Circle of friends

Book club for me this Thursday opened my eyes to something so important, profound and humbling that I haven't been able to let it go. We, otherwise know as "readers without boarders-karlskrona chapter", got together at Maria's around a table of small feasts. From the time we came in through the door, the atmosphere was like, curling up as a child on the soffa after a wonderful time in the snow. That's how I describe that warm and fuzzy feeling I got, I imagine it's different for others, but growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, where temperatures were often in the -40, this is what I cling to when I think of cosy.
Right now sitting here, I recall a glow around the room where we all sat, huddled around that table, it was the glow of friendship, but mostly, I think, and I may be speaking out of turn, it was the glow of true gratefulness. The greatfulness, that we had found each other, and started something that from the begining had exceeded our expectiations. What was to be a book club, had somehow transformed into something we were all thristing for, an intimacy with other women that is only portrayed in great films and books, but rarely experienced and here we are in the midst of it, scared probably to even acknowleged it in fears that it will disappear. It may disappear, but I have experienced it and what it opened my eyes to was this.
As we sat around talking sharing happy, sad, remosful, funny and joyful stories, I remembered one Christmas Eve where I was particually low, it was before the kids were born and I was brought to tears...just then Lydia interjects and says "I remember this you came round to me and spent Christmas day at my place." Being half way through my story I didn't relfect on what she said until later that night and kept coming back to it all day. When I think back to the tough times, so many of these strong, beautiful, intelligent, empathic women have been there for me. All of a sudden I was overwhelmed with remorse, for not letting them know what they mean to me or have done for me. The word friend is thrown around so much, but truly how blessed can a person be, these friends I have are amazing,,, I want to name drop them like someone on a red carpet trying to sneak into an event. Thank you girls and those of you who are not in the book club that have always been there for me Thank you. As the proverb goes... shared sorrow is half and shared joy is doubled!

25 random things...

I was surfing on my iphone, yes I love to say that "my iphone", does name dropping count when it's a object instead of a person? It's just I've never had cool electronics, when everyone had flip phones I had a brick that was one step away from having a huge antenna poking out the top. Anyway I was surfing, like I said on my Iphone4, oh did I mention it was a 4... and I came across this list of random things I wrote down about myself... not so interesting but neither is this blog, so what the heck here it is! I wrote it two years ago just before Henrik and I took a mini break to London sans the one kid that we had at the time. We stayed in a so called posh expensive hotel that was the worst... warning stay away from the Paddington Hilton... it had no hot water and they just ignored us when we called to complain everyday for four days! I mean come on, London is grimmy enough without being able to shower... so here they are with no further ado!

1. I love to watch cooking shows, and as a child when I use to make pancakes I would pretend I was making them in front of a live audience instructing them not to flip them until the tiny bubbles had popped and stayed open.

2. I'm only an early bird when I don't have to get up.

3. My face book is getting full with my students and it's making me feel old.

4. If I was to work in a retail store, it would have to be a stationary store, I think I would be undoubtedly their most devoted employee I would never want to leave! Can't get enough of them, there is a store in Sweden called "Everything in Order" Ordning och reda and I get goose bumps in there.

5. Try introducing Baking Soda to a Swede,,,,, they ask what do you do with it..... you answer well you can bake cookies with it, brush your teeth with it, clean your tub and sink with it, deodorize your fridge and get rid of onion smells, you can put it on the carpet before you vacuumed, and then it hits you wow Baking Soda doesn't sound like something you'd want to ingest!

6. Sometimes when I am stressed I think wow people in jail must have it pretty good, I mean you get 3 squares a day, get to go out in the yard for some fresh air, get to lay about in a cell and just read, no phone calls, screaming kids, bills to pay, grocery shopping to do.... man maybe we should look into weekend jail retreats for stressed out teachers!

7. If I would open a Disney World Attraction, it would be a trip to any decade you wanted, like the 50's, so you show up and you enter the gates and you would spend a week like the Clevers! I think I'd pick the 70's though eat fondue and listen to the Be gees and watch Saturday Night Fever.

8. Morning coffee in bed is close to Heaven on Earth if you ask me.

9. I don't understand people who choose to spend money on expensive "sitting room" furniture that only gets used twice a year and sleep in uncomfortable beds with scratchy sheets, and foam jobber pillows. Come on people, it's all about the comfortable bed, and there should be tons of pillows!

10. I love vegans more meat and dairy for the rest of us!

11. Why do they even bother making seats in economy that recline,,,, oh yah the half a cm really did it for me thanks Air Canada!

12. I hate people who see that you are trying to change lanes and then they suddenly speed up and pretend that they don't see you beside them.... they are looking out of their front window as if they were using their superman vision to keep a bridge up ahead from collapsing.

13. I have flown more than once on Friday the 13th and the plane both times was full, I guess the good old days of beating the line ups due to superstitions are gone for good.

14. I hate getting my photo taken that's why I'm always the photographer.

15. For the first time in my life I am reading 5 books at the same time, it is so weird, I use to be all ocd about reading if I started a book, I had to finish it no matter how bad it was, and I couldn't start a new one until I finished the current one.

16.I secretly love\hate Martha Stewart. So I watch her show, but I just love, love , love it when I guest makes fun of her or makes a joke, cause she never gets it!, or when they correct her or even worse disobey her and her crazy controlling nature takes over and you can see it her eyes that she just wants to run them down with her car!

17. Wow how many of these do I have to write, I thought 25 random things would be easy for someone like me.

18. I try to laugh at myself when I trip even in no one sees me!

19. If I was ever in the Olympics I would like to be the last place guy! The guy who they know is going to come last unless someone gets injured half way through the event. Why you might ask!, well you wouldn't have to take the training thing too seriously, you could actually enjoy the events and other athletes, and then you'd still have the cool Olympic gear with out all the worry, pressure and stress.

20. What event would I do well in, it would have to be board games that do not involve skill.

21. If I could be a judge on a reality show it would be first: Top Chef, come on they get paid to eat! then Project Runway just so Tim Gunn could expand my vocabulary, and lastly I hate to admit this but yes America's next top model.- no comment on why!

22. I can't wait until Alfred is older and when he complains, I can say,,,, well yah when I was a kid we didn't even have a remote control for our TV, plus you had to use the needle nose pliers to change the channel because the Dial broke off.

23. I only crave A&W root beer when I'm in Maple Ridge. in the frosty mug of course. I worked there for 2 weeks and I hated it! The uniforms were 100% poly! uhhhh

24. When I am home alone I eat cereal out of a mixing bowel,, okay I am telling a lie, I do it in front of Henrik too, Heck if you come to my house I'll pour you one too, infont of the TV.

25. Sleep is always the best medicine, that and nightquil extra strength, a few too many bottles of that in my house and I'd turn into a self medicating 50's wife, thank God it's not sold in Sweden. I have to rely on friends and family to hook me up.

One year!

So much can happen, has happened in one year, our little boys turned one on Tuesday, and I kept refecting on what we were about to embark on, exactly one year ago. Sometimes, I stop and think.... did it all really happen? Did we actually have twins? When I tell people I have twins, it feels like I am talking about someone else... and yet I can't imagine life without them. So if I think about what has changed, besides being 23kg lighter, I realize that I am a different person, well, for one thing I have much less free time, and that makes me want to be better at spending it.
I started running about 3 weeks ago, first for the obvious reasons, the ones that initially get me into the gym to buy the expensive membership that I end up never using... which is to lose weight. But now for the first time, I am enjoying the freedom of it, the time I have just to myself when I am out jogging; to go though all the cobwebs of my brain. Suddenly, I want to push myself, just to see if I can do it. I decided to run a 10km race the day after I turn 35, only time will tell if I can follow through. I just got to keep telling myself, it can't be worse that giving birth to twins without an epidural! Talk about a work out... I mean that was a good day on the scales my friend, from the time I was admitted into labour and delivery until the next day I had lost 18 kilos with those two! How do you like them apples?

Procrastination setting in!

So here I am doing what I do best when I am procrastinating... yep, why is it so easy to find a million "just have to do this first" things before getting started on the tidious stuff that lie ahead of us everyday! Alfred's playing at Måns house today... and the twins are down for their morning nap I am literaly drowing in house hold chorse and here I sit glued infront of the computer... having that conversation in my head" okay time to get started.... okay get started now... okay just stand up and go to the kitchen and start unloading the dishwasher... okay now, what if I put on some music, could be fun..... okay maybe go up and put the tea on... it's in the kitchen, it will get my body there at least... nope not falling for that one.... okay we gotta get going here.... uhhhh! Just a glimpse into my own crazy! Okay now I'm really going!

Walking the highwire of Love

We had book club last night, and once again, I started off not liking the book, and then we started talking about it and these girls got me to see different layers and I found myself actually saying, "yah, I would definately re-read this." Forget infomercials... these girls could sell sand to a nomad!

But isn't that great, in a way how perspectives can change? The book this month was called "Let the big world Spin" a book of short stories about different strangers that were somehow all intertwined... and I sat there at book club and I realized, just like this book, everyone sitting around this table has a main connection to me and yet random connections to each other. Suddenly, I wanted to drop the book and talk about that, isn't it true how life is sometimes stranger than fiction and life is sometimes more interesting than some of the greatest stories. Which got me thinking "what's my story?" How do people tell it... oh the girl that went off to Sweden, married a Swede, had twins...

I recently re-connected with a high school friend via facebook, the last time we saw each other was the summer after graduation, and I had literaly not heard from or about her since then. And suddenly, there she was, sending a "friend request", the first thing I do is have a quick look at her photos, trying to figure out who is who, then the email alert comes on.... it's a few lines from her with the bare details, I quicky respond...... and here it is.... my email, my story, in just a few lines.... How do I introduce myself? What am I? Check correct box kind of thing.... female, immigrant.... mother... of 3..... twins... teacher.....maternitiy leave.....
But what really is my story? How would I tell it or want it to be told? Is it the greatest love story?... or is it... who cares about that and who wants to hear about Julia living in Sweden, married with children... I mean really?

For me, it was the high wire of love! Twently years old, and not even a glimmer of what lie ahead. I had just settled into my new apartment, in the dorms, I had 3 roommates and there was definatley that nervous energy in the air, exciting, fresh, expectant, like anything could happen, this" je ne sais quoi" that seems to bubble out of youth!

The ironic thing is, although we all felt it in our youth, no one wanted to show it back then. The difference is now, when we are older and find ourselves in one of these moments, someone always has to comment with a "wow this is great", "this is what life is all about" and the reply is "yah your right"...nod and smile...reflect. Can you imagine saying that to a room of 20 year olds who are just hanging out?.... the immediate response would be "yah sure, you don't get out much do you?"- I mean why was enthusiasm so uncool back then,.... it's so refreshing now!.... I guess we can take that as a sure sign of getting older!

So even though just hanging out playing cards with a bunch of "new friends" could of made any long day feel like a hickup in time, you had to pretend that you were only mildly impressed and quite board actually, I mean that was the only cool thing to do. So there we sat, Mats and I playing cards, a few others that only had bit parts in my life that year, and then there was a knock at the door. My room mate Anna says "Oh that's probably Henrik, he's another Swedish exchange student" I was of course single and always in the market for potentials... so my immediate thought was.... "what another Swede?, I thought Mats, Johan and Martin where the other Swedish exchange students.... are you telling me their is another one?,,, the lost Swede?!" And then it happened, she opened the door, I saw him, and from that moment life would never be the same, it was like the movies... full on.... stars, birds, slow motion, que theme music....what have you... but suddenly, I was on that tightrope.... high above the city trying to make it from A-B so exciting but terrifying, and I knew right then at that moment, if he would let me I would follow him to our life's end.

Jetlagged!

Well, I got home over two weeks ago, but my body wouldn't know that! I can't seem to get over this jetlag, and I am at my witts end! But today is another day a fight against the clock! I've had 3 and a half hours of sleep and I have to get the boys up and ready in an hour or so!
Going home was great, it was like a great seires it had a bit of everything, just like everytime family gets together, but the only difference was that I had the right perspective. I mean I just tried to savor every moment of it, and it made such a difference. Can you imagine if you could do that with life? How wonderful it would be right!
Well, I really do want to sit here and write something profound but it's much to early for that and I'm much too jetlagged to even try! I just want to say I'm glad to be back I missed my boys madly, but there hasn't been a day since getting back that I don't stop for a second, and smile remembering that trip!

What's your sign today?

September, is here and my flight awaits, the list of things to do, pack, and check off are too long to count, but they are all swimming around in my head! I've finally gotten rid of my guilty coffee and decided that, since it is only a week until I leave, I am going to savor the moments with my boys. Today, I had a great day, Robin came round for lunch, and as always we had a good laugh, and I see how the boys are so comfortable with her, they are going to get on great, infact she is going to spoil them, get them use to the good life... I mean come on, matching clothes, clean faces, seprate spoons, how will they ever be able to go back!

No, but in all honesty, thank you so much to eveyone that has read this blog and told me what I needed to hear, " you are not a bad mother for taking this trip on your own" I needed to hear it again and again, and finally it sunk in, and you know how I know? Well let me share.

Today, we were in the park and I was introduced to a friend of a friend and in the conversation that continued the Canada trip came up and as I have encountered in the past the reaction was "by yourself, won't that be hard"? And I got all Jersey in my head like "oah no you dident!"

You know how we women are, we read into things, not always what is said, but how it's said or what they didn't say, or what they should of said first. Well, at that moment I went into my freudian defensive speil saying how ohhh well if Henke were to go away on a course for 10 days no one would even comment on it. And then my friend "Miss P" said "it's okay to want to go, and enjoy yourself!", and suddenly it was like all of the support I've gotten from all of the beautiful women in my life, came together and I floated away! There I was off on my tandom...yadda yadda yadda, and it hit me....

If someone truly wouldn't want to do what I am about to do, especially a stranger, then the easiest thing to say would be,,, wow how fun and nice for you to get to see your family, hope you get nice weather! (sorry couldn't help to get that weather joke in, if you've read the blog you know what I'm referring to) This is so because it leaves them not wanting for anything right, but maybe they would like to be able to have 10 days of alone time, but they too, are drinking that guilty coffee, just like me, and their initial reaction is coming from their own issues and really they are voicing their own inner monolog without even knowing it. I might be way off, maybe that mom was truly concerned that I was going to have a terrible time away from my kids, and just thought she would warn me, because God knows I haven't even given it a thought right!

Then, tonight my cousin Chelsea posted an awsome video on facebook where they photographed mothers holding a sign, and on the sign was their answer to the question... "what would you tell yourself if you could go back just before having your first child."Many of the signs brought tears to my eyes, but one was so fitting for this blog it said "It's okay to want a break".... now I just want to write a sign saying I'm taking a break, I'll be back!

Guilty coffee

So yes I am so looking forward to making the trip back home to see everyone, but I must admit, I feel as though I have the weight of a thousand stones on my shoulders, because we still haven't worked out who is going to watch the kids. Initially, Henrik was going to take holidays and paternity days to stay home with them when I booked the ticket! Two weeks later he had started his own company, well I guess you could say we had, since I was very much part of the decision to do so, and now everything changes! What am I going to do? Every morning I drink my coffee while the kids eat their breakfast smiling and grining at me and it's as with each sip the guilt is rising from the pit of my stomach to the top of my eyelids, until they are almost brimming with tears.
Henrik insists that he is going to work it out between his mom and some friends our ours but I can't help it, I'm riddled with it.

Who says you can't go home!

This time it's my cousin Jenna's wedding that gave me the goods to talk Henrik into letting me go, not so much the me going part, but the me leaving him with all the kids. Did I mention the twins are mobile now!

Well maybe you can't truly go "home" but an 11 day stunt in Toronto and Ottawa with family is pretty close. I can't wait but at the same time I worry about the kids, Alfred heard that I was going to Canada without him on the plane and he started to cry immediately and then just as fast the tears stopped when I promised to buy him the buzz light year plastic wing set! His part of the conversation went like this.... " I don't want you to go.... I reply "but mummy can bring you back a present from Canada" and then he said "okay, can you get me the buzz wings mom, don't forget, write it down so you don't forget. Do you want me to get you a paper so you can write it down?"

Well to be honest I didn't offer him the present first, I told him..." I'm going to see Gammie and we are staying in a hotel and there are no other kids or toys or tv's there, it's better you stay with papa"... to which he responded... uhhhh mom you don't want to go, then all you will have to do is sit and talk, talk, talk,.... that's so boring" I digress from this topic, it's clear he is his father's son.

So fitting for the title of this blog memories of our youth, some of them I record now as they happen and others surface from the past, but really these 11 days with my family will be a true trip home not just to Canada but to the stories and memories of my youth. My grandmother Mary was the best storyteller I have ever met, and I can still see her sitting at the kitchen table telling the best stories. It didn't matter that we had heard them a thousand times, you still enjoyed them as much as you did the first time you heard it. That's what I miss, what I crave, this reconnection to where I come from, my cousin has booked us into a rejuvenation water treatment spa, it's all the rage in Toronto... anyway this trip is the rejuvenation I need for my soul.

Yes my family is loud, and louder, with lots of drama, and hamlet moments, but on the other hand they love with their whole hearts, and their hearts are the biggest on this planet. I've been the odd one out for so long now, the weird Canadian that talks to much and lives with her emotions at her fingertips, I alway say the wrong thing, especially when I'm nervous or in uncomfortable silences, and I can never hide what I'm thinking or feeling, it's written all over my face. And sometimes, when I am quiet, it's as if I am saying the most.. how about that for irony. So yes, eleven days to disappear in the beautiful chaos that I was brought up in, everyone is talking and everyone has an opinion and we never never never discuss the weather!

Pirates of Blekinge

Alfred was invited to a friends birthday party this Sunday and everyone is to dress up as pirates! So now I am going to finally dig into my box of material scraps and make some costumes for the gang! We're watching Pipi sails the Seven Seas for inspiration right now. Hopefully my talents will be able to match his vision, when he was only 2 we went to a pirate concert but I got away with using a pre-fab HM shirt! - This is a photo from the summer 08.

Me and the Boys

Today was Henke's first day back at work after a long vacation and some paternity leave. It's the return to the "real" life as we say... when everything that we have been putting on hold because of "vacation" rules kick in, and ohh I'm already drowning in the pressure of it all.

After tripping over kids left and right while trying to get some cooking, baking, cleaning and organizing done I finally threw in the towel and towed the three bears down to the beach with me!
Yet another sunny warm day that couldn't be wasted... if you remember my post about the Swedish sun culture!

Well my friends I'm going back to the kitchen to continue organizing my Nigella pantry into a Martha Stewart one.... sans the crumbsnatchers at my feet!

Finding a gemstone!

I woke up this morning itching to go down to the garage and look at our new cupboard that we found at the flea market outside of town. It's funny how something like bringing a new piece of furniture can inspire you to get started on those boring "things to do", for almost a year now I have been meaning to organize the pantry, and since I need to go through my kitchen cupboards to fill the new one, I said "right" today's the day! So this morning armed with a strong cup of coffee I started the task... lets just hope I can stick it out and complete it! As you see I'm taking a computer break, and now I hear the twins waking from their morning nap... well watch the progress by Friday the entire kitchen should be done!

The Summer Stress of Sweden

Coming from the west coast of Canada I was a bit spoiled, I mean yes we get a lot of rain there but the winters are mild and spring comes early, and basically everything in between is great.

Moving to Sweden made me realize why the people here have an obsession with the weather... lets face it on my little island from October to March it's dark cold and windy! So when the sun finally comes out, the Swedes flock to the beach to soak it up like a man that's just crossed the desert without any water! This month has been extremely hot and sunny... I don't know how many times I've used the Swedish phrase, "passa på", which loosely translated is "enjoy it while it lasts" the only problem is, when you don't make it to the beach you feel guilty about staying inside. Constantly, in my head I'm saying "wow the weather is so great we should be outside..." let me tell you, I've never said this to myself in Vancouver. Anyway my point is, after a good solid 2 weeks of enjoying the weather outside, I was praying for rain just so I could in all good conscious stay inside for the day! Well, it was a hallelujah moment yesterday after giving the twins their breakfast, the rain started coming down in buckets with lightning and thunder!

And yet today I wake and here comes the sun again, uhhh! The irony is, two months from now I'll be ready to shell out some hard cash on those fake sun energy lights that simulate an hour of this glorious stuff that we're getting free right now!

Where does the time go?

When I say "where does the time go?" What I really am doing is hearing my grandmother's voice, if I had a dollar for everytime I heard her say that... wow. Is it me, or once you have kids do things just automatically go on fast forward.... but the real question is does it ever slow down?

Sometimes, I think that all of these conventions that we have to save time... really steal time in the long run. What ever did we do before everyone had cell phones, microwaves, tivo, email, or even the Internet for that matter? I mean wasn't life less stressful then? Or was it that way, just because I was young and didn't have any kids?

My new summer resolution (yes you can have those) is to not stress so much... because like it or lump it, life isn't stopping for no one! So in the words of Bueller "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Skinny Jeans!

Last night Maria came over and hung out while I catharticly cleaned out my closet, stuff to throw out, stuff to donate, and stuff to one day dream of fitting into again. Just as I finished going though the last shelf / basket in my closet there they were.... my skinny jeans, and as I opened them up in front of me, lifting them over my head to get full view, I realized something... man these are some pretty outdated ugly jeans! Which sent my mind racing, when exactly did I have these jeans on last, yes I remember, like the day after my wedding 11 years ago. Man have I been fat for over a decade! Talk about depressing, now I have to go out and bye new skinny jeans because who is going to be motivated to try in get into something that was cool in 1999! Not me.... you see, now I've solved the riddle of why I just can't lose weight, I had the wrong skinny jean motivation.... God knows I'll try everything to be thin again... well besides diet, and oh I'm not so keen on the working out part either!

The chore list!

So today I spent the majority of the twins nap time vacuuming the house. It seems that I spend a lot of my time doing this chore lately, something that I loathed as a child. It was always on my chore list since I was the oldest and therefore the strongest! Why might you ask is strength a requirement when vacuuming, I'll tell you in one word "fliterqueen". Yes this was the R2D2 of vacuums and it weighed a ton and never went in the direction that you wanted it to go in. Man I hated that thing, and I thought it ironic that they call the steel nossel the beaterbar,,, yah you could beat someone with this. I'm telling you someone breaks in forget the baseball bat reach for the beaterbar, it's longer! and has a bunch of cords sticking out of it, with brass prongs!

So now I am older and a total transformation has happened, a miracle if you may, I actually enjoy vacuuming, the hum drowns out the background noise that I am otherwise listening to nonstop and it leaves me with my thoughts. Who needs expensive hyper floating tanks? Not to mention my favorite part when you hear the dirt getting sucked up it's like your the Rambo of cleaners, destroying small villages of crumbs, sand, and stones. In my head I hear the Mafia boss saying "send in the cleaner"!

Anyway, back to what I wanted to share with you, as I said earlier I hated vacuuming as a child and teenager at home, and every time I had to do it you can bet I complained to which my father always rebutted with the same question.... "You don't want to be like Linda Capper do you"? Who may you ask is Linda Capper, well if she only knew the impact she has made on my life, not a vacuuming session goes by without her name popping up, still to this day, and now I am sharing the infamous Linda Capper story with you.

Linda Capper, she was the daughter of my Nana's best friend and rival Joyce Capper. Linda was one of two daughters that never had to lift a finger at home, their mother waited on them hand and foot. So the answer to my Dad's rhetorical question that he always asked when the vacuuming discussion came up was... "You don't want to be like Linda Capper do you? She got married and didn't even know how to turn on the vacuum- then her husband left her!"

So there you go, this summer Henrik and I will be married for 11 years, all thanks to those great vacuuming skills I picked up in my youth! Linda, Linda, Linda, let your story be the beacon for all kids hating the duty of vacuuming!

What are you talking about?

Who ever came up with the expression "sleeping like a baby".... I think people are using it in the wrong context, I mean I suppose when we say "I slept like a baby" or "He's sleeping like a baby" we are talking about good sleep. Well if you think about it, sleeping like a baby could also mean waking up 4 times a night screaming your head off waiting for someone to come in and give you something to eat! Hej wouldn't that be nice!

Judging a book by it's cover!

So the girls and I are finally getting a book club started, or at least setting a deadline to decide when to start one... and only after a few years of talking about it. That's progress my friends.

We finally decided that we would all come up with a suggestion for a book, and the only rule is it has to be something you haven't read before. Great right! no, wrong! It was my suggestion about choosing a book you've never read before.... what was I thinking? Talk about adding the pressure of having to judge a book by it's cover.
Today, I was talking to Zoe and she was having the same dilemma! Which made me think of yet another Joeyism that I wanted to blurt out in the phone to her. Here goes:

My parents were arguing with my brother and half way through the conversation he starts changing his mind or standpoint, and my mom calls him on it and says "Joey that's not what you said 5 minutes ago" and my brother replies "Okay fine, I totally disagree with myself!" Yep that's right say it again, because it even gets funnier the more you say it..... "Fine, I totally disagree with myself"

So I'm disagreeing with myself and picking a book I want to read again "The handmaiden's Tale" by Margret Atwood- cheers

Come and Eat!!

Lately every time I put food on the table my 3 year old lets out the biggest sigh.... oh no not fish, ohhhh no not this, not that, which is just what you want to hear when you've spent time making a healthy home cooked well balanced meal for your family. When I ask him what he wants to eat, it's usually pancakes or cereal!
The other night after whipping up some home made pasta carbornara and hearing Alfred's ohhh nej! yet again, I had a flash back from my own childhood. I grew up with a steak and potatoes two veg, salad and garlic bread dad, and each night when sitting down to this feast all I really wanted and longed for was macaroni and cheese from a box. The brand in Canada is called Kraft Dinner, my dad renamed it Crap Dinner. (that's his thing he has nicknames for everyone and everything)
Anyway one night my dad was playing in a baseball tournament, and therefore my mom was happy to make us kids this 10 min meal. I was so excited I asked if I could have a friend from down the street over for dinner- sure goes mom. I race outside and invite my friend, he replies what are you having, I say with great enthusiasm Kraft Dinner. My friend lets out a sigh and says uhhh no thanks we have that all the time. I said okay and turned around to make my way slowly back home, head hanging, sad not to have the company, but mostly I was thinking wow! That kid must be the luckiest guy in the world!

So, here I am serving up food that just can't compete with Crap Dinner!

Failing an army physical

Since being pregnant with the twins, I've had the worst sore feet, so bad that I've almost been tempted to use my uncle's lame expression "Wow these dogs are barking!" - and I hate when people say that! Turns out I have fallen arches, in other words I'm a flat footed momma! Destine for ugly reliable shoes! Ok, so what does this mean? Are my chances of becoming a foot model for some kinky foot fetish Internet site over? or what!

I always thought fallen arches was something old ladies complained about to each other while waiting in the doctors office for their name to be called. But now I'm one of them... without any warning I have been initiated into their circle, but I refuse to go quiet into that good night my friend! Instead of joining them I'm going to take the opposite approach, I can be happy, look at it this way the army won't want me in case of the draft!

Ok, while I was typing this my husband comes over and asks me "Can I unplug the power to the computer for a second or are you writing something?" My answer was "Sure, I'm only fake typing Henrik... go ahead". Yikes do you think he loves me for my sarcasm? Lets hope so cause he just got a loving spoonful of it just then.

Dream Job!

Today while cleaning my kitchen I was listening to the radio as usual. After every few songs comes a slew of ads which are annoying, I usually change stations or just tune them out with my highly developed selective hearing, but today my radar picked something up that had me smiling for hours.

The radio ad was actually for selling radio time to companies who are looking for employees- so instead of taking out a help wanted ad in the local paper you could have a voice ad on their station. OK, so far so good, then we get to their selling point of why air time is better than the regular run of the mill help wanted ads in the paper....
....wait for it....

the woman announcer in her perky voice states.... "maybe the person that best fits your employment needs doesn't know where to even find your help wanted ad! that's why radio ads are better."

Okay back the truck up for just a second people, I'm thinking who the heck is in this target group? You mean to tell me there are a bunch of companies desperately searching for someone that doesn't read the help wanted ads in the paper when looking for work!!!! why? Are these candidates too stupid? Illiterate perhaps? or so unmotivated that picking up a newspaper to find a job is just too hard. I'm I the only one that is perplexed by this.

Anyway, Friday is finally here, Alfred and Henrik have gone to the carwash, it's half price after nine at night. He's a frugal man after my dad's heart!

No sleep for the Willing!

Do you remember when you were a kid and having to go to bed was like punishment? Tonight Alfred pleaded his case not have to go to bed by pointing out that it wasn't even dark outside. It made me realize how adulthood really creeps up on you. I mean Alfred doesn't want to go to bed, I can't wait to collapse into it, he wants the light on, I relish total darkness, he wants to listen to music, I would love a pair of earplugs (if I didn't have to listen for the twins).

Life is funny that way, I mean perspective is really the key, sometimes when I am really stressed I fantasize about being thrown into jail for a week or two. I mean just think about it, your punishment is you have to stay in a cell with a bed to relax in and just read or sleep. Then you get to come out and eat 3 squares, prepared for you, and don't forget some time in the yard for fresh air and exercise. I'm mean come on it's like a spa vacation compared to tough days or nights when kids are sick keeping you up all hours.

Maybe I've come up with a new way for jails to generate income, they can have a wing solely devoted to sleep deprived wives and mothers. Just think your husband could come home and surprise you with an all inclusive stay at the big house. I guess the down side is there is always the risk someone could slip you the shiv when you least expect it.

I'll keep this plan on the back burner for awhile and cling to the fact that in 12 years I will have 3 teenage boys that won't move before noon.

Biggest Loser meets Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream

Today the God Mother came over after working out for a cuppa, and I must say I got a short but fleeting urge to jump up on that band wagon. The boys turn 5 months next week and I think the honeymoon period of wow you look great for just having twins is over.

However, it's going to take more than a pang of guilt to get me into the gym. So my new plan of attack is to mentally get ready, I've been watching reruns of the biggest loser everyday on channel 5, in fact I even tivo it!

Okay but here's the truth yesterday while watching I was eating Nigella's peanut butter chocolate topping over ice cream. You see losing weight conflicts with one of my favourite pass times food! So what to do, I digress for the moment.

Well one good thing about being fat is that no one can really tell how old you are, according to my dad this is referred to as the fat age! Example, "Dad what's the new neighbour like?" Dad- "Nice, chubby girl" Me - "How old is she?" Dad - "Can't tell- she's in the fat age"

So yes fat is a powerful age eliminator- it makes the young look older, and the old look younger (no wrinkles) hence "they have entered the fat age" !

No time like the present

If I had a dollar for every time I told someone "I've got to write that one down", I'd be a millionaire by now. Not that I have such an exciting life, but sometimes it's stranger than fiction.

I have a younger brother who is always saying things that make me laugh, unintentionally of course. My mother and I refer to them as Joeyisms, and I'd like to share one with you right now. Last week my brother and mother are driving in the car, my mom goes " Joey do you know where we are going?" Joey- "Relax I know this place like the back of my head"..... case in point.

So today is the day, I am officially going to start writing these things down!