85th

My Grandma turns 85 tomorrow. She is 85 years young.  She has 3 children, 5 grandchildren, and so far, has 10 great-grandchildren that she loves, and loves to spoil. She just had surgery to remove lung cancer, and it was successful. Yesterday we celebrated her birthday in grand style. My aunt invited her remaing brothers and sisters and their children, etc, and any other friends and family that was interested in attending. My grandmother was one of 8 children, and has 5 living siblings left.  I think.

Yesterday was a fabulous day. The rain held off for us, and everyone had a terrific day. There was much eating, chatting, acquainting and re-acquainting with cousins and their new generation of children.  There was a giant bounce castle, lots of picture taking, and a few beverages were had by all. In all, I think there was close to 70 people there. And there were more than a few tears.  It really was special to have the entire family together again. A very touching day, to see all the cousins together, and the new cousins (our children) all playing together just like we used to do. My aunt put out pages for people to fill in the necessary family information to be added to the geneology of the group. And just about everyone provided such information. I don’t know how many times I overhead, “HOW are we related again?”, as children asked their parents.

So to my Grandma, as she celebrates tomorrow, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, we love you!!

 

T-I-M-B-E-RRRRR!!!!!

The tree is GONE!  Gone I say!!  WOOHOO!! 

I was standing in the kitchen today, shortly after lunch when I happened to look out the kitchen window and I see a truck coming down the road.  A truck, you say, so what?  Well it had one of those big green boxes on the back. You know, the tree removal kind. My heart fluttered for just a moment. I waited as it came nearer to my home and slowed down, looking for the name of the company. Is it them? IT IS!! YAY!  The truck stopped, then pulled ahead again, and my heart sank. No! NO!!!! COME BACK!  They stopped again. And two men boys get out.  I walked out front and asked if they were here to take my tree away. When said that yes, indeed, they were… I actually did a little happy dance. Right there, in front of them.

So they proceeded to eat their lunch as I moved my van out of the path of destruction, and I ushered my oh-so-totally-excited 4yo’s back in the house to let the boys eat in peace. I told them I would call them once the truck started. So at 1:30, they began and I called the girls up to witness.  I snapped pictures. I debated going to pull my 8yo son out of school to watch, but decided not to. I had, however, promised him I would take photos. So I had to uphold my end of the bargain. These tree boys must have thought I was just cracked.

From start to end of clean-up was LESS than an hour!!! For a 70ft spruce tree! Amazed.  I have tried to post some pictures here, but it won’t let me for some reason. So you have to go here to see them. All 90 of them. Yes, you heard me. NINETY of them.  Go…enjoy. I sure as hell did. 

Good times

We had a pretty awesome weekend around here. The weather sucked rocks, but we had fun anyways.  Busy, busy as always. It started Thursday night with the girls dance rehearsal. Their very first. We arrived there on time, and they had no idea what was going on. When it was their turn to go up, 10 little 3 & 4yo’s trekked up on stage and stood there. Wondering. Then the teachers got them dancing and it was the funniest thing ever. Ever.  Picture 10 little girls and one boy, aged 3-5, doing a dance routine, dressed as lolli-pops. Not total candy, just little skirts - except for the boy, and a little dot made of material, pinned to their chest. Wearing tap shoes. TAP. So they did 2 run-throughs, then we were done. My girls loved.it.  Said it was the best dance class ever. Their favourite.  The actual recital was 2 shows - one Saturday evening, then Sunday afternoon. They were awesome. As awesome as two 4yo’s in their first ever recital, wearing tap shoes, can be. The other little kids were just there, kind of following along. But MY girls….. rocked it. They were so enthusiastic! Their little pony tails just-a-bouncin’. Loved.it.

On Friday night we had our favourite other ‘big’ family friends over for a little BBQ.  So Chantal and her crew decended on our house, and we had a blast. As always. The kids all played together, though this time was slightly different than the last few visits. Chantal’s youngest boy discovered that our two girls love the game cube almost as much as he does. And our boy rediscovered Chantals’ youngest daughter, and how much fun they used to have together.  And the 3 older girls ‘hung out’ like the teens and preteens they are. Though the kids were up a late, and, of course, woke early the next day, it was still fabulous to see them again.

Saturday morning was the annual MBFA (multiples association) Family Picnic.  Thankfully it was an indoor even this year, because it poured buckets outside! But the kids loved it. It was held at an indoor soccer dome. It houses 3 fields I think, with a giant, heavy, revolving door to get out of the soccer area. So needless to say, children were not able to ‘escape’ easily at all. they ran, and ran, and ran. They bounced on the bouncy rides. They laughed and ran some more. They found ‘friends’ to play with - and oh look! they look the same, like us!  ;)  HOW COOL!  There was a clown show, for the delight of the kids, and the horror of some parents. (I have issues with clowns. Remember the book/movie It ?  You get it.)  But I sat through it. The kids were in hysterics. And that was fun to watch. As they kids all sat on the ground in a group, watching the clown, jumping and screaming to be heard as she asked inane, stupid questions that only kids can love. We watched as they got more and more excited, screamed louder and laughed, as only little kids can. I am always in awe of this level of amusement. Every time I see my kids go through it.

And finally, today after the recital, the girls and I drove my Mom and step-dad to the airport for their 2 week trip to California - to see my step-brother in L.A., then drive up the coast to San Fran,  then up to Vancouver to see my younger brother and SIL, and my aunt. They cried when we got there, and Grandma and Papa got out of the van and we didn’t. They cried, and got mad at me, and cried some more. As I drove away, they fought, kicked and touched each other, in that most annoying way that siblings do. I almost ran up the curb as I drove. then swerved back and narrowly avoided running other cars off the road. Only to turn around and see them both asleep a mere 5 minutes after our near-death experience. And in all honesty, I was oh-so jealous, wishing I could go right to sleep with them. But the driving thing was a minor inconvenience.

Then tonight, we decided - last minute, to take the kids out to eat in honour of the girls first performance. And, as anyone with kids knows, that is anything BUT a relaxing dinner.  Thankfully, Jack Astor’s is here, and a perfect place to bring our energetic brood. So they coloured on the tables, spoke in the volume that children love (LOUD), barely touched their food and asked to use the facitlities only 8715 times before I finally brought them in.  Thank God for marguaritas (one of which was ‘Jacked-up’).

Now, I am home, relaxing, folding the 5 baskets of laundry I have been neglecting for days, checking Facebook, and blogging. I am going to crash very soon. I think the girls finally stopped talking to each other at 9:15, after being put to bed at 7:45. Hyper much?

It’s my birthday, and I’ll play if I want to.

All week I have been bitching to whoever would listen my friends about how my husband never plans a thing for my birthday, not even a cake. I have also been whining to those same people about how sucky my laptop is, and how I NEED a new one. And as you know, I play ball all this weekend, so really, any plans are pretty much out. Yesterday he golfed early and came home unexpectedly early. Hang on, minds out of the gutter there…. So I went and picked up the kids as usual, and he jumped on the treadmill while no one was home to bug him. Once we were back - me and the kids that is - and he was all done and showered again, I suggested that we go out for a late dinner, or even dinner with the kids if he wanted. He agreed to go for a late dinner/drinks. We fed the kids, and after being on the treadmill myself yesterday afternoon, hubby and I were quite famished by 530pm, and decided to have a quick burger before heading out later on. Our oldest Daughter was going to babysit (thank the lord! I am LOVING this!), so we asked if she wouldn’t mind putting the girls to bed, just so we wouldn’t have to be out too late, for her sake. ‘Yeah, yeah Mom’ was her response. Teenagers. Anyways, then my Mom shows up unexpectedly, and offered to drive us to Moxie’s. Yay! We get there, the place is packed. Who knew it was a Kanata HOT SPOT on a Thursday night???  Surely not us. I mean, we have kids. We don’t go out. Mid-week. Or even all that often! Anyway, we ended up having to wait for a table, so I popped outside for a few minutes before hand. Can you guess where this going yet?

We get called to the table, and as I am walking back, I realize there are no empty tables, but there are two people with menus up completely covereing their faces at one table. It took me second, but I figured it out. Hubby not only planned something, but pulled off a surprise for me. And for anyone who knows me, knows that can’t be an easy thing to do.  By the end of the night, there were 9 of us around a table. Not one of us had a camera. Go figure. Drinks were flowing, I was having a ball, everyone else seemed to be having fun as well. Did I mention drinks were flowing? Like, really flowing! Ouch.  Once the party ended, and we got home, I found out that my Mom knew, my kids knew and it was all coordinated. So my Daughter had my Mom and step-Dad here as back up for her. Good thing, cause we didn’t get home till 1130pm. But yeah, they all knew, had it all worked out, and sat back and had a giggle as I bitched. In good fun of course.

Then we get home, and say goodbye and thanks to my parents, and hubby says ‘OK, here’. And nods to a computer case, that I thought was his. At first I thought, my gift is IN his bag?  Why can’t her get it out and give it to me? Proper like? Then he nods at it again, and says, ‘It’s your gift!’ Did I mention the drinks were flowing like a waterfall? My brain is not processing at high speeds at this point, and it finally sinks in - the COMPUTER BAG. I just looked at him in shock and ‘A new laptop????’ So it isn’t “new”, but the screen doesn’t flicker wildly either!!  It’s a Toshiba something or other. And the outside shell is blue, but I’ll take it just the same. :)  I got me a new laptop!! YAY!!! 

So here is a picture taken this morning, of all my cards from all the kids, and my chocolate - 85% dark btw, along with my new laptop and new phone!  And I jsut got a call from a local store where I had a purse on order, and it came in today!!  So the birthday money I got from my inlaws can be used to buy me a new purse.

Not even noon yet, and I’d say it’s a pretty darn good day already. Now only if I didn;t feel like I’d been hit by a MACK truck followed by a steamroller - I’d be ALL set!  I just hope I get my second wind by 5pm so I can play ball at 730, then party some more. ;)  LOL.

Shiny

So I got my new phone. Finally. Ended up choosing, and going with, the LG Shine. It was quite the riga-marole to physically get the phone in my hand. And you wouldn’t think that would be the case when you purchase it IN store. But, oh yeah, it was. Even the guy in the store was getting pissed off talking to the Rogers Upgrade and Activation teams on the phone. He must have made about 12 calls to get my phone activated. I told him it was nice to see that even Rogers employees get as pissed off talking to the phone line people, as I do sitting at home.

Where did I leave off before….??  My tree. The monstrous, half-dead, ugly-as-sin spruce in my front yard. Still there. Four other trees on my street have been cut down, but not ours.  Not yet.  And I am waiting. Not-so-patiently anymore. But, aside from cutting it down myself - and since my huband gets nervous when I have a steak knife in my hand - that won’t be happening, and I just.have.to.wait.

We went to the IL’s for the long-weekend, and had a great time. I bought some beautiful new shoes. I won’t tell you, cause most would gag or ridicule me to no end. (Hint; my favourite colour… it’s also a fruit) And they were - get this - FOUR INCH HEELS with a platform. And I wore them. Out. In public. With my il’s who are ALL under 5′10. I was even two inches over hubby! (6′2″)  Ooooohhhh they were nice. But I bought them at Winners, (paid 59.99!) got them home and realized the leather was….. shoved up(??) on the back of the heel. So I returned them the next day. I felt bad. Because I don’t do that. But things, wear them, then return them. But I did NOT want to give them up. But after the knicked heel, and suffering wearing them for a night…. I gave in and brought them back. Hoping the clerk wouldn’t give me a hard time about it, cuae I’d probably cave and admit to wearing them out on the town all night. Did I mention they were at least 1/2 a size too small?  Oh….. sorry.  :)  But in my defense, I DID try them on, and THOUGHT I could wear them.  I was so.wrong.

Moving right along, this w/e is my birthday. And my spring ball tournament. YAY!  My actual bday is Friday and we play at 730pm, then the party begins. Two more games Saturday, another party night, and finals on Sunday. Which, if we don’t play, we pull up the lawn chairs, grab a beer coffee, sit in the sun and watch the teams that did make it that far. It’s a good time. Trust me. The only downfall is playing at 9am Saturday, totally hung over. But the good side of that, is that everyone we’re playing against is doing the same. REALLY safe. Really.

The girls dance recital is also coming up. Rehearsal, and two shows to be exact. And $70 worth of costumes. For two 4yo’s. And throw in the multiples association annual picnic that weekend, and a bbq with friends, and there you have our life this month. Nice, relaxing, summer fun.  All good. No?  Marguarita anyone?  Make it 4 and I’m there.

Oh, and only …. what…. 5 more weeks of school?  Grade 8 grad?  OY.  Thankfully her Dad and step-thing bought her total outfit, earings all the way down to shoes. It’s doubling as a junior bridesmaid outfit for step-thing’s sisters’ wedding.

Anywhoooo… gotta go check dinner. Hubby will be home soon after being out in the rain all day golfing. Only to be repeated again tomorrow.  Work much dear?