Happy Halloween.

QUESTION: I left 50 pieces of candy on our step with a note telling everyone to take TWO. Then the kids and I went trick or treating (Todd is out of town). After being away for 2 hours - how many pieces of candy do you think were left?

ANSWER: 42 pieces of candy were left. Yep - that means that there were 4 kids that came here. (For my baby sister (I love you): 50 - 42 = 8 divided by 2 per child = 4] Yep, FOUR. FOUR KIDS!!! 2 were our neighbours, one was the baby across the street and one was likely the 9-year-old 2 blocks down. Did I mention that it is BEAUTIFUL night (+8, no wind) and still we only had FOUR kids. T.G. I didn't bother to stay home and hand out candy.

You can imagine that with such a low-traffic-number of halloweeners that most people in our mini-neighbourhood don't celebrate Halloween and after walking past 4 houses for every 1 house with a pumpkin the kids and I backtracked, hopped in our car - drove 3 blocks away (fought for a parking spot because this is the 'drive-to' Halloween neighbourhood) and trick or treated for over an hour. One woman told me that she'd seen over 100 kids within the first hour! It was great - like being in Twin Brooks!

Speaking of Twin Brooks - Hello! Old Neighbours. I hope you guys had a great Halloween (how's Gene Gebo)? I sure miss you. Thanks for sending me the emails. I never seem to respond to each one but I love to get them. I'll try and call this week!

The kids just counted and they collected 139 pieces of candy. I wonder if they notice if I eat the Wagon Wheels they got.... C.

Pumpkins pumpkins pumkins everywhere

Not sure where they all came from but we're up to 7, yep, seven pumpkins now. They pretty much give them away on the island. We had to pay for 3 but that was only $2 each and included a hay ride for 5 of us to the pumpkin patch to pick our own pumpkins off of the vine. Tomas chose a pumpkin that is 27 lbs and Toria's is 21 lbs. Mine is a mere 13 lbs. Next Toria received a pumpkin at school, Tomas another from Beavers, 2 from the pumpkin walk at the school Halloween party. Voila! We're up to 7. Actually, we could have had 2 more pumpkins because the local grocery store was giving away free pumpkins to the kids today.

Tonight, we're off to the outdoor neighbourhood Halloween party. I'm not sure what to expect except that we've been told there will be Stilt Walkers, Fire eaters, a marimba band and professional fireworks. I told the kids we could not go because the fireworks are not on until 9pm and it is a Sunday night (school tomorrow). Plus, with the time change today it is like 10pm.

How did my kids handle the fact I told them they couldn't go? For the first time in 2 years they both had afternoon naps!

Prairie folk on the coast

One day last week it was drizzling when we were leaving for school in the morning. (Our walk to school is a 5 - 8 minute walk depending on enthusiasm levels.) Because it was raining, a drizzle, but rain nonetheless I had the kids put on their puddle boots, rain jackets and carry their umbrellas.

OK, it was fairly clear that we were newcomers. NOBODY was wearing puddle boots, kids had on fleecy jackets or vests(not a rain jacket in sight) and yep, you guessed it, we were the only ones carrying umbrellas.

****Fast forward a week ****
On our walk to school this morning the weather was clear but a little cooler than it has been recently. It was +7C. Again we were clearly the new kids on the block.

We were the only people NOT wearing mittens. I was telling Todd this and he laughed and said "No self-respecting prairie kid would be caught dead wearing mittens when it is +7 outside. Most kids wouldn't even wear mittens when it is -7."

How true this is!

Golf, Hockey & Cleaning

A conversation between Tomas & I at the driving range:

Carmen: How's it going, Tomas?
Tomas: OK, I feel a little loose.
Carmen: Ohh, I guess you better tighten it up.
Tomas: No mom, my golf coach says that it is good to be a little loose. You should try it mom. You can hit the ball better.

OK. THAT's what I've been doing wrong!

Now onto hockey, First off I tried to watch the World Series but it was rained out THEN I decided to watch the Oilers beat that pansy-assed two-faced sissy Pronger but the Oilers were annihilated so that sucked. (To clarify the term 'watch' - not once did my derriere ever hit the couch. I had the TV on while I made supper and cleaned the house - that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.)

Keeping with the sports theme of the evening. I cleaned the floors and bathrooms in a record 3 hours! Windows, counters, dusting, mirrors, wall-wiping-fingerprints still needs to be done. Cleaning sucks, I yell, kids unhappy, husband wonders why cleaning takes 4 days and then it is time to start over. Alas, I have decided to outsource. Molly Maid starts next Friday. T.G.

Shopping extravaganza...

I have to tell you about the most AMAZING deal I got at the Adrienne Vittadini outlet store. They had these beautiful cashmere scarves 'on sale' for $169 (regular $275). I touched them, sighed, and moved to the crappy-looking scarves at the other end of the table marked $19. Turns out THE ENTIRE TABLE WAS $19. Seriously. I bought a brown scarf for myself and then a gray one I was going to give for a gift at Christmas. However, I have worn the brown scarf and it is gorgeous so I'm going to keep the gray one too!

We got some other good deals at the Outlet Mall. The kids were fantastic the whole trip. We did 3 ferry rides, swimming, and OH Did I mention TARGET. I love Target. We found bedding for our bedroom that matches perfectly for $150 inc. king comforter, sheet set, bed skirt, pillow shames. Now the sheet set isn't the greatest but I only wanted the comforter anyway - the rest is a bonus.
Tomas' favourite part was "getting his hiking shoes" at Stride Rite (regular $70 on for $29)
Toria's favourite part was "wearing her Snow White dress" from the Disney store... 1/2 price. She wore it EVERYWHERE and, of course, everyone oohed and ahhed and she loved the attention.

Tomas is learning to read and he is leaning over my shoulder looking at the computer telling me that the words on the computer say "Tomas needs popcorn". I guess that is my cue to get the afternoon snack ready.

RRRRrelax

The grandparents have just left, the laundry is washing, the dishwasher is dishwashering, the kids are at school and it is quiet. In fact, it is so quiet that all I really want to do is lie down and have a quick nap.
***
OK, I wrote the above paragraph this morning and it is now 9:07pm, the house is a disaster, the laundry needs folding, the dishwasher needs to be emptied THEN reloaded. The kids are sleeping and I still want to lie down for a nap!

I've been out of touch for a couple of weeks and have nothing new to say. (How exciting is my life?) It was nice having my parents out (I found out that my dad actually reads this so I'm going to talk about how fantastic my parents are and how they are the very best and how they can come and visit - and provide FREE childcare -any time.

Todd is in Toronto this week and he just called to say that he found a bug in his bed... he's at a 4-star hotel. He called the night manager who moved him to a different room and gave him the night for free... on condition he keep his bug-find quiet. Todd said the night manager went white in the face and Todd was afraid he was going to pass out. The freaky thing is that while he was calling I was googling the latest news and read this: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15289365/

We're off to Seattle on Thursday. There is no school on Friday but the kids will miss school on Thursday. The kids are counting down the nights until they get to sleep in a hotel (please lord ->be bug-free). Todd & I are counting down the nights until we get to shop at the outlet mall. We originally planned to have it as a mini-sight-seeing-vacation but forget that nonsense ... Mama's Going Shopping!

As for our 2007 summer vacation - we signed up for this - http://www.therally.com/ Can you imagine? Me, Todd, 2 kids and 2000 blue-hairs. This year the rally was in Daytona, Florida, next year it is in Oregon - we thought we'd try it while it was near us and plan a further visit if it is good.... like Daytona!!!

Quick note: To anyone who has written - I'm hoping to do emails tomorrow or at the very latest next week - sorry for my delay. C.

So busy...

Hi - grandparents are visiting, kids are crazy with excitement, doing the tourist thing, todd is out of town, sorry no time for blogging this week. But we did have a great thanksgiving.. skipped the turkey-thing and went with fresh wild salmon. very yummy. late for bed now. Tomorrow is thursday - the kid crazy activity day PLUS it is my blasted day to help at Toria's school. oh yip.

Things that make a parent go hmmm...

Tomas' teacher's niece has triplets. The niece brought the triplets to school today. When Tomas' found out that triplets are when 3 babies are in the mom's tummy at the same time he asked the question "How do they all fit?". Glad somebody else got to answer that. The Answer (according to Tomas) is that they get a little squished and they were born early (3 months in this case) - before they got too big.

Toria is currently playing with her doll she pretends is her cousin Weston. Right now he has a poopy diaper and I am supposed to change him. I never expected grandparenting duties to come to be so quickly.

In other news, a mother brought her daughter to school today with a known-case of pink-eye that WASN'T UNDER ANTIBIOTICS. The mother said (and I directly quote) "she just wanted to come to school so bad and I don't want her to miss school. If she doesn't touch anyone it will be fine".

I stood there with my mouth hanging open and before I could respond another (sharper) mother said "I think you should take her directly to the school office and confirm school board policy". She was sent home. AND a note came home saying you had to use antibiotics for 2 - 3 days prior to returning to school.

Toria strikes again...

Imagine, if you will, your oldest child is at golf lessons - what do you do with child #2? It is too far and not enough time to come home but too damn long to sit at the golf course. If your child #2 is my daughter - you go to the craft store (plus I had to return a couple things!).

At Michael's she picks out a 'foam' purple crown that is on sale for $1.50. The payment transaction was something like this:

Me: Here is a toonie to give to the cashier to pay for your crown.
Toria: OK
Cashier: That will be 1.69
Toria: Here's my money (and passes the cashier the $2)
Cashier: Would you like a bag?
Toria: No thank you, I will carry my most beautiful crown
Cashier: Here's your receipt and change (and gives them to Toria)
Me: OK, Toria, give mom the change and I will put it in my purse.
Toria: No, the lady gave me the money.
Me: Yes, but who gave you the money to pay the lady?
Toria: You did.
Me: Yes, so can I have the money back please.
Toria: Nope.
Me: Toria, I don't want to lose the change, can I please have it back.
Cashier: Excuse me, can you please move down - I need to help the next customer. [Oops]
...
meanwhile .... Toria uses my distraction with the cashier to put the money in her pocket!

I give up but make plans to get it from her pocket before I do laundry.

We pick Tomas up from golfing (he is doing great, by the way)and as we get home the phone is ringing and I dash to answer it. Toria also dashes into the house but I can't quite figure out why until I am on the phone and she comes up to me and says "I put MY money in MY piggy bank and you can't have it back".

Amazing kids

Toria did a 100 piece puzzle yesterday and Tomas read the book "The Bike Parade" to his sister! I am so proud of those kids.

Now we're late for school.... I LOOVE MONDAYS.