Mime in training

Hi there, everyone. Last week I had a fabulous time going to see Wicked and eating great Thai food BUT I am waiting for photos to do a proper posting. Send me the photos!!! In the meantime, another photo of my kids. Sorry, can't help it. I see them every day, all day - and kids are funny.

A week and a bit ago, we went to the Museum of Nature with Bev and Adam Collins. Great British folk recently moved here to Ottawa.
The boys dressed up as animals. I think Konrad's a wolf (he ran around yowling for 5 minutes) and Adam is a... deer maybe. Anders didn't quite get the dress-up thing, but he is pretty cute.

Otherwise, the past week was crazy. Christmas crafts with lots of ladies, hanging with the boys, loss of patience once in a while. That's okay, though because I know that I've got company. Nina, Angelina - they can relate at least. I know there's more moms out there with their husbands MIW (not quite MIA because we know where they are - they're just always working away from home). A couple days with Eric around is a mental relief for me. I was born at 11:58 a.m. thirty years ago - today's the big 3-0 (Yee-haw). Last week was the real party (details yet to come), but today was nice. Had meetings, lunch, and a suspiciously quiet Anders in the living room. When I walked in to check on him, this is what I found.
Yes, there's a mime in our house. He got into the Penaten and decided it was better on his face than his behind. Gotta love him. This afternoon, Konrad 'secretly' went to the local gas station to find me a gift. Apparently his first choice was a box of condoms but Eric convinced him that maybe something else would be better. I received a chocolate bar and chapstick from Konrad. I was supposed to be resting in my room for a bit while Konrad and Anders helped Eric make a fabulous cake. It really was fabulous - angel food cake with coconut pudding, whip topping and berries of all sorts. Lovely. Thirty doesn't feel too old yet, unless I've been up with the kids all night. (Warning - kids can temporarily age you. I think it all works out though, since kids generally have a mellowing effect eventually. We give up on all sorts of stuff we thought was important - but isn't.) I just have to remind myself to embrace each stage of life because before we know it, we'll be on to something else. Oh - and I finally got the red ipod. Even if I am thirty, I can still be trendy.

This and That

So, it's been a few days again. I nearly forgot I had a blog. A few thoughts after my super-relaxing yoga class (the lady beside me was snoring for 10 minutes during the relaxation period). I was thinking about old friends and remembering the reunion from September. It prompted me to begin contacting some neglected friends from the past. I called an old friend in Ottawa whom I hadn't spoken to for ..hmm.. 3-4 years. Anyhow, Garry had kidney failure a year and a half ago and does dialysis at home every night until he can get a transplant. That was a shocker.


Halloween was fun. Anders was an owl and Konrad was Curious George. As soon as Anders put on the owl costume, he started quacking or making noises like a bird. He can't talk but he does communicate. The candy was crazy, though. Too much for a 3 year old kid. The morning after Halloween, Konrad woke up at 5am, broke into the stash. For hours, he was Krazy-Konrad. That's when I decided to lock it up.

And yes, I am exercising 5 days a week. Training twice, yoga once, and cardio the rest. It's great - I'm stronger and I have more endurance, but the results have been slow in coming along. Two months into this and I'm sticking with it. I have to remind myself that regardless of the weight change, I need to keep improving my physical health.

Today we signed up with World Vision to sponsor a child. We don't have the details on the child yet, but we've been planning on doing this for awhile. Konrad likes to collect money in his piggy bank that Grandma Jakob gave him and we discussed what should be done with the money. We all decided that it was a good idea to help a child somewhere in the world who is not as blessed as our children are - and so we are. A small contribution to the worldwide problem of poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, terrible regimes taking power from the people.

Saturday is Remembrance Day and I hope everyone takes a couple moments to think about those who have and are serving others and sacrificing time with their families. Remembrance Day always makes me cry. I interviewed a WWII vet for an article I wrote a couple years ago. I love all of the stories. It's a time that changes one's perspective, I suppose. Anyhow, war is sad. It is always sad.