KAMI'S KHLOPCHYK

I'm Back

2009-07-17T15:45:00.005-06:00

You know, sometimes you just have to let it all out and then once you do, you feel 99% better. That was the case with my last post. I no sooner posted it and the hormones balanced out and I was me again. Thank you for listening and for leaving me so much comment love. I don't have to tell my fellow bloggers how much comments mean to me, but thank you times 1,000. Coming home to them was just lovely. As was sleeping in my own bed. Am I the only one who loves my bed as much as my husband and kids? Okay maybe not as much but the bed is a close second. Just saying.

We just got back from a few days at the lake with my in-laws. The weather was terrible off and on but thankfully we had some decent semi-decent weather. Note to the weather gods: It's JULY. Not late October. JULY. Temperatures barely above freezing? NOT OKAY.

We also were blessed with scenery like this. And how I wish I could adequately capture it's beauty because, trust me, this picture doesn't do it justice. It was breath taking.

And jogging down a road like this is such a treat. Although I dragged my feet in the gravel a bit more than usual, you know, on account of wanting to scare away the bears. I am bearaphobic (trust me, it's a word, just like beeaphobic is, which incidentally I also am). I love bears. They are gorgeous majestic animals that I need only ever see on TV or from a moving vehicle, thankyouverymuch. And no, tenting is NOT an option. EVER. I need walls between me and the bears.

The one above was taken the day we were leaving. Notice the bright, warm sunshine (sorry about the glare). This is Murphy's Law #8000 - the day you are leaving the lake, the weather will turn gorgeous, perfect for basking on the beach and stay that way for several days after. While you are there, however, there will be cold northern winds blowing. Seriously, one day it was likely warmer at the north pole.

Remind me why I live here again?

Yeah, I don't remember either. The scenery is nice and all but doesn't nearly come close to making up for freezing my @ss off in July. Nuh uh.

This is a field of canola - we live in the middle of grain farming central - it's quite pretty to see fields of yellow as far as the eye can see - from the vehicle anyway, can you imagine the bees in there? *shudders*

We are home, we had fun as did the kids playing with their cousins, and life is back to normal. Best part of all, I get to sleep in my own bed.

Peaks and Valleys

2009-07-10T14:01:00.005-06:00

I do this all the time. One minute I am ranting on about rainbows and unicorns coming out of my butt and then it gets awful quiet. You know what's coming right?

Not so much with the rainbows and unicorns, that's what. I have been grumpy, moody, tired and suffering from numerous headaches. And I know what it is. It's what it always is. My hormones. AGAIN. They are the bane of my existence. They are either right where they need to be and I feel great (see above re: rainbows and unicorns) or as of late, they are not right where they need to be. I just wish I knew where they needed to be and even better, how to not only get them there, but keep them there.

And going to the doctor? Well here's how I feel about that.

The problems I have are not big, they are not life threatening but annoying, oh hell to the yes. Like the fact that this entire week I have felt like a truck has run over me for example, not endearing, folks, no endearing. I mean 10 hours of sleep should be more than enough, shouldn't it?

I also have no energy. I try to work out but I just don't have it in me. It's more than just not wanting to do it. It's not being able to do it with my normal intensity.

Top all this off with the fact that it's summer and we are in pants and long sleeves for the umpteenth day in a row and this girl is crusty.

Crusty enough to treat myself to both popcorn and ice cream last night. That's right, something I haven't done in ages because in the last few months I have discovered that the less of that kind of thing I eat, the better I feel and the more energy I have.

So this week, despite all my healthy eating, I have felt like the dog poop stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe. So why shouldn't I eat some crap, I mean, I couldn't possibly feel worse at this point, could I?

Wait, don't answer that. Here's the thing. I know what is causing the issue. I know why I am grumpy. I know it will pass. But in the throes of it, I forget and I see that fine line between sane and not so sane. And sometimes I feel like I am getting a little too close for comfort to that line.

It gives me a much profounder and deeper understanding of mental illness.

While I ponder this line, I will ride out this valley and look forward to the next peak until I do it all over again. Or commit myself, whichever comes first.

Where we were at

2009-07-07T14:03:00.001-06:00

Last week we took a little sojourn to Winnipeg, Manitoba. It's a lovely city to the west of us. And apparently us Saskatonians are supposed to loathe those from Manitoba and vice versa. Bah is what I say to that, can't we all just appreciate the differences (and frankly there aren't many) between our fair provinces?

Anywho, if you were wondering why I was awol, that's were we be. Exciting stuff, I know. But it actually was, you see because we didn't just go for fun, we also went to visit. We started off by meeting one of my (many) aunts and two of my cousins that reside in the great city of Winnipeg. Cousins that are my mother's (ish) age and that despite the 35 years of opportunity, we had never met. My mother is the youngest of somewhere in the range of 18 kids (ish). I might be able to name them all...Should I try? How's the for exciting blog fodder?

Here goes....

Nellie
Stan (both from Grandpa's first wife)

The remainder from my Grandma (*no longer with us):

Vicki*
Bernice
Anne*
Fran
Sophie
Julie
Margaret*
Mary
Rose
Benny
John
Pete*
Albin
Jenny
A girl who died ~age 4, her name escapes me

and my mom, the baby of the family, Gloria

Whew, anyone else tired? And yes they were Catholic, why do you ask?

We also fit in some fun, well for the boys anyway. On Sat and Sun, I was marking exams for the organization that I work with. The hotel I was working in and where we stayed had this fantastic play structure. It was well used. Ahoy Mateys!

Oh yeah, we also got put into jail. Well not really, this was in the recreation of a late 1600's harbour town at the Manitoba Museum.

It was the science gallery that was a big hit with our crowd though. Um, yeah, even me, the biggest kid of them all. What am I doing you might be wondering... This is a NASA training module that is supposed to simulate the no gravity atmosphere inside the space shuttle. Folks, there is a reason I am an accountant not an astronaut.

My little man and his alien. Aren't they cute?

The pins, always a hit, as is my nuclear powered flash. Really someday I ought to cough up the dough for a decent one.

A real piece of meteor. Jack was pretty stoked about touching it, being Mr. Space and all.

And a tornado, although without the trailer park demolition, it just wasn't the same, you know?

We also hit Tinkertown with my good friend, Cheryl and her little man, Cole.

The boys had fun while us gals visited. Cheryl and I had also planned a day of shopping, coffee, dinner out and lots and lots of girl time but unfortunately she came down with a nasty virus. Oh and did I mention she is also 19 weeks (ish) away from delivering twins? So yeah, when the girl get sick, she needs to rest and not feel bad about cancelling on our girl time! I know where you live girl, I'll be back. By some feat (she's amazing) she made it to work Sat and Sun so I got to hang with her in between marking exams like madwomen. It's all good.

And can someone tell me what Spiderman has done with my son?

Wits and Whats*

2009-06-27T16:06:00.004-06:00

This week we had a Star Wars party for Kamden. I have to give a shout out to Amy at Muddy Boots for the idea to make light sabres out of pool noodles. It was gold.

As you can see they were a hit. Also? The roof of our deck is made of green plastic (yes, it's as ugly as it sounds). Here is where using manual settings, for me, who is an camera idiot, is not a good idea. I am making a mental note.

Kamiken Skywalker is becoming one with the force.

I highly recommend these for b-day parties. The kids played with them for a long time. This means there was no need for pin the arm back on Darth Vader or musical gunships, not that there is anything wrong with these (I'm lazy).

I will give credit to Amy for the light sabre idea, however, I will not saddle her with any responsibility for this debacle:

Yeah, so not my best work. AT ALL. (see my better work) But Kamden liked it so really what else matters?

In other news, I had the pleasure of lunching, in real life, with Jen the other day. Jen has joined a relay team we have put together for a September marathon. To put it simply, she is lovely. I do hope to get the chance to to visit with her again and maybe next time I won't grill her with 1,001 questions! Sorry Jen, I do that a) when I am nervous and b) when I am genuinely interested. I do realize that I also come across as crazy. Unfortunately it's only after the fact that this realization comes to me. I am slow like that.

And are you wondering how the first few days of summer vacation are going? I have a post up at Canada Moms Blog that will tell you exactly how flip flapping craptapulous it's been thus far. Send vodka.

Lastly, if you can guess what the cake is supposed to be, you get my undying love. Seriously. M'Wah!

*don't ask. I. have. no. idea.

Two Wheelin'

2009-06-23T22:16:00.003-06:00

Independence

Pride

Joy

Summer

Two wheeling

A Canadian rite of passage

A Penny for my Thoughts

2009-06-19T13:45:00.003-06:00

Things that are making my heart sing of late:

- Waking up to the cool, fresh summer breeze drifting in through the open window

- taking my eight year old son into my lap to comfort him while he's sick, I can't help but wonder how much longer I will have the privilege

- the flowers blooming in the yard, there is nothing more soothing to than flowers I planted and nurtured myself

- waking inexplicably in the night, sensing the need to check on my almost five year old's fever, pulling him into my arms and feeling the searing heat coming from his body, knowing I can make it all okay

- crawling back into bed on the fourth day Jack is home sick with the flu, knowing that my boys will safely amuse themselves while I rest in the hopes that the migraine that is just below the surface will retreat

- the pride at how Jack is handling the fact that he has missed play day, ice cream day, a trip to the pool and bowling/pizza/movie day with his class because he is sick

- spending an hour with a good cup of coffee, a good book and a comfy chair on our screened in (NO BUGS!) deck

- disovering not one but two methods by which I can create keepsakes of my photos and blog posts, thanks ladies! Shutterfly which allows you to copy in your photos and the text if you wish to creat a beautiful bound book or Blog2Print which does all the work for you and compiles the posts (by the dates of your choice) into a bound book or a downlowdable electronic version

May you all take the time to enjoy the simple things this weekend and enjoy time with your favourite Daddy (yours or your kids or better yet, both) this weekend.

And what is making your heart sing this fine summer (or winter if you're Southern hemisphere) day?

Help! what do I do?

2009-06-17T13:24:00.002-06:00

I just sat down to do something that I have put off for a long, long, long time. I was going to print out all the posts about each of my sons to put into a binder as a keepsake.

As I scrolled, and scrolled and scrolled some more, I realized, holy cow it will kill a forest.

Here's where you come in. What do you do about saving your posts as keepsakes? Are you keeping something tangible for your kids?

And while we are at it, what about your digital photos? Do you print them off regularly?

I used to but then the sheer volume was getting ridiculous to store so I stopped about 2 years ago. The thought of going back and sorting through them is about as appealing as sticking a fork in my eye repeatedly. But will I be able to access them in say, 20 years with the rate that technology is changing?

Any and all thoughts on either of these topics is welcome and encouraged!

Preschool, it's all over but the crying

2009-06-15T09:30:00.002-06:00

Kamden fiercely graduated preschool last week. And on the same day, attended his Kindergarten open house. Mommy needed copious amounts of vodka (1 oz) to cope.

Too Much Stuff Syndrome

2009-06-12T14:59:00.003-06:00

Today, over at Canada Moms Blog I am pondering a new philosophy. I am continuing (click here for CMB post) my thoughts about the consequences of the idea that more stuff equals happiness. I also talk about vodka (shocking, I know). Hmm, got you thinking didn't I?

Take a look at this picture and tell me, if this was in your house, how happy would you be?

This is the result of having too much stuff. Yes, I could purge it into the garbage but that's the easy way out. I think you know me too well by now to know that I don't take the easy way on things like this. Instead, this all needs to be reused where possible or given to someone/someplace to be reused or recyled. That takes work. I am human, I don't particulary jump up and down with excitement at the prospect.

And this is just the stuff that we are deeming no longer necessary (except my excercise ball, that is staying). In the storage space, closets and drawers is a whole lot of other stuff. It makes me dizzy just thinking about it.

The new philosophy, should be, buy LESS stuff. Because if I can avoid the need to sort, haul and disperse my crap for others to resuse, won't I be a little bit happier?

I would like to think so.

Don't get me wrong, I think giving to those less fortunate is essential however, does someone less fortunate than a cheap radio that lasted 1 year and no longer works. Probably not. Maybe it not just about not buying stuff but also if you do need to buy something, let it be something that isn't totally useless in 5.2 months. Have you driven by your local landfill lately? Personally, the mountain of trash I see when I do is morbidly depressing.

But then again I do hit the vodka every now and then (and by "hit" I mean I have one drink and I am dancing on the table with a lampshade). So tell me, what do you think? Not of me (that would be opening a whole can of worms - I don't have thick enough skin) but of this whole idea.

Let's get talking about this!

500th in 500 or 52, whatever

2009-06-10T22:15:00.005-06:00

So here it is, the big 500th post. I started this thing way back in March 2006, over three years ago. I am amazed at where it's gone. It's been great. It's been weird. Not everyone gets it. But it is what it is. Me, spewing my thoughts and opinions here on this little corner of the internet. To all of you who read this, whether you comment or not, I loves ya!

To commerate this grand(ish) occasion, I am going to write about words. In 500 words or less. (Yeah, so I couldn't come up with any spectacular way to celebrate, no need to rub it in)

Words. They can lift us up till our hearts soar. They can sucker punch us right in the gut and cause no end of hurt. The power they hold is astounding. It’s frightening really. With a few letters, you can either make someone’s day or you can make someone’s day complete crapola.

**********************************************************************************

Um, yeah. That was 52 words.

Turns out I wasn't inspired.

Sue me! Or pat me on the back 'cause this is a short post and you can read it 5.2 seconds. I am nice like that.

Happy 500th post to me!

Jack, eight is enough

2009-06-08T04:25:00.002-06:00

Today, my Jack turned eight. To say where did the last eight years go is cliché but also very true. I am amazed at the transformation this little person has undergone before our eyes. He went from eating, sleeping and you know, I don’t need to say it, to this person we get to share our lives with. His maturity has grown leaps and bounds in the last couple of years. Gone are the tantrums he used to be prone to when his routine was upset. In their place is the ability to deal with these even though it still upsets him.

This year, for the boys’ birthdays we decided, after I read this post by by Zoe’s Dad’s Wife(Confused yet? Good, that’s how I like it.) about their birthday tradition with their kids, that we would do the same. Instead of buying them more toys, that which they really do not need, nor overly desire, we would spend an entire day with each of them, just Mommy and Daddy, doing whatever they wanted, within reason of course. Naturally we asked them first, to see if they would be okay with it. When we asked Jack we had to pick his jaw up off the floor. At first I thought, oh no, he is NOT okay with this….then he smiled the biggest smile I have ever seen him smile. He was more than okay with it, he was over the moon.

That day was this Saturday. Unfortunately, plans for Kamden fell through, his buddy, whom he was going to spend the day with, was sick. Jack was understandably a little upset at first. I explained that we could still have our day but that Kamden would have to tag along. He didn’t like that at first but after a few minutes he came to me quietly and said, “Mommy, Kamden should come with us today.”

Well if my heart didn’t swell.

To say it was a great day would be an understatement. Family days are always great. Jack chose to go to Pizza Hut for lunch and then swimming. Before we left I told him I would make him whatever he wanted for supper. He chose spaghetti and meatballs (easy peasy!).

We spent the morning with Hot Wheels Racetrack Central (see what I mean about not needing more toys, trust me, he ain’t deprived in the least), then headed off lunch and swimming. He had fun, we all did. Upon arriving home, he was pooped out from all the activity. I made supper while the boys hit the couch with Daddy and the pile of library books we also picked up while we were out. When supper was ready, Jack was first into the kitchen and was flabbergasted.

“Mommy, THANK you. This is the best.”

Do you know what it was that got this super reaction? It wasn’t the fact that he got to pick whatever he wanted to do. It wasn’t the pizza out for lunch. It wasn’t the swimming. It certainly wasn’t the unplanned trip to the library to kill time before the pool opened.

No.

It was the candles and wine glasses that I set out for dinner.

It’s the simple things, our time and a little extra touch just to let him know how special he really is.

I think maybe this boy of mine is teaching me more than I could ever teach him and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Happy 8th Birthday my sweet Jack!

Bestest Buddies

2009-06-04T20:42:00.003-06:00

*my too much stuff rant is on hold, dead camera battery aborted scheduled post (does it count if it was mentally scheduled? Stay tuned*

This boy of mine, the one full of P&V, if you know what I mean....

He has a best friend. A buddy that he has literally grown up. They have had their diapers changed side by side. They have learned to walk and talk together (maybe not at the same time though, right Candace?). They have spent that last two years in preschool together and at least on other day a week playing together at the other's house.

Their interests are almost identical, currently, all things superhero.

Together, they have nothing but fun. Not once while playing will they ever come to complain that there is nothing to do. To ask for a snack, well...., that's another story.

Together, they can be silly, goofy and just plain boys.

Next year, they will each go to different schools for Kindergarten but if their mommies have anything to do with it, their friendship will last forever.

Marketing Smarketing

2009-06-02T22:55:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I wish television didn’t have commercials. Lately I have been finding some of them insulting to my intelligence. Is it just me?

There is a particular grocery store commercial on one of the US channels that claims you will be happier if you shop at their store.

REALLY?

What do I look like? A complete moron?

My happiness is not directly tied to where I grocery shop and it behooves me that someone felt the need to insinuate that it does.

If we had that store here in Canada, I would refuse to shop there based solely on that line of reasoning.

I also want to make mention of everyone’s favourite, love them or hate them, they have taken over North America. That’s right, Wal-Mart. Their commercials lately have been a huge insult to my intelligence too (I am so evolved you know – HA!). Their mantra lately is “Save Money. Live better.”

That in itself is fine but it’s what’s behind it that irks me. What it means, in general, is that in order to live better and be happy, I better buy more. And I am pretty sure that when they say save they don’t mean for me to keep the money, oh no, what they mean is that I can buy more for the same amount of money. And of course I will be much happier because I bought more stuff.

Actually I think what they mean is that they will be happier because they will have more money but that’s a whole other post. I don’t tend to shop at Wal-Mart and these commercials are not whooing me.

You see, I have strong opinions about this sort of thing. Things do not make us happy. In fact, I could argue with you that more things, do the exact opposite. They are a detriment to our happiness.

Don't believe me? Stay tuned, I will prove it or that I am completely nuts either way, I win. (Wha?)

We were on a BREAK!

2009-05-31T20:24:00.004-06:00

This weekend, I broke up with my computer, temporarily. It was like the scene with Ross and Rachel, you know the one, where she said maybe they should take a break and Ross thought she meant go for ice cream. My computer thought I was just going for ice cream but I meant see you in 48 hours, hosta la vista baby.

I have been finding that I come down (my office is in the basement) to check my email "quickly" and before I know the black hole vortex that is Twitter/Facebook/Google Reader has sucked me in for far longer than I care to admit. So this weekend, because I knew I had zero work commitments (and I don't want to even consider how long it's been since I could say that), I opted to not even hit the power button on the old laptop all. weekend. long.

The weather here was gorgeous. I know some of you might not even believe me, what with all my ranting about winter and all, but summer actually does come to this place which I not so affectionately refer to as the Arctic.

These buggers where attempting a coup on our lawn:

Dandelioness craptolus. My dandelion digger was working overtime in between running through the sprinkler with the kids and other yard work. Can I just stop to say that my husband is the greatest? Well I am gonna. The yard is looking smashing thanks to a little elbow grease on both our parts (okay, okay, so he did the hard stuff, he's got the advantage of testosterone, what can I say?)

I happy to say that there now is substantially less yellow and a whole lot more green in the lawn now. I loathe dandelions with all that I am.

The time away from the internet left me time to ponder. To reflect. To wonder.

I am a million contradictions all rolled into one.

I am simple.

I am also complicated.

I am judgmental.

I am open minded.

I hold grudges when I feel wronged (also, I suck).

I am fiercely loyal.

I also push away to guard my heart.

Over a year ago, I dropped out of splurge group that I had been part of for three years. I dropped out for many reasons but one was the fact that I had a pretty active social life. The group had morphed and changed such that the people that were close friends, I spent time with already, outside of the group. The others were lovely people, but I barely had time for those that were dear to me and for other reasons that involved guarding my already tarnished heart, I opted out of the group.

Fast forward to now and it seems, like Murphy always dictates, my social life has slowed to an (almost) dead standstill.

As I am want to do, I wonder what I have done to push people away. There have been times when I stopped calling/emailing and low and behold that person dropped out of my life. I won't lie, that hurts. I guess there is a reason but eventually I wonder how I can stop offending people or whatever it is that pushes them away so that this doesn't happen.

Then I say, screw it, I am who I am, I am not becoming someone else just to keep friends.

But then I go back to the fact that I am a work in progress, and that I know better than anyone that there is always room for improvement.

The problem is, what do I improve?

So here I am. Stuck in the middle of that dilemma. Yes, it is close to that time of the month, why do you ask?

All the while knowing that those worth keeping as friends will stick around and those not worth it will drop out of my life. I just hope there are a couple left at the end of the day, you know?

I think part of the reason for the break from the internet is the realization that this on-line community that I have the privilege of being part of is fabulous, but it is does not, in any way, replace the need for real live friendships.

But it sure is a great place to lay it all out on the line to clear your head. Thanks for listening and don't hate me for hitting mark all as read in my reader. I still loves you, I just need to maintain the fragment of sanity that is left.

3k, Our way

2009-05-24T10:55:00.003-06:00

This morning we got all suited up with our numbers. We were ready. We had trained.

Cutest racers. EVER.

Ready and raring to go. 10 minutes till race time.

Half way and still smiling.

The homestretch. I made them run across the finish line. I am mean like that.

We're done!

The boys did fantastic. They had fun training for our 3 km walk and we really enjoyed the "race". And then for some classic irony we enjoyed hot dogs and hamburgers after. At 9:45 am.

Next year, 5 km!

How to become a tree hugger, like me

2009-05-21T20:49:00.003-06:00

I have to say following up the last post was, well hard. But after thinking about it for a week, I have decided that I am going to share with you all how I have become a tree hugger. Or as my friend likes to call me, a crunchy granola.

Since some of you may be beginners at this, I decided to start small. You know, as if you were, say, one of my kids.

This is how we teach our kids to be tree huggers. After all, kids learn by doing.

First step. Find a tree. Second step. Hug it.

The first couple of times it might feel weird, I know. The bark is not exactly soft and cuddly but I assure you, if you try it a few times, you will get used to it.

Ps. Any donations for my therapy are welcome.

The Present

2009-05-14T10:54:00.007-06:00

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift - that is why we call it the present."

- author unknown

Do you ever sit there and ponder the events that led you right here to the place you are in right now? And how amazing it is that all the stars, planets and comets aligned to put you right where you are?

It must be the fact that I hit two milestones last week, turning 35 and celebrating my 10th wedding anniversary, that has me pondering this.

Who knew that this shy little girl

and this handsome boy
were meant to be together?

Who knew that the paths their parents chose, would lead the two of them together in July 1993? (And by paths I mean, moving, a lot)

Who knew that each move their families made, would lead them closer to that one pivotal moment when they would first lay eyes on each other? (Or in Jay's case, his arm)

You can call it fate, God's divine intervention or coincidence. Any way you look at it, it takes my breath away.

I knew almost immediately that this guy was the one for me. The one for all time. The one I could be me with, who didn't need me to be anything other than who I was. He was more than I ever dreamed of (minus some fashion sense, but that's what I was for).

Together we have built a life. A wonderful life that includes careers, a home but most of all, more love and support than I could ever imagined. From only our love, we built this.

It's been a ride. A ride that I would take again in a heartbeat. Because the ride ends right here, right now. And this place that we are in. It's pretty great.

We took a trip to Banff in the Fall of 2000. It was a trip that would change our lives. Once again, the stars aligned to put us right where we needed to be. Our Jack was conceived on that trip. We didn't plan that. It just happened.

Because it was the path we were supposed to go down at that moment. If we hadn't headed down that path, life could be very, very different.

There's a baby in there!

We were young at the time, younger than a lot of people are when they decide to start a family. But it was the right thing for us. For me.

Because if we had waited, things would not be as they are now. I found out a couple of weeks ago, from a specialist, that I am not menopausal. But rather have premature ovarian failure. Essentially it means that my body is attacking my ovaries causing them to stop functioning. At this point, even if I wanted to go through IVF, it would be futile. My ovaries don't work.

Talk about putting life into perspective. This news literally brought me to my knees. I spent a lot of time pining for a third child.

My husband, this man that I believe was made just for me, saved me the heartache of knowing that my body had failed me.

Never look for what you don't have. Instead, acknowledge the miracles that occurred to give you what you do have.

Today is indeed a gift.

A weekend of celebration

2009-05-11T13:37:00.003-06:00

These last few days were busy in our house. Thursday was my 35 (*cough, cough*) birthday. And to celebrate I was in a picture from the half marathon that ran in the the Community Seniors section of the Sunday Sun (local Sunday newspaper). Apparently some 70 year old lady was also running the half marathon and finished a mere 2 min behind me. How awesome am I? More importantly, how amazing is she?

Friday was our 10th wedding anniversary and Jay took the day off so we could go get him some much needed new clothes. He has lost weight in the last few months. After finding out his cholesterol was slightly elevated he has taken to eating much healthier and exercising. And his cholesterol is down not to mention his pants size. I couldn't be prouder.

And then it was Mother's day. Jack had to give me the gift he made at school when he got home on Friday because he was just so excited. I love me some homemade presents from my kids.

It was a great weekend. Birthdays are just so much more fun when you get to celebrate with these guys!

Back to regularly scheduled programming - whatever that is!

Hanging around

2009-05-04T13:12:00.003-06:00

This week we finally, after years of talking about it, put up a clothesline. We were not sure where to put it in the yard so that it didn't block the entire yard off hence the eight year decision period.

Finally, we realized that the best place wasn't in the yard at all but instead in our screened in deck. During the cold part of the year we cover the screens so in the early spring and late fall it gets smokin' hot in there thereby extending the use of the line. Because during that season that begins with W that is considered a four letter word in our house, we won't be using it. Unless we want our clothes to shatter into a billion pieces. Wait, I see the way to a whole new wardrobe....

This weekend was beautiful. Inside the deck it was lovely. I do believe the clothes took less than 2 hours to dry. And I felt a bit pioneer woman like hanging them out to dry. Trust me, I didn't look like one in my yoga pants and hoodie.

And you know what? It wasn't as much work or as inconvenient as I thought it would be. Sure I have to plan ahead because I can only fit one or two loads out there at time. But in the grand scheme of things, that is no big deal. And I have always ranted and raved to my mom (she's nodding vigourously right now) about the smell of clothes dried outside. They smell dirtly to me. Like I do when I come in all sweaty and in need of a shower. Now don't you all run out out an set up clothes lines at once based on that comment.

But I didn't notice the smell. Maybe there is no sweat in the deck? Or the wind with all the sweat in it didn't get at the clothes. Okay, okay, I'll stop now.

One more step towards lessening our impact. Next up is composting. To get worms or not to get worms, that is the question. Better yet, why does our city not have a composting program set up? WHY?

As an added bonus I got to play with my camera because what better subject is there than socks, underwear and swimming trunks? You all are welcome!

Potato Wars

2009-05-01T20:57:00.005-06:00

Behold, Darth Tater.

He's recently been left slightly defenseless with the demise of his light saber however, he is still powerful with his mastery of the dark side of the potato field.

So much so that he is still pursuing the mandate set by his master, The Evil Emperor, to bring Luke Spudwalker over to the dark side. So far no dice, Pan Fry Solo and Princess Lays will have none of it.

Can you tell we've been watching the Star Wars movies? We have made it through the first five episodes and the kids are loving the movies. But I am questioning what possessed me to let my almost eight and five year olds watch them.

I have a post up at Canada Moms Blog about this.

Do you censor what your kids watch? Do you stick solely with Disney? Do your boys have an innate love of all things super hero?

Where do you draw the line? And if you do, is it to prevent nightmares or to keep them away from unnecessary violence?

So many questions, let's get talking!

The Finish Line

2009-04-26T19:55:00.010-06:00

I'll start off by telling you, if you haven't already seen my Twitter and Facebook updates, that I finished. All 13 miles or 21.1km of it.

Whew.

Now, because I am real or a pessimist, whatever, I must tell you the truth. It hurt. There was a wall. I hit it wall with all the power of hurricane force winds (I may still have bruises). I'll get to that though.

Things started off great, Oh Canada was sung and off we went. Me and about 500 of my closest friends and by close I am talking proximity, not relationship. Jay caught me just a few hundred feet into the race:

I am in the blue shirt on the left.

Then I went by my parents, the boys and Jay (he's fast, wait a minute, maybe he should have been racing) as we headed out onto the first loop.

Pacing yourself is hard especially when it seems like that means everyone is passing you. I know the biggest mistake you can make in a race is to start out too fast resulting in a crash and burn before the finish line. But by about the 2km mark I felt like I was running my pace. I was comfortable, not quite in my groove but just above it. It is a race after all. A race against myself primarily but a race none the less.

I did the 7 km of the first loop and as I started the second there was my family, smiling and waving. What a boost that was! On the second loop I was feeling good. I even grabbed a Gatorade to wet my mouth and kept on trucking. As I came around to do the third, and final loop, I couldn't see my family. Thinking they had missed me I kept trudging but willing them to be further along. I needed a boost to finish.

As I passed the crowd I saw the van. There they were. Whew! The boys came running up. I was good to go! Only about 6.5km to go. Can you tell? Little did I know this feeling would not last.

I lasted with this feeling about 20 more minutes but as I hit the final 5km I accidentally walked 2 min earlier than I was supposed to (I was running 10 minutes walking 1 the whole race). I wasn't tired, I just forgot the time I was supposed to walk. Oops I said to myself, whatever, walk, rest and keep going.

I don't think I lasted through the next 10 minute interval. I couldn't do it. By this point my legs were tired. So tired. I was willing them to keep going. Digging my nails into my hands just to forget about the pain in my legs. At that point I realized I had to listen to my body. I have run through pain before when my knee was bugging me, this was different. This was exhaustion kicking in. But I was finishing if I had to cross the finish line on my knees (and it was starting to feel like that was a distinct possibility).

The last 2km were by far the hardest. That is where I smacked into that wall. Hard. I could see it coming. I tried to avoid it. But the truth was that I couldn't. What I had to do is plow through it. Though I bounced off it a couple times first, I can assure you.

The last 2 km I walked when I absolutely could run no more. No more timing. I ran when I felt I could and walked when I had to. I just did what I could. I tried to run the last full km but ended up walking once. Thank goodness for the last water handers (amazingly encouraging people all the way along! Love them!) on the final corner. They got me to the finish line. That and seeing my family just feet from the finish line.

I am smiling. I made it. Steps to the finish line. I can see the time on the clock. 2 hours 22 min and some seconds. My goal, based on my training times was to be under 2 hours 30 min. I met it and then some! I did it! As I left the finish area there was my good friend, Cathy to greet me. A friendly smiling face, what more could I ask for?

2 hours, 22 minute and 9 seconds was my official time. See that black band on my left ankle. That's my timing chip. This is how they accurately time each individual when there are 500 people running. It activates as you cross the start line and then deactivates when you cross the finish. This was the first time I have run in any race, boy do I know how to start out with a bang eh?

They do stats for overall race results and by age category, posted on the internet. Those were slightly depressing for me so I am going to forget about them.

I did it! I ran 13 miles and didn't collapse. I didn't quit. I did as much as my body was able. What an accomplishment to make just 11 days before I turn 35 years old.

And with these two handsome gents waiting for me at the finish (doesn't Kamden look thrilled...about the picture hopefully, not the fact that his mommy finished) how could I not finish?

Kamden said to me as we were getting home, "Mommy, you did awesome." Well if my heart just didn't melt right then and there.

And my handsome Jay was waiting for me at the finish holding these! Can I get an AWWWWWWWW?

Thank you Mom and Dad for making the trip out to cheer me on, it meant more than you will ever know. To Jay, for supporting me through this entire process, you are the absolute best.

And thank you all for your support as I have chronicled this journey here. The comments here and encouragement from my friends and family made a huge difference. Your words kept me going when my body really wanted to quit.

My pain is temporary. I will recover (I hope!). Because this race was not a fundraiser where I solicited donations for a good cause, I am going to make a personal $100 dollar donation to our local Mother Baby Unit in honour of Misty and her precious Issac.

I figure it is the least I can do.

This is it!

2009-04-24T14:47:00.004-06:00

THANK YOU! The comment record went down, thank you for indulging me! Now? On to bigger and more important things than my blogging ego.

This Sunday.

Me
My iPod
My running shoes
And 13 miles

This one is for you, Misty and your beautiful family. May there be a finish line to your grieving process and a new kind of normal for you all.

What do you call 'em?

2009-04-20T14:16:00.001-06:00

I have noticed lately that the stats on my site are up as are the number of subscribers, as in they recently doubled. Huh? Cool. But, um, comments not so much.

I think maybe I haven't been writing about topics that are getting people talking. It's either that or you don't really like me anymore. I am an optimist, I am hoping it's the former, not the latter. So today, I am going to get you talking. That's right folks. Get your fingers ready, you are going to want to weigh in on this very important issue.

I have been doing this blogging thing for more three years, I totally flaked and missed my blogaversary, it was in March. And my 5ooth post is just around the corner.

Blogging is really fun hobby and has allowed me to spread my opinionated wings. But the best part of it all, well aside from sharing my life with family and friends, and you know, the internet, has been the love and support of my very loyal commenters. Thank you to each and every one of you. Many of you have become friends, this whole internet thing, it's pretty cool.

But I know there are many that read this and never comment. Today is your day. Come out and let me know you are reading this. I promise to welcome you with open arms. Say hi just this once. Or email. Or mention it in a conversation. The comments let me know there are people out there reading this and if the comments wane or stop, them maybe I should stop blathering on. I can take a hint. Really I can.

Actually I probably wouldn't stop but I would get mean and angry. Don't make put on my angry eyes.

Instead, let's get talking about underwear.

That's right. I said underwear. My husband, Jay, has very strong opinions on what names we cannot use for unmentionables. He is not strongly opinionated on much so we let him have his reign of dictatorship over the names of our undies.

Not allowed to be uttered, even under your breath, in the Khlopchyk house are the following:

- gotch
- gotchies
- gitch
- gitchies
- panties
-and my personal all time fave, under-gotchies

There are many names for that which we wear under our clothes. In our house, they are known as underwear. For the boys and for me, they are all underwear. Boring, maybe. But can you really say gotchies and keep a straight face? I'll be honest. I'd have a hard time taking you seriously if you use the word gotchies in a sentence. I mean no offense, it's just that Jay's dictatorship has brain washed me. Blame him.

So in anticipation of my upcoming 500th post, let's break my comment record! So far it stands at 29, when Jack had his eye surgery. Let's break it!

Tell me what you call 'em! Really, I want to know even if it's on the banned list. I won't judge you, I promise.

Random Photo Post

2009-04-18T09:11:00.006-06:00

The Easter bunny was here!

Jack and Jessie, chillaxing on the couch. Shhh, don't tell Grandma Jess was on the couch.

Yes, Jessie is cute Jack, I agree, but no, you aren't getting a cat. A-CHOOOOOO!

Some downtime from the Easter hubbub at G and P's

I also have a post up at Canada Moms Blog about what kids want. According to Kamden, it's NOT having his picture taken while he chills with his bro in Pop's recliner.

And please, no autographs either.

The Perks of Motherhood

2009-04-14T23:07:00.005-06:00

I was tagged by Angella last week to participate in a meme that was started by HerBadMother (aka Catherine).

Here’s the deal:

Her Bad Mother’s post is the departure lounge, "I'm going to link to a couple of other mom bloggers here in Canada, and to a couple of mom bloggers from other countries around the world, and they’ll write their posts, sharing 5 things that they love (or maybe what they don’t so much love - this playground doesn’t force conformity) about being a mom, and then they’ll tag a few more bloggers from their own country and from other countries, and so on. And you’re more than welcome to join: just write a post of your own (5 things that you love about being a mom) and find someone to link to and tag - someone from your own country, if you like, but definitely someone from another country (Google is a good resource if you don’t know any; Google any country name and ‘mom’ in their blog search function) (be sure to let them know that you’ve tagged them!) - and link back here and leave a comment and we’ll add you to the ‘itinerary,’ which David will compile and post and update as the tour proceeds.”

I think you all know that I love being a mom, that’s nothing new. But as the kids change and grow, I think the specific things I love change too. So here we go, hopefully I can be original, there have been many, many posts about this done already. Without further ado, here is what makes my heart smile on a daily basis.

1. I adore making my kids laugh. You know, really laugh, those deep belly giggles, the ones where they get the hiccups after. I LOVE that (not the hiccups, the belly laughs). The part hasn’t changed yet, from the day they could first laugh to now, belly laughs make my heart sing.

2. I have loved watching them achieve each new milestone in their lives, the first step, the first word, the first ride on their bike without training wheels. Each one is momentous, each one makes my heart swell with pride at what they can and will achieve in their lives.

3. The bond that has developed between my boys has been by far, one of the most enjoyable aspects to watch as they grow up. They play for hours upon hours without killing each other, which I personally, think is a miracle straight from the big man upstairs himself. Even more importantly, they seem to actually enjoy playing together. Sometimes I pinch myself just to make sure I am not dreaming. This week, for example, Jack is off school for Easter break add that to the fact that crusty old man winter seems to have finally packed his smelly bags and headed elsewhere, I have barely seen them. The sandbox is open and their imaginations are soaring. Together. It just plain and simply warms my heart.

4. Their unquenchable thirst for knowledge is so much fun. Jack especially, has a need to know more about just about anything and I, as a self proclaimed know it all, like to share my vast knowledge of all topics. Thankfully we also frequent the local library and supplement with actual facts. Their memories and what they can comprehend amazes me daily and makes me look forward to the future men they will become.

5. But the most important reason I love being a mommy, is that life is so much fuller, has so much more meaning because I am a mom. My boys, they are my reason for being. While I understand why some people choose not to have kids, for me, that was never a choice. I live to be a mother. Now if I could just live up to my expectations on being a good mother... but that’s another post altogether.

And by permission I am tagging the following:

Stacie, BeachMama and Cheryl, Kami and Amy and if you want to play, please do!