100th post- 100 Things about me

In honour of my 100th post I am going to share a couple of my favorite things; a hundred of them.

10 Favortie Places I've been:
West Edmonton Mall, Disneyland, Sandbanks Provinicial Park, Cold Lake Provincial Park, Salt Lake City, Montreal, Quebec City, St Louis, Kelowna and Seattle.

10 Favorite Places to Eat:
Mary Browns, Clarks, Boston Pizza, Arbys, The Olive Garden, Red Robin, The Burger Baron, Booster Juice (ok so there is nothing to eat here but I love their smoothies), Cold Stone Creamery, Pacini

10 Favorite Books I've Read:
Little Women, Jewels, No Greater Love, Couplehood, Babyhood, My Sergi, Learning to Sing, Socks for Supper, I love you through and through and Ryan's word book.

10 Favorite Movies:
Little Women, The American President, The Cutting Edge, Casablanca, Fantasia, When Harry Met Sally, Sabrina, Holiday Inn, White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life.

10 Favorite TV Shows:
Friends, NCIS, CSI, The Young and the Restless, Mythbusters, Jon and Kate plus 8, Numbers, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory and The Weekenders.

10 Favorite Days of my life:
The day I married Brad, the Christmas with the yellow bug, Ryan's birth, Adam's birth, the day I graduated highschool, the day I graduated university, the first concert I attended 2-fer, the Interlochen concert and after party, Clay Aiken meet and greet, meeting Kurt Browning.

10 favorite songs:
Tainted Love- Soft Cell
Brian Wilson- Barenaked Ladies
Yeah- Usher
Photograph- Nickleback
I'll Remember- Madonna
Water Runs Dry- Boys II Men
Take a Chance on Me- ABBA
This is the Night- Clay Aiken
A Thousand Days- Clay Aiken
Weight of the World- Clay Aiken


10 favorite meals/desserts: lasagna, spinach strawberry salad, bbq chicken, bbq ribs, turtle cheesecake, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, hot dogs, nachos with salsa, salmon

10 favorite things to do: shopping (except for groceries), Christmas decorating and baking, road trips/go on vacation, scrapbooking, taking photos, blogging, napping, playing with my boys, listening to music with Brad and playing games.

10 favorite photos:

Hallaulia! Or poor little boys.

One night does not a pattern make. And even if it is the start of something, maybe it is way too soon to talk about it and jinx it but I'm too sleep deprived to not share.

Ryan slept through the night!! In his own room!! Of course it was not in his bed but I'm not fighting that battle now. This is the first time I think since Adam was born or shortly after Adam was born anyway. It started last night at about 10:30. It was a little later than we like to put him to bed (usually about 9) but it was really warm and we had just finished putting the crib back in his room (it was downstairs in the spare room from when Darryl, Amanda and the girls were here). Ryan was completely enthralled with the crib and couldn't wait to get in it. So we put his pjs on him, put his favortie blanket and stuffed animals in with him. It lasted about 15 minutes before the water works began. I tried the big boy bed but he kept crying and saying "bedroom". So I put a blanket on the floor and his pillow and his stuffies. I put it near his new fish night light. Instead of closing his door like I usually do, I left it open and put a fan in front of his door to direct some cooler air into his room. And now it is 9:38 am and he is still there!

BUT it may also have to do with the fact that he is under the weather. It has been super warm here and my boys are sick. Yes both of them. Anyhow back to Ryan for a moment. I can tell he is under the weather because you can hear the stuffiness in his voice when he speaks and in his breathing as he sleeps. He is sleeping a little longer and is a little feverish. The last has been hard to tell since it is so warm you just wonder if his dampness is because of the weather but he seems to get more wet just resting or sleeping and we've been trying to keep our playing a little low key in this heat.

And Adam...poor little not quite 4 month old Adam. The past few days he hasn't been sleeping well at all. He has been nursing lots (ok so it's been hot, and that would help keep him cool and dehydrated) but he has also been spitting up lots which is very unusual for him. He has been generally pretty unhappy and chewing on his hands. I was thinking maybe it was the first signs of teething. Or an upset tummy since he seems a little gasier and unsettled than normal. But with this heat he has been running both hot and cold. So perhaps a little bit of a fever there. Despite the warm weather, Adam only sleeps well when bundled and warm. But that makes him damp and he will get cool and clamy from the fans/air conditioner upstairs.

Yesterday evening I was able to get him to take a nice long nap in the swing. I took him out of the swing at bed time and nursed him and got him ready for bed. He didn't immeiately go back to sleep and Brad and I layed in bed playing with him. He seemed a little stuffed up in his nose and when he was flat on his back for any amount of time he would start to cough like he couldn't breathe. At about 1am I was able to get him back to sleep but only by swaddling and rocking him and keeping him upright. When he woke up at 6 again to nurse he seemed worse. We aspirated his nose and lots of mucus came out. Poor little man! Then I changed his diaper and peed all over me and the bed. Which made us get out of bed at 6 this morning so we could wash the sheets. And is why I am feeling so sleep deprived (as I am sure Brad is as well at work).

I was able to get Adam back to sleep in the swing this morning but it is a fitful sleep as he wakes up coughing every once in a while and you can hear the congestion in his breathing. The weather has turned cooler today, so I think I will be dressing both in some warmer clothes. Ryan will get lots of fluids and hopefully a nice long nap. And if he wants to sleep on the floor, that is just fine with me.

Menu Plan Monday

For more information about Meal Plan Mondays or to see what others are eating this week, head over to I'm an Orgainzing Junkie.

So what's the plan for this week? Last week we were in the middle of the lazy days of summer...ha ha ha! Actually it was a pretty busy week with a little bit of chaos thrown in for good measure. We didn't do too bad for sticking to eating what we had at hand at home when we were home. Tomorrow is 10% Tuesday and my fridge and pantry show it. So I might end up changing my menu based on what I find at the grocery store.

Monday- grilled steak with mashed potatos and raw veggies and dip

Tuesday- taco salad

Wednesday-chicken wings with rice and green beans

Thurday- bbq chicken breast with garden salad

Friday- leftover love

Saturday- BBQing steak/chicken and don't know what to go with it yet

Sunday-bbq burgers with chips and raw veggies

You know you're a mom when...

...you go from driving this

to this



It's not that I haven't felt like a mother before. I mean I do have a a 2 year old and now a 3 month old but I finally gave up my young fun car for something much better suited to the rest of my family.

My little yellow bug was a a wonderful Christmas gift back in 02. It was 2 years old then and in the last 5+ years I have loved my bug. Being short as I am, it wasn't a problem getting my first infant and then growing into toddler son in and out of his car seat even though it was only a 2 door car. I was even able to make the stroller that fit with his car seat fit in the back seat of the car as well until I added a 2nd car seat back there so I could also take the little boy I began babysitting 4 days a week last summer. But by then Ryan could easily use an umbrella stoller which fit in the trunk and was already walking.

With two car seats being able to fit side by side in the back of the bug, I didn't really see the need to give up the bug when Adam came along. Except that my double stroller had no hope of fitting. After my second c-section, we decided that it would be easier for me at first to travel with the boys using Brad's car since it has 4 doors and fits the double stroller. I always figured before too long, he would beg for his car back and I would take the bug back.

Then we started kind of used car shopping. Mostly we were looking for a 4 door vehicle that would fit the double stroller and that I would be able to drive. For vertically challenged me, that means being able to move the driver seat close enough that I can reach the pedels but not so close that I am right on top of the wheel. It also means being able to adjust the seat so I can see over the dash and see the front end of the car. It's not always been so easy an task. We also decided that if the right car came along and I was not able to drive it but Brad was and he liked it, then he would take the used car and I would continue to drive his HHR.

Long story short....
we found this used, fully loaded 2003 kia sedona van. Being fully loaded, it has 8 way power front seats (in addition to lots of other features) and it fits the double stroller without having to take the rear seats out. So I am able to adjust the driver seat just the right way to be able to drive it. Now I just have to learn how to drive something so big and adjust to driving an automatic after 10 years of driving a stick shift. But I have to say... I LOVE MY VAN!!!



Picking it up yesterday was almost as much fun as when I got my bug. Almost. Not quite so exciting or surprising. But as enjoyable. So instead of driving a fun little car, I am now proud to be cruising in practicallity.