Inadequate Materials

Caution: This post contains some mild sexual content. Mostly involving cats. Don't say I didn't warn you. Having taught Sex Ed to 6th graders in my former life, I am a firm believer in being open and honest with my kids and not making this subject taboo. So when Firstborn asks questions, I like to give him the basic information he's looking for without getting too in-depth, and without any embarrassment or secretiveness. This morning, we had the following conversation: Firstborn : Can I have a cookie? Me : It's 9AM, so no. Firstborn : Mom, why did we get Anakin neutered? Me : So he can't accidentally have babies with any girl cats. Firstborn : How would he do that? Me : (mom radar perking up and not wanting to say too much) Cats are mammals, so they have babies the same way we do. The dad helps the mom with it. Firstborn : Oh, so the mom cat has an egg in her tummy and the dad cat has that other thing. What's that thing called again? Me : Sperm. Firstborn : Well...

Today there is a lot of buzz here about a local online discussion forum. Someone from the Booming Metropolis area started a new thread asking people to post their wishes, and asking those who could grant them to do so. The result has been quite fascinating. Admittedly, in order to find the gems, you do have to sift through 70 pages of people asking for a wealthy benefactor to pay off their astronomical credit card debt, presumably so they can go right back out there and rack up some more. And there was also the middle-aged man who admitted that his wish was to have a couple of hot 20 year-olds come sit in a hot tub with him (in his defense, he did also want someone to come fix his wife's car. Husband of the Year!). Some of the posts, though, really tugged at the heart strings. I wanted to cry for the out-of-work mother who didn't have enough money to cover the costs of her child's expensive prescription medication, and hug the dozens of people who pledged amounts large and ...

I got an award! Look at this: Thanks, Suburban Princess ! I get called a lot of things these days, but "stylish" isn't usually one of them, so this was a very pleasant surprise! In accepting this award, I'm supposed to tell you 7 things about myself, and I thought I'd keep it style-themed, just to prove there are still a few brain cells lighting up in there. Or whatever it is brain cells do when they're working... 1. I prefer pearls to diamonds, though I won't say no to either. 2. I own 22 pairs of boots. Don't ask. 3. Covered in animal hair is, unfortunately, my signature look. 4. I rarely wear necklaces or bracelets because I have a short, pudgy neck and a kid who likes to yank things. But I won't leave the house without earrings, one chunky cocktail ring on my right hand (wedding set on the left) and a watch on my right wrist. 5. Finding a label I couldn't possibly afford new, in my size at the thrift store for under $10 is the most thrilli...

It's finally happened. Target is coming to Canada! I know as a proud Canadian, I should be observing a moment of silence and mourning the loss of a great national institution , but my sister and I both worked for the Hudson's Bay Company, and I don't think either of us would consider it a particularly great employer. On top of that, two (TWO!) of my siblings were unfairly accused of shoplifting by overzealous security guards there as children. So frankly, Zellers can kiss my enormous butt. And I'm crossing my fingers that JC Penney wants to come in and take down the Bay too. I've been collecting HBC rewards points since 1987. Back then, they were called Club Z points. I have never used them. I just kept racking them up, dreaming that one day I'd be able to buy myself a lawnmower or something. Well, once the news hit yesterday, I figured I'd better beat the rush, so I hustled over to the website to cash in my 483,000 points. It turns out that 23 years of d...

I seem to be back to posting once a week at best. The truth is, there's just not that much going on. Unless you all really want three posts a week detailing how much cleaner my floors are lately, or what a relief it is to have finally picked up all that clutter in my basement. If that's the case, I could keep you riveted for days. Here are some random shots instead: The Dirt Dog really is the greatest thing that ever happened to me as a housewife. Rosemary's Baby is a big fan of huckleberry jam. Good thing, because no one else is, and I have about 10 quarts of it in the pantry. Check out what RB has recently started drawing! Must be all that brain-boosting huckleberry jam. It may be time to patch up the hole in the basement ceiling... Over the holidays, I discussed the lousy selection of Barbie outfits available these days with Sister #1. She has three girls, so she keeps up on these important issues. When I went to buy a Barbie for the gift tree at Zellers last month, the...

Here we are a week into the new year and I'm just sluggishly making my way back to blogging. Did you think I'd gotten stuck in a snow bank? It was a distinct possibility. I have to veer off the beaten path out there to find the compost pile, and I do sometimes suddenly find myself knee-deep. Roll on April! The boys and I had to drop the Captain off in the capital this week. He's gone to Ontario for 10 weeks on course. This, obviously, is no fun at all. But if all goes to plan, this should be the last long separation for us for a while. Unless he gets deployed again, which is always a possibility. But finally, after more than 7 years of him being gone at least 6 months out of the year, he may actually be able to settle into a more "normal" 9 to 5 kind of schedule for a while. Hallelujah to that!! While in the big city, I made sure to stop at the HUGE Value Village and grab myself a few sweaters and a really nice shirt. I swear, I could've spent the Captain...