Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Is it Big Foot? No .....It is Miss's Big Toe.......

You know when your kids tell you things and they are completely serious while they are talking to you but over the course of the conversation you realize what you thought they were going to say was something totally different? Sami stayed home(well stayed at Grami's) from school today because she has been coughing alot the last couple of days. She called me to say good morning and this was the conversation we had over the phone.

Sami: "Mom there is something going on with my foot."

Mom: "What's wrong with it?"

Sami: "My second toe is bigger than my big toe."

Mom: "hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah"

Sami: "what does it mean?"

Mom: "I don't know what do you think it means?"

Sami: "I don't know... is there something wrong with me?"

Mom: "Maybe you are an alien! Hahahahhah"

Sami: "I am not an alien."

Sami: "Well.....dad did tell me I had a cone head when I was born....."

Mom: "Hahahhahahhahh! Can I call you Miss's Big Toe now?"

Sami: "Hahahhahahhahhh!"

Friday, October 24, 2008

Hidden Treasures

A couple of days ago I had a bus trip scheduled to take my seniors to Costco. Normally I am supposed to cancel the trip if less than 5 people show up. This day only 4 came so I was very excited at the prospect of not having to go. I was so tired that day. Sometimes when I get that tired I don't want to drive them but in the end I can't bear to tell them no and always end up taking them anyway! On this day I am glad I did. Who knew a grocery store parking lot was so beautiful! Can you imagine what we miss when we don't slow down enough to see beyond the surface of things? It can be as simple as a kind word or even a smile! All those hidden treasures are out there waiting to be discovered. What hidden treasure have you found this week?



I thought this rock was so beautiful. I like the shape of it


.
If you walk just past the tree in the picture above you come to this hidden forest! . I was so excited when I found it. A perfect place to sit and read my book.
The only problem was I was reading the end of "New Moon" and it was scary sitting
there by myself! I had to get up after a while and sit out under the trees by my bus!
Next time I won't take a suspenseful book to read and it will be more relaxing






The trail is not very long. It just goes up the side of Costco and it's parking lot.




This part was so pretty and untouched that I did not go past and disturb it.








Sunday, October 19, 2008

Working Late, Or Are We?

On Saturday we had planned to visit a beach but a certain someone fell asleep again! (You know who you are!) So instead we made a late night trip to Shawn's office. We had a good time. I am happy now for the change of plans. Although is was kind of scary being the only ones there in the dark. Shawn wanted to see what I would look like wearing his hard hat so he took ( yes he actually took a picture of me!!!) this picture of Sami and I messing around with his plans! I love this picture! We had so much fun. Who knew a boring office could be so much fun! (I only say it is boring because I don't understand a lot of it!) Check out Sami's expression!!!


Shawn's reflective vest really works!!!



I love how her eyes sparkle in this picture. You can tell she is having a good time.
I took this picture because Sami's hair is all outa whack! She is really happy. Really! She would someday like to become an actess!

Maybe Shawn wants to become an actor too!







Friday, October 17, 2008

Ice Cream Anyone?

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES TO GO IS BASKIN ROBBINS. MAYBE SIMPLY FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS. AS A CHILD DAD WOULD TAKE ME TO BASKIN ROBBINS WHEN EVER I ASKED HIM TO. HE HAD SUCH A SWEET TOOTH! MY BROTHER GEOFF AND I WOULD ORDER BUBBLEGUM FLAVOR SO WE COULD CHEW THE GUM. THEN I DISCOVERED CHOCOLATE CHIP. I MEAN REALLY IS THERE ANY OTHER FLAVOR!?! YESTERDAY I MADE A RUN WITH THE SENIORS TO BASKIN ROBBINS AND AS I WAS SITTING THERE I REALIZED ONCE I MADE THE SWITCH TO CHOCOLATE CHIP I HAVE NEVER TRIED ANYTHING ELSE. EVERYTIME I GO IT IS ALWAYS CHOCOLATE CHIP.MMMMMM YUMMY! AS I WAS ENJOYING MY ICECREAM I WAS SECRETLY SNAPPING PHOTOS OF MY SENIORS! THESE TWO IN PARTICULAR ALWAYS MAKE ME LAUGH. ON THURSDAYS I TAKE THEM TO SAFEWAY AND QFC TO DO THEIR SHOPPING. THE ROUTE WE TAKE HOME DRIVES RIGHT PASSED BASKIN ROBBINS. EVERY TIME WE GET NEAR JEAN ASKS ME WHEN WE WILL GO. WHILE I WAS DRIVING I COULD HEAR THE GROCERY BAGS IN THE BACK OF THE BUS MOVING AROUND. AS I TURNED THE CORNER IN FRONT OF BASKIN ROBBINS JEANS ICE CREAM SHE HAD JUST BOUGHT AT SAFEWAY CAME ROLLING DOWN THE ISLE AND LANDED BY MY FEET. I TOLD HER "IT'S OK JEAN, I'LL GET YOU TO BASKIN ROBBINS AS FAST AS I CAN!" OK SO MOST SENIOR CITIZENS ARE SLOW AND FEEBLE IF THEY REACH THE AGE JEAN IS BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN HOW SHE INHALED HER ICECREAM!!! I THINK SHE SET A NEW WORLD RECORD! I WAS SITTING FOR 2-3 MINUTES BEFORE SHE CAME TO THE TABLE AND SHE FINISHED A GOOD 10 MINUTES BEFORE I DID! ANYWAY I LOVE MY SENIORS!!! HERE ARE A COUPLE OF SECRET PICTURES OF THEM.JEAN AND EDDIE LOOK HOW EXCITED SHE IS TO GET TO THE TABLE!
SERIOUSLY, INHALED IT!!!! SHE IS SO FUNNY....



THEY ARE ALWAYS SO GRATEFUL EVERYTIME I TAKE THEM. THEY OFTEN REMIND ME OF THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE. I AM GRATEFUL FOR THEM AND THE RELATIONSHIPS I HAVE FORMED.



Sunday, October 12, 2008

DOWN ON THE FARM

LAST NIGHT WAS GIRL SCOUT NIGHT AT THE FARM. SHAWN DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO GO BUT I DRUG HIM THERE ANYWAY! LOOKS LIKE HE ENDED UP HAVING FUN TO ME. THIS IS MY FAVORITE PICTURE (EXCEPT FOR THE ONE OF SAMI ON THE BOUNCING BRIDGE FARTHER DOWN) AFTER SEEING SHAWN DO THIS OTHERS THAT WERE VISITING THE FARM STARTED MAKING UP THEIR OWN CRAZY SHOTS! I LOVE IT WHEN SHAWN COMES WITH US. HE ALWAYS MAKES IT FUN FOR THE KIDS. I AM JUST THE PHOTOGRAPHER! WHEN WE ARRIVED WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE LOADED ONTO THE WAGON BUT THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE WE HAD TO WAIT FOR AN HOUR. LUCKILY A CADET TROOP WAS ALSO THERE AND THEY KEPT THE YOUNGER GIRLS BUSY WITH DIFFERENT GAMES AND SONGS. EVERY GIRL HAD COOKIES AND HOT CIDAR AND Got A CORN MAZE PATCH FOR THEIR VESTS.










AS ALWAYS THE INSEPARABLE TWO WAITING FOR THE DUCK SHOW! TO BAD WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE IT. IT SOUNDS VERY INTERESTING!











SHAWN SCARED THE GIRLS LOOKING THROUGH THIS WINDOW. HE KEPT SWINGING HIS EYES BACK AND FORTH. IT WAS A LITTLE FREAKY!





AAHHHH SHE'S SO CUUUUTE!!!!!

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PICTURES I TOOK ALL NIGHT! SHE IS HAVING SO MUCH FUN.

THEY AREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE ON THIS TRACTOR BUT AS THE TWO DADS SAID WHAT'S THE WORSE THEY ARE GOING TO DO? KICK US OUT! WE ARE DONE ANYWAY. BUT..... WHEN SHAWN GOT THE BIG IDEA TO GET ON FARMER PETES TRACTOR CHRISTABELLA'S DAD SAID "I'M OUTTA HERE!" SUCH A CHICKEN!!! SHAWN IS ONLY HALF A CHICKEN BECAUSE ALTHOUGH HE WASN'T BRAVE ENOUGH TO SIT ALL THE WAY DOWN HE'S AT LEASED STANDING ON IT!




































I DESPERATELY TRIED TO GET A CUTE PICTURE OF JUST SAMI AND CHRISTABELLA ALONE IN THE CORN MAZE BUT THERE ALWAYS SEEMED TO BE OTHER CHILDREN. OR A GOOFY HUSBAND! IT WAS VERY FRUSTRATING. I LIKE TO TAKE AT LEAST JUST ONE OF THE TWO OF THEM AT EVERY ACTIVITY SO LATER ON WHEN THEY ARE OLDER THEY CAN LOOK BACK AND REMEMBER WHAT FUN THEY HAD TOGETHER. I FINALLY GAVE UP AND DECIDED THE PICTURES WOULD TURN OUT ANYWAY.




















THE GIRLS GOT A MAP BUT HAD A HARD TIME DECIDING WHAT DIRECTION THEY WANTED TO GO. SHAWN TRIED TO HELP THEM BUT THEY WERE ALL RUNNING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. HE FINALY TOOK OVER FOR AWHILE UNTIL THEY COULD AGREE ON WHERE THEY WANTED TO GO. EVENTUALLY THEY MADE IT TO THE SPACE NEEDLE AND SOME FORT. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE SIGNIFICANCE OF IT.





WE FOUND THIS DOG WANDERING AROUND THE FARM. WE WERE TOLD IT LIVES
THERE. THE GIRLS WERE NOT CONVINCED . THEY WERE SO WORRIED ABOUT THAT DOG. IT WAS SO EMACIATED YOU COULD SEE EACH RIB ON ITS RIBCAGE. LOOK AT THE SAD FACE. LUCKILY ON OUR WAY BACK TO THE PARKING LOT WE SAW IT EATING.






























































































































































Saturday, October 11, 2008

"STOP IT'S THE LAW!"

AT SCHOOL SAMI IS INVOLVED WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES IT MAKES MY HEAD SPIN! ONE IN PARTICULAR IS SAFETY PATROL. SHE LOVES TO DO THIS BECAUSE IT MAKES HER FEEL GROWN UP AND RESPONSIBLE. (AND THE PROMISE OF A COOL END OF THE YEAR FIELD TRIP AND HAVING BEST FRIEND CHRISTABELLA BE YOUR PARTNER HELPS!) I HAVE TO ADMIT IT FREAKS ME OUT WHEN I THINK ABOUT ALL THOSE CRAZY DRIVERS NOT PAYING ATTENTION. THIS FIRST PICTURE IS MY FAVORITE. I ONLY HAD MY CELL PHONE WITH ME WHEN I TOOK THESE SO SOME OF THEM ARE HARD TO SEE.










Wednesday, October 8, 2008

"Who Wants Dinner?"


Since I don't have a little baby running around my dog Molly often fills this role! I have come to the conclusion that dogs will never cease begging. It is in their nature. They are wild at heart and no matter how hard you try they will never stop. So I have decided to embrace this by having a little fun with it! My babies favourite food is anything that contains cheese! Her favorite question I ask her......."Who wants dinner?" It is very entertaining! I always get a positive response and no matter what I offer it is always licked clean off the plate! (Or in this case the magic blue bowls saved for just this occasion! You should see the excitement when they come out of the cupboard!) Don't worry.....This is not an everyday occasion! I don't want my baby to be sick!

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Poor Margaret Tudor


I just finished my Fourth book about the reign of Henry the VIII. After reading this last book I have decided how fortunate I am to be able to live in this present period of time. I feel sad when I think about the life of Henry the VIII sister, Margaret Tudor. She would later become Queen of Scotland at the age of 13. She'd eventually fall in love with the man and king James IV. But when she is said to have had a vision of her husbands death brought on by her brothers (Henry the VIII) armies her life would never be the same. She begged James to let his army advance without him; but he wouldn't listen and never returned to Scotland. Margaret was now a widow with an infant son. She secrectly married another man who later robbed her of her rents and openly cheated on her with other women using her money to support his illegitimate children. She would also have her children kidnapped. Near the end of her life she did find some happiness in her grandchildren but died a very poor former Queen of Scotland who desperately wanted to return to her home land of England. I am thankful for the gift of agency.

Friday, October 3, 2008

The Cyclops Brigade!!

Our dog Molly is obsessed with ripping off just 1 eye on her toys. At first we thought she is just being a puppy. All puppies chew like this. But then I started noticing a pattern thus giving us the Cyclops Brigade! We have decided this habit is psychological and she really hates those beady eyes staring at her! So to harass her we hold her said toys so the remaining eye sticks out and we say "Hello Molly" in different voices. Oh it drives her crazy! But it is so much fun! Some other unfortunate friends. Poor Scooby!
Todays victim: Duckie!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

"To The Beach!!"

One of our favorite places to go is Picnic Point BeachBut sometimes the water is so dang cold!Shawn's favorite activity is to take Molly swimming!I think if Molly could speak Human she'd say "Save me MaMa!""Quick phone the hair dresser!!!!!"
"ahhhhhhhh. That's better! "

"Hey Kia, Is there something stuck to my face?"
"Golly Molly, I don't know. Is there something stuck to my face?"