sleeping buddy, please be gentle, and snowy night

1 Izzy gets a sleepover mid week. She's not used to sleeping alone when she's here because usually Kes is with her. Tonight it's different and she's having a bit of trouble dropping off. I use my special Grama skills and tell her I'll move her into my bed if she goes right to sleep.. So I've gotten a it all ready for her and she'll be very surprised come morning when she's with me.
2 Kes is having surgery tomorrow to put tubes into his little ears again. It should be very routine and he'll be happy to have no more earaches and better hearing too.
3 We get another dump of snow today. I went into work this afternoon to clear skies and came out of the office to a snow covered car, shoveling when I got home and a kitty that is not impressed with cold feet.
4 I miss my camera life. I must try harder.

Christmas 2015

1 Holidays can bring a variety of scenarios to your door can't they? We had quite a mix ourselves. The kidlets were around for Christmas dinner and a few people who had no place to go also came to our home. Zoe wouldn't let me set the table because she found the tablecloth much too tempting and the plates and cutlery would have gone flying and almost did.

2 Izzy, Kes and I made gluten free sugar cookies and there was plenty of icing to go on too. Little fingers were busy!!

3 A quick trip to see my sister and her guy. Love her front/side yard. It's magical throughout all the seasons.

4 We came home to 15 inches of snow yesterday. No snow accumulated today which was a nice treat for sore backs.
5 All the decorations are put away into homes until next year.
6 Zoe loves playing in crinkly noisy plastic bags. Lots of holes in there to keep her safe.

eat this, more like myself, party on, and my darlings

1 I take the opportunity to actually make myself a "real" dinner; a pot of steamed baby potatoes and carrots and a green salad to go with it. I savour each bite knowing it's healthy nourishing food and tasty too.
2 My body and mind have been so exhausted from all the activities going on around me that it's been challenging to stay grounded and focused but tonight after an afternoon of puttering and resting I feel a bit more like "me."
3 My friend and I are planning to have an online business party. What a great opportunity to make new friends and help people get healthy too. Good times. More posts about this will be coming. I suspect we will have more than a few laughs to share.
3a I surprise the grandkidlets with a visit to their house today. Kes is busy on his ipad but Izzy comes a runnin' and launches herself into my arms. I miss them both so much and am determined to organize my work schedule so these two darlings can come for a sleepover. I need more hugs please.

long weekend shenanigans

1 Long weekends are always better with friends! Gaile and Frank come for a few days and we have indulge in good food, fine wine and great conversations. Their visit is too short but aren't visits always too short with the people we want to be with the most?

2 Mr P is a dirt hauling, digging machine. He's busy getting as much soil hauled in as he can. Friday he works overtime and gets the most loads in yet!

3 Izzy and Kesler come for a sleepover and get a chance to spend time with Nanny and Pappy (Frank and Gaile). Izzy tries so hard to remember that Frank's name is Pappy but struggles just a bit . It's hard not to smile when she talk to Nanny and says, "Can you ask your husband?" when she forgets his name.

3a Izzy and Kes get books from Nanny. She's awesome at getting just the right ones. Thank you. We all get dinner on Friday night! What a treat to not have to cook

4 It's a rainy cold Sunday but we head down to the lake regardless, because it's the World of Wheels Car Show. We dress warm enough and take an umbrella and Mother Nature is so appreciative she shines down on us the entire time we are there.

5 There's something about eating off of each other's plates. It DEFINITELY tastes better when you're vying for that specific tasty morsel.

6 Kale salad. I did not think I would like it so I am pleasantly surprised that it's my salad of choice today. It comes with a poppy seed dressing and a topping mix of pumpkin seeds, cranberries and sunflower seeds.  Thanks to Costco for that yumminess. 

odds and ends of the week

1 Mr P is off and gone back to camp. I guess you may have noticed he had my attention this past week (little posting). He calls after having flown, landed, bused and unpacked. All is well as long as he gets his proper amount of sleep.
2 Back and forth. We arrived at the airport only to discover the flight has been delayed. The clerk suggests a time that the flight might actually leave so we head out to grab a quick bite to eat. While we're waiting for the food to arrive he gets a call informing him that the flight is now leaving earlier than stated. Quickly he eats my meal because it isn't as hot and I get his to go. I liked his.
3 Sam and I did a 5km walk on Saturday in support of the local food bank. It was a trail run/walk and had a ton of slippery steep hills, lots of green coming out and cheering at the end of the run. 
4 My legs and knee are screaming at me so I soak and put on a knee brace. No pity here, just a reminder that it was fun, worth it and to keep on training. Oh yes, rest sore muscles.
5 Kes really likes the new hot tub. As soon as they come inside the house, he heads right for the sliding doors and is out on the deck. He's a strong lad and can lift the lid. <Note to all: Put away the step so he can't get in>
5a Kes loves his water wings. They are snug on his arms and around his midsection. It probably works as a sensory suppression tool. He has worn them home twice now! 
6 Miss Tula is getting a big rounder than we expected. I suspect it might have something to do with the wet food she's been consuming. Dieters are never happy even when it's a cat. 

loves, life, and big smiles

1 I spent three days working at the fire hall. What a great place to work. Another learning curve, mostly data entry but technical and interesting in a  non dramatic way.

2 Izzy celebrated her 5th birthday this past week. Is it possible that time really goes this quickly? 

3 Her mommy made her the most amazing cake from scratch. She told us that it took her three days to create all of the edible decorations. Just amazing.

4 Kes is making more eye contact these days. Things are progressing and it's a joy to see. 

5 Mr P is away for a few more weeks. Last night he tells me he's packed up and ready to come home. It's a bit early but so sweet.

6 Lots of drama at work, none of it good but still we manage to make the day worthy.
7 A few conversations with friends and the world feels right again.
8 Tula is a busy girl some days.  A few of her newest activities include, climbing into dresser drawers, climbing the umbrella pole, drinking from the tap and sleeping in the bathroom sink. 
9 Does it make a difference if I soak in the hot tub in the morning, afternoon or evening? Hmm, well, morning is with coffee, afternoon is tea and in the evening definitely with a glass of wine!

what was I up to?

1 Work, work, and more work. Sometimes the monotony is palpable and yet there's a certain comfort in the paycheque and the consistency.
2 The chiropractor says that the ligament in my hip is sprained. I concur and hope that the stretching and light walking will help.
3 Tula loves sleeping on her back. It looks dog-like and very submissive. She stretches her from legs high above her head and apparently isn't ticklish at all because we scratch her in her armpit and she purrs even louder.
4 Sara makes amazing cookies. Peanut butter, chocolate chip, oatmeal cookies to be exact. Crispy on the outside and gooey and soft on the inside.
5 Izzy doesn't want to go home and she's sad. Uncle Nick works hard to make her smile and when she does, Grampa says, "Isabelle, you have a beautiful smile." She smiles brighter even though the tears.
6 Turtle or hare? Turtle.
7 Are we moving into spring or is winter still fooling with us? In the early morning there's ice on the windshield but by afternoon it's warmed up and sunny.
8 The tulips are up about two inches or more in the one pot. Tula appears to have messed with some of the other planters and it'll be anyone's guess if there are flowers this season.
9 I miss G. It feels like she's been away forever and we haven't really had a chance to catch up in ages. I missed her call today because I was working and my phone was doing a crazy hangup so hopefully tomorrow we can talk for a bit.
10 Nick and Sara are spending the weekend with Chris and family just up the road. It's a strange feeling to know they are 10 minutes away but still it feels as far away as China.
11 No work for me tomorrow. We have been planning a date day and it's been put off long enough. How does this sound? Breakfast at IHOP, a walk in the woods, a bit of shopping and possibly an afternoon nap. mmmm, yes to all.
12 I'm so appreciative of this man that I share my life with. He makes me smile.

visitors, kids and more

1 Two days of training and I'm feeling confident in my ability to handle the job. A few tweaks and a lot of notes equals ability.

2 Theresa is a great trainer. I really appreciated her willingness to teach, mentor, advise, correct and cheer lead.

3 They are managing to get a bit of a grip on the jet lag. It's never easy when it's this big of a time change. 

4 Izzy and Kes come for a couple of night's. Sleepovers are so much fun with them. 

5 They have sniffles and coughs but manage to make the best of it despite that. What a couple of tough cookies we have.

6 The two brothers and their wives have an early Valentine's day dinner while we have mac and cheese followed by sugar cookies for our dinner.

7 Shenanigans at the switchboard. Nuff said.

8 A fun hike on Knox Mountain. The fog is as thick as pea soup in spots. We can watch it from our vantage point and eventually thins and finally disappears.

9 Sara has taken classes in nail painting. I love that she's so enthusiastic about life and isn't afraid to step out of her comfort zone.

10 It's Chinese New Year and Nick brings a little of China to our home. He's managed to get a few stickers for the front door into their suitcase without Sara knowing about it. Mr P puts them on the door while we are out and she's suitably surprised to see them there. 

11 I love how she wears her heart on her sleeve. It's so endearing to know such a genuine person.

12 It's G's birthday today. I'm hoping it's been a great one for her because she's spent it with her mom and dad. Love ya hon, happy birthday. 

playschool, two of a kind makes three, Pandemic, and role play

1 Izzy and Kes loved playschool today. Sand tables, circle time, painting, snacks and playing outside. Kes was pretty much done as the class was ending but Izzy really wanted to stay and play longer. Her teacher made this transition very simple, very easy.
2 One parent says to us, "One or both of her parents must be really outgoing!" We smile and reply, "Both!"
3 Pandemic was worth the wait. I loved playing it. Great teamwork and we won. Funny after all the card shuffling, there were two epidemic cards on the very bottom of the pile! I suspect further games may be not so easy. 
3a Each character has his/her own abilities either medic, dispatcher, quarantine officer or operations manager, and more. Every game we choose a card to determine what our roles are. It's interesting to see who leads and who follows despite their role.

again, winter, and still looking

1 The grandkidlets stayed for another night and we had a lovely time of it! We managed to get in extra stories and lots of snuggles.
1a Kes decided that sleeping is for losers and fought the good fight, but in the end sleep won the battle.
2 It's still winter out there. The snow piles just aren't melting and the driveway is icy. Good news is that the snowman isn't melting either.
3 We are still looking for a cat. It's strange how we thought it would be easy but somehow the right one just hasn't come along. We can wait for our beauty.

a few quick stories to catch up

1 After my fall it's decidedly smart to take it easy. A little puttering, a little movement and lots of rest.
2 The day passes quickly despite the resting or maybe that's because of it. Lots of heat/cold, heat/cold processes and a good book.
3 I've missed book club two months in a row. December because of work and January because of the fall. I'm determined to get to February's meeting. We are reading the Book of Negroes. I've deliberately not read the reviews on it so I can have it fresh and new to me.
4 The chiropractor pulls and stretches out my neck, upper and lower back areas. It feels like he's pulled it in many directions, each time just a wee bit more. Lastly he does an adjustment on my neck that feels like it's going into my skull with instant relief.
5 The car repair ends up 30% more than estimated. Car is fixed and we can defer the other fixes for another time and possibly another shop.
6 Mr P works on the driveway again so that Chris can drop off the grandkidlets. They're here for a sleep over! Kes is reserved but Isabelle runs to us with open arms and gushes her hellos.
7 Blueberry muffin makers. We have three bowls so that each of us can make our muffins. Only mine get the seal of approval for cooking! Kes decides to wear his in his hair!
8 Later when it's bath time I wash his hair only to discover that he's painted his head with a marker. The suds are BLUE!
9 After baking and lunch we lie down to read our book and soon both of them are making light snoring sounds and have their arms over their heads, so I know it's safe to sneak out of the room and get clean up started.
10 Mr P gets all the dishes done for me. Thank you.
11 A pink play dough spider with eight bendy legs. Izzy loves play dough. Kes observers and eventually comes over to play but is happier with his Leap Frog.
12 Izzy and I made a board game out of some scrap wood from Grampa. We put lots of squares on it and each one gets a number, letter, or picture in it. You roll the dice and Izzy does the counting then we move randomly from one end of the board to the other. She's excited to win but in subsequent games she's very concerned that we all win and even skips her turn to others can move to the finish line! Very sweet thinking for a 4 year old.

the last six days

1 Mr P is packed up and ready to head home. It's a long drive. Sixteen hours, so he'll do it in two days.
2 We chit chat over the phone and find him the perfect out of the way place to stay. It's plain and simple, but clean and with a continental breakfast.
3 I make a big dent on my Christmas gift wrapping and gift making!
4 The idealistic me wants to make all sorts of things for everyone, but the practical side of me tells me to think real. I narrow down my selections and feel relief instantly.
5 Making a gingerbread house with Izzy. I love how she says, "I just love Grampa so much."

6 While we are making the gingerbread house, Kesler has found the train Christmas tree ornament along with little village we've put up. He meticulously checks each one out, carefully put one away before taking a new one.
7 It's time for a kitty. We have mice in our basement and they are not welcome!
8 The grandkidlets have a sleepover and in the morning are bursting with energy. Soon the hats, coats, gloves and boots are on and they're exploring the front yard.
9 Izzy finds the sand pile and soon both kids are wielding shovels and pails.
10 I'm glad there's no snow. It's nice to enjoy warmer weather after the long bitter cold snap we just had.
11 Grampa and Izzy get busy making pine cones for the birds. Lots of effort goes into getting the right amount of peanut butter and seeds as well as choosing the perfect length of string for hanging.
12 Mr P has patience. He hasn't been around kids a lot, never had any of his own, so it's a new and sometimes overwhelming experience for him. Still, he has patience.
13 Kes does really quite well despite being overwhelmed with sights and sounds from the busy Christmas morning. He's not ready to face the world yet, and hides his face in mommy and then daddy's shoulders.
14 Our Christmas dinner, well the turkey part is created and boned and served by the one and only Mr P. He follows the directions perfectly and it's a lovely golden brown and the stuffing - delicious!
15 Santa brought Izzy and Kes a few things in their stockings at our home. They each got a battery operated guitar! Kes loves music. Kesler carefully touches each button to hear the sounds. Izzy touches them all at once and dances all over the living room in complete abandon.
15a Chris had taken Izzy to the Dollar Store for Christmas shopping. She was so excited for each gift that she had chosen and each gift was perfect for the person. I'm amazed at the perceptiveness for a four and a half year old.
16 Izzy catches us smooching, grins and says, "You're married. Come on over here and dance. Rock it you guys."
16a Bath time for the little ones after dinner brings the energy level down a notch or two. At least for a little bit. Soon it's time for pumpkin pie and topping and we ride the sugar high.

17 After dinner we talk online with Nick and Sara. They look amazing, happy, cozy and we all get nostalgic. We show them the old home videos of Nick and Chris as toddlers and everyone has a good laugh.
18 Sara and Izzy sing songs to each other. Izzy chose a song from Frozen and Sara sang a Chinese lullaby to her.I look at the screen when Izzy is singing and see tears streaming down Sara's face and she's biting her bottom lip. They are lovely together.
19 The house is slowly being set to normal. The boxes are being filled with ornaments, gifts put away and baking goes into the freezer. All we have left are lights on the house and some turkey in the refrigerator.
20 Mr P likes his wifi weather station. He's putting it up and having fun playing with the install and putting the app on his phone.
21 It's quiet here. Just the sounds of the birds, the whirring of a washing machine down the hall and the sound of the keyboard.

Wednesday and Thursday

1 We work well together. So well, in fact, that we don't even take our breaks!  But I like it, it works, like us :)
2 The dining room and kitchen island have turned into Santa's workshop lately. Lots of organizing, wrapping and mailing. One package gone to China, two more to go! Great to get it all done.
3 The women in the gift shop hide the items that I want to purchase on Friday so that I get 20% off! I love how they are so hush hush and yet still do it so I can get the discount.
4 We put on a nice buffet tonight. Our little meals have turned into full on meals and it's awesome. Tomorrow I am on my own...what shall I bring?
5 She comes all the way out to the house so that I can sign the paperwork to get the new hot water tank installed. We chat, just for a bit and I realize she's in desperate need of an ear and hug. She gets both.
6 Mr P is off of the hook. The poor man struggles every year because my birthday and Christmas are so close together and I have often said I prefer to have them separate. Really, it's such a small thing, and he has such lovely intentions. This year we will do it simpler and easier. I don't know if he gets it yet, but I'm hoping he will relax and just breathe.
7 Kes has a lovely wonderful exciting moment when he connected with another little one and they were playing together. It was magical.
8 Finding the perfect gift for Kesler's birthday.

Friday & Saturday

1 The roads are slick this morning and we see many cars unable to make it up various hills and exits along the route. Still we take time to drop off little chocolate advent calendars for the grandkidlets.
2 One last day of work then the weekend off. I am the only support staff in the office so it makes for a long but productive day. My final bit of work is arts and crafts. I make a lovely sign for the kidlets Christmas party.
3 Heading home the roads aren't much better. It was a night of freezing rain and very slick roads. Mr P likes to play in the snow so I bite my tongue when he uses the emergency brake to turn a corner here or there.
4 Breakfast with Santa

5 Izzy says to Santa, "I love you Santa," and he replies, "I love you too Isabelle, from the minute you were born." She suddenly is quiet and unsure of what to say next, but he quickly gives her a colouring book and chocolate and all is well again.
6 There was a magic show and she says her favourite part was when he put some ripped up paper into his mouth and pulled out this very long coloured paper. Kes liked the silver rings trick.

Sunday, Monday

1 Izzy was really concerned that Grampa wouldn't be able to land at the airport. As we drove there she made up an amazing story about getting a little red and white plane and rescuing Grampa if his plane was in trouble. I asked her if she knew how to fly and plane and she responded with, "I have my license but I could use a little practice!"
2 Mr P is happy but tired and cold after a long flight in a very cold plane. He cranks the heat up to 28C and we break out in a sweat much sooner than I would have thought.
3 Peanut butter bars for Grampa!
4 Grampa takes the grandkidlets to a preschool program called Strong Start today. He says they both loved it and that Izzy was a real leader, Kes was happy playing in the rice table and with the marbles.
5 Baby it's cold out there. -15 C Yesterday the sun worked very hard to push through the clouds...here is what it looked like from our bedroom window.
6 The grand kids have gone home and the house is cleaned, and there is a strange quiet.

Friday and Saturday

1 A  freak snowstorm means we rush down to the store to get eggs and other ingredients for our cookie baking. But we didn't know about the scheduled power outage so we are again in the dark. This time it's 10 - 2, not too bad.
2 Their favourite show tonight is Justin Time. Very cute little cartoon with good stories and meanings.Justin Time

3 Our story tonight is Love You Forever. She likes me to sing the song to her and each time I do she snuggles in closer. Kesler misses it all, he's already asleep.
4 Sugar cookies with Isabelle and Kesler. They are both excellent at the icing part!

5 My oldest son comes for dinner. He's been on his own for a few days while the kids have been with me. He's greeted with big love.
6 A few minutes of quiet time to clean up and write this blog. I've been reminded of how valuable that can be.

Monday through Thursday

1 Learning the ropes at the Rec Center. Wow, great place to work if you like laid back. I spend the morning learning point of sale, checking in seniors for pickle ball and just settling in.
2 The house is warm when I get home. I only worked a half day so it was noon and the house hadn't cooled yet.
3 Setting the thermostat to do it's thing just how I like it means that it's 'perfect for me' any time of day or not. At least until Mr P gets home on Sunday.
4 Day two of training and I find myself working on my own. Someone has gone home sick so I'm tossed into the deep end again!
5 I love the Dollar Store. Always lots of fun things there and at such low prices. Perfect for picking up craft supplies for the grand kids..
6 My hair is shorter than I expected again! I think I'll have to be more assertive with my stylist next time. I like how he colours but he just can't seem to let me have it long.
7 The power went out late last night. Thankfully I woke up before the alarm and go myself to work on time. Turns out we were the only facility with a generator so we worked and everyone else got to go home! We spent the morning supplying the public works staff with hot coffee and a place to warm up and decorating one of several Christmas trees.
8

9 The grand kids and i get to spend time together. It's been a while since they've had a sleep over and so it took a few extra rounds of the song I sing to them. It won't be long before they won't want me to tuck them in so I'm cherishing these moments together.
10 Kes and Izzy go to story time at the library today. She finds it difficult to sit still but eventually settles a bit more. I think with time she'll figure it out. Kes on the other hand just loved the carpet that's covered in letters from the alphabet and couldn't contain his enthusiasm :)
11

12 The snow is melting and tonight it's warm out. Tomorrow the forecast is for all this lovely white to be encased in a deep freeze.

third time's a charm?, sleepyheads, and special visitors

1 Cell phone saga. My cell phone is in need of repairs yet again and it's frustrating me to no end. I get a loaner phone for the third time and this one is the worst of the bunch. I think it's at least 10 years old and doesn't even do photo attachments on text messages! Too funny, I think I'll use an old beast we have lying around here.
2 Izzy and Kes come for a visit but he's sleeping before we get home and then she asks to go to sleep It must be the cold weather making us all sleepy.
3 Gaile is coming tonight! So looking forward to seeing her and her hubby and grandson. Should be a fun evening if we can all stay awake! :)

thursday, friday and saturday

1 Another day of rest. I'm so grateful that I can rest and recover from this icky flu/cold that's gotten hold of me.

2 How nice to get messages about our book club gathering. We had so much fun, eating, drinking and finally talking about books, and some rather risque media news here in Canada.

3 The night ends with a chat with my dear friend J. She's the kind of person that I would describe as 'real'.

4 No rest for the weary and we are busy with the work, work and more work.

5 The grandkidlets come to spend some time with us and for a sleepover. Both of them haven't been here for a while for sleepovers so this is exciting for us all. Kesler seems to adjust easier that our little miss, but soon she's figuring things out

6 Mr P is busy installing more cameras on the house We are secure. Now we just have to figure out a few specific configurations and we're done.

7 Izzy tells us that every day at the park is a fun day Today's no exception and we have fun in the leaves again. 

8 Gaile is coming! So very happy we can spend time together. Not sure for how long, but it doesn't matter as long as we get to see each other.

9 I'm pondering in my head, why I am not taking my big camera out with me more often. More thinking is needed, I'll get back to you.

4 days done

1 The morning brings mist,fog, and eventually rain! The grass is greening up despite the fact that it's autumn.
2 I feel warm and fuzzy in my new bulky knit sweater. It's big, baggy, and beyond comfortable. It's my new go to sweater.
3 I'm still training in admitting and am enjoying the people I work with very much.
4 Do I like the work? Not really, but if it gets me seniority, I'll do it!
5 A good night's sleep means that I am clear headed for the next set of training sessions. This time it's an afternoon shift and a new trainer. She is incredibly meticulous and has great attention to detail.
6 One more time, and then I'm back to my switchboard job. It's been interesting to see and learn a new department and then come back and appreciate what I have.
7 Izzy and Kes come for a brief before I go to work. As we are leaving it's a bit of chaos and she says to me, "Grama, that's the shortest visit ever!"
8 My brain is overloaded and I get a wicked headache but I push through it and finally it's over.
9 Work is done and it's time to get home and unwind! No wine tonight but a fire and cup of tea work just fine.
10  Mr P is home tomorrow! xo
11 My bed feels deliciously cool and welcoming. I love clean sheets, the smell, the feel, the way my body melts into softness.
12 At one point tonight the winds blowing are so strong that the wind chimes sound overly loud and  like an out of tune instrument but eventually they settle and are melodic and soothing again.