Day 74

Who saves spiders? Honestly! Do you think they're going to be grateful? Do you think they're going to get outside and go "Hmm yes, this is exactly where I wanted to be. Right back where I started in the pouring rain that's going to destroy my web"...Here, let me help you with that answer. NO They're not! So why do you do it?!?!?! And to carry it outside in your hand...it crawls all over the place. EW! You know as soon as you let it out...it's sitting there waiting for that one person to open your door not 2 minutes later, so that they can come racing right back in. My point is, it's insanity. Don't do it.

Anyway, onto the day and it's events...Up and reported to my morning duties as usual. Breakfasts done, homework underway. We did reading, flash cards, spellings and time tables, and just to keep me on my toes, Zach's nursery has sent him home with lines for the school Christmas play. Have you tried getting a 4 year old to memorize 2 sentences? Not the easiest job in the world. Right now he's got penguins swimming and dying when in fact they are supposed to be DIVING off the iceberg and hitting their beaks. I guess it's close...but it's not quite the same when the sentences don't rhyme. We made a good attempt and put that away. Then the boys got their shoes and coats on, and we went out the door.

First to Josh and Nathaniel's school. It was freezing! It said it was 8 degrees, but my hands didn't seem to agree. Nathaniel's class finally trickled in, and Zach and I hurried back to the car to drive to Angels. When we arrived there, we placed his lunch box on the cart, and he went right in.

I came back to the house to do my work out. The program is on the wii and it's called "My Fitness Coach". It should be "My hardcore, work me to the bone Fitness Coach". She hurts! I could barely move when I woke up, and to do another work out today...I wasn't sure I'd be able to! My calves were screaming at me, but I turned it on and began. Today's session wasn't the regular 45 minute installment. Instead it was the Physical Challenge. After so many sessions she makes you get out the tape measure, and you have to input all your different measurements. You have to check your sitting pulse rate, then do 2 minutes of jumping jacks and check your pulse at that point as well. She then gives you different tasks. Squats, Sit Ups, Push Ups. It tells you on these days to do as many as you can and input it into the system so that she can calculate what you need to work on, and which exercises are best for you. As I expected, she wants me to work on my upper body strength. Speak to my physio therapist, and he'd tell you the same thing. So although I will still be doing cardio and weight loss exercises etc, my goal is to strengthen my upper body, and she will create a system to work towards that. For the moment it's 45 minute sessions 3 times a week starting tomorrow. HERE WE GO!

So, I finished that, got changed, went downstairs and waited for the Carpenter. He was supposed to be here between 10:30 and 11. I sat down to write a letter and watched 11 o'clock come and go. No sign of the man. 11:30 went by just as quickly with my anger rising. I had things to do, and could not wait much longer. 11:40 and I was out the door and in the vehicle. Normally I wouldn't have left, but due to personal reasons, this guy has been pretty unreliable lately and I was on a schedule.

I headed to Colchester. This was a bit of an adventure for me because I didn't have directions, a map, or even an address of where I wanted to go. I was relying on signs, and familiarity...luckily there were a lot of signs, cuz nothing looked familiar. I got there without a problem! I was shocked, and also very proud of myself. Yes, I get proud of myself for little things, cuz I'm cool like that. I parked the car and walked down 3 flights of stairs to the street level. Out the door and...I had no idea where I was. I knew where I wanted to be...I just didn't have a clue as to where it was. I crossed the street and approached the first friendly looking person I saw. Luckily she knew where she was going, and we were both headed the same way. She told me to walk with her through the alleyway and onto the strip with all the banks. I was beside her, but then some man decided he was more important than everyone else, and he pushed me out of the way - bumping into me - and cut me off as he crossed the street to the other sidewalk. It was a good thing he got there so quick. Those cars that don't drive down the alley may have hit him if he slowed down. Jerk.

Anyway, I caught back up with the lady and she showed me where I had to go. I said thank you and off I went. I marched right into the bank in hopes of getting some answers...and came out a little more confused. I think I got one thing sorted out, but I still don't know why they called me saying it was urgent...and they clearly don't care enough to look into it. When I finished there I walked out the opposite side looking for the Starbucks. I immediately realized I was in the wrong spot, so I walked up to the book store, and walked through to the next street. Now I knew where I was. I headed over to Starbucks, got my drink and walked back to the car.

With no pay stations in site, I assumed I had to pay on my way out...I was wrong. I pulled up to the barricade and it said insert ticket. Knowing that there was nowhere in this machine to put any money, I did as it said any way. It told me I hadn't paid (No kidding), and then a man that worked there, poked his head out of the door. I began speaking to him and he walked over. I explained that I had never been there before and said how sorry I was. He didn't seem to mind and said it was ok to pay him. And so I did. Out of the parkade and figuring out how to get home, I went around a round-a-bout. So far so good. I was getting super hot though as the sun was beaming in, so I attempted to take off my jacket. - Whoever thinks lights are overrated, has clearly never tried to take a jacket off in a moving vehicle, while driving - It is not an easy task. And you can forget putting your lipstick on. The mirror is on the wrong side, and you can't possibly look to the left while still seeing the road. And even if you did have a map, there's no time to look at it, cuz you're always on the move! I honestly really miss traffic lights. So I'm driving along and I'm not sure where I have to go next. I drive around the round-a-bout once...and continue going around it to get to where I think I want to be. I was hoping something would jump out at me to say I was going the right way...but that didn't happen. I thought I was, but couldn't be sure. Finally I passed a sign and knew I'd be alright.

I got home and there was no note or message from the carpenter. I assumed he hadn't been. I later got a text from Heloise saying that he finally called her to let her know he wasn't going to show up today. Thank goodness I used my judgment and left. I would have been so mad if I canceled my plans to wait around for him. I sat down and made the sticker chart, checked some e-mails and watched Desperate Housewives. I'm just a few episodes away from being all caught up now. As soon as that finished, it was time to go get Zach. I drove up to Angels and as soon as he came out, I could tell he was not in a good mood. He looked at me and after I asked how he was and heard his normal response "Fine". He said "I want Mommy". As I turned to tell him how much that hurt my feelings (as we'd had a conversation about the way he treats me, just yesterday), I stopped and all of a sudden I came to a realization. I looked down at him holding my hand, and with more compassion than I was going to use I said "You know what, I completely understand the way you're feeling". I then explained that I miss my mommy a lot while I'm here, so I knew what he meant. He had a small conversation about that, and when we got to the car he said "I just really want mommy". Poor little guy. Don't get me wrong, he can be a little monster, but I still have a heart, and I know everything is so different for him right now. I told him his friend Xavier is coming for lunch tomorrow, and he started telling me about his friend Cole going on holidays. We drove away and he seemed to be in a better mood. We talked about the moon, and the rays from the sun, as we listened to the High School Musical Soundtrack. Not too loud on the ride home...I guess he was just in the mood for conversation.

We arrived at the boys' school a little earlier so we waited in the car, and continued listening to the music. At one point I turned around and he looked exhausted! I asked if he was falling asleep on me and he said no. I turned around 2 seconds later, and just as I expected, he was completely out. I got out of the car and carried him into the playground. Today of course, was a day that Josh's class got let out late, and when he did get let out, he stopped to talk. Not knowing I had a fairly heavy child acting as a dead weight in my arms. That was my work out for the day. Nathaniel came out, and Josh finally showed up so we walked back to the car. Zach woke up on the way but did not like the idea of walking. I placed him in his car seat, and we drove home.

Pasta and Snow Peas for dinner. It was delicious. Even the boys liked it! I made sure Josh and Nathaniel were ready for Judo, and then we tackled dessert. Heloise got home and had some things to do around the house. She was having parents over to meet about tomorrow's disco. I guess it's the school's parent committee. I think they're still here. Zach and I went into the playroom while she worked, and started cleaning out the cupboards. I have told the boys I will not be buying them toys for Christmas, if they don't first go through the playroom and decide what they don't want/need anymore and what they do. We went through one entire cupboard, and I told him we'd do another tomorrow. We don't get rid of much, as he comes up with excuses for the little broken pieces, or the things he's not even sure what they are...he finds a purpose for keeping. But we did make a little dent, and that's more than I could have asked for. I'll try to persuade his decisions more and more as the days go. You should have heard him with one toy "I didn't even know we had this!!!" Why do you think that is? I tell ya, they don't know how lucky they are.

I sat on the couch and checked on my farm with Zach by my side giving me cuddles, and then on my cafe. Talked to some people, and when my computer died I ran upstairs. As I sat here falling asleep, I decided it would be a good idea to hop in the shower. Ahhhh warmth! I didn't want to get out. I eventually forced myself, and then crawled right into bed to write my blog. Now I've done it and am no more awake than when I started, so I'm going to get some sleep. It's just me, Zach and Xavier tomorrow. It's going to be a day that I should be well rested for. Good Night xx