Went to Walmart to pick up some diapers and other essentials...the following happened:
N: Mommy, do I have a sleeping bag?
Me: No, you don't.
N: CAN I have a sleeping bag?
Me: Not now, N. Your birthday is coming in a week and a half, you'll be getting plenty of "stuff".
N: Well...since I don't have a sleeping bag...can you buy me a toy?
Me: What? No I won't buy you a toy because you don't have a sleeping bag.
****cue tears and whiny cry****
N: You hurt my feelings!
Me: I am sorry that I hurt your feelings...
N: If you buy me a toy, I'll feel better....
(internal dialogue: You demanding, entitled little brat!!!!! I'll KILL your father for never saying "no" to you!)
Me: No, N. I am not buying any toys today.
N: Stop talking to me! If you keep disturbing me, I will just cry louder!
Meanwhile, an old man looked at G...and he started to wail at the top of his lungs.
Enter Grade 7&8 teacher and high school Principal...
Stacie! Are these your children?...Boy did I want to say no...
Exit Walmart, enter Grocery store...
N: Mommy, can I have a treat?
Me: After the scene in Walmart? I don't think so, kiddo.
****Cue tears and whiny cry****
N: You hurt my feelings!
Gah. I quit.
At least the baby slept there...
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
I feel fortunate to have never experienced Breast Cancer in my personal life - in myself, or my loved ones. I have experienced it in my professional life, though. I want to share a story of my first professional encounter with Breast Cancer...one that effected me deeply and will always stay with me.
Back when I was still in college (really, it wasn't all that long ago...) I had to complete a clinical job placement for my degree. I am a medical laboratory technician, by the way. My clinical was done in the hospital of my home town, where I gained experience in all aspects of the lab. This particular story takes place in the Histo-pathology lab, where any tissue removed from the body is sent to be examined.
On that particular day, we received a breast, removed via mastectomy. The patient was a year younger than my mom was at that time. My supervisor there had me examine the breast to find the tumour, which was 2cm in diameter. Now keep in mind, this is nothing like examining your own breast for lumps. I could press as hard as I wanted or needed to without risking pain, I could flip it around and feel from the "inside". I could do whatever I needed to do. I started off examining it the way I would do my own breast exam, and found nothing. I kept looking and feeling in different ways, and though I searched and felt and tried to find the tumour, I could not. I wasn't able to feel it until my supervisor found it and pointed out where it was. It was as hard and as big as a large marble. It was something I had felt before (tumours in general, not that one). I could not find it.
Like I said, the patient was younger than my own mother...who had never had a mammogram. That day, I went home to my mom's and begged her to schedule one. You see, self exams are infinitely important...but even experienced hands can miss a tumour. So if you've never had a mammogram, and you're "that age"...make the appointment! I will be scheduling my first for shortly after my 30th birthday.
So this memory brings me to another story. The story of a woman named Cathy (coincidentally, this is my mother's name, but she is not my mom) who did lose her mother to Breast Cancer. Cathy...oh how can I describe you? Cathy, of the blog: Cathy's Creations makes stunning hand made bracelets by crocheting beads. Don't ask me how...I can crochet a blanket, but the beads perplex me. Cathy is a beautiful, loving, kind, generous, creative, and absolutely *hilarious* woman. Cathy is one of the greatest women I've never met (yep, I meant that - "never met"). Having been touched so deeply by breast cancer, Cathy has made it her October mission to get the word out. To raise awareness. And I want to help her.
In her efforts to raise awareness, she is having daily draws on her Facebook Page for a breast cancer awareness T-shirt, as well as other items, including her own bracelets and other breast cancer awareness goods donated to her cause. You can win one of your own, just by visiting to her FB Page, becoming one of Cathy's *many* fabulous "Frikes" ( check out definition #1 at The Urban Dictionary ), and just comment on her wall daily. That's it, and you're entered to win!
Check these beauties out...
...those are the hands of my daughter, modelling two of Cathy's creations! I have a matching bracelet to the blue and silver one, with a "Mother" charm, to N's "Daughter" charm. Cathy designs unique bracelets to support so many worthy causes (which she donates a portion of the proceeds to!), and will even custom makes one to your request (like that yellow ribbon "Army Brat" bracelet N is wearing). You can find her Esty page here ... Go there! Order some pretties! You know you deserve to give yourself a little shiny present! You can find one for any occasion, any novelty, for you, your friends, the little and grown girls in your life! Anything! And if you don't find it, just let her know! She will do whatever she can to make your bracelet dreams come true.
Back when I was still in college (really, it wasn't all that long ago...) I had to complete a clinical job placement for my degree. I am a medical laboratory technician, by the way. My clinical was done in the hospital of my home town, where I gained experience in all aspects of the lab. This particular story takes place in the Histo-pathology lab, where any tissue removed from the body is sent to be examined.
On that particular day, we received a breast, removed via mastectomy. The patient was a year younger than my mom was at that time. My supervisor there had me examine the breast to find the tumour, which was 2cm in diameter. Now keep in mind, this is nothing like examining your own breast for lumps. I could press as hard as I wanted or needed to without risking pain, I could flip it around and feel from the "inside". I could do whatever I needed to do. I started off examining it the way I would do my own breast exam, and found nothing. I kept looking and feeling in different ways, and though I searched and felt and tried to find the tumour, I could not. I wasn't able to feel it until my supervisor found it and pointed out where it was. It was as hard and as big as a large marble. It was something I had felt before (tumours in general, not that one). I could not find it.
Like I said, the patient was younger than my own mother...who had never had a mammogram. That day, I went home to my mom's and begged her to schedule one. You see, self exams are infinitely important...but even experienced hands can miss a tumour. So if you've never had a mammogram, and you're "that age"...make the appointment! I will be scheduling my first for shortly after my 30th birthday.
So this memory brings me to another story. The story of a woman named Cathy (coincidentally, this is my mother's name, but she is not my mom) who did lose her mother to Breast Cancer. Cathy...oh how can I describe you? Cathy, of the blog: Cathy's Creations makes stunning hand made bracelets by crocheting beads. Don't ask me how...I can crochet a blanket, but the beads perplex me. Cathy is a beautiful, loving, kind, generous, creative, and absolutely *hilarious* woman. Cathy is one of the greatest women I've never met (yep, I meant that - "never met"). Having been touched so deeply by breast cancer, Cathy has made it her October mission to get the word out. To raise awareness. And I want to help her.
In her efforts to raise awareness, she is having daily draws on her Facebook Page for a breast cancer awareness T-shirt, as well as other items, including her own bracelets and other breast cancer awareness goods donated to her cause. You can win one of your own, just by visiting to her FB Page, becoming one of Cathy's *many* fabulous "Frikes" ( check out definition #1 at The Urban Dictionary ), and just comment on her wall daily. That's it, and you're entered to win!
Check these beauties out...
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Old habits die hard...
You know, I never was all that great at maintaining a journal. This is digital proof. Ha. I've been thoroughly entrenched in my new love -- Quilting! Fabric feels so nice...petting a beautiful cotton is so much more fulfilling than petting an animal...because I can't turn an animal into something! :o)
So in honour of my new love, I will soon be posting a tutorial for easy quilted oven mitts! With pretty pictures and everything! But before I can do that, I need to clean my basement, which will soon become my work space. You know, one that doesn't take over my entire kitchen, forcing my family to eat every meal at the coffee table in the living room. It will also have to wait until I get over this god forsaken cold that has taken over my life, and will to live. I sure didn't realize when I made my first quilt that it would become such a passion for me! Since the start of my first quilt (mid August), I made another, with the help of my daughter...or she made it with my help...either way, it was a quilt when finished. I started a third quilt as a gift, and made a pair of oven mitts!
Hey look - Pictures!! This is the first completed quilt...
My Daughter's quilt... Doesn't she look proud? She really did a lot of work on this with me.
And oven mitts...
I can't post pictures of the gift quilt, since it's a secret and all...but see, there's proof of how busy I've been! The upcoming tutorial will be to make the oven mitts depicted above...different fabric, though. :)
Ok, until next time...and I promise it won't be so long.
So in honour of my new love, I will soon be posting a tutorial for easy quilted oven mitts! With pretty pictures and everything! But before I can do that, I need to clean my basement, which will soon become my work space. You know, one that doesn't take over my entire kitchen, forcing my family to eat every meal at the coffee table in the living room. It will also have to wait until I get over this god forsaken cold that has taken over my life, and will to live. I sure didn't realize when I made my first quilt that it would become such a passion for me! Since the start of my first quilt (mid August), I made another, with the help of my daughter...or she made it with my help...either way, it was a quilt when finished. I started a third quilt as a gift, and made a pair of oven mitts!
Hey look - Pictures!! This is the first completed quilt...
My Daughter's quilt... Doesn't she look proud? She really did a lot of work on this with me.
And oven mitts...
I can't post pictures of the gift quilt, since it's a secret and all...but see, there's proof of how busy I've been! The upcoming tutorial will be to make the oven mitts depicted above...different fabric, though. :)
Ok, until next time...and I promise it won't be so long.
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