tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350270072024-03-13T07:25:14.314-04:00What spare time?Ramblings, rants and random thoughts in my spare time.Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.comBlogger365125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-55294600952477833952014-10-28T15:12:00.001-04:002014-10-28T22:36:09.532-04:00DIY Firestar Halloween costumeFor the second year in a row, Alexandra set her mind on being an obscure character for Halloween. Last year it was WordGirl. This year, it's Firestar.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last year's DIY WordGirl costume</td></tr>
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Who is Firestar? I had no idea. Apparently she's a friend of Spiderman from the cartoon Spiderman and his Amazing Friends circa mid-1980s. (Thanks Netflix for introducing my kids to these old 80s cartoons.)<br />
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(By the way, who is WordGirl? She's from a PBS Kids TV show that Alex was obsessed with last year.)<br />
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Alexandra first saw the cartoon last year, but it was when watching a few episodes again this summer that she set her mind on Firestar for Halloween.<br />
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At which point, I sighed.<br />
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Because everyone knows that I don't sew and being crafty is not really my thing. Thank goodness for the Internet.<br />
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After spending much time Googling FireStar kids costumes, I discovered that there were other parents out there over the years in the same predicament as me -- having a kid who wanted nothing more than to be a little-known superhero for Halloween.<br />
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Thank goodness for much craftier moms than me, who lay the how-to ground-work that I simply had to adapt. The hardest part was running around to different stores to find the different pieces.<br />
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I started with finding a pink, long-sleeved ballet leotard from a dance store and (roughly) matching pink leggings from a children's clothing store.<br />
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Then they were dyed yellow (for the record, Ryan helped with this part) using RIT clothing dye.</div>
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The red boots, we just so happened to already have in the dress-up box. So, I cut the bows off of them, cut a flame pattern out of orange felt and used a glue gun to stick it to the sides of the boots. </div>
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The same orange felt flame pattern was cut out for the gloves. The gloves were made up of two parts though. The sleeves are the cut-off pieces of long, red witches gloves I found at the dollar store. They were way to big for her, hence the cut-off part. The fingered gloves are simply little red magic mini gloves, also from the dollar store. </div>
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The mask was a great find. I had planned to make it myself, but while buying the Rit dye, I found these plain white masks at the craft store. Alex painted it red.</div>
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The hair? An Ariel princess wig. </div>
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The results? One VERY happy girl. </div>
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<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-66405226705888523522014-10-27T22:44:00.000-04:002014-10-28T20:36:05.293-04:00Race report: The second time was way more fun than the first<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay me!</td></tr>
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On October 19, I ran the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront half marathon – two years almost to the day from the first time I ran the same race.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It was a cold one. Just 3C – which is fine if you’re dressed for it, but I was wearing just capris and a long sleeved run shirt.<br />
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Ryan and I started the morning off by meeting up with my teammates at the Fred Victor office. I wasn’t planning to run with them, but we all fundraised for the same cause so it was nice to get together before hand to motivate each other and take a few pictures. And our team captain had bright green Fred Victor tech-T’s for us to wear for the race.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Fred Victor is ready to go!</td></tr>
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When we got over to the start line, I felt much calmer than I ever had before a race. I had this ‘Bring. It. On” mentality, rather than one of fear, which is how I felt two years ago. There was no doubt in my mind that I could cover the distance this time, and I just wanted to get started.<br />
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That and I was freezing. Once in my corral, strangers simply started huddling together to keep warm.<br />
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Finally, my corral start time came and we were off. I was feeling pumped and before I knew it I had covered the first kilometre, with my RunKeeper app telling me it was at a way faster pace than my normal pace. As I passed Ryan (who was looking for me, but didn’t see me until I yelled at him), I tried to tell myself to slow down. I still had 20K to cover after all.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The obligatory selfie. Bring. It. On.</td></tr>
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At 2KM, we turned onto Bloor where friends of mine were standing by the side of the road scanning the crowd for a glimpse of me. Their screaming gave me a boost and helped me settle into a rhythm.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Along Bloor and down Bathurst – this is my favourite part of the race and I flew through it easily. The onlookers cheer for everyone and it's so easy to just suck up their energy. I was having so much fun that I barely noticed I was running.<br />
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It’s here where it became apparent that the GPS on the RunKeeper app was off from the actual race markers. It was ahead by about 50 metres. Let me tell you, 50 metres is not a big deal at 1KM, but it’s cumulative – so by the time I got to 20KM, it had me ahead by a whole kilometre! (Now that’s frustrating when you’re exhausted – but I’ll get to that part later.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my race stalker</td></tr>
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Ryan, who once again was amazing and chased me by bike for the entire 21.1 kilometres, showed up again as I was running down Bathurst. I was about 6 kilometres in, feeling good, and thinking “I’m ok, I'm having fun, I don’t need you to motivate me through this (but it sure gives me a smile and a boost to see you).”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kilometre 6, 7 and 8 also flew by and I actually had to remind myself to stop and swallow a gel pack. And then I was on Lakeshore. This was the part of the race that I was least looking forward to, as it’s an out and back to Ellis Ave. And let’s face it; Lakeshore – with the lake to one side and the Gardiner to the other – isn’t that interesting. But I kept going, and as I passed the 10KM mark, I realized (according to my not-quite-right RunKeeper) that I was ahead of my target pace (My official 10K time was 1:09:31 and I was targeting 1:10).<o:p></o:p></div>
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The fatigue and the dreaded wall started to set in soon after that and I was relieved to see Ryan again after a 5 or 6 kilometre break.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kilometre 14, 15, 16, 17 – they all started to look the same. Because this was on the way back on Lakeshore (with a bike path alongside the road), Ryan was there to cheer me on a lot. At times he was encouraging me (or taunting me) every 500 metres or so. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I even got a little chatty with him as I ran by.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But as the kilometres went on, my chattiness turned to a simple nod of the head acknowledgement of his words of encouragement. He was shouting “you can do it” and I am so grateful to hear it coming from him and not just the random strangers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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By 20 kilometres, I was done (especially since my RunKeeper was telling me that I was), and what motivated me most at this point was being relatively confident that I was ahead of my target pace – meaning if I could just keep it up for 1 more kilometre, I’d come in at around 2:30.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Turning up Bay Street (from Lakeshore) towards the finish there’s a tunnel. It was dark in there – in fact it almost felt too dark. And then suddenly, you’re on the other side and people are lined up along both sides of the street cheering as you run your final 1K.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok, yup. I'm exhausted. But I did it!</td></tr>
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It was exciting and suddenly I found the strength I'd been having trouble finding for the last few kilometres. As I got closer to the finish line, the crowds increased, as did the noise. And I was scanning every person as I ran – two years ago, I couldn’t find Austin and Alexandra in the crowd and I was determined to see them today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And there they were, 100 metres from the finish line and yelling like crazy with my sister and brother-in-law. I smiled. I couldn’t wave. I just had to keep going.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Two years ago, I ran this race in 2:31:45 – this year’s goal was 2:30.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Finishing time: 2:27:23!<br />
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It’s official, I think I’m addicted – because I’m getting some crazy ideas of what race to run next. There’s a half marathon in Ottawa that looks like fun.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team Fred Victor post race: Check out all those medals!</td></tr>
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Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-19438518946498119432014-08-20T21:11:00.002-04:002014-08-20T21:56:12.241-04:00Lacing up my runners to raise money for an incredible organization<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=2501110&langPref=en-CA#&panel1-1" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: red; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SPONSOR ME</span></a></h3>
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For those of you who know me, you’ll know that two years ago
I ran my first – and only – half marathon. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Running it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in
my life. And I’ve birthed two kids, and I can still say that running a half
marathon was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. Mind you, my
finishing time of 2 hours and 31 minutes was a full 2 hours and 24 minutes
longer than it took to birth my daughter!<br />
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I was on an adrenaline high when I finished the race, and
that high lasted for weeks and weeks. That high led to me wanting to run
another half marathon but as winter turned to spring last year, I lacked the
motivation to start training again. After all, it’s not only the 2 and a half
hours of race running that’s the killer – it’s the months and months of putting
in the mileage beforehand. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So I must be crazy when I say I’m training to do it again. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But this time, I’m motivated to run the Scotiabank Toronto
Waterfront half-marathon to raise money for an incredible organization here in
Toronto. Fred Victor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Fred Victor has been helping homeless and low-income people
in Toronto for the last 120 years. Every day, more than 1,000 people use their
programs and services and every person who comes through their doors is
experiencing poverty or homelessness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So why am I running for Fred
Victor? Because their much-needed programs and services help people rebuild
their lives. And because the issue of homelessness suffers from stereotypes and
prejudices. The reality is that there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ homeless
person. Very few people choose to be homeless and it can happen to anyone –
sadly, in a city as expensive as Toronto, it can happen faster than many of us
care to think about or admit. For some, their descent into poverty is swift,
with the loss of a job, the loss of a loved one, a family break-up, substance
abuse or the onset of mental illness. For others, poverty comes from escaping a
violent situation or being kicked out for coming out. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Most homeless people don’t actually live on the streets, but
in emergency shelters or on the couches of friends and family. Regardless of
how they get there, Fred Victor is a place where everyone is respected and
accepted. Fred Victor offers affordable housing units, emergency shelters, food
access, job training, health information and support services.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These services are essential because not everyone is lucky
enough to have a family that loves, supports and accepts them, as I have always
had. And not everyone can easily pick up the pieces if they lose their job, as
I once had to do. <o:p></o:p></div>
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On October 19, I’ll be lacing up my runners and running 21.1
kilometres through the streets of Toronto to raise money for Fred Victor.
<a href="https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?registrationID=2501110&langPref=en-CA#&panel1-1" target="_blank">Please visit my fundraising page tosupport me</a> – all money raised greatly benefits everyone in the Fred Victor
community.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Learn more about <a href="http://fredvictor.org/home" target="_blank">FredVictor</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-80265359019773887202014-06-25T15:07:00.000-04:002014-06-26T09:28:40.011-04:00The last 8 months with my partner in crime<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">It’s been 8 months since I last wrote on
this blog. And 8 months since Alexandra quit going to Montessori School and
started coming home every day at 11:30 after Kindergarten. And to quote what I
wrote then:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-CA">“</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It means that for 8 months, I'll have to go back to working many
evenings. It means that for 8 months, arranging meetings with clients will
require creativity. It means that for 8 months, we'll put together a hodge
podge of care -- a sitter's going to come in one afternoon a week, etc. It
means that for 8 months, my friends and family will be relied on from time to
time and I'll be less available for a coffee break or a lunch date. It means
that for 8 months I'm going to be juggling a lot of balls.<br />
<br />
But, most importantly, it means that for 8 months, our child will be happy
again.<br />
<br />
It means that for 8 months, I get to spend a little extra time with my baby.”</span> </blockquote>
And apparently, it meant that for 8 months
I wouldn’t write on this blog.<br />
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So here’s what happened in 8 months. It took a few weeks to find our groove of being together every afternoon and Alex slowly started to return to being that happy and easygoing child we once knew. She once again started eating, she became less clingy and she slowly came around to sleeping better as well.<br />
<br />
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<span lang="EN-CA">After that, it took a village to get through the school year. As much as I said I’d scale back work, business was booming. And as I’ve said before, when you work on contract it’s hard to say no when business comes calling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">And so I have a lot of thank yous to pass around. Some days Alex and I had time to just hang out, and other days friends and family all came to my rescue when I was sinking in work and suffering from a severe lack of hours in the day. And some days, Ryan would come home from work a little early or take the kids out on the weekend for a few hours just so I could get back to work. Working full time with just two hours to yourself every day ain’t all it’s cracked up to be!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">But because of the village, some days and weeks I got much more than two hours a day. And on the days and weeks that I didn’t need more than two hours to get the job done, I got to spend time with my baby. And, in a way, the two of us became partners. The one thing I hadn’t considered back in October, was that at 5 and a half years old, she ‘gets it’ when I say ‘mommy has work to do’. She rarely ever complained on the days that I had no additional care for her and after lunch I’d have to hole back up in my office for a couple of hours. She found something to do – which wasn’t always just sitting in front of the TV.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-CA">And sometimes, 'my partner' would sit and work with me. We'd print off worksheets from the Internet or simply get the craft bucket out. And while I sat with my laptop at the kitchen table, she worked away as well. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-CA"></span></div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">And I discovered that I really enjoyed the
time I got to spend with her. Not that I thought I wouldn’t but despite the
stress, the constant time crunch and the feeling that I was always running to
somewhere (or to pick someone up from school), I enjoyed this school year. I
enjoyed having my baby home with me.</span><br />
<br />
And so as the school year wraps up this
week, it’s a bittersweet feeling. Gone forever will be my afternoons alone with
Alexandra. Gone forever will be Kindergarten as she makes her way into the
brave new world of Grade 1 in the fall. And although I’m looking forward to
getting some me time back (and getting back to having more work hours in the day) – I’m also going to miss the company.</div>
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-37850862086510242332013-10-22T21:28:00.000-04:002013-10-22T22:52:31.303-04:00And the solution to our impossible situation...It's been a long month. From <a href="http://www.debssparetime.blogspot.ca/2013/09/our-impossible-situation.html" target="_blank">my last post</a>, you all know that Alex was having trouble at her Montessori school. (Quick recap: Alex's new French Immersion school is only half-day Kindergarten, unlike the full-day Kindergarten she went to last year. So to fill the gap, we registered her at a nearby Montessori school for the second half of the day.) Here's what's happened since.<br />
<br />
The mornings before school continued to get worse, not better. Most mornings, she'd start crying and whimpering when she work up around 6:30 and would continue to do so until it turned into all out wailing at 8:30 when we got to school. That's until it turned into me having to drag her, screaming, through the school yard into school. Yes, I was that mom with that kid.<br />
<br />
And again, we knew the only reason all this was happening was because she had to go to Montessori school. Not because she had to go to the new French Immersion school -- she likes it there Why do we know? Because she didn't cry on Fridays -- the one day of the week that she didn't go to Montessori.<br />
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During a particular bad morning just before Thanksgiving weekend, I lay all the cards on the table; if she went to both schools for the rest of the week, she could come home after school the next week.<br />
<br />
So last week was project boredom. Every day, she came home on the lunch bus after half-day Kindergarten to sit around the house with me while I worked. The goal was to show her that being with mommy isn't that much fun because mommy is sitting in front of her laptop all day long.<br />
<br />
Project boredom failed miserably. Despite interacting with her as little as possible, she was happy. Every morning she ate her breakfast (something she had stopped doing weeks ago) and went to school without a single tear. Some mornings she even forgot to hug and kiss me goodbye. And every day she came home, had lunch with me and then found something to do. <br />
<br />
Flash forward to yesterday (Monday) morning when it was time to go back to Montessori. On the weekend she said she was going to go back and although Ryan thought that her decision to do so was a good sign, I was more skeptical. I had this feeling that she was telling us what we wanted to hear, not what she really wanted to do.<br />
<br />
And so, Monday morning came around and the bawling started, along with the chant 'I never, ever want to go back.'<br />
<br />
And so, she's not. What it came down to is that we realized that we had to stop deluding ourselves into thinking that she needed more time to adjust (it's been 2 months after all!) and accept the fact that she's actually trying to tell us something. She's trying to tell us that although there's absolutely nothing wrong with the school, it's just not the right fit for her.<br />
<br />
So, what does this all mean? For me, it means that for the next 8 months I have to be selective with the work I take on. Unlike 2 years ago when the kids were both in half-day school, I now work basically full-time. I have several retainer clients with a fixed number of hours of work per month. They'll be my priority and I'll have to be choosy about any contracts I take on above and beyond that. (Although there's certain people I'll still take contracts from.)<br />
<br />
It means that for 8 months, I'll have to go back to working many evenings. It means that for 8 months, arranging meetings with clients will require creativity. It means that for 8 months, we'll put together a hodge podge of care -- a sitter's going to come in one afternoon a week, etc. It means that for 8 months, my friends and family will be relied on from time to time and I'll be less available for a coffee break or a lunch date. It means that for 8 months I'm going to be juggling a lot of balls.<br />
<br />
But, most importantly, it means that for 8 months, our child will be happy again.<br />
<br />
It means that for 8 months, I get to spend a little extra time with my baby.<br />
<br />
And isn't that why, 5 years ago, I decided to stay home with the kids and start my own business? So that I could be there for my kids as they grow up? I have 20 + years left to work -- and if I'm lucky those 20+ years will be in running my own business. So what's 8 months in the grand scheme of things?Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-2497580522992257682013-09-27T20:51:00.000-04:002013-09-29T20:55:52.300-04:00Our impossible situationMy 5-year-old daughter is putting us in an impossible situation. It's the 5th week of school and we're still stuck in the same place we were on day 1 - the crying place.<br />
<br />
Our problem is this: last year at age 4 she started JK. And when she did so, she was one of the lucky (unlucky?) ones to go to an all-day kindergarten school. It was the first year of the program there and that's just the way it was.
She cried a lot for the first few weeks - going to all day school was a huge adjustment for her as a child who, with the exception of a couple of hours of preschool a day, had never really been away from mommy.<br />
<br />
And even with preschool, she cried for weeks. She suffers from separation anxiety, social anxiety or whatever you want to call it - she doesn't deal with change.
And so, last year, once she got over crying, she liked school. And although I was told by her teacher that she occasionally still had 'I miss mommy' moments, we never really had a problem again.<br />
<br />
Which brings us to this September. Alex changed schools this September to go to the French immersion school with her brother. You have to start in SKor you can't go through the system at all. We expected tears at the start - tears for the separation, tears for having to make all new friends.<br />
<br />
The problem was that the SK school is only half-day kindergarten. So after being used to being in school all day, she suddenly had to go backwards. And me, who after spending a year building my workload up to full time, would have to scale it back to part time.<br />
<br />
And so, Ryan and I decided to register her in a Montessori school for the other half day. It seemed like a perfect fit - I could work, she would still be around other kids and because it wasn't daycare, she'd still be learning and stimulated. And the woman who runs the school would pick her up at her French immersion school every day. How much easier could it get? And as a treat to Alex and me, Fridays would mean no Montessori school but instead come home to be with mommy.<br />
<br />
It was a great plan on paper. But here's how, 4 weeks into school, it has worked out: Alex cries every morning. And I don't just mean as we get to school - most mornings it's from the moment she wakes up (which is anywhere from 1 to 1.5 hours earlier than usual lately) at first the crying was about school in general but now it's more focused. Now it's about Montessori school only. She doesn't want to have to go there.
Here's the catch, she seems to like it when she's there, and her teacher there says she's doing fine and seems fine. But she doesn't want to go. She says her days are too long when she goes (they're the same length as her all-day kindergarten days give or take 15 minutes). She says it's too much work (which it's not).<br />
<br />
What it comes down to is the transition of having 2 starts and 2 ends to every day is too much for her to handle. It's stressing her out, it's causing her anxiety, it's wearing her down.
How do I know this? Because she doesn't cry before school on Fridays.<br />
<br />
This is where the impossible situation comes in. I'm feeling incredibly guilty for sending her there. Someone (a social worker) suggested to me that she may be feeling feelings of abandonment. A sort of 'why doesn't mommy want me, why do I have to go here?' Yeah, that made me feel so much better.<br />
<br />
So now I'm seriously wondering if I should pull her out of Montessori and just have her come home everyday. She's such a happy, easy going kid and she looses all of that when she even thinks about having to go there.<br />
<br />
So I'm thinking of pulling her out. It's only one year, I can manage one kid in the afternoons while I also have a workload for one year, can't I? Will I regret it if I have her home every day and start losing my mind when works gets busy? Will we be teaching her that you can just give up when you have to do something you don't want to? Or will we be causing her long-term emotional harm my forcing her at 5 years old to basically 'suck it up buttercup'?<br />
<br />
Isn't this one of the reasons I like what I do, so I can be flexible and be there for my kids? Do I really want to scale back my work after working so hard to build a successful business? And whats wrong with it if I did? Well I'd have to start saying no to some clients if the workload gets to difficult to handle.<br />
<br />
It's a impossible situation without a good answer. <br />
<br />
*<i>Since I wrote this, Ryan and I had a long talk. We're going to stick it out until Thanksgiving and really talk to her and try to work her through this every day. We're wondering if it's not only the transition that's difficult for her but if it's actually the school work. Half-day kindergarten is definitely more of a sprint to get through the curriculum than full-day kindergarten is. And she's used to the more leisurely pace of learning. So now she's got the sprint learning in the morning, followed by more learning in the afternoon -- maybe sending her to montessori school wasn't the right idea after all.</i><br />
<i>I'll keep you posted.</i>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-33268152134928407552013-09-16T22:19:00.004-04:002013-09-16T22:19:41.915-04:00Holy crap, I haven't posted in 3 months!Um...I think I forgot about this blog. More to comeDebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-55670950739203064812013-06-14T11:09:00.001-04:002013-06-14T11:09:33.158-04:00Memories captured: Our very first 5KMy kids have watched every race I've ever done. My first one was in <a href="http://www.debssparetime.blogspot.ca/2009/10/115316.html" target="_blank">October 2009 -- a 10K --</a> and at the time, Austin was 31/2 and Alexandra was 18 months.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eRg8mvODP3g/StokTgFCOrI/AAAAAAAADAI/mgoKftPxxxc/s1600/meandthekids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eRg8mvODP3g/StokTgFCOrI/AAAAAAAADAI/mgoKftPxxxc/s400/meandthekids.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cheering squad with me after my very first race</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Every time I decide to run a race, the kids make signs, stand on the sidelines and yell 'Go Mommy Go'.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVu-MqHO9iA/UbsxjcN-JoI/AAAAAAAAJ7A/udugKjCy-AM/s1600/IMG_0678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVu-MqHO9iA/UbsxjcN-JoI/AAAAAAAAJ7A/udugKjCy-AM/s320/IMG_0678.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the starting line</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last year, as I was training for the half marathon, Austin decided that he wanted to try running with me. Shortly after that race was done, I figured 'what the heck' and took him out for a Sunday afternoon run. The kid ran 2 and a half kilometres!<br />
<br />
And he was pumped about it. And so, we decided to run a 5K together. We trained together throughout the spring, although to be honest, we didn't train a whole lot. Once he got up to being able to do 5K, he figured all was well. And so, on Sunday June 9, we ran our very first 5K together.<br />
<br />
I loved running beside him, encouraging him along and enjoying his awe at running along the streets in the downtown core ('Mommy, look up at the streetcar wires!')<br />
<br />
And my amazing 7-year-old finished the race in 45:01. I'm so very proud of him for such an extraordinary accomplishment. Goodness knows when I was 7 years old, I couldn't run that far.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--5135Pky_6A/UbsxiyqaAsI/AAAAAAAAJ68/vlLVN6fnRDI/s1600/1005715_494015560667744_553641114_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--5135Pky_6A/UbsxiyqaAsI/AAAAAAAAJ68/vlLVN6fnRDI/s400/1005715_494015560667744_553641114_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5KM completed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
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<a border="0" href="http://www.writingwishing.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.writingwishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/MemoriesCaptured1.jpg" /></a>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-56446620715497513522013-05-27T22:11:00.000-04:002013-05-27T22:11:00.579-04:00Mother's Day 10KIt's been over two weeks since my last race and I still haven't written a race report. To be fair, things have been a little hectic around here.<br />
<br />
On Sunday, May 12 -- Mother's Day -- I ran in the Sporting Life 10K down Yonge Street for Camp Ooch. This was my third time doing this race, and it's definitely my favourite course. It's just so much fun to run straight down Yonge Street.<br />
<br />
This year, I set a goal of running a 10K faster than than last year -- actually I wanted to run a sub-65 minute race. But as the winter dragged on and on, and I felt extremely unmotivated to train, I believed that such a finish time just wasn't possible. I just didn't train enough to feel I could achieve that goal and as race day approached, I figured I'd be lucky if I could shave a minute off my best time (which was 1:09:37 by the way).<br />
<br />
But on the morning of the race, I made a pact with myself. I decided that if I wasn't completely exhausted when I got to the end -- then I hadn't tried hard enough to go faster. I mean, what's the point of having energy in reserve at the finish line?<br />
<br />
And so, at 8:30 a.m. on a rather chilly morning, I started out down Yonge Street with 27,000 of my closest friends. Apparently it was the largest charity race in Canada -- or something like that.Whatever it was, it's the first time I've participated in a race where it actually feels crowded. After the first kilometre or so, it spread out, but even then, you still had to be careful as you weaved around people and passing definitely involved an extra burst of speed.<br />
<br />
I decided not to use my running app -- figuring the voice in my ear would just frustrate me if I wasn't at a pace I thought was acceptable -- and just decided to run and enjoy myself.<br />
<br />
And I did. At the 1K mark I gave high-fives to my cheering squad. At the 5K mark I took a short walking break to have a drink. But I felt good and felt the need to keep moving on rather than resting. And so I did.<br />
<br />
By 7K, my legs wanted to quit but I told myself to keep pushing on. By 8K my brain wanted to quit but I told myself to keep pushing on. I barely remember 9K -- I was too busy telling myself to keep pushing on.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u-74GmXkGb0/UaOhIx21MaI/AAAAAAAAJ6o/5mhpxlOxLWE/s1600/IMG_2503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u-74GmXkGb0/UaOhIx21MaI/AAAAAAAAJ6o/5mhpxlOxLWE/s400/IMG_2503.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About 500 metres to go</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I crossed the finish line, I was exhausted but didn't know my exact time. The clock at the finish line said 1:37 and change -- so since my corral started 30 minutes after gun time, I easily subtracted 30 minutes from that time and figured I finished around an hour and seven minutes.<br />
<br />
I was pretty damn happy with that.<br />
<br />
And then...about an hour later, I was finally able to log in and see my actual time -- 1:03:37!<br />
<br />
I had shaved off exactly 6 minutes from my previous personal best time! I don't know how I pulled that off -- but the sore legs the next day proved to me that I did.<br />
<br />
I was ecstatic and still am. That's probably the last time I'll run that specific 10K race (27,000 people was just too crowded for me) but there'll be other 10K races in my future. That personal best time motivated me to run again.<br />
<br />
Now it's time to look forward to my 5K with Austin and to decide if I'm crazy enough to run the half marathon again this fall.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XWDOG87OMcc/UaOg4HSgcZI/AAAAAAAAJ6g/EV7XxBCsmfI/s1600/IMG_0904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XWDOG87OMcc/UaOg4HSgcZI/AAAAAAAAJ6g/EV7XxBCsmfI/s400/IMG_0904.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cheering squad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-44278132841152993442013-05-17T02:23:00.000-04:002013-05-17T02:23:00.200-04:0010 years ago, I married my best friend<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zW9EKTsbwaE/UZO1m9il6hI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/RcJOFJdsBOk/s1600/wedding+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zW9EKTsbwaE/UZO1m9il6hI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/RcJOFJdsBOk/s400/wedding+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Ten years ago today I married my best friend.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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When we got married, we had already been dating for almost
six years – living together for almost three. So I think that many people
figured it was about time we got around to getting married. Which is a far cry
from the people who thought we wouldn't last six months when we first got
together! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I still don’t entirely know why some of our friends thought
we wouldn't last when we first got together. (We’re still good friends with
many of these people, so there’s no hard feelings or anything.) I guess they
thought we were too different. But I didn't think so. And Ryan certainly didn't think so – he after all had had his eye on me for close to a year before I
finally realized it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ten years ago on a cloudy Saturday afternoon, we stood
before a minister in a cute little chapel downtown and promised to love, honour
and cherish each other. As part of the service, three people read poems. This
is the one that still stays with me today:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes in life,
you find a special friend. <br />
Someone who changes your life just by being a part of it. <br />
Someone who makes you laugh until you can't stop. <br />
Someone who makes you believe that there really is good in the world. <br />
Someone who convinces you that there really is an unlocked door just waiting
for you to open it. <br />
This is forever friendship. <br />
When you're down and the world seems dark and empty, your forever friend lifts
you up in spirit and makes that dark and empty world suddenly seem bright and
full. <br />
Your forever friend gets you through the hard times, the sad times and the
confused times. <br />
If you turn and walk away, your forever friend follows. <br />
If you lose your way, your forever friend guides you and cheers you on. <br />
Your forever friend holds your hand and tells you that everything is going to
be okay. <br />
And if you find such a friend, you feel happy and complete because you need not
worry.<br />
You have a forever friend, and forever has no end.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Ryan, I love you more than words can say. You lift me up
when I am down. You support my ambitions and respect my decisions. You make me laugh and you love me for all my
flaws and imperfections. And you’re a wonderful father to our children. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Here’s to 10 amazing years – I can’t wait to see what the next 10, and more, bring us. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gjWGJ6zN63M/UZO1nUWZMjI/AAAAAAAAJ5E/dBzjU3fOHXc/s1600/wedding+photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gjWGJ6zN63M/UZO1nUWZMjI/AAAAAAAAJ5E/dBzjU3fOHXc/s400/wedding+photo1.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-38929996621196529452013-05-14T12:19:00.000-04:002013-05-14T14:13:53.403-04:00Goodbye to a very special lady<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_n_8JuKIMM/T8lvNehSqYI/AAAAAAAAJNs/LtW_fTLx9DU/s1600/IMG00386-20120421-1409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q_n_8JuKIMM/T8lvNehSqYI/AAAAAAAAJNs/LtW_fTLx9DU/s320/IMG00386-20120421-1409.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my grandma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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Last Friday afternoon, the world lost a very special person.
My grandma died, peacefully at the age of 98. I know I am so very lucky to have
had her in my life for so long, but I will miss her more than I can possibly
say. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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For 37 years, my grandma has been an inspiration in my life.
And although the last few years have been challenging as she struggled with the
effects of Alzheimer’s disease, she still showed me that life is a gift and that
a smile and a kind word go a long way. She always had a smile on her face,
always had compassion and understanding, and always lived life to the fullest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There’s a story that’s been told so often in my family,
that’s it’s almost legend. It’s the story of the night I was born. I was born at 11:30 at night; and soon thereafter,
my father called everyone he knew to announce the news – his brother, my mom’s
parents, my mom’s brother, some friends and his mother. The only person he couldn’t reach was his mother – my
grandma. By the time he reached her to tell her of the birth of her first
grandchild, it was after 1 a.m. She had been out dancing.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PwCa_1Huv2s/UZJhJNEwmmI/AAAAAAAAJ4U/kNsDg-gnc9I/s1600/img_1397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PwCa_1Huv2s/UZJhJNEwmmI/AAAAAAAAJ4U/kNsDg-gnc9I/s320/img_1397.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandma (with her sister) dancing at my wedding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Flash forward 27 years to my wedding day and there was my
grandma at 1 a.m., and one of the last people on the dance floor. She was 88
years old and every time someone<o:p></o:p></div>
asked her if she wanted to go up to bed, she’d
always respond ‘oh no, I don’t want to miss this.’<br />
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<br /></div>
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She was so very proud of all of her grandchildren – always
eager to know everything we were doing. One of her most cherished possessions
were the photo albums she kept for each of us. We all had our own set of albums
and, over the years, she must’ve spent hours upon hours putting our pictures
in. There were pictures of us at Halloween, Christmas holidays, graduations,
birthdays, summer vacations and of us, just being us. One of my most treasured
memories as a child is going to grandma’s house, sitting on the floor in the
tartan room and pouring over my photo albums. I wonder if part of my love of
doing scrapbooks today is because of how much fun I had looking through those
albums.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another treasured memory
of mine is Christmas lunch. From the time I can remember until my late
20s, every Christmas morning was rushed through so that we could get to
grandma’s house in time for (more presents and) lunch. And lunch was always the
same every year – scrambled eggs, toast and cocktail wieners. And yes, my
sisters, cousins and I used to compete to get the most mini hot dogs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m so very lucky, because I’m one of the fortunate few who
got to know my grandmother as I matured into an adult – and she got to know me as
I grew from a child to an adult and into a mother of my own. In my 20s, I took
several solo trips to Montreal to stay with her (and yes, I stayed in the
tartan room, and yes, I spent time looking through my photo albums). We visited,
we talked and we learned about each other.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma holding Alexandra</td></tr>
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It’s difficult to put into words what made my grandma so special
to me – I could write thousands of words recounting memories and special
moments and I still wouldn’t be able to get the right words out. Simply put,
she was a very special and wonderful lady.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And so, when my daughter was born – her first great-granddaughter
– we gave her the middle name Margaret in honour of my grandma. Now, at five
years old, my little girl lives up to her namesake. She’s always smiling, she
lives every day to the fullest and she loves to dance. Her great-grandmother
would be very proud. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I’m so blessed that I got to spend 37 wonderful years with you grandma and that my children even got to know you, and you them. Goodbye Grandma. I’ll miss you more than I can possibly say.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kwn4FwEqVts/UEVgM97St4I/AAAAAAAAJNY/p6CcIfwwpMk/s1600/August3+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kwn4FwEqVts/UEVgM97St4I/AAAAAAAAJNY/p6CcIfwwpMk/s320/August3+015.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer 2012</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma on her 90th birthday</td></tr>
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<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-67184618619887216212013-04-28T22:10:00.000-04:002013-04-29T09:46:49.609-04:00Riding for heartLast year was a tough year.<br />
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On February 14, Ryan's grandmother passed away after suffering from a heart attack two months earlier. She was 82. On April 2, my great-aunt Joan passed away after suffering a massive stroke less than a week earlier. She too was 82 years old. On October 6, my dad had a heart attack. He was 65 years old and until then had been in nearly perfect health. He is (thankfully) on the road to making a full recovery.<br />
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While I'm on the topic, more than 40 years ago, my grandfather -- my father's father -- died of a massive heart attack. He was in his early 60s. And because of that, I never got the chance to meet him. </div>
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Now that I've thoroughly depressed you with my own story, let's look at the facts. Every seven minutes someone dies from heart disease and stroke in Canada. Heart disease and stroke takes 1 in 3 Canadians before their time and is the number one killer of women. Nine out of 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease or stroke.<br />
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On June 2, my husband Ryan will be biking 50 km up and back down the DVP in Toronto in the Ride For Heart to raise money for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. If I was a biker, I'd raise money for Heart & Stroke by doing this ride. But I'm not a biker -- so I'll stick to being the rah-rah fundraising supporter. Funds raised by this ride support research, healthy communities, healthy children and youth, and awareness and prevention. Every dollar makes a difference.</div>
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He's training hard already -- 50 km is not exactly a short, leisurely ride -- so visit his<a href="http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1024199&lis=1&kntae1024199=DCCE3D2211344EA4A2822965B0606721&supId=380836094&__utma=1.493338073.1366769379.1366769379.1367198313.2&__utmb=1.18.10.1367198313&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1366769379.1.1.utmcsr=facebook.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/&__utmv=-&__utmk=235669249" target="_blank"> fundraising page and support his Ride for Heart.</a> On the day of the ride, the kids and I will find a spot somewhere along the route to cheer him on. I'll try to get a picture or two. </div>
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While I'm on the subject of heart health -- it doesn't just start with funding research to save lives (although that research certainly helped save my dad's life). It starts years and years before; by educating our children about the importance of eating well and being active. Alexandra is also getting in on the heart health campaign as her school is doing Jump Rope for Heart on May 9. Although at age 5 she won't exactly be skipping all that much, I'm glad that her and the school is taking part. Although my kids are very active and healthy, so many kids today aren't. Childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years, affecting the future health of our children. If you'd like to support her, call or e-mail me. </div>
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-381654817057864482013-04-26T14:47:00.000-04:002013-04-26T14:47:01.398-04:00A rainbow birthday cakeI've been not-so-subtly told that I'm a very poor blogger lately. And I guess since it's been over two weeks since my baby turned 5 and I still haven't posted about her cake, I guess that's a fairly true statement.<br />
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Anyway, without further ado, my princess Alexandra turned 5 a few weeks ago, and for her birthday this year, she requested rainbow cupcakes. The catch -- we'd booked a birthday party for her in the community room at our grocery store (where the kids got to make their own pizzas and decorate their own cupcakes for loot bags) and as part of the package, we had to order a birthday cake from their bakery. That meant no cake from mommy :(<br />
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So, for her actual mid-week birthday, I went to the effort of making her rainbow cupcakes -- a cupcake pull-apart cake in fact.<br />
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I arranged all the cupcakes side-by-side and then used blue icing (to make the sky) to ice them all together like a cake. And then it was just a matter of arranging a lot of Smarties, just right. (And then drawing in a few clouds with the extra icing!)<br />
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The surprise part of the cake was when you chose your cupcake and took a bite: </div>
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Yup! I coloured the cake batter with the colours of the rainbow! I must say, I was pretty happy with the way it turned out -- and so was the birthday girl!Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-2572484821352268892013-03-27T13:07:00.001-04:002013-03-27T13:07:38.372-04:00When you work by yourself, there's no one to talk toI really enjoying working by myself -- most of the time. But sometimes I miss that camaraderie that comes with working in office. You know, the 'water cooler' chit chat.<br />
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Today, I need to vent because I'm having one of those days where nothing is going my way. So, since I don't have a water cooler to chat by, my blog is going to be my next best thing.<br />
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So this morning started out with a screaming fight with my 7-year-old over his inability to listen. He wanted to be in his sister's room. She wanted him out. He didn't wan't to get out. I yelled at him to get out and start listening. He started crying. Stupid stuff really, but not exactly a good start to the first hour of my day. Although he did hug and kiss me goodbye when he got out of the car at school so I guess all was forgiven.<br />
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After dropping Austin at school, Alex and I drove to her school to drop her off. And what does she do? Start telling me that she doesn't want to go to school today because it's too long and she misses me. I suck up the heartbreak I feel for that statement and encourage her to go on because school is fun. No sooner does the bell ring that she runs out of line bawling and clinging to me, refusing to go in. She hasn't done that since September.<br />
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When I finally detangle myself from her and get her through the doors while tears are still streaming down her face, I drive my car over to the repair shop to get it looked at. The brakes started acting funny yesterday, and I figured that's probably not a good thing. After a quick look, they tell me I need new ABS sensors and it'll take a few hours. I go home to wait. Now they call me and tell me that it turns out the part they had delivered wasn't as advertised and it doesn't fit my car. So, the right part will cost several hundred dollars more and, oh yeah, it won't be ready until tomorrow at noon. So now I have no car to drive my kids to school with tomorrow.<br />
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There. I vented. And I actually feel a bit better. But I think I need to add a little something-something to my afternoon coffee to really feel better. At least that'll make anything else that comes my way today easier to deal with!Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-82646348321655139472013-03-03T21:41:00.001-05:002013-03-03T21:41:18.070-05:00May the force be with youAfter two years of Cars birthday cakes, this year my Star Wars-obsessed son decided that he wanted a Star Wars cake to celebrate his big day.<br />
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After a little research, I found this great idea for doing a light saber cake.<br />
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First, I baked a simple, 9x13 chocolate cake and iced it blue (which was a colour that was more-or-less chosen at random). Then, I iced three Vachon chocolate swiss rolls with green icing and placed them on the cake and then I iced three more swiss rolls in red. Finally,I used a little bit of black icing to ice two more swiss rolls, and placed them on the cake as light saber handles.<br />
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And for the finishing touches, a couple of LEGO Star Wars guys.<br />
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I must admit, I was pretty happy with the way the cake turned out. But more importantly, Austin loved it. And so did his friends at the party -- for a few short minutes before it was cut up and devoured, I was the cool mom who made a cool cake. </div>
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-29520336934184581792013-02-14T14:38:00.000-05:002013-02-14T14:38:19.886-05:00Reclaiming Valentine's DayValentine's Day has never been a big deal for us. Ryan and I have never celebrated it -- no presents or flowers; no big fancy dinners or date nights. It's always been just another day for us.<div>
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But the kids like Valentine's Day. Alex especially. When she woke up this morning she was SO excited. </div>
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"I'm going to get hugs and kisses and give Valentine's cards and get Valentine's cards and it's going to be so much fun!" she said to me this morning.</div>
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But I didn't know what today would be like (actually, being only 2 p.m., I still don't 'know'.) Last year, Valentine's Day was a tough one. Ryan's grandmother died mid-afternoon on February 14, 2012. By the time Ryan got home from work, him and I both knew and we were both pretty somber After dinner, we had to tell the kids -- who were 5 and 3 at the time.</div>
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Fast forward one year to today. Facebook is filled with messages of loss one-year later from family members. I don't know how Ryan feels because I haven't seen him yet today (he's leaves for work before I'm up). I feel a little sad, but personally, I try not to remember the date someone close to me died. I'd rather remember them as they lived rather than when they died. The kids remember their great-nana well, and still talk about her from time to time, but they don't remember the exact day she died and they don't need to remember that. They want to have fun on Valentine's Day, and that they should.</div>
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And so, this is my long-winded way of saying that I decided to claim what was a meh day and turned into a sad day into a happy one. </div>
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Last night, I quickly made cards for the kids -- nothing fancy, just some cute dollar store heart stickers on the front and a little love note inside. The kids' were glowing when they saw them on the table when they came to breakfast. I stuck a little love note in Ryan's lunch bag too.</div>
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For dinner we'll have these heart-shaped pizza pockets that I just finished making:</div>
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I was going to bake cookies but having to work and all, I didn't have time. Maybe the kids and I will make some after I pick them up from school.</div>
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Nothing fancy, just a way for the kids to have fun and for mom and dad to remember that we're surrounded every day by the people we love. </div>
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So Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. May you always be surrounded by the people you love.</div>
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Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-35177317993577377662013-02-13T14:34:00.001-05:002013-02-13T14:42:46.888-05:00My very expensive catOur 11-month old kitten taught us a very expensive lesson last week.<br />
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It started on Sunday Feb. 3 when she seemed to be getting sick. We didn't think much of it -- in other words, a cat puking on the carpet was nothing new. Monday was much of the same, but it was Monday night that I realized she didn't come for dinner. Weird, I thought, because this cat eats everything in sight as fast as she can.<br />
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By Tuesday she had pretty much disappeared and by Wednesday evening, we were worried. She was lethargic and moaned when you touched her. And I started to realize that she hadn't eaten or drank in days. So off to the emergency vet clinic we went.<br />
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One x-ray and a hospital admission later and we had one very sick cat. And a very difficult decision to make -- do we pay what it's going to cost to make her better or basically let her die. In the end, it was an easy decision to make -- we'd pay the money. After all, it's not like she's an old cat, she's not even a year old. But more importantly, she's the kids' cat and losing her would devastate them -- especially if we knew that there was something we could have done to help her.<br />
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And especially since she wasn't 'sick' in medical terms. Instead, she had eaten something that wasn't edible and it was now lodged in her intestine.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UugHr2sIe48/URvqJbUwK1I/AAAAAAAAJdE/2bLoaIw4AeE/s1600/41HBUUo1UVL._SX355_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UugHr2sIe48/URvqJbUwK1I/AAAAAAAAJdE/2bLoaIw4AeE/s320/41HBUUo1UVL._SX355_.jpg" width="320" /></a>What did she eat you ask? She had gnawed off a piece of the kids' foam playmats. You know those inter-locking coloured mats that you put down on floors to make them fun, or in our case, on top of the carpet to protect where the kids' will be colouring with markers. Yeah, those $25 mats.<br />
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So after spending a small fortune for one night at the emergency vet clinic on tests and treatment (because did I mention that she was severely, severely dehydrated from not eating or drinking for days), we moved her to our vet clinic on Thursday morning.<br />
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She was monitored there for the day on the off-chance that she'd 'pass' the obstruction on her own once she received enough fluids by IV.<br />
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No such luck. And on Friday morning she had surgery where the vet pulled two of these chunks out of her intestine:<br />
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Lovely, isn't it? How she managed to swallow them I'll never know.<br />
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Saturday, Sunday and Monday were spent recovering from surgery at the clinic and even though the vet took pity on us and gave us a break on certain fees, you don't want to know how much we spent to save this cat's life. I can think of a lot of other things I could've spent that money on.<br />
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Was it worth it? Yes. Moo loves the kids and they love her (and so do we). She really is a part of our family....albeit now, a very expensive part of our family. Oh and those mats...they're about to go on the curb for garbage pickup.<br />
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<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-63379846238807170812013-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:002013-01-30T08:00:04.574-05:00Pour your heart out: When you work from home...Now that the kids are both in school full-time and I've really gotten into the swing of being home alone all day; I love working for myself from home.<br />
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Late last year, I didn't hide the fact that the<a href="http://www.debssparetime.blogspot.ca/2012/10/pour-your-heart-out-feeling-lonely-all.html" target="_blank"> transition from full-time stay-at-home mom to full-time self-employed writer was a difficult one</a>. It was hard to go from all day kids to no day kids. At first, I remember thinking how the heck am I going to fill six hours every day. Now my thinking is along the lines of" 'holy crap, where the hell did my six hours go today!'. After the initial crash in September, I (right now) have enough work to keep me busy on a steady basis. (I mean, seriously, have you noticed how little I write on this blog these days?)</div>
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Working for myself from the comfort of my home has some major advantages. For starters, I get to set my own hours. In my case, it means I start work at 9 a.m., after I drop the kids off at school, and I end at 3 p.m. when it's time to pick them up. Of course, setting your own hours does also mean that you're sometimes working at 11 p.m. after everyone else has gone to bed.</div>
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But the same advantage of being self-employed at home is also a disadvantage -- it means I'm at home. And this has nothing to do with me -- I'm very disciplined at home. When I need to work, I work -- I'm not doing laundry or cleaning up bedrooms instead. I'm working. It's just flexible enough that if I want to cook a slow cooker dinner for that night, I can spend half an hour getting it ready while still 'at work.' </div>
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No, the trouble with the work-from-home scenario is everyone else. Now I don't mean everyone. Some people 'get it' all the time and some people 'get' it' some of the time. But then there's the some people who don't 'get it' at all. What I mean is they assume that because I'm at home when they're at work, I must not be working -- or at least not that much.</div>
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These are the people who assume they can call in the middle of the day just to chat, drop by when they're in town on a random Tuesday, ask me to go shopping (or to the movies or to the art gallery or whatever) with them because they're off work for the day (and yes, I've been asked to go all those places with various people since September). After all, the kids are in school, so I have nothing else to do, right?</div>
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To all you people, I want to say this: 'I have a real job. I make a respectable amount of money. I work hard to make that respectable amount of money. I am my own boss and I make my own hours. Some days, I have more time on my hands than other days -- that's the nature of contract work. But more often than not, I spend my entire day working until it's time to pick up my kids from school.'</div>
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But to all you same people, what I can do is quick chats on the phone, a text conversation and lunch. In other words, if you would do all those things during your regular work day at your office, than I too do all those things during my regular work day at my office.</div>
<a href="http://thingsicantsay.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://thingsicantsay.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/pouryourheart1.png" /></a>Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-40862463749459783312013-01-15T20:57:00.000-05:002013-01-15T21:00:58.479-05:00Pseudo New Year's resolutionsLast year, I made some pseudo New Year's resolutions. I say pseudo, because I don't really believe in making resolutions -- because resolutions are just begging to be broken. Instead, I set goals for 2012 -- things I wanted to accomplish or complete. Let's have a look at that list and see how I did.<br />
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<b>Run a half marathon.</b> Check. Managed that in 2 hours and 31 minutes. The crazy thing is I think I'll do it again this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Keep the weight off.</b> Check. And with all that half marathon training, I took off a few more inches too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Get organzied.</b> Hmm...I obviously procrastinate this one, because we're still mostly paper and I still have a file cabinet that's stuffed so full I don't even know what's in it. Oh yeah, and have I mentioned that I hate filing?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Paint.</b> Whoo hoo! After years of wanting to paint the house, in March we painted the living room, dining room and hallway in one full swoop of a weekend. There's still a small section of the stairway that needs to be finished though.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Scrapbook more often.</b> This was a really big task for me. Because really, I was saying in my spare time I'd like to finish two scrapbooks in 2012 (since at the beginning of the year, I hadn't even started my 2010 scrapbook yet). But really, what spare time? I trained for a half marathon this year -- that meant going out running three times a week -- I was still a stay-at-home mom for eight months of the year and I almost doubled my income with my business in 2012. So again, I say: what spare time? So here's what I did accomplish: I finished the 2010 book (which ended up being 50 pages) and I got halfway through the 2011 book.</div>
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So, there's my 2012 in a nutshell, what do I want to accomplish in 2013?</div>
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<b>Keep running. </b>I really enjoy running. It clears my head and keeps me fit. But it's definitely easy for me to get lazy about keeping it up when I'm not registered for a race. So, this year's running goal? A 10K in May, a 5K with Austin in June and most likely a 21K in October. That should keep me moving. Oh and I'd like to shave five minutes off my 10K time. Currently, my personal best is 1:09 and change.</div>
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<b>Business development: </b>Business was good last year as I successfully turned my little part-time gig into a full-time venture. But, with a few exceptions, my business strategy has pretty much been a 'wait for people to call me' kind of strategy. The up side is I have a few dedicated clients now who do always call me when they have a job. But this year, I need to spend some time (and money) pursuing business instead of always waiting for it to come to me. I've already partnered with one company for 2013 -- and although it's still a wait and see game, at least it's a start.<br />
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<b>Scrapbook more often: </b>Hmmm, I said this last year and I'll say it again this year. Maybe by the end of December I'll be all caught up to the end of 2012. One can only hope.</div>
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Those are the big ones, really. There's a handful of other things I'd like to accomplish this year -- better organize my bills, my music library, my photo library. You know, everything that I always say I'll do later! And then there's the family tree I started working on last summer. I'd like to spend some more time on that as well. I'd say I'd like to finish it, but well, is a family tree actually ever finished? My goal for this project is not to just find names, birth dates and death dates of my ancestors but, where possible, to find little bits of their story too. Things like the border crossing card I found from when my grandfather came to Canada at age 2. To me, that's just as interesting as tracing back my family tree.<br />
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Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-89106117081751260212012-12-30T10:02:00.000-05:002012-12-30T10:02:00.057-05:002012 was the year<br />
As 2012 draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the year that was. Almost more so than usual. And since I was terrible at blogging consistently this year, here is my 2012, in a nutshell.<br />
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<b>2012 was a year for physical accomplishments</b><br />
In October, I ran my first half marathon which was a goal I had set for myself way back at the beginning of the year. Austin and Ryan completed their first triathlons and Austin and Alex both completed their first duathlons. In other words, we certainly became a very physically active family this year.<br />
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<b>2012 was the year for personal accomplishments</b><br />
This year, I took my little part-time business and turned it into a full-time, successful business venture. Now, that's not to say that I wasn't successful as a part-timer because in my eyes I was. Let's face it, in 2010 and 2011, I made a respectable salary (the amount that would've been leftover from my old job after taxes and daycare) all without having any kind of regular childcare. In hindsight, I look back and realize why I was so tired all the time! But this year, I'm patting myself on the back again. The kids started school in September and I successfully transitioned from part-time to full-time. Actually, the transition started before September, but I finally started having full-time daytime hours to work starting September. And as such, compared to last year, my income grew by over 50%. In fact, my income was greater than it was in the first few years I worked as a reporter. So in all, a good year and I'm excited as to what 2013 will bring.<br />
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<b>2012 was the year for loss and sadness</b><br />
In February, we lost Ryan's grandmother Nana. Now, she wasn't my grandmother, but for the last 15 years,
Nana treated me as if she was. I was a granddaughter to her just as much as her
other grandchildren. And she had many grandchildren -- and a handful of
great-grandchildren.<br />
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Just six weeks later, we lost my aunt Joan. Now, technically she was my great-aunt Joan. She was my grandmother's sister yet she always treated me like one of her grandchildren and she was like another grandmother to me.<br />
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So in a way, I lost two grandmothers this year, and I miss them both terribly.<br />
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<b>2012 was the year for a reality check</b><br />
In June, my mom was hospitalized for bleeding on the brain. Doctors don't know exactly how it happened (she did not have a stroke) but the most likely reason is that she bumped her head and didn't remember. She spent five days in hospital and several weeks after recovering. She was otherwise very healthy and this scared all of us. She is fine now and was given a clean bill of health by the end of July.<br />
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In October, my dad had a heart attack. He too was otherwise very healthy and this seemingly came out of the blue. He spent four days in the hospital and is still recovering.<br />
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These two health scares brought to stark reality that, no matter how youthful my parents act, they are getting older.<br />
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<b>2012 was the year for big changes</b><br />
In September, life changed in a very big way as both Austin and Alex started full-time school. This was (obviously) a big change for both of them, but it was also a big change for me. I have been home with children full-time since Alex was born in 2008 -- suddenly not being a full-time stay-at-home mom was a scary, unknown thought. About as scary a thought as it was to make the decision to leave my job in 2009 and become a stay-at-home mom. The only difference was that this time I had no control over the decision. The kids were growing up and going to school whether I wanted them to or not.<br />
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Four months later, I'm happy to report that we've all weathered the big change well.<br />
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So that for me was 2012 in a nutshell. I'm excited for what 2013 will bring!<br />
<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-41296471621182678242012-12-25T00:30:00.001-05:002012-12-25T00:30:00.207-05:00Merry Christmas<br />
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From my house to yours, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy (and healthy -- since two out of four of us are sick right now) New Year 2013!</div>
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Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-44706663255913256632012-12-24T10:19:00.002-05:002012-12-24T10:19:58.128-05:00The craziness that is Christmas1) Christmas this year will span four days, with four celebrations in four houses in three cities. Now, to be fair, that includes Christmas morning at my house. But here's my schedule for the next few days. Christmas morning: my house. Christmas dinner: my parents house in Brampton. Boxing Day: my mother-in-law's house in London. 27th: my father-in-law's house in London. 28th: Come home and pass out.<br />
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2) We will travel 516 kilometres between Christmas Day and December 28th.<br />
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3) Christmas celebrations in three houses means three Christmas dinners. Three days in a row.<br />
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4) With all the craziness to come, my favourite thing to do on Christmas Eve is to be alone with my family, tuck the kids into bed and watch Miracle on 34th Street with Ryan. The original 1940s version of the movie, not the remake from about 10 years ago.<br />
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5) I like to watch the movie with a glass of Bailey's on ice. And then maybe another.<br />
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6) Before tucking the kids into bed, we'll likely watch a favourite kids Christmas movie over dinner. We've already watched our faves -- Muppets Family Christmas and Rudolph, so maybe tonight it'll be Frosty the Snowman.<br />
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7) Christmas is a crazy whirlwind time but I love it and wouldn't have it any other way. Although maybe one year I'll have it at my house again so that I won't have to travel.<br />
<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-10535311404099625022012-12-21T10:58:00.002-05:002012-12-21T10:58:31.999-05:00Goodbye to my first car<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today I say goodbye to my very first car -- a 2000 Honda Civic that I bought in November 1999. At that time, 13 years ago, I had just taken my first job out of university at the Peterborough Examiner and, as a requirement of the job, I needed my own vehicle. </div>
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And although I ended up only staying at the job for six months (yes, I hated it that much), I managed to put 30,000 kilometres on my little car in its first year. It was pretty easy to do considering I drove it every day on assignment and my then-boyfriend (now-husband) lived an hour and a half away (and didn't have a car). So needless to say, I spent a lot of my days off driving back and forth to Toronto.</div>
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I was super excited to get my car back in 1999 -- and my dad snapped this picture of me on the day I picked it up at my parents house (my dad actually picked it up at the dealership for me and brought it back to their house for me to collect).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look how young I look with my shiny new car!</td></tr>
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Over the years, my little Honda Civic has been a damn good car. It took us on trips to Montreal and New York City; it took us to visit family and it took us to the hospital when I was in labour. It's what we drove Austin home from the hospital in. </div>
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But in the last few years, it most definitely entered its senior years. Some of the widows started sticking, the doors squeaked when opened, and the locks only worked when they wanted to. But hey, we figured, who needs locks -- because who's going to want to steal an old car like this!</div>
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And, to be perfectly honest, I haven't even driven it much in the last five years. Ryan had the 'joy' of seeing that car through to its retirement as I drove the kids around in our newer SUV. He got to experience all of its aches and aging pains.</div>
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But I still loved that car. And on the days I did drive it, it was still a good car to drive (Although a pain to cart kids around in because the power locks didn't work anymore).</div>
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This afternoon, I will drive it once last time to the dealership where I will sign it over in exchange for the keys of a brand new 2013 Hyundai Elantra hatchback. It too is a cute little car, and although technically it'll be in my name, it'll be Ryan's car -- he deserves to drive a new car after putting up with my little car for all these years. I almost feel like the dealership is getting the short-end of the deal by giving us $500 for it.</div>
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And so, just for the sake of bookending -- since my dad snapped a picture of me with my car on the day I got it, Austin snapped a picture of me with it on the day I give it away. Really, from a purely 2D point of view, the only thing that looks likes it's aged in the last 13 years is me!</div>
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<br />Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-48557652367617730812012-12-19T14:41:00.000-05:002012-12-19T14:41:03.650-05:00Running log: counting kilometres<br />
If you've been following my blog this year, you know that my big personal accomplishment was running my first half marathon in October. Running the 21.1-kilometre distance was something I’d been thinking about doing for a while. But I actually committed to that thought around this time last year.<br />
<br />As such, right from the beginning of January, every run I went on was with that goal in mind. And, just for the fun of it, I kept a log of every kilometre I ran.<br />
<br />As 2012 draws to a close, I added up all those kilometres and discovered that I ran 732 kilometres this year. That’s 732 kilometres covered simply by lacing up my running shoes and putting one foot in front of the other day after day.<br />
<br />And because I like to put things in perspective to truly understand it, I wondered how far that really was. And so, here are a few interesting stats (with the help of Google Maps).<br />
<br />From my house in Toronto, it’s:<br />
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<li style="line-height: 1.5;">529 kilometres to the house I grew up in Montreal</li>
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<li style="line-height: 1.5;">277 kilometres to the cottage we vacation at every summer in Sundridge</li>
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<li style="line-height: 1.5;">320 kilometres to where my sister-in-law lives in Brockville</li>
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<li style="line-height: 1.5;">371 kilometres to where my other sister-in-law lives in Windsor</li>
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The kids complain about being in the car for too long when we drive to any of those destinations and yet, those places are only half (or less) to three-quarters of the way there.<br />
<br />So where would I have to go to travel 732 kilometres, I wondered? Here are a few other interesting stats (again with the help of Google maps).<br />
<br />From my house in Toronto, it’s:<br />
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<li style="line-height: 1.5;">819 kilometres to Philadelphia</li>
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<li style="line-height: 1.5;">807 kilometres to New York City</li>
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<li style="line-height: 1.5;">798 kilometres to Cincinnati</li>
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<li style="line-height: 1.5;">706 kilometres to Columbus, Ohio</li>
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<li style="line-height: 1.5;">689 kilometres to Sault Ste. Marie</li>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">For me, someone who only started running four years ago and who never accomplished a race of such distance before, 732 kilometres is a fantastic distance to have covered. I can only imagine what my grand total will be if I ever decide to train for a marathon.</span></h4>
Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35027007.post-3814760240552769362012-11-18T17:20:00.000-05:002012-11-18T17:20:06.743-05:00A really great runLast Sunday, I decided to go for run. Now that I'm not training for a race (which is something I've been doing basically since January), I haven't been out running as much as I'd like. Suddenly, there doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day to fit in a run three times a week. Although, this tends to happy to me by every November -- it gets dark so early and it's hard to motivate myself to go running when it's dark and cold out.<br />
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So anyway, Sunday afternoon was a beautiful day, so I decided to go for a run. But as I was getting ready, Austin declared that he wanted to go running too. He's mentioned this from time to time, but I've always said 'not right now' because I was training and needed to focus on covering long distances. But this time, I figured what the heck.<br />
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And so, we went for a run together. I didn't time us (although I wish I had now) and I don't know how fast we were running (a little slower than my average pace, I think) but I do know that by the time we were done, we had covered 2.5 kilometres. My six-year-old ran 2.5 kilometres with me!<br />
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As we were running, he was asking me all kinds of question: 'mommy do you get tired when you run?', 'mommy do you stretch like this?' etc., etc. He wanted to do everything the way I normally do it. He wanted to do it all with me.<br />
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And then he declared that he wanted to run a race with me. I can't even begin to tell you how proud I felt when he said he wanted to run a race with me.<br />
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So come the spring, we're going to train together and in 2013, Austin and I are going to run a 5K together.<br />
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How cool is that?Debhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16244679727850501210noreply@blogger.com2