Fun with the Folks.

Today my Dad got an iPhone.

I know this because for the first time, I received a text that was longer than one T9 word. And two picture texts. And a full text conversation that included smilies.

Say what you will about iPhones -- they are super intuitive and fun. I know of more people who never saw a use for smartphone technology become overnight tech sensations with this phone than any other.

He is totally impressed with all the cool stuff he can do with his new smartphone. I am pretty impressed, too -- he really is taking to it. But I just can't let him think he knows EVERYTHING about his iPhone just yet. Exhibit A:



I love my pops. <3

Could Somebody Call the National Union of Tooth Fairies?

We need some reinforcements here.

The Kid just lost his second tooth in the past week and a half and I am pulling up couch cushions hoping to find some spare change.

Maybe I can create some "Tooth Fairy Currency" to print out?

The Kid 10.0

My "baby" is now 10 years old.

I remember how when I first saw him, I marveled at how sturdy and strong he was. In fact, he held his head up remarkably well in the first few weeks after he was born. And later he kept me running when he began walking at 8 months of age.

It seems that he is bent on moving forward, even when this mama's heart would like nothing more than for him to stay little.

I imagine that the next ten years will go by as quickly as the first. I am all at once anxious to know the man my boy will be and also loathe to see those years pass at all. I hate how time has a habit of slipping by so fast and I hope I don't miss anything.

Score One For the Weekend.

Scorecard for the weekend:

1 -- round trip to visit in-laws

3 -- baby shower games

1 -- baby shower game that induced gagging

2 -- full days of not caring what I eat

5 -- hours of watching roller derby

1 -- visit with some lovely friends we haven't seen in a while

1 -- fun lunch with my sis-in-law and kiddos.

2 -- pancakes: nuff said

2 -- mornings to sleep in a bit

1 -- game of cribbage won

1 -- birthday supper

= GOOD TIMES.

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Grateful for fun family times. :) And super grateful for an awesome family. Also am super grateful to jump back on the Paleo train tomorrow morning. My tummy is not so pleased with me right now.

Kinda like Potato Chips.

It looks like the Flutterby Household will be adding one more member. Of the furry kind.

No, we're not adding another Mr.F.

That's just silly.

We will be adding another lil dog. We've kinda thrown the idea around for some time, now. And once I got over my "NEED" for a dog of larger stature (which, I begrudgingly agree does not fit in with our lifestyle right now)... it looks like we'll be searching for another little chi or chi-mix. The Terd can use some company and it might help remind her of her Dog-ness. Cause right now she definitely thinks she's People.

Looks like it is true what they say about Chihuahuas and Potato Chips: Betcha can't have just one!


**This pic has been posted for the benefit of certain *ahem* commentators who doubt the level of Adorable possessed by this breed. Turned up to 11!!!**

If Air Miles Were Money...

Heh. Wait! They kinda are. :)

Guess who just booked four flights to L.A. in April? It's almost like I'm a grown-up, doing grown-up things like choosing flight itinerary and travel insurance. Woah. When did that happen?

Now, if I could just convince Mr. F to actually pay for a guided tour of Hollywood instead of his dubious plan to just "wing it" in our rental car. Cause you know THAT is gonna end in bloodshed and at least one of us with the crumpled map crammed in our face. I'm all for spontaneous fun. But if I remember correctly, self-preservation ranks pretty high on the hierarchy of Needs...

Any of you seasoned travelers have any recommendations for some fun things to do and see in the area?

I'll have an order of Crud with a side of Blurgh, please.

Alternatively, a re-do on this week would be appreciated.

Mr. F has been ridiculously sick with a flu virus. Best Valentines Day ever? Not really. I spent a good three days shuttling cold water and medications and bowls of soup and cereal up to the bedroom (hereafter known as the Germ Den). Poor guy was like that sad soul on the Cold&Flu medication commercial.

**scratchy whisper**
"Flutterby... Flutterby... please... call my Mom"

Yeah, he was that bad. He's still not 100%, not even close. And then, yesterday I am woken up by The Kid. Coughing, Stuffy, Miserable. I don't like this one bit. Add on to the List Of Aweseome the fact that we had to cancel a family vacay this weekend to visit old friends, my (not) comfy bed on the couch, fighting off the germs from hell myself and feeling like turd and then having a medical procedure yesterday that I get called directly after to hurry home from cause the Kid is now puking and incredibly miserable... let's just say that Family Life scores a big -1 in my books right now.

But, life goes on. And I really wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world than caring for my fam and doing what I can to make them comfy. Even when the Kid gives me the Stinkeye when I make him steam up his nasal passages one more time. :) I just hope that when the Germs From Hell finally hack away at my own defenses and I'm the one in misery that they all remember and at least hand me a few crusts of bread while I languish in the darkest corner of the house. lol

In the meantime, I've got some errands to catch up on, a house to rid of germy surfaces and linens to change and air out. Also... laundry. Cannot forget the metric ton of laundry. One more busy day, and then maybe some rest and relaxation for the weekend.

Notice to Next Week: You better bring your A-game, Week... I have high expectations and none of them involve me being sick. Word.

Crazy Like a Fox

I was going through some old pics and found a couple that I took of two of my favorite models last year some time.

I title this one "Fox"


And I think this is the "Crazy" part...


I swear the Kid gets all his talent from me. lol

Deja Vu

Who knew parenting could be such a bittersweet endeavour? Not this girl.

It has been 13 and one half years since the Princess made her entrance into this amazing world and changed my life forever. Each year has brought it's own joys and challenges and this last year has been full of remarkable changes, seeing her mature into a lovely young lady. (see photo below... I know, right?!)



She has always been a very sensible girl and never one given to easily crushing on boys or centering her thoughts and life around their stinky boyish ways. And so it was terribly surprising when this past spring she was reunited with a childhood friend and fell hard for him. Their long-distance friendship has grown over the months following that time and the fact is that, well, she truly loves him and he appears to share the same kind of serious feelings for her.

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*record screeching* Oh. My. Gosh. Would anyone have a paper bag they could lend me? I may momentarily be having difficulty breathing.
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OK, calmer, now.

A little.

I'm finding this a very, shall we say, strange territory to traverse as a mama. I wanted to say "alien territory"... but the fact is that it's not at all "alien" to me. Because I found a Love very young as well. In fact, at about the same age as the Princess is now. And walking through all this with her, seeing this all unfold... is the strangest kind of deja vu that one can imagine. The scariest kind. I'm terrified that she will make my same mistakes. Terrified that we as parents will fail her. Not protect her enough. Protect her too much. Terrified that I will parent the girl that I was and not the girl that I have, if you can know what I mean.

We are trying our best to keep things locked down on this whole situation. There are lots of boundaries and conditions and communicating openly -- definitely the distance between our homes helps in that regard, as well as the fact that his parents are also keeping things together on their end in similar fashion. But the fact is that there is so much I cannot control. The heart wants what it wants and I'm not foolish enough to think I can control her heart. I feel that I am walking the fine line between honoring her as a growing young woman and protecting her as my child. Still, I'm so very scared for her. I know that sometimes approaching that precious thing you yearn for ends in broken dreams and a shattered heart. And I will absolutely die inside if I have to see my lil girl hurting like that.

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Bag, please. Thank you.
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I am reminded of some timeless parenting advice... "Just get them through it,". I just hope we can do a good job of that.

Life Interrupted.

These past few days have brought a shocking bit of news to our lives and we are struggling to make sense and formulate a plan for moving forward. Sadly it involves a dear family member's health, and, while I don't feel at liberty to share details, I will ask those of you who remember my sis-in-law from her days commenting on The Fantastic Spastic under the name "UberFanSis" to please keep her and her little family in your prayers.

Thank you all... so very much.

Baby, It's Cold Outside.

The Chanukah candles are burning down; their flames turning long and wobbly. I'm enjoying the sounds of guitar strumming I can hear from the Princess' room, it's so nice to have music in the house, again. I can hear the comfy, splashy sounds of the Kid in the bathtub. And if I listen closely I can probably hear the sounds of pup and Mr F. snoring together in the bedroom, adding to the sports channel that's playing in the background.

Myself, I'm going to enjoy the last few minutes staring into the flames and then tidy up a bit. The only thing that could make this better is a hot chai. Hmmm... sounds like a plan.

Goodbye.

This past week my Grandpa passed away.

It was abrupt and shocking just like that sentence sounds. In any other case, I would say that the massive heart attack was a blessing. Eighty-eight good years spent in health -- still vital and possessing strength and independence. Ending quickly and without suffering. This is what everyone wants.

But he was my Grandpa and I wasn't ready to say goodbye. I assumed I had more time. More time to spend with him, to hear his stories and watch hockey with him. More time to see him delight in my children. More time.

I was wrong. There was no more time.

And so I grieve for my Grandpa. A loving, solid, generous man. A man who would do anything for his family, would give anything. I wish I had more time with him. The things I want to say thunder in my heart and it seems impossible that I can't ever say them to him.

And I wonder why I didn't when I had the time.

I trust that somehow he now knows and sees and understands in fullness. I trust that we will be reunited one day.

Until then, Grandpa.

A Hammy Led Us To Her.

Sometimes it seems that the strangest things happen in the strangest ways.

This past Sunday, we took the kids to the local pet store to look at hammies. We were thinking of checking out the fuzzy rodents and possibly stepping back in the hammy game.

We spent some time wandering the store first, being captivated by kittens and puppies and a particularly friendly parrot, finally making our way to the Rodentia area. The kids were speculating about the personalities of the dozing hammies and there were a few already contending for the coveted spot of being the next Flutterbyhouse Hammy. One of the little ones they had picked out was dozing in the corner and I was just pointing out to the kids that I didn't think we'd want to pick him cause he was very skinny compared to the others, when said little, skinny hammy moved laboriously and I could see that something was Very Wrong with him.

His tiny little head turned and it was immediately apparent that he was badly injured. Grossly injured. My sharp intake of breath and girly squeak immediately alerted the kiddos and before I could stop them, they, too had gotten a full view of the carnage done to the little guys' eyeball. The Princess pleaded with me to find someone to help him and I quickly tracked down an employee who also gasped and paled and took that miserable little hammy out of the cage. We were left feeling sickened and heartbroken for that poor tiny hammy. The Princess looked green and said she felt faint. And, in all our adult wisdom... my mother and I decided to distract the kiddos with some time spent with a little puppy in the "bonding room".

And this is what I get for doing so.



I know, right? It's ridiculous. And very Cute. And named Goldie. Cause my kids rock with the Naming Originality like that.

But she is now ours and it's very possible that I wouldn't have it any other way.

I also may have a hammy habitat for sale.

Ta-Da!

Just some little bits of news from around here.

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The Princess just spent the weekend at a Junior Youth event. Two nights at a camp for kids Grades 6 - 8. She had the best time, EVAH. Which makes me happy. I was a bit nervous for her all weekend as she went into this not knowing a single person there. Which makes me proud. So, tonight I am enjoying this unique combination of Happy/Proud Mommy Feeling and trying to ignore that tiny bit of Scary knocking on the door. Cause, yeah. Grade Eight boys? Apparently are thinking the Princess is a sweetie.

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My Pops took second place at a working cow horse competition this weekend. I really wanted to make it out to see him -- maybe next time. Congrats, Dad!

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I've come to the conclusion that garage sales are not worth the effort. (something which I may have said to myself after the last time I did one.) Honestly... I did remember my resolution and everything was set to go to charity straightaway when my kiddos decided to Persuade their Mom otherwise. Dumb. Hours of work later and I still have a garage full of STUFF to send to charity anyhow.

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The purging of Stuff was necessary, though. Time to get on with finishing out our basement. Wait. First... finish the yard. Then the basement. 50 metric craploads of rock get delivered tomorrow and I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Cause yeah... yard will be done. But that's a LOT of rock and a lot of landscape cloth and I'm really not looking forward to any of it.

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I've actually been feeling kinda in a funk lately. Like no matter how hard I try I can't quite catch that groove. Too much to do and I'm not doing the kind of job I'd like to do on it. I need to get back to the gym cause derby's not quite cutting it, exercise-wise. Found a job that fits with the kid's schedule and then find out that I didn't quite budget myself enough and I have to find something else in addition. (which is not a big deal -- the school thing isn't a lot of hours, for sure... it's just that it's gonna be One More Thing, you know?)

One of my derby sisters told me that she sees that I do things the hard way -- make more work for myself in the end. I was a bit offended at first, to be honest. But I kinda wonder if she wasn't right?

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Went to visit one of my girlfriends in the hospital today. She's bipolar and a med change got out of hand. I love her family's sense of humor about the whole thing. Her husband wore this shirt -- in the psych ward -- that said "I'm on A Day Pass". Love it. She said this is the first time that she's had friends that have come out to visit her when she's ended up in the psych ward -- derby luv!! Why is there such a stigma about mental illness? I know I felt it when I was struggling with depression and it made it really hard to be honest about what I was dealing with.

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*Spongebob singsong voice*

"SKATE PARK!!! lalalalalalalalala!"

Yep. Went to the Skate Park today and made good on my promise to myself. Four-stair has been OWNED. And the two foot ramp as well.

Another hour of tricking out my mind to let me do stuff that really should be easy. For instance, jumping UP no more than eight inches onto a "box". I know I can jump that easily and do so regularly during some of our practices. The only difference is that I'm only clearing AIR and landing. Put eight inches of cement and steel coping in that "air's" place and it starts messing with my head. So I attempt it, but don't commit to it. Which means I end up hooking my toe stop/wheel/etc. and biting it hard. Sick.

I'm sure there's a life lesson in there, somewhere. There always is.

I will say that it felt flippin AWESOME to land the four-stair. It felt pretty amazing to do something that, well, most people wouldn't even try to do, to be honest. I think it was more about conquering fear than doing something skillful -- realizing that your only limits are in your mind. Well, sort of, anyhow. I suppose that there are some very real and painful limits found in the elements of concrete/steel and all... I came up against those a few times, for sure.

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Mr. F and I might be taking a bit of a trip out to the coast, soon. Should know by the end of this week... which will leave me about a week to nail down flights and itinerary. Nothing like waiting til the last minute. :)

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And that's about all I have to write for the moment. There is a Hammy saga to be told -- but I need a bit of time to process before I let that one go.

Hope you all have a great week!

Summa-Time Fun!

Last weekend we enjoyed a sunny daytrip to visit my sis-in-law, the lovely JJ.

It was a beautiful, hot day and it didn't take long for all four kiddos to hit the pool water to cool off.

For four hours.

Such is the life of a child.



Thanks for a wonderful, relaxing time, JJ.

My daughter, the Jedi.

I am just gonna come right out and say this.

There are good reasons why this household does not have pets.* Really, really good reasons. Reasons which are reasonable and make a whole lot of sense.

1.) Mr. F. has some crazy allergies to most furry creatures. And generally dislikes the furry creatures he is not allergic to.

2.) We're really not home that much to properly care/train/love/attend to the needs of a living creature which needs large amounts of time devoted to caring/training/loving/attending.

3.) We travel often. Which would generally mean mucho kenneling expenses and very sad furbabies when we are gone.

4.) Let's face it, the grommets are not of the most responsible ilk. On the compass of life, their true north aims more towards the free-wheeling, charming AVOIDANCE of responsibility. And yes, I do what I can to fight it all the way, but seriously? Adding one more battle to the agenda is not high on my list. And frankly, I need things added to MY chore list like I need a roundhouse kick to the head.

5.) We have a bad history with pets. Like the kittens that had to be re-homed once Mr. F. discovered that with the onset of his asthma he also became the unlucky recipient of furry-thing allergies. Or the boxer that we dog-sat in hopes that perhaps we would become it's new family despite Mr. F's dislike of dogs. Or the SIX goldfish that got flushed one after the other despite herculean efforts to save them, resulting in one abandoned fish tank and involuntary shudders from the Princess at the mere mention of "goldfish". (Seriously, it was really that traumatic. I will never allow another goldfish in my house, ever.) Or the incredibly sad encounter with the world's best and most beautiful puppy that I will ever know and not get to love.

See? Lots and lots of really, really good reasons why we do not have pets.

So why can I look over my shoulder and see a Habitrail OVO hamster habitat and hear the rummaging of little rodent feet?

"Why is that?" you ask? Let me tell you. I have no idea why. No. Idea.

Somewhere between the pleading eyes of my offspring and their wheedling voices and shared YouTube videos demonstrating the adorable features of hamsterdom (Curse you, YouTube, and your broccoli-nibbling hamsters!), I caved. I allowed a thought, a mere wisp of favorable consideration enter my mind and the rest was accomplished through pure sorcery and Jedi mind trickery, I assure you. Clearly, I have underestimated the Princess' unity with the Force.

And thus, Hammy has come to live with us. And I have to admit that he's a cute little crapper, with his rusty, fluffy fur and perky round ears and shiny black eyes and sniffy little nose... and fracking sharp teeth. Yes, I have encountered the teeth. (Hammy almost "encountered" the wall.) But we're OK now, Hammy and me. I fed him some cucumber and he's figured out that my finger is not food and that I will not kill, maim or otherwise harm him. In fact, I think he maybe even likes me a bit. At least, he seems to be sending out the "You're pretty cool, Flutterby-chick." vibe. Not that I speak fluent hamster or anything.

So, for the next few years, Hammy's gonna be hanging out with us.

Any bets on who will be cleaning out his habitat??


* Drippy the Bettafish doesn't exactly count as a pet. The little dude thrives on neglect. He's spent the past two years chillin' in his puddle of fishy filth. I don't know who feeds him. I don't. I do clean his tank every month (or so) and he thanks me by making nice little bubble nests. He is a happy, happy fish.

Finally!

I wanted to give my sis-in-law time to make her announcement on her own blog before I popped up over here and shouted it all over my own blog. And so I've been sitting on my hands and biting my tongue for the past few days, waiting to announce this:

Finally, after months and months and endless months (And, yes, I fully realize that it was far worse for the lovely pregnant mommy... but I'm not the patient sort, either) my beautiful niece, Samara, was born on April 9th at 10:56pm.

AND SHE'S GORGEOUS!! (Of course! Just look at her parents...)


Just look at those beautiful blue eyes! And those lips! Auntie is SOOOOO smooching those lil lips!

*squeee!* And now the countdown is on until Mr F and I and the grommets can make the trip to go visit. (Don't worry, JJ, we'll give you some time to recover!)

A big hug and high five to my lovely sis-in-law, JJ -- GOOD JOB, MAMA! I'm so proud of you. I know this was a long time coming, complete with undue drama and concern. And I suppose Big J deserves some credit, although... seriously... we all know who did all the work. :) May she bring happiness to you both!

"Who's Your Ack-Tore?" and Answers To Other Questions You Never Thought To Ask.

OK, I am left with no choice but to bust out the Totally and Utterly Random Post up in here. Hang on for the ride.

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I did the math for the weekend coming up. 12 girls + 5 hours on the road + 8 hours of derby drills and spills + 2 hours of scrimmage + "X" hours of cabaret/pillowfights/general mayhem + 2 hours of fun skating at an old school roller rink the next day + 5 hours back home = Class 1 Road Trip. :) Can't wait! I'll take some pics of the carnage, I'm sure.

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Things are crazy icy around Fluttercity today. I witnessed so many close calls on the road today and can't believe that people aren't more careful (So says the girl who ran through a red light at 10pm on Friday night...oops.) The funniest thing is seeing the really little kids trying to walk on it. Cause they all have that invincible feeling that you get when your hand is safely holding onto a parent and they just let their legs FLY. Crazy cute.

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I had a super great weekend... went for what was supposed to be a birthday supper for a derby girlfriend and we ended up getting hooked up with free passes to a concert by This little Canadian group, which was super fun and all kinds of loud. The next night found me getting my karaoke on at another birthday party, which is always good therapy for the inner rockstar. I love birthdays!

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You can all mark your calendars today as the Day That Flutterby Starts Her Rise to Hollywood Stardom. Or something like that. Fluttercity actually has a burgeoning Film and TV industry and today I was asked to send pics to a casting agent for a TV show. It's just one episode and technically is an "extra" bit part, I believe... but I still think it's cool, if only to experience a day or two on set and make some mad money. Mostly, it's just a chance to meet some of the "playas" and maybe get some connections for some other work down the road.

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The Kid has lost two more teeth, one of which he pulled out himself. Which seriously about made me fall over in shock, cause just a month or two ago I had to be all TrickyToothPullingMom with him and fake him out just to get at the two teeth that had been languishin in Wiggly World for weeks beforehand. My boy is growing up. And, curiously, he has subsequently decided that he should eat salad now. Salad. It doesn't get more random than that, people.

Tough Nut.

I am a little worried about my little buddy. The Kid has always been a sensitive and emotional little dude. He wears his little heart on his sleeve and problems and issues always seem to affect him so deeply. It's easy to tell when something is bugging him.

And I know that something is going on inside him lately. My loving, funny little guy has been replaced with a sullen, grumpy Person who gets tummy aches each day before school.

But, here's the problem. The Kid may well be sensitive and emotional. But he is certainly not very self-aware. In his own little mind, all he knows is that the world sucks. Asking him to pinpoint WHY it sucks and WHAT we can do to help it not suck? That's asking too much.

Which is really frustrating for a straightforward parent like myself. And concerning. I wonder how in the world I'm going to give him the tools to navigate life, when he struggles navigating his own insides. I know that he's only six and that some of this self-awareness truly does develop a bit later for boys, etc, etc, yada, yada. It just makes it hard to reach him where he's at right now, though.

So... all you parents of boys out there... any advice? I've talked to his teacher at school already. A number of times, actually. I know that there are some issues there in terms of compatibility between the Kid and her. Frankly, I think that he can be a bit of a challenge at school and she is the type who likes to squish the Challenges. Unfortunately, it's a bit late to change things up... Otherwise, I don't have a lot of insight about this thing. The Kid has friends, people like him, there's been no reports of any bullying or whatever.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing what you all may have to say about this. In the meantime, I'm launching The Kid Protection Program. We have a lunch date today and since I have the week off of work, I'm going to take some extra time to connect with him after school and stuff. Maybe he just needs some extra TLC.

I'm Pretty Sure This Is All Meaningless.

I'd like to think that all the fabulousness cannot be contained in just one post... but face it. It can be. Here goes.

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I have one more warehouse shift and it happens to be working inventory until almost midnight. My mad counting skills have been claimed by the HABA and OTC (Health and Beauty Aids, Over The Counter) centres, which means that I officially have the WORST warehouse inventory area. I will be crossing my eyes over hundreds of vitamin bottles and tiny boxes. For eight hours. But, I get free candy and drinks (errrr... pop, to be more specific. No coconut rum for me.) which makes up for it a little bit. :) Did I mention that I also get to count condoms? Yay.

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School is kicking into gear for the Princess and I can't tell you how many permission forms I've signed and cheques written for extra-curricular stuff lately. The school has partnered with an Arts program and is offering ROCK 100; putting together two bands of grades 5,6 &7 students and they will be actually creating, marketing and branding a band. Also, they're learning to actually play a few songs and there will be a concert at the end of April. Enrollment was really limited and somehow the Princess snagged a spot. And while I'm all for parental pride and what not, I'm really not all that sure why they chose her as she doesn't play an instrument AT ALL. She does have a lovely little singing voice, but is too shy to actually ever sing in front of people. Anyway, I know she'll love it and hopefully it will spark a bit of a desire to take some lessons with an instrument or something. God knows I've tried to convince the girl... some things are beyond my powers.

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The Kid has two VERY loose front teeth. So loose that every day I look at him, they are pointing different directions. Which is kinda trippy in a gross MyKidFreaksMeOut sort of way. I've been trying to convince him to let me Take A Look, which is parent-speak for Rip Those Suckers Out Of There. (at least, that's been my experience growing up.) but he manages to effectively deny me the opportunity. And honestly, it doesn't take much. I'm woefully unprepared to Rip things out of mouths. The Princess has taken care of all of her own loose teeth; a fact she is quite proud of and I'm most grateful for. The Kid's two bottom teeth came out at my hand, but it was quite the accident as I was just showing him how to wiggle his teeth properly (he tends to be a light touch and just wibble them a bit which we all know will not get one Anywhere where loose teeth are concerned) and they popped out to our mutual surprise.

However, I am finished with being creeped out by the creepy, crooked teeth in the Kid's mouth and am ready to take things a bit more seriously. Any hints, tips or tricks would be greatly appreciately. So long as they don't involve doors and string.

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I am longing for some grilling weather. I'm tired of stews, ragouts and casseroles and other oven-ish stuff. Usually March is my official Break Out the BBQ month, but I'm hoping that we've put in all our time with the super cold weather and maybe temps will break earlier this year. I could handle grilling in February. And, maybe... if the weatherman actually hits the forecast right (0 degrees, baby!), the BBQ might make an appearance this weekend. Man, that would be nice.

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Fresh Meat night with the local Roller Derby club is coming up soon and I'm a little bit obsessed. Six more sleeps, y'all. I've been told to start thinking of a Derby name and number, as, if I make the team I'll have to register one. Derby names are all registered in a national database and must be unique. They must also be a bit nasty and spanky and fun. I've got a few in mind already, but if anyone wants to contribute something -- please feel free to drop me a comment or an email. I'm hitting a free skate today to work on some basic stuff. Ice skating is a bit different than quad skating, of course, but the physics is the same. I already know the Sticky Skate skills and stopping and what not, but I am rusty for sure. Time to brush up. I'll be hurting tomorrow I'm certain.

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We recently ordered some furniture to replace some well-worn (AND HOW!!) pieces upstairs in our family room. I'm so excited to finally move those stinky couches out of there, but I'm a little bit nervous about the new cream-coloured cushions surviving life in the FlutterZone. Maybe it was a poor choice, but there wasn't really anything else that Mr. F. and I could agree on. Perhaps I should hire a couch nanny, whose only job is to sit in the room and shoo away any children with food or drink. Practical? No. But it just may be the thing needed. And, as a bonus, these fragile little cushions may just up the class factor around here and put an end to all the Homer-Simpson-shirtless lounging Mr. F. is prone to do. Imagine that, a lowly cushion may just do the thing that 13 years of wifely Suggestions could not do. I am humbled beyond belief.

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So, now, the weekend. Well, inventory and the weekend. Some skating, some visiting with family and maybe some grilling and then, on to my new job. Have a good weekend y'all.