Finding Treasure

This afternoon, I found a memory card in my old camera and found some pictures and video from last summer.

Check out Evan's rendition of Baa Baa Black Sheep:

Lesson learned a.k.a time for a change

Shortly after I moved into my apartment in Oliver, I bought myself what I thought was a great bedding set. It came with fantastic sheets, a nice bed skirt, and a cozy comforter. It was perfect, until...

I had a child.



Until I had Evan, who has since spilled, peed, and barfed on said comforter, I did not realize that the comforter was dry-clean only. After barf fest 2010 in January and washing the comforter in the bath tub, putting in the washer to spin dry where it inevitably ripped anyway, my mom asked me if I had learned a lesson.



"Yes. Do not buy dry clean only bed linens, and buy duvets and duvet covers."



Last night, fed up with what was once a fabulous set of bed linens, I headed to Bed Bath and Beyond where I bought the following:

and a duvet from Ikea that has "Three comforters in one. Use together for the warmest comforter or individually for a cooler comforter. Provides year round comfort."

Both purchases are machine washable.

Lesson learned!

January's gone and February is nearly done!

I need to be better about keeping up my blog. I love writing...always have. By the time I leave work, pick up my son, go home, make dinner, etc etc etc, I just don't feel like I have the energy to do it.

So far, 2010 has a 50% success rate. January dealt me a lot of challenges...some of them were anticipated while others completely blindsided me. I have chosen to see those challenges as a means to make me appreciate the long weekend I had away and our upcoming 2 week vacation.

My friends and family have been awesome...willing to help me at the drop of a hat and being so thoughtful.

February has been pretty great...for the most part. Evan started back at his new/old daycare, and he hasn't looked back. In the mornings he is more than happy to see me leave so that he can play with his new friends. When I pick him, although he is ready to come home, he cheerfully waves and yells, "Bye Bye Teacher! Bye Bye friends!" I couldn't be more pleased. Evan spends less time commuting and more time playing. I get home before 5:30 pm most nights. I am just loving it.

I never understood why, at the end of every calendar year some people seem to always say 'good riddance' to 20XX. I just don't get it. I began to understand when we had such a trying start to the New Year...but I am choosing to see the positive in what has come of January.

1. Evan is much happier.
2. Even though I will have to pay for Evan's orthodontic care now...it's a far smaller bill now than if I wait.
3. I don't need to jump through any more hoops to get Evan a passport or to travel internationally with him.

With that...I continue to keep my chin up, try to be a better parent, a better sibling and daughter, and try to be a better friend. Because Evan, Craig, my mom & dad, and my friends deserve it.

Soccer Pictures!

Ugh - I am doing terrible at keeping up with this blog. December 8th was my last post. So much has happened since then, most of which I will not rehash. I can sum it up in that December was good, Christmas and New Year's were fun, and January can go away!

The one neat thing about January is that I finally got my order of Evan's first soccer pictures. I remember that picture day quite vividly. Pictures were being done at Woodvale Playschool. So that Saturday morning, I dressed Evan in his soccer uniform and we walked over to the playschool - it would have taken more time to drive. When we arrived we were given a order form and the kids were brought into a big room. They started with the individual pictures, and Evan was first. Evan didn't entirely understand the concept of how he was supposed to pose. The photographer, who was AWESOME with the kids, walked over and helped get Evan into position. I observed this while peeking around the doorway - parents were booted out because between the parents, the kids, the coaches and the photography staff there would have been too much chaos. So $19 dollars later, I finally got Evan's team picture and a 5 by 7 of his individual picture.

Evan's Santa Picture

Finding the perfect place to have Evan's picture with Santa was a bit of work. The past two Christmases, we have done Santa pictures out in Victoria. This year, however, we are not going out to the Coast for Christmas...my parents are coming here. Consequently, we were not going to be able to have Evan's picture with our favourite Santa. After soliciting some fellow Moms on the best place to go for Santa pictures, I decided to take Evan to the Santa Claus at Bonnie Doon Mall. While it's not the Santa at Mayfair Mall in Victoria, the Santa Clause at Bonnie Doon Mall will be a suitable stand in when we spend our Christmases in Edmonton.

PS - I shouldn't have said a darn thing about my Swiffer Vac. The day after I raved about it on my blog...it died. :(