This is your LIFE.
Do what you love, and do it often.
If you don't like something, change it.
If you don't like your job, quit.
If you don't have enough time, stop watching TV.
If you are looking for the love of your life, stop. They will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love.
Stop over analyzing. Life is simple.
All emotions are beautiful when you eat and appreciate every last bite.
Open your mind,arms and heart to new things and people. We are united in our differences.
Ask the next person next to you to see what their passion is. And share your inspiring dream with them.
Travel often; Getting lost will help you find yourself.
Some opportunities only come once. Seize them.
Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them, so go out and start creating.
Life is short. Live your dream and wear your passion.
I read this somewhere and felt inspired to make changes. Life can become monotonous and boring sometimes. You feel like you are in a rut. But, make a change and get yourself out of it. It is only you that keeps you there.
2011 is my year and I'm doing ME.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Saved from Evil
It was a looooooong morning.
It started with a crank call at 6:15am. nice.
Have to be at M's Godmother's place by 7:30am (actually 7:45am, but you know who you are...sometimes you have to trick yourself to get there on time. or at least reasonably late). Diaper changes, clothes, teeth, clean the car, and car seats, then we are off by 7:30am. W00t! I'm running on time.
Turn onto the major street and already I'm hit with traffic. Grrr. Two and a half hours later we are all at the Parenting Centre. Awesome place for the picknees. Sandbox, Waterbox, painting, crafts, sing time, story time, snacks, crafts, books, blocks, play kitchen, costumes, bumba chair, play saucer chair thingy, coffee,toys, and FUN!
We had McD's for breakfast. Egg McMuffin combo. Forgot to mention no butter & no cheese. ahh well. I chose the 'healthy' breakfast right? :P
By 2pm I'm STARVING! We are on our way to our Roots of Empathy (ROE) meeting. We stop off at a store because me and my camel (aka my niece Nicole who drinks LOTS of water) are thirsty. And there it is. In all its prepackaged, refined sugar, evil glory. A hostess chocolate cupcake. I got the water since I'm thirsty, but try to hold off since we'll be going out to eat after the ROE session. But, when you are hungry almost anything looks delicious. Even disgusting fake chocolate fat in the shape of a cupcake.
In the car I figured if I share it with M's Godmother or my niece I wouldn't be totally fatting out. But, my niece saved me. She took it out of my hands. Told me not to do it. I still wanted it. Even tried to convince her to sink to my level and have one. Then she read out the 'nutritional' value. Sodium, Sugar, Fat, Calories. That did it. No thanks.
Thanks Darling! You saved my waistline for that minute. Although, at 7:44am it's looking pretty tempting again. I should just throw it away. Or maybe someone can eat it in front of me so I can eat it vicariously through them.
Any volunteers?
It started with a crank call at 6:15am. nice.
Have to be at M's Godmother's place by 7:30am (actually 7:45am, but you know who you are...sometimes you have to trick yourself to get there on time. or at least reasonably late). Diaper changes, clothes, teeth, clean the car, and car seats, then we are off by 7:30am. W00t! I'm running on time.
Turn onto the major street and already I'm hit with traffic. Grrr. Two and a half hours later we are all at the Parenting Centre. Awesome place for the picknees. Sandbox, Waterbox, painting, crafts, sing time, story time, snacks, crafts, books, blocks, play kitchen, costumes, bumba chair, play saucer chair thingy, coffee,toys, and FUN!
We had McD's for breakfast. Egg McMuffin combo. Forgot to mention no butter & no cheese. ahh well. I chose the 'healthy' breakfast right? :P
By 2pm I'm STARVING! We are on our way to our Roots of Empathy (ROE) meeting. We stop off at a store because me and my camel (aka my niece Nicole who drinks LOTS of water) are thirsty. And there it is. In all its prepackaged, refined sugar, evil glory. A hostess chocolate cupcake. I got the water since I'm thirsty, but try to hold off since we'll be going out to eat after the ROE session. But, when you are hungry almost anything looks delicious. Even disgusting fake chocolate fat in the shape of a cupcake.
In the car I figured if I share it with M's Godmother or my niece I wouldn't be totally fatting out. But, my niece saved me. She took it out of my hands. Told me not to do it. I still wanted it. Even tried to convince her to sink to my level and have one. Then she read out the 'nutritional' value. Sodium, Sugar, Fat, Calories. That did it. No thanks.
Thanks Darling! You saved my waistline for that minute. Although, at 7:44am it's looking pretty tempting again. I should just throw it away. Or maybe someone can eat it in front of me so I can eat it vicariously through them.
Any volunteers?
Drive Much?!?
There's a reason I take the GO Train to work and not drive. I mean, I could drive. The $ is about the same since I know where's a good parking lot, but I I just cannot handle the traffic on 404/DVP. I'd rather play my DS, listen to my iPod, read the Shout Outs, read my chick-lit book, do the Sudoku, crochet, ANYTHING! except sleep. I just can't sleep in public like that. My brother asked "what's the problem? you think someone's going to steal your shoes?". Yeah...my family....the comedians. :P
But, I digress. Driving with traffic is bad enough, but add some type of slippery weather and everyone's brains turn off. Like WTF!?
1. Slow the F down!
2. Speed the F up!
3. Why are you Fing breaking there's NO ONE in front of you?
4. He's following too close. Get off my A$$!
5. Check your blind spot MF!
6. Get off the road! YOU give me a bad name chick/asian
(please excuse the expletives. when i suffer from road rage, it also lowers my I.Q., tolerance, and increases my racist outbursts) I have to now say this all in my head since I have children in the car.
And for the greater good, my road rage will sleep while I take the GO Train.
But, I digress. Driving with traffic is bad enough, but add some type of slippery weather and everyone's brains turn off. Like WTF!?
1. Slow the F down!
2. Speed the F up!
3. Why are you Fing breaking there's NO ONE in front of you?
4. He's following too close. Get off my A$$!
5. Check your blind spot MF!
6. Get off the road! YOU give me a bad name chick/asian
(please excuse the expletives. when i suffer from road rage, it also lowers my I.Q., tolerance, and increases my racist outbursts) I have to now say this all in my head since I have children in the car.
And for the greater good, my road rage will sleep while I take the GO Train.
I smell $h!t. Do you smell that?!?
Have you ever potty trained a kid?!? It's my first time and man, are there ups and downs. And the downs are all gross!
UP:
M-Dawg: Can I use the potty mommy?
Me: Yes! Yes! Of course! Come, let me undo your onesy.
M-Dawg: (Runs over and puts his arms up to take it off)
Me: (thinks: off?? ummm..whatever....go with it)
M-Dawg: Look mommy! Look!
Me: Awesome! Amazing! Way to go buddy! You did it! You did it! Let's call po-po and gung-gung and tell them! (grandmother and grandfather from mother's side in Chinese)
M-Dawg: I get TWO wine gums mommy.
Me: ok. That was the deal. (how'd he remember that?!?) Now, let's put your clothes back on.
M-Dawg: Noooooooooooo! (Run around living room naked for45 mins)
DOWN:
Marky Marc has taken off his PJs on the pretext of going to use the potty. It worked last time, so why not?
Frankie: I smell shit. Do you smell that? (Comes down the stairs after waking up)
Marky Marc: LANGUAGE DADDY!
Me: Yeah, Daddy. LANGUAGE! Maybe it's your upper lip? (smirk)
Frankie: No Seriously. Marcus, did you poo?
Marky Marc: Nooooooo (giggles)
Frankie: What IS that?! Marcus, did you POO?!
Marky Marc: Noooo (giggles)
Frankie: (looks around and sees his PJs and underpants lying on the floor with POO in IT!) MARCUS!!
Me: MARCUS!! (Marky Marc turns to run away and now you can see his butt...that's all I'm sayin') DO NOT SIT ON THAT!! Get upstairs! Get upstairs!
Marky Marc: HA HA HA HA HA! (sits down)
UP:
M-Dawg: Can I use the potty mommy?
Me: Yes! Yes! Of course! Come, let me undo your onesy.
M-Dawg: (Runs over and puts his arms up to take it off)
Me: (thinks: off?? ummm..whatever....go with it)
M-Dawg: Look mommy! Look!
Me: Awesome! Amazing! Way to go buddy! You did it! You did it! Let's call po-po and gung-gung and tell them! (grandmother and grandfather from mother's side in Chinese)
M-Dawg: I get TWO wine gums mommy.
Me: ok. That was the deal. (how'd he remember that?!?) Now, let's put your clothes back on.
M-Dawg: Noooooooooooo! (Run around living room naked for45 mins)
DOWN:
Marky Marc has taken off his PJs on the pretext of going to use the potty. It worked last time, so why not?
Frankie: I smell shit. Do you smell that? (Comes down the stairs after waking up)
Marky Marc: LANGUAGE DADDY!
Me: Yeah, Daddy. LANGUAGE! Maybe it's your upper lip? (smirk)
Frankie: No Seriously. Marcus, did you poo?
Marky Marc: Nooooooo (giggles)
Frankie: What IS that?! Marcus, did you POO?!
Marky Marc: Noooo (giggles)
Frankie: (looks around and sees his PJs and underpants lying on the floor with POO in IT!) MARCUS!!
Me: MARCUS!! (Marky Marc turns to run away and now you can see his butt...that's all I'm sayin') DO NOT SIT ON THAT!! Get upstairs! Get upstairs!
Marky Marc: HA HA HA HA HA! (sits down)
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Biggest Loser
So, one of my 2011 resolutions was to make myself a priority and become FABulous again. I signed up for Zumba and setup some tools to help me with my diet.
First: Zumba – FUN! FUN! FUN!
I thought to myself “I have rhythm. I can dance. This should be easy to transition into getting more active”. That’s what I thought. Then I went to my first class and felt like I had one left foot on an old lady’s body. I say one because I could do most of the moves and didn’t twist an ankle. I did go the wrong way then the rest of the class. I did bump into the fan that was behind me. I did laugh my head off at how funny I looked in the front mirror. Oh what a sight: red faced, going the wrong way, and laughing like I was high. Good times.
Second: Diet – Game ON!
So, to help motivate me to stay on this diet I engaged my oldest brother into a Biggest Loser type competition. We will have a weigh-in at our weekly family dinners and the winner of the $5 from the other person will be the person who loses the largest percentage of body weight from the previous week. We’ll have a 3 and 6 month BIG weigh in: who ever has lost the highest percentage of weight change from the original start weight. We agreed $20 for that one. Yes, we could have agreed to bigger money, i.e. $100, but the reality is my brother and I are uber competitive. It’s not the money, but the personal honour of being able to shamelessly emotionally abuse the chubb chubb that motivates us. I can’t weight! (not a spelling mistake, but bad pun)
Now that Franklin has many more ‘good’ days than before, I see us getting out more. Why better now compared to before? I’ll save that for another day of reflection.
The ‘uber’ (aka unhealthy) competition conversation:
Brother: I will die before I lose
Me: You just might old man. Be careful. I joined Zumba! (note to reader: I realize I have to do more that one measly class a week, but gotta start somewhere, so spppfft
)
Brother: Well, I’ve got hockey.
Me: Men do lose weight faster than woman, but I am younger and breastfeeding!
Brother: ewwwww
Me: ha ha ha. Breastfeeding!! Breastfeeding!!
For those who need the math: example – (start at 200 pounds and lose 10 pounds and you have lost 5%)
[(Start weight - Finish Weight) X 100 / Start weight = percentage lost.].
Second again – Tracking what I put in my belly
I’m using MyFitnessPal.com to track what I put into my mouth. It’s pretty good. You enter your starting weight and target weight by when and it will tell you how much calories you need to eat to reach your goal. They have a database of food that I can search. I select what I ate and the portion. The site will calculate the calories, carbs, fat, protein. It’s not so much I’m counting, but just to be aware of what I’m eating.
I got rid of all the chips and cookies. I know the family would like to have one and when company comes over who doesn’t want to have a snacker handy. But, if it’s in the house I’ll eat it. I don’t have the self-control part down yet. For food and for many other things for that matter. lol For some of my friends is alcohol, smoking, shopping, etc. YOU know who you are. You can relate.
Diet is not the politically correct term anymore. Life style change is the buzz word now. Well, it’s a diet now until it becomes second nature to turn down a second portion of delicious lasagna, choose fish instead of steak since I’ve already eaten red meat twice this week, pass on the chocolate fudge cake and have fruit. I’m still getting a handle on portion control so I could eat a sliver of cake or only two cookies.
I WILL get there.
First: Zumba – FUN! FUN! FUN!
I thought to myself “I have rhythm. I can dance. This should be easy to transition into getting more active”. That’s what I thought. Then I went to my first class and felt like I had one left foot on an old lady’s body. I say one because I could do most of the moves and didn’t twist an ankle. I did go the wrong way then the rest of the class. I did bump into the fan that was behind me. I did laugh my head off at how funny I looked in the front mirror. Oh what a sight: red faced, going the wrong way, and laughing like I was high. Good times.
Second: Diet – Game ON!
So, to help motivate me to stay on this diet I engaged my oldest brother into a Biggest Loser type competition. We will have a weigh-in at our weekly family dinners and the winner of the $5 from the other person will be the person who loses the largest percentage of body weight from the previous week. We’ll have a 3 and 6 month BIG weigh in: who ever has lost the highest percentage of weight change from the original start weight. We agreed $20 for that one. Yes, we could have agreed to bigger money, i.e. $100, but the reality is my brother and I are uber competitive. It’s not the money, but the personal honour of being able to shamelessly emotionally abuse the chubb chubb that motivates us. I can’t weight! (not a spelling mistake, but bad pun)
Now that Franklin has many more ‘good’ days than before, I see us getting out more. Why better now compared to before? I’ll save that for another day of reflection.
The ‘uber’ (aka unhealthy) competition conversation:
Brother: I will die before I lose
Me: You just might old man. Be careful. I joined Zumba! (note to reader: I realize I have to do more that one measly class a week, but gotta start somewhere, so spppfft
)Brother: Well, I’ve got hockey.
Me: Men do lose weight faster than woman, but I am younger and breastfeeding!
Brother: ewwwww
Me: ha ha ha. Breastfeeding!! Breastfeeding!!
For those who need the math: example – (start at 200 pounds and lose 10 pounds and you have lost 5%)
[(Start weight - Finish Weight) X 100 / Start weight = percentage lost.].
Second again – Tracking what I put in my belly
I’m using MyFitnessPal.com to track what I put into my mouth. It’s pretty good. You enter your starting weight and target weight by when and it will tell you how much calories you need to eat to reach your goal. They have a database of food that I can search. I select what I ate and the portion. The site will calculate the calories, carbs, fat, protein. It’s not so much I’m counting, but just to be aware of what I’m eating.
I got rid of all the chips and cookies. I know the family would like to have one and when company comes over who doesn’t want to have a snacker handy. But, if it’s in the house I’ll eat it. I don’t have the self-control part down yet. For food and for many other things for that matter. lol For some of my friends is alcohol, smoking, shopping, etc. YOU know who you are. You can relate.
Diet is not the politically correct term anymore. Life style change is the buzz word now. Well, it’s a diet now until it becomes second nature to turn down a second portion of delicious lasagna, choose fish instead of steak since I’ve already eaten red meat twice this week, pass on the chocolate fudge cake and have fruit. I’m still getting a handle on portion control so I could eat a sliver of cake or only two cookies.
I WILL get there.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Potty Mouth - LITERALLY
ewww! ewww! ewww! You'd think I would know better by now.
It starts off with a 4:13am wake up cry. At first it sounded like mwah mwah mwah mwah like Charlie Brown's teacher. Then you slowly figure it out. PICK ME UP! MY DIAPER IS DIRTY! FEED ME! The more intense crying then the 1:15am cry. Hey, after 3-months of interrupted sleep, you're not always as swift. You try it! Also, it used to be the 3am show. Check my FB posts to see the pattern.
But, I digress. As I change his diaper I'm doing things via small lamp lighting. I've done this a gajillion times. No problem right? I'm singing a little ditty that goes like this "You're name is Lucas. My name is Mommy. His name is Marcus. And Daddy too. We all love you every daaaaaaay, even when you pee or poo" (in the tune of "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine")
Well, when you change boys you either have to be FAST or PREPARED.
By being prepared you have to:
- Put a tissue over their goo-goo while you do everything. i.e. put their hand mittens back on, wiping, putting on butt cream, that kinda stuff
- KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED!
I obviously wasn't "prepared" at 4:30am and I knew it once the fluid hit my lips. OMG! That woke my ass up real quick.
note to self: Be faster at changing diapers
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Get the $%# UP and help me with the kids!!!
I contemplated whether to write about this or not. Then I re-read my first post. This is to help me vent my feelings. I also re-read the marriage post, and I have to say something otherwise I will grow to resent him (and it's starting). So, instead of saying it to The Husband, because really it's not his fault, I will vent here.
I've been up several times over the night for feedings and newborn baby sleepness. So, when Marcus wakes up at 6am and Lucas is still sleeping, I go with him to his room and just have him lie down with me to cuddle. By 6:30am he goes to our bedroom to wake up The Husband since I fell asleep. Back and forth he goes until Lucas wakes up. I bring Lucas into Marcus' room and together we fall back asleep. Franklin is still sleeping and Marcus is watching SpongeBob in our bedroom with him. All is right in the world.
Then SpongeBob is over, Franklin has yelled at Marcus to leave him alone, and Lucas is now up and crying. Time to get up! Morning diapers and teeth brushing await before we feed my now hungry toddler.
So, the morning goes on with blueberry whole wheat pancakes (homemade of course. even the pancake mix!), spread with a bit of peanut butter and topped with whipped cream (a Marcus request of toppings). Delicious AND Nutritious! We sing and dance while I cook, do dishes, and sweep up. Watch Train your Dragon movie while we eat then play hockey with his newly bought foam hockey sticks.
I've changed 2 morning diapers and an additional 3 poopy diapers and it's not even 11am yet! I want to go take a shower and take a nap since Lucas has gone back to sleep. Franklin, it's 11:30am, think you could wake up by 12pm? A mumbled 'sure'.
It's 12pm and Marcus is starting to get stir crazy. The movie is done. He's starting to hit Lucas with his foam hockey sticks. Lucas is getting cranky and doesn't want to be in his Bumba chair, nor his bouncy chair, nor sit on the couch, or bounced on my knee. He wants this monkey to dance. You know....walk around and sing while I carry his 14 lbs. 30 minutes? NOT ENOUGH!! Marcus has taken off all his clothes on the pretense that he wants to use the potty and refuses to put it back on. He's going to get his goo-goo juice everywhere! He has climbed the outside part of the stairs so he can flick the living room lights on and off. The patients are running the asylum!
Franklin, can you get the $#%!@ up already! I was understanding when yet again I have to wake up with our toddler after waking up several times in the night with our newborn. I was understanding when I changed several diapers all morning while you slept. I was understanding when I came down to a sink full of dirty dishes that I washed even though you said you would do them. I was understanding when I swept the living room and kitchen even though you said you would help out more.
I know the dialysis is taking its toll on your body and you're exhausted. But, what the hell was the excuse for not doing the dishes last night when you were feeling well?! What was the excuse that you're going to use for not sweeping up?! What's your excuse for leaving your snacks from last night on the coffee table yet again?!
The reality is, you could have taken care of all of it this morning and helped me if you were not surviving by doing dialysis everyday to save your life. I'm just tired. physically and mentally.
I resent the disease not you darling. I say this now. At the end of my rant. I sure didn't feel this way when I started writing this. Oh Blog. You saved Franklin from my frustration.
I've been up several times over the night for feedings and newborn baby sleepness. So, when Marcus wakes up at 6am and Lucas is still sleeping, I go with him to his room and just have him lie down with me to cuddle. By 6:30am he goes to our bedroom to wake up The Husband since I fell asleep. Back and forth he goes until Lucas wakes up. I bring Lucas into Marcus' room and together we fall back asleep. Franklin is still sleeping and Marcus is watching SpongeBob in our bedroom with him. All is right in the world.
Then SpongeBob is over, Franklin has yelled at Marcus to leave him alone, and Lucas is now up and crying. Time to get up! Morning diapers and teeth brushing await before we feed my now hungry toddler.
So, the morning goes on with blueberry whole wheat pancakes (homemade of course. even the pancake mix!), spread with a bit of peanut butter and topped with whipped cream (a Marcus request of toppings). Delicious AND Nutritious! We sing and dance while I cook, do dishes, and sweep up. Watch Train your Dragon movie while we eat then play hockey with his newly bought foam hockey sticks.
I've changed 2 morning diapers and an additional 3 poopy diapers and it's not even 11am yet! I want to go take a shower and take a nap since Lucas has gone back to sleep. Franklin, it's 11:30am, think you could wake up by 12pm? A mumbled 'sure'.
It's 12pm and Marcus is starting to get stir crazy. The movie is done. He's starting to hit Lucas with his foam hockey sticks. Lucas is getting cranky and doesn't want to be in his Bumba chair, nor his bouncy chair, nor sit on the couch, or bounced on my knee. He wants this monkey to dance. You know....walk around and sing while I carry his 14 lbs. 30 minutes? NOT ENOUGH!! Marcus has taken off all his clothes on the pretense that he wants to use the potty and refuses to put it back on. He's going to get his goo-goo juice everywhere! He has climbed the outside part of the stairs so he can flick the living room lights on and off. The patients are running the asylum!
Franklin, can you get the $#%!@ up already! I was understanding when yet again I have to wake up with our toddler after waking up several times in the night with our newborn. I was understanding when I changed several diapers all morning while you slept. I was understanding when I came down to a sink full of dirty dishes that I washed even though you said you would do them. I was understanding when I swept the living room and kitchen even though you said you would help out more.
I know the dialysis is taking its toll on your body and you're exhausted. But, what the hell was the excuse for not doing the dishes last night when you were feeling well?! What was the excuse that you're going to use for not sweeping up?! What's your excuse for leaving your snacks from last night on the coffee table yet again?!
The reality is, you could have taken care of all of it this morning and helped me if you were not surviving by doing dialysis everyday to save your life. I'm just tired. physically and mentally.
I resent the disease not you darling. I say this now. At the end of my rant. I sure didn't feel this way when I started writing this. Oh Blog. You saved Franklin from my frustration.
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