Ru ~ dig deeper

I’m feeling good about February progress, despite the lack days. Some longtime goals have been completed and real steps forward made on others, even a few of the biggies.

<sup>Family/relationship: Reading out-loud at bedtime, quality adventure time, learn/teach a new card game, another date OUT with M., do something special for Family Day and V. Day
* All done, the exception being genuine OUT time with M., who has been sick for two weeks. We’re going out tomorrow.</sup>

<sup>Friends: Plan to attend Pub Night, see three friends face to face, go to bookclub meeting, make efforts to keep in touch
* Yes! I saw numerous friends in the real world, made contact with many others – (bookclub was cancelled this month).</sup>

<sup>Self: See hairdresser, go underwear shopping, mindful meditation, better sleep, better mood, finish a book
* Hair – check! Underwear – check! Sleep – so/so… Mood – check! Book – check! Go me!</sup>

<sup>Health: Break headache cycle, drink more water, get shots for Iris (immunizations/flu #2), lower BMI
* Migraine loop thwarted, water upped, aiming for the clinic in an hour (we tried last week, they closed early), BMI lower, but not quite solid low 22s yet. Damn mini eggs.</sup>

<sup>House: Tangible daily clutter-busting steps forward, go to open house in desired complex
* Substantial clutter busted, open houses attended (two), plus I had a long chat with some of the residents about living there.</sup>

<sup>$: Contact broker, TFSA/RRSP investment, start taxes
* Failed a bit on this one… we had to cancel the appointment, tax papers are being gathered.</sup>

<sup>Fun: Fix/replace broken Wii, play more board games, have at least 1 power off night
* Wii borrowed, games played (e and tangible), power off night – check!</sup>

<sup>Creative: Make Valentines for school, Keep writing lines on Friday, work on photo collages
* Lots of Valentines, haiku + collages created!</sup>

<sup>Catch up: Work on old happiness entries – aim to finish September and half of October
* September – Complete! A good chunk of October too.</sup>

Time to sow some seeds for March bootcamp! 2 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{October 12, 2012}

• A delicious storm and thick, dreamy fog. Moisture quenching a thirsty world.

• Dysfunctional alarm clocks thwarted by excited kids. I prefer laughter and bed bouncing to loud, soul jarring beeping anyway.

• I missed the falling jar of banana mush, but at least some of the countless tiny shards stuck to the banana slime and nobody got glass in their feet. The floor was also spotless after I’d cleaned it numerous times.

• Sending in the card graphics.

• Quiet cocooning. Drinking a tall mocha and watching the rain fall. 2 months ago

Don’t you lay a thing (like your head on a pillow), or in the past tense of the prone variety (I lay there but it was uncomfortable), laid if previously lay (because someone laid a pea under the mattress), but if it’s a potentially present personal plan, do you not lie?

My eyes are crossed (my T’s as well) – I’d like to get to the bottom of the puddle, er, muddle. Does the word “muddle” taste like plum pudding? Either way, I will also forgive Bob and his bed, because I want to lie fall down now, I’m pooped. 2 months ago

Ha! You know, I’m usually fairly on the ball with words, but I’m not lying when I lay lie/lay on the line and admit I’m now uncertain what one might do in a hypothetical future puddle (whether or not one is telling fibs, popping out eggs, or getting some action). Perhaps I should just change it to “do the backstroke”? :)

Reaching for some Fireball while the stormy weather rages – passing you a peep… cheers! 2 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{October 9, 2012}

• Realizing that the horrific dreams I had the night before were just that and letting go of the residue.

• Being invited to join a book club.

• Warm sunshine, enough to leave our sleeves behind.

• Iris in big plastic glasses dancing in circles. Pajama stars with Isak.

• Washing down M.’s delicious spicy but sweet chicken dinner with crisp apple cider.

• Relaxing in a lengthy lavender bubble bath with a book, indulging in a heavenly rose body conditioner from Lush.

^{October 10, 2012}

• Marvelously spicy English style ginger snaps and strong coffee.

• Catching up with friends until the phone was warm.

• A playdate with the new neighbor and her daughter.

• Generous colour changes in the neighborhood leaves and ivy.

• Watching the documentary Half the Sky on Independent Lens. Powerful. Hard. Important.

^{October 11, 2012}

• First sitting for baby H., which went very smoothly, from wild play time to a hilariously messy dinner to baby lullabies and sleep drifting.

• I was just really wishing I’d brought something to eat with me when I heard a light tap on the door – it was M. with hot, delicious bacon sandwiches. It was so thoughtful and appreciated (I’m glad we live so close).

• Coming home tired and curling up on the couch together for a bowl of ice-cream and Aliens.

• Surviving 24 hours without sleep. 2 months ago

My body seems to be stuck at that fork in the road between healthy and not. If I eat good food and rest as much as possible I may avoid getting sick. If I go out and lie in a cold puddle with stale peeps and a bottle of cinnamon whiskey, I’ll pay dearly for it – fortunately that wasn’t on my list of things to do, so I’ll peel some more citrus and try to fit in a decent nap.

Thursday. A stormy Thursday with progressively heavier storminess predicted. I’m grateful that I don’t have a migraine and I’m looking forward to the weekend. It’s the last day of the month and I’m hoping all this rain will wash away the dregs of winter and nudge some bluebells awake.

Main focal points today: Polish + send current memoir, movie + popcorn, pictures, rest

• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: Shoes, boots, coats √
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book √
• Family game / adventure √
• Transfer new photos √
• Downtime w/M. √
• Joynotes √

• Family movie + popcorn: The Aristocats√
• Iris: update immunizations + flu shot #2
• Continue October happiness entries √
• E-mail TH Realtor

• Bedtime reading with Isak: The Magician’s Nephew√
• Fill out raffle tickets (for earthquake fund) √ 20/20
• Put cardboard in car for recycling (Bumping)
• Edit and send in memoir project √
• 15 minutes: kid-stuff clean up √
• DVR: watch/delete 1 hour √
• Touch base with 3 friends √
• Ponder March goals √
• Tidy kitchen table √
• Sweep + vacuum √
• Wash bath mat √
• Rest! √

• Find somewhere to sell/donate old car
• Back up hard-drive to end of February
• Recycle cardboard mountain 2 months ago

It’s the 6th annual Pink Shirt /Anti-Bully Day today, so we’re rocking our rose tinted duds but feeling the meaning deeper than cloth. We’ve had extra good talks about this lately, and schools seem to be taking things more and more seriously.

I was really happy to see Shane K. on the news the other morning and found his video-poem extremely powerful, personal, goose-bump bright and just right. I’m thrilled it’s gone viral and want to share it with anyone who hasn’t seen it yet – please do, it’s worth it. Thank-you, Shane.

★To This Day

^{“Help this message have a far reaching and long lasting effect in confronting bullying. Please share generously.”}2 months ago

Yesterday I stretched myself extra thin and got as much as I could done… had a couple of important calls and sent a still ill M. to bed while I made dinner and juggled kidlets – the second wind I was hoping for never arrived, so I curled up on the couch rather than pushing too hard at the end of a long day. I’m feeling understandably precarious health-wise, so I’ll be more gentle with myself. We’re all in pink for Anti-Bully Day and ready to take things on.

Main focal points today: Pink Shirt Day, forms/$ in, finish current memoir, MA class

• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: 15 min.: Living room hotspots √
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book √
• Family game / adventure √
• Transfer new photos
• Downtime w/M. √
• Joynotes √

• Iris: update immunizations + flu shot #2
• Continue October happiness entries
• Family movie + popcorn
• E-mail TH Realtor

• Send forms and/or $: Pub Night, Primary Days of Music, ice skating √
• Bedtime reading with Isak: The Magician’s Nephew√
• Participate in Pink Shirt Day (and talk about why) √
• Buy school raffle tickets (for earthquake fund) √ 20!
• Tie up cardboard for M. to put in work bin √
• Finish current memoir project √ Just needs polishing
• DVR: watch/delete 1 hour √
• Touch base with 3 friends √
• Babysit baby H. 4 – 5:30 √
• Recharge tired batteries √
• Eat lots of tangerines! √
• Calendar additions √
• Martial arts class √
• Pink bubble bath! √

• Find somewhere to sell/donate old car
• Recycle cardboard mountain 2 months ago

Last Friday was a Pro-D day and we wanted to do something we hadn’t done before, so my parents drove out to pick up the kids and I and we all took a trip to Steveston to visit the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site.

^{“Built in 1894 in the historic fishing village of Steveston, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery was the largest building of its kind and the leading producer of canned salmon in British Columbia.”}

Somehow we missed the groups and schools and crowds and ended up being the only people in the whole place! A nice woman with dangly silver fish earrings gave us the tour, which was quite interesting. They weighed my mom on the fish scale, Isak shuttle spiked fish on poles, Iris manned the helm of a faux fishing boat, there were movies, a fishy art gallery, educational painted wooden sculptures that you could crank to move, stories about criminals locked in their can cooking ovens when the jails overflowed, child labor, severed fingers in cans, machinery demonstrations, velvet fish that you could take apart, arts and crafts, all sorts of fish displays (you could pull their tails to open ‘drawers’ full of information), much more… it was quite a lot of fun for everyone.

There was more we didn’t have time to see, and I think M. would enjoy going too, so we’ll have to make another trip some time in the future. After we left we hit a little restaurant across the street for delicious fish & chips / chowder in sourdough bowls. (More info on the cannery here.) 2 months ago

For the generous bombing, the kind words, and cheer #90,000! I hope you’re having an especially excellent day… 2 months ago

I take daily notes on the happy points when I’m behind (and oh, I’m SO far behind at this point, but I still want to try and catch up), these, my daily photos, and checking my old ‘first things first’ entries help me recapture the day… 2 months ago

Another late night, but at least the day went more smoothly – I think the full moon has been rolling across moods. The rain has tapered off, though the wind picks up off and on. Iris decided that naptime was going to be later than usual today, so I’m trying to hit the ground running now that she’s down. I need to make some decent headway with work, then I’ll try to battle some clutter-piles. I feel shocked realizing how close March is…

Main focal points today: Work on current memoir, watch baby H.

• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: 15 min.: Trash stash √
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √ X3
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book
• Family game / adventure √
• Transfer new photos
• Downtime w/M. √
• Joynotes √

• Bedtime reading with Isak: The Magician’s Nephew√
• Continue October happiness entries
• E-mail TH Realtor
• Iris: flu shot #2

• Continue current memoir project (aim for half) √
• Fill out Primary Days of Music form √
• Fill out skating permission form, $ √
• Fill out Pub Night order form, $ √
• Check library account online √ Movie in!
• DVR: watch/delete 1 hour √
• Touch base with 3 friends √
• Play 1 level DKCR w/Isak √
• Babysit baby H. 4 – 5:30 √
• Family movie + popcorn - Ran out of time before bed…
• Deal with some clothes √
• Unwind √

• Find somewhere to sell/donate old car
• Recycle cardboard mountain
• Iris: update immunizations 2 months ago

There was a lot of good stuff on there (I listened to it this afternoon, it’s condensed into about an hour on the CD), but there was also some annoying music and some of the voices were grating, particularly the intentionally whiny/argumentative kid examples.

More importantly there was lots of noteworthy stuff on communication, punishment, persistent problem solving, and helping kids free themselves from playing “roles”.

Worth a read/listen. 2 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{October 8, 2012 – entry #1743!}

• Spending the day in White Rock, visiting with my parents.

• Baseball in the yard. Sour keys. A sleeping baby in the La-Z-Boy.

• Drowsy flowerbeds, fiery leaves, and the last of the blackberries.

• Sunsets to ride off into on the long road home. 2 months ago

Although I’m skipping this month’s bookclub selection (I haven’t managed to track the book down in time to start, let alone finish), I’ve moved on to the following month’s read, We Need to Talk About Kevin.

^{“We Need to Talk About Kevin is a 2003 novel by Lionel Shriver, published by Serpent’s Tail, about a fictional school massacre. It is written from the perspective of the killer’s mother, Eva Khatchadourian, and documents her attempt to come to terms with her son Kevin and the murders he committed. Although told in the first person as a series of letters from Eva to her husband, the novel’s structure also strongly resembles that of a thriller. The novel, Shriver’s seventh, won the 2005 Orange Prize, a U.K.-based prize for female authors of any country writing in English. In 2011 the novel was adapted into an eponymous film.”}

I’m also listening to an audio-book version of How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.

^{”Here is the bestselling book that will give you the know–how you need to be more effective with your children and more supportive of yourself. Enthusiastically praised by parents and professionals around the world, the down–to–earth, respectful approach of Faber and Mazlish makes relationships with children of all ages less stressful and more rewarding.”}

Thumbs up for audio book options so I can absorb information and multitask with dishwater and feather-dusters at the same time! 2 months ago

We had a full weekend, and happily the outside plans Saturday timed out with the sun. Yesterday the downpour returned with a vengeance, and all through the night (which was infused with enough insomnia juice for a month) the wind blew and the rain threw buckets down – I was glad to not wake up to Waterworld. It’s actually stopped now (as of five minutes ago) and the sunshine is trying to break through the darkness.

Out of the blue (or gray, if being literal matters) we had an unexpected explosion of the 7 year old variety that may have been tiredness, low sugar, cabin fever, growing pains, fighting the flu, contagious hormones, or possession by an irate gremlin… we’re not sure, but we had a loud and extended tantrum laid on us like we haven’t seen in quite some time. Privileges were lost and there’s a discussion looming. Funny, the rest of the long weekend came off without a hitch. I know it happens, and it’s normal, but it’s exhausting.

We tried to get the supplementary baby flu shot yesterday, but the clinic had the wrong hours listed on their webpage, so we drove all the way out to North Van only to find they’d just closed, but we ended up doing some much needed shopping (jeans for M. and Isak, socks and boxers too) and picking up yummy pasta for dinner, so it worked out. We’ll hopefully give it another shot later in the week.

Main focal points today: Work on current memoir, try to nap a bit if the opportunity arises, get to martial arts class tonight.

• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: 15 min.: Flat surface fire drill √
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away √
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book √
• Family game / adventure √
• Transfer new photos √
• Downtime w/M. √
• Joynotes √

• Iris: update immunizations + flu shot #2
• Continue October happiness entries √
• Deconstruct current robot √ Finally!
• E-mail TH Realtor

• Bedtime reading with Isak: The Magician’s Nephew
• Continue current memoir project √
• Post weekend house clean-up √
• Send message + photos to R. √
• 15 min.: Clean Isak’s room √
• DVR: watch/delete 1 hour √
• Check in re. babysitting √
• Behavioral discussion √
• Listen to audio book √
• Martial arts class √
• Rest √

• Find somewhere to sell/donate old car
• Recycle cardboard mountain 2 months ago

7!

Seven years, hundreds of goals, and thousands of entries later I’m still going strong and so very grateful I found this site (quite by accident) and the amazing community here. Infinite cheers for all the inspiration, gumption, shared joy, and support in the past, present, and future. Thank-you. 2 months ago

I don’t recall ever playing Capture the Flag, though I’m sure we did something similar in one form or another… so when we were invited to a game to celebrate an 8th birthday (a nice deviation from the usual party business) we jumped at the chance, despite the conceivably wet weather.

We went over the various rules online and lucked out with Saturday afternoon being one of the only sunny days this week. It was a perfect spot for it, swarms of excited kids showed up and had a wild and wonderful time, eventually tying the game 2/2 and then indulging in some ice cream cake to celebrate everyone’s victory (and the birthday boy, of course).

Definitely worth doing again in the future! 2 months ago

Top 10 Things To Do This Weekend

• Play Capture the Flag (rain or shine!)
• Continue October happiness entries
• Work on current memoir project
• Celebrate 7 years on this site!
• Library (pick-ups and returns)
• Family movie + popcorn
• Sunday Night Zombies!
• Iris: Flu shot part 2- Went to the clinic, but they’d closed early
• Update FB photos
• Banking2 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{October 7, 2012}

• Thanksgiving at M.’s childhood home: family catch-up around a table full of delicious food, candles, and glasses of wine. Thankful indeed.

• Picking lovely pink apples from the trees in the yard (bagfuls for home), climbing up into the old treehouse.

• Spending the night at my parents’ house: looking at their road trip photos, staying up late floor-camping, drinking ginger ale and watching Super8 on their giant TV after everyone else was asleep. 2 months ago

Sucking out stained words
Bitter ink marks split pink tongues
Coiled around this block


*


Clearly we need light
Floating water-lily robes
Longing for April


*


Adrenal and bright
Passionate hummingbird eyes
Dart away, skittish


*


Peanut butter knife
Counters small battles unfed
Unsaid words fade fast


*


Sensing when I wake
Animals with quicksand eyes
Give chase through dim dreams


*


Leg raised gingerly
Old ally cat stalks sunspots
Pigeons can’t compare


*


Smooth stone beads drop down
Circle your neck; heavy, cool
Worn without counting


*


Goodbye, parched lions
Gold spun roars tear open hearts
Your tails remain high


*


Once a chrysalis
Now an empty husk drying
Near wet winged wonder


*


Glass of lazy wine
Three pieces of milk chocolate
Midnight tangerine 3 months ago

When we finished off C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe back in January, Isak was quite sad that we’d reached the end of the book and suggested that perhaps we should read it over, this time to Iris, and then daddy should have a turn… he loved it so much. Then I told him it was just one of a whole series and he was thrilled; very keen to get his hands on another book.

And how amazing are the people on this site? The fabulous, generous, extremely cheer worthy (hint hint) GoalMinded proceeded to send him a magical Narnia package with the entire series and more (Iris was particularly excited about the bubble wrap)! It arrived with perfect timing the day we were finishing off our last series.

Last night we started at the beginning, with The Magician’s Nephew, and there’s great anticipation brewing for chapter two. This book will hold us for a while. (Thank-you again, GM!) 3 months ago

It’s an extraordinarily stormy day, just coming down in buckets – a shame since there’s no school, but my parents are planning to drive out and we’re going for an adventure at a cannery. Everyone who could slept in today, which was ideal, I was up late reading and appreciated the extra zzzzs. It’s been an enjoyable morning (lovely to listen to the rain when you don’t have to charge out into it), but I’m late starting the day and should finish off the coffee dregs and leap into action.

Main focus: Have a fun and relaxing day off, a nice visit with my parents, and find some creative juice for everyone to share.

• Basic house maintenance: dishes, garbage, recycling, compost √
• Eat well, drink plenty of water, and take vitamins/supplements √
• Exercise/movement for 1 hour minimum: walk, yoga, Wii fit+ √
• Flylady Mission of the Day: 15 min.: Declutter dresser top
• Reading & homework with Isak √
• Laundry: wash, sort, put away
• Me time: bath, bubbles, book √
• Family game / adventure √
• Transfer new photos √
• Downtime w/M. √
• Joynotes √

• Continue October happiness entries - Worked on photos
• Deconstruct current robot
• 15 min: Weed kid clothes
• E-mail TH Realtor

• Refresh sponges, swiffer pad, gloves √
• Continue current memoir project/s
• Creative project with the kids √
• Start new bookclub selection √
• Bedtime reading with Isak √
• Whirlwind house cleaning √
• DVR: watch/delete 1 hour √
• Cannery trip with parents √
• 15 min.: Tidy clothes √
• Recharge batteries √
• Farewell to roses √
• Go to the library √
• Check in with A. √
• Deposit cheques
• Write something √

• Iris: update immunizations + flu shot #2
• Find somewhere to sell/donate old car
• Start official LI card paperwork √3 months ago

^{Retroactive happiness…}

^{October 6, 2012}

• Cinnamon bagels and strawberry cream cheese.

• Ioco Village Frisbee game and a determined to march Iris. Mystery ghost town apple baskets, baseball equipment, and feathers that turned out to be from a play practice.

• Starting to plan Halloween costumes.

• Exploring an abandoned building.

• Jenga and ginger beer beer. 3 months ago

Last night we finished the third and final tale in Gannett’s Dragons trio, The Dragons of Blueland, which I definitely enjoyed revisiting. Tonight we’ll be cracking an exciting new spine… (drumroll) 3 months ago