HAPPY NEW YEAR

I want to wish you all a very happy new year. Hope your year is great.
We will probably be having a bunch of teenagers at our house for the night, so I am stocking up on snacks. We've got some fireworks to set off too. Hope the kids enjoy them, I also hope nobody gets hurt!
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WAITING FOR THE BALL TO DROP

O.K. Here is my latest confession: I really hate New Year's Eve. I think it stems from the fact that on most nights I am dropping asleep by 9:30 and on this particular night I am not allowed to even think about sleeping until at least 12:01. At 8:30 in the evening I am seriously starting to contemplate ringing in the new year with my fellow Canadians in Ontario. I work my way across the country hoping that the family will give in to me and just let me go to bed, but to no avail. So, now here we are at close to 11:30 and I am still awake, just counting down the minutes.I remember when we were kids Dad would go outside and wait for the New Year, then he would come in with a bottle of wine and a loaf of bread. I believe they were to symbolize prosperity or something. Anyways, once Dad was successfully back in the house the real celebration would begin. I don't remember what time we went to bed back then, but I was probably more excited about it than I am now.So, that sums up my yearly New Year's Eve adventures. Tomorrow we will be cooking a Greek dinner which everyone is looking forward to. I started preparing today by making baklava. Of course we had to sample it and it is very yummy. So, Happy New Year!
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LOOKING OFFICIAL

Brian just got his official ambulance crew gear. Normally he doesn't like to wear uniforms, but he will make an exception in this case. He wants to look official when they are picking patients up at their houses. Looking good, Brian! (Sorry about the glare from the reflective strips.)


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ANOTHER BUSY DAY

I guess we have officially finished lazing around for the holidays. Today was very busy. Brian decided to install our dishwasher today. He had to remove the original cabinets, then we prepared the dishwasher. It wasn't too hard to convert if from portable to an installed unit. However, the installation kit that we bought from the appliance store did not come with an adaptor for the water hose. Since we live in such an isolated place, this means that I will have to order one over the phone and wait for snail mail to deliver it to us. This shouldn't take more than a week or two. Then I thought since we are working in the area we might as well install the new kitchen faucet. As always nothing goes as simple as one would hope, but we have it installed and I love it. I have always wanted one with the spout that pulls out. Hopefully it will intrigue the kids enough that they won't complain about doing dishes for the next couple weeks.
On another note - the kids love their new ski-doo. We, the experts (lol), have given them all driving lessons and are satisfied that they know and will follow the safety rules we have laid out for them. Naomi and Josh are both naturally cautious. Hannah, on the other hand, is slightly kamikaze and needed an extra lesson or two. She drove Brian around today and was a wonderful driver. I still suffer from some parental anxiety when they head out on the ski-doo, but hopefully that will pass.
After all the excitement on Christmas day, Oscar has spent the time since recovering. He doesn't move far from his bed - usually only as far as the couch!
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WOW! WHAT A CHRISTMAS!!!

Where do I start????? Last night Brian and I thought we would be very smart. We decided to take the kids stockings and fill them, but not put them in their rooms until about 3:00 am when they would be sure to be asleep. However, not everything goes as planned. Brian woke up around 1:30 and so we decided that we may as well just put them out now, the kids seemed to be sleeping. So, we snuck into their room with the stockings and decided to put them on Naomi's dresser so that Oscar wouldn't get into them. As soon as we went into the room Oscar bounded out of bed. He saw us putting out stockings and remembered that this was something he could open. So, thinking all was well, I went to the kitchen for a drink and on the way back to bed I heard whispering coming from the kids room. I just laughed, what else could I do? Then I went to bed. About 5 minutes later I could hear Oscar walking down the hall - click, click, click. Knowing that this was definitely not Santa on the rooftop, I listened carefully. I could hear him walk into the living room and stop. Knowing his penchant for opening presents I went to investigate. There he was opening a present. Again I just laughed and taped the present back up. Interestingly he never bothered with the presents under the tree until he saw the stockings. I really don't know what he planned to do with Hannah's new underwear! Then joy of joys I brought him to bed with me so that I could keep an eye on him. All night I could hear the kids whispering. I don't think they even got a wink of sleep. In the morning the kids came to our room to see what we had in our stockings. Of course Oscar came too and was excited beyond belief. He was trying to grab things out of Brian's stocking and was bounding around the bed. We finally had to bring him his own present to open. This is one of those things you have to see to believe. When we finally made our way out to the tree we gave Oscar his stocking first and he just started tearing presents apart. Then he grabbed the paper while I was opening a gift and was ripping it off. He definitely provided a lot of extra excitement. We opened up our presents and everyone was very happy with their gifts - and everything fit! However, we had 3 boxes that we were saving for last. Before they could open them we had to have breakfast. As I said to them, once you open the last 3 boxes all sanity will leave you, so we need to eat now. Then they were able to open the last 3 gifts. They were helmets to go with the new ski-doo we bought them. It is 2004, brand new, Arctic Cat - we got a great deal on it. You should have heard the squeals of delight. They were so excited. Here they are all ready to go:

Brian and I worked very hard to keep this a secret. We bought it in Whitehorse and had it delivered to a friends house. Then on Christmas Eve day we went over and hooked up the sled and made sure everything was ready to go. Around 4:30, just when it was getting dark, Brian walked over and picked it up. I stayed and watched t.v. with the kids, making sure there was lots of noise in the house. Brian pulled up right outside the living room window and kids never heard a thing. We kept worrying they would look out the window and see it, but they never did. I think we definitely deserve the parents of the year award for this.
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WAITING FOR THE BIG DAY

Brian and I were just watching the news and they had a story about last minute Christmas shopping. Apparently Canadians spent an estimated $2 billion today alone. Is that insanity or what??? It is one of those times that I really enjoy living apart from the busy, city life. I definitely don't miss the crowds just before a big holiday. We went to Whitehorse near the beginning of December and all our Christmas shopping had to be done then. It doesn't leave much room for forgetfulness. You just have to be organized. What I do miss is being with family during the holiday season. It would be nice just to get together for some family time. It would also be nice to have family be able to attend the kids Christmas concerts, etc. But, I guess that is the price we pay for living in the Great White North! Once Christmas day comes I am fine - it's just the lead up to Christmas that I find hard.
This year is interesting in a new way. It seems that we are really being accepted into the community. We have been invited to 2 boxing day get togethers. One is being held by the head nurse here, Lynn. We get along very well with her. The other is being held by Brian - the store owner/hair dresser/lay coroner/head of recreation department/masseur/etc. He is actually a really great guy. His wife and sons will be in town for the holidays. He talks about his sons all the time so it will be nice to finally meet them. So, that is our boxing day plans. Should be lots of fun.
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'TIS THE SEASON

Here is the craziest thing about living in the far north - the weather. Brian and I have been planning on putting up our outside Christmas lights for over a month. However, it is almost dark when we get home from work so we had to do it on a weekend. But every weekend has been too cold - it's cold enough to have your hands in a foot of snow, without contending with -25 temperatures. Yesterday was the start of our Christmas vacation. We worked until noon, then we were free. We took the opportunity in the afternoon to put up the lights. Can you believe it was +2 outside??? Needless to say, Brian still felt cold when all the snow fell off the ladder down his back and when he was having to dig his hands into the snow. There was no way I was climbing the ladder to put them up - I hate ladders! So, I put all the hooks on and Brian attached them. They look great!

I guess this is also the season to be thinking about New Year's resolutions. Ha! Ha! Ha! Mine is the same as it is every year, it's really a no-brainer. I resolve to lose weight! Of course it's a good thing that the resolution doesn't kick in until after Christmas with all its baking and chocolates. Actually it's interesting this year, I don't even want those things. I have some baking in the freezer now, but it's not tempting at all. I even have chocolates, which the kids enjoy, and I do too, just not as much. Maybe I'm just getting old! Well, that much is true anyways.
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CHRISTMAS CONCERT

I am so glad the concert is over. I enjoy it, but it is still a relief when it is all done. Brian's class started the program with a play Brian wrote. It was entitled "The Principal Who Stole Christmas". It was loosely based on the Christmas Carol. We weren't sure the kids would even get up and do the play. During the dress rehearsal in the morning one of the kids refused to go on stage. So, no one was sure what would happen in the evening. Well, they did the play but it wasn't without a hitch. One of the main actors was really nervous and was playing with the microphone cord and she accidently pulled it out of the microphone. Of course everyone laughed. She ran off the stage and was sitting behind the curtain crying. So, the principal told a story to fill in time and somehow Brian managed to convince her to get back up on stage and she did a wonderful job. Of course the kindergarten kids were the stars of the show. One great addition this year was a play in the Kaska language. Josh was in this play. He played a sheep. I was very impressed with the way he said his lines - he sounded like he had been speaking the language for years. Here he is in his costume. (sorry it's such a poor picture. Pictures in the gym never turn out well.)

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ARTS AND CRAFTS

The girls have learned some valuable skills since moving to Ross River. One of these is learning how to sew with moose hide. Much of this sewing is done by hand. They have also learned how to do beautiful bead work. Naomi made these mukluks a couple of years ago. They are absolutely gorgeous.

Last year Hannah made these mitts for me. Now, their work has really improved. Naomi made these slippers for herself.

Hannah just finished making these mitts for herself. She used beaver fur on them. The green and white flowers are all beaded. (She also made the bread that is on the counter behind her.)

I just thought I would share these beautiful creations with you.
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READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

O.K. I must say I am definitely ready to begin my Christmas holidays. However, we have 2 1/2 more days of school before we officially start the holidays. I am definitely not looking forward to the next few days - the kids at school are going to be wild with excitement. We are having our Christmas concert on Tuesday night. I have to play piano for this event. It is usually a very fun time. At school we also have all the classes join together each morning to sing Christmas carols. As usual I lead this - the younger kids love it, the older ones not so much. But everyone has a great time. I guess when it comes down to it, I just really love Christmas. It's my favourite time of year. Most of my Christmas presents are wrapped now, that means I can just relax and enjoy my holidays.
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CHRISTMAS PARCELS

Today was a great day - I finally got all my parcels and Christmas cards put in the mail. It is such a relief to finally have them all finished and sent off. You may not get them by Christmas, but I wasn't prepared to pay twice the price to get them there faster. Sorry. But if they are late think of it as an extra day of Christmas cheer!
The kids christmas present arrived on Tuesday. Brian and I were enjoying it for a while, but not as much as we would like for fear of getting caught. It makes me wonder, is it a present for them or us??? I still can't say what it is for fear the kids will read my blog. I guess you will have to wait 11 more sleeps to find out! Is the suspense killing you yet? Here's a clue - it's bigger than a bread box and smaller than a house.
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HANNAH'S NEW 'DO

Hannah decided to get her hair done while we were in Whitehorse. This is something she has been planning for a few months now. She looks tired in this picture because she ended up getting sick while we were away and this was taken Sunday morning when she was just starting to feel better. (Also, she doesn't like to show her braces in pictures.) The hairdresser kept asking me if I was o.k. with her having purple hair I figure it's just hair and she definitely doesn't have the attitude that normally goes with crazy hair colours, so I'm fine with it. She is so happy with her hair and she is still as beautiful as ever. Who would have thought I would have a child with purple hair???
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TRYING SOMETHING NEW

We just returned home from our Christmas trip in to Whitehorse. As always it was a rush and there was never a dull moment. This year was turning out to be especially hectic. We had to take the truck in to the shop for some major work. I knew we would have to leave it there all day, so I was planning to just walk where I needed to go and make do the best that I could. However, those plans crashed to the ground when I was on my way out of the first store that I shopped in. My arms were loaded down with bags, and in my great wisdom, I thought well, I will just drop these back at the hotel and then continue on to the next store. About half way back I realized that I would spend more than half the day walking back and forth to the hotel and my arms would be about 2 feet longer due to all the heavy carrying. So, I phoned the car rental place and rented a car. It was the best money I ever spent. Brian was off shopping so I just had to go ahead. Then when I was driving back to the hotel I passed him. He was so surprised, but totally understood. My next stop was Walmart, needless to say, the trunk of the car was now full. Anyways, we spent the day shopping and filling the car, kind of like the clown car that you can just keep filling up. Naomi had her xrays for her back, but it will be after Christmas before we can see the doctor about them. Here's the real kicker - we all met back at the hotel before supper and phoned about our truck - they were still working on it. They had started at about 8:00 in the morning and were still going. I was informed that all the bolts they were trying to get off were rusted so bad that he couldn't get them out. What was supposed to be 6 hours of work ended up being about 10. They wanted to keep our truck all day Saturday as well, however, the mechanic didn't want to have to face our truck again for another day, so he stayed until 9:00 at night and finally got it finished. They had to replace some seals and gaskets on the manifold. Well, glad that it over with.
Here's the great news. The kids all went to see Happy Feet, so Brian and I decided to do something totally new - we went to a karoke bar. It was such a blast. I wasn't going to sing, but they brought out the books with the lists of songs and I thought what the heck. So, I was sitting there filling out the paper with the song and in walks a big crowd of people from Ross. I was so nervous, but I got up and sang anyways. I sang "Cowboy Take Me Away". I was so nervous, you wouldn't think I would be after all the performing, etc I have done, but I was terrified that I would have a Cameron Diaz moment (like on My Best Friend's Wedding) and be totally flat. But Brian was sitting there beaming and everything went great. So, I thought what the heck I will do a couple more. I sang Everyday Is a Winding Road - didn't do so hot at that one, then Soak Up the Sun - which Brian said I totally nailed. It was such a blast, I can't wait to do it again. The funniest thing was when this other couple got up. The girl went up first and sang by herself, then she called her boyfriend up and he didn't know what they were going to sing, but he went up anyways. Just as he is walking on the stage the music for Summer Nights from Grease starts and he says "Oh crap!" It was so funny. But they did a great job, they really got into it. This is a definite do again. Actually get yourself ready Sonya - we're taking you guys. Maybe Brian and Gary should sing a song each too. (hee, hee, hee)
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THE GREAT BAKING THIEF

It appears to me that we must have a thief in the house. Yesterday my little friend, Mackenzie, and I baked ginger sparklers and mint brownies. She took some home with her. But we seem to be going through the rest of it at a remarkable rate. I wonder what this thief looks like. He is probably about 6 feet tall, skinny, and with male pattern baldness. Maybe he is 5'3" with blond hair and brown eyes and flits through the kitchen stealing baking as he flies through laughing uproariously. Or maybe it isn't a he at all, but a she. Maybe standing around 5'6" with blond hair and green eyes and is very quiet and stealthily walks through the kitchen without us ever knowing she is there. The other option is that she is 5'3" with long brown hair, brown eyes and a very silly disposition. Here are the mug shots of my suspected perpetrators. If you see any of them please alert the proper authorities. (That would be me!)
Do these look like the baking thiefs or what?

Or maybe it is the ultimate thief: 8"tall, long, fat and brown. Just look at him sneaking through the kitchen in disguise. He probably has a store of baking hidden in his bed.
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CHRISTMAS DECORATING

Well, since it is now officially December and the start of the Christmas season. The kids and I spent the weekend decorating. The tree is almost done. I just have some final things to put on, but never have the time or energy to do so.

Josh and I also started some Christmas baking. He made shortbread and I made caramel popcorn. I had also previously made ginger cookies and christmas cake. However, one would never know that I had even begun to do any baking since it is all gone. After school today one of the grade 1 kids is coming over to bake with me. She comes at least once a year and we do some baking together. She is just such a sweetheart and adores my kids. I always look forward to having her come. Today I think we will make ginger sparklers and mint brownies.

'TIS THE SEASON

Well, December and all the parties, etc that go along with it has officially arrived. We went to our first (and probably only) Christmas party of the season on November 30. We were invited to a dinner for the ambulance volunteers. It was nothing fancy (obviously, since it is Ross River), but we had a really nice time. We sat at the "non-smoking" table. As Brian says it is a bit like having peeing and no-peeing sections in a swimming pool. At least we were not having cigarette smoke blown directly into our faces. We had a great time, visiting with the nursing staff. The kids didn't have as much fun. This is probably due to the fact that the other kids there were all between the ages of 7 and 9. They basically just ate and then left. The food was o.k. - for those of you fortunate enough to have eaten at the TND, or even to have looked at the place, you will understand what I mean. Definitely not 5 star quality. Oh well, it was nice to get out of the house and socialize with someone other than teachers and students.

We are still having an ongoing battle with the weather - just when we think it is going to warm up, things turn and we get another cold snap around -40. I just keep telling myself that it can't last forever. Down to about -30 is o.k., any colder than that and I don't venture farther than I have to.

YOU KNOW IT'S COLD WHEN...

You think it is warm when it warms up to -25. Seriously everybody keeps talking about how warm it is outside. It honestly does feel warm after such a cold snap.

DECEMBER?????

Can you believe that it is almost December. Time to start decorating. Every day I plan to begin after school, but I always get so busy with other things that before I know it, it is 9:00 pm and I am too tired to decorate. Maybe on the weekend we will get some done.

REPORT CARDS:

Well, tomorrow is report card day. However, since we are in cahoots with the kids' teacher he gave us their report cards today. As usual, I am very proud of my kids. They obviously take after me with their academic achievements! LOL! Naomi earned straight A's and Hannah and Josh both had a mix of A's and B's. Sometimes as a parent you want your kids to be getting fantastic grades on everything (especially when you are working in the school). Every time report card time roles around I have to remind myself that when I was in high school I would have been exstatic if I received a C in math. I guess sometimes the pressure to succeed is too great. Don't get me wrong, our kids are all bringing home excellent report cards. I just have to remind myself that their school education is only a small part of what is important. I am more interested in having them do their best and being confident and happy. So, I suppose we have succeeded in accomplishing those goals. Our children have learned some great skills since we moved here. Naomi has a beautiful pair of mukluks that she made and Hannah made me a wonderful pair of mitts last year and is making herself some this year. Josh is almost finished making a pair of moccasins. Anyways, now I am just babbling on. I guess what I wanted to say was that I am extremely proud of my genius children.

A NEW BLOG

Brian has now started his own blog.

http://www.primordial-blog.blogspot.com/

Check it out. You may not agree with everything he has to say, but feel free to leave a comment or two. Especially take time to view the video link he has on his first entry.

WHEN TRAGEDY STRIKES

We learned today of an awful tragedy that has occured in a family that we knew from Kitimat. Their daughter, who was about 17, was found dead in their home this past week. They are not sure who has done this horrific thing, but her father is being held at the police station. At this point we don't even know how she died. I have spent the day in a state of shock. I never know how to react to a situation like this. I can only pray that somehow the family will make it through this tragedy. There is nothing more horrible than losing a child. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

WEATHER

O.K. I have heard some complaining about the weather down south there (snow, cold, etc). Just to make you feel better think about what we are enduring. We currently have about a foot of snow and on Wednesday night we kept checking the thermometer all night and watched the temperature steadily drop. Thursday morning when we got up it was -45. This morning it is currently -48. When you look outside there is a fog that doesn't lift until about noon. Let's just say, we are burning wood at a steady pace and only go outside when we have to. It is almost like a respite at work because so many kids stay home. So, all in all, even though it is extremely cold, I don't mind, I actually kind of enjoy it in a weird, demented sort of way. Deirdre Dion (the skier who broke her back and is back competing) is supposed to come to our school this afternoon - I don't know if they will make it because of the cold, but if they do I would love to see her reaction to this cold when she steps off the plane.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish my mother-in-law a very happy birthday. You are so wonderful. I don't think of you as an in-law, but as a mother and you treat me as your own daughter. I really appreciate all you do for us. I couldn't ask for better family. You hear so many horror stories about people and their in-laws, but I am very happy that we have never had those experiences. So, I hope you have a fabulous birthday. Love you lots.

BACK FROM WHITEHORSE and ONE-STOP SHOPPING

Here I am after another hectic trip to Whitehorse. I left on Thursday to take some girls from school in to a conference. I should have realized before I even left the house that this would be a crazy trip. It had been quite cold (around -28 everyday) and when I was ready to leave it was -23. So about 10 minutes before we were scheduled to leave I went out to start the truck, but wouldn't you know it, the truck wouldn't start. Thank goodness a friend of mine was also going, so I phoned and she came and gave me a jump start. Due to winter conditions, the trip took 5 hours instead of the usual 4, however, we got to Whitehorse safe and sound. Whenever I go there, I am so thankful that my normal routine does not involve transporting children from one place to another. I can handle it for a day or two, but am always glad to get back to my normal routine. Actually Friday was a great day, the girls were all at their conferences so I had most of the day to myself. The bad news was I had to leave the truck at the garage for 2 hours so I ended up walking around a very cold city. The good news is that I did the shopping for the kids - I can't tell you what it is, but I can say it is big, expensive and best of all - one stop shopping. I am so excited about it - I can't wait for Christmas day! I am already planning out how to present this most awesome gift. Anyways, all in all, it was a good trip, especially when you compare it to the same trip I made last year during which I backed up into another car in a parking lot, locked my keys in the truck and fell very hard on the ice.

WALLS AND OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS

On Thursday, our Principal, Thomas, surprised me with these for all the extra work I do around the school. Also included in the package were some delicious chocolates. Funny there is no picture of the chocolates - it could be because they didn't last long enough. The roses were set out for all to see, however, the chocolates were hidden away from prying eyes.

The Remembrance Day Ceremony at school is always full of surprises. For instance, I worked with the grade 1 and 2 class and they sang both the Canadian anthem and God Save the Queen. The teacher and I laughed so hard when we realized that they were actually singing the following: God save our gracious Queen, God save our enormous Queen. Apparently this song had too many words that they didn't recognize, so they had started putting in words they knew. I hadn't even realized they were doing this until just before the ceremony. Oh well, what can you do???

The best part of the ceremony actually occured when we were setting the gym up. All the pieces for the stage are on a big trolley. Brian was pulling it out of the storage room and one of the girls decided to help by pushing. Brian tried to tell her to stop pushing so he could turn, but I guess she didn't hear.

Hence, the following:

Good thing the Principal was in a really good mood - he just looked at it and laughed. Brian is now affectionately known as "Bubble Butt" by both staff and students.

REALITY T.V. AND OTHER STUFF

Well, I ended up spending last Wed, Thurs, and Friday at home last week because I had the flu. Let me say, by Friday I was bored to death and can't wait to get back to work. What is there to do when you are sick other than sleep, read, and watch t.v. My favourite channel is still TLC. One of my favourite shows is What Not to Wear. I think it would be kind of cool, except for the humiliation part, to have someone tell you "these are the clothes you should wear and here is $5000 to buy them." While I was watching they had a couple of people with similar body types to mine. It got me to thinking that maybe I should just break down and buy myself some new clothes. Ones that fit all "the rules". Unfortunately there are 2 things wrong with this - one is money and the other is that as soon as I start looking at clothes I immediately forget all "the rules". I don't often buy myself anything new because I am always on the verge of losing weight. Maybe now that I am 40 I will just have to accept the way I am and buy some new clothes. In the meantime, we have been busy at home. Last time we were in Whitehorse we picked up some new taps for the tub. I really hated the other ones, they were really old and they always dripped. So yesterday Brian decided to install the new taps. This was supposed to be a 1/2 hour job, maximum. Let's just say 24 hours later, we are finally done! When Brian was removing the old spout, the pipe it was attached to twisted and broke. As you probably know, things are never as easy as they should be. Replacing the taps became replacing the whole pipe unit for the bathtub. It also involved a few trips to the store for parts in -27 weather and than figuring out how to make things work since we couldn't get the parts we needed. But it is finally complete. I looked for pictures, but there are no clear ones online - but fyi they are chrome with white cross handles. They look great! Maybe with the money we just saved on a plumber I should buy myself some clothes.

Here is my next dilemna. I need a new winter jacket. The one I had in Kitimat for all season, is basically only good for summer here. I have survived the last 3 winters by layering sweaters under the jacket. But, alas, I figure, as noted above, it's time for something new. I have a big down parka, but it is sweltering in anything above -30. So, the dilemna is that I can't make up my mind what I should get. So I need an opinion poll.

By the way, I would look just as hot as these models in whatever jacket I choose.

Choice #1 (please, please, please disregard the hideous hat!)

Choice #2

Choice #3

Choice #4

Choice #5

None of the above.

Thanks for the help!

HALLOWEEN

My kids are still into trick-or-treating. As I noted to her, I figure that you are only a kid once so you may as well enjoy it to the limit. When I read Sonya's blog it reminded me of when our kids were little. We would take them out and when we got home we would put all their candy into a communal pile and then divide it all into piles of chocolate bars, suckers, etc. This was before Brian found out about his chocolate allergy and there was always a handy bowl of little halloween chocolate bars. Now, however, they greedily hoard all their candy and I politely ask for something if I have a craving. I guess it really is better for the waistline!

This year they carved pumpkins again. Here they are for your enjoyment:

Josh did a great job on his bat.

Naomi's ghost was also great.

RIP - typical of Hannah's sense of humour'.

They still enjoy picking out their costumes and dressing up. This year I didn't have time to sew anything, so the kids were left to their own devices to find costumes. Even when it is -15, they still bundle up and out they go. I usually make a big pot of hot chocolate and any kids that are walking are welcome to come in and warm up with some hot chocolate.

Josh dressed up as "smile"(rather than "scream")

Naomi wanted to be a vampire, but without going to too much effort. I managed to convince her to open her mouth and show the vampire teeth.

I'm not sure what Hannah was, but she looked great as always.

I wanted to get pictures of them with all their friends before they headed off, but Josh and his friends left before I was prepared. I did, however, manage to get a picture of the girls. I think they were meeting up with more friends on the way. Actually when we got home from work today there were 10 teenagers in our house.

I was expecting to have close to 80 kids come, but we ended up with about 56. That meant extra candy for my kids. I always love seeing the kids come all dressed up, especially the ones that I work with at school. They are so excited when they come to my house.

Anyways, that was our halloween. I hope you all had a great time.

ANOTHER TRIP TO WHITEHORSE

Well, we just returned from another trip to Whitehorse. It was hectic as always. Between orthodontist appointments, hair appointments and shopping it was crazy. I actually ended up completely forgetting about my hair appointment. I will just have to go when I return to Whitehorse in 3 weeks. The girls had their hair done - beautiful like usual. We didn't do any great shopping - basically just food and halloween stuff. I was determined not to run around like crazy which is what I have had to do for the past 5 or 6 trips in. On Friday we took the kids bowling. This is always great fun. Hannah decided to pass and she stayed at the hotel with Oscar. We played the first game individually - I won, of course. Then the second game, Brian decided to play Naomi and I against him and Josh. I know you will not be surprised that the girls won by a landslide. As always it never matters who wins, we had a great time. Driving there and back was through definite winter conditions, but nothing too bad. It is always great to get home again. I think we were all struggling with restless leg syndrome after 4 1/2 hours in the truck.

ENJOYING THE T.V.

O.k. So, we have been away from the world of entertainment for approximately 3 years. Now that I have returned I already know that I am still a hopeless CSI addict. The difference now is that my kids are also enjoying the show along with me. I do have one question however: WHO WAS THE BLIND MAN WHO THOUGHT NICK SHOULD HAVE A MUSTACHE?????

Brian and I were both wondering if that was for real. Ewwwwww.

(Edit: I just found out that this was an old rerun. Thank goodness. I hope the mustache is gone for good.)

Something else that we have greatly enjoyed is the advertising. Last night we discovered that they have created a new"illness" and have pills you can take to correct it. This "illness" is "restless leg syndrome". As soon as the ad came on Brian said "Hey, they just made that up and then came up with a prescription for people to take." Of course, I immediately said "No, it's real. I have it. Can you please order me some meds." On the ad it starts with a woman sitting on a couch trying to rest her "restless legs". However, once she takes the meds she is free to cuddle with her significant other (husband maybe?). Brian figures he is just holding her up because she is so weak from all the pills side effects - nausea, vomiting, diarhea. I just hope that they are married because once those side effects kick in, not many men would put up with someone vomiting on them. Maybe marriage will keep him around longer.

Anyways, we came up with a great episode for CSI. Here it is:

This man and his wife are sitting on the couch. She obviously suffers from restless leg syndrome. She hasn't taken her meds for a while. So, while they are sitting there suddenly her restless leg shoots up and she kicks him really hard in the head. He jumps up off the couch in rage and while he is doing so he trips and stumbles over the coffee table. He careens around the room trying to regain his balance, but then he falls and when he is going down he hits his head on a shelf. He is now lying on the floor, dead.Unfortunately for both of them, he also caught the edge of a book that was perched on said shelf. This book flies off the shelf and hits a loaded gun that is sitting on the coffee table. The gun goes off and shoots his wife who has innocently been sitting on the couch watching her husband careen around the room. We now have two dead bodies and no signs of B & E. Try and follow that scenario through mustache adorned Nick!

RED GREEN COMES TO VISIT

Well, we are finally living in the light! We have been waiting for Jay, our electrician, to come back to Ross to finish off some wiring for us. Finally I was talking to the school secretary and mentioned this to her and she let me know that she has a friend who is living in town and is an excellent electrician. So, to make a long story a little shorter, he came to our house. Can you imagine my surprise when I open the door to this guy who looks just like Red Green? I was very polite and didn't say anything. Anyways, he hooked up the lights in our back porch and outside the back door, and he also got our lights in the kitchen and dining room working. Considering that we are heading toward the darkest part of the year, it is a great relief to have this done.

On another note, we are a town of quite a few celebrities. Besides Red Green. The intermediate curriculum consultant who comes to Brians class looks like Mr. Rogers. Everytime we talk about him the kids all ask "you mean Mr. Rogers?" Then there is the high school teacher, Mr. Keating, aka Mr. Bean. I am not lying when I say he looks like him. It's actually kind of freaky. At least in his case he knows it, and kids bug him about it all the time. Oh yes, and, as Sonya kindly mentioned, who can forget Elvis Presley. This is the man who was told by aliens that he was THE Elvis Presley. He is even in the book "The Yukon's Most Colourful Characters." He really thinks he is Elvis. He runs for government. He ran in the last election - he was going to win and then become appointed Minister of Justice. Then he was going to offer himself an official apology. This is because he has been forbidden to file any more lawsuits due to the fact that he was overwhelming the system. LOL. No town is complete without their own Elvis, don't you agree?

BIRTHDAY PICS

I had a great day yesterday, in spite of the fact that I had to work. Brian and the kids treated me like royalty. They made a delicious dinner - baked ham, scalloped potatos and broccoli puff. And Josh made a wonderful cake.

After supper they presented me with their gifts. Brian had already bought me a new blender and is buying me some new mocassins. The girls bought me this foot spa - of course we all had to try it out. And Josh is in the midst of making me a beaded bracelet.

What is that about??? Where did all those candles come from?

Of course, there was no way I was getting away with just a token candle - there had to be 40.

This has nothing to do with my birthday, but Hannah and Jedine wanted me to post a picture of the first snowman of the year. This was taken on Saturday - the day I thought the snow would just turn into a slushy mess. Well, that didn't happen - it just continued to snow all day, but it was a very wet snow so Brian and I were soaked because we had to work outside in it.

My Birthday

What else is there to say! I certainly don't feel it!

And you will all get here to the land of wisdom eventually. Some sooner than others (Jo)!

A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING

1. Yesterday Naomi practiced her parallel parking again. She will be parking like a pro in no time at all. Notice the fancy setup I talked about previously.

Oscar would dearly love to be in on the action. Everytime someone goes out in the truck he just about goes ballistic. He loves to go for a ride. However, he can't go with Naomi because he always wants to sit on her knee and look out the window. We did take him one day when she was driving around town. Whenever we passed a dog he looked down at them and you could just tell he felt like a king! Finally bigger than them.

2. Who knew I had married such a versatile man.

Brian started driving the ambulance yesterday. He has been talking about it for a while. Then yesterday after school, Tim, the main driver, needed a babysitter while he took a call. So I babysat his 4 kids and he took Brian with him. Of course he got to operate the siren, every boy's dream. They were just transporting a patient from the hospital to the medivac plane so there was no emergency medical measures needed. But it was exciting for him anyways.

3. A House of Teenagers.

It seems to me that every weekend I go to bed and the house is still crammed with teenagers. Last night was no exception. When I went to bed we still had 7 teenagers at our house. This morning there are 6. They are all really great kids and we love having them around. When we moved here this is what we wanted, although sometimes I wonder what I was thinking. No, just kidding. We wanted our house to be a place where the kids could hang out with their friends since we knew it would be a safe place for them. I am really proud of my kids, they have chosen excellent friends and aren't giving me any cause to worry about them. I couldn't ask for a better experience being the parent of teenagers.

4. Feeding my addictions.

My mother-in-law has joined the ranks of addiction feeders! Yesterday I was very surprised to get the mail and find the following:

I wasn't surprised at the card, but the book! I had a good laugh anyways, and will greatly enjoy doing the puzzles. We still haven't got our satellite dish, so I have plenty of time. Actually I still do puzzles or read while I watch t.v. anyways. Thanks, Mom.

5. A Winter Wonderland

Last night I was sitting on the couch at around 7:00 and looked at the mountains across the river. There were some very heavy clouds rolling in. A little while later the kids came in and were very excited because it was snowing.

This is what we woke up to this morning:

Upon closer inspection, I discovered that there are about 2" of snow and it is very wet. It is still snowing, but will soon turn to rain and become one big ugly mess out there. Oh well, the first snow of the year is always so beautiful.

PARALLEL PARKING

Today was an interesting day for Naomi. After school I took her out and she began learning how to parallel park. As you will know if you drive, it can be difficult. So, since there are not a lot of places (actually none) in Ross where you parallel park, I did what my own Dad did for me. I set up a couple of sawhorses and a board at the side to be the "curb". Of course, I had to show her what to do first, so I completed a perfect parallel park. However, as I was doing this I quickly realized that due to vastness of the truck you couldn't see the sawhorses. So, I grabbed to boards and nailed them to the side, then tied pink tape around the top. Then it was Naomi's turn. I was very glad she only hit the other "cars" (aka sawhorses) twice. She ended up doing 3 great parks, then she had enough. One of her teachers wants to show her and her friend how to drive a standard. She's pretty nervous about it. But I say go for it, it is a valuable skill. I'll let you know how it goes.

MORE BUILDING PROJECTS GETTING COMPLETED...

Some of you may be wondering what has happened to me - I haven't posted much recently. I've just been too busy. We are getting settled into the house, but there are a number of jobs that needed to be completed before winter sets in (which, by the way, is fast approaching here). So, we've been coming home after school every day and working.

Here I am working on the wood cutting assembly (I don't know what else to call it.).

Aaahhhhhh, the finished product - loaded with wood ready to be cut.

Another project we have been working on is the woodshed. We finally finished in on Monday morning. Just imagine it being filled up with wood...if only it magically filled itself. Right now we are storing some extra lumber in it. Plus, we have now cut up about 3 weeks supply of wood. so, it is looking pretty good. We had some beautiful weather to get all this accomplished. The only problem was cold hands - there is so much frost in the mornings that the wood is really cold. Wearing gloves only seems to hinder sometimes, so we just pull our sleeves over our hands when we have to carry wood. Oh well, now we just have to cut up wood and I can wear gloves for that - good thing too, it's getting pretty cold. Today we also tackled the garbage left by the previous owner. We want to park our truck in the back of our house, but all along side of the driveway was junk that he had been collecting since the dinosaurs roamed the earth. So, we dragged it all over to the other pile we had of stuff cleared from the shed. Now he basically has all his treasures (and I use the term very loosely), stored in one spot. If they aren't gone by spring, they will be taken to the dump. Good news though, he was over on Saturday morning and took his freezer - at least I don't have to worry about backing the truck into it anymore since it was also along the driveway path.

Anyways, here is the finished shed (except for the doors - they will come after our next trip to Whitehorse.)

Well on top of all this building I had to think about Thanksgiving dinner. So, Sunday I got up and made 2 batches of bread and 3 apple pies. I would have taken pictures of all, but couldn't leave anything out long for fear of it mysteriously disappearing. Earlier in the week I had made 4 pumpkin pies. Can you believe that in my freezer I now have 5 loaves of bread (I made 8), and 1 apple crumble pie????? Well, we had a delicious turkey dinner and collapsed onto the couch. It's holidays like this that I really miss having family close by. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Love you and miss you lots.

SATELLITE DISH???

Sometimes things occur in our lives that cause us to think about things. Tonight was the season premiere of Rick Mercer's Report. Call me a diehard CBC fan, but this is one of my favourite shows. I guess you have to appreciate satire to enjoy it. So, in preparation for the show Brian had to make sure that we were getting decent reception. I'm not sure how he came up with this, but this was literally the only way to get any reception on the tv. Naomi and I had a good laugh over this. Brian took it all in good humour, and was just thankful it was only a half hour show.

Anyway, the reason for watching in Josh's room is because we decided to splurge on a new t.v., but we are now waiting for a satellite dish (gasps of shock). Here is a picture of our newest addition. We wanted something that would sit under the window and wouldn't take over the living room. It has a beautiful picture for movies. We can't wait to get our dish and enter the world of entertainment again.

SOMETIMES BLOGGER LAND IS CRAZY

If you want to know why I ended up posting the last thing twice, here's the story: Last night I wrote the blog, but when I went to post it the page kept coming up that it was 0% published. So, I left it and then published it this morning only to find out that it had actually published before. Aaarrrggghhh! Oh well, you get to learn about me twice.

On a brighter note, we are finally officially moved out of the old house. We finished moving all of our stuff over last night. We had been waiting for Mike to finish cleaning out the shed. Brian talked to him on Monday night and told him that we needed it all cleaned out because we had to get our stuff out of the old place. He said he would take care of it right away. He brought a truck up to the shed and I suppose he took everything he wanted. So, on Wednesday the kids and I took everything out, put it in boxes and left it outside for him. I hate to do that, but I have to leave for Whitehorse today, so last night was the last opportunity to get everything moved. Needless to say, his stuff is still sitting there. I wonder how long I should leave it before I haul it to the dump. We hate having junk around our yard, something will have to be done! Apart from that we have got all our firewood sitting in our yard waiting to be cut up, and we have all the lumber to make the woodshed. Hhhmmmmm. I guess that means more building projects to get done. Speaking of building projects - here is Brian with the garbage bin he built (before he put the lid on).

And...here are the porch rails I built. Fancy eh? Unfortunately they won't be painted until spring due to cold weather.

So, now you know why I haven't been posting too often - I've just been too busy. Have a great weekend. Maybe I will post again after my trip to Whitehorse.

TAGGED

Since Sonya tagged me - here are 8 wonderful (or maybe not so wonderful) things about me:

1. I talk to myself all the time when I am shopping.

2. I love to read almost anything.

3. I am addicted to doing sudoko puzzles. (Thanks Mom!)

4. I teach music at school.

5. I detest cleaning house.

6. I love to work with my hands - building, quilting, etc.

7. I really suck at math (the kids never come to me with math homework).

8. I tend to be way too cranky.

Good thing there were only 8, I could barely think of those.

GETTING SETTLED IN

Well, the move went quite well. We still have to move some things into the shed, but we will do that during the week. While we were moving I kept thinking of great things that I could enter on my blog - but, of course, I can't remember any of them now. Anyways, we are really enjoying being in our new house. Our wood stove is awesome - we are so glad we spent the extra money to get one with a catalyst. It has a temperature control, so we have control over how hot our house is. The kids were a great help this weekend. They moved all of their stuff themselves - I didn't have to pack a box or carry a box for them. What a difference from when they were younger and we had to do everything for them.

Naomi is working now. She babysits for the school tutor after school. They have 3 kids, and one more on the way. She really seems to enjoy it. She doesn't work everyday, just a two to three times a week. She gets paid very well too - $18/hour. Not bad for a 15 year old.

That's about all for today. Maybe one of these days I will put up some more pictures. However, we are using our new computer now, so it will take me a while to figure out how everything works.

INCOMMUNICADO

Just thought I would let you know that as of tonight I will be unavailable by email, blog or phone until sometime on Monday. We are rebooting our computer tonight and donating it to our other daughter, Jedine. Our new computer should be up and running some time this weekend, and we will have internet again on Monday if all goes as planned.
Have a great weekend!

FUN TIMES WITH BRIAN

Sometimes working on the house is such a blast. Take this picture for instance:

Brian needed to get between the house and the porch to put some spray insulation in the space where the corner meets. Although he may be skinny, it doesn't mean he doesn't get stuck. And after all the work building those steps, I wasn't prepared to take anything apart to free him. Of course I was no help at all because I was laughing so hard. Lucky for him he finally got out.

Today was the first of our Wednesday afternoons when we get to work together. The grade 1/2 teacher teaches quilting on Wednesdays, so since Brians students are all in other classes, he teaches the grade 1/2 class. Let's just say he was very worn out by the end of the day. There are 15 kids in the class and they keep you hopping. He did journals with the grade 2's while I took the grade 1's. Then we joined together to do art. This was a very, very busy time. Who knew that kids cannot colour independently, or that their Mom's don't want them to press too hard with their crayons. Apparently "Mom doesn't want me to use my crayons." Anyways, when we were all finished we had a stunning display of flying geese and bulrushes and we were still standing.