Weekend photos

The girls and I finally got a night up at the trailer this past weekend. Mom and Dad have upgraded to a larger trailer, with less sleeping quarters. We managed to make it work, though.

Shannon learned to mow the yard. Dad's thrilled in hopes that he can give up this duty at home soon. Bex is also ready to learn. Oddly, I have never learned, nor do I want to learn. My grass allergies are just too awful.

Shannon also built us our fire as Dad, Bex and I built the barbecue. It helps to move things along when you know you don't get fed until it's built. Bloody thing actually works too!

Good times.

Toronto FC

The girls and I went to our first Toronto FC game on the weekend. They had a Sony fan of the game crew there who took this picture of us (which includes Bex's friend Mallory and Shannon's friend Erika). This was taken before the game and, fortunately, before my sunburn became too discernable.

I have tickets for another game at BMO Stadium in September. I think I might just leave the girls at home and take some friends. Hmmmm, sadly I don't think I have four friends for my four extra tickets. Here's a goal for me this summer . . . . make friends!

Teens

Well, I've started to come to the realization that I'm a mother of a teenaged daughter. Although there are many perks (such as having more grown up conversation and being able to leave her home alone), there are challenges too. It would seem that although Bex looks like her father (we call her Tim bit) she has an awful lot of me in her. She's brilliant (of course, if she's like me), but LAZY. She's never had to work at school and has been on the honour roll all the way through . . . until now.

Of course, we'll truly see when the report card comes out next month if she's not, but she's not doing so well this semester. She's failed a few tests and has assignments overdue. I was not really aware of her school struggles until a teacher called me at work on Friday. Yes, it was at this moment that I really understood that Bex is a teenager. Of course, it could definitely be worse . . . . much worse . . . but it was bad enough. Bex was given an extension on an assignment. On Friday, when it was a month overdue, the teacher asked Bex for her work. My darling daughter replied with "I don't think I can do that".

Now, I'd love to be able to say that to an employer. David, you want me to run those reports for you? I don't think I can do that. Susan, you want me to set up these new accounts? I don't think I can do that. Definitely not a line that goes very far in real life . . . nor did it at school I might add.

Wrong as Bex was, she is taking her punishment very well. I have volunteered her for detention this week, have denied her computer privileges and she had to write a letter of apology to the teacher. I have also spoken to her principal, so she had a wee little chat with him today.

All in all I think the school understands that we are supportive of them in educating our daughter and our daughter understands that we are supportive of her in her education.

Again, things could be worse and I definitely know that. Do you suppose, however, this could just be the start of something bigger? Worse yet, I have always expected Shannon to be harder to deal with so what will she be like at this age?

Lord, please give me strength and wisdom. I think I'm going to need it . . . and a whole lot of patience would be good too, but I don't really want it tested to see how much of it I've got.

Wellness

It may be well with my soul, but my insides are killing me. I went to a Unite in Worship conference on Saturday with four others from our worship team. What an awesome day! There were times when I was dizzy and blamed it on the euphoria, times when I was cold and blamed it on the fact that I was underdressed, but when the evening came and I was sweltering, dizzy and then cold I realized I might be catching something.

Sunday morning confirmed this for me. I was in the middle of our worship practice before church when I was doubled in pain. I managed to make it through the service . . . .barely, and ran home to climb into bed. Monday morning I was feeling better and got myself to work when I realized the pain was still there. Today. . . still there. I've now been to my doctor (okay, another doctor in the practice . . . my doctor's never available for a same-day appointment) who has sent me for a plethora of tests. I guess it will either get better or I'll have some answers next week.

I do need to go back to work and my family duties, so I could really use prayer right now.

Martha

I need to post something here because Martha is long gone and yet the top of my page says she's here. She is, indeed, not here any longer.

What a whirlwind weekend we had when she was here, though. I ate so much and drove so much and rarely slept more than five hours. By the time she was gone, I was a wreck. I do not know how she made it through with her weary pregnant body.

Although I was physically a wreck, I most certainly was lifted up spiritually while she was here. Martha is not only family, but she's a dear friend. We can pick right up as though we never were apart. In fact, there were times when it felt as though we were right back to our late teens/early twenties. During some pretty trying times of struggle they are experiencing lately, I'm encouraged by Martha and her husband Dave's ability to keep their eyes focused on what God has planned for them. They both know He has something in store for them.

I already miss you Martha. I wish you were closer so we could just get together for tea and let our children run rampant together.

Next visitor . . . Martha's brother Jeff on May 4th. Another weekend that I will be at a conference in Brampton, however. This time it's a worship conference with Robin Mark, Brian Doerksen and Geoff Moore. I'm stoked!!

She's here!

I had an uneventful drive to the airport and managed to find parking in the parkade without too much issue. I made note of where I parked the car (even noted it in my Blackberry). It was in F6.

Well, what I didn't notice was that there was also a great big number on the post telling me what floor I was on. I just assumed the 6 in the F6 was the floor number. I was WRONG!! It seemed so easy to get into the airport, but when we were walking to the car we had an option of going down a ramp to level 4, or up to levels 5 and up. So, we went up.

Finding no sign of an F6 there we got in an elevator and went to the 6th floor. Oddly, my car wasn't there either. The panic button was ineffective at locating my car on other floors it seems.

Fortunately, I found a nice young guy working there who directed me to a specific elevator and told me to go to level 4. Lo and behold, there was my car. I will never make fun of my ex for having done this to me twice in the past. Okay, I probably will make fun of him, but I just won't tell him about my not finding my own way back.

Anyhow, Martha is here, safe and sound. This weekend is just going to go by too quickly, I reckon.

A good laugh is good medicine

Of course, having a father like mine is usually cause for a good laugh, but tonight had me in stitches. We (Mom, Dad and I) had a lovely dinner at Luke and Jen's and then a great time sitting about and bantering.

When we got into the car to come home, I won the esteemed chauffeur position (actually, I don't even fight this one any more . . . I have just accepted the fact that I'm the better driver). Anyhow, when we all got in the car the interior light was still on as was the door open sign. We all checked our doors and found that the front passenger door, where Dad was sitting, wouldn't latch. Dad slammed it a few times, but decided it would thaw as we were driving.

I have to say that I felt like we were in a Chevy Chase movie. There was just something about Dad gripping the door, which would open ever few seconds far enough to turn the interior light on and make the door open sign "ding". Many many jokes were made on the drive home (like Dad suggesting he could maybe get a deer with it), which seemed like an eternity at fifteen minutes.

Sure enough, when we pulled in the driveway . . . the door latched.

Murphy is alive and well!!

Which way is up?

Okay, so I've been a very bad blogger . . . AGAIN! I tend to read other people's blogs, yet I spend no time talking about me and my life. Truth be told, I've been so busy I can hardly see straight.

Hmmm, where to start? Bex did not make the Waterloo soccer team. So, I called Guelph to register her for house league . . . they were full! Then I made a Saturday trip to Fergus to register her for their inter-city team. I was told the coach would call to let us know when the practice/tryouts were. No call came.

I knew that Kitchener A was looking for players, but as Bex didn't make the B team in Waterloo I figured that might be a stretch (and another blow to her self-esteem) so we didn't bother. Then I noticed that Kitchener B was looking for players. I guess they lost some to the A team. I called the coach and found out that he was all ready to make his final cuts, but he would give Bex a one-time shot at things on Monday night of this week. She was AWESOME!! Honestly, if she'd played like that in Waterloo there wouldn't have been any issue. Anyhow, she made the team. I'm happy for her, but man does this make my life hectic . . .

Monday - Bex westling after school and then soccer practice in Kitchener, Shannon practice in
Guelph
Tuesday - Worship team practice for me
Wednesday - Bex wrestling, Bex referee training 6:30 - 8:00, both girls soccer 8:30 - 10:00
Thursday - Bex practice in Kitchener (this is going to start interfering with youth group!)
Friday - Bex's birthday (she turned down refereeing two games this evening and a social in Kitchener)
Saturday - Youth group Amazing Race
Sunday - Church and dinner with friends (we were also supposed to have students over for lunch, but they cancelled due to exams

Above and beyond all this, I am studying for my Canadian Securities Course, which is like Greek to me. I'm currently in the chapter on economics, thus the time I found to blog! Yep, I'm really having issues getting through this chapter.

Calgon, take me away!!

I WANT to file my taxes

Of course I do, because as a poverty stricken single mother in 2006 (by choice, of course) I am due a rather nice refund. I even qualified for free tax preparation using Quick Tax Web. I have prepared my own return and am ready to net file it . . . except . . . I can't bloody get it to be accepted at the CRA end.

Okay now, I understand that today is February 28 and there will be many companies filing their T4's, but won't there be many more people filing personal income tax returns on April 30? Does this mean they won't be able to do it because the government site can't handle the traffic? It would appear so. I called them last night (when I was first having problems) and they told me everything was working fine so what was my problem. Today, however, I had a sweet girl who tried this line at first "do you have a firewall that is preventing this?". Ummmmm, no, I just paid a bill in my online banking and checked my Mastercard balance so I think I can get into secure sites. Then she puts me on hold and comes back with this bit about the system being rather busy because it's the 28th.

I guess it's a good thing I still have two whole months to file this bloody thing. It just might take me that long to get through!