Holiday Patience

I was walking in a parking lot the weekend before Christmas, doing some last minute holiday shopping. A car came up behind me and honked for me to get out of the way because the snow banks prevented me from walking close to the side. I turned to acknowledge the honk and just started to make my way to the side to let the elderly couple in the car to pass and he honks at me again! He didn't even give me a chance to even attempt to get to the side of the road. For some reason, that really peeved me so as they drove past me, I yelled, "A little holiday patience would do you some good!"

Yeah, that's not normal behaviour for me and it doesn't stop there.

I saw where the couple parked their car so when I got into my car, I wrote a note and left it on their windshield. The note said, "Tis' the season to be jolly so a little holiday patience would be good. P.S. Pedestrians have the right of way. Merry Christmas!"

It felt good to do it. I wish I could have seen their faces when they returned to their car and read the note.

Time to save our pennies

Aidan just got into Ashbury. Connor's hanging in there with the heavy workload and I'm glad that hasn't scared Aidan off. I'm proud of both my boys. We'll be scrimping, saving, and sacrificing for the next 7 years now that both boys are there.

It's in you to give

It's been more than a year since the last time I donated blood but tonight it was good to see that they were behind by almost an hour because they had so many people there. This is one reason I'm ok to wait in line for and it's such a good experience. Can you imagine that an hour of your time can save up to 3 lives? The people that work there are always really nice. The cookies and juice at the end of it are yummy too. I encourage you to donate if you can since it's in you to give.

Oh and just in case you're worried, the actual donating part doesn't take an hour; that only takes 10 min. The rest of the time is for testing and administration.

Burdensome Advertising

I love great ad strategies and executions. Here's one that's shocking.

Proud to be Canadian

On Remembrance Day this year, I attended the ceremonies at the National War Memorial since it was just a couple blocks away from work. The jumbo screen showed some of the vets that were in attendance, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for what they went through. I am so proud to be Canadian. I am so grateful to live in a country where I can worship God freely and where I don't have to listen to gunshots and bombs drop nearby. I thank all those who have served, are serving, and will serve to protect our country and to try to make other countries a better place to live. I support you and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

What do you say?

What do you say when you know your neighbours have just split up and you happen to be outside while they're moving one spouse's items out of the house?

How are you?
I'm sorry to hear.
How are the kids handling everything?
Where are you living now?
Hope to see you around.

Yeah, it was a little awkward.

When the man is out of town...

...the woman gets a flat tire. I really need someone to teach me how to change a tire. I guess it's a good time to get the winter tires on.

Record Breaking Runs

Aidan ran his first 1km race this last Thanksgiving.

His fastest training run was 7 min. His race time was 5 min!

I was expecting to finish the 10km in just under 70 min. I came in at 62 min.
Early enough that the family didn't see me finish.

Our friend, Spencer Collins, recovered from a heart attack last December.

As a part of his training for his 2nd climb up Mt Kilimanjaro, he walked the 10km and decided to run the last 3km.

Empathy Posters

A friend of mine (who is a much better photographer than I) made beautiful empathy posters of her daughter. The purpose of these posters is so children recognize facial expressions and relate them to what they're feeling. I know my boys may be too old for this type of exercise but they seem to be arguing a lot lately so I decided to do this as a family activity (aka Family Home Evening). My hope is that each of them will recognize each others' different moods better, therefore creating understanding and empathy.



Taking photos that don't all look the same proved difficult therefore their journey to becoming Canada's next top model ended here.

A Surprise Visitor

A surprise visitor came by one morning before school.

Give your head a shake

Check out TV spot #2 on this site. See anyone familiar? These spots will be on CBC, CTV, and other stations in Ontario. Don't understand French? Check out the English site.

Things to ponder...shhhh

It been an odd summer so far. We haven't had the hot, humid summer whether that we're used to in the summer. There's been a lot of rain and thunderstorms (yuck). It was probably nice for my mom when she came to visit for a couple of weeks. Vancouver has been stinky hot all summer. Apparently my dad couldn't stand the heat at his place and slept at my mom's with the windows open one night. My dad rents a room so there probably wasn't any wind coming through his window.

I hope my mom enjoyed her visit. She turned 60 while she was here and we celebrated with a Chinese birthday cake and had a few of my friends that knew her over to share in the celebration. FYI...60 candles causes a lot of smoke when blown out and sets off the smoke detector :)

My mom has become quite devout in her Catholic faith these past few years and so we took her to Montreal to visit a few impressive Catholic church sites. Aidan made an interesting comment while we were there. He noted how all the churches we visited concentrated on the different people and saints but where was Jesus Christ? How come they didn't teach about Him? Words to ponder from a 10 year old.

While sitting in Notre Dame Basilica, I wondered whether it's better to have the humble, non-decorative chapel that we are used to in the Latter-day Saint faith or to have beautiful architecture and ornate churches to worship in? Our faith does not put up the cross or statues of religious people. Instead of using the cross as a reminder of our faith we would rather remember how Jesus lived and not how he died although the Atonement is important to us. While sitting in the basilica, I felt a sense of awe and noted how quiet it was while everyone was waiting for mass to begin. Everyone whispered if they dared to talk at all. It was a similar reverence as if we were in one of our temples. I pondered whether or not this was due to the beautiful building we were sitting in. Everyone was in awe as I was of the church. Lately our ward leaders have continuously encouraged us to be more reverent during sacrament meeting by taking inconsolable babies out to the hallway sooner and to reserve chatting with friends for anywhere but in the chapel as we should establish the chapel as a place of quiet reverence. I don't know if it's just such a habit that members are forgetting what has been counseled to us but it just hasn't been working. It's hard to break a bad habit.

So I put the question out there...would it help us be more reverent if our chapel was ornately decorated and giving something for us to concentrate on visually? I have my own opinion on this but I'll share that afterwards. I'm interested in your thoughts.

Something Fun and Something Emotional

Watch Lyrical Dance videos and dance lessons at DanceJam.com

To the City of Stink

We took a little trip to Toronto last week. The city workers were on strike so garbage hadn't been picked up in a while.


We went to the Ontario Science Centre, Canada's Wonderland, Medieval Times, and Pacific Mall. The highlight of the trip was Sheldon and Aidan's ride on the Behemoth...the nastiest roller coaster at Wonderland. While looking at the picture, keep in mind that Aidan has not been on a lot of roller coasters in his lifetime. This photo was definitely worth the $20.

June Summary

It's been a busy month so here's a quick recap...

Went to NYC for another business trip and they had all these lawn chairs in the middle of the street in Times Square. Apparently one of the reasons is to manage traffic by training drivers to re-route.

Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Pie (and dessert) auction...Connor made a Salt Lake Temple rice krispie square.

Aidan bid and won a pie with his own $10.

Sheldon was fed up with our old kitchen appliances...

We went to the Medieval Festival at Upper Canada Village.

Junior School Closing assembly. Connor received subject awards in math (2nd highest mark in his class), drama, and art. He's left-brained and right-brained...a well-rounded boy.

Celebrated Barb Booth's birthday. Can you guess what restaurant?

Organized the Stake Softball Tournament.

Aidan's new ride.

Actually, it was a limo we saw during our Mommy and Aidan day.

Aidan did really well on his Gr. 5 report card. Almost straight A's...just a few B's sprinkled in there.

And finally, our choir practiced and performed the musical presentation "From Cumorah's Hill". It was a lot of fun and the Stake President wants us to do an encore performance in the fall.

What My Job is Like - Part 2

To continue the "What my job is like" series, here is another example of what I go through at work sometimes. I wonder if clients realize how they sound sometimes?

Tom and Becky

Connor starred as Tom Sawyer in his school production of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Here is a scene featuring Tom and Becky. It's an all-boys school so Becky is played by a boy which makes it even funnier. Watch closely as Connor got more than he asked for in the gum chewing scene.

Pedal Pusher

I'm taking part in the Heart & Stroke Big Bike again with my colleagues from work. Your donations are welcome and greatly appreciated. Click here to donate online.

Here's how we did last year...

Checkmate

Connor is a part of the Ashbury Chess Club. The club decided to take part in a chess tournament against nine other schools in the city. Not only did Connor make it onto the team but he won 8 out of 9 chess games and tied the last game. His school won the whole tournament. I am a very proud mama. Props to Dad, Brian Booth, and Gong Gong (i.e. my dad) for teaching Connor how to play chess when he was little and instilling in him the love of the game.

Run Piggy Run!

This is so much fun to watch. I really appreciate the creative thought, planning, and time that went into producing this. You can't help but cheer for the pig.

Retribution

There's something to say about being polite and being rude.

The other night while I was waiting in line at Costco (Sheldon wandered off somewhere), I noticed that the person in front of me had left his cart and the line was moving forward. I looked around and didn't see anybody close by so I decided to move in front of the cart. The abandoned-cart guy came back and noticed I had moved in front of him. I kindly said that I didn't know how long he would be, if he was coming back, and instead of holding up the line I decided to move up. I was expecting him to be a gentleman and let it be but he looked really put out, and I mean really put out! I made the conscious decision to be extra-nice and polite to this guy to see if it would change his mood so I moved my cart out of the way and said he could have his spot back.

At this time, Sheldon came back and in my mind, I was thinking he was going to jump in and make a scene but he didn't (thanks, sweetie. I can fight my own battles). He said he wanted to but something told him to let me handle it in my own polite way.

The abandoned-cart guy had the nerve to lean closer to me and whisper, "Next time, you should just move the cart up." I kindly apologized to him again and said that I didn't know how long he would be gone for. I waited for him to move his cart up to take his spot but he stood there like an idiot. I repeated myself that he can have his spot back a few times. Finally he moved up.

A couple seconds later, Sheldon noticed that the lineup a couple cashes over was shorter so we changed lines. By the time we paid and was ready to leave the store, abandoned-cart guy had not moved at all in his lineup because the person in front of him was having issues with her items.

I'm not for gloating but I can't help to think that if abandoned-cart guy would have been more of a gentleman instead of a jerk, Sheldon and I wouldn't have been laughing our way out the store.

Anyways, I've put together a little list of what I think is line-up etiquette. Let me know if you have any more tips or any experiences to share.

If you're standing in line and realize you forgot something...

1. Take your cart with you.
2. Ask somebody that came with you to stay with your cart.
   
3. If you're alone and you want to keep your spot in line, let the person behind you know that you forgot something and you're coming right back. Chances are they are more than happy to let you keep your spot in line.
   

31

Here are the highlights from my birthday. Thanks to everyone who took part and made it memorable.

• Birthday shopping
  
• All-you-can eat sushi lunch at Sushi Kan with my three favourite guys
• Was totally zoned out during the sushi lunch because I overdosed slightly on antihistamines
• Napped for 2 hours to sleep off the antihistamines
• Dinner with the girls at Chez Lucien; one had a confrontation with the waitress
• Listened to some great music at the Grace Over Diamonds show at Greenfield's Pub
  
• Took the party to Denny's and didn't get home until after 3am
• Our friend Jon (who is an amazing cook) brought over a birthday dessert the next day...a delicious chocolate roulade.

Yup, I am spoiled.

Birthday Shopping

Work gives everyone a day off for their birthday so today I spent mine shopping (thanks mom for the b-day money). It was pure bliss with 4 hours of uninterrupted shopping and to top it off, I got some great deals too. Some people at the mall were staring at me because I was carrying so many bags. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. I had to laugh when I got home and laid all my purchases on the bed. Everything I bought was black except for one pair of white dress pants.

Earth Hour

Earth Hour is where people around the world makes an effort to turn off all their lights and any unecessary electricity for an hour at the same time. This year, our family took part in Earth Hour. In order to make it really fun, we built a fire in our woodburning fireplace (none of that gas fireplace nonsense), roasted marshmallows by the fire, and read stories. One of the stories we read was "Where the Wild Things Are" in preparation for the upcoming movie adaptation. We also read a Choose Your Own Adventure book and we let the boys decide which paths in the story to choose.

At first I was worried that the boys would think this was too "babyish" for them but the next day, the were asking when we could do it again. I guess when it comes to family time, it really doesn't matter what you do as long as you do it together.

My New Hero

My new hero is one of my best friends, Jennifer Jakob. She just gave birth to an 11lb 4 oz baby boy.

House Hunting?

If you're interested in buying the house in this video, let me know. The owner is a friend of mine. It's a perfect starter home for a young family.

• 3 bedroom, 7 year old home in Bridlewood (Kanata, Onatrio)
• Large fenced yard
• 4 schools within walking distance
• Huge park with jungle gyms and soccer fields just steps away
• All hardwood and ceramic floors
• Custom-built entertainment system
• Open concept layout

MLS listing

Lighter Than Air

Well, not quite lighter than air but I did lose 2lbs! I started running again this month to train for the 10k race in May. This time my goal is to be faster.

And if you're going to give me slack about how I don't have to lose weight, I have a story behind the reason. Last year, after all the training I did, I actually gained 10lbs. I know it isn't due to muscle mass either because I had to buy bigger pants to fit my waist. I was devastatingly disappointed after my race last year because one of the huge bonuses I was looking forward to after all that running was a nicer body. I've since pinpointed the reason down to some meds I was taking so I have done what was necessary to come off them. Now my goal for this year is to lose that 10lbs. I'm running again and I'm eating properly and so far it's working. I even avoided going to a friend's party last night because I knew she would have delicious food there (plus I was looking forward to a quiet night to rest).

Two down; eight to go!

We Are The Champions

Yesterday was the annual cub car rally. This was Aidan's last year and our last time to ever have a child take part in the event (yeah, I'm feeling old). I am so proud of our troop. They were the winners of the Grand Howl trophy. They are judged on how well they come together and how they said the Grand Howl together. I'm sure volume has a factor in it too.

We didn't just take home this trophy. Boys from our troop also took home the Best Design trophy and Best Creative Design trophy. How did Aidan do? He was 5th in his category. His best buddy Kaiden came in 4th.

Kudos to their cub leader, Ian.

Obama Mania

Today, the first African American President of the United States, President Barack Obama made his first foreign visit to Canada. I am very lucky my office is right around the corner from the Parliament Building. I was able to get great footage of his motorcade when he left.

Then we all wondered why he was driving in front of the office and turning into the ByWard Market. A group of us at the office decided to go outside and see what was going on. It turns out, he was getting a Beavertail and went into the ByWard Market building afterwards to buy a scarf for his wife and cookies for his girls. How cute is that!




I tried to get video footage of him when he came out of the building. I couldn't see so I held my arm up as high as I could and used my cell phone camera to be my eyes. I was hoping that I could say I saw him by viewing my footage later. Much to my disappointment later, the guy in front of me blocked my cell phone's line of sight and I totally missed seeing him. I was RIGHT THERE!!!! Luckily my boss, David, got a much better view and got some great pictures. I'm still jealous and angry that I didn't get to see him though when so many others did, especially because I was there.

Photo courtesy of my boss, David

Photo courtesy of my boss, David

Photo courtesy of my boss, David

I do feel bad for the people who waiting on Parliament Hill to see him. However, the news told everyone that you probably won't see him from the distance they were kept at and all the security measures at the building doors. Lucky for the people in the market who were able to see him up close and personal. They didn't even clear out the market building. One newspaper of him inside the building showed that there were still regular people inside...crowded, but they were there.

Photo courtesy of Ottawa Sun

Well, at least I could say I was there; a moment in history.

Enjoying the Good Life

Sheldon did good this Valentine's Day; much better than last year's barbershop quartet although that got the most creative, but embarrassing award. We went shopping for a couple of hours and bought him some much needed new jeans and a coat, then spent half the afternoon at the spa together (body scrub, 1-hr massage, pedicure, and chocolate covered strawberries), and then a fabulous 6-course dinner at Foundation (one of the restaurants on my list and it was GOOD). Before we went home for the night, we went for a stroll through Confederation Park to look at the Winterlude ice sculptures (or what was left of some of them after our unseasonably warm temps). This was totally a Jessica-approved day. It was so much fun and so relaxing.

Ahhh, what I would give to live like this all the time.

The Food Experience

I've come to realize lately how I love to go out to eat. I don't get to do it often but when I do, I want to go to a really good restaurant. Not only does the food have to be good but the atmosphere as well. Because of Sheldon's gluten-free dietary needs, we usually go out for sushi. Now that I work downtown, my eyes have been opened to the plethora of restaurants that are just in the ByWard Market alone. What a shame it would be if I never get to eat at them!

A friend I carpool with told me about the Taste of Winterlude event in February where you can "enjoy exclusive prix-fixe menus, fine dining experiences...culinary delights at some of our best local restaurants." This has me excited as it will give me a chance to eat at some of the pricier restaurants that I normally avoid because of the price.

As we're planning for Angelina's last birthday with us before she moves to B.C., we asked her what she had in mind. She said she didn't care as long as it was with her best friends and good food had to be a part of it.

The same group will be going on a Montreal temple trip this weekend (as our first and our last for a long time) before Jen has baby #3 and Angelina moves. Jen requested that we go somewhere good to eat after. A friend at work told me that Montreal is having restaurant week as well. Once again, good food has to be a part of our festivities.

Then Sheldon asked me to pick out the restaurant I wanted to go to for Valentine's Day.

This has got me researching restaurants a lot and I've come up with a list of places I'd like to try or just go to again to try some different menu items. I've compiled a special list and put it in the right column of this blog.

One restaurant in particular has really grabbed my attention; Atelier. It sounds like they mix art, science, and food together which creates a really unique experience. They serve a 12-course tasting meal that includes items such as caviar creamsicle, nitro noodle soup, liquid centres, and yellow snow (not sure what that one's about but I'm intrigued). Take a look at some of the pictures I borrowed from their website. It's so artistic! For more pictures, check out their gallery.





Hopefully the list will provide my husband and friends some new ideas of where we can go the next time we have something special to celebrate. Perhaps I'll even create a Favourite Restaurants list. Until then...happy eating.

Job Description: Non-negotiable

POSITION:
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :
Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often
chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and
organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include
evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.

Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on
rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel
expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The rest of your life.
• Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
• Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
• Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
  
• Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
  
• Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
• Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
• Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
• Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
  
• Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
  
• Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
• Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
  

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
None. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining,
constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can
ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
None. You pay them, offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is
due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them
become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left.
You will enjoy this reverse-salary scheme and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid
holidays and no stock options are offered, this job supplies limitless opportunities
for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you
play your cards right.

There is no retirement. If you are fortunate enough you will become grandparents.

OC Transpo Strike Song

FYI....we're on day 50 of the strike now.

It's No Bull

Happy Chinese New Year!

Welcoming in the Year of the Ox.

This was only about half of the dishes we ate!

Mmmmm....lobster.

OC Transpo Strike Ruins Hitler's Plans

What's going on?

It's 6pm.

I'm still at work.

It's snowing hard.

I have a cold.

Can't go home.

Buses still on strike.

My ride has to work late.