and so begins a life of crime...

I need to share something that may shock you, especially those of you who know me well. But, I think the time has come and I need to come clean. Here it is: when I was five, I began a life of crime. Petty theft to be exact. And as of today, I fear my oldest daughter may be following in my troublesome footsteps...

Allow me to take you to my kindergarten room. The year was 1986ish and I spent every day in my classroom that was filled with toys, a piano and chattering children. One day I went to my cubby at the back of the room where we kept our recess snacks. I reached for mine but the vast cubby was empty; no granola bar that I had been eagerly anticipating. Apparently I had a grumbling stomach because at that moment I made the choice to reach into a different cubby, near mine I presume, and take the unassuming homemade peanut butter cookies that sat there waiting for another child.

When peanut butter cookie boy (PBCB) went for his snack, sadly, he found that his succulent goodies had been taken from right under his nose. He promptly told our teacher, who then asked the class if anyone knew what happened to said cookies, and all of the class shook their head 'no'. I shook my head the same way, keeping my deep, dark secret to myself.

That night I went home and told my mum that someone had stolen PBCB's cookies. "That's terrible", she said to me in her best mum voice. "Who would do such a thing?!" "I have no idea", came my weak reply. So weak, in fact, that I promptly burst into tears, and between sobs confessed my crime to my mum. "It was me! I stole PBCB's cookies".

So my mum did what any good parent would do and made me call up PBCB to firstly apologize for my wrongdoing. Then, I was told I must ask him what his favourite cookie was. That night she and I baked a batch of homemade peanut butter cookies and took them to him the next day at school, a clear apology for my bad behaviour. I had surely learned my lesson, my guilty conscience making me feel like a terrible person.

And you'd think I'd tell you that I never did it again...but that would be a lie.

Two years later, now seven years old, I'd had a clean record since the great cookie heist of '86. I was with my mum and brother and we were heading to a little delicatessen that we often went to in our town. After collecting our groceries we headed for the checkout where they had a large jar of small candies and gummies with a clear sign that read something to the effect of "Take Only One Candy, Kristin". As you may have guessed, I covertly took a couple of extras.

Driving home in the car my brother looked into the backseat where I was and said "Mum! Why is Kristin still chewing? How many candies did you take???", disdain (and jealousy) evident in his 10-year-old voice; guilt rising up in my chest. When mum peeked back to see that I had obviously taken more candies than the one that I was supposed to, she once again led me down lesson lane. She immediately turned the car around and headed straight back to the delicatessen, took me inside to the cash and asked me to apologize to the woman for taking more than my appropriate candy allotment. I apologized, and my mum offered to pay for the others.

Now here's the kicker - the woman said ok, and made my mum pay 10 cents per candy! 40 cents later we were out the door again, and I had paid my debt. Well, mum had. In all honesty, I always imagined that they had my head shot up in that little bakery so staff could easily identify me in case I ever returned. I didn't return until I was in my early twenties.

And that's truly the end of my early path of crime. I have never taken anything again in my life, and in fact, I have the most guilty conscience of all time. If I so much as feel like I said something that may have slightly offended someone I just feel terrible. Now perhaps I'm a bit too sensitive, but I like to think that I'm instilling my post-seven-year-old morals into my two children. However that was drawn into question this afternoon.

We had a birthday party to attend for my friend's daughter today, and being the self-professed procrastinators that we are, Cal and Lady M headed out to pick up the birthday present at Indigo near our house while I packed up everything we needed with Lady A at my side. After traipsing around the store, getting what they needed and paying (yes, paying), Cal and Lady M headed back to the hockey store where Lady M's new skates were being sharpened. (Did I mention it was a skating party?) As they headed to the next store Lady M said "oh no! Daddy, I forgot I had this!". Enter: the stolen radio, clutched in her little hand.

It's probably about three inches wide, and two inches tall, and my little lady walked right on out of the store with it. Oops! Thankfully, she quickly told her daddy about her mistake, but as I mentioned we had procrastinated a slight bit and were due to leave immediately for the birthday party. This is why I have a picture of the offending radio. They didn't have time to go back and return it, so that's on my agenda for tomorrow.

So I don't think she's really headed for a life of crime, and I'm clearly not since I'm planning to return it as soon as the store opens again, but I hope you will heed my tale. Don't steal...it's bad.

Clearly that moral has been well ingrained in my head. Thanks Mum.

giving blood : a virgin tale

I have always felt compelled to donate blood. I'm not entirely sure why, but it has always just seemed important to me. I used to walk past blood donor clinics when  I was in university thinking "I should give blood". Then, years later, I would see signs at the College where I work and think "I should give blood". But, I just never have.

Last year, for my 30th birthday, I created a list of 30 Things I want to do - outlining both long and short term goals for myself. In that list of 30, I identified a number of goals that I wanted to complete this year, specifically. One was to give blood. With my birthday quickly approaching, this was one goal that was lingering on my list, and I was determined to meet my deadline. I set an appointment for Saturday, September 8th.

I arrived to the Canadian Blood Services office to be greeted by a very friendly woman, welcoming me and thanking me for taking the time to donate. Upon learning that this was the first time I was donating blood, she gave me a sticker identifying me as a 'newbie'; I was to wear it on my shirt. After a brief wait, I was summoned by the first nurse who checked my iron levels to ensure I was okay to give that day. Three points above what was needed, I was cleared. Onto the next station where I had to enter a 'privacy booth' and fill out a short questionnaire.

Following that, my next stop was to visit nurse number two, a very friendly blonde woman with a warm smile. She led me into a private room where she took my blood pressure and temperature, and then proceeded to ask me a number of more personal questions ensuring I was right for a donation.

This particular nurse asked me what made me decide to donate blood, and I told her about my list of goals. On my form she could see that my birthday was just 8 days away, and said something that struck me. "Wow, what a great birthday present", she said. "And even better, your blood will likely be infused into someone on your actual birthday, allowing them to have another birthday". Well, if I wasn't happy to be doing this already, I certainly was now.

Before I left that private room, the nurse handed me a piece of paper containing two stickers, one labelled 'yes', the other 'no' on the page, but containing only a barcode on the actual sticker. The nurse explained to me that I could choose one or the other, and place it on my donor form when she left the room. Once the sticker was taken off that page, there was no way to tell which I had chosen, just a barcode that would be scanned after my blood was taken to be processed. The nurse informed me that this was for people who knew for some reason that their blood should not be used, but enabled them to go through the process without fear of stigma. For example, they have a number of workplace groups who come through, and it allows a staff member to go through the motions of donating, but perhaps having a reason that their blood should not be shared, ensuring that it is never used. I was very impressed with that option.

So, I placed my 'yes' sticker on my form, and moved along to the next stop on my donor journey: the actual donation! Laying in a relatively comfortable bed, the next nurse came to greet me and ask me which arm I would like to use. I chose my right, seeing as Lady A likes to be carried on my left side, and we were off to the races. It took me only 7 minutes to complete the one-pint donation, and it felt like mere moments as I was chatting with the people around me, and the nurse looking after me. There was music playing, tv's on, smiling people and friendly staff making the whole environment seem very civil and casual.

I had to hang out in my bed for a few more minutes than the seasoned donors; thanks to my newbie sticker, they wanted to make sure that I was ok, not feeling faint or nauseous. I had a delicious apple juice drink box delivered to me and instructed to drink it while still there. I felt great; both physically and emotionally. Once I convinced them I was ok, I was off to the refreshment station where I chatted with some lovely volunteers who were there to fetch juice, speak with people and to complete the already pleasant experience. Of course they're keeping their eye out for fainters, bleeders, etc., but thankfully I wasn't one of them. As I sipped my apple juice I decided that one of the best perks of the experience were the guilt-free oreos I ate!

One of the sweet volunteers brought me a first-time donor pin, and a pin pad where I can collect my pins moving forward, should I choose to give again. I'm told you get another pin on your 3rd, 5th, 10th visit, and so on. I think I'll be quite happy to continue collecting those pins.

You can donate blood every 56 days, so I have already scheduled my second appointment for the first weekend in November. Now that I have taken the uncertainty out of the experience, and finally taken the leap to give my first donation, I know that I'll be doing it again.

my healthy quest...and 30 things update

My little Lady A hit the 6-month milestone two weeks ago. Hard to believe that six months have flown by in the blink of an eye, and that she's half way through her first year of life. It means we have a little more time between feedings and fewer naps, ergo, more awake time! With this somewhat 'found' time, I have a chance to focus a little more on me for the first time in a while.

With that said, I'm on a quest to get back to being healthy and fit...a place I haven't been in a few years, since having my munchkins. In between having Lady M & Lady A it was easy to set getting fit aside, knowing that I was planning to become pregnant again. But this time, my family is complete, so no easy excuses!!

My sister-in-law has recently graduated as a nutritionist, so with such great knowledge at my fingertips, I would be silly not to work with her, so I am! Thanks to her encouragement and ideas, I'm trying new recipes, making small changes to the items stocked in my kitchen, and drinking more water than I ever have before! The thing that's even better, is that these little lifestyle changes positively affect my entire family.

On the workout front, I continue on with my Zumba classes as often as possible. (To read about the moment I fell in love with this 'exercise in disguise', check out this old post). In fact, in just a few days I'm off to Instructor Training so I can not only attend these fantastic classes, I can teach them too!

I've also found a great Stroller Fitness class that I've been attending for a few weeks with Lady A; I'm working muscles I haven't worked in ages, and its awesome. I'm currently competing in a 'Biggest Loser' challenge with them, trying to win a big gift certificate so I can take even more classes over the winter and continue to challenge myself in new ways. And the best part? I can take my girls with me!

So between the nutrition, fitness classes and a little challenge on the side, I think they're all great steps. And its working to achieve one of the goals that I set out for myself earlier this year in my 30 things post.

Which brings me to a little update on that front. Its been 3 months since I first outlined my goals, so in an effort to stay on track, thought I'd provide a little update as to where things stand...

1. Become a creative entrepreneur as an exciting side project
• Haven't made it too far on this one, but I will get there! 
2. Complete Zumba Fitness instructor training
• All set to go this Saturday, and I couldn't be more excited!! 
3. Donate blood (hopefully on a regular occasion, but let's go for once to start)
• Hmm, I'll take this one as a reminder...I need to go do this. One of my friends said she'd like to join me, so I think we should make a date! 
4. Have an impeccably organized home
• Slowly, but surely...this is an ongoing process
5. Learn Adobe Illustrator
• This one is in the works! I think I may take a class in the New Year if I can find some time.
6. Reach my post-pregnancy goal weight
• As mentioned, the nutrition plans, and fitness goals are all leading toward this one... 
7. Read a minimum of four books for pleasure this year (yes, that's a lofty goal with two munchkins in the house and lots of school reading at any given time!!)
• I have finished one so far, and am working on book number two. The first was Mini Shopaholic (yup, that's right, total chick lit!), and now I'm reading Smart Couples Finish Rich. Might as well work on my financial future while I'm at it, right?! 
8. Share more stories on my blog so my girls will have a great memoir of their childhood
• Trying to write more whenever I can. I think I need to figure out some form of measurement on this one though...I guess as long as I'm writing more than I did last year overall, then I'm achieving this goal. 
9. Start teaching a regular Zumba class
• I can do this once I'm a full-fledged instructor! 

So there we have it...that's where I am with my annual goals; definitely some things to work on, but I'm making a few of the goals a reality already, so I feel like I'm on the right track. Feel free to hold me accountable to anything you read here!! 

night vision (or lack thereof)

I'm blind as a bat. Without my glasses or contacts I really can't see a thing, but I can see shapes enough to make my way around the house enough at night, so when I have to get up (frequently with a four-month-old in the house) I just lead myself somewhat blindly. This had never been a problem, until last night.

Truth be told, I don't like to put my glasses on in the night for two main reasons:

1. It makes me wake up too much; having groggy vision lets me fall back to sleep more quickly when the time comes.
2. I don't like to know the time at night, and don't have to worry about it when I can't see the clock! I always want to pretend that I still have several hours more to sleep, not that the alarm is due to go off in 14 minutes.

However, last night I probably should have put my glasses on. 

Why? Well, in the morning I handed Lady A to Cal so he could change her, telling him that her pyjamas seemed to be a little wet. I continued to get ready, and moments later he came to me saying "ummm, maybe this is why she is wet?" and showed me her diaper...that I had put on inside out in the middle of the night. 

Not backwards, inside out. Absorbent material facing out. Brilliant. 

Please feel free to send the Mother of the Year award to my home address. You'll find me here in the middle of the night, wearing my glasses. 

30 things...

In exactly one month I'll be thirty years old, much to the joy of all my friends well into their thirties who I have been teasing mercilessly for being so much older than me for years now (you know who you are!). Hitting this milestone birthday really doesn't bother me very much; in fact, having watched Sex & the City all through my 20's I'm supposed to know that the 30's are the best years, right? Well, works for me!! And I plan to feel the same way about my 40's, 50's, and every other decade I hit.

So I decided that as a little gift to myself, I would write down a list of 30 things that I'd like to achieve. As I work through the list, I'll have to decide whether its 30 things I want to do this year...or before I'm 40, or whether its more of a bucket list for the longer term, but we'll see!

I think everyone knows that a goal is more likely to be achieved if you write it down (Harvard Study anyone?), and I know its even better if you tell other people that you want to do it...so here we go. I will share with each one of you the thirty things I want to do, and you can hold me to it!

And onto the list...

1. Become a creative entrepreneur as an exciting side project (details to follow...)
2. Buy a boat or seadoo (or both!)
3. Complete the CN Tower stair climb
4. Complete my Master of Education degree
5. Complete Zumba Fitness instructor training
6. Donate blood (hopefully on a regular occasion, but let's go for once to start)
7. Explore more of Canada
8. Find and buy our dream home
9. Gain more teaching experience
10. Go on a European bike tour
11. Go parasailing
12. Go white water rafting
13. Grow my own vegetables and herbs (This is a real challenge for me; see my Green Thumb post.)
14. Have an impeccably organized home
15. Involve Lady M & Lady A in a fabulous and worthy volunteer opportunity
16. Learn Adobe Illustrator
17. Live abroad again
18. Plan a Muffy reunion somewhere tropical and fabulous
19. Reach my post-pregnancy goal weight
20. Read a minimum of four books for pleasure this year (yes, that's a lofty goal with two munchkins in the house and lots of school reading at any given time!!)
21. Share more stories on my blog so my girls will have a great memoir of their childhood
22. Start teaching a regular Zumba class
23. Take an art course (drawing, painting, sculpting...or something like that)
24. Take my family to Sweden, England and other areas of Europe
25. Take piano lessons again
26. Travel to Africa
27. Visit each country where my dad has lived, as well as India where his whole family was born
28. Visit every continent
29. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity on a build
30. Write a children's story

So, there's the list. As it turns out, some are definitely longer term goals, some short term. I've noted the ones that I plan to complete by the end of this year in pink; nine in total. I'll be sure to keep you up to date as I finish each one, and feel free to help keep me accountable for anything on the list! 

confession of a stay at home mum

When I was off on maternity leave with Lady M, I succumbed to a lot of daytime television; the characters filled the space of 'adult chat' I was lacking at the time, and I couldn't help but enjoy them. However, as the months passed, and she started to pay attention to the television, I stopped watching a lot of things in front of her, as any good parent would. Of course, after going back to work I had to give up the glorious world of The Price is Right, Rachael Ray and The View. (However, I'll be honest - after watching the latter two for nearly a year, I couldn't stand any of the hosts any more, so wasn't too devestated to give them up!)

However, I'm now enjoying maternity leave, round two, which has opened up some new shows to me that I didn't know about having spent my days in an office and not near a television for quite some time. So what have I discovered? Well, when Lady M naps each afternoon, and I spend a significant amount of time feeding Lady A, I've started watching a show called The Talk. Its like The View, only lighter and less malicious! (Obama was elected days before Lady M was born, so the show was rather politically fueled when I watched it a few years ago). Now, I get right into The Talk every day, and must admit, I love it!

I've also been a fan of The Price is Right since I was a kid - my brother and I used to love to watch it at lunch. We'd watch it in the kitchen while eating lunch, would run up to brush our teeth after the showcase showdown bids were in, and would head back across the street to school as soon as the winner was revealed. I still find the same enjoyment in watching it from time to time when I'm home. And might I add, Drew Carey is a fantastic host! 

Now onto the more significant confession...

What I'm about to tell you, I'm not proud of; please don't think differently of me...but I'll just say it: I'm addicted to shows about the Kardashian family. Yes, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kourtney & Kim Take New York, Khloe & Kourtney Take Miami, Khloe & Lamar - thanks to my newly aquired E! channel, I'm watching them all. Please forgive me, this is very embarrassing, but they are trash tv at their finest, and thanks to my PVR I've become well versed in the adventures of this ridiculous family.

I tried to keep my secret Kardashian indulgence from Cal, but thanks to the PVR listings, he quickly caught on to what I was watching, and thoroughly enjoys making fun of me for enjoying such smutty entertainment. What can I say?

I'm not alone, obviously - other people must be watching these shows! I couldn't tell you if any of my friends do though, as I'm not very open about how much I watch it. (I fear my darling Psychologist friend may offer me some free counseling sessions after reading this...)

But there - I've said it; its out there in the open. I'm a stay at home mum who enjoys smut. But, with two girls in the house now, it will be a limited viewing window, because surely these are not shows that will be on around them when the tv is on in their presence. And eventually I have to go back to working full time...

But, for now, I'll enjoy every minute of it!!

30 day challenge - part iv

Let's continue on with the exciting 30-day challenge! So far, its taken me four days to get through the first 20...I like this trend! Again, if you're itching to catch up, visit parts one, two and three by clicking on the respective number. Or, moving right along to days 11-20. Enjoy!

Day 11 – a habit you wish you didn't have
Well, I mentioned this in an earlier post (a pile of clothes), but I really wish I wasn't so inclined to having a pile of clothes on my bedroom floor! I think I've been better since I wrote that post (although there was a mild explosion upon returning from our week at camp, as the entire week's packing ended up beside my bed; but that's beside the point). Although improving, this is definitely a habit I wish I didn't have! 

Day 12 – something you are OCD about

My handwriting. Anyone who knows me will surely agree with me here - its very important for me to have tidy, beautiful handwriting, I just can't help it! But, it sure makes my work notes, school notes and to-do lists look very pretty! 

Day 13 – a fictional book
Hmm, I talked about some of my favourites in a recent post (my favourite reads...), but one I didn't mention there was The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Its a really interesting book - with a rather unique premise. I would definitely recommend reading it if you have a chance, or if you're feeling lazy, you can just watch the movie, which I haven't seen, so please don't ask me for my opinion!

Day 14 – a non-fictional book
I don't think you can ever go wrong with Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. I'm not sure I can even count how many times I've read this one over the years. If you haven't read this, your school system has failed you. Please immediately run to your nearest bookstore or library and get a copy. Thank you.

Day 15 – your dream house
Ooh, I wonder if my wonderful real estate agent is reading this?! ha ha! My dream house will be large, but not too large! Minimum 4-bedrooms, 3-bathrooms with a spacious master bedroom with an ensuite bathroom that boasts a soaker tub and stall shower. 

It will definitely have a big family room, big dining room and huge kitchen so I can entertain big groups of family and friends. And one GIANT pantry (that is perfectly organized and stocked) so I can entertain on a whim, and cook fabulous meals each night! In fact, everything will have awesome organizational ability - hidden drawers, closet organizers, secret storage compartments, etc. My home will also have a beautiful window seat on the sunniest side of the house, where I will sit and read!


The basement will likely be converted to a music studio for my hubby, so he can have that floor. (Aren't I sweet honey?!)

I will have a gardener who looks after all of my pristine landscaping, and a housekeeper who keeps my abode party-ready at any time. The house will be nice and tidy, but lived in and homey, and likely full of toys! Everything will have hand-selected designer furniture, decor and although my lovely dog Dakota will live there, it will somehow magically be dog-fur free!! 


Excuse me, I need to go negotiate a raise.

 
Day 16 – a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
"My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw. My dad played it for me at my wedding, and although I was so worried about the length of his speech in the moment (ever the planner), every time I listen to it now I'm in tears. Its beautiful. 

 
Day 17 – an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)
I most proudly display my daughter's art work right now...its the most adorable thing ever! 

 
Day 18 – my wedding/future wedding/past wedding
Ahh, my wedding. It was the most fabulous day...everything was done in teal and black, and it looked perfect for a good, Canadian winter wedding! (We were married in November). We had 4 bridesmaids, 4 groomsmen and my photographer called me Tricia all day. Umm, thanks - my name is Kristin. 

The party lasted to the wee hours of the morning, and I'm proud to say I still have friends who talk about our wedding nearly 4 years after the fact. I loved my dress, had a gorgeous coat that my mother-in-law handmade for me, and my girls looked stunning in their dresses too. Of course, mango calla lillies were our flowers! I'm happy to say that if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing...especially my groom.

 
Day 19 – a talent of yours
I can share a shot perfectly with my darling friend Ashley. We're very proud of this accomplishment. Just ask us; we'll show you. 

Day 20 – a hobby of yours
Right now, running! I took up running this past spring and I absolutely love it! I took a clinic through Running Room and completed my first 5k race in July. The girls in my clinic were awesome, and since the end of the clinic the group of us have continued running together on our own time and we are training to complete a 10k race at the beginning of November. 


Until next time...

30 day challenge - part iii

Here goes the third installment of the "30 day challenge" I'm doing on my own schedule! Part one and part two can be found here in case you're itching to get caught up! Otherwise, on to a little photo montage that will hopefully make you smile...

Day 7 – a photo that makes you happy

The first was taken at my daughters 1-year photo shoot. Its just so her - being silly, tumbling, and at the time, learning how to be steady on her legs. More importantly, she was full of laughter and glee every time her hands or bottom hit the ground. 

The second was taken at Easter this year - the beautiful dress was given to us by our cousins in Florida, and she just looked like such a little lady as soon as we put it on her. And in typical Lady M fashion, it didn't slow her down from doing anything; she happily played in the garden, examining every rock she could find. Impressively, after playtime, the dress didn't have a speck of dirt on it!

Day 8 – a photo that makes you sad
Well, this one makes me happy and sad. This was taken of our extended family of dogs several years ago, and taking the picture was a hilarious venture in and of itself. It probably took us about 200 shots before we got this one. Even with a brilliant dog trainer in the family, getting six dogs to sit and look pretty in front of a roaring fireplace at the same moment is no easy task! The sad part of this is the sweet little man on the far right was my faithful companion for 14 years, and we had to say goodbye to him last August. So, like I said, happy and sad! 

Day 9 – a photo of somewhere you've been
Our beautiful honeymoon resort in Costa Rica...it was stunning. This was the view from our 'club lounge'. If I could wake up to this every morning, I would be a happy girl!!! 

Day 10 – a photo taken over 10 years ago of you

Well, this is from well over 10 years but it makes me laugh every time I see it. This is my brother and I (clearly in the 80's) but on any given day, if you get the two of us together, we'll likely be seen making the same faces. Some things never change.