not skywalker

Am I Wearing Pants?

2012-01-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

A very helpful and useful tool.

You're welcome.

Importance ...

2011-12-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

I got this from Alexandra ... And I. LOVE. IT.

"Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing and butter the bread,
Sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep."

~ Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Nope, He Didn't.

2011-11-26T23:49:00.000-08:00

I Need A Genie Or A Lamp ...

2011-11-06T20:45:00.000-08:00

I WISH I HAD MORE TIME TO WRITE!

Because then I would write about how I was fish sitting and I accidentally killed it ... Or about how terrible my kids are at going to bed sometimes (and yet every morning when they get up I am excited to see them) ... Or about the other night when the creepiest thing EVER happened and it practically made me afraid of the dark ... Or about how I made a turkey for the first time in my life and now I'm excited to make Christmas dinner ... Or, for that matter, how excited I am about Christmas altogether.

TIIIIIIIIIIIME!

2011-10-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

I WISH I HAD MORE TIME TO WRITE!

I have all these thoughts and ideas in my little head and I don't have many opportunities to write about them.

I Love My Home.

2011-09-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

I Have Super Powers:

2011-08-10T18:40:00.000-07:00

Shopping List ...

2011-07-25T19:34:00.000-07:00

I need some garlic. But a special kind of garlic to ward off emotional vampires.

If you have some, let me know.

I Love It When A Plan Comes Together!*

2010-08-03T14:41:00.001-07:00

I'm currently getting all my ducks in a row to go back to work in September. *sigh* Stupid ducks. Buuuuut hopefully it will be a smooth-ish transition for me and for the kids and I won't need to take all my sick days just because I'm sick with dread and sadness.

*Um, it is coming together, right?

How Old Are You?!

2010-07-25T11:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I find myself really reflecting on something someone has said to me. It could be a piece of advice or even an off-handed remark that wasn't meant to be sentimental at all. Words really have the power to lift you up or tear you right apart. Yesterday I had one such interaction. With a stranger, at that.

I got ID'd, folks.

Yessss!

Brief Interlude

2010-07-24T11:51:00.001-07:00

My best girlfriend said this to me a couple of days ago and for some reason it really resounded in my little black heart.

"Talking and laughing is one of the loveliest things to do and life is short."

Maybe it doesn't even make much of a ripple in your pond but I've reflected on it and it's true.

Elephant

2010-07-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

Some days you just feel euphoric like no matter what, everything is going to be ok because you know you've got everything you need right here.

And then some days every decision feels like a fork in the road and it's like a crazy Choose Your Own Adventure and you worry because you can't just turn to page 91 and read what it says and then change your mind.

A Boy's Take on Makeup ...

2010-06-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

I was doing my makeup this morning with Joel beside me. He pulled one of my MAC eyeshadows out of my makeup bag. "What's this?" he asked.
"Colours for Mommy's eyes" I said.
Joel began to pull more eyeshadow out of the bag and lay them all on the table in front of him.
"Wheels!" he said.
This kid is all boy.

This Would Look Great on a Resume ...

2010-06-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

So I've been taking a cake decorating class. AND LOVING IT. I'm having so stinking much fun. The other day we learned how to make a rose with icing. They look so pretty.

When I showed Jacob he said "cool mom, now you could work at the Safeway bakery or something!"

The Bliss of Two Babies Napping at the Same Time.

2010-06-25T13:31:00.001-07:00

Some days your two year old brings the hose in through the patio door and floods the kitchen. And says "uh oh. Mess" as you're pulling out the fridge and stove to sop up all the water.

Some days you put a clean diaper on your littlest just to have him poo an up-the-back-poo two minutes later.

Some days your pre-teen talks to you in a tone that boils your blood. And yet, it's pretty familiar because you once talked that way to your own mom.

Some days you bring your two year old to a park and out of nowhere he tries to roundhouse kick another little kid in the head.

Some days you take them to the store and have the baby crying the whole. Way. Through. Walmart. And then you get home and realize you forgot to pick up eggs, the one thing you went to buy.

Some days all your kid will eat is peanut butter on a spoon.

And yet I am dreading - DREADING - going back to work in two and a half months because I don't want to miss a single second of this.

Character Development

2010-06-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

If we could compare our children to characters in Arrested Development, Jacob is the most like Michael, Joel is like Gob and Joshua is Buster.

... Now we just need a Lindsay.

Even Better Than Winning the Lottery:

2010-06-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

When our little baby Josh was born, one of his feet was puffy. He wasn't in pain and it was a little bit of edema, but it was still perplexing for the doctors and pediatricians at the hospital. And then a self proclaimed new nurse thought she heard a heart murmur. Josh was immediately brought to the nurses' station but no one else could hear the murmur. Not doctors, not nurses, not even the new nurse when she tried a second time.

The pediatrician and my doctor consulted about it and decided to send us to the department of Genetics at Children's Hospital. The only thing they could come up with as a cause of the puffy foot (and possibly of a heart murmur if there was one) was Noonans. Even so, they said, they were not convinced that this was the cause of Joshua's symptom.

For seven months I worried about my little wiggle. I read about the syndrome. I cried. "You can't cry over a puffy foot, sweetie," Jason said. "All we know is that one of his feet was a bit puffy." But I still cried. And every time Joshua cried I wondered if it was because of his foot. Or another symptom I didn't know about. He smiled around the same age as my other boys. He rolled over, sat up and developed similarly to them as well. And every check up at the doctor's was perfect. No heart murmur. No concerns. But always in the back of my mind was the possibility that my littlest love may never have a normal little kid life.

And then we finally got an appointment at Children's. When I talked to our family doctor about it he said "I think they'll tell you that they haven't seen such a beautiful baby in a long time." I hoped. I braced myself for the worst. I cried. I bit my nails. I snuggled my littlest love. Jason held my hand and kissed my forehead. "It's going to be ok" he said. We met with two very kind doctors. They thoroughly went over Joshua's health and measurements. They interviewed us for a long time.

And then they said the words every parent in our situation would die to hear: "Little Joshua is healthy and we see no reason to have you back here for another meeting"

What an amazing moment!

Please Be Advised:

2010-06-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

If you pee on the floor instead of in the potty you do not get a treat.

Oh Bologna!

2010-06-02T21:02:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when this was a good comeback?: "Well excuse me for living!!"

I do.

This Conversation Just Happened:

2010-06-01T12:40:00.000-07:00

Me: Are you seriously watching Tyra for the second day in a row?

Jason: ... Yeah ... Maybe it's time for me to go back to work from my vacation.

Ten Bucks If You Get It Right.

2010-05-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

What is as great as having your best girlfriend around all the time?
~~finally peeing when you've had to go for a reallyreallyreally long time~~
~~watching your favorite movie ever~~
~~eating melted cheese~~
~~being at the beach on a sunny warm day~~
~~having all your kids go to bed early and at the same time~~

Wrong, NOTHING! *sigh* I miss having Stan around.

Screwtiny.

2010-05-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

So I was sneak-attacked. In a bad way. And the short version is this:

I was tra-la-la-ing my way through my relationship with my in-laws. We are quite different but we get along fine enough. My sister-in-law had a baby while we were away on holiday and he was born with a birth defect. When we found out, Jason asked me what he should say to his sister when he called them. "Well the first thing you need to say is congratulations. A baby is always a blessing" I said. When we got home I brought over dinner for them and a gift I'd made. I went by myself because the rest of my little family was sick and of course we didn't want to get the new little baby sick.

About a week later Jason's mom confronted us about why I hadn't said anything nice about our nephew or about my sister-in-law's new home. Wait, what?! Of course I had said the baby is beautiful! Of course I had said congratulations! I was so hurt and shocked that they didn't know my character better than that! And that my mother-in-law wouldn't know that it was a completely ridiculous accusation!

Now that the whole situation is over and I've 'made amends' with everyone I feel SO anxious about being around them. To the point of having a bit of a panic attack on the way to see them. What if I say the wrong thing? What if I don't say the right thing? What if my silence is interpreted as something completely wrong?! I hate knowing that I'm being watched like that. I hate being under so much scrutiny. And what I perhaps hate most of all is knowing that no matter what, I won't be able to do the right thing in their eyes.

As Jay* so eloquently put it: "And I'm the jerk."

*Modern Family. Watch it, love it, know it.

Regime!

2010-05-13T18:02:00.000-07:00

I'm on a regime, guys! I don't have to do crazy exercise (who likes running, anyways?!) and I am allowed to drink the occasional beer (I've got a cold Corona with lime in front of me as we speak).

AND! I've lost 5 lbs since I started a few days ago woohoo!

Prelude to Mothers Day ...

2010-04-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

I love my mom. And sometimes I am reminded of how thankful I am for her. This may ~~or may not~~ be due in part to witnessing crazy moms in action. WOW.

Dear Mom,

I am so blessed by you! I was just reminded of this again. Thank you for being such an amazing Mother to me and Grammie to my kids!

Love, Anika

Meanwhile, Back At the Momma's Boy Farm ...

2010-04-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

... Jason and I got to go on a date yesterday. For an hour and a half. Having 3 boys, we know how to pack a lot into a short amount of time. So we did. And it was wonderful (and also a bit strange) to have just the two of us -- no interruptions, no messes, no strollers, no highchairs, no snacks, no diapers, no toys, no spit up on my shirt, no pointing out every truck or digger we passed in the car ...*

We got home to find that the littlest love had been crying practically the whole time. And I was secretly glad he missed his mommy so much.

I'm his favorite.

* Can I just say something? I missed all of these things!

Breaking News ...

2010-04-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

Bret Michaels suffered a brain hemorrhage. I hope that he's ok because his shows are really ~~insightful~~ ~~uplifting~~ ~~deep~~ funny to watch.

Also, he's 47. Who knew? I'm sure he's never had botox or other plastic surgery. And I'm sure his hair is 100% real.

Yum in My Tum.

2010-04-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

Maybe if I didn't eat popcorn with butter and syrup on it ... And then warm apples with brown sugar and oats and ice cream ... Maybe then I would get skinnier.

But then what would I eat?!

Love Love Loooooove!

2010-04-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

I think I've seen this post somewhere before ...

And because I feel ~~creative~~ ~~reminiscent~~ lazy, I'm doing it again.
And because I love old friends and new friends and potty training and red wine and the sanctuary and homeopathic teething medicine and my first-cup-of-coffee-in-the-morning and train sets and hockey and my three little punks and Jason and jalapeno havarti.
And also because I have nothing more to say than list things that I love ... I've handed over responsibility to Google to list things that I love ...

Anika loves Justin Bieber [*dry heave*]
Anika loves her new bed [we did just get a new bed and I do love it]
Anika loves to read books [read this immediately: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society]
Anika loves synchronized swimming, acting, dancing and playing the piano [ha]
Anika loves to go to her Oma's [true!]
Anika loves her baby sister [true!]
Anika loves being athletic [*cough* right]

The Current Theme in My Life:

2010-04-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.
~ Cicero

So it's been on my mind lately: thankfulness.

Sometimes I find myself being a bit cynical. Or pessimistic. Studies have confirmed that pessimists are right more times than optimists*. It's more realistic to be a pessimist. Having said that, I want to be more positive. I just don't want to always 'be positive' in a way that is naive or oblivious.

And being thankful is being positive in a way that is not naive or oblivious.

I also want to be thankful without having it be a comparison to something / someone else [i.e. "I'm thankful that we live in such a beautiful city" as opposed to "I'm thankful that we don't live in Xxxx" ...

Also? When I count my blessings I truly am content and at peace. And that brings a wealth of other blessings. It's a vicious circle, except not vicious at all. Just fuzzy and warm.

*Look, I learned it in a Psych class so it's true.

Some Things ...

2010-04-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

... Just make me feel so blessed with what I have.
So thankful for the beauty that surrounds me.
So utterly in awe of the amazing people / experiences / things I have in my life.

And sometimes I'm slow to be thankful or slow to realize or slow to wonder at it all. I want to live every moment with thankfulness. I don't want it just to seep in as an afterthought or a comparison to something else.

So I'm going to take a moment today. And bask in the blessings in my life.

The Answer is Right in Front of Your Face ...

2010-04-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Back in the day I dated this guy for a brief stint. He was nice, but not the man for me thankyouverymuch. Actually, I think the exact moment I decided it was over was when he was tickling Jacob and accidentally hurt him. There was no hope for us from that moment on.

Anyways. He had a buddy named Chad who said to him that if he wanted to be a pastor, he should definitely not date a single mom because that would ruin his credibility and hurt his 'ministry.'

Recently I came across something that Chad had written, asking (rhetorically, I assume) why his 'ministry' isn't bigger, reaching more people, and growing. I ~~felt sorry for him~~ laughed to myself.

HEY CHAD,

PERHAPS IT'S BECAUSE YOU'RE A COMPLETE WANKER.

Just a thought.

Wii Are Not as Fit as Wii Would Like to be ...

2010-04-14T14:48:00.000-07:00

So we got WiiFit because, well, what's more appealing than appearing to do physical activity in the form of a video game, right? We began last night. By the way, have you ever watched your husband doing the hula hoop exercise? Probably one of the ~~coolest~~ ~~hottest~~ funniest things to watch. Bonus points if he's naked.

But I digress.

The reason I'm writing this post is this: this afternoon I turned it on to get in some *ahem* exercise and the dang thing said I've gained 6 pounds! Dastardly game!

So I may or may not be off the regimen.

Spec.

2010-03-27T17:14:00.001-07:00

The sad thing about re-posting all the posts from my olden days blog (circa 2005 - 2006) is that I can't re-add any of the comments and some of the pictures are missing.

The funny thing is to see my toddler try to give his little brother a kiss while he's jumping in his jumperoo.

Everyone Has an Opinion!

2010-03-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

Aaaaand the only ones that matter here are mine and my husband's thankyouverymuch. SORRY!

We want to have a big-ish family. Somewhere between the Duggars and living-child-free-life-choice families. Most likely we would love to have five or six kiddos.

We'll let you know when we're done, but in the meantime I am just loving my children and loving my little family of five!

Another Important Application of the Theory of Relativity, Except This Time it's About Clothes:

2010-03-25T14:29:00.000-07:00

When you're at the second-hand store and you think you've found something good or cute or nice, it's important to consider whether it's good/cute/nice for REAL or if it's good/cute/nice just compared to all the other super-bad/ugly/gross stuff.

Smarter Than The Average Punk ...

2010-02-27T16:05:00.000-08:00

Jacob and I were having a conversation and I told him that I felt overwhelmed. He asked me what 'overwhelmed' means.

I tried to explain it, that sometimes even when you're really happy and everything in your life is great, you can get frustrated or feel like there's too much going on. It's a little bit difficult to explain that word to a ten-year-old.

But he listened, and then said, "kind of like a computer, how it can't do a whole bunch of things at once or it sort of crashes."

"... That's right," I replied.

Blah Blah Blah ...

2010-01-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

MOUTHOLOGY

What is your salad dressing of choice? My homemade caesar dressing ... Or papaya avocado salad dressing. Yumm-o! ...
What is your favorite fast food restaurant? Well, McDonald's -- even though I rarely eat there. There's something about the greasiness that makes you want it. And then you feel disgusting afterwards.
What is your favorite sit-down restaurant? There is a great veggie restaurant. Or the Keg for a steak. Or our little sushi digs. Depends on what I'm in the mood for! And I'm always in a food mood.
What food could you eat every day and not get sick of it? I have a list of foods I'd choose if I could only taste one thing for the rest of my life. I can't get into it right now.
What are your pizza toppings of choice? Cheese, olives, artichokes, mushrooms ...
What do you like to put on your toast? Butter and peanut butter and honey.
What is your favorite type of gum? A fresh kind.

TECHNOLOGY

What is your wallpaper on your computer? A picture of my kiddos.
How many televisions are in your house? two
Do you use a laptop or desktop? Desktop

BIOLOGY

Are you right-handed or left-handed? right
Do you like your smile? I like everyone's smile. Mostly.
What’s your best feature? eyes
Have you ever had anything removed from your body? My wisdom teeth. And one baby (the other two came out voluntarily)
Which of your five senses do you think is keenest? smell.
What is the heaviest item you lifted last? A person, I guess.
Have you ever been knocked unconscious? No, but I've probably deserved it.

BULLCRAPOLOGY

If you could, would you wanna know the day you were going to die? Definitely not. I have enough trouble with knowing when a vacation is going to end.
Is love for real? Of course.
If you could change your first name, what would you change it to? I don't know if I would change it.
What color do you think looks best on you? Anything dark.
Have you ever saved someone’s life? Yah.
Has someone ever saved yours? Sure.

DAREOLOGY

Would you walk naked down a public street for $100,000? Definitely.
Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100? Hah, I've done way less pleasant things for $100.
Would you cut off one of your little fingers for $200,000? Do I have to cut it off myself? I wouldn't like to do that.
Would you never blog again for $50,000? Sure.
Would you pose naked in a magazine for $200,000? Depends! Am I photoshopped?
Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000? Nope.
Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000? Absolutely.

DUMBOLOGY

What is in your left pocket? $1.75 and a receipt for shampoo.
Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie? Yes.
Do you sit or stand in the shower? Stand. I don't love baths because you're just sitting there in your own dirty water while it gets cold.
Could you live with roommates? I'd way rather live with my current 'roomies,' even if they are all boys.
How many pairs of flip flops do you own? Seven or eight.
Where were you born? New West
What do you want to be when you grow up? Organized!

LASTOLOGY

Friend you talked to? Alyssa.
Last person you called? Krista
Person you kissed? Jason obvs
When? When he was leaving for work
Would you kiss that person again? I'll kiss him a hundred billion times!

FAVORITOLOGY

Number? 2 and 29
Seasons? Summer. But I like the hope that comes with Spring. And the cozy-ness of fall. And of course Christmas.

CURRENTOLOGY

Missing someone? Jason because he's at work. And I miss my work friends.
Listening to? Jacob
Worrying about? a long drive

RANDOMOLOGY

First place you went this morning? a kid & baby swap meet
What can you not wait to do? Have a holiday!
What’s the last movie you saw? Unbreakable. It's slooooow
Do you smile often? As often as possible.
Are you a friendly person? Maybe!

Is 2010 Even a Real Number?

2009-12-31T11:43:00.000-08:00

For most of 2006 we were still a little family of two ...
For 2007 we were a family of three ...
We became a family of four in 2008 ...
And a family of five in 2009 ...
What will 2010 bring?

May 10, 1991 Journal Entry (Grade Six)

2009-12-29T11:42:00.000-08:00

Matthew is weird, really. He is also funny. He's pretty nice. When he's funny, everybody laughs, sometimes even Mrs. Smith. Most of the time, he gets really carried away. One time (it was during a spelling test) the substitute said "funeral" and then Matt said "bogus" in one of his many weird voices. Everybody laughed, not the substitute. The sub never laughs. I don't like her very much. She looked like a man dressed up as a woman. I thought that we were one 'Totally Hidden Video' or something. Her name was Mrs. Williams (or it could have been Mr. Williams). You never know.

Compliment?

2009-12-08T11:23:00.001-08:00

At first I was flattered when Joel pointed at a picture of Megan Fox and said "mama."

But I think perhaps it's time for his first optometry appointment.

Topic Du Jour:

2009-05-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

Swine Flu*

My work partner got back last Monday from Mexico and every time she coughs or breathes around me I take a bath is bleach. Even though this may cause a few health concerns to the baby growing inside of me, it's better to be safe than sorry, right?

Anyways, here's a really resourceful website about Swine Flu**

You're welcome.

*said in a menacing tone of voice
**again, said in a menacing tone of voice

The Most Romantic Song in the ... Room

2009-04-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite song du jour.

Seven Ate Nine ...

2009-04-19T10:58:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe you are one year old already. What a delight you have been! So much amazingness ...

From losing your mind when you're eating ice cream because you just love it so much ...
Seeing you play with your big brother -- you will try to do anything he's doing ...
Hearing your squeals of delight when someone's chasing you around the house ...
Watching the expressions on your face ...
Smelling your clean baby hair. Or your tiny feet ...
Cuddling ...

My little family has brought me countless moments of joy ...
My cup is overflowing ...

Hit And Miss ...

2009-04-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

I miss you.
You were in my dream last night and
Although it was strange
It reminded me that I loved you a lot
And it would be nice to have you around these days
To know me and to know my little boys
And to see me in a happy marriage
With an amazing man
It would be nice to hang out with you
Or do like we always did ...
Bumming around, laughing a lot
Eating
But life is full of strange events
And I've made peace with goodbye
I can't help but wonder, though,
Why you insist on appearing
Every once in awhile
To let me know that your memory still exists ...

Waking Up Before The Rooster Crows.

2009-04-08T16:06:00.000-07:00

WELL ...

Going back to work wasn't as bad as I thought it was, folks! Joel made the transition from being with me all day to being with Grammie all day verrrrry easily. And *ahem* I'm a little offended (and also pleasantly surprised) to know that he is happy all day.

Jason has also been amazing and has made me yummy lunches this week -- what a good one. And Jacob has been bumbling along as well, happily playing with his friends after school.

The only complaint I have is that I'm sooooo tiiiiiiiired. If I could, I would go to sleep at 7pm every night.

Runner Up For Father Of The Year ...

2009-04-02T06:47:00.000-07:00

Or, alternately titled A Horrendous True Story That Makes Me Shake My Head Every Time I Think Of It, As Told By An Acquaintance To My Husband:

"The other day, Grace and I went shopping at the craft store for some craft supplies. And when we left, I realized she had taken a teddy bear and we hadn't paid for it."
*here comes the heart-warming moral lesson, right?*
"So I gave her a high five -- her first shoplift!"
This little girl is five-years-old. And that is a great example of a horrible parent.

I remember being little and after a visit to the dentist I was told I could choose a prize. Instead of taking one friendship bracelet, I took one of every color. And when my mom found out, I was made to go back, return them and apologize. I'm glad I learned that lesson.

Come Over For Tea ...

2009-04-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

"What I expect from my male friends is that they are polite and clean. What I expect from my female friends is unconditional love, the ability to finish my sentences for me when I am sobbing, a complete and total willingness to pour out their hearts to me, and the ability to tell me why the meat thermometer isn't supposed to touch the bone."
~Anna Quindlen

I wish that my best friend didn't live so far away. Every single day I miss her.

****

It appears as if poor little teething Joel got his second molar. Teething is just so traumatic for those little guys *sigh* ... BUT I got the most amazing remedy for him and even though I feel like I'm giving him a rufi every time I administer it, it works like a CHARM and his pain subsides (temporarily). All of this to say, I got sleep last night and I liked it.

****

Today advance tickets go on sale for U2. I am going with Jason and we're taking Jacob this time -- music education, right? When the time comes, however, and even though it's so difficult to imagine, I might not be into going. I'm going to have a new one-month-old and I'm pretty sure I'll be mightily exhausted ... But we shall see.

The Last Hurrah ...

2009-03-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

I'm going back to work next Monday, can you believe it's been a year already since Joel was born?! I sure can't. I'm feeling alright about going back, for the following reasons:
- it's only for five months. My days are numbered! And then? Baby #3!
- it's Monday to Friday, and in a position I had before and liked.
- I have a great partner who I'm excited to work with
- My mother-in-law is doing childcare, so at least it's someone I know

Buuuuut ... Let's face it. Getting up at 4am is not going to be a walk in the park. Yuck! At least I'll get to see the sunrise ...

Comfort Food ...

2009-03-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

I like comfort food. A LOT. On a bad day I can down a bowl of macaroni-and-real-cheese like nobody's business.

Here's a recipe for Creamy Corn Chowder my mom used to make when I was growing up. I made it last night:

Ingredients:
1/4 lb bacon
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup diced celery
2 tbsp butter
1 cup water
2 cans cream-style corn
2 cups milk
1 large can (14 1/2 oz) evaporated milk
1/4 tsp salt, dash of pepper

Directions:
Dice bacon and saute about 15 minutes. Drain.
Discard extra fat and saute celery and onion in remaining fat and butter for approx. 10 minutes.
Add water and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in corn, milk & evaporated milk, bacon, salt & pepper.
Heat chowder just to boiling.
YUM

Haggardly Dawn ...

2009-03-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

On a day like today
After so little sleep last night
Because of a molar-teething little man
Who couldn't sleep from 1:30 - 5am
I can't get enough coffee
It's practically impossible to drag my butt out of bed
And I never want to get out of the hot shower
I want to ignore the fact that my house is a disaster
And I've got stuff to do
And therefore I can't nap when he naps

So if you see my husband ...
Tell him I need to go to the spa or something.

Planning Ahead ...

2009-03-16T15:59:00.000-07:00

Jacob plays hockey on a really good team. It's great because all of the kids contribute and get along, and there isn't really a 'superstar' on the team. Jason is also a coach, which is pretty great for both of them.

Anyways, their team wins. A lot. This is great for them except that they have only tasted defeat once this season and that sometimes allows their egos to grow a little bit. Example? Playing "We Are The Champions" as a warm-up song. Oooookay.

So yesterday when we were on our way home from a tournament* I said to Jacob that it was so exciting. His response? "Ya I'm so excited! I made room on my shelf for this trophy last week!"

*Jake got a hat trick, MVP, and ten points! Such a change from last year, when he was by far the needs-improvement-player on the team.

Why It's Good To Make Lists ...

2009-03-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

... Because sometimes God gives you exactly what you ask for! ... About a month-ish before I met Jason, I wrote a list of things I wanted in a man, from the seemingly trivial (likes beer) to the absolutely essential (loves Jacob). After I had been dating Jason for a bit I looked back and realized that he was every single thing on the list!!! ...

Observe:

When I asked God to give me a man that looks good in a hat, he gave me you. Sometimes you wear the oldest smelliest hat that you stole from your buddy. But you still look cute. And you don’t even need to wear a hat because (tanks God!) you’re not balding! You also have luscious blonde curls when your hair is long that every girl would be envious of.

When I asked God for a man tall enough for me to wear high heels with, he gave me you. Even though (depending on the shoes) I’m sometimes as tall as you when I wear heels, you like me to wear them and you like me to look cute and when I make an effort to look good, you let me know.

When I asked God for a man that my step-dad likes, little did I know he would give me a man my step-dad practically likes more than me! I love that you and him get along and have become such good friends. I love that you go to him to talk and that your relationship with him came so easily.

When I asked God for a man who is fatter than me (and by 'fatter' I don't mean 'fat'. I just mean someone who's not skinnier than me), God gave me you. You are bigger than me and (hopefully) always will be. I fit perfectly in your strong arms. I like snuggling into your chest. You are a man’s man and your body shows it.

When I asked God for a man who likes beer (but isn’t an alcoholic), he gave me you. I like that you like beer every once in awhile. I enjoy sharing a beer with you or having a glass of wine with dinner {well, except for now that I'm pregnant!}.

When I asked God for a man who is happy in pictures, he gave me you. We have so many great pictures documenting our journey together. And we have an equal number of pictures that make me laugh my head off when I see them, they’re so funny. Remember the toothpaste one? The bloody one? All the mocking ones? We have so much fun, don’t we?

When I asked God for a man who Jacob loves so much, he gave you to us. One week in you gave him your hockey cards. When you first met, he was in flannel pjs in the summer. He immediately loved you and made the transition to calling you daddy very easily. It was beautiful. And now he is your boy and you are his dad. What a lovely family I have, so full of love.

When I asked God for a man who makes me laugh (but not just in a polite you-were-trying-to-be-funny-so-here's-a-pity-laugh kind of way), God gave me you – the funniest man I have ever met in my life. You are funny and you always have a way of making me smile. We have inside jokes and things that only we think are funny (we KNOW they’re funny). I have never laughed as much as when I am with you. We have a good time together.

When I asked God to give me a man who likes to spend money (like me … and on me), he gave me you. You like the occasional spurge, but you are also smart with money, which is a bonus! You surprise me and show me how much you love me and think about me. I appreciate it.

When I asked God for a man who has the same spiritual and moral beliefs, he gave me you. I like that we believe fervently in the same things, but that we also challenge each other to know why we believe the things we do.

When I asked God to give me a man who loves hockey (and fights in hockey), he gave me you. Your loyalty to your hockey team is so great (even though you guys always lose). Even when you lose your mind on that guy -- whatever his name was -- I am proud of you. I love that you are coaching Jacob’s team this year – it has been such a blessing for him, he really loves it. Unfortunately, however, you like the Edmonton Oilers and for that you are a sucka.

When I asked God for a man who wants four more kids, he gave me you. We are one and a half down, two and a half to go!

When I asked God to give me a man who is protective and who will stick up for Jacob and I, he gave me you. You are definitely protective and offer your support no matter the situation. We definitely always feel safe with you on our side.

When I asked God for a man who my sis doesn’t have to be wary of, he gave you to me. My whole family loves you and loved you right from the start. I love the closeness we have with each others’ families (exception, of course, my sperm donor and your 'sister').

When I asked God to give me a man who is sensitive (but doesn’t cry all the time) he gave me you. I love that you are sensitive and care. The majority of the stories you tell me about being a kid involve crying, though. And this makes me laugh.

When I asked God to give me a man who thinks I’m beautiful (even when I don’t feel beautiful), he gave me you. I’m not sure why, but you do. With no makeup on and an old t-shirt and pajama bottoms, I feel beautiful when you tell me that I am. And when I make an effort to look good, you let me know. I really appreciate that.

When I asked God for a man who is not selfish, he gave me you. I appreciate the fact that you are generous with your time, your money, your love and your things. You are helpful and kind and you are good at making others feel important.

When I asked God for a man whose mom doesn’t make him lunch every day even when he’s in his 30s, he gave me you. Tanks God you didn’t live at home when I met you. And I’m pretty sure your mom would tell you to feck right off if you asked her to do that.

When I asked God for a man who doesn’t need big toys to compensate for other things, he gave me you. Our biggest toy is probably our car. And let's face it, we need a minivan.

When I asked God to give me a man who means what he says (and doesn’t just bs me all the time), he gave me you. I appreciate your honesty and the fact that I can take what you say at face value because you are truthful and transparent.

When I asked God to give me a man who does what he says he’s going to do (and isn’t all talk), he gave me you. Even in the beginning of our relationship you said you would make me a real stop sign and you did! This impressed me.

When I asked God for a man who is truthful, he gave me you. Thank you for not lying to me and for being honest and upfront. I love knowing you and I love that you know me. You are my best little friend.

When I asked God to give me a man who is not a quitter or a loser, he gave you to me. You persevere and keep going, even when life is hard. And you are definitely not a loser. You are a great man and I believe in you with my whole heart. You are my one true love and I love you.

Dear God,

You really pulled through for me, giving me a completely amazing man that fits all the criteria (even the kind of arbitrary ones, like 'likes beer.'). That's pretty damn cool. Thank you so crazily much. I sowed in tears and reaped in laughter, hey? I like.

Love, Anika

[from August 2006]

He's In Love ...

2009-03-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Jacob told me this morning that every time his teacher gets a note for whatever she says out loud "Dear Mrs. Smith, You are very young and beautiful ..."

Apparently this struck a chord with my son because next, he said "So today I wrote her a note that really says that and I'm bringing it to school to give her."

I Wouldn't Name My Son Harold.

2009-03-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

Speaking of hair, I got my hair cut yesterday. And I love it! It is cute and short-ish and easy-to-do and flirty and fun. And my husband -- my I-only-like--you-hair-long-no-matter-how-bad-it-looks- husband -- loves it! Hooray!

Hair is kind of crazy because it can really be the difference between a good day and a great day. And even a good day and a bad day. And that is why this haircut is so significant to me.

All of the excitement of having cute hair that is manageable means I was completely blindsided by this discovery:
I. Found. A. Gray. Hair. And not just one. TWO.

Pop Quiz

2009-03-05T07:57:00.000-08:00

I got this quiz from Marianne and I asked the questions to Jacob ...

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you

2. What makes mom happy?
Presents {Um, does this make me sound shallow at all?}

3. What makes mom sad?
I don't know {Probably not getting material things, Jacob. COME ON!}

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Dad. And me.

5. What did your mom like to do when she was a child?
Play baseball

6. How old is your mom?
27 {Yay!}

7. How tall is your mom?
I don't know.

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Watch my hockey games.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Look after Joel and clean up messes.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Singing.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Writing

12. What is your mom not very good at?
I don't know. {Smart kid}

13. What does your mom do for her job?
**he named it

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Sushi. {This immediately made me hungry}

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
You're funny and smart.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Marge Simpson. {?!}

17. What do you and your mom do together?
We go to the store. {Hah, I sound like an exciting mom, hey?}

18. How are you and your mom the same?
We both wear glasses and we don't like the same foods and we like hockey.

19. How are you and your mom different?
You don't like tomatoes or mushrooms {I actually do like tomatoes and mushrooms}

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Because of the way you treat me.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
He's funny.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
The beach.

Romance

2009-03-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

Recently we were over at my inlaws' and my mother-in-law had a bunch of red rose petals drying on the table. Jacob asked her: "what are those for, Grammie?"
"Those are the petals from the beautiful red roses Grampie bought me for Valentines day."

Jacob paused, and then wondered "then why did you rip them all apart?"

It's Oh So Quiet ...

2009-02-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

On a particular Friday evening ... When Joel is fast asleep in his crib ... And Jason and Jacob are at hockey practice ... And the house is quiet ... And no one is competing for my time ... And I have no one to clean up after ...

That's when I make a hot cup of tea ... Turn on the fireplace ... Curl up with a blanket on the couch ... And open a good book ...

For a few minutes it is WONDERFUL.

And then I miss all my boys.

I'm sure when I have this next little one I will feel a bit different about this.

This May Be Boring ... But It's Better Than Nothing (Perhaps)

2009-02-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

I impressed Jacob by knowing the entire Fresh Prince of Bel-Air rap. And he impressed me by knowing some of Can't Touch This by MC Hammer.

I have been really excited about food. Including Birthday-Cake-Flavored-ice-cream-with-Butterfinger-and-raspberries. And vegetarian lasagna. And oranges (do they not smell SO GOOD?!). And cheeeeeeeese.

Joel clearly takes after his daddy because today when I was switching over the laundry, he took off his pants by himself.

Yesterday it snowed. Yick.

I am pretty excited about this new little baby. I really like being pregnant. I even kind of liked labour (hey, it was only an hour and a half long ... I'm sure if it was hours and hours I would feel differently) ... our little family of two quickly grew into a family of five. Craaaazy!

I'm not usually successful with plants. I can't tell you how many Venus Fly Traps I've killed in my lifetime. But maybe six. A lot. Anyways, these days I have an Aloe Vera plant and a Christmas Cactus and I hope they live! I also planted Sweet Peas, but seeing as it snowed yesterday, they might not make it.

I love my little family. You should come over for dinner sometime.

Advice ...

2009-02-17T08:40:00.000-08:00

If you watch The Bachelor, this is the best recap I have ever read.

Also, pineapple tidbits taste REALLY good in chili. I'm not a chili fan and I actually liked it last night.

God Really Does Save The Day!

2009-02-16T13:40:00.000-08:00

When big worries like 'does-this-mean-we-going-to-lose-our-beautiful-home' and 'is-my-work-going-to-screw-me-because-of-the-contract-I-signed' are all pushed out of the way, little worries like 'um-our-family-isn't-going-to-all-fit-in-the-car' and 'is-it-possible-to-retain-some-sanity-while-having-two-babies-17-months-apart' aren't as bothersome anymore.

Because, seriously. You can call it God, you can call it fluke, but either way, I think if God can take care of the big stuff, I trust him to take care of the small stuff.

A Baby Shaped Wrench ...

2009-02-13T08:20:00.001-08:00

Leave it to sperm to throw a wrench in your plans, right ladies?

I'm pregnant!

And I couldn't be more happy-scared-worried-thrilled-apprehensive-excited ... Because what is going to happen with my signing-a-contract-to-return-to-work-for-a-year and other things? And because I have a baby growing inside of me that is due somewhere around September 30th and we will have two in diapers! And because my little family who I love with all of my heart isn't going to be such a little family soon!

You May Be Right, I May Be Crazy ...

2009-02-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

... But it just might be a lunatic you're looking for

($10 if you guess the song and artist. I will pay you in installments)

Now, I will readily tell you that I watch The Bachelor. I never watched any before this season, but I am hooked. Jason watches it with me too, but he is more reluctant to admit this. Does he like it? He would say no, but he was preeeeetty excited when they showed a preview of next week's episode.

So anyways, last night the bachelor (Jason) got to meet the girls' families. There are three left. But I only want to talk about the one I can't stand. Ok?

I do not like Molly at all. Last week, on the radio she said something to the effect of "many people would look at Jason and see a divorced man and a single dad and wouldn't want that ... But I think it makes him more of a man." Translation: "Nobody wants him, but I am going to sacrifice myself for him because I am a hero." You and what personality, Molly? You seem more like a Stepford Wife than anything else.

And I don't like her even more now that we have seen her fam. They are annoying. Her mom tried sooo hard to be quirky and different. She brought out hats for everyone to wear (a crown, an indian chief head thing, a beer hat) and got Jason to draw a picture of Molly. Come on, mom, you need to be more creative than that to successfully convince people that you are fun.

The dad sucked too. His quality advice for Molly wasn't about love, wasn't about being a wife or mother, and wasn't about relationships. It was "if you get your heart broken, don't cry." No wonder Molly seems devoid of personality and emotion. She gets it from her boring parents.

*sigh*

Some of the Best Afternoons ...

2009-02-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

Once in awhile Jacob will do something like complain about having an upset tummy whilst simultaneously practicing jumping off the 5th stair. And I realize that from time to time he's showing that he just needs some mom time.

So I keep him home from school and when Joel naps we make cookies and have an inside picnic at lunch and we read Lemony Snicket and stay in our pjs for most of the day. And then when Joel is up we go get hot chocolate [coffee for me] and go for a walk.

And soon enough Jacob is back to normal and we all feel rejuvenated and I know that there was never time better spent.

He Might As Well Have Shaved A Cul-De-Sac ...

2009-02-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

This morning I discovered that Joel has a little bald spot above his ear. Perhaps my darling husband should have used scissors to trim the baby's hair, rather than the electric shaver-thingy.

Get To Know Me ...

2009-02-04T07:39:00.000-08:00

1. People always think my name is pronounced A-neek-a. That annoys me.

2. When my sister and I were littler and we were having family pictures, we'd make ugly or funny faces to ruin them.

3. We still do this from time to time.

4. I think I could eat either sour cream or whipped cream on every food.

5. I don't like it when people touch my neck. It induces my gag reflex.

6. I think it's gross when people chew with their mouth open.

7. I pierced my ears three times with a safety pin when I was 16.

8. I can't stop biting my nails -- I've tried everything.

9. When I worked at McDonald's in high school I accidentally dropped a cd in the fry vat.

10. When I shake the hand of someone I anticipate that I won't like, I make my hand completely limp.

11. No matter how hot it is at night, I have to have some sort of blanket on me.

12. I throw yellow Skittles in the garbage.

13. My mom made me take piano lessons when I was a kid. She told me I'd regret quitting them when I was older and I didn't believe her.

14. I regret quitting piano lessons.

15. I like the smell of roses, but I don't like the smell of rose-scented stuff.

16. I have never done a cartwheel.

17. When I eat a bag of chips I squish them all first so that they're nice and small.

18. When I was in grade 3 (I think) in Social Studies we learned about a community that lived on the moon.

19. I thought this was real; that people really did live on the moon.

20. I learned to skateboard in university.

21. In cooking class in high school we ruined other groups' food by pouring salt in their recipes when they weren't looking.

22. When I potty trained Jacob, I tried teaching him to aim for Cheerios in the toilet, and peeing outside because he thought it was fun.

23. After that for a long time, he went outside every time he had to pee.

24. Sometimes when I'm swimming in a pool I get scared of sharks.

25. I don't like it when people whistle to music. Humming and singing is ok, but not whistling.

My Mom Is The Kind Of Mom ...

2009-02-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

That is kind to everyone, even when they don't deserve it.
That battled breast cancer when she was fifty. And she overcame. And she was the most gorgeous bald woman I have ever seen.
That told Jason there wasn't enough dinner for him when he had his first ever family dinner with us -- and he believed her.
That is super-sensitive and will cry at almost any beautiful story.
That loves her grandkids SO much. She is SUCH an amazing grandmother.
That is generous with her time and likes to make us feel special.
That gets a little bit ditzy when she's had too much wine.
That is so beautiful, but never sees in herself the glowingness of her inner and outer beauty.
That always has hope, no matter what.
That loves her son-in-laws.
That used to wear mom-jeans, but has blossomed into a middle-aged woman with grace. She's stylish, even!
That loves coming over to visit.
That tells me I'm being over-sensitive when she doesn't agree with my frustration.
That gets her husband to pick up wine from the liquor store because she doesn't want her students' parents to see her there.
That has a certain 'laugh' when she doesn't actually think it's that funny. It's kind of like a 'lol' -- I love that laugh.
That makes everyone feel welcome.
That works late to do an amazing job, even though she doesn't get overtime.
That encourages me when I feel like I've hit rock bottom.
That, when my sperm donor was telling her he had had an affair (and was for some reason giving her details about it), my mom threw a fork at the sink, but it ricocheted out and stuck him in the hand (I am so proud of that moment).

Happy Birthday, Mom, I love you so very much.

Episode 4: The Bachelor -- Favorite Quotes of the Night ...*

2009-01-27T11:28:00.000-08:00

''I'd rather, like, have a tarantula crawl up my arm than do this''
~Nikki, sobbing about having to make up a song about Jason. Get over it, Nikki. You are a crazy control freak and you have no imagination or silliness in you whatsoever.

''I don't like that she smells like him''
~Melissa, about the fact that Molly smells like Jason the morning she got home from her one-on-one date. I feel ya, Melissa, that would not be cool at all.

''You're one person that I will always want the best for, whether it's with me, which it could be, or if it's not with me''
~Jason, to Naomi. Um, foreshadowing much? She is not The One.

''... amazing qualities''
~Jason in a voice-over, while the camera pans over Stephanie's breasts. Classy.

"I do everything right and yet I'm always rejected.''
~Nikki, after being rejected. Get over yourself.

*I'm strangely fascinated by this show ... Sorry, guys!

It's Irrelevant, Really ...

2009-01-26T10:14:00.000-08:00

I want to wake up my boys
I want to gather scattered toys
I want to sit with you at breakfast
I want to clean messy faces
I want to help you make your lunch
I want to make a pot of coffee
I want to sing you to sleep for a nap
I want to pick up groceries
I want to watch the snow fall
I want to wipe fingerprints off walls
I want to have dinner ready when he comes home
I want to see your first smile of the day
I want to be here when you walk through the door
I want to hear about the scandals and adventures at school
I want to call you at work
I want to ask about your day
I want to not do my hair
I want to go to the gym
I want to putter in the garden
I want to walk on a sunny day
I want to tuck you in every night
I want to get cuddles and hugs
I want to be here for you

I don't want to go back to work.

This Post Is Brought To You By ... The Letter J

2009-01-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

Marianne gave me the letter J to do a list of me. At first I didn't know what I possibly like that starts with that letter, but after a few hours of thought I realized that the love of my life and my two beautiful sons all start with J. And the insanity just went from there ... So here are 10 Js of my little life:

1. Jason -- my husband, my lover, my best friend. He is funny -- like, spit-out-your-drink-all-over-the-table funny. He is my safe haven. He is an amazing dad. He loves me! He has this little diagonal crease in between his eyebrows when he furrows them. He is sometimes too sentimental (it's an honor and a pleasure). He is protective. He has perfect teeth and beautiful eyes. He loves hockey, just like me. He is my one true love. I absolutely adore him and I am blessed to have him in my life.

2. Jacob -- my first son, my hilarious kiddo. He is sensitive and smart. He makes me breakfast in bed from time to time. He is generous. He kills me with his one liners ("mom, girls get really crazy when they like you"). Once in awhile he slows down long enough for a cuddle. He comes in our bedroom on Saturday mornings and climbs onto our bed for family time. I love the look he gives me when he thinks I'm being silly. I love hearing him talk to his daddy. I love watching his hockey games. He is my punkinello.

3. Joel -- my newest love, my beautiful baby. He makes a funny scrunched-up-nose face when I pull out the camera. He has such perfect chubby cheeks. He smiles when he wakes up in the morning. He is friendly and easy to laugh. I love the smell of his little feet, the sight of his face, the sound of his voice, the feel of his soft skin. I love the way he loses his mind when he runs out of cookie and wants more. How did I go so long without this little piece of heaven in my life?

4. Jump -- by the Pointer Sisters. One of my favorite dance scenes ever in my favorite movie ever, Love Actually. Witness the greatness:

5. Jewish Feminism -- I once wrote a University paper on it. I don't remember what it said.

6. Jewelery -- I love it. I love my wedding rings, I love my earrings with the emeralds and rubies. I love the necklace Jacob made me with big bright plastic beads. I love bracelets, big necklaces and bright accessories. I love rings and nose pins and anklets and earrings. And I like white gold more than yellow gold.

7. Justice -- I am concerned about justice and the effects of injustice in our world and particularly, the country in which I live. It's madness.

8. Job -- I have a love-hate relationship with my job. It can be interesting, so-boring-you-want-to-fall-asleep (and some do), revolting, exciting, horrifying, frightening, hilarious, and extremely sad -- sometimes all of these things in the span of one day. I have a lot of great stories. There are days I love my job and days that I am very tempted to walk away and never look back.

9. Journey -- When I look at where I came from and how far my journey has taken me, even in the last five years, I am taken aback. So many changes! So many blessings! Some chapters have thankfully ended and new ones have begun. I am excited because if this much has been given to me in the past three or four years, what about the next? It's the starting of a brand new day -- a beautiful day.

10. Jello -- I used to eat Jello powder when I was a kid. It was so yummy and I wasn't even deterred when I was told it's made from bone marrow or something gross like that. I don't eat Jello powder anymore.

She Totally Did ...

2009-01-20T20:14:00.000-08:00

So ... Aretha totally told someone to shut up during her song ... Didn't she? Watch for yourself:

You Will Thank Me ...

2009-01-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

So I missed some of last night's Bachelor episode due to dinner at my in-laws. Tragic? Perhaps, but thanks to the internet there are recaps galore, including the one by Chris Harrison (the host). I have never been a Bachelor(ette)-watcher. But sometimes there is a show that catches my attention because it is the most amazing and trashy thing I have ever seen.

The Bachelor is not quite as trashy as Rock of Love (hey, did you know that they're on their third season? How great is that?!) ... On the show there is, of course, the token catty one (Megan) and the token verging-on-stalker one with really big teeth (Shannon*). There is the my-husband-died-in-a-tragic-plane-crash one who isn't going to win** (Stephanie). My picks for this Jason character are Melissa and Jillian.

Melissa

Jillian

Also? I think I know who is going to win. And here's why: I took a look at this SPOILER because I like knowing the ends of movies and all that sort of thing. So DON'T GO THERE UNLESS YOU, LIKE ME, ENJOY KNOWING THE END OF THE STORY BEFORE YOU'VE READ THE WHOLE THING. Consider yourselves warned.

*Shannon actually looks like she's quite funny when you see outtakes and stuff
**Reasons Stephanie is not going to win:
1. Her eyebrows are kind of peculiar.
2. She is nice, but they don't click. As Kristin Baldwin wrote in her article, 'Watching the two of them together is kind of like watching an adult son make small talk with his dad's second wife — it's polite, stilted, and a little uncomfortable. Case in point, this exchange:
Stephanie: ''I'd love to meet Ty.''
Jason: [Silent chewing]'

It's True ...

2009-01-20T08:32:00.001-08:00

To the person who googled "crazy yes dumb no anika" ... It's true.

Give Me A Moment.

2009-01-19T11:27:00.000-08:00

Sometimes life is just so shitty. And it's difficult to remember the good stuff because it's clouded by the uncertainty and frustration of everything else. Like going back to work and feeling like I'm going to miss out on my two beautiful sons and wonderful husband. And like having my best friend not live near here.

Proof of My Domesticity ...

2009-01-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

Name your MOST favorite thing about being a new mommy. Name your LEAST favorite thing about being a new mommy.

I have a lot of favorite parts of being a mommy. I love helping them discover the world. I love being the one they run to when they get hurt. I love showing them extravagant love. I love seeing Joel smile and laugh. I love when Jacob looks at me with admiration, or hearing about his day. I love the hugs and the slobbery kisses. I love the sticky hands and the stinky feet. I love hearing 'mom' and I love having Jason as my partner, their dad. I love their sweaty hair when they have been sleeping ... There is so much that is my favorite part.

My least favorite part? I hate the worry I feel. Like when Joel's temperature is high. Or when I consider the fact that Jacob is almost a teenager and will thus be too cool to hang out with us. And I hate thinking sometimes about how harsh the world is, and when they will inevitably learn this. I think my job has made me more aware and cynical in this way.

If you had a day all to yourself, what would you do?

What would I do?! WELL. I would probably go to the beach and sit, even if it was cold. I would go to Starbucks and curl up with a great book (Lemony Snicket or The Little Prince or Dry). I would eat out at one of my favorite restaurants, uninterrupted. And I would probably miss my little family.

Do you want your kids to play sports? Which one would you like them to play? Which one would you prefer them not to play?

Yah I'd like for them to play sports. Jacob already plays hockey, and since it's my favorite sport of all, that's what I'd love for them to play. But soccer is good too, as long as they don't become criers like so many professional soccer players. I'd want for them to play a sport that they love, and I'd rather it wasn't one that they have a good possibility of getting severely injured.

How did you and Jason start dating and fall in love?

When we met, I wasn't interested at all in a relationship -- I had just had a difficult ending of one and definitely wasn't looking to meet anyone. But Jason was persistant even after I ditched him a couple times. We had an amazing first date (when it finally happened!), where I discovered he was really funny. We fell in love really quickly and got married less than four months after we'd met. He is truly the love of my life and I am blessed.

What color are you kitchen plates?

Grey

How many babies do you want?

A lot!

Did you have any "feelings" before you found out that you were pregnant? Also, was it something you two were planning, or just a fun surprise?

Well, when I was pregnant I felt like I could feel the baby in there. It was beautiful and I loved it. We weren't planning-planning so it was definitely a great surprise.

If you could spend one whole day with only one person (dead or alive), who would it be and why? and what would you do?

Probably it would be my Opa when he was young. Because he is one of my favorite men ever, and my single hope and evidence for a lot of years that there are, in fact, great men that exist in the world. I would want to see what he was like as a teenager when he fell in love with my Oma in Holland before he got taken away by the Nazis.

Do you grind your own coffee or buy it already ground?

I usually buy it already ground.

A Rare Breed ...

2009-01-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

Yesterday somebody googled 'Hairy Anika Pictures' and found my blog.

I hope they found what they were looking for.

Letter To My Next Door Neighbors ...

2009-01-14T13:51:00.000-08:00

Dear neighbor*,

Instead of beginning this letter with a bunch of niceties, I'm going to get straight to the truth: I don't like you a single bit. You are loud and horrible. I don't want to hear how many 'brewskis' you've had at any given moment. I don't want to know the story of how your night went when you went home with 'two hot chicks from the bar.' I don't care to know when you are hungover, either (although this usually means you will be quieter than usual).

It must be nice to be all grown up and to have friends over to party every weekend. You're the first out of all of them to move out of mommy and daddy's house, aren't you? At least that's what I suspect, especially since I heard your little friend yelled "I got my mom to make an appetizer to bring over" ... Classy.

Hey neighbor, remember that night a couple weeks ago? The one when the cops came by at 4am? I know that probably doesn't narrow it down much, but the really really loud night? Still no? Ok, the one when you were fighting with your brother because you slept with your brother's girlfriend? Yes, now you probably have a recollection ... The yelling, the smashing, the screaming ... And when we called the police they said they had already talked to the girl from your place and were on their way. We watched the whole thing and I have to say that it was kind of entertaining.

So I have a request -- if you could have more funny nights like that and less plain old parties, we'd be a little happier to have neighbors like you -- ones that contribute to society and make the world a better place.

Love, Anika

P.S. That was an awfully big piece of drywall you were carrying into your place the next day. Remodelling already?

*Specifically to the guy with the reeeeally loud and obnoxious voice because I don't know how many of the other ones actually reside in your home

My Favorites Ever ...

2009-01-13T11:52:00.001-08:00

Have you ever watched Martha Stewart? Is she not the most socially awkward person ever? She is just so strange. Like when she had Snoop Dogg on her show and was getting him to say words with 'izzle' on the end ...
Martha: what's this? [pointing to a knife]
Snoop: a shiv
Martha: what's this? [pointing to a napkin]
Snoop: uh, a napkin

This went on for a few minutes. Unfortunately I was nursing my baby and couldn't reach the remote. Life is hard like that sometimes but I have endured it. Anyways, I mentioned Martha because she decided to do a favorite things list, but all the things on her list are from her own brand.

Dear Martha,
You have some good ideas, but you are lame.
Love, Anika
P.S. You have been to jail, you should know what a shiv or shank is. COME ON

As I was drinking my second of many cups of coffee this morning, I was thinking about how blessed I am. And how much I love my life. So here is a list of my favorite things ever:

- the fact that my 10-year-old son wants to see Mall Cop and my step dad is going to take him to it because secretly he loves movies like that
- my painted red kitchen
- hearing Jacob walk through the front door from school and standing at the top of the stairs with Joel to greet him
- fresh coffee with Coffeemate in it
- doing the laundry (ok so maybe it's not my absolute favorite thing ever, but I like doing it)
- watching hockey with all of my boys (this includes Jacob's games because they actually are pretty good)
- taking videos and pictures of the ones I love
- cuddling up to Jason when we go to bed
- the mornings that we don't have to wake up right away, when Jacob brings Joel into our room. And they play together on our bed.
- Tim Hortons coffee
- getting mail from my friends
- my husband and my two boys and my mom and my stepdad and my sister
- Love Actually. I really cannot watch that movie too much, it is so perfect

How Was I Supposed To Know?

2009-01-12T11:27:00.001-08:00

Now that it's 12 days into 2009 I am finding that this year is shaping up to be a good one. I have the love of my life and two beautiful sons, I have an amazing family and a good job. I also have a few pounds to lose, but who doesn't, right? RIGHT GUYS?!

2008 was a pretty big year in my life, I think. And here it is in list form (in no particular order). I like lists.
- a beautifully short (1 1/2 hours) labour helped along by a fun nurse and hilarious stories from my husband
- the birth of my beautiful boy Joel
- our first road trip with our little family (which included, among other things, beer margaritas, a stray dog, a lightning storm, the zoo, hot days, a beautiful lake, future plans, a trip to the emergency room, a fear of cougars, driving through the rockies, delicious food, a potato gun, a girl's night out and the coolest toilet seat ever)
- my sister and brother-in-law getting married
- my second anniversary of marriage with the love of my life (it just keeps getting better)
- minor hockey
- a switch of schools for Jacob that turned out to be so wonderful for him
- minivan test driving
- painting
- moving with a ten-day-old baby
- promotions
- scandals
- furniture re-finishing
- discovering that Jacob is truly the most amazing big brother I could ever have imagined
and other small adventures that I would not trade for the world ...

And so far in 2009? We have a red kitchen, I have a great new opportunity at my work for my return in a couple months, and I am just thankful for my lovely little family.

It's Going To Be My First White Christmas Ever!

2008-12-23T12:39:00.000-08:00

I like snow when I look at it. But when I have to drive through it or walk in it or be outside for any amount of time, I wish it would go away. Luckily this Christmas we're holing up at my mom's house, so we'll be able to enjoy it from a distance and in the warm. Woohooo!

Christmas this year is going to be so special. It is Joel's first Christmas, which is so exciting, and we are just going to enjoy the day and relax with my fam (Jason, Jacob, Joel, mom, stepdad, sister and brother-in-law). I. Can't. Wait.

Today Jacob and Joel and I went on a last minute Christmas outing. Jacob spent more of his own money on presents. "I really like giving people presents, mom. I just like to see their faces when the open it up."

And so, Imaginary Internet Friends, I really hope that you have such a great Christmas. I hope that you get to curl up with the ones you love and enjoy the snow (from a distance) and wine (up close and personal).

Merry Christmas!!

What A Great Day!!

2008-12-11T10:42:00.001-08:00

Those are lyrics from a song in Sufjan Stevens' Christmas Album (but I made the picture). Get it immediately.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

2008-12-08T08:32:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned how much I love love love the REAL Pride & Prejudice? It really is the greatest thing ever, to sit and watch it with a cup of coffee on a rainy day ...

****

The kids' Santa picture is a sight to behold, folks. Santa has a real beard, granted. But his eyes are bloodshot, which makes him look a little bit creepy. And the fact that his lip is bleeding and this is visible in the shot doesn't help much. Not to mention that for some great reason, Jacob pulled his hands up into his shirt sleeves so it looks like he doesn't have any hands. Joel's look is one of "just get me off this guy's lap. This is ridiculous."

****

I am excited to watch Christmas movies with my fam. Love Actually* is my favorite of all, and we also love Elf so much. Jason's fave is It's a Wonderful Life. What ones do you watch?

*this one is watched sans children

You Can't Be Serious ...

2008-12-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took my son to the optometrist to get his eyes checked because he's had a bit of difficulty seeing the board at school. And I got hit on ... At the eye doctor!

*sigh*

random guy: Do you come here often?
me: AHAHAHA! To the eye doctor?!
random guy: Erm, I was just wondering if they're, you know, thorough ... Usually my ex takes my kids here ...

Sometimes you can't help but laugh right AT someone.

Dashing Through The Snow ...

2008-12-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

... Except there is no snow. This makes me sad because I like the idea of snow, but happy because in reality I don't like snow that much. Unless I'm at home with a fire and good food and people I love and I don't have to go anywhere out of my house until the snow is gone ...

I liked it when my husband called this morning to say "do you realize how beautiful you are? You are just so beautiful" because it made my day.

I also like popcorn. And have you ever tried syrup on popcorn? It's SO good.

The thing that I don't like is the scandals going on with the Canadian Government. Yuck.

Shiver Shiver Brrrr ...

2008-12-01T10:26:00.000-08:00

Well ... I have a cold. And so does my poor little baby Joel and this sucks because you can't give babies cold medicine and I understand the it's-very-bad-for-them part, but I feel so helpless to make him feel better! Poor muffin.

I just want some new pants. I have fit into pre-pregnancy pants since Joel was a month old, but I want NEW, BETTER, CUTE pants! Too bad jeans shopping is so un-fun. I wish I could tell someone what kind of pants I want and they would get it for me. And then they would get me a shot of tequila. And also they would clean up after the messy boys in my family. Hey, maybe I should get a maid!

Our best friends are coming to town in fourteen sleeps! I am pretty sure it will be the funnest time ever for the following reasons:
- well, we're bff's, which is kind of self-explanatory
- board games
- Jason calling in sick
- staying up way past our bedtimes
- sleepovers
- shopping
- eating yummy food
- doing nothing with them is some of the funnest times I have EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!
- watching our babies be friends
- maybe Ann will help me find cute new pants

Hunting ...

2008-11-28T10:50:00.000-08:00

Today's Guest Blogger is Britton.* But you can call him b-low.

This is a very serious story about this one time I went hunting.

It started on a friday. Or was it a thursday? I'm not exactly sure. Some of the details are somewhat blurry, so I'll try my best and fill in details with lies and extreme exaggerations.

So we left on our trip to go hunting somewhere up north. After 62 straight hours of driving we finally arrived and the deer and moose were everywhere. There actually was no need to hunt because you could basically say "here moosey moosey", and they'd come running. So we decided to go for more of a challenge and drove about 163 kms west of this spot and set up camp. There were no animals anywhere near, except for the neighbouring beavers that had set up camp basically 4 feet away from us. They were pretty friendly though. They caused us no problems at all ... yet.

So I woke up the next morning first, or third, doesn't matter. I made breakfast for everyone, cause I'm pretty much the best cook ever ... (sidenote) I can make chocolate chip cookies with nothing but tree bark and 3 stray dog hairs. They don't taste that great, but hey, they're chocolate chip cookies, you can't complain.

Back to the story, I made breakfast and everyone ate, and then we decided to head out hunting. We broke into 2 groups and were off. With my J827 Oozie and my 277 rifle (those are guns) I was off. After 2.75 hours I saw something in the distance ...

A black bear?
A black moose?
or elk?
or pigeon?
Something.

So I shot it.

As I walked towards it, it stood up and started running towards me. I quickly brought out my gun again and shot it in the face.

Turns out, it was a buddy of mine, Peter, that I had gone hunting with. I apologized and headed back to camp.

So at dinner someone asked me about my day and I told them all about it.

Peter never did make it back to camp. Pansie.

I'll save the beaver story for another time. But I will say it has to do with a Beaver and a missing limb. A leg. The Beaver ate it. It wasn't my leg though. Whose was it? Jack's. It was Jack's leg. He was sleeping at the time, don't worry.

I'll save it for another time.

*he doesn't even know it and that makes it funnier

A Lot Of Information In One Post ...

2008-11-26T08:26:00.000-08:00

We painted our living room. And if that isn't an alluring first sentence of a blog entry, I don't know what is. Perhaps 'I had a dream last night' or 'sometimes I don't separate my lights and darks when I do laundry' ... But I digress. Our living room is greyish bluish greenish and I LOVE IT. I don't think most people will like it but who cares because they don't have to live here and I do.

Also? By 'we' I mean 'I helped, but it was really mostly Jason and I pointed out the missed spots, which I'm sure was both endearing and cute to him.'

I also sent out Christmas cards the other day. It was just too much to wait till December. So if you don't get one, we either don't have your address or we don't like you. Or both.

And perhaps the biggest news of the day (besides 'once I cut pizza slices with scissors instead of a knife') is that I told my Sperm Donor not to call me -- I'll call him. And that felt pretty ding-dang good. Because I have had ENOUGH!

FREEDOM!*

*that was either sung like the George Michael song or yelled like in Braveheart. To me, it was more like the George Michael song.

Relationships at Age Ten ...

2008-11-22T22:50:00.000-08:00

So Jacob and I had a heart to heart tonight. I love our little talks. The subject was: GIRLS.

Jacob had a girlfriend at school last year named Jessica. She broke his heart a few times over the two year duration he was there. The last time she broke up with him, he told me, he wasn't upset.
"Why?" I asked.
"Well because I knew I was going to a new school and I'd find other girls to like."

I asked him how she broke up with him -- through a friend, in a note ...
"She just said 'I don't have the guts to tell ya I like someone else' ... And I asked my friend who still goes to that school and she still has that same boyfriend."
"Does that make you upset?" I wondered.
"Nope," Jake said.
"Why, is there a new girl you like?"
"I haven't noticed girls that much this year, I'm too busy playing Blind Tag," Jacob explained, "But there's about ten that like me."
"Ten?! ... How do you know they like you?"
"Girls can get kinda crazy when they like you," Jacob replied.

On August 7, 2006 ...

2008-11-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

... Jason and I were still dating. And had been dating for less than a month. And I remember this moment. He wrote:

"In January I bought a ticket to Wales, expecting an adventure and a good time. What I didn't expect was six months later meeting the the love of my life, she is the most amazing, wonderful girl I have ever met she makes every second that I spend with her my new best second. I am so sure of this girl that I knew when my flight was to leave that I would be making a mistake, I never want to be away from her ever, even thinking of her not being with me for a second makes me sick. I can go to Wales or I can be with the greatest love in my life, mmmmm easy choice, one I will never ever regret."

And I wrote:

"I am a little bit speechless, which is hard to believe. He decided last night, in the middle of the night, less than 24 hours before I was going to drive him to the airport that he was not going on his trip to Europe. He said he couldn't leave me (I'm not even making this up). His plane ticket was non-refundable and he should have been in the air at 8pm tonight. I tried to convince him that he should go -- what an amazing experience and adventure and wow, but he wouldn't have it. He loves me, Imaginary Internet Friends. I have no idea why exactly he is so crazy about me, but he just is. And I lo-ove him."

What a great beginning ...

My House Practically Burned Down This Morning* ...

2008-11-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

I like the word 'practically' because you can use it to make grandiose exaggerations and it makes everything ok ...

Also, Sucky McShitterson is my favorite name for a fish. I miss that little guy.**

*I burnt a piece of toast
**I actually don't miss him at all because I don't even like fish. I was just trying to sound nostalgic.

No Gray* Area ...

2008-11-19T08:05:00.000-08:00

Awhile ago my good friend Kenny Rogers made this list of things to be her friend. And I like this list a lot. I also like her a lot:

1. You have to support the players club and not mind that I am the President
2. You have to be funny--or at least appreciate funny things and think I'm funny
3. You have to fall in public on purpose at least 10 times
4. You have to say things like "fat-sack-o-fat" etc.
5. You have to not say that I have man hands even though that has been allowed once
6. You have to be cute/pretty--no offense
7. You have to think I'm cute/pretty
8. You have to like pretty much all of the same movies I do and enjoy watching them more than once (eg. Love Actually, Where the Heart Is, Garden State, Peter Pan ... And also things like Flight of the Concords and Arrested Development)
9. You have to think sleepovers are the funnest things ever
10.You have to have a distinct appreciation for both make up and hair dye
11. You have to like beer and wine and vodka ...
12. You have to be able to say you've smoked a cigar more than once, not puked and wanted to do it again
13. You have to not say that my toy poodle looks like a rat (even if she does, she's 17 years old and I still love her and she's sometimes really cute). But you can yell at her sometimes.
14. You have to be able to be both quiet and loud and both at the right times
15. You have to laugh at inappropriate times and do inappropriate things to make me laugh
16. You have to like going to movies
17. You have to like dogs, but not think all dogs are equally cute and on that note, you shouldn't ohhh and ahhhh over all babies and you should know that some babies are ugly and all crying babies are annoying
18. You have to like getting dirty on occasion
19. You have to like going to the beach day or night
20. You have to have an equally deep appreciation for both 7-11 and Starbucks
21. I would prefer that you know self defense but if you don't I would be willing to teach you out of my plethora of knowledge on that subject
22. You have to not bring up the fact that I only got a C in self defense
23. You can't say that I wouldn't be able to beat you up -- that hurts my feelings
24. You can't be too nice but I would like it if you would pretend to be too nice just to make me laugh
25. You have to be mad at the same people I get mad at
26. I would appreciate it if you don't often tell me what to do -- that a good way to be cut from this team
27. You have to let me rant and rave about being single every so often because really I don't do it very often and when I do, I don't want to hear that "there's someone out there for you" and "maybe you should get out more"
28. You have to like being outside but not think you're so great because of it
29. You can't be too granola -- seriously ... I mean, come on ... People who start boycotting Starbucks and think they're so great and think I should hike more -- they're not my type
30. You have to talk about working out and sometimes work out but be willing to stay home and watch a movie instead
31. You have to understand that a good motivation for working out is new work out clothes
32. You can't think I have too many shoes or jackets
33. You shouldn't lecture me on either environmentalism, the third world or poor people
34. You shouldn't think that you should eat everything on your plate because some people can't afford to eat at all
35. You should care about the world
36. You should be motivated, have ambition etc. ... But in the end be as immature as I am
37. I like good car dancers (and Anika's the best of all) but probably wouldn't make that a rigid qualification since I'm not a good car dancer
38. You should like the same kinds of music I like and introduce me to new and wonderful music 39. You shouldn't like the movie Shrek or if you do, you shouldn't think I'll like it. And don't quote it -- that's dumb.
40. You shouldn't let your house get so dirty that it smells like garbage
41. You shouldn't go for more than 3 days without showering
42. You shouldn't think its a good idea to go as long as you can without showering (I think I was temporarily insane when my boyfriend did that to win a bet and it didn't bother me)
43. You can be Christians but not the crazy kind
44. You have to be able to make fun of Christians on occasion
45. You shouldn't be offended when I say either "bugger" or "bloody hell" because those are 2 of my favorite expressions
46. You have to think IKEA is a good date spot
47. You can't think that grocery shopping (especially at either Save-On or Superstore--both places I hate going to) is a good date spot
48. You have to be willing to at least talk about driving to Disneyland today -- and I mean now
49. You can't care that I've been all over the world
50. You should appreciate the joke -- well half-joke -- that "we're the best, funniest, most talented, smartest, etc. people in the world"
P.S. You must think the penis game is extremely funny and celebrate March 14 annually

* I spelled 'gray' like that instead of 'grey' because Grey's Anatomy is the most boring show every in the history of the Earth.

Fire Engine Red ...

2008-11-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

I was painting my toenails red yesterday and it inspired me to paint my kitchen red. So the next question is, which one:
California Poppy
Poinsetta
Daredevil
Frosted Pomegranate
or Red Tomato?

****

Yesterday Jacob got home from school and rushed in to thank me for bringing him McDonald's at lunch time because he'd forgotten his lunch ... I didn't bring him McDonald's at lunch time. In fact, being the ever-observant mom that I am, I didn't even realize his lunch bag sitting on the floor where he usually puts his bag.
So when the secretary called a Jacob down to the office my kiddo went. And he unknowingly ate somebody else's lunch. As for the real Jacob? That poor kid is a sucka ...

****

I know you're not supposed to diagnose other people if you aren't a trained professional. But I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology and I also work for the government, so I have some training in stuff and I am also professional. That makes me qualified ... And so I'm going to go ahead and diagnose my dad (sperm donor) as being a psychopath. Not a killing one. Just a regular everyday psychopath.

Anyways, what's for lunch?

It's Simply Too Small to be a Peanut Gallery ...

2008-11-13T07:02:00.000-08:00

My girlfriend told me this story the other day, about her kids Andrew (6-years-old) and Kami (9-years-old):

Last week, Andrew and Kami were playing outside when Andrew came in the house to complain to his mom that his nose was hurting.
"Did you bump it?" she asked.
"No."
"Were you picking it?"
"No," Andrew replied. He decided that he would live, and went back outside to play.

At dinner, Andrew complained again that his nose was sore, so his mom made him have a shower so that the steam would help clear it out.

Just before bedtime, Kami came to talk to their Mom: "Mom, Andrew has something to tell you, but you have to promise not to get mad," she said.
" ... Okaaaaay." Kami left the room and shortly afterwards, Andrew entered with his head hung low.
"Mom, remember today when you gave us trail mix in the car?"
"Yes."
"Well there was this really big peanut, and I thought it might be a good idea to stick it up my nose," he said.
"But then you decided that it would be a bad idea, right Andrew?"
"No," said Andrew, "then I did it. But I breathed in at the same time, by accident, and then it went up there and I can't get it out."
My girlfriend examined him to see if she could get the peanut out of Andrew's nose, but she couldn't even see it in there.
"Kami, Andrew, go get your jackets on. We're going to have to go to the hospital."

As soon as she said that, Andrew went wailing and running to his room, and Kami tried to stifle a laugh.
When her mom asked her what was up, Kami admitted "I told him that they were going to have to cut off his nose to get it out."

Project Hair

2008-11-11T16:03:00.000-08:00

Off and on, Jason and Jacob will begin Project Hair together -- a contest in which they grown their hair out and see who lasts the longest. Last time they did this, Jacob's hair got really long. Long enough that he could flip it around when he turned his head. It was in his eyes and over his ears. And bleached a bit from the sun. He looked like a little Californian boy.

About a month after we moved into our place, Jacob decided that he had had enough and he wanted to cut it all off. So off to the barber shop we went. And he returned with a short normal haircut. We could finally see his face.

Jacob went down the street to see if his friend Andrew could come out to play. Andrew immediately introduced himself: "Hi, my name is Andrew, what's your name?"
"It's Jacob" he replied.
"Oh I have another friend named Jacob! He lives right there!" Andrew said, and pointed to our house.
"That is me," Jacob said, "I just got my hair cut"

That haircut may have been overdue.

So ...

2008-11-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

They're planning on doing a sequel to the Sex & The City movie.

And if that doesn't make you excited, I don't know what will.

I really don't.

All The Birds Are Singing Sweetly ...

2008-11-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

Today is just a good day because there's Christmas stuff and music playing in the stores and Joel is feeling better (he has a cold AND I thought he swallowed my nose stud, but he didn't ... And that's another story) and Jacob will be coming through the door from school any minute and it's a GORGEOUS day outside and it's only 39 sleeps till my best friend comes to town and I just love my sister and next week it is my two year anniversary with my husband and I have a delicious cup of coffee in front of me and there is a hockey tournament all weekend that we'll be at and I just love hockey and Jason is no longer pretending not to watch 90210 with me (last night he fully fledged watched it) and all the laundry is almost done ...

All of that wrapped up and put into a package = a really great day

I Would Like A Treat ...

2008-10-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

Tonight Jacob will be trick-or-treating as a Ghostbuster. And Joel will be Slimer* because who wouldn't bring their six-month-old trick-or-treating so that they could eat his candy? It will be fun except for the fact that it's raining, in which case Dad will get to do the honors ...

Also? I am hopelessly addicted to Picnik. It's ridic, but I can't help it. And I am over my Twilight addiction because, frankly, Bella annoys the hell out of me.

*also from the Ghostbusters, for those of you who don't know, and by 'don't know' I mean 'don't have a husband who goes to great lengths to make sure the Ghostbusters name tag is in exactly the same font as in the movie because if it isn't, what's the point of even dressing up at all?!'

And Furthermore!

2008-10-29T11:37:00.001-07:00

So I must have struck a chord here, and believe me ladies, I am with you all the way ... I have never seen anyone rolling on the floor laughing (unless you count it when my ten-year-old is being tickled) ... And do people seriously say 'LOL' in conversation?! That is just plain crazy.

Here is another thing that really annoys me, kind of in the same strain as using numbers (i.e. 4get, 2gether, b4) ... Purposely spelling things wrong. WHY?! WHY WOULD YOU EVER DO THIS???

No, I am not JELIS ... I understand the 'ea' and then the 'ou' is extremely hard to conquer, but COME ON!
I have never THOT it was cool ... *sigh*
TONITE ... Is it that difficult to put the 'gh' in there?!

I am a stickler for spelling and I don't even understand why someone would do this to my little heart.

Laugh, Dammit.

2008-10-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

The only thing worse than a 'lol'* ... Is a 'lololol' ... Because what is that?

I will do the occasional ':)' ... And maybe even ';)' from time to time ... But I just can't bring myself to do a 'lol.' And does 'LOL' mean you're laughing more? Or louder? Or that you're just yelling 'LAUGHING OUT LOUD!'?

It has been said that you should rather say 'lqtm' (laughs quietly to myself). It's just a more accurate description.

* Reason being, I am skeptical that you are, in fact, laughing out loud. Are you laughing out loud?! ARE YOU?! I didn't think so.

The Moment It Hit Me ... Part II

2008-10-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

*sigh* It gets worse than this.

Last night I re-discovered* that I know all the words to Gangsta's Paradise. It was a beautiful reunion in the car, and by 'beautiful' I mean 'I was rapping right along with Coolio, and I am white, and I was in my mom-car.'

Power and the money , money and the power
Minute after minute, hour after hour
Everybody's running but half of them ain't lookin'
What's goin' on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cookin'
They say I got to learn but nobody's here to teach me
If they can't understand it, how can they reach me?

See? I told you I can rap.

P.S. Here is the video. I can't make fun of it because there is nothing funny about someone rapping at Michelle Pfieffer in a dark room.

*I say 're-discovered' because didn't everyone know all the words back in the day? And by 'in the day, I mean 'when there weren't so many movies about a teacher helping underprivileged kids who eventually succeed and it's heartwarming and halfway through the teacher wants to give up, but doesn't.'

I Am Single Handedly Ruining The Environment

2008-10-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: If you are avid about saving the environment, you might not like me after this next post. I'm sorry. I like the environment, of course, but I like hot coffee even more.

A few weeks ago, my sister and brother-in-law returned from their honeymoon in Mexico. My sis had said in an email while she was gone that she missed Tim Hortons'* coffee, among other things. So on my way to pick them up at the airport I dropped by Timmy's** to get her a coffee. "Could I please get it double-cupped?" I asked the lady at the counter.
"You can have one of these," she responded, handing me a sleeve.
"Um, is it ok if I just get it double-cupped? It's for my sister and her plane just landed, so I want it still to be hot when I get it to her," I said.
"That's fine," she said, dropping an extra cup on the counter for me, "I'm just trying to save the environment."

Dear Tim Hortons lady,

I'm sorry.

Love, Anika

PS No I'm really not.

*that link is for those of you who (to my utter horror and dismay) do not know what Tim Hortons is.

**slang for Tim Hortons