No, no, I'm not pregnant. Thank goodness! But my sister-in-law Stephanie is. Congratulations to Solo and Steph. May your child be as big of a pain-in-the-butt as Solo was...and eat as much.
There has to be something said about having your mother around to cook. I've learned that when my mother comes, I stay out of the kitchen even though I think, "This is her vacation. She should be resting." Mothers. Go figure. But since I've been so busy these last three years, meals at home have been quick and mundane. But no frozen chicken nuggets or spaghetti served when she's around. Don't get me wrong. I know how to cook and I'd like to believe I cook well. But it takes a lot more effort and prep time when cooking good healthy meals. Having my mom around, even though it's just for a week, is such a nice break from the regular meals. Hey, if even my kids will eat Chinese vegetables, even though it's not a lot, I'm all for it.
With that said, I guess you can tell that my mom is in town. She's here for Aidan's baptism which happens this Sunday. I can't believe my baby is getting baptized! He's too old and I'm too young...lol. But I'm so happy that this special occassion is upon us. I love it even more to see all our caring friends there witnessing this milestone for my little boy. Shoot, he's told me time and time again not to call him that anymore. Sorry, Aidan. Anyways, I'll be sure to post some pictures of that so stay tuned. More good times to come...
You know, since we bought the new car I've been conscious of the the money I spend especially since I'm not working yet. It would be so nice to win the lottery (if I actually gambled) and if I did, would I do what this lady did in this commercial?
Today I went to donate blood at the Canadian Blood Services clinic. For the second time, I was rejected because of low iron levels. For some reason, it feels like crap to be rejected for something like this. I never thought I would get rejected twice! Last time I tried was like years ago. This time, my iron levels were 0.1 above acceptable levels but the nurse said to come back in 2 months because if they took blood today, I wouldn't have much iron left in me to recuperate. It was definitely a crappy feeling. I mean, this is something that almost anybody can do regardless of your financial situation. Being denied feels like crap. Oh well, here's to 2 months time.
On a funny note, Aidan was in the bathroom and while he was doing his business, he started singing a song. He was making it up as he went along. It was so cute. It was about how there is no snow and how it sucks because of pollution (ie. global warming). The song went on forever. It was so funny. He didn't know I was standing on at the other side of the door listening or else I'm sure he would've stopped.
Below are some pictures of the Black and White Ball (aka Stake New Years Dance) this year. Who knew I could make a gym look like this. I love this calling because it's like throwing parties all the time but not with your own money. This time, I chose to serve more gourmet food like sushi and fancy cheese platters. Surprisingly, the change in refreshments was very well received. Thanks to everyone who helped out, big or small (or even just showing up). If you have any ideas for future activities/dances, I'm open to suggestions.
On another note, I was putting Aidan to bed the other night and as I was walking away, he asked me if I could mend his Blue's Clues pillowcase that was tearing at the seams. I told him that maybe it was time to get a "big boy" bed set since he's had the Blue's Clues one since he was 2. He adamantly said no then began to get upset. He explained how he didn't want to grow up. He was worried about things like not knowing how to help his own child with homework when he was older. I tried to reassure him and explained that if he didn't grow up, he'd miss out on a lot of fun and knowledge but he just insisted he wanted to be 8 forever.
Afterwards, I pondered on this a bit. What makes a child so scared about growing up. Then I examined my own life. Do Sheldon and I not have enough "fun"? Are we so busy that we don't take enough time to enjoy life? Do we worry about bills, jobs, and the future that much? Obviously we are the main examples of adulthood for our child. Perhaps some changes need to be made. Something to think about some more...
So it's January 1, 2007 and time to make those New Year's resolutions. I guess the only ones I'm making is to keep a better journal of my life and to keep in touch with friends and family better. What better way to do that than to join the masses and start a blog.
The annual New Year's Eve bash for our group was held at Nina's this year. This family-friendly tradition (ie. kids are allowed) started years ago by the Lowater family and in memory of them (no they're not dead...just not in Ottawa anymore) Kirk created the "Lowater Games". Like always, it'
s 'guys against girls' but for the first time ever, the guys actually won this year (but only by a few points). That's ok. We'll feed their ego once in a while but come back with a winning streak again. Don't get too comfy, guys. One thing I did notice though is that all but one movie quote came from 'guy movies' (totally not fair) yet the girls still got the majority of them (go Angelina and "Gladiator"...lol). All in all, it was a great time as usual. Thanks Nina and Stuart for hosting it this year. Your house was perfect for the event.
Connor, however, was not with us this New Year's Eve. He was invited to Dalan's house for a sleepover. The rule at Dalan's house is on New Year's Eve, they can stay up as late as they want. It should be interesting to hear the stories from that party later.
This Christmas was one to remember. The boys saved up their allowances, birthday money, Christmas money, etc. in order to buy a Nintendo Wii. They were getting close to their goal at the beginning of December and the word on the street was it was really hard to get your hands on a Wii. Sheldon diligently phoned different stores everyday for almost two weeks trying to find a Wii for the boys. In the end, he joined the other crazy people out there and camped 
out overnight at Best Buy when he heard they had a shipment coming in for the next morning. Luckily it has been a warmer than usual winter here in Ottawa so he didn't freeze too badly. He still had to go to work the next day too. So boys, you better realize how much your dad loves you. Crazy, I tell you.
Another cool "gift" this year was a new vehicle. Our old car is in its geriatric phase of life and the thought of dying and leaving us stranded in the cold this winter scared us into buying a new car just in case. The new addition is a black 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe that seats 7 and has heated front seats. A huge thank-you to Sherri for teaching us the best way to negotiate a good price.
Having two cars around right now is proving to be very useful. While setting up for the church's New Year's dance on Saturday, I had the the luxury of space in the new car and Sheldon had the luxury of not being stranded at home while I was gone all day.
Tomorrow I start the last semester of school. I am so excited. Only 8 more weeks of classes and then I have work placement. I'll be right in the Byward Market for work placement which I am very excited about. Oh and I get to play volleyball again next Monday. I can't wait. Sports injuries are definitely no fun and I found it very difficult to be patient during the healing process.
Well that's my update for now. Feel free to post your comments. It forces me to keep in touch with everyone. To see more photos, go to faybee44.spaces.live.com
