The Best Poem Ever

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

something perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..

a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...

a feeling of control over her destiny. .

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

that her childhood may not have been perfect..but it's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..

whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month..and a year...

Pst. I have a secret

I am blogging on my other blog again.

Check me out there too!

Just click on "MY NEW BLOG SPOT" on right hand side. Fellow gluten free readers unite!

RaMBLINGS OR SOMETHING....

I feel that I am somewhat detached from my blog as of late. Life seems to be flying past me, yet at the same time, I am doing what I set out to do in 2008. I am reading more, with two books on the go, and two more coming in from Amazon.ca anytime. I am scrapbooking WAY more. I have completed my entire Vernon/wedding/girls summer weekend away, working on Christmas, and have loads of semi finished-but-at-least-printed-off-the-computer so-they-count pages. I am holding hands with Roger more, reading with the girls, tolerating the daycare kiddies, and drinking less coffee. I feel good.

I attended our Celiac restaurant night out tonight. I always feel akin to how I did when I attended Rotary meetings with my mom. I want to still introduce myself as someone's daughter. Nope. No sirry. This is my organization! I pay the membership! I reap the benefits! Like tonight. I got to dine in confidence with other Celiacs, talking about food while eating food. Ya, my kind of night. Actually I liked the getting dressed up for once, wearing my black boots and putting on mascara.

Life is good.

Celebration of Life

Today was Roger's dad's celebration of life, held in the Sooke Legion. We left the house in plenty of time, which was good, as Quinn decided to throw up in the van about 5 minutes out of Sooke. She had to ride the rest of the way in her shirt, and underwear and shoes. In a different car seat. With the van having the distinct aroma of bile. YUCK. Nothing like being all dressed up and attempting to clean barf up with gas station paper towels all the while attempting to maintain composure and patience. It is all good. There is a great consignment store in Sooke that looked after us, and Quinn looked awesome for her Papa's day.

The celebration was great. There was an awesome turn out, with last count being 275 people. That is 275 people that Gilles touched in some way. That made my heart swell. Quinn and Hayley pinned poppies on the cross in remembrance of him, and there were nary a dry eye when the letter from his mom in Quebec was read. A lovely tribute to an awesome man.

Thank you to all who thought of us today, sent us warm wishes and attended the service. Roger and I appreciate all of you, knowing that you were there for us made the day easier to get through.

Tag - I'M it!

Tagged by fabgrandma, and because I am such a good sport, I will play.

God forbid, If I don't I may not get asked out for a playdate again. Then spend all my day alone.

1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.
3. Share the 5 top places on your "want to see or want to see again" list.
4. Tag a minimum of 5 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Five random and/or weird things about me:

1. Very nervous about locking my children in the car. Almost a phobia. Especially with my brain capacity some days and the invention of automatic door locks.

2. I weighed 207 pounds on the day I gave birth to Hayley. I weigh 127 now. That is 80 pounds that I lost and NEVER found since. Yahoo!

3. We almost moved to Saudi Arabia when I was younger. My dad would have been a heavy duty mechanic with the oil fields. We never did. I am thankful.

4. When I was in kindergarten, my brother was born. When he was in kindergarten, my sister was born. When she was in kindergarten, we all held our breath. No more siblings.

5. I secretly love watching cartoon movies with Quinn. Especially Madagascar, Over the Hedge, and Chicken Little. Hayley and I could watch and re-watch Harry Potter forever. Not so up to date on what adults watch. I don't really care.

Five places I want to see:

1. Paris

2. Mexico

3. Tofino (again - so pretty)

4. Mom and dad's backyard

5. the inside of an airplane to anywhere without the kiddies for once in my life.


I tag:

LKW
the Queen
My sister
Lynn (free to eat)
anyone from Wet Coast woman

**not giving out links for privacy agreement. Sorry folks!**

Ramblings

I have not been posting as of late, due to many reasons.

Roger's dad passed away on December 22nd, and I have been devoting my time to his needs. There seems like there is a lot to do to be organized for his "celebration of life" that will take place on January 13th. So we have been busy with this.

Also, I am in the midst of some soul searching. I am looking to make my life less "busy" and when that time comes to sit back and enjoy nothing. I am forever wishing this, then when it falls into place, I create new projects, pick up new daycare kids or enroll in some new activity. I am searching for nothingness and hoping to find it soon. My soul needs this.

I am reading a great book that is taking my through my journey, called "Eat, Pray, Love" and I highly recommend it. It is full of humor, life lessons and explores one woman's quest for inner peace. She is easy to read, and very down to earth.

I gave my notice to one daycare boy yesterday, and am talking to another family in regards to the same thing today. I guess this is my way of reducing. thanks Queen! Reducing the sweat, the in and out of the van, the food that leaves my house and the amount of time that is NOT spent with my own daughters.

We were very fortunate that Roger's dad looked after us financially, and for the first time in my life I have the very blessed assurance of being debt free. We paid off Roger's student loan, my van and all the niggly debt that was pestering us. Now what we make, we have. Such an awesome feeling that only those that were in debt can fully appreciate. We continue to be in awe of the foresight that this man had, and are forever thankful to him.

My words for 2008 - appreciate, devote, complete, and inner peace. All of which are capable in my life.

Christmas: Captured in film

Licking the whip cream beaters

fun with nana Margo

Healy'ing on Christmas day in the Canadian Tire parking lot

Quinner running very fast.

Wadya mean my dress is sticking up in the back??

Hayley as a donkey at her Sunday School concert.

Drinking tea with her mittens on - Christmas Eve at Liz's house.

The note that Hayley left for Santa.

Learning to knit a "scrug"- we told her later that it was a "shrug"

Roller skating inside Carole and Eric's house on Boxing Day.

What are you still doing?

Antique Mommy asked her readers to comment on what they are still doing. Here are my answers.

Still amazed: at how I was blessed to be the mom to Hayley and Quinn, all the while secretly knowing that I have no clue what I am doing half the time.

Still getting used to: sharing Hayley with her dad on the weekends

Still loving: my body

Still proud of: leaving home when I was 17 to be a Rotary Exchange student to Australia - leaving behind my classmates that I had grown up with to graduate without me!

Still not proud of: past relationships left in need of repair.

Still hoping: forgive, embrace and move forward

Still worried: outliving my children

Still never going to: going on a "discover yourself" safari. All inclusive for me baby!

Still pretending: to not be in love with someone

Still reading: ever single night

Still wanting to read: the Secret

Still interested in: owning a house someday

Still not interested in: keeping up with the Jones' (not you Tanya - you are my cousin and I would keep up with you anyday!!)

Still looking forward to: a summer holiday in my mom's backyard

Still not looking forward to: having Quinn tested for Celiac

Still failing: run three times a week without fail

Still grateful for:my health, each and every day I get to tuck my kiddies in

Still praying: that Hayley and Quinn are always the best of friends.

Still not believing in: the quick fix

Still believing in: mankind

Christmas

My mom made me this beautiful wall hanging in celebration of Christmas. Here is what is quilted on it:

The Miracle of Christmas is Hope

The Spirit of Christmas is Peace

The Heart of Christmas is Love

The Warmth of Christmas is Friendship

While I do not want to downplay my true beliefs of why we celebrate Christmas, I also know that we should incorporate all other aspects into your holiday celebrations.

All the best to all my friends throughout the Season.

He is the Reason.

We lost a good man today

Gilles with his mom, Annette and father, Gaby - Summer 2007

Not a great photo, but Gilles with me, Roger and Chantal - Summer 2007

Gilles Beaulieu
March 14, 1951 - December 22, 2007

Always in our thoughts, never far from our hearts.

The very strange Christmas concert

Hayley had her annual school concert last night, and it was a strange one. Here are some diddies that were sung:
**Deck the Halls with Recycled Paper
**I'm dreaming of a green Christmas
**The Christmas Hop (complete with poodle skirts and jive music)

An appearance was made by "David Suzuki" (aka kiddie) to encourage us to "go green" and save the environment. There were candles lit for all the celebrations: Ramadan, Kwanzaa, Christmas, Hanukkah, and prayers were sent up for thanksgiving to the Salish tribe for the land on which the school was on. It covered all basis.

On the bright side, I am honing in on my video skills and here is Hayley (once again) in her singing and dancing debut. If nothing else,, she and the Kindergarten class dressed as trees singing "with a HO and a HE and HO HO HE" made me laugh.

Merry Christmas, however you celebrate it.

PS- the tilting was Quinners grabbing my camera. I think that it add character.

I CARE a LOT bear.

Has to hold the sign so we know what she is.

Hayley and her dad, Earl.

Hayley had her first ever skate carnival today, and I, brave as I am, decided to video tape it off my camera. Without reading any instruction manual. Without really focusing on what i was doing. With about 5 seconds to spare before I had to go back and put skate guards on the other care bears. For those of you that don't know, she is the one in the gray track suit, with "Christmas tree bear" so carefully made on the front. Also, the one with the tail glued on upside down. One of the older skaters ever so "nicely" pointed that out.

So basically, readers, you get to see her skate round and round in a circle, practicing her "I am the Queen wave" and looking damn cute.

Author note - I made that costume. Add glue gun to my list of wants. Along with a new vacuum cleaner. Not dollar store variety. I am just pleased that no one tripped on the sequins that fell off during the making of this video.

The curse of the household appliance

Ever get the feeling that your vacumn sucks? But not in the right way, not in sucking up dirt and debris, but just sucking in general?? It is maddening, as I lug it out, plug it in, turn it on, and proceed to push it back and forth - in hopes of it gathering up all the crap that has collected on my rugs. All the while my youngest princess is running and screaming like a banshee - for she thinks that it is cause for a party.

Then after I put the said appliance away - I walk on my rug and spot fluff, bits and scraps, a polly pocket shoe or two, and popcorn kernels. Obviously it needs refreshing on it's job description. When you vacumn, you are to collect the dirt. Not move it to a new spot on the rug.

Here in lies the dilemma. It is close to Christmas, and in no way, shape or form, am I getting a new appliance for Christmas. Hell will freeze over and I will ice skate pairs with Satan before I get up on the 25th and see a Dyson sitting there under the tree. Why not just accompany that with a new broom and a garden hose? Ya, what every girls dreams of. Not.

So with all the added work that the vacumn will have now that we have our Christmas tree up and it is shedding needles like a angora bunny - let's see how long the beast lasts.

We do have hardwood floors in the majority of our downstairs, I could always invest in a hokey - you know the broom-like thing you see in the restaurant industry. How cool of a mom would I be to ask my oldest daughter to "sweep" the carpet?

Your hands

Quinn, when you were a baby, your hands would curl around mine, and engulf me in so much love I thought my heart would burst wide open. Your hands have been very busy. They reach out for a cuddle, they wrap around my neck and squeeze - transferring your love to my body. No matter how weary, how tired, how exhausting they day may have been, your hands around my neck make it all worth while.

Your hands have painted, drawn, sculpted play dough, decorated my sidewalk with chalk, held bubble blowers and made bubbles dance in the air. They have been dirty, clean, burned, scratched, donned band aids, nail polish and sharpie pen drawings. They hold you up and keep me grounded. They cuddle stuffies and curl into your body when sleep overtakes you at night.

Your hands are practicing for adulthood. Then they have the arduous task of signing cheques, writing grocery lists, typing documents, driving your car and carrying the weight of the world. They will caress babies, wipe away tears, and cuddle with someone else. They will push me away, slam doors and text message everyone other than me. They will hold someone else's hand and make them feel special.

Stay little, my Quinners. Hold my hand and make me feel safe. Let me use my hands to wipe tears and wrap you into my arms. You are special, and wherever you go, whatever you do, remember that my hands will always be here to hold you.

Love, Mommy

Snow and the case of mistaken identity

So the Island received snow yesterday. And in true Island fashion it comes floating down in great huge flakes, blanketing everything in clean white strokes of winter wonder. It gave the children about a half an hour of pure bliss of running in it, gathering it up (along with leaves, cigarette butts and rocks) to make snowballs, cheering madly that we have snow for Christmas. Let's be real everyone, we did not even have snow for lunchtime. It melted before we even persuaded Quinn to wear her winter boots. And not her tutu.

Let's be clear on one thing. Snow in Northern BC = beauty. Long lasting whiteness. Five, sometimes six, months of whiteness. Snow on the Island = rain before long. Short lived fun. Long lived slush. Drivers with socks and sandals. Cars with the top down and the heat on. Five, maybe six minutes of whiteness. Not fun in my books.

But, alas. Old Mother Hubbard also visited us throughout the week and our cupboards were bare. We had no fruit. No veggies. No cream for coffee. Cereal, no milk. Time to part with cash and eat. So we venture out in the white slush and go to the grocery store. Only to remember that my van is involved in a move this weekend and the car that is in my driveway is very tiny. As in smartie size. As in, my kids and my purse are inside and I feel claustrophobic. That tiny. But we have to eat, so off we go. Quinn squished in her car seat with a snowsuit on. Roger beside me. Me breathing into a paper bag as I feel the world closing in on me. $200 later we are like a side show at the circus attempting to find room for all of this lovely food. We drive home with Quinn having the dubious honor of riding shotgun with the eggs and bread. Unload the groceries and I say to Roger, "hmmm, seemed like a lot in the car, why does the fridge seem like $200 more would nicely fit?"

Conclusion made. I am a driver of a minivan. Sadly as that sounds I am. I like the room, the space between me and the kids. I like that we have three row seating. That no one kicks the back of my seat. I like that 4 litres of milk does not make the van "full". So if you happen to see me driving a little black smartie around town, cutting people off and driving too fast - that was my alter ego. Not the real Michelle.

Plus all Celiacs know. Smarties are not gluten-free anyhow.

Only those from BC will get the humor is this one!

You might be from British Columbia if:

1. You know the provincial flower (Mildew)

2. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.

3. Use the statement "sunny break" and know what it means.

4. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.

5. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.

6. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.

7. You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal.

8. You consider that, if it has no snow on it then it is not a real mountain.

9. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Blendz, Moka House and Tim Horton's.

10. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye salmon.

11. You know how to pronounce Squamish, Osoyoos, Ucluelet, Esquimalt, Sooke & Nanaimo.

12. You consider swimming an indoor sport.

13. You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese,Vietnamese, Korean and Thai food.

14. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark while only working eight-hour days.

15. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho.

16. You are not fazed by Today's forecast:: "showers followed by rain," and

Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers."

17. You cannot wait for a day with "showers and sunny breaks".

18. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.

19. You know that Dawson Creek is a town, not a TV show.

20. You can point to at least two ski mountains, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover.

21. You notice "the mountain is out" when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.

22. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 5, but still wear your hiking boots and parka.

23. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 10, but keep the socks on.

24. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.

25. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists.

26. You recognize the background shots in your favorite movies & TV shows.

27. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you can't find the old ones after such a long time.

28. You measure distance in hours.

29. You often switch from "heat" to "a/c" in your car in the same day.

30. You use a down comforter in the summer.

31. You carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them.

32. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.

33. You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Raining (Spring), Road Construction (Summer) & Raining Again (Fall).

34. You actually understand ALL these jokes and forward them to all your friends in BC... or those who used to live here!

Trip to Vancouver

My new second cousin, welcome baby Jessica and congrats to my cousin Tanya!
Quinn loved the baby, and "petted" her head whenever she could. Hayley and Sam were only there for the entertainment value!
My beautiful, and growing up too fast, daughter, Hayley and Cadance, my niece.
Me and the two girls at the "Disney on Ice" performance. It was incredible!
Could not resist posting this one. This is Quinn and Hayley drinking $15 snow cones. Can you even believe it!

We had an amazing trip to Vancouver this past weekend. The gods, however, were against me, as my Mastercard was left to fend for itself on the Island. I guess that is one way to keep in budget!

We met mom, dad, Steph (sis) and Cadance (niece) in Langley and stayed at a hotel with a pool. It was only about a 10 minute drive (if you remember which exit) to my cousin Missy's house and even more second cousins. We had a blast swimming, talking and laughing. I am so lucky. I have two cousins whom I am very close to. We have kids that get along - we scrapbook - we laugh, have fun, cuddle our babies and take loads of photos. I love them both.

My niece and sister were also there, and boy is she cute! She is like a little fairy nymph. You just want to eat her up. She is walking now, toddling all over the place. It was also the first time that I had seen my sister since she was diagnosed with Celiac. She is managing well, it is so overwhelming the first year. She was over the moon when I told her all the junk food that she could eat though!

Disney on Ice was so good. Quinn sat mesmerized for two hours and Hayley loved it as well. All in all a great weekend away. Must do it again soon!

In Remembrance

"Without remembrance, there is repeating." ANON

Remembering is an act. It is faith that what happened long ago was not in vain. It is the acknowledgement of sacrifice and selflessness that war brought. It is knowing that young faces, often naive men, signed up to serve without the slightest idea of what is will cost them and their families. It is also knowing others stayed behind, in their country, not because they did not want to fight, but rather because they had jobs and commodities that deemed important for the war efforts to take place. It is for young women who darned socks, built care packages, tended to the sick, and typed letters of condolences when young soldiers lost their lives. It is remembering that hate ruled, guns spoke out instead of words, and violence was commonality. It is homes of fox-holes, of utter trust that went into the hearts of men, and killing before they, themselves were killed.

Seeing the elderly veterans today made me realize they were once these soldiers. They were not always the seniors that sit in the Legion, that drive scooters, that walk slow and interrupt my busy lives with their tardiness. They are not the inconvenience that look for exact change in the grocery line up, nor were they always the octogenarian that tells me that my girls need hats on their heads in the slightest cold. They were once young, visiting the dance halls, sneaking a kiss and a feel up in the car ride home. They were like me. They were raising babies, eking out a living, fighting with spouses......or worse yet, going it alone as their partner lost their lives. They have layers of pain, memories, tragedy, and sorrow. They may be old and cantankerous, buy they earned it. They have seen more than I ever will.

I thought about what it would be like to live through a war. To have entire towns say goodbye to the young soldiers, and then celebrate those that returned with a parade. To see strangers come up your drive and ring your doorbell only to deliver the worst news known to mankind. To have a funeral for someone that only has a memory, not a body. Or the opposite. To have your heart burst with pride and joy knowing the end has come on the 11th hour of the 11th month on the 11th day. To once again embrace those that left so long ago.

I took time to remember today. I urge you to as well my friends. Lets all be thankful for the strangers that sacrificed so much.

My mean ol' boss

My boss is very picky today. She has presented me with deadlines that are impossible to meet, she is demanding, temperamental and above all - irrational. I don't know what to do. It is not as if I can just quit, I have others that depend on me. My job is not an easy on to fill either - not like you can just put an add in the paper and wait for the responses to pour in.

Some days my boss is great. She makes me laugh, fosters my self esteem, tells me I am beautiful, and wants to be around me. Then there are days like today.

My boss is two and a half. Her name is Quinn, and she needs a nap.




For those that do not know I am taking a parenting course through the LIFE seminars. It is aptly called "Sidestepping the Power Struggle" and I love it. I am learning so much, and it is enabling me to be a better parent. This is a excerpt from my course.

THE GOOD CHILD

Effective parents produce normal children, not "good children". The message "I love you honey, but I hate everything about your behaviour!" doesn't have a great outcome in the bigger picture. If we are expecting children to be "good" then we really have to CUT IT OUT! Good children curb curiosity in order to be quiet, hide strong feeling and learn to be obedient. They can grow into adults who permit others to treat them badly, can't stand up for themselves or be assertive, and feel ashamed of their true self.

Isn't it amazing to hear people describe a good baby? Sleeps a lot, eats a lot, has bowel movements at regular times and doesn't cry much. The child gets older and starts to separate and assert himself and now what? Does that make him bad? It seems that "good" just means creating little work or trouble for adults. It has nothing to do with the child's moral awareness, kindness, empathy, psychological or spiritual health.

This is normal, healthy childish behaviour. Does your child fit here anywhere?
*makes messes and forgets to clean up (take a look in my girls room)
*gets into a lot of things (my makeup, hair products, cotton balls.....)
*misuses time (time to go in the van = time to find a toy)
*gets distracted (getting her backpack takes 15 minutes)
*fails to plan ahead (not hungry now = no food for later)
*makes great messes and resists (or can't) clean up (my life, need not expand)
*says things that aren't true (Quinn was once sick while riding in a helicopter)
*loses things (jackets, water bottles, agenda, scarf, mitts, head)
*can't focus on what is important....in my mind (manners)
*has mistaken ideals about the world (money grows on trees)
*forgets her manners (dinner every night)
*can act rude, inconsiderate and loud (farting and laughing, then telling everyone again)
*seems to think only of herself (but I need it right now, don't care if you are peeing)
*argues about silly things (rubber boots do go with everything you know!)
*says she can't do things that she can do just fine (like walking)


My kids must be normal. Maybe I need a coffee break from my little bossy boss today.

Photos of the scary day!

Picasso the Pumpkin

Quinn's pumpkin

Trick or treating princess

Hayley's dad and his mask of horror!

Princess Quinn in all her glory

Me (doctor Michelle), Hayley (princess Leah) and Quinn (pink princess) goofing off.

Hayley as Princess Leah

The daycare kiddies

So Halloween was a great success. Quinn had moments of nervousness with dark doorways and smoky areas, but other than that she was a trooper. As for Hayley, she looked awesome in her Princess Leah costume - and managed to bring in over 125 candies for her dining pleasure and my dental bill's demise this year.

I dressed up as a doctor, and the girls loved it! It was a fun costume, and I have to admit, it started as something that I did for the girls, and now do for me as well.

We had a daycare party through the day and they all had fun. We danced to crazy Halloween music and ate orange popcorn with spiders in it. Then mellowed out and watched "Dora's Halloween".

I am thankful there are no more candy ridden holidays until Christmas. Although, have to admit, like those chocolates that are filled with baileys.