What I've learned from the Internet

I've recently discovered the following two sites that have made a world of difference in my daily life. Thought I'd pass them on and maybe they'll help you too...

#1 - What I DIDN'T learn in Kindergarten...

With the dawn of round shoelaces came shoes that never stay tied. I've found the solution. A new way to tie shoes! AND the kids find it much easier to tie and, since they're not double knotted, they're easier to untie too! What more do you want?!?

Here's the link: http://www.freedomknot.com/index.html

Just a hint we discovered...to untie, pull both ends at the same time and it won't end in a knot...

#2 - How to clean your house without spending all day cleaning your house

True confessions time...I hate cleaning. I can always seem to find someting else to do, or reasons not to do it (I'm sure I just cleaned that a few days ago (day's...weeks...who's counting...)) or don't think I have time (I only have 15 minutes, definitiely not long enough to do any cleaning!) And on the excuses go.
Well I've found the key that works for me! This system generated by motivated moms.com tells me what I have to do each day and breaks it into tiny little pieces that I can "bite off and chew" when I have time. And it even comes with a spot for my checkmarks so I can relish in my accomplishments. I could go on and on explaining it but it's a lot easier for you just to head on over and check it out for yourself. It even allows you to download a 2 week demo to try before you buy (It's only $4.00 when you buy it half way throught the year!)

Check it out! http://www.motivatedmoms.com

In Thanks of Grandparents

This past week my parents took Devin, Brent and Shannon camping! They were gone for 3 days and 2 nights and had an absolute blast. They went to a local “kid friendly” (or possibly more appropriately “grandparent friendly”) campground that came complete with a trampoline, pool, waterslide, craft time and hay rides. Not exactly a back-to-nature trip but a different kind of fun. When we tucked them in last night their prayers were as follows: Brent: God, thank you that we could go camping. Shannon: God, thank you that I could feed the seagulls. Devin: God, thank you that I can go to sleep!

SO what did the mouse do while the cats were away?!?!?! I did some scrapbooking, went out for a Thai dinner followed by a Chai Tea Latte with a dear friend (who I don’t see often enough), did some more scrapbooking, had guests for dinner (I even put a table cloth on the table!) and went shopping, followed by tea at my cousin’s house (a random bump into in the Costco parking lot!).

Yes, a good time was had by ALL. Well, Mark still had to go to work, but he did get to enjoy the fruits of my culinary labours…

Kangaroo Milk Anyone?

Our first camping trip in our new trailer was at the end of June. We headed up to Green Acres in Waterloo, and joined all my relatives on my mom’s side for a weekend of fabulous fun and fellowship. Shannon was the youngest in attendance and received much attention and provided much entertainment. For example:

Shannon goes to visit Aunt Tess in her trailer and politely asks for some juice. Aunt Tess informs her she only has “Kangaroo” milk (because life is never normal when Aunt Tess is around!) Shannon agrees to try some. When asked if she likes it: “Yeah! It makes me HOP!” And she proceeded to hop all around the camp site.

Shannon had a great time with all her older cousins. None of them could resist when she would grab their hand and say "Come on, lets go play!" I don't know how many times I heard "She just doesn't stop! She's tuckered me out!" And that coming from those under the age of 15! At one point she had Allison pretending to be soldiers and they were marching all around. "One, Two, Three" I noticed a sigh of relief, followed by laughter when Shannon suddenly called out "COMPANY HALT!" When I asked her where she learned to talk like that she replied: "Well, I'm a soldier, and that's what soldier's say!" At ease, Private!

Welcome Facebookers!

I finally figured out how to work Facebook, so due to constant nagging from many family members I'm now an FBer. But I still intend to keep most of my updates here on the blog so...

"Hello" to all my new visitors thru Facebook! Happy to be back in touch!

Campin' Happy

YIKES! My last post was about hockey?!?!?!? Sorry for being silent for so long…

(Although, since our team made it to the STANLEY CUP FINALS hockey wasn’t really all that long ago for us…but a lot has happened so here ‘goes…)

CAMPING HAPPY!! As per our 2006 Christmas letter, last summer we (we’ll mostly Mark) had a love/hate relationship with camping. We finally agreed to re-caulk the top of our ’75 Bonair, give it a coat of special “rubber-like” paint that’s supposed fill cracks, and hope for dryer weather while camping this summer. Then Mark suggested that we pick up a used awning (that actually worked) and life would be good again (for at least another summer). BUT as he was setting it up, and fighting with this and that, a reliving previous unpleasant experiences, he decided to do some surfing to see what was available.

Well, long story short, we are now camping happy in a ’97 Coleman Sun Ridge. It comes complete with a 12 foot box plus a 2 foot storage compartment at the front, 2 King beds plus a table and couch that fold down, and a full screened add-a-room. Tonnes of space for people and stuff! All this, AND you don’t have to stuff grocery bags in the holes to keep out mosquitoes, and you even don’t have to do a dance on the roof to squish it down enough to close the clamps! And, best of all, it has a one-piece roof, that is guaranteed never to leak!!! (Oh, and did I mention we kept looking over our shoulder as we drove home, expecting the police to pull us over and charge us with “theft?” It was a deal that simply could not be passed up.) Many exclamation marks; we have been blessed again!!!