Monday, September 26, 2005
A Weekend in Review
Thankfully our weekend didn't turn out as crazy as it could have. Mom and dad had planned a visit for mine and my brothers birthday weeks+++ ago and Thursday night the FFIL calls and says he's staying at our place Friday, we were ticked, no "have plans", no notice, nada. I could hear Matt's end of the phone conversation and was steaming in my stitching seat, it definitely wasn't the way I was planning the end of my birthday evening that's for darn sure. Not that I don't like company, that wasn't the issue, I just don't want to have to juggle it and where my parents had planned so far in advance it didn't seem fair to even ask that of them.
Friday evening my parents arrived and I don't know who was more excited, Alex or me ;) Matt wasn't feeling good at all so we were out of his hair. Saturday I got up and stitched for a bit on the Paws Off ornament and then Dad came over to play with Alex and mom and I went MOB dress shopping which was fun. For supper we headed to my grandmothers for a baked bean/ham/potato scallop/beef casserole/meatball supper with my mickey mouse birthday cake and an icecream cake for Steven, it was really fun. Matt headed home and Alex, Pappy and I went swimming. Alex loved the opportunity to go down the water slide on his own. His floats have improved significantly and he can now swim about 15 feet before hopping off the bottom and starting again, yippee. It was a late night but well worth it.
Sunday morning I stitched for a bit and leveled up one of my WoW characters. After lunch Alex and I headed to the mall to see mom and dad before they left, shopping is so much more enjoyable when you're with someone that wants to shop instead of "are we done yet, that store wasn't on the list, etc, etc". When we got home the lawn mower was out with it's brand new spark plug and working like a charm again *phew*, I spend the next 2+ hours mowing. I could feel it running low on gas so I stopped and weeded. Alex helped lug lilly stems to the 'compost pit', I've been trying to build up an area so no water gets on our lawn during the spring. We then moved to the back garden and I started deadheading some flowers, while Alex threw the rocks and twigs that had fallen in the garden into the woods, I then pulled out some ferns when I heard a shreik! Poor Alex had pulled something with a thorn! He's out there yelling 'you're killing me!' as I'm applying pressure to the wound and marching him into the bathroom. I had him lay on the floor and had his arm up in the air putting pressure on it with a towl and after 10 minutes (of being screamed at) I called Matt in from painting and loaded Alex in the car as the cut would not stop bleeding.
When we got to emergency is Alex not shreiking 'you're killing me, I'm going to die' the whole way in, even past the RCMP officers that were there. Thankfully they ignored it ;) The nurses patched him up with some glue and some steri-strips avoiding the inevitable stitches I would have had to have had 20 years ago, phew! Now he's good to go. After some, 'you did so well' tacos Alex headed to bed (he was so thrilled that the dressing on his finger meant he couldn't have his usual bath) I settled in to the stitching corner and almost finished Paws Off! while watching Supernatural, Lost, cold Case and my favorite Desperate Housewives. I liken myself to be Brie's prodige ;) It was uncanny how much I related to she and her MIL (who looked alot like my FMIL) during the eulogy talk with the minister, I never thought I'd be ok with Matt's decision to be cremated until I saw the whole scene with the tie and all the junk in the casket, I think if that happened to me I could pull a Brie ;)
There's nothing on the plans for tonight besides brushing up on some Oracle and then stitching. Monday is my downtime on the tv schedule and where I got caught up on my shows I think I'll be heading to bed early!!
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Merry Stitchmas! ...or Happy Birthday Me...
To the tune of Aqua's Barbie girl...
"I'm the Birthday Girl
In My Birthday World
Slap Down Some Plastic,
It Will Feel Fantastic!"
Yay! I got my JCS last night, yippee!! And today I bought some little birthday gifts to go along with it!! I'm definitely stitching Lizzie Kate's Sweet Christmas, Jeanette Douglas's Love Needleroll, Erica Michael's Merry Yule, The Sweetheart Tree's Holly 'n Hardanger, M Design's Joy, Shepherd's Bush's As Bethlehem Slept, Cindy Valentine's Sugarplum, Samsarah's The Stars are Brightly shining, Dragon Dreams Paws Off and Brittercup's Christmas Kitty (and prtty much everything off of pages 20-21). I so need to get a real tree and a big one at that! I love how my birthday coincides with the JCS ornament issue, love it love it love it!!
Last night was stitching night and it was so much fun! It as so neat seeing Faith Ann's Bittersweet Season, Giggles and what's done on Crystal Christmas, Angela's baby bib and all the other projects that were on the go. Of course last night was more about looking through the JCS and pointing out potential ornaments that would look nice but the photos were crap ;) Tracy also had her Fiddle Stitch Cottage Winter Teapot all stitched up and in (I LOVE IT) and I was so surprised to see a little present for me (Tracy has no idea how touched I was), it was her Autumn teapot that I've been dying for!

This morning I heard Alex up with Matt long before he had to get up, he was soo excited that it was my birthday. He wanted to wake me up with hugs. I pretended to fall back asleep until my alarm went off and he bolted in, it was soo cute. I had lunch with Eleni and Jackson, so fulll...and rounded out my bridesmaid roster with Cathey ;) Now to set a date....
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Where Are My Brother And Sister? (and JCS mania)
JCS mania has hit Fredericton, I went up to the newsstand on break but all copies were spoken for, sigh... I think chapters has made it on my boycott list after my experience there, "well as I told you early no they're still not in" Hello?? I haven't been to the mall in over a week...maybe longer, I'm not their often. Besides which there's no need to be rude!
Tonight's stitching night and I cannot wait, just the way to finish up my last couple hours at 27 :) I'll be bringing my wedding progress but probably only working on finishing up Christmas Medley, I can't wait :)
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
A PJ Weekend and 16 lbs :)
Yesterday was a killer day at the gym with a BodyStep class, I think I was still sweating at 4:30 when I went home. I hopped on the scales and was down another 2lbs, not too shabby considering I delved into my flex points for the last two weeks. Last night I did a little more on Christmas medley, trained my WoW character in cooking and headed to bed early after watching our taped episode of Supernatural. I'm debating getting groceries today but I think wanting to go home and veg is going to win that battle ;)
Friday, September 16, 2005
Under The Weather
After Alex's bath, bedtime story and bed, and a load of laundry I curled up and unpicked part of the christmas tree I had done for the Christmas medley, picking out hand dyed stitches are no fun whatsoever. I logged in to warcraft for a little bit but quickly grew tired and headed to bed.
There's nothing on the agenda this weekend, I'm not feeling up to too much anyway so it'll be a good time to get some stitching in ;)
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Dear Santa, I've Been Naughty
Anyway, on to me being bad...after showering (a trip to the body pump class at lunch at the gym and all the running around the house required a nice long one) Matt met me at the bathroom door to see if I wanted to log in Katiebelle, I'd planned on working on The Wedding...Figuring that I could set my character to follow Matt's when they weren't in combat I started yet another project (as I said BAD). I figured in my down time if I had something that was easy to pick up and put down I could still get some stitching in while playing so I started Heart In Hand's Christmas Medley. It should be a quick stitch so I don't feel too guilty about starting it ;)
Tonight is a scrapbooking night which I can't wait to go to, my pages have been neglected lately!!
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Meet The Teacher
After meet the teacher I headed home, after signing up for what volunteer activities I could fit into the schedule), showered and stitched while watching Bones (and taping House and Supernatural for tonight). With this new schedule I've definitely been hitting the pillow at 10 on the dot much more religiously.
Tonight will be grocery night...yay! Not! Usually we head out Thursdays but scrapbooking is finally starting back up, double yay so I've moved it. I'm hoping one of the local newstands has the new ornament issue out or I'll be extremely disappointed ;) After either painting or mowing, weather permitting, I'll finally get some more stitching in...that is if I can move my arms after heading to the gym's body pump class!!
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Paint, Paint and more Paint
After all of the work was done, lunches maid, dishes churning away in the dishwasher I settled down with my cross stitch and watched a taped episode of Battlestar Gallactica with Matt, then I caught the Prison Break I missed last week and set the VCR to tape the new one as I was pretty beat! This morning Alex was up bright and early, somewhere in between the time Matt's alarm goes off and mine and was at the bus with plenty of time to spare. I'm liking my new work hours and the fact that I now get home before 5, Alex however is not happy that I'm interrupting his usual play time with the girls after school to pick him up ;)
Tonight is Meet the Teacher at the school, we haven't quite figured out how we're going juggle not having a sitter and the fact that both of us would like to go (maybe take turns in the playground with Alex) but it should be interesting none the less.
Monday, September 12, 2005
A Weekend in Review
With all that you'd think I wouldn't have had time for stitching right?? Well, I definitely didn't get as much done as I would in the winter months (there's just so much to do outside before it starts snowing, especially when you have a lawn that hasn't read the memo that it should only grow enough to require mowing every other week) but I did get some work in on the wedding. I should be able to post some progress tonight as I finally got the scanner installed. I plan on working on it tonight as I need to get caught up on my episode of Prison Break from last week.
For tonight I'm hoping to get the front lawn mowed before supper(now that I get off work at 4:30) and hopefully paint some more rungs on the deck if Matt can watch Alex in the tub. Then it'll be parking my butt for a well deserved stitching break (and wondering when I'm going to get the remainder of my fall bulbs in ;))
And finally here's wishing the Dragon Lady (aka: Jennifer of Dragon Dreams) a very happy 40th birthday!
Friday, September 09, 2005
Woot! 14 down!!
Homework For Parents
After homework last night I settled into my stitching nest and plugged away at more white in the wedding while watching the OC. I had stopped watching it for a bit as I really didn't like the storyline of Kirsten almost having an affair last year but this season premiere was pretty good. I then called it a night as our new morning schedule is pretty high octane. I drive Alex to a bus route along the way to work and now get into work at 7:30 in the morning!! I'm hoping work will be a bit flexible and let me leave at 4:30 now *fingers crossed*
This week is shaping up to be a stitchy one, Matt will be away for most of tomorrow with his softball tournament (weather permitting) so it'll just be Alex and I vegging around the house...unless of course I get adventurous and start painting the deck!!
Thursday, September 08, 2005
First Trip on the Bus
Last night was a stitchy night, after talking on the phone with Eleni and planting some bulbs for a bit I popped in The Notebook and stitched on The Wedding. I had intended on going back to SB's Baby Bug Ball but couldn't find the chart and didn't want to spend alot of time looking for it so it was back to old faithful.
Tonight should be a stitchy night with Veronica Mars and the OC starting back up, hopefully we can finish the last of the prep work on the deck so we can finish that project up. Although it all depends on how much energy I have left after groceries ;)
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
First Day of School
As for the weekend it was pretty chaotic. Alex had a birthday party across the river to go to (yay at 139.8 a litre) so while he was there Matt and I picked out the paint for the deck and got some sealant for the two or three loose shingles on our roof. We spent most of the weekend outside either working on the deck or mowing. When I was mowing Sunday something started moving on the lawn, which was later determined to be a mole. I was soo scared that I put off moving one of my perennials as its last known location was in the same garden. I'm such a chicken! Monday I did manage to move the perennial (alot more work than it sounds, I must have looked really cute running across the front lawn with this 30+lb plant in my arms and doing the shot put to get it into the hole I dug....it seems to have survived). Then we went to the Frex with my brother who was up/down from Ottawa. I placed 5 for 5 with two seconds and three thirds, yippee! I was disappointed at the fees for the rides this year, had I had known that it was bracelet day all week I would have went that route instead...mind you it did get us out of there before 5 like I'd hoped. After the Frex we went across the river to celebrate my grandmother's 85th birthday...no wonder I was exhausted ;)
Friday, September 02, 2005
Honey I'm Home
Last night was a nice quiet night although I was running around until after 7. I did groceries after work and asked Matt to vacuum before I got home which he did, somehow that got him out of unloading the car (which normally wouldn't be acceptable but there was a christmas present in there that I haven't had a chance to sneak in the house), then it was make supper, mop the floor, unload the dishwasher and on and on....meanwhile the boys were relaxing, I was pretty ticked. However I refused to do anything after supper and stitched after mom arrived and watched Prison Break again! :) The Wedding is picking up steam.
Not much on the plan for tonight, staying very close to home :) If Alex didn't have a party to go to tomorrow we probably wouldn't be going out until the FREX on Monday. A good weekend for stitching and maybe painting the deck :)
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Dragon Dreams Happy Dance
Now if I only drank coffee...

Here she is, the Nashville 05 Morning Fairy stitched on Sugar Maple Fabrics Lilac Blooms!!
So...I had a little happy dance last night, I finished her just in time to put her in the FREX at lunch. A special thanks to Angela who took the picture for me, as our scanner drivers weren't intalled on the new pc, sigh... We had a relatively quiet night last night, providing we ignored the severe wind storm outside. Why is it that men open the windows and leave them open over night when it's so windy. After being woken up by the blinds for the umpteenth time I woke Matt up to go close the windows.
I can't believe today is Alex's last day in full time daycare, what am I going to do with myself in the morning?? It seems like just yesterday I was lugging this little infant in a snowsuit up to Tracy's old place with all his premaid bottles (I think or did I just send formula...) Tonight should be a stitchy night after groceries and until mom arrives...although I should mop the floors. I'm really looking forward to a somewhat slack weekend besides heading to an impromptu birthday party on saturday (and he hasn't even started school yet!).
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
A Night Out
I made an executive decision today not to enter the baking categories I'd planned on in the FREX, I'm tired and don't feel like picking up the supplies and would rather touch up my other entries before heading over there tomorrow to drop them off. My heart just isn't in it this year (probably still suffering from the pre Alex is starting school jitters, 5 just seems to young to enter the school system). There's always next year :)
Matt and I headed up to the mall at lunch. I needed to pick up a present for a party Alex was invited to AND we needed to pick up another copy of World of Warcraft, Matt was heading there from downtown so he picked me up, saved driving the V6 up the hill an instead took the much more fuel efficient Corolla. I'm really hoping that the party's location moves to this side of the river, I'm not looking forward to driving across on Saturday especially where I don' t have any errands to run. It was nice to have some adult time with Matt even if it was in a mall (which I generally avoid).
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Friends That Count
Last night was a stitchy night after I leveled Katiebelle (my world of warcraft, don't even ask..., human warlock) up to level nine. I have another warlock character called Mirabilia, I was hoping to have Matt run around this little make believe world professing his love for Mirabilia but he caught on that it was a cross stitch designer, d'oh....back to stitching...At 9:00 I resumed my stitching spot in front of the television and got quite a bit of stitching in on The Wedding while watching Prison Break (imo a VERY promising show, I adore the actor that used to be in John Doe). All of the white isn't as tedious as it may look...yet! I really need to get around to scanning a picture of my progress.
On the book front Chapters FINALLY got a copy of Roald Dahl's The Witches in on Sunday and Alex and I picked it up, as much as we liked the first Lemony Snicket book it's nice to take a brief break from that bleak world. After two chapters down Alex is absolutely enthralled with the book and the subject of witches :) I think he'll be getting The Fantastic Mr Fox for Christmas.
10 pounds down
Monday, August 29, 2005
Invitation To Disaster Averted!
In other news Alex was accepted into our school of choice via alternate placement today. YIPPEE!! We are one street over from the zoning cut off and were pretty concerned about the zoned school, it's right across from the high school and I used to walk through that area to get from my apartment to UNB once upon a time and I definitely wouldn't want my son in that vacinity. His new school will also avoid me having to provide transporation to his afterschool care and it's not on a congested traffic route which means I'll be able to volunteer there at lunch once in a while!
The weekend was pretty low key, Alex had a birthday party on the northside of the river which meant I killed 3 hours stitching at my grandmothers house which is only a km or two away from where he was, at 111.9 cents a litre I wasn't driving back home! I did get the bottles taken in to a much more efficient depot on that side of the river during my 3 hours. Saturday night mom, dad and my brother Steven were over for a visit. As usual Alex was up to his gracious host antics ;)
Sunday was also quiet, we slept in until 10 and then I got up, stitched a little (frogged some more) and went to the mall at 1. We had a delicious low cal/low fat crab quiche for supper and I'm getting the hang of this better eating thing!! Tonight it looks like Matt's ball game will be rained out, and deck scraping will have to wait...and hopefully there will be lots of stitching progress to report tomorrow!!
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Finally, A Stitching Night!!

Hanwell's 5 and Under Soccer Stars!!!
It seemed like forever and a day but I finally got a stitching night in last night. Alex recieved a birthday invitation for his friend's party Saturday and was driving me batty about details from 5 until 7:30 (when we decided to accelerate bedtime). "Hurry up we're going to miss the party" "Is Saturday after Tuesday" "Mom we need to pick up a present" "I like Star Wars can we get Tim General Grievous" and on and on and on....... So after he had a bath we finished of The Bad Beginning and sent him to bed. Matt and I worked on the deck for about 40 minutes taking even more paint off of it and after making the beds up in the guest rooms I sat down for some well deserved stitching time. Although my frustrations were showing a bit and I have to frog the little section I did on the flower girl as she's two columns off. I should be able to finish off the 'train section' tonight. All of the white really isn't that bad to work with, I can trade off the boring aspect of it with the lightening fast results, especially if you're filling in like I've been. I've been seriously debating purchasing Lori Birmingham's Wedding Pillow as I just love doing hardanger, I did already order the unity candle wrap from BYC in Moncton. Thankfully the candle wrap should work up fairly quickly.
I missed Giggles a bit last night but knew I should probably get my butt in gear and do a bit more on the wedding where I wasn't sick to death of it yet. Why can't I get paid what I do now to sit home and stitch ?? ;)