Bread Crumbs In The Butter

Bullety, Edition 19: Flabby

• I've just completed my registration for the ING Half Marathon, here in Ottawa, on May 25 (Meghan's birthday!).  As long as I've been running, completing one half has been my goal. I have serious doubts that I will ever do a full, because, for my easily bored mind, 22.2 kilometres is about all I can handle. I'm also considering that the Quest For A Cure is just a month after that. I don't want to overtrain the running when I also have to get back into biking shape and get my arms to a point where they won't fall off after the long paddle.

• Our Christmas was good.  I had asked for an eternity pendant and I got a coffee maker and an external hard drive.  I can totally see my husband's logic in both things he got me. I lost two years worth of photos in a recent hard drive crash.  I hate waking up, making coffee and then taking a shower while it brews.  I could live with it, but now I have a coffee maker with a timer that magically brews at 7am.  Love it.  However, I still didn't have an eternity pendant. So, I bought myself one. (As an aside, John wanted Linkin Park tickets. He got Linkin Park tickets!)

• Even though I've had to work quite a bit (my job is going very well, btw) our holidays have been fantastic.  We've met up with a bunch of friends, eaten lots of good food and drank a lot of beverages.  January will be all about detox for me.

• New music of late?  I'm addicted to Wintersleep (can I just point out that Live 88.5 was playing Weighty Ghost a full month before it got play on The Bear. Hell yeah, it was!).  Love The Pippettes, they're insanely fun.  I'm also embarassed to say that I've got Gimme More on my iPod. Britney is a freaking trainwreck, but her music gets you moving.   

Resolution

I, Chantal Hubert, hereby swear that my New Year's Resolultion, is to blog more. I don't care if it's the most inane fodder you've ever laid eyes on, I will do it.

That is all.

Eleven (and a great place to have your next birthday party)

This Wednesday, I was working myself silly, as is usual these days, so I didn't get a chance to tell you all that Kristyn turned 11. For her birthday she received a purple iPod shuffle and some Fuzzy Peaches. The iPod because she's proven over and over again that she can handle the responsibility of owning one. The Fuzzy Peaches because she had her orthodontia removed on Thursday and she had had to give all of her gummy candy and gum to her siblings at Halloween.  She was crushed, but she feels redeemed and she's not sharing.

Kristyn is still the same well-meaning, slow moving, patient and incredibly sweet girl she always has been, but she's growing before my eyes.  I can see her gaining knowledge and confidence day by day and I'm having a blast watching her grow up. I can hardly remember the days when it was just her and I - they seem so distant. It's as though she's always been there as my helper, the most mature of my children in both age and spirit.

Her birth was an amazing blessing to us, so young and unsure.  Celebrating that day always reminds me how much we've been through since.

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On a (sort of) separate note, this year I was determined to have her party out of the house.  Things are just too busy for me to worry about cake and loot bags and cleaning up.  Last year I tried several times to contact the Carleton Place Family Cinemas for her party, but I was never called back. I had heard there was new management at the cinemas and I decided to try again. Within 24 hours of my first email to them (I don't call if I can get away with it, I end up saying things like "Yessiree, Bob!" or "I'm easy!"), I was called back and offered up a wonderful package to suit my needs perfectly.

For just $!6.00 per guest we were treated to pizza, pop, loot bags, popcorn and a cake with Kristyn's picture on it. We got the theatre to ourselves for one hour before showtime. The kids got to see The Golden Compass, which they all enjoyed, and I didn't have to clean anything up.  It was pure bliss I tell you. (They even found and held the purse I left in their lobby!)

If you're in the area, or just want to do something inexpensive and cool, please give The Carleton Place Cinemas a shot. You won't be sorry!