tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23899950930945168892024-02-19T08:24:31.403-05:00out of gold starsThe thoughts and musings of a Canadian gal - teacher by day, blogger by night.Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.comBlogger275125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-80284143608829006192020-04-21T14:38:00.001-04:002020-04-21T14:38:15.270-04:00My #pandemicbaby is here!April 14, 2020<br />
<br />
Our beautiful second born boy has arrived! Everything went incredibly smoothly for the scheduled c-section on the original date given. I wasn't surprised, I never went into labour on my own for my first born and didn't expect I was going to for this one.<br />
<br />
The hospital experience was very well-managed, we felt. Our hospital had a rule of which entry door could be used with screeners at the door as you went in. We walked in, and some construction workers had just entered ahead of us so we were asked to wait in the outer vestibule until they went through the screening process and had moved along. Then, we walked in and were asked questions (any travel in the last 14 days?, any new or worsening cough?, any fever?, any exposure to a known or suspected case of covid-19?). Then, we were each given a mask to wear. We were sent down the hallway to the elevators -- we never saw another patient, barely anyone around at all, and there was one hallway for one direction and a different hall for the other direction. We got in the elevator by ourselves, and up to the maternity floor.<br />
<br />
It felt very isolated, we felt we had zero exposure to any possible risks. Our labour & delivery floor is only birthing unit, NICU, and pediatrics and there have been no positive covid-19 cases on this floor at all. We were taken into triage, we had to wear our masks the whole time, and they did my pre-op blood work and monitored the baby. Then we waited and were called in to walk to the operating room (there are two dedicated operating rooms just for labour & delivery).<br />
<br />
Mr. Lock was taken to change to scrubs and I went right into the operating room. They sat me on the table while the nurses finished setting up, and then the anesthesiologist came in and got ready to give me my spinal. I felt a little woozy when this was happening, I kept trying to remove my face mask because I felt so hot suddenly, they kept shoving the mask back on, haha. Anyway, it was just anxiety and nerves and the panicked feeling passed and then I was laying down on the table and the rest of the surgery was set up. I felt tugging sensations, and then the most amazing moment happened -- the loud cries of my newborn son! <br />
<br />
He will be our last baby, after everything I went through to get to this point we knew this, so I also had my last remaining Fallopian tube removed during this c-section. While my OB finished the surgery, they brought our little one around and let Mr. Lock hold him close to me. When everything was done, I was wheeled to the recovery room for a couple of hours. We got to put the baby on me for skin-to-skin time while there. My OB came in and took Mr. Lock's phone and let us remove our masks for a bit and took family photos of the three of us.<br />
<br />
We then were taken to our private room -- which Mr. Lock could not leave at all for the duration of our stay. We only ever saw the nurse on duty, and the food service people when they dropped a tray of hospital food for us three times a day. Everyone was in full masks and PPE. We really felt it was a very secure environment, we don't fear having any exposure risk to the virus.<br />
<br />
We were able to be discharged by 6 pm the next day. We headed home to recover there. Our little one is now one week old. He's been eating well, sleeping well, and all systems seem to be good! He's certainly a hearty and healthy baby, like his big brother was. He's very relaxed so far.<br />
<br />
We are adjusting well to being a family of four in isolation. All in all, my experience giving birth during this pandemic went very smoothly and while it was sad not to have my family visit, we were luckily not in the hospital very long anyway, so it really was okay. We had one small visit with my parents on Sunday, because we had to go pick our toddler up (he had stayed there for five days). It was wonderful to even get to see my parents once, before we head back into our self-isolation.<br />
<br />
Social distancing seems to be working somewhat where we live, so we are hopeful if everyone continues to follow these directions we will be able to return to seeing at least some of our immediate family soon. We will look forward to that day.<br />
<br />
Here's a photo of the little man! My rainbow baby, my miracle, my #pandemicbaby.<br />
<i>(For the sake of the blog we will give him the pseudonym "Owen" which was one of the other names we almost gave him).</i><br />
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<br />Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-57507978892157223602020-04-04T20:00:00.000-04:002020-04-04T20:00:37.437-04:00#PandemicBaby - Part 2<i><b><u>Trigger Warning: </u></b>This post references fertility, miscarriage, pregnancy loss. Please be mindful if these are topics that are personally upsetting or produce anxiety for you -- you are not alone.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
So where did we leave off? Since May 2014, I had been trying to become a mother. Three miscarriages, and then my amazing rainbow baby Nate was born in January 2017. In attempting to give him a sibling, we had another miscarriage and then I suffered a ruptured ectopic pregnancy and lost a Fallopian tube. But I wasn't quite ready to give up yet.<br />
<br />
I went back to the fertility specialist I had worked with before having Nate. Running many tests, we once again could not determine reasons for my pregnancy losses. The only thing we discovered is that my egg count is low for my age -- and now that I had this test twice over a few years, he could see it was dropping at a higher rate than the reasoning to just be "you were born with less" or something of that nature. So we couldn't know for sure, but the best guess we could have was that my egg count being low could mean my egg quality is low and so it's genetic bad luck if it just isn't a healthy egg being fertilized. I went back to taking co-enzyme Q10 (forgot to mention in my last post, I had taken that before my one successful pregnancy) as there's some research that supports it as a supplement that promotes egg health for women.<br />
<br />
I then began the discussion about getting onto a waiting list for funded IVF. In our province, we can receive one government funded round of IVF (doesn't cover the medications, but my work plan would). It's a long waiting list, however. So, I wanted to be sure to get onto the list knowing it would be a year or more before we were called for our IVF cycle. I wasn't ready to get pregnant too soon after the ectopic, I had some emotional stuff to work through, but I didn't want to miss a chance to be on the list sooner than later -- especially since the fertility doctor had concerns about my egg quality and how many he may be able to harvest.<br />
<br />
He was also concerned that I was "flinching" too easily during exam and internal ultrasound. So, before he would put me on the IVF waitlist I had to go to pelvic physiotherapy first. So I began some physio around February 2019. I went for multiple sessions, and learned how to relax my anxiety related to gynecological tests and it was enough to satisfy the fertility doctor. So in April 2019, he added my name to the IVF waiting list.<br />
<br />
I relaxed -- we weren't going to try to get pregnant naturally, as I was fearful of another ectopic pregnancy and losing my only remaining tube. I was going to wait and attempt IVF, and if it didn't work we were going to throw in the towel and move on enjoying our lives as parents of an only child.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to August 2019. Just after being home from a vacation.<br />
<br />
Yes, we got carried away LITERALLY ONE TIME and didn't use protection.<br />
<br />
And yes, I found myself staring at a positive pregnancy test at the end of August.<br />
<br />
I was surprised -- one Fallopian tube and it still worked! I was elated -- this is the best I could hope for, a natural pregnancy. I was freaking out with anxiety. I just hoped it wouldn't result in another ectopic or miscarriage... I didn't think I could take another one.<br />
<br />
Miracle of miracles, the pregnancy continued on and progressed very well. I was nervous for EVERY ultrasound, but we made it through each one seeing a strong heartbeat and normal measurements. It was just like when I was pregnant with Nate -- things just seemed to go well. I showed much earlier, and had some pelvic pains and tension, and there was some additional work stress that I had to manage -- but everything else was going really well.<br />
<br />
We found out at our 19 week ultrasound, after giving a post-it from the technician to our friends so they could help us find out in a fun way, that we were expecting a second baby boy. Our second little miracle boy.<br />
<br />
So now... we are excitedly looking forward to his arrival... and yet, we've been his with this Global Pandemic. A lot of hospital protocol has changed -- we have paid close attention to what we need to do. We have been staying completely quarantined since March 17th so we know we are not ill in any way before going to the hospital (if Mr. Lock had any exposure to a positive case, he would not be allowed in with me for the delivery).<br />
<br />
So, my miracle pregnancy that was going oh-so-normal.... is now resulting in me delivering this baby DURING A PANDEMIC.<br />
<br />
I get it, Universe. This was already going to be our absolute last pregnancy, but we really get the message now. We done!<br />
<br />
Looking forward to being able to share a happy bit of news when baby boy #2 arrives -- any day now on his own (though I feel that isn't likely) or on April 14th when I'm scheduled for a c-section.<br />
<br />
Fingers crossed everything goes well, and we can safely deliver our #pandemicbaby AND that Mr. Lock can stay with me in the hospital for my short stay following the c-section surgery.Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-43458333344425024012020-04-03T19:43:00.000-04:002020-04-03T19:43:15.510-04:00#PandemicBaby - Part 1<i><b><u>Trigger Warning:</u></b> I am going to be blogging about fertility, miscarriage, pregnancy loss. I hadn't documented my parenthood journey on my blog before, and it feels like it's an important part of my life and history that I would like to write about. I recognize -- oh, I </i><b>fully</b><i> understand since I have been through it myself -- this can be a difficult subject for some to read about, so please take care of your mental well-being if this topic may trouble you. Please just also know, you are not alone.</i><br />
<br />
I suppose it's time to mention the Big Deal that's happening for my family during this pandemic. We're about to welcome our second baby boy into our family. I have a scheduled c-section on April 14th.<br />
<br />
Yep. I'm about to have a baby during a global pandemic. (<i>Wut. OhGodWhy?!</i>)<br />
<br />
It seems almost fitting, so for this first post I am going to go back and describe my challenging journey into parenthood.<br />
<br />
I have always wanted to be a mother. I was that little girl playing house and mothering my dollies, I was a caregiver to my young cousins at our family cottage, I was a local baby-sitter to neighbourhood kids as soon as I was 12 (<i>um, do people trust 12-year-olds to baby-sit anymore??</i>) I was always nurturing. I loved kids, and I always dreamed of the day when I was a mommy myself. I always wanted a big family -- 3 or 4 children. I used to wish I could just be a stay-at-home-mom. I love my career as primary teacher; with today's economy an at-home parent is not as feasible, but I do love my career and that I get to work with children so that works well for me.<br />
<br />
My fertility journey, however, was not as simple as I hoped. Which is a familiar story for so many these days -- I'm certainly not unique in that. I got married just before turning 29, and while we tried to get pregnant right away it took about nine months of trying before I got a positive pregnancy test.<br />
<br />
However, unfortunately, that resulted in an early miscarriage at 7 weeks (it was a "missed miscarriage" -- I thought I would have been 9 weeks along, first ultrasound yielded the sad result). I had a D&C. Over the next year, I went on to have two more miscarriages (one at 10 weeks - which I miscarried naturally and painfully at home, and a very early loss at 5 weeks). I was now in the world of an identification of "recurrent miscarriage" and was sent to see a fertility specialist. We could never find a reason for the losses, so likely just some genetic bad luck (but nothing that came out on blood work for my husband or I that indicated specific genetic risks). We worked with the specialist for cycle monitoring, and then in May of 2016 we got another positive pregnancy test -- and finally, FINALLY (taking baby aspirin daily and progesterone) this was a successful pregnancy.<br />
<br />
My first, and much wished for baby boy, was born on January 30, 2017. Fortunately very healthy, a very normal pregnancy with no complications. He was late -- so at 41 weeks I was induced. Pushed and pushed and he wouldn't come out, so he resulted in a c-section. We've had three awesome years so far with our very funny, intelligent, and curious little man. For the blog I will give him the pseudonym of Nate (it was our other baby name for him that we didn't end up using, haha).<br />
<br />
Since the pregnancy ended up going so well, we were hopeful that maybe we would be able to add to our family naturally. When we were ready, we were able to get pregnant again without returning to the fertility clinic (I had conceived naturally in the end there anyway just with cycle monitoring), and my own family physician prescribed me progesterone like I had used before and I began the baby aspirin. Things were going very well. We got through to 12 weeks, no spotting, and having seen the heartbeat at 8 weeks and heard it in my doctors office at 10 weeks. At 12 weeks, 3 days I had my next ultrasound.<br />
<br />
Sadly, it was another loss. The baby had grown to 12 weeks exactly and then the heart stopped. I miscarried in the hospital with medication to induce it (misoprostol). I was very scared to miscarry at home because of what I went through when I had the 10 week loss before, so fortunately at the time the hospital could admit me and let me go through the process there with some pain management ready if I needed it. This was a very difficult miscarriage to work through emotionally, though I'd been down that road before. It was the longest pregnancy I'd gone through before miscarrying and it really seemed things were going well. Once again, we didn't have a reason for the loss other than a genetic abnormality that was poor luck and it just wasn't meant to survive.<br />
<br />
Six months later, I felt ready to try again. I just didn't feel "one and done" -- I was no longer hoping for three or four children, but I did want to continue to attempt to give my son a sibling while I was within child-bearing years. I wanted to know I'd tried all of my options before moving on, so that I didn't have regrets years down the road.<br />
<br />
I ended up having a strange occurrence -- I didn't think I was pregnant, but then my period was a little late. I had a faint positive pregnancy test, but I started to bleed like a period. It seemed very much like the third miscarriage I had before having Nate -- it was just a very early loss. It was over New Years Eve, so I hadn't been to my doctor about it.<br />
<br />
Then, on January 2nd just as everyone began to return to work (but I was home alone with an almost 2-year-old Nate, as I was still on school break from teaching), my bleeding changed and I began to have a sustained pain on my right side. The pain was getting slightly more intense, and I nearly fainted just after I had laid Nate down for his afternoon nap. I had messaged my husband to let him know something was wrong, but when I nearly fainted I called 911.<br />
<br />
Paramedics arrived -- I think in the process of talking to the 911 operator I fortunately worked through some anxiety and I didn't end up fully fainting. They checked my blood pressure, and I explained that I was having an early pregnancy loss but this was different than I'd experienced before. I had already asked my friends who lived locally to please come to my house to help with Nate in case I had to go to the hospital, since it would take Mr. Lock about an hour to get back into town from where he worked. It was a strange experience. I couldn't just leave the house -- I had a toddler asleep upstairs -- but the paramedics weren't really helpful and just ended up asking me to sign a thing that I wasn't going to come with them, but they advised me to go to the emergency department as soon as I could.<br />
<br />
Honestly, it was very odd to me (my first time ever having called 911 for help to my home) and I wasn't that impressed by these two men who seemed to know nothing about what to do about a woman talking about a miscarriage. It was not what I expected.<br />
<br />
My friends got to my house shortly after the paramedics left. While her husband stayed home for Nate, my best friend took me over to Emergency and waited with me until Mr. Lock could get there. My mother-in-law came to stay at our house to relieve my friends of staying there.<br />
<br />
In the end -- it was a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. I was bleeding internally. I was taken into surgery that night, and lost my right Fallopian tube.<br />
<br />
So now, I had a history of four miscarriages and one ectopic pregnancy. I was beginning to feel it was becoming hopeless that I could have a second baby and give my son a sibling.<br />
<br />
But I also felt resolved not to give up all options, because again -- I didn't want to have regrets a decade from now if I didn't make sure to follow-through on the different ways I could have added to my family IF it was possible during my child-bearing years.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>Part 2 will follow up tomorrow... </i></b>Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-65884356249025437062020-03-25T10:00:00.000-04:002020-03-25T10:00:06.530-04:00I Had to Buy TP: A PoemIt wasn't for me!<br />
It wasn't for me!<br />
I promise you, it wasn't for me!<br />
I did have to buy TP --<br />
but I promise you, it <b>wasn't</b> for me!<br />
<br />
You see, my granny was getting low.<br />
She's old, and frail, and concerned you know -<br />
with what to do if she runs out -<br />
in a town that had already hoarded, no doubt.<br />
<br />
Our Costco was bare,<br />
Our Superstore too...<br />
What could this poor granddaughter do?<br />
<br />
When suddenly what sort of post should appear?<br />
On a town Facebook group that I now hold near and dear?<br />
There was some stock of that important paper,<br />
At one local store -- I could make it there later!<br />
<br />
"Two per customer" the sign said on the pallet,<br />
It was slightly overpriced but I was so happy I'd found it!<br />
So, I picked up my two allotted packs<br />
and guiltily paid for them, covering my tracks...<br />
<br />
I told everyone in earshot, whether they cared or not,<br />
that it <i>wasn't for ME</i>, <i>oh, no, of course, NEVER...</i><br />
<i>We had already bought ours BEFORE, </i><br />
<i>we were CLEVER...</i><br />
<i>But my dear old Gran, she really ran low... </i><br />
<i>So I'm buying it for HER, </i><br />
<i>I'm a HERO, you know.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>- </i>"I Had to Buy TP": A Poem by Ms. Key<br />
<br />
PS -- this purchase (very truthfully done for my grandparents who are 86 & 87 and still live in their own home out of town) was made PRIOR to our state of emergencies being declared and the request being made to self-isolate at home. I was already only very cautiously venturing out over the last few weeks, since a week ago I have not been to <i>any</i> public location at all. #stayhomeMs. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-81344607499376885052020-03-24T20:36:00.000-04:002020-03-24T20:36:47.870-04:00I watched Cats. Or: Surviving the Covid-19 Pandemic of 2020"Perhaps it’s the terrifying uncertainty of the day-to-day, or perhaps it’s Rogen’s delightfully delighted reaction to it, but <i>Cats</i> is starting to look like the movie we never knew we needed to spice up our quarantines."<br />
<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/21/cats-laughter-coronavirus-pop-stars" target="_blank">The Guardian article</a><br />
<br />
What a world we live in right now, eh? This is the craziest experience for all of us. <i>(I know, I know -- Thanks, Captain Obvious!)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I fell off the blogging wagon around 2016 I see. I was slowing down on how frequently I blogged for awhile before that. It was a hobby I truly enjoyed, but then it sort of fizzled. Sometime around doing more browsing on a Smart Phone than on a laptop, I'm sure. It isn't like I never had downtime, but I just fell out of blogging. I know a lot of bloggers did.<br />
<br />
Recently, the concept of a Blog Resurgence was brought up on a post by <a href="https://www.swistle.com/" target="_blank">Swistle</a> -- a blogger I still continue to read every time there's new content. This idea intrigued me! It's a great hobby to get back into during these strange times. So, here I am! (<i>Ohmigod we're back again -- doo, doo, doo, doo /Backstreet Boys).</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I watched <i>Cats.</i><br />
<br />
You know it -- that trainwreck Razzie award-winning musical based off the highly popular for a thousand years now Broadway show of the same name? Amazing cast -- TERRIBLE CGI?<br />
<br />
I watched it. I was getting anxious and sick of all of the covid-19 news and it was time for something completely different. Seth Rogen had also live-tweeted his viewing of it and it came to mind as just the sort of ridiculous nonsense I was searching for.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
I’m pretty stoned and watching Cats. I’ve never seen the broadway show. It is truly trippy. Am I supposed to know what a Jellicle is? They’ve said it 200,000 times but I don’t know what’s happening haha.</div>
— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sethrogen/status/1240122704226811906?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
It worked, by the way. Like <i>The Guardian</i> article I quoted at the top of this post, I think it may just be the "movie we never knew we needed" at this time. It was cheesy and awful. I will say that the singing was good, though. It IS a pretty great cast. But the CGI...oh Lord, the CGI. It was truly just THE WORST. I know they say Jellicle Cats are small -- but HOW SMALL are they supposed to be? I felt like there was a big problem with the consistency of the size of these cats and the objects around them. There are also a lot of strangely sensual cat ballet numbers that are more than a little off-putting.<br />
<br />
I am a huge lover of Broadway musicals. However, I actually DON'T love/like <i>Cats</i>. There are some songs I find catchy ("Memory", "Mr. Mistoffelees")... but when I saw <i>Cats</i> when it came to Toronto when I was a teenager, I didn't read the description of the show and when intermission rolled around I was SO CONFUSED. I kept attempting to find the story line. It wasn't until I finally read the synopsis that I learned it was supposed to be <i>vignettes</i> and short stories about all of these different jellicle cats. It wasn't a great theatre experience for me, even if I did find some of the songs catchy. I think the film tries to weave a bit of a story line into it -- or the bit of story line that I did notice in the movie is a part of the stage production and it just went over my head at the time.<br />
<br />
This pandemic situation is nuts -- let's face it, every blog post I'm about to start writing will feature this pandemic in some way. So I'm not going to get into much else about it tonight.<br />
<br />
I highly recommend the coping tool of watching some hilariously bad movies as a form of much-needed escapism. <i>Cats</i> may have been an absolute box office disaster -- but in times of disaster, maybe it truly is just what we need.<br />
<br />
<i>Daylight</i><br />
<i>I must wait for the sunrise</i><br />
<i>I must think of a new life</i><br />
<i>And I musn't give in</i><br />
<i>When the dawn comes</i><br />
<i>Tonight will be a memory too</i><br />
<i>And a new day will begin</i><br />
- "Memory", <i>Cats</i>Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-73929708239426011982016-01-24T21:07:00.000-05:002016-01-24T21:07:44.774-05:00Local Musical Theatre!So, a good friend of mine has been performing in a local theatre production of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee". I am so impressed with the performance! I had the opportunity to attend a rehearsal a couple of weeks ago, and then today got to see a real performance in the two-week run. I didn't know anything about this musical before. It is HILARIOUS. (It has some adult content (ahem, a song called "My Unfortunate Erection"!), so isn't really for "all ages").<br />
<br />
The music is catchy and the story has a lot of heart, and I was so proud of the friends we knew who were performing. They are all so talented, it's amazing. I *love* musical theatre SO MUCH, and I wish I had the skills and courage to perform. I definitely have a "stage fright" sort of feeling, even at karaoke. I just get <em>really</em> nervous. However, I love attending these shows as an audience member and have really found a love for local theatre productions -- which are great to support anyway!<br />
<br />
A friend and I attended a children's production this weekend as well, and I'm so amazed to see children in a range of ages have the courage to perform and sing solos like they do. It's just awesome! I can see how their self-esteem and ability to present themselves publicly (or for school presentations, for example) would grow and develop through theatre programs. Plus, it just looks like so much fun for them. I hope when I have children that at least one may be interested in trying musical theatre. I can live vicariously through them, haha. As a child I was a dancer, but was way too anxious to be comfortable performing solo on stage -- and that was without adding on the singing and acting that musical theatre entails. I'm just in awe of performers of all ages!<br />
<br />
Anyway, it was certainly a great weekend of experiencing some wonderful local theatre -- youth and adult. I encourage you to check out your local theatre programs and try attending some shows. It doesn't cost nearly as much as the big shows downtown, and you can still have some wonderful experiences (and even if you attend a show that isn't <em>perfect</em>, it's usually still good for a laugh and a not-too-expensive night out)!<br />
Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-60405120458035840042016-01-04T18:00:00.000-05:002016-01-04T18:00:13.843-05:00Knitting!Last summer I posted about wanting a hobby and never actually starting one (beyond binge-watching Netflix, which I've decided is a perfectly reasonable hobby -- how much can one person watch?! Let's find out!).<br />
<br />
I amazed even myself by actually going out and buying some yarn and knitting needles. I decided, EFF MY FEARS, TIME TO KNIT!<br />
<br />
You see, what happened was I was having momentary depression this past fall due to some factors (am better now, do not fret). I decided I needed to take some action to distract myself and then hoped that would help with the depression. For the record, it DID help! <br />
<br />
Knitting seemed the easiest of my little hobby ideas to get started with. Yarn can be pricey, but other than that it isn't an overly expensive hobby and doesn't require too many things to start with, and a small project can be worked on over time. I taught myself the most basic of steps using YouTube (cast on, the knit stitch, and cast off). I feel so relaxed while knitting and so pleased with myself that I actually taught myself to do something, because usually Internet learning leaves me frustrated and disinterested.<br />
<br />
I have taught myself the purl stitch, but do not do it well yet (I end up with an extra loop at the end of the row, so I need to sort out what I'm doing wrong). So for now, for my first little project, I am trying to knit a scarf and I am using the knit stitch the whole time. It looks great that way anyway, so I am perfectly happy to start with this.<br />
<br />
I don't know that I will ever be A Knitter, but it's going fairly well so far as just the little hobby I wanted to distract me when I need it and to fill some extra time and slight creative yearning.<br />
<br />
For Christmas, my grandmother gave me an adult colouring book... I can also easily see myself becoming obsessed with this new craze.Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-61554558989155382972016-01-01T09:00:00.000-05:002016-01-01T09:00:13.253-05:00Goal Setting for 2016Some Goals for 2016:<br />
<br />
- BLOG. For the love of blog, I want to blog again! Blog, blog, blog. I am going to try to at least start with once a week to get back into it. At least. (Truth be told, I haven't had a computer I love at my disposal lately, and I've been doing a lot of my Internet surfing on my phone, so that is one reason why I haven't been blogging).<br />
<br />
- Read! I've been on a huge TV kick, and while it is incredibly enjoyable, I need to balance that with getting back to reading. I love reading, usually. So, I'm stocking up on good books and will keep track on Good Reads and I want to try to read at least 20 books in 2016. More would be even better (once I tried to read 100 books in a year.... couldn't quite do it.... but 20 seems reasonable?!).<br />
<br />
- Exercise! I definitely had moments of being good about going to the gym. Then I had many, many moments of not going to the gym AT ALL. I am going to renew my membership, and really try to set a goal of <em>twice a week</em>. Once for cardio, and once for the Body Pump class so I do some weights. If I can at least go twice a week I'll feel better than I do now.<br />
<br />
- Eat more vegetables. I'm actually a fairly good eater, but we will sometimes make quick pasta dinners and exclude veggies and I just think I need to add more veggies to my diet.Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-17417682873810614212015-12-28T17:10:00.003-05:002015-12-28T17:10:27.849-05:00Au Revoir 2015!It's hard to believe another year is coming to an end! 2015 had many fun and happy moments, but it was also a tough year in some ways. I'm not going to lie, I'm ready to move on and see what 2016 will bring!<br />
<br />
How would I summarize 2015...<br />
<br />
I definitely have many happy memories with my friends. The usual happened, hanging out together, playing board games, having parties. We went to cottages, we vacationed together since Quin joined us in Myrtle Beach this past summer. Mr. Lock participated in a local musical theatre production, which was a really cool thing for him to do and which introduced us to many new local people to befriend. It was a great way to extend our social circle, and it was an amazing show. From that, we have attended a few fun parties and events with some new folks, too. We celebrated 30th birthdays (Quin, Rick, me, and Dr. McVet all had 30th birthdays this year).<br />
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We have happy memories with our families. We brought our puppy, Gryphon, home in February. He has added a lot of fun to our life! We went on summer family vacations -- I got two weeks in Myrtle Beach and then a week at Mr. Lock's family cottage. We had fun events like our usual Oscar night competition, watching the Super Bowl together, celebrating family birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas celebrations (we had FOUR DAYS of events for Christmas, plus one of my family parties the weekend before).<br />
<br />
This was an interesting year for my job, as I was declared surplus from the school I worked in for many years and had to change schools after the school year began. This has had its challenged, but looking on the bright side I do see some benefits to this having happened (better commute, for one!). I'm better as I've gotten older with managing change. I can see it as a good thing. <br />
<br />
My family had some health challenges this year, and associated stress with that. Fortunately, everyone made it through. There is still a long road ahead for some of my family, but we are hopeful they have fight left in them and will see a happier and healthier 2016.<br />
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Mr. Lock and I, truth be told, have had a difficult time starting the family we'd like to have already started. This isn't something I blogged about or was very vocal about. Though, maybe it'd be better to just put it out there. Anyway, I am very, very hopeful that 2016 will be the year we can announce a human baby joining us. Cross your fingers on our behalf, dear Internet.<br />
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I've noticed that 2015 was a year of watching A LOT of TV on Netflix. Haha. It was not much of a reading year for me. I think I embraced the easy distraction that TV provides, plus had a lot of fun discovering so much content on Netflix. <br />
<br />
This final week of 2015 involves a lot of fun social events with friends, some of whom we don't see that often. Then, our usual Fancy Dress House Party for New Years Eve. Au revoir, 2015!Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-33794944595330048692015-08-27T14:49:00.000-04:002015-08-27T14:49:25.492-04:00Netflix!<b><i>This is NOT a sponsored post. I repeat, NOT sponsored. Just me. In love. With Netflix. </i></b><br />
<br />
So, this has been the "Summer of Netflix". We have had Netflix for a few years now, since before we moved to this house. I've been enjoying it for quite some time. We typically pick a couple of shows we like to work our way through together and watch episodes before bed (<i>Psych</i>, oh how we loved <i>Psych!). </i>This isn't new, we love Netflix. I am a "binge" watcher of TV and probably have been since way before it was this convenient to do it.<br />
<br />
However, I don't think I've ever worked through so many shows in one summer! Or, perhaps I have but I'm forgetting that. Here's what I watched on Netflix in Summer 2015:<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2372162/">Orange is the New Black</a>, season 3</b><br />
I've been watching OitNB since it began, and was so excited to have a new season to work through once I was done the school year. I saved it so I could binge it. It was <i>awesome </i>of course. I actually don't care that much for the main character, Piper, anymore. I think this is a common sentiment. I care a lot more for the other characters. I love the way the show always gives some back story for one of the inmates, leading you to understand how they got to prison but never quite finishing their story. It just draws you in to wanting more, and wanting to discover which character's back story will be featured with each new episode you play. A good friend loaned me the book, and I read it last April, so now I also find it interesting to see which parts of the show are drawn out of snippets from the book.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1797404/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">House of Lies</a>, seasons 1-3</b><br />
<i>Not <b>House of Cards</b>! </i>This is the show with Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell. Decided to give it a try, and made my way quite quickly through the 3 seasons available on Netflix. It is funny, the characters are good, there is plenty of drama-llama. There is also a lot of adult content, haha. This was also the summer of me keeping my blinds closed sometimes in case neighbourhood kids could see into my windows and wondered WHAT I was watching midday... yipes! haha! I've seen a few episodes of Kevin Spacey's <i>House of Cards (it didn't grip me so I never continued)</i>, and so as much as they mix up the names of these shows at times, it is also interesting that Don Cheadle does that thing where he turns and talks to the camera sometimes.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4341500/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp</a></b><br />
I started by watching the movie <i>Wet Hot American Summer</i> (2001), because I had never seen it before. I figured it made sense to watch the movie first, then the series. I was interested in giving this a try because of the cast -- almost all of whom I love in everything else they do. It is a funny, quick 12 episodes. Very silly humour, but enjoyable. Hilarious to see these 40-something actors play 16-year-olds. They seem to know what they are doing, and making it silly works just fine (the movie is campy/silly, too).<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3526078/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Schitt's Creek</a>, season 1</b><br />
Gave this Canadian show a try, and Mark and I both enjoyed it. The characters are spoiled brats, so I could see how the humour may not be for *everyone*... but I liked it. By the end of the season you definitely understand the characters and get a chuckle from their behaviours. I look forward to watching more.<br />
<br />
<b>Started and still working on:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2431438/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Sense 8</a><br />
We've only watched the first couple of episodes so far. I've heard good things about this, and it is intriguing. I'm hooked enough to keep watching.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3398228/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Bojack Horseman</a><br />
We watched the first season and we like this sort of silliness, the actors in this show, and anything that might spoof <i>Full House</i> or similar, so this appeals to us. We have started season two, but are just a couple of episodes in. Now that we have finished Schitt's Creek we may go back to watching Bojack right before bed (must finish my evening on comedy/silly not on the drama/thrill of Sense 8, haha).<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460627/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Bones</a><br />
A show I had actually NEVER watched, and decided to give it a try since they have 9 seasons on Netflix and an 11th season airing this fall, figured there might be something to it -- I'm in season 2, it's actually quite cute/funny. I like procedural shows like this (CSI, Criminal Minds, etc), but I like that it is lighter in nature than those <i>(Criminal Minds can be downright SCARY, yo!)</i>. I've been binge-watching this one like crazy this week since the weather has been so grey and it's my last free week before I start setting up my classroom. <br />
<br />
<b>Planning to eventually watch:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322312/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Daredevil </a><br />
<br />
<b>Other shows I watched on Netflix prior to this summer, and will continue to watch when new seasons are available:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1582350/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Episodes </a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1486217/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Archer</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3339966/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2467372/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Brooklyn 99</a><br />
<br />
<b>Other shows I watched on Netflix prior to this summer, and are now finished the series:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491738/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Psych</a> (<3 Shawn & Gus)<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
So, I've been Netflix-happy this summer and loving it. I've always been a TV junkie (better vice than some!), so it is fun to get to indulge in so many programs. We also like watching stand-up comedy specials on Netflix, and some movies too. I definitely use it most for the TV shows. :-) It is easy to watch a lot of shows when many of the seasons are only 12 episodes or so. I do wish I was able to watch <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1266020/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Parks & Recreation</a>, </i>but it is on American Netflix and not Canadian (<i>yes, we have the ability to see it but not as conveniently as I'd like</i>).</div>
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<br /></div>
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If you have Netflix recommendations, send them my way! Just don't tell me more about <i>House of Cards</i>, I know people LOVE IT, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I don't seem to be into political shows. Just, apparently, nearly everything else! ;-)</div>
Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-30974871502738074052015-08-09T22:38:00.000-04:002015-08-09T22:38:25.930-04:00Vacation(s)!I'm back from three weeks of vacation!<br />
<br />
I spent two weeks in South Carolina. I've been going there with my family since 1990, making this the 25th anniversary of my first visit to Myrtle Beach. 25 years! Amazing. We used to travel there with my grandparents, and since my grandfather's passing ten years ago I appreciate the memories we made on those vacations there so much. This time around, I really missed him and remembered so many of the good times we had together there. We visited an arcade that we used to go to as little kids, a place I hadn't been back to in many years (since we haven't stayed in a hotel in that area in awhile). The place hadn't changed AT ALL. I was a little overwhelmed with how much I missed my Poppa in that moment and with how fast the years have passed by. <br />
<br />
I had traveled down South with my mom and youngest brother so we could have a full two weeks vacation. This also gave my youngest brother and I time to bond, as we haven't spent as much time together lately as we used to. The first Thursday of the trip, Quin flew down to spend a week there with us which was extra fun for me (and hard on my wallet, but the outlet shopping was SO GOOD!). Saturday, Mr. Lock, my dad, and my middle brother drove in to join us for the second week of the trip. We had amazing, super hot weather. I loved being on the beach in the sunshine. The ocean was 85 degrees Fahrenheit! We went to some great restaurants, great shops, and I highly enjoyed playing four games of mini-putt! The mini-putt courses in Myrtle Beach are so much fun.<br />
<br />
We drove home after two great weeks in one of my favourite places in the world, and then Mr. Lock and I were off to the cottage his family rents each year for the next week. It was very relaxing up at the cottage, cooler than South Carolina for sure, haha. It was refreshing to swim in the cold lake, and I was able to read books on the dock, and just breathe in the fresh air and relax. Gryphon seemed to enjoy the lake. He LOVES the water! He is a little nervous to swim when we have him in the deeper water, but he will go in to the shallow part of the lake quite willingly and loves finding a shallow spot to lay right down in the water and cool off. <br />
<br />
So, I had a wonderful three weeks. What a pleasure to have the summer off to be able to freely enjoy traveling when the opportunity comes up. I can't believe I have another three weeks ahead of me before I'll be heading back to school. It feels good, very refreshing after a hectic and somewhat stressful school year (kindergarten is a joy, but is also VERY difficult and tiring!). I think I will be a better teacher in September after having this time to unwind and recharge.Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-61965222715153934052015-07-16T14:09:00.001-04:002015-07-16T14:09:49.846-04:00Hobbies.Being home in the summer reminds me that I'd appreciate having a hobby. Some form of crafting or project work that I could pick up and do during the mid-afternoon when I definitely don't feel like cleaning my house.<br />
<br />
Let's Consider...<br />
<br />
<strong>1) Scrapbooking.</strong> <br />
I've said I'd like to do this <em>forever</em>. I own Scrapbooking supplies, and I have tried my hand at it. I'm just not particularly... good. I mean, who cares really because I'm only Scrapbooking for me... but... eh. I have a vision, I've seen others who have made amazing Scrapbooking pages and then I try it, and it *always* looks like it was a page made by a 9-year-old. I think I get sticker-happy! Also, EXPENSIVE. What the heck, Scrapbooking supplies can be very expensive. Also, my autocorrect on this tablet I'm typing on keeps capitalizing Scrapbooking, so I suppose that tells us something about how Hip and Popular it has become.<br />
<br />
<strong>2) Knitting.</strong> <br />
I've said I'd like to do this <em>forever</em>. I envision myself as one of those people who always have a large bag with them, and who can pull out their latest knitting project wherever they are. Only, I do not know how to knit. Sometimes, I try to find YouTube tutorials. Then I realize I don't own the supplies. Then I think about spending money on knitting supplies, and remember they will probably end up sitting in the cupboard beside my Scrapbooking supplies. Then I give up and watch TV instead.<br />
<br />
<strong>3) Painting.</strong> <br />
But, really... what would I do with my paintings? You know, if they didn't always look like a 9-year-old painted them.<br />
<br />
<strong>4) Gardening.</strong><br />
Hey, we have a house now. I'm going to be an awesome gardener. Except, we aren't fenced in yet and there's no point in landscaping. Also, plants are <em>expensive</em>. (What the heck?!) How about I just tend this small garden out front, oh look the perennials grew back and it's watered... so.<br />
<br />
<strong>5. Cooking/Baking?</strong><br />
HA. HA HA HA. I mean, I could do this. I'm home and could make us amazing dinners. I could cook my way through a cook book and blog about it (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135503/">That's a fresh idea, right?</a>). But... I have a husband who is an awesome cook and who enjoys it and... well. I don't really enjoy it. Also, I can't just bake all the time. I'm already gaining weight as I get older and forget to exercise. I shouldn't keep indulging in sweets (after I finished the cake and chocolates left over from my 30th birthday celebrations, of course). <br />
<br />
<strong>6. Exercise!</strong><br />
Well, doesn't this solve all problems? I have a gym membership. I could spend this random afternoon time over at the gym, even walking the treadmill would be good. The gym is open, it's not far away, the power is in my hands.... but.. I mean. <em>Let's just move on, okay?!</em><br />
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Ah well. Being crafty, or active, is overrated. I've got a list of TV shows I'd like to watch on Netflix, anyway. Plus there's always that house cleaning (HA. HA HA HA.)Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-91908943404406475462015-07-15T11:54:00.000-04:002015-07-15T11:54:35.473-04:00Thirty.Yesterday was my 30th birthday.<br />
<br />
It just sounds like such a grown-up age. My husband is 31, and I have friends in their 30s, and it never seemed like a big deal to me. Yet, on the last day of being 29, I actually felt wistful and a bit emotional.<br />
<br />
I don't personally *feel different*, as you rarely do when you age as an adult (I barely feel different than I did turning 19), but wow. I am a 30-year-old now. I'm <em>in my 30's</em>. It seems like it should be different.<br />
<br />
It seems more mature. I feel like I have more authority behind my ideas and opinions. I'm happy to go back to work in September as a 30-year-old teacher. It feels as though I should be taken even more seriously now, even though I know I've been a knowledgeable and great teacher for the past six years anyway.<br />
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The fact that it's a whole new decade of life seems meaningful. Life between 0 - 10 was childhood wonder and imagination, life between 10 - 19 were teen years based on forming identity and individuality, life between 20 - 29 was about independence, career, and establishing meaningful relationships. It was also about reconnecting with family and learning to appreciate family relationships as friendships.<br />
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Now I begin 30 - 39. <br />
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My predictions: Hopefully these are the years of establishing our own family. These will be my child-bearing years, our years of snuggling our sweet babies and managing sleepless nights. Changes in our social time as we start a family... though hopefully our friends and other family members will begin to start their families too and our social activities will just shift. These are the years I've been looking forward to for a long time... I'm such a maternal person, after all. I feel like this is my decade to "shine". I'm established as a permanent contract teacher, I have a home and a husband, I am ready for the next phase.<br />
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This may be a decade with loss. It's hard as I get older not to consider those around me who are aging too. Ten more years with three living grandparents doesn't seem possible, as an example. I'm fortunate enough to have three grandparents in my life at the time of my 30th birthday. With having children later and later now, this won't be the reality of future children I'm sad to say. Loss is a part of the cycle of life, though, and to be honest... at least I feel better prepared to manage my emotions when thinking about this sort of change.<br />
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Another important point about turning 30, I have to admit that the anxiety that plagued my life for so long is currently under much better control. I'm a more flexible thinker, I handle change better. I'm able to relax and take more in stride. I feel more confident in my personal safety in many ways compared to how helpless and scared I used to feel. <br />
<br />
Is my anxiety gone? <br />
<br />
No. Not at all. It still lingers below the surface as a gentle buzzing across my skin... I'm just certainly better at keeping it at bay, and am better at rational thinking than when I was younger.<br />
<br />
So, I'm thirty-years-old. I'm <em>in my 30s</em>. I'm a mature, independent adult. I wonder what my life story really will be in this next decade? I'm ready for it.Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-82906448819488880092015-07-06T19:52:00.002-04:002015-07-10T17:26:51.693-04:00Cottaging!I've spent my first two weekends of summer up at my friends' cottages. We no longer have a family cottage of our own, but I'm so lucky that two of my best friends have cottages we can visit for a weekend every summer. The cottages had the added bonus of also being the location for celebrating two of our best friends turning 30!<br />
<br />
The weekend weather was absolutely perfect, so we were able to be outside almost the whole weekend. We sunbathed on the dock, read books, played cards and board games, had a campfire, and one of our friends who is a yoga instructor gave us a yoga lesson on the dock! It was so peaceful, relaxing, and just plain FUN to be away with our Sitcom Group of Friends for the whole weekend.<br />
<br />
There's just something so soothing and special about being by the water. I love lounging in the boat reading a book as the lake gently rocks me. The sound of children laughing and splashing in the lake from neighbouring cottages reminds me of my amazing childhood memories of time spent at my grandparents' cottage.<br />
<br />
We had our family cottage from before I was born, until I was about 20. My grandmother chose to sell it about a year after my grandfather passed away, fearing a family feud should something happen to her and my mom and her six brothers had to deal with selling it. Fortunately, it's been about ten years and my grandmother is still going strong... but the cottage was more work than she could handle and my grandfather had wanted to sell it anyway, so her decision made sense for her. We miss it a lot, having our own place on a lake. We are often nostalgic for our memories there. Rather than dwell sadly about it, however, I try to remember it as a wonderful piece of my life story, but to be okay with the changes that happen as life moves forward.<br />
<br />
Following the sale of our cottage, my parents ended up putting in a pool in their backyard and we have certainly enjoyed that and have made many new memories of BBQs and pool parties at their house. I've highly enjoyed having my friends over to swim, and always get a kick out of it when my friends with kids come by.<br />
<br />
I also continue to appreciate the cottage experiences I get through my friends' families, and Mr. Lock's parents' too -- the first week of August, we will get to head up to the cottage they rent every summer. I'm looking forward to it.Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-27247197070966089282015-07-02T14:56:00.000-04:002015-07-02T14:56:05.963-04:00Hm!You see, I want to blog. I want to keep updating it and reaching out and enjoying the social atmosphere that blogging provides online.<br />
<br />
However...<br />
<br />
I just don't know what to write about! You see, I live a pretty average life. I have a wonderful husband, I take care of my dog, I watch TV, I spend time with friends, etc etc.. nothing overly crazy or interesting happens worthy of writing about it! I often start a "new post", and then abandon the idea of writing anything because I do not know what to write about.<br />
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It's a bit sad, because I *love* the act of writing. Even this post that is about <i>nothing</i>, I feel great typing it out. I want to share and connect... I just have no particular story to tell at this time!<br />
<br />
I think I get stuck with how much personal information to share, not having a blog that has reviews or other general information to put out there, and then having a totally average, not that exciting existence. Not that I'm saying that in a bad way. I <i>love</i> my life. It is totally <i>normal</i> and full of things like "today I did the laundry" or "today I watched three episodes of <i>Psych</i> on Netflix". It is a happy life, just not necessarily full of much blog fodder.<br />
<br />
So, that's where I'm at right now and that's why I hardly update... I rarely know what to say! I'm going to try to keep it going, but for now I will admit it, if you stumble upon this blog... it may be pretty dull reading the Journal of an Average Josephine <i>(what is the female version of "Average Joe"?).</i><br />
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<i>PS -- if anyone out there really is reading this and would like to toss out some topics I could write about, go for it in the comments!</i>Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-86286248409335458092015-06-16T20:06:00.002-04:002015-06-16T20:06:46.100-04:00Counting down to summer!This is the time of year teacher's love... the countdown to summer break! I need a rest... kindergarten is so fun, but it sure tires me out! I am crazy busy right now preparing and keeping up with all of our end of the year activities. Last week was our special spring concert, and my students did an AWESOME job on their dance performance for their families! I was so impressed, and their parents loved it too! The spring concert is one of my favourite events of the school year. It is so important that our students have a turn performing on the stage at least once a year!<br />
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This week we are very busy with Father's Day, a class year-end party on Friday, year-end assemblies... and finishing some projects that weren't quite done yet! Next week, we will be taking home lots of our work, having a day to play in the sprinkler and water tables outside, and next thing you know it will be the end of another school year.<br />
<br />
I will miss my students a lot, however since I am teaching kindergarten again next year, I will continue to have my current JK students for their SK year. This is my first time being able to do that, and I am so excited to see how they continue to grow and learn as they head in to year 2 of the kindergarten program. They have made incredible gains in just one year, how exciting to follow that through!<br />
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We have only 7 more school days together, 10 days until the break if I include the weekends and next Friday's PA Day. The count down is so on!Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-61377498760351576252015-05-19T18:00:00.000-04:002015-05-19T18:00:00.641-04:00The Organized Person Hidden WithinI like who I am. I like myself quite a lot. I feel like I'm a reflective person, who is understanding of my flaws, and who has very much accepted the adult I've become. I feel like I am caring and kind, I always try to be thoughtful of others, and I appreciate the type of people I surround myself with as friends (also thoughtful, ambitious, supportive, and I love them very much). I appreciate my relationship with my family, I am lucky for how close I am to so many family members. I am proud of my relationship with my in-laws. My husband is my best friend and I feel so lucky for that, too.<br />
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There is still this one type of person I wish I was. Someone I think I've been perceived to be at various times in my life, but I just cannot keep up with it the way I wish I could...<br />
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I wish I was truly the hyper-organized person that I think I project I could be.<br />
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I wish I was able to have one of those ridiculously, Pinterest-inspired organized homes. I wish I was all crafty about it, and used space in the most amazing and organized ways. I wish I had a perfect place for all of my things.<br />
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I wish I was better at the scrapbooking hobby I thought I'd try, and thought I'd take off with as a special hobby of my own. I wish I could organize my photographs and memories into adorable scrapbooks and then store them on shockingly well-organized family room shelves.<br />
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I wish I organized meal plans and shopping lists and used cool grocery and menu planning apps to work on having a budget as well as a plan to help with dinners. I don't wish this as hard as the other things, because Mr. Lock is my amazing personal chef so part of me also just appreciates his role in cooking for the two of us. But, as we move forward and one day our lives change to being working parents... I will need to step in to deal with meals (so they are earlier in the evening), and so I do wish I had the capability/time management/<i>organizational skills</i> to menu plan and grocery shop in a cool, mom-blogger way.<br />
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I wish my classroom was more organized. I wish I didn't always have piles of paper on my desk just after finally sorting through the other pile of paper that was there. I wish I had the energy and motivation to stay into the evenings and clean up my classroom and set up amazing centres the night before each school day.<br />
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Honestly... I think in various experiences I have had I have given off the impression that I am quite the organized person. I have the mindset and the <i>wish</i> to be a hyper-organized person. I can make suggestions for how others can be organized. I own a million notebooks and and calendars and always want more. I drool over storage solutions and home design plans to organize spaces...<br />
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I just don't quite have the motivation or skill to pull it off well. I am either too busy, or too tired, to bother. Maybe if I keep dreaming, I will eventually do better in this area. (HA! Probably not.)Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-14207062732374873452015-05-14T18:00:00.000-04:002015-05-14T18:00:01.159-04:00Our pup, Gryphon!Gryphon is five months old now (as of May 7). He's been in our home since Valentine's Day. He is AWESOME.<br />
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He loves being outside. We put bells on our back door, and he rings them when he needs out. He often rings them just to go hang out on the grass. (Also, to eat the grass.) We do not having fencing yet, but we have a stake in the ground so he is attached to a tie-out and we don't need to worry about him running off on us.<br />
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He is fluffy and soft and snuggly, with wonderful fur that does not shed. Just how we like it! If you sit on the floor with him, he will always move onto your lap while he chews on his toys. He is a love-bug.<br />
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He is already pretty independent. Often, he is sleeping under the kitchen table on the cool, tile floor. Being fluffy, he doesn't seem to like the dog beds we have for him. I can only assume he gets too warm, and so the tile or hardwood it is. We like that he is already calm and settled for most of the day, as it should bode well for the type of adult dog he will be.<br />
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He is still joyfully playful! He loves to chase a ball or his puppy-frisbee (a smaller, soft frisbee). He really loves chasing tennis balls and brings them back. He is learning to "leave it", he doesn't struggle to much if you reach to get the ball out of his mouth. He seems to want us to throw it over and over again. He is bouncy, and leaps over the short stairs to the backyard or to the front entry area of our houses. It is fun to watch him bounce and jump like a classic wheaten terrier should!<br />
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He is quiet. He will bark, but he doesn't bark that often. He doesn't bark when someone comes to the door. He barks when he is outside and someone is walking in the nearby park or if he can see someone walking on the street behind our house. He stops pretty quickly though when told to or distracted by something else, like a toy.<br />
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He sleeps really well in his crate. We have transitioned him to a larger crate since he is growing. He doesn't whine or cry when crated, he seems to just curl up and have a nap. He sleeps through the night and rarely bothers us in the morning to let him out, we usually have to let him out and give him time to stretch and then encourage him to come down the stairs to go out for the bathroom. He is wonderfully lazy, like us!<br />
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He is smart. He has learned some commands and tricks quite quickly. However, he is also stubborn. He won't go for a walk with just one of us. He does walk if we both go, or if we walk him with my parents' dog. This is our next area to work on, because we'd love to be able to talk him for more walks but he is stubborn!<br />
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All in all, we love him and are so glad we chose to add him to our family!<br />
<br />Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-48947770012268329782015-05-12T16:32:00.002-04:002015-05-12T16:32:24.853-04:00Ways I've Been Productive Today<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I had a day at home today because of an appointment. I... was very tired and lazy, so then I figured I needed to list ways I was productive so I feel better about also being very lazy. I was composing this in an email to Mr. Lock just so I could tell SOMEONE about my accomplishments, then remembered I've wanted to blog more and probably the reason I feel the need to SHARE is because I miss sharing the mundane moments of my life in this format. So here goes:</span><br />
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1) Doctors appointment to start the day, alls well and such.<br /><div>
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2) Emptied dishwasher/dealt with dishes by the sink.</div>
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3) Cleaned fish bowl (a HUGE accomplishment, really) (that poor fish, I'm tellin' ya).</div>
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4) Finally dealt with a Service Ontario letter I received awhile ago about my VIN being incorrect... and... it WAS incorrect on my insurance slips. So, good I found that paperwork and paid attention to it. Emailed insurance broker to have mistake fixed.</div>
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5) Submitted Scholastic orders and did a few emails for work related things.</div>
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6) Folded and put away my winter sweaters that were messy in our room.</div>
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7) Folded and put away clothes on top of Gryphon's crate.</div>
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8) Tried taking Gryphon for walk. Epic fail. Eff him and walking alone. Browsed dogs for adoption out of frustration of him needing a friend to walk with. (KIDDING. Though I did browse a bit...)(I think Dr. McVet has trained him to not walk alone because she wants us to have more pets, must look into this conspiracy theory).</div>
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9) Caught up on my recorded episodes of the <i>Ellen DeGeneres Show</i> so the PVR was cleaned up a bit. That's very, very important, afterall. (Yes, I record <i>Ellen</i>. I'm addicted to her talk show.).</div>
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10) Brushed Gryphon thoroughly.</div>
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11) Erm. Uh. </div>
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Okay, that's it.</div>
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I think I'm going to refresh the look of my blog, in some simple fashion, and then try to get back to it. I do miss it. Gah!</div>
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So, that will be number 11 if I get that accomplished... 11) Refreshed blog.</div>
Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-37970512072077177312015-03-14T19:39:00.000-04:002015-03-14T19:39:16.866-04:00March Break - woo hoo!I am officially on March Break, and I am so glad! haha. I love my class, but teaching kindergarten is exhausting, and a break is lovely!<br />
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I'm going to have a real "staycation". Actually, it is mostly just "stay" with very little "cation". Not many plans at all, but at least that leaves me open to making plans if anything comes up. I am going to have a lovely afternoon tomorrow with my friend's daughter as an early celebration of her birthday. Tuesday evening, I'm taking in a viewing of the new <i>Cinderella</i> movie with some friends. Wednesday, a co-worker may come by to meet our puppy and chat over coffee for a bit. I also hope to do some decluttering and reorganizing in our guest room and home office... both areas need some TLC, as they have become quite the "drop spot" for a variety of items, and we need to make better use of some storage areas in those rooms.<br />
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I'm glad for a week to spend time training the puppy, not feeling rushed in the mornings to get out the door, and to just relax and refresh!<br />
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In some ways, I cannot believe March Break is already here. We are heading into the spring (yay!), and into the last 3.5 months of this school year. It's amazing how time flies!<br />
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For now I'm going to focus on having a relaxing week, and I'm going to try to hope this particular week doesn't go by TOO quickly!Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-50332421711538346272015-02-24T08:00:00.000-05:002015-02-24T08:00:03.448-05:00On Being a Puppy ParentOur puppy, Gryphon, has been home for a just over a week now. We have been enjoying his presence immensely, though it is worth noting that puppies take a lot of WORK. However, we figure this is good practice for parenting one day, haha.<br />
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He's been settling in really nicely. The first day, he was shy and timid, but would cuddle with us and it was all very cute and sweet. He seemed to learn quite well that first weekend to go to the back door for us to let him out for the bathroom. In a week of bringing a new puppy home, we've only had about 3 accidents inside -- and all of them we can pinpoint to our error of not reading his "signs" at that moment (he isn't trying to sneak off and hide and "mark a spot" or anything like that). My aunt recommended that we put some bells by the backdoor and train him to ring the bell if he needs to go out. We ordered some online and put them up on Friday. He's already ringing them when he wants us to open the door most of the time. He is one smart puppy!</div>
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This week, the more comfortable he became, the more bold he became with things like CHEWING. Fortunately, he mostly goes for his toys (we made sure to have an abundance of choices so he can chew away!). This past weekend, he started to gnaw at other things (such as the legs of our ottoman in the family room), however we are still watching him closely so we are able to redirect him fairly quickly to a toy instead. When he is energetic, he seems to think we are puppies too and tries to dive at us to play with us. We are trying to give him lots of exercise outside to curb some of that behaviour... make sure he has proper outlets for his energy. He isn't being "aggressive", he's just being a puppy! We will be sure to sign him up for some training classes after his next set of shots, which can happen after next weekend.</div>
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He's sleeping really well in his crate. We give him play time, and then he also spends time crated so he learns that's where he is to sleep and that it's a secure and safe space for him. Also to save our sanity, haha. He will nibble less once his adult teeth come in and his gums don't bother him as much.</div>
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We feel pretty good about our puppy parenting so far... it's a fun new adventure for us! </div>
Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-33192110911729267032015-02-22T13:35:00.002-05:002015-02-22T13:35:47.211-05:00Oscar Night 2015!Today is one of my favourite days -- <i>Oscar, Oscar!</i><br />
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I love watching the Academy Awards, and if you've been reading my blog in the past few years, then you might recall it is a HUGE tradition to watch the show with my family, and bet on the winners! We all fill out a ballot, and I even have a special folder for keeping past ballots. I've been a lucky winner before, but this year I'm not so sure how it will go!<br />
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I haven't seen that many of the nominated films, unfortunately. We just haven't been going to the movie theatre as often. I did see <i>The Imitation Game</i>, which was very good, and <i>Gone Girl</i>, and maybe some of the films nominated for other awards but not Best Picture.<br />
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I'm torn for Best Picture between betting on <i>Boyhood</i> or <i>Birdman</i>. Both seem to be winning at other awards shows, and both have a good shot this year according to the "experts".... I may end up voting for <i>Birdman</i> since it won at a few awards that are usually quite "telling" for who will take home Best Picture at the Oscars. <i>Boyhood</i> won at the Golden Globes, but <i>Birdman</i> did better at some of the other awards (Screen Actor's Guild, Director's Guild, and Spirit Awards, for example)... bah! It is tricky this year! Maybe we'll all be in for a surprise and a completely different nominee will take home the golden statue!<br />
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Neil Patrick Harris is hosting this year, and I think he will put on an excellent performance. I adored Ellen DeGeneres hosting last year. I've seen NPH host the Tony Awards, and he does a fabulous job and I love his sense of humour... so I think we'll be in for an entertaining night.<br />
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I'm off now to make my Oscar Night Cupcakes (nothing fancy, but it's just tradition that I bring cupcakes over on Oscar Night, haha). I am really looking forward to another fun night with my family, with our little competition making things a bit more fun. ;-)Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-55334251293129414202015-02-08T14:53:00.003-05:002015-02-08T14:53:57.944-05:00Puppy News!Meet our boy, Gryphon!<br />
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We are so excited to have "picked-a-puppy"! It was not an easy process! They are all too cute. When we got there, there were two boys and a girl to choose from in this litter. In my mind, I was looking at the female and trying to decide if she was a good fit for us. I had it in my head that I wanted a female dog because that's what my family members have usually had, so I am used to females. However, the female was very blah... she was cute, but didn't show much personality and I was having trouble connecting with her. <br />
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We put all three puppies on the floor at the kennel, and the female along with one of her brothers were mostly playing with each other and were hiding under a bench. They weren't showing much interest in the toys the breeder had around.<br />
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Then, this little guy caught our attention. He was exploring more, and was trying to play with a ball, and he was actually coming over to see us... not just hiding away like his brother and sister. He had some spunk and energy, and when I bent down to call to the puppies he crawled right up onto my lap. <br />
It felt like "Take me home! Take me home!"<br />
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I picked him up, and he cuddled into my arms, and I said to Mr. Lock -- "What about this guy?!"<br />
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He wasn't the original puppy we were looking at, but then he totally chose US. We are so excited for when we get to bring him home! We thought it was going to be this weekend, but after a vet visit last Monday (at 8 weeks old), it was discovered that his lower canines are "impinging on his upper palate". So, he is going to have a dental procedure this Wednesday. Hopefully it means we get to bring our pup home on Valentine's Day. What a sweet gift!<br />
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<i>P.S. There is a chance his bold personality means we have a bit of a strong-willed and crazy dog coming our way, but we will work hard on training, and love our crazy guy no matter what!</i>Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-15059638754793945122015-01-11T14:30:00.000-05:002015-01-11T14:30:36.076-05:00On Naming our DogMr. Lock and I don't really have serious discussions about baby names. We have always been the type to jokingly say we'd name our kids "Ektorp", after the name of our IKEA couch. That's the sort of way we discuss naming future offspring. In very silly ways.<br />
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Now that we're married, and are settled into our home, we sometimes toss around more realistic names which can be very fun. I've always been name obsessed, so I enjoy these moments very much.<br />
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While we aren't needing to name an actual human baby yet in our lives, we have made the choice to add a puppy to our home. I've mentioned this briefly in a couple of past posts. My best friend being a veterinarian, and my love for my parents' dog, has really led me to wanting to be a dog owner. I appreciate the company of a dog for times when I am home alone (even though I am 29.5 years old, I am still not a huge fan of being home alone), and I am a pet lover. I'm a caregiver, I have a lot of love to give, and having a pet feels right to me. Mr. Lock is on the same page, he is really excited to own a dog of his own, and he is looking forward to teaching our dog to catch a Frisbee, and to playing with it at the park near our home. Getting outside and enjoying the fresh air is so much more common with a dog in your life, so we are both looking forward to that.<br />
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This is really our first serious naming decision! This is good practice before we have to agree on the name of a tiny human. We have thrown around a variety of options. We did agree on a name if we end up with a male puppy -- we like the name Gryphon. We are old time friends from the University of Guelph, and Guelph's mascot is the Gryphon. The breeder we are getting our puppy from also happens to be in Guelph! So it seems meant to be, and we think the name is super cute for a boy dog. So, boy dog = Gryphon. Done.<br />
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The thing is, we will actually most likely be choosing a female dog. My family has always had female dogs (including my aunts and uncles in that), and of the Wheaten Terriers I have known before, the female ones were of a calmer temperament. I think I'd prefer a female. In the litter, there were 3 females and 2 males born so we will have to see which dog just seems to be "ours" once we get to pick our puppy at the end of January.<br />
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Female dog names seem harder for Mr. Lock and I to agree on! We have a few categories of names we are considering.<br />
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<b>First Category: Winter/Christmas names</b><br />
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The puppies were born December 7th, and finding that out felt like a special Christmas gift! We have been toying with the idea of giving her a winter/Christmas name to commemorate her birthday. Some names in the running have been Holly, Ivy, or Clementine. Of those three, Mr. Lock and I really only agreed on Holly.<br />
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<b>Second Category: Irish names</b><br />
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The soft-coated wheaten terrier was originally an Irish breed. We think it could be fun to go with an Irish name for our pup. We were looking at some of the names that have a fun/unique Gaelic spelling. We don't want to pick a name that could be a future child's name for ourselves or our friends, so that's why we are choosing names that could be unique/different. We think that works best for a dog. Our favourite Irish name right now is Caoimhe - which is pronounced "Keeva". We would spell the dog's name Keeva; but for ourselves we would enjoy the unique Gaelic spelling, haha.<br />
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<b>Third Category: A play on "Wheaten"</b><br />
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Wheaten terriers start out with caramel-coloured fur, which fades to a blond "wheat" colour over two years. It could be cute to name the dog something that goes with this theme. Maybe a grain name like Barley. We also have been considering the name "Willow" -- which alludes to the actor Wil Wheaton. Many years ago, when he was first on <i>The Big Bang Theory</i>, the character Sheldon said the line "Fetch me Wil Wheaton!". This always made me laugh, and knowing that wheaten terriers were a dog breed I liked, I used to joke that I'd name my dog Willow, call her Will Wheaten, and then when you said that line, the word "fetch" would be so funny since it is also a dog term. The joke has lost its lustre after this many years, but sometimes I still go back to liking the name Willow since I was thinking about it for years.<br />
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I think the front-runner right now is Keeva, to be honest. It is really growing on both of us, we seem to agree on it. We like that it isn't a potential baby name for ourselves or our friends. So, we may go with:<br />
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Boy: Gryphon<br />
Girl: Keeva<br />
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However, we are also waiting to see what name jumps out at us after we actually pick which puppy will be ours. We may meet her (or him, keeping my mind open), and feel like one name works better than others. <br />
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I'm really excited, and am enjoying this whole process leading up to bringing our puppy home! It's an exciting way to expand our family, and prepare us for the responsibility of parenting one day. I'll probably be one of those crazy puppy parents who will start sharing a ton of photos of our dog. I think it will actually make for some very cute blog fodder!Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2389995093094516889.post-90444684585923958162015-01-02T22:04:00.000-05:002015-01-02T22:04:33.773-05:00Goals for 2015I am the worst with resolutions. I like to try to come up with some, but I never really remember them. I generally lead a life I'm happy with, though, so it really doesn't negatively effect me. I will write down two goals I have for the beginning of 2015 anyway!<br />
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<b>1.) Painting our House/Decluttering</b><br />
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We will have lived here for a year as of February 7th. This means we will be submitting one last report for anything we'd like our builder to repair before the 1-year anniversary. We have some nail pops in the drywall and a couple of other little things, but mainly we've been happy with this place. After the 1-year stuff is repaired, we would really like to paint the main areas of the house. Builder's paint is very low-quality and gets marked up easily. I'm also tired of the house being all the same, off-white colour. It will be nice to paint and spruce up the walls, then finish some of the decorating we've been holding off on knowing we'd have to move things around again to paint.<br />
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Decluttering still needs to happen around here, too. We have a huge pile of empty boxes in our basement that we just left there after we moved in. Time went by pretty quickly and we never broke down the boxes for recycling. We really need to work on reorganizing our space down there (it's an unfinished basement, but I'd like it to be a bit more organized for storage). We also need to deal with some messy areas in our home office and guest bedroom (which has become quite the drop spot for things I just don't know what to do with! Oops!).<br />
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<b>2.) The obligatory fitness goal.</b><br />
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I belong to Goodlife Fitness, and I've been proud of myself for going to the gym with my friends fairly regularly for the Body Pump class. I really enjoy the class, and it is a great way to lift weights since I'm not confident enough for weight training without the guidance of a trainer. Before my wedding, I was on a roll and was actually going to the gym 2 - 3 times a week (Body Pump, Zumba, and one more day just to go on the elliptical or treadmill for 45 minutes to an hour). My goal is to get back to at least a regular twice a week gym schedule; but even better would be adding that third work out each week. I would like to go to Body Flow (the yoga/pilates/tai chi class). If I could do Body Pump, Body Flow, and an additional cardio work out I would feel really great.Ms. Keyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14790786105837344838noreply@blogger.com1