Michael and Jenny's tournaments

Jenny is in Connecticut at the Polar Bear Tournament (December 26 - 30)
Click here, Polar Bear Tournament, for her team (Bluewater 14AA Hawks) updates.

Michael is in Toronto at the Marlboros Holiday Classic tournament (December 26 -30)
Click here, Marlboros Holiday Classic, for his team (Elgin Middlesex Chiefs Minor Midget) updates.

You may need to refresh the internet page when opened for the updated scores. Both web pages require a bit of scrolling down, as there are many many teams playing. Jenny played a team from Colorado this afternoon!

Big tournaments for them both, and so far, both of them have won all their games so far.

watching paint dry...

After Henry's spontaneous bout with a crow bar, I am now looking at repainting the rec room after he completes the replacement of the water line in the ceiling and hanging the new suspended ceiling.

The rec room is now adorned with paint chips randomly taped to the walls. This 'new colour' decision will be made by all of us (Bailey not included for the most obvious reason - dogs can't see in colour can they?). The paint chips move around daily as we create a 'yes' area and a 'goodness NO' area.

So far, the choices sound good enough to eat...biscotti, tiramisu, and french toast.


Apparently, a few of these are the popular favorites of home stagers... who knew? (you CAN find anything on the Internet!)

Update...

Not much going on other than hockey and reading for me.

I am currently reading 'New Moon', the second book in the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer.

I am gearing up for Christmas and will start Christmas cards and baking soon.

One thing I always look forward to is Secret Santa at work. I love giving little gifts to someone a couple of days a week for a few weeks. Covert operations make me sweat as I try to deposit my gifts in the staff mailbox without ANYONE of the 80ish staff seeing me. Let me tell you...it's an art to manage this secret gift giving without having someone let the cat out of the bag!

never gonna happen...

I have tried to get our family together for a family photo (for the Christmas cards) for the past 3 weeks. It pretty much has to be the weekend for good lighting now that the time change has brought a blanket of darkness upon us by supper time.

However, with one child at one end of Ontario for one game, and the other at the other end for another...well, I decided today that we are getting individual photos done and will somehow put them together.

I told everyone when they think that they are having a good 'hair' day (or good day in general) tell me to take their photo.

Here is mine...

Books

Twilight has been put back on the shelf in the library for quick check out, and The Shack has been donated to the high school library (I am going to make it my first book club set in the library)

Now that I've read Twilight, I can go see the movie when it comes out (I hate seeing the movie before reading the book)

The Shack was a completely different novel from others I have read (and you know I read alot)

It is about a man's journey after tragedy strikes his family.

Not sure what title is next on the list...

It's time...

The time has come...

• flannel sheets are coming out of the linen closet today and going on to the bed!
• the thermostat went from 'off' to 'heat'
• the patio door remains closed much to Bailey's dismay as she now has to bark to get one of us to open the door to let her out!
• to think about Halloween
  
• to prepare the trailer for storage
• to think about starting Christmas cards (yes, these suckers take forever to get done!)
• to switch out the closets from 'summer' to 'winter' woolies

• to constantly hear refrains of, "I'm so cold!"

Fall is here with Winter close behind

Tournament Champions (again!)

Jenny, receiving her award from her coach...
The TEAM...


Stoney Creek Tournament Champions (September 26, 2008 weekend)

Way to go Jen!

Bluewater Midget Tournament Champions

Jenny in net in her first tournament as a Hawk.
The Bantam AA played up a level in the Midget tournament...and won the whole thing!
Waiting for the other game to finish...

Tournament Champions
Jenny and Kayla...very talented goalies.

Before...during...after to follow in about a year!

Jenny before braces this morning...
Braces are on...she is not so happy now (and I quote here..."But Mom, I didn't think it was going to actually HURT" ) Out we go grocery shopping to appease the princess. (She's definitely my girl; she went straight to the freezer section and picked out Hagen Daas ~ and proceeded to hide them in the cardboard chicken box in the freezer at home ~ damn that was MY hiding spot for chocolate...is nothing sacred in this house?)
You too, could have a lovely opaque bag filled with fancy rechargeable toothbrushes, a travel toothbrush (with toothpaste in the end of the container ~ how handy is that?), and various tooth cleaning attachments all for the price of hmmm...let's say a family winter vacation down sunny south.

sigh...sob!

Braces

Today is the day that Jenny gets her braces put on (hopefully pics to follow if she can open her mouth for me at the end of the day!)

I am sending Henry with her for this momentous event for two reasons:

One: I prefer she not be with me IF she freaks out
Two: He delivers the cheque to the orthodontist so he later doesn't have to ask me why our bank account is empty!

a rose by any other name....

Believe it or not...I planted this rosebush two years ago...and it is not only still alive, but flowering and scenting the area by the front door beautifully! My mother would be speechless.

supersize me!

Michael, Jenny and I watched the documentary, Supersize Me, last night. Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock embarks on the most perilous journey of his life as his healthy lifestyle is changed and his body functions rapidly change. The rules? For 30 days he can't eat or drink anything that isn't on McDonald's menu; he must wolf three squares a day; he must consume everything on the menu at least once and supersize his meal if asked.

Spurlock's grueling drive-through diet spirals him into a physical and emotional metamorphosis that will make you think twice about picking up another Big Mac.

At the end of the movie, Jenny looked at me and actually thanked me for NOT taking them to McDonald's very much.

As one marketing executive pointed out, even if parents sit with their children for three meals a day and promote healthy eating in a lifetime, it is a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands of advertisements that the children see on tv over time.

Scary thought.

Darien Lake 2008

Derrek, Dean, Jenny, Henry and Tony
Some of our crew...
Ready to get wet on Grizzly Run!
Jenny
Henry doesn't 'like' spinny rides like the merry-go-round? I forgot to tell him there were ripe bananas in my bag...
Jenny about to get Henry moving on to the next ride
Reigning champion until this year...I gave up my crown to my daughter (I think it was rigged, as I didn't ~ nor have I EVER missed a mole)
Console myself with yet another funnel cake (one of the top reasons I so enjoy going to Darien)
Casey, Karin, Louise, Gary...Coming off Mind Eraser...do they remember who I am?
Henry and Tony coming off Mind Eraser
Gary, Mar, Casey and Louise about to go down the Tornado (I call it the funnel)
Karin, Jim, Henry and Tony are next in line!

Jenny and I on the Merry-Go-Round...we even have our favorite horses! (my daughter sacrificed one trip on the Ride of Steel to placate her mother by going on this ride with me)

Jenny...in her element

Julie and Jenny up to their usual antics...
I think that we can safely say she has Henry's stomach for speed and tolerance to pain!
Hmmm...but is she enjoying herself (lol)?


Apparently Jenny is having loads of fun and hopefully will want to return to her boring home-life tomorrow...

Letting go...

Jenny is now in the hands of Godmommy Julie at the cottage for most of the week.

This is pretty well the first time Jenny has been away from home without us for an extended period of time. Keep in mind that she is the child without fear. Put together with her pea-in-a-pod godmother...well, what the hell was I thinking?

Here is the email and photos I received this morning...

HI! having fun already and barely still alive!!!! Maybe you should send her health card!!! ahahahahahaahahah

love julie and jenny

Julie's visit

Godmommy Julie came for a visit a short while ago. We rented movies and had take-out for supper.

Sacrifices (weep...sob)

In every relationship, there are sacrifices.

I just want everyone to know that I am making the ULTIMATE sacrifice tomorrow by NOT going to the Def Leppard/Billy Idol concert that is in our area.

Months ago (as soon as it was posted), I asked my husband to go with me.

"Nooooooo," he said.

[Yes, I was this close to getting a single front row ticket for the concert, but actually felt the vibe radiating from Henry to be pushing the envelope just that little too far ~ so what that I've seen them more than once, and actually ditched my family and drove to North Detroit by myself to see them for the first time a few years ago!]

I tell you, the devil on my left shoulder has shoved off the angel of matrimonial harmony on my right...the push/pull of want vs. need is killing me! (We actually DO need new water pipe throughout the house now that a fourth pin-hole leak has been found in a copper 90 downstairs that has completely soaked the door jamb and carpet ~ I blame Henry for our constant run of bad luck with water ~ he is an Aquarius after all)

However, back to me for a moment...

THIS is the ultimate sacrifice and pity party for me (and I just wanted to go on record so that everyone, including Henry, is aware of it)

The after party

The groom and bride just finishing their receiving line and grabbing a drink!

Time for supper!

Tex, father of the bride

Potluck supper was the gift to bride and groom (with no dishes to wash!)

The 'trailer' camping section.

Father of the Bride, Tex and his wife Heather

Brother of the Bride, Richard and his partner Marianne

Sister of the Bride, Karen and her partner Nelson

No roasting marshmallows on this baby!

Wendy's horse

Sister of the Bride, Karen and Mother of the Bride, Carole (Aunt Carole)

Leaving Sunday morning under a blanket of fog

Glen gets the tractor out yet again to tow us (and another trailer) through the wet grass!

Wendy wearing the t-shirt I gave her with horse "life is good"

Best Friends Forever!