As promised

Here's a medley video of Connor's swim from the Leamington Seal Meet (2009.11.22):



In most of the heats, he was paired up with 12 and 13 year olds, with a couple of other 9 year olds.

We're pretty proud of him! Next swim meet is in Sarnia, about 2 hours away, on Sunday, December 6th...

Did I mention that it was the day after my Shoppers Drug Mart Christmas party???

Sunday Funnies

Start your week with a smile!

Back in the Saddle!

On Monday, I received my new Winter 2009/10 issue of Canadian Scrapbooker magazine:

Not only was I blessed to have another Hands On! Photography article in this issue (click HERE for a .pdf version), but after almost three years, I have been published again!!

Not only have I been scrapbooking more now, but I have begun to submit to publications again!  As you can see from my Published Layouts history on the right, it's been a LONG time since my designs have been published!  Oddly enough, the layout that was requested for the Winter 2009/10 issue was one that was submitted back in June!  Quite honestly, I had forgotten that I had even sent it in!  Nevertheless, I was so excited to get that email from Heather, requesting this layout:

This was created with the Just Cre8 June 2008 kit - I love the bright colours in this kit (if I do say so myself... :)) 

Psst...it's on sale now for just $39.00!  :D

Thanks for reading and sharing in my excitement!  Don't forget about my November RAK giveaway - leave a comment for a chance to win some goodies!

And Sarah M - please email regarding your RAK or I will have to pick yet another winner!!  It's enough to give a girl a complex... :D

Seal Meet #1 - Leamington

On Sunday, Connor attended his first Seal meet in Leamington.  As I mentioned before, he's at the Platinum level, which is still a Stroke Development level, as opposed to the Performance Program levels (Seal, Beaver, Otter & Barracuda).  But at the encouragement of his coach, he swam in the Seal meet.

Well, the day started on an off-note.  Aili had an allergic type reaction the night before - she developed welts under her right eye and they were all red and itchy.  I think it may have been dog-related but I wanted to gauge her reaction the next morning before we took any medicine.  Gary and Connor took off early for the swim meet, anticipating to be there a bit early (around 7:45 am) rather than the scheduled time for warm-ups at 8:00am.

Apparently, someone changed the schedule - they were supposed to be there at 7:30am!  So Connor only got about 10 minutes of warm up time.  Because of this, he didn't have time to check his stroke number for his backstroke, which added precious seconds to his time.

Interesting Fact:  Ever wonder about the flags that stretch across lap pools?  Their purpose is for backstroke swimmers - they use them to count the number of strokes required from flag line to pool edge, so they don't turn too early or late (which can result in a disqualification (DQ))

Despite the wrench in his plan, Connor did quite well - we're very proud of him!

25m Butterfly: 22.29S - 2nd place

50m Backstroke: 53.65S - 4th place

100m Individual Medley: 2:00.29S (DQ) - he did a wrong turn and was disqualified :(

50m Freestyle: 41.29S - 2nd place

He also competed in the 100m Mixed Relay with three other 9 year olds and they placed 1st in their heat AND 1st overall!

I'll be posting the videos of each race sometime this weekend.  I didn't take very many photos because

A) it was super packed - there were over 300 children competing!  And most of them had one, if not more spectators - Connor, at one point, had FIVE! :)

B) it was sweltering - even thought I had mentally prepared myself after the last meet, it was nothing compared to the sauna that we sat in for 8 hours!

C) Aili was super bored - she didn't want anything to do with the activities we brought, despite a knapsack, full of colouring books, toys and snacks!  We finally sent her home with my dad when he dropped by to watch Connor swim his relay race.

Of the photos I did take, I'm not really happy with any - In my rush to get there to see his 3rd race, I forgot my tripod so I had to bump my ISO up to 1600, resulting in alot of noise and grain. 

I laughed when I saw this one - Connor, mentally and physically preparing for a race, surrounded by a bunch of women!  Hopefully not a glimpse of things to come!

At least I will get alot more practice at these swim meets - we have another 2 meets coming up in December, and then 2 (or 3?) in January!

Just a reminder of my November RAK giveaway - there's still time! - and I'm still waiting for the last winner to contact me... Sarah M - email me!! :)

And lastly, in searching for a seal photograph for this post, I was inundated with photos and articles of the seal hunting that is prevalent in Canada, which is inhumane and barbaric.  You can read more about it here and help stop it with ideas found here.  I was sad to read that Versace, Gucci and Prada were among the designers who have used seal fur in their collections... :(

Thanks for reading!

The 36 Rules in Life

I found this on the Got Funny blog while Stumbling one night.  No, not stumbling, as in something one does when they have imbibed too many margharitas (although that has been known to occur...) but Stumbling - do you Stumble?? OMGosh, I'm addicted!
 
Anyhow, found these Life rules and I have to say - I agree with all of them!  In particular, number 3, 8, 19, 27 and 32...
 
1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

2. Don’t worry about what people think, they don’t do it very often.

3. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car.

4. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.

5. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you’ve never tried before.

6. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.

7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.

8. A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person.

9. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.

10. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.

11. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.

12. A conscience is what hurts when all of your other parts feel so good.

13. Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.

1 4. Men are from earth. Women are from earth. Deal with it.

15. No man has ever been shot while doing the dishes.

16. A balanced diet is a muffin in each hand.

17. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.

18. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.

19. Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.

20. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.

21. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.

22. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.

23. Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.

24. Someone who thinks logically provides nice contrast to the real world.

25. It ain’t the jeans that make your butt look fat.

26. If you had to identify in one word the reason why the human race has not achieved it’s full potential, that word would be ‘meetings’.

27. There is a very fine line between ‘hobby’ and ‘mental illness.’

28. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

29. You should not confuse your career with your life.

30. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.

31. Never lick a steak knife.

32. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

33. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.
34. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

35. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that deep down inside we ALL believe we are good drivers.
36. Your friends love you anyway.

RAK Round 2!!

It's that time again, I think...

Being so close to a border city, the American holiday always causes a stir.  Whether it's plans to cross the border for the awesome Black Friday deals (which I never do because crowds and I just do NOT mix.  Socially - yes.  Retail-based - no.) or reminding us of that Christmas is not that very far away, there always seems to be a feeling of anticipation in the air.

We feel it today - anticipation for Connor's Seal swim meet tomorrow in Leamington at the Frank T. Sherk Recreation complex!  Because it's a Seal qualifying meet, he will be swimming in all categories, and different lengths.  He's a bit nervous, because to qualify for the Seal Championships in April, he will need to have a "B" qualifying time - which is about 10-20 seconds faster than his last meets' times.  But because he's technically only a "Platinum" this year, which is a level below Seals, we have tried to instill in him that this is not about winning today - it's about experience.

He still wants to win. :)

In honour of the big day tomorrow, I'm going to be giving away a RAK!  However, my first RAK that was drawn a few weeks ago was unclaimed so I'm going to draw another winner:

Sarah said...
Since there hasn't been much happening on the message boards, I am glad to see a post here to read! My favorite cartoon used to be Non Sequitor. I don't know if it is around any more, but I also don't ever really read the newspaper anymore, so don't get a chance to read the comics!

October 19, 2009 3:24 AM

Thanks, Sarah, for playing along!  Email me your mailing info and your choice of prize (1) an in-stock standard Just Cre8 stamp set of their choice, 2) a $15.00 Tim Hortons gift card or 3) a $15.00 Shoppers Drug Mart gift card) and I'll get it right out to you!

Now for November's RAK...

I have a prize pack consisting of Hip and Handmade Gifts by Nicole LaRue, a set of Scratched Tailg8 stamps (designed by moi for Just Cre8!) and a bag full of ribbon and flowers up for grabs!  A winner will be randomly selected - all you have to do is leave a comment (with your name, if posting anonymously) with the answer to the following question:

Do you make any homemade gifts for the holidays?  If so, what are they?

(Can you tell I'm looking for ideas this year??) ;)

Leave a comment with your answer by 11:59pm EST on November 30th for a chance to be randomly selected!  The lucky winner will be announced on December 1st!

Planet 51

Sometimes, I feel my kids are on a different planet from each other - they are so different in their natures!

However, one thing they can agree with - they've both movie fanatics, like their dad!  We're taking them to see Planet 51 tonight - looks very cute and funny!  Hopefully it will be like the other movies that appreciate that the adults end up taking the kids to see the movies so they throw a little adult humour in! :)

Stay tuned for a review! :D

Sale!!

Since making the decision to no longer offer Just Cre8 monthly kits, we have decided to have a big sale to clear out all inventory on hand.

Last night, I sent out an email, telling Just Cre8 friends about our sale and the response has been overwhelming!  If you are looking for some good deals, hurry on over to the Just Cre8 store to avoid disappointment!  All of our previous kits are on sale; as well, all stamps are marked down 25% to 40% off.

In going through the inventory to mark it all down, and to ensure that inventory counts were accurate, I came across a lot of products that were so inspiring that I was tempted to throw everything aside and scrap!  Luckily, I resisted temptation but I did set aside several items for myself... :D

Hoping to scrap on Friday!  Anyone want to join me? ;)

I got a fever...

Well, not me.

Little Miss Aili started running a low fever on Sunday night but seemed fine on Monday morning.  However, once she got off the bus, she felt quite warm and was complaining that her throat hurt.  Just to be safe, I took her into the local clinic for a quick check-up.  Despite his obvious lack of bedside manner, the doctor took one look at her throat and prescribed an antibiotic!  He never did give me an actual diagnosis, but I know my child well enough to know when she needs medication!

She awoke early today with a high fever so Gary stayed home with her while I headed into work.  He called me at lunch to tell me that her fever hit 40.1*C.  I called our family doctor and she told us to bring her right in.  She took a swab and confirmed that she had strep throat.

Gary had left to get Connor off the bus, so once we were done, we headed home.  On the way home, she started to shake and complain of chills.  I could tell that her fever was starting to creep up again so I raced home and we gave her some ibuprofen.  Her temperature hit 41.1*C, but I'm not sure how accurate that was... we put her in a tepid bath, and have been keeping an eye on her.  Since she had two febrile seizures when she was a toddler, she is now prone to them so we aren't taking any chances, and are dosing her alternately with acetominaphen and ibuprofen.

The doctor said that it will take about 48 hours for the fever to break so keep your fingers crossed - it should be gone by tomorrow!

Of course, tomorrow is photo retake day... :(  Looks like I may have to take my own school photos this year!

ETA: her fever came down to about 39.7 so hopefully we'll have an uneventful night!

Are you a Twi-Hard?

Today, the movie, New Moon, based on the second book in the Twilight series, premiered in L.A.  It opens this Friday - are you going to see it?

I'd like to see it but I'm sure it's not high on Gary's list of Movies to See... I may have to save that one for a girls' night out!

So... are you on Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Oh no I di'int!!

 

 

Oh, YES... I did!

Meet the newest member of our family!  She's almost 8 years old and loves adventure and the wind in her hair!  She's only been with us for less than a day and the kids have taken to her already.  We think we're going to be very happy together.

She still needs a name though - and NO, I'm not naming her Sally!

I'm partial to Lola... :D

ETA:  You may notice that these photos differ from the last ones I posted... I had forgotten to take photos when I test drove the car so those images were just random ones I downloaded to use - I think Lola is much prettier! :D

Darn you, Jennifer!!

Do you Twitter?

My techno-geek hubby introduced it to me back in April, during that whole Ashton Kutcher vs. CNN war.  I embraced it half-heartedly at first, but have found myself following some pretty cool and funny people!

Anyhow, I somehow, via blog/Twitter surfing, came across Jennifer Lancaster's blog, Jennsylvania.  She's the author of several books, including Bitter is the New Black and Such a Pretty Fat, with a new book coming out in 2010:  My Fair Lazy: One Reality Television Addict's Attempt to Discover If Not Being A DumbAss Is The New Black; or, A Culture-Up Manifest.  That title, or at least the very length of it, makes me giggle!

So I follow Jennifer on Twitter - I love her sense of humour and her writing style (read her life timeline here!).  But today, I'm mad at her!

Why, you ask?

Well, a few days ago she posted this blog post.  And as a no-I'm-definitely-NOT-a-size-six girl, I can appreciate the great links to finding trendy, reasonable clothes for me.  Really, I'm grateful.  But she led me here.

Now, shoes and I go WAY back.  At one point, in university, I think I owned over 40 pairs of shoes (that's not counting any athletic footwear!).  Ah, back in the BCK days (Before Chasing Kids)...  Anyhow, it's hard for me to find a great pair of high dress boots, because of my calves.  How does Jennifer put it? Oh yeah... "If your calves have a greater circumference than an Olive Garden breadstick,..."  Yep, that's me.

So off I surf to Zappos, heading directly for the Wide Calf Boots section...

Where I meet these handsome guys:

Fitzwell Oregon in Black Suede  I can hardly stand it - Aren't they sexy and gorgeous??  3" covered heel, side zipper - a definite wardrobe must-have, or so they tell me, for only $179.00 (USD).

I jump ahead to page two and there, I play the fickle lover and discard Oregon without a backwards glance for this sexy pair:

Promiscuous Vern in Black Leather  Oh.... be still my heart!  Even the name is sexy!!  (The Promiscuous part, not the Vern part...)  4" polished stiletto heel with ruched leather for $159.00 (USD) - For a moment, let's just go ahead and ignore my bad knees that wouldn't last a few hours in these babies, let alone an entire evening...

But then it happened.  True love.

Vivienne Westwood Roman Boot in Red Suede and Patent Leather.  I will look no further - I HAVE to have these boots.  Open toe, 4" stiletto heel with a leather sole for only....

$902.56

WHA-A-A-TT???

No, no, no.  That can't be right.  They must have mixed up the numbers....  Is it possible that I have found my "solemate" in boots, only to find that we are never meant to be??

Darn you, Jennifer, for showing me what I'm missing... *fist waving*

Last Call...

A few weeks ago, I posted the winner of the drawing for the Choose Your RAK contest.  It was at the very end of this post.  Since it may have been missed, here it is again:

And speaking of congratulations, I used my trusty site, http://www.random.org/, and chose a winner for my RAK last week:

The lucky winner is:

Angela said...
I love Calvin and Hobbes too. I am going to print the one off that you posted for my desk at work. I'm a graphic designer and I swear that is my life!
I love your layouts and I'm so glad you've found time for yourself.
October 21, 2009 7:20 PM

Angela, please email me by Nov 15th with your info and your preference of RAK (in-stock Just Cre8 standard stamp set, Tim Horton's or Shoppers Drug Mart gift card).  If I don't hear from Angela, I will draw another winner.

Thanks to all who participated - keep visiting as this was so much fun that I think I will do it more often! :D

A Day of Remembrance

Thanks to the men and women who sacrificed their lives so that we may live free.

And since I'm so proud to be Canadian, I thought I'd show one of my favourite patriotic commercials - an oldie but a goodie... eh!? :)




Wear a popppy today and be a proud, thankful Canadian!

Look who's 40!!

Today, Sesame Street will celebrate its' 40th season!!

I grew up watching Sesame Street, and still remember many of my favourite characters and skits:

Grover (in what is STILL one of my favourite childhood stories... I think I feel a scrapbooking page coming on!)

The Swedish Chef (who still cracks me up):



And who could forget these guys??



And of course...



Enjoy your stroll down memory lane!

I still can't believe that I'm OLDER than Sesame Street... *sniff*...

Celebrating...

Chaos Never Dies Day!!

Hmmm, I think someone made this holiday with our family in mind...

Should I...

or shouldn't I?

Hmmm.....

Hands On! Photography Assignment - November

The November assignment is now up on the Hands On! Photography blog over at Canadian Scrapbooker!

This month, we discussed the creative technique of light painting or light graffitti. Try your hand at it (it's easy - just takes a few simple photography basics, some handheld lights and patience to experiment!

You can see examples here at http://www.toxel.com/.

Be sure to submit YOUR photos, using the submission form, for a chance to win a great prize!

WWBD?

You know how you can get sucked into surfing the Web - and one click leads to another... and before you know it, you've either ended up somewhere that you DEFINITELY shouldn't be or you found something funny/smart/interesting/other.

That happened to me tonight.

I ended up on a site that had funny bumper stickers and I, of course, at 12:39am, found myself on the Chicago Metromix website, looking at bumper sticker after bumper sticker in their picture gallery!  I know I just lost about 20 minutes of my life that I'll never get back, but there were some funny ones...

Like this:

Wipe Out!

As promised, here is the video of Connor and Gary, attempting the Flo' Rider at Kalahari:



Thanks to Dawn for the video footage!

Kalahari Resorts

Back at the end of September, we took the kids to Kalahari Resorts, in Sandusky, Ohio - thanks to my friend, Dawn, for tuning us into the awesome Facebook deal!  Our families are very close and similar in dynamics so we booked our trips for the same night so that the kids could play together (and so could the adults! :))

We lucked out with a super deal - we still can't believe the incredible deal we managed to snag!  For $99/night, the four of us stayed in the Two Room Family Suite: