Better quality

I scanned the portraits. These are a much better quality.

Another blogger moment

The boys and I went into Nicole's today to see the girls, as it has been a while. Kira has lost her first tooth and is very proud of this. She has been telling everyone, proudly showing her new bottom row of teeth without her center tooth, or her "hole". We were all in the livingroom today getting ready to leave when she showed me her gap again. I asked her if she had showed this to Colby. Colby, who was getting ready at the time only half heard our conversation and, in perfect blog-worthy timing said to Kira:

"Where's your hole?"

For 2 seconds I stared in shock, and then my chuckle would not stay in any longer. I looked up just in time to see Nicole turn away, trying to hide her laughter. My only comment? "Sometimes my blog just writes itself."

You gotta blog that!

This is becoming more and more of a common phrase in this house. This should explain why...

This scene starts with the phone ringing

"Hello?"

To which an automated voice replies

"Hello. This is Aliant. You have a collect call from (X) (I don't remember the name but it was male). To accept the charges, say "Yes".

I thought about this for about 2 seconds. Although I didn't know the name, if I DIDN'T accept the charges I would forever wonder if it was my long lost relative or someone who got the wrong number but is standing in jail with no further contact with the outside world but me. So of course I answered

"Yes"

"Thank you." (the automated voice)

So there I was. The moment of truth. Who could it be? I held my breath. I waited until the connection. And then I hear it. Backround noise. A jail? OH MY GOD SOMEONE IS CALLING ME FROM PRISON!

And then I hear...

"Hello?"

"Hello" (I replied)

(audible sigh of relief from my unknown caller from jail)

"Hi. I'm sorry for the collect call but I didn't have any money with me. I'm calling from school. I'm wondering if you're still looking for a babysitter?"

Then all I hear is laughter. It took me a second to realize the laughter was mine.

And through my laughter I said to him

"You're calling me COLLECT to ask me for a job?"

I'm sure he could still hear me laughing when I attempted to compose myself and told him the position was filled and gently hung up the phone.

The best part of this entire thing? Joey started laughing with me. My beautiful little blued eyed angel was laughing with me, looking at me as if to say

"Mommy, I have no idea what you're laughing about, but you're funny while you're doing it and it looks fun so I'll do it too"

I would not have believed it, had it not happened to me. I think I'll keep and frame that phone bill.

TEETH!

Colby Joey and Alan

More than a little disturbed

Suspect may have posed as cop. Accused in child porn, sex assault case also worked with teen group

RCMP are investigating whether a Lower Sackville man charged with sexual assault and making child pornography has been passing himself off as a police officer. Michael John Kaye, 24, of Walker Connector Road was in possession of various pieces of police, paramedic and firefighter uniforms and identification, said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Joe Taplin. Whether Mr. Kaye may have posed as an emergency services worker "would be part of the investigation," Cpl. Taplin said Friday. The Mounties are also reviewing their own security procedures in light of Mr. Kaye’s admission into the RCMP’s Stetsons and Spurs youth program. "He has volunteered with the group since September," said Cpl. Taplin, adding Mr. Kaye was never alone with any teens in the youth group without another adult leader present. Police do not believe Mr. Kaye had any contact with teens involved in Stetsons and Spurs outside of its regular meetings. The girl who Mr. Kaye allegedly assaulted and whose images were discovered on his laptop was not a member of the group, Cpl. Taplin said. Mr. Kaye was arraigned in Halifax provincial court this week on charges of sexual assault and making and possessing child porn. He has been released on a $1,000 recognizance and conditions including an 11 p.m.-6 a.m. curfew, having no contact with the alleged victim and staying from areas where children may be present. He is also banned from using cellphones and accessing the Internet with computers. Cases of citizens impersonating police officers are fairly rare, Cpl. Taplin said. Anyone doubting an officer’s identity should ask to see his or her ID and then take a close look at it. "Real police officers would never have a problem showing their identification," Cpl. Taplin said. "Our officers all carry photo ID and a badge. "If people are still a little skeptical, they can call in a uniformed officer." Mr. Kaye selects a court for trial April 11.

This article appeared in today's newpaper. This is more than a little disturbing to me, because even though it disturbes me enough that someone like this lives so close to us (less than 10 minutes) THIS MAN HAS BEEN IN MY HOUSE. Yes, I know this man. There was a time I would say I knew him well. He is / was the boyfriend of a former co-worker of mine, someone at one point I considered a close friend. So close in fact that when Rob and I went to Cape Breton for Adelle's christening, I borrowed her car (it was a VW diesel), and they spent the weekend. Here. In my house. That perverted imposter slept in my house! The thought that bothers me the most is on that weekend she picked up Colby from mom's for me and had him here at the house with her until we came home that evening. Now, in her defence, I don't know if she was involved with this or not. I know when she first met him he stated to her that he was an undercover cop, who was also a paramedic and a volunteer firefighter. At the time, it didn't sound nearly as ridiculous as it does now. But, on the other side of that, she has been living with him for 2 years, and must be still with him as on the cover of yesterday's Daily News (which I have not seen yet) she is in the photograph with him. I have a hard time believing that she was involved with this with him, but the more logical part of me thinks "hell, she's been living with him for 2 years, how could she NOT know?" It scares me to think how many other little girls (these girls were 14) that he assaulted before he was caught. The thought of it sickens me.

After

Colby at 1.5 years

Rob has been converting our VHS home movies to DVD. He has done an amazing job. I didn't realize we took soo much video of Colby as a baby, and we've dusted off the ole' video camera to start getting more of Joey. This is probably my favorite video of Colby so far that we have found, but for whatver reason I can't post it directly to my blog. So I've cheated and you can find it here. Just a little backround before you watch it. Rebecca and Kira are my neices and at the time of this video I was babysitting them through the day. Rebecca called Kira "Sissy". You'll understand the rest when you see it. You'll also notice that I ask Colby to say "Daddy" and he doesn't. For the longest time he would not say Daddy and was on a first name basis with Rob. When I find that video I'll put it on here too!

Poppy will be so proud

Pirate Colby and Joey

House of the sick

The stomach flu has been running rampant through this house. I had it for a day or so, just feeling yucky, but hey, there's no calling in sick when your full time job is mommy! Colby had a bad case of it, and now Rob is not feeling the best. He stayed home from work yesterday and is not feeling the best today. My sister is having a rough time with it also. Just gross all around.

We got a call last night from A&G. Looks like they may be coming down this weekend! I can't wait! Lots of eating, laughing and either Sequence or Scene It!

We have been very busy with house renovations. We re-painted the living room, and for all who have been in here, we painted the panelling. This house was originally a 2 bedroom house, and when the previous owners separated the front bedroom into 2, the added a piece onto the room, coming out into the livingroom. It's hard to notice if you don't look, but the hallway is about 3 feet longer on one wall. Anyways, when they added this they put up pine panelling, and stained it a very dark color. When we first painted the house, we didn't paint the panelling, but this time around we did and boy what a difference! We also re-did all the pictures in the living room, and now the living room is mostly black and white pictures of the kids. We didn't have a lot of family pictures in the livingroom first time around, but I'm very proud of my family and my photography and am just thrilled that this is now the first thing you see when you come in my house. Open invitation for all to come and see!

These are the "before" pictures, I'll post the after pictures later this weekend after A&G come up. I'm not ruining the suprise! LOL

Yesterday

From 1 to 3 teeth in 2 weeks

Still a thumb sucker!

My mommy uses a Canon!

Stock bowling party

We went to a Bowling party with Stock Transport on Sunday. The kids had a blast and I couldn't resist posting a few pics of it.

A pink butterfly!

Colby didn't want to get a tattoo on his face, but had no problem gettting a car on his hand!

Look, another car tattoo on the hand!

What a smile! Big surprise, Kira and Colby sat together on the bus! These 2 should be brother and sister!

Poppa Don, the bus driver!

Oh, and I want to thank everyone who endured my rant about childcare. I have figured it out and we're all set!

I'm starting to really panic now

I have been looking for part time child care since January. I really, really never expected that it would be this hard. I only need 10 hours per week, but the problem I am running into is that I need 1 night shift. Mom has said that she would take the boys for 1 night shift, as long as it's Thursday or Friday because she doesn't drive and that is when Dad is off, which leaves me screwed for the beginning of the week, as Rob works 2 night shifts a week. I really hate to rely on my parents again for childcare, because they were the sole child care providers for Colby before I had Joey. I have interviewed a couple of people but nothing seems to have panned out. I have put more ads on a few websites that specialize in looking for / offering childcare, but no luck. I have put a sign up in the store here looking for a high school student, but according to the woman who works in the store, "people don't think it's enough hours to make it worth it". I have no sweet clue what the hell I'm going to do. I go back to work in 4 weeks. I was hoping to have found someone by now so that the boys could get used to them over the next couple of weeks to make my going back to work a little easier on them. The only real possibility I have is a girl who showed up, whose first words to be were "i forgot to tell you I smoked", when all I could do is look at the spike going through her bottom lip. I can't go to work worrying if the boys are alright or not. It's to the point now that it's 3:45AM and I'm up on the computer because I woke up panicked and I can't go back to sleep. I never in my wildest dreams thought it would be this hard. I have no idea what we're going to do.

Walmart Special

Need a little help

Colby's class is having a Valentine's party, and although the teachers did not ask parents to send in something, it was implied in the newsletter that said "if parents choose to send in treats for the valentine's day party, please be cautious of allergies in the classroom". Well, there is a kid in his class that is allergic to nuts, and there is a kid who Colby says is "allergic to sugar". Well, after asking around, it's not that he's allergic to sugar, it is that his parents refuse to let him have any sort of "sugary" treat. At all. Poor little bugger. I really want to send in something, but it has to be nut free and sugar free. Broccolli? Carrots? Packages of oatmeal? Fruit To Go? I'm at a loss. I thought of going to the dollar store and buying valentine pencils or stickers or something, but hell, who really wants that? And since the choices are so limited I'm sure that there will be plenty of Rice Krispy squares already, even though the marshmellow is probably off limits to this little guy. I wanna do something "cool" as Colby would say, but I just don't know what to do that would allow them all to have it. Any suggestions?