OMG MUMMMMY JUSTIN BIEBER SAID HE LIKES MY JEANS!!!!!

As you may know from my about me section, I live in southern Ontario. More accurately, Waterloo Region. We are fairly close to Stratford, Ontario, where Justin Bieber was born and raised. I would guess less than a half hour drive. Apparently, our shopping centre is one of the best in the region.
This afternoon my 12 year old daughter was really excited and  told me that she heard Justin Bieber would be shopping at our mall today, and asked if she could go. I didn't think he would actually be there, but I allowed her to go, just in case he was. I didn't want to take the opportunity to meet him away from her. Of course, I thought the odds of her actually seeing him at the mall were really really slim.
Well, she did in fact get to meet him. She thought she saw one of his friends whom she recognized  from a youtube video or something, in West 49, and there were people standing in front of the store facing out, like security!  She got excited, as did a bunch of other girls that heard my daughter yell " OH MY GOD!!!JUSTIN BIEBER IS IN WEST 49!!" All of the sudden the guys that were standing there tell her she can't go in there, and block the entrances with little posts with ropes ( you know, like at the bank, or movie theater).  My daughter stood there, right at the front as they put those up in front of her.
A few minutes later Justin came up to where the crowd of girls was forming and told my daughter that he liked her jeans. She didn't really respond, as she was starstruck I guess. So then he said, " hey, I like your jeans!", and she thinks she said thank you....lol!  Anyway, then he took her hand and asked her if she wanted him to sign it to which of course she replied yes!!

It's a little blurry, but my camera is broken, so in order to get the picture onto the computer she took a picture of it with the webcam!
Needless to say, excited and happy are understatements for her mood when she got home!  And I am glad I let her go, and am not one of the moms that said no because it would be a waste of time blah blah blah! I know a few 12 year old girls that are quite upset with their mom today! It took awhile for my daughter to find a friend to go with, as moms were saying no because it was a waste of time (like staying home on the computer wasn't...lol), and he wouldn't be there.  today, Rich and I  are cool parents!!

Celebrate the Author 2011

Becky over at  Becky's Book Reviews has hosted this challenge in the past. She has decided not to host this one in 2011, and has passed it on to me!!  (Thanks Becky!)
Here are the details
For this challenge participants “celebrate” author birthdays.  The challenge is designed to ‘celebrate’ the special bond–the connection–that occurs between the author AND the reader as well as the connection between readers. It is very easy to “bond” with other readers over certain works, certain authors, etc 
Challenge runs from January 1 st 2011 until December 31st 2011
Choose one author for each month of the year. 
Read at least one book a month. 12 authors. 12 birthdays. If you like, you can read MORE than that. Read the books in any order you wish.  As long as you've got one book representing an author birthday from each month of the year by the end, then you're good.

You can choose picture books, poetry books, early readers, chapter books, fiction for middle grades, fiction for teens, adult reads, nonfiction, whatever you want. If it is a book, it counts!
 To find out author birthdays, visit these helpful sites: 

Author birthdays by date (pdf),author birthdays by name (pdf), kidsreads.com, teenreads.com, author birthday directory, etc. or conduct google searches of your own. (Hint: typing the authors name, a “+” and the word ‘birthday’, tends to work if you assume that wikipedia gets such things right.)

No lists are necessary. You can make a list if you like. But you don't  have to  make a list and stick to it.
Sign up by leaving a comment (include your link if you wish)!

If you'd like other participants to keep track of your progress, then I'd suggest having one post on your blog where you keep an as-you-go list. (If you don't have a blog, then don't worry about it! You're still welcome to join in on the fun.) 

One gift out of the way!!! (Almost!)

So, I think I have decided that I will be doing my Christmas shopping from the comfort of my home!

csnstores.com does have just about everything!  While browsing their luggage department, I found the perfect gift for my sister.  A briefcase!!

I really think this will make a great gift for her. She just went back to school this year, and could use this to carry her laptop, as well as anything else she would normally carry in her handbag!   

This particular item is less than $25 (US), offers free shipping, and guaranteed to arrive before December 24th!   

Of course, I will pay a small fee for shipping, and international fees since I am in Canada, but it is well worth it to me! For just about $40 my sister will get this great gift, delivered right to her door in time for Christmas,  and I don't have to leave my house!!

I haven't placed my order yet! I would love it if you would check out the selection, and come back and leave a suggestion in the comments area!

Christmas Shopping???

It is nearly the middle of December, and I have not yet started my Christmas shopping!!!  I dread the thought of heading out to the malls. I am totally kicking myself right now for not having started (and finishing) my shopping yet. I am not the kind of person that loves to go out shopping, which is one of the reasons  I have put it off. The problem with that is now I will have to brave the crowds.
Christmas shopping  is usually a stressful event for me. I don't really have all that many people to buy for, but I do have a few hard to buy for people on my list! I tend to have a hard time figuring out what to buy for my sister, my brother in law, and my mother.  I go out hoping that I will see something that I know would make a great gift for them, and before I have figured out what to buy them, I have a cart full of things I just HAVE to get my kids, and I am back where I started!
I am thinking maybe it doesn't have to be so stressful. Maybe a lot of  my shopping can be done from the comfort of my home this year!  I don't usually do much shopping online, but this year, I think I might!

Unless, maybe one of you wants to do it for me.....

Thriller and Suspense Challenge 2010

Timeline: 01 Jan 2010 - 31 Dec 2010

Rules: To read TWELVE (12) thrillers in 2010

I signed up for this challenge earlier this year, before I started my blog. Since I did not have a blog, I did not do a post! I have been keeping track of  all of the challenges that I signed up for in a discussion thread on goodreads.com .   I was surprised at how many books I have read this year that fit into this challenge. ( here is a great list of all sub genres included for this challenge.) I have exceed the requirements for this challenge!! YAY me!

Here are the books I have read that fit into this challenge from January 1st 2010

1. Dead Irish  by John Lescroart
2. The Vig by John Lescroart
3. The Return by Sharon Sala
4. Numbers by Rachel Ward
5. Never Tell by Karen Young
6. The Girl She Used to Be by David Cristofano
7. 7th Heaven by James Patterson
8. 8th Confession  by James Patterson
9. 9th Judgment by James Patterson
10. The Postcard Killers by James Patterson
11. You've Been Warned by James Patterson
12. Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown
13. Smash Cut by Sandra Brown
14. Tough Customer by Sandra Brown
15. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard
16. I'd Know You Anywhere by Laura Lippman
17. The Insider by Reece Hirsch
18. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens
19. Mister X by John Lutz
20. Blown Away by Sharon Sala
21. Torn Apart by Sharon Sala
22. Swept Aside by Sharon Sala
23. Bloodlines by Dinah McCall (penname for Sharon Sala)
24. Bundle of Trouble by Diana Orgain
25. Motherhood is Murder by Diana Orgain
26. Sizzle by Julie Garwood
27. Drop Dead Gorgeous by Linda Howard
28. The Calling  by Inger Ash Wolfe
29. Ricochet by Sandra Brown

and I am not sure if I should count this one or not......Safe Haven  by Nicholas Sparks.  I have seen other readers refer to it as a cozy mystery. To me it was a Nicholas Sparks type of romance with elements of suspense thrown in......so maybe I will  count it!    Yeah....I am going to count it so I end with an even 30!!!

Preemie Awareness Month

I was reading through a couple of blogs tonight and I realized that November is Prematurity Awareness Month. I had no idea. I thought I should have known, since my son was a preemie!
My son was born at just over 34 weeks gestation. It was a complicated pregnancy.  I lost his twin at approximately 18 weeks. I nearly lost my son as well. Thankfully, I did not. ( you can read more here) Looking at him today, you would never guess he was only 5 lbs. He is now 25 months and approximately 38 lbs. He wears a size 3x or 4, and has size 11 feet!! 
After searching online, I realized that November is Prematurity Awareness Month, with Wed. Nov. 17th being Preemie Awareness Day, in the US.  I am not American, but after reading some posts by other moms, (through the tears in my eyes), I wanted to devote a post to help raise awareness.
I read a post written by Cee over at Smookie Style , in which she included a poem that she read in a post written by Melissa at Home Grown Families.  
I would like to share this poem.

Did you ever wonder how the mothers of premature babies are chosen?

Somehow, I visualize God hovering over Earth, selecting his instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation.
As he observes, he instructs his angels to take notes in a giant ledger.

"Beth Armstrong, son. Patron Saint, Matthew. Marjorie Forrest, daughter. Patron Saint, Celia. Carrie Rutledge, twins. Patron Saint ... give her Gerard. He's used to profanity."

Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles. "Give her a preemie."

The angel is curious. "Why this one, God? She's so happy."

"Exactly," smiles God. "Could I give a premature baby a mother who knows no laughter?

That would be cruel." "But does she have the patience?" asks the angel.

"I don't want her to have too much patience, or she'll drown in a sea of self-pity and despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle it.

I watched her today.

She has that sense of self and independence so rare and so necessary in a mother.

You see, the child I'm going to give her has a world of its own.

She has to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be easy."

"But Lord, I don't think she even believes in you."

God smiles. "No matter, I can fix that. This one is perfect.

She has just the right amount of selfishness."

The angel gasps, "Selfishness?! Is that a virtue?"

God nods. "If she can't separate herself from the child occasionally, she will never survive.

Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with a child less than perfect.

She doesn't know it yet, but she is to be envied.

She will never take for granted a spoken word.

She will never consider a step ordinary.

When her child says 'mama' for the first time, she will be witness to a miracle and know it.

I will permit her to see clearly the things I see – ignorance, cruelty, prejudice – and allow her to rise above them.

She will never be alone.

I will be at her side every minute of every day of her life because she is doing my work as surely as she is here by my side."

"And what about her Patron Saint?" asks the angel, his pen poised in the air.

God smiles. "A mirror will suffice."
-excerpt by Erma Bombeck


(I know, I know! Purple text doesn't match this blog! I chose to type that in purple since that is the colour of the ribbon that is used to raise awareness)

Did you know......... 
1 in 8 babies is born prematurely.
Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death worldwide. 
Even babies born just a few weeks too soon can face serious health challenges and are at risk of lifelong disabilities.


For more information you can check out  The March of Dimes  website.  (note it is not the Canadian site, which can be found here)

I' m back!

I'm back!  Did you even notice I was gone?? Anyone?
So as you may or may not have noticed, I haven't posted in over a week. Things have been a bit hectic around here.
Last weekend was Halloween, so I was busy with the kids!  I had to rush around to find a costume for my son at the last minute. Ok, it wasn't the last minute, it was the day before! You see, I was making his costume this year. That didn't go so well!! So, I had to go buy a costume the night before.  Luckily, I found one that was a size bigger so that I could fit his snowsuit underneath! He went as " The Hunchback of Notre Dame". I must say, he was the cutest hunchback I had ever seen!  He enjoyed himself. I on the other hand froze!!
Last week was a rough week for me.  I was not feeling well. I had a bit of a cold, and I have been having some pain from surgery (still!!).  The first week of November is always a rough week for me. I won't go into too much detail, but I will say that it is the anniversary  of  the day I lost my first child, Alexis Erynn at 21 weeks gestation . The first week of November (2008) I was supposed to be induced to have my twins, if they hadn't arrived yet.  That never happened.. I lost my son's  twin.  So, I generally have a crappy few days every year at that time.
I spent last week trying to keep myself busy.  I  went for short walks, (still recuperating from surgery, so my long walks have been postponed), visited the library a few times, went to visit a couple of friends, did some reading, and of course some crying. In addition to this, and the other every day stuff, my son has been  quite " moody" . Sometimes, I wonder if Rich or my daughter have been sneaking him Halloween treats.  He has been extra energetic, and requiring less sleep!

Anyway, I am back! I have some catching up to do. I have a few things I want to post about, but just haven't had the time to post yet! I haven't even had the time to type them up so that I can schedule them!