the library (I have to sneak them back) and found a doll at Value Village. Hmmm.... I guess I started it. I still don't understand why she gets so excited about Strawberry Shortcake though. To me, she's as annoying as Dora the Explorer. They are both just so gosh, darn, chipper. We did lose the doll at Value Village when she got put down for a bathroom break and we were unable to find her again. I then asked on freecycle if anyone had one up for grabs and got a tip to check kijiji. We were able to buy two for $5.00; and one talks! Mackenzie was thrilled when Daddy brought them home. Now I'm loosly considering a Strawberry Shortcake theme for her birthday this month... I think I'll stick to a Doodlebops theme and try for Strawberry next year. There is so much available online for parties. Either way, Mackenzie is just thrilled to be having a party and "all my friends coming!"

Memories

glorified from the past,

frozen in time,

resurface through

reminders of location,

sensation, and activities,

unconsciously in dreams

and consciously through regrets.

I wish to metamorphize

this past relationship

and bring it into the reality of now,

paste over the rose-colored glasses

of yesterday

and capture it in realism.

I cannot pursue what wasn't

for this isn't the time

or the place for it to be.

I will have to take a new direction

of old and aging friends,

to purge myself of our past

that continues to reemerge

and interfere with my present.

I find I cannot turn my back

and let the past be past

so it shall have to change

and it shall have to mature

as my body, if not my mind, has done.

There is no place for that past

in my today.

With it, I cannot move on,

within the relationship I now have.

Brave Girl

Taylor's dentist appointment sadly didn't end with her being posted on the cavity free wall. Mommy's slacking off on flossing Taylor's teeth resulted in a cavity between the tight upper back teeth. Taylor, since receiving her shots for starting school, is rather afraid of needles. She was not thrilled about the idea of having to get a needle to have her tooth fixed. With a quavering voice she asked the dentist if she could have gas instead of a needle as mum had told her that sometimes people have gas instead of needles. She wasn't able to have that option. The dentist explained that she would put a type of jello on Taylor's gums so that the needle wouldn't hurt as much. Taylor said she had to get a needle for school and it really hurt. The dentist then expained that this needle wasn't going into her muscle and wouldn't hurt as much. Mum and little sister had to leave for Taylor to get her work done. The dentist didn't want to scare Mackenzie for any of her future visits. About 30 minutes later when Mackenzie was asking if she could see Taylor now the dental hygenist arrived and said Taylor did well and we could go see her now. Taylor, cheek all puffed up, was rooting through a treasure box of stickers and tattoos for being such a good girl. She wasn't phased by her experienced at all. She puffed up in a big grin when mum told her she was proud of her. Taylor then wanted to call all her relatives and tell them what a great job she had done getting her cavity fixed. She then announced she was hungry and wanted something to eat.

Thing Number 8: try an online processor

I tried google documents and created a xmas shopping list and wrote a wee poem (also published here on my blogspot). I used to do a lot more poem composing. I can see the convience of keeping documents online so that they are accessible from any computer rather than having to download and upload in order to share or to edit. This option has great potential.

Relationships take work.

Great relationships take even more work.

But they're worth it.

The more you put in,

the more you can get out.

Relationships are also a two way street.

It takes two of you to move forward.

Or only one does the work,

and burns out feeling unappreciated.

It takes honesty even when it hurts,

for the imagined may be worse.

It takes understanding;

attempts to understand and

help to make one understand.

It takes agreeing to disagree

rather than having to always win

thereby creating a loser.

It takes respect.

Respect for self so that one doesn't lose

too much of oneself and have nothing to give.

Respect for the other

so that one tries to accomodate,

compromise, and please.

It takes choosing to love

in spite of little things that irriatate

or things we don't agree with.

True love begins when the lust wears off

and we choose to stay

and we choose to do

because we want to.

Wikipedia's view of scrapbooking

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrapbooking

Thing Number Seven: Wikipedia article

Being the crafty person that I am (take that expression as you wish), I decided to read an article on Scrapbooking. I was very interested to learn the history of it such as that it began almost as soon as printing began and that it was similar to oral story telling only with a more visual and tactile element. Makes sense to me. I'm more a visual learner than oral so it makes sense that I would enjoy passing on my families stories through scrapbooking. Hey, I'm now amongst the elite of Thomas Jefferson and Mark Twain who also scrabooked! Scrapbooking as it is now understood was started in 1976 by Marielen Christensen who made 80 albums in 4 years. And I thought I had too many albums! I think I have 14 completed albums in 7 years. I thank Marielen and her huband, AJ, for starting and devolping scrapbooking as it is known today. It has been an emotional outlet for me, has helped me to find time to be with my friends, and has helped me to capture and preserve the memories and moments of my family. I'm addicted.

Another Year of Treating (no tricks)

My eldest, Taylor has been counting the sleeps until Hallowe'en for the past five days. This morning she was excited that it was today. However, she must have been too excited as she stepped over her costume on her way out of the car when I dropped her off at school and forgot it. I had to find parking and then run it into her after the bell had rung. Then at supper time she exclaimed that it wasn't time to go treating yet as it wasn't dark. Sheesh. First she can't wait then she's making me wait to get it overwith.

To Kenzie, this is all still rather new and only her second time out trick or treating. It took some coaxing to get her to put her costume on to go out trick or treating. Finally finding something different from what she wore at the sitter's or to Grammie and Grampy's, we headed out the door. At the first house she asked, "me go home now?" At the second house she asked, "me go home now?" At the third house she asked, "me go home now?" At the fourth house she asked, "me go home now?" At the fifth house she asked, "me go home now?" Well, Taylor answered and said, "I'm having fun, we're not going home until we get to the end." Fifteen houses later, Mommy was asking Kenzie, "Can we go home now?" Kenzie replied, "No, me not done yet." Figures. She also didn't want to let me empty her treating bag into a grocery bag so she could continue collecting. I think she wisely doesn't trust me with her candy. Twenty two houses later, we got home and only 30 minutes past bed time. Getting them to bed and asleep, well that is another story.

A Shot in the Arm

It's that time of year again when I take us all to the doctor's office for our flu shots. Taylor has normally been very good about needles; she rarely cries but rather just sits on my knee and take the shot in the arm. This time was different. I should have taken backup. As soon as I parked the car Taylor was protesting, "I'm not getting a needle, you and Kenzie get a needle but I'm not going to, no, no, no...." Fortunately the waiting room had the distraction of Hallowe'en coloring sheets. They helped in the exam room too until Dr. T arrived. Taylor scooted between my chair and the magazine rack faster than I've ever seen her move and immediately started arguing about not getting a shot. I got my shot first; trying not to show any reaction. It wasn't that big a deal this time anyway. Mackenzie had been sleeping on my arm in a long-sleeved sweater (in 23 degree weather, but there's no accounting for her choice of clothing) and had to be woken up to retrieve her arm from its confines. She started protesting right away as well screaming, "NO!!" and kicking her legs and waving her arms. The doctor was still talking with Taylor that the needle helps her to not get sick and that it wouldn't hurt as much as her needles for starting school. - Oh...that's why she's suddenly so opposed to shots. - I held Kenzie against me holding her arm and pinning her legs with my other arm. She still succeeded in giving the doctor a good kick before bursting in to big rolling tears. The doctor was now telling Taylor that Kenzie's kick hurt more than the needle. It was a challenge to try to pull Taylor out enough to get access to her arm while trying to comfort and hold Kenzie. We never did get her out from her spot between chair and magazine rack but we did get her arm. The doctor even asked Taylor if she'd like some stickers afterwards, asked her to be big girl and show Kenzie how she could take a needle, I offered ice cream afterwards, and the doctor asked - with permission - if pop would help afterwards. Taylor continued to protest and squirm. So, I held Kenzie with one arm on my knee while holding Taylor's arm with the other and hoping she wouldn't bang her head on the table behind her. The shot was quickly given while Taylor protested and Kenzie attempted to kick the doctor and save her sister. The tramatic event now over, the girls were both asked to come pick out a sticker. While Taylor was picking out her sticker, no tears visible now, the doctor appear with her pop for Taylor. We then had to wait for five minutes to see if we had any negative reaction and there was no sign of the trauma from a few moments before. The girls were both dry eyed, intently persuing their endevors from their toy box selections, and stickers and pop both set askide, forgotten. I had to ask myself, what was all the broohaha about and... no wonder some people opt not to get the needle and deal with the symptoms of illness instead. Sheesh. The trials and tribulations of being a parent.

New Car

Well, we did a great deal of looking around on the weekend and replaced the family car...for an automatic transmission. I was grumbling under my breath this morning about how it's going to take some getting used to as I attempted to use a clutch that wasn't there when Taylor piped up, "I like it, it's quiet." The car we had been using is long over due for exhaust work so she was understating the lack of noise. She also added that she likes how smooth the lock buttons are and the colour. Some people are so easy to please. Too bad we're not all like that.

Thing Five: Comment on an aricle about Library 2.0

Ok, for my Librarary 2.0 Challenge I have to comment on an article I read. One article I read is about how teens are involved in the library. As of late, or three years ago, we realised we have programs for 0-8 year olds and programs for adults but nothing inbetween. Hmmm. Major oversight. So a teen services person was hired and some teen programs started developing. We even have a teen section complete with magazine racks, new table and chairs, new area rug, and a new couch. We are hoping that if we make teens feel welcome and part of our library environment they will help us to look after it. But back on track to my comments on the article. The article asks why are we being asked to voluntarily complete 23 things in six months. The author states that the teens already know how to do these things, they do not need our help. My answer is, now we will know more about them and understand what they are doing. We will understand what their project took to accomplish. Maybe then we can build a bond and their self-esteem when we have to ask them for help. We can help them show that teenagers can contribute to society. I have also found that many teens love to share what they have completed on the net or to help me accomplish something with the computer. They also have more time and interest to learn the new ways of the internet so they have a great deal to teach me. It gives us some positive shared experiences so that when I have to ask them to quiet down, they listen to me just a little more.

Sleeps Through Anything!

I've witnessed the girls both sleep through the house alarm and other loud noises but today's was a first. I was heading to my sister's and her family's new home when I realised my head was pounding. I decided to make a brief stop at mum and dad's for some cold medicine before continuing on. Mackenzie fell asleep in the car en route. I was pulling out of my parents' driveway, looked left, then right, saw the gold-colored van and then BAM! I hit someone's pretty mustang coming from the left. Though I'm still not sure where they came from. Their car did a 180 and ended up resting on the far side of my parents' property. I couldn't help wondering what CSI might show about travelling speed and what made the car do that. However, back to Mackenzie sleeping in the back. She slept through it all! She slept through my swearing, the bang of the impact, the screech of the tires, the police officer opening her door to peek at her, and my mother moving her inside for a sleep. We had to wake her two hours later when we were able to leave. Kinda of frightening to be able to sleep that soundly. Glad she's safe.

Too Busy?

Unfortunately for Taylor, after she had signed up for skating and for Sparks, the days were set. Skating from 5-6 and Sparks from 6:30-7:30, the same day. This week was our first week of running to both events. Our day began dropping her off at school for 8:30. I worked, swam some laps, then picked Taylor up from school only to hurry home and get homework done. We had about an hour of free time when I realised we were late! We grabbed everything and flew out the door. By the time she was geared up for skating, she was already 15 minutes late getting onto the ice. But...45 minutes later, she claims to have had fun. Hmm. We rushed upstairs to grab her something to eat before heading to Sparks. She placed her order for fries and was advised to have a seat and, "we'll let you know when your order is ready." A family came and ordered after her, received their meal combos (with fries) so I suggested we ask what happened to her fries. They had forgotten. So...I shooed Taylor off the the washroom while I waited for her late fries. We met up and raced off up the hill to Sparks. I think Taylor managed to choke down ten fries and chew on a ketcup cup before we got there. That task accomplished, I drove back down the hill for my monthly meeting only to drive back up the hill 50 minutes later to retrieve Taylor. Actually running on time, we returned to my meeting where I took over my secretary duties or taking notes. Thirty minutes later, we were on our way back home for some well deserved rest. I'm glad there's nothing scheduled on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Melt Down Morning

At least once a week my 2.5 year old has a break down in the morning. This week it was this morning. She started off wanting help getting dressed but cried the entire time, not wanting that shirt or that pair of pants. So I told her to speak nicely or I'd have to leave. I had to leave. When I returned she spoke without yelling and did get dressed amongst the sniffles and made it to breakfast and through teeth brushing. She then had a melt down over her mittens when she couldn't get them on. She asked for help but didn't like it and threw the mittens and started stripping out of her shirt with her temper tantrum. I left to pack the car and Daddy stuffed her into her coat. When I returned and carried her to the car she had a fit stripping out of her coat on route. I forced her into her car seat as she continued to cry. She cried the entire ten minute (seemed longer) drive to the sitter's about mittens. She wanted the mittens her sister was wearing (they belonged to her), the ones Mackenzie had thrown when she didn't like how they fit. The sitter had to pry her from me as she continued to complain about her mittens even though I assured her she no longer needed any as it was warming up. ugh. She is normally a very pleasant girl but get her off on the wrong foot in the morning and everyone suffers. Good luck to the sitter!

big girl

Mackenzie, at 2.5 years, has decided that she is a "big girl" who is "five" where her five year old sister is "you one." Taylor is most distraught whenever this arguement begins.