Decorating Fail

What's that on your tail, Daisy?
She walked by the Christmas tree and picked up a little something. I was sitting sick on the couch and was the only one to notice it. The kids came running fast to see.
Velcro Tail.


Self-awareness Fail.

Weird Things I Have Found in my Stove....

"Mom! Where's the icepack?"
"Try the stove."

I tried to put the icepack in the stove today. Can I use the excuse that I was sleep deprived? I was using the ice pack in a wool sock around my throat. One of Grannies's Cures. I thought it might help me sleep.

It didn't.

I took it off in the dark and laid it precariously on my bedside table by the kleenex and cough drops and glass of water and the plate of toast Greyson had tried to soothe me with.
Halfway through the night I heard a curious sliding sound and then a loud plop.

You know when you're are only half-awake and you tell yourself you'll figure it out in the morning?

I forgot.

The wool sock covered icepack was under the bed and there it lay forgotten. That's where I found it today.
I know where to put this. I bustled into the kitchen feeling so good for getting things done.
.

This is where I tried to put it.
.

But in my defense, see how the drawer slides out?
Now look at this.....
.

Curiously similar.
And I think my case is bolstered on the basis of proximity...
.


See how close they are?
One pulls out--the other pulls out.
One holds...frozen things, the other holds pots and pans.
Black--white.
Amana--Whirlpool (Whirlpool owns Amana, by the way)
It's a mistake anyone could have made.


It was a long trip from under the bed to the freezer, but he made it.
Doesn't he look at home there amongst the frozen peas?
Poor little icepack.

But it does state it's a hot and cold pack, anyway.

Just in Time For Christmas...

Thought you all would be keen to know that the antibiotic I am on makes everything taste like sour pineapple pennies.
Christmas Turkey with sour pineapple pennies.
Grandma's Christmas cookies with sour pineapple pennies.
Coming Home Lasagna with sour pineapple pennies.
Triple Creek Eggnog with sour pineapple pennies.
Hot morning coffee with black forest cherry creamer and sour pineapple pennies.
I guess you can see where I'm going. There are certain gastronomical delicacies that I look forward to when we visit the states that you just can't duplicate here. I'm a little sad. But hey, I can breathe! And that's....that's...to be valued more than taste. Right? Right. Right. Is it more sad that I weighed those two options longer than a sane person should?

This isn't a health blog. (surprise!) but I've found out some work the UC schools are doing on vitamin D that everyone should know about. Most people have deficient levels of vitamin D which is scary because the new data shows that it protects you from a whole host of diseases.
Look at this chart. A 75% reduction in cancer? Virtually wiping out type 1 diabetes?
If you are wondering if you are deficient-- I was supplementing with 2000iu a day for a year or two, then upped it to 5000iu a day, and my test came back deficient!
Sunshine is the best way to get your D, but if you live in Canada, your body can't make it from the sun from Sep. to March.
And if you use sunscreen it blocks the rays you need for this, and if you use soap on your exposed skin, it washes away the sebum where the vitamin D is converted.
More than you need to know.
But I want to get the word out because so many people can get tested and stay healthy.
If you are concerned, I recommend joining D-Action and doing their $40 blood test they send in the mail. It's very simple and straightforward and accurate. You can get one through your doctor of course, but it gets more complicated because there are two kinds of tests and you have to get the right one or it will be inaccurate.
Hope this helps.
Gotta go.
It's time to make a sour pineapple penny supper.

A Conventional Family...

Hey, Sawyer. Watch'a doin'?



Oh. I see. Daddy's painting your back.

Of course.


With an eagle.

Yes.



Wow. That's a pretty smart looking eagle.



Do you love it?

He loves it.
Ummmmm, I understand the back painting thing and all, but why did you pick out an eagle, Sawyer?
"Mall Cop."
Oh, yes. Of course. Uh, huh.
.
note to self: screen kid movies more carefully for imitative behavior.
.

Hey, as long as we're on a roll with typical family behavior that could be found in 9 out of 10 homes in North America right now, let me share the following shots I found on my camera today....

Tristan from the right.

And here's.......


Tristan from the left.

Once you find out that this was shot to show how red his ears were when he comes in from the cold it'll all make sense.
Doesn't your world feel more complete now?

Speaking of making sense. I know you haven't seen me on this blog lately so I'm including a shot of myself cleaning the kitchen. Because I found it slimming.




Do you think I could work this into a Christmas card? Somehow Photoshop the rest of the family in there to the right? It's the yoga pants. I highly recommend them.

Living in a country that speaks another language is challenging at best, but it does make for some interesting conversation. I wore these same yoga pants to my hairdresser. When I took off my coat she said, "Wow, did you lost?!"

My mind, yes. Many times.

Alfalfa

The problem with Hathead, is that is stays all day.







But does it really matter when you're a kid?


I suspect not.


This particular hairdo had extra sprouting power because Sawyer asked if he could style his own hair this morning. He came out with it plastered down to his head by a good spackling of exxtra strength gel. He was so proud.
I guess even exxtra strength gel is no match for Hathead--just look at him now.

Snow Hat

"MOM, can we go to the library?"
It's just up the street. And it's useless to us because it houses volume after volume of French literature. But it also boasts another attraction.

Sledding hills.


Someone played out in the snow for 4 hours today.



With just a mug or two of hot chocolate, he'll be good as new.

I always dreamed my kids would expend this kind of energy on cleaning their rooms.

Because I was raising them to work hard.

Something went wrong somewhere.
They play a LOT harder than they work.

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

I was sick.
And bored.
Because I couldn't talk. Or move easily.
So I grabbed a pen and made a line on a paper, then I looked at Kiki with a this-line-is-for-you face. And because she is an artist, I didn't need to explain what to do...

This is the line I gave her.


And this is what she did with it.....





This became great fun for me. I tried to find something harder...






She's thinking.



She's done.

Okay, something a little harder....





Did I stump her?



Not yet.


So I drew this one.

"Mom!" she protested.
"Okay", I said, "I don't like that one. It's bad. Try this one...."





And she did.

Looking across the room I drew the profile of a folded newspaper without looking. Don't try to see it, it's indistinguishable.





I think I see a snow shoe.



Yep.

Then it was time to clean up the table for dinner.
But, wait!
She saw one more drawing. The one we both dismissed before....




Now it's a heavenly swan.

Drop us a line, we'll see what she can do with it.