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.