tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62631544836155341102012-01-27T17:49:08.572-08:00Lehn Life is a blog about the ups and downs, ins and outs of life with two small boys!Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.comBlogger2741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-64265104486721663432011-07-13T21:18:00.000-07:002011-07-13T21:25:22.018-07:00

Here's how things are going with this year's resolutions...Complete one anti-Hoarding project per month until December.Actually got four things accomplished in May and June. So proud of myself!1. Filing – done! What a chore that was, but all the paperwork is carefully filed FINALLY.2. Purge Kids’ rooms – oh, wow. This was indeed a chore as they are very reluctant to part with toys, even though

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-90979986252441757622011-07-10T10:04:00.000-07:002011-07-10T10:40:14.119-07:00

Hello - long time no post!The last month of school was very busy for the boys and I. Mike was in Brazil for work for 7 weeks, and I was working a ton as part of the team rolling out new computer hardware and software to all our locations. That project is still ongoing until the end of this month, but the boys are out of school and Mike is now back, so we are able to relax into summer a little

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-79601132044364028162011-05-13T16:59:00.001-07:002011-05-13T17:14:22.399-07:00

I am stealing a few moments to write this as Ethan snores on the couch and Jack is occupied. E's been home sick for a couple of days and has slept just about all of it. I'm jealous! Would love some snooze time for me, too...And Jack is in his room after having announced to me that "If you want to come in, you definitely have to knock first" which is more than slightly alarming. Maybe he's

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-75165551557684640942011-05-09T09:38:00.000-07:002011-05-09T10:36:05.179-07:00

Complete one anti-Hoarding project per month until December.Did an awesome job of the garage although that always feels a little futile. Every time I clean it up, it only takes a couple of weeks before it's out of control again. May is going to be a filing month for sure, though! I've got everything in piles in the office and will be getting it all away as soon as we've finished this year's taxes

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-43910404530191316162011-04-11T21:58:00.000-07:002011-04-11T22:06:16.867-07:00

I am working late but must slip in this conversation I had with Ethan today in the car:E - What does "pid" mean?T - Can you spell that?E - P - I - D.T - Never heard of it. Was it in a book?E - Yes, Mummy, PID!T - Give it to me in a sentence.E - My name is Stu Pid.T - (chuckle chuckle) Say it faster, E.E - Stu Pid.T - Try it again.E - STU PID.T - Faster!E - Stupid. Stupid Stupid STUPID!(

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-14746087451738893902011-04-08T20:52:00.000-07:002011-04-08T21:11:26.123-07:00

It's been ages since I've written, and I have plans to post about March and resolution tracking, and also our recent fantastic trip to Maui over spring break! In the meantime, here's a quick and dirty post, courtesy of my friend and faithful reader, Cathy, who tagged me in a meme. Here are my responses!1) How many naked people would it take to freak you out?Ooh, it would only take one naked

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-71889297518443967962011-03-04T15:33:00.001-08:002011-03-04T15:38:06.853-08:00

Ethan's ResolutionsKeep my room clean. Well, the floor is tidy right at this second. Does that count? Not to stash things in my room. FAIL. There is stuff stashed EVERYWHERE in his room.I will try not to hit Jack. Sigh. Do I really need to report on this? I think you all know how brothers work.I will not yell at anybody. Oh, Ethan. Did you really set the bar this high?To not get mad when I

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-5745525292943835512011-02-22T23:05:00.000-08:002011-02-23T00:11:51.245-08:00

Here it is - the 40 Before 40 list! New Year's Resolution is to get 5 done this year, but if all goes well I should get 11 in 2011!DONE1. Read up on Religion 101 or Religion for Dummies2. Perform one random act of kindness every month, anonymously and without recognition3. Swim with sharks4. Learn to scuba dive - vetoed due to potential explosion of the heart 5. Sample more cuisines of the world

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-3100530589405784122011-01-31T20:19:00.000-08:002011-01-31T20:47:16.095-08:00

OK, one month in and here's where I'm at:1. Complete one anti-Hoarding project per month until December.Actually did 2-1/2! Trunk and ottoman in the living room both cleared out. Added two new storage cubes – one for piano books, one for Wii/xBox controllers. Cleared out my closet. Bonus! also totally reorganized the shed when I was packing away the Christmas decorations.2. Finish all 3 runs in

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-11143889082975759322011-01-16T22:13:00.001-08:002011-03-04T15:30:47.892-08:00

A - Awesome. BothB - Busy. BothC - Cute. JackD - Demanding. EthanE - EthanF - Funny. JackG - Generous. JackH - Hot-tempered. EthanI - Inattentive. JackJ - JackK - Kind. BothL - Loving. EthanM - Memory. EthanN - Nice. EthanO - Outgoing. BothP - Personable. JackQ - Questioning. BothR - Reliable. EthanS - Stubborn. EthanT - Thoughtful. EthanU - Unique. BothV - Vain. JackW - Wild. BothX - Xcitable.

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-10155713447163411532011-01-16T21:22:00.000-08:002011-01-16T22:12:27.356-08:00

#1 - post resolutions on New Year's Day - FAIL. Oh well. At least it's still January.Christmas was lots of fun, and although the week leading up to Christmas was quite busy, the week after was calm. The boys really enjoyed their vacation, and so did I! We chose to stay home New Year's Eve and let the boys stay up until midnight. They made it, although it was a close one for Jack - we had to nudge

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-60716043542972558112010-12-24T19:32:00.001-08:002010-12-24T19:48:03.687-08:00

I have been anticipating today's advent activity for a while now: "Go snowshoeing".Since we have no snow, we drove up to Cypress Mountain this morning (home to all Olympic snowboard and freestyle skiing events) and although it was pouring rain, it was great! I got my Christmas present from Mike a day early - snowshoes of my own! The boys all rented, and off we went!Here are Mike and Ethan on the

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-58398373403177728632010-12-24T19:29:00.000-08:002010-12-24T19:32:38.266-08:00

Today's advent was a cop-out, I admit. "Eat treats and drink egg nog" - well, duh! I've been doing that EVERY day! But 2 days before Christmas when I worked all day, well it had to be simple. So after dinner Jack enjoyed a candy cane, Ethan and I had shortbread and Mike had an egg nog. Then all was good, advent fulfilled and off to bed!

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-39357334252183645712010-12-22T17:14:00.001-08:002010-12-22T17:18:56.100-08:00

Yey! Today's activity was ice skating!Over the Christmas holidays, one of our local arenas has daily public ice time for only $2.50 each. Stick and Puck for ages 5-12 at 11:30, then Family Skate at 12:30. Perfect!They had a blast!

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-33881773126077696002010-12-21T20:15:00.000-08:002010-12-21T20:23:33.351-08:00

Jack was pretty disappointed when today's Advent Activity was "Christmas shopping". Hey, sometimes you just have to stuff the necessary things in there, too, you know? But he was choked. So after work, instead of dragging them out shopping, we got cozy with blankets and pillows and watched the Survivor finale that we recorded on Sunday.Jack's quote as we watched the finale: "Next time you make

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-57251576717757957322010-12-20T21:34:00.000-08:002010-12-20T21:58:43.781-08:00

Today our advent activity was to "Wrap Presents". I've already done a bunch, but it was time for the boys to wrap each other's, and one to Mike. They also needed to wrap a friend's birthday gift (more on that later). While Mike was in NY last week, I hauled the folding table up into our bedroom and made Wrap Central in there. It's the only room with a door, and I needed secrecy (obviously). I

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-86438911211426244412010-12-19T20:25:00.001-08:002010-12-19T20:38:53.450-08:00

This morning the boys were excited to see that as day 19, we were going to see the movie "Tangled". I have wanted to see this movie since it came out, and I was determined to fit it in over the holidays. I had heard that this was a movie that really was a "G" rated movie, unlike some of the other supposedly kiddie movies that scare my poor Ethan. Jack's all over them, but Ethan hates movies with

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-37404239346825071902010-12-19T11:46:00.000-08:002010-12-19T11:59:43.033-08:00

Today's advent activity was "Christmas Train" but I'm afraid we didn't get to the train today. Mike and Ethan went out for some Christmas shopping while Jack and I wrapped some things and did some crafts. Jack painted my face with a candy cane on one cheek and a snowflake on the other, and I did the same for him. I so wish I had taken photos!Later, Susanna, Jim and Victor came over so they and

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-26309218973851322142010-12-19T11:27:00.000-08:002010-12-19T11:46:00.703-08:00

"Take a Jingle Bell Walk". We do this every year: grab our jingle bells and our Santa hats and take a walk around the neighbourhood. There may be some singing involved also, but usually we just walk and jingle. It brings smiles to people's faces and it's a bit of peace amidst the hectic. Mike got back from New York today and it was the last day of school so there were a lot of activities to

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-12746332846654744332010-12-19T10:59:00.000-08:002010-12-19T11:27:20.258-08:00

I'm behind again - what a crazy, busy week! Ethan said to me at the end of school on Friday, "Isn't it great? Now we can do NOTHING for the whole of holidays!" And I was still in full panic mode. So I looked at him wild-eyed and barked: "Not. Yet."This time of year is definitely chaotic. I absolutely LOVE seeing everyone, whether it's catching up for coffee, going out for our Christmas lunch at

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-50658979217961836912010-12-17T16:44:00.000-08:002010-12-17T17:09:34.564-08:00

"Read the Night Before Christmas" was our day 15. The boys LOVE this story! They know it by heart now, but still love to read it!Also, they have these really annoying bears that recite the whole story. They're the ones here with the open books on their laps.What's annoying is that they like to play them together, except they never sync them properly, and one's voice is dying, so really it's just

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-71888990138580302452010-12-15T21:55:00.001-08:002010-12-15T22:00:34.233-08:00

Given the fact that the storm we'd had the night before meant a leaky skylight and a grand total of 2 hours of sleep for me as I laid out buckets, moved the piano, got out the ladder, toweled puddles up, tarped the TV etc. I didn't much care what the Advent Calendar for the 14th said."Christmas Concert". Oh, phew - an easy one. Today was one of the afternoon concerts and since I was at work, my

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-13952160612239381832010-12-15T21:41:00.000-08:002010-12-15T21:55:07.464-08:00

"Make Christmas Crafts".This advent was disappointing to the kids. They pointed out that they had done the snowmen as a craft (since we had no snow) and done the tree as a craft (since I got back too late to get a real tree), and did we really have to think of another craft???My kids are not that into crafts, clearly. So when they suggested that the crafts they did in school that day should count

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-39456429622261242302010-12-15T21:32:00.000-08:002010-12-15T21:41:16.272-08:00

Today was also a bit of a fail. The Advent Calendar was to "Get a Christmas tree". Although we've had our two fake ones up for a while (correct that, we have three fake ones up including the one on my nightstand), we have an annual tradition of going to our friend Shannon's parents' place for a Christmas tree. I would LOVE to have a real tree every year, but Mike and Ethan would suffer

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-55843266616895306852010-12-15T21:25:00.000-08:002010-12-15T21:32:24.279-08:00

ARGH - I'm behind! I will catch us up...December 11 was "Bake cookies". This was a good plan in that I scheduled this for a Saturday. Except - Mike and I ended up going to Seattle, as he was flying out of there for New York early on Sunday morning. We thought we'd do a little Christmas shopping on Saturday, stay near the airport and then I'd come home in time for hockey on Sunday. Great plan but

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-24204028210289609062010-12-10T19:16:00.001-08:002010-12-10T19:21:15.799-08:00

It is hard to "build a snowman" without snow. This was our dilemna on Day 10 of our advent calendar. So we got creative!Ethan's all about the traditional snowman, whereas Jack doesn't exactly play by the rules. But you knew that already, right?!?

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-88268065671761708652010-12-09T22:33:00.001-08:002010-12-09T22:35:35.077-08:00

www.northpole.com = hours of entertainment and an easy-out for a Christmas activity on a busy work day. That was our December 9th advent!

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-32460142646654780422010-12-08T19:38:00.001-08:002010-12-08T19:48:12.082-08:00

The Wafer family Christmas tradition is to watch A Christmas Story. Nothing says Christmas to me like "You'll shoot your eye out!"Day 8 of our advent calendar was to watch A Christmas Story. Was this for me or for the kids? You decide...Also please note to Ethan's left: the array of Christmas tree ornaments that get re-decorated on a daily basis. Tonight I vow to finish the tree and restrict all

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-66179418815098879232010-12-08T19:29:00.000-08:002010-12-08T19:38:12.982-08:00

Today was the day we were slated to deliver poinsettias. Actually, we had already distributed them this weekend to those who had ordered them through the kids' school. They were very beautiful, although I suppose I should think to water them one of these days!

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-30265797654474327162010-12-06T21:58:00.000-08:002010-12-06T22:13:54.728-08:00

Our Advent Calendar told us today to visit Santa, and although we saw Pere Noel last Wednesday and Santa yesterday, my boys informed me that neither one of those was the REAL Santa - HE comes to Semiahmoo Mall and we needed to go get our annual picture with him. It's so great getting their picture taken there. There are no line-ups, Santa chats with the boys for about 10 minutes, and he gives

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-36595505323172521712010-12-06T21:48:00.001-08:002010-12-06T21:58:41.122-08:00

On Sunday our advent told us to go to a Christmas Party - so we did! It was our annual children's Christmas party at work, and the kids had a blast! There were bouncy castles, balloon animals, face painting, games, cookies and Santa with presents!Can you believe how big the boys are?

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-34694520377796502102010-12-04T21:38:00.003-08:002010-12-04T21:47:50.209-08:00

Advent Activity for December 4th: "Groceries for Food Bank"We just assembled some extras we had around the house; we'll give more later this month! And we did get a star on our tree today, but not without a little effort!

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-82452591195919472992010-12-03T22:48:00.000-08:002010-12-03T22:53:56.156-08:00

Today was "Decorate for Christmas"I wish I had an awesome picture of them on a ladder putting the star on the tree, but no. It was a busy day capped off with a birthday party so we only decorated a little and the tree is still star-less. But I must share a very sweet picture of Jack flaked out after his exhausting day today! (It's hard to be good and he was on his best behaviour at school)Now

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-6398181007138062922010-12-02T22:12:00.000-08:002010-12-02T22:25:42.722-08:00

The beauty of creating your own Advent Calendar is that you can stack the deck - I know what days I'm going to be working, so I stuff the easy activities into those days, when I know I'll have only about 30 minutes with the boys before bed.Today was "Letters to Santa":For Jack! Everything has an exclamation point! Dear Santa Please! 2 Jango Fett Lego! Jack Lego (not sure; does this exist?) 3

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-59184499611257220232010-12-01T22:07:00.000-08:002010-12-01T22:30:10.571-08:00

I'm back! It's been a while since I've been here; I know, I know.I thought I'd bust back in by reporting on our December activities. Every year, we do an advent calendar like a lot of families. In ours, there are pockets with a strip of paper in each. Every day has something fun to do for the Christmas season!December 1st: Go to Pere Noel Event.This is an annual event put on by our local chapter

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-18031723432749974122010-10-13T21:44:00.000-07:002010-10-13T22:25:52.101-07:00

In my house (and perhaps in yours) there is a certain inequality. Before it drives me completely insane, I'm going to blog it out. In my house...I am the only one who cleans the toilet. And yet...I am the only one who never misses the toiletI am the only one who changes the paper towelI am the only one who does the grocery shoppingI am the only one who volunteersI am the only one who notices the

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-54367189260669943162010-10-06T18:16:00.000-07:002010-10-06T18:19:29.541-07:00

Feeling pretty low today. But... just when I was feeling my worst, the doorbell rings and there's a friend with a pick-me-up flower bouquet for me. Then I check my mailbox and there's a thank you card from overseas. Then I receive an email from an appreciative co-worker.Things will improve!(Thanks Shelley, Thea and Liz - I needed you today)

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-10569575308674179522010-09-17T18:24:00.000-07:002010-09-17T18:32:00.711-07:00

Today was the first day of the Year of Tamsin!Every Friday this year, to celebrate a little mom-freedom now that Jack has started all-day school (big Grade One, baby!), I am going to do whatever I want!!! No errands, no housework, only the things that I want to do!What that meant today was crawling back in bed after taking the kids to school, reading a book and watching Regis and Kelly for an

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-37531197846858080462010-09-09T15:48:00.000-07:002010-09-09T16:08:30.183-07:00

It's weird being away. I am in Calgary for 2 nights, working at our office out here today and tomorrow. I went to the airport by myself, got on a plane by myself, got picked up by a chauffeur and town car by myself (it was cheaper than a cab - honest), stayed in a hotel by myself, used the exercise room by myself, ordered room service by myself, took a cab there and a cab back by myself, and am

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-62946268748326877252010-09-08T15:34:00.001-07:002010-09-08T15:42:04.531-07:00

Was NOT blog. (Sorry) Was having too much fun in the sun!But I'm back, now, and LOVING the fact that both boys are in full day school now. I did the extended version of my Happy Dance this morning, and even made a few other moms dance with me. As one person pointed out, 8:35-2:35 is enough time to get drunk and get sober. (Oh wait, that was me pointing that out). And I would NEVER. I'm just sayin

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-6915074093416516802010-06-27T09:10:00.000-07:002010-06-27T09:55:59.673-07:00

Sadly, England's quest for the World Cup has just ended. But I have thoroughly enjoyed watching all the soccer games the last couple of weeks, and I'm excited to watch a few more. If Brazil and the Netherlands meet in the quarters, that will be a good game, and Argentina should progress through and give this young German team a run. I'm happy to see Ghana do well, too. What I liked about the

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-34473077509100992732010-06-20T21:18:00.001-07:002010-06-20T21:30:21.218-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all daddies out there. Especially to Mike and to my own Daddy.I promise not to poop in your lap anymore, Daddy. Sorry about that. Also? You may laugh at the look now, but in the seventies my parents were killer fashionable. Check out the boots. I'm not lyin'.

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-9168338602495161152010-06-14T16:41:00.000-07:002010-06-16T16:13:52.285-07:00

Hello June, nice to meet you. I am "super happy" that you want to just fly right on by. Do you think you could have paused a little on the one and a half sunny days we have had since February??? I'd like you to stick around a little while, but only if you're going to keep bringing the sunshine. thank you.------------------These boys have broken me. No, really. I think my toe is broken. Still not

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-15750300508757101042010-05-29T10:10:00.000-07:002010-05-29T10:21:54.254-07:00

I was away last weekend with my girlfriends. I was going to say that Mike went out with his boyfriends on Saturday night, but that doesn't sound quite right. What? They're friends that are BOYS! What's the problem? .... So ANYWAY he went out with the GUYS on Saturday and needed to sleep a little later on Sunday morning.But of course he had two boys who bounced in early morning. He mumbled to them

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-68087235207085869832010-05-27T13:59:00.000-07:002010-05-27T14:12:21.528-07:00

You just gotta get away sometimes, you know?Because how can you appreciate sticky kisses unless you experience a night without them?Because how can you appreciate exuberant joyful noisiness unless you experience peace and quiet?Because how can you appreciate crazy busy routines unless you experience a morning when you don't HAVE to get up for anything?Thanks to Chantal, Ivana, Kim, Marzia and

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-9420830981435664042010-05-19T06:53:00.001-07:002010-05-19T06:55:21.029-07:00

Mothers should know better than to stick their hands into returning lunchkits without looking.Really. We should know better by now.Going to wash squished fruit off fingers and pick it out of fingernails now...

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-34478049022099324892010-05-16T10:05:00.000-07:002010-05-16T10:22:42.361-07:00

Home from Costco with a large load. Jack askes me as we unpack the mega-Chips Ahoy package:"Is that a national brand?""Yessss..." (I know where this is going - I can sense the commercial about to start)"Did you know that there is a cookie with more chips per bite than the leading national brand?"Sigh. And if you could just hear his little voice saying it, you would die. He talks in the words of

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-75123650344656230942010-05-12T23:27:00.000-07:002010-05-12T23:45:08.218-07:00

I found out something VERRRRRY interesting today. A friend of a friend sent her youngest to Grade One this year, just as I will do in the fall. This whole year, she has celebrated the Year of Laura. She drops the kids at school and then... DOES WHATEVER SHE WANTS. ALL DAY. NO GUILT.This woman has spent entire days playing Wii by herself at home. She's enjoyed wine and Oprah. She has done anything

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-49083947281082549002010-05-08T20:45:00.000-07:002010-05-08T20:51:36.666-07:00

(I am replacing the paper towel roll)Jack: Mummy, is that Bounty?Me: Why yes, it IS Bounty.Jack: Did you Know there is a Kitchen Towel that Soaks up Spills Better than Bounty?(That was an actual quotation. Of Jack. And apparently of the commercial. To the letter.)Ethan: Yeah, it's called Scott Towels.(And I didn't even think they watched the channels that have commercials. Obviously I am an

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-57990142931336614262010-04-30T23:45:00.000-07:002010-04-30T23:49:23.857-07:00

Taxes are done with hours - HOURS - to spare. It is clearly time to celebrate writing that gigantic cheque to the government. America's Next Top Model and wine. Classic entertainment.

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-65842242024470388102010-04-26T15:53:00.001-07:002010-04-26T15:55:55.250-07:00

Jack: Mummy, why do ladies have to wear necklaces?Me: They don't have to; they just wear them because they're pretty.Jack (looking at my neck, rolls eyes): Well, not THAT one.

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-41402941859185723862010-04-21T22:29:00.000-07:002010-04-21T22:34:46.933-07:00

Mike was trying to fix our router today. Not exactly news-worthy except for the fact that his battle with the router prompted this addition to the House Rules posted on the fridge. And on the front door, and on each of the boys' doors. Ethan edited all four copies! The boys (and especially Jack) are behaving horribly lately. I have no idea where we've screwed up so badly, but I'm at the end of

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-82345224259872813492010-04-13T20:51:00.000-07:002010-04-13T21:18:29.560-07:00

Remember last week, when I posted this?"Jack is also performing well in class, and I admire his teacher to no end for keeping the Silly in check for 2-1/2 hours daily. Also, I may be jinxing myself here, but we are now in April and we haven't been called to the principal's office YET on account of Jack's behaviour. Please keep your fingers crossed that my kindergartner can hold it together until

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-40612068648537747212010-04-12T20:55:00.001-07:002010-04-12T20:56:34.072-07:00

I have eaten almost a whole box of Girl Guide cookies while watching PVR. It happened to be Jamie Oliver and his Food Revolution. I think I have missed the point.

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-5910459017913039452010-04-05T09:27:00.001-07:002010-04-05T10:09:16.439-07:00

Happy Easter everyone!I would like to start a new chapter in our lives called: "No Excuses". I'm not going to make any more excuses for why we can't fit something into our schedules, or why I need to sit down with a(nother) cup of tea. We are a busy young family and we have REASONS why we can't accommodate everything. NOT excuses. So there.I am also not going to accept any more excuses from the

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-18775280724945465932010-03-28T20:50:00.000-07:002010-03-28T21:17:34.281-07:00

I like to call this picture Ears 1 and Ears 2. LOVE what the giant hats do to those ears! The boys wore these giant red foam stetsons at the Paralympic Ice Sledge Hockey game to support Team USA. They really were too cute! We also checked out the cauldron that day:

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-43897653995750119762010-03-14T23:14:00.000-07:002010-03-14T23:36:10.635-07:00

Here are some of our photos from the Opening Ceremonies of the Paralympic Games Friday night: On Saturday, we went downtown Vancouver to check out the pavillions and attractions that we didn't get to experience during the Olympics. Unfortunately, the line to hold Olympic medals was still about 3 hours long, so we opted for Canada House, Manitoba House, BC Hydro House and Robson Square. No free

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-33557798524291251722010-03-13T08:03:00.000-08:002010-03-13T08:32:29.100-08:00

Last night, I took the boys to an absolutely amazing event - the Opening Ceremonies for the Paralympic Winter Games. Vancouver 2010 continues!!! Susan came with us, and all four of us enjoyed the night immensely. I have a TON of photos, too many to download right now, but I hope to post some of those later.We got to the stadium just after 4 pm. We got through security quickly (Jack didn't beep so

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-33763253843086182002010-03-08T21:44:00.000-08:002010-03-08T22:33:07.127-08:00

The full birthday story:Jack's sixth birthday started out like this! Oh, so very happy! We went bowling and out for pizza with Ethan's hockey team to celebrate the end of the season. They had a great time! From there, we went straight to Jack's party. This year, we were having it at the Great Escape. It's a giant indoor adventure playground, like a Chuck E Cheese on steroids. Jack really begged

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-70140721262913501152010-03-08T21:32:00.000-08:002010-03-08T21:44:12.802-08:00

At the beginning of February, I left my house in the midst of winter, and came back last week to this:ForsythiaDaffodilsMagnoliaYou might think that Spring is here, but today the sun shone, then it rained, hailed, snowed, and the sun shone again. We'll see if these flowers mean that winter has passed!

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-41572118745286735312010-03-07T08:43:00.000-08:002010-03-07T08:49:49.751-08:00

Poor Jack had his 6th birthday party yesterday. And he broke his arm on the slide. Little man has a cast and he looks SO sad. It was a LONG night last night, as every time he rolled onto his arm, he woke up crying. Off to the store today to get an actual Jack-size sling, and more Tylenol/Advil.He had a lousy stinky birthday - send him your good wishes please!

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-17587319885158965842010-03-03T07:05:00.001-08:002010-03-03T12:16:57.880-08:00

In an effort to fill the gaping hole that is my post-Olympics life, I have been spending time with the kids and sleeping. Ahhhhh.... sleeping!The morning of the Closing Ceremonies, I was up at 6am so I could pick up the car and go get a dignitary and his wife, pick up their luggage and take them to see Paco in the last Cross Country race. Back at WVL, absolute chaos reigned. We were helping them

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-12561704984020760582010-03-01T20:59:00.000-08:002010-03-01T21:09:06.763-08:00

All I am going to say about the last day of the Games is WOW.I really need about 18 hours of sleep before I can properly process everything that's happened in the last 40 hours, since none of those 40 involved sleep. But for now, I am just feeling very happy and satisfied. And HOME. I'll write more tomorrow!

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-72224804029229418902010-02-27T21:51:00.000-08:002010-02-27T22:08:12.425-08:00

Ethan scored his first goal in hockey today! He was pretty pumped. I was SO sorry to miss it; you have no idea. Everything I have seen and done here has been so worth it, yet I will be ecstatic to get back home to them. This has been a long LONG time to be apart.I spent a lot of the day packing and tidying up. I didn't have much to do in the athlete's village today, besides hanging out with all

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-73773197842569816312010-02-26T23:15:00.001-08:002010-02-26T23:33:15.437-08:00

OK, how could I forget that I bumped into the 51-yr-old Mexican Alpine skier, Prince Hubertus, today? He's German or Austrian royalty, I forget which. And he's 51 and still skiing at an Olympic level! Last week, I nearly walked into the King and Queen of Sweden, today Prince Hubertus. Also this week, the King of Norway brought us a cake. It was the absolute best cake I have ever eaten in my life.

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-23680595232566111012010-02-26T21:59:00.000-08:002010-02-26T22:59:35.851-08:00

I don't think my heart is strong enough to watch another hockey game. They won, but oh lordie they made us sweat at the end! Please, Canada, go hard on Sunday for Gold!!!Today the Andorran assistant based in Vancouver came up to Whistler for a field trip, since he hasn't had much to do during the games. I showed Jefte around Whistler village, and took him to see the Sliding Centre too. Then we

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-51738031692804531192010-02-25T23:51:00.000-08:002010-02-26T00:30:05.765-08:00

I started off today with a nice gentle run on the Valley Trail. My original destination was Meadow Park, but then this happened to the trail: Which wasn't such a happy thing for my knees as every step in the ice and snow seemed to wrench. So I returned back over the River of Golden Dreams and headed for home. Although I got tired while running, I get too bored of walking, so I ended up running

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-66018290528190729112010-02-24T21:43:00.000-08:002010-02-24T22:37:49.684-08:00

WOOT WOOT Canada!!! Awesome competition day!I had pretty much zippo to do for the team today, so I sat in the break room and did Sudoku as I watched competitions on TV. Half of the ladies' Giant Slalom got delayed so we were kind of in a holding pattern for most of the day. One of our girls DNF but the other is waiting for the second run, rescheduled for tomorrow! Here's a picture I took today of

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-37955149196038151722010-02-23T21:51:00.001-08:002010-02-23T22:25:53.756-08:00

I didn't get to take our athlete to the airport today. I was supposed to go down to help him with his bags as, due to his injury, he is unable to lift them himself. However, when push came to shove, he needed to choose between space in the car for me to sit to help him at YVR, or space in the car for the last of his bags. He chose to take his bag home with him. I hope he found someone to haul his

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-38509922748480099432010-02-22T22:19:00.000-08:002010-02-22T22:51:46.203-08:00

I'm pretty sure I was told not to bring any animal products through security into the athlete's village. So how did these end up in here? Oh wait, they ARE security. You wouldn't believe what a hit these cuties were with all the athletes from all over the world. It was very hard to snap this shot WITHOUT an athlete in the frame.I took the ripped ski bag to the seamstress today. They had a very

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-24688803452217544132010-02-21T17:19:00.000-08:002010-02-21T17:36:09.143-08:00

Mike and I slept in this morning! This is news-worthy, for sure. We both feel like we never get to sleep late. So this morning = 8 frigging 30. Yee haw!We got to our event (Men's Super Combined Alpine Skiing) a little late, but we were happy as we avoided most of the lineups to get in, and we got to see the Andorrans' and the Canadians' runs in the downhill.Then, as everyone went to find food and

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-69441100081005497612010-02-21T15:21:00.000-08:002010-02-21T17:13:57.807-08:00

Lots going on today!I met Maria Ana in the morning and we went for waffles at Norway House. Let me just say TAKK to the Norwegians for my delicious breakfast! We had gone to Canada House first for their pancake breakfast, but got there a little late to eat, so we changed allegiance and visited Norway! I have to say, however, that it is very cool to be a Canadian at our Canadian Olympics. We have

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-82810063770903232092010-02-19T17:09:00.000-08:002010-02-19T17:33:49.011-08:00

I stayed in bed late today. Throat feeling ok; lots of tea and soothing drinks. Luckily I didn't have much to do today Olympically speaking. Besides watch my boys on the Super G, of course - this time on TV. I am like a nervous mama watching them race! It's nerve-wracking! I can't breathe, I'm sweaty, my hands are shaking...So far, they have all made it down the hill in one piece. Huge sigh of

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-89658846242757526732010-02-18T18:03:00.000-08:002010-02-19T10:45:31.728-08:00

I am the luckiest girl on earth. My only "job" today was to wave the Andorran flag frantically while our girl raced in the Super Combined Alpine skiing. Again, we had fantastic seats! It was a beautiful day (my sunburned nose speaks for itself) and I had tons of fun cheering Mimi on. Here's the scoreboard just after she finished: We also got a picture with Olympian Allison Forsyth, who gave us

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-6550639986880495452010-02-17T21:18:00.000-08:002010-02-17T22:18:28.209-08:00

No pictures today!I spent the morning helping the boys and Mike pack up. Then Mike drove me to YVR on their way home, as I was picking up our last athlete. She's awesome! Very sweet. She and I came back up to Whistler on the athlete's bus, and I helped her check in and get to her home away from home! I left the house at 10:15 am and only got home at 9:00 pm.I'm tired tonight! But I have to poll

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-80933572040024086762010-02-16T20:44:00.000-08:002010-02-16T21:08:53.958-08:00

Our big disappointment today was that the Men's Super Combined (downhill + slalom) was postponed. It was doubly disappointing because we had tickets, and my two Andorrans were competing today. But they have now rescheduled it for Sunday, so Mike may be able to come back to Whistler and enjoy it anyway!The reason it was postponed was because of a huge dumping of snow. So we played in the snow

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-72861896993110767152010-02-15T21:42:00.001-08:002010-02-15T22:19:45.939-08:00

Most. Awesome. Day. Ever.Translation of this morning's Andorran conversation:So Tamsin - can you drive me to Creekside?Why sure!Oh by the way here's your upgrade accreditation.Whaaaa?Meet you at the chairlift!Um, ok!Here's your seat in the VIP area. Here is your view for the day; is this going to be ok? Yes, I think I am very comfortable; thank you!Would you mind videotaping our boys when they

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-79014697586307196392010-02-14T21:41:00.000-08:002010-02-16T21:12:36.574-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Gung Hay Fat Choy to anyone celebrating Chinese New Year today! And Happy Olympics to us all!Mike went to the Luge today with Aaron. They got some great shots! ***Update; had to take some pictures down. I realized I'm not supposed to include competition shots in my blog. VANOC rules!*** This is a picture of the German guy who won the event. Apparently, he was the only one

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-79218285834370077322010-02-14T10:25:00.000-08:002010-02-16T21:15:05.267-08:00

Yesterday Mike and I got to go to the Ski Jump, Normal Hill event. It was awesome! It was the first day I haven't worked with the Andorrans since Feb 5. It felt a little odd, not being on call! But it was great.We had to get up super early to catch the 6:30 am shuttle from the Whistler Day Lots (now known as WTM, or the Whistler Transportation Mall). And since I'd been working until 10:40 the

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-61272075930504619962010-02-13T17:29:00.000-08:002010-02-13T18:17:13.937-08:00

Yesterday was Kuh-Ray-Zee.I got to WVL at 8:30 am and didn't get home until 10:40 pm. We started off in a flurry of last minute plans. The Alpine Training schedule was all moved around, and for a short while we thought that would mean our Ladies Alpine skier would not get to the Opening Ceremonies on time. Luckily, she did - and I hope you saw her beaming face on the screen last night!Of course,

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-89369743742857967282010-02-11T20:07:00.000-08:002010-02-11T21:54:04.688-08:00

I thought I was all finished work last night but I got a text just before 11 pm about a potential problem that needed to be fixed before the village to village courier left this morning at 9:30 am. Luckily, it only took until just after midnight to fix it. I still had to make sure everything went ok, so I was up again at 6:45am and got to the athlete's village early. (Is it ok if I start using

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-24936001042619518852010-02-10T22:09:00.001-08:002010-02-10T22:15:03.037-08:00

Hey all - thought I'd put this out there... any chance that any of you know of 12 beds available on Feb 28 only? Not too expensive, but they will have earned the right to stay somewhere comfortable. In between downtown Vancouver and YVR would be perfect. Just thought I'd ask? Bragging rights would ensue for having an Olympic team stay for a night!If you know, email me privately please. THX!

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-43996211953133722422010-02-10T20:31:00.000-08:002010-02-10T21:28:48.803-08:00

OK so first off I have to stop saying day four, eight, whatever because I seem to be unable to keep track of days properly any more. It's definitely all blending together, and I think it will be easier to start tracking as VANOC is. So T minus 2 today - Opening Ceremonies on Friday!I was at the athlete's village all day today. It was a long day but a few interesting things happened. One thing I

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-27061835518321509292010-02-09T08:44:00.000-08:002010-02-09T22:15:29.135-08:00

Most of today was supposed to be a driving day - we needed to go to Vancouver Athlete's Village and back up to Whistler this evening, although I didn't end up going myself. Which led me to think about the pledge of the Olympics to be Sustainable. I think they have done a lot in the construction of the housing and venues to be ecologically sound. And they are really awesome about sorting the

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-69330751251344807782010-02-08T20:28:00.001-08:002010-02-08T22:34:28.203-08:00

Today was one of the Andorrans' birthday. So I didn't do much work today, besides track down some candles, balloons, and make a card. We celebrated with cake and beverages at the Andorran house in the village. These guys and girls are all awesome - so welcoming and friendly! We walk in and it's all hugs and kisses. They're lots of fun to work with!Here's one of the sights I get to see that others

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-67758977499157085602010-02-07T21:12:00.000-08:002010-02-07T22:03:16.119-08:00

I had to be up early today - all three of the Whistler NOC Assistants to Andorra were meeting with our chef de mission this morning to set our schedule for the rest of the month. I met Maria Ana on the bus, and Erin once we got to the NOC Services Centre. I think the three of us make a great team! We also have an Assistant in Vancouver, who I hope to meet on Tuesday.After our meeting, I stayed on

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-25414154987960218032010-02-06T21:33:00.000-08:002010-02-06T22:16:07.822-08:00

Oh, I am just SO sick of this view. Wouldn't you be?Sigh.It's just SO ugly here. As you can see above, it was PRETTY hard to get out of bed this morning. But I had things to do. Canada House had an open house today, so I went and had a cuppa with this guy: Just your average ordinary everyday dude... who HAPPENED to light the cauldron in Whistler last night! Meet Tyler, a super sweet 17 year old

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-8404331486346278592010-02-05T21:46:00.000-08:002010-02-05T23:05:40.486-08:00

Hola! Bonjour! Awesome day today!I woke up to this: OK so you can't REALLY see the fat flakes of snow, but they were there, I promise. Beautiful view from the cabin window!And then I got ready for my first shift. Do I LOOK like a keener? Because I am SUCH a keener: I checked in at the Athlete's Village. Once I got there I received word that I had almost two hours to kill before the revised

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-9782733052395773082010-02-04T22:09:00.000-08:002010-02-04T22:22:13.526-08:00

OK, so still bored here. But I have had two glasses of wine, so I probably shouldn't write much tonight...Remember I said they were putting finishing touches on the Medals Plaza? Almost. Done. More banners with a beautiful mountain background. First shift tomorrow - YEY! Except the timing of it means I will probably miss the Torch Relay coming through - BOO!But I am still super excited because I

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-61580088933886254732010-02-03T14:47:00.001-08:002010-02-03T15:22:27.907-08:00

This morning I was aimless. I hadn't even been here 24 hours and I'd already started and finished one of the four books I brought with me. AND watched 3 hours of Lost last night. I turned on the TV but there was nothing on. I watched a whole 12 minutes of the Maury show, and I'm pretty sure it was the same show I saw last time I watched Maury 9 years ago - "I ain't yo' baby's daddy". Turns out he

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-81907803569376347242010-02-02T16:02:00.001-08:002010-02-02T16:27:17.263-08:00

Hey all,I have arrived in Whistler! I was expecting a little more fanfare, but nobody seems to have realized yet that the most awesome volunteer is now in their midst. I went into the village to pick up some bread and milk, and it is all-abuzz. Volunteers everywhere in their snazzy uniforms; decorations and excitement!I arrived with a ridiculous amount of luggage, all of which was excruciatingly

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-17918182357026185152010-01-18T18:08:00.001-08:002010-01-18T18:29:16.803-08:00

Hey! Where have I been? I know - I have been IN A FUNK. But I may be emerging, so here I am again. I'm feeling more prepared for my month away volunteering at the Olympics. The boys are back to the school routine after playing their hearts out over the Christmas break.I have a friend who is posting pictures and writing EVERY DAY on her blog. I did that last February and I have to admit, I liked

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-79121802681852031472009-12-30T15:41:00.000-08:002009-12-30T16:08:51.495-08:00

We've had a good Christmas break so far. Today we decided to go to "Puck & Stick" at our local arena and then stay for Public Skate. The boys had a good time playing hockey although Jack was ticked off because the sticks were all too long for him. He made sure to tell the Skate Patrol that they should get shorter sticks. Oh yes he did. Ethan was playing hockey with a friend and I was on the bench

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-30451050318521368272009-12-22T23:32:00.001-08:002009-12-22T23:43:15.499-08:00

I realize it's been a month since I posted, and I left it on a bleak note. The boys have been challenging here and there, but are well aware that SANTA IS WATCHING THEM, so every now and then we are lucky enough to experience good behaviour! Sometimes even from both of them at once!Although it has been the usual crazy hectic-ness that is December, Christmas time is so much fun! I DO love this

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-38129055849013539002009-11-22T21:39:00.000-08:002009-11-22T22:11:09.720-08:00

So my son punched me in the face today. In public and on purpose. Which really makes me feel like such a fantastic parent that I have trained him SO well in his time on earth that he would think it was actually ok to punch me in the face.We were on our way back from hockey and needed to stop at Home Depot. E has always resisted on-the-way-home stops; he hates the thought of appearing in public in

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-8063657627080181942009-11-13T16:26:00.000-08:002009-11-13T16:49:26.871-08:00

There has been a lot of controversy about the H1N1 vaccine. I've always vaccinated my kids, though, and got them the flu shot every year, so I figured that this was no different. I made sure to read up on it, though, as I know it's a new vaccine. I spoke with doctors and health care workers - the fact that they were getting it themselves and for their families was reassuring. Also reassuring was

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-61953157892117926372009-11-10T22:18:00.000-08:002009-11-10T22:24:00.565-08:00

Here are ten things I should be doing right now, instead of writing here:1. Folding laundry2. Washing dinner dishes3. Cleaning up the Game of Life and the 2000 piece puzzle the boys started4. Wrapping Liam's present5. Watching Vampire Diaries6. Filing paperwork7. Sleeping (What? I made it to #7 before writing Sleeping???)8. Answering emails9. Filling out more Olympics paperwork10. Cleaning

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-12499591160971345902009-11-09T16:07:00.000-08:002009-11-09T16:43:41.350-08:00

Ethan had his first honest-to-goodness hockey game yesterday. Score clock and uniforms, cheering crowds in the freezing-ass stands, referees and whistles, breakaways and faceoffs. And I'm just such an awesome mom that I can't even remember his team's name. Yey team!Ethan wasn't really too keen on pausing for the pre-game photo op. I guess he needs to be trained in keeping the paparazzi happy. (

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-56541190062935059522009-11-05T12:00:00.000-08:002009-11-05T13:37:45.461-08:00

Remember last post, when I said I wanted to write a little something every day? Well, FAIL on that as it is now November 5, and I'm four days late on the every day thing. Due to that, and a recently-given-but-undeserved nickname of Mother Teresa, I decided that this post would be about failing miserably. Here are ten things I have failed at in the last week alone. And there's more! I am just

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6263154483615534110.post-47255289633446899252009-11-01T21:20:00.001-08:002009-11-01T23:07:21.735-08:00

Hello all,I am trying to catch up on a bunch of things I wanted to share, so I'm going to try to write a bit every day. I think I'm going to work backwards, though, and give you our Halloween report for 2009!The Mario Brothers took our town by storm!Seriously, how cute are they?And then this strange spider-webby lady swooped in:We spent Friday at the school, with me hosting a craft station in the

Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09848467207190781175noreply@blogger.com0