Home alone with my boy

my little boy that is.  Jeff and girls are at Nutcracker rehearsal as opening night is Thursday!!!  They are all so excited and I am SO excited to see it!

Sitting on my hands today trying not to get excited about some things… we’re thinking of buying a new house.  We LOVE our Lindel cedar home.  We do.  However at three bedrooms for the five of us… it’s getting too small.  As well with another two doggies coming we’re going to run short on room!!!  So for shits and giggles last night we were checking out houses in our neighborhood because ideally we’d move close so our kids would not have to change schools and it would be more convenient for my daycare clients…

and what do we find?  we find…

http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=8716482

OMG it’s GORGEOUS!!!!  Huge yard.  INDOOR POOL!!!!!!  4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.  LOTS of room for the daycare… and only 350,000!!!!  While it WOULD increase our mortgage by 500 a month… it’s very doable.

So we’re going to see it on Saturday morning.  Now we’d have to sell our house first… which probably would not happen quickly… so it’s doubtful that we’ll get it.  But we can dream!!!!!

It’s a plus/minus kinda day

-it’s -30… celcius… IT’S FUCKING COLD

+When it’s THIS cold you have very little dog hair on your floors… NO ONE is dropping coat in my house at -30.  Dogs are not stupid

-staticky rough collies… HELP!  LOL!

-cold makes lovely tipped collie ears go UP

+speed sew makes ears and life better

+lovely dinner with my family and exchanging gifts

-having to drive 20 minutes on icy roads to get there

-daycare tomorrow… suck.  Where’d my weekend go?

+awesome murder mystery last night

+great food

+lots of alcohol

-tons of sodium weight AGAIN due to drinking (not too much) and eating (within my calorie budget) sucks…

+new pink fleece jammies in women’s size… LARGE!!!!!  Not extra large, NOT plus sized… just LARGE!!!!!  Wow.

+being able to give my sister some money to help her out

+my kids, my love, my dogs, my life

and I guess that last plus cancels out ANY minuses that there was

bad bad daycare provider…

All of the kiddo’s are playing SO NICELY and we’ve already done circle/story time, made Christmas tree’s and finished littles ones presents for her parents… so I’m blogging with my collie tucked beside me on the couch while they amuse themselves…  currently the littlest is standing in front of Bella and letting her lick all over her hands, face, arms… it’s hilarious!  She LOVES Bella and Bella pretty much thinks that she’s a puppy to be taken care of so it’s all good.  I occasionally have to tell little one to go do something else so Bella gets a break

Gave Bella a GOOD grooming last night and tagged her ears down again… with it getting down to -30 by Monday apparently I am NOT taking any chances with these gorgeous ears.  Her right one seems a little more inclined to pop a bit up so I’m keeping an eye on it.  I do so love winter for nice CLEAN AND WHITE collie feet

One of my online friends Joanne (a cardi breeder) is going to find out within the week if her bitch Clue is expecting the most gorgeous cardi puppies in the whole wide world.  I can’t wait to see them be born and grow   If I was psycho I’d beg her for her… but I think I’ll have my hands VERY full with the 3… 4… that I’ll have by spring

Kids Christmas concert went very well last night!  Olivia was front row and center in her song which was nice!  I rarely can see my kids since I always show up late and get crappy seats.  This time however we were really early and got front row seats for once!  Mike and Robyn were both there…  fun fun fun.  I really wish I got more time to spend with my Robyn

My sister is due… any second now.  Baby coming out NOW would be good.  I’m hoping she does not wait until we are gone!!!

Speaking of gone… the very very last thing I want to do on December 22 is drive 12 hours for Christmas.  Just saying.  I know we have to but I REALLY don’t want to.

Well should do something productive.  Checked all my collie sites/blogs/info.  What else is there to do on the net?  Except look at porn… but Collies are better than porn

Oh and I FINALLY got down to 213 exactly this morning.  yay!

Win pictures anyone?

This win is her new Champion photo from the Friday of the specialty weekend.  Nice win over a lot of nice bitches!  3 point major

This was  a really nice win by respected collie breeder/judge James Fredericksen   This was from Tradex at the end of October 2009.

Obviously it’s Cheryl in the photo’s   She does most of the showing/winning.  I will be showing Bella more now that I am going to special her

So…

wow my life is busy!  The kids/Jeff have Nutcracker practice OFTEN and for long periods of time.  Liv’s a mouse now too so that makes MORE time spent practicing!

All my shopping is done, crafts for parents of daycare kids are WELL under way.  Got my girls report cards and excellent as usual.  Maddy got all meeting expectations, 1 approaching expectations in listening skills (lol!) and exceeding in reading (go figure… she’s reading at a grade 7 level) and audience manners… Olivia also go all meeting expectations, 1 approaching in (yes her too) listening skills and she got 2 exceeding in Singing (duh) and drawing (again… duh.)  So over all very happy

Their Christmas concert is tomorrow night and I can’t wait!!!!

Phoenix goes for a photo session tonight to get pictures for the grandparents presents.  We already have pro pics of the girls in ballet gear so this will finish it off.

All of the babies/Phoenix are sleeping… the dogs are sacked on the couches and all is quiet.  Nice!!!

I’m getting excited for the specialty in Alberta… Bella should be gorgeous by then and with Torrin entered it will be much fun!  I’m also getting REALLY excited for Charm/Lexington puppies in February!!!

Well off to the old grind… chores wait for no woman

And the Christmas shopping is done!

Last night we finished our shopping for the kids… phew!!!  We set a budget of $150 per kid and stick with it!  So this year…

Madeline: new bedding.  Rainbow stripes and a chenille pillowcase

Mario Party 3 for her DS

two new outfits

fleecey jammies

Connect four for 4 players

Geronimo stilton chapter books

Peppermint puppy webkinz

Olivia:

Nintendo DS lite in Pink

Littlest pet shop DS game

Mousetrap board game

Puppy palace and fairy chapter books

Ribbons Pony webkinz

Jammies

Prismacolour scholar pencil crayons (60) and pro drawing paper

Phoenix:

Imaginex rescue ship

Knight playmobil set

Shake and go Cars

Edward Engine

Bucket of Dino’s and a book

Jammies

Giant bucket of tinkertoys

Phew!  Done done done!!!!!

One would hope…

That one would eventually catch up on the lack of sleep that one suffered over the weekend… lol!!!

Jeff’s birthday SUCKED SO BAD in ways that I can’t explain or get into.  So last night we had a “redo” and went out for dinner, finished Christmas shopping for everyone and just spent time together.  But it was another 1:30 in the morning night.  So tonight I am in bed by 9:30.  Going to read my new Collie book for an hour and then SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP!!!!

My new daycare baby started yesterday.  She’s going to fit in just fine.  She’s pretty adorable!

Right now I am typing this entry while cuddled in my rocking chair with my eyes closed… tired much?

Well onward and upward.

The weekend low down

Important things first:  Bella took a 3 point major win (winner’s bitch) on Friday and finished her championship   So introducing Can. Ch. Cherfire’s Silver Nymph HIC!  aka baby Bella, boo, booberry etc.  lol!

Auntie Charm WON THE FREAKING SPECIALTY!!!!!!  Yes!!!!!

Cousin Rainee also finished this weekend with a nice two point win on Sunday

 

So the weekend rocked.  Two new champions for Cherfire and a BISS!  Weekend=success.

 

So the low down:

Thursday I took the bus down.  It was long and boring.  With more long and boring thrown in.  Cheryl picked me up and we just hung out.  I got to meet Kornelia (my bedmate lol!) and Kelly and we all settled in.

Friday morning we showed EARLY so we got up EARLY after NO sleep and went to the show site.  Groomed a million dogs (I helped brush out etc) and made them all look gorgeous.  I got to meet Southland’s Lexington (GORGEOUS tri boy… face to die for!!!) and David from Davenloch.  David is one of the most down to earth, wonderful, funny, interesting, smart, dedicated people I have met.  He’s a male Cheryl I swear.  Good thing they are best friends!  lol!!!

Bella took her win on Friday and went best puppy as well obviously.  We all lunched, groomed, dinnered, drank and had a FABULOUS time.  Sleep that not?  Not much

Saturday was specialty day.  Charm BISS etc.  GREAT DAY.  Afterwards we went to the CCBC dinner and trivia.  SO MUCH FUN.  More drinks… more no sleeping.  lol!

Sunday we showed early again.  Rainee finished which was wonderful!

After Bella’s win on friday we moved her up to specials so she didn’t do much for the rest of the weekend   She’s just a baby.  She did take her puppy sweeps class in 9-12 bitches though which was nice

David and I hung out all afternoon, he bought me dinner, we poured over collie yearbooks and had a great time   The bus ride home sucked.  I’ll NEVER take the bus again… westjet for me!

 

I’m exhausted.  I’m SOOOOOO freaking tired.  Going to have a bath, read my new collie book that Cheryl bought me!!!!!! and get some sleep

 

 

Tomorrow!!!!!

Tomorrow morning at 9:30 I leave for Cloverdale for the BC Collie Club Specialty!  I’m going to be jammed in a room with two other breeders and a boyfriend (lol!) and multiple collies.  I get to put my hands on a new litter of babies.  I get to help show Bella in Brood dam and Stud dog classes.  I get to groom and help and laugh and have fun.

 

I get to meet people like David of Davenloch and hang with him all weekend.

 

I am STOKED!

 

Today?  Bath, clip, trim, brush and get Bella ready!

And breathe…

I was IN BED by 8:30 last night and fell asleep around 9:30ish.  I slept until 7:30 this morning and woke up to a WHOOSH on the scale of 1.8 lbs putting me at 214 for this morning!  That also means I have lost over 43% of my starting body weight!!!!!  Holy crap!!!!!

 

Feeling much better about life in general this morning.  Have my extra daycare kid today so all four are fed and sleeping.  *like this*

 

Today is a 1800 calorie day… unfortunately I am having a low appetite day!  lol!  But it’s important to me to achieve those high and low days so I’m breaking up my meals and just nibbling all day.  It works for me.

 

I think I’ll relax, make snack and then wake up the kiddo’s.  We might play in the snow this afternoon or build giant towers and then have a movie.  it’s movie day friday after all!!!