Mama-luia

These current favourites of mine are what are keeping me smiling during these long, hot summer days in my third trimester.  I hope you enjoy them, too! 1.  This song. Surely someday I will be cool enough to wear purple boots and shop at Anthropologie? For now, I'm resigned to wearing Mary-Janes  and sticking to Value Village. 2. This hilarious blog post .  Wherein she likens her advanced state of pregnancy to all sorts of glamorous things like a penguin, or Chris Farley and offers hysterical suggestions on how to provide extra support for her poor aching back. Maybe it's my current state of waddling, or my hormones making me laugh (or cry) uproariously over almost nothing, but I was definitely cry-laughing over this. 3. My Imaginary Well-Dressed Toddler "Quinoa's origami elephant was enough to win first prize  at the school performance art show,  but the matching origami outfits she produced...

So I decided to go ahead today and write a 5 Favourites post for the lovely Hallie's linkup.You see, life is a bit hectic right now, and blogging is my favourite form of recreation (next to  eating Doritos doing calligraphy while listening to Mozart). 1. Instant Age Rewind Eraser by Maybelline I am makeup illiterate. I'm intimidated by the huge wall of products when I walk in a drugstore. What are mineral powders? What's up with lipstick that's claims to stay on all day? (It's cakey and unnatural feeling, that's what.) I become terrified by the well-coiffed painted-face twenty-something who asks me if I need any help, and so I always become completely dry-mouthed, say, "No, I'm fine," and back away quickly to an aisle where I can buy 'safe' things like baby wipes and Tylenol. On Christmas Eve, though, I decided I would swallow my pride and pick up some makeup to pretty up my holiday. I got the nerve to say, "What shou...

It's February, generally the hardest month of the year for me. This year I planned ahead for it somewhat: I took January off , I am taking my physical health to heart and implementing a few small but necessary changes to keep myself well, and I got rid of some major clutter in January so I wouldn't be feeling so cagey in my own home. And so far, this has been my best February yet. But there is one thing lacking. As much as these various ways of looking after myself were, are, crucial, I want to do something for someone else (well, besides the three fellows I look after). I want to brighten someone else's day. So. . . I am hosting a little giveaway. Don't look so shocked, Lucy, I said so in the title of this post! I figure most people like getting things in the mail, and most people like books, so go on and check out my book recommendations and pick the one that interests you. Tell me which one you want in the comments and I'll enter you into a draw....

Well here's my pre-Lent silliness. I'm not always serious, people! (Oh poor Patrick has no idea I'm using his face in this way. Also, if you don't get the joke, allow me to NOT hyperlink to the variety of downright-creepy photos saying "hey girl" with Ryan Gosling.) And now, I'm off! Time to make a big Alleluia banner to hang in the kitchen tomorrow. Then we'll bury it in the yard on Ash Wednesday, and excitedly dig it back up on Holy Saturday. We have lots of plans on how to observe Lent this year, and I do love a good liturgical season craft that drives home the point, but given the ages of the boys, and the other more pressing things that need to get done (planning a CLC conference {!} and Noah's first "real" birthday party) I am trying to remind myself to make Last Things first. Lent is about coming closer to Our Lord and taking up our crosses, whatever they may be. Stations of the Cross colouring pages are really, real...

While Angela was here, we were taking pictures of the various happenings of our life when Noah came up to her, and in his amazingly clear yet non-verbal way, demanded she take a picture of him. He walked her towards the dishwasher, and moved his new teddy bear stool in front of it so he'd have a place to sit while he posed. When he noticed there were a few toys in the way, he quickly pushed them aside, sat atop his stool and posed as follows: We were both so amused by his forceful insistence on having his picture taking, and having done just so . This picture, and the way it came to be, makes me think I have a rather strong-willed and incredibly creative child on my hands. I'd say that's just lovely.

On Friday I finally "cashed in" the makeover I won for the Mother's Day contest, and suffice to say, it was a truly enjoyable afternoon of pampering. Because some of you have asked (and some of you nagged) here are some photos of my new haircut (yes, yes, I know, this is a rather inane post, but I must appease my adoring fans).

(If you are looking for some inspiration for mindful mothering, go here or h ere . If you want to bake something show-stopping, go here or here . But since this is my blog, I won't provide you with either. Consider yourself warned: this is a mindless post. If you want to read something mindless, continue on.) I have a rash on my arms. A nasty, burning bright red rash. Every time I try and wash the dishes, the water stings so much I feel like I'm going to weep. I was pointing this out to Patrick -- dare I say, complaining? -- when he said, why not wear rubber gloves? It hadn't occurred to me! ... And yet, something in me revolted at wearing rubber gloves to go about my daily tasks. I hate the sensation of them on my hands, and I know whenever I wear a ring with rubber gloves, they bother me all the more (and now that I am married, the ring doesn't come off... even if I wanted to take it off... chubby having-had-a-baby fingers.... ). But the dishes need to get do...

{I have decided to do a "Stuff I like" series for the next while. I often have NOTHING interesting to say when I sit down at the computer, so this might give me some inspiration. Hope you like it. } I used to fantasize I was required to wear a school uniform. In grade five, I actually insisted from time to time for my mom to braid my hair into tight pigtail braids so I could match my kilt, tights and blouse-sweater vest combo. Don't worry, I also wore jeans to school. But I loved wearing a kilt. I thought it made me more "ready" for school. Boy, was I excited when I discovered that the crazy university I was moving to the middle of nowhere to attend had a dress code. Years later, my childhood dream came to fruition. Then I got married, pregnant, gave birth, yada-yada, and here I am, a stay-at-home mom. What a beautiful vocation! It's also a "career path", too, you know. I say that because I want people to know I willingly chose this; I was...

I am entranced by the world of blogs these days. Since quitting Facebook, I have immersed myself in yet another Internet addiction, and arguably, even more creepy. At least with Facebook, I could snoop around the business of people who are my "friends" (I intentionally use quotation marks, by the by). With blogs, I can read all about the lives of perfect strangers. And I do. This blog , however, is different. It's not a personal journal, a political commentary, or anything I am used to seeing in blogs. No, it is merely a collection of photos of stupidly misused quotation marks. I love it. I am posting one for you, because when reading it, I laughed out loud, and hard, and that's kind of a neat experience, especially when one is home alone! Can you make out those words? I'll retype them, just to get the point across: "PLease Take Note" "When Leaving Party" DRiVE SLoW 25 MPH Police Do Be OuT Quoting from blog: "Submitter Su...

1. Remember the movie Brewster’s Millions? That happens to you, except on a smaller scale. You receive a million dollars that you must spend in 30 days. However, you cannot have any assets to show for the money at the end of the month (and you can’t buy something and then destroy it), you cannot waste the money, you cannot give it away, and you cannot tell anyone what you are doing. How do you ditch the dough in a month or less? This seems like a really stupid question. What else is there? It seems as though I'm allowed to spend the money and give the OBJECTS I spent it on away. So perhaps I'll do that. First, though, I'll pay off my school debt, my husband's and pay his tuition for the year. That can't be considered having a "asset" at the end of the month, right? Then I'll pay our rent for the remainder of the year. Again, we'll have nothing to show for it. And I can do it without telling the DH, to fulfill another rule on this odd question. That...