Manic Monday

Fall may be here but Mother Nature is pampering us with sunshine and mild temperatures. We are not complaining however, I have a feeling Crotchety Old Man Winter is stewing into a tizzy somewhere just waiting until he can unleash his frustrations on us. I am understandably shaking in my boots.

Yesterday we headed out to Pumpkin Hollow. It has become an annual tradition to head out there and do the corn maze together as a family. It was fun.

But this post won't only be about that, oh no, I will bore you with some other random tid bits too. Like that fact that my knee or my IT band specifically has been giving me grief since early September. This means little to no running as running is what aggravates it. I am not a happy camper about this because despite the fact that most of you think I am nuts, I like running.

I have seen a physio therapist several times and have been working on stretching and strengthening my hips but it is still not up to snuff. I am also trying new shoes.

Cross your fingers for me, m'kay?

Work has been keeping me reasonably occupied which has been keeping me out of trouble. You know how I am apt to find trouble when otherwise unoccupied.

No?

Oh right, that is my crazy alter ego, Tami. B-E-Yotch likes to get me in trouble.

Other than that, not too much new here at the Khlopchyk House, hence the lack of activity here on the old blog.

The boys are handsome as ever, though some say I am bias. I have no idea what they are talking about. And it pains me that these photos, that were unplanned, turned out better than the planned ones. Murphy.

And did you notice the new look around here? It's all thanks to Jen. She made the header (which I LOVE!) and changed up the colour scheme. And except for a yellow stripe debacle courtesy of me, it went well. Thanks for your patience with me Jen!

It's just another manic Monday!

Now you can sing it over and over and over in your head like I am. You're welcome.

Photography is for Professionals

Every year we get photos of the boys done around their birthdays in June. This year it didn't happen so I decided to do them myself.

I had a vision of what I wanted. It involved using an old piece of the now defunct power station converted to a science center in our fair city.

Problem is, it is surrounded by trees on three sides. Trees with the sun streaming through the leaves makes for shadows.

So they both have large metal things growing out of their backs too, did you know that? We tried to keep it under wraps but they both had a growth spurt so there is no hiding it any longer. The shadows hide their faces so we can still be in cognito.

I don't mind this one though.

Attempt number two was this weekend. After much discussion and reading about placing the sun behind your subject rather than behind the photographer as I thought, we got these.

It just wasn't possible, in this spot, to put the sun behind them. I was really set on this spot, why I don't know, the metal thingy's are yellow but not very yellow up close.

Take 3, the play ground near by.

Huh. So the sun is behind them but somehow I still don't think I got it right. Ah well, the subjects are still cute so we'll call it a day.

Someday, I will take that photography class I keep talking about. That day will be when I remember to register before the class fills up. Hell might freeze over first.

Fall Photos for a Friday

Fall is here and nature's canvas is brimming with gorgeousness (that's a word, isn't it?)

And some people are pretty grumpy about too, apparently.

The leaves are a falling all around us. We are happy it is not the sky falling.

And the colours, oh the colours.

Still grumpy. Bad day?

and constipated too. Poor guy.

Happy Autumn weekend to you, unless you live where fall hasn't hit yet, then happy summer weekend. And I am not jealous at all.

Okay, maybe a little bit.

Drive the Line

I have been driving this road for over nine years now. I have been trying to stay in the middle lane, you know the one between "let your children run willy nilly" or "my children are free spirits, I let them be who they are" and the other side "my kids are not allowed to do anything fun as it might harm them, Godforbid".

Those descriptions might be a bit dramatic, even I will admit that.

The thing is, I find myself drifting to the left then over correcting and finding myself somewhere off to the right. I feel like an drunk driver and I don't like it.

Balance. It's what I strive for in most aspects of my life. I said strive, not achieve, just for the record.

One thing I try to limit is screen time. North America has an obesity problem that, in my opinion, is not helped by the fact that most of us sitting comatose in front of some form of electronic screen for too much of the day. I don't believe in not having a TV at all. I think deprivation can lead to rebellion. Rebellion is always a risk, I am not willing to up the ante on that one.

Another thing I try to limit is junk food and processed food. I know I feel like horse dung when I eat too much of it so by default it just can't be good for growing boys. However, again, deprivation is not the answer. So we have our treats and try to fill tup on decent food the rest of the time.

Sometimes there is too much TV time and too much junk food. I wish it went the otherway around but sadly, it rarely does.

Then there are the things that I cannot control. Things that I know people judge me on. Or maybe I just judge myself?

My kids are who they are. They are not outgoing. Have you met me? They are not antisocial either but they can come off as slightly rude because they are shy and uncomfortable around adults they don't know well. Frankly they can be shy around adults they know well. It is who they are. I cannot make them outgoing. I cannot change who they are.

I know this. Other people may not but I refuse to make excuses for my children. They do not have to be excused for who they are.

I got extremely off topic here. What was I saying again? Oh yeah, I am drifting between lanes trying not to crash the car.

Maybe I need a GPS?

Don't ask me

I was just trying to be creative. There are 6.000 things wrong with this photo but I still kind of like it anyway.

I am non-conformist like that.

Normally, I am all about pointing out the flaws but today, I am not going to. And you can't make me.

Good Bye, Old Friend

This week it was time to say good bye to an old friend. One that has been hanging on the wall of our house for the last eleven or so years.

See my wedding bouquet below?

It was 4,000 times more beautiful than I envisioned when we discussed what I wanted with the florist. To this day, I recommend her to anyone who will listen. She has such a distinct style, modern, yet soft, unique and always beautiful.

I loved my flowers to much that once our amazing day was over and done, I couldn't bear to get rid of them - I am not a hoarder, honest!

I dried them and then decided to make a swag out of them. This was big challenge for me, who stores all of my creativity in my left baby toenail.

It worked. If you didn't look at it too close or sneeze around it. It was fragile and only survived the move from our apartment to our house because we picked a non-windy day to drive it over while placed carefully on my lap.

But alas, after eleven years, it had become a health hazard. It was hanging over our kitchen table, dust ridden and falling apart. It was time.

I took photos and shed no tears. I am too practical to be that sentimental. Jay opened a garbage bag and we carefully shoved it in while holding our breath.

We were worried about asphyxiating on the dust that billowed out as I squished it into the bag.

I am kidding. Ish.

In its place, I printed and framed a few of our Grand Canyon photos.

It's a nice change though our food may taste a bit bland for a bit while we get used to the lack of dust seasoning.

Arbitrary Thursday

I feel like writing a blog post but have no concrete subjects so arbitrary bits of random it is.

Jay bought me flowers a week or so ago to congratulate me on a new work contract that I was offered and accepted. It means that I will have more contract work over and above the work I have been doing over the last five years. It couldn't have come at a better time, really and truly.

I love when things just work out like that.

The pictures in my blog header are from 3 years ago. Or so. I haven't the foggiest on how to go about changing them. I should try and figure that out. Maybe.

I might just about be ready to change my blog layout. Maybe. But I haven't the foggiest how so that would require hiring a professional. I might get around to in sometime in 2012.

On Friday, I purchased three pork tenderloins from that big grocery store we have in Canada that carries a lot of products packaged in yellow. Saturday morning, in anticipation of hosting a dinner for Anna and Jen and families, I began cutting up the meat to marinate for souvlaki.

The first package, when opened stunk like rotting meat and the meat was the texture of what I envision Jabba the Hut feeling like. Slimy disgustingness.

The second did not. I cut that up and when I got to the end of it, guess what? Jabba the Hut consistency again. And now it is in the marinade with the peppers and onions.

Package three was as rank as the first.

I put all of it in a bag and marched it back to the Yellow Store. I was polite. I didn't even threaten to take the meat to the health department.

In return, the lady tried to take away my free gift card earned when I spent over $250 since the return of the meat (no exchange thankyouverymuch) would put my total below $250.

I am not even kidding.

I politely noted that under normal circumstances, I would completely agree. However, given that the meat was ROTTING, I would think that an exception could be made. I should have added "for the love of Pete", it was fitting, no?

She had the gall to note that for all she knew, I could have left the meat out overnight. Wow. I was stunned for a second or two, regained my composure and said that I had not, in fact, left the meat out overnight (insert yelling comment in my head - "because I am not a complete MORON!") and that it was doubtful, in my opinion, that the stench coming from the bag could have occurred overnight.

Again, not even kidding.

She begrudgingly let me keep my gift card. Wasn't she just the sweetest thing?

Guess where I will refrain from buying my meat from here on out?