From Z to C and Beyond

That's Love.

2012-02-06T14:56:00.001-05:00

I don't just hate snakes. I'm terrified of them. Absolutely terrified. If I see even a picture of a snake, I get all sweaty and my heart speeds up.

I don't know why, its not as though I was ever attacked by a snake. Or that a snake has wronged me in some way.

Its just that they are so.....wrong. They've got no legs, and they still move around the ground. Wrong.

Anyway, last year Jordan and I took the kids to see the travelling version of Little Ray's Reptile Zoo. For the record, it is a pretty cool set up. They bring these cool reptiles and animals, and the teach the kids about them. The kids get to pet them. Fun, fun.

Last year, they even had a masturbating lemur. Let me tell you, THAT was awkward.

But they also have snakes. Stupid, dumb snakes.

And of course, the kids wanted to go again. Hooray.

Last year I was able to hide behind my husband when they brought the stupid Boa Constrictor out. There are many reasons why its handy to have a 6'4" husband, and one of those is the ability to completely hide behind him. Because we all know, if I can't see the snake, it can't see me. Right? Right?

Well hubby was working this time. So it was all me....

So off we go to the event, which is in a hotel. A HOTEL. Thats charming. Let me tell you now, if I was every in a hotel and found out a travelling snake exhibit was sharing lodgings with me......I would be demanding protection.

It costs $10 a ticket, which frankly I find pricey for a kids ticket, but whatever. The kids want to see reptiles and I want the Mom of the Year award.

So in we go, and we get to see turtles and a great big alligator and snakes. But get this, the kids refuse to pet the snakes. Or any animal for that matter.

Well I will be damned if I'm paying $30 for tickets to see a reptile petting zoo and no one's touching the snake. Hell, I didnt even get to see a masturbating lemur this year! Now it was enough that I managed to summon up enough bravery to go to the damn thing with out my "husband suit of armour", so I sure as hell wasn't touching the snake.

So I bribed the children. Yep, bribery. Mother of the Year, here I come.

There were these stuffed snakes that the kids wanted, and I told them they were too expensive. But not too expensive for bribery!!

"Okay kids, if you go pet the snake, Mommy will buy you each a stuffed snake!"

Zoom, off they go! I got pictures of the kids petting the snakes. The kids got their stuffed snakes.

I got to leave.

Win/Win, don't you think?

Reticulated Python. Her name is Marshmallow.

Caiman

Corbett and Zachary being eaten by a dinosaur

"Losing" his first tooth. And his second. Finally.

2012-01-23T21:51:00.001-05:00

Dear Corbett:

How exciting! You’venot only lost your first tooth, but your second tooth as well! I’ve sure been waiting a long time for thoseteeth. They’ve been loose forever!

I noticed that you were a very brave boy at the Dentist’soffice while she pulled your teeth. Goodjob!

As I told your brother when he lost his first tooth, thefirst tooth is special, so I am leaving you $5.00 for it. For every othertooth, you will get $1.00.

Thanks for being such a brave boy!

Love ,

My baby no more?

2012-01-20T14:59:00.002-05:00

Baby Boy!

Corbett was born with very little hair. And it grew slow. SLOOOW. On his second birthday, we took him for a haircut, not because he needed it, but because I grew impatient of waiting for that milestone.

Two Years Old

Anyway, his hair continued to grow, and the curls began to show. And boy, did he have curls. Beautiful curls.

Three Years Old

Those curls have garnered him much attention and won him plenty of "get out of jail free"cards.

"Ladies love me because I have curly hair"

But, he hates having it combed. It is very fine hair and it knots so easily. The tears were too much. I have always said that I would never argue with my kids about hair. Its just hair. You want a mohawk? Fine. Blue hair? Even better.

Its just hair.

But, but, but...

Corbett's curls? Gorgeous.

He asked a while ago, to cut it, so we took him. When the hair dresser asked what he wanted, he told her he wanted the back and sides long still, but the front bang shorter. He was happy with that. For a while.

On Tuesday, at his hair appointment, Corbett asked for short hair. The hairdresser looked at me, questioningly, and I replied, "It's his hair, his choice".

So she cut.

And she cut some more. If I was an emotional person, I might have shed a tear or two. Instantly, as the hair fell away, my baby boy, my precious, last born--grew up. The child whose pregnancy was so miserable, but in contrast brings so much joy. He was growing older, instantly, before my eyes. It was like watching one of those videos where you see a person age before your eyes.

I sent a text to my husband.

Me: Corbett is getting it cut short.
Him: Nooooooooo (He is the more emotional one. I knew he'd be sad to see the curls go)
Me: Yes (followed by this picture)

Corbett LOVES his new haircut. He no longer has to endure the combing sessions he hates so much. I am happy for him, I truly am. And he looks very handsome. I admit that I miss the curls, but they were never mine to have. If he ever wants too, he can grow them back.

But, he grew up, right before my eyes. And that? Oh, my heart.

(this picture is not the best picture of his new 'do, but it is the first one, I will post better pics next time)

Six Years Old.

Thank you. Thank you very much!

2012-01-07T23:31:00.000-05:00

If you haven't read the previous post yet, you may want to do that.

January 8th came and Corbett was still nestled safely in my womb with no plans on exiting. (For the record, he still operates on his own schedule.)

We headed to the midwifery office for noon, and she checked me out. I was about 1cm dilated as I had been for a few days. She did a stretch and sweep - (gee THAT'S fun)- and about 10 minutes later, I felt a couple mild contractions.

Feeling that we could probably get labour started we planned to head over to the hospital, so we could try to induce labour, without drugs. She let me know, that if a body is ready to go into labour, that a breast pump can induce labour. How frickin' cool is THAT!?

We called my best friend Micheline, who had agreed to assist again, and let her know we'd call her once things got started.

After a much calmer drive to the hospital, I was admitted, and the great big double breast pump was brought forth. It was scary, but it worked. By 1:30 contractions started slowly, but with strength. Jordan and I walked. Jordan and I talked. Jordan and I ate. We joked that Corbett would likely share a birthday with Elvis Presley. I declined to give him Elvis as a middle name. It was weird. It was much more relaxed than my labour with Zachary.

In fact, it was so relaxed, that when Jordan heard the Air Ambulance preparing to take off, he grabbed the camera and went charging down the hallway to get pictures of it out the window. I was in the middle of a very strong contraction. Stand back ladies, he's ALL mine.

Micheline arrived, and at this point contractions were pretty regular and intense. I could never really find a comfortable position, because Corbett wouldn't stay still. Although he was head down, he kept spinning around like a break dancer. He was face up, face down, face sideways. He did this the whole way through delivery. In hindsight, this should have told us about our new baby's character.

Finally, I allowed them to break my water. It had been offered to me twice as a way to speed things along, but I had declined. Since my car accident in 1991, I have experienced a lot of necessary medical intervention, so I quite stubbornly tend to avoid it when its not necessary.

So my water was broken and soon I had to push. There were no difficulties. I tell people that an easy delivery was due to me after that pregnancy. I know that it was just luck of the draw.

On January 8th, 2006, at 6:54pm , after just over 5 hours of labour, Corbett Peter Valiquette was born weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces. He had very little hair, and what was there was so fine and fair it was barely visible. It was nine days after his due date.

Yes, Zachary and Corbett were born on each other's due date.

Despite my persistent fears that my illness and all the drugs I had taken for it would harm him in some way, he was absolutely perfect. I had been so afraid that I wouldn't love him or bond with him. That even though he was so very wanted, that I would resent him for all the illness.

He took my breath away. I cried tears of relief, because the pregnancy was over. My baby was here, and we were both okay.

I knew then that all the trouble the pregnancy had caused me had been worth it. It didn't make it any easier, but it made it worthwhile.

Today Corbett is still full of spunk. He's a firecracker. His name means Raven. Jordan, Zachary and I all have dark, almost raven coloured hair. Corbett has curly, sandy coloured hair. Its gorgeous. Everyone loves it and he knows it. In fact, he has said "Ladies love me because I have curly hair".

And its true. That curly hair helps him get away with a lot of mischief!

But more importantly, Corbett, everyone loves you. They love you because you are caring, energetic and funny. You love to be with people, are quick with a smile (usually a mischevious one), and always giving hugs. Eternally optimistic and smart as can be , you just don't understand why things don't always go your way. You absolutely adore your big brother. Your wit and charm are unmistakeable, and I couldn't be prouder to call you my son. I have no doubt that you will attain your 5th birthday wish for "FOURTEEN GIRLFRIENDS"

I just hope you wait.

Love,

Mom

Photo by PhotoCaptiva

Sometimes, pregnancy sucks.

2012-01-07T22:11:00.002-05:00

Today is the day before Corbett turns 6. This post is decidedly less wistful than the posts I wrote about Zachary. But it is a story that deserves telling, because Corbett is loved, and his story is equally important to tell, even though its less "pretty".

Jordan and I always knew that we would want to have another child if that was what fate had in store for us. We didn't have a set idea on how far apart our kids should be, or any other such plans. We just figured that when it was time for #2, we would know.

I also knew that pregnancy hadn't been all that pleasant or "easy" for me. I wasn't quite sure when I would be ready to put myself through that again.

Two years old. It was shortly before Zachary's 2nd birthday when we found ourselves saying :Now. Now our family is ready to grow." Although these things are never truly in our control, we knew we wanted to avoid another December baby.

Let's face it, December is a bit baby heavy in our families. Apparently everyone needs a little extra lovin' in March. My twin brother and I were born December 5th, Jordan's birthday is Deccember 8th, and his sisters are December 19th and 28th. Follow that up with Zachary's birthday on December 30th, and it gets a little crazy here! On top of all that, there's Christmas and several friends with December birthdays.

So we were hoping for a fall baby. I became pregnant quickly, but from the moment I knew I was pregnant, I also knew I wouldn't be for long. I don't know why I knew. I just did.

Still, I scheduled an appointment with our midwife, trying to think positive. That's what I do. I think positive. The day of my appointment came, and I woke up to some spotting. Damn, I thought. Damn. I mentioned it to the midwife and she said all the right things, that spotting is normal, etc.

A due date of late September was set. 3 hours later, at 8 weeks pregnant, I miscarried. Its funny how sometimes you just know these things. Jordan was at work, and I didnt even call him. His job can be dangerous, and he was working graveyard shift, so I just didnt want him to worry. Besides, what could he do?

I went home and had dance party with my two year old. Because its really hard to be sad when you're dancing with a two year old.

We tried again, and lo-and behold, at the beginning of May, learned we were pregnant. Yep, thats right, the beginning of May. My due date? December 30th. Zachary's 3rd birthday.

Well played, fate. Hardy har.

My pregnancy with Zachary was tough. This one? It pains me to say, but it sucked. I hated it. By 8 weeks, I knew I could never handle pregnancy again. At 9 weeks, I was hospitalized with severe dehydration. At 12 weeks, it hadn't stopped. Nor at 13 weeks.

With this pregnancy, I was ill a minimum of 10 times a day, quite frequently as many as 25 times. I was diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum.

If you've not experienced this, you can really only begin to imagine. To manage through the day, I took diclectin, gravol,and had a careful schedule of eating and drinking. I could not eat and drink at the same time. I couldn't drink more than about 2-3 ounces of liquid at a time. Just the sensation of liquid sloshing in my stomach, would make me ill. At least 30 minutes had to pass between eating and drinking.

This carried on from 6 weeks to 14 weeks, when out of desperation, I tried accupuncture. "What the hell", I said, "it can't get much worse". It helped. Big time. After two treatments, I was only throwing up about 5 times a day. Still, a lot, but far better for me and my baby. Around the same time, we also discovered the foods that my stomach handled best.

1)Plain McDonald's Cheeseburgers - Nothing else. Not home made. Not Wendy's or Burger King. It had to have cheese too. A hamburger wouldn't do.

2)Tim Horton's Honey Dip Donuts

3)Plain popcorn

I ate those 3 things, and ONLY those 3 things for 6 weeks. Finally, at about 21 weeks, the puking stopped. I woke up with no nausea and wondered what the hell was wrong with me. I was scared our baby had died, but then thankfully, he kicked me, hard. I`m still here Mom, he was saying.

The rest of the pregnancy went as most pregnancies do, but I was quite weak. I can`t say I enjoyed the rest of the pregnancy, but I definitely didn`t hate it anymore. It still makes me sad to say I hated pregnancy, but there you have it. I won`t lie. Pregnancy and I just aren`t friends.

Despite the rocky start, Corbett (we knew he was a boy) kept growing well, and was looking to be a bigger baby than his brother. My due date came and went. Not only did this baby make me ridiculously sick, he was now making me wait!!

Finally on January 5th, my midwife and I had a conversation about Corbett`s arrival or lack thereof. My parents were on vacation in Morocco. My brother had to head back home to Toronto on the 7th. My close friends were moving to Toronto on the 6th. My parents were returning sometime around the 9th or 10th. We were running out of people to look after Zachary if I went into labour. And given the speedy labour with Zachary, we needed a plan.

"Well, how does January 8th work for you?" she asked.

"That works just fine", I said.

So it was decided that if Corbett hadn't made his entrance into the world by January 8th, 2006, we would coax him along.

We had a plan.

Tomorrow: Thank you. Thank you very much!

12 things for '12

2012-01-04T18:15:00.000-05:00

It has been a crazy, crazy few years. I know everyone says that, but for serious....its been nuts.
Once Jordan was laid off at the beginning of 2009, my life went into overdrive, and I took every opportunity I could to keep the family afloat financially, continued to work on my schooling, etc. The year or two before that was no picnic either, but that's another story for another day.

Although the hours I work are less, and Jordan has been back to work for a year, life is still crazy. And there have been costs, to my personal life and contentment.

As an example, it has been four years since I had any kind of extended time off. The most time off in a row I've had in a row has been four days (once). And that included a Saturday and Sunday. I'm not complaining, just stating the facts.

Now, don't get me wrong. Although the situation we were in was unfortunate, we were extremely lucky that the opportunities that came my way, did. I have still tried to make time for me to do the things I wanted, specifically, running, but it does come at a cost. I have no downtime, ever. I am definitely working towards burning out, and I plan to fix that.

So without further delay, these are the twelve things I plan to do this year, to help me reach the goal of less stress, and more me time.

1) Get our debt under control. You can imagine with a two year lay-off of the family breadwinnner that our savings (thankfully we had what we did) diminished and our credit was heavily relied on. Time to take steps to fix that.

2)Paint Corbett's room. I promised him that I would do it almost two years ago. Everytime I put him to bed, I am reminded that I still need to do it. Also, he keeps asking, so obviously its something he really wants.

3) Learn to knit. This will give me something productive to do when I am sitting for many hours at a karate dojo, waiting for the kids. Also, it is an activity that requires focus (no multitaksing), and that is something I have to work on. I am not too good at taking time to sit still and do one thing.

4) Spend a day doing nothing. NOTHING.

5) Run 5km in under 28 minutes.

6) Play with the kids more. More specifically, kicks their butts at XBox and/or Wii

7) Do the CN Tower Edge Walk, with my Mom.

8) Find someway to let the friends and family who have helped us in so many way just how much we appreciate them. This is probably impossible, but I am sure going to try.

9) Take a week off. A whole week. At once.

10) Blog more

11) Find more opportunities to play flute

12) Go to Canada's Wonderland, without kids and ride every roller coaster. Scream and laugh for each one.

So that's it. Sometimes it seems overwhelming. Sometimes it seems like it will be easy. But mark my words....I WILL do it!

Carry On, Part 3

2011-12-30T09:25:00.000-05:00

There are very few things I have done in my life that I've done"in the "typical"way.

Needless to say, my labour and delivery was the same. I woke at about 6:30am on Monday, December 30th with some bad gas; or so I thought. I went to the bathroom, and when I went back to bed mentioned to my husband that maybe I shouldn't have had that piece of Chocolate Eruption cheesecake. He laughed.

30 minutes later there was no laughing. There was just me, sitting on the toilet, definitely in labour and definitely in pain. Let it be said here, that among the people who know me, my high pain tolerance is legendary.

I. WAS. IN. PAIN.

Contractions were 7 minutes apart.

And then my midwife says the standard line about ÿou are definitely in labour, but not until full labour until contractions are 5 minutes apart for an hour.

30 minutes after that call, my husband calls the midwife again and says "Her contractions are 7 minutes, then 3 minutes, 7 minutes then 3 minutes, she wont get off the toilet and she's screaming!"

During their conversation, 3 minutes had passed and she heard me scream. From about 45 feet away. Over the phone. In a different room. Between two doors.

"Jordan, she's in transition, and you need to get her to the hospital NOW."

To which my poor husband says "Transition to what?"

"The baby is coming....now."

Jordan told me we had to go. I told I wasn't getting off the f$%&ing toilet. He offered to call an ambulance, and I told him we couldnt afford a f^%$ing ambulance. So off my perch I got, put on his pyjama pants, his shirt and fuzzy bear claw slippers, and got in the car. I shore looked preeeetttyyy!

And so, it was like the movies. Husband blowing every light and stop sign to the hospital. Wife in the passenger seat, unable to actually sit. Jordan had the chance to call 3 people before we left. My parents, his sister, and my best friend (who was coming to assist in the delivery room).

We got to the hospital, I was raced up to a delivery room, and checked by the midwife who said I could push.

First push, they could see a head full of hair. Over two hours later I was still pushing. Our baby was stuck!

The midwives called for an OB/GYN consult. He took a look and said,

"Well, he's definitely stuck. We are going to have to try forceps. If that doesn't work, we will have to push him back up and go C-Section"

I am pretty sure I stopped breathing for a second or two there. In my head, I was thinking "there is no goddamned way I have pushed for over 2 hours so you can push him back up!"

Thankfully, it was not necesary. The forceps worked. Those suckers are HUGE!

On December 30th, 2002, after 4 hours and 43 minutes of labour, over half of it pushing-Zachary James Valiquette was born, at 11:13am weighing 6 pounds 11 ounces.

He came into this world surrounded by love. In addition to my husband and the midwives, there were my parents and my best friend, Micheline, all there through the whole delivery. My twin brother and his wife were in the family waiting area.

He had dark brown eyes and a head full of hair. His feet were enormous, and he was so little. He took my breath away, and I cried tears of joy.

Despite his difficult delivery, due to his head being tilted so that his ear was touching his shoulder (no wonder he got stuck), he was healthy and perfect.

Since then he was grown into an incredible young man. He is quiet and introverted. He's funny without trying to be. He doesn't like to be the centre of attention. He's very practical. He's incredibly generous. He loves karate and running.

In the last two years, using running as a fundraiser, Zachary has raised over $2500 for charity.

Every day, he makes me smile. Every day he makes me proud.

Carry on, Zachary. Carry on.

Carry On - Part 2

2011-12-29T15:58:00.000-05:00

If you missed Part 1, go here--> http://zackandcorbett.blogspot.com/2011/12/carry-on-part-1.html

Oh boy. Holy crap! Wow.

Pregnant. We were going to have a baby.

Jordan was elated. Once the shock wore off, I was too.

Everyone's timeline differs, but in time people were told. Everyone was happy. Even better, my close friend announced her pregnany, and was due two weeks after me.

Life carries on. We had radically different pregnancies. She was glowing. I was puking. She kept glowing, I kept puking. A lot.

Pregnancy and I were NOT friends. But I knew this was meant to be. Babies come when they want, don't they?

We had a name picked the first week we knew, but truthfully, I think that our baby just picked his own name and let us know what it was. There was never any debate. One day, I looked at my husband and said "What about Zachary?" and he said "Yes!"

I was due January 8th.

By end of November, I had horrible heartburn. By mid-December, my feet were swollen. On December 23rd, I had to wear my husband's Size 12 running shoes to a funeral held for my friend's father. I couldn't tie them up. I looked like a beached whale. In running shoes.

At any moment, I was convinced that Greenpeace was going to find me, and return me to the ocean.

And boy were we under stress.

Jordan had been laid off part way through my pregnancy, and we had completely drained our savings so that he could return to school.

My job had ended. Remember that job I took? The one where I was covering the maternity leave, of a girl covering a maternity leave? Well, on December 20th, I started my OWN maternity leave. Clearly, this was a very fertile place.

On top of all this, we signed the papers to buy or first house on December 13th and were scheduled to take posession on January 15th, one week past my due date.

I was huge, I was swollen, I was stressed, I was DONE.

But depsite all this, on December 30th, when I went from no labour, to transitioning in less than an hour, I still had no bag packed.

Everyone says the first baby is usually late. Everyone says the first labour is usually 12 -16 hours.

Well, I like to prove people wrong. Even when its harder on me.

I'm kinda stubborn that way.

Part 3, tomorrow....

Carry On - Part 1

2011-12-29T13:50:00.000-05:00

I dislike when people call it a "surprise pregnancy" After all when one engages in such behaviour, pregnancy is an outcome one can reasonably expect.

As a teenager, I was prescribed birth control pills to control extrememly heavy periods. For various health reasons, including debilitating migraines, I was unable to continue and really wasn't comfortable with the other options available to me. When I was 18, I stopped taking them. I carried on with life. I was careful. I was safe.

I started dating Jordan in 1994. Things got serious and I tried the pill again. It went poorly, so after a brief discussion with Jordan, I stopped . We were only dating at the time, but we were adults. Each of us were 22. The year was 1995.

We made the decision to carry on and if a pregnancy occured, we would carry on with that as well. We were careful. Oh so careful. We watched the calendar, I counted days...and our lives went on.

We married in October of 2000, with no immediate plans to start a family. It was definitely something we wanted, but to be honest, I had my doubts. After all, I hadn't used birth control in five years, and there had been no pregnancy.

During the late winter months of 2002, Jordan expressed a desire to add to our family. I wasn't entirely on board. What if we couldn't get pregnant? I was laid off and although he was working the pay was shitty. Being the practical one, I really felt it wasn't the best timing.

We made a deal. We'd carry on, as we had been, and re-evaluated at the beginning of 2003, or when our circumstances changed. A reasonable compromise.

As luck would have it, in April, I interviewed for a contract position. If successful, I would be covering the maternity leave for a girl covering someone's maternity-leave.

In hindsight, that might have been a clue as to my immediate future.

After 2 interviews and about 3 weeks, I was offered the position. My start date was to be the middle of May 2002.

On May 4th, my period was 3 days late. I had only ever been off schedule twice in my life. Once was while I was hospitalized after a major car accident, the other after undergoing surgery.

I decided to wait two more days. If I was still late, I'd take a pregnancy test.

Now, Jordan, on the best of days, is a pretty anxious guy, so I chose not to tell him anything. Why worry him, or get him excited, for nothing?

Two days passed, and there was no period in sight. I picked up a pregnancy test and brought it home. Alone. I closed the door, peed on a stick and panicked when two lines appeared, instantly.

SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG! The test said to wait 2 minutes!

I wasn't sure what to think. After all, the second line literally appeared , the instant that pee met stick. Instantly. Did I mention it was instant?

"It's calibrating" I thought.

So I walked away, and watched the clock tick away two minutes. 120 seconds...

When I looked at that stick, there were still two magical lines.

After 7 years of playing the risky game of russian roulette with my ovaries, I was pregnant.

And I had no frickin' idea what to do.

Part 2 - soonish.....

Part Two --> http://zackandcorbett.blogspot.com/2011/12/carry-on-part-2.html

8 seconds; My race report

2011-10-19T15:18:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, October 16th, I ran my second half marathon.

I was pretty excited for this one, because I had been training with my friends, Sherry and Irene. About 4 months ago they decided to attempt their first try at the distance and asked if they could count on me for some training tips.

I told them NO WAY, I'd run it with them instead.

We were able to work our schedules so that we ran almost every single long run together, which means we ran together at least once a week. We dubbed ourselved "The Running Posse"and our LSDs (long slow distance for those not used to runner speak) were our weekly gab sessions.

Race day came and we were all ready, and thankful that it wasn't raining. It was a cool 8-9 degrees celcius, and windy, but NO rain, so I was relieved.

You truly can't imagine what its like to be surrounded by a crowd of that size. Between the 22, 000 people signed up for the 3 events (5km, half marathon, marathon), the race officials, volunteers and spectators it was one hell of a crowd.

I had warned my running posse that the start would be kind of anti-climatic, and that it was. The race started and we all just stood there, and waited. Then walked a few steps forward. And waited. It kept going like that until 11 minutes later, we crossed the start line and started to run.

We all were feeling good and kept a quick steady pace. It was quicker than we planned on, but we all felt great. We were running into the wind for the first 13k, but it wasn't too much of a problem. Once we turned into a tailwind and picked up the pace averaging between 5:45 - 6:00/km

Unfortunately, injuries I sustained in the car accident I was in 20 years ago, have recently flared up. My physiotherapist has done a great job in holding me together for the race, but it was hard to predict what would happen race day. At 15k, I could feel a twinge behind my knee, and adjusted my gait to a bit of a longer stride, which helps.

I let my running posse know that I was going to be struggling soon and that they were to go on without me. For me, this race was really all about them. It was their first half-marathon, and you never have another first!

I was able to keep Sherry and Irene in my sights with a pace of about 6:15/km, until about 17.5 km, when everything kind of fell apart for me. My glute muscles, hamstring and hip weren't really functioning anymore and about every 10 steps or so, my leg would collapse, and I would have to stop myself from falling over.

There was no way in hell I was going to run 17.5k and not run the last 3.6!

No. Way. In. Hell.

I kept telling my body "leg up, leg down, leg up,leg down" and " just a few more minutes, just hold out on me for a few more minutes" . I had to really focus on making my body do what it was supposed to. I would run for about 5 minutes, then walk for about 30 seconds.

At one point, at about 18.5km, a volunteer tapped me and asked "do you need me to call you a medic?". My concentration broken, I said "I don't need a fuckin' medic, I just need to finish".

I feel terribly for that poor volunteer, I know he meant well, but I was so startled when my concentration was broken, it just kind of popped out! Sorry!!!

I saw the 20k marker and picked up the pace. I ran the last 1.1k pretty quickly. I really dont know how, but I knew I had to finish soon. I rounded the corner and heard the crowds packed along the last 500 meters. It was so cool. People just kept yelling me name and encouraging me to finish. By that point I was pretty much dragging my leg behind me.

I crossed the finish line again and got my medal. My leg gave out again and I collapsed, but someone caught me before I went down and made sure I was steady on my feet. I declined medical assistance again, because I know there is nothing they can do for me. I have very weak muscles there because of my injuries and I'm working to fix that. It is so very very frustrating though that 20 years later, I still have to fight my body!

I finished with a chip time of 2:20:11. Eight seconds slower than my first half marathon. I alternate between being disappointed in the time. and recognizing that being able to pull off that time while struggling to even finish the race means that I have come far since the race I ran in May. Its just that eight seconds is so. damn. close.

However, as I said before, this race was not about me. In my mind, it was all about my friends and they ROCKED it. Sherry finished with a chip time of 2:13:53 and Irene finished in 2:18:41. I am so very very proud of them. Its funny, because when they started training, they said they hoped to finish "not over 2 hours 30 minutes". I told them I knew they were faster than that.

Its so true that the last leg of a long distance race is a mental game. I truly believe that if I had let the thought enter my mind that I couldn't finish, Iwould have been right. That's why I was so stunned when the volunteer asked if Ineeded assistance. I refused to entertain the fact that I wasn't going to be able to do it!

The biggest disappointment was the baggage reclaim fiasco. I don't know what went wrong, and I am sure the organizers will get it fixed for next year, but seriously. The last thing that people who have run 21.1 or 42.2 kilometers need to do is stand in the cold and wind for 90 minutes or more to collect their bags.

My leg kept giving out, Sherry was going hypothermic. She was so blue and shivering so hard I kept having to try and warm her up with my own body heat.

Otherwise, kudos to the orgainzers for a great event!

I think that the best way to describe the race for me was that while I didnt have a great race, I definitely did a great job!

Misadventure

2011-10-11T20:43:00.000-04:00

On Sunday, October 9th, my husband took this picture.

Seems odd, I suppose, taking pictures of yourself in a public bathroom.

For thanksgiving weekend we travelled to Mississauga to spend the holiday with my Mom's family. Every year, Thanksgiving is spent together, rotating between Mississuaga, Sudbury or Pembroke.

We went shopping on Sunday, and made sure to take this picture. Anytime we are out with the kids in a crowded area, or away from our own city, we do this. That way, (shudder), if one or both of the kids were to become seperated from us, we would have a recent picture of them. In the very clothes they were wearing. If, heaven forbid, the police had to search for my kids, they picture that they would release to the media would be the most recent and accurate it could be.

I have acquaintances who have said I was paranoid for doing such a thing. Some who have said it was a good idea but that they would never remember to do it.

On Sunday, October 9th, while shopping in a large retail store, I didn't know where my son was for close to 25 minutes. 25 minutes.

Let me explain.

We were shopping as a group. My husband, myself, our 8 and 5 year old boys, along with my parents. When we walked in to H&M, the men went one way, my Mom and I went another. Not too long after that, my husband and our 5 year old came back over to me and said they were going outside.

"Where's Zack?" I asked

"I guess he's with your Dad", he said.

"You GUESS?", I asked.

"Well he was with us!" he said sarcastically.

I guess this was good enough of an answer for me, because I didn't pursue it further. But really, why would I? My husband is a good father, and I trust him.

Not too long after, my dad sent my mom a message to let her know he was off to find a bathroom. About 5 minutes after that, I started to wonder where they were. We hadn't heard from them at all. I text my father-- Is zack with you

No answer.

I took a quick walk over to the men's section. No Zachary. No Dad. Starting to get a little annoyed, I call my Dad.

No answer.

I text my husband -- Can't find zack

No answer.

FUCK.

In the back of my mind I knew that Zachary was probably with my father. But you know, what? He's 8. Probably isn't enough. Its just not enough.

I did another quick run through the store, calling his name. At the same time, I was calling my husband's cell.

No answer.

I found a sales associate and said, quickly and urgently.

"I may be missing a kid. He might be with my father, but I just don't know. He's not answering his cell and I just don't know. He's wearing a bright orange shirt with adidas on it and denim shorts. He's got dark hair in a brush cut"

Just saying those words---that he was missing, that I didn't know where he was, having to describe his clothing---made my blood run cold.

To my relief, the sales associate acted quickly. She asked all staff to listen to their radios, but to turn down the sound. She explained what was happening and posted herself at the entrance/exit so that Zachary couldn't leave. This was great, because I wanted to be there,and running through the store, and running through the Heartland Town Centre all at the same time.

I kept walking through the store, quickly, urgently, calling my son's name. This continued for close to another 10 minutes when my mom called my name.

"I've got Dad on the phone. He's got Zack. He's got Zack"

Relief. Pure relief. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I still didn't know where he was, but at least I knew who he was with. I knew.

I let the sales associate know that we had found him, that he was safe. Everything was okay.

It was all so simple. My dad decided to go look at some other stores and took Zack with him. He just didn't let me know, that they were together. (and boy, did I let him hear about that!) In fact, they were all together. No one heard their phones.

But at least, if we hadn't found him soon, when we would have made that call to the police. We would have had this picture.

The picture with the little 8 year old boy in the bright orange shirt and the denimn shorts with dark hair, in a brush cut.

So people can tell me that its paranoid to take a picture of my kids when we go out to unfamiliar or crowded areas. If it means I am paranoid, I don't want to be anything else.

Jessica

I'll Go With You

2011-10-07T14:02:00.000-04:00

11 years ago, I married Jordan. He is a funny, caring, TALL man. I love him to pieces.

For our first dance, we asked our incredibly talented friend Tracy to sing an Italian song, Con Te Partiro (made popular by Andrea Bocelli).

To say she sang it beautifully would be to underestimate how incredible her performance was. About one minute in to the song, we stopped dancing just so we could watch her seemingly effortless performance. I truly wish I had a recording of her performance. (Hint, Hint T)

In celebration of our anniversary, I thought I would post the song and its English translation here.

I love you Jordan. I'll go with you!

(Sorry, I can't make the video imbed, you'll have to make do with the link!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcrfvP11Hbo

I'll Go With You - Con te Partiro

(E. Sartori - L. Quarantotto)

When I'm alone

I dream on the horizon

And words fail

Yes, I know there is no light

In a room where the sun is absent

If you are not with me

At the windows

Show everyone my heart

Which you set alight

Enclose within me

The light you

Encountered on the street

I'll go with you

To countries I never

Saw and shared with you

Now, yes I shall experience them

I'll go with you

On ships across seas

Which, I know,

No, no, exist no longer

With you I shall experience them

When you are far away

I dream on the horizon

And words fail

And yes, I know

That you are with me

You, my moon, are here with me

My sun, you are here with me

I'll go with you

To countries I never

Saw and shared with you

Now, yes, I shall experience them

I'll go with you

On ships across seas

Which, I know

No, no exist no longer

With you I shall experience them again

I'll go with you

On ships across seas

Which I know,

No, no exist no longer

With you I shall experience them again

I'll go with you

I with you.

Its Not About the Politics

2011-08-22T21:24:00.001-04:00

When I heard that Jack Layton had passed away, I was sitting in a room at my chiropractor's office, waiting for my appointment. I sat there in stunned silence. I truly wanted to believe that it was one of those jokes. That someone had hacked a twitter account somewhere and posted a cruel joke. Sadly, it is heartbreakingly true.

When the last election campaign was running, Zachary was very curious about the whole process. He is eight, and they had been talking about it a bit in class. I have always, always exercised my right to vote, and was thrilled to be able to talk with my son about it.

I remember in one discussion, he asked me who I was going to vote for. We spoke a bit about how voting is a private matter and typically it wasn't polite to ask someone who they planned to vote for because it is a personal choice. I then told him that I wasn't yet sure.

Like many Canadians, I was very disenchanted with the system. It seemed that we were forced into another election, but being presented with the exact same choices.

But as I watched the campaign unfold, Jack Layton began to truly stand out.

And it wasn't about the politics.

It was about his positive message, his passion, and his integrity. I didn't necessarily agree with all of his policies. It would be rare that I ever fully agreed with any one party's politics. Jack's character, however, completely impressed me. And that's what truly matters, I think.

If only all our politicians loved Canada and its people as much as Mr. Layton did, and loved the politics just a little less, Canada wouldn't just be great, it would be incredible.

In our election discussions, I tried to explain that eachof the parties' policies are important, but the most important is the integrity of the person. Jack Layton showed that in spades.

I have always voted for the person I felt was best for my riding. In the most recent election, I voted for the person I thought could change Canada.

I truly believe that he already has.

One of the strongest examples of this, for me, is in his farewell letter to Canadians.

He reaches out to others fighting cancer; people he knew identified with his fight and felt they were fighting along with him.

He tells them to keep fighting, and reminds them that there is hope. There is always hope.

I hope that my children have the opportunity to learn more about Jack Layton. He is an incredible role model. Canada - the whole world- needs more people with that kind of heart.

RIP Jack Layton. Thank you.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world. ~ Jack Layton

How are YOU going to change the world?

Jessica

Holiday....Celebrate!

2011-08-21T13:11:00.000-04:00

Three long years.

That's how long its been since we have been able to have any semblance of a family holiday. In August of 2008 we took the kids to Great Wolf Lodge for two days and it was a blast. We enjoyed the mini-holiday. It was enough time to get away, have fun and refresh, but not so long that you needed a recovery from the holiday.

We swore that we would do more of these mini-vacations. But then, Jordan got laid off. For 22 months.

So, as one does when this happens, you re-structure the priorities. Vacations fell to the wayside in favor of basic needs and karate memberships. At the time Jordan was laid off, I worked about 30 hours a week. Enough to do the job I loved, but also that I could be home to meet the boys off the bus. When the layoff occured, I was fortunate to take on two extra jobs, but this meant I was working--a lot. Upwards of 80 hours a week.

In fact, when I left for Girlz Weekend 2011 at the end of June, that was the first time I had taken more than two days off in a row in that three year period! Again, although it has been tough, we were fortunate that the opportunity came our way.

But, it means we all really need a break. We need to go away and have f-u-n. So, on Thursday afternoon we leave for Niagara Falls for a 4 day mini-vacation.

Or as I like to call it "Running trip disguised as Family Vacation".

Once my friend Denise and I booked ourselves to run www.thechocolaterace.com, I spoke to hubby about making it into a family vacation.

You know, the kind of vacation where your family waits in the heat for you to finish a long race.

Seriously, though. the kids haven't seen Niagara Falls, nor have they been to Marineland. We have people we can stay with, to lessen some of our costs, so heck.....WHY NOT!? We've decided to spend two nights in a hotel, because we got a great deal on Hotwire and two nights with our friends.

The kids are excited. The hubby is as excited (as excited as he gets), and heck, I'm running a race that has chocolate, so I am CLEARLY excited.

But as much as I love to run, I am so excited to get to spend time with my wonderful kids and husband.

Wish us luck and great weather on Valiquette Vacay 2011!

Jessica

Sunshine

2011-07-27T22:14:00.000-04:00

You are my Sunshine

My only Sunshine

You make me happy

When skies are grey

You'll never know dear

How much I love you

Please don't take

My Sunshine away

This is Corbett. My how he's grown!

It appears, in spite of all the "You have to eat, if you want to grow up big and tall like Daddy" threats, that even children who don't eat much food will still grow.

This is good, because he really doesn't eat that much. The part that eludes me is how he has the energy to be a ball of non-stop energy. From the time he wakes up until the time he FINALLY goes to sleep, he is constantly on the move.

Corbett is often still awake at 10:30 or 11:00 at night. He goes to bed at 8:30 and talks or sings to himself, then talks to his stuffed animals, and eventually falls asleep. Then, he's up at 6:30, fired up and ready to go.

He is very much like me, that way and frankly, he exhausts me. Hell, Corbett exhausts our dog, and she's a beagle. This is telling. There are very few things that exhaust that dog.

Often, when describing my kids personalities, it is hard to say more about Corbett than "Corbett...well, he's Corbett!" Once you've met him, you just know what I mean.

But here's the thing. When I took the picture above, Corbett kept saying "Sunshine! I'm sunshine!", and you know what? He's right.

He IS sunshine.

Like the sun, when you see Corbett, you can't help but smile. He brightens people's day. Sure, the curly hair and adorable mischeivous smile are a part of it, but its his personality too. He is fun, snuggly and charming. He gives hugs that warm you up all over. He wants to be a part of, and see everything that is going on around him.

But, like the sun, he can be fickle. He is either very very sunny, or he is cloudy and stormy! He switches from one to the other in lightspeed, and it throws me off guard at times.

If you don't pay attention to the sun, you can get burned. With Corbett, if you aren't watching, well, you may soon wish you had been watching. He's GOING to get into something. He's impulsive and he hasn't yet developed the skill of knowing that just because a thought enters your mind, doesn't mean you absolutely MUST act on it.

An exercise in extremes, Corbett can go from laughing and smiling one second to howling in frustration or sadness faster than you can snap your fingers. Kind of like the sun, hiding behind a cloud, only to peek out a few moments later.

Thankfully, more often than not, he is as you see above. Smiling, happy Corbett.

He warms my heart, he gives great hugs. He drives me crazy, and sometimes his mood swings make me worry about his future. He's quirky and he makes me howl with laughter. He does what makes him happy, and doesn't care if people think its weird. Whether he is wearing his shirt backwards, or wearing blue polish on his nails. He does what makes him happy, and that makes ME happy.

He's a great kid. He's my Sunshine.

The Runner's Cheerleader and Lessons Learned

2011-07-21T21:39:00.000-04:00

Last night, the kids and I participated in the 20 minute challenge at the Running Room.

Basically the purpose of the event is to encourage people to be active for 20 minutes. Anyone can do that!

The plan was for Zachary and I to run about 5km and for Corbett to ride in the stroller. Being the planner that I am, everything was set the night before--the Chariot stroller was loaded into the trunk, the run clothes were packed.

We were good to go.

Come Wednesday night....it was HOT. HOT and HUMID.

We decided to stick with the plan, but take it nice and slow. Corbett asked if he could run with us and promised he'd keep up. We let him out and off he went. About 100 meters later, he gave up. No surprise there, being "fast" is not his thing. While he was "running" we averaged a 9 minute per KM pace! But, he was having fun, and that's what matters.

Once we got him all settled back in the Chariot, he assumed a new role.

Corbett is probably the best cheerleader for runners ever.

There he was, chilling out in his stroller with his legs crossed, clapping his hands and yelling words of encouragement to everyone we passed, or who passed us!!

"Great job!!"

"Lookin' good!"

"You got this!!"

"GO! GO! GO!"

and one of my personal favorites, "There's a potluck at the store! Go, Go!!!"

Let me tell you, he sure got a lot of smiles and laughs out of all those poor runners, sweating like crazy in the hot, sticky weather!

Which brings me to lessons learned.

When it comes to running with Zachary, I typically let him learn lessons the "hard" way.

He's learning about not starting out too fast on a run by doing just that. He's started out too fast a few times and then struggled to finish.

He's learned that 3 slices of pizza does not make a pre-race meal.

He's learned the value of planning a run around bathroom stops.

The problem is, when you are 8 years old-or any age, for that matter-it is difficult to see the distinction between coach and mom. Or student and child.

Kids love to challenge their parents. They disagree with us just to see what happens. It can be good for them, both to learn to use their voice and to learn their boundaries.

Other times its not so good at all.

A few times before the run, I suggested to Zachary that he have some water and a little bit of food before we leave.

"It's really hot, Zack, you have to make sure you are hydrated. You need lots of water", I suggested.

"I don't want any. I'm fine"

About 10 minutes later, I suggested it again. Five minutes before we were scheduled to take off, I mentioned water again. No go.

Thankfully the lessons he and I learned did not go anywhere near as badly as they could have. What happened was dangerous. It could have been so much worse.

About 2.5km into the run, Zachary said "My heart hurts and I feel dizzy". We immediately slowed to a slow walk. I encouraged Zachary to take some deep breaths and to keep walking slowly, but told him that if he didnt start feeling better soon to let me know right away.

After about 3 minutes, he said he felt fine and wanted to run. I asked him to walk for another few minutes then told him we would run if he still felt okay.

We started to run again at a very leisurely pace. After about 5 minutes, Zachary mentioned that he was dizzy again.

We stopped and slowed to a walk. I told him he had a few minutes, but if he wasn't feeling better he had to get in the stroller. This is not an exciting prospect for either of us--he wants to run, and I don't want to push both kids in that heat, their combined weight is about 115 pounds. But, safety first.

In hindsight, I should have had him get in the stroller right then.

We came to a small, but steep decline. We went single file, with me ahead, as we usually do. The momentum of the stroller meant that I was down the hill pretty quickly, so I turned back to see how Zachary was.

What I saw was my sweet, 8 year old boy, staggering side to side like he was coming back from way too many drinks at a keg party. On a sidewalk alongside a high traffic road.

I ran up the hill, pulling the stroller behind me, until I could grab a hold of him. I basically lifted him with one arm and tossed him in the stroller, then ran the 2km back to the store.

Thankfully, the evening was also a potluck, so there was plenty of water, juice, vegetables, fruit and other drinks and sweets. I just kept telling myself that I had to get him there and he would be fine,

I won't lie. That incident scared the shit out of me. There's nothing quite like the feeling of knowing, that your own actions put your child in danger.

It won't happen again.

So what lessons did we learn?

I hope that Zachary has learned that when we run, I am his Coach. He needs to listen to me just as he does to his Senseis in karate.

I'm there to share knowledge with him, from my own experiences. I'm there to ensure his safety. I'm there to help him be his best. I hope that next time I offer a suggestion, that he trusts my knowledge and does what I ask.

I have learned that even though I am his coach, I am first and foremost his mother. Next time, I'm just going to tell him he has no choice. He's going to drink the damn water.

And, if for any reason, he becomes dizzy again, he goes in the stroller right away. There will always be another chance to run. There will never be another Zachary.

Heel N Wheel A Thon

2011-05-23T23:42:00.000-04:00

We are lucky enough to have become friends with a fabulous family, the Clements. I met Denise through the Run Club I attend and we have a lot in common, aside from the running. She and her husband Jason have two great daughters, Sara and Dylan.

Recently, Jason was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Crohn's disease is part of a family of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. People with Crohn's disease experience a range of unpleasant, painful symptoms.

On June 12th, Zachary and I will be joining Jason, Denise and a few others at the Heel N Wheel A Thon here in Sudbury, to raise funds for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada.

As Zachary proved last year when he raised $1318 for CHEO, he is a far better fundraiser than I am. So I will be coaching him and running at his side on June 12th, but he is doing all the fundraising. He has once again set a goal of $500, and his well on his way having already raised $375!

You can help him out by following this link and donating any amount you can....every donation helps!

What a kid....he sure makes us proud!

Jessica

Generosity

2011-05-18T23:06:00.000-04:00

I have always tried to teach my sons generosity and compassion by example. There are no tests, no report cards, no way to measure whether these lessons are learned. I believe that my children’s generosity will surface when they are ready—true generosity cannot be compulsory. Nothing prepared me for the level of generosity that my oldest son would display--at just seven years of age.

I am a recreational runner. There are many reasons I run, however one of them is the opportunity it gives me to raise money for causes that are important to me. It’s not something I realized my son was aware of until I asked if he wanted to run in the 2010 Ottawa Kids’ Marathon.

The Ottawa Kids Marathon is a fantastic way to promote fitness in kids. Kids are expected to log 41kms (usually 30minutes activity= 1km) and then run the last 1.2km on the same day as the Marathon on Ottawa Race Weekend. Zachary has often expressed interest in running with me, and he was up for the challenge. Zachary chose to run every kilometre.

What came next surprised me. “Who do I raise money for?”

Although he didn’t have to raise money for this race, yet he insisted that he wanted to. We went online and investigated the official charities associated with Ottawa Race Weekend 2010. Although all were fabulous charities who do excellent work, none resonated with him. So, after some discussion, Zachary chose to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
Suddenly he was a man on a mission! We created a Facebook group. We filmed a video of him and posted it. We sent emails. Zachary set what I thought was a lofty goal of $500.

So he raised money, and he ran. And he stuck to it. Soon he was able to run up to about 3.5km!!

And my shy, reserved boy was asking anyone he knew if they would donate.
I was amazed when he reached his goal. I was stunned when he raised $700. I was overjoyed when he reached $1000. And I was moved to tears when on a sunny Friday in May, Zachary walked into the offices of the CHEO Foundation and handed them donations totalling $1318.

Inevitably, countless people said to us “You must be so proud”, and we were. How could we not be? But most importantly is that he was proud of himself. Countless lessons were learned in those short few months. I am still amazed at what he taught me.

Jessica

I DID IT!!!

2011-05-01T20:55:00.000-04:00

Goal for my first half-marathon: 2 hours 30 minutes

Time for my first half-marathon: 2 hours 22 minutes 33 seconds (not official).
UPDATE: official time 2 hours 20 minutes 03 seconds

I will write a post about the race later, but for now, I leave you these...

Jessica

The Reason I Run

2011-04-11T21:36:00.000-04:00

On May 24th, 1991, I was the driver of this vehicle.

I am thankful for every day- EVERY day-because I know how fortunate I am to be alive.

I suppose that a better writer could phrase that more eloquently, but there you have it. I am LUCKY. For some reason, my passenger and I survived that horrific crash. What's even better is that we both chose to live after we survived.

We did not escape uninjured. After leaving the road and hitting a small rockface, the 1982 Ford Escort flipped end for end multiple times. The force of multiple impacts tore the backseat from the floor - it crashed through the back window and was found outside the car. Eventually the seatbelt could no longer restrain me and I was thrown into the back. I suffered serious injuries. I ripped the clutch out with my foot; I bent the steering wheel with my face, breaking my jaw. My esophagus swelled shut, and one lung collapsed. Eventually, with my body so weak, I developed pneumonia. My digestive system went into shock and would not work for days. I was injured and sick, and I fought like crazy to survive.

However, despite incredible care, 20 years later, there are still after effects. I suppose one never fully heals from injuries of that magnitude. I've had several surgeries on my jaw and still suffer from a nasty case of TMJ. It was years before I could chew anything harder than overcooked pasta. It is still difficult to eat many foods. Due to the injuries to my ankle, which were initially overlooked in favour of saving my life, I spent about 10 years on crutches and canes and was finally given a brace to deal with a condition called drop foot. It was presumed I would likely not walk again without some minor form of assistance. It was presumed that because of the injuries to my jaw I might never play flute again, something I was very talented at and loved immensely.

HA!

I still play flute. I still walk with a limp and have reduced sensation in that leg, but I walk on my own. Not only do I walk - I run!

It was not enough for me to just defy the odds and walk unaided--13 years later, I wanted to see if I could run. First a 5km race, then another, and another. I am neither fast, nor am I slow. I am still always secretly amazed that my body has let me continue to run one more race. I have continued to train and on May 1, 2011 I will run my first Half-Marathon.

21.1 km. 13 miles. In one day.

Many people think I am crazy. For others the distance is not that far. It's important to remember that I have run with people that run multiple marathons a year. For some people, 21.1km is merely a fun run, not a challenge (they're the crazy ones, by the way)

But for me? For me, this is overwhelming!

Once, a handful of people who know medecine, but don't know me, decided that the odds were stacked against me. I decided they were wrong. For as long as I can remember I have chosen to believe that my willpower is stronger than "the odds". This doesn't mean that I am not plagued by self-doubt. I wonder if I can do this, I wonder if I should do this. But really, the only way to know for sure is to actually go out and DO IT!

So, in the end I will not be intimidated by this half-marathon, because for me, I have already conquered the real battle. The brace, and the crutches and the cane stay in the closet, readily available - just in case. But I know I won't need them. 20 years ago I could have accepted the fate offered to me by the doctors. I could have gone home and never played flute again, instead of going on to study music and psychology . I could have just accepted the brace and the cane. But always, always, I could see the end goal. The challenges were just part of the journey.

Finishing my first half-marathon? THAT'S the reward. THAT'S what I believe is owed to me.

Its been almost 20 years, and I have decided to collect.

(The friend who was travelling with me? I dont think she's run any half marathons -she says she prefers to sprint!)

Zachary Did It!!!

2010-06-01T18:51:00.001-04:00

Words can not adequately express how thankful Zachary and I are for everyone's support. Whether you supported by cheering, with a donation to CHEO Foundation or both, you helped give a Zachary an experience like no other.

Highlights of the weekend included:

Running the Family 2km run on Saturday. It was hot, it was sticky and we were particularly thankful for the gentleman who generously had his sprinkler spraying onto the race course for a much appreciated cool-off! Zachary and I crossed the finish line hand in hand, with our arms raised in the air, yelling our trademarked "Hooray!!!"

Zachary running his fasted ever pace during the Sunday finish to the Kids Marathon. His pace of 5min 48seconds per kilometer, means he finished in 6minutes 49.9 seconds! Alos, this was his first run without his coach (that's me!) by his side. The smile on his face when we met up in the recovery area was spectacular. And the Marathon medal (just like the "real" marathon medal) is something he will cherish forever.

Watching the blistering fast finish of the marathon. Fujiwara of Japan set a course record, and the next two finishers were only seperated from the lead by 20 seconds. It was one heck of a race!

Most importantly, on Friday, Zachary walked into the CHEO Foundation office, and handed over a donation of $1318.00!! When I asked Zachary if he wanted to participate in the Marathon, it never croseed my mind that he would want to raise money for a charity. That he thought of this on his own, and made all the efforts he did truly inspires me.

He makes me strive to be a better person.

So for all you have done to help Zachary to exceed his initial fundraising goal of $500.00....

Thank you!

March Break

2010-03-16T11:36:00.000-04:00

Zachary and Corbett went to visit their Aunt Leanna for the March Break. Zachary has gone for March Break since he started school. This was Corbett's first time there for that long, but he has been for the weekend before. They both love being there and the added bonus is that she has a large property and one of those mini-quads.

Judging from these pictures, they are having a blast!

Boys and dirt---together since time began!

Jessica

Boys Will Be Boys!

2010-03-11T11:13:00.001-05:00

Our friends Rosanne and Jamie from PhotoCaptiva recently took some great pictures of Zachary and Corbett. Here is a preview!

Double Purple Stripe Belt

2010-02-09T15:53:00.000-05:00

Zachary successfully tested for his Double Purple Stripe Belt at Karate this weekend. He has been attending Benoit's Martial Arts for about 2 years now and really enjoys it. An added bonus...he's quite good at it!

Here he is with Sensei Donna and Jordan, who was helping out at the testing!

Congratulations, Zachary!

For Shame, For Shame....

2010-02-06T16:39:00.000-05:00

Well blog reader(s)...it appears that I have been called out regarding my neglectfulness of the blogging world.
It is has been quite some time since my last post. Almost 5 months actually.

There has been many a time that I thought to myself, gee, I should blog about this....but ultimately, there is no time.

Jordan remains on lay off, and I am working a fair bit. We are fortunate that I have had the opportunities that I have so that this lay off isn't affecting us in as drastic way as it has affected some. Things are tough, but not unbearable. We have each other, we have our health.

The kids are great. Awesome. Fantastic, even. They make me proud every day. Even when they drive me crazy. Which also happens...every day.

Zachary is now 7. SEVEN! Doesn't it seem like only a short time ago that Jordan and I were literally racing to the hospital because this baby was coming NOW! He had his own agenda that day-making us rush, and then making us wait-and he has his own agenda now. He is smart as can be, but reluctant to show it to others. He is kind and caring, but reluctant to show that too.

We can see him struggling at a crossroads of growing up , fighting for independance yet struggling to hang on to the comforts of being our little Zachary. This seventh birthday was bittersweet for me. Its like I want him to grow up, but still stay young forever. Chatting at his birthday party, my friend, whose son is the same age, put it best when she said "They aren't kids anymore, they're boys!" Little things, like standing at the door and watching as he walks downt he road to his friend's house, make me proud and sad all at the same time!

He is doing well at Karate, and even won first place for his kata in his age group. He was so proud, but probably not as proud as Jordan and I! Because he placed first, he then went on to compete for Grand Master Champion against two other competitors. He came in a very close second place to a very deserving competitor!

Zack is in Grade 2 now, and speaks French very well, although he is reluctant to speak it anywhere but school. I was amazed when I heard him have a complete conversation with his teacher this week when we were at the Open House to enroll Corbett in kindergarten.

Speaking of which. Corbett is FOUR! In September he will be going to Kindergarten and he is very excited. Kindergarten is his new focus, now that he is finally in karate. He started in the Tigers program at the same Dojo as Zachary. Corbett has desperately wanted to attend for about a year now, having watched Zachary 2-3 times a week for aabout 2 years.

Corbett is still, for lack of a better word, a firecracker. He wakes up, and is on from then until he finally goes to bed. And when he goes to bed, he is still going. He often plays and sings in his bed for about 1 to 1.5 hours before falling asleep! He is a lot like his mom. He has a LOT of energy, doesn't need much sleep, and can't quite comprehend when things don't go his way. The eternal optimist, he persistently tries to find a way to make any situation work out to his sole benefit. You can imagine the tantrums when he is unsuccessful. Intense, yet short-lived, as he quickly finds a way to keep trying!

He is doing so well at his daycare and is well-loved there. We couldnt ask for more! He can spell and write his name, loves to draw things and is like a sponge, trying to soak up whatever information he can.

In addition to working, I have also continued to work on my studies, and recently finished the final course towards my Compensation Management Specialist (CMS) designation. Two more courses and I will have my Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation. I am also taking advantage of my employment at Cambrian College, which allows me to take credit courses at a discount, to start taking courses towards my Human Resources Post- Grad Diploma. The first one is successfully completed and the second one is underway!

Jordan recently renovated our main floor powder room/ half-bath. The floor was rotting and it was at a point we had to get it done! He did a GREAT job!

So, all in all, we are well! I will post pictures soon.....you wont believe how much the kids have grown!

Jes

About Heroes

2009-09-22T21:16:00.000-04:00

And I am not talking about the TV Show.

I am talking about real life heroes. And wow, did I ever see a lot of them this weekend.

This weekend, Jordan and I sent the kids off to hang out with Aunt Leanna on Manitoulin Island for the weekend because we were travelling to Ottawa to participate in the 5km Race of the 2nd Annual Army Run.

Early on in the summer I had mentioned to Jordan that I really wanted to participate in an official race, as opposed to the 5km fun runs I have always done. In an official race, you wear a timing chip on your shoe to clock an official time and there are a LOT more people.

It came down to the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Race or the Army Run in Ottawa. I decided to do the Army Run because I think it is incredibly important that we support our troops. I am not pro-war, but I am definitely pro-troops. These soldiers do things that I would definitely not have the courage to do. That is not necessarily why they are heroes though.

The Army Run raises funds for a program called Soldier On. Its purpose is to assist injured soldiers with their unique and individual needs.

Both the 5km race and the Half-Marathon also had an injured soldiers component. 15 minutes prior to the start of each of those races, injured soldiers started their own race.

Wow. Just Wow.

We all have bad days,and many of us in these difficult economic times have a significant amount of stress, but it is events like these that put it into perspective.

Check this out.

These gentlemen are missing one of both of their legs. And they still participated. The weren't fast, but they were smiling. They were happy to be there. They are focused on what they have, not what they don't.

A pretty powerful lesson don't you think?

It is humbling to be running what would end up being my best race ever, and pass these men and women who aren't doing it for a best time, but are doing it simply because they can. Because other people may have thought the couldn't.

I passed a gentleman who had moved off to the side and was readjusting his prosthetic. No more will I be frustrated if I have to stop to retie my shoelace. Or be grumpy because my feet hurt. So trivial.

There were so many inspirational stories, some that made headlines, some that didn't. No matter, they are all heroes in my eyes.

I encourage you to take part in this event next year. You don't have to run, you can walk it too!

We all need a little inspiration in life. There was no shortage in Ottawa this weekend.

Jessica

Beach Beauties

2009-09-05T11:57:00.000-04:00

Back to School 2009

2009-09-01T23:33:00.001-04:00

I am so excited!

2009-09-01T23:15:00.000-04:00

Those who have known me for any length of time know that I am a flautist. It is something that I have always enjoyed and the added bonus is that I have a natural talent for it.

Putting aside life changing events such as childbirth, playing in a full concert band or ensemble is one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. To hear how multiple parts played by multiple instruments can turn a piece of music into something that evokes feeling is one thing, but to participate in creating that sound is entirely another.

I have truly missed it. Then at the 2008 Staff Christmas party for the Running Room fate stepped in!

You see, Frank is one of my co-workers (if you need running shoes, go see Frank...he's the man, seriously). Frank's wife Sally was the music teacher/band conductor at Lockerby Secondary School until retiring a couple of years ago. Sally is now the Concert Band Leader for the recently developed Laurentian University Concert Band.

I was all set to audition, then it turned out that their rehearsal night was not an open time for me. I was crushed, but determined to clear my schedule for the Fall so that I could audition.

Last night was my audition and I have to tell you I was nervous. REALLY nervous.
I hadn't had a lot of time to practice and tend to be self-critical about these things.

But not to be deterred, I went determined to do my best. Thankfully, Sally was very impressed and I am now a member of the Laurentian University Concert Band!

I am so excited!

Jes

Grade 2

2009-08-31T23:26:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow Zachary will head off for his first day of Grade Two!

It seems so odd. It is cliche, but was it really that long ago I held Zachary as a newborn baby in my arms? He was so little. He never really had that baby look, instead he looked like a miniature man. He wasn't born with blue eyes like most babies, they were green. They have since turned to hazel, but when he is really excited you can see the green so brilliantly.

How he has grown since then!

He is funny, charming and polite; a very opinionated little boy who likes things to go according to plan. He has an overpowering need to know what is going to happen next, and gets frustrated when it doesn't happen the way he was told it would.

He loves to make people laugh and is a fan of Ben 10, Bakugan, Transformers and his little brother, to name a few!

He likes to read bedtime stories to Corbett, and to play games on the computer.

He is caring and considerate, always eager to cheer someone up who is having a bad day.

He is a great kid, and I can't wait to see what this year has in store for him!

Grade Two! Really? Where has the time gone?

Jessica

One of those days...

2009-08-23T23:12:00.000-04:00

today
was one of "those" days

the kind
where everything they do
grates on you somehow
even if they are doing it "right"
especially
if they are doing it "wrong"

it wasn't their fault
it was mine
my problem
me forgetting
how lucky i am
to have them

forgetting
for just a moment
that hundreds of thousands
of people in this world
wish their challenges
were as few and small as mine

instead
i was grouchy
tired
in pain
ill

trying so hard
to not be cranky
wanting instead to yell
at the top of my lungs
for everyone to just be quiet

for
just
ten
minutes

the irony of that
not lost on me at all

but at the same time,

craving the quiet
wanting their laughter
their beautiful, joyous laughter
to lift to the heavens

and kiss the ears
of angels

another blessing
on beautiful day

someone said that
motherhood is the hardest
job of all
but i disagree

anyone can be a mother

being a good one
is the hard part

tomorrow

a new day
a clean slate

tomorrow i will do better

Its Good to be Back

2009-08-20T12:32:00.000-04:00

So this past weekend I ran 5km in a race here in Sudbury. It was the first time I have run 5km since sustaining an injury in February of this year, so I went into the race with a few nerves and a lot of caution. I was so excited to be running again!

The best part of this race though, was that two of my students from the Learn To Run class that I taught were also running it. This was a big accomplishment for them. The class, over 10 weeks, takes you from not being a runner at all, to gradually increasing your running time to 20 minutes with a 1 minute walk break after 10 minutes. The average first time runner usually runs their first race between 35 to 40 minutes, so this was going to be a stretch for them.

Both the runners came in with excellent times of 31:07 and 31:48. My intent was to follow them the entire race and finish after or alongside of them. I really wanted them to not be "chasing" me the whole time. They did a great job and I was very proud of them.

My race did not go as well as I had hoped. I made some mistakes, which means I learned a few lessons. In my opinion the fact that I can take away a few "lessons learned" makes it a successful run. After all, if you never have a bad run, how can you truly appreciate the good ones? One factor out of my control was that it was HOT! We haven't had many hot days, so the bulk of my training since coming back to running has been in some pretty cool, and rainy conditions. What was in my control is how I handled the weather; I didn't do this part very well at all.

1) I really shouldn't wear a full hat when running, especially in the heat we experienced Sunday. By the 9am start time, temperatures were about 25 degrees with a high level of humidity. I have a very thick head of hair and I overheated quickly. Even though the hat is designed for runners, it was a big detriment to me. In retrospect, I should have just taken the hat off and thrown it somewhere, but hats are expensive! Next time: Either wear a visor, or no hat at all.

2) Wearing all black was stupid;I don't care how moisture wicking the fabric is, black clothing and hot sun together are a bad mix. I knew better. Now I REALLY know better. Next time: Light-coloured clothing. Its there for a reason.

3) Somewhere around the 2 km mark, I was struggling pretty badly from being overheated so I briskly walked for about .5 km, in an attempt to catch my breath. This was a smart thing to do, I caught my breath and carried on to have a bit easier of a time. Next time: Try not to get to this point, but if you gotta walk, go ahead and walk. Its better than not doing either!

4) The water station. Ah yes, a fine display of Jessica's inherent and well-documented lack of co-ordination. I was so excited to see that water station. I even had a plan; take the water from the first person, throw it back like a shooter. Then I was going to grab water from the second person and thrown it over my head to cool me off. Instead, this is what happened.

I grabbed the water from the first person, and threw the entire cup, contents and all over my shoulder, missing my mouth entirely, splashing just a few drops on myself, as I heard the cup hit the sidewalk.

Yep. I am just that graceful! Next time I will slow down at the water station, no matter how badly I want to make up time!

My goal was to finish the race in under 32 minutes, which I felt was reasonable considering that I have not done any of my own training other than teaching the class. I did not make that goal, but I came close with a time of 32:36. Considering I walked about .5km to .75km, and the problems I had regulating my temperature and breathing--not to mention the humorous water station incident--I can accept that time as a good return to a sport that I enjoy.

I am now focused on running for myself, and working towards my goal for the Army Run being held in Ottawa on September 20th. I will not print my goal just yet. I have to do a few training runs to see if it is reasonable and attainable, but once I decide, I will post my goal time here! Someone has to hold me accountable!

Most importantly though....Congratulations to Phil and Wendy. You guys kicked my butt! Well done!

Here is a picture of me rounding the corner from Bancroft to Bellevue, just over 1km into the race! This picture was shamelessly taken from the Sudbury ROCKS! website. Make sure to click on that link to check out their site. They are amazing supporters of running and other related events in the Sudbury Area, which is greatly needed!

You can see full race results here and more pictures here

Happy Running!

Jessica

A rainy rainy summer.....

2009-08-08T22:39:00.000-04:00

Wow, is it ever raining a lot! I refuse to complain too much because at least it isn't snow!

I was lucky enough to get a weekend off, so we packed up the kids, sent Mischa to the "doggy hotel", and drove on over to Manitoulin Island. The parents of my great friend Tracy, have a beautiful home on Lake Kagawong and once a year all the friends gather there for a weekend. Unfortunately we have missed the past couple of years because of Jordan's work schedule, so it was great to be able to go.

It rained a fair amount, but that didn't ruin our plans.

The kids had a blast, we ate an enormous amount of food, played some cards, went for a canoe ride (after Tracy fell in the lake fully clothed).

I can't wait until next year!

T and A playing soccer!

If you were there, you know why this was so funny!

Corbett found his potty outside and decided it was time to use it. I thought this looked exactly like one of those weird garden statues!

Miss A blowin' bubbles!

Corbett touching a real, live fish. I am not sure he knew what to make of it!

Zachary came to join us for a day, even though he was having a great time Aunt Leanna's

E lost her stuffed puppy the first night. After a crazy rain storm early Saturday morning, the puppy was finally found, outside, nestled in a hosta in the garden. This is what puppy looked like after he got dried off a little!

Michael giving me "the look"

Tuckered out after a long, busy weekend.

Jes

No more school, no more books....

2009-07-07T11:04:00.001-04:00

We have reached the end of the school year! Phew....

Zachary did well at school and we saw a lot of improvement in the areas he struggled early in the year.

At the year end awards ceremony, he received an award for perfect attendance! He was so proud, especially since he was the only student to achieve that this year.
We were extremely proud, especially after all the health difficulties Zachary experienced in the last school year! Unfortunately, we don't have any pictures, because we weren't told he was getting an award, so we never brought a camera!

Corbett's potty training is thankfully, coming along a lot better than it was.

On Canada Day, we headed over in the evening to participate in the 1km kids race at the Walden Firecracker Run. Both Corbett and Zachary ran 1km and even got a medal at the finish line. Corbett was so proud he wore it to daycare the next day and Zachary got to go show his at karate class. My parents came by to get some pictures which we really appreciated because we ran with the kids!

Running together. I got such a thrill out of running with Zachary, kids have endless energy!

Almost at the finish line. I think Zachary loved hearing all the cheers and clapping as we approached.

After we were done, we went back to get Corbett. Once Corbett and Daddy rounded the corner and Corbett saw us, he took off fast to meet us. Very cute!

Showing off the hardware!

Finally, on July 5th we saw some good friends of ours off on an adventure. Cynthia, Marc and their two children are off to live in Australia for a year! Their son and Zachary are very good friends who have known each other since they were born, so Zachary misses his buddy, as do we. Jordan left the house on his motorcycle to see them off on their early, 6am flight.

Bye guys! Have fun,...we miss you already!

Jessica

MMMMM-Marshmallow

2009-06-11T14:04:00.000-04:00

P-P-P-Poker Face

2009-06-01T21:05:00.001-04:00

Corbett has a new favorite song that he loves to dance to.

Is it wrong that my 3 year old loves Poker Face by Lady GaGa?

Why silent auctions are evil.

2009-05-14T13:43:00.000-04:00

So when Jordan's employer is removing floor samples or has stock that can not be sold anymore, they allow the employees to bid on it at a silent auction.

For reasons I have yet to understand, that Jordan doesn't understand, heck that NO ONE seems to understand, Jordan decided to bid on doorknobs. 21 door knobs. 21 unmatching doorknobs. I dont even have 21 doors. I do however now have 22 doorknobs. For the last couple of days, I have been calling Jordan #22.

Now, I admit wholeheartedly the fact that they are very nice, good quality doorknobs. I even admit that he got a great deal. But the fact remains that I do not NEED these doorknobs.

On the surface, some might even say "Well, lots of women buy several pairs of black shoes/pants/skirts". This may be true, however I submit that at least these women likely WEAR their several pairs of shoes/pants/skirts.

This is the kind of thing that could spark an intense battle between a husband and wife. So what did I do when Jordan told me that he had successfully bid on 21 doorknobs?

I blinked. I blinked. I blinked again. Then I turned away and went to work. I would be mad at him if I could just stop laughing. I keep thinking this is like a Seinfeld episode. Can't you just picture Kramer coming home with 21 doorknobs? I evne said to him later that afternoon after he called to tell me that he had picked them up, "Dont let the fact that I am laughing at you betray the fact that I am actually upset with you"

WHAT THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH TWENTY-ONE DOORKNOBS?

Jordan has placed them for sale on facebook. So go take a look if you are interested. He bought a rug too. It is a very nive, high quality, so soft under your feet rug. But it just doesnt match my decor. Sigh.

At least I get to keep the windchimes. I am serious. He wont on a shopping spree.

So if you see a tall man stading on the street, saying "psst...wanna by a doorknob?" Don't panic, he is obviously crazy, but completely harmless.

Jes

Wacky Hair, Being Crafty, Kickin Butt and a Swimming Sunday

2009-05-03T22:20:00.000-04:00

It has been one crazy week!

(I say that a lot don't I?)

On Tuesday, Zachary's school celebrated "Wacky Hair Day!" We were happy that Zachary could actually participate this year. Usually by this time of year, he has asked to shave his head, so there isn't much we can do that is wacky!

Zachary was blessed with the same thick, coarse, can't decide if it is curly, straight or wavy hair that I have, so using an unspeakable amount of hair product, I was able to fashion Zachary his very own faux-hawk!

Zachary liked it so much that he wanted to wear his hair the same way the next day, but I had to say no. I don't even like doing my own hair!

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I began working at Job #3, the Running Room. I have worked there on and off for the last year, but will be on the schedule much more regularly now. It takes away from some of the time I get to spend with the kids, but will hopefully help us weather this layoff a little better.

My dear friend Tracy came over Friday night. Jordan was on night shift, so we took the opportunity to watch a movie together while eating massive amounts of salty food. We watched Mamma Mia!. It was very enjoyable, and Meryl Streep is fabulous!

The kids and I spent some time at Science North on Saturday so that Daddy could get a little bit of sleep, then after the kids went to bed, Jordan helped me make some posters to help cheer on some friends that were running a marathon on the Sunday. I knew Jordan was the guy to help me. He is so much better than that than me!

Sunday was an extremely busy day. Zachary had belt testing for karate in the morning at 9am, and my friends marathon started at 8am, so we left the house shortly after 8am to hang up 2 of the 3 signs we had made (the 3rd was for right at the finish line). Then we went to Zachary's belt testing. We are so proud of him. He has worked very hard and is quite proud of his new belt.

Zachary right before his testing.

Showing off one of his blocks!

Bowing to Sensai Dave

The proud boy with his belt!

After that, we headed back home so I could drop Jordan off. He had the lovely task of taking off the back of the dryer and searching the cause of "the smell". He didn't believe me when I screeched that I saw a mouse in the dryer 2 weeks ago. Well, the 2 dead mice in the dryer are my proof. Ugh!
Meanwhile the kids and I tried to find my marathon running friends. The first drive of the course we didn't see them, but after stopping to get mouse hunter, I mean Jordan, we found them on the second round. We beeped and cheered, got ahead of them, stopped and got out and cheered then raced ahead to the finish line. Josee did a fantastic job! I am so proud of her!
Here is a picture of my friend Josee and her husband Drew crossing the finish line after 4 hours and 9 minutes!! Way to go Josee! Her husband ran it with her and I know that she was thrilled to do that with him. Drew is an experienced marathon runner and has even completed an Ironman Triathlon! He usually runs a marathon a good hour faster than this one, so it was extremely kind of him to run with her as moral support.

After that, we headed to a swimming birthday party at the YMCA for a friend of Zachary and Corbett's. Both boys love to swim, especially Corbett, who has yet to learn a healthy respect of the water. He jumps in with reckless abandon and doesn't much care if you are ready to catch him. He will swim his way back to the surface and then turn and head back to jump again. I always have my hands close by, but rarely actually catch him. What the heck, he is having fun!

Zachary is becoming quite a good swimmer and has moved up to a swimming level that involves 45 minute classes in the "big pool". It is nice to know that I only have to "keep an eye out" for him and he can just putter around the pool doing his own thing!

After a crazy day like that it was nice to head to my parents house for dinner! I am not sure I had the energy to cook after a day like that!

So there you have it. A week in the life of Jessica, Jordan and the increasingly amazing Zachary and Corbett!

Jessica

Zachary, Supermodel!

2009-04-21T22:32:00.000-04:00

Zachary and I had the opportunity to go to Science North here in Sudbury this past Friday to be part of a new commercial and some photos they were preparing for their marketing.

I thought it would be a neat experience for him and he seemed to enjoy it, although it was a long day for a 6 year old. We were busy from 1:30pm to 7:00pm!

My friend Christine, who works at Science North posted some of the pictures on Facebook, so you can go there and check them out!

Pictures

And before you ask, no, the "husband" with Zachary and I in some of the pictures is not a new husband, he is just one of the other models!

Poor Jordan, he was replaced for a few hours!

Zachary and I were thrilled to have the chance to be in the commercial, we all love Science North and try to go often, and we see something new each time!

I hear rumours that the commercial may start to air in June, so keep your eyes open!

Jes

More updates on C...

2009-04-14T22:18:00.000-04:00

After allowing C and his body to rest some more, an MRI on Monday showed that the swelling in his brain had reduced some. A decision was made to extubate him and when he was awake and alert he saw his mom and began to hug her and cry. She told him "a thousand times" that she loved him and was so proud of him.

Unfortunately, shortly afterwards C's oxygen levels dropped and he began having great difficulty breathing again. He was reintubated and spent the next while experiencing dropping heartrates.

Todays report was better, and it appears that he has maintained his blood pressure with the assistance of medication.

Jessica

Another update

2009-04-09T22:43:00.000-04:00

C continues to make progress. He is no longer on the ECMO, and his heart and lungs are sustaining him on their own.

Tests were negative for any bacteria, virus or poison, so the Doctors began to suspect that C had suffered a stroke. An MRI this morning confirmed this to be the case.

His doctors and family will not know the extent of brain damage if any until C awakens and they can assess him properly.

Please pray that there is no brain damage and that C continues to heal as miraculously as he has. In a few short days, he has gone from a healthy boy, to being read his last rites and placed on life support to being a very ill boy who is managing to fight for his survival.

His Mom is staying by his side to be the first face he sees when he awakens.

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Keep fighting, C.

Jessica

An update on C...

2009-04-08T14:15:00.000-04:00

An email this morning from C's mom has positive news.

C was weaned from the blood pressure medication last night and is so far responding well to that. This is the beginning, and the doctors will slowly start weaning him off the machines that are sustaining him so far. He remains critical but stable.

C's older sister and two cousins were able to go visit him yesterday, a visit they were prepared for by a Child Support worker. They were shown pictures of C before going to the room to prepare them for what they would see.

His sister was quite reserved at first, however later returned to his room with their Mom to read him a book.

Positive news. Let's hope and pray that it continues.

Thank you for your prayers.

Jessica

A request for prayer, meditation, healing thoughts....

2009-04-07T21:40:00.000-04:00

This is not a happy cheerful post. They tend to be the ones I prefer to write, but it is necessary that I write this one.

Today I received three separate emails from my best friend that she had received from a friend.

Her young son, C (I have not asked permission to publish his name, so C will have to do), is gravely ill in a Children's Hospital here in Canada.

Here is the story as I know it...

This past Sunday, C hurt himself on a trampoline. His mother, being diligent kept an eye on him for signs of head injury. In retrospect, although this is not the nature of his illness, it is this that likely saved his life. C awoke Sunday evening complaining of a headache so his mother took him to the local emergency room to be safe. When they got there, C was frothing at the mouth and barely able to walk. His mother likens his movements to that of a person with Parkinson's disease. They assessed him there and then sent him by ambulance to the Children's hospital in the nearest city, thinking that he had a head injury. By the time they arrived there at about 2:30am, C's skin was green with brown patches all over him his lungs were filling with fluid, he was vomiting and going into shock. A brain scan determined that this was not a brain injury, rather something different.

At about 5am the family was told that C likely would not survive another hour as his heart was failing and his lungs continuing to fill. They resuscitated him and were pumping air into him using a manual pump. There was so much fluid in his body that each time they pumped it leaked out his ears, nose and mouth. He was put on an ECMO machine that pumps the blood out of him into a mechanical heart and lung and back into him. After a few hours, miraculously, he stabilized.

This afternoon his mother indicated that his heart is pumping very slightly on its own. He wakes briefly, but is quickly sedated again as they do not want him to move too much so his body can rest. He is responding to his mother's voice and has correctly responded to the neurologist's requests to move his eyes.

The most recent update at 9:30 this evening indicates that C continues to improve. Doctors are working tirelessly to try and determine what has caused this, the current thinking is either a virus, bacteria or possibly some kind of poison ingested either by mouth or through his skin. Depending on his progress, the Doctors may start trying to turn down the ECMO machine to see if C's heart and lungs can manage on their own. It is a slow gradual process that they will base on how well C's body adapts. The Doctors stress that C is a miracle and they did not think he was going to make it through the first 24 hours. C is undoubtedly a fighter.

I believe in the power of prayer, healing thoughts, and most of all belief. This family needs strength, and medical miracles. His Mom says "I know my little miracle is still with me because of his beautiful strong spirit and the Grace of God"

So please pray, hope and believe that C will pull through this.

To C's mom, if you read this, please know that I am thinking of you, hoping, praying and believing.

Thank you

Someone told me that it was spring....

2009-04-06T21:56:00.000-04:00

Seriously?

I know I have lived in Sudbury for the majority of my life and I know that snow and cold in April should not come as a big surprise....

But, I am soooo very tired of winter.

I am tired of the snow and road salt or sand being trekked into the house. I am tired of not knowing how to dress in the morning.

I want spring weather, splashing in puddles and enjoying walking Mischa.

I want to see all the grass start to turn green and to be able to harass Jordan about when he intends to mow the grass everytime it gets too long.

I want to take the kids to the park, let them ride bikes.

I want to see gardens being planted.

I want to sit outside and watch Zachary and Corbett play while Jordan BBQ's.

Is this so much to ask?

Zachary, Corbett and Trampy Tramp......I mean Mischa

2009-03-26T22:24:00.000-04:00

That's my Zachary, getting older and wiser by the minute! He has two more loose teeth on the top, but they are taking their sweet time coming out!

Here is some more evidence that Corbett should NOT dress himself.
What on earth is he wearing???

Let's take a closer look shall we?

Ah yes. Daddy's Running Room socks, a football jersey and green icing on his face.

That's my boy!

Mischa has a boyfriend. She is fixed so don't panic! His name is Harry Potter and he lives a few doors down from us. Obviously she is not concerned about size differences.

They always tire each other out after a play session. Harry usually tires first, but he is 8 times her size so it is understandable. After a while he just lays down and watches her run until she tuckers out. This next picture is of Mischa after Harry had gone home!

Jessica

A Busy Couple of Weeks!

2009-03-26T21:46:00.001-04:00

Wow, have we ever been busy here!

Jordan is working at Home Depot, on the overnight freight shift. It is obviously not ideal and the pay is significantly less than his job at XStrata, but he is happy to be doing something, and so am I!

On Tuesday, March 17th, I received an award at am Awards Gala, recognizing and honouring local women entrepreneurs and leaders. I received the Exceptional Woman award. What an honour! It was great to have Jordan, my parents, and a few friends there as well.

Take a close look, you might have to enlarge the picture. Can you spot the error on my certificate? LOL. Don't worry, they printed me a new one, but boy did we get a good laugh out of that!

Also that night, I had nominated a good friend of mine, and she won the Business Leadership Award! Congratulations Josee! Well deserved!

Josee and I together!

On Thursday, my Mom and I joined a bus trip to Toronto to visit the 2009 Canada Blooms festival. While I feel that the festival I went to a few years ago was better, there was still some incredible displays and beautiful landscaping so the trip was well worth it.

This Tuesday, I had my godkids, Aiden and Abby over while their Mom did some tutoring at night (Dad was out of town). Her birthday was the next day so we made her a cake. I don't know how good it tasted, but we had fun. I haven't asked permission to put up pics of her kids, so I will only show you a picture of the end product!

Can you tell this cake was decorated by a bunch of 3-6 year olds?
It was made completely from scratch though! The kids LOVED turning on my KitchenAid Mixer.

Zachary is doing well in karate and is enjoying school. He seems to have no shortage of friends, which makes us happy. He is a great kid, but often a little shy.

Corbett, despite the fact that he frequently has a tantrum when we say it is time to get dressed and leave the house, has developed a new game of dressing up to go "To Great Wolf Lodge". Today his fashion sense was decidedly ecclectic!

You see, there are reasons you don't let a 3 year old dress themselves!

I will have to post a picture of Zachary in another post. Blogger won't let me upload anymore for some reason!

I hope you enjoyed all the recent pictures. Now let's all cheer on Spring!

Jessica

Corbett's New Blanket

2009-02-26T23:14:00.000-05:00

"Look Mommy, A puppy just Like Mischa!"

The Happy Boy!

In the grand scheme of things...

2009-02-19T22:36:00.000-05:00

...everything will be okay. The important things in life are not things.

I will continue to remind myself of this each and every day, even though some days it probably won't feel all that accurate.

The reality is that I have a great husband, together we have great kids, and we all have great family and friends.

On Monday February 9th just after 2:00am, Jordan learned that his employer, XStrata Nickel would be laying off 686 people at the Sudbury Operations. At 3am, Jordan learned he was one of the unlucky ones.

We are thankful that the union has fought for the workers and secured from XStrata a salary continuation program until June 3rd. We realize that we are lucky to be afforded this breathing room.

We are thankful, that although the field I work in is not faring all that well either, I remain employed. We are thankful that when Jordan's health benefits expire, we can just add ourselves to the plan at my job.

We remain positive, but cautious. It is obviously prudent to worry, because the reality is not only that Jordan is looking for work, but that 685 others are too.

Vale INCO, another major employer here has an "announcement" on Friday, February 20th. We can not be surprised if they have chosen to lay off as well.

Inevitably, many of the contractors and manufacturers who are connected to the mines will also experience layoffs.

All this is to say that I hope you and your loved ones do not have to experience this. We thank you for all your well wishes and prayers.

We choose to see this as an opportunity and to believe that this will grow us in ways we cant event imagine. Any growth required growing pains. Let's hope this pain is short term, and not chronic.

This recent editorial in The Sudbury Star, says it all.

Help wanted: real investment - Editorial

To put things in perspective, Greater Sudbury lost almost 700 jobs when Xstrata Nickel announced last week it was closing mines and reducing its workforce in response to lower nickel prices and weak demand.

Greater Sudbury has a population of about 157,000; the Greater Toronto Area has 5.5 million. If the GTA had been hit with a similar layoff as this city was, the job losses would have topped 21,000. Can you imagine what the reaction to that would have been?

In these days of 1,000 cuts here and 5,000 there, it's useful to measure job losses as they affect the communities in which they take place. Seven hundred (686 to be exact) may not seem like a lot in the big picture, but for Greater Sudbury, they sting, and that's not even talking about the spin-off effects.

Some economists say that for every job lost at a major employer like Xstrata Nickel, another 1.7 will be lost as supporting businesses, ranging from mining supply and services to local restaurants, adjust to the downturn. So, that's 700 plus 1,300, or about 2,000 jobs. In Greater Toronto Area terms, that would be about 60,000 jobs.

There was some relief, then, when Xstrata Nickel and Local 598 of Mine Mine/Canadian Autoworkers said Friday that 580 members facing layoff would be paid until June 3, or for another 16 weeks. (The other laid-off employees come from non-union ranks or among office, clerical and technical staff).

In addition, the company has agreed to re-offer early retirement packages to about 27 employees, to fill vacancies and to recall laid-off Mine Millers to Nickel Rim mine when it begins production.

Those 16 weeks will give the workers, their families and the community a bit of breathing space. It was generous of Xstrata Nickel to extend this multi-million dollar lifeline.

However, it doesn't change the fact that when Xstrata bought the former Falconbridge Ltd. in 2006, it promised the federal government it would not cut operating jobs for three years. Xstrata broke that promise, but the feds, through Industry Minister Tony Clement, said that's OK.

Clement said he let the company off the hook because he secured hundreds of millions of dollars in investments by Xstrata in Greater Sudbury, including Nickel Rim. Except Xstrata had already announced those investments.

The leaders of Mine Mill plan to take up the matter with Clement. The three-year, no-layoff agreement was supposed to expire July 26, so seven weeks are at stake.

Clement should account for the difference. He is the Industry minister, after all, and responsible for FedNor, the federal government's economic development arm for Northern Ontario.

He ought to come through with something substantial. How about Xstrata, the feds and the provincial government (are you listening, Rick Bartolucci?) making a significant investment in Greater Sudbury that will create stable, lasting jobs? Not the short-term (but needed) economic stimulus type of jobs, but ones that will be here in 30 or 40 years.

It should also be an investment controlled by the community, not Ottawa, Queen's Park or Xstrata. It could be in a new tourist attraction similar in impact to Science North, or in health care and on the same scale as the cancer centre, or in education and of the same scope as the medical school.

If Clement could do that, then he'd have something to crow about.

Thanks again, and we love you all.

Jessica

A Time for Change.

2009-01-20T19:59:00.000-05:00

Dear Zachary and Corbett:

You don't know it yet, but today was a truly historical day.

The United States of America inaugurated their 44th President, Barack H. Obama. You see, President Obama is of African American descent and he is the first African American to hold the Presidency.

You are too young to know why this is special, but in time you will learn. You are far enough removed from this horrible history that perhaps it will seem almost impossible to believe. It will seem as though someone has woven a tale that could only be imagined, not one of truth. Until the 1960's, African Americans - persons of colour - were not permitted to eat in the same restaurants, use the same washrooms, drink from the same fountains or attend the same schools as Caucasians. This is only a short list of the ways in which they were segregated from the general population. African Americans were called horrible names, and subjected to unspeakable acts of violence, simply because of the colour of their skin. They were treated as property, sold into slavery and traded as though they were mere objects.

As a child, I learned of such brave and inspirational people as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. African Americans who refused to accept the role that had been prescribed them. Their simple, peaceful acts of protest, inspired others to stand up for themselves and fight for what was rightfully theirs. The same rights held by Caucasians for centuries.

But is this history really so far behind us? As a teenager, I witnessed a reaction of rioting in Los Angeles and Toronto after the acquittal of 3 out of 4 police officers charged with the excessive force beating of Rodney King. After the riots, Mr King himself pleaded for an end to the riots, asking for everyone to "just get along"

To be completely honest, I certainly didn't imagine that as a society we had come far enough that we would see an African American hold office in North America. At least not this soon.

I don't think that Barack Obama deserves the Presidency because he is African American. And although some Americans may have voted for him because of this, I believe that he was elected on his own merits. And even more significant than the fact that he is the first African American elected to office is the fact that President Obama ran a positive campaign. He didn't get involved in the typical mud-slinging we see in elections - particularly our recent election in Canada, he publicly declared that family members of his political rivals were "off-limits", and refused to be dragged in to the negativity. He didn't tell people why the other guy shouldn't be President, he told them why he should.

Most of all, he inspired people. He inspired people to get out and vote. The 2008 US election had the highest voter turnout in at least 40 years. To compare, in Canada's recent election, we had our lowest voter turnout ever.

In his inaugural speech today, President Obama urged us all to remember “that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.”

Never forget those words. As you grow into young men, always strive to ensure that you treat people, no matter their circumstances, as your equal. Promise to stand up for human rights when you see a person being treated unjustly. Promise to always be the best person you can be.

Remember, it doesn't matter whether a person supports Barack Obama or whether they supported his rival, John McCain. Today's events show that people can change and history does not have to repeat itself. And change is what we all so desperately needed.

Love,

Mom

It's all downhill from here....

2009-01-18T20:53:00.001-05:00

Jordan and I bought the kids some sleds for Christmas and today we finally got a chance to go use them!

We bundled up the kids, loaded up the sleds and drove out to Queen's Athletic Field.
I wasn't too sure how the kids would react to sledding because they had never been before. It was still cold, -24 with the wind chill), but much much warmer than the extreme cold we had all week.

Of course, I took my camera along to get some pictures. I am glad I did....the kids had a blast!

We can't wait to go back again!

Jessica

Build-A-

2009-01-11T22:08:00.000-05:00

Dinosaur?

When Auntie Michelle asked Corbett what he would like for his birthday from her and Isaac, he answered with a very definitive "A Dinosaur".

So Auntie Michelle, the clever gal she is, went to Build A Bear and saw that they had the perfect dinosaur there. They gave Corbett a gift certificate so that he could go make his dinosaur by himself.

After cooking class, Zachary, Corbett and I headed to Build A Bear and the fun started all over again!

Zachary decided to use the money he got from his Grampa Norris and Gramma Linda to buy a peguin, and obviously Corbett got a dinosaur.

ROAR!

Stuffing Corbett's dinosaur. You can't see it in the picture, but there is a foot pedal for the kids to step on. This makes the machine that stuffs the dinosaur go.

Worrying when the stitching on the dinosaur won't work.

Kissing his new friend, Jordan the Dinosaur. I would laugh too, but just you wait!
Notice the clothing. Because every self-respecting dinosaur wears clothes!

Here is Zachary with his new friend.....Jessica the Penguin.
Yep, apparently, I am chubby with short legs.
Now before you go make some comment about Jessica the Penguin not wearing clothes and therefore not being self-respecting, might I remind you that penguins swim a lot. No need for clothes.

And here is a picture of the four of them (us?) together!

Obviously, it was an eventful day. So eventful, that even the Corb-ster couldn't stay awake all the way through Transformers:Animated.

Thanks for the great gift Uncle Isaac and Auntie Michelle!

Jessica

Hey good looking.....

2009-01-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

What ya got cooking?

I signed the kids up for a kid's cooking class at Real Canadian Superstore today. It was a breakfast menu, so the kids made Cinnamon French Toast and Melty Muffins.

The French Toast was a huge hit, but they weren't big fans of the muffins. Personally, I liked the muffins!

Gramma Margaret came along, as I wasn't too sure how much parent help would be needed. Turns out that we didn't need her, but that matters little because we LOVED having her there!

I have to admit that I told a lie though. The cooking class is for kids ages 3-5. Zachary is 6. But seriously, I wanted something the three of us could do together. So shoot me.....

I got some great pictures.

The Valiquette/ Guenard / Guenard-Valiquette American Idol Encore 2 Karaoke Party

2009-01-09T23:15:00.001-05:00

Yep. You heard me. A Karaoke party.

Everyone was involved.

Set lists included:

1) A rousing cover of Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Corbett and Grampa Peter,

2) Gramma Margaret channeling her inner Spice Girl with "Wannabe" and waxing philosphical with "Imagine" ,

3) Michelle rocking it out to "Paint it Black" and providing and interesting version of "Islands in the Stream"

4) Zachary wowed the crowd with an incredibly accurate version of "Livin on a Prayer" and "Eye of the Tiger"

5) As for me, I was "Losing my Religion" and left a little breathless on "Hey there Delilah"

Jordan was off to karate and missed all the fun!

It was a super fun party, and we all had a blast.

Jessica

Yesterday....

2009-01-09T22:44:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was January 8th. Yesterday was the day my baby, Corbett, turned 3.

He is not a baby anymore I suppose, but he is still MY baby. He is now the age Zachary was when Corbett was born.

We had a little family gathering here at the house for him, but his birthday party will be on January 24th. I needed a little financial break between birthday parties!

My neighbours, Rosanne and Jamie took photos of Corbett today, so I hope to have something to post in a few days. Check out their site at www.photocaptiva.com!

Until then, here are some pics of my babies, laughing it up in the tub. It amazes me how much fun kids can have at bathtime! I took this pictures with my new toy. I purchased a Nikon D40. Its a digital SLR camera and boy do I have a lot to learn, but I think I am up for the challenge!

Corbett, 3 years old

Zachary, 6 years old

Mischa, 16 months old.......caught lying on the couch...tsk tsk Mischa

I don't need table manners Mommy.....today's my Birthday!

Happy Birthday Baby boy......we love you to pieces!

More pictures to follow!

Jessica

Happy Birthday Zachary!

2008-12-31T00:01:00.000-05:00

Today, Zachary celebrated his 6th birthday.

I can hardly believe that 6 years ago, I was rushing to the hospital, on the verge of having my baby boy.

So much has happened since that day, and he continues to make me proud every day!

Happy Birthday Baby Boy......

Conversations with Corbett

2008-12-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

Corbett: Mommy, I like dinosaurs!

Mommy: Do you? Well can you tell me what a little dinosaur says?

Corbett: Little dinosaur says "ROAR!"

Mommy: Wow! And what does a BIG dinosaur say?

Corbett: I-HAVE-BIG-POOP!

Now I know....

Pumpkin Party!

2008-10-27T19:27:00.000-04:00

Jordan and I took the kids to Wagon Wheel Ranch this weekend. It was rainy and cold, but we wanted to take the opportunity to go for their annual Fall Harvest specials. Basically, you get to go on a 30 minute hay ride, there is a pumpkin patch, pony rides, petting zoo and the like.

Gramma and Grampa Guenard joined us, as did Raedah and her kids, Emma and Cassy. We had a blast.

Afterwards, we all gathered at my house for dinner and pumpkin carving. Andy, Raedah's husband joined us and we had a blast.

Zachary picked an Optimus Prime design pumpkin, and he, Jordan and Grampa Peter set to work on it. They did a super job! This isn't the best picture of it, but you get the idea!

Corbett is on a Blue's Clues kick, so that is what he picked, and he and I carved that up like we were pros. I am amazed that with my holdinga knife, o one got injured, but everyone was safe!

I will try to post some better pictures of the pumpkins when I get them!

Jes

Rest In Peace

2008-10-20T22:43:00.000-04:00

My Grandma Guenard passed away this afternoon. Although not entirely unexpected, it was still a shock. I think that considering how many times she miraculously bounced back from illnesses and strokes, I just kind of hoped she would again.

I am glad she is not suffering, but I am sad that she is gone.

Jessica

M-A-D-O-N-N-A

2008-10-18T21:36:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow my friend Raedah and I head to Toronto. Raedah has had a lifelong goal to see Madonna in concert. She two tickets to tomorrow night's concert and asked me to come along!

We will be staying at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel on Queen Street, not too far away from the Air Canada Centre

The hotel is expensive, but not for me because I booked through a website called Hotwire. YOu dont know what hotel you are going to have before you book it, but it does tell you how many stars the hotel is, what services and what area it is in. You also pay ahead of time. Basically, this gets you a drastically reduced price. The regular rate for the hotel is $399 a night, and I got it for $94! We stayed there for the Celine Dion concert and the beds are sooooooo comfy!

Wish me a safe trip! I will miss my boys, but am sure the concert will be AWESOME!

Jes

20 Things I Have Learned

2008-10-16T23:20:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine did this on her blog, so I am apparently supposed to do it on mine.
Here ya go Rosie!

1) Every morning when I wake up, I have a choice. I can choose to be happy or I can choose to be grumpy. The choice I make will determine the course of my day and how I deal with its individual challenges. Why on earth would I choose to be grumpy?
2) Just when you think you have met the dumbest person on the planet, you’ll meet his idiot cousin.
3) Somewhere in between “I wonder what would happen if I….” and its immediate consequence is where hindsight should factor in. Because it doesn’t we spend a lot of time saying “Crap, what was I thinking?”
4) If you want something done, ask a busy person
5) I am quite likely the luckiest person on earth.
6) Without my fabulous friends and family, I would be a lot less lucky.
7) No matter how many times you tell your child that it is not a good idea to (insert ridiculous idea here), they are going to do it anyway.
8) You CAN indeed get Sharpie Marker off a cream-coloured couch
9) Don’t keep a cream-coloured couch and a Sharpie Marker in the same house.
10) 4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions.
11) I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy
12) People who have battled cancer deserve to be called Heroes.
13) We need a lot less Heroes.
14) A lot of problems can be solved on a 5km run
15) Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups
16) Everyone needs a friend who listens to them. Everyone needs to learn how to be that friend.
17) When my children get up each morning, they seem to be on a mission to see which one can maim the other in the fastest time. But if anyone else tries to hurt their brother, all hell breaks loose. That’s what being a brother is all about.
18) If you listen to or think about the song “Stayin Alive” while performing CPR, then you have the right rhythm. Apparently the song has 103 beats a minute, which is the right amount of compressions for CPR.
19) Rick Mercer should run for Prime Minister. Or at least teach the bozos we elect how to run the government. See if you agree. http://www.rickmercer.com/blog/index.cfm/2008/10/15
20) I have a lot more left to learn

Jessica

Eight Years Ago....

2008-10-07T16:02:00.000-04:00

Eight years ago today, I married Jordan. Like any couple, we have had some great big ups and some great big downs, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

Happy Anniversary, Jordan!

CIBC Run for the Cure - 2008

2008-10-05T21:13:00.000-04:00

Today I ran 5 kilometers. That statement is not surprising in and of itself. Usually when I go for a run, I do a 5 kilometer circuit. Today's run was special for two reasons.

First of all, I ran with my dear friend Tracy, who I convinced (bribed) to start running with me this summer when I taught a Learn to Run Class at the Running Room. After that class I signed up to teach the 5K Class and Tracy signed up to be my pupil once again. (She must be some kind of sadist!). This was our first chance to actually run together, and I truly enjoyed being the one to take her across the finish line. Even if she hates me forever for saying "Do you see the Finish Line? Good......SPRINT!" At that point she was already telling people I tortured her, so I figured I didn't have a lot to lose.

Most importantly however, I was running this 5 kilometers to honour a special woman. Linda is a breast cancer survior and those words alone mean she is entitled to forever be considered a Hero. I can not begin to imagine what it means to be diagnosed with, and then bravely fight such a disease. Linda is also my Mother-in-Law-my husband's mother.

It was my goal to raise $1000 for research this year. While I didn't quite make it, I did raise, (so far) $705. I say so far, because I have until October 31st to collect donations.

So, why do I run?

I run to stay healthy, reduce stress, eat chocolate, and show my kids that being active is fun. I run because in 30 minutes of running, I can solve problems that would take me over an hour if I was just sitting and thinking at home or work.

I run because after a horrible car accident, I wondered if I would walk normally again. I run because inexplicably, the simple feeling of my legs propelling me forward in a rhythmic motion is exhilirating and soothing at the same time

I run because I can.

But not on October 5th, 2008.

On October 5th, 2008, I ran because I truly believe that I can make a difference. To some $705 is not a lot of money. To others it is. To me, it simply means that I have helped bring us may never have to hold the hand of a friend while they, their mother, their child, their daughter goes through Breast Cancer.

I am not an emotional person by nature. But as I waited anxiously at the opening ceremonies for the race to being. I saw young children no older than Zachary and Corbett wearing race bibs, saying they were running for their Mom. I saw a young woman wearing one that said "myself". I say bibs that said "I Love You Grandma". Another that said "My Dad". Yes, her Dad. Did you know that Breast Cancer affects men too.

It is nearly impossible to not be overwhelmed with emotion.

Today as I ran I was thinking not only of my Mother-in-Law, but also of a friend of mine who is currently undergoing a Breast Cancer scare. The Biopsy is soon. I hope, I pray, that I will not have to add her name to my race bib next year. One name is more than enough.

My Mother-in-Law is a Hero alright. I run so that no one else ever has to be one.

Thank you for helping me reach my goal, whether it was through a donation, or simply wishing me a good run.

And Tracy, thank you for doing it with me. As always, you rock!

Sprinting to the Finish Line for time of 32 minutes 14 seconds. Tracy is just behind me out of the picture, but she was giving it her everything!

Tracy, with a look on her face that says "Runner's High" ALLLLLL over it. Congrats Tracy, you should be very very proud of your 32 minutes 15 second finish.

This one says it all. I love you Linda!

By the way, if you want to help me reach that $1000 goal, please visit my donation page by clicking here!

Jessica

Sleep well my babies!

2008-09-11T21:34:00.000-04:00

It really is true. No matter how bad your day has been, no matter how crazy your children try to make you, no matter how tired you are, there are few things more precious than a child sleeping.

These pics were taken of them in their "new" rooms. We moved Zachary into the 2nd biggest room formerly the toy room), but Corbett in Zachary's old room and put the toy room in Corbett's old room. This give's both boys more room to move in.

Jessica

Because we're brothers.

2008-09-11T21:29:00.000-04:00

Me: Why do you two have to fight over EVERYTHING!?

Zachary: Because we're brothers Mom!

Corbett: No we aren't

Zachary: Yes we are Corbett. I am your brother!

Corbett: Nu-uh! I am YOUR brother!

Jessica

Craig Mine Family Day

2008-09-09T00:01:00.000-04:00

Each year, XStrata, Jordan's employer has a Family Day for their employees. It was held this past Sunday, so along with Gramma and Grampa Peter, we packed up and headed out to the Onaping Community Centre.

The weather was questionable, threatening rain most of the day, but luckily we only got a little bit of it. They had some displays of the various mining trucks used underground, a jumbo drill simulator, lots of kid friendly activities, and underground tours (only if you were 8 years or older).

My Mom and I went for one of the underground tours. I have to say the tour itself wasn't really all that exciting, but it was neat to go in and see Jordan's "office".

Zachary "driving" a truck just like Daddy's. I literally could not fit the whole truck in the picture, but trust me its HUGE!

Grampa Peter, Daddy, Corbett, Zachary, Mommy, and Gramma Margaret.

This shot and the next should give you a little idea of the size of the truck.......
Great big truck.....itty bitty children!

Jordan showing Gramma Margaret how to work the controls
Safety First! Always Buckle up!
Corbett and Zachary standing with a forklift.

Jessica

The First Day of School

2008-09-03T20:54:00.001-04:00

Zachary was super excited to go to Premiere Annee (First Grade). He says he had a good time and that he enjoyed his class. His teacher's name is Mme Babin and she told them to be quiet in class and then they coloured. I am sure that he has missed telling me a whole bunch of stuff other then be quiet in class and colour, but that's a 5 , almost 6 year old for you!

Corbett got really sad when Zachary got on the bus and he couldn't go with him. Poor Corbett is used to travelling in the morning with Zack since their daycare and daycamp were close together. I think he was a little shocked that he wasn't riding the bus too!

I took Corbett to his daycare and droppped him off in the preschool room. When I picked him up this afternoon, he had just finished peeing on the potty and was still wearing the same underwear I put on him in the morning! He did have an accident later this evening, but I am not going to complain about that!

Here are some pics of the day!

Happy September everyone!

Jessica

Perfection.

2008-09-02T21:12:00.000-04:00

The Dentist

Zachary got in the dentist's chair and did a great job, opening wide and patiently letting the dentist polish his teeth. He didn't like the taste of the polish, but was otherwise fine. The dentist said that Zachary and his parents were doing a fine job keeping the pearly whites clean. He also said the top two teeth will probably become loose and fall out soon. Corbett didn't have an appointment, but said cheerfully "My turn now?", so the dentist had Corbett open wide and checked him out. Corbett was thrilled and so was I, because his teeth look great too!

The Optometrist

Again, my children are perfect. Their eyesight is great and they were very charming.

All in all, a good day!

Jessica

One more day....

2008-09-01T22:10:00.000-04:00

School starts again on September 3rd. Zachary is extremely excited to be going back, and going in to Grade 1. As it stands right now, he is in a split class (Grade1/Grade 2). I am not making any judgement on it, because I truly believe that it could work, if the teacher is right for that kind of class and if Zachary focuses. We will see what happens. After a great deal of searching, I found a Transformers backpack, so all is right in Zack's world!

Corbett will be moving out of the Toddler room into the Junior room at daycare and conveniently enough, his favorite educator is moving with him!
Corbett insisted on getting a backpack as well when we went shoping for Zachary, so we are going to use that opportunity to re-introduce potty training. He can use his snazzy Diego backpack to carry his extra clothing and underwear in!

Tomorrow morning Zachary is going to the dentist for a checkup and to show off his grown up teeth, and then both Zachary and Corbett have eye appointments. Cross your fingers that they are both patient and that all is well. I have no reason to think there are any issues, but it never hurts to cross your fingers!

Jessica

So much fun!

2008-08-19T20:57:00.001-04:00

Well, the kids were definitely surprised. We didn't tell them where we were going until we got there and they were beside themselves with excitement. We didnt really know what to expect until we saw the waterpark area ourselves, but man were we impressed. Words dont really describe it and we are still trying to get pictures to show everyone, but there is a pool, a kiddie pool, a lazy river, 5 big water slides, 3 baby water slides, an outdoor pool, an entire play structure, that has water pouring out everywhere. I could go on!

There is also a huge arcade, 18-hole minigolf, a kid club area for crafts, a spa, a kids spa, and two restaurants.

The kids have had an absolute blast and I am sad we have to leave tomorrow. Zachary and I have been mastering the techniques of getting down the water slide faster, and Corbett and Jordan love standing under the bucket when it dumps. It drops 1, 000 gallons of water every 5 minutes!

Our totally cool room, the Wolf's Den, with a separate kids area!

Hanging with the bear in the Bear Paw Cafe. This place is a sweet lover's paradise!

Not the greatest picture, but it shows you a small part of the waterpark area! This is just the play structure part!

Waiting for story time at the big clock in the front entrance! This happens every night at 8pm and is a lot of fun!

I hope to have more pictures later, but in all honesty we are all having way too much fun to be taking pictures!

Jessica

Mini-vacation, here we come!

2008-08-17T13:08:00.000-04:00

We are headed over to Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, Michigan for a three day holiday. The kids know we are going away, but have no idea where we are going, it's a big surprise.

Zachary keeps trying to get me to tell him the details, but I haven't given in yet. Mischa is safely taken care of at Paula's Canine Country Club, where she gets to run around playing with other dogs all day as they have an open access from their kennel to huge fenced in area.

I will try to post some pictures of our trip as we go along, but no promises!

Wish us a safe travel and we will see you all when we get back!

Jessica

Big fat lip.

2008-08-14T20:45:00.000-04:00

Remember these words.

No matter how many times you tell your 2.5 year old "Don't jump from the ottoman to the couch, you might get hurt", they will only learn the hard way.

Jessica

One more gone!

2008-08-13T20:03:00.000-04:00

Well, it finally came out. Tooth number 2 fell out yesterday at the YMCA! The amazing thing is that he already has two grown up teeth coming up in their place. Wow....could Zachary really be growing up?

Here is a picture of the two-less teeth wonder kid!

Yes, the tooth fairy came, and no, she didn't leave anywhere near as much as she did last time!

Corbett continues to grow like a weed and is an incredibly funny kid. By all reports, he is quite advanced in his communication skills, which is usually good, but not as much fun when he is using them to express an opinion that is not conducive to some task we are asking him to do! Most of the time though, he is a fun loving kid!

He is not easy to take pictures of as he is in that stage where as soon as he sees a camera, he scrunches up hs face and ruins the picture, but I got a few the other day of him dancing in my friend's driveway!

Jessica

Another one!

2008-07-28T14:39:00.000-04:00

I was away from my boys all weekend, attending a convention in Winnipeg. When I came back, I discovered that Zachary has another loose tooth. Any guesses on when this one might fall out?

The Tooth Fairy Lives On!

2008-07-17T20:57:00.000-04:00

Zachary woke up this morning at 5:30am and found under his pillow, not only a letter from the Tooth Fairy, but a beautiful $5.00 bill.

The skeptic was proven wrong!

Here is his letter from the Tooth Fairy.

Dear Zachary,

Congratulations on losing your first tooth! What an exciting time for any child. I am so happy that you put your tooth under your pillow for me. Now I can make sure that another little baby gets on of his or her teeth!

Losing your first tooth is a pretty big deal, and you sure had a lot of people around to see it happen! How exciting! Not many kids get such a big cheer.

I have left you $5.00 for your first tooth. Now please remember this is only for the first tooth. Your nest teeth won't get you quite as much money. Your mom tells me you have done a good job saving for the things you want, even saving half the money for your Wii. Way to go!

Congratulations again, Zachary!

Love,

Tooth Fairy!

Jessica

Look Mom!

2008-07-16T21:19:00.000-04:00

"My tooth is really really loose!"

That's what Zachary told me when I picked him up from YMCA Day Camp today! I checked it out, and sure enough, one very loose tooth. At first I was very excited, but then I realized that with Zachary planning a trip to Manitoulin Island to visit his Aunt Leanna this weekend there was a distinct possibility that I would not be around for the momentous occasion of "losing the first tooth". I have to admit that I got a little panicky about that.

It's funny. I dealt okay with Zachary's first day at day care when he was 9 months old. I dealt fine with his first sleepover. Even the first day of school was no biggie. But I really want to be there for my very first baby losing his very first tooth!

We talked about the Tooth Fairy, but Zachary remains skeptical.

Me: You put your tooth under your pillow and when you are sleeping, the Tooth Fairy comes and takes your tooth and leaves a surprise!

Zachary: I think maybe not, Mom. I think that you are teasing me.

Then we made our way to the Running Room for the 20 Minute Challenge, where Zachary proudly showed a few of the staff his loose tooth (Thanks everyone for making him feel so special).

With Zachary and Corbett strapped in the stroller, we went for our run. As soon as we got back, Zachary jumped out of the stroller and asked if he could go into the store to get a free toothpaste sample (irony is always at work in my life).

Suddenly, as he was speaking, I realized that there was a hole where is very loose tooth once had been!

Me: Zachary! Your tooth is gone!

Zachary: (with a mixture of joy and terror) What!?! Gone?

Random Spectator: Oh Oh! Maybe he swallowed it!

At this point Zachay gets a little panicky.

Me: Don't worry, bud. Even if we can't find the tooth, the Fairy still comes, I promise. Yay, dude! You lost your first tooth. (Big Bear Hug for my big boy!)

At this point about 35 people who had been participating in the 20 Minute Challenge all start to cheer and clap. What better way to lose your first tooth? How many kids get to feel like a rock star when that happens?
I will admit to getting a little teary here. Those who know me, know this doesn't happen often!

After rummaging around the stroller a bit, we found the teeny tiny tooth. We quickly brought it into the store so that we could tuck it safely away in an envelope, where even more people cheered for the man of the hour. Store Manager Reed even took a picture! I have to remember to get a copy of that.

On the way home we stopped to see Grandma Margaret and Grampa Peter, who had just returned home from their vacation to show off the missing tooth!

Check it out!

A proud boy and his proud Grandma!

Once again, thanks to everyone who made my son feel so special about losing his first tooth!

For the record, he is still skeptical about the Tooth Fairy, but has put the tooth safely in an envelope, under his pillow. I promise by tomorrow morning he will be a believer!

Jessica

Berry Berry Good

2008-07-13T23:09:00.000-04:00

I have been itching to take the kids strawberry picking for quite some time. When Zachary was two and a half years old and I was pregnant with Corbett, my mom and I took him and it was so much fun! Corbett is now the same age Zachary was then, so we decided it was time. A friend of mine's parents own a farm in the area and he let me know that the strawberries were ready. We were able to go out there this weekend with some friends of ours and everyone had a great time!

I am not quite sure what to do with all those strawberries yet, but so far we have had a strawberry rhubarb pie, I made some freezer jam, and we each had a bowl of strawberries with sugar on top. I still have about 12-14 cups of berries left!

Zachary, Emma, Cassie, Raedah, and Corbett picking Strawberries!

Daddy and Corbett pause for a picture!

Zachary and Emma showing off their hard work!

And after that, the kids all got inked. They've been bugging us for tattoos, and we finally gave in!

Okay, seriously. Canadian Red Dragon, the tattoo shop where Jordan and I got our tattoos done was having an anniversary BBQ this afternoon so we stopped by to say hi. All proceeds from the event went to the Sudbury Food Bank. I always try to support the Food Bank, so I was happy to go! They were giving temporary tattoos to the kids. For the record, they had pretty butterflies, and kid-friendly tattoos. All four kids picked snakes. Corbett and Zachary were upset to hear that the tattoos wouldn't last forever, like Daddy and Mommy's. I am in SOOOO much trouble with those two!

Have a great week everyone!

Jessica

RIP Pumpkin...

2008-07-07T22:11:00.000-04:00

My friends little kitten passed away today during routine surgery. Her heart just stopped beating for no apparent reason. When they performed the autopsy they discovered that her heart muscles, etc. were enlarged to 6 times their normal size. Pumpkin probably would not have even made it to her 2nd birthday.

Understandably my friend and her young kids are crushed, so whether you pray, meditate, or just send positive thoughts, please do so for them tonight. They have had a rough couple of months and this doesn't make it any better.

RIP Pumpkin, I am glad that you got to have some great days with your family. They sure loved you.

Jessica

Karate Kid!

2008-07-03T22:14:00.000-04:00

Okay okay. I know the title is so terribly trite, but it's late and I can't think of anything else.

Zachary started Karate lessons today. His group of 4 nad 5 year olds are called "Tigers" At the end they all practiced standing like "Tiger" statues, before they bowed to finish class. Zachary actually won for standing still the longest. Anyone who really really knows Zachary can attest to what kind of feat that is. Even when he is sitting he is moving.

Just wanted to post this for his Gramma and Grampa who are in California visiting my brother.

Speaking of being in California, this is what Zachary said to me this morning...

"Mommy, do you remember my Grampa and Gramma? Margaret and Peter?"

"Yes Zachary, of course I remember them"

"They are in California. Are they coming back?"

Too cute.

Jessica

Canada Day Celebrations

2008-07-03T21:46:00.000-04:00

Canada turned 141 years old on Tuesday. So our long weekend was all split up, but we made the most of it.

Jordan was on graveyard shifts so the kids and I called up some friends and we all headed over to Science North for the Canada Celebrations. There were 3 adults (Michael, Raedah and myself) and 5 kids (Zachary, Corbett, Emma, Cassie and Aiden)Aidne's sister Abigail was sick so she couldn't come. The kids had a blast, and there were lots of activities for them to do. They saw a turtle, a snake, got to ride a pony, play on some of those massive air inflated bouncers and slides. Elmo, Dora, Diego and Bob The Builder all made appearances. We ate hotdogs for lunch and enjoyed some nice weather.
Actually, I found that there wasn't as many activities to fill the day as I thought there might be, but kids are so amazing in that they can find the fun in anything. Fun is definitely contagious.

We didn't stick around for the fireworks as they start pretty late, but opted instead to go have a barbeque at Michael and Tracy's house, so we could get a chance to see Abby since she was feeling better. All in all, a great way to spend a middle of the week holiday!

Enjoy the pics. Especially the last two!

Zachary on his horse! Corbett was definitely NOT interested in the pony rides. "I'm to smalllll" he said.

Big slide! It was really cool. All the kids, except Corbett who was too busy chasing Elmo, took a turn!

There was a fire truck there and the kids were allowed to get on and check it out. It was pretty cool.

They had firemen there too. Helloooo fireman!

Corbett is telling the fireman in the back of the truck what sound a fire truck makes. It's "wee-ooo, wee-oooo" if you weren't too sure. He then followed that up by dispensing a disgustingly large puddle of drool on the fireman's boots.

A brother shot. I don't get many of these, so I figured I should use it to prove they can get along for at least 5 seconds.

Corbett and Emma. All tuckered out after a long day.

But wait until you see what a little rest can do....

"Look mommy! I am art!"
I am SO happy that was washable marker, and not Sharpie marker, which is his all time favorite.

Happy Birthday Canada....

Jessica

WALL-E

2008-06-30T21:30:00.000-04:00

The kids and I went to see it this weekend.

Go see it. It's awesome.

Corbett LOVED it.

Jessica

My bathroom is DONE.....well almost...

2008-06-30T20:19:00.001-04:00

What a relief! The mold is gone, the funky smell is gone. Its gorgeous! Come on in!

This is my bathtub/shower with our fancy shower assembly. We can have either shower head runing by itself, or both together. I can't WAIT to use it. But we have to wait until the grout is all set. Hopefully Tuesday or Wednesday. The tub is extra deep too, which is soooo awesome!

The sink and vanity.

The cupboard above the toilet!

I even have heated floors. I didn't take a picture of that. It looks exactly the same as the tile on the floor!

Jessica

L'alphabet

2008-06-22T08:45:00.001-04:00

MVI_1406.avi

Puddles of Fun!

2008-06-22T08:43:00.001-04:00

MVI_1411.avi

House Renos

2008-06-17T15:04:00.000-04:00

The contractors started our bathroom renovation yesterday. We had a bit of a short notice on their starting (45 minutes!), but I sort of suspected they would be coming so that was no biggie. Yesterday, they managed to gut the whole bathroom. Yay! No more mold!

Here are some pics of my itty bitty bathroom with just a bathtub in it. By the end of the day, that was gone too. Many thanks to all our neighbours who are letting us use their bathrooms and showers as we need to!

Jessica

Father's Day 2008

2008-06-17T14:48:00.001-04:00

Lucky Dad! Oh the things he can build with his RIDGID Dual Bevel, Laser Guided Mitre Saw!

Jessica

Kung Fu Panda!

2008-06-14T21:14:00.000-04:00

We took the kids to see the movie Kung Fu Panda today. It was a pretty good movie with a lot of humour in it.

Zachary really enjoyed it, but Corbett was pretty tired and fell asleep about 2/3 of the way into it.

If you get a chance, go see it!

The boys went swimming in our pool today. Actually they went skinny dipping. Don't worry, I won't post pictures! Corbett is definitely going to be a pool rat!

Jessica

LOCKDOWN

2008-06-10T22:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Zachary's school had to undergo lockdown procedures. They have practices for this, so all the kids know what to do. I always wondered if it was really necessary.

Apparently it was.

The school sent home a letter telling the parents about the lockdown and saying that the police had initiated it due to an investigation taking place in the area.

Well, a friend of mine was trying to pick her daughter up for an early dismissal, and according to what she saw, this was no investigation. Unless Police have taken to blocking off entire streets, wearing full protective gear and surrounding buildings while heavily armed during an "investigation". But hey, I have been wrong before.

I want to trust that our Police Service felt it was a situation that needed to be dealt with right away, and couldn't wait until school was over. I really do. But my kid was in a building that was near all this "investigating".

Don't get me wrong, I am happy that the school is looking after our children's safety, but it just makes me sad that our kids have to practice procedures for this. Very sad indeed.

Jessica

Summer is Here!

2008-06-07T22:58:00.000-04:00

We had a wicked thunderstorm last night. The kids didn't mind but it scared be bejeebers out of the dog. Thankfully it cleared up quickly - today was beautiful. Very fortunate, since it was Vada's birthday party. Vada is the daughter of a very close friend of mine. I am not going to post any pics from the party that any other kids are in because I haven't asked their parents, but here is one of Corbett completely enjoyig the sand and water table. Vada's party was a Princess and Pirate party, so Corbett is wearing a black bandana. Just in case you were wondering.

Really. Don't you think he should get one of his own?

Zachary played camera shy most of the party so I don't have any to post of him. Maybe tomorrow!

Jessica

Great Big Shoes to Fill

2008-06-07T15:18:00.000-04:00

The Reactine Man's Van

2008-06-04T10:46:00.001-04:00

I only wish I could have sat in the Reactine Van. The kids are still talking about it.

Jessica

My Morning Routine

2008-06-03T22:03:00.000-04:00

Earlier this year, during the winter, someone asked me about my morning routine. I said I didn't really have one. But after thinking about it for awhile, I realized that I do, so I emailed it to them. So here was what I told them my morning routine was, on a typical day when Jordan is working day shift.

My morning routine

I wake up, I turn on the weather channel. I whine about winter, the cold and refuse to get out of bed.

The dog farts.

I get out of bed

I wake the kids. (If they havent already woken me to start the weather channel routine)

I tell zachary to get dressed, he yells at me. I tell him again and threaten to not cook his waffle if he doesnt get dressed. He tells me I am a meanie and I tell him I agree.

Corbett stands at his bedroom door, knocking and saying "He-looooo? I am awake? Want cereal. In a bowl. With milk.!"

I get Corbett and go downstairs with him, lock him in his high chair and let the farting dog out.

I tell Zachary to get dressed-again- and threaten to give his raw waffle to the dog, but that I will cook it for her, because she is dressed. He tells me that she is always dressed. I tell him too bad. He gets dressed.

Corbett get his Cereal. In a bowl. With milk. He drinks the milk out of the bowl, empties the cereal on the table and throws half on the floor, while I let the dog in. The dog eats the cereal. Corbett yells "MY CEREAL". The dog and I look at Corbett like he is deranged.

I let Corbett out and the dog licks his pants clean, while Corbett eats the dog food.

Zachary comes down, usually dressed. I give him his waffle, usually cooked.

I change, wash and dress Corbett. The dog takes off with the diaper, I get the diaper back.

Zachary finishes his breakfast, puts his stuff away and whines about having to wear his winter clothes.

Zachary brushes his teeth while Corbett hits him repeatedly.

The dog farts. I let the dog outside, because where there is smoke, there is fire my friends.

I get the kids ready to go. I put Zachary on the bus. The other parents look at me funny.

I remember that maybe I too, should get dressed. Good thing I wear pyjamas, it's cold outside. Looks like it's raw waffles for me.

I start the van in my pyjamas and slippers. I go get changed, brush my teeth, and hope for the best concerning my hair.

I remember that Corbett is standing in the entrance in his snow suit.

I let the dog in. I put Corbett in the van, and drive to Tim Horton's while whining about winter.

I drop him at daycare, then go to work, while whining about the weather. To myself.

And THAT....

is my morning routine.

Jessica

T-Ball here we come!

2008-06-03T14:47:00.000-04:00

Monday night was Zachary's first night of T-Ball. Rain came and went, but thankfully it was sunny during practice, for the most part anyway.

The sheer logisitics of getting to T-Ball practice at 5:30 with Zachary and all his gear, as well as with Corbett who is potty training, and his potty, were a little hectic as I had to leave the practice early so I could go teach my run clinic. Jordan was at work, so that left me in a predicament.

Grandma and Grandpa to the rescue!

My Mom and Dad met us at the field to take over so that I could leave and that the kids were being supervised while Jordan made his way there. My Dad forgot his camera, so these pictures were taken with his cell phone!

At the end of the evening, the Reactine Man showed up with his truck ( I am completely serious ). I wasn't there, but the kids got to sit in the truck for a picture. I have to scan those in, so as soon as I do, I will post them. Man! I miss all the fun!

Jessica

More Pictures

2008-06-02T23:03:00.000-04:00

Here are some more pictures that Zachary took on our nature hike.

This one is a little too "Blair Witch Project" for me....

And one he took of us. Because if you can't take pictures of your goofball parents, what can you do?

Enjoy!

Jessica

Enjoying Nature

2008-06-01T18:48:00.000-04:00

Well, we finally got a some nice weather. The weather has been a little wonky this year and this week we went from a high of 24 degrees celcius on Monday (after a cold and rainy weekend) to a low of -5 on Tuesday morning. It stayed cold the remainder of the week, but the sun came out today!

Jordan was working so the kids and I were on our own. They slept in--which means we woke up at 7am--and I let them crawl in bed with me to watch some Treehouse TV. This bought me another half hour of being lazy and then we got out of bed so I could make them pancakes!

After cleaning up from breakfast, we packed up and headed out to Moonlight Beach. There is a beautiful trail system there and I thought it might be nice for the kids and I to take Mischa for a walk.

The kids had a blast playing around and checking out "all the beautiful nature", as Zachary calls it. Zachary took along the camera that his Grandma and Grandpa Guenard bought him and seemed very focused on taking pictures of signs. (Yes Isaac, the Tesla song ran through my mind the whole time)

Not bad for a 5 year old! I think he shows some promise. It was nice to get out of the house and I know the kids enjoyed not being cooped up all day.

I got the chance to take some nice pictures of the kids as well, something I don't do nearly as often as I should. I can't believe how quickly they grow!

After we returned home the kids and the dog ran around the backyard and tired themselves out nicely. It was a great way to spend the day.

As I write this, I am sitting in the backyard on my beautiful swing, watching Jordan and the kids assemble the play structure we got. We are working on having the most entertaining backyard this summer. At least I knonw as my kids get older that our yard will be the cool place to hang out!

So how did you spend your weekend?

Jessica

2008 so far....

2008-05-31T22:35:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been a great year so far! We were fortunate to travel to see my brother Isaac and his wife Michelle in Marina Del Rey, California in February. Zachary had to miss school for a week, but he is only in Senior Kindergarten this year, so I don't think he missed too much.

We lucked out and got some fabulous weather for that time of year. We certainly didn't expect temperatures in the mid-twenties so the second day of our vacation found us at Target buying the kids some shorts. We hit the usual attractions, Disneyland, The Zoo, and paid numerous visits to the beach as my brother's Condo is only a two-minute walk from Venice Beach. We were introduced to an incredible little ice-cream place called Cold Stone Creamery. It is pure evil and it tasted sooooo good.

A highlight for Jordan was a visit to High Voltage Tattoo in Los Angeles, the shop that is featured in the TV Show LA Ink. Jordan was even able to get a tattoo as a walk-in. Adrian Gallegos, the artist who inked him is not a featured artist on the show, but we have seen his face on the show a few times. He is incredibly talented and Jordan's tattoo is amazing. I will post pics of it at some point, I promise. For now, you can go check out his work at http://www.highvoltagetattoo.com/adrian.htm.

It was definitely a thrill to see the shop in real life, and to say Jordan was excited about the experience would be a complete understatement.

We also visited Legoland, but it was a very cold and rainy day, so that only lasted about an hour, making it an expensive excursion. Still, it was very impressive. On our last full day there, Michelle took me to the scrapbooking store she goes to, and the selection there was impressive. I found some great stuff for scrapbooking our vacation.

I can't wait to go again! Neither can Corbett it seems as almost every day he asks "I go California?"

In March, Jordan started actively looking for a new motorcycle. He got his license two years ago and at the same time purchased a Suzuki GS500. A nice bike, but a bit too small for him, so it was time to move on. He found himself a Suzuki Bandt 1200 and brought it home in April. He is in love. I do have to admit that it is a nice bike and I am happy for him. Some of my friends have told me that the would never let their husbands drive a motorcycle, but I don't understand that thinking. I trust Jordan to remember that he has a wife and two kids to come home to and to treat the motorcycle with respect. The rest is out of his hands. Besides if Jordan ever told me I wasn't allowed to do something......

In May we got some estimates on redoing our bathroom and the work for that was supposed to start June 2nd, but as with all renovations there are delays. They are still hard at work on another client's bathroom ,so we are slated to start June 16th. I honestly had no idea how expensive bathroom renovations could be! We don't have any choice though as there are concerns about mold and rotting walls.

A few weeks ago, Zachary fell at the bottom of a slide in our backyard and fractured his wrist. It was, thankfully, a minor fracture so he was only in the cast for 2 weeks and 3 days. It happened on a Friday evening and Zack was a little worried that everyone would laugh at him when he returned to school on Monday. The doctor and I predicted he would be the most popular kid in class that day and boy were we right. The second his classmates saw him he was swarmed! I brought a package of 8 Sharpie markers in different colours to the school and gave them to his teacher--when I picked him up that afternoon his cast was full of little signatures.

This Monday I start teaching a Learn to Run Clinic at the Running Room here in Sudbury. I am excited to do it but a little nervous about teaching a class. I am sure it will be fine, but wish me luck anyway.

So things are completely normal around here, which is the way I like it!

Jessica

Welcome.

2008-05-31T22:27:00.001-04:00

For those of our family who are so inclined, I have started this blog to keep you posted on our little family.

Jordan and I are extremely fortunate to have two healthy, happy sons. Zachary is 5 and Corbett is 2. Life raising two boys is equal parts joy and challenge, but we wouldn't change that for the world. We recently added Mischa, who without a doubt is the craziest beagle on the planet.

Their personalities are night and day, but most of the time they are best buddies. I truly hope it stays that way.

I will try to update as often as I can, and provide pictures of the boys who are growing like weeds!

Jessica