Thursday, October 28, 2010

LOAD day 24 - 28

I have to say that I am really enjoying this round of LOAD. I have felt a real groove and wish that I could keep this up. There are a few things that are going to need my attention soon though. Like receipts, like cleaning, like my to do list. But I have a plan. More to follow. When LOAD is done. TTFN!

Day 24 - Awwww


Day 25 - today [Mitchell]


Day 26 - 10:10:10


Day 27 - GPS

ER layout


I FINALLY finished this layout. It has only been in my head for over a year lol!

I posted it for LOAD but wanted to include it here with all the hidden journaling that goes with it. It is linked to flickr for the sources as well. TFL and remembering with me!
ER Moments (Series Finale April 2, 2009)
After 15 years of excitement, romance, mishaps, and miracles, the longest-running primetime medical series in television history, "ER," comes to an end this month. Though the cast may look a lot different than it did 15 years ago and a good chunk of the show's fan base has moved on, a trip down memory lane quickly reminds us why we fell in love with "ER" a decade and a half ago. Long before DVRs and TiVos, during the heyday of NBC's Thursday night "Must See TV," "ER" became appointment viewing -- an hour of greatness that delivered some of the best drama we've ever witnessed, some of the most fascinating and flawed characters in fiction, and some of our fondest TV memories. No topic was off limits and, season after season, the series managed to use the patients and staff of Chicago's County General Hospital to drive home how controversial issues, from war to abortion to AIDS to child abuse, were more than just stories on the front page; they impacted real people every day. To pay homage to the departing series and to celebrate the end of an unforgettable era, we've compiled a list of the top 15 most dramatic moments that made "ER" the standout series that it was.

#15
Though it wasn't the perfect relationship, every "ER" fan was rooting for nurse Carol Hathaway and Dr. Doug Ross to make it as a couple. But when he took off for Seattle in the middle of the fifth season and Carol stayed behind (and eventually learned she was pregnant with twins), the prognosis wasn't good. Though Carol attempted to raise the babies on her own and even tried dating someone else -- another hunk, Dr. Luka Kovac -- it was clear her heart belonged to Doug. At the end of the sixth season, with little notice to her colleagues, she took off for Seattle where she found a rugged-looking, but hot-as-ever Doug thrilled to see her (as indicated by their passionate kiss). And as we learned from the recent "Old Times" episode, the couple truly did live happily ever after, just like we wanted. ("Such Sweet Sorrow," 5/11/2000)

#14
Since Dr. Luka Kovac had already asked fellow doctor Abby Lockhart to marry him once before and didn't exactly get the answer he was looking for, there was only one way to pull this off. After all, the two did have a son together and seemed like they planned on being together forever, so why not make it official… even if the bride hasn't agreed? When Chief of Staff Kovac was charged with throwing an annual staff dinner, everyone was surprised at what a nice party it was. (Ice sculptures! Open bar!) But the real surprise came when it turned out Luka had actually arranged for his and Abby's wedding, going so far as having a wedding dress he knew Abby liked ready and waiting. After some hesitation -- not to mention shock -- Abby did indeed agree to let Luka make an honest woman out of her once and for all. ("I Don't," 5/3/2007)
#13
After Carla, the mother of Dr. Peter Benton's son, Reese, died in a tragic car accident, a vicious custody battle for the child erupted between Benton and Carla's recently widowed husband, Roger. As Reese's devoted dad, Peter undoubtedly had the upper hand… until the eighth episode of the eighth season when the results of a disturbing DNA test revealed an ugly and unfathomable truth: Peter wasn't Reese's biological father! The shocking news sent Peter into a tailspin… and kept viewers interested in the then past-its-prime program for the remainder of the season. ("Partly Cloudy, Chance of Rain," 11/15/2001)
#12
It's no secret that nurse Sam Taggart's ex, the father of her son, is no good. Besides getting Sam pregnant at 15, the guy was a criminal who'd landed himself in jail. But his most deplorable actions began on the Season 12 finale, when, after being treated for wounds sustained from a prison fight, he and some fellow prisoners shot up the ER and took Sam and her son, Alex, hostage. Things took an even more gruesome turn on the 13th-season premiere. With Alex asleep in the car, Steve insisted he wanted his family back before raping a frightened Sam. Later, with Steve passed out on the ground, Sam managed to make it back to the car with the intention of escaping. But before she left, she decided to finally take her revenge. In a gripping scene, Sam grabbed her sleazy ex's gun and shot him dead at point-blank range before fleeing with her son and never looking back. ("Bloodline," 9/21/2006)
#11
After a season-long romance, nurse Abby Lockhart and Dr. John Carter were getting pretty serious. He'd been by her side as she dealt with her troubled family and he even told her mom he wanted Abby to be his wife. But the couple's relationship came to an abrupt end while Carter was in Africa for a second time. (His first trip was for a medical mission and his second was to track down an assumed-dead Dr. Kovac). John not only sent Abby a "Dear John" letter while abroad, but eventually returned to County General with his beautiful new African girlfriend -- who also happened to be pregnant with his baby. If that doesn't say "we're broken up," nothing does! ("Touch and Go," 1/8/2004)
#10
It was a tragic situation that mirrored what thousands of American military families were facing in their own lives: Dr. Michael Gallant, an Army reservist who had been deployed again to Iraq shortly after marrying his County General colleague, Dr. Neela Rasgotra, died in a roadside bomb explosion. But the most painful scene came when Neela spotted the soldiers who had come to the ER to deliver the news… and knew what had happened before they even spoke a word. A video Michael had recorded for Neela in the event of his death only upset her more, and the guilt and confusion she felt over her prior flirtations, her anger at Michael for going back to Iraq, and her mixed feelings about the war gave viewers a glimpse at the searing and complicated pain that comes with losing a loved one in the service. ("The Gallant Hero and the Tragic Victor," 5/11/2006)
#9
Luka and Abby's marriage didn't exactly start off on the right foot. After their surprise wedding, the couple's honeymoon had to be canceled when Luka learned that his father had fallen ill in Croatia on the Season 13 finale. By the time Season 14 picked up, Abby was at the end of her rope caring for baby Joe all alone, which prompted the recovering alcoholic to hit the bottle again. She finally lost it after Luka refused her requests to leave his dad and return home, and after several after-work drinks on a steamy night with her nemesis Dr. Moretti, Abby did the unthinkable and ended up sleeping with him. Viewers couldn't help cringing when Abby woke up in a panic after blacking out in Moretti's bed, and realized she was in jeopardy of losing just about everything. ("Blackout," 11/8/2007)
#8
Towards the end of the 13th season, Ray (Shane West) got drunk and started a fight with Dr. Gates over Neela at Luka and Abby’s wedding. After Ray stormed out, Neela broke up with Gates and called Ray, who looked down at his phone as he stumbled into the street and was immediately hit by an oncoming truck. We didn't know the extent of Ray's injuries until the season's finale when Neela visited him in the hospital only to find that he was missing both of his legs from the knees down. Even though the image of a legless Ray was shockingly gruesome, it was definitely unforgettable and achingly memorable. ("I Don't," 5/3/2007 and "The Honeymoon Is Over," 5/17/2007)
#7
Who would dare leave TV's top-rated show at the height of its popularity? What about $70,000 per episode? Nobody, right? Well, nobody… except for Sherry Stringfield. When Stringfield's character, Dr. Susan Lewis, hopped a midnight train to Phoenix, leaving a distraught Dr. Greene standing all alone on the platform, she sent shockwaves through the ER and through the television industry. Luckily for Dr. Lewis' fans (and for Sherry Stringfield's personal bank account), she returned to the show in the fourth episode of Season 8, mere months before her former flame, Dr. Greene, succumbed to brain cancer. ("Union Station," 11/21/1996)
#6
Midway through the show's sixth season, Dr. Carter was stabbed by a schizophrenic patient in an exam room and as he fell to the ground he saw (as did the audience) that intern Lucy Knight had already been stabbed too. Seeing Carter and Lucy lying in pools of their own blood, unable to call out for help, and wordlessly gazing at each other while the County General staff is happily celebrating Valentine's Day just beyond the door in the lobby was arguably one of the most haunting and powerful moments of the series. The following episode, which garnered 39.4 millon viewers (the highest rated episode of the season), found all the doctors fighting desperately to save Lucy and Carter's lives. And when they were unable to save Lucy, we saw a tender side of Dr. Romano as he ushered the nurses aside and sewed her up himself. Absolutely heartbreaking. ("Be Still My Heart," 2/10/2000 and "All in the Family," 2/17/2000)
#5
We never got too much information on hard-nosed Dr. Kerry Weaver's love life during the first several seasons of the show. She had a boyfriend here and there, but always seemed more in love with her work than any man. We eventually discovered why: Dr. Weaver was actually gay. The revelation was hardest on Kerry herself, who at first resisted advances from the Amazonian psychiatrist Dr. Kim Legaspi, but eventually found herself in love with her gorgeous colleague, though she kept their relationship a secret. Ironically, Kerry first came out of the closet to the homophobic Dr. Romano during the seventh season in order to get him to stop discriminating against Kim. Though Kerry and Kim couldn't make it work, Kerry moved on to a serious relationship with firefighter Sandy Lopez, had a son, Henry, with her, and eventually faced blatant discrimination herself when Sandy's parents tried to take Henry away from Kerry after Sandy died. ("Rampage," 5/17/2001)
#4
Midway through the second season, Dr. Doug Ross was considering a private practice position following a violations-of-ethics charge and numerous battles with his boss, the chief of pediatrics. However, the heartthrob changed his mind after he rescued a drowning boy from a storm drain, while a local TV crew captured and broadcast the nail-biting footage. That night, not only did Doug become the emergency room's resident hero, the insanely dramatic episode garnered 42 million viewers for NBC (a Season 2 high!) and solidified George Clooney's status as THE star of the show. ("Hell and High Water," 11/9/1995)
#3
After learning that her husband, Al, was HIV-positive, the soft-spoken physician assistant Jeanie Boulet, and the man she was cheating on Al with, Dr. Peter Benton, both got tested. Peter's test was negative. Jeanie's wasn't. The news led to plenty of questions and controversy for seasons to come. Was Jeanie obligated to tell her higher-ups at County General? Did they have the right to limit what kind of procedures she could perform? And how should Jeanie have dealt with her husband who put her life in jeopardy? That storyline proved early on that "ER" wasn't afraid to explore tough issues and show viewers that people don't always react in politically-correct ways. ("Dr. Carter, I Presume?" 9/26/1996)
#2
Love him or hate him (or love to hate him!), the crass and offensive Dr. Romano, who butted heads with nearly all of his colleagues, was one heck of a surgeon. But his career hit a major roadblock during the ninth-season premiere when he accidentally got his arm caught in a helicopter rotor while trying to evacuate patients. Though it was surgically reattached and prosthetics helped him operate again, it seems helicopters weren't about to let the crabby doctor off that easy. The following season, a chopper crashed on the roof of County General and promptly fell to the ground, crushing Romano to death in the ambulance bay. For once, the surgeon full of biting zingers didn't get in the last word. ("Chaos Theory," 9/26/2002 and "Death and Taxes," 11/13/2003)
#1
It was perhaps the most emotional episode in the history of the series when viewers who had come to love the caring Dr. Mark Greene over the past eight years had to say farewell to the good doctor who had been with the series since the beginning. With his marriage on the rocks, a new baby at home, his teen daughter Rachel spiraling out of control, and a terminal brain cancer diagnosis, Dr. Greene spent his last days in Hawaii, the place he'd grown up, where he tried his best to teach Rachel life lessons and work things out with wife Elizabeth. As he became weaker, he said his goodbyes before dying peacefully in a house on the beach, far from the chaotic hospital that had become his home, prompting tears from viewers around the world. ("On the Beach," 5/9/2002)

Journaling:
I came across this list on Yahoo the week that the ER series finale aired. I have watched ER faithfully from the beginning and seeing these photos and the episode descriptions brought it all back. I shed many a tear over these episodes and many more. To say it was a highlight of my week puts it mildly. I was so glad that they “finished” the series and brought closure to the stories. I will be sad to see it go. [Full episode descriptions on back].

Sources: Yin template 121, Yin template 121 reversed; K Pertiet Yellow word bits_no1; font - arial

Monday, October 25, 2010

Today...[7months - September 25 - October 25, 2010]

Yeah I know, you've seen this one. I couldn't resist though. Because...


today...





Today you turned 7 months old.
Today you scooted across the floor faster than I could take pictures .
Today you were delighted with Kristy and Cierra’s entertainment.
Today you slept well, on your own.
Today you snuggled into my shoulder and my heart melted - again.
Today you are getting older faster than I want you to.
Today you reminded me how blessed I am.
Today.


As well... at 7 months
  • I think you are heavier (I'll have to weigh you though! (Nov 5 - 20 lbs)
  • I think you might be longer (I'll have to measure you though Nov 5 - 27.95" or 71cm)
  • we've been calling you Mister, Bubs, Bibiti,
  • you are being VERY wiggly whenever I try to change you and not happy about it
  • made the raspberry sound for the first time
  • you are "this" close to waving
  • sleep-wise you are in a routine that I can live with [yep - eating before sleep, but going down awake and settling - this month it was all recorded]
  • EC - about the same
  • you experienced new things - 2 teeth, concert,
  • you tried new foods - halibut,
  • you're not spitting up as much
  • you are generally a very happy easy going kid except when you need something. Then you show a quick temper but you calm down quickly.
Luv ya luv ya luv ya!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

LOAD progress days 16 - 23

Week 3 of LOAD and still off and running. Following is my progress from the last week. Each item is linked to the gallery in Flickr for the sources and journaling. Enjoy!

Friday, October 22, 2010

LOAD progress Days 8 - 15

Here are the layouts I've done from day 8 - 15. Still going strong! The layouts are linked to flickr for journaling and sources. TFL!

Day 8 - Jump

Day 9 - Rock on sista!


Day 10 - LOAD Oct 2009


See you next week!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

October 2010 Recap


Now that October is officially gone, it's time to do my monthly recap - a way to help me keep track of what has gone on in our lives in one concise area. I'm a list person with a terrible memory and this has helped tremendously.
Katy the Scrapbook Lady has her version of her monthly round-up and I like how she describes it. "On the last day of every month, I post this little reminder to "roundup" your memories for the month. This simple little exercise will prompt you to take a few minutes and jot down the details of the ending month before the new one takes over. Look over your calendar, your blog posts, your photos, or whatever types of records you have kept throughout the month. I find that even reviewing my bank statement jogs my memory about what has happened in the month". And yes, it does help!

Check out her site here!

Here are my categories.

Exercise – A few runs, a few walks, and a lap swim!

Books, Magazines Read – Mothering, Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbooks Etc.,

Entertainment – TV, Movies, Live events seen
NCIS, Parenthood, 19 Kids and Counting, Greatest American Hero (Netflix);
Where the Wild Things Are;
Food Inc
Hillsong Youth United, David Crowder Band at Queensway Cathedral (8th)

Special Events
Celebrated dad and Melissa's birthdays (7th)
Celebrated Thanksgiving (10th) at our house
Port Dover visit (11th)
Macy Grace born! 6 lbs 6oz (11th)
Lego club at library
Silpada party at Kristy's
Drew - half marathon in Toronto 1:43 minutes

Travel – Port Dover (11th)

Significant/ unusual purchases, gifts / changes -

The kids had several birthday parties this month to which we gave play doh with extra "dough"; a star wars calendar and ****; and nerf shooter and silly bands. My dad got dinner out for the concert, my sister-in-law celebrated with a Marble Slab cake from Matt's teacher.

- we also got our salt water softener fixed (yey)

- our electricity between the bathroom and kitchen nook is still mucked up

Health/ Development -
Mitchell - 6 month Dr appointment - 19 lbs 7 oz
Matthew - lost tooth #12
Marlee - lost tooth #6
Drew - moles removed, one became infected


Other notable mentions -
Lots of scrapbooking done! See my previous LOAD posts.

TTFN!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Good Food Box


I've decided to give the Good Food Box a try again. I had tried it a number of years ago and then let it go as the pick up time wasn't working for me. Someone had mentioned it a few weeks back and it reminded me of what a good deal it was so I thought I should look back into it. 2 weeks ago I paid for the months of October and November for a small box each month with a 10lb bag of potatoes. I picked it up today and here is what I got:

  • 1o lb bag of potatoes (choice of red or white)

  • 1 cauliflower

  • 1 small bag of onions

  • 1 2lb bag of carrots

  • 1 red pepper

  • 1 tomato

  • 1 zucchini

  • 1 head of garlic

  • 3 oranges

  • 4 apples (macs I think)

  • a newsletter with info and recipes

for $10! A good deal in my book!

Friday, October 8, 2010

10 things...

I love about you:
  • i love how you "mumble" while you nurse
  • i love how squishy your bum and upper thighs feel when i squeeze you while you nurse
  • i love how you "melt" when anyone touches that spot at the back of your neck
  • i love how you are working on your push-ups these days
  • i love how you laugh when your siblings entertain you
  • i love that you *seem* to be getting this sleeping on my own for naps time thing
  • i love how happy you are all the time
  • i love how everyone thinks you are so cute and happy and wants to squeeze your cheeks
  • i love your chubb lines at your ankles and wrists
  • i love that i get to enjoy you all to myself these days

i want to remember these little things that are so big!

i love you buddy!

Turkey anyone?

Warning: graphic photos!

I like to cook with ground turkey. I got a few really good recipes from a show I used to watch on TLC called Fixing Dinner. In particular we like the Turkey Manicotti and the Turkey Meatloaf with Goat Cheese (well my kids are so-so on that one). Anyway, for some reason I can't always seem to find ground turkey at the supermarket and while I want to purchase organic and local and "where I know where it comes from" meat, practically speaking, I'm not quite there yet. Enter our Thanksgiving turkey. Every thanksgiving and Christmas and Easter we have a friend who grows organic turkeys. We like to support him and the birds are amazing. So this year I thought I'll get one and do the work myself since I knew that my mom had a meat grinder. Well here is how it went:

We (or rather Drew) went out and picked up the fresh turkey (we usually get it already frozen so he had to go when it was fresh). It is 20.5 lbs and cost $60.

My mom arrived at 9pm with her grinder, we cleaned it, got the supplies ready and started peeling the bird. Slippery stuff and it was stuck on there well!

Next we started cutting away at the bird. My knives weren't quite up to my mom's standards but after some sampling and then some sharpening we got on our way. Well she seemed to do most of it (thank you!)

Then I got to the grinding. A lot harder then it looks. For one thing, the meat just kept coming back up the holder. And then it got stuck. I had to hold it down with my hand and my fingers kept locking! Then the white "skin-type stuff" kept clogging up the holes so I would have to take it apart and pull out the piece and start over. Mom was getting way more work done then me.


Sooo, fast forward a few hours later (including 1/2 hour where I left to nurse Mitchell) and I can't say that I was getting very far. So we both agreed that perhaps just having some cut turkey meat would be just as good. Oh and mom will have all the bones for some broth! Mom ground the last of the smaller peices (much faster then me) and we bagged and put away the rest for the freezer.


End result? I got about 4 lbs of ground meat and then the rest is cut up for later meals. Cost effective? I'm not sure. It may be more expensive then the average grocery store but I think it was less expensive then the organic farm that I know of. And I know where it cam efrom and how teh birds were treated. Was it worth it? Ummm, I think that I am willing to pay a butcher for their time and effort. But as my mom said, (after admitting she didn't think I would like the process) that sometimes you just have to find out for yourself. And she is right. I'm glad I did it but I'm in no hurry to try it again. Thanks for the experience.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

LOAD update!

We're at day 7 and I'm 7/7. Woo hoo! So far I am finding the weekends the hardest - everyone is HOME! But it is still getting done. Every time I do this I realize how much I enjoy the process and just the opportunity to be creative and do some "me stuff". Why can't I remember that on the off-LOAD months?

Anyway, here is what I've done so far! (Titles are linked to Flickr for sources and journaling)

Day 1 The Tale of Marlee's Snowman

Day 2 - Happy Campers

Day 3 Camp 2010

Day 4 Out Takes

Day 5 Baby Boom


Day 6 This is my doll Mary


Day 7 Do it. Done it.

That's it for now - more planning to do!

Monday, October 4, 2010

A new LOAD challenge and LSNED rap-up.

Yes, you read it correctly. I have begun a new LOAD challenge and as of day 4 I am going strong. I have a number of "kits" ready to go and look forward to getting some of our memories down on paper. Lain Ehman has started a new website called scraphappy that has a little bit of everything when it comes to scrapbooking - sketches, news, videos, how-tos, challenges and (when you pay the monthly fee which was on for a deal), "free" access to three LOAD challenges for the year. So while the last one didn't go so well (12/31), I'm hoping to do just as well if not better this time around. Mitchell has a bit more of a routine, the kids are in school, what could be the problem? Regardless, I'm sure to get something done and it is more of an incentive to get some scrapbooking done then I seem to do in between challenges.

This time around I am hoping to involve Marlee a little more. she has been showing an interest in scrapping so when I am doing my thing, she is starting to work on some creative things as well. Yesterday she did some painting and the day before some scrapping. I just have to get organized and get some pictures laid out for her to use. We can always use some mother-daughter time - especially these days when I have been so consumed with Mitchell.

As for LSNED rap-up, in case it wasn't noticed, there was a bit of a theme to my posts this last month. I was reminded daily of all the different ways and things that we can learn from and encouraged to be "creative" about how it affects my life. It was all through the class Learn Something New Every Day. There was a theme to my learning this month. It seems to have centered around Mitchell – as much of our lives do these days. I guess that was to be expected Again, this year I am very thankful to have been reminded of all the learning that goes on on a regular basis. We are always learning. Relearning things. Learning from people, from places, from things, from nature and from ourselves. Learning new things. I think what I have learned most from this experience is how quickly we dismiss the importance of keeping learning fresh. We so easily say, "Oh yeah we learn something new everyday" but don’t really focus on what that learning actually is. I like that this let me do that. I did appreciate this experience. As far as creatively speaking, I knew how much I could expect of myself and I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to keep up by blogging about it each day. To go one step further, I made a promise to myself to do one extra step to up the "creativity" with this project. **Hopefully** we'll see this result during the month of LOAD. Off we go!

Memory Monday

We have decided to try out Netflix for a month and just caught episode 2 of The Greatest American Hero. Oh my goodness the memories. I can still sing most of the theme song! Times have certainly changed in the action series genre. Enough said. Entertaining none-the-less.

BTW - why Netflix you may ask? I have (yes officially writing it here) committed to (ahhemmm) give up cable in the new year! This may be a good alternative. We will see.

Friday, October 1, 2010

September 2010 Recap

Another month come and gone. Back to school. Back to routine. Back to recapping.

So how did we fare?

Exercise – yeah right. Well actually Cierra and I have done some bike riding/running together a few times.

Books, Magazines Read
Becoming Baby Wise
Mothering magazine
Creating Keepsakes magazine

Entertainment – TV, Movies, Live events seen
High School Musical 2
Big Break
Date night
Last Song
Slumdog Millionaire
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
A Raisin in the Sun
2012
The Baby Whisperer movie
Sahara
19 Kids and Counting
Parenthood

Special Events
Hair cuts
Visit with Ben, Rachel
Fall Kick-off at church
Terry Fox Run
Shower for Melinda
Alison's birthday (38)
Meet the teacher barbq

Travel – not this month!

Financial (significant/ unusual purchases, gifts)
Dishwasher replaced
Microwave replaced

Household (Renos/ changes etc.)

Health/ Development -
Mitchell started solids