Isn't she a beaut?

Yep, here she is, all 7 passengers of her. We are the PROUD new owners of a minivan! OMG! I actually really like driving it, at only 5'2" I feel a tad little in it, but all the same, it is nice. Getting both the girls in and out is a breeze, each in their own row. We refer to it as concert seating, I am in row 1 section A, Roger is in row 1 section B, Quinn is in row 2 section A, and Hayley is in row 3 section A. No one bugs each other, well, other than the normal amount anyhow.

Two features that I know I will love is the air conditioning, and the cruise control. It has a few more gadgets than the car, including a MP3 player. Was I not mentioning that I am low tech, and now I have a new stereo to come to grips with. WOW. Good thing I hung onto my CD's cuz now I can play them. Totally annoyed Roger with my Josh Grobin CD yesterday. Then again, new car, new rules, and if I am the only driver then I should be able to listen to whatever I want to. Note to self, borrow Liz's Patsy Cline CD for the next road trip........that'll quiet him up.

Last night we had the most amazing wind. I actually felt our house sway, and driving home from Moxie's at 1am (yuck) the VAN was moving too. It is so weird to me that we get crazy wind like that, you would think that is only found on the prairies. As far as I am concerned they can have it. For all the wind last night it still didn't blow away the rain clouds. Yes it is raining here again today.....

Things to be thankful for today: I don't work outside, I am able to be at home with only Quinn today for some one on one time, and no more little car - with two car seats, numerous snack containers and someone inevitably saying "she is on my side!" Good day.

Hey, has anyone seen Nemo?

Not much to report on this end, but had to post this photo for you to see. She actually forgot that, she had them on in the bath last night, and then when she saw herself in the mirror she started goofing off. OMG, it was so hilarious. Oh Quinn, you are truly unique!

So the other new to report is that we may become the proud owners of a mini van! The dealership is willing to do a straight across exchange for my car, and so we are waiting to see if that is the case, or just their way of getting us in the door. It is actually parked outside my door right now, and if I do say so myself, is not half bad as far as minivans go. It is a 2002 Ford Windstar, metallic blue with grey interior. Roger feels very comfortable in the passenger seat as well!!!! Getting the two girls in and out is easier, and I know that the extra room will come in handy. Now I am really going to be THAT mom who can always drive on field trips!! So stay tuned and maybe next post I will add a photo of the new member of our family.......

Have you met me, I am the queen, I have the wave down pat....

Yes, I am the queen, the queen of wiping noses, bums, picking up toys, singing to Fred Penner, reading a book and watching Harry Potter at the same time.....and my best talent ever is the picking up of toys. You should see me, I truly am the best in my class!!

Tongue in cheek though, everyone except me is sick in this house. Dog-bark coughs, runny noses, and worse of all, a grown man with a sinus infection. Kids just sleep it off, but men, they whine, complain, shuffle about and generally get on my last nerve. God forbid I get a cold - but I think that any virus knows that I am FAR too busy to be sick. Who would get everything done around the house then?

Here is Hayley, proud as punch, in her skating dress. She looks every bit the part when she is out there. The colour, I believe, is called "Flashdance Pink" but she loves it. I am very proud of her as well, she skates her butt off every week.

Quinn's latest move is to tackle the stairs. She scales them like nobody's business - nothing is going to get in this kid's way. Every time I look at her and remember how very little she was at birth (5 pounds 12 ounces), and even throughout the summer at only 9 pounds, I am astonished that she is accomplishing all this before she is a year old. Topping the scales at 16 pounds, she may be little, but she is so FAST. Between lifting her in and out of the car, stroller, packing her in the backpack, and now running after her - maybe now I will achieve the muscle tone I have been waiting for.....

My very bestest and oldest friend is off on a cruise right now. This is their third or fourth one, and the second one that they have taken their kids on. I am attempting to live vicariously through them, but instead I am sitting in my living room with a fleece on, drinking tea and being jealous. I do hope that they are having a great time though.

Well, off to watch Harry Potter with Hayley. It is one of those afternoons, curled up on the couch watching a movie together. Have a wonderful day!

early oh so early today...

Well it was one of "those nights" that I am thankful to say do not come along too often in this household. Yes, I was playing toys with Quinners at 3:30am this morning! Something is going on in that little body and mind, no sleeping. crusty nose, dog-bark cough, and not a big appetite. I am betting on teefers to poke through. She finally went back down at 5:45am, but I decided to not go to bed, my daycare boy arrives at 7am, and Hayley has early kindy today. So now that she is sleeping like a princess, I am already showered, have dinner in the crockpot and am working on my 2nd cup of coffee. I really refrained from making some in the early hours of the A.M., only because I want to enjoy it now. Probably break from tradition and have a Coke later as well.

In the times where everyone else is either rolling in from the bar, or sleeping like a "baby"- pardon the pun- I did some thinking. For a few years I have felt as though I am trodding along, not really in the mode of life that I thought I would be in. Marital break up, apartment living, raising Hayley mostly alone, and not in the profession that I went to school in. Basically I was having a pity party that only I was invited to. On the flip side of the coin, I am in a relationship that is (far from perfect), but is full of conversation and growth, have two beautiful daughters that I am blessed with, in a job that is flexible and rewarding, and have the freedom to be at home with both girls all week. I have great friends, an awesome, creative hobby, and what strained relationships I have had with certain people is on the mend.

I guess that early on in 2006, I am already takin' stock. I am thankful for more that three things each and every day - and my goal is to concentrate on the positive more. Eekk, that is awfully profound for someone that has been up since 3:30am!

Until tomorrow...

Warning - Earthquake zone

My weekend flew by! Moxies was SO busy throughout the weekend - but it made it go by fast. We spent Saturday night at my good friend Liz's house - with the premise that we were going to stay for about an hour. Well it turned into a kitchen party, made a run to get some ciders, cooked up some natchos and had the most laughs that I have had in a long time. Even Roger had an awesome time - but then again, he was the only male at the party!! Yah, about 5 hours later we came home - with Quinn still awake! She went to sleep immediately, only to wake up at precisely 4:21 - right when a earthquake measuring 4.2 hit us. I felt absolutely nothing - but Quinn was super sensitive to it I guess. The big Tsunami did not hit, although I lay bets on the fact that Vancouver Island actually moved farther into the Pacific. Next thing we know BC Ferries will jack their prices again because of it!!!

I am enjoying my last moment of solitude, both girls are asleep, Roger is programming his MP3 player, and I am having tea. Tomorrow begins the chaos once again. School, fieldtrips, skating, a meeting, interviewing a new family for membership within the co-op, getting our new phone installed (we switched to Shaw - Telus can kiss my behind), and then BINGO the weekend is here again. Best news of all - no rain here in Victoria today!!! Although Vancouver did, so if it rains again there tomorrow then we beat the silly old record.

Things I am grateful for today - bought a week's worth of groceries with the tips that I made at Moxies (didn't touch the bank account), Roger is having a great weekend, and both my girls are home again, safe and sound sleeping in their beds. Ah, life is great.

Gonna build my ark with a new kind of animal

Well, we are about to set a new record here in Victoria. We have officially had rain for 26 days in a row. Five more to go and we beat the record originally set in 1956. Boy oh boy, can't we beat the record for the most sunny days in January? No, we pick rain. Great way to bring in the new year, I actually think I am getting web feet. Although, I am proud to say, still wearing my capri pants today. Wonder why I can't kick this cold I have?

2006 has begun on a strange note. Roger suffers terribly with SAD and all this rainy weather is not helping any. The good thing is that he is workingReall dayshift now, and at least is out when it is not dark. Needless to say, he is not his normal jovial self. Ha, those of you that know him, can see that as a joke, with a nickname as "OLD MAN BEAULIEU" one can only be so jovial. Every day that we have more daylight hours is better, soon this will be behind us as well.

As mentioned before, Hayley passed her skating, and is now wearing her skating dress 24-7. By the time she gets to wear it on the ice the poor thing will be in rough shape. She is so proud of herself though. Really who am I to say that she has to take it off?

Well of to Home Depot to get my ark supplies, what kind of animal would you pick to put on your ark? I would pick dolphins (they mate for life), platypus (or when your pluralize it does it become platypi?), and soft cute bunnies (you can litterbox train them), and then the remainder would be all the endangered species - what about you?

Things I am thankful today - don't have to take the bus in the pouring rain, Hayley has a playmate to hang out with today, and my $80 capris that I have been coveting at the Gap finally went on sale for $20. A good day. Until tomorrow - laugh at least once today, but not when you see me in my new jeans ok?

One day past hump day

Thursday already. Where has the time gone? I am feeling rather melancholy today, the weather on the Island is dark and dreary, with rain falling from the cloudless sky. Hayley has a dentist appointment this morning before Kindergarten and that means that although I want to stay snuggled in my flannel pj's, I must go get dressed. For some strange reason, she loves the dentist, she sure did not get that fascination from me.

She is amazing though. On Tuesday I bought her a skating dress with the premise being that she had to learn to properly stop in figure skating before she was allowed to wear it. She has been trying this since before Christmas, and yesterday she did it! She recieved her level 2 badge in Canskate and can proudly wear the dress and tights next week!!! I honestly believe my heart grew!!!

Quinn must be going through a growth spurt, she is a sleeping fiend. Still snoozing as of now. So I should be using this time to get some things done, but instead chose to spend it here with a coffee. I am laying bets that she will walk before she is a year... Stay little, baby Quinn, you may be the last baby that comes into this household.

time time ticking.......

Trying this again. I cannot blog two days in a row, and now am having issues. I am too low tech. Decided to do what most sane people do and read the instructions, hopefully that will help me. If not, I am resigned to email and not to blogging, as who wants to read my life in one boring blog? I did finally edit some photos to my page though, as you notice they are different though. I will add one of my family soon as I remember how.

Noting much to report, I am just going to see if this works.......

just out of curiousity...

Like I mentioned before, I am quite low tech, and now cannot get my post to follow one another, so I am writing to see if I actually have TWO entries, and not ONE.

Could it be that I am running on interupted sleep as Quinn decided that in my arms was where she wanted to be last night? Note to self, we need more comfy pillows on the couch......

Until next time.......

day two at this blogging

Here it is day two and I am "online" again. Having a few issues, but what can I say, I am low tech. Roger is the geek in this family - and really that was not a goal of mine in highschool. I am from the era that we did not even have computers in school, until the 12th grade, and then we took a class called "computer science". It was beyond me then.

Life is grand, as you can see, the "PIRATE" is a hoot as always. She hates the feel of her bare knees on the hardwood floor, has two bottom teeth now, and is eating everything know to mankind. She may be small at 16 pounds, but she can sure pack it away! Quinn really makes me laugh, especially now that she waves - but only to herself - I wonder where she thinks that she is going anyhow? Probably to somewhere where there is carpet on the floor.......

Now if I could only get my five year old to learn to stop while she is on the ice and quit using the boards I would be happy. Although I should be grateful, she is not whining and sucking on her mitts while she is skating, she loves each and every minute of it. Who knew that I would be a rink mom already.....it seems like yesterday that the only reason that I was at the rink was to see the millionaire hockey team in my hometown play. Drinking slurpees with booze, wearing skirts in -20 weather, hanging out at the 7-11, alas I digress..... Really Hayley is a joy, bringing laughter to my life, and really there is no other child quite like her. She is my princess.

Well, here is to longer days, hotter weather, and someone other than me getting their driver's license in this house. A girl can dream can't she??????