It was a day like any other.  The sunshine was streaming through my office window, the breeze blowing the curtains to and fro, and the birds chirping outside on a warm sunny day.

I'm not quite sure of what to say.

 I  have come to the conclusion that I am just a very high-strung, high-stress kind of person. I've noticed that recently, I've been getting very overwhelmed with everything and something has got to change. Meditation hasn't seemed to be working. Exercise has been very helpful and I love it. It's just that when I get back from dance/pilates and Zumba classes, I get home and the feeling of being overwhelmed is back...almost immediately.

I figured I may need better organizational skills. For example: Make batches upon batches of meals on Sunday so that we have all our lunches and suppers ready for the entire week. Ummm...No. Can't seem to get all of that done on Sundays since weekends are always so busy and I can't really seem to get a lot accomplished when the toddler wants to undo everything I do.

 The cattle  have been very bad and continue to "jump fence" even when the "juice" is on. Apparently, they don't mind the electric fence so much. Of course, they have to plot their escape when Hubby is off the farm and I am on my way to work! Ack!

 We had a cold spell and our water pipes were frozen. That meant no water for us. No water means no working toilet, no shower, no water for cooking. I know a few generations ago, this was the norm and people made due by collecting water so they'd have it on hand. For me, it's just one more stress right now. Thank goodness Hubby got the pipes unfrozen last night! I almost told him that he'd have to take us out for supper so that we could use the toilet at the restaurant!


 Little One continues to be her adorable, busy self. She has taken to playing dress-up lately and has been wanting to wear costumes every day! We're on Day 2 right now of her wearing her lion costume all day. She refuses to take it off. Yes, she ended up going to our friend's house for a play date and dinner in her lion costume. She's in the barn with Hubby at the moment...in her lion costume and snowsuit. *sigh*
 She's been showing signs of wanting to potty train. She keeps taking off her diaper and telling us when it's time to go. She climbs onto her potty and tries to go. She isn't always successful. Oftentimes, she'll get there a moment too late. She is starting to grasp the concept though. I still think she's not ready for it yet, but she thinks she is.

 She's also been doing this extremely whiny routine lately. It's just been this past week that she has started doing her "fake cry". It's really quite stressful and annoying. I ask her what she wants or try to direct her attention to something else. Sometimes distraction works. Sometimes nothing works.

Hubby is thinking we should consider Baby #2 soon. I would love another baby, but I can't seem to get my act together with just the ONE! Juggling toddler, husband, family, household chores, helping with farm, meetings, committees, ESL student, teaching, and everything else...I'm so overwhelmed. Plus, now my once mild-mannered, extremely well-behaved toddler is now exceedingly whiny and clingy. I know she wants my full attention. She tells me! She grabs me by the hand and says, "Come now, Mama!" When I take her little hand and spend time with her and cuddle, read a book, or play a game with her, she is happy for the moment. Then she gets whiny again.

Though I never experienced postpartum depression, I am wondering why I'm feeling so overwhelmed now...when it's 2 years after I've had my daughter.

I must be the worst mother in the world, because the whining absolutely drives me bonkers! Then I think of how fortunate we are to have her with us, despite the whiny bouts. After all, we went through so much to bring her into this world. I feel guilty for even being overwhelmed. Ack!

Working moms out there: How do you manage to go to work, take care of your children, do everything at home and out of the home, and keep your sanity intact? Any helpful tips? What works for you?

The sun's not out and
It's kinda gray.
I've got absolutely nuthin'
I want to say.

It's NaBloPoMo Day 23
I wish I had something to inspire me.

Instead, I sit here staring at this screen
Thinking how much better this post could have been.

It's only day 12 of NaBloPoMo and I'm running out of steam.

Oh, alright. I have a confession. I've been cheating.

I've been a very, very bad girl.

I want desperately to stay on top of things, but I find I'm lacking in time. I'm not lacking in conviction. I'm lacking in time. Between teaching and rushing home to play with my toddler, meeting deadlines for articles and getting supper on the table, then doing chores (and sometimes running after naughty cattle who like to bust through electric fences while the juice is on!), I find myself without any quality time for blogging.

Oh, right. My confession. Well, I've been writing my NaBloPoMo posts whenever I  have a free moment and then I post date them. Yes, you read correctly. I post date my posts. Obviously, I ran out of posts and had to add this one where I confess how horrible a NaBlo-er I am.

Why am I even NaBlo-ing in the first place? Well, I started NaBlo-ing years ago and I hate not keeping up with challenges. I ain't a quitter, I'm a fighter. I'm also a glutton for punishment. Actually, in some really strange way, participating in NaBloPoMo has been rather cathartic for me in the past. I learn new things about myself that surprise me.

I will try not to cheat again. In the meantime, does anyone have any good NaBloPoMo posts they'd like to share?

There once was a time when I would diligently post several times a week. Now that I'm teaching again, it leaves very little time to get online as much as I would like to.

I have to be online for a bit when Little One is in bed, because that's when I get my freelance work done. I never imagined how difficult it would be to work, take care of a toddler, cook, clean, do all the household chores, and help my husband with his work. I have a deep respect for moms all over the world. Being a mom is a full time job. Being a mom and working is just insane! I'm starting to get into the swing of things and Little One loves hanging out with her grandparents during the day.

I just feel that when I get home, I'm exhausted. The house seems to suffer more now. The toddler seems to crave attention more too. Preparing lunches and suppers the night before and remembering everything else seems to be a huge task for me.

Little One is cutting her molars and is still having the occasional night when she's plagued by her night terrors. I find I need more sleep and every day, by 3PM I am exhausted.

I'm excited to be teaching ESL again. I really love the feeling when my students suddenly "get" superlatives, comparatives, gerunds, infinitives, and conditional clauses. Love it!

Oh! Before I forget...Check this out! Guess whose article is posted on The Canadian-Mom-Bloggers Daily?

Okay. Maybe you didn't ask, but Cherry did! :)

This is what our house looked like before the renovations. I didn't get a chance to post photos of the master bedroom, baby room, guest room, dining room, bathroom or basement.
Our greenhouse helps us warm our house during the winter months. We try to maximize the daylight hours and use up all that wonderful heat from the sun. It's lovely! The greenhouse is a disaster right now. I won't be posting new photos until we are done cleaning up.

I've been working away at cleaning little by little. I've spent two full days trying to clean the kitchen. Since EVERY single window in the house was replaced, there's sawdust everywhere. The house looks like it EXPLODED! Seriously, every room in the house looks like it threw up! All of the books, furniture, clothing, dishes, and pretty much everything needs to be washed and returned to its proper place. It is unbelievable how much work needs to get done AFTER having renovations. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!There is a reason I am not posting any photos of the house NOW. Too depressing! Luckily for me, my Mom and Dad have been coming over every day (okay, Dad only came over once this week) to help me out. Mom totally did a clean sweep in the bathroom. She is pretty OCD when it comes to stuff like that, which in this case I am thankful of! She scrubbed the walls, the ceiling...everything! Oh, and the chrome in the bathtub has never been that shiny and spotless before!!!

Little One has been very cooperative too. She sleeps while I clean. She has also started taking to her Baby Bjorn. I tried her in the Peanut Shell sling and she tolerated it...for all of a few minutes! Now that she is a bit bigger, I have her facing away from me in the Baby Bjorn while I wash every single thing in the kitchen or while I vacuum. She seems curious about the world around her.

Well, break time is over! Will post photos when we are completely done...which will most likely be four months from now! ;p

I was just thinking about how CK, Fancy and I have been so preoccupied lately that we haven't updated our "Green Is Her New Blog" blog in ages!

This is what has been keeping me away from the blog and the blog world :)The last time I posted on our green blog was August 25, 2008! Remember the "Green Gadgets for Summer Fun" post? I popped on over to post something, and was happy to see that our lovely and talented CK had posted something new!


I had full intentions of using cloth diapers on Little One, but she ended up arriving way too early and in the NICU they use disposable everything (for infection prevention, hygienic reasons, and among other reasons which totally make sense to me being in a high risk unit with lots of babies who need medical attention). Plus, I don't even know if there are any places that make cloth diapers small enough to fit preemies that small. Then there's the whole thing about her having very sensitive skin. Twice in her NICU stay she had an awful bum sore...and that was with diapers that are quilted so that they wick away the wetness! The poor thing had a raw bottom. Just a tiny spot, but it looked very unpleasant. Nothing that three days of Zinc oxide and some air drying didn't cure though. Poor little bum bum!Photo of Little One while she was in the NICU. Only a week or so old here and on CPAP room air and NG tube.

I'm going to wait a bit, but I still want to try the cloth diapers. Hubby and I try to tread lightly on the earth. However, with this time to think about the pros and cons, I think about all the water we are going to be using with all the extra laundry and diaper washing. Which leaves me with the dilemma of which is more important? Water conservation or reducing landfill waste? I'm thinking perhaps a combination of both? What do you think?

Oh, and if you haven't checked out CK's brainchild yet, click on Green Is Her New Blog. See you there!

That's right. Little One is 55 already! 55 days old, that is! She's also just a little over 5 lbs! Pretty incredible since she was only 2 lbs, 3 oz at birth!

Little One is very alert and active. She loves listening to Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. She is entranced by her mobile and intrigued by her reflection in her mirror. She loves her bath and when I read to her, she watches me attentively. She is a very sweet baby and doesn't cry much. When she does, she self-soothes within a few seconds. She only cries when she is disturbed (when taking her temperature or when the nurses take blood from her tiny foot).

I also have some other news. I'm thinking of taking a break from the blog and the blog world. I'll miss it, but it's also been a source of stress. I've had a few comments and e-mails about my last post (as well as other posts) that have just added to the stress I already have with everything that is going on with the baby being in the hospital. I don't have the time or energy to deal with all the negativity.

I am having a very hard time dealing with everything regarding the baby (and the baby being in the hospital) on my own here. I've been very fortunate to be staying with my aunt and uncle, who have been so helpful in so many ways. This said, I'm far away from my husband and my home and I just want my baby to be able to come home with us soon. It's been a long two months and I am getting tired. Every mother I have spoken to has said that having a baby is an emotional time. That is true...and having a baby very preterm AND being in the hospital for two months is even more emotional.

Thanks again, everyone. I'll be in touch with some of you outside of the blog world.
C
XOXO

Rollercoaster rides. That is what having a preemie in the hospital is. I keep saying this, but it's true. Sorry I haven't been able to update the blog recently. It has been really busy with all the changes and I haven't even had time to breathe.

The Good:
1. Hubby was able to spend Christmas with Little One and me. He was in Toronto from Wednesday to Sunday.

2. Little One's first Christmas was spent with her Mama and her Papa. She hated wearing the preemie Santa Claus hat we put on her though! Photos to be posted later on this evening when I return from the hospital.

3. She has been breathing room air on her own since December 23. No more CPAP!
4. She was moved from her incubator into a crib!

5. She has been thriving! She's breastfeeding like a champ!

6. She was moved to the Level 2 Nursery on December 26! One step closer to home!

7. I get to do most of the care myself in Level 2. It's practice for when she comes home!

The Not So Good:
1. Hubby had to return to the Island and now I'm alone again.

2. I've been finding it really rough to deal with things on my own. I'm tired of being here. I'm tired of having to commute (and hour here and an hour back) every day to be with my baby. I'm tired of not being home. I'm just tired.

3. Last night I called the hospital to check in on Little One and she had a CBC (to check for her hemoglobin level) and other bloodwork done, as well as a chest x-ray. Her numbers (oxygen saturation and respiration) have been swinging a lot for the past two days. The doctor wanted to do a full septic on her and I was a bit upset because this would be her second (No, third LP aka: spinal tap because the first one was unsuccessful) since she's been here. They thought she had an infection but all the results came back normal. Anyway, her CBC level is not just okay, but GOOD. They said that most preemies have levels of 80 or so and they would like it to be over 100. Little One's was 111. Apparently, she was just tired and is growing and sometimes preemies just need a little bit of help. She is now on low-flow oxygen, but just 5 cc's. It's like me giving her a puff of air by blowing on her. It's not a lot, but probably just what she needs. She'll be on low-flow for a few days most likely. The nurse I spoke to last night and this morning (yes, I called at 5AM when I was pumping!) said that Little One is doing great and has settled.

4. Maybe I worry too much, but now that she's in a big girl's crib, I feel like she's more open to germs and people touching her. When she was in the incubator, it seemed like she was more protected. I know she needs to be in a crib and I am happy that she's in a crib. I'm just being paranoid because of RSV and the fact that she's a preemie and her immune system isn't that strong yet.

5. See #'s 3 and 4.

6. I'm worried that she will be transferred to another hospital soon because that's normally what happens in Level 2. The babies then move to a hospital closer to home, but the closest hospital with a Level 2 nursery to us is still two and a half hours away.

7. Gah! I just can't wait for her to be bigger, stronger, and ready to come home! I am aware that once she is home I will be just as tired and worn out, but at least I'll be home and I won't have to travel every day to be with her. There's also something more comfortable about being at home and being able to do your own thing.

Photos to come soon! I promise! Again, sorry for being such a bad sister, friend, teacher, cousin, daughter, etc. It's been a crazy few weeks of ups and downs. I guess I'm just being hypersensitive. Little One is doing really well in the grand scheme of things. She is acting "normal" for a preemie. That's what the doctors and nurses keep telling me. Wow. If this is "normal", I'd hate to think of what "not normal" would be like. Okay, I'll stop being overly emotional and count my blessings. Little One is a trooper and a very strong girlie. She's doing great. Hmmm...Keep repeating that to yourself, C! :)

The Little One is two weeks and three days old now. I think the first two weeks of her life I was running on pure adrenaline. I didn't have time to process anything that was happening. I was in "fight or flight" mode.

Now that she's been pretty stable, doing well and I'm getting used to my new routine, things have started to settle in more. I woke up today and thought, "Holy smokes! I'm a Mom! I've got a little daughter in my life now!" It's pretty surreal.

I can't describe the feeling I get whenever I see my precious little miracle. She is so sweet and so funny already. When she sleeps, she does her little calisthenics. She stretches her legs and her arms. She does this funny movement with her shoulders. It's really cute. The best part is when she does these facial expressions that remind me of my Dad. She looks like her grandpa when she sleeps!

Of course, there are all these wonderful moments I get to share with my daughter a lot sooner than I would have if she were born at term. There are also aspects of having a premature baby that aren't so easy to deal with.

I constantly worry about how her future and her health will turn out because she is premature. I think about "Will she be okay tomorrow?" or "Will she develop as she should?". I suppose all parents think about these things even when they have a term baby. With preemies though, there are a lot of things that are up in the air. They need a lot more time to develop and they have to work harder.

The Little One is doing great so far. She is breathing room air for much of the time and today she was on low flow again for two hours. She's gained another 10 g. She's now 1110 g! The doctors are happy with her and say all she needs now is to grow :)

I've been very fortunate to have a good support network. My friends and family have been wonderful. I have also been able to bond with some of the other parents (mostly moms since the dads tend to come after work or on weekends) and having people know exactly what I'm going through has helped a lot. They've been there and can sympathize and offer support and understanding.

I've had some people ask me questions that I have a hard time with...or make comments that really baffle me. I know that if one has never had a preemie, it would be hard to relate to. I totally understand that. I'm just venting here because I need to. I know people don't mean anything malicious by their questions and comments, but I just have problems understanding why they would even say the things they do.

It upsets me when:
1) People say things like "Do you really need to be at the hospital all day?"
Ummm...Hello, people! She is my daughter! Of course I have to be at the hospital all day! If you had a baby in the NICU, wouldn't you feel the need to be with your baby too?

2) People say things like "Well, what do you do there all day?"
Okay, are you serious?? I pump milk for my baby every two hours, I spend time with my baby, I sing to her, read to her, talk to her, hold her, change her diapers, pump again several times during the day, try to fit in a few minutes to eat something quick, talk to her nurses and doctors about her progress, etc. I barely have any time to breathe! Asking me what I do at the hospital all day just makes me feel like they really have noooooo idea what I'm going through.

3) People say "If you think you're tired now, wait until you have the baby home with you!" or "Right now you have it easy. You get to relax and rest while the nurses take care of your baby in the NICU!"
This by far is the worst for me. I feel like saying, "You're kidding me, right?!" I'm freaking tired. I just delivered a baby 12 weeks earlier than her due date. Everything happened so fast. She was taken away from me pretty much right away. I had to leave her at the hospital. We were separated and I don't get to hold her and be with her like one would be able to with a term baby. Sure, the nurses are with her 24-7 and I'm there for the morning, day and parts of the evening sometimes, but it doesn't mean I am "relaxing" or "resting". I'm not! If I were at home with her, yes I'd be tired, but I'd have her home with me. I'd be in my own house and in my own bed. With her in the NICU, I'm up at 5AM pumping, I leave at 6 something, I'm at the hospital at 7 something, I pump again, I'm in the NICU with her to do diaper change, I'm there when the doctors do their rounds, I'm at the hospital the entire day. Then I have to commute by subway, bus and walking. When I'm not with my baby, I'm thinking of her. I call the NICU at night to check up on her. Don't tell me I have it easy and that I am resting and relaxing, because it's quite the opposite.

*sigh* Sorry for that rather long venting session there! I just needed to get some things off my chest.

I came home from the hospital a lot earlier than normal because I think the exhaustion of having just had a baby (very prematurely!), having to deal with her being in the NICU and having to commute over an hour to and an hour from the hospital every day and be there all day has finally hit.

As if that weren't enough to deal with, Hubby and I were talking on the phone and I discovered some terrible news. At first, I was really excited that Hubby will be coming to Toronto to be with the baby and me this weekend. He commented on how I sound like I'm in much better spirits today.

...Then I asked him a question I didn't want to know the answer to. My dad e-mailed me to tell me that he discovered something gruesome behind our house when he went to visit my husband. My beloved feline baby, Trouble had gotten stuck on the barb wire fence (his collar got snagged and he probably struggled to free himself) and died. I asked Hubby if it was true and he hesitated to answer at first.

I cried and cried when he confirmed the news. For people who don't have pets, it may not seem like a big deal. It may even seem silly to some people if they hear that a grown woman would cry because her cat died. My pets have been my first babies and hearing the news was pretty traumatic.

Trouble was indeed a trouble maker, but he was a really loving and affectionate cuddle monster. I'm really sorry that he had to pass away the way he did. I will really miss our cuddle time. He was definitely the most affectionate cat I've ever had. We'll miss you, Trouble. Thank you for bringing love and joy into our house and in our hearts. I will always remember the way you snuggled up on my lap and purred really loudly every chance you got. You always loved to be held.

The crazy thing is that I don't know if I can ever have pets again. If something were to happen to Spike or Chance, I think I'd have to never ever get another pet again. The pain and heartbreak are just too much to endure. I honestly don't think I'm strong enough to deal with things like this.

C was discharged from hospital today. Baby is getting stronger every day. C is finding it hard to be away from baby. C will catch up on her bloging soon.

from C's husband.

I'm anxious for our next prenatal appointment and ultrasound next Wednesday! I cannot wait to see how much bigger "Junior" has gotten! I know some people are against too many ultrasounds and still think it may be detrimental to the baby later on, but I LOVE ultrasounds! It's just so exciting to see that little miracle inside you...moving, kicking, flailing its arms around. It sounds really simple of me, but these days, nothing brings me more joy than knowing that there's a life growing inside there.

"Junior" has been very active lately. So active, that it's been really difficult to get to sleep at night! I am starting to recognize patterns in the little one's activity. When I wake up at 6AM, Junior gives me a few kicks to let me know that he (or she) is awake too. Around 10 or 11AM the kicks start coming again. These ones are more like kung-fu kicks or kickboxing jabs! Later on, around 2 to 3PM I feel lots of movement again. Around supper time (6PM or so) the pokes start. "Junior" is most active around 10 or 11PM...when I want to go to sleep. It's really funny! Oh, and again at 4AM, which prompts a trip to the loo. I know. TMI!!!

I was talking to my good friend, Gavie's Gal on the phone the other day and she was telling me that she noticed with her own two babies that they seem to have had the same awake patterns in the womb as when they had when they were out! Wow! If that's the case, then this kid is going to be awake THAT often??? Ay! Mama mia!

It's been nearly a week that we've been without internet! We had a few power outages due to a thunder storm on Friday and have been without our beloved internet since!

This is what we saw from our living room window during the storm:We called our internet provider on Monday and they tried to help us trouble shoot on the phone. That didn't work, so they sent a technician over on Tuesday. We thought our modem got fried, but it turned out to be the network card that needed to be replaced. I picked up a new network card yesterday and Hubby installed it this morning. Yay! We finally have access to our e-mail (and my blog) again! I cannot tell you how badly I suffered from withdrawal! Much of my work involves using the computer, internet and e-mail, so it wasn't only the blogging part that I missed!!!

I just noticed that my ClustrMaps is empty! I wonder if it has been reset somehow. That is sooooooooo weird! When I checked last, I had visitors from all over the world! Now I have none! How odd! Here's my old ClustrMap. I had 20,319 visits and now I have ZERO!!!

I'm off to catch up on some of my favourite blogs now!

Before I go, I think you should check out this amazing new band! I just love, love, LOVE these guys! They've got lots of talent and great vocals. I'm not saying this because they're my family either!

Check out True Notion's site and if you're in Toronto, listen to them perform sometime! Catch this dynamic duo at Kramers Bar/Grill located at Yonge & Davisville every Thursday along side the talented Derek Downham. True Notion also has a Facebook group. Click here. They've also got more music and videos on YouTube.

I was over at Starshine's blog and fell in love with her new blog template. For quite some time now, I have been contemplating a new look for the blog. I've become quite bored with the look and wanted to spruce things up a bit. I told you blogging was addictive! If I'm not reading blogs, replying to comments, commenting, researching, I'm looking for new ways to play with HTML codes and such. Errrrr...Uhhhh...That's when I'm not teaching, working, helping Hubby on the farm or anything! ;)

I have to admit that I was a little bit apprehensive at first. You see, I tried before to change my template and ended up losing everything! All that hard work with links, layouts, fonts, etc...all gone. Unless you've spent lots of time labouring over HTML codes and all things related to your blog, I don't know if you'd realize just how frustrating it is to have to start from scratch! *sigh* All those links I've acquired in the past three years...down the drain (or better yet, lost in cyber space)! GAHHHHHHHHHH! Can I tell you how upset I was?

Anyway, Starshine introduced her readers to The Cutest Blog on the Block. Thank you, Starshine! The Cutest Blog on the Block has lots and lots of blog templates and backgrounds to choose from. Not only is it super easy (especially for those technically challenged like myself), it's free!

Saying goodbye to the old look wasn't that easy. The old look was simple, clean, and fresh. It kind of grew on me. However, I'm the type of person who needs to change the looks of things a bit every now and then. I change our furniture around so often, I think Hubby thinks I'm a bit nuts!

What do you think of the new blog look? Now that I know how to change my blog template (to something that is not a generic Blogger template), let's see how long it takes me before I change it again! ;)

1) I have the terrible habit of resting my fingers on the keys while thinking of what I'm going to write next. This is bad because I end up activating the Filter Keys function. This makes me end up writing in CAPS and it makes all the letters, numbers and punctuation marks screwy. I usually just get really annoyed and frustrated...and end up pressing every single key on the keyboard until the Filter Key function miraculously disables itself!

I just spent twenty minutes looking for solutions for this problem by visiting a number of web boards on how to turn off filter keys. I tried the standard go to Control Panel, double click on Accessibility Options, go under Filter Keys, click Settings, go under Keyboard Shortcut and click to clear the Use Shortcut check box. I tried doing this several times. It didn't work!!!! Out of sheer frustration, I held both SHIFT keys down at the same time...and voila! Problem solved! Thank goodness I accidentally figured out how to fix the problem. I almost threw the keyboard out the window! Hubby, I hope you're not reading this!!

2) I bought tickets to Community Living Manitoulin's fundraiser this weekend. It's a 10 course Greek Valentine Dinner. Yes, you read correctly...TEN courses!! My mom loves Greek food, so she's going to enjoy it. Hubby loves food, so I know he'll enjoy it too. I love Greek food, but am worried about the ten courses! I have been very diligent with food portions and this is a ten course meal!! Nonetheless, I am looking forward to the event. Chef Theo is amazing! During the summer months, I buy a loaf of his olive bread every Saturday at the Farmers' Market in Mindemoya. It's delicious! I sometimes pick up a loaf of his olive bread for my parents too, since they absolutely love it! I've had Greek food prepared by Theo before. Absolutely wonderful. Remind me to wear something with an elastic waist? Darn! I don't have anything with an elastic waist! Okay, remind me to wear a tent! If you're in the area, please come! You won't be disappointed! Yum!
**If you're on the Island and are interested in going, tickets are $30/person. Proceeds go to the Replacement Home presently under construction. Tickets can be purchased by contacting the number listed here.**

3) Gung Hey Fat Choy, everyone! Wishing everyone a Happy (Chinese/Lunar) New Year! Happy Year of the Rat to you all! Since there aren't any Chinese New Year festivities on the Island, we won't be celebrating Chinese New Year as I would normally celebrate it in Toronto or Montreal. Since we aren't celebrating with any of the dragon dancing, elaborate costumes, lanterns, and traditional food, I have no photos to share with you. Someone who is celebrating the lunar new year in style is CuriosityKiller! She did the graphics for this all by herself! She's a talented one, our CK!

4) The wonderful, talented, intelligent, and totally amazing Jane from Pinks & Blues was on CNN.com! Check her out here. I also won a wonderful prize from P&B! Thank you to Audrey, Sharon and Jane! You just made my day!!!

5) Speaking of articles, I also made it in the local newspaper this week. For all my ESL students who read this blog to keep up to date with all the happenings in my neck of the woods, this one's for you! :) *Mary, *Thomas, *Arnold, and *Melissa, since you were in the article, would you like me to send you a copy to keep with you in Korea? Family and friends all over the globe, you may be interested in taking a peek as well! xoxo

By this time tomorrow morning, we'll be en route to my hometown, Montreal.
Whatever holiday you observe (Kwanzaa, Tohji-taisai, Chanukah, Christmas...), we hope you have a wonderful time celebrating with your family and loved ones.
*********************************************************************************
P.S. My banner at the top of my blog is all wonky. The photo of Chance is kind of skewed to the left and on the right it's just white. Does anyone know how to fix that? Arrrgh!

Okay, I still can't seem to figure out what's wrong with my blog! I went into my template and tried to put links into categories and everything looks fine on my template...but then when I publish, the links aren't there!!! *sigh* If I can't figure it out, I may just end up not putting categories like friends' links , family links, etc. I may just lump them all in together if it's too much of a hassle! LOL! Grrrr.

PS. I still can't get my bloglog back! Where did it go? LOL!