Old MacDonald Had a Farm

EIEIO

I took a special request and uploaded another video of Caleb.

This was done today after dinner.

It's so hard to get Caleb to sit still long enough to make the videos...

he just wants to sit still and watch them over and over.

He loves watching videos of himself:)

Last night after dinner we went outside to play...

I raked up a big pile of leaves...

and Caleb kept running through them. It was so fun!!!

I kept trying to get him to lay down in the leaves but he wouldn't.

Here are a couple more pics from last night.

Potty Training-Day One

Mommy bought me some new underwear that are

so fun to play with and put on my head!

Today I decided I wanted to wear my Cars big boy underwear and play with the

Curious George ones. I love my new underwear. I even tried to put them on my

mommy's head but she said she didn't need a hat.



I went on the potty and so far, after one hour....no accidents!!!

Mommy has brought me to the potty about 7 times in the last hour:)

I think it's a game and love to run back and forth to the potty.

It's been a busy morning and mommy and I have had lots of exercise

running up and down the hallway to the bathroom.

Now it's lunch time and then naptime...

mommy's favorite time of the day:)

Wish me luck!

Caleb

ROARRrrr!!!!

These are the copies of the pictures I picked up today from Sears.

The quality isn't the best but I just needed to show them off.

Caleb is so in love with his lion costume.

Today was such a long day. We went to town and met my grandmother for lunch.

We then went shopping where I bought Caleb his first big boy underwear...

and the potty training begins.

Afterwards we met my cousin, Amanda and shopped a bit more and

then went to her mom's to pick up her son, Morgan. I locked her keys in the car.

Two hours and a tow truck later, we were headed to the park.

It was freezing outside so we didn't stay long.

We then went to dinner and came home just in time for Caleb to go to bed.

It was such a long but fun day!

A few things that I am missing about Arizona

Today is a gloomy day. It's not too cold but it's just dark and gloomy. I was sitting here thinking about what I would be doing if I was in Arizona right now...Where would I go? Then I really started missing some of my favorite places.

Here are some of my all time favorite things...in no particular order because I would take any of them right now:)

*Pizzeria Bianco

They have the best pizza here and the tomato mozzarella salad....mmm mmm, so delicious. It's worth the 2 hour or more wait to get in. I always get the Rosa pizza with salami, pistachios and parmesan cheese, no sauce. It's so yummy!!!

*Jamba Juice

Original peach pleasure with mango instead of banana. Oh, it's so addicting!!! I used to drink these ALL the time!

*Target

I do shop online but it's not the same.

*Costa Vida
Right now I am totally craving the sweet pork salad but I would settle for the burrito or the quesadilla. I love the tortilla strips and the ranch dressing...mmm mmm

*Tia Rosa's

Love the chips and salsa!

Need I say more?

Why are there no Joann's stores here? We have Michaels but not the same as back home. There just isn't much selection. I hear there is a new Joann's even closer to my house:)

The chef salad is amazing!

*Scrapbooks Etc.

Okay this is my weakness! There is nothing that compares to my favorite local scrapbooking store! I miss it sooo much and will definitely be making up for lost time.

I would love to go to a late nighter or take a class with some friends.

*Krispy Kreme

Okay, I could live without Krispy Kreme but I am so missing 3 of my favorite people.

Isn't this just the cutest picture???

Cody, Jessica and Riley I miss you soooo much and can't wait to get back home and see how much you have all grown up! Caleb is going to just love spending time with you guys!

Well since it took me all day to write this post I should post it and get ready for bed.

Goodnight all!

Disappointment

Well it's sad to say that once again I did not get my appointment with the Consulate. There is no way I will be home in November. Now we have to wait until the third week of November to find out if December is even a possibility. Even if I get a December appointment, it's not likely I will be home for Christmas. I just feel numb. There has been so much disappointment and stress in my life for the last year and I really needed this break. It's so hard for me to think of Caleb once again being away from his daddy at least another couple of months. The one thing that has kept me hanging on were the thoughts of how wonderful Christmas would be with just the three of us in our own home...
How do you deal with disappointment after disappointment? I am not good at the stress thing and even though my outward appearance may seem okay and I can put on a good front, my body and mind are different things.
I always need something to hold onto....something to look forward to and I just feel so devastated.
Well today is going to be a long day with no sleep last night. I have to go to town with Melissa to get the last things for the baby shower. Now it is time to give Caleb some breakfast and get ready.

Autumn...my favorite time of year!

I just love this picture of Caleb!!! He just looks so handsome and grown up. Yesterday Caleb and I spent some time outside playing in the leaves and running back and forth in the yard. He just loves the outdoors. It has rained and been so cold for over a week so it was nice to finally have some decent weather. I took a bunch of pictures of him yesterday...here are a few more...

Caleb is obsessed with his pumpkin that his Pepere bought him. He thinks it is a toy and wants to hold it and play with it all the time. It's cute but can get on your nerves after awhile. hehe

I called the National Visa Center today and they still have not made my appointment in Montreal:(

They told me to call back at the end of the week so I have no idea if I will make it for the November appointments. I have been pretty stressed out lately and am feeling very overwhelmed with all the things that I need to do, nevermind all the stuff that is awaiting me back in Arizona. It's never-ending and I feel like my whole life is just so chaotic right now.

Hopefully we'll have some good news at the end of the week, I could use some about now but I am not holding my breath.

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!!!

Today was Thanksgiving here. My family always celebrates Thanksgiving on the Sunday so we had our feast yesterday. It was good. I made the candied yams and they were sooooo yummy. Caleb wasn't feeling well yesterday and he was so clingy. I felt bad so bad for the poor little guy. Today he was definitely feeling better and getting into a lot of trouble. He got a black eye the other day and then he got a big bruise on his head yesterday and then today he cut the side of his nose by his eye. He is such a boy and I cannot get him to slow down at all!!!
Last week I did a lot of reflecting on the things I was grateful for. It is great to do that and I know I should do it more. Today was a quiet day, just Caleb and I. We just hung out and sang songs and read stories. Caleb loves playing the games on the Sesame Street website so we did that for awhile and we both took two naps! That is probably what I was most grateful for today:) I am still surprisingly exhausted though.
This coming Friday I am going to Sears to get Caleb's Halloween pictures done. I hope that he is cooperative.
Well I just wanted to wish all my Canadian friends a Happy Thanksgiving.

videos of Caleb (July 2007)

Gene has asked me a few times to post these videos that I made for him a few months ago. Caleb is now 18 months old and everyday seems to maturing and learning new things.
We are up in Sudbury for a month. Tomorrow is our family Thanksgiving dinner at my cousin Vanessa's. I am making the Coen's delicious candied yams....mmm mmm:)

It is cold and rainy today...a bit of a change from the beautiful Indian Summer weather that we have had lately. The drive up from Hamilton was absolutely breathtaking with all the fall foliage, especially as we drove past lakes and ponds.

It was so good to see my dad. We caught up a bit last night. It seems to just get harder not having my mom here. At first, there was just so much to do. We just kept ourselves busy. I miss her presence so much. She would just love this time with Caleb. I still feel her in my life but it is not the same. I don't think there is ever enough time with our loved ones. At least she's not suffering anymore.

Well I am off shopping with my cousins. Enjoy the videos, I will need to put more recent ones up another time.

10 Things That I Am Happy About

Well Amy tagged me to list 10 things that I am happy about. I would tag someone else at the end although I don't know anyone with a blog so if you are reading this and you have a blog, TAG YOU'RE IT!!!
It's not that I have to think really long and hard about things that I am happy about but given the situation we're in, it's definitely easy to let things cloud your view of happiness, at least for me:)
Let's see...

*I am happy that I have a husband that loves me so unconditionally. Gene is a wonderful husband and even though I am always giving him a hard time, I really do love and respect him. I can't imagine my life without Gene!!!

*I could not be more grateful for our little boy, Caleb. He is definitely our pride and joy. He is what makes me get up in the morning, literally:)
I love watching him grow and learn. It's hard being a single mom for the time being but he is such a sweet and special little boy!

*I cannot imagine having a better father for Caleb than Gene. I know that it has been so hard for him to miss out on so much of Caleb's "firsts". Even though Gene hasn't been here, he and Caleb have such a bond and within a few minutes of seeing each other again they always pick up right where they left off. Caleb LOVES daddy's visits and mommy sure enjoys the break:)

*Sometimes it takes a difficult situation to see who your real friends are. I am grateful that I have such good friends. You'll never know how much your thoughtfulness has made such a difference in our lives.

*I am so grateful that I have a hobby that I absolutely LOVE!!! I am even more grateful that I have friends that help feed that addiction by sending me supplies and inspiration. Thank you Amy, Sondra, Laura and Sheila!!!

*I don't know where I would be without the Church in my life. I know I don't go as often as I should but it helps to know that God loves me and that there is a plan for my life. It is a blessing to understand that there is life after death and that I will see my mom again. I miss her

everyday!

*I am so grateful for my family. I am especially grateful for my mom and all that she has taught me. She was such an honest hard working lady, and a great cook to boot! I have learned a lot from her. I am grateful for my step dad who is the hardest working man I know. I am happy that my mom's death has brought us closer. I enjoy watching my real dad and my son interact with each other. Caleb loves his papa. I am also excited for my brother and Melissa to add an addition to our family. I am excited to meet my little neice:)

*Oh Canada...I am proud to be a Canadian! There is so much that I love about Canada...the first has to be Autumn. I love the fall weather and the gorgeous scenery. It's so "colourful" out there right now! I am grateful that the Canadian government is a little more friendly and that my son already has dual citizenship and Canadian healthcare. It took 2 months and $75...unlike the $2000 plus it has cost us so far just in fees and the year it will end up taking us, nevermind the stuff we'll still have to do when I eventually get back to Arizona.
I am happy to have good Canadian stuff like Swiss Chalet, Eastside Marios, Tim Horton's, poutine, Shreddies, ketchup chips, zesty cheese doritos (although I don't think I have had them since I have been here...it's nice to see them in the store), PC products, Shoppers Drugmart, colorful money, and seasons.

*I didn't realize how much I liked Arizona until I wasn't able to go back there. There are a lot of things I miss about my home. First being my husband of course. I miss my friends and family. I am happy that I have the best scrapbooking store close to my house. Although, I hate the heat of the summer I really do love Arizona. I miss the 24 hour stores and mexican food (Tia Rosa's, Costa Vida). I miss Sonic baby ice and Jamba Juice peach pleasure with mango instead of banana.

*One thing that has been extremely difficult for me is not having my own home. I miss my stuff! I miss my privacy. I am grateful for my apartment, as cramped as it may be. I have been living out of a suitcase for ten months now and I miss having a place for all my stuff. I have learned to appreciate luxuries of a car, apartment, dresser, table to work on, a stroller that I don't look like a hunchback pushing, and a highchair that my son can't climb out of! It's like the old saying, you don't know what you've got til it's gone...isn't that a song by Cinderella??

With Thanksgiving coming this weekend it's good to take the time to reflect on the things that I am happy about or grateful for. In any situation there are still good things....or things not as bad as we think.
I have grown to appreciate things that I probably took for granted before. I have been blessed!!!
Now that I have learned all these lessons though, I am ready to go home...back to my humble abode to be a family with my husband and my son...together at last!

Monday morning blues

I hate Mondays! I really don't enjoy them...after another restless night here it is Monday morning and I have so much to do! It's not like I don't do anything during the weekend but why is there always so much more work to do on Mondays??? Is it just me?


I have a sink full of dishes and it seriously looks like the floor hasn't been cleaned in a month.


Caleb has been acting extremely silly and I have no idea where this kid gets his energy from?!?!


Right now he thinks that he is Curious George.


There is so much to do this week before I head up to Sudbury on the weekend....Canadian Thanksgiving already!!


I also wanted to take Caleb back to Marineland this week. I got a season pass and would like to take him one more time before it closes. We've only be one time with Gene for a few hours and he really enjoyed it. He went on rides and we watched the seal and dolphin show.

Sondra also reminded me to put up the pics of when we went into the Rainforest Cafe. There was this huge frog...the one in their logo. Caleb was looking at it and I thought he could use a closer look...HE FREAKED RIGHT OUT!!! Sondra and I just about died of laughter!!! It seems mean but you should have seen his face? Okay, I will show you the face so you can see for yourself...Sondra just happened to have her camera with her:)

My day is already looking up...at least I am smiling:)

Have a great week everyone!