Getting ready for back-to-school

Today was registration day for Spencer for high school. (I can't believe that he's old enough for high school already!) Tomorrow is Matt's turn, although with him I can just send him in to do it himself as he's been through it a couple of times already. It ended up being a very expensive day as afterwards I took Spencer and Cameron out for school supplies and clothes. Wow! Did I drop a bundle!

For registration for Spencer's school:
$77.00 for the registration package (which is registration fee, yearbook, agenda, and lock for locker.)
$26 for photos (that's right! they did school photos today!)

Then we hit Walmart:
1 new backpack
2 binders
5 packages of lined paper
2 calculators
1 math set
pencil crayons
1 package of erasers
1 pencil sharpener
3 paper correction tapes
2 glue sticks
1 package of blue pens
1 package of red pens
1 pencil case
package of mechanical pencils
1 dictionary
1 package of highlighters
1 pair of sissors
washable markers

Walmart total 109.21

Then it was on to Old Navy for much needed pants
6 prs of pants (for three boys)
2 track jackets
1 jersy
1 T Shirt (on sale for only $3!)
1 vest that he just had to have!

Old Navy Total $199.26 (it must be because of the tax!)

Then we finished off the day with a quick stop into Grand and Toy
3 file thingys made for backpacks (this is in effort to keep the loose papers under control ... wishful thinking I know)
1 combination lock
3 rulers (can you believe that Walmart had run out?)

Grand and Toy total $34.69

OK all you quick math minded people. I know you've already added all this up as you went along, but I had to go and get a calculator. Ready??

The Grand total for today was: $446.16 Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

...and tomorrow I have to register Matthew!

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I actually have been scrapbooking lately. I've taken my stuff to the trailer and so when I've got nothing to do, I can pull it out. These are two of the layouts recently done:

This was a layout I did for a sketch challenge. It was fun to do a girly layout for a change. These pictures were when a group of my scrapbooking friends went to visit another friend who had just opened a stamping store.



These are pictures of Cameron that I took during a baseball practise. I don't know if you can tell, but there is a definate difference in his enthusiasm for the game when he is up to bat, to when he is fielding.

Is it the weekend again? It seems like this week flew by.

Not much happening around here this week. We spent the week at the trailer. Spencer was at Senior Music Camp this week. He had a great time and was thrilled to make it into the "Faculty" band. It looked so odd as he was so tiny compared to the rest of the band.

Cameron had his championship game today for baseball. His team finished in first place and were the #1 team in the playoffs, but missed today by one run. Cameron was devastated as he was the final out. My heart broke for him as he just hung his head.

Go and visit Joanne's Blog. She has a great post on the three of us sisters. What a wonderful thing to read today.

I was visiting Barb's Blog today and saw this fun list. Here is is with my answers:

number play
10 of my personality traits: quiet, organized, shy, creative, a loyal friend, introverted, loving, impatient, when I'm tired I withdraw into myself, stubborn.

9 places I've travelled: Whistler BC, Quebec City, Maritimes, Washington DC, Barbados, Antigua, St. Lucia, The Grenadines, Florida, Alberta

8 people I've talked to today: John, Cameron, Matthew, Spencer, Mary, Costas, Kim, The Tim Horton's lady

7 favourite foods: fajitas, chocolate (is that considered a food?), potato chips, chicken divan, steak, BBQd ribs, brocoli and cauliflower with lemon dill sauce

6 goals for the coming days and weeks: starting up some kind of exercise routine, getting everyone back into the school routine with as little anxiety as possible, getting Matt set up with his new teachers for the semester, getting back into a scrapbooking routine (I'm sooooo behind), start to redecorate Cameron's room, start to get things in place for the next scrapbooking retreat in November

5 items in my purse: (first let me say that I never carry my purse with me)loose receipts, light, pen, lip gloss, appointment slips

4 things on my grocery list: milk, soft taco shells, sour cream, cheese (were having fajitas for supper yum yum!)

3 stores I love: any scrapbooking store, reitmans, walmart (and I'm proud of it LOL!)

2 activities I did as a kid: junior band, brownies (and hated every minute of it!)

1 quirky habit I have: Before bed I have to have something salty followed by something sweet.

A Sunday Meme

I’m thinking about: How am I ever going to get all these pictures on my desk into scrapbooks?

I said: Check Mate to Matthew a few minutes ago when we were playing chess

I want to: go have a nap.

I wish: I had a few more weeks to the summer. I’m not wanting the boys to go back to school yet.

I hear: beautiful silence!

I wonder: If Cameron can skip his playoff game on Wednesday so we can go see Spencer’s concert at Music Camp. (I won’t get to see it on Saturday because it is the Championship game.)

I regret: Not advocating for Matthew more when he was in grade seven. Maybe if I had, it wouldn’t have been such a difficult year for him.

I am: trying to be the best mother I can be to raise my three boys to be the best men that they can be.

I dance: only if I have to.

I sing: to the radio in the car.

I cry: when my boys have been hurt.

I’m not always: a good mother.

I make with my hands: scrapbooks so that my boys can lug them around with them for the rest of their lives.

I write: a blog to share with family and friends, and to help with the journaling in my scrapbooks

I confuse: myself, mostly

I need: to be organized. When my life and home aren’t, then I can’t function.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Many people have examined this question. Here are their responses.

DR. PHIL- The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on "THIS" side of the road before it goes after the problem on the "OTHER SIDE" of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his "CURRENT" problems before adding "NEW" problems.

OPRAH- Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

GEORGE W. BUSH- We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

COLIN POWELL- Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road...

ANDERSON COOPER - CNNWe have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

JOHN KERRY- Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

NANCY GRACE- That chicken crossed the road because he's GUILTY! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN- To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART- No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any insider information.

DR. SEUSS- Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY- To die in the rain. Alone.

GRANDPA- In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS- Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heart warming story of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road.

JOHN LENNON- Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

ARISTOTLE- It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

BILL GATES- I have just released eChicken2006, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your check book. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken. This new platform is much more stable and will never cra...#@&&^( C \..... reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN- Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

BILL CLINTON- I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. What is your definition of chicken?

AL GORE- I invented the chicken!

COLONEL SANDERS- Did I miss one?

Cool finding in the blogging world

I know, most of you probably already know about this, but I thought it was cool (especially since it's hard to come up with blog topics sometimes.) Every Thursday you blog about 13 something. Kinda fun. The addy is included if you want to check it out and get the tags yourself.

Thirteen Things I love about summer 1. No homework, no lunchboxes, no anxiety 2. Relaxed days to spend with the boys. 3. Family holidays (with a now 16 year old, I'm cherishing these times as I know that our time for vacationing with him is soon coming to an end. For now, I cherish the time and that he still wants to vacation with us.) 4.BBQ season (this usually means that the main meal preparer gets a break, but in our case, that's not so. John doesn't know how to cook without burning!) 5. Long summer nights (I didn't realize that these were even longer in Calgary) 6. Spending time at the trailer at Jackson's Point 7. Junior Music Camp! 8. a good thunderstorm (especially at the trailer where we can open all the blinds, turn off the lights and watch a good light show) 9. vivid colours 10. oportunities for great outdoor pictures 11. No time constraints 12. Sleepy mornings 13. Eating outside. Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Third post today but I had to share this!

I found this on my wanderings around the internet today. It's very moving and I can't help but think of my brother Rick. One day! ...

Stephen has a Blog!

In case you didn't see the email notification you can find him atFamily Happenings. I successfully completed my mission while I was in Calgary. Now, when Dad stops in here on Friday, I will try and set him up.

Gems in my life

Following my brother, David's, challenge I've been trying to think of gems in my life during my childhood. These gems are supposed to be non relative. This is not so easy to do, as the people who all come to mind are family members. However, these are the people in my life who have influenced me for the better:

Mr. Agar - he was an older gentleman at our church who took an active interest in the young people. Even though he was retired, he still taught Sunday School and was able to relate to us in a way that most adults couldn't.

Mr. and Mrs. Gage - they were always welcoming of the young people into their home and were a constant possitive influence. They were always there throughout my growing up years and beyond.

Ken and Lil Kurtz - they, too, were always there and were a possitive influence. They always had a smile on their faces and always took an interest in what I was doing and made me feel that I was important.

Burt Wormington - for all the same reasons as the Kurtzs.

Mr. Featherstone - a teacher in high school who, for the first time, made me feel like I was smart, and could do anything I wanted to.

My girlfriend Cheryl - through her influence I was able to become a strong woman, who was not afraid to be me and helped me become an independant woman.

That's all that I can think of in my sleep-deprived brain right now. I will add to the list as I think of more gems in my life. (I guess there are more than I thought there were.)

Home again, home again, jiggidy jig.

We are back in Ontario. John came home on Monday (as he had to work on Tuesday) and the boys and I flew back last night. Our flight was delayed leaving Calgary by two hours so instead of getting into Toronto at midnight, we arrived around 2 a.m. It was 3 a.m. when we were finally crawling into bed!

We had such a great time out there. We did so much stuff that I forgot half of it until I just sat down to look at John's digital pics (my pictures are still on the film ... I have 11 films that I need to take in.)

On our way up to Jasper we made many stops along the way to see the gorgeous sights. The mountains were so majestic and the mountain lakes were so turquois!



We stopped to visit the Columbia Ice Fields where we hiked up to the glacier and walked onto it. The boys really loved going there. This was definately one of the many highlights of the trip.









While we were in Jasper we did many hikes. One of them was on a mountain called Edith Cavalle where we hiked into another glacier where there was a glacial lake with ice floating in it ... another highlight.







This picture was taken on another hike that we took through a canyon.



How do you ever get over a sight like this?

Back in Calgary

We just got back to Calgary about an hour ago, totally exhausted, but with tons of wonderful memories. Our second week away we spent in BC near Revelstoke. We stayed at a campground called Canyon Hot Springs where Stephen and his family stayed in their trailer and my family stayed in a beautiful chalet. While the weather wasn't great, we had a wonderful week of exploring and hanging out. The kids were all very sad today as we packed up to head back to Calgary.

We will spend the next couple of days here and be able to spend some time with Joanne before heading back to Toronto. I'm not ready to leave yet. I wish I had another week. Stephen and Gayle, however, are probably anxious to get their house and lives back!

My project for tomorrow is to get Stephen set up with his own blog so he can join the rest of us in this.

This is the group ... white water rafting in Jasper. Does it look like anyone is having a miserable time?