My Senior Kindergarten Boy

It has been brought to my attention that I did not post any pics of Jonah from his first day at school! Oh my! I blame my getting to know Candice (my camera) as the reason!

Jonah started Senior Kindergarten this month and he was so excited to be going to a big boy school. Everything was new to him - the school, the teachers, the classmates. And he took it in stride.

Here is my boy in front of his school - Seems so small!

Jonah told me that he was a big boy and that he didnt need to hold my hand in the school yard - cue moment of heartbreak.....

In front of the kindergarten doors:

The bell rang and all the kids screamed! I think it scared the pants off them! I am happy to say that even though Jonah wanted to walk in the yard alone - as the big boy he is - he still gave his Momma some lovin - lots of hugs and kisses! Still bugs me that I had to go to work and I wasnt able to pick him up for his first day. But, he had a great day! Teacher sent me a note on the 2nd day that said Jonah was very excited to be at school but that he needs to know that he can't talk ALL the time and that he has to listen more than talk! HA! Good luck with that!

This is another picture I took of Jonah when he wasn't looking. I think it is my favourite. You can see a lot of my Dad in him.

Jonah - 51/2 years old and in senior kindergarten.....where did the time go??

Sketchapalooza II at Feeling Scrappy!

I am once again taking my scrapbooking to a new level - or at least try to! Yesterday I registered for the Sketchapalooza 2 class with Feeling Scrappy And this morning I received my confirmation from Jayne (who is wonderful, btw)!

As many of my scrapbooking friends know, sketches freak me out. I have no idea why, but they do. I did my first sketch at my friend Lee's house. Took me a while to get the hang of it, but once I did, I LalalaLOVED how it turned out.

Here is the sketch I got from Lee:And here is how mine turned out: (sorry for the glare). You can't see in the pick, but there is a circle charm hanging on the bottom picture like in the sketch.
This will be my 3rd class with Feeling Scrappy. I love them and learn so much! The ladies there are fantastic and so creative! And they are all so very helpful.
If you haven't checked them out, I highly recommend you do!
Class starts on October 27th - sign up soon!

Wish me luck!

Saturday Slumber Party

Jonah has been asking if we could all sleeo together on the living room floor. Since we have been having some listening issues with him, we thought we could use this as a reward. So, after getting a full week of doing well at school and at his babysitters and home of course, we scheduled the O'Hara Slumber Party for saturday.

Jonah could NOT wait.

Jonah brought down every pillow in the house, we grabbed a bunch of blankets and made a snuggle corner.

We made some popcorn, had some jelly beans and milk.

The movie of choice was Speedracer - which as a side note i should let you know it is KIFE!!

We watched about 45 minutes of the movie and Jonah said, "OK, its time for us to go to sleep now!" Never known a kid to be so excited to go to sleep!

So off the lights went at 9:10pm.

Now, I thought Jonah would fall asleep and then Daddy and I could watch tv or something. No chance. Jonah and Sean were SNORING by 9:30!!

With my foot being fractured, it was very hard for me to get comfortable because, well, Sean kept kicking it!! ARGH! So I moved over to the couch.

While it was cute and all, not so sure I would choose that as a reward again. LOL

Isn't funny how kids will think that this was the most fantastic time ever? Love it.

Here is a pic of all of us snuggled in.

The Captured Moments

These are the moments I love to see and am happy to capture.....my little boy and his Daddy enjoying a moment together. I always say, it's the little things that matter - boy do they ever!

All about Char

OK, I got this from Lee's Blog, Brandi's Blog and Cyns Blog (see sidebar), so I thought I would give it a go!

1- What's worse - Physical or Mental cheating? Both! Anything that takes you "out" of your relationship is cheating.

2- Is it easier to forgive or forget?Forget - I have a hard time forgiving. Actually, I don't know how to forgive. Something I would like to learn how to do.

3- Can men and women be "Just Friends?" Absolutely! It's all about trust.

4- Dating co-workers?Can get sticky, but see no issue with it.

5- All expenses paid vacation to anywhere? Ireland to renew our vows is our dream!

6- On the way to the electric chair - What's your last meal? Steak, baked potatoe, cherry cheesecake and a kitkat bar.

7- The water park..is someplace Jonah loves to go to. He just goes crazy!

8- When you are "In Love" do you notice other people? Sure, its only natural.

9- Is flirting cheating? I don't think so. It really depends on the agenda of the flirt-er.

10- Would you rather have 1 great friend or 5 pals?1 great friend

11- If someone called you a bitch would you be offended? God no. I am a self admitted bitch.

12- Are you ok with your significant other being friends with an ex? Yup. I have been to events where his "first love" was there. Again, its about the trust.

13- Would you live with someone without marrying them? I think so.

14- Favorite sport? Soccer

15- Is toilet paper hung over or under?Over

16- Do you squeeze toothpaste from the middle or end of the tube? Middle

17- How do you feel about tanning booths?Not a fan.

18- Friends with benefits?Absolutely. If you're both single and unattached. Have fun.

19- Do you believe in angels? I see them everyday!

20- Would you rather take pictures or be in pictures? Right now, take them because I am not comfortable with myself. But since I scrapbook, I like to be in some to show I was there!

21- Have you ever flirted with someone you had no interest in? I suppose I have.

22 - Ever kissed a random person and then walked away? Yes, at a pub crawl in university. My tab was paid for!

23- Would you buy bootleg merchandise? I have yes, but don't look for it.

24- What color looks best on you?Earth tones - and pink does NOT look good on everyone. I am a good example. HATE pink.

25- If you could play any sport professionally what would it be? Soccer

26- Ever break up with someone and regret it? Should never have regrets. I have regretted the way a breakup was handled but not the actual break up.

27- Are you a jealous person? Nope

28- Would you ever have plastic surgery? Yes, tummy tuck for sure.

29- When do you want to get married? I got married when I was 23

30- Who has the sexiest accents? ohhh, australian, irish, scottish men make me want to get naked! Love accents!

31- Next concert you're attending? None planned. Last one was Bon Jovi

32- Favorite song? Curtains by Elton John

33- Favorite movie?Oh, so many. Money Pit always makes me laugh.

34- What's your occupation? Business Development Consultant

35- What's your sign? Aquarius

36- Are you a beach, country or city person? Country

37- Best vacation spot you've been to? In a cabin with my husband in Algonquin Park

38- Have you ever had a "secret affair?" Everyday - Sean knows about it, with Jon Bon Jovi!

39- If you could own a non-traditional pet which would it be? Baby Tiger

40- Favorite show as a child? Three's Company

41- Where do you spend most of your money? BILLS!

42- Are you currently working at a job that you hate? No, I like my job.

43- Have you ever been so heart broken that you called in sick to work?Yes, I took a week off when my cat died.

44- Favorite summer drink? Malibu run, peach juice and frozen strawberries.

45- Can you change a car tire? Nope.

46- Favorite cologne/perfume?Nina Ricci

47- Favorite candle scent? Mulberry

48- Would you consider yourself adventurous? Definately

49- What is your My Space profile song? Don't use MySpace

50- Favorite concert attended? Elton John or Bon Jovi

51- Would you date an already attached man/woman? Pass

52- Would you sing Karaoke in front of co-workers? Already have!

53- Can you shoot pool?I can, but not very well

54- Do you like your siblings' significant others? Sometimes. As long as my sister is happy, I'm happy.

55- Can you drive a stick? Not very well

56- When you marry will you wear white?I did!

57- Have you ever sat and hoped for a phone call? Yes

58- Ever skip school and spend the day at the beach? Skipped, but not for the beach.

59- Favorite TV show? GREYS ANATOMY!

60-what are you waiting for at the movies?A movie that shocks me like Sixth Sense did!

Are you ready???

IT'S GREY'S ANATOMY NIGHT BABY!!!!

I have Lianne coming over to join me for some Greys Dip(creamcheese, pepper and salsa) and baked chips, Red Pepper Jelly and Malibu Rum!

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!

Scrapbooking

This past weekend I was at my scrapbook retreat - and although I wasn't excited about it at first, it turned out to be fun. Was it the same as usual, not even close. But I wasn't going to let anything ruin my weekend. I did not pressure myself to get pages done. I took the time to funnel thru some things that had been on my mind and bothering me. I was very tired and not feeling well so I took a couple of naps and I even watched a few movies! But I did get 23 pages done and I am very happy with that result.

Another result I am happy with is how the pages turned out! I have been a standard scrapbooker for so long - meaning I didn't step outside of the box very often. But a few months ago, I took an online scrapbooking technique class thru http://www.feelingscrappy.com/ called Embellish It! This class took me WAY outside the box. I was learning new techniques and using things I haven't used before - buttons, chipboard, metal, paint, stickles. I love it! And the women there are fantastic! Very creative, talented, warm, supportive and friendly - yes, friendly. There are many scrapbook boards out there but you will always find "attitude" - not at FeelingScrappy. So if you have not checked it out yet - do it!!

So I thought I would post some of the pages I did at the retreat or thru the class. I hope you like them!

This is using a tearing technique, metal and flowers:

This is using ribbon, metal and leaves:

This is my new fave - chipboard covered in stickles!

This technique was using paint. The idea of the reflection was from a member of the design team on feeling scrappy. It also has chipboard.

This is following a sketch. This was from a sketch that Jayne posted on her challenges board. This was my second sketch. They always scared me. It is following a predesigned layout, but the layout only shows the lines and where the title or embellishment will go. I find them hard but now that I have 2 under my belt, I am really liking them! And I am sure I will like them more once I take the Sketchapalooza class on FeelingScrappy!

Enjoy your day!

Remember My Week Off?

I know this post is overdue, but it was busy when I got back to work, lots to catch up on, and I had to figure out how to download my photos from my new camera!

So here is a rundown of our last week in August.....

Saturday - we were very excited for Olivia's arrival. Olivia is a friend of Jonah's who moved back to London. He has not seen her in 2 years. He was so excited to see her!

We had breakfast at our favorite restaurant with Mickey shaped pancakes, then we headed out for the zoo.

The kids walked around looking at the animals, ran around in thewaterpark and also had a camel ride!

The kids had a lot of fun! Jonah was very sad to see her go, but was happy to hear that we will be seeing her again on tuesday!!

On Monday, Jonah had a playdate and so did I!! I went to visit Lee at her place (she is about 1hour 20 away from me) and we scrapbooked and chatted the day away! Lee convinced me to complete my very first sketch (that'll be a different blog entry!), we laughed, we talked about any and everything - een the topics that are usually taboo - religion, economics and politics - it was so nice to be able to talk about anything with her. It was a great day as usual.

Tuesday - we spent the day with Olivia again! We started off with

a trip to Build a Bear. Jonah made a Canada soccer player bear and named him Jonah, Olivia made a bride bear and named her Olivia. The kids then exchanged bears so that "olivia" was always with Jonah and "Jonah" was always with Olivia - such a sweet sentiment.

Tess and Olivia then treated us to lunch at the Rainforest Cafe. If you have young kids, they will LOVE this place. We ate right beside the elephants, boy are they loud! The food was delicious and the kiddies loved the atmosphere.

Back to the hotel we went for a splash in the pool. It was so nice to be able to spend the day together. It was hard to say goodbye not knowing when we will be able to see them next. Still hoping that Olivia's Daddy comes back to work in Canada and brings the family with him. Regardless of where they are living, Jonah and Olivia will always be friends.

Wednesday - another busy day! We went to the C.N.E! It is only in Toronto for 2 weeks every summer. Jonah was big enough to go on some big people rides this time. He had a great time. Our friends, 3MDM were also performing at the The Ex so we wanted to see them as well. Of course we made sure to bring home some cotton candy for daddy.

Thursday - mental health day!! We just chilled out and watched movies.

Friday - We headed out to go camping! We went with our very good friends the Sibleys and we had a lot of fun. The kids climbed trees, we went to the park pool, went to the beach - thats where I fractured my ankle, the kids played in mud puddles, collected different types of bugs, roasted mallows, hot dogs, popcorn. It was fantastic!

Now you can see why it took so long to post! It was a great week off and glad that it was so busy instead of just sitting around. I have many, many pictures of this week off and I am happy to know that these memories of this week will be preserved forever.

So for those of you who were asking - that was what we did that week! I tried to keep it brief for you! LOL

The Emmys

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of award ceremonies - Daytime Emmys, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, The Oscars - you name it, I most likely will be watching it. I love the glitz and glamour, and I love seeing my favourite shows/movies/actors win their well deserved recognition.

Yesterday, I got home from my scrapbook retreat (which BTW was great) and I had missed my boys. So I PVR'd the Emmys so I can spend time with them. I watched the Emmys today, early, before work started and I have to say......SUCKED ASS LARGE!! I was so freaking disappointed!!! The opening segment was crap - even Oprahs joke bombed. And the 14 minute opening dialogue with the 5 reality hosts? BRUTAL! They tried to bring back some classics but it didnt really do any justice to the show. Josh Groban did a medley of various show openings and while some were really good, some still had that classic "Josh" voice which just didn't seem to go.

I thought, maybe its just me....maybe I am tired.....maybe the things that had been on my mind this past week affected it.....but then I read the reviews.....LOWEST RATINGS E-V-E-R!!!

So I am not crazy, others agree with me. And that is my vent for today.
Enjoy your Monday!

One More Sleep....where's my excitement??

A couple of weekends a year, I go away with a bunch of ladies for a scrapbooking retreat. It is held at a Bed & Breakfast in Norwood just outside Peterborough. A few of us are regulars, some are sporadic. But it is always a fun time.

I always get very excited to scrapbook - especially when it is for a full weekend with no chores, no work, no phone! But this time, I am not as excited.....I still can't wait, but it is not my normal excitement. Usually I am sending the ladies emails with sleep countdowns.....34 sleeps to go! 26 sleeps to go! 13 sleeps to go! I am sure it drives them nuts. But this time......nope. It is one more sleep, and I still haven't sent a countdown email. I haven't even packed. Last night I was scrambling to get photos developed. I am just not prepared.

Could be that this retreat is different in that I am going up alone. Traditionally, I ride with another scrapper, we stop at stores, get some food, catch up on life. But this time, they are unable to go up on the friday morning. None of the other ladies can get up there early either. So I am going up, by myself and will be alone until about 7pm.

I know a lot of people would say "Enjoy it!", but I know that I am going to be dealing with a lot of thoughts that have been swirling in my head - and I have no one to bounce it off of. I know I can distract myself by getting a lot done or I can head into Peterborough to wander around. I used to live in Peterborough and I love it there!

I also think that with some of the things that have been going on, it has just sucked up my excitement like a Hoover. I don't feel the excitement from the other gals either. They have a lot going on as well, so I am sure that doesnt help.

So hopefully, by end of today, I will be able to shake these blahs and find that scrapbook excitement! I hopped over to a scrap board I frequent - www.feelingscrappy.com - and I looked at this months challenges. It has certainly helped move out some of those blahs. If you are a scrapper and haven't checked out this board, you must! These ladies here are wonderful and very talented. They always brighten my day.

Shake, Shake, Shake........ok, I am shaking it off.....I am going to have a great time (I always do!), My wonderful hubby made me a great cd for the drive (he rocks!), I will figure out these thoughts in my head (I know the girls will be supportive), and I will get some wonderful pages done (thanks to learning new techniques from FeelingScrappy). It will be fantastic!

ONE MORE SLEEP!!!! HUGE W00TAGE!!!!

Me and my Feet

If you were to ask me what my most favourite feature of me is, I would proudly say my feet. Especially the right one because it has my pretty tattoo.

But the past couple of weeks I have had issues with my feet. I blogged a couple weeks ago about my dislocated toe - which is much better now.

So during my fantastic week off, we went camping. We stayed at Earl Rowe which has a fabulous beach. On the Sunday of the long weekend, it was beautiful! Sunny, hot, perfect summer day. We were playing badminton on the beach and decided to run into the lake to cool off. That was my mistake.

This is what my foot looked like before I went into the lake: (my foot is on the right)

As I ran into the lake, I hit a hole about 3meters in. I went right over on my ankle. I thought I had broken it it hurt so bad. But I was able to wiggle my toes, so i thought it was just a sprain, it will go away. It then looked like this after a couple of days of swelling:

How hot is that!

I finally went to the hospital had it x-rayed. Turns out it is fractured and I have torn all the ligaments and tendons in my foot. They gave me a pair of crutches and sent me to get an aircast.

I hate it. Looks like a ski boot and it is very hot and heavy. Sucks.

What the heck is wrong with my feet??? Sheesh!!

Why I haven't been blogging

It came to my attention this week just how many people actually do read my blog! Very exciting! LOL. A few people have been asking why I haven't blogged about my week off. We had a special friend from England, camping, the zoo, my parents 60th birthday....and this is the reason why:
Isn't she pretty?? Go ahead...look at her again, I will wait......

My newest toy is my Canon G9. It was given to me as a gift - yes, a GIFT - by my wonderful friends Mark and Sandra. I have known Mark since I was 12 and we have stayed friends all this time. Mark and Sandra know I love to take pictures and scrapbook them and knew I wanted this camera that was out of budget. So in typical fashion, Mark tricked me and got it for me. Yes, it was hard to accept, but again in typical Mark fashion, he justified it.
So, in my excitment, I have been taking lots of pictures and trying to learn about her. Of course, I haven't loaded the software yet to download the pictures! So that is my reason for not yet blogging because I really want you to have the visuals.
So my plan this weekend is to find some time to load the software and figure it all out. So stay tuned!

Have I mentioned that I love my new toy.....I think I will name her Candice.....Candice the Canon.....hmmm, will have to think about that. If Sean can name his GPS (he named her Gloria), then I can name my camera! Any suggestions? LOL

Friday Feast

Saw this on Jaynes blog (http://feelinscrappy.blogspot.com/) and thought I would join the fun!

Appetizer: When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed? End of August. I am very overdue! Getting highlights too!

Soup:Name one thing you miss about being a child. Camping at Orchard Grove in Niagara Falls - best time of my life!

Salad: Pick one- butter, margarine, olive oil. I would say butter, although I have been told I should be using Olive oil.

Main Course: If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why? I would say Spanish because I was already exposed to french in school and didn't know if that would count!

Dessert: Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…still crazy in love with Sean and Jonah - would will be 10! WOW. I probaby planning the big 4-0!! Another WOW! And I plan to be much lighter than I am now! LOL

Remembering.....

It's been 7 years and this day still makes me feel sick. I am always overcome with sadness.

I didn't know anyone personally whose life was taken by this horrible day, but I do know people who were personally affected - well, weren't we all personally affected?

I clearly remember where I was. I was working at home (for IBM) and for "some reason" I couldn't access any of the servers to connect to work. I didn't think anything of it, so I went downstairs to eat my breakfast and check out the news. I was watching CNN when it happened. I remember calling my mom and telling her someone in a plane hit the World Trade Center. Our instant reaction was that it was a pilot error. Then the second plane hit.......

I went upstairs in tears to wake up Sean who just finished a night shift and told him he needs to be with me today to figure this out - something to this day we cannot do.

I sat in front of the tv all day - crying, shaking, not knowing what to do. I remember talking to my mom on the phone (she was at work and only had radio updates) and telling her what was happening. I remember sobbing to her that people were jumping from the building because they had no where else to go. Heartbreaking, pure devastation. I am shaking right now just remembering it.

I think of many of the heroes that day - Kenny Johannemann, who passed because of the effects of 9/11. He was the hero that pulled Phillipe David out of the basement that day, skin hanging off Phillipes body. Kenny could have ran, but he didn't. And because of thatm Phillipe lives on.....

That day - 9/11 - has left a major impact on all our lives. It is a day we will not forget.

Peace and Love to all

This is what happens.....

When you have too many plans during the summer!!

After asking my sweet husband to build me a porch a few years ago, I always made sure I had time to sit on my porch and enjoy my tea and my surroundings.

This year.....not a chance. I think we sat out on the porch a handful of times.

And now, it is a weedy mess. That I have had ZERO time to clean up!

Sigh......