Why am I going to the Outdoor Sportsman and Boating show you ask?

Well, it all started Sunday night when Aaron gave me a few contest entries to fill out and send in. Maybe I should look at what I'm entering first, if I had then I would've put Aaron's name down and not mine. So, I'm one of thirty lucky people qualified to win the $7500 shopping spree at the Outdoor Show. I think Aaron's probably more excited than I am! I've got H lined up to watch the Rugrats for an hour so we can go, wait for the draw, hopefully do a little power shopping (I'm sure Aaron'll have a list ready) and then head home. It would be nice to win, I'm sure we could get some accessories for camping or for the trailer, although a hot tub would be nice, somehow I doubt the hot tub guys will be at this show though, maybe a downpayment on a quad for up at the cottage.

I'd have to say after a really bad Monday, my Wednesday turned out to be not too shabby. Michelle brought Connor and baby Elliot over for a visit which is always a nice distraction for all of the kids to have their old pal Connor to come for a playdate. And the adult conversation for Mommy is always welcome!

Turns out Danny has pinkeye so I was minus one Danny yesterday and today which was a nice break to have one less child today.

Guess it's back to the same ole, same ole tomorrow!

I could live without Mondays!

What a crazy day! It probably all started at about 1 or 2 this morning when Joey woke me up and started talking about Auntie Heather's visit today and that she'd bring him big and little marshmallows and a whole bunch of other stuff that didn't really make a lot of sense at the time of morning. So, after getting up with Joey off and on all night I decided to let him skip school and sleep in, really, I was doing everyone a favour by keeping him home,except myself that is. Joey was a bit of a nightmare today, totally overtired, over-sensitive and just out of it altogether. Well it turns out that Danny had a rough night too and skipped school so I had him for the whole day and he wasn't very successful with the pottying today so you just knew he wasn't quite himself. Alex was his charming (bullying) self today and Zeke dumped glue in his hair from our Valentine's Day craft, Alex ate some more crayons, Aislynn sat in Danny's 'wet spot'...and the list just seems to get longer and longer the more I think about.

Thank goodness Auntie came over to rescue me! She ran out and bought dinner so I could save my lasagna for tomorrow's dinner and helped get the kids to bed nice and early so we could just sit back and relax. Now that Heather's headed home I'm starting to take a closer look at Aaron's taxes. Not as easy as I thought, I always do our taxes but this will be my first year doing his with his vehicle allowance/expenses...It can't be that hard to figure out can it?

Thanks for calling Auntie Jen! Does that make you feel old? Just kidding! I forgot to get your email address so don't be surprised if I call you again this week.

The Wallpaper Border...finally!

Well, I'm glad I've finally gotten that crossed off my list of things to do!  I've only done wallpapering once before and that was with Mom's direct supervision, so today was a potential disaster but turned out okay.  I was a little nervous but managed on my own, Aaron's job was to entertain my little helpers.  I got the first piece up with no difficulty and then I cut the next piece, soaked it and stuck it to the wall and then realized that the ends didn't match and I had actually put it on the wrong end of the first piece...DUH!  But I just peeled it off, repositioned and it's all good!

We went to the Carriere's last night and the kids ran around until 11:15 then we headed home to find a sick puppy at home:(  I'd brought a few garbage bags full of clothes for Easton and some other stuff for Cindy and I think Lyla thought we were going away for the weekend and left her behind.  After a day with the windows open my house smells normal again. Yeah!  Just in time to start smelling like poopy diapers again tomorrow...I don't care what the Diaper Genie's claim is, they don't really hide all odors!

Valentine's are officially done!

This is the soot technique where you hold glossy paper in a candle flame until it's sooty then you stamp off the soot and spray with Krylon.  Super easy if you use a really cheap candle, Partylite candles don't work for this.

Well I've got cards done for Aaron, Joey's class, my dayhome kids, the boys' friends, Joey and Alex.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, once you get going it seems to go by fast. 

Aaron's out helping Deb buy a new computer right now.  He was supposed to help his friend move some stuff from his soon-to-be ex's house and that was a disaster.  I guess the trailer Mark has won't fit on Aaron's truck so Aaron has offered to help him move every night this week after they're done work.  What a nice guy, eh?  So, the kids and I will be flying solo this week, so I'll be abiding by the strict 7 o'clock bedtime so Mommy can have some quiet time...what's that?

TGIF!

We had a very long but good week and were happy to see Happy Hour tonight! Aaron's family came over for dinner and to play Sequence. I think that's our new favourite game, it's shorter than Canasta and you don't need to keep track of all your rows of cards...less chance of the kids running off with them, etc.

We've got a nice relaxing weekend planned, I think Aaron's shopping with Deb tomorrow for a new computer and possible digital camera and then we're off to the Carriere's for dinner and I think we're going to play Scene It! That was our X-mas gift for them this year and once again, it beats playing Canasta with all of our kids running around, with the exception of little Mackenzie who's not crawling yet, I'm sure it won't be too long though!

Sunday has no plans except for possibly putting up the wallpaper border in the playroom that I mentioned weeks ago. Aaron (the liar) told me that we didn't have a ladder for me to be able to reach so when I asked Brian if all the ladders were still at the cottage he said I gave Aaron one already why does he need another? I was not too impressed, I guess Aaron reallllllly doesn't want me to put up the border. Tough luck for Aaron though because the 12" jungle animal border is kind of the whole basis of the theme, sandy yellow walls, jungle leaf print curtains, Madagascar posters...come on Aaron...get with the decorating program and get over it! The border is something that can eventually come down in a few years when we re-decorate and I'm sure by then it'll be a Superhero room, a dream come true for Aaron!

The Crazy Lady made yet another appearance at the Parent seminar!

Although I must admit she was well behaved and didn't try to monopolize the spotlight with her concerns about not teaching the kids manners...Puh-lease! Tonight's topic was about Advocating For Your Child which Andrea and I didn't really think applied that much to us but it turns out that it prompted us to think about a lot of things that neither of us had. I'm glad I went but wish Aaron had gone as well, it was a lot to take in at one seminar so they're thinking of hosting another one in a couple months.

Today was a fairly uneventful day, I'm just really glad that it's Friday tomorrow! We're expecting the Beck Sr's to come over tomorrow night for dinner and a visit with the boys. Hopefully the kids run around a whole bunch and stay up late so maybe, just maybe they'll sleep in until 8 Saturday morning. That would be an awesome way to start the weekend!

Looks like Auntie Kathryn may be attached to an Uncle Jeff in the near future, she was out engagement ring browsing with Jeff's co-worker today so I'm thinking maybe Jeff is ready to take the plunge. He's being transferred to Lethbridge in the next few months and he's taking Katie (can I call you Katie too? hee hee) with him...so I think maybe an engagement is in the near forecast. Just don't go and get married in Vegas this weekend, okay?

Oh and Heather I found out that Andrea's super fantastic no-mess black eyeliner is RIMMEL. That'll have to go right up there with the purple can Salon Selectives hairspray!

Joey has a secret life!

Well today I had to get my annual blood work done so I planned it so I could pick up Joey from school which has never happened yet. I was in for the shock of my life! There's my Joey riding a bike! Very steady, very fast, he's obviously had a lot of practise. Joey's had a tricycle and then graduated to a 2 wheeler with training wheels and all he kept telling Aaron and I was 'can't do it, you push' so of course we would. Well the joke was on us apparently! Veronique (teacher) was shocked when I asked her how long he's been riding it for and she said since the first day of school. My boy certainly knows how to play Mommy and Daddy for the fools!

I was pretty excited to see Joey in action at school with his friends, it's nice to see he's making good friends now versus 'having' to play with others.

I can see he'll be just like his Daddy, where at all the parties everyone wants to hang out with Aaron, sit with him, stand beside him...I've come to realize I'm not the life of the party, it's actually Aaron. But I'm so okay with that, remember the Christmas party...I was forced to talk about my hot Doogie Howser dentist...not pretty...