October Talk

Well, the month of October was a very busy time for us. We made the dicision to extend our famly and take in my 16yr old pregnant neice. As you can imagine, that brought along a series of challenges and battles - totally par for being the parent of a 16 yr old girl. PLUS she's hormonal and lacks many life skills. Anyway, we're doing what we can to help her, and encourage her to improve her life. I can see the changes already and she's only been with us a month.

Our landscaping is almost complete - we have worked very hard over the month and our yard is almost to a point where I can start to enjoy it. Still so much to do next year with plants and flower beds (HELP???!?!!!). Can't wait to plant some lilac bushes and raspberry bushes!

I also had the chance to escape away for a scrapbooking retreat at Pigeon Lake for a full weekend. I love getting away. It's not even about the scrapbooking anymore, it's just the getting time to myself that I cherish. I get to sleep when I want, eat delicious meals that I don't have to prepare or clean up after, and I get to have a few wobbly pops!! I can't wait for the next one - it's a long weekend!!!

One more story to share before I go. This past Monday I agreed to bus with my neice J. to her first day of school in the city. This was a fun adventure for Miss P - three busses to get there. They are quick rides, and she's at the school in around an hour. Really not bad at all. However, she was terrified to do this alone, so we joined her. After we dropped her off, P, B, and I went on to Bonnie Doon mall. I decided to kill time in the city instead of bussing home, then bussing back to bus back home with her after school.

First of all I almost drop kicked a creepy man who was trying to take pictures of P. on his cell phone. But he took my advice when I suggested he "not dare" take my daughter's picture. Then we arrived to Bonnie Doon and I discovered a Flu clinic set up! Perfect! All three of us signed up. I went first - to show Paige how painless it would be. I got my needle and it was fine. Then Paige went next. She made this SAD, SAD face and almost cried...but then it was over and she was fine. I hugged her and told her I was so proud of her for being such a brave girl. The nurse gave her a sticker - and she was totally fine. Then Blake went. He got his in the thigh. He was sooo mad!! He SCREAMED bloody murder as if to say "WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME???". I just started singing and comforting him, and he was fine right away.

We had to hang around for 30 mins at the clinic because of a possible reaction. In this time I discovered there are WAY too many bored elderly people just "hanging out" at BD mall!! In the short time what we were waiting - Paige got two loonies from one older lady who said she was so brave to get a needle, so she gave her (and Blake) each a dollar! She also got some Worther's Original Candies from an other lady for being "so well behaved". Isn't it funny how old people always carry "candy" with them? I remember as a child one of my babysitters would give us ONE lifesaver once we were in bed without giving her any grief at bedtime...and I loved that! She always had coffee flavour or butterscotch ones. To this day I have a little smile when I eat butterscotch lifesavers and remember that sweet lady Charlotte.