Choice

Choice consists of the mental process of judging the merits of multiple options and selecting one of them.

This is a word that has come up in my thoughts pretty prominently over the last couple of days. Whether its grocery shopping, picking out new shoes or not choosing not to change the colour of you hair for a job opportunity such as Tayler's recent choice.

She was faced with the opportunity to work at a job with an increase in pay but she chose not to accept so she can continue to express herself in the way she feels important to her.

She had a choice that many don't.

We have the choice.

I have the choice....sometimes those choices don't come as easy as I/we would like them too.

Do we choose between the high pay more stress which brings occasional extreme bits of fantasy pleasures like taking an exotic trip every year or so?

Or instead do we choose to forgo that possibility for the simple pleasure of everyday contentment with less disposable income?

In black and white the choice seems obvious. But emotionally the choice is a lot harder.

I don't have to choose between my child being fed or a roof over my head. I don't have to choose between living in a cardboard box or a plastic bag. I am fortunate to have the freedom of choice.

Even the the ones I think are the hard ones.

I finally get it!! *updated*

After all these years I can finally say 'You were right Terry' ......there is actually only one way to to put a roll of toilet paper on the holder....it DOES matter.!! What was I thinking? ***************************************************************************************************** Well, you make me laugh family, there is no real story here. I think I have just finally been broke. All these years later and I have a 'way' that I must have the toilet paper hang...it was not a 'right' way to anyone but Terry. I never cared, I cared so little in fact that I would purposely put the roll on the 'wrong' way just to get a rise put of my guy.



Poor thing, there was so much to adjust to in the first placed for him moving in with his wonderful lady and her three adorable kids and now he is being sabotaged by the one he loves on purpose!!
I just thought it was so ridiculous to have a 'right way' to hang the roll.....so there I was, last week, doing my ~doo-dee~ reaching for the blessed cushions of wipeness when I couldn't find the end...How frustrating!! I spun and I spun only to have a big beam of light shine down on the roll with angelic music coming from (the toilet?) God only knows where, it occurred to me that the toilet paper was on wrong!!

I made a mental note to apologise to Terry (still have yet to do that) for his years of torture and abuse.....funny thing is he never complained, he never said a word, he would just quietly fix the roll to his liking and go about his business, never a peep. I thought I was so funny.

I have now officially been trained in the proper way to hang a roll of toilet paper. check this out your training awaits.

And there she goes...

I know your not supposed to live vicariously through your children but I wonder if that only applies when it is something you are making them do rather than something they are doing all on their own ?~that you probably could have done yourself had you maybe been just a little bit smarter and more of a forward thinking 16 year old~

This latest form of virtual living for me comes from the fact the Tayler has now flown off to New York and not the one in Ontario either, the REAL New York. The New York that I spend my whole life daydreaming about.

This picture was taken at the airport at 4 am Thursday morning as I dropped off Tayler and her friend who stayed the night. (her friends parents are clearly smarter than I)

They have the most amazing eight days planned out ahead of them.

I had a dentist appt later that morning and as they asked me how I was and I blah blah'd about being tired and why, my hygienist Terri listened and asked questions and nodded her head. I start in about how jealous I was and how I have always wanted to go and you know what she said!?...."Then why haven't you gone?" I couldn't immediately answer that question. Why haven't I gone if I have always REALLY really wanted to go? It is possible.

As I type this my two boys are also leaving for their most amazing spring break ever. They are off to Banff with their Dad for a week of skiing/snowboarding in the mountains...How did they all get here? Mind blowing.

I on the other hand took a day off work. I am dubbing it my 'mental health' day. I have been doing this a lot more lately....this is already my third this year. I just book the day off with just minor 'maybe' plans and go from there.

My early morning plans fell through unavoidably so now that I am up and properly fed, thanks to my wonderful husband who is now at work , I sip coffee in my PJ's happily blogging away.

Is this the most boring blog ever? ...haha I think I am going to go shopping!!!

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It's what happens after a gorging of crab and a few ~ah-hem~ some drinks.

At the Movies

Nathan and I took in a 3D movie together a little while back...just him and I.

It was nice to get out, just the two of us.

It's a tough to find quality one on one time with the kids these days but I am determined to make this a regular thing....I know a 13 year old boy who could desperately use some although he would never admit it.

Sunshine and Happiness

Showed up in my mail box today.....

written inside the envelope was:

Spring has Sprung,
the grass is riz.
I wonder where,
the birdies is?

Happy Spring!

It was signed....Michel.

What a wonderful surprise!

What was the last really cool thing you got in the mail?

Separation Anxiety

This is what I get when I find myself in a vehicle alone in the morning going to work.

Terry and I have, for many years now, driven to and from work together.

Sometimes we get each other revved up for the days pending chaos. Or we talk about the schedule for the day ahead for each other and the rest of the family, or we get caught up with some feelings that may have been overlooked in the hustle and bustle of things.

Sometimes we just drive in silence listening to the morning DJ give it to the people who have nothing better to do than call in to a radio station to complain about everything.

That's kind of fun.

Driving home we use the opportunity to get all of our work day frustrations, gossip and annoyances out, this leaves room for nothing but us, family and all our many responsibilities in the evening...I consider this our bonus time, we don't have to wast time explaining to each other how our day was because we took care of that through out the day and on the ride home.

But sometimes one of us has an appointment in the city after work and we have to take two vehicles. This only happens maybe once every two months or so.

I miss him/us when we do this.....is that crazy? What ever! ~rolls eyes~ Crazy Schmazy

Sadly our drives may be part of whats keeping me at a job that makes my forehead wrinkly.

At least we still get to have our lunch together..........lucky ducks.

That's him up ahead on the right, I may or may not have been driving when I took this with my i-phone.

I ended up beating him to work even though I had to drop Nathan off at before and after school care.....! ha I'll be watching for a photo radar ticket in the mail soon, if it does come I will use it as evidence on why I should not be driving my self to work in the morning. I AM OUT OF CONTROL!

busy weekend recap

A couple of major things which occupied our weekend were;

preparing for a birthday party:

Having a birthday party:
(also wishing I wasn't so afraid just to use auto on the camera so I could actually get a few decent shots)

Putting the final touches on a Potato Power'd science experiment:
Taking care of final business for the big up and coming New York trip for one lucky 16 year old:


Making final snack purchases and checking off the packing list of one lucky (er..unlucky?) outdoor ed camper for this week:
~I just don't get it...but he likes it~

In all this the usual grocery shopping, laundry doing, house caring, swimming lesson, air cadet-ing, normal weekend. But I miss my friend. ~I miss you~ life's been busy, you've been sick and time has passed....time for a dance class! Yes!? oh yeah...it's time for us!

Stupid day light savings, losing an hour in the middle of crazy-ville. Lacking an hour of sleep is just not cool.