Sweetest Thing Ever

I follow Kelsey's blog "Chaotic Momentum of a Military Momma" and I absolutely love it!*  I don't know Kelsey and found her blog through a completely different blog of someone else I don't know, but it just so happens that I find Kelsey's humour to be much like mine and I am usually crying from laughter or shaking my head thinking "I know exactly what you mean" after reading her posts.  Her latest post is probably one of the sweetest things I've ever heard a child say or read that a child said.  Heart melting!

In the post, Kelsey's daughter Payton tells her that the baby she's going to have (her stuffed dog) "grew from her heart."  From the mouths of babes alright!  I really can't think of any other way to describe how a mother feels about her child.  That quote from a little girl describes exactly how my love for Paxton grew (I loved him right from the moment I found out I was pregnant) and it also explains exactly how you can look at your brand new baby that you've never seen before and know that you love this little person more than anything else in the world!

Thanks to Kelsey for sharing this special moment!

*Sensitive Readers beware: the post I've linked to is great, but if you choose to read back through Kelsey's blog be warned that there will most likely be some f-bombs lurking.  Just thought I'd warn you since I know some of the people who read my blog don't like swearing.

The ABCs of Me!

Stole this from my sister, Kelly's blog. 

Age: 28

Bed size: King

Chore you Hate: Cleaning the bathroom

Dogs: Mo - Boxer and Maggie - American Bulldog.  Both 3 years old.

Essential start of your day: Exercise.  If I don't do it first thing it won't get done.

Favorite Color: Green

Gold or Silver: White Gold

Height: 5' 5 1/2"

Instruments I can play: Alto sax in Jr. High and High School.  Also piano (not well)

Job Title: Mom.  and Contract Specialist (that's the one I get paid for)

Kids: Paxton (1 year 5 months in 2 days)

Live: Lethbridge, AB.

Mom's name: Sandy (and Daryl and Roseanne are MIL's)

Nicknames: Lish, Lisha, Sweetie, Pooo (even though I repeatedly asked Jay not to call me this, but it stuck)

Overnight Hospital stays: Just when Paxton was born.

Pet Peeves: Stepping in water while wearing socks!

Quote from a Movie: "I've got a big head, and little arms.  And I'm not sure how well thought out this plan was!" - T-Rex from Meet the Robinsons

Right or Left handed: Righty

Siblings: 2 sisters and 1 brother in law on my side, and 1 sister in law on Jay's side.

Time you wake up: 5 am on weekdays and whenever Paxton decides he's done sleeping on the weekends (usually between 6 and 7 am.  Ugh.  I suppose that technically it's sleeping in.)

Uncontrollable craving food: (I totally made this one up because I noticed there was no "U" question on the one I stole from Kelly) Potato Chips

Vegetables you Dislike: Beets are the only one I can think of. 

Wearing: My work out clothes.  Very sexy.  Hold yourselves back.

Xrays you've done: Just my right hand to confirm that, yes, my pinky is slightly dislocated.  And the doctor didn't bother putting it back in, so it's stayed slightly dislocated for the last 11 years.

Yummy Food you Make: Black bottom cupcakes, biscuit meat pies, Hawaiian meatballs ... lots of stuff : )

Zoo animals: I'm assuming this means "Zoo animals that I like."  It's been a ridiculously long time since I went to the zoo ... let's go with elephants.

Feel free to steal this for your own blog.  If you do, let me know so I can read yours!

This Ridiculously Early Morning is Brought to you by:

the letters P, A, X, T, O and N.  And by the numbers 3, 5 and 0.

*Warning: This post is based on actual events and contains mental images that could be disturbing to some readers.  Reader discretion is advised.*

**Disclaimer: My son is not speaking English proficiently yet, so the following is my interpretation of what he was saying.  And anything in italics is a thought.  And my alarm clock doesn't actually talk, but you get the picture.

Paxton: Moooooooooom!!!
Me: *rolls over*
Alarm Clock: 3:50 am
Me: What did you just say?
Alarm Clock: 3:51 am
Me: That's what I thought.
Paxton: Moooooom!!! Why aren't you in my room yet?  Didn't you hear me call you?
Me: *stumbles to the door and enters Paxton's room* (patience level on a scale of 1-10 is about 1.5)
Paxton: Oh good.  You're here.  Wanna play with me now?
Me:  Not on your life.  It's 3:51 am.
Paxton: Ok.  We'll play after you change my diaper, right?
Me: *finishes changing diaper, places Paxton in his crib, returns to own bed*
Alarm Clock: 3:57 am
Paxton: Moooooooooom!!!  I don't want to be asleep!  I can hear Dad in the shower!  It's clearly time to be awake!
Me: Just ignore him.  He'll cry himself out in a few minutes.
Paxton: Mooooooom!!!  Why haven't you come back yet?
Me: Go to sleep.
Paxton: Moooooom!!!  I need you in here!  It's dark, even though there's a night light.
Me:  Can't you tell I'm ignoring you?
Paxton: Moooooom!!!  Why are you ignoring me?  It's cold because I'm standing up instead of laying down under my blankets!
Alarm Clock: 4:13 am
Me: *returns to Paxton's room* (patience level has now reached about -2) *removes The Boy from standing position and places him on his stomach in preferred sleeping position; covers him with blankets*
Paxton: But Mom!  I am really very certain that it's time to be up.
Me: You are mistaken.  It is definitely not time to be up, and Mom is definitely not in the mood for these shenanigans. *leaves room, closes door, returns to bed*
Alarm Clock: 4:15 am
Paxton: Moooooooom!!!  I don't know why you're having such a hard time understanding the concept here!
Me: Right back at you.
Paxton: Mooooooom!!!  I need you!  Even though I have an army of stuffed animals in here with me that I could play with until I fall back asleep!
Me: Remind me why I signed up for this again?
Paxton: Moooooooom!!!
Alarm Clock: 4:20 am
Me: *storms to the kitchen; grabs bottle of milk from the fridge; returns to The Boy's room* (patience level has now reached about -7)
Paxton: Finally!  I thought you'd never get the picture.
Me: *picks up The Boy; gives him the bottle; sits in chair while holding the boy*
Paxton's clock: 4:32 am
Me: *places sleeping Boy in crib; retreats from room*
Paxton: Mooooooom!!! How dare you leave me in here even though I was sleeping!  I thought I'd made it clear that I want to be up!!!
Jay: *looks slightly alarmed while brushing teeth*
Me: I might kill him.
Jay: Uh-oh.  Did you try taking him to bed with you?
Me: No, because I have to be up in 25 minutes to run on my eliptical.
Jay: Oh.
Me: I'll see you after work. *returns to bed*
Alarm Clock: 4:35 am
Paxton: "Mom!  Mom!  Mom!  Mom!"
Me: I am sparing your life by staying in here.  Just go to sleep.
Alarm Clock: 4:40 am
Paxton: *silence*
Me: Well that's just awesome.  Maybe I won't run today.  Maybe I'll just sleep for an extra hour.  I deserve it.
Conscience: That's not going to help you achieve your goal.
Me: I hate you and your logic.
Alarm Clock: 4:55 am
Me: And you.  I hate you and your time-keeping. *gets up to go run*

Please note: I would not actually ever kill my son, nor do I have homicidal thoughts about him in the wee hours of the morning.  I'm just not a good Mom before 6 am (7 am on the weekends).

Holy Cabin Fever, Batman!

It started sometime on Friday night.  It continued all day yesterday.  And it is still going!  According to the Weather Network, it's supposed to continue all day today and tomorrow.  Something's gotta give!  There are no words to describe just how sick I am of this

and this 

and this

and this

and let's not forget this

although this was pretty cute

And this snow is all new!  After the last dump on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, the temperature got up to around +10 and pretty much all the snow was gone by Friday afternoon!

I'm sure that you're all as sick of hearing about this stupid Canadian weather as I am of living in it (that is, if you are lucky enough to not be living through it with me!).  However, the Weather Network (which I am seriously considering removing from my Favorites list since it doesn't ever seem to have good news lately) says that after tomorrow there should be no more snow (at least for the next 2 weeks).  But, since I am "fortunate" enough to live in Southern Alberta, that forecast could very likely change in the next 12 hours. *sigh*

Riverdance was Awesome!!!!

It totally was!  At the end of the show when everyone was taking their bows I'm pretty sure they did 3 or 4 separate "finale dances."  I leaned over to Mom after the second one and whispered, "If we all keep clapping, do you think they'll keep dancing?"  To which she replied, "We can hope!"  Mom and I both said we would go again in a hearbeat, so hopefully they come back through Lethbridge in a few years.  I didn't get any pictures of the performance because there was no flash photography allowed for copyright reasons or something silly like that : ) (and since all I had was my iPhone I couldn't turn the flash off) but I did take a few pictures of the stage before it started.

I probably wouldn't have taken many pictures anyway because 1. I was way too enthralled with the show and 2. the Enmax Center's seats are so close together that I probably wouldn't have been able to lift my arms up enough to take pictures! (the ones of the stage were taken before the person next to me sat down)

I had goosebumps from the time the lights went down right through to the end of the show, and I will admit that both Mom and I teared up a bit at the beginning because we were so happy and excited to be watching it live.  I just can't say enough good stuff about the show.  The performers were amazing!  Their feet just fly.  And I hadn't realized before that the dancers are also the singers!  That's some great talent.  And the musicians were also amazing. 

I'm so very glad that the creators of Riverdance decided to share this wonderful art with the rest of the world, and obviously the world loves it because the show has been going since 1994!  Here's to many more years of Riverdancing!

Fad Diet

This little man 

is 1 year, 4 months and almost 2 weeks old and he's already starting fad dieting.

Paxton has convinced himself (although he's failing to convince his parents) that he can and should survive on nothing but milk, apple juice, fruit gummies and popcorn twists.  I can usually get some yogurt, apple sauce, oranges or a banana into him throughout the day, but otherwise all he wants are fruit gummies and popcorn twists.  He won't even eat Arrowroots most days!  And after our trip up to Sylvan, I thought that buying a box of Goldfish from Costco would be a good idea since he was eating them like they were going out of style while we were up north.  Boy was I wrong!  He won't touch them now that we're home (well I guess he'll touch them, just he likes to smash them into tiny pieces rather than actually eating them).  So I'm now stuck with all these Goldfish that I don't like and Paxton won't eat.  I guess it's a good thing that Jay likes them.  Kelly, I'm probably going to send the 2 unopened bags home with you when you're here for Easter (and yes, you are still coming >: ( ... that's my stern face in case you're wondering).

Maybe I just don't have the right cooking skills or something.  He seems to like the food at daycare!

Not Following Me

Apparently Mother Nature and Old Man Winter are not following my blog.  This is what I woke up to this morning.

Our neighbour's tree 

Trees across the street (they do normally stand up straight) 

Our backyard 

Snow on our other neighbour's roof 

Our deck 

Other neighbour's tree and bushes 

Street in front of the house 

Ruts in the snow from people driving

I mean COME ON!!!  My last post about our ridiculous weather was less than 2 weeks ago!!!  And we've had beautiful, spring-like weather since then.  And yes, that's Jay's car parked across the street from our house.  It was raining yesterday and then it got just cold enough to turn into snow, so this crap is wet and heavy.  Apparently Jay tried to go to work, but since the plows hadn't been out at 4:30 am he got stuck trying to leave our subdivision.  His poor little car is so low to the ground that it just couldn't muscle through all the sticky snow, so he came home to wait until the plows had some time to work.  And the forecast says we're supposed to get snow on and off for the next 5 days! 

I'm considering taking a restraining order out against Mother Nature and Old Man Winter.  This is just ridiculous.  Even I am looking forward to summer, and it is not my favorite season in the least (at this point I'm willing to just skip right over spring and head for the +30 weather.)  Gah!

How Did We Get Here From There?

My Aunt Carol had this as her Facebook status a few days ago:

"As a kid I didn't have a computer, internet, ipod, cell phone, PS3, Nintendo DS, XBox... I had two feet, a bike, chores & a curfew. My toys were the outside world. If I didn't eat what my mom made, I didn't eat. I didn't dare tell my parents "no" or "what-ever" or dare talk back. Life wasn't hard, it was life. And I survived. Re-post if you liked the way you were raised and drank water out of a hose"

I loved it!  Not all of it applies to me since I did actually have a computer and internet (if you can count dial-up as internet) and we did have a Nintendo for a while.  I'm also fairly certain that I gave my Mom and Dad a few "whatevers" but you can be sure that I still completed the task that caused the "whatever" to be uttered, even though I didn't like it.

It also reminded me of a conversation I had with my Dad a few weeks ago.  He was telling me that when he was about 6 years old, his parents would put him on the Greyhound bus all by himself on Friday evening and he would ride to Cardston (about an hour away) where his Grandparents would pick him up.  Then on Sunday his Grandparents would put him back on the Greyhound and his parents would pick him up when he got back to Raymond.  I can't imagine doing that now!  I'm already having panic attacks about Paxton riding his bike to a friend's house in the future by himself and that scenario is more than a few years away.  It's made me ask myself, "How did we get here from there?"

Take a look at life 50 years ago or so and compare it to where we are now.  Yes we have come a long way with technology, but what have we sacrificed as a society?  Long gone are the days when children could run wild all summer long and their parents didn't worry about them.  I worry about Paxton every day; not so much about him now, but about what he's going to be facing as he gets older.  And I know that those things are going to be hunting him down sooner than I can imagine.

In answer to my question to myself, I have only been able to come up with one answer: People Suck.  I know that as individuals we may not all suck, but as a whole human beings are really quite awful.  We're set apart from the animal kingdom by a lot of things, but when it comes right down to it what are we using all our superiority for?  Yes, we have used our intellect to achieve magnificent, awesome and wonderful things; but on the other side of the coin we have achieved awful, horrific and abominable things.

When I was pregnant with Paxton, Jay asked me why we were bringing an innocent child into a world like ours.  Why would we subject this child to a world that for lack of a better expression is going to hell in a handbasket?  I could only answer that the one hope we have is to teach our children to be upstanding citizens; to be good and kind and teach them to be better than the generations before them.  Perhaps by doing this, future generations will look back at ours and ask themselves in a more positive light, "How did we get here from there?"

The Welly Walk

With the spring-like (I'm not going to say that spring has actually arrived yet.  We've been fooled before.) weather we've been having lately has come the mud and the puddles.  So I figured that Paxton needed some rubber boots to keep his little feet dry.  I bought the smallest pair I could find at Wal-Mart and they're a bit too big (which is so annoying because they're the same size as the "crocs" that I just bought him a few weeks ago.  Gah!).  But, better too big than too small I guess.

Anywho, of course I had to put them on Paxton as soon as we got home and this was the result.

He wanted to wear them all night (and again this morning).  Every time he loses one, he brings it to me so I can put it back on for him.  Oh, my goofy boy, you make me laugh!

Did you really just say that?

I have yet another confession (I know, I have a lot of them).  I totally fell off the Day One Wagon.  Not just a little, but a lot.  I'm really quite amazing at finding ways to justify things like not exercising and eating crappy (but oh so delicious) food to myself.  But I've been trying to get back on the wagon this week.  I informed Jay a week or so ago that I need to eat healthier, and that means that he will also be eating helthier.  So, when he called me this afternoon and said he was willing to barbeque hamburgers if I picked some up on my way home, I thought, "I can find a way to make this healthier."  So, I bought multi-grain buns for the burgers instead of white buns and did not buy any potato chips to go with the burgers since I knew that if I did, I would just eat them all. 

The following is the highly absurd conversation we had when I got home:

Jay: "What are these?" (as he picks up the bag of buns from the counter)
Me: "Buns"
Jay: *slightly stunned stare*
Me: "What?  They're multi-grain.  Remember how we had the 'healthy eating' conversation not that long ago?"
Jay: "All too well."
Me: "Well, these are healthier than white buns."
Jay: *"deer-in-the-headlights" impersonation*
Me: "Would you rather have white buns or skinny Alisha?"
Jay: "Honestly?  White buns."

Thanks for having my Will Power's back, Sweetie.  At least I know he loves me for who I am!

Monkey See Monkey Do

Mother Nature had yet another massive mood swing today.  It has been super sunny with a high of +5 celcius.  Yay for melting the snow from yesterday!

With this lovely sunshine came a burst of energy for me, so I decided it was time to clean the house since I've been putting it off for a while.  I absolutely loathe housework.  Just ask my Mom.  I dug out one of my bandanas from my flagging days (yes, Jackie, I used to be a flagger) to keep my stupid bangs out of my face since the headband I was trying to use was not working.  Well, apparently Paxton thought this was just the greatest fashion trend ever and kept pointing to my head and grunting.  So I grabbed another bandana from the drawer and offered it to him.  And because my son is ridiculously cute, he bowed his head and held still so I coud put the bandana on for him.

So, what we learned today is: Paxton + bandana = Biker Boy! (or Aunt Jemimah if you ask Jay)

note the motorbike shirt ... this was not planned 

He didn't keep it on for very long, but it was cute while it lasted!

Mommies

I guess I'm going for some sort of a record today with a fourth post.  I've been waiting to get my computer back for so long that I had a bunch to share.  I know it hasn't quite been a month since my last post of quotes, but I'm going to get this next batch out since Paxton's napping and it's craptastic outside and I'm putting off cleaning my house ... there's always tomorrow, right?  Without further ado, here are my favorites from March.

"A good mother is worth a hundred schoolmasters." - George Herbert (This one reminds me of the movie "Glory Road."  (If you haven't seen it, you should 'cuz it's really good.)  One of the players isn't doing too well in his college courses, so the coach calls the player's Mom to whip him into shape.  So awesome!)

"If you would reform the world from its errors and vices, begin by enlisting the mothers." - C. Simmons

"The mother is and must be - whether she knows it or not - the greatest, strongest, and most lasting teacher her children have." - Hannah Whitall Smith

"A mother once asked a clergyman when she should begin the education of her child ... "Madam," was the reply ... "From the very first smile that gleams over an infant's cheek, your opportunity begins." - Richard Whately

"The successful mother, the mother who does her part in rearing and training aright the boys and girls who are to be the men and women of the next generation, is of greater use to the community ... She is more important by far than the successful statesman or businessman or artist or scientist." - Theodore Roosevelt

"Thank You, God, for pretending not to notice that one of your angels is missing and for guiding her to me.  Sometimes I wonder what special name you had for her.  I call her "Mother." - Bernice Maddux

"A mother ... fills a place so great that there isn't an angel in heaven who wouldn't be glad to give a bushel of diamonds to come down here and take her place." - Billy Sunday

"Many a man has kept straight because his mother bent her knees." - Author Unknown

And since last month's Mom quotes were sans picture due to the uncooperativeness of my computer, I'm adding more than one this time (in no particular order).  I did steal some of these from my friends, so Friends, if you want me to remove your pictures, let me know and I will do so : )

 

Madness

I am Canadian.  I am super proud of this fact.  However, I have a confession to make.  I have a guilty pleasure which is purely American.  I love March Maddness.  I subscribe to extra sports channels for 1 month each year just so I can watch as many games as possible!  And this year, since I have my iPhone,  "there was even an app for that!"  Ya, I watched basketball on my phone.  It was pretty awesome.

For those who are unaware of what March Madness is, I will enlighten you.  It is the coming together of 64 men's college basketball teams to compete for the title of National Champion each year.  (And it's starts in March, so that's why it's "March" Madness.)  It's a "one loss and you're out" tournament which makes it a breeding ground for some of the best basketball you will ever watch.  I absolutely love it.  Most of the players are not going on to the NBA, but they play their hearts out just for the chance to have their team crowned National Champions.  It's so awesome!  So much better than watching a bunch of overpaid professionals.

Jay indulges me and lets me watch as much basketball as I want.  He gets in to it a bit now since some of the Sunny Rose guys have a March Madness pool each year (nothing bit, just $5 each).  I do up a bracket each year with them as well.  I haven't won, but I always beat Jay, so that's what really matters.  And I get to talk smack with my brother-in-law since we don't usually pick the same teams.  This year has been insane with upsets and my bracket is completely busted since 3 of the 4 teams I picked for the Final Four are out.  But I'm still going to be watching!  I love it!

Stop the Shaking!

Seriously Mother Nature, get over yourself.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like we've been living in one of these

for the last 6 months or so here in lovely Southern Alberta.  What happened to the Chinooks and wonderful snowless weeks (not days) with temperatures in the mid-teens that I remember from the winters of my youth?  This is just ridiculous!  Perhaps not as ridiculous as what we saw at Kelly's house last weekend, but ridiculous none-the-less.  (For those who are wondering what was at Kelly's house, let's just say that it's a good thing they got rid of their dog before this winter 'cuz he would be missing in all of the snow they have in their yard.)

It is April 2nd today (April Fool's Day was yesterday by the way Mamma N) and this is what I can see through my front window.

Please note that there were absolutely no snow flakes present in this same view yesterday.  No wonder I have the urge to bake cookies and listen to Christmas music!

Having lived in Southern Alberta for pretty much my entire life, I realize that we can have snow in August (yes I've seen it) and we can have +15 degree weather for Christmas, but I'm getting really tired of Mother Nature's mood swings.  Seriously woman, get some hormone therapy or something 'cuz I'm sure I speak for the vast majority of people when I say that I'm really quite over your menopausal behaviour.  We're ready for spring so STOP SHAKING THE SNOW GLOBE!!! 

So True

Paxton and I went up to Sylvan Lake with Grammie, Pa and Auntie Kizzy for Zane's Baptism last weekend.  We had a great time even though it was a whirlwind trip.  On Saturday, Mom, Kizzy and I went out to do a bit of shopping at our favorite store there: Country Lights.  It has super cute decorations (yes they're mostly "country" themed), purses, jewelry, sunglasses and more!  I could buy pretty much everything in the store ... if only I had the money.

But, I behaved myself and the only thing I bought was a magnet for my fridge.  Yes you read that correctly.  From a store that has things like this:

and this:

 and this

 and this

and the most fabulous yellow purse I've ever seen, I only bought a $3 magnet.  It's a little wooden square painted a reddish-brown color with some little stars across the bottom.  I didn't buy it because it's pretty, I bought it because of what it says: "Life can be complicated but happiness is really pretty simple."

I'm pretty sure that this magnet was made just for me.  I tend to get so caught up in my life that I sometimes forget how to be happy.  I've placed this magnet right in the center of the fridge so I will hopefully look at it every day and remember that although I have to go to work 5 days a week, and we don't have as much money as I'd like, and the weather is crappy, and I haven't done as well at the losing weight thing as I'd like and a million other things get in the way ... happiness is really pretty simple.  It's in the sound of Paxton's laughter, in every wag of Maggie's tail and Mo's wiggle bum, in the gentle hugs and kisses I get from Jay, in my parents' eyes when they see or talk about their grandkids ... it's all around me if I take the time to recognize it.  We are so very blessed and I need to be grateful for what we have instead of focusing on the things we don't.

Happiness is really pretty simple.