Home again, home again, jiggety jig

*This is not our house, not our suit of armour. Just one I drive by on a regular basis!

Yes, we're back. The whirlwind trip to Manitoba in a little car is now a thing of memory, as is Christmas Eve in Saskatoon with nowhere to eat except the local 7-11 (due to everything closing at 7 pm). Just one of the many adventures of taking a roadtrip during the holidays! Luckily we knew where all the trucking stops were, so we were able to eat breakfast on Christmas morning before hitting the road out of Edmonton and getting back home to bare cupboards. Good thing the family party was on Christmas day - we made it there in time for supper!

Hope your Christmas was as blessed as ours. We are truly grateful for our loving families who welcome us with open arms. We thank God that we all belong to His bigger family and that the celebrating will not end someday. What a gift He gave. His Son. I cannot even fathom how painful that must have been. Merry (belated) Christmas!

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days

Saw this and fell in love with this acappella group. If you're reading this on facebook, you really need to go to my blog to see this video!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Yes, Christmas has officially landed on our doorstep. Last week I went to a Secret Prayer Sister Christmas/revealing party on Monday (I was my best friend's prayer sister and my mom was mine! So cool for my first year!), a Baking Exchange party on Thursday (thanks Jana! My freezer's stocked.), Luke's work Christmas party on Friday, two hockey games on Saturday, and a quick trip down to Edmonton on Sunday to see Van Halen. I'm exhausted. Luckily caffeine is plentiful and I was able to stay alert on the snowy roads home this morning. I left Luke in Edmonton to write an exam so I had some serious alone time for five and a half hours - it's been a while since that has happened! I actually came up with a brilliant plan to tie the separate parts of the Sunday School Christmas play together. Now to write it up and get it sent out to the right people before Sunday! Wish me luck!

Making God sad

"Mom, Titus won't help clean up!"

It's a phrase I hear far too often. In the time frame of cleaning a room, maybe ten or twenty times. Needless to say, I get more than a little perturbed when I've heard it for the umpteenth time. This was one of those times. I stomped into the room. Caleb and Ethan were diligently picking up pieces of lego while Titus sat on his bed with a scowl.

"Titus, help your brothers clean up.

"I'm too tired."

"Well, you can have a nap after your room is clean."

"No."

By now my eyebrows are raised in incredulousness at his sass. I'm sure the steam was coming out of my ears, just like it does in cartoons.

"Titus, who's in charge?"

"You are," he says with a whimper.

"Clean this room now."

"Okay."

As I'm leaving the room he asks me one more question: "Mommy, are you in charge of everybody?"

"Yes, I am," I reply, not quite sure where this is going.

"You're making God sad. He's in charge of everybody."

I guess I can never say that he doesn't pay attention in Sunday School!

Hockey and Computer Woes

*from Titus' perspective*

I've been trying and trying to post but my silly internet connection has really been messing me up. I detest going with a new internet provider but I absolutely abhor having one thrust upon me just when I've gotten on a first name basis with the original one. Ok. Whew. Enough complaining.

Caleb and Ethan are loving hockey this year. They're both on the same team and, so far, on the same line. Caleb is playing center and scoring goals, and Ethan's been on left wing. It is so much fun to watch. I'm afraid I'm one of those moms, though. You know the ones. Always yelling and telling the refs what to do. Good grief. I didn't realize I had reached the embarrassing stage until Luke came to a game with me and had to almost shush me a few times. When a man as loud as my husband has to tell me to be quieter - well, let's just say the devil may have had to shovel the snow off his sidewalk for the first time.

Titus and hockey have had a rough go of it. He finally had a practice tonight that didn't end in him laying on the ice for five minutes while having a mini tantrum. A step in the right direction. For a boy who expects perfection from himself all the time, hockey has been his nemesis. This is a kid who cries if he can't draw a letter just right, never mind skating with a bunch of awkward equipment on and chasing the ever-elusive puck around the ice. On his first game he gave up on the puck and started slashing the other team with his stick whenever they came in reach. Oy vey. I think we've been watching too much Hockey Night In Canada.

Well, have a good day and try to stay warm (we almost hit -30 C last night)!

*Titus' first hockey game*

Busy as a (sick) bee

Sorry for the unexpected break. Something about being sick, going to hockey, leading music, going to hockey, leading music, more hockey, and finally being violently ill took up much of my spare time. And to tell the truth, not much spare time today, either. I've got a birthday party to plan for after school, 9 kids and 2 adults to feed, and then, you guessed it, a hockey game to maybe attend. Of course, Luke will be home by then so I might beg off and stay home to fold laundry. Ah, wintertime. The busiest time of year.

Next week I'm working on Christmas stuff. First cards, then some baking for a Christmas baking exchange, and I might get around to figuring out a few presents. Mom, I was going to knit you some socks, but it just isn't happening. Good thing I tried it out for myself first! I'm going to have to undo the binding and make it much looser - won't go around my toes! Talk about frustrating!

Today, though, it's all about Ethan. Very excited to be turning seven! He's had a gap for a front tooth for a year and a half now, and that elusive piece of bone is finally making an appearance. We got a him a BMX bike - I can hardly wait for Luke to get back from Calgary so we can give it to him!

Knitted pleasure

Yes, this is my latest knitted possession, and it has been trailing me around the house. I'm feeling a little like Linus from Charlie Brown - I just don't want to let it go. It is sooo cozy. Seriously cozy. Wrapping it around my shoulders feels like I'm getting hugged all the time. I haven't even taken the time to block the poor thing. As soon as it was off the needles, it was in use. And I used to think knitters were crazy!

Books for the Prime Minister

I was on pneuma's blog this morning and read about Yann Martel sending Stephen Harper a book every couple of weeks or so. It sounded vaguely familiar - I'm sure it made the news quite a while back. On her post, she had a link to this site where Mr. Martel lists the books as well as copies of the letters he writes the Prime Minister. I found it endlessly entertaining. I loved Mr. Martel's Life of Pi and thoroughly enjoyed reading how and why he selected each book for Mr. Harper. Of course, anything that has a book list ends up as a personal challenge to me and I will not rest easy until I have read every single book. It's a sickness, I know. The compulsion is simply too strong for my frail mind to resist.

nike Tag

This is so cool. Wouldn't it be awesome fun to be involved in a citywide game of tag? I think my favorite part is the people hiding behind those bins. Too funny!

The Day After

Here they are in all their Halloweeny glory. People were unsure about Ethan's costume - karate guy? Jedi? Poor Luke Skywalker just isn't as popular as Darth Vader or Superman. Despite the lack of recognition, he came home with as much loot as the rest of them. My living room has been transformed into a candy-sorting room and is beginning to feel a little Willy Wonka-ish. Chips all go in a heap in the middle, pop has its own corner, Coffee Crisps are delegated to the kitchen for Mom (that's my boys, always thinking of their momma) and assorted kinds each get their own little pile. By now they've totally forgotten the caramel popcorn that my parents gave Luke and I, and I'm hoping that it stays that way. That stuff is just too good to share!

All Hallows Eve

Yes, Hallowe'en has come around again, bringing with it much sewing and candy buying on my part, and much anticipation and "Mom, is it done yet?" on the boys' part. I am now the proud parent of Superman, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader. *sigh* Pictures to follow tomorrow!

Hallowe'en is such a touchy subject around Christians. Personally, I enjoy it. Not so much the macabre, but costumes are a fun thing. As a kid, I loved the idea of dressing up and becoming whatever I wanted. I remember quite a few of the getups: gypsy, construction worker, bunny, Pippi Longstockings, mechanic ... as you can see, nothing too scary! I don't let the kids delve into the icky stuff either. The one vampire request I recieved was turned down this year.

Titus has been sick these last few days. Monday night we pulled his mattress into our room because he had such a croupy cough. Luckily his breathing didn't worsen, but it was still a little scary. Luke and I didn't get a real good sleep. He did much better last night, but didn't want to go to preschool today. Truthfully, neither did I. His being sick couldn't have come at a better time, since his preschool is having a Hallowe'en potluck (I know - crazy!) and we were all supposed to dress like our ancestors. Man, I did not want to go and spend three hours with a 20+ preschoolers who were hopped up on sugar and excitement, not to mention having to get two extra costumes together just for a party. If we had gone, I was planning on telling the teacher that my real name was Lois Lane and that Titus was dressed up like his only earthly ancestor. There was no way I was making him dress up like a Mennonite. What fun is that? Dark pants with suspenders, a dress shirt, and a dark hat. There is just no way it can compete with a bodysuit and a red cape.

You can see we have our pumpkin cut and ready for tonight. Luke and the boys were working hard at it last night while I had the sewing machine zipping things up. I think it looks great! Luke got the template off the internet. The kids were so excited. Now if it will just stand the test of heat and time on our front porch! Have a happy All Hallows Eve, everyone!

A Prayer

Bedtime prayer:
By Titus Willms

Dear Jesus,
Help me I had a good day;
Help me I went to McDonald's;
Help me I went on the rides;
Help me I have no bad dreams;
Help me I went to hockey;
Help me I went to Burger King;
Help me I got a new shirt.
Amen.


*"Help me" also stands in as "thank you," the rides were from this summer, we don't actually go to McDonald's and Burger King everyday, and a shirt can be new for approximately three months.

Toronto's Smallest House

This cracks me up! If you want to buy Toronto's smallest house (or just look at it) click here. Ain't it cute?

Book review: Jasper Fforde

Jasper Fforde is a funny, clever writer! He is a true bibliophile's dream. His books are laced with references to other books and his plots twist and turn from the unreal to the very imaginative. You're never sure where you are going next because it is always somewhere you would never have thought of. I read this book years back and have been following the Tuesday Next series ever since. There are five books in total. The Eyre Affair introduces us to Tuesday Next, a LiteraTec detective investigating all crimes against literature. In Lost In A Good Book, Tuesday dives into the world of books to find her husband. The Well of Lost Plots, Something Rotten, and First Among Sequels continue in the same vein. His other series about the Nursery Crime Division is equally as entertaining. The Big Over Easy takes on the case of Humpty Dumpty's murder, and The Fourth Bear highlights Goldy's disappearance. If you enjoy reading, have done a lot of it, and love some comedy/mystery/sci-fi, you oughtta try this author. Warning: read the books in the series in order, or you will never understand what is happening!

A new quilt (finally)

I've been working on a quilt since May for my grandma. It was her birthday on Saturday, and I finished it an hour before her party! Talk about cutting it close! It's kind of a family tree/memory quilt, so I put pictures of each person on it. Of course, on Friday the black ink in my printer ran out; yes, I panicked. I had cut just enough fabric for the pictures I had left, and managed to wreck one sheet. I was filled with visions of being up until the wee hours of the morning - first, washing and drying new fabric, putting the printer solution on it and letting it hang dry, then printing, then waiting the appropriate amount of time before hand washing it and laying it out to dry. Wouldn't you know it, after I had used the last sheet of printable fabric, I glanced toward my paper stacked chair-by-the-computer and spotted a sheet that had been left over from the last batch of pictures I had done. A big rush of relief! Many "Thank you, God" prayers later and I was done (with the printing, anyway)! So, here it is.

The bee hives came first. An integral part of the quilt! Grandma's CB handle was Queen Bee (Grandpa was Bee Keeper). They were beekeepers for many years, and I remember going into the honey house at harvest time - that was the best smell in the world.

Next came the stems and leaves. Gotta say, silk ribbon isn't exactly easy to find here. I bought some from a limited stock at Michael's, and when I ran out I found that they had discontinued ordering it. I was forced to use all the little scraps I had left!

Then the roses. Yes, three-dimensional. A lot of fun to do!

Of course, the centerpiece needed their wedding picture. They look like young crazy kids!

The final product with everyone's pictures. I did b&w so none of the colours would be too clashy with the final product. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. There are still a few things that need to be done - a hanging sleeve (which my auntie will help out with since I'm clueless in that area) and tacking the pictures on more securely. The photos are replaceable since people keep having babies. Or get married. Or grow up. Or get hair that turns greyer, or shorter, or nonexistent (sorry brothers, just had to throw that in!).

*the pattern I used was Beekeeper's Garden by The City Stitcher.

Yummy treats

I was the recipient of a funky little internet treat going around the blog world. Thanks Celtic Sister! Candied apples! Well, to be a bit more accurate, a lovely picture of some candied apples. The stipulation, once the gift is received, is to randomly pass it on to someone you don't know. In the spirit of the game, I started hitting the "Next blog" button at the top of every blogger page until I ran into a blog named pneuma. We seem to have similar interests, so I am gifting this to her. Hope you have fun with it!

*If you want to find out how this originated, go to Hootin' Anni.

Life as I know it

I really wanted to put some photos up on my blog, but I can't seem to find my plug-in thingie for the camera. I wish I could say this was a rare occurrence, but things tend to get lost in this house. I usually have a general idea, but ... let's just say my junk drawer in the kitchen has gotten a wee bit out of control! Organization is definitely not a gift of mine. I try to blame it on being artistic, but that is a rather lame excuse.

Well, life has been a bit busy around here. Luke has been gone for most of October. First, to get a car from the States with a side trip to visit his family in Manitoba, and then to go hunting in the great white north with his Rainbow Lake buddies. He's coming home today (yeah!) but will be off again on Friday for the Promise Keepers convention in Calgary. It wouldn't have been so bad if Thanksgiving hadn't been last weekend! As it ended up, the boys and I got our fill of turkey at the church supper. You can always count on Mennonites and their converts to have a gourmet feast on all the good holidays!

Hockey season is here again (it kinda feels like it never left!) and all three boys have joined up. Yes, I said three. Titus has taken to his skates this year, and I have apparently become the one hockey mom who needs to go out on the ice with her child. Thankfully Luke will be there on Thursday! In the dressing room, all is good. Titus wants to get out there and do his thing. However, the minute we get on the ice, the waterworks and whining start. We go off the ice for a break - happy. Back on the ice - sad. Despite everything, he can now skate without a chair and get up by himself. Go figure! Caleb and Ethan are on the same team this year, which is nice. Their practices are so organized and chaos-free. They can even get most of their equipment on by themselves. Hooray for growing up!

As for me, I'm doing my thing. Last Saturday, I decided that a new fallsy dress for Thanksgiving was in order. I found a tutorial and whipped it up that evening with some fabric that I had in my stash. Unfortunately, it didn't look that great on me. At all. I'm to short and "voluptuous," as my mom likes to say! Oh well, it was nice to actually make something clotheswise for a change. Another thing I've been working on for the past four or five months is a memory quilt for my Grandma's birthday on Saturday. A lot of work, but lots of fun! There was quite a bit of hand work, which always prolongs the process, but I'm at the point now where I just need to put pictures on fabric and tie them on the quilt. I'd show you a picture, but ... ! I'm also doing a little bit of volunteering over at the boys' school while Titus is in preschool. Yesterday I spent all morning with a couple of kids from Ethan's class making apple dolls. Those things are so utterly cool! I may have to make one of my own!

So, that's the Willms update. Sans pictures. You'll just have to use that imagination. Especially for me on the ice with Titus. In a black winter jacket. That someone managed to dust with Dr. Scholl's foot powder. Which I had no idea about 'till I got home. 'Nuff said.

They just don't listen...

No matter how many times a person tries to teach their kids how to do things the proper way, they tend to do it the way they want. Everytime Caleb brings math home, I have to hold my tongue. It isn't the adding or subtracting I object to, it's the way he writes his numbers! Always starts from the bottom up. Have you ever tried writing the number two from bottom to top? How about a five or six? Awkward, to say the least. And yet, when I show him how it is supposed to be done, he'll smile at me and say, "This way is just easier, Mom!"

Ethan cannot hold a pencil. I've rearranged those fingers countless times, just to look back after a moment and see them right back where they were to begin with.

And Titus. Lately, he's been writing like an Hebrew. Right to left. We'll tell him and show him where to start, and it sticks for a week or two. Then out-of-the-blue he'll be back to his Israeli tendencies. Where does it come from? Backward letters I've seen. Backward words? Huh?

*OK all you grammar buffs. I know you're out there. That last paragraph. "...like an Hebrew..." Should I have just used "a" or "an"? I've noticed in books and whatnot that "an" seems to be what you put in front of an "h". To me, it just seems wrong. Anyone know for sure?

Book Review: Shake Hands With the Devil

I love reading and I love finding good new books. So this is for all you readers out there with a little time to spare. I picked up this non-fiction account of the Rwandan genocide after seeing an interview with the author on The Hour. Romeo Dallaire was a part of the UN mission in Rwanda before, during, and after the slaughter of over 800, 000 people by Hutu extremists and Tutsi retaliators. He tells how the west largely ignored the calls for help to the region because of its relative unimportance in the world. Bureacracy, money, political wrangling - all play a part in this tragedy. He describes the awfulness of having to stand by while people all around were being murdered, and then of having to talk nice to those responsible while trying to broker a ceasefire. Truly a heartbreaking and enraging book. It made me more supportive of our soldiers around the world who are engaged in dangerous peacekeeping missions. I also understand a little more about why and how these atrocities begin and who the people are behind them. It's a good book! Five out of five stars.

Another Autumn

Yes, the days do fly by quicker and quicker. Seems like only yesterday when I was impatiently waiting for the snow to go away! I love watching the fields grow and ripen - what is it about golden grass that fills my heart with joy?

On a totally unrelated note: I was talking with Titus yesterday after music practice, asking what he did while I was singing. "Oh, just colouring and glueing and scissoring." Why can I never come up with awesome words like that?

Another thing - where did the phrase "shake a stick at" originate? You know; "There were too many trees to shake a stick at." Does that even make sense? Anyone?